Hump Day Thoughts About Publishing

Happy Wednesday, or, if you preffer, Happy Hump Day!

Since I tend to pontificate on Wednesdays about whatever I'm thinking about, here goes today's subject. I'm thinking about the changes in books from traditional publishing to today's indie self-publishing.

Since the advent of ebooks, most authors I know now publish their books themselves rather than trying to place them with traditional publishers. There are many reasons for this, but I'm going to discuss one aspect of indie self-publishing: story concept.

STORY CONCEPT CHANGES

 Back when I published my first novel with a New York publisher, romance novels were peopled by the young and beautiful. Many of them still are, but back in those days, the heroine was requried to be young. The hero could be older and more mature—you know, the cliche of the seasoned lover.

At one writer's conference I attended many years ago, the editor gave a speech and said, "Make your heroine twenty-three years old and the CEO of a company.” According to the publishing house guidelines for category romance, that was what readers wanted.

Is there anything farther from reality than a 23-year-old female CEO? I didn't know any back then, and I don't know any in today's world.

No one author ever got a book with a 40-year-old heroine or a heroine who'd survived cancer or any of the other life challenges so many women face. Heaven forbid if an author tried to show senior citizens with active sex lives.

Writers were constrained by ridiculous guidelines. Is it any wonder so many authors happily deserted traditional publishers and embraced indie authorship?

Even today, some young readers turn their nose up at middle-aged characters having a rich and fulfilling sex life. I rememeber when I published Old Enough to Know Better, an age-gap romance, one of the reviews was from a young woman who thought it was gross that a 40-year-old man would want to have sex with a 50-year-old woman.

Love, Sex, and Romance are something everyone wants from the time those emotions and needs hits the conscious mind, and that doesn't end at some magic age number. 

Mary Roberts Rinehart famously wrote in The Man in Lower Ten, that “Love is like the measles. The older you get, the worse the attack.” 

Even authors who are old enough to be grandparents still write about Love, Sex, and Romance. I think it's because everyone—readers and writers—have a self-image embedded in the brain that doesn’t age. We are all forever locked into that age.

I mean, when you dream, are you ever a child again or are you a white-haired senior citizen. Chances are neither of those pictures are true. 

Maybe that’s why you are startled when you walk down the street and catch your reflection in a store window. Ever done that? Ever thought, “My God, I look just like my mother!”

TODAY'S STORY CONCEPT—REALITY BASED

Self-published authors can write about any kind of character they want because there are readers out there who want that. Authors are not limited by age, ethnicity, gender, or anything else. 

We can write about young or old main characters, about people who survived devastating situations and found love, about fantasy and reality, about introverts, extroverts, normal people, weirdos, and everyone in between.

Characters and plot elements today are based on reality and reflect Life. If you are older than 30—40, 50, 60, or beyond—don’t despair. The road of life is long and offers love and romance—and, yes, sex too—every step of the way. You can fall in love, and you can read about women and men your age falling in love. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

In this new age of publishing, authors aren’t restricted by arbitrary guidelines so there are books out there that you will love. 

When you find one you like, be sure and leave a review. That's the best way to thank an author.

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In Remembrance 9/11

Today I'm praying for the families of those who were killed, for those who were not yet born to learn the significance of that day, and praying for my country.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

History must be learned so that mistakes of the past are never repeated.

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 Sunday, September 13, 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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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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Friday Freaky Facts

I love trivia and often save bits and pieces of weird information. I mean, you may never know when the opportunity presents itself to drop a tidbit into a conversation.

For example, you're at a cocktail party and talking with a bunch of women and men about mundane chores around the house.

Isn't that the time to say, "I too hate vacuuming the carpet and have often wished British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth, who is widely credited with inventing the first motorized, suction-based vacuum cleaner in 1901, had chosen to invent something else."

Now that's a stunner that will make everyone's jaw drop. Right?

With that thought in mind, allow me to share a few equally tasty tidbits of trivia because History is full of quirky little facts. How unfortunate that too many people think History is a bore. It's not. History is the adventurous exploits of the famous and infamous.

Here are a few things I've learned as I research various subjects. Enjoy!

In  1439, Kissing was officially banned in England in an effort to stop disease from spreading. (I imagine the country became a nation of lawbreakers.)

In 1912, a Paris orphanage held a raffle to raise money and gave away live babies as prizes!

John F. Kennedy, Anthony Burgess, Aldous Huxley, and C.S. Lewis all died on the same day.

Once upon a time, Karl Marx was a correspondent for the New York Daily Tribune.

Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard during high school and saved 77 people from drowning.

