Another wonderful story from the lovable characters in Beauville, NY. I love the ongoing characters like Meg and Mary, then folks cross their path and add another touching story to the series.
This book is actually two combined, “Mandy’s Dream,” and “The Rule of Thirds.” Warning, both are tearjerkers and so very touching! “Mandy’s Dream” is the story of Meg and a new character, Jessica, who’s a gifted young artist, helping a young girl named Mandy who has been mute since both her parents died in a horrible accident. Spending time with the girl and introducing her to expressing her feelings through art plus interacting with a special horse helped the girl to heal from her trauma. In the story they write a book for Mandy to express her feelings which is included with beautiful artwork and also sold separately for young children dealing with grief. Beautifully done on both literary and illustration levels.
“The Rule of Thirds” title relates to art design, yet in this story ties in how often a group of three has meaning in our lives. In this story, Jessica’s journey as an artist continues as well as a surprising and exciting development in her life. Saying anything else would be a spoiler so I’ll leave it at that.
I love this series and highly recommend it. While the main characters are high school age living back in the 70s, their situations are apropos regardless of the decade. The author has a gift for creating warm, relatable characters and touching situations most will encounter at some point in their life. I would have loved these books as a teen and do today as a great-grandmother. Highly recommended.
I’m extremely excited that “Elke’s Magic” in this series is a screenplay that is in pre-production! I can’t wait to see it on TV someday!
You can pick up your copy of “Duet” on Amazon here and available thru Kindle Unlimited.
Review of “The Wall Between” by Inger Margaret Foster
My binge marathon on Inger Margaret Foster’s books continues!
The point of historical fiction is to take you to some time in the past and live it. This story definitely does that and more! I’m old enough to remember much of what went on back in the 70s. I also remember when President Ronald Reagan told Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall. But never did it have the impact as it did in this amazing tale of a couple separated by it and the horrible policies that were in place when East and West Berlin were separated.
That was the situation at the end of WWII when Communist Russia got East Germany and the allies got West Germany. What it required to cross from one side to the other was solid identification, then being escorted by an armed guard who kept his eye on his watch to make sure the meeting didn’t go longer than it was supposed to.
I’m glad that I read “Elke’s Magic” first, though it’s not required. Nonetheless, it gives you a glimpse of the situation and you get to know the main character. You can also understand why Elke missed her idyllic little cottage back in the States. When she was washing dishes in her humble apartment in West Berlin and remembering the dried herbs hanging above her sink in her little house I could so totally relate! When I lived in Texas I was able to grow a multitude of fresh herbs that I dried in the house, just like that. I hope to be able to do so again, maybe next year, though some won’t survive where I live now in New York State, where it’s so much colder.
I absolutely loved this story and it touched me deeply. I read it in a single sitting, unable to put it down. Highly recommended to understand what the people in Germany went through during those dark and trying years.
You can get your copy on Amazon here, for free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.
I don’t usually review cookbooks, as you’ve probably noticed, but I was provided a free pdf of this one in return for an honest review.
I found this to be an excellent cookbook loaded with interesting and healthy recipes as well as basic nutritional information. My favorite is the avocado chicken salad. To save time, I sometimes use canned chicken. I’m looking forward to trying several more, but will have to stock up on some things that I don’t normally have on hand in the pantry.
If you’re used to the usual ingredients in most recipes, you’re likely to encounter a few things you’ve never heard of in this book. This is a good thing, since the entire point of the book is to eat healthy. When I first reviewed this book it didn’t include any introductions to these less-common ingredients, but since I pointed out the need for them Annie has added a section to do just that! This will be helpful to anyone who has no clue what some of them are or has not used them before.
For example, you may not have ever heard of or used quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). I loved the use of maple syrup as a sweetener in many of the recipes. Make sure that it’s authentic maple syrup, and not the artificially flavored version typically found in grocery stores. That would be entirely counter-productive as far as health is concerned.
