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. 

Free Book for Black Friday

Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a pleasant thing that some people liked to do the day after Thanksgiving - go to the mall and do a bit of shopping, look at all the holiday displays, and listen to the Christmas Carols being piped over the sound system.

 

Image Courtesy of Black Friday Predictions

  Then something awful happened. Marketing people came up with the idea of calling the shopping day "Black Friday" and encouraged the retailers to compete for the shoppers' money by having huge sales. And while you're at it, why don't you open earlier than your competition?

 

"But Sears is opening at eight in the morning."

 

"So, open at seven."

 

And thus the war over opening times started, resulting in earlier and earlier opening times until Thanksgiving day was lost for anyone who works in retail.

 

The fun also stopped when the desire for a bargain became a compulsion, and people started camping out in front of stores days before the sales started. I didn't realize how bad that compulsion had gotten until I read about two women who have been camping out since November 7th in Louisiana. To get a television. They are willing to go through all that to save a hundred dollars or so? Weird.

The actual day - Black Friday - shoppers are almost manic, and those who have not already lined up to enter the store, push their way in, desperate to not miss a deal. Maybe there is still one more TV left that is on sale, but, oops, that other lady wanted the TV. No problem, we'll just push her aside. After all, we probably deserve that TV more than she does.

"Oops, sorry about that. Need help with that bloody nose?"

As you've probably guessed by now, I am not at a shopping mall today. I stopped going to the stores the day after Thanksgiving many years ago after being jostled by a crowd when a store announced a special sale on sweaters for the next fifteen minutes. I happened to be next to the table, so I turned and picked up a sweater, only to have a woman snatch it right out of my hand. I was so shocked that she would actually do that, I let go, and I let go of the desire to be any where near a store on Black Friday. 

I'm spending more time with my kids and eating more pumpkin pie. What about you? Are you out fighting the crowds? Do you enjoy the experience?

And now about that free book. I didn't forget, honest. Starting today I am offering my latest mystery, Doubletake, free for Kindle and Kindle apps through December 1st. The book normally retails for $3.99, so this is a bargain. This is the last time the book will be free, so grab your copy while you have a chance, and if you do get the book and read it, I'd love for you to leave a review on Amazon. Those reviews help authors so much.

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?

No Black Friday for Me

I know it is all the craze here in the States. The day after Thanksgiving everybody and their brother flock to stores to take advantage of special sales. I don't know when this all started, but I have never taken  part in it and don't plan to today, or ever.

This type of crazed commercialism that has people camping outside of stores for a week prior to Black Friday so they can be the first ones in the store, boggles this little mind. Every year we hear news stories of people getting hurt as crowds of people push and shove to get the latest electronic device, and I always wonder is it worth it.

It used to be that the sales started early on Friday morning, but in more recent years, the sales start Thanksgiving evening. Perhaps one day Thanksgiving will just be skipped so people can go straight to the local mall earlier on Thursday.

We still have company, so our Black Friday will be spent having a leisurely breakfast and enjoying some conversation with our son and his family. Then we may play some more games, or work on the jigsaw puzzle we started yesterday.

Later we'll pull out the leftovers from the Thanksgiving meal and celebrate thankfullness all over again. Tomorrow and Sunday will be repeats of today, until our company is gone. Some things are more important than others.

What about you? How will you spend the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend.