M.J. Compton's Blog, page 13
June 15, 2020
MJ Monday-Music: Needing Silence
Sometimes, a person needs silence. That need, in today’s society, is treated as an aberration. I love music. I have eclectic taste. But sometimes the music has to stop. My day job is working in an office. A cube farm. Phones ring and telephone conversations are constant. The climate control system roars most of the … Continue reading MJ Monday-Music: Needing Silence
June 11, 2020
Book Review-Karen Robards: One Summer
Shortly after I joined my local RWA chapter, the longer-term members waxed poetic about a book called One Summer by Karen Robards. I was unfamiliar with the author. I borrowed the book from the library. A few days later, I purchased my own copy. This is the story of a high school English teacher who gets … Continue reading Book Review-Karen Robards: One Summer
June 8, 2020
MJ Monday-Movies: People Will Talk
Someone on Facebook recently mentioned People Will Talk was airing on TV. I mentioned it to my husband, who recorded it. Neither one of us was familiar with the film. A few weeks later, we sat down to watch and were more than pleasantly surprised. It stars Cary Grant, Jeanne Crain, with Hume Cronyn and … Continue reading MJ Monday-Movies: People Will Talk
June 4, 2020
Thursday Thought-Self-Help: Orbiting the Giant Hairball
Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving With Grace by Gordon MacKenzie is one of the easiest self-help books I’ve ever devoured. There’s no jargon, no quoted sources or case studies (or if there is, they are a minor mention at best). MacKenzie writes about his time working for Hallmark and the … Continue reading Thursday Thought-Self-Help: Orbiting the Giant Hairball
June 1, 2020
MJ Monday-Meals: Potato Pie with Hamburg Gravy
Every year, my mom makes a birthday dinner for each one of us. This year, I requested something different. Something from my childhood. Comfort food. Except my mom couldn’t remember how to make it, even though it was a regular meal at our house while I was growing up: Potato Pie with Hamburg Gravy. Please … Continue reading MJ Monday-Meals: Potato Pie with Hamburg Gravy
May 28, 2020
Thursday Thought: Holidays Aren’t a Day Off
Happy Memorial Day. My grandmother always called today Decoration Day, because one is supposed to decorate the graves of deceased soldiers. When I was in high school marching band, we marched in three Memorial Day Parades. Then it was off for a family picnic. We still have an annual family picnic. I love my family. … Continue reading Thursday Thought: Holidays Aren’t a Day Off
May 25, 2020
MJ Monday-Manuscript Excerpt
Besieged by the Moon (tentative release date July 8, 2020) The cool night air felt light, as opposed to the heavy, humidity-laden summer nights of Phoebe’s home. Nothing weighed her down, not even the awkwardness of her mating with Parker. “Are you okay to walk?” Parker asked, as if she hadn’t already walked to the … Continue reading MJ Monday-Manuscript Excerpt
May 21, 2020
Thursday Thoughts: Food Obsession
I sometimes feel like I’ve obsessed about food my whole life. I have a tendency to enjoy eating. I love flavors. Textures. Food. Even as a child, I read cookbooks, looking for recipes to make. I’ve always enjoyed cooking. Here’s the thing. I tend to be overweight. I’ve tried cutting calories, I’ve done Weight Watchers … Continue reading Thursday Thoughts: Food Obsession
May 18, 2020
MJ Monday-Music: Instrumental Jazz
Jazz triggers theta waves – inducing states of artistic and spiritual insight – which can assist dealing with complex issues. I own several instrumental jazz CDs because lyrics can be distracting and jazz is very . . . fluid. The music is moody. Best of all, it’s depends on improvisation. The music demands the musician … Continue reading MJ Monday-Music: Instrumental Jazz
May 14, 2020
Book Review-Linda Howard: Son of the Morning
I once listened to an RWA workshop in which the presenter, an editor, said just once she’d like to read a submission where time travel was voluntary. My immediate thought was you’ve never read Linda Howard’s Son of the Morning. I love this book. It has time travel, a Scottish hero, a modern day (circa 1997) … Continue reading Book Review-Linda Howard: Son of the Morning
