Stephen Lawrence Brayton's Blog (200)

I think of Means as part of the cop phrase, “The suspect had means, motive, and opportunity.” I take it and revise it just a bit so that Means includes preparation, opportunity, and follow up.

prepare picPreparation

When it comes to fitness, you have to prepare for the workout. This includes cardio work to get the heart pumping. Proper warmup starts with cardio. You need the heart going and the blood pumping, the sweat forming, the muscles warming. Then you can do some…

Ten days before July meeting of my local (and only Iowa branch of) Sisters in Crime I was asked by the chapter president to assist with the presentation. In previous meetings, we've were visited by a law enforcement officer, a wonderful woman who self published a couple books, and other wonderful presenters. In July, though, K. didn't have anybody scheduled so she asked me if I wanted to share the…

Good day,

I am very grateful for the interest you have shown in my plight and I want to assure you that you will be greatly rewarded for what you have chosen to do. Although we are just knowing and communicating with each other for the first time but I believe that our heavenly father has directed me to you as I have already prayed and searched over the…

Hello,

This message may be coming to you as a surprise but I need your help.Few days back we made an unannounced vacation trip to Kiev Ukraine.Everything was going fine until last night when we were mugged on our way back to the hotel.They Stole all our cash,credit cards and cellphone but thank God we still have our lives and passport.Another shocking is that the hotel manager has been…

Since I'm involved in martial arts, I write a series with a character who is a taekwondo school owner as well as a private investigator. Yes, she carries a gun, but she relies on her martial arts skills more often.

Two challenges I have in writing this series are 1). to create scenes where my main character, Mallory Petersen, can use her skills and 2). for her to use a…

NOTE: So, I should point out here at the beginning that I've decided to go with the title Chapters for this series of blog posts. I suppose nearly any of the stand alone posts could fit under this category, but I think I'll try to keep these with where there is a humorous complaint or comment. Searching the web I've discovered several other sites to tap when this current crop, originally listed back on 4/25,…

Courage

I tend to think of the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz when I see this word. It is all he wanted. He thought he could rule the jungle but lacked the nerve. He thought he didn't have that inner strength to face the fears around him.

Fear. I have seen this word as an acronym. F.E.A.R. False Evidence Against Reality.

Basically, what scenario you think might happen,…

What do belly dancers, ghost hunters, tarot cards, and crystal from Brazil all have in common? They and much more were seen at the 25^th Annual Metaphysical Fair (commonly known as the Psychic Fair) held last weekend at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

This annual events brought over 80 vendors and speakers. If you're a true believer, an open-minded skeptic like me, or just curious, this…

“I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.”

What is needed is a phone that will list the name of the person who's calling even if you don't have that person as a contact. So much easier to avoid sales people or telemarketers. I still get calls from them every once in awhile.

This truth reminded…

A couple weeks ago I was watching a horror movie (and may I digress for just a moment to say that horror movies don't really impress me much anymore? One has to be pretty darn good to be 'scary'.) and I thought about some of the lessons or truisms to be learned from these movies. I posted some of them on Facebook but later I wrote them down to post them on my blog. Plus, this would be a good…

Today I join in the World Blog Tour. I've done something similar in the past but I hope to keep it going by first, thanking the one who proceeded me, Sherri Hanson, (www.sherriehansen.wordpress.com…

have fun picWhenever I leave work I usually depart with the words, “Have fun” to the person on the next shift. It's been a fairly standard saying for years. I never mean it as a sarcastic statement as if I expect the next shift to be droll or rockin' crazy with problems and I wish the person luck in handling it all. I really mean for them to have fun in whatever they do.

Years ago, I made some mistakes that landed me in trouble and, unfortunately, after more than fifteen years, I'm…

This week, I introduce a new list of future blog ideas. This list wasn't originally to inspire creativity, but nevertheless, I thought it humorous enough to keep, share, and from which to draw topics. Some of the future blogs will deal with the writing industry, but many will concern my life and some of my experiences. I hope to give you inspiration for future stories if you're a writer…

Today, I turn the coveted blog chair over to a wonderful woman I've met at Killer Nashville and didn't get to spend as much time talking with as I would have liked. Today she honors me by stopping by my place on her blog tour to promote her latest endeavor, Murder In The Worst Degree. So be nice to her or I won't let you play in my neighborhood…

I was going to title the next two weeks' worth of material Attack of the Marylins, but then I realized that this week my guest's name is spelled Marilyn so...

Actually, this first week is another in the award winning (or so to be award winning, or rather, deserving to be known as award winning) series Around the Globe with...

This week I pick up my featured…

<a href="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/computer_dependency.jpg"><img src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/computer_dependency.jpg" alt="computer_dependency" width="279" height="229" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-776" /></a>I know, I know. I didn't post last week. First time in years.

Well, all I can do is humbly ask for your forgiveness and explain the reason. I didn't have a computer from which to post. Why? Because for a…

<a href="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/coming-soon.jpg"><img src="http://stephenbrayton.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/coming-soon.jpg" alt="coming soon" width="300" height="218" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-773" /></a>This week I wanted to let you know about two upcoming series of blogs to be put into the semi-sort of rotation that I have and to ask for some input into them.

1. Complaints. I believe I saw these on Facebook or maybe somebody…

“I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any change to.”

Yeah...I get this a lot on my documents. I'm tempted to hit Control-Z so it will erase any change I supposedly had made, but that scares me even more.

This truth made me think of note taking and how I change not only…

I know, I know, you were expecting something early yesterday. Well, late Thursday night, I had computer problems and although I still haven't returned to where I was, I was able to access enough enough to upload this week's blog. Thanks for being patient.*****

"Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the…

On this last day of February we might reach a high in the 20s, but this weekend will be frigid. The cold is one of the reasons why I love this week's featured author...because we get to go away from it. I hop in the transporter and pick up Ms. Roxborough and in no time we're lounging on a secluded beach in Hawaii where there is nothing but sun and sun and warm temps and did I…