Are you planning on having turkey or ham today? Or do you do something else? We will be spending the day with our friends in Columbus. Lots of turkey and good food. And the snow should hold off until Saturday. Yay!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The weather in Nassau was great. Our excursion there? Eh. It certainly wasn’t worth the money. But we got to walk around and did see some places we hadn’t been to before. But when we stopped to shop (which seemed to be why we stopped most of the time—not for the sights), a lot of places said “Cashless.” Well… they lost my business right then and there (and I might have bought some of that chocolate from the chocolate factory). I will not give my credit card to a business I do not know. Especially in a foreign country. Nope.
Anyway, we made it home yesterday.
Luckily, we had NO flight delays. Everything went pretty smoothly. Kind of
shocked, really. I don’t remember the last time I flew without something going
wrong!
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 28
I was beginning to wonder if I would reach my reading goal
of 30 this year, but I only have two books to go, so maybe I worried for
nothing. I’m just making sure I’m reading books by authors I already love. That
will speed things up, I’m sure!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Our visit to Ponta Delgada (Azores of Portugal) was short, but nice. The island is gorgeous! We took an excursion to see the crater lake. So pretty! Now we’re on day 4 of our 6 sea days. I’m not minding it so bad. It can be nice to be lazy. Of course, I had plans to walk, but the weather has been horrible until today. Will I go walking tomorrow? I don’t know. I’ve gotten lazy again! But at least it’s warmer out now. It was pretty chilly getting to Ponta Delgada and a couple of days from there. Overcast, rainy, and super windy (some winds were over 50 mph!). On Thursday we visit Nassau. Been there lots of times, but we managed to find an interesting excursion.
I still have my cold, but at least
it’s not as severe. It always takes me weeks to get rid of the cough, though.
This time will not be any different, I’m sure.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 27
The writing has been going pretty good the last few days.
That makes me feel good (and productive). 500 words may not seem like much, but
it’s a goal and I’ve been able to reach it for the last four days. Four days in
a row! Yeah, that hasn’t happened in a long time. Go me!!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Our visit to Olympia turned out really nice. We had a lot of fun on that excursion (and got more Greek food to sample). Our stop in Naples included an excursion to the Amalfi Coast and Pompei. We were a little disappointed in both. Frankly, we were glad our stop at both places weren’t lengthy. I guess I just expected more color on the coast and after seeing so many ruins, Pompei was just another site of…ruins. The story is sad, but that’s about it.
We docked back in Civitavecchia
(Rome) and stayed on the ship. Our first stop on the second cruise was in
Cartegena, Spain. That was a nice city and we sampled lots of tapas (our
excursion was called the Tapas Trail). Walked around the city to three
different eateries and ended at the Roman Theatre. Another ruin that wasn’t
discovered until the 1990s! It was found quite by accident.
But man, the first cruise really
spoiled us. Water was calm. No issues. We left Civitavecchia and the waves
picked up. I did not feel well on that first sea day. And then I went and caught
a cold. Tomorrow we stop at Ponta Delgada (the Azores of Portugal) and then it
will be six sea days in a row. I sure hope the water calms down. I haven’t been
able to do much writing. Or reading for that matter. Not that the cold helped
any. Why do they always have to come with a headache?
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 26
It's been chilly for the past few days, but at least I can say
we didn’t get any snow, unlike my home did. Yeah, my daughter is cursing us out
for that. When we first started cruising, it always snowed when we were gone.
Guess we had to keep with tradition, huh?
Happy Reading!
Stacy
So… I walked over 5 miles in Istanbul, Turkiye (I remembered the correct spelling this time!). So much walking. And that is a big city. I was overwhelmed and it was a long day (9 hours) that I just wanted to go back to the ship. Saw some interesting stuff, but frankly, it’s mostly a big city and I’m so not into those. Then we visited Athens yesterday (another big city), but we were mostly at archeological sites. While the Acropolis is in Athens, Sounion (Poseidon’s site) was out in the country, which was really pretty. But it was another 9-hour excursion. Today we were in Crete and saw another archeological site that was so old (1900-1700 BC), that most of what was there was reconstruction (or as one person called it: fake). There were some authentic portions, though. Afterward, we drove 70 minutes to a small town to shop and had lunch. Then drove 70 minutes back to the ship. Another long day (8-1/2 hours), but mostly in a bus. Tomorrow we arrive in Olympia. The excursion there is only 4 hours long. Whew!
I’m kind of getting Greeced-out!
