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Monday, April 5, 2010

Squirrel! by Jaime Samms


My guest today, Jaime Samms, is a multi-published author and a colleague at Freya's Bower. Her newest upcoming release, Life After, is available from Freya's Bower on May 25th. Check out her other scintillating titles and more hot, hot stories between men at her website! Take it away, Jaime :)
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So, it's that time of year again. Spring brings a lot of things; open windows, birds, manic cats trying to get out the door between my legs, my garden crying desperately for my help and attention, and always, so far, a renewed need to write more, new, better, shinier stories.
It also is the busiest time of year where I work. You see, tax time is both my joy, because writers make so little money, the refund means good things can be had by all, but also my nemesis. I work contract and my contract falls on me at tax time. Wouldn't it be nice if the need to create came in the middle of the winter when I'm home with nothing better to do....

But really, life isn't like that, is it? One can dream. And become really good at time management. I've mastered that first one....

My publishers and editors have wrangled me into submission on the other. I'm so distractible. Anyone ever seen the movie "Up!" ? That little dog, that can be me...squirrel! And in the spring when the sun is shining, and the garden needs me, it's so hard to sit down and do edits, to type up all those snippets of story scratched out on my meagre breaks at work.

Then there's work, where I should be—well—working. And I find myself thinking about all the fantastic story lines I want to write. Seems wherever I am, I want to be somewhere else, doing something else. Spring is a great time of chaos for me. For the most part, it's good, creative chaos, though.
Right now, I'm sitting at the breakfast table amidst this year's Vessey's seed order, clean laundry and breakfast dishes. There's sun and breeze through the open door and the park across the street is full of people. Crocuses are poking up through the brown old grass of last year, and the maple tree is all over red knobby buds. Really, it's chaos everywhere, not just inside me y head.

Easter weekend is stretched out in front of me now, and I can see the completion of a half dozen unfinished projects in the nebulous future before work beckons again on Tuesday. I can also see were the raspberries need culling and tying up, and the roses need to be uncovered, the leaves raked before they rot in place on the grass, and really, someone should put all this laundry away....

But there are so many stories in my head, I'm afraid they'll start running together and the wrong guys will end up in the wrong beds. But then, that could be interesting, too. Squirrel!!!

P.S. On Monday, when you read this, the weekend will be winding down, and I will be flush with accomplishment or lamenting the lost time. Or, I might have caught that elusive squirrel. One never knows.

7 comments:

Kristin said...

squirrel!!!
yup, that's me too. Always with a thousand things on the brain and always not what I am supposed to be focused on. I think spring is perfect for that, though, beautiful chaos. It's like the spring storms that pop out of no wher, thet nourish the earth for beautiful flowers to grow. Loved your reflections.

thanks, Cindy, for another great guest.

Jaime Samms said...

Kristin, tha's a great way to look at it! I ddn't endup getting everything done Iwanted to, but I dd speda fair amount of time in th egarden, so tha was good.

Thanks for stopping by.

Dalia said...

Oh, Jaime, I recognize your chaos it's very like my own. Too many stories and not enough time to get them all out into the world.LOL
At this time of year I'm aching to make a start on the garden but I know it's still way too early. Here in Scotland it's raining and icy cold plus we still have at least a month of frosty nights to contend with before I dare plant anything out.

Jaime Samms said...

I'm glad I'm not alone, Dalia!

Here in Ontario, it's freakishly warm for the time of year. We don't dare plant anything, even if it feels like we could. There's too much risk of frost, still. But we got a lot of falls' icky mess cleaned up.

kathyk said...

Oh Jaime, I LOVE this! And for me spring is a time of getting rid of all the old stuff / stuffiness and let in the outdoors.

And being a reader I don't need to worry about the squirrel - which is an awesome analogy by the way! - so much.
I hope you get yours corralled - although..... guys ending up in the wrong bed? That sounds VERY interesting!

Marci Baun said...

Distractions. I find distractions to be everywhere all of the time. (g) Perhaps if I had less to do... yeah, um, yeah, I just can't see that happening. LOL

Jaime Samms said...

Hey, Kath! All the ideas coming fast and furious is good for readers as long as I don't lose my mind somewhere along the way....As for the guys, there are so many of them, I shouldn't be surprised if a few go astray. Some of them are prone to that sortof behavior in the first place!

Less to do??? I'm sorry. Is than an English phrase? I'm not familliar...