Rebecca E. Neely's Blog, page 29
February 9, 2016
Star Crossed Lovers, Then & Now
Star crossed lovers. Shakespeare coined the term in Romeo and 
Juliet, but ill fated lovers have traversed history, real and fictional, for centuries and will undoubtedly continue to do so. It’s all about astrology: the phrase is rooted in the belief that the positions of the stars determined people’s fates. It’s also wrapped up in destiny, and the idea that the lovers’ paths will inevitably cross.
Destiny and the stars. Sigh. And since I love a good cry almost as much as I do a happy ending, here’s a few famed couples who speak to my heart, old and new, borrowed and blue.
Antony and Cleopatra Their story, dramatized by Shakespeare, still transcends generations the world over. For them, it was love at first sight. But their relationship put Egypt in a very powerful position, and the Romans were wary of that power. In spite of many threats, Antony and Cleopatra were married. It’s said Antony received a false report of Cleopatra’s death while fighting a battle against the Romans, and fell on his sword. When Cleopatra learned of his death, she also took her own life.
Pierre and Marie Curie In 1891, Maria Sklodowska Curie traveled to Paris to continue her studies because universities didn’t accept female students. An industrious student, Pierre Curie, director one of the laboratories where Marie worked, couldn’t help but be taken with her. after making several marriage proposals, they were finally wed in 1895. Has any couple had more ‘chemistry’? Just three years later, they discovered polonium and radium. When Curie died in 1904, Marie vowed to continue their work, and became the Sorbonne’s first female teacher. Sadly, Marie was without her beloved Pierre for thirty years. But all that time she honored his memory, experimenting and lecturing until her own death in 1934.
Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese in Terminator – Sarah summed it up: “In the few hours we had together, we loved a lifetime’s worth.” It gets me every time! Sarah, a waitress who is thrust into the role of ‘mother of the future’, and Kyle, an embittered soldier sworn to protect the woman he loves, and travels through time to save.
Let me hear from you – The Notebook is one of my favorite movies/books. Would you describe Ally and Noah as star crossed lovers?
Rebecca E. Neely tells stories packed with a punch of romance and suspense, and even a star crossed lover or two. Get a sneak peek of her upcoming urban fantasy, The Keeper, coming in April, 1st in the Crossing Realms series.
And while you’re at it, stop by and check out the newly revealed cover and enter to win some cool prizes – until February 10th 
February 7, 2016
Here’s the Cover! THE KEEPER, 1st in the Crossing Realms series
Hi! I’m so excited to share the cover with you for THE KEEPER, Book 1 in the Crossing Realms urban fantasy series! It’s coming in April, so I invite you to stay tuned for all the latest
Even cooler, starting right now, you can enter to win some awesome prizes, like Amazon gift cards and free books, by following along on the ‘cover reveal’ tour. It starts today and runs until Thursday.
A big shout out to all the generous book bloggers who are hosting me this week! I appreciate you!
Follow the Book Scoop Blog for all the latest tour info!
Celebrate the cover reveal & check out these blogs
for excerpts, fun and chances to win!
Cover2Cover
Kristina’s Books & More
Angel’s Guilty Pleasures
RoloPoloBookBlog
Lady Amber’s Reviews
Room With Books
T&L Book Reviews
Once Untold
Those Crazy Book Chicks
Lisa Bilbrey Blog
Just Us Book Blog
Splashes Into Books
Live Laugh & Love Books
Nicole’s Book Musings
Reese’s Reviews
Stormy Nights Reviewing
An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!
Obsessed by Books
Book Boyfriend Hangover
Best Book Boyfriends
Sizzling Pages
What I’m Reading
Who Picked This?
THE CROSSING REALMS SERIES
Sacrifice or salvation? A chosen psychic few may be both. As the city’s Keepers battle Betrayers to save the human race, all’s not fair in love and war.
Here’s the Cover! THE KEEPER, 1st in the Crossing Realms series
Hi! I’m so excited to share the cover with you for THE KEEPER, Book 1 in the Crossing Realms urban fantasy series! It’s coming in April, so I invite you to stay tuned for all the latest :)
Even cooler, starting right now, you can enter to win some awesome prizes, like Amazon gift cards and free books, by following along on the ‘cover reveal’ tour. It starts today and runs until Thursday.
A big shout out to all the generous book bloggers who are hosting me this week! I appreciate you!
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE LATEST DETAILS &
Celebrate the cover reveal & check out these blogs
for excerpts, fun and chances to win!
Cover2Cover
Kristina’s Books & More
Angel’s Guilty Pleasures
RoloPoloBookBlog
Lady Amber’s Reviews
Room With Books
T&L Book Reviews
Once Untold
Those Crazy Book Chicks
Lisa Bilbrey Blog
Just Us Book Blog
Splashes Into Books
Live Laugh & Love Books
Nicole’s Book Musings
Reese’s Reviews
Stormy Nights Reviewing
An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!
