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.