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  A coming-of-age YA story that is as hauntingly authentic as it is deeply thought-provoking. Iearn more

I'll be signing copies of Summer of '82  at The Book Shelf in Thomasville, GA Saturday, September 10, 2022 from 2pm to 4pm. Stop by!  

 de-stress /dēˈstres/ verb verb: destress relax after a period of work or tension. "others come simply to de-stress and to enjoy the exercise and relaxation classes" - Google Dictionary There are a great number of recommended de-stress exercises that I have read about or that have been suggested to me over the years. Going to the beach, on a cruise, a long drive, or a weekend in the mountains always works, but their not quickly accessible options all the time. Sometimes you need to be able to take a quick break, regain your composure, re-center, reset your perspective, and return to work. When I worked in Roswell, GA several years ago, there was a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop about 3 blocks from my job. When things got hectic and I needed a break, I would walk over, get a cup of coffee, and a hot sugary blessing from God, and then return back to the job. When I moved to Saint Pete and began working in Tampa, sometimes it was a short walk over to Starbucks for a flat white. But

 As I continue to work at improving my skillset as a writer, I continue to read and write on a regular basis. Occasionally someone suggest a book specifically on writing or someone asks me to recommend a book on writing. To date, I have found these five to be the most helpful. They are listed in no specific order.   Ernest Hemmingway on Writing  Hemmingway always said it was bad luck to talk about writing, but numerous time throughout his life, he tossed out some pretty sound advice. Phillips assembles the gems into one cover and a brief 140 pages. I may be a little bias, but you can't go wrong with writing advise from a master. On Being a Writer by Kroeker & Craig On Being a Writer provides 12 simple habits to develop and maintain a writing career. Though some may seem simple and obvious, they provide good suggestions that can benefit every writer new, established, young, and old. Storyville: An illustrated Guide to Writing Fiction by John Dufresne Storyville gets into to nuts

  Image source: Amazon.com For years there have been many economic indexes utilized as an indicator of the strength or weakness of the current economy. One index that was widely publicized for sometime was the  Hot Waitress Economic Index  which asserted that the higher the number of hot looking  servers in a food establishment, the weaker the current state of the economy. This indicator relied on the assumption that physically attractive individuals do not have any problem securing a high paying occupation during economic upturns, and that during times of economic downturns, physically attractive job hunter were forced to work as waitstaff. This index was unsubstantiated due to several other factors that were not properly taken into consideration. Another index is known as Lipstick vs Nail Polish . The theory behind this index is that women splurge on cheaper luxuries when the economy is weak and money is tight. If gas is $3 a gallon, the budget has to be rearranged.  While this index

photo credit: https://cookingwithkoolaid.wordpress.com/ "Drinking the Kool-aid" is a phrase that gets used regularly in today's society. If you are under 40 years old, you probably have no clue where it originated. Back in the 1970s, there was a "minister" by the name of Rev. Jim Jones. Jones had served as student pastor at Sommerset Southside Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1952, but parted ways with the church over racial integration issues. In 1954, he  rented some space in Indianapolis and launched his own church, Community Unity Church. By 1956, he and had garnered enough funds to purchase his own building naming it Wings of Deliverance and then the Peoples Temple Full Gospel Church. In 1959, they joined the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and renamed itself as the Peoples Temple Christian Church Full Gospel.   Jones spread a message of racial equality while mixing elements of Christianity, socialism, and progressive idealism that appea