Writer on the Verge

I’m so worried about the economy!! Because, you know, who will buy my book if nobody has any money??? And I’m really nervous about all the bookstores closing! And what about Christmas? Should I spend any money?? How can I find the right present for my smart nephew? I’m not that smart!! And what about my mom? She’s such a pain in the—

**SQUAAAWWWKK!!** **STATIC!!!!!**

AHEM! We interrupt this angsty blog …

and those economic woes …

and all those scary headlines …

and the deadline frenzy …

and the annoying hangover left over from the boring office party you were forced to attend …

and the soul-sucking insanity of scouring the earth for every last good place to promote your book …

and the perfectly reasonable fear of never selling another book, never, ever again in your entire life …

and the head-scratching confusion of finding the perfect gift for that way-too-intelligent fourteen-year-old on your list …

and the irrational need to spend more, more, more, just in case it’s not enough, because let’s face it, it will never be enough …

and the absolute knowledge that time will run out at the precise moment you remember something essential you forgot to buy …

We interrupt all that stuff …

… in order to take a deep breath … and wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a delightful Kwanzaa, and a wonderful New Year!

And may 2009 bring you all the joy and happiness and health and book sales and promotional opportunities you can handle—and a soupcon more!

Kate Carlisle’s first mystery, Homicide in Hardcover, debuts February 3, 2009.