Oh. My. God. Becky...

I. Like. Big...planners and I cannot lie.

*ahem*

Okay...so maybe I have a mild obsession with stationary. I can't think of a writer who doesn't get a little giddy during back to school time. I've had more than one conversation with a writer friend about sticky notes and writing utensils.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some techy stuff too. Just check out my fancy clicky mechanical keyboard. (It's wireless and bluetooth linkable to three simultaneous devices. Yeah. And it lights up and is pretty.)

But despite the gadgets I accumulate...(Alexa...remind me to pay my Best Buy credit card bill.)...I still have a love of putting pen to paper.

I take notes for stories, write down shopping lists. Pin down reminders, and have taken to leaving myself notes in places I'll see them too often to ignore.

Planners, just like any hobby, comes with a whole community. (#TeamHorizontal #BuJo4Life) I keep up with a few Facebook groups and some YouTube channels that I check in on when I want an excuse to buy more accessories.

One of the channels I watch regularly, Miss Trenchcoat, popped up while I was scrolling through my various social medias. She's doing an Instagram challenge to help ramp up productivity for the end of the year.

Sometimes the universe hits you in the face with the fact that you're slacking. I think this is one of those times. So I signed up for the #Fall4Productivity challenge. And I'll be checking in on the hashtag (and posting to it) all of September.

This is where you all hold me accountable. Below is the graphic if you want to play along.

My September goals are going to include plotting out 5 stories, (Yes. You heard it right. This pantser is attempting to plot. Hold me.), going through critique partner edits, and writing fresh words on a daily basis. 

Bonus goals...reading everyday both for fun and craft, journaling, and meditation. 

I've got my new planner. I've already filled out my goal tracker, but I'm still dabbling with the routine pages. I'm getting ready to crush this month. If you need a kick in the ass too, follow me on Instagram (@roxymews), tag me to let me know you're playing, and let's get shit done.

At least until the holiday season. Then we'll drink spiked cider and hide from the scary mall people. 

What goals are you working toward?

~Roxy

To find Roxy's books with buy links and what she has coming up next check out her website at RoxyRocksMe.com

I Could Have *ahem* All Night: On a search for the perfect song to *ahem* by

So I generally have music playing in my head, but today I was writing up a guest blog post on music and had to look up one of my flute things on YouTube (Greensleeves on Irish flute and Gilead, if you're interested). That got the music into my ears instead.

And it reminded me of the music I love--Irish reels. My favorite Irish reel group is actually Polish. This is why I love them. By the end they're just BURNING the tempo.

Well, turns out there's a playlist of several hours of music. Normally I'm pretty static when I work, and my hips show it. But today I ran the playlist and I did so much dancing and rocking out in the chair, I lost 3 pounds. Really.

So I thought, if my favorite moving music can help me to move SO MUCH, what about "moving" music, as it were?

There's a rumor among musicians that the two best pieces to do it by are Bolero (because of the pervasive driving beat and the slow crescendo) (and what's with those trombone slides?!?) and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (the guy's supposed to "glissando" wink-wink-nudge-nudge to the long, slow, opening clarinet gliss).

Other than that, I don't have a lot of songs to do it by, but I do know some songs of really questionable taste.

Boobs a Lot would not be written today, though it's got a catchy beat. Then there are the old standbys Barnacle Bill the Sailor (this one's funny but some versions get downright nasty) and this hilarious rendition of Roll Me Over in the Clover ("You mean it's buried treasure...?")

Luckily YouTube suggests other videos. In writing this I discovered Grandma's Viagra song, the Limerick Song, and the Coming (round the mountain) Song.

What songs would inspire you? Leave your suggestions for songs to do it by in the comments!!

Cheap Date: Pinetti Notte Rose

Pinetti Notte Rose Italy 2016

Tonight’s wine is called Pinetti. I’m glad I don’t do this as a video right now, because I’m not quite sure how to pronounce that out loud.

I haven’t had a rose for a while, and thought it would be a nice change. Especially after I binged on the Naked Grape Moscato wine I luuuuurved. (I totally went back and bought three more bottles of that ish. If you missed that review, it’s HERE)

The thing about this wine that caught my eye was that it boasts flavors from both strawberries and rhubarb. I remember my grandma harvesting the rhubarb from her huge backyard, and I had some feels. So I picked up this bad boy when it was on sale at Kroger. The sale brought it down to $4.99 which squeaked it in just under my cheap date budget.

And let’s talk about pressure. The ONLY wine in my house is this one. Bitch, you’d better be good.

Twist off cap. For real. Good thing. Momma just worked 12 hours and I’m pretty sure my calf muscle is revolting and about to detach from my leg.

THE POUR:

 

A few bubbles. But the coolest thing, is I can see the drips slipping down the neck of the bottle. It took a good thirty seconds for it to all work down. And after 12 hours of evil day job, it was probably more fascinating than it would have been.

I swirled the glass, and the drag of the light red wine down the sides is just as fascinating.

See folks…wine is a calming drink. Which is why I need wine. The evil day job lived up to its name today. Fucking retail.

THE SNIFF:

Screw the sniff. I was so tired, the glass got near my mouth and I took a drink. It smelled red.

