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Monday, January 31, 2011

More Snow Is On Its Way

Don't worry people! The large amount of snow that has been accumulating outside is not going to go away anytime soon. Now, we have more coming.

Oh. Sigh.

I have really had enough.

The glare off the snow is giving my husband a constant headache and the 5 AM calls from the school to cancel or delay the next day is going to make me crazy.

We could conceivably have months and months of this left.

I'm sorry to vent.

How are all of you?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday

Hello everyone,

Happy Sunday. How has another week gone by? Oh wait, I know. Its gone by in a blur of snow that never seems to stop!!

I hope wherever you are it is warmer than here!!

Here is this week's installment from Angel's Wolf, my current work in progress

His broad chest, like his arms, was covered in tattoos. Colors called out to her and she wanted to stroke each one, admiring the designs he had chosen to place on his skin.

Seeing one that looked like an anchor displayed over his heart, she traced the edges of the ink.

“Do you mark yourself because you can’t express yourself vocally?”

I like the designs. Each one is something that is important, something I need to remember.

Best to all of you!!

Rebecca

Friday, January 28, 2011

The King's Speech

Last night, I went with two girlfriends to see The King's Speech. It was a Thursday night and a Snow Day so we didn't expect the movie theater to be all that packed. Boy, were we wrong. Apparently we weren't the only ones with cabin fever.

The movie was outstandingly good and I recommend it to everyone. One thing I would note. While Colin Firth has been receiving a lot of attention--and deserves to because he is AMAZING--I don't think enough has been said about how good Helena Bonham Carter is as Elizabeth. She gave an amazing performance.

If you haven't gone to see it you should. I'm so glad we snuck out for a ladies night on a cold, miserable day.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

My adventure today!

I love writing so much and, frankly, the days that I don't get to do it feel very long to me. I also have three children who I adore more than anything. Sometimes it can be hard to balance the two. One of the ways that I handle this is that I have some help in the house. For several years now, a woman named Cathy (also known as Saint Cathy to me) has come to help me with the cleaning and to help me take care of the kids. I'm very, very lucky to have her.

In the middle of the night, the phone rang and it was the schools informing me they'd be closed today due to the terrible weather, which meant that all three children would be home with me all day. In other circumstances, perhaps we could go out but other than the backyard, the weather makes it really impossible to do anything else.

My husband still had to go to work, thus leaving me entirely on my own with the three boys. No big deal. Cathy was coming. 7:30 AM the phone rang and it was Cathy. The buses were not running and she couldn't get here. My heart stopped. If she didn't come, there would be NO writing today.

"Don't worry, Cathy," I bravely informed her. "I'll pick you up."
My husband raised an eyebrow at my sudden bout of bravery as I ran through the kitchen to the garage. How hard could it be? She only lives one town over?

The first part of my journey went quite smoothly. My own town was well plowed. The streets, while still snowy, were easily driven over. Then I crossed the border into the next town. They had clearly not plowed.

This amazed me because that town is the town with the hospital in it. Wouldn't it make sense to, say, plow the roads by the hospital? (I'm just sayin...)

I pushed on and even through the unplowed streets, my little mini-van prevailed (yes I have a mini-van. 3 kids, as mentioned before. Also 2 dogs and 2 cats, in my life I never know what I have to transport.) to make it. I found Cathy.

She got in the car, followed by another woman. Her friend Jacki who works at the diner in my town. Would I mind taking Jacki to the diner? I actually know Jacki. She is my favorite waitress at my favorite diner. I hadn't actually known that they knew each other. Okay. Sure. We all get in the car.

Back onto the unplowed roads we go. I'm making it, slowly, over the snow and the ice. When up ahead I see what I dread. Two cards stuck in the snow who have clearly hit each other. No one seems hurt but traffic has STOPPED. I look at my watch. Half-an-hour til husband has to go to work. He is not going to be pleased if I am not home as he, had I consulted with him, would have informed me not to get in the car to go get Cathy.

What are we going to do? Three men exit a car in front of me, shovel in hand. They start to dig. Another man from the SUV behind me comes out. He's going to push. Sirens sound behind us as a police car arrives. The officer gets out. He also has a shovel. They all get to work digging and pushing the two dented cars away from each other. Finally they prevail. With a groan, one car sputters away from the other.

