Wednesday Reads and a Duck Update

Ducks are not graceful fliers. And their landings? Almost comical. But they sure do like black sunflower seeds. We’ve had up to 24 ducks milling around the bird feeder, foraging for droppings (which the smaller birds oblige). We’re the popular spot, I suppose. And it’s so great. We love seeing all the ducks. But now the Canadian geese want in on the action.

They’re messy, though. Hubby has already complained about the droppings they’re leaving on our patio. But it’s not like he can control them. Well, unless he stopped filling the feeders and he’s not about to do that. That would make the other birds sad. Especially the ducks. They have gotten spoiled.

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #35

Dates read: July 16-24
Title: Shadow and Ice
Year of publication: 2018
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  Gods of War #1
# of Pages: 480
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Knox of Iviland, the most ruthless warrior in All War history, has spent his life fighting others to the death, winning new realms for his king. Now the stakes are higher than ever. If he prevails in the battle for Earth, his slave bands will be removed. Victory is his sole focus…until he meets her.
    On an arctic getaway with her foster sister, street tough but vulnerable Vale London is shocked to stumble upon a cave filled with ancient gods waging epic combat. When she is inadvertently drawn into their war, she is forced to team up with an unlikely ally—the sexy god who makes her burn with desire.
    Though Vale is his enemy, Knox is consumed with lust and a fierce need to protect her. But only one combatant can triumph, and he will have to choose: live for freedom, or die for love.
My thoughts: Wow! Lots of action and sexy scenes in this book. And of course overall story is not finished, because it’s a series and there’s this war going on, so basically the war hasn’t ended yet, but it did have a satisfying ending, so all’s good. I guess I better see if Book 2 is out there (it is, but not available until September!!!) because yeah, I’m buying it. I’d never read anything by Gena Showalter before, but I really like this book and I want to read the rest of the series.

So… Do you enjoy watching birds? They are very interesting creatures. It’s a good thing I don’t let them distract me too much, though. I’d never get any writing done!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Where Have I Been?

In case you were wondering where I went off to (because it’s been awhile since I last posted), I went to Savannah for the Literary Love: Authors Rock Savannah book convention.

And I had a lot of fun!

I even sold books! The most at any convention. I can’t tell you how shocked I was. These readers were awesome. I really do believe I’ll go back next year, especially if I can talk my friend in going with me (she loves these kinds of conventions).

Savannah was a lot of fun, too. Did so much walking! My FitBit probably wondered who stole it.

Last Tuesday, Hubby and I went up to Hilton Head Island and checked out the beach there. Wow. I can see why people like to stay there. Huge beach. Warm water. I thoroughly enjoyed walking up and down the coastline (and I made sure to wear my sunscreen). The wind off the water was lovely, but once we got away from the water, boy did we melt! I think it was in the 90s until Thursday, and by then I was staying inside, since the convention started.

But I’m home now (and posting late, because I couldn’t remember I wanted to post this on schedule—guess my brain is still on vacation) and it’s time to get back to writing. I haven’t done it in a week!

So…What have you been up to this past week? As you can see I didn’t even get a book read, that’s how much fun I was having!

Happy Monday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads, Happy Birthday to Me, and Release Day!

Tomorrow is my birthday. Oh, and tomorrow is also release day for Biting the Curse!

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #34

Dates read: July 8-15
Title: Deadly, Calm, and Cold
Year of publication: 2014
Author: Susannah Sandlin
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series:  The Collectors #2
# of Pages: 270
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased from author
Blurb from book: How far will ordinary people go to protect their secrets? The Collectors’ games are as much about manipulating lives as finding lost treasure. Everyone is expendable as the ruthless C7 pushes people into gambling with their lives in order to find priceless objects lost to history.
    Samantha Crowe’s secrets could ruin her career, while Brody Parker’s could get him killed. They become pawns for two Collectors seeking Bad King John’s crown jewels, which disappeared in rural England back when Robin Hood roamed Nottingham. This time, however, the Collectors—a ruthless dotcom billionaire and a desperate London detective—might not be playing for the same team, leaving Sam and Brody trapped in the middle.
    One thing’s for sure: if either hopes to survive, Sam and Brody will have to find a way to overcome their distrust—and their growing attraction—in order to succeed on this winner-take-all treasure hunt.
My thoughts: I liked this one a lot more than the first book in the series. Probably because the first book didn’t really mention the C7 until near the end. This time it’s up front and so much more suspenseful. I liked Sam and Brody, too.  

