Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 122
June 5, 2022
Diana Cosby: For the Love of Nature! (Contest)
©Diana Cosby 2022
As I walk through the woods, around the pond, or at the marsh, I enjoy the beauty of nature around me. The neat thing is that I never know what bird or animal I’ll see.
I’m continually amazed at what I learn about birds. For example, Blue Jays can mimic a hawk’s screech.
At the marsh, baby Terrapin Turtles are out and making their way to the ocean. Turtle crossing signs are posted along some of the local marsh bordering roads.
Laughing Gulls have returned, which to me is a sign that summer is close. If you’ve heard their cries, you understand why they’re called ‘Laughing Gulls.’
Cormorants are migrating north, with some remaining locally through the fall. They’re quite a large bird and interesting to watch.
The kits are so cute and are growing fast. I’ll miss watching their playful antics once they leave their den and begin life on their own.
Take care, and wishing you a wonderful summer!
Contest
***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post about, ‘For The Love of Nature!’ on Delilah’s blog between 5 June 2022 – 12 June 2022, and will win a signed copy of His Conquest.”
About Diana CosbyA retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated into five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.
After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series and The Oath Trilogy, she released the bestselling The Forbidden Series.
Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.
God bless,
Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
The Forbidden Series
Social Media
Website: https://www.dianacosby.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/978803.Diana_Cosby
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Diana-Cosby/e/B003YJ1MR4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1417447922&sr=8-1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author-150109024636/?ref=ts
June 4, 2022
May into June (“Me in My Mind” Puzzle-Contest — and More Contests!)
I missed posting at the end of the month because 1) I forgot, and 2) I had guests! It’s still the first week of the month, so here goes…
MayMay was challenging for soooooo many reasons. There was all the prep and pageantry related to the 18-year-old’s graduation, and the entire family contracted COVID—something we evaded for over two years! Folks, get your shots and boosters! We’re all recovering, although some slower than others!
Here’s what I managed to accomplish…
Work-related:
I completed only 2 editing projects for other authors in May!I wrote eight chapters of my next book! I had hoped to finish the thing, but considering the alternative…
Health-related:
I fell off the Weight Watchers wagon. However, I am maintaining 25-27 pounds of my loss! I’ve been doing this since January, and am committed to going slow, so I do not view this as a failure!As to physical activity, the pool finally got warm enough toward the end of the month, but COVID kept me from doing much swimming and impacted my steps.Happiness-related:
I finished the #100DayProject art challenge! I didn’t hit 100 pieces completed, but I did get to 83! Here are the last two pieces I finished…
JuneHere’s me putting this out in the world…
For work-related, I plan:
To complete and publish Victoria’s Six on June 21st! And this one, I can guarantee will happen!To complete and publish Wild Thing in June—something that’s very questionable at the moment!To begin work on my next Montana Bounty Hunter story!To complete 4 editing projects in June!For health-related, I plan:
To get back on the Weight Watchers wagon and hope to lose at least 5 pounds, remembering: Slow is good!To swim at least five days out of the week!To begin some low-impact aerobics, which will include a video workout, plus, add some outdoor activities, like pool maintenance and blowing the patio. Maybe I’ll do more housework, too. (This is an old goal, but I’ll repeat it. Maybe I’ll actually do it!)For happiness-related, I plan:
To continue working on getting my art room better organized.To produce something art-related at least once a week! More than that would be hard due to my work schedule!Contest
Solve the puzzle then comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me about any special summer plans or tell me what you plan to read…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
June 3, 2022
Lynda Rees: Heart of the Matter (FREE Read!)
Due to fan requests for FBI Agent Reggie Casse to have her own series and find a love interest, the Reggie Chronicles were born last year with Hart’s Girls, Reggie Chronicle 1. Reggie’s struggles and successes in life continue with the launch of Heart of the Matter, Reggie Chronicle 2, launching 6/1/22. It will be followed by Magnolia Blossoms, Reggie Chronicle 3, launching 7/1/22. eBooks and Print are available. They will launch in audiobook format near the end of this year, so stay tuned.
You can get Leah’s Story, the preamble to The Bloodline Series, FREE by becoming a VIP at:
https://preview.mailerlite.com/t1a6j6
Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to leave a review. You are so dear to me and greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy my books, and we become great friends. Stay in touch.
