Shea is Back!

Wow. 

Forgive me, dear friends and readers. I didn’t realize it has been two years since I last blogged here. Or pretty much anywhere. But I haven’t been idle. Today I’ve been thinking over the months and realize I have learned a lot during my time away from blogging.

First of all, cute wee puppy boys grow up to be mischievous but loving companions. Neo is just shy of 2-1/2 years in age. The trouble he’s gotten into (swallowing an embroidery needle and not needing surgery to get it out), the dog beds, blankets, and stuffed toys he’s eviscerated, the two portable crates he’s destroyed… and here he is, a grown dog who couldn’t be more cuddly and loving. He’s calmed down a lot in the last eight months, but he can still stir up a room of big dogs at Doggy Day Camp. No one naps when he’s in the playroom! Good thing they love him over at PetSmart.

I’ve also learned it really hurts to move the one and only child a long, long way away. The Kiddo graduated with honors from University of Alaska, Fairbanks with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He met a girl through friends of friends on FaceBook and he got it right. More on that later. Then I helped move him into a teeny studio apartment in Albuquerque where he’s nearly finished his MS in Electrical Engineering. All straight As, no less, and with a part time job since last fall. He continues to amaze us with his progress. He and the girlfriend have grown stronger over time. She’s due to complete her PhD this spring. They’re planning on moving to California’s Silicon Valley this summer. She has a job waiting for her. He needs to find one.

Another lesson I’ve learned is that no matter how far away good friends are, they can still be there via texting, instant messaging, FaceBook, email, and even by phone. Imagine that! With so many communication options there’s almost no excuse not to stay in contact. It’s fun to see what old friends are doing now. And with the kids all growing up and moving out, we have more time for ourselves.

A lesson re-learned: Cancer is painful, not only to the patient, but the family. The drama can be intense the greater the victim suffers. It can pull families together or push them apart. There are no casual emotions in the months leading up to the end. The relief is also quite liberating, especially for my 87 yo Father in Law. Should I ever contract terminal cancer, I certainly don’t want to draw it out. I’ve seen the pain and strain on all involved.  I’m also extremely fortunate that a few brushes with pre-cancer led to quick resolutions. Hysterectomies are good!

It’s also difficult to write when there are so many things going on. My attention has been pulled ten different directions and I’ve holed up with books and needle work. Embroidery, knitting, crocheting and now quilting have occupied much of my time. The quilting started when Mom gifted me with her Bernina. First quilt I made was for Neo followed by a couple dozen aprons for Christmas. What a difference a good machine makes! Sorry, Singer, this one has my loyalty. I just basted my 4^th project for quilting. It’s a bit larger than a lap quilt, but not quite a twin. I have another top to finish then I’ll quilt them one after the other. It’s fun playing with fabric.

But back to the writing, which is the point of my – ahem – career. I have a new book coming out June 9, 2015. Yes! A new full length novel with a very attractive hero and a feisty heroine. He’s Brit, she California girl. She’s been keeping a secret big enough to change not only their lives but those of the family around them on both sides of the pond.

Her Foreign Affair is up for pre-order.  It’s my first book with Lyrical Press since they joined up with Kensington. It’s pretty exciting!  Be sure to check it out. And pre-order if you think it looks good. Then I won’t have to remind you about the release date. Although, I probably will. Still, pre-orders make me look good to the publisher. And the best part, you get a good book for a decent price!

Shea McMaster

Traditional Romance for Modern Women

Website: http://sheamcmaster.com

FaceBook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shea-McMaster/240251469328338

Also Available From Shea

Borealis II: A Space Anthology – Bleu Lies (VI) ~ebook

Borealis XIII: Don’t Step On My Blue Suede Deuce ~ebook

Rachel Dahlrumple ~ebook

Author Bio:

The softer, sweeter side of Morgan O’Reilly, Shea McMaster lives for traditional romance.

Born in New Orleans, raised in California, Shea/Morgan got moved to Alaska in 1977, where she attended high school before running back to California to get her English degree from Mills College. Alas, once back home she met and fell in love with her own forever true hero, a born and raised Alaska man. Since then she’s had a love-hate relationship with America’s largest state.

