No judging. This is a practice piece. I’m trying to learn to use my oil pastels, and this was one I did in the middle of the night last night when I couldn’t sleep with minimal lighting. I think it turned out pretty good considering I had no idea what I was doing! 🙂

Anyway, living in a rural area, Spring comes in waves. First the flowering bushes (forsythia, japonica) then the flowering trees (dogwood, red bud). Then the wildflowers pop up in the pasture and yard. My daughter and SIL have gotten into the habit of mowing around the areas they know will bloom with lovely wildflowers. Our favorite blooms are the crimson clover that come up in the ditch beside the road and the edges of the fenced-in yard. My SIL kind of rolls his eyes because he sees them all as weeds, but we try to keep the dandelions and wildflowers (his weeds) alive long enough the bees can get to them before they go to seed. We don’t worry about perfect grass or anything like that. Nature’s blooms are beautiful.

Anyway, that’s today’s puzzle theme—wildflowers. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me what kinds of natural wildflowers bloom in your area this time of the year. Do you treat them like weeds or adore them like my daughter and I do?

I love doing flashback highlights! It’s not only a reminder to you but also to me of the many stories I’ve written. Did you know before I wrote bounty hunters that I had this entire series of SEAL-hero stories? Read an excerpt from the second “Uncharted” book!

Enjoy! ~DD

   

   

   

Click on the covers to learn more about these stories!

Contest

Win your choice of one of my Uncharted SEALs stories! There will be 2 winners! All you have to do to enter is answer me this…

What author’s older series have your recently discovered and devoured? Spread some love!

Her Next Breath

Ex-SEAL Jackson Keller’s first mission with the Charter Group’s spec ops unit is a bust. Instead of capturing a drug lord in his Mexican compound, he finds a beautiful, naked woman. But she may have information they need to nail the narco-terrorist, so he takes her, sealing his fate. She’s his to watch, his to “manage” until the op’s done.

Suri McAnally’s made some mistakes—mainly trusting her college roomie who just so happens to be the son of one of Mexico’s most dangerous drug lords. If Jackson can save her, she’ll do whatever he says, mirror his moves, and try to keep her insta-lust under control. Her next breath depends on it.

Excerpt from Her Next Breath…

When Suri awoke, it was to discover she was resting inside the curve of Jackson’s arm, her thigh draped over his, her head on his chest. She didn’t know who’d moved the blanket. Maybe they’d both naturally gravitated together. She hated to think she might have been the one to cross the line demarking their personal space.

Partly because she didn’t want to wake him, and partly because it was a new experience lying inside a man’s embrace, she held her breath and remained perfectly still. She breathed in his scent, which was a sagey musk combined with the remaining odor of the paint he’d worn on his face. His skin was smooth, warm, tanned and cloaked a hard, very muscular frame. Her fingertips tingled, and she very nearly gave into the temptation to run one tip over his hard abs. Instead, she curled her hand into a fist.

Last night when she’d seen him fully for the first time—without the paint, his body nearly nude—she’d felt her knees wobble. He was devastatingly handsome, not in a pretty-boy way. He was too manly, too large, all hard angles and lovely bulges, with short, nearly dark-brown hair and those cloudy gray eyes. Even the stubble on his chin made her thighs clench.

Suri hoped she didn’t sleep beside him for many more nights or she’d grow accustomed to his physique. Any man she met after this little adventure would pale in comparison.

Her glance traveled downward to the sheet barely covering his hips. Maybe it was the fold of the sheets, but the fabric was tented.

“Playing possum?”

She raised her head and met his gaze, blushing because she’d been caught staring at his sex.

“Didn’t want to disturb you.”

“You’re breathing, aren’t you?” he muttered in a graveled tone.

She frowned, not understanding, and then pushed away from his body although she instantly regretted the loss of his warmth. When she’d first awoken, she’d felt sheltered, safe—and not just from Diego and his henchmen. She’d felt…cherished.

Ridiculous, she knew. And slightly pathetic. Was she really so needy for human connection that she was romanticizing over Jackson?

But in the morning light, his face wasn’t quite so hard-bitten. Scruffy, dark bristles covered his chin and jaw; his gaze rested on her rather than spearing her.

