UPDATE: The winner is…Peggy!
*~*~*

Okay, so this isn’t me. I’m not working out like a bitch to lose weight. I have too much work to do, and I’m 63 years old. I did however make a New Year’s Resolution—top of my list, actually—that I was going to drop some pounds this year.

I know, I know. New Year’s Resolutions tend to fall by the wayside a week inside the New Year. But that’s not me. I do tend to have some, when I make them a priority, that “stick”.

Take my resolution made years and years ago to post daily on my blog. For three years straight, I didn’t miss a day. I figured out that having lots of guests helped because content is HARD! The past couple of years, I had a handful of days where I missed posting. One handful. My mother’s passing was a great excuse. I simply didn’t want to face my keyboard when all I wanted to do was vent about how painful it all was, and that’s not me. I’m not a crier. I’m not a wear-my-heart-on-my-sleeve person. Not even with the people I love most. My granddaughter is going through some things, life-threatening things, but we keep this house happy and positive. We’re a funny group of people, and we always find something to laugh about. THAT’s who we are.

So, back to this picture. I made a resolution that I’d lose some weight. I don’t plan to get slim. I plan to feel good. A week ago, I was at the twenty-pound mark. I felt svelte. (I’m so not, but hey, I could suck in my belly—that’s progress!) This week, I’m bumping back to nineteen, and I’m angry. No, I do not want to give up a morning of writing/editing to up my step-count. I want to work. So, I’m looking at the reasons why I’m plateauing. I’m not going to think too hard. I don’t have the time. I’ll cut out more salt (who eats eggs without salt?!). I’ll go back to being strict about my portions (I don’t like portions. I’d rather graze all day on 0-point foods!). Maybe, in the end, I’ll just relax. It is working. I’m standing taller. I’m not huffing up the stairs. My clothes are getting looser. I shouldn’t obsess over the scale.

I paid for seven months of online Weight Watchers. That told my family how serious I was. I’m two-and-a-half months in, and I still enter everything I eat in their little point counter. That’s dedication. It’s a habit now. I need more good habits.

Still, the picture above is funny. Although my hair’s getting more silver by the day rather than blonde now, that’s what I’d look like in a tight workout outfit. Maybe, I’ll go look for my handweights and place them beside my desk for “thinking time.” I wonder where that old Shake Weight is—it makes me laugh.

For a chance to win your choice of one of my backlist books, tell me what you do to make good, healthy habits!

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

National Procrastination Week is a thing! How exciting is that? It runs March 6th through March 12th, so I’m a little late telling you all about it—but isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work? LOL

Most days, procrastinating is kind of a bad thing. You put off things you should be doing now—which can have consequences, even if the only one is added stress for you. So why celebrate it?

Use the holiday as your excuse to put something off you really don’t want to do now! Say, It’s National Procrastination Week, dear! The trash can pile at the curb; the laundry can build until it overflows the basket. I can start that book next week—I have a holiday to celebrate!

Here’s my procrastination rant: Yup… I have two whole weeks to finish this book. Woops, it’s ten days now. Still, I can push through to finish it next week. I’ve done it before. I work best under pressure. Adrenaline fuels my muse… 

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, give me your procrastination rant!

UPDATE: The winners are…Colleen C and Eileen McCall!
*~*~*

I’m being lazy again! I pieced together this patchwork of covers last month for a contest, and I’m using it again because I’m up to my eyeballs! Do you care? 🙂

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of one of the books below,
tell me something about yourself others might find strange or weird. Have fun!

Click on any cover to learn more about the story!

Excerpt from Begging for It…

Cross McNally watched the woman walk away, her back straight, but her chin tilted at an angle that betrayed her inner turmoil. He’d seen her cross the street and thought he’d recognized her, but she’d given him a sneer when he’d slowed down.

He’d parked in front of the bar and followed her inside. When he’d seen her drag the dude in the Brooks Brothers suit out the back, he’d hurried out the front and around the side to watch.

It was shadowed where they stood, but he hadn’t needed to see clearly to know what they were doing or what it was doing to her. Her groans had been edged with desperation. The hard, crunching thrusts had to have rubbed her back and ass raw.

