A Lovely New Blog award



Oh, Look!

 It's a lovely new Blog Award.  So pretty and it's pink, too,  I want to thank two wonderful authors Chris Allen Riley and Joselyn Vaughn for sending this award to me. You should definitely check out their blogs and learn some new tidbits about them.

Here are  7 Random Bits of Information about Stephanie Michels:

1- I wrote at least 6 plays that were produced by the various schools I attended from  second grade to my  junior year of high school. One play I wrote was based on "The Pardoner's Tale" from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. I made it into a western called "The Padre's Tale".

2- I used to write a monthly software review column for Compute! Magazine.

3- My family is Slovak (Czechoslovakian) on both my parent's sides. In fact, all but 1 of my grandparents were born over there.

4- I absolutely love coffee!  It's my go to drink. I also love Coca-Cola Classic, but I try to steer clear of it due to my perpetual dieting.

5- Everyone assumes my favorite color is pink because I have so much of it. However, it isn't. I love pink, but my actual favorite color is actually pale teal. Yes, I know my Blog is pink and so is this award...but now you know the truth.

6- My favorite actor is Sean Connery. He was smokin' hot as James Bond, but he was even better as King Arthur in First Knight. He makes bald look sexy, and his accent is very yummy, too.

7-  I'm like the magpie in The Secret of Nimh...I love sparklies!  At last count, I have more than 300 different pair of earrings!
     
To see some other great blogs and great  reads, please visit:

Chris Allen Riley
Joselyn Vaughn
Vivian Roycroft
Kay Springsteen
Patricia Kiyono
J.L. Salter

The Calico Heart has Arrived!

It seems like it's been a long time coming, but in truth, it was only a few months since my friend and critique partner, Patricia Kiyono and I first started working on The Calico Heart.

Now, drum roll please -- it has been released in e-format by a wonderful publisher, Astraea Press.  Astraea is known for providing good, clean, wholesome and entertaining books for readers. Not just romances but mysteries, paranormal, etc.

As for The Calico Heart, I can't begin to tell you what a high it was to see my name in print on the beautiful cover designed by Elaina Lee. And can you believe it, it's pink!!  I'm sure I'll be even more excited when I have a print copy to hold and admire -- I have just the spot picked out for it on my bookshelf!

The Calico Heart is the first book in the Stitching Post Romance series.  The stories all center around a group of women who meet in a quilt shop -- The Stitching Post -- to work on their projects once a week.  They range in ages from early 20s to mid-80s, and are as different as the quilts they make.  Each woman has a story to tell, and the romances are as heartwarming as your favorite quilt. Since I'm a sucker for happy endings, it was fun helping bring these characters to their Happily Ever After.   

The first story in the series is a bit unusual since our hero and heroine are in their mid-fifties and facing retirement.

On the surface, Sylvia Miller has a perfect life. She’s married to her college sweetheart, has three great kids, a rewarding career, and wonderful friends. But beneath the appearances, Sylvia is restless. She loves her husband, but wants to see more of the world than their peaceful Michigan town. For years, she’s dreamed of the interesting places she wants to visit. Now, their youngest child is grown, and Sylvia is ready for adventure.

Left a penniless orphan, David Miller promised himself his family would never know the same humiliation. For twenty-six years, he and Sylvia have lived frugally, saving for the future. Now, Dave is on the brink of a promotion that will ensure their financial security, but Sylvia wants him to retire and travel with her. 

When Dave refuses, Sylvia decides to go alone.  But it’s a decision that could cost them much more than money.       

You can find this book at Amazon (where you can read the first chapter for free), Barnes and Nobel, or the Astraea Press website.

