Time to slow down

The time has come for me to slow down a bit...not that I'm particularly speedy anyway, (10 weeks in a walking cast didn't help) but in a writing sense. I find that by November I'm starting to flag both creatively and physically. Maybe it's because the cooler months are approaching and I'm gearing up for hibernation, but I definitely find it harder to be creative toward the end of the year.

And this one has been busy. I've written 3 books, a proposal and a short story. That's about normal for me, but this year was slightly different in that I 'had' to write those books to stop the publishers taking their money back. That changes my delightful airy-fairy 'writing for love' ethic into a 'write for money, it's a job' type scenario. And a job has always been high on my avoidance list.

I'm proudest of my second erotic historical for Kensington. It takes a character who first showed up in a very minor role in "Antonia's Bargain" through "Simply Sexual" (his best friend Valentin's book) and into his own. And he truly was a pleasure to write.

One funny thing was that I was convinced I was writing a true menage a trois book-until about half way through when I realized that it wasn't going to work out quite like that and that if I was true to each characters needs I'd have to find them a different solution. I think I managed it. Now we'll jut have to see if my Editor and eventually the readers agree.

So for me, the next 2 weeks will mean time off to read some good books, talk to my husband and re-connect with my kids-if they remember who I am, of course. I admit to being a little driven the last month or two :) I've ordered our entire Thanksgiving dinner from Marie Callender's this year because I'm sure she'll do it much better than me and I intend to enjoy every morsel!

The painting is by Picasso from the Moma collection. I love it, although it makes me feel a bit sleepy...