Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 17

Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Lost in Space

I’m going through a nostalgic phase with my TV viewing habits. I recently rewatched Warehouse 13. I’m currently watching three series that I hop between based on my mood, The Residence (a a fun murder mystery on Netflix), Psych (who doesn’t love Gus and Shawn’s antics?!), and Lost in Space. The latter is a show I watched when it began in the 1960s. It started the year before Star Trek and hooked me on Sci-Fi. I hadn’t rewatched it in all these years but started about a month ago. I’ll be truthful. It doesn’t hold up like the OG Star Trek. It’s hokey, the special effects aren’t very special but bundle it with a hot-as-hell daddy and that theme song/intro, and I’m hooked again. I mean, play this video and tell me it’s not special.

 

My daughter thinks I’ve lost my mind but had fun working with an AI program to come up with a Lost in Space-style image of me…

Yeah, I would’ve fit right in! Anyway, it’s a sunny Saturday. I have some edits to finish today, and then I’m hitting the pool whether the water is warm enough or not! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle and tell me whether you were ever hooked on a hokey TV show that still gives you the nostalgia-induced warm fuzzies!

The post Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Lost in Space first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Gabbi Grey: Five Years! (Contest, plus F*R*E*E Read)

Hello, Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me here today to share my good news! Well, news. As your readers know, I write a lot of books.

A lot.

Which means writing an insane number of words.

Nuts.

In 2014, I wrote a million words. In 2015, I found an editor and worked with her to edit those words, so my word count decreased. In 2019, it started to creep back up. Come 2020, and the pandemic, and I was in my sweet spot. Last year? 832k words.

So, a crap-ton of words.

My first short story was published in 2016. My second short story was published in 2019 with The Wild Rose Press. My first toe dips into the world of traditional publishing.  2020 was my breakout year in terms of getting out there — I had two novellas under one pen name and a novel under another. Plus, a short story in a charity anthology.  For me, this was HUGE.  I was so freaking happy. My dreams were coming true.

Reality hit pretty soon that publishing a novella with a small press, although very gratifying, wasn’t going to help me break even with all the things I was discovering writers needed (website, newsletter mail service, marketing just to name a few).  I kept at it, though.  I wrote another novella and a novel for them.  Then I wrote a novel that I wanted to keep for myself.  That book, Ginger Snapping All the Way is still my best seller.

Yet I continue to work with The Wild Rose Press because they gave me a start.  My Past, Your Future was my debut novella.  February 2020.  I was watching cable news and seeing worrying things across the globe.  Little did I know what was coming.  Or that the next few years would be all virtual releases.  I attended my first signing in summer 2024.  By then, I had a table full of books I’d published during the pandemic.  COVID was good to me in that I discovered things I didn’t know about myself. Like that, I could, in fact, write at home (I always believed I had to be at a café or restaurant).  That I could self-publish (I always believed I needed a publisher).  That I could find some success writing in a subgenre I never anticipated (those million words in 2014 were not gay romances).

And now I’m celebrating 5 years in the publishing business.

What does that look like for me? Across my three pennames? 24 novels, 19 novellas, 35 short stories, and 23 audiobooks published as of this month. Plus, tons more to come.

Yeah. That.

So, I’m here to wave and say, “Yeah, I did that.”

Quickly — I was offered the opportunity to write a story to enter a promo where I could collect emails to send interested people my newsletters.  I’d never done that, but I sat down and wrote a 32k story.  If Catch a Tiger by the Tail is the HEA for Peter and Thomas, then Solstice Surprise is what happens after the happily after ever. I love the novella and have given away thousands of copies for free. I’m offering you a link to that story and encourage you to grab it.

Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me and letting me raise a glass of bubbly (although I don’t drink – does sparkling apple cider count?).  Here’s to five more years of insane writing and publishing schedules as I share my stories with everyone.  I would love to hear your readers comments.  Drop a note in the chat — how often do you want to see your favorite writer drop a book? What’s too much? What’s not enough and you lose interest?  I’d love your perspective.  As a thank you, one winner — chosen by random — will win a copy of my novella Catch a Tiger by the Tail. Good luck!

Catch a Tiger by the Tail

Thomas Walsh knows the number one rule in the film industry. Don’t get involved with the talent. But resisting the urge to take the big screen to the bedroom can be hell when the lead actor on the set looks good enough to eat…one slow lick at a time.

