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

Happy Saturday!

I’m busy finishing Eli’s story—my handsome silver fox! If you’d like to read a snippet from the opening of the story, it’s right here: READ AN EXCERPT

While I’m writing, my SIL and daughter are right next door repainting my bedroom. Now, when I say it’s a major undertaking, I’m underrepresenting just how difficult this task is. I’ve lived a lot of years, and I have a bunch of stuff. So, they shift everything one way then the other to get to the walls. That sounds like I’m a major hoarder, doesn’t it? Like I have so much crap they have to make tunnels to get to the walls. I swear it’s not that bad, but I do have a couple of cabinets—one large—full of collectibles (Russian boxes, Fenton glass, snuff bottles, fortune-telling teacups…) that had to be emptied, and all that stuff is now sitting carefully stacked on a banquet table IN MY OFFICE. It’s a wee bit distracting—all that activity and clutter overtaking spaces…

So, me writing with things piled up around me—get the picture? And I have to have Eli finished by next Friday!!!! I’ll make it, but getting there won’t be pretty. Good thing Eli is! 🙂

Pre-Order your copy here!

Puzzle Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what treasures you collect. Do you have bottles of buttons? (I do! Still haven’t figure out what to do with them!) Do you collect crocheted afghans? Share for a chance to win!

Open Contests

1. A New Short Story and a Puzzle Contest! You couldn’t ask for more on a Saturday, right? — This one ends tomorrow! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Diana Cosby: Nature’s Beauty – A Year to Remember! (Contest) — This one ends tomorrow! Win a SIGNED book!
3. Tell me a story… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Flashback: Ride a Texas Cowboy (Contest–Two Winners!) — Win a FREE book!

2021. Phew. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad it’s over. It was a difficult year in many, many ways.

It’s over, and we can start completely over, fresh, like new.

But here’s the thing: if we do that, we lose all the momentum of good things that we’ve built up to this point. If we start over, like nothing happened, then what? Not all that happened in the year was bad. Maybe it’s a hike we took, or a walk, or a meal. Something good, if we look for it.

Okay, so how do we know that? How do we focus on the good stuff, keep the momentum of the good going, without drowning in the bad?

Try this: Mia Rose, a psychologist and coordinator of the popular women’s group SoulWoman Circles, suggests we try looking in our phone. Call up our pictures that we’ve taken over the year. Look through them and see what you focused on. Is it family? Meals? Natural surroundings? Through that, you can find the positive threads that occurred last year for yourself.

I love rhododendrons. Locals call them “rhodis.” They grow wild here in Washington State and Oregon. They bloom every spring in an explosion of colors – whites, pinks, fuchsias, reds, yellows, oranges, even multi-colored ones. We bought a home in Duvall, WA, right at the end of 2020; it’s our first home. We have a rhodi out front by our mailbox, and she bloomed in Spring and it’s just gorgeous.

This is a shot of Rattlesnake Lake, a natural area outside of Seattle. It’s just down from a water reservoir. We took ourselves off there with the dog, wandering around the perimeter of the lake (no rattlesnakes, which disappointed my husband). It was interesting to go and wander, without expectations, and without demanding anything of the place.

What about you? What good things, even little tiny ones, did you do last year?

UPDATE: The winners are Mina Gerhart and Christy Smid!
*~*~*

I’m being lazy! I pieced together this patchwork of covers last week for a contest, and I’m using it again because I’m super busy and don’t have time to be original! Do you care?! LOL!

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of one of the books below,
tell me if you have any furbabies/pets, what kind, and their names—and I’d love for you to say what your pets do for you.

Click on any cover to learn more about the story!

Excerpt from Ride a Texas Cowboy…

The house Katelyn Carter had bought sight unseen was kind of like her—weathered by storms and in need of a lot of TLC.

