Writing is an interesting business. It's seems I'm always hurry up and then waiting. If all I did was write, I'd be nuts by now. Uh, well, I'd be more nuts by now! LOL I think the trick is (at least for me) to have other things going on. So, right now I'm waiting for my February book, A ONE-OF-A-KIND FAMILY's release, and I'm working on the next book and...
What else do I do?
I have four kids.
I could end the blog right there. I mean, even as the kids get older, they still need me. And that's a lovely feeling.
I have two dogs.
I could end the blog right there. Ethel Merman and Ella Fitzgerald and I walk at least a couple miles a day. Even in the winter. Of course, yesterday's walk wasn't all walking. There was some ice so the walk involved a bit of falling, too! LOL
Speaking of snow...I live in Erie and it's January. So there's a lot of shoveling and snow-blowing that goes on! Which leads me to another activity...I split wood. Yep, just me and my maul. It's a great exercise, and it's a sort of mindless activity that leaves me a lot of time to think about whatever book I'm working on!
And I'm crafty. Not crafty in a sly fox sort of way, or stellar crafty like Martha Stewart. I'm just crafty enough to enjoy having projects. In January I took my first basket-weaving class, and I reupholstered my third chair.
I cook. And I bake. My older kids got me my own Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas and I've been having a blast with it! How on earth did I live without one?
That sounds like a lot, but mainly it's just my attempt to distract myself from waiting for A ONE-OF-A-KIND-FAMILY to be released. I've had a lot of books released, but I find the little-kid-waiting-for-Christmas-morning never diminishes! So, if in February, you walk into a store and see a woman clutching a book and saying, "This is mine," there's a chance it's me! LOL
So, what do you all do for fun (or distraction)?
Holly
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ReplyDeleteYour chair look lovely. Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteRebekah, Thanks! I'm particularly proud of that chair! The first two I did looked okay, but this one was so much better!
ReplyDeleteHolly
SuperRomance is my favorite line from Harlequin. This one sounds like another winner.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty impressive you find time to write and take care of 4 kids and do all those things. How lucky you got the kitchenaid mixer. I LOOOOOOve to bake an dI do plan to offer one to...ME. The boysenberry color is gorgeous. I can't wait to try it.
Congrats on your upcoming release !!
Emmanuelle,
ReplyDeleteOh, you do NEED a Kitchen Aid if you like to cook. (And no, they don't pay me for saying so! LOL Neither does Dyson, and I love my Dyson just as much!) It is such a workhorse! I'm using it almost daily and already wonder how I lived without it! As for the kids, they're older, which means they're a bit less demanding! But the dogs...no they're demanding!
And thanks! I'm glad you like the sound of my new book, and I always love hearing from people who love Supers! I'm so thrilled to be writing for the line!
Holly
What do I do when I'm not writing? Blog! Love it. But then I also blog when I should be writing! Aghhh. Looking forward to your new release. Caroline x
ReplyDeleteCaroline,
ReplyDeleteLOL The mom in me would like to lecture about blogging when you should be writing! My kids would assure you that I probably should have added "lecturing" to my list of things I do other than writing! And they wouldn't be talking about the writing lecture type of thing! LOL
Thanks about the book!
Holly
I've always been an at-home wife
ReplyDeleteand Mom, which gave me lots of
time to become what my Honey calls
a "professional volunteer." (27 yrs. in schools, 30 yrs.HS reunion group, 35 yrs. in parish) Add in 10 or 11 years "daycaring" for my older grandchildren. I have been quite busy and most happy in these varied activities.
Pat Cochran
Pat, I soooo can't wait for grandchildren!! And yes, I know what you mean about volunteering. I loved writing my PTA mom trilogy because I sooo know that life, too! LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you've got to enjoy your grandchildren!
Holly
I blog, read , knit, sew, cross stitch, and garden.
ReplyDeleteI read blogs and sometimes comment on them~~I read books (mostly Harlequins) and most always review them on eHarlequin~~and I well I don't do much else if you don't count grocery shopping and watching TV. I sound very boring compared to the rest of you.
