Book Review: Devil's Plaything by Matt Richtel

Once again I'm participating in a huge sale with lots of other authors who are all members of Backlist e-Books. We have books at deep discounts via Smashwords from now until Sunday, May 22. For details and a list of books and authors visit the Backlist e-Books Newsletter

Since everything was messed up last week, and I am scrambling to get ready for a two-week book tour, I am sharing another book review written by Carl Brookins. Those of us who use his reviews would be lost if we couldn't rely on his submissions when we are desperate for content. And just wait until you see what I pre-schedule here the weeks I am gone. Enjoy...

Devil’s Plaything
By Matt Richtel
ISBN: 978-1-59058-887-1
Released, 2011, 324 pgs,
Hard Cover.

This is a novel born of the twenty-first century. It is technology-rich,abrupt, punchy, and filled with first-person pithy observations. It has a modern complicated plot and some dark conspiracies worthy of flat-worlders and those who still appear to believe the landings on the moon were merely another government scam.

Blogger Nat Idle is drifting through life as a medical reporter and occasionally paying attention to his rapidly aging grandmother, the only member of his family in close proximity. When he and Grandma Lane are on a casual outing in a San Francisco park, a mysterious stranger, apparently driving a Prius, shoots at him, or her, or them. How could this gentle,rapidly aging woman, with no apparent enemies attract an assassin? Not possible, so it must be Nat who was the target. After all, he was engaged in a controversy with some San Francisco cops about Porta Potty corruption.

The novel uses a criminal conspiracy of immense possibilities and proportions to raise questions about the rising dependence on technology to replace our individual memories, and to sermonize about American society’s eagerness to shuttle its older generations into places where they can die out of sight and mostly out of mind. Those shortcomings aside, the novel develops and carries along an inventive idea that is highly fraught with tension and believability.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com, www.agora2.blogspot.com Case of the Greedy Lawyer, Devils Island,
Bloody Halls, more at Kindle & Smashwords!

Ramblings

Those of you who use Blogger.com for you own blogs noticed that there have been problems with the site most of the past few days. We couldn't get access to publish our posts, and that sure threw a wrench into our schedules, didn't it? And now I don't know what to title this post. It was written for my usual Friday's Odds and Ends, but what do I call it today?I really don't know. That's why I came up with that really catchy title.

Something new for the PC police to watch for - people who refer to their pets as pets. Apparently there is some concern among philosophers that the reason we treat animals as animals is because of the way we talk about some of them.  The Journal of Animal Ethics, a new publication, wants people to change some of the common terms applied to animals: Stubborn as a mule, sly as a fox, slippery as an eel.  Using terms like that supposedly makes us think poorly of those animals. The article in the Journal, also asks people, specifically writers, to refer to those cuddly creatures we share our homes with - the dog not our husbands - as companion animals, rather than pets. Apparently, "pets" is a derogatory term.

No wonder my pets, er, companion animals, are so deranged.

General Electric, one of the largest companies in the U.S. made $5.1 billion in profits in the United States last year, but according to a report in the New York Times, the company has not paid a penny of federal tax for 2010. Other large corporations that have paid little or no taxes include Exxon Mobil and Boeing, Bank of America and Citigroup. And they are not doing anything illegal. The tax laws allow for major loopholes for businesses.

And some people still think we don't need a massive overhaul of the tax system in the United States.

In a suburb of Dallas there have been two incidents of students fighting in a classroom and the teacher has not intervened. One incident was more of a beating than a fight as the victim was attacked at his desk and punched numerous times while the teacher just watched. Some teachers were quoted as saying that it is dangerous to try to intervene in a fight, and unless a policy is in place to deal with this type of violence, they are advised to do nothing.

It is a sad, sad day when students can rule a classroom like that. What kinds of parents are raising children who can strike such fear in their peers and other adults who are supposed to be in authority?

Can an Atheist be a Chaplain?

 A recent column in The Dallas Morning News was headlined: What would an atheist chaplain do? The writer, Daniel Akst, an avowed atheist, questioned how an atheist could be a military chaplain. Apparently a number of service men and women who do not believe in God have requested an atheist chaplain to help them through difficult times.

Akst, wrote that he could not see how an atheist could be a chaplain as they normally are connected to a particular religion, and one of the requirements to work for the military is a degree in theology. He didn't think an atheist could get such a degree. 

Actually, I think one could. Theology does not insist on a belief in God, it simply means knowledge of God. An atheist could study theology to have an understanding of a religious person's connection to God, however he or she is perceived, but an atheist would not have to make a profession of faith to complete such a course.

I worked for a number of years as a hospital chaplain and our main role was to be an advocate for the patient and the patient's family. An atheist could do that for military personnel without religion being involved. To counsel and support people in times of trauma and stress one does not have to bring religion into it, unless the person being counseled would find that helpful.

As part of my training, I learned that spirituality is not always connected to religion. One can feed their spirit - and everyone has one, even an atheist - through a lot of ways that don't involve a god of any kind. Spirits are fed and nurtured via relationships, music, art, nature, connections to animals, and a myriad of other ways. The things that make us sigh in satisfaction and bring us a sense of wonder are the things that refresh our spirit.  For some, that is a god, prayer, and religion. For others it is not. And that is okay.

So I can see where an atheist could be a chaplain and help other atheists cope with the challenges of serving in the military. What do you think?

