Monday Morning Musings

First off some book news. I'm about to re-release a mystery, Doubletake, that I wrote with a co-author a number of years ago. It's another police procedural, but not part of the Seasons Series. It was published by a small publisher, and maybe sold ten copies, other than those I sold at signing events or out of the trunk of my car. Hey, didn't Grisham start that way? I think he did, but he put a lot more miles on his car than I did.

Not the finished cover, but close. What do you think?

Anyway, I did all the formatting myself, and gained a great appreciation for those folks who do that for a living. It is the most tedious, eye-straining work I have ever done, and there is no way I am going to do the formatting for the ebook version. I will gladly pay Untreed Reads their nominal fee to do that for me and get the book into all the outlets for ebook reading.

An article in Sunday's Dallas Morning News written by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld was titled What Drives Success. In it, the authors of  the new book The Triple Package: How Three Unlikely Traits Explain the Rise and Fall of Cultural Groups in America talk about the ethnic groups in America that are currently experiencing the most upward mobility. While doing the research for their book they discovered that some of the most successful ethnic groups in terms of earning power come from India, Iran, Lebanon and Chinese.

The couple noted that it is usually first-generation immigrants who have the most success, perhaps because of the three traits Chua and Rubenfeld identified:

It turns out that for all their diversity, the strikingly successful groups in America today share three traits that, together, propel success. The first is a superiority complex — a deep-seated belief in their exceptionality. The second appears to be the opposite — insecurity, a feeling that you or what you’ve done is not good enough. The third is impulse control.

In the article the authors explain the seemingly contradictory "superiority" and "insecurity" and how the two traits work together to motivate hard work, which is another ingredient of success. The authors believe that anyone can develop these traits:

It requires turning the ability to work hard, to persevere and to overcome adversity into a source of personal superiority. This kind of superiority complex isn’t ethnically or religiously exclusive. It’s the pride a person takes in his own strength of will.

The article is quite interesting and worth a read if you have a moment. Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld are professors at Yale Law School. Chua, one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, is the author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, which unleashed a firestorm debate about the cultural value of self-discipline, as well as the bestselling World on Fire. Rubenfeld examined the political dangers of “living in the moment” in Freedom and Time; he is also the author of the international bestseller The Interpretation of Murder. (I'm tempted to buy this one as the write-up on Amazon intrigued me, but I really hate to pay almost $9 for an ebook. I do hope major publishers soon realize that prices should be a bit lower. I'm not the only consumer who does not buy an e-book priced over $5.)

Now a reminder about the special sale at Untreed Reads through Valentine's Day. All romance titles are on sale for 30% off. All categories of romance from sweet to sexy are offered, including my romance novel, Play It Again, Sam.  One of my favorites from Laura Parker, Rose of the Mists, is also part of this sale.

It is still so cold here that my hands don't always want to work. I'm tempted to get some of these gloves:

Available from Japan Trend Shop

Hope you are warm and toasty wherever you live.

Monday Morning Musings

Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Some people don't think any more of the day other than the fact that it is a holiday and a day off work. Other people are irritated that there is yet another holiday to inconvenience them by closing banks, the postal service, and other government offices. Thank goodness, there are many more who recognize the importance of what he did and the need to celebrate and honor that.

And thank goodness that we teach our children and grandchildren the legacy that King left us. Here in my small town there is an annual celebration that draws close to two hundred people, which is good since the population is just over 3,000. The majority of those people are African-American, but more and more people of other colors and cultures show up each year. There are, of course, the obligatory speeches by city and church leaders, but there is also a wide variety of entertainment, singing and dancing and dramatic readings of some of King's most memorable speeches. It is always a good reminder of what Dr. King stood for.

I was proud to be active in the Civil Rights Movement, and we have made strides in acceptance and equality since the early 60s, yet prejudice and bigotry still impact our society way too much. Dr. King's mission will not be complete until that no longer happens.

Dr. King left quite a list of inspirational quotes, and this is one of my favorites, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Wonderful words, but only wonderful if we take them to heart and act on them.

