DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND ME - MISTAKES & ADVICE Part 1 of 3

This year marked the 15th anniversary of my jumping into digital publishing.

I wanted to commemorate this milestone by telling you how I made that bold move, the mistakes I made, the things I learned, and what digital publishing has done for me.

The first title I slapped on this blog post once I'd writte it was Digital Publishing and Me—What I've learned in 15 Years of Writing and Publishing Ebooks.

Like the post itself, the title was way too long so I shrunk the title and broke the post into 3 parts. 

Today, you're reading  Part 1 of 3: Mistakes and Advice. I have a lot of both I guess.

Part 2 of 3: More Advice and Insights publishes Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Part 3 of 3: Rewards For Me and Maybe For You publishes Friday, September 11, 2026.

BACKSTORY

Recently, I came across a post I wrote for another author's website back in June 2011. I had published one of my backlist books on Amazon KDP in late March which is why she asked me to be a guest on her blog.

My post for her explained why I did something that was considered extremely radical—repubishing a  backlist book as an ebook.

Champs-Élysées Books, shows 1 of my books

Today, I decided to reprint part of my 2011 post here because it may change the opinion of readers who still think ebooks are not real books.

It may  also convince authors who believe digital publishing isn't worth the effort that they're missing a great opportunity to advance their careers—not that we who digitally publish need any more competition! 

Here's the excerpt from 2011 with my "today" comments in brackets.

EXCERPT, EBOOKS: SMART, NOT DUMB (2011)

When I announced to a group of authors that I intended to publish my backlist and even some original fiction as ebooks, many wondered why I would do that. It was easy to see they questioned the wisdom of my intention.

There's a polarity when it comes to writers and indie publishing, and there are two primary schools of thought: the best thing since sliced bread or that sucks. 

These opposite opinions are pervasive in the world. [The low opinion of ebooks is still held by many well-known authors as do some readers.]

BOLDLY GO WHERE SOME WRITERS ARE GOING

I'm a firm believer in "nothing ventured; nothing gained." When markets are drying up, left and right, it's nice to see something opening up that can directly benefit writers, and that's digital self-publishing. 

By benefit, I don't just mean making some bucks. I also mean finding an audience for your work.

I've stated before that: "I've given up on New York publishing, BUT they gave up on me first." And, I'm not the only published author who couldn't fit the square peg of their writing into New York's round hole. (No pun intended but feel free to laugh.) 

I'm a writer. I want to be read. Many authors are finding readers by becoming indie authors and publishing our own work. If you want to try the indie author route, learn all you can about the process. That's why I'm here today.

I want to give you some advice, based on my personal experience as well as that of some friends, in the hope that you may avoid some of our dumb mistakes. 

When I published Just One Look, a previously published book that became my first ebook on Kindle and sold thousands of copies every day for a solid month, I made every mistake possible so I'm particularly qualified to talk about how NOT to be dumb.

 [Why did that happen? Because there wasn't much "how-to" information out there in 2011.]

I've got 10 Tips for you that I first wrote in that 2011 blog post. You'll find the first 5 Tips in this post. The others will be in Part 2. 

2011 ADVICE THAT'S STILL VALID - 10 TIPS

1. Learn how to properly format your file for an ebook that looks professional. [Now there are options for the type of file you can upload besides DOCX, MS Word like Atticus, available at a relatively low-cost for a one-time fee, that can create a beautifully formated ebook or print book. 

[When I started, I had to learn how to transform a Word file into an HTML file and how to insert a black and white cover image into that file. It was a time-consuming process. 

There was no Kindle Unlimited then so an author was smart to publish her ebook in as many places as possible. That meant learning how to format for Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, Smashwords, and a half dozen other publishers who have since closed their doors.]

2. A great cover was important then and now. For authors who can't afford a graphic artist, there's a new tool, BookBrush, that can produce great looking covers, and the learning curve is easy.

3. Make sure you have the legal right for anything you publish. If you plan to publish a book that was previously published elsewhere, you should have a legal reversion of rights letter.

If you're using images from the internet, you must have a license to use each image so always read the User License on image websites so you know what you can and cannot do with the image you purchase or get for free.

