Saturday, December 31, 2016

2016 Reflections

I put this blog off to the last day of the year for two reasons:
 --seemed an appropriate way to end the year,
 --I've been working on Joy's Forever, Bryant Station Curves Book 7.


Let's face it. 2016 has been a huge roller coaster ride--going from the top of the Rocky Mountains to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and stuck in a loop with no slowing down in between the hills and valleys.

The year has been a mixture of good and bad depending upon how you look at things.

We have lost a lot of our favorite artists this year--our idols from our youth. It's hard when your idols die, because you realize they were human and not as indestructible as maybe our subconscious perceived them to be.

The political field has been another roller coaster ride with so much tied to it.

Even the publishing industry has taken some hits this year that effected many of my fellow indie authors.

2016 has also been a roller coaster ride for me. 
I became a grandmother, though I don't feel like one.
DH and I sold our house. There were weeks of getting it ready to go on market. The biggest part of the whole thing was going through years of stuff and figuring out what to keep and what to donate or toss. Moving into the rental made me realize I should have tossed a lot more than I did.
With all the changes, I managed to only write and publish three books which was no where near what I had planned.

Have a safe New Year's Eve.
Like many, DH and I are staying home. The New Year will probably find me writing. 
Have a wonderful evening. I will see you in 2017.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Monday, December 12, 2016

Christmas Quote

Photo property of Rayne Rachels




Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us--a time when we can look back on the year that has passed and prepare for the year ahead.
                    --David Cameron

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Creating Meals for the Work Week

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. If you're like me, Monday means going back to the day job. 😦 One of the things I really hate doing is figuring out what to pack for lunch. Frozen dinners are often a hit and miss game. I get tired of sandwiches all the time. Plus, I'm not a big fan of lunchmeat. I would rather have a peanut butter sandwich (absolutely no jelly of any kind--YUCK) than lunchmeat. Usually I take leftovers, but I've cut down the size of meals I used to cook so more often than not, there are no leftovers.

So I'm trying something this weekend that I've thought about but never acted upon. I bought some plastic containers with snap-lock lids that can go from freezer to microwave to create my own frozen dinner of sorts.

Yesterday, I made a batch of homemade cornbread dressing. (There was none leftover from Thanksgiving.) I put a layer of dressing in the bottom of the pan and then a thick layer of chopped turkey (from a second turkey DH cooked just to freeze for meals), and then a layer of dressing on top.  After it cooked and cooled, I packed it into the containers with a little turkey gravy on top. I now have 9 turkey and dressing meals in the freezer, and some turkey left to dice for soups or tacos or a rice dish during the week.

Tomorrow, I'm going to make another set of lunches from the extra ham DH smoked. I'll make some smaller containers of sliced that can be warmed for sandwiches, and then some containers that will have ham and mashed potatoes with brown gravy. I'm also dicing some ham for omelets and other meals during the week.

When I make chili, I've frozen large and single meal size containers for later use and that has worked out really well. Maybe next weekend, I'll make a large pot of chili and put some in the freezer for lunches.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Book Spotlight




Bryant Station Curves Box Set (Books 1-3)
(July 2016)

This box set is currently on contains:

Lisa's Bear (book 1)
Curvy Lisa wants a family, but seems to attract the men, and she can't believe David Anderson is any different. Good looking men don't want large women with curves. Can David convince Lisa she is his mate or will his actions prove Lisa right?

Chasing Tara (book 2)
Tara Wilson and her daughter, Haley, are running fro their lives from her brother-in-law who plans to use Tara to pay off his gambling debts. Jason Anderson's bear knows curvy Tara is its mate, but the man refuses to believe Fate would grant him another mate.

Abby's Heart (book 3)
Fifteen years ago, curvy Abby Wolfe's heart was shattered when her mate betrayed her. Fate brings Skylar Anderson back into her life, but the evil that drove them apart has plans for Abby which don't include Skylar.

Available at:  Amazon    Barnes and Noble    KOBO    iBooks

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Thanksgiving is Almost Here!

The weather is colder...well, at least a little cooler here in Texas...and everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving. This is the first holiday in the rental. So far, the smaller kitchen has been a bit of a challenge. There is almost no counter space, so it gets interesting when prepping meals.

Last night DH and I got the turkeys rubbed down so the spices can soak into them. DH will smoke them tomorrow as well as several hams. You probably noticed I said turkeys and hams, as in more than one of each. This year DH is smoking turkeys and hams for several friends and for the Child and his family.

In a little while, I need to venture out to the grocery store which is a real adventure during the holidays. That's why I plan to go early this morning to hopefully avoid the rest of the last minute shoppers.

I'm also working on Joy and Theo's story which is book 7 in the Bryant Station Curves series.  Since I scrapped the original beginning and started over, the story is flowing much better.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday.


Sunday, November 13, 2016

Random Thoughts: Changes

This is the first year in almost a decade that I'm not watching the Christmas tree tent go up as I drive to the day job each morning. It feels really strange not seeing the sights I'm so used to seeing. But change is what happens when you move to another location. In my case, the move was to a whole new town. The new home we're renting is not my favorite place, and after almost three months, I'm still struggling to get my bearings, though it is getting better.
This November, my drive to work doesn't have any signs of the coming holidays like the tree lot was a sign for me. In fact, there is no tree lot of any kind on my route to the day job.

Even with all the changes, I feel like I'm more ready for the holidays this year than I have been in the past. I'm most definitely ready for some vacation time so I can relax and get some writing done.

I'm working on Bryant Station Curves, Book 7 which is Joy and Theo's story. I rewrote the outline several times before I started writing their story. And then I started writing. The beginning I had planned wasn't working, so I scrapped it and have started over. I also had to make changes in my outline, but I did the right thing.

I'm off to write.


Monday, October 24, 2016

Inspiration


"Double double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."
--William Shakespeare (Macbeth)


Monday, October 10, 2016

Inspiration


"Listen to them--the children of the night. 
What music they make!"
--Bram Stroker


Monday, September 26, 2016

Inspiration


Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.
--Isaac Asimov

Monday, September 12, 2016

Inspiration


Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.
--George Bernard Shaw


Monday, September 5, 2016

Random Thoughts: Laptops, Moving, Writing, and More

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day holiday.

Wow! It's already September. The holiday season and cooler weather are looming in front of us. Going to the stores is an adventure, depending on which seasonal aisle you go down. Stuff for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are making an appearance. I've caught myself pinning stuff for Halloween and Christmas on Pinterest.

I'm so ready for cooler weather!!! I've had enough of the Texas heat.


Mac or PC???
That is my new question of the day.
My current laptop (PC), which is only seven months old, has to be sent in for repairs. I was told the problem is under warranty, but I will be without the laptop for at least two weeks. Not good. And then there's the worry that something else will go wrong with it, and I'll have to send it back for more repairs. Really not good.

I've used PCs all my life, but now, I'm wondering if a Mac would be better suited for my needs. Do I want to "bite the bullet" and move to a Mac or stay with PCs? At this point, I'm not sure what the right answer is.


Moving sucks!
I'm also in the middle of moving to my new, temporary home, and going through the last steps of selling the house. We finally got everything in to the new place. The norm seems to be constantly looking for stuff.

I know I have...

Where did I see that?

Where is the binder of notes I said to leave out?

I know I packed it in this box...or maybe it was the other box...or that box. (The boxes all look alike and even though my office boxes are labelled, every other box has to be moved to find them.)

The new place is like an old apartment. It's very basic and plain, but it is just a temporary stop in my journey. The kitties were not happy about moving from the only home they have known, but they are adjusting with lots of attention and cuddles.


Writing
The outline for Joy and Theo's story (book 7 in the Bryant Station Curves series) is written. Before I start writing their story, I need to go over the outline a couple more times. I had originally planned to have their story out sometime in October/November, but with the sell/moving, I have to bump the date to sometime in November/December. As soon as I get my schedule reset for the rest of this year, I will post dates here and on Facebook.



Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Happy Release Day: Lucifer



Banned from returning home until he finds his lifemate, Lucifer Fitch lives and works in the human realm, carefully hiding his true identity from the humans and shifters he protects as the sheriff of Briary Creek. If they knew he was the Lucifer, as in one of the four princes of Hell, chaos would tear the town apart.

Angie Gunner knows Lucifer is different from the others who live in Briary Creek, but that is not the reason she ignores her feelings and the connection that developed the first time they met. He is an officer of the law and she vowed a long tome ago not to date law officers of any kind. She knows firsthand that cops die and sometimes their families die too.

But Lucifer and Angie are forced to make decisions when their pasts combine forces to destroy Angie.

Will Angie be able to look past the badge and see the man she is destined to be with for eternity?

Will Lucifer claim his lifemate before he loses her forever?


Lucifer is the first book in the Briary Creek Wolves spin-off series, Brimstone Heat.


Available at:

Monday, August 29, 2016

Inspiration


Life is a dream for the wise,
a game for the fool, 
a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.

--Sholom Aleichem

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Story Quote: Lucifer



Lucifer
A Brimstone Heat Novel


She was beautiful. She was more than beautiful.

She belonged to him.

The knowledge seeped into his brain and jolted him. For the first time in his life, Lucifer felt his legs go weak and he almost fell to his knees.

She was his!

After all the centuries, he had finally found his lifemate.


Available for pre-order:
 
 

Monday, August 8, 2016

Inspiration


The kindest thing you can do for
yourself is to be the person 
you would most like to spend the rest of 
your life with.
--Heather K. O'Hara


Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Story Quote: Gracie's Wolf



Quinn sniffed the air.

His wolf shoved its head against his ribcage. I can smell her fear. Do not hurt our mate.

The beast let the rest of the threat unspoken, but Quinn knew what it meant. We can't claim her. She needs to leave. The farther away from me she is the safer she will be.

His wolf gave a low growl. We need our mate. You are just too stubborn to admit it.





 

Friday, July 22, 2016

Random Thoughts: Flowers

Earlier this month, we bought a number of plants to create a splash of color on the front porch and in the back yard to make the yard more appealing. I honestly don't have much luck with plants.

They die.


I water them...they die.
I don't water them...they die.
I give them too much sun or not enough sun...they die.



I think you get the picture. I'm just not good with plants. So far, I've only lost one (it's not quite dead and have moved it to a new location, hoping it will survive). All the others are still living and producing flowers. I did pick plants that liked/needed lots of sun, low water, and/or native Texas plants.





One of the plants I picked was Lantana. When I was growing up, I saw this plant growing wild in our backyard and along the dirt roads. I never thought much about it, other than it was a pretty wildflower.












But I learned that Lantana attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, but it repels mosquitoes. Currently, our front porch is mosquito free and colorful.









Friday, July 15, 2016

Pre-Order Alert!!! Bryant Station Curves Box Set, Books 1-3




Guess what?!  Bryant Station Curves Box Set (Books 1-3) will be available on July 28, but you can pre-order now at:
           Amazon
           KOBO
           iBooks 
           Barnes and Noble


This box set is currently on contains:

Lisa's Bear (book 1)
Curvy Lisa wants a family, but seems to attract the men, and she can't believe David Anderson is any different. Good looking men don't want large women with curves. Can David convince Lisa she is his mate or will his actions prove Lisa right?

Chasing Tara (book 2)
Tara Wilson and her daughter, Haley, are running fro their lives from her brother-in-law who plans to use Tara to pay off his gambling debts. Jason Anderson's bear knows curvy Tara is its mate, but the man refuses to believe Fate would grant him another mate.

Abby's Heart (book 3) 
Fifteen years ago, curvy Abby Wolfe's heart was shattered when her mate betrayed her. Fate brings Skylar Anderson back into her life, but the evil that drove them apart has plans for Abby which don't include Skylar.


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Story Spotlight: Gracie's Wolf





Excerpt:
Quinn reached for the bottle of whiskey, but it was gone. He shook his head. "You could have left the bottle. It's not like I don't have access to more." Quinn got up and walked to his bedroom. "I will do everything I can to protect my family and pack, but I won't take a mate. I won't sentence her to my darkness." He felt his dire wolf stir. "And don't you start whining about a mate. You know why we can't have her."

