21st Century Living
Kindness Fridays
A newly published book. A debut author event. The creative generosity of a neighbor.
My husband and I are very fortunate to live in a neighborhood where those neighbors in close proximity to our house watch out for each other, support each other, and care when things seem a bit too quiet at one of those closely proximate houses.
When my novel, Requiem for the status quo, was released this past summer, I let these neighbors know of future author events just in case they were interested in attending. Thus far four of our neighbors – that’s more than half of those closely nearby – have attended my events.
The first event was the most stressful one of course because although I was given the gift of gab early on in life, gabbing about a book in which much time and emotion had been devoted was something else entirely. I hadn’t slept well the night before; my stomach was all topsy-turvy; and quite frankly, I just wanted to get the darn event over with. Fast forward a couple months.
Two of my neighbors, Eva and her husband, Ian, attended that event. The other night, they gifted me with a carefully, creatively, crafted photo book documenting the evening. Ian offered that his wife, Eva, was truly the authoress of the bound photo book that so exquisitely and intimately provided a photo diary of my debut event.
22 pages of photos that documented my first author event!!!!!
I’m certain you all have experienced times in your life when positive happenings were in short supply? That’s where I found myself earlier this week until Eva and Ian walked across the street and infused my day/week/month with glad tidings and generous wishes.
That, my friends, is a kindness that will last forever.
Lighten up Mondays
I’m not on a diet but thought I’d spotlight dieting humor this week.
- The first day of dieting is always the best. You’re supposed to rid your house of all bad foods…what a delicious way to start a diet.
- You know how it is when you feel like you’ve been dieting for months and realize it’s only been since 9 that morning?
- Not only did I fall off the diet wagon, I dragged it into the woods, set it on fire, and used the insurance money to buy Twinkies.
- Professional tip: if you sprinkle coconut oil into your kale, it makes it a lot easier to scrape it into the trash.
- How’s the diet going? Not good, I had eggs for breakfast. Scrambled? No, Cadbury.
- You know how it is when you decide to have a cheat meal and all of a sudden it’s three years later?
- I want to be a caterpillar: eat a lot, sleep for awhile, wake up beautiful.
- I choked on a carrot this afternoon and all I could think was, “I bet a donut wouldn’t have done this to me.”
Kindness Fridays
One way of expressing kindness is by expressing gratitude.
Anytime we think we don’t need to thank someone for something they’ve said or done that meant something to us, we do them a disservice.
My husband and I have been gifted with daily gratitude each time we take care of our grandson during our daughter and son-in-law’s work week. We have a routine: our daughter drops off our grandson and all other items needed for his day with us and as she gets into her car she always says, “Thank you.”
Our son-in-law picks up our grandson after a grueling day of work outside and after securing our grandson into the backseat of his truck, he says, “Thanks you guys.”
We’ve been caring for our grandson a few days a week since early August and now with September coming to a close the routine is pretty much set in stone but what isn’t set in stone, what is always fresh and affirming, is that our grandson’s parents bend over backwards to express their gratitude for what we’re doing to enable them to go to work and not have to worry about the care their son is receiving.
Big deal, right?
It is absolutely a big deal. We thoroughly enjoy the time we spend with our grandson – it is such a privilege we have been given – and we enjoy seeing his parents each caregiving day. Their expressions of gratitude never get old; every time they say “Thank you” I am filled with warm fuzzies that carry me through the day and the night. Such delightful adult children.
Lighten up Mondays
There is absolutely nothing humorous about the traffic in which we find ourselves. Commuting, whether five miles or fifty, is rarely without its frustrations. Alas, some humor to remember the next time you’re fed up with traffic.
*****
A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said to him, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your bible a little, and get your hair cut, then we will talk about it”
A month later the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss his use of the car. His father said, “Son, I’m real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve studied your bible diligently, but you didn’t get hair cut!”
The young man waited a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair.”
His father replied, “Yes son, and they walked everywhere they went!”
*****
A man was speeding down the highway, feeling secure in a gaggle of cars all traveling at the same speed. However, as they passed a speed trap, he got nailed with an infrared speed detector and was pulled over.
The officer handed him the citation, received his signature and was about to walk away when the man asked, “Officer, I know I was speeding, but I don’t think it’s fair – there were plenty of other cars around me who were going just as fast, so why did I get the ticket?”
“Ever go fishing?” the policeman suddenly asked the man.
“Ummm, yeah…” the startled man replied.
