Working at Pegasus Books.

I worked the first three hours yesterday at my book store, Pegasus Books, and felt completely overwhelmed. I'm sort of out of the routine these days. People were calling and asking obscure questions, which I would normally try to answer, but I had to resort to "We're insanely busy. Could you call back a little later?"

One of our busiest days ever.

I was tied to the register for a couple of hours, not really able to go out onto the floor and ask if people needed help.

It seems like Christmas spending takes off later and later every year, so it's a bit nerve wracking. What if something happens? Several feet of snow? National emergency? But I think people are determined to at least have the happiness of those last couple weeks of the year.

I'm really thankful for Sabrina and Dylan, who are so cheerful and do such a good job.

I came into the Christmas season certain it was going to be a slow one. So far, it's been good, a little better than last year, though it might be hard to do as well the last week. Still, I was keeping my expectations slow.

I also sold almost all the "Deadfall Ridge"s I had in stock. Too bad I don't work at the store all the time, because I could probably sell some of my books every day. But then I wouldn't be writing.

I'm giving myself a break this season, not worrying about whether I write. What it reminds me of was the pure creative surge I felt those first few years. Absolutely nothing got in the way of my writing--I was a maniac.

Now that I've accomplished much of what I set out to do, that mania is dying down. So it will be interesting what happens from here on out.

I will be writing, without a doubt. I'm too addicted to it now.