Since my sister arrived Friday afternoon, I’ve written 6,738 words, plus I’m close to finishing revisions on Gargoyle’s Embrace, which comes out next Tuesday! Yes, we’re having our own mini-writer’s retreat. While we keep our heads down, focusing on writing, we hope to blow through stories all week.
Every once in a while, I need this. Having someone else around really helps with focus. It fosters competition. Who’s going to write the most words today? It’s a kick in the ass.
While I’m a writing machine (cough, cough), I do run out of steam and enthusiasm. I’ve been writing for over seventeen years. Sometimes, I do approach burn-out. Occasionally, I do take breaks. Mind vacations. Usually not out of choice, because this is a job and I do have to produce, but sometimes, my imagination holds me hostage.
Not so, lately. Bounty hunters have been a blessing. I’ve found my bliss again. And as soon as I figure out a paranormal world that thrills me just as much, I’m ready to head down that rabbit hole again. I feel that itch coming. (And I know that didn’t sound very attractive, but that’s what that niggling desire is like!)
Hope you don’t mind my sharing these personal little tidbits of things that go through my mind…
I rushed last week to wrap up Cochise and get it ready for publication. It released yesterday! That was exciting, and of course, I’ve been trying like mad to get the word out! (Here I am doing it again! LOL) Now, I’m working on a couple of editing projects. Oy!
And, my birthday is tomorrow. However, since we have relatives descending tomorrow for a visit, my family decided that the party was going to happen today. My dd’s been the party organizer, so I’m sure she’s planning lots of black things—cakes, etc., to tease me.
This morning, my mom said her party gift for me is something that’s likely to piss me off (I’m suspecting a Trump card or a MAGA hat), but she wanted me to have something special for my 60th—eek! I still can’t believe I’m that old! It must be true what they say about only the good dying young. 🙂 Anyway, she gave my late grandmother’s diamond ring. I almost cried when she handed it to me. Grandma died last February, and we all still miss her very much.
We’ll have the party early afternoon; mom’s catering in a catfish feast; then all the kids and I are hitting the pool!
Anyway, I’m dressed up and ready. Thought you’d like to see what 60 looks like! I took about ten pics before I got ONE that didn’t make me want to vomit.
Ugh. I hate taking my pictures. My sleepy eye, crooked nose, BCGs (military acronym for Birth Control Glasses—which I wear for comfort rather than fashion!), my too-blonde-almost invisible eyebrows… I don’t mind the little bit of silver in my hair or the wrinkles. And it’s shadows, not a saggy neck. My neck’s just fine, thank you very much. But there you have it. Me. Hitting the big 6-0! Tomorrow, I’ll hit the benchmark, but it will be back to work!
I can’t explain why I was so excited. Megan’s life is far-removed from mine. Her prince is cute and appears to be very kind. They both seem to be very good people. I’m not envious of the life they will lead—the travel, the castles, the clothes, the jewels. Not much, anyway. I’m a hermit by nature; I can’t imagine living in a fishbowl.
However, I was up at 4:30 in the morning, and then over at me dd’s at 5:00, to roust everyone from bed to watch the wedding. We wore pink, “jeweled” tiaras and had “tea and crumpets” while we watched. We named every celeb and aristocrat we could spot. Enjoyed critiquing the fashion and the silly hats. Critiqued the wedding dress and the bride’s hair—I was very pleased with Meg’s dress; my daughter thought Kate’s had been nicer. The carriage ride was gorgeous! Later, we both took naps!
The picture? Snapchat was NEEDED. We rolled out of bed in our pajamas with our messy hair. The fluffy ears aren’t real, but the tiaras are! The extra bit of sparkle above my head must have been because I was what the party was all about. My daughter would have preferred sleeping in, but since she was going to be up for ME anyway, she made the event a party. What can I say, she loves me. 🙂
I’m a wee bit embarrassed to admit, because I’m not a silly-frilly girl, but I’m gaga over the upcoming royal nuptials.
I’ve always thought Harry was cute and funny, and I remember that sad little boy who followed his mama’s coffin down the streets. I want him happy.
