I Was Number ONE!

Like I do way too frequently (because I should be writing), I was over at Amazon Friday morning, checking on My Sunny Vampire. Since the Bookbub ad, I’ve been getting a lot more reviews and I’m curious to see what people have to say (good or bad). Plus I like to see the review number go up! It’s a sick obsession, I know, but I only take the positives out of it. I know not everyone is going to like my work, but it’s nice to see when I’ve reached my audience.

Anyway, while I was there I couldn’t help but ALSO check out at my ranking. It had been five days since the ad, so I figured I was dropping from my high of #2 in free paranormal romances. Well, much to my surprise, I rose.

 

To #1.

 

Here's proof:

 

Can you believe that? NUMBER. ONE. I couldn’t. Five days later and people were still downloading it? Yikes! It really is mind boggling.

It has since dropped, but for one whole day I got to see my book on top of the heap. What a nice view! J

Of course, it doesn’t mean a darn thing if I don’t gain some fans. And if I DO manage to get some, I certainly won’t KEEP them if I continue to procrastinate with my current WIP. So… here’s to working with the internet turned OFF this week (at least Mon-Thu, since the hubby is off Fri, and only between 10am-5pm). Think I can do it? I’m certainly going to try. I’ve got a job to do and it won’t get done if I’m hanging around Facebook, blogs, and Amazon. J Not that I don’t love you all. I do. But seriously, I’ve got to get crackin’!

Have a great Monday! Tonight in the comments, I’ll let you know if mine was great.

Stacy

I’m a Guest Poster at Romance Lives Forever

I’m still trying to get the word out about Blind Temptation (oh heck, who am I kidding? I’ll never stop. Right?). Today I’m being featured on Romance Lives Forever Blog. You can find my post HERE (which is why I posted this an hour later than usual; the post should be live by now). I’m also featured on their ezine: http://paper.li/kayelleallen/1349530261.

If you want to help me out, please comment on the blog and maybe share it on Facebook or Twitter (if you have an account). The hashtag for Twitter (or both) is #RLFblog (I’m not a tweeter, so I’m not sure what that will accomplish). The post that gets the most visits/comments gets recognition later (maybe even free advertising on the site). And since I’m looking for recognition, I could use all the help I can get.

Don’t know if you noticed, but I made some subtle changes to my blog. And if you’re reading this on a mobile device, you might not notice (or care). Anyway, waaaaay down at the bottom there are lots of book covers. These are the last 48 books I’ve read. Then on the sidebar I added my Goodreads Challenge (we’ll see if this one works, the last one wouldn’t). It’s not much, but I like sharing what I read, so I thought it was appropriate. We’re all about the books, right?

So… I’ve had two good writing days so far. Sure, I had to go back and fix what I thought I’d fixed (grrr), but I still fixed it and added almost 600 words this week. Not a lot, but better than nothing, right? Plus, I’m getting the stupid book FIXED! Now, if I can get the next scene fixed (which is a pretty major scene I thorough goofed on), I’ll be heading into the weekend on a major high. What kind of stuff gets your blood pumping?

Have a great weekend!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Motivation

My motivation to write is returning. Not there entirely (I can still get easily distracted), but the recent ads for My Sunny Vampire (and subsequent reviews—some good, some bad), and then reading J.R. Ward’s blog about The Shadows (how she came to write that ending), has lit a fire under my butt. So much so, I went back to work on Ghostly Liaison yesterday and I think (THINK) I finally (FINALLY) got past the difficulties to move forward. Talk about a relief. We’ll see how today goes, though. If I get two good days in a row, then I know I’ve done something right.

Now, onto what I read this week (hmmm… I bet you can tell which book I finished):

Jun 22: “The Shadows” by J.R. Ward, the 13th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, a paranormal romance at 576 words. Blurb from Goodreads: Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on... except for his brother, iAm. iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around... but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating. Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice... Oh man…. Totally did not see that end coming (I purposely avoided anything that mentioned “spoilers” when it came to this book – like I do for any of her books – thus I didn’t read her blog until I finished the book). I loved this story (and all the other little stories that goes on around the main one), but I think it’s going to take me a day or so to recover. Really! This was one gut wrenching story.

