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First, I would like to extend a happy Hanukkah greeting to all those who celebrate, and to once again express my utter envy that you are past the planning phase of your holiday celebrations and are now simply enjoying them.

I, unfortunately, am woefully behind in my preparations due to book launches, holiday parties, general work craziness, and author interviews (thank goodness for problems like mine) but was able to dig up this post from my archives. It was originally written as part of a tree topper charity challenge also known as Hugh’s Photo Challenge, but I find it equally accurate now down to the Star Wars reference (proving history DOES repeat).

And speaking about author interviews, I was a featured guest this week at T.A. Henry’s Authoress Website blog, as part of her kindness challenge which you can read about here. T.A. Henry is a featured author in the Box Under the Bed Horror Anthology, a collection of scary short stories by 20 authors (affiliate link) as well as some very intriguing novels taking place in an alternate history.

I was also a guest on YA Science Fiction author, Kristen Pham’s site talking about the inspiration for my first book in the series, which was a nice reminder for me as to how far these characters have come. You can read that post here, and while you are there, please take a look at Kristen’s upcoming novel, Joan the Made, as I am very interested in learning more about her experience with the Kindle Scout program.

This is also known as 20 things to do when you are trying to write your weekly blog post, but all you can think about is all the things you have to do between now and the end of the year and how much you want to see Star Wars.

1. Go for a walk
2. Bring in the mail
3. Watch as the box tower you made out packages already received and haven’t yet had a chance the inclination to wrap sways dangerously from side to side as you attempt to add one more to the pile
4. Decide protection of life, limb, and property is worth a few minutes spent wrapping
5. Run out to the store to purchase more wrapping paper
6. Issue an all points bulletin on the tape that you could have sworn you left on the table and yet is nowhere to be seen (I believe there is a holiday drinking game or two to go along with this)
7. Locate lost tape the minute you return to the wrapping area with a new spool
8. Open another package after realizing the paper you cut for the first package was the wrong size
9. Treat paper cut
10. Wonder why you didn’t pay for the gift wrap option when purchasing presents
11. Pour yourself another cup of coffee / tea / water / wine
12. Return to the computer to intent to write, only to discover 100 handy dandy rules for evil overlords (which are also good tips for how not to write clichéd villains/confrontation scenes and therefore, valuable research and definitely not a time waster)
13. Head over to another room to turn on some music
14. Trip over discarded cardboard
15. Catch your reflection as you reorganize the pile of excess cardboard waste and ponder whether or not it is time for a haircut
16. Look again at the package tower and remember why you didn’t pay for the gift wrap option while also forgetting about scheduling a haircut
17. Return to the computer read about Hugh’s Photo Challenge and his charity, The Dog Trust, and decide that you’d like to support a cause whose mission is to help all dogs enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction while wishing there was a similar one for all people
18. Take a picture
19. Eat a cookie
20. Relax and be happy