UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

June

1. I revised and re-published a story that was originally part of an Entangled anthology, Along Came a Spider on June 27th!
2. I began writing the next Montana Bounty Hunters: We Are Dead Horse, MT — Jackson!
3. I settled on the theme for the next Boys Behaving Badly Anthology — Secret Identities!
4. I completed 3 editing projects for other authors in June.

Health-related:

1. I’ve been swimming almost every day. Sometimes, twice a day.
2. Through medicines and some diet tweaking, I’ve managed to get my blood pressure down. Not enough, and not without an occasional spike, but it’s so much better.

Happiness-related: 

1. I have been working on and making great progress organizing my art room, getting ready for the next push for art shows and reopening my Etsy store.
2. I finished #the100dayproject online art challenge! Here are some of my last pieces I completed in the beginning of June…

July

1. To complete writing and publish Jackson, the next in my Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT series which releases on July 11th!
2. To complete 4 editing projects in July!

For health related, I plan:

1. To swim at least once a day!
2. To resume counting those points for my Weight Watchers diet and hopefully shed at least 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
3. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas, red wine).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps.
5. To do more housework because my art room isn’t finished! Cleaning is exercise, too.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To spend quality time with the family—movie nights, swim-time, making fun meals together!
2. To participate in and complete a free art workshop, the Fodder Challenge 2023!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read in July…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

Of great debate in my author circles is whether or not to read reviews, how much stock to put in them, and whether they should have any impact on your writing.

I’ll admit, I didn’t understand the importance of reviews when I first started publishing.  As time went on, and as I immersed myself in all things publishing, I learned just how critical they can be.

Case in point (from a guru I respect) — all things being equal, if a book has one 1* review, it will sell better than the equivalent book with no reviews.  At first, that feels counterintuitive.  Someone hated the book, why would others want to read it?  But that review is social proof — someone bought and read the book.  Okay, they didn’t like it. The book wasn’t for them.  Doesn’t mean the next person won’t love it (some book lovers choose books with bad reviews for the fun of it).  But the book with no reviews?  Well, no one bought it or if they did (and if they read it), it didn’t inspire enough emotion in them to leave any kind of feedback.  The book lacks social proof.

Now, look up any great work of literature and there are plenty of horrible reviews.  Not everyone loved Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre. I can’t fathom that, but I look at some other books I didn’t enjoy, read the glowing reviews, and realize there’s someone out there who will love every book.

I admit to sending out review copies with my books, even knowing the reviewers have the option to decline to review, review even though they didn’t enjoy, or enthusiastically tell everyone what a great book I’ve written.  Obviously, I prefer the latter, but even the middle doesn’t bother me.  If someone didn’t enjoy my book, that means they weren’t my target audience.  The key, with the hundreds and hundreds of romance books being released every week, is to find the reader who wants your book.  Who needs your book?  Who will see the genius in your book?

Which brings me back to reviews.  Advanced reader copies (ARCs) for my book releasing this week, Love Without Reservations, went out last week.  Normally I try to give a longer lead time, but things kind of got away from me with this book.  Therefore, I wasn’t expecting reviews for a bit.  Some readers, though, grabbed it and dug right in.  Soon after, I began to receive notifications that reviews were being posted.

To read or not to read: that is the question.

In the end, I took a peek.  Who wouldn’t?  Well, at least one of my mentors doesn’t…and good for her for having the strength to resist.

Alas, I’m a weak woman.

The reviews are generally positive.  Readers enjoyed the book.  Understood what I was trying to convey.  Didn’t regret having picked it up.

But one reviewer…  Man, this gutted me.  She pointed out I’d missed an opportunity with one of my characters.

I literally gasped in…anger?  Frustration?  Annoyance?  Not at the reviewer, of course, but at myself.  They’d found a plot point I’d forgotten about.  A thread I’d meant to tie up.

One line.  I just needed one line.  And I’d forgotten it.

Now, after writing 38k, a writer can be forgiven for missing one sentence.  Only it was a really important one.  So here it is:

Aaron managed to secure a job overseeing the renovations of the Grand Hotel.

