Guest Blogger, Kate Collins

I'd like to welcome author Kate Collins as the guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Kate's latest book, "Sleeping With Anemones" is scheduled for release tomorrow - Tuesday, Feb. 2. She will be dropping back by today to answer questions and respond to your comments. In addition, she will be giving away a copy of her book, "Evil in Carnations," to one lucky person who comments on her post between today and 8 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7.

I've asked Kate if she would share a little background with us today about who she is and what she writes.

As a brief introduction, I’m Kate Collins, author of the Flower Shop Mysteries, staring that bad girl of the bouquet business, that fearsome, feisty florist, Abby Knight. In my latest book, “Sleeping With Anemones” - Ooops. Hold on I have to take this call.

Sorry. My cell phone has been ringing all morning. It happens whenever I have a new book coming out. Even standing in line to buy coffee I got two calls. Luckily, the clerk didn’t mind. She was on her cell phone too.

Anyway, I can’t remember where I was so I’ll skip to the part where I tell you what my hot topic of the day is, which you might have guessed is --

Unbelievable. Another call. You don’t mind, do you? You do? Seriously? Why didn’t you say so before?

Isn’t that a dumb question? If you’re like me, you were raised to be polite, even if it meant gritting your teeth and pretending nothing was wrong (while imagining yourself doing seriously bodily harm to the person being rude). Maybe I’m hypersensitive, but when I’m in my doctor’s office, giving her what I think is important information about my current health, and she stops to answer her cell phone, and it’s ANOTHER patient describing her health situation, I get a tab bit annoyed. After all, I’m paying for the visit.

However, I forgive her because she is, after all, my doctor. But then a second patient calls, and I am once again cut off, and now I’m seriously considering telling her that I will come back when she can give me her undivided attention. But is that likely to happen or is this what I can expect in the future? Maybe I should phone her instead.

I don’t know about you, but when I see a woman driving a van load of kids, holding a cell phone to her ear, at a traffic light, while making a turn, I give her lots of room. Yesterday, at a four-way stop, it was me and three women on cell phones in kid-loaded vans making turns. I almost put my car into reverse and backed away.

Last time I was in Chicago, strolling down Michigan Blvd., I counted every other person having a conversation with an unseen person, either through a cell phone, a blue tooth device, or because he had an imaginary friend. But we’ll let him be. A couple, walking hand in hand, were each having phone conversations with someone else.

I’m not saying that being able to stay in contact via a mobile phone is a bad thing. I depend on it all time to make sure my kids can reach me, and I surely wouldn’t drive anywhere alone without one. (And what would my sleuth, Abby Knight, do without her cell phone when she’s got a murder suspect cornered?).

What I’m saying is that it seems many of us can’t go anywhere without having a phone conversation - whether we’re buying groceries, enjoying a meal in a restaurant, trying on clothes, filling up the

gas tank, taking an invigorating walk around the block, and even -- I’m not making this up -- while appearing for a court hearing.

How did this happen? When did people lose the desire to be alone with their thoughts? To use that time between home and office to reflect? Ruminate? Daydream!

As a writer, I need time to daydream, a quiet time with no conversations happening except the one among the characters in my head. It’s my time to image what comes next in my story. So I don’t have a problem taking a walk without uttering a word aloud or buying groceries without telling someone all about my day. But I do watch and listen to others doing it, soaking up ideas for characters and conversations for future work. Still, I can’t image filling every moment of silence with chatter. But then, we writers live in our heads more than most folks do.

What are your thoughts about cell phone use or texting? Are you a constant conversationist/texter, or are you the one in the restaurant who can cook her own veggies because of the steam coming out of her ears from the loud person on the phone at the next table? Do you speak up at such rudeness or grit your teeth and bear it? Has your doctor ever talked to someone while with you? I’m curious. I’m a writer.  ....  Kate

Thanks so much for sharing this story with us, Kate. I think we can all relate to how cell phone usage has become a major player in our daily lives whether we want it to or not. Don't forget to leave a comment or question for Kate and have a chance to win a copy of her book.