Terry Spear's Blog, page 382

The Sound of Words!

I love listening to audiobooks, and so I'm excited to be listening to auditions for The Dark Fae!! And hope to have audiobooks of the whole series done by the end of the year. :) One of the actors did a wonderful job on reading for The Hunger Games. So really excited about this new "book" format to have available to fans!!!

Also, I was playing around with a new cover for Deidre's Secret now that I have rights back to the book. I'm working on Tom's story, really!!! But sometimes I have to take a break. 



Yeah, yeah, I can hear you now--but that's WAY too many breaks. :) 

And today, it's been crazy. I think everyone is back from vacation, so I'm hearing from all kinds of sites for the New Year, and trying to get everything answered.

Hope your Monday is great after the holidays, and you're ready to get back to reading! :)

A fan asked about the sequel to the Blood Moon Series...I've got the sequel partly written!

And I'm REALLY late in getting this up.

Now, I'm going back in my hole where Tom is waiting for me. Chapter 27 needs a hot and sexy scene and then I have to start rereading the whole book over again. :) But this time, hopefully, it will be mostly just for enjoyment and not having to make any major changes!!!

Have a super great Monday!!!


Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
 www.terryspear.com

Black Footed Desert Cat

Some creatures are meant to be together. They say men live longer when they have a mate. Women don't need one to live longer! Not sure what that says....

In other animal kingdoms, the animals don't get together unless they mate. Like the jaguars, or cheetahs. Lions have their prides. Wolves and coyotes, their packs. I even read where the king vulture takes a mate for life.

Many of the cats are loners. In a household, some cats love to be together. Others, not so much so.
Yet when I saw this black footed desert cat--totally wild, not a cute little ocelot looking cat--I thought she looked lonely. Doesn't she look like she needs a friend?

In Silence of the Wolf, there's a strong theme of family.

When divisions happen, no matter what the reason, there's a loss. Strength in numbers, in pack unity. Division, dissent, trouble otherwise.

Sometimes someone who is not so close to the situation can see the real truth much more than those who are dealing with it more emotionally.

If it's not broken, don't fix it. But what if it is broken? Then something has to change...

Got word count on Silence of the Wolf!!! Now I'm just finishing it up! :)


Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
 www.terryspear.com

Fame, Fortune, Glamour...

A Highland Werewolf Wedding

Wolves don't want fame. They don't want to be in the spotlight. Yet, this Highland wolf pack ends up in a movie. Just to earn some extra cash and to show the real actors what real swordsmanship is all about in Heart of the Highland Wolf.

I teased in Heart of the Highland Wolf and in A Howl for a Highlander about Duncan MacNeill becoming famous, and Shelley teases him about having to escape all the women who will be climbing the walls of Argent Castle to get to the hunky Highland wolf.

You can imagine it, right?

Wouldn't you like to be one of them???

But what if YOU were famous? What if when you went anywhere--outside in your backyard to feed the squirrel in your PJs or out to the mailbox in slippers, or maybe that red dress you wore for the party was just a little too tight fitting...and pictures of all these incidents were all over the press--tabloids, twittered, You-tubed!

So now the question is wouldn't you rather not have the fame and just be any Jane Doe on the street who nobody notices?

So then some would say, sure, just give me the fortune. But most people who have huge fortunes are also kind of famous. Not all. Close to where I live as the crow flies...ten miles away, maybe, a huge Antebellum kind of home sits on tons of acreage. The owner is very, very wealthy. He invented cherry-pickers. The device that utility vehicles and tons of other businesses use to get their jobs done.

He's "famous" among the people he knows, but see him on the street? He's just another average Joe.

So I guess you could still manage to amass a fortune and nobody would know you.

One author once told us how she had gotten on a plane and the stewardesses moved her to first class. She was delighted. They were whispering and talking about her and finally one of them approached her and said, "You're nobody."

LOL

Well, she was kind of taken aback, of course. Because, she WAS somebody. She was a wife, daughter, and mother and an author. She just wasn't a famous somebody. :)

With that last note...Tom is chomping at the bit--not really, wolves don't chomp at bits...is waiting for me to get back to his story!!!

So have a terrifically wonderful Saturday!!!

And take heart if you're not famous. You can still feed the squirrels in your PJs and the world will NEVER know. :) 


Terry "Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com  

Dream Therapy

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B&N
 
Have you ever had a dream that is so bizarre, you wonder what it means? Like...deadly fortunes something that is a warning of something to come...Or you think maybe you shouldn't have eaten that spicy pizza last night. Or watched a scary movie right before going to bed.

