Review: Bosch Legacy

Bosch: Legacy streams free on Freevee, the renamed IMDB service with which you are probably familiar. 

Check it out Bosch: Legacy on Amazon Prime to see the lineup of episodes and blurbs.

If you're looking for a well-plotted story with great acting, you're in luck because Bosch: Legacy is all that. 

If you're already a Bosch, Prime Series fan, then you'll be delighted with the return of the titular character, his daughter Maddie, and Honey aka Money Chandler, his frenemy.

Titus Welliver was born to play Bosch. I can't visualize anyone else in this role. I'm delighted he also narrates the audio editions of the Bosch mysteries.

Madison Lintz as Maddie has grown up before our eyes since the episode where she was introduced back in season 1 of the original Bosch series.

Mimi Rogers who has such a distinctive voice is brilliant as the attorney who began as the thorn in Bosch's backside and now has become a friend and confidant.

You'll especially enjoy the cameos by some of the original show's important characters like Jamie Hector as Jerry Edgar, Scott Klace as Watch Sergeant John "Mank" Mankiewicz, retired Detectives Crate and Barrel, otherwise known as Gregory Scott Cummins (Crate) and Troy Evans (Barrel); and Cynthia K. McWilliams as Detective Bennett. Hopefully we'll see more surprise appearances by the original Bosch series regulars.

New characters you'll enjoy are: Stephen Change as Mo, the tech expert; Denise G. Sanchez as Reina Vasquez, Maddie's Training Officer; and David Moses as Marty, Honey Chandler's mentor and law firm partner.

I enjoyed this new rendition of Michael Connelly's books, but...*sigh*...I hate to complain because I'm glad Bosch continues. However, having said that, here are my complaints, and it's all Amazon's fault.

(1) Can't binge watch until all episodes are posted. Amazon Prime spoiled us. They gave us great series that we could watch episode after episode. Yes! Binge watch the whole darn series, episode after episode until we're bleary-eyed from lack of sleep and are forced to turn off the TV.

I don't want an episode or two every Friday. I want it all, and I want it now!!!

(2) Commercials. OMG. Why did they have to put this on a streaming service with advertisements. If I wanted to sit through commercials, I'd watch regular TV. I'm pretty sure Amazon is drawing in enough bucks to have made this series on Prime, put out all the episodes at once, commercial-free.

(3) Episodes seem short. So I checked the length of the episodes. Bosch: Legacy, Season 1, episodes range from 42 to 54 minutes with the 54-minute episode being the first one. The length was interrupted by commercials. The original Bosch series, Season 1, episodes were 41 to 48 minutes. No commercials. I can only conclude that the commercials make the episodes feel shorter and disjoined.

(4) A cliffhanger reminiscent of "who shot J.R." Again, OMG. The original Bosch series in the first  season had 10 Episodes with a many-layered story, and it wrapped everything up with the last episode and gave a hook for the next season. The hook made you anticipate the new season. 

Bosch: Legacy gave us a cliffhanger that reminded me of authors who write books, make the first one of a series free, and end that free book with words that basically mean,  "to find out what happens next, buy Book 2." Agh! I have quit reading authors who do that.

Takeaway Truth

 

Okay, I'm glad I aired my grievances. Now, do I recommend Bosch: Legacy? Heck, yeah! Do I wish the show runners would take my complaints to heart? Of course. Do I expect them to do so? Ha! When pigs fly. Watch Bosch: Legacy and know you'll have plenty of time to get snacks and take bathroom breaks.

P. S. I'm having a Giveaway to celebrate the release of my latest book, BLOG OPS, a guide for those who want to start a blog or improve the one they have.

To enter my Giveaway, you just need to leave a comment on the post that gives the details of the book and the giveaway—Gift Card Giveaway Celebrates New Book. Good luck!

I'm sending my June Newsletter on Friday, June 10. I'll be giving away a free full-length romance novel that sizzles with summer heat. I'll also feature some friends with a free book to give you. If you do not currently subscribe to my newsletter, click the link below to sign up. You'll be the first to know about new books, bargains, and giveaways. Plus, you'll receive a free ebook romance for subscribing.

SIGN UP for JOAN'S FREE NEWSLETTER

Have a wonderful week!

Gift Card Giveaway Celebrates New Book

A Gift Card Giveaway Celebrates New Book! Yes, today is release day for my new book on blogging:

BLOG OPS: Search & Destroy Bad Blog Elements, Rescue Hostage Blogs, Be a Better Blogger.

If you want the scoop on what blogging can do for you and how to make the most of your blogging time, BLOG OPS is for you. The new release price is a mere 99¢!

I'm thrilled because my new book on blogging is 

#1 New Release in Blogging

(Thank you, Amazon, for that nice little banner on my book page.)

