Just called a friend and interrupted her jog. I felt bad, but she was really sweet and said she enjoyed taking a minute to catch her breath while we chatted. Reminded me I needed to update my blog.

The truth is, I haven’t taken many breathing moments recently, and that’s more my fault than anybody else’s. I’m so close to being done with my work-in-progress Almost Faithful I hate not to spend every moment possible working on it. At the moment I’m filling in the last hole in the story.

You see, when I write, my work-in-progress is like a field being prepared for planting. Consider a blank page as an unplowed, peaceful green field. Lots of potential there. The finished work is a well-plowed field with even furrows. Well, my work, when in progress, is like I’ve gone out into that field with a shovel and dug a bunch of different sized holes and even plowed part of it. So it looks like a field with holes dug in it. As I get closer to being done with the first draft, more of the holes are joined up in furrows, and as I proceed through the drafts, the whole field is evened out. Right now, there’s one small patch of green and I’m busily plowing through it. My furrows are still a little crooked, and some of them dip a little deeper than the others, but I’m close.

All that being said, there’s no excuse for not taking a breather. It’s a marathon and I’m on the sprint to the end, but taking a moment to breathe—and update my blog and apologize to my friend whose jog I interrupted—is very important.

On another note, I just completed copy editing fourteen of the stories that will appear in Horror Library IV by Cutting Block Press. This anthology, which I’m proud to say I’ve been involved with since its inception, is going to be fantastic. The stories I’ve already read blew me away. I can’t imagine the other half will be any different, so if you know a fan of horror, give them one or at least send them a link so they can buy it themselves.

Greenpoints: I planted some tomato plants to grow inside, I hope. Provided I don’t kill them. My family eats a lot of tomatoes (we’re big fans), so I figure we can contribute to a greener planet by growing some of our own. Plus, they’ll probably taste better!

Breathing moment: This moment. Right now.