It’s been five months since I went the to E.R. with a racing heart, which was diagnosed as AV Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia (we in the biz just call it AVNRT). Basically, my heart goes off into a funky fast rhythm for no apparent reason beyond I have a glitch in my electrical system. It had been doing this regularly since I turned 54, but the last time it happened, I couldn’t get it to stop on my own. Thus, the trip to the E.R., the diagnosis, and now I have a cardiologist. Jeez, does anything sound older than “I have an appointment with my cardiologist’?

Well, last Friday, I had an appointment with my cardiologist. A check-up, but I was anxious to talk to him because I’d been having problems with swollen ankles and feet and tingly legs that were making life pretty uncomfortable. Turns out a side effect of the med I was on for the AVNRT is edema—swollen ankles, legs, and feet. When I got weighed (why, oh why must we do that every single time?!), I’d gained three pounds. Impossible because I’ve been working on my weight along with the other writers at Reinventing Fabulous and keeping my calorie count to about 1500/day, but there it was.

The cardiologist heard my tale of woe, listened to my heart, felt around on my ankles and legs, and agreed that this was not going to cut it at all. So he switched out the heart medication from a calcium channel blocker/diuretic to a beta blocker. Only one pill at night now instead of two in the morning and another at night. No objections from me on that score. The caveat was, “The biggest complaint we have with this one is patients feeling fatigued at first. But give it a couple of weeks and if that doesn’t go away, let me know.”

So, three days into this new med and…I am indeed fatigued. Not drop-down-in-a-chair-at-every-opportunity fatigued, just tired and slow. That’s a new feeling for me–usually, I’m annoyingly perky and good to go. Last night, I slept in the car on the way home from the lake, soemthing I rarely ever do. Needless to say, I was charming company for Husband on the two-hour drive.

After we got settled back in here at home, I came up to write and my mind was mush. I couldn’t even focus on my crit partner’s newest chapter because I couldn’t keep my eyes open. This morning, I made it out of bed at the usual 6 a.m., got started on the morning routine, and even managed to do a couple of the chores I have on my list, but now? I’m ready for a nap. But I want to write and get this chapter done for my crit partner and I really need to walk on the treadmill or get on my bike and ride a couple of miles.

Do I fight it and forge ahead or do I give in and rest when the need overtakes me? I don’t know. I’ve never taken medications before now, so I have no idea what normal side effects feel like or whether I’m feeling abnormal. I probably waited too long to tell him about the edema with the first med, but he did say give this one two weeks and he warned me about the fatigue. So, I’ll give it two weeks and for now, I’ll curl up on my bed for a few minutes before I start a new task…zzzzz…

On Sunday, Husband and I were driving up to the lake and I was telling him about the event I’d attended the previous day. My chapter of Romance Writers of America sponsored a mini-conference with Bob Mayer, who presented his Write It Forward workshop. I still couldn’t find the words to describe all that I’d learned, but what came through loud and clear was how inspired I was by what Mayer had to say about writing and the process of writing.

As I was sharing, Husband asked me about my process, how do I start a new book? All books begin with an idea, as Mayer told us. That’s “the heart of your story.” For me, sometimes it’s an event in my life. That was the case with Rule Number One.  The fun we had in a pub in Cork, Ireland when Son got to pull his own pint of Guinness inspired a scene that became Katy and Jack’s  story.

Sometimes it’s a film I’ve seen that sparks an idea that turns into a story. The seeds of my first novel, The Music Is You, were sown with one scene from a movie that I saw over thirty years ago. That one scene stayed with me and eventually ignited the creative process that became the novel that my agent signed me on.

The third novel came from a character from The Music is You who cried out for her own story, and the fourth started as a simple romance between two colleagues, but then turned into a story of suspense when a walk along the shores of Lake Michigan made me think about shipwrecks and lost treasure.

So as I was telling Husband about my process, I tried to think of an example and suddenly, here was the kernel of my next book. “What if…?” I said and proceeded to set up a situation. He immediately got into it, making suggestions, offering different paths to take, “Or how about if the heroine is…” and “What if she…?”  By the time we arrived at the cottage, I had the rough outline of my next story.

The creative embers that I’d deliberately banked for the last month and a half to work on the paying gigs flared into a small fire that is already filling my mind so quickly I’m overwhelmed with ideas. All through the weekend, I scratched notes on scraps of paper—words, characters, scenes, choices, movies or programs that I might want to check out, things I need to research—what Lani and Alastair at StoryWonk call discovery. Late Monday night, I sat down at my little netbook and at least got everything put into a Word doc instead of carrying around the bits of paper.

When we got ready to head back home yesterday, we stopped by the neighbors to say goodbye and one of the guys asked if  I was writing this week. I mentioned briefly that I’d had a new idea and was playing around with it, making notes, and figuring it out. He grinned and said, “See? That’s the difference between a writer and the rest of us. When you daydream, you write it down. I daydream all the time, but I never think to write it down.”

Well, maybe that’s not the whole difference, but it’s probably the beginning…

I’m guest blogging at Word Wranglers today. Come on by and talk to me about being bold.

