Good Monday morning! I’m adding that exclamation point to exhibit a lot more energy than I have today. Yesterday afternoon I came down with the flu. Even after 12 hours in bed, I woke exhausted—but functional. Just don’t ask me to fly up the stairs, chase the dog, or think fast (which, even on my best days can be a stretch).
Here are the things this flu bug is preventing me from doing:
1. Yesterday my publisher began a promotion to give away free electronic downloads of one of my most favorite titles: The Oak Leaves. Today I was going to announce it on various loops, Facebook, to friends and family. I hope to get to that either later today or tomorrow, when I’m sure to be feeling better. But here are the two links to get that started:
Kindle:
Nook:
For anyone new to this blog, let me tell you a little about this book. The Oak Leaves is probably closer to my heart than any other book I’ve written, because the crux of the challenge in all of the character’s lives is Fragile X Syndrome – the disorder affecting my oldest son. It’s not an autobiography by any means, but it does have a lot of me in it, simply because I wrote it from my own experience learning I was a carrier who had unknowingly passed on this disorder to my son. It was a book I didn’t want to write, because it forced me to explore an area of my life that even today is a challenge, but it’s one I needed to write. From the moment I knew I’d write that book, I felt God’s blessing on it. So I’m thrilled it’ll no doubt find some new readers with Tyndale’s great new promotion for it.
2) Today I planned to start a final read-through of my current project, which I must say even as I feel so lousy I would be excited about doing if I had more energy. (Right now the only thing that looks really good is as I approach the bed or couch and get to relax for a little while.) But this book has been my most fun to date. It’s a pure romance, with my heroine discovering her father earned most of his money through less than honorable—or legal—means. When he dies she has a choice: follow his legacy, one she didn’t even know existed until after he died, or find a suitable husband who won’t ask any questions about her heritage. And in the polite society of 1880 New York, that’s asking quite a bit. People trying to emulate Europe’s upper crust might have bent the rules about new money, but were amazingly fussy about who they let “in”.
With that in mind, I was going to try a new trick my husband was telling me about from an article he read about memory. Since this book is obviously something I’m pretty familiar with, it’s difficult to come to it with a fresh eye since I don’t have the luxury of letting some time pass. The article on memory suggested if you’re reading something and want to exercise your mind, try changing the font to something totally new and even a bit of a challenge to read. I was going to try that – well, I still will, but perhaps not until I’m feeling better.
3) I was going to write a completely fascinating blog post. The way I feel right now, I’m settling for a coherent one. I hope I succeeded.
I’m glad germs don’t travel via cyberspace, at least not flu bug germs. I’d hate to pass this on to anyone I know, and have been washing my hands like crazy around my family.
Blessings on your day today — and if you think of it, send up a quick thanks if you have good health. 🙂
I'm sorry you're sick, Maureen. I hope you oust that bug from your system in short order.
Thanks so much, Keli! It's been a long week, I guess because the older I get the longer it takes to fight these kinds of bugs. But I'm certainly better than I was at the beginning of the week. Thanks for stopping in!