Reading Update and I’m Watching the Playoffs

I realized this morning that I hadn’t posted this. And that would be because last night I was watching Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Penguins and Rangers. And that game went into TRIPLE OVERTIME!!!

Thank goodness the Pens came out ahead!!! But what an insane game.

Daughter and I have tickets to see Game 3 in Pittsburgh. When she found out that game was on a Saturday, she asked if I wanted to go and when I said, SURE, she said, “Happy Mother’s Day”! I’d like to think the Pens would be up 2 games to none on that day, but right now I’m just glad they won the first game. Should be a fun event on Saturday. I’m looking forward to being there!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 14

Dates read: April 25 – May 2, 2022
Title: The Beautiful
Year of publication: 2019
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Genre: Paranormal mystery
Series: The Beautiful #1
# of Pages: 425
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Borrowed from a friend
Blurb from the book: In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirees and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s enigmatic leader, Sebastien Saint Germain.
    When the body of a girl she knows is found in Sebastien’s own lair—the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks—Celine battles her attraction to Sebastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
    Celine finally take matters into her own hands, only to find herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.
My thoughts: A friend loved this and gave me her copy to read. But I’m not as enamored of this story as she was. I don’t plan on reading the rest of the series in any case. The pacing was a bit on the slow side and the characters weren’t all the compelling to me. Plus, the ending of this book wasn’t exactly all that satisfying. The fourth book in this quartet isn’t out yet, so if this book looks interesting to you, you might want to wait to read it until the whole series is finished.

So… Are you watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs? If so, which team are you rooting for?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

No Wednesday Reads But I Won!

I haven't finished the book I'm reading, but this happened on Monday:

Ghostly Interlude Won in the Strut Your Stuff Contest! I even got a badge! See?

This is the very FIRST contest I have ever won. EVER.

And in case you were wondering, it came in third in the Readers Choice portion (the voting portion). Not too shabby, huh?

In other good news... St Louis Blues won the Western Conference last night. Whoo hoo! Now I have a team to root for in the finals. Go Blues!!

And finally, my short story, Savannah's Destiny (a mix of my Bitten by Love and Ghostly Encounters series), is available to preorder (is that how you say it?).

Here's the blurb:

Darren, vampire and bartender at the Savannah Riverfront Hotel, has a ghost problem by the name of Austin that won’t go away. He’d love nothing more for the ghost to move on, but Austin is keeping mum. That is until his sister, Savannah, attends a book convention that is held in the same hotel. Darren believes she’s the ticket to get rid of the ghost as well as a reward for putting up with the spirit for so long.

Austin doesn’t want the blood sucker’s help, but he doesn’t want his sister hurt, either. Now that his body has been found by the police, he’s forced to cooperate, but does everything he can to keep the vampire from sinking his fangs in Savannah.

And here are the preorder links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/30C5JR1
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2Qee1db
Kobo: http://bit.ly/30Bq2Or
Apple: https://apple.co/2YNhGSv


So... Are you going to watch the Stanley Cup Finals? Who are you rooting for?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and I’m Crocheting…Again

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #23

Dates read: April 28 – May 5
Title: The Trouble With Vampires
Year of publication: 2019
Author: Lynsay Sands
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  Argeneau #29
# of Pages: 380
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: For close to three thousand years the imposing, impossibly handsome Santo Notte has fought in armies across the world and battled his own, more personal enemies. Of all the places he might expect to encounter his life mate, a quiet corner of upstate New York doesn’t seem likely. But as soon as he makes contact with history professor Petronella Stone, while hunting down a suspected rogue immortal, he knows that she will be the greatest adventure of his eternal life.
    He expects her to be surprised, confused, even overwhelmed. What he doesn’t expect is that Pet has a secret history of her own. There’s no mistaking the mind-blowing, mutual pleasure they share. But as Pet struggles to protect her nephew from a danger lurking too close to home, Santo realizes there’s another threat to her safety—him. And claiming their passionate future will be impossible until he leaves his past behind, forever…
My thoughts: You’d think after 28 books in this series that the 29^th might just feel like the same ol’ same ol’. But NOPE! Still hot romance. Still humorous. Still suspenseful. But a different story every time. I love the Argeneau family and hope the books continue for a long time to come.

