Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 38
September 3, 2024
What’s coming soon! — Cover reveals!
I just wanted to jump in this morning and tell you about some stories coming your way! Two of the stories were published with major publishers a long time ago, and I’ve been revising them, readying them for you to read because I doubt very many of you have even heard of them. I know the Once Upon a Legend cover might look a little strange to you, but my heroine writes dime novels like some of the old paperback stories, filled with wildly exaggerated stories of Wild, Wild West. I love the cover because it looks a lot like one of those dime novel covers. It’s a fun, quirky, very sexy story. I hope you’ll give it a try! After that, I will release the last of the Delta Fire stories, Ignition, a new story to wrap up the series. And lastly, is the other revisited story, The Demon Lord’s Cloak, which is a fantasy/paranormal story set in medieval times. Again, very, very sexy.
There are pre-order links below, and you can read excerpts from the stories! So, sample away. I hope you’ll love them! Let me know what you think about the covers!
Once Upon a Legend
Pre-order your copy! | Read an excerpt!
Coming September 17th!
When budding author Prudence Vogel travels west to meet legendary lawman Jake White Eagle, she discovers he really is the tall, handsome hero of her novel. Flustered and out of her element, Prudence is determined to shadow the handsome sheriff to lend authenticity to her story.
While Jake certainly finds Prudence attractive, her constant presence is distracting. When things she has written seem to be coming true, he decides to get closer to see whether she’s part of a criminal enterprise he’s been trying to uncover.
Ignition
Pre-order your copy! | Read an Excerpt!
Coming October 1st!
Luke Harris is having a hard time fitting in with his new firehouse crew. He knows every time they see him, they think of the friend they lost in a horrific fire. As part of trying to build a relationship with the guys, he tags along one night when they’re letting off steam at their favorite club. What he finds there, shocks him to his toes. His new friends are members of a Memphis BDSM club.
While shocked, he’s also drawn to a D/s couple with exhibitionist tendencies who just so happen to be personal trainers in real life. So, when the fire department decides to improve the firehouses’ fitness, these two are contracted to provide physical training—in the station house. Anton and Britney make it clear from Day One that they have an ulterior motive for accepting the job—they want Luke. Now, everything he thought about himself and his sexuality is challenged.
The Demon Lord’s Cloak
Pre-order your copy! | Read an excerpt!
Coming November 12th!
After awakening in a castle, bound and at the mercy of her captor, Voletta has every reason to fear the mysterious man holding her in his arms. Instead, his brooding presence intrigues her, and his hard body excites her. However attracted she is, she must escape before he discovers her dark secret…but then she learns he has one of his own.
The post What’s coming soon! — Cover reveals! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.
September 2, 2024
Happy Labor Day! (Contest)
I am just popping in to say Happy Labor Day to all of you U.S. residents! It marks the unofficial end to summer and is a national holiday—so the kids are home for the day! We’re keeping it lowkey. The SIL is cooking burgers on the grill. Perhaps we’ll have a movie night (we’re thinking Fall Guy). We’re sticking close to home and to each other.
If you’re celebrating, what are your plans? If you’re not a U.S. resident, do you have a similar holiday? Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
The post Happy Labor Day! (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.September 1, 2024
Report Card & Open Contests
I skipped my usual end-of-month summation/plan yesterday. Who wants to recap the month from hell, right? Short-term goals are what I’m working on now, so I’ll just give you my weekly recap/plan to help me keep on track and let you know what’s up. Today, I feel focused/unfuzzy. That’s good. I even made a list of things I want to accomplish today. Lists are comforting to this former project manager. 