Not sure if you noticed in my sidebar, but the Goodreads Giveaway for Blind Temptation is under way. I’m hoping people who enter (and add the book to their to-read list) will buy it when they see it’s only $2.99. I’ve had a spike in sales this month (actually this month has been the best ever), but I think that’s mostly attributed to MSV’s freebie sale (which ends July 3rd in case you didn’t know). Whatever, I’ll take it!

So… Do you like entering Goodreads giveaways? If so, have you ever won? If so, did you read the book? My hubby has won once and actually read the book. He didn’t like it. Hasn’t stopped him from entering again, though. I usually enter when I see a favorite author giving away an autographed copy. One of these days I’ll win. Maybe. It’s not like I NEED any more books. I just WANT them! J

Happy Reading!

Stacy

A Surprising Weekend

Back on June 1st, when I discovered My Sunny Vampire was offered for free until July 3rd, I scrambled to get this sale advertised. I got lucky on two inexpensive routes: Ereader News Today (advertised 6/14) and The Fussy Librarian (advertised 6/15). These two ads helped raise MSV up to #83 in the Amazon Top 100 of free books and #8 of top free paranormal. Yeah, I did a happy dance.

Well, yesterday I discovered MSV was advertised on Bookbub! Apparently Kensington advertised on that site (because it sure wasn’t me!). I was shocked, and pleasantly surprised. Last night it made it to #8 in the Amazon Top 100 of free books, #4 of free contemporaries, and #2 in free paranormals! Can you believe that? I can’t and I saw it with my own eyes!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed, hoping several of those new readers love my book and want the rest.

On Friday I attempted to get a free advertisement for Blind Temptation, but met with failure (as usual), so I decided to run a giveaway on Goodreads (for an autographed copy and a canvas tote). I know the winner isn’t required to review the book, but frankly I just want people to check it out and then see it’s only $2.99 right now. It’s kind of sad to see only 28 people have it in their to-read list and only 1 person is reading it. Now, that one person is actually In’D Tales, so hopefully I’ll be seeing a review in their magazine in the near future – keeping my fingers cross for a good one, too (I know you’re wondering how I can type with all my fingers crossed, aren’t you?).

Anyway, I’ll let you know when the giveaway starts. Just in case you want to enter. J

Father’s Day was fun. The kids came over, we all went out to dinner, and then afterward played Star Trek Catan – which was my present from my son for Mother’s Day. Hubby didn’t win (and pouted), but I didn’t win, either, so he can’t blame me! No surprise my son won, though, huh? He’s the only one of us who had played the game before. It’s a fun game and I look forward to playing it again.

Hubby and I are watching Castle on DVD (we’re working on Season 3) and one of the episodes we watched last night had Castle asking everyone what they would do if they won the lottery. I know what hubby would do: buy a condo up here, buy a condo down in Florida and then become snowbirds in the winter. Me? I’d rather have the second condo in California (gee, can you tell who grew up in Florida and who grew up in California?). How about you? If you came into a butt-load of money, what would you do?

Have a great Monday!

Stacy

Sometimes Deals Aren’t So Great

The hubby and I subscribe to a Marriott Visa. Every year that we paid the fee, we got a free hotel room at a Class 5 or lower hotel. At the time the fee was significantly less than the cost of a Class 5 hotel, so we continued to renew.

We enjoyed free stays in Pittsburgh (one trip to see a free hockey game and one trip for a Steelers pre-season game) and a free stay in Cleveland (to see an Indians game). These were nice hotels in the city so we only had to pay (or not) for one parking lot and then walk to the stadiums (and around the city). So, we started looking to see where we would like to go this year (remember me asking for suggestions?). There is a pre-season Steelers game that looked promising, so I checked to see if there were rooms at the hotel we like to stay at.

Well… apparently Marriott re-classed their hotels. The hotel we’ve stayed at in Pittsburgh used to be a Class 5. It’s now a Class 6. In fact, there aren’t any Class 5 or lower hotels in Pittsburgh (or any other large city near us), unless we wanted to stay near the airport (which we don’t).

That Marriott Visa doesn’t look like such a good deal anymore, so after we use our free stay (wherever that may be), we’ll be canceling the card.

Kind of pissed me off, though. I really enjoyed staying in Pittsburgh. We liked to walk over to Peppi’s for their wonderful subs (my husband likes the Rothlisburger sub). It was the perfect weekend getaway. I’m going to miss those Pittsburgh weekend trips because I’m certainly not going to pay over $200/night for a hotel room. I do have my limits.

