Today's the day it is officially autumn here in the northern hemisphere (spring, if you're south of the equator), and I'm so happy about that. It doesn't feel especially like fall today, but it looks like the week ahead might change that, so I have something to look forward to.
I'm on day three of a four day weekend right now, and I haven't accomplished a whole lot. I gave myself Friday for a mental break (last week was particularly hideous), plus it was car inspection day and you never know how that's going to go. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon among book people, writer friends and readers at this year's Books, Books, Books event in Lancaster, PA, and it was a good way to spend a Saturday. I got to catch up with some friends and snag some new books to read, which was lovely. Today was all the errands and the weekly clean-out-the-email-crap day. Haha.
Tomorrow, though...tomorrow, I'm hoping my brain has cleared enough to get back to revisions on Freeing Medusa. If anyone ever tells you daily stress doesn't screw with your creativity, either they're very lucky or they've just never had it happen to them yet. I used to be better at compartmentalizing day-job from the rest of what I need my brain for, but that's been hard this year. I'm trying to work out a way to start shutting that door tight again every day when I clock out so that stress doesn't screw with everything else.
Before I get back to that, I have a little snippet for you this week from Light the Way Home.
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Lucie didn’t argue when Nate refused her help with the dishes. Her insides still quivered from the realization that he was attracted to her.
“I’ll see you in the mornin’, Lucie!” Hayden shouted, hopping on one foot.
She smiled as she put her sweater on. “Yes, you will.” They’d already decided Hayden would join her after breakfast so Nate could cram in a few hours of work before he headed to the hospital to see his dad–and try to get his mother to come home rather than sleep on the less-than-ideal pull-out chair-bed in his dad’s hospital room again.
She wasn’t sure that was a battle he would win, but she understood his concern.
Hayden gave her a quick hug and then ran back to his book in the living room.
“I really do appreciate this, Lucie,” Nate said from where he stood at the sink.
“It’s nothing, Nate,” she said lightly. “Keeps me from having to spend endless hours on job search sites and getting more depressed than I already am.” She kept her head down as she buttoned her sweater up to her chin.
“It isn’t nothing to me.”
His firm, quiet tone snared her attention, and her mouth went dry. The shadows in his brown eyes made her curl her fingers around the edges of her sweater to keep from reaching out.
“I’m not accustomed to asking for help.” He cleared his throat. “I appreciate it.”
She swallowed. “It’s no problem,” she whispered. Dammit–hot, attracted to her, and vulnerable. Shit, that was trouble. She took a slow breath. “I’ll see you in the morning then.” She inched toward the door.
A hint of awareness darkened his eyes, but he stayed where he was. “Good night, Lucie.”
She took two more steps, clearing the doorway to the mud room, and a little relief sank into her belly. Until she heard footsteps behind her.
Within reach of the back door, she whirled. He stood at the open doorway of the kitchen, undisguised desire in his eyes this time. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a quick rush of excitement that she tried to squash as he stepped into the mud room. She held her breath as he took another step. One more. Until he stood a foot away, and her breath rushed out.
He studied her face for a long moment, and she wondered what he saw, what he was looking for. Impulsively, she moved closer to him, noting the way his eyes rounded, and she stretched up to brush a kiss on his mouth, lingered for a second, then stepped back.
“Good night, Nate,” she whispered, reaching behind her for the doorknob.
His dark gaze followed her out the door, and she turned away, a smile curving her lips.
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I would love to hear if you've got a sure-fire way to shut down your day-job stress every night so your brain is available for other creative things.
Until next week, happy reading!
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