Last week…
I began chemo. It completely obliterated me for over five days. I know now that I can’t plan to accomplish a damn thing during my “chemo week.” Monday and Tuesday, not so bad. Wednesday and Thursday—gutting and exhausting. Friday, baby steps back. Saturday, take it easy, but get back to work slowly. I only have to do this every three weeks. Gah!I accomplished nothing, workwise.Other than on Monday, after chemo when I was still feeling a little bit of energy, there was no swimming. Pool season is now officially over for me. The water is too cool, and the weather has dumped a bunch of rain and leaves.My daughter, the girls, and my SIL have been awesome. They did everything for me, keeping me fed, watered, and keeping me company when I wanted it. I’m very, very lucky.This next week…
This week I’ll finally get the chemo port installed in my chest. I also have a blood draw so the doctor can monitor my progress.I have a new story I want to wrap up, Ignition . It’s the fourth and last book in the Delta Fire series. I moved the release date to October 1st.I’m working on editing for another author this week. I plan to finish by next weekend.I’ll be editing a story I’m republishing that no one has likely read. Hope you like Westerns with quirky humor, plenty of kink, and a hint of paranormal. Once Upon a Legend is up for pre-order now!Hopefully, I’ll get out of the house this week. I want to stretch my legs at the flea market. Start walking since I can’t swim.Open Contests
August 31, 2024
Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Signs of Fall…?
What with all my drama-drama, pool maintenance kind of fell by the wayside this past week. It’s been a lot for my dd and the girls to keep going. We had storms this week, and unless you’re right on top of the pool, cleaning out the leaves, brushing it, shocking it, etc., it starts to green up fast.
With cooler weather arriving this next week, I think this summer’s pool days are over. I had hoped for at least one more week when I felt good enough to get in the water (which is TODAY), but now, I’ll have to give up that dream. LOL—yeah, I’ll mourn the pool. I’m that devoted to my daily swims.
The good news is I feel more like my usual self today. I’ll still take it easy, but maybe I’ll actually wear real clothes instead of laying around in a nightgown. Progress!
So, for me, letting nature take its course with my pool is the first solid sign of Fall. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, what is it for you?
The post Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Signs of Fall…? first appeared on Delilah Devlin.August 30, 2024
Just an update…
Thank goodness I had guests lined up this week to post; otherwise, there would not have been any content posted. Today’s the first day I actually feel like placing my fingers on the keyboard.
Monday and Tuesday, I already talked about. That was the honeymoon period. Sure, I didn’t feel great with everything zinging through my veins, but I could handle it. Then…
Tuesday. That afternoon, my cheeks and neck got fiery hot. I talked to the nurse, and she said it could be an allergic reaction, so take some Benadryl. Which was lovely. I took it and took a long, long nap. Just after midnight, early Wednesday morning, was when the real shit hit me.
Every muscle and joint, from my pelvic floor to the tips of my toes, hurt. I couldn’t sit still. I had to constantly rock or shake my feet. For the first 24 hours of that, I didn’t get even so much as a catnap. I relented and took some Hydro and got four hours of sleep, which was helpful, but I remained pretty dazed and uncomfortable throughout Thursday.
It’s Friday now, and it’s better, but all I want to do is steal naps all day long. I get up and shuffle around, then head back to bed. I’m trying to stay away from the Hydro and only use it at night so I can get back to a regular sleep routine. There’s only been light nausea, so that’s good, I guess.
It would be hilarious if I weren’t so miserable how I thought I could plan out my chemo and recovery days. I thought I was giving myself a very generous five days to get back to work. It’s actually blocked out on my calendar like that.
The family has been amazing. They check on me and bring me meals and drinks. It’s up to me to fight this thing, so now that I know, I have to “woman up.” I can do this. I’ll figure out the rhythm and how my body reacts. I’ll figure out what works when I’m tired and cranky because I can’t accept any pity parties from me. What purpose do they serve?
Hope this all makes sense. I’m just journaling at this point, getting it down so I’ll be able to compare it to what comes next. I watched Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, Season 1. I didn’t like it, but that could be grumpy me.
I wish everyone health and happiness—and much, much love.
The post Just an update… first appeared on Delilah Devlin.August 29, 2024
Krysten Lindsay Hager: Top 10 Favorite TV Shows to Escape With (Series FREE in KU!)
When the going gets rough the tough…well, I don’t know what the tough do, but I tend to turn to my TV for some binge-worthy TV shows. Sure, I have other coping mechanisms that are a bit healthier, but sometimes you just need a good show to escape into. Here are 10 of my tried-and-true favorite shows when I need an escape in no particular order.