His glance cut away, and he looked at his watch. “Chow’s nearly over. We should dress.”

“I’m starved.”

The corners of his mouth twitched.

His first smile?

And then his features grew remote again, his mouth firmed. “Get dressed. I need to check in with Teague.”

Aware his gaze followed her still, she rose and stretched her arms high, and then headed to her pillow case.

“You do that on purpose, don’t you?”

She aimed a grin over her shoulder. “Why, whatever do you mean?”

His gaze narrowed, but a one-sided smile curved.

Feeling as though she’d accomplished something noteworthy, she entered the bathroom, closing the door against the temptation that was Jackson Keller.

I’m sharing my happy place in a puzzle with you today! I’ve been recovering at home, building up my stamina to sit at my desk to work, and painting again! I thought it might be fun to share some of those small paintings in today’s memory game. So, exercise that gray matter, solve the puzzle, then think about what you might want to share if you were putting together a memory puzzle. Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Hello, Delilah! Thank you for welcoming me here to share my new release! Archer’s Awakening is a short story in my Love in Mission City world.  I’m super excited about this short story (10k) because it’s a bit of a departure from what I’ve been writing.

In what way, you ask?  Well…firstly, it’s a love story in the Mission City series, which is small-town.  Yet the protagonist — Archer — is a big city divorce lawyer, and the setting is The Georgian Hotel in Vancouver, Canada (based on a real place, but not that place).  At least for the first two-thirds of the story, it’s not clear where the connection to Mission City is.  I trust my readers to hang in there until the reveal — because it comes.

This book is also steamy, but not in a traditional Gabbi Grey way. Curious? You’ll have to read because I don’t want to give any spoilers away.

I’m trying something new as I move forward in my Love in Mission City series — a small prequel short story before each big book.  The short stories are in no way necessary reading — but they offer a little snippet between big books to keep readers interested.  The first was Rayne Check.  That one was unintentional — I wrote it for a friend and to give away.  Then I wrote Rayne’s Return.  A reader can read that full-length book without the prequel — but having read the steamy short helps.

Which brought me to the next big book, Gideon’s Gratitude (coming in July).  I’ll share the genesis of that story later, but it’s been written for years.  I just needed to find the right spot for it.  After Rayne’s Return is perfect! Except…I couldn’t put anything in Rayne’s Return to help prepare readers for Gideon and Archer’s love story.

Hence, Archer’s Awakening.

Confused? Yeah, me too.  I’d plotted out the next four big books and, in the end, decided each needed a super short, super-hot prequel.

Unlike Rayne and Everett’s half-a-night stand in the prequel for their story, Archer and Gideon have to meet in chapter one of their book — it’s the ultimate meet cute.  So that left me with finding a way to whet reader’s appetites.  I truly hope I’ve managed.

Finally, Archer is bisexual.  That’s not a big deal in my fictional world — plenty of men and women are.  I know several in my own life, and I want to see their stories represented.  Archer’s coming out of what turned out to be a bad marriage. That stings because he’s a divorce lawyer — he can’t believe he’s become one of the people who couldn’t hold things together.

In an attempt to move forward, he’s going back to what is comfortable — he had a gay lover in college, and he’s willing to try again.  The trick for me as a writer? It has to be clear the guy Archer (sort of) hooks up with isn’t his happily ever after.  And readers can’t be disappointed the guy isn’t.  That’s threading a needle. I hope I’ve done it.

Anyway, that is my explanation about how Archer’s Awakening came to be.  I love the cover my designer made for me. (I’m thrilled with all the work she’s done for me.)  I hope readers enjoy this steamy short and that it makes them want Gideon’s Gratitude all the more!

As a thank you to your readers, Delilah, I want to give a copy of Archer’s Awakening and a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one commenter.  How likely are you to grab a short story if it’s connected to a series you love?  Do you enjoy these vignettes into the world or do you just want the next full-length novel.  Leave a comment and let me know!  Random will pick a winner.

Archer’s Awakening

Archer

I’ve spent the last fifteen years becoming the most sought-after divorce attorney in Vancouver. I use every hidden fact and every psychological trick to protect my clients and get the best settlements possible. I have a wait-list for my services a mile long.

