Kristie Cook's Blog, page 35

Writer Wednesday - Brenda Pandos

In August, I hosted the awesome and lovely Brenda Pandos for her EVERBLUE tour. Today, I have the honor of welcoming her back for my first Writer Wednesday post. Every Wednesday, I'll be featuring a writer, hopefully introducing you to some new authors and books that I know you'll love.

Brenda allowed me to interview her, but first, a little about her:

Brenda Pandos is mommy/computer whisperer by dayand writer by night who lives in California with her husband and two energeticchildren. Shortly after the birth of her second son, Brenda's oldest wasdiagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder that turned her world upside-down.Her life became round the clock feedings with a newborn and a daily stream oftutors working to help her son. She craved a meaningful escape.
The main concepts of THE TALISMAN SERIES came toher in the wee hours of the morning as she reminisced the good old days whenshe lived with her best friend in the Santa Cruz Mountains. As a young girl,Brenda was a hopeless romantic, constantly lost in a fantasy world in her backyardof knights on white horses, mermaids and evil villains. As a teen, shows suchas Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Interview with a Vampire intrigued her.With the encouragement of a friend after writing one chapter, she continued onto complete her first manuscript.
Brenda has three novels published and iscurrently working on the third book in the series, The Onyx Talisman. You canfollow her journey at http://brendapandos.blogspot.com
And about her most recent release, EVERBLUE: 
Best friends share everything with each other.Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring,single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissingTatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary.The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. Butwhen Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knowswhere the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them. 

Ashlyn is about to discover what she’dthought to be true her whole life, wasn’t, and the truth, toofantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of LakeTahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever.
Now onto our interview!


