Finished Reading Two Stories and Dragon Con Starts THIS WEEK

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

Dates read: August 15, 2025
Title: To the Stars
Year of publication: 2024
Author: Leah Lore
Genre: Cozy Sci-Fi Short Story
Series:  Possible, but not written yet
# of Pages: 34
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Goodreads: In the far future, Earth is ravaged by war. Deadly skirmishes between isolated human civilizations are frequent. New technologies are discovered, but others have been lost to time.
    Paige is trying to find her place in a shattered world. She’s a flight-school cadet determined to impress her military father, but she yearns to explore the stars. Her determination and constant practice in the cockpit rocket her to the top of her class.
    Still, she questions herself.
    When Paige takes a dangerous risk, she’s left grounded. At a crossroads, she must look inside herself to decide what's important, but the question remains—will she ever fly again?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Entertaining. I know the author (she is in my writer group), but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this short story. I look forward to her novel (which she says is in the works).

Book 20

Dates read: August 16-25, 2025
Title: The Summer Guests
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Genre: Thriller
Series:  Martini Club #2
# of Pages: 325
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.
    Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.
    After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.
    As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: The people in the Martini Club are a hoot. I guess we all fight getting older, though, huh? This story is more mystery than thriller, but an enjoyable read. And I had no idea who did what, so I guess that makes the twists good? And there are some twists.

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

Finished Reading “Never Flinch” and “Alien Desires” is available!

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

Dates read: June 22 – July 3, 2025
Title: Never Flinch
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Series:  Holly Gibney #4
# of Pages: 436
Paper or plastic: Hard cover
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Goodreads: When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill 13 innocents and 1 guilty” to atone for the needless death of an innocent man, Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an act of deranged retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.
    Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment has been targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one was hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and unhinged righteousness.
    Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: I love Holly stories. This one has no “woo-woo” horror stuff in it. Strictly thriller/suspense (which can be horrific at times as most books in that genre are).

Here’s the blurb for Alien Desires:

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

Finished Reading “Smolder” and I Selected a Release Date!

Alien Desires is now with my copy editor. That’s the last step before I publish it. So… I chose a release date.

July 1.

This weekend I plan to set up preorders. When I do, I will then share all the buy links. But I picked a date! That was probably the hardest thing for me to do. This book has been so long in the making, I really doubted it would be available to everyone. I’m so glad I stuck with it. Because I really LOVE this story!!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 8

Dates read: April 3-11, 2025
Title: Smolder
Year of publication: 2023
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series:  Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #29
# of Pages: 358
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: Vampire hunter Anita Blake is no stranger to killing monsters. It’s part of her job as a preternatural U.S. Marshal, after all. But even her experience isn’t enough to stop an ancient evil that is bent on destroying everything—and everyone—she loves.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: It’s been awhile since I read book #28. I was able to just dive in like I hadn’t read a bunch of books inbetween! I have #30, and will read it next. Somehow, I’m wondering if this is the end of the series. Guess I’ll find out soon enough. I really love this world, though.

After I set up Alien Desires at all the places I sell at, it will be back to work on The Alien’s Change of Heart. If I keep at it, that one will be released next year. Fingers crossed!!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “An Enchanted Knight”

Again, I finish a book and go to blog about it and something else, but that something else never materializes. So… book it is, then.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 7

Dates read: March 25 – April 3, 2025
Title: An Enchanted Knight
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Hildie McQueen
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  The Cursed Kingdom #1
# of Pages: 246
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: Gwyneth “Gwen” Lockhart has a rare and powerful gift—she helps lost spirits find peace and cross over. When she takes on a job a beautiful Scottish Castle, she expects it to be like any other. But when she encounters the ghostly presence of Lord Tristan McRainey, a knight who died centuries ago, something feels different. Drawn to him in ways she can’t explain, Gwen begins to wonder if Tristan is not a ghost at all, but a man cursed and trapped in time by dark magic.
    Lord Tristan McRainey has been imprisoned for three hundred years, bound by an evil wizard’s spell along with four of his fellow knights. When Gwen enters his world, he’s certain that she holds the key to breaking the enchantment. Confident that he can make her fall in love with him and sacrifice whatever it takes to free him, Tristan has no doubt the plan will work. But what he doesn’t expect is to find himself falling for her first.
    And as their bond deepens, the cost of breaking the curse may be higher than either of them imagined.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Interesting story. I enjoyed it. This is the first book I’ve read from this author because I believe it was the first paranormal-type book I’ve noticed she’s written (she has a LOT of historical & contemporary romances, if that’s your thing). Since this is a new series for the author, hopefully I remember to get book 2 once it’s written. But we all know how well my memory works… It doesn’t! :D