Ironically, I didn’t see my own divorce coming. My wife cheated on me, and now I’m alone. As long as I’m rebuilding my life, this is the time to explore the bisexual side I’ve shelved since college. And hell yeah, I do like men, but the idea of one-night stands leaves me feeling empty. Might the right person still be out there for me? Should I go back to dating women?

I just don’t know.

Archer’s Awakening is a 10k steamy gay romance short story about a man on the precipice of a new life yet struggling to leave his old life behind.

Links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Archers-Awakening-Mission-Short-Story-ebook/dp/B0DZ3NQNY1
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/archer-s-awakening
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/archers-awakening-gabbi-grey/1147281840
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/archers-awakening/id6744618670
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gabbi_Grey_Archer_s_Awakening?id=uYFVEQAAQBAJ&gl=US
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1747321
Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/ArchersAwakening

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

BURN:  A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Deadline Extended: June 15, 2025

BURN is open to all authors.

Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for stories for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled BURN:  A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY.

Why write a short story for this collection? Well, it’s certainly not about making a lot of money, so why do it at all? I’ve said this before, many times, but here are my thoughts…

Writing a short story for a call for submissions is a chance to flex your writing muscles! It can be a chance to experiment with a genre you’ve never written. If you’ve never written a story in first person but don’t want to begin by writing an entire novel using it, start short! For myself, I’ve written stories in new genres or with fresh themes that ended up being so much fun to write they’ve spawned entire series of books.

You have a deadline! I don’t know about you, but I have trouble keeping my butt in the chair without one!

It’s a promotional opportunity! If selected, you’ll be joined by 12-15 other authors for the launch, sharing your audiences and, hopefully, picking up new readers along the way. Having your story in the collection is another chance to be “seen.”

And remember, you retain the rights to your story, so you can republish it for individual sale or give it away to attract subscribers to your newsletter. You might even decide there’s more story to tell and expand your short story into a novel.

Here’s what I’m looking for…

BURN: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY will include stories that satisfy the reader who craves stories about those sexy, alpha men who face danger without hesitation and who love unconditionally. Perhaps, he’s the new firefighter in a small town who rescues a woman from a burning building. Maybe he’s an arson investigator, hunting for a predator targeting a local business owner. Or a vulcanologist studying an awakening volcano. Is he an alien from a fiery planet seeking a mate, or an astronaut searching in a mysterious solar system for a new home for colonization? Could he be a fire dragon living in the human world? There are so many ways to go.

BURN will seek stories with varied settings here on Earth—present, past, or future—or on another planet or moon in this solar system or in a galaxy far, far, away.  Heroes and heroines might be more than human—supernatural creatures or even aliens and cyborgs.

I’m open to any subgenre of erotic romance you want to write. I’ll accept contemporary, historical, science fiction, or paranormal stories, and I won’t be picky about whether the stories are hetero, LGBT, ménage… Basically, you, the author, can go anywhere your imagination takes you so long as 1) the story is a romance, and 2) you have a bad boy/girl somewhere on the pages!

The anthology will be sold at a low price—my intent is exposure for you and your writing. The more readers reached, the better! You will retain the rights to your story so that, at a later date, you can republish your stories individually.

I’m seeking hot and inventive stories from authors with unique voices, and above all, I’m looking to be seduced by tales filled with vivid imagery and passion.

Published authors with an established world may use that setting for their original short stories.

This is erotic romance, so don’t hold back on the heat. Stories can be vanilla or filled with kink but don’t miss describing the romantic connection between strong-willed individuals learning to trust and love one another. A deep sensuality should linger in every word. Keep in mind that there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters, and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please, no reprints. I want original stories.

How to submit: Prepare your 2,500 to 5,500 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12-point, black font, Word document (.doc or .docx) OR rich text format (.rtf), with pages numbered. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing; do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). U.S. grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.

In your document at the top left of the first page, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, email address, and a 50-word or less biography, written in the third person, and send to bbbaburn@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Authors may submit up to 2 stories. I will try to respond no later than August 15, 2025, with decisions.

Payment will be USD 25.00 ninety days after publication at the end of that month.