On the opposite side of the "love/peace" coin is the increasing danger students face when they go to school. According to a report in The Beast by Brandy Zadrozny, there have been 24 school shootings since the Newtown tragedy two years ago, the most recent in Philadelphia. While this latest one appears not to be the same as incidents of anger-motivated mass shootings, it still causes great concern. In a more recent article in The Guardian Liberty Voice,  giving more details about the shooting at Delaware Valley Charter High School  Michele Wessel questions how a young man was able to get a weapon into the school that was equipped with metal detectors. 

Good question, but perhaps a better one - how did the kid manage to leave home with a gun?

On another note, as we look ahead to February and Valentine's Day, Untreed Reads is having a special sale on romance novels - 30% off - from now through February 14th. I'm happy that my romance, Play it Again, Sam will be included in that sale along with other romance titles published by Uncial Press. They publish everything from sweet romance to hot, hot, hot, so there is something for everyone's taste in a love story. Visit the Untreed Reads Store to see all the titles in the sale.

Wednesday's Guest - A Surprise

While I was taking my walk this morning, one of my characters, Samantha Rutgers from Play it Again, Sam, started talking to me. She insisted she wanted the floor, so to speak, so here she is to share some thoughts with you. I figured if I let her have this space, she would then hush and let Sarah and Angel talk to me. It's their book I need to be writing now.

While Maryann did a pretty decent job telling my story in fiction.

Um, excuse me?

Okay, maybe a bit better than decent. Satisfied, Maryann?

Now where was I? Oh, right. I just realized that Maryann has never shared much about the story behind the story. Play it Again, Sam is fiction, but it was inspired by a true story, and, boy, did Maryann ever make me relate to that poor lady who had to hear her husband say he didn't love her any more.

Can you imagine what a kick in the gut that can be?

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there who are getting kicked, men as well as women. Their spouses decide for some reason or another that they would be happier with someone else.

The problem with that thinking is that we shouldn't be counting on others to make us happy.  It is ultimately up to us to decide that we will be satisfied with our lives.

That's a hard concept to live. Sometimes we just want to be a child again and have a mommy come and fix what is wrong and put a band-aid on our emotional sores. It takes a lot of courage to grow past that childhood impulse and charge through whatever adversity comes our way.

In my story, I have as much growing up to do as my fictional daughter, Melissa. I relied too much on my husband and our life together to give me happiness and satisfaction, and I had to go out and find it for myself.  It wasn't easy, but I did it, and I can be proud of that.

I am also proud to be patterned after a strong lady who did the same. Authors make happy-ever-after happen in fiction, we make it happen in real life.

For another week Play It Again, Sam, is featured in a special sale at Untreed Reads. It is just one of a number of romance novels available for a 30% discount through February 14. Click on the title link to take advantage of the sale. To see all the novels offered by Untreed Reads, click on their link.

If you take advantage of the sale, I hope you will let Maryann know. She will tell me.

Thanks for listening... er, reading.

Monday Morning Musing

So what was your favorite Super Bowl commercial? Which one(s) would you give a thumbs down to? For me, some were easy to dislike, like the GoDaddy one that had the couple kissing. Sorry, GoDaddy, I like your site, but that commercial was awful.

I liked the Doritos ad that featured the man and the goat. Maybe I related because I have a goat, and I could see her plotting to kill me if I stopped giving her treats. But the commercial that I loved was the Dodge Ram commercial celebrating farmers, narrated by the late Paul Harvey. I know that one resonated with me because I play at farming here on my little piece of East Texas, but I have also loved and respected farmers my whole life. They are in my family and my circle of friends. The ad told of all the reasons "God made a farmer," and it was very poignant.

Inspired by the commercial, I went out and planted potatoes and peas in my garden this morning.

I'm not even going to join the debate about the half-time show, as I did not watch it. I don't care for that style of music, so I cleaned up my kitchen while the show was on. This morning I discovered that there has been some backlash from folks who did not think the show was family-friendly. Well, not much in our pop culture is anymore.

Oops, I just joined the debate. Sorry.

