Stacy Juba's Blog, page 103

Follow Blog, Win a Chance At Prizes

I have some special giveaways planned for the coming months, including a $50 gift certificate to CSN Stores and a free ebook version of a hot new novel, so now is a good time to start following the blog. That way, you'll be more in the loop and won't miss out on a chance at prizes. I'm currently on the hunt for even more giveaways to offer my readers.

If you're a Facebook user, there is a very convenient way for you to follow this blog. Click on the Networked Blogs icon in the left margin...

Blast From The Past: The Fairview Treasure

Here's another one of my childhood writing excerpts. I can barely decipher my handwriting on this 25-year-old fifth grade writing assignment as I wrote it in pencil. I remember writing this story, which I titled The Fairview Treasure. Back then, I was reading a lot of Phyllis A. Whitney books, as well as the Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Cherry Ames, Bobbsey Twins, and Judy Bolton series.

Here's an excerpt: One dark and gloomy night, as the coyotes that were hidden from the atmosphere of the...

25 Years Ago Today: Suspense/Thriller Author Mary Deal

I'd like to extend a warm Aloha to Mary Deal, author of four suspense/thriller novels. Mary is an Eric Hoffer Book Award winner and Pushcart Prize nominee. She also writes short stories and poetry from her island home in Kapa`a, Hawaii. Her website, writeanygenre.com, is a valuable resource for writers.

Mary's character, Abigail (Abi) Fisher from her thriller Down to the Needle is answering the question "What were you doing 25 years ago?" In Down to the Needle, a woman's long search for her...

25 Years Ago Today: 'Unexpectedly, Milo' Author Matthew Dicks

I'd like to welcome Matthew Dicks today. I've had the pleasure of doing a couple of author talks and book-signings with Matthew, and very much enjoyed his first novel Something Missing. His second book Unexpectedly, Milo appears in bookstores August 3.

Matthew grew up in the small town of Blackstone, Massachusetts. He was a Boy Scout, a pole-vaulter, a bassoonist, and a proud member of his school's drum corps, and he has the distinction of having died twice by the age of 18 before being...

Rollercoaster Month: Blog Woes, Book News & Hot Authors

It has been a rollercoaster month blog-wise. Some of my regular readers may have noticed that for the past few weeks, my blog has had some pretty weird stuff going on. In fact, it went totally haywire. Luckily, I'm on a new server now and the days of error messages are over. Whew! On a brighter note, I just finished taking the Blog Book Tours class and found it very educational. Thanks to the class, I made a few subtle tweaks to help make my blog more user-friendly.

Among the changes, you...

25 Years Ago Today: Well-Known Writer and Blogger Jenny Milchman

I'd like to welcome writer and blogger Jenny Milchman today. I first got to know Jenny when I did a guest blog post for her inspirational and popular Made It Moments column and found her to be just as inspirational as the authors she features on her blog. While engaged in her publication journey, Jenny has worked to connect writers and readers in an ongoing discussion of craft.

She is founder and co-host of the series Writing Matters, which draws authors from as far away as New Hampshire and ...

25 Years Ago Today: "Zoo-dunnit" Author Ann Littlewood

I'd like to welcome Ann Littlewood today. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading about Ann's fascinating background as much I did. Ann was a zookeeper at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, for 12 years, working with a wide variety of mammals and birds. After a stint in corporate America, she is delighted to be back in the zoo world, at least mentally, writing the Iris Oakley mystery series. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with a sign painter husband and a small but very hairy dog.

Ann, what a fun...

Blast From The Past: Mystery of the Stolen Art Treasure

As I mentioned earlier in my blog, I've been writing mystery stories since I was in elementary school. I store them all in a huge clear plastic bin in one of my closets. I stumbled across this one, The Mystery of the Stolen Art Treasure, in a light blue folder. I wrote it in careful handwriting, with a blue erasable pen. If I made too many mistakes in one of my stories, I'd force myself to recopy the entire page until it was perfect. Boy, did I hate recopying pages, but I was tough editor...

25 Years Ago Today: Paranormal Romance Author Caitlyn Hunter

I'd like to welcome my guest, author Caitlyn Hunter. Caitlyn lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her husband and two canine pals, Des and Fletch. Though you'd never guess it to look at her, she is part Cherokee and loves putting a paranormal romance spin on the legends of her ancestors.

Snow Shadows is the first book in her Eternal Shadows series. The second book, Storm Shadows was released in May. She is currently working on the third book in the series....

Something in Common: 5 Ways to Get Fit and Not Quit

As my blog readers know, every now and then I like to feature a topic that has "something in common" with one of my published books. Today's topic is health and fitness, thanks to my guest writer Robert Boyd, the Managing Director of SportsEquip.co.uk, leading suppliers of 'capital' sports equipment and wet pour safety surfaces.

What does health and fitness have to do with my books? Well, Cassidy Novak, the main character in my upcoming December release Sink or Swim, is a personal trainer...