Domestically Challenged

So, why do I do this again?

So, normally I try to keep my posts light hearted, but lately I have been very stressed out. Besides being an author, a mom and a wife, I also work from home full time. Yes folks, on top of the duties I have with my family, I also work form home a full 40 hours per week.

Now, lately this is getting to me. I'm not sure what my first clue was - the racing heart rate or the fact that I am too stressed to even think straight (though, judging by my butt, I still have the ability to eat just fine). I was trying to think of places where I could cut back and there really aren't any.

Then I got to thinking - why do I do this to myself? Why not just go back to teaching? It would be SO much easier. No more waking up early to work, working during naps, working every evening and every weekend. No more telling my husband that I can't sit with him because I have to work. When I taught, work was over at 3:15. After that, I was free. Now, I work in every waking second. With the way my kids have been acting lately, I've been asking myself "What's the point?"

Then I really started to think about what it would entail to go back to work. One, I would have to wear something besides t-shirts, sandals and shorts every day. Two, I would have to leave the house at the same time EVERY DAY. That always sucked. Three, I would have to find childcare for my daughter. I have been contemplating doing this anyway, just to get her to try and listen to someone other than me. But, it wouldn't have been all day, every day.

Then I started to think about some of the other things, like waking up with the kids every morning, taking my son to school every day and volunteering in his classroom. I wouldn't be able to do any of those things if I went back to teaching. Then I thought about running around in the house during the day with the kids. Even if I was chasing them to time out, that is still better than sitting in a room of hormonal, smelly teens, right?

So, I guess I need to get even better about my time management and maybe figure out a way for forgo some sleep. A bad day at home is still better than a good day at work, right?

GCC author stop - Sara Rosett

This tour stop features author Sara Rosett. The title of her book is Moving is Murder. Now, I know that this is supposed to be a mystery book, but after moving 2 weeks ago, I can attest to the fact that moving IS murder, or wants to move you to murder - one of the two. LOL

The book sounds like a super fun read - check it out:

Air Force wife Ellie Avery is an ace at moving. A professional organizer,
she plans ahead, packs efficiently, and even color-codes the boxes. But
nothing in her bag of tricks could prepare her for the secrets that shadow
her new neighborhood.secrets that drive one of her neighbors to murder.

Moving four times in five years has honed Ellie's considerable skills. But
moving with a newborn daughter and husband Mitch in tow, a record-breaking
heat wave, and the realization that their dream neighborhood is known as
Base Housing East is enough to make her turn to chocolate for comfort. Now
half of their neighbors are with the 52nd Air Refueling Squadron. Forget
privacy.

Forget peace of mind, too. Driving home from her first squadron barbecue,
Ellie finds neighborhood environmental activist Cass Vincent dead on the
side of the road. The police call it an accident-Cass, fatally allergic, was
stung by wasps-but Ellie's not so sure.  And when it looks like Mitch's best
friend might be a suspect in the murder, Ellie starts snooping in earnest.
What she finds shocks her-and when suspicious "accidents" start happening in
her own backyard, Ellie realizes she's getting closer to the killer.maybe
too close!

Now, look at this praise -

Library Journal:  Rosett knows the ins and outs of living on a military
base-she also knows a lot about moving and includes tips at the end of each
chapter.

Kirkus:  A cozy debut that'll help you get organized and provide
entertainment in your newfound spare time.

Carolyn Hart:  Air Force wife Ellie Avery knows the hassles of moving but
she never expected murder to complicate unpacking. A fun debut for an
appealing young heroine.

Alesia Holliday:  Mayhem, murder, and the military!  Sara Rosett's debut
crackles with intrigue.  Set in a very realistic community of military
spouses, Moving is Murder, keeps you turning pages through intricate plot
twists and turns.  Rosett is an author to watch.

Um, ok it gives moving tips???? I should have read this about 4 weeks ago. I can't wait to pick this one up!

About the author:

Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Sara Rosett has always loved to curl up
with a good book. The wife of an Air Force pilot, she and her family moved
ten times-giving her plenty of expertise to write her first Mom Zone
Mystery, Moving is Murder.  They are currently living in southern California
with their two children and two dogs.  Sara's work appeared in Chicken Soup
for the Military Wife's Soul, and she is working on the next Mom Zone
mystery. Please visit her website, www.sararosett.com.

GCC tour stop author - Deborah LeBlanc

OK, I am SO going to get back to blogging like a regular blogger, as soon as my life cooperates with me. LOL

This stop features author Deborah LeBlanc, author of A House Divided. I was intrigued by the premise of this book, so I sent Deb some questions to answer about her latest title.

1. What inspired your latest book A House Divided?

The story for AHD came to me while visiting with a friend who claimed to have lived in a haunted house, not too far from my own home, when he was a kid. Always fascinated with a good ghost story, I was even more thrilled knowing the house was nearby. He took me to see it, and while visiting the small, abandoned home, I found out the structure was only half of a larger home.

As the story goes, an oil company, who purchased the property the home was originally built upon years ago, offered a local contractor the house. All he had to do to own it free and clear was move the house off the property. The contractor, knowing he would not be able to get the rent he needed for such a large house, decided to cut the house in half, move it to residential lots in another town, remodel the halves, then rent each structure separately. He accomplished his goal, for both halves were rented the moment the remodeling was completed. However, strange things began to happen to the families who moved into each structure. According to my friend, cabinet doors opened and closed on their own, utensil drawers flew open, lights in the kitchen turned on and off, the sound of children and a woman crying late at night. Chairs rocking on their own.

