It’s a cold, cold day today, and I hope it warms up. This evening, the 9-year-old is participating in a kid’s parade for St. Paddy’s Day. She’ll be riding her decorated bike down main street with other kids riding bikes, skateboards, scooters, etc. We’ll take pics!
Afterwards, I told the family I’d spring for dinner out. (We ate corned beef and cabbage last night!) This holiday is ours to celebrate. Do y’all do anything special for St. Patrick’s Day? Do you at least wear green?
Tagged: St. Patrick's Day Posted in General|8 People Said|Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Anna Taylor Sweringen - Eileen McCall - Deb Robinson - Diane Sallans - Cindy -
When Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he is quoted as saying, “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.” While Uncle Tom’s Cabin stirred the hearts and minds of many against slavery, Mary Ellen Pleasant struck an actual blow against it.
Born free in 1814, Pleasant was brought to Nantucket to work as an indentured servant for the Husseys, an abolitionist Quaker family in whose store she developed a knack for business. While with the Husseys, Mary encountered the blacks of Newtown who grew into a prosperous middle-class thanks to the whaling industry. She married James Smith, an abolitionist who identified as Hispanic. They hobnobbed with the abolitionists of Boston and helped runaways get to Canada. Upon Smith’s death, Mary inherited a sizable fortune and continued her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. In 1848, she married John Pleasants, a former slave and abolitionist who worked with her for twenty years against slavery.
She moved to San Francisco during the gold rush of 1849 and created wealth as a commodity trader, a money lender, and owner of businesses like laundries and lodgings and the Bank of California. She continued her abolitionist activities by using her money to help slaves escape from their masters who brought them there. Her ultimate contribution to the cause of ending slavery came in 1858 when she went to Canada and gave John Brown $45,000, $1.3 million in today’s dollars, for the raid on Harper’s Ferry. She laid claim to being the author of the note found on him when he was executed. She dictated an account of this in 1904’s How A Colored Woman Aided John Brown.
Her fight for civil rights in San Francisco continued when she brought two racial discrimination suits against streetcar companies in San Francisco, both ultimately settled in her favor. She established black schools and fought for the repeal of Jim Crow laws, earning her the nickname, “The Mother of Human Rights in California.” In his book Black Fortunes, Shomari Wills shares how she amassed a fortune of $30 million dollars, making her one of America’s first black millionaires.
It never ceases to amaze me how women like Mary Ellen Pleasant used the skills they had, in her case, the talents of a cook and domestic with a keen eye for business, to make life better not only for themselves but for others as well. Being a philanthropist was just a way of life.
In Black Fortunes, I learned her last days weren’t free from the drama racism wreaks upon the lives of pioneers like her, but thanks to this video done on her by a local San Francisco TV station during Black History month she at least has been given her due for posterity…
For a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card, leave a comment on what you think about Mary Ellen’s life.
Better to Marry than to Burn
Wife Wanted: Marital relations as necessary. Love not required nor sought…
A bridal lottery seems the height of foolishness to ex-slave Caesar King, but his refusal to participate in the town council’s scheme places him in a bind. He has to get married to avoid paying a high residence fine or leave the Texas territory. After losing his wife in childbirth, Caesar isn’t ready for romance. A woman looking for a fresh start without any emotional strings is what he needs.
Queen Esther Payne, a freeborn black from Philadelphia, has been threatened by her family for her forward-thinking, independent ways. Her family insists she marry. Her escape comes in the form of an ad. If she must marry, it will be on her terms. But her first meeting with the sinfully hot farmer proves an exciting tussle of wills that stirs her physically, intellectually, and emotionally.
In the battle of sexual one-upmanship that ensues, both Caesar and Queen discover surrender can be as fulfilling as triumph.
Excerpt:
Why would a woman of obvious education and means be willing to brave the hardships of life out West as an ex-slave’s mail order bride? With grave ceremony, he withdrew, unfolded, and then read the letter.
Dear Mr. King,
My name is Queen Esther Payne. I read your ad and found your inquiry both refreshing and intriguing. I stand five feet six and weigh one hundred forty pounds. All of my six brothers will attest that I am no wallflower and do not fear hard work. Also as I come from one of the most respectable families on Lombard Street, my Philadelphian stock guarantees I have the ability and the requisite knowledge to help you establish a legacy in Douglass. I can commit to the two years you require, provided the marital relations are limited to the “as necessary” stated in your ad. I am willing to negotiate if more than two years are required.