Traffic starts moving--slowly--down the block and after quickly dropping Jacki off at the diner, we return home just in time for husband to leave to go to work. The kids are ecstatic. Cathy, their favorite playmate, has arrived.

Just a few minutes ago, as I was discussing my oldest son's video game with him (he made it to the last castle on the level of Mario he played) she came into the room. "Let's let Mommy work for a little while." He nodded and went with her to play.

Was it worth it? Oh yes. My current work in progress, requires a little TLC from me and thanks to Cathy and a lot of luck this morning I am able to get it done. Nothing like a little adventure to get the blood pumping first thing in the morning!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

VOTE. TELL ME WHAT TO DO!

Okay,

I'm taking a comment vote.

I have 3 choices of books to write once I finish Angel's Wolf, which will hopefully happen today.

So, comment and tell me which one I should write next. I have listed these in no particular order.

1. The next book in my Conditioned Series. (Unless you Beta read this for me, no one other than my editor has seen it. But its cool. Psychics, true love, boats.) I don't have a release date yet for Eye Contact, the first one in the series.

2. A Strange Hollow story that has been brewing in my mind.

3. The third book in my YA series, The Warrior. The first one--Initiation--is releasing February 2nd.

Okay. Vote. Tell Me What To Do.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I love the Pre-Order Function





I woke up today to FOUR new books on my Kindle that were not there last night! That's why I love the pre-order button for the Kindle. I can order things months earlier and--boom-the second they are released, there they are!

What was acquired this AM, you might ask?

Their covers are above.

I can't wait!

Monday, January 24, 2011

Apparently

The teachers at my oldest son's school are having a professional day today so the children are being dismissed at 12:45. Sigh. Oh well. Not much writing happening today and I can say goodbye to the playdate my middle son was supposed to have as well. Its okay. Life is about adjustments and in addition to my resolution to diet and work out, I have decided this is the year I will embrace being flexible.


Good luck, right? LOL

Best to all of you
RR

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday

Today, I have six sentences from my work in progress, entitled Angel's Wolf, which is the book that will come right after my recent release Alpha Wolf. Both are books that are part of my Westervelt Wolves series. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like the small dose of Angel's Wolf.

Parker Liberty wasn’t sure he could take any more of that she-wolf’s tempting smell. He might actually go insane. Pacing around outside the restaurant, wasn’t improving his mood. Out of all the truck stops in the world why did she have to come to this one? He shook his head. And if he was honest with himself, why did she have to be leaving in the morning?

Best
Rebecca

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Facebook Privacy Update

The New FB Privacy setting called "Instant Personalization" goes into effect. The new setting shares your data with non-FB sites & it is automatically set to "Enabled".Go to Account>Privacy Settings>Apps & Websites>Instant Personalization>edit settings & uncheck "Enable". BTW... If your friends don't do this, they will be sharing info about you as well. Please copy and repost as you see fit!

Friday, January 21, 2011

A Letter to the Snow

Dear Snow,
I have had enough. Please go elsewhere for the remainder of the winter. We like to ski, but we're not die-hards, and when it snows endlessly it makes me too nervous to go driving around in the car.

I'm so tired of the phone ringing in the middle of the night to tell me about my children's various school delays. I'm cold and I'm sick of it.

Enough.

Thank you

Rebecca Royce

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Remembering

I was thinking today as I was filling out a form for an interview I am doing about what my first release day was like. I woke up in the middle of the night so excited that Her Wolf was coming out and that I would get to share it with all of you.

It's been such a gift getting to write and blog.

Thank you for such treasured memories!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

A Blog From Stacey Kennedy

Series, love em’ or hate em’?

A question I’m asked all the time is, “why do you write series?” The answer is simple, cause I love them! I’m not a huge fan of single titles and rarely read them. Mainly because after I’m done the book I’m left wanting more and frustrated that it ends there.

So, when I started writing it was pretty clear cut that I would write series. I enjoy the exploration of the characters and the way that it’s not just a single adventure but a few that makes up their life. For me, what makes a story great is the attachment received from the characters. You want to cry with them, cheer them on, and swoon over their growing love. And that, for me, just isn’t possible in a single title. I’m always left saying, “but what happened after...”

