I should know. I wrote it. And yes, this is my unabashed reminder that you NEED to read this story. It’s a celebration of our military heroes—both on the battlefield and here at home. So, if you’re looking for something to read this weekend, or to re-read, here’s my suggestion. Just click on the picture below and go get your copy. You’ll laugh, get hot, and cry. And forever after, if you think of just two words, you’ll remember the journey and the final scene… Hey, Zig… 

Open Contests

1. Procrastination Queens (Contest–3 Winners! Plus Open Contests!) — Win a FREE story!
2. Where are they? Tell me their story! (Puzzle-Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Anna Hague: It’s all in the Name (Word Puzzle-Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Finding Motivation… (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
5. Yvette Hines: Will Travel for Food and a Story (Contest & Cover Reveal) — Win a scented candle!
6. Kimberly Dean: Friendship Takes Time (FREE Book!) — Everyone, get your FREE book!

Have You Ever…

Broken your own rules? Done something impulsive and reckless? Well, sometimes you do have to take risks. That’s how memories are made, right? I can honestly tell you that I didn’t make it to fifty-three without a few wild memories of my own. There was that one time when I was about twenty…wait, maybe I should keep that to myself. Haha! At any rate, life is dull if you don’t let down your hair from time to time. Sure, you’ll make a few mistakes, but I can tell you from experience that it’s worth it. *wink, wink*

Anyway, that’s exactly what happens to the rather stringent Lauren Clark in my latest release. She’s the type to read all those pesky terms and conditions. She works hard and prefers her men domesticated. And taking a walk on the wild side? Yeah, that’s never going to happen! But after her boyfriend dumps her Lauren ends up pouring her heart out to a handsome stranger. His silver-eyed stare and wicked grin tempts her. And there’s nothing tame in the way he kisses. So maybe, just this once, Lauren will gamble everything for a single night of passion. But what happens when she finds out she’s been deceived? Ah! Let the games begin! 🙂

Dirty Deception—Last Chance to Call You Mine Anthology

For a single night with her, he’ll be whatever she craves…

Lauren Clark has landed the job of her dreams and she’s ready to celebrate. When her boyfriend dumps her via text message, Lauren finds herself baring her soul to the dark-haired stranger two barstools over. Going home with the delicious hottie probably wasn’t the wisest move. And how was she to know that her Mr. All-Night-Long would end up being her new boss?

Alexander Costa isn’t one to second guess a good thing. And the sweet redhead with the luscious curves is a damn good thing. When her boyfriend is a no-show, Alexander seizes a chance to make Lauren forget all about her broken heart. Sure, maybe he knew exactly who she was the instant he walked into the bar. Maybe he has a rule about office romance. But just this once Alexander doesn’t want to be heir to the Costa fortune. He only wants to be the man that makes Lauren burn…

Also, keep your eye out for Dirty Addiction (Chloe’s story), May 2022!

Universal Purchase link for Last Chance to Call You Mine Anthology: https://books2read.com/u/mBZR7k

About the Author

Bestselling author Anne Rainey, “wastes no time getting right to the erotic heart” (Publishers Weekly). She is published by Kensington and Entangled Publishing. Her books have won numerous awards and have been translated into Italian and German. In addition, Anne has dipped her toes into self-publishing with her exciting paranormal series: The Zenarians. Anne is from the midwest and has had a variety of odd careers, including sales associate, nail technician, chiropractic assistant, and restaurant hostess. Her love of books has opened her up to a thrilling career as a romance author. Her stories are filled with passion, love, and the sometimes-exasperating bonds of family.

Find Anne:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annerainey
Rainey’s Readers Private Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/785284435328066/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annerainey49/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annerainey15
Website: https://www.annerainey.com/ –download the first chapter *free* of all my books!

Happy reading,
Anne Rainey

Do you have a best friend?  Or maybe a friend you’ve known for a very long time? I met my oldest friend when we were in kindergarten together. We haven’t always lived in the same town, but we’ve kept in touch over the years. We know each other’s likes and dislikes, strengths, and quirks. We remember events from the distant past, but usually not the same ones. It takes time to build a friendship like that.

That’s something I wanted to explore in my books, Courting Trouble and Courting Innocence.  The stories are hot romances, but beyond the love stories, I also wanted to explore the relationship between the heroines. Sienna and Erin have been best friends since childhood. They’ve laughed together, spent time with each other’s families, supported one another, and are now young adults entering a new phase of their life and friendship.

