UPDATE: The winners are…Annie and Debbie Caswell!
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UPDATE: The winner is…Kimberly Talbot!
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Sure, I don’t have a 9 to 5 job anymore, but Fridays are still a special day of the week in the Devlin house! Why?

1. The kids can see the light at the end of the tunnel! They live for Fridays. They wake up with a little more pep in their steps because they know they only have to muddle through one more day of school assignments (all four do online school) and tomorrow they can sleep in!
2. Parents see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just one more day of pushing kids to finish up their assignments, and they can sleep in, too!
3. Friday nights are usually movie nights. We have a dinner everyone enjoys then we settle in on the couches for family fun night.
4. We talk about what kind of fun things we can do over the weekend. Yes, there are chores to catch up on, but we do try to find something fun and safe to do, like make a trip to the open, airy flea market! (That’s my hope for this weekend, anyway.)

What about you? Are Fridays a day where hope springs eternal that you’ll get a chance to relax a bit and do something fun? For a chance to win a free download, let me know whether Friday is a special day of the week for you or just another day? And let me know if you’re doing anything fun this weekend!

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
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Do you need to know anything else about this story? I mean, seriously? Marti Wells is going to have the time of her life climbing this tree! Mmm-hmm.

Have you read my bounty hunter stories? I love getting my guys and girls out into the woods on a chase. It’s like doing your morning constitutional to get your blood going (for me, climbing the stairs—LOL). Yeah, get them into the woods so you can see your heroes in action. The opening of Hardman is no different, and yet, this takedown has a little more spice than usual. I’ve posted the scene on Hardman‘s book page.

Follow the link below and enjoy! Then come back and tell me whether you’ve met any of the other characters in the scene before (which stories have you read)? It’s okay to say you haven’t taken that dumpster dive into pure action-adventure adrenaline, yet. LOL. One commenter will get his or her choice of one of my previous Montana Bounty Hunter books!

Read an excerpt

UPDATE: The winner is…Lisa Carter!
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I bought this little brainstorming tool years ago at some writers’ conference. “Story Cubes” is (that looks wrong, but I promise it’s not) a brainstorming game. You roll the dice and whatever pictures appear face up are the ones you use to riff off a story.

Here’s the roll…

Do any of these symbols tell you anything? You can pick some or use all of them. Tell me a story, or just a glimmer of an idea, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!  

Psst! Look at yesterday’s blog, too, because there are many open contests! Enter while you still can!

UPDATE: The winner is…Denise!
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“There’s nothing in the middle of the road but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.”
~ John Hightower

~or~

“Might, could, would — they are contemptible auxiliaries.” ~ George Eliot

Both of these quotes are talking about the same thing. The opposite of taking the middle of the road or dreaming about what you might-could-would do is having the courage to take the plunge, to go all in.

The photo was one I found on a stock photo site when I typed in “Courage”. It made me laugh. I can’t imagine what would go through a bird’s mind before taking that leap. And before you think, “It’s just instinct” — have you seen videos of crows problem-solving? One on FB the other day showed a crow dropping pebbles into a water bottle to raise the level enough his beak could reach. I’m not sure any of my kids would’ve figured that one out. 🙂

I’d love to hear a little story about courage you’ve witnessed or experienced—big or small. Comment for a chance to win a free download from my backlist of books!

Open Contests

1. A Pretty Little Puzzle & a Ton of Open Contests! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Tests of Courage (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
3. My Book-Meme Goddess (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
4. Michal Scott: African-American Opera: My Latest Rabbit Hole (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Ready for Spring? (Puzzle-Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Rita!
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I had my COVID shot yesterday, and some folks asked me to give them an update on any reactions I might be having. The numbness in my lips and the slight woozy-headed feeling went away by late afternoon. This morning, I woke up with my arm feeling like it’s bruised, but that’s it. My SIL told me to be ready for fatigue, but I had insomnia last night—which is not unusual, so that wasn’t a problem for me. A little discomfort is well worth not dying. Folks, go get your shots!

So, it’s Monday. After last week’s Snowmageddon, we’re having a week of rain. We were under a tornado watch last night and had some limbs come down. A funnel cloud was seen but never touched down. So, we’re knee-deep in mud and won’t be drying up anytime soon. The first day we have sunshine, I’m going to start working on the pool because I can’t wait for the warm weather! I hope you’re all doing well and looking forward to Spring like I am! Maybe the puzzle will help you get into the mood. 🙂

Puzzle-Contest

Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! Tell me what you think this picture is all about. Is there a story here?

Today, I hit the VA in Little Rock to get my COVID shot! When I finished my 15-minute waiting period, I strutted out of that facility, da-da da-da, to the tune of “The Jack” by AC/DC, substituting “She’s got the jack” with “She’s got the shot!” If no one had been looking, I’d have been headbanging out the door I was so happy!

The shot didn’t hurt. My lips felt a little numb and my head was a teeny bit woozy, but those aren’t necessarily bad sensations, right? I lived through the 70’s—and I used to have to pay to feel that way! Okay, I’m being silly, but I’m soooo relieved to have the vaccine. That’s two down in my household—the SIL is a cop/first responder. Now, we have to wait for the rest to get theirs because then we’ll be getting closer to living with a little less paranoia. I hope your day comes soon, too! In the meantime, I’ll leave you with AC/DC’s “The Jack” in case you have no idea what this little gem sounds like… You’re welcome.