Tag Archive | Omaha Zoo

Wild Week and a Half!

Dec3

Usually when I’m visiting my son and his wife for Thanksgiving, my daughter and son-in-law don’t also come. So with all of us, playing games, me taking pictures of little one in the snow, yes, it snowed, or playing with her, I wasn’t able to do much but the last of the proofing on the print book for Falling for the Cougar, which is now in print! Which means no blogging, only catching up on 300 emails a day and keeping up with FB. lol

It’s a 15-hour drive, so didn’t get home until after 9, after sleeping 3 hours the night before, didn’t get to bed until midnight and was up at 4 am. Had to pick up the dogs from the kennel and it was time to begin really decorating for Christmas! I was putting out more outdoor lights at 5 this morning, decorating the tree, and on Wednesday, I’ll have my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter put the unbreakable decorations on the bottom of the tree.

I have one more 500 light string to put out and other than finishing decorating the tree on Wed, I’m finished. I’ll get the other light strand out this morning, and then I’m working on the print cover for Cougar Halloween Mischief and once that’s done and works, I’ll begin proofing the novella. Then I have to do edits on Joy to the Wolves, and I’m afraid that will end my free reign to do what I want on writing and I’ll be back to working on the next contracted books. A Highland wolf book first off!

Love the zoo in Omaha! Very cold and it snowed on us! That was fun.

Okay, off to finish up the cover for Cougar Halloween Mischief. I was working on it before I had to leave for Omaha!

Have a super lovely day!!!

Terry

“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality.”
Connect with Terry Spear:
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Birds at the Ashton, Nebraska’s Wildlife Safari Park

Dec14

My Facebook friends helped me to identify these sandhill cranes.

And of course, I had to get the tail feathers of one–though a great shot, it’s typical that I get the backside of one or several animals on a visit to an animal/zoo type park.

Turkey hens, and this was at Thanksgiving, so I’m sure they don’t realize it, but they’re really fortunate to be living here.

I got this from UPS yesterday and I’d never seen one before, so it sort of tickled me. No telling what will. Must be doing too much writing!

 

And these are some fun reviews for A SEAL Wolf Christmas!!!

http://theroyalreviews.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-seal-wolf-christmas-by-terry-spear.html

Rating: 5 Crowns—A Royal Read*

I absolutely loved A SEAL WOLF Christmas. Definitely one of my top ten books of 2013.


Bjornolf Jorgenson has been ghosting Hunter’s SEAL wolf team to make sure the team stays safe while on missions, but he has also been doing so to keep an eye on the Anna Johnson, the sexy little gray wolf who has captured his attention.Growing close on their last mission, the two now find themselves playing the part of a married couple while trying to solve a murder investigation and raising a teen wolf who wants to run away.

I adore Terry Spear’s novels and A SEAL Wolf Christmas is no exception.

Chocked full of action, adventure, mystery, chemistry, romance, heat, and witty characters A SEAL Wolf Christmas is one of those books that should come warning label stating that it has the potential to explode in your hands.

The chemistry between Anna and Bjornolf was brilliant—I could not get enough of them. They were one of those couples you want to see succeed in their relationship. What made it more interesting was the fact that Anna is covering up a secret from her past, which is also the reason she hates Christmas.

I was unable to put this book and read it in one sitting, so it’s highly addictive and thoroughly engaging.

*What is a Royal Read:

Royal Reads are our desert-island, bury-me-with-this-book, don’t-sleep-until-its-finished, all-time-favourite reads.

Royal Reviews: A SEAL Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear
theroyalreviews.blogspot.com
Navy SEAL Bjornolf Jorgenson has had tough missions before, but going undercover with feisty gray wolf Anna Johnson could top the list. She drives him crazy—in more ways than one. Now he has to
http://www.ilovevampirenovels.com/vampires/review-seal-wolf-christmas-terry-spear/
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Terry Spear created an incredible world in her Heart of the Jaguar series recently, but little did I know that she had already set us up with a 12 book (so far) series all about some very awesome wolves.

It’s so hard to find an author that can write – and write well – about multiple species of shifters. Most are really good with one specifically — such as wolves, pumas, leopards etc — but lack the ability to give much insight to each ‘species’. Luckily this is not a problem for Spear. She really seems to have done her research. She knows the differences between red and grey wolves and masterfully inserts those differences into her writing. The characters exhibit qualities you would expect to find in wolves – whether in human or animal form. They react as the actual animal would most likely react (having never studied wolves, I can’t say this with certainty, but Spear is quite convincing). She builds the packs around intense characters and brings their animal traits into their human forms and vice versa. These characters are complex yet simple while still being relatable.

Once again I have found myself reading a book that wasn’t the first in the series, but Spear seems to be able to accomplish stand-alone-esque novels that still intertwine with the series as a whole. Although A Seal Wolf Christmas is the 12th in the series, the only time I felt like I should have read the other stories was when I finished and wanted to know more about certain escapades her characters referenced.