Heart of the Matter, Reggie Chronicle 2
By Multi-Award-Winning Author, Lynda Rees, The Murder GuruFBI Agent Reggie Casse and fiancé, U. S. Marshal Shea Montgomery, want a quiet but memorable wedding. Shea’s WITSEC witness, a corpse with a unique tattoo, a missing baby, and a kidnapping at their reception lead to an international ring selling items money shouldn’t be able to buy and a wedding no one can forget. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum meets James Patterson’s Alex Cross in rural Kentucky racehorse country.
Get your copy now!
AMZ: https://amzn.to/3a5v13t
B&N: https://bit.ly/3t31cXP
KOBO-RAK: https://bit.ly/3PR4O9d
APPLE: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1624153157
Special Sale: To celebrate the launch of Heart of the Matter, Reggie Chronicles, there’s a limited-time sale on Hart’s Girls, Reggie Chronicle 1. Get the link: Hart’s Girls eBook by Lynda Rees – 1230004964384 | Rakuten Kobo United States
Lynda Rees
WEBSITE:
Books – Lynda Rees, Author (lyndareesauthor.com)
BOOKBUB: Heart of the Matter (Reggie Chronicles Book 2) by Lynda Rees – BookBub
GOODREADS: Author Dashboard | Goodreads
YOUTUBE:
https://youtu.be/_y0bNTYSfxs
June 2, 2022
Tracy Reed: Christian, Inspirational, Faith-based stories — Is there a difference?
I want to talk about the preconceived notions people have about Christian, Inspirational or Faith-based books. When someone hears a story has one of the three aforementioned tones, they immediately shut down, thinking the story is going to be sweeter than cotton candy dipped in chocolate and covered with gum drops.
There’s CIF [Christian, Inspirational, Faith] fiction that falls into that description, and there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s written extremely well and packs a message for the reader. However, it’s the misconception that all CIF books are like that which prevents a closed mind from experiencing some really great stories. [I swear I’m not preaching.]
When I decided to start writing, I’d dabbled a little in high school and college. Even so far as to write a couple of plays. I found them later and felt they’d be a good base for a barbecue fire. When I read them again, I realized, that although they were poorly written, they had a few things in common. The characters were all Christians in real-life situations. Let me explain. In a lot of CIF books, the story centers around the church with the conflict between the pastor, the board, the choir director, the pastor’s family, and some evil person not affiliated with the church. There’s nothing wrong with those books. I’ve read a few and like them, however, they weren’t the kinds of stories I wanted to tell.
I have always loved God, fashion, and cute guys. I liked The Devil Wears Prada, Bergdorf Blondes, Elements of Style, and The Debutante Divorcee. These were characters I could relate to. The books are filled with the most incredible fashion and very handsome men. The only thing they didn’t have was a faith theme. It was reading these books that it occurred to me, why not write a book with similar content, but add a little CIF to it.
My first attempt at writing a book sounded very much like ChickLit. I was fine with it until my beta readers ripped it to shreds. After a lot of re-writes, I finally had a book I was pleased with. Problem was, it wasn’t considered acceptable. Every traditional editor I approached had the same response, “Christians don’t act like that, Christians don’t care about designer clothes; Christians are happy being upper middle class at best; Christians don’t get challenged, tempted, have racy dreams or wicked thoughts; and Christians only have sex for procreation and on special occasions. And there is no way a Christian would get divorced, commit adultery, fornicate, swear, drink wine or dance.”
Needless to say, I was stunned at the comments because I know a lot of Christians that have experienced and or faced a few of those things. So, I set out to write books for “my people.”
I spoke with an author friend and told her what I had been experiencing with the traditional publishing machine, and she suggested I consider going indie. I wasn’t too sure the indie world was for me, but it was. The indie publishing world allows me to tell the stories I want to tell.
It ticks me off when I hear people say no one will read books about Christians [or people of other religious beliefs] in real life situations. I want to read about “my people” dating, regretting, marrying, divorcing, falling in love, wearing designer clothes, traveling and being pursued by wealthy men. I don’t want my heroine to be naive and deceived by an evil protagonist whose only objective is to steal her virginity or corrupt her. What about the sexy, fun Christian girl, who works hard and falls for her boss, or divorces her cheating husband, or who used to be a little slutty and is now in love with God and struggling not to slip back into her old ways. These are great stories, and if they’re written well, you can take the CIF elements out and they’ll still be great stories.