If your grocery store doesn’t carry some of these more unusual items, check online. And it goes without saying that organic is best. It probably would have been helpful to include a list of unhealthy things lurking in your pantry that you should throw away, too. The typical American diet is horribly unhealthy between processed food and all the chemical additives, which is why there are so many chronic diseases these days. Changing your eating habits isn’t easy, but this book can be a tremendous help for finding healthy alternatives.
If you’re already familiar with this type of healthy cooking-from-scratch then you’ll love these creative, delicious, recipes and the wonderful variety along with several mouth-watering illustrations. We can all get stuck in what we eat and you never know if your favorite recipe may be right there, just waiting for you to give it a try. Just be sure to plan ahead and make sure you have everything you need on-hand to avoid last-minute trips to the grocery store in the height of commuter traffic.
[NOTE:–I tried to post the following review to Amazon and it was rejected. I’m not entirely sure why, but I suspect the first paragraph was verboten, which figures, right? I edited it down significantly and they posted it, but here are my original comments.]
This story stands out as a chilling cautionary tale. While it’s set in 2034, don’t think it’s not already happening. Our reverence for life is seriously compromised as demonstrated by the ongoing abortion issue. At what point does human life begin? Conception? Or with that first breath at birth? What about those laws that have legitimized infanticide? Promote euthanasia? Where is society headed? We are being dehumanized, starting with the most vulnerable members.
It’s difficult to write a review of this story without spoilers. If you’re really paying attention through the first few chapters, it’s possible to figure out what’s going on as people disappear. The story slowly and methodically reveals the horrific truth through the viewpoints of the three main characters.
The premise reminds me of medical thrillers I read years ago by Robin Cook. Suspense author Mary Higgins Clark was another one who worked with such themes. This book lacked that kind of nail-biting suspense. It was written in a very journalistic style that failed to render emotional reactions in the reader. At least that was the case for me. I could tell where it was going, especially after the blatant revelation provided by the android, Daisy, in the middle of the story. If you haven’t figured it out by then, there it is.
This thought-provoking book deserves a lot of attention for its potential to wake people up, if nothing else. Being directed at Christians is somewhat ironic since they aren’t the ones who need to be jolted awake to the evils in the world around them. It would definitely be in the “medical thriller” category if the emotional impact and suspense were ramped up a bit.
Actually, if written to its full emotional potential, this book would be in the horror genre. Since this is the author’s debut novel, I assume she has not yet acquired the writing skills to render an emotional reaction in her readers. (This is normal except for incredibly gifted writers. I didn’t figure it out until around the time I was writing my 6th novel.) This is not a criticism since in this case, it’s a good thing. As it’s written, more people will choose to read it and make it through the book. Rest assured that it does have what can be considered a happy ending, plus incentive to read the sequel.
For what it’s worth, if a book makes me cry and laugh, I’m more impressed. There are a lot of good premises and stories out there that fall short on their emotional impact, which is the element that tends to hook readers and convince me the author knows how to write.
On the editorial side, I think the scriptural quotes were a bit overdone. Not that I don’t agree with them and I understand the underlying Christian message. However, I don’t think their inclusion will convert anyone to Christianity, while conversely, such excessive use could feel “preachy” and be a turnoff for the very people who need to read it. The fellow Christians I’ve been around usually don’t quote the book, chapter and verse, just the content.
The book is beautifully formatted and the cover is great. The editing is well-done regarding misspellings, grammar, typos, etc. Only one thing jumped out that her editor missed: Near the bottom of page 249 of the paperback it says, “There’s no way I’m not going to let that happen.”
Huh?
The way I read it, the double negative conflicted with the statement’s intent. There were a few other things but I may be the only person in a thousand who would notice, so I won’t even mention them all, but if I’d been a beta reader I definitely would have. I guess the biggest one I wondered about as a science fiction author is that I suspect by the year 2034 we won’t be using much paper, but who knows?
I gave this book 4-stars. For a debut novel, she did a pretty good job. It’s worth a read for its very important message of where we might be heading. Heaven help us if it turns out to be prophetic.
Review of “The Great Awakening: Our prophesized Transformation and the Attainment of Embodied Enlightenment” compiled by Mike Dooley.