4. Make sure your manuascript is bullet-proof before you upload it. That means getting a good proofreader and/or editor. That also means not doing anything that might get you sued, for instance, using the names of real people who may take exception to your actions.

Some think that as long as you don't say anything negative, it's okay to use the name of a real person. That's not true. I personallly know an author who was sued by the person she mentioned in her book. What she wrote was simply Mrs. So and So, the owner of Name of Business. That got her sued.

5. Be patient and take your time so you don't make dumb mistakes like uploading the wrong manuscript file. Yes, that's obvious, but I did that the very first time and didn't realize it until I started getting bad reviews. I didn't understand what they complained about in my book until I looked at it on my Kindle. 

Wow. I still can't believe I did that. I can only chalk it up to being exhausted and bleary-eyed by the time I got around to uploading the file and clicked on the wrong file. 

Always make sure you have your wits about you. Don't try to set up a book if you're tired, frazzled, or rushed. Haste really can make waste.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope you're finding this information educational or at least entertaining. 

Join me on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, for Part 2 of 3: More Advice and Insights learned from my adventures in self-publishing.

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Saturday Share Recipe - Punch Bowl Cake

Believe it or not, we're just 2 1/2 months away from Thanksgiving. From then through New Year's Day, it's going to be a marathon of cleaning and cooking and getting ready for holiday guests.

I take the easy way out and start planning now—gifts, who's arriving and when, who's sleeping where, what kind of meals do I need to prepare, etc.

Meal planning is easy when done in advance. I make out menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because if I know what to cook, shopping for ingredients is much easier.

Also, I like to make easy entrees and desserts. One of the easiest and really delicious desserts is Punch Bowl Cake because it's easy to make, easy to change the flavor profile by switching the pudding and fruit to other types, easy to serve—with a spoon instead of having to slice it—and it's really tasty. If you think about it, Punchbowl Cake is merely a  trifle.

Make pudding often? Buy in quantity.

PUNCH BOWL CAKE

Ingredients

1 boxed yellow cake mix

2 packages of vanilla pudding mix (instant or the kind you cook) I use the large so I have plenty of pudding for the layers. Any leftovers, the kids eat.

16 ounces whipped cream

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

4 sliced bananas

Chopped pecans, fresh or toasted. (Toasted with a caramel glazing is really good.)

1 can cherry or strawberry pie filling (To my surprise, it's much cheaper at Amazon.)

Directions

1. Bake the yellow cake according to the box direcctions. Let it cool completely. Either cut it into cubes or tear it into bite-sized pieces.

At Amazon

2. Prepare the vanilla pudding according to the boxes' instructions. If using instant pudding, let it set up. If using the kind you cook—which I think has a better flavor—make it and let it cool to room temperature.

3. In another bowl, lightly mix the crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, and the pie filling.

4. In a punch bowl or a large clear bowl—so you can see the layers—begin to build the cake.

5. Layer 1 is the cake pieces placed at the bottom.

6. Layer 2 is the vanilla pudding spooned and smoothed over the cake pieces.

7. Layer 3 is the fruit mixture.

8. Layer 4 is the whipped cream.

9. Repeat the layers, finishing with whipped cream as the last layer. Garnish with the chopped pecans.

10. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 to 8 hours or overnight so flavors meld together.

OPTIONS TO MIX AND MATCH

Pudding mix can be vanilla, lemon, pistachio, or chocolate.

Nuts can be pecans, walnuts, macadamia, or pistachios. You can also use chocolate chips if using chocolate pie filling.

Fruit can be bananas, peaches, nectarines, stewed apples, dark sweet cherries.

Pie filling can be cherry, peach, strawberry, apple, or blueberry.

Whipped cream can be Cool Whip, but I personally don't like the taste of Cool Whip.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you like trifles, you'll love this dessert that serves a crowd which makes it perfect for parties and big dinnerss.

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Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Friday Facts - September Storms

We've had several days of dark, stormy clouds racing overhead. That made me wonder whether September was known as a stormy month.

Actually, it is. Here's a little research I did on the subject.

1. September is the busiest month for tropical activity. The peak usually occurs around September 10. 

2. Statistically, there have been more hurricanes in September than in any other month. This is because of the warm surface water temperature and the low wind shear.

