Sunday, September 16, 2012

I'm In Villete

One of the ladies in my writing group is doing a book translation to English from Portugese. It's a story about a young woman who decides to commit suicide, but survives the initial attempt. However, her heart has been so damaged, she has only five days before death takes her. She ends up, for those five days, in a hospital for the insane, called Villete (Vee-eh-tay). People who inhabit the hospital with her excuse their behavior, however bizarre it may be, by the simple phrase "I'm in Villete."

If I stop long enough to think about things, I realize that I have an awful lot on my plate. I'm revising the third book in my series about the Cotillion--this one features Basil. I'm back at work on the book that's been dogging me for years, about Jedediah Smith. My critique group has decided to compile a Christmas anthology for next year, which also has a deadline. Sometime soon, I'm going to start getting edits on my second book with Crimson. And, I'm trying everything I can to keep the word out in the public eye about my first book, The Reluctant Debutante. The job that buys my groceries is coming up on its busiest season of the year. Card companies don't talk in terms of months. Instead, September is Halloween, Sweetest Day and Thanksgiving. October and November is Christmas, January is Valentine's Day, etc. So our busy season isn't October through March. It's Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Oh, yeah, and since it's fall in Ohio, there will be leaves to rake next month.


So what do I do to ease my burden? I nominate myself for a huge volunteer job for January and February. What can I say? I'm in Villete.

7 comments:

  1. Becky,
    I must join you in the dark-brooding hero club. I am prone to the bad guy, although the hero in my first Crimson novel isn't one. So fun. Great post. Thank you.
    -R.T. Wolfe
    www.rtwolfe.com

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  2. So funny - the things we do to put ourselves in Villete. I just got a second contract from my other publisher, so two sets of edits are coming my way soon. I'm still promoting The Bull Rider's Brother and will start promoting A Member of the Council soon, including finishing my 'blog' tour set ups.

    And I volunteered to judge two contests.

    And somehow I think I'm going to finish another book? Ha. I'm in the Dora club... Just keep swimming.

    The only thing I did lately to prove I'm sane was not run for re-election for my chapter board seat yesterday. But I did say I'd help. :)

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  3. Love this post, Becky! I think I live in a perpetual state of Villete, now that you've defined it. :) Good luck with all your commitments!!

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  4. I like the post and the idea of it. Good luck with all your books

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  5. Becky, if you haven't read that book, do...it's MARVELOUS and I loved the ending! I think the title was Christine Commits Suicide or something like that, yes?

    I know what you mean about being overcommitted. I've got the 3rd book in the series I'm doing, plus a YA that an agent wants to see when I finish it, plus a book for an editor I adore and would love to work with. And what did I do? Volunteered at my local RWA chapter to be president. *headdesk*

    But this is all okay, because we WILL get the work done. We WILL be marvelous. We WILL survive our day jobs because we are just that fantastic.

    We'll rest when we're dead, right? Cheers hon!

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  6. One day at a time! If we think to far ahead, it's overwhelming. But one day at a time, sometimes on minute at a time, and we will accomplish what we set out to do! :-D Great post, Becky!

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  7. Good luck on all of your writing adventures. I will soon join you in the Villette. All of my writing was "lost" in the move from my house in June. Actually, I think my husband is reading it all. What a way to finally get his attention. I'm sure you'll get everything accomplished with days to spare. -Elizabeth

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