Debra Druzy's Typical Day of a Romance Writer

Thank you for hosting me on the Roses of Prose. As a newly published author, I appreciate this opportunity to share a bit about my writing life. Writing romance has been my guilty pleasure for years. Only a handful of family and friends know I write or even published a book. I'm an ordinary stay-at-home mom when I'm carting my kids around town. But once I'm home alone, I harness the power of my inner-MarkTwainJohnSteinbeckNoraRoberts and get to work.

A Typical Day in the Not-So-Glamorous Life of this Romance Writer

Have you ever seen the movie She-Devil with Roseanne Barr and Meryl Streep? It’s funny on so many levels, but the portrayal of the romance novelist, Mary Fisher, is hilarious. Mary's world is pink and perfect—from her waterfront mansion, to her flowing outfits, to her Zenith laptop. Can you picture Mary Fisher? Okay… Now forget her. Because that’s not me.

Here’s my typical day—

3:15am – Hubby’s alarm goes off, and my brain starts tallying everything I have to do today. Since I get more done when I'm awake than when I'm asleep I might as well start the day now that my eyes are pried open.

3:30 – It's a frigid 64 degrees in the house, so I turn up the thermostat. Then turn on Mr. Coffee. Click the remote starter to warm up hubby's car. Swap loads of laundry. Check social media to see what's been going on in the world without me.

4:00 – Once I've sent hubby off to work and let the pup out for a quick squirt, I hop on treadmill because if I don’t exercise now I won’t do it at all.

5:00 – My stomach is craving a chocolate biscotti and coffee, but I suck down a protein shake instead while unloading the dishwasher.

5:30 – Hit the shower, aka The Think Tank, where I mentally run down the list of to-dos for today. Dressing is super-simple when all I ever wear is black yoga pants and black thermal shirts—I call it my uniform.

6:00 – Wake Middle-Schooler for round-one of the morning routine—which includes me begging and prodding for her to make a move so we can get this project underway.

7:00 – Wake Elementary-Schooler for round-two of the morning routine—she's usually ahead of schedule but still finds ways to deviate from the master plan.

8:00 - 9:00 – Two trips to the bus stop.

9:30 – START WRITING!... Wait—I have to read a few lines of what I wrote yesterday so I can get my head in the game! What was I thinking? This makes no sense… Let’s just tweak, and fix, and delete, and change and… What am I doing? This isn’t revising time—it's writing time. Stop revising! Start writing!

10:00—Okay. Writing for real now…

11:30 – Bathroom break—for pup and me. Stretch legs. Refill cup—since quitting coffee (boo-hoo) this means tea or water.

Noon – BACK TO WRITING! Hurry up, I’m burning daylight... Hubby and girls will be home soon and will want stuff—like my time and attention and food and a ride. Write faster!

2:00 – Get something ready for dinner. Ugh! I forgot to defrost the meat. Think, think… Raviolis! Check the freezer… Bingo—I just won another hour of writing time! Wait—just remembered… I have to write something for a guest blog spot. Stumped for a topic. Freak out while surfing the 'net for blog ideas.

3:00 - 4:00 – Two trips to the bus stop.

5:00 – After-school routine. Homework. Raviolis. Activities.

8:00 – Bedtime, finally! Take pup out for a last squirt. Turn down thermostat. Kiss girls goodnight. Relax and read an e-book. Or if I'm lucky, catch an episode or two or three of Family Guy with hubby. Zone out.

10:00pm – Double check the thermostat's turned down. Then lights out because 3:15am comes around real fast. Where’d all the time go? Thank God and say prayers for another day just like this one.

I'm exhausted just proofreading this J

Thanks again, for having me here today. Have a great day—I hope it’s a productive one filled with all the right words!

(BOOK BLURB)

When Nick reluctantly accepts the temporary transfer to the Scenic View Fire Department he doesn’t plan on playing Santa Claus for the kiddie Christmas party. Sticking around town for the special assignment will give him a chance to get to know lonely, local sweetheart Lily and find out why she wants nothing to do with him.

Lily is a lifelong fixture in Scenic View, sick of living hand-to-mouth in a place where everyone’s nose is in her personal business. Just when she’s ready to move out of town, she meets the gorgeous newcomer, and it’s lust at first sight. The only thing is she doesn’t date firemen, which is too bad, because charming Nick seems like a real keeper. With a little Christmas magic and help from the Santa suit, will Nick find a way into Lily’s heart and change her mind?

(EXCERPT)

Almost everything was closed on Thanksgiving, so her choices were limited to grabbing a bag of beef jerky at the gas station’s mini-mart or daring to go into the dreaded diner. She didn’t like eating alone in public, which worked perfectly because she didn’t have enough cash for the bill, plus a tip.

Studying the Specials posted on the glass door, she debated on ordering something to go. She could eat it at a picnic table in the park.

A man’s thick voice behind her shook her deep contemplation. “Going in or coming out?”

“Sorry.” As Lily jumped aside to free up the doorway, she recognized Nick’s superlative smile beaming like the sun, warming every cell in her body. His nose was rosy, and his quizzical eyes shimmered with moisture as if he’d been in the frigid wind for too long. She bit her tongue to prevent any wild thoughts from rushing past her shivering lips.

“Hey, are you following me?” He winked.

“I, um…” His distinctive musk and cinnamon scent derailed her train of thought. She hid her smile while brushing away an escaped curl tickling her chin. Did her best to contain the butterflies fluttering in her belly.

“Well?” Nick cocked his head. “I’m cold and hungry. How about you?” He grimaced, underdressed for the blustery weather in a black leather jacket with a red scarf tucked into the collar. “Care to join me?”

Of course, she wanted to join him but the rapid fire of her treacherous heart made it difficult to breathe, let alone talk, and her feet were too stunned to move.

“You don’t have to if you don’t wanna. But why eat alone when we could eat together? Unless, of course, you’re not here alone.”

(BUY LINKS)

Amazon US http://amzn.com/B00P9J2U14
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P9J2U14
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleeping-with-santa-debra-druzy/1120849241?ean=2940149844944
TWRP store http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=1237
Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sleeping-with-santa
All Romance E-books https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sleepingwithsanta-1689387-149.html
Bookstrand http://www.bookstrand.com/sleeping-with-santa
iTunes iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/debra-druzy/id946789925?mt=11

(BIO)

Debra Druzy is a lifelong Long Islander, writing contemporary romance while caring for the hubby, two daughters, and the dog. Her debut novel, SLEEPING WITH SANTA, a spicy romance, is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other notable booksellers. Visit her on the web at http://www.debradruzy.com/.

Find Debra Druzy Online at:

Website http://www.debradruzy.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/debradruzyauthor
Twitter @DebraDruzy https://twitter.com/DebraDruzy
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Debra-Druzy/e/B00P9WN6LY