At least the weather has still cooperated. In fact, it was rather warm today.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 25
I hate how batteries don’t make any sense. I can leave my
Nook alone for weeks, and the battery barely drops. I recharged it last week
and now the battery is down to 15%. I haven’t been reading that much, either!!
At least I was able to finish the story on the bus ride back to the ship.
Really would have pissed me off if I couldn’t. Guess I better recharge it
tonight!!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
I’m currently sailing between Greece and Turkey and Halloween is almost finished here. However, it’s only Noon back home and the holiday is still fresh! So… Happy Halloween. Hope you have lots of goblins to pass out candy to, that’s if you like to do that sort of thing. I do, but I never seem to be home during Halloween anymore. The last couple of years we’ve been on a cruise!
By the way, the weather has been
pretty nice out here on the Mediterranean. Sunny and mid-70s. I’m sure it’s a
lot better than what it is at home. Whatever it is like there. I haven’t really
looked.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 24
So, we just finished Day 6 of this 14-day cruise. We’ve been
to Santorini, Greece; Kusadashi, Turkey; and Kavala, Greece. Tomorrow we visit
Istanbul, Turkey. Our excursions have been a bit exhausting. Certainly getting
my walking done. But I did find out that when we were in Turkey, we were in
Asia, so I can now add that continent to my list! Whoo hoo!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Between Sep 21 and Oct 5 I didn’t do much writing. Or reading. What am I saying? I didn’t do ANY writing, but I did a little bit of reading. Why? I was enjoying our road trip through National Parks and enjoying the scenery of our country (since we were mostly on non-interstate roads). Well… until the parks were shut down on Oct 1. Then we took a detour through Monument Valley and Four Corners (a first for both of us), since they were owned by the Navajo and not the National Parks, and then just drove home. Cut our trip a day short. Guess that just means we have to do it again. When? I have no idea. Our days seem to fill up with trips fast! In fact, we had to block out the dates in 2027 for our trip to Glacier National Park so we wouldn’t book something else in its place.
Yeah, I need a 2027 calendar now.
Yikes!
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 23
Our next trip is the cruise out of Rome, which leaves the
end of this month. We’ll be gone for nearly 30 days. That’s a lot of days, isn’t
it? But in reality, it will be way more relaxing than our 15-day road trip. We
will only have to unpack once and we won’t have to go looking for places to eat
each night. I’m really looking forward to that!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
So… Alien Desires isn’t doing so well. Ghostly Protector did better last year, but not by much. Making me wonder why I publish my books at all. But I continue writing, except…
I am at a crossroad in The
Alien’s Change of Heart. I knew what I wanted to do with a certain
character at the beginning of writing it, but now I don’t know if it’s the
right choice or not.
This is why I don’t plot. I can’t
even stick with what I have in my mind. Imagine if it were on paper??
I know I could just write it one
way and see if that works. If it doesn’t, try writing it the other way. Right?
But my mind is still thinking about which way to go first.
I need to tell it to shut up and
just start writing. And I need to stop making other excuses, too. I now have a
deadline to finish this book. Although, I’m beginning to doubt it’s reachable.
I will be in Columbia, SC on March
28th for a book signing. No other details are known at this time.
Just the city and date. It would be so nice if The Alien’s Change of Heart were
available then. But that means I need to finish the book NOW.
Nothing like adding stress to the
mix, huh? Especially when Alien Desires tanked. I will certainly not end
book 2 with any kind of unresolved issues, just in case it’s the last of that
series.
Which is sad. I had such high
hopes… Might have helped if I marketed it better, but when your newsletter subscribers
don’t even purchase it, makes me wonder if that would have helped.
Oh well… At least I’m still
writing. Sort of. Hahahahaha.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 22
Just an FYI about Alien Desires. Yes, it’s listed as
sci-fi romance. Or alien romance (if that genre is available at the vendor).
But it’s as much sci-fi as “Mork & Mindy” (or even “My Favorite Martian”)
was sci-fi. I just don’t know how to market that. Any suggestions would be
highly appreciated.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Dragon Con was great this year! One of the best I’ve attended (been going since 2010). I think because the weather was soooooo much cooler than other years, it made a huge difference. People didn’t congregate in the air-conditioned areas. They would venture outside more! Plus, I think there were soooooo many awesome guests (of which their panels were against each other, because of course they do that), that the lines weren’t too long a half-hour before the panel that you could still get inside. I really enjoyed seeing the guests from “Evil,” “Bones,” “Back to the Future,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Star Trek Voyager,” Star Trek TNG,” and the Arrowverse (John Barrowman!!). Next year is Dragon Con’s 40th event and I’m kind of sad that I won’t be going. We have a 28-day cruise out of San Francisco, which we’ll fly to on 9/9. If we went to Dragon Con, we wouldn’t get back until 9/8. That just isn’t enough time to get ready.
