Hubby Update and All Star Games

Hubby is still in the hospital. He decided he didn’t really want to push going home with the drainage tube sticking out of his neck. Boy, am I glad. I had all sorts of fears if he’d stuck to his guns about that. I couldn’t see me draining and measuring the discharge. Uck!

He is moving around fine, though. We’ve walked through the halls several times. He even walks after I leave so he’ll get tired enough to sleep. Maybe if he didn’t take so many naps during the day… J

Ahh, but I tease. If he sleeps, maybe he’ll heal faster. Probably not, but it makes me feel better. Heck, I wouldn’t have minded taking a nap, too!

I have been getting a lot of reading done since Friday. Writing? Not so much. I finally brought my computer with me on Sunday. Only turned it on twice though. Once to check e-mails and then to write this blog post. Just didn’t feel much like writing on the WIP.

I did get to watch the NHL All Star game yesterday. Thank goodness it was on NBC, or I might not have seen it (unlike the skills challenge, which was on NBC Sports, a channel the hospital room doesn’t have). Happy the Metropolitan Division won (Sid’s my favorite player, of course). This was the first time I actually watched all of it. I like the 3 on 3 and the playoff style. Made it interesting (unlike other all star games). I did NOT watch the NFL All Star game, though. I think it’s on a stupid time. Put it at the beginning of the season, or a couple of weeks after the Super Bowl, then maybe I’ll be interested.

Speaking of the Super Bowl. My son’s birthday is Feb 5th. I asked him when he wanted to celebrate. He said, “Oh, I thought we'd do it on Sunday, around 4:30 or 5:00.” You see, he doesn’t watch football (or any sports for that matter). Yep. I raised a strange kid.

A strange kid who’ll be 35!! Aaack!

So… Do you think professional sports should do away with all star games? Nowadays it seems the players don’t want to risk injury, or more likely the team owners fear their star player will get hurt. At least with the NHL All Star game, it appeared the players weren’t playing rough (you know, like how they USUALLY play). I don’t think one penalty was called. A nice, clean game. If it weren’t for the 3 on 3, it would have been boring. Oh wait! It used to be! Haha!

Happy Monday.

Stacy

Eff Cancer!

Today Hubby is going in for surgery. Again.

Last week, during his scheduled check up, he told the doctor about a new lump on his neck (it had just appeared the week before). Doctor took a biopsy of it, thinking it was just a clogged saliva gland (Hubby has been having problems with dry mouth). Results came back 90% suspicious (that the cancer has returned) and the doctor wants to remove the lymph nodes. NOW.

Yesterday Hubby had a PET scan. Won’t know the results of that until later today. I really do hope Hubby doesn’t have to go through chemo or radiation. Not after all the work he went through last year and still kind of struggles with today. And why it’s showing up now when his last PET scan (in July) was clear, who knows?

 

Eff Cancer!

So yeah, that’s how our week is going.

 

I’ll keep you posted…

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and an Awesome Review

The synopsis for Ghostly Interlude is going…slowly. Man, I hate writing those things. At least I got the blurb written. Reading is also going slowly. Too much crap is going on. Grrr… Here’s what I read the past week:

Dates read: January 12-18
Title: “Notorious”
Year of publication: 2014
Author: Allison Brennan
Genre: Mystery
Series: Max Revere #1
# of Pages: 401
Paper or plastic: Paper
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Book: Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned, tough-as-nails investigative reporter with her own TV show, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life. But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.
When she was a high school senior, a close friend was strangled and another, Kevin, was accused of the crime. Max stood by Kevin—until she found out he lied about his alibi. Though his guilt was never proven, their relationship crumbled from the strain of too many secrets. But that was years ago…and now Max is home for Kevin’s funeral. Did he kill himself after years of drug abuse—or did someone else do the deed? As Max uncovers some dark secrets about Kevin’s past she finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies that hit far too close to home. And it’s becoming increasingly clear that someone will do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried…
My thoughts: I love Allison Brennan’s romantic suspense novels and when this series started, I wasn’t sure I’d like it: no romance. Then I read a novella with this character, liked her instantly, and bought the first two of the series. Yet the books stayed untouched. Then I found out there will be a cross-over book with the Lucy Kincaid series (#4, due out this summer); a series I absolutely love. So I picked up the first Max Revere book—I gotta get caught up! As I suspected, it’s not a romance, but there is this guy… Hmmm… But what I really enjoyed about this book is how much it reminded me of Veronica Mars. Max is very similar to Veronica (the character, not the show) and I was instantly hooked.

