Here in Britain it’s turned cool and rainy, and it’s got me thinking about how I use the weather in my books. I’ve come to the conclusion it doesn’t rain enough in my fiction!

Part of this is because of the demands of the story – after all, nobody wants to read about a couple of guys staying at home because the weather was bad, cuddling up on the sofa together or maybe even not bothering to get out of bed at all… okay, I’m willing to concede that might have been a bad example! 😉

I think a large part of it is that when I write, I’m not only telling a story, I’m creating an atmosphere. Endless sunny days may not be the reality in my native land, but they do contribute to the fantasy of falling in love – at least, while things are going well!

Here’s a rain-dampened, early morning snippet from Heat Trap, where things between Tom and Phil have not been going all that well (never go to bed on an argument, guys!):

I staggered around Phil’s flat, managed to find nearly all my clothes (who needs socks, anyhow?), and left him a note saying I had an early job.

Which was true, anyway. Just . . . not that early.

The sun was already scorching away all signs of last night’s storm when I hit the pavement, and the air was getting heavy and muggy again, not fresh like you’d expect. Everywhere smelled damp and woodsy, mixed in with the fumes from the traffic that built up noticeably as I walked the half mile to my house.

By the time I got back to Fleetville, it was gone half seven and the local baker’s was doing a brisk trade in bacon butties and cups of tea and coffee. I joined the queue, had a brief conversation about football with a bloke I’d seen down the Rats Castle a few times, then headed off home to munch on my sausage in a bun and try to wake myself up with my Americano. Oh, and put some Band-Aids on my blisters, because it turned out that socks were pretty essential after all when wearing heavy boots.

Work was going to be a bugger today.

***

Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.

***

Heat Trap – #3 in the Plumber’s Mate Mystery series

Old flames can leave a nasty burn.

It’s been six months since plumber Tom Paretski was hit by a shocking revelation about his family, and he’s been avoiding dealing with it ever since. His lover, PI Phil Morrison, wants Tom to dig deeper into his history and try to develop his psychic talent for finding things, but Tom’s not nearly so keen. Just as he decides to bite the bullet, though, worse problems crawl out of the woodwork.

Young Devil’s Dyke barmaid Marianne has an ex, Grant Carey, who won’t accept that things are over between them, and he’s ruthless in dealing with anyone who gets in his way.  When Carey threatens an old friend of theirs, Phil and Tom step in to help—but that makes them targets themselves.

What with his uncertainty about Phil’s motives, Tom’s family doing their best to drive a wedge between them, and the uncovering of an ugly incident in Phil’s past, Tom’s not sure who he can trust—and the body he finds in the pub cellar isn’t the only thing that stinks.

Amazon paperback | Kindle | Riptide