This fascinating book comprises six messages received from cosmic sources. These were channeled by individuals who have published similar information in the past, i.e. Darryl Anka, Lyssa Royal Holt, Matt Kahn, Salvatore Rachelle, Sara Landon, and Daniel Scranton.
Not your typical book.
If you’re familiar with Mike Dooley and his “Thoughts become things: Choose the good ones” mantra, then this is what is best described as the “graduate level” course. If you’re new to the concept of manifesting your desires, then this is likely to be over your head. So much so, it will read like fantasy.
One of my favorites comes from the section channeled by Sara Landon: “Reality moves through you, and as you raise your consciousness and vibration your destiny comes to you. That which is in your highest good, that which is your highest purpose, that which is your highest potential, and that which is your highest joy will present itself to you, because you are no longer imposing an experience of separation on your reality.”
While I’ve read similar material before, this one stood out for its timeliness as the world is clearly undergoing change. How to maintain stability when there appears to be nothing but dissention and chaos is a theme many struggle with.
What struck me in a new way was the concept of different dimensions. We determine which one we’re in by our own thoughts and actions. In spite of appearances, we do not all live in the same world. Think about that for a moment and its implications.
One observation I made years ago was that no matter how bad things appeared to be on this planet, some people were thriving. Some were exploiting the chaos in a despicable way, while others were simply living their life and doing well.
Like they say, “Birds of a Feather Flock Together.” In other words, we attract other people into our lives through our thoughts and actions. This applies to our circumstances, too. In effect, we can be living in a different vibrational frequency than those who have not yet figured out why they are on this planet and what they’re intended to learn and achieve.
Heavy stuff, indeed.
And to clarify, not to be found in your typical organized religion.
You can be “religious” without being spiritual. In astrology, religion resides in the 9th house along with other belief systems, including politics. Somehow, that doesn’t bring spirituality to mind, which lies in the 12th house along with enlightenment, dreams, and visions. A few negative things hang out there as well like hidden enemies, self-defeating behaviors, and delusions. As with every other part of life, opposing possibilities that yield to free will are everywhere.
What amazed me the most as I read, however, was the similarity between diverse belief systems that reflect the messages in this book. Whether New Age, quantum theory, or indigenous practices, there is significant overlap.
Coincidence?
Not likely.
There is no such thing as coincidence, especially when it relates to spirit.
Where are you on the path to enlightenment? It’s no longer confined to Buddhist monks, you know. This planet is changing and you can either keep pace or be lost in the chaos. If this is something new, I suggest you start with something simple, like Dooley,’s “A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe: Uncommon Ideas for Living an Unusually Happy Life.”
That will give you a foundation to build upon. Otherwise it could be like stepping into a graduate level physics class without having the math background to follow the theory. (Been there, done that.)
Expect me to be comparing those belief systems soon from New Age to what indigenous people have believed for millennia on the blog associated with Dead-Horse-Canyon.com.
This morning at 6:08 a.m. the tapping on the window resumed. Mr. Bluebird has still not given up. And perhaps the reason is that it wasn’t until this morning that his true message was received, literally with the dawn.
It takes me awhile to think things through. Yesterday I was taken by his persistence. In applying that to myself, it didn’t really fit. If anything, I tend to be too driven to accomplish my goals. If anything I need to learn to chill once in awhile. Perseverance is not something I lack.
But lo and behold, at some point his message as a spirit animal came through.
He is worried about something that will never happen!
At least from the cats he sees watching from the window. He recognizes them as dangerous predators, which they can be, but the chances of them getting out to harm his family is about as close to zero as they can get.
If I have a superpower, it’s worrying about things that will never happen. While they may loom before me from time to time, truly serious issues that could end badly, somehow they always work out.
I have a few on my mind right now. Quite a few, actually.
Thank you, Mr. Bluebird, for reminding me of the waste of mental and emotional energy that worry represents. Like they say, it’s a poor use of creativity, inventing trouble that will never arrive.
It’s particularly appropriate that he’s a bluebird, which is often equated with happiness. How much of that precious commodity is negated by needless worry? The symbolism goes even deeper with the fact he literally woke me up two mornings in a row!