Being Erica : One of my all-time favorite shows. It has a character who gets to go back in time to re-do different moments in her life, but the results aren’t what she expects. Erica learns a lot and the show is so well done. Geek Girl : I had so many people message/email me about this one because of my young adult Cecily Taylor Series where Cecily models and acts and dates her favorite pop star. Naturally I had to check it out and if you like mu Cecily books then you will like this one, too. Only Murders in the Building : It’s one of those shows that appeals to a lot of different people/demographics making it one of the few shows you’re chatting about each week with people. It reminds me of back in the day when people would go to school or work and talk about what they watched the night before. It’s fun seeing who everyone thinks is the killer each season. The Summer I Turned Pretty : I write YA contemporary romances, so I was eager to see this one. The Mary Tyler Moore Show : Does it get any better than this one? Everyone is perfectly cast and I notice something different about it each time. I interned at a couple TV stations and it’s why my book Falling for a Star in the City is set in a TV station. American Dad : Few shows crack me up like this one. Roger the alien and Stan Smith never fail to make me laugh at my worst moments. When my dad passed away, it was this show that got me through those dark nights. Shadrach : A sweet family show when you want something cozy and calming to watch. It’s about a family that moves from the big city to the country when the father loses his company. A preteen girl narrates it and you see her and her family adjust to moving to the country where her grandparents live. I did a podcast where we interviewed one of the actors, Greg Allan Martin, on the show. You can listen to it here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gmphN51Yo1aJ4I7unDnW8 Bob’s Burgers : A sweet family show with humor and heart. This is a great choice when you don’t want anything too high stakes to make you anxious. The Great North is also a good choice for this. Heartland : Set on a horse ranch, it’s a great family show in a peaceful setting. The Hardy Boys (the newer version on Hulu): This updated version of the Hardy Boys is so good. I love how the incorporate the readers of the series from different generations by adding in the diner with milkshakes and ice cream sodas, the colors and feel of the seventies and eighties and the plot keeps you riveted.Hope you enjoyed my list. I’d love to hear some of your favorite shows, too. Add them in the comments.
If you like shows and books that help you escape during a tough time, you might like my Cecily Taylor Series about a high school girl who gets a chance to have her dreams come true when she ends up an extra in her favorite singer/songwriter Andrew Holiday’s music video. From there, she begins an acting and modeling career as well as dating the singer, but she soon sees what a different world Andrew lives in. Can two teens from different worlds make it work? Check out this three book series that’s free in Kindle Unlimited.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Can-Dreams-Come-True-Cecily-ebook/dp/B09VYS5G3S
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Dreams-Come-True-Cecily-ebook/dp/B09VYS5G3S/
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Can-Dreams-Come-True-Cecily-ebook/dp/B09VYS5G3S
Amazon CAN: https://www.amazon.ca/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager/e/B00L2JC9P2
Amazon GER: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B09VYS5G3S
Krysten is an author, blogger, and podcast guest host for Michigan Avenue Media. She writes about friendship, dating, self-esteem, fitting in, fame, and values. Her work includes YA contemporary books, new adult, and middle grade fiction. Krysten’s book, Cecily in the City, won the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Award for best young adult romance. Her debut novel, True Colors, won the Readers’ Favorite award for best preteen book as well as the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for children/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Finalist. Best Friends…Forever? is a 2019 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner. Landry in Like is a Literary Classics Gold Medal recipient and a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal Winner. Can Dreams Come True and True Colors are both Wishing Book Shelf Finalists. She received her BA in English and master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint.
Krysten’s work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News and on Living Dayton. She is a frequent guest host on the Michigan Avenue Media podcast.
Website: www.krystenlindsay.com
The post Krysten Lindsay Hager: Top 10 Favorite TV Shows to Escape With (Series FREE in KU!) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.August 28, 2024
Gabbi Grey: A Little Risqué (Contest)
Hello Delilah and thank you for hosting me!
When I partook in Tea with Austen, the charity anthology last year, I was super trepidatious about moving into the realm of writing historical. Especially Regency, for which I had only the movies I’d watched to guide me (and having read Pride and Prejudice in my first year of university—so long ago that I won’t mention years…). My story in the anthology was of two seafaring sailors on Captain Wentworth’s ship. One received news of an inheritance that set his life on a different trajectory than the one he’d planned. At the Captain’s suggestion, he brought along another sailor—a mentor of sorts (as well as a secret lover)—with him. I love An Uncommon Gentleman, and when the rights reverted, I added an epilogue and recorded the audio with the amazing Michael Ferraiuolo narrating.