I suppose I get emotionally attached to the characters I write as well as read. I live their journey with them and I want to feel fulfilled that I’ve watched them grow, go through hardships, but in the end, succeed. I need to see all of the events that have brought them happiness, because as we all know, life is forever changing. And I want to experience that process with them.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Are you like me who just can’t let go after one story or are you satisfied with single titles?

If you like series like I do...danger, love, supernatural creatures and men that make you swoon, The Magical Sword, might be right up your alley.

~ Stacey

Website - www.staceykennedy.com

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=100000956942180

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3473046.Stacey_Kennedy

Twitter - http://twitter.com/Stacey_Kennedy



Buy Links:

Liquid Silver Books - http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=linda018&category=Stacey+Kennedy

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004G9KR9A

Fictionwise - http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/a60492/Stacey-Kennedy/



Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Nothing Like the Phone Ringing in the Middle of the Night...

In this case, that phone call was actually my oldest son's school calling to say it was so icy on the roads that they were delaying school two hours this morning. Phew. Then it rang again an hour later. I knew then that it was going to be my second son's school. They also delayed. Then it rang again. This startled me because I only have 2 kids in school. The baby doesn't go yet. But it was the second son's school calling to tell us again it was closed. (I suppose they can't be too careful...)

Personally, I've had ENOUGH snow and it is not yet February.

But, for today join me at Paranormal Romantics where I am recommending a book I am reading.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Happy Monday Everyone!

My kids are home, although not the older two at the moment--they are having breakfast out with their Maw Maw--my husband is home and I am feeling pumped because the JETS won last night and Natalie Portman won a much deserved Golden Globe.

I'm hoping to finish the chapter I'm working on today and maybe write one more.

So Happy Monday everyone and have a wonderful Martin Luther King Jr. Day.



Sunday, January 16, 2011

Six Sentence Sunday


Hi everyone. Can you believe it is Sunday? I can't! Anyway, if you didn't hear the news Alpha Wolf released last week. I'm so thrilled I can't even express how happy I am.

So, for today, I thought I would post Six Sentences from my work-in-progress Angel's Wolf, which will hopefully be the next installment in the Westervelt series.

Angel Kane had seen enough male shifters begging to be her mate to last a lifetime. Sitting down at the truck stop diner, surrounded by the sounds of the highway outside, she ran a hand through her dark-as-night black hair and wondered if she had finally lost them.

Julian Vincent and Houston Darvill were the most persistent of the pain in the ass men she had encountered lately. They’d been chasing her since she left New Orleans two weeks earlier. She’d thought she’d lost them when she got to Maryland but she’d been wrong. They’d shown up two days later, much to her chagrin.

So she’d run. Again.


Best to all of you,

Rebecca Royce

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The Baby Goes Boom

My son is 15 months old and he's not quite walking yet. He's cruising, which means he holds on to things to watch, and he crawls like a fiend. I'm not particularly worried about it. My oldest child didn't walk until he was 15 months and apparently my husband didn't walk until he was 16 months old. I didn't walk until I was 14 months old. So, with the exception of my middle son, who walked when he was 12 months old, we're all relatively slow walkers. (For the record, some kids don't walk until they're 18 months old.)

He takes little steps, he tries things and he goes BOOM onto the floor. I gasp. My husband laughs and picks him up. We couldn't have two more different reactions to what the children do.

My younger brother likes to tell a story about what he calls 'ski families.' We were not a sky family when I was growing up. My parents took us out west to teach us to ski but I was already twelve years old and as I'm not all that athletic, I didn't take to the sport as well as others did. My brother, however, was 6 years old and these days he is a fantastic snowboarder.

In any case, he loves to tell this story of sitting on a ski-lift behind a ski family. The mother and father are talking as they look down at the ski slope looking for their teenage children. They spot their daughter but it takes a few years to notice their son. Finally, they spot him. He's going up in the air on a jump. The mother gasps as the father cheers when the son lands his jump.

I think there is just something different about how men and women handle the children's antics--whether it is the baby hitting the ground or the teenage son jumping on a ski slope.

But what happens when we reverse this? Right now, in the story I'm writing, the woman is much tougher about things than the man. He's what we would refer to as an EMO. He's much more likely to cry than she is. He's much more likely to freak out. I think if they were on a ski lift, he would gasp and she would cheer.