On another note, my publisher for Play It Again, Sam, Uncial Press, has partnered with Untreed Reads for a special sale event, offering books for a 30% discount through February 14. Click on the title link to take advantage of the sale. To see all the novels offered by Untreed Reads, click on their link. 

BLURB: Life as she knows it ceases to exist for Samantha Rutgers when her husband of twenty-plus years decides he no longer loves her. The challenges are myriad. Can she build a life without him? Will her daughter always blame her? Can she ever trust a man again?
    And what is she going to do about sex?

Divorce Rate Surging for Boomers

When I first got the idea to write my woman's novel, Play it Again, Sam, the divorce rate for people age 50 and older was just starting a slow climb. Most couples who were married for 20 years or more, usually stayed married and worked through the challenges of growing older, facing an empty nest, and some form of mid-life crisis. That is what made a story like Sam's a bit unusual.

I first developed the story for a line that Kensington was publishing, "To Love Again" and I had a contract for my book. The plot was based on a true story that a friend gave me permission to use, and I thought it was serendipitous that I had that story when Kensington was taking submissions for the new line. Shortly before my book was due to come out, however, the publisher dropped that line. Part of the reasoning, according to the editor, was that there just wasn't enough interest in stories like this. Not that many older women are facing the same situation.

Sally Abrahms

Now, the numbers of Baby Boomers getting divorced are surging, and there is even a term for it, Gray Divorce. In an article, Life After Divorce, that appeared in the June AARP Bulletin, Sally Abrahms quotes Jay Lebow, a psychologist at the Family Institute at Northwestern University who says, "If late-life divorce were a disease, it would be an epidemic."

It is estimated that one out of three boomers will be divorced as they face their later years. For women, like my fictional character Sam, who have not worked outside the home, this future can be difficult financially. It is not easy to find a job when one is 50 or older, so these women either go back to school for further training, or find some other way to make ends meet.

Sam made the choice to go back to school and get a degree in graphic art. She also temporarily moved in with a friend, Margaret, to keep expenses down.

Women sharing living spaces and expenses is something that is happening in real life, too. In her article, Abrahms mentioned one woman who moved in with her mother and became her caregiver after the older woman fell and broke her hip. Not only was it fortuitous that the daughter was there, after a short time she realized it was a blessing to have a closer relationship with her mother. "I went from being embarrassed that I was living with my mother to feeling so lucky we're close and that I can do this."

Other women are renting rooms in their homes or condos, as well as finding other ways to earn money. Edith Heyck gives art lessons and operates a decluttering business.

In Play it Again, Sam, the heroine meets someone who will probably be there to take care of her in her old age, but that doesn't always happen in real life. Even if one remarries after the divorce, will that person be there when the need might arise? Will stepchildren step in to be caregivers?

Of course the future is uncertain for all of us, but these women and men who divorce late in life have more uncertainties.

Are you in a long-term relationship? Plan to stay there? What would be your toughest challenge should you lose your mate through divorce or death?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Play it Again, Sam was eventually published in paper by a very small press and had very small sales. More recently it was published by Uncial Press as an e-book, and then indie published in paper this year.

Happy Valentine's Day

Another surprise Tuesday post. Just so people don't get confused, I will be back to my normal schedule next week. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to do something special for Valentine's Day to show my love for my followers and my readers. Here is a short excerpt from my one and only romance novel, Play It Again, Sam. For those who buy the book and come back with a link to a proof of purchase, I will put all the names in a hat and draw one lucky winner for a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate. The drawing will be done on Friday so there is plenty of time.

Enjoy the excerpt. This is from the scene when Sam and Frank first kiss:

Sam smiled as Frank fell in step beside her. They walked in companionable silence with the night sounds of crickets providing a dissident musical score. She paused when she saw the boat again.

“Do you like to sail?” he asked, following her gaze.

“Haven’t done it enough to know. But it’s always appealed to me.” She paused to consider for a moment. “I’m sure the real thing is much different from my romantic notions.”