Book Review - Where Danger Hides by Terry Odell

 Since I didn't post my usual book review yesterday, here is another one from Carl Brookins. Keep 'em coming Carl. And here's a link to Daily Cheap Reads where a number of authors have books mentioned that are on sale for only 99cents. One Small Victory is one of the books on sale until the end of May.
~~~~~~~~~~~~


Where Danger Hides
By Terry Odell
ISBN 978-1-43282-512-6
Five Star Mystery from Gale
May, 2011

The novel is a suspenseful thriller with a healthy dose of romance.  Or maybe it’s a romantic thriller with a good deal of suspense that keeps this moving at a sometimes alarming pace.  “Where Danger Hides” is both, and it’s also a fantasy in particular in the way and the speed with which the two principal characters are drawn together.

Miri Chambers is the caretaker and overseerer of a San Francisco shelter primarily for abused women.  Galoway House also manages to shelter and care for a number of children and men, as well. There’s a lot more to Miri Chambers. She is adept at disguise, light-fingered and as prickly as one can get. Two wrong words and she is liable to go off like a rocket. That propensity for shoot-from-the-hip judgments and attitude may also be the reason for her nearly unbelieveable hormonal response to the hunk she meets on a clandestine foray into the home office of a wealthy art patron.

Her reaction to “just” Dalton isn’t much different from his.  He works for a private security firm that has a large well-funded and mostly covert group of operatives working well outside the usual legal limits. Dalton, one of Blackthorn’s elite black ops operatives has an appreciated eye for female anatomy, wherever he finds it, including hiding under the desk of the aforementioned wealthy San Francisco Art patron.

Dalton and Miri Chambers are all fire and sparks and hot sex throughout this rollicking novel.  The author has created a pair of characters who could each carry the novel solo, but when you pair them, look out.

The action carries Dalton and Chambers from posh and elegant settings to gritty exceedingly dangerous operations.  Readers are not likely to predict each succeeding move.  One is required to suspend disbelief and recognize from the outset that explicit play, both sexual and firearms, is integral to the story.

Nevertheless, the plot is carefully and fully laid out, the dialogue is mostly logical and the tension carries well through the entire book. Gritty, tender, frustrating by turns I did feel that there were times when both characters exhibited too obtuse attitudes and were slower on the uptake than they should have been, given their life experiences.

Nevertheless, this is a fun read that makes several important points along the way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com, www.agora2.blogspot.com Case of the Greedy Lawyer, Devils Island,
Bloody Halls, more at Kindle & Smashwords!

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all mothers the best for a wonderful day. Hope you are celebrating and being celebrated with those you love.
Just for fun, I thought I would share an excerpt from my humorous memoir, A Dead Tomato Plant and a Paycheck that deals with the joys of motherhood. Enjoy....

Early on I learned to take my joys in little things, since the big things like Mother’s Day, Christmas, and my birthday only came once a year. Some days it was a thrill to take seven forks out of the silverware drawer and find them all clean. You may think that’s a bit pathetic, but you have to understand that it might have been year and a half since I’d taken a single clean fork out of the drawer and finding seven was like winning a Lotto jackpot.

Other days it was a thrill to tell the kids to start cleaning their rooms while I made a quick trip to the store and come home to find them actually doing it.

Another universal thrill for all mothers is to discover some random afternoon that we have fifteen full minutes to ourselves to do anything we want. As any experienced mother can tell you, there are all sorts of things one can accomplish in fifteen minutes. You can take half a bath. You can read twenty-two and a third pages in a book. You can start that letter you've been promising your sister for the last two years and hope that none of the news becomes ancient history by the time you finish it.

Or how about when we ask our kids who ate the last piece of cake, and one of them answers, "I did."

 If and when this ever happens to you, be very careful how you react. If your husband comes home from work and finds you wandering around the house in a daze with a silly grin on your face, he may lock the liquor cabinet, reserve a room in your name at the nearest mental hospital, or both.


~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget the special sale on e-books starting today. Check my Friday blog for links to some bargain books.

Friday's Odds and Ends

First I want to announce a sale for Mother's Day and the rest of  May - One Small Victory  is only 99cents on Kindle. This is part of a special program sponsored by Daily Cheap Reads - a great site for finding good books at bargain prices. Check the link starting May 8th. to find a list of other books for this great price.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled program.

Maybe it was just a coincidence that after I saw a woman walking down the street in spike heels that I came home and read a recent column by Steve Blow in The Dallas Morning News about women and their love affair with shoes.  This woman was trying to keep up with her friend, who was wearing walking shoes, and it looked like every step was an effort in maintaining balance while trying to pick up some speed.

I thought of that woman when I read the newspaper column and noted comments made by a podiatrist. She said that a heel that is 3 inches high creates seven times more pressure on the foot that a one-inch heel. 

She also had a lot to say about the pointy toes that barely have room for one toe, let alone five.

I think Steve summed it up well when he wrote, "We're horrified by the thought of barbaric old customs like Chinese foot binding, but that shoe (a 6-inch stiletto) looked like modern-day torture to me."

The main news coverage this week centered on the death of bin Laden, and reactions were varied. Some people took to the streets in celebration, and Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson referred to that as a show of "unmitigated patriotism".

Did he mean to imply that those of us who did not party in the streets, waving our flag, are not patriotic? I sure hope not, because there are plenty of folks who find such celebrations a bit distasteful. I am glad that bin Laden is no longer a threat. I am proud of the military and intelligence personnel who were responsible for the mission. But I cannot say I am glad he is dead. Glad and dead just don't go together for me.

If you choose to celebrate the death of bin Laden, that is your right. Have a party. But don't assume that those of us who decline the invitation to join you are not patriotic.

On a final note, columnist Steve Chapman wrote a recent column defending online porn sites, stating they cause no visible, provable, collateral damage. He wrote, "Given the evolution of sexual standards in America, there's not a lot that clearly qualifies as obscene anymore."

I had to read that twice to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting it. First, sexual standards have not evolved. They have devolved, if that is such a word. There are no standards anymore. And there are a lot of things that qualify as obscene if we would just start calling it that again instead of embracing it and propagating it.


What rattled your chain this week in the news?

Having some fun

Today I have a post up on The Blood Red Pencil with an introduction to a funny, funny book, Write More Good.

This is a book not to be taken seriously, but seriously, it is worth the price of admission. It is an irreverent look at the rules of grammar and language and writing styles that is clever and engaging.

I plan to keep this book on my desk. Not as a reference book because the promo material says, "If you use this you will get fired." But I will keep it handy for when I need to take a break and laugh a little. They say it is good for stress.

If you have a minute, hop on over to The Blood Red Pencil  to find out more about the book.

Monday Morning Musings

Yesterday I decided to start the third book in the Seasons Mystery Series. In some respects it feels a little strange to be working on that one when the second book won't be out until November 2012, but I figured if it really is going to be a series, there should be more than two books. Open Season has been well-received since it came out in December, so I'm thinking that maybe readers will enjoy more stories about Sarah and Angel. The third book is tentatively titled Out of Season.

I read an interesting column by Leonard Pitts last week titled "Why WIlliam and Kate's Nuptials Matter".  He wrote, "To get married is to make a bet on always and forever."

He went on to point out how the always and forever isn't as common as it once was. "We marry less, we marry later, we make marriage a reality show, we see out cynicism validated by Hollywood marriages that pop like soap bubbles. A wedding then, is not just an act of faith, but also one of defiance."

And his final point was that given the tragedy of his mother's death and all the scandal surrounding it, it would have been understood if William decided to forgo the whole marriage bit, but he didn't. In defiance of the odds and the history, William decided to stand in public and declare his love and loyalty to Kate. Pitts wrote, "There is something in it to gladden the cynical eye and hearten the pessimistic heart."

After reading the column, I had a different perspective on the whole Royal Wedding issue, although I still believe there was just a bit too much made of it in the media.

On another note, I was stunned last night when the announcement was made that Osama bin Laden has been killed. US forces killed him in the military town of Abbottabad, 75 miles north of the capital. If you would like to read a full story about the military operation that brought him down, here is a link to The Christian Science Monitor While it is hard for me to celebrate someone's death, a part of me is saying, "Yes, finally."

Book Review: Critical Condition by C. J. Lyons

 Thanks again to Carl Brookins for sharing a new review.

Critical Condition
By C.J.Lyons
ISBN: 9780515148688
Mass Market, 300 page
2010 release from Jove

Fourth and last in the Angels of Mercy series. A hospital in Pittsburgh is under siege, both from within and without as a huge blizzard brings the city to a standstill.  In the hospital, Dr. Gina Freeman is trying to cope with the problematical recovery of her fiancé, detective Jerry Boyle, suffering from bullet wounds. Elsewhere in the hospital, other capable if flawed women, Charge Nurse Nora Halloran, and student Amanda Mason, prepare to wait out the storm.

A vicious band of armed killers suddenly appears, looking for a doctor who happens to be out of the hospital.  She, apparently, holds the key to the continued well-being of a powerful and wealthy political figure from the West Coast.  The thugs demonstrate a frightening propensity for killing anyone who gets in the way and the bodies pile up.

Written in an almost breathless, pell-mell style, the novel never sags for more than a page or two.  Crisis lands on crisis almost as fast as the bodies pile up. Tension grows to almost unbearable levels and relationships become more entangled, setting up conflicts among the protagonists. In the end, the resolution results in a few more bodies. An excellent novel of type. The characters are well-drawn and have sufficient differences to make them easy to keep track of, the ploys used to confound the gangsters are interesting and varied and appropriate to the venues. The dialogue is logical and understandable and it fits the scenery.

