I Find it Sad...

People have a problem with romance

I love romance. It’s why I write it. Those happy endings make me feel good. Even good beginnings do, like watching someone propose. But when did being romantic in public become intolerable?

A man wants to sing and propose to his significant other on a cruise, in the main dining room, during elegant night. The person he asked, asked for opinions from cruise-goers (this was all via Facebook, by the way).

I couldn’t believe how many people were against this. That it would “ruin” their dinner. Really? I was just flabbergasted at the responses.

The more I’m on Facebook, the more ugly people I encounter. It’s horrible! Why can’t people be nice? It’s a freakin’ cruise; you’re supposed to have FUN. A few minutes away from your meal (which usually isn’t the case—the wait staff entertains diners between dinner & dessert so this request isn’t that much different) can’t be THAT bad. It’s like no one wants to share in someone else’s joy anymore. Sheesh!

Maybe I’m just becoming an old grumpy person. But this really irritated me. And made me sad.

And I was going to end the post with this, until I came across…

People trust websites more than faxes
Bowker, the company that issues ISBNs, got hacked during May through October of this year (yes, during—it wasn’t discovered until October). Lots of people’s credit cards and other personal info were obtained illegally and Bowker shut their website down to stop the hack.

I guess their website is back up now but you can’t purchase the ISBNs from their site until they get the issue resolved. Instead, you have to fax the order in.

It was kind of funny (in a sad way) how so many authors do not TRUST faxes. It wasn’t all that long ago where it was the ONLY way to send in orders. Well, that and MAIL it in. And you know what? I don’t remember people getting hacked all that much back then. Probably because it was HARDER to do. But hey, but what do I know?

Bowker does say that if you don’t want to include your credit card info on the fax order, just to write “call me” and they’ll call you for it.

Hmmm… it wasn’t all that long ago people didn’t trust their phones to give out that information, either.

Apparently I am on a roll, because I also came across…

People trust “the cloud” more than their own disc drives
Software companies who promise you that you can get your documents wherever you are, on whatever device you want, appeal to a lot of people (not me). What’s funny is that these people are SURPRISED when their documents go missing.

I mean, one little hiccup from the software company can cause anything to happen. To depend on them to keep your documents safe at all times is unrealistic.

Yes, I e-mail my manuscripts to myself, which in essence is in “the cloud.” But it’s not the ONLY place I store them. I’ve lost e-mails before, I’ll lose them again I’m sure. Because I don’t trust OTHERS to keep what’s important to ME safe.

Am I old school? Hardly. If I were, I’d PRINT OUT my manuscript every night (or worse, use a—gasp—typewriter). I’m not that bad. I only print it out when I’m finished. Haha!

I don’t like using software that can ONLY be accessed via the Internet when I want to use it (and I won’t use it for my manuscripts). I lose the Internet more often than I like.

Thanks for letting me rant today. Sometimes you just get hit with a bunch of crazy stuff and you want to share.

So… Do you hate public romance? Distrust faxes? Love “the cloud”? Why?

Happy Friday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and I Reached My Goal!

Whoo hoo! I reached my reading goal. Not that I plan on stopping there. Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #50

Dates read: November 23-24
Title: Elevation
Year of publication: 2018
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Paranormal?
Series:  N/A
# of Pages: 146
Paper or plastic: Hard back
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Castle Rock is a small town, where word gets around quickly. That’s why Scott Carey wants to confide only in his friend Doctor Bob Ellis about his strange condition: he’s losing weight, without getting thinner, and the scales register the same whether he is in his clothes or out of them, no matter how heavy they are.
    Scott also has new neighbors who have opened a “fine dining experience” in town, although it’s an experience being shunned by the locals: Deirdre McComb and her wife Missy Donaldson don’t exactly conform to a lifestyle the community approves of. And now Scott seems trapped in a feud with the couple over their dogs dropping their business on his lawn. Missy may be warm and friendly but Deirdre is cold as ice.
    As the town prepares for its annual Thanksgiving 12K run, Scott begins to understand the prejudices the women face, and tries to help. Unlikely alliances form, and the mystery of Scott’s affliction brings out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.
My thoughts: Interesting story. Not sure of the genre. Definitely not horror. Just…weird. Is that a genre? Went quick once I was able to get time to read it. There were lessons in this story for sure, but I have a feeling those people who need to learn them won’t bother picking up the book to read.