Obsessed by Books
Book Boyfriend Hangover
Best Book Boyfriends
Sizzling Pages
What I’m Reading
Who Picked This?
THE CROSSING REALMS SERIES
Sacrifice or salvation? A chosen psychic few may be both. As the city’s Keepers battle Betrayers to save the human race, all’s not fair in love and war.
January 26, 2016
50 Shades of Green – Healing Crystals, That Is
Since the beginning of time, we’ve had a deep connection with stones and crystals. That connection has transcended civilizations, cultures, religions and races throughout history, influencing literature, myriad branches of science and medicine, and profoundly affecting rituals, customs and traditions, present day included. Their many uses include healing, strengthening and restoring balance and energy, physically, spiritually and mentally.
This connection to the ages and our forefathers, this rich history of stones and crystals fascinates me. As a storyteller and a writer, it inspired my latest series of books, specifically, the types and uses of green stones and crystals.
Per information at www.crystalvaults.com, “Like their counterparts in the plant kingdom, the green gems and minerals are the “growth crystals.” As well, “they are powerful conduits of the earth’s Life Force of birth, development, and creation, and of the power of nature’s constant renewal.”
Green stones and crystals embody fertility, nurturing, new life, success, renewal, prosperity and productivity and growth, spiritual, physically and mentally.
According to the post The Power of Healing Crystals at www.energymuse.com, “there are many varieties of healing crystals, each possessing its own unique vibration, color, shape and healing energy.”
Just a sampling of the many green stones and crystals that exist include amethyst, green aventurine, green calcite, chrysoberyl, emerald and jade. Some of their many uses, per information at www.crystalage.com, appear below.
Green amethyst is hailed as an “all around healing crystal”. Its many healing properties include strengthening the mind. It’s also useful in achieving a meditative state.
Green aventurine is said to promote balance and support the immune system.
Green Calcite is used for achieving mental health, for stimulating the immune system and for treating infection.
Chrysoberyl helps to promote balance, lift moods and soothe negative emotions.
Emerald promotes spiritual growth and clairvoyance.
Jade, which exists in many different colors, has been considered a “good luck” stone for thousands of years.
PLEASE SHARE: Do you use any type of healing stones? What types, and why? What kinds have been the most beneficial for you?
In The Keeper, Book 1 in my upcoming Crossing Realms urban fantasy series, the Keepers’ Vitality stone may be their greatest strength—or weakness.
Look for THE KEEPER , coming April 27th from Soul Mate Publishing
Get a FREE sneak peek of THE KEEPER right now!
January 11, 2016
Get Out of Your Own Way – Limitations and Creativity
In the article, How Constraints and Limitations Will Make You More Productive & Resourceful by Marelisa Fabrega, she discusses ten ways that limitations actually spur creativity and productivity.
As a creative, I wholeheartedly agree. With no limits, it seems, we can’t get out of our own way. In the article, she talks about how Jack White, the lead singer of The White Stripes, forces himself to stick to time and financial budgets, even going so far as to use lower quality instruments so he has to ‘fight’ to get the sound he wants. ‘Doing without and making do’, on a grand scale, as it were. As a fan of the group, I’m duly impressed and figuring out ways I can apply the same principles to my writing, and other areas of my life.
As a writer, I know how tempting it is to throw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and pretty soon, you’ve got a tiger by the tail. The blank page beckons, but limiting myself to characters, plots, twists, and turns, results in a tight, focused story, and that equals a satisfying experience for my reader. (Side note: I still remember in grade school, the English teacher talking about how you need to consider your audience when writing. Applied then, applies now.)
I’ve also written a lot of non-fiction, and this usually adheres to a word length. Often, I’ve amazed myself at just what I could pack into a 900 word magazine article.
Dwight Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer, (a.ka. the Master, for me) I find, quantifies the writing process in many ways, imposing limits on how a scene should be structured, for example. Those limits have been my salvation many a day.
Short stories, in my mind, are the ultimate form of limits in literature. They’ve always been my favorite: Sherlock Holmes, O’Henry, Flannery O’Connor, Jack London and more continue to inspire me. Paradoxically, the shorter the story, the more is packed into those words. Every single one’s got to count.
A good friend of mine who creates inspired, beauteous carpentry projects, asked me last week if I ever worried about running out of time for all the ideas I had for stories; he felt the same about all the woodworking and other ideas he has for projects. I said I did, for sure. But I’m thinking that by imposing more limits on myself, I can bring more of those stories to my readers, in the time I’ve got left.
Here’s to grace under pressure.
Please share: how have limits helped your creativity and productivity?