~~~~~~~~~~

Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com, www.agora2.blogspot.com Case of the Greedy Lawyer, Devils Island,
Bloody Halls, more at Kindle & Smashwords!

Friday's Odds and Ends

First off, I did not get up at 4am to watch the royal wedding. I have no interest in it and will probably not even turn on the TV today as I know most network channels will be filled with stories revolving around the wedding and royalty and everyone's fascination with all that. I don't get it.

To me, the only good thing about the royal wedding is it will take the attention away from Donald Trump for a day or so. Can you believe that people are actually getting serious about a presidential bid by the Trumpster? And one of the reasons cited for the seriousness is the fact that of all the possible contenders he has the most money.

What? Being rich is the strongest qualification for the job?

I did find something else in the news this week more interesting than who is going to run for president, and that was a story about school police issuing tickets to students. I didn't know they could do that. And I didn't know the fines could be so high,  up to $500. The fines are for such infractions as cussing, disorderly conduct, fighting, assault, disruption of class, abusive language, and trespassing on school grounds.

I think the fines are pretty steep, especially for kids who come from families that live at the poverty level. One boy in Dallas was fined $280 for cussing. Yikes, I remember when such an infraction earned a demerit and some time spent after school cleaning the cafeteria.

What do you think? Good policy? Bad?

Doug Corleone - On Writer's Block

 First, I want to thank Maryann for hosting me here today. I appreciate the opportunity to be a guest and share some thoughts on writer's block.

As an author I’m often asked: Is there such thing as writer’s block? There are two schools of thought on this. The more popular among published authors seems to be “no.” Authors frequently reply to this common question by saying, “Writing is a job, just like any other. A plumber doesn’t wake up one morning and decide he has a case of plumber’s block.”

I disagree. In addition to being a writer, I am a lawyer, and I do indeed occasionally wake up with a case of lawyer’s block (a term I first read in a David Rosenfelt novel). It’s not as though I’ve suddenly forgotten the law or how to argue. Lawyer’s block, like writer’s block, is a simple lack of confidence. It happens to all of us at some point in our careers, I believe, whether we argue motions, write novels, teach young children, or fix pipes.

