Let me know what you think of my latest book. This is what I have so far. Its QUITE rough, but it gives you an idea of it so far...
Chapter 1
"I HAVE THE RESULTS OF your pregnancy test." Dr. Nancy Kessler looked from patient to husband. Her face was unreadable and her tone didn't give a hint as to the answer.
Halley squeezed her husband's hand and made quick eye contact with him. Then, she glanced at the doctor, "Well, were we successful, Dr. Kessler?" She crossed her fingers on her free hand.
The doctor grinned and nodded. "You were quite successful. Congratulations, Halley and Sean. You're expecting a baby."
Haleigh waited for six weeks to hear those words and it wasn't the only waiting they did. Sean and Halley waited to start to have a family for three years and were in their thirties. They paid off their credit cards, saved money, changed their eating habits and counted calories, exercised, and lost weight. Furthermore, Halley cut down on her beloved caffeinated coffee. Then, they tried to start their family.
Sean was the first to speak. "How wonderful, Hal. We're going to have a baby." He bent down and kissed her cheek.
She loved to hear the joy in his voice. "Thank you, Dr. Kessler, for giving us the confirmation." Halley couldn't remember being this happy in a while. She was normally happy because she had a good marriage, a nice home, and a good job. However, the only reason why she had all that was because she spent the last ten years building her life to this place. It took her a lot of time and hard work.
The acknowledgment she was pregnant brought more happiness. It also brought Halley a nervousness. She was hesitant because she didn't want to ruin her child. It wasn't just any child; after all, it was their child.
"Go to the front desk and they'll schedule your next appointment." Dr. Kessler addressed them and left the room. A couple of minutes afterward, when Halley's feet hit the pavement outside the doctor's office, Sean scooped her off her feet. He spun her in a circle and caused her to giggle. "We're having a baby." He set her down and kissed her senseless. Normally he did not do such a thing, but the circumstances were different.
Halley couldn't help but think how she would never forget this moment. It was too special. Just in case, she would write about it in her journal as her Nana taught her from a young age.
Sean had a huge grin on his face and she tried to memorize the moment. He looked wonderful. "Congratulations, Mom." Sean opened her car door for her.
"You, too, Dad." Halley hugged her husband again and kissed his cheek. We're awfully lucky. How did we get it right on our first try? That never happens, you know."
He got another smile and he boasted, "I think there were several tries, my wife, and not just one. However, how did we accomplish the feat? It's because we read up on how to get pregnant and tried everything. More importantly, though, was we had had fun. The secret is not trying to get pregnant.
Halley knew he had a point. She crawled into the car and reached across the console and seat to open his door.
"So, when are you going to call Nana and tell her the news? I know you're dying to tell her." He asked when he got into the car.
That was one of the things she loved about her husband. He had the ability to guess what she needed before she even realized what she needed. He was right. Her heart's desire was to share with her grandmother that another generation of the Phillips family was expected. Nana was about to become a great-grandmother. "I would love to call her now. Do you mind?"
"Of course not." He handed her his cell phone. "Go ahead."
THE WORDS KEPT REPLAYING IN her mind, "You're pregnant." When Dr. Kessler announced the news and she caused Kayla's heart to quicken.
The drive home from the doctor's office was a long one. She didn't have anyone to talk to and their presence was missed, whoever they were. She needed to talk to someone, anyone,and Lord knew it couldn't be her husband.
Duncan didn't want to have children. Oops.
She refused to give up the baby. Hence, by the end of the night, he would probably ask for a divorce.....
Blog Vol. 10 SBS
Good question. I'm also changing the schedule yet again (please don't strangle me) in order to reflect these changes:
Sunday: Thoughts on Dreams
Monday: January's Lasting Legacy
Tuesday: Thoughts on Writing
Wednesday: Genesis' Lack of Patience
Thursday: The Murder of Owen Knight
Friday: Demarcations
Saturday: Thoughts on Journaling/Blogging
Cammi's Story, Tanpres, Zeagar have moved to: www.Speclitstoriesbystacy.blogspot.com/
Thoughts on Motherhood have moved to: www.Momstoriesbystacy.blogspot.com/
This will always be my main site. I'm also thinking of starting a blog on journaling... We shall see. (Lord, help this overachiever.)
