The Beat the Winter Blues Tour - Today's Stop.

Good morning from a grey and damp and non-blizzardy England. Today our guests talk about what to do in a blizzard. So without further adieu...



Things to do in a Blizzard – Blaine D. Arden.




I'd like to start with things do to before a Blizzard. Being prepared is a large part of how successful our Blizzard-night-in will be.
- Keep a generous stock of food and drink. Don't go wild on the beer, leave some room for bottled water. And, remember, canned is better than frozen, but only if you remember to buy a NON-electrical can opener.
- Keep every rechargeable item you own charged. Don't bother with the robotic hoover, using a broom will keep you a lot warmer during a power-out, and don't forget the gameboys if you want to keep the kids happy. (using the term kids very loosely here)
- Check your flashlight(s) for batteries and keep extra batteries nearby. Keep flashlights in places you can easily reach in the dark. The basement may seem like a good place, but don't call me when you end up at the bottom of the stairs with a broken leg
- Stock up on candles, matches, and wood if you have a fireplace. Splurging on candle-holders is not a luxury, unless you don't mind spending days de-waxing every possible surface in the house
- Do you have enough fleece plaids, socks and thermal underwear? If not, go shopping, now! I know those snuggies look ridiculous, but you won't be laughing when it starts freezing and you don't have one.
- Keep a shovel in the house. Yes, IN the house, not in that shed at the back of the garden. Trust me, you'll look foolish trying to dig your way over there with your bare hands.
- For a more naughty Blizzard-night-in: don't forget to stock up on lube, condoms and a variety of preferred play items :)

Well, I think that concludes the preparations. Unless you think of something else, of course. Better to be safe, than sorry.



Blaine D. Arden is a purple haired, forty-something writer of gay romance with a love of men, music, mystery, magic, fairies (the pointy eared ones), platform shoes, and the colors black, purple, and red, who sings her way through life. Born and raised in Zutphen, the Netherlands, Blaine spent many hours of her sheltered youth reading, day dreaming, making up stories, and acting them out with her Barbies. When not writing, reading, or at choir practice, Blaine has singing lessons and hopes to be in a band someday. Blaine can be found at: http://blainedarden.com



Andrew Grey:

During a blizzard I invariably retreat into the house and spend the day doing absolutely nothing. I love to hear the wind whistle around the house knowing I’m inside where it’s warm and I don’t have to do anything in particular or go anywhere. The last blizzard we had, Dominic and I watched it snow form our kitchen windows and then he made hot apple cider and we curled together on the sofa in front of the television. Of course, the blizzard didn’t last that long and I had to go to work the following day, but it was definitely nice while it lasted.

Andrew Grey grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation. Andrew's hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle,, Pennsylvania. You can find out more at www.andrewgreybooks.com , on facebook, twitter, or email him at andrewgrey@comcast.net


Clare London:

Things to do in a blizzard
Of course I have extensive experience of blizzards, living as I do in … um … balmy London. We only need a light fall of snow for 36 hours, and the country’s train network grinds to a halt in shock. I think I’ve worn my snowy-weather boots twice in the last year!

However, what the London weather *does* prepare us for is rain – long hours of cold, grey, sleeting, spiky, soaking rain.

Unlike the romantic white of snow, the grey rain seeps in down the back of your neck and up through the too-thin soles of your shoes. I still remember the Great Storm of 1987, when the weather forecaster is (in)famous for telling everyone the night before that of course there wasn’t any chance of a storm.

Next morning, we woke to widespread power lines down, fallen trees, floods, damaged property, many injuries. The famous seven oak trees in Sevenoaks, Kent had lost six of their number in one terrible night.

Amazingly, Hubby and I slept through the whole thing. We woke up to our alarm blinking away because power had been cut during the night, and wondering why there was no traffic noise outside. And, I have to admit, we just snuggled back down into the safety and warmth of our bed LOL. That’s OUR favourite thing to do in a blizzard – or equivalent!

