It's cold up here in the northland.  No, I mean really cold.  The kind of cold that makes the dog back away from the open door, not caring how long it's been since she last went out.  I have one of those digital outside thermometers - only, it stops working at -20.  The last two mornings, it had a nifty "OFF" note where the temperature should be. Nice. 

Minnesotans are used to the cold.  We actually enjoy it, most of the time.  We love snow and plan for outside living by buying down jackets and wool hats.  Most of us even have a snowmobile or skis that we use on a regular basis.  But the recent kind of cold can make even a Minnesotan say, "Yep, it's a bit nippy out there."  

Now, normally, one might think - wow, I don't like this cold.  But, I've decided I've been looking at this all wrong.  See, I'm the kind of girl who likes to "get stuff done,"  make the most of every moment - if we're not outside working on the house or having fun in the snow, then we're inside playing a game, or doing something creative. 

But mostly, this month, all I've wanted to do is sit under a blanket.  And read.  Or write.  Or even watch Monday night television.  (Because deep inside I'm an adrenaline junkie - hello Prison Break, Heroes and 24!).  Normally this couch-potato behavior would be accompanied by guilt.  But see, it's COLD out.  And it's a proven fact that things slow down in the cold.  Even to the point of stillness. 

And, well, after December, this gal could use a little stillness.  A little wool-socks and blanket time.  I know things will "heat back up" in February, and even more so in March, so well, today, I'm thanking God for twenty below.  An opportunity to stop, count my blessings, savor the quiet of the cold.  A guilt-free gift from the Weatherman.

I hope you've had a good January.  Here's hoping you had a few moments of COLD to make you grab a blanket and good book. 

Thank you for your letters and encouragement - so many of you have written to say you like Nick (and not just the cover, but the STORY too!*g*).  Thank you for your kind words! 

For you Russia fans, I just finished the rough draft of "As Wise as Serpents" - book 3 of the Mission: Russia series-Yanna and David's story (and Gracie and Vicktor are back on the scene, too!)  More on that in upcoming months. 

Thank you again for reading my books - I'm so blessed by your support!

God Bless!

Susan May Warren

Meet Me At The Bookstore!   Feb 9, 10 or 11th.

 A DASH OF ROMANCE, A PINCH OF ADVICE: A recipe for love dished up by me and other great Christian authors.

Looking for ways to set your true love's heart aflutter this Valentine's Day? The Christian Author's Network (CAN) and Northwestern Book Stores are sponsoring four gatherings of popular Christian authors, who will present ideas for holiday crafts, gifts, creative dates, ingredients for communication, and delicious chocolate recipes.

The Christian Author's Network will be giving a presentation and gift baskets at each location during the following times:

                    Rochester Barnes & Noble: Sunday, Feb 11th at 1-                    3pm / 15 1st St. SW Rochester.

Authors cooking up the fun include Judy Baer, multi-published, award-winning author of the Whitney Chronicles, Sharon Hinck, author of The Secret Life of Becky Miller, Susie Larson, speaker and author of Balance that Works when Life Doesn't, Jill Elizabeth Nelson, author of The Reluctant Burglar, Cindy Salzmann, speaker and multi-published author of Dying to Decorate, Susan May Warren, multi-published, award-winning author of Reclaiming Nick, and Mary Connealy, author of Petticoat Ranch.

Fiction Dialogue Workshop Notes Available

On Friday 1/5/07 I offered a spirited and successful workshop called Creating Dynamic Dialogue via on-line chat on the web site www.dancingword.com 

We had a lot of fun discussing the craft of dialogue using excerpts of participants' writing as the raw material to work with. One participant's writing was even about Russia! It was a delight to interact with writers and share what I've learned up until now. I will let you know the next time I offer another on-line workshop. In the meantime you can read the transcript of the 1/5/07 workshop at Dancing Word. 

Zip Code Round Up!
In the spirit of my new book Reclaiming Nick, I wanted to round up your zip code and connect it with your email address. That way --once I get more tech savvy-- I can invite you to events in your area where I will be appearing.

I love meeting readers and I want to get better at letting you know when I'm going to be nearby. So, for example, if your zip code is near one of the bookstores listed above for my Feb 9, 10, or 11th events, I would send you an invitation email letting you know I will be in your area, which I will know if I know your zip. If you're interesteded, please visit www.susanmaywarren.com and re-sign up for this newsletter. Join us on the Zip Code Round Up!