A familiar ache settled in his chest. The last time he’d felt it, he’d held her against his chest while she’d beaten him with bloody fists.

Cross left the bar and walked back to his car. He opened the door and slid behind the wheel but paused for a long moment before kicking the ignition. It must have been fate that had him on this exact street at just the right moment to find her.

And it looked as if he’d have to rescue her all over again. He just hoped this time she wouldn’t hate him.

UPDATE: The winner is…Elaine Howell!
*~*~*

A note popped up on my phone, telling me how much my time spent on the device has increased. My Twitter time has risen dramatically. No surprise there. I’ve been watching the news out of Ukraine incessantly. It’s hard not to. So many harrowing and uplifting stories. Today’s favorite was the story about a woman in Kyiv who took down a drone by flinging a jar of cucumbers at it from her balcony.

Writing hasn’t been easy or particularly productive, which is worrying since I have a book I have to upload by the 18th. I’ve been doing edits, because it doesn’t take as much brainpower—usually.

I’m still trying to make time for the #100DayProject art challenge, but I’m falling behind. Again, too much time on my phone and spent in front of the TV. I have to manage my “need to know” a little better. I made a bookmark earlier last week and didn’t realize until I was done that, subconsciously, Ukraine was still on my mind…

Another tweet prompted me to do this in response to whether I supported the Ukrainians. My answer ten minutes later…

I’ll keep with the challenge. It makes me experiment a bit. This picture was made using oil pastels, with which I have no experience (obviously!), but it was highly enjoyable giving it a try…

This one is more in line with what I usually do. Just a repeated pattern. No thought. Just paint and doodle. Very relaxing.

So, my question to you for a chance to win my Ukrainian sunflower bookmark is…

How do you find balance while the world is devolving into chaos?

UPDATE: The winner is…Elaine Swinney!
*~*~*

Reminder for Authors

Deadline for Submissions is March 15!

When you send in your story, I’ll send you back a note to say I have it! If you have questions, don’t hesitate to email me!
Here are the guidelines: Silver Soldiers Guidelines

Puzzle Contest

For a chance to win a FREE download from my backlist of books, tell me—how’s the weather where you are? We’re nearing 80 degrees here today and tomorrow, then we’re going back into a freeze, followed by possible tornadic activity. It’s almost Spring in Arkansas! Is the weather as crazy where you are?

Open Contests

1. Michal Scott: Elizabeth Jennings Graham — The Rosa Parks of the 1850s (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. February into March (Contest–and more contests!) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Ukraine Solidarity (Puzzle-Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Cameron Allie: Character Spotlight — Lucifer (Contest & Excerpt) — Win a gorgeous pendant!
5. Lainey Reese: The Inspiration Behind a New Series (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Anna Hague: South Carolina, here we come! (Contest) — Win a FREE book!

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

I’m about to go on a vacation. Sounds weird. In the past two years my husband and I have canceled four vacations and rescheduled one (This One!). We’d just returned from Walt Disney World when the pandemic hit. Between Covid and a health issue, our travels came to a screeching halt.

I know several people who don’t take vacations. They have the means, but they just don’t go. My husband and I have been the complete opposite. In the three decades we’ve been married, we’ve always taken some sort of vacation. Some were short and close by when we had little money, and others involved taking advantage of a business trip to a very cool location. Some were planned and some were very spur of the moment. We always took a vacation.

Now for the past two years, “staycation” has been the norm. What I mean by staycation was sitting on the deck drinking wine and listening to Jimmy Buffett. The problem with that was it became the norm, and the thought of going anywhere wasn’t exciting or even “meh.” Each time we canceled a trip, we weren’t really bothered by it. Staying home re-watching Boston Legal, Justified, and now The Practice was not only perfectly acceptable but desired.

That’s a problem. The not caring if I left the house has become a real problem for me as an author. Now, I get out and still write because I’m a freelance sports reporter, and I’m out a couple times a week. But that’s different. Recapping an event involves facts, stats and few pretty words thrown in but not the creativity needed for producing a novel.

