Tag Archive | research

Research Helps…

Aug18

to get me on track.

Superfast Wing-Flapping Pipevine Swallowtail on Zinnia

For Red Wolf Christmas, I’ve done tons of research. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in what I’m reading, I can’t stop reading. But guess what? It can pay off in the long run. I think, man, I wasted a whole day writing. Or two whole days writing. And nothing has come of the story. How did that happen? That’s how it happened. But…days later, something finally clicks.

And I’m thinking, wait, that would work in the story! So I was writing, got a 1,000 words early yesterday morning, then finally got another in the afternoon, slowly, but then the story started to gather steam. Three-thousand words. Four thousand. That’s what I was shooting for so that I could have some extra words (2,000 a day for the next couple of days so when I do the edits on the 10th Anniversary of Legend of the White Wolf I won’t be behind). But I was still going. Five thousand. Time for bed. But I printed off some pages to edit in bed and realized as I was editing, I had more to say. And more and more. I have to type up the edits, but it was getting so late, I will write the rest today. And that will give me a start anyway.

So see? All that research paid off. That’s why I absolutely cannot write an outline of my book. It doesn’t work for me. As I was searching for a place to set one of the plats of land, I found this neat online plat and owner finder. Who would have ever known? She had the deeds, but she didn’t know where one of the plats of land was located. And so I was looking for a place to set the plat and the town just hollered to me. Here! This is it! The name? Christmas Valley. It’s a Christmas story. Yes! And there’s a neat history to it. Soooo, more research, more story plot, more words.

Speaking of which, I need to get busy. Have a super fun day!!!

I’m off and running! Again. Yay!

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
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/u63qP

Follow Me for new releases and book deals: http://www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Barnes and Noble Autographed Books, Albuquerque, New Mexico

May3

 

Books autographed at 1801 Yale Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM

11178262_10153272713452930_8538306198703435973_n Albuquerque BN

We were at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary and stayed for several days, saw ancient Native American ruins, an ice cave, volcano, and another sanctuary that had several Mexican gray wolves. I’ll be sharing when I can, but I wanted to post this for this morning. We were really roughing it. No internet connection, and no cell phone connection, which meant, NO GPS. Gas stations few and far between. But we had a blast.

11118131_10204055305688423_303686548504958640_n

I’m borrowing my friend, Lor Melvin’s picture because I haven’t had time or a connection to download anything. 🙂

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

 

When I Get Stumped….

Jul10

Tawny Emperor Butterfly

I ask my Facebook friends. I love it. It’s amazing how great everyone is at finding answers for you. I was busy writing, of course, and I actually am excited to stay that I reached 10,000 words on Call of the Cougar today, after revising a lot of it to go in a new direction, which I often do, but I came across the picture and shared it, wondering if it was a butterfly or a moth.

Some said a moth, had to be. Others thought it was a butterfly. I found one picture that was close, but another friend was like, “No, not quite the same.” So she kept searching, and I kept writing, and then she found it!!!

Well, I’m happy to say that this pretty little fellow is a Tawny Emperor Butterfly.  So thanks to Alicia Jespersen and all her research!

Now,  what’s interesting to note is that they fly really fast. You’ve seen slow moving butterflies, these don’t fly that slow. So I was just lucky to catch this one on the jasmine in various poses. Can’t find the other pictures of this one.

But also what was interesting and what cinched the deal for me was that they love rotting fruit. And so if you want to attract one of these to your habitat, when they normally stay away from inhabited areas, they will come. And that was it!

My pear trees were full of pears and they were dropping constantly and I was having a time keeping after them. So not only were the yellow jackets having a feast, and getting drunk on the fermenting pears, the butterflies were too. Only I didn’t realize that they were butterflies and not moths.

Tawny Emperor butterflies on pears3

yellow jackets Tawny Emperor butterflies pears (640x428)

Back to writing. Going to two conferences practically on top of one another, so need to keep after it because otherwise, I’ll be busy. Oh, and the blog tour coming up for A Hero of a Highland Wolf. I swore I wasn’t going to go to as many conferences next year and am already booked for 4. The 5th one I might not do.

I need time to write, don’t you agree???

Terry

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

www.terryspear.com

Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
Goodreads:
Facebook:
Twitter:

Blue Light is Healthier

Apr11

When I’m researching, I find all kinds of weird things.

Did you know that if you are a morning person and get up early and go outside into the “blue sunlight”, so called for the clearer blue of morning, even if it’s cloudy, it’s good for: staving off depression, makes you feel better, that those who are early morning blue light risers are often thinner?

jet trail (640x427)

This was taken in the morning at the Arboretum as I was trying to capture the picture of the jet trail across the sky.

Well, you know how it is with research. Who knows if it really is true.

But supposedly, orange light is the late afternoon light, more intense until the sun begins to set. And it’s not as good to aid against depression, etc, etc, etc.

Sunset boost (500x333)

So I went out in my blue light this morning and fed the birds. I usually wait until it’s a little later because I’m waiting for it to warm up, even though I get up early.  I don’t have issues with depression, so maybe it’s because I let in the blue light in the morning? I didn’t feel any thinner going out in the blue light to feed the birds though. I did see some flowers and I wanted to take a picture. A bunny bounded out of the shrubs. I went back in and got my camera and saw a second bunny sitting under the flowery shrubs I was going to photograph.

I think they are breeding like rabbits! Bunny and flowers (576x640)

But as to the blue light/orange light study? it’s food for thought!

Are you a blue light person or an orange light person?

Is this all silly or what?

Hey, I didn’t do the research! 🙂

Terry

www.terryspear.com