Tag Archive | Texas

#RWA14 = Romance Writers of America Conference 2014!!

I asked if Carolyn would wear her red cowboy boots and she did for our breakfast excursion! She is the sweetest!

And then we had even more of a treat! Sharon Sala sat with us and she shared some wonderful tales that were absolutely fascinating.

Carolyn’s husband, Charles, who was our photographer, and I always love talking to him about everything–this time about cameras. 🙂

Had a really lovely time, ladies, and thanks so much to Carolyn and Charles for buying us breakfast! 🙂

Okay, off to visit some more with whomever I can visit with! Hope you all are having a lovely Wednesday! 🙂

If you are in the San Antonio area, I will be signing here: The RWA 2014 Literacy Autographing will be held on Wednesday, July 23, 2014 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Hotel in the 3rd floor ballroom. This event is open to the public.

It looks like from the seating plan, I’ll be nearer to the cashier’s checkout, last rows. Have wolf pins and book marks!
herohighlandwolf-300 (487x800)
Won’t have him, yet, *sigh*, but ALSO, if you see my Celtic Hearts Balloon–that means I’m a member of the wonderful Celtic RWA chapter–
Fans will get one entry into the drawing for every book they purchase or pick up from a signing. They don’t have to find everyone in order to win. But we have a gorgeous Kilted Muse prize package for the winner. I will also have CHRW buttons. They’re always beautiful. So look for the teal balloons for the Kilted Muse Scavenger Hunt (for the Literacy & Publisher Signings) !!!

Our signing authors will be designated with TEAL HEARTS at the #RWA14 signings this year. If you’re a fan of Highlander Romance and attending any of the signings in San Antonio, please pick up a #KiltedMuse Scavenger Hunt page and be entered to win an amazing bag of Kilted Muse swag. Participating authors will include Eliza Knight, Margaret Mallory, Keira Montclair, Ruth Seitleman, R.L. Syme… and more authors are being added! Find the TEAL HEARTS and you’ll find the CELTIC HEARTS!

“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

Savage Hunger–Rights Sold to Tantor to Produce in Audiobook Format!

Super news for the first book in my Heart of the Jaguar series. Tantor just bought the rights to produce Savage Hunger in audiobook format. It’s my first sale to them, so this is ultra exciting for me.

I also just received this fantastic review on Savage Hunger from Lost in Books by Cassandra, as though it was fate that both would happen on the same day. 🙂

You know I’m teasing, right?  🙂

 

Savage Hunger

Heart of the Jaguar #1

by Terry Spear

 

Connect with Terry:

~ Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~

~ Wattpad ~

 

My Thoughts – 5 out of 5 Unicorns – I loved it!!!

I love Kat as a character.  She is brave and confident and doesn’t want to just sit around while everyone else does the protecting.  But my favorites are Maya and her twin brother, they are awesome how they stick together and go out on a limb for each other 😉  I’m hoping Maya’s story is next 🙂  There is plenty of action and conflict in this story to keep you hooked. 

 

Terry does an awesome job of building the world because I was never bored reading it.  If I wasn’t watching my sister’s kids (4 of them), I’d have read this in one sitting 🙂

 

I highly recommend this book to my shifter loving friends, jaguar lovers & those who already love Terry Spear!!  Can’t wait to read more and since I have next book with me on vacation it will be soon!!!

 

Interested in reading???

 

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~ B&N

And I’m back to working on edits to Her Highland Hero, and writing the novella: His Wild Highland Lass.

I was pondering the novella this morning. I had reached 12,000, but the problem with writing a 20,000-word piece of work is that you have to get to the point pretty quickly. So I was thinking about the opening and I’m going to have to rework it, have the hero see her sooner, not the build up so much, like I can do in a longer novel. But I want also to have her see him first. It means my word count will go down to begin with, but when I add her new scene it, that should bring me back up on word count. In the end, all that matters is the story turns out right. 🙂 I always have to just write away, and then I begin to see who the characters are, what their pasts are, what the problem is. I often can’t figure that out by trying to plot it out first. And  in the end, that works for me!

My beta readers LOVE Her Highland Hero, soooo, it’s on track. 🙂 And I can’t wait to share it soon! Oh, and that’s why I didn’t post yesterday! Juggling 2 books at the same time. Back to juggling!

Have a super, lovely Saturday!!

her highland hero cover with title cursive copy

Terry

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

www.terryspear.com

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

 

Sometimes Books Get in the Way

Yep, I’m a writer, and that means sometimes I have to just write–the book.

So Her Highland Hero is done and off to beta readers.

But we’ve had so many bad storms, that I’ve had to get off the computer a couple of times today, and yesterday.  What can you do if you can’t be on the computer? I worked on teddy bears. I couldn’t watch TV either!

But now I’m back to working on the latest project: His Wild Highland Lass, novella, a prequel to the Highland series and it will be featured in the anthology, Kissing the Highlander, coming in Feb.

The “fun” I had with this story is that I had to figure out dates. I thought I had it figured out–she was born in 1080, wait, that would be her sister’s oldest son’s age. Back to the calculator. 🙂 So after much playing around with dates, I finally came up with 1065, the year before William of Normandy conquered England. 🙂

You know what? It’s a lot easier to go forward in time, I figured, then going back in time and matching up dates for everyone else that have already been written about! 🙂

This rolled in yesterday afternoon, and I didn’t do anything with the photo, but shared it just as it looked on the camera. Really ominous. Torrential rains.

bad storms (640x427)Here are some earlier ones for the storm earlier in the day, showing off the sunflowers and cornfields and I caught a bird flying in that one.

bird  flying storms white cloudscloser up sunflowers storms paler blueThe giant sunflowers are towering way over the cornfields and you can see the ominous storms in the background.

Okay, I’m off to get some more work done on His Wild Highland Lass! The good thing is we agreed to about 20-23,000 words and that’s about 100-115,000 words for 5 of us.

And 20K is a piece of cake, right?

Well, maybe. It means writing shorter, writing one main plot and naught else, and so lassies and laddies, you can never tell.

Storms looked to be clearing out until early morning. Which means I have no excuse not to be writing. Have the 1st 1,000 done, 19,000 or so to go!

Have a lovely Wednesday!

Have a super great Tuesday!

her highland hero cover with title cursive copy

Terry

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

www.terryspear.com

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

 

 

Purple Flower Day

purple flowers (640x582)
These are from my birthday flowers, so not exactly wildflowers, but most of the rest are!

mushroom fly wildflower (640x492)
These are so tiny, barely noticeable when I took the picture of the mushroom.

beautiful purple flower (640x626)

Not sure on this one. Tried to locate a picture like it, but couldn’t find one.

blurry purple flowers (640x427)
Not sure on these either.

Iris open

My garden iris.

IMG_5676 (640x427)

Mountain Laurel

IMG_5684 (640x427)
not sure on this one
flower weeds 007 (640x427)

Dead Nettle

Shasta daisies 005 (800x676)
Aster
5 more purple flowers (640x529)

Verbena

purple flowers (640x533)

Horsemint, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds!

more purple flower (640x589)

Wild petunia

houston wildflowers 007 (640x427)

Clover flowers

periwinkle (640x427)

periwinkle

desert willow flower (640x433)

Desert Willow

bluebonnets wildflower by airport

bluebonnets at the airport

I probably have more, but here is a selection of pretty purple flowers.

And that is my purple flower day.

Don’t you love them?

Off to work on Her Highland Hero.  7,000 words to go! 🙂

her highland hero cover with title cursive copy

Terry

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

www.terryspear.com

Connect with Terry Spear:
Website:
Goodreads:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Jaguar Family
Purchase Link:

Painting between Storms!

Please vote and have a chance to win too, if you haven’t already.

As of last night when I pre-posted this, The Dark Fae was in the lead, which is incredible! Considering where she began. She might not be there by the end of the contest, and I was ready for it to end when I was ahead, but isn’t that always the way???

So if you haven’t had a chance and want to, she’d still love the votes! Because between now and May 31 when it ends, anything could happen. You know how it is, you’re way behind in a game, and all of a sudden you think you’re going to win and somebody else out of the blue does??? If you’re the person out of the blue, that’s a good thing.

http://www.parajunkee.com/2014/05/26/vote-for-your-favorite-ya-audiobook-giveaway-sultry-listeners-awards/

 

 

I thought I had taken a picture of the wrought iron I had painted too, but apparently not. So here is the before, and the clouds that prevented me from doing much else, then went out again later. I’ll have to take another picture of the wrought iron I did paint for the after picture. But I’m afraid the ALL after will take a long time. I have to do it between violent winds and rainstorms. 🙂 Then it will get too hot and… aren’t I good at making excuses? But I am using about 3 cans a day, so I am getting somewhere with it. I realized I have miniscule black freckles today. So much for the wind going in the right direction.