KC: Tell us about you in10 words.
BP: Fun-loving wife, mother, kamikaze writer, computer whisperer, chocolateaddict.
KC: "Computer whisperer" –I love that! Now, if you tweeted about your latest release, what would it say(140 characters or less)?
BP: She wanted her life to change. He wantedeverything to stay the same. Get lost in #Everblue where secrets lurk in LakeTahoe. #tessielives(This was hard.)
KC: And you did thattweet perfectly! Did you go tweet it yet? I would have! LOL Okay, if you couldspend the day with any of your characters, who would it be and what would youdo?
BP: I'd spend the evening with Phil [from The Talisman Series] andhave him fly me around so I could see all the places I've never been from abird's eye view, like the Eiffel tower, the Parthenon, the Pyramids, Coliseumin Rome, the Great Wall of China, Chichen Itza,Leaning Tower of Pisa … I don't think we could see everything in one night, butit would be a great excuse to be cradled in his arms … oh, I didn't actuallyadmit that, did I?
KC: Hahaha! Um, yeah, youdid. But that's okay. We're all good at keeping secrets here. Right, lovelyreaders? Now onto more about you as a writer. What's your favorite part?
BP: Sharing the joys, sorrows, and journeys of my characters with my readers wherethey care and can imagine them into reality as I have, and interacting in sucha great community of authors. I had no clue how cool all of this would be andhave made some wonderful friends in the process (like you, Kristie).
KC: Aw, thanks! And Icertainly agree. So, what's the hardest part of being a writer?
BP: Piracy andmean reviews. I don't expect everyone to like my story, but there's adifference between an objective review and someone taking the liberty to berateme as a writer. I do take note the general consensus of lower starred reviewsand work to improve issues they've brought up as a whole, but just being plainmean and condescending isn't cool. I have to stop, read between the lines, andtake a glimpse into the heart and soul of the person to truly understand wherethey are coming from. Only then can I let the comments roll off my back becauseusually, I'm not the only one they've ripped apart. Piracy, though, makes myblood boil. How people can completely disregard the copyrights of an author andfreely share e-books is beyond me. I've even read the excuse "You shouldn't getpaid to write because it's something fun for you." or "The copyright law isoutdated and should accommodate the internet." It's not that I'm a stingyperson and don't share, I do. I rarely turn down reviewers and give away freecopies all the time. It's just that these "sharing" sites are doing it againstmy wishes, against my copyright and completely disrespecting hundreds ofauthors in the process. And it's very much illegal. Hopefully, like Napster,someone will be criminally prosecuted for this type of piracy and the laws willhold the site holders liable because if something doesn't change, it's going todestroy the business and make it even harder for authors to "make it", like ithas to the music business.
KC: Amen! They're notonly disrespecting authors, but also readers who have obtained their copieslegitimately. It comes down to the fact that sharing a file is not theirdecision to make, regardless of all their justifications. Oops. Sorry. We'reboth so fired up about piracy, we could go on endless rants. But back to theinterview. What do you wish you would have known before you became a writer?
BP: How much I love it and how I'm actually pretty good at it. I would have takenclasses to strengthen my knowledge on the craft of writing and I would have writtenso much more in my free time. I had SO much time before I had kids. Why, oh,why didn't I tap into that way back when???
KC: Haha! Yes, I knowwhat you mean. Now let's talk about your publishing journey. What made youdecide to go indie?
BP: A combination of success from ABNA [Amazon BreakthroughNovel Award] and author Abra Ebner. Honestly, I didn't think anyone would buymy vampire novel and I had just enough knowledge and tenacity to be dangerous.Abra held my hand in the beginning, God brought more people into my life tohelp me out, like Kristie, and the rest became history.
KC: Thank God for thepeople He brings to us! What would we do without each other? I don't even wantto think about it. So what do you like most about being indie?
BP: Freedom todecide when and what's published, immediate rewards, 100% of the profit, andcontrol over the cost of my novels.
KC: Oh yeah! Exactly. Ifa writer came to you asking advice about going indie, what's the most importantthing you would tell them?
BP: There areno guarantees. If your story has been polished under the scrutiny of a critpartner (who's good), beta readers (who will tell you the truth), edited andproofed sparkling clean (which even mine aren't totally), and you've got aeye-catching cover and are ready to put in the time needed to promote yourstuff, willing to give away lots of free copies, and price your ebook under$2.99, then I say go for it. If you want to try landing an agent first or pitchto publishers yourself, then by all means go that route too. Just give it atimeline and don't stop writing. Typically authors don't "make it" from onebook. And in the indie world, lots of books are what draw fans. Your focuscan't be about the money. It's about getting your book into as many hands aspossible. Just know though, if it's not ready for the public, reviewers willnot be as kind as your friend, which will put a stumbling block in the road onyour way to success.
KC: Excellent advice! What'sthe last book you read and what's next?
BP: Read in entirety? That's a goodquestion. I start so many books. The last one I finished was a craft book, Painless Grammar. For fun, I'd say Shiver. Now (I'm embarrassed to say) I'min the middle of Sleight by JenniferSommersby, Gifts of the Blood byVicki Keire, How I sold 200,000 e-books byHP Mallory, my own books: The EmeraldTalisman and The Sapphire Talisman forhelp with wrapping up the loose ends, and NovelShortcuts by Laura Whitcomb and a few more I can't remember. I just don'thave time to read all that I want, seriously.
KC: Oh, I get it. I thinkall my readers do, too. Is there a book or author you can read over and overagain?
BP: Chantain's Guardian (Annualsof Lystra) by Robin Hardy. I love that entire series and have since I was ateen. It's romantic and sweet. Also, Harry Potter series. It's just sobrilliantly written.
KC: I'll have to checkout Hardy's books and I agree on HP. Writers need to read them many times because there is so much to learn.Okay, one more question. Ebooks or Dead Tree Books? Why?
BP: My success hasbeen in e-books, so it gets my vote (and cheap books as a buyer can't be beat).But for those of you who love real books, I've got those too and I can'texpress the excitement of tearing into the box of brand new books and holdingthe finished product in my hands. It's so awesome!
KC: Oops! One important one. Where can we connectwith you? BP: Facebook: Brenda Pandos – AuthorWebsite: www.brendapandos.comand www.theemeraldtalisman.com Twitter: @brendapandosGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3449368.Brenda_PandosBlog: brendapandos.blogspot.comBecome a street team member and get in on cool contests,info of new releases, chapters not released yet, and fun stuff. Link is on myblog at http://brendapandos.blogspot.com
Thank you so much, Brenda, for spending time with us today! Lovely readers, if you haven't checked out Brenda's books yet, you ought to. I fell in love with EVERBLUE immediately and I think you will, too.