Who is Delilah Devlin?

Delilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romance and erotic romance. She has published over two hundred stories in multiple genres and lengths and has been published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Entangled, Grand Central, Harlequin Spice, HarperCollins: Mischief, Kensington, Kindle, Montlake, Penthouse, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.

Her short stories have appeared in multiple Cleis Press collections, including Lesbian Cowboys, Girl Crush, Fairy Tale Lust, Lesbian Lust, Passion, Lesbian Cops, Dream Lover, Carnal Machines, Best Erotic Romance (2012), Suite Encounters, Girl Fever, Girls Who Score, Duty and Desire, Best Lesbian Romance of 2013, and On Fire. For Cleis Press, she edited Girls Who Bite, She Shifters, Cowboy Lust, Smokin’ Hot Firemen, High Octane Heroes, Cowboy Heat, Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors, and Sex Objects.

She has also edited Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance, Rogues: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Blue Collar: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Stranded: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Silver Soldiers: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, and Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology.

Direct any questions regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at bbbaburn@gmail.com.

SAMAEL is the first book in the Blackwell Brothers’ Redemption trilogy, featuring three brothers with a very interesting job—they’re reapers.

Being the sons of the Grim Reaper comes with expectations, and their father is not happy at how they’ve been conducting business. He’s given them each an ultimatum— learn to reap with compassion and do the job to his standards or face eternal exile. Stranded in the town of Redemption with limited powers and money and no way to communicate with the outside, they’ll all play the game, reap the soul, and return to their normal lives. It’s a straightforward plan—until they meet their assignments.

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.

An excerpt…

He pushed into a seated position and got his first glimpse of himself. It wasn’t only his watch that was gone. He no longer wore his custom Tom Ford suit and hand-tooled Italian shoes. In their place were worn jeans, a plain white T-shirt, a battered leather jacket, and boots that had seen their best day a decade ago.

He pushed himself upright and brushed the dirt and debris from his clothes. Raking his fingers through his hair, he scanned his surroundings. There were trees everywhere, not a high-rise to be seen. A huge crow swooped down and perched on a nearby branch, cold black eyes staring directly at him.

“Malaki. Why am I not surprised the old man sent you to spy on me?” Crows were often employed as messengers between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. Malaki was his father’s companion, his personal assistant, as it were. “You tell him I’ll play his game, and I’ll damn well win.”

*~*~*

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

First, Happy Easter from my house to yours!

Next, remember when my dd gifted me with mini-Marvel superheroes for my advent calendar at Christmas?

Well, before I started to put together my report card for today, I decided to pull a figure from my bucket rather than pull a tarot card, just to get the right mindset for the coming week. I pulled this guy:

He’s The Punisher. Not a true-blue hero at all; however, he does have redeeming qualities. He takes out the bad guys. No mercy. So, I’m going to borrow some of his balls-to-the-wall determination this week and slay my calendar! 🙂

Report Card

Since April 1st…

1. I’ve done nothing. Nada. Zilch. Of course, I have the best excuse in the world. I am currently recovering from major surgery—and kicking ass while doing it. 🙂

This next week…

1. I will return to work, editing two projects for other authors!
2. I’ll issue an extension to authors interested in writing a short story for the Burn collection. Folks may have been waiting to see if I kicked the bucket before submitting their work. LOL
3. I’ll be reviewing short stories I’ve published and picking some to put together into a second Ultra collection. I need to get something published, and I do have some hot stories that haven’t appeared in a set or in print yet…
4. I’ll contact my oncologist’s office to make an appointment to set up more appointments so I can get them hard-scheduled in my work plan!
5. I’ll begin painting again. Small things, only. I want to continue work on #the100dayproject, even though I’m dragging far behind the rest of the participants.

Open Contests

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

1. 1. Meet Author Kaje Harper! Complete Short Story Here! Plus, FREE Reads! — Read an entire short story, plus pick up FREE reads!
   2. Gabbi Grey/Gabbi Powell/Gabbi Black: Why I Can’t Stay in My Lane (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
   3. Gabbi Grey: I Wanted Taylor Swift! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
   4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest — Win an Amazon gift card!