Tag: humor

Negative Reviews are Good for the Soul or Something

When my first novel, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort received its first truly negative review on Amazon I must admit my feelings were hurt. Prior to that scathing piece of commentary most of the reviews had been stellar. I’d been in a bubble of positivity and it burst. Ouch.

After more than a year since its publication, the book has continued to receive mostly four and five star reviews. They make me smile, especially when they are from folks I don’t know personally. I’ve hopefully learned to read the constructive types of negative reviews as a way to make my writing better.

But the book received a doozy of a negative review a few days ago. Here, I’ll share it with you. That either makes me brave or stupid. Talk amongst yourselves.

Okay, lady (or gentleman) reviewer, tell us what you really think. 😳

If you’ve read Mayhem you might think, “Did this reviewer actually read the book?” I wondered that myself. I won’t refute everything she/he commented on, but nowhere in the book did I bash fishermen, and I never said lesbians get a bad deal in life (do they? My lesbian friends don’t seem to), and if the book in some way intimated that all men are bad, I certainly couldn’t see it. I kind of like men, a lot, and my characters do, too. Dr. Hunky, anyone?

I guess beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case, the ugliness is in the imagination of the reviewer.

Now I think I’ll go read the negative reviews on Diana Gabaldon’s latest book. Yes, even her work gets blasted. I must be in good company.

Peace, people.

Ain’t it the truth?

A Thousand Words

My daily writing goal is a minimum of a thousand words. Some days those words come easily and I sprint on by, never noticing when the benchmark is surpassed. Other days, I slog through, checking periodically to see if I’ve met my self-imposed standard. It’s amazing how I can toil for hours and only produce 478 words. And then hours more to have merely added another twelve.

One of my writing heroes, Stephen King, writes 2,000 words or more a day. I’ve reasoned that he’s probably not also doing laundry, shopping for groceries, and maintaining a fairly clean house on a daily basis as I do. But who knows? Maybe Mr. King scrubs toilets between paragraphs. Now that’s something I’d like to see.

The thousand words a day have added up to more than 40,000 words in my current work in progress—Reunion at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, the third book in my Happy Valley series. That’s almost half a book. Its predecessors are doing well, thanks to my lovely readers (links below, of course).

Now, if only the number of words in a blog post counted toward my daily word count I’d be well on my way to 1,000 words. Alas, that is not the case and I’d best get to writing because no one wants to purchase half a book.

Peace, people!

http://Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort (The Happy Valley Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P76RBRD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_H84RG6M2WQMY3G439H19

http://Wedding at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort (The Happy Valley Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M544HFH/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_J93HHWN8WKC8B0MVZ7NB

May I Recommend Frozen in Motion?

My friend, Lori Roberts Herbst, has a new book out! Frozen in Motion is the third book in the Callie Cassidy Mysteries series, and like the first two books, this one kept me guessing until the very end.

That’s Carl, the cat, and Woody, the dog. They had nothing to do with the bloody hockey stick.

http://Frozen in Motion (Callie Cassidy Mysteries) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1736259350/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_6KVJTB0A6AR3V6Y5B4J4

I’ve come to love the characters in this series. Watching them evolve is a pleasure. Fiercely independent Callie and sweet, romantic Sam have to face some relationship issues in this offering, making it the perfect read for Valentine’s Day.

If you’re looking for a fun, edge of the seat adventure, with a dollop of romance added in, you’ll enjoy Frozen in Motion.

Peace, people!

Doctor, Doctor

Today I have a scheduled appointment with my gastroenterologist. To be precise, I’m slated to see his Physician’s Assistant. My previous meetings with both men have been aggravating.

Yes, I know I’m no spring chicken, but that doesn’t mean my concerns should be dismissed with the wave of a hand and a suggestion, literally given as the doctor was running out of the exam room so he could talk to a pharmaceutical rep, to maybe stay off of dairy. No follow up visit was scheduled. No suggestion as to what I should do if going dairy-free didn’t work.