ReplyDeleteLoved your post and that chair! How cute is that.
ReplyDeleteFor fun I spend time with my daughter when she's home but since she's 18 now, she's hardly ever home.
I spend time online, writing my blog, commenting on other blogs and writing articles.
I love to cook and I have to many mixers, bake ware, cookie sheets, blenders that I actually gave a few to my mom. I told my family that I liked to cook and was trying my hand and decorating cakes and that year I got everything I would ever need for cake decorating. So I played around with that for a while until I found out that it's hard! lol
I also make beaded jewelry, wreaths, and dream catchers.
Estella, I love to cross stitch and garden, too! I have a new one I'm working on, and we just ate some of the spaghetti sauce I put up from this year's garden! Do you do flower gardens or veggies...or both?
ReplyDeleteEllen, You are anything but boring! Having had a chance to spend time with you in person, I guarantee your non-boringness!
Mary, Cool on decorating the cakes. I don't do fancy cooking...I do more down-home cooking sorts! LOL You're right, decorating a cake would be tough!
Well obviously I love to read. I also help with grandkids as much as possible. I enjoy watching movies and some old television shows. My youngest daughter and I also like getting out and browsing through the bookstores usually once a week, except when the weather is bad.
ReplyDeleteWow! You did your chair yourself? I am very impressed! It is gorgeous! You are one exremely multi-talented lady!
ReplyDeleteThe things I do to destress or distract myself are blogging at my favorite sites, making cards, attend plays and concerts, shopping (love all forms of shopping!), and absolutely love reading! Oh my gosh, my TBR pile is so huge and I keep adding to it all the time! Oh well, nothing better than having lot's of books to wallow in! -giggle!-
What do I do when I'm not writing. Well, I read my friends' books - like the lovely lovely One-Of-a-Kind Family. Did I tell you it's lovely? ;O)
ReplyDeleteAnd then I email my lovely friend and tell her how much I loved her lovely lovely book (what? I didn't do that yet - well you seee that's because I'm not actually between books yet!)
And I have 3 cats . .. and a husband (the Babe Magnet is pretty high maintenance ;o) ) and I teach - and I blog and I comment on blogs and I cross stitch and I collect antique embroidery ('samplers') And one day you're going to see them my lovely Holly
I like the chair! In fact I love the chair. I's lovely!
And I walk - no dogs but I walk . . .
And people wonder why we say we're twins?
And I also say lovely a lot but that's because Holly expects me to
love
Kate
PS O-O-A-K F is a LOVELY book! ;o)
Linda, I'm with your list, but need to say, Oh-yeah, to the browsing bookstore part! I know eBooks are cool and very immediate, but what it's lacking is not only the physicality of holding a real book, AND the joy of browsing through a bookstore!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michele! I'm very proud of that chair!! And speaking of musicals, we have season tickets here and February is Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neely in it. I'm really wondering at that. Loved TN in the role back in the--what was it, seventies when the movie version came out? I'm just wondering how he's going to play someone 33 now when he's so obviously way older than that!
Dear Lovely Twin Kate,
Well, cats aren't as much fun to walk, but they have other perks! And yours are beautiful! And my lovely friend is...well, lovely, too! The dh and cats are a lot of maintenance! LOL And thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking A One-of-a-Kind Family...but weren't you supposed to be reading your Rita books...and writing your own book? LOL
Hope you all have a great Friday!
Holly
LOL! I have four kids too so that generally takes up any other spare time. What do I do when I'm not writing? Well, I get caught up on the things I should have done while I WAS writing.
ReplyDeleteKaily,
ReplyDeleteLOL Yes, I know that feeling, too! And I'm extended the secret Mom-of-4 internet handshake!
Holly
I love to read. It is a great way to escape. Also, love to run.
ReplyDeleteDenise, I'm so with you on the reading. Alas, me and running? I have these plates in my leg, and while I hardly limp at all when walking, my running gait is...awkward. LOL Plus it tears the heck out of my bad leg, so I'm a walker. But if you ever run past, I'll wave! LOL
ReplyDeleteHolly