Special Announcement

My friend Adelle is having an awesome special and a lot going on....check this out!

I hope you all had a nice Easter weekend.

Share this offer and leave a link to where you share it for a chance to win a surprise!

Winner announced April 3rd! Good luck!

Get your copy HERE

I'd like to thank you, dear reader, for your continued support. I am so pleased so many of you have taken advantage of downloading my Trilogy this past weekend. I hope you enjoy it! I'd love it if you'd leave a little review/rating on Amazon.

Have an awesome week!

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FYI

*The next installment of my Women of Strength Series, Dani will be available April 14th/15th.

*Keep an eye out for the release of a fabulous trailer for Killer Scents and the sequel coming this summer, Scent of a Killer.

* I've decided I will be writing a continuation of Iron Horse Rider Trilogy.... The Next Generation. Fingers crossed it will be available late Fall 2013. Stay tuned!

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SNOW DAY!

I grew up in the city so we NEVER had snow days.  Nothing like hanging in your pjs with the kids feeling like you are skipping school and work LOL.

Of course, when you work out of a home office, that doesn't always work LOL.  Sort of like today.  Had been out on contract work most of the week so today will be catch up on the editing etc.

Of course, when you work out of a home office, you also get to make your own hours :) so you can work around the fun stuff on a snow day LOLOL.

Safe travels to all those who do have to go out in this mess, though, no fun there.

A Joyful Break-Dreams of Plain Daughters -Book One Author: Diane Craver Website

A Joyful Break
by Diane Craver

After her mother's untimely death, a twenty-year old Amish woman has a difficult decision to make. Make a break from the Plain community and her boyfriend to live in the English world permanently..... or join the Amish church.

Rachel Hershberger wants to get away from her Amish home in Fields Corner, Ohio. For a year she's been trying to fill her mother's shoes by taking care of her father and siblings. She quit her job at the bakery so she could have more time to clean and cook at home. Before her mother died, Rachel was positive she wanted to marry Samuel Weaver, but now she can't think about wedding plans. She blames her father for her mother's death. If they had installed a phone in their barn or shanty, her mother might have received medical help in time to save her life. Her mother's death has made Rachel question if she should be baptized and join the church. She wonders if non-Amish women live longer and have less stress. Maybe her forty-four year old mother would still be alive had she left the Amish lifestyle like her sister Carrie did. When her Aunt Carrie invites her to go to the beach, Rachel decides the time away will help her to decide whether to join the Amish church or to live in the English world. She is conflicted because she loves Samuel and her family. Instead of a relaxing time away, disturbing events happen while Rachel's in Florida. A photographer snaps troublesome pictures of Rachel because of her famous senator uncle,. and a handsome and charming college student falls in love with Rachel.

“Ms. Craver penned this story with such emotion that it was easy for me to feel as if the story was unfolding before me firsthand. I was seeing and feeling everything Rachel was as if I experienced it myself. I love being able to walk away from a story feeling I went through the trials and tribulations as if I was another character in it and this author did that for me with this entertaining Amish story. I highly recommend it!” --Rating: 5 ~~Review by Diana Coyle for Night Owl Romance Review

Check it out on Amazon.com today!

It is AMAZING what a new haircut can do for your outlook! 

Blue Monday

Take a look at this: http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/healthy-living/most-depressing-day-heres-cheer-blue-monday-165400488.html

That explains A LOT lately, unfortunately, moreso for friends and loved ones rather than myself.

In the course of the last twenty-four hours, a very good friend lost her sister to cancer and another very good friend's relationship broke up on extremely bad terms.  Add to the month the sudden loss of a neighbour and January has turned out to be quite the depressing start to a new year.

Suddenly other concerns seems so small, and maybe I am not where I want to be just yet, but I know I am working my hardest to get there and will reach my goals with the support of those around me, and I can ask for no more than that--I am simply thankful and blessed to have my family and friends, all be in good health, with roofs over our heads and food in our bellies.  It really is that simple people.

SHARPIES!

I'm so excited! My husband gave me permission to buy a colored pack of Sharpie markers!!!

Okay, don't get me wrong; my husband is a wonderful, loving, supportive and VERY tolerant man LOL, and I don't need his permission per se. But there is something else you need to understand, I LOVE stationary. I am a total stationary junkie--pens, paper, sticky-notes, pretty binders and notebooks...I could go on and on LOL.

*standing up* Hello. My name is Stacy, and I am a stationary addict.

And like any addict, I have to be ever so diligent when in stores like Staples, Office Depot or even the stationary aisle in Wal-mart. Anything new, big, gadgety or colorful and I could fall off the wagon in an instant LOL.

So, I was at my desk prepping my new calendar/daily planner for the next couple months and came to a bit of a glitch because the colored pens I use to distinguish editing projects/stages, writing, releases, blogs etc (I'm sure you see now why I use different colors for at-a-glance quick evals LOL) don’t write on the new calendar, which is a bit more of a glossy material.

When I made a small comment to myself as I stood to go check my stash of various pens/markers etc., my husband must have overheard because he said, "Why don’t you get Sharpies; they’ll work."

I literally felt my eyes go wide and drool slip off the corner of my lip. “Shhharpies,” I repeated, longingly.

He chuckled, lifted a shoulder and said, “They do write on anything.”

I, of course, agreed--the imagined smell giving me a marker high as a rainbow of colored wands danced like a kaleidoscope before my vision.

When I was able to speak again, I shook my head and reminded him that it would also be expensive for a set of the multi-colors that I needed. Hey, when you want the best, you pay for the best.

Then he said the magic words, “So, if you need them, get them.”

I had to swallow twice before I practically choked out, "Don't tease me."

He didn’t blink.

Because I was still a little too stunned to believe my ears, I made one more valiant effort before my heart exploded in excitement. “Just to be clear,” I began. “You are giving me permission to go out and get a multi-colored pack of Sharpies?”

By now my husband was laughing at me (not an unusual thing by any means), and gave a tolerant nod of his head (as he often does LOL).

Yes!!

So, I am now the proud owner of a full set of colored Sharpies—not only that, but I checked out a department store that is, unfortunately, closing in our little town and ended up getting them for 30% off. If that’s not a win-win situation, I don’t know what is.

My planner is now a plethora of rainbows and I can see at a glance exactly what needs to get done daily, weekly and monthly. FABULOUS!

I know, I know, I keep telling my husband he’s got it good. No worries about keeping his woman happy in expensive jewelry, shoes or clothing...get her some colorful pens and she’s putty in his hands LOL.

Of course, not that I can see my calendar at a glance, I've gotta get my butt moving and some work done.....

HAVE A RAINBOW SHARPIE KIND OF DAY!!

Wow, January 7th already. I remember thinking last January was going sooooooooo slow and then the year went by in the blink of an eye LOL.

Had a great Christmas and New Years with the family and my most wonderful sister surprised me with the best Christmas present ever...an art set complete with fold-down/portable easel.

I've wanted one since I was 16 years old! Now I feel like a REAL artist. Which I laugh at because that is one of the things about being a writer that you are told from the beginning and I tell people all the time...if you are writing, then you ARE a writer. It doesn't matter if you have a laptop with all the latest software, fancy printer and private office with a big desk to work on or not. If you have a pen and a notebook you are just as much a writer as the next New York Times best seller.

So I laugh at myself and remind myself that I AM an artist. It doesn't matter that I don't have a gallery opening or no one but family sees my artwork or whether I am good or not. I sketch. I paint. Therefore, I am an artist.

Believing is the foundation all dreams are made from.

And hey, you never know, maybe I'll post a piece or two here in the future for you to see.