A Change in Plans and Forever Thirty-two

Well… Hubby was supposed to start chemo and radiation on Wednesday. However, when the nurse tried to put in the IV, she met with some resistance. And Hubby met with some pain. Not good. Therefore, Hubby needs a port inserted to make life easier for the nurses and him. That’ll occur on Monday (minor surgery) so chemo and radiation have been moved to next Wednesday.

It’s frustrating, because we just want to get this started and over with as soon as possible. Didn’t exactly want to wait another week, but it is what it is.

We did get to see what the place is like, though. A lot of people get crammed into this small room. I had hoped to bring my laptop and work, but with the tiny chair I’m given, I’m thinking I won’t be able to do that. Not comfortably, anyway.

Would you believe Hubby said I didn’t have to go with him? Like anything would keep me from going.

The guy is nuts, I tell you. NUTS!

^^^^

Last year (or maybe the year before) I finally got around to putting my short story, Forever Thirty-two, up on Amazon and making it free. Recently I noticed it’d been for sale for 99 cents (which is the default). I gave Amazon a link to B&N to show it was free there, but that didn’t seem to help. Not wanting to go through another e-mail discussion where they tell me I’m breaking my terms of service, I decided to just take the short story down from Amazon. If anyone wants it, they can get it free on my website (and various other places).

I can see why Amazon wouldn’t want to sell anything for free. I mean, what’s in it for them, right? I guess if a lot of people had been downloading the short story on Amazon, it would have been a harder decision to remove it, but I give away more copies on Smashwords, iBooks, and Nook than I do on Amazon. Then again, it stays FREE on those sites.

^^^^

I finally, FINALLY, received the Schedule K-1 I’ve been waiting for and guess what? I don’t need to report anything. Figures. Guess that means I can finish my taxes now. Oh joy! I can’t complain too much, though. We are getting money back.

So… Doing anything fun this weekend? The weather is supposed to turn back to cold (grrr), but our friends are coming over from Columbus and will cook dinner. Yay! Which means… I’ve got to clean the house! Aaack!

Happy Friday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and a Free Short Story

I have a cover, I have an editor lined up, now I just have to finish polishing Blind Temptation. My only dilemma is…do I publish as soon as I can or wait until Ghostly Liaison is released? I’d be surprised if Blind Temptation is finished before January 19, but stranger things have happened.

I know, I know. What a dilemma to have, huh? Anyway, here’s what I read in the past week:

Nov 6: “Sick” by Brett Battles, a horror novel. Blurb from Goodreads:  Daniel Ash wakes after midnight to the cry of his daughter. Just a bad dream, he thinks. She's had them before. Yet he can't help but worry when she cries out again as he pads down the hallway. Stepping through her doorway, he expects to find her sitting up in bed, frightened by a nightmare. But the nightmare is his. It's real. And it's just beginning... Something is burning Ash's daughter alive. Something horrible that is spreading beyond the walls of their home, and taking no prisoners. Thirty seconds later, Ash will discover his daughter isn't the only one in his family infected, and as his world spins, coming apart at the seams, a team of armed men in biohazard suits bursts into his house. But these aren't the good guys. They haven't come to save Ash's family. They've come to separate them, to finish what they started. The problem is Ash refuses to disappear. He wants only one thing: to find those responsible. Because humanity is on the brink of execution. And man is pulling the trigger. Reminded me a little of The Stand, but without the supernatural aspects. I enjoyed the book a lot, just wish it wasn't first in a series, where some threads are left dangling, but not in an annoying way. I'm not in the mood to read another series now, doesn't mean I won't later, but if you're looking for a good horror-ish series, check this one out. And I say horror-ish, because I think it is a horror, just not with supernatural monsters. (R Mac Wheeler: if you’re reading this, I think you’ll enjoy this one!)

Nov 7: “Take Me, Cowboy” by Jane Porter, a contemporary romance (novella). Blurb from Goodreads: When Jenny Wright’s fiancé leaves her standing at the altar in a Vera Wang bridal gown she can’t afford, she’s humiliated and heartbroken. To have Marietta hero bull riding champ Colton Thorpe witness her shame - makes the rejection even more devastating. Jenny and Colton grew up in the same rough neighborhood and they both left home right after school to pursue big dreams. Now they're both back, with Colton as the celebrity chair for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and Jenny in disgrace.
Sexy, rugged Colton didn't get to be a national champion by chance. He's a man that takes risks and goes after what he wants. During the rodeo weekend, Colton makes it clear he wants Jenny. Flustered but flattered, Jenny finds it difficult to resist his charm. But what happens when the rodeo ends and Colton leaves town? Will she dare to dream again? The book says it’s #4 in a series, but you don’t have to read the series to read this. I think they’re all just set in the same town. I enjoyed this novella, which I wouldn’t have read at all if not for an assignment with my RWA chapter on Saturday. See… sometimes reading assignments can be GOOD things.

I sent out my first newsletter yesterday, which included information about my short story, Forever Thirty-Two. If you would like a free copy of the short story (available in mobi and epub), just go to my website HERE and download the version you want. Easy peasy.

So…what book are you reading (or just finished)?

Happy reading!

Stacy