In 1487 in the Aztec dedication of the temple at Tenochtitlan, 20,000 people were sacrificed.

Romans used human urine as mouthwash.

A 19th century popular medicine for kids was Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup which had morphine as an ingredient.

In early Rome, a father could legally kill anyone in his family.

Attila the Hun bled to death from a nosebleed on his wedding night.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

There is no known civilization that did not tax. Even the very first known civilization, the Sumerians, recorded their tax history on clay cones.

In colonial America, pregnant women were not given anything to relieve the pain of childbirth because pain was considered God’s punishment for Eve’s eating the forbidden fruit. (That had to be the Puritans.)

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Next time your kid bemoans history, throw a few fun facts at them. Maybe it will interest them in the underlying drama that is history.

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Review - Everest - Netflix

For several months, I've foound very little of interest on the streaming services. It's times like this that I question why I'm paying so much for so few well-written, well-crafted movies and TV series.

In fact, the only streaming service I don't complain about is YouTube Premium because it's an excellent research source for writing. But Netflix, HBO Max, and Prime since they started ads? I could easily jettison them, but I'll probably keep Prime because Amazon is a primary shopping destination for us.

Indeed, it seems as if the older movies and TV shows are so much better than the movies and TV since 2020. A case in point is the movie EVEREST, a 2015 movie based on the true story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.

I remember seeing this several years ago. I didn't remember the complete details of the production so I thought I'd watch it again.

The story is about the 2 rival expedition groups that attempted to reach the summit only to find their lives at stake when a massive storm struck.

Starring Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Robin Wright, Michael Kelly, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley, Martin Henderson, and Emily Watson, the movie is edge of the seat suspense. 

This high drama film is suspenseful and ultimately heart breaking as it tells the story of the ill-fated expeditions. Eight climbers died. Several had to undergo amputations. The horror of it makes one wonder why anyone wants to attempt Mount Everest climbs.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're looking for a suspenseful, scary movie that's absolutely true, check out EVEREST, now streaming on Netflix.

May 16, 2026, A READER'S EVENT

BEGINS AT 11:00AM CDT

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Friday Facts About SlingWords

On April 12, 2005, I wrote and published the first post on SlingWords. It was a Japanese Proverb I learned when I lived in Japan.

Yes, I've been blogging for 21 years on SlingWords. Since that date 21 years ago, I've written and published 4,562 posts.

Wow! That even impresses me.

Once I blogged every day, but my life became so busy these last few years that I no longer had that luxury.

When I do blog, I put my best effort into the process. I do my own research, verify facts, select graphics to accompany each post, and try to make sure it's error-free.

Normally, I post this "birthday" blog on the anniversary date. This year, I've been inundated with too many projects which is why it's 2 weeks late.

Many people say blogs are dead, but I don't find that to be true. Blogging is alive and well and will continue to be so as far as I can see.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'll keep writing and publishing SlingWords until it's no longer satisfying. That's always been my plan. Hopefully, all of you who read SlingWords will continue to do so. To me, that sounds like a win-win..

I literally wrote the book on blogging. Get BLOG OPS today on

Amazon or read on Kindle Unlimited

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Ordinary Marvels - Navel Oranges

I slept late today because I stayed up late watching Olympic highlights. Amazing athletes doing amazing things.

Like many, I particularly love the ice skating events. Maybe that's because I've never ice skated before, and I'm in awe of those who do.

TODAY'S TOPIC

I'm not here to talk about the Olympics. I want to talke about things that are ordianry yet amazing.

Like the navel orange I peeled for breakfast. I was stripping away the rind from the orangish-pink flesh when I started wondering how the navel orange came into being. I was pretty sure that it had to be have been created by some kind of hybrid technique so I looked up the history.

Yes, it was a hybrid—created by Mother Nature. Surprise!

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

In 1820, in a Brazilian monestary garden, someone saw a mutated orange growing on a tree. This was a  seedless mutation, possibly derived from a Selecta orange tree.

The mutated tree produced a small "twin" fruit at the base of the fruit—something that looked like a human navel thus the origin of the name.

Horticulturists began grafting the mutated tree to other trees until there were enough for export. It took more than 50 years for the navel orange tree to be introduced in the U.S. 

When the newly-formed USDA received 12 cuttings from Brazil, someone there gave 2 cuttings to  Eliza Tibbets of Riverside, California. She planted them in 1873 which gave birth to a billion-dollar industry.

TREE TRIVIA

The mutation of the orange tree means its fruit is seedless and sterile so all navel orange trees are technically clones of that original 1820 tree,  continued through grafting.

The trees planted in California were named Washington Navel Oranges because they came from the USDA in Washington, D.C.

