Patience, a virtue I lack . . .

I'm not very good at playing the waiting game. As a matter of fact I hate it in any aspect of my life. I'm thinking that comes from the utter control freak that resides at my core. I've learned to loosen up in a lot of aspects over the years, but impatience is not one that little pain in the ass will let go of.

There are a whole host of things I'm waiting for right now and they all have me on edge.

First, word from a publisher on my non-erotic thriller, Dark Reckoning. I'm trying to be patient - but it's like asking a child who's been waiting for the ice cream truck all day to wait at the back of the line because their mother hasn't made her way to the curb with the money yet. Especially since I’ve worked out the cover with my favorite cover artist from down under, Willsin Rowe.

I’m waiting for a couple more author blurbs for Survival Games as well as the reviews to start rolling in - although I know on the review front that these can take up to 90 days - which is why I sent them out at the beginning of the month. All of which have me really nervous. The one blurb I did receive blew me away but I’m sure I’ll get mixed reviews from the masses because of the very dark subject matter. So I wait, with my nails bit down to the stub.

I'm also waiting to find out what's next on the day job. What project are we going to tackle next? I don't like ambivalent periods and yes we're supporting a system we just implemented - which is an important task, but I'm getting anxious to start on the next creative challenge.

The last thing I’m waiting for is May 1 and the nice spring / summer weather - which don’t necessarily coincide. As I said last week - with the spring teaser, this has become a more pronounced want that I have to wait for. And with the return of the cold weather (we actually had snow flurries this morning) it just makes this that much worse.

Not one of these items is within my control and as I said before, the control freak in me is wigging out. More so this year than in the past - although spring is traditionally a restless time for me. Right now I’m feeling like a caged lion, pacing in my confines just waiting for the next chance at a great escape - or a tasty meal.

I just need to get through these last few days of March and then I’ll be knee deep in the Backspace April Marathon - which will take my mind off some of the idle restlessness. I’ve got at least 30k to add to the sequels to Dark Reckoning along with some refining editing before I can get them ready for submission and I have a few unfinished manuscripts that need attention.

I do have a few things to organize and iron out - like reaching out to bloggers to set up a blog tour for Survival Games - but unfortunately that won’t keep my restlessness at bay.

So folks . . . What do you do to keep your mind occupied when you’re impatiently waiting for something? Any words of advice, antic dotes, commiserations?

Also - anyone who has a book release in April, please shoot me a message so I can include you in my monthly shout outs!

Have a great weekend!
Ciao.