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

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

Jaguar Pride Review and Kissing the Highlander is OUT!

Loved this review from: Harlequin Junkie Recommends, and thanks so much to Angela for sending me the link!!!
http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-jaguar-pride-by-terry-s…/…
Excerpt from Jaguar Pride:
In one giant step, he grabbed her up. She squealed, never expecting anything like this, and laughed. She loved it. He tossed her over his shoulder and stalked back to the bedroom.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’ve had enough babysitting duty. It’s time for some grownup action.”

And the Review continues:
So. Much. Fun. Jaguar Pride was an exciting mix of pulse-pounding action while our hero and heroine tracked down bad guys, as well as playful scenes that showed off the cat side of their shifter personalities.
This is the first novel I have read in Terry Spear’s Heart of the Jaguar series and I have to say, I am pretty wowed by the world she’s created. I have read some of her other paranormal titles so I had an idea of her “voice” and writing style, which I’ve enjoyed quite a bit. I thought that this was just as solidly written and that it was actually very unique. I loved that there was an underlying message of how important it is to protect animals, especially exotic breeds, against poachers and ultimately, extinction. There was almost a reverence to the storyline in how the JAG agents protected their fellow shifters and all other creatures in the rainforests.


With so many books in the wolf and jaguar series, this is book 4, but I have 16 wolf books out, 2 cougar shifters, and tons of other books out, I have to do something really different with each one. With this one, they were already seeing someone else. It’s the first time I’ve done that because I didn’t want there to be a stigma about jumping from one situation into another, but also that they were working together before this, and NOT having an affair. Sorry, affairs don’t work for romances, unless the one having the affair is the villain.  But it can’t be the hero or heroine. Soooo, it means setting up the situation so it’s clear they really enjoy working with each other, and admire each other, but it doesn’t go beyond that, until their boyfriend/girlfriends call it quits.

Even though we write what we want to an extent, and each book must be different as readers don’t want to read the same story only with the names changed, we are limited by what is acceptable for the genre–the hero and heroine must be heroic, for one. They can’t be bed hopping when they’re in a relationship with the hero or heroine, lying, cheating, or stealing.

Now there’s a caveat. If the hero and heroine are doing these things for a heroic purpose, then it’s acceptable. It all comes down to motivation. He’s lying to her because if he doesn’t, she’s going to be killed. Castle comes to mind where Rick has to keep secrets from her or the powers to be will kill her. So lying is not a heroic thing, but in this case, it has to be.

Anyway, sometimes we have to write something different that might border slipping into that gray area, but again, we have to have something different in every book so that readers will look forward to it.

If you have read Jaguar Pride, did you enjoy it? I always have fun writing these books. Does it show?

The characters are real, the places real. I often use trip reports to flesh out the reality of the setting–like the donkey braying in one when they were eating at a jungle village cafe. And the woman who rented cabanas and fed wild animals and offered for them to feed them. Only jaguars actually eat those in the wild, not that my hero or heroine wanted to, but they declined. These were in fun trip reports written by folks who had visited the parts of the world that I used as settings and of course, small details were used to create that reality–in a jaguar shifter, or in a wolf shifter world.

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

Daytona Beach
The Raven

On Puppy News: Max is doing so well on his collar, I had it set on 1. Hmmm, maybe I had the collar on too tightly. But he really was paying attention to me despite Tanner attacking him from time to time, and that’s the ultimate distraction. The puppies are still having accidents on the tile floor after their stay in cages for the duration at the Vets. It was better yesterday and we have been fine this morning. But then, they’ve only been up an hour and are now sleeping on my lap. More pictures to come. Need to get back to story. I’m late! I’m late! I’m late!

I should have finished SEAL Wolf Diving for Trouble already so I could be working on my edits. Still trying to come up with an ending. I printed out pages and was editing it on the couch last night as the puppies will sleep on their bedding on the couch and I have total peace.
But, it’s time to get cracking! Deadline quickly approaching!


Five new Highland novellas by Bestselling Authors of Highland romances that will delight with mystery, intrigue, romance, drama and much more! From the authors who have provided countless hours of reading pleasure so that fans can slip away to the past and live among all those hot Highlanders.

BUY LINKS:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
ARe Books (All Romance ebooks)
Kobo
Smashwords
Apple/Itunes/Ibooks

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,813 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
#7 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Historical Romance > Scottish
#10 in Books > Romance > Historical > Scottish
#58 in Books > Romance > Anthologies

Have a wonderful day!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
http://www.terryspear.com
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

Picture Bloopers with Pets

Don’t you love bloopers? I thought it would be fun to show a couple of the Christmas pictures that didn’t turn out and a couple that did.