Confidence is key to my own writing. On days I receive glowing reviews, I typically write until I fall asleep at the computer. Conversely, when my work is panned, I’m sometimes frozen for days or weeks. Maybe I’m hypersensitive; maybe in time, that will change. But when I lose my confidence – at the computer or in the courtroom – I tend to think of it as being blocked.

How to overcome writer’s block? That’s the question. More pointedly, how to regain your confidence once a critic or agent or editor has done some serious damage to it? I’ve tried a number of things, with varying degrees of success. First, you might try taking some time away from your current project. Not too long, or else you may never return to it. When I step away, I try to work on something fun, something that requires less concentration. I find that when I return to my former project days or weeks later I feel refreshed. Unblocked. 

Read. When I’m blocked I often read books in the genre in which I’m working. That often gets the creative juices flowing. I also go back and read my own work, published novels and short stories, articles and editorials. Reading work others have praised provides a shot of affirmation just when you need it most. 

Of course, you could also do what many writers do. Pretend that writer’s block doesn’t exist. Sit down at your computer, stare down that glowing white page, eye that blinking cursor, and simply start typing. Of course, when your confidence is down, you may not write your best material. Which may lead to further panning and rejection. Which may lead to even lower levels of confidence. Or writer’s block. If it exists, that is.    

~~~~~~~

Douglas Corleone is the author of the Kevin Corvelli crime series published by St. Martin's Minotaur. His debut novel ONE MAN'S PARADISE won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. A practicing attorney, Douglas divides his time between New York and Hawaii. NIGHT ON FIRE is his second novel. 
    

Book Review- Night on Fire by Doug Corleone

Tomorrow I am going to have a guest, Doug Corleone, who writes a mystery series set in Hawaii, featuring attorney, Kevin Corvelli. Doug will be sharing some thoughts on writer's block that are pretty interesting. I hope you can come back to see what he has to say.


In the meantime, here is a short review of his book.

 In Night on Fire, hotshot Honolulu defense lawyer Kevin Corvelli narrowly escapes a deadly arson fire at a popular Hawaiian beach resort only to land the prime suspect - a stunning but troubled young bride charged with murdering her husband and ten others - as a client.

This is an entertaining read that really picks up momentum as it races to the end. There are some suprises at the end, so don't think the story is over until you read the last word. The book is set in Hawaii, and while some landmarks are mentioned, as well as popular restaurants, I wanted a little more of a feel for the island. I've been there and the sounds and smells and breathtaking beauty of the island was missing in this story. But maybe that was because the story is in Kevin's POV and that wasn't important to him.

The mystery is a good one as Kevin tries to get his client off and find out who really killed her husband. Also very enjoyable is the relationship Kevin forms with the young boy he rescued from the fire. It is strong and well defined in the story without being too predictable or sappy.

The official release date for the book is today - Happy Release day, Doug.

Douglas Corleone is the author of the Kevin Corvelli crime series published by St. Martin's Minotaur. His debut novel ONE MAN'S PARADISE won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award. A practicing attorney, Douglas divides his time between New York and Hawaii. NIGHT ON FIRE is his second novel.


~~~~~~~~~~~
FTC Disclaimer: The author sent me the book in hopes of a review, and a favorable one at that, I'm sure. But I made no promises. While I did enjoy the book, I derived no compensation for reading it. I didn't even get to smell the wonderful perfume of the flowers on the island of Oahu. Why does Kevin not stop and smell the orchids? Maybe then he wouldn't need his special medicine. You have to read the book to figure that one out.

Monday Morning Musings

My day started late this morning. Woke up to some pretty good thunderstorms and had to unplug my computer until the sound and fury subsided. Not that I minded all that much. Here in Texas we are desperate for rain, but unfortunately, this morning's storm had less precipitation and lots more lightening and thunder. If we got even a quarter of an inch, that is a generous estimate.

As a result of the prolonged drought, almost the entire state is under a burn ban in an attempt to forestall any more wildfires. The Possum Kingdom Complex in North Texas and the Trans-Pecos Complex in West Texas are among several wildfires burning throughout the state. Since Jan. 1, wildfires have scorched more than 1.4 million acres and led to the deaths of two firefighters. So if it starts to storm again and I have to turn off my computer, I will do so gladly.

On another note, I read in yesterday's Dallas Morning News that the managers of the Texas teachers' retirement fund received over $8.2 million in bonuses this year. According to the story this is more than double what top employees in every other state agency combined have received since 2007. And while the managers have raked in large bonuses, thousands of retired teachers have not had a pension increase in ten years.

The rational for giving the huge payouts is that the bonuses attract the top talent in the investment business. That is the same rational given for the bonuses the top executives at Border's Books are receiving, while hundreds of stores close and thousands of employees are laid off.

One would think that a company that is in bankruptcy would be restricted by law from allowing some executives to plunder the business that way, but there is no such law.

Why does it always have to be this way? We decry those who loot during riots, so why don't we decry those who loot and plunder at the highest levels? All those bankers and mortgage experts who got us into the financial mess of 2008 are still in their expansive offices, raking in the dough.

Happy Easter Everyone who Celebrates the Holiday

All I need to know I learned from the Easter Bunny! Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Everyone needs a friend who is all ears. There's no such thing as too much candy. All work and no play can make you a basket case. A cute tail attracts a lot of attention. Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day. Let happy thoughts multiply like rabbits. Some body parts should be floppy. Keep your paws off of other people's jelly beans. Good things come in small, sugar coated packages. The grass is always greener in someone else's basket. To show your true colors, you have to come out of the shell. The best things in life are still sweet and gooey. May the joy of the season fill your heart. AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!   Happy Easter!