Because friendships change, too.  And sometimes you don’t tell your best friend when you’re doing something you know she won’t approve of… Or seeing a new hot guy who’s not really your boyfriend… Friendships can be as complicated as romantic relationships.

That’s why I gave a story to each friend, and then added new friends in the following books in the series. These women have each other’s backs, even when they might be being bad. Because who better to court trouble with than your best friend?

Note:  Kimberly was a contributor for both First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology Book 5 and Stranded (Boys Behaving Badly Book 4).

Courting Trouble

Sienna is bright, articulate, and woefully underemployed. In order to get by, she signs a contract with Luxxor Escort Services. A contract that strictly forbids any sexual contact with clients… But then she’s assigned to accompany former hockey player, Jason. The chemistry between them is hot, and soon Jason is tempting Sienna to break all the rules.

Excerpt from Courting Trouble…

Setup – Jason shows up at Sienna’s apartment right after Erin has been dumped.

Still in a crouch, Jason rested his elbows on his bunched thighs. He glanced around the room, and Sienna became uncomfortably aware of the wadded-up tissues, the empty ice cream carton, and the general state of her crummy apartment.

“Looks like you’ve been at this a while,” he said.

Hours. It had been hours and hours of Erin crying and asking why.

He cocked his head. “So, are you pissed off yet? Or do you need to stew in it for a while longer?”

And there was the Jason she knew, virtually poking her friend with a rude stick. Sienna counted to ten.

Only Erin responded in a way Sienna had never seen before.

“Of course, I’m angry,” she snapped, fire lighting her eyes. “Why would you say that? I have every right to be angry.”

“You bet your ass you do.” Jason clapped his hands against his thighs and pushed himself to his feet. He grimaced halfway up. “You want to do something about that?”

Erin’s hair tumbled down her back as she looked up at him. She was enthralled with the stranger who’d just walked in and taken over. “Like what?”

“Work off some steam? Pump out some aggression?”

Aggression? Sienna rolled her eyes. Erin didn’t have an aggressive bone in her body.

Erin surprised her again by throwing the pillow to the floor. “Yes.”

Courting Innocence

Erin starts using matchmaker Luxxor Limited, not realizing that the company is truly an escort service.  She gets more than she bargained for when she’s set up with another client, lawyer Colton King. Her big brother’s best friend.

Excerpt from Courting Innocence…

Setup – The women of Luxxor are trying to figure out who to pair Erin up with, while keeping the real nature of the company secret from her.

“Omigosh. He’s a client?”

Both Nina and Rielle swiveled their heads around fast. Sienna had grabbed the paper and jumped to her feet. “That’s it!”

“Who?” Rielle asked. “What’s it?”

“Him.” Sienna slapped the piece of paper back down on the desk and pointed at the first name on the list. “Set her up with him.”

“Colton King?” Rielle pulled back. “He’s sexy and you know—huuuh—but for Erin?”

Nina’s eyes narrowed. “He’s too tall, and, if he has a sense of humor, I’ve never seen it.”

Yet she could practically see the energy that was flying off Sienna in a ray of colors. Surprise and excitement tingled in the air. The icy blonde was usually much more contained. “What is it you’re not telling us?”

Her employee sat down fast.

“Erin has wanted him forever,” she shared conspiratorially. “He’s her older brother’s best friend, but also the kid from the wrong side of the tracks. Her parents would never let her see him.”

The three of them leaned in like girls around a campfire sharing stories about the cute boys at school.

“Did he want to see her?” Rielle asked.

“Does it matter?” The gears in Sienna’s brain were turning fast. It was clear on her face. “You’ll either give Erin the thrill of her lifetime, or he’ll put an end to her using a matchmaker so fast, her head will spin. I know he will.”

*~*~* 

Like best friends who always do things together,
both books are on sale through May 31!
Courting Trouble – Free through May 31
Amazon  /  Apple  /  Barnes & Noble  /  Google Play  /  Kobo

Courting Innocence – Only 99 cents through May 31
Amazon  /  Apple  /  Barnes & Noble  /  Google Play  /  Kobo

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen1!
*~*~*

All through my family, coworkers, readers, and friends, it is well-known that I will travel the world for food. Foodies Unite. I have always been a person who never could settle for the status quo when it comes to my food. My family would get very frustrated with me when I was younger because when it was my turn to cook, I always imagined some dish then prepared it for dinner for the household. I will honestly say it wasn’t always executed well. LOL. I was trying vegan meals before I knew the word vegan. I’m not a vegan now, but it is one of the foods I love to eat, but I also like bacon.