So today I’m going to try again, because for two years now I’ve been 99.9% dairy free, and am still battling some of the same issues that first brought me to this doctor. I’d say 100%, but I know sometimes the barista accidentally uses cow’s milk in my chai lattes.

Yes, I should’ve made a follow up appointment on my own, but COVID came along and my stomach issues didn’t seem so urgent in the face of all that was going on in the world. So here I go. I’m armed with knowledge and dairy free.

Peace, people!

Wordle Anyone?

I’m a so-so Wordle player. Generally, I require four or more guesses to come up with a common five-letter word. And several times I haven’t gotten the correct answer at all. That’s rather embarrassing for someone who claims to have a well-rounded vocabulary.

This morning, however, this happened:

Wordle 229 2/6

🟩⬜⬜🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

All those green squares on the second row indicate that I guessed the correct word on the second try. It’s far too early for a celebratory glass of wine, so I believe I’ll reward myself with another half hour in bed.

Peace, people!

Poor Planning

I arrived at the coffee shop early this morning ready to work on Reunion at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort. There was just one problem:

Can you spot the problem?

No laptop. It’s at home, sitting by the back door. I’m clear across Tallahassee.

Internal conversation:

I could go home and get it.

It’s too far; you’d waste too much gas.

I guess I’ll write when I return home.

But all the really good ideas happen at the coffee shop.

That’s nonsense, and you know it.

But all the really good coffee drinks are at the coffee shop.

Well, that makes sense, but the coffee will be here tomorrow, as well.

True. So sip coffee now. Do some shopping. Write this afternoon. Maybe take a nap in between. And try to remember your laptop tomorrow.

Finally, a plan we can agree on.

Peace, people.

Before I Had a Blog

Before I had a blog I used to just compose weird stuff on Facebook. This piece of silliness showed up in my Facebook memories yesterday. I think perhaps I wrote it the day after Studly Doright had knee replacement surgery. He was being a complete arse, and I was dreaming of greener pastures.

Pretending for grownups part 3: Wine Tasting

I tasted the third wine offering, swished, and spat (spit?) into a bucket and made some noises along the lines of “lovely notes of asparagus and wheat with a charmingly simple nose dusted with peaches and pork rinds,” when a tall handsome stranger caught my eye.

Danged eye, why can’t you stay in the socket where you belong?

He handed it to me in one graceful move. “I couldn’t help but notice you have an incredible set of buds.”

I blushed, until I realized he was talking about my taste buds.

“Which is your favorite wine so far?” He asked.

I pointed boldly to the red, a heady merlot.

“I like a woman who knows what she likes,” he said with a wink.

“Well, I like you.” I smile.

“I like that you know that you like me,” he said.

“I thought you might.”

He sipped the wine. I sipped mine. We sipped. And sipped. And sipped some more, Closing the deal was never my forte, nor his it seemed.

“Are you married?” He finally asked.

“I was. My husband died in an unfortunate knee replacement incident.”

“I happen to have two excellent knees.”

And in that moment I knew he was the one for me.

Peace, people.

Our Christmas Letter to You, a Reblog

I wrote this several Christmases ago and thought it worth sharing again. At any rate, I’m too stuffed with turkey and dressing to come up with anything original.

Wherever you are, however you celebrate, I hope this season finds you safe and healthy. Happy Holidays, friends.

https://nananoyz5forme.com/2015/12/24/christmas-letter/

Peace, people.

It’s a Sign

A baker of ill-repute, such as myself, looks for signs and omens anywhere she can while engaged in culinary endeavors. So I’m taking this heart to heart this morning as I prepare the ingredients for a single pecan pie for Studly and me to enjoy on Christmas Day. Since I literally put all my eggs into one basket, er pie, I’ll welcome all the good vibes I can get.

May all your baking efforts be similarly blessed this holiday season.

Peace, people!