Easter- He is Risen

Singer, songwriter George Gagliardi shares some thoughts about Easter every year with friends and family. When I was editing WinnsboroToday.com, the online magazine, George always let me use his articles. Even though WinnsboroToday.com is no longer in publication, I still thought George's missive worth sharing for all Christians. It is a bit long, but well worth the read. Enjoy....

Friends, Happy Easter
    This year’s contribution grew out of a passing comment from a minister about video proof of the resurrection. I trust you’ll find it worth reading.

Setting: Easter morning, shortly after sunrise, an empty tomb on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Two men are having a conversation, one has a video camera.

Tommy: (Obviously out of breath) Man, I can’t believe I missed it. I overslept. Got here as fast I could. Did you get it?

Pete: You better believe it. It was … I don’t know how to describe it. Thank God, I don’t have to. (patting his camera) It’s all right here on tape on this little camera of mine.

Tommy: Yeah, that’s great. But, I mean, you saw him, right? He really came out of there.

Pete: He is alive as you and me and that’s a fact. 

Tommy: I’m telling you I can’t wait to show this to those pious prudes and get right up in there face with it. What are they gonna say? Hm? How are they gonna justify what they did then? Those bastards will have to do some fast talking then, eh, Pete?

Pete: You better believe it. (Pause) You know, Tommy …

Tommy: Yeah?

Pete: I’m thinkin’ maybe we ought to show it to his guys first – you know, John, Matt – his followers. Can you imagine all the whooping and carrying on they’ll do once they see he’s alive again. I’m telling you it will be party time in old Jerusalem for sure.

Tommy: Yeah, what was I thinkin’. We’ll go and try and find some of them and invite them to the studio to see what you’ve got there. Of course it might be a bit tough – a lot of them went underground, trying to keep a low profile from “you-know-who”.

Pete: Can’t say I blame them. But once they see this – well, it will be a different story, to be sure.

Tommy: Yeah. (Long pause) You know, Pete, maybe we should watch it first before we show it to anybody else. Mind you, I’m not sayin’ you didn’t do your job but I think I’d feel better if we previewed it first just in case …

Pete: Just in case what … in case I didn’t get it?

Tommy: No, I didn’t mean that exactly. It just that …

Pete: Well what did you mean?

Tommy: Look, Pete, someone doesn’t come back from the dead everyday. This is ‘way beyond anything we’ve ever dealt with before and maybe … maybe there might be more going on with this than we realize.

Pete: Wait a moment. Do my ears deceive me? Are you talking about supernatural stuff? You, of all people. Mister “show me the proof” Tommy. You’re going to start talking about – dare I say it, miracles

Tommy: Okay, okay, it’s not my usual way of dealing with things but … well, this feels different. I’m just saying, what’s the harm in our looking at the footage first before we bring anyone else to see it – just to be safe.

Pete: Man, I never would have believed it. Okay, we’ll watch it first. To tell you the truth I’m anxious to see it and who knows how long it might be before we could find some of his guys.

Tommy: Hey, I think I hear somebody running, let’s skidaddle. See you back at the studio.

      (Back at the studio. The lights are off, the tape is rolling …)
 
Pete: See, there’s the stone, rolled away from the entrance. I mean, it just moved away by itself. When I saw that … wait a minute here it comes, see that bright light. Now it’s …

(Silence)

Pete: What happened? Where is He? This is the moment I saw him come out. Where the hell is he? He supposed to be there. He was there, I saw him. I swear I saw him come out.  I …

Tommy: (Stands up, turns on the light) I don’t doubt that you believe you saw him come out. Hell, for all I know, maybe he did. But there’s no proof. It’s not on the tape. You may have seen it but I didn’t’.

Pete: What are you implying?

Tommy: I’m not implying anything. I’m stating a fact, pure and simple. We have no proof, other than your word, that you saw Jesus alive again. Now that might be good enough for me, but not for anyone else. As your pal, I’d believe you because I know you don’t lie. But for you to claim that you saw a dead man alive again – well, it’s just too preposterous for anyone else to believe.

Pete: (Shakes his head) But I saw him. Dammit, I know I saw him walk out of that tomb.

Tommy: I’m sorry, my friend. I don’t what else to say. This could have been the biggest scoop since that water and wine thing down in Cana but … well, we can’t make up the facts.

Pete: So what do we do now?

Tommy: Well, what can we do. Just chalk it up to … bad timing, I guess.

(Long pause, then Pete stands up and heads for the door)

Tommy: Where you goin’?

Pete: You may call me a crazy man but as you say you didn’t see what I saw. But I did see it. I’m going to go find some of this guys and tell ‘em what I saw.

Tommy: Do you really think it will do any good?

Pete: A man who says he’ll rise from the dead and then does it? Yeah, I definitely think it will do a world of good.

Tommy: Well if you’re determined to tell your tale then I best go along and try and keep you out of trouble.

Pete: Me? Trouble? Just because I claim to have seen Jesus alive again, how could I get into trouble over that? ( Laughs and they both exit)

George Gagliardi, Easter, 2011

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.

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

Monday Morning Musings

"Screen-Free Week" Starts Today: What to Do without the PDA?
 Turn off your tablet, step away from the computer and pull the plug on the TV. Texans are being challenged to do that for a week in a nationwide campaign to alert families to the enormous amount of time they spend with electronic entertainment. Screen-Free Week, April 18-24, is an effort to encourage parents and their kids to get outside for some physical recreation, take in a community event or just stop texting all the time. Jaci Clement with the Fair Media Council admits it won't be easy. (contd.)  Podcast and entire story available: http://www.newsservice.org/index.php

While that is tempting. There is no way I could be away from the computer for an entire week right now. I have several editing jobs lined up that have to be taken care of before I go on a trip the end of May. Although I suspect this is aimed more at those who use the computer for games than at those who use it for business and for those who are at risk for health problems due to inactivity.

