Working it out!!!

In case you were wondering, down time is harder for Type A personalities than being fried from overwork. When you're supposed to be recovering, but what you're use to is fighting through the deadlines, it can be hard to get your barings. And in case you were wondering, a lot of writers, introverted that we are, are Type As.

At least yours truley is.

So, what do I do when I'm working hard at R&R so I can get back to the fight and be more fresh than fried? I find somewhere else to fight besides my computer, of course. Hence, the gaps in posting, but the most excellent progress in my tennis game ;O) And in case some of you still dont' want to believe this Type A introvert is also a jock, here's a picture from my sabbatical, from one of my best matches last seasion--my partner and I rocked!!!

And you know what...having tennis balls to bang away at, rather than empty white pages on my computer, does the trick every time. Gives me something to focus on while I clear my head and recharge. Excercise, whatever kind you can do, is so key to mental wellbeing, IMO, I strongly suggest you go get you some as soon and as often as you can. Inside, outside, in a pool or a gym, cardio or weight training or competative sports. Doesn't matter. Get your body moving and working and balanced, and your mind will follow. Mine did ;O)

So, for an update, not only am I back on the blog, my website updates are done (all but the contest, which I'm working on tonight), so check out the new Homepage, Reviews and Coming Soon goodies. I'm drafting a newsletter, as well as trying to figure out what to do with the spammers flooding my guestbook to the point that I had to take it down. And I'm working on my Jan 31st deadline while beginning to promote my Feb. and April books (excerpts up on the site), and, interestingly enough, I'm enjoying myself while I do it!!!

And enjoying yourself is the key. If you're not while you're doing what you're supposed to love, it's time to go bash away at fuzzy little yellow balls, or whatever works for you, to refocus and to get your head back on what's important...loving your life for what it is, and what you can make it into if you keep fighting. And you guys are a big part of what I love, so thanks for hanging out while I got my tennis game on ;o)

Look for the new website contest winner and prize either today or tomorrow, and a newsletter, and Jack and Zara (Bambella, who I just realized never received her Tommy bag from the last website contest, and for that I'm horribly ashamed and sorry, and have only my nutty fall schedule as an excuse) your prizes are on their way this Friday, when my shipping department gets back in town. The newsletter will go out before Thanksgiving, and I'm seriously considering a Holiday Blog party, because I'm feeling soooo recharged. What do you guys think?

Oh, and I'm working on my next Super finally, Legally Yours--the draft is due at the end of January, and it's a bridge book from my Daughter series to a new Atlanta's Heroes series, arcing the romance of two characters that I introduce in my February The Perfect Daughter. If all goes well, in early 2007 I'll sell Harlequin two more stories for Atlanta's Heroes, and many more beyond. Here's the series pitch/hook--let me know what you think:

Atlanta's Heroes: Ready to fight for love as fiercely as they battle for everything else

Atlanta's medical professionals, law enforcement officers, and fire and rescue specialists are some of the best in the country. They are heroes, one and all. The high risk demands of their jobs strain the bounds of human ability, and often the possibility of sustaining enduring relationships.

But community and family are values that run deep in the south. Men and women this determined won't give up on their chance for love without one hell of a fight.