Authors Who Make Mistakes Always Get Caught

Hi Everyone,

When writing a story even though it's fiction you need to be accurate.  In my short story, All Bets Are Off, I made a mistake. This is the first time I made a serious mistake and was caught.  It could be I've made others, and I didn't get caught.  I hope not. 

One thing I noticed is that the person who reviewed All Bets Are Off talks about the story as if she read it in print, but she really listened to an audio copy. 

This review was not horrible, but it was embarrassing.  After all I'm seventy years old and I should know my anatomy, but I failed and was told about it in a public review.  The below review is only a partial. 

The set up was good, the story OK. Contemporary romance isn’t my favorite genre, but because of the addiction angle I wanted to give it a try. Then there is the sex. I enjoy sex scenes in my stories and this book has 2 such scenes. The first is the better of the two. I was thoroughly getting into it but then the man stuck his tongue in her uterus. Yep. Uterus. Briefly, I hoped the story was going to take on some mutant scifi elements, but alas, it did not. To get to the uterus, you have to travel the entire vaginal canal and then get past the cervix. The cervix doesn’t let just any old object enter the uterus, being perhaps 1/8 inch opening nearly all the time (common exception is when a baby is headed out). So either the man had a very long and narrow tongue, or the woman had some mutant uterus that sat in the vaginal canal with the wide open cervix. Anyway, here is the Wikipedia article - and yes, it is safe for work. So I was totally into this sex scene – there was heat between the characters, great descriptors, etc. and then he sticks his tongue in her uterus. I giggled, totally taken out of the moment. At best, this is a big typo. At worst, the author is not well informed on the female genitals/reproductive organs. But, other than this one typo (I will be generous in my thoughts), the story flowed smoothly and was fun. 



If you would like to read more go to this URL: 
http://dabofdarkness.com/2014/09/15/all-bets-are-off-by-sandra-k-marshall/

Many authors get ridiculed and torn apart for mistakes they make in their stories, so most of us work very hard to try to be accurate.  This means we do our research.  Unfortunately, I didn't this time.  The reviewer was honest about All Bets Are Off not being her usual genre. 

You can bet, I will do my research in the future. 

Have a great week and I'll see you again next Sunday.

Sandra K. Marshall, Author

@ Eirelander Publishing
http://www.skaymarshall.com

 

Writers and Depression

Depression is a serious topic and effects many people, but for the purpose of this article I'm targeting writers.  The reason, I'm talking about this problem is because I'm an author, and this past week I had a serious bout of dejection because of my books.

Here's what happened, I blogged at a St. Patrick's party sponsored by The Romance Studio from March 13 to 17th.  By the end of the party I had received very few comments even though I post blogs every day and multiple times.  I did get three or four comments over the five day period, but it wasn't enough to keep me from feeling discouraged about my work.  There were others, who didn't receive any comments, or there might have been one or two for those authors, but I didn't see them. 

I know for a fact from talking with many authors that this business can beat you down.  First of all, I want to tell you I have always been a very social outgoing person, so I'm not entirely isolated like some authors (hubby steps in here and drags me out of the house). Some of the things that can cause depression in authors are medical, but for many of us; it's introspection, lack of exercise, irregular hours, imperfect diet and for me the lack of face to face communication with others.  Also, the financial and professional insecurity can add to depression.  In my case, the fibromyalgia doesn't help.  Pain can harm you mentally, too. 

There are authors who add alcohol or drugs, which contribute to depression even more.  Hemmingway was one of those authors.  I believe you could sit a normally happy and optimistic person in front of a keyboard for hours a day without outside contact, no exercise and junk food, and that person will become depressed.

Here are pictures of author's who have suffered depression in their lives and there are many more.

Hemmingway

J.K. Rowlings

Leo Tolstoy

Dickinson

There are many famous people who have suffered from depression.  I would like to add more pictures, but I don't have the space.

There are ways to combat this problem.  Among them are medications, but for me the best thing in the world is to get out of the house and away from the computer.  When my writing starts to make me feel worthless and I think my books are nothing but shit; I go see friends and talk about anything but writing.  I know author friends that I can talk to about writing, so when I go to lunch with old friends I want to learn about what's going on in their lives, and I want to laugh and have fun. 

 Exercise and eating properly is important, too, for the welfare of your mind, and it is definitely something I need to work on, especially, as I have always loved junk food. 

Just to let you know today, I'm at the New Dinner Theatre, so I won't be on-line until later this afternoon.  Tuesday, I'm having lunch with two long-time friends.  Next week, I'll be refreshed and working again until the next time I fall into depression.  Smile!

Have a great week and I'll see you next Sunday. 

Sandra K. Marshall, author at Eirelander Publishing

http://www.eirelanderpublishing.com
http://www.skaymarshall.com

Where Is the Money?

Most people think authors make a lot of big bucks, but it's not true.  The majority of published author's may not even make minimum wages.  You think I'm kidding; well, I'm not laughing. 

This is a discussion many authors were having a few weeks ago on a Yahoo loop I belonged to.  It started by someone reading a blog about where the money is.  I can't remember the author's name now, but the story about the money wasn't pretty.  She was an author with one of the big six publishers. 

Many of you probably didn't know if an author gets money up front for their book they don't get royalties until the publisher makes enough sales to cover the amount they paid the author.  If they don't sell enough books; the author could end up having to pay part of the money back.  It all depends on what is in their contract.

E-publishers came along and after a few years the big 6 publishers wanted in on the action.  They tried to make their contracts for e-books the same as print books, which is about 5 to 7% depending on the contract negotiated.  E-publishers were giving way more and many name authors decided to keep their rights for e-publishing their books and self-published themselves. 

Some e-book authors have been making good money and even a living with their writing, but with the big name authors joining our ranks it's not easy.  Those authors who have a large following are beating out the new authors.  They are too much competition for many mid-list and e-book authors. 

There are thousands of people joining the ranks of author by self-publishing instead of waiting for a publisher to read their manuscript and accept it.  Many readers aren't willing to take a chance on a new author unless the book is really cheap, or even free.  They have reason to be afraid because some author's work hasn't been edited before publishing.  

Many published authors I know work a full time job.  If it weren't for the fact my husband and I are retired with pensions, social security and other investments I would have had to go back to work with what I make. 

It costs to be an author.  Any money, I make goes into promotion, websites, ink, paper, computers, conferences, etc.  The money goes back into the business.   Of course, some day, I expect to write a classic like Gone with the Wind, and that book will outlive me.  Grin!  While I'm alive there is always hope.  Like my husband says, "Follow your dreams."

 

Have a great week, and I'll see you next Sunday.  Thank you for reading my blog.

 

Sandra K. Marshall

http://www.skaymarshall.com

Facebook LinkedIn Amazon Author Page

 

 

Author's Don't Work They Just Write

Many people think writing a book is easy, and they don't consider it a real job.  They think all we have to do is sit in a chair typing our stories on a computer, go out to lunch with our friends, eating bon bon's and just working when we feel like it. 

Some of this may be true, but there is so much more involved in writing books. On one of my Yahoo sites, we have been discussing what people think of us. Writers get irritated by the assumption that there isn't any work involved in writing. 

Often times there's research involved before an author can even start to write.  Unless, you're a panster (someone who writes by the seat of their pants) you have to make an outline or synopsis of your story, so you know where you're going.  You have to have character profiles (descriptions of each character, knowledge of their work, car they drive and their home), and usually that's a beginning. This can be a chore just to do that much. 

I'm a panster because I don't want to get locked in, but I, also, do a general outline of some of the scenes I want in the story.  I always do character profiles because I need to know as much about them as I can at the beginning.  There are times I add more characteristics or back story to these characters as I write.  When this happens I often have to go back to the early part of the story to insert hints relating to the add-ins. 

It depends on the link of the story as to how long it takes to write.  Many authors can produce four or more 200 page books a year, but they work all the time.  I know one author who produces 4 books a year for Harlequin, works full-time and goes to all her kids' sports events. She writes while she's at these events, she writes at the beach, Starbucks and anywhere she can.  Another author just signed a 12 book contract with Harlequin.  She won't have a life for a long time because she'll put one out every two months.

Once an author finishes a book, she submits it to a publisher and waits for it to be accepted.  When it is accepted, she waits for the edits to come to her/him.  Everyone hopes the edits won't be extensive, but if they are they'll be life consuming because you are required to get them back by a certain date.  While the editor is editing your book, you have to give the cover artist a description of your hero/heroine, clothes, come up with a possible blurb, etc. 

Then comes the edits for the author, and she/he will go through this process until the editor is satisfied.  I can expect as many as three edits with my publisher, and then the book is published.  Hooray!  This part of the process of writing a book is enjoyable for me.

Then the not so enjoyable part of the work is next.  To be completely honest this is what I detest.  Promotion is a necessity because when you sign your contract with a publisher it's in your contract that you must promote your book.  If you don't, the publisher can cancel your contract.  If your sales are low, they can cancel your contract.  In that case, you will get the copy rights back to your book and you can do whatever you want with it.  Most go to another publisher, self-publish or rewrite the story completely before doing the first two.

Here's how you promote your book: you can hire a publicist if you're rich, do a blog tour (this can cost unless you just use friends blogs), advertise in magazines (costs), Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and numerous other sites.  It's tiring to do all of this, but it has to be done.  All of this requires coming up with new blogs about your books.  It requires a lot of work, and it seems to never end because with the next book it starts all over again. 

It's a whole different ball game if an author self-publishes.  They have to do the cover art, or hire it done, do formatting for the different sites (Amazon, Barnes and Noble and others), and get their book up on these sites.  Everything is different for each one, and it is work.  I will never do this unless I pay to have it done, and I am critical about the way things are done, so I would need to do it myself.

Many authors suffer burn out because of this process.  I've known many good authors who have quit after their first or second book because of burn out.  But, I know an author in her 80's who is still writing.  Smile!  She doesn't do a lot of promotion, but her work is well known.

I prefer to have a life, and I'm trying to find a balance with my writing and my life.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you come back next weekend.  Have a great week.

Sandra K. Marshall

http://www.eirelanderpublishing.com

Buy links for The Catalyst and Addiction:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Catalyst-Riverboat-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00EV47SE2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&quid=1377895562&sr=8-2&keywords=Sandra+K+Marshall

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/The-Catalyst-by-Sandra-K-Marshall?keyword=The-Catalyst+by+Sandra+K.+Marshall&store=ebook

http://www.amazon.com/Addiction-ebook/dp/B00FI6JHT6/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1380467394&sr=8-6&keywords=Sandra+K+Marshall

Audio for A Fool's Fool: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00945MFMI&qid=1347906078&sr=1-1

                                  

Liebster Award and Warning About Photos on Social Media

Hi Everyone,

Everyone loves to win awards, and I have been given the Liebster Award by Author, Mary Jo/Casey Clifford. You may click on her name to learn more about her.  Below is what she had to say about my me and my blog:

Sandra Marshall: I knew of her first through online groups. She’s a well rounded woman and author who has done a great deal in her life. Her blog is much like her life. You never know what she’s serving in her weekly blog but it’s sure to add to your knowledge.

One of the things, I have to do for this award is give it to five other bloggers, but I have only nominated four bloggers.  I will be listing another blogger, but it's the first time I've read their blog, so I'm not giving an award yet. 

Here are some rules for the winners:

1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.

2. Post the award to your blog.

3. Give the award to 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you appreciate and value.  Uh, oh, another person has removed their blog.

4. Leave a comment on the blogs to let them know that they have received this award.

1.  Romance Books 4 Us is receiving an award because their blog is so diverse.  They have authors, editors, readers, models, actors and all kinds of professionals who blog and do interviews on their site. 

2.  Stacey Joy Netzel is not only one of my favorite authors, on her blog she's showing off her latest canned goods.  How many young women do you know who still can?  This is one of the reasons, I follow her blog.  Also, she loves Colorado like I do. 

3.  Judy Ridgley is an author, but I like this blog because she writes about horses.  If you need to know something about horses then this is the blog to go to. 

I'm sorry that I just don't have time to visit many blogs, and when I do it's hit and miss most days.  I regret that I only get to Casey's blog once in a great while because she's a wonderful author.

This blog URL I'm putting here because it's going to help all social media users and not just bloggers.  http://www.roniloren.com/blog/2012/7/20/bloggers-beware-you-can-get-sued-for-using-pics-on-your-blog.html

This applies to FB, Twitter, MySpace, Pintest as well as blogs and others.  You need to use only your own pictures.  I've recently heard that there is a scam going on at Pintest, but I don't know much about it yet.

