Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 174

Merry Christmas, all! And, of course, a Puzzle!

I’ve been up since O-dark-thirty! Had to beat the kids out of bed to get ready for the big day! Presents have been opened, and everyone was thrilled with their gifts. Watching the youngest kid open her gifts was so much fun! She’s still into Cabbage Patch dolls and Barbies, and her face lit up with every gift. I got her a fancy karaoke microphone. Her mom gave me a “you’re so dead” look before telling the wee one how cool the present was. (I love this part of being a grandma!)

My dd has already started preparations for our meal. We’ll have it early so one of her daughters can spend the rest of the day with her dad’s family, so we’re having a very early meal. A Christmas tradition we began three years ago (because, after Thanksgiving, we get pretty sick of turkey and ham), is to serve an international meal. So far, we’ve done Mexican, Senagalese, and today, we’ll have a German meal, complete with jaeger schnitzel, brats, sauerkraut, etc. And of course, lots of German cookies for snacking while we watch Wonder Woman 1984!

Here’s hoping you are enjoying your day, too.

I wish you all the merriest of Christmases!

Merry Christmas Puzzle!

When you have some time for yourself, enjoy the puzzle version of the ornament! My Christmas gift to you!

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Susan Saxx: A Refuge Bay Christmas #1 — Their Daughter’s First Christmas (Contest–2 Winners!)

Come to Refuge Bay. Where trouble is brewing in a young girl’s heart this holiday season…

Dear Reader: There’s something special about Christmas.

Yet, it’s also worrisome, and daunting, in a weird way,. There’s so much hype about the happiness, that, especially for a young girl, newly adopted, who’s not quite sure about her place in the world or in her new family, it brings all those emotions to the forefront in a jumbled up, messy way.

Messy Christmases. We all know about those. Right?

Lizzie Ashworth: A Holiday Gift for You! (FREE Books!)

Hi Delilah Fans!

The holiday season is always a time for raw nerves and overwrought emotions. I for one am susceptible to depression, that kind of misery that makes you want to never leave your bedroom. Maybe it’s natural that when the days are their shortest, our energy levels will sink as well. The weather is cold (for most of us), the nights last forever, and our culture’s coping skills involve spending money we can’t afford.

Over the years, I’ve found relatively inexpensive ways to celebrate the season without going to great expense. One year I solicited donations from a few friends to purchase and have delivered a new range for a neighbor with six kids and no functional oven. Other years I baked cookies and candies to share with neighbors and friends. I always try to send out Christmas cards with a short note updating friends about my past year.

This year, besides a joyful week with all three adult kids at home, cookies for neighbors, Zooming with siblings and their kids, and a nice meal for my 97-year old mom, what I’m giving you are some free stories to snuggle up with. Some are naughtier than others, but among them, I hope you find something that makes your day a little brighter. Here’s the line-up:

   

Holiday Journey: Follow the chance encounter of two travelers stranded in an airport just before Christmas. The attraction is instantaneous but even though he’s willing, she’s wary. Novelette Make it yours at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/675289, set your own price.

Christmas Hideaway:  Caryn hadn’t expected a snowstorm when she hid away in a remote cabin to lick her wounds. She also hadn’t expected an overbearing park ranger to confront her. But the snow kept falling and the temperature kept dropping, trapping her at his cabin. What could possibly go wrong? Novella Make it yours at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/685194, set your own price.

A Taste of Love: Senna and Teutonius, both enslaved Celts serving their Roman masters at a remote encampment in occupied Britain, manage to exchange warm greetings amid holiday duties. Short Story Make it yours at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/759904.

His Only Love: An enslaved Greek, hopelessly in love with the Roman commander, finds a moment of pleasure with a slave of his own before facing the wrath of his beloved. [Explicit gay sex, BDSM.] Novelette Make it yours at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/759899.

A Gift for Jarrod: A young man enters a training academy for submissives, anxious to understand his unusual desires. His Christmas couldn’t be more wonderfully unexpected. [Explicit BDSM] Novella  Make it yours at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/383857.