FIRST TASTE:

This has a flavor that is building on my tongue. It starts out with just a warm hit against the taste buds, and then the aromatics hit the back of my sinuses and I got the hint of fruit.

A few gulps later...I’m getting a hit of spice along with the fruit. Reminds me of some of the same tastes I’d get in mulled wine. Just less.

This also has a wonderful texture that coats the tongue. Great sipping wine, because the flavor stays with you for longer than just a little blast as you guzzle it after having to teach people how to use their phones to pull up coupons all day.

Basically, it might keep me from drinking the whole bottle. Maybe.

HUBBY TEST:

If you’ve been around my “Cheap Date” wine reviews you know that I have to have hubby weigh in. Hubby doesn’t like wine, so it has to be super sweet for him to be down. I have doubts about him digging this one, but we’ll see.

Hubby: It smells like wine.

Me: …

Hubby: * takes a sip * It tastes like wine.

Me: * eye twitches *

Hubby: For real. This is like the beige of wine. Nothing remotely remarkable about this.

Me: Are you for real? Don’t you feel how it coats your tongue and soothes your troubles?

Hubby: Okay…so it’s the Pepto Bismol of wine.

At this point, I grabbed my glass back and left him to cook me dinner. (Because I had a long day and my hubby is awesome. Well…at everything but reviewing wine.)

THE FINAL VERDICT

This is a good wine to sip with friends. It’s not overly bold, so I’d probably pair it with light foods, or I have a feeling it will also pair well with retail work on a coupon weekend. No…I don’t need to think about that one. It does pair well with coupons.

This one would grace my wine fridge again. After I buy another bottle. Because momma’s worn out, and we're putting our feet up with this bottle ready to refill the glass. 

~Roxy

To find Roxy's books with buy links and what she has coming up next check out her website at RoxyRocksMe.com

Screw Summer

So I sat down and was thinking about what I should blog about. I could tell you that I had a recent re-release. (I did. #ROBOSEX 4-Evah. Go HERE to check that out.)

I could also tell you that I'm about to re-release the next book in the series.

Or that I'm blogging more frequently on my personal website. Which means I'm actually blogging on my website for a change.

But you know what?

I'm fucking tired!

There is always more to do in the summer and less time to do it in. And there are many reasons for that.

1. KIDS ARE EVERYWHERE!

School is out. And parents everywhere need more alcohol because of it. I work in retail. So I can see it in the eyes of all the parents. And in the way they are just trying to get out of the house to stop their little monsters from tearing it apart.

I feel you, moms and dads. We have A/C and no mud puddles for your kiddos to swim in. Come on in. They can carry shit for you while you shop. Put those kiddos to work.

2. IT'S HOT

I am not a hot weather girl. With ample T&A comes ample boobsweat and chafing. Chub rub is not a rap song. It's the routine I need to take to not walk like an anally fucked cowboy. I don't like the outside during the summer. Give me my A/C and my iced coffee and go away.

3. BUGS

Why do we need mosquitos? Seriously. Can't we just kill these fuckers off? They love me, and the feeling is not mutual. I can step outside to get the damn mail, and I'll walk back in with five mosquito bites. Fuck you, bugs. Before I go outside I now get to spend an additional ten minutes slathering myself in bug spray.

4. THE SUN WON'T GO AWAY

I'd love to go to sleep, but it's damn hard with the fireball in the sky shining in my window even at 9pm.


So along with all these horrid awful things, there are more fun things too. (Although it's hard to enjoy them when you're chafed to the point of manspreading.) Vacations, book conferences, events, and all the BBQ's that have to happen, because...Dammit, my hubby will cook anything if it can go on a grill, and you bet your sweet ass I'm going to take advantage of that.

I'm ready for the routines we get in the fall. Sign me up. I need a break. And a drink.


Do you love summer? Hate it? Do you need a drink too? Grab me one from the fridge while you're there.


~Roxy

To find Roxy's books with buy links and what she has coming up next check out her website at RoxyRocksMe.com

More "Giveaways" and a "Free ebook"

Carrying through on my post from June, I've got more sexy giveaway fun!

He's only got four weights? Puh-lease. We have FIVE amazing packages created by some of your favorite romance authors. June 23-July 7. Enter here: http://lovekissedbookbargains.com/2017/06/21/sun-sational-reader-rewards-giveaway/

★★★★Sun-sational Reader Reward Giveaway!★★★★


FREE EBOOK! I know it makes me scream, and so is our model! First in the Pull of the Moon series, Prophecy Mates (revamped Masked Attraction) is FREE on Amazon July 3-7.

Prophecy Mates (Pull of the Moon)
The masks are coming off.
Daniel loved Zoe when he was an awkward teen. Now a powerful wizard prince, a masked ball gives Daniel a new chance to woo her. Coming between them is an evil fire wizard and an ancient parchment with a deadly prophecy.

Amazon | Amazon UK

I do a monthly giveaway of a themed ebook grab-bag. (Grab. Get it? No? How can you look at this picture and not thing grab? Oh, it's just me that's that crass. Yup.)

Annnnyway, if you join my newsletter, you'll get a monthly link. Here's the ebook grab-bag giveaway for July. Five winners! Enter today.