Well… the Blue Jackets are out of the playoffs, so I guess I’ll be rooting for the Canes (sorry, Jeff, I just don’t like ANY Boston teams!). Don’t know how much I’ll sit and watch them, though. I probably will if the daughter comes home to watch. But alone? Nope, not likely. I’m not THAT big of a fan. Of the Canes.

I started a crochet project. I wasn’t sure I’d ever crochet again, but this yarn and pattern has intrigued me (for a baby blanket—like I know anyone having babies!!!). I’m starting small first, though, making a scarf for my granddaughter (the yarn color is called Pegasus, and it’s her favorite creature, so I thought…why not?). Once I determine my hands will not turn into two painful fists (can’t tell if it’s arthritis or the stupid pills I have to take for another FOUR YEARS, but my hands get stiff easily), then I will make that baby blanket. Which really won’t be for a baby. Probably more for my lap. Or a gift to someone. I haven’t decided yet. What I do know is that when I finish it (and see, I’m being positive here), I will take a picture and show you all how neat it turned out (because I only make neat things, didn’t you know??).

So… Are you a crafty person? What do you like making?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #22

Dates read: April 22-27
Title: Crashing Heat
Year of publication: 2019
Author: Richard Castle
Genre: Mystery
Series:  Nikki Heat #10
# of Pages: 234
Paper or plastic: Hardback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Marriage. It’s a double-edged sword, or at least it is for Nikki Heat. Her husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jameson Rook, infuriates her in a way no one else in her entire life has ever done. He also takes her to heights of pleasure she has never experienced. But most of all, she loves the man with all her heart and she’d do anything to protect him—which is just what she has done not so long ago. It almost cost them everything.
    Now Rook is given the honor to be a visiting professor at his alma mater, and he can’t pass up the opportunity to mentor burgeoning writers at his award-winning college newspaper. But shortly after his arrival on campus, a female reporter for the paper is found dead…naked…in Rook’s bed.
    Dealing with betrayal from any man is not Nikki’s style. She and Jameson have had plenty of conflicts during their complicated relationship, but none like this. Is her husband keeping secrets, or can she really trust him? In order to find out, Nikki gives Jameson the benefit of the doubt and digs into his theory of a secret society within a secret society. What she finds puts her investigative skills, and her marriage, to the test.
My thoughts: A little more tame than the other books in this series. No thrilling suspense in a life-and-death adventure. Just a straight-up mystery. It was okay, but not as good as the others. And apparently a character has been brought back from the dead, but funny thing, I didn’t notice. Shows you how much I pay attention to minor characters.

I’m down to one project again since I returned Biting the Curse to my editor for another look. Almost feel free! Working on two projects takes up more time than I imagined. But I met my goal and that makes me HAPPY!

Know what also made me happy? Watching the Blue Jackets win last night. Whoo hoo! I’m also rooting for St. Louis, Carolina, and Colorado (in case you were wondering).

So… Whatcha reading now? Anything good? How did you find the book?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Biting the Curse Cover!!

I’ve shared this with my newsletter subscribers and added it to Goodreads, so I thought it would be nice to share the cover to Biting the Curse with you, too! So…here’s the cover for you to enjoy. Ain’t it pretty???

I think Maria Zannini (bookcoverdiva.blogspot.com) did a great job. Here’s the blurb (or description or cover copy or whatever you call it):

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.

And if you’re so inclined, you can add the book to your WANT TO READ stack over at Goodreads. Here’s the link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45161701-biting-the-curse

I’m still debating (with myself, of course) on whether or not I should put this up for pre-order. My estimated release date is July 18 (my birthday!!) and I’m really hoping I have the paperback ready for the Literary Love: Authors Rock Savannah convention. Nothing like putting that kind of pressure on myself to finish this thing, huh? But preorders? I don’t know. I’ve never done them before. What do you think?

So… Are you watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs? My Penguins (and Golden Knights) may be out of it, but the Columbus Blue Jackets are still going strong. And yes, I am rooting for them. I just don’t like them when they play the Penguins! Can’t believe they went into overtime against Boston in both games, though. In fact, I’m amazed at how many overtimes there have been in the playoffs this year. Just goes to show that all the teams are so evenly matched, huh? I just didn’t think I’d get stressed out over the Blue Jackets playing. Yikes! I’ll just blame it on playoff hockey.

