I'm working...I swear!

Okay, so I haven't written any major passages for TWISTED in...two weeks. I was waiting on my editor's feedback.

FYI, I'm never one to work harder vs. smarter. When there's feedback in the wings, it makes no sense to create passages that could very well change based on her input.

Or so I tell myself.

Still, even without new books to write or old books to revise, I'm fast learning that there's always work to be done related to the book(s). This week, I've written a synopsis for TWISTED, created my author's page for Amazon and started things rolling with my virtual street team.

What's fascinating is that if I go into the office and get on the PC, unless I say explicitly that I'm writing - everyone assumes I'm goofing off. And if I'm goofing off, well then it must be okay for the Princesses to have a shouting match right outside of my door or for the hubster to holler upstairs "what ya' doing? how come you're not down here?"

Don't get me wrong. I do my fair share of slacking. I stop past my favorite blogs. I check into the writers' forums to see if there's any good industry scoop or helpful writing hints. And I shoot off a few personal emails. All things which qualify as "goofing" off in some respect because each diverts my attention, if only for a few minutes, from writing.

But its like a person taking a 10 minute break to talk to a co-worker, nothing more.

Blog entries and myspace housecleaning - not goofing off. Gotta promote the book some kind of way don't I?

Checking the 2K7 Yahoo group or forum- not goofing off. We're off to a good start and it takes lots of touching base to keep 25 debut authors on the same page (no pun intended).

Answering emails from my editor, agent or webmaster - not goofing off. These three ladies are at the core of my progress.

Paying bills and balancing the checkbook - definitely not goofing off.

It happens that I'm a multi-tasker. So I mix those five things in with the goofing off. So it may be hard for the untrained eye to distinguish.

But now, I can announce to the household "I'm writing!" because my eddy just got back to me with the sweetest email this side of "SOLD!"

The heading said "TWISTED Chapter" and the email body said simply, "was the bomb!"

See, I told you. I must have gotten some work done at some point. So there!

Now, off to make these other chapters equally as bomb-tastic.

Keep your fingers crossed, light a candle and send up a prayer. These things don't happen on their own.