Hayley Rae Johnson's Blog, page 2

There's Always Something

It’s hard for me to find motivation during crisis. I have no ties to Ukraine, nor to anywhere outside of the United States, but today’s technology has made the war seem like it’s right next door. CCN provides constant updates and I am glued to it. Most things that I see bring tears: sad tears, angry tears, tears of relief, tears of pride - my face has felt them all the past few days!

I stand up for democracy. I stand up for freedom. And I stand up for Ukraine.

I stand with all those who are standing for Ukraine.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had sponsored two little girls, one from Kentucky and one from Niger (I will keep their names private). They may live on the same planet, but they live in two very different worlds. The former, for example, lives in a house in America with carpeted floors, dry-wall and electricity. In her free time, she likes to play outside and she wants to be a dancer when she grows up. My second girl is 11 and she lives in a house made of mud and sticks. In her free time, she gathers firewood and she wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

I chose to sponsor these children because I felt that I could do more in this world; I could help others. Now, when I watch Ukraine, all I do is wonder how I could possibly help. This morning, I saw the eastern Ukraine is supposed to have a decent-seized snow storm. I thought this could be good thing because it may further hinder the Russians. But, I’ve seen that people are already getting sick and freezing as they cross over to Poland! What is going to happen when 6+ inches of snow fall? I’m sure there are millions of people in the Ukraine asking the same question :(

When all of this started last week, I prayed. And that is what I’ll be doing until this over. I can already see that there will be long-term effects economically with whatever happens, but I will pray that the Ukraine comes out as Ukraine, that they will come out the other side of this with their democracy and freedom intact. It has been overwhelming to see so many countries standing up and sending help ♥

On a lighter note, there will be 3 Giveaways featured in the Wednesday Newsletter this month!

Epic & High Fantasy

Fantasy Romance

Reign of Reads 100 Author Giveaway

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My prayers are with you, Ukraine!

♥ Hayley Rae ♥

Being Sick Sucks

Well, I do not have COVID, but today is day 4 of not having a voice. And I do not mean that I am quiet or hoarse, I mean that there is nothing there! I have been doing what I can for my 9-5 office job, but today is my day of rest…which means I will be glued to my laptop to write!

Were you the child that loved to stay home sick from school? Staying home sick meant you stayed in pajamas all day, had mom or dad bringing you hot food and drink throughout the day and you were allowed to watch more television than normally allowed. Personally, I enjoyed wrapping myself in a blanket cocoon and spending eight hours reading my favorite book.

I will choose to make today exciting! I look, sound and feel quite sick, but it’s been snowing off and on so I have my fuzzy socks, fluffy blanket and an autumn leaves candle burning. What else could make for the perfect, fantasy-book writing atmosphere?

Maybe a hot toddy…

Mask Mandate Lifted...Again!

I live in Colorado and our mask mandate was lifted again this past weekend! It was an exciting couple of days until I felt a horrible soreness in my throat. It quickly progressed to swollen glands and extreme pain when swallowing. The general malaise has not helped my productivity, but I have been enjoying honeyed tea and I will be making a slightly-homemade chicken soup today. I say ‘slightly’ because I will be using chicken broth from a can and meat from a rotisserie chicken. The rest will be key though: carrots, onion, garlic, celery and bay leaf. My mouth is watering!

In other news, I didn’t book a date with my editor this time a round, and it has allowed me to procrastinate…which is not a good thing! Lately, I have been networking with more and more authors and I’ve been invited to do several Spring giveaways and other such events to help give back to our readers. It has been time-consuming but very much enjoyable.

For the foreseeable future, I will be sending information on Giveaways, discount deals and group promos to my newsletter subscribers on Wednesdays and Free Fantasy Friday starts this week! Keep in mind, I try to vet all the offers I am given to make sure the genres match. You will not find much paranormal romance, gaslamp fantasy, or sci-fi, but some may fall through!

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So much activity!

For most people, this weekend will be filled with good food, good people, good entertainment and, hopefully, good football. Yes, I’m talking about the Super Bowl!

