Writing, walking and getting wet

    New Zealand is an island (well, it's at least three islands) in the Pacific Ocean so it's not surprising, perhaps, that strong winds are a fact of life here.
    That was the case when I got up this morning. Thick gray clouds were racing across the sky at 8:30 a.m. and there was a light rain falling. A perfect day, I reasoned, to stay inside, write, drink some coffee and catch up on emails. I worked on some short stories that I've neglected for too long and started the final editing process for my newest novel - a political thriller entitled "The Session" that I hope to have on Kindle in a few days. Things were progressing pretty smoothly, or as smoothly as they ever progress when you're editing, when the sun burst through the clouds and another beautiful rainbow caught my eye.
    Because the weather here in Porirua can be so changeable, especially in winter, I decided that I should shut down my laptop and take advantage of the sunny skies to go for a walk. I didn't intend for it to be a long walk but as I tramped along I got to thinking about more story ideas and lost track of time and place. I wound up at Titahi Bay just as the sky clouded over and rain began falling... There isn't much in the way of shelter between there and the motel where we're camped until we find something more permanent so I resigned myself to getting wet and started back. The rain let up about halfway back and I headed for the mall where I planned to get a big cappuccino and rest my old legs for a bit. The rain started falling again just before I got to the mall but by that time it didn't matter much. I mean, I was already wet so a few more drops here and there didn't really seem like such a big deal.
    Since I always carry a book in my backpack along with my camera and at least one notebook, I spent an hour lingering over my cappuccino, re-reading the full version of Stephen King's "The Stand" and drying out. It was pleasant, and warm, and the conversations around me were interesting so I put down my book and started taking a few notes... you never know when you might need a funny anecdote or an interesting observation for a future story and there's no better place to get those things than in a place crowded with people.
    Later, back in the motel, I sent a short story entitled "The Water Carrier" to TheWriteDeal.com in hopes that it will be published on that site in a few days. I also managed to catch up on some emails and started work on a new novel, this one about a New Zealand woman who is a sort of freelance spy... not sure where it's going yet but, as always, it will be fun seeing where this character leads me.