It is true that our sedentary lifestyles have a negative impact on our health. Individuals who are physically active during their leisure time appear to be biologically younger than those with sedentary lifestyles, according to a report in the January 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.  Regular exercisers have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity and osteoporosis.

So what are we writers supposed to do to combat the bad effects of the hours we spend on the computer? I thought it was enough to start my day with a walk of a little over a mile, some work in my garden, and then throughout the day take short periods to work outside or do housecleaning tasks. But a recent study shows that might not be true. This is what I found on the Diet Blog

Scientists say the findings show the health benefits of exercise are not enough to cancel out the effects of sitting in front of a screen for too long; part of a sedentary lifestyle.

To help "Fight the Sedentary Lifestyle," the American Heart Association suggests tracking your daily physical activity and daily dietary intake, creating personal walking maps, keeping weekly summaries of your progress, and researching valuable information to help you achieve your lifestyle goals.

While I am not going to get as organized about it as the AHA suggests, I do think I will pay more attention to how often I get up from the computer and move around. If nothing else, walking from one end of my house to the other every hour on the hour might make a difference. And maybe another walk in the evening could be on the agenda.

What about you? How do you combat the bad effects of hours of working at the computer? Do you find it hard to stay motivated?

Book Review: A Puree of Poison by Claudia Bishop

Thank you, Carl, for sharing another review. What would I do on Sundays if you didn't keep me supplied with new reviews? Oh, right, I'd have to write one myself. Enjoy...

A Puree of Poison
By Claudia Bishop
ISBN: 0425193314
Publisher, Berkley Prime Crime
December, 2003, 260 pgs.


This small-town cozy comes with two squabbling sisters, one a gourmand cook, the other an established painter.  They collide in a little upstate New York town called Hemlock Falls.  Aptly named.  Together the sisters Sarah, called Quill, and Meg, own and operate an inn on a perfect plot of property overlooking the namesake falls.  The novel comes with a list of the huge number of characters at the front and an unremarkable recipe at the back.

The 133rd anniversary of a minor Civil War skirmish is approaching and the town is planning big doings.  Things get rapidly complicated.  Reenactors are arriving to stage the battle, a poisonous couple of independent film-makers appear, and Quill, who cannot manage a business to save her soul, is trying out various practices on the Inn’s employees she is picking up from a business course at Cornell.  Cornell ought to sue.

Then people start dying.  They are old and not exactly in the best of health, but they weren’t at death’s door, either.  The one thing they had in common was the Inn.  All three victims had had meals at the Inn on the same
day.  The town doctor, who’s in love with Meg, the aforementioned sister, is mightily distressed.  He asks Meg’s sister, Quill, to investigate.  This of course adds to the number of subjects over which the two sisters can disagree.  As one might imagine, there’s a great amount of shouting, stomping about and door slamming.

Quill, of course, agrees to look into the deaths, if only to protect the reputation of the Inn and her sister.  It isn’t like she hasn’t enough to occupy her.  She has to deal with a twit of a receptionist who’s trying to
finish a PhD and her own inept efforts to force worrisome new business practices on her employees without any preparation.

All of this is handled with a light touch and there are several clever scenes, helped by some imaginative and interesting characters, but it all never quite comes off.  The sisters’ constant squabbling, the irritating front office receptionist who should have been fired for insubordination, and half a dozen other offenses, overshadow some strong writing and clever plotting.


~~~~~~~~

Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com, www.agora2.blogspot.com
Case of the Greedy Lawyer, Devils Island,
Bloody Halls, more at Kindle & Smashwords!

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.

The Food Police

I'm not a huge fan of the Civil Liberties Union. Like so many organizations and agencies their original purpose was noble, but they have taken too many issues to too many extremes. But I do wish they would get in a frenzy about the latest trends to help children eat healthy.

I heard on the news last night that school districts across the country are starting to ban chocolate milk from the school lunches because of its high fat and sugar content.

Is nothing sacred? Soda is already banned from most schools because it is not a healthy drink, but chocolate milk at least has some nutritional value. And it has been a staple of American dining for as long as I can remember.

Then I heard about schools in Chicago where students are not allowed to bring their own lunches. No more brown bags or cute little lunch buckets from home. Students must purchase a lunch from the cafeteria, and if they bring any snacks from home that are determined to be unhealthy, the snacks are confiscated. The logic behind this move, which apparently isn't limited to the Chicago area, is that the school is protecting the students from making poor food choices and giving them the alternative of a healthier food.

Where is it going to end? Will the food police come into our homes next and confiscate all our unhealthy food? No more Oreos and chocolate milk. No more ice-cream. Good-bye chips and salsa and Buffalo Wings.

Not that I eat all that, but it sure sounds good and we ought to be able to eat snacks without someone slapping our hands.

I understand that obesity is a major health issue, but those who are obese and continue to stay that way are making choices. We all ought to be able to continue to make choices. That is what freedom and democracy is all about. It's not about having the food police tell us what we can and cannot eat.

And they'd  better keep their hands off my pretzels, that's all I've got to say.

Book Review: Spring for Susannah

Since I have totally messed up my week here on the blog -- no review on Sunday, no Monday Morning Musings -- I decided to surprise everyone with a review today. Not sure what I will do tomorrow. Who says I have to be organized? LOL

Spring For Susannah
Catherine Richmond
 Paperback: 356 pages
 Publisher: Thomas Nelson (June 14, 2011)
 Language: English
 ISBN-10: 1595549242
 ISBN-13: 978-1595549242

Following the death of her father in Michigan, Susannah Underhill is left rootless, and she agrees to go west to the Dakota Territory to marry Jesse Mason, brother of Susannah's minister. At the urging of the minister's wife, Susannah has corresponded with Jesse for several months, but meeting in letters is nothing like meeting in person.

Susannah is quiet and shy, a stark contrast to Jesse's outgoing personality. She doesn't know what to talk to him about or how, and is often more comfortable talking to the dog. He is less threatening than this man who seems to overpower her sometimes just by his mere presence. And he is so confident about God and God's love. How can anyone be that confident?

Before her father died, Susannah helped him in his veterinary practice in Detroit, and that experience helps save Jesse's ox and twin calves. She also helps neighboring farmers with their animals, and Jesse realizes that she is an asset and a blessing in this land that challenges the strongest of men and women. For her part, Susannah starts to feel a part of this desolate land and begins to appreciate what made Jesse come out here to homestead. While it is harsh and stark with many challenges, the Dakota prairie is beautiful in spring.

As Susannah works through her awkwardness and feelings of unworthiness the bond that unites these two people grows stronger. This is a beautifully written story with language and descriptions that bring the prairie to life like the sun brings new growth in the spring. The characters are true and believable, and the testimony to faith is woven seamlessly throughout the story with a deft hand. As Susannah learns to trust the love of Jesse, she learns to trust in the love of God.

This is a book that will appeal to fans of inspirational fiction, but it also has a wider appeal because of the strength of the love story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the words of the author: I was busy raising a family, working as an occupational therapist, and trying to remember where I hid the chocolate, when a song sparked a story within me. The journey to publication has been long, but full of blessings. I couldn’t have done it without ACFW, RWA, and FHL, the inspirational chapter of RWA – and lots of chocolate! Catherine's Web site http://www.catherinerichmond.com/

