Fab Photo Friday

I call this one 'Buddy Contemplating Suet'.

It's actually a red-bellied woodpecker, but since we can't tell one from another, we call them all 'Buddy'.  When we had the feeder up on the porch, they would always visit and every time I'd see one I'd say 'hey, buddy'... and the rest is history.

Frozen Food -- Yay or Nay?

It's National Frozen Food Day so we looked into our freezers and what did we see?


B.E.: Let's see...  I have a couple half gallons of chocolate ice cream and a couple of vanilla, 3 pork ribs, a half a beef roast, scads of pre-patted hamburgers along with several packages of hamburger meat, a bag of frozen chicken tenderloins, half a package of bacon, two pepperoni pizzas, a thing of corn, a thing of teriyaki veggies, a thing of rice with veggies, french fries, meatballs, raviolis and three tubs of homemade soup.  Out here in the country, I buy in bulk and freeze food, or buy frozen food.  Dang, I just realized I'm out of frozen concentrated juice...


JB: In my freezer I've got: Leftover lasagna, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, carrots, peppers, a bag of cranberries, a bag of mixed berries, and a loaf of bread. What a boring freezer I have!

Tell us Killer Friends: What are some of your favorite frozen foods? What's in your freezer?

Random Sleuthfest Observations

This weekend I attended Sleuthfest 2014 which is run by the Florida chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. It's a well-organized conference for crime writers and its attendees range the gamut from raw newbies to best selling authors.

I met some wonderful people and attended some informative workshops.

Here are some random observations (which could be applied to any conference):

-- I don't have the attention span to sit through an hour and fifteen minute workshop in a cold room.

-- 45 minutes is too short for a workshop.

(I suspect that one hour would be my Goldilocks "just right" time limit.)

-- An ill-prepared or self-important moderator can make a panel discussion feel like torture. A good monitor can make a panel magical.

-- Many crime writers have/had really interesting day jobs. 

-- Male authors look A LOT more like their author photos than female authors.

-- Act like a jerk in my vicinity and I'll NEVER buy your books.

-- Act like a mensch and I'll make it a point to check out your books.

-- Wear layers and order the vegetarian meal choice.

-- Sit in the back of the room so that when you're bored out of your mind during a workshop (or a speech by a guest of honor)  you don't have to feel guilty about walking out. (Not that I'D ever do anything like that.)

-- If you're not multi-published NO ONE wants to hear your opinions.

-- If you're not published, stop trying to sell your book. Just shut up and listen.

-- Don't waste your time talking to people you think are jerks. Make an excuse and move on to someone who might be more interesting.

-- Be open to everything. One of the most interesting people I met isn't even a writer.

-- It's bizarre and annoying to have to listen to "Oh The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. (But to be fair, I've never been a Seuss fan.)

Teaser Tuesday

This is from a romantic suspense novel I've been trying to finish for years. I'm ALMOST there.

Hannah Maitland, the missing girl, lived in a beige Cape Cod in the middle of town. It was the section where the lawns were kept tidy by the homeowners instead of day labor hired help and seasonal decorations were put up and taken down on schedule.

            Coop knocked sharply on the front door and then took a step back so the he could be seen clearly through the peephole. He glanced sideways at Kimberly who was fidgeting uncomfortably. She’d been quiet and withdrawn since they’d left the river.

            The woman obviously had a lot of issues. While understandable, they were another reason to stay away from her. He had enough baggage of his own to drag through life, he didn’t need to pick up anyone else’s, which is why he’d told her he had to think about having a fling with her.

            Sensing him watching her, she flashed him a half-smile, a mix of trepidation and hope flickering in her gaze. His intention to stay away from her evaporated and he was forced to accept the reason he hesitated about having a fling with her was because he wanted so much more.

            The door opened revealing a small woman with pinched features.

            “Mrs. Maitland?” Coop asked.

            “Miss. I’m not married to that s.o.b. any longer.”

            “My apologies,” Coop replied smoothly, noting that the divorcee was just as hostile toward her ex-husband as DeSousa had indicated. “My name is Cooper Washington. I’m a private investigator and this is my associate Ms. Richardson.” He handed her a business card. “The District Attorney has asked me to assist the police in the search for your daughter.”

            She scanned the card suspiciously.

            “May we come in and ask you some questions?”

            Nodding slowly, she shuffled backward. They followed her into the house. Every flat surface was covered with photographs of the missing girl.

Noticing a playpen set up in the far corner of the living room, Coop asked, “Hannah is your only child?”