For me, I have an adorable little nephew who’s birthday party is the day before. I am very fortunate to live within a couple hours of my brother so I get to go enjoy the celebrations. Don’t tell anyone, but my mother (his grandmother) are both getting him toddler golf things! This little 3 year old is already super athletic and coordinated - constantly found climbing and dangling off whatever he can find - so we will see how he does with golf.

Let’s not forget what happens the day after the Super Bowl this year…Valentine’s Day! I will have a special Giveaway for my newsletter, in honor of this fun holiday, that I have partnered with some authors to do. If you like finding new authors, new series, getting great deals or you just like to read, then don’t forget to sign up for the Newsletter below!

Have a fun weekend and enjoy those commercials!

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Snow Day!

If you haven’t noticed, I LOVE snow! I live in Northern Colorado and I woke up to almost 10 inches of the fluffy, white perfection. Just so beautiful and pure…

Growing up in the mountains, my house would get more snow than the town. When other students had to go to school, my brother and I would get snow days because we wouldn’t be able to get off the mountain with all the snow! We had so much fun building snow forts and sledding.

Three years older than me, my brother was always in the front of the sled and I would hold on tight as we zoomed down our hill. I am not sure how old I was, but I will never forget the time he leaned back to make the sled go and knocked me right in the nose. My beautiful, white snow was instantly splattered with the bright, crimson blood that gushed from my little nose.

As a responsible big brother, he ran to get help. I remember crying and trying to crawl up the snowy mountain. I was wearing 90’s style mittens, that were at least four different colors, and I kept touching them to my face to see if the red liquid had stopped flowing. Every time my mitten came away with more blood, I would cry harder.

I must have been quite young. Probably no more than six years old. When we were back in our little house, my mom made us chocolate and marshmallows. Twenty-five years later, and the thought of hot chocolate with marshmallows on a snow day is a mugful of nostalgia. Of course, a bloody nose is never the best thing, but I cannot be positive that I would have that memory at all if it hadn’t been slightly traumatizing.

It may have been the same year when I was sledding down the driveway and my German Shepard puppy, Jack, was outside with me. After going down the top slop for the first time, my dog ran down beside me then grabbed the strap of my hot-pink, overall snow pants and started pulling me back up the driveway!

I have plenty of silly stories in the snow. As someone growing up in the mountains, I also grew up at a ski area with most of my friends. Times I will never forget…

I’ll never underestimate the snow though. It can be dangerous and deathly. We had a blizzard in ‘97 and my dad’s truck died a mile from home while he was driving back from work. This was when we had one cell phone, no landline, and very little service. My brother and I were in our little house with our mom, enjoying the storm and waiting for our dad to get home. When he finally walked through the door of our one-room house, he looked like the abominable snowman. He was covered in inches of snow and icicles hung from his mustache.

I don’t think I ever saw my mother move so fast. From my recollection of that time, my dad was risking hypothermia. When his truck died, he grabbed everything in his truck and wrapped it around himself. My dad grew up hiking, skiing and hunting in New Hampshire before he came to Colorado to do it all, so he was usually prepared with extra blankets, gloves, hats, etc. He was not prepared for having to walk a mile up the mountain in one of the worst blizzards in Colorado’s history.

I know I am not street smart, but I have learned to be snow smart. My car is always winter-prepared with an emergency kit in case I get stuck in a storm. As a general rule though, I will not travel long distances in a snow storm and I will not venture out during a blizzard. The best thing to do on snow days like this, is to stay inside and read a book with a steaming mug of hot chocolate :)

I will be sharing the work of two authors this week! Sign up for the Newsletter below so that you can get in on free books, Giveaways and authors in the spotlight.

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Amazing AMAZON Kindle Deal!

AMAZON Kindle Deal Last Day!

Today is the last day for this amazing AMAZON deal. If you buy $25 worth of ebooks, then you get $6 back! What books have been on your to-do list? My first two books of the Magic of Omneth series are listed below - type them into the search box once you claim this amazing deal, or search for your favorite authors!