Maybe you've had a lot of stress over something or mentioned people that you hadn't talked about in a good long while, some of them long since dead, and here they are, prominently in your story dream.

Ever think the dream could turn into a really neat story? Make it so?

Scenes do come to me, but not in dreams. I visualize two people in action and dialogue, and I've got the beginning of a scene.

But dreams, that's something else. First off,  they usually are really bizarre. If I remember them...I had one this morning but can't remember, but yesterday's woke me up--

It was really weird. I was in a car with a cougar-standard poodle mix and I was stroking his fuzzy head, and he was purring as I waited for the circus people to come and get him with their tranquilizer-filled hypodermic needles. Did I mention how bizarre my dreams could be?

In the back seat was a cheetah, elegant, sleek, female, sitting up, growly, and not in the least bit friendly. Police pulled up at the same time and the circus guys tranqued the sweet cougar-poodle, that btw, looked only like a cougar. No curly hair.

And then I was awake.

So I analyze my dream to figure it out.

I'd been writing on Silence of the Wolf, and mentioned a poodle. I used to own standard poodles. And I had just mentioned a cougar in the story also. Cheetahs? I had seen a picture of one recently.

Circus? I had just watched an episode of Supernaturals about a killer clown from the circus.

Why would the cougar like me? Because most shapeshifter cats and wolves like me, except for the bad guys. They don't pay any attention to me until it's too late.

The Cheetah? Have no idea why she didn't like me. Maybe it was because I was giving all my attention to the loving cougar.

We often analyze days' events, past events, future events during our sleep, falling asleep, waking up periods, even when we don't realize we do. It helps us to deal with everything.

Have you ever woken up and realized how you needed to tackle a problem? I've done that. It's at the edge of my brain, and all of a sudden, the solution comes.

And I know it's because my brain was working it out when I was sleeping.

What of dreams that are reoccurring? Like falling off a cliff or some other dream that you might have on a regular basis? That could be a metaphor for some deeper feelings that you haven't been able to deal with.

As for cougar-poodles, no, you won't EVER find one in a story of mine. Probably not a cheetah either!
 
So if you have dreams, or remember those that you do, do you ever analyze them? Try to figure them out? Or just ignore them, figuring they're not worth the time?


Terry "Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com  

Evolution of a Book

First, there's a pitch--


Following a wolf’s paw prints in the Rockies, Tom Silver is determined to find the three wolves who have been attacking local farmers’ livestock near the gray wolf pack’s Silver Town, Colorado, certain they are pack members since they have to be disguising their scent. A blizzard sidetracks him, and he settles into a cabin his brothers own in the Rockies when he hears a plane crash nearby. What he doesn’t expect to find is a sole survivor. And more incredulous? She’s a female werewolf/coyote shifter mix bound as a prisoner. He suspects officials will be swarming all over the place, searching for their missing prisoner as soon as the weather permits. And he can’t let them have her—not when she’s a shifter.
Fed up with the killing of coyotes where she lives in the Panhandle of Texas and the articles written about the travesty of red wolves breeding with coyotes and diluting their blood, Elizabeth Wildwood writes her own article for the Panhandle News, explaining how similar the wolves and coyotes are and how important it is for a red wolf, who is so much rarer, to find a mate of her own, even if the mate turns out to be a coyote. She immediately receives death threats over the article—who would have ever thought? She’s taken hostage, crashes in the Rockies, and is rescued by one hunk of a gray wolf during a blizzard. Can her bad luck with men finally be changing?
But then it changes somewhat...during the writing of the story...
She meets Tom first at the Silver Town Ski Resort...well, before that. 
And that's how it goes...the pitch is correct...but it's only a small part of the story...the real story is so much bigger.
Then there's all the conflict--the characters', mine!!! Mine with the characters. Theirs with me. And the story conflicts, of course.
I usually have someone steal a scene that shouldn't. Characters will do that from time to time.
Sam and Silva do it twice. They reached their quota. 
The teens from Destiny of the Wolf who got themselves in trouble end up in this one too--Minx, Cody, and Anthony.
Some new hunks are added to the story...who have recently joined the pack.
A couple of questions are answered in this book. 
Which was first, the chicken or the egg? Loretta posed it. Donna answered it. The cocky rooster, I think she said.
To which I replied something to the effect, "How did we get to a discussion of roosters?"
And that's how my writing goes sometimes!!
It doesn't seem to make any sense, and yet in the end, hopefully, all the loose ends, including those that might not have seemed important, are. :)
 My critique partner wrote, "You don't need to include the details of the vehicles out front. Unless one is the bad guy's car."
I knew that! When we write a detail, even if it's just one in passing, it should be important. Why? Because those are the clues we feed to readers all along. If they miss them, it's okay. Because we give more clues along the way. But it's great if we can give details that really count for something.
In mysteries, the ploy is red herrings. Something that seems like it's important, but isn't. But it's more fun to tie in all the little clues and make them important and see if anyone realizes they are too.
So I'm writing the final scenes in Silence of the Wolf, wrapping up all the details, hoping I don't miss any...or that during editor rewrites things don't get cut that causes a loose end that wasn't there...and another story will have evolved!
Then? It's on to the next one!!!
And that's great news for you! Right???
Have a super wonderful Thursday! I'm off to wrap up more loose ends...in Silence of the Wolf!
Terry "Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com  

