I just wanted to answer this comment of Charlie's:

"I have the peculiar situation wherein, being unpublished, (don't even have an agent at the moment) it is completely UNstressful for me to deal with my writing. In fact it's my "real life" that causes ME to break out in hives, Laura. Benadryl and oatmeal are old friends of mine. The writing takes me away to 'Charlie-world' and lessens the bizarre symptoms of my stress. Go figure..."

I'm with you, Charlie. This isn't really a writing blog, it's a publishing one, and what I was responding to was whether waiting for the publication of ABSENT FRIENDS is stressful. It is, very. But I'm working on a new book. This is a two book deal, and when the time comes, Bantam is not going to want to hear about the stress I was feeling, they're going to want their second ms. And I'd be doing it anyway, for the same reason I started doing it -- the reason I suspect you do it, and so many other people. The great thing about writing is that you're in control. It's you and it, and nothing messes with you while you're working. Life in general, and the publishing process in particular, is not like that. But writing is.