“Nothing wrong with a romantic idea now and then.” He put an arm around to pull her close. “It’s what separates us from the beasts.”

“Now that's a real romantic thought.”

“Want to hear more?”

“Don’t think so.” She smiled at him to make sure he understood she was joking. “Why don’t we talk about something more interesting. Like why you came to Dallas. And whether you’re one of those Yankees who can’t appreciate the Lone Star State.”

“Do I sense a warning there?”

“I would pick my words with care. We Texans are mighty protective of our territory.”

Frank told her about the move from New York five years earlier, conceding the point that, yes, there was a lot to like about Texas. “I do sometimes miss the snow,” he concluded. “Although it  is nice not having to shovel my way to my car on winter mornings.”

“That’s why they invented ski vacations. All the benefits without the daily hassle.”

They paused where a little clearing allowed access to the edge of the water. The wind picked up, bringing a cool mist off the lake and Sam shivered. “Here,” Frank said, holding the jacket for her.

She slipped her arms into the sleeves, then he closed the front, pulling her gently toward him. The moonlight lightly touched his face, creating shadowed mysteries of his eyes. But his intention was crystal clear.

The touch of his lips was tentative, as if asking permission, and the very softness ignited a response. Briefly, Sam flashed on her moment with Max and wondered if deprivation was turning her into a harlot. But the concern was lost in the heat of Frank’s passion as he held her against the full length of his body, teasing her with a touch of his tongue.

She opened her lips, and he continued the tease with light, quick explorations that left her burning for more. Then he cupped her face with his hands and thrust his tongue deeper, filling her with a hot, seductive suggestion.

There was no room in Sam’s mind for conscious thought. Sensation and desire ruled. She wanted nothing more than for him to satisfy that deep aching need right here, right now. But he pulled back, sucking in a deep breath and looking at her for a long moment. “Better take you home before we get arrested.”

Not trusting her voice, she nodded and put her hand in his.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all my cyber friends - and yes I shouted that. LOL

Wednesday's Guest

As you might have guessed from the title of this blog piece, I will be devoting Wednesday's to guest blogs. If you would like to be my guest, send me a message at maryann@maryannwrites.com with a proposed topic. I prefer shorter blogs - around 500 to 700 words - and that they not be just a book promo. They don't have to be writing related, either. On some Wednesdays, I will continue to offer essays from my friend, Slim Randles, and hope you enjoy his offering today.

I just heard from Slim and two of his books are finalists in the New Mexico Book Awards competition.   According to his publisher, Rio Grande Books, both Sweetgrass Mornings, an outdoor memoir, and A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right, advice for young people, were named. The winners will be named in November.  

A huge congratulations to Slim.

I am over at Venture Galleries with a new weekly blog, so I hope you will go over and check it out, along with the other wonderful blogs there.

I would also like to announce that another of my publishers is having a terrific contest. Win a Kindle for Christmas contest started at Books We Love this week. They are giving away two ebooks a week, a Spa Basket, a Sweets Basket, ebook sets, and a Kindle before Christmas. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~


If they ever give a Nobel Prize for reading about science, our guy Bert Underwood would be a shoo-in. His own career had been strictly non-scientific, but his retirement absolutely reeked of cutting-edge discoveries, which he read about and tried to pronounce.

It was like that the other night when the Mule Barn closed. We had taken our wives down to split either a chicken-fried steak the size of a saddle blanket, or a fish and chips large enough to feed a cavalry regiment.  We stepped out into the chill of the night and looked up at the many stars.

“Nice night for neutrinos,” Bert said. His wife, Maizie, groaned quietly and looked for something in her purse.

“Neutrinos, Bert?” Doc said.

“You know what neutrinos are, of course, Doc,” Bert said.

“I think that’s the chess team in Fairweather, Doc,” Steve threw in.

“You’re wrong, Steve,” said Mrs. Doc. “Those are the Machismos.”

“So the neutrinos … aren’t they dogs that have been fixed?”

Bert was ready to bust a gut. “Are you kidding? You don’t know what neutrinos are? You don’t study astronomy?”

