Monday Morning Musings

Anyone who has ever been involved in theatre, either professionally or in community theatre, knows how that run down to opening weekend can consume every thought and every moment of your day. That is what it was like for me last week as we prepared for the production of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

Celebrating Big Daddy's Birthday

In addition to learning lines and blocking and figuring out how to portray a character, all of us in the cast were responsible for finding costumes and many of the props. Small community theatre troupes are, well, small. Sometimes there is not someone who can step up to be a stage manager. In professional, and large community theatre groups, a stage manager is the one who handles costumes and props and set dressing, as well as helping cast remember their cues for entrances.

Large theatre groups also have tech crews who do light and sound designs.

So with each production that I do at the the theatre in my small town, or the larger city of Sulphur Springs, Texas,  it is a bit of a gamble whether there will be people to help the cast and the director pull a show together. That we can do it is a testament to how dedicated we are to the stage and how much we love to bring a story to life for the enjoyment of the audience.

The story of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" has many layers, but it is primarily a story of redemption. Redemption between Maggie and Brick and redemption between Big Daddy and Big Momma. I thought of that when I saw this video on Saturday.



On another note. I read an article in The Dallas Morning News by Neil Gershenfeld and JP Vasseur about the Internet of Things. Some of the geek-speak was beyond my comprehension, but the bottom line is that the geeks have made it possible to have a small Web server that can do amazing things.

When embedded in everyday objects, these small computers can send and receive information through the Internet so that a coffeemaker can turn on when a person gets out of bed and turn off when a cup is loaded into a dishwasher, a stoplight can communicate with roads to route cars around traffic, a building can operate more efficiently by knowing where people are and what they’re doing, and even the health of the whole planet can be monitored in real time by aggregating the data from all such devices.

When I read that article, I couldn't help but think of my short story SAHM I Am. When my husband first told me about a computer that could be a Self Activated Household Manager, (SAHM) that was back in the 70's and I couldn't imagine what that would be like.

Did you know there is a real problem with people taking the wrong medications with really dire consequences? Ruth Marcus wrote about that in a column Sunday in The Dallas Morning News. The column was titled Look-Alike Pills Endanger Everyone and was focused on Kerry Kennedy, who was just acquitted of “drugged driving”. You may recall the new reports when Kennedy was charged after she mistook a sleeping pill for her thyroid medication and had an accident. Marcus also mentioned other cases in which people, including Tom Brokow, took the wrong medication because the pill and the container looked so much like the pill the person was supposed to take. A simple fix, according to Marcus, would be for pharmacies to put different colored cap on bottles containing sleep aids.

This step could be required, or smart pharmacies could do it on their own. After all, the manufacturer of my contact-lens cleaner knows enough to put a red top on that bottle so I don’t mistake it for the wetting solution.

 That's a great idea. I hope the pharmacies pick up on it. 

Special Sale for the Fourth of July

If you stopped by to meet Wednesday's Guest, you might want to check yesterday's post for a guest who could not make it today and get to know Ellen Harger. I am over at the Blood Red Pencil today where we are discussing authors writing book reviews. It is a discussion that started on Kristen Lamb's blog a week or so ago, and there are lots of pros and cons being tossed around. You might want to toss an opinion into the mix.

On another note, Untreed Reads is having a special sale to celebrate Independence Day! 

Now through July 4th, you can pick any four short stories (priced at $0.99 or less) and add them to your cart. During checkout, enter coupon code FIREWORKS and you'll get those four stories for only a dollar!

Even better news! You can use this coupon over and over, so come back and pick any other four short stories and get those for only $1.00 as well. We've even improved The Untreed Reads Store so that for many titles you can send the EPUB version directly to your Nook from your bookshelf, or send the MOBI version straight to your Kindle.

Click HERE for mystery short stories.
Click HERE for horror short stories.
Click HERE for romance short stories.
Click HERE for science fiction and fantasy short stories.
Click HERE for literary short stories.
Click HERE for experimental fiction short stories.

So many books - How can I choose?

I have four short stories with Untreed Reads - Making it Home - The Last Dollar - The Visitor - SAHM I Am . They are all included in the sale, so this is a great time to sample them. I have also decided to offer them as a special gift on July Fourth. Since that is my birthday, I thought I would give gifts as well as receive them. So I will give the short stories to one of my visitors who comment on any blog post starting with today's and continuing through the Fourth. Names will be put in a hat and one of my cats will use a very sharp claw to draw one out.

Don't forget to leave an e-mail so I can contact you.

Friday's Odds and Ends

Today, I'm over at The Blood Red Pencil where the topic is the differences between the way men and women talk. Hop on over if you have a moment.

A high-rent area of Dallas, Highland Park, is banning the use of artificial grass. "Plastic grass is not in keeping with the quality of design we want to have in our town," says a city council member.

Sure, let's stymie a home-owner's attempt to save some water. It's not like Texas has not been in a drought for three years.