Then there’s Megan… She’s American and so poised and friendly—and can I say that I’m beyond thrilled she’s biracial? It says so much about Harry that he’s going for her, against all tradition. I can’t help but hope they are fabulous together as a couple.
So, my dd has been very patient with me as I wiggle and squirm all the way to next Saturday when the big event happens. In fact, she’s throwing a “high tea” party—with “tea and crumpets” and pink kiddy tiaras for the whole family—starting at 5:00 in the morning, because we’ll all be up and planted in front of the TV to watch the spectacle!
How about you? Are you excited? Are you planning to watch? Are you crazy like us and throwing a party? What element are you most excited to see? The kiss? THE DRESS? Their happy faces?
Hint, hint! Guess where I’m going? Beach… State of origin of the artist who sings my favorite version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”… Still clueless?
Yes, Hawaii!!! Tomorrow morning at O-dark-thirty, I’ll be heading to the airport. I should be in Honolulu sometime mid-afternoon after losing hours due to the time zone changes. I dread the flights. But I’m sooo looking forward to the trip. It’s part business, part pleasure. I’ll sight-see while I’m there, but I’m also participating in a writer’s retreat, along with my sister, Elle James, Susan Stoker, and J. M. Madden. We’re planning on getting some serious words under our belts while we’re there.
Yeah. That’s the plan, anyway. We’ll see whether that beach just outside our window proves too much of a distraction. 🙂
While I’m away, I have writers scheduled to keep you entertained. Be sure to stop in and say hi! And I’ll post photos from Hawaii on my Facebook page!
While I’m away, remember, I have two complete cowboy series I recently released. If you haven’t read them, now’s the time… Just click on the covers!
This morning, I did something I rarely do. I slept in. All the way to 7:00! I felt lazy. Hell, I was lazy last night. I had washed my bedding, but didn’t have the energy to make my bed, so I rolled myself up inside a fuzzy blanket and slept on top of the unmade mattress. How many of you have done that? Does it bother you? I was too tired to care. 🙂
First thing I did this morning was make my bed. Then I headed to my office. I still haven’t had a cup of coffee. Who is this person? smh
Anyway, you know I have a new story out. REAPER’S RIDE is a glimpse inside Reaper and Carly’s lives AFTER their story, REAPER. I have to do that sometimes. Revisit characters I love. The trick is to find some conflict that will arise that they can push through. It helps to have plenty of external conflicts occurring around them, in their case—bad guys to hunt down. In this story, Reaper injures himself in the first exciting scene. And he handles it the way a lot of men do. Uh-huh. He ignores the pain, doesn’t want to talk about it, and goes right back out to hunt another douche, so Carly can’t make a fuss. It’s a fun story. Lots of action—hunting those bad guys and between the sheets. Thought you might like one of those sexy-time excerpts to get your Saturday going. Enjoy!
Sexy excerpt! You have to be old enough to read this!
When the door closed him and Carly inside, he didn’t spare a glance for the room. His gaze was on Carly, who walked nonchalantly forward and dropped their bag on the low bench at the foot of the bed.
With a glance over her shoulder, she said, “How’s that shoulder?”
“Throbs.” But someplace else throbbed harder.
“Oh.” She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Need help getting out of those clothes?”
“I’ll manage,” he said, keeping his tone low and even.
Her gaze slowly locked with his, and her pupils expanded. Her nostrils flared. But she turned away, keeping her face in profile. “We should probably rest. This day was really long.”
She watched him. He knew it from the prickle that crawled along his skin. And she was aroused. Reaper might be bruised and aching, but in no way would he rest before he fucked her all the way to heaven. Read the rest of this entry »
This has truly been Hell Month for me. Too much on my plate meant too little sleep and too much stress. Here’s the rundown.
I had to prepare for then attend a conference in Nashville—A Weekend with the Authors—which was fun. But I’ve become such a homebody/hermit it’s tough for me to move out of my routine to do something like that these days.
My dear daughter left two days after I returned from conference to go help her dad with his business for 17 days! As we speak, she still has a week to go, but I’ve been “mom” since she left, staying at her house to make sure kids get to school, animals don’t die, and the house stays clean.