In other news, I discovered this awesome review for Ghostly Liaison: https://jessicathebookaddict.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/review-ghostly-liaison-by-stacy-mckitrick/ Ain’t it great?

So… How’s your week going so far? I wish I could say mine was going great, but it’s not. Can’t share right now, though. But any good thoughts you can send my way would be highly appreciated.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Movies I Won’t Be Watching

While watching the game that won’t be mentioned (grumble, grumble…I hate the Patriots…grumble, grumble), there were a couple of movie previews that made me go…WHA?

The first one was of CHiPS.

I loved that series. I grew up with that series. I lived in the land of CHiPS. Now it’s a comedy. A comedy! Really? Gosh, can’t people think up new stuff anymore? Which leads me to the other movie preview I saw during that horrible, horrible game.

Kong: Skull Island.

Have there not been enough King Kong movies? Create a dang new monster, will you? Like the killer stink bug or something.

Because stink bugs…. UGH! I hate those things!

And yes, I did find one in my house last week. Why do you ask? J

So… What movie do you refuse to watch that’s coming out this year?

Happy Monday and Go Falcons! (**sniff, sniff**)

Stacy

An Anniversary, an Interview, and a Synopsis

Forty-one years ago today I joined the U.S. Army. Boy, was I young or what? FYI: I was young. 18 years old. Found this picture that was taken during basic training. That crooked hat cracks me up!

And to think a little over two and half years later I met Hubby. Wouldn't have happened if I hadn't joined. Well, re-enlisted. Met him during my second tour.

Yesterday Abbie Roads posted an interview she did with me (Author on the Couch). You can read it here http://abbieroads.com/2017/01/author-on-the-couch-stacy-mckitrick/. Go on over and comment and you’ll be in the running for an e-copy of Blind Temptation. I don’t know when the name will be drawn. Probably Monday. Yeah, Monday sounds good. J

Yesterday I also submitted Ghostly Interlude to my editor at Lyrical Press. Now I need to write a synopsis! Gosh, it’s been like forever since I last wrote one. I had PLANNED to write it during my little writing break, but you can see how that went. Haha!

So it looks like that’s what I’ll be doing today. Just another day to cut into my WIP. Of course, my WIP is also suffering because I’ve been hosting the Sizzle and Sass page all week. Facebook will kill time faster than anything. I swear!

I probably shouldn’t have made my goal to write 3000 words this week. I should have seen what was coming.

What else came? Books I promised to judge. And I can’t take credit for reading these books on Goodreads (or here) until after the contest winners have been announced. That’s not so bad, really, because I’ll eventually get credit. It’s just that I’ll be doing a little more reading than I thought. And reading has been a problem lately.

Sometimes I think my brain is out to get me. Or would that be my muse? Whatever it is, every time I start to read, my mind keeps going back to my WIP. How I can fix it. How I can make it better. What this character could do. So on and so on. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to re-read paragraphs. It’s very annoying.

So… Do you think I should just stop working on my WIP while I get my reading assignments finished? I don’t know if I can do that. And I don’t think stopping will get my mind to stop wandering over there. And truthfully, I’m glad my mind IS wandering over there. I was afraid it wouldn’t. I was afraid this story wasn’t working. I’m not feeling that fear so much anymore. But I sure am feeling the frustration when I can’t find the time to work on my WIP. Arrrgh!

Have a great Friday and hopefully I’ll see you over at Abbie’s!

 

Stacy