January 4, 2016
More Perspective, Please
As the New Year rings in, many people feel compelled to set New Year’s resolutions and set goals. This week especially, there will be thousands of articles, blogs and the like published on this very topic, along with the endless stream of weight loss and smoking cessation commercials.
Having worked in corporate America for twenty plus years, I’ve had an ongoing education on goals and goal setting, S.M.A.R.T. stretch, and more. As an author and a freelancer, I’m proud to say I’ve never missed a deadline.
But I’d like to throw my hat in the ‘goal’ ring, with a slightly different angle. Goals are important, setting them, attaining them, and readjusting and measuring success. However, more important, in my eyes, is perspective. Right now, everyone is gung ho. But come February, the goals that were so valiantly set are gone, forgotten or turned out to be just too overwhelming.
Keeping perspective as we set, and hold ourselves accountable for goals is key. My overall goal this year is to set a series of smaller goals, and weigh in on a more regular basis. This I think, is the key – small successes that lead to bigger ones.
Along with that, I think, is keeping a light hearted perspective. The word resolution tends to sound so serious, and perhaps we shoot ourselves in the foot from the get go by holding ourselves to ‘resolutions.’
One of my go to resources on this very topic is acclaimed stress expert and motivational speaker Loretta Laroche. I’ve been a fan for years. She’s hilarious, wise and her talks and books are all about gaining, and keeping a healthy perspective on life – and that, I think, is the most important goal of all.
Please share: how do you plan to reach your goals this year, and keep them in perspective?
Rebecca E. Neely is an author of stories filled with romance and suspense, and most recently, an urban fantasy series, Crossing Realms. In modern day Pittsburgh, the only hope for a clan of human guardians against an enemy draining its life force is a trio of women possessing psychic powers.
Get a FREE sneak peek of THE KEEPER right now!
December 27, 2015
Finding Romance in the Everyday
I retweeted this tweet in the past few days:
A goodbye kiss in 1950 between a soldier and his love. pic.twitter.com/4Uj15zYfMm
— Lost In History (@SadHappyAmazing) May 12, 2015
The era, the kiss, the sentiment (and the spectator pumps) inspired me, and got me thinking about good old fashioned romance, how to keep romance alive, and how to rekindle love and romance in a relationship, whether it’s new, old, rocky, long distance or (insert description here).
Ah, romance! We all want it; it makes us feel special, alive, warm, wonderful and more. Thousands of books, blogs, articles, advice columns and more are written about it, and yet, it often seems elusive to many.
As an author of romantic suspense books, my characters often don’t have time for grand, romantic gestures, as they’re often smack dab in the middle of life changing, and life threatening situations. But they are romantic – they just make do with what they’ve got.
Now, I’m certainly no expert, and I don’t know about you, but I think I’m with my characters on this one. I’m less about big moments, and more about the little things. For me, that might include listening – really listening – after your significant other has had a bad day, or washing the dishes, or giving the baby a bath, so your partner can have a break. A good laugh ranks up there too – far more than traditional romantic standbys, such as flowers or candy. It’s taking the time or making the sacrifice in today’s busy world, where time and sacrifice seem always to be in short supply. To me, romance isn’t for someday, it’s for today, and it’s for every day, and in my opinion, that’s the best place to find it – in our every days.
One of the most romantic things my boyfriend has done for me? When he was gone on a two week hunting trip in the mountains where there’s no cell phone coverage, it took him and his friends about two days to get there – along the way, he mailed me cards so I would get one every couple of days.
Let me hear from you: what’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done, or that’s been done for you? Keep it clean!
Rebecca E. Neely is an author of stories filled with romance and suspense, and most recently, an urban fantasy series, Crossing Realms. In modern day Pittsburgh, the only hope for a clan of human guardians against an enemy draining its life force is a trio of women possessing psychic powers.
Get a FREE sneak peek of THE KEEPER right now!
December 20, 2015
Melville, Meditation, Moving & More – Top Ten of 2015
It’s been quite a year – I’m busy writing the second book in my Crossing Realms urban fantasy series, I moved, and I switched from Blogger to WordPress. Oh, and I just got a new head shot taken.
Blogging continues to be a journey, and I’ve covered a range of topics this year including Moby Dick & Melville, meditation, intuition, inspiration, laughter, getting out of your comfort zone, reading, creativity and freelancing. My top post continues to be the one on my best fiction writing resources, with over 3,600 views. I’ve also interviewed a host of authors and editors, as well as my publisher. 
I invite you to revisit some of the posts, and the journey, and share some more about your own year in review. Please share: where has the year taken you? What journeys have you been on?
2015, here’s looking at you!
Rebecca E. Neely is an author of stories filled with romance and suspense, and most recently, an urban fantasy series, Crossing Realms. In modern day Pittsburgh, the only hope for a clan of human guardians against an enemy draining its life force is a trio of women possessing psychic powers.
