Coming Events

Sunday, I'll be doing another show on Blog Talk Radio. This time I'm featuring Austin S. Camacho, a great mystery writer and marketer. We'll talk about his new novel, Russian Roulette, among other topics which crop up. You can find the show from 2:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time (Illinois time) this Sunday at http://blogtalkradio.com/booksandblogs

The good thing is if you miss the show Sunday, you can still catch it on its podcast at the same location. I'll also insert it in the left column here on the player.

Another coming attraction isn't happening until April, 2010. If you enjoy romance, check out the new website for the Spring Fling Writers Conference at http://www.chicagospringfling.com/ , sponsored by Chicago-North Romance Writers of America. Laurie Powers did a spectacular job setting up the website. It's worth a look just for that.

A Life Saved

My friend, Jeanne, came over to see me at the Arbor Vitae Flea Market where I was selling books, while the DH and I were on vacation. She happened to mention a chipmunk ran inside her house. It was still there because she couldn't find it.

Later that evening we stopped by her house to say goodbye since we were leaving for home the following morning. The chipmunk was still there. She was getting nervous about what kind of damage it could cause, so she had the DH help her set up this giant trap which looked like it could even hold a rat. Thinking of the poor chipmunk getting caught in it made me feel really horrible.

Anyway, as luck would have it, Jeanne opened up the door which led to the family room and out ran the chipmunk. The DH and I tried to corner it in the hallway. It stared cutely up at us, before it ran past and hid under the couch. We opened the front and back doors. We pounded on the couch.

It ran out from its hiding place and out the back door, thank goodness. We all cheered since the trap would not need to be used and the critter would not be killed.

A life saved. It may have been a small one, but I still felt good about it. What about you? Have you had a similar experience?

Who Do You Blog?

Check out some of my thoughts on blogging at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com
If you want, add your thoughts here or there or both.
Thanks.

Iphone Woes

Good news - Great new Iphones are available with video and compass and another megapixel on the camera. Also, they don't cost as much as the ones before.

That is unless - Bad news - My contract is about a year old, so I'd have to pay full price to upgrade. Bummer.

I love my Iphone because it's easy to carry and can do so much. I'd love it even more if it had the new features and more memory like the ones rolling out very soon.

Well, maybe when I am eligible, the Iphones will also have a flash and a telephoto lens. That might be next year's version. Until then, I'll probably have to sit and wait it out. I do have a perfectly nice small camera that does short videos and has 8 megapixels, so I'm not that bad off.

What about you? Will you get a new Iphone?

Back to the Grind

Back to work on a Monday after ten days of vacation, how depressing. Anyway, tonight I'll be going to our Chicag0-North RWA meeting, which will cheer me up. I always have fun there and eat too much of the treats our members always bring.

Another good thing - This week I plan to get Killer Career into shape, so I can get my author copies by the 4th of July Festival. Since I'm working full time now, hopefully, I can carve out enough time to get it all together. All sorts of little decisions to make and things to figure out. Stay tuned for more developments on that end.

On the Cutting Room Floor Again

I was selling my books at the Flea Market Saturday in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin, when a news reporter from Channel 7 in Wausau dropped by. He did interviews of vendors and shoppers. I managed to convince him to take some closeup shots of my books, but as luck would have it, they never made it to the broadcast Saturday night. The angle of the story was about bargains and finds in a tough economy, so apparently my books weren't considered in that category.

Years ago, the DH and I answered an area casting call for seconds in the Blues Brothers Movie. It was quite a warm day. There were also quite many of us. It was our job to walk back and forth along a street in Long Grove, Illinois. A beach scene followed at Sunny Hill Beach in Wauconda. I still remember how uncomfortable the heat was. I also remember the great lunch truck packed with wonderful meals for all of us. I think we got $75.00 a day for our duties, but am not positive since it was so long ago.

Anyway, we landed on the cutting room floor. No matter how many times we watched the movie, we couldn't catch glimpses of us amongst all the others in the crowd. In a book about the movie, we swear we could see the DH's back, but that's as close as we got to actually being in The Blues Brothers.

Still, I can't help hoping that maybe someday if I keep trying I'll make it big, maybe not on TV, but in some way with one of my books. That's the dreamer in me.

By the way, the weather was cool, but not as cold as last Saturday. Still, attendance was down, apparently since vacationers don't come in droves until after school lets out. I did sell more books than last time and met more great customers and vendors. All in all, a pleasant experience I'll repeat when I come back for vacation around Labor Day.

Heading home today.

Not Early Enough

I got up around 5:20 this morning, but it wasn't early enough. The DH gets up around 3:15 to go fishing on our pier. He hears the cry of the loons, and sees a bunch of other neat things, like the beaver getting out of the water and scrambling into the creek to go across the street to the pond.
Today, he saw a huge fox being chased by birds.

He has a video camera, but it's too bulky, so he doesn't use it to capture any of these wildlife moments. I think we should invest in a small camera with movie settings for him. I don't want him to use my camera, because, God forbid, somehow it lands in the water or gets wrecked.

Anyway, I'm getting ready for another Flea Market Day today at Arbor Vitae Fireman's Field. The forecast is cool, with rain moving in this afternoon, so I'm not sure how many browsers or buyers will stop by. Still, I do enjoy bonding with the other vendors. It's a whole different world seeing everything from their perspective. I'll let you know how things go.

A Detour Well Worth Taking

I went on a detour in more ways than one on Thursday. My friend, Jeanne, asked
me if I'd keep her company on a drive to Fifield to pick up a coyote pup, so I went along.

It was a beautiful June day and perfect for a ride in the country. Off we went on our mission to meet a lady at a gas station where the orphan pup, which was in a small crate, would change hands, then come back with us to the North Woods Wild Life Center.

Anyway, we ended up taking a detour which was not clearly marked, getting lost, going in a circle, and finally finding a truck driver at a stop light to get directions. A sign of the times - he had a printed satellite map showing the detrour roads. After receiving his directions, we made it to the gas station only fifteen minutes later than we'd first hoped to get there.

As soon as I saw the pup, I knew it was all worth the bother. He is a cutie.

Close Calls

I thought I had some close calls at Bingo Wednesday evening. For four games, I was one number off when someone else called Bingo.

Actually, they didn't turn out to be the closest call. That happened on the way home. I was singing along to "He thinks he'll keep her," and my friend, Jeanne, turned the radio up even higher so we could hear the song better.

Out of nowhere, a deer jumped right in front of the car. I gasped, I mean, really gasped!! It was right in front of us and we were headed right at it. By some miracle, Jeanne managed to swerve the car without upending it or going off the road, and the deer ran in back of us.

So, looking back at Bingo, those games were nothing compared to the close call on the way home. What about you? Have you experienced any close calls? Or maybe you've put a character in one of your books through a similar experience. Please share.

Not Missing Anything at Home

The DH just talked to his aunt today. It's been raining constantly since we left. Fortunately for us, we're enjoying peaceful weather here. It's cool for June, but that beats the heat we've often experienced in prior years. I remember a few when we suffered through 90 degree temperatures. When you don't have air conditioning and it doesn't cool off at night, it's the pits.

The DH caught a nice walleye this morning, so he's happy about that, but of course he'll be wanting to go for more as soon as he gets some rest. He's been getting up at ungodly hours, like 3 or 4 in the morning, since that's when the fish seem to want to bite.