~~~~~~~~~~
FTC Disclaimer: The author sent me an advance review copy of the book, hoping that I would write a review. But she did say if I didn't like the book, I didn't have to write one. In keeping with full disclosure, I will also admit that I know the author, and I had the pleasure of reading this book in its infancy. For her sake and mine, I won't say how long ago that was. What I will say is that I was impressed with the writing then and am even more impressed now. I am not a fan of inspirational fiction. It is often too preachy for my tastes, but this one doesn't pound the pulpit.

Some Sunday Fun

No book review today. I am a guest at Lelia Taylor's  Creatures and Crooks Books Blog today. Well, that is not entirely accurate. One of our cats, Little John, is a guest there. If you have time,  hop over and see what he has to say.

I have done several blog pieces about our cats on the blog, and we have had so much fun with it, I will do at least one more. Then I run out of cats to write about.

Friday's Odds and Ends

Since I resigned as Managing Editor for WinnsboroToday.com, I am not as connected to the news as I used to be. Part of my daily updates at the online magazine included the latest news blurbs from several sources. Now I don't check those sources daily, and I don't watch very much broadcast news, either. In some ways it's nice to be disconnected, but that also means I am not finding those absurd news bits I like to comment on every Friday.

I did hear that the Federal Government is on the verge of shutting down because the elephants and the donkeys can't agree on a budget. Apparently on the pachyderm side it is the newly elected representatives that won with Tea Party support. And here I thought they had promised to put partisan politics aside if they got into office.

I guess you can't trust an elephant.

Doing a quick Internet search for bizarre news, I came across this from  Bizarre News.org . A 13-year-old Norwegian boy avoided being attacked by wolves by playing a heavy metal song on his mobile phone. I knew there had to be one good use for heavy metal music.

I also found this on NewsBizarre.com  The new official worlds tallest man is Sultan Kosen of Turkey. Standing at a giant 8ft 1 or 2.5 meters, Sultan Kosen is the newly crowned Guinness World Records worlds tallest man. With money he can make with special appearances, he hopes to be able to buy a car. “The first thing I want is a car I can fit into,” Sultan Kosen said. “More than that, I want to get married. It’s really difficult to find a girlfriend. They are usually scared of me.”

I'm reading The General and Monaville Texas by Joe G. Bax. So far, it is a good read and last night this line had me cracking up: "It was so quiet you could hear a mouse piss on a cotton ball."

Too bad my husband was already asleep when I started laughing.

That's it for me today. Did you run across any absurd or funny news stories this week?

Drowning Ruth - a novel

I know this is not my normal book review day, but I just finished this book today and wanted to share some things about it, both from a reader's standpoint and a writer's.

First of all, Drowning Ruth, was an amazing story. It was published in 2000 and I am sorry that I didn't read it when it first came out.

It was hard to like the central character at first, and she only became truly endearing at the very end, but there was the mystery of what happened in the past that shaped her that kept me engaged in the story.


Writers are advised to make their central characters likeable so the reader can connect. Who wants to connect to someone who lies, is harsh and manipulative, and is very demanding? If we decide to go against this advice, we'd better make sure we can do it well. Christina Schwarz does it well. (Last week, Kathryn Craft wrote a two-part series on The Blood Red Pencil blog about unlikeable central characters.)

As a reader, I like books with multiple layers to the story and several strong characters who are tied together by plot elements. This novel has Ruth, Amanda, Mathilda, Carl, Clemment, and Arthur who all have a stake in each other and a connection that propels the story. They are all deeply affected by the secret that Amanda, Mandy, has kept for many years, and it is that secret that changes all their lives.

This is all beautifully written from various points of view, but all the threads are woven together in a smooth and seamless story.

Point of view (POV) is another hotly debated issue for writers. In genre and category fiction with narrow parameters, writers are told to stick to one or two points of view, and never switch POV in the middle of a scene. Mainstream and literary novels are not bound by those constraints, but if the POV changes are not handled well, they can still be jarring. Again, it takes a deft hand at the pen to write a book like Drowning Ruth and not jar the reader out of the story by awkward scene changes or POV changes.