Get a FREE sneak peek of THE KEEPER right now!
December 14, 2015
Moby Dick, Melville and Me
My torturous relationship with Herman Melville continues.
Over the weekend I went to see In the Heart of the Sea, with a friend who wanted to go. ***No worries, no spoilers here.
I first read Moby Dick when I was a senior in high school, or rather the summer before I was to become a senior in high school. I was in Advanced Placement English, and Moby Dick was on the assigned reading list. I read it, good student that I was, but despised Captain Ahab and Melville by the long, long end. I dutifully wrote my paper on the whale and turned it in, but truth be told I was more interested in the guy sitting next to me than I was in the imagery, symbolism and other deep meanings in a story that had bored me to tears.
All that changed this weekend.
The movie has been on my mind since I saw it a few days ago, and the imagery, the meaning, the symbolism I could only grasp at as a teenager hit home for me: contained in the ‘heart’ of the sea, in the movie, in the book, in us there is love, hate, life, death, the frailty, and fortitude of the human spirit, the cycle of life, joy, mystery, misery, strength, weakness, even cruelty – Ron Howard expertly captured it all In the Heart of the Sea, as did Melville in Moby Dick.
As a writer, it brought to life for me the struggles of a young Melville, and his fervor in researching a story that lived and breathed in his soul. His arduous task of telling a tale – writing it by hand – that, little did he know would influence generations to come, his admission that he felt he was not a good writer, and his desire to make his mark, to bring his passion to the page, impresses me so that I have new respect for Melville, and Moby Dick, so much so, I feel the need to revisit the story that pained me so in high school.
Once again, I find it to blessedly be the case that books do not change, but we, as readers do. Therein lies the beauty of appreciating and understanding different things during the different seasons of our lives, and in our ‘hearts.’
Please share – have you read Moby Dick? Seen In The Heart of The Sea? What’s been your experience?
Rebecca E. Neely is an author of stories filled with romance and suspense, and most recently, an urban fantasy series, Crossing Realms. In modern day Pittsburgh, the only hope for a clan of human guardians against an enemy draining its life force is a trio of women possessing psychic powers.
Get a FREE sneak peek of THE KEEPER right now!
December 7, 2015
The Mystery of Meditation
According to an April 22, 2015 article at feelguide.com, anxiety affects “…40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of U.S. population).
That’s a staggering statistic, to be sure. Put differently, that’s almost one fifth of the U.S. population! For many, anxiety is a constant, for others, it hits over world events, or during the holiday season, for example. Certainly, there are many ways of coping with anxiety – medication and therapy among them, but how about meditation?
For many years, in my mind, the word ‘meditation’, for me, was shrouded in mystery, an esoteric term, a ritual that could only be practiced by the learned few, and the state of peace it brought could be achieved only after years of training.
But after conversations with friends who practice meditation and some online research, I’m now a ‘newbie’ at meditation, and I’m finding that is not only completely accessible and easy to do, it doesn’t have to take hours. And perhaps my embracing that is me, ‘saging’.
If you’ve experienced anxiety, you know it can be frightening to the point of being debilitating. But I daresay, even if you haven’t experienced anxiety, meditation is a healthy, positive and proactive practice, and habit – I’d call it a gift to your psyche,and your soul. And therein lies my motivation for meditation. Here’s an interesting article explaining ten reasons everyone should meditate.
You can read the article by Sarah Petruno, a contemporary shamana and academic scientist, in its entirety here.
She says all you need is five minutes. I’ve got five minutes. She describes the process of lying down on the edge of a bed and inhaling deeply and slowly, and exhaling the same way. She also recommends repeating this process twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.
I’ve also read, and heard about repeating a phrase, so as to center yourself, and also about gently pushing away any thoughts that come to mind, and allowing yourself to focus on your breath.
As a newbie, I’m giving myself time and permission to learn more about meditation and how to achieve a meditative state, and I imagine maybe a combination of these things, or maybe even just one, will speak to me, and become ‘mine.’
Of course, I also imagine that meditation is as personal, and unique as the thousands of people who practice it, and that they have their own ways of finding that quiet, and peace.
Please share – do you meditate? How, and how often? What tips can you share that you’ve learned along the way?
Rebecca E. Neely is an author of stories filled with romance and suspense, and most recently, an urban fantasy series, Crossing Realms. Libby Klink, the heroine in The Keeper, the first book in the Crossing Realms series coming soon from Soul Mate Publishing, has her own issues with anxiety, and a whole lot more – and she’s nowhere near ready to meditate…
The Crossing Realms series – In modern day Pittsburgh, the only hope for a clan of human guardians against an enemy draining its life force is a trio of women possessing psychic powers.
Get a FREE sneak peek of THE KEEPER right now!