My next book is part five of an office romance. The Good Girl series starts out sweet and sassy and escalates to a hot romance. For those expecting a tame romance, this isn’t it. As the series moves forward, so does Gabriella and Phillippe’s relationship. The cover of Part Five reminds me of a scene from the book. Without giving too much away, I’ll say this, Gabriella and Phillippe get what they want. The question is, “What do they want?”
Since I began writing, my books have gone from being classed as steamy, Christian fiction to Contemporary Romance with faith and heat. My books range in heat from sweet to very sensual/steamy. Personally, I don’t see where they are that hot, but some readers feel otherwise. Probably because I’m very descriptive and not afraid to leave the door wide open.
Although most of my characters are Christians, I don’t want their passion or desire to be watered down. Here’s a startling fact, Christians like sex. I know it’s hard to believe. Smile. But it’s the truth and that’s why I have chosen to include open door sex in my books. Let me clarify, I only include sex scenes when I feel they are relevant to the story. I also like to share my characters thoughts and reactions to situations. If either of the protagonist are having a lustful thought or are pissed off, I include it. These little nuances make my characters appear real and relatable.…just like in traditional romance.
So back to the original question, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? Not really, just different levels of intensity.
Learn more about The Good Girl series!The post Tracy Reed: Christian, Inspirational, Faith-based stories — Is there a difference? first appeared on Delilah Devlin.June 1, 2022
Gabbi Grey: Ace’s Place and Marcus’s Cadence (Contest & FREE Reads!)
Hello Delilah!
Thank you so much for letting me visit you so I can share my news with your loyal readers.
Free books!
Pretty cool, eh?
So the deets—I’m launching an indie series in the fall. I’ve written a bunch of books for the serie,s and it’s time I put them out in the world. I’ve titled the series Mission City. Pretty simple, eh? (I’m Canadian…I just had to throw that in.) Anyway, in writing those books, I developed a number of secondary characters whose stories I couldn’t wait to tell. Ace’s Place and Marcus’s Cadence are two of them. Characters from both stories have already appeared in several books published under the pen names Gabbi Grey and Gabbi Black. Although each story I write is a standalone, I like to interweave characters into the stories. I think it brings a richness and, to those who read across my genres, an opportunity to see old friends.
Today I’m letting your readers know about the two short stories—available on all platforms for free—and offering a contest. What is your favorite trope? What type of stories do you return to again and again? I’m a big fan of second chances. I’ve written age-gap. And many of my stories have a touch of angst (although not these two). Share your thoughts for a chance to win an audiobook of either Ace’s Place or Marcus’s Cadence—coming soon and narrated by the amazing Michael Dean. If you don’t listen to audiobooks, I’ll be happy to give you any book from my back catalog—Gabbi Grey or Gabbi Black.
Thanks for hosting me, Delilah. I love sharing my good news with your lovely readers!
Ace’s Place
Marcus’s Cadence
Derek Murphy has come to the godforsaken small town of Merritt, British Columbia in search of a new beginning. The man is tired, jaded, and resigned to never having sex again. Until Friday night at the local sports bar changes everything.
Harold Graham, hometown boy made good, has lived in Merritt his entire life. When he meets the new guy in town, he’s compelled to reach out the hand of friendship. And maybe more.
But secrets and omissions cloud what could be the beginning of something special. Can they take a chance on being vulnerable enough to fall in love?
Where to get your copy!
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Aces-Place-Gabbi-Grey-ebook/dp/B09ZRTFDKC
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aces-place-gabbi-grey/1141450146
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/ace-s-place
iBooks – https://books.apple.com/us/book/aces-place/id162313070
About the Author
What happens when your biggest crush turns up on your doorstep after twelve years?
Cadence Crawford has a good thing going. He’s making waves as a realtor in Mission City, British Columbia. Yes, he’s recently suffered a personal loss, but he’s moving on, and his path forward includes selling the only true home he’s ever known.
Marcus Brannigan is doing fine. He has his physiotherapy practice, he watches over his younger twin sisters, and he’s happy. When he unexpectedly runs into Cadence, who is selling the home he’s always coveted, he’s prepared to do some negotiating.
Neither knew they were seriously crushing on each other. Now they’ve admitted the truth, is happily ever after in the cards?
Marcus’s Cadence is a 7k second-chance gay romance, instalove short story with a very happy ending and a malti-poo named Kiki.
Where to get your copy!
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZSXRT4K
B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marcuss-cadence-gabbi-grey/1141450147
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/marcus-s-cadence
iBooks – https://books.apple.com/us/book/marcuss-cadence/id1623130850
Gabbi lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.
