M.J. Compton's Blog, page 15

MJ Monday-Meals: Chicken Taco Casserole with Cucumber Avocado Salad

Going on my writing retreats can sometimes be a challenge, especially when I try to take other people’s dietary needs into consideration. It’s a good thing I like to cook and peruse recipes. Here’s a combination I used the last time I took off for the woods with my critique group. Chicken Taco Casserole With […]

SELF HELP REVIEW: ATOMIC HABITS

About a year ago, it seemed as if everyone was reading this book. People I knew claimed it was life changing. There was a wait list at the library. I wonder how many people were as disappointed in the book as I was. I found the book little more than a rehash of other books I’ve […]

MJ Monday-Motivation: Journaling

I periodically get away from journaling, but eventually return to doing it. Some people call it Morning Pages; others have different names for it. The main character in Diary of a Mad Housewife referred to her journal as “Accounts”. Whatever you call it, sometimes writing out everything helps. I find that my “secular” life, if you […]

The Man Fridge

Years ago, Parade magazine interviewed a female private detective, who maintained women make better detectives than men because if a man opens the refrigerator door to look for something, unless it’s right in front of him, he won’t find it because he won’t “move the mustard.” That phrase has stayed with me.  The truth of it […]

MJ Monday-Manuscript: Excerpt

From my current work in progress, BESIEGED BY THE MOON, currently scheduled for July publication. Phoebe wished she knew of a way to make Parker angry enough to stalk off and brood. To leave her alone. She didn’t want him around while she meditated. His presence was too disturbing, too disruptive to her calm. She […]

The Winter Side of No Make Up

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know I stopped wearing make-up several years ago. It happened one hot July day, when I realized how much money I was wasting wearing makeup that would be melted off an hour later. The time, effort, and money weren’t worth the outcome. I figured […]

MJ Monday-Music: Simon & Garfunkel/Paul Simon

Paul Simon wrote a good portion of the soundtrack of my life. From The Cyrkle’s hit  “Red Rubber Ball” to his solo album Graceland, I was a fairly steady Paul Simon fan. (I lost track after Graceland. I’m not sure why.) My favorite years are, of course, the Simon & Garfunkel years, and his first […]

Book Review: Linda Howard-Mr. Perfect

I recently learned some people have stopped reading Linda Howard due to alleged racist comments she’s made on social media. I haven’t seen the comments, so I’m not going to judge. I’ve also read that people think Mr. Perfect  is a dreadful book because of the way she treated one of the characters who some might […]

MJ Monday-Movies: The Big Sick

The first time I viewed The Big Sick I was with my husband. My critique partners and I watched it again on a recent retreat. It’s a good movie. It’s a true story that takes the larger issues we in the US are facing today and brings them down to the personal level. It’s the story […]

Self-Help Review: The Artist’s Way

When I first joined RWA and started writing with focus in addition to serious intent, I heard about Julia Cameron’s seminal book The Artist’s Way everywhere. Blogs, Private chat rooms. Other books  People raved about their Morning Pages habit. I bought a copy to see what the worship was about. The book is about creative recovery. […]