TAG

It's time! TAG, a novel about tag team serial killers who find new stomping grounds in Northern Maine, and terrorize the women there. But when one killer falls for his latest victim, his partner turns the tables on him in a whirlwind of mysterious cryptic poetry that could spell his doom.

When a woman is murdered in Madawaska, her best friend (and the object of the killers' affection) is questioned, and just in time as the lead investigator finds. He takes her into protective custody which enrages her stalker and sends him spiraling out of control.  

This story is filled with mystery, fear, psychological thrills, romance, cryptic poetry, sex, torture, heart pounding surprises, and murder. 

Check it out on the commercial for TAG here: http://animoto.com/s/EtlJoNDVJ64MKpp8EmHaqQ

If that caught your eye, you can find TAG in paperback or kindle edition here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Tag+Stefanowich

You can also find me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ThrillsAndChills?ref=hl

And if you'd like to see other books I've written, you can find them on my website: http://hstrial-kkarakazoo.intuitwebsites.com/

Find me on twitter as @karakazoo. 

Another Stroke of Bad Luck

Here we go again. This year is not going well at all, and I'm sure it's not going to get any better. I truly believe that I'm cursed and I'm really starting to wonder if I should be fighting magic with magic.

 It all seemed to be rather balanced for a while, that is until December, when I had a massive toothache and went to my dentist who informed me that I had a tooth infection and needed a root canal or an extraction. Then he informed me that he doesn't do root canals and that I'd need to find a specialist. So, after taking a small amount of meds I went back to the dentist who recommended a specialist (who turned out to be a pediatric orthodontist and wouldn't work on me since I'm an adult) and told me to wait and see if the infection came back. During this same visit, the dentist decided to do a filling and injected me more than 5 times with novacane and managed to numb everything except my mouth. Upon telling him that it wasn't working and him trying to inject me even more, I had began to have palpitations and had to stop him and abort the appointment all together. This scared him and he threw his hands in the air and insisted that I see my cardiologist before coming back in.

So then I had to make an appointment with the cardiologist, which took a few weeks. In the meantime, I was worried because my tooth was not getting any better and I knew the damages an infection can do if given the time.

Once I finally got to see the cardiologist, and informed him of everything that had happened, he insisted my dentist was not very professional and that I should only be going to professionals who are certified and licensed in dentistry and oral surgery, if possible, so that they can handle a situation, should one occur, such as mine.

At this point, the search was on for a qualified dentist who can see me quickly and do the necessary work without causing me to have a heart attack. (Not that that would happen.) It turned out to be a ridiculously impossible task. Several places I called, advertised that they were oral surgeons and specialized in things like root canals, refused to see me because of my heart condition, which, by the way, is very minor and I've had it all my life. Then, other places who also claimed to be licensed in oral surgery among other things suddenly weren't so qualified anymore.

Anyway, just when I finally find a reputable dentist, I now have TWO infections and require a lot more work than originally expected. Like $8,000 worth. And, of course, time is limited or else this will get worse and the cost will go up.

Apart from that friggen mess, my heart condition was officially diagnosed (sort of). Fortunately, according to the doctor, it's not that severe and is manageable with medication. Even as he's right and the meds are working very well, I read up on this disorder. The two major worry factors for people with this disorder are a possible stroke and sudden death. Now, I know that these things are not likely to happen, it's still a possibility that it could happen. In the back of my mind I keep thinking about how I've always known that I would die from a heart attack. Now this. And the fact that I'm a mother and have absolutely nothing to leave to my son when I die and no family to leave him with, I'm a little freaked out right now. I know, it's stupid and I'm just being a woman who worries. Yeah, yeah. Knowing that doesn't make this easier.

That's not all. All my fish keep dying. I had to give my cat away who could very well be DEAD right now because I know no one can take care of her like I can. My son's been sick for over a month, though he seems to finally be getting better. My bills are higher than they've ever been and for the first time in my life, I cant seem to lose weight to save my damn life!

My boyfriend is supposed to be taking steps to start building a house for us. He's doing the best he can, but meanwhile all this other stuff keeps happening that's putting some serious kinks in things. Unexpected accidents, car repairs, plumbing issues.....blah, blah, blah. And now mother nature has become vengeful yet again. Snow came late this year and wont go away, along with the sub zero temperatures. In case you haven't caught on, those are terrible building conditions. Saturday is the first day of March and we have 3 feet of snow outside and more in the forecast. Even if we start the house, the likelihood of it being done by the time Jake has to start high school in the fall is low. Then what? More drama, trauma, bad grades, bad attitudes and possibly a complete melt down.

