Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 119
July 5, 2022
Deb Robinson: Celebrations & a New Release: THE ATHLETE! (Excerpt)
Happy 4th of July beautiful readers!
Yes, I’m an Aussie but I’ve always been one to embrace other National holidays, like Independence Day and Bastille Day. I love the idea of people celebrating and acknowledging the history of their country.
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love an excuse to eat, drink and be merry while surrounded by family and friends. And I’m a sucker for a glorious fireworks display.
I’d love to hear how you’ll be celebrating tomorrow…
While we’re on the topic of celebrating, I’ve had two celebrations of my own recently.
At the end of May, I celebrated fourteen years as a cancer survivor! Woo Hoo!
I had just turned thirty-one when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and at the same time discovered I have BRCA2, a genetic predisposition to Breast and Ovarian cancer. After chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery, I’ve learnt to embrace the positives in life and fourteen years later, I’m still grateful for life’s opportunities.
(I got this tattoo in Vegas in 2013, and I wasn’t drunk!)
Which brings me to my other celebration…
The Athlete
The Athlete – Book 2 in the 5 Shades of Brothers Browne series is available on e-book through Amazon and KU from today. Another Woo Hoo moment!
High school sweethearts √ Second Chance at love √
Sweet and Spicy √ Browne brothers’ banter √
‘Dane was easy. All he wanted, was to play footy.’
Recently, ‘The Great Dane’ Browne has been questioning whether he can return to the elite level of Australian Rules Football and more importantly, whether he wants to.
Katelyn Jennings has never really made peace with the breakup with her high school sweetheart and for good reason. Working as a nurse in the rural town of Kingston Creek, a chance encounter will put her heart and her life through the ultimate test.
They’re about to discover whether you can move on from your first love. And for Dane, it’s about discovering who he really is AWAY from the game.
**While this book forms part of a series, there is enough backstory about the brothers and the first book so this novel can be read on its own. Perfect for those who love the second chance at love trope**
Excerpt from The Athlete by Deb Robinson:
‘Touch me.’ His deep, whispered invitation read her thoughts. ‘Touch any part of me you wish.’ And when his lips pressed hers, she felt them curve. She loved when their lips smiled against each other’s.
Her confidence circled, imploring her fingers to return to his shoulders. Courtesy of her degree in nursing, she knew them as deltoids. She touched the curve of his neck, discovering warm and smooth skin. Those itchy, eager fingers, caressed tender veins before continuing their exploration. Musculus pectoralis, firm and bulging. The minor, triangular muscle lay beneath its major counterpart, both important. As was the…
‘Are you reciting parts of my anatomy?’ The disbelief in his voice had her eyes widening. Her mouth slid open. ‘I heard you say, serratus anterior. If I didn’t interrupt, you’d be reminding yourself of how the subclavius muscle along with the pecs, form the axilla.’
‘I…’ Faltering, she found she was as surprised as he, but for a different reason.
‘Yeah, I know all about the inner workings of the anatomy,’ he confirmed, with a smirk. ‘I took some classes after we broke up.’
She’d forgotten his youthful eagerness to learn all the fundamentals in order to get the best out of his performance on the field. In turn, it was enhancing this off-field performance. As a nurse, she was impressed. As a woman, she was quickly becoming hot and bothered.
Her gaze had not left his, so when his fingers joined hers, she flinched. Those tender fingers urged hers to trail the glorious crests and valleys, low on his torso.
‘Rectus abdominis,’ he muttered against her earlobe. The flirty, sensual tone sent her inner pleasure erupting into a fireworks display.
Her fingers caressed that final, stomach clenching hill before her hands swerved, one left, one right. They tightened their hold, just a little, feeling the strong bone beneath the layers of epidermis. Silence, heat and lust swirled.
‘The hipbones connected to the…’ His attempt at singing had her smiling. It had her own confidence peaking as her fingers dipped brazenly lower.
‘To your jocks,’ she retorted with a sultry whisper, her fingers trailing the hem of dark fabric, ending at the hard wall of muscle just above his pubic bone. His tremble had her grinning before moving her mouth to his ear. ‘That’ll teach you not to tease me, Dane Browne.’
His light laugh was adorable right up until she saw the thick and scolding layer of lust. ‘I think we’ve had enough exploration for one day.’ And beneath that layer was his steely, match day expression. ‘When the day comes, that I get to explore you, you better be ready. Because I intend on leaving no part of your anatomy untouched.’
___________________
Book 1 – The Cop is also available on e-book through Amazon and with KU
Follow Deb Robinson on her official Facebook page
Follow on Twitter @DRobinsonbooks
Follow on Instagram @debrobinsonbooks
July 4, 2022
Happy 4th!
While I’m feeling a little less joyful this year, the kids are looking forward to the holiday! We bought a smoker for the occasion, and my SIL spent 12 hours yesterday smoking a port butt for pulled pork sandwiches—yum! Of course, we have all the fixin’s to go along with the pork. We have sparklers and some low-explosion fireworks for the littles. Before goats and horses, we used to do a huge fireworks display, but we’ll watch the neighbors’ fireworks from a distance while the animals hide in their goat hut and barn. The poor dogs will be complete wrecks. Think of us, hunkering down with barking dogs (all 9), bleating goats (3), and a neighing old horse (Kansas is like 35 years old!). The cats (4) are always too cool to fuss.
