Saturday, June 29, 2013

Stuff That's Going On...

Folsom's 93

Here's your chance to win a free copy of Folsom's 93: The Lives and Crimes of Folsom Prison's Executed Men by April Moore. Visit her blog and leave a comment, then hop over to Facebook and like the new Folsom's 93 page.

If you like history and enjoy stories of true crime and the biographies of the accused, you'll find Folsom's 93 a fascinating read.  Enter today because April's going to pick the winner tomorrow.


Credit Card Fraud

Would you believe we had another credit card thief attack while I was traveling? I discovered the problem when I tried to fill up my rental car with gas before returning it to the airport and my credit card wouldn't work. The very alert credit card company had flagged some purchases and then put a hold on the card until they could reach me to confirm what was okay and what wasn't.

This time, it appears my card number had been stolen some time ago and a fake card created because an actual card was swiped to make the purchases. One of the purchases was over $3,000....

This is the second time in a year we have been the victim of credit card fraud. Last time it was a different card completely, and the fraudulent purchases were made via PayPal.

This is getting to be a pain in the neck.


The Joy of Napping

I have a new habit, one that is doing me an enormous amount of good. Every day that I'm home, right after my lunch, I crash on the couch for about an hour...which occasionally stretches into ninety minutes.

It's interesting how easy it was to develop this good habit when it seems to difficult to form new habits like writing every day.


Noosa

Can you get Noosa Greek Yogurt where you live?

If you can, and if you like yogurt, you should give it a try. It's full fat and it's delicious. I'm especially fond of the mango and strawberry-rhubarb flavors, but they're all tasty.


Writing

I'm wrapping up the first draft of a new standalone mystery that still has no working title. It's time for revisions and self-editing and giving the story a name. I hope this phase doesn't take me as long as the first draft did. This is the novel I started during NaNoWriMo 2011.


Reading

I've had to stop reading so I can write the book reviews I need to get posted online. However, I did finish Stephen King's 11/22/63 and liked it a lot. Now I can shift gears and start watching the TV mini-series version of King's Under the Dome.


For Now

It's back to work getting some things caught up, then lunch, then that wonderful nap. See you later.


9 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Really sorry about your credit card. That just sucks. At least the credit card company flagged it.
I wasn't impressed with the first episode of Under the Dome, mostly because of the characters' behaviors, but I'll give it one more week.

Unknown said...

Good to have you back, Pat. I'm so sorry for the credit card fraud. Wow-- amazing how deceitful and greedy people are. I always think if they put their smarts into honest work, they'd be way ahead.

Sounds like your writing project is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Cheering you on.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Pat - that credit card fraud is a pain .. shows us how important it is to keep a tab of our finances ...

I guess changing your card regularly might help ..

I hope it doesn't happen again .. Hilary

Jemi Fraser said...

Yikes! Credit card fraud twice??? That's scary stuff! Glad the company was on the ball!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Thanks, Julie. With any luck, I'll have one book in the pipeline and another manuscript ready to submit by the end of this year.

Hilary, by the time we regularly change our online passwords, change credit cards, and monitor our credit reports, we don't have time to do much else. Very annoying.

Hi Jemi. And it really gets crazy if you're traveling and suddenly find your "on the ball" credit card company has put a hold on your card. Makes me long for the days of good old "cash only."

Jenny said...

Hi Pat! Noosa is the most delicious yogurt I've ever had. It should be, for the calorie count :-) And I can get it delivered right to my door, so I have to be careful. But it's good fuel to get you through those revisions! Good luck!

Patricia Stoltey said...

Hi Jenny -- I alternate my Noosa days with Chobani non-fat days. It's pretty good too, and not nearly the diet buster. Noosa is like having dessert for lunch.

LD Masterson said...

Sorry for your credit card woes. That's happened to us a couple times. At least we're not on the hook for the charges run up on the fake card.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the plug, Pat!