So… How are you doing on your reading goals? Or did you not set any?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Cleaning, Nibbles, and My Teams

A cleaning we accomplished

Hubby and I actually got the garage straightened up. Was able to actually get TWO cars in there, too. Problem? You can’t walk between them (or get out of the car all that easy). This garage is a bit narrower than the one at the old house (although the driveway is wider, which is really nice). Until we get a shed, it looks like only one car (the fun car) will get parked in the garage.

But we accomplished what we set out to do, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Nibbles but no bites
Got an offer on the house. Turned it down (we want to sell it, not give it away). They came back with another offer. We countered that. That was last week. Don’t know if they’ve reconsidered or if the delay is due to the holiday. Hopefully we find out this week. No one has scheduled to see the house since then.

I’ll blame the holiday for that.

My teams and other games
Ohio State massacred that team up north. It was awesome.

The Penguins beat the Blue Jackets on Saturday. That was awesome, too. Even better, I got to watch it on TV (thanks Fox Sports Ohio!!). Not happy they lost on Friday to the Bruins, but at least it was in OT, so one point is better than none.

USC fell again. I was really hoping they’d beat Notre Dame. I’ve never liked them.

LSU and Texas A&M went into 7 overtimes! SEVEN!!! I was going to watch it after the USC game (only because it looked to be a good game), but it wasn’t telecast here. Probably just as well. I don’t know if I could  have lasted that long anyway.

The Browns actually won another game? And against the Bengals? Yeah, I had to laugh at that. I’m okay with that outcome, though. It helps the Steelers. Because…

The Steelers lost! Ugh. I really thought they were going to pull another one out of their ass. They can be so frustrating to watch. But I love them anyway.

So… Friday was movie day for the family. We went and saw Robin Hood. This is a completely different type of Robin Hood story. But I enjoyed it. Lots of action and adventure. Do you like it when people “change” the story of an iconic character? Even though I’ve seen a few Robin Hood movies, none of them are like the book (or so Hubby says). Neither is this new one, so there’s that.

Happy Monday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Happy Thanksgiving

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #49

Dates read: November 12-20
Title: Hidden
Year of publication: 2018
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series:  Deep Ops #1
# of Pages: 348
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Hide. That’s all Pippa can do to escape the terror chasing her. But now that she’s off the grid in a safe house, she finds plenty of interesting things to watch through the window. Like her new neighbor, with his startling green eyes, killer smile, and sexy bad-boy tattoo…
    Run. Malcolm West is fleeing the hell he unleashed in his last assignment as an undercover cop. A backwoods bungalow sounds like the perfect place to start over. Until he discovers he’s been set up…
    Fight. Someone’s gone to a lot of trouble to bring them together. No matter how much he resents that, and his own driving needs, Malcolm will have to dig deep and let loose the banished killer inside himself, or Pippa’s fears could come true faster than the flip of a bolt in a lock…
My thoughts: Stayed up late reading this so I could have something to post this morning. And you know what? It wasn’t a hardship. Not at all. I think this is the first book of hers I’ve read that didn’t have some kind of paranormal stuff going on. Straight romantic suspense. And it’s good. But then, that wasn’t a surprise, either.

I won’t be posting tomorrow, since I don’t post on Thursdays anyway, so I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow. That’s if you’re in the States and celebrate it. We’ve got the family coming over. Should be fun and I’m looking forward to their visit.

Happy Reading and Happy Thanksgiving!

Stacy

Having Fun, Football, and Saturday

The fun part

Someone asked me a long time ago which part of the writing process I enjoyed the most. I had said all parts. But you know what? That’s not true. At least, it’s not true anymore.

The part I enjoy the most is the revising part. Adding meat. Fixing the story. That’s where the fun is at. And I’m having loads of fun fixing my short story. But I wouldn’t have had anything to fix if I hadn’t written the stupid thing first. That’s the thing I have to keep reminding myself as I’m writing that first draft.

And I have to remind myself A LOT!

Football
Should I just be happy my teams (okay, most of my teams) won this weekend? USC didn’t win, but OSU did. Barely. But then, they didn’t really “win” that game. Maryland kind of handed it them.

Why do teams go for 2 when they can tie it at 1? Maryland got bit in the butt for that (not that I’m complaining) and so did the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

The Steelers also played like crap but managed to come out on top against the Jaguars. I told Hubby that Ben HAD to make that touchdown to make up for all those stupid interceptions.

Sometimes I think our favorite teams just like to torment us fans every now and then. They all do it, don’t they?

Tonight the Rams play against the Chiefs. They’re both at 9-1. I’m almost afraid to watch it, especially after what my teams did on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll see if I can stay awake for the whole thing, though. I want to go bed happy.

The book signing
The author event on Saturday didn’t turn out so bad. I sold a book! I might have sold two if the girl who said she’d left her purse in the car had returned after leaving (she said she wanted one of my books). I think I gave her a magnet, so hopefully she finds me on line and buys one that way.

I guess the library does this event annually, but I doubt I go back. Just not that many romance readers attended. But I’m always willing to try new places, especially when they only cost my time and fuel to drive there.

So… Did you know this calendar year (2018) is the same as 1979? Do you know how I know that? Because Hubby and I were married on Saturday, December 1^st and this December 1^st falls on a Saturday. And Thanksgiving came early that year, too. I had flown into Georgia (probably Atlanta) to meet up with soon-to-be Hubby and we drove down to Jacksonville for me to meet his parents. For Thanksgiving. Then we drove back to Arizona and spent the week preparing for our wedding. Ahhh… memories.

Happy Monday!

Stacy

Ice and Snow, I Finished, and…Comments

Woke up yesterday to everything covered in ice. I couldn’t even see out the windows because they were coated. Then later it started snowing on top of all that ice. It was a pretty yucky day.

I am so not ready for winter.

I Finished!!!
That’s right. I finished my short story on Wednesday. Boy what a great feeling that was. It had been tooooo long since I’ve felt that way, too. It’s currently at 10K words, but that’s okay. It has to be between 8-12K long. I even got a blurb going, but I’m hoping to get some eyes on it before I share it here (or on my newsletter).

But it’s written. And I’m sooooo happy!

Commenting on my blog
I don’t get many comments on my blog, probably because not a lot of you read this. Does that make me sad? Ehh, sometimes. It is what it is. Doesn’t mean I’ll stop blogging because one of these days my books will hit it big and… Well, you know.

Still… I thought that I allowed anyone with an ID to comment on this blog. Seems Blogger changed something along the way (or I’m crazy—which is highly possible, too) and I only have three choices for receiving comments: From Anyone (including anonymous), from Google Users, or from members of my blog.

Since I’m the only member of my blog, I certainly didn’t choose that. And I have chosen “Anyone” in the past, but got hit spam. So my blog is marked for “Google Users,” which is where I thought it used to say something about other types of IDs, too.

Now, I know not everyone has a Google account, but if I change it back to “Anyone,” I might as well turn on modifications and approve each comment. And I’m not so sure I want to do that, either. That’s because I don’t always get notified of comments.

I can thank AOL for that. It doesn’t like to recognize my OWN comments!

What do you think? Should I open the comments up to “Anyone” knowing that it might be a few hours before your comment appears? And I realize if you can’t comment on this blog, it would be kind of hard to answer, so you can e-mail me (address is listed on this blog in a few places).

For now I’ll leave it at Google users. It’s only if I get enough of you who don’t have Google and wish to comment that I’ll change it. Because I know how frustrating it is to read a blog and not be able to comment. I tend to not visit those blogs again.

Happy Friday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and I Survived

I Survived

Colonoscopy itself went quick. The prep beforehand… not so quick. That stuff they give you tastes AWFUL! A mixture between salt and metal. Blech! I got the first 2 liters down Monday night (took two hours), but when I got up at 4:30 am to continue the second two liters... let’s just say I didn’t finish it. Luckily, I didn’t have to. But it messed up my stomach (nauseous) and head (bad headache) so bad that I wasn’t even HUNGRY! The anesthesia fixed my stomach (and I don’t remember the procedure at all—yay!), but the headache took some food (and caffeine) to fix.

At least I don’t have to have another for 10 years! Yay!

Wednesday Reads
Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #48

Dates read: November 2-9
Title: The Outsider
Year of publication: 2018
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Thriller/Suspense (horror?)
Series:  N/A
# of Pages: 560
Paper or plastic: Hardback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. The case seems ironclad, especially when Anderson and the district attorney are able to add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. But Maitland has an alibi, and it turns out his story has incontrovertible evidence of its own.
    How can two opposing stories be true? What happens to a family when an accusation of this magnitude is delivered? When must reason or rationality be abandoned in order to explain the inexplicable? As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King’s propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock as only Stephen King can.
My thoughts: When I was marking this book as my current read in Goodreads, I noticed a question and answer about it sort of being book #4 in the Bill Hodges series. That piqued my interest even more. Of course, as I was reading this book I wondered HOW is it #4? Then I hit the half-way mark. Ahhh… Holly Gibney. I do like her. Actually, I liked the whole book. Knowing Stephen King’s books, I wasn’t “shocked” at the answer, just surprised it’s not listed as a horror book (at least it’s up for best thriller in the Goodreads best book awards), when it kind of is a horror book.