I am sighing right now thinking of what I want to say, but zipping it, because my liberal ways annoy some people. I’ll just wish everyone a lovely day. Feast, give some comfort to your animals, and watch the lovely lights. I hope you spend the day with family—that’s always the best.
The post Happy 4th! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.July 3, 2022
Teabags, a metaphor for…? (Contest–2 Winners!)
I’m supposed to be writing my next book, but all I can think about are teabags. Yes, teabags… (and not the nasty, sexy kind—mind out of the gutter, please!)…
I’m thinking of switching from coffee to tea for a couple of weeks to build up a stash of used teabags. Why? you might ask. Well, you can dry them, take them apart, discard the used tea leaves, then flatten the empty bags and use them to paint on. Why do that? I don’t know. I have tons of paper and canvases, but when I go to Pinterest, I fall down the teabag-rabbit-hole. Check this link out and see what I mean: teabag art.
Aren’t they just gorgeous?!
I’m sure this sudden obsession has nothing to do with teabags. Although I am going to start collecting them and will likely be painting on them soon. It’s really about the fact I should be writing. I have a book due very, very soon. With pre-orders! I can’t fail.
So, while I close out my Pinterest page that I’m quickly filling with examples of lovely, grungy teabag art, why don’t you think of ways to help me keep my mind focused on the work!
Give me some constructive or funny ideas for how I can keep my focus on the task at hand (the book)! Comment here and you’ll be entered to win a copy of a downloadable book of your choice from my backlist! I’ll pick two winners!
The post Teabags, a metaphor for…? (Contest–2 Winners!) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.July 2, 2022
June into July (“Wish I was this cool” Puzzle-Contest — and More!)
Let’s just get started on my recap! I have a bunch of s**t to do today! ‘Kay? 
Here’s what I managed to accomplish…
Work-related:
I completed writing and published Victoria’s Six —which I hated while I was writing it but love, love, love now! It’s funny how that works.I completed 4 editing projects for other authors in June!The bad news? I cancelled the release of Wild Thing . I simply could not squeeze in another book in June. My goal now is to push the book toward the end of the year, releasing it in November or December.Health-related:
I have not climbed back aboard the Weight Watchers wagon. However, I maintained 25 pounds of my loss since January. Motivation is lagging…As for physical activity, the pool is finally sparkling clear and warm! I’m swimming at least once a day, usually twice. The little ones don’t have to do more than show up at my door with a quivering bottom lip to talk me into joining them.Happiness-related:
After the #100DayChallenge ended in May, so did my artistic ambition. I puttered but painted very, very little. I’m embarrassed to share the “best” of what I produced, but here it goes…
Come hell or high water…
For work-related, I plan:
To complete and publish my next bounty hunter book, Gabriel !To revise and compile the Danger Zone trilogy into a single bundle and get it ready for publishing!To begin work on my next Brotherhood Protectors romantic suspense story.To complete 3 editing projects in July!For health related, I plan:
To restart Weight Watchers (count those points!) and hope to lose at least 5 pounds, remembering: Slow is good!To swim at least one time a day!To begin some low-impact aerobics. Maybe, I’ll do more housework, too. Gah.For happiness-related, I plan:
To participate in an online #fodderchallenge beginning July 5!To produce at least two finished pieces of art every week!To blog about art (on my Emerald Casket site) just to keep myself honest! (No one actually has to read it!)ContestSolve the puzzle then comment on anything you’ve read in this post, share something you plan to do in July, or just tell me what you plan to read…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
Open ContestsScavenger Hunt! (Contest) — This one ends on Monday! Win an Amazon gift card!The Weekend–Batman-style! (Contest) — This one also ends Monday! Win an Amazon gift card!Saturday Puzzle-Contest! Plus, More Open Contests! — Win an Amazon gift card!Michal Scott: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley — An Extraordinary Life In Her Own Words (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!The post June into July (“Wish I was this cool” Puzzle-Contest — and More!) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.July 1, 2022
Reina Torres: Happily Ever Afters for Hope
This year has been eventful to say the least. Almost every day there seems to be things that happen that can make your heart hurt. As an author I tend to express myself through words. When the invasion of Ukraine started I was stunned and felt helpless to do something positive to make a difference.
The first thing I did was to donate money to World Central Kitchen which waded into the devastation and started to feed people. It felt good to help, but I didn’t want to leave it at donations to make sure that people had access to warm, comforting food in the middle of the crisis.
Later, I was asked if I wanted to be a part of a group anthology to raise funds for Unicef and their world in Ukraine.
When I was a kid I carried the little orange UNICEF box around at Halloween, loving the sound that coins made against each other and cardboard sides. Helping to contribute to them gave me the same giddy, happy feeling inside.
As my contribution to the anthology, I was inspired by stories of dancers in and from Ukraine.
I was a dancer for most of my life. Ballet, tap, jazz, hula, flamenco… I loved that form of expression as well and if you ever peek into my closet you’ll see my favorite pointe shoes and some of the costume pieces that I’ve worn through the years. So, my heroine in this story is a dancer.
A ballet dancer whose mother is from Ukraine, but she was raised in Center City. Her childhood friend, Jay, became her best friend and while she left the US to become part of a national Ukrainian Ballet Company, she’d never lost touch with Jay.
