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

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

The Robot's New Clothes

Everyone needs a new look every once in a while. A new lipstick, fresh hair color, or even a great piece of statement jewelry always hits the spot.

Unfortunately for me I tend to over indulge. Which is why I go thrift shopping more often than not. Pretty much any given day off I have you'll find me roaming through one of the Goodwill shops in my area. There are three in easy driving distance not counting the Goodwill outlet that sells goodies by the pound. But I have to make sure my afternoon and truck are cleared out for that shit.

I have never been one to spend a huge dollar amount on myself, because I'm a wee bit fickle, and a major cheapskate.

But I have found the majority of my gear at a price lower than a fancy cup of coffee.

For example, I found these sick four inch heels and sunglasses recently.

Shoes are $4.49 and shades are $3.99 at my local shop. Plus you know I have a goodwill shopper card that gets me 10% off when I spend more than $20, and momma had a coupon....needless to say, when I bundled them with my other purchases, they were a steal.

I don't always find what I'm looking for, but nine times out of ten I find something amazing. And it means I get to try out a new look once a month or so. Head to toe makeovers, (excluding the hair of course), are fun.

Which is why I decided to give a facelift to one of my book series when I got the rights back.

Coral-600 is book 1 in The DMA Files, or it used to be. Because along with the new cover I gave to my Robobabe, her story got a new title.

I present the new look for Coral - her new outfit if you will. The Pre-Order is live for Virgin on Human. Get yourself some #ROBOSEX with Coral, and her fancy new duds. My novella will let the sparks fly on July 4th. Make sure she's on your e-reader first!

This is a re-release, so aside from some minor typo corrections, and a smidge of format-tweaking, this is the same interior as Coral-600.

For a Limited Time, Get your Pre-Order in at 
AMAZON, KOBO, iBooks, and Barnes & Noble for 99¢

**THIS PRICE IS GOOD FOR THE PRE-ORDER ONLY**

BUT hold on! (insert "wait there's more" commercial vibe here)

For the FIRST time ever, Coral's story will be in print. You'll be able to hold her sexy legs in your hands.

That's right, you can touch her...book. Get your hands on some #ROBOSEX.

So...what do you think of Coral's new clothes? Hot, right?

~Roxy

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

Repeat Performance

There are times when you need to repeat yourself.

Sometimes you need to repeat your order in a loud restaurant.

Sometimes you need to tell an unruly child to go to bed for the twelfth time.

And sometimes you need to re-tell a story.

That's what I'm doing this week.

My Tiny House Romance, Love Shack, is live in ebook form again.

Grab your copy at AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, KOBO, and iBOOKS.

I had fun taking the forced proximity trope to the next level when my hero and heroine by shoving them into a home that clocks in at just over two hundred square feet.

Wild love-making in a tight galley kitchen can get a little cramped for our reluctant couple, but you'll have to check out the story to find out how they make it work.

And the HEA for them is one of the favorites I've ever written.

You can get your own copy now!

If you've read my tiny romance and enjoyed it, make sure to tell a friend it's back again. This is the same fun story back again for sale.

Sometimes it's repeat performance time. And I decided to start small...no...tiny.

~Roxy

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

Excuse me.

I have all the excuses. The best excuses. No one makes excuses better than I do.

My excuses can elicit sympathy, pity, perhaps a little disbelief at times, but shit...if you don't want to be a dick, you're most likely going to commiserate with me anyway.

I listened to a fabulous podcast by Sarah Werner about excuses a while back. I highly recommend her whole podcast to writers, but this one hit me in the procrastination bone.

(Find the episode I'm talking about HERE.)

The part of her episode that spoke to me most was looking at your reasons for not writing and deciphering if they were excuses or real legitimate reasons for not writing.

And while the podcast is devoted to writing as a craft and making time for your writing on the daily, this episode in particular could be used in any aspect of your life you're putting off.

So I thought I'd list my top three excuses for not writing everyday, and bust them open.

1.  I'm tired. No shit. We're all tired. Life is hard. They make coffee for that. And if I can watch YouTube, I'm not too tired to write. I could also go to bed earlier. Because I'm an adult and I have control of this.

2.  I'm not inspired. So? The best ideas I have had, have come from getting the crap out of my fingers first. I know this. Sitting my ass down and writing is what gets the inspiration flowing. My muse can't show up while I'm dancing in the kitchen to Bruno Mars. (Although he is sexy as hell, and I'm listening to his music as I type this.) Not feeling inspired before writing is an excuse. Can't get the water flowing until you turn on the faucet.