The officer grinned and added, “Ever catch all the fish?”
Kindness Fridays
I kind of blew it this week, so here is me being very transparent with you.
Tuesday of this week was the day my husband and I had multiple appointments to take care of. After I spent all morning having pre-surgical tests completed at the hospital in preparation for my October 9th hip replacement, I raced home to grab lunch, did some writing business in my home office, and then set out again for another doctor’s appointment that was originally scheduled for 1:30 but my doctor’s office called earlier that morning to reschedule the appointment to 2:45. I wasn’t happy with that change but sometimes – all the time – you just gotta go with the flow.
The problem was, my attitude wasn’t flowing very well by the time I arrived at said doctor’s office at 2:35 pm when the front desk employee told me my appointment was not until 3 pm.
“No, when this office called me this morning to change my appointment time, they specifically said the appointment time was 2:45, there was no indication that 2:45 was the check-in time.”
“I’m sorry, but no, the check-in time is 2:45 for a 3 pm appointment.”
I knew getting all huffy wouldn’t change the current situation but I chose to be huffy – it really is a choice when we choose to be huffy and that’s what I chose to be at that particular moment in time. I’m sure the front desk employee wasn’t the one who called that morning to tell me of my revised appointment time but I guess I felt I had a right to be upset.
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t yell, I didn’t accuse anyone of being incompetent or anything as brash as that, but I let my mood transfer to that poor unfortunate employee and it was selfish of me to do so. You see, being kind is a conscious decision we make, but not being kind is a decision we make as well.
Fortunately, I had to return the next morning for a medical test and the same employee was at the front desk. I explained that the previous afternoon when I was checking in for my appointment I exhibited a bad mood toward her and I wanted to apologize for it. She thanked me and added that she didn’t think I was in a very bad mood at all. But I’m still glad I apologized. The Universe gave me an opportunity to make things right, and this time I chose wisely.
Lighten up Mondays
Life imitates art. Here are some publishing and writing jokes:
Why does an indie author use her phone a dozen times during dinner? To check her stats…”What? No sales in the last 45 minutes? Not even a view on my blog? How can that be?”
*****
- Why do they call payments from a publisher to an author “royalty,” when most checks seem like “peasantry?”
- When comforting a Grammar Fanatic, I always say, “Their, There, They’re.”
- “I never finish anyth….”
And now books on tape we don’t want to hear:
- The Torah as read by Louis Farrakhan
- The Anarchist’s Cookbook as read by Theodore Kaczinsky
- How To Win Friends and Influence People as read by Dennis Rodman
- Europe on $10 a Day as read by Steve Forbes
- Uncle Tom’s Cabin as read by George Wallace
- Moby Dick as read by Jonah
- Crime and Punishment as read by OJ Simpson
- Feynman’s Lectures On Physics as read by Dan Quayle
- The Joy of Cooking as read by Hannibal Lecter
Kindness Fridays
Community. That’s what this world needs: a unified body of individuals.
That doesn’t mean we all have to have the same political, social, or religious affiliation. What it does mean, however, is that we choose to live in unity and in support of each other.
Have you had the experience where you’re having a pretty darn good day and someone says or does something to you and your entire day’s direction is negatively altered?
In the alternative, have you experienced a bad day when someone says or does something to you and your entire day’s direction is altered for the better?
In the former, someone chose to live separate from you; chose to not recognize you as his or her fellow man; chose to harm you and widen the gap between the two of you.
In the latter, a kind-hearted person chose to come out of themselves; chose to join with a fellow survivor on this planet where division and hatred would seek to become the norm; chose to bridge the gap between the two of you.
My modus operandi is that I assume each person with whom I come in contact during my day needs my friendly words and actions in order for their day to improve. I believe in most cases I’ll be right on the money with that MO.
I mean, it sure couldn’t hurt, could it?
“How to have Fun with your Aging Parents”
I am reblogging the attached article about Christina Britton Conroy’s book that truly appears to be one all of us Baby Boomers need to add to our bookshelves. Personally, it has been a delight to be one of the AlzAuthors’ newest members. I am in such good company. Coming December 20th, you’ll be able to view my introduction as a member of this enriching group of authors.
Source: Meet Christina Britton Conroy, author of “How to have Fun with your Aging Parents”
Lighten up Mondays
Today’s funnies spotlight the 49th state where I lived for 13 years..