So, what do you think?
Thoughts in General About Books:
What do you like in a book? Can you send me your thoughts on it, please?
Me: I like to escape this world, and my life, for a while. I like to get lost in the story and imagine myself in the story. I like something that teaches important life lessons and has a good moral to the story. I like several genres equally. I love to find quotes from books that I keep in a notebook as inspiration later.
Stacy Duplease
Blog Vol. 9 SBS
I've decided to move my thoughts on motherhood to a different blog. It is intended to be an interactive site where women discuss the blessings and responsibilities of motherhood. We'll also discuss how not to ruin our kiddos for life and how to leave a lasting legacy. Check it out at:www/momstoriesbystacy.blogspot.com/Dads, you might want to tune-in in order to learn about what's on your wife's heart.Talk to all of you soon,Stacy DupleaseBlog Vol. 8 SBS
Book Proposal
WORKING TITLE: The Murder of Owen Knight (Book 1 of the Starreville Series)
THEMES: Dealing with hard times, growth, love, friendship, and self-awareness.
LENGTH: Approx. 82,000 words * 26 chapters
HOW DIFFERS: This book has a little bit of everything in it. You get to know all of the characters and see how they can get out of bed every day. You never quite know what to expect with a new surprise around every corner. The characters are what make this book so endearing because we can all identify with them. In the process of the characters growing, we grow while we read the story.
MARKET: Church, chapel, and internet (including two blogs and Twitter).
BIO: Married without 2-legged children, but have a Beagle. Work full time as a novelist. Have two blogs that I try to keep up with daily. Addicted to coffee, tea, counting-calories, and exercise. Avid reader.
AVAILABILITY: Available immediately via disc or emailed in Word 97-2003 or Word 2007.
SUMMARY: Leslie and her husband move to a small town when he becomes the pastor of a local church. Leslie joins a writing group that just formed and they determine that they all want to be novelists. They’re all from different walks of life. Once strangers at the beginning, they become family quite rapidly. Through writing, they are stretched and mature. They learn more about who they are as individuals and support one another through a series of challenging times each of them experience. However, they also learn how real life can be stranger than fiction when they start to be stalked by those who want to murder them. There are elements of: drama, romance, a thriller, and mystery surrounding the novel. The twelve writers, along with their families, are fabulous people we can all identify with and learn from regarding the lessons of life. Blog Vol. 7 SBS
THIS IS A ROUGH DRAFT AND IS A DEFINITE WORK IN PROGRESS. However, here's something to wet your whistle and hopefully reel you in to want to read some of the book.
Book Proposal
WORKING TITLE: Genesis’ Lack of Patience (Book 1 of Aubrey’s Marriage Series)
THEMES: How to fight for your marriage, infidelity, avoiding divorce, making dreams come true, dealing with hard times, suicide, and focusing on what’s important.
LENGTH: Approx. 81,900 words * 28 chapters
HOW DIFFERS: This book gives a very raw look at life and trying to make marriage work. It also shows how in spite of the hard times, it’s possible to still live your dreams and make them come true with a little faith. It shows the dark side of all of it, but how to rise above it and overcome.
MARKET: Church, chapel, and internet (including two blogs and Twitter).
BIO: Married without 2-legged children, but have a Beagle. Work full time as a novelist. Have two blogs that I try to keep up with daily. Addicted to coffee, tea, counting-calories, and exercise. Avid reader.
AVAILABILITY: Available immediately via disc or emailed in Word 97-2003 or Word 2007.
SUMMARY: Aubrey is writing a novel about how to fight for a marriage and how to avoid divorce through hard work and cherishing each other every day. Her sister, Genesis, found out her husband was unfaithful. The family rallies about Genesis and Aubrey as she tried to make her dream come true of being a published writer. Aubrey moved to Spruce, Colorado to write and meets several interesting new friends trying to make their dreams come true. Then, tragedy strikes and Genesis commits suicide and sends Aubrey and family into a downward spiral. Between family and friends, Aubrey finds a way to raise her niece and nephew and make her dream come true. She even finds love.
