My Say What Blog Archives - Page 36 of 56

Jun 10th Apps, Check Them, If Privacy Matters in Your Life

In an effort to provide better privacy, recently I received a notice upon sign in from one of the scheduling apps I use that you would no longer be able to sign in using Facebook or Twitter. Hummm… I wondered why, but complied by setting up an individual sign in and password.

The reason became clear this morning as I read the local newspaper and made note of Apple’s new tagline. “If privacy matters in your life, it should matter to the phone your life is on.” Apple has a mobile update planned for fall 2019 that would offer users the option to remain anonymous when signing into certain apps in the App Store. What difference will this make you ask? Well, it will better protect users’ privacy and threatens to choke off data to companies including Facebook and Google that use the information to track users and sell ads based on their habits.

Relationships between app developers and third parties have thrived for years on the convenience of letting users sign in through their respective social-media accounts. Yep, I’m guilty of this, all though, less recently than ever before. App developers receive either names and email address from direct sign-ups or related info such as gender from Google, Facebook, Linkedin, or other accounts.Now you know how all those unsolicited emails wind up in your inbox. As we all know, certain tech companies have had highly publicized scandals with millions of user’s personal data exposed. Not good.

Just this week, Apple, who has pioneered authentication factors like FaceID and touted file encryption and other safety devices on its iOS devices, added yet another safeguard. As Apple users we can already opt out of continuous location tracking. But now we can use the new feature to share our location with an app only once to perform a specific task, in addition makes it easy to see which apps are still tracking your location when the apps are not in use. Cyber stalking. Creepy.

The bottom line these companies are going to need to find and collect data more directly from us consumers rather than using third-party services like Google and Facebook to do the work for them. As always when signing up new apps, think about just how much info you want these apps to have.

Next week, we’ll dive into whether ultra-powerful and still experimental technology entitled quantum computers will be friend of foe?

Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged Apple, Apps, Email, Facebook, google, iOS by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Jun 6th Not Quite the Road Trip From Hell, But…

By now you know my trips wind up being the road trip from hell. So, why would I expect anything different? In my defense, who could have known that when we scheduled a California road trip a few days before Memorial Day Weekend, we’d be leaving Colorado in ten inches of snow. Really?! Now keep in mind we’re traveling with our new larger fifth wheel on it’s inaugural trip. The trailer is a little over seven feet longer at thirty-seven and a half feet, verses our old one measuring thirty feet long we’d had for fifteen years. It was time for a change. You would think driving it wouldn’t be much different, but you’d be wrong, the tail swing of the longer one made for an interesting trip. But my husband took it all in stride. Bless his heart. Although our parrot, Taco, was displeased when he fell asleep after a long day of driving when she was conversing with him. LOL Pssst…don’t forget to enter Beach Blanket Book Giveaway below.

We crossed Wyoming in a blizzard leaving several inches of snow in its wake. Spent the night in Rock Springs waking up to more of the fluffy white stuff on the ground. Okay, its Wyoming, we kinda expected that. The state is synonymous with wind and spring snow. But rain and snow showers, including hail across Nevada and Utah was not a pleasant experience. Then lo and behold the sun peeked through momentarily in Zepher Cove at Lake Tahoe. Wind whipped the white capped waves crashing onto the beach. Braving the cold wind off the lake, we donned our coats and walked along the beach. Then we stared slacked-jawed at the twenty something males standing on the beach shirtless, shoe-less, and in shorts attempting to impress their group of friends. I guess we should add clueless to that description! LOL We shook our heads.

Returning to the roomy new fifth wheel, we watched a movie, ate popcorn, and went to bed. The next morning, yep, you guessed it big, white, storybook snowflakes floated through the air, but didn’t stick. Still our friends from Las Vegas, Nevada, who joined us, enjoyed the snow as did their two dogs. By afternoon the sun was back and we strolled along the beach with our dog as wildlife scampered on the shore and ducks paddled across the water. A few gulls screamed as they dove for dinner on the lake.

Family commitments required we leave Lake Tahoe after only a few days and head to northern California where we encountered a bit of rain but otherwise pleasant temperatures. Met up with a friend and fellow author in Elk Grove, CA for lunch and had a wonderful chat. On the trip back to Colorado we encountered windy conditions in Utah and Wyoming, Gee imagine that! LOL But other than that the trip was pleasant. The vibrant colors of the Wind River Valley in Wyoming are amazing. We stopped in Riverton, Wyoming to visit with friends. My award winning book AN ANGELS UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT was set in Riverton. Where Warrior Angel, Caden goes, trouble follows until he discovers a badly beaten woman barely clinging to life. Unprepared for the entanglement she brings to his doorstep, will he move heaven and earth to save her?Yep, that was a blatant plug for my book. LOL I couldn’t help it. You owe it to yourself to take a peek. https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Unintentional-Entanglement-Demons-Witch-ebook/dp/B07DYWKLYK

The moral of this story is don’t plan a road trip before Memorial Day, with a new fifth wheel and a strict schedule. Mother Nature will mess with you every time.

FYI, now that warmer weather has arrived. I am participating in Beach Blanket Book Giveaway! Summertime is here and before you head out to the pool or beach to catch some sunshine, check out this a-m-a-z-i-n-g giveaway hosted by N. N. Light’s Book Heaven. Win bestselling and award-winning books both in digital and print. The list is long If there’s a particular book or prize you’d like to win, be sure to say which prize you want when you enter via Rafflecopter. Enter below and good luck! Beach Blanket Book Giveaway: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775030

Literary Giveaway Portal: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/literary-giveaway-portal

Have a wonderful weekend!

Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, Beach Blanket Book Giveaway, Colorado, Fifth wheel, hail, Lake Tahoe, Rain, Reno, Riverton Wyoming, Road Trip, snow, Utah, WInd by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.

Apr 17th 10 Unusual Things About Me #L&SR #Wednesday Blog Challenge 4.17.19

Okay here we go with 10 unusual things about me.

10. I was a radio DJ for several years – It was fun. Saw lots of great concerts, met lots of my favorite Rock and Roll stars and bands. But I have to tell you there are a lot of weirdos in that profession. So yes, I fit right in! LOL

9. Do you remember your dreams? I always do and they are in vivid color. Yep, some of my wildest dreams were the basis of my books.

8. I like ice cubes in my chocolate milk. In fact sometimes I freeze it to make fudge bars. Yum!

7. Learned early on to respect the paranormal and never mess with a Ojou board. <shiver>

6. I can remember sequences of numbers that I’ve seen or heard but my neighbors’ name not so much.

5. I rock out to rock and roll music from the 60’s thru 80’s. But when I write I like quiet.

4. I hate shopping.

3. I know all the dialog and songs word for word of Dirty Dancing.

2. I love raw carrots fresh out of the garden (after their washed of course) But hate cooked carrots. On that note, I love to garden and do pretty well at it. But have never been able to grow broccoli. (Tried 3 years in a row). The plant always grows to nothing but huge leaves. Anyone out there have any idea what I’m doing wrong?

1. I love coloring Easter eggs. But mine have to be multi-colored. Here’s a couple of ways I do it.

a. Place one cup of rice into each baggie. Add 7-8 drops of food coloring into each one.

b. Close the baggies and squish the rice around so all the color mixes in well.

c. Open up and place 1 hard-boiled egg inside. Close the baggie and shake it around until you have your desired color.

d. Repeat step 3 until all the eggs are colored. Have fun mixing two or three colors or make a fun rainbow egg with all the colors.

e. Place the eggs back in the carton or on a paper towel to dry and store in the refrigerator.

Ever dyed Easter eggs with shaving cream? I have.

Spray the shaving cream into each cup in the muffin tin.
Place several drops of food coloring into each cup. Feel free to add multiple colors to one cup! Swirl the color into the foam using a cotton swab.
Gently set eggs in the cups, swirling several times, until completely coated.
Allow the eggs to sit for 10-15 minutes
Remove the eggs and rinse with cold water; store in the refrigerator.

After all this fun, hide the eggs Easter morning. After hide and seek is over, peel the eggs and make devil eggs. YUM! At least that what I do! LOL

There you have it, 10 unusual things about me. Learn anything new? In the comments tell me 10 unusual things about you.

Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click here. Breaking news!! Mystic Maples is available for preorder! Reserve your copy today! Amazon, Barnes&Nobel and itunes.

Then, let’s take a peek at the 10 unusual things about other authors in this challenge , shall we? Click here: Long and Short Wednesday Blog Challenge. Have a great rest of your week and Happy Easter!

Next week we’ll chat about the books I’ve discovered on Social Media. See ya then!

Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged #L&SR #Wednesday Blog Challenge 4.17.19, 10 Unusual Things About Me by Tena Stetler with 28 comments.

Apr 10th Characters I Never Want to Meet #L&SR #Wednesday Blog Challenge 4.10.19

Let me preface this topic with that fact that I have an over active imagination. Any television show I watch or book I read gets replayed over in my mind as I sleep. I tend to add my own circumstances I may have wondered about at the time of watching or reading. Consequently, I try to stay away from stimulus that will give me nightmares and cause me to leave every light on in the house all night. Hubby complains about the light bill when this happens. LOL So….

That being said, my first choice for a character I never want to meet is:

***The Serial Killer in Stephen B. King’s Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer –

In 1999 Australia, Sergeant Rick McCoy investigates the murder of a woman found packed inside a suitcase.

The Killer abducts another victim and threatens to dismember her slowly. His life is further complicated by a marriage in tatters. Frustrated at every turn, he is paired with glamorous Criminal Psychologist and profiler, Patricia Holmes.

While trying to rebuild his marriage, he finds himself in a desperate race against time to free the victim and fight his desire for his new partner.

***The second book in the series Glimpse, The Beautiful Deaths is ranked right up there with the first I would not want to meet the man responsible for the beautiful deaths.

Meanwhile, in the high-security wing of the mental health hospital, PPP plans his revenge on Rick. book. Don’t want to meet the man responsible for The Beautiful Deaths.

Read these well-written tales at your own risk! There you’ve been warned.

**I’d definitely not meet the Russian Mob Character, Alexi (I believe his name was) who catches Liz, a 16 year old girl’s attention in Nora Roberts book The Witness. He was a cold blooded killer and relentless. After twelve years, he still hunts her and finally… Well, you need to read the book to find out what happens. I did manage to finish this book without sky-rocketing the electric bill. LOL

There you have it, a few characters I would not want to meet. I’m interested to know some of the characters you wouldn’t want to meet. If you have a moment list them in the comments!

These are a few of the characters I would never want to meet. Let’s see what other characters the other authors in this challenge would never want to meet, shall we? Click here: Long and Short Wednesday Blog Challenge. Have a great rest of your week.

Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click here.

See you next week when I confess the 10 Unusual Things about ME. You won’t believe it! LOL