A Day in the Life of.....
About Heather
Heather Huffman writes romantic suspense with strong female leads who refuse to lose hope and sees her books as a way to not only entertain, but to raise awareness of the realities of modern day slavery. She shares the passion of her resilient heroines to make a difference, and so dedicates both her time and a portion of her book royalties to organizations that fight against human trafficking.
Heather was born and spent her early childhood in Florida, but now calls the beautiful state of Missouri home. Her greatest joy, aside from writing, is to hit the road with her three boys for adventures unknown.
She is the author of Throwaway, Ties that Bind, Jailbird, Suddenly a Spy, Ring of Fire and Tumbleweed. You can find out more about her writing and charitable work on www.heatherhuffman.net.
A Day in the Life of Author Heather Huffman
It’s a daunting task, to document my day. On some level, there is a beautiful rhythm to my life now, with rituals and simple habits that I cherish. On the other, no two days are alike. I never know what the morning will bring, or what antics my three boys will get themselves into. And then there are the anomalies like book signings and public appearances, which happen more frequently now – a trend I hope to continue!
So this is my best attempt to capture my typical day at home…
8:00 a.m.
My days typically start with the breakfast rush for my younger two boys. (The oldest, 12, sleeps in a little later than his brothers, which helps me pace my day.) Once they’re settled in with their food, I spend a few minutes reading my Bible and then checking in online to see if anything major happened overnight that I need to respond to. I also check the homeschooling logs to see what our lesson plans are for the day.
In addition to feeding the kiddos, we have five rescued dogs and three kittens who are all clamoring for breakfast. Sometimes the boys help; sometimes that’s more trouble than it’s worth, like the time my middle son got stuck in the dog food bin.
9:00 a.m. – noon
This block of time is usually a blend of homeschooling instruction and me trying to sneak in a few words on a blog post while the boys work on their assignments. Somewhere in this window, the oldest has joined the fun. If I’m ridiculously busy or in a meeting, then we go a little heavier on the projects or independent work. Sometimes, this is our field trip time. I try to get the boys out often so we don’t become hermits!
On Mondays, this block of work gets moved around so we can visit Rollins Ranch. Even if we don’t have horses boarded there any more, we love the owner and his horses too much to stay away. Besides, it’s good for the boys to get out in the fields to run, play and simply be boys.
Noon
Lunch – sometimes it’s a simple affair, sometimes, it’s part of a home school experiment. Sometimes, we sneak out to meet grandma for lunch.
I also try to give the boys some time to run and play in this block. (Or chill out and read, for the oldest.) I have to keep a close eye on the younger two, though, because there’s no telling what they’ll get themselves into. Like the time they misunderstood the rules of playing fetch with the dogs…
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
More school and writing time! How much writing happens depends on the boys’ school day. That’s usually my top priority, unless I have a huge deadline or event coming up that week; then we shift things a bit.
There is so much writing to be done, even when I’m not actively working on a book, which is rare. I try to write something unique for each blog post. I also personally answer all of the reader mail I get and respond to everyone who reaches out to me online.
When events are added to the mix, there are also posters to be made and marketing text to write. If a book is about to come out, then I spend a lot of time going back and forth with the editor and designer and Booktrope.
And at least once during the day, I can expect the kids to say something that stops me in my tracks or makes me giggle like a loon. One of these days, I’m going to start jotting these transcripts down so I can share these precious jewels with the rest of the world.
Somewhere in all of that, I try to keep writing the next book!
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
I turn the boys loose to go play, usually outside with the neighbor kiddos. I do a quick clean up of the house and check in with my sisters if I haven’t heard from them yet that day.
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
This time is for making and eating dinner, and the whole family chips in to clean the house or do any chores.
The exception to this would be dance night, which means we pop frozen pizzas – or something equally healthy – in the oven, shove all the furniture to the side, and crank up the radio. Those evenings are spent jumping around the house like crazy people in a way that resembles dancing. The boys will usually at some point have a “dance off” while I catch my breath under the guise of appreciating their cool moves. Of course, all of the dogs jump right in the mix because they’re sure we’re playing with them… I bet the neighbors love dance night.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The kiddos get the first half hour to do whatever they want while they take turns showering and I check in online again. At 7:30, the family meets back in the living room for a Bible study.
8:00 p.m. on
Ah, peace. The younger two go to bed – after prayers are said and any one-on-one conversations are had. Often, my husband leaves about that time to go downtown to hand out food to the homeless. If he’s around, he’s puttering on the computer or reading. I usually watch Netflix with my oldest son while I wrap up any writing tasks I needed to complete. If I’m really behind, I sequester myself to get things done. On my favorite days, I get to embroider or weave while we watch something like the BBC’s Robin Hood. (It might not sound exciting, but have you seen Richard Armitage?)
Books by Heather:
Love this glimpse of your ohmygoodness BUSY writing/mothering/teaching life!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed seeing another writer's life. I don't have the kids or the dogs, but it's just as crazy and I have to fit my writing in wherever and whenever I can. There's something about a creative brain that doesn't allow one to just "turn it off." I have written whole scenes in the car with music blasting (my husband's), him talking nonstop, in busy traffic. It has taught me to never be without a hand-held recorder or pen and paper. Thanks for the post!
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