Thank you for reading my blog today, and I'll see you next Sunday.

Sandra K. Marshall

http://www.eirelander-publishing.com

Me and the Author

My name is Sandy, and as an author, I write under the name of Sandra K. Marshall. Under my façade of laughter and fun, I’m mostly a serious person; therefore you’ll find that most of my stories deal with serious issues.

As a child, I often wondered about people and what their lives were like. For instance, in the eighth grade, I often watched a friend of mine and wondered what she was thinking as she stared out the window. There was something about her that caused me to worry about her even though I didn’t know why. She was a cheerleader and very popular, but she was very kind and not one of the mean cheerleaders you hear about today. We moved to another town that year, and I learned a few months later that Barbara had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Had she known? I believe she had a premonition that she might not be on this earth long.

Going back to that small town for holidays, I would call Barbara to talk to her, and she would talk about her visits to the hospital for treatments. The last time I talked to her I could tell that it might be the last one, and I was right. A couple of days later she was taken to the hospital and did not come home. Her family distraught over their loss moved away a year or two later.

When I started working for an airline in 1962, after a couple of years of spreading my wings and having fun, I decided there were more important things to do than have fun. I thought about the type of volunteer work I would like to do and decided I wanted to work with orphans. Not knowing of any orphanages, I looked them up in the telephone book and found one not to far from where I was living, east of main street. I called to make an appointment to visit, and when I went there I learned it was an all black orphanage. The man who ran the orphanage asked if it made a difference to me. I said, “no” as I’d had a close black friend in high school.

I got involved with reading programs at the orphanage, took the girls on excursions to movies and museums in an attempt to show them there was more out there than what they had experienced so far. I was able to teach these kids a lot, but they knew so much more than I did in certain areas of life. Many of these kids had been abused sexually, beaten physically and mentally. These kids didn’t open up immediately; in fact they challenged me, wanting to know why a white girl would come into their lives. All I could tell them was that I was meant to be with them for a time.

It turned out to be a short time too, because not many months after that the riots started in our city. One day after they started I was at the orphanage, the guy who ran it pulled me aside to tell me, he didn’t want me to come back. He felt it was too dangerous, and he couldn’t be responsible for me. I had had a good day with the girls and didn’t want to tell them good-bye, so I told him I would be back one more time in order to explain to the girls why I wouldn’t be working with them any more. However, I never got a chance to explain because of something that happened when I left there.

At a stop sign, a few blocks from the orphanage, a group of men stood on the corner with angry faces. They started toward me and a couple of guys started pushing my car, and I hurriedly stepped on the pedal and took off. Some of them chased me, and it made me fearful to go back.
(One of these days, I'm going to blog about something pertaining to this section of my post, but it's controversial and though it's on my mind I've been putting it off. I'm sorry for being such a chicken).

None of these things have deterred me from wanting to do something to help others. Now, in my stories, I hope some day to make a difference. I will always write about topics that concern me.

Okay folks, you’ve learned a little more about what makes me tick. Have a good week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.

Remember as always, all comments are welcome even if you disagree with any of my opinions.

Sandy
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=e684nldayz0

Author, Linda LaRoque

Hello Everyone,

Welcome my good friend, guest, author, Linda LaRoque. Waving at Linda. I am glad to have you here today, and I’m loaded with questions.


Response: Hi Sandy. I’m waving back at you. Thank you for having me as your guest.


SM: Linda, how does your family and friends feel about your writing? Do they support you?


LL: They’re happy for me and very supportive. They like to tease me about knowing me before I was rich and famous. Haha. We beginning authors know we spend more money than we make. Hopefully one day the reverse will be true.


Question: When did you first start writing?


Answer: I didn’t start until the early 1990s. At the time I was suffering from depression and writing was therapeutic for me. Later, after reading a romance I said to my husband, “I think I could write a romance. It can’t be that hard.” Boy, I ate those words over and over again. Writing romance is as hard as writing any other genre and requires learning and practice.


Question: Are you writing in more than one genre?


Answer: Yes. I write contemporary western romances, time-travel romances, and am in the process of finishing a futuristic romance.


Question: Tell us a bit about your story.


