If it seems like things are a bit discombobulated here, then you’re figuring correctly. With the pressure I had to put myself under to get Menu for Romance finished, unfortunately, my blog suffered. But I also know that this is a very busy time of year for almost everyone, so I’ll also attribute that to why it seems like a lot of my “regulars” aren’t around as much anymore.

I know I was supposed to start on edits of MFR yesterday and then again today, but I needed a mental break. So I took my “weekend” on Monday and Tuesday of this week and plan to buckle down with a renewed commitment to keep to a regular sleep/wake schedule as well as a working schedule for the next four days (yes, that includes Saturday). The manuscript is almost 400 pages, so that means getting through an average of 100 pages per day—to make the hand-written changes. Then next week, I’ll spend a couple of days inputting all of those changes into the computer. When I did the most recent revision on Ransome’s Honor, I thought I could get it all done in one week, but it took me that long to make just the hand-written revisions. Of course, I had a major backstory change in that one to incorporate which I don’t have in this one, so hopefully it’ll be a more straightforward revision and not a lot of rewrites, but I already know some things that need to be changed/added/deleted in MFR.

I do have a prayer request for those of you who are praying people: with the economy on a continual downward spiral, it looks like a lot of the publishing houses are tightening up on how much they’re sending out to freelancers, so though a month or so ago it looked like I’d have enough work to be able to support myself by freelancing, it’s now looking like I may have to find at least a part-time job, if not full-time (even if temporary) work sometime soon. So please keep me in your prayers that I can continue to live on faith and keep my eyes and ears peeled for whatever it is that God wants me doing—because I really don’t want to have to move to my parents’ vacation home in Arkansas if I can’t find a way to continue to afford my rent and other expenses here in Nashville.

Now, since it’s supposed to be cold and rainy for the next several days, I’ve got to get my office cleaned up so that I can work here at home instead of trekking across campus at my alma mater to work at the library.

Oh, and in case you haven’t yet noticed or visited, I started a new weight-loss journal blog: Fabulous by Forty (http://fabulousby40.wordpress.com). I started it as the place for my daily food journal as well as my “touchstone” to turn to when I’ve messed up—or when I’m about to.