UPDATE: The winner is…Linda Crawford!
*~*~*

I’m 63, almost 64, and I am obsessed with toys. It gets worse the older I get. The kids in the house know this, so when they get a kid’s meal from Micky D’s, they don’t keep it for themselves. They bring it home to me so I can find it a “forever home” like a lost pet. I’m not even kidding. The 8-year-old sometimes comes into my office to take down a toy or two to play with on the carpet. She even says it’s better than keeping it herself because she’d just lose it in her messy room.

I have certain collections—all the dragons from How to Train Your Dragon, superhero figurines (and a Funko Pop RGB—because who doesn’t?), Star Trek’s Enterprise models, a SEAL time on a boat with all the weaponry, and on and on. It’s truly ridiculous. I know it. But now that the kids are involved with finding things that make me smile, it’s endless. And the clutter will be their mom’s problem when I’m gone. 🙂

Here’s one little collection of weird things I collect. I love tin wind-up toys. They don’t have to be vintage or precious. These are cheap ones made in China. I have a couple of keys around to wind them up. It’s fun to get them all pecking, walking, and hopping at the same time.

I don’t know why I have this obsession. Maybe it’s because I was the oldest kid and my toys got passed down to be destroyed by the younger kids. I don’t know. And if joyful toy collecting is an early sign of dementia, well, I won’t know it, will I?

In the meantime, I’ll pause when I’m bored with words and play.

Contest

Do you have a toy from your childhood? Or do you collect some toys? If not, do you have a favorite memory of a certain toy? My favorite memory was of a Barbie clothes case that my mom filled with home-sewn outfits for Barbie. Answer for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

One of the most common questions I’m asked as an author is where the inspiration for my stories comes from. The answer isn’t as straightforward as people expect. Like snowflakes, each story has its own unique inspiration. I usually credit my imagination, dreams, habit of people watching, and the accumulation of random facts for fueling inspiration. All of that is true. I love creating backstories for strangers across the room or speculating what the future holds for the characters after the movie credits roll. My latest release, Accidental P*rnstar is a romantic comedy I wrote a few years ago and sat on wondering if it was funny enough on paper. I was also hesitant because for once a few of the moments are (very) loosely inspired by an experience or two of mine. The rest is the idea of seeing just how many awkward and embarrassing things I could put Jules through as she falls in love for the first time. (Oops! Spoiler Alert…. Kidding… I said it’s romance. Happily ever after is a given)

I had so much fun writing this book. I decided to publish it after the last two years, which I think for everyone have been hard. It was a good escape to get lost in the quirky adventures of the characters.

Accidental P*rnstar

My college career was going great…Until it wasn’t.
I lost my job, scholarship, and apartment in a trifecta of crap luck.

The last thing I wanted to do is run back home to my parents with my tail tucked. As luck would have it, my old roommate, Mason Davis, had a compelling—if slightly unorthodox solution—to my financial dilemma.

His suggestion?
A live stream feed of me enjoying a little steamy fun with HIM. The smoking hot guy I’ve fantasized about countless times before. Surely, a tenacious bookworm like me can figure out how to let go of her inhibitions for one night.

After all, going viral is a good thing…right?

 If you want to read about Jules and Mason, get your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B5HQXW5/
Other retailers: https://books2read.com/u/bPg91R

Greetings from Melbourne, Australia, and as always, thanks to Delilah for making her blog page, one of my favourite places to visit.

Let’s talk firsts.

First crush. First kiss. First love.

Katelyn Jennings can answer all three with one name. Dane Browne.

Most know him as the GOAT of Australian Rules Football. A midfielder with a pile of accolades who has a humble nature and is generous with his time.

Katelyn remembers him as a sweet and sometimes goofy teen who stole her heart. Her crush on him, before their fifteenth birthday, came after his mother lost her battle with ovarian cancer. Their first kiss on Valentine’s Day, six months later was the start of their love story.

As she discovers, promises can’t always be kept and at eighteen, their split is heartbreaking. After moving to Kingston Creek to be with her family, she makes a new life for herself. That is, until a trip to the supermarket changes her fate…

Excerpt from The Athlete by Deb Robinson:

Dane Browne followed Jess, his brother’s fiancé, down aisle after aisle while navigating the wonkiest trolley known to mankind.

When he considered exercise to combat his fatigue from the three hour drive to Kingston Creek, this was not what he had in mind. A run would’ve been better. Or some warm up drills. He was usually at peace with himself whenever he exercised.

