The S word

Nope, not that one, but I am quite fond of it.  We’re delving into the idea of shopping.  Now I come from a long line of shoppers.  We’re talking a trip to some mall every weekend.  End result – I learned to loathe shopping.  Then something magical happened.  The Internet.  Not having to go into a store is very inviting to me.

So where do I spend my net dollars?  I’m a HUGE Groupon junkie.  I’ve literally saved hundreds of dollars by using that site on everything from Botox to car washes.  (For the car, not my botoxed forehead).  It’s really very simple, you just register and you get daily emails various deals, goods and services.  There’s no minimum, no requirements, no strings at all.  In two years I’ve only been screwed once and Groupon’s customer service made good on the voucher so I didn’t lose a dime.

I eBay.  Not a lot but since I learned how to play the game, I’m actually pretty good at finding values and bargains.  I kinda got hooked when I started writing Finley Tanner novels, since a running joke in the series is that she’s building her dream Rolex from parts she buys on eBay.  I actually had my jeweler tell me the parts and I went hunting and sure enough, they were all on eBay.  I buy a lot of Coach on eBay.  I’m very careful and check the advertised merchandise against the Coach website.  YSL – forget it, too many fakes.  D&B – good deals to be found.  Betsey Johnson – more goodies just hanging around.  My tip?  Try misspelling the name.  For example type Betsy Johnson and you’ll find some merchandise that doesn’t show up on the search under the correct spelling.  My other tip?  Plan to man your computer during the last seconds of an auction.  I got my daughter a brand new Nook, in the sealed box for $47.50.  It had been steady at $25.00 for 3 days but I swooped in at the end and outbid the other person with a mere 2 seconds to go.  Make sure that final bid doesn’t go in until your opponent can’t re-raise you before the end of the auction.
My new philosophy – if you can’t get it online, you don’t need it!

Blatant self-promotion . . . 8 days until BARGAIN HUNTING is released.

I hope you’ll dash out and get your copy and/or download it from any of the major retailers . . .  From Fresh Fiction:

Bargain Hunting
Rhonda Pollero
Reviewed by Tanzey Cutter
Posted October 12, 2012
Mystery Amateur Sleuth | Mystery Woman Sleuth
Finley Anderson Tanner, fashionista/paralegal extraordinaire, is torn between the two gorgeous men in her life -- her boss, lawyer Tony Caprelli, and the law firms' private investigator, Liam McGarrity.  But Liam is the hunk who really makes her tingle in all the right places.  In the past, they've come close to consummating their relationship several times, but something always happens to hinder the final act.  Just how much sexual teasing is a hot-blooded woman expected to take?

Then Liam shows up at Finley's house late one night with a gunshot wound needing a place to hide and get patched up, and she knows she'll do whatever it takes to protect him.  With much probing and prodding, Finley finally gets Liam to confess that five years ago he left the police force after he was falsely accused of shooting a teen during a drug bust.  Even though he was never found guilty, he was forced to resign.  Now, Liam's gun from five years ago has been used to kill his ex-partner -- and he's again a murder suspect.

It doesn't take long for death threats against Finley to start and with an excess of possible suspects, Liam, Finley and Tony are kept busy sorting out details and following leads.  But will they live long enough to bring the bad guys to justice?

The really good thing about this fifth outing for Finley is the progression of her relationship with Liam, and we finally learn more about his background.  It adds a special dimension to the sleuthing and the final outcome of the mystery plot.  Don't miss BARGAIN HUNTING, a fantastic entry in this exceedingly enjoyable mystery series.