About Clare: Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters. Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home. All the details of her books and free fiction are available at her website and blog.


From S.A.Meade: - What Not to do in a blizzard.

Years and years ago, my ex and I did the annual Christmas present run to Birmingham. We didn't have a car so we took a bus. The journey up was uneventful but the journey back to Cambridge was...interesting. The weather forecasters predicted snow. We really didn't give it much thought. After all, someone else would be doing the driving. All we had to do was sit and admire the view.

A few flakes fell when we left Birmingham. By the time we reached the next stop, Coventry, there were a few more. The bus headed on to Northampton, by which time there was a healthy amount of snow. We still weren't worried. It was pretty, right? In Bedford the snow was really coming down. The bus headed for St. Neots, up the hill and onto open, flat land. Big Mistake. The wind piled up drifts across the road and the foolish souls who'd ventured out were stranded and so was our bus.

We sat in the bus while babies cried and the wind slammed into the side of the bus. After an hour or so, I began to envy the men of the party who could pop out for a quick pee. No such luck for the women. My eyes started to water. I fidgeted and worried and wondered whether I could ask for a diaper because I wasn't confident that my bladder could hold out much longer. Finally, one brave woman said ... "To hell with this, I need a pee." Half a dozen visibly relieved women followed in her wake, myself included. We blundered into a snowy, freezing hell and did what needed to be done, in the teeth of the gale and blowing snow.

A little while later, the police made their way to the bus, we were all loaded into a wagon and taken back to the Police station in Bedford, where the generous souls of the local Womens' Royal Voluntary Society had provided beds, biscuits and that great British pick-me-up, tea. After a sleepless night trying to bunk down on the floor with fifty other stranded souls, we were loaded back onto the bus and we made it back to Cambridge.

So my advice. Don't go out in a blizzard. If you must, make sure you (a)pee first and (b)have a cast iron bladder.

About S.A.Meade: lives in deepest Wiltshire and is pathetically happy to see rain after eight years in the desert of south central Arizona. She stumbled into writing m/m by accident when she realised that her historicals put agents to sleep. Since then she’s realised she’s addicted to the genre and keeps writing more dirty books. She loves cooking and eating what she cooks and shares her home with a patient husband and son and two heat-seeking cats. S.A. can be found boring people witless with her blog - kestrelrising.blogspot.com/">

There's a give away today. My new book, 'Orion Rising' is released on 26th March, by Total E Bound, so I'll be giving a copy away to the best answer to what to do in a blizzard.
And remember, our other authors will be doing give-aways on their release days. So keep following and keep posting!

Our books are all released in March. Don't forget to check them out!

Blaine D. Arden 3/9/2012 The Fifth Son
Andrew Grey 3/15/2012 A Helping of Love
Ethan Stone 3/25/2012 Subject 13
S.A. Meade 3/26/2012 Orion Rising
Clare London 3/28/2012 Ambush


Sixteen authors are here to do their best to make your winter brighter in January, February, March, and April. (Unless you’re south of the equator, and then we’ll just be jealous of your summer.) Every Wednesday will be a new stop on the tour (see schedule below). Be sure to leave a comment at each stop for up to sixteen chances at the grand prize: a $200 USD gift certificate to the e-retailer of your choice. Also keep an eye out for links to individual authors’ sites on their release dates for a chance to win some free books.


March 7: Things to Do in a Blizzard (hosted by S.A. Meade)
March 14: St. Patrick’s Day (hosted by Clare London)
March 21: Spring Break (hosted by Blaine Arden)
March 28: Join us for a March Getaway (hosted by Tales from the Writing Cave)
April 4: Favorite Winter Movies (hosted by Stumbling Over Chaos)
April 11: Signs of Spring (hosted by J.P. Barnaby)
April 18: Join us for an April Getaway (hosted by Marie Sexton)
April 25: Farewell (hosted by Joyfully Jay)
April 30: Grand Prize Announcement (hosted by Heidi Cullinan)