Today is my birthday. Every year, all I've ever truly wanted for my birthday is to have an easy, quiet day.....*sighs*....well, the end of the month is here and I had to get my car inspected. About a month ago, my car had a strange kind of episode and I had it towed to the mechanic who kept if for a couple days and then told me he couldn't find anything wrong with it. Money well spent. So I just had him do a little maintenance tune up, just in case. Car's been great since. Today I took it for an inspection and in minutes, it failed. There seems to be a safety issue with a loose part having something to do with a tie rod, whatever that is. Oh, and I have a tail light out.

So tomorrow I get to sit at the mechanics while he fixes all the tie rod stuff and charges me all the rest of the money I have in my account. Meanwhile, the rent is due, the cable bill is due and I have two very expensive dentist appointments coming up.

While I'm chewing on all that, my son comes home today and tells me a little story. He told me that the kid that got hit walking to school yesterday was a kid from his school. He told me that the boy is okay and got out of the hospital today, which is good. But while he was digesting this information, his school bus was leaving the school property today and stopped just in time to see the crossing guard get hit by a pick up truck. My son is a little traumatized now. He keeps describing what he saw. How the crossing guard flew several feet through the air and fell into the snow bank. How hurt he looked, buckled over and holding his leg. He told me that his bus driver and monitor ran out of the bus and helped the bus driver by calling 911.

Believe me, I am well aware that other people have it far worse than me, but I'm getting very tired. This kind of stress is exhausting. I need the winter to be over. I need the drama to stop. I need to bad luck to just die already. I need a break.

I need a break.

God bless all of you, and keep you from the bad ju-ju that plagues me every single day.

Growing Pains

Something happened last night that's been making me giggle ever since. I figured I'd share it with you all and give you a break from my 'Rants'. Unfortunately, it will be at the expense of my son. Sorry Jake!

Lately, my son, the teenager, is finding it harder and harder to get up in the morning. And, of course, with me as his mother he knew he had to find a solution to this problem before he got into trouble. So he's been going to bed earlier (on his own) and has been on time every day for weeks now.

I just figured he'd finally started listening to me. I told him to set his alarm a couple minutes early, have all his clothes and school stuff ready the night before so that all he'd have to do is get up and get dressed. Then he just needs to come downstairs, have breakfast, use the bathroom and wash up.

But, I guess my son had another plan. Here's how I found out:

Last night Jake went to bed at 8:00pm. Around 9:00pm he came downstairs and ran past me to get to the bathroom. When he ran past me I noticed he was fully dressed. All he was missing was his sneakers....... *blinks*.........

So then he gets out of the bathroom and starts to walk past me when I said, "You're sleeping fully clothed?" He just mumbled something and went back upstairs. The mom in me wanted to follow him up and make him put night clothes on so he'd be more comfortable, but I gave it a second thought and just chalked it up to him being a teenager so I left him alone.

About 20 minutes had passed when suddenly, he came running back downstairs saying, "Wait, wait, wait. I need to ask you something." he came and stood in front of me. "So, I was spraying cologne in my armpits so that I'll be fresh for school tomorrow and I missed and shot myself in the eye. I washed out my eye but now my eye is all pink. Am I gonna be okay?"

*blinks*...................Hahahahahahahhahahaha!!!!

I was shocked. I sat there staring at him with my jaw gaped open. I couldn't believe it. LOL!! It all made sense. Of course he wasn't listening to me. How stupid could I be? He took the 'Jake' way out. He was getting fully clothed, spraying himself with cologne and going to bed so that when he woke up all he had to do was put his shoes on and go downstairs to eat and pee. Boom. Done.

Well, that explains the funky odor in his room and how quick he's been in the bathroom lately. It also explains the cavities he's getting filled this Friday and that certain.....ahem....guy problem he's been having lately. Bad hygiene. Wow. I knew boys were gross but my gosh, do they compete for awards in grossness or what??

After an outburst of laughter, I calmly explained why spraying your armpits with cologne is not a good alternative to bathing and using deodorant. Then I explained to him that his visit to the dentist should be punishment enough for not actually brushing or flossing his teeth. And if that didn't kick him in the pants, I reminded him of the two young ladies he's been trying to befriend. If all else fails, the girls will tell him his breath stinks and he needs to shower. Maybe then he'll listen to me. LOL!!

Kids.......*laughs*

Racism Today

Today, I'm here to rant.

It's been all over the news, all over the world wide web and on everyone's tongues. Racism. I honestly want to reach out and strangle everyone. Just throttle the hell out of all of you people screaming racism and police brutality.

I truly wish cops could press charges against every single ass hole who resists arrest. I think you've all lost your damn minds. Do you KNOW what country this is?? Do you know the LAWS of the country you live in?? If you don't, then get the F out. Go home, cuz this aint it.

I don't care what color you are, if the cops tell you to do something, you better goddam do it and you better say "Yes, ma'am" or "Yes sir" while you do it.

