Roxy Mews's Blog, page 6

E-books Vs. Paper Books

I overheard an argument the other day about paper books were going away. The two women embroiled in the topic used the ever expanding toy and trinket section in Barnes & Noble as proof that people aren't going to continue buying paper books. Although if they would have thought through their argument of using B&N as the microcosm for book world, they would see that the Nook is dying in that building too. Which would mean stories as a whole are dead. And honestly, nothing is further from the truth.

But back to the conversation I overheard, I couldn't help but thing about the incredible transformation the world of book publishing has gone through in just the past ten years.

Ebooks were around long before the kindle, but for me, that little device was what opened up the world of ebooks for me. I distinctly remember watching an Oprah episode where she gave away a first generation kindle (the one with the roller wheel, y'all) to her audience. And frankly, I'd never wanted to be in an Oprah audience more.

When the Kindle came on the scene, we had the ability to download the ebooks that were already out in the world, and take them with us, just like the paper books many of us were already lugging around in our purses and backpacks. The kindle also introduced me to the world of erotic romance, but that's a whole other story.

The interesting thing for me that came from the release of the kindle device was that we now had a viable choice. The world could carry a paper book or an e-reader with basically the same amount of space and heft. But each format has some serious pro's and con's. 

E-READER PRO's and CON's

PRO's
-Carrying thousands of books instead of just one.
-The ability to buy the next book in a series IMMEDIATELY
-Reading without someone looking at the cover of your book and feeling like they can comment on it.
-TTS or Text to Speech. (This is now a defunct feature, but I kept my old kindles so I still have this feature on mine, and it's a HUGE PRO for me.)
-Buying books from damn near anywhere in the world.
-Freebies! (Or super cheap sales. Ebooks go on sale  A LOT.)
-MAKING THE FONT BIGGER! Bless this feature. When my eyes are fried, it's a lifesaver.

CON's
-Battery-powered. (I swear, the one day I need it most is the day it dies.)
-Not able to skim pages. 
-Expensive. (The price has gone down, but back in the day, it was a $400 investment to get this bad boy.)
-Ads now appear unless you pay extra. 
-Distortion of graphics and charts depending on the publisher. 
-Flipping to footnotes and indexes is a pain in the ass.


PAPERBOOK PRO's and CON's

PRO's
-The feel of the paper. When a publisher invests in paper quality, it makes me keep reading.
-No need for batteries.
-You can borrow for free from your library. Aside from the cost of getting there, you can read a paper book without paying money.
-Immediate reading. No waiting for a screen to turn on or an app to load if you read on a tablet. 
-Author autographs. There is nothing like holding in your hands something signed by your literary rockstar.
-Reference books. Ebooks don't have the easy flip through factor, and never will.

CON's
-If you buy your books instead of borrowing from the library, it's expensive to get the new releases. And with costs as they are now, you can buy a kindle for the same price as two hard covers. 
-It's only one book at a time. Unless you want to give yourself back problems and carry five at once.
-Damage. It's easy to ding up a book, break the spine, spill on it. They yellow and get gross over time. And we won't even talk about the questionable stains found on some library books. Ew.
-You have to travel or wait for delivery of your favorite books. No shopping in your pajamas with unwashed hair.
-Nosey people. I hate having to deal with whatever reaction someone might have. The joy of reading in public is avoiding human interaction.

Can you tell by my list that I'm never going to give up either type of book?

Because I'm not. And I seriously doubt anyone else is either. There are always trends coming and going. Honestly, the thing the arguing women missed out on was the beauty of having different options to read. For those who have poor eyesight, ebooks allow them to increase the font and allow them to read. For people who are completely blind, audiobooks are becoming bigger than ever. Getting people access to the stories however they want to read them is the most important, if you ask me.

For my own reading life, I tend to live by 5 major rules when buying books.

1. Always buy reference material in paper. I've tried multiple times to do reference in audio and ebook, and if the info is good, I will always buy the print later anyway.

2. Always buy self-help/motivation books in audio. I don't know if this is simply a "how I started is how I'll continue" vibe, but I vastly prefer listening to self-help tomes in audio format. It's like someone in my ear, cheering me on.

 3. Always buy genre fiction in ebook. This only has one caveat.  I will buy print versions of books if I'm at a signing. But 9 times out of 10, I won't read the paper. They are for cuddling and cooing over only.

4. Borrow from the library and request desired content frequently. I am a huge advocate of the library. (You won't catch me with a KU subscription.) So when my library doesn't have a fave author, I always put in a request for the book. Even if I'm running right out to buy it after searching in the library's website. I want the library to know that romance and erotic romance are valid forms of literature. 

​5. Buy from a bookstore, or somewhere I know the author gets a cut. Now don't get me wrong. I do scour half-price bookstores. But when I buy from a half-price bookstore, I always buy the ebook to go with it. Or I am in the store searching for out-of-print materials. Currently I'm snatching up Samhain Publishing books I loved in ebook since I'll never be able to buy them in print from the online store again. And I'm still holding out hope that one day I'll stumble across some L.J. Smith Vampire Diaries with the original 90's cover art. But if I'm buying a reference book, it's from Amazon or a bookstore. I know how hard it is to deal with pirates and scammers. I want the authors to get the money for their work. Even if it costs me a little more. And if times are hard? See rule 4. Libraries pay for their books, and the more I borrow, the more copies of the author's next release my library will stock.


What about you? Do you prefer ebooks or paper? Or are you like me and want certain types of books in different formats? Any pro's or con's you think I missed? I'd love to hear about them.

~Roxy

This might get binged

It's no secret to anyone who has been following me on my social media that I'm obsessed with YouTube. In trying to venture away from my computer, I've gotten into a few writing craft and motivational self-help podcast, but usually my Go-To relax time is spent watching videos on YouTube. 

I'm a sucker for people enjoying their time together. Maybe it's my introvert side enjoying being around people who are socializing without actually having to participate.

Huh. That got a little deep...maybe my hermit life has reached a new level.

Either way, what I'm saying is, I enjoy watching other people go out and do things and have fun. I love humor, and quick wit, and listening to people laugh. 

​Which is why I was stoked to see that Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart were starting a show together last year. "This Might Get..." was a show they started on YouTube, but was unfortunately cancelled. I enjoyed the show, but honestly, I watched it for their interactions and conversations together. The guests weren't as entertaining to me as their reactions to each other. 

So when they announced they were starting a podcast called "This Might Get Weird" , featuring just Grace and Mamrie, I figured I'd check it out. Of course they started it right before holiday season and my melted brain forgot about it. 

As I'm climbing out of the fog the holidays left me in, I noticed the above logo on my podcast list, and it reminded me I wanted to check it out.

Y'all...I ADORE this podcast. Imagine getting together in your living room with your friends and sharing the craziest stories of the week with people who can't wait to hear all about it. That's what this show reminds me of. This is literally two women talking about their lives, but with a humorous bent and infectious laughter. This is the perfect podcast to listen to while completing the mundane household chores or trying to block out the fact that you're exercising.

I'm binge-listening to these two, and I'm currently devouring two episodes a day. It makes me sad to know I'm going to catch up on the episodes and not have my daily smile from listening to these two chat. 

Are there any talk show style podcasts that you can't get enough of? I'd love to hear about them! 

~Roxy

Wearing my word

I've been obsessing over the idea of choosing a single word for the year for quite some time. And part of the reason my interest in this idea was sparked was through the #MyIntent project. 

I don't remember if I first saw this company on Facebook or a morning show, but the minimalistic beauty of wearing your intention every single day, and looking at it to keep you on track was brilliant to me.

If you have no idea what "My Intent" is, here's a quick video about it.I have been eyeing the Maker's Kit at the My Intent website for almost as many years as I've been picking my own word of the year. And now, since my word is "START", I thought it was time I start wearing my intention as well as just trying to live it.

So I bit the bullet and ordered the kit. The basic package I ordered, came with some practice discs, the bracelets, the hammer, platform, and letters. I'm already itching to order more. 

I practiced for a few discs, and then swiped some washers of the same size from my husband's workshop. I wanted to get the hang of the spacing and technique before I penned my own word. There is something incredibly powerful about metal stamping your word into a bracelet. It takes thoughtfulness and, if you're a klutz like me, a very real risk of pain if you miss. I was impressed by the quality of the metals used and the cord in the kit. 

The website truly doesn't do the products justice. And after stamping a few "My Intent" branded discs put up against the regular washers, I realized that the way the metal looks is night and day with the stamping process.

So I was totally done waiting. I stamped my own word standing at hubby's work bench. Scaring the crap out of the animals in the process. LOL.

In just a few minutes I had something I made that means quite a lot to me. I've only been wearing it a couple days, but I find I'm noticing it often. I'll end up spinning the disc so the word sits just right, or touching the etching on the metal.