You might be an Alaskan if:
- you owe more money on your snowmobile than your automobile
- you have more miles on your snowblower than on your car
- you have four seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, Construction
- you’ve hit a pothole and totaled your car
*****
Lloyd and Bruce fly in to the Alaskan interior to go moose hunting. They have a good hunt, and both manage to get a large moose. When the plane returns to pick them up, the pilot looks at the animals and says, “This little plane won’t lift all of us, the equipment, and both of these animals–you’ll have to leave one. We’d never make it over the trees on the take-off.”
“That’s baloney”, says Bruce.
“Yeah,” Lloyd agrees, “you’re just chicken. We came out here last year and got two moose and that pilot had some guts; he wasn’t afraid to take off.”
“Yeah,” said Bruce, “and his plane wasn’t any bigger than yours!”
The pilot got angry, and said, “Well, if he did it, then I can do it, I can fly as well as anybody!” They loaded up, taxied at full throttle, and the plane almost made it but didn’t have the lift to clear the trees at the end of the lake. It clipped the top, then flipped, then broke up, scattering the baggage, animal carcasses, and passengers all through the brush.
Still alive, but shaken and dazed, the pilot sat up, shook his head to clear it, and said, “Where are we?”
Bruce rolled out from being thrown in a bush, looked around, and said, “I’d say, about a hundred yards further than last year.”
Kindness Fridays
Although the solar eclipse is a thing of the past, I’d like to report about a kindness our neighbor extended to us on that same day.
On Solar Eclipse Day, my husband and I were taking care of our grandson at our house. We didn’t take him outside, of course, and we decided we would watch the eclipse on the various television programs covering it live.
Our across the street neighbor texted me to ask if we were watching the eclipse outside. I responded that we hadn’t acquired any of the special glasses so we were not.
Not more than a minute later, our doorbell rang and there stood Ian with a pair of viewing glasses for our usage; he had an extra pair and wanted to make sure we had a chance to watch an event that certainly would not occur again in our lifetime.
And what a sight to see! So glad Ian’s generosity made it across the street to our house.
Meet Lori LaBey, founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks
You will benefit greatly by discovering all that Lori LaBey has done for the Alzheimer’s population.
Lighten up Mondays
Teachers and students are heading back to the classroom this week. Here’s this week’s spotlight on humor with a focus on education.
- A child comes home from 1st day at school. Mom asks, “What did you learn today?” The child replies, “Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow.”
- The little boy wasn’t getting good marks in school. One day he made the teacher quite surprised. He tapped her on the shoulder and said …”I don’t want to scare you, but my daddy says if I don’t get better grades, somebody is going to get a spanking.”
- What is the difference between a cat and a comma? One has claws at the end of its paws; the other is a pause at the end of a clause.
- One day on Mercury is approximately 1408 hours, the same as one Monday on Earth.
- Teacher: Milton, how can you prove the earth is round?
Milton: I can’t. Besides, I never said it was. - Giving your child a recorder at school and telling him to go home and practice is how teachers get revenge on society for paying them so poorly.
- And for those teachers in my immediate family, Kirstin and Kirby: “May your coffee be strong and your students, calm.”
Spotlight on two authors: Irene Frances Olson and Jill Weatherholt
While you’re enjoying your last official weekend of summer, I hope you’ll read a fellow blogger’s post Summer Spotlight that just happens to be an interview of an up and coming author … me!
And while you’re at it, check out that blogger’s inspirational romance title; Jill Weatherholt is quite good at what she writes. I enjoyed her novel, I know you will too!
Honor thy father
My father was the inspiration for my novel Requiem for the status quo.
I have held three author events since my novel’s release back in July and I have more planned before the end of the year. At the senior centers and independent bookstores where my events are hosted, each person attending is certainly there in support of my efforts, but more importantly, I believe their presence honors my father’s story, a story without a happy ending.
Here’s an excerpt from my novel that speaks of my fictional characters’ dilemma, but it also mirrors that which occurred in my real life experience with Alzheimer’s.
If it’s true that cancer is no respecter of persons, it is equally true that Alzheimer’s disease exhibits the same lack of respect. This disease is a murderer and I’m troubled by the millions of crimes it has gotten away with.
Alzheimer’s is also a robber, not only because it robs a person of his or her memories and future, but also because it exacts an emotional price that few can afford. To be sure, monetary costs are a challenging force to be reckoned with, but many family caregivers and their loved ones would no doubt conclude that the emotional toll on a person far surpasses even the costliest of care fees paid.
