Have to admit that the holidays really shredded my routine. That’s not to say they weren’t incredible, but they did knock me off track. Having just come off of NanoWriMo I noticed it even more. For me, I rocked Nano this year – averaging over 1000 words a day and three times that a couple of days. Then the holidays…   

If you want, go back and read the adventures of our travels. That was enough to throw me off for a while but I’m back and still can’t seem to get settled. Maybe it’s the clutter in the house. Haven’t taken down the Christmas stuff yet and I’m ready for all of the decorations to be safely back in their bins. There’s also the looming possibility of selling the house and downsizing to a condo now that hubby is retiring. And the fact that he’ll be home all of the time soon.

Whatever, I’m not focusing like I should. Right now I’m trying to write in the waiting room of the car dealership as I take his car in for service, a couple of days ago I had to get my phone fixed. I retired to write and I’ve got to get stern about my boundaries again.

My best writing day is sitting in my office, no music, no tv and just letting the story flow. Staying away from social media and the phone shouldn’t be hard but I’m letting it creep in. Maybe the story I just finished could use some work, but I have to set it aside so that I can see it objectively again. The next idea hasn’t taken off yet, still working on my version of plotting. We pantsers have issues with that.

How do you get back in the rhythm? Do you have any tricks that shock you back into writing mode? Do you need a looming deadline to force you back?

P.S. One thing I did this weekend was see a screening of the documentary – Love Between the Covers – in Durham. Talk about inspiration! My highest recs if you can get to a showing.

Christmas is over and we’re back home, but I thought I’d share the adventures (you may see some of this in an upcoming novel…)  

Left for Grandson’s house early – it takes eight hours driving and nearly that flying since nothing is direct – in the rain and fog. Normally fog burns off fairly early. That didn’t happen. In fact there was still fog when we arrived eight hours later, but no snow or ice like last year – we were sweltering so the Christmas sweaters had to come off.  

In the meantime La Daughter had risen at 4 a.m. to get to La Guardia to join us at Grandson’s home flying out at 9:40 a.m. to arrive around 1 p.m. Rainy and foggy there as well and she had no control. She was supposed to change planes in Detroit but the first delay killed that one. She was offered a direct flight to a city nearby her original destination so I said to take that one and she could rent a car for the drive from there and still arrive around the same time. But that was only the first delay… Fortunately she’s my daughter so she had a book with her as well as her phone. Still a lousy way to watch the airport fill up and observe people nap on the floor.  

She finally got out of New York after 3 (remember supposed to arrive at 1) and arrived in the rain and fog for another hour of driving in truly miserable weather. But she finally arrived, exhausted and coughing her head off. The rental car was only $50 more than we were told when she reserved it.

Next morning included a trip to the doc in a box for her coughing – kudos to them, very efficient, in and out in less than 30 minutes (at home it’s never less than 2 hours but when the doctor’s office is closed…)

Super day with Grandson on Christmas Eve. Swam in the hotel pool, which he loves and just hung out. Son cooked our dinner and he’s a very good cook, then we opened presents. (I’ve never done that in my whole life. Daddy insisted that Christmas morning was when packages should be opened.) Grandson didn’t have a clue but enjoyed the attention, the paper and the music some of the toys made. Think the parents appreciated the clothes he got more.

Good thing we did open packages on Christmas Eve, because when we got up to go back over to see Santa with Grandson, the car wouldn’t start. Still raining like a waterfall, but not a click when you turned the key. Now this is a Toyota hybrid but it wasn’t the “main” battery. There’s a starter battery for ignition and clock, etc. so we called AAA. Again kudos, there in less than twenty minutes and despite the horrible weather (though it was in the 70’s) he was professional and meticulous about his care for the car. It just took some time and we had to get a new battery, another hit to the old credit card.  

Finally got over to the Grandson and saw what he had gotten, though we missed the actual event – it was after ten already. Visited a little while then set out for Sis’s house to see nephews and niece, though it proceeded to rain for the next seven hours as well. Saw some sky after we were east of the Appalachian Mountains. We did get to see the full moon on Christmas night.  

Long trip and worth it to see so much family but sheesh, you know? Toll on Hubby with the slick roads but less traffic than if we’d traveled different days. Probably still not our worst traveling experience – I remember an 11-hour stay in the Ft. Lauderdale airport after a cruise…

What about you? Share with me some of your horror stories and know that some form of the story may appear in a novel somewhere, sometime.

Wow, already? I still remember sitting in math class figuring out how old we’d be in 2000.

Will have been retired a year on April 1st. I think I’ve done okay. I still get up at 6 each morning when Hubby gets up and swim for thirty minutes before going to my office and writing. And since retiring I’ve self-published my first book—Alien Embrace, wrote two for Rebel Ink—Mac’s Family and Christmas With Family, released the Melting Trilogy as a boxed set, and re-edited and self-published Rth Rising. I’ve finished Rth Claimed and it’s now in the editing process. I don’t think I slacked off too much with the retirin’ thing.

According to Goodreads I read over 250 books last year – that caught me off guard but when I thought about it, I’ve always got three books going – reading one, listening to one and writing one, so I guess that’s true.

Already a year of firsts ahead of me. Grandson’s first birthday is coming soon. That blows me away that he’s already almost a year old and still the most darling, friendly, smiling kid I’ve ever seen. Crediting his parents for that one – he’s so secure and loved. 

The changes this coming year include Hubby retiring on April 1. Yep, a year after me, so he’ll be home full-time. I don’t know how that will affect my productivity. It’s going to be interesting and no doubt challenging, but I do like him so we’ll see how it goes. Other things – maybe a wedding in late summer, maybe downsizing to a condo rather than a big house with a lot of yard, maybe some traveling (I keep looking at those Amtrak trips…) Who knows, except a few deadlines looming and several books under construction that have to have some priority.

I have a time travel book ready for editing, a paranormal small town book nearly finished (I’m finally combining my two genres!) and new ideas getting their own little folder on the computer. A third book in the Rth Rising series, a short story in the Melting universe, a second book in the Alien Embrace series. How in the heck did I write when I worked full time??

Resolutions? I’ve never really kept any. I want to/have to lose some more weight though I did pretty good on that in 2015. Keep up the swimming and try to do a little more walking. Recycle and give away a lot of stuff so if/when we move it won’t take several moving vans. I feel a book giveaway coming up in the near future…

Mostly I want to thank all of you for helping make my dream come true – a published writer, with a 16th book coming out shortly and those in the pipeline still to come. Without readers… well I’d still be writing because I can’t stop, but it’s so nice to share them with you. Thank you and I’ll let you know when I get my act together for that giveaway!

Have a Happy and Safe 2016!

Thought I’d share this one again – it’s still true…

Whatever you celebrate – Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah  – I hope this one surpasses all of your expectations.  I hope your travels are safe and stress free (and don’t think it’s selfish to take a few minutes off alone to look after yourself a little too).  And I hope to hear from all of you in the new year!