Need vs Want

Have you ever been pulled and tugged and pushed to fill a want when you know you have other needs you need to fulfill first? Like…obligations?

I am behind on word count. It’s a need. I need to get 5700 words done today on She-Wolf. I need to work on a bear and get it finished this weekend so I can ship it on Monday. Those are deadline needs.

But I also needed to vacuum and mop the floors. And dust. I did the floors, and some of the dusting. I also washed all the puppies’ bedding, towels I used on them, etc. I have too many needs.

Tanner the Hunter

Then there are the darn wants. I’m usually good about fulfilling needs first, then wants as a treat, just like if the puppies do what they’re supposed to, they get their treats. :)

So, I started watching Outlander. I bought the tape. Can’t get it on my limited channels and I’ve done the free premium channels for 3 mos and rarely ever watch them. But while working on the bears, I’ll watch a movie. And I’m hooked. And I want to watch more. Love anything that’s historical, love time travel. Love the Highlands. So enjoying so far. And I want to watch more of it. I could fulfill a need while I do so–make up the remaining bear for the  order.

But, I have to get my word count. And that’s nagging at me. So first the writing, and then the bear. But I also want to play Dragonage Inquisition. RPGs are really addictive. I’m goal oriented. I want to solve quests, fulfill missions, take down the bad guys, rescue the good guys. I work long hours on writing and promoting. I enjoy it, but I also need a break from it–I tell myself, just to go and fight monsters, etc. :)

Again, I tell myself–yes, you can. You can play all day long! IF you get your word count. *sigh*
So I have to post another blog [need] and then after that? I’ll play my game for a while, then stop and watch the movie and work on the bear some more.

But what I really want to do is skip writing and play the game.

Writing prevails. I write 2500 words a day, but as you can see with needing 5700 today, I’m behind.

Off to write another blog and see what wins out. Writing? Or…..Gaming.

I have to say that some of the reason I’m not getting tons of word count is that I’m getting closer to the end. I have to wrap up loose ends and figure out how I’m going to end it, how I’m going to get the hero and heroine to say I do without it sounding like any of the other books. So that means lots of thinking…

Have a super great day!
Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

What Are Friends For???

I took this picture at a sculpture park of one of the three muses. And I thought she was perfect for the role.

What are friends for? Helping me to get unstuck. Our brains aren’t computers. We can do research online or elsewhere, but sometimes it’s fun to just ask the question of friends, and I mean Facebook friends. I had used a crock pot meal in Cougar’s Mate–Irish Stew, love it, and so my hero made it for himself while he was repairing the cabin rentals he owned. But he’s also a part-time deputy sheriff and so he gets a call. Long story, he doesn’t make it home to turn off the stew. But friends can be a lifesaver. Dan, the sheriff, goes to his place and puts the stew away, but he had to taste it first. Thankfully, he left enough for the hero and heroine to have for eats the next day.
I also make Wassail in it at Christmastime.

But I couldn’t think of something a hero could use in She-Wolf. All the males in my family cook, so if you wonder why they often cook something in the stories, that’s why. In fact, my mom hated to cook, so dad did most of the cooking. Early on, mom did. But after dad retired, he did most of the cooking. I just always thought it was neat. We had a neighbor who wouldn’t lift a finger to fix a meal for himself when his wife had to be away on trips, so she would prepare a bunch of meals for him for while she was away. He was not hero material.

But I was stuck and so I asked what could be cooked in a crock pot. I had an outpouring of ideas. I loved them. It made me hungry. I want to try a bazillion of them for myself. Forget waiting for a hero to step in and make it! :)

So if you get stuck in everyday life, sometimes, just asking for help/direction/tips will get you to where you need to go.

Were you waiting for me to share the ideas? Here they are! I was getting hungry just reading over them again.

