Coming back

I'm sorry I've been missing in action for the past two weeks. That wasn't my intention at all.

The draft for my contemporary romance, Sweet Deception, was due to my editor Labor Day, Sept. 1, 2008. I made my deadline with five minutes to spare. But that rush to the end gave me a tension headache and eye strain. Or maybe the headache was a byproduct of the eye strain.

I thought a nap would help me feel better. I'd planned to start my next two projects - a romantic suspense proposal and the proposal for my second contemporary - after the nap. Silly me. I needed a lot more than just a nap.

Have you ever been completely wiped out after completing your manuscript? I felt as though my nerve endings had been fried. Although I was really tired after the long days of heavy revisions, I felt edgy and restless the entire week. Does that sound familiar?

Some people say they're depressed after completing their manuscript because it's hard to leave their characters. I don't feel that way. I'm excited to have told my characters' story. I love this book, and I really hope my editor does, too. But now I'm ready to move on to the next project. I feel as though I'm finally coming back to myself.

How do you feel after completing your manuscripts, and how do you celebrate your accomplishment?

Patricia