The Perfect Gift reached #4 on the Amazon Anthologies New release Hot List.   What a great way for this boook to enter the publishing world!  lol

Take a peek for yourself:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/12827/ref=pd_nr_c_th_more/105-132...

I know it's been a while since I stopped by here, but life's been busy. Work, family, friends, writing, and basic summertime fun.  It's nearly fall now, so time to wrap up all the warmth-related activities, all the outside chores and get ready to enjoy the fall weather.  Except...

For me, Christmas falls on September 25th.

That's when the Christmas anthology, The Perfect Gift, comes out in paperback. Already, Amazon has it on its Hot list for Romance anthologies, which is pretty exciting.  My story is in there with the likes of Annmarie McKenna , Maya Banks , MacKenzie McKade and Kate Davies .  Wow.

So here's the link to my blurb and excerpt:

http://www.staciawolf.com/MIracle_at_Midnight.html

Here's some info on Maya Banks' blog, rather fun read:

http://www.writemindedblog.com/?p=937

This weekend, I'll put together a newsletter and a contest for a print copy of the anthology.  I don't have them yet, but I'm hoping it'll be soon.

Remember way back when - January? - when we made some great resolutions?  Usually I don't go for that, but this year, I made a couple of them that I really tried to hold to.

First - finish Pretend 2 by March 10th.  Actual: shipped off to an editor July 4th.  Okay, sucked at that one. (I have excuses, I really do!  But results are what matters).

Second - Lose 20 pounds by March 10th.  Okay, didn't make that one, either.  (Yeah, I really do suck at this.)  BUT!  I have made some great progress.

I've lost ten pounds.  Ten very stubborn no-way-are-you-ditching-me pounds. Difference between a tight size 10 and a tight 8 (I've actually found a couple of loose 8's to wear until the rest of the weight joins its buddies). It feels great.  Wonderful, actually, to be back to a decent size, and close to being in the single digits in clothing again. So my official weigh-in is on Thursday (I'm a member of Weight Watchers online), but right now it stands at: (WHERE'S MY DRUMROLL?????)

152.5.

Next intermediate goal: 149.5 by August 6th (spending a few days at a local lake, rented a cabin there, want to be decent in my swim suit.)

Oh, yeah, life is good. ggggg

At 5'7", I'm aiming for 142, and that's now within target.  Drop-dead goal day: December 1st. I'm taking this so slooooowwwww and easy, hoping that the weight loss will stick around.  It's a fairly big lifestyle change. Less sugar, less fat, candy's mostly a no-no (see my 8 things nobody knew). More fiber, more exercise.  AND somehow I have to make sure I don't feel deprived.

And why December 1st: Hawaii, baby!!!!

I'm attempting to jump start my writing.  Hard to do , especially with Pretend 2's rocky road lately.  But right before I received that lovelynews, I joined a challenge, monintored on Allison Kent's blog, to finish a book in 70 days.

I chose my chick let, named Memoirs of a Serial Dater, to work on.  Poor Laney - she's having a bad day.  In fact, most of her life lately has been a series of bumps and potholes, but this day - wow, it's a doozy. More on that later. (And here's hoping that this one will tittilate an editor, somewhere down the line!)

So, to reach my goal of bringing Laney and friends to fruition by September 20th, I need to write about 1300 words a day. So far, 9 days into the challenge, I have 9,000 words.  Hold on, let me do the math - oh, yeah, I'm 2700 words short.

I'm going to try to kick-start this tonight after work.  So wish me and Laney Mathews well!

Maxi is my bud.  He's nearly 14 years old, a black pomeranian that came to me as a gift when he weighed less than a can of corn.  He's older now, slowing down a bit, but wherever I go, I know he's only a few feet away.

I came home from work today, and greeted all the dogs - Turbo, Callie and Bashful.  But no Maxi.  He's usually the first. So I called for him. No Maxi. Hmmm.... must be outside. I looked out there, didn't see him.  I called some more, but still no dog.

I went into the bedroom and checked under the bed (a favorite sleeping spot). No Maxi. Looked under all the furniture in the bedroom and living room. Looked in my office (the jumbled mess that it is).  Then outside.  Both gates are shut, he's not under the grape vine,  there are no newly dug holes.  Where can he be?  Could someone have stolen him?

I'm panicked now, and I'm yelling for him as I run through the house. Nothing. I rush back into my office to grab the phone and call my son - or somebody, anyone who might have an idea or a clue or something. That's when I see it. The pile of fur in front of the vent not moving.

"Maxi!" He doesn't move. Oh, god, I can't handle it if he's gone. I reach him and touch him. And he jumps. So do I. The goofy dog had been sleeping!

I scoop him up, hug him tightly, telling him how he scared me. He's not a cuddly dog, so after a moment he squirms.

Then I notice something. I talk to him but he doesn't look at me. I suddenly reallize that he wasn't in a deep sleep, and he's not in a critical medical state. He didn't hear me come home!

So today, I found my pal, and he's okay, but I discovered he's deaf.  I'm going to take him to the vet and I'm hoping that it's only wax buildup.  I discovered today that I'm nowhere near ready to say goodbye....