My life has been a little stressful lately, mostly related to my writing life, although not entirely.
Last week, I received the final cover for The Beginning of Wisdom: Bilqis’s Story. This novel from Guidepost is the 90th release of my career (I believe it ships to subscribers in December, but I’m not sure when it will be listed on the website for sale). I loved writing this novel about the queen of Sheba and the faith in the one true God that she took back with her to Sheba after spending time with King Solomon.
About noon on Tuesday of this week, I emailed To Marry an English Lord to my (sainted) editor. This novel is book #2 in the British Are Coming series. I have been reading a number of suspense books lately, and as I was finishing the final proof of To Marry before sending the manuscript off for edits (and by the time I am proofing, I’m pretty sick of every novel), I thought to myself, The next book in the series is going to have a bad guy or even two, so I can shoot somebody whenever I feel like it.
That takes me back to when I was writing my very first novel (by hand on yellow pads). That was many, many, many years ago. I was out in the garden pulling weeds (I am not a gardener and I hate weeding). My neighbor came over to the fence and asked what I’d been up to lately. I looked up at her and I said with a smile, “Today I burned down a mansion, and I killed a man. And I never had so much fun in my life.”
I don’t know if killing a bad guy in a novel is always fun, but it is a great way to let off steam and/or release tension.
I surprised myself on Tuesday when, instead of just becoming a couch potato after sending the book to my editor, I decided to get thoughts in order for my next novel, a contemporary Christmas story that is part of a series with six other authors. These books will release next fall. More info will follow after the first of the year.
Anyway, I started getting my Scrivener document in order and then I decided to do some outlining/brainstorming/note taking and then I did a bit of research. The next thing I knew, I was writing the first chapter of the book. By the next day, I’d already written 6% of the story. There’s just something about a Christmas romance. Gotta love them.
I’m hoping, hoping, hoping I can keep this momentum going all the way to the end of the Christmas novel, because I have another Guidepost deadline staring me in the face plus I’m eager to return to Eden’s Gate ranch for the next book in the British Are Coming series (the one with bad guys I can kill).
Ah … The writing life. So full of glamor … Not!
SO HOW DO YOU RELIEVE STRESS? (you can only do what I do on paper!)
~robin
PS I had the opportunity to read Shadia Hrichi’s new Bible study, Rahab: Rediscovering the God Who Saves Me. It’s wonderful. And Shadia is currently running a giveaway of signed copies of the study. It’s easy to enter. Here’s the link: https://kingsumo.com/g/mbmw1n/exclusive-rahab-media-tour-giveaway
Robin Lee Hatcher
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Wow! That’s a lot going on, Robin! But how fun to have your Christmas story take over here as we are almost in December. Unfortunately, my stress reliever is cookies, lol!
D’Ann, I told my agent yesterday that I have never written a Christmas story during the Christmas season. Usually I write them in the fall or summer. It’s fun to have my head in the Christmas season during the Christmas season for a change.
Oh my goodness, this cracked me up. Thank you for the laugh. I needed that! 😂
Glad I could help. LOL!
Your Guidepost book sounds interesting. Can it be ordered from Amazon?
I enjoyed A Carol for Christmas last year!
To relieve stress I used to play the piano or garden.
Betty, eventually they will show up there (hardcover only), but it takes a long time. Could be well into next year. The best way to get either the hardcover or the ebook is to order from Guideposts. The series is here: https://www.shopguideposts.org/fiction-books/biblical-fiction/extraordinary-women-of-the-bible.html
Thanks, Robin. I think this is the same series Roseanna White is writing for.
Lol! I have the same mug! Truly, there’s no better stress reliever than to head outside with a hedge trimmer or chain saw in hand and just chop up stuff. 🙂 My sister rips up her made-up bed and then remakes it, but I’m not willing to go that far.
I’ve been known to reorganize the linen closest or the shelves in my walk-in closet. Getting rid of stuff!!
My go-to stress reliever is to read books while eating chocolate and drinking caffeine. 😛
Yes!!!
I LOVE the English Lord’s cover! And I’m loving the English Lord too. 😉 This whole post was so encouraging to me as a writer. Thank you for being so transparent and genuine. Now, back to work! 🙂
You ask what do I do to relieve stress. I write fast but edit very slow. To relax, I go to Yappy Hour at the Dog Park.