I have been sending some new fantasy authors to my newsletter list, so now is the best time to try them out! Don’t forget to subscribe below so that you can be in the know of other cool things like this!

Click here to claim this amazing deal!

Remember, this deal ends tonight! Have fun shopping :) Sign up for the Newsletter!

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You know you're in your 30's when...

…completing housework chores makes you feel happy and fulfilled!

Yesterday, I went to the dry-cleaners to drop off my king-size, goose-down comforter that my giant German Shepard had pranced his muddy paws all over. When I got home, I figured I may as well finish the laundry. Six loads later…I was done!

Don’t worry, this wasn’t just dirty laundry that I found lying around the house. I washed the dog towels (the ones you use for their dirty feet or to protect your car from their fur), people towels, ALL the pillowcases (including those that had been chilling in the closet), sheets, normal day-to-day clothes, coats/hoodies and clothes that were going straight to goodwill. It took the whole day, from the first load into the washer to the last load out of the dryer, folded and put away, but it’s all done!

In the midst of this, Tony Robbins was doing his free, 5 day, 90 minute Ultimate Breakthrough Challenge. If you have never watched him, go to YouTube now! He is one of the most motivational people I have ever heard. Just his charisma is bewitching… :)

His whole topic this week is about making a goal for 2022 and achieving it. People have been living different lives since COVID came and his Breakthrough Challenge is to get past any negativity and make the changes that you want to see in your life.

One of my smaller resolutions for the new year was to complete 1 household chore a day. I know this sounds trivial, but there are household chores that I do NOT like doing. For example, I don’t like to vacuum right now. My vacuum overheats after the first 10 minutes or so and it takes at least an hour to use it again. So it is more frustrating than anything else to clean my carpeted house.

I will be listening to Tony Robbins’ course this week to get motivation, if nothing else, to crush my 2022. Aside from my little household goals, like weeding my new garden when the time comes, I want to expand my author network, grow my reader community and publish 3 more books.

To help my readers expand their own bookshelves, I will be sharing the works of authors, giveaways, sales and freebies to my Newsletter subscribers. Don’t forget to sign up below!

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It's a dreary, icy, snowy day in Northern Colorado

I walked out of my front door this morning and almost fell flat on my butt. Yes, I saw the weather report before and it said there was a Winter Weather Advisory until 8pm tonight. I was wearing warm clothes and snow boots. Apparently, none of that helps when there is an ice storm…

Give me a little credit though, I am raised in Colorado and I have lived in these Foothills for almost 14 years - dang that’s a long time! Anyways, I have never experienced an ice storm in Colorado (where I have lived for 31 year!). Needless to say, I was utterly shocked that my beloved snow couldn’t even give me the traction I needed to walk around my car without sliding around like I was on skates in a rink.

“Beloved snow”. I wish I could post a huge heart emoji hugging a snowflake because I really do LOVE my snow. I think that is what happens when you are a Colorado girl ;)

As is normal for me, when the leaves have fallen, the frost claims the naked limbs of the trees and bushes outside and your nose hairs freeze if you walk outside, I have an increased motivation to sit inside and write. The cold must have started last night because I was dreaming, quite vividly, about the next few scenes for Queen of the Ràej and I am super excited to start writing them out tonight!

On this beautiful, white day I am going to share a book from another fantasy author with my Newsletter Subscribers. If you love the fantasy genre and want to hear about more authors, subscribe for my newsletter at the bottom of this page or go to the newsletter tab.

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Congratulations Goodreads Giveaway Winners!

There was a total of 685 people that entered the Goodreads Giveaway for Blood of the Ràej and there were 50 lucky winners! You should have received your ebook early in the morning of January 3rd. I cannot wait to see how you rate this first book of the Magic of Omneth series and read what reviews you have for me.

Queen of the Ràej is available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or on sale for just 99 cents!

I just started writing book three and I am SO excited to get this one out. You will be traveling with Terhese through Omneth, destroying more First Pebbles, learning more about Pebble Pinching, training with Ràej magic, building alliances and don’t forget about Jensen!

Stay tuned for other giveaways, updates and fun book news.

