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Carol Potenza

Carol Potenza

New Mexico Mysteries

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Sundays in fall mean football–and writing

By Carol Potenza | December 4, 2017 | Category: Writing

A few years ago, my son set up a Fantasy Football league and invited his dad and cousin and a bunch of his friends to participate. I’ve never really looked at the rules, but the members of this league hold a draft and choose NFL players–quarterbacks, running-backs, wide receivers, kickers–and earn points in head to head games with other members of the league as the games are played in real time. For example, for every ten yards passing, a quarterback receives a point. If the quarterback throws a pass for a touchdown, he get four points. At the end of a week of football (Thursday night to Monday night) points are totaled and a winner is declared. They name their teams: The Dilly-dillys, The X-mens, R-2 TD-2. (I don’t know why and I refuse to ask.) What all this meant was that life stopped on Sundays. I was introduced to the Red Zone channel, picture in picture so two games could be watched at the same time, or multiple televisions in my house tuned to different games. Going to the movies or out to dinner or anything together on Sundays don’t happen. If it was mandatory to drive, I did it and my husband stayed glued to his iPad, counting every point. And if he made the playoffs… (Yes, Virginia. There are even playoffs in Fantasy Football).

What about me? Lonely days, huddled on the sofa, staring at a 65 inch screen for hours. The only thing that changed was the color of the uniforms. Even the voices of the announcers were the same. Sure, I’d throw out a question or comment every once in a while, try to convince my husband I CARED. We’re empty nesters, after all. We have to live together in harmony until death do us part, right? But a bleak existence loomed over the Golden years of my life. A sad, bleak existence.

Then I decided to write and I was saved. Now, on Sundays in the fall, I’m at my computer, tapping out scenes in a new mystery (Stone Warrior) or critiquing and editing for myself and friends. Since, as an author, I have to do Facebook (another enormous time-suck), I spend an hour scrolling through all the posts I’ve missed, Liking stuff, making comments. I’m a member of some great Facebook groups: Land of Enchantment Romance Authors, Authors ’18. I follow authors I admire: David Morrell –‘Rambo’s daddy’ (Seriously. First Blood is a great book), Preston and Child (I want to write like them!), Jeffe Kennedy, Darynda Jones (both in my New Mexico writing group and true inspirations), Craig Johnson (Longmire), Tricia Fields (Josie Gray Mysteries), and Anne Hillerman (Enough said). I even submitted a review of a wonderful book to Goodreads today (Railbirds by Clarissa Goenawan), something I wouldn’t have normally read, but because I chose to write and Hearts of the Missing and it will be published next year, my eyes have been opened to other authors who probably spend their Sundays as I do: writing.

Carrie Underwood is singing, and I have to spend some time with my husband. Seahawks and Eagles, Sunday Night Football. I think one team has nice green uniforms.

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