Welcome to Stitch Read Cook's weekly feature!!
A Day in the Life of.....
Historical romance author Theresa Romain pursued an impractical education that allowed her to read everything she could get her hands on. She then worked for universities and libraries, where she got to read even more. Eventually she started writing, too. She lives with her family in the Midwest, where she is working on her next book.
Website: http://theresaromain.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTheresaRomain
Twitter: @TheresaRomain
A Day in the Life Of…
Aislynn, thanks for inviting me to join you here at Stitch Read Cook! I love learning about the way my favorite authors spend their time through this “Day in the Life Of…” series.
But. I had a harder time than I expected putting my own post together, because I don’t really have a typical day. Along with being a writer, I work from home at another job. I’m also the main runner-around-er of my young daughter, known online as Little Miss R.
So this is all kind of vague. I hope you’ll forgive me! Most days are something like this:
Sometime between 2 and 4 am: Be woken up by Little Miss R’s small hand patting my face. (Always my face. Never Mr. R’s face.) Little Miss R’s favorite stuffed animal has fallen behind her bed and she can’t get it out and she can’t sleep without it. Alternatively, sometimes she has a bad dream. Or her foot hurts.
The following hour: Think of weird and bothersome things as I try to go back to sleep. Sometimes have a story idea and jot it on notepaper on my nightstand. Eventually fall back into a doze.
7:30 Wake up groggy to the sound of an alarm. Try not to hit snooze 58 more times. Look at notepaper on nightstand for motivating story idea. Night-time self seems to have written “Fmmmmd qwwnuuu.” Genius!
7:30-8:30 Get Little Miss R ready for school. Mr. R takes her to school, then goes to work.
8:30-4:00 Some combination of writing, revisions, work for my other job, website updates, promotion, email, and messing around on Twitter. Somewhere in there, I also take a shower and get dressed.
4:00-6:30 Some combination of fetching Little Miss R, running errands, taking her to an after-school class or appointment, making dinner, eventually having dinner when Mr. R gets home from work.
6:30-7:30 Mr. R helps Little Miss R with her homework while I do the dishes. Since he’s a former teacher and I’m a neat freak, we both like this division of labor best. Homework for her is mostly reading and writing practice, and it doesn’t take long. When she’s done, she usually gets to watch a little TV. I grab a book and Mr. R looks at manly things on his phone. (I have no idea. Sports? Fark.com? Something like that.)
7:30-8:30 Mr. R gets Little Miss R ready for bed and I write some more.
8:30-midnight. Some combination of laundry, browsing Netflix queues with Mr. R (but never settling on anything to watch), and reading. I usually say “I’m going to bed early tonight!” But I don’t because I get tugged into a story, then regretfully turn off my light only when the clock threatens to change from pm to am.
* * *
After I thought over my schedule, I wondered whether my family saw it the same way. So when I was writing this post and Little Miss R ran into my office to tell me goodnight—which she always does, usually along with a made-up dance, because she has more energy than the sun—I asked her how she thought I spent my time.
LMR: You spend your day working and sometimes you play with me. And—wait a second. Sometimes you help Daddy with stuff like painting the house.
Mr. R: (from down the hallway) When did she help me paint?
LMR: I don’t know. I just wanted to make something up so it sounded like Mommy does something.
Me: (ignores implied burn in that statement) What else do I do?
LMR: Sometimes you write books and print books. One is called… (picks up author copy on my bookshelf)…Season for Sandals. Mommy made like four or five books. Maybe six. And she works more on a computer. (commence twirling and dancing) And we play together some more.
Me: Do I ever make you food or anything like that?
LMR: And Mommy gives me dessert. (more twirling) And Mommy’s nice to me and I love her. Sometimes you give me a bath but now I have a shower. And Mommy loves me a lot. Are you typing this? Type a kissy sound.
Me: Mwah.
* * *
So there you go, folks. I write about sandals and I give my kid dessert, but I don’t paint the house.
GIVEAWAY
I’ll give away a copy of my newest historical romance, SEASON FOR SCANDAL (not Sandals, sorry), to one random commenter on this post. Open internationally, winner’s choice of a print, Kindle, or Nook copy. Just let me know what your favorite part of the day is! Or if you like, you can ask me a question about writing. Or dessert. Whatever you like. Thanks for stopping by!
Ends December 10th 2013.