Pot roasts, chicken tortilla soup, Lamb Shanks – can you tell I’m a kiwi? But they are so tasty and the meat melts off the bone in the slow cooker, Chilli, although I do Dill Cream Chicken so good
Chicken breast , potatoes, carrots, onions salt and pepper and Dill lots of dill. pour whipping cream over the chicken and veggies and let your crock pot do the work
goulash is amazing
stew, with Guinness or Irish whiskey
wings,
New Mexico Green Chili!!
I make onion soup – water; several onions; bit of olive oil, bit of cider vinegar; little bit of beef, dredged in flour; I make chili from scratch; chicken soup from scratch; tomato soup from scratch = low sodium tom juice; toms, onions, carrots, peppers – mostly toms – water, bit of brown rice; etc
Just about any soup but the one I make with winter squash is a family favorite!
ham (we use turkey ham) and scalloped potatoes
goulash is amazing in the crock pot
We make gluten free chili in the crock pot.
Also great for a pork roast that you later cover with bb’cue sauce and fork into strips for pulled pork.
Pinto beans, chili, pulled pork…, Baked beans, pork Bar-B-Q, chili, any type of chicken or beef stew.
You cold be different and bring a hot drink like spiced cider., we cook just about everything in the crockpot including oatmeal during the winter so it is ready in the morning, shredded pork, http://teespring.com/crock-pot-superstar
Lasagna. It’s fabulous! Tastes just like Stouffers.
Pork and veg’s mushroom soup.
or chicken with veg’s chicken .or mushroom soup they come out like a stew
BBQ beef, Oh, pork loin, seasoned with salt, paprika, dry mustard, brown sugar, cooked on low for hours with beer (one bottle). When it’s super soft (almost ready to pull) drizzle bbq sauce over it. Cook a few more hours on low, then pull. (Last half hour, pop cornbread in the oven and pull the cole slaw out of the fridge.) Fave easy meal for friends that looks like you’ve slaved for hours in the kitchen, pot roast, chicken pot pie, Shepherd’s pie
For the meat eaters in my house: make a whole roasted chicken, BBQ chicken, enchilada casserole, meatballs, all sorts of soup, breakfast pot–eggs, cheese, sausage and potatoes. For myself I make TONS of vegetarian things!
brisket
chow mein
Mac and cheese
New England Boiled Dinner
Corned Beef & Cabbage, Chili, just about anything – some people even “bake” cakes
Chicken with a can of mushroom soup. Serve with rice. Super yummy and chicken is so tender it almost falls apart.
Actually you can do a beautiful Dr Pepper/Root Beer pork loin for bar-b-que, Pork butt bbque sandwiches, manwiches, stew, Salisbury steak, roast, lasagna lol use mine for everything…
Cabbage rolls are good.
Settlers’ Beans. Uses 3 or 4 different kinds of canned beans plus spices and browned ground round.
chicken soup
Corned beef & cabbage or pot roast or pork chops & sauerkraut
Taco Soup. Great eating too!
Pot roast or beef tips using onion soup mix cream of chicken or mushroom soup and water.
Bite-sized meatballs in marinara sauce…all you need is pasta to complete the dinner…maybe some Italian bread.
Crockpot apple pie is still out of this world.
I made Sicilian Chicken over Egg Noodles yesterday !!!
Asada with pork loin. Not sure that’s how to spell it.
I made an awesome sweet and sour chicken to serve over rice.
Bread pudding
Chicken and Dumplings
Roast and veggies
bbq pork roast.
Simplest pot roast there is. Take a piece of beef, salt and pepper it, dredge it in flour. Brown it. Take it out of frying pan, add a can of French Onion Soup (Progresso works great), add a packet of onion soup mix, bring to a boil, scraping all the bits from the pot, for flavor. Add a tablespoon of flour to thicken it. Then put meat and liquid in crockpot, cook for -6-8 hrs on low.
cowboy hamburger stew (tomatoes, chopped onions, corn, cooked hamburger, green chiles, black beans (canned variety). When it gets hot and bubbly, you can place canned biscuits or cornbread on top and allow it to cook for another hour.
Chicken in either cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken goes great with either mashed potatoes or elbow macaroni. OR Ham cabbage and potatoes
Coca cola pulled pork, or u could use root beer or dr pepper too