Personal links:
Website: https://gabbigrey.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Grey/e/B07SJVFX1M
Audible Profile: https://www.audible.com/author/Gabbi-Grey/B07SJVFX1M
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey
May 31, 2022
Finding the Fun, Country-style! (Contest)
Psst! Just a reminder!
There are four open contests on this blog. Be sure to enter while you still can!
While I was down for the count with COVID, I watched a bunch of movies. Some romcoms, a short British series called Slow Horses (loved it BTW!), and some Hallmark Mysteries. Those Hallmarks have long been my guilty pleasure. I love the Crossword Mysteries and the Aurora Teagarden series, in particular. Not high art, but they aren’t meant to be. Some light sexual tension between the leads, and a mystery to solve. I hate it when I figure it out too quickly!
On Sunday night, with everyone feeling better and a little housebound, we decided to have some fun outside! Nothing too strenuous, because we’re still feeling the effects of the disease.
We set up a projector attached to a laptop and shined the image at the side of a shed in our yard. It was the perfect outside theater! Of course, we scouted the location ahead of time for fire ants! We burned a large citronella candle and lit tiki torches around our perimeter to discourage mosquitoes. We brought out drinks and snacks and laid on blankets with pillows (or they did—I lazed in an Adirondack chair). We tried streaming My Girl, at first, but the buffering got annoying, so we decided to pull out a DVD and ended up watching episodes of Jimmy Neutron! It was so much fun and reminded me of my childhood when my parents would load up the station wagon with all four kids and head to the drive-in theater, sleeping bags laid out for the kids in back, and a pillowcase of popcorn.
Everyone loved it, even the 8-year-old who is scared to death of bugs. We’ll be doing it again this summer.
ContestFor a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, share some fun childhood memory of your family or an idea for some unique activity families can enjoy!
The post Finding the Fun, Country-style! (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.May 30, 2022
A Day of Remembrance
It’s Memorial Day, and the kids are happy to be out of school. They’ll likely spend some time in the pool, and we’ll no doubt have something special for dinner. I like spending the morning watching snippets of news as older veterans head to places where they lost friends to honor them. There’s a price for freedom. This is the day we celebrate those who gave everything for ours.
And if you haven’t read a story that shows you the importance of Memorial Day, I have one.
Read More about: In His Memory
The post A Day of Remembrance first appeared on Delilah Devlin.May 29, 2022
Breathing Fire! (Contest)
If you’ve read my blog for long, you know I collect things. My daughter calls it hoarding, but she can’t be too harsh with me because all I have to do is mention the word “Pyrex” and she shuts right up. (She is obsessed! She even bought an entire display cabinet to hold her overflowing collection of vintage bowls!)
Anyways, I have a collection of tarot/divination/meditation cards, plus bags of Norse rune stones, etc. Sometimes, at night, when I’m winding down and need to get my mind to quiet, I pull out a deck and read my cards.
Well, I have this very pretty, modern box of “Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards.” Each goddess has a sentiment written on it. This morning when I looked at the long To Do list I wrote for myself last night, I thought, I need “goddess” help, so I pulled a random card…
Nice! Sekmet is very cool! She was a lion-headed goddess, daughter of Ra, and she was the goddess Pharoah wanted with him when he went to war. She breathed fire, and the hot desert winds were her breath… I could use some of Sekmet’s fire and lion’s strength today. I’ll be ferocious like her! My To Do list doesn’t stand a chance against my fiery purpose!!!
Okay. So, anyway…
Lots to do. I’m behind on so many things, and June snuck up on me! May was COVID month, but June will be DIG MYSELF OUT OF THE CRATER month!
So, a question! Answer for a chance to win a download of your choice of a book from my vast backlist. Do you own any tarot or meditation cards? Does some other object serve the same purpose for you (Bible, bones, rosary beads, etc.)?
The post Breathing Fire! (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.May 28, 2022
Saturday Puzzle-Contest, Plus More Open Contests!
It’s Saturday! Everyone in the house is feeling so much better that they’re getting cranky about having to stay cooped up. I can escape the drama by being right here, sitting at my desk. Or watching a movie. Lord, I’ve watched so many the past few days. And I’ve puttered around, organizing things—not that my method of organization looks “organized.”
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me a story about the person in the puzzle. Have fun with the challenge! Your story doesn’t have to be long or even good!