Patty's other books are available there, too. Her titles, all published by Astraea Press include:
The Legacy, July 2011
The Christmas Phoenix, November 2011
Aegean Intrigue, February 2012

The Samurai's Garden, November 2012

We thank all our readers for their support, and we're already hard at work on books two and three. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Stephanie

 

New Year's Resolutions

Photo by David Moir/Reuters

Every year, I make New Year's Resolutions; every year, I break them. This year, I decided to do something a bit different.  Instead of making grandiose resolutions like "Finish my novel", I decided to chose baby step goals like "Write for an hour everyday."

All total, I made about a dozen of these baby step goals then put them in an Excel spreadsheet (I tend to use Excel for all sorts of list making tasks). I listed the days of the year in the left hand column and the goals across the top. I grouped like goals together: Personal, Professional, Home Organization.  These columns are color-coded so I can check my progress.

When I finish my goal, I mark it as "done" with a smiley face. If I miss a goal for a day, I do not mark it with a frown or say "undone."  I just leave it blank.  I believe every positive thing we do should be an occasion for celebration. I want my chart to reflect this.  After all, the world is filled with people who are more than happy to comment on our failures, so we should protect ourselves from the things that could drag us down by giving ourselves a pat on the back for everything we do accomplish.

So, my overall New Year's resolution can be summed up in two words: Celebrate Myself! I hope you do the same for yourself. You don't need to make lists, but give yourself credit for all the things you accomplish. You deserve it!

Have a wonderful 2013. I'll be posting again soon. Meanwhile, please enjoy an excerpt from my upcoming book with best-selling author Patricia Kiyono, The Calico Heart.  It's the first book of our Stitching Post Romance series.

Sneak Preview Excerpt:

     "It was such a beautiful wedding,ʺ Sylvia remarked as she sat at the bedroom vanity to tissue off her make-­up later that evening.  "The weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. This late in June, you never know what you’ll get.ʺ
     ʺI’m just glad to finally get out of this blasted tuxedo,ʺ Dave replied, tugging loose his tie and starting on the button of his heavily starched shirt.
     ʺYou looked very handsome.ʺ She met his eyes in the mirror and winked suggestively. "Sexy.ʺ
     "I felt like a stuffed penguin. I don’t know why we had to have all the fuss.ʺ
     ʺHoney, she’s our only daughter. We had to do things up right for her wedding.ʺ
     ʺShe’d have been just as married with a simple ceremony and reception in our rose garden. Just think what we could have saved on the flowers alone.ʺ
     "We would never have been able to fit all of our friends and co-workers – and Lynne and Ron’s – in our backyard,ʺ Sylvia said, repeating the same argument she’d given him when he’d first suggested a home wedding. ʺThe church hall was the perfect solution. And we didn’t have to worry about rain or having a guest fall in the pool. Besides, it’s not like we didn’t have money already saved.ʺ She grinned. "ʺI think you rushed to the bank straight from the hospital the day Lynne was born so you could set up a savings account for her wedding.ʺ
     "Nah. I waited until the next day,ʺ he admitted, sheepishly. "But we still went over budget...ʺ
     "A little,"ʺ Sylvia conceded, remembering a few bills she still hadn’t slipped into the pile of expenses on his desk. "But certainly nothing that will jeopardize our retirement plans.ʺ
     Dave mumbled something, but with his head buried in their closet, she couldn’t hear his exact words.
     "Look under your side of the bed,ʺ she called.
     "What?ʺ
     "Your slippers. That’s what you’re looking for, isn’t it?ʺ She slathered a bit of extra moisturizer on her forehead where she’d noticed a few deep lines had recently appeared. ʺI think you left them under your side of the bed.ʺ
     Her husband crossed to the bed, bent to look under it, then held up the missing slippers with a triumphant smile. ʺFound ‘em!ʺ
     "Whatever would you do without me?"ʺ Sylvia deadpanned.
     He pursed his lips and pretended to consider the idea. ʺGo barefooted?ʺ
     ʺYou hate going barefoot. I guess you’d better keep me around.ʺ
     "Oh, I don’t know,ʺ he said, coming to stand behind her chair. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her then rested his chin on the top of her head. Meeting her eyes in the mirror, he smiled. ʺJust think how much I could save on your mascara alone.ʺ
     She laughed and swatted his arm. ʺAs if you’d even know how much mascara costs. That’s one of the things my paycheck always covered.ʺ
    "Are you going to miss it?ʺ
    "The paycheck?ʺ
    "Well, that and the students. I know how much you love teaching.ʺ
    "I did love it. It was great being able to help kids understand math. The looks on their faces when they suddenly got it – when they went from struggling to understanding—" She paused and smiled. "ʺIt was priceless."ʺ