“Well, no, actually…”

Bert smiled in the darkness. “A neutrino,” he pronounced, “is a sub-atomic particle. It doesn’t have an electrical charge, and it flies around at the speed of light going through things. The word neutrino means ‘small, neutral one’.”

“Just like Gilbert’s Chihuahua. He charges around going through things… and I’m pretty sure he’s been neutralled.”

“I don’t know why I even bother bringing up these scientific things,” Bert said, in despair.

“Me neither,” said Dud.

“You probably don’t know about charmed quarks, either, I’ll bet.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” said Steve.

Doc made wing-flapping gestures. “Quark, quark … QUARK!”

Bert got in the car and drove off.

Sometimes drive-by knowledge can hurt innocent bystanders.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Brought to you by Slim’s new book and great stocking stuffer “A Cowboy’s Guide to Growing Up Right.” Learn more at http://www.nmsantos.com/Slim/Slim.html

~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

Friday's Odds and Ends

Smart Meters for keeping track of electricity usage aren't so smart after all. In one area of Dallas, a resident's electric bill jumped from around $85 a month for a small apartment to $670. It took two months and numerous inspections by the electric company to finally discover that a heat strip was malfunctioning, and that caused the heat and the air conditioning to run at the same time.

Too bad it took so long and several extra high bills before anyone would go beyond a perfunctory inspection, telling the apartment dweller, "Sorry, it's not our problem."

A firefighter in Irving, Texas held the record as being the longest-serving firefighter in the nation. When Captain Billy Holder, 77, retired after 56 years as a firefighter, he held that distinguished record. 

Kudos to Captain Holder.

One smart move. The Dallas County commissioners approved the budget for Parkland Hospital, and there were no bonuses included for the top 12 executives whose areas were found deficient in a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Reebok was recently fined by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising. Seems like those shoes they advertised as "toning" shoes, really don't do what the hype says.

Hmmm... and I was just thinking about buying some. Maybe I'll have to do some regular exercises instead. (written with tongue firmly in cheek.)

Finishing up with two items of note. First, My publisher for Play it Again, Sam is celebrating 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.

I am a regular contributor to the Blood Red Pencil blog, and the site has been nominated for an award by Grammar.net. Voting is going on now, and if you have time and are so inclined, we would love for you to vote for us. To vote, CLICK HERE then scroll down to Blood Red Pencil. Thanks for your support.

If you have any interesting tidbits of news to share, please do.

Sex is Not a Toy

... Or is it?

When I wrote the first draft of my woman's novel, Play It Again, Sam, one of the issues I wanted to address in the story was the growing cavalier attitude about sex. This was back in the early 90s, and I had a contract for the book from Kennsington for their To Love Again series, which they dropped just before my book came out. The book languished for a while, then came out as an e-book a few years ago.

In the story, the central character, Samantha, is divorced after 25 years of marriage and one of the myriad questions she faces is what is she to do about sex. The normal human desires are there, but she no longer has a partner. Her friend, Margaret, encourages her to find someone and just have fun, but Sam doesn't feel like that is something she can do. "I've been preaching to my kids about the dangers of casual sex. How can I be a hypocrite?"

In many ways that reflects my attitude about casual sex, and I was dismayed to read a recent article in The Dallas Morning News, Waiting to Wed by Mark Regnerus and Jeremy Uecker.  In the article they write that young adults, whom they keep referring to as emerging adults, are waiting longer and longer to get married, while pursuing active sex lives before hand. They quote psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, "Those who do not experiment with different partners are warned that they will eventually wonder what they are missing, to the detriment of their marriage."

Who hasn't played that what-if game about sex and about a lot of other things in life? But is doesn't have to be a detriment. Think about it, even fantasize a bit if you want, then get back to appreciating what you have. 

The article continues to support the benefits of exploring different relationships, "...there is value placed on flexibility, autonomy, change, and the potential for upgrading."

What? Is this like buying a car? Let's start with a GEO and end up with a LEXUS?

One of the major reasons cited for delaying marriage was a belief that getting married signaled the end of really good sex.  Hmmmm, most of my contemporaries would disagree. Just thinking about.... no, never mind.