I just got finished watching yet another video collage of black people getting beat up by cops. You know what I saw (in most of them)? I saw suspects resisting arrest. I saw them fighting back, refusing to put their hands behind their backs, running away from the police, attacking police.......REALLY?? WTF is wrong with you people????

When they say America is the land of the free, they don't mean free to do whatever the hell you want and F* the laws. It simply means that you are free to take the opportunities this country provides for you so that you can have a wonderful life......as long as you follow the laws. If you don't follow the laws, you lose those freedoms.

I'm not saying that it never happens. I have personally met several police officers who abused their powers and at least 95% of them have been punished for that. It does happen, I know that. But people are trying to say that black people are the biggest targets of white police officers. I'm WHITE and I was a victim of that 'abuse of power'. There are tons of people of all colors and religions getting their share of abuse in this country.

I'm so sick of black people screaming racism and pointing the finger at white people! You make me sick. You don't even KNOW what it was like to be a slave and still you throw that in the face of every white person you see. I can safely and honestly tell you, I'm a white person and I have NEVER hit, yelled at, abused, accused, whipped, raped, slapped, stabbed, shot or did anything else of that nature to a black person. NEVER. Yet, because I'm white, whenever I go into a predominantly black neighborhood (which I work in), I get glares, stares, I've been sexually harassed, chased, burglarized, screamed at, stalked, called racial slurs (such as white cracker, ghost bitch and suburb bitch), and so on. I've never hurt anyone. I mind my own business and I've NEVER provoked any kind of negativity in any way and yet, this is what I get......because I'm WHITE. And the F* BLACK people are screaming racism??? Are you SERIOUS???

I simply get out of my car and walk over to my boss's door and suddenly, there's a black man sneaking around the corner in the back yard, rapidly approaching me and asking me if I have any money. Are you F*ing serious???? What the hell is wrong with people?? I go to work and when I try to leave I find my car windows smashed out and all my stuff is missing. I called the cops (who happened to be 2 black women) and guess what they said to me? "Do you really want me to even write this up? I mean, chances are, unless you catch them on camera or red handed you'll never get your stuff back. They're gone." This is what she said to me. I said, "Officer, there are fingerprints in blood on the dashboard. Can't you do something with that?" Guess what she said.....go ahead, guess.

"NO." That's what she said. "We don't do that unless a serious crime has been committed." Then she drove off. Wow. Just wow.

I am generally a 'nice person'. I smile at people as they walk by. I say hi. I listen when people approach me and hear them out. I mind my own business. I just don't understand why I have to be a victim just because I'm white. Hell, black people even kill each other! They even call each other the 'N' word, which I HATE. I will never understand people. Anyone with that kind of mentality just shouldn't exist. If you hate everyone so much, stay home and close the damn shades. Seek help. Get counseling or something. You're sick.

Now people all over the damn country are going nuts because some black kid, who happened to be a criminal and victimized someone the very same day, got into a fight with an officer and again, RESISTED ARREST, got shot and died. I'm sorry he lost his life, but he had a choice. He chose wrong. And now all these people, mostly black, are protesting because they INSIST that the kid was innocent. You clearly don't know all the facts. You know how I know that? I know that because the protestors chose to do things such as looting, setting homes and businesses on fire (homes and businesses that belonged to black people, btw), abusing each other and other innocent people. Sure, I'll take the time to sympathize with criminals for being criminals and defending criminals.....NOT.

If you want to prove to people that black people are good and just, then you need to actually BE good and just. What is so wrong with following the laws, working for a living and being kind to your neighbors? What is so wrong with it?

I'm sick of black people (not all black people, of course. Just the one's that seem to be criminals or have a mental defect) screaming racism at every white person they see. I swear they are LOOKING for reasons to scream racism. Do you know what that is? It's RACISM!!

You are the racist ones!!

I have no sympathy for racist criminals.

Its time to cut the bull shit and learn to love each other.

I don't give a F* if anyone has anything to say about this post. Just shut the F* up. You're pissing me off.

Is It So Wrong?

Okay, I get it, I'm a controlling woman. But is it really so bad? Am I wrong to say that everyone that I'm surrounded by is safe, healthy, well fed, clothed, clean, protected, sheltered and wanting for nothing? So what's so wrong with being a controlling woman?

I fix things when they're broken. If I can't fix it, I call someone who can. I pay all the bills. I manage a small business. I work. If the car gets a flat tire, I change it. If the toilet clogs, I unclog it. If there's a problem, I solve it. So what's wrong?

My son gets to school every single day, on time, clean, fed and clothed. I get to work in the same fashion. My pets get fed twice a day. The house gets cleaned EVERY day. The laundry gets done every week. The shopping gets done every week. I make sure my son does his homework and chores every day. I make sure he uses manners and understands the morals of my lectures. What's wrong with that?

I need for nothing or no one. Is that a sin?