Peter Erickson’s latest role as a gay man hits a little too close to home. He’s still in the closet and secretly grieving the death of his lover. Then an enchanting production assistant catches his eye, and he’s surprised by the instant attraction that stirs more than his wounded soul.

When the two men are caught on camera in a very intimate pose, both Thomas and Peter are afraid they’ve caught a tiger by the tail.

Links:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Tiger-Tail-One-Scoop-ebook/dp/B088QS34BX
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/u/m0vKLJ
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/catch-a-tiger-by-the-tail-6
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/catch-a-tiger-by-the-tail-gabbi-grey/1137046121
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/catch-a-tiger-by-the-tail/id1517323369
Publisher: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/books/catch-a-tiger-by-the-tail
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_Catch_a_Tiger_by_the_Tail?id=0NDpDwAAQBAJ&gl=US
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54021421-catch-a-tiger-by-the-tail

Solstice Surprise (Free book!)

A blizzard, an urgent plea, a desperate journey, and the most important moment of their lives. Action movie star Peter Erickson is spending the Christmas holidays ensconced with his in-laws and his new husband. In the wilds of Northern British Columbia, they are as far away from the bustle of the city as they can get. Thomas Walsh and his famous husband are deeply in love. Although he prefers the intimacy of their city house, he’s come home to face the reason he left ten years ago, and to finally tell his parents the truth. A desperate phone call has the couple scrambling. Will they get back to Vancouver in the middle of a snowstorm in time for their solstice surprise?

Links:
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/Solstice-Surprise-Gabbi-Grey-ebook/dp/B092RPV9GL
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/u/baZBzq
KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/solstice-surprise-1
Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/solstice-surprise/id1563607945
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/solstice-surprise-gabbi-grey/1139304336
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1295009
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_Solstice_Surprise?id=qh1gEQAAQBAJ&gl=US
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57765791-solstice-surprise

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey 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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
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
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

The post Gabbi Grey: Five Years! (Contest, plus F*R*E*E Read) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway!

I just named the winner of the first “Clear My Bookshelf” contest! Congratulations to Brenda S.!
Now, here we go again….

As a way to solve my book-hoarding problem and make room on my bookshelves, I’m continuing my Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway! I have a ton of my books, collected over my 20 years of publishing. So, rather than consign them to the burn barrel I thought maybe a bunch of giveaways would be fun. As the first giveaways last summer seemed to garner a lot of interest, I’m happy to offer more opportunities for readers to win a signed copy of one of my old books this summer, too! My daughter is on board with making a trip to the post office for me. She loves it when I volunteer her for stuff. [image error]

For a chance to win a randomly chosen by me (I might say, do you want a western, an erotic, contemporary, or a paranormal?) book, which I will of course sign and fill with a bookmark painted by me, tell me whether you have any travel plans for 2025!

The post Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Gabbi Grey: When Life Delivers Lemons… (Contest)

Hello, Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me here to share my new release!

As you know, I love doing charity anthologies — specifically writing short stories or novellas to be included.  At last count, I’ve done at least twelve in the last five years.  I’m a decent writer, and I can craft a good short story.  There are great causes out there that deserve more attention.  If I can put these two thoughts together, then why wouldn’t I write something to help?

A couple of months ago, something happened that really upset me. I’m not going to go into politics, but I will say the Oval Office visit of President Zelenskyy distressed me.  Soon after, an author posted on Facebook that we should do another Ukraine charity anthology.  I’d done one back at the beginning of the war — I submitted two stories (one a Gabbi Black m/f BDSM and one a Gabbi Grey m/m). I did my best to promote the anthology — it sold decently, and we raised money for people halfway around the world.  Three years later, those people still need help.

Great!

I hunkered down and, in a weekend, wrote a novella I was proud of.  My editor pushed hard, and we submitted the story within a very tight timeline.  Heck, I even asked a friend to join me, which she did.

Then we waited.

And waited.

As the theoretical release day approached, we started to ask gentle questions.

In short, the organizer pulled the plug.

So eight of us had stories, and no anthology.  I knew I didn’t have the capacity to take over the project.  So I had my story.

I did what I do best — I made lemonade out of lemons.

Specifically, I’ve created a boxset.

Over a year ago, I wrote a short story titled Jeopardy that appeared in an anthology raising money for Breast Cancer Research. Last year, I wrote a novella titled The Boyfriend Assignment for an anthology raising money for trans rights.  The novella for this year is titled The Secret Boyfriend and it connects with the previous two stories.  I always planned, at some point, to join the three together.