Answer: Flames On The Sky is book two of The Turquoise Legacy. In book one, My Heart Will Find Yours, Texanna owns a locket containing a mystical piece of turquoise. In book two, heroine Madison Evans inherits the locket and begins having bad dreams about being chased by Indians in a past time period. To learn the stone’s origin, Madison travels to New Mexico and learns she’s part of an ancient prophecy to capture an escaped evil spirit determined on destroying the Native American heritage in the Four Corners area.


Question: Most of your stories that I have read are pretty sweet, do you plan to write something grittier or steamier?


Answer: Flames On The Sky, as are all of my The Wild Rose Press releases, is rated spicy. My western contemporaries at Champagne Books are rated sensual. I doubt I’ll write anything with hot or erotic ratings, but you never know.


Question: Do you find sex scenes hard to write?

Yes, I do. I think it’s hard to write them where they don’t read stilted or mechanical.

Linda, would you give us a blurb and an excerpt of your story?

Blurb:

The Anasazi whispered of this evil and of the
woman who could defeat it.
Fire, sky, and stone must unite to fulfill an ancient prophecy.


Madison Evans inherits a turquoise locket, travels to New Mexico, and discovers the stone dates back to the Chacoan Anasazi. When she's attacked, parks ranger Lonan Stone, of Chacoan ancestry, fears Madison's turquoise is a missing twin of the revered Fallen Skystone, an egg size piece of turquoise on display in Albuquerque. The mystical stone is missing two slivers – one’s in Madison’s necklace, the others whereabouts unknown, but if united by evil they can destroy.

Madison and Lonan are part of a 1000 year old prophecy to save Chaco Canyon. Thrust back in time, they meet a witch, solve a murder, fall in love, and imprison a 1000 year old evil spirit. Their mission complete, can these two people from different cultures blend their lives as the prophecy predicted?


Excerpt:

Madison felt as if she’d traveled to the Twilight Zone. Lilly’s claims were preposterous, but, she couldn’t deny what she’d seen on the cliff face or the dreams.
“Yes, you need to tell me about the dreams. They started at the time you received the necklace, right?”
Madison nodded. “How did you know?”
“I assumed the ancient Elders would haunt you, but when Lonan called yesterday, I knew so for a fact.” Her smile was sympathetic. “Tell me about them.”
Lilly’s eyes lit with excitement as Madison talked. When she finished, the older woman leaned back and closed her eyes.
Lonan’s brow was furrowed, his mouth pinched. “What did you mean when you said, ‘You are the one.’?”
She pierced him with an intent look. “Did not Madison say you were the very image of the warrior in her dream? The prophecy requires that someone from the past, which is you, son, be chosen to be Madison’s protector.” Lilly turned to Madison.
Oh, no. I don’t think I want to hear this. She held up her hands and shook her head. “No—”
“Yes, Madison, with hair of fire, whether you like it or not, the Gods chose you, someone from the future, to find the third stone and reunite the twins with the mother stone. Together, you two will find a way to consign the evil one to the pit below mother earth where he belongs.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tghS1kr6TnY Flames on The Sky



Question: How did you come up with the idea for this story, Linda?


Answer: The piece of turquoise in Texanna’s locket had mystical abilities. I decided one of her ancestors would inherit the locket and need to discover where the turquoise originated. In my research I learned much of the turquoise in the United States came from a region of New Mexico, and that the Anasazi in Chaco Canyon had a monopoly on its trade. From these facts the story evolved.


I remember Texanna's story and loved it. Flames on the Sky sounds just as good. I'm eager to read it.

Question: Do you write at the same time every day, or do you just fit writing in when you can? What is your schedule like?


Answer: I spend time in the morning checking emails, loops, and blogs. Then I begin writing. I write until around 3:00. Sometimes I write in the evenings and am often at my most creative late at night.


Question: Do you make an outline before you begin writing or do you just come up with an idea and get started?

Answer: I usually get an idea and start writing but at some point I write a short outline to check for story elements, conflict, etc. Character profiles also help me to flesh out the hero and heroine.

Linda, tell everyone when your book will be released and where it can be found.


Answer:

Flames On The Sky is out now with The Wild Rose Press.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/flames-on-the-sky-p-3719.html?zenid=5067b73fa46f73c5584271aaab612fef ebook

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/flames-on-the-sky-paperback-p-3678.html paperback.

