Marie Michelle Coleman's Blog

Everybody is busy. Sometimes that whirl of responsibilities and deadlines we all face is like a tornado roaring through our daily life, sucking up all the good things and leaving behind only huge piles of half-done to do lists, overstuffed email boxes, and a feeling that the only way to get things done is work harder and harder with less and less time off for good behavior. That’s not a good way to live but it’s easy to fall into the all work and no play pattern without realizing it.

I have a great job but if I let it, it will relentlessly absorb large portions of my free time, leaving me only a few hours here and there for miscellaneous chores like doing the laundry, paying the bills, buying the groceries. And writing - where’s the time for that? Lately, it seems that life balance is an unattainable goal. 

That life balance thing is a killer.

The demands of life are not going to subside. What can change is our willingness to set aside the things that give us the greatest joy in an effort to respond to those other demands.

How to do it?

Stop and think before plunging into the urgent task. Is it really urgent or can it take a number? The urgent task is a bully. It shoves aside everything else and screams to get done. I notice that more and more tasks are coming to me these days as urgent. I think I’m getting scammed. I’m going to try not to buy into the everything-that-seems-urgent-is-urgent mindset anymore.
Be honest with yourself. It’s disturbing to realize that some tasks would label themselves as Do Whenever but I’m not happy until I’ve relabeled them Imperative. I believe sometimes I scam myself. I have to cut that out.
Don't forget what's important. I'm going to keep reminding myself that the truly urgent task for me is writing. It’s the key to my immediate happiness and my long-term goals. It can't fall off the list and if it does, I need to stick it right back on again.
Enlist the aid of others.  If I can’t always remember what's truly important in the midst of the fray, I have friends and family to help me along the way. I must grab hold of that encouragement.

Every day my son asks me, “Are you writing today?” I answer no more than yes. I am beginning to realize that I will do everything better if I change that answer up - if the answer is yes more often than no; if maybe the answer is yes every single day.

I think I can make that happen. I think I have to make it happen. I think you should too - with whatever it is that you've been letting slide in the name of getting things done.  

The Bespoken virtual book tour is tying up with a fun character interview. Hear what Bespoken's Casey Sloane thinks about everything from her idea of happiness to her greatest regret over at Eclipse Reviews.

If you missed my guest posts and interviews from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

Author Interview with Pembroke Sinclair.
My Top Ten List of Intriguing Angels (and Other Winged Beings) in Movies and Television guest post on Darkest Cravings.
Author interview on Roxanne's Realm: Interview and Giveaway: Bespoken by Marie Michelle Coleman.
Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

 


Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.
 

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

Visit Pembroke Sinclair to read a fun author interview with me on the final day of a two week of virtual book tour for Bespoken. She asked some great questions!

If you missed my guest posts and interviews from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

My Top Ten List of Intriguing Angels (and Other Winged Beings) in Movies and Television guest post on Darkest Cravings.
Author interview on Roxanne's Realm: Interview and Giveaway: Bespoken by Marie Michelle Coleman.
Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

A Book Blast, Giveaway & Top Ten over at Darkest Cravings - what a great way to tie up Day 12 of the virtual book tour for Bespoken. If you love angels and other winged beings, you'll want to check out My Top Ten List of Intriguing Angels (and Other Winged Beings) in Movies and Television guest post on Darkest Cravings.

On Monday, look for an author interview and a special character interview with Bespoken's Casey Sloane.

If you missed my guest posts and interviews from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

Author interview on Roxanne's Realm: Interview and Giveaway: Bespoken by Marie Michelle Coleman.
Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

"I really loved the descriptive writing in Bespoken. The daydream landscapes were always so vividly painted. " - Book Briefs

It's Day 12 of the virtual book tour for Bespoken and today Book Briefs has a review of the book and, of course the giveaway!

On Monday, look for an author interview and a special character interview with  Bespoken's Casey Sloane.

If you missed my guest posts and interviews from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

My Top Ten List of Intriguing Angels (and Other Winged Beings) in Movies and Television on Darkest Cravings.
Author interview on Roxanne's Realm: Interview and Giveaway: Bespoken by Marie Michelle Coleman.
Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

 


Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.
 

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

It's Day 11 of the virtual book tour for Bespoken and today you can read an author interview that covers everything from my early writing inspiration (when and where might make you laugh) to who my favorite author is (can you guess?). If you love music and playlists, then you'll be happy to see information about the playlists that I created for Bespoken. You can find all this out and more in my interview on Roxanne's Realm: Interview and Giveaway: Bespoken by Marie Michelle Coleman.

Don't forget about the giveaway!

Look for additional guest posts, spotlights, character interviews, reviews and more all this week.

And if you missed my guest posts and interviews from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

 


Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

It's Day 11 of the virtual book tour for Bespoken. Please head over to Making It Happen to  check out a spotlight on Bespoken that includes three excerpts from the book! Don't forget about the giveaway.

Look for additional guest posts, spotlights, character interviews, reviews and more all this week.

And if you missed my guest posts and interviews from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

Author Interview on Roxanne's Realm: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

It's Day 10 of the virtual book tour for Bespoken. Please stop by Jodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog to check out her spotlight on Bespoken! Check out her books while you're there. Don't forget about the giveaway.

Look for additional guest posts, spotlights, character interviews, reviews and more all this week.

And if you missed my guest posts from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

"Bespoken is filled with a plot that keeps you guessing and descriptive language that makes it easy and wonderful for the reader to imagine." - Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock

It's Day 10 of the virtual book tour for Bespoken and Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock has a spotlight and review on Bespoken. 

Look for additional guest posts, spotlights, character interviews, reviews and more all this week.

And if you missed my guest posts from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!

Today is a busy day on the virtual book tour for Bespoken. Please stop by Share My Destiny to find out what Bespoken is all about! Don't forget about the giveaway.

Look for additional guest posts, spotlights, character interviews, reviews and more all this week.

And if you missed my guest posts from earlier in the tour, go check them out! Here's the list:

Author Interview on Creatively Green: Interview with Marie Michelle Coleman
Guest blog post on Fang-tastic Books:  Turning on the Blender:  The Hybrid Paranormal Character.
Guest blog on Ebook Escapes: Alternative Escape Routes: Stress Relief Tips for the Busy Reader. 
Guest blog on Shut Up & Read: The Making of a Book Cover or How Dreams Sometime Do Come True.

Check out the full tour schedule at www.mariemichellecoleman.com.

 


Post by Marie Michelle Coleman.
 

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for putting the tour together!