Hello, people of the Internet. I stand before you bereft and lonesome after the end of NaNoWriMo, listless and lazy as the relentless sparks of November fade slowly into the sleet and snow of a New England winter. While I still have plenty of work to do on my novel, and I do plan to finish it over the winter, I don’t have to write every single day anymore, which is good news for you. It means I will attempt to resume my normal blogging schedule – at least until Christmas and New Year’s disrupt my flow once again.
Thanksgiving was a nice holiday, quiet this year due to the ongoing renovation of the kitchen in my ancestral home, which prevented us from gathering for our usual meal. My family is fairly unconcerned with the actual dates for celebrations, so we’ll be merging Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas into one big, mangled heap later in December when everything is finished.
In the meantime, there is the slow, grim slide into darkness that precedes the solstice, and the desperate scrabbling of frozen fingernails as we claw our way back into the light. It’s not always an easy time for me – January has always been particularly dismal – and not an easy time for a lot of people whose holidays lack cheer for one reason or another. Don’t forget to be nice to your fellow shoppers and neighbors, even the jerks. They may be jerks all year long, but they also might just need a little extra non-specific pleasantry during a lonely time.
In any case, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and that your writing and reading was as plentiful as the turkey and cranberry sauce. If you’re looking for some stocking stuffers this season, I know a couple of good books you might want to try. And don’t forget that in just a couple of weeks after the holidays, you’ll be able to pick up a copy of The Last Death at your local Half Price Books store.
So grab your fuzzy blankets and put a pot of tea on the stove. Disappear into your hoodies and sweater socks. Get out a good book or a good keyboard and cram in as much snuggling with loved ones or furry companions as you can, because winter won’t last forever. It can’t possibly last forever. Right?
Jennifer bresnick.com 