When I heard the wonderful anthology folks were doing a second Austen anthology, I signed up right away—and then panicked because I had no idea what I’d do next. Persuasion is my favorite book—even though I hadn’t read it until the time came to write my story last year. The movie with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root is one of my all-time favorites and ones released in the years since don’t touch it as far as I’m concerned.
Okay…so this year… I tapped Plot Whisperer, who is a HUGE Austen fan. After she thought for a bit, she came up with a story that connects with Robert Ferrars. He has a minor role in Sense and Sensibility, but an important one as he winds up marrying his brother’s former fiancée—Miss Lucy Steele. He’s described by Austen as a coxcomb. Who better for my story than a dissolute young Lord whose friends with said coxcomb? Oh my God, I had so much fun preparing to write this story, especially after watching Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet, Greg Wise, and the late Alan Rickman (isn’t he fabulous?) in my favorite movie version. I also watched the BBC mini-series of the story, which helped because the character of Robert appears in more scenes in that production.
I had my set up. Plot Whisperer whispered a fabulous plot—which includes a valet taking a hand to the dissolute young Lord in my story. Another interracial gay romance. Another fun Lord and Valet story. More fodder for my readers and a way to pull readers of gay romance into Austen world and a way to pull fans of Austen into the world of gay romance. Just to give you an idea, the stories in the anthology go from sweetest to, uh, raunchiest. (Or just sexiest…) With my BDSM and gay sex, I landed at the end of the tome. Quelle surprise.
Anyway, I hope readers check out the charity anthology—available in both Kindle Unlimited and Amazon.
Thank you for hosting me, Delilah! As a thank you to one lucky commenter, I’d love to give an ebook or audiobook copy of An Uncommon Gentleman to the comment “Random” chooses. If that winner doesn’t want that prize, I can arrange something else from my back catalogue from any of my three pennames. Good luck!
Tea with Austen: A Historical Romance Collection for Charity Inspired by Jane Austen
About Gabbi’s “A Sensible Gentleman“ inside Tea with Austen
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that any hot-blooded reader must be in need of a hero in a wet white shirt…
Grab your fans and parasols and join our party of Austen-inspired ladies and gentlemen for tea, scones, and the latest on-dit, in this collection with part of the proceeds going to Breast Cancer Research.
Authors:
Heather Scarlett
Jeanine Lauren
Carrie DiRisio
Sharon Michalove
Angela Kady
Frannie Holmes
Riana Everly
Diana Lloyd
Emma Brady
Gabbi Grey
Kathleen Ryder
Cecilia Rene
Bianca White
Clyve Rose
Lisabel Chretien
Grace Hartwell
MaryAnn Clarke
The anthology will only be available for a limited time.
Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/tnrc2024teawithausten
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CR43CGK2
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204445471-tea-with-austen
Kenneth
As the heir, I have always done whatever I please. My conquests are legendary, and my concern for others negligible. When I meet our new servant, though, I discover someone who won’t bow to my whims. I will admit, I’m intrigued.
Walter
As the new valet in the household, I am aware of my precarious position. Still, work isn’t everything. When I meet the son of the manor, a demanding brat, I set aside my concern for my employment to teach the young man a lesson about respecting those around him.
A Sensible Gentleman is a 10k-word graphic and racy gay romance Regency short story set in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility world, with a headstrong young brat and the valet happy to put him in his place.
Warning: explicit consensual sexual content
About Gabbi Grey
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.
The post Gabbi Grey: A Little Risqué (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.August 27, 2024
First Chemo Session Down! And the Gloves…
Some of you have asked me to post about my journey. This first post is long. Sorry about that. But the end will make it worth it, I think…
Yesterday was my first chemo day. I arrived at 8:30 in the morning, and I was the last patient checked out at 3:00 in the afternoon. An hour of it was meeting with the doctor, because he likes to check in with you when you begin and answer any questions you have. He monitored me throughout the day to see how my chemo was going. The techs took my stats. Then I headed down to the treatment room. There were five chairs, all mismatched, all different colors and conditions. This treatment room is only used on Mondays by clinic workers that come from their main hub in Hot Springs to help out their patients in Arkadelphia. So, I could have cushier accommodations if I was willing to make the drive, but this is so convenient I’m grateful. I chose one of the two fully functioning chairs and waited as they put in an IV because my chemo port isn’t yet installed.