Still have a weekend trip to plan, though, and we have a trip to Racine, WI coming up. Seems my daughter has a footy tournament of some sort going on there on July 11th. I’ve never been to Racine. Should be fun. The 2 Marriott hotels in town are Class 4 or lower, so we could use our free room. We’ll see.

So… Have you ever been to Racine? I see they’re famous for their Kringles (I’m thinking of you, B.E. Sanderson!). I’ll definitely have to try one of those. I only know about the city because of the movie, “A League of Their Own.” I wonder if the stadium where the women’s baseball team played is still there. That would be neat to see.

Have a great weekend!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and the Reality of Businesses

Okay, I have a little rant here and it’s based on some authors’ rantings. Lately, a lot of it is directed at Amazon. Now, I’m not a fan of Amazon, that’s why I own a Nook. Still, it is a business I deal with and buy from occasionally (mainly because I’m lazy or just can’t find what I want around here). And that’s just it. It’s a BUSINESS.

This is what I’ve seen people griping about:

#1 – Amazon has changed the way a book shows up on the page. It now shows an ad for a different book (usually by a different author) below (in smaller print). Whoo boy, you’d think Amazon had cut a vein! How dare they do this?

Thing is, it’s not the author’s page. It’s Amazon’s page. They can do whatever they want. These authors just can’t see that maybe their OWN book could be an ad on someone else’s book page. I certainly would like that!

#2 – Apparently Amazon is changing the way they pay authors on Kindle Unlimited (KU). Seems they’ll be paying authors by the page read instead of a percentage. Some authors are upset that they won’t get paid as much if the reader doesn’t finish their book and how that is unfair. I think what’s unfair is that these authors expect to be paid for a book someone doesn’t like. I say: Write a good book and they’ll finish it.

I don’t see KU as being all that evil (except for that exclusivity part—don’t care for that at all). I consider it like a library. It’s just that the reader has to pay a fee. And it’s not like the author isn’t being paid. Maybe not a lot, but they get paid every time someone starts reading their book (unlike a library where the author only gets paid by the number of books the library purchases).

My Sunny Vampire is with KU and it wasn’t by my choice. In fact, I don’t even think Kensington had much of a choice as to which books ended up on KU. And it’s true, I get paid differently than if I had a book in KU as a self-published author. But Amazon is a BUSINESS and it makes DEALS with larger vendors. And its main purpose: To make money. How is that a surprise to these authors? It shouldn’t be, that’s what.

In this regard, I’m so glad I have an accounting degree. It came with LOTS of business classes! And if you’re going to go into business (and being published is the same as going into a business), I highly recommend taking some. Then maybe stunts like these won’t come as such a shock.

Okay, rant over. Now, onto what I read this week (yeah, I actually finished a book!):

Jun 12: “Dead Awakenings” by Rebekah R. Ganiere, a paranormal romance at 251 pages long. Blurb from Goodreads: Evaine, a struggling New York theater student, enters an unsanctioned drug trial in an effort to pay bills. She awakens in a derelict hospital, chained to a bed with no memory of who she is, or how she got there. A band of pale skinned men, led by the gorgeous Luca, burst in, whisking her away to safety. Once at Haven House, Evaine is introduced to The Family. Like them, she has become A Deader, a reanimated Undead. Luca is hell-bent on stopping the experimentations, and killing those responsible. He has no time for a Newborn who is struggling to control her rages, hunger, and powers. Nor does he have the desire to deal with the feelings she's awakening within him. Despite their best efforts, Evaine and Luca find their connection intensifying when suddenly, she remembers not only who she is, but also her fiancé, Tristan; who is still looking for her. Torn between her first love and her new heart’s desire, Evaine runs back to Tristan putting everyone in danger. When a rogue faction of Deaders, called Feeders, attempts to kidnap her, Luca suspects Evaine is the key to the experiments. Can everyone band together to keep Evaine off the cutting table of those she escaped from? Or will second death tear her away from everyone, for good? It started out slow but picked up steam to the end. This really is a zombie sort of book, so if you’re into them (and you like your paranormal romance clean, sex-wise), you’ll like this. I do have a warning: I had a lot of issues with the formatting on my Nook (and I bought this from B&N, too!). The lines wouldn’t change (they were too close together) no matter what I picked, so that kind of frustrated me (and I might have taken it out on the book a bit). Anyway, if you have a Nook, it’s something to consider. I have no idea how the formatting is on a Kindle.