So… Do you like horror books? They used to be the only kind of books I read (before I read Twilight and started writing and then discovered other awesome genres). Which is strange that I don’t write them. You’d think I would, huh?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

I'm Looking Forward to...

A colonoscopy

Okay, I’m NOT looking forward to this. I’m looking forward to it being OVER! Ten years ago I had my first colonoscopy and told to come back in ten years. My doctor told me not to be surprised if I’m told this time to come back in five years, because apparently ten years between them is too long? Grrr… Yeah, I know, better to get checked often than wait too long and find something.

What I’m really not looking forward to is the prep I have to go through today and tomorrow morning for tomorrow’s procedure. Monday is usually pizza/TV with Son, but I cancelled that since I can’t eat anything after 9am today until after the procedure. Ugh…

Tomorrow’s procedure is going to happen on base this year (last time I went someplace off base—not a hospital). Last time I wasn’t completely out and remember a lot of it. I’m hoping I’m totally out this time. I don’t want to remember it. I don’t want to feel it!!! Wish me luck!

A book signing
Yay! Something good to look forward to this week. I’ll be at the Boone County (KY) Public Library this Saturday for their Author Event (you can see more information here: https://www.bcpl.org/undiscovered/local-author-fair-just-in-time-for-holiday-shopping/ ). I’m apparently going to be on a panel discussing self-publishing, but that’s about all I know. Well, that, and I get a table to sell my books. I don’t usually sell at library events, but it was free for me and publicity is publicity. Right? And if I actually sell a book (or even get a newsletter subscriber), SCORE!

I pretty much have all my swag in one room, just have to pack it up to transport (I have pens and bookmarks now!!). And my books are all set to go. Don’t know if Hubby will accompany me. I hope he does, but I won’t nag him about it.

Although, maybe if I give him the sad eyes… J

A finished short story
That’s right! I’m highly confident I’ll finish my short story this week (might have finished it Friday except I was at the hospital with Daughter—who is doing well by the way). Next I need to figure out the blurb and what kind of cover I want for it. The sooner I get that all done, the sooner I can get back to my WIP. I miss those characters.

So… Are you looking forward to anything this week?

Happy Monday! 

Stacy

Aaack! It Snowed!

Woke up this morning and came into the sunroom—which wasn’t all that sunny—and thought at first it was foggy outside. There was this softness on the rooftops. Upon closer examination (without my coffee, even), I noticed my mistake. It wasn’t fog. There is snow on the rooftops!

It snowed last night! Aaack!

Okay, not a lot of snow, but still… snow. It’s cold enough to snow out there. I am not amused.

Frankly, I thought the snow was supposed to show up sometime tonight, mixed with rain. Which was why I was kind of glad Wayne wasn’t playing tonight. We’d be sitting in that mess.


Stayed up last night

I stayed up watching the Steelers dominate the Panthers last night. Okay, I didn’t stay up THAT late. The game went by pretty quickly. And there was lots of high-fiving. I like those kinds of games!


Please send good vibes

This morning I have the honor of being my daughter’s driver. She’s going in for some minor surgery to remove a lump from her breast that isn’t cancer, but her doctor thinks it could turn into it. Best to get rid of it now and Daughter agreed (I think our new family history had helped her make that decision). Appreciate any good vibes you can send her way.

So… Did you wake up to any surprises this morning?

Happy Friday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Book Contests

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #47

Dates read: October 26-November 2
Title: Vampires Like it Hot
Year of publication: 2018
Author: Lynsay Sands
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  Argeneau #28
# of Pages: 372
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: “Vampires…” When Raffaele Notte pulls a barely dressed, disoriented woman from the ocean, the last thing he expects is for her to utter that word. The immortal has come to the island resort to help his cousin, but now, it seems, there are rogue vampires dining on unsuspecting tourists. And he soon realizes that not only is Jess a target, she’s also the life mate he’s been waiting for…
    Vampires are real. Jess would’ve never believed it until she saw them with her own eyes. She knows she has to get off the island, and her gallant rescuer has offered to help. There’s something about Raffaele that’s unlike any man she has ever met, and his touch sends pleasure through her that is beyond all imagining. But when Jess discovers who he really is will she risk life as she knows it for a chance of forever by his side?
My thoughts: The twenty-eighth in the series and I’m STILL not tired of them. They’re so much fun to read. One of the best series out there if you’re looking for paranormal, romance, and a bit of comedy.

