Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Managing writing, marketing, & blogging with a new baby in the house Guest blog and Giveaway with Katie Salidas


Managing writing, marketing, & blogging with a new baby in the house…. Yeah right!

Let’s just call this sleep deprivation 101.

I’ve got a beautiful bouncing baby boy at home now. Our recent addition (4 months old) takes up quite a lot of my day. As a Write at Home Mom that means I struggle daily to find this mystical thing called “balance.” Trying to do it all with a newborn is tough. I just posted a few days ago on Facebook that I haven’t written anything substantial since my boy was born. Blogging and marketing have taken up what little free time I have left. By 9pm (when both of my kids are in bed (if I’m lucky)I just don’t have the brain power left to string together coherent sentences. I fear my next novel might read something like those “See Spot Run,” books. LoL.

Just to give you an idea of what a regular day looks like, here’s a little insight into a day in the life of a Write at Home Mom.


My day goes a little something like this:

6:00 AM - Baby boy is up, but I’m not ready to start the day. We attempt to nurse in bed and sleep for a little bit longer. Attempt being the operative word here. He usually just plays around next to me while I slowly come into consciousness.

7:00 AM – Alarm starts going off and I’m the one crying, “I don’t want to get up.” But, I can’t ignore the call of the morning, though I really want to! Time to get The Girl (she’s 8 years old) up and ready for school, make breakfast, pack a lunch for The Girl and The Hubby, feed The Boy again, and attempt to get dressed somewhere in between.

9:00 AM – The Girl is off to school, The Hubby is off to work, and The Boy is starting to look like he might take a morning nap. Time to get some social networking done, and maybe throw in a load of laundry. I get myself a soda and get cracking on work!

9:30 AM – Damn that nap was short. “C’mon baby, momma was just getting started. Oh well, let’s pull out the toys and play.”

12:00 PM – Grab a quick bite to eat while The Boy sleeps next to me on his play mat. Yes, I regularly picnic on the living room floor next to my sleeping baby. Napping in a crib, in his own room… Nope, we’re not that cool. We sleep wherever he wants to sleep at this point. I’ve learned my lesson. Trying to move baby into his crib almost always ends badly. I’m better off just letting him sleep where he is.

12:30 PM – Really, only a half hour nap? Guess I’m not getting much done today. Oh well, more play time with the cute little baby. How can I resist, right?

Hey let’s play “help mommy fold some laundry,” and Dance around the living room while sweeping the floor. I’m lucky if I get even the smallest amount of cleaning done. My house is such a mess. Let’s just say, I won’t be hosting any dinner parties anytime soon.

1:30 PM – Nap time. Quick! Grab the computer and answer some emails before The Boy wakes up again.

2:00 PM – The Boy is up again. I wonder if I put Baby Einstein on if I might get at least 30 more minutes of work done? Hmmmm. Probably not, but we’ll try.

2:30 PM – I think I’m more glued to the TV than The Boy. There is something hypnotic about those darn movies! Let’s play it again.

3:00 PM – Where did the time go? Let’s pack up in the stroller and walk to get The Girl from school.

9:00 PM -  Dinner, dishes, homework, bath, and bedtime are all done. Both of the munchkins are sleeping (I hope). I really want to lay down too, but I know I should do something productive. Do I dare attempt a shower, or jump right in and get some work and writing done?

12:00 AM – The Boy wakes up for a midnight snack.  I realize how fast time does fly, and after writing one blog post, I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything. I better get some sleep though, the night is fading away and I’ve got another full day ahead of me.

3:00 AM – Middle of the night baby wake up time… Mommy says “Just let me sleep 5 more minutes, baby.”  I check a few emails while nursing, but don’t dare respond. Trust me, you don’t want to receive the gibberish that is a middle of the night beary-eyed email. LoL.

6:00 AM – The Boy is awake… Time to start a new day… “Where’s my coffee?”

It’s so funny how quickly the day disappears when a cute little baby occupies your day. That little smile and those squeaky giggles are worth getting behind on your work and enduring the sleepless nights. At some point though, work does need to get done. And I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually… Maybe when The Boy is in college. LoL!



Soulstone

Book 4 Immortalis Series
By Katie Salidas


It’s a desperate time for rookie vampire Alyssa, and her sanity is hanging by a slender thread. Her clan is still reeling from the monumental battle with Aniketos; a battle that claimed the body of Lysander, her sire and lover, and trapped his spirit in a mysterious crystal. A Soulstone.

Unfortunately, no amount of magic has been able to release Lysander’s spirit, and the stone is starting to fade. Weeks of effort have proved futile. Her clan, the Peregrinus, have all but given up hope. Only Alyssa still believes her lover can be released. In despair, Alyssa begs the help of the local witch coven, and unwittingly exposes the supernaturals of Boston to unwanted attention from the Acta Sanctorum.

The Saints converge on the city and begin their cleansing crusade to rid the world of all things “Unnatural.” In the middle of an all-out war, but no closer to a solution to the dying stone, Alyssa is left with an unenviable choice: save her mate, or save her clan.

About KATIE SALIDAS



Katie Salidas is a Super Woman!

Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.
And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.


http://www.katiesalidas.com/

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http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie a Rafflecopter giveaway

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