The boring part—all the meds!They started a saline drip then disappeared to bring in a multitude of bags they’d be changing in and out throughout the day. They gave me Benedryl for any allergic reactions, something to reduce stomach acid/reflux, steroids, something else (no clue), and I was feeling pretty good. The Bendryl made me feel sleepy so the first hour and an half I dozed happily in and out. Then came the biggie, a 2.5-hour drip of a cancer med, Taxol. As soon as it hit my arm, it burned. I asked if that was normal, the tech frowned, undid the drip and rinsed it out then reapplied it, just to make sure everything was going into my arm the way it was supposed to. The burn was still there, but not as strong, and it warmed up my arm as it shot through my body. Inside a minute, I felt it at the back of my throat. It was acidy, metallic, and just in general tasted like battery acid. After that, they put in the second cancer med, Carboplatin, for another 30-minute drip, followed at last by Jemperli, a monoclonal antibody/immunotherapy drug.
More interesting part… I guessWhen I arrived in my treatment room, there was only one other person there. He looked to be in his 70s and had a long, Duck-Dynasty beard. He was very chatty. Very. He asked me where I was from because I didn’t talk like him. I told him I was an Air Force brat who joined the Army. Since I ended up in Arkadelphia, he thought I must be all right then. He told me all about his cancer journey and how he’d been told he wouldn’t live very many months, but he’s seven years into his treatment, and God cured him. He knew exactly when it happened. The preacher prayed over him, and he felt his light sweep inside him. The following week when he returned for a checkup, the bloodwork showed that the cancer in his bone marrow was completely gone. His treatment was very short. I’m thinking he is on immunotherapy now for maintenance. Before he left, he asked if he could pray over me. Now, I’m not religious, I’m spiritual and I’m open-minded. I told him I would appreciate it. He gave me a prayer that was warm and personal, asked for God or the drugs to cure me like they had him, and I smiled afterward and thanked him. As soon as he left, I could see some others filtering into the room, so I grabbed my headphones.
I am an introvert. A hermit. That one conversation “peopled” me out. I spent the rest of the day listening to music or scrolling through Twitter (I refuse to call it X). Wi-Fi inside that building sucked, so I really regretted not pre-downloading a movie and a book, given how much time I had in that chair. The only exercise I got were short walks to the toilet.
I got bored and hungry and didn’t want my snacks. So, I messaged my daughter around lunchtime, and she drove back into town to bring Wendy’s spicy chicken sandwiches and drinks. We enjoyed spending the time together—and she had made me promise to call her if I needed anything. So, I didn’t feel one bit guilty about it. One nice thing was that we got to witness a patient ringing her bell to symbolize that she had beat her cancer. It turns out, my daughter knows her, and was really happy to witness that. There were lots of smiles and clapping. And wistful sighs.
When my Taxol (the kickass cancer drug) was running through me, I got very, very hot. I noted that the other had blankets on, and I was regretting wearing sweatpants because I was roasting. The tech brought me wet paper towels to cool my face, and I sucked down bottles of water. I was scared to death I wasn’t reacting well to the chemo and that they’d have to rejigger my plan.
An hour later, I heard the tech in the hallway say, “Hey, the thermostat says it’s 81-degrees in here!” When he came back inside, he gave me a lopsided smile. “That wasn’t just you.” Whew.
By the time I was done with the drugs, I was done for the day, or so I thought. My daughter was in the school line, waiting to pick up kids, so I had to wait outside for a few minutes after they locked up the clinic to transfer all their equipment and load up for the trek back to Hot Springs. I’m sure I could have waited inside, but I was eager to be OUT.
AftermathI was so happy to be home, sitting in the AC, hearing my noisy family and dogs. I sat for a little while, trying to get motivated to head downstairs to my apartment. I have an office, my living-bed area, and my art room downstairs. I like it there. When I need to work or have some quiet time, I retreat there. I have only my cat and the two bunnies in the art room. They don’t make much noise.