With her one and only son out of the house, Shea is fortunate to spend her days engaged in playing with her cuddly yellow Lab, Neo, daydreaming, and turning those dreams into romantic novels and novellas featuring damsels in distress rescued by their own brains and hunky heroes.

Goodbye 2012

And hello 2013!

Like 2012, we're headed into 2013 with a mix of good news and bad news. The good news, we have a new baby in the house. We're the proud puppy parents of a 6-1/2 week old yellow lab boy. We've named him Neo. And he is sooo cute! And warm, and soft and cuddly! And chewy, and not yet housebroken, but we're working on it! He's a smart boy, so I'm pretty sure we'll get this down soon.

My two boys. The furry one is Neo.

On the downside, we were awakened at 4:30 this morning with a phone call that my husband's step-mother had fallen. His father was calling the paramedics and hubs dressed and met them at the hospital, along with two of his step-brothers. Pelvis broken in two spots, otherwise she's doing okay for being 84 with Alzheimer's. It's doubtful she'll ever go back to their two story house (main floor upstairs). Maybe a week in the hospital and then off to extended care. 

Aging parents are the norm for us these days. Just got the kid raised up to where he's 98% on his own two feet (he's 21, in his last year of college, and looking at grad schools for next year). But this is life. New babies and aging adults. We deal.

Here's wishing you all the best for 2013. May it be better than 2012 and bring with it peace and prosperity for all. A pretty tall order, but I keep hoping!

Shea

Summer Shenanigans

Big things are happening in the land of Shea! Alaska is doing the usual weather dance, a few days of intense sun followed by days of clouds and rain. The balance keeps us on our toes, one day cool, one day too hot. We work like mad on the sunny days and rest up on the cloudy ones.

What I hope will be my new backyard soon! Note that gorgeous blue sky!
Alaskan summer at its very best.

To this end, I'm beginning the long process of packing. Yes, the McMaster (O'Reilly) family is moving! After seven years renting a fairly nice house we're moving on up to a house with a bigger garage for my woodworker spouse. There are many bonuses to this move, although it will be some time before we can upgrade the hand-me-down / garage sale bargain furniture we've collected in recent years. We're looking forward to more space, quieter neighborhood, big kitchen, cozy writing room, decadent tub in the master bath, to name a few benefits!

We're excited and can hardly wait for the closing which is scheduled for later next month. Fingers crossed nothing trips that up!

In the meantime, I'm participating in the Summer Reading Trail organized by Voirey Linger. So many good books to peruse! This month, for a few more days, read the first chapter of Rachel Dahlrumple. Next month, read the first chapter of Six Foot Hero, which is winding down its contract with Lyrical Press. Be sure to grab a copy while it's on sale for 99 cents!

How's your summer going? Anything extra exciting happening?

Spring Sprucing

For the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, summer is underway. Here in Alaska, aka the Frozen North, we're just now blasting through spring and moving fast into summer. The last two weeks have seen barren trees and bushes suddenly exploding with pretty new green leaves that look wonderful against the bright blue sky.

It's been a tough year so far. Seems like every other week I've come down with the latest cold/crud. Last week was no exception. But I'm fighting back! Yes, I'm throwing open the windows and letting fresh air blow through the house. Clearing out winter's cobwebs. Revitalizing my mind and my life. Summer is short, so it's time to dig in and get to enjoying it.

Part of summer fun is reading. I have a huge stack of books that's been growing on my side table and on my various forms of ereaders. I'm very much looking forward to time to kick back with a cold drink on my warm balcony and reading my way through the long, long summer evenings. Just less than a month to Summer Solstice, ya know.

And since I know many folks are also stocking up on summer reading, I'd like to direct your attention the right hand side-bar (right at the very top) where there are a few extra pages to this blog. First up is a Featured Read, the entire chapter one of Rachel Dahlrumple. In a few weeks I'll change this out for the other two books with pages, Six Foot Hero, and Borealis II: A Space Anthology. In the anthology, my contribution is Bleu Lies, a furturistic romp on an aging space station where deceit and desire wreak havoc with the station commander's organized life.

If you still need more suggestions, be sure to stop by The Morgan Diaries where you'll find excerpts and information on books by J. Morgan (Jmo) and my alter-ego, Morgan Q. O'Reilly (MorganO).

