UPDATE: The winner is Mary McCoy!
*~*~*

Repeat: There’s no excuse for being bored!

When the kids get mopey, my daughter gives them chores. After she kept doing that, my granddaughter asked for a large canvas and some acrylic paint. My dd had the kids dress up twice now for fun “photo shoots” outside. There’s plenty to do other than watch Tiger King. You just have to find something that inspires you.

Okay, so I’m luckier than most. I get to be creative every day. It’s kind of my job. But when writing becomes work, I turn to paint and pens. When it started to look like this crazy lockdown would be a longterm thing for me, I looked around for something I could do that would keep me busy, so I joined the #100dayproject art challenge. Which is why I’m driving people on my