Rainbow Over The Coronavirus #AmWriting #WritersLife #WritersCommunity #Coronavirus #Covid19 #BeachLife

Like many people, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the Coronavirus2020 pandemic and the need for self isolation. A few days ago, despite the rain, I decided to get out of the house and away from the news to take a ride to a popular bay side beach. Even though the beaches are closed on both the bay and the ocean sides of Delaware, seeing the sand and water can make me feel better about almost anything. (Plus, there’s a takeout ice cream store nearby, which makes a beach visit especially worthwhile.)

I sat alone in my car in the rain, enjoying my chocolate cone with chocolate sprinkles, with my eye on the bay through the windshield, when, suddenly, the rain stopped and the sun came out so fast it was like somebody hit a light switch. Just as fast, a rainbow formed in the distance. I grabbed my iPhone, jumped out of my car, and shot this picture seconds before the rainbow disappeared behind more cloud cover. If you look closely at the horizon, you just might see the arch.

Can’t see the rainbow?

I’ve highlighted the photo below.

I know these aren’t great pictures, but my photography skills, or lack of them, aren’t the point of this post. I’m a romance author, after all. Something beautiful and unexpected had occurred in the midst of a storm, during the worst health care crisis our country has known in my lifetime, and if I hadn’t paid attention, I would have missed it. The moment seemed like a metaphor for something I needed to learn.  Despite the wildly obvious cliches about rainbows and ice cream cones, I felt better.

My mood lifted, and on the drive home I became hopeful that our country and the world will heal from this virus, maybe sooner than we know. The sun will shine again. Our lives will return to normal, or a new normal. I thought about changes I can make to improve my own life post-Coronavirus, and how to implement them. When that happens, chocolate ice cream with chocolate sprinkles at the beach will taste better than ever.

~Best, Adele

Winter At The Beach by Adele Downs #photography #beachlife #writerslife #authorslife

It’s winter here at the beach, but spring is in the air. Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog from the town of the same name, predicts when spring will arrive based on whether or not he sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, February 2.

Phil predicted an early spring for 2020, and I believe him. My daffodils and crocus are already out of the ground.

Thanks, Phil!

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2020

The Inspiration for CATCH ME-Love Is Like A Box of Chocolates #SweetRomance #Anthology @CamdenParkPress #WritersLife #WritersCommunity

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2020

This is the bicycle that inspired my short story “Catch Me” in the sweet romance anthology LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES. It’s not a particularly sexy bike; it’s sturdy with thick tires and a foot brake instead of the hand brake installed on racing bikes. It’s a Schwinn, and almost exactly like the bicycle I rode as a child, which is probably why I picked it out and brought it home from the local big box store.

Riding the bike, however, has been a challenge. I’m scared of my Schwinn. My fear of falling has taken some of the shine off my exercise good intentions and visits to neighbors. Understanding that practice might ally that fear hasn’t helped much. Riding my bike has become more about gritting my teeth and getting from point A to point B than the elated air-and-sunshine freedom at the beach I anticipated. However…I’m not giving up. This year, I intend to make my bicycle my friend… I hope.

My fear of falling off my Schwinn sparked the idea for my LOVE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES short story “Catch Me.” My creative spirit invented the heroine, Lilly, and the handsome construction worker, Theo, who meet after Lilly hits the asphalt when she loses control while riding beside Rehoboth Bay (pictured). Their happily-ever-after is a much better ending than the one I fear for myself. But, who knows, maybe with determination and practice I will regain the bike riding confidence of my childhood, soar beside the water, and make exciting new friends in my community along the way.

Buy the Book!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084S7D6NC

Books To Read: https://books2read.com/LoveIsLikeChocolate

January Beach by Adele Downs #photography #beachlife #writerslife #authorslife

It’s winter at the beach. I live in the southernmost part of Delaware, where the weather is generally milder than neighboring states to the north, but not as warm as those in the US Deep South. It’s 46 degrees here, and dreary, and though the ocean and our beaches are ever present, they seem just out of reach. The best we can do is walk along the shoreline and breathe its briny scent while we wait for spring sunshine and the heat of summer.

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2020

Gull Gang by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs #beachlife #writerslife

Some of us will never give up the beach, no matter the season.

Photos copyright Adele Downs 2019

Shell Hunters by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs #beachlife #writerslife

A grandmother and child hunt for shells on the beach as fall arrives.

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2019

Beach Pal by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs #beachlife #writerslife

This little guy sat next to my chair on the beach for four hours. LOL. My new friend.

Photos copyright Adele Downs 2019