Giveaway Details

1. Open until 6:00pm CDT, June 24, 2022.

2. Prize is one (1) $5.00 Amazon Gift Card.

3. Winner selected by random draw from qualified entries.

4. Winner notified by email on or before 8:00pm CDT, June26, 2022.

5. To enter, do this:

(a) In a COMMENT on this post, answer this question: In the book BLOG OPS, how many Tips for Compelling Content are given? (b) Then leave your email address written out, not as a hot link, so you can be notified if you win.

About BLOG OPS: Search & Destroy Bad Blog Elements, Rescue Hostage Blogs, Be a Better Blogger.

For nearly twenty years, Joan Reeves, a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of Romance Fiction, has been blogging as a ghost blogger, a member of group blogs, and the writer and publisher of her own blog, SlingWords. 

Now, she’s sharing concise, specific tips to help you not only be a better blogger but also to enjoy blogging rather than looking at it as a tedious task.

Search and Destroy Bad Blog Elements. What are bad blog elements? Elements of your blog that are obsolete, unattractive, or ignored by those who visit your blog; links that don’t work; images that look amateurish; and other elements that simply don’t work to increase your readership. 

If you started a blog and don’t know what to do when the initial excitement wanes, BLOG OPS will show you how to breathe life into it.

Rescue Hostage Blogs. What is a hostage blog? One that is ignored by readers and by the blog owner, blogs that seldom have new posts, and blogs that suffer from bad design. 

If you started a blog and feel trapped and unable to make it appealing, BLOG OPS will give you a strategy to keep it fresh and vibrant.

Be a Better Blogger. In case you think blogging is dead, think again. 

It’s alive and well and paying rewards to those who utilize it smartly. BLOG OPS will teach you how to be a better blogger.

Takeaway Truth

Enter today, and tell your friends! If I get more than 20 qualified entries, I'll give away 2 gift cards, by Random Draw. All other Giveaway details as stated above apply. Remember, this giveaway closes at 8:00pm CDT, June 26, 2022.

I'm sending my June Newsletter on Friday, June 10. I'll be giving away a free full-length romance novel that sizzles with summer heat. I'll also feature some friends with a free book to give you. If you do not currently subscribe to my newsletter, click the link below to sign up. You'll be the first to know about new books, bargains, and giveaways. Plus, you'll receive a free ebook romance for subscribing.

SIGN UP for JOAN'S FREE NEWSLETTER

Have a wonderful week!

Blogging Explained in Less Than 280 Characters

This post title came from one of the topic generators I listed in my new release, Blog Ops, Be a Better Blogger.

To illustrate the benefit of the website where I found this post title, I thought I'd blog about it myself. Fun, right?

I can then put the link to this post in my book, which is scheduled for release June 5, 2022.

(By the way, I'm pleased to announce that my book, only 99¢ new release price, is the #1 New Release in User Generated Content, i.e., blogging.)

Analyze the Post Title

When you use a topic generator, the first thing you should do is analyze the title that pops up. Many times, that tells you what the content should be.

In this case, obviously the 140 Characters in the title tells you that this is a post you can use to promote your blog on Twitter.

Of course, Twitter now allows you to use 280 characters so I changed the generated title to indicate this update. That gives you plenty of room for a good Tweet, the permalink, and some specific hashtags.

With that thought in mind, here are some of the 280 character Tweets I came up in a few minutes to explain blogging.

1. Sharing my passion for blogging. https://slingwords.blogspot.com/2022/05/blogging-explained-less-than-280-characters.html #SlingWords  #blogging #bloggingtips (158 characters) 

Note: That's the permalink to this post. For the other Tweet examples, I'm making up a permalink)

2. Today, I'm blogging about my love of gardening with a post about planting tomatoes to ensure success. https://sitename.domain.com/year/mo/plant-tomatoes-for-success.html #gardening #blogging (191 characters)

3. 5 Reasons I Love Blogging: Sharing, Writing, Hobby, Fun, Friendship. https://sitename.domain.com/year/mo/5-reasons-love-blogging.html #inspiration #blogging #writing (166 characters)

Takeaway Truth

Yes, blogging is really all about sharing what you know or love with others in the hope you find an audience is hungry for what you have to say or who also have a passion for the same things.

12 Best Things About May

May named after Maia, the Greek goddess of fertility, is a fabulous month in Texas. The fertility angle is easy to understand since the weather in May is ideal for romantic evenings.

Twelve best things about May—especially in Texas? Here's my lsit.

1. At the top of my list is that May is when Day Lilies burst into bloom. These are the ones that border our porch at our country house. The abundant blooms and the easy way these lilies spread make them a favorite flower for Texas gardeners.

2. A famous Texas woman praised and reviled in movies and books, Calamity Jane, whose real name was Jane Canary, was born on May 1, 1852.