--Stacy DupleaseBlog Vol. 6 SBS
I just finished editing the last of the four books I'm taking with me to the CCWC (Colorado Christian Writers Conference). The four are: Cammi's Story, Genesis' Lack of Patience, The Murder of Owen Knight, and Demarcations. Now, I need to write my summaries and then edit all of them again. The CCWC is in 15 days. That gives me three days a piece to read through them again. Wow. I'm going to be a busy lady for a bit.
I'm starting to get to the excited-panicked phase. Too much to do. Too little time. However, with my schedule of sixteen hour days, I can accomplish the feat. I have no doubt.
It's rather odd not having a full-time job in the workplace now. In many ways, I think I should go back because I worked a great deal less than I do now. (Sorry former employer, in case you read this.) I tend to push myself when writing. I want to make a living at it. Bless my husband for his support and belief in me.
I digressed. It's rather off not being in the workforce because I'm already losing track of time. I look at a calendar several times a day to keep track in my mind what the day and date are. Also, pinching the pennies to make them stretch as far as I am able is another task I now have. I probably should have focused more on that all along.
Well, let me turn to the summaries now. Today, I'm going to work on Genesis since that's the one I just finished editing and it's more fresh on my mind.
Here's my latest and shortened and latest version of my blog schedule:
Sunday: Dreaming and Writing Blog--(SBS)Monday: Zeagar???? (Title in progress. Sci-Fi. SLSBS)--Tuesday: Cammi's Story (SLSBS)Wednesday: Genesis' Lack of Patience (SBS) Thursday: The Murder of Owen Knight (SBS)Friday: January's Lasting Legacy (Still writing. Started over again on 4/27. Combining thoughts on being a mom-to-be with this blog. SBS)
Saturday: Demarcations (SBS) and Tanpres (SLSBS)
Key: SBS=Stories by Stacy BLog; SLSBS-Spec Lit stories by Stacy Blog
One-Sentence Summaries:
See Blog Vol. 3 SBS on 28 April 2009.
Paragraph Summaries: (Work in progress)
Zeagar
Five teens are asked by the U.S. government to explore other planets within the Zeagar Galaxy and to write up reports/blogs about their experiences.
Cammi's Story
Cammi and Ramey find themselves in a strange fantastical world called Lethana while they're asked to recover the Lost Volumes.
Genesis Lack of Patience
Aubrey writes a series about marriage and how to fight every day to keep and treasure your spouse even through the impossibly difficult life-circumstances thrown your way.
The Murder of Owen Knight
A writers group finds themselves in a situation where they're being hunted and one of them is murdered.
January's Lasting Legacy
A book about four moms and three dads planning for a baby.
Demarcations
Sara moves to live with her grandmother and start over in a small town and opens a cafe and bookstore where she meets several new friends.
One-Page Summaries: (Work in progress)
Zeagar--Work in progress.
Cammi's Story--Preparing for CCWC
Genesis Lack of Patience--You'll have later today.
The Murder of Owen Knight--Preparing for CCWC
January's Lasting Legacy--Work in progress
Demarcations--Preparing for CCWC
January's Lasting Legacy:
Four moms-to-be form a social group to support one another through pregnancy. It tells of their experiences, outlooks, and plans. The three men involved with the women will also form their own group. So, it's not just for women readers. It's for the whole family.
My Schedule for 2009:
See Blog Vol 3 SBS on 28 April 2009.
Blessings,
Stacy D.
*******
Please see my other speculative fiction blog at: www.Speclitstoriesbystacy.blogspot.com/
You can also find me on twitter at: Storiesbystacy and email me at: Storiesbystacy@gmail.com
While each blog will be a stand-alone, if you're new to this blog, you may want to go back and read the previous posts in order to get the most out of the blog.
