Out of the dark

Christmas is on the way, but before that there is another date that makes me very happy - the Winter Solstice - otherwise known as the shortest day. This year it is 21st December and, like a kid for Christmas, I can hardly wait!

More sun, please.

Considering that I like to write romance with a dark edge, I hate the dark in real life - dark mornings, especially, when it's particularly difficult to get out of bed.

For the solstice itself - like a lot of authors, the phases of the year interest me. Summer and Winter Solstices and the Vernal and Autumn Equinoxes when light and dark are equal. I have a couple of ideas fermenting that involve these times of the year, all of which seem to have a degree of mystery about them.

It will be a while before those books see the light of day - I'm having too much fun researching festivals and myths and creating my own to go in them. At present I'm in the middle of the editing curve for a novella - which is something different from me, as it is not at all dark. I can't tell you the name yet, because it doesn't have one. I certainly haven't abandoned romantic suspense and have started work on something suitably scary which will be next year's WIP. It's an idea that has been following me around for a while, but it doesn't have any myths or significant dates in it. If real life will stop getting in the way, I might make some progress with it.

And it will be better when the days are longer and I don't have the temptation to hide under the covers in the morning!