            Indicating they should sit on the sofa, Miss Maitland sank into a chintz-covered armchair. “I have a son.” Her voice was oddly flat.

            “And how old is he?”

            She spent a long moment calculating. “He turned two last month.”

            Coop stiffened, fighting the urge to look over at the playpen. What kind of mother had to think about how old her child was?  Something about the situation felt wrong, very wrong. “What’s his name?”

            “John.” Something in his voice must have given away his suspicions because a note of defensiveness sharpened her tone.

            “Are Hannah and John close?” Kimberly interjected pleasantly, diffusing the tension.

            Miss Maitland looked over at her daughter’s photos adoringly. Tears welled in her eyes. “She’s a sweet girl. Good to him. Too good. Such a treasure, my little angel.”

            Coop leaned back in his seat, hoping that Kimberly would understand he wanted her to keep questioning the mother.

Loaning Books - B.E.'s Philosophy

If you've ever watched Friends, you may have seen the episode where we all learned the following truth:

Joey doesn't share food.

I have the same philosophy about loaning books.  B.E. does not loan books--ever.  Oh sure, I used to be more than happy to share.  Problem was:  They either never came back or they came back damaged.  I cannot abide by dog-eared pages or creased spines or... :gasp: torn covers.  Not when I bought the book new and loaned it out as nearly new.  Nope, nope, nope.     

So, I stopped loaning books.  I'm not a freakin' library for petesakes.  It's not like I can slap someone with overdue fees or damage charges or force them to pay me for the book they lost. 

Now, if I'm reading a book I think someone might be interested in, I give it to them as a gift when I'm done.  That way, there's no expectations of how they'll handle my books because they aren't my books anymore.  If it's a book I love so much I can't bear to part with it?  Well, then I either strongly suggest they buy the book or, fundage willing, I buy them their own copy.  In a pinch, I'll give them my copy and then buy a new one for myself. 

But I don't loan books. 

The only exception to this rule was my daughter - and only when she lived at home.  She leaned early that books Mom loans her better come back in the condition they left in, or Mommy has a conniption and no one is happy.  Now that she's far away, she gets the same treatment as everyone else - recommendations or gifts.  No loans!

What about you?  Do you loan books?  If so, how do you deal with the issues of loaning books?  If not, how do you get around someone asking if they can borrow your books?

Fabulous Photo Friday -- Before and After OJ

Got to make OJ with my niece last week. She said it was one of the best parts of her vacation. Ahhh, to be 7 again, lol.

What did YOU read this month?

Reading check!  Time to sound off about what you read this month.

B.E.:
Since I finished my rewrite and it was so damn cold, I read like a bad devil this month.  Here's the list (copied from my 'books read page').  You can see I'm kinda mixing it up right now.  A little this, a little that keeps the ol' gray matter flowing for me. In fact, I've just started a Western.

23. Ringworld by Larry Niven (2/24/14) - SF
22. Lazy B: Growing up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest by Sandra Day O'Connor and H. Alan Day (2/16/14) - Memoir
21. Up From the Grave by Jeanine Frost (2/15/14) - Urban Fantasy
20. The Hitwoman Hunts a Ghost by JB Lynn (2/13/14) - Mystery*
19. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (2/13/14) - Literature*
18. The Way You Look Tonight by Bella Andre (2/11/14) - Romance*
17. A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett (2/9/14) - Historical Fiction
16. Dirty Little Secrets by Liliana Hart (2/7/14) - Romantic suspense*
15. How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G.A. Aiken (2/6/14) - Fantasy
14. Fatal Affair by Marie Force (2/3/14) - Romantic Suspense*
13. What Dead Women Want by Linda Schmalz (2/1/14) - Paranormal Romance*
(The asterisk denotes ebooks.)

JB:  

If you asked me what I read the most of this month, it would have to be the topic of Florida horticulture. I'm trying to save my orange tree (which I assume suffered years of neglect). I'm trying to figure out how to save my lawn (totally stymied on that one since the front hose is connected to the water softener so I can't use it to water the lawn because of the salt). And I'm trying to save two outdoor crotons.

In terms of books, here's what I read/re-read:

Shadow Creek by Joy Fielding

The Intercept by Dick Wolf

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey (a 20 yr old re-read…so basically I remember nothing, lol)

Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

Coach Yourself to Success by Talane Miedaner (this one I re-read once or twice a year)

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (another re-read, but so worth it)


Tell us Killer Friends: What did you read?