What to expect hereabouts for the next while

[rolanni]

Asyouknowbob, I will be having my left foot surgically repaired on Friday, October 18.  This has been in the works for some time.  Per the surgeon, I will be off my feet for eight to ten weeks following this event.

I have a Command Chair and a laptop, so theoretically, I should just be able to continue on with Facebook, and Twitter, and updating this blog.

Notice the use of the word "theoretically."

I believe that, instead of leaping right! back! in! to the online action, I will be taking those eight to ten weeks off.

But, why? you say.

But don't you love us? you say.

Well. . .

Frequent auditors of this blog will perhaps recall that my younger sister died last December, whereupon I was tapped to take up the affairs of our father, in hospice and dying of cancer, said affairs being in a great state of muddlement due to the unexpected death of my sister and its immediate aftermath.  My father died in March, whereupon two surprise! stepsisters arose, brandishing paperwork, and throwing my, ah...legitimacy...under a bus of their own connivance.  This -- all of this -- was disturbing.  Yes.  Disturbing.

Also in March, Steve had his I(mplantable) C(ardioverter) D(efribrillator), the machine that keeps his heart beating, replaced.  This, though sworn by the doctors to be routine, was also disturbing.

In, among, and during all of this, I was lead on a book -- Accepting the Lance -- which we submitted in February.  Because of how ...Lance had gone together, another book -- its mirror-twin, Trader's Leap -- was due on the publisher's desk in September, and I was also the lead on it.  So, I have basically had my head in a novel constantly for the last 18 months, except when I was dealing with deaths, and major medical events, in my family.  Not to mention the stepsisters.

Now, though it's fun, for definitions of fun, to write a novel, it doesn't necessarily follow that it's twice as much fun to write two novels back-to-back.  IMHO.  It's helpful to rest your brain and your nervous system, occasionally, and while Steve and I did manage a couple days at the ocean, and a couple more at Lubec, those were stop-gaps.  I know that some people run on adrenaline; I had used to run on adrenaline.  Those days are not these days, and I am, frankly, exhausted.

Steve is lead on the next two books -- the first of those is the direct sequel to Trade Secret.  It's due sometime next year -- I'm not sure we've worked out a date with the publisher, yet.

So, this seems like the best chance I'm going to have to rest, as rest is being enforced.

I may poke my head in occasionally; certainly, I'll be updating my books-read list, but don't expect to see me largely around hereabouts for the next while.  Rest and recuperation comes first, now, after having being last too long.

Thank you all for your support over the years that we've been together -- and for your understanding.

See you on the flipside.

 

Comments

[theowlunderground]

Would not even think of being so churlish as to resent you taking time to take care of the only you, you have. Hope the surgery goes perfectly and your recuperation is routine and without hitch.

[jessie_c]

I had my intestines rousted out, put to rights and stuffed back in last May. I'm still getting over it so I can say with a certain amount of experience that 8 weeks is a decent interval to set aside to recover. You may discover that around 6ish weeks in you may be bored enough (and also have sufficient energy) to begin considering doing work things for part of the day. I wish you good healing from over here on the Left Coast.

[leecetheartist]

Strength to you and rest well.

[readinggeek451]

Wishing you all the best, and a very relaxing recovery. Take care of yourself.

Foot Operation Get Well Wishes

[(Anonymous)]

Please rest for as long as you wish. We will all survive. I had part of my Colon removed at the end of August and my brain is still not working as it used to. The term, I believe, is Anaesthesia Brain. Meanwhile, do what you must to recover fully. Allow the cats to wait on you hand and paw. Rosemary

[crussel]

This is A Good Plan. I've done the back to back (computer books, not novels) and while there was a time when I could do that without apparent penalty, I was younger. And even then we planned Serious Vacations between books whenever we could, and never more than every two books. In places where there simply wasn't a choice -- we had no Internet at all!

Your main job now is to let your foot recover. You will write better, more efficiently, and with fewer bouts of frogging for taking 6-8 weeks away from it all. Enjoy, heal, and come back stronger.

[reedrover]

Take care of yourself! And possibly Steve if he allows.

You do what you need to do

[ireneha]

Take all of the time you need. And if you become bored to tears, we all will welcome your conversation (and even more welcome if your brain forces you to type out a tiny factoid of a Liad character that you can later drive us crazy with).

[sraun]

Good for you! Take all the time you need to recover.

[cgbookcat1]

Best wishes for your surgery and recovery period. I hope you find the recuperation period refreshing and that you read plenty of good books.

[gl48heaton]

Forcristsake, take the time when you can.

Us older folk don't bounce back as quick as we used to.

[polanka221]

Rest and recuperate. Any work, no matter how enjoyable, goes better with time off. Adding in medical and family issues practically mandates time off. Obviously, we will miss hearing from you as often, but we will be patient since only good can come of recharging batteries and removing stresses that takes up mental space.

[kk1raven]

I hope your surgery went well and that you have an enjoyable rest and speedy recovery.