Until the person with Alzheimer’s or other dementia becomes blissfully unaware of the disease that is murdering him, he has a front row seat to all that is happening. My dad was the first to know when his senior moments became more than a quirk of the aging process. It grieves me to imagine what he went through when he was alone with his thoughts, witnessing first hand where those thoughts were taking him.
Yes, my father had a front row seat to the effects of a disease that is always fatal. Until he eventually became blissfully unaware, he lived with that fact every single day. If the caregiver thinks she or he has been dealt a bad hand in relation to Alzheimer’s, imagine if you possibly can how that hand plays out with the person diagnosed with the disease. I don’t know about you, but my imagination in such matters paints a picture I’d rather not see.
My very real reward for writing my novel is that my father is honored as a result of my efforts. Additionally, it is my sincere hope that those reading my novel and attending my author events manage to discover that they have a cheerleader in their corner…me.
Lighten up Mondays
I’m in a book kind of mood, having had a most successful author event at a local bookstore this past Saturday. Here’s some reading and book humor to start off the week.
- Each time you open a book and read it, a tree smiles knowing there’s life after death.
- I’m not addicted to reading. I can quit as soon as I finish one more chapter.
- Friend: “Why read when you can just watch the movie?” Me: “Why breathe when you’re just gonna die anyway?”
- Never judge a book by its movie.
- When something goes wrong in your life, just shout, “Plot twist!” and move on.
- I’m a bookaholic on the road to recovery…just kidding, I’m on the road to the bookstore.
- You know you’re a bookworm when your ultimate goal in life is to have your own special library in your house.
- Be careful about reading health books, you may die of a misprint.
- The great American novel has not only already been written, it has already been rejected.
I had to add that last bit of humor because it’s more realistic to an author than anything else on this Earth.
Kindness Fridays
A bit unusual post on my part.
I have a medical condition – going on 2 years – for which no medical professional has provided a solution.
This condition has caused 8 nights of no sleep due to its symptoms in the last 6 weeks alone, and many other sleepless nights in the past 24 months. We cancelled a trip September 2015 because of it.
The most recent episode had me calling the specialist office to reach the on-call doctor this past Sunday. He is not my normal specialist but he provided a treatment that two of his own fellow physicians were not able to provide for the past 2 years.
Today I celebrate the kindness of a medical professional who took the time, on a Sunday, to prescribe the right treatment for me. He is my new specialist. Quite frankly, he is my medical hero.
This was and is a kindness that has made a huge difference in my health.
Lighten up Mondays
I’m in the mood for some medical humor, so here goes:
Q: What’s the difference between a general practitioner and a specialist?
A: One treats what you have, the other thinks you have what he treats.
*****
The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can’t ask his patients what is the matter – he’s got to just know.
– Will Rogers
*****
A patient arrived at the Emergency Room at 0400 with no complaints: “I have been having chest pain for 4 months but I am not having chest pain now. The reason I’m here now is because I heard that 4am is the best time to come cause there are not that many people. ”
*****
My friend is a Botox junkie—she can’t stop getting the injections. But surprisingly, when I reminded her to get her flu shot, she shuddered. “I hate needles,” she said. I had a solution: “Just pretend it will make your arm look younger.”
*****
Visiting the psych ward, a man asked how doctors decide to institutionalize a patient.
“Well,” the director said, “we fill a bathtub, then offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient, and ask him to empty the tub.”
“I get it,” the visitor said. “A normal person would use the bucket because it’s the biggest.”
“No,” the director said. “A normal person would pull the plug.”
Community discussion on Alzheimer’s disease
Saturday, August 26th, 3 pm
I am excited about my next author event which will take place at Book Tree in Kirkland, Washington.
Book Tree is a fabulous, quaint, neighborhood bookstore that truly excels at bringing the community together.
Here’s the content of their website’s About section:
BookTree is a vibrant gathering place for the exchange of ideas, and discussion of books and the literary arts. It is a place where all are welcome to continue their journey, expand their knowledge, feed their interests and further their education through books and literature. It is a place for families to find and enjoy the best of current literature. A place where our customers can hear local and traveling writers, authors and poets present their work.
BookTree is one of the few remaining independent bookstores on the Eastside that will be an important part of our city’s identity. It will be successful because of the generous support of our community who values a stand-alone retail bookstore.
BookTree is owned by 2 people who are passionate about the inherent value of books, reading, writing, listening and sharing diverse ideas, and viewpoints.
I hope to see you on the 26th!