Have questions for Brenda? Go ahead and ask!

Teaser Tuesday

Ah, the long weekend has come to a close. I've been on the road all weekend, traveling from home in Florida to hometown in Virginia with many stops along the way. Including pictures! I'll post some soon.

I hope you had a great weekend, too. And although it's Monday on a Tuesday, at least it's a short week.

Before I get to this week's tease, just a few fun things to share:
If you're in the Washington, DC/Northern Virginia area, I'm doing a meet-and-greet and book signing tonight (9/6) at Eclectic Threads in Arlington, 6-9 p.m.  The NEW versions of Promise and Purpose paperbacks are now available at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Promise-1-Krist... and http://www.amazon.com/Purpose-2-Krist...), but I'm still waiting for them to be available at other retailers. If you'd like them signed, though, order them directly at http://www.readourwrites.com/shop/Promise and Purpose Kindle books can now be signed! They're now available on the Kindlegraph site .
Okay, now onto the tease! Another bit from Genesis (this is from rough copy, so no guarantees it ends up in the book exactly as is):

Jordanclasped her wrist, breaking her off. He felt her eyes on him, questioning, buthe couldn't stop his own stare to look at her. Father lay sprawled out on thehard floor, nowhere near his bedding, his hair—blond and shoulder-length, justlike Jordan's—curtaining his face. Cassandra lunged to his side, falling to herknees. Jordan remained frozen with shock, fearing the worst. He can't die. It's…impossible.

Teaser Tuesday

So I'm working hard on revising Genesis (releasing 10/28) and getting it ready for you lovely peeps and thought I'd share a little tease with you today. Please keep in mind that I'm still revising, so this could change in the future. But here you go:

Cassandra followed the light of the full moon that still hung high in the sky back to thebattlefield, skirting the woods this time. The darkness within them frightenedher. She knew animals would be out hunting and from the sounds, not all weresmall creatures. The cracks of larger branches breaking made her believesomething inside was bigger than her and she didn't want to be its prey. Butshe didn't stop and turn back. Her concern for Niko outweighed her fear.Whenshe approached the tree she'd left him under, though, her heart sank. He wasnowhere around. She took a few timid steps into the woods, peering intothe darker areas where he might have found better shelter, but no sign of himexisted at all. Not even her water skins were left behind. There was no blood,though, no sign of a struggle.Sheblew out a sigh of exasperation. After hours of nightmares and little sleep,she'd worried for nothing. His comrades must have found him and taken him backto their camp. Relief that he was safe finally washed through her, followed bya twinge of disappointment in her heart. She'd been hoping, more than she'drealized, that she'd see him again.

The Post That Never Was

Well, I hope that you are all having a marvelous Monday. That is all I have to say today.

**Note: I did have a post all written out but my cranky, old laptop knows it's about to be replaced by a shiny new Mac and apparently developed short-timers disease. You know - that illness that sets in when you know you're leaving your job (for whatever reason) and you don't want to do it anymore, although you still have two weeks to put in. Also known as Senioritis to high school seniors. Or perhaps the lappy's feelings are hurt because I'm replacing it with a young, savvier specimen. I don't know. Whatever its problem is, it crashed and ate my post. And I don't have time to rewrite it. Don't worry. It wasn't all that special anyway.

**Note 2: I do have something interesting to share, for those have asked and been patiently waiting. Signed print editions of the new Promise and Purpose are now available! Order here .

Going Home

Promise began a hundred different ways. And I really don't think I'm exaggerating. In some of the false starts, it opened with Alexis already at college. In some, she was at the bookstore with Sophia, helping her paint and clean. It always began with her starting college in Florida, far away from where she'd graduated high school, but the actual location of the opening scene changed many times. As did the place from where she came.

In some drafts, she'd moved from Denver or Chicago. For a long time, she'd come from Minnesota. I've never been to Minnesota, but it didn't matter because there wasn't actually a scene in the Land of Lakes. I didn't need to know many specifics.

When I decided there needed to be an opening scene that brought in the bad guys sooner, though, I realized I needed a location I was familiar with. It was a no-brainer as soon as the whole scene played out in my mind. I imagined it on the street where my best friend in high school had lived. I "saw" Alexis walk by her house before all hell broke loose. That scene belonged in Arlington, Virginia. The place I call "home."