Book Contests

I debated on whether or not to enter Ghostly Interlude into the Ritas (RWA published book contest). In order to enter I have to judge and all the entries are on pdfs (plus, I can’t read my favorite genre because I entered my book in it). Ugh! I hate reading pdfs (and we all know how I feel about contemporary romances). But I caved and entered my book anyway. Figured I don’t get a new book out all that often, might as well enter it into all the contests it’s eligible for. Maybe one of these days I’ll actually final (and yes, I’d be happy just to do that).

So… What do you think about book contests? Good publicity (if you final) or a waste of time and money? I still haven’t figured out which it is, but I can’t seem to stay away. I always have hope.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

It Worked, Baby Steps, and Football

It Worked… Sort of

My short story is starting to take off. In fact, I may get that sucker finished this week! I was going to write the ending, hoping to generate something, when an idea struck me at night. One of those “What if”/“Ah-ha” moments. Yay! So while I didn’t write the ending yet, just thinking about it helped me figure out what was going on in my story. I even wrote this weekend! And when I’m actually writing on the weekend, you know it’s going well. J

Baby Steps

Hubby and I are trying to get the garage set up so that we can get both cars inside. At the same time. Very important with winter closing in on us. But thinking about everything that needs to be done can be overwhelming, so we’ve been taking baby steps.

Last weekend we moved shelving and figured out how to hang the bikes and golf clubs. Bought the materials and let it sit. This weekend we actually got the bikes hung!! And we bought one larger trashcan to replace the others we have (and will dispose of…slowly). I like tackling a problem and getting it done one problem at a time. It makes it so much easier to accomplish.

A lot of our storage problems will go away once we build a shed in the backyard, but until we sell the old house, we aren’t going to spend that kind of money on the new house. People are still seeing the house, but so far no bites. L

Football

Friday night actually stayed dry and the wind was slight. Good thing, because the temps were in the 40s. If there was any kind of wind… Well, we would have been colder than we were. Unfortunately the night didn’t end well, and it wasn’t due to the weather. The Wayne Warriors lost to the Hilliard-Davidson Wildcats, 28-21. It’s nice that the score LOOKS respectable. And if Wayne didn’t kill themselves with all the penalties, they might have come out on top. But, it wasn’t meant to be. They should be a team to reckon with next year. Most of the players will return.

Saturday was a good day for my football teams! OSU beat Nebraska, WVU beat Texas, and USC beat Oregon.

And Sunday was a mixed bag. Steelers beat those nasty Ravens (yay!), but the Rams lost their first (and toughest) game (boo!).

So… Have you ever had a what if/ah-ha moment? Didn’t you just love it?

Happy Monday!

Stacy

NaNo, Playoff Football, and Trick or Treaters

NaNoWriMo

No, I’m not doing NaNoWriMo (never have), but I went to a NaNo party/get together last night, hoping I could finish my short story. Didn’t have any luck in that department, but I did manage to get my words written (I set a goal of 500 words a day, but hope for more). Now if I can only figure out where this darn story is headed! Ugh. It’s so frustrating.

Maybe I should write the ending. I kind of have an idea about that. Think that might help me figure out the stuff in the middle? Hmmm… I’ll have to give that a try today. It certainly can’t hurt.

Are you doing NaNo? Do you enjoy it? I can’t imagine writing 50,000 words in a month. That just doesn’t sound like fun. But some of the parties can be helpful if you’re stuck on a project. Like I am. I really want this short story finished so I can go back to my WIP!! Someone kick my butt!

Football Tonight

Tonight we’re driving to Hilliard to watch Wayne play in the first round of playoffs. Hilliard-Davidson (apparently Hilliard has THREE Division I high schools!!) is the #1 seed. The last time we were the #8 seed, we made it to the finals (during my son’s senior year and daughter’s freshman year of high school). I’ll be shocked if we do it again. Heck, I was super shocked the first time! So anything is possible, I suppose.

I just hope it doesn’t rain. It rained constantly yesterday and the day before. Got a lot of soggy ground around here.

Trick or Treat

Would you believe the rain let up during the 6-8pm time slot the trick or treaters were out? We got quite a bit of kids around (although the neighbors said not as many as last year) and they were at it through 8pm (the few who came through our old neighborhood all came before 7pm). Hubby and I sat outside in the garage and handed out candy. It was fun seeing all the kids. I just wish they’d taken all the candy.

Or maybe I don’t wish that so much. Haha!

So… I’d ask if you have leftover candy, but I think you all said you didn’t have any trick or treaters. Ahhh, no temptations for any of you, right?

Happy Friday!

Stacy