I never imagined when I penned my first story that I would eventually have to balance my writing work with such daily tasks as comb research sites and flag them for later use, file tax records, discover marketing options, network with advertisers, find fabulous clothes for my characters to wear, locate spy and tech stuff for my characters to use, figure out group activities for my characters’ children…and still find a way to write and have some fun in the middle of this publishing circus. One social media invention that helps me keep on top of all my treasured data is Pinterest. Yes, Pinterest. I know, a lot of people say it’s a time waster, but for me the site is an organizing sensation. Here’s why–

Since I write two mystery series, I can have multiple boards about the endless number of things that relate to each series. I have fabulous European sites and travel tips for my Bodies of Art Mysteries series (and yes, this is where the spy and tech research comes in), and organization, parenting, and money saving tips for my Organized Mysteries series. The pictures are fun to find, easy to post, and a snap to locate later when I need to describe a scene or how to do something in one of my character’s lives. The site also allows me to create boards for each of my series, so I can add new covers as books are readied for release.

And you can learn some really unique things. Take a look at these shots of London, England and Florence, Italy, for example. Who would have thought that you could get similar shots with a horse statue anchoring the street scene in each city, with the premier landmark of the city centered in the background of each shot? Sure, it isn’t an earth shattering fact that will make or break a mystery novel, but it is an interesting factoid I can have one of my characters mention to another. Little things like these that I can’t necessarily catch in a week-long vacation are some of the greatest attributes of Pinterest.

Even better, others can see my boards and follow the ones that interest them, giving us a connection we never had before. And the people who follow me often pin things on their boards I’m interested in, too, so I discover new places and tips without the time consuming searches. You can probably imagine how much help I find with these specialized boards when I’m writing my Bodies of Art series and needing to describe these fabulous settings. My boards are kind of Florence-heavy at the moment since so much of the action in my latest release, Marked Masters, took place in that glorious Renaissance city. London was more heavily featured in Counterfeit Conspiracies, as well as areas in France.

Does it all sound intriguing to you? If so, feel free to wander over to my Pinterest site at http://www.pinterest.com/ritterames where  I have a couple of dozen boards up now, and I welcome everyone to come and browse. And if you follow me, you’re likely to find I’ve wandered over to check out yours as well. Happy reading and pinning, everyone!