This inaugural column for my "new and improved" website will be the first of a monthly series on a writer's life. Mine, in particular.

Since my first novel appeared in 2000, I have received hundreds of fan letters (all of which I have saved). What I've noticed is that a lot of my readers are curious as to how I write, why I write, and how I live my "other life" while being a writer. To be honest, I really don't know! I just "do it."

I figured that this would be a good forum to show "a day in the life" during various periods of each month. I'll be keeping a journal of tidbits that I think might be of interest and then posting them here at the end of the month. I'll also feature any fan mail (with permission of the sender) with a "question of the month" that I will also answer here in this column.

For this first column, I wanted to answer an unasked question from my agent. I have promised a proposal to her since the end of January. I have finally just finished it (three chapters and a synopsis) and it is currently in the hands of my valued critique partners. But why did it take me so long? Well, let me try to explain. Kind of.

I have two children. My oldest, Meghan, recently turned thirteen. Her birthday fell on a Tuesday, so I made a trip to Krispy Kream to buy lots of their glazed donuts to surprise her and the entire 7th grade at her school cafeteria during their lunch break. On the way back home, I stopped at the Bean Bag store to purchase her birthday gift-a bean bag reading chair for the reading corner in her room (yes, she's an avid reader. Check out her young adult reader recommendations in my Book Faves section).

Then I stopped by The Bead Bug, a store that only sells beads and wires to make beaded necklaces and bracelets, to order a "party kit" for the craft part of Meghan's slumber party on Friday. When I returned home, the electrician was waiting for me (he was installing an outlet in the floor of my living room) and I already had a wonderful artist hard at work on painting a book mural on Meghan's bedroom wall (check out the pictures of this amazing artwork on my Photo page). I chatted with both the artist and electrician, made sure they had everything they needed, then headed to the laundry room (my second office).

After throwing another load of laundry into the washing machine and making a phone call to reschedule a horseback riding lesson, I sat down at my computer to work. It was then I realized that it was my carpool day and that I needed to go pick the kids up from school.

I wasn't thinking the whole day was shot, yet, because I can sometimes get a little writing done while my kids are doing their homework. But first, I needed to make a quick stop at Target to get the paper products, candles and balloons for the party. When we made it home, my son put on his baseball uniform reminding me that he had a game at six and needed to be at the field at 5:15.

After checking my Palm Pilot to verify that he wasn't making this up, I happened to notice that the following day I was supposed to meet another 5th grade mom to decorate the two 5th grade classroom doors. I'd already met with this mom the previous week to buy supplies, but I was supposed to dig in my Halloween decorations for plastic flies I _knew_ we had in there and which we wanted to use on the doors. Realizing I had half an hour before I had to drive my son to the ball park, I headed to the storage closet where I keep holiday decorations. I was halfway through the third box (completely fly-less) before I realized how totally stupid this was and that I was just going to bring in the plastic spiders that I had found in the first box I had opened.

I know a lot of you mothers out there will completely understand. My agent, however, is another story. I can see it now. "Well, you see, there were these plastic flies I was trying to find…."

Stay tuned to find out if the proposal ever makes it to my agent's office.

Until then, happy reading!