A weekend away, a return home…

Unlike most Americans, I went to visit relatives over the holiday weekend. Man, I’ve never seen the roads so free of traffic! The highlight of my visit (besides sharing family time)? Sitting on a cool porch, reading. I so want a porch of my own before I’m too aged to enjoy it.

Before I left, Naked City blogger Audacia Ray interviewed me for her Four Questions blog segment. we covered a number of topics in short time, some of which sprain from a discussion we shared at Tristan, Michael’s and Patricia’s book party.

I’m keenly interested in the generational differences and discoveries when it comes to human (and personal) sexuality and not just because I’m an older, long-time blogger watching a younger generation of colleagues taking the stage. I’m also interested in it because of my own kids, now in their late teens/ early twenties. If you’d like to read of a recent exchange with my grown kids, read on over at my sexuality blog.

If not, imagine a blissful me on my porch, reading, a thought that’s visiting me often, post-holiday.

A funny thing happens…

when I don’t write often enough. I start having vivid dreams. Several a night, and they keep me from sound sleep. It’s as if my mind must create and if I fail to produce enough fiction, it will do it for me. It’s so weird.

It shows how ingrained the creative process is in me. When I was younger, I was very immersed in classical music studies but left conservatory after my freshman year in college because it too limited my world. (I was, I suppose, the ideal liberal arts student — interested in everything.) But for years afterwards, I would sometimes dream compositions — full symphonies or symphonic poems — and I would always awake startled and disbelieving.

I’ve come to accept this element of my subconscious mind, but it still continues to fascinate me. I am in awe of it.

But, you might well be asking, what’s with me that I’m not writing more? Well, three things: I’m focused on promoting Inequities, which takes time away from writing. I’m taking time from drafting new work to recharge the batteries. And, probably the only frustrating reason, both family and friends have been interfering with my time during the last two weeks. (Their demands are necessary and not all at out of bounds, just bunched up more than usual.)

I can stave off the exaggerated dreams — by editing. So I’ll return to editing my next novel, an erotic fantasy likely to see print as a two parter. It’ll help. But sooner or later, I’ll have to take up my third novel and continue its tale. And for no other reason than to quell my mind and spirit.

Weirdness. It’s why I love being a writer!

A great week so far…

I’m on Facebook, now. If you are too, look me up (Debra Hyde) and friend me! I’d love to interact.

I found Inequities on a Czech bookstore site for English readers, thanks to POD technology and drop shipping. How cool is that?

Last – and I’m most proud of this – fellow author Ashley Lister interviewed me for the new edition of content at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association website. He asked some keenly targeted questions and, much to my surprise, I discovered I had some expansive answers. Wow.

Now, if I can just get more editing done…