I released a novella in November of 2021, Boy and The Family Plan as part of a shared world project, but prior to that, May of 2020 was my last release. Thunderstruck was a direct result of a vacation we took to South Dakota. I was so in love and inspired by Spearfish Canyon and Deadwood, the story was the easiest one I’ve ever written.

By not going on a trip, any trip for two years, I realized I have a need to get away in order to fuel my writing. This vacation will be no big adventure. We’re going to South Carolina to visit friends. I suspect we’ll spend a day at the beach, maybe venture into Charleston, but for the most part, we’ll just be hanging out with good friends.

I’m hoping the unfamiliar location, strange bed and different food will shock my brain into some creativity. For two years, my brain has been on overload from Covid and cancer, functioning pretty much on auto pilot. Auto pilot doesn’t allow for creativity. The change of location will alter my routine for a week. Change what I do. Change what I eat. Change who I talk to. All of that change, even for a short time, will recharge a drained battery.

I’m a third of the way through the follow up to Thunderstruck and completely stalled. I know this trip will get me out of my rut and routine enough to finish this book, because I really do love the story. I can’t wait for people to read this story, but I have to write it first.

So many authors I know say they’re introverts and staying home day after day writing is what they do. In some ways, I admire that. I’m not really an introvert though. I’m fine with alone time and home time, sometimes, but what I learned is I need the outside stimulation to spark my inner thoughts.

South Carolina, here we come.

Contest

For a chance to win an e-book of Thunderstruck, comment with your favorite vacation spot.

Check out Anna’s books!
Boy and the Family Plan: https://www.amazon.com/Boy-Family-Plan-All-American-ebook/dp/B09GPNYQVF
Thunderstruck: https://www.amazon.com/Thunderstruck-Book-1-Storm-Canyon-ebook/dp/B087C9QTKG

Anna Hague’s Social Media links:
E-mail: annahague80@gmail.com
Website: www.annahague.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AnnaHagueAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010050496430
Amazon Books. https://bit.ly/3hEPjlYAnnaHague
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AnnaHagueAuthor/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anna-hague
Wild Rose Press: https://wildcatalog.thewildrosepress.com/2382_anna-hague

Thanks so much to Delilah for having me on her blog today – squee! I’m Lainey Reese and I’m the USA Today Bestselling Author of the New York Series and other works. I’m thrilled to be here with you to share the story of how my brand new BDSM series came about – it’s called The Kimberly Chronicles and follows the story of a sassy, submissive hairstylist who barges her way into an FBI investigation. The first book in the series, Lace & Flames, released just two days ago with two more books to come soon. Here’s a quick summary!

When Kimberly trolls the local BDSM club after her friend goes missing, she finds herself ensnared in something a hell of a lot bigger and more sinister than she had bargained for. She also finds herself face to face with her sexy new therapist.

Dean Ackles is deep undercover with the FBI and from the moment his fiery new client entered the Lion’s Den, he should have known it would only be a matter of time until he gave in to the temptation to make her his own. With Kimberly suddenly in the hot seat smack dab in the middle of his case, it’s going to take both Dean along with his partner and best friend Sam to see her safely through it.

So, that’s the crazy, sexy story in a nutshell. But you could have read as much from the back of the book. It was suggested to me that I share with you how this story came to be, so that is what this blog will be about.

I went to my first ever KallypsoCon last November and it literally saved my life. I was in the grips of a deep depression while I was there and the women I met turned everything around for me. Everyone there from the amazing Kallypso Masters herself on through to each and every reader I encountered was incredible. Kally’s readers really know how to treat an author right!

There is one woman in particular who stood out from the crowd like she had a spotlight on her wherever she went. She was tall, lusciously curved and had the sort of beauty you see on billboards.

I found her irresistible.

At one point during the con, we toured a real life BDSM club and Kimberly floated from room-to-room regal as a queen in a high collared black number that hugged her rich curves. She’d had her gorgeous, honeyed locks piled high on her head with a flutter of lace showcasing her jawline and I knew I had to write her somehow.

It wasn’t until the two of us toured Universal Studios together and bonded over our love of Harry Potter that her story came to me. God bless her, she just uttered one sentence and the entire series fell into my lap.

