Sunday, December 19, 2010

The Challenge of Writing in December

Ah, December ... it’s great for socializing, shopping, eating, movie-watching, and quality family time. What it’s not good for, I’ve discovered over the years, is writing. This is particularly true for those of us saddled with most of the Christmas preparation work. My hubby’s job is to buy the liquor and haul the tree home, and even that we stopped doing seven years ago when we bought an artificial tree. Happily, my kids are old enough to help with preparations now, although with one busy studying for final exams and the other not old enough to drive, I’m still doing a lot of running around.

I used to rail against my diminished writing time, but over the years I’ve learned two things. One is that whatever writing time you lose in December you can probably make up for in January because nothing’s going on then, and who wants to see the inside of a mall again? Secondly, getting older has made me appreciate the quality time I get to spend with my family. Older relatives are no longer here, time is fleeting and, in the end, family time is more important than anything.

Now, here’s a little something fun to take a look at: January Magazine has written a couple of interesting pieces; one is a list of best children’s books for 2010, which you can find at http://tinyurl.com/24fbgbc

Also, J. Kingston Pierce from the same magazine, has compiled a list of his favourite crime fiction covers and is inviting you to vote on the one you like best. I suppose we shouldn’t be judging a book by its cover, but we do. We can’t help ourselves, and any publisher will tell you that it’s a vital marketing tool. So, if you’re interested, take a look and vote at http://tinyurl.com/2aj77qw
And whatever you celebrate with the coming days off, have a wonderful time.

My Alex Bellamy mysteries can be purchased at
FATAL ENCRYPTION, http://tinyurl.com/ddzsxl
TAXED TO DEATH, http://tinyurl.com/czsy5n

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