I'd love to hear what's on your TBR pile for the summer. What are you in the mood for? What's a favorite summer time activity? I'm all ears, so dish!

Shea
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Getting Revved Up - What's New for 2012

First of all, what's new is I discovered how to add pages to this site. 


Yeah, yeah, feel free to blow some raspberries or laugh. I'd rather spend my time writing than messing with setting up websites. I'm not quite as technology-challenged as my son thinks I am. Because he considers me barely computer literate (never mind I was rebuilding them when he was still in the crib) it means he does most of the work when setting up new stuff.


Example, this Christmas we bought him a super duper newer faster better stronger computer. Since his "old" computer was much newer than mine, I was gifted with the "old" Sony Vaio. Of course, this moved me from XP to Win7 OS. A huge necessity in his opinion. I'm not complaining. The machine is sleeker and faster. However, there is still some adjustment going on. Sort of like I'm still looking for baskets of yarn that were moved out of the living room to make room for the Christmas tree. Yeah. My files are all rearranged. Sigh.


So, since I discovered the ability to add pages, I've added one for each of my books. The Shea ones. Morgan's on her own for the moment.  You'll find the links to the right, at the top. Feel free to check them out, read excerpts, follow the buy links at the bottom. If you've read the books I'd sure love to read some positive commentary. The writer's ego is such a fragile thing... Ahem!


I'm also hosting some Virtual Book Tours. One or two a month, remember that writing gig I do, so if you'd like a day on my blog, just send me a note! We'll check the schedule and see what works best.  Generally speaking, Wednesdays and Thursdays are pretty much wide open. 


Speaking of VBTs, tomorrow Leslie D. Soule will be here with a blog on where ideas for fantasy books/stories come from. Personally, I find them under cabbage leaves. Or in really, really weird dreams. Be sure to stop by and comment to be entered in her drawing for a B&N gift card. 


So, 2012 is here, the Chinese New Year is here, as well as a record level snow fall for South Central Alaska. What's new with you? Have goals for 2012? Still going strong with them? What's on your minds? Someone remind me that spring will come again, soon followed by summer. I'm really looking forward to summer!

And the Blog Tour Drawing Winners Are...

And the winners are:

For the Tote Bag - BlackWolf darksiry @gmail com
For the Mug - Marybelle marypres @gmail com

Congratulations!!!! Email me at shea @sheamcmaster com with your snail mail address. These will ship directly to you from my Zazzle.com store 

And for my hostesses... One more drawing...
Talina Perkins from Bookin' It Reviews!! Email me and let me know what you'd like, mug or tote.


Many thanks to everyone who played along. I very much enjoyed my tour. 


Shea 


Drawing winners were selected using a random number generator.

Rachel - The Blog Tour Final Day

It's been a busy and wonderful two weeks following the Blog Tour trail. I've met some very nice new folks, experienced some great hospitality, and generally had a lot of fun.


Alas, like all good things, there must be an ending. Friday, November 18, 2011 is the end of the tour, but not the end of your opportunities to enjoy Rachel Dahlrumple! Nor is it the end of your opportunities to spend time with me. 


However, it IS the last opportunity to get your name into the drawing for the prizes below.

Easy peasy, click on the Join This Site link to the right ==> somewhere. Scroll up or down to find it.

Or, you can leave me some love in a Comment at the last tour stop: My Odd Little World

Or, Like my Facebook page HERE

If you'd like to revisit the tour stops, the schedule may be found HERE. You will have to look for the day of the post as I've linked the main page, but it shouldn't be hard.

Coming in January 2012, both this blog and The Morgan Diaries are joining with Goddess Fish and hosting stops on virtual book tours for other authors. If you're an author looking for a place to blog from time to time, drop me a line and I'll be happy to fit you in. I'm not a prolific blogger, so there's plenty of space for people to hijack this venue for a day.

Thanks for following along and be sure to check back here to see who our winner is. Maybe there'll be two. Possibly more, depends on how excited I get. New friends and kind comments get me excited so do your best!

Shea McMaster

Traditional Romance for Modern Women

Available ebook titles by Shea:

Rachel Dahlrumple 

Six Foot Hero

Borealis II - A Space Anthology: Bleu Lies

Titles available at Amazon/Kindle, B&N/Nook, Sony, All Romance eBooks, Books on Board and other ebook retailers. Look for Shea wherever your favorite ebooks are sold.

