Hey bookworms! Today I have a guest post from the author of Songs of Love and War, Santa Montefiore, about what a day in her life looks like. From making time to write to taking care of her family and everything in between! Check it out below and then have a look at the schedule to see what my fellow bloggers have in store for you today as well!

I have just brought home a twelve-week- old Labrador puppy, who is now part of our family, and very time-consuming (not only because he needs constant surveillance – chewing and bathroom concerns – but because he is so adorable I can’t take my hands off him!) so my routine is going to change. However, what won’t change the immense juggling act! I have two teenage children, a husband, lots of friends and hobbies and seemingly very little time to give attention to them all. As well as a delightful pastime, my writing is my job, so I treat it like a job. I try to start in the morning and finish late afternoon. An ideal day starts with a run around Kensington Gardens, close to where I live in London, or going to the gym, then I’ll be at my desk by 10am. I love it when I have a whole day to write, but that is a treat I rarely get. I try to say no to lunches, as they breakup the day, and see my friends in the evenings. When I’m in my office, I light scented candles and put on a playlist of music I have chosen for the current book. Every book has a different playlist – for The Deverill Chronicles, I have been listening to Howard Shore who composed the music for Lord of the Rings, and David Arkenstone’s Celtic music, which are so inspiring and help me feel things more deeply. I always have fresh flowers on my desk (it’s really key to make your working space as
pleasant as possible, otherwise you’ll always find ways of avoiding it!) I have a few exciting TV and movie projects cooking at the moment, so the odd call or email about those fires up my day. I try not to waste time reading emails during work time, however, but it’s tempting! I try to make time for other things besides writing, otherwise one can go a bit stir-crazy! I did a palm reading course at the College of Psychic Studies here in London, which was fascinating and I love the theatre (Hamilton is my latest theatre visit and it was dazzling) and cinema. More than anything I love being at home with my family. We have a house in the countryside, about an hour from London, and I catch my breath there, in nature. I love birds and have loads of feeders in my garden, and I walk round the woods, which are heavenly, and take my mother’s dogs for a run round the fields – now I’ll be taking my dog as well. The countryside recharges my batteries, as London is always hectic and social. I find writing comes easily down there because it’s so peaceful and there are fewer distractions. But I only go there on weekends and during the children’s school holidays – and when the children are home I don’t get anything written at all; not a word!