You probably already know, but in case you don't, I moved around a lot as a kid. From 12 years old until 20, however, I lived in Arlington. That's where I did most of my growing up. I loved living there - not quite in the city but not exactly suburbs either, right across the river from D.C., where we spent much of our free time. I'm sure I complained of being bored, but I look back now and realize just how much there is to do there.

I miss it. I didn't leave because I wanted "get out" as many young people do when they leave home. I left out of necessity. I've only been back a couple times since leaving in the early 90s, with the last time in 2004. Even then, though, we just did a quick drive-by, getting a glimpse of my old stomping grounds as we headed downtown to eat crabs and watch fireworks.

In a week, I will be headed home. And I am so freakin' excited. I'll get to see some people I haven't seen since...well, some since high school graduation. Including that friend whose house showed up in the opening scene of Promise.

I'll also be doing a signing! So if you happen to be in the D.C./Northern Virginia area, I'd love to meet you. The signing will be Tuesday, 9/6, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Eclectic Threads, 2647 N Pershing Drive, Arlington. I'll have the new edition versions of Promise and Purpose available for purchase, too.

Unfortunately, the trip won't be all fun and laughter. The main reason for going is to lay my grandmother to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. My aunt and I are calling the road trip up there "The Farewell Tour." We'll be visiting some of Grandma's favorite stops between here and there - the ones she always was sure to stop at when she used to make the semi-annual drive as a snowbird. So I'm sure there will be some tough moments along the way.

Overall, though, I think it will be a good trip. We'll relive old memories and create new ones. We'll say hello to old friends and good-bye to a special lady. And knowing my grandmother, she'll be pleased to have such a tour in her honor.

A Secret About THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL

Today I am honored to be a stop on the lovely and fantabulous Heather McCorkle's Tour of Secrets, celebrating her debut release, THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL. I am so excited for this book. It's next on the TBR pile.
About THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL (from Goodreads):

It's hard enough being a teenager under normal circumstances; imagine being orphaned, sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt—and learning that there really is magic in the world. Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with her aunt. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with "channelers"—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.

Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Now, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad.

As Eren and Aiden's relationship blooms, so too does a mystery in Spruce Knoll. The town holds many secrets—and many enemies. It soon becomes apparent that the untimely death of Eren's parents-and Aidens-was no accident and that her life might be in danger, too. Only time will tell if Eren has the power to protect the people she has come to love.

On each stop of her tour, Heather is revealing a secret about herself, her book and her writing. So what's my secret question? Before you read it, you might want to check this out so you get a good visual of Aiden (*swoon*). But don't forget to come back to see the secret here and find out how to win some fabulous prizes.
My secret question:What is a secret thought Aiden has about Eren?
Directly fromAiden: There'sthis light inside Eren that has nothing to do with her power. It's all abouther kind, giving nature and the way she puts others before herself. Sure she'swicked hot but that's just icing on an amazing package. 
Heather's offering frawesome (freakin' awesome) prize packs for her tour. You get an extra entry for being my follower and commenting here. There are lots of other ways to enter, too, so go do it . You want this book. Trust me.

Five for Friday - Giveaways

I'm off to take my son to college, but just wanted to give a quick reminder of giveaways going on Right. Now.


1. Soul Savers Swag Pack - Confessions of a Bookaholic - ends Monday, 8/22
 
2. Soul Savers Swag Pack - A Life Bound by Books - ends Monday, 8/22

3. Signed paperbacks of Promise and Purpose (1.0 and 2.0) and Soul Savers Swag Pack - Lori's Reading Corner as part of the Romancing Your Dark Side Tour - ends Thursday, 9/1

4. Lots of books and swag and even a Kindle in the Romancing Your Dark Side Tour - through October 31.


I currently have the above four, but it's Friday and I haven't done Five for Friday in so long. It's killing me to leave it at four. So here's a hint at Monday's post because the giveaways have already started:

5. Heather McCorkle's fantabulous The Tour of Secrets giveaway . 

Thoughtful Thursday - Blogging Like Cooking

I love to cook. I hate making dinner. At least, I hate trying to figure out what's for dinner. I can stare at the contents of the fridge, freezer and pantry forever, only to get frustrated because nothing good comes to mind.