Yeah, yeah, you feel sooooo sorry
for me, right? Hahahahahaha.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 21
I was with Daughter when she got David Boreanaz’s autograph
(which was just before we got our pictures taken with the cast of “Bones”), and
she wore her Penguins cap and I wore my Penguins shirt. He saw them and just
shook his head. She said, we purposely wore them for the photo later. He said, “I
may just turn my back to the camera.” He didn’t, but he DID remember us at the
photo shoot! Yay!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
On Wednesday, Daughter, Hubby, and I will leave for Atlanta and Dragon Con! I’m so excited about this one. The cast of Bones will be there. And so will some actors from Back to the Future as well as Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Mainly David Boreanaz! Daughter and I plan on getting pics with the cast of Bones, so the question I need to answer… do I wear a Steelers jersey or a Penguins jersey? Only fans of Bones will get that, I think.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 19
Book 20
Writing is going well. Sales of Alien Desires is not,
however. I am apparently marketing it wrong and I don’t know how to fix that. I
mean, when your own newsletter subscribers aren’t even buying it… Yeah, it’s
not pretty. Well… I will be at Dragon Con and there is a writing track.
Hopefully I can get some tips there. But when BookBub doesn’t even have a genre
for that book, I’m thinking I may be doomed.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
I’m currently in Indiana, near the Indiana Dunes. Hubby and I are visiting some sort-of local-to-us National Parks. Drove through a lot of Indiana and Illinois country. Or rather…farmland. Saw Lincoln’s boyhood home (in Indiana) and his first home (in Springfield, IL). Also visited the George Rogers Clark Memorial. I never realized that the American Revolution came all the way out to Indiana (at the Illinois border) and Clark (who is the older brother of the Clark from Lewis & Clark) was responsible for getting Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and part of Minnesota added to the U.S. without a single person dying. See? I learn something new every time I visit a park!
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 18
Tomorrow we will visit the Pullman Historical Park in
Chicago and then drive up to Racine, WI to pick up the Kringles we ordered from
the O&H Bakery before we head back home. Yum yum!!
FYI: It’s cheaper for us to buy a bunch for the freezer when
we’re in the neighborhood (yes, Chicago is considered in the neighborhood). If
bought online, they cost $22-25, plus shipping (of over $20). In person? $9. We
get enough to last at least a year.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
I am in some kind of a funk. At least it’s not affecting my writing. I finally opened up The Alien’s Change of Heart and am working on it. I was kind of hoping writing would get rid of the funk, though. It hasn’t. And man, it doesn’t take much to take me deep down in the funk, either.
Can’t pinpoint exactly what is
causing it. I think it’s just a lot of little things that have finally just
overwhelmed me. I wish it would stop, though. I hate feeling this way.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 17
I mentioned a few posts ago that Ghostly Protector
was a finalist in a contest I entered it in. I got word that it did not win. Oh
well. It’s not like I have been a finalist all that much (once before), so that
was great. I can only hope that those who had to read the book liked it enough
to want to read the others.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
I got back from hot and sticky Georgia on Tuesday. Only to come back to hot and sticky Ohio. I’m beginning to think it’s hot and sticky EVERYWHERE!
I did okay at the convention.
Better than last year. Thought I might sell more of Alien Desires than I
did, but a lot of people seemed interested, so hopefully they’ll get the ebook
later. After they’ve read the dozens of books they purchased from the other
authors (the readers that attend are HUNGRY for books, I swear!!).
This was the last year of Literary
Love Savannah. For at least four years. So the ending was a little bittersweet.
I do enjoy this convention and seeing the readers and other authors. But it can
be expensive, too, so the break will probably be good for my pocketbook. If I’m
smart (and I rarely am), I’ll have LOTS of new books to sell if the convention
comes back.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Dates read: July 4-18,
2025
Title: Nightshade’s Bite
Year of publication: 2021
Author: Zoe Forward
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Blood Wars #2
# of Pages: 256
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Goodreads: Kiera Rossard’s
secret life just got complicated. When not being a vampire aristocrat she’s
leader of the Nightshade League, a rebel vampire society that rescues
werewolves during the interspecies war. Everyone wants her dead—vampires and
the werewolves who don’t know her secret. Starting with the wolf she just
saved—Michael Durand, the most vicious killer of her kind in existence.