I’ve been editing my little fingers off: first, my story A Long, Hot Summer, then 4 more paid gigs—2 of which were long. I’m wrapping up the last two today, so I start the new month without any leftovers.
I finished writing the last three chapters of Dagger, just in time for it’s release. Whew!
I wrote a story for my sister’s Kindle World, The Brotherhood Protectors. I finished up Reaper’s Ride this morning!
And then there were the releases I had to promote. Take a look in case you missed them!
March Releases
The Triplehorn Brand, Book #1
A teller implicated in a bank robbery seeks sanctuary from small-town sweetheart she left behind–who happens to be the new sheriff in town…
A lifetime ago, Zuri Prescott kicked the dirt off her boots and fled her small-time, small town, but lived to regret choosing a glam city life over her high school sweetheart. When she’s framed for a bank robbery, she flees to her home town, seeking refuge with her old flame while she figures out her next steps–only to discover he’s the last man she can confide in.
Sheriff Colt Triplehorn knows trouble when he sees it, especially when it’s one familiar naked trespasser, caught between an angry bull and her underwear. Sure she’s up to her usual no good, he grants her sanctuary at his ranch where he can keep an eye on her while he purges her from his system once and for all. When he realizes she’s involved with a robbery, he has to make a career-compromising choice between following the letter of the law and his heart…
Former Army Ranger, Daniel “Dagger” Renfrew, has been a lot of things—an Army Ranger, a Seattle beat cop, a PI, and now, a bounty hunter, which, so far, suits him just fine. In his job, he doesn’t look for easy takedowns. He likes lying in mud or snow with his binoculars trained on a window, hoping for a glimpse of the dirtbag whose mugshot he carries in his hip pocket. If they’re badasses—all the better. Dagger prefers when assholes try to run, because then he has an excuse to mix it up, get physical, and blow off steam in an all-out brawl—when the situation warrants, of course. One morning when he’s working his side gig, repossessing cars, he discovers the car he’s taking belongs to his old high school sweetheart, and there’s nothing like sweet revenge…
Lacey Jones is furious when she finds a very large, scary dude trying to steal her car. It’s the last straw. She’s lost her job and is about to lose her apartment, so there’s no way in hell she’s letting him take her damn car! When she discovers its Dagger, her old beau, she jumps into the car with him. When she learns how he makes a living, she’s curious…and then determined to become a bounty hunter herself. How hard can it be?
Some things never change. And some things change everything…
Gabe Triplehorn can think of no better getaway from his heavy responsibilities at the ranch than to go back to a time and place where he didn’t have a care in the world. When there was just a campground, a river, and a girl. When he gets to Red Hawk Landing, the campground and the river are still there. He just never expected the girl would still be there, too. Only now she runs the place.
Lena Twohig can think of no better place to raise her young son than the family-owned campground that holds so many memories. Especially, the romance with Gabe that lit up one long-ago summer like a wild electrical storm. Now he’s back with a ranch-hardened body she knows she shouldn’t want so badly.
No amount of lies, or the years that have passed, can tame this tidal wave of passion.
I’m going on a 10-day writers’ retreat in HAWAII!!!!!
I have a book to finish, a short story to write, and hopefully, I’ll get most of the next Montana Bounty Hunter story written at that retreat too!
Sound like enough? Ha! I have an editing gig to wrap up before I leave on my trip.
And I have these releases to promote. Hope you decide to read them both. One is up for pre-order, the other you’ll have to wait to download on release day!
Click on A Long, Hot Summer to pre-order!
Contest
For a chance to win one of my MARCH releases, answer me this:
Do you have big Spring plans for April? Any trips planned for the year?
Since my sister arrived Friday afternoon, I’ve written 6,738 words, plus I’m close to finishing revisions on Gargoyle’s Embrace, which comes out next Tuesday! Yes, we’re having our own mini-writer’s retreat. While we keep our heads down, focusing on writing, we hope to blow through stories all week.
I can’t explain why I was so excited. Megan’s life is far-removed from mine. Her prince is cute and appears to be very kind. They both seem to be very good people. I’m not envious of the life they will lead—the travel, the castles, the clothes, the jewels. Not much, anyway. I’m a hermit by nature; I can’t imagine living in a fishbowl.
