And more to tempt you...

Gotta give a shout out to my buddy Leigh Court on her new release, Rock Star! It's an awesome read (and I should know, being the rock & roller of the two of us)!

Here’s the blurb:

Rock singer Sebastian Roe was shot onstage during a concert five years ago, leaving him with a deep fear of performing. But his love of music is too strong to keep him off a stage forever, despite the fact the police never caught the gunman. He’s just announced a new U.S. tour, but his performance anxiety is putting the shows in jeopardy.

New York City therapist Mia Merrill was in the audience the night of Sebastian's fateful concert. She loves his music and wants to help him overcome his PTSD, but there's another reason she's determined to become his therapist -- She's the reason he was shot. 

Driven by guilt and a need to atone, Mia takes Sebastian on as a patient. Forbidden romantic sparks fly between the two during their therapy sessions, but no sooner do they start to make progress on Sebastian's stage fright than the gunman announces he's back to finish the job.

And [hot!] here's an excerpt: 

Sebastian Roe lived for nights like this one.

The roar of the audience echoing in his ears, the wail of Nick’s guitar making his body vibrate, the pounding of Trevor’s drums pulsing like a living heartbeat.

In concert, Sebastian gave every ounce of energy to his fans, every drop of sweat, everything he had. They loved him for it, and he fed off that love. Hell, he mainlined it. It was a beautiful symbiosis, like a massive orgasm shared with thousands of people.

And this moment of anticipation before each song started was like delicious foreplay, a breathless excitement that danced along his nerve endings.

The first recognizable notes of “I Can’t Live Without You” launched into the air and the roar of the crowd became thunder. A solid wall of sound. Even with his in-ear monitor, Sebastian could hardly hear Nick’s guitar to listen for his cue to start singing. But he knew this song as well as he knew his own name so he strutted to the front of the stage, throwing open his arms in a show of embracing them all. Every single person out there in the audience.

The roar got even louder.

“The sands of time run through my hands, my dreams and hopes and all my plans,” he crooned, his voice intentionally cracking to convey the sad emotion of the song. “I can’t live without you.”

It was his biggest hit. But more than any of his songs, Sebastian’s favorite music was the sound of the crowd’s deafening approval. He wasn’t disappointed now.

He grinned widely, and then suddenly felt an odd sting in the vicinity of his left shoulder. It pushed him back on the stage a few steps, as if a ghost had just shoved him. Weird. He looked around, but clearly nobody else was onstage except him and the band.

The sting became a burn, but he ignored it. Had he just pulled a muscle? No time to deal with it now. He straightened and then noticed a commotion in the seats near the front of the stage. A fight, maybe. People were running, shoving each other, climbing over chairs.

            Whatever the problem, the band knew enough to keep playing. Sebastian took a breath, readying for the next verse, but he was distracted by an odd warmth now spreading across his chest. He looked down and tried to make sense of what he was seeing – a stain on his shirt where he’d felt that stinging burn. As he watched, the stain got larger. It was a dark shade of red.

It was blood. His blood.

His head started to spin and he sank to his knees. The wail of Nick’s guitar stopped. The pounding of Trevor’s drums stopped. Everything went eerily quiet in a venue built for sound.

Sebastian felt of the heat of the spotlights still trained directly on him, and as his vision began to fade his last thought was that he’d lived his life on a stage and tonight he was going to die on one.

© by Leigh Court

The book is available at all outlets, but here's a quick link to amazon:  https://amzn.to/3j02bBV And here's her website, with links to all other outlets where you can buy the book: www.leighcourt.com. 

You will fall in love with Sebastian Roe from the first page!

Jenna
www.jennaives.com 

A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas Released Today! 5 Star Review!

MY REVIEW:

The two doctors in this charming and daring romance capture hearts and draw readers into their story as search for a cure, defy alphas and brighten up the holidays. These two strong characters are bold with lots of charismatic traits that grab readers’ attentions and ensure that they want to know exactly what happens. Their drive and passion for medicine and for finding a cure for the decline in the werewolves lifespans is only surpassed by the sizzling magnetic chemistry and heated passion of these two characters as they defy a pack leader in order to achieve their objective and their happily ever after.

During this steady to fast paced and smooth flowing plot, thrills and adrenaline pumping suspense keeps readers glued to the pages with a search of a banished wolf, an exciting rescue, pack strife fun and charming bodyguards, loving family and delightful romance and holiday cheer. And in a surprising twist, Holly and Aiden will have pull off a holiday miracle in order to rescue her old pack and escape with all of their lives. Santa Clause, the whole holiday atmosphere adds delight to this story along with the love of family as they come together throughout the story through thick and thin which makes this story one that warms the heart and makes readers smile in pleasure as the author brings it all to brilliant life.-- Stormy Vixen's Book Reviews

5 STAR Release Week Review! A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas (Billionaire Wolf #2 / Heart of the Wolf #26) Terry Spear!
Terry Spear Sourcebooks
#5stars #review #availablenow #newrelease #paranormal #romance #paranormalromance, #paranormalreaders #paranormallovers #PNR #pnrlovers #shifters #shifterromance #werewolves #werewolfromance #wolfshifters #holidayromancce #Christmasromance #billionaires #billionaireromance #ABillionaireWolfforChristmas #BillionaireWolf #HeartoftheWolf #TerrySpear #Sourcebooks #NetGalley #StormyVixen

 
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When the wolves’ own blood betrays them, they risk their lives to find a miracle.
Wolf shifter Dr. Aidan Denali has been working day and night to find a cure for werewolves’ alarmingly sudden decline in lifespan. The key to the problem eludes him. But when Aidan grudgingly leaves his work to do some holiday shopping, he meets a remarkable she-wolf whose mysterious pack could bring him one step closer to the answer.

Dr. Holly Gray is thrilled to meet the wolf who’s been working so hard to help others. Now, it’s her turn to help him. But while their attraction is sizzling, the packs are at odds, and the danger is increasing. It’s going to take a holiday miracle for Holly and Aidan to get themselves–and their loved ones–out of this alive…

Billionaire Wolf series:
Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing (Book 1)
A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas (Book 2)
What People Are Saying About Terry Spear’s Wolf Shifters:
“Packed with adventure… Magnificently entertaining.”–RT Book Reviews TOP PICK for Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, 4 1/2 Stars
“Spear has become a master storyteller.”–RT Book Reviews for Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply, 4 Stars
“Nobody does werewolf romances like Terry Spear. The romance sizzles, the mystery intrigues, and the characters shine.”–The Royal Reviews

Buy Links for A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Billionaire-Wolf-Christmas-Terry-Spear/dp/1492655848/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-billionaire-wolf-for-christmas-terry-spear/1127704371?ean=9781492655848
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Terry_Spear_A_Billionaire_Wolf_for_Christmas?id=acxdDwAAQBAJ
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-billionaire-wolf-for-christmas
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-billionaire-wolf-for-christmas/id1391355951?mt=11
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=7079882685730&query=billionaire+wolf+for+christmas&filter=product_type%3Abooks

Okay, off to spread the word! I was busy with working on edits for Cougar Magic, adding another 2,000 words to the novella, Night of the Wolf, and working on The Countess and the Wolf (an older story that I’ve been revising periodically about a Highlander, Saxon countess, and her Norman step-family during the period of William the Conqueror after he took over rule.) But I’ve made it into a historical wolf shifter story, so still working on that. Love the changes so far.

Have a wonderful day!!!! I’m off to howl to the world that a new book is out!!

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
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/u63qP
Follow Me for new releases and book deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

SALE! SALE! SALE! Ebooks for Wolf and Jaguar Shifter Lovers

Lots of reduced wolf prices!!   You can have your own hunky wolf for less than a cup of my favorite peppermint mocha latte at Starbucks! And drink up these hunky wolves for yourself!!! Sale ends in a couple of weeks, less time on a couple of them, but I don’t know which, so get yours now before they’re back up to $7.99 an ebook.

For a a short time:
REDUCED PRICES!!!! https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-White-Christma…/…/B01MZFBH0D
EBook Price
Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing
$ 2.99
Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply
$ 2.99
Between a Wolf and a Hard Place
$ 2.99
Destiny of the Wolf
$ 2.99
Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas
$ 0.99
Dreaming of the Wolf
$ 2.99
Heart of the Wolf
$ 2.99
Hero of a Highland Wolf
$ 2.99
Highland Werewolf Wedding, A
$ 2.99
Highland Wolf Christmas, A
$ 2.99
Howl for a Highlander, A
$ 2.99
Legend of the White Wolf
$ 2.99
Savage Hunger
$ 2.99
SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, A
$ 2.99
SEAL Wolf Christmas, A
$ 2.99
SEAL Wolf Hunting
$ 2.99
SEAL Wolf in Too Deep
$ 2.99
SEAL Wolf Undercover
$ 0.99
Seduced by the Wolf
$ 2.99
Silence of the Wolf
$ 2.99
Silver Wolf Christmas, A
$ 2.99
To Tempt the Wolf
$ 2.99
Very Jaguar Christmas
$ 2.99
Wolf Fever
$ 2.99
 These are on all the sites–not just Amazon, but BN and iBooks, Kobo, etc.
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
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/u63qP
Follow Me for new releases and book deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Pitched 3 New Wolf Tales

Pictures I took of origami at the Minnesota arboretum and of Axel, emergent Arctic 2-year-old wolf at the International Wolf Center. And then of Holly, 2-year-old black bear at the bear center nearby.

So I pitched three new stories–red wolf Christmas (Leidolf’s pack), Billionaire Wolf (Rafe’s friend), and Wolff (2 brothers and 2 sisters that own the Timberline Ski Lodge in Silver Town) for publication in 2020.

Also, I asked if we could do a 10th year anniversary re-release of Destiny of the Wolf. Yes! This will be for 2019, and I’ll have 3 other new releases that year also: You Had Me at Jaguar, SEAL Wolf Surrender, and the Silver Bells Wolf Christmas, whatever the title will be. And I will be writing a brand new novella to include in the re-release of Destiny of the Wolf also.

 Purple Halloween bear I make.

I finished a bear I need to send off to Australia, and was working on another Halloween bear, this one with orange fur (new fur). My Janome of decades conked out on me, so I had to buy a new heavy duty Singer, much lower price, but as much as I use them for as many years as I do, it’s still a cheap investment. My Janome cost me about $13 a year.

We received 2 inches of rain, yay! But it looks like we’re drying out after this. And it’s heating up, then finally starting to cool down a little bit. Yay!

I’m off to write on Cougar Magic, trying to write the final scenes. Only 10,000 words to go, then need to jump on the novella for Destiny of the Wolf. Then I’ll be working on Claiming the White Bear, I have some of them adrift on an ice floe and need to rescue them! What I do to my poor characters!

Have a 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
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/u63qP
Follow Me for new releases and book deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

The Difference Between Night and Day

You never know what will happen in the dark of night when a park closes.

When writing a book, the scenes in it truly can be the difference between day and night. I had picked up some Halloween books for my granddaughter and one was about what the owl sees and hears at night. Usually the books are all about babies and animals spending the day doing something and then going to bed at night. At least that’s what we want the children to get from the bedtime story–we had fun, now it’s time to sleep.

The nocturnal animals aren’t out during the day, and the diurnal animals sleep at night, so even this has to be considered when writing about night and day.

The other thing is people can’t see at night.

When I was writing one of my Highland stories, I realized they really couldn’t see each other in a room without light. lol So I had to make a light source. With my shifters, the animals can see well at dusk and dawn because their wilder animal halves can.

It’s the same with doing photography. Where is the light coming from? What is highlighted and what is in the shadows? How can the photo pick up anything in the dark without some kind of light?
At night, you can’t go to many of the stores because they’re closed. You can’t get hold of certain places in the dead of night. Some stores aren’t open until later in the morning, some restaurants only open in the evening.

So what happens with an ordinary set of stairs leading up to the maze gardens in the Arboretum at night when the center is closed? You’ll have to experience it for yourself because at night, the world is a whole different place.

I wrote 1,000 on Cougar Magic last night, despite baby wearing me out. But I also brainstormed with one of my beta readers on an issue I need to resolve in the story. Now I need to figure out how to bring that part of the story out. I still need to work on SEAL edits, but I needed a fresh mind to figure out how to change the opening–my editor says I have too much stuff packed into a couple of days and trying to change that is going to be a nightmare since everything is connected. I think all the stuff is doable. I could do them.

I might have to show that time frame better. Her flight is only 1 hour and 15 mins, but delayed by 15 mins, and then she gets lost driving from Denver and that could add another 15 mins. So she’s half an hour late to the rehearsal…and I said dinner, but I can change it to luncheon. Yay! And now I think I can do everything I wanted to do like I had it! I think my editor was imagining like a 3 1/2 hour flight and an hour delay, etc…. I just have to make it clearer.
Okay, I’m off to get busy! Have a super day/night!

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
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/u63qP
Follow Me for new releases and book deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Bear Shifters, Anyone?