The trees planed in California thrived because the climate was perfect for the, and the citrus industry in the state simply boomed.

The "belly button" at the bottom is actually a conjoined twin fruit that aborted during development.

The original tree planted by Eliza Tibbets is now a California Historic Landmark.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Learning all this made the sweet navel orange I ate even more delicious and satisfying. Have you eaten an orange lately?

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Friday Facts - Bridgerton - Netflix

Bridgerton Poster from Printerval.com

I'm having such fun watching the new Bridgerton series. This makes the 4th installment of the Regency series and is based on An Offer From a Gentlemen, Book 4, by Julia Quinn.

As always I try to connect movies and TV series with the actual historical backgound. I know that sounds a bit pedantic, but it gives an added depth to the story to know what is accurate and what is fiction—at least it does for me.

Now, I'm talking about Bridgerton, the TV series, NOT the book series by Julia Quinn  on which the series is based.

FRIDAY FACTS ABOUT BRIDGERTON

1. Bridgerton is not a documentary, but it is historically inspired. The series combines real elements of the Regency with fantasy.

2. The production smartly chooses to adhere to contemporary tastes in romance, music, and expectations. Thus, it has wide appeal for today's viewers.

3. The series depicts a racially-integrated high society that didn't exist historically, but I like the fact that it does this. Why shouldn't actors of any color or ethnicity have the chance to act in any story they wish?

4. The Queen in the series is Queen Charlotte who was the Queen during the Regency period, but her portrayal in the series is for entertainment value, not historically accurate.

Image by Calla Negra - Pixabay

5. Young unmarried women of the aristocracy were pressured to make good marriages for status, family connections and wealth, and had little choice but to comply. 

They had to strictly adhere to the protocols for young ladies of that era, and the list of restrictions was onerous.

6. Scandal sheets like Lady Whistledown's gossip sheet did exist.

7. The dresses the women wear in the series were inspired by the high empire waist of the Regency, but the colors and materials used are far from traditional.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Having said all that, it is obvious that something doesn't have to be historically accurate to be delightful and entertaining.

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Ooh La La - The Croissant

Costco sells a huge container of Croissant, the delectable, buttery French rolls for a little over $5.00. (Is this statement true or false? Read on.) 

Sometimes my will power is weak, and I add these to my shopping cart. I try not to do this too often because they're too delicious and contain about a gazillion calories.

Yesterday, I had a good excuse for buying them—so I could celebrate Croissant Day today. (A perfect excuse to give into one of my food guilty pleasures. So, as I write this, I'm nibbling on a croissant and sipping a cup of tea.

DID YOU KNOW 

NOT Croissant!!

If you have read that the croissant was created at the request of Marie Antoinette, then you'll have to read on. She had nothing to do with it. The croissant did not originate in France.

Aha! My first sentence was deliberately misleading when I called it French. (The part about the price at Costco is true.)

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

The croissant began life as kipferl, a crescent-shaped bread roll, baked for centuries in Austria. The French connection was created around 1838 by August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer who introduced the pastry to Paris when he opened a Viennese bakery, Boulangerie Viennoise there.

Later, French bakers later changed the original dense dough into the flaky, buttery puff pastry we know today. They also changed the name to croissant which means, of course, crescent. 

By the 20th century, all French bakers had adopted the further refined technique that changed the dense dough to the laminated dough—layers of dough spread with butter, folded and rolled again and again.

I could watch those bakers on The Great British Baking Show make that delightful pastry for hours on end. Thankfully, it's SO much hard work that I've never had the inclination to make a croissant from scratch. Sometimes, laziness is its own reward. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Well, that's my food guilty pleasure confession for today. Do you have food guilty pleasures? Inquiring minds want to know so leave a comment.

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Sunday Thoughts - What Is a Blessing?

When I was a child, my brothers and I took turns "saying the blessing" before meals.

"Bless us, oh Lord, and these thy gifts..." and so on. 

As children, we didn't think much about it or the real meaning of the words we were taught to say.

As a church goer, another habit from childhood but one I cherish for many reasons, I learned the profound meaning of those words learned in childhood.

DEFINITIONS

If you look up the word blessing, you'll find these definitions: "a prayer asking for God's favor and protection, grace said before or after a meal, a beneficial thing for which one is grateful, sanction or support."

ACKNOWLEDGE BLESSINGS

I'm not talking about religion now even though I do acknowledge the blessings I have based upon my beliefs. I am truly grateful for those blessings. 

I'm talking about why it's a good thing to acknowledge blessings whether they come from your religion or from your neighbor next door. Acknowledging a blessing is conscious recognition of the beneficial thing you have received and being apprciative of it.