Now, that doesn’t mean anything to anyone who hasn’t read the book.  But for those who have, it solidifies the happily ever after.  It ties off that loose thread.

Alas, I didn’t format the book myself and making the change would be monumental.  So, dear reader, you are the only ones who know about it.  I fully intend to weave that fact into a future book (I write in series and my characters ALWAYS come back…)

Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me.  I enjoyed sharing my little angsty story.  To a lucky randomly selected commenter, I would love to give a $5 Amazon GC.  To win, please consider answering the following question: what would make you leave a review?  Or, let me know a book you read that left a loose thread that drove you nuts.  Thanks!

Love Without Reservations

Noel

I’ve tracked down my wayward sister to Cataluma, California, and my goal is to drag her back to Canada before she gets in trouble with the American authorities. The problem? She’s gone and fallen in love with some dude and refuses to come home. I need to stick around to talk some sense into her, but there’s only one damned inn in this podunk town and they insist they’re full. I can’t get the handsome innkeeper to make an exception, not even for the few days I’ll need to get Kendra safely headed back across the border.

Aaron

I love my job as the owner of the quaint Cataluma Inn. I also pride myself in being a peacemaker. When I find squawking siblings arguing about a good friend of mine at our traditional barbecue, I have to step in. Next thing I know, I’m offering to share my one-bedroom apartment with a very attractive Canadian. Oh, and he’s gay too…

Love Without Reservations is s story in the Shopping for Love in Cataluma series. The book is a 38k word small-town gay interracial romance novella with a grumpy Canadian entrepreneur, a sunshine American motorcycle rider, and the love they never saw coming.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/LoveWithoutReservations
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Without-Reservations-Sunshine-Shopping-ebook/dp/B0BZK316JS
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123814916-love-without-reservations

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/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GabbiGrey
Facebook (page): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorGabbiGrey
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gabbi-grey
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15456297.Gabbi_Grey

UPDATE: The winner is Kerry Pruitt!
*~*~*

This is just a reminder that Along Came a Spider will release on Tuesday! It’s a very sexy, action-filled story with SEALs coming to the rescue. Should be right up your alley!

All this SEAL wants is time alone to recharge after a grueling mission, but what he gets is caught in the crossfire of passion and danger.

After Spider follows a fellow SEAL’s advice to take some downtime and try fishing to get over his restlessness after back-to-back missions, he finds himself even more irritated until his fishing lure gets caught in the bushes, and while trying to free it, he notices men armed with tactical equipment moving through the forest. Curiosity piqued, he follows and is just in time to prevent the men from harming a lone female camper.

Jessie Tamberlin hoped to hide out in the woods until after her wedding to a billionaire, following her discovery that he is an illegal arms dealer. However, she knows secrets he’s determined to keep silent; he’s never going to let her go. When she finds an ally in the woods, who helps her escape, she has to make an on-the-spot decision to trust him.

Together, they work to stay one step ahead of her ex-fiancé while trying to ignore their growing attraction for each other.

Note: This novella was previously published in the Men in Uniform anthology.

Pre-order your copy here! 

Saturday Puzzle-Contest

 For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card: 1 ) Solve the puzzle (share your time, if you like!), and 2) Tell me a story about what you see. The story doesn’t have to be long, or even good. Just have fun with the challenge!

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
*~*~*

Although writing is often a solitary pursuit, many writers reach out to others who labor as well.  After I wrote my first couple of books, I realized I didn’t know much.  About any of it.  I joined a couple of writing groups, started attending conferences and classes, and did my best to immerse myself.  Why reinvent the wheel?  Why not learn from those who came before me?

That journey led me to a group of writers in Vancouver, Canada, near where I lived.  Life was going along great until the pandemic.  That group wound up shuttering, but luckily, I found an online community that welcomed me with open arms.  And my world expanded as I made friends with other writers literally from around the world. Friendships were born, relationships cemented, and support networks put in place.  The great thing was I wasn’t just learning—I was sharing what I knew.  And as my career grew as a writer, I found ways to connect with others.