Where's Tweetie?  Police in Florida are still looking for two people they say stole more than 500 canaries from the home of an 87-year-old Florida man back in May.  The birds, valued at $30 each, were then sold to at least three pet shops.

That gives new meaning to the word Tweet.

Speaking of new words, did you know that F-bomb is now included in a mainstream dictionary?  The term "F-bomb" surfaced in newspapers more than 20 years ago but just this past Tuesday was included for the first time in the mainstream Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, along with sexting, flexitarian, obesogenic, energy drink and life coach. For more on how words get added to the dictionary, as well as how the f-bomb qualified, here is the full story.
 

You've got to love this one. Representative Ralph Hall of Rockwall TX - the oldest member of congress at age 89, is going skydiving next May. "Sometimes you have to do crazy things," he says.

Way to go, Ralph.

Not so smart were the three men in Las Vegas who tried to ride a mattress down a flood channel in Henderson after heavy rains on Wednesday. A police helicopter caught up with them and ordered the riders out of the dangerous, fast-moving water.

What were they thinking? Oh, right. Probably not thinking was the problem.


Then there  was the man in Montana who was charged by a cow. The construction worker was helping police corral a runaway cow when the animal charged at him "like a bull at a rodeo," tossing him into the air before continuing its rampage through the streets of Montana's largest city. Story and pictures HERE

Just for fun. This came from the comic strip, One Big Happy. Ruthie walks into the kitchen to announce, "Boys are mean and stinky."

To which her mother responds, "Now Ruthie that's a generalization. Not all boys are mean and stinky. In fact, some are just the opposite."

Ruthie makes a new announcement,  "Boys are stinky and mean."

And now for a word from our sponsor. My short story, SAHM, I Am is free for Kindle readers today and tomorrow. If you missed it the last time it was free, now is your chance to get it. It is a humorous look at what happens when a computer meets an indestructible force. If you do get the story and enjoy it, I'd love for you to leave a short review on Amazon.

I just saw that my publisher has put my short story collection, The Wisdom of Ages, free today for Kindle. One of my fans said she liked this book the best of all of them. 

Book Review - Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond

 Through Rushing Water
Catherine Richmond
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 3, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595549250
ISBN-13: 978-1595549259
 

This is another wonderful historical offering from the gifted writer who debuted with Spring for Susannah.  This new inspirational novel fictionalizes the true events experienced by the Indians on the Ponca  Reservation of Dakota Territory when they were forced to relocate in the middle of the winter. It is true to the details of the broken promises and the horrible way the Indians were treated and brings forward one of our most embarrassing times as a nation. Greed and prejudice drove so many who had the power to make decisions that impacted a whole group of people in such horrible ways.

The central character, Sophia Makinoff, is strong, self-assured and planning to marry a  US Congressman. She has just finished college and is making her plans for a life in Washington DC, when said congressman proposes to her roommate. Heartbroken and anxious to escape the talk about being jilted, she signs up with the Board of Foreign Missions, hoping to go to someplace like China. Instead, she is assigned to the Ponca Indian Agency in Dakota Territory.

There she meets Willoughby Dunn, a man who touches her heart and her soul and teaches her the ways of the Indians and the ways of faith.Together, they try to improve the conditions of the Indians and fight for their right to stay on the land that was given to them in the initial treaty. They also forge a bond that is so solid, it carries them through the many challenges they face.

For people not familiar with what happened to the Ponca Indians, this is a sometimes harsh introduction to what they experienced at the hands of the white man. But it also gives an insight into the pride and dignity and willingness of those Indians to try to assimilate, while still hanging on to their land and their birthright.

I am not normally a huge fan of inspirational fiction as sometimes the message is delivered with a hand that is too heavy, but Ms. Richmond has managed to give that message of faith and hope without being preachy. The key to that I think is that the faith is so much a part of the characterization that it rings true. The romance is handled with the same deft hand and has the classic feel of great romances like Gone With the Wind and Casablanca, with many layers of intimacy that do not involve sex. I am not a prude, and in some stories the bedroom scenes are necessary, but a book like this proves that it is possible to portray a deep love without putting the characters in bed together.

I thoroughly enjoyed Spring for Susannah and am so glad I had the opportunity to read this book.

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I also want to mention that my humorous short story, SAHM, I Am, is free for the rest of today for Kindle readers. If you don't have a Kindle, there are Kindle apps for many other electronic devices. Here is what one reviewer said about the story: "Light as a soufflé and goes down just as easily. Every woman who's been told -- by her loving DH, maybe? lol -- how she could run her house better, faster, more efficiently, will identify. I know I did. Just kick back and enjoy"

Monday Morning Musings

David E. Abbot, a Community Voices columnist for The Dallas Morning News went out on a limb in a recent column by suggesting that there be no more pink ribbons at NFL games and NASCAR. Lest he incur the wrath of women everywhere, he did start by saying he does appreciate the efforts to raise money for breast cancer research and applauds all the people who step up and participate in the various programs.

