Arizona and Japan, So Close Yet, So Far Apart!

If you have ever read my about me page, or you know me from out in the world, then you know I lived in Arizona for ten years. I moved there on New Years night 2000 and I left for Kentucky in July 2010.

One of the things that impressed me so much while living in Arizona was the pride of the Japanese Americans that flew their flags so proudly. They flew them over car dealerships, they flew them at Mom and Pop stores. They seemed to be everywhere. That beautiful rising sun shone brightly over Phoenix.

It was only when I had changed jobs in 2006 that I noticed even the banks and credit unions flew the Japanese Rising Sun flag. I didn’t understand this.  Even Bank of America and other national banks flew the Japanese flag.

In the land of she thinks she knows so much, it is acceptable to ask questions without fear. Everyone has questions, don’t they?

So a few days after starting, I marched into my brand new Manager’s office and asked her directly. “Why does the credit union fly the Japanese flag? In orientation, they said the founders of the Credit Union were schoolteachers, women that had lived here all their lives? I also noticed that they were not Japanese?”

“What? What do you mean?” She looked genuinely confused.

I  pointed out her window at the flag that was vibrantly flapping in the breeze and said. “The flag, the Japanese flag, why do they have it up here?”

“Vicki, that is the Arizona state flag, not the Japanese flag.”

I simply turned around, left her office, and went back to my desk. Sure, I heard her laughing, I just chose to ignore it.  I never mentioned it again. I did have a little song running through my brain. You know the one, it involves feeling like a nut.

Bet you can’t tell when candy bar I felt like that day.

Want to make me feel better and share your “knows so much” story?

 

Book Review: Blogging is Murder by Gilian Baker

Blogging is Murder: A Jade Blackwell Mystery by Gilian Baker

• • Print Length: 216 pages
  • Publication Date: February 19, 2017
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B01MTQNEWZ

 

My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The Horizontal Coffeemaker

When I am sleepy, as seldom as that is, I have a struggle.  Once I lay on my left side, my right brain becomes as fluid as coffee.  A stream of thoughts images and plots pour into the carafe that must be residing in my left brain.  The horizontal coffeemaker once again stirs me out of bed where I write down the stream of consciousness before it cools.

 

Trouble in Thinks She Knows So Much Land.

Had too much time on my hands.  So what else should I do but run about willy nilly on my admin settings?

Which means I clicked something that makes no sense to me. The question of the day becomes, “Why should I  be surprised when suddenly everything behaves wonky?”

Lesson learned, for today, anyway.

Crash “#$#$#” went the comments and notifications. I am still not sure what I clicked. At this point, I am just glad I found it to unclicked.  Comments and notifications are right back where they belong.

Vicki’s Admin Tools

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Goodreads a Partner in your Success Story

Goodreads is a site I go to on a regular basis. Both as an author with books listed and as a reader with reviews showing. I created my account before I became an author and I write under a pseudonym so I didn’t think to check and see if my book was up there. Then one day I checked.  It was there!  I had to make a new account to attach it to the author page. From there, it was a  race to learn as fast as possible how to make Goodreads a good fit for me. Me the author, not me the reviewer.

A Lovely Award Nomination!

 

Blogger recognition award

Thank you, Robbie Cheadle from Robbie’s Inspiration for nominating me for this award. Robbie was sweet enough to nominate me for this as I was recuperating from Mystery Thriller Week.  I really appreciate you thinking of me.

While I was engrossed in MTW This happened!

Yes! I have over 1000 followers now. I love each one of you too. I mean you took the time to follow me and in return, I follow your blogs too.  I hope you are still happy with the content of the posts.

I am still loving reviewing books. Maybe I should explain that I am not a reviewer of analytical discussion and grammar policing. I am a reviewer that tells you why I loved, liked, or tolerated a book.

If I do not like the book or found it unappealing while reading, I do not post about it. My personal philosophy is: Why should I waste my energy and time to share a book that I found terrible?  Why even clutter my friend’s brains with the mundane and bad? You can go to other sites for that. Goodreads and Amazon are where you can find bad books.  Not on The Page Turner.

I also hope that you enjoy my little misadventures with my family, writing and learning processes.  There is something freeing about sharing a vacation, a productive day of writing, or just a fun day.

Thank you all for following me.  I enjoy your pages immensely and I hope you find something entertaining about mine.

Here is a rare picture: 

 

Mufasa sharing a Sweet Boy moment. (few and far between) 

 

 

Snap Chat Pop Quiz!

 

The correct answer is worth 50 points! 

Who’s that hiding under those glasses, that toboggan, and beard?

 

Why it’s Audrey Hepburn of course!  

