Saturday was my RWA chapter meeting, and even though I have a deadline rapidly approaching, I wouldn't miss my Heart of Dixie day for anything (I have another chapter too, Southern Magic, but it's a bit farther away and I don't get to the meetings like I'd like to).

Just the camaraderie of meeting with other writers, laughing and talking about things that concern us (and often only make sense to us) is worth losing a day of writing for. I head out around 10am, drive about 40 minutes, and stop for lunch at a local deli where a lot of the members gather beforehand. Then, after an hour of laughing and fun, we head to the museum that hosts our meetings. There, who knows what'll happen. We start at noon and often don't finish until between 2 and 3. After that, I can talk for hours with friends, sometimes even heading to a restaurant or bookstore to chat. It's a great time, and it's the kind of socializing that I definitely need.

I have other friends, of course, but so many times they don't understand what it is I do and how it works. I can't tell you the number of people who have asked my husband if he's retiring when my book comes out. Other writers know how funny this is.

Publishing is a strange and hopeful business. You can make enough to live on; you can become very popular and make a lot of money; or you can barely get by and need to work a day job to make ends meet. You never know where on that scale you'll end up, but we all hope we get option #2. Friends — writing friends — help keep you sane!

Okay, so I have some changes coming up in the next month or two! For one, I'm getting a new website and blog. I've found the perfect person to do my design work, and I'm so excited to be working with her. I'll also be retooling the newsletter, and hopefully start sending out some regular news.

There will be contests; not sure what or when, but stay tuned so you don't miss out on the goodies! I won't stop talking about writing, but I need to talk more about reading. If you're on MySpace, come friend me. Same with Facebook. I can be found on both — just type in Lynn Raye Harris. I'm also on Twitter (been there for a couple of months, but still haven't figured out how to get my feed on the sidebar here). Follow me, and I'll follow you. 🙂

Finally — what are you reading right now? I'm reading a delicious Harlequin Presents by Jennie Lucas and enjoying it very much. I love an arrogant Italian prince — in fact, I'm writing about one for the next book!