Rascal and I enjoyed a nice long walk this morning, but not as early as the DH got up. Later I'll try Bingo and see how I do. At least at Bingo I don't have the peril of losing as much money as at the casino.

Mundania Press Acquires Hard Shell Word Factory

I just learned last evening in a group post that Mary Wolf, the publisher of my first two books, Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams, was selling Hard Shell Word Factory to Daniel J. Reitz, Sr. of Mundania Press.

Today, the acquisition was officially announced on various egroups online by the new owner. I and other Hard Shell Turtles are excited to have an owner who has the capabilities of carrying on the quality Hard Shell tradition.

Around the time I was first published in 2006, tragedy struck Mary Wolf's family when her son, Dirk, who was also a cover artist for Hard Shell, was murdered. On the heels of that, other misfortunes have dogged her, making it difficult for her to run Hard Shell in the manner she would have liked. As a result, the publishing schedule was put on hold.

I wish her all the best and also look forward to a new direction for the company under the reigns of Dan Reitz.

That said, my new release, Killer Career, is being published by Choice One Publishing Company very soon. I'm not sure yet if that's the direction my future novels will be published. It's good to know Hard Shell will again be a viable option for submissions.

Have any of you belonged to a publishing company that was sold, or worse, went under? Please share.

More Flea Market & Casino

I made it to the St. Germain Flea Market on Monday, but for some reason it turned pretty cold, which wasn't in the forecast. Knowing how it felt when I was a seller at the Arbor Vitae Flea Market last Saturday, I decided to go anyway. Not as many vendors were there as usual at St. Germain, but I did manage to pick up some goodies. It's a rare occasion when I can't find something to buy at one of those kind of places.

After dinner at my friend, Jeanne's, we headed to the casino, where we spent way too long. We were both ahead in the first hour or so. We started around seven and stayed until ten. We should have left at eight, but we were having such a good time, we stayed and lost. I didn't bring an exhorbitant amount of money with and I did not go to the ATM for more, so things could have been a lot worse. Still, we're taking a break from casino action until later in the week. I'm not sure what the plans are for today, but Wednesday we'll try Bingo again.

I also managed to make some headway on the back cover copy for Killer Career, so that's good.
Vacation is rolling along and I've heard the wind will be dying down and the sun appearing more in the next few days. We'll see about that.

North Woods Wild Life

On Sunday I got a tour of the NorthWoods WildLife Center from my friend, Jeanne, who volunteers there to feed the animals. The Center takes care of injured and orphaned wild animals and returns them to the wild when possible. Some end up being permanent residents when they can'd fend for themselves on their own, such as birds who lose wings or animals who lose an eye.

Here's one of the owls. I took lots more pictures, but it's way to difficult to upload them here while I'm on 2G.

Once I make it back to civilization with 3G
and DSL, I'll be able to show you more.

Afterwards, we headed over to the casino, where I actually ended up ahead by $80.00. The man next to me said he'd spent $600 on the same machine I was playing, but he wasn't as successful. I'm making sure not to overdo it, since money is tight. Still, I do enjoy playing slots and intend to go back again this week.

Today it's St. Germain and the flea market there where this time I'll be a customer. Fortunately, I'll have my casino winnings to spend.

At the Flea Market

My spot in the Pavilion at the Fireman's Flea Market in Arbor Vitae, WI, was quite cold, mainly because of constant wind gusts, but the comaraderie amongst the vendors was warm enough to make up for any discomfort I felt. I had tucked four magazines and a book into my tote bag to read in case of poor attendance, but was so entertained I never read them.

A slow, but steady stream of customers came through, but not many felt like sticking around too long when they felt the chill winds in the Pavilion. In the picture, I'm holding up the poster for my upcoming release, KILLER CAREER, which I've begun advertising.

On Monday, I'm hoping to get over to the St. Germain Flea Market, this time as a customer. One of my neighbor vendors will be selling again there and I'll stop by the say hello.

Then, next Saturday, I'm back again to Arbor Vitae again to sell more books at their Flea Market and have fun with the other vendors.

Fiinding Stuff

First Day of vacation for someone like me is filled with putting stuff away and finding stuff. The DH and I use walkie talkies when he goes out on the lake in the boat and I'm in the cottage. They were great for keeping track of each other.

Anyway, I couldn't find the charging cord, but after a long search found it in a different bag than the radios themselves.

That cord was only one of the many things I had to find and put where it belonged. I think I've got everything where it should be for the 10 days we're here, but can't tell for sure. I wish I were more organized, but it's not in my blood. I just do the best I can. So far, I'm lucky. I don't think I forgot anything I wanted to bring with.

What about you? Do you have trouble finding stuff or getting it all together when you go on vacation?

A Nice Man

I was going to blog about going on vacation today. Actually, I'm on the road again to Wisconsin this morning.

Anyway, I saw something on Thursday that warmed my heart. I saw some people selling raffle tickets for cars to benefit Children's Memorial Hospital. Nothing unusual about that. They do it every year.

What was unusual was one businessman stopped and shook one of the volunteers' hands and said something like, "Thanks for being out here."

Another few blocks later, the same businessman put some coins in one of the street person's cups and went on his way.

He probably had no idea he'd left an impression on me, but he did. All I could think was Wow, this is a nice man.

Have you encountered anyone who does something simple which made an impact on you? Maybe you can think of how to fit something like this in a book you're writing to show and not tell the goodness of a person. Or, maybe another author written something that made an impact. Please share.

Graduation Parties

Tis the Season - For Graduation Parties.

A niece
A cousin's son
A friend's grandson

That's the tally so far, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were more on the way. Going to one could be a good thing or bad, depending on how you look at it. I consider it a mixed blessing.

It's wonderful to be with friends and relatives, having a good time and eating great food. It's not so wonderful to eat too much, which I tend to do when the food is terrific. Also, we're a bit short of money this year, but we still want to give the graduates nice gifts.

What about you? Are you going to any graduation parties or maybe holding one?

Let's Play Cards

When was the last time you played cards? Come on over to Acme Authors Link for more about cards today.



As always, comments here, there or both are appreciated.

Rascal Meets Governor Quinn

For about 20 years, the DH and I have spent Memorial Day and the week after in Wisconsin. Due to a conflict in vacation plans at my job,this year we had to change our vacation week.

We were surprised to learn The Salute Run, a track event, had been going on in Arlington Heights for 6 years. We decided to check it out and brought Rascal along for the walk there. Before the races began, Pat Quinn, the Governor of Illinois, and Arlene Mulder, the Mayor of Arlington Heights, gave short speeches.

When the Governor was through speaking. The DH went up to get his picture taken with the Governor, along with Rascal. The picture's above.

Afterwards, the DH laughed. He said the Governor asked for the dog's name and said she was cute. He didn't ask for the DH's name.

We're used to that by now. Like I've mentioned before, when we walk Rascal people are always stopping us on the street and saying things like, "That's the Target dog," or "That's the Patton dog," or "That's the dog from Little Rascals."

Some even say, "That's the Youtube dog," since Rascal's Mom put up a number of videos there. (If you search for morganmandel, you'll find them, by the way)

It's obvious Rascal has clout, even with politicians.
Does your pet get more attention than you? Please share.

