Guest Post by Erica Vetsch

Hey everyone, it’s Preslaysa!

I am so happy to welcome novelist, Erica Vetsch, today. When I heard that Erica homeschools, writes novels and works as a bookkeeper, I was impressed…and I wanted to learn how she balanced it all! So today, Erica will tell us!

Erica’s has three books available this month: Light to My Path, A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas and a novella in A Log Cabin Christmas Novella Collection. You can read more about these wonderful stories at the end of her guest post.

Here’s Erica…

A Plan of Attack by Erica Vetsch

As a wife, homeschooling mom, company bookkeeper, and novelist, I often get the question, “How do you balance it all?”

The truthful answer is, “I don’t.” Or at least not very well. But I have learned a few things along the way that help me as I’m  striving to get everything done and still stay sane, and I’d like to share them here with you.

1. Prioritize. Some things I have to do. Some things I should do. Some things I’d like to do. Organize your responsibilities in that order.
2. Strategize. Plan your attack. Get your calendar out and see how much needs to be done and when to get everything you have to accomplished, then start filling in the shoulds and the likes.
3. Mobilize. Get your family involved in the plan. Dole out some of the responsibilities of the household so that everyone is involved. Teach your family early on to respect your time and attention while you’re working on the haves and the shoulds, and include them in the likes whenever possible.

Here are some examples of how I implement these points in my life.

1. Prioritize. Homeschooling, Bookkeeping, Meeting my writing deadlines. These are some of the things I have to do. Non-negotiable. Things I should do include exercising, keeping dust-bunnies at bay, and keeping up on personal correspondence. (These become HAVE to items if I leave them too long, but they can be slid farther down the list without catastrophic results for at least a little while.) The likes include watching movies, reading books, surfing the Internet, reading blogs, etc.
2. Strategize. I schedule the Have-to tasks first. I use lesson plans so I know how much I need to accomplish to finish the school year in a timely fashion. I keep up on the bookwork so I don’t have a huge chunk to do at any given time. I schedule my writing so I can turn in my work early to my editor. All of these plans have some flexibility built in so I can roll with the punches easier. I group errands and try to get the majority of them done during piano lessons or guitar lessons or basketball practice. I make menus and grocery lists to speed up the cooking and shopping process.
3. Mobilize. My family is onboard with the schedule, and they help out tremendously. Each of my kids is responsible for their own laundry, and they have their own daily chore list. My husband goes for walks with me in the evening so I get my exercise in, and my daughter is my sounding board when plotting a new novel. My son takes care of so many little tasks that ease my burden around the house, everything from taking out the trash to mowing the lawn. As a result, I have more time to get the have tos done so we can get onto the like tos.

Sometimes things can feel so out of control that we don’t know where to start to bring them back into order. But working out a plan is like eating an elephant. It can be done, but only one bite at a time. Try prioritizing, strategizing, and mobilizing one area of your life first, tweak it until it works for you, then try expanding to another area. Perhaps laundry is your Waterloo. Or meal planning and grocery shopping. Give these three steps a try and see if they work for you.

Author Bio:

Though I have set aside my career teaching history to high school students in order to homeschool my own kids, my love of history hasn’t faded. My favorite books are historical novels and history books, and one of my greatest thrills is stumbling across some obscure historical factoid that makes my imagination leap. I’m continually amazed at how God allows me to use my passion for history, romance, and daydreaming to craft historical romances to entertain readers and glorify Him.

Whenever I’m not following flights of fancy in my fictional world, I’m company bookkeeper for our family lumber business, mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is my total opposite and yet my soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

Light To My Path

How could something so beautiful on the outside be so rotten on the inside?

When Sam discovers the truth about his money-grabbing fiancée, he breaks off their engagement and makes plans to head back to Denver alone. Disillusioned, he determines never to get caught by a woman again. But then, Aunt Tabitha asks a favor of him, and he couldn’t turn her down.

Eldora Carter, jobless, homeless, and family-less, finds herself suddenly in charge of escorting three orphaned children across country on the train from St. Louis to Denver. What should have been an easy job, however, quickly becomes a nightmare as each child presents their own crisis. If it wasn’t for Sam Mackenzie, they’d all have been put off the train long ago.

When an avalanche halts their progress, Sam and Eldora both must learn to trust God like never before. Life, health, safety, security…even family and love. Can God be trusted to put things together when, despite all their efforts, they’ve failed so miserably?

A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas

Hoping to leave the shadows of her shady yesteryears behind, Adeline Reid is focusing on her photography career. But when her ex-boyfriend’s compatriot in crime shows up in Dodge City her entire past is threatened by exposure. Can Addie keep her secrets while helping to catch a killer? Deputy Miles Carr’s investigation into a shopkeeper’s murder leads him to Addie’s door. Will his attraction to this female photographer keep him from catching the true culprit? Or will Addie lead him off course in more ways than one?

A Log Cabin Christmas Novella Collection

 Experience Christmas through the eyes of adventuresome settlers who relied on log cabins built from trees on their own land to see them through the cruel forces of winter. Discover how rough-hewed shelters become a home in which faith, hope, and love can flourish. Marvel in the blessings of Christmas celebrations without the trappings of modern commercialism where the true meaning of the day shines through. And treasure this exclusive collection of nine Christmas romances penned by some of Christian fiction’s best-selling authors.