I changed out of my sweats into my nightgown and just laid down to take a nap in my cool sheets when the 15-year-old stuck her head in the door. “Hey, Nina, I don’t want to bother you, but you did say to nag you about the pool…”
I had issued orders that, while it was still warm enough, I wasn’t going to miss a day in the pool, no matter how much I might grouse about fatigue or whatever. I grumbled but told her to give me five. So, five minutes later, I was back upstairs, shuffling outside to the pool, thinking I would only last a few minutes before I’d have to head back to bed because chemo sucked the juice out of me.
An hour later, I reluctantly left the pool and headed to the shower, feeling completely rejuvenated. I didn’t go straight to bed. Instead, I ate Domino’s Pizza with the family talking about their days. Completely normal.
So, Day One wasn’t so bad—just overlong. The key is HEADPHONES. Kill the time with something that interests me, so I don’t count the 30-minute drip bags. I know Wednesday is supposedly hell-day for the nausea and fatigue, but I’m ready for it.
The PictureAround 10:00 last night, when I was finally ready to sleep, the 15-year-old poked her head in the door again. She asked if she could give me something. I waved her in and sat on the edge of the bed.
She was carrying that bear. I barely remembered it. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that she’s the girl who’s had cancer three times in her leg. Her shin bone had to be replaced with a cadaver bone, and her own marrow was encouraged to grow and fill it. She’s been cancer-free for several years now with some nodules they keep an eye on, but she held onto her cancer bear. She apologized that there are worn spots on its it shoes and fur, because she rubbed the bear whenever she couldn’t sleep when she was scared. She wanted me to have it. Her mom followed her inside the room and went to the bag of goodies the clinic had given me as a welcome gift. One of the gifts were the “fighting pretty” gloves in my cancer’s pretty teal color. She carried the bear and the gloves to my desk, took the picture, and said they were to stay on my desk until I’m cured or in remission.
Sorry this was so long. But I thought I’d share some details for anyone else who might be facing this or know someone who is. Just keeping it real.
The post First Chemo Session Down! And the Gloves… first appeared on Delilah Devlin.August 26, 2024
Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Hannah Bond – The First African American Female Novelist (Contest)
Hannah Bond is believed to have been born in the 1830s in Bertie County, North Carolina. She was owned by a number of families before finally being purchased by John Hill Wheeler of Murfreesboro. Wheeler was a congressman and a writer. Scholars used primary sources like oral histories, public records, diaries and even an almanac to prove Hannah Bond/Crafts’ identity as a slave in Wheeler’s household. Another source of proof used is the fact that Hannah’s novel quotes from books by Charles Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, and Walter Scott found in Wheeler’s library. An excellent article detailing the extensive work done to substantiate the events of Hannah’s life can be found here: https://www.publicradioeast.org/pre-news/2023-12-06/a-quest-to-find-the-nations-first-black-female-novelist.
She escaped from slavery disguised as a white boy in 1857, using men’s clothing given to her by Wheeler’s nephew. She first arrived North and stayed on a farm in upstate New York. Eventually, Hannah moved to New Jersey where she became a schoolteacher. She was found listed in the 1870 and 1880 census married to Thomas Vincent, a minister.
Hannah took the penname Hannah Crafts under which she wrote The Bondwoman’s Narrative, Fugitive Slave from North Carolina. Her novel tells the story of a mixed-race enslaved woman who escapes to the North and gains freedom. While the novel includes many factual events, some autobiographical, unlike Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Hannah’s story is a work of fiction.
The manuscript is believed to have been written between 1855 and 1869. In 2001, it was purchased at a Black memorabilia auction by historian and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for $8500. Gates shared in a CSPAN interview his was the only bid on the unpublished, handwritten manuscript. He explained that obtaining a manuscript from that era is rare even for published works because usually once finished with an author’s manuscript printers threw the originals away. You can view the interview here: Washington Journal interview with Henry Louis Gates on The Bondswoman’s Narrative, April 18, 2002, C-SPAN.
Professor Gregg Hecimovich of Furman University was one of the scholars who worked on confirming the events of Hannah’s life. His biography, The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the best ten books of 2023. This year it won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography.