Happy Monday.

Stacy

No Wednesday Reads and No More Penguins in Playoffs

No Wednesday reads! I’m so behind!!! Don’t get me wrong, I’m reading a great book. I just haven’t been able to get to it all that often and it’s killing me!!!!

Yesterday was such a crappy day. And the Penguins getting swept didn’t help any. No more Penguins in the playoffs this year. I’m sad.

I do have other teams to root for, but it’s not the same.

I knew this week would be bad, but not this bad. I haven’t been able to even work on the edits to Biting the Curse! I hope to remedy that today, though. Gotta get them done!!!

I'm so busy, I can't even thing of a question to ask! Pathetic, aren't I?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Ghostly Interlude is a Finalist in a Contest!!

Last week I opened an e-mail and couldn’t believe my eyes. It started out... Congratulations!

I really don’t think I’ve ever had an e-mail start that way before. And I know I’ve never been a finalist in a contest. Now I can say I have to both!

Ghostly Interlude is a finalist in the Strut Your Stuff contest!!

I had to do some research to see which contest this was (I entered the book in 13 of them—still have to hear back from 5 of them, so yeah, didn’t final in 7), because it was mentioned in the e-mail that the winner is determined by reader votes. Took me a bit (because the Maine Romance Writers removed the contest rules and such from their website), but I finally found what I was looking for (and next time, I might want to remember to put MORE information in my contest list).

Ghostly Interlude was judged on the cover and blurb (which kind of makes me feel good about the blurb since I wrote it!). Starting today (I hope) through May 3, readers are able to start voting.

And here’s the link to vote (which is supposed to go live today): http://www.maineromancewriters.com/p/contest.html. I have absolutely NO IDEA at the time I wrote this (Sunday evening) who the other finalists are (because the link wasn’t working yet) [EDITED: I CHANGED THE LINK, THE OTHER ONE DIDN'T WORK, THIS ONE DOES]. But here are my cover and blurb to Ghostly Interlude:

    Maggie Russell—legal assistant by day, horror writer by night—gets the scare of her life when she wakes up in a strange café without any idea of how she got there. But if she tells anyone about her sleepwalking escapades, she could lose her grandmother’s house, and she’d fought so hard to keep it.
    Dean Parker is a private investigator whose office is next door to Maggie’s law firm. He’s been eyeing the pretty brunette ever since she started working there, but getting involved with anyone isn’t in his game plan. When he finds out she’s been having sleeping problems, he suspects her money-grubbing cousin is involved. Instead, he discovers something worse: a ghost is living with Maggie and it appears another may be possessing her.
    Dean is determined to help Maggie rid her home of the uninvited guests. He just never figured his attraction to her would be reciprocated. Keeping his distance is no longer an option, though. If he fails, Maggie could very well be possessed forever.

So… If you like what you read, I would really appreciate your vote. My book is in the paranormal/fantasy/etc. category, so I’m only competing against other paranormal/fantasy/etc. type books. And, of course, if you do go over there and find something you like better, by all means, vote for them instead. That’s the risk I take sending people over there.

Sunday was an exciting day. Got up o’dark thirty, met my daughter and a friend, and drove to Pittsburgh to watch the Penguins and Islanders play. The game did NOT go as I had hoped (since the Penguins lost and are now down 3 games to none), but I had a good time. We got invited to dinner at a Facebook friend of my daughter’s (who was smoking chicken and ribs) and the food was great! And much appreciated!

Now I gotta hope that the Penguins don’t get skunked in this series. I do have two other teams to root for, though. The Golden Knights and the Columbus Blue Jackets (I just don’t like them when they play the Penguins). We’ll see how the playoffs go.

So… How did your weekend go? Mine was super busy! I thought Sunday would be my hard day to write (it wasn’t!), but it ended up being Saturday. Only got 201 words in, so I broke my streak of 500+ word days, but not my writing streak in general. And starting today I get to work on Biting the Curse again since I got my edits back. I see a busy week ahead of me, too!

Happy Monday.

Stacy

I'm Going to Game 3!!!

