Bev Pettersen's Blog, page 92

Simple Steps to Organization

Happy Monday! Okay, so we don’t always celebrate Mondays (unless it’s a holiday). But often Mondays are beginnings. The beginning of a new job, or a new project or even a new healthy way of life. There are many avenues to a healthy life. Today I’m going to touch on the mental health that comes with an organized work space.

I am definitely not the most organized person, not even close. I really don’t stand a chance living with three kids, three guinea pigs (lots of cavy paraphernalia), a crazy...

Fangirl Friday (4.10.15)

Welcome, ladies and gents, to another edition of FANGIRL FRIDAY! The day when we Rubies gather to gush about books. New books, cheap books, free books, or books we’re just excited to be reading right now. (And encourage you to post your book news as well!)

New Ruby Releases This Week:

This weeks I am thrilled to announce the third release in my contemporary Reality Romance series:

Falling for Mister Wrong by Lizzie Shane

Between I will and I do , there’s room to fall.

Caitlyn Gregg just agreed...

Hungry Like the (Were)Wolf*

*with apologies to Duran Duran

Ruby Release! DARK SECRETS: EDGE OF EVIL by Shea Berkley

When I first heard news of Ruby Sister Shea Berkley’s DARK SECRETS paranormal series, I thought it was about her secret love of Vegemite, a breakfast delight invented by my people. Now, I’ve just read the second book in the series, and while I was slightly dismayed by the lack of Vegemite in the story, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I loved it!

Here’s the official blurb for DARK SECRETS: ED...

Show and Tell Wednesday: Fonts!

Wait…Fonts? Like the letters?

Yup.

As writers and readers, we look at fonts all the time, but I bet you never think of them. How very important having the right font is. How it can effect the way you consume, process and enjoy text.

Typeface designers put time and effort into creating different fonts. The spacing and edges and serifs are all significant, and our eye glides by them, registering each feature perhaps at a subliminal level. Some fonts give a friendly, warm vibe, others a clean,...

Choose your poison

For some reason, my husband got nervous tonight when he found me cooking dinner and reading a book on poisons. If only he knew how normal this is in our house…

Research is a passion of mine, as it is with many authors. At the moment I’m struggling with Christmastime poisons in regency England. In 1800, over 90 percent of poisonings were due to plant toxicity. Today, that percentage is down to 7 percent. Since I need to kill my villain, I need something that was deadly and available in England...

Hello Death – I See You!

As authors, we birth new characters all the time. Often our offspring (like our flesh-and-blood kids) take on our own traits. Maybe your heroine has a dream to be a movie star like you did as a kid. Maybe your hero tenses every time he hears car tires screech just like you do after your accident. Or maybe your villain fears spiders and dark corners where spiders like to hide, just like you do.

Last week I released my newest book, BROKEN (Woot!), a YA paranormal romance (second in The Guardia...

Fangirl Friday (4.3.15)

It’s FANGIRL FRIDAY! And you know what that means: New books, cheap books, free books, books of all shapes and sizes! Check out the Ruby offerings or share your own!

New Ruby Releases This Week:

This week we are celebrating two new releases – a brand new paranormal YA release from our very own Heather, which includes a giveaway at her website, so be sure to swing by and enter to win a $25 Gift Card or signed copy of Siren’s Song!

Broken by Heather McCollum

Taylin Banes’ familiar world shatter...

Chicken or the Egg???

Chicken or the Egg?

It’s an age old dispute that we’ve talked about only…forever. Personally, I don’t really care which came first. I just want to eat both of them, preferably fried. Hey, I’m a Southerner.

But that old debate leads me to something writers often debate – is success achieved by talent or perseverance?

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking both, right? I knew it because that’s the easy answer. To “make it” in the publishing world we always say you have to have 10% t...

The Ruby Party

The 2016 Presidential race has begun. The fact that the election is about 590 days away shouldn’t deter anyone wanting to enter the field for the highest elected office in the U.S. So, without further ado, we announce the formation of the Ruby Party!

While other politicians throw their hats into the ring, we’re throwing in a Ruby stiletto-heeled pump. We’re running on a platform of a Happily Ever After for everyone. That means love, peace, compassion, and if you want, plenty of eye candy at...

Show and Tell Wednesday: RSS Edible Book Festival

A month ago, we announced the first Ruby Slipper Edible Book Festival. Shortly afterwards, I embarked upon my most ambitious cake journey yet. First I looked up a good vanilla sponge cake recipe. I wanted something sturdy and tasty. Word on the street is the Cake Boss’ recipe is THE ONE. (The secret is to beat the eggs until they’re fluffy.)

Given that the festival is all about edible books, I of course had to attempt my first book cake. The cake itself wasn’t too hard, but the fondant work...