‘Crap!’ Jess exclaimed when they were halfway down the final aisle. ‘I forgot to get toothpaste. We have to go back to the personal care section. Then I promise we’re done and we can get some lunch.’

On the way back to aisle seven, his trolley collided with another, steered by an elderly lady. The woman gave him the filthiest glare. And as he rounded the corner, he almost wiped out a cereal display. That was followed by lingering stares from two guys and one female. Just as well his on-field skills weren’t like this. He pushed his niggling thoughts aside and concentrated on the task at hand.

‘Dane?’

Here we go…

‘Dane Browne, is that you?’

He prepared himself for the stock standard football conversation he’d undertaken more times than there were days in a year. And as his head turned, his gaze latched onto familiar and pretty amber eyes. The surprised yet beautiful smile was just as familiar.

‘Katelyn!’ He was as flabbergasted as she appeared to be. ‘What’re you doing here?’

‘I could ask you the same thing.’

He saw Katelyn’s gaze slide across to his shopping companion before it lingered, long and hard.

‘Congratulations!’

Huh? 

‘Obviously your engagement hasn’t been unearthed yet or it’d be splashed across every media site there is.’

‘No…’ He looked from Katelyn to Jess and saw the rock gleaming brazenly on her ring finger. ‘Shit, no!’

Jess honed in on him, hands on hips as a scowl crossed her face. ‘And just what’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I didn’t mean that…’ This was going from awkward to painful, by the nanosecond. He took a calming breath just as he did right before he lined up to kick a goal. ‘Katelyn, this is Jess, my soon to be sister-in-law.’

‘Oh!’ Katelyn’s expression softened before a grin broke out. ‘Which Browne brother are you marrying? Ooh, can I take a guess?’

‘Sure,’ replied Jess with a bright and friendly grin.

The three of them took up the space in the middle of the aisle and as an elderly man approached, they moved aside while waiting for him to slither past.

‘It can’t be Zane. And from what I remember, I always doubted that Blaine… I mean Blayze, would ever marry, so that leaves Dane’s older brothers.’

While she spoke, he took in the honey blonde hair that was pulled up into a ponytail. He couldn’t tell if it was shorter than he remembered.

‘I’d have to guess Kane.’

‘And you’d be right…’ Jess laughed. ‘You obviously know the brothers well.’

‘Katelyn was my girlfriend in high school,’ he explained.

‘Okay…’ Jess looked from Katelyn to him. ‘How about I take the trolley and make a start at the checkout? You guys catch up. It was lovely to meet you, Katelyn.’

‘Thanks, Jess…’ Katelyn’s tone sounded a little breathless. Unsteady. ‘It was nice to meet you, too.’

As Jess wheeled the trolley away and much to his annoyance, quite easily, his gaze returned to Katelyn.

‘So, how’ve you been?’ He’d never really been good with small talk. It always felt uneasy and forced. ‘It’s good to see you.’

Trying to act nonchalant, he rested his elbow on the nearest shelf. And subsequently knocked down multiple boxes of condoms. Their weightless drop to the floor was as audible as a pin dropping in a silent room.

‘Shit!’

He and Katelyn hadn’t seen each other since they were eighteen. This moment eight and a half years later was far from a best on ground performance.

The Athlete

‘Dane was easy. All he wanted, was to play footy.’

Recently ‘The Great Dane’ Browne has been questioning whether he can return to the elite level of Australian Rules Football and more importantly, whether he wants to.

Katelyn Jennings has never really made peace with her breakup with her high school sweetheart and for good reason. But a chance meeting will put her heart and her life through the ultimate test.
They’re about to discover whether you can move on from your first love. And for Dane, it’s about discovering who he really is AWAY from the game.
This sexy, contemporary romance is sweet & spicy and will warm your heart. It includes brotherly banter and a HEA.

Book two in the 5 Shades of Brothers Browne series.

Pre-order your copy here!

The Athlete is the second book in the 5 Shades of Brothers Browne series and is Available on e-book as a pre-order NOW with official release expected on July 3^rd.

High school sweethearts √

Second Chance at love √

Sweet and Spicy √

Browne brothers’ banter √

FREE Read

To celebrate the pre-order and my third blog with Delilah, I have a FREEBIE…
Book 1 in the series, The Cop is now available on e-book for a limited time at
Amazon and with KU

Follow Deb Robinson on her official Facebook page
Follow on Twitter @DRobinsonbooks
Follow on Instagram @debrobinsonbooks

UPDATE: The winner is…Margaret!
*~*~*

Last Wednesday afternoon, my dd and I were watching the dogs play in the backyard, while we sat on the covered patio. We heard the nearby air-conditioning unit start up, make a horrible chuffing noise, and then stop. Then it repeated that over and over. As we stared, we saw smoke begin to rise from the unit. Quickly, we called my SIL, who was preparing for his nightly shift with the PD. He came down, opened the panel to peer inside, and we all saw flames coming from around a group of wires. He simply blew out the flames, cut off the power to the AC, and I dialed American Home Shield to let them know we’d need to have our AC fixed.