Memorial Day

The DH and I were in the Arlington Heights Memorial Day Parade today handing out flyers for the Frontier Days Festival over the 4th of July.

Here's a pic I took while we waited for the parade to begin.

Car Scare - This Caught My Eye

I was going to post about something different today, but a news article on Yahoo caught my eye. The Dad in the story suffers from hypoglycemia, which I have, but it's under control. I also refer to this illness in Killer Career, my upcoming romantic suspense.

This article reminded me of when I was young and one of my brothers got into the car and it started moving. Fortunately, Dad got in and applied the emergency brake before anything bad resulted.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090523/ap_on_re_us/us_boy_driver

Do you have any car scares to share?

Sneak Peak

Hi Gang,

Here's a sneak peak at my updated website and the cover art for my upcoming romantic suspense, Killer Career. You can check it all out at http://www.morganmandel.com/



I've changed the main page and some other pages. Still have more to update, but it's not as hopelessly behind as it was not long ago. Somehow I kind of forgot the website existed after I got caught up in my daily blog here, but it deserves to have its own life also.



Hope you like it.

They're Back!

I hadn't seen them in a while and wondered if they'd reappear. I kind of thought they would, since they usually do.

Sure enough, I spotted them on my way to the train station this morning. I don't like them very much, but I have to admit they're usually very industrious. I guess there's a lesson to be learned from them. They seem to usually have a system going and get things done.

Here they are, up above, shown on one of the sidewalks, going about their business. Can you tell what they are? Have you seen any lately? Do you have any stories about them to share?

People in Cages

This is the season for people in cages. Every day on the way home from work I see them.

They sit on iron chairs in front of iron tables and they're happy, despite the fact they're caged in. Maybe the reason for their great mood is they're outside in the fresh spring air and enjoying the good-looking food and drinks in front of them. Also, I guess they don't mind being in cages because they know they can get out whenever they want to - when they finish their meals and/or drinks, or conversations and pay their bills.
If they don't pay, I wonder if they have to stay inside until they do?

Have you seen these people in cages also? Or, maybe you've been one of them or would like to be. Or, do you hate outdoor eating and drinking? Please share.

Some Burning Questions

On my blog today at Acme Authors Link, I ask some burning questions most published authors want to know. Perhaps you know the answers. Have a try at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com

Thanks

Burying Bones Over at The Blood Red Today

Here I go again, this time directing you to The Blood-Red Pencil, where you can see a picture of Rascal and read about burying bones. There's more to it than you may think.

Morgan

As usual, comments here, there, or both are always welcome.

Meet Barry Eisler

BARRY EISLER
I happened to meet the talented and all around nice guy, Barry Eisler, at the Love is Murder Conference a few years ago when we were on the same panel. Today, I'd like to share some info about him and his new novel, Fault Line.



Bio: After graduating from Cornell Law School, Barry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center. Eisler's thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of the Year, have been included in numerous "Best Of" lists, and have been translated into nearly twenty languages. The first book in Eisler's assassin John Rain series, Rain Fall, has been made into a movie starring Gary Oldman that was released by Sony Pictures in April 2009.



Silicon Valley: the eccentric inventor of a new encryption application is murdered in an apparent drug deal. Istanbul: a cynical undercover operative receives a frantic call from his estranged brother, a patent lawyer who believes he’ll be the next victim. And on the sun-drenched slopes of Sand Hill Road, California’s nerve center of money and technology, old family hurts sting anew as two brothers who share nothing but blood and bitterness wage a desperate battle against a faceless enemy.

Alex Treven has sacrificed everything to achieve his sole ambition: making partner in his high-tech law firm. But then the inventor of a technology Alex is banking on is murdered, the patent examiner who reviewed the innovation dies--and Alex himself narrowly escapes an attack in his own home. Off balance, out of ideas, and running out of time, he knows that the one person who can help him is the last person he’d ever ask: his brother.
Ben Treven is a military liaison element, an elite undercover soldier paid to “find, fix, and finish” high-value targets in the United States global war on terror.

Disenchanted with what he sees as America’s culture of denial and decadence, Ben lives his detached life in the shadows because the black ops world is all he really knows--and because other than Alex, whom he hasn’t spoken to since their mother died, his family is long gone.
But blood is thicker than water, and when Ben receives Alex’s frantic call he hurries to San Francisco to help him. Only then does Alex reveal that there’s another player who knows of the technology: Sarah Hosseini, a young Iranian American lawyer whom Alex has long secretly desired--and whom Ben immediately distrusts. As these three struggle to identify the forces attempting to silence them, Ben and Alex are forced to examine the events that drove them apart--even as Sarah’s presence, and her own secret yearnings, deepens the fault line between them.

A full-throttle thriller that is both emotionally and politically charged, Fault Line centers on a conspiracy that has spun out of the shadows and onto the streets of America, a conspiracy that can be stopped by only three people--three people with different worldviews, different grievances, different motives. To survive the forces arrayed against them, they’ll first have to survive one another.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Line-Novel-Barry-Eisler/dp/0345505085/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242648099&sr=8-1

Website: http://www.barryeislercom/

Are you a fan of thrillers? Have you read any of Barry's books?

Normal Wear and Tear

The paint on some of the letters on my keyboard is missing and it's not even a year old. Also, it's the one I use at home, which means I don't spend as much time typing on it as the one at work.

When the DH tries to use it, he gets very perplexed, since he only knows the hunt and peck method. Sometimes I even forget where the letters are and do a double check, but it doesn't do much good when looking at the keyboard doesn't enlighten me. How can it, when I can't read the letters?

Anyway, I called Dell today and spoke to the Gold Plan guy. He'll replace my keyboard this time, but he says what it's experiencing is normal wear and tear, like when a car's paint gets faded because it's out in the sun. I don't get the analogy, but I'm glad I'm getting a new keyboard for now.

Have you had such problems with your keyboard? Any other problems with your computer hardware? Were you able to get it replaced, or did they say it can't be covered since you're equipment experienced "Normal Wear and Tear?" Please share.

Changing Houses - Where I Live & Where I'm Published

When I was single, I moved three times to different apartments. When I got married, we lived in an apartment one year, bought a house the year after, which we stayed in for seven years, then moved to our present house three blocks from the first one. I've been in this house 29 years, the longest of any in my life. I'd like to move again, but the location is so great,we have so much junk to get rid of, and the real estate market is so bad, I don't know if we ever will at this point.

Speaking of changing houses, the publisher for my first and second books was Hard Shell Word Factory. Since it no longer fit my needs, I'm changing houses. When my new romantic suspense, Killer Career, comes out hopefully by the end of the summer, my new publishing house will be Choice One Publishing Co.

I'm not sure where any of my following books will be published. I'll see how Choice One does.

What about you? Have you changed houses, either where you live or where you're published, or do you stay put? Please share.

Pics and Podcast From My Interview at WJJQ

If you have some extra time while doing
dishes or some other chore around the house,
I invite you to listen to part or all of the
podcast from my radio station interview
last Friday, May 8.

You may learn some things about
me you didn't know before.

It was so much fun being actually on WJJQ
92.5 FM, the station I listen to all the time when on vacation, also the one that got me hooked on
country.