How do you feel about this? Good or Bad to trade emotional rolls?

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Now I have Ralph

I have been feeling like I've gone back to High School, which was not that much fun of a time for me.

The only difference? Now I have Ralph. Maybe that sounds silly but just knowing that he is there at the end of every day to love and support me makes such a huge difference in my life.

Does this ever happen to any of you? Do you ever feel like you're back in High School?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Alyssa Milano is so pretty!

I actually based a character--Tiffani--in my novel Initiation on her. Do you base your characters looks on actors or actresses? Do you picture them when you read books? Do you cast them in your mind?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

ALPHA WOLF HAS RELEASED!

Happy Tuesday everyone! As per usual, I am also over at Paranormal Romantics, today talking about the hardest scenes to write. But, as Alpha Wolf released last night, I had to come by here today and tell all of you about it.

Alpha Wolf is the fifth book in the Westervelt Wolves series and it is Michael Kane's book.

Here is a blurb:

In search of his sister in New Orleans, Michael finds his mate instead. But Scarlett is broken, nearly destroyed. With doom around the corner, Michael Kane has no time to lose. If he can save his mate, perhaps there will be a chance for all of them. Or maybe it’s already too late.

Left with no other choice, Michael will have to teach the wolves in the New Orleans pack how real Alpha shifters behave, while showing his mate he is a man of his word.



I hope you'll check out Westervelt. I do LOVE writing this series!

Best
RR



Sunday, January 9, 2011

Sorry!

Sorry I have been so absent!! Last night I got a stomach bug that knocked me for a loop. Doing much better now. Hopefully, I'll be back on track tomorrow.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

A Change in My Routine

I am a creature of habit. I like to know when I'm going to do whatever it is that I'm going to do. But lately my children's appointments have been altering my days in really significant ways. I'm trying to pretend I'm one of those people who can just go with the flow of life. So if you hear me humming to myself or tapping my fingers--that is me pretending to be easy going when inside I'm tense. But if you don't bend you break, right?

Hopefully, I'll be doing some writing today when I get everything done.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Getting Him Some Juice

Well today began a little more dramatically than most days. My 15 month old son would not screaming. It was a few minutes before I realized he was thirsty. I quickly ran downstairs and poured the poor guy some juice. It was a simple fix, thank goodness.

But--what happens to one of my characters when I have written them into a corner and there is no quick fix. I can't just give my hero some juice. I'm going to have to try to figure this out today.

Wish me some luck. If I can't solve it I may have to have something stronger than juice.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Love Beyond Loyalty....New Cover Goodness!

So thrilled to share with all of you the new cover that arrived in my mailbox yesterday AM. It is for Love Beyond Loyalty, coming in February with Eirelander Publishing. It is the third book in my Outsider series and I am so excited for all of you to check it out!

Best
RR

Sunday, January 2, 2011

6 Sentence Sunday


Hi everyone!! How are you? I went back and forth, back and forth about what to put up today. I couldn't decide if I should put up Alpha Wolf--the book releasing from Liquid SIlver Books on January 10th or Angel's Wolf, the book I am writing now.

I finally decided to put up Alpha Wolf. This will be the only time I put up Alpha Wolf. Starting next week, I'll do Angel's Wolf or whatever else I'm working on but I thought in honor of the upcoming release, I would put up Alpha Wolf just this once.

So here it is:
Alpha Wolf!!

She stepped up to his chair and he became aware of two things simultaneously. One, someone had beat the hell out of this woman. Her face was a mixture of bruises displaying all kinds of colors, meaning that each bruise was in a different stage of healing. That meant someone had done this repeatedly and over the course of time. Two, she was his mate. Her scent filled him up inside awakening a side of him he thought, after two hundred ten long years, long dead.

He growled jumping off the chair as he felt his eyes turn wolf. Who the hell would dare to lay hands on his mate?

That's it. For more of Alpha Wolf, check it out on January 10th!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Coming Soon!


Hi everyone and Happy New Year! I have been so excited for 2011 for many reasons but also because of all of the books I have releasing in 2011. The first one is Alpha Wolf, which continues my Westervelt Wolves series.

I thought I'd start out the New Year with the cover on top of my blog just because it makes me smile.

So grateful for all of you and I know we'll all have a great new decade together!