And at Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Flames-Sky-Linda-LaRoque/dp/1601545827/ref=pd_nr_b_21?ie=UTF8&s=books in paperback.


Linda, it's been great having you here today, but I know you're eager to get back to writing your next story. I wish you much success with your career.


Response: Thank you for having me, Sandy. I appreciate the opportunity to share Flames On The Sky with you and your readers. Good luck with your new release Addiction. Happy Sales! You know I’ll be getting my copy.

Linda
Linda LaRoque ~Western Romance with a Twist in Time~ A Law of Her Own, Desires of the Heart, My Heart Will Find Yours, Flames on the Sky10-9, Forever Faithful, Investment of the Heart, When the Ocotillo Bloom

www.lindalaroque.com/ www.lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/


Have a great week everyone. I’ll be back next Sunday.


Sandy

Credit Card Fraud

It seems lately that so many of the posts I write about on my blog are unlikely topics for a writer. Not really because I am an issue oriented person, and when I write my stories they are almost always about some concern I have about our society.

So now we come to one of those topics that worry me. Credit card fraud is a growing white collar crime along with many others. With the age of the Internet, hackers who are diligent can get in anywhere, and any security you have is not one hundred percent safe.

Recently, when my computer was hacked into, I had to change our credit cards because I had bought some things on-line using my CC numbers and didn’t want to take the chance that they had been stolen.

Last week, my Wisconsin RWA group was all abuzz because many members had received letters from the Radisson Hotel where they had their writer’s conference saying that their credit department had been breached. At this time, everyone thought it was just their group at this particular hotel who had been hit. Only it turned out the main credit department for all the Radisson Hotels had been broken into.

Some members had their CC’s used in California, Colorado, Oregon, Bangladesh, and probably many more places not mentioned. Was this the work of hackers? It’s too wide spread to be just a hotel employee (not to say there isn’t one working with them), so I say most definitely somewhere there are hackers involved in getting these numbers.

RT (Romantic Times) had their conference in Orlando, Florida, and some of those people had their credit cards used by someone other than themselves. One of the MARA-RWA members told me her roomy had charges on her card that she didn’t make, but her roommate hadn’t used that card at the hotel. She’d used it across the street at a convenience store.

One author even had someone try to buy $1250.00 worth of shoes with her numbers. Now, I’m guessing she might like to have those shoes for herself. Smile. Although, I doubt she would buy that many at a time or spend that much.

Another place where there have been fraud issues is at Vista Print, a company where you can order business cards. A parent company takes your CC number and signs you up for something called Passport to Fun, whether you want it or not, which gets you discounts.

Two other authors found problems with Vista Print, there were charges on their CC’s that they didn’t recognize that came from them. One author happened to read an article in AARP about “negative option marketing,” which said a merchant doesn’t have to sell you anything; he can assume you bought it. Those free sites and free trial period deals get you into these kinds of deals. This is an illegal practice and it is fraud.

What can you do? 1. The article suggested you insist on them sending you a contract. 2. If you get charged for a negative option program, contact your state attorney at www.naag.org, file a complaint with the FTC at www.fte.gov or call 1-877-382-4357. 3. Check your charge statement and beware of free trial offers. There are fraud hotlines to go to as well. Also, the article said some insurance companies use this practice, too.

One of the author’s from MARA recommends getting pre-paid Visas, but check into other CC’s to see if they do this, too. For a pre-paid card just put enough money on the card for the trip, then your home account information isn’t available for theft. Just max out those cards during the trip or cash them out when you get home so there is no paper trail leading to you.

Many of you reading this may think that just conferences or writers are being targeted, but that would be far from the truth. Each and every one of us is a target in today’s world.

For instance, my brother was overcharged on his telephone bills a year or so ago for calls made to Jamaica. They tried to tell him he’d misdialed, but he fought them on it and got the charges dropped.

Do you check your credit card statement, or do you just pay the bill?

I always go over my monthly statement and check each item off before I send in my payment. I attribute my care to detail to my work in the airline maintenance. We were required to go over the paperwork multiple times to make sure everything was done.

Keep a watchful eye out for anything to do with credit, money, etc. There’s always someone there waiting to take advantage of you. (When my hubby reads this paragraph he will laugh out loud because it has been his mission in life to teach me this.) lol

Have a great week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.

Sandy