Many thanks to Mark Everett, the morning host, for suggesting the interview and also for doing such a great job of asking just the right questions and putting me at ease. He's the one standing in the back of the picture below. Phil Richard, the morning host that follows Mark on weekdays on the right.


Also, thanks to the station owner, Gregg Albert, who allowed the interview and also helped set me up in Studio B.



Here we are in Studio B

To access the podcast, go to http://wwww.wjjq.com/FORUM58.m3u

How Do You Connect?

I was overjoyed to get back to my DSL when I got home from vacation. I missed the speed so much.

There are drawbacks to DSL, since nothing's perfect. Last night I wanted to go online, but that didn't happen because it was down. My modem which should have been a steady green, turned orange, then red, both very bad signs. Still, I'd rather use DSL than cable, since I can go wireless in various spots of my house and at other locations in the area.

When I was in Wisconsin, I used my network card, but in that neck of the woods, actually the North Woods, my card only got up to 2G, making it very difficult to put graphics up on my blog and open large files. It was very slow.

On the train in the Chicago area, when I use my network card, I can usually pull in 3G, which is faster, but not as good as DSL. I still have trouble at times when I click on the comment section in blogs and it doesn't always come up, or when I try to upload pictures.

What about you? How do you connect? What's good or bad about your method?

Tornadoes and Dairy Queen

The weather service says we're in for some dicey weather here in Illinois, including a chance of a tornado. Tornadoes always reminds me of Dairy Queen.

Before you think I've flipped, I'll explain. Many years ago, when I was on vacation in Wisconsin with my good friends Jeanne and Debbie, we decided to go to Dairy Queen. While we were waiting in line, the sirens went off. In that area, sirens are not unusual since the fire department was and still is manned by volunteers.

So, we didn't think anything of it. We waited to get our ice cream and got into the car. After a few minutes we noticed the sky was this weird greenish black color, it was raining ferociously and the wind had turned gale force. That's when it hit us. The sirens were not about a fire, but about a tornado.

By the time we realized what was happening, pebbles and other debris had already started flying at the windows and sides of the car. We had to get to safety, so we headed to the Lakeland Motel, not far away.

As I rushed from the car to the motel, I locked the door with one hand and held onto my uneaten Dairy Queen sundae with the other. We made it inside and down the stairs to the basement, where we were reunited with our husbands who had gone fishing on the bridge next to the motel.

Everyone was surprised I'd managed to lock the door and carry my sundae without blemish through the storm and down the stairs. In case you're wondering, the tornado passed us without harm.

So now you know why tornadoes remind me of Dairy Queen.

Do you have any such adventure stories? Or, maybe you just like Dairy Queen. Please share.

Dann and Raymond's Movie Club 2009

Dann and Raymond's Movie Club
promises another fun evening ahead this Thursday evening at the Arlington Hts Memorial Library and it's free!

Left to right in Photo: Raymond Benson, Dann Gire

Over 50 guests, including the DH and I enjoyed a fun and informative evening last month at the Dann and Raymond's Movie Club presentation about Sci-Fi, where we saw clips from such movies as The Man Who Fell to Earth, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Alien.

Along with the clips, our talented hosts, Dann Gire, movie critic for the Daily Herald newspaper, and Raymond Benson, multi-published mystery/thriller author, quipped and threw in fascinating tidbits about the movies and their makers. I'd never guessed that hiding under the special effects of the Empire Strikes Back was the important theme of loyalty among friends, but Dann and Raymond knew.

This Thursday evening's fascinating topic will be Steven Spielberg and his films. If you're in the area, a free evening of entertainment awaits you starting at 7:30 pm at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, 500 North Dunton, Arlington Heights, IL 60004.

For more info, call 847-392-0100 or go online at http://www.ahml.info/.

Have you been to any other good presentations at libraries? Or, maybe you'd like to be a film critic and tell us about a movie you loved or hated. Please share.

Planting Flowers/Garden

We just got back from our first vacation last night, then rushed off to the DH's aunt's house for a Mother's Day celebration. I've got 25 more pages to go on my edits, plus some other decisions to make about Killer Career, which I hope to get out by September 1 if not sooner. Another vacation is scheduled at the end of May. Then we won't be going back to Wisconsin until around Labor Day.

Usually, we're gone to Wisconsin more during the summer, but this year we've got a long gap between the 2nd and 3rd vacations. That means, I might even be able to plant flowers and take care of them.

Still, since I'm a busy author, I won't be going overboard. I think geraniums are a good bet. I seem to remember they don't mind as much as other flowers if I neglect them and don't get around to watering them that much.

Any other suggestions of easy care flowers? What about you? Are you planting a garden? If so, what are you planting? Please share.

Happy Mother's Day - How Are You Celebrating/Honoring?

Today is a day to celebrate the mothers in our lives and cherish their memories. Usually on Mother's Day, the DH and I go to the cemeteries to visit our Mom's graves. Since we'll be on the road a good portion of the day on our way home from vacation, we'll do that next Sunday instead.

When we get home, we do have something to look forward to. That evening we'll be going to dinner at his godmother's house with many other family members on his side in attendance.

Since I've never had a child, except for Rascal, I won't be getting any Mother's Day gifts or special honors. What about you? How are you celebrating Mother's Day? Please share.

Book Signing Today/Saturday in Tomahawk, WI

Although vacation is winding down to a close (leaving Sunday for home), I have one more fun thing to do.

Today, which is Saturday, I'm doing a book signing at Cover to Cover, in Downtown Tomahawk, Wisconsin from 11am -1pm. Yesterday, I was interviewed by Mark Everett, the morning host of WJJQ FM, the local radio station. We talked about my books and the book signing at Cover to Cover.

After the interview, we stopped off at the book store, spoke to Dawn, the owner, and took a few photos, one with Dawn. Many times on the day of book signings it gets so crazy it's hard to get photos done. It's a cute store, as you'll see from the photos.

I also got word that on our next trip, on the Saturday after Memorial Day, I'll be able to do a book signing at a flea market sponsored by Arbor Vitae Fire Department in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin. The great thing is I can get a spot in the Pavilion (won't need to bring my own tent) for only $15.00, so it's definitely worth that tiny investment. Also, it's a spot not hard for me to get to.

So, my vacations are turning into working vacations, but that's okay, because I'm having fun with this kind of work. What about you? Do you have any book signings or events lined up during your vacation?

Live & On Streaming Audio at WJJQ Today

I'm in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, at the WJJQ FM Radio Station this morning 92.5 on the dial in Wisconsin, also streaming live at http://wjjq.com/ from 9:35 to 10am.

The morning host, Mark Everett, is interviewing me about my books, Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams, and my upcoming book signing on Saturday at Cover to Cover in Tomahawk, Wisconsin from 11am to 1pm.

Hope you can hear some of it, and if you're in the area, pleaese stop by the book signing.

Thanks,

Morgan Mandel

Inbox Answer, Radio Interview & Shopping

I'm embarassed to confess that the answer to my question yesterday about how many unanswered messages that were in my inbox is:

14,665 as of the time I wrote the blog. It's up to 14,704 now, because I went out with my friend to Bingo this afternoon, then worked on my manuscript tonight.

That's my business blog. I also have a personal blog which only has 3,119 messages unread.

Enough confessing. Someday maybe I'll get caught up, or maybe not.