3. September averages 2-3 hurricanes in most years, but some years like 2020 had a record number of storms. Historically, most tropical storms and hurricane landfalls happen in early and mid-September, for example, we just had Tropical Storm Eduardo sweep through here this week.

4. On September 2, a hurricane in the Caribbean made first landfall in the Dominican Republic. 

The next day it struck Santiago de Cuba Province and then slid along the southern coast of Cuba. 

By September 6, the storm reached the Gulf of Mexico. 

5. The storm intensified to a Category 4 with 145 mph winds. Then in the early morning hours of September 9, it made landfall on Galveston Island, south of Houston. 

The storm all but leveled the island. There are no firm death count from the Galveston devastation because many people were washed out to sea. Estimated deaths range between 8,000 and 12,000.

I grew up on the Gulf Coast and have known storms all of my life. When I was in my twenties, I moved to Japan and learned all about typhoons. The one thing they both have in common is deadly danger.

One thing I've learned is to always be prepared for the unexpected with survival foods, water, flashlights, candles, charged phones, medicines and valuable papers that can be packed in a short amount of time, and a bug-out bag when evacuation becomes necessary.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Storms can be awe-inspiring and the weather effects can be dramatic and breathtaking, but they should always be respected because the power of nature is greater than any other thing on the planet.

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Let's Laugh - HumpDay Humor

One thing most people loved about former First Lady Barbara Bush was her sense of humor.

Many women remember her for her famous pearl necklace she wore. She made no bones about the fact that the pearls were fake.

Mrs. Bush was sharply intelligent and witty. Many times her spontaneous comments caught people by surprise.

One can well imagine someone doing a "spit-take" when she spouted something completely hilarious—like today's quotation.

When George H.W. Bush lost his bid for a second presidential term, many people across the country had said they hadn't want four more years of George, but they wanted to keep Barbara for four more years of Barbara.

Mrs. Bush was the second oldest First Lady after Anna Harrison, wife of President William Henry Harrison, and, generally, was one of the most popular.

One of the most common criticisms about her was her protectiveness for all members of her far-flung family. But isn't that what a matriarch is supposed to do?

During her stint as First Lady, she received more than 100,000 letters a year which was a record. She devoted her time to advocacy for Literacy and for AIDS patients and research.

She is ranked 9th on the list of Best 20th and 21st Century First Ladies. Mrs. Bush passed away April 17, 2018

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The quote above is one of my favorite. Laugh and enjoy.

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Spotlight NEW ROMANTASY BOOK by M.J. SCHILLER

I'm excited about this new book by my friend, M.J. Schiller, since I first heard about it. Why? Because it's a different kind of romance.

If you have wanted to try ROMANTASY, the hottest new genre in romance, M.J.'s new book is the doorway you need t choose.

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS is the first in her new FAIRY TALE ROMANCE SERIES, and I think it's going to be a smash success.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Once upon a time...

A young lady named Izzy was abducted by marauders and forced into slavery. Upon her arrival at the castle, she was taken in by one of the king’s advisors, a wise and kindly man. 

As time passed, she fell in love with a young man whom she later discovered was the prince. This prince, Trevarius, as he was not the direct heir to the throne, enjoyed a rather carefree lifestyle. But he found Izzy fascinating and was drawn to her. To his dismay, his brother chose Izzy as his wife to spite Trevarius. 

Publishing today, Sept. 1, 2026

Will Izzy and Trevarius lose their happily-ever-after?

EXCERPT from FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS

The birds began to sing. Or rather, shriek. The high-pitched noise was followed by the loud whir of wings as they lifted into the air. Isadore crooked her neck and watched them rise into the sky, obliterating the sun for a second; then, she was forced to shade her eyes from its glare. Subtly, another noise replaced the first, coming from the same direction as the birds had and getting louder and louder with each passing moment.

What is…horses!

A chill washed over her that had nothing to do with the frigid water she was standing in. She had come with a dozen others to wash clothing in this stream. The water wasn’t as deep as their normal creek bed; however, it was closer to home, which is why they had chosen it. Nearby villages had been raided of late, and parents wanted their daughters nearby. She scanned the horizon and saw it. The wisp of smoke that meant others had been to their village. 

Her warning burst from her mouth at the same time the mounts erupted from the tree line surrounding the watering hole.

