Forecast: Early Frostfire

Fall has arrived here at Casa PBW, and while I love summer best I can't say I'm sorry to see this one go (aside from my woes, if it didn't rain, the humidity left me feeling distinctly soggy.) Now the dogs and I are practically wallowing in the lovely cool mornings on the porch. Just the other day I had to put on my heavy fuzzy socks because my feet were cold, which they haven't been since like April.

I also like this chunk of the calendar because for the next five weeks it's almost deadline-, birthday- and holiday-free. That gives me a nice oasis of time to splurge on things I normally have to ration, like getting more creative with my blogging, cruising book stores for as long as I like, trying new recipes, experimenting with art projects and test-driving writing ideas.

Kate Meyers has a good article titled The Power of Play in the October issue of Cooking Light magazine that gave me a nudge in this direction, too; she discusses the importance of making time to do things other than work, worry and wear yourself out. We get so caught up in the business of life that we rarely if ever allow ourselves to play, and yet that's usually what we need most to dispel stress, avoid burnout, and pull ourselves out of the pits.

My publisher kindly sent me some ARCs for my next book, and I think a great way to kick off my online fall festivities is to give some away here. So what are you guys planning to do this fall that is something fun or just for you? Let us know in comments (or if you're still looking for your oasis, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Friday, September 24, 2010. I'll draw ten names at random from everyone who participates, and send the winners a signed ARC of Frostfire, my new Kyndred novel (which will not be hitting the shelves until January 2011.) This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.