Anyway, I won at Bingo, thank goodness. I did need the extra money, since I'd lost twice at the casino and have done a bit of shopping.

Friday, it's the radio station interview at http://www.wjjq.com from 9:35-10am streaming audio if you want to listen - Central Daylight Savings Time, since it's coming from the Tomahawk, Wisconsin radio station.

After that, my friend, Jeanne, and I must go back to Kohl's since we got free money from all our purchases there on Tuesday. $10 for every $50 spent. I ended up with a $40 coupon and she has one for $30, plus we have coupons for 15% off also. If you do the arithmetic, you can tell I spent pretty much at Kohl's, but I also got a lot that day. I couldn't pass up jeans marked down to $8, and tops at $7.99, plus some other clothes and costume jewelry at reasonable prices.

The good thing about it is, unlike at the casino, when you spend money, you always get something back for it. What about you? Do you like to shop on vacation? Or, are you like the DH who basically dislikes shopping and only goes when he absolutely has to? Please share.

Inbox - Brag or Confess

When I was checking my email the other day, one of my co-workers gasped at the amount of mail in my inbox.

I must confess it is astronomical. I belong to so many egroups and organizations, and also network with so many people in the writing business, I can't read all the messages I receive each day. What I usually do is delete junk mail first, then go to the quick messages, then save ones I have to think about or which will take longer to read. The problem is lots of times I never get to those messages I wanted to read. They just keep piling up. That's sad because I do remember a few years ago I was hung up and hunting down the 2 unread messages I couldn't find in my inbox and were probably junkmail placed in a spot I'd already bypassed.

I didn't mention that I also save lots of my mail after I've read it, instead of deleting it.

Can you guess how many unread messages I have in my inbox as of this moment? I'll leave the answer here tomorrow.

What about your inbox? Are you behind with reading your messages, or do you diligently keep up with them? Do you delete most of them after you've read them? Please brag or confess.

You Are Here

I'm sure you've all seen maps with a dot or arrow or other marker and the words, "You Are Here." That's because it's important to know where you are. That pertains not only to everyday life, but also to the writing life.

If anyone read my Where Am I blog yesterday at http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/
the answer is -
Heading North on Interstate 39/US51 near Wausau, Wisconsin, with a west view of Rib Mountain. The snow's still on it because the sun doesn't hit that side of the mountain.

When you write a novel, one important aspect to consider is setting. You need to ground the reader in where the story happens. It's not enough to mention where everything takes place. You need to go deeper, and include sights, smells, sounds and taste.

You can go for the obvious by mentioning famous landmarks, such as Rib Mountain, near Wausau, and/or you can describe other scenery, such as office buildings, lakes, or farm lands. Don't forget sun or rain. You'll find lots more sun in places like Arizona all year round, than in spots like Illinois. Ireland and England are more famous for rain.

Smells are also easy. No matter where you are, you'll smell something. Hospitals have that antiseptic odor, fresh air has its own clean smell, cars, buses and trucks let off exhaust fumes. Bakeries have an aroma to die for. You get the idea.

Some ways to describe sounds are songs of birds specific to the area, such as the cry of the loon in the North Woods of Wisconsin. Cardinals, robins, sparrows, you can find in a lot of places, but you may not hear their songs in certain parts of the U.S. unless it's Spring or Summer. Jets zooming across the sky are a daily occurrence in metropolitan areas, but not as much around farms. The sound of a helicopter almost always means trouble, since they tend to hover around news scenes. School bells, boat motors, and other specific sounds can identify where you are.

Taste is also a great way to describe where you are. Certain foods are more popular in certain countries, areas and/or populations. On Taylor Street in Chicago, known as Little Italy, you'll probably find more people eating spaghetti than corned beef. More examples are popcorn at movies and hot dogs at baseball games.

Can you name other ways to identify location? Have you included such tips in your own novels, or perhaps you've noticed a great example in someone else's book. Please share.

See the Where Am I Blog Today

The question asked at my blog today at http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com is Where Am I?
See if you can figure out the location. Tomorrow I'll reveal the answer here, and also give you some hints on how to include setting in novels.

As usual, comments, here, there or both are appreciated.

Does Doggy or Kitty Come With?

Here's Rascal in the van on the way to our cottage in Wisconsin. We're lucky to have a vacation spot where we don't have to worry about bringing our dog along. She's too much a part of our lives for us to leave her behind in someone else's care.

What about you? When you go on vacation does your pet come with? Or, maybe sometimes you wish you could bring your dog or cat with, but it's impossible. What do you do?

No Money Lost

No money lost yet at the casino. That's because I haven't gone there yet. (g) Too busy getting organized Friday and my friend, Jeanne, is volunteering at the animal wild life place today.

We spent a long time getting to the cottage - 7 1/2 hours. Once we arrived, we had all sorts of mundane things to take care of, like unpacking clothes, putting away supplies to use for the rest of the trips, turning on the hot water heater, the gas heater, all sorts of fun stuff.

Then we noticed the cable wasn't working, so I called and waited. We discovered it wasn't that they hadn't turned it on right, it was an area problem. That didn't stop Charter from calling with an automated message saying they would come the next day. Automation is not always a good thing.

Anyway, we have hot water, but have some sort of problem from when Culligan connected the tanks, so we're still getting the minerals, which turn it a slight brownish color. Hopefully, that will be attended to on Monday. In the meantime, we have bottled water for drinking and pop.

I didn't mention the piers aren't in yet. They're sitting in front of the cottage. This is Saturday and the guy was supposed to have put them in the water on Friday. Supposedly he'll arrive Sunday to do the job. That doesn't surprise us, since that sort of thing happens a lot around this neck of the woods.

The good news is I'm up to page 111 out of 300 pages in my edits for Killer Career. I hope to finish them in the next few days and concentrate on getting reviews, among other related matters with getting my romantic suspense published.

What about you? Do you go on vacation? If so, do you ever write while you're on vacation?

On the Road Again

On the Road Again - Willie Nelson is singing in my mind as we take to the highways and byways, making our way to the NorthWoods for the first time this year.

I'm anxious to visit my good friend, Jeanne, again, and also to feed my slot playing weakness at Lake of the Torches. Since we're both short of cash, this vacation we've pledged to only bring with a certain amount of money yet to be determined each trip and not bring our checkbooks and credit cards along. When the money's gone, we're gone.

One good thing - I cashed in my loose change jar at home and my jar at work and now have $187.00 and $64.00 respectively, to play with at the casino. I'll probably match that with fresh money for other trips, but not sure if I can afford more. Unless, that is, I win. (G)

What about you? Are you a gambler? Do you like to play slots? I love them. The DH hates them.
Please share.

Getting Ready for Vacation

Vacation is fun, but getting ready is not fun. It's so hard to decide what to bring with. I just know I'll forget something and wish I'd thought of bringing it along.

One year my husband forgot his travelers' checks, another year, one of his pairs of glasses.
I forgot the change purse once for the tollway. That was a while ago. Now we use one of those transponders,or whatever they call it, to sail through. I forgot jeans another year.

What about you? Do you hate packing,too? Have you ever forgotten to bring something with on vacation? Please share.

Come on Over

Hi Gang,
Another detour. I'm asking you to come on over to http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com because today I'm hosting mystery writer, Chester D. Campbell's on his virtual book tour. He's got a fun post over there for you to read.

