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

Today’s another rainy day—like we need another. At least it’s not freezing. The temperature is in the mid-50s (I guess around 13 C). It’s cool enough I want to stay inside anyway. Good thing since I have to get some work done anyway. I hate that our leaky roof will be drip-drip-dripping, but we’re just waiting for the contractor to let us know when he can work on the patch. I’ll work this morning and into mid-afternoon and then we’ll make an early dinner and watch a movie together. We haven’t decided what yet, but we want a comedy to offset the dismal weather. Any suggestions? Anyway, here’s a puzzle to exercise your gray matter.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me what’s happening in this scene! Have fun!

UPDATE: The winner is…Roxie Jones!
*~*~*

January

 

1. I continued to work on Malcolm (Book #10 of Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT).
2. I revised and republished my novelette, Unbound by the Amazon. (It’s currently FREE in KU, and just $0.99 for a short time only!)
3. I completed 4 editing projects for other authors in January.
4. I wasn’t working at my peak for the first half of the month, but after that, I cooked!!

Health-related:

1. I continued concentrating on drinking more water, plus, I continued drinking water mixed with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar twice a day to improve my liver health.
2. I’ve managed to keep my blood pressure down to 135-155, despite the fact I haven’t been watching my dang weight.

Happiness-related: 

1. I haven’t painted or “arted” much this month! And I miss it. Writing like my hair is on fire is taking everything right now.
2. Here are some examples of things I completed in January.

February

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete writing Malcolm, my next Montana Bounty Hunters book and publish it on February 13th!
2. To begin work on What Happens in Bozeman, my next We are Dead Horse, MT, book!
3. To complete 4 editing projects in February!

For health related, I plan:

1. To see my heart doctor so he can assess how the meds he prescribed are working.
2. To start back on my Weight Watchers diet, because it’s time to get serious! I HAVE to get back in the saddle!
3. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas) and my liver (apple cider vinegar, flax seeds, sunflower seeds).
4. To pay attention to my daily steps, trips up and down the stairs, and to incorporate some chair exercises and more walking.
5. To do more housework because my art room isn’t finished! Cleaning is exercise, too.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To begin the #the100daychallenge where I’ll be painting something every single day, starting on February 18th. If you’re an artist, join me!
2. To lead a program for the local art guild meeting in the use of Gelli plates.

Contest

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

I’m out of my element here.

My new release, What a Dragon Desires, has a Strong Female Character. Actually, strong isn’t an accurate descriptor because I’ve written strong characters before. Strong as in resilient, fearless, supportive, capable… but Eydís Helvig, the heroine in my third dragon shifter story is more than merely strong. She’s assertive, aggressive, and combative.

And I’m sooooo not.

Which begs the question: how much of me goes into my characters? I used to think there was at least a glimmer of Ava in each of my characters. I could relate in some way to their goals, their strengths, their hurts, etc. Or, at least, my author’s mind could step outside of itself and relate. Yet, for some reason, I really struggled with Eydís’s personality. Almost as if I couldn’t find anything relatable about her (and if the creator can’t relate, what does that say about both the creator and the character?). Yet Eydís isn’t some throw-away, one-dimensional, heartless harridan sort of character.

She was a challenge to write, partially because I was concerned about overstepping the fine line between strong and bitchy. Yes, the term “bitch” is so often (too often) used as a demeaning description for any confident, knowledgeable, vocal woman. I’m using the term to describe a female character who stiff-arms readers into not caring about her or her arc. When the reader isn’t engaged with a character—when they see no relatable or redeeming characteristics—they just don’t care. And their enjoyment of a story plummets, as does the possibility they’ll finish reading the book.

I’ve read my fair share of “strong female characters” who are merely insensitive harpies lashing out blindly at the world (for no understandable or redeemable reason). I hope Eydís doesn’t also fall into that category. After all, she’s a dragon shifter without a dragon. Which means she has an emptiness deep inside that can’t be filled or eliminated and therefore can’t regulate her apex predator tendencies. As a result, she’s aggressive, in-your-face, and combative. Her job involves navigating mostly-male meetings in a mostly-male industry. She has to be confident, knowledgeable, and vocal.

Part of her arc is to smooth those prickly edges. Shocker: the love of a good man helps 😉 A man who accepts her as she is. So much so that he calls her lítill fura… Old Norse for little pine.

While Eydís is allowed to be combative, she can’t be a bitch. Because I need the readers to like her. Which means I’ve kinda written myself into a corner, trying to make her prickly, but not too prickly. And because I am a peacekeeping, non-combative type of person myself (which means, I personally relate more with my hero in this book), I’m possibly more conservative with where that fine line between strong and bitchy actually is.

Uh-oh. Maybe I haven’t made her aggressive enough. 😳

All that angst aside, I’m celebrating a new release! And I’m giving away three kindle versions to random winners. Let me know about your favorite (or least favorite?) strong female character.

What a Dragon Desires

“What a Dragon Desires” is available at your favorite online retailer:
Kindle – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BZGWQTN3?tag=avacuvay-20
Nook – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-a-dragon-desires-ava-cuvay/1143253255
Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6446715988
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ASLdEAAAQBAJ

Ulrik Drekison serves comfortably at the right hand of his oldest brother. As a Wood Dragon shifter, he is the peacekeeper, serene as the forests surrounding his Minnesota home. When a deadly pest invasion threatens the future of his family’s logging company and the entire state’s economy, he’s primed to battle the infestation but ill-equipped to combat his attraction to the voluptuous woman sent by an opposing company. Unaffected by his Viking good looks and his innate dragon sensuality, she trashes his calm at every turn. Yet, as antagonistic as she is, he can’t seem to walk away from her.

Eydís Helvig was born a dragon shifter… without a dragon. As an apex predator with no beast to back up her brazen attitude, her own clan rejects her and humans barely tolerate her. When she’s tasked to diffuse a small family logging company’s outcry about a bug crisis, she is inexorably drawn by the Drekison’s innate power and integrity, especially the hostile yet passionate brother, Ulrik. She yearns to set down roots she’s never had. But like everyone else, Ulrik and his family won’t want her, especially after her employer’s secret is exposed.

Excerpt:

He nodded once, then palmed her elbow to usher her to his truck. Eydís recoiled from his possessive move. She didn’t tolerate chivalry from men; she was perfectly capable of opening her own doors and shit, and allowing a man to do it for her undermined their ability to see her as an equal. She’d struggled too long and too hard to prove herself in a man’s world. There was no way she’s allow one little action to undo it and plant her into the weak-and-helpless category.

She yanked on the door handle, realizing too late it was still locked, and looked back at him expectantly. He was going to make her wait, wasn’t he? He was going to make her wait until he sauntered over and unlocked his truck, his expression patronizing and looking at her like she was a dumbass for trying to do anything herself.

But he didn’t make her wait.

He clicked his fob and she heard the unmistakable sound of unlocking. “Give the running boards a sec to deploy,” he cautioned when she flung the door open.

She paused and watched the power-deployed boards swing from under the truck, thankful for the boost they offered. Ulrik’s trucks wasn’t one of those cringy overcompensating-for-something behemoths—he didn’t need one; she’d seen his dick—but she was too short to gracefully climb into his cab without the running board.

He was at her side by that point, and held the door while she hoisted herself in. Was she hearing things, or had he caught his breath when she’d leaned forward as she maneuvered into the truck cab? And why did the thought of Ulrik appreciating her womanly assets please her in a far more personal way than it should?

About Ava

Ava Cuvay is an award-winning bestselling author of out of this world Sci-fi and Paranormal Romance featuring sassy heroines, gutsy heroes, passion, adventure… and the word “moist”.

She resides in central Indiana with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder and teen kiddos who think her “Rizz” is “cringe” but she “passes the vibe check” and her books “hit different.” No cap.

She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

It’s been a few months since my last blog, so I’ll re-introduce myself. I’m from Melbourne, Australia, and I’ve been writing contemporary romance since I was fifteen, but I didn’t start my journey as a self-published author until 2021. I love writing, reading, and listening to steamy romance novels, watching romantic movies… basically, I’m a romantic at heart. But romance or not, I love a great story in any format. I love other things too. Walking, yoga, visiting the library (even though I own a ton of books), coffee dates with friends and family, pretty notebooks, being organized, and gardening when I’m in the mood. Yep, it’s an eclectic mix.