On the writing front: I have a character in my current WIP to thank for figuring out one of my plots. If she wasn’t a ghost, and a figment of my imagination, I’d kiss her! J

So… I’ve been watching the old Batman series (1966) with my hubby and son. I still think it’s awesome. Make a series campy and it never grows old. Don’t you agree?

Have a good Wednesday and happy reading!

Stacy

P.S. I saw “Jurassic World” last night. Very entertaining. I enjoyed it.

 

 

Hockey and a Movie

It’s Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight. I had tickets to a Dragons Game, but once my daughter reminded me about Game 6, I knew I couldn’t go to the game, so my husband put the tickets on sale (through Stub Hub). And then when the Blackhawks won Game 5, I was glad I had changed my mind. While I had rooted for Tampa Bay to win the Eastern Division, I have liked the Blackhawks longer, so I’m rooting for them. It’s been a good series, though (and a lot less stressful than when the Penguins are playing for some strange reason).

Looks like we’ll be seeing “Jurassic World” tomorrow ($5.50 Tuesdays). Seems strange to think it’s been over 20 years since “Jurassic Park” came out. I’m hoping it’s good or I at least like it (I’ve been known to like movies that haven’t been all that good—“Twilight” comes to mind). I’ll let you know what I think on Wednesday.

So… what is it you look for on blogs? Or, specifically, this blog? Do you mind my ramblings? Because it sure seems like I’ve been rambling a lot lately.

Fried brain. It’s what I have!

Have a great Monday. I’m hoping to be rejuvenated. Not a single appointment all week. Yay!

Stacy

Getting Closer to Writing Again

Wow. This week went by fast, didn't it? And I still haven't gotten any writing done. At least I finished judging the writing contest, freeing me up to read (haha). Good thing, too. My daughter FINALLY finished "The Shadows" by J.R. Ward, which means as soon as I finish reading my current book, I'm all over that one.

My husband is wondering if I'm ever going to write again.

I think the break is doing me some good, though. Who knows, maybe I'll get some writing done today. I know I'm closer to writing than not writing (mainly because my characters have come back to bug me -- always a good sign).

Last night I attended a Dayton Dragons game. Boy, was it warm out (it reached 91 yesterday). I think I sweated during the whole game (probably had a hot flash or two, too!). And then the Dragons went and lost. Boo! Got another game tonight. Hopefully it won't be as hot (and the Dragons will win!).

So... The hubby and I have a free night's stay with Marriott due us (via our credit card) and haven't figured out where we want to go. Got any suggestions? It has to be less than a day's drive from Dayton. We thought about Pittsburgh again, but I'm thinking I want someplace new. I just don't know where. Decisions, decisions...

Have a great weekend.

Stacy

No Wednesday Reads. Life Has Been…Busy

I haven’t finished a book this week. Partly because I was busy with RAGT. Partly because I just didn’t feel like reading (which doesn’t bode well for the book I’m reading, does it?). So much for being two books ahead. I’m right on schedule now, but fear I’ll be one book behind before too long.

Ahhh, but I only have TWO more contest submissions to judge and then THAT will be over. Whew!

Of course, I’m thinking that contest has a LOT to do with me not wanting to read, too. One of the stories I was judging was just a bit too close to the book I’m reading and I started getting the stories mixed up. Oops. Better to just not read and finish judging, huh?

Between RAGT and my constant doctor visits, I feel like I haven’t been to the fitness center in ages. Monday I had a follow-up appointment which will now require a referral to another doctor in Cleveland (Yes, my condition is serious. No, I’m not feeling sick. Go figure!), and yesterday I had a cyst aspirated from my breast (that thing popped up out of nowhere, just wanting to compound my misery I guess). Not a fun event, but man, I feel better. I swear, I felt like I needed to breast feed a baby!

I still need to exercise, though (doctor’s orders, now), but after the aspiration, I have to wait a bit before I lift weights. So I guess I won’t be doing that until Thursday or Friday. Hope the weather is nice so I can go walking. I’d rather walk outside than on the treadmill because when I walk on the treadmill, I like to read and since I don’t want to do that… Man, what a mess, huh?

So… Have I totally depressed you? I think I depressed myself. So cheer me up. What fun thing are you doing today?

Stacy

I Sold Some Books!