I once wandered into a natural health food store and grabbed a pack of peppermint gum that tasted wonderful but smelled like soil, dirt, the Earth in your mouth, to the annoyance of my entire family each time I placed a piece in my mouth. LOL. They honestly never knew what to expect from me.

Food is something readers will see placed inside most of my books. Food from all types of cultures. In 2019, my daughter, my road buddy, and I traveled to Quebec City, Quebec. All the pictures here are from that trip. We ate our fill of poutine, crepes, sweet and savory, pastries, gelato, creamy ice cream, and coffee. The dark brew is another love of mine. We had tickets to go to Toronto in 2020. However, everything got canceled. I sometimes wonder if we would have gone if we would have been stuck on the other side of the border when they closed their country to America. Hm, it is a thought. LOL. We also lived in Germany for five years and could not believe how fantastic the food was there and in the many surrounding countries. My waistline can attest to that fact. ROFL. We couldn’t leave the country or the state during the pandemic, so we had to be selective about the restaurants we set out to eat in. Usually, we went right when a place opened to beat the crowds.

Coffee. Some call it a “Cup of Joe,” but I think it should be renamed as “Cup of Convo”. I’ve never sat across from anyone named Joe (I know it has something to do with grieving sailors), but I have sat with family, friends, strangers, and readers over a cup of convo and shared bits of my life or my work. A stranger has become a lifelong friend by the time we have drained the French Press dry just through the brew and babble. Even wine hasn’t connected me with another person as much as coffee. Lastly, I will say that one of my favorite things to do while traveling is finding a café or small coffee shop with my journal and pen and writing down whatever unique, new story idea that the place/country inspires, while I nibble drink some fancy latte.

Are you a “Foodies Unite” member? If you are, let me know about a new place you recently ate and what you had there or about the best cup of coffee and conversation you have ever had. 😊

COVER REVEAL for 
To Kiss a Flame

The one thing that Aubrey Carsen always wanted was to be a firefighter with her two friends. She returns home to her small town and new firehouse, with secrets following her, only to prove herself like a proby. But she can take it. Soon she discovers that a man from her past, an old high school crush—a man too sexy to be wrapped up in a suit all day—is too close for comfort. The day she rescues a little boy from a tree, things begin to unfold in a way she never expected. Now, being back in town has a whole new outlook. Is it possible that her time has finally come and everything she’s wanted will fall in line? Even as she is afraid to believe it.

Pierce Emory, the bank loan manager, has been burned by love for the last time. His ex-fiancé walks out on him the week before their wedding, and he can’t see himself getting lost in love again. Then his beautiful, tough neighbor comes knocking at his door in a storm.  She’s sexy as hell, but there’s something about her he can’t place. When he discovers the curvy beauty was the good girl from high school, the home before dark and straight A’s, quiet type, he can’t believe her transformation. Now, she’s back in town, and the old spark between them has ignited into a flame that threatens to scorch them both.

To Kiss a Flame will be sold at Amazon, BN, Kobo, Draft 2 Digital, iBooks

Yvette Hines Social Media
Website https://yvettehines.com
Twitter @sasseYvetteH
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yvette.hines.16/
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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/yvette-hines
Amazon Author Page: https://smile.amazon.com/Yvette-Hines/e/B005SEBSKE/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Get to know Yvette Hines better by signing up for an email newsletter: https://yvettehines.com/newsletter-stay-connected/

CONTEST

Drawing ONE winner from those who comment on my Will Travel for Food and a Story post on Delilah’s blog between 26 May 2021 – 2 June 2021. The winner will get an e-Copy of To Kiss a Flame on release day, a Hero candle, and a $10 Amazon GC.

UPDATE: The winner is…Laura!
*~*~*

I wasn’t born self-employed.

I spent years in the Army, years in a corporate cubicle, a stint in a classroom, a non-profit, etc. My time was mine to manage inside my employers’ bubbles. In fact, I was a project/program manager for years, and I planned work for others. None of that really prepared me for being a self-employed, full-time writer.

Most days, I happily hit the keyboard. I’m enthused about my story that has a drop-dead date to complete or I’m staring at a deadline to return a set of edits. Deadlines do help with motivation. However, there are days when I have my lovely month-ahead calendar sitting in front of me, with all the work parsed into numbers of pages to get me to the finish line within a very doable timeframe, when I look at it and think: But I don’t wanna. Not today.

This week is soooooo hard. It’s the last week of school for our four online students. Their mother and I have been their support/mentors/tutors all year long, bending our work schedules around theirs to make sure everything gets done.