Well, apparently, every local AC repairman is booked up. Who’d have thought that, when AC season finally arrived, EVERYONE would need their services? We still don’t have a technician assigned, and in the meantime, we’re trying to cope with a very hot house. On Thursday, we actually had the highest temperature on record in 104 years. So, you know we’re pretty miserable.

My office and art rooms are in the basement, so I can keep cool-ish hanging out there, but the upstairs is awful. My granddaughter has the garage-converted-into-a-bedroom space—with its own AC—so guess where all the animals and all the folks who reside upstairs hang out?

Tempers are fraying. No one wants to cook. We’re taking cool showers. Lots of take-out is happening. We’re to the point where we’re freezing Tupperware containers of ice to put in front of fans to cool the air the really old-fashioned way. When it cools into the 70s at night, we’re opening windows. And you know, I live in Arkansas, so we’re being eaten alive by mosquitoes. So, if I sound grumpy for the next wee while, you know why! In the meantime, I have to write and edit, and you know that’s not going well, because, again, I’m grumpy and it’s showing!

Puzzle Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then share something in the comments about how you beat the heat!

I’m Lexxie Couper. Some of you may know me or have heard of me (I’ve been around for a very long while) and some of you might be wondering who the hell I am. I’m an Aussie, a geek, a serious lover of chocolate, and a writer of romance. I write contemporary romance, paranormal romance, horror romance, sci-fi romance, romantic comedy… pretty much all kinds of romance, except historical (no way I have the research skills to write historical romance even though I love reading it). I’m also the proud owner of a rescue dog and a proud owner of a rescue cat (who pretty much rules the house).

I’m a part of a ten-author boxset called Rescued: A Collection of Contemporary Romances with Heart, Heat, and Dog Treats that’s available now for $0.99 pre-order and releases May 17th. All the books in the boxset feature rescue dogs in some way. My book in the Rescued boxset is called Who’s a Good Boy? and tells the tale of Chelsea Parker, a feisty dog trainer, and Timothy Holt, a single-dad environmentalist, and how one very special rescue dog (called Wilbur) changes everything for them. It’s a feel good, steamy rom-com that will make you smile. Promise.

This is my rescue dog, Ebony. She’s a border collie/kelpie/whippet cross. She was abused by her previous owners and now suffers from anxiety. But she is the sweetest doggo you’ll ever meet who just wants you to love her, no matter who you are. She sat at my feet or at my side as I was writing Who’s A Good Boy? and whenever the words stopped flowing I gave her a pat and she licked my hand and the words came again.

Here’s a little snippet from Who’s A Good Boy? I hope you enjoy it.

Who’s a Good Boy?

Chelsea

Timothy Holt is totally out of my league. He’s damn-near Australian royalty and I’m just a dog-trainer. There’s no chance he’d want anything to do with me, especially after I accidentally spilt juice all over him just before he’s about to go on national TV. And then the success of my business suddenly hinges on us being in a relationship. How the hell am I going to make that happen?

Tim

Romance isn’t on my agenda. Nor is dog ownership. And then Chelsea Parker slams into me. Literally. She’s a complication I don’t need, but for some reason I can’t stop thinking about her. Her smile, the way she makes me laugh, the way my body reacts to her…. I want everything about her. But what is she going to do when she discovers the truth I’m hiding from her? A truth involving a three-legged mutt called Wilbur?

Excerpt from Who’s a Good Boy?…

My hair has never been a perfect anything. God, did I even do it this morning? I try to remember. Nope, no clue.

Let’s hope the curls hide the possible absence of a brush. Maybe everyone will think I’ve just got a really expensive beach hairdo.

I clear my throat, struggling not to reach up and touch my hair. “I need to go as well,” I say, looking at the very cute, very familiar guy.

His gaze grabs mine again, and yep, he’s definitely holding it. “Sorry for getting in your road,” he says.

“Anytime.” I let my lips curl into a smile as I turn away. “Sorry for knocking you off your feet,” I finish over my shoulder.

