What Brings In The Spring Season - Michelle Monkou

Spring has sprung. We take the seasons for granted because every year, they come rolling in around the same time. Just as predictable are the behavior of people. There are a few things that mark this season, such as:

Spring cleaning - Where we make bold plans to de-clutter, actually move the furniture to get those dust bunnies, wash the curtains, dust the places above eye level. I said "plan," not actually accomplish. I did manage the de-clutter, but guess what, there were spores that exploded creating another generation of...stuff. I have three boxes of books that include my advance copies, books for contest give-aways, and books I've ordered online. Then my son rests his skateboard against one box. His father drops his knee support over it after he works out. My daughter rests her backpack against everything and quickly the pile grows.

Diets - Yep, I used the darn D-word again this year. Every morning I throw myself off the side of the bed and crawl over to get my workout clothes on before the side that wants back into the bed wins. I walk for 30-40 mins or for 2 miles - don't bother to calculate, it's rougly 18 min miles. I'm a work-in-progress, leave me alone. At the beginning of the year, I worked out twice a day. Now I'm at once a day, but at least it's every day. Notice I haven't mentioned the D-word. And I'm not gonna.

Goals & Resolutions - I had grand writing goals. I met some of them. But I've wasted lots of time on the Internet that I've missed several. I'm blogging with nuns, my favorite pasttime. I'm on the phone chatting with my author buddy about the deadlines that are kicking my butt and then 2 hours later after I get off the phone, I'm too tired to write. I'm also an addict of Cold Case Files, 48-hour, DEA, SWAT and any other cop-related reality TV. I wish that I could say it's for research, but it's a morbid fascination of our decaying society. And then I switch to Intervention so I can cry with the family, while they plead with their loved-ones to go for help. Yep, and I'm still complaining about those looming deadlines.

Conferences & Trips - Spring is the time when conferences spring up like dandelions. And if you attended all of them, you'd be bankrupt. Heck, I can attend one and feel the financial squeeze for months to come. But it's part of the business to network, learn, and research - pretty lofty. But I've got to say, that some also provide the perfect opportunity to just dance my butt off. At Romance Slam Jam, I'm electric sliding until my thighs scream - enough already. At Romance Writers of America's conference, specifically the Harlequin party, I'm in a disco fever zone, especially when they go retro and pull out the 70s, 80s, and other party jams. But it's my once a year thing and next week, I get to go boogie at Slam Jam in Chicago.

Celebrating Releases - but most of all for me in the Spring, this one to be exact, I'm pulling out the tap dance shoes, cane, and bowler hat as I take my show on the road to promote - No One But You: College sweethearts. Sorority Sisters. Overbearing mother. Home-wrecker girlfriend. Sexy. Sensual. Romance. This first in the Ladies of Distinction series is making my Spring a fun one.

Hope your Spring has been inspiring, energizing, and fulfilling.

Michelle