Puppies a Blur

Squirmy Corgis

To better. In the shot with the corgis, I think I had my puppies in the bedroom, which was why both were looking that way and not at the camera. Oh, well, at least they weren’t blurs.

And there you have it!  Lots of bloopers and a few nice shots. I might have to include some of this stuff in a story. I actually have a lot of “real” life stuff in my stories, no matter how imaginary they may be.

So, are you doing anything fun today? I’ve been awake since 3, up since 4, so doing anything exciting beyond writing this blog just wears me out thinking about it. :) The audiobook for Call of the Cougar came back last night, so I might start proofing it today.

What about you? Have any plans? Eat special dishes? Black eyed peas? I’m having stuffed bell peppers since I bought them for when my daughter and SIL were here and we didn’t eat them. So that’s on the menu. :)

Happy New Year’s!!!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
http://www.terryspear.com
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

Sunset and Max and the Christmas Tree

Sun Setting

I was walking Max last night and saw this sight, ran back in the house with him, grabbed my camera and ran back out. Isn’t it great?

Sun Setting

Trees on Fire

Dark Descending

Christmas Tree Max

Okay, so Christmas is coming, ready or not. And I have to pick up Tanner today. He’s 3 months old. Max, pictured above, is 5 months old.  I have to say he’s very good about the tree. He pokes his nose at one of the balls every once in a while, but that’s it. I tried to take a picture of him closer to the tree, but he won’t sit long enough for the camera to focus on him for a picture. He comes to greet me instead. Can you tell he’s just about ready to move? So here, I had backed up yet again, told him to sit, and tried to take the shot. The first 3 were blurred Maxs. But he had been closer to the tree.

Tanner

This is Tanner from last week when I picked up Max. He’s much smaller, though bigger than the puppies from the other litter. She had two litters both born on the same day. :)

So now I’ll be training two puppies instead of one, but hopefully, fingers crossed, if they both have each other to sleep with, Tanner won’t be fussing tonight. Max has been fine since the 4th night.
We’ll have to work Tanner into our routine. Hopefully he’ll love it too. We had our 2nd official car trip ride and Max was really good. But this time I took him into a pet shop to see other people and get used to being out a little. A lady approached who had two twin 4 year old girls. They were adorable and they were so good with Max and he was so good with them. The mother scared him though. And then two groomers came to see him, for business, of course, but it was a good experience for him. But before I got him out of his carrier at home, he threw up. So the 1st official car trip was fine. The 2nd one, he got sick again. Hopefully he’ll be all right on subsequent trips. I have a 3 hour drive coming up and want both dogs to love riding in the car.

When Tanner gets home, he’ll have another dog to play with. And my daughter and son-in-law are bringing Sir Rilo and Lady Luna, their corgis, for Christmas. Both are two years old, so Christmas is going to the dogs. :) I’ll try to take lots of pictures.

I had to start writing blogs for the upcoming release of Jaguar Pride, and I’m behind on Phantom Fae (only by 3,000, though today I’m supposed to have another 2,000 also), though I keep waking and thinking about the end. I have 20,000 words left to write, so I am winding down to the end. :)

Do you have kids? Or, were you ever a kid with siblings? What order? Notice Max has lots of shots that are all just Max, because he’s the only puppy. But when Tanner comes home, what will happen? He’ll probably be in lots of shots with Max. Maybe not, but probably.

Doesn’t that happen with kids too? The firstborn has lots of pictures, then second and subsequent babies come along and all the pictures are of the toddler holding the baby, or looking at the baby, or two toddlers together, or…well, you get the picture. Second borns just don’t get the spotlight like firstborns.

So I was a firstborn. It’s all right by me. LOL What about you?

Okay, off to write another Jaguar Pride blog, the book is coming out Feb 7, and then back to Phantom Fae. Then it’s off to pick up Tanner. Have a super great Monday!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
www.terryspear.com
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
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

Being Smarter than the Dog

I can write full-length novels, and do any number of things well. But now is the time to be smarter than the dog.


Every day is an adventure. I’ve discovered this Havanese is a chow hound. Maybe because he had others to compete with back home, so he wolfs down his food and then wants to get up on the printer cabinet where I’ve measured out the rest of his food for the day so I don’t overfeed him.

He’s a jumper, so trying to jump on top of the printer stand, but he can’t make it. Thankfully.

So then his next goal–you see, just like in books, characters have to have all-important goals–so does Max. His next goal is to get the trash out of the wastepaper basket next to my desk. It’s mostly paper trash, though I throw my used up green tea bags in there too. It’s empty as it’s trash day, but I always line it with a recycled plastic bag. So he keeps getting into the wooden receptacle and I put a towel over it. Yesterday, I just put the trash can up above on the printer cabinet, but then I can’t reach it.

