MacKay/McKie Bear!

The bear is lounging in my crepe myrtle flowers. :)

And he's now ready to be shipped to his home! Didn't he turn out cute? Thanks to Sia for ordering him! I still have another bear to finish up too.

Okay, back to Jaguar Fever. I'm worried about going to work tomorrow. What if they give me the worst job possible for the 3 hours???

I can deal with it! Alpha all the way! :)

I say this in only a fun way, by the way. One day, I was teasing--I am the world's biggest tease--about everyone piling holds on the hold shelf as I was trying to shelve them. I do that while working the front counter. So I went around to put up the audiobooks, same deal. I had to help a patron find something, and I came back and there are about 40 playaways sitting on the shelving cart when there weren't any at all.

I stared at them for a second, then said, "Hey, where'd these come from?"

One of my coworkers started laughing. She had put the whole slew of them there from the shelf. I vowed to get her back, but I haven't come up with anything yet. I figure when I'm JUST a patron, I'll have some fun. :)

Another time I was shelving books and one of my coworkers started to push a book through from the other side of the shelves and I was watching this book moving off the shelf in front of me, trying to figure out why a book was moving by itself. I got her back later. LOL

It's fun when you can have fun with your coworkers. We have a really good work crew. It was just trying to work 40 hours per week and another 40-45 on top of that with writing and promotions that I couldn't continue with.

So I'm off to work today for one last time, and dropping stuff off at Goodwill--I removed 40-year old curtains filled with dust and dirt of 40 years, and am starting to work on reducing clutter. I need to repaint, recarpet, and redo the ceiling with the water stains from the AC that overflowed in the attic the one time. Now I'll have time to do it.

I'm also thinking about rewriting the whole of Jaguar Fever. I have 6 weeks, but I think I can do it. It's already halfway written, but I'm thinking of going in a different direction. If I had been working, I couldn't have done it. So I'm excited!!! I might still use some of it because it's good, but I just wanted to do something different in the opening.

Thanks to Caryn for sending me the big kitty cat!

I bought new curtains for the windows, but after I looked at them hanging on the windows, I decided I didn't like them either. So for now, I like a less cluttered look. :) 


Have you ever thought about doing something one way, and decided to go in a totally different direction?

 Have a terrific Tuesday!!!

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

Psyched!--RWA Conference!

I was so psyched at the conference that when I got home, despite only having about 4 of hours of sleep, I was able to do a whole lot of edits on A Highland Wolf Wedding! It's amazing how powerful fans can be when making us feel that our writing is worthwhile!

Deadlines motivate too. LOL And A Highland Wolf Wedding is coming up shortly! But the conference helped me to rethink a couple of scenes and now I'm hoping they're much, much better!

The only thing I was unhappy about when I returned home was the heat--it was 105, and it was 70 in Anaheim, and I found a scorpion on my kitchen floor! I've lived in Texas for about 12 years, I think, and never seen one. I think that the fire ants usually get them. We had a terrible problem with them in Oklahoma, and some locations in the area have trouble with them where it's rockier. I really don't want to start living with scorpions again! 

I also learned that to make a bestseller's list, preorders count! I'd been told a long time ago that they actually counted AGAINST bestseller lists, so I was happy to learn that it isn't so!

Amazon

B&N


I was so excited, I'm signing up for a couple of new readers' conferences that I've never done--Authors After Dark, for those with more paranormal writing tendencies, of course! And RomCon. One's in Denver and the other in Georgia. I might also do RT and RWA. One's in KC and one in Georgia. I'm hoping to do the Dallas Tea through Fresh Fiction also if I can get on board!

It was so good meeting Lorene and ELF at the conference. You all are so sweet! Hope you had a blast too! And I hope we can see each other again at another conference.

Cat--even if we didn't get to see each other this time, I hope you enjoy the books! Hope we can get together another time!

I got to see my critique partner, Carol Burnside! I wished I could have spent some more time with her. We had so much fun. I don't know what happened to the time. I meant to go to some of the workshops, but I didn't get to any but a police procedures one, the Sourcebooks spotlight, which was the greatest of all the spotlights according to some of the people I talked with, the literacy signing, and the Sourcebooks signing.

Cheryl Brooks and Tracey Devlyn had lunch with me after the Sourcebooks spotlight. It was so good to really visit with both ladies. I had never had the chance with either in the past. Amanda Forester had a meeting to go to, but I would have loved if she could have joined us too.