I work part-time as an Accounts Assistant for a hospitality venue, and when I’m locked away in a little “safe” room to do the banking, I listen to audiobooks. It’s the best part about my job.

I thought I’d share what’s going on in my world and what’s on the list for 2024.

Australian weather:

While most of you are experiencing the cold, we’re in the middle of summer but right now, it’s not much of one. The eastern states, including where I am, have had thunderstorms and floods. It’s bizarre considering, we were told it would be a dry, hot season.

Australian Dorothea Mackellar’s poem My Country captures Australia perfectly when she wrote the line, “Of drought and flooding rains.” Like other things, it’s a poem I took for granted as a kid but can truly appreciate as an adult.

What I’m currently reading:

Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum has been one of my favorite characters for the longest time, and I never tire of her antics. It’s a laugh-out-loud adventure. And I love the banter between her and Joe Morelli. Oh, and the banter between her and Ranger.

What I’m listening to:

Nightwork by Nora Roberts. I’ve read/listened to her books for as long as I can remember. One of the reasons is because my Aunty was a huge fan, and I was bequeathed all of her books after she passed. I’m absolutely loving this story about a teenage boy who is doing what he can to support his mother while she battles cancer. His journey continues into adulthood.

Clear your shelf challenge:

I’m determined to read more this year and came across this reading challenge on Instagram. Basically, you need to read twelve books from January to March that are currently on your shelves or in your kindle and fit the selected categories. I like the manageable timeframe and that it encourages you to read what you already own. I find myself wavering with those yearlong challenges.

What I’m working on:

The CEO – book 4 in the 5 Shades of Brothers Browne series. I started working on this in 2022 when I thought Shane’s story would be second in the series but two of his younger brothers pushed ahead of him, as younger brothers tend to do. Now it’s his turn to fall in love.

Shane Browne, the CEO of Browne Real Estate is far too busy to be tied down. Sure, he’s had companions but the idea of love has never been on his list of goals.

Tycoon Marco Zampatti is selling his Melbourne hotel and has asked both Browne Real Estate and Matthews Realty to submit proposals for the job.

Shane’s biggest rival has a daughter. A woman he shared one night with a month ago and now it’s Addie who he’s competing against. Addie who is getting under his skin and softening his competitiveness.

Will Shane’s growing feelings for Harry’s daughter have him mixing business with pleasure?

What’s new in 2024:

I’ve decided to give this year a theme – ADVENTURE.

The hubby and I are getting a new car and have a few getaways planned for the year which is always exciting.

Also, in the spirit of romance and adventure, we’re going to have A year of dates. Let me explain. I discovered this online. It’s a cute little box full of envelopes, you pull out one a week and whatever is inside, you do. Simple. There are also five blank envelopes so you can write anything you want. So far, we’ve got up to watch the sunrise, we’ve gone on a coffee date and this week’s card will have us going to a local market.

And I’m beginning to learn golf. Yes, golf! My hubby loves to play when he can, and I’ve always wanted to give it a go. Currently, I’m just practicing in the backyard with a net we bought but I have hopes to one day step foot on a golf course. Apparently, my technique is pretty good.

Yes, there’s a lot of adventures planned for 2024 and I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Do you have any holidays planned or new things happening this year? Any challenges you’re setting for yourself? Is there anything else you’d like to know about me or Australia? Be sure to put them in the comments or feel free to contact me on my socials.

*~*~*

Mister Tradie is 99cents Amazon & KU
Books 1-3 in the 5 Shades of Brothers Browne series bundle $2.96 Amazon & KU

Follow Deb Robinson on her official Facebook page
Follow on Instagram and Threads @debrobinsonbooks
And on TikTok @debrobinsonbooks

Welcome to 2024! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season. We’re only three weeks into the new year, and I already have exciting news!

If you’re familiar with my Lone Wolf Legacy series, you’ll be happy to know that PROTECTING THE GRAY WOLF, the second book in the trilogy, is releasing on February 12^th. The cover is gorgeous.