I have only had relations with women, so you need not fear I will fall in love with you. Thus your “love neither required nor sought” dictum proves no obstacle. However, my woman-loving-woman proclivities may disqualify me in your eyes. If so, I await your refusal. If not, I anticipate your proposal.
Sincerely,
Queen Esther Payne.
Caesar read and reread the line again.
I have only had relations with women, so you need not fear I will fall in love with you.
His Emma had only known women too until she united with him. Could fate be so kind as to smile upon him twice?
I love writing novellas for The Wild Rose Press. When the idea for the Passport to Pleasure series came up, I seized on the opportunity to write a story. I set Valentino in Vancouver in my beloved Vancouver and also placed it in the world of the film industry, pulling in characters I’d created previously. I wrote that gay romance under my penname Gabbi Grey. Then, because I was so excited, I wrote another novella set in that world—You See Me. Only that was a lesbian romance for the Jelly Beans and Spring Things call – again, for The Wild Rose Press. (Coming out next month!)
I wasn’t finished, though. I had so much fun with the Passport to Pleasure book, I needed to write another one. Steamy story? Lots of sex? Exotic location? Sign me up! The parameters were: erotic story, American tourist, stamp in a passport.
Where to start? I have a friend who lives in Argentina who spoke lovingly of her country, so I decided to ask her for advice. She said she’d sit down for a chat about Argentinian culture and, more importantly, read my book for inaccuracies. Okay, so I had an American, an Argentinian, and…? I realized I needed a Canadian. I’d written a couple of books (for The Wild Rose Press’s Deerbourne Inn shared world series) with just Americans. Well, my first book My Past, Your Futurehad a dead Civil War soldier as a ghost and a Scottish professor. You get where I’m going—I had very little experience writing without Canadians in my stories. This new book had to be under my penname Gabbi Black. To that point, I’d only published a trilogy under that penname—set in Vancouver in the BDSM community.
I rolled up my sleeves…and realized I didn’t know who was who. Slowly, I began to work through the possibilities in my mind. Eventually, in one of those BOOM moments I often have, I realized my three: Joaquin the Argentinian, MacKenzie the Texan, and Kimberly the BDSM Domme from British Columbia, Canada.  I wanted this to be a true MMF story—and pulled on my writing experience of gay stories to develop a strong triad with lots of hot sex. I was also adamant there be three strong sides to the triangle. This relationship wouldn’t work without all three of them and all three have major roles to play.
I spent half an hour plotting the story (which went out the window by chapter two, big surprise), and I sat down to write my story. Unlike my dark erotic BDSM romances, I wanted this one to have very little angst—I wanted this to be a tourist (or tourists) having a good time. Throw in a whip, some bondage, lots of sex, and a virgin…and I had my story. I wrote it in a week and a half, pushing through to get the words to craft a story I hoped readers would like. My Argentinian friend came up with the perfect title, and I submitted it to the publisher.
My editor loved it. We made some minor changes, but the book got approved and then I had to wait for just the perfect moment to release it. And that would be today! I fell in love with the cover instantly because it so accurately portrays the relationship between the three main characters.
The question posed is—can three people from three different countries have a happy ending? You’ll have to read the book, of course, but I think I ended things perfectly. Obviously, I hope readers enjoy it.
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card, let me know: have you ever ventured into the world of threesomes (or more)? MFM, MMF, MFF, FFF, MMM…the possibilities are endless. Is there one you think I should check out? And if you haven’t ventured there, what would entice you to try one…? Drop a comment and a random commenter will win the gift certificate.
Thanks again, Delilah, for letting me talk to your fabulous readers!
Argentinian Joaquin Perillo met MacKenzie and Kimberly at a cybersecurity conference two years ago. Another conference in Houston and video chats sealed his attraction for them both. Now they are visiting him in Buenos Aires, and he has so many plans for them—in and out of bed.
Canadian Kimberly is a security analyst by day and a Domme at Vancouver’s premier BDSM Club Kink at night. She can’t wait to see her men again so she can whip them into shape.
Texan MacKenzie is a computer geek who spends all his time with code. That is until he meets the beguiling Kimberly and the fun-loving Joaquin. Suddenly, he’s ready to break out of his self-imposed exile.
Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while her trusty ChinPoo dog keeps her company. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and contemporary small town romances as Gabbi Powell.