Claire Ashgrove and I skipped the RWA luncheon and had a lunch together instead--no chicken! She and I met at the FF&P conference in New Orleans this spring and is so much fun. She was so neat. I was talking to her about Belize and satellite phones, and so she called up a friend of hers who visits Belize to learn if it's hard to get connectivity for cell phones, or internet service. Now that's what I call having friends who have connections! She has a really cool Templar series coming out with TOR and I can't wait to read them.

All of us RomVets (Romance Veterans) got an invitation to go to Kim Adams home in Hawaii before she and her husband relocate! It would be fun! Another lady lives in Germany and I asked if we could visit her! :)

I had dinner with Dawn Hamilton, Emily Leigh Reid, Holly Bazan, and I can't remember the other ladie's name, but she's from Dallas. I didn't get the word about wearing the formal dress before dinner since I was at a signing when they invited me. Really had a lovely time! I couldn't find their table by the time I came down dressed to see the award's ceremony. *sigh* Story of my life!

I met a host of other lovely fans that are reading the series and can't say more about how much fun I had! This was the best conference ever!

Though, FF&P's New Orleans conference was the greatest! That had something to do with Bonnie, my roommate! And Claire. And the ghost vampire tour we went on. We had so much fun!

Off to work on the edits. The days are spinning out of control and I still have the deadline for Jaguar Fever looming...

Have a super wonderful Monday!

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

  

Mastro's Ocean Club--Newport Beach by Terry Spear

 For our dinner with Sourcebooks last night at RWA National Conference, we went to the Mastro's Ocean Club--great food and service, lots of fun with a view of the beach.

We took a limousine party bus and yes, I had champagne on the way to the club, but no I wasn't tipsy. This is a black mirror with sparkly lights situated on the ceiling and I just thought it was the coolest ghostly looking picture. :)

Here is Barbara Vey, Publisher's Weekly, and Deb Werksman, acquiring editor for Sourcebooks with Cheryl Brooks in the background and a view of the Pacific Ocean! I haven't been to this neck of the woods in eons! We had a ball!

At night, we all took a walk on the back patio where we'd visited before dinner, but I loved how everything was decorated with lights.

It was chilly so we ended up gathering around the fireplace to warm up, but it was nice after dinner getting a breath of fresh air and enjoying the view. The moon was reflecting off the water, but my camera wouldn't capture the picture well enough. Time for a new camera! 

Today is the Sourcebooks spotlight so I'll be attending that this morning and the Sourcebooks signing this afternoon. That will be fun! And tonight is the award's dinner. Tomorrow I have to get up at o'dark thirty to catch a flight out! Have a great Saturday!

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

Jimmy Thomas was in the Bar Last Night!

But here he is on my cover! I wanted to get a picture of him for my blog, but a blonde was taking up all his time. *sigh*

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 learns she’s now 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 who is 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, if she isn't Josephine, he figures he best help her find her way back to where she really belongs no matter how much he wants to keep her with him.

Together, Lisa and Jack must solve the mysteries and face the troubles in their worlds or they will never be free to share the love that binds them across the ages.

Amazon print version now available! And in stock!
Amazon kindle version

Nook
Paperback

Here he is as a vampire.

And then another cowboy, contemporary though.

Have a great day! Off to play some more!

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

Literacy Signing--RWA Conference

Well, here I am! We had a great time at the Literacy Signing.

Dreaming of the Wolf sold out, and A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing nearly did. It was given away at conference, but non-conference attendees picked it up. I enjoyed talking to everyone from Romance Veterans (RomVets), From the Heart and FF&P chapter members, my critique partner, Carol Burnside and her friend Darcy, and fans who love the wolf series!!!

I've had dinner with Sharon Lathan, who writes the series that began with: Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, and her husband, Marie Force and C. Allyn Pierson  at a shrimp place where everyone was questioned about Forest Gump.

I've had fun visiting with Carolyn Brown, had breakfast with her and we shared all our news about Texas and Oklahoma since I lived in Poteau and Snyder for several years before moving to Texas and her husband and with Cheryl Brooks. Got a chance to meet with Rebecca York, my Shapeshifter Romance blog partner, and briefly with  Claire Ashgrove, who was so much fun at the FF&P conference in New Orleans. I visited with Sarah Simas, who has a blog and will be hosting Savage Hunger in October with a free giveaway! We realized the last time I'd blogged with her it was with Legend of the White Wolf, so a while back. :)

I visited with Liz Talley and Cindy Sample, my table mates. They made the experience all the more fun as we joked about the BIG authors having the tables across from us and as we looked on them in awe, we said that one day that will be us. :)

And I met Lorene Brubaker and ELF in person!! Thanks so much, ladies, for stopping by to say hi!
Lorene said she had some kind of chocolate for me--yum!! And ELF brought me 3 boxes of Haviland mints. Now how more special can the signing have been than that??? Thanks so much, Lorene and ELF! You are the greatest!

