So, what do you do?

I have no idea how to answer this question when people ask.

It's not because my brain is fried from first round edits. A week at the ocean, away from email, ringing phones and wishing little elves would come into my office and finish the edits did wonders for my sanity. I am now, officially, only a little crazy.

Which is to say, back to normal.

But the answer to the question, "What do you do?" still eludes me.

I feel pompous saying "I'm an author," because that's not what I do full-time. Yes, I'm an author because Kensington Books says so. And dammit that's good enough for me.

BUT, everyday I go to my office overlooking the mechanics bay and Chinquapin Round Road (yes, at least I do have windows) to a desk cluttered with transit tchatckes. Very un-authorly.

I ordered business cards a few weeks ago and angsted over whether to put "writer" or "author" in the title line.

This is a real thing with me.

Finally, I ended up with "writer" on the biz card. Just couldn't bring myself to put author without cringing. It's a case of imposter's syndrome, no doubt that will haunt me until I walk into a bookstore and see my novel on a shelf.

Something about the tangible product being available makes me feel less gun shy about uttering the word "author" in association with my name.

Not that I'm shy about saying, "I'm a writer." I say it often. It's the "A" word that rarely tumbles from my lips.

And I don't mind saying I'm a writer because, at the risk of sounding ridiculously pretentious, writing is less about what I do than who I am. I've always written. I probably always will - whether I'm writing books, articles or ripping off a letter to some retailer who pissed me off (ya' know I'm talking to you Toys R' Us).

Writing is how I best express myself.

I'm not too shabby a public speaker (even if I have to say so, myself) but I put words together much better if I'm allowed to write them first. So I can call myself a writer and not bat an eye.

I'm slowly trying to get over my author shyness. Eight months from now, when my book is in stores all over the world...err...nation....ummm...East Coast...okay, I'll leave that Kensington. But when my book is out I'll start saying it on the regular. Promise!

Hi, my name is Paula and I write books.

Step one!