In this era of COVID-19 and the pandemic, the idea of having to shelter at home harbors different reactions from different people. Many of the writers I know find this new way of life not all that different from the old way. That includes me. I enjoy being at home, I do fine with being alone, and I’m basically an introvert at heart, so it’s life as usual with a bit more cleaning thrown in. But there are opportunities for promoting my books that I’m missing out on. Since I had a new book come out at the end of February (DEAD RINGER), I had several engagements lined up to help promote the book including library talks, bookstore visits, and a gig as the keynote speaker at a writer’s conference. All of them have been canceled.

I’m not wild about the idea of having to speak in public but I long ago got over any nervousness i felt over it. And I know it’s a necessary evil if I want to promote my work. Evil may be too strong a word there because I don’t feel like these events are bad. But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t a little relieved that they were cancelled. I figured it would be an ideal time to get a lot of writing done without interruptions. Except it hasn’t worked out that way.

I’ve been having trouble focusing. All this pandemic stuff makes me want to check the news every five minutes and I’m constantly analyzing, planning, worrying, wondering, trying to figure out what I should be doing, what will happen next, and how crazy the world is going to get before this thing ends. I’m fascinated, scared, confused, angry at times, and frankly appalled at some of the ignorance and stupidity I’ve seen. Such is the human condition and it’s what I’ve spent my careers–both nursing and writing–focusing on. I’m hoping my focus returns soon. In the meantime, I’ve changed my procrastination tasks from housecleaning chores to sewing masks and bread making. My high school home ec teachers would be so proud.