what i've been up to

This week has been very busy for me. 

For those of you who don't know, my "real" job is a barn manager. Yep, I get paid to play with horses all day run a week long camp for 13 screaming children between the ages of five and twelve. Don't get me wrong. Horse camp has its perks. Unfortunately, rest and relaxation are not among them. 

In between wrangling my mare back into her stall at all hours of the day (and night), chasing down one particularly snotty child that has the incredibly annoying habit of rolling his eyes at me and doing the whole hands on the hip, "you can't tell ME what to do" thing going on, trying to keep the kids and the horses cool in 95 degree heat, and dealing with parents who call me at 8:30 at night because their daughter claimed the horse she was riding "took off bucking like crazy and there was no one holding her and I had nothing to hold onto Momma, I swear!" life has been a bit... hectic. 

(By the way, the conversation with the very concerned father went something like this)

Dad: Is there something you would like to tell me? (very stern voice)


Jillian: Umm... about what?


Dad: Little Susy Q almost getting bucked off a horse today.

Jillian: WHAT THE HE-oook... Well, um, the horse she was on was bitten by a huge horse fly and she arched her back a little bit. Maybe that was it?


Dad: It sounded a little bit more than that. 


Jillian: Uh, nope, that was really about it. Susy Q tipped forward a little bit, but I made the horse stop and explained about the horse fly and we continued on our merry way. 


Dad: Wait. You stopped the horse? You mean you were next to Susy Q? She wasn't on her own?


Jillian: Yeah... I was leading the horse the entire time and my assistant was walking right next to Susy Q. 


Dad: (mumbling voice) God... amnit.... Su... Q... HUNNY, EVERYTHING IS FINE. THEY WERE LEADING THE HORSE THE WHOLE TIME. 


Mom: (in the background) For God's sake. Susy, WHERE ARE YOU?


Dad: I am SO sorry. See you tomorrow!

Today I am taking my life in my hands all of the children to a local horse show. We'll see how it goes. As soon as this week is up I am getting right back to finishing up A Lascivious Lady, the third novella in the Wedded Women Quartet, due out in August. Black, the sequel to Pitch will be next, followed by (hopefully) the follow up to After Ever and somewhere in there, most likely around Christmas time, A Gentle Grace (final installment in the Quartet) will be released. 

Why do I do this to myself? I have no idea. Probably because if I am not writing every single day I literally have terrible nightmares and scratch my toenails against the sheets. Weird, but totally true.