It reminds me that I've been completing my Miracle Morning at the start of every day, and that there are so many adventures waiting for me if I simply start with the first step. I'm three weeks into the new year and my new routine, and I'm so pumped for 2019. There is so much awful going on every damn day in our world. Maybe there's a chance I can start something good for someone. So wether it's sharing my writing in books, on this blog, making bracelets, or even breaking out my notes on podcasting, I'm hoping to start something inspirative this year. I just have to...start.

Do you have a word of the year? How do you keep it to the front of your mind? Would you wear a bracelet like this? Or is this type of jewelry not your thing? I'd love to hear about it.

​~Roxy

Craft Book Recommendation: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

As part of my Miracle Morning (Just finished day 19 in a row, BTW!) routine, I am reading one paper book on either self-improvement, business, or writing craft.

The book I've been spending at least one chapter with every morning for the past few days is Save the Cat! Writes a Novel  by Jessica Brody. I adore this book for a lot of reasons, and as I'm entering the last 50 pages of it I wanted to give it a shout out, because it's a fantastic writing book, and one that I dug out the highlighter and notes for.

I was a huge fan of Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! books. So when I got wind of the theories being broken down into theories on novel writing (which was what I had been reading Blake's books for) I ran to my local bookstore to grab a copy on release day.

Of course my local bookstore doesn't put much emphasis on writing and craft, so there was a single copy tucked away in a four foot section next to the kids books. When I finally got my hands on it, the cashier rolled his eyes and mansplained how the only thing you needed to write a good novel was a good story. Which is why I try to steer clear of Barnes & Noble on the south side of Indianapolis as much as possible. But I wanted this book in paper that day, DAMMIT! (Sorry for the tangent. That store's attitude toward anything other than bible study and cookbooks pisses me off.)

ANYWAY...I've dug into the book and it's been such a fucking pleasure to read that it was worth dealing with the bookstore asshats. Jessica Brody has an academic slant to the breakdown of the beats, uses common knowledge examples in both literature and movies, and has an author voice that is a joy to read.

This book has me looking at different parts of the novel in new ways. And while I generally knew what worked and what didn't in the books I read, this craft book helped me put a finger on WHY those items worked. And it gave it a label. And not some multi-syllabic mumbo jumbo I'd have to take notes on to remember. These were labels that made sense in layman's terms. With labels like "Bad Guys Close In", "Buddy Love", and "Dude With a Problem", the topic had an image popping into my head before the chapter even began.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is writing a novel, or even anyone who is studying them academically. This book gives you a delicious amount of insight as to what formula's work, and even when authors sidestep the formula by adding additional heroes or killing off their B story or even main characters, how those same authors used solid techniques to accomplish those plots with flair.

Quick note...this book is available in both ebook and audio book as well. I would HIGHLY suggest getting this in paper. There is a quick reference guide, and the author breaks down books by ten basic story types, that would be fantastic reference material. This is one you'll want to flip through over and over again. At least, you will if you're me!

Are there any new craft books you've been thrilled with? Or even self-improvement books you've loved? I'm almost done with this book and will definitely need something new for next week's reading. 

~Roxy

My furry assistant

Sometimes we all need a little help in life. And lucky for us, animals are there to lend a hand. I am working hard to get my next story down on paper, so here's a glimpse into my life with my personal assistant...my cat, Grayson.


He helps make sure I get the laundry done.
He makes sure I don't spend too much time on social media when I should be doing other things. You know, like feeding him. Or making sure his favorite spot is cleared off in my office.



​He helps me decide on wall decor. He'll knock down whatever doesn't pass his high standards.

​He's a great editor too! He simply eats the pages he doesn't approve of. Grayson has a taste for plastic. So I try to keep my documents in a binder made out of alternative materials, but that won't stop him if I have a particularly tasty manuscript.

At the end of the day, we all love our pets. They bring laughter, comfort, and joy to our lives when we seem to need it most. They also see us at our worst and love us anyway. 

Of course they also judge us. 

My cat often looks at me like this until I feel guilty. I don't often know what I've done wrong, but when he looks at me like this, I'm pretty sure I have committed the most heinous crime.

These pictures popped up on my memories today and I couldn't help but share. I've always been surrounded by animals, but Grayson is the first cat I've ever had. His attitude tells me he knows he's not only the first, but the best.

What do your animals do to keep you entertained? Share a story or picture below. I'd love to see what furry critter keeps you on task.

​~Roxy

I'm going to have to spend money and I don't like it.

As I'm writing this, I'm sinking. Literally. I'm slowly moving from my desk height down toward the ground. My computer chair is dying.

Some might say it was already dead when it came to me second hand. But it was a computer chair. It was free. And it was an upgrade from the folding chair I had been using in my office prior. Although some might say it's not much of an upgrade.