Kindness Fridays
This week’s kindness places a spotlight on a primary person in my life who has supported me on my road to publication. If ever there was a kindness a debut author might covet, encouragement and unfailing belief in the writer’s abilities, goes a long, long way.
My husband, Jerry, lived through my Alzheimer’s caregiving experience with my father. He was on the receiving end of each one of my crying bouts and frustrations and always offered sage advice when none could be found within my own fractured psyche. When I announced I was thinking of writing a novel, he backed me 100%: reading portions and offering honest input such as telling me that the way I had written the male characters didn’t sound like the way a male character would act or talk. That was such valuable advice because my debut novel’s characters are equally split between male and female. Although my novel could fall into the Women’s Fiction genre, that is not the only audience for which it was written.
Quite simply, my husband enabled me – in a very healthy way – to accomplish what I have accomplished: the publication of Requiem for the status quo; a five year journey with a decidedly happy ending.
Cheers to the best man I could ever hope to spend my life with.
Lighten up Mondays
Here are some great football jokes in honor of this past weekend’s pre-season start:
Three fans were talking about the sad state of their local football team:
The first fan blamed…: “I blame the manager; if we could sign better players, we’d be a great team.”
The second fan blamed…: “I blame the players; if they made more effort, I’m sure we would score more touchdowns.”
The third fan blamed…: “I blame my parents; if I had been born in a different town, I’d be supporting a decent team.”
*****
Q: Why do coaches like punters?
A: Because punters always put their best foot forward.
Q. Why do ducks fly over Gillette Stadium upside down?
A. There’s nothing worth pooping on.
Q: Which football player wears the biggest helmet?
A: The one with the biggest head.
Q: What’s the difference between the San Francisco 49ers and a dollar bill?
A: You can still get four quarters out of a dollar bill.
GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!
Interview of fellow BRW author: Matthew Brockmeyer
I’m always thrilled to promote fellow authors, especially those who have the same publisher as myself: Black Rose Writing.
Another author, Rebecca Howie, who interviewed me on July 16th, provides this wonderful peek into the world that Matthew Brockmeyer has created in his novel. I hope you’ll investigate what he’s up to!
Free Booksy giving away my novel for free!
My debut novel is ranked #1 in all free books available in the Alzheimer’s disease category. Just a few hours remain to get my novel Requiem for the status quo for free as a Kindle book. Giveaway ends at the end of the day, August 12th. Look closely, the cost is $0.00.
Free Booksy is sponsoring this giveaway. Even when my book is purchased for free, it has a positive impact on my book’s ranking on Amazon.
What are you waiting for?
Meet the authors on Facebook — MARY K. TILGHMAN WRITES
Please say you’ll come…. I am hosting a Facebook Meet the Author Party this coming Tuesday at 7 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) It’s all online so you can “come as you are.” What’s a Facebook party, you ask? It’s a way to collect people who’d like to meet right there on Facebook. Everybody comes to […]
Kindness Fridays
Very briefly, I’ll relay a kindness that was gifted me earlier this week.
I entered an elevator in a business building occupied by two other patrons from higher floors. People who share an elevator with me are always caught unawares because I’m one of those annoying people who talk to others in elevators while the rest of the general population pretends they are invisible as they hover in the corner.
This older gentleman – older than me by at least ten years – had on the brightest green sneakers…there was no way I wouldn’t compliment him on his choice of footwear. He explained that he wears those sneakers when he’s riding his bike through the streets of Seattle – plus lots of lights and flashers – because he doesn’t want to end up as a bicyclist pancake on the street.
We arrived at the Lobby floor, much to the delight of the other, non-talkative elevator occupier, and I extended my hand for her, and the older gentleman to leave, after all, they occupied the elevator prior to me. That is the unwritten right of passengers.
No. That was not to be the case. The older gentleman waved me ahead of himself because he still maintained the courtesy of letting women go first.
That’s all; that’s my kindness, and it was delightful.
I’d love to see you on Thursday, August 17th!
Just one week from today, I will hold my first author reading event and you can be front and center to witness it!
I hope those of you who live in the greater Puget Sound region of Washington State will be able to wend your way to Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park for my 7 pm event. It’s really, really close to Bothell and Kenmore, and not at all far from Redmond, Kirkland, and Bellevue.
Be sure to allow ample driving time…not only will people be in a rush to get home after their work day, but they’ll probably be clamoring to get to Lake Forest Park for my 7 pm event. 😉
Lighten up Mondays
Because I’m in a grandparent-ty mood, today’s funnies focus on children:
- What do you get when you cross a baby with soldiers? Infantry.