Quinn flopped down on the bed and fell into an exhausted sleep.













Available at:

Monday, July 11, 2016

Inspiration

 


 

All our DREAMS can come true, 
if we have the COURAGE to pursue them.
--Walt Disney


Thursday, July 7, 2016

Random Thoughts: Writing, the House, and Organization

One of the planters in my backyard.
Buying a house is so much easier than selling one. LOL! We finished culling our belongings, and packing what we decided to keep. I have donated, given away, and trashed so much. It was completely unreal how much stuff we (DH and I) have accumulated over the years. I'm sore and tired, but now, we are down to an extremely minimal amount of furniture and other stuff in the house.

Now, it's keeping everything clean which is easier with no clutter in the house. We've already had some showings but no offers yet. Fingers crossed.

I so hate waiting for the phone to ring to schedule a showing. I want the house to be sold and everything done with, especially the moving into a smaller rental. Unfortunately, not everything goes at the speed I want it to.

With the big stuff done, I'm back to focusing on writing. Lucifer Fitch's story is going good. I'm revising my working outline--an ongoing process during the writing phase.

I've gathered my notes and partial outline for book 7 of Bryant Station Curves, which is Joy and Theo's story. In a few days, I will start creating an outline. The book will be out sometime around October/November. As soon as I have a set date, I will let you know.

With the purging of my office, I decided now was the time to create a new organization system for my story ideas. The new used desk DH got me last year has two large drawers designed for hanging files, and have been empty since he bought the desk. Hanging files are not something I've really used before, but I thought I could set a file for each idea, and any notes, scribbles, pictures, or whatever for the idea could be dumped into the file. It is definitely a work in progress, but with all the ideas I have, I need a better organization system.

I hope you're having a wonderful summer.
Stay cool.


Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Story Spotlight: Chance to Love Again

 


Excerpt:
Tori stared out the huge glass window. She saw the lake and wondered if she walked into it, if she would freeze to death or drown first. It wasn't the first time she had thought about ending her life, but lately, the thoughts of death drifted through her mind more frequently.

She knew she couldn't give into them. She had too many people who were dependent on her for their livelihoods.

Also, Ben would be angry with her if she did. He wanted her to live...to love again...to have a family. In a dream, he told her she had another mate coming for her.

Tori didn't want to believe him.







Available at:


Sunday, July 3, 2016

Happy Independence Day!

Photo by nirots at freedigitalphotos.net


Have a Happy Fourth of July!
 

Thursday, June 30, 2016

Random Thoughts

The last few weeks have been crazy busy (empty nest, putting house on market, sorting through everything and deciding what to keep and what to donate, recycle or trash, etc.). Because of this, my whole writing schedule was ripped to pieces and thrown to the four winds. I think one of the cats is actually playing with a piece of it right now. LOL!!

During this whole time, I've been working on the first book of a new series.
This series will tell the stories of Lucifer Fitch and his three brothers. Each story will be a stand-alone, but characters from other stories will come and go through each book.

The name Lucifer Fitch may sound familiar if you read GRACIE'S WOLF. Lucifer is the sheriff of Briary Creek.

My writing goal for July are:
  • finish Lucifer's story
  • create a master plan for the books I plan to write for the rest of this year and next year--2017, and
  • plot and outline all the stories for upcoming books,
Have a great summer!!!


Monday, June 27, 2016

Inspiration


F.E.A.R.
has two meanings--

Forget Everything And Run
OR
Face Everything And Rise

The choice is yours.

  --Zig Ziglar


Monday, May 30, 2016

Memorial Day 2016

Remember and Honor those who have served and sacrificed so that we may have the freedoms we enjoy.


Sunday, March 27, 2016

Gracie's Wolf




A curvy human on the run, Gracie Stewart wonders if she will ever be able to quit running and find a man she can love and who will love her. And then she meets her new boss, Quinn Hunter. He’s rude and mean. He yells. He growls. And she is falling in love with him.



Quinn Hunter is a very grumpy wolf shifter. With his life consumed by his fight against the darkness residing inside him, he has given up on the dream of having a mate. He knows the darkness would destroy her. And when he meets his mate, he is determined to do everything in his power to protect her by chasing her away from him.