The Penguins made it into the Stanley Cup Playoffs and my daughter usually gets tickets to one of their games (as long as it’s on a weekend). This year, their first home game is on Sunday and I’m going with her!!!

We have tickets to Game 3!!! Yay!

I’ve never been to a Stanley Cup playoff game. I expect the excitement level will be a lot higher than a regular season game. I know I’m more excited!

The game starts at noon, which means we’ll have to leave here early (it’s about a 4-hour drive). I’ve been doing really well writing 500+ words every day and I really don’t want to miss Sunday, so I’ll probably take my laptop and write in the car (thank goodness my daughter prefers to drive). I don’t want to mess up my continuous writing streak (today is day 22) and I really think just writing 500+ words a day helps me stay in my story (even though I know I have MAJOR problems with it—problems with how any of the conflict affects my main character—oops!). But if I stop writing, I may stop altogether (what may? I will—that’s what’s happened in the past) and hopefully just 500+ words a day will keep my brain working to figure out the solution to my problem.

I’m also meeting with a plotting group tonight and hope they’ll be able to offer some suggestions.

But I’m not letting a trip to Pittsburgh mess up my writing. I mean, it’s only 500+ words. I can do this in the car. I’m certainly going to try in any case.

So… Have you ever been to a playoff game? Doesn’t have to be hockey. High school football playoffs are pretty fun (although I don’t like sitting out in the cold), but I have a feeling I’ll be more stressed over this game than I ever was for the HS ones.

Happy Monday.

Stacy

Pictures From My Trip

Weather turned out pretty nice during our last days in Santa Barbara. Still in the 60s, but the sun was out so it felt warmer. And I had gotten most of the work I had planned to do at my mom’s, so after Hubby finished with his work (he was working remote so he could go on this trip with me), we took a hike through the Goleta Butterfly Grove. Well…sort of. The trails through the grove itself are closed due to the deterioration of the eucalyptus trees (drought has been making them unstable), so we didn’t get to see any butterflies. But the trails to the beach were still open, so those are the ones we took.

I had never been there before. Heck, I didn’t even know the butterflies migrate to that grove every stinkin’ year! Maybe the next time I visit the area the trails will be open and we’ll be able to see more. Anyway, here are some of the pictures I took on our walk to the beach. It was quite a walk and I got my 10K steps in!

This is a map of the trail we took. Yellow from the parking lot, orange on the walk back. 

An example of what is happening with the trees in the grove.

This is the eucalyptus grove and where we walked from. 

This is where we were walking to. You can see the Channel Islands!

Yes, there are snakes in California. This was the second one we

encountered. It was twice as long as the first!

Reached the end of the trail to the shore. We were up pretty high.

A couple of flocks of pelicans flew by. I'm surprised I even got this shot.

UCSB is off to the left (we weren't far from the campus).

These wild flowers were growing everywhere. I thought they were pretty.

We had walked on the top part of the cliff coming to this spot.

I have to say, I got spoiled during my trip. Maybe it wasn’t warm-warm, but the cooler nights were sure comfortable sleeping in (and the sunny days were absolutely beautiful). When we came home, our house was warm and stuffy. I was a sweaty wreck trying to sleep. What happened to spring around here? I can’t even open the windows at night. It’s already getting humid. Ugh.

So…I was going to write more on this post, but Hubby and I are trying to get the DVR % down (cause we still have things to record), so I spent the evening watching TV. But I was also rooting for Tampa Bay to win last night, and they did! Yay! Tonight I’ll be rooting for Vegas. I’m hoping for a Vegas/Tampa Bay Stanley Cup final. Who are you hoping will win? Or are you completely out of it (or were never in it)?

