I am a list-maker. If I don’t write down what I need to do, what I need to buy at the store, or things like birthdays and events, then nothing gets done, we don’t get what we need from the store, birthdays would be forgotten, and I would miss appointments and events.

I use an app called Cozi Family Planner for all of this. It syncs across my computer, my phone and tablet, and on any computer I can access the web (i.e., if I think of something while at work). It’s also intended to be shared with family, so I can schedule things for my husband, and we share the grocery list. It works so much better for me than slips of paper.

I had a pretty big to-do list for today. Mostly little things, but a bunch of them.

And Cozi is down today. I’ve been using it for at least four years, and this is a first. Once I figured out that, no, it’s not Google Chrome being wonky, I got a little twitchy. Then I wrote my to-do list on a sticky note. I think I remember everything that was on it for today, but I hope Cozi gets fixed soon, because there are things on it for later in the week that I’m afraid I don’t (or won’t) remember.

It kinda does highlight the dangers of relying on the cloud, and I think it’s time to have a paper backup–at least for the long-term stuff.

What I’ve Been Reading: The Children of Amargosa by TS Hottle. This is a science fiction novel in which the main characters are teens, but this could be enjoyed by readers of any age. It’s the follow-up to Gimme Shelter, which ended on a major cliffhanger, and takes up where that left off. Children follows the main character into a war with invading aliens. But the aliens aren’t the only enemies. A massive rebel militia has risen up among the humans, and they’re more than willing to kill other humans for supplies. This book is non-stop action that takes the reader on a relentless roller coaster ride, but where it really shines is in the character development. The teen characters and their main adult ally are such well-developed individuals, they are almost like real-life acquaintances. There aren’t a lot of space ships or techy stuff in here, though they’re present in the background. The real action of the book is in the transformation of the young fighters as they grapple with the deaths of parents, friends, and romances while struggling to survive–and triumph.

ROW80 Update: My goals for this week were to write a book description, and provide front- and back-matter of my novella to my publisher. I did get the description done, but that’s all. Luckily, the book is still in first round edits, so I have some time on the other stuff. So that’s what’s on for this week.

How about you–do you rely on online calendar and list tools, or do you use good old fashioned paper? Is there an app you can’t do without? Have you read any good books lately? Please share in the comments–I’d love to hear from you!

Jennette Marie Powell writes stories about ordinary people in ordinary places, who do extraordinary things and learn that those ordinary places are anything but. In her Saturn Society novels, unwilling time travelers do what they must to make things right... and change more than they expect. You can find her books at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, and more.