When Deadlines Loom and Procrastination Prevails

I’m a little stressed out.  Why?  Because I’ve had a deadline I’ve been working around and I’ve had to finally admit I’m just not going to make the deadline.

Procrastination isn’t the real culprit here; it’s the limited amount of time I’ve had to complete the tasks necessary to make the deadline.  That happens, of course, when there’s so much going on…but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I have a book event scheduled for mid-July, which I haven’t even posted about yet because I hadn’t received word that all my paperwork was in order or that a spot had been reserved for me but I finally received confirmation the other day that I have a tent space available for use during the event.  I had hope that once I received confirmation, the question about whether or not I had my ducks in a row would not be an issue because I thought I had plenty of time to prepare for the event.

Turns out I was wrong.  (It happens to the best of us.)  What has stressed me out is the fact that I had wanted to have the second book in the series ready for sale during this event.  Unfortunately, due to the length of time the edits have taken to finalize and the fact that the cover art isn’t complete, that won’t be the case. 

I have to say, to at least make myself feel better, this isn’t a completely terrible thing.  I’ll work around it and the second book will be available soon.  Instead, this event will be focused on those who haven’t yet heard about me and if I can add more readers to my fan base before the second book comes out, that’s always a good thing.  In that regard, I’ll look at this delay as a positive factor with the acceptance that it’s just another great way to promote the upcoming release.

For those who have been waiting for the second book, bear with me.  One plan I have factored in is the possibility of having an excerpt of the second book available for those who want to get a preview.  If I can make it happen, I’ll have them with me at the event for those who are interested in getting a sneak peek.



Capital Lakefair
 

So what’s the upcoming event? 

I’ll be taking part in Lakefair, the local event held in downtown Olympia every July.  This year Lakefair will be held from July 17th through July 21st, Wednesday through Sunday. Even if you’ve already purchased my first book, if you’re in the neighborhood, I hope you’ll stop by to say hello and grab a copy of the excerpt I’ll hopefully have handy (I’ll let everyone know once I’m sure they are available). 

What’s the saying?  When life hands you lemons, make lemonade?  Well, that’s what I’m doing and besides…lemonade tastes much better than plain old lemons so rather than focus on what can’t be, I’ll focus on what can be and go from there.