Isn't It Great?

For those of you who visited this blog previously, welcome back. If you were expecting the old blog -- think pastel beach scenes and Cape Cod lighthouses -- this new design might come as a bit of a surprise. I wasn't really satisfied with the previous design; it was much too pastel and beach book looking, which really isn't my style of writing. So why did I use it? Simple, it was what was available on the Blogger site when I started.

However, as of today, thanks to the effort of my multi-talented daughter, I have this much more suitable blog design. She researched and tried out several very nice options this afternoon before hitting on this one. I'm very happy with it and think it suits a working writer much better. Thanks, Brynn.

I hope you agree. I also hope you'll return and visit me often.

Oh, just an FYI, I debut on the Writer's Evolution blog tomorrow as their new Slushpile Surfer (I sure hope I have as good of luck as the last two did with getting books published). Keep your fingers crossed for me. Tomorrow's article is a brief peek at how I design my heroines.

Got to run now and get some real writing done now.

Y'all come back now, ya hear,
Stephanie

The Summer That Never Was

Doesn't that sound like a great title for kids' book? Maybe with some wonderful Tim Robbins illustrations. Wouldn't you like to read it to your kids or grandkids?

So would I....I just prefer not to experience it.

Unfortunately, The Summer That Never Was is exactly what this summer has been in Michigan. Usually, about now, we'd be complaining about August heat and humidity, days like steam baths and nights too hot to sleep. This year, those "dog days of summer" are more like polar bear days. Cold, cold, and more cold. Brr!

Today, it reached a whopping 61 degrees. All day long, we've had a drizzle so fine it looks more like snow than rain. I'm typing this wearing jeans, a sweatshirt and fuzzy socks.

Pass me another blanket, Nanook.

Talk to you soon!
~ Stephanie

Insomnia-R-Us

Okay, I know writers march to a different drummer than some of the rest of our friends. We drink lots of coffee, we work whenever the muse whispers in our ear, and we view the world around us with a more curious eye than some of our -- um -- saner friends.

But what do you do when the muse isn't whispering in your ear, you haven't been drinking coffee, and yet it's two a.m. and you're wide awake?

Well for me, after I groan "I'm going to hate myself in the morning," I usually will go on the Internet and do any number of things to waste time. Sometimes I play a computer game, sometimes I browse the FBI website (yes, I admit it, I'm a cop groupie - see the picture of me at the Civilian Police Academy below?), I can spend lots of time catching up with friends on Facebook, or I can do something constructive and post on my blog.

So here I am, two a.m. and here's my blog entry. Aren't you impressed?

Wishing you and yours, a good night. Sleep safe tonight, the boys in blue are watching over you.

~ Stephanie

P.S. - Yes, Chief Dolan really is that tall and no, I'm not really that short -- I had on 2" heels.

And So the Story Goes...

Where has the summer gone? August is almost over, and it seems like we've had very little summer here in Michigan. Today is one of the few sunny days we've had this month, and I'm feeling pretty happy to have picked it for a vacation day. Yes, starving authors have daytime jobs that keep them from, well, starving. So today, I get to play on the computer and get a bit of writing done, too.

On the writing front, I've been drafted by the creative group at the Writers Evolution to post a weekly blog with them as their new Slushpile Surfer. It seems the previous Surfer recently became published so no longer fills that bill. Hooray for her! I wish her every success with her new book. The blog is a lot of fun. Five writers at different stages of their careers post a weekly view on a specific writing-related topic. I'll be making my debut there on Monday.

Hope you'll stop by to check out the blog and give me a little feedback.

Well, I need to get back to Chas, Molly, and the rest of the crew at Retribution. They've been chattering for my attention ever since I discovered what the problem had been that was causing the slump in Chapter 4. So I need to tune in and get writing.

Check back later and be sure to check out the Writers Evolution. They are a bunch of very interesting ladies!

See ya!

Let Me Introduce Myself

Hi to all of you who've signed on to view my blog. Thanks for visiting, I'm glad you decided to take a peak.

I'm Stephanie Michels, a mystery writer living in mid-Michigan. I have three adult children (one who is also a writer) and 11 grandkids. My pen name is a combination of the names of my daughter and two sons -- although they didn't realize it.

I'm a compulsive reader, enjoying everything from catalogues to classics, and I've been writing plays and stories ever since I discovered Nancy Drew books a lot of years ago (I did mention grandkids, didn't I?). I'm currently at work on two very different types of mysteries.

The first story, Retribution, is a THRILLER that takes place in a fictional resort town on the shores of Lake Michigan. It's a tense story of an unsub who's spent much of his life eliminating people through "accidents" and the female FBI agent, Chas Davis, who stumbles on his activities while working on a different case in the area.

The other story, ALL TEED OFF is a much lighter piece that falls in the category known as a COZY. This one also has a female protaganist, Andy Archer, a divorced ex-cop who is trying to make a living as a private eye, despite the interference of her mother (who Andy calls the Midwest Distributor of Guilt), her grandfather (who decides he should move in with her while he cruises for a new wife), a busybody upstairs neighbor (who's bent on making everyone obey "The Rules"), and a sexy ex-boyfriend (who seems bent on breaking them all).

I'll be posting updates on the books and the characters in them -- as well as the characters in my own life -- as the weeks progress.

I hope you'll stop by to visit once in awhile to see what's Chunking up the Pages around here.

Best to all,
Stephanie