A SPARE MOMENT? WHAT IS IT? I FORGOT!

Firstly, just another quick reminder that if you want to be part of the Anniversary blog tour, being sponsored by 1RomanceEbooks.com, before it begins tomorrow, you better head on over there, if you haven't already, and officially register...

http://1romanceebooks.com/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=107

...and I'll see you, for sure, on the 16th when my blog (#4) is sandwiched into the tour between (#3) Teresa D'Amario (who adores books with Native American characters, legends, epic themes, rugged settings, and, of course, a love story; those the books she loves to write; hey, won't she love my FLICKER: #1 BOOK OF ANSWERS?!), and my personal and handsome buddy, (#5) Bryl Tyne (if you haven't read any of Bryl's books, you should do so -- now!).

Secondly, what a shock it was for me, the other day, actually to discover something I was beginning to think, there, for awhile, I had lost forever. Gone so long from my life, as a matter of fact, that when it made it reappearance on the scene, I really was at a loss, for a good long while, as to what in the hell it even was, and as to what in the hell I was supposed to do with it. I'm referring to a "spare moment".

Suddenly, there it as, just out of the blue. My AFRICA: SPICE ISLAND LOVE was released and on the book stands. My FLICKER: #1 BOOK OF ANSWERS was at the printers. My BACK OF THE BOAT GOURMET COOKING was at the printers. My MALTESE'S FIRST WORDS was at the editor. My WILLIAM MALTESE'S WINE TASTER'S DIARY: SPOKANE/PULLMAN WA WINE REGION was at the editor. My GRIT was at the editor. John U. Abrahamson had yet to forward me his weekly addition to his upcoming autobiography, with which I'm providing a helping hand.

What to do? I'd been busy for so damned long, up every morning, at the computer, trying to make some deadline, that to wake up, with nothing immediately on the agenda, was ... well ... more than a tad confusing ... and disconcerting ...

What to do? Or, what NOT to do? Certainly, I have projects that need starting. I've several series, both gay and straight, any of which can use an extra book stuck into their lineup, including my Vlad Draqual vampyre series that already has its own perfume Nosferatu Illume -- The Vampire Walks the Light of Day (from Jfay) on the market...

http://www.wickdreads.com/wickdpotions.htm

...(more about that in a later blog). I've an upcoming book with Laura Baumbach, all about sex and slaves in ancient Rome. I've just contracted to do a series of double-novel books for Wildside/Borgo, as well as a book for them on huckleberries, another on my many fishing exploits. But, for a brief, spare moment, there was nothing immediately pressing on my horizon. There was nothing that required me to get to that computer, sit down at it, and get my ass going in order to make sure that something was ready for some deadline already set and established and demanding my attention.

My cousin, Bonnie Clark, co-author of BACK OF THE BOAT GOURMET COOKING called and asked if I wanted to ride with her husband and her to Coeur D'Alane, Idaho. They were off to see her mother (my Aunt May) who was moving, with my other cousin, Sandy, into new "digs". I joined in, then returned with Bonnie and Bruce to their house in order to feast on a gourmet dinner that, for a change, I didn't have to critique for BACK OF THE BOAT GOURMET COOKING. I drank wine that, for a change, I didn't need to comment upon for WILLIAM MALTESE'S WINE TASTER'S DIARY: SPOKANE/PULLMAN WINE AREA.

All very strange in being so stress-free, so leisurely... Reminding me that there used to be more of those days in my life. Reminding me that I might want to see a return of more of them. Reminding me that I have friends in Italy, Germany, The Netherlands who have been wanting me to visit, again, for quite some time now. Reminding me that I've a cousin who's a "gentleman" farmer in Costa Rica, living on a one-time coffee plantation, big house, with enough land for diary cows, and who is, even now, building a rustic cabin on the riverbank specifically for evenings by the fire, drinks, and good conversation.

Am I getting antsy? Is that wanderlust I had for a good deal of my early life, which had me around the world (literally) more than once, again taking hold?

We'll see.

In the meantime, there are the sequeals to be written to my Vlad Draqual Series, my Seven-Continent Series, my Wine-Taster's Series, my Cooking Series, my New World Shaman Series, my Stud Draqual Series, my One-Hand-Read Series... And there's, now, my contracted series of Double-Novel books...

Spare moment? What in the hell is that?