Protecting the Gray Wolf
Lone Wolf Legacy, Book 2

If they want his immortality—they’ll have to take it…in the second deeply sexy and bold Lone Wolf Legacy series from New York Times bestselling author N.J. Walters

I’m used to other wolves coming for me. They want their chance to try and take out the infamous Gray Wolf. And every single one of them fails—because lone wolves aren’t like the others…we’re stronger. Harder. Meaner. Immortal.

But it also means I’m alone. No pack. No alpha. Just the three of us—white, gray, and black. Two too many, if you ask me.

But with power-hungry mages gunning for us, I don’t have the luxury of reflection. They’re in New York City, and I Will. Hunt. Them. Down.

Which is when I see her, and every cell in my body is on alert, filled with the kind of primal longing I never knew I was capable of. Luna West may be human, but there’s some kind of thread connecting us. Call it destiny, fate…or voracious animal hunger.

I know she’s bait. She’s meant to tempt me, to make me weak. But even if I could resist her, I’m not sure I want to.

Because I’ve never denied my wolf anything…especially the chance to raise some serious hell.

And I’m not about to start now.

(Author Note: This book is told in third person, even though the blurb is in first person.)

TEASER:

It was rude, but Luna couldn’t stop staring at the man. Rough around the edges with his scruffy jaw and leather jacket, he should have looked completely out of place. Instead, everyone around him faded into the background, paling in comparison.

Towering over her, she estimated he stood at least six and a half feet, maybe slightly more. His hair was a pale foggy gray that fell in thick strands to his broad shoulders. It was an unusual shade, better suited to an older man, but there was nothing elderly about him. This was a man in his prime. There were no signs of dark roots, either. Maybe it was natural, like the two thick locks she had on either side of her face. She pegged him to be in his thirties, mostly because of the air of confidence surrounding him.

*~*~*

Want to read more about Luna and Kade? Check out the links below.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSXC8HTG/
Entangled Publishing: https://www.entangledpublishing.com/books/protecting-the-gray-wolf
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/protecting-the-gray-wolf-n-j-walters/1144686015
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/protecting-the-gray-wolf

If you’re not familiar with the series, there’s still time to read TAMING THE WHITE WOLF, book one of the series. Find out more at: Entangled Publishing: https://entangledpublishing.com/books/taming-the-white-wolf

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit her at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

UPDATE: The winner is…Colleen C!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you so much for letting me visit.  I have something super special and close to my heart to share with you and your readers today, so hang tight for a crazy story.

I’ve shared before my writing journey – after dabbling for what felt like forever, I sat down in my 40^th year and put my nose to the grindstone – or literally pen to paper in this case – and finished my first book.  I sent it off to the publisher and while waiting to hear back, I repeated the process (best advice I’ve ever received and the one I share with all newbie authors).  So I wrote the next one. And the next one. And I kept going until (eventually), I got my rejection.  By then, I had fifteen completed books and three partial manuscripts.  In case you’re wondering, I wrote a million words in 2014 and close to that in 2013 and 2015.  So, I had books.

By that point, I knew I needed help. I found this AMAZING freelance editor who whipped me into shape. Her patience was phenomenal, as I just wanted to learn by doing instead of reading articles (drove her nuts, but she stuck with me).  As she helped me fix up the old manuscripts, she would pass along writing opportunities. One, Delilah, was for an anthology of yours.  You rejected my story – appropriately – but I fixed it up and found a publisher. That was a great experience for me (even the ‘no’) because I learned I could write short.  The next time my editor showed me a call, the publisher was looking for a friends-to-lovers short story (5-18k).  For some reason, the image of a nurse helping birth a baby in a pub bathroom sprung to mind and, within moments, I had my story.

Caressa’s Homecoming was an 18k friends-to-lovers story.  My freelance editor fixed it up, and I submitted it.

And was accepted.

Holy Lord, was I over the moon excited!

Interestingly, one of the beta readers commented about halfway through that she worried the story was going to be a ménage.  At the end, she commented she was pleased it wasn’t.