I spent my entire life under someone elses shoes. Always told what to do, what not to do, how to do it and if I didn't obey, I'd get stomped on. After being led down the wrong path so many times and after being stomped all to hell, I finally said, "I can't take anymore! This is going to stop, NOW." From that moment on, I never got stepped on again. No one told me to do the wrong things. No one was able to force me to do anything ever again. I'd like to keep it that way, so I maintain control.

Now, no one gets hurt, no one starves and no one's sick. Everyone is doing the best they can and being the best they can be because I made it possible.

And lets not assume that I've never stopped to see what would happen if I let go of the reins. Believe me, I have. Suddenly the house became infested with bugs and mice. The food disappeared and never got replenished. The house became unlivable. The car was constantly parked due to being broken. Unemployment reared it's ugly head......I could go on and on.

So, I picked up the reigns and took the lead and **POOF**, like magic, it all disappeared. I got a new house and car. I got a better job. I did it all.

So.....what's the problem?

I will drop you as a friend if you are not punctual, are irresponsible, are unclean or if you do any drugs. Does that make me a bad person? If you tell me you're going to pick me up and  take me to an appointment at 3:00pm and you don't show up until 2:50pm, that's unacceptable. If you're irresponsible, then I can't trust you anyway. Why would I want to be friends with someone I can't trust? If you are unclean then that's just gross. I'm sorry, shower or stay away from me. Stay clean or stay out of my house. My home is my sanctuary, if you violate it, I'm going to kick you out. That's all. If you do drugs, then you are unpredictable, unreliable and unclean. I have a child to raise who does NOT need that kind of negative influence. I also have a long history of family that had major drug and alcohol addictions whom I had to escape to save my own life. So I have MORE than enough reason to put a big fat stop and do not enter sign at my front door for people who do drugs. That is not a crime. Drug use is. Is any of this unreasonable?

I've worked VERY hard to get the life I have today and I'm working even harder to make it better. And anyone who chooses to be a part of my life will benefit from all my hard work.

Is that wrong?

Men always bitch about women trying to control everything. Well, don't drop the ball, lazy asses. If you drop it, we'll pick it up, re-inflate it, wash it, polish it and throw it to someone who knows how to catch it. *lifts a brow*

If you don't want a controlling woman, don't lose control. Do as I do and watch the world change.

And seriously, if you think there's something wrong with all that I've said, let me know. I'm curious to see what people think of the subject.

:)

My Work as an Author

 

For once, I'm not here to rant or ramble. LOL!!  I'm just here to share some professional information with you.

I am a writer, of course. My favorite things to write are horror and thrillers. If anyone would like to check out my work, here is my website: http://hstrial-kkarakazoo.homestead.com/index.html

If you'd like to check out my Author page on Facebook and 'Like' my page, I'd like that very much. :)
 https://www.facebook.com/ThrillsAndChills

If you'd like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me at @karakazoo.

This is my first published novel, written almost entirely on Twitter! That's right everyone, it's the first and only book ever to be written on Twitter! Check out the #TwitterNovel,  'Birds of a Feather'! http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Feather-Kara-Stefanowich-ebook/dp/B00HXZU6YK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415750634&sr=8-1&keywords=stefanowich

This is my second publication, the prequel to 'Birds of a Feather'. http://www.amazon.com/Creation-Assassin-Redemption-Kara-Stefanowich-ebook/dp/B00CPSNDT0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415750634&sr=8-3&keywords=stefanowich

And here's my most recent publication, 'Hostage'. (This one is my pride and joy....well, until the next publication. LOL!!) http://www.amazon.com/Hostage-Kara-Stefanowich-ebook/dp/B00G8U91W4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415750634&sr=8-2&keywords=stefanowich

Next, I'm working on a book called 'TAG'. Its about tag team serial killers that clash when one wants to get out of the game. It turns into a game like no other. One killer tortures and kills a victim and frames the other. Then the killer who wants out gets a hint, a sophisticated piece of the puzzle in a morbidly poetic journal. In order to avoid being caught by the detective who's hot on his heels, he must find the victim and eliminate the crime scene before it's too late.

Stay tuned.....keep in touch....don't be a stranger....because 'TAG' is coming soon!!

Love

An animal, a quest, a game to be won. It's a wonder, a woman, waiting for love. We can't wait, or dream, or expect love. It comes as it is and we work to keep it, No matter what. It takes time, thought, energy to keep. It takes work, triumph, someone to give in. It's a fight, a battle, a war to win. But if we surrender and call truce, we may have the gift. A present, a future with him. It's okay to wait, to sit, to spin. It's okay that we want nothing more than to scream within. Some day, we'll know what it was all for. Someday we may understand what we couldn't before. So why fight, why stress, why give up and run when we can smile, give in and win the war.