Open ContestsTo Bee or Not to Bee — World Bee Day (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!Saturday Puzzle Contest! (Plus, Open Contests) — Win an Amazon gift card!Tracy Reed: The Good Girl (FREE Book!) — Download your FREE book!I’m so bored in the COVID house… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!Anna M. Taylor: M is For the Million Things She Gave Me (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!The post Saturday Puzzle-Contest, Plus More Open Contests! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.May 27, 2022
Anna M. Taylor: M is For the Million Things She Gave Me (Contest)
This month on May 26th, my mother turned 92. As I thought about an African-American woman I wanted to honor in my post this month, Catherine Louise Williams Taylor Phillips came to my mind.
Lately, I’ve been asking her questions from a book/journal called My Mother’s Life: Mom I Want To Know Everything About You. I speak to her every morning and after our check-in ritual, I ask her if she’s ready for the question of the day. She says yes, answers what she can recall then shares anecdotes that have nothing to do with the question. That’s my momma.
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the turn of the 20th-centuryth century song “M-O-T-H- E- R (M Is For The Million Things She Gave Me).” Here’s a vintage recording if you want to give a listen. It’s a schmaltzy ditty that touches my heart because of the mother I was fortunate to have. So today, I want to celebrate a few of the million things my mother gave me.
My mom was born on May 26, 1930 and was sent to live down South with her grandmother when she was a few months old. She shared with me that she didn’t even know there was a depression and regales me with stories of being the spoiled red-haired fox her uncles chided and chastised.
When Alex Haley’s Roots was televised, she wondered what the big deal was then proceeded to tell me about the Pitt family that owned her grandparents. When I let her know I’d decided to pursue a Masters degree two years after graduating from college and having worked in the big bad world of advertising, it was only then she shared that she had been hoping I would go back to school. She even declared, “Why who knows? You may want to go on and get a PhD.” That was the first time I realized my mother wished things for me, but by her restraint showed she respected that what I wanted when and if I wanted it was what was important.
In things small and large, she made it plain—not only to me but to my sister as well—that we were to be who we wanted to be. We weren’t put on this earth to live up to anyone’s expectations. She recalled a time my sister came to her with a picture she had drawn and said, “I couldn’t do it as good as Anna.” To which my mother assured her she wasn’t supposed to do it as good as Anna. She was supposed to do it as good as Muriel. When I felt unconfident or about to settle for less than what I was worth, I recalled her telling me with great vehemence, “You can scrub toilets before you kiss anybody’s ass.” She doesn’t remember saying this but I do, and I will always be grateful for the confidence those words instilled.
As a minister, I’ve helped families in which the relationship between mothers, daughters and sons was strained and far from loving. They can’t sing without reservation as I can the last line of the song I shared above but thanks to the love I have from my mom, I’ve found ways to help honor their struggles and woes.
The last line of M-O-T-H-E-R goes, “Put them all together they spell MOTHER. A word that means the world to me.” I will forever be grateful to my mother who means the world to me. For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, share in the comments about someone who was a mother to you or perhaps you have mothered.
Haunted Serenade – by Anna M. Taylor
All the women in Anora Madison’s family have lived haunted by the curse of Poor Butterfly: women still longing for but deserted by the men they loved. Determined to be the first to escape a life of abandonment, Anora fled Harlem for Brooklyn, not only severing her ties with her mother Angela, but also ending her relationship with Winston Emerson, her lover and the father of her child.
Six years later, Anora comes home to make peace, but an unseen evil manifests itself during the homecoming and targets not only Anora, but her little girl Cammie.
With nowhere to run, Anora must confront the evil now trying to destroy her life. She vows to protect her daughter at all costs, but if that protection can only be found with Winston back in her life, how will Anora protect her heart?
Excerpt from Haunted Serenade…
In September 15, 1963, the one year anniversary of my aunt Diana’s death, four young girls in Birmingham, Alabama died when their church was bombed for its involvement in the Civil Rights movement.
My mother called that evening and inquired after my health and the health of my daughter Cammie – the granddaughter she vowed never to acknowledge.
Fear, anger and sorrow sounded in her voice. Mine too. We mourned those girls, their families and the sister/aunt we both loved. In that spoken grief, I silently mourned what had died between my mother and me.
The following month she called again, this time inviting me to bring Cammie to dinner. Like some sulky child, I felt tempted to ask what took her so long. Instead, I swallowed my hurt and came home.
Buylink: https://amzn.to/3aXifyu
The post Anna M. Taylor: M is For the Million Things She Gave Me (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.