Holly Black Bear, picture I took in Minnesota

Of course! I started out with Loving the White Bear, but I also have a confrontation with a grizzly.
I started to have a grizzly in one of my wolf shifter stories, but it seemed like too many characters and I was afraid my editor wouldn’t like it. He was just adorable too. But I went ahead and cut out all the scenes pertaining to him, and every time I re-read it for proofing, I missed him. So he will have to be in his own story too.

For now, I’m back to working on cougar shifters. I reached 30,000 words last night, not sure I’d make it because I had baby all day, had to take her to the doctor and then to the grocery store to get medicine for an ear infection.

I'm also working on Taming the White Bear and hope to have it done this year.

This weekend, I hope to make it to the halfway point!

Have a great day!!! We might get rain. Yay!~ We got some yesterday, twice, both not predicted at all and much appreciated!

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
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/u63qP
Follow Me for new releases and book deals: www.bookbub.com/authors/terry-spear

Fear of Flying

I’ve been afraid of airplanes my whole life. Well, that’s not entirely true. But my fear of flying was formed on my first flight.

When I was nineteen, my grandmother took me on a high school “graduation present” trip to Rome. I was a little nervous getting on the plane in New York City, but the overnight flight was fine until we started our descent into Leonardo DaVinci airport. The 747, as I learned later, did a common ‘step landing,’ which entailed descending a few thousand feet, gliding, then descending a few more thousand feet, on its approach to landing.

Trouble was, every time the plane sank those thousands of feet on its glide path, I was convinced we were falling to the ground. And since I’ve never been very good with roller coasters, the rolling, dropping, wavy motion of the plane had added to my stress level and made me sick to my stomach. The minute I’d felt a sour taste in my mouth, I’d known I was in trouble.

The flight attendants ordered everyone to buckle their seatbelts for landing, but I unhooked mine and scrambled into the aisle, making a mad dash for the bathroom in anticipation of throwing up. I never made it. A flight attendant at the back of the plane blocked my desperate beeline down the aisle and literally shoved me into an empty seat in one of the last rows, ordering me to buckle up for the landing.

That’s where a good Samaritan came to my rescue. Blond hair, blue eyes. I’d seen him get on the plane in New York carrying five tennis racquets, and wondered who he was (since I’m a big tennis fan myself). Now he turned out to be my savior. He urged me to put my head between my knees and just breathe. I remember shaking with the effort not to get sick in front of this gorgeous guy, when I felt his hand gently stroking my back, trying to calm me. Of course, with his other hand, he slipped an air sickness bag between my knees, but it turned out I didn’t need it.

His advice worked. The plane landed without me making a scene.

Except, that is, for the scene my grandmother made later, when she yelled at me for being so reckless by leaving my seat during the landing. 

           

The name of that gorgeous guy? Well, he said he wanted to be a professional tennis player, and he was on his way to Rome to follow the tennis circuit in order to make a name for himself. I can tell you he had blond hair and blue eyes and that he went on to win many, many major tennis tournaments, but that’s all I’m going to say (or else I’ll date myself)!

This real life event has inspired my latest book. In my story, a fortune teller informs my heroine, “You’re never going to die in a plane crash.” Which immediately makes my scaredy cat heroine think "Okay, but that doesn't mean I'm never going to be IN a plane crash!" 

Of course this is a romance, so expect lots of steamy scenes as my travel writer hero tries to help my book publicist heroine overcome her fear of flying!

How about you? What are you afraid of? I’d love to hear!

Leigh Court

www.leighcourt.com

                                                                             

On The Road Again To…Warsaw!

Last month I shared with you my adventures in Prague. On that trip I also went to Warsaw.

Warsaw was… better than I expected. It has a terrible wartime past but it also has a beautiful Old Town and lots of fascinating history.

For instance, did you know that the Polish composer Frederic Chopin was so afraid of being buried while still alive that on his deathbed (he had tuberculosis and died at age 39 in 1849) he made his sister promise to cut out his heart to make sure he was really dead?  So… Chopin’s body is buried in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris (along with Jim Morrison of The Doors) but his heart was sent back to Poland, and is eternally encased in this pillar in the Church of the Holy Cross in Warsaw. Fascinating!

Warsaw is a very Catholic city, and has many beautiful churches…

 

And also, like Prague, Warsaw has some fabulous architecture…

  

It was also fascinating to see the Barbican, the ancient city gate and battlements (built around 1548) that protected Warsaw…  The walls have been painstakingly restored.

Front biew

Walls and old moat

Arrow slit

Warsaw is also the home of the astronomer Copernicus…

Coopernicus

And here is the old Royal Castle…

Readers of this blog know I’m obsessed with (er, I’m a really big fan of) the Rolling Stones. So the highlight of Warsaw for me just might have been seeing this… In one of the Old Town squares, a husband-and-wife team built marionettes/puppets of the Stones, and had them “dancing” to the Stones’ music. Pretty good likeness, right???  LOL.

This is just a quick look at my 3-day stay in Warsaw. Hope you’ve enjoyed getting a glimpse of this beautiful city and consider putting it on your bucket list!

Jenna

www.jennaives.com

What’s an Aperol Spritz? It’s Your New Favorite Drink!

Recently, I was in Europe at an evening party with my husband. The alcohol was freely flowing, but I didn’t want to get buzzed because there were a number of people I wanted to speak with. So I asked the bartender if he could make me something “light.” He took one look at my jacket (which was orange, red, black and yellow) and brought me a red-orange drink in a pretty stemmed glass, which he called an Aperol Spritz.

Little did I know it’s the trendiest drink in Europe. (And soon-to-be in the U.S. too, is my prediction.)

Aperol is a citrusy bitter liqueur that has been popular in Italy since the 1950s, but this summer its popularity seems to have spread like wildfire. Literally every person I stopped to speak with at the party said, “That’s an Aperol Spritz!” and seemed dumbfounded when I admitted I had never heard of it before.

The attention-grabbing orange liqueur is combined with either white wine or prosecco or champagne, and topped off with a splash of tonic water or club soda. Customizable to your own taste!

Now that I’m back in the U.S. (and asking friends about my new favorite drink) I’m finding out that an Aperol Spritz almost as popular in California and New York as it is in Europe. I understand someone has even created a frozen version, like a slushie!

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the spike in Aperol consumption is in line with a rising demand in the U.S. for herbal bitter liqueurs. Traditionally, these bitters have been produced in Europe, but now, American-made versions are taking off in popularity.

So… give this orange-y bubbly low-alcohol drink a try. It’s very refreshing on a hot summer day, and it just might become your new favorite drink! It's definitely mine.

Leigh

www.leighcourt.com

On The Road Again To… Prague!

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited (and readers of this blog know I’ve traveled a lot)! History has it Prague was spared from bombing during World War II because it is so spectacular.

Prague’s Old Town Square is one of several highlights… 

Here's the Church of Our Lady before Tyn with its spectacular twin spires...

There's beautiful architecture, everywhere you look…

And below is Prague’s famous medieval astronomical clock. It was designed by clockmaster Jan Růže (also called Hanuš) around 1490. My tour guide recounted the story that the astronomical clock was such an impressive and beautiful piece of work that the Prague City Council was so jealous Hanuš was getting offers from other European cities to create similar clocks that the Council kidnapped Hanuš and gouged out his eyes so that he couldn’t create another masterpiece!! However, Hanuš – now blind and knowing his career was over – got his revenge by climbing to the top of the clock tower and throwing himself into the gears, killing himself but disabling the clock for more than 100 years!  (The clock IS beautiful... at certain times of day, little carved figures come out and parade around to mark the hour.)

  

The other major site in Prague is the Charles Bridge, named after King Charles IV who founded Prague (modeling it after Paris).  The Charles Bridge is pedestrian-only (since it was built in the 1300’s) and statues of saints and apostles line the bridge…

Statue of King Charles IV at the entrance to the Charles Bridge

You can see the statues of saints and apostles lining the bridge (above)…

  

There are quite a few bridges that cross the Vltava river.  This shot (below) actually DOES remind me of Paris!

Catholics believe the Infant of Prague (a statue located in the Church of Our Lady Victorious, said to originally been owned by St. Theresa of Avila) can grant miracles.  We all know someone who needs a miracle, so I stopped to say a prayer…

Remember I said King Charles modeled Prague after Paris? It seems tourists who come here are trying to make it more like Paris by “locking” their love to a railing near the Vltava river, then throwing the key into the water so that love lasts forever (i.e. it can’t be unlocked)…

I leave you with this spectacular picture of Prague at night…

Prague should definitely be on everyone’s bucket list! It is a beautiful city.  I'll have pictures of Warsaw next month!

Jenna

www.jennaives.com