After a quick glance around the empty road, she set her truck into park and stared down the long graveled drive. She let her eyes blur and tried to imagine how the old house must have looked once upon a time before the harsh South Texas sun had baked its exterior. She wasn’t encouraged. Even seen from behind her dirty windshield, she could tell the one-story ranch needed a lot of work, and at the very least, a fresh coat of paint.

A lone tear streaked down her face, surprising her, and she sniffed. One last cry—she deserved that much. Then no more feeling sorry for herself. She had too much to do and a whole new life stretching in front of her.

A loud honk sounded, and Katelyn swung her gaze to her rearview mirror to find that a dusty, older model pick-up truck had pulled up behind her. She swiped away the tears with the back of her hand, and then stuck her arm out the window to wave the driver past.

Instead, the driver-side door opened, and a tall Texan in faded jeans and a cream-colored cowboy hat stepped onto the pavement.

Katelyn cursed under her breath and quickly tilted down the mirror to see whether her mascara had smeared. She didn’t really care what a stranger thought—that was the old Katelyn. Still, some habits died hard.

When boot steps stopped beside her, she glanced up…and found herself trapped by a moss-green gaze that raised the temperature within her cab a notch. The rest of him was just as captivating. Dark brown hair peeked from beneath his hat. His jaw was angular, his chin chiseled. Shallow crows’ feet surrounded those amazing eyes and crinkled when he frowned—as he was doing now. But they were wrinkles caused by the sun, not the weathering of a few years, like hers.

Damn! Here stood the first man she’d met since her separation who made her think of all the steamy possibilities, and he was too young.

She didn’t realize she’d cursed out loud until his soft chuckle washed over her like a silky caress. Her cheeks flamed instantly.

“Women don’t generally cuss me ’til after they know me better,” he said, his baritone voice thick as molasses.

My name is Kennedi Darling, and I write contemporary suspenseful MC Romance. I live in sunny Arizona with my husband of 14 years, our two boys, ages nine and five years, and our eleven-year-old dog named Roxie. In my day-to-day life, I spend my days as a full-time stay-at-home mom to my boys, as well as a full-time caregiver to my one-year-old niece. My nights are a different story. I use the little free time I have, to research, plot, and write the stories I love so dearly.

My journey into becoming a published author started in July of 2020, although my love of writing began in my youth. Creative writing was something that always fueled my soul. There’s something peaceful and utterly amazing about having the ability to bring something to life with one’s mind.

When I first decided to start this series, it began as a dream that wouldn’t let up. Piece by piece it came together, the characters slipping details to me like love notes written in class. It seemed to fill every moment of my day and consume my dreams until, finally, I had the whole picture. I remember I kept a notebook with me at all times because I never knew when someone new would pop up and say hello. This amazing world filled with characters, what they looked like, their pasts, their heartache, their strengths, and everything they’d need to succeed was there before me.

Then, I had all these puzzle pieces and two characters screaming at me to tell their story. They told me it was theirs that needed to be told first. It was theirs that was needed to start this series. So, that’s what I did.

Honestly, when I sat down to do this big scary thing, my husband thought I was nuts. “You’re going to do what now?” he said to me. “A book, like for other people to read?” I understood his confusion. Never in our sixteen years together had I ever mentioned wanting to write a book and now, all of a sudden, I was embarking on this journey I dove into headfirst. Well, I set out to write something that I thought people would love and relate to and be able to feel with every fiber of their being, and I hope I’ve done just that.

If you’ve ever read the MC romance genre before, you’ve probably heard of the SAA (sergeant at arms) position and what it entails. For those that haven’t, the SAA’s job is to maintain the safety and security of the club. That includes the safety of the members, their families, and all their property. The first novel in the series features a decorated former Army Ranger who now holds the SAA seat at the officer’s table for the Tattered Souls MC.

Follow Dagger’s journey along an emotional rollercoaster, battling a loss he wasn’t prepared for, treading water in a sea of misconception, and finally getting his hard-earned HEA. This book of trials, heartache, and undying love will leave you with a book hangover of epic proportions, but don’t worry; more is to come from the TSMC.