As always, comments here, there, or both are welcome. You may even win a prize over there.

Who Likes Chocolate?

I saw a flyer in the paper about the 10th Annual Long Grove Chocolate Fest taking place May 1-3. I'll be in Wisconsin then, feeding my other obsession, which is playing slots at Lake of the Torches Casino.

I'll be missing the Chocolate Fest, which is a shame since I do love chocolate. For a while I'd get headaches after eating it, but thank goodness that hasn't happened lately. I discovered some years ago I was hypoglycemic, which appeared to have happened because I'd gone on this great diet where I ate deserts but skimped on regular meals.

To recuperate, for an entire nine months I had to go without sugar, which turned out to be in many more forms than you'd ever guess. Gradually I was able to again indulge in sweets, but with caution. If I eat sugar in the morning, I'm usually tired the rest of the day. My body just can't handle sugar after fasting all night. For a while I missed my usual breakfast of chocolate long john and coffee with sugar, but I've adjusted well over the years.

The important thing is I can still eat chocolate and I love it.

What about you? Do you like chocolate?

Rascal Celebrates At Bentley's 1st Anniversary Party

Saturday the DH and I took Rascal to the 1st Anniversary Party at Rascal's favorite hangout, Bentley's Corner Barkery, where Lisa and Giovanni, the Owners, had special cake for dogs and also human cake at the back of the store.

It was a crazy day weatherwise, so we drove and parked a few blocks away to avoid getting caught in the intermittent downpours. Anyway, the party was well attended and probably would have been even more attended if the weather had been better. I took a video of the event, so you can see how the party went. Also, we got a call that Rascal won a raffle prize, so we came back on Sunday to claim Rascal's basket of goodies. That's on the movie also, but here's a pic to the left with Mia showing Rascal her basket.

Here's the Youtube Link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgoDs8R3mVs

Have you ever been to a dog party before? Do you go to stores that allow pets inside? Do you prefer going to family businesses rather than large company owned places? Please share.

Meet Sherrill Bodine, Contemporary Romance Author

SHERRILL BODINE















NOW UP ON THE PLAYER IN THE LEFT COLUMN AND AT http://blogtalkradio.com/booksandblogs - Interview that was aired today.

Sherrill is the author of TALK OF THE TOWN
Available at Amazon.com
and Barnes&Noble.com

Here's What It's About -

GOSSIP QUEEN DETHRONED!

Darlings, what a to-do at the Daily Mail today! After fifteen years as Chicago's gossip guru, Rebecca Covington has been demoted from divulger of secrets for the city's elite to headlining recipes in the Home and Food section. Apparently, a touchy senator is threatening legal action for Rebecca's latest extramarital scoop. But Windy City rumor has it that new CEO and dreamy Pierce Brosnan look-alike David Sumner downgraded Rebecca in favor of fresher, younger blood on the social beat.

Industry insiders expect Rebecca to fight her denouement, and inquiring minds have already seen the feisty maven trading quips and searing glances wtih her arresting new boss. Rebecca swears she'll reclaim her shining star status, but can the dishy diva even cook? And how can she ignore David's arousing effect on her sensibilities?

Sherrill Bodine
http://www.sherrillbodine.com/

We welcome comments here before or after the show.

Facebook's New Rules

Power to the People!

I just read in the Daily Herald that Facebook's new rules specify that users do own their own information when posting to Facebook.

Some months back a great storm brewed with Facebook's attempt to hold rights to certain personal content posted by members. Objections were overwhelming. I, among others, rushed over to our Facebook accounts and removed photos and articles we didn't wish to be claimed by Facebook.

Anyway, a vote was taken, the members spoke their minds, and we won!

Goes to show, if you don't like something, don't gripe where it doesn't count. Speak up to those that matter and you could make a difference.

What about you, do you use Facebook? Why? If you don't, why not? What do you think about the new rules and/or speaking up? Please share.

Are You Organized?

Every time I try to get organized, it seems I slip further back into chaos. Thursday night I thought I'd get my business accounts in order online, but my password wouldn't work. I had to get another one emailed to me. Then I decided to take money from my business acount and put it into my personal account to pay some writing bills I'd put on my Amazon Visa card. I use the Amazon card to rack up points at Amazon, of course. Soon I'll get a business card that can rack up points also, but I don't have it yet.

Anyway, I got that all figured out. I made out a check to go into my personal account which I planned on depositing in the morning. Then I remembered I really should put more personal checks in my purse. I thought I'd ordered some not long ago. Well, I discovered after rummaging around that I don't have extra personal checks. I swear I ordered them, but they're nowhere to be seen. That means I only have four left. So then I wondered if there's a way to get checks fast so I have them before vacation May 1. Turns out there is a next day service for around $21.00, but it's worth it when you're desperate.

What about you? Are you organized, or do these things happen to you?

Administrative Assistant's Day and Green Thumbs

Wednesday was not only Earth Day, but also Administrative Assistants' Day. I don't know why both were designated for the same day. Somehow it doesn't seem right. After all, we have 365 days in the year, more than enough to go around.

Anyway, I whipped out my Iphone and took a photo of the flowers I got from the bosses at the firm on Wednesday. Actually, in the foreground are the flowers from this year, and I'm proud to say, in the background's a plant I got for Secretary's Day, as it was called then, at least 10-12 years ago. I don't have a green thumb, but somehow this plant has survived despite being owned by me.

What about you? Do you have a green thumb? Do you have a job that's celebrated each year? Or, would you rather not celebrate your job? Please share.

Are You Cutting Back?

Lots of people aren't spending as much as they used to. I guess that's part of the reason the economy isn't bouncing back. Another part is that people don't seem to have money to spend. Or, is it that they realize they were overspending before, and now after hearing all the warnings, they're afraid to shop?

I know I'm not spending as much as before. One reason is the DH is semi-retired, so not as much money is coming in. Another reason is much of what money I have left after paying bills goes toward my writing related expenses.

What about you? Are you spending as much as before? Are you Cutting Back? When you do shop, what kind of items do you buy? Please share.

Balanced or Unbalanced

As I walked home from the train Monday after work, I saw a woman on roller blades skating along, holding a dog with each hand. She certainly had balance, one thing I really lack.

I've never been good at roller skating,ice skating or other balance sports. I can ride a bike, but have trouble turning corners sometimes.

In other aspects, I'm not exactly a balanced person either. When I get interested in something, I go into it with all my might. I remember when I started going to Bingo, I collected all the little doo-dads to put on the table next to my cards to bring my luck - little brass dogs, even a cupie (Is that how to spell it?) doll with hair sticking up. I bought a great bag with holes on the sides to hold my dabbers of varying colors. In those days we also used magnetic chips, so I had little boxes of those to go in my bag, along with a magnetic wand to scoop them up.

That's one example of how I'm unbalanced. Another is blogging. I'm so addicted to it I feel compelled to blog daily no matter what. I also feel guilty if I don't visit the friends on my blogroll.

I'm also unbalanced when it comes to writing. I've spent the entire night going through the edits to get my new novel, Killer Career, in order. I'm almost through, but not quite. I still can't give it up. I rarely watch TV anymore, since I'd rather write.

What about you? Are you balanced or unbalanced? Confess, please.

