Forecasters are predicting more dicey weather this weekend – the possibility of a mix of snow and rain. And, boy, does my mother’s instinct kick in when I hear this. I remember panicking when my boys were just starting to drive and this kind of forecast came on. Snow alone isn't too bad. Nor is rain. It’s the mix that’s the worst. When you can’t quite see how slippery it is – that’s when there’s trouble. Hit a patch of black ice, and you’re skidding before you know what’s happened!

My assistant is going through this with a new driver right now, and my heart goes out to her. On one hand, our kids need to learn to drive in bad weather. On the other, we don’t want them getting into accidents in the process. What’s a mother to do?

Apparently, I’ve internalized this dilemma so long that it finally burst out into a book. That’d be my new one, The Secret Between Us. Deborah Monroe does let her sixteen-year-old daughter drive in a storm, with devastating consequences. Oh, there are other issues in the book, and when I was writing it, I had no way of knowing that it would be published in the middle of the bad driving season. Still, hearing our weather forecast, I can’t help but think of Deborah and Grace.

The Secret Between Us goes on sale January 22. If you’d like a preview, you can find Chapters 1 and 2 posted here. No, I"m not shamelessly promoting my book (well, maybe a little), but mostly I want you to stay inside this winter and read. And if you do have to go out, please, please, please drive safely!