Yes. That torn up, worn out thing is my chair. And even my cat won't sit in it anymore. *sigh* Notice the cool features like the peeling pleather, the cat claw punctures, and the deflated ass support? It's a good thing it was free.

But I'm not one to spend money. Like...at all. I don't think I've bought new clothing in over a year. Aside from the occasional underwear and socks, everything I buy is second hand.

These damn stores want eighty fucking dollars for jeans! And I figure I'm helping reduce my carbon footprint a little by buying second hand. Not to mention how much my wallet and my expanding ass appreciate the additions to my wardrobe.

I'm getting side-tracked. And you get the picture. I want to pay retail about as much as I want to have my gallbladder removed without pain meds.

However, as I feel my ass slowly descending toward the floor and my arms being slowly contorted to keep their spot on the keyboard for the second time this morning, I might have to admit defeat.

My chair is dying. But GOOD GOD have you seen how much computer chairs cost?!?! I could redo my entire wardrobe at Goodwill for the cost of one ugly computer chair.

And they are ugly. If I'm going to drop a hundred dollars plus on something, it had better be cute. Surely they have cute chairs out there.

To the Pinterest boards!!

I like this one! I'll just click through and find a pretty chair to make me feel better about spending money. This chair has cool-looking back supports and...is OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?!  People out there have way more money than sense. I swear. 

I guess I should take solace in knowing I have good taste? *sigh*

I need a chair that is comfortable to sit in, has a decent weight limit (ya girl likes chocolate and isn't giving it up), and looks like something I'd want to go near without a seat cover. Do you have a chair you love in your office? Any suggestions that are a little cheaper than the one I found from Pinterest? I think I need some help. If you are in the market for a book, check out the ones on the sidebar. Ya girl needs some help funding her new chair. 

~Roxy

I want to talk about newsletters

I've been to a LOT of author classes. Some online, some in person, and read a lot of books about marketing. The vast majority of those lessons have touted the magic of newsletters and mailing lists.

Confession time...even the newsletters from authors I adore, I don't read. Here's my thing. I HATE the amount of newsletters I've found myself wading through in my inbox. I'll sometimes open them to ensure I don't get purged from their lists, but when my inbox floods with over two hundred emails in just a couple days, I have too much to go through to allow non-essential items to take up my time.

The newsletters I've seen most frequently seem to include giveaways, extra stories, and promo for authors other than the author whose newsletter it actually is. 

I've started simply following authors on Amazon. When that author sets up a pre-order or releases a new book, I get a fancy little email letting me know, and giving me a buy link. And I don't have to scroll to the bottom to get that information. 

**HINT** If you want to follow me, head to my Amazon page and click the yellow "Follow" button below my face. I've set up a newsletter account with MailChimp, and have even had a few people sign up for it, but what I really wanted to ask...would you really want a newsletter from me?

Blogging is fun, and I enjoy chatting in this format. I feel like I get to say what's going on in my brain on any given day. While I've prepped a blog or two and scheduled it ahead of time, I usually spend the minutes after I finish my miracle morning typing here. 

Sometimes it's informative, and sometimes it's about nose erections. Although I could make a pretty solid argument that even that blog was informative. 

My point is...this is a more spontaneous place. I get to chat into the void, and from the numbers on my graph, there are at least a few of you who head back here often and read it. 

I'd love to hear opinions or requests from those of you who visit my blog. Do you want a newsletter? Or do you need another newsletter like you need a hole in the head? Are newsletters your preferred way to get info from an author? Or do you get your info from Goodreads, Amazon, or somewhere else? Or would you enjoy getting some YouTube videos, or Podcast content from yours truly? Fill a girl in.

​~Roxy

Five tips for reading sexy books in public

So here's the deal. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a good book with even better sex scenes. See all those people walking around? Every damn one of them exists because two people got their Marvin Gaye on. 

Sex is natural and super fun! So when I'm reading a book involving romance, I want my characters to enjoy themselves. The problem doesn't lie with me, or with my comfort level, but it involves the fact that I'm busy, and I don't always have the ability to sit in my house and read.

Am I going to let a packed schedule stop me from reading the books I love? Fuck, no, I'm not.

When I step out and I'm elbow deep in a good book, here are five things I do to not prevent other people from interrupting the exceptionally happy times of the characters I'm reading.

1. Earbuds. Visible ones.

I'm not always listening to my books through Audible. What I am, is interested in not being disturbed. Visible earbuds let people know you can't hear them.