I can definitely be a little slow putting things together.
I hope that his nestlings remain safe. My indoor cats will definitely not be the cause of their demise. His diligence is commendable, though there are numerous other threats to their well-being, like our dogs, who are always outside, yet he ignores.
Meanwhile, I will do my best to set my current concerns aside and count my blessings. Truly there are messages all around us that we often miss, ignore, or discount.
I just hope their fledglings fly soon. That tapping on the window is starting to get pretty annoying. Especially when, from time to time, the cat lunges for the window. Is he thinking that at some point he’ll succeed in catching that bird?
Which takes me full circle back to beating a dead horse.
You can learn a lot about a person, including yourself, by looking at your thumb. Yes, that side-mounted digit that enables humans and primates to do things other animals can’t. According to palmistry, the upper joint represents will and the lower joint, logic. Ideally, they’re the same size. If so, you’ll have the will to put forth the effort to see your ideas to completion.
If the top joint (will) is larger (which is the case with me), your will/determination is stronger than your ability to see things logically. What does that mean? You’re likely to be inclined to beat a dead horse.
If the lower joint prevails, you may have a plethora of great ideas but lack the will to make them happen.
Obviously, a bird does not have a thumb. However, if the bluebird attacking my window had one, clearly the top joint would prevail.
Why is he attacking my window?
Because I have two indoor cats. Apparently, he and his mate have a nest in the purple martin house in the front yard and he’s concerned.
So let’s think about this.
As I said, the felines in question are “indoor cats.” They do not go outside. Thus, the danger does not exist.
So far, this daddy bird has been attacking my windows since yesterday afternoon. After a few hours of the thumping sound of him hitting the window, I closed the curtains. He still continued until dark. First thing this morning, right around dawn (which comes early this time of year, i.e. 5:30 a.m.) he was at it again.
Thump, thump, thump.
The odds are (hopefully) very low that the cat or bird will break the window in their ongoing confrontation. If the barrier between them were removed, the cat is the definite favorite. It’s not that far to the ground, so then he’d have a definite opportunity to pursue the bird. Would the bird retreat? Or attempt to fight?
I have two cats who have entirely different views of the situation. My tuxedo cat, who is female and a very good mouser, is also around twelve years old. She found it amusing, but after awhile returned to her napping. However, my ragdoll/Maine coon male, who’s a little over a year old, is thoroughly enjoying the show.
Most the time he just lays there, watching the bird with a bemused expression. Occasionally, he’ll lunge for the window, but no telling what his expectations are.
As the assault continues I wondered: Is this bird a spirit animal with a message? While perseverance is usually a virtue, when it becomes an exercise in futility, then what? And at what point do you know it’s a battle you’ll never win? When do you know it’s time to walk away?
There are various quotes and a couple poems that have encouraged me not to give up. The simplest is, not surprisingly, on my wall: “Never give up! Never surrender!” from the movie Galaxy Quest. Another favorite is: “Aiming for the stars and dragging your feet in the treetops is better than aiming for the treetops and dragging your feet in the mud.” (Anonymous)
Here’s my favorite poem, which has seen me through various challenges:
Good Timber
by Douglas Malloch.
The tree that never had to fight For sun and sky and air and light, But stood out in the open plain And always got its share of rain, Never became a forest king But lived and died a scrubby thing.
The man who never had to toil To gain and farm his patch of soil, Who never had to win his share Of sun and sky and light and air, Never became a manly man But lived and died as he began.
Good timber does not grow with ease, The stronger wind, the stronger trees, The further sky, the greater length, The more the storm, the more the strength. By sun and cold, by rain and snow, In trees and men good timbers grow.
Where thickest lies the forest growth We find the patriarchs of both. And they hold counsel with the stars Whose broken branches show the scars Of many winds and much of strife. This is the common law of life.
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must—but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow— You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor’s cup, And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out— The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit— It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit.
I’m in the midst of a project that may very well be a little too similar to that determined daddy bird valiantly defending his family.
Should I give up?
If so, when? At what point have I done enough?
I have never been able to figure that out.
