When it rains …

I spent much of my childhood in a desert city where the average yearly rainfall was two inches. Any storm was an EVENT. We knew when one was coming. The neighbors would be out on their lawns looking up. We’d watch the clouds to see if they were moving our way. We’d get a whiff of the acrid stench of moisture mixing with dust and say, “Smells like rain.” (I was an adult before I discovered that rain smells GOOD in other elevations.) We might get a drop or two. “It’s sprinkling!” And then, if we were very, very lucky, we’d get a nice, normal rainstorm. Anything longer than ten minutes was considered long, and as a kid, I took advantage of every second, one eye always on the horizon for lightning.

Even when we didn’t have rain, we had lightning, and we all knew the protocol. Go inside. If you can’t go inside, get close to the ground, and don’t stand under a tree.

Once every couple of years, we’d get a cloudburst that set everyone on edge. Desert soil doesn’t absorb water very well. During a normal rainstorm, I could dig down a quarter inch and find dry soil under the moist top layer of dirt. So, when we’d get a sudden dump of rain, it resulted in flash floods that washed out streets, alleyways, yards, and sometimes even homes.

We didn’t get much rain, but we prepared for it. Block walls replaced chain link fencing to prevent property damage. Landscaping was planned with an eye toward “flooding.” “Old timers” had rain barrels ready and waiting.

I haven’t lived in that city for over thirty years, but still prepare for the rain. It’s just metaphorical rain now—a rain of words, scenes, and writing.

Last month, I experienced a refreshing deluge of writing rain. While I worked on my own WIP, I also read four novels by other authors whom I met via the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction Facebook Group.

For Heidi Gray McGill, I had the opportunity to read two novels she wrote as part of the Suamalie Islands Books. I wrote the blurb for one, but I also read its prequel, A Deeper Love, which is coming out on October 31. Both books were entertaining and so much fun to read. If you are looking for a sweet and swoony romance, preorder A Deeper Love. I know that fall has just begun, but that doesn’t mean you can’t cozy up to the fireplace with this phenomenal beach read.

I also wrote the blurb for Jane Daly’s upcoming book, Where is My Sister? It’s her best book yet. More than the fast-paced plot and dynamic characters, the book is also a heart-breaking look at how easily leaders with charisma can sway us. Daly is unafraid to confront the challenging issues of sibling rivalry, life-changing accidents, opioid addiction, homelessness, cults, and human trafficking. Keep your eyes peeled for this one.

I don’t have a release date for this one, but Jane Daly’s Broken series is available now.

And then, I got an email from the very first friend I found on Avid Readers. Our friendship started when I realized that I should probably start reading more books in my writing genre. I posted a request for contemporary Christian fiction selections, and Catherine Brusk was one of the first to answer. She included a link for her Finding Faith series. I found the first book, What Love Washed Up, on Kindle and began reading. I was blown away. I was gobsmacked. To quote my favorite Shakespeare play, “I was “Ama’zed for a little while.” I wrote a review. She read my first book and wrote a review. We commented on each other’s posts, and before we knew it, we were friends.

So, when she asked if I would give her newest novel another read-through, I said yes. Why wouldn’t I want to spend some time with her fantastic characters, Nick and Anna? They’re hilarious and earnest, and their situations and conflicts are so real! The book Forgiving Saint Nick will be released in November, and let me tell you, it will knock your socks off.

I think that becoming a writer has allowed me to enjoy reading even more than I had before. I can see and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the scenes and characters. I know that, like me, the words for other writers come long before they are committed to the page. They build up, billowing, and ever-changing while hands and mind are too busy to sit and type. Scenes play out in our minds until they are so real that they can no longer be contained. They must be released into keyboards and onto paper and made complete and whole creations.

Those creative moments may come as a sprinkle here and there or rush through us as a flood, but we’re ready. We’re prepared to catch the rain.