I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but anyway...

Cups of tea, for the win

I'm having a strange couple of weeks. After months of being an absolute workaholic -- working weekends, days, nights -- doing lots of travel, writing to meet my deadline, and trying to maintain an occasional social life, everything has suddenly gone quiet*.

It's something I should be used to by now -- the cliche about small business being a "feast or famine" is a cliche for a reason. When you're in business for yourself, you pretty much always say "yes" to work. The idea is then, when it gets a little quiet, you can sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labours.

Except that's not quite how it seems to happen for me. I should be just kicking back, enjoying the break, watching TV, soaking in the sunshine that Melbourne sporadically sends out way. Possibly, I should be starting a new book. But no, I mostly just worry.

And have cups of tea.

Luckily, the tea helps the worry.

The other thing that helps is catching up with friends. Last week I caught up with these two gorgeous ladies for a little lunch:

Sarah Mayberry and Joan Kilby are not only brilliant SuperRomance authors, they are also the most lovely people a newbie author could hope to befriend. They've been so generous in sharing their wisdom and experience, and helping me with the odd little things that crop up during life as an author.

I have to say that one of things about becoming an author I didn't expect was the number of friends I've made as a result. I have a wonderful gang of friends from my early days when I just started stretching my writing muscles on the internet. I also have lovely friends from the Melbourne Romance Writers Guild. I have critique partners who've become friends. And the other authors I've met in Melbourne and at RWA events...

Becoming a writer just to meet really cool people is a pretty acceptable reason, I've decided.

And now I'm off to have a cup of tea...

* Just so we're clear, by "quiet" I mean that I don't have a hundred things to do each day when I wake up, and I'm not waking up in a cold sweat at 3am remembering I left the baby on the bus**. So, you know, there's plenty to do (as my exasperated accountant will attest), it's just that it's not all desperately urgent. For once.

**It's okay. I don't actually have a baby. But I did once leave my iPod on a plane. That was pretty distressing.

Cassie and Zoe and Jennifer and Kathy and ... Kansas City

I'd like to introduce you all to two lovely ladies today. This is Jennifer and Kathy, and they're fellow members of the OC Babes gang (to whom "In His Eyes" was dedicated to because of all the amazing encouragement they gave me (and continue to give!) with my writing).

Recently Jennifer and Kathy caught up and had a little vacation in Kansas City, Kansas. I desperately wanted to be there too, joining in the fun and eating all the evil-but-delicious food they devoured! Unfortunately, due to scientists not yet inventing transporter beams (What is with you, scientists? Get a move on!) I couldn't be. So instead they did the next best thing: they took Cassie (Cassie's Grand Plan) and Zoe (In His Eyes) on tour instead!

Cassie and Zoe had an awesome time exploring all sorts of locations in Kansas. Here they are at the location of the Battle of Westport (sometimes referred to as the Gettysburg of the West!).

They travelled out to a place called St Joseph, which was the birthplace of the Pony Express and where Jesse James died.

Kathy and Jennifer told me that they thought both Cassie and Zoe have a thing for bad boys -- they couldn't drag them away from all the Jesse James-related stuff.

But it wasn't all history lessons. Here they are having some fun on a very patriotic carousel!

Did I mention they devoured some exceptionally tasty food? This is a place called "Strouds", home of pan-fried chicken! Yum! I'm suddenly hungry...

They even met some new people along the way:

Thank you Jennifer and Kathy for showing Cassie and Zoe such a wonderful time. I know they had a terrific vacation and are very grateful for all your love and support. I only wish I could have been there too...