Spring -- A Time for new ideas

The weather here in Florida has been lovely the past few weeks. Sunny. Breezy. Comfortable temps.

I feel very much like the February ground hog who poked his head out of his hole to see if he should come out or go burrow for six more weeks.

Well, I burrowed.

But now I'm taking walks by the lake and taking drives by the ocean and sitting on benches in parks...and I'm doing what I love to do...dreaming.

I am trying to conjure up an idea for book proposal five. So I watch people...and birds...and dogs...and traffic. I stare at lakes and waves and tree tops. And I keep hoping that I'll breathe in something new, something that will excite my readers, something fresh that will excite me enough to want to sit for hours at a keyboard.

And just like that...

For no rhyme or reason...

I've got it. The precious seed of an idea. A thought that makes me ask the inevitable what if questions. What if this happened? Who would it happen to? Would they know they're in danger? Who would they turn to for help??

This time I'm going to visit Amish country. I've already started researching the life of people I have come to highly respect.

So I'm going to sit under a tree for just a little while today...and feel the breeze on my face...and the gentle warmth of the sun...and I'm going to finish this research book called Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy which I LOVE and highly recommend to all.

And then I'm going to daydream. I am going to think about possible answers to the questions that started the ball rolling.

Whoever thought daydreams could count as working??

Thank you, Lord, for dreams.

A dream is just a dream---or is it?

I was at a loss for a story idea for my second book for Love Inspired Romantic Suspense. My brain felt like mush and every thought I did come up just didn't get me excited so I knew it wouldn't excite my readers.

And then I had a dream!

In my dream I saw a letter lying on a table and I was intrigued to see what was written on it.It began "By the time you get this letter, I'll be dead." Well, that certainly caught my interest. It continued with "I know you don't understand why I left without a word. But for your safety, I could not tell you then and don't dare tell you now.

They're coming..."

And then I woke up.

I don't often have dreams and I rarely remember them. But this dream wouldn't leave. I puzzled over it for weeks. Who wrote the letter? And who did they write it to? Why did the person leave? And who was in danger and why?

As I began to piece together the answers to these questions, Double Identity took shape and became one of this month's Love Inspired Romantic Suspense books.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at diane@dianeburkeauthor.com or follow me on twitter.com/burkediane or friend me at facebook.

Hearing from my readers is even more fun than dreaming!!