- What is a baby? A small human that makes a lot of noise at one end and has no sense of responsibility at the other.
- What does a baby computer call his father? Data.
- A worried mother does better research than the FBI.
- Shower Schizophrenia: The constant belief that you hear a baby crying when you’re trying to take a shower.
- I see all these moms who can do everything, and then I think, “I should have them do stuff for me.”
- My parents accused me of lying today. I looked at them and said, “Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, Easter Bunny” and walked away like a boss.
- I haven’t been able to get my kids to pay attention to anything I’ve said all day, so I’m gonna sit here and pretend I’m on the phone. That should do it…or try to sneak-eat a candy bar or read a book…same result.
Kindness Fridays
Today’s kindness takes yet another turn: I simply cannot not write about our grandson, Lucas.
Lucas came into our world on May 11th, 2017. His parents were already a blessing in our lives and when their family increased by one, the blessings increased exponentially.
He just turned twelve weeks old and let me tell you, his personality is coming through very clearly.
If you’re me, you talk a lot.
If you’re my grandson Lucas, you’re subjected to all that talking.
Just as is the case with every human being out there, when he’s had his fill of my jabbering, he’ll let me know that his Grandma Olson talking threshold has been reached – for the time being – but before that happens, he gifts me with smiles and conversation to beat the band.
What a reward it is to have an impact on a young person’s life and when that young person is now able to gift others with smiles, funny faces, and “language”, my oh my, that’s a gift of kindness of greater value than all the riches in the world.
Online purchases: whether cotton balls or books, customer reviews are a must!
If a book doesn’t have any reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers’ sites, does it really exist?
It does, but to potential readers, no reviews may equate to a risky purchase. Let’s face it, you can hardly purchase a bag of cotton balls online without having dozens – if not hundreds – of reviews to peruse prior to consider pushing that all important BUY button.
The same goes for books, but even more than that, an author’s literary credibility is tied in with author and sales rankings and reviews are part of what feeds those rankings. Authors aren’t getting rich on their craft, and that is certainly not my goal. What is my goal, however, is that many people read my novel and at its end, they feel they’re better off having done so.
If you have read REQUIEM FOR THE STATUS QUO, won’t you please post a review on three of the sites for which said reviews are very important? Here’s the link for Amazon, and for Barnes & Noble, and for Goodreads. But fear not; you do not need to write a unique review for each of those sites, simply write a review on Amazon, for example, then copy and paste it into the review sections for the other sites. Easy peasy. And many, many thank you to those who have already posted your reviews. You have fed my soul and made my day.
AND IF YOU’RE ONLY GOING TO POST A REVIEW ON ONE SITE, PLEASE MAKE IT AMAZON.
If you have yet to purchase my novel…please consider doing so. And if you have a copy but have yet to read it, please remember my shameless begging in this post and submit a review once you have. Please, no mention of your relationship to me…absolutely not necessary and it’s advisable, from Amazon standards, that you don’t.
My plea for reviews isn’t my attempt at stroking my flaccid ego, no, it’s merely my efforts at making my novel more attractive to the person looking for a book on the subject, and when they purchase and read it, and they are impacted in a positive way by my words and my experience, then all that has lead up to this time will have been worth it.
Lighten up Mondays
The following funnies came directly from a BuzzFeed page poking fun at book nerds:
- He said, “Books or me.” I sometimes remember him when I’m buying new books.
- I like big books and I can not lie.
- A cartoon shows a husband and wife sitting in their reading chairs with an open book on each of their laps…but their chair tables were empty. “We forgot our reading glasses.” Lo’ and behold, a glass of red wine appeared on each of their tables in the next frame.
And here are a few from JokeQuote.com:
- The great thing about books is that there are no commercials.
- Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. – P.J. O’Rourke
- I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia. – Woody Allen
- One trouble with developing speed reading skills is that by the time you realize a book is boring you’ve already finished it.
– Franklin P. Jones - Sure reading a book under a tree is peaceful but imagine how stressful it is for the tree to see a bunch of it’s dead friends in your hand.
– Kyle Lippert - Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers. – Harry S Truman
Indie Interview
So very grateful to Rebecca Howie, the author who interviewed me in a July 16th post on her blog. Here’s another interview that she so generously conducted of an author who writes younger-person books.
Living: the ultimate team sport 