“Riders!” 

She moved as quickly as she could in the waist-deep water, releasing the shift she had been washing, letting it slowly drift away as the quiet, idyllic scene of moments before changed into a nightmare. 

Horses came charging into the water from the banks, and women screamed as they attempted to flee but were caught up in the hands of riders. She searched for her sister, Ysmay, and caught sight of her red dress. A man had his arm around her neck and shoulders as he dragged her from the water, kicking and wailing.

“Nay! Ysmay!” She began to wade in that direction, frustrated by the resistance of the water and the weight of her dress. All she could do was cry out and watch as the man hauled her sister onto his mount and plopped her in front of him. He laughed and pulled on his horse’s reins, twisting its head back to the bank. “Nay. Release her.” Ysmay at fourteen was two years her senior; yet, as she was smaller framed, people often mistook them for twins. 

Ysmay turned. Isadore couldn’t hear her but read her lips. “Flee, Izzy!”

Her view of Ysmay was cut off when a soldier and his steed cut between them, a yard away. The man grabbed a younger girl, who couldn’t have been more than ten, and she screamed. With dismay, Izzy realized that it was too late to help Ysmay; on the other hand, maybe she could at least save this one girl. 

Isadore struggled forward and lunged at the last second to latch onto the girl’s leg before she could be plucked from the stream. Getting her feet under her, Isadore reached further to try to claw the girl from the man’s grasp and almost succeeded. However, she was so focused on prying his fingers from the girl’s arm that she didn’t see the sword in his other hand until it was too late.

At Books2Read, or go directly to AmazonUS - AmazonUK - AmazonAU.

ABOUT M.J. SCHILLER

M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. 

M.J. is the mother of a twenty-eight-year-old and three twenty-six-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon. 

CONNECT WITH M.J. ONLINE

Website: https://mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-schiller

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller

Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mjschiller

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479377.M_J_Schiller

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-J-Schiller/e/B009JOQFQQ

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you read Four and Twenty Blackbirds, be sure an leave a review where you bought it. Authors love readers who do this, and it's good karma!

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Saturday Share Recipe - Hummingbird Cake

There's a hummingbird that visits our patio every morning. It's attracted to the purple blooms of a hibiscus called Purple Showers.

After taking the nectar from those blossoms, it scoots out into the backyard and visits the sprawling lantana—one with orange and red blooms; the other with pink and yellow.

As I was watching it yesterday, the cute little bird reminded me of a cake my Mom would make.

Oh, my goodness, that cake was 3 layers of deliciousness with banana, pineapple, and pecans in the batter and frosted with old-fashioned cream cheese icing that melted in the mouth.

Why don't we make one today?

HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Image by Veronika Andrews from Pixabay.

Ingredients

• 3 cups AP flour, sifted then measured
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
• 2 cups chopped pecans, divided into 1 cup each

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Use lower temp for dark pans.
2. Prepare 3 9-inch cake pans, grease and flour the pans or spray with baking spray.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk around. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla and stir until moistened.
4. Add pineapple, bananas, and 1 cup of the pecans. Mix well.
5. Spoon the batter into the cake pans.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of each pan comes out clean.
7. Cool in the pans about 10 minutes then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Make the frosting while the cakes cool.

OLD-FASHIONED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This recipe makes a big batch of frosting, enough to generously frost 3 layers so don't be shocked by the amount of powdered sugar it calls for. You can half the recipe and frost only between the layers and the top or more sparingly than the way my mother's generation did.

 

Ingredients

• 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter, softened
• 32 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• tiny pinch of salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time so you don't have a cloud of powdered sugar flying out of the bowl. Beat in each addition until light and fluffly.
3. Add vanila and a tiny pinch of salt and blend well.
4. Frost the cooled cake however you've decided to do it.
5. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of chopped pecans on the top of the cake and press into the sides.
6. Serve to rave reviews.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

This is what I call a "special occasion cake." I imagine your family will want you to make it more often than that.

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Review - Reacher Season 4 - Prime

We are watching Reacher, Season 4, which premiered August 12, 2026, on Prime Video.

Darling Hubby and I have read the Reacher books by Lee Child and were thrilled when a physically appropriate actor was finally tapped to play the larger than life hero.