Happy Friday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Feeling Bummed

By the time this posts, I’ll be sitting on a plane. California, here I come! Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #18

Dates read: April 26 – May 6
Title: Claimed in Shadows
Year of publication: 2018
Author: Lara Adrian
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Midnight Breed #15
# of Pages: 272
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Book: As the son of a formidable Breed warrior, Aric Chase has been devoted to the Order all his life. With his training completed, all he needs is one successful mission before he can join the fight to destroy the Order’s chief nemesis, Opus Norstrum. His rare ability to daywalk lands Aric an assignment in Montreal, where he learns he’s to be teamed with another new recruit, a beautiful, but tough-as-nails Breedmate named Kaya Laurent.
    Independent and driven Kaya wants nothing more than to become a full-fledged member of the Order. Having grown up in squalor and neglect on the streets of Montreal, she longs for the close-knit family she’s found during her training to be a warrior. Eager to prove herself, she is thrilled to be given the chance at a key operation—even if she must share the mission with an arrogant, far-too-seductive Breed male who’s practically Order royalty.
    Their unwanted partnership soon erupts into a desire neither of them can resist. But when Kaya’s past reaches out from the shadows to call her back, she must decide between protecting a dark alliance that could shatter her dreams of joining the team and a truth that could not only forfeit Aric’s faith in her, but bring the enemy right to the Order’s door.

My thoughts: I’m still enjoying this series, although this one was a little slower than usual. I think there are getting to be quite a few characters to remember and they all seemed to pop up in this book, too. But it took some interesting twists (one surprised me, the other did not) and I look forward to reading the next book.

I’m super bummed the Penguins lost in round 2. Which means I don’t have to worry about looking for a place to watch Game 7 tonight (not that I was worrying that much). At least I still have the Vegas Golden Knights to root for and when round 3 starts, you can bet I’ll find a place to watch the games. I’ll only be at Mom’s a week, though, so I’ll be able to watch most of those games at home, I’m sure.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Updates on the House, Writing, and Hockey

We have an official walk-through date on the new house: May 23rd. I will be taking TONS of pictures then (I hope). But today I’m sharing two of the pictures the developer sent and others I was able to take yesterday. We’ve got siding! Okay, partly sided. Inside, it’s all painted and flooring goes down next. Here are the pictures:

All painted!

We have cabinets!

Shot taken from outside (glare from the sun).

This is our bedroom. Door to the left is the

bathroom. Straight ahead through the door

is the kitchen area.

Siding is still being added, but the stone is all there.

Siding being added to the back of the house. Can you tell it's green?

Wish they sent more inside pictures. I want to see the bathrooms! Is that strange or what?

We have a closing date of May 29th. Which means we’ll be moving in the following week (provided I find a mover that won’t charge a fortune). Seems unreal. But I can’t wait. I want it done with.

I finished the revisions to Alien Desires on Saturday. Now I will start the process of re-reading the whole thing and making sure I didn’t screw something up. But I’m so impressed with myself. I not only have been writing up a storm on In Love With a Vampire, but got these revisions done, too. It was a challenge I gave myself and I’m happy to report I succeeded!

Look at that… I am growing as a writer. J

And writing has been going super good, too, along with being FUN again. Right now I have no idea how my WIP will end, but it’ll come to me eventually. It always does!

Tonight is Game 6 of Round 2 between Pittsburgh and Washington. Between this series and the Vegas/San Jose games, I’ll be lucky if I have any nails left on my fingers. These games have been brutally stressful. But hey, at least Vegas won their series last night. No Game 7 for them. Whew!

Wednesday I leave to visit my Mom for a week. Game 7 for the Pens/Caps series just happens to be scheduled on that same day. And I truly have no doubt there will be a Game 7. I just hope I get to WATCH it. I don’t know if Mom has NBCSN. And seeing as I will be just arriving, don’t know how kosher it would be if I turned around and found a place that showed the game. Think that would be rude? Hmmm…

JeffO – Sorry about your team. Even though most Pens fans don’t care for Boston, I didn’t care one way or the other. But man, what was with all that licking?

So… What was the last thing you challenged yourself with? Did you succeed?

Happy Monday!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Another Sucky Game

I’m not getting a good feeling with the Penguins right now. I thought for sure they’d win at home, but nope. They’ve been known to come around before, sure hope they don’t wait too long to do it this time.

Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Book #17

Dates read: April 23-25
Title: The Thief
Year of publication: 2018
Author: J.R. Ward
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #16
# of Pages: 454
Paper or plastic: Hardback
How obtained: Borrowed from daughter
Blurb from Book: Sola Morte, former cat burglar and safecracker, has given up her old life on the wrong side of the law. On the run from a drug lord’s family, she is lying low far from Caldwell, keeping her nose clean and her beloved grandmother safe. Her heart, though, is back up north, with the only man who has ever gotten through her defenses: Assail, son of Assail, who never meant to fall in love—and certainly not with a human woman. But they have no future, and not just because she doesn’t know he is a vampire, but because he is not about to stop dealing arms to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Fate, however, has other plans for them. When Assail falls into a coma and lingers on the verge of death, his cousins seek out Sola and beg her to give him a reason to live. The last thing she wants is a return to her past, but how can she leave him to die?
    As a lethal new enemy of the vampires shows its face, and the Brotherhood needs Assail back on his feet, Sola finds herself not only a target, but a mission-critical force in a war she doesn’t understand. And when Assail’s truth comes out, will she run from the horror…or follow her heart into the arms of the male who loves her more than life itself?

My thoughts: When a book is good, I definitely have no problem reading it fast. And to think I read this AFTER I got my writing for the day finished. I do so love this series. I just wish she could write them faster (but I won’t fault her for that—I know too well how hard books are to write, especially long ones). While the book description is centered on Sola and Assail, it also returns to Jane and Vishous. Again. I hope this is the end of their problems. I really do. I want them to stay happy this time.

You know what I love the most about reading? Getting ideas. As I read The Thief, I realized I could introduce a character in my current WIP who will be in a future book of my vampire series. Now I just have to figure out how to make it pertinent. Haha!

So… Has summer reached your neck of the woods? I swear, it feels like we went straight from winter to summer (it was 80 yesterday). I’m not ready to turn on the a/c yet! But I should be able to go walking this morning. That’ll be nice.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Hockey Ugliness, House Update, and Dancing Video

That Penguins game felt so one-sided, it was awful. We get called for stupid minor things, but they can hurt our players and…nothing. It was so frustrating to watch. I don’t even want to discuss that goal they called a no-goal.

Time to come home and kick some butts.

And what is it with Nashville fans throwing catfish on the ice? They were even in the stands pouring beer over their redneck heads holding more fish! I heard they were Tennessee Titan players, too! NHL should really ban fans from doing that kind of shit. I mean, fans get ejected for throwing beer cans on the ice, but not fish?

Oh, and by the way, I don’t like it when Detroit fans throw the squid/octopus on the ice, either. It’s stupid!

Okay, rant over. For now. J

Got some pictures from our builders on Friday. The stone is now on the front of the house (yay!) and it’s ready for painting (on the inside).

See the stone around the garage and lower half of the front bedroom?

The kitchen area. All ready for paint and flooring.

This is looking out the back of the house. I wasn't expecting that middle

window (I said no to the fireplace and the window was optional), so we'll

probably put black curtains there since that's where the TV will go!

Thank goodness we didn't plan on wall mounting it!

I need something fun today. Saw part of this video at the Dragons game and enjoyed it so much, I found it on YouTube so I can share it with you. Let’s all dance!

So… How was your weekend? Sports-wise it sucked for me. Dragons lost on Friday and Saturday (froze at Saturday’s game—it was in the 40s), Vegas lost, and of course, Penguins lost. I hope the rest of the week turns out better for my teams.

Happy (grumbling) Monday!

Stacy

What a Game!

I think the Penguins are trying to give all their fans heart attacks. What a game last night! I have a feeling this next round is going to be super stressful.

What am I saying? They’re ALL stressful.

I’m just so happy that the Penguins woke up and came from behind to win the first game. In Capitals territory. Bwahahahaha!

After the Penguins game, Daughter and I watched the Vegas Knights. Not quite as stressful. Scoring 4 goals in the first period might have helped in that regard. And since I wrote this during the game, I cannot share the outcome. Yes, I stayed up late to watch it!

Tonight Hubby and I will are going to a Dayton Dragons game. Then we do the same tomorrow night with some friends. I pray for dry weather, but have a feeling it’ll be a little chilly. I wish it would hurry up and get warmer.

So… What stresses you out? I think it’ll always be hockey for me. Okay, possibly football, too.

Happy Friday! And let’s go Pens!!

Stacy

We Have Drywall!

The last time I drove by the new house, it didn’t look any different (no siding), but we got pictures from the developer on Friday. We have drywall!