Happy January!

— Hayley Rae —

My year to date...plus a little

It’s time to say goodbye to another year.

At this time last year, I think most of us were begging for 2021 to better. On top of COVID, and everything it had brought with it, the country was overwhelmed with BLM rallies, mask protests and political demonstrations. I’m sure there are many different words that can be substituted for the nouns I used but, whatever the term, 2020 seemed like a world upside-down.

For me, I was still reeling from my dad passing at the end of 2019. I moved back to Fort Collins from Denver to live with my boyfriend and I had put my PhD dissertation on an indefinite hold. Two days before COVID shutdown our world, I had received my student teaching license. To kill two birds with one stone, I was going to use whatever school county I started teaching at for my dissertation test subject. Obviously, that didn’t work out. So, my boyfriend and I picked up golf and he encouraged me to follow my lifelong dream of becoming an author. When he was at the driving range, I would sit in the grass and write. Colorado was on fire and the skies were thick with smoke, but I could write anywhere. During NANOWRIMO, which is November, I completed my first fantasy novel. And, I left it in a file on my computer.

Twelve months ago, I was in the same boat as most other people, wondering what 2021 would bring and how it would better my life. The first couple months of 2021 didn’t seem different than the last ones of 2020. I felt like I was waiting for Biden to pronounce something huge and dramatic, “The world is normal again. Resume your life.” Then, I remembered that I need to make the changes that I want to see in my life.

Remember that book I finally wrote in 2020? So did I! It was scary, and I was more nervous than when I stepped on stage at Sea World for a dance competition, but I told the world about my book. My small world, at least. I paid for ads on every social media platform and boosted my posts. I paid for a writer’s conference, an editor, book covers, book reviewers, and the list goes on. I paid to learn what not to do, the hard way of course.

In this last year of 2021, I had ups and downs. I worked my butt off to publish and market my first book, then I worked it off even more to write and publish the second book while working full time. I lost a great friend in April, such a bright light. I was fully vaccinated in May and I came down with COVID mid-August. My sense of taste and smell was gone for about ten days and I was using an inhaler to help a terrible cough I had for 21 days (yes, I was counting because it was driving me crazy). After testing negative, I flew out to see my Gram in the end of September. It was the last time I would see her, and I am so glad my long-last cousin convinced me to go. My cousins even got me on a boat at 6 am with a storm on land and a hurricane off the coast to go deep-sea fishing!

When I returned home, I had a mole checked and biopsied. After a short seven days, the doctor called and said it was melanoma. Shit, right? I made my appointment for them to remove the spot. Gram died five days before her 90th birthday. Five days after Gram’s birthday, I went back to the doctor to be told that the melanoma was worse than they had originally told me. Instead of a cute 3-4 stitches, I was given 6 internal and 14 external stitches, giving me a 2 ¼ inch line across my abdomen. Well, I hope it will be a little line. The stitches will be removed January 5th and I will go in every 3 months to get checked. Somewhat ironically, I have a concerning mole that is growing in an outward spiral on the first ‘d’ of my Biblical tattoo, “And to his miracles there is no end”.

You know what, though? It’s true. There is no end to his miracles. If I hadn’t been vaccinated, then I may have ended up on a ventilator instead of an inhaler. If I hadn’t listened to my mother and had my mole checked, just in case because I have family members who have had melanoma, then I could have been in a worse situation. A scar is much better than chemo or radiation.

Tomorrow will be a new year: 2022! I haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, yet, of making resolutions or bucketlists, but I’m sure I will soon. The few things that I do see for the first quarter of this next chapter are buying a new house, getting back on track with my workout routine – biopsies and stitches to the abdomen have kept me from doing much :( - and completing the next two installments of my fantasy series.

I wish you happy reflection and urge you to take an hour, at least, to think of what you would like to happen for yourself next year. Can you take just one step towards that dream of yours? I’m not saying be reckless, but be bold and daring! Make your vision board then your SMART board. Whatever you decide to do, have a little ‘me time’ and have FUN!

Lastly…

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

— Hayley Rae —