3.  Everything I'm writing sucks. This? This here? This is fear. Something I had to decide when I sent in my first manuscript was to get over the fear of failure. You know how to get better at something? Practice. Research, classes, reading books on craft...all these things are great. But only if you are doing them while writing. So when I get to the point where I want to stop because I'm sure everything I'm writing, and everything I've ever written is a huge pile of garbage, (and we've ALL been there) I still open my laptop. I'll write until I get past the crap and get the good stuff out.


Of course I always have the old stand-by of dirty dishes and laundry, and all the other various adulting things I have on my plate, but those are just as easy to debunk.

What are your excuses?

I didn't have time this morning to write a blog. I have to be at work in an hour. Huh...guess I got past my first excuse of the day. ;)

~Roxy


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

When you have to start all over...

Once upon a time I had 8 books (full-length, novellas, and shorts) published and out alive in the world.

I had a publisher I loved, and I got to talk with readers about my stories.

Well...my publisher closed.

Damn. But it was okay, because I had my books. Then I decided to try and gain traction with some bundles...

...that crashed and burned due to unforeseen circumstances.

Which meant I had NADDA.





After a lot (and I mean a LOT) of cursing, and kermit flailing around, I realized I have an opportunity to put these books out exactly as I want them. Market them exactly as I want, and own all of it myself.

They say you should start small. So...I figured I'd start TINY. I've got the ebook for Love Shack locked, loaded and ready to re-release all over the interwebs on June 6th.

Available for Pre-Order on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and KOBO

And you know what? I'm just as nervous as I was releasing it the first time!! How? How is that a thing? More seasoned writers can chime in here, but my heart is trying to crawl out of my throat, and I think I should get a pass from the nerves since this is the second time.

My obsession with Tiny Houses and all the imagery/reality TV blended with my adoration of the close proximity trope in this book where a banker and minimalist meet each other in the middle of a crazy idea.

And yes. I'm nervous, but I'm also excited. I'm trying to do one new thing in the publishing process with each book I re-release. I'm learning all the things, and working toward that hybrid author status I'd dreamed of. I'm just working from the self-pub side first this round. 

They say you should always do the thing that scares you the most, well...come along on my "tiny" terrifying journey. 

I love this book, and I hope you'll all give it a chance. 

What are you doing to chase your own dreams today?

~Roxy

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

Cheap Date with Dani Morgan! (And wine)

 

This bottle was picked out for my by the fabu Dani Morgan. (Who needs to get her story finished… Yeah. I called you out. ;p)

"Aconga" was the result of a night out with friends. It was $3.99 on sale at the nearby Kroger. It may have been picked 90% on the packaging. Because really…this thing looks a little like a filigree gun barrel. With the black bottle and seal, it really has a badass vibe.

Hubby saw me taking pictures of the bottle and grimaced. “Am I going to have to taste it?”

I wasn’t sure I was going to make him, but then he asked if he was an official part of the Cheap Date review and smiled. Awww. He feels included. (Still won’t read a thing I write, but hey…at least the man will drink with me.)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Is it sad that even all these years after college, one of the first things I look at is the percentage of alcohol? 

You’d understand after the helacious harry buffalo we made. That sucker was potent.

But the Aconga isn’t like the Everclear we used in college (thank god.) This wine is 13% alcohol.

The back of the bottle reads “An ancient Incan word meaning “Stone Sentinel”, Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, towering over Mendoza. It is this great mountain’s name that inspired “Aconga,” A symbol of grandeur and the celebration of a land steeped in history. Argentina, known as the land of silver, embraces artisans well known for their unparalleled silver craftsmanship.”

Huh. Who says alcohol makes you stupid? This wine just taught me something. And I feel mildly proud of myself for catching onto the silver link. *pats self on back*

There isn’t a whole lot of sweet/dry info on it, and despite the very long flavor description, “soft and supple” doesn’t tell me much.

We’ll just have to test it out. At least, I learned the where the highest mountain in the Americas is!

I have learned something through this whole cheap date process. If you have a foil seal over the cork, there is no need to take it off before putting the corkscrew in. The cork will usually break the seal when you yank that bad boy out. Then I just peel back the foil until it pours without spilling everywhere. I’ve only dropped a few pieces of the seal into the wine. It didn’t kill me. Think of it like finding the wishbone. Make it a game!

Well…look at that. The cork has a map on it, highlighting Argentina. This wine is teaching us all kinds of things!

THE SMELL

Definitely more than fruit here. This has a few different flavors going on. It’s got a spicy scent that reminds me of either coffee or chocolate, along with dark tart berries. I’m down.

THE POUR

A few bubbles collected at the top as I poured but quickly dissipated. It’s a deep ruby color and hugs the glass as I swirl it. A couple little pockmarks interrupt the smooth flow of the drag on the glass, but not too much.