Let’s just say I feel better about myself beating a dead horse than quitting. I usually land in the treetops, but I’ve never wound up in the mud.
How about you?
Take a look at your thumb. Do the joints line up with your natural inclination when confronted with what could be an insurmountable challenge? Are you a tree dweller or confined to the ground?
Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Meanwhile, I need to get back to work.
P.S. It’s been quiet outside for quite awhile. I just hope he figured it out and I don’t find a dead bluebird outside my window…
Stop for a moment and make a list of your daily annoyances. Now give them some thought. Can you talk yourself out of being bothered by them? Is there something you can do to eliminate them? Or are they just a part of life you have to live with?
Since merging households with my youngest daughter, her husband, and their three teens I’ve had a lot of adjustments to make after living on my own for twenty years. Like sharing a bathroom with two teenage girls. Opening a cabinet for a glass or a drawer for a fork or spoon to find them all missing since the kids are allowed to eat in their rooms.
Being a cat person more than a dog fan, their three big dogs (a Doberman, a husky, and a 50+ pound “puppy” that’s a mastiff-pittbull cross) were probably at the top of the list. Especially their propensity to get into the kitchen trash can and scatter garbage all over, taking their best finds into the living room to enjoy on the couch. 🤦♀️😖
If you’re not familiar with what Occam’s razor is, here’s what googling it says:
Occam’s Razor is a problem-solving principle that suggests, when presented with competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. It essentially favors simpler explanations over more complex ones, when both explain the same phenomenon equally well. The principle is often summarized as “the simplest solution is usually the best”.
“Here’s a more detailed explanation:
“Parsimony: Occam’s Razor is also known as the “law of parsimony“. Parsimony, in this context, means being economical or frugal with assumptions.”
Dealing with my various frustrations was generally pretty simple, once I sat down and did some basic problem solving. The bathroom issue “is what it is” and can’t be changed. Solution: Get over it.
The glass and silverware situation won’t go away until the kids move out, which will be awhile. The solution: Keep what I need in my room.
The dogs getting in the trash issue went on for a long time. Our usual solution was to place an empty cardboard box on top between the lid and overhang of the kitchen island. The problem with that was that often the box was not in place, plus one of the dogs (the husky) learned to push it aside.
The situation was actually solved by my daughter, who works in a hardware store. For pocket change, she brought home a metal hook and eye and installed it on the trash can.
Problem solved.
So what’s my point?
There is plenty to get spun up about these days. The world is pretty crazy, and as an astrologer, I can see what’s going on out there in the cosmos and that it’s not going to change any time soon. In other words, much of what may get you spun up is entirely out of your control.
How much of what’s going on out there really affects your daily life? Does it really matter?
Even if it does, there isn’t much you can do about it.
Thus, it’s a good idea to take care of those things that you can.
For example, if your daily commute is a nightmare, try listening to music your love, your favorite podcasts, or something else you enjoy to upgrade the value of time spent in a situation you can’t control.
Decide what matters and what doesn’t. Take control of what you can. This crazy planet isn’t going to get better anytime soon.
I’m usually pretty good at catching phishing schemes. The dead-giveaway? Usually a gmail address. But be warned, professional scammers are experts at social engineering. They know how to push you buttons. I’m sharing this to maybe prevent some other person from a similar experience, which was far from pleasant.
I have never had much luck with advertising but decided to give Facebook a try to gather order for the pre-release of my Curse of Dead Horse Canyon Trilogy ebook. I created a post (shown above) and submitted it with a campaign limit of $30. The post was accepted and their AI even created a couple other texts for it so it wouldn’t be repetitive. So far so good.
It no sooner went live and I get an email, supposedly from Meta, telling me my post violated their community standards with a bunch of nonsense about copyright violation and all sorts of other stuff you see below. My first reaction was anger followed quickly by frustration.
Why did they accept the ad, then reject it? Why didn’t they say something first?
Meanwhile, I set out to correct it and clicked the email’s “Request for Review” button.
What followed was a form where I had to fill in all my Facebook information, i.e. preferred emails, date of birth, and of course, my password, along with why there was nothing wrong with my post.
Big mistake!
