Annette Mori's Blog, page 8
April 12, 2024
Orgasms…who has more?
It should come as no surprise to many of you that my weekly scroll through the news confirmed what I already knew…it’s official…a new research study concluded that straight women have fewer orgasms than lesbians. Well…duh! I could have told them that from my very limited research on the subject. Back in the time when I still thought I was bi-sexual, after my own mini-study, the data was clear. I had enjoyed intimacy with just one man, who was the only one to ever give me orgasms, but every single woman I was intimate with, well…no problem there. I know TMI….
I love how the article states quite bluntly…”and it’s exactly the reason you think.” The study was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science in April, so I’m sure you could find it. The most interesting thing in the study was the fact that there was no difference in how straight women or lesbians placed value on the importance of orgasms during sex. And the same was true for bi-sexual women, who, while they value orgasms the same regardless of gender, reported more orgasms with the women they partnered with. The bottom line is that women who sleep with men are just not experiencing enough clitoral stimulation to get them there because the guy is too focused on penetration and vaginal stimulation. It’s no wonder that another recent research study indicated that nearly 60% of women fantasized about sex with another woman. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not knocking straight or bi-sexual women. I just believe more should be expected of men. The incidences of women having sexual experiences with other women are increasing, and I am sure this is a factor. So if the men don’t want to lose their partners, they better step up. Or not…I’m sure the lesbians won’t mind helping out!
Most of my books have at least one explicit scene where the women reach that pinnacle at least once. The very first full-length book that I chose to do a fade to black is Love Hacks. I suppose I thought the story, being predominantly an action/thriller romance, would not suffer if I didn’t include a detailed description of the two main characters having sex. I’ll let all of you decide if this was a bad idea or not! Love Hacks is now out on pre-order. You all know the drill, just click the links below!
Buy the audible of The Organization Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
April 5, 2024
Masturbation Part Two
In December 2021, I wrote a blog about masturbation and here is the link: https://wordpress.com/post/annettemoriauthor.com/8948 However, in that post, I mainly concentrated on an article I found talking about the thirteen reasons why women should masturbate regularly. I wanted to normalize masturbation because so many of us grew up believing it was either something women did not do regularly (especially if we had a partner) or something that was wrong and we should not be doing as a woman (because, of course, only men were allowed to enjoy sex). My wife came across a YouTube video that, although it was by a man talking about masturbation related to men’s health, had some interesting Mythbusters. This caused me to do some research and talk about other things I think people should know about the topic. So here are some interesting things I learned via my research or the video:
Ninety percent of men and seventy percent of women report that they masturbate on a regular basis. Come on ladies, we need to catch up with the men! For all the reasons cited in my previous blog and one more…it also improves focus and concentration. To be fair, other studies have suggested the percentage was a lot higher in women of all ages but did not specifically note it was on a regular basis.It is absolutely a myth that people in relationships don’t masturbate. Masturbation does not reflect on the happiness in a relationship. Some masturbate together, some masturbate separately, and both are perfectly normal and acceptable.It is a normal part of sexual development. One study revealed that seventy-four percent of boys and forty-eight percent of girls between the ages of fourteen and seventeen masturbated. I wonder, if we stopped being so puritanical and taught masturbation (not how to) in sex education, would that percentage increase?I don’t ever remember being taught a single thing about masturbation in my sex education classes. While the World Health Organization does not exactly promote teaching masturbation, they have formally recognized that children begin to explore their bodies at a relatively early age. That’s just a fact! So, the UN guidance for sex education includes providing up-to-date, accurate information which may include correcting misperceptions about masturbation (namely that it is harmful) and not shaming kids. Also, they indicate it is appropriate to teach about their bodies, boundaries, and privacy in an age-appropriate way. Many children learn as early as four or five that touching themselves is enjoyable, and it is pretty common that between five and six this touching is quite intentional. By the time girls and boys reach puberty, many are intentionally aiming for orgasm.The myth that a person would go blind if they masturbated too much goes as far back as ancient Greece. Aristotle had some bizarre theory that the region of the head most fruitful for semen was around the eyes. In other words, semen was a droplet from the brain. But the harmful consequences of masturbation really took root in 1712 when the Dutch theologian Balthsar Bekker claimed, and I quote, stated that masturbation leads to, “disturbances of the stomach and digestion, loss of appetite or ravenous hunger, vomiting, nausea, weakening of the organs of breathing, coughing, hoarseness, paralysis, weakening of the organ of generation to the point of impotence, lack of libido, back pain, disorders of the eye and ear, total diminution of bodily powers, paleness, thinness, pimples on the face, decline of intellectual powers, loss of memory, attacks of rage, madness, idiocy, epilepsy, fever and finally suicide.” Total bullshit of course, but this myth certainly hung around for a long time.Can a person masturbate too much? Inquiring minds need to know this…well, according to Planned Parenthood, “Masturbating is only considered ‘too much’ if it gets in the way of your ability to get to school, work, or be with friends or family — and that’s a very rare problem. Some people masturbate more than once a day, some people masturbate once in a while, and some people never masturbate — all are completely normal.” Despite the ridiculous scare from the right that schools are teaching kids how to masturbate, I could not find one legitimate article that proved this to be the case. Nor could I find any curricula that even taught that masturbation is healthy. But, I maintain that we should teach that, maybe not in kindergarten, but certainly in middle school. Perhaps that would stop the ridiculous shaming that is done around the topic. Yes, that still exists, despite the efforts of health professionals to bust the many myths around the topic that still exist.
As I said before in my previous blog on masturbation, ladies…go for it! Use it or lose it! On occasion, I will read sex scenes where the author incorporates masturbation into the scene, and those are generally very hot sex scenes. I vaguely recall doing this on rare occasions in a few of my books. I am not sure which ones, so if you are interested, you know the drill, just click the links below to try to find which ones! Newly out in audio is The Organization, the second book in the series! Also, don’t forget about my most recent release, The Next Generation, I promise it’s a page-turning romance thriller, with many of the fun characters you’ve grown to love!
Buy the audible of The Organization Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
March 29, 2024
Togetherness
This past week I was doing my daily scroll through Facebook looking for humorous posts and came across this picture of a wide rectangular toilet built for two. Unfortunately, as happens sometimes, when I went back to try to find the post, I couldn’t find it. I wanted to see if it was real because I suspected it was photoshopped. Off to Google, I went, and lo and behold, I found that double-seated toilets do exist. By the way…short rabbit hole…where does the saying lo and behold originate? Google came to the rescue again, and here is what I learned about the saying: Lo was a shortened version of look common in Middle English texts that goes back as far as the 18th century. The literal meaning of the expression is “look and see.” Cool, huh?
Anyway, back to the original subject. I found two distinct versions of a double toilet. I laughed my ass off. Neither was the one posted to Facebook, but something equally as ridiculous. See the pictures below for proof that, according to a little digging, someone actually considered marketing this crazy idea. Apparently, the Twodaloo was being marketed back in 2007 to Home Depot and other major chains, with an estimated cost of $1400. This version is clearly a ripoff from the Saturday Night Live skit featuring a Lover’s Toilet. The original post posed the question, Can there be too much togetherness? That got me thinking about couples who work together. They spend practically all of their time within each other’s sphere, but is that a good thing for the couple? I suppose it depends. It can certainly prepare them for retirement. While my wife and I were in the same industry (healthcare), she worked in clinical research, and I worked in healthcare administration, we did not work at the same place. In fact, most of the time we were together before retirement, there was either a significant geographical distance or during the week we didn’t see one another until very late at night. So, needless to say, retirement was an adjustment. There’s a whole lot of togetherness now. I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing, but we’ve certainly evolved to kind of doing our own thing in the same space. I absolutely would draw the line at peeing together! I’ve known couples who work together, mostly in the restaurant business. We used to go to this Greek restaurant when I was younger that was family-owned. And to my knowledge the couple worked just fine with one another. However, I was sorely disappointed when my favorite Italian restaurant drastically changed when I lived on Whidbey Island after the couple divorced. Togetherness was not good for them.
This got me thinking about the series I wrote where the couples are in the same business, and that has now extended to their children, making it a family business. Of course, it’s more exciting than running a restaurant because it’s the spy/covert agent business, but still, I haven’t ever really touched on the possible conflict that might occur, other than one not wanting to have the other put themselves in danger unnecessarily. I suppose this could be an interesting dynamic to pursue. Too bad I’m done with the series! However, that might not stop me from including it in a different book. Want to check out the series, feel free to click on the links below. Exciting news…The Organization will be out in audio soon! I’ll let y’all know when it’s available, but for now, enjoy the first book in the series on audio and the two spin off series with the characters in The Organization making a prominent appearance.
Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
March 22, 2024
How Our Vaginas Change
Rather than writing on a topic that is depressing, frustrating, and seemingly hopeless, I’ve decided to talk about something that is only slightly less of the above three emotions. Plus, it’s about vaginas, and who doesn’t want to discuss vaginas? As is my normal habit, I was scrolling through the news stories and came across this article on how our vaginas change as we age. Not much in the article was surprising, but I did learn a few things or, more accurately, added details to the broad strokes. So…without further ado, here’s what I learned…
As if it wasn’t enough that other parts of your body droop as you age….guess what, so does your pelvic floor. All those muscles that support your uterus, bladder, rectum, and the top of your vagina weaken. Sometimes an organ falls all the way into the vagina and creates a bulge. In this case, for all those butches out there…don’t start crowing and thinking, ‘yeah baby, I have a bulge now.’ This bulge you don’t want.Like the skin under your arms that swings in a way you don’t want, so does your labia. No more taut labia around your vagina. I suppose, like with a facelift, you could consider surgery, but that’s a hard no for me, just like I would never consider plastic surgery. The name says it all…no way do I want plastic anything.Not only does your pubic hair turn gray, but it thins as well. I suppose that isn’t a horrible thing since many people swear by the look and feel of a bald hoo-ha.When menopause makes its debut, your vagina becomes thinner and less elastic. The most important thing to remember is the saying, “Use it or lose it.” Not having sex often enough, leads to a shorter, narrower vagina. So when you do have sex that includes penetration, it will hurt. Good thing many lesbians don’t require penetration.I’m sure everyone knows that your vagina has less lubrication with age. Easy fix…lots of different kinds of lube out there…maybe I’ll do a blog on lubes someday. You know, the pros and cons of different brands.As lesbians, we are probably well-acquainted with our vulva. You may have noticed changes there, too. It’s probably paler than it used to be due to reduced blood flow, and the inner lips shrink for the same reason. Just to make things even more challenging, the vulva is drier than it was before, so you can’t count on the vulva for lubrication.
For as much as I talk about sex and menopause in my blogs, you’d think I’d incorporate some of these nuggets in my books. But sadly, I don’t think there is a market out there for love stories with a side plot of working through menopausal issues and how it affects a relationship. Go figure…that doesn’t sell well. Fortunately, my books avoid this topic like the plague, only mentioning menopause in passing or as a joke. So…you know the drill, click on the links to check out my books. I do have mature characters, especially in my latest series, The Next Generation, but definitely don’t put them out to pasture just yet; they are still badass women! It was a lot of fun to write and I’ve heard great fun to read.
Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
March 15, 2024
Nawlins…The Big Easy
I just returned from New Orleans, and this third time was truly a charm. Not that I didn’t enjoy my first two visits, because I did. But this time, I learned so much. In addition to a truly enlightening Ghost Tour, where I listened to some fascinating history that I hadn’t heard on my previous Ghost Tour, we also went to several museums, including the VooDoo museum. The biggest plus for this journey was getting to spend time with good friends and enjoy wonderful food. Our hosts were both gracious and delightful to spend time with.
The very first time I visited New Orleans was as a youngster during Spring Break. Being a stupid college student, we blew through and hung out on Bourbon Street. Drank too much and listened to music. We didn’t even try the wonderful food, other than crawfish, which I vaguely remember (I can’t even be sure we ate them in New Orleans versus somewhere in Louisiana), only because we were encouraged to suck the heads. And, we stupidly parked where we weren’t supposed to and had our car towed. The second time, I went with my wife to the GCLS conference in 2015. It was my very first GCLS conference, and we had a blast. Had lots of great food, including stuffing myself with beignets. We also went on our very first Ghost Tour, but while there was a rich history described in the tour, it was all about ghosts, and I certainly do not recall learning about Voodoo, other than the stuff that feeds the myths. So what interesting things did I learn this time around? Here are my top three:
Many historians believe New Orleans, not Chicago or New York, was the birthplace of the Italian Mafia. New Orleans received the largest number of Italian immigrants from Sicily after the large exodus because Sicilians wanted their own nation after merging and becoming unified in 1861. The first Mafia war occurred in 1869 after a very bloody affair with a whole lot of people getting “whacked”. The original Godfather was killed on April 1st by a very nasty rival who had established a political group called the Innocenti with ties to many New Orleans residents. Unfortunately, the New Orleans residents grew tired of their new neighbors and hired a new police chief to clean things up. When he was shot and killed, a mob formed. A large number of Italians (over 250), many innocent, were rounded up, and nineteen were charged. None received a guilty verdict, so the mob took it upon themselves to take the law into their own hands and hung eleven of them. Eight managed to escape. As is often the horror of human nature, this was entertainment for the residents of New Orleans. And that is why the Italian sandwich Muffaletta is so popular in New Orleans. Invented in the early 1900s to cater to the Italian immigrants.The Voodoo doll was not intended as a tool for evil. That is a myth. Originally, the doll was used as a kind of medical record by healing practitioners. They would stick pins in a doll with a likeness of their patient to record where the ailment or injury was on the body, using different color pins for different ailments. In this manner, they could recall what had occurred with their patient. Voodoo is a religion, not some evil practice designed to curse one’s enemies. The religion first came to New Orleans when enslaved West Africans merged their beliefs, rituals, and practices with the Catholic religion. A richness was later added when Haitian immigrants moved to New Orleans after the slave revolt in 1791, and Voodoo Kings and Queens were born. The original Haitian name was Vodou, which means spirit or god. The basic belief is that spirits exist throughout the natural world and among the living. These spirits, or loa, act as intermediaries between humans and the supreme god.
New Orleans holds a special place for me as a writer because that was where I traveled for my very first GCLS conference. The richness of the history, just adds a whole other level of special. I might have to set a book in New Orleans because the history is so fascinating. I was also reminded of how many times I’ve used my friend’s name (the one who lives in New Orleans now) in my Asset Management series. Her name, as well as the restaurant she co-owned in Washington State, show up in multiple books. She’s like a little kid when she lights up to see her name and sushi restaurant in print. It’s so delightful to see. Want to read about Kimiko and Sushi Zen, you know the drill, just click the links below.
Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
March 8, 2024
Dear Abby
I’ve always enjoyed reading Dear Abby. I don’t read the column consistently, but whenever something pops up in my news feed or somewhere else, I take the time to read it (my other guilty pleasure is reading the reddit, “Am I the asshole?” feed). And now I know why. Recently, an old column has been making the rounds on Facebook. At first, I believed the column to be something very recent because it seems like it’s becoming vogue to proudly announce one’s bigotry. However, this particular column dates back to February 2014. In a nutshell, this conservative retired couple moved to Florida and were incensed because they were welcomed quickly into the neighborhood, and gasp….two couples were gay. Of course, they were nice enough, but when it was their turn to host, they left the two couples off their guest list because they did not approve of their “lifestyle choices.” Then the couple had to gall to be incensed when they were not invited to future gatherings and labeled bigots. After researching the Dear Abby column, I learned of a much earlier column that elicited a pointed three word response, “You should move.” This time, Abby took more time to educate the narrow-minded couple. Go Abby!
What is so amazing about the first response when a couple was complaining about the “odd couple” that moved into the neighborhood, which was obviously code for gay, was that this column was printed in May, 1972. Pauline Phillips, the founder of Dear Abby, was not afraid to take on the bigots from the very start, even if she risked backlash from her readers or cancellation of her column. LGBTQ+ history has an esteemed view of the crusading woman because even with the bags of hate mail, she never backed down. She further affirmed her enlightened views when she explicitly gave her support for same sex marriage in 2007. Dear Abby is the most widely syndicated columnist in the world. The column is syndidated in more than 1,400 papers (despite the near death of the newspaper industry) with a reach of more than 110 million people. So, for some positive perspective on this, that a hell of a lot more than the number of people who voted for Donald Trump. He may have a ridiculously large base, but Dear Abbey has more followers! And yes, she is still going strong as her website receives 10,000 letters a week. Of course, it isn’t the original Dear Abby, her daughter took over the gig. But her daugher was taught the same respect and dignity of the original Dear Abby, and she continues to provide compassionate, sound advice to thousands.
While I certainly have never written a book with a main character as an advice columnist, that would certainly be an interesting career choice to use in a book. Not sure how many readers hold the title of advice columnist out there to meet Jae’s book bingo square, but it still would be fun to write this. Anyhoo, with over 30 published novels, I do have many different occupations to choose from: everything from librarian, to social worker, spy, firefighter, FBI agent, police officer, book store owner, finance magnet, human resource mirector, marketing mirector, office assistant, writer, medical student, bartender, scultor, teacher, pleasure worker, maintenance (fix-it) woman, vetinarian, teacher, nurse, dog groomer, rancher, olympic gold medalist, politician, reporter, and definitely a few more that I can’t recall! You all know the drill, just click the links below if any of these appeal to you.
Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
March 1, 2024
Fact or Fiction…Oysters are an aphrodisiac
It’s no big secret that I love oysters…fried, grilled, or raw…I’ll eat them any way they are served. When my wife and I go to our favorite seafood restaurant in Seattle every eight weeks (that’s how frequently I go to the big city to get my hair cut), we always order a dozen oysters on the half-shell. Kumamoto oysters are our favorite. They have a delicate taste, not at all fishy or with that metallic taste that we sometimes find in East Coast oysters that are much bigger and meatier. And when we go to our favorite sushi place, we always order fried oysters. However, not ever believing what I thought was a myth, I certainly never ordered them for what they might mean for possible bedroom activities. So…when I read the article about oysters and their possible side benefits, I was intrigued.
The story about oysters being an aphrodisiac has been around for centuries. Giacomo Casanova attributed his sexual prowess to eating dozens in one sitting. The actual scientific evidence is non-existent (via actual research studies), but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something to the myth. Plus, come on, my fellow sapphics, take a good look at a raw oyster and tell me it doesn’t remind you of something else we love to eat! Some experts insist there is a link because raw oysters are high in zinc. A 3.5-ounce serving contains more than five times the recommended daily amount for females. I don’t really care about men, so I’m not citing that stat! Zinc does a couple of things that might be linked to sex drive. First, it’s linked to improved testosterone levels levels, which have been tied to both the male and female sex drives. Second, zinc boosts dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward-seeking behaviors. Thus, the experts insist this ridiculously high amount of zinc in oysters must impact a person’s sex drive. Finally, oysters also contain an amino acid called D-aspartic acid, which supports testosterone production in animals (apparently, it hasn’t been researched in humans). The placebo effect is also a very powerful factor. Loads of intelligent people believe that oysters are an aphrodisiac, so they have that effect. They have actually studied that, and the research showed that there was an improvement in sexual functioning, even with those given a placebo…as much as 50 percent improvement!
A couple of final notes on the topic include: 1) While there is no set number of oysters needed to increase your libido, four to six are recommended. 2) There are varying opinions on whether to eat them raw or cooked. 3) One board-certified sex and relationship therapist suggested that if you don’t like oysters, try watermelon, beets, or strawberries because they are also foods rich in particular amino acids, vitamins, and minerals linked to the libido! I suppose that’s why chocolate-covered strawberries are a favorite go-to romance food! Oh, and contrary to popular belief, drinking a lot of alcohol is not recommended, sure a few drinks might loosen a person up, but a lot just makes a person sleepy, sloppy drunk.
I’m pretty sure I’ve included oysters and chocolate-covered strawberries in some of the scenes in my books, but definitely not in my most recent release, The Next Generation, out today, because it’s set in Mexico, and I wanted to highlight foods more typically found in that country. Hopefully, that won’t stop you from getting the book, because I’m pretty proud of the story. It’s a fast-paced romantic thriller, with not only familiar characters from my previous series but several new ones that are just as delightful. How can you go wrong with a bunch of badass women, kicking butt and taking no prisoners? You know the drill, just click on the links below.
Audio coming soon
Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
February 23, 2024
Intermittent Reinforcement
Seems like 100 years ago, I was sitting in my Psych 101 course listening to the professor talk about the various giants in the field of study. My father was an avid follower of Sigmund Freud, and my sister and I vehemently disagreed with most of his thoughts on the human psyche for a good reason. The man was a sexist pig (my words at the time as a young woman). I tended to gravitate toward Carl Rogers. My older sister, who was the very definition of an intellectual, preferred existential psychology. But of all the different philosophies, the experiments, and some of the things taught to me as a young adult, there is one I’ve never forgotten. BF Skinner and behavioral modification.