Here’s how that went: We were in line for our lunch in The Leaky Cauldron and discussing mental health and my need for a therapist (of all things to be discussing in an amusement park!?). I explained to her that I knew I needed to see a therapist and that the problem wasn’t finding one, it was picking one. My insurance had sent me a list to choose from that was multiple pages long. I had been aghast and quite frankly overwhelmed at the plethora of choices, I told her.

“Hmm;” she huffs with her beautiful face scrunched, “I wonder how you could narrow it down. What if you tried looking up their reviews online?”

And that did it. Instantly I burst into laughter so loud the people around us turned to see what was so funny. I knew what she meant but my mind shot immediately to Fictional Kimberly picking out her therapist based on Yelp reviews. And The Kimberly Chronicles was born.

As soon as I got home I started writing. I have never written a book so fast in my life and I love it. I love the energy of the story and the spunk and sass of Kimberly. I love the way she keeps her FBI men on their sexy toes and the villain in this story is one I really love to hate.

Since being home, the depression has become manageable thanks almost entirely to Kimberly, both fictional and real. The woman behind the fantasy has become one of my most cherished friends and I consider myself damn lucky she loves Harry more than Mickey or none of this would be happening.

So, that is the story of how one hell of a real woman birthed one hell of a fictional one.

As for me and my depression? I’m doing great these days and spend most of my time buried in my computer and letting the words flow. I feel like the darkest days are finally behind me and there is more than sadness and grief ahead. For the first time in a very long time, there is hope on the horizon and I owe it all to the KallypsoCon and the amazing women I met there. They saved me that weekend and for that I will always be grateful.

Lace & Flames Blurb & Buy Links

The search for her missing friend will ignite dangerous desires…

Before her best friend went missing, the most stressful things in Kimberly Lace’s life were her demanding hairdressing clients and trying not to flirt with her gorgeous therapist. But with no
answers from the police, Kimberly decides to investigate her friend’s disappearance for herself.

Undercover FBI forensic psychologist Dean Ackles needs to keep his mind on the job. Five women are missing, but his distracting thoughts about his client Kimberly are almost as bad as the
guilt he feels about lying to her. When he and his partner Sam find Kimberly searching for answers at The Lion’s Den, things get heated.

For Kimberly, the flames of desire are ignited for not one, but two men. And while she might be happy to submit to them in the bedroom, there’s no way Kimberly is giving up for the search for
her friend, no matter how much they insist on keeping her safe.

Their powerful attraction will lead Kimberly into the heart of danger and tempt her to risk everything for passion, including her own life.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HT57vw
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3gNGzbC
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/3JsMU8F
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3uUItzk

Giveaway

I’d love to give you the chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card! Just follow the link below and answer the question. I’ll choose one winner on March 5 and my assistant will send it out.
https://lainey-reese-giveaway.paperform.co

About the Author

Lainey – born in Tacoma, Washington – was raised mostly in Nevada and California. The youngest of five, Lainey dreamed of being an actress and starring in blockbuster movies she wrote herself. As she grew, the dreams of being on the big screen faded but the ones of writing those fantastic stories never did. At 17 Lainey read her first romance novel and knew she’d found her calling. Here were the stories like the ones in her own heart and mind, and like tumblers falling into position on a combination lock, everything just clicked into place and the world was open to her.

It took a long time before she could work up the courage and belief in herself to try but finally, in 2010 Lainey held her breath and took the leap. Her first novel A Table for Three debuted in February and she hasn’t looked back since. Nor has she given up hope that one day, she will be sitting in a theater, and it will be one of her stories on the big screen…

Along with her husband and two dogs, Lainey lives in Marysville, Washington and they have a daughter going to college in Bellingham.

Social Media Links
• Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorLaineyReese
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@authorlaineyreese.com
• Twitter: twitter.com/lainey_reese
• Instagram: instagram.com/lainey.reesd
• Website: laineyreese.com
• Newsletter: https://bit.ly/laineynewsletter
• Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/3431863.Lainey_Reese
• Patreon: patreon.com/laineyreese
• Amazon Author Central: amazon.com/Lainey-Reese/e/B00J8B37FM
• Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/lainey-reese