During that time, I connected with a group of women who wrote books similar to mine.  And, during some crazy meeting, someone proposed we write a series together.  A shared world.  Between my love of these woman and FOMO (fear of missing out—which is real for me), I knew I had to be part of this.

Cataluma, California, was born.  It’s taken us about a year to plan, write, edit, and then publish our stories.  Along the way there’ve been laughter, tears, frustrations, and true joys.  I’d written in shared worlds before—and will continue to do so—but this was the first time I’d been so involved in the process from the very beginning.

High on Love is the fifth story in the series.  The books start off sweet and work their way to steamy.  My book definitely has a steam factor, which matches the other Gabbi Powell books I’ve written.  And not to stray too far from my brand—my heroine comes from the small town in British Columbia where I’ve set my other books.

Connections.

There are ties within the stories, within the series, and within the friendships that’ve been tested and cemented.

I hope you check out High on Love.

Thanks, Delilah, for letting me visit!  As a thank you, I would love to give out a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky commenter.  Let me know—how do you approach a series if you don’t know all the authors?  Do you start from the beginning, grab your fave’s book, or pass altogether?  Leave a comment!

High on Love

Kendra Barker’s a long way from her Canadian home. Her road trip has landed her and her 1983 Harley in Cataluma, California, but she only plans to stay long enough to rest, maybe make a few dollars, and enjoy the Strawberry Festival. As a bonus, the one place she finds to stay is an empty apartment with a super sexy landlord.

Javier Fernandez has been cruising through life on autopilot. His marijuana shop is doing well. His mother is, for the most part, under control and managing her job as mayor of his beloved Cataluma. Now, he just needs to get this pesky Canadian woman out of his head. He gave her a place to sleep, and he very much wants to be in her bed, but come the end of the weekend, she’ll be moving on. Javier doesn’t do one-nighters and he doesn’t want to deal with a broken heart. Long-distance, and cross-borders is a recipe for disaster, right?

High on Love is a story in the Shopping for Love in Cataluma series. The book is a 39k word small-town interracial romance novella with a tattooed heroine, a stoic hero, and the love affair that’ll change their lives forever.

Links:
UBL:  https://books2read.com/High
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BZ2M8Z4G
Add it to GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/125352653-high-on-love

About the Author

Gabbi Powell has been a lover of romance since she first put pen to paper in the eighth grade to write her first romance.  She writes her novels while living in Beautiful British Columbia with her trusty ChinPoo dog a as companion.  She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and contemporary dark erotic BDSM novels as Gabbi Black.

Personal links:
Website:   https://gabbipowell.com/
Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbipowell
Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3142441314
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorgabbipowell/
Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/gabbi.powell.9/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/powell_gabbi
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gabbi-Powell/e/B08T8NTQNY
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21065056.Gabbi_Powell

I’m up to my eyeballs in work today, so this will be quick! Follow the links below to enter all the contests that are still open on this website! I hope you have a wonderful day! ~DD

Open Contests

1. Im-Possible! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Dahlia T. Drake: Dark and Witchy Urban Fantasy Influences (Get your FREE read!) This one ends soon! Download your FREE read now!
3. The Final BBB Poll! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Bad Dreams & Big Foot (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
5. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Trying something new… — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Opal Lee – Grandmother of Juneteenth (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

What is it with the media and ageism? I will turn 67 this year and I bristle when some commentator denigrates President Biden for being 80. Gray Panthers unite! I guess the media hasn’t heard 80 is the new 60. So to those who view seniors through a negative lens I’m using this Juneteenth to celebrate 95-year old Opal Lee, the Grandmother of Juneteenth.

On June 19, 1865, enslaved African-Americans in Galveston Texas learned they had been free since the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Born October 7, 1926 in Marshall, Texas, Opal fondly remembered the games and food of her community’s Juneteenth celebrations. She also remembered a June 19th in 1939 when a white mob burned her family’s home, forcing them to relocate to Forth Worth. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1953 from Wiley College. She received her Master’s degree in counseling and guidance from North Texas State University in 1963. She retired in 1977 from her work as a home/school counselor.