That comment triggered me, though. Caressa and Michael were tight with their third best friend, Cole.  All three met in first grade and, through harrowing childhoods, were always there for each other.  Only when Caressa went overseas as a nurse did Michael and Cole realize their feelings for her.  I won’t give too much of the story away, but yeah, you can sort of tell by the cover what kind of book this wound up being. (MMF throuple)

I dabbled with the story between publication (2016) and this new version coming out (2024).  For instance, the original short story was in 3^rd person.  Generally, I write in 1^st.  Let me tell you, swapping forty thousand words with a POV switch is much harder than it sounds.  I had also, by this point, included Cole – an actor – in several of my books (Catch a Tiger by the Tail and Valentino in Vancouver).  The logistics to put everything together took a spreadsheet and a lot of hard work. You know me, that was the fun part.

And so, I give you the new and improved Caressa’s Homecoming. The rights reverted to me a few months after the anthology was released, so I didn’t face any problems with bringing the story back to life and turning it into the vibrant and somewhat angsty story I’m publishing. (Side note: I knew I couldn’t tell the entire story in one book, so my publisher gave me permission to finish their story – taking it from a Happy for Now to a Happily Ever After – so Cole’s Reckoning will be coming out in the summer).

Okay, long story, but one I wanted to share.  I love giving readers an insight into the writing process – convoluted as it might be.  To thank your readers for having read all that, I’d love to offer a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky commenter.  Have you ever read a short story and wanted it to be longer?  Or can you read something compact and be satisfied?  Let me know and the random number generator will select a winner.  Thanks so much, Delilah.

Caressa’s Homecoming (Bonded by Love Book 1)

Three inseparable friends—now three insatiable lovers?

Nurse Caressa Klein returns home to a quieter life in Vancouver, Canada, after five grueling years of working with patients in Africa. She’s ready to settle back into her relationship with her two best friends.

Engineer Michael Dubois has been in love with his best friend since the day she announced her departure overseas. He’s glad she’s back—now he wants to hold on to her forever.

Actor Cole Hamilton is also in love with his best friend. Or rather, both of them. They supported each other through harrowing childhoods. Cole wants to bring Caressa and Michael into his life and, more importantly, into his bed.

Can they move from friends to a throuple, or is their relationship destined to fail?

Links
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/Caressa
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Caressas-Homecoming-Bonded-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B0CNDD16CX
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caressas-homecoming-gabbi-grey/1144351269
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/caressas-homecoming/id6472198149
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/caressa-s-homecoming
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202189830-caressa-s-homecoming

About Gabbi Grey

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

With our cold snap, which kept the kids out of school for the ENTIRE week, I didn’t accomplish even half of what was on my list this past week.

• I continued revising Warrior’s Touch—which is now Unbound by the Amazon (thanks, everyone on my Street Team for helping me retitle the book!)
• I searched for and found cover art for Unbound and a new Brotherhood Protectors story, Tyson’s Mission. After sending the art off, I now have two gorgeous covers!
• I worked on editing stories for two authors.
• I wrote one lousy chapter of Malcolm. It took so long because I had to figure out how my heroine wouldn’t look TSTL (too stupid to live), like a damsel in distress, when things went wrong with her takedown of a skip. It’s the meet-cute scene where my two bounty hunters first come together.
• I began reading the stories for my next anthology, Secret Identities. I have three read so far.

This next week, I have to do better, or stop reporting about how bad I am at this writer-editor gig because you’re probably wondering how I ever get anything done!

What does this next week look like? I intend to accomplish the following:

• 4 chapters of Malcolm
• Complete two editing jobs
• Complete revising Warrior’s Touch and get it ready for publication.
• Read another five to ten stories for my next anthology, Secret Identities.

Here’s hoping tomorrow’s forecast for more snow is WRONG.

Open Contests

1. Happy National Houseplant Day! (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Story Cubes: Tell me a story… (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Snow-pocalypse! — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Appreciate a Dragon Day! (Contest – 3 Winners) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book! THREE winners!
5. Gabbi Grey: When One Story is Not Enough (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Word Search: Favorite Pets (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Cover Reveal — Anyone like ancient Scythia? Plus, books you can pre-order now! (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
8. Saturday Puzzle Contest — Random Bohemian Pirate Couple — Win an Amazon gift card!