Thanks, ladies!

Okay, off to more conference stuff!

I'll be visiting with Romance Veterans this afternoon, and From the Heart chapter mates after that!

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

Fairy Tale Time

The fairy is in front of an oil painting of one of the Greek islands we visited on a short cruise after seeing Athens.

When you take a trip, do you ever feel you're in a fairy tale world? The room gets cleaned and you didn't have to do anything to make it happen?

You get to eat out and not do the dishes?

You get to see places that you normally can't see around home?

Do you make the most of your trips no matter what happens on them?

One couple told my family that they considered a trip an adventure. You never knew what might happen!

When I went to New Orleans and shared a room with Bonnie, we had so much fun. One of the highlights of the trip was the vampire/ghost tour, but also, as she reminded me before conference--the bouncing truck.

Will I see one in Anaheim? I doubt it. Which means I'll have to see something else so that I can share with her. Last time I was in Anaheim, years ago, a man was panhandling doctors at their conference. And some of the doctors were giving him money, because he was dressed nicely and had run out of money for gas on his way home. Only he was there the next day, panhandling again, because hey, it's a lucrative business. Doctors. Lots of money. Some with not enough sense to know they were paying into a scam.

Chalk it up to an adventure!

It is like a fairy tale time. Every trip. Because every trip takes you out of your comfort zone. It takes you to a new world that you don't live in every day.

A couple were talking about another who had taken a cruise. Everyone was like, "Wow, how was it?" It's a dream for many--the idea of taking a cruise.

They hated it. They hated everything about it.

Did they get deathly ill? (I did on a cruise. We had violent storms so bad and one of the stabilizers went out on the ship, and they had to detour way out of our way because the seas were so rough--but I still had loads of fun!)

Did either of them die? (Several do on a trip every cruise, according to ship's staff. They bet on it. Where do they store the bodies? Amongst the flowers and ice sculptures. :) )

Did they get burned to a crisp? (I did snorkeling once. I always wear a T-shirt now, but I still had a blast!)

What was wrong? Everything. People were drinking in the lounges. Raise eyebrows here. A woman was wearing something really provocative who was helping the magic man. Uhm, yeah, so that eyes would be on her instead of the man using slight of hand. And the list goes on.

Take a trip. Take an adventure. Even if not everything works out (I could make several blogs on this alone), make the most of it and have fun.

Happy hump day eve!

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

15 Winners Posted for Savage Hunger! by Terry Spear

822 entered the Goodreads contest for Savage Hunger! But never fear if you didn't win. I'll have a blog tour in October so you have lots of chances to win! There will be a lot fewer entering than that also, so a lot better chance to win. I'm back to working on edits for A Highland Wolf Wedding, and then back to Jaguar Fever!

Have a terrific Monday! The good thing about them is that they only come once a week.Sometimes. :)

Savage Hunger
by Terry Spear (Goodreads Author)

Release date: Oct 02, 2012

 USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear is acclaimed for her meticulous research of wolves for her addictive and sexy werewolf novels. Now, with a brand new series focused on the sultry and mysterious world of shapeshifting jaguars, Spear gives romance readers a new kind of paranormal hero to fall in love with…

Savage Hunger is book one of the much-anticipated “Heart of the Jaguar” series by bestselling author Terry Spear (October 2012, Sourcebooks Casablanca).

Army Officer Kathleen McKnight has never forgotten the mission to the Amazon take down a ruthless drug lord. Nor has she forgotten about the mysterious man who saved her twice when she was caught in crossfire. Back in South America to try to find him, Kathleen never expects to discover that the man that has intrigued her for so long has a surprising secret…

Connor Anderson is a jaguar shifter who is looking for a life mate, but can’t shake the memory of the tough Army officer he saved over a year ago. When he is unexpectedly reunited with Kathleen, Conner is ready to see if they could truly be together. But Kathleen has no idea he’s a jaguar—will she accept this, and make the change herself? And when Kathleen’s dangerous past is suddenly back in the picture, both she and Conner have to make life-changing decisions that will decide their fate…

Winners have been selected

Giveaway dates: Jul 13-Jul 23, 2012

15 copies available, 822 people requesting

Countries available: US and CA

Winners

Sarah
242 books
7 friends

Joseph
124 books
1 friend

Angie
326 books
13 friends

Tara
1792 books
12 friends

Robin
1709 books
46 friends

Jillyn
1715 books
88 friends

Peggy
33 books
4 friends

Carolane
161 books
5 friends

May
640 books
20 friends

Alisha
1536 books
122 friends

Lynette
504 books
1 friend

Terry
176 books
2 friends

Julie
125 books
7 friends

Christina
119 books
21 friends

Angie
375 books
17 friends

Have a super Monday!!

