Duty, a novel of Rhynan by Rachel Rossano Guest Post Blog Tour Stop

How Do You Find the Time to Write? 

By Rachel Rossano

I am the mother of three small children–a five-year-old and twin two-year-olds. I get asked this question a lot. “How do you find the time to write?”

My usual responses get strange looks.

“It keeps me sane.”

No I am not a mean mother. I just find it helps my mental state to spend a few hours a week in a world of my own creation where the characters do what I tell them, generally. This is particularly crucial on bad days. Don’t look at me strangely, please. You do it yourself every time you watch your favorite program on TV or read a book. I am just a bit more of a control freak than most.

“It is my only hobby.”

Strange, but true. In order to write, I gave up all of my crafting activities, most of my reading time, and all of my other hobbies. Oh, and no TV or movies unless between projects or special occasions like extreme exhaustion and research. I allow myself movies and such if they are for research.  I have to work hard at all of my other tasks and responsibilities, and prioritize my life in order to fit writing in, but I somehow do. And I don’t regret it.

 “I have a wonderfully supportive husband.”

I can just see the image that jumps to people’s minds with this one. My hubby juggling two children, making dinner, and begging me to stop writing long enough to help our oldest with his schoolwork is probably a popular one. Yeah, that isn’t reality. The worst he has to do is put the oldest to bed one night or so a week so. While he does that, I enjoy an hour or two of uninterrupted time to sit in a local fast food place with my laptop and no internet connection. He is a super supportive husband. He reads all of my work before it is published. He is one of my toughest critics, in a good way. And, he inspires me to write truly great heroes without a qualm. Great men exist. I am married to one.

“I use naptimes and the time after they go to bed to write.”

Completely true, though it isn’t always easy to accomplish. My five-year-old has recently given up naps. I think I am having a harder time adjusting to the change than him. Imagine trying to explain to a young lad who loves to talk loudly that he has to be quiet for an hour and a half. “No, I don’t want to talk about superheroes. I love you, son, but please go sit over there and read a book. Mommy needs quiet for a bit.”

Lest you think I am not spending time with my son, I should explain. I spend every weekday morning from right after breakfast to lunchtime teaching him. Every afternoon and evening, I am playing with, talking to, and teaching all three of my children. I love every minute I spend with them. But for an introvert like myself, quiet during naptime is the breather that gets me through the rest of the day.

Someone once said to me, “If it is important to you, you will make time to finish it.” She spoke of a sewing project I hadn’t finished. But I took her point to heart.

So, how do I manage to write? I make it a priority in my life to find time to write just like I make time for the other things I love. My God, my family, and many other things fill my life to overflowing. I count my blessings every day and one of them is that I can continue to write.

What do you do to cope with stress?

Brielle Solarius struggles to keep her village from starvation. The men rode off to war and never returned. The remaining women and children face a winter of starvation if they do not find a solution soon.

Tomas Dyrease, the newly made Earl of Irvaine and the village of Wisenvale, owes his good fortune to his king. When that same king demands Tomas marry the impoverished daughter of the late Lord Wisten, he obeys. However, no one warned him that she wasn’t a typical noblewoman.

Duty: a novel of Rhynan follows their journey from strangers to friends as they face complications from their pasts and the shaky politics of a changing regime. Then Brielle is implicated in her cousin’s treasonous activities. Can a marriage of duty survive treason?

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Duty-novel-Rhynan-ebook/dp/B00BAI41RO
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/281699

To view the book trailer:   http://youtu.be/8c2-KEWxxs0

Author Bio

Author of a growing stack of novels, novellas, and short stories, Rachel Rossano balances her time between the chaos of raising and homeschooling her three children and the world of drama and high adventure in her head. With her faithful husband and chief consulting editor by her side, she dreams of many more adventures to come in both of her double lives. Check out her work at http://Rachel-rossano.blogspot.com