B.L. Blair's Blog, page 15

Which classic movie is best?

Last week I mentioned that instead of doing a book challenge this year I was going to do a Classic Mystery Movie challenge. I have already picked out the first four movies I’m going to watch. I’ve probably seen them at some point in my life, but I can’t remember them well enough to discuss. That is why I decided on this challenge.
I’ve picked six movies that are on almost all the classics lists. Which do you think is best?

It’s the little things…

It’s the little things…that add up. I had a crazy week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The past few weeks have been better, but that week was tough. It was a lot of little things that added up to a frustrating and unpleasant week.
Here’s the list of small but annoying incidences:
Monday – Christmas DayOur electricity went out for about two minutes. Not a big deal, but it turned off the oven, and we didn’t realize it. Our Christmas meal was about an hour late.Our ATT router went out. We bundle so we had no WiFi, no TV, and no home phone. Of course, it was Christmas so no one could come fix until the next day.
TuesdayI sometimes work from home especially if we are expecting some type of service person. Hard to work from home without Internet. Luckily, I was able to setup a hotspot on my phone–don’t want to see my data plan usage for that day.The ATT technician came. Replaced the router. Yes! Back in business. Now reset all the TVs and reset all the WiFi connections.
WednesdayWe had a sick cat. Blood in her urine. She had a massive bladder infection. Poor thing was miserable.
ThursdayNothing happened – sigh of relief.
FridayThe sick cat has a reaction to the medicine – diarrhea everywhere. Not a pleasant way to start another three day weekend.Texas can get cold. That weekend the temperature was hovering around freezing at night. We found a stray cat in the backyard. Skinny as could be. Sad pitiful thing. We couldn’t leave him outside so we put him in our laundry room until we could get him to a shelter.So one sick cat running around the house. One stray cat in the laundry room. And one healthy cat I had to try to keep away from the others.
SaturdayWe can’t find a rescue group to take the cat and resort to contacting the city shelter. We had to leave a message, but they didn’t call back.
SundayFinally get the stray cat to the shelter. I have one more day to relax before I go back to my day job.
Monday – New Year’s DaySmoke alarms go off. We can’t find any smoke or fire, but all eight of our alarms are going off at the same time. So we call for help, gather up the cats, and exit the house. The fire department shows up. We have a bad alarm. They suggested we replace all of them.
So that’s it. A week of small, frustrating things that just kept piling up. I was actually happy to go back to work.

The Mystery Section Blog

I’m hosting a new blog called The Mystery Section. It is dedicated to showcasing mystery books and their authors. Every two days, we feature one book. My goal is to give the book its own spotlight. I see so many blogs and Facebook pages that have tons of posts each day. It’s nice that these people are trying to help promote, but I feel like too many books get lost in all the content.
The Mystery Section will have one book posted each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The book will be the only post on the blog and the top post on the Facebook page for two days. On Sundays, we will feature an Author of the Month with a little bit about an author, their books, and a Q&A session.
I hope you will consider stopping by. We are going to be hosting a giveaway each month as well so there is an incentive for you. Below are the links. Please consider sharing and following. I know all the authors will appreciate your support.
Blog: https://themysterysection.blogspot.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mysterysection/Twitter: https://twitter.com/MysterySection

Classic Mystery Movie Challenge

I’m reading a book called, Dial P for Poison by Zara Keane, which was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M For Murder. Ms. Keane’s mystery series is called the Movie Club Mysteries. All the books are based on movies. It is an interesting and fun idea for a cozy.
I’ve never seen Dial M For Murder. I know I’ve seen parts of it-classic scenes that show up on award shows or retrospectives, but I’ve never sat down and watched the whole thing.
This time of year everyone is making (or by now breaking) New Year’s resolutions. The resolutions or challenges I’ve been seeing online are book related. Goodreads, LibraryThing, and similar sites all have challenges planned. I don’t do book challenges. I read a lot, but it isn’t consistent as it’s hard to plan how long it might take to read a book. Some I can breeze right through; others I have to spend more time on. To me, that’s what makes reading so much fun. Each book is different-even the amount of time it takes to read one.
So instead of a book challenge, I’ve decided to set myself a classic movie challenge. It’s going to be small-only one a month. I’m going to start with Dial M For Murder since that is what began this whole thing. I looked up classic mystery movies and got a lot of ideas. I’m going to begin with the list below.
January 2018 – Dial M For MurderFebruary 2018 – Murder on the Orient ExpressMarch 2018 – The Thin ManApril 2018 – Rear Window
Any suggestions for other movies? Anyone want to join me?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dress Up Your Pet Day

So I just discovered that today, January 14, 2018, is National Dress Up Your Pet Day. There’s a website and everything. The day was founded by an animal advocate, Colleen Paige, as a day to give more attention to pets and to help promote pet adoption.
I must admit I was a little surprised. I’ve seen a lot of pictures of pets dressed, but I had no idea there was a day to celebrate it. I’m still not sure how I feel about that. I have never dressed up a pet. I might have put a ribbon or bow on my dog when I was a small child, but I’ve never tried to put them in a costume.
Ms. Paige states on the website that she knows it may seem silly to some, but that the goal is to help save lives and give exposure to homeless animals. Anything that brings attention to pet adoption is a good thing. In my book series, Lost and Found Pets Mysteries, I mention pet adoption and the heartbreak of homeless pets. I don’t put a lot about it in my stories as that is not the theme of the books, but I’m a believer in rescuing animals and hope that this day helps.
Check out the various sites. I must admit some of the pictures are adorable.
Website: https://www.dressupyourpetday.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dressupyourpetsTwitter: https://twitter.com/dressupyourpetsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dressupyourpets/
What about you? Do you dress up your pet? Can you share a picture? I would enjoy seeing them.

Dead in a Pickup

I've started work on the next Leah Norwood Mystery. It is called Dead in a Pickup. This time Leah will be trying to prove the innocence of her friend, Marcus Cantono. My goal is to have it completed by the end of April so that I can edit, proofread, and get it ready for release in July. Fingers crossed. Here is a snippet.
“Nice tie,” I said to the customer standing in front of me. It was a lovely shade of steel blue with gray stripes and went beautifully with the dark gray suit.Of course, there isn’t much that wouldn’t look good on the man. Marcus Cantono is simply gorgeous. He is tall with jet-black hair and startling blue eyes. His face is classically handsome and his body – well – he’s got a great body. In spite of the nice clothes, Marcus looks dangerous. It’s just who he is. He is a big man, not fat but muscular, and he radiates danger. Being part of a formally drug-dealing clan adds to the image. He’s trying to steer the family to the legitimate side of the law. So far, he has only been marginally successful.“Thanks, Leah,” he said giving me a grin. My heart beat sped up, and a slight flush filled my face. It was a natural reaction. One I couldn’t control even if I tried. Marcus’s smile is something to behold. The problem is he knows it. His eyes roamed my face, and his grin widened.“Stop it,” I said sharply glaring at him. He simply laughed.An odd chain of events had made us friends. Marcus’s family had been involved in a drug dealing operation when he returned to town to care for his ailing mother. I had accidentally intercepted a shipment of heroin and had come to the attention of his family. They had tried to intimidate me so that I would stop asking questions. The encounter had frighten me, but I wasn’t about back down, and that had impressed Marcus. He had put the word out on the street that I was under his protection. A couple of weeks later, the whole drug operation had been taken down by the police, and many members of his family were arrested. Marcus swooped in to rescue the rest.The younger members of the family were now working at the restaurant he had opened and trying to learn how to fit into mainstream society. Marcus’s older brother, Damian, had been running the whole drug-dealing operation. He was out on bail and also trying to go straight. I had my doubts, but Marcus was determined to save his family, and I admired him for that.Marcus and I had gone on one date on New Year’s Eve. He had kissed me at the stroke of midnight, and that was all it had taken for us to realize that we were destined to be just friends. We didn’t have that special chemistry, but the man’s smile still made my toes curl.“Tell your mother Happy Birthday,” I said handing him the bag with a packaged set of Rose in Bloom.My store, Scents and Sensibility, sold lotions, soaps and perfume in various fragrances. Rose in Bloom is one of our most popular. The packaged set comes with body cream, hand lotion, soap, and perfume. Marcus had purchased the exact same set for his mother at Christmas.“You can tell her yourself,” he said to me. “Sunday night we are having a private party at the restaurant. You’re invited.”I smiled. The restaurant in question was one that he had opened in late February. It was one of the nicest in town, and the food was superb.“Great. What time?”“We’re eating at six. Mama doesn’t like to stay out late. Come by around five-thirty.”I had met Marcus’s mother, Annabella, on a couple of occasions. She didn’t like me much the first time, but as soon as she realized I wasn’t after her son, she warmed up. She liked me just fine as a friend of the family. She just didn’t want me marrying her youngest son. Annabella had said numerous times that Marcus needed a real Italian wife. In her mind, that meant someone who didn’t work outside the home, was a great cook, and would worship the ground her son walked on. I didn’t fit any of those categories.I also didn’t think that was what Marcus needed. He was already too used to getting his way. One flash of his devastating smile and he usually got what he wanted. Marcus needed a woman who would stand up to him-someone who wasn’t intimated by his good looks. Mama Annabella and I would have to disagree.“I’ll be there,” I told him. “Now you need to leave. It’s six, we’re closing, and I’ve got a date.”

Happenings in 2018

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was hoping to change things a little this year. I will hit my five year author anniversary in February, and I’ve got a lot planned for 2018.
Author Anniversary Month – I have lots of giveaways and stories planned for February 2018. I encourage you to continue to follow or check this blog regularly as I hope to be offering lots of “party” favors.
Author Appearances – I hope to make a couple of appearances this year. This will be something new for me. I’m looking at a few book festivals here in Texas. One is in McKinney, TX where I live. It will be in September. I will also be a guest on the DEAR Texas Radio show in August.
Book Releases – My goal this year is ambitious. I’m planning to release three books. The first will be the third Lead Norwood mystery, Dead in a Pickup. The tentative release date is July 12th. I also plan to release the next two Lost and Found Pets novellas. One in September/October and the other in November/December. As I said ambitious. I don’t know that I will be able to complete them all, but I feel it is important to set the goal.

2018 will be a busy year. I hope you join me for the fun!

Cats

I love animals. It's one of the reasons I starting writing the Lost and Found Pets series. My family had a dog when I was a young child, and I enjoy watching them. They always look so happy. Happy to see you, happy to be out and about, just plain happy. However, I prefer cats.
Cats aren’t always happy. Sometimes they are angry, sometimes content, sometimes playful, and sometimes “Leave Me Alone!” This contradictory nature is probably what I like best about them. They're interesting.
I have had three cats in my life. I’ve been lucking that they each lived a fairly long time. The first cat I had was named Nuisance. I got her when I was eleven. I am the youngest of six kids (by almost seven years). My brothers had just graduated high school and were headed for college, and I was going to be the only child in the house. My mother thought I might be lonely so she let me get a cat. When I was asked what I was going to name her, I said I need to know what it was going to be first – meaning male or female. My mother said it was going to be a nuisance. She was a pretty calico, and I spent a lot of time with her in high school. She died while I was in college.
My second cat was Nikki. I got her as a kitten the year I graduated from college. She was pure black. She was a meanie. Well, to everyone but me. She would swipe or hiss at anyone she didn’t know. She would let someone pet her for a little while, but I could tell when she had enough. They wouldn’t believe me when I told them to stop petting her. She got them every time. She would sleep curled around my head or beside me on the bed. Nikki lived to be seventeen.
My third cat was Darcy. She was a soft orange and one of the sweetest cats I’ve ever known. Very affectionate. I adopted her from the SPCA. They had been told she was spayed and declawed. She was declawed. Three days after I brought her home she had two kittens. As we already had another cat, we had to give the kittens to the SPCA, but they were fun while we had them. Darcy live to be sixteen and had a lot of health problems the last few years of her life. I had to let her go last February. It’s been almost a year, and I still tear up when I think about her.
About two months ago, I adopted my fourth cat. Zoey is a muted calico. She is not as affectionate as Darcy and not as mean as Nikki. She has her own personality which I’m getting to know. She doesn’t like to get her picture taken, but here’s one that isn’t too bad.

Who would you want to visit you?

I was flipping through channels the other day and came across Bones. I have always enjoyed that show. It was the Christmas episode from the first season – the one where they are all quarantined in the lab because they were exposed to Valley Fever. Part way through the show, all the characters, except for Brennan, get visitors. Booth’s son, Angela’s dad, Zack’s whole family.
It’s a moving scene, but it got me to wondering who would come see me. I know my family would come. I’m the youngest of 6 kids with lots of extended family. I think most of them would make the effort. I also know which friends would be there.
As I thought about it, I realized there are some people who I would like to see if I were in that situation but who wouldn’t know about it. People with whom I have lost touch. Thankfully, that list wasn’t long – my first love, the first kid I babysat, my favorite high school teacher. People who affected my life in different ways and help make me who I am today.
What about you? Anyone special you would like to see?