I’ll never forget the lesson on intermittent reinforcement and how powerful that is. Even more than consistency. In 1974 Stephen B Kendell conducted an experiment on pigeons. He found that pigeons under certain conditions might peck at a higher rate on a key that resulted in food intermittently versus a consistent reward of food. In 1957 BF Skinner also found that intermittent reinforcement tied to schedules is significantly more resistant to extinction than when continuous reinforcement is used. In other words, the rat or person will take longer to stop looking for that treat if presented with it on an intermittent basis versus every day or every week. I remember the professor talking about how wired college students in the dormitories were to check their mail every single day, even though no one ever received mail on a daily basis. Mail was kind of a big thing in the 70s. The possibility that today would be the day I got mail, kept me going back every single day to check. I’m guessing social media works in a similar fashion.
So what the hell does this have to do with writing? Well…in case you haven’t noticed, it’s been many months since I’ve put out a blog. Maybe this has created a certain percentage of extinction (folks don’t look for my blog on Fridays anymore). So…I have my work cut out for me to regain those readers. The advice I’ve been given before is if you’re going to do a blog or newsletter, be consistent. But maybe that isn’t true. Perhaps I don’t need to be consistent. Of course, that doesn’t mean I should goof off as long as I have been (three months is a long time). Perhaps readers will give me a little grace, and when I’m out of town, and it’s difficult to write my blog while relaxing on the beach, they won’t expect a blog. I’m hoping that is true and folks will be happy that I write one when I return. My wife agrees. She thinks I put far too much pressure on myself. Could this also be true of how many books I put out in a year?
Speaking of books, The Next Generation just came out (on pre-order) and will soon go live, plus the ebook should be out by the end of March. And, to make up for my absence with my blog and the last book I put out, Asset Management, the book that started it all, just came out in audible. So here’s my plea to all of you, I need a certain amount of intermittent or consistent positive reinforcement to keep me going. Selfishly, I’ll take the consistent reinforcement, which definitely has not happened (more than a few of my books have totally flopped!) However, since I’m still writing, I haven’t given up the pen yet, because of that intermittent reinforcement. The San Diego Series did okay, and I’m hoping the spin-off series, which is just as good will also do at least well enough to break even! Also, I need to keep my new narrator happy, and the only way to do that is to get the audibles she’ll be doing of the Asset Management series. She’ll need positive reinforcement to continue! I don’t have a Patreon account and won’t get one because that just isn’t me…so the way to support authors like me is to get the books and audibles. You know the drill, just click on the links below.
Audio coming soon
Buy the audible of Asset Management
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
December 1, 2023
Don’t Be a Pussy
I know what y’all are thinking…what a sexist thing to say. But you may not know where this saying comes from. Or at least a few less derogatory theories on the origin of this saying. There are numerous hotly debated theories on the origin of the word pussy and connotations surrounding sayings like “don’t be a pussy” or “stop being a pussy.” Here are the various theories:
One theory that offers the least sexist view is that pussy is derived from the Latin word pusillanimous, which means, showing a lack of courage or determination, or timidity.Others believe the etymology of the word ‘Pussy’ can be traced back to the 16th century from the word ‘puss’, commonly used as a call-name for cats back then, then perhaps evolved to another something that was warm and fuzzy (a woman’s naughty bits). Cause, come on, it’s just as fun to pet either pussy.In the 1580s, there is evidence that pussy was a term of endearment for a girl or woman, (also used to describe effeminate men), and applied childishly to anything soft and furry. Some argue that many words akin to puss existed in Germanic and other European languages, such as German (pūse), Dutch (poes), Lithuanian (puižė), and Irish (puisín). Furthermore, they theorize pussy was supposed to be an improvisation of Low German words that meant “pocket” or “purse” or Old Norse pūss and Old English pusa for the female pudenda.Songs such as “Puss in a Corner” (1690, attributed to D’Urfey) were purported to clearly play on the double sense of the word for ribald effect.Victorian society may have played a role in the meaning of the word when it became sexualized in the 1800s, and was directly associated with vaginas, referring to “something soft, warm, and furry.” Although, technically the vagina is not furry…Regardless, like the term dyke, women reclaimed the word after the former president declared those famous words, “grab them by the pussy” and the women’s march sported pink hats. The Pussyhat Project was a nationwide effort initiated by Krista Suh and Jayna Zweiman, a screenwriter and architect located in Los Angeles, to create pink hats to be worn at the march. According to Wikipedia, Pussyhats were featured months after the 2017 march on the Missoni fashion runway where models were outfitted with pink hats combined with zigzag-striped ribbing as they walked the runway. Additionally, at the end of the show, Angela Missoni and other celebrities wore those same pink hats. Angela called the collection “pink is the new black” and donated some of the proceeds from the collection to the ACLU and UN Refugee Agency. However, the term “Pussy Power” was first used as far back as the 1960s.