When I went to my Facebook account to check on the ad, it was running and everything looked fine.
(It shows as not delivering because this screenshot was taken after I realized what was going on and cancelled my credit card)
What was going on?
About then I realized what happened. I looked back at that email and saw it came from a gmail address. After slapping myself upside the head, I set out to do what I could to preclude what was sure to follow.
In other words, with access to my Facebook business account they could easily find my credit card information.
I cancelled the credit card, which of course also cancelled my ad for nonpayment. Not wanting to do that, I added my PayPal to pay one of the invoices that was around $30 and looked legitimate, though a bunch of other charges were starting to accumulate that I didn’t understand. I figured if I paid one it would at least turn the ad back on.
A few had hit my Discover Card, too. When Discover texted me whether the first charge was okay, I responded it was, since I hadn’t yet figured out what was going on, much less expected additional charges.
Being rattled already, combined with the complexity of the Facebook/Meta business site, it was impossible to figure out what was happening or find the right menu to do anything about it.
I did discover some unknown Muhlenberg Life Company in my business profile with a bunch of obviously fake names and emails that I was unable to delete.
Then I realized Meta was charging my PayPal account–charge after charge after charge–the balance dropping to zero before my very eyes!
OMG!
I took what was left and sent it to my son-in-law to keep them from getting it all. Then I really panicked when I realized my bank account was also on PayPal as backup! Holy crap! When Pay Pal went to zero they’d start in on my bank balance! Then I really panicked, but was able to delete my bank from PayPal before that happened, thank heavens, and my Discover card on there was already cancelled.
Meanwhile, further digging on the Meta site indicated another ad on my account I didn’t place and couldn’t open, but had a daily spending limit of $5,000!
Meanwhile, I was getting more messages through Facebook and Instagram with the same bogus message with minor variations indicating they were from other people! By then I’d figured it out and fired back a rather nasty reply.
So consider yourself warned that a multitude of low life out there is on to this scheme!
The fact that Meta has no means of contacting an actual person or even a chatbot, my only choice was to send a frantic message to Meta about the situation. Then I went about changing passwords to just about everything.
nd by the way, that was done on Facebook very early on, but somehow these sleazeballs still had access to my account, which was apparent when I saw a transaction log of when they changed the spending limit. My daughter pointed out that I may have had to check an option to “log out of all devices” after I changed the password, but I didn’t see that option on my desktop computer, but it must have allowed them to remain logged in or perhaps in long enough to see the new password.
Several hours later I got a message from Meta. They’d investigated, found my account had been compromised (duh) and refunded all the bogus charges.
Whew!
However, this did nothing for the years it felt like were stolen from my life from the stress or the fact I still have to deal with getting a new Discover card, changing the number for all the utility companies and other services that go to that card, and probably doing the same with PayPal, though if I’m lucky, the regular charges may come through okay. As long as it’s not Meta!
I snarled when I saw PayPal took a fee from when I sent the remaining balance to my son-in-law. I don’t know about you, but if a digital currency will help us exchange funds without these ridiculous fees all over the place, I’m in.
I’m grateful this turned out to be no worse than an afternoon spent in a state of sheer panic. Too many are not so lucky. I do have fraud protection through my Discover Card, but if they’d gotten to my bank account I don’t know just how much that would have covered since I’m sure the coverage has a limit.
I still wonder what that other ad might have been and what they gained from it, if anything. When they discovered my Discover Card was no longer accessible was it simply retaliation?
Lessons learned:
1. Never advertise on Facebook. Period. Maybe it works for some, but unless you have thousands upon thousands of followers or already a best selling author it’s not likely to be effective. Looking at the statistics on there for when they were posting like crazy was pretty telling. Two responses with over 900 impressions?
C’mon!
I should have known because it has never done me any good in the past, making me guilty of violating Einstein’s statement, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
2. If you use PayPal, rethink those backup payment sources! After they wipe out the balance, charges will go to your credit card or, heaven forbid, your bank! Don’t be naive to how easy it would be to empty it out once they get access.
3. Pay attention to the authenticity of any email, no matter what the circumstances. AI has made it not only possible but way too easy for scammers to make them look legitimate.
