The Chaos of Christmas

So, it's been crazy busy lately. No surprise there. Christmas is coming, and there are gifts to buy, parties to attend, and decorations to put up.


And I love every second of it.  


Christmas is, after all, my favorite season. This year, though, things are a little different.  Much more frenetic. For the first time in a long while, I'm a working Mom.  So, yeah.  I'm a tad overwhelmed. Ah, right.  Understatement much?  


The balancing act is downright deadly. Especially since I've never done it before.  


Kids. Work. Husband. House.  


It's never ending, and I'm learning on the fly. Which probably isn't the best strategy, but I've been tossed overboard into the ocean. Only one thing left to do. . .swim. Like a madman. Try to avoid the sharks while deploying a plan of attack that needs. . .oh, I don't know. . .maybe 30 hours a day instead of the 24 I've been alloted.  


Bummer, right?  Sure, but there's an upside, too.


My level of efficiency has gone way, way up. No time to mess around. Just go, go, go as I make the most of the time I have. It's time management boot camp. . .on steroids. With my schedule wearing the boot. And while I sometimes get my a** kicked, for the most part I manage to stay one step ahead. Just far enough out in front of the craziness to avoid getting creamed.


Can you relate? Yup, I can hear the Oh, yeahs all the way from here.


The trick, I guess, is to enjoy every second. Regardless. No matter what. Through the madness of every day life. . .all the little failures and big successes. . .the disappointments and triumphs. It's the little things, after all, that bring the most joy. The stolen moments when life slows down just enough for you to see it. For you to enjoy it.


So, take a breathe this holiday season. Spend time with family, friends (heck even the dog will do), but wherever you are--whomever you're with--live in the now. Be present. It's the best gift you can give to another. But, it's an even better one to give to yourself.

FURY OF FIRE: available February 7th, 2012.  

Pre-order your copy today.

Some Great News. . .

All right. I'll admit, I haven't been around for a while. I've been lost outside the Blogosphere, and I have lots of excuses. . .none of which probably interests you <grin!>, so let's move on to more important stuff.

I've been writing like a fiend lately. Nothing new, you say? Well, okay. True. I take Stephan King's advice. . .write a lot, read a lot. . .to heart, which keeps me busy. But, my current book has got me by the horns. Not only am I loving the story, but for the first time EVER I'm working with a publisher.

Whoa. Hold on. . .back up a step there. When did this happen, you ask? Well. . .just this week.

Yes, my friends. I did it. I've signed my first publishing contract--with the help of my agent, the fabulous, forever awesome Christine Whitthohn of the Book Cents Literary Agency--and I'm so flipping excited I can hardly stand myself.

So stayed tuned, the guys in my Nightfury Dragon series are rolling your way. First stop? FURY OF FIRE, the first book in the series (think urban fantasy romance with a kick), launches in February 14th, 2012.  And I can't wait to share the story with you!

And oh, wait. If that wasn't enough? I'll be working with the same publisher writing a paranormal historical series entitled, The Circle of Seven. . .about elite assassins who have deserted from a larger group and are now marked for death because of their quest to save young boys from suffering a similar fate to their own.

So, yeah, talk about excited.  I'm in orbit, circling the planet. Lost in Space.

So come hang out here (or at www.coreenecallahan.com) anytime you like as I ramp up, branch out, and wade into the wonderful world of publishing. There are sure to be lots of adventures along the way.

Baseball. . .Pitch Perfect

I've always liked baseball.  Not for the endless statistics (there are way too many of those in the game), but because it's fun to play.  Like all sports, it takes a lot of hand-eye cordination.  But, that's not the real challenge.  At least, not for me.

It's the thrill of picking up that Louisville slugger, knocking the dirt from my clets and stepping up to the plate.  Possiblity is infinite in the action.  Faith is there too, along for the ride as I wind up, stare down the pitcher, and hope for the perfect pitch.  Feeling the weight of the bat in my hands.  The vibration of the wood in my grip as I connect with the ball.  Sycronized connectivity.  Oh, man. . .there's nothing better.

Now, granted, for each crack of the bat and line drive I propel into the outfield there are times when I hit nothing at all.  A swing and miss.  Sometimes, all you get are ninety mile an hour curve balls and nothing but air.  Those times suck.  Because no matter how good a player you are, it's hard to connect.

But, in the end, that's what keeps me in the game.  The possibility of connection, of cracking one into the stands and hearing the crowd go wild.

Writing is a lot like that, isn't it?  A vortex of pleasure-pain where possibility, faith, and sheer tenacity collide.  And in that moment, if we're lucky the perfect pitch sails our way and. . .wham!  A home run.  But, more often than not, we get a curve ball.  A successful writer accepts each swing and miss.  Picks themselves up out of the dirt, brushes off and gets back in game.  Because maybe. . .just maybe. . .the next fast ball won't have the wrong spin.  Maybe that's the one that gets knocked out of the park.

Possiblity.  It's a beautiful thing.