I’m spending the day at the Art Center, keeping the doors open so folks can come see our current exhibit. I’ll lug my laptop along and try to write. When I take breaks, I’ll paint something little. So, a heavenly day free of distractions! No, dogs barking to be fed or let out. No TV calling me to watch something intriguing. No conversations with my dd—oh no! How will I stand it? LOL
In the meantime, I’ve been collecting everyone’s emails and DMs with pictures of mugs. So much fun! I think I’ll post them all on Sunday. Y’all have a wonderful day!
For the first time in a long time, I was very excited about watching the Oscars. It used to be a thing when my daughter was young. We’d plan finger foods and I’d let her stay up on a Sunday night while we watched awards show. In advance, we’d try to watch as many of the nominated movies as we could so we could feel invested in the awards.
That tradition fell away. Life happened, but also movies didn’t grab us the same way they used to. Something changed or maybe we just got older and the magic faded. Last night’s Oscars was something I was invested in because of one movie.
My family and I watched this together. When the credits rolled at the end, I turned around to my family excited as I hadn’t been in a long time and asked them what they thought. “Mom, it’s weird.” “Hot dog fingers?” “Good acting, but too many things going on.” Ever since that first experience, I’ve been the silent super-fan, stalking the awards shows (Golden Globes, SAG) because I knew this one was special. Hot dog fingers? Why not? Weird? Hell, yeah. A gazillion threads all stitched together to make a movie that reveals something new to me in every scene every time I watch it. I bought a DVD copy so I could rewatch it whenever I want. And you need a big screen to catch the details, the clues they laid about what was coming.
So, last night, I watched the red carpet with my dd, critiquing the dresses and drooling over the hotties (did you see Idris?!). When the Oscars was set to come on, my cable went from ABC to something else. Nooooo! To watch it live, I would have to pay $69 for a month of the service. I retreated to Twitter and found one streaming link after another that showed me bits and minutes and I texted my dd throughout the night as my fave, EEAAO, racked up well-deserved praise and awards. By the time the night was over, it had won in every major category—Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Script, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing! I was so joyful. Not because I was right (which I was), but because I sooooo want more movies like this. Ones that make me think, that give me a visual orgasm, that have characters I can love, and a story that’s real and relatable while my fantasy-loving heart is taken on a wild ride.
This morning, I feel like I have a hangover. After last night’s high, and the time change, I am dragging butt. But I’m still excited and happy, and now I think I need to buy an EEAAO movie poster to tape to my door like I used to do.
So, my question to you today, for a chance to win a download of one of my books, is…
Is there a movie you’ve watched that got you that excited? Did you follow it and the cast, hoping everyone else jumped on the bandwagon to make it a success?
Tagged: movies, Oscars Posted in Contests!|8 People Said|Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: BN - Debra Guyette - Kandi Candelas - Beverly - Jennifer Beyer -
While I searched my two cup racks for THE cup to fill with coffee, I realized that maybe some of y’all have prized cup collections, too. Cups that means something to you for whatever reason. So, I thought I’d share mine and then ask you do to a little work to share yours—and then someone would win a prize…
Sound like fun?
I’m getting ahead of myself. First, I love this cup because one of the kids gave it to me at Christmas. She was so eager to see my face when I unwrapped it, so you know my eyes got wide and I gave a loud laugh. She really did nail it. Only, she said, it was funnier because there’s no silently correcting grammar for me. I tell them. It’s not “on accident,” it’s “by accident.” Or when they get a saying wrong: it’s not “nip it in the butt!” “It’s B-U-D!”
So, the cup is special because a kid gave it to me, and it’s personalized to represent our relationship. Loving but nagging.
Back to the challenge/contest!
I want you to find THE cup you own that means the most to you.
Take a picture and send it in an email to delilah@delilahdevlin.com or DM me on Facebook. Include a line about WHY the cup is special.
Then, in the comments below, tell me you sent it.
You’ll be entered to win a $5 Amazon gift card, and later this week, I’ll post photos of everyone’s favorite cup. 🙂
I know you have your calendars marked. But in case you needed a reminder, I have the puzzle for you! Solve it, then tell me whether the thing that happens tonight at midnight affects you for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! Happy Saturday!
Tagged: game, jigsaw, puzzle Posted in Contests!|21 People Said|Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Debra Guyette - Becky Byers - Diane Sallans - Beckie - Delaine McLafferty -
