Cancelling Noise

Do you ever have so much to do that you feel guilty for doing it?  That's what it's been like for me lately.  I work on my novel and feel guilty that I'm not working on my non-fiction book.  I work on the non-fiction book and feel guilty that I'm not submitting proposals to agents.  I work on a proposal and feel guilty that I haven't written a blog in awhile.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview the amazing Tracy Borman about her new book The Stolen Crown.  My first love is the Tudors, and Tracy Borman is a hero of mine, but it seemed wrong to set aside all the other things I needed to do and read.  And that struck me as a very silly thing.  First off, reading is good.  Second, I certainly needed to read the book before I interviewed the author.  And third, I love Tracy Borman books.  

So I settled myself down with a London Fog tea (with a nod to my Canadian roots) and a comfy blanket and read away a Saturday.  I enjoyed every second.  The book is excellent, the tea was perfect, and my cat cuddled up to me for most of the day.  All the other 'must-do's faded from my mind, and a host of new, fresh ideas took their place.

It made me realise that a good book can be like noise-cancelling headphones.  It doesn't remove all the other things demanding attention, but it certainly can dull them for awhile.  And what a relief that was.