3. May is a great month for weekend trips. There are some beautiful places in Texas that are close to major cities like the Bayou Bend Gardens, created by Miss Ima Hogg who began work on the lovely manicured gardens in 1925. Today, they are stunning and a must-see for anyone interesting in nature. Near Houston, they're a place to stroll through beautiful blooming gardens, sit and soak inthe peace and beauty.

Other notable scenic places to visit are Rockport near Corpus Christi, Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo, In the southwest desert part of Texas, Santa Elena Canyon near Marfa, Gorman Falls near Austin, The State Capitol in Austin, Johnson Space Center in Houston, the 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, the Historical Tour in Fort Worth, Caddo Lake in the northeast part of Texas, The River Walk in San Antonio, and Sonora Caverns, El Capitan near El Paso, and Big Bend near the Rio Grande just to name a few.

If you'd like to see all of the "must-see" places in Texas, Texas Bucket List is available on Amazon.

4. The Texas Ranger Museum is a must-see place in Waco. Celebrating the most famous law enforcement organtization know around the world, it's one of the best museums for those who want to really know about the Texas mythology.

5. The Alamo in San Antonio is the other iconic building that you must see if you want to get to the heart of what makes Texans stalwart and brave.

6. May is the month when gardeners select the bedding plants of marigolds, zinnias, periwinkle, petunias, begonias, and all the other flower plants that adorn many landscapes in the state.

7. May is the next blooming of wildflowers along Texas roadways. Look for the pale pink primroses called buttercups, the orange of Indian paintbrush, red clover, and many more because Texas has more than 5,000 varieties of blooming plants.

8. May is Stroke Awareness month. Do yourself a favor if you live in Texas and acquaint yourself with the hospitals near you who have Stroke Centers, specialized stroke treatment centers in some hospitals that can offer immediate treatment to lessen the effects of a stroke.

9. Discover Galveston, home to a Garden Center like in New Orleans, and many beaches for sun worshippers.

10. May is also the perfect month to design and setup a home solar power backup system since we have 232 sunshine days on average. It's so much easier now than even a few years ago. In Texas, The Texas Property Tax Code allows 100% exemption on the increase in assessed value of a property for installing a solar or wind powered energy device. Plan now for worst case scenarios given all of the dire predictions because of CoVid and the Ukraine-Russia war.

11. Start a garden. Again, there are scary predictions because of the global unrest. Learn how to grow your own vegetables which is doable in pots on an apartment balcony or in your yard.

12. Festivals in Texas are hugely popular, and May has one of the best. The Kerrville Folk Festival in west Texas is amazing. It's all about music and draws its audience from 40 states  and several foreign countries. Songwriters are booked to play and many past performers return for the experience.

Takeaway Truth

Texas is a big state. There's a lot to see, and something for every interest.

Review: Operation Mincemeat

There has been a dearth of good movies lately. I was delighted to find one that I thought worthy of a review.

Operation Mincemeat, designed to make the Nazis think the Allied troops would be landing in Greece instead of Sicility, was a real spy operation in World War II.

Set in 1943, the movie stars Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn, and Jason Isaacs.

The movie is based on Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre.

Released this month and distributed by Netflix, Warner Bros. Pictures, and FilmNation Entertainment, the movie is compelling, believable, and even suspenseful even though we know how the Allied landing turned out.

An intelligent story and well acted, this is a must see. You'll find it on Netflix and IMDB I believe.

Takeaway Truth

I'd love to find more movies like this. So much of the content with streaming services is lacking in so many ways.

Life Is Good, Give Thanks

May has been a challenging month—details below in case you're interested—but I finally have a few moments of normality.

So life is good and giving thanks reminds me of why life is good despite everything.

Challenging Times Build Strong People

CoVid, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, senseless murders every week.

Senseless hatred based on: the color of one's skin or religion, politics, sexual orientation, ethnicity—hatred because of those things make no sense and can't be understood by rational people.

These and other tragedies make it easy to feel morose and somber—even depressed about the world and the future.

That's when we need to consciously remember all of the reasons that life is good. No matter how down and discouraged you may feel, no matter how little you may have, you always have blessings whether or not you're aware of them.

Surefire Way to Feel Better

The best way to shake the gloom is to consciously count your blessings. You may take most of these for granted.

That's a mistake many people make. Let's get back to basics, and count blessings.

1. If you are alive, you are blessed. Life means you have the chance to get healthier, be happier, achieve more, and live the best life possible. Like my grandfather who lived to be 100 always said, "It's always better to be looking down at the grass than up through it." Give thanks that you are alive and decide what to do with your life.

2. If you have bills, chances are you have, or had, a job. Give thanks for the bills and the job that enables you to pay them. Always improve your skills to make yourself a valuable employee.