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lizzie Ashworth

The post Lizzie Ashworth: A Holiday Gift for You! (FREE Books!) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Open Contests!

I know we all have the holiday on our brains! We finally arranged the presents under the tree! It’s so pretty, and the kids can barely stand the wait. I can barely stand the wait!! Anyway, if you need something else to think about, play to win prizes here!

Open Contests

Enter while there’s still time!

Ho! Ho! Ho! — Christmas Puzzle Contest! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
Anna M. Taylor: Do You Believe In Ghosts? (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
Diana Cosby: My Favorite Inspiration from Nature Photos of 2020 (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a pretty mug!
Flea Market Finds and Christmas Puzzle Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
One Mean Christmas Puzzle Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!

The post Open Contests! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Playing Hooky

I rabbited away from work today. Completely.

If you recall me talking about it, I broke my left pinky in a fall in September. I wore a splint for six weeks and thought that would be that. However, my middle, ring, and pinky fingers still have limited motion, even after physical therapy. So, today, my dd and I headed to the city for a CT scan of my hand. Hopefully, they’ll figure out why I still have swelling and a limited range of motion. It’s not causing me any big problems. I never typed with my ring and pinky fingers anyway. Still, it’s a pain and I’d like the swelling to go away.

After the appointment at the hospital, we masked up to hit a flea market. I mean, if we’re already out, why not? At least, so long as we’re taking the proper precautions (masking, social distancing, buckets of hand sanitizer). We returned home in the afternoon, and I just didn’t feel like looking at my computer. Not at all. I checked my phone a few times, but there are days when you just want to blow everything off, and this was one of them.

Tomorrow, I’ll be where I’m supposed to be—back at my desk. Although, I might kick off early to watch some cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie because…’tis the season and all. 

Genevive Chamblee: Get Caught Under the Mistletoe

With all that has been happening this year, I think everyone can use a little holiday cheer. If you’re interested in what it’s like to experience Christmas in the bayou (a.k.a., Louisiana) or missed my last week’s post, check out Papa Noël: Who Dat? Find out if you’re on the naughty or nice list and meet the gators.

Over my many years and dozens of Christmas parties, I’ve seen (and participated in) countless traditions. However, the one that I’ve heard and read about the most is one that I have never seen in practice—that is, kissing under the mistletoe. A couple of years ago was the first time I saw mistletoe in person. Well, kinda. See, I’d seen it before, but I didn’t know what it was. Turns out, there was plenty that I did not know about mistletoe. This was brought to the forefront when I began writing my short story “Valentine Mistletoe“ (published In Holiday Heartbreaker’s Cupid’s Bow Anthology), which is a holiday story with a twist. Since this is the season, I thought it would be fun to post some mistletoe trivia facts, and there’s no better place to start than the beginning…

The name “mistletoe” originates from the combination of two Anglo Saxon words—mistle and tan. The word mistle means a stick or a twig, while the word tan means—hold onto your socks—dung. That’s correct. Dung, as in poop, manure, excrement, caca. So, literally, mistletoe means poop on a stick. Now, that image doesn’t make me feel all warm and romantic, much less like kissing. Let’s move on, although, what I have to say next isn’t that much better.
Mistletoe is a flowering (or angiosperm) and parasitic plant. It is unable to live on its own and requires attaching itself, via a haustorium, to a host tree or shrub to feed off (extract carbon, nutrients, and water) in order for survival. For this reason, it does not grow on the ground and cannot be grown in a planter. Technically speaking, mistletoe can attach itself to any tree, however, it most commonly grows on apple, oak, and willow trees. I guess, one could say mistletoe has a preference.
Being parasitic makes mistletoe highly resilient because it does not have to compete with other rooted plants in soil for water or other necessary nutrients. This is also an adaptive quality, as mistletoe originated in the tropics, a place where, in general, the soil is filled with microorganisms but is poor in nutrition. Additionally, few birds eat mistletoe due to the color of the berries. Actually, most animals shy away from eating the berries as they can be poisonous in large amounts.
More than 1,500 species of mistletoe exist. However, what most people are likely familiar with is the European mistletoe known as Viscum album.
Another fact about mistletoe is that it has a gender. Yes, there are male and female mistletoes. Female mistletoe is what most people hang in their homes, as this is the one that has berries. Now, if I was less of a person and really tacky, I would point out the irony that the female mistletoe has balls and the male mistletoe does not.