UNLADYLIKE RISK
Jane Tindall has never had money of her own or exceptional beauty. Her gifts are more subtle: a mind like an abacus, a talent for play-acting—and a daring taste for gambling. But all the daring in the world can’t help with the cards fixed against her. And when Edmund Ware, Baron Kirkpatrick, unwittingly spoils her chance to win a fortune, her reputation is ruined too.
Or so she thinks, until he suggests a surprising mode of escape: a hasty marriage. To him. On the surface, their wedding would seem to satisfy all the demands of proper society, but as the Yuletide approaches, secrets and scandals turn this proper marriage into a very improper affair.Book order links:
Print: amazon • barnes & noble • book depository • books-a-million • indiebound • kensington • posman books • powell’s • watermark
Ebook: ibook • kensington • kindle • nook
Love this. Favorite part "Type a kissy sound."
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the day is when I get home from work (teacher also) and before watching tv. It is usually quiet and I can escape the real world for a little bit and catch up on some reading. Being an introvert I both need and enjoy this quiet time.
Knye, I'm an introvert too. Those quiet moments are so important to sneak into the day, aren't they? Especially when they go along with a book.
DeleteOh my goodness, thank you for the laughs this morning. I am now wondering what my boys would say I do all day. I am thinking I would hear a lot about the computer and reading, mostly on my Nook, I might get a making dinner out of one or two of them and I hope they would say that I love them. When I went to the RT convention last May and asked my eight year old what they did with Daddy while I was gone all I got was that Daddy watched his shows all day. Speaking of shows, I know they have all sorts of Star Trek on Netflix we (mostly I just sat in the same room and read) just went through all the episodes of every series made, even though my husband owns a few of them on DVD. He also likes to watch old 80's shows and is in the middle of watching Quantum Leap (great show) and McGyver . So tonight when you peruse Netflix remember those suggestions. My husband can find many things to watch on Netflix.
ReplyDeleteSarah, ha! "Daddy watched his shows all day"--too funny. Mr. R has no trouble finding things to watch on Netflix either; the problem is finding something we agree on. :) We have one more episode of Sherlock to watch, then the great Instant Queue Debate will begin again. I like your plan; maybe I should just read while he picks something.
DeleteYou would be surprised how much you can still follow along with what's happening. I used to crochet or play games on the laptop while he watched "his shows" and you would be surprised how much I know about Star Trek, way more than ever wanted to. I call myself a closet trekkie.
DeleteGood to know! Next time Mr. R tries to get me to watch The Wrath of Khan (his favorite, and one I have watched with him at least 4 times) I will do so on condition that I can bring my Kindle. :)
DeleteThat's my husband's favorite one, too.
DeleteToo funny! My favorite part of the day is from 6 - 6:30 am when I have my coffee and check emails and things.
ReplyDeleteKim, sounds like a great way to kick off the day. I really enjoy my morning coffee too.
DeleteLoved your daughter's comments lol. I spend way too much time on the computer and watch late night TV at the same time and then I read for at least an hour. I am a definite night owl. Sure beats when I use to get up at 5AM lol.
ReplyDeleteCatslady, no matter how tired I am, I have to read at the end of the day too. What's your favorite late-night show before you get out your book?
DeleteThis made me chuckle! By the way, I don't paint the house either. Nothing wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, thank you--glad you understand. :) Mr. R has been doing some home repairs lately and I guess they were on Little Miss R's mind. She's right, though; I haven't done any painting at all. I'd rather do pretty much any other household chore, including cleaning toilets, than paint.
DeleteOh, Theresa! I laughed so hard when you said "manly things" and your little girl is sooooo adorable! Now I must ask my 2 kids what they think their parents do the whole day. ^_^
ReplyDeleteYour day sounds lovely, by the way. Thank you for sharing this with us. ^_^
Tin, thank you! So glad you could stop by. :) Yes, if you ask your kids what they think you do, let us know how accurate they are. It will probably be funny. Isn't that great how Little Miss R says I give her dessert all the time? Wishful thinking, I say.
Deletel like the environmental descriptors like the twirling and the "peanut gallery" overhearing from down the hall --- funny! My favorite part of the day is when the sun is shining through a window - morning, afternoon, or evening!
ReplyDeletehahaha... nothing put's things back into perspective like the kid's point of view :) Thanks for sharing! The older get, the more I appreciate the morning. Getting up and everything is fresh and non complicated... start of a new day! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletelike the food
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
lol Little Miss R is a riot! Loved reading this!! My favorite part of the day is when everything is done and I can curl up in bed and sink into a good book until my eyes can't take it anymore! :)
ReplyDelete