TUESDAY? AGAIN?

TUESDAY? AGAIN? by Valerie Hansen - on a good day!

Tuesday has a habit of sneaking up on me. Actually, since I work at home, I'm often confused about what day it is, not to mention which month! If I didn't have church to remind me it's Sunday there's no telling how off schedule I'd eventually get.

Authors live in their own little worlds. As one meme says, "They know me here." And the fictional characters become friends - or enemies. If I don't care enough to love them or hate them, then the whole book needs to be rewritten.

What you see here used to be the kitchen window of a tiny, antique house that we remodeled. My work area is where part of the backyard was. We left the opening so I wouldn't feel so isolated. It's my sanctuary. The place where I rack my brain wondering if I will EVER be able to write a new book. I've done it over 70 times so that's nuts, which is another secret we authors keep to ourselves. Most of us are half-a-bubble out of plumb. A sandwich short of a picnic. Trying to paddle our boat with only one oar. And we do it with such aplomb it rarely shows unless you happen to be privy to one of our hissy fits.

 

Here are my literary assistants, in order of seniority. My daily schedule would be chaos without one or all of them reminding me to get up in the morning, to eat on time and to go to bed rather than napping in my recliner. First there's Lucy. She's shy but very loyal and tends to mother the younger trainees. And me, from time to time. After my ancient chocolate lab died I took Lucy shopping to pick out a companion. I was hoping to find someone who would energize her. But...

 

This is her choice. He had no name, no home, no manners and she loved him. That's how BooBoo came to join my crew. Both he and Lucy are very sensitive to my moods although neither of them has ever offered to type or edit for me. They have brought in an occasional snack but I've turned down their offerings for sanitary reasons!  

 

I did not ask my older helpers if it was okay to add a third. My husband used to joke that when I was between books/contracts I was so unbalanced and frustrated I was liable to drag home an elephant or something just as bizarre. This is not an elephant.

Honest it isn't. It's a cute, furry, darling little imp with a stubborn streak miles wide and a brain that can outsmart all of us when she wants to. This is Hope. I have often wished I'd named her Trouble or Problem so that when I'm shouting corrections I wouldn't be saying, "No Hope!" although it has felt like that in the past.

Then I could be saying, "No Problem" or "No Trouble." I was crazy to get a puppy. Totally bonkers. And yet she has turned into an integral part of my family. The Velcro hair can be a problem when she ventures out into the back pasture but we're all coping.

Mostly she sleeps with me but there have been times when I was actually working on a manuscript and she took her comfort where she could find it.

 

Boo didn't mind as long as she didn't try to boot him out.

 

And  people wonder why so many of my Love Inspired books feature dogs!

 

Look for MARKED FOR REVENGE in August and TRAIL OF DANGER in Sept. Until then, there are scads of reprints from Love Inspired being offered, mine among them.

 

Gotta go! It's time to feed the dogs. They said so. :)

Blessings,

Valerie Hansen