Talk to you soon,
- Stephanie
The Stitching Post Romances with bestselling author Patricia Kiyono
Book One - The Calico Heart coming January 2013 from Astraea Press

Welcome to the Zoo

Sophie, the newest member of my "zoo"

I was going through a file box of assorted writing I've done over the years (looking for a story outline I had misplaced) and found the following old article that I never  posted. The kids involved are all grown, so it brought back some memories and smiles. Thought I'd share it now.



Is This the Zoo?

I've often wondered how normal families select their pets.  Do they have a conference at the dinner table to get a consensus of what is wanted then head to the pet store armed with that information? Do they keep looking until they find the special pet that meets their criteria?

I suppose that's a fair idea of what happens in most families. As for our family...well, our pets just seem to happen.  We own a goldfish, a cockatiel, a dog and a cat. None of them were planned or even expected, for that matter.

The goldfish came first.  About four years ago, a local discount store gave away a free goldfish to every child who visited the place during their Kids' Week promotion. What can a parent do? Unless your name is Scrooge, you can't say no when a child gives you that please-can-I-keep-it look. At least, I can't.  So, Whale, our pet goldfish, joined the clan. By the way, that "free" goldfish cost nearly $50 by the time I bought an aquarium, gravel, filter, and food.

Sookie, our albino cockatiel, was almost as much of a "deal." About a year after Whale joined the family, I was sewing a dress for my daughter late one night and had the TV on for background noise. It was tuned to a local PBS station that happened to be running it's annual fundraiser auction.  Many unusual items were up for bid, and I found my attention drawn to the broadcast. Lo and behold! A baby cockatiel -- hand tamed no less -- was offered.  It was ate; I was tired. At least that's the excuse I give for what happened. Before my better judgement kicked in, I'd picked up the phone to join the fun. I placed a paltry $10 bid. Imagine my surprise when, an hour later, I was announced as the winner (turns out, I was the only bid). We picked up Sookie at the pet shop the next day.  With her cage, vitamins, food (three different varieties), and cage toys, my $10 bird became a $150 investment.

Do you think I learned my lesson? Guess again!

It was only a few weeks later when my oldest son talked me into visiting the pet shop at the mall.  I agreed on one condition: nothing that barked, crawled, swam, flew, hopped, or meowed would leave the shop with us. I was firm, I was tough. All that resolve melted when the clerk put a bundle of squirming puppy in my arms.  A wiggly bundle of fur that immediately crawled up my front to shower me with puppy kisses.  Raggs (short for Marti's Royal Ragamuffin) is a pedigreed Bichon Frise.  I won't mention how much he set me back.

Okay, now we had a fish, bird and puppy (after all, every kid needs a dog), and we were content. 

Things went fine until just before Christmas the following year. A co-worker mentioned that a stray kitten had shown up at their place. They'd posted a "Lost and Found" ad, put up notices in the supermarket, and canvassed the neighborhood, but could not locate the owner. They were happy to keep the kitten, a playful little tabby, but discovered, after a month, their only child was allergic to cats. The family was deeply upset at the thought of taking the kitten to the pound.

To make a long story short, Frisky moved in with us. The first day, she clawed the dog and chased him away from his food dish. The second day, she tried to "go fishing" in the aquarium.  The third day, she decided the bird might be a wonderful "fast food" snack.
However, we adjusted.

Raggs learned to stand his ground at mealtime; we bought a cat-proof lid for Whale's aquarium; and Sookie, who had always had the run of the house, taught Frisky the true meaning of "pecking order."

Things quickly settled down to normal, and I really didn't think anything about it until last night.  One of my friends came to visit and brought along her four-year-old niece. The little girl had a wonderful time playing with all our pets. When she put on her sweater to leave at the end of our visit, she looked at me and solemnly asked: "Can I come and visit your zoo again, please?"

Zoo?  Hmmmm...I wonder if I can charge admission?

Smile!
~ Stephanie

Wow! Now I Need to Get Busy and Blog!

I was thrilled and pleasantly surprised to find I've been the recipient of a special award from one of my favorite new authors, Patricia Kiyono.  She presented me with the Liebster Blog award, which is supposed to be given to "up and coming bloggers who have fewer than 200 followers". 

Patty is a newly published author at Astraea Press, and a good friend.  Her first novel, The Legacy, was published in July of 2011 as part of Astraea Press' efforts to raise money to contribute to the tsunami relief efforts in Japan.  Since then, Patty has released The Christmas Phoenix and Aegean Intrigue.  Both highly enjoyable reads.
 
Patricia's blog,Creative Hodgepodge is an eclectic collection of musings from this author/crafter/seamstress/and self-proclaimed procrastinator.  Thanks for this honor, Patricia!

Now, here's what I have to do to accept this award is:

1. Thank the person who gave it to them and link back to that person's blog (done and done).

2. Copy and paste the award to your blog. (It's up at the top!)

3. Choose 5 blogs to award in kind and break the news by commenting on those blogs.

4. Hope those people pay it forward in turn by accepting and awarding "The Liebster Blog Award" to blogs they'd like to honor

And so, -- the envelope please -- Here's my choices for the five bloggers who deserve this award far more than me (my apologies if you have more than 200 followers -- I think you should have lots more!!):

Peg Cochran is a transplant from New Jersey who I met when she joined the Grand Rapids Region Writers' Group (GRRWG).  Peg has two cozy mystery series debuting from Berkley Prime Crime— the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series, written as Meg London, set in Paris, Tennessee with Emma Taylor who finds murder and mayhem in this quiet country town, and the Gourmet De-Lite series (under her own name) set in Connecticut and featuring Gigi Fitzgerald who provides gourmet diet meals to a select group of clients.  You can can find her at Meg London.

Another GRRWG author, Temple Hogan, inspires me as she has started a second successful writing career after retiring by tackling the sensual erotic romance genre.  Temple assures me it's never to late to start my writing career.  She can be found at Hot News Flash.

Like my friend Patricia Kiyono, Joselyn Vaughn is another author at Astraea Press.  Joselyn is mom to three lively youngsters, blogs faithfully, and still managed to get four books published.  A truly remarkable young woman!  You can find her at Joselyn Vaughn: The Things That Give Me Joy (And Sometimes Don't). 

W.S. Granger is author of the Mitch Malone mysteries.  W. S. Granger is author of the Mitch Malone mystery series.  Wendy started out as a romance writer, but soon found her niche was in the mystery arena and never hesitated to head in that direction.  She deserves this reward for taking that giant leap!

My last (but not least) recipient is  Writers Like Me .  This blog is filled with informational and entertaining topics about and for writers.  Kudos for this blog go to critique and business partners Mary Timmer and Cheryl Sterling. 

 

Well, these are my five nominees. It was hard choosing them because many of my favorite blogs already have hundreds of followers or are from people who have been blogging for years.  So I want to take my hat off to some of them:  Brynn Paulin (Brynn's comfort and Joy), Bronwyn Green (especially for her Riding in Cars with Boys), Tanya Eby, and Jennifer Armintrout.  I love your blogs and can always count on them for a pick-me-up.

Thanks again, Patty, this is an honor.  Now, I guess I need to start blogging faithfully!

Keep Writing,
~Stephanie