Season 4 has a compelling mystery to keep viewers guessing, and it has some good secondary cast members: Sydelle Noel as Detective Tamara Green, Kevin Corrigan as her partner Shaun Docherty, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette as Jacob Merrick, Agnez Mo as Lila, Marc Blucas and John Sampson, Kathleen Robertson as Elspeth Sampson, Kevin Weisman as Russell Plum, and Chris Owens as Nolan Cahill.

This series is tremendously popular and has legions of fans.

BUT...

 Don't throw rotten eggs at me, and for goodness's sake, don't send death threats that necessitate my calling the Constable's Cyber Crimes Unit again, but I have a little complaint. I'm probably thhe only one who thinks this, but with every succeeding season, Alan Ritchson as Reacher becomes more and more robotic in his performance.

Reacher, Season 1, was fantastic. Ritchson breathed life into the character. He was strong, larger than life, witty, and had an appealing personality as he tackled the mystery at the heart of the season. He didn't back down from threats. He used brutall force when it was called for, but he still seemed human.

With each passing season, he has become more like a machine, fighting, killing, brutalizing the bad guys, and tersely snapping out dialogue with nary a smile.

I'll watch the rest of the season and see if I'm wrong about his season's presentation of the Reacher character.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It may just be me, but the powers that be need to go back and watch Season 1 so they can learn why Reacher was so immediately appealing.

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Monday Magic _AI Tech Advice

Hold on to your hats. I'm about to recommend what seems to be an AI YouTube Channel for this week's source to remember.

I know, I know. I've complained a lot about Artificial Intelligence taking over the world. I still don't like the intrusion of AI on every app I use.

I really hate the fact that people are using AI to generate ebooks and clog up all the publishing pipelines.

I also hate that people are using AI to generate YouTube videos that purport to be doctors offering medical advice, financial experts offering investment advice, etc. ad nauseum.

TECH AUTHORITY ZONE

The YouTube video channel I'm blogging about today which offers offers step by step advice on how to clean up problems on your computer may actually have a Human behind it. I checked the channel's videos back to the beginning, and the man who narrated those videos seems to have English as a second language. Perhaps, he chose to use an AI voice for narration in order to attract more viewers.

In any event, I've used several videos from the channel to aid in my effort to keep Windows from slowing down my computer processing. Videos like Here's Why Chrome Slows Down Your PC, Windows 11 Lag Problem Solved, Microsoft Secretly Resets Your Settings, Why Your Windows PC Is Slow, Windows Eating Your Memory, and many more.

The channel offers advice on smart phones, computers, Windows, Android, etc. The thing I like most is that the instructions are clear, concise, and they work as promised.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're not a tekkie and have problems with your computer or cell phone, give the channel a try. It may have the answer to your problems.

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Happy Friday - Let's Laugh

I seem to have started a series of Friday posts built around humor.

Let's end the week with a chuckle.

The wise words quoted here are from the talented actress, Sharon Stone.

I don't know if she's the first to have said this, or if a comedian is actually the source of this witticism.

In any event, it's funny—and true.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Wishing you a great weekend. I've got a fabulous recipe for you tomorrow.

See you Saturday, here on SlingWords.

Thursday3Some - Fiction Popularity

Today I thought I'd share 3 statistics about the books readers are buying.

Everyone has a favorite genre of fiction. Within your chosen genre, you probably have a specific type of story you want to read.

That can be called a sub-genre. You might call it plot or theme or premise. 

In the Mystery genre, common sub-genres are cozy, police procedural, suspense, and thriller.

In the Romance genre, common sub-genres are sweet, spicy, romantic suspense, historical, etc.

All of the sub-genres are broken down by an aspect of the story or plot. In Romance, some of the most popular are small town, second chance, marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and dozens more. With Romance, this is one of the reasons it's the most popular genre in the world. Yes, that's right. In the entire world. (Stats come from Alex Newton's K-lytics reports. If you're an author or want to be one, I strongly urge you to research your favorite genre with Alex's reports.

3 FACTS ABOUT THE MOST POPULAR FICTION GENRE

1. the most popular genre on Amazon Kindle is romance with sales of the category increasing every year over the previous year.

2. More than half of the Top-400 most sold Kindle books are romance titles. That's why you often see new dedicated categories within the Romance Fiction category.