Tomorrow is RELEASE DAY for Biting the Curse. Last chance to get it at $2.99, too. By Friday it’ll be at its regular price of $4.99. So far my advertising garnered around 20 pre-sales. That’s the best I’ve ever done (that I know of). Didn’t make my advertising money back, but I rarely ever do. I think I just need to get more books out there. And I’m working at it (slowly, but surely).
Here are the buy links:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T8F7BYL/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/biting-the-curse-stacy-mckitrick/1132154386?ean=2940161328767

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/biting-the-curse

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/biting-the-curse/id1469527645

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/945106

On Thursday I turn 62. I start collecting Social Security in September (apparently I have to be 62 for a WHOLE month before I can claim it, and September is actually August’s payment). I’m taking a chance I won’t make $17,000 a year in book royalties. And if I do, well, I’ll have myself a happy dance and then worry about the consequences!

So… What age do you think you will retire? I don’t really consider myself retired, but in a way I am, since I don’t have to work if I don’t want to. Semi-retired, maybe? I doubt I’ll ever give up writing and selling books. It’s who I am now.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and I'm Finished!!

I finished the first draft of Finding the Perfect Mate! Well, I sort of finished it yesterday. I still have to go over what I wrote yesterday because I always find stuff wrong the next day. Always. So I’m finished, but not officially finished. Does that make sense?

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #32

Dates read: July 2-6
Title: You Can’t Hide
Year of publication: 2006
Author: Karen Rose
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series:  Romantic Suspense #5
# of Pages: 497
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Terror has forever changed the life of psychiatrist Tess Ciccotelli. Someone is tormenting her patients, pushing them to commit suicide, and setting her up to take the blame. But Tess can’t break her oath to protect her patients’ privacy at all costs. Even when detective Aidan Reagan demands a list of everyone she’s treating. Even when the mounting danger threatens Tess herself.
    Aidan doesn’t like anyone who stalls his cases. Still, he can’t help but admire Tess’s fierce loyalty to her patients, especially when it becomes clear that a nameless, faceless enemy is set on destroying her career, her family, and, finally, Tess herself. As Aidan’s heart softens, the killer’s will hardens, and one thing becomes clear—the noose if tightening around Tess’s neck.
My thoughts: Wow. I did NOT see that end coming. And I had a lot of guesses, too (all wrong, of course). Nice meaty romantic suspense. I highly recommend her books.  

Book #33

Dates read: July 6-8
Title: The Friend Zone
Year of publication: 2019
Author: Abby Jimenez
Genre: Romantic comedy/Contemporary romance
Series:  N/A
# of Pages: 361
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Kristen Peterson doesn’t do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don’t get her. She’s also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.
    Planning her best friend’s wedding is bittersweet for Kristen—especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He’s funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he’d be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it’s harder and harder to keep him at arm’s length.
My thoughts: I followed the author before she became an author. She’s the owner of Nadia Cakes and became kind of viral after her geode cake became better known as vagina cake. It was hilarious on Facebook. She was hilarious. And then I found out she wrote a book. It wasn’t a surprise she got a publishing deal. She was FAMOUS! Then she got raving reviews. Well, I just had to see what it was all about. And wow! Am I glad I read this. It’s great. Made me laugh. Made me cry. It’s a great story. I did NOT want to put it down (and for the most part, I didn’t).

