Author Archives: Stacy Eaton

About Stacy Eaton

Stacy Eaton is a USA Today Best Selling author and began her writing career in October of 2010. Stacy took an early retirement from law enforcement after over fifteen years of service in 2016, with her last three years in investigations and crime scene investigation to write full time. Stacy is very involved in Domestic Violence Awareness and served on the Board of Directors for her local Domestic Violence Center for three years.

Awards and a Fun Trip Planned!

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On September 1st, I was super excited to hear that the third book in the Rise Again Warrior Series, Mission: Repair had won a GOLD award with the Readers’ Favorite Awards! The first book in the series, Mission: Believe, won a bronze in 2020, and the second book, Mission: Accept won a Gold in 2021.

Because of the pandemic, Readers’ Favorite couldn’t have their standard yearly award ceremony, but this year they are. I’ll be traveling down to Miami, Florida, to receive my award, not just for Mission: Repair, but all three books! Which is super exciting!

My husband will be joining me, as, at the end of this month, we are celebrating our 20th anniversary, and we aren’t doing anything special. We will take the time to enjoy the awards ceremony and two days together in Miami to celebrate it. We are both super excited to not only get away together but to be present for this award ceremony and visit the Miami Book Fair.

The Rise Again Warrior Series is very near and dear to my heart. It’s not just military fiction or romance, but in-depth emotional stories that share the brutalities of recovery after the war is over. These characters are all trying to find new places in society, dealing with demons daily as they attempt to find their way. The series is raw, realistic, and heartfelt, dealing with trauma injuries, PTSD, suicide, addiction, depression, and many other issues our current real-life warriors are battling to overcome.

This series is available on your favorite book retailer: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple, and more!

Mission Believe
Mission: Accept
Mission: Repair

Learning to Travel at 53

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In June, I turned 53. It wasn’t a big deal, and during my years, I had traveled a little bit. Mostly for pleasure, only a few times for business. However, in June, I took a new job and got a crash course in learning how to travel properly for business.

Shortly after I started my new job as a National Trainer, I got a call from my boss who said; I need you to catch a plane–today and head to Detroit. I was like, what? But after a few minutes, I was like, Okay, I got this. I learned how to book my flight, hotel, and rental car in 30 minutes. 3 hours later, I was at the airport and heading to Detroit. A city I never thought I would ever see again.

Ironically, I was assisting at a class only twenty minutes from where I graduated high school. I got a chance to drive past it and walk down memory lane when I found my old house.

I think my favorite part of that trip was learning that I could do it. I also loved that our company has a contract with a car rental company, and all I did was walk out and climb right into a car I got to choose. Not one they gave me, but one in the Aisle for me to choose from. Now, that was kind of fun. It remains my favorite part of traveling. I like to see what kind of car I get each time.

What I also learned recently was that O’Hare is a madhouse, and they really need to fix their signage. They have signs pointing outside that say rental cars, but outside is NOT where you get rental cars. You have to take a train to pick them up. A train! Who knew? Now that was fun.

I also learned how to deal with six delays of a flight and then have it canceled on me at 9:30 at night. Ugh! The airline rebooked me and put me up in a hotel overnight, and that alone was a lesson in how to deal with stress and exhaustion at the same time. Not to mention how messed up it is to get a hotel shuttle at O’Hare at 10 o’clock at night. I also learned that getting a taxi at 3:30 in the morning is not easy, but I managed to catch my plane.

Funny story… My new flight was set to board at 6:00. I was there, and the plane started boarding. Halfway through, they stopped the process, said there was a mechanical issue, and that they would reboard soon. I figured it was a good time to use the restroom. I hustled over, did my business, and then came right back. Except, when I returned less than five minutes later, my gate was EMPTY.

I stared at the empty seats, utterly confused. Had I fallen asleep in the bathroom? Had they resumed boarding? The sign on the gate had a new city destination. Had I entered the twilight zone? I had only walked across the hall. Less than 100 feet! Where did everyone go??? I knew they were at THIS gate. THIS GATE! So, where did they all go? I pulled out my phone just as a notification came down that my gate had been moved by one location. As I started that way, I was in a daze and saw people I recognized. Whew. No twilight zone. Thank God!