I’m flirting. I’m actually flirting. Go me!

“Anytime,” he calls after me.

And he’s flirting with me. I think. Is he? He is, right? Oh God, why am I so bad at this?

Because you suck at dealing with humans, Chelsea. Suck, suck, suck.

His daughter waves at me, and I wave back. And grin. At him. At the delicious little butterflies-flutter his playful compliment stirs in my stomach.

Maybe I don’t suck at dealing with humans? Maybe I’m better at it than I thought. A year after being dumped by Roger—the only serious relationship I’d ever had—a year after many failed first dates and aborted Tinder interactions, I’d begun to believe I was.

But perhaps this serendipitous moment with the familiar stranger is proving Roger wrong.

Perhaps?

Okay, maybe I’m putting the cart before the horse. One little flirtatious interaction and one brief second of eye-contact does not a femme fatale make. But still, when was the last time a living creature apart from an animal has made me grin?

Because I can’t help myself, I shoot a look back over my shoulder.

He’s watching me, poised to climb into the backseat of a black Audi SUV, the older gentleman who’d asked if he was okay holding the door open for him.

Holding the door for him? What the…?

Who the hell is this guy? A celebrity of some sort? Is that why he looks familiar?

He smiles at me.

Before I know it, I smile back.

And then, with a small wave, he disappears into the backseat of the Audi.

A thick sense of loss ripples through me and I let out a sigh. “Yep. Missed opportunity right there.”

The older gentleman closes the door, pins me with a contemplative scrutiny I feel all the way to my spine, and then strides around to the driver’s door.

Lyle and the cutie-pie munchkin are nowhere to be seen. In the car already, no doubt.

I chew my bottom lip. With the possessive way Lyle kept glaring at me, it’s probably better it’s all over but the singing.

Still, damn, he was cute. The guy I knocked over. Not Lyle.

***
So…what did you think?

I really enjoyed writing Who’s a Good Boy? Maybe in part because I loved writing about not only people falling in love with each other (and boy, do Tim and Chelsea fall hard), but also people falling in love with rescue dogs (Tim never planned to have a dog, and then Wilbur entered his life). I grew up believing every home should have a dog and every dog should have a home. Now, for no other reason than why not, here’s a photo of Chris Hemsworth and his dog. 🙂

***A Little Lexxie Contest***

To go into the running to win two eBooks from my backlist of the winners choice and a signed Lexxie Couper print book, leave a comment here on my guest blog post here on Delilah’s blog between now and May 20. 🙂 Tell me what you thought of the snippet, tell me about your pet, tell me about your breakfast, tell me something you know about Australia. 🙂 Tell me anything, or even just say g’day.

And don’t forget to pre-order Rescued for only $0.99!

Rescued pre-order links:
Amazon – https://tinyurl.com/2p8hzwhb
Barnes and Noble – https://tinyurl.com/5b6x5pjf
Apple – https://tinyurl.com/3w8znnaf
Kobo – https://tinyurl.com/mr2aj8rx

Lexxie Couper social media links:
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lexxie-couper
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexxie_couper/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexxieCouper/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexxie_couper
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lexxiecouperwrites

Since Mother’s Day was on the 8th, I figured a neat story to share would be a contemporary young adult story I wrote. So many young mothers and young partners out there get all the bad press, but I knew lots of young moms working their butts off to finish school and raise a child. It was for those friends I grew up with that I created this happily ever after. 

If you are looking for a YA for mature readers and are ready for some laughs and maybe a tear or two, then check out Dating Wyatt’s Mom by September North. 

Grab your copy of Dating Wyatt’s Mom and other contemporary YA romance
F-R-E-E for a limited time in this newsletter builder!
https://books.bookfunnel.com/contemporaryya/r6qi678uqu

Links:
Patreon Page: https://www.patreon.com/musesandsirens
Website: https://www.creativewritingwithdrnagle.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCaraNorth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caranorthauthor/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/caranorthauthor
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/caranorth_author/?hl=en
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20650398.Cara_North
BookBub : https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cara-north
Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B002BLLE1U
TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdht9Kg1/

Oops. I had a guest scheduled for today, but she had to bale at the last minute. No worries. I’ll fit her in another time!

In the meantime, I’ll just share a picture that makes me smile. This one was taken in New Orleans—pre-COVID. The little one is 8 now, so not this small, but she’s always so much fun. She loves shopping and fashion shows, so getting her to pose for this wasn’t hard. Someday, when I get good enough as an artist, I’m going to try to paint this.

Hope this made you smile, too. ~DD