Sooo, have to have another solution. He tried to pull off the towel, tried to go underneath the towel, finally climbed on top of the towel. With a new mission in mind. He could use this as stepping stool to reach his food on the printer cabinet.



But the towel sank under his weight.

He’s not going for playing with his ball or chewsticks or rope pull. He wants something different. So we went to down training and he’s doing well. He still doesn’t go down on command, but he’s no longer trying to grab the treat out of my hand. Maybe because I’ve switched the treat to the other hand and he just has to follow my empty hand to the floor.

I will say that we had no accidents in his bed the last two nights and I was working on a final Christmas bear order, I know I keep saying that, but I keep getting last minute bear orders, and I worked so late, he went into his cage to sleep. Woohoo! No fussing, just is totally acclimated to it.
When I bring the other puppy home, it’s going to be a new day dawning.

I did get my word goal down for yesterday, and about 500 extra words, but still about 2500 behind. Which is a lot less than I was behind. I spent a lot of time getting packages ready to ship.


Are you ready for Christmas? I need to pick up some candy, but otherwise, I’m done.   Well, except for finishing the last bear order and then I’ll ship it tomorrow.

Amethyst Bear

It’s an Amethyst Bear like this one.

Off to work on the story before I run errands. Max finally pooped out. :) I think he was waiting for his training.

We had another fun foggy day.

A Cool Vampire Day

Even More Vampire Like?

Have a great Wednesday!
Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
www.terryspear.com
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
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

Prince Maximilian–the Dog

Well, I finally succumbed. With all the traveling I’ve been doing, I wouldn’t have done so, but I’m not traveling as much this year and even less next year, so I decided to get a dog. I’ve always had pets, but when my standard poodle died, I was working full time and writing full time so I figured it wasn’t a good idea to get another. Then I was writing full time and taking trips all the time.

I wanted another dog that didn’t shed. I’ve had poodles, silkies, and an Afghan hound. And I had a Lab, loved her, but she shed all the time. Course I had short haired cats too, and one long-haired one. Not all at the same time.

This time I went for a Havanese because they’re supposed to be good with kids and dogs and cats and people in general. Just a sweet disposition. So this is Prince Max.

5 mos old Havanese Puppy

Max is very white and has some silver and black

He’s now crashed out on my lap. I taught him to sit this morning. So we’ll see if he remembers that later today. :)

Off to work on His Wild Highland Lass. Note the Scottish leash? If they’d had a jaguar one, I would have gotten it.
:)

Have a great Wednesday! I need to get cracking on word count for Phantom Fae too. :)
Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
www.terryspear.com
Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
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

Hewitt Dog Days of Summer and Going to the Dogs!!!

Anya, Sheltie

dachshund, Zane

Great Dane, Lexie

Greyhound

Husky, Kira

Havanese, Champion left, Huckleberry, Lisa Wingate’s right

Miniature dachshund, Chloe

poodle, lab,Weimaraner

Weimaraner

Old English sheepdog, Boomer

Otis, Italian greyhound

West Highland Terrier

Scottish Terrier

Yorkshire terrier

Mastiff, Diesel

Ranger, shih tzu

Petra and Nike–Jack Russell terrier fairy background

And that is where I was for four hours last Saturday, having fun, selling books, talking to dog owners, and trying to stay cool. I love animals and it was like going to a dog show like I used to do when I was younger and seeing all the different breeds. And of course it made me want to have one again.
They had dachshund races and dress up contests, just all kinds of things.  And they gave away free dog dishes and leashes.
Afterward, my daughter and SIL and their Pembroke Welsh Corgi “puppy”, he’s a little over a year old now, had come in to visit, so that night we went out to dinner and saw a movie, and then all the next day while they were off to see his parents to celebrate Father’s Day, I played with Sir Rilo. Once they left, I jumped on my mss–A SEAL Wolf for Sale. Doing last minute changes, probably 2 days worth, and then it will be done, finished, the end and off to my publisher.

Sir Rilo, Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Here we are playing.

Sir Rilo in my lap, being a big baby

Finally, conked out in his makeshift “den.”

Sir Rilo asleep

And that is why I’ve neglected my blog for the weekend! :)
I want a Havanese. They don’t shed, great personality, and they’re adorable. I had a black standard poodle last, and lost her. I’ve also had a yellow Lab, a white standard poodle, and silky terriers.
Do you have a dog or three? What are they? Do you have any of these? I wish I could have gotten pictures of more, but I was selling and talking to a couple of young writers also, but I really did enjoy myself. :)
Hope you have a lovely Monday! I’m back to rereading A SEAL Wolf for Sale so I can turn it in!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”

www.terryspear.com

Connect with Terry Spear:

Website:

www.terryspear.com 

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/421434.Terry_Spear

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TerrySpearParanormalRomantics

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/TerrySpear

Purchase Link: