Monday, July 23, 2018

No contest results?! .... here's who to blame!

In a fit of housecleaning mania I decided to wash the floor in my office yesterday.
It's a wood floor so it's Murphy's Oil Soap and a special mop.

Mop mop mop.

All set.

Only I forgot that with the high humidity yesterday, it was going to take a couple hours to be dry enough to walk on, rather than the usual 30 minutes or so.

Ok, no problem, I'll plop down on the couch and read. And it just so happens a new book rolled in this week: Last Call by Paula Matter.


I've been friends with Paula for years, and when I saw her recently at Malice Domestic and she mentioned her upcoming book, I ordered it on the spot.

It inveigled me from where it reclined on the to be read pile, giving me the come-hither eye as only a new book and new author can do.

I capitulated, of course.


Three hours skated by.
Then another.
By the time the floor was dry and I'd finished the book, it was time to fall into the shark hammock and swim off to the Land of Nod.

Of course, only when the cold cruel light of daybreak hit my eyeballs, did I realize I'd forgotten to read and post the contest results.

I think we can all agree, the blame for my slacking off rests entirely on Paula Matter. In fact I think I'll review Last Call on Amazon with the title "Paula Matter has much to answer for." Four stars of course, but much to answer for.

Contest results...well, hopefully today.

22 comments:

Theresa said...

Reading a good book is the best reason for forgetting work!

Lisa Bodenheim said...

But what a great reason to forget about the world! To be sucked up into a story.

french sojourn said...


Gotta love a book hangover, best kind.

Jo Conn said...

"inveigled" Thank you. :)

E.M. Goldsmith said...

Totally understandable.

Donnaeve said...

Sounds like a perfect way to wait for a floor to dry! I might have to use that same ploy soon.

Ah, another FF contest missed, but, what a great one to have. I'm gonna read the entries later on, but I have to say, Sam's book, with it's enticing title, and lovely cover is getting some wonderful reviews, and it was an Amazon top five title for the summer (did I get that right Sam?) It'll lure readers much like Paula Matter's book did you.

Also, did QOTKU and the rest of The Reef know there was a previous shout out for them? I'm thinking not, but no matter, I can share it here:

"To my tribe of at The Reef and to The One we call QOTKU, a.k.a Janet Reid, thank you all so much for you support, your special messages, but most of all, for your friendship."

From the Acknowledgements page at the back of the book, THE ROAD TO BITTERSWEET. :)

Carolynnwith2Ns said...

I always wondered if Murphy's Oil Soap would do the same for my complexion as it does for my floors.
I mean, when I think about it, I do get walked all over, it should work right?
It works on hardwood and pine. I'm thinking I'm more a pine kinda girl, wide plank and soft and easily subject to knicks and scratches. Pine is nice, it shows it's age. You have to treat pine a bit more carefully than hardwood too. I like that.
Yup, that's me, a pine plank kinda gal.
As for Murphy's Oil Soap, all I can say is don't try this at home.

french sojourn said...


2NN's, and knotty?

Amy Johnson said...

I'm with Jo. "Inveigled." Thank you.
And 2Ns, you are 2funny. :)

Timothy Lowe said...

Now I am picturing all sorts of surfaces coated in Murphy's oil. Very punny comment, Carolynn...

Craig F said...

Monday, Monday, can´t trust that day
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way

Yes, I have little faith in Mondays. You are supposed to be off on weekends, sometimes, so just tell us that results will come out next Tuesday and enjoy you weekend. I know i deserve that and think you do too.

Carolynnwith2Ns said...

Yes I am knotty, have a few splits and splinters but this is children's TV so, well, lets not go there boys and girls.

Claire Bobrow said...

That's the best kind of excuse!

Something similar happened at our house this weekend. Things Did Not Get Done because I couldn't tear my eyeballs from Vera Brosgol's new graphic novel, Be Prepared.

John Davis Frain said...

Thought for sure blame would lie at the fin of Shark Week.

Here's hoping we don't see results until Friday next!

Joseph S. said...

You can read a book in six hours? I'm impressed. It takes me six hours to read a Stop sign.

Steve Forti said...

Yay for shout outs! I remember my first was on the CD liner notes at a radio station I was working at eons ago. Always feels cool. Doesn't even matter if hardly anyone saw it.

And yeah - speed reader alert!

Lennon Faris said...

This cracked me up. Happy reading, folks!

Anonymous said...

Nice to know that there are other functioning adults who do this.

It's my dream to distract someone from working some day. And have "much to answer for."

Love Murphy's Oil Soap. Maybe I am using it wrong, but I usually just walk on it anyway.

AJ Blythe said...

And this is why I haven't been reading much of late. I can't afford to lose the time.

Joseph S. said...

(I tried to post something similar to this hours ago but it didn't make it to the thread, so here I go again)

Paula Matters Last Call is receiving excellent reviews and ratings on Goodreads. (4.33 out of 5.00, and 10 5-star ratings out of 18 total.)

Paula Matter said...

Speaking of floors, excuse me while I pick myself up off of mine to respond. Thank you, dear Janet, for the amazing shout-out. When you ordered the book that day at Malice, I was thrilled. Today I read this blog post and I'm ecstatic. And a four star review on top of all that? Uh oh, here comes the floor again...

Joyce Tremel said...

Janet really did order it on the spot. I was sitting right beside her! I'm so happy for Paula, and I can't wait to read this book!