UPDATE: The winner is…Liz Underdown!
*~*~*

Why don’t you turn your old ermine coat into a bathrobe?
~ Diana Vreeland

I collect quotes. Especially motivational ones. I read them like a mantra in the morning to put a fire under my butt to get some work done. This quote confuses me. I read it, and I think it says one thing. Then another day it says something else to me. For example…

An old ermine coat denotes a luxury you wear once in a great while… A bathrobe is something I can lounge in every day. So, to me, it says, Don’t save your luxuries for a special occasion. Treat every day like it’s special.

Or, thrifty me, hoarding me, hates to throw away anything dated if I can figure out another use for it. For instance, if I have a blouse that has some gorgeous lace along a cuff but I’ve ripped or stained the blouse, I cut off the lace to reuse it somewhere else. An old ermine coat as a bathrobe seems like a good (okay, maybe ridiculous) reuse.

For a chance to win a FREE book, a download of your choice from my backlist, tell me what this quote means to you! Yes, you have to think!

UPDATE: The winner is…Joy Boutwell!
*~*~*

It’s finally Spring here in Central Arkansas. And with Spring, we have new animals here on “the farm.” With the egg prices soaring, we decided to take the plunge. Keep in mind, we already have quite a menagerie of animals: 9 dogs, 4 cats, 1 betta fish (my Loki!), 3 goats, and 1 35-year-old horse. *Eeks. I forgot about our rabbit, Oreo!* Now, we have a ton of chickens.

Our first batch of 14 chickens are teenagers now. This week, we got 7 new baby chicks, and my dd had some fun with photos. They represent a bunch of different breeds because we love the variety of colored eggs they’ll produce. These eggs aren’t real, of course.

They are adorable, right? But my dd and SIL had to do quite a bit of work to get chicken house ready for them. We had an old unused tin shed they cleaned out and built a box for the babies with a light above it to keep them at the proper temperature until they grow their feathers. We have nesting boxes ready. In the meantime, my dd, the 14-year-old, and the 9-year-old are the “bird masters,” and they constantly clean up after them and check them several times a day—and play with them. (Here are Jesus & Alana! Jesus is my granddaughter’s boyfriend’s name.)

They assure me they have distinct personalities. And they have names. (I don’t know all the names.) Below is one of the teenagers from the first batch. This one’s named Barbara.

And another. They’re not pretty at this age, but they will be!

In a week or so, they’ll be adding guinea hens–not for eggs, but because they’re great “guard dogs”—they SCREAM when they’re upset, so hopefully, they’ll alert us if critters get into the pen.

I have one more picture to share—the cutest she took—but you have to solve the puzzle to see it!

So, solve the puzzle and tell me whether you’ve ever raised chickens or any other kind of farm animal. And let me know what you think of her photos for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

I have one little scene to finish writing, and Mica will be done! So, all my focus is on getting to THE END! Then, I can make my bed, clean my space, and settle in to watch something mindless on TV. Any suggestions? 🙂

Open Contests

1. Oscars Hangover (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book!
2. Gabbi Black: How I Wound Up Writing a Ménage… (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Mary Ellen Pleasant — The Little Woman Who Really Started the Civil War (Contest + Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Sunday Catch-up & a Puzzle-Contest–When, Where, and Who is he? — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Word Search — Favorite Paranormal Creatures (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Gabbi Powell: Turning rejection into triumph! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Anna!
*~*~*

The first book I ever typed ‘the end’ for is still sitting in the back of my closet.  I’ve gone so far as to buy a cover for it and take a peek at the file.  Then I close it, wallow in the knowledge of how much editing it requires, and I move on to another book.

The second book I typed ‘the end’ for wasn’t nearly such a disaster.  Instead of an unwieldy 126k words, it sat at 85k – the perfect length for Harlequin Superromance.  I devoured those books, with favorite authors such as Tara Taylor Quinn, Janice Kay Johnson, and Jean Brashear.  After reading so many books, I understood the structure without having studied stuff like that. (I’ve since taken some great classes which have built from that inherent understanding…)

I named this book The Making of Marnie Jones.  I printed it out and sent it to Harlequin – vaguely dreaming of contracts and seeing my book on shelves.

Quickly, I received an email from the editor I sent it to.  She wanted a digital copy.  I shot it off and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Eventually, I gently poked, and she invited me to her office where we discussed the book in depth.  She had tons of notes and invited me to do a R&R (revise and resubmit).  I took a week off work and spent 12 hours a day for 9 days fixing that sucker.  I sent it back, even more confident.

Crickets.

I’ve since learned that editors want you to take weeks, if not months.  Otherwise, it doesn’t seem like you’ve done the work.  Only I had – I completely rewrote the book.  And was convinced the book was better for it.

I gently poked.  She said she’d see me in New York for the Romance Writers of America conference.  Now, I’m not a fan of big cities, strong smells, or noise.  NYC was so NOT my jam.  But I enjoyed the conference, met the editor, met my favorite narrator, and came home, believing I was *this* close.

Still nothing.

Eventually, Harlequin held a Canadian Hero contest.  Great!  My hero’s Canadian.  My whole book is set in Canada.  After the contest ended, the editor reached out with a tentative yes.  After two-and-a-half years, I wasn’t ready to party.  Four months later I saw, in a tweet, that Superromance was being discontinued.

I never heard back from that editor – never got the rejection (or acceptance) I deserved.

