If you pre-ordered Book 2 of my Cypress Bay mystery series awhile back, you may have received a message saying your order was canceled. Not to worry. SWIMSUIT BODY is coming to a pool…er, online stores on June 7th 20016. The change was due to an alteration in my own plans. Originally I intended to self-publish as with Book 1 in the series, BONES AND ROSES. Then sh&*%t happened, as it so often does in life…
I recently began experiencing shooting pains in my legs and arms. For a while it was so bad, I couldn’t work at my computer for more than 10 minutes at a time. I was freaking out, thinking I had some horrible wasting disease. My doctor assured me it wasn’t as serious as all that. He encouraged me to see an acupuncturist, which in turn led me to a chiropractor. Turns out I have compressed vertebrae in my neck and lower back from- you guessed it – all the hours on end through the years of sitting at my computer.
The word “ergonomic” used to mean buying the right sort of office chair. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about HOW you sit. The proper way is with your head seated squarely over your neck, not tilted forward, and your legs at a slight downward slant from your hips with your feet planted on the floor.
Sleep…another issue. I was a stomach sleeper who was married to her down pillow. Not good. I now sleep on my back with my head nicely cradled by my new orthopedic pillow. I bought the travel size, so it goes where I go. I can squash it into the sports sac I bought for it.
The good news? I’m about 60% better than when I started out and gradually working toward 100%. It hasn’t been easy. I have to constantly be aware of how I’m sitting/standing/sleeping. I do daily exercises to increase my core strength. I see the chiropractor 3X a week (thankfully his offices are right across the street). Regular massages (okay, I admit that’s not exactly torture).
Bottom line: I can’t spend unlimited hours in front of the computer like in the past. What time I do spend has to be used wisely. So I’m using it to write without any interference. All the extra hours gobbled up by self-publishing, which had me wearing multiple hats, I can no longer afford. So that’s the shaggy-dog explanation for my decision to go with a traditional publisher for SWIMSUIT BODY rather than have it be another DIY project.
Not to worry, faithful reader. You will be the first to know when I have a new publication date. In the meantime I’m doing what God put me on this earth to do: Write.
