My ringtone, All About the Benjamins, goes off in my jacket pocket, and I know that it can only be one person, my literary agent Sean McFadden. I slide it out and answer because he’ll only just call back until I do.
“What’s up?” I huff into the phone, hating that I’m already being interrupted.
“Damn, why so angry?” Sean actually sounds concerned. He’s not only my agent, but also one of my few friends.
“I’m not angry. I’m getting my shit out of the rental.”
He scoffs, “Please, you could bench press me. You’re not winded; you’re annoyed, but that being said, I’m glad you made it there safely.”
“Me too. I got here before the roads got busy in Denver,” I grumble. That sure as hell would have made the trip an hour longer than it had to be.
I came up to my retreat earlier than usual this year because I need a break from the monotony which will help with my writing.
“How was the flight?”
I pop open a bottle of water, take a drink, and then answer him, “The same as usual. I’d rather drive, but that kills too much time. How’s my dog?” I immediately regretted not bringing him with me the second I got on the plane. He’s a good boy and good company on days when I’m struggling to stay focused. We run around in the woods for a bit then we’re both settle in so I can crush my chapter goals. I love my dog.
I hear barking and Sean laughing, so I head back into the garage and pull the next round of bags out of the trunk as he replies “Good. He’s looking out the back window of my truck toward your place. I’m only just leaving the ranch.”
Poor dog probably knows what I’m up to.
“Damn, poor fella. Well, if he didn’t get into a fight last time we were up here, then I wouldn’t have forced his ass to stay down there.” I drop off the bags on my counter and then go back out to grab my two suitcases. I have more than enough clothes to avoid doing laundry before I leave, but I never know because the weather can be temperamental, so I’ve prepared for a power outage on cold nights and for hot days.
“True, but he was bonding with his ancestral brothers,” Sean chuckles out.
Bonding my ass. I have relocated the pack of wolves that find this area so inviting, but they could come back, so I can’t leave my dog to his own devices. I don’t want Beast to be aimlessly padding around the cabin, whimpering to go outside the entire time I’m trying to write. Before they attacked him, I was able to let him out back and he’d roam for a bit which worked for me because once I get started writing, sometimes it’s painfully difficult to get me to take a break.
I move around the kitchen putting away the groceries as Sean babbles on about my deadline. “I know, I know. It’s coming up…in three months.”
“Yes, but you’ve only gotten the outline done in the past two months, so it’s a bit of a concern.”
“Actually, I have that, and the first ten chapters started, but I’m not ready to share them until I’m at the halfway point,” I remind him.
He’s always on me about my deadlines because he’s afraid that I’ll somehow forget, and I suppose that is his job, but it irks me because I know I’ll do it. That’s why I come up here; in fact, that’s why I came up here so early, hoping the words will come quickly. The tranquility of the mountain and the land below gets the creative juices flowing and I can triple my word count here in the same amount of time as I can on the ranch.
“Fine. Enjoy your time away. I’ll keep your pup happy,” Sean grumbles playfully.
“Thanks, Sean. I’ll call you in a day or two.” He knows that I’m probably going to shut my phone off because that’s what I do. You can’t have silence when you invite the world in. Besides, when it’s off, I’m less likely to get diverted from the task at hand.
I finish unloading the groceries and stocking the fridge and cabinets. Easy to make home cooked meals are my favorite. Now off to get my workstation set up. That’s a project all on its own.
I set up my desk in the corner office of the cabin that faces a large picture window to see all the nature around when I write. It’s an entirely different atmosphere from my home. It’s not that I don’t get writing done at home and yes, I release more than one book a year, but this is where the intensity doubles. I find my best writing is done here.