Today, many authors grumble about how long it takes a book to be traditionally published. Their complaints have nothing on the 150-year journey it took to bring Hannah Bond writing as Hannah Craft’s novel to print. I never ceased to be amazed by the resilience of African American women in the 19th century determined not only to survive but thrive against a society equally determined to oppress them.
For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, share your thoughts in the comments.
“Her Heavenly Phantom” by Michal Scott
Order eBook
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Forced into a marriage of convenience neither wants, a mild-mannered banker with an intriguing secret discovers his reluctant bride has a secret, too.
An excerpt from “Her Heavenly Phantom”
Harold scanned his dressing room table. “Speaking of missing.”
“You won’t find a letter tonight,” Michael said.
A pang throbbed in Harold’s chest. Where was the air in this damned room? “What do you mean?”
“Your lady of the balcony only just arrived at intermission. Maybe she’ll leave you one when you return.” Michael closed the calendar and stood. “I wonder why she lurks behind that Mardi Gras mask of hers.”
“The manager of The Phantom doesn’t understand that his client isn’t the only one who needs to hide his identity from the outside world?”
Harold leapt at the knock on the door. His spirit danced as the boy put the familiar notepaper in his hand. He shoved a coin in the boy’s palm then shooed him and Michael away.
Joy! Rapture! Her latest words would keep this Good Friday wedding night from being cold and lifeless as the tomb in which Jesus had been laid.
He held the paper to his nostrils, inhaled the sweet lilac aroma of her perfume, imagined the fingers penning her latest words in that beautiful Spencerian script. He wouldn’t open it now. No. Gratification delayed would be gratification enhanced. He’d wait until the darkness of his bedroom enveloped him, until the warmth of his hand stroked his cock to hardness, until the seduction of her words made him come and come and come.
The post Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Hannah Bond – The First African American Female Novelist (Contest) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.August 25, 2024
Report Card & Open Contests
Just a quick note before I bore you with my accomplishments and plans… A few folks out there have generously offered to make me “chemo hats.” I appreciate you more than you know. You asked for my head size, so I took some yarn and wrapped it around the biggest part of my melon, then measured it against a yardstick. It’s 22 inches or 56 cm. If you do make me a hat, you can email me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com to request my mailing address. Thank you.
Report Card
Last week…
The big thing that happened last week, happened on Monday, and kind of put a shadow over the rest of the week. I finally got my cancer diagnosis, and it took a while for that to sink in. The family was sad. I tried not to be sad. I let that shadow sit for a couple of days, then started in with the bald jokes. We have a plan now. Some hope. We’re marching forward, no more tears.I completed edits for one author.I set up pre-orders for books I’m republishing that first appeared in anthologies no on has read. One’s a western. The other is a medieval fantasy. Both are sexy as hell. I have my sister working on the covers now.I pushed the release of Ignition off by a month. I am going to cancel the release of Built Like Mack because, honestly, I don’t know when I’ll be able to write it. Writing takes stamina.There was no swimming last week. I couldn’t after the incision for the biopsy. Then the family let the pool maintenance slide just a bit (they were a tad distracted with me and the start of school) and we have a touch of algae, so that has to be battled before I can get back into the pool.My daughter and SIL have been awesome. They bought me a lift chair. You know, one of those recliners that has a motor and helps you up and down out of your seat. I never knew I needed one until the first time I used it. They also moved a bunch of furniture to make room for it.This next week…
I begin chemo on Monday. I’ve read tons about the side effects. Seems it hits people differently. I expect fatigue and nausea. I hope it passes quickly. For now, I’m blocking out the week of chemo for any heavy work until I figure out how it hits me. I already have my chemo bag packed: blanket, headphones, chargers, snacks, etc. Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions of what I should bring.I will begin some light editing, meaning not many pages a day, for another author.Hopefully, I’ll get to swim some this week, if I feel well enough.I have no big goals for the week, as you can see, other than get through my first treatment. I’ll let you know how I’m doing. Apparently, there are some folks out there who like reading the details (they’ve told me so). And since I can’t stop my fingers from vomiting my life here, you’re going to know all about it.Open ContestsOn the Delilah’s Collections website!