Annoyed, I eventually pull out the ingredients and throw together something from the standard rotation. Nothing new or exciting but at least The Man and The Herd get fed. Fortunately, I have a long list of standard dishes in the rotation and they all love my cooking, so they don't mind. But for me, cooking like this is not satisfying.

When I plan ahead, however, I get excited about making dinner. I create menus before I go grocery shopping, ensuring that at least one new-to-us recipe is included for the week. When it comes time to make dinner, I can skip the decision-making process and get right to the fun stuff - actual cooking.

For the last couple of years, though, I haven't been very good about this planning ahead. Juggling two businesses, kids, household and writing, I forget these peeps in this house need food until one of them says, "Mom, what's for dinner?" And I say, "You want dinner??? But you just had dinner last night."

see more dog and puppy pictures Since they insist on eating every day, I draw on whatever energy I have left to ensure they do. Grocery shopping and cooking become last-minute, just-get-it-done tasks. I buy the same stuff every week because it's easy, making shopping almost automatic. Automatic but so uninspiring.

I've realized recently that all of this applies to blogging for me. I love to blog. I hate deciding what to blog about. Just like I can stare at the refrigerator until the milk jug forms little beads of sweat, I can stare at the blank Blogger box, wondering what to do with it. When I haven't thought ahead, nothing sounds enticing, so I end up either not blogging at all or boring the crap out of me and my readers.

But like cooking, when I know what my next post is going to be about, it comes fairly easily. I've had time for the idea to stew in my mind so when it comes time to write, many of the sentences are already fully formed. And I have so many ideas I really want to execute on this blog, but haven't yet. Because, again, I've been in survival mode.

As part of the nesting phase I'm in right now, I'm organizing my blog schedule. I'm actually creating a calendar just for the blog and will schedule in those fun features I've been wanting to do for months. I'm already getting excited about blogging again. I can't wait to share these new features.

Then, maybe I can spend less time staring at a blank Blogger screen and more time planning next week's meals.
Do you like to cook? How do you keep it exciting? And how do you keep your blogging fresh and inspiring?

Blog Tour Stop & Teaser Tuesday - EVERBLUE by Brenda Pandos

Last December 14th, I held a Twitter party to celebrate the release of my second book, Purpose, the following day. It was kind of chaotic and I don't remember everyone who joined me, but there were many people I "knew" from the interwebz and some I didn't. One I didn't know was Brenda Pandos, although the name rang somewhat familiar. I was just too busy managing tweets to realize then that I'd seen her books on all the book blogs.

Then someone mentioned her own Twittter party the next day. To celebrate the release of her second book. On December 15th. I attended her party, even won a copy of the book, The Sapphire Talisman, and we laughed about our second books being "twins" since they shared the same birthday. And from there, history was made. Or...it's in the process of being made, anyway.

Brenda and I have hit it off ever since. Our writing paths and publication journeys are very similar. Together, we've celebrated the extreme highs of #1 sales ranks and commiserated the lows of indie publishing. A talented graphic designer, she redesigned my book covers for me. I read her next release and provided feedback.

And now, finally, I get to share it with you!


Brenda's new release, EVERBLUE , immerses you in a sweet love story and a beautiful underwater world that makes you wish you could grow a tail and fin so you could go visit it yourself. With this first book in The Mer Tales, we meet Ashlyn, Fin and Tatiana, Ash's best friend and Fin's twin sister. Ash has had a crush on Fin for years, but not even Tatiana knows. Neither does anyone know that the feelings are mutual.

Fin also has a thing for Ash, but, unfortunately, he doesn't see how he can make it work, being that he's mer-folk and all. So he tries to keep her protected from his fantastical world, which means fighting his feelings for her. I won't tell you how that works out...

You root for these two to get together throughout the book, but life has other plans for them. Or does it?

I love this book. It's a sweet escape with lovable characters, especially the adorable Fin. We get the story from both Ash and Fin's viewpoints and Brenda did a fantastic job in portraying Fin as a real guy. Many female authors try to write from a teen boy's point-of-view, but not many can pull it off convincingly. They often come across as too feminine. But not Fin. He has just the right amount of boy to make him real, but not too much of the parts that make us girls want to hit him.