Don't get me wrong, I have still been approached while out in public and trying not to be. Sometimes purple hair causes a scene. But with my earbuds in, I've been known to ignore a person or two and pretend the non-existent music was blasting.

*NOTE* If you are listening to an audio book, start the book before you put your earbuds in. Nothing will get you kicked out of a Panera faster than not having your earbuds all the way in your phone and accidentally blasting a double penetration scene at full volume.

via GIPHY

2. Lip Balm

Okay. This might be a weird phobia of mine, but I tend to bite my lips when reading a particularly enticing scene. So I make sure to pack lip balm. If I feel like I might end up looking like a wannabe LL Cool J out there, I take out the lip balm to remind myself to stop.

3. Kid-Blocking Noise

Nothing kills the romantic vibes like a child throwing a tantrum. Since I've already got my earbuds engaged, I'll pull up a white noise app, or my ambient mixer environment of choice. Sure...babies can sometimes result from the activities I'm listening too, but when the heroine has her legs wrapped around her partner's head squeezing the life out of them as she's riding the rails to O-Town, I don't want to listen to a two year old talk to their parent about what type of bodily function is currently urgent.

via GIPHY

4. E-Reader copies

For quite a while, the vast majority of the books I loved weren't even available in paper. I was forced to adopt an e-ink lifestyle. And I regret none of it. I love reading books that are different. From vampires who can mist out of their clothes, to exceptionally naughty babysitters, to shapeshifters with more sass than I'd ever seen before, these books weren't available at my local bookstore. So when I pick up a book, my first instinct is now to grab the e-copy. And it not only lets me read with a bit less judgement in my conservative area of the country, but it also lets me carry tons of books in my purse.

5. Stop giving so many fucks to people who don't deserve them

​There got to be a point where I had to say, I don't care what you think. Even considering the intense Catholic school guilt, I hate to admit how long it took me to get where I am. But I finally realized that if people want to read over my shoulder, or judge my book choices while they crush candy on their phones, that's their fucking problem.

Don't want to be offended my my reading a book? Don't look.

via GIPHY

I'm not going to stop reading what I love, or writing it. So sometimes I pack a little defensive armor when I venture into the great outside world. But here's the thing...most people aren't going to pay one bit of attention to what's going on between your book pages. Life's too short to read stuff that makes you yawn. So I say, find something that will make you squirm instead.

​What books do you love to read that might not be appropriate to quote in public? I'd LOVE to hear about them. And if you're in need of something a little naughty, there are a few books in the side bar that certainly fit the bill. ;)

~Roxy

Confession time...I'm a plant murderer

Currently there is a struggling bamboo plant in my office. It's struggling because I forgot to water perhaps the most hearty plant I've ever owned.

I was pretty sure I killed it, but it's working it's way back to life. 

Yes. I propped it up with popsicle sticks and rubber bands. It was that bad. But it's starting to grow up instead of sideways now, so I'm taking that as a good sign.

I've killed everything from herbs, to catnip, to air plants. I can't even keep a friggin' air plant alive!

So something I'm going to strive to work on this year, is to not have such a black thumb. But I'm going to start with EASY to care for plants. 

And don't suggest cactus plants, because I've killed those too. 

Below is a video from a channel I'm hoping will give me some good tips and directions to go in, but I'm not holding out hope, or investing too much in pottery.

What about you? Do plants love you? Or is your house where they also go to die? If you're someone who has a miraculously green thumb, share what kind of plants I might be able to NOT kill. I need some help.

​~Roxy

Watching People Clean

The new year and new goals also lead lots of us to start re-evaluating our spaces. It's no wonder Marie Kondo's Netflix series is getting so much watch time.

Seeing people tackle large spaces and getting tips on how we can declutter and organize is like crack to me. Also, there might be that little bit of "at least I'm not THAT bad" pinging around in my head, making the decluttering and cleaning I have to do seem more possible.

I'm re-doing my #Roxys7DayChallenge for the next 7 days (You can follow along with me and keep me honest over on Instagram @RoxyMews). Being that I wrote the challenge, I know I have some cleaning coming up. So I've been snooping around YouTube for some inspiration. Especially no and low cost inspiration, because xmas kind of killed the budget.

This was one that gave me the happy organized vibe. And started me down the rabbit hole.Do you get the urge to organize and update your spaces in the new year too? Or is this just a me thing? Do you have any favorite organization/cleaning videos you watch to get your moving? Or are you going to play along with my #Roxys7DayChallenge? Send me a link or tag me in a pic on Instagram if you're doing my schedule challenge along with me. I'd love an accountability buddy.

~Roxy