What to Pack for a Beach Resort Vacation - Part 1

Looking South from Lindo Mar, PV
The sun is coming up on the left

After two weeks in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, there were a few things I wished I'd packed, and a few I shouldn't have. Over all, I didn't do so badly, but I'm making note now so next time I'll remember. Maybe you will find it useful too.

Not to mention this is a blog NOT about writing! Let me know if you enjoy it and I'll try to do more.

Forgive me for stating the obvious: Packing light is important. Are we all agreed?

Someone has to carry/wheel all that junk into and out of the airports, not to mention the carry-ons that go in the overhead compartment. Unless you like shelling out tips every time you turn around, "someone" will be you. And if you're like me, the flight attendants are far away when that bag needs to be slung up into the overhead bin. Make sure you can heft it! I want one of those bags that turns sideways so you can wheel it down the center aisle of the plane.

Don't choose your largest suitcase unless you know for a fact you can pack so it weighs no more than fifty pounds. For the checked bag I used the mid-size case of my 3-piece Samsonite set and it hit the scales at 42 pounds. Some of that weight was paperback books I was taking to read and leave. I took eight books and brought home only one of them. Good thing because my ereader vanished between the hotel and the boarding gate and I had that one book to read on the way home. More about that later.

Lindo Mar Resort, PV

Think about your location. We were headed for a small timeshare resort. Only forty or so units, all with ocean views. Cute and clean. No long walks unless you wanted to walk, and few stairs. Since I was traveling with my eighty-one year old mother, this was perfect. I'm not all that big on stairs myself. Note, the lobby was on the 7th floor, at street level. The beach pool and restaurant are way down the hill on the first level. Our room was on the third floor, all the way to the left.

Think about your plans. Do you want to shop everyday? See all the sights? Dance the night away? Or do as we did, which was mostly sit by the pool and gab with the other transient resort residents.

Our plan was simple. A few mornings of shopping, one night "out" to dinner, meaning away from the restaurant at the resort. Many hours holding down a table beside the pool. Complete with shade providing umbrella. Hey, it might have blown away without us there to keep it in place.

I had three pairs of shoes. The ones I wore on the plane, slip on tennie-runners (the gray and aqua to the left). Very comfortable flip-flops. Sketchers with a thick sole and neoprene upper. Worked GREAT for the walking portions of our trip. They feel just like walking shoes but much cooler. Last, a pair of simple sandals that worked for the pool, and were dressy enough for dining. Especially with snazzy toenails after a fresh pedi. I had only one pair of socks with me -- the compression socks I wore for the long hours of traveling. Easy to hand wash for the return trip.

Hand washing takes us to another aspect of traveling. Laundry service is available but it is next day, and adds to the cost of the trip. So when packing clothing, consider what will dry reasonably fast. Much of what I had, double knit jersey, didn't dry fast. It's comfortable, yes, but not particularly hand wash friendly. Do take along a small amount of laundry detergent. I didn't. Hotel soap only goes so far. Woolite, sample packs of Tide, or whatever you can find at the grocery store at home, take something!  Or plan on stopping at a store locally. We didn't get to the local grocery until well into the trip, so buying laundry soap was a moot point then. Next time, I'm taking a ziploc baggie or a travel bottle of detergent. I had a sample sized bottle of Downy spray to take out wrinkles. Didn't use it.

I had with me two sundresses that worked very well for dining. One pair of shorts and one skort that I wore for shopping and sometimes for dinner. They worked with the tops I packed -- three t-shirts, two would have been just fine. Three camisoles with built in bras for more casual looks. Different colors to keep things interesting. Two cotton big shirts to wear over the camis. One I didn't take off the hanger until the trip home, but I was glad to have it.

The big shirt I did wear was white and I'm not sure I'd take white again, at least not without good hand-washing detergent. Something about the sunscreens and deodorant I wore tended to discolor the whites. The white cami has huge bright yellow spots on it that bleach won't take out. Not sure what that is about, but I suspect Mom's miracle spot remover might have contributed. Now I'm wondering if dyeing it black will save it.