The point of his column was not to say that there should be no breast cancer awareness month or other campaigns to raise awareness of the importance of research, treatment, and early detection. What he would like to see is a prostate cancer awareness month and blue ribbons at NFL games and NASCAR.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States among men, and this disease is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American males.

That is a fact I did not know until I started doing some online research. I also found out that when caught early, it is one of the most treatable of cancers that have a positive outcome. The problem is that the cancer is not caught early enough in many cases. Some men do not have the PSA screening on a routine basis, and the other test for an enlarged prostate is about as comfortable as a pelvic exam is for a woman, so many men say no thanks.

What Abbot would like to see is more encouragement for men to be screened and more research for a cure for prostate cancer. And he would like to see all of that promoted at events that are geared toward a male audience.

I hadn't thought about this disparity between breast cancer awareness and prostate cancer awareness, but there is no doubt it exists. And I agree with Abbot that both deserve equal exposure.

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Just a reminder about the contest my publisher for Play it Again, Sam is holding to celebrate its fifth year in operation. To join in the fun with a scavenger hunt and daily prizes, click on the birthday banner on the right panel of the blog or CLICK HERE  The major prizes are a Kindle and a KOBO e-reader, and every day an e-book will be given away free. 

Also, my short story, SAHM I am is featured on Indie Snippets today. Good chance to read a sample for free.

New Stories

 The Wisdom of Ages - A Short Story Collection,  my new short story collection was just released by Books We Love Publishing Partners.

Three stories; four men whose lives take unexpected turns. Meet Samson who wonders what is down that country road that draws people so. Should he get in that old truck and go see? Mel and Rube have been having dinner at the Leavenworth Grill every Wednesday for years. One day the menu changes and so does life for Mel. Tom would give anything for his life to change. Can he beat back the effects of a crippling stroke by sheer force of determination? Growing old is not for the faint of heart.

"These three gems will make you think about time and how you use it. Maryann Miller has a rare gift for taking the pulse of ordinary lives and spinning that into extraordinary tales." -- Craig Lancaster, author of 600 Hours of Edward"and The Summer Son

"Miller shares her skills as a writer and her humanity in this inspiring glimpse into the realities of aging and the heartbreak of letting go." Paula Stallings Yost Editor/Author, What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest

"Sometimes the best stories come at the end of our lives, and so do the strongest lessons. Read Maryann Miller's poignant vignettes about aging and let them tug at your heart-strings. They capture the very essence of our tender humanity." ~ Dani Greer, author, editor and Special Projects Coordinator for Little Pickle Press,

 I like working with a publisher who does all the work of getting a cover, ISBN number, and getting that all up on Amazon and other sites for e-readers. But I have also been experimenting with putting my own content up. That can be very time consuming for someone like me who has a steep learning curve when it comes to new technology, but I am learning.

Last Friday I announced that I have two new short stories up on Amazon for the Kindle. SAHM I Am and The Visitor  They are both priced at 99cents and make a good, quick read.

SAHM I Am is a humorous sci-fi story. Technology may be on the verge of having sophisticated home computers that run an entire household, but have the scientists taken into consideration the human factor? When SAHM, a Sensor Activated Home Manager, is field tested at the O'Neal home, he's up against the biggest challenge a computer has ever faced; one Shanna O'Neal.


The Visitor was first written as an assignment in a writing class to adapt a classic fairy tale, and I chose Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A camping trip in the Rockies becomes most interesting when a stranger shows up and the Cantrell family has to find out who has been sneaking into their cabin.

Friday's Odds and Ends

 There is some talk of raising the speed limit in Texas to 85MPH. Silly me, I thought that was already the speed limit. If I'm driving 70 to 75 MPH, cars zoom by me all the time.

The Dallas Zoo was briefly charging a giraffe-greeting fee until enough patrons complained. Apparently the zoo was trying to boos revenue by charging people to walk out on a platform that allows them to see the tall beasts up close and personal. The charge was $5.00.

Zoo officials were smart in rescinding that charge. Imagine having to explain to a four or five year old child that he or she could not see the giraffe close up because Mommy didn't have the extra five dollars with her.

And now for some personal business. We're having a party at the Author Roast and Toast blog where I am the guest with Angel and Sarah from Open Season. Stop by if you get a chance. There are some other great guests, including Agatha Christie, and some wonderful food and drinks. We are solving the mystery of who killed the IRS agent, and one lucky person will win an ARC of Open Season.

Also wanted to announce that I have two new short stories up on Amazon for the Kindle. SAHM I Am   and The Visitor 

SAHM I Am is a humorous sci-fi story. Technology may be on the verge of having sophisticated home computers that run an entire household, but have the scientists taken into consideration the human factor? When SAHM, a Sensor Activated Home Manager, is field tested at the O'Neal home, he's up against the biggest challenge a computer has ever faced; one Shanna O'Neal.


The Visitor was first written as an assignment in a writing class to adapt a classic fairy tale, and I chose Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A camping trip in the Rockies becomes most interesting when a stranger shows up and the Cantrell family has to find out who has been sneaking into their cabin.