I’ve been seeing everyone’s Tweets and FB updates complaining about having to go back to work/school (or a combination thereof) today. And I’m sitting here thinking . . . wow—I’m ready to take a few days off!

You see, ever since leaving my driveway last Monday at 10 a.m., I haven’t really stopped working. This is, of course, mostly of my own making—as once again, I managed to procrastinate myself to a point where I’m up against deadline not only with my own work but with a freelance project.

The good news is: I FINISHED WRITING RANSOME’S CROSSING SATURDAY!!!!!!! I averaged about 5,500 words per day and wrote almost 28,000 words in five days—and that included using the Windows speech recognition software that came on my new laptop to “write” while driving to Arkansas Monday. I’m really looking forward to using that feature to work on either writing or brainstorming ideas for my next book, Love Remains (due February 1), on the way back to Nashville Wednesday or Thursday as well as on the drive to/from Baton Rouge at Christmas. I recorded 1,700 words in the couple of hours from Memphis (where I had to stop and get one of those headphone-microphone thingies at Walmart—because the road-noise was too much for the built-in mic on the laptop) to Little Rock. So I can’t wait to see what I can do during the almost nine hours it takes me to get to BR!

The bad news is: I had a freelance project I needed to get finished by…um, let me check the calendar…TODAY, so I haven’t been able to even start re-reading RC yet. I have a few hours yet on the freelance project, so as soon as I finish that, I’ll start the read-through and revision on Ransome’s Crossing so that I can get it sent in and meet my deadline tomorrow.

Then, I’ll get to take my Thanksgiving break. We’re going to go over to Garvan Woodland Gardens to view the Christmas lights Tuesday night, and I’ll make the decision then if I want to drive back Wednesday or Thursday. (It’s so wonderful to have the freedom to do that!)

And then it’s right back to work—two big freelance projects in December and another book due February 1. Ah, the lazy, kicked-back life of a writer.