Until the invasion.
Jay, who is called Raffe, by his First Responder family, takes a leave of absence to find Mila and make sure she’s okay. His plan to talk her into coming back to the US is the center of this romance novella.
I’m going to write their whole story later, but for now, you can read “Far & Away” in Happily Ever Afters for Hope.
I hope that you’ll take the opportunity to share the love!
Happily Ever Afters For Hope is an anthology with over a dozen stories from some of your favorite authors. Each story features a couple (many fan favorites!) living out their hard-earned happily ever afters. 100% of the royalties from this collection will be donated to UNICEF to support their efforts in Ukraine. This anthology will only be available for a limited time, so make sure you one-click your copy before it’s too late!
Authors include: Tara Wyatt, Roxie Noir, Zoe York, Nicole Burnham, Lainey Davis, Kimberly Kincaid, Alexa Rivers, Arell Rivers, S.E. Rose, Lori Ryan, Kelly Siskind, Tru Taylor, Reina Torres, Marie Tuhart, and Sara Whitney
Don’t miss out on this feel-good collection in support of a good cause!
** Did I forget any information you’ll need? **
(There’s a bookbub page for this book which links to the various sellers – https://www.bookbub.com/books/happily-ever-afters-for-hope-a-charity-collection-for-unicef-by-zoe-york-and-roxie-noir )
Think back and let me know something special that you shared with your childhood friend(s)?
The post Reina Torres: Happily Ever Afters for Hope first appeared on Delilah Devlin.June 30, 2022
Desiree Holt: Missing Pieces (Read Chapter One!)
Writing the Guardian Security series has been and continues to be one of my most rewarding projects. Moving Target, Book 1, has been through several revisions. It was the very first book I wrote but not the first one I published. It changed personality several times before it hit the marketplace.
When I was writing it, everyone in the group of authors I belonged to helped me and gave me advice. One of the things they told me was, “Write about things you know and use familiar areas as settings.”
Moving Target is set in a small Texas town just like the one we lived in at the time and the hero’s house is the house we had built.
I struggled to get that first book finished, mostly because the plot I had just wasn’t working. Then I read Cry No More by Linda Howard. I wrote Moving Target (at that time titled Run for Your Life) in an effort to create a hero like Linda Howard’s Diaz. It was successful and inspired me to create the series.
Silencing Memories, Book 2, was based in part of a plot from an episode of CSI. And the Vanetta ranch is based on one just outside San Antonio, Texas, close to where we lived. Killing Lies, Book 3, came from an idea I got from a friend of mine talking about a friend of hers!
Running Scared, Book 4, came from some articles I read about the illegal use of digital games in the espionage business. And Finding Redemption, Book 5, was born when I read an article about Mexico’s Quintana Roo Jungle. But mostly, I wanted to base a hero on the man who was my son’s closest friend and who died way too soon of a heart attack.
The latest release in the series, Missing Pieces, features Dino Brancuzzi, the best friend of the star of Finding Redemption, who is based on a friend of my son. Many of Ethan Caine’s characteristics showed up in Dino, and I wanted to tell his story. Also, I have a huge fascination with civilian Black Ops stories.
This entire series holds a very special place in my heart, and I hope you will take the journey through all of the books to meet some very interesting characters and go on some exciting adventures.
Here’s a taste of the first five books in the series and then keep reading for Chapter One from Missing Pieces.
They’re trying to kill her, and she doesn’t know why…
Kathryn Holt knows only that she has to get far away as fast as she can. In a frantic, cross-country odyssey, she transforms from pliable Kathryn to feisty, determined Kate Miller, staying one step ahead of the killers on her trail. Then Fate delivers her into the hands of a dark knight with a tortured past. The safety he offers is as tempting as he is.
After having his perfect life ripped apart, recluse Quinn sees protecting Kate as his chance for redemption. He never plans on wanting the guarded beauty, never mind falling for her. Denying the explosive chemistry between them is useless, and as danger closes in, he must fight to expose the killer or risk history repeating itself.
Silencing MemoriesJust when architect Alexis Craig thinks she’s gotten her life back on track, the terrible nightmares return, and out of nowhere, a stalker sends note to her office. Photos follow, then emails, and she can’t dismiss the threat any longer. Hiring security seems the logical answer, but there’s nothing logical about her body’s reaction to the sinfully sexy expert bent on keeping her safe.
Guardian Security partner Nick Vanetta believes there’s more behind the situation than a simple fixation, and he wonders if the answer is buried somewhere in her past. As they dig deeper into her family history, the sizzling attraction between them burns hotter and the job becomes much more than playing bodyguard to this headstrong woman. To protect the woman he loves, he must find the stalker…before it’s too late.
Killing LiesAfter her husband was killed and she lost her unborn child, Sarah Madison believed she’d never find love and happiness again. Instead, she has channeled all her energy into her job as assistant to the sexy CEO of Guardian Security. When he proposes a marriage of convenience, the chance to become a mother is tempting, and so is her new prospective husband. His only flaw—the distance he keeps between himself and his sweet little daughter.
Reno Sullivan’s life is a mess. His first marriage was based on a lie, and the fiery death of his wife left him to raise a baby—a constant reminder of his wife’s deceit. He desperately needs someone to mother the child and take charge of his personal life, and his no-nonsense assistant is perfect for the job. Unfortunately, the alluring woman in the bedroom next to his chips away at his determination to maintain the hands-off clause in their agreement and the ice around his heart.