Instead of a direct flight from Chicago to Philadelphia, I traveled to Houston Texas, sat there for three hours, and then flew to my destination. I ended up getting less than 3 hours of sleep in about 36 hours before I arrived safely home and collapsed in my husband’s arms. It took me two days to catch up on sleep, but I love my new job. I finally have a purpose again, one that makes a difference in other people’s lives.

One of my other trips took me to Grayslake ILL, near where my son was born. Another trip took me to Naperville, where I also lived as a child. I found my old school and my house there too. I’ll be in Toledo, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Clarksville, MD, and Vermont this month. I’m not sure where my travels will take me next month yet, but we shall see what travel lessons I have to learn then.

I am learning more about the travel process with each trip, and I can promise some of these stories will flow into my writing. Especially the funny parts, or the parts that were so stressful that I had to find them funny afterward.

Safe Travels everyone!

My Favorite Place on Earth: Siesta Key, Sarasota

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It’s summertime, and I am currently in my favorite place on earth: Siesta Key, Sarasota! I fell in love with it back in high school when I lived in Sarasota for four years. The day my parents and I moved away, I cried for hours in the car. I was able to come back once, a few years later, for a friend’s wedding, but then it was years before I stepped foot back on the white sandy beaches.

For my 50th birthday, I brought my husband and my daughter to Siesta Key to see it for the first time. Both of them fell in love with the soft powder sand and beautiful greens and blues of the ocean. Now, today is my 53rd birthday, and we are back again. The older I get, the more I want to listen to the waves, kick back, and relax.

We have driven around town and checked out some places that bring back many memories. We have enjoyed shopping around St. Armand’s Circle and taking the trolley into Siesta Key Village. We also visited Turtle Beach and drove down to Venice, where we checked out Caspersen Beach, the home of shark’s teeth. We didn’t find any, but we found many beautiful shells! We hope to try again later in the week.

Each night, we watched the sunset and walked on the beach. It’s time away from the world’s stress and the chance to reconnect with my family.

If you are a beach person and enjoy reading on the beach, check out my short story series: Finding Love in Special Places.

Finding Love on Christmas Vacation

Finding Love on the Summer’s Surf

Finding Love with Dear Santa (Amazon Exclusive)

Finding love in a Champagne Toast

Finding Love on the High Seas (Amazon Exclusive)

Finding Love on a Dude Ranch

Watching your child become an adult

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Like many of you, I marvel at how quickly time passes. It moves every quicker when you watch your child grow. Once sweet innocent babies, they grow into nosy toddlers almost overnight. Then on to being energetic and curious children, before moody adolescents desperately trying to find themselves and become young adults. It all seems to happen in the blink of an eye instead of years.

I have two children, and I had my first one when I was twenty-one. My second came thirteen years later. My oldest, a boy, has two children of his own. I often wonder when he became old enough to have a career, wife, children, and a home? I watch and listen from the sidelines as my son and his family go through stages of life that I can fondly remember doing myself with him.

My daughter just finished her first year of college, and as I listen to her stories, watch her movements, and her reactions, I am reminded that my little girl is no longer a baby, but a beautiful young lady, on the verge of being a full-blown woman. To some, she might already be a woman, but I still see tiny bits and pieces of her innocence of youth. I still hear the curiosity to understand simple things in life that tells me she still has much to learn. Not that we ever stop, but you get what I mean.

We just helped my daughter buy her first car, and to witness her signing the paperwork, was a sight to see. I asked her how she felt afterward, and she said that it made her feel important, and she felt the weight of it as she signed the document and then sat back, going wow, I just did that. Proud but scary at the same time. I can relate. Remember your first car? What about your mortgage? It is scary.

This summer, our family will probably enjoy one of our last family vacations. Now that my daughter is growing up, she has plans for herself. She has people to see and places to be. We are lucky that she still feels we are important enough to spend quality time with us. Or perhaps it’s just the lure of a beach. Either way, I will take it and enjoy every moment I can before she is off living her own life with a career, home, and family.

Then the nest really will be empty, and I’ll sit back and wonder where the time went. Actually, no, I won’t. I’ll be too busy writing happy stories about people growing up, finding love, and starting their lives—just like my children.

Want to read about siblings growing up and finding love? Make sure to check out my Loving a Young Series on Amazon.