Navy SEAL Bjornolf Jorgenson had my attention from the first page. There’s just something about a man who is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the people he cares about safe that triggers some internal swoon in me. Add in several other alpha males, a strong woman who doesn’t take crap and a little mystery and intrigue and I’m not putting that story down.

Anna is one of those women you wish every author would write. She’s in no way a helpless female. I truly believe that’s why I was so drawn in by this story. Yes, many authors write strong women, but those strong women also tend to need saving – a lot. Anna is the kind of woman that is perfectly capable of saving herself.

To see these two very strong alpha personalities come together in a situation neither is comfortable with just adds to the chemistry brewing in the tale. Throw in a few curveballs along the way to make sure they don’t get too comfortable and you have one drag you in, hold you hostage story.

I’m not sure with what Spear has impressed me more – her ability to write complex animal characters, her ability to get someone like me to become engrossed in a series without starting at the beginning or just her overly compelling stories that leave you wanting more at the end.

Review: A Seal Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear
http://www.ilovevampirenovels.com
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http://goodbadandunread.com/2013/12/11/review-a-seal-wolf-christmas-by-terry-spear/

I’m always surprised at how authors can keep coming up with fresh plot ideas and characters after numerous books in a series. This is Book 12 in Terry Spear’s werewolf series, and I’m still having as much fun with them as I did when I first began reading about them.

Bjornolf Jorgenson – yeah, say that ten times really fast! – is a lone wolf, a Navy SEAL who ghosts missions to make sure teams get in and out safe. He’s had a thing for Anna Johnson for some time, and when ghosting her current mission, Bjornolf breaks his own rule and lets her team know he’s there by helping out when he thinks Anna might be in jeopardy.

Rescuing a kidnapped family in the Amazon, Anna and her team have to be hyper vigilant when they begin to suspect everything is not as it seems in the jungle. They’re glad for Bjornolf’s assistance, and that leads to another mission where Anna and he will pose at newlyweds to investigate the murder of two wolves on a Christmas tree farm and also take care of the teen who discovered the crime.

It’s Bjornolf who wants more with Anna, so he jumps at the chance to work closely with her, despite her hesitancy. He needs to know what’s in her past that forces her to shut down, to shun the holiday season, especially after he opens up to her about his most traumatic moment of his younger days. When she refuses to let him in, he decides to take matters into his own hands, knowing it might hurt more than help.

However, as they grow closer living together during their mission, Anna begins to blossom with the festive feelings of Christmas and the loving attention of Bjornolf, as well as the timid and eager trust of a young teen who needs family so much. When she’s unexpectedly torn away from them by the hands of danger, Anna isn’t about to let this villain take everything away from her. Knowing Bjornolf will do everything in his power to find her, her training kicks in, only for them all to find out that more danger is still at their door.

*************************

seal wolfTerry Spear brings paranormal fans a holiday story in the latest of her werewolf series,  A Seal Wolf Christmas. Navy SEAL Bjornolf is undercover as a newlywed with agent and wolf Anna, who drives him crazy. It doesn’t make anything easier that they have to pose as the aunt and uncle to an unruly teenage wolf. They travel from the Amazon to a Christmas tree farm in Oregon for answers in this funny and romantic adventure.Ho ho ho!! Nothing is better than a romance – except a romance set at Christmas Time! Join Amy Alessio as she tells us about her favorite holiday romances. http://romanceuniversity.org/2013/12/14/reader-roundup-holiday-romances-with-amy-alessio/

And now it’s time to get back to the work at hand–Jaguar Pride! 🙂

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

Silence of the Wolf, Final Approved Cover

Dec13

Photo: Hungry for the wolf??? Here is the final approved cover for Silence of the Wolf, due out in March, and working on reaching 5,000 words on Jaguar Pride. 75,000 to go! LOL :)

Silence of the Wolf is Tom Silver’s story of the Silver wolf pack in Silver Town, Colorado where the wolves run the town. It’s due out in March!

This is a picture I took at the wildlife park in Ashton, Nebraska, of their alpha female wolf at Thanksgiving time. 🙂

female wolf close up

I’m mentioning wolves, but I’m working on Jaguar Pride right now! 8,000 done, 72,000 to go! 🙂  Okay, so here’s the jaguar in a cat run at the Omaha Zoo.

Photo: I'm in my tree working on Jaguar Pride, but I wanted to comment about the weather. Do you pay any attention to weather forecasts? I need to run into town and I was thinking about doing so at a certain hour--but during that hour, not before or after, just during that hour, we have a 70% chance of rain. LOL Do I risk it? Play devil's advocate? Go later? Go earlier? Believe the weather forecast? LOL

Have a terrific Friday! I’m back to working on the story. No time to just enjoy the holidays!!!!