 

An Hour with Vicki and Sojourner McConnell. Fun with Yvonne Mason

I was so honored to be asked by Yvonne Mason to be on her online radio program. She is a mystery/thriller writer in her own right, and I was excited to say yes.  I am starting her book The Mad Hatter this evening and I can’t wait.

The hour-long event was so fun. Once I put my nerves aside. I am not the most outgoing person, but I am in line for the most talkative award.  The interview was about my writing as Sojourner McConnell and I was able to share the story behind The Path of the Child. I was also able to discuss Mystery Thriller Week and my WIPs .

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Here we are the day before Christmas. I am still sitting next to a stove with a roaring fire and am preparing for a day of cookie making excitement with the family.  I am thinking about the people I am not near this holiday and missing you. Yet, I am so excited to be sharing this holiday with Casey, Ken, Raevyndaun, Vykktoria, Vladmier, and Valerie.  This is a Christmas present that  I have been enjoying for two weeks and I am still having a blast.

Sure, I found the Frozen tundra plague and have been coughing and hacking to beat that band, but I also have had some beautiful children bringing me cups of tea and pb&j sandwiches in order to make me feel better.  That makes the cold tolerable.

My gifts to the family will bring even more opportunities for snuggling together and I can’t wait to share them with the children.  Even as I miss my little Sarah and the Alabama kids as well as Jacob and Nathan, I am truly having a wonderful time. My heart is full.

While I am here looking at a frozen Lake Michigan, and you are in another part of the world celebrating Christmas alone, know you are in my thoughts and my heart.

 

Snap chat holiday picture!

Merry Christmas everyone!  

 

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone is Thrilling! It’s a Mystery!

Surely by now, you have noticed this preoccupation with a little something called Mystery Thriller Week.  An event I am working on pretty steadily as it grows around us.  Finding my voice while reaching out to authors, narrators, publicists, specialty craft writers, bloggers, reviewers, and fans has been eye opening.  It has been delightful.

What wonderful people there are on this planet. There are people that also dread getting out of the house and interacting with others until they do it, then they have fun and enjoy the moment. Once they return home it seems surreal that so much fun was had while away from the computer and out in the midst of others.

That is how this event feels to me. I am reaching out to strangers,people that I admire, people I have never heard of before but they have a book that draws me in. So I reach out. I write an email that I hope doesn’t sound pushy or fangirling.  There seems to be a middle ground, I aim for that area. Those are the moments I am enjoying reaching out to people. Nice people, responsive people, friendly people that happen to all love thrillers and mysteries. It is a wonderful discovery.

I am blown away by the magnanimous gestures of authors giving away their products to fans that show up. Providing books not just once and not just electronic, but signed books and audiobooks. Authors that are willing to log into Facebook and spend one or more hours in personal meetings with new readers and old fans. Want to participate as an author and have your books celebrated and your brand placed in the public eye for eleven straight days of fun events?  Any authors interested in participating with the 120 fine  and pretty good looking bunch of authors already signed up then  click here to join in.

It is a beautiful thing watching this little idea that Benjamin Thomas, Sherrie Marshall Spitz, and I discussed become a growing full blown event. With humor and creativity and many favors pulled from friends like J. Schlenker and her amazing artistry. Eeva Lancaster and her enthusiastic creativity is a new friend that has endeared herself to us all.

Then there are the bloggers and vloggers that are willing to read unknown authors to provide an honest review. They are also willing to share their pages with writers over the course of these eleven days in February.  Reaching out to interview established authors and new authors alike. Bloggers that are willing to play fun creative games during the week so that even more prizes can be given out to fans. Once again supporting the authors with humor and their own writing talent. Want to be included in this creative celebration of the books and authors of Mystery and Thrillers, then click here.

Goodreads and Amazon Reviewers that do not blog, but like Diane Lynch ,write heartfelt and honest reviews and post them out of their own love of reading. Not budding writers or poets, but lovers of the written word and how it makes them feel. Want to be included in the Goodreads review festival going on during MTW 2017, then click here .

This is my joy and my passion that forces me to ask everyone that reads this post, do you want to be involved? Are you a super fan?  Do you love to review thrillers, cozy mysteries, detective stories, psychological thrillers, spy thrillers, historical mysteries, natural disaster thrillers?

This is where you get to stand up and shout I love mystery and thrillers and I am a super fan.  I am a lover of the adventure, intrigue, and fear. I want to spread the word about these books over every media platform I can.  I want to participate in the largest online Mystery and Thriller event in the world.  I want to hop from blog to blog finding new favorite authors in my favorite genre and I want to learn about every planned event, on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, YouTube and blogs from all over the world. I want to be a super fan! I want to sign up today!  You are in luck, all you have to do is click here and be included in all the news about the event. Be provided the links to Facebook groups, Twitter accounts, and personal meet ups with authors.  This event is going to be amazing. Get your free ticket to all the attractions today.  Beat the crowd!