I love the wrought iron. It makes me feel as though I’m truly within my castle walls. 🙂

clouds (640x427)
The storm clouds, the corn, the wrought iron I’m painting.

IMG_6034 (640x386)

Reflections of the tops of the corn stalks, pine tree, and red oak tree in the rainwater.

IMG_6036 (640x427)

The unpainted wrought iron, part of my castle defenses. Note, the wheat from last year’s crop and then the corn.

hole in clouds (640x427)

There’s something cool about holes in clouds. 🙂

IMG_6043 (640x427) (2)

It should be illegal to have electric wires above ground. You know, because of the fact that the best shots are always right where the darn electric wires are.

And that’s my stormy day.

Off to write. For the first time, I was able to get my 3,000 word count yesterday, AND a little ahead. Not much, but writing a little ahead, makes me…a little ahead. 🙂

Have a terrific Thursday!!!

Have a great day!

And thanks again to everyone who voted. It’s amazing to me that I moved up to the top. It doesn’t usually happen. I usually make a little headway and fall right back down. So thank you, thank you to all who voted!

Terry

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

www.terryspear.com

Cloud Art from a Jetliner over Dallas, Texas

Storm clouds over Texas art (640)

I love clouds, but they can be dangerous when the storms are severe. I’ve had numerous flight delays or cancellations when traveling in the volatile stormy States–over Dallas, Atlanta, Colorado Springs, Omaha, and Pensacola, to name a few of the more recent ones.

A couple of times, I’ve been stuck flying around in circles, waiting for the storm system to move off so we could safely land. One time, we were running on fumes and had to finally land in another state!

And I’ve missed a few important activities, my son’s wedding rehearsal dinner, and only just managed to reach the tail end of an important book signing where fans had traveled to see me from cities and a state or two farther away.

They had lightning strikes over Dallas at the rate of 5 a minute over the airport last Monday, so you never know how bad it will be until you’re on your way to the airport, in the plane, flying over an area, or trying to land.

So here is a bit of cloud art from a big old jetliner over Dallas last year, when my first flight was cancelled, I missed my connection, I made it out of Dallas, was in a circling pattern over Atlanta, finally landed there despite the severe storms, then they wouldn’t let us off the plane because it was too dangerous for ramp personnel to deplane us. Then when we finally were allowed off the plane, the same situation with getting our bags. Too dangerous.

That was the signing I ended up at for only 10 minutes and right afterwards, a whole group of us authors went to dinner and had margaritas. And all was well. I love HEA. Don’t you?

Terry

www.terryspear.com

More of the Blog Tour!

I’m still at Redheads Review Better, giveaway of Silence of the Wolf print copy, until Mar 30:

http://redheadsreviewitbetter.com/2014/03/interviewgiveaway-terry-spear.html

Bitten by Books at 12!! Giveaway tonight, copy of Silence of the Wolf, print, and for Overseas, Cougar’s Mate, ebook.

http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=75614
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Angels Guilty Pleasure is giving away a ebook copy of Jaguar Fever by March 28th!

http://angelsguiltypleasures.blogspot.com/2014/03/seriously-shifter-giveaway-hop-march-21.html?spref=tw

Tomorrow it will be Sia McKye Over Coffee! Post tomorrow.

I’ve been absent, if anyone has noticed. 🙂

I was at the zoo. And I’m behind on my writing. I’ve been collaborating with 3 different author groups to put out 2 box sets, and the other will hopefully be a Highland anthology. Still working on all the stuff. 🙂 So really been busier than I usually am.

I was going to throw out the can of used up paint because yesterday was garbage day, figuring I had to get some new paint, but there was some left and it was good, so I was painting some more. I still have a short wall and some trim to do. And the brick walls to paint. They are a job because of all the crevices in the brick. My delightful daughter said that was one of my New Year’s Goals, to finish painting the room. LOL Don’t you love when others give you a New Year’s Goal??? I have a time enough with making my own! Which I don’t. I have enough writing goals to keep me busy!

So I’m off to write and try to get caught up. I’m at 22,000, think I wrote 1,000 by hand last night, so need to type it, and am aiming at 30,000 by the weekend.

All kinds of interesting stuff at the zoo. Here are a couple of pictures. Oh, and tried to post earlier, but having trouble with WP. 🙁

alligator (640x427)

American Alligator–he is looking at you! I would not want to run into him in a lake.

courting birds (640x536)

The birds of some kind were having a courting dance and several were going on at the same time. I think the brown is the female and the white the male if the showiness is anything. But if it is, the female was going on at the male, when I often think it’s the other way around. But what do I know??? There’s another brown version, if a female in the lower left hand corner, and she’s making a ruckus also. I think she wanted the guy!

2 poisonous snakes closeup (640x427) (2)

Two headed venomous snake or two snake heads? 🙂

Okay, off to see if I wrote 23,000 or more, hopefully more, and I’m on my way. A storm is coming. In the story, and outside, it looks like too. 🙂  More pictures later. All kinds of great shots this time. Not so much that the picture was the greatest piece of photography of all time–I leave that to all you professional photographers who do such a fine art job of it–but because of the circumstances. Like the mating birds up above. Are these mating snakes? Never know. And the alligator who is watching–YOU! 🙂

Have a super great Thursday!

Terry

 

 

Book Sets and Such!

Silence of the Wolf–5 Stars!! Bitten by Books: “The mystery of Elizabeth’s parents’ death is woven throughout the story, and I love a good mystery. Though Elizabeth is a woman alone, she has a deep desire to be part of a pack, but is afraid when Tom first makes the offer. Tom is a strong and capable leader, a definite alpha, and is certain that he wants Elizabeth to be his mate. When Elizabeth’s room is broken into and her belongings stolen, Tom is there to protect her.

I liked seeing Elizabeth’s courage in the face of a kidnapping and her determination to discover who was responsible for the murder of her parents. Silence of the Wolf is a story that easily captured my interest, and I am curious to see what happens next for the Silver Town residents.” Mary http://bittenbybooks.com/silence-of-the-wolf-by-terry-spear/

And yes, there’s more: A Silver Wolf Christmas, Oct 2015.

***

I am behind!!! On my writing on A SEAL Wolf for Sale. We had storms yesterday and I had to get off my computer.

Sudden Storms Texas (640x427)

And I have some things coming up: A book set with a bunch of authors who have won all kinds of awards, three of which are USA Today Bestselling authors, including me! More adult paranormal and fantasy books. And another book set with strictly YA faery stories. I think both of them will be a lot of fun. We’re working on the details for both right now, and I have two conferences coming up that we’re working together to come up with some things.

I love authors! In most businesses, we would be considered competition. But with authors, we unite to work together to help each other out and that’s really a wonderful concept. I’ve been asked a million times to join in book sets with other authors, and I’ve said no because I’m swamped with other stuff going on all the time. But I finally said yes to these two projects–one because I’m fascinated with these award-winning authors, and the other, because it’s all the world of fae, and I think it’s really important to have a themed box set to help promote the same.

So in the coming weeks when I have sales links, I’ll share them here. 🙂

I just also sent the narrator the following two books to narrate:

Scepter of Salvation

She must retrieve the scepter or the kingdom is lost…

The Magic of Inherian: Scepter of Salvation, Book 1

Ebook By Terry Spear
Category: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Fantasy

Princess Talamaya turned 18 in the human kingdom of Damar, just like her twin brother. Only when she comes of age, she must wed the king’s choice. When her brother comes of age, he’s allowed to sit on the council. But everything changes when a wizard pits beast and man against each other in Inherian–all because of the loss of the Scepter of Salvation and she must return it to their kingdom.

Princess Talamaya and her friends, Lady Kersta and Lady Mexia, must retrieve the Scepter of Salvation when her brother is poisoned.Visions plague Talamaya of a world beyond her own, of a destiny she has to fulfill.But the barbarian king is also after the scepter, and the black-hearted wizard who is trying to gain control will do anything to keep them from retrieving it.

She must free a knight from his madness.
Help a female dwarf escape from the dwarven mines.
Aid an Amazon fighting the Dark Elves.
Rescue even the barbarian king.
Save a crusty old dwarf from the wolves of Elan Pass.
And outwit the dark wizard once more.
Above all else, she must always take the path of righteousness.