This weekend I didn’t work. I know, shock of all shocks, Nan left her little garret and went out into the world. Well, it was time, trust me. I’ve been working pretty much nonstop for almost a month, getting practically no writing done and keeping unholy hours. But, that is the life of a freelance editor. You work when the work is available, so I’m not whining, just stating the facts.

It felt lovely to get away though and I’m indebted to my dear friend, C.L. for whisking me to Cincinnati, where we took in the Newport Levee, Main Strasse in Covington, St. Mary’s Basilica, the Newport Aquarium, and the Freedom Center, as well spent a day shopping. We found a Crabtree and Evelyn store—life was pretty much perfect. I got some yummy Lily of the Valley hand cream and cologne and a nifty tote bag that’s very flowered and girly. Woot!

St. Mary’s Basilica is a gorgeous cathedral in the heart of Covington, Kentucky that seriously rivals some of the churches I saw in France and Ireland. Soaring ceiling, incredible stained glass windows, mosaics, and beautiful wood carvings took my breath away. We lit a novena candle for C.L.’s little neighbor baby, who is quite ill, and prayed for all our loved ones as we sat in the old pews and soaked in the atmosphere of peace and beauty.

The Aquarium was a treat (see the googly-eyed fish that cracked me up!) and we wandered in among the sea life and fishes for about three hours. Lunch was an Irish pub and then on to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. What a powerful experience. The museum dealt with not only slavery in the United States and the plight of African Americans since the Civil War, but also with slavery all over the world, even up to today. The exhibits and films were fascinating and terrifying,  sobering and uplifting, and tragic and joyful all at one time. We were exhausted physically and emotionally when we headed back to the hotel. If you get to Cincinnati, don’t miss this extraordinary museum.

But, no question, the highlight of our trip was lunch on Friday when we met fellow writers Lani Diane Rich and Alastair Stephens. I know them through the Bettyverse, and I’ve felt an affinity for Lani from the very first time I read her Lucy March blog. I’ve read all her books and I’m such a fan that meeting her was an amazing treat.

Lani’s a smart, classy lady and her husband Alastair is charming and very interesting. C.L. hit it off immediately with my writer buddies and we had a delightful lunch together. They even discussed our meet-up on StoryWonk this morning and gave me and my book a shout-out. Merci beaucoup, guys!! Lani was just as much fun as I imagined she would be and within ten minutes, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. Meeting Lani and Alastair and talking about writing and books and actually, plenty of other things was the best, and even though C.L. isn’t a writer, she had as much fun as I did visiting with them. Thanks, Lani and Alastair!

The weekend getaway renewed my spirit and gave me a much-needed break, but now…I’m back to work…well, maybe tomorrow, I’m back to work…

I got a 4-star review of Rule Number One from the reviewing site, TBR Pile. I’m so jacked up! The review was gracious and sweet, and I love it when anyone enjoys my book. Check it out at the TBR Pile website  We’re even giving away a copy of the book to one lucky commenter! Drop by and comment for a chance to win.

I’ve been working pretty much nonstop for the last three weeks. That’s not a complaint, just a fact. Well, okay, maybe it’s a tiny bit of a whine. Work comes in bunches, so it’s not unusual for me to have no work at all and then suddenly have three projects on my plate. This is one of those times of 12-hour days—I’m locked away in my little garret working on someone else’s writing instead of my own.

However, today, I’m taking a break—not for the whole day, just for lunch. I’m going to meet my crit partner at Panera Bread for some writerly fellowship and good food. I’m totally jacked up about seeing her—she’s the best. Funny and sweet and no matter how often we get together, I invariably learn something new about my craft from her. Our conversations are always first-rate. Did I mention that her contemporary romance, Rules of the Game, released from Carina Press this week? It did. Go check it out, I’ll wait right here…

Ah, back? So where was I? Oh yeah, lunch. Another terrific thing about today is that we’re meeting at Panera Bread. They have a delicious menu and the best part is I can plan my meal ahead of time by going here and picking what I want to eat. When I enter my choices into their Nutrition Calculator, I immediately see the calorie count, fat content, sodium, everything right down to the amount of caffeine in the acai berry tea. It’s a fantastic tool and part of what makes Panera Bread one of my favorite restaurants.

Lunch with Sandy will be the perfect mid-week break. She’s a writing machine and just a couple of hours with her inspires me like a week at a writer’s conference. She builds me up, and although, I try not to let work get in the way of my writing, sometimes it’s inevitable. I have to be okay with that fact. Time management has nothing to do with it, I just need to accept that when the paying work is intense, the writing has to be set aside for a brief time.

One day, maybe I’ll be able to live on just my writing alone, but that time isn’t here yet. The editing gigs are how I support the writing habit, so the synergy is evident if I step back and let myself see times like now through a clearer, more reasonable lens. The life of a freelance editor isn’t always easy and sometimes, it’s downright tough, but I wouldn’t trade the freedom of it for diamonds or gold (even at today’s prices!).

Check out this fun and funny review of my novel, Rule Number One, on Judy Long’s Novel Truths blog. A delightful way to wake up to what promises to be another arduous day of editing work. I love it when people enjoy the book—that’s why I wrote it, so Judy’s review warmed my heart. Thanks Judy! Oh, and the book is now available at Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com.

Go on by and take a look. I’d love it if you did! And I’m back to work…