My point is, sexual intercourse is one of the most important intimate acts we can participate in, and I sure wish the younger generation would not have such a casual approach to it. It is not recreation. It is not the same as playing video games or any of the other things we do to amuse ourselves. It is part of building a relationship, and that is not a casual affair.

What do you think? I'm sure younger readers are going to have plenty to say. LOL

E-Books Have Come a Long Way

It has been exciting to see the surge in e-book sales with the advent of the Kindle and the Nook and the iPad, as well as other reading devices. A lot of authors, including myself, are taking advantage of the interest in e-books by publishing new book straight to electronic formats, as well as putting up our back lists. In fact, there is a site now dedicated to BackList E-Books.  There you can find authors from the well-known like Paul Levine to, well, me.

The criteria for being listed on this site is that your books had to first come out in paper from a traditional publisher, so in a way the work is vetted for the reader.

Another exciting development for e-books is a recent announcement that The New York Times will start reviewing e-books on a regular basis. Wow, talk about validation.

While all of that is great news, what prompted me to write this post was a message I received in my inbox this morning:

We are collecting nominations for 2010 eBook of the Year. Please, nominate your favorite ebook here:

 Winners will be announced in The Huffington Post and will be alerted to over 2000 literary agents as well.

Sponsored byHow to Write a Query Letter.com

  To qualify for the award, the book nominated must have originated as an e-book, and I have two that qualify. Play It Again, Sam and Friends Forever.  A romance and a young adult novel. If you have a book that qualifies, head on over and nominate it for the award. If you don't, well, maybe you would consider nominating one of mine?

Thanks.....

Exciting News

I just received a message informing me that the cover for my book, PLAY IT AGAIN SAM has won the June Classic Cover Contest at the ClassicRomanceRevival Web site.

As the site name implies, it promotes novels of the more classic romance style in varying degrees of "sweet" "sexy" and "sensual." The authors affiliated with that site write the kinds of books that were popular when romances first took publishing by storm.

Winning this is a thrill, and I am glad that the book will get some extra exposure because of the win. It is a special story about love the second time around and was inspired by what happened to a good friend when her husband of 25 years decided he didn't want to be married anymore.

However, I am even more excited for my daughter, Dany Russell, who designed the cover. This win is as much for her as it is for me. Actually, probably more, since it is her work being honored. I am so happy for her.


http://www.classicromancerevival.com/classic-cover.html

Two More Stops on the Blog Tour

Today, I've cloned myself and am at two places at the same time. Ah, the marvels of modern technology. :-)

The first stop is at the PlotLIne -- http://theplotline.wordpress.com -- where there is an interview with the central character from One Small Victory. Here she talks about the difficulties of losing her son and working undercover.

Over at Reading Frenzy -- http://lumorgan.blogspot.com/ there is an interview with me that touches on hospital ministry and how my work as a chaplain has helped me in writing my books, One Small Victory and Play It Again Sam.


Come on by if you have a chance and leave a comment.

"Blog Train Excursion"

Welcome to the Blog Train Scavenger Hunt, chugging from url to url. I hope you enjoy this brief stop at my blog. Somewhere on this page, you'll find a hidden word, plainly labeled, that is part of a famous saying...not too famous though, so you'll have to use some brain power to assemble all the words you find during your travels--there are 16, total.

The hunt will end on September 13th, so you'll need to forward your final entry to mizging2003@yaho..com by midnight on the 13th. All correct entries will be entered into a drawing, but you never know...you may be the only person who gets it right.

I am busy promoting One Small Victory and (secret word = man) man is it a time consuming experience, yet a necessary one. If readers don't know the book is available, they miss the opportunity to read about an incredible woman's adventure.

As soon as you find the secret word here, please get back on the train and visit http://blog.skhyemoncrief.com for your next word.

All of us participating in this hope you find our blogs worthy of a return visit. Thanks for joining the Blog Train and have a happy trip. Remember, you can be the winner of 16 wonderful downloads.