From the Editor’s Desk

Editor’s desk
Originally uploaded by coffeehouse junkie

A hiatus from blogging was needed and taken. Many reasons exist for disconnection from the matrix—the blogosphere—which I may detail later. The primary reason is that I could not maintain the luxury of blogging and accomplish work-related tasks.

After Christmas, and during the following six months, I released seven projects to the market: this book and this book (both with new forewords) as paperbacks, another book for this organization, a new book and accompanying audio book (which I produced), a childrens book and an academic teachers planner for the coming school year. That may not mean a lot to most of you. But consider that each project requires a minimum of 480 to 960 hours to complete, there are more than 1000 hours (using a standard workweek of Monday to Friday for measurement) from January 1 to June 30, and I am only one designer/editor/marketing director/manager/publisher. Needless to say, work hours for me did not fit into a standard 40-hour work week. In fact, it was more often than not that I was working as early as 8 a.m. and finished around midnight or later. This took a toll on me physically, mentally and spiritually.

A respite was needed. So I took off three and a half weeks. I pointed the auto to parts unknown and hit the road in search of coffee houses and lost threads. Three thousand miles were traveled. For five nights during the journey, I slept in a different bed each night. For four nights, I spent in a cabin miles from the nearest phone and six miles from the closest town which is not marked on most maps. Three times I got lost. Twice it was my fault. Once it was not, but that once was a beautiful distraction.

I don’t know if the wind really “takes your troubles away.” I don’t know if I found those lost threads. I did find a couple excellent coffee houses (remind me to tell you where to find a Boris Latte). I’m back in Asheville now. I guess it is time to reconnect and get back to work.