They got me with the phishing email because it was timed perfectly. I reacted exactly as planned, wanting to rectify the situation and handing over everything they wanted. These scumbags are professional thieves. They’re tech-savvy and know how to dupe people. Every time I get a phishing email I report it to reportphishing@apwg.org. I have no idea whether they do anything about it, but it may at least get it listed as a scam somewhere.
4. Don’t leave credit card information on social media sites where someone can access it if they hack that account. I have two-factor authentication and do not know how they managed to get in with just my password, but somehow they managed it. If perchance you do run ads, I recommend entering the information when its needed versus leaving it out there.
5. Pay attention to those mass “Data Breaches” that happen all the time with major corporations. Changing your passwords when that happens is a nuisance but highly advised because you don’t always know exactly what they got. Once they have one password, there’s no telling how many other things they may get to. We tend to be too trusting and casual putting that information out there.
6. Be sure to protect your credit cards, even when they’re in your wallet. Shields that look like another credit card can prevent the RFID chip from being read remotely, even by someone you pass on the street. There are wallets available as well with that protection built in.
7. When your credit card company messages you about a charge, give it serious thought before responding. If nothing else, they’re acutely aware of frauds and are likely to know something you don’t.
8. If you ever have to change your Facebook password, be sure to log out from all devices first.
I shared this harrowing experience in the hope it may help someone out there avoid such a debacle. I’m usually smarter than this, but they suckered me in. Just like the rogue movers who scammed me two years ago when I moved from Texas to New York. (You can find my blog about that here.) Do yourself a big favor and learn from my mistakes. If everyone was smart enough not to fall for their tricks and it wasn’t profitable, they’d go away. We must do our best as individuals to make that happen given the sorry state of the world these days.
On a side note, switching to my persona as a professional astrologer, the worst of this has developed during the astrological transit of Neptune through Pisces, which has placed the planet under a deceptive fog beginning April 2011 through August of that year. Then he went retrograde and backed into Aquarius until February 2012 when he returned to Pisces. Gratefully, this is about to end when Neptune goes into Aries today (March 31, 2025).
Yay!
Be warned, however, that Neptune will return to Pisces for a short jaunt from October 23 until January 27, 2026, then eventually return to Aries which will last until May 23, 2028, when he goes into Taurus.
Historically, Neptune went into Pisces the last time February 17, 1848. Needless to say, as an outer planet of our solar system, it moves very slowly. Retrograde motion kept him in Pisces until April 12, 1861, when he first dipped into Aries–the very day the Civil war began on April 12, 1861. He went back into Pisces for awhile after that due to retrograde motion, returning to Aries for the long haul on February 14, 1862.
What will this ingress bring? As the Neptunian fog of deception dissipates and people rebel against what they’ve been subjected to, will another Civil War follow?
If you’re a science fiction or fantasy fan, be sure to download some freebies this month! You have a dozen ebooks to choose from, including “The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51,” which is an independent side-story to the Star Trails Tetralogy.
The Terra Debacle is the story of what happens when a rogue UFO lands at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. An adolescent girl, robot, and flora peda telepathis (telepathic walking plant) are onboard and confiscated by authorities. The girl’s experiences are part of Star Trails Tetralogy book 2, “A Dark of Endless Days.” However, what happens to her robot, Aggie, and Thyron, the plant, is only included in “The Terra Debacle.”
These two characters are among the most popular in the series and it was impossible to ignore what they went through while captive at Area 51. Thus, “The Terra Debacle” was born and has been very popular for its humor as Thyron observes humans, particularly the astrobiologist, Gabe Greenley, who’s job it is to study him.
But in truth, who’s studying whom?
As with all the STEM-friendly Star Trails books, this one has some real science incorporated into the story. As Gabe investigates a sentient life-form with a metabolism based on photosynthesis, his discoveries result in a moral dilemma as he faces a potentially treasonous decision.
Be sure to grab a copy while it’s free, tell your friends, and please be so kind to leave a review somewhere when you’ve read it!
Marcha's Two-Cents Worth 