Welcome the wonderful Lynne Roberts to my blog!

Lynne is a fellow Wild Rose Press writer who has received the most fantastic reviews of her releases - read her blog and then check out her sexy stories at the WRP website!

Keeping the Fires Burning
When I considered the subjects I could tackle in this guest blog, the possibilities seemed endless. I tossed a few ideas around and kept coming back to one that is fairly close to my heart presently: Keeping the fires burning.
I’m not referring to your characters, although that is important too. I’m referring to your fires, the writer. You. Chances are you’re not just a writer. You could be a mom, a wife, an employee, or all of the above.
Regardless if you’ve been published or are still pursuing publication, if you’re reading this blog, you know by now that writing doesn’t just involve writing. Once the story is written, there is the editing, the queries, the submission, the critiquing for others. After publication there is all that and publicity, blogs, social media… and don’t forget, the next book. Add in the responsibilities of the rest of your life and you’ve got an impressive juggling act.
If you’re like me, you keep juggling those balls until you fail to catch one or two and then feel guilty for dropping them. The solution is obviously to work harder and longer because, really, who needs sleep? Then comes that day when embracing the pillow is much more interesting than any kind of embrace you can conjure for your characters. And the last thing in the world you feel like doing is opening that WIP; your reader list is in the high triple digits and the only thing you feel like doing on your computer is another game of solitaire. You study those writers who seem to do it all to see where you’re falling short. They’ve an active presence on threads and blogs, steadily publishing book after book with seeming ease. So what’s wrong with you?
In a word? Nothing.
One of the things I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older, and spoken to many writers, is that we all feel overwhelmed from time to time. You are not alone in your desire to scream stop! Wanting to freeze time so you can catch up. Tried it, it won’t work.
However, if you continue on the merry go round, it will lead to professional burn out and feelings of inadequacy.



In any industry, but especially in writing, you can’t keep putting out, (no pun intended) without replenishing. The goal isn’t just publishing, it’s a career in publishing and for that we need to think long term. I’m not advising that you don’t set up a writing and blog schedule, but taking the occasional day to watch movies with your kids, eat popcorn, go for a bike ride, a walk in the park, play on the Wii, spend time with your husband are as important to your career as commenting on every blog you follow, maybe more.
There are hundreds of threads, forums and social media from which to choose. But do you have to belong to all of them?
Pick one. Do you like Facebook? Then put your energies there. Prefer Twitter? Be the queen of Twitter.
Select blogs of people you’re really interested in and follow them, occasionally, you’ll find a new blog that interests you, but be real. Be yourself. Building your name takes time and rushing around like a dervish trying to be everywhere at once will only wear you down.
And if you drop those balls, give yourself a break. Keep your fires burning, and it will be much easier to keep your characters aflame.

Thanks so much for your blog, Lynne. You have no idea how happy you've made me today because this is exactly how I have been feeling over the last week or so - now I have permission to drop a couple of balls for awhile! It is so damn hard...how do you all feel? Lynne and I would love to hear from you!