Consider your underthings carefully. Yes, they're small and pack easily. They also hand-wash well and usually dry reasonably fast. But do you need seven pairs? Pick the bras that go with your clothes. For instance, one sundress was blue and I happened to have a blue bra that didn't show much under the straps of the dress, but it did show some. That one made sense. My other dress was made of a thin tan with black print rayon. Flesh toned undies for sure! One night I only had black panties to wear and while no one said anything, well, I knew. Would have been a great night for a sarong around the waist. Didn't do that again. Three bras, five panties, and I was set.

One more item of intimate apparel I wish I'd had was a cotton bathrobe. Forget about dressing in the bathroom after your shower when visiting a place where the humidity is high. Do plan for a good half hour of sitting under a ceiling fan to complete the drying process. I have a  thin robe I stole from my husband that will be the first thing into the suitcase next time I go. About a week into the trip I did buy a sarong (the white spots are cut-outs - gorgeous!) from one of the beach vendors that worked well in place of a robe, but it's much less modest. If traveling alone or with your spouse, you might not need either. But if traveling involves sharing a room and bathroom with friends, do everyone a favor and bring a robe.

Now the most important clothing item. Your pool and/or beach wear. It's the main reason you're there, right? At least two swimsuits. Minimum. I saw women wear five different suits throughout a two week stay. But the minimum is two because you wash the one you wore and let it dry for a day while you wear the other. To go with those suits, a cover-up is highly recommended. I had two. One was very thin and matched one suit. I wore it most because it was lightweight, and frankly, it was cute. The other cover-up I bought specifically for the trip was jersey knit. It was far heavier, longer, and had a hood, which I'd thought would be beneficial to cover my hair. Wrong. It was too hot to wear. I wore it the day the other cover-up was drying from being washed. A day spent browsing in the flea market netted me a light cotton cover-up to replace it with. The heavy one will be great if we ever go swimming at an Alaskan lake. Until then it's staying in the closet.

Breakfast at the resort restaurant.
Why go anywhere else?

Head covering. I'm not a hat girl. They never really seem to fit me right. I have two straw hats with brims that I considered taking and in the end ditched them in favor of a bandanna, which was great, but lacked style. I could wear it in the pool, and while shopping downtown I needed it to pat the sweat away from my face. Mom had a great hat with a wide brim. it's 75% paper 25% polyester. It crushed in the luggage then popped right up. Next time I'm packing one, and only one, baseball cap. My hair is thinning on top and the protection is vital to keeping my scalp sunburn free. Not to mention the bill helps provide shade when trying to work on the laptop at pool side. I'll get to that in Part 2.

For nightwear, I took one very lightweight nightshirt. I could wash it in the morning and it would be dry by night, so one was all I needed. That worked perfectly! It was also lightweight enough I slept comfortably. Mom had long sleeved, long gowns and she still got a little cold with the AC and ceiling fan running. For me, without covers, it was heaven. Consider your roommates and their temperature needs.

Accessories and the other items I packed also require consideration, but I'll get to those in Part 2. If anyone is truly interested.

Everyone has travel stories. I'd love to hear what you consider necessary to pack, what never seemed to quite work out, and what you wish you'd packed, but didn't. What did you do to compensate for an oversight? What did you find yourself leaving behind? I'll always take travel tips.

Blog Tour - The Half Way Point

Five blog visits down, Five to go!
     It's been a great week. I've made new friends, spilled a few secrets, put down a whole bunch of new words on my current WIP and NaNo project and I even got some laundry done. Yes, I think my husband is much more excited about that last line item, although he cheers when I get new words written.
     My big plans for this weekend include making a ginormous lasagna to send off with my husband for pinochle with "the guys" tonight. The host of tonight's event is our son's godfather, and he looooves my lasagna. Little does he know I'm lacing the sauce with good-for-him things like zucchini! He broke his leg a few weeks ago, so I'm doing my best to help him get strong and healthy again. Of course, can't go wrong with all the calcium in the cheese, right?
     I also have two more blogs to write for the rest of the blog tour. Why do we save the hardest ones for last? I always seem to come through with something that feels like Divine Inspiration at the very last minute, but really, my heart could stand a little less stress on such issues. 
     I was supposed to write these last two while I was in Mexico. *Snort* Fat chance that when I had so many other things to do, like laze beside the pool and watch the ocean. Hey, that's hard work! I was exhausted, completely exhausted, every night.
     Anyhow, don't give up on me yet! There's more fun stuff to come next week as I visit more awesome blogs, hosted by generous and lovely people. The rest of the schedule is below:

• Nov 14: Good Family Reads Blog: How to find Good Critique Partners and Be One in Return
• Nov 15: The Heart of Romance with Sherry Gloag Interview
• Nov 15: Reviews by Molly  A review of Rachel Dahlrumple
• Nov 16: Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess Blog: I'm working on a topic now.
• Nov 17: Bookin' It Reviews Blog: A day in the life of Rachel Dahlrumple
• Nov 18: My Odd Little World Interview

     Many thanks to the awesome folks at Goddess Fish and their blog partners for organizing this whole thing. I've signed up to be a blog partner, here and at The Morgan Diaries, so expect to see more great things to read and learn about. Hopefully we'll have more things than just Romance to read about. I'm open to all sorts of brain explosions. Just ask me if you have something you're dying to blog about, even if it isn't writing.

     Come to think of it, I want to know the story behind the name Goddess Fish. Has to be a good one!

     Stick with me this week and be sure to look for the results of the drawing.

Day Three of the Blog Tour

The Rachel Dahlrumple Release Blog Tour is off to a great start! I've had two good days with Tory Richards and Megan Johns. Feel free to go back and read the post and the interview if you like. I'm still checking for responses.


Or catch up to me today at Carrie Ann Ryan's Blog where we're talking betrayal. Is there a difference between fiction and real life?


As always, comment and get your name entered for a drawing at the end of the two week tour. I'll be giving away at least one mug and/or tote with the cover of Rachel Dahlrumple on it. Limited edition, cannot be purchased, available only as a give-away from yours truly. "Like" my page on Facebook and earn an extra chance! If the response is huge, I'll expand the list of prizes to whatever item at my Zazzle store I can stick the image on! More on that later.


For now, stop by and show me some love!

Rachel Dahlrumple: The Blog Tour

It's here! Tomorrow, or tonight as the clock turns over Midnight Eastern, Rachel Dahlrumple will finally be available for your reading pleasure!


To celebrate, I'll be busy flitting from blog to blog for the next two weeks, and at the end of two weeks, I'll choose at least one, maybe two -- depending on responses -- winners to receive a tote or mug with the cover for Rachel. Heck, if enough people comment, I might decide to give more! So tell your friends and invite them to come along and play.


Here's the tour schedule:

• Nov 7: Romance with an Attitude Blog: Breaking Writer's Block
• Nov 8: Megan Johns Invites Interview
• Nov 9: Carrie Ann Ryan Blog: Getting Over Betrayal. Fiction vs Real Life. Is there a difference?
• Nov 10: Romance in the Backseat Blog: How does being a writer affect you as a reader?
• Nov 11: Laurie's Thoughts & Reviews Interview
• Nov 14: Good Family Reads Blog: How to find Good Critique Partners and Be One in Return
• Nov 15: The Heart of Romance with Sherry Gloag Interview
• Nov 15: Reviews by Molly  A review of Rachel Dahlrumple
• Nov 16: Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess Blog: I'm working on a topic now.
• Nov 17: Bookin' It Reviews Blog: A day in the life of Rachel Dahlrumple
• Nov 18: My Odd Little World Interview

I'm fresh back in the USA after two weeks in Puerto Vallarta living the good life. I'm ready for a little snow, and lots of Romance! I have many fond memories of Leonardo, Raul, Felix, Luiz, Jesus, Roberto, Ivan, Francisco and Isidro to keep me smiling for a long time to come. Manuel is on my list for playing a little prank on me, but I'll get him back next year!

Looking forward to seeing many friends, new and long time, while blogging my way across the web!

Shea McMaster

Traditional Romance for Modern Women

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Testing, Testing

She's been a bit quiet the last few years, but it's time for Shea to reappear in the cyber world.

Hello!

Is anybody out there??

Coming soon, which is prompting the return to this blog...

Available November 7, 2011
Published by Lyrical Press

Check it out HERE

I'll be back soon, with much more information.  Be sure to leave me a note if you find your way here.