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Did that get your attention? It’s hard to get anyone’s attention right now, just a few days before Christmas when we are all so distracted by everything we have to do.

Write or Wrap? Write or Shop? Read? Forget it! Who has time!

Writing during the holidays is a particular challenge, for me anyway. Since I work from home, I’m always bothered when I’m writing by all the things that need to be done later. I want to do them now and get them out of the way. They nag at my brain, taking energy from the task of creating a character, crafting dialogue, or simply thinking…usually about what comes next. And since I write best in the morning, I have to endure the agony of letting the dishes, the laundry, the beds and all my little messes—and when I write there are lots of messes—all pile up until later.

So plot down (I meant to say PLOP DOWN! How’s that for a Freudian slip!) the monumental extras of shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking, decorating, etc. etc. and…how the heck can I possibly concentrate?

But I have to! Especially now, as I try to finish my third novel. My original hope was to have it finished by Halloween. Well, due to lots of travelling (I’m just the girl who can’t say no!), I didn’t make it. Not that I didn’t enjoy all of the book clubs and signings. I love it! Meeting people when you’re usually alone with your computer all day long—and hearing them discuss your characters as if they were real people—well, that’s every writer’s dream. But I found that being on the road is not conducive to good brain time for writing.

November was pretty productive, until my daughter went into labor with my third granddaughter! I took care of the other two, Alice 4, and Lily 2, while Mommy was in the hospital. But then they sent her home. This went on for 3 weeks, until little Julia Rose finally arrived. Needless to say, I didn’t make my new Thanksgiving deadline.

Which leaves my new self-imposed Christmas deadline, now 2 days away! Will I make it?

What do you think? Hell no. I’ve succumbed to the most wonderful time of the year after fighting it for weeks and... I love it. We’ve even got snow! Now I am still writing every day, but I’m quitting earlier and earlier because I still have presents to get, and wrap, and food to buy, and cook, and of course there’s some cleaning to be done. But my ending is plotted, I’m nearly there, and…my new deadline is New Year’s Day. Wish me Luck!

AS FOR THOSE FREE BOOKS…I WASN’T KIDDING! Just go to my website www.maryannmcfadden.com and see how you can win a signed & personalized copy of THE RICHEST SEASON or SO HAPPY TOGETHER!

Merry Christmas to you! May all your writing dreams come true in the New Year!

Maryann McFadden

Maryann McFadden is the author of THE RICHEST SEASON, set on Pawleys Island, and SO HAPPY TOGETHER, by Hyperion Books. She is actually from New Jersey, but her heart is in the Lowcountry. Read about her journey from self-published to the real deal at www.maryannmcfadden.com