Three weeks after the release of Wedlocked: A Novel, this author finds herself reeling from the whirlwind: overseeing book sellers, prodding prospective retailers, social networking, blogging, and a variety of other marketing tasks. It has become an obsessive, full time job that often takes me cruising through the day and long into the night, only tearing myself away from my computer to stretch my tight muscles, feed the cats, walk through a leg cramp, or finally get some much needed sleep.

Now I find myself wondering how I will find time to do much of anything else. It’s easy to forget that I have two other books waiting for my final touches. That I have household chores awaiting my attention. Or that it is summertime and I should be enjoying some fun in the sun! But this is all new territory requiring a lot of effort, creative improvisation and the ability to wade through the gushing flood. I’ve waited many long years for this moment and I’m going to make the most of it. It’s a different kind of stress than I’m used to—stress tinged with excitement. That makes it easier to take in some ways, but more nerve-wracking in others. After all, ultimately I’m the one most responsible for what becomes of my book and my career. Others can help, but no one has quite the same vested interest.

There’s a controlled panic holding me down in this chair, keeping my fingers glued to the keys of my laptop. Maybe because now is the time for obsessive working, late hours and muscle cramps if ever there was one. The flood gates have opened—and I’m in training for the 1500 meter freestyle!