I got Alien Desires back from the editor (this was the second go round), so now I’m reading it out loud, fixing the minor things she found, and then after all that, will send it to my copy editor (aka my daughter—and yes, I pay her!). Publication day is almost here!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Next Book Almost Ready

I got the edits back for Alien Desires and I was pleasantly surprised. So much so, that I have finally added the book to Goodreads and I’m sharing the cover. And here it is…

Isn’t it pretty? This is the blurb (which I may still tweak):

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. Oh great. She’s falling for an alien. 

How can they stay together and keep his people from taking over Earth?

If you’d like to add this to your Goodreads reading list, here is the link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227940142-alien-desires

I don’t know when I’ll actually publish the book, but if all goes well, it should be in a couple of months. Which means, I gotta get to work!

Oh, and by the way, I’m still reading that 800-page book. And yes, I am enjoying it.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

One Project Down, A Bazillion to Go

Finally!! I finished the revisions on ALIEN DESIRES (that would be Book #5) and it’s now ready for readers. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever finish it. Don’t know why it was so hard, either. I think a lot of it was just making sure I wouldn’t have to revise it again (editing, I’m okay with). We’ll see if I get my wish. I’d like to think all my readers love it to pieces, but I know better. Really. I do. Don’t you believe me?

Today I start back on BITE ME, I’M YOURS (that would be Book #1). I have some little things to fix, but I need to figure out how to cut some of it (it’s about 16,000 words too long for my editor--and I want to give it to her to read). I figure if I go through the pre-edit checklist (like I did for My Sunny Vampire) that should help. I also need to ask myself the same question my editor did with that story - Is this necessary? I hope I’m able to answer honestly. Yeah, cutting stuff isn’t my favorite thing. Heck, I’m sure every writer feels that way.

Sunday felt like a nice free day (especially with that long project finally finished) so my husband and I watched two movies  we own on DVD. We discovered they were quite similar, too. “This Means War” starred Chris Pine, Tom Hardy and Reese Witherspoon. “Killers” starred Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. Have you seen either? Killers came out two years before War, yet I don’t remember it ever being in the theatre. I found the DVD in the $5.00 bin at Walmart and I liked the actors, so I bought it. After watching it (and it was cute - we'd seen worse, much worse), we then watched War (which we had seen in the theatre) and that’s when I realized how similar the movies were. There was lots of action (spy shoot-em-ups/blow-em-ups), romance (where the woman is kind of in the dark) and some crazy (bizarre) stuff thrown in there. Even though they were similar, it made for a nice evening and gave my brain a break!

On Saturday, the Penguins lost the first game in the Eastern finals (bummer!), but I have high hopes they’ll win tonight. They better!! I want to see them go all the way. I'm greedy like that.

 

So, what was the last movie you saw?

Have yourself a great Monday. 

Stacy

 

March Madness!

Basketball? Sure, I suppose. But what about the weather? It's crazy.

I think that groundhog lied! Temps will still be in the 30s this week with snow on Tuesday. Where's spring? It was supposed to be right around the corner! Instead all we get is more of the same. Cold, cold, and more cold.

Is anyone here just as sick of it as I am?

Sunday was a day off for me (writing-wise, that is). Watched the Penguins beat the Bruins (yay!), watched Ohio State beat Wisconsin (yay!), and watched Kevin Streelman win his first PGA tournament (okay, I don’t know who he is, but it was fun). I didn't even read. I know, shocker!

Apparently, the two short stories I submitted for my RWA chapter’s anthology have been accepted (well, I wasn’t told they were rejected), but unfortunately, not enough submissions were received by the March 15th deadline, so the deadline has been extended. That’s better than being cancelled! Just wondering if I should attempt to write another. My husband thinks I should. But Alien Desires (Book #5) is begging to be finished (at least ready for someone to critique it), so I will concentrate on that instead. Unless, of course, I wake up with an idea that can be written in a day (not impossible, it’s happened before), then I’ll reconsider. And why do I have time to do all that? That’s because I got my content edits in well before my April 7th deadline. Getting that finished sure lifted a load off my shoulders!

I hope the weather is warmer in your part of the world, just as I wish it were warmer here! This winter has gone on long enough, don’t you think?