I've read in more than one place that moving is right up there as one of the most traumatic events that one can experience in a lifetime. My move from California to Washington wasn't quite that bad, but it certainly threw a monkey wrench in doing any writing. Buying a house takes a lot of time and phone calls and a whole bunch of scanning of documents, moving a business and meeting with clients takes a massive amount of time, and then arranging the actual movement of furniture and animals is not an easy task, but when you combine it all together the only time left in a day is for the small hours of sleep you get at night. That is if you can sleep at all while you worry about everything. And none of that is conducive to writing in any way, so I was feeling completely guilty about not working on anything while I went through this process, until I was having lunch with a few fellow writers in Seattle and they mentioned times in their lives where they just couldn't get anything written because of work and other issues. And just hearing that lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. But still I'm chomping at the bit to get back into it and finish the various projects I've outlined.

I am however in the right place to make those books come to life!

For years I argued that a place was just a place and moving wouldn't change anything, but I have to admit that after I made this move, I'm realizing I was really wrong about that. I was in a small city neighborhood before, and now I'm way out at the end of a dirt road in the middle of the trees and i find that my stress levels have fallen dramatically. Removing traffic, loud people in the park, and everything else I had to deal with in a city really does make a huge difference in my perspectives on things. It's so much easier to just relax when the only sound around you is the breeze blowing through the trees. Isolation is not for everybody, but it's really making me happy right now.

It's taken a few weeks to get to the point where I finally feel settled, where I remember where the light switches are, I remember where the steps up and down are, and I've finally think I've worked out all the kinks. Now it's time to get back to the business of writing. I'm surrounding myself with other writers, I'm joining writing groups, and I'm going to writing events, all in the hope that it'll help light a fire under my recently relaxed hind end to start getting projects finished.

I'm sharing all this for a reason. Anytime there's a pause in an author's production readers will wonder what's going on, so I'm trying to be open and honest in saying this move has thrown me off a little. But, PLEASE, if you're waiting for my next book, and I really thank you if you are, be patient because I've got something really fun coming. It's completely outlined and ready to write, I've just got to do it, and I'm at the point where I can finally start barreling into it. So just give me a little time and you should really enjoy what's coming next.

I'll keep you posted!