Circle of Life

Every May 14th, I prepare for a big sulk.  All my friends and family prepare, too.  They either send me hugs or run and hide.  :)  Seriously, it's the anniversary of my husband's death from cancer in 2005, which was a very traumatic experience for our family.

I have now realized that he or Fate or some higher power has determined that I shall not be allowed to sulk any longer.  That's probably a Good Thing.  Last year on May 14th, my beautiful niece married her Prince Charming.  It was a wonderful wedding.

This year, my second granddaughter, Eliza Judith Carr, came into this world just before dawn on May 14th.  She's perfect and beautiful and a shining tribute to her grandfather's memory.

So now instead of sulking on May 14th, I will be celebrating my granddaughter's birthday.  I'm confident her Grandpa is somewhere giving her a big thumbs-up.  :)

Welcome to the family.

Love,
Grandma Deb

Facelift

A WILLING SPIRIT and SOME LIKE IT HOTTER are both getting facelifts--AKA new covers.  :)  As always, you can find all the buy links on my Books page at my website. Enjoy!

Birthdays & Heroes

Thanks for raising me to believe in heroes, Dad.

Love, Deb

Easter Memory

My late husband, Dave, and I  purchased a house in a rural subdivision called Woodmoor, adjacent to Monument, Colorado in 1995--the same year my first novel (SHADES OF ROSE) was released.  It used to always snow on Easter here in the days before Climate Change.  Typically, March and April are our snowiest months, but not this year!  That's another topic for another post....

This would have been Easter 1996.  Our son, Ben, was 6, Bonnie 9, and Barbi 13-14.  As usual, it snowed (a lot) on Easter Sunday.  Dave loved to hide the eggs, and we had 1.25 acres of old growth pine forest.  I reminded him to leave some of them out in places easy for Bonnie to find.  Even though older than Ben, she was smaller and has Down Syndrome.  As it turned out, he didn't have to that year.  :)

Because the snow was deep and still falling, we left the baskets inside and gave the kids plastic grocery bags to use for their hunt.  I don't recall Barbi participating.  I think she already considered herself "too old" for such activity, but not for the chocolate bunny, of course.  We had no  idea that young Ben's bag had a hole in the corner just big enough for those real and plastic eggs filled with goodies to slip right through....

In typical fashion, he darted around our wooded lot from tree to tree, finding all the loot in record time.  Bonnie plodded along in her pink snow suit behind her brother, bending over every few steps and picking up what fell through the hole in his bag.  Each time she did, she said, "Thank you, Ben."  I'm sure she repeated this motion and statement at least twenty times before they finished.  When both children came to us with their bags, Bonnie's was full and Ben's had one little egg that hadn't slipped through the hole.  He looked devastated.  We showed him the hole and Bonnie said, "Thank you, Ben" again.  Then she gave him the bag after removing one plastic egg.

I really wish I  had a video of this Easter morning--especially of their dad laughing so hard there were tears streaming down his face.  We were all laughing, of course, except Ben and Bonnie.  Both these children have hearts of gold, just like their dad.  They shared the candy, and all was well.

Have a wonderful day, however you spend it.  I hope you share it with someone you love.  Ben and Bonnie are both here with me to have dinner.  And even at 25, Bonnie hasn't outgrown the joy of dying Easter eggs, though now I devil them instead of hiding them.  :)  Look whose name she put on one of those eggs....

Happy reading.

Love,
Deb

Big Deal Sale!

Cast Of Characters is part of Amazon's Big Deal, and will be available for only $1.99 for Kindle through August 23rd.  That's a 91% savings!  Happy reading!

Cast Of Characters

Did I mention there's also a story in there by me?  Oh, well, there is.  Something new.  :)  Enjoy!

~Deb

www.debstover.com

Irish Whiskey Punch

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Some legends claim St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.  Others claim those "snakes" were the Druids and Pagans.  I'm inclined to believe the latter.

Whatever you believe, have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day.  Wear something green, tip a bit of Irish beer or Whiskey.  Speaking of which, here is my recipe for Irish Whiskey Punch, which I make every year.  My guests--even those who claim not to like whiskey--practically lick last few drops from the bottoms of their cups.