Lori Foster’s Reader Author Get Together this year was probably my best year EVER! I certainly sold more books here than I have anywhere else. Now, maybe 8 books doesn’t seem like a lot to you, but hey, I was flabbergasted! I’m a NOBODY (at least when it comes to the author world). And I didn’t know the people who bought my books. That they decided to take a chance on me is a humbling feeling. I sure hope I don’t let them down!

Also, between the three conferences, I managed to add 29 more subscribers to my newsletter. Not too shabby, huh?

But you want to know what maybe the best part of the whole thing was? I got to pick up Darynda Jones from the airport and drive her 45 miles to the hotel! She’s one of my most favorite authors. Sometimes volunteering turns out awesome (because I had volunteered before knowing who I was driving).

So… I had a great weekend (couldn’t you tell?). I hope you did, too. But just trying to get caught up and work on the submissions I’m judging and then realizing I had to put out my newsletter and announce a winner of the autographed book, and then realizing I still haven’t written anything for the blog, well, it just about did me in. So glad it’s all done with. Now maybe I can get back to finishing Ghostly Interlude. Is there something in your life you’ve been putting off and can’t wait to get back to?

Have a great Monday!

Stacy

I’m At RAGT and a DVR Update

Today I’ll be selling/signing books at the book fair during RAGT (that would be the Reader Author Get Together held at the Marriott in West Chester, OH). In fact, I’ll be there all day and tomorrow, so I won’t be on line for awhile.

Gosh, I hope I don’t explode or something! J

I finally went out this week and replaced the family room DVR (which is working fine, by the way—yay!). While at Time Warner Cable, I was told about their new, enhanced DVRs. This DVR can record up to 6 shows and we would only need regular boxes on the other TVs to watch any show recorded on that DVR. Sounds good except… If THAT DVR went out, then we would lose EVERYTHING. I think I’ll stay with the three whole-house DVRs, at least until they have a way of copying (or backing up) shows. We’ve been burned twice by bad DVRs. I’m not going for that charm! Plus, I can’t imagine when all our DVRs will be cleared of shows. We’re not exactly speedy watchers. That’s why we record in the first place.

Yesterday the weather was absolutely beautiful (about time, too!). I took advantage of an errand I had to make at the base and drove my sweetie’s convertible. Yes, I put the top down. One time I didn’t mind going on that errand!

So… Got any summer vacation plans this year? Our summer is relatively quiet this year (just an occasional baseball game). We tend to take our vacations when the kids are in school (and it’s not so busy). Although, spending a week at a beach doesn’t sound all that bad. Hmmm…

Have a great weekend!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and a New Page

Did you notice? Did you see it in my sidebar? I finally set up an author page on Facebook! I know, took me long enough. I’m surprised I already have over 50 likes. It’s not like I invited all my friends to like it (I refuse to do that). I won’t be posting the same stuff on my personal profile and author page, because that’s just dumb. Now to just figure out something interesting to say as my author persona as opposed to what I HAVE been doing on my personal profile, which basically is my author persona. Hmmm…

Anyway, this is what I read this week:

May 31: “Hard as You Can” by Laura Kaye, book 2 of the Hard Ink series, a contemporary romance (but more like a romantic suspense) at 370 pages long. Blurb from book: Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed. Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn’t want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can—and never let go. No way was this just a contemporary romance. Too much suspense and dangerous situations for that. And after reading this book (which I had gotten for free at RT), I wish I had started with Book 1. Not that I had to (I was never confused), I just WANT to. Lots of tension (sexual and otherwise) and I loved it. The major storyline is still in play, but there wasn’t any cliffhanger with this book (yay!). I have a feeling I’ll be reading the rest of this series, but gotta get book 1 first. J