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

Peacock Hen and Babies

Dec5

She might not be as beautiful as the male of her species with their gorgeous tail feathers, but she’s beautiful in her own way–as a mother to her chicks. They are trying to keep up with her. 🙂  I took this picture of them at the Omaha Zoo.

My daughter took this picture in Hawaii.

New book reviews in:

Review: A Seal Wolf Christmas

A SEAL Wolf Christmas (Heart of the Wolf – Book 12) by Terry Spear

 Publication Date: 09/24/2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Casablanca
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 140228408X
ISBN-13: 978-1402284083

 (Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Casablanca)

 Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

 Terry Spear on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Goodreads

 Books in the series:

 Heart of the Wolf (2008), Destiny of the Wolf (2009), To Tempt the Wolf (2009), Legend of the White Wolf (2010), Seduced by the Wolf (2010), Wolf Fever (2010), Heart of the Highland Wolf (2011), Dreaming of the Wolf (2011), A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing (2012), A Howl for a Highlander (2013), A Highland Werewolf Wedding (2013), A SEAL Wolf Christmas (2013)

 Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from A SEAL Wolf Christmas, courtesy of Amazon’s Look Inside feature.

 Synopsis:

Can an Alpha Wolf Who’s Met His Match…
Navy SEAL Bjornolf Jorgenson has had tough missions before, but going undercover with feisty gray wolf Anna Johnson could top the list. She drives him crazy—in more ways than one. Now he has to investigate a murder, supervise a wild teenage wolf—and handle Christmas with Anna.
Survive the Holidays with Her?
For Anna, the only thing worse than staging the perfect family Christmas is having to do it with Bjornolf posing as her husband. Anna is a serious undercover operative who isn’t afraid of a fight, even with a hunky SEAL shifter. With a killer on the loose, Anna just wants to focus on their mission, but the one thing she can’t fight is her sizzling chemistry with Bjornolf.


 Thoughts:

 Terry Spear once again returns readers to the world of her Heart of the Wolf series with a Christmas treat, A SEAL Wolf Christmas. Spear’s attention to detail and her remarkable research into pack dynamics and behaviors has made this a must read series for fans of paranormal romance. Her latest offering has mystery and danger, as well as, a good dose of the Christmas spirit. Spear’s talent for writing compelling characters, with unrealistic abilities is exceptional. This author writes about the impossible and makes you believe every word!

 The Heart of the Wolf series was one of the very first paranormal stories I read, when I decided to give the genre a go. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, if I would find it over-the-top or just too far fetched. I am so very glad that I chose this series to start with, because I think it made all the difference. Had I started with a series that was not as well written or researched, I may have given up on it all together and I very happy I did not. 

 This series is written with such a great amount of authenticity. Terry Spear has done extensive research and it comes through on every page. Her shapeshifting werewolves act like real wolves, they are territorial and acquiesce to the alpha, they react like real wolves and they effect is mesmerizing. Readers who are looking for a werewolf series that has balance and sizzle, need look no further, the Heart of the Wolf series has it all. A SEAL Wolf Christmas may be the twelfth book in the series, but it doesn’t look like Spear will be done telling her stories about this big extended wolf family any time soon!

 

 Fresh Fiction Review:

The Highlander, October 2013
by Terry Spear

CreateSpace
Featuring: Anora; Niall MacNeill
ISBN: 1492799491
EAN: 9781492799498
Kindle: B00FWG9F8A
e-Book
Add to Wish List

Buy on Amazon Buy at Barnes&Noble.com

“Great characters, story, & a hot highlander!”

The Highlander
Terry Spear

Reviewed by Miranda Owen
Posted December 1, 2013

Romance Historical

THE HIGHLANDER by Terry Spear is Book 5 in this author’s Highlandersseries. Niall MacNeill and his friend Gunnolf are charged with finding a certain Frenchwoman and escorting her to Niall’s cousin, Laird James MacNeill, for her own protection. The lady’s father had saved James’ life once during the Crusades.

The search takes the warriors to the Lowlands of Scotland. At the opening of the book, Niall is just regaining his senses after he and Gunnolf were ambushed and attacked by Murray clansmen. He is grievously injured and there is no sign of his friend. He eventually makes his way to a cottage and rests.

When shepherdess Anora comes home, she finds that not only is there somebody sleeping in her bed, but he’s also a very attractive half-naked man. Luckily for her, Niall is a good guy as well as being hot. There are some humorous scenes when they first meet, caused by the fact that Niall wants to keep her from alerting others of his presence while he heals — a pitchfork is involved. Right away, Niall is impressed by Anora’s nerve and then later, her kindness in taking care of him and his injuries. During his convalescence, he grows more and more attached to Anora, even as he suspects she’s actually the woman he’s seeking.

 

 

And Deidre’s Secret is now available in Audiobook!

 

It dropped from 83 degrees to 28. That has to be a record! 

Back to edits on two Highland books…

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