Day 9: Andrew McAllister: 12 Authors of Christmas

Hi Everyone,

It’s a pleasure to be included in the 12 Authors of Christmas event – thanks to Mrs. Mommy Booknerd! This is a truly cool thing. However I notice I’m the only male author included in the event. I’m not sure what to make of this. It might be some sort of conspiracy. It’s also quite possible I’m lost and I’ve stumbled into this event by mistake. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done something like that.

I thought I’d tell you a bit about my writing. My current work in progress is a relationship self-help book entitled Housework Harmony – How To End The Chore Wars So You Both Win. I write about problems that bother couples because they bother me too. The problems, that is. Not the couples. Well … most couples anyway. Although there is that pair down the street who claim the fifteen-foot Elvis in my front yard is an eyesore. There’s just no pleasing some people.

But I digress.

Here’s a random fact about my writing – I always plan to get plenty of it done during the Christmas break. I’m one of the many authors who writes for a non-living while maintaining a day job on the side. (Yeah, I know, it’s supposed to be the other way around. Just smile and nod so I can hang on to my delusions.)

That means at least two different agendas go to war inside my head whenever any type of holiday rolls around. Take this Christmas for instance. On the one hand I’m looking forward to having loads of family fun. My son and daughter are both away at college and will be home for a couple of weeks, which means more to me than I can say. They will be my priority. (My daughter still likes to curl up with her head on my shoulder while I read to her. I can’t tell you how lucky that makes me feel.)

I must admit there’s also another part of me that wants to take advantage of the time off to pump out some extra pages. I always imagine being up early each day, tapping away madly on the laptop while the members of my family blissfully sleep in. And then I envision them drifting down to the kitchen one by one, eventually waking up enough so we can all plan our day of relaxing and making wondrous celebrations together.

Right. As if.

Oh, the traditional family activities all take place, just like they’re supposed to. The uninterrupted quiet time for some extra writing? Not so much. That time is more likely to be taken up by such things as last minute shopping, helping people run errands, or the additional housework and meal preparation required because of the extra people in the house.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way. As I think about it, I realize this has become a weird sort of Christmas tradition for me. Every year I fool myself into thinking that THIS year is going to be the one. This will finally be the year when the stars align with Mars (or is it Venus?) and the pages will fly. And every year I end the Holiday Season with the realization that I’ve spent my time in ways that are much more important. That thought always makes me smile.

Gift giving is one of those important activities, so I’d like to kick that off today by offering a giveaway for two e-books. The first is my current release, a novel entitled Unauthorized Access. This is the story of Rob Donovan and Lesley McGrath, two young people in Boston whose engagement is cut short because of the jealous shenanigans of a supposed friend. You can see Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Showcase and Q&A for this book by clicking HERE, which includes an excerpt from the book.

The second e-book included in the giveaway is Housework Harmony. I’ll provide Unauthorized Access immediately once the winner is selected. Housework Harmony will follow as soon as it is released, which is scheduled for early 2013.

I’ve had another look at the list of authors included in the 12 Authors of Christmas event. I feel honored to be included in the company of such wonderful writers. This has motivated me to work hard on getting my next book done on time. Or maybe even a little bit early. You see, I hope to get some serious writing done during the Christmas break.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season everyone!

Andrew

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