When my sister was in fourth grade, her teacher assigned the class to interview someone with a list of questions she had prepared. Julie chose my father. One of the questions was, “What do you dislike?” Dad’s answer was prompt and memorable: “Waiting and lumpy gravy.”

I don’t recall ever encountering lumpy gravy, but I do have substantial experience with waiting. Suffice to say, I am my father’s daughter on this issue.

Sometimes, though, the wait time isn’t nearly long enough. Take the holiday season, for example. Traditionally, everything was crammed in to the roughly four-week period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year, though, I noticed that Christmas preparations seemed to begin as soon as the last trick-or-treaters trooped down the driveway with their bags of candy. My neighbors had had a pair of 12-foot tall skeletons in front of their house since mid-September; within a week of Halloween, the skeletons had been replaced by a giant inflatable snowman and a Santa statue. (The snowman deflates approximately every other day, but they’re vigilant about reinflating it.) It’s as though people decided that they want more time to get ready for the holidays so they don’t have to fret about delayed packages and sandwiching holiday obligations between regular ones.

Of course, my holiday preparations started long before everyone else’s, because Becoming Mrs. Claus was scheduled for publication on November 15, 2023. Plus, as regular readers of this blog know, my autumn was occupied not only with finalizing the book, but with Ned’s declining health and increasing needs.

My beloved boy left me on Thursday, October 19. The very next day, my interior formatter forwarded to me a proof of Becoming Mrs. Claus, requiring me to set aside my mourning to concentrate on reviewing the proof and return my comments and corrections to her for prompt attention.

After much back-and-forth with the formatter and her husband, the cover designer—as well as software glitches as I uploaded the book to various retailers—Becoming Mrs. Claus was indeed officially published on November 15. While I had hoped to have print books available for my first post-publication event three days later, that was not to be. So I created order forms, and I took orders on Becoming Mrs. Claus while selling and signing State v. Claus.

This event was my seasonal kickoff. I’ve done two so far, and I have seven more scheduled before Christmas. If this seems like a lot—well, it is, but I have to strike while the iron is hot. Very few people are interested in reading about Santa Claus in May. It’s the reality of writing a seasonally-themed book: most people want it in the season, and so I need to be prepared.

Even this early, I’m already bumping up against new challenges. For example, at last weekend’s holiday market here in my home town, I had the unprecedented experience of selling nearly every copy of State v. Claus I’d brought. (Somehow, it failed to dawn on me that new readers will want to read the first book before the second.) Fortunately, I had labeled the boxes of books in my front hall, because I had to call upon dear friends to go to my house and bring me another box of books. While I love the fact that so many people wanted my books, it also meant that when I came home, I had to place an order for more so I could be certain of having enough for the season. I’ve also spent much of today laying in supplies for gift-wrapping since Tuxedo Cat Press offers free gift-wrapping on all books bought directly from us through the end of the year, whether those books are ordered online or purchased at an in-person event. Last night, I filled all the outstanding orders for bookplates, and I started working on fulfilling book orders, a task that will continue tonight after I finish preparing for tomorrow’s author talk at a local library.

This is likely the part where you’re thinking, “So what does this have to do with waiting? It sounds like you’re doing everything except waiting!” Fair enough, but allow me to explain.

I waited a long, long time to be a published author. I was 53 years old when I sold my first short story. I was 60 when State v. Claus came out. Now, I’m 63, and I’ve just published my second novel. So when I’m signing a book for someone or being asked to speak about being an author or—best of all—having someone say, “I loved your book!”, know that I did a whole lot of waiting in anticipation of such a moment.

Also, advent is a period of joyful preparation for the celebration of Christmas. As I run hither and yon, procuring supplies and setting up displays, I’m preparing to share my stories. Granted, it’s a crazy-busy time, but I’ve found that I truly love the part where I get to talk to people about my books, our respective cats, and whatever else comes up. (Here at Tuxedo Cat Press, we have a firm rule: if you walk up to the table, exclaim over Charlotte’s lovely face on the banner, and say, “I have a cat, too!”, you will be required to show me a photo of your cat before we can talk about anything else.) Maybe I’m just incredibly fortunate, but the people who approach my table have been unfailingly delightful. So all the work I do to prepare for these events is joyful (even when my back is killing me from carrying bins of books), because it means I’ll get to talk about books, cats, writing, Santa Claus, and life with some truly wonderful folks.

Advent is also a season of joyful anticipation. As a person of faith, I joyfully anticipate the coming of Christmas as the celebration of Christ’s incarnation, but I’m also aware that by Christmas, my own hustle and bustle will be largely over. The week between Christmas and New Year is one of my favorite parts of the season, because nearly all my clients are on vacation, leaving me to a comparatively peaceful time in which I can rest, read in front of the fire, and put the house in some semblance of order.

So now, as I prepare for, wait for, and anticipate all that is to come in the next month, I invite you to join me. Prepare for something you dream of. Wait for something you’ve worked for. Anticipate something you crave. Whether these things are of a spiritual nature or more specific to your personal aims, know that waiting, joyful preparation and joyful anticipation are part of the process. (So is working your ass off, but that’s for another post.)

Wishing you a joyous advent!