Renovations

Dusty and I are redoing our kitchen. We figured, while we're at it, let's go ahead and put down the hardwood floors we've been talking about. Great for resale value, since we're planning on putting our house on the market, right?

Right. I hope.

So we've been living on the top floor and the kids in the basement for about a week now. We have a hard rule of no computers in the kids' rooms. We need them to sleep in there, and we prefer having them where we can see what they're looking at. Unfortunately, that's not going to be the case until we're done the renovations, so we're all living with it for now.

I keep thinking it's too quiet, though. I send Dusty to check on them. I just know they're plotting world domination or something. Especially since the eight year old loves to sing Brand New Day.

Dusty is now working out of the spare bedroom, and I'm in our bedroom. Thank goodness I work on a laptop, or this would have been far less comfortable.

As much of a pain as it is, I think it's going to be worth it. From what I've seen so far, the hardwoods we picked (a pretty bamboo that looks gorgeous just sitting in the box) is going to really set everything off.

This is what things look like this week:

And I even have my furbabies keeping me company. Sort of.

Okay, it's not so much company as "Let me lie here and look cute while you work."

I'll post more pics as things progress. I can't wait to see it done.

P.S.: I'm about a quarter of the way through Stripped Bear, and I'm expecting edits on Morgan's Fate soon. So the renovations haven't disrupted my work too much, thank goodness.

Vows

Someone asked me recently to post the wedding vows Dusty and I spoke that I based the Sidhe Binding Vows on. Well, today I finally managed to dig them up.

So I took from two parts of our wedding and crafted the Binding Vows by taking the best parts of both.

The exchange of rings:

With this ring, I give you my promise that from this day forward you shall not walk alone. May my heart be your shelter and my arms be your home. May we walk together through all things. May you feel deeply loved, for indeed you are. With this ring, I give you my heart.

And our hand-fasting vows:

You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself. And now for the rest of our lives, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in all the ways that you require, and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand. I pledge to you that yours will be the name I shall whisper at the close of each day and the eyes into which I will smile in the morning. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. I shall not slander you nor you me. I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel, we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you. This is the marriage of equals.

We loved our vows, and when it came time to write the Sidhe binding, I could think of no other words that would work as well as these.

I vow that from this day forward you shall not walk alone.
My strength is your protection
My heart is your shelter
And my arms are your home.
I shall serve you in those ways you require
I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care
Yours is the name I whisper at the close of each day and the eyes into which I smile each morning.
I give you all that is mine to give.
My heart and my soul I pledge to you
You are my Chosen One.
You are my Mate
You are bound to me for eternity.

And, fifteen years later, we still smile at each other every morning and say I love you every night.

Happy Valentine's Day, love.


P.S.: Our vows were written originally by Journeys of the Heart, the officiants of our wedding.

Glory is in the House

I'm officially announcing that I've started Stripped Bear, the third Halle Shifter novel. So for a quick post before I head off to my rheumatology appointment, I thought I might give you an idea of how I picture Glory and Ryan.

Meet Glory Walsh, piercer extraordinaire at Cynful Tattoos.

Picture the above hair all in powder blue, and you've got an idea of what Glory looks like. She's tiny and terrifying, and she's going to give Ryan a run for his money.

Meet Ryan. He's the cousin of Alex "Bunny" Bunsun and the brother of Chloe Williams. He's a grizzly bear, just like his cousin, and adores the ground Glory walks on. But he's going to have a long road to walk to overcome Glory's past and the way it affects their relationship.

And for those of you who are wondering, yes. I will start part of the prophecy in this book, Two becomes one, one becomes three. Bear knows the way, but Fox holds the key, but it won't end here. It will take a couple of books to line everything up properly.

So...Which one is Ryan and which one is Alex?