Now that it’s in the glass, the smell is all smoke and spice. I can smell very little fruit.

 

FIRST SIP

Oooh. That’s different. It’s not sweet, but it’s got a soft tart flavor that I can’t quite place. The wine coats my mouth and has a fantastic warmth to the drink.

The bottle recommends this be paired with beef or red sauce on pasta. It reminds me of eating at an Italian restaurant where you order the red because that’s the house wine and the only one under $10 a glass.

I can also smell it without another sip. This stuff invaded my sinus cavity. Good thing I already ate, because I doubt this would pair well with McDonalds.

HUBBY VERDICT

I woke him up to make him take a sip. I’m an awesome wife.

Him: “It tastes like fermented grapes.”

Me: *eyeroll*

Him: “It’s more bland, I guess, but it’s not sweet, so eh?”

Me: “Bland? So if someone put it in front of you for free would you drink it?”

Him: “If there was no alternative, yes.”

FINAL VERDICT

I get what they mean by the word “soft” now. It’s not super dry, and it’s not super sweet. This is a wine that would go well with dinner. Not so much with a chocolate mousse.

It’s something to sip while writing or watching a movie, and at $4, I can see myself buying this again.

Two wino thumbs up.

And it taught me something! If I start buying wines from around the world that teach me about the place they are from, imagine how smart I could be in a year.

Furthering my education one bottle at a time.

Not bad for a cheap date. 

 ~Roxy

Cate Picked My #CHEAPDATE

This Cheap Date was picked by Cate Beaumont! I was lucky enough to hang out with a lot of my writer friends this past weekend so the next two reviews will be hand-picked for me by some fantastic ladies.

Cate, picked this one because “Momma needs a juice box”. I couldn’t agree more.

**IMPORTANT NOTE** I didn't wear makeup for this. So yes. Those are my bags. I earned those after all my hard work at the con yesterday.

Tonight’s juice is another boxed wine. This time by a company called Provisions. It’s a Cabernet Sauvignon. And the box says it’s “No 3061”. Sooooo…is this a limited edition? It does have cursive on the box.

They don’t even teach that in school anymore. Maybe they’re making it in cursive so the kids can’t read it, and won't know it's booze.

This drink is 12.5% Alcohol, and has red berries on the front of a recyclable package. We paid $4.99 from the nearest Kroger, and it was on sale. According to the box, this thing has three glasses of wine in it. They obviously pour wine very differently than I do.

FIRST SNIFF

The good part? Screw off top. This is a great bit of wine to travel with. No need to worry about finding a cork screw. Although with the folks I visit, that’s not usually a problem.

It smells very strongly of fruit. The side of the box says it’s “generous with blackberry and cassis flavors”. What the hell is cassis? Dammit. Now I have to google shit. This wine might be too damn fancy for me.

Wait…according to Wikipedia, Cassis is a tourist destination. Sooo…my wine tastes like tourists in France? Tourists are covered in sunscreen and sweat. That does not sound appealing. Or do French tourists taste different? Do I want to know what French tourists taste like?

Let’s travel a little further down the google page. We should give page 4 a chance every once in a while, right?

Wait…Cassis is a hashtag? I need to see this. Also…squirrel!

I don’t need to know what this stuff is. I like the idea that I’m drinking tourists. Let’s see how they pour.

FIRST POUR

These little boxes pour in an odd rhythmic piddle. It’s a deep ruby color and has nice drag on the glass. Still smells very strongly of fruit. And apparently French people.

FIRST SIP

NOT as sweet as it smells. Does this mean French tourists aren’t sweet?

But it does have a full-bodied flavor, and has the nice tummy warming slide down my throat. It’s got a great bite to the end of the sip, and I really enjoy it!

HUBBY TEST

Since I’ve had my hubby taste almost every wine, I figured I should have him try them as part of my review process going forward. He's free labor. 

Hubby sniffed the glass three times and grimaced before taking a drink. So basically he was a kid who knew he wasn’t going to like it from the beginning. Punk.

But he did try it and my sweet-drink loving hubby immediately demanded a palate cleanser and guzzled some mountain dew.

So…for my sweet lovers…this is not your jam.

FINAL VERDICT

I really enjoyed this one. And ya know what? Cate wanted me to have a juicebox. So…I’ll have my juicebox. Put this bastard in my lunch any day.

Just pack a straw and you're all set!

Thanks to Cate Beaumont for picking my Cheap Date for tonight, and if you want to enjoy more of her good taste, you can check out her book. Lucky Strike, Book 1 in the Lucky, Kentucky series is available now.

Congrats on the release, my friend. And thanks for momma’s juice box!

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