When life gets too stressful, what do you do to break the tension? If the stress is political, I stop listening to and reading the news. But sometimes, you can't escape that easily. So, I've had to make a conscious effort to find my "happy place" and make sure I go there regularly. Where is my place? At my computer, writing and editing my next book. If I didn't love doing those things, whey would I have become an author? The writing and editing are the fun parts for me. I love trying to find just the right word to fit a situation (and get rid of some overused words and phrases). My ProWritingAid program also tells me when I've put in too many unnecessary words. That gives me the challenge of shortening and tightening up my writing. When I reach my target score, I feel successful and pleased with myself. The first and last item I check is the Grammar and Spelling category. I can never remember where to put or not put those silly commas! My English teachers would be dismayed, I'm sure. In my school days, when I had written something, my mother looked it over. "Turn those sentences around!" I can still hear her saying that. Active sentences, not passive one! Do you know how hard that can be? Passive sentences are used a lot in my writing instead of I use a lot of passive sentences. In the end, all the hours I spend on each piece of writing makes it better, more readable, more interesting. But if you, my potential reader never see my books or my writing, have I wasted all that time? Marketing is my big challenge, and I don't find that nearly as fun as the writing. But soon, I will be attending various festivals offering my books for sale. If you see an author selling books, please don't run away. Come over and chat, even if you don't buy. Let authors know you can read, even if you have a large stack of books waiting for you on your nightstand. Thanks.