3. The majority of authors of these Romance novels are self-published.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you want to do a bit of research on your own,, plug in the search string "romance books" on Google. You'll find a lot of information that may amaze you.

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Hump Day Humor - Questioning Grandma

If you love Small Town Romance, you're going to love this story. I posted it many years ago, but I found it still lurking in an old folder in my file cabinet.

It made me laugh out loud again so I thought I'd share it with today's audience because many of you have joined in the last 10 years and probably hae never read this.

ORIGIN OF THIS STORY / JOKE / INCIDENT

I honestly don't know if this was a joke or story someone made up. I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually a true event because I know several grandmotherly types in my hometown who would have acted exactly like this!

One of my friends who grew up with me in our small Southern town sent this to me. He and I could probably name more than a dozen women, heck, make that two or three dozen, who could be the Southern grandma at the heart of this story. But let me stop talking and format the rest of this post.

SOUTHERN GRANDMA IN COURTROOM

Lawyers should never ask a Southern grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer. 

In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. 

He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"

She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?" 

She again replied, "Why, yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him."

The defense attorney almost died.

The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, "If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you to the electric chair."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Yes, dear readers, ladies like that still inhabit small southern towns.  So, never ask one a question if you don't want an unfiltered, strictly honest answer.

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Review - Stuart Fails To Save the Universe - HBO Max

Remember The Big Bang Theory? I do. Occasionally, I'll watch an episode of that hilarious series on HBO Max. 

I guess there are so many fans of the now-defunct series that Chuck Lorre, the genius who created the series, decided a sequel would find a following too.

Thus, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe was born. I stumbled across it a week ago. Of course, I had to see what this American science fiction comedy TV series created by Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Pradyit was all about.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the third spinoff of The Big Bang—first was Young Sheldon then Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage,  and now Stuart's series.

This latest entry in The Big Bang franchise premiered on HBO Max on July 23, 2026.

 It's premise? Stuart Bloom accidentally damaged a device created by Sheldon Cooper, Leonard Hofstadter and Howard Wolowitz.

Therefore, Stuart must prevent a "multiverse Armageddon" and save the Universe by traveling through various alternate realities to change his own reality. In each new reality, he encounters friends and acquaintances from his own reality.

To be honest, this series seems like a love poem to The Big Bang, because it brings back the quirky characters from that series. It's like having a family reunion with all the weird cousins showing up. Look at the Cast below, and you'll see what I mean.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom and as Alternate Stuart Bloom.

Lauren Lapkus as Denise, Stuart's true love.

Brian Posehn as Bert Kibbler, the very large and boring geologist.

John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke, the hilarious egotistical physicist.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

• Ryan Cartwright as Kyle.
• Josh Brener as Trevor.
• Tommy Walker as Gary.
• Riki Lindhome as Alternate Ramona Nowitzki, another weird physicist.
• Brian Thomas Smith as Alternate Zack Johnson, just as dumb as the original.
• Matty Cardarople as Keith.
• Louis Mustillo as Alexa.
• Joshua Malina, Caltech President Siebert will show up, along with Jon Cryer.

SPECIAL GUEST STARS

Kunal Nayyar as Alternate Raj Koothrappali who is just as weird as original Raj.

Penn and Teller as themselves.

Kaley Cuoco as Alternate Penny, who embraces her power.

Christine Baranski as herself, rather than as Leonard's mom.

Melissa Rauch as Alternate Bernadette Rostenkowski, a giant demon which means she embraces her power too.

Wil Wheaton as Alternate Wil Wheaton—love Will Wheaton!

WHY WATCH

If you're a Big Bang fan, I don't have to tell you why you watch. If you're not a fan, watch because it's weird, the episodes are short, and each episode gets better than the previous. Watch because the title creds alone are funny, creative, and different—they are an inside joke aimed at the entire audience that tries to skip over the credits.

The first 3 episodes I watched are: Episode 1, Spoiler: Gary Dies; Episode 2, Spoiler: Zack's In This One; and Episode 3: Bert's Magic. A new episode will drop every week.

MY THOUGHTS

If I weren't a fan of the original series, I don't know that I'd have watched the second episode. Once Barry Kripke, played by the talented John Ross Bowie, shows up, I was hooked. 