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

Fairy Tale Castle, Anyone?

Castle Neuschwanstein, Bavaria, Germany. 

I'd love to visit! Can you imagine the poor people who had to build it??? Clean it? Ohmigosh, I need to do some major dusting in my little house, sweeping cobwebs, vacuum up bugs again, even though I just did it yesterday, but can you imagine keeping a place like this clean?

Or just plain old maintenance?

But imagine you're the lady of the manor, or lord if you're a gent, and you had the staff to take care of everything for you! Then, what do you think?

A second home for when the days are too hot where you live now?

Yes! Take me away Castle Neuschwanstein!

Hope you're having a super Sunday! We're having terrific storms!!! Knocked out my internet which is the bad part, but I don't have to water for the week and that's well worth it!

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

Savage Hunger Giveaways!!!

The first of the adult jaguar shifter books, Savage Hunger, is being given away by Sourcebooks at Goodreads!

Just saw the Google alert! I'm in the middle of edits on A Highland Wolf Wedding, then off to dinner with my daughter and SIL and their youth minister and his wife, then off to see Batman! But I wanted to get this out really fast because I didn't know there was a giveaway! :)

Enter for a chance to win!

Terry
www.terryspear.com

A Highland Wolf Wedding Edits Ongoing Now!

 I used one of the castle ruins to describe the heroine's ancestral home that I visited in Scotland.

I'm working on edits for A Highland Wolf Wedding.  Had to put Jaguar Fever aside for the moment. Back to the blue and green kilt that is the MacNeill's.

Here the Scots are putting on a show!

But I'm still wishing for some snow and a mountain, and a kilted guy skiing past me--as he's uphill and I'm downhill from him. :)

Have a super great TGIF!

Back to loving a Highlander!

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

Winning the Highlander's Heart--Book of the Day!

Book Of The Day – Winning The Highlander’s Heart
by Greg on July 17, 2012
 
Today’s Book of the Day is a highly rated Historical Highland Romance by bestselling and award-winning author, Terry Spear. Winning The Highlander’s Heart has an impressive 4.3 star rating and is $6.99!
“Terry Spear has crafted a masterpiece in Winning the Highlander’s Heart. Fans of Scottish medieval romance will delight in this page-turner which sweeps the reader back to England and Scotland during the reign of King Henry I. I highly recommend this book, brimming in lush historical details, set in vivid locations, and peopled with true-to-life, lovable characters.” NV – Amazon Reviewer


Winning The Highlander’s Heart
by Terry Spear
Rating: 4.3 Stars
Category: Historical Highland Romance
Price: $6.99

Visit Terry Spear’s website
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Determined to avoid King Henry I’s randy advances, Lady Anice of Brecken attempts escape, wishing to find a Highlander to escort her home to her castle in Glen Affric where she will rule until she can find a laird worthy of her hand. Laird Malcolm MacNeill desires an English bride to improve his standing with those in power. But rescuing the Scottish lass from an escape attempt casts him into deadly political intrigue when the king sends Malcolm and his brothers to escort the lady home and investigate the disappearance of some of her staff. Now he must protect the king’s ward without losing his heart to the willful lass, or he could very well earn His Majesty’s wrath…and lose far more.


The Accidental Highland Hero followed, and I'm currently working on the 3rd in the series, Dougald MacNeill's story!

Woohoo, Susan S gave a brilliant review of The Accidental Highland Hero!!! Thanks so much to Susan of Love Romance Passion.
This spicy historical will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Tomorrow my daughter and SIL are coming for a visit and so we're going to celebrate the end of her internship and she passed her Masters exit exam! :) So definitely a time for celebration! She still has to finish summer classes and one class in the fall, and then that's it!

Have a super great Thursday! It's my vampire night. :(

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

New Book Marks In!

I didn't think it was possible, but Sourcebooks did it! They toggled between my wolves and jaguars and did a beautiful job!!!

You see how the SEAL and the Highlander wolves have the jaguar wedged in between them? But then the BIG jaguar next to them keeps them in line. :)

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

It's Not Monday Again!!!