Online schooling is hard. But we managed to help all four kids, 7 through 16-years-old, get through it. And we managed to have fun along the way, with family movie  or game nights and special dinner rewards, and with limited excursions to the park or the flea market (large areas, few people). We’ve followed the rules and kept everyone healthy and happy for 14 months. We’ve drawn closer as a family because we had to be each others’ friends and playmates.

During all of this, I have managed to write. Not as prolifically as I did maybe eight years ago, but more so than I did three years ago. I carved out hours in my schedule to retreat to my “mole hole” and write.

So, why am I dragging ass lately? We’ve made it through a huge commitment. Next year, we’ll only have one child staying home because the rest have been vaccinated, and all of us have learned how to use a mask. Next year, should be easier, right? A cakewalk, really.

So, back to why I want to blow off today… There’s not anything special happening to draw my attention. I simply don’t want to open the files I need to open and bury myself in another world. I want to drink some coffee, sit on the back patio, and play some Charm King on my phone. Something that will add pages to write to all the days that follow.

In my brain, that seems like a wonderful tradeoff—until tomorrow morning comes.

I love this quote…

My answer today is tomorrow!

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of a download of one of my books, share a motivational quote or tell me how you deal with self-motivation. Are you a Last-Minute-Mary or do you do today so tomorrow is free?

UPDATE: The winner is…LL!
*~*~*

Hello, my name is Anna Hague, and thank you to Delilah for letting me be a guest blogger.

As I’m sure many authors do, I get asked many questions about my creative process. Where do you get your ideas? How can you come up with so many stories? Are your characters hard to write? Where do you get your names?

Bingo! I think that may be one of the hardest parts of writing. Your characters’ histories and personalities are important, but their names have to be perfect for their character. I was once halfway through writing a book for a publisher, and it wasn’t working. I didn’t have a tight deadline, but nonetheless, I had a tentative deadline for a book I wasn’t happy with. What was wrong with it?

I read through the entire manuscript searching for the problem. Every time I read the hero’s name, I cringed. This guy wasn’t a Jason Mathews—not at all. His name removed every bit of sex appeal I knew this guy had. Who was he?

One evening, I was watching Dateline. I love analyzing where exactly the criminal went wrong in case I need to commit the perfect crime. The lead detective’s last name on this murder investigation was Caldera. The name danced into my brain, reclined on red velvet sheets all while eating 70 percent dark chocolate. Conjuring up images of my dark-haired hero with olive skin, the name Caldera personified who I wanted him to be.

Now, for the first name. This is where I have a treasure trove of possibilities. In my other job, I’m a sports journalist, and for the last several years I’ve taken a less stressful version of the job and do freelance reporting for our local high school sports. Every event I go to, I grab a program or lineup list. These team lineups are priceless, and almost every name I have in a book has come from these lists.

The women in my novels, written and to be written, include an Allee, Haley, Emma, Sabrina, Evangeline, Rose, Avery, Lily, and more. My men are Jamey, Cameron, Tyler, Keller, Devon, Adrian, Maverick and Jordan.

Maverick was perfect for Thunderstruck because it’s set at a ranch in South Dakota. When I was writing the paranormal story, I found two kids on the boys’ soccer team named Maverick and knew I had the right name. Who became Mr. Caldera? Jordan. Jordan Caldera replaced Jason Mathews, and then the story sizzled.

Still on my list of athletes are Cannon, Thunder (who incidentally batted back to back in the baseball lineup), Gator, and Tremor. These are real names, not nicknames, and somewhere there has to be a story for all of them, but right now, they’ve yet to wander onto the page. Right now, I’ve got a Rose and Aaron and a Devon and Lily to deal with.

Thank God for high school sports.

Contest

Check out the word search below and find ten names I mentioned in my character list. Email me with your answers, and I will choose a random winner for a $10 Amazon card. Contest ends June 1. Email me at annahague80@gmail.com.

About the Author

Anna Hague spends part of her days in the writing cave creating her own spin on love stories. The other part of her days, she is a freelance sports reporter crafting stories about a variety of athletic events including high school, college, and professional level sports.

Anna reads all sorts of love stories, and she writes the same way. She has an erotic romance series with Wild Rose Press and has published the contemporary romance Heart Series and opened up the paranormal Storm Canyon Series with the first book Thunderstruck.

She lives in Central Indiana with her husband, three parrots, and two dogs.

Her motto: Creating different paths to love because different is the only way I know.

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

The Word Puzzle

UPDATE: The winner is…Jeanine Lesperance!
*~*~*

Puzzle Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me where they are and what’s their story!