Category: Ruminations and Crackpot Theories

Observations on life in general.

MJ’s Musings: The Importance of Research

Any author worth her royalty check knows the importance of research.  Many authors I know would rather research than write. They get caught up in learning something new. I’m the same way.

I’ve had a couple of  “run-ins” with others when it comes to research.

The first two were from my contest diva days. I entered a lot of writing contests sponsored by RWA chapters.

A contest judge told me I should rename the region in which my story was set, because Thousand Islands sounded too much like a salad dressing.  I live in upstate New York, about 90 miles from the US-Canadian border, which runs through the middle of the St. Lawrence River,  the stretch of which is known as The Thousand Islands. The salad dressing was created there. Much later, a couple of people I met produced a documentary on the origins of the salad dressing. The judge should have done her research.

Another contest judge marked me off for not doing my research when I referenced a laser ID number on a diamond. “Impossible,” she wrote. “Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth.” True, but they can be cut. And yes, the diamond industry does laser ID their stones. My former brother-in-law worked in Manhattan’s diamond district and confirmed this for me. I’d done my research. The judge had not.

At my very first book signing, a woman started haranguing me about romance authors not doing their research. I countered with very specific examples. She huffed and puffed and claimed, “Then romance authors need to let people know this.” I should have countered with, “Do you demand the same thing from Sci-Fi authors? Mystery authors?” Why should why romance authors be held to a different standard?

If not for Kathleen Woodiwiss’s The Wolf and the Dove, I would have lost many games of Trivia Pursuit, because I might not have otherwise known the Battle of Hastings was fought in 1066.

Sometimes, though, even with the internet  authors don’t get the research right. One of my favorite authors in one of my favorite books, put the Mayo Clinic in upstate New York. Yes, the Mayo Clinic is in Rochester–but Minnesota.

Research matters.

MJ’s Musings: Three Things I Hate About Summer

Summer is my favorite season. I love being warm. I love not having to bundle up to go outdoors. Flipflops. Loose, casual clothing. Baseball. Lightning bugs.

However, there are three things I hate:

  1. Fireworks being set off in the neighborhood as soon as it gets dark.  It was bad enough when fireworks were illegal in my state. Now there are pop-up kiosks everywhere, and they’re doing kick-butt business. As soon as Memorial Day weekend hits, the noise is annoying  and disruptive. All night, every weekend until Labor Day. No, I don’t have pets who are traumatized by the noise. I don’t suffer from PTSD. I’m a woman who values peace and quiet. Setting off firecrackers at midnight, even on the weekend , is rude.
  2. Air conditioning set at Sub Zero Temps: TV Stevie and I went out to dinner the other night, and I was too cold to enjoy my meal.  If the restaurant kept the temp that low in January, they’d go out of business. Why does 80 degrees mean to keep the indoors at 60? You are not a meat locker. Stop pretending to be one.
  3. Too much to do: I am lucky. I have friends who want to do things. I have a husband who wants to do things. Summer in central New York is too short, so we cram a lot of living into a few short months. Sometimes I look at our calendar and weep. I want to spend more time kicking back on my patio and chilling. I work hard all week at Day Job so I could afford my home. I’d like to enjoy it more. Summer is too short.

MJ’s Musing: Word Nerd

There used to be a board game called PROBE. Used versions on Amazon are shockingly expensive. When my parents cleared out their games a couple of years ago, I “called” PROBE, but one of my nieces ended up with it.

The purpose of the game is to come up with a word (using letter cards, face down on a rack) and other people guess the word, letter by letter. There are blank cards, too, a player can add to the beginning or the  end of the word.

To this day, I will see a word and think, “Oh, that would be a great word for PROBE.”

Some of my favorite words are: gypsy; rhythm, awkward, squirm, swarm.

I confess: I am a word nerd.

 

 

 

MJ Monday-MJ’s Manuscript: BETRAYED BY THE MOON

My book comes out on Wednesday! I am very excited. This is book one of a three-book series, SERVICE FOR SANCTUARY.

With their packs’ very existence at stake, can two fated mates find the courage to love?

For generations, werewolves have lived under the protection of service-for-sanctuary treaties with the government. Now amid growing unrest there is a movement to abolish those treaties, risking the survival of werewolves everywhere.

Werewolf Ethan Calhoun’s mission to save the treaties means winning a powerful congressman’s support. He never expected to meet his life mate—and to discover she’s engaged in a life or death battle with the same politician.

Despite knowing she and Ethan are fated to be together, Selena Wolfe believes she’s too damaged to ever be anyone’s mate.  As they fight to save her pack, Selena wrestles her need for Ethan while he struggles to win her trust.

Working together they must confront an evil Ethan never imagined and Selena can never forget.

MJ’s Musing: Road Rage

A few weeks ago I had a terrifying experience. I was driving to a critique partner’s house. Rush hour was over, but there was still significant traffic. I was in the single lane for a right hand turn, and when the green arrow came up, I made my right turn.

All of a sudden, there was a car on my left with an irate driver. He was beeping, flipping me the bird, and yelling at me. I have no idea where he came from. There was one lane for a right turn. I was in it, making my turn on the green arrow. All legal. He shot past, and went to the right of, still beeping, yelling, making obscene gestures.  I gestured to ask him if he wanted to get in front of me. He thought I was offering to fight him. “Come on!” he yelled. “I’ll take you on!” Then he reached over to his passenger seat, and I was terrified he was reaching for a gun. Instead he picked up a piece of…something and threw it at my car. It hit my car. He opened his car door, but then the light turned green and off we went.

This happened for several blocks. Finally, he vanished. Then I noticed a sheriff’s cruiser in the left lane, which may explain the disappearance.

While it was going on, I was trying to think of places I could go that would be “safe” should he decide to follow me. I knew people at several businesses. I did not want to lead this crazy young man to my friend’s house.

I later learned there is a sheriff substation just off the road I was on, but I didn’t know it at the time.

My guess is that the young man was on drugs.