I didn't see or feel anything in the abandoned home of my friend and took his accountings of the paranormal events with a grain of salt. Still curious, however, I searched out the other half of the home, found it across town, and had the opportunity to speak to the single mother who lived there with her three children. When I told her why I was there, she actually seemed relieved and invited me inside. For over an hour, she recounted all the weird things that had been happening in the house since she'd moved in a year ago. Many of those events mirrored the ones my friend had told me about.

Although I didn't experience any phenomenon in either half of the house first hand, the stories generated enough fuel to set my imagination in motion, which eventually led to my latest novel. 

2. What type of writing schedule do you keep?

A writing day for me begins at 5:30 a.m. with a huge mug of coffee. I normally give myself about a half hour to wake up, shower, and throw on a pair of jeans and t-shirt before hitting the office. Once there, and with a second mug of coffee at the ready, I go over the last two chapters I’ve written so I can get back into the flow of the story. 

Then I start pounding away at the keyboard. Aside from bathroom breaks and an occasional coffee refill or bottle of water and a sandwich, I steadily type away until 3 or so in the afternoon. By that time, every creative brain cell in my head feels like it’s turned to oatmeal. I print what I’ve written, add it to the growing stack on the corner of my desk, then tackle emails that have accumulated during the day. Around 6, I come up for air and head for the kitchen and dinner. If I’m lucky, the book will leave me alone long enough to have a decent meal, spend a little time with my family, then get a good night’s sleep. If it doesn’t, I’m usually back at the keyboard around 9 to work for a couple more hours.

3. How has writing/publishing changed for you now that you have a few books under your belt?

I've had to get faster at writing because the deadlines seem to be getting tighter and tighter--Gurgle-gurgle-gurgle!

Summary of the book:

Keith Lafleur thinks he's cut the deal of a lifetime. The huge old, two-story house is his for the taking as long as he can move it to a new location. It's too big to move as is, but Lafleur's solution is simple: cut it in half. He has no idea, though, that by splitting the house he'll be dividing a family, a family long dead, a family that still exists in the house . . .

Angelica Batiste is a young, mentally challenged woman with a unique gift. Her mind, no more advanced than a ten-year-old child's, sees things before they happen. Not only does she see them, she draws them with extraordinary perfection.

When Angelica moves into part of an old, two-story house with her cousin and a friend, her gift suddenly turns into a terrifying power she can not control. The house feeds it. The house needs it. And only death can make it stop.

Sounds like a grat read!!

GCC tour author Shanna Swendson

OK, I first have to apologize to Shanna - I am SO LATE. So, my apologies. In the past week, I have been on TV, moved, had a book signing and had a week long stomach flu. So, enough about me...

Let me start (again) by saying that I LOVE this title. Here goes...

ONCE UPON STILETTOS

By

Shanna Swendson

In Shanna Swendson's latest summer romp ONCE UPON STILETTOS (Ballantine
Books; May 2, 2006), Katie Chandler's life is pure magic
As a Texan-turned-Manhattanite and an executive assistant at Magic, Spells,
and Illusions, Inc. (MSI), Katie's seen more than her share of fantastical
occurrences.  She's no wizard; in fact, she's just the opposite.  Katie has
a special immunity to magic that makes her a wiz at spotting the deceptive
enchantments and spell-laced documents that make business go a little too
smoothly for MSI's competitors and contractors.  If only she could avoid
falling under the spell of Owen, a hunky wizard who also happens to be her
co-worker. Owen, however, is too preoccupied with an alarming security
breach to notice. Someone has broken into his office and disturbed
top-secret files, and it reeks of an inside job. CEO Merlin (yes, the
Merlin) taps Katie and her special ability to uncover the magical mole.

Keeping her feelings in check while sleuthing alongside Owen, Katie is
shocked to discover that her immunity to magic is waning, putting her in
grave danger.  Soon she's surrendering to the charms and enchantments of
everyone and everything around her, including a killer pair of red
stilettos.  Katie must now conjure up her instincts to get to the bottom of
the break-in, regain her power, and win the wizard of her dreams.

So polish your fairy wings, put on your magic shoes, and join Shanna
Swendson as she catapults us into the frenzy and fun of magical Manhattan
this summer.


Praise for ONCE UPON STILETTOS:

"Swendson offers a fresh spin on a genre in this exceptional Manhattan fairy
tale." ­ RT Bookclub

"ONCE UPON STILETTOS is not to be missed if you're in the mood for a fast
and funny read where chick-lit meets urban fantasy." of A Kiss of Fate

Swendson's smart, snappy novel will delight fans that loved the first
installment, and win over new readers, too. ­ Booklist



About the Author:
SHANNA SWENDSON is the author of Enchanted, Inc. She's also contributed to
Flirting With Pride and Prejudice and Welcome to Wisteria Lane. She's a
member of Romance Writers of America and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers
of America. She lives in Dallas, TX. Visit her web site at
www.shannaswendson.com.

Sounds like another great read!