Something about the notorious werewolf sets her blood on fire.
She’s not good at resisting temptation. So what if vampires always bite
when they’re turned on? And so what if one drop of his blood will kill her?
What’s life without a little risk?
Michael doesn’t like vampires. At
all. But now he’s losing his mind over the dark desire Kiera stirs in him. He
should plot her death. Only, she’s hot and mouthy. Staying near her a bit
longer is irresistible. When unforgiving forces hone in on her secret identity,
he must decide between duty to his people and protecting her. But if he stays,
who will protect her from him?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: It had been several years since I read the first book in the
series. And there are only two. At least nothing was left hanging, so that’s
good. I ran into some irritating grammatical errors, which made me downgrade my
rating a bit. If this was an indie book, I probably would have forgiven them,
but not from Entangled (the publisher). So yes, I guess I rate the publisher,
too. But the story was enjoyable and if not for the book convention, probably
would have finished it long before now.
After the book convention (in
Savannah), Hubby and I went to Cumberland Island (National Park near the
Florida border). I had never heard of the place, but Hubby is trying to visit
all the National Parks, so I’m learning a lot about them now. The only reason I
agreed to go to this island is because they had a van (which luckily had air
conditioning) to take us up and down the island (it’s about 17 miles long). No
way was I going to walk on the trails there. I didn’t realize the island had
wild horses. All they do is graze (because the park doesn’t do anything to feed
them), but they are wild (feral) and we were warned numerous times to not get near
them. It was a long day on the island, but very interesting. If you ever get a
chance to visit it, I recommend it.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
My tenth book (wow!) is now live. You can now acquire Alien Desires in digital and print. I have been really bad in getting the word out. I just don’t seem to be motivated to do much lately, which is not good, especially now. I wish I knew what causes these mood swings. I’d like to blame the weather, but it’s probably one of my medications, most likely the hormone therapy one I take to keep the breast cancer away. I really hate taking pills, but I do it because they seem to be working. At least I only have three more years of this particular pill.
In the meantime, I’m just being
really lazy and not motivated to do much of anything. But if you’re interested
in my latest book, look for the blurb and buy links at the bottom.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 15
An alien crashes on Earth and discovers love.
Annie’s anger and an icy walkway put a medical boot on her
foot, forcing her to rely on her brother for a ride home. When he accidentally
hits a giant of a man, she wants to call for an ambulance, but the phones are
out and she finds out her brother’s license is suspended. The man doesn’t
appear to be badly injured and her place is close, so they take him home. But
man, what a hunk! If only she’d met the hot stranger anywhere other than at the
end of her brother’s bumper.
Calix is from a planet that is in the path of a comet.
Normally a teacher, his mission is to discover if Earth would accept his
people. But his ship isn’t working, he’s injured, and he’s not sure what to do.
His urge to confide in Annie is overwhelming. He’s never had feelings like he’s
experiencing. Is it an effect of Earth’s atmosphere—or is it just Annie?
Annie has a hard time believing Calix is an alien because he
looks so…human. Then he shows her his spacecraft. Of all the people to fall
for, she goes and picks an alien. A hunky alien, but still…
How can they stay together and keep his people from taking
over Earth?
And here are the buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4PPPMQN
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alien-desires-stacy-mckitrick/1147276879?ean=2940184671581
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/alien-desires/id6744583342
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alien-desires-3?sId=b868a519-470e-47c1-849c-0a41854aeac3
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Stacy_McKitrick_Alien_Desires?id=SoRVEQAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1747588
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Our trip to Tennessee was mostly nice. We did have some rain to contend with (and got wet in the process during one National Park stop). But I learned a few things and it was real pretty. Plus, no cicadas! There is a huge outbreak in Cincinnati (not here, thank goodness), so I worried. I hate those things!
But we’re home for awhile now. My
next trip is in July (for Literary Love Savannah Book Convention). I really
need to get my stuff together for that trip. At least I have paperbacks of Alien
Desires. I was so worried…
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 14
I used to post pictures on my blog, back when it was easier
to download them. Now, they just stay on my iPhone until I get around to
downloading them. And then there are so many, I don’t want to bother with
sorting them out! Yeah, I know. I’m lazy.
Or maybe I just find better things to do with my time.
But if you miss seeing my pictures, you can always follow me
on Facebook. I post them there all the time!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
I’m finally home. But not for long. Hubby and I leave again on Saturday for a mini trip to Chattanooga, TN. He’s always wanted to visit the city and there are some National Parks around (and on the way), so we actually found some time where we were free and are taking advantage.
