Being Sick - It's the Worst!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Hang on, everyone, I’m going to complain. There’s nothing better than moaning about your illnesses to a captive audience, is there? And I have a lot to moan about. I developed flu symptoms on February 2nd, and I’m still sick, albeit now with a bad chest congestion that may or may not be pneumonia (my doctor doesn’t want to x-ray me until and unless the antibiotics I’m on are a dud.) I’ve managed to drag myself to some of the classes I teach at the local community college, but my students aren’t exactly getting their tuition money’s worth. 

I’ve been conserving what little energy I have for the most important things -  bringing up wood from the wood room, keeping the kitchen fire going, and walking the dog as necessary (The Smithie, who’s been burning the candles at all possible ends with work/campaign volunteering/dating every guy in a 50 mile radius, has also fallen ill.) All extraneous tasks like laundry, cooking anything that doesn’t come out of a can, or shoveling snow that can be waded through have fallen to the wayside.

The thing that’s so frustrating? February was supposed to be the month I ramped up my social media presence heading into my book launch. I was going to be contacting bloggers about guest spots, running a contest for ARCs, sending out newsletters, etc. etc. Instead, I’ve just sat on the comfy chair in front of the aforementioned kitchen wood stove, groaning and hacking. (I sound like an 87 year old woman who’s been smoking in front of a slot machine since retirement.) I’m reminded of the times when, as a young stay-at-home mother, I got sick: I can recall setting out juice and crackers in the family room, shoving a Disney movie into the VCR player, and collapsing on the sofa, knowing I could lay there inert until Beast turned back into a human prince.

How about you, Reds? Have you ever had an illness/accident/can’t-put-it-off surgery at the least convenient time?

JENN McKINLAY: Oh, sweetie, I feel you. Last summer I was supposed to be trotting around NYC, meeting and greeting and shmoozing everyone in the publishing industry, etc. Instead, I ended up skulking in my brother’s basement in Massachusetts, like a bridge troll, while quarantined with Shingles. As if the pain and blisters ON MY FACE weren’t bad enough?! As a show of solidarity, I am going to hit the social media airwaves this week and pimp the shizzle out of HID FROM OUR EYES! We’ve got your back! 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Poor thing!  Always always always. I wish I could forget about the time I had to give a speech in front of 400 people in Miami, and my voice completely went away the day before. COMPLETELY.  I croaked through it, sipping honey-hot water, and managed it, and everyone was very compassionate and atta-girl, but it would have been much better if I had, um, been able to talk.  I think sometimes stress decides to see how much more stressed it can make you...ah HA! It says. Watch what I’m gonna do now. 

And Jenn, ah. I had shingles too, which obliterated an entire holiday season and holiday-card-sending. I know that was brought on by stress. It was HORRIBLE.

Julia, your book is going to fly off the shelves, and we will be the wind beneath its gorgeous wings. 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Julia, we totally have your back on this!! We will shout from the rooftops. You REST. And have that x-ray!

My  absolutely-worst-time-to-get-sick was waking up in London the morning I was due to leave for a book tour in Germany, with the flu. It was awful. I did five cities in Germany with an entourage including my German publicist, a translator/media personality, and a German actress who did the German readings. These were all ticketed events and I can’t imagine anyone wanted to be in the same room with me, much less touch a book I had signed. By the last city I had completely lost my voice and we had to drop the English readings all together. Then the Icelandic volcano blew up and my return flight to London was canceled. My fabulous publicist managed to get me the last seat on the train. When I did eventually get back to London, I came down with, wait for it, NOROVIRUS. Gaaa.

HALLIE EPHRON: OMG, I cannot cannot cannot top that. ANY of that! Losing my voice in the middle of a writing conference with several workshops left to give is the worst. Oh yeah, and there was the bad oyster I ate the night before teaching at the Cape Cod Writers Conference. 

Julia, your new book is going to be HUGE.  And everyone out there, please stay well.

LUCY BURDETTE: So sorry you’ve been sick for so long Julia! Probably my worst timing was the day I was supposed to be the guest of honor/speaker at a large golf tournament. I woke up in the night with a stomach virus and had to tell them I couldn’t make it. They were upset (naturally) but you simply can’t soldier on through the stomach flu!

Julia, here’s hoping this is over soon, and we all agree, this book is going to be huge!

RHYS BOWEN:  Oh Julia, the only thing that matters is recovering. Flu is a really bad illness and it takes a month to recover. When you look back the success or failure of any book does not hinge on a guest blog post but on good writing!

My most inconvenient illness? John was told he needed open heart surgery two weeks before I was due to teach a workshop in Tuscany. People were coming from all over the world. I faced being seriously out of pocket and disappointing everyone. Miracle happened and the doctor said he could stent instead. We went to Italy on schedule.

JULIA: Oh, Rhys, I remember that! Nerve-wracking, horribly timed and scary. Okay, I'm actually feeling a lot better about not feeling better - at least I don't have to travel through foreign lands, miss meetings or risk disappointing an audience. Dear readers, how about you? When and what was your least convenient illness?

RED HOT DEALS! Have you ever wanted to be a character in one of JULIA's books? Here's your chance! I'm donating a character name in my next book as part of a fundraiser for the University of Maine Model UN Team. Every $5 donation gives you one chance in a random drawing (ends mid-March.) Go here to donate and enter!  

THE MURDER LIST—now an Agatha award and Mary Higgins Clark  nominee!—is now in gorgeous trade paperback!  https://hankphillippiryan.com/index2.php