One Mean Christmas Puzzle Contest!

I found this piece of art and thought what a wonderful puzzle it would make. Wonderfully hard, that is!

Play the Christmas Puzzle!

No prize offered! I think I have a huge enough list of un-won prizes below!

Flea Market Finds and Christmas Puzzle Contest!

I’m late posting today! My dd decided this morning that the family needed an “outing”. So, off to the flea market we went! We love going because, not only are we inveterate junkers, but the local flea market is open, well-ventilated, and no one’s ever there! The few who were there all stayed masked!

Anyway, this was my haul…

On the left is a decorative tin ($2). I plan to cut it up to make jewelry with the pieces! The plates are Fiesta ware and were only $1 apiece! We’re adding to our collection. The little box in front contains a vintage metal toy ($8). It has a key to wind it up, then it pecks as it walks. It’s heavy for being so small. It’s going on my desk! Those balls? They’re decorated tiny Christmas ornaments made into earrings. My dd and I are wearing them on Christmas day. Lastly, the jar is a vintage (1950s) powder jar ($10) with a swan on top of it. I collect those as well, so was thrilled to find it!

Christmas Puzzle Contest

Play the puzzle then tell me your favorite winter view for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

The post Flea Market Finds and Christmas Puzzle Contest! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Diana Cosby: My Favorite Inspiration from Nature Photos of 2020 (Contest)

©Diana Cosby 2020

Cooper’s Hawk

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

I love taking nature photos, it’s an enjoyable pastime, one that refills my muse.  Today I’d like to share some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken this year.  I hope you enjoy.

As I walk through the woods or along the marsh it’s always wonderful to come across deer. They’re beautiful and have such an amazing presence.

On rare occasions, I see foxes, which makes when I do see them, extra special.  This spring I had the honor of seeing a pair of foxes with their kit.

Baltimore Oriole

Bluebird

Cardinal

There is such a huge variety of birds where I live, I never know what I’m going to see.

Turkey

Turkey Vulture

Ruddy Turnstone

This year was the first time I saw a turkey in the wild and was able to get a photo.  A few weeks ago, a Turkey Vulture land in a tree near me.  They’re huge and this one had about a six-foot wingspan.  In addition to seeing my first ever Ruddy Turnstone, I had to share at least one photo of bees.

Anna M. Taylor: Do You Believe In Ghosts? (Contest)

I realize when I ask, “Do you believe in ghosts?” I’m really asking, “Do you think there’s anything stronger than the grave?” A Roman Catholic colleague of mine had someone ask her why she prayed to her dead grandmother. Her response was she didn’t believe death could kill all that love. No way was that connection gone. I agree with my friend. I believe love is stronger than the grave and that love wants to work to our benefit. That love is stronger than the evil often attributed to ghosts by the likes of Henry James and Edgar Allen Poe. Even phenomena like poltergeists are considered rare and tied to the unresolved issues of the living.

I was always attracted to the idea of friendly spirits who want to be helpful. Be they the ghosts from the TV show Topper or cartoons like Casper the Friendly Ghost. As a kid, my heart always broke for Casper when the kids he was playing with were dragged away from him by scared screaming parents. Maybe growing up in the turbulent ’60s and knowing people rejected people like me because of the color of my skin had me identify with Casper on a level I wasn’t aware of.