Blog Vol. 5 SBS
I've decided to split up Stories by Stacy into two different blogs. Please sign yourself up as followers for each (you do not need Google to do so) and can do so on each blog's site. Even those who normally despise speculative fiction of fantasy or sci-fi have said that they like my writing. Therefore, give it a try even if you aren't a fan. It would mean a great deal to me and I just might make you a fan. (Or, I may be delusional or an eternal optimist.) However, in case it's an automatic turn-off, that's why I'm putting it in another blog.
Therefore, my books of: Cammi's Story, Tanpres, and Zeagar will be moved to the other blog at: www.speclitstoriesbystacy.blogspot.com/
My other writings will stay on this blog. This will be my main blog. If you want news about me, the drama books, and my random thoughts, please still tune in here.
If you want to escape for a while, go to the other blog as well. Everyone needs the chance to escape and this was does not cost any money. Reading a book is free. Escapism is essential for self-care and keeping one's sanity. If you can't get away, reading about a world not like this place can be a good way to runaway and forget about it all. In fantasy and sci-fi, you're able to travel to different places, talk to English with animals and fantasy characters, explore the universe, participate in a battle of good vs. evil, and find a prince or princess to marry or even be royalty.
The Spec Lit blog will be up and running in the next two weeks. (I hope.)
Thank you so much for bearing patiently with me while I figure out how to do this blogging thing. Have a great day.
Blessings to You,Stacy D.*******
Please see my other speculative fiction blog at: www.Speclitstoriesbystacy.blogspot.com/You can also find me on twitter at: Storiesbystacy and email me at: Storiesbystacy@gmail.com While each blog will be a stand-alone, if you're new to this blog, you may want to go back and read the previous posts in order to get the most out of the blog.
Blog Vol. 4 SBS
Happy Tuesday. I hope you're well.
Today, I seem to be scattered and realize I bit off more than I could chew when I promised a synopsis of each of my books for today. I will have that this week (I hope). I'm just not sure when. Also, I want to give several different types of a sentence, a paragraph, and one-page summaries. It will help you get acquainted with my novels, but will also allow me the opportunity to practice giving a pitch to a publisher for the CCWC (Colo. Christian Writers Conference in Estes Park).
I'm going to try to put this out every day in the morning or around noon at the latest. So, please bear with me while I try to get adjusted to my new schedule. I need to edit, read a novel, read some on how to write, write, exercise, do some housecleaning, pack a box or two, snuggle with my beagle, and have time with my husband every day so I'm trying to figure out how to make it work. I'm a morning person and get my best writing and editing done in the morning. Therefore, I promise the blog will be sent out by noon. I will try to send another in the afternoon as a bonus from time to time.
My schedule has already been modified because I'm currently kicking around two new novels in my head as I edit my book, Genesis' Lack of Patience. Also January's Lasting Legacy is about motherhood, so I'm going to combine my thoughts on planning to have a baby with that day's blog.
Here's my shortened and latest version of my blog schedule:
Sunday: Dreaming and Writing Blog Monday: Zeagar???? (Title in progress. Sci-Fi.)Tuesday: Cammi's Story Wednesday: Genesis' Lack of Patience. Thursday: The Murder of Owen KnightFriday: January's Lasting Legacy (Still writing. Started over again on 4/27. Combining thoughts on being a mom-to-be with this blog.)Saturday: Demarcations
*** I'll keep adding to the next three sections over the next couple of weeks:
One-Sentence Summaries:
Zeagar
Five teens are asked by the U.S. government to explore other planets within the Zeagar Galaxy and to write up reports/blogs about their experiences.
Cammi's Story
Cammi and Ramey find themselves in a strange fantastical world called Lethana while they're asked to recover the Lost Volumes.
Genesis Lack of Patience
Aubrey writes a series about marriage and how to fight every day to keep and treasure your spouse even through the impossibly difficult life-circumstances thrown your way.
The Murder of Owen Knight
A writers group finds themselves in a situation where they're being hunted and one of them is murdered.
January's Lasting Legacy
A book about four moms and three dads planning for a baby.
