Those wicked early morning moments always leave me gasping for breath. I can’t imagine a day without sunshine, although I can thoroughly enjoy the cloudy gray mornings with sunlight filtering

dawn over the lake

through the clouds. This day dawned bright and clear with sunlight glinting off the clouds turning them a pale lemony yellow with whispers of peach rays dancing on distant puffs of eerie white. The earliest moments of dawn are a celebration of creation.

So, what is a writer doing up at the crack of dawn on a Tuesday morning? Well, you’d be surprised what a girl can think of to do in the wee hours of the morning.

There’s a place not too far away looking out over the eastern plains where a broken pine tree leans out across the river and forms a natural bench. The view is incredible.

(I’ll remember to bring my camera next time.)

I like to take a note pad and jot down thoughts about my books and how I want to write the next book. The thoughts that come to mind in such a natural setting make great kickoffs for whole chapters. The setting of course is, romance multiplied.

Can you imagine? A site so full of romance that a writer literally turns to look a different direction and finds a whole new story line? It’s incredible.

This morning… for instance… (copied straight from my notes)

Sunrise – describe the dawning of pale lemon sunlight fingering out over clouds drifting overhead as the darkness gives way to light. Morgan stands near the edge of the river tossing memories. The love she feels for Anson isn’t being returned. He’s off on another adventure, leaving her behind, and she’s sure he’s never coming back. Raindrops splatter into the river, first a few, then more. Clouds grow heavier and she lingers. Allowing the rain to flow over her, she leans her head back, letting the rain drops fall in her face.

…….. time passes and she’s standing at the river again, Anson’s arms trail around her waist pulling her back into his arms, he says, “Do you really believe, I could leave without you?” She turns into his arms and they live happily ever after… Okay, I’ll get a real ending in the book.

Or the next notes… (Seriously, I don’t write much out there, I’d rather enjoy the sights. But I do write enough to grasp the story and remember what to write when I get home to the computer.)

Burning prairies cause destruction, and seldom does a fire fighter find good in a treacherous fire. But when Gheer Russell arrives on the scene, he recognized the trail through the blaze. Acting on instinct, he washes the trail with water and rushes past the flames to the cabin near the bottom of the cliff. Kylie Howell curled into his arms, tears covering his shoulder as he carried her out of the smoke filled valley.

“How did you know I was here?” Kylie whispered.

“Baby, how could I not know?” Gheer answered.

“I came here after you left. I didn’t know what else to do, so I came here to the cabin.”  Kylie choked.

“I know. I didn’t know what to do either,” he brushed a tear from her face. “But, I know now. I never want to be without you again.”

I know, I know, how do you get a prairie fire out of a dew sparkled dawn? It’s the glint of colors dancing across the prairie like flames in the grass. And the romance in me had a fire burning.

Hey, I have writing to do. Toodles…