Every scene with Kripke in Episode 2 is a belly laugh, side-splitter. If you've been looking for something different, give this a try. Watch the first 3 episodes, and I think you'll want to watch the rest.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Like most streaming series, the future of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe depends on the audience numbers. I don't know if this series has enough promise to carry what seems like a one-joke premise into the future, but if anyone can do it, Chuck Lorre can.

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Monday Magic - Free Sceenshot App

If you're frustrated with the Screenshot offered by Microsoft, upgrade to the free app Greenshot, reliable open-source screen capture tool. 

The Greenshot app is safe, but only if you download  it from the official source. This is true of all apps I review on SlingWords. Download from the true source so you avoid bloatware, adware, or malware.

NOTE: Older versions of Greenshot did have security flaws, but those have been patched in recent updates which is another reason to download only from the Greenshot website.

WHAT GREENSHOT OFFERS

Although a light-weight screenshot software tool for Windows, it offers some grreat features:

• Create screenshots of a selected region, window or fullscreen
• Capture complete (scrolling) web pages from Internet Explorer
• Annotate, highlight or even make part of the screenshot unclear
• Export the screenshot: save to file, send to printer, copy to clipboard, attach to email, send to Office programs, upload to photo sites like Flickr or Picasa, etc.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

So many benefits make Greenshot an excellent tool. Try it today. I think you'll like it.

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6 Steps to Fake It Till You Make It

We live in the NOW, but we want something different TOMORROW, but YESTERDAY often holds us back.

Does that describe you?

Do you want more out of life? Do you want to be MORE...whatever that may mean?

Some people struggle to even believe they can make their dreams come true. They can't see themselves as any more than what they are today.

Those are the people that need to heed the advice often spouted in humor: "Fake it till you make it." They don't know that really means to imagine that person who does something amazing and to act like that person. 

One must create a greater vision of self before it will ever become reality. The easiest way to do that is by acting like that person you want to be. To fake it until it's true in reality. "But," you ask. "How do I fake something like that?"

What follows is my advice to someone who wants to be a writer. Simply change the "writing" to whatever you want out of your life.

7 Steps to Help You Fake It Until You Make It

Step 1: Create Self-Talk That Expresses the You in the Future

Do things like look in the mirror as you're getting ready for the day and say, "I would like to thank the Readers who made this possible by buying so many books that I was catapulted onto the New York Times bestsellers list."

Or, "I'd like to thank the movie's producers for this Academy award because they took my book and adapted it for this movie." Or, whatever addresses your particular big dream.

Step Two: Dress for the Success you want.

It's no lie that when you work from a home office, you tend to dress comfortably or as in many cases, like a slob. 

Instead, try dressing comfortably as well as attractively. You may be surprised that you'll accomplish more if you look a little more professional. 

Step Three: Act AS IF you have already achieved your dream.

How would you act if  you were already living that life you dream about? Would you be more optimistic? More at peace with everything and everyone? Would you be calmer and less stressed? Act that way when you become frustrated or annoyed. Be that you, not the past you who's easily upset.

Step Four: Speak AS IF you are the future you.

Avoid speaking negativity. Always speak with optimism about your work, your dream, your daily routine. Have a conversation with someone about the work you're doing toward that big dream. Envision completing the work and the rewards that will come your way.

Step Five: Act By Doing 1 Tiny Task Every Day

Many people can't get going on their dreams or can't continue working toward it because they set an unrealistic task for themselves each day. 

Let's get real. Instead of saying, "I'm going to write 1,000 words every day," say, "I'm going to write for 10 minutes each day." That's it. Ten minutes is easy.

Anyone can do it. It's set to be easy because getting started is the hardest action to take every day. Once you've overcome the inertia and started, you'll keep going.

Step Six: Review

When the day is done, review the day. What did you do? What did you say to yourself? What did you say to others? 

How did you feel after interacting with someone in which you acted like "future you?" 

How did you feel after doing your Tiny Task? Did you go past that Tiny Task? 

Most important of all, did you make progress? Do you feel empowered to do the same tomorrow? 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Use these 6 Steps whenever you need them. Keep a vision of your future self always in your mind. Go forth and conquer!

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