A Mess Too Messy For Many Words

Well, my third at-home writing retreat was a huge success in that I completed my goal.

I completed the copyedits on the proof copy of "House on Top of the Hill," the third book in the BryonySeries Limbo trilogy.

But at what cost?

Well (again), I set aside all "life" and housework tasks except those of the greatest necessity, even more than has been set aside all year as one emergency after another wedged themselves into our lives.

Let's just say I have my work cut out for me this month.

So my focus for November is gratitude.

Gratitude I completed the book goal in the midst of a confusing year and a stressful week.

\Gratitude for a home that necessitates house work

Gratitude for life to even have "life" tasks.

Of course, give the past three years in our family, any number of "GOTCHAS" can leap out and derails these plans.

I hoping not.

I'm really looking forward to creating something orderly and beautiful once again from all this chaos.

That's a lovely thought for Monday, isn't it?

So my wish for you today is that, whatever needs sprucing up in your life, you somehow find the space to tackle it.

The illustration is by Sue Midlock, and it appears in "Cornell Dyer and the Calcium Deficient Bones."

Happy Monday!

People Before Process and Things

When I began attending La Leche League meetings in 1982, an oft-repeated phrase was, "People before things."

It's a maxim that guided my parenting decisions and the way I now conduct business.

It also guided my decisions this morning. I'm a little behind on stuff I get done earlier in the morning in favor of spending time on the phone last night with an uncle and this morning with a daughter.

No crisis, nothing like that.

Many times, certain conversations can be brief and taken up again at a mutually agreed time. But not always.

Last night and this morning fell into the "not this time" camp.

The video I was planning to share this morning can wait. Because sometimes people cannot.

The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune. (A Christmas Carol)

Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."

Priorities

I often say my to-do list is bigger than my ta-da list, and it is true.

But I suppose even if I was working with thirty hour days, I'd just make longer lists.

This past weekend, I let some things go to accomplish a goal.

And that was finishing Before the blood, the prequel to the BryonySeries trilogy.

I've talked for so long about my working on it that the words fade into the wallpaper. But it's a real book, and it's really finished.

My editor Colleen Robbins was in the fourth part of the five part book when I saw her last Thursday. My goal was to finish editing the fifth this weekend. A series of two unexpected cancellations opened up some extra time, and I used that time to edit.

I'm plan to read through some of the chapters while over the next few days I'm working out (because I work, write, and edit on my phone when I'm working out; it's the only way to get it all done) to see if any final tweaking is needed and then - off to the printer and Colleen.

It meant letting the blog go over the weekend (a new recipe from Sue's Diner will be posted tomorrow).

It meant letting yoga go over the weekend

Heck, it even meant letting some WORK go over the weekend (making this morning a little stressful).

But it's done. And the sense of accomplishment is huge.

I plan to release one book every other month in 2019, starting in January, until all five are out. And so far, I'm right on task.

What's up next?

Well, I have one more novel in me before I call novel writing quits (a werewolf story).

The Adventures of Cornell Dyer chapter books and the Bertrand the Mouse series will continue.

I'm planning some companion short stories to the BryonySeries and Before the Blood that I'll publish in separate volumes (Blood Tales).

And I'm planning to read more. I've read less since 2013 when my last child graduated from homeschool, where reading was built into our lives, and because I was focused on writing one very complicated story.

At the top of my reading list are titles from WriteOn Joliet authors. As I read, I'll share.

Have a great Monday readers, writers, and vampire fans! :)