Never a dull moment for us, huh?
On our drive back from Baltimore,
we stopped at three National Parks (Flight 93, Johnstown Flood, and Allegany
Railroad). But it was raining so bad at times, we weren’t able to enjoy them
like we wanted (he got the stamps in his book, though), so we’ll probably
revisit them someday. But man, when I say it was raining… Let’s just say that after
our last stop we headed home and got an alert on our phones that we were
driving in a Tornado WARNING area. Yikes! Luckily, we avoided that and made it
home safely.
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 13
So… the weather has finally been great for walking. I wasn’t
able to do any walking on the cruise (too cold and I forgot my blood pressure
medicine), and really looked forward to getting back into some walking. So what
happens? First few days home it rained. I had doctor appointments on all the
perfect days! Aaaargh! Hopefully I’ll get some walking in at Chattanooga.
Provided it doesn’t rain!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Here’s what I read since my last update:
Dates read: June 4 – 5, 2025
Title: Girl Missing (previously
published as Peggy Sue Got Murdered)
Year of publication: 1994/2014
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: N/A
# of Pages: 185
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from book: A beautiful young woman’s corpse is found
dumped in a garbage-strewn alley. Now laid out in the office of medical
examiner Kat Novak is an unidentified body that betrays no secrets—except for a
matchbook clutched in one stiff hand, seven numbers scrawled inside. When a
second victim is discovered, Kat begins to fear that a serial killer is
stalking the streets, using a deadly drug to do his dirty work. The police are
skeptical. The mayor won’t listen. One of the town’s most prominent citizens,
with a missing daughter of his own, is also Kat’s chief suspect. As the death
toll rises, Kat races to expose a deadly predator who is close enough to touch
her.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: A real quick read for me. Kind of needed one after the monster
books I have been reading lately. Gotta get my reading stats up! I enjoyed this
book (I like most of her books, what can I say?), even though the romance was a
bit on the thin side. But she did say this was more suspense than romance and
kind of bridge between her two genres (she writes mostly suspense thrillers
now). If you’re looking for a quick suspense, give this one a try.
Weather in both Canadian stops (Corner Brook & Sydney)
was EXCELLENT! Kind of worried as we kept sailing through fog everywhere. Now we’re
back on the Atlantic Ocean in overcast weather. I hear it’s been warm on the
east coast. Right now, I kind of have my doubts.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Yes, I’m on another cruise. The second of this year and not the last, either. This one took us to Greenland. We almost thought it might not happen. Ice was in the way (and growing!) of the two ports we had planned to stop at. But the people of Carnival found a solution: two nights in Nuuk instead. The weather was cold (in the 30s), but the views were awesome. I’m so glad we were able to visit this unique island.
I did have high hopes to write and
exercise on this cruise. Boy, were they dashed quickly. Besides forgetting to
pack some of my blood pressure meds (ooops), I had vertigo for a good portion
of this cruise, and then caught someone’s crud. The cold temps didn’t help any,
either. So no walking (at least, not yet…the cruise isn’t over and we will be
back in warmer temps soon, I hope) and the writing has been spotty. But I do
have the laptop out today and hope to get back to The Alien’s Change of Heart.
Provided posting this doesn’t frustrate me (internet isn’t all that great).
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 11
It's no fun being sick when you’re away from home. Not that
it’s fun at home, either. But the vertigo really made me queasy, and the coughing
fits caused tremendous cramps in my stomach. I just wanted it to all end.
Thankfully, it is ending. Just taking its ever-loving time, that’s all.
Tomorrow we dock in Connor Brook, Newfoundland. We’re taking
an ATV excursion there. Looks to be fun. I just hope it’s not too cold
(although I think the forecast is showing temps in the high 60s to low 70s).
Might want to dress in layers anyway.
Happy Reading!
Stacy
Hubby and I are spending a week in Myrtle Beach. He got a gift card for an AirBnB and we decided to use it here. We’re right on the beach! Pretty nice. Unfortunately, it might rain every day we’re here. So far we’ve gotten lucky. Fingers crossed it stays that way (but the radar is showing a huge storm coming our way).
Still… I love the beach. Don’t
like the sand, but love the waves and the air and everything else about it.
Yeah, I’m weird. But then, you knew that already, right?
Here’s what I read since my last
update:
Book 10
I kind of thought I might get some writing done on this
trip, but I’m beginning to think not. But I am getting some reading and crocheting
done. Oh, and walking. Can’t forget the walking!
Happy Reading!
Stacy
