Aaaaaaahhhhh.....

by Anna Campbell

If I'd been writing this a little over a month ago, that title would have been AAAAARRRRRGGGHHH as I shrieked with the pressure of getting my latest manuscript in. But right now, I'm taking a bit of a break. I'm still making an effort towards constructive activities, but I'm not stressing out. I'm taking my time, catching up on things like writing articles, answering emails that have dust on them and reading blogs and doing tax.

In between, I'm refilling the well. This is what a lot of writers call letting the mind wander, doing things that inspire, letting the emotions and the energy recover from the marathon effort of getting a book done to a deadline.

Because I write big, dark, passionate books, I always get to the end of a story feeling like a wrung-out rag. I go through all those tortured emotions with my characters! Many times as I write and rewrite!

In fact, I told a friend of mine I didn't have the energy to get out of the way of a charging bull if one was headed for me. Probably a slight exaggeration, but only slight! This period of recuperation and relaxation is necessary for me before I launch into the next Regency noir.

So what do I do to refill the well?

Writing is a fairly solitary occupation so after I finish a book, I try to see my friends and get out of the house to remind myself that there actually is a world away from my feverish imagination and my tortured characters. I also just spend time veging out doing nothing particularly constructive. One way I relax is to have a glass or two of red wine. I can feel all the troubles of the world drift away with that first sip.

I swim. I'm lucky with my deadline this year that the book finished and the summer arrived at the same time. I find drifting around in a swimming pool on a beautiful sunny day while the birds sing and the sky is a perfect blue dome above is ideal for relaxing the mind. By the way, sadly, this is NOT my swimming pool. It looks like something from a Harlequin Presents, doesn't it? I should alert my friend Annie West - I can see one of her Sheikhs powering up and down this pool!

And best of all, I've had a chance to catch up with some of the books weighing down my TBR pile. So far, there hasn't been a dud amongst them! On my website this month in My Favorite Things., I'm talking about some of the treasures I've found. So pop over and check it out if you get a chance - I'd recommend every single book I mention there!

Of course, the TBR pile still blocks out the moon. But I've learnt it always will. Once I take something off it, I put three more things on. It's so sad to be a reading addict!

So what do you do to relax?

Life Is Good

A few years back, a friend gave me a t-shirt that said, Life is Good. There's a whole line of products now that say it. When she gave it to me she said, "You say that all the time." I'd never thought about it, but I do! LOL

Since then, I catch myself saying it and always smile and think of my friend. Here's the thing...life is good. I decided a long time ago, to be happy and look for the silver linings. Of course, sometimes people take that kind of Pollyanna-view of the world as a sign that you lack intelligence, but for me, deciding to be happy makes sense. I realize crap happens, but even amongst the crap, there are sweet moments and I can cling to those.

What makes me happy? Family. I've been married to the same man for 25 years this summer. My kids. I'll confess, I'm biased, but truly, they're four of the nicest kids around (and I'd talked to all four of them before eight o'clock this morning...two were here, two called. That makes me happy!). Even family members who are gone still can make me smile when I remember favorite moments. For instance, this pic is my MIL, Dort, and I in NYC. For a graduation present, my daughter asked the two of us to go on a school trip with her. That trip, even with its long bus ride, loud kids and sleepless nights, is a moment I will always treasure. Family makes me happy!


Friends. I have some of the most fantastic friends. To the left is a group of SuperRomance authors...very good friends indeed. My kids call my writing friends "invisible friends" because they've never met most of them. As in, "Mom's talking to her invisible friends again." But even those friends who live on the other side of the country, or in a different country, I feel I can count on...invisible or not!

Springtime...what's not to be happy about during the spring?? Flowers. Sunshine. Warmer weather. Even the rain. Spring is...well, just walking outside is bound to make you smile! We went shopping for our veggie garden yesterday, and I bought more flowers for the front. Now, I don't like to garden. Bugs. Dirt. Sun. Ick. BUT, I love the results, so even as I'm up to my elbos in dirt, the sun beating on my back and a giant bug facing me down...I can be happy that I'll have those flowers to look at the rest of the season.

I was sitting next to an airline mechanic a few years ago. And we struck up a lovely conversation. As we came in for our landing in Detroit, he said how much fun he'd had on this flight, and that he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a conversation as he commuted on the plane to work. I asked why he decided to talk to me. He said, "You smiled." I guess that's the end of this very happy post. Happiness is contagious. LOL

A friend calls me Hollyanna. If that's the worst thing anyone calls me on any given day, I'll be...happy! LOL Life is good!

So, what are you all happy about today??

Holly--aka Hollyanna Jacobs

http://www.hollyjacobs.com/

SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER, Harlequin Superromance, 8/08
EVERYTHING BUT A BRIDE, Avalon Books, 8/08

ONCE UPON A THANKSGIVING, Harlequin American Romance, 10/08

ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS, Harlequin American Romance, 12/08

EVERYTHING BUT A WEDDING, Avalon Books, 12/08

ONCE UPON A VALENTINE'S, Harlequin American Romance, 2/09