With forty years of community activism under her belt, Opal made it her mission to have Juneteenth celebrated as a national holiday. In 2016, she started a walking campaign comprised of walks 2.5 miles long to represent the 2.5 years it took for enslaved African-Americans in Galveston Texas to finally learn they had been freed by the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation Act. She accepted invitations to walk in cities all over the country. These walks ended in 2017 in Washington D.C. where she presented her petition of over one and one half million signatures. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee from the 18^th district of Texas co-sponsored a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. President Biden signed that bill in 2021, making Juneteenth, June 19^th the nation’s 12th federal holiday.

Honors and tributes poured and continue to pour in for the retired schoolteacher. Hers is the second portrait of an African American to hang in the Texas state house. Her alma mater University of North Texas bestowed an honorary doctorate upon her. This year, Philadelphia declared June 5^th Opal Lee Day.

But not one to rest on her laurels, Opal’s walks continue because work still needs to be done. She told an NPR interviewer that Juneteenth is not just a Texas thing or an African American thing. It’s about freedom. “As long as there’s homelessness and joblessness and things some people get that others can’t, climate change that we are responsible for, as long as we don’t address these things, we aren’t free.” She is working on establishing the National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth. You can check out Opal’s continuing activities on her website: https://www.opalswalk2dc.com/about.

So, the next time you hear someone make an ageist remark, think of Opal Lee and all the other remarkable seniors who don’t let age stop them from changing the world. For a chance at a $10 gift card leave a comment about Opal’s story or about a senior in your life whom you admire.

“The Spirit to Resist” by Michal Scott from
Hot and Sticky: A Passionate Ink Charity Anthology

A woman may be made a fool of if she hasn’t the spirit to resist, but what does she do if, for the first time in her life, being made into a fool is exactly what she wants?

Excerpt from “The Spirit to Resist”

He scooted closer so his lips brushed her ear. “I’ve got a viewing room booked at Mrs. Wanzer’s. You have heard of Mrs. Wanzer’s?”

His breathy syllables coiled in Florence’s ear with serpent-seducing slyness. A jolt of arousal skittered across Florence’s labia.

“Of course I have.” Florence firmed her lips. Who didn’t know about Mrs. Wanzer’s and what went on there? Or at least, imagined what went on there.

William huffed on his nails and polished them against the lapel of his jacket. “Bet there’s a lot of knowledge you could glean there.”

An arousing but annoying friction roiled Florence’s sex at the possibility. No one spoke of Mrs. Wanzer’s except behind hands covering salacious whispers. What she wouldn’t give to have firsthand experience about sex rather than book knowledge.

“Are you vanilla enough to take advantage of this once in a lifetime offer?”

A wet yes pooled between her legs. She scrutinized William. Was this really a chance to gain the firsthand knowledge she wanted? Or was this serpent, like the one in the Garden of Eden, using knowledge of her desire to his own end?

William shrugged. “But you’re heading back to Brooklyn tomorrow,” he said in a tone heavy with resignation. “Having to pack will, I’m sure, curtail any time you’ve got for real schooling.”

He stood then turned to leave. She grabbed his arm and forced him to face her.

“What time can we go?”

Buylinks: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5RSJS5M
https://books2read.com/u/3nNDnx  (ebook preorder only)

UPDATE: The winner is…Ellen Blakley!
*~*~*

This morning, I’ll be sitting in a workshop with my daughter and one of my granddaughters, learning a new craft. Something I’ve never tried before. WE’VE never tried before. And I can’t tell you how excited I am. Yes, I have an art room filled with supplies for a ridiculous number of arts and crafts already, but I’m on the side of there’s never too much STUFF to learn. I’m nearing 65, and I have to fit it ALL in before I go.

So, when I post this and walk away from my desk to get ready for the fun, I have a question for you to ponder, perhaps a challenge you might accept.

Today, or this weekend, or this month, is there something NEW you want to try? A new craft? A new recipe? Shopping at a new store? Eating at restaurant you’ve never tried? A trail you’ve never hiked? Some new adventure you want to undertake—big or small? Say it here then accept the challenge of actually doing it! Life is about collecting memories and experiences, about sharing journeys. Name something you will make happen!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, share the challenge you will undertake! Enjoy the puzzle!