I'm not sure my hand is quite as deft as Christina Schwarz's, but I do like to change the point of view in scenes. Because my books are categorized as mystery, sometimes my editor questions the fact that I will switch POV like that, and sometimes she is right and it is too abrupt. Other places in the story it just feels right to me so I campaign to keep them in. So far, I have not had a reader complain.

What about you? Do you like to read stores with multiple points of view and many layers to the plot? Is that what you write?

Monday Morning Musings

As I write this a storm is brewing here in East Texas and I will have to close down my computer soon. When we have lightening, I have to unplug everything electronic because we frequently have an unwanted visitor come through the wire.

Since I don't have time to write a blog this morning, I thought I would treat you to a piece from a wonderful writer, Slim Randles. He has written several books and is a syndicated columnist. He is also a cowboy and hangs out with his friends at the Mule Barn Think Tank where they solve world problems and trade stories. Enjoy....

Someday it would be interesting if social scientists would spend some of that grant money on finding out how some good things get started, as well as discovering sources of pestilence and plague.

It shouldn’t be all that difficult. The cookie thing wasn’t all that hard to figure out.

The cookie thing, we concluded, began with old Jasper Blankenship. He came down from his cabin at the diggin’s and brought with him an entire half pillowcase of cookies. He had found the recipe in one of those 30-year-old magazines he has up there, and since the snow was too deep to do anything else, he baked cookies.

Jasper walked into the Soup ‘R Market and handed a cookie to Annette. “We don’t often get to say how much we appreciate each other, Annette,” the old man said, “so here … have a cookie.”

She thanked him and talked about it for the rest of the day.

Jasper found Doc walking toward the Mule Barn and his daily cup of coffee and handed him a cookie, too.

“Doc … the way you took care of that … little problem of mine … well, I want you to know how much I appreciate it. Here, have a cookie.”

Before the day was over and Jasper headed back to the diggin’s, half the valley had been cookied, and the other half wished they had. Carla Martinez had been cookied and decided to carry on the tradition, so she whipped up a batch of biscochitos and began passing them out, along with compliments.

Herb Collins asked Maizie to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies, his particular favorite, and handed them out, along with compliments. Mickey Baker had store-bought cookies to hand out two nights later at the ticket booth at The Strand, where a Randolph Scott Western was playing for the first time in 60 years. Each cookie came with a compliment, too. This seems to be the most important element of Jasper’s new valley tradition.

Cookies and compliments. Not a bad way to say I love you.

~~~~~~~

Slim Randles lives in New Mexico and his books are: Sun Dog Days, Raven's Prey, Ol' Slim's View From the Porch and Ol' Max Evans The First Thousand Years    Web site

Thanks to Carl Brookins for sharing another review. 

How to Survive A Killer Séance
By Penny Warner
Mass Market release in 2011
by Obsidian, 290 pages.
ISBN:978-0-451-23279-3

Party planner Presley Parker is back. In another delightfully cozy murder mystery, she’s got herself enmeshed with some high-roller, high energy, digital silicon-valley types who are nothing if not focused. The problem is they seem to have left everything resembling human values back at the starting gate. Compassion? Nowhere to be found. Fidelity? It is to laugh.

The women are sexy and high energy, the guys are bright and energetic, if often ill-tempered, and poor Presley is caught between some over-stressed corporate types, her own urges and career needs, and her flakey mother. It’s easy to see where Penny gets some of her idiosyncrasies.

A wide range of characters? You bet. Unusual ideas and offbeat characters? Absolutely. This author fully understands what her readers are looking for and in spite of having already produced a huge number of enjoyable books, she continues to plumb her creative muse to write stories that satisfy a certain risibility and belief in the quirkiness of human nature.

A fast read, well-plotted, with a setting to die for, and characters that are distinct. This is yet another of Penny Warner’s diverting, novels. Here there is no gloom or doom, just a murder or two in dark rooms, secret passageways, unreal emanations and a fast romp to a perfectly designed conclusion.

~~~~~~~

Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com, www.agora2.blogspot.com
Devils Island, Bloody Halls, Reunion, Red Sky
more at Kindle, Smashwords & OmniLit!

Friday's Odds and Ends

Say it isn't so: The comic strip Baby Blues had a story about the liltle girl, Zoe, being invited to a "shopping party" for a friend's birthday. For the party, everyone goes to a mall and the birthday girl gets to pick out presents which the guests then buy the gifts. Wanda, Zoe's mother comments, "So, it cuts right to the greed."

Thanks, Wanda, you said it all.

A flyer came in the mail with a coupon for a new water enhancer, MiO, for all those folks who need a flavor for their water.

Hmmm.... Why not drink soda, or Kool Aid, or some liquid that already has a flavor.  Water is just water.

Two teachers in the Dallas ISD have been charged with sex crimes and suspended. Letters were not sent home with students informing parents of this because officials thought that could interfere with the investigation.

Wouldn't officials want to know if these sex crimes involved any of the kids at the school where the teachers were employed? Seems to me the parents had a right to know about the investigation and have an opportunity to offer information that might be pertinent.

OMG- The Oxford dictionary has added some Internet-inspired expressions to its latest online edition.

In 2008 a district court in Texas declared Ben Spencer innocent. He had been tried and convicted on charges of murder and robbery in 1987 and has spent the last 24 years in jail. Despite the district court's declaration of innocence, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has not started the process to release him.

Talk about a travesty. It is not like the district court judge simply ordered a new trial. Apparently there was sufficient evidence of innocence that the judge made a direct ruling. Certainly that should carry some weight with the Court of Criminal Appeals.