Top Ten Ways to Keep Busy While Waiting For Your Published Book to be Printed and Market Ready.

So, the title of this post might be a bit misleading, in that someone may open this thinking that I have a wealth of knowledge as to marketing strategies and purposeful ways that authors who are in limbo between the publishing stage and the printing stage, like me, can spend their time. I'm not going to pretend to be that person. These are quite simply the ways that I have been spending my time over the course of the past few days, since discovering that the printing of my novel and therefore the possibility of touring, has been postponed another two weeks.

Below is therefore a top ten list that is quite applicable to few, actually, it's pretty much only applicable to me. Welcome to my nutty mind and my top ten ways to keep busy ( not necessarily busy in a productive sense, however)....ahem, here goes:

10. Organizing party details for my launch and interacting with the fundraising coordinator of the Because I am a Girl initiative. (Okay, so this one is clearly productive. My apologies but productivity dwindles from this point on.)

9. Engaging in new exercise routines. Lynda, I will make it to hot yoga! I promise! As soon as my voice is back, because we all know how important a voice is when torturing ourselves by contorting our bodies in all sorts of  positions and sweating like it's our middle name.

8. Attempting to learn sign language online, just in case my voice never returns.

7. Watching the entire first season of The Mindy Project. I had watched a few episodes back when I had cable, but damn is that girl ever hysterical!...oh "poop pie". Yes I've watched the entire first season in a week, but when you are unable to communicate in manners other than gesturing and signaling, it makes being sociable and mingling with the outside world quite unappealing. Please don't judge me.

6. Laying out on the balcony in the hot hot heat with a glass of sangria and my music blasting in hopes that my uber handsome upstairs neighbour will lean over his balcony and strike up a conversation. Even if the conversation begins with "Can you please turn that down?" I can at least have the opportunity to respond with, "Turn down?... but...for what?" in my barely there husky yet borderline seductive voice (got to use it while I can).

5. Dancing like a maniac in my condo to "The Club Can't Handle Me" while cleaning with curtains wide open so that the neighbours across the way can be thoroughly entertained by my moves.

4. Writing this blog post (because I am doing this to distract from the fact that MY NOVEL IS STILL NOT PRINTED)

3. Purging my closet of all items that I've never worn or haven't worn in at least the past 3 years, to give to charity. Tell me all you fashionistas out there, is that faux fur trend returning anytime soon? Please say yes. I jumped on that bandwagon with a little too much enthusiasm. Who needs 3 faux fur vests,  and a faux fur headband? Apparently this girl.

2. Pampering myself. Even without a voice, pedicures, blowouts and facials found their way into my week and worked their magic to ease my frustration.

1. Booking an impromptu trip to Vegas! Yes, why not? Especially when the anticipated tour dates for hitting various North American bookstores to drop off printed copies and have signings, must be cancelled for now without the said printed books. Not to mention the fact that the purpose of the trip is to keep a friend company who is keeping a friend, that is married to one of the Raptors coaches, company, while the Raptors are there in Vegas for training. A bit of an incentive, I'd say.

And there you have it...A look into the way this girl, who is entirely a rookie to the publishing process is handling the constant need for flexibility of schedule (which appears to possibly present a great benefit if these yoga classes pan out thereby improving other forms of flexibility. You know, for added extension on my kick ball changes and jazz slides while cutting a rug.) Roll with it.

If you've yet to see it, check out my trailer for my novel, The Tantalizing Tale of a Bitter Sweetheart by clicking here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzUCspmOebw

Please follow the links below to learn more about the Because I am a Girl cause initiated by Plan International:

http://becauseiamagirl.ca/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_AQA1xb4Is&feature=youtu.be

http://plan-international.org/

Connect with me on Linkedin Jessica Ashley Dafoe

For copy editing services check out my site by clicking here

Follow me on twitter: Jessica Ashley@City_Rhapsody