Wolf Song--YA

I fell in love with this guy and knew he had to be a wolf in a YA story. *sigh*
One of these days, I'll write it. But I have so much fun with writing teens in my adult YA that I'd love to do a YA series also. They won't be related to my adult books.
But I also couldn't help myself when I found 4 more beautiful covers on sale and had to have them. I'll post more on those later! :)  Do you think I need to be in Book Covers Buying Anon??? 
Hope you are sticking to your New Year's Resolutions so far. Only 2nd day on the job!!!
It's going to be 70 for two days starting on Wed. Can you believe it? I think some of A Howl for a Highlander Grand Cayman weather is going to hit us!!! It's only 29 now with a high of 45 today.
Hope you all are having a super hump day!!!
Almost 85K on Tom's story! And just finishing up a guest blog of the 6 I have left to write.
Happy Wednesday!!!
 Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com 

Happy New Years! 2013!

My Wilde & Woolly Bears weren't cooperating at all for the picture. Burgundy bear was whispering to Baylor bear about something. Her triplet was just being silly on top of the carriage. And Eagle Scout bear decided to do a headstand. But what can you expect from teddy bears?

All wish you a Happy New Years for 2013!And my wolves, jaguars, Highlanders and fae all do too. And me too!!!

Are you doing anything special for New Year's Day? I was going to go to a movie, but I got so far on Silence of the Wolf, I might just keep working on it. 80K, 10 to go! Happy New Years! May your year be all that you wish of it.
 Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com 

Happy New Years Eve!

Put on your finery, or not, your feathered cap, or not, and get ready to party! Or not!

That's what's so great about today.

It's your day. Do what makes YOU happy.

Bird's eye view of the day for me:

Write Tom's story. Eat spicy spaghetti, my aunt's recipe. Have green tea. Have chocolate homemade fudge (my SIL's aunt's creation). Watch Supernaturals (Christmas present from my son and DIL--thanks Malinie! Who turned me onto the show!). Write Tom's story. I have to say I'm up to 77,000 words! 13,000 to go! Although they usually end up being 100K by the time I'm finished with them, but it's getting close!!!

:) 

AND first time ever!!!! Happy New Years! My publisher has reduced all our books on Amazon Kindle to $2.99 for 2 days only! They're normally $6.99 and will go back up on Jan 3!!! So if you don't have the first two books in the series, now is the time to get them! :)
 
Winning the Highlander's Heart--Book 1
Countess Anice vows to flee the amorous advances of King Henry I, and return to her home in the Highlands, where she hopes to find a laird to wed. Highlander Laird Malcolm MacNeill, seeking an English bride, becomes entangled with the Scottish lass while trying to find out why her staff has vanished.Amazon
  The Accidental Highland Hero--Book 2

Lady Eilis Dunbarton’s life undergoes a drastic change with the death of her cousin, Agnes. Now she’s faced with the disagreeable prospect of marrying the man who was to be her cousin’s husband. Not by a change of contract, though. Instead, by deceit—pretending to be her cousin. But if her husband-to-be discovers she’s not really Agnes, her life is forfeit. So what choice does Eilis have but to flee?

When Laird James MacNeill’s clan rescues a half-drowned lass from the sea, there is speculation she is of the enemy clan, especially since she doesn’t remember her own name. James is immediately enticed with the lady, but his focus must remain on finding the proper bride. For if he does not wed soon, he must give up his holdings to one of his younger brothers.

Focus slips away with each day Eilis is close, and James finds himself contemplating the thought of taking her to wife without knowing her true identity.

But how dangerous would the end result be?

And what will happen if Eilis’s husband-to-be comes looking for her only to find her in the arms of another man?
AMAZON




The past clashes with the present, and one woman finds herself fighting for her own identity in the past so that she can have a future with the man she loves--but with her ancestor's hold over her--Lisa Welsh and Jack Stanton only have a ghost of a chance at love.

Lisa Welsh only wishes to leave a messy divorce behind for a couple of days stay in Salado, Texas, but wakes to nightmares and a cowboy in her bed, and she has no earthly idea how he got there. But the situation gets worse when she wakes in the morning and learns she’s living in 19th Century Salado.

Even more worrisome is the tall dark stranger and everyone else in town believes she’s some woman named Josephine Rogers. Only she’s supposed to be dead. Jack Stanton can’t believe the clerk gave him an occupied room at the Shady Villa Inn, but worse, he was ready to ravage the woman in that bed—until he realized his mistake. Now the woman he thinks is Josephine, claims to be some other woman—and though he could never abide by Josephine’s fickle ways, this Lisa Welsh intrigues him like no other. Still, everybody in town believes her to be Josephine, and he steps in to help her find her way back home.

Murder, mystery, ties to family roots in the past, embezzlement and murder in the present, and a man she can’t get off her mind no matter what century it is, Lisa has no choice. She must solve the mysteries and face the troubles in her world and Jack’s or they will never be free to share the love that binds them across the ages.
Amazon
 
What are you doing for New Year's Eve?

Mine is booked.

What am I wearing???

Comfortable. And warm! :)

Slippers a necessity!

What are you wearing to your special New Year's Eve???

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com 

Doing Things YOUR Way!

This was a fun picture I took of a bird doing its very own thing. Can you imagine being that...flexible?

Do you remember that saying about dancing to your own tune?

Do you do what everyone else tells you to?  What everyone else is doing?  Or do you dance to your own tune?

I don't mean like being a man in your mid-fifties and wearing bright purple polka-dotted pajamas to the library as a statement that you're different, though. His wife was wearing some other color pajamas. Yep. It was not Halloween.

Or jumping off a cliff to be different. Remember, probably others jumped off that cliff before you, so it doesn't make you any different from them.

Sometimes it's fun to just be different though. Like being one of the few moms who played RPG (role playing games), solving heroic quests and eliminating the bad guys, or being an Army officer and making award-winning teddy bears or writing werewolf romances.

Or attending a cruise ship dinner in a nice elegant blue sequined gown when EVERYONE else was wearing black. Okay, so I did feel like I didn't quite fit in. But it's made for some fun stories. In Dangerous Liaisons, the sequel to the vampire RS (romantic suspense), Deadly Liaisons, everyone is wearing black...except for the huntress. :)

She stands WAY out, since the place is a vampire club on top of that. And she's uncomfortable, but she's not going to leave until she gets what she came for.

So sometimes being different, when it's not intended, can make for an interesting story!

Have you ever stood out either because you wanted to or when you DIDN'T want to?

Have a super Sunday!!! New Years is getting closer and if you made some goals, are you Ready, Set, Go with them???

What you do is you try to get as much of them done this year, and then next year you can take it easy. Just saying...

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com 

Eye to Eye with a Rattlesnake!

I know, I know, some of you all absolutely hate snake pictures, but you've got to admit this is pretty cool! It's hard to get a picture of a rattler who comes up to look you square in the eye and snap the shot before he moves off!

Most times they are sleeping, or moving away from you, but to get ready to strike? That's cool. Isn't it?

No snakes or photographers were harmed in this shot. :) Thankfully. (Especially for the photographer--me.)

I've been to my local zoo four times now. The first two times with friends who did NOT want to visit the snakes. The third time I went alone and didn't even think about going. But when the kids were with me, I walked right by it and my daughter said, "Don't you want to see the snakes?"

Well, they had some interesting ones and a really neat crocodile. :) I'll share his picture later.

Don't you think it's fun to be able to look this guy in the eye and know he can't hurt you?

Have a super wonderful Saturday while I write some more about Tom!!!

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com