This is the kitchen area. Those three windows will be above 

the cabinets

From the great room toward the front door. Archway on the left is to the

master bedroom. Kitchen is to the right.

Holy Pucks, Batman! Did you see yesterday’s Penguins/Flyers game? I thought for sure we were going to lose (and after Friday’s game, I was rather depressed) and then BAM! The Penguins showed up. Yay! So glad THAT series is over. Now we wait to see who we play in the next round. I kind of hope it’s Columbus. I’d like to see them win a first round for once (knocking the Capitals out would just be a bonus).

Author event down in Corbin went about as I expected. Got two new subscribers to my newsletter. Sold a book. But look at my new banner. Ain’t it pretty?

I miscalculated the height needed (it was too tall for the table), but made it work. I also have a smaller version (for when I only have a 3’ table), because I thought it turned out so great.

And yes, I realized AFTER I set up the table that I had the vampire books over the ghost saying and the ghost books over the vampire saying. I will remember to line them up correctly the next time.

Best question I got on Saturday: Do you write paranormal? Hmmm… Let me think.

I’ll have you know that even having traveled 3-1/2 hours on Friday, the book signing and traveling 3-1/2 hours home on Saturday, I have NOT broken my writing streak. 43 days and counting (of writing 300+ words). Whoo hoo! Motivation (or would that be competition against myself) is a powerful thing. Plus, I’m just so darned THRILLED that writing has become fun again.

So… How was your weekend? Frazzled or quiet? Or maybe a happy medium?

Happy Monday!

Stacy

On the Road Again

Today I head down to Corbin, KY for tomorrow I shall be at the Southeastern Kentucky Author Event. If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll come by. It’s only $5 per person to see over 40 authors. Should be fun.

DL Hammons is running the WRiTE Club again this year (http://www.dlhammons.com/). If you want to help out some writers (who have submitted anonymously), check out the bouts and vote for the one you like best. There’s a different bout each day (and it started on Monday), but you have a week or two to vote, so it’s not too late to go over there and start reading and voting.

I started watching “The X Files” this week (after my writing, of course) basically as research (since I kind of reference it in a book I’m revising). I’ve never seen the original series before and I’m enjoying it so far. Twenty-five years didn’t seem all that long ago, or different, in my mind, but now that I can actually SEE it on the screen… Wow. Life was different back then. Not quite as connected as it is now.

Drove by the new house yesterday, but not much has changed on the outside. Still waiting on the siding. Maybe next week! I think the weather is supposed to get warmer. Gosh, I hope so!

So… Got any plans this weekend? I’m hoping I get to Corbin before the Penguins game comes on. I don’t want to miss it!

Happy Friday! And let’s go Pens!!

Stacy

More Pictures of the House

Our closing date has moved to May 23rd (instead of May 9th), but that's okay. I kind of expected it since we'd had all that rain (and snow). Yesterday we got to walk through the house! Kind of hard to picture the rooms since the drywall isn't installed, but I took some pictures anyway.

From great room looking toward front of house. Kitchen is on the

right (island is partially framed in).

Taken through the master bedroom "wall" is a view of the sun room.

You can see what kind of view I'll have from there.

View from the upstairs bonus bedroom.

Steps lead up to the bonus bedroom.

Our back yard view. I have a feeling the lake will contain

lots of geese someday. There were already a few there.

Sun room. You can also see how close we are to our neighbor.

Front door entry.

I look forward to the day the siding is added. Due to the rain, they're behind. We're like seventh on the list. Once it's up, I'll get more pictures.

Yesterday the temps reached the mid 70s! It was so nice. I wish it would last, but no such luck. At least it doesn't appear to be getting as cold as freezing, so there's that.

Hubby won two tickets to Sunday's Reds game. Awesome seats. If I remember to take pictures, I'll post them on Monday (if I remember--haha!).

Wednesday's Penguins game was awesome! Sure hope they play the same aggressive game tonight (they're fun to watch that way!). So cool to actually get to see one of Sid's batted in goals. I'll miss Sunday's game because of the Reds, but hopefully I'll catch the end of it. I wouldn't mind a sweep, but know that's virtually impossible with these games. I can hope, though.

So... Today is Friday the 13th (I just noticed that as I went to post). Are you superstitious? Or do you like to drive superstitious people nuts? I've been known to do the latter.