Slainte!

Irish Whiskey Punch

Ingredients:
6 lemons
3 pints of boiling water
2 cups of sugar
3 pints of Irish whiskey

Method:
Peel the lemon rind very thinly, and then squeeze the lemon. Add to the boiling water and sugar. Dissolve the sugar. Then add the Irish whiskey, strain the punch, and serve. It can be served hot or allowed to cool and bottled for picnics.

Variation (mine):
The first year I made this, when I removed the lid from the pot, flames erupted.  So now I prepare the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a sauce pan, then dump it into my crockpot set on low, THEN add the whiskey.  It can be served directly from the pot.  Leftovers--if there are any--can be stored in the fridge and reheated, or serve it cold for a picnic lunch.  If you're not driving...

Enjoy!

And if you need an Irish read, don't forget to revisit my Mulligans.  If you haven't met them, MULLIGAN STEW is still only 99 cents in digital format.  Find all the links at my site.

New Release!

Cast Of Characters Anthology
"When It's Wright" by Deb Stover -- on sale April 3rd and available for pre-order now.

Deb Stover shares her unique voice with 27 other authors--including 11 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers--in a celebration of great storytelling. CAST OF CHARACTERS belongs in the library of every reader who loves fiction.

Visit Deb's website books' page for links to purchase or order.

 As always, if you want to purchase a book with Deb's autograph, please contact Beth Anne's Book Corner in Colorado Springs.  She can find anything, including Deb's early, early books, and this new one. Please tell her I sent you.

 May all your days include a bit of magic!

~Deb
www.debstover.com

No Place For A Lady

No  Place For A Lady is back in print--digitally speaking.  This book is available on Amazon now, and will show up at iBooks, Barnes & Noble, etc. as well.  Check my website for those links.  This book is a historical romance set in 1888 Colorado, in what is now Rocky Mountain National Park.  The research was a lot of fun.  :)  There is still an excerpt at my website here, along with the original cover, which is still my favorite.

Happy reading!

No Place For A Lady by Deb Stover

"With her trademark originality, Deb Stover delivers another winner. No Place For A Lady will hold readers spellbound with swift action, riveting drama, and of course a romance to sigh for." 
~New York Times Best-selling Author Susan Wiggs

"Filled with warm and loving characters, and enough sexual electricity to power California." 
~Terrie Figueroa, Romance Reviews Today


"This is Deb Stover at her very best! This story has it all - action, adventure, mystery and most of all not one but several romances intertwined in this most amazing book. Oh, and the love scenes just sizzle!" 
~Kathy Boswell, The Best  Reviews


"This tale is one frolicking adventure after another. If you’re not laughing, you’re weeping. Ms. Stover has penned a remarkable journey that will leave its mark upon your heart." 
~Old Book Barn Gazette  



"Dirk is one hero who will bring back the hope in your heart simply because he has the biggest heart in the world. Don't miss this extraordinary story. Ms. Stover once again brings in another FANTASTIC read!!!
5 Bells!!!" 
~Donita  Lawrence, Bell, Book, & Candle



"Stover is a writer of graceful imagination and intense passion, creating masterful work romance lovers will find enchanting. Sexy and irresistible, NO PLACE FOR A LADY comes very highly recommended." ~Cindy  Penn, WordWeaving



"A riveting, fast-paced historical romance from an author who knows how to dream up stories to touch the heart. Ms. Stover pits a hot tempered, endearing heroine against an honorable, sexy hero and lets the sparks fly. She then surrounds them with lively characters, an exciting plot, lots of surprises, and hot passionate love scenes. This book is impossible to put down and the characters hard to forget. Do not pass this one up." 
~Rendezvous

"I got a Rocky Mountain High after reading Deb Stover’s NO PLACE FOR A LADY. It’s fresh, exciting and has more twists and turns and surprises than a rattlesnake. Expect not one but three romances. Oh boy! It’s a humdinger of a story you never want to end." 
~Suzanne Coleburn, Belles and Beaux of Romance