Which is much easier said than done.
 

B&N

Kobo

Mage of Monrovia

She wanted to be a school trained mage…but everything stands in her way.

The Magic of Inherian: The Mage of Monrovia, Book 2


An apprentice of the mage they had destroyed earlier, now threatens Inherian once again. But when Mexia arrives at Langdon to become school trained, she learns the school will not permit a woman to attend. But she must destroy the mage’s apprentice, and she cannot do so without the training. She must use the magic she has learned to discover a way to defeat the apprentice before it is too late.

Mexia has already done much more than most school- trained mages when she and her companions had gone in search of the scepter of salvation. But now one of the apprentices of the evil wizard they had destroyed, has stolen his spell book and plans to take up where he had left off, and she has to try and stop him.

Mexia believes the only way for her to defeat the mage is to become school trained like he was with the eventual goal of becoming a high wizard–the first of her kind in Inherian. But the current headmaster denies her entrance because she’s a woman. Though if she can get the former headmaster’s recommendation, she may attend.

And that’s the beginning of the trouble.

First, there’s the wizard.
Then, the immovable headmaster.
And then, the circle of misfortunes.
It all goes downhill from there…

 

B&N

The Magic of Inherian: The Mage of Monrovia,<br />                                     Book 2 - Terry Spear

I still need to write the third book!

But in the meantime, I’m off to work on A SEAL Wolf for Sale.

Hope you have a grand Monday! It’s cloudy with a chance of storms? Not sure. I probably should look and see. Or better yet, I should just write!

Terry
“Giving new meaning to the term alpha male!”
www.terryspear.com

 

New Review for Highland Rake!

Highland Rake, Book 3
Dougald MacNeill takes Lady Alana Cameron to his laird brother James’s Craigly Castle when he finds her roaming the heather on the MacNeill lands. But who has sent her there and why? Her uncle, laird of the Cameron clan, and warring with the MacNeill for years, has made a marriage arrangement with another clan and now that is even at stake.
Having witnessed her father’s death, and even believing he had returned her home when all along he had been dead, Alana discovers she has the gift, or curse, of seeing the newly departed and sometimes those who should have long ago passed over. Her own deceased brother continues to plague her, the rake, and now another, who is very much of the flesh, Dougald MacNeill, has her thinking marrying a rake might just have its benefits. Dougald’s sister, who is one fiesty ghost, has offered to help Alana keep Dougald in line if he thinks of even straying.
But who sent Alana on a fool’s errand in the first place to remove her from the Cameron’s lands and set her squarely in Dougald’s care, and who really killed her father and her brother, and what has it all to do with Alana? Will she and Dougald learn the truth before it is too late?

Kobo

B&N

ARe Books

Smashwords

Amazon

Yes!!! Lovely review for Highland Rake!
Not all of my Highlander series books have paranormal elements, but this one I had a lot of fun with when Alana, the heroine, can commune with ghosts. Can you imagine if they pestered you all the time, and you had to keep it a secret in medieval times? Well, today, you could pretend to be talking to someone on a cell phone. But back then?

5.0 out of 5 stars Love The Highlanders, March 15, 2014


This book is a delightful mix of things, Handsome devilish rogue of a highlander, Dougald. Our Damsel in distress Alana who can also see ghost which adds paranormal. Murder and mystery. There is a good story to this book.

Lady Alana is lured from her clan. The MacNeill’s find her on their land and take her to their castle. Her rescuer is Douglad MacNeill who has a reputation as a rake. I don’t want to get into spoilers because it will ruin it for you but the romance is hot. The ghosts can be comical sometimes and in with it all they have to solve why Alana’s brother and father were murdered and if some one wants her dead too!
If you like the old Highlander clan books with their feuds and male attitudes you will love this. Terry Spear is a great story teller.

Thanks to Pam, for loving the story!

arboretum 759 (640x427)

Do you see the turtle in the swamp? This was at the Arboretum in Spring, Texas.

I’m off to write on A SEAL Wolf for Sale. Spent the day brainstorming with Donna and Bonnie, but now it’s time to write. 🙂

Oh, and had another personalized bear order to make up for a new baby!

Have a super great Saturday!!!

Terry

www.terryspear.com