I will leave it up to you regarding whether the saying “Don’t Be a Pussy” is indeed sexist and derogatory. In the book I am writing, I’ve included one of the theories, namely the Latin term, because I thought it was interesting. I know that I also use the term pussy in many of my books, but certainly not in a derogatory way at all! Some may even be referring to our furry little friends, considering what a cat person I am. If you want to see how I’ve used the term, feel free to click the links below.
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Amazon Germany Book 4 in the Trophy Wives Club Series
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
November 24, 2023
Black Friday
Total transparency…this blog is mostly a rerun because I’m still in a food coma from yesterday and simply could not get my brain moving…but it’s a goodie! Today is Black Friday, and personally, I think that is a gruesome name for the day. Years ago, I talked with my nephew’s wife at our annual traditional Thanksgiving dinner, where we go out to eat instead of the muss and fuss of cooking. She was a wealth of information on why the day was named Black Friday. Apparently, the name is derived from the fact that for most establishments, on the day after Thanksgiving, they begin to turn a profit or “go into the black”. Now, I thought that was quite interesting, given that when the stock market crashed in 1929, they called it Black Tuesday. Why not Red Tuesday? Wouldn’t that be a more accurate name if you follow the logic of black ink on an income statement means profit and red ink means loss? There was a whole lot of loss happening the day of the stock market crash. I think we should rename the day, Super Sale Friday, or Screaming Deals Friday, or….how about Shop Until You Drop Friday. Then there is…The Day After Thanksgiving. Perhaps that one is too on the nose and not clever enough.
Personally, I find every conceivable reason to avoid the crowds on Black Friday, because nothing is less appealing than pushing and shoving to grab that last item on sale. Or how about the craziness of getting up at four in the morning to stand in line waiting for the doors to open to grab that new TV that is a ridiculously low price, but the store only has 10. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a tad, but not much. Ah…the light bulb just went off for me…that’s why it’s named Black Friday…some poor little old lady probably lost her life in her quest for the perfect gift for her grandson as she dueled over the last PlayStation. Or…it is aptly named for people like me who would rather have a root canal than get near any store.
Apparently, the reason behind the name is well known, because even those across the pond have cited the reason I got from my nephew’s wife. I saw a post on this from a fellow author who lives in Australia. But, I still needed to do some research for a more complete explanation, because that’s what I do. And…do you know what? My ridiculous notions may be closer to the truth on the origin of the term Black Friday. This is what I learned: Black Friday first showed up in print in 1966 when a story appeared in an ad in The American Philatelist, a stamp collectors’ magazine. The Philadelphia Police Department used the name to describe the traffic jams and crowding in the downtown stores. The actual term had been used by the police as early as the 50s in Philadephia. Interestingly enough, another day in history was coined Black Friday, but apparently, that name did not stick. September 24th, 1869 was the very first Black Friday and had nothing to do with profits. In fact, it was the exact opposite. On this day in history, two ruthless Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, bought as much of the nation’s gold as they could, hoping to drive the price sky-high and sell it for astonishing profits. The conspiracy was unraveled on that Friday, causing the stock market to go into free fall and bankrupting everyone from Wall Street barons to farmers.
I know I’m not a retail store, just a lowly author hoping to make a profit on my stories, so at least a few are FREE on Kindle Unlimited or well below the 9.99 for a typical, ranging from 3.00 to a mere 5.99 (even for my most recent releases). The others, I think are also reasonably priced. So make this a profitable Black Friday for me, and click the links below to shop!
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Now in Audio ! Audio links: Audible in US Audible in UK
Recent double Award-Winning novel….
Amazon Germany Book 4 in the Trophy Wives Club Series
Links to the Books in Audible:
Undercover Love Politics of Love Love Bonds Sculpting Her Heart Disconnected Artist Free Zone Locked Inside
Proud to be an Affinity Rainbow Publications author!