Dagger

Sienna:
I promised him forever, only one mistake became never.
My body was no longer my lover’s temple, but a madman’s canvas.
Instead of quivering with pleasure, I shuddered in pain.
Now I’m back, a shell of a woman with a shattered mind and a tattered soul.
There’s no way Dagger would see me for the woman I was.
And the loneliness is going to kill me.

Dagger:
I promised her forever, only one call became never.
Dreams of the future were no longer peaceful, but shattered by nightmares.
The woman who held the key to my soul was gone, though I never moved on.
Now she’s back, though tattered and broken.
She’ll never believe she still owns my heart.
But I’m determined to avenge her.

Dagger is the first book in the Tattered Souls MC. This story includes a HEA, no cliffhanger, and no cheating.

Adult Content Warning: This book contains explicit language, sexual scenes, and violence.

**Trigger Warnings**
This book contains instances of past torture, the recounting of past mental and physical abuse, as well as an instance of suicidal thoughts and a stopped attempt. If any of these subjects affect you negatively, this book may not be suitable for you.

Book Link:
Dagger (Tattered Souls MC: Book 1) is available on KU and on Amazon here: https://mybook.to/DaggerTSMC

Where to find Kennedi

My Links
Facebook Author Page: facebook.com/kennedidarlingauthor
Join my reader group here: ( I’m less socially awkward here…most of the time): https://www.facebook.com/groups/kennedidarlingsdolls
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21583118.Kennedi_Darling
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kennedi-darling
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/kennedidarling/
Instagram: instagram.com/kennedidarlingauthor
Twitter: twitter.com/KennediDarling

UPDATE: The winner is…Cara!
*~*~*

It’s playtime! I love doing these little challenges because it’s fun to see where your minds go.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me a little story about this guy. The story doesn’t have to be long or even good. Have fun with the challenge!

Just wanted to share the pretty meme my daughter made and to remind you that After Dark, a short story, is out there—FREE IN KU—for your enjoyment.

Be sure to check out all the contests you still have a chance to win listed below!

Open Contests

1. Tell me a story… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Flashback: Fun with Dick and Jane (Contest–2 Winners–and Excerpt) — Win a FREE book!
3. A New Short Story and a Puzzle Contest! You couldn’t ask for more on a Saturday, right? — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Diana Cosby: Nature’s Beauty – A Year to Remember! (Contest) — Win a SIGNED BOOK!

UPDATE: The winner is…bn100!
*~*~*

©Diana Cosby 2022

With the start of 2022, I thought it’d be fun to look back to some of my favorite photos from 2021.  A place I enjoy visiting is the marsh.  In addition to the birds who live there year-round, it’s neat seeing new ones during migration.

It’s always exciting to catch sight of birds I rarely see, such as a cedar waxwing, a northern pintail duck, or an eagle.

On rare occasion, I’ll see a buck, but normally if I see deer, it’s a doe and their fawns.

Spring is an exciting time as it’s when the kits are born.  They’re cute and it’s so fun to watch them play.

During the summer, I love the riot of colors of the flowers and enjoy watching the butterflies and bees attracted to their blooms.

At the pond, yellow-crowned night herons’ nest, and red-winged blackbirds and bluebirds visit.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite photos from 2021.  Take care and wishing you a tremendous New Year!

Contest

***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post about, ‘Nature’s Beauty – A Year to Remember!’ on Delilah’s blog between 9 January 2022 – 16 January 2022, and will win a copy of His Seduction translated in German, “Verführt in den Highlands.”

About Diana Cosby

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated into five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series and The Oath Trilogy, she released the bestselling The Forbidden Series.

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
The Forbidden Series

Social Media
Website:  https://www.dianacosby.com/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/978803.Diana_Cosby
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Diana-Cosby/e/B003YJ1MR4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1417447922&sr=8-1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author-150109024636/?ref=ts