When I tell this story to other writers, they question why I didn’t submit elsewhere.  But if your number one pick expresses that much interest, why would you go elsewhere?  Lesson learned.  I submitted Marnie for contests.  I pitched her to editors and agents.  I got a few nibbles, but no bites.  Three years ago, I decided I would go it alone.  I hired a freelance editor.  The next year, I secured a cover. Finally, I wrote a book to come before it – I just didn’t feel Marnie should be the first in the series.

One more thing I should share – best advice I ever got as a writer: write the next book.  While Harlequin sat on my book, I wrote another 16 in that series.  The first year I waited?  I wrote a million words.  I was convinced they’d take my book and then take the next stack.  As you now know, that never happened.  But I have (now up to) 20 books that need editing and are ready to publish.

I’ll always be protective of Marnie – I love the angsty story.  I submitted her for a contest and the lovely Grace Burrowes was a judge.  She tore the opening apart and made it a thousand times better.  I kept her edits and dedicated the book to her – seemed the least I could do.

I believe in this book.  I also warn readers that the subject matter is dark – but that’s often how I write.  Now, I’m putting the book out into the world and am forever grateful I didn’t sell it to a publisher.  I likely would’ve never found someone who’d take all 20 or so (with more to come).  And because I knew this world so well, I’ve written several gay romances in the same world – just under a different penname.  I’ve created a place I hope readers will return to again and again.

Okay, thanks for reading that.  Thank you, Delilah, for letting me share my story.  I hope other newbie writers can see that sometimes the long game is the best way to go.

I’d love to give away a $5 Amazon Gift Card.  Tell me: what do you love about series?  What makes you want to go beyond the first book?  A random commenter will win the prize!

The Making of Marnie Jones

What’s better than love in the beautiful Cedar Valley in British Columbia, Canada? Find small town romances with a touch of angst, a bit of heat, and a lot of heart…

Each novel is a standalone, but they are best read in order:
The Luminosity of Loriana Harper (A small town interracial romance)
The Making of Marnie Jones (A small town enemies-to-lovers romance)
The Redemption of Remy St. Claire (A small town single-father fake-marriage romance)

Love without limits.

Librarian Marnie Jones has reinvented herself. After horrors that changed her forever, she’s built a new life and has found what she believes to be safety and quiet happiness. She hopes she’s outrun her past, but all that changes when a stranger comes to the small town of Mission City, British Columbia.

Links:
UBL:  https://books2read.com/Marnie
Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVL11FBY
Add it to GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123132378-the-making-of-marnie-jones

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.

Author 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

UPDATE: The winner is…Courtney Kinder!
*~*~*

I’m typing my little fingers to the bone this week. I have a deadline. I’m almost there. Have you pre-ordered your copy of Mica? Well, I hope so. It’s coming NEXT TUESDAY! In the meantime, I have a puzzle for you. I’ve named some of my favorite paranormal creatures. Solve the puzzle and name yours in the comments for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Becky Byers!
*~*~*

First, had to share…

Our little town had their first annual St. Patrick’s Day parade! Okay, so it was a parade of only children. They decorated their skateboards, bikes, mini cars, hoverboards, etc., and had a parade around Main Street. This is the 9-year-old. Wish you could see the full picture of the bike. My SIL hot-glued the hell out of it. LOL That’s a leprechaun’s hat attached to her handlebars. The parade was fun and afterward, we went out to dinner to celebrate the holiday. It is an Irish household!

I’m working hard on finishing a book by next Friday. Just wrote the first sex scene. It wasn’t what I expected. That’s all I’ll say. 🙂

I’ve been painting every day of #the100daychallenge. So far, I haven’t missed a day. I passed the 1/4 mark of the challenge yesterday. Here’s a couple of things I finished this week…

So, I’ll keep my nose to the grindstone and power through until Friday. I’ll get ‘er done (I really detest that phrase!).

Puzzle-Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me when, where, and who is he?

Little did I know when I posted this picture of my current favorite coffee cup, and asked y’all to share pictures of yours, that you’d actually play! Apparently, folks love their cups! And some of you told me why. So, without further ado, here they are!

From Beckie Johnson

From Beverly Blank

This is special to me… I make myself one each year with pics of my grandchildren throughout the year. They’re all special that I make. When I’m having my tea, I feel their presence by seeing their smiling faces in the photo.

From Bn100

Attached is a picture of my favorite mug because like Alice in Wonderland

From Deb Robinson

From Debbie Chenault

This is my favorite because it is the first gift I received from my husband when we were still dating.  He knows I love Eeyore.

From Jennifer Beyer

I don’t know if the picture is clear enough but the mug actually looks like lace in person.  I don’t know how they made it with all of the little clear parts but I just had to have it when I saw it in the gift shop.

From Misty

This was my dad’s favorite mug and he always chuckled when he used it. I love the memories that it brings back.

From Sue Payton

I thought I had you in my contacts in email but couldn’t find it. Anyway I have a lot of mugs, too many actually, but this one is special to me because my mom (who is in heaven) got it for my late husband who died from cancer last month. I have memories of him everywhere, he’ll never be forgotten. He was a avid hunter and this one always stuck out for me.

From Nancy Schreib

From Sharon Landry

Sharon’s second picture made me laugh! That’s my expression when I face my first cup of the day! 🙂 ~DD

From Sharron Riddle Houdek

From Sue Payton

From Terri O’Connell

From Thia Mackin

This line is special to me because all four of these were gifts from readers.

These have hidden messages.

The winner of the gift card I offered to those who sent me pictures is…Sharon Landry!

Thank you, everybody! This was so much fun! ~DD