A near-tragedy and Reno’s fear of love could kill Sarah’s hopes of turning their fake marriage into happily ever after…
Running ScaredWhen computer program designer Zoraya “Zoe” Lombardo wakes up next to her business partner’s dead body with a gun in her hand and no memory of what happened, the first thing she does is run. The second thing she does is call the one person she trusts to help her—the man she abandoned two years ago. He’s not as bossy as she remembers, but he’s sexier than ever. She made a mistake not listening to his warnings, and she’s more than willing to kiss and make up…if she can just stay alive long enough.
Zak Delaney, partner in Guardian Security, never expected to hear from his ex-fiancee again. After Zoe left, it took him a long time to put himself back together. Now he must cast aside his hurt and anger in order to protect her. He’ll have to rely on his resources at Guardian Security to clear her name and every ounce of his self-control not to fall for her charms again. But as danger closes in, Zak will have to learn to trust Zoe as much as she trusts him or face losing her again…and this time for good.
Finding RedemptionLisa Mallory’s marriage from hell ended with her husband’s unsolved murder. Four years later, her eight-year-old son, Jamie, is kidnapped. When every other avenue of finding him fails, she turns to her brother’s best friend. He’s not the man she’d have chosen, but to get her son back, she’ll suffer anything…even the desire he stirs that she’d thought long dead.
Ethan Caine, former Marine/special ops agent, is dealing with his own private hell. All he wants is to be left alone with a bottle of whiskey to drown the guilt of surviving a mission gone wrong. When he finally agrees to go after Jamie, he certainly doesn’t want the boy’s mother slowing him down. Besides, she makes him ache to have her naked and beneath him. Worse, she stirs dreams of the future…something he doesn’t deserve.
Passion explodes between Ethan and Lisa in the exotic Quintana Roo jungle, even as the past and present threaten to steal it all.
Missing PiecesTen years ago, Jen LaCroix left Dino Brancuzzi carrying a big secret. Now, her life is in danger and he’s the only man she can trust.
When a valuable shipment disappears from the museum where she works, the finger points to her and the number of dangerous people after her continues to increase. Leaving that secret, Dino’s nine-year-old daughter, Deanne, with Ethan Caine, Jen finds a place to hide in the Caribbean.
Dino is stunned to discover he has a daughter and immediately launches a search to find Jen and protect her. He might have made the biggest mistake by not realizing in time that he loved her all those years ago, but can he forgive her for keeping the child a secret?
Read Chapter One from Missing Pieces
A suburb of Detroit, Michigan
Jennifer LaCroix took a breath in an attempt to still her galloping pulse and get herself under control. What an unbelievable mess this was. And just how had it all ended up in her lap, anyway? It had to be Sutherland, that jerk, pointing his finger in her direction. She’d never liked him or trusted him, not in all the years she’d worked at the museum, and now she had even more reason not to.
Chaos reigned all around her. A shipment of antiquities, the largest yet, was scheduled to arrive at the museum for a special show. They’d be on display for three months, thanks to the owner who’d loaned them, and the entire shipment had somehow disappeared. Craig Sutherland, the museum director, swore he’d never signed for them, but the shipping company driver insisted he had. Meanwhile, they were missing.
In the ten years Jen had worked here, she’d never seen such pandemonium. But of course, a disaster like this had never happened before, either. When the discovery was made three days ago that the latest shipment of artifacts had gone missing, everyone went crazy. Of course, they did. Those artifacts were rare and uber costly. Some even said priceless. Crazy was a mild term for how it had been since then. FBI agents were all over the place, and the museum board was everywhere, scrutinizing everyone and everything. Giving everyone the third degree.
The board was also doing its best to clamp a lid on things, because if the owners of the artifacts heard, there’d be ten kinds of hell to pay. The blowback might even cause the museum to close. The story was all over the media, the board was in an uproar, the staff was in a panic.
Sutherland was sweating bullets, despite his efforts to maintain control. Major donors were involved in the museum, many of them thanks to his efforts. If they all pulled their support, the place would definitely close. No wonder Roger Welborn, the chairman of the board of directors of the museum, was raising holy hell and rightfully so. He was angrier than she’d ever seen him. It was almost as if they’d been stolen from him personally. Thank the lord, at least, he wasn’t here today, throwing his weight around, telling her how the museum was his responsibility and if she knew anything at all, she’d better tell him or get herself a good lawyer.
Sutherland, who was also her immediate boss, still denied any involvement, of course. Said he hadn’t even been at the museum the day the shipment arrived. That it was scheduled for a different day. The driver was now nowhere to be found, and the signature on the receiving form was totally illegible.
And now, here she was, headed yet again for the room the federal agents were using. Why? She’d already told them everything she knew at least five times. Answered their questions a million times. But the damn suits had summoned her for questioning yet again. Summoned!
Her throat was dry, but her palms were sweaty as hell. Nausea gripped her and she prayed she didn’t throw up. Why did the Feds want to ask her more questions? Was she being targeted to take the fall? Why? And by whom?
What the hell was going on?
