Going Under for the Third Time

by Janis Patterson

Well, I’m not really drowning, but it sort of feels like it, and I don’t think I’m the only one – all of us are feeling overwhelmed these days.

Personally, I’m trying to get out the news about my newly released Janis Susan May traditional Gothic romance CURSE OF THE EXILE, get the final tweaks and polish done on my new website, get over a cold… it goes on and on. And like a shadow over my life there’s always the Convert the Garage project, which has been dragging on for three (three? Good grief…) years.

Not that most of it isn’t good – but like chocolate, you can have too much good – but some of it isn’t. At my age and after the life I’ve led, there are very few times I can say I’ve done something I’ve never done before, but this is one. A week or so ago The Husband surprised (shocked?) me by taking me to the Rolling Stones concert – second row stadium (not floor) seats, directly in front of the stage.

What can I say? It was very interesting. And very loud. There was a huge crowd, probably roughly the same as the population of a European duchy, but aside from the problems inherent in having so many people in a confined space however huge it might be (Dallas AT&T stadium, where the Cowboys play), there were no problems. I didn’t see any fights or arguments or any kind of ugly behavior. Ugly clothes, definitely, but no ugly behavior. Still, I came home feeling almost bruised just from the volume of the music. It took several days for my hearing to return to normal. We got two t-shirts apiece (and what fun I have wearing them around on my definitely grandmotherly self!) but I also brought home a less likeable souvenir – a raging cold. I’m still sniffling and hawking and coughing, though I’m feeling almost well.

What is worse is that just about the time I decided I might live, The Husband started to feel bad and this dratted germ has morphed into that horrid, dreaded thing, the ManCold. I think I’d rather be sick again myself than be a nurse.

And all this happens when I am busier than I have ever been. There’s the release of CURSE OF THE EXILE, of course, and in the last five weeks I have had more blogs – both guest and regular – than I ever have in my life, all of them of course set up months before. Have made them all, I’m proud to say, and after this one is posted I’m free for two weeks.

Free? What am I saying? One of the neatest things of my life is happening. This year the Historical Novel Society is having its annual convention in the US, in Denver specifically, and I have been invited to present a paper on my late friend and her work entitled Egyptology and Elizabeth Peters. This is one of the greatest honors of my life, and I am working very hard to make the presentation worthy of her. It’s wonderful, but it is eating time.

As for writing, what’s that? I’ve had to put back the release of my Janis Patterson mystery MURDER AND MISS WRIGHT which had been scheduled for 1 July. I’ve even had to put my wonderful new half-done Janis Patterson mystery, A KILLING AT EL KAB, the one I went to Egypt to research in March, aside for the moment, and it’s killing me! My characters are banging on the inside of my skull shrieking to be let out, and I just can’t at the moment. I do hope they won’t rebel and go truculently silent when I can get back to writing.

So, forgive me for ending this rather abruptly, but I have to get back to work. I’ll tell you all about the HNS conference next time.