Cyber Monday

Well, we got past the turkey and the pumpkin pie. Those who shopped on Black Friday seemed to fare well. I didn't hear any reports of mayhem, which is the first time that Saturday's news casts didn't lead with a report of injuries at a mall.

Shopping online has more appeal to me, other than what I buy locally at our small businesses in town, but I am a little concerned about credit card safety. A report on 60 Minutes last night was not encouraging. The story was about how vulnerable credit cards have become to hackers who get into the systems of major stores like Target, Home Depot and others and steal credit card information. Cybercrime has become quite lucrative for criminals and scary for consumers.

The good news is that the major credit card companies will start suppyling customers with credit cards that have computer chip technology, and they believe that will make counterfeiting cards almost impossible. For online shopping safety, Apple and Google are creating their own payment systems to protect account information and there is always PayPal.

For consumers it is important to protect bank accounts with strong passwords that are not easily hacked. The security changes that credit card companies and retailers are making will take several years to complete, so we have to be security conscious on our end.

If you are going to be shopping online today, you might want to go over to Amazon and pick up a free book while you are there. This is the last day that my police procedural mystery, Doubletake, is free for Kindle and Kindle APPS. Here's what one reviewer had to say, "Wow - so much packed into this story. And then such a surprise ending! Seriously well paced. I am pleased to recommend this to my mystery reading friends. The main character was up to the task and the dialogue snappy. More please."

As part of a CyberMonday special Untreed Reads is offering hundreds of titles at 40% off. That includes my romance novel, Play it Again, Sam that was published by Uncial Press. Here is what one reader said, "Without being melodramatic as so often happens, Miller tells the story that so many women have lived... going through an unexpected divorce and rebuilding thereafter. It's realistic and believable as Sam works her way through the many conflicts she experiences... altogether, a most enjoyable read"

And now your joke for the day. This one is from JokerZ.com I couldn't resist steal...er, borrowing it when I saw it. Fair warning, some might find the punch line a little raunchy.

In the men's bathroom, an accountant, a lawyer, and a cowboy were standing side by side using the urinal. The accountant finished, zipped up, and started washing and literally scrubbing his hands, clear up to his elbows. He used 20 paper towels before he finished. He turned to the other two men and commented, "I graduated from the University of Michigan, and they taught us to be clean."

The lawyer finished, zipped up, and quickly wet the tips of his fingers, grabbed one paper towel and commented, "I graduated from the University of California, and they taught us to be environmentally conscious."

The cowboy zipped up, and as he was walking out the door, he said, "I graduated from Texas Tech University, and they taught us not to piss on our hands."

Hope you have a good week. 

Monday Morning Musings - Cyber Monday Sales

There are a lot of terrific sales going on for Cyber Monday, and this is my preferred way to shop rather than deal with the crowds at the stores over the weekend. I found a website, Cyber Monday 2013 Deals, that has 29 pages of links to special deals. I like being able to find things in one spot, rather than having to check all the online retail sites. 

A special sale on e-books has begun with 50% off all titles from Untreed Reads, This includes books published directly by Untreed Reads, as well as books they distribute for publishers like Uncial Press and Books We Love. The sale runs until just before midnight tonight, and most short stories only $0.25 each. There are hourly special deals, as well, so check the main page of the store to find out about those. I'm pleased to have my holiday short story, The Last Dollar, as part of that sale, along with my other short stories, so this is a good time to load up an e-reader for yourself or as a gift.

The Holiday show I have been working on at the local art center will open this Friday, so I am going to be busy all week with the last minute things that always seem to pop up. This is a special show that has some music in addition to a short original play, Calliope's Christmas. The story concept was developed by a local lady, and she gave me free rein to adapt the story to a stage play. It has some wonderful characters, primarily a cat and a hare who learn the meaning of Christmas, thanks to Max, the dog.

It has been great fun working with the kids to prepare the show, and I have had great assistance from so many people who have helped with costumes and set decorations. Many hands working together certainly does make any job easier and more fun. But I must say it was quite a challenge to make a costume so the boy playing the hare would look like a real animal.

Are you taking advantage of the Cyber Monday sales? Did you do Black Friday? Are there favorite holiday shows that you like to see at a theatre or on Television?

Monday Morning Musings

This is my first day back to a regular schedule in my office. I came home from my three-week stay in Michigan last Tuesday, just in time to get ready for company for Thanksgiving. Our son and his family came from Austin for a few days, and it was great to have time with them. Already it is so quiet, and I miss them. However, I am glad to be back at work.

Yesterday I saw these two cats sleeping together, and I just had to take a picture. After a whole year of living together, I guess the two women have decided they can tolerate each other after all. Most of the past year had been spent with much hissing and posturing as the calico, Misty, told Daisy that she was not wanted in this house. I'm not sure, but what I think Daisy said back is not printable in a PG blog. It was nice to see that hostilities have apparently ceased.

While I did not join the throngs of people out at malls on Black Friday, I plan to do some shopping online today for Cyber Monday. What about you?

The bulk of my shopping will be for books - I have a lot of readers in my family - and a couple of electronics that I cannot get locally. Much of the rest of my shopping has already been done at local stores. We have some unique stores here in my small town, and it is always fun to find something just right for someone on my list. Antique stores often have real treasures, and I found one that I couldn't pass up.

If you are shopping online today, I do hope you will consider one of my books as a gift for someone on your list. Most of them are available as e-books and in paper, and there is a wide variety of genres.