Make Mine Mystery

Yesterday, I interviewed romantic suspense author, Margot Justes, on Blog Talk Radio Books and Blogs. If you missed the interview, you can find it on the player in the left column here.

Today, at http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com I'm featuring mystery writer, Richard Roach and his new book, Scattered Leaves. I'd appreciate your hopping over to read all about him and his book.

As always, Comments here, there or both are welcome.

Hear Margot Justes Today on Blog Talk Radio

MARGOT'S INTERVIEW IS NOW UP ON THE PLAYER
IN THE LEFT COLUMN HERE -

Margot Justes, romantic suspense author, was today's guest at http://blogtalkradio.com/booksandblogs . Show time
4-4:15pm Central Daylight Savings Time (Illinois) time.
Call in Number is 347-308-8605.


Meet Margot:

Born in Poland, Margot Justes has lived in some of the world’s most wonderful places, including Israel, France and South Africa. Currently living in the Midwestern United States, she has taken her love of art and travel and cultivated it into unique settings and stories for her writing. A Hotel in Paris is her first novel.

A Member of Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she is the current President of the Chicago Chapter of Sisters in Crime.

In her spare time she enjoys travel, museums, summer art fairs, reading, gardening, music, and the occasional shopping spree. She is now working on her second novel,
A Hotel in Bath.

You can visit Margot’s website at http://www.mjustes.com/

As always, comments are welcome.

Do You Watch TV?

Just wondered how many of you have time to watch TV.For one thing, I don't like sports. For another, I can't seem to get into the sitcoms out there lately. Also, there don't seem to be as many of them as before.

American Idol is fun to watch, though I don't get to see it very often. Most of the time, I'd rather watch and listen to GAC, Great American Country, which mostly features country videos. I also watch the news, Chicago Tonight and Jay Leno. What I mainly prefer are movies, either on the Hallmark or Lifetime Channel, or ones I choose from On Demand. I also rent movies from the library and watch them.

All in all, TV doesn't seem as important to me any more, probably because my focus has shifted to writing and networking on the Internet.

What about you? Do you like TV as much as you used to? When you do watch TV, what do you like to watch? Please share.

Scary Signs of the Times

The DH and I were at the library Thursday night to catch a great program which I'll feature here later. Anyway, on the way out, I happened to notice these scary signs
of the times. I'm glad the library is helping people with job searches, but sad that it's necessary.






Already two people were laid off at the law firm I work at, while another is leaving voluntarily. I've already mentioned how another secretary's salary has been cut, while I'm working five days a week there now and being paid for four. I just heard the owners of some popular area malls are declaring bankruptcy. Where has our prosperity gone? Is the U.S. still the land of opportunity?

What's your take? Please share any good or bad signs of the times you've noticed or experienced.

The Mighty 100 - Appreciation Day

I just want to thank every one of the Mighty 100 who follow my Double M blog. I appreciate your checking out what I have to say each day. By now, you probably know pretty much about me - I have a DH I dearly love, a mischievous dog named Rascal, a mystery, named Two Wrongs, and romance, called Girl of My Dreams, published, with more books in the works. I also have a day job, but wish I didn't need one. I'd rather spend more time online with all my buddies.

Anyway, enough about me. Today, is appreciation day for my online friends, so take a bow.
If you're one of the Double M blog's followers, please leave a comment saying a little bit about yourself, and be sure to include your blogspot or website link for everyone to find you. And if you're not a follower, but just stopping by, I appreciate your interest also and invite you to introduce yourself if you so wish.

Thanks everyone!

Dog In the Window

Yesterday, I did a blog about Cat in the Window at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/ . Today is a follow up on that blog.

Many readers had a burning question. They wanted to know what happened to my neighbor's dog.

You'll all be glad to know the dog is back and barking as usual. Since I don't converse with that neighbor as often as I do others, I may never know why the dog was absent for a while.

Now that that mystery is at least partially solved, I invite you to hop over to my Are You Serious blog today at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/

As always, comments here, there or both are welcomed.

Cats and Dogs

Why did I, a dog lover, write a post called Cat in the Window at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/ ?


I invite you to hop over there and find out.


As always, comments are welcome here, there, or both places.

How Many Books Do you Have In You?

How many books do you have in you?

A single (standalone) book or a spinoff or a series
My mystery, Two Wrongs, is a standalone, as is my romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams. My new release this summer, Killer Career, will also be a standalone. So far, my work in progress, Forever Young, is intended to be at least two books, maybe more. One with the central story, heroine vs. villains, at least one or two spinoffs expanding on the core plot.

What about you? How many books are you working on or have you done? Are any of them spinoffs or series material? Please share.

Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!

Forecast here in Illinois is a beautiful Spring day, a rare treat around here for Easter.

I saw only one lady with a hat on at Church, but it was deep blue and didn't look at all like an Easter bonnet. Any Easter bonnets around you today?

We went to a brunch today at the Concorde. A pic is on the right.

Now I'm home and relaxing, but a little

bit too full. What's everyone else doing?

Have a HAPPY EASTER, however way you spend it!!

Juniors Cave Online Magazine

I first learned of Juniors Cave Online Magazine when its owner, Isaac Davis Jr., joined my book network at Book Place. I asked if he needed any book articles. That's how I became the magazine's Books and Literature Editor.

My spot there is called Big on Books, and wouldn't you know it, it's about books. Anyway, I've sent fresh content to the magazine in the form of new pics, plus my Blog Talk Radio player, which just happens to contain the last 4 episodes of my Books and Blogs Sunday shows, including interviews of JA Konrath/Jack Kilborn, Robert W. Walker, L. Diane Wolfe, and Barry Eva. Also included is a feed to this blog, which Isaac ingeniously set up in a rotating pattern, so readers can pick which blogs to catch.

I invite you to check it out when you get a chance at http://www.juniorscave.com/morganmandel.html
Please comment here and let me know how you like it.

Thanks,
Morgan

Cell, Land Line or Both?

When I was getting ready for bed Thursday night, I checked the power on my cell phone, as I often do. I happened to notice I missed a call from my friend. I had spoken to her fifteen minutes before, but she got another call and was going to call back. In the meantime, she called my landline. I had wondered at the time why she did that, but didn't ask.

Apparently the call to my cell didn't go through, or maybe I just didn't hear it with the TV on.
It's a good thing I have both kinds of phones.

What about you? Do you use a cell, land line or both? Which do you like better, or does it depend? Please share.

Carry Out or Go Out?

The DH and I prefer carryouts for dinner. We rarely go out to eat. We call, place our order, pick it up and dig in. Carryouts are so much easier than getting ourselves all fixed up, driving to a restaurant, waiting to get seated, waiting for the food, waiting for the check, and figuring out how much to tip.

We do have certain friends that we do like to go out to eat with, but not that often.

What about you? Do you prefer carryouts or going out to dinner?

A Good Night's Sleep

Since I so often fall asleep on the couch lately while watching TV, then stumble upstairs in the dead of night, sometimes not falling asleep again for a while, this got me thinking.

What's a good night's sleep? If I get close to six hours, I consider myself lucky. If I sleep more, most of the time I feel dopey all day.

What about you? How much sleep do you need? What do you consider a good night's sleep? Please share.

My Favorite Person

I like reading books in the third person, though if a book is well-written, I'll forget my preference and read one in the first person. Why? The only thing I can figure out is although I like to identify with the characters, first person seems a bit too intrusive.

