A day in my boots.

Ever wonder how my day goes during the week, well wonder no more. Here's a little insight into my everyday routine being a stay at home mom and full time writer. (And thanks to my post's title the song 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin' by Loretta Lynn is stuck in my head. It fits perfectly.)

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Early Mornings

First of all, let me say that I am definitely not a morning person and neither are either of my daughters. It makes getting all of us up for school an ordeal unlike any other. There are alarms for other alarms. We even have an alarm to remind us it's time to leave. When we all do manage to get up it's a scramble to get dressed and get fed before we're rushing out the door. I swear that 8 o'clock leave time comes way too quickly.

As you can see my phone is full of alarms. Alarms to wake up. Alarms to get my butt moving, and alarms to leave. I know that if I leave at a certain time I'll get to my destination at the correct time. I pride myself on never being late to drop my girls off for school or when picking them up.

The Drive to School

While other moms are putting their kids on buses I drive mine to school. It's a twenty minute ride there and a twenty minute ride back home. The plus side is the beautiful scenery that we get to see along the way. Most of our rides to school are pretty quiet but my oldest loves to sing along with the radio. As you can see the four lane highway we travel is pretty empty. I hardly ever have to go any slower than the speed limit. I might have to watch out for crossing deer but after living in Chicago I realize how fortunate I am. I love not having to fight traffic. (My daughter took the pictures of  our drive to and from school over my shoulder since I despise using my phone while driving. We had a nice discussion about that both times. It's never too early to teach them to use technology safely.)

Coming back Home

Once I get back home my goats and chickens demand my attention. Like my goats literally yell at me as I exit the car. They're only happy and quiet once they're fed. These lovely pygmy goats are Bae-Bae, Buckie, Rayne, and May. Once I'm done outside with the chores that need done every morning I move back into the house. The second I'm inside all of the indoor pets demand my attention. Kitties get fed, puppy dogs get fed and let outside to go potty. The bunny gets fed, and fresh water is distributed to everyone.

Hot Chocolate Time

Who doesn't like a nice cup of hot chocolate?

Once everyone is happy I finally get to sit down, if only for a moment. I don't drink coffee but I do have a morning ritual of drinking a cup of hot chocolate mixed with a breakfast essentials pack. Since I skip breakfast this is the next best thing. Mind you, I don't usually get to sit down until around 9:30 or 10:00.

While drinking my hot chocolate I bring out my laptop and check stats for the day while sitting on the couch. I put together necessary posts and whatnot. Most days I'm terrible at this and I end up putting it off until later in the day.

My Desk

This is where some of the magic is made. I just got my desk early September so I've been spending a lot of time here. And yes, it's always this clean. I can't stand clutter. Everything has to have it's place or I get a bit crazy.

As you can see I'm never alone at my desk. The second I leave my chair someone is always stealing it. That little darling on my chair is my special kitty, Sweetie. She absolutely adores me and has to be near me at all times. She also leaps into my arms and loves to give hugs and kisses.She's got some of the most beautiful blue eyes. Unfortunately, you can't see them very well in this picture.

Work and Housework

As soon as my hot chocolate is gone I get back to it. I do what needs to be done around the house to keep it in order. In between tasks I sit down and write. Sometimes I get a few sentences and other times I get a chapter out. I try to do my best to schedule out housework so that I'm not overwhelming myself. There's a fine line that I walk to keep everything running smoothly. Some days I take this time to catch up on sleep. Since I stay up so late at night I need this time in order to function.

The Pickup

When it's time to pick up my kids from school I leave early. I bring my laptop and a pop along. If I get to school early I get a great spot in the line of cars waiting to pick up students. I've learned that if I don't get this great spot my kids believe I'm leaving them at school. The last time I was slightly late I had both of them crying as they exited the building. I felt terrible and vowed never to let that happen again. So, I get to school forty minutes before dismissal. During this forty minutes I sip on my pop and pull out my laptop to get some more work done. Usually, I can type out at least a page before I have to put my things away. Trust me it helps the time pass by quickly.

Home Again

The ride back home from school is always lively. I get stories about how their days went. We sing and tell jokes along the way. Sometimes we take the back roads home. It takes a few minutes longer to get home but the kids love seeing the horses, cows, and other critters along the way. Once we're home it's time to unpack book bags, time for a snack, and then time for homework. I found getting homework done sooner rather than later in the day is best. Of course when it comes to math papers those wait until daddy comes home. He's the math wiz in our house. I'm terrible with math. Don't get me started on the common core math, ugh.

(Again, my daughter took the picture. I think she did a fantastic job.)



A Moment to Breathe

Once everyone is finished with homework I get to sit down for a break again. I usually snack on something quickly before I'm back up getting dinner ready. I always try to time it just right for when the hubby gets home.