Happy Friday (the 13th)!

Stacy

29 Days and Counting

Sunday marked 29 consecutive days of adding 300+ words to my WIP. Even better, the last 15 days it’s been 500+ and the last 7 days it’s been 600+ words. I love seeing those numbers increase.

I guess my new medication isn’t messing with my creativity after all. I do have an appointment with my oncologist today to check in the progress of my medication, since it was about this time (30 days taking it) on my old medication that my meltdown occurred. No such event this time. I’d like to think I’m happier because I’m getting my writing done, but it’s possible I’m getting my writing done because a pill isn’t making me depressed.

I really think that old pill was making me depressed.

All’s good for now. That’s what matters. Right?

Saw the Penguins play in Columbus last Thursday. I’m beginning to really dislike Blue Jackets fans (they are so obnoxious!). All I can think is that they are a jealous bunch and I’m super glad we SWEPT them this year.

Wednesday is the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most stressful part of the season. I really believe the Penguins have a shot of 3-peating, but only if they’re on their A-game (meaning their defense steps up). I think this will be a harder-fought playoffs than the last two, and the last two weren’t cake walks!

I might need to get me a stress ball.

Saturday Hubby and I attended opening day of the Dayton Dragons. Man, was it cold or what? The high only reached 40 and of course it dropped quickly once the sun set. We only lasted six innings, which was probably just as well. The Dragons fell apart in the 7th inning and ended up losing 9-2. Our next game is April 27th. Sure hope it’s warmer then!

So… What fans do you think are obnoxious? I sure hope it’s not Penguins fans!!

Happy Monday! And Happy Birthday to my daughter tomorrow!

Stacy

THEY DID IT!!!

Happy, happy, joy, joy! The Penguins repeated! They won the Stanley Cup two years in a row! I’m sooooo happy!

I’m also sick. Figures, huh? My voice is about gone (made it really hard to cheer them on).

Surprisingly, I was pretty calm through most of Game 6. After Game 5, I felt more confident that the Pens were going to do it. And they did!!!!!!

In other news… We bought a car. Went with the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Got a GREAT price on it, too (this, from Consumer Reports). Just couldn’t pass that 0% financing for 60 months.

Here’s a picture. Yep, another grey car. Oh well… doesn’t really matter. Hubby preferred that color anyway, and it is his car.

Today I take the Ranger in to get it detailed. Once it’s all cleaned up, we’re pretty sure we can get high Blue Book on it ($4700). That would be awesome.

Even though I’m ecstatic, I’m so glad hockey is over for now. I need a break. And now it seems like I need to just get better. Ugh. I hate getting sick.

Happy Monday!

Stacy

No Wednesday Reads But I Saw Wonder Woman

Gosh, with the way I’ve been reading lately, I didn’t think this day would happen. But it has. I haven’t finished a book in the past week. I am reading one, but I just haven’t had the time. Too much other crap is going on and, sadly, it’s not writing. Oh well…

I did get to the theatre yesterday (Tuesday Discount Day) and saw “Wonder Woman.” I liked that movie a lot. Lots of kick-ass women. Some humor. Lots of action. Very entertaining. Can’t ask for more than that, really. I was disappointed that there wasn’t any kind of little ending after the credits. Hasn’t DC learned ANYTHING from Marvel? Haha!

I still haven’t downloaded the pictures I took at Mammoth Cave & the Corvette Museum from my phone and camera yet. Maybe by Friday? Oh wait. Game 5 is Thursday night. Maybe not. I’ll be lucky if I even remember to post something. This Stanley Cup Final is getting me awfully nervous.

The Penguins just haven’t been playing that good and it’s sooooo frustrating to watch! And why Sullivan didn’t take Murray out and put Fleury in for the 3rd period in that last game is unbelievable. He wouldn’t have hesitated (wait, he didn’t hesitate) to pull Fleury. I just don’t get it!

I’m almost afraid to watch the game on Thursday.

I said almost.

So… Have you seen or plan to see “Wonder Woman”? I’m thinking I need to watch “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” now. That’s right. I haven’t seen that movie yet. Got the DVD added to my wish list, though.

Happy Reading!

Stacy