Fiesta Chicken – boneless chicken breasts, cans of diced tomatoes, black beans & corn – +spices (Mexican flavors) – served over rice or cornbread with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream & guacamole – plus margaritas of course!
Cougar story. Hmmm…how about a brisket? Make a rub with a jar of paprika and the same amount of sugar. Rub it into brisket and cook on high 4 hrs. If you have a smaller brisket, use half ingredients.
My mom used to layer the following: floured cubed steak, carrots, and potatoes, then sprinkle a pkg of dry onion soup and cover everything with water. Cook on high a couple hours, then on low for 6 hrs( in those days there wS only one temp! ). Falls apart, it’s so tender and yummy!
Go to getcrocked.com she has some fabulous recipes
London broil, new potatoes, baby carrots, 1 large can of cream of mushroom soup, salt, pepper and garlic powder. 1 cup of water. Throw it all in, cook on low for 6-8 hours and you’re done.
A roast with potatoes,carrots and onions. Using beef broth instead of water?
Layer some onion, add chicken pieces. 3 hrs on high. Drain the juices. Add a can of cream of ck soup, or mushroom soup, or some BBQ sauce. Cook for another 30 min. Done!
I love making chili verde in a crock pot.
cheesecake, apple crisp, chili, hot chocolate, mulled wine.
Split pea and ham soup.
Now I’m hungry. Sweet potatoes are awesome in the crockpot.
Slice Kielbasa into bite size pieces. Mix 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups ketchup, 1 can pineapple chunks with juice in crock pot. Add Kielbasa. Cook on low for 3 hrs. Serve over rice.
Chicken and dumplings is a good meal too.
Chili, pot roast, BBQ beef, corned beef, potato soup
Or shredded chicken with hot sauce to make buffalo chicken sandwiches
Meatballs with grape jelly and your favorite bbq sauce
BBQ pulled pork or chicken, shredded salsa chicken for tacos or burritos, pork carnitas…there are so many options.
I make meatloaf and also lasouna I can’t spell Italian with the long flat noodle layer meet sauce feta cheese
Caveman chili!
Beef Stew, Pork Roast, Roast Beef and Vegetables, Red Beans and Rice with Smoked Sausage, Chili, BBQ Beef, Pulled Pork for Sandwiches, Swiss Steak with Vegetables, Mexican Chicken, Chicken and Noodles, Vegetable Soup, Macaroni and Cheese, Southwestern Chicken with Rice, and the list goes on…
I put chicken breast in and add a jar of salsa to it. Cook until you can shred it then add a couple of cans of beans-drained and rinsed, and some frozen corn. Add more salsa if needed. Use in burritos or on top of rice.
I do a whole chicken–http://kitchenexcursions.blogspot.com/…/slow-cooker…
Chicken Cacciatore
BBQ pork
Cook pork roast in the crock pot
After meat is finished add BBQ sauce and simmer
Cacouli is spicy Portuguese pork butt.Delish.Can make a sandwich with Portuguese rolls,great in an omelet or burrito.Its so tender you shreds it.
I love mushroom soup! Another good crock pot recipe is Corned Beef
ratatouille, posole, pasta sauce, chicken soup.
Beef bourguignon, pot roast, lobster bisque, Turkey pot pie, Seafood barley risotto, Chili, Seafood soup. Chicken and dumplings, Barbecued brisket.
Home made beef or turkey soup. My grandmother makes it on very cold winter days and she throws in anything around the house from (for the beef soup) carrots, onions, potatoes, garlic, mushrooms, and (for turkey soup) rice she calls it a “dump soup” because you are just dumping in random things to utilize them
I make pulled pork. Pork butt, seasoned salt, pepper to taste 6-8 hrs. Depends on size. Let cool pull apart with a fork. Serve with favorite side dish or add BBQ and serve on Keiser rolls. Yummy simple no fail
My familiy enjoys ‘Pork Chop Slop’. lol Don’t let the name fool you. It is delicious. You just toss a little tomato sauce in the bottom of the crock pot, add your seasoned your pork chops, then a can of corn (water and all), a can of green beans, several cut up potatos, a chopped clove of garlic, a few slices of onion and green pepper, then top it with a can ot tomato soup. It is my husband’s favorite meal.
Beef stew. I cook whole chickens in mine
***
I love some of the titles: Caveman Chili, Pork Chop Slop, Cowboy Hamburger Stew.