I can’t believe it only took 5 months to write Finding the Perfect Mate (my ninth book). I haven’t written a book that fast since 2012 (my fifth, and that book took 6 months to write). It’s a great feeling and very motivating. I kind of want to start on the next ghost book. And I may do that in a few days. But Finding the Perfect Mate will simmer until I get back from the convention later this month. And then it will be time for rewrites!

Tonight Hubby and I are going to see Sheryl Crow in concert. I loved her concerts (we’ve been to two), but was sad to see she had switched over to country. But she’s back now and I really liked her last album. Now I just gotta hope it doesn’t rain. The Fraze Pavilion isn’t covered (boo!).

So… Have you ever gone to a concert? Which one was a favorite of yours?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

A Workshop featuring Damon Suede!

Central Ohio Fiction Writers (a chapter of Romance Writers of America) is having a workshop in November featuring Damon Suede. I figure since I have this blog, I’d use it to help get the word out (in case there are any writers out there that just might be interested).

This is what Damon Suede will be talking about:

PART I: BRINGING YOUR A-GAME

Your A-Game explains the tools and rules of kickass genre marketing to let you make your best next move. He breaks down the tricks and traps facing all novelists so you can:

·       Build your personal brand into a professional force

·       Polish your public presence, online and in person

·       Reach your ideal market and access your fans

·       Raise each project to the next level

PART II: TROPES

Uses and abuses of form and formula in genre stories. Narrative patterns and recurring structures specific to certain subgenres. Trope history and evolution. Navigating the border between cliché and archetype.

And here are the details:

Location: The Dublin Rec Center, 5600 Post Road, Dublin, Ohio 43017
Fee: $75 for COFW members, $85 for non-members (price includes lunch)
When: Saturday, November 2, 2019, 9am-4pm

Sign up at the website www.cofwevents.org/workshop.

You can find out more about Damon Suede here: http://www.damonsuede.com/author.html