APPRECIATION = GRATITUDE

Being grateful or feeling gratitude has been scientifically proven to benefit people.

In fact, gratitude has been proven to enhance physical and mental health because it reduces stress hormones like cortisol and increases the feel-good neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine.

Feelings of gratitude promote cardiovascular health, boosts immune function, lowers blood pressure, and improves sleep. It also helps crete emotional resilience and deeper social connections. It can help with pain management and help you live longer too.

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE

You can express gratitude in many ways like saying grace or a blessing—which was the inspiration for today's post. Listening to a blessing took me back to my childhood and the blessings and prayers I was taught.

Throughout the morning, I kept thinking about the reason behind those words of appreciation or gratitude. I believe in keeping track of the blessings, or beneficial things, that happen each day even if it's something like, "the wind didn't blow off the winterized wraps on the loquat tree."

Try writing in a notebook or a journal about the commonplace or extraordinary happenings in your life each day that may be blessings in disguise. Be grateful. 

Express that gratitude to a person who does something kind for you or express it on the pages of a journal or express it in a prayer if that's what speaks to you.

What do you think about the subject of blessings?

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

 Well, that's my Sunday Thoughts for this cold, wintry day. Have a great week ahead.

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Friday Random Facts: Natural Disasters

Websites that list significant events in history are very popular. I subscribe to a couple of those. As an author, I never know what might strike a cord and inspire a story.

I find it's interesting to look at what happend on "this day in history."

It's odd how certain events like natural disasters can happen on the same day years apart. Here are a few such events.

1. 1556: Shaanxi Earthquake, deadliest on record, in Shaanxi Province, China, killed 830,000 people.

2. 1812: A 7.8 earthquake strucck New Madrid, Missouri, and it's still discussed today.

3. 1859: Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii begins an eruption that lasts 300 days.

4. 1973: Helgafell volcano on island of Heimaey Iceland erupts for first time in 7,000 years.

5. 1989: Hundreds feared dead after a powerful earthquake strikes the Soviet Central Asian republic of Tajikistan.

6. 2016: Category 5 blizzard dropped a record 3 feet of snow across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S., killing 55 people. The economic losses were estimated at $500 million to $3 billion.

7. 2017: Thunderstorms and tornadoes in Georgia and Mississippi killed at least 18 in the U.S.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Looking back over this post, I see that it's a little macabre. Sorry about that. Maybe you can file this post under trivia.

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Friday Facts - Hallmark Christmas Movies

Believe it or not, Hallmark did not invent Christmas Movies—but they certainly popularized them.

It's rare to meet someone who has never seen a Hallmark Christmas movie—at least when it comes to the female population.

How many of you put a Christmas movie on while you decorate the home for Christmas? We do.

What about Men? The movies aren't made for men. Some men watch these movies, but usually because they have no choice. LOL

 I do know a woman whose husband was a cop who watched Hallmark movies to unwind from his shift patroling the mean streets.

Yes, the movies are formulaic. Yes, the stories have become standardized so that the plots and elements are all too often the same. Still, there's something appealing about them that makes us tune in—again and again. Many of us have our favorites that we'll want to watch every Christmas no matter how many times we've seen them.

HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIE FACTS

1. These Christmas movies are filmed in the summer—usually in Vancouver or Montreal, Canada for the tax breaks and lower expenses. This is done because it's less expensive to use ice trucks, fake snow, and dress actors in winter wear than film in winter.

2. Some productions use European castles as settings, i.e., all of those Prince and Princess Christmas movies.

3. The movies follow familiar plots, i.e. city woman meets small-town guy or vice versa and romance ensues. The main character is usually a single woman, and the story unfolds in 9 acts or major scenes.

4. The movies are filmed much faster than is usual for a production—mere weeks rather than months. Some wrap in no more than 20 days. Lacey Chabert, frequent female lead in many of these movies calls it "boot camp." 

5. Common plot elements include career-focused heroine, rediscovery of love and the Christmas spirit, picturesque small town settings, barriers to love, and a requisite happy ending.

Hallmark took note of the popularity of their early Christmas movies and scaled up their output so that dozens of new movies are now made each year.

They began streaming their own channel with these Christmas movies and mystery movies that are available year-round to subscribers.

The result is a fan base that has exploded. There are social media groups, Twitter hashtags for each premiere, and "Christmas Con" events that draw passionately devoted fans.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

What's not to love about pretty people in pretty small towns who learn some home truths and realize that love—of children / husband / wife / community—"is all there is" and that the Christmas spirit can be alive and well in all of us all year long?

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