So what do you think? Ready for some crock pot cooking??? What was fun was that some commenters wanted to try the recipes of other commenters, and I know for me, I certainly do. :)
I’ve done the same with asking about shampoos–dog grooming tips, just all kinds of things.

Okay, enough goofing off. I’ve got to get back to writing, now that I have the hero preparing lobster bisque to win the she-wolf over. Would it work for you? I love lobster, never had lobster bisque, but it sounds intriguing.

I took my garbage out, Wednesday hump day is garbage day around here, and I had only one bag. Usually I have two. I keep feeling like I’ve misplaced a bag of garbage. Ever feel like that? Watch me find it when I’m looking for something else.

Have a super great Wednesday!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Fun with Fog! Remember The Wizard of Oz Movie from Black and White to Color?

This is not Oz, but the fae world. :)

It’s time to take those gloomy days and make them bright. :)

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

What Do All These Have in Common?

The rainforest. I might not actually be in the rainforest, and when I asked a group of writers who wanted to go with me to one, everyone said no, but if I wanted to take them to Scotland they were game.

So I took these “rainforest” pictures in simulated rainforests. Did you know that the tiny little poisonous dart frog is so bright to warn predators it’s poisonous? That its poison is so toxic it can kill 20,000 mice? Scientists believe their toxicity is due to the toxic insects they eat. They’ve had some bred in captivity that aren’t fed insects that cause this toxicity and that those taken from the wild will lose their toxicity after some weeks. Several species are on the critical endangered list. But what I thought was interesting is that they will become attached to their human caregivers, exhibiting signs they’ve missed them. They also are social and often live in groups called jumbles.

Okay, enough frog talk. I’m off to write. Have to take Max in for his last individual training session and another group session. Which really cuts into writing time! And I need to ship bears!

Have a great Monday!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Portrait of a Lion and a Cross-Eyed Tiger

Lions and tigers and bears….as in the teddy bear kind, oh my!

I took these pictures at our local zoo. Love the big cats. Need my word count on She-Wolf, over halfway done on the book and need to work on teddy bears! These are last years Matheson Clan Bears

I've just finished 4 more for Vonnie Davis who is having a Facebook Party on April 7, and I'll be attending. She's giving away a bear at least for her new Highland bear shifter release! So be sure and attend and comment! As soon as it's light out, I need to take pictures of the 4 new bears.

Have a super Sunday!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Escargot…on the lamb…

Do you ever notice the small things in life? The dewdrops on the grass? The snail slithering around?

Who would ever have thought taking puppies out for a bathroom break would yield such treasures?

Anyone for escargot?

He’s the one that got away.


Happy Saturday!!!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Sold to Tantor! Again!

