Marilyn's Musings

I'm truly a planner. I like to know where I'm going and what I'll be doing. I have a calendar that I keep by my desk and one for my purse. Everyday, I check my calendar to make sure I'm not forgetting anything. Frankly, I couldn't get along without my calendar. What do I put on it? Everything. Whatever I'm going to do that day goes on the calendar from working on my budget to a book signing event. Coming up next week, I need to write a post for the Stiletto Gang on Tuesday, put up Christmas decorations sometime during the week, and my critique group will be meeting on Wednesday. Saturday I'm heading up to the Willow Bridge Bookstore in Oakhurst to talk about e-publishing at 2 p.m. The main reason I keep an up-to-date calendar (and yes, I already have one going for 2010) is so I don't double book an event. But it does help me to plan my day. If hubby and I are going to a movie, I put that down too. Oh, and I do make lists every day too. I love crossing it...

Because I write so much about my book promotion I'm always having people make comments about how do I do it all. Book promotion is only part of my life--as I'm sure it is for any other author. First and foremost comes my family. Because my husband is so good about hauling books for me, going with me to mystery conventions and conferences, driving me here and there, hefting luggage into overhead bins on airplanes--and sometimes even being on a panel. (He was on a panel of spouses of mystery writers at Mayhem one year and may be doing it again this year.) We try to go out together at least once a week, sometimes to a movie and/or out to eat, and sometimes shopping together. I have a huge family, five kids (though we lost one of our sons to cancer a few years ago), eighteen grandkids and eleven greats, I do like to spend time with them when possible. One of my granddaughters who lives next door and during her grammar school and middle school years lived with us during the week bec...