I’m on a sabbatical right now. The way that our
finances work, I still need to be traveling and speaking, but I’m relishing the long
stretches of restoration. Before I entered into the sabbatical, I
couldn’t imagine what I would do with hours of replenishment. I planned a
three-month work-a-palooza. I had a book to write, a publisher waiting for
it—everything was lined up for ninety days of research and pounding.

When I stepped into the space, my publisher became less
secure. I began to drop back into the frenzy of looking for an agent and
finding the next house who would take me on. (I love Alban, my current
publisher. It’s just that my next project doesn’t fit in their niche.)