Dinner Time

These things are the best. I'm a great cook but let's be honest sometimes it's a pain to prepare meals. When I'm not feeling it I pop one of these baby's into the oven and walk away. Thankfully everyone in this house gets excited for these meals. Sometimes they even request them.

Things get easier after dinner. I relax with the hubby and kids for a little while before I begin getting things ready for the next day. I pack lunches for everyone and then help the girls pick out outfits for the next day.

Before long it's bed time. My husband puts the kids to bed every night and then sits with me for a little while before going to bed himself. He wakes up super early for work so he gets sleepy pretty quickly.

The Night Shift

This is how I spend most of my nights. I sit on my comfy couch while watching Netflix. Can anyone guess what I'm watching tonight? Here's an easy hint: (You have to sing it) ' Two can keep a secret, if one of them is dead... '

Did you figure it out? It's Pretty Little Liars!!

I either spend my time watching some of my favorite shows while writing or I plug my headphones into my phone and listen to some music. It gets pretty quiet here at night while the hubby and kids are sleeping so between 10pm and 3am is when I get the bulk of my work done.

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So, there you have it. That's a typical day for me. Of course there's a lot that fills the space between but I doubt anyone wants to see pictures of me mopping floors and scrubbing toilets. Doing what I love is the best, even if it doesn't mean my life isn't as exciting as the characters in my books.

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Raven K. Asher

Tuesday Teaser!!

Tuesday Teaser!!

I know I should be working on one of the many series that I'm behind on but I've been working on a side project. Sometimes these side projects give me a break between books. They help me clear my mind and give me a boost to work on other projects. Anyway, here's a teaser from a new Reverse Harem book that I'm working on called Midnight Moon. Those who have read Ivan's story may have noticed that I added the first three chapters for this story at the end.

Here's a slightly steamy teaser from Midnight Moon.

**Fair warning, this probably won't be released until sometime next year.**

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Kane falls asleep quickly while I struggle. I couldn’t ignore his body pressed against mine. The vampire side of me was in overdrive. It wanted to be closer to him.

It takes every ounce of strength I have to keep my hands to myself.

I had to stay in control before I did something that I would regret.

Unfortunately my hormones win and I find myself turning to face Kane. I place my hand against his cheek and then lean in closer.

He doesn’t move as I press my lips firmly against his. Within a few seconds he comes to life under my touch. His hand reaches up to thread his finger through my hair while he kisses me back.

His yellow eyes stare into mine as we continue to kiss.

When we break apart he pants for his next breathe. “What was that for?”

“I couldn’t stop myself.” I whisper before reaching around to grab a handful of his hair to pull his lips back down to mine again.

After a few more minutes Kane pulls away. “We need to stop before this goes too far.”

I nod in agreement before placing my forehead against his chest. My fangs bite into my bottom lip as I fight to stay in control.

Moving slowly I kiss his bare chest before moving my lips to his neck.

His heartbeat speeds up as I scrape my fangs against his skin.

Before I can bite him he pushes me back onto the bed before moving his body over mine. Our combined weight pushes me into the mattress.

A soft moan falls from my lips as he nuzzles his face against my neck.

I close my eyes and grip him tightly as his fangs scrape across my neck. His touch causes me to shiver uncontrollably with excitement.

“Bite me.” I plead desperately.

If we weren’t going to go any farther I needed him to do this for me. I need a release and being bitten was nearly as good as having sex.

At least that’s what Tinsley had told me.

Right now I was really hoping that she had been telling me the truth.

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Happy Reading!!

Raven K. Asher

Now Available!!

Now Available!!

Ivan Book 2.5

The Vampires of Linbridge

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I've released Ivan's story early. Since things are a bit crazy here I decided not to wait. On a good note my father's surgery went well and he's recovering nicely.

Anyway, here it is...Ivan's story. Enjoy

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Ivan has a war brewing inside of him.
He can’t escape the messes that he’s made and he can’t seem to figure out how to fix his relationship with Harper. He feels more like an outsider rather than part of the clan.
It doesn’t help that he also feels as if Harper is replacing him with Silas.
Struggling to contain his inner demons Ivan realizes that he can’t fight them on his own. He needs Erik. He needs James, and he needs Harper most of all.
Meanwhile, the search for Silas continues. Just when they lose hope of finding him Harper reveals a clue to where Marcus may have hidden him.
The clock ticks as the clan and Ivan rush to find Silas.
Just when everything comes together, Ivan faces the reality of mortality. Thanks to one of Marcus’s traps Ivan’s life is put at risk. He realizes that this might be the end, but he’s not going down without a fight. He’s got too much to live for.
Will he survive? With a little luck, he might.