Space is limited! If you’re interested, don’t wait to register.

~~~~~

So… Did you watch the USA women win the World Cup Soccer? I don’t usually watch soccer, but I watched from the quarter-finals up. Exciting!  

Happy Monday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Happy 4th of July!

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #30

Dates read: June 25-29
Title: After Dark
Year of publication: 2000
Author: Jayne Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz)
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  Ghost Hunters #1
# of Pages: 332
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Life is tough these days for Lydia Smith, licensed para-archaeologist. Seriously stressed-out from a nasty incident in an alien tomb, she is obliged to work part-tie in Shrimpton’s House of Ancient Horrors, a very low-budget museum. She has a plan to get her career back on track, but it isn’t going well. Stuff keeps happening
    Take the dead body that she discovered in one of the sarcophagus exhibits. Who needed that? Finding out that her new client, Emmett London, is one of the most dangerous men in the city isn’t helping matters either. And that’s just today’s list of setbacks. Here in the shadows of the Dead City of Old Cadence, things don’t really heat up until After Dark.
My thoughts: This book was NOTHING like I thought it was going to be. I was looking for a ghost book (something similar to what I write). Not even close. I can’t even say that the things that are called ghosts are actual ghosts (or at least what we consider ghosts). This book is set in a futuristic time, on a planet we apparently populated a couple of hundred years before. Yet, everything is kind of old-fashioned (no space ships, no internet, no cell phones???) with some magic stuff thrown in. I enjoyed it okay, it was cute, but I won’t bother with the rest of the series.

 Book #31

Dates read: June 30-July 2
Title: Dirty Secrets
Year of publication: 2014
Author: Karen Rose
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series:  Romantic suspense #4.5
# of Pages: 130
Paper or plastic: Nook book
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Goodreads: Emma Townsend is astonished when she comes across a love letter tucked away in an old high school year book, written by her once dear friend Chris Walker. Having never seen it until now, the letter has taken seventeen years to touch Emma’s heart. Now she’s determined to find Chris and maybe even get a second chance at romance.
    For Chris, now a college professor, seeing Emma again has brought back a flood of memories, rekindling a passion he thought was long gone. But in the shadows, someone is watching Emma and Chris, someone nursing revenge, and plunging Emma into a nightmare where no one can be trusted and every dirty little secret is sealed with a kiss.
My thoughts: Mmmm… A nice little romantic suspense to whet my appetite for a larger romantic suspense. I’m hooked on Karen Roses’s stories so I think I’ll read a few in a row now.

I am sooooo behind in my reading. Thirteen books behind schedule! But you know what? I don’t care. I always seem to panic around this time and then I manage to reach my goal. And I should do the same this time because you know why? I’ve got two cruises coming up this year! Getting my Nook stocked up for them, too. Even I have to admit it’s easier to carry around. I still don’t like them, but it’s better than lugging books around.

So… Got any plans for the 4^th of July? Tonight we’ll be going to the Dragons game, which will feature fireworks. And then when we leave the park, we can enjoy Dayton’s fireworks. But tomorrow? Nope, not doing a darn thing (although Hubby does want to use the grill).

Happy Reading!

Stacy

A Pre-Order, a Review, and Duck Drama

Biting the Curse is up for pre-order!

I didn’t realize until just this past weekend that I had the ability to see what I sold during pre-order status (am I dumb or what?—don’t answer that). And I didn’t remember putting Ghostly Interlude up on pre-order last year, either (see, my memory is really sucking!). I sold 5 copies (that I know of) of Ghostly Interlude during the pre-order, but I don’t believe I had it at a cheaper price, either. Biting the Curse is $2.99 during the pre-order and will go up after release day to $4.99. So far I’ve sold 4 copies (that I know of) of Biting the Curse, but I’ve got the book scheduled in a few newsletters for the next couple of weeks, so we’ll see if it gets any more traction. I sure hope it does! I’d like to think this book will get people interested in reading the others.

If you’re interested in getting your copy, here’s the blurb and the buy links:

Can a vampire break a curse?

When Janie Robinson says “I do,” she might as well call the morgue. Two days after her wedding, David died in a car accident. The day after she accepted his proposal, Justin fell to his death at work. The day after she agreed to move in, Aaron died in a freakish drone accident. Now Sam wants to date her because she’s some kind of Perfect Mate. If she’s perfectly anything, she’s perfectly cursed and she’s not about to risk Sam’s life.

Sam Kincaid is a vampire. He has been searching for Janie since the day he let her go. Her so-called curse doesn’t bother him until he becomes the killer’s next target. He’s never feared for his life before, but if he lets her go again, it wouldn’t be worth living.

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T8F7BYL/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/biting-the-curse-stacy-mckitrick/1132154386?ean=2940161328767
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/biting-the-curse
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/biting-the-curse/id1469527645
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/945106

And I already have one review posted on Goodreads (you can see it HERE!). How awesome is that?

The price won’t be this low again for quite some time (if ever). So tell all your friends!

We had some duck drama here on Sunday. Mama and her ten ducklings (there were eleven on Saturday, so something had to have happened Saturday night) were using our house for shade for a time. They would then waddle down to the pond and swim around. They waddled back up later on and headed for the neighbor’s house (the house between us and the complainers of the bird feeders). They were just about to a shady spot when the dog inside started barking.

You should have seen them fly. And scatter! Hubby and I were laughing. Mama went off one way, a couple of ducklings followed her, some went the opposite direction and two stayed behind in the yard (guess the dog didn’t scare them so much). It took them about an hour to get all back together.

In our yard. In the shade.

Guess they feel safer at our house.

I’m super close to finishing up Perry’s story (Finding the Perfect Mate). The ending is coming clearer to me, which is a huge step in finishing! I figure I’ll finish the first draft in the next week or two. I’m so excited! It’s been way too long since I wrote a book this fast. And to think, it only took writing 500+ words a day! I started this practice on March 12^th and only missed three days! It was just going to be a trial thing to see if I could write every day. Guess I can. And now it’s just normal to get up and write first thing.

So… Have any excitement at your place this weekend?

Happy Monday!

Stacy