Exciting News!!! Savage Hunger is already in audiobook. Jaguar Fever is being narrated now. And Sourcebooks Casablanca just sold the rights to Tantor for Jaguar Hunt! So they should be up next! :) <3 Now, just need them to pick up Jaguar Pride! http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Savage-Hunger-Audiobook/B00NAGI2KQ http://www.audible.com/…/Romance/Savage-Hunger-A…/B00NAGI2KQ Savage Hunger (Book 1) B&N Amazon Chapters Indigo Kobo IndieBound Jaguar Fever(Book 2) Amazon Barnes and Noble Books-a-Million Indigo/Chapters IndieBound Discover a New Love Sourcebooks Kobo

Jaguar Hunt (Book 3)

B&N

Amazon

iTunes

Chapters Indigo

Kobo

IndieBound

Jaguar Pride (Book 4)

Goodreads ~ Shelfari ~ Amazon ~ Apple ~ BAM ~ B&N ~ Chapters ~ Indiebound ~ Kobo

Have a super Saturday! Back to the world of wolves! :) She-Wolf is the 2nd book of the 4 book contract. If I have time, I'm supposed to write the Wolf in Billionaire's Clothing. And then Jaguar Jingle Bells. They're all on the schedule, but my editor wants Jaguar Jingle Bells no matter what if I fall behind for some reason. :)

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com

Are You a Multi-Tasker???

I am. Okay, today, I’ve got to start proofing the final copy of SEAL Wolf Hunting. Don’t you love this cover? Besides the guy, I LOVE the wolf. Since I write about wolves, as  in werewolves, but they’re so human and so wolf-like that it seems sacrilegious to call them werewolves–as in a horror version of them, I love to see a beautiful wolf on the cover taking up center stage too. Why? Because the man is not just a man, but a wolf. I love this time with the book–it’s nearly done–just checking to make sure there are no other mistakes, but there are so few, that it’s a time for me to have that one last read that’s more for pleasure than anything, before you get it!

So that’s one of my number one priorities. I also want to continue to work on bears. I finished two last night. I finished making a 3rd, but still need to embroider the paws. :)

Plum bear with plum faux suede paws, 19″

Purple Bear with faux suede paws, 10 1/2″

And I want to get my word count in on She-Wolf. 2500 words a day. I need to be at 8500 today. I’m at 7200 right now. So moving right along. Usually when I get in edits, I have to quit everything and concentrate on only the edits. Then I’m playing a horrible game of catch up. So I’m trying to work on my blogs, word count, then proofing, then bears so I don’t get behind on anything. :)

It’s kind of like playing an RPG, role-playing game. I’m playing Dragon Age: Inquisition for my break time at night once I have all my other stuff done. Yesterday, besides word count, I was critiquing 10 chapters of a critique partner’s book, and while I was playing the game, I was finishing up the bears. Now, I also have to constantly stop to take puppies out, to play with them, cuddle with them, train them, feed them. So I do have other stuff going on. But in the RPG–there’s always a decision to make. Do I concentrate on the Big Boss, the guy with all the strength that is really, really hard to kill, and then work on his minions after he’s dead? Or do I tackle everyone at once? Then once the little guys are dead, I can use all my strength against the big guy?

Well, oftentimes I’ll go after the big guy while the little guys are beating at me too. And when I’m working on my projects, often I’ll tackle the one that needs to be done first–just all day long for every day that it takes to get it done. Then my stack of things to do goes down a little before it goes up a lot again.

So this is kind of a new experiment for me. Working on all things–having a goal for each, and getting each of them done, and not just working on one big project. I think it’s working, so far, because I think when I do just one major thing, I tend to take breaks anyway, and I don’t get as much done. Time will tell.

I want to get half of the proof book done today, and the other half tomorrow. That’s my goal. I need to start sewing up the other bears–4 of them, so another goal. And word count on She-Wolf.
Other than that, that’s it! :)

When you have jobs to tackle, do you go after the tough ones first, or the little ones until you’re ready to tackle the big one? I do that with first line edits. The simple stuff first. Then I tackle the bigger issues. :) When I see a page of issues, I want to reduce the number quickly. Then it doesn’t seem like so much.

Have a terrific Saturday and hope all your issues are little ones. The Big Bosses can be a real chore to deal with.

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear: Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerrySpear
Wilde & Woolly Bears http://www.celticbears.com