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Happy Reading!!

Raven K. Asher

Release Date and teaser for Ivan!!

Release Date for Ivan

Friday, September 29th, 2017!!

I've got a lot of work to make this happen but there it is, the release date. As soon as I've got the description ready and the pre-order I'll post links. For now since I'm falling a bit behind I'll leave you with a teaser. 

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After a few minutes James looks at me. “This is bad, like really, really, bad.”

“What is it?” I ask reluctantly.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what I had gotten myself into.

“I can’t do anything with it. If I do it will blow. If you move it will blow. Marcus rigged it so that no one could diffuse it.” He explains.

“What aren’t you telling me?” I push.

James sighs and glances away from me for a moment before finally answering me. “It’s rigged to a timer.”

“How much time do we have?” I ask.

“We have less than five minutes.” He replies.

“Damn it.” I curse.

I pinch the bridge of my nose while closing my eyes. “What do we do now?”

“I’ll search the rest of the house. Once I’m done I’ll figure out how to get you out of this house alive, okay.” James replies.

“James…” I breathe out. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The last thing we need is both of us stuck in this position.”

“I’ll be careful, Ivan.” He insists.

Without another word he rushes off to check the rest of the house. Closing my eyes I take in a deep breath to keep myself calm.

I wasn’t honestly sure I would get out of this in one piece.

I sure as hell wouldn’t risk James’s life if it came down to it. I would force him to leave and stay behind to deal with this situation myself, even if it cost me my life.

After the longest three minutes of my life James returns.

“Did you find anything?” I ask.

He holds up a few sets of keys. “I found these scattered around. I have no idea why but we might need them. With the games that Marcus liked to play we can’t take anything for granted.”

I nod in agreement. God only knew what the keys were for. For all we knew they were necessary to release Silas. Then again they may have been placed there just as a distraction.

Either way it was smart thinking on James’s part to collect them.

“Were there any downstairs? I didn’t pay attention.” I reply.

“Obviously…” James snorts before sighing. “I’ll check quickly.”

He rushes off in a blur of motion before returning a few moments later.

I raise my brow in question as he holds up a sealed envelope with Harper’s name written on it.

“What the hell?” I breathe out.

James shrugs. “Who knows, but this doesn’t matter right now. Right now we have to figure out how to get you out of here before you get yourself blown up.”

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Happy Reading!!

Raven K. Asher

Tuesday Teaser & Cover Reveal!!

Tuesday Teaser!!

I'm going to bundle a Cover Reveal and a Tuesday Teaser today. So, here it is Ivan's book. It's going to be Book 2.5 in The Vampires of Linbridge Series. It's going to be in Ivan's POV and will bridge Book Two and Book Three much like Erik Book 1.5 did. I've nearly finished writing Ivan's story so I'll be planning a release date soon. For now here's a teaser from Ivan's book. Enjoy!!

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My mind wonders back to the days I had spent with Harper. I sort through everything I had done right along with everything I had done wrong.

Choosing Clara over Harper had been the worst mistake.

I had been a fool and it had cost me everything.

After a few more minutes on the road I spot a secluded rest stop where I could hopefully find someone to eat since I had failed to pack any blood before I had left.

Once again I was full of poor decisions.

Pulling into the rest stop I park my bike in the parking lot before climbing off of my seat. I sigh roughly while pulling my helmet off.

I scan the area quickly but only find one heartbeat inside the building.

Fortunately there wouldn’t be any witnesses but unfortunately I had to feed on whoever was there. I had no other choice. I had gone too long without eating.

When a young woman walks out of the building I curse my luck.

She looked just like Harper which was going to make this entire encounter painful. It was also going to make this situation dangerous for the girl.

Instead of moving towards her I force myself to remain in place while she goes to her car and then slips inside. It was best to let her leave.

I struggle not to run after her as she drives away.

Closing my eyes I growl out in frustration. Seconds later I find myself running after the girl’s car as my vicious side is unleashed.

She doesn’t get far before I slam my body into the side of her vehicle hard enough to cause it to flip. The pain from the impact only lasts for a moment as I watch the car roll over twice before landing upside down.

The scent of girl’s blood hits me and my fangs cut into my bottom lip as my hunger grows.

Once again I watch the girl as she crawls out of the car window and through the broken glass scattered on the ground. The glass only causes her to bleed more which sends my senses into overdrive.

Before I can stop myself I attack.

The girl screams but I ignore her while drinking down her sweet blood.

I don’t stop until her heart stops beating.

I finally pull away and pant for my next breath. I begin to panic as I look down at the girl and then towards her blood covering my hands.

I had killed her.

I had murdered this girl without a second thought.

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Happy Reading!!

Raven K. Asher