The Art of Nothing

Last night I did an incredible thing: nothing.

As a self-confessed stress-head, this is quite a note-worthy occasion. I'm the kind of person who is always considering time; how much of it something or someone will use, how much of it has passed, what I can best do with my time... If I could take a measuring tape to time, I would.

Two weeks ago I slipped whilst on a bush walk and bruised my ribs, and despite the acute pain, I kept going. I still applied adhesive window film to seven windows, built a pallet sofa, painted and attached privacy screens, and hosted two parties. I went to work. I wrote my books. And yes, all of that made the pain worse and lengthened my recovery time. I haven't slept painlessly for a fortnight.

I don't pretend to always make the best decisions. I just have a hard time being idle.

There is always something on. Give me three colourful balls and I will make a clumsy spectacle of myself, but I can juggle life like a tenured circus performer.

I work full time. I write when I can (in the last month I've finished writing two books, submitted a book to publishers, applied for a grant, edited a manuscript, and outlined another work-in-progress)  and I've just moved into a new house, so there's lots to be done. I see my family and friends when I can, and of course, I have my husband and fur family - the best time-sucks of my life.

I'm not saying I'm unique in this. We're all busy. I don't have kids and I don't have a particularly big commute to work, so I have more time available to me than others, but I am saying that I don't have an off button.

Which is why it was particularly unusual for me to come home yesterday and do what I did.

My husband was out, I had the house to myself. Before I'd even set my bag down I was mentally listing what could be done before climbing gingerly into bed. But between the front door and the couch, I changed my mind. I just ... sat. I binged on the first season of Younger - one episode after the next - even after my husband came home to find me still in my work clothes in the same position I'd fallen in hours earlier. I skipped dinner. I didn't close the blinds. I didn't even turn the lights on, so I was sitting in the dark. Hell, I'm lucky my respiratory system is a sub-conscious function!

I can honestly say, that was the absolute best use of my time in that moment.

Things didn't get done. They were delayed a day and the world didn't end. I actually watched the TV instead of glancing at it between laptop tasks. It was self-indulgent and it was perfect.

Some of you may be reading this post and thinking, "So what?", but I'm celebrating. It might be weeks or months before I do this again and I want to mark the moment so that one day in the future, I can look back and remind myself that the world didn't end when I stopped blurring around the edges. Some of us wear our busy-ness like a badge of honour and I'm not saying that's wrong, but wow, it felt good to just put everything down for a night.

Still waiting on that human cloning technology. It should be any day now.

Tackling the TBR pile

I've confessed this to a few writers and a few have agreed with me, so it turns out I'm not alone in struggling to read and write at the same time. By that, I mean that it's difficult for me to be reading a great book whilst I'm drafting a story of my own - the author's voice attempts to page hop, details blur, and my self-confidence takes an absolute bashing.

I tried not reading contemporary when I was writing it, not reading YA when I was writing it, etc, but it didn't much help. This put me between the proverbial rock and hard place, because I was being forced to choose between two passions.

One of my new year resolutions was to read minimum of a book a month, which to bibliophiles would be a laughably low goal. But I write every day. I write when I should be doing something else. I write, because I can't stop myself. So you see my predicament: how to read a book a month when I'm always writing?

The short answer: I've started tricking myself.

I listen to audio books. I drive enough that I get through a book every fortnight or so. I have a book on my bedside table (although this is my least effective trick, as my laptop's beside it). I take my e-reader everywhere, and read paragraphs whenever there isn't enough time to write. This adds up over time. I'm lucky that interruptions don't phase me - I can write and read with them, pause my brain and resume it fairly easily. And so I think I'll reach these monthly goals.

I've surpassed my minimum this month, but as I'm retreating to the editing cave this long weekend, I don't see the harm in declaring January over in this post. I won't be reading anything again for a week at least, unfortunately.

What are you reading, and do you trick yourself into creating time for good books?

Here are the fabulous titles I've read this month:

        

      

An 'element' of reader beware...

Today is the official publication date of the first book in the Homeland series, Ask Me To Stay.

I am very proud of this book, and I'm endlessly grateful to those who have already downloaded it. This title was - incredibly - a buzz book on iTunes the day before its official release. I'd love to get the names of everyone who's bought it, knock on their doors and hug them. But, you know... invasion of privacy, and all that.

So instead, I'll say this.

Reader beware.

If you have read any of my other titles, or if you have downloaded this one expecting a certain degree of romance - I need to warn you that Ask Me To Stay is a little different. It focuses almost entirely on the fractured relationship between brothers Ethan and Dean. There is a romance subplot in this novella, but the first in the Homeland series is - to my mind - contemporary/rural fiction with romantic elements.

I think I'm incapable of writing a book which doesn't feature two people falling in love - that's just what keeps me interested in the story. But some of the early reviews of this title seem to suggest that the degree of romance took some readers by surprise.

Read this title to read about family. About redemption and reputation and second chances, both for the heart, and the soul.

Ask Me For More and Ask Me For Tomorrow are infinitely more focused on romance. Ethan and Sam's relationship arc continues throughout the second and third titles as readers explore Cal and Dean's stories; so you will get the romance that you crave. There will be stomach-dropping nerves, black-moments and soul-stirring intimacy.

I promise you all of this and more.