Keeping the holiday out of the way

Finding time to read and/or write during the holiday can be difficult, so I have a few tried and true suggestions to help weary romance fans during the holiday season. 

1. Hire someone to read to you. - While this might be embarrassing during love scenes, your teenage niece/nephew will surely appreciate the nickle. 
2. Convince carolers to hang out outside your door and sing the verses. -- Once again, potentially embarrassing during love scenes, so I'd suggest when your neighbors start coming out of their homes to stare that you run outside and yell, "Yeah, that's right, I read romance novels! What of it?" After this, they will often smile and join in singing your favorite part.
3. If you have to work, or visit grandma, or go caroling, I'd suggest dictating your book into a recorder the whole time. The people around you will appreciate the holiday sneak peek at your curing WIP.

Okay, so my suggestions above might not be best for you, so here are a few more down to earth suggestions.

• Books on tape are great for holiday baking, decorating, knitting, driving, and cleaning. All that time spent rolling, patting, and marking with a "B" can be boring unless you have something to entertain your brain. Even if you don't have a subscription to Audible, the library has books on CD you can check out.
• Use the above mentioned "free time" to brainstorm your next book. You can consider Goals, Motivations, Conflict. You can plan black moments, and first kisses. By the time the holiday is over, you'll be ready to sit down and pen your fully formed masterpiece.
• Listen to your WIP with your ipod or other MP3 device. Naturalreader has a great text to speech program, and the voice "Heather" is fairly realistic. This can help you get a feel for your story and catch typos like form instead of from.

I hope you take some of these suggestions, and perhaps leave some of your own. I'd love to hear what you think, and how you find time for a little romance during the holidays.