I’m Taking This as an Omen

I’m Taking This as an Omen

I have to believe that my books are going to really take off, that fate is on my side.  I’ve been receiving lots of signs as I’ve been writing them that I can’t interpert any way except as good omens.

One example – in “Dream Student”, I came up with the name of a very fancy restaurant that Sara and Brian go to for their first big, dressy night out.  I called it the Blue Duck Inn.  A couple of months later, in the “100 Best Restaurants” issue of Washingtonian Magazine, I learned that there actually IS a very fancy place in downtown DC called the Blue Duck Tavern.  I’ve never been to it, and I didn’t know it existed – but clearly that was a sign.

Here’s another.  I wrote this little bit of dialogue for a brief transition scene in book 5:

I’ve just finished the last of my one-year checkups for the morning, and I know Laurie had several as well.  When she sends her last patient out the door, she asks me, “What’s with all the December babies?”

“Born in December 2000, so they were conceived in March of ’99.  I don’t remember, was there a big blizzard or something?”  I think there was, but I’m not sure.  “You know what they say…”

I wrote that without thinking about it, but right after I did, I went to Google, and lo and behold:

In the early morning of March 9, 1999, a strong high-pressure system was helping to drive very cold, dry air southward into Virginia. Meanwhile, a rather weak storm was moving northeast through the lower Ohio Valley. Computer models forecast the moisture from the storm to stay south of Washington, primarily impacting Central Virginia.

On the morning of March 9, a narrow band of snow rapidly moved north through Central Virginia and moved into Northern Virginia. The snow band expanded and became almost stationary over the Washington area, lasting through the afternoon.

The heavy snow band was oriented northwest-to-southeast and was centered just a few miles to the south of Washington. The heaviest snow fell in central Fairfax County where 10 to 12” accumulated. On average, 8 to 10” of snow fell in the immediate Washington area. Reagan National Airport reported 8.4” of snow – the heaviest March snowfall since the storm of March 28-29, 1942.

Snowfall amounts tapered off significantly to the north and to the south of Washington. The north side of Baltimore received only 2” of snow, while Charlottesville and Richmond received light accumulations.

This was not a typical, wet March snow. The snow was quite dry. With high temperatures in the middle 20’s during the afternoon, the snow had little trouble sticking to roadways.

Honestly, I had no idea.  Bring me a Bible and I’ll swear to it under oath.  But clearly it’s a sign – I’m meant to write these books, and to write them the way I’m writing them, and they’re meant to be successful.  I don’t see any other way to look at this…

(and yes, obviously, once I found that article, I used the information in the book!)

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