As far as articles and non-fiction go, first or second person are fine with me.

What about you? What's your favorite person? Please share.

ACMs and Twitter

Sunday night I watched the ACMs (Academy of Country Music Awards) Show while on Twitter. What fun, tweeting back and forth about the performers. It was like we were all at a party together, dissing or cheering for favorites, commenting on clothes, voices, you name it.

Twitter makes it easy to do this. If you enjoy something popular on TV, you'll probably find the topic in the right hand column there. You click on it and you'll discover everyone that's doing tweets on it.

For a few minutes, Twitter went Over Capacity. Must have been the ACMs that did it!

Anyway, I enjoyed listening and watching. You can catch my tweets in the Twitter box to the left. Just use its scroller.

And if you're in the mood for something totally different, check out my blog today about Killer Career at http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com

Are any of you country music fans? Did you catch the show? If not, what kind of music do you enjoy? Please share.

Today's Guest - JA Konrath a/k/a Jack Kilborn at Blog Talk Radio Books and Blogs

JA Konrath/Jack Kilborn with Morgan Mandel at a 2008 mystery authors booksigning, Barnes & Noble, Arlington Heights, IL.

I'm excited to offer my new guest, JA Konrath, also known as Jack Kilborn, or just plain Joe, at Blog Talk Radio Books and Blogs today, Sunday, April 5. Please tune in from 4-4:30pm Illinois time (Central Daylight Savings Time) at http://blogtalkradio.com/booksandblogs to listen to the show live. If somehow you can't make it at that time, by all means stop by that site where you'll find the player. You'll also find the player here in the left column not far down.



Not only is Joe the author of the Jack Daniels mystery series, he's also got a scary new book of horror out called Afraid.

Joe is also responsible for a great blog called A Newbies Guide to Publishing, a great reference tool.

Let us know if you plan to listen or, if you comment afterwards, tell us what you thought of the interview. Have any of you read one of Joe's books? Do you want to? Please share

Frustrated, Aggravated, Determined

Don't be afraid to tune in to http://blogtalkradio.com/booksandblogs this Sunday, 4pm Central Daylight Savings Time (Illinois time) for my special guest -mystery and horror author, JA Konrath a/k/a Jack Kilborn. Learn about his new release, Afraid. You can hear it live at that time from the above website or about 15 minutes later on the player there or in the left column here.


I'm frustrated and aggravated because yesterday I lost one of my most valuable commodities - Time. The law firm I work for deals in workers' compensation law, which pertains to injuries on the job. Not as many people are working. Those that are, don't want to rock the boat when they're hurt. It all boils down to the firm not getting much business.

So, on Friday the boss called us each in separately and laid out new rules. What pertains to me is my 4 day work week is history. Starting immediately, I'm now working 5 days per week, but only getting paid for 4. This hits me especially hard, since I barely had enough time as it was to write, promote, blog, and spend time with the DH and Rascal.

I know the economy is bad. At this point, I can't afford to quit my job. I don't see any point in looking for another one either. On the plus side, I still get to keep my vacation time and sick days, which total 23 days. I don't want to lose that, since it's almost summer and that's when we visit our cottage in Wisconsin. Also, I still have health insurance, and definitely don't want to lose that.

At this point, I know I should be grateful I have a job at all, but I'd already put in my time by working 16 years full time at the firm before getting the privilege of a 4 day work week. The irony of it all was yesterday was my 37 year anniversary of starting work there.


So, right now I'm stuck. Losing a free day each week means I don't have that valuable time any more to play catch-up. I have less opportunity to visit my friend's blogs and leave comments, less time to get a few of my own posts ready ahead of time, less time to concentrate on Forever Young, my work in progress, less time to finish my edits on Killer Career.

When I was called in, I'd almost hoped to be fired, so I could go on unemployment and get my writing life in order. That didn't happen to me, but it did to another secretary who was actually a good worker and depended on her 2 days a week to make ends meet for herself, children and husband. Realistically, if I'd been laid off, I couldn't afford living on unemployment, but I would have loved to have that extra time. It's such a valuable commodity.

Anyway, the bright spot is I'm over 60. Who would think that would be a blessing, but it is. When I hit 62, I'm going on social security and taking a 2 day job close to home. Until then, I'll tough it out, unless a miracle happens. I'm determined to get my books completed and published, because they're important to me. It will require more finnagling, but I'll manage somehow.

What about you? Has the economy affected you? If you're a writer with a full time job, do you have trouble getting writing and promotion done?

Olympics

The Olympic Evaluation Committee is in Chicago for six days casing out the city to determine if it's the best choice for the 2016 Olympics. Suddenly I see signage on buildings, buses, and streets everywhere saying We support the Olympics and other such messages.

I can't get into the spirit, though the signs are lovely, with their yellows and oranges. For one thing, I'm not a sports fan and usually don't watch the Olympics. For another, I'm still not convinced that somehow the taxpayers won't be stuck with a large portion of the bill, though Mayor Daley says otherwise. I don't live in Chicago, but I work there and grew up there. It seems the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Still, even if none of the expenses were borne by civilians, my chief concern is terrorists. It's happened before with Olympics and it could happen again. I've heard all the arguments about not giving in and getting on with life since 9/11, but I still don't like the idea of Chicago setting itself up as a target. Even with top security, I foresee problems.

Am I being too much of a scaredy cat? What about you? Would you like the Olympics in your City or town? Please share.

Cheese

Marvin Wilson practically dared me to do a blog on cheese, so I am. It won't be too long, since I'm asking you to hop over to my other post today. More on that later.

Okay, here's how you can apply cheese to characters in your books.

Sharp Cheese - A sharp-tongued, clever, sharp thinking person

Mild Cheese - A mild mannered person.

Spicy Cheese a/k/a Cheezy - Sexy, hot person.

Runny Cheese - A person all over the place, can't handle life.

CheeseHead - Wisconsin resident. (Don't get mad at this one. I happen to love Wisconsin. It's my second home where we have our summer cottage. Notice my sweatshirt in the left column of this blogspot.)

Can you think of other characters from cheese? Please share.

Also, if you never saw my post on initials, please check out my On Demand post at
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/

Thanks,
Morgan

Worms

Today is supposed to be worm day, so I thought it appropriate to blog about them. There are good and bad worms. After a rain, sometimes you'll see them crawling on the sidewalks. Those are good worms. The birds are happy to eat them. Fishermen love to collect them for live bait.

There's also creepy worms like maggots, that are really gross to look at.

Anyway, unless you've been in seclusion lately, you probably know what this post is leading up to. I dare not say the name for fear it may go on the attack. A worm is supposed to slither across the Internet today, April 1, and attack computers. Because of the threat, I've scheduled this blogpost early, so I won't have to turn on the computer to make it appear. Whether or not I have enough courage to go online at all today, I'm not sure. You'll know if you see me.

It would be a great challenge for me to go cold turkey and ignore the Internet for one day, but I'm not sure if I can do it.

Since I wrote the above, I found out it doesn't matter if you're online today or not. It could attack you some other day. I may as well tough it out, so here I am again.

Okay, are there any brave souls out there who are reading this blog? If your virus protection is not updated, I suggest you do it right now. Comment first if you wish.