Jun 2: “Eighth Grave After Dark” by Darynda Jones, book 8 of the Charley Davidson series, an urban fantasy at 293 pages long. Blurb from book: Charley Davidson has enough going on without having to worry about twelve hellhounds hot on her trail. She is, after all, incredibly pregnant and feeling like she could pop at any moment. But, just as her luck, twelve deadly beasts from hell have chosen this time to escape onto our plane, and they’ve made Charley their target. And so she takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can’t get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. Of course, if hellhounds aren’t enough, Charley also has a new case to hold her attention: the decades-old murder of a newly vowed nun who she keeps seeing in the shadows of the convent. Add to that the still-unsolved murder of her father, the strange behavior of her husband, and Charley’s tendency to attract the, shall we say, undead, and she has her hands full…but also tied. While the angry hellhounds can’t traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders like evil sentries, so Charley has been forbidden from leaving the sacred grounds. Luckily, she has her loyal team with her, and they’re a scrappy bunch who won’t let a few thirsty hellhounds deter them. While the team scours the prophesies, searching for clues on the Twelve and for a way to kill them, or at least send them back to hell, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they’ve accrued helps. They convince her that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as through they were all part of a bigger picture. Their presence is comforting, but the good feelings don’t last for long, because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life. Aaarrrggghhh! This is the problem with urban fantasy series. The overall storyline doesn’t necessarily end in one book. Yeah, I hate cliff hangers, and this one has a doozie, but I do love these books, so I’ll impatiently wait for the next one. And man, that’s one long blurb, isn’t it? I never read them until I go to put them in my post. Guess they have more room to put it on the inside sleeve.

I’m kind of perturbed. My daughter has YET to finish reading “The Shadows” (the latest book from J.R. Ward). I’ve been patiently waiting. Okay, maybe impatiently waiting. I’m about ready to just grab it from her (and when I finish the next book I read and “The Shadows” is not waiting in my stack, I might just DO that!).

I’ve decided to take a writing break (a small one). Too much crap going on right now, I can’t even concentrate on my story. Trying to fight it was only making it worse, so I just decided to accept that I won’t be writing until sometime next week. Amazing what making a decision can do to a person. Really freeing! More time to read. Well, until tomorrow, when RAGT starts.

So… Have you been hit with some cooler weather? Enjoying it? I kind of am. Even though I’m taking medication to help with my night sweats, the cool nights are helping, too. Plus, opening the window makes the house smell clean. It won’t last, though. I can see it in the forecast. Hot & humid will be back soon enough.

Have a good Wednesday and happy reading!

Stacy

Books and Baskets and Movies

Well, I drove up to the Cleveland Rocks Conference with 36 books and drove home with…36 books (Okay, actually I drove home with more, because I won two of the raffle baskets and they were loaded). Yeah, I didn’t sell any books. That’s okay (I guess). I got a few more people to sign up for my newsletter. That’s a plus.

Which I should probably mention: if you don’t belong to my newsletter, send me an e-mail to stacy @ stacymckitrick . com (just leave out the spaces), with GIVEAWAY in the subject line. I’ll add you to my list of subscribers and enter you for a chance to win one of my books (your choice). I’ll even autograph it for you. There’s no obligation to remain subscribed to my newsletter. Once you get the first one (which will be on June 8th to announce the winner) you could unsubscribe. I certainly hope you WOULDN’T, but understand if you do.

If you by some chance subscribe to my newsletter via the form between now and June 8th, I’ll still enter you in the drawing, but it’ll be a whole lot easier if you e-mail me and I have that reminder, you know?

So, back to the baskets. Yeah, I won two. I wasn’t even going to buy any tickets, but felt it was for their fund raiser and they had TONS of baskets (I think close to 100 and there were only 50 of us there). One of the baskets I won I hadn’t realized I entered (it didn’t contain anything I really wanted—I probably put my ticket in the wrong bag), so I’ll be donating it for a RAGT raffle, after I add some books I got from RT that I don’t want but will fit in nicely with that basket.

The other basket had gobs of stuff I wanted. A bottle of Irish Cream (yum), a nice star-shaped glass bowl loaded with candy, and several books I actually WANT to read. The basket will come in handy for the stuff I was donating for another RAGT raffle (nothing like waiting until the last minute, huh?), because I don’t collect baskets, I just reuse them.

Driving up to Cleveland was nice, but coming home on Saturday we hit storm after storm after storm (or maybe the same storm but at different parts?). Nasty weather. But now it’s a lot cooler out and not near as muggy. I'm sure that won't last, though.

Yesterday I got to use the Mother’s Day gift my hubby gave me (gift cards for dinner & a movie). I chose to see “San Andreas.” I’m such a sucker for disaster flicks. Have to say, it was hokey (I think “Earthquake” was probably more realistic than this one), but the graphics were awesome. It looked so real. Oh, and for dinner? We ate at Chili’s. Good time!

So… You plan on seeing any movies this summer? “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” interests me. Not only because I enjoyed the series when I was young, but I like Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. Yum! (Yeah, I can be shallow at times).

Have a good Monday!

 

Stacy