Rumors were flying. Craig wasn’t exactly popular with the employees, so pointing the finger at him for this was a natural reaction. Some even said he’d gotten his tail in a financial crack and selling the antiquities was his best answer. Jen certainly knew there were enough uber wealthy people out there who would pay big bucks for the stuff, stolen or not. There was speculation that if it was him, he was planning to disappear and leave this mess in someone else’s lap.
Would it be hers? Had he dumped it on her? Was that why the FBI said they wanted to question her again?
She had done her best to keep a low profile. The delivery had gotten screwed up somehow. That’s all she could think of. Usually there were guards in the delivery truck and a museum guard to assist with the receipt of the items. None of that had happened. Sutherland was claiming the delivery date was changed, and that she, Jen, must have done it to get her hands on the items. That was the only answer he could think of.
What bothered her was how quick people were to believe it. Not that she’d spent any time cultivating friendships at work. She’d done her job, done it well, and devoted the rest of her time to Deanne. Still, she would have thought someone would wonder why a woman who worked hard and kept her nose clean was being accused of this.
Her stomach had been tied in knots for three days as she was questioned over and over and over. And now they had sent word they wanted to talk to her again. Again! God! Had Craig weaseled out by dumping this whole mess on her? She had to talk to him before she met with the Feds again.
As she approached his office, she heard his voice.
“Don’t threaten me, asshole.”
Jen LaCroix sucked in a breath and stopped where she stood, absolutely still, listening to his voice. Apparently, he’d thought he’d closed his office door all the way, but it was open a tiny crack, just enough so she could hear him. Through the thin opening, she saw him standing at his desk, talking on his cell phone. Frozen in place, she strained her ears to hear him, hoping no one came by here. Who on earth could he be talking to? She held her breath and pressed against the tall pieces of statuary right outside his door.
“That’s what I said, Welborn.”
Welborn? The chairman of the board? Surely, he didn’t have anything to do with this. Right?
“I don’t do well with threats. I told you this entire shipment had disappeared along with your special items, so I have nothing for you. I already have enough trouble from this. There’s nothing for you this time, and plus, the situation has made it impossible for us to continue our arrangement. Too many eyes on me.”
They had to be discussing the missing shipment. Nothing else made sense. It was all anyone was talking about. No one had yet been able to locate the mysterious person who had received it and whose signature was unrecognizable. It was now in the wind.
Craig, as the museum director, always received the shipments and signed for them. This time, or so he claimed, he’d been out when the boxes arrived, and he had no idea who signed for them. Didn’t even know they’d arrived, or so he said. She personally had no clue what had happened to it. What on earth was included with it that Roger Welborn had a special interest in? What did he have to do with it? There had to be something about this shipment that caused it to go missing.
Was it all a big lie? But it was Welborn who called in the FBI. Welborn who was raising holy hell. Welborn who had everyone running around like their hair was on fire. So what did he have going on with Sutherland that no one could find out about?
“Listen to me.” Sutherland’s voice had a grating sound. “For five years, I’ve been locating items for you and paying people to hide them in shipments to the museum. If I hadn’t been sucker enough to get pulled into your poker game, I wouldn’t be in this position.”
Holy shit! Five years? What did he mean? And what poker game?
Jen wondered if he meant the ones Welborn hosted privately that people speculated about. They involved people with a lot of power or money or both.
“No, damn it, I already told you ten times I don’t have them,” Sutherland snapped. His next words sent a chill racing down her spine. “I told you, I told the Feds, and I’ll tell you again. Take a look at snotty Jen LaCroix who’s thought she was too good for all of us from the day she got here. She’s got a kid to support and no husband. I’d put money down that she figured out how to grab it while I was out and has it hidden somewhere until she can figure out how to sell it. Maybe she already has a buyer. No, I’m not asking her. Are you crazy? Ask her your damn self. Yes, the FBI’s asked to talk to her again. Take it up with them.”
She sucked in a breath. What was he doing to her? He’d begun to resent her the past few years, mostly because she studied her craft and knew more about the antiquities coming into the museum than he did. And because the board members had begun to look at her with more respect and attention than they gave to him.
The last thing she wanted was to call attention to herself. What if somehow word got to Dino? What if—Oh, god!—he saw a picture of her and Deanne somehow and recognized the girl as the daughter he didn’t even know he had. For a moment, she was afraid she’d throw up right where she stood.
“What?” Craig’s voice had lowered. “Unless she already got rid of them, if she has them anywhere, she’s got them at her house. She’s got that nice little place just at the edge of town, situated among all those trees. It’s almost as if she planned this from the beginning and rented the house because it was a good place to hide things. No, I have no idea, but I’ll tell you this. I can’t be mixed up in something getting this much publicity. I’ve had enough. I’m done. I’m getting in my car, going home, making arrangements for my wife, and getting the fuck out of here. What do I care what everyone thinks?’
There was silence for another minute, and she was almost ready to ease herself away from his office, but his next words stopped her. This time his tone was different.
“That money’s mine. I earned it, and you’d better leave me the fuck alone. Listen,” Craig continued, “I have to get the hell out of here before they really start digging. If they find our connection, we’ll both be in deep shit, you more than me. This is over with. My debt is paid, and I’m done.”
Another pause.
“Maybe it’s a sign that our business arrangement really does need to come to an end. I told you I can’t keep doing it. No, I’m done with that, too. I have to get out from under this. I can’t live like this any longer.”
The pause this time was even longer.
