A Reason for Blogging

Once again, I’m preparing to leave for China next week. This will be a quick trip, roughly a week and a half, but the distance will be great. From GuangZhou to Harbin. That the North American equivalent of Mexico City to Montreal or from 75 degrees to -25 degrees; a temperature swing of 100 degrees. So, packing for a trip like this will be a challenge keeping in mind that I have to limit myself to one reaonably sized suitcase. The other issue making this a challenging trip is that we will not be in one hotel long enough to have laundry done.

Some of the things I am looking forward to, beyond seeing some very good friends is seeing the progress of a new facility that I was involved in from the begining. Also, the chance at visiting the ice festival in Harbin. Harbin is a city near the Russian border (near Siberia). It is incredibly cold there and every January, ice blocks are carved from the frozen Songhua River and built into ice buildings, replicas of structures and works of art. To top it off, lights are embedded into the ice to give it a surrealistic and dramatic flair at night. Once I get there, however, it will be so cold I’ll be taking pictures and heading back for the warmth of the hotel.

Even though I always look forward to going to China, the timing for this trip isn’t the best. With my book release less than two months away, I’ve been busy with quite a few issues. I’m waiting for my proofs and cover art, looking for authors for blurbs, pulling together a media kit, etc. I’m also trying to keep focused on finishing my second book.

You would think that I could use the time on the airplane to write. I have plenty of it. The leg from Chicago to Tokyo is 13+ hours with another 5 1/2 hour leg from Tokyo to Gunagzhou. But writing on a plane is cumbersome and for some reason I’m not very productive. I’ll certainly have my memory stick, my laptop and an airplane power cord, so I’ll give it a try.

I’ll report back when I return in early February. Hopefully, when I get back, I’ll have my cover art and proofs for A REASON FOR DYING and I’ll be busy with the arrangements for the launch.