Cold Snap, Penny Bump

Wednesday, January 28, 2026, Orlando, Florida

It’s another brisk winter day here in Central Florida. As I write this, the thermometer reads 53°F (12°C) under bright, generous sunshine, though the feels-like temperature edges closer to 68°F (20°C). Not exactly frigid by national standards, but certainly cool enough to make you pause before stepping outside.

Of course, this is nothing compared to the winter I endured just two years ago in east‑central New Hampshire, not far from the Maine border. That was a real winter —snowdrifts, biting wind chill, and all the classic hallmarks of New England cold. By comparison, Florida’s version of “winter” is practically a polite suggestion.

Still, by local standards, it’s pretty darn chilly, and the National Weather Service says temperatures will dip even further over the next several days and into early next week. No snow in the forecast—this is still Florida, after all—but sweaters and light winter jackets will be in rotation until things climb back to the more tourist‑friendly norms we’re used to.

As for me, the only real news is another tiny bump in my projected January royalties. This morning, my Kindle Direct Publishing Reports page informed me that my earnings nudged up by two cents, from $14.24 to $14.26. I expect a few more dollars by month’s end; I’m sending updated copies of Reunion: A Story and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen to a friend because I want her to have the best reading experience, even though she already owns earlier editions. Since I ordered them at full retail rather than as author copies, Amazon will pay me royalties on those purchases—assuming KDP logs the transactions before February 1.

Beyond that, I’m still chipping away at The Jim Garraty Chronicles in Kindle Create. The process is slow, tedious, and occasionally maddening, but in the absence of a new story idea, it keeps me occupied. At the very least, it wards off boredom, and with a little luck—and a lot of patience—I might even sell a few copies once it’s finally complete.

For now, that’s the shape of the day: a little cold, a little sunshine, a few cents added to the royalty pot, and a stubborn manuscript keeping me company. Winter in Florida may not have the drama of New England, but it has its own rhythm—gentler, slower, and oddly comforting. And as long as I’ve got words to tinker with and stories to shepherd into the world, even the chilliest days feel a little warmer.