Today we're having a science fair at the library. It will be a nightmare. Oh sure, fun for the kids and parents, but we are already swamped!!

We are starting to have more books in the back that need to be brought up front to shelve than on our shelves! Then everyone says, "It shows they're checked in, but I can't find them." Welcome to our library. The only one in the state of Texas that has more checked-in books that can't be found. Oh, sure we have them. But have you seen them stacked up on the floor in the back??? The sorting shelves were full a long time ago.

So we have to put the books we can't find on request so they can be found at the other libraries where they have a very small percentage of patron visits and checkouts.

Then? We're swamped with holds. With checking them in. With getting THEM shelved in our hold shelves.

*weary smile*

We have an automatic book drop now that checks the books in. But we still have to check them in. Why? Because it doesn't sort books into separate bins for the different libraries. It doesn't check to see if movie cases have movies in them. Or that audiobooks are returned with all their cds. Or if the items coming in are on hold for someone else. Or if the books are soaking wet, like someone dropped them in the bathtub while reading and taking a soak. Or if the book has missing pages, or colored on, or written on, or highlighted, or run over with their car--yes, we had a book with tire tracks on it--very warped book. Or they allowed their wolf pup to teethe on it. Or...well, you get the point. The book drop isn't human.

When we got all these new-fangled gadgets--the self-check is great!--we had patrons saying the library wouldn't need us any more.

Right.

We are so swamped we can't get caught up. And no, we don't get to read books all day! *big grin*

So this is me on Monday--wishing I could be this puppy and not at work!

Maybe this is the way to deal with a Monday!

Thanks to Bonnie for the kilted Darth Vader!
Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com

No Highlander in Your Life? Here's the Solution!

Okay, this is for all of us who can't get the hunky Highlander to come home with us. We can have this Scottish Man apron and have that special man in our life wear it so we can fantasize that he looks like that under the apron. :)

And then he'll shift when we need him to. :)

Have a great Saturday!

I'm off to work.

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

Reviewer Top Pick--NOR! Savage Hunger!

Having a new cover is so exciting! Finishing the manuscript! Writing a new one! Editing the manuscript! The final, final read through! But the best is when readers can get their hands on the book. Then the real worry begins! Will readers like it??? Love it????

This is a preview of a review coming in Sept. It's my first for SAVAGE HUNGER, and I was thrilled!

 

Night Owl Romance, first review preview!!! Coming Sept 24, 2012 


SAVAGE HUNGER
by Terry Spear


Reviewer: Debra Taylor

Score: 5.00 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick

This is an awesome new series from Terry Spear and a sizzling page turner. Terry Spear is wickedly talented when it comes to characterization. Her characters seem to take on a life of their own.... seeming to step right off the page. Or rather, to jump right out of my Kindle! LOL!!!
    
As with the wolves in her awesome "Heart of the Wolf" series, the Jaguar shifters take on the actual characteristics of the predators in the wild. Her vivid descriptions of the Amazon jungle pulled me right into the scene along with the characters. The chemistry between Connor & Kat was explosive and you get very sensual love scenes. I was hooked from the opening paragraph. The story kept me riveted throughout the entire book. This book is fast paced with nonstop action. Plus you get snappy & realistic dialogue between the three muskateers (Connor,Kat & Maya).

I am looking forward to reading about the extremely spunky Mayas' search for her very own Jaguar mate. I recommend this book to any fan of the shifter genre. I enjoyed every minute of this story.

~~~~~
I hope you all love it, too! Right now, I'm off to work on Maya and the twins because she deserves to have fun also!!

Hope your Saturday is great! I overdid it in the heat yesterday and it wasn't with any of these jaguar hunks either!

It's amazing how he really blends into the ground, except for the eyes!

 Time for some kitty cat loving!

And this is what one female jaguar shifters wears under their clothes!

 Have a super wonderful Saturday!

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

Jaguar Fever!

 And the winner is! He's hot, don't you think??? And he's got a twin brother! Don't you love it!

Kitty cat love.

Jungle love.

I'm writing on Jaguar Fever! 12,000 words done, 78,000 to go! Woohoo!

A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing is done, but I want to reread it a few more times, so it's waiting for me to come back to it. But now it's time to get hot and heavy with JAGUAR FEVER!

Have a super great Friday! I was going to say HOT, but we want to cool down from the heat. The only way we want HOT is from the pictures above...hunks, kissing and love...

So what do you think of Jaguar Fever's Cover?

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