If you enjoy YA paranormal with a little romance or a YA romance with some paranormal, I recommend EVERBLUE to you. To wet your appetites (I know, it's supposed to be whet, but we're talking about mermaids here) and because it's Teaser Tuesday, Brenda has been sweet enough to let me tease you a bit with an excerpt from EVERBLUE (from Fin's POV):

Ashlynstood awkwardly as I approached. Her curvy hips and wavy red hair took mybreath away. For a moment, I caught her scent and hummed—honeysuckle with justa hint of chlorine from her morning swim. Briefly, I imagined us playing in thewater. She'd give me a run for my money in a race. "What's going on?" I asked.Her green eyes darted away. "Not much.""Sorry I interrupted—" I pointed towards the imprint ofmy sister's towel in the sand."Oh," she said with a gulp and a smile. "It's okay."She pressed her lips together and suddenly all I wantedto do was kiss her right then and there. I took a deep breath and glanced at myfeet. "Is school going good?" I asked, kicking a rock."Yeah." She shrugged and then shot me that look—one witha hint of yearning behind it. I couldn't help myself. I stepped forward andcupped her cheek. Her skin was soft as a rose petal, but within her startledeyes I caught my reflection—my very selfish expression.Her whole life flashed before me. This kiss I desired togive her would change everything—her dreams, her life with her family, herfuture. Innocent and trusting, she closed her eyes and tilted her chin upwardin anticipation anyway. My soul protested, but I did the only thing I could—theresponsible thing."You've got something on your cheek," I said, wiping mythumb over her skin.She opened her eyes and pulled away, her cheeksreddening. "I do?"I stepped back and grimaced at myself. I was being one ofthose guys, the jerk who led girls on and toyed with their emotions. "I'm going to go," she said, rubbing her hand where I'dtouched, and faked a smile. "See ya later."She quickly stumbled up the path towards herGrandmother's house before I could comment, but I heard what she said under herbreath. "I'm so stupid."I sulked back to the Jeep and slammed the door, hatingmyself for being such an ass. The only reason I'd come in the first place wasto tell Tatch about the meeting we had to attend, not get distracted byAshlyn's captivating beauty. And I'd made a complete mess of things.Ispun out of the spot, and drove the small distance back to our house.

Brenda's celebrating the release of EVERBLUE with lots of giveaways along the tour. Find the full schedule, and more about Brenda and her books, here .

Nesting

Over the last few years, I've realized that whenever I come to the close of a big writing project, I go into nesting mode. I'm sure this has something to do with the fact that while I'm involved in such a project, everything else - housecleaning, cooking, entertaining, etc. - fall to the wayside. Even my writing space becomes more and more cramped as my desk becomes a catch-all for everything. And I mean everything. I'd show you a picture of what it looks like now, but it's just way too embarrassing.

It's not just that things get back-burnered because I'm working on deadline. That's my excuse, but I have to be honest here. See, I'm one of those people who dons blinders when I'm passionate about something. And there's not a lot I'm more passionate about than my writing. I easily ignore all that I possibly can. If there's not a copious amount of blood or money involved - my definition of "emergency" - I don't see it. I am totally focused on what's in front of me. Especially when a deadline is involved.

With the print formats of Promise and Purpose thiiiis close *holds thumb and forefinger a hair's breadth away from each other* to being done, this project of re-releasing the books is almost complete. And it's like my eyes have finally opened again to the mess around me. Ugh.

So nesting mode is kicking in. I'll be spending the rest of this week cleaning off my desk (I'm sure there's wood under here somewhere!), doing some major housecleaning and organizing my time better with an improved schedule and routine (which will last about a week or until I find myself elbow deep in Genesis again).

Friday, we take my oldest up to college and get him moved into his new apartment and then we'll be working on converting his room into an office for me (with space for him when he comes home). Which means lots of cleaning, painting and organizing. Feathering my nest. :)

So that's the plan. Of course, my deadline for Genesis is rapidly approaching, so we'll see how well I stick to this plan before I become single-minded and obsessive again.

Do you lose yourself to your passions too? Or are you one of those annoying clean freaks who always keeps everything perfect who can keep everything in beautiful balance? What kicks you into nesting mode?