I know my belief in help from beyond the grave is firmly rooted in my belief in the resurrection. But I’m also sure my belief in helpful ghosts has been shored up by the various movie versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Published in 1843 as “A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas” Dickens had a similar themed story in his 1836 novel, The Pickwick Papers, entitled “The Goblins Who Stole A Sexton.” In that story a selfish sexton is visited by goblins who help him see the error of his ways much like the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future helped Ebenezer Scrooge see the light. Between you and me ghosts are much more appealing than goblins.

My interest in ghosts has led to loads of research about the parapsychology realm. For instance, I learned there are five types of ghosts: the interactive personality, ectoplasm, poltergeist, orbs and funnel ghosts. Who knew? Most stories naturally focus on the interactive personality, but I’m intrigued to learn more about the other four. I came across the Louisville Historic tours has some cool photos of each if you’d care to check them out: https://louisvillehistorictours.com/the-5-different-types-of-ghosts-with-photos. They’ve even got a video purporting to capture an orb: https://louisvillehistorictours.com/ghost–orbs.

It’s also nice to know I’m not alone in my interest in manifestations from the other world. I went to ParanormalSocieties.com and have discovered thirty-five paranormal societies I intend to check out here in New Mexico.

So how about you? Do you believe in ghosts as a quantifiable reality or the stuff of fantasy and wishful thinking? Share your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to give someone a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card. Hope your holidays have been merry and bright.

A Little In Love With Death

Ten years ago no one — not even the man who said he loved her — believed Sankofa Lawford’s claim she had been brutally attacked by a ghost. Ten years later an assault on a new victim brings her back to Harlem to a mother going mad, a brother at his wits’ end and a former love who wants a second chance. Sankofa longs for her family to be whole again, for love to be hers again, but not if she must relive the emotional pain created by memories of that night.

Mitchell Emerson is convinced science and reason can account for the ghostly happenings at Umoja House. He resolves to find an explanation that will not only satisfy him but earn back Sankofa’s trust and love. Instead, his own beliefs are shaken when he sees the ghost for himself.

Now reluctant allies, Mitchell and Sankofa learn her family was more than a little in love with death. Their search for the ghost draws them together but discovering sixty years of lies and secrets pulls them apart. As their hopes for happily ever after and dispersing the evil stalking Umoja House slip beyond their grasp, Mitchell and Sankofa find an unexpected source of help: the ghost itself.

Excerpt from A Little in Love with Death…

Mitchell swallowed hard. Ten years hadn’t lessened the effect of Sankofa’s beauty on him. Photos in various alumni newsletters showed the gray in hair that had once been charcoal, the roundness in a face that had once been slender, the tiredness in a gaze that had once been energetic. He’d expected his ex-lover’s effect on him to be just as diminished. His shoulders suddenly drooped, weighed down with the loss of what might have been.

Harlan Montgomery Jr. clapped Mitchell on the back.

“Here he is, Langston. I told you Mitch would respond to our S.O.S.” He peered into Wanda Lawford’s room, shuddered then addressed Langston again. “How’s Auntie doing?”

Langston shrugged and averted his gaze.

Sankofa crossed her arms and glared. “As well as can be expected.”

Mitchell cleared his throat. Ten years hadn’t changed how emotion colored the Lawford siblings’ light complexions. Embarrassment darkened Langston’s. Anger still set Sankofa’s ablaze.

Harlan smiled, unfazed by the hostility she poured on him. “It’s good to have you back in Harlem, Sankofa.”

Sankofa uncrossed her arms. “I’m not glad to be back.” She turned her sharp glare on Mitchell. “And I won’t be staying long.”

He touched the side of his face where her scowl scraped his cheek, half expecting to find blood. He remembered how her eyes sparkled like sunlight through honey when she smiled. He would receive no smiles this trip. And rightly so. She had no reason to be glad to see him.

Buylink:

https://amzn.to/3mGvWci

Anna M. Taylor website: https://annamtaylor.webs.com

Anna M. Taylor FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/annamtaylorAuthor

Anna M. Taylor Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Anna-M.-Taylor/e/B0894LFCTV?author-follow=B0894LFCTV&

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