Down Time

I was almost completely offline for three days...

You would have had to be asleep or absent to not know the last half of last week was spent in a Harry Potter frenzy... Thursday night was the midnight movie attendance... and then... a bit of a...

Source

I don't want to call it a funk. It was happier than a funk, but it was extremely anti-social. I think I spent five hours just READING on Friday (rereading Deathly Hallows)... sitting and reading... I think the last time I did that was when Deathly Hallows first came out. I just... have too much to do, normally. But it was WONDERFUL. Hubby was working... kids slept three hours longer than I did... just quiet house, me and a book.

It's funny how you can crave something and not know what it is. I needed some downtime.

I turned on my computer to check email, but think I spent half hour tops...

My neighbor came over in the evening and invited me to sit poolside and share my excitement about the movie... That was nice too... quiet company and a cocktail...


And then Saturday I decided it MUST be done.


See, there is a downside to writing longhand... it is how I must write at least a part of my stuff... my brain flows through my fingers and a medium point pen onto lined paper... I can't DO emotion, tension... the good stuff... on a screen... but it all has to be TYPED.

[note: just recognized a use for voice recognition software. I've known I couldn't WRITE that way--the brain not flowing out the MOUTH even remotely, but bloody hell if I couldn't TYPE that way... reading what I wrote...]

So Saturday and Sunday I typed about 8000 words... previously written mostly, but I am not the world's speediest typist, and I DO do some editing and fact checking.

So Second Garden Cozy is TYPED and hopefully by the time you read this, my hard copy edit is done with the exception of a few scenes I have noted that need writing--my goal is Saturday for entering what I have and writing what is missing.


Can I tell you a secret? This is a big deal, but it's real hush hush... stop reading now if you're a blabbermouth.

Last Monday my editor emailed me requesting my synopsis for the first Garden Cozy... because TUESDAY THE ART DEPARTMENT MET TO DISCUSS MY COVER!!! SQUEEEEEE!

And I was told my title... but that I really can't share yet, but it wasn't just THIS title, but the next, plus the theme... I'm so excited and I so wish I could share... You totally will be the first to know!  (erm, other than the Burrow, but you know... they are practically ME they're so close... in fact it's possible they know already....)

NOTE: If you are in southeast Michigan, tonight is your chance to catch a Harry Dolan reading!!! It is at 7pm, Nicola Books in Westgate Mall—the last surviving Independent Bookstore in Ann Arbor, and proud guardian of this Fairy Door (there are two book fairy doors—the other is in the library). I'm very excited to meet Harry in person and get my book signed, and I'd love it if any of the rest of you are showing up! Give a shout if you are—I'd love to meet some other local authors face to face--Liz, I am counting on you, sister!

And here is proof someone lives there.

(inside the fairy doors, I mean... I have some blogs about fairy doors. If you are curious, look under the Ann Arbor tag... we are collectively odd... which I love)