Hi from Sarah Graves, who is recovering from a very long bout of writing. The work to be done was A BAT IN THE BELFRY, another Home Repair is Homicide mystery starring amateur sleuth Jake Tiptree and her friend Ellie White. Jake and Ellie have been solving murders in Eastport for 15 years now, so many that it’s a wonder there are any living people left. But there always seems to be one more victim suitable for a doing-in, and this time was no exception.
Now that I’ve finished the book and its rewrites, though, I feel pretty done in, myself. I remember when I finished the first one, THE DEAD CAT BOUNCE, and thought I might have to lie down for a week. This time I don’t need to lie down at all, but the very idea of starting another book or even a short story….please. At least let me get a blood transfusion, first.
What I can do, though, is work that requires no words. Painting, plastering, wallpaper scraping, sanding of floors and woodwork — those chores, put off while the book was in progress, now look like fun, seeing as they do not have to be done while staring at a screen or pounding a keyboard. Anything that doesn’t involve a keyboard, in fact, is fine with me. But friends, when this blog entry is done, there will be no keyboarding for a while. Even the idea of the keyboard on a piano makes me feel a little queasy. I am entering a Silent Period that will last until the 14th, so until then be well, stay safe, and have a really lovely first two weeks of June.
Charlene D’Avanzo 
Enjoy…
Enjoy the rest!
Definitely – understood!
People don’t always understand what I mean when I say that I live in “writer’s time.” It means yes, I am going to clean up that pile, do that filing, sort those papers, and dust the shelf, but only AFTER I finish this project. When the projects can take from nine months to a year, sometimes more, things sit there awaiting me for a long time.
Right now, my office looks like a bomb went off. It makes me so crazy that I don’t look at it. Just keep my head down and edit, edit, edit. Sometime in early July, though, I’m going on a total cleaning binge. I’m going to rediscover my nice cherrywood office, and throw out old papers to make room for new. All the while celebrating finishing a book.
And on the other side of the coin…those of us out here are delighted there will be a new Sarah Graves book…and you’ve finished in time to enjoy the best of spring and early summer. Such a clever girl.
Well deserved, I’m sure, Sarah!
And I, for one, can’t WAIT to read A Bat in the Belfry; I’ve loved all your Jake and Ellie books. Enjoy the time off….
I can’t wait for the new book. I always look forward to Jake and Ellie’s latest adventure.