Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

The Dark Days of Winter by N.J. Walters

Unless you’re a vampire, you’re probably not too fond of the short days this time of year. It’s February, the time of year where winter has you firmly in her icy grip. The excitement of the Christmas holiday seems like naught but a memory and spring is still far out of reach.

What do you do to get through these dark weeks?

It’s all too easy to burrow under a fleecy blanket on the corner of the sofa and clutch the television remote control to your chest. A bowl of snacks and a book and you’re all set. If we’re honest with ourselves, that’s what most of us do. In my case, add in a cold and rainy fall and I’ve been curled up on the end of my sofa for a few months now.

It’s time for a change.

The days are getting a little longer every week. It’s slight, but it’s there. It’s time to take advantage of those long, cold days and make a change. For me, that means pushing myself to start working out again. Over the past six months, physical activity has fallen by the wayside. Considering that my job entails sitting at a keyboard, that means a few pounds have managed to sneak in there. But there is plenty of time to do something about that before spring arrives with it’s warmer weather and more revealing clothing.

Sure, I’ll continue to curl up with a good book. After all, what’s life without a good book? And I’ll be watching the winter Olympics on television later this month. But there will be an hour or so every day when, instead of sitting, I’m going to push myself to dig out my yoga DVDs and do those pushups and stomach crunches.

Wish me luck.

I hope you take advantage of these long, dark days of winter and find something special to do. Whether it’s working out, starting a new hobby, trying a few new recipes or all of the above. Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy yourself and make the most of this quieter time of year.

Oh, and if you need a suggestion for a good book, you could check out Alexandra’s Legacy, my new werewolf book from Samhain Publishing. I guarantee it will warm up any cold night.

N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
http://www.njwalters.com
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/ (newsletter group)