I figured, why not now?  And why not donate the royalties to a Ukraine charity?  So I am.  It’s complicated, so bear with me.  Love in Mission City: The Boyfriend Gamble will release on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited on May 22, 2025.  Royalties earned from the first month will be donated.  After 90 days, I’m taking the boxset wide.  Wide sales for the first month will also be donated.  Hopefully, that balances out readers who only have Kindle Unlimited with readers who want to purchase their books from other retailers.

The final step was to choose a charity.  I’m Canadian, so I’ve chosen Canada-Ukraine Foundation: Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.  https://www.cufoundation.ca/our-projects/

I’ve never done anything like this before on my own.  Usually, I let someone else figure out the logistics. I write the story, I promote the anthology, I cheer when we raise money.  This time, it’s on me.

I wrote this story for Ukraine.  It’s set in my Love in Mission City world and is about a dentist and a groundskeeper.  As far away from war and deprivation as one can get.  The story is meant to make people smile.  It’s a story about found family.  About making the best of a lousy situation.  About being open to meeting your soulmate on the badminton court.

Taken together, there are almost 60,000 words in the boxset.  As I said, one of the stories has never been published. I’m hoping readers will come along on this journey and, obviously, I’m hoping they pick up the boxset in the first month.  I want to raise as much as I can.

Thank you for letting me visit today to discuss my wonky journey to publishing my new boxset.  As a thank you, I would love to give away a copy of my two other boxsets —Love in Mission City:The Boyfriends Duet and Love in Mission City: The Shorts.  In order to win, just leave a comment. What might induce you to pick up an anthology? New voices? Good cause? So many words…?  Let me know! Random will pick the winner. Good luck!

Love in Mission City: The Boyfriend Gamble

Love in Mission City: The Boyfriend Gamble
includes two novellas and a short story

Mission City is tucked in the charming Cedar Valley in southwestern British Columbia. If you love heartwarming, contemporary small-town gay romances, then come home to Mission City and fall in love with the men who live there. Romance shows up in the unlikeliest places. And trouble has a way of finding them…

Jeopardy

For ten long years, Tanner’s been crushing on his best friend Nita’s older brother, Kade, while Kade’s been cheerfully oblivious. Then one night, while celebrating Canada Day, Kade suddenly realizes Tanner grew up to be hot and appealing, and in that moment of connection, everything changes.

Jeopardy is a gay, best friend’s brother romance 7k short story with an interfering best friend, a bossy sister, and the possibility of love becoming realized. This short story previously appeared in Breaking the BFF Pact.

The Boyfriend Arrangement

Felix has expected to marry Josette since they were toddlers, playing together under their mothers’ matchmaking eyes. Now he’s bought a home, plans to renovate it, and then he’ll propose. But having Josette’s brother, Jacob, around, working on the remodeling, is eye-opening for them both. As he and Jacob grow closer, Felix realizes he has some big decisions to make about who he is, and what he really wants.

The Boyfriend Arrangement is a best friend’s brother gay romance 25k novella with a shy elementary school teacher, a brawny contractor, and a wrong dream turned right. The novella first appeared in Love is All, Volume 7.

The Secret Boyfriend

For Jasper, the best part of moving to Mission City has been meeting Cameron, his badminton partner. In fact, he’s crushing on the handsome and friendly dentist pretty hard. Cameron thought he was straight, but spending time with Jasper brings out feelings he never expected. Maybe he’s bi. For sure, he likes being around Jasper. But with Christmas and family plans coming up fast, is this really the time to step out of his comfort zone?

The Secret Boyfriend is a bi-awakening, age-gap, opposites attract, gay romance 25k novella with an uptight dentist who’s never let loose, a mischievous younger gardener who knows what he wants, and the night that shatters their expectations.

**All royalties from the first month of release will be donated Canada-Ukraine Foundation: Humanitarian Appeal.**

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F6VPXG43
Universal Book Link:  https://books2read.com/BoyfriendGamble
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232357997-love-in-mission-city

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey 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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbigrey/
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
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey

The post Gabbi Grey: When Life Delivers Lemons… (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

A New Release! ULTRA STROKES, Vol. 2 is here! And it’s F*R*E*E in Kindle Unlimited!

I’m getting back into the writing/publishing groove. It’s been a while, I know. Ignition, the last of the Delta Heat stories, is in the near future (I’m shooting for release in late June!). Then I’ll be working on the next We are Dead Horse stories, Built Like Mack. I’m hoping I can have it ready for late July, but it might be August. It just depends on…well, how I feel, how the story comes together, and how long it takes for me to reawaken my muse.