But when Gracie’s past comes calling, will Quinn realize just how much he loves and needs her, and save her from a fate worse than death?


Available at:
Amazon

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Tuesday Tidbit: Bailey's Secret


Just a tidbit from BAILEY'S SECRET, Book 1 in the Briary Creek Wolves series.




Daniel wanted her even if he could not mark her as his mate.
She is our mate.
Daniel ignored his wolf and concentrated on the beautiful woman in his arms.
“You need to let me go.” Bailey’s voice was barely a whisper.
“I don’t think I can.”
“You have to.” Bailey’s world had just turned upside down.






Kobo 


Sunday, February 14, 2016

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Claiming Harley Excerpt


“It took me a little bit to find it, but I just found the last thing I was looking for.” Scott Anderson stared at Harley. “You look beautiful, Harley Quaid.”

She knew eventually she would run into Scott, and she thought she was ready to see him, but it was obvious that she was not ready. Her heart pounded and she felt her body reacting to his voice. She glanced at the counter, breaking eye contact with him. “Is this all you need today?” She picked up a box containing a pair of boots. It was hard to keep from jumping over the counter and tackling him. Then she remembered. She was not good enough for him. She was everything he did not want.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you after the accident. How are you doing?”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I didn’t expect you to show up out of the blue for the funerals. I knew you were busy with your job and life.” Harley scanned the barcode on the box. “I’m doing okay. Thank you for asking.” She was proud of herself for keeping her voice level, even though she was trembling on the inside. “You’re total is $278.49.”

“I should have been with you,” said Scott. He sounded sincere.

She shook her head. “Joy and I are friends. You and I are not. There was absolutely no reason for you to attend.” She made the mistake of looking into his green eyes. Her girlie parts suddenly came to life.

“You and I are meant to be together.”

Harley shook her head. “No, we are not. The night of my graduation, you made it very clear I meant nothing you.” She paused for a second. “You have your life and I have mine. That is the way it is.”

Scott’s jaw twitched. He handed her a credit card. “We need to talk. Would you have lunch with me?” He stared at Harley. She was even more beautiful in person than she was in the sweet memory that haunted his dreams every night. 









Available at:



Thursday, February 4, 2016

The Idea Store

It's in every town and city. You just have to know where to look.

It's the Idea Store.

How do you find it?
First, find the center of the city, then walk three blocks West. Dreamers always go WEST searching for new lands to explore.

At the end of the three blocks, turn left and follow the sidewalk until you find a set of stairs going down into a basement store.

"You have arrived at the Idea Store."

The Idea Store is a really cool spot. The shelves are full of plots and plot twists. there are sections dedicated to heroes--both male and female, and there's a special section in the back of the store for villains. This corner is a little dark and scary, so be careful. It is definitely not for everyone.

The store always has a "buy one get one free" sale on character traits. This is an awesome deal. Your characters can never have enough traits, especially weird ones, though common traits are not bad.

And don't forget to check out their extensive selection of back drops and scenery. They even have a few pre-made world kits. All  you have to do is just add water and stand back.

But please don't do this in the store. The store clerks really frown at this, especially since they're still cleaning up the zombie apocalypse world that an author wanted to sample before he bought it.

Not a good thing to do in the store. The clerks really get upset about cleaning up the pre-made world aisle.

If only it was that easy to get everything you needed for your book at a place like the Idea Store.



Tuesday, January 19, 2016

CLAIMING HARLEY





Claiming Harley
Bryant Station Curves, Book 6
by Rayne Rachels




Buy at:


Synopsis:

Years ago, Scott Anderson, a Kodiak bear shifter, left Bryant Station and the female destined to be his mate because he was too immature and she was too young. Military, his business, and the things he said to her have kept him away, even though she haunts his dreams.


Curvy, plus-sized Harley Quaid has dealt with more heartache and tragedy in her life than anyone should. She found her mate as a child, but lost him because of age and immaturity. Last year, her family was killed in a tragic accident, leaving Harley alone to deal with the loss of her family and the man who haunts her dreams.


Can the past be forgiven? Or will Fate and a madman keep Scott and Harley apart?