Demarcations
Sara moves to live with her grandmother and start over in a small town and opens a cafe and bookstore where she meets several new friends.
Paragraph Summaries:
Zeagar
Cammi's Story
Genesis Lack of Patience
The Murder of Owen Knight
January's Lasting Legacy
Demarcations
One-Page Summaries:
Zeagar
Cammi's Story
Genesis Lack of Patience
The Murder of Owen Knight
January's Lasting Legacy
Demarcations
January's Lasting Legacy:
I have a confession to make to you about my writing style. I have a bad habit of getting a quarter into the way of a book and starting over when I get stuck or when it doesn't come out the way I imagined. January's Lasting Legacy has had even more do-over's than normal for me. I'll let you know once I know more about it myself. I just started over again last night. I do know this about the plot, however: Four moms-to-be form a social group to support one another through pregnancy. It tells of their experiences, outlooks, and plans. The three men involved with the women will also form their own group. So, it's not just for women readers. It's for the whole family.
Etc. Etc. Etc.:
*** This section will be for the miscellaneous items where I don't want to devote a whole blog to, but still deem important. I realize the name is redundant, three times over, but there is a reason for it. Etc. Etc. Etc. was the one of the first books I ever wrote. It was when I was ten years old. My dad owned a print shop at the time and had an old Itek Typesetter, for those of you who know what that was. For those who don't, it was the precursor for print shops of the personal computer. It was a big clunky thing in which you actually had to program it for every page and give it commands of what you wanted to do. At any rate, that's what I used for this book. I still have it somewhere. In the process of moving, I'll try to find it and will share some of it with you.
*** Book I just finished reading last night:
Cold Ridge by Carla Neggers
*** Book I started reading last night:
Maximum Ride: Book 1: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson. It's a fantasy and written for children, but young adults and adults love it. I'll tell you more about it later.
*** Check out the Amazon Kindle 2, a computerized book and library. I'll write more on this later. I love it and never thought I could make the switch from paper books to computerized. Wouldn't have it any other way now. It saves on shelf space and I am a nut about collecting books.
My Schedule for 2009:
*** May 13th-16th, Colorado Christian Writer's Conference
*** On vacation May 17th-June 2nd
*** Packing to move from June 3rd to July 1st
*** Moving from Colorado to Nebraska the first week of July.
Blessings to You,Stacy D.*******You can also find me on twitter at: Storiesbystacy and email me at: Storiesbystacy@gmail.com While each blog will be a stand-alone, if you're new to this blog, you may want to go back and read the previous posts in order to get the most out of the blog.
Blog Vol. 3
Today is my first real day of writing full-time and for a living. Before now, I had a full-time job and wrote full-time. So far, I'm working for free, but plan to change this factor. After all, I'm going to the Colorado Christian Writer's Conference in Estes Park, from May 13th to 16th. (Check out WriteHisAnswer.com for further information.)
I have four books that I want to prepare and present to publishers at the conference:
1. Cammi's Story
2. Genesis' Lack of Patience
3. The Murder of Owen Knight
4. Demarcations
They are all the first books of four different series and each of them are drama with romance as part of their theme. I will devote a blog posting to each book, along with up and coming books I'm writing, each week and will sometimes do several blogs in a day.
Here's my tentative list of blog posts I'll do:
Sunday: Dreaming and Writing Blog
Monday: Thoughts on being a mom-to-be. (I'm still in the planning stage, but am actively trying to change my life to be the best it can be for carrying a baby of eating well, exercising, and of my interior life. I'll discuss how preparing for baby impacts every facet of my life, including my writing.)
Tuesday: Cammi's Story (It's a fantasy, by the way. Fully written. It's Book 1 of the Lethana Series.)
Wednesday: Genesis' Lack of Patience. (A definite drama about marriage, divorce, and depression/grief. It's fully written and is Book 1 of the Aubrey's Marriage Series.)
Thursday: The Murder of Owen Knight (A drama, thriller, and a murder mystery. It's fully written.)
Friday: January's Lasting Legacy (A drama about a mom-to-be and how she, along with her grandmother, wants to leave a lasting legacy for the baby she's carrying. I'm writing the book now. Just started.)
Saturday: Demarcations (Drama. Romance. It's about a town and the people of the town of Escape, Colorado. Each book will be about getting to know a different character. Book 1 is fully written.)
I'll send other blogs in there to tell you my personal story and journey interlaced between those at variable times. I'll also talk about life and share words of wisdom I've learned or heard. But above all else, I'll tell you wild beagle tales because my Mr. Zack is such a character I cannot help but want to share. I doubt that you'll get bored with my little human/cat/dog/old man. He's confused about his real identity.
Let me know what you think about my line-up. I'll try to keep the same thing on the same day so you can find it easier to keep track of which day you want to read most.
Also, for those of you who get turned off at the thought of reading Christian fiction, you need to know that I talk far more about faith and prayer (which you could say positive affirmations or meditations) than I do about Jesus Christ. I'll mention verses form the Bible, but only to make a point about a life lesson. I want everyone to feel free to read my writings and not be turned off by them. So, you could say I write Christian-light. If I ever write a blatant Christian blog, I'll make sure to put something in the title to let you know it's that way and you can ignore that blog, if you desire.
For now, I am going to start to try to write a synopsis of each and share that with you tomorrow. I'll start my schedule in the next few days. I'll also start to tell you about myself so I'm not a stranger to you.
Have a great day. Live a life of memories worth preserving and live intentionally to create a lasting legacy. How each of us decides to do this will be drastically different. How do you plan on doing this today? Write me and let me know.
For me for now, getting ready for my Writer's Conference in 16 days, preserving my thoughts on paper, and writing this blog is how I plan to leave my legacy.
Blessings to You,
Stacy D.
*******You can also find me on twitter at: Storiesbystacy and email me at: Storiesbystacy@gmail.com While each blog will be a stand-alone, if you're new to this blog, you may want to go back and read the previous posts in order to get the most out of the blog.
Blog Vol. 2
Today is the first day of my blog. I hope I don't bore you. I've never done this before and am a little apprehensive. So, bear with me, please.
My goals with this blog are:
1. To share stories with you. I will talk about all of the books I'm in the process of trying to get published, am writing, or are in the process of editing. I write several different aspects of the drama genre. I write thrillers, murder mysteries, speculative fiction, and romance. There's always a romantic theme, a lesson learned, and I show how life is real and raw.
2. To help you escape for a while.
3. To help you look at life from a different perspective.
4. To help you learn how to leave a lasting legacy or create a way to preserve your memories.
5. To develop a stronger interior life.
6. To share my process of making my dream of becoming a published author come true.
7. To talk about writing.
8. To share how I am in the process of moving to a different state with my husband and hope to start our family soon and how that impacts life.
9. To show how life is difficult, but it's what we put into it, the lessons learned, guard our hearts and minds, and how we hold fast to our faith that makes the difference.
What lofty goals I have and wish I could make it simpler. However, in order for me to be realistic about life, faith, relationships, and dreaming, I am forced to recognize that I cannot put it in a pretty box with a pretty bow. Life is complicated. However, we can find a simplicity in it and I want to share how I've learned, and am learning, how to do so.
A wise man in my life taught me a long time ago to focus on making my every today and tomorrow better than my every yesterday. Even though life sends me curve balls, I can look beyond them and life a life focused on leaving a meaningful lasting legacy to future generations of how to live life fully and simply through the sharing of stories and the lessons learned. I would love to hear how you've learned to do the same.
I want this blog to be interactive. Write me. I will choose what gets put on my blog and ask for no profanity, but beyond that, I welcome differing perspectives as well. Life is hard enough without learning from one another and helping each other through things.
I also welcome critique on my stories. I will share my writing with you. Again, I have the choice as to what to apply and what to ignore, but I welcome it.
How do you plan to live a meaningful life and leave a lasting legacy? What's your story?
Blessings to You,
Stacy D.
Posts
