UPDATE: The winner is…Jackie Wisherd!
*~*~*

Okay, so it hasn’t been horrible. So far, anyway. We’ve had our shots, which I’m sure is why we’re doing so well.

My dd and I were feeling very superior yesterday A.M. Everyone in the house has had their symptoms to varying degrees. The 8-year-old had congestion and was tired (lazy, in my eyes—I mean, everyone else was being waited on hand and foot, so why not her?).  The 13-year-old had congestion, fever, headaches, and didn’t want to get out of bed (not lazy, in my eyes—she was genuinely miserable). The 18-year-old was on the mend after extreme fatigue and a terrible cough. He actually took his yoga mat out to the driveway with some hand weights to work out yesterday afternoon. Now, he’s just staying in bed, I’m sure, because he was texting with some girl into the wee hours. His mom has a list of chores to stick him with today—it’s character-building. My SIL had a terrible cough and fatigue but is on the mend. The 17-year-old had congestion, ran a fever until yesterday, but is feeling much better today. She’s working on completing her finals online because she can’t go back to school just yet.

Today, my daughter’s not feeling so superior. She ran a fever last night and had a splitting headache until this morning. But now, she’s lost her sense of taste and smell. She says it’s weird. Coffee tasted like cardboard (how she knows what it tastes like, I don’t know!).

So, I’m the only one left feeling superior. I had a bit of a cough for a couple of days. I took naps. That was it. So, unless I get that 5-day dip where everything goes to shit, I’m doing great. I’m even puttering around doing the dishes and trading out drinks on the TV trays we have set outside everyone’s bedrooms. I’m the only one still wearing a mask because, if I’m feeling good because my viral load was tiny, then I definitely don’t want another dose!

I’m a bit bored. Too much time in front of the screen makes my eyes teary, so I do have to get up and putter. Reading a book after editing a book—not something I want to do either. I’ve re-watched old movies I love—The Proposal and This Means War. I’ve sorted and cleaned out the junk in a couple of desk drawers. I varnished all my acrylic paintings I’ve done lately. See how bored I am?

I can’t go anywhere, and everyone in the house wants to sleep.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, come up with some creative things for me to do—that don’t require crispy-clear brain cells or much effort. You can have fun and make up silly things, too.

UPDATE: The winner is…Tara Leavitt!
*~*~*

Today the 18-year-old graduates from high school! I won’t be attending the ceremony—climbing bleachers is not my thing. But I will pop for a celebratory dinner for the family and a couple of his friends tonight! He enters the same university I attended many moons ago in the fall! We’re all so excited. One down! Three to go! LOL

Puzzle Contest

Solve the puzzle to check out the 2022 graduate!
Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! Let me know if you have high school graduates in your family or will soon. Also, share any words of advice I can pass along to him!

Open Contests

1. Lexxie Couper: Who’s a Good Boy? from RESCUED! (Contest) — Win 2 FREE downloads, plus a SIGNED book!
2. Saturday’s Puzzle Contest — Thinking Cold Thoughts… — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Deb Robinson: Let’s talk firsts… (FREE in KU Read) —  Everyone! Get a FREE KU read!
4. My obsession with toys… (Contest) —  Win an Amazon gift card!
5. To Bee or Not to Bee — World Bee Day (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

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

I told you I collect things. Well, one of my newest collections (meaning, I’ve only been collecting them a couple of years, not twenty) is by bee pin collection. All of these are Joan Rivers bees. I love the enameled ones in all their glorious patterns. My dd gifted me the leopard-print one at the middle bottom of the photo for Mother’s Day this year. I like pinning them to purses and jeans jackets to show my solidarity with the bees.

But, “Why bees?” you might ask.

Well, there would be no life without bees. I think I heard it said that one in three spoonfuls of food you eat every day exists because of bees. They don’t just pollinate flowers. They pollinate crops. And scientists are worried about dwindling bee populations because, again, there would be no life without bees.

I know some of you fear them. Yes, I’ve been stung, but not since I was a kid because I don’t excite them when they fly around me by getting excited! Plus, I’ve decided to figure out how I can do my little part to help the bees. For instance, what flowers do they love? I want to plant them!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, share something about bees. Love them? Hate them? What flowers do you think I should plant?

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!

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

UPDATE: The winner is…Brenda A!
*~*~*

This summer, we’ll have four kids underfoot. The two older ones have part-time jobs and driver’s licenses, so I’m not so worried about keeping them occupied. The 13-year-old and 8-year-old will present tougher challenges. I was thinking of maybe trying to get them excited about some crafty projects. Maybe tackle one every couple of weeks. I’d love to pass along my “craft bug” to someone!

Something my dd and I did a few years ago was make soap. We tried just one recipe, and it actually turned out very, very nice! It was an oatmeal-honey-goat’s milk recipe, and we added some essential oils for scent. The project didn’t take more than an hour to put everything together, and after we stuck it in the fridge while it hardened, we had lovely bars of soap!

This was us putting together our ingredients before sticking the measuring cup in the microwave to melt the mixture.

We found some cheap, basic molds on Amazon. All we did after stirring our hot, melted mix was pour it into the mold.

And we had pretty, nicely scented, smooth-as-butter soap!

So, I’m going to hunt for my old molds and purchase ingredients to be ready!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, share your ideas for crafty summertime activities!