Happy February, ❤️,
Omaha, Nebraska, just broke a historic record last week. One that goes back to 1938. As of February 6, we’d gone 335 days without a single day snowfall of at least once inch. The last day with an inch or more was March 8, 2024, when we had only 1.4 inches. Our yearly average is 28 inches!!!
I wrote the above paragraph February 11th, and Deb said to me, “You know it’s supposed to snow tomorrow?”
So, of course, on the 12th we woke up to snow! And in case you’re wondering, Grace is not a fan.
At the same time that Omaha was having a “snowless winter,” my adopted second home of Pensacola, Florida, had a record breaking 9 inches in January. How crazy is that? Those sugar-white sand beaches were covered in snow. They also broke a record that goes back to 1895 when they received 3 inches.
With or without snow, I’ve always believed that the most beautiful sunsets happen during the winter months.You might already know what that is. One of the reasons is that colder air tends to be drier, meaning fewer particles in the atmosphere to scatter light, so it allows the colors to appear more vibrant and intense.
And yes, I do tend to go down rabbit holes for research when I want to know “the why.” It might be a writer thing.
So, hang in there! We have more winter coming. In the meantime, enjoy the sunsets.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW MAGGIE O’DELL’S WORLD?
Last month we did trivia questions on how well do you know Ryder’s world. This month, it’s Maggie’s turn. How many can you get right? (The answers can be found at the end of the newsletter…don’t peek.)
Maggie’s best friend is Gwen Patterson, and they sometimes work on cases together. What is Gwen’s profession?
a) Forensic scientist
b) Homicide detective
c) Psychiatrist
d) FBI profiler
Maggie has two dogs: a white Labrador and a black German shepherd. What are their names?
a) Milo & Stich
b) Cain & Abel
c) Bailey & Gus
d) Harvey & Jake
Maggie shares a house with her half-brother who is a fireman. What is his name?
a) Patrick
b) Tully
c) Stan
d) Benjamin
This Omaha homicide detective has worked with Maggie on quite a few different cases and has appeared in several of the novels. Who is it?
a) Julia Racine
b) Benjamin Platt
c) Tommy Pakula
d) Lucy Coy
Maggie is on the road a lot working cases, but where is her official office located?
a) Washington, D.C.
b) New York City
c) Atlanta, Georgia
d) Quantico,Virginia
In which book did Maggie and Ryder meet for the first time?
a) Breaking Creed
b) Stranded
c) Lost Creed
d) Hotwire
Again, you can find how many correct answers you got at the end of the newsletter. Good luck – make me proud!
BEHIND THE SCENES
Most writers—whether intentional or not—insert pieces of themselves into their novels. We sometimes share personality traits with our characters and tend to use places we’ve visited. Here are some bits and pieces of me that you’ll find in my books.
SETTINGS: Many of the settings are in Nebraska and/or Florida, my home states.
CHARACTER NAMES: Jason named his dog Scout after his favorite literary character, Scout Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird.” That’s how I named one of my Westies.
FAVORITE FOODS: For a long time, Maggie O’Dell’s favorite pizza toppings were the same as mine. I guess I mentioned it enough that one time I went to pick up my monthly “Kava order” at Pizza Hut and the guy who rang it up read me the ingredients to make sure he had them correct. Then he added, “Same as Maggie O’Dell’s.” It shocked me at the time. You don’t expect to have your pizza made by a serial killer fan/reader.
FAVORITE THINGS: Brodie Creed is fascinated by the night sky, something that has always intrigued me. And by the way, at the end of February seven planets (Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Venus, Mercury and Saturn) will line up. You can see them now, but on the 28th it’ll look like a “dazzling planetary parade.” It’s not unusual to see five, but this rare configuration of seven won’t happen again until 2040.
In Chasing Creed, look for Brodie and Jason to be checking this out with the new telescope he gave her for Christmas.
MUGS & CHOCOLATES
If you’re still thinking about treating yourself to a new mug, we put in another order. And because so many of you love the free Bakers chocolates, we’ll continue to include those too.
CHECK IT OUT OR ORDER HERE: CLICK HERE
ENTER TO WIN THIS MONTH’S CONTEST
The winner from the last eNewsletter giveaway is: Paula W. from Kenmore, Washington.
Since it’s Maggie’s turn, we’re giving away three signed paperbacks (“Damaged,” “Hotwire,” and “Fireproof”) from the O’Dell series along with a dog leash and the new purple book tote.
Books take us all sorts of places and sometimes all over the world. To enter this month’s giveaway, send an email to contests@alexkava.com and share with us one place you’d love to travel to (if money, circumstance, and time didn’t matter, of course).
Before I end, I need to share another dog photo. Born on the 13th, Finn is our “Valentine boy,” and he is a sweetie. he and Grace quickly became best friends, but I must admit, he puts up with her “antics”… a lot.
OH! and here are the answers to “How well do you know Maggie O’Dell’s world”: c: Psychiatrist; d: Harvey & Jake; c:Tommy Pakula; d: Quantico, Virginia; b: Stranded.
As always, thank you for reading and sharing my books! |
