Processing things: book stuff and food

My first book signing was a week ago. I’m still trying to process it.

I hadn’t even left my parent’s house yet and had already sold nine books (and signed them all) to people who weren’t going to be able to attend the actual event, then when we arrived at the bookstore … there were people waiting for me and they weren’t all related to me.

I didn’t have any scrap paper and her name was spelled differently.

I took 26 books to the signing and left the store with six (and a new game for the kids and a woodworking book for my husband because none of us can go to a bookstore and leave empty handed). I came back to Syracuse the next day with four books that weren’t claimed. I’d call that a successful weekend. Overwhelming, but successful.

The problem with overwhelming weekends is I go into shutdown once they’re over. It’s great to get away for a couple days and see my family but throw in events and visiting with everyone I can over the course of 48 or so hours. I come back home needing a weekend to recover from the weekend.

Plum nectarine jam made with fresh fruit from farmers back home and homemade granola (half of which is already gone).

Consequently, in the last five days I’ve added 18 words to my current manuscript, made a batch of jam, made a couple batches of granola, went blueberry picking, canned blueberries and marinated green peppers (no, not together. gross.), and in general gotten a whole hell of a lot of nothing done. I’ve been in bed by 9 p.m. most nights. Accomplishing a lot hasn’t been on my list of things to do this week and while I feel guilty about that, I can’t let it eat at me because … what’s the point?

Puny batch of marinated green peppers.

What I’m going to do instead is, tonight, I’ll step over the messes that haven’t been picked up, make myself a mug of hot chai tea, and retreat to the quiet solitude of my office. I’ll turn off the dehumidifier for the time being and turn on my music, light a few candles, and breathe in the ability to sit there and bleed out my soul for your enjoyment. Max and Steph. Brian and Stella. Caryn and Greg. They’re all begging for attention.

It’s time I devote my evenings to them again.

P.S. Don’t forget I have a Goodreads giveaway going on until Aug. 28.

P.P.S. I’m going to have a Labor Day book sale, so if you’ve been holding off on buying the ebook of To Have it will be marked down for everyone who’s cheap like me.