If you've lost your job, work each day to get another one. Scour the internet for articles about how to land jobs, network with everyone you know who has a job, work on improving your skills and on presenting yourself as a prospective employee. 

Waste no time in watching TV, sleeping late, bitterness, regret, or goofing off in any way. Assess your attitude. Choose optimism, have faith, be hopeful, and believe in your ability and your future.

There are thousands of videos on YouTube that may help you become an entrepreneur if you're motivated in that way and/or desperate. Opportunity exists for those willing to put in the hard work and seize the moment.

3. If you are healthy, give thanks and work to stay that way. Give up junk food and super processed foods, read labels. If you don't know what an ingredient is, don't buy it. Eat more vegetables. Learn how to cook at home for the best option for good health. Get 20 minutes of sunshine every day. Remember, everything, especially alcohol, in moderation.

4. Give thanks for those who love you. Start with your parents and your siblings. By nature, they have raised you from the first moment they knew you. Their love is a given. Cherish those relationships. If you've lost touch in some way, work to make those relationships stronger. Give thanks for your partner in life. Treat your spouse as if he/she is the most important person in your world. Talk together each day. The same is true for your children. With kids and grandkids who don't live near you, it's a lot harder, but stay in touch regularly. Always say, "I love you."

5. Give thanks that you have a roof over your head, i.e., a home. 

I know too many people who are never satisfied with their home whether it's an apartment, condo, or house. 

They focus on what the home doesn't have rather than enjoy the fact that they have not just a roof over their head, but a place that can be a welcoming sanctuary from the cares of the world.

So what if it doesn't look like a picture in a decorating magazine? The feeling of home has nothing to do with what a place looks like. Looks can be changed if you have the desire and willingness. Check YouTube for the millions of videos on decorating projects with many involving dollar store and thrift store finds. There's a reason that old song's refrain is true, "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

Quick/Not So Quick Update

Our younger daughter had major surgery. Everything was going well for a few days then 4 days later she ended up in the ER due to a fever. She's fine now and recovering without any other complications.

Darling Hubby spent a hot day loading and unloading landscape rocks—big, heavy ones. A day later he noticed a swelling on the right side of his abdomen. Since he's a strong, healthy guy, we knew something was wrong.

Fortunately, he got in to see the family doctor in a couple of days who diagnosed a hernia and sent him on to a surgeon. A few days later, he was already scheduled for surgery. Another few days, and we were at the hospital for pre-op registration. Three more days—this past Monday—he had surgery.

Since I've had plenty of experience in taking care of post-surgery patients thanks to our daughter's 14 surgeries, I've known how to keep him comfortable, log the medication I give him and stay ahead of the pain, keep him company, and keep him entertained.

I've watched more TV and movies this past week than in a month. I give thanks he came through surgery with flying colors and is doing well in recovery.

The post-op role of "nurse" is exhausting. I guess my own problems (sciatica pain, injured rotator cuff, and delicate eyes/vision) take a toll on my energy. 

Takeaway Truth

I give thanks also for this blog and its readers. Thank you!

Saturday Share Recipe: Best Homemade Salad Dressing Ever

I've been experimenting with making salad dressings for the last year. I've shared some of the recipes I've come up with here.

I've finally created one that everyone in the family likes, and it comes out thick and luscious rather than separating too easily.

We've started having a large salad before each lunch and dinner, and the dressing makes it super delicious.

I made a large batch of it today and decided to share the recipe with you. The secret to it is a good balsamic vinegar.

I made it with fig balsamic vinegar, and it's out of this world! The recipe that follows makes almost a quart of dressing.

Ingredients

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar (I love the fig balsamic)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons honey (you could also use sugar)

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 teaspoons finely minced Italian herbs

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Important Notes

(1) For the Italian herbs, I buy a local product, but it's very similar to the Dean Jacobs Italiano grinder shown here that is available from Amazon. This grinder is refillable which makes it super useful.

(2) For the balsamic vinegar, you don't have to use fig balsamic. It's my personal favorite. If you find balsamic vinegar isn't tart enough for you, use 3/4 cup balsamic and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar.

(3) If you don't want to make a large batch, just cut the ingredients in half.

Directions

In a quart jar, add all the ingredients. Place the lid tightly on the jar and shake vigorously. 

With the large batch I made, after shaking, I pour it into 3 smaller glass jars that have lids. Refrigerate the dressing.

Before using, set a jar out and allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Shake well.

However, if you're like me and always pressed for time, bring it to room temperature the quick way. Remove the lid, place the jar in your microwave, and nuke it for 10 to 15 seconds. Then shake and serve.

Takeaway Truth

This is a fabulous dressing that doesn't separate the way most homemade dressings do. Let me know if you like it.