We made it, the kids and I. Another school year wrapped up, more report cards filled with grades I surely never achieved (unless I remember wrong, which is a possibility), and … time to sleep in, even for an hour.

Just an hour.

It’s the first day of summer vacation. Instead of getting up at 5:30 like I do during the year to provide backup alarm systems, I was up at …

Ready?

Wait for it.

You know it’s good.

Five.

Five freaking a.m.

I may as well put the time to good use, so if you’ve got a manuscript that needs to be edited, drop me a note. I’ve got extra time on the summer calendar, but it’s not going to last. I laugh that my clients like to send me their babies to work on while they’re off having a great vacation, no worries about anything, and they come home, recharged and renewed, ready to go. It’s a smart strategy and I swear, the finished products or the revised drafts that cross my desk again for more thoughts and help are all better for it.

I like that strategy, writer friends.

Of course, that means that summer’s my busiest season of the year. Even though I’ve got two kids underfoot, it winds up being very productive for me. (Guess I’m motivated by the idea of, “Guys, let me hit my page count and we’ll go to the pool for a few hours.”)

Take advantage, especially once I succeed at this sleeping in stuff. Less tired means less cranky means more productive, despite promises of going to the pool. Means better editing for you and paying off my landscaper for me.

I was HOT there for awhile. A long while, actually. Clients were throwing manuscripts at me right and left, I was about a week behind for two months, and I had the best February and March ever. Whew, it was awesome.

But… for some reason — and on a timeline that seems to fluctuate — editing goes in cycles. Sadly, this last cycle is ending and things are looking … slim around here. Quiet. It’s a cooling off period, all right.

On the one hand, this is good. It can mean time to work on my own fiction. Time to develop promotional opportunities for some of my authors, who could use the boost. (What else is on my To Do list? All sorts of stuff, really, but those two examples pretty well encompass things.)

On the other hand, it also means less income. Thankfully, the new windows are in and paid for, so it’s time to save up for the annual real estate/school taxes that’ll be due in August, and oh, yeah. Food.

For anyone who’s been holding off on engaging me, now’s the time. I’ve got openings really soon, and they go all the way through the summer. It’s hard to believe it’s April and my summer’s not starting to fill up, but… it’s April and my summer’s not starting to fill up.

Take advantage. Keep an editor employed. And in the meantime, I’ll be exploring new things, expanding others, and generally making this place better than ever.

As the holidays ramp up or come to a close, if you’re celebrating Hanukkah like me, it’s been a whirlwind around here.

The good news? The editing calendar only has 4 days left in February: three in the middle of the month, and one at the end. March and April dates are ready to be booked.

Take a step back and breathe with me. And get ready… things are going to ramp up even more in 2013. You may not see it until about a year from now, but hang tight. You’ll love what I’m working on.

So. That brings us to today’s worthwhile content, which turns out to be a redirect, over to Animal Friends. I’ve swapped foster kitties, so go check it out. I love the picture of Zenji; I took that one. The shot of Geronimo was taken by The Girl Band. Not bad work for a kid her age, huh?