“What? No, no, no. I told you, damn it. I do not have any of it. God knows I almost got my nuts in a wringer because of our arrangement, and that’s why I’m done. I’m getting the fuck out of here while I can. Don’t look for me.” There was a long moment of silence, during which Jen wondered if he’d just hung up. “Yes,” he said at last. “Yes, I’m sure Jen’s got them. That’s the only possible answer. I told you, I hinted as much to the Feds to point them in that direction and away from me.”
Jen thought she might faint. No wonder the FBI wanted to talk to her again.
“What? How? Damn it. I’m not saying it again. I wasn’t here when the shipment arrived. She could have intercepted this delivery and claimed it never arrived. If you want to find your stuff, check out that woman’s house.”
Oh, god! He’d painted a damn bullseye on her back. Jen swallowed hard. She had to fight the urge to barge into his office and smack the little shit.
“What? You think I’m an idiot? Of course I did. Told them, regretfully, much as I didn’t want to believe it, she had to be the one. I’d heard she really needed the money. Hinted she might even have been smuggling goods in this way for a while and selling them. This time she probably took the museum stuff, too. Shocked, of course, that she might do such a thing. You know the drill. I had to make sure they were off my back, for which you should be grateful.”
Holy shit! Jen nearly fainted at that, every bit of saliva in her mouth drying up.
“What? No, of course not.” He raised his voice. “Damn it, I said no. I can’t do that. I have to leave. This is all caving in on my head. No, I never should have gone to the damn poker game to begin with.”
There was a longer moment of silence now, during which Jen wondered if Sutherland had just hung up on the call. But then he spoke again.
“No. It was my damn ego, puffed up because the fucking chairman of the fucking museum board invited me to his private game. I’m wondering if the whole thing was a setup from the beginning. Doesn’t matter now, though. I can’t do it anymore. We’re finished. You and I have to get the fuck away from here. We’re done. I mean it. Just forget my name.”
He must have been doing this a long time, whatever it was. He controlled all the shipments to the museum and was certainly in the best position to make it happen. And what was he selling illegally if the legitimate shipments were safely logged in? The biggest shock was discovering that Roger Welborn was apparently involved in this with him. She’d heard the man was a big collector, but would he be involved in something like that?
Her answer was, absolutely. The guy was a wealthy asshole who used people to his advantage and didn’t think rules applied to him.
“I’m telling you for the last time. Leave me alone. Go to her house. She probably thinks they’re safe there until she can do whatever with them.”
Another pause.
“Yes. That’s what I said. Send someone to her house now while she’s still in her office here. You’d better get your own ass in gear because the Feds will be on the way as soon as their warrant comes through. No, I can’t. I have to go. Now. I’m hanging up this minute. I’m done. This is getting to be too much of a mess for me. Be grateful you got what you did, but I’m out of here. Going where no one will find me.”
Holy shit!
How had all this happened practically under her nose, and she hadn’t seen it? She counted to ten, waiting for Sutherland to finish his call. But before she could move, she heard his voice again, lower this time and apparently on another call.
“It’s me. Yes, it’s still crazy around here, but I can’t wait any longer to leave. While Jen’s tied up with the Feds, I can just ease out of here. Yes, I’ve made all my arrangements. We’ve been over this again and again. You’ve got the cell phone I gave you? Okay, just do what we said. And keep putting on that good act for the Feds and everyone. Yes, I’ll let you know when I get there. We’ve already made plans for you so just keep doing what you’re doing. Yes, I love you, too. Be careful.”
He grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door. She hid behind the statue outside the door to his office while he raced to get the hell out of there. Where was he going in the middle of all this chaos? The museum was his responsibility, so why was he ducking out? He was obviously the one who’d done this.
Should she go talk to the Feds? Would they believe her if she told them what she’d just overheard? Not if their attitude toward her was any indication. What if they arrested her? What would happen to Deanne? Oh, god. Her stomach cramped at the thought. She had to get out of here. Get away. Protect herself and her child. Hide somewhere until this all blew over if it ever did.
She tried to quiet her racing heart enough to make her own escape without being seen. She hurried away from Craig’s office, shaking as she fast-walked out to her car.
Pick up Deanne. Get home. Pack. Get the hell out of here. She’d figure out where to go after that.
She raced through traffic, driving as fast as she could to where Deanne was spending the day with a friend and practically yanked her away. Welborn had her name, and who knew what the hell he would do if he got hold of her. Getting out of town and hiding somewhere was the only answer.
Damn it!
Her cell phone rang as she drove, but she refused to answer it, instead letting it go to voice mail. She punched the button to hear the message over the speaker. She recognized the voice as the chairman of the board.
“Jennifer, this is Roger Welborn.”
Chairman of the museum board. And obviously somehow involved in this mess. Oh, god. She couldn’t talk to him. She had to get her stuff and Deanne’s and get away from here as fast as she could.
“I hate to do this over the phone, but you left me no choice, disappearing the way you did. The FBI is not pleased with the way you ran out on their interview, and it doesn’t look good for you. I need to understand what your involvement in all this is, so we need to meet immediately. I know the Feds want to see you again right away, so get back here now. Call me immediately. If I don’t hear from you, I’m sure the FBI will be sending people out to look for you. This is a serious matter.”
That was an understatement.
Jen hit the Off button. She’d delete the voice mail message when she got to the house. The man wielded a lot of power. If he needed a scapegoat, Craig Sutherland had handed them the perfect one in her. And for whatever reason, the wife of the board chairman did not like her. Even if her innocence was proven, she could end up losing her job and maybe even going to jail just on circumstantial evidence.
She’d left so much behind when she fled another different situation ten years ago, but it had worked out well. Life here had been good, quiet, uneventful, or at least she thought so. Now, thanks to Craig Sutherland, it was all up in smoke. She needed a safe place for Deanne and then somewhere she could disappear until this was all sorted out.
“But why are we in such a hurry,” her daughter kept asking as she drove toward the house like a maniac. “Where are we going? What’s wrong, Mom?”
What’s wrong? Everything. How dare he put me and Deanne in jeopardy to save his own skinny ass?
“Everything’s okay, sweetheart, but we’re taking a long trip. And you’re going to meet someone who is going to help us.”
“Help us with what?
“There are some bad people who think I have something that belongs to them. I don’t, but I don’t want to be around to argue with them.”
“But where are we going?” her daughter asked again.
“Someplace you’ll like. I promise.”
Someplace where you’ll be safe.
The house she’d been renting was just outside of town on a short road, surrounded by clusters of trees. She liked it because it made her feel as if they were living in their own cocoon. She had pretty much limited her social contacts, although she made sure Deanne had a busy, active life.
She parked the car away from the house, hiding it in the thicket of trees, then hustled her daughter inside. The first thing she did was take her little SIG P365 from the small safe in her closet and put it on her bed. When she’d first landed in Michigan, she’d decided, living alone and knowing nobody, she needed protection. Lessons at the local gun range had taken care of that. At least she’d have security of some kind in this situation. She’d also taken some self-defense classes, telling herself a woman alone couldn’t be too careful. Whatever happened, at least she’d be able to protect herself.
She began packing the suitcases she’d dragged out of the big closet. Deanne said nothing, just helped by bringing her own things into the bedroom. They had filled three of the suitcases and were working on the fourth when Jen heard a car pull up in the driveway. The doorbell rang, followed by the sound of breaking glass.
Oh, god.
They hadn’t wasted any time. She shoved the suitcases back in the closet, stuck the gun in her pocket and turned to Deanne.
Please, god, let us get out of here before whoever Sutherland sent shows up.
“Deanne, you know I love you, right? Please just do what I say, don’t ask questions, and everything will be all right.”
Maybe.
At that moment, the front door opened, and heavy footsteps sounded through the downstairs.
Oh, god. Please don’t let them find us.
Get your copy to keep reading!
The post Desiree Holt: Missing Pieces (Read Chapter One!) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.June 29, 2022
FOR AUTHORS! Seeking bloggers July through September 2022!
FOR AUTHORS! Guest Blogging on the Delilah Devlin Website July through September 2022.
Have a new release coming out? An older title you’d like to highlight? A special event on your website you’d like to let readers know about?
NOTE: Email me directly at delilah@delilahdevlin.com with your response!
*~*~*~*~*Hey there, Authors! I like to host a guest blogger two to three times a week on my blog (www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/). Right now, I need to line up bloggers for dates from July through September 2022.
I will need bloggers for the following dates:
July 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 17, 18, 21, 27, 28, 29
August 1, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29
September 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 18, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29
If you are interested in being a guest, please look at the available dates and let me know if you would like me to pencil you in. I advertise the daily blogs widely. I have 2,971 blog subscribers, who get posts sent straight to their email inboxes every day. My blog also feeds to my Facebook page, which has 4,968 friends, and my Fan Page, which has 4,336 follows. I also post the blog to my Pinterest—total followers 21.2k. If a date isn’t listed but is particularly significant for you, ask me about it anyway! I do try to work people in.
I prefer posts that talk about something more than just new or older releases, but you have room at the bottom of the post for covers, blurbs, links, and short excerpts. You can talk about hobbies, what’s important to you, what inspired this particular book—the field’s wide open, but remember, we wish to appeal to readers rather than other writers. Please keep the number of pictures you want posted to no more than 2, although that’s not a hard and fast rule. And readers love contests and love questions only they can answer that allow them to interact with you!
If you’re interested, contact me! Give me your preferred date(s). First come, first served.
Delilah Devlin
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author & Freelance Editor
June 28, 2022
It’s my birthday!
Yes, that’s me a 64, sitting at my desk, getting a few wrinkles, letting the silver in the blond just happen, and yes, that’s the devil looking over my shoulder. What you can’t see is God on the left and Jesus to the right! Of course, the watercolor painting of the little girls is my sister and me!
My dd is trying to make the day special. I’ve already gotten a bag of goodies from her, and she’s talking about a trip to the flea market (the only shopping I love—oh, the “treasures” we will find!). I hope you all have a wonderful day!
The post It’s my birthday! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.June 27, 2022
Michal Scott: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley — An Extraordinary Life In Her Own Words (Contest)
As a writer, I’m fascinated by women who use their agency to tell their own stories or stories others need to hear. This is particularly true of formerly enslaved women like Ida B. Wells Barnett, Harriet Jacobs, and Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley. I’d like to share today about Elizabeth.
In 1818, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley was born into slavery in Virginia. The family that owned her allowed her to learn to read and write. She also learned sewing, the skill that eventually set her up in her own business. While still enslaved, her owners moved her to Missouri in 1846 where she used her sewing talent to raise money for her owners. It was here that she first caught Mary Todd Lincoln’s attention.
Elizabeth’s owners agreed to set her and her son free if she could raise $1,200. By 1855 with the help of vigilance committees, she was able to raise the money. She used her skills as a seamstress to pay back these loans. In 1860, she moved to Washington D.C. and built a dressmaking business thanks to referrals from Varina Davis, the wife of Jefferson Davis. One of Elizabeth’s patrons ordered a dress from her for the inauguration of Abraham Lincoln. This patron recommended her as a dressmaker to Mary Todd Lincoln. The rest as they say is history.
She was an integral part of the Lincoln household and recounts her life with them as part of her memoir, Behind the Scenes: Or Thirty Years A Slave and Four in the White House. However, the work was not as well-received as the narratives of other former slaves. Her recounting was seen as a breach of trust between her and Mary Lincoln. The book had poor sales, and she lost customers because of the controversy it created. The White House Historical Association has a fuller account of her life as a slave and her time in the White House on their website:
She did not let the book’s reception get her down. She defended what she did and continued to help others by teaching other Black women how to sew and founding two organizations to aid other Blacks: the Contraband Relief Association, a relief organization for Blacks freed by Northern troops and had come to Washington D.C. as “contraband of war,” and the National Home for Destitute Colored Women and Children. In 1892 she moved to Ohio to accept the position as head of the Department of Sewing and Domestic Science Arts at Wilberforce University. It is believed she suffered a stroke and returned from there to Washington D.C. where she died in the hospital she helped found. She was eighty-nine years old.
I love learning about women like Elizabeth Keckley, women who used their abilities to make life better for themselves and others. Her life is a witness to perseverance and encourages me to press on at a time when parts of our society seem hell-bent on stripping women of their rights. Share a story of your own about persistence in the comments for a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card.
One Breath Away
Sentenced to hand for a crime she didn’t commit, former slave Mary Hamilton was exonerated at literally the last gasp. She returns to Safe Haven, broken and resigned to live alone. Never having been courted, cuddled or spooned, Mary now fears any kind of physical intimacy when arousal forces her to relive the asphyxiation of her hanging. But then the handsome stranger who saved her shows up, stealing her breath from across the room and promising so much more.
Wealthy freeborn-Black Eban Thurman followed Mary to Safe Haven, believing a relationship with Mary was foretold by the stars. He must marry her to reclaim his family farm. But first he must help her heal, and to do that means revealing his own predilection for edgier sex.
Then just as Eban begins to win Mary’s trust, an enemy from the past threatens to keep them one breath away from love…
An excerpt from One Breath Away…
Home at last, she’d see if meeting Eban meant this night would be good.
Since her ordeal, her sex rivaled the Chihuahuan Desert in dryness. Yet Eban’s gaze had summoned the fragrant flow that even now moistened her core. Could it be her body had finally healed? She swayed, dizzy with expectation.
The squeak of the indoor pump provided no distraction from the lingering tingle where Eban’s fingers had rested against her spine, where his lips had kissed her hand. She focused on her task to temper her excitement.
Fill the bucket. Lift the bucket. Carry the bucket. Empty the bucket. Fill the bucket. Lift the bucket. Carry the bucket. Empty the bucket.
The pans she filled slowly simmered then steamed on her small, pot-bellied stove.
Her heart seized as she fingered the simple gingham curtains covering Harvest Home’s windows. Harvest Home’s humble kitchen contrasted sharply with the trappings that had graced Mary’s Manor, her Weston restaurant expansion.
She’d looked up the word manor and decided her place would imitate that kind of luxury as much as possible. Brocaded drapes and white, linen tablecloths had dressed up the Manor’s supper room. Slipcovers made from the same linen covered the cushioned chairs. White, bone china and delicate silverware completed the picture of elegant dining she hoped to draw.
A Franklin stove, indoor pump, double sink, polished counter tops and spacious storage cupboards made the Manor’s kitchen a dream made true. Nothing lacked for the grand opening. Picturing couples enjoying themselves in her simple but elegant setting had become her favorite pastime.
Then Judah Little and his lies thwarted her plans. Thwarted. A good word. A true word.
“But not for long,” she whispered. “That dream will come true just as this dream might come true tonight.”
Buylink: https://amzn.to/2u5XQYY
The post Michal Scott: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley — An Extraordinary Life In Her Own Words (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.June 26, 2022
Swimming in the rain…
Hum the subject line to the music of “Singing in the Rain”… That’s what I’m doing in my head.
That picture isn’t me, my girls, or my pool, but that’s what I was doing today. I took a break from an editing project and hit the pool. The temperature was in the mid-90s until some clouds rolled by and dumped a bunch of rain. Since there was only thunder in the distance, we all ran out to the pool. Lord, it felt so good.
That’s all I’ve got. I finished up the edits a little while ago, and I’m going to close down my computer and do NOTHING for the rest of the evening. I’ve earned some laziness. I don’t even have the energy to break out the paints.
I hope y’all had a wonderful weekend—that you’re recharged and ready for another week. I start on my next book tomorrow! Whee!
The post Swimming in the rain… first appeared on Delilah Devlin.
