Faster Than You Think

In a perfect world, the phrase "faster than you think" would mean the speed at which I can write a novel. Unfortunately, this is not the case. My writing speed might best be compared to the speed of a turtle. The passage of years is what happens "faster than you think." In late summer 2013 I learned that my first Bad Luck Cat mystery would be published in September 2015. I couldn't believe I'd have to wait over two years to see BLACK CAT CROSSING in print, but a writer friend told me not to worry, that it would be here before I knew it. She was right. The pub date is already less than a year away. Now I'm more concerned about writing book two in the series because it's set to be published nine months after the first.



On an evening when my husband was out of town several years ago I decided to pull out my photo albums. I was alone (except for my cat) in a quiet house and enjoying a trip down memory lane when Kenny Chesney's song "Don't Blink" came on the radio. It was a rather new song at the time, and I'm a Chesney fan so I paid attention to the words. While viewing pictures of my parents in their younger days and my nieces and nephews as babies, "Don't Blink" set off a stream of tears.






I had a similar feeling this morning when looking at pictures from my niece's wedding this past weekend. The song "Don't Blink" has been running an endless loop in my head all day. I compared the wedding day picture of my two nieces to their pictures as small children. I must have blinked because they are now beautiful young women, one new bride and one soon to become a new mom.

Today the children in my life are grandchildren, and I know they will grow up just as rapidly. I try to take advantage of time with them and to soak up their joy, especially as the holiday season approaches. I often have opportunities to babysit and almost always say "yes" even if it means that I won't get any chapters written that weekend. Because, in the end, what's most important? If you run into me, you may wonder about my wide-eyed stare. No, I didn't have Botox. I'm just trying not to blink.

Best start putting first things first. Cause when your hourglass runs out of sand you can't flip it over and start again. Take every breath God gives you for what it's worth. Don't blink...


Mystery author Kay Finch is currently writing her new Bad Luck Cat Mystery series set in the Texas Hill Country to be published by Berkley beginning in 2015. Her Klutter Killer mystery, Relative Chaos, features a professional organizer who finds a dead body in a hoarder's garage. Kay lives in a Houston, Texas suburb with her husband, two rescue dogs and a cat. Visit her web site at www.kayfinch.com.