I’ve got four days before I leave for Celebrate Romance and there is only one thing I need to get done. A whole lot of writing. For the last two weeks I’ve been tied down with Mom duties, a conference, and something the school district dubbed “Mid-Winter Break.” I am still trying to determine who gets (or wants) a break in mid-winter, ’cause it sure as heck wasn’t me.

This frantic obession with the next four days began two weeks ago, when the DH, littlest hero and then I, all fell sick. I didn’t fall too badly, having snarfed down copious amounts of Airborne when the other two started looking cross-eyed. But that meant I lost a good part of that week. Never fails in February—someone brings home something. Generally I have illness-free kids. I don’t know why, knock on wood, but my kids rarely get sick. But February seems to bring it on.

So that wiped out one week of productivity. And then last week, I had both the little heroes home for part of the week and the littlest guy home for the entire week. Mid-winter break. Say it with me, “mid-winter break.” I think it sounds like something illegal. I think it should be illegal.

Explain to me, oh Fates, why you couldn’t have made us all sick during the week that I knew I wasn’t going to get any work done? I wouldn’t have complained. Overly much. No more than what I’ve just done.

So here it is. Four open days to write and I am ready. I spent part of the weekend plotting out what I want to write this week. Getting all my notes together, putting them into an outline and trying to envision the scenes about to unfold. Opening up my ears to the character’s voices. Reading the research book that just arrived about Hampstead, where my heroine, Lucy, grew up and first met her hero.

Oh, have I failed to mention this story before? I suppose I have. Everyone is so anxious for Tally and Pippin, that no one has even asked about what I am writing. I don’t mind—I fully share the building joy as those two books arrive. But wouldn’t you like to know who is my next hero?  He has appeared in one of these books: Something About Emmaline, This Rake of Mine, and/or Love Letters from a Duke. Oh, and I named him, Sedgwick and Tremont after an exit sign on Highway 16 outside of Port Orchard. Do a little MapQuest searching and you’ll find him.

Guesses anyone? First correct guess gets a prize packet of goodies from Celebrate Romance.