So Much for Good Intentions...

I've really fallen down on the blogging in the last couple of weeks. I can't believe how busy life is now that I am only working as an author. I say "only." The first quarter of self-employment have been three of the busiest months I can remember. In addition to working on three books at the same time, I've incorporated my business and done all the associated paperwork, started a new business to help other authors format their e-books, updated all of my e-books to include live links, conquered Kobo and its daunting metadata form and conquered Overdrive (which distributes to libraries and other retailers) and it's even MORE daunting metadata form. Life is busy, to say the least.

On the home side, I've now got a kid who drives, we got a second dog (who is a wild child) and we did a ton of work to our house. Phew! I'm tired. Good thing I'm going on vacation soon and leaving my laptop (also known as my Siamese twin) at home. That ought to be interesting. My family predicts I'll be twitching before the first day is out, but I'm determined to take a REAL vacation for the first time in years. When I was still working the day job, all my vacation time was devoted to book stuff. After seven years of that, I'm wondering if I remember what it truly means to be on vacation. We'll see!

One more thing to add to the list for the last three months was the devastating computer crash that gave me a serious slap upside the head to improve my backup system. Three weeks after I dropped my laptop and fried my hard drive, I'm STILL waiting on the data recovery. It was at 88.9 percent this morning, so I'm hoping to get it back next week. Fingers crossed because I've got big chunks of two books trapped in never-never land on that old hard drive. I'll let you know what happens!

Until then, have a great weekend!

A Little Thing Called Deadline

Wow, I have been woefully out of touch on the blog lately! I've been knee deep in the writing of Fatal Consequences, which is due November 30. I'm doing pretty well so I'm not too worried about making the deadline, but I do feel compelled to spend most of my free time chipping away at it. The good news the third time around with these characters is that I know them and their world so well now that it is flowing easier than the second book did. That's a relief! Speaking of the second book, Fatal Justice, it's gone to copy editing, which takes it that much closer to its January publication date.

A few other updates since we last chatted:
1. My kids have officially started 10th and 6th grades, and so far so good!

2. Brandy the puppy continues her naughty ways, providing daily comedy around the house.

3. Work has been busier and crazier than ever!

4. The Red Sox have tanked, thanks to injuries that plagued them all season.

5. I've been reading a lot. I go from an appetite for historicals to an appetite for contemporaries and then back again. You can see what I've been reading on the sidebar.

My favorite recent book is a Blaze called Hot Island Nights, by Sarah Mayberry, which was just fantastic. I highly recommend it. What're you reading lately?