In the meantime, I’ve published a compilation of some of my sexier short stories in Ultra Strokes, Vol. 2. For the short term, it’s FREE in Kindle Unlimited. So, if you’re wanting a copy, do it now! Ultra Strokes, Vol. 1, is also in KU, for now, if you haven’t read that anthology yet. Links for both are below. In August, both will go wide to all the usual publishers. Even at $4.99, that’s a nearly $7 savings, if you were to purchase all individually. Both volumes will be available in print in June!

So, if you were looking for something sexy to read, something with a variety of genres, this should do the trick! Happy reading! Wish me luck as I get back on the writing merry-go-round!

Ultra Strokes, Vol. 2

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Delilah Devlin, comes another sinfully hot collection for your reading pleasure…

From the author… This compilation includes twelve stories in a variety of settings and genres. Something for all tastes—so long as you like your romance sexy. Most are contemporary stories, but there are historical, paranormal, and a for-grown-ups-only fairy tale included in the mix. The collection is intended for bedtime reading. Read the stories while you’re alone or with your partner. Read them to your partner. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.

This compilation includes:
The Bounty
Runaway Bride
Invite Me In
Drive Me Crazy
In the Wild
How to Train Your Skaldmaer
Hunk of Burning Love
Ripples
Dreaming By the Sea
Quincy Down Under
One Track Cowboy
The Obedient Wife

Get your copy!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Ultra Strokes, Vol. 1

Get your copy here!
Also, FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

The post A New Release! ULTRA STROKES, Vol. 2 is here! And it’s F*R*E*E in Kindle Unlimited! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Memorial Day: Remember and Honor…

The post Memorial Day: Remember and Honor… first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Report Card & Open Contests!

Report Card

Last week…

I completed one author’s edits. I’m currently working on another’s.The weather cooperated so that I got to swim four days this past week. We had a thunderstorm yesterday that knocked out our power for hours. I’ve continued painting and trying to catch up with #the100dayproject challenge. This was my favorite piece for the week because the paint was made with actual coffee and smells like it!Healthwise, I battled another UTI. I’m currently on antibiotics. It’s always something. Gah!

This next week…

I will complete one author’s edits and then I have no more on the near horizon, so it’s time to get writing!I’ll begin assembling my next Ultra compilation for publication.I’ll restart work on Ignition—writing new words. I’m ready to get back on that treadmill. And yeah, I know I said this last week.I’ll continue trying to catch up with #the100dayproject schedule.I’ll hopefully have time to open my Etsy shop for the summer to sell some of the bookmarks and small paintings I’ve been making!Open Contests

Be sure to check out these posts and enter to win the prizes that are still up for grabs:

Gabbi Grey: Challenge Accepted (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!Flashback: Big Sky SEAL (Contest–2 Winners!) — Last day to enter! Win a FREE book!Memory Game: Wildlife Where I Live (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Mad about goats! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a SIGNED book, plus a hand-painted bookmark!Cameron Allie: Love Spells, Full Moons, and Silver Bullets (F*R*E*E Read, Excerpt, & Contest) — Get your FREE read, plus a sticker bundle!Word Search: Let’s Celebrate Buy a Musical Instrument Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Surprise Blooms! — Win an Amazon gift card!The post Report Card & Open Contests! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Surprise Blooms!

Early in the week, my pee suddenly became a bright orange-pink. Bet you haven’t read something like that as an opener on another writer’s blog, right? Anyways, I sent a urine sample via my dd to my general practitioner, and they put me on antibiotics for another UTI. So far, so good. I’m peeing yellow again. For someone who hadn’t had a UTI in years, having two in as many months is a PITA. I’ve read that’s not uncommon after a radical hysterectomy, though, so I’m not overly concerned.

School ended for the kids this past Wednesday! Woot. We celebrated with takeout and a movie. We watched A Minecraft Movie, and I guess we were in the mood for a silly one, because we all laughed ourselves silly. The 16-year-old provided a critique of how well the movie matched the actual game (she’s a gamer, and Minecraft is one she loves). If you like a childish, zany adventure movie, this one’s for you. It’s a one-timer for me, but we bought it because the 11-year-old will be watching it over and over this summer, no doubt. She already knows the songs Jack Black sang.

I’ve been busy trying to get back my stamina to complete the work I have in front of me. Editing has been going well. My personal space needs some work—straightening, cleaning. While my family pitches in, I like things to be kept in a certain order, so I’ve been trying to give myself little tasks every day to set things right.

In early April, I had my Christmas cacti placed outside on my back porch. It gets morning sunshine only, so not too much for indoor plants. Both plants surprised me with another blooming. Not as many as in late fall, but lovely just the same. The red plant buds are very sparse, but the white is giving more blooms. The picture I’m using for today’s puzzle is one of the white cactus. Have fun!

Solve the puzzle, then tell me some random things that are happening to you in your neck of the woods for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

The post Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Surprise Blooms! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

N.J. Walters: Kicking off Summer!

It’s the Victoria Day Weekend in Canada. It’s a statutory Federal holiday and the unofficial kickoff to the summer season. The holiday has been observed in Canada since at least 1845, originally falling on Victoria’s actual birthday (24 May 1819). Now it’s celebrated on the last Monday preceding May 25.

We call it the May Two-Four weekend to refer both to Queen Victoria’s birthday, but a two-four is also how we refer to a twenty-four pack of beer, always a popular drink on the holiday weekend.

So how do we celebrate:

A lot of folks go camping or head to their cabins. I’ve seen snow on the holiday weekend, and I’ve also gone swimming. The weather is unpredictable around here.Drinking. A lot of people will kick back and enjoy a few cold alcoholic beverages.Grilling. Steaks or burgers or hotdogs…something, but food is essential.Campfire. It’s always a nice weekend to have a campfire on the beach. I haven’t done this in years but did a lot of it during my teenage years.Relax. It is a holiday after all, a three-day weekend to relax with family and friends, maybe curl up and read a good book.

Whether you’re enjoying the holiday or it’s simply another Monday for you, I hope you enjoy it.

And if you’re looking for something to read, why not check out SAMAEL, the first book in the Blackwell Brothers’ Redemption trilogy.

Samael
Blackwell Brothers’ Redemption, Book 1

Love her. Protect her. Reap her soul.

Samael Blackwell is the son of Death—and he’s officially out of chances. After centuries of reaping souls with zero regard for the rules, his father sends him to the dead-end town of Redemption. With only a few hundred bucks and the clothes on his back, Sam has one last shot to prove he can do the job right: reap with compassion or lose everything.

It should’ve been easy. Find the soul. Finish the job. Walk away.

Then he meets Adrianne Sharp.

She’s strong, guarded, and hiding from a past that refuses to stay buried. The connection between them is instant—and impossible. Because Adrianne isn’t just anyone. She’s his assignment.

And her soul’s on the clock.

To win back his old life, all Sam has to do is watch her die. But what if the cost of redemption…is her?

He was sent to end her story. But she just might rewrite his.

Want to read more? You can find SAMAEL here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2SDQMVF/
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/samael-n-j-walters/1147212495
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/samael-13
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/samael/id6743937757

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit her at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://x.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

The post N.J. Walters: Kicking off Summer! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Word Search: Let’s Celebrate Buy a Musical Instrument Day! (Contest)

Yesterday, the 11-year-old was notified that she’d been accepted into band at the middle school to play clarinet starting this fall. Recently, she went through an afternoon of trying out different instruments at her school to see what instruments might best suit her and had narrowed her choices down to clarinet, saxophone, and I forget what else. The school made the final choice for her, based on their needs, but she’s happy. The clarinet was first on her list. I played clarinet in middle and high school band. How I wish I still had that instrument. We’ve looked into buying and renting, and man, they’ve gotten expensive.

It’s kind of auspicious that today is “Buy a Musical Instrument Day.” It got me thinking about the instruments we already own in this house: an old organ, an electronic piano, multiple guitars and ukuleles, and a harmonica. For me, the piano was my first love. I started lessons when I was seven, I think, with a woman who had polio that affected her left hand. She played beautifully with her right, and she was a great teacher. My father brought me a Yamaha guitar home that he’d bought when he was stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War. I got it for my ninth or tenth birthday, I think, and played it all the way through college. Carrying around a guitar everywhere you went was a thing in the late 70s, as was singing folk music and songs from Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. Yes, I was that cliche.

Anyway, I’d love to hear about any of your musical experiences. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then let me know whether you played (or play) a musical instrument (kazoos count! LOL).

The post Word Search: Let’s Celebrate Buy a Musical Instrument Day! (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.