Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Scene of the Blog Featuring Jen of Jen's Book Thoughts!


You don't have to read my blog for very long to deduce that I have a decided preference for crime fiction. I even admit it in my header. Therefore, it should come as no shock that I enjoy reading other book blogs that feature the same genre.

The one thing that I enjoy the most about Book Blogger Appreciation Week is the chance it gives me to discover new blogs. Last year's celebration was no exception. When looking at the other nominees for Best... Mystery... Blog, I saw Jen's Book Thoughts and said to myself, "Who's that?" I immediately visited her blog and said, "How long have I been under this rock and can I get out now?"

Jen's blog is now one of my absolute favorites, and not just because we like the same type of books. This woman is one dedicated and extremely creative blogger! If forced to choose my favorite feature on her blog, it would be almost impossible to choose between Detectives Around the World, Six-Word Memoirs, and Crime Writers Caught Reading Crime. I wish I had just one-tenth of an ounce of her creativity. If you haven't visited Jen at Jen's Book Thoughts, please do-- and don't forget to say hi!

Now it's time for me to shut up and show y'all Jen's blogging space where she creates all those fun posts. She sent two shots that are basically the same, but I'm going to use both of them because you can see different things in each.


This is the desk where all the damage is done for Jen’s Book Thoughts. This is actually unusually clean for me. Normally there’s at least three or four additional books piled up, a can of diet soda and a cat lurking. But I recently replaced my desktop computer with the new laptop, so some cleaning was done to make the transition, and the cats must be off causing trouble somewhere else. In addition, I’m in the process of having my poster from this year’s L.A. Times Festival of Books framed so I can hang it over the desk. I had the poster signed by many of the authors I visited with at the festival.

When I work here, I’m most often flanked by one or both of my chocolate labs. They will sleep on either side of my chair while I work on the computer. That is until they need to go outside. Then they stick their noses under my elbow and try to convince me to get up and let them out.

There is window to the right of the desk and one directly behind the desk, so there’s usually plenty of light. Also behind the desk is a large papasan chair where the cats like to sleep while I’m working; that is if they aren’t trying to help me. It makes for close quarters, but that’s o.k., we’re a close family like that.




The paper you can see in front of the computer is one of my many calendars. I have a calendar for each project. While I typically keep a spreadsheet of information I need, I also keep a printed calendar with all my information in pencil so I can move things around as needed! As much as I like technology and rely on it, I still rely on paper calendars. I’m not sure if you can see it, but to the right of my mouse pad is my essential toy. I can’t be without my Slinky. When I’m pondering and concocting, I busy myself with my Slinky. Something about the sound is calming and soothing to me.

It’s nothing fancy, but it works! Thanks for investigating my scene!



I for one want to know if Jen is going to post a photo of her poster once she gets it framed and hung. That sounds like a very special piece of art. And you know what? I think I know the secret of Jen's creativity-- all those critters she has sleeping around her as she blogs. All those doggy and kitty zzzzz's being lofted into the air must keep Jen's brain cells hopping.

Jen? You're not alone. I may have spreadsheets of my own, but I've just gotta have things written out on paper calendars!

Thanks so much for sharing your space with us, Jen. We certainly do enjoy conducting these informal investigations.

Who's sharing a creative space with us next week? Stop by to find out. See you then!




17 comments:

  1. Cathy, thanks for sharing Jen's blogging space or Bat Cave, as she termed it, with us. Her blog is wonderful isn't it? Jen, you are the most creative mystery reader I've ever seen! Long may you post!

    I'll add my vote to posting a picture of the framed LA event poster. That's 2 and now you have to do it! LOL

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  2. Another great interview,Cathy!

    I especially liked hearing about her relationship with her pets. I have three yellow labs and can totally relate to being surrounded while sitting at my desk.

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  3. Alright, I'll post a picture when the poster is framed and up. The framing part is the easy part...getting it hung will be the challenge! LOL

    I think the creativity comes more from having taught high school English...trying to figure out how to keep all those uninterested teens engaged for 90 minutes everyday makes you think a little differently...plus I'm good at "borrowing" ideas from others! LOL

    Molly, aren't our pets wonderful? I wouldn't know what to do with myself if they weren't always around. I talk to them, snuggle them. They always make me laugh. The cats are constantly into something they aren't supposed to be, but then they look at you and you just can't be mad! Love 'em!

    Thanks for stoppin' by and commenting ladies!

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  4. Shouting out a "Hi" to Jen from Cincinnati, Ohio!!! Fantastic blogging space...it is great to see where all that great creativity is produced. I was checking out your blog this morning and absolutely fell in love with it...can't wait to spend some time going through your back posts.

    Have a fantastic day and thanks for sharing your part of the world with us.

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  5. Hey Kara! Great to see a fellow Buckeye. Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to talking books with you. :)

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  6. What a nice, neat space. Makes me really, really glad that you can't see mine.

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  7. It is so much fun to see the habitats of other book bloggers!

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  8. Naomi, I was very careful to take this picture so you can't see the ridiculous mounds of books that I've yet to figure out how to organize!

    I actually did start moving them to the living room where I'm going to get started on the massive organization project. Not sure if I'll make it out alive, though!

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  9. I hear you, Jen. I have stacks of books all over the house. And no one can help, because I'm the only one who knows what I've read and not read.

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  10. Your place is so clean, Jen! Where are the 972 books in your TBR pile?

    Thanks for sharing a peek of your workplace (you're a brave, brave woman) and thanks, Cathy, for featuring Jen here today.

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  11. Seems like Jen´s blog is one I must visit.

    See you, Cathy.

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  12. You're right, PCN! I strategically hid the books outside the frame of the pictures! And when I'm in the midst of working on a project, I'm usually surrounded by some notebooks, lots of papers, lots of books...sometimes the critters end up having to hold things!

    Thanks Dorte. Visitor's are always welcome. We love to talk books and the more the merrier!

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  13. Jen, I love your space...looks like you work on top of piles like I do along with the help from the four legged loves and I too rely on my paper calendars and paper lists!!! Yet with all of your techno gadgets you definitely are more of a computer person than I!!!
    Thanks for sharing,
    Darby
    darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

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  14. I love this feature! It is nice to get to know other bloggers and to see where they work!

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  15. Darby, I keep saying I need a little table beside my desk for my snacks. There's no room if I want to have the chip bag here! ;-) We just make due with what we have, I guess.

    And I'm almost as bad as a guy with my tech gadgets! I love 'em. Only difference, I think is that I don't constantly change the channel when I'm watching TV!

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  16. Julie-- I'm glad you like the feature. Some bloggers have such an online personality that I can't help wanting to know more about them-- like where they do their blogging! :)

    Dorte-- Being a fellow crime fiction lover, I would say the answer is YES!

    PCN-- I'm so happy that she said yes!

    Kara-- I'm so glad you visited Jen's Book Thoughts. She has a fantastic blog!

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  17. It was fun seeing where Jen works her magic since I love her blog.

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