Mixing business with pleasure: Juggling writing and family

Being an author has given me a lot of freedoms. I work from home so I can be there if the school calls with a sick kid, the house is relatively clean and I get to see my kids a lot more often.

Lets face it; a lot of the time I don't get to mingle family life and work life.  Sure, I smash a 32 hour day into 24 by multitasking the laundry with making dinner, while scribbling down notes for my next manuscript. But I wouldn't consider that mixing business with pleasure.  However, last weekend, that is exactly what I did.

A couple hours drive north of me is Ha Ha Tonka State Park. Like most state parks, there are miles of beautiful wooded trails, caves to scrounge around in, and beautiful views. One thing Ha Ha Tonka has that sets it apart is the castle ruins atop a cliff overlooking a beautiful blue lake!

Now, Missouri (or American in general) doesn't exactly have a plethora of castles (at least by European standards, which is what I compare castles to), but I must say I was in awe.

So I bet your wondering, How is this mixing business with pleasure?  I'm glad you asked! lol

As we searched the ruins of the castle, walked the wood trails and scaled the rocky ledges, I was taking notes for my upcoming book "Wolf's Beautiful Beast" which will be book three in The Untold Stories.  This adventure will take us on a tale through a dark forest of thick brush and rocky terrain to the ruins of a long forgotten castle.

It was a joy to share this experience with my husband and children, and I hope to be able to do something like this again with them. 

Our State and National forests are super underutilized in my humble opinion. They are free to enjoy, there is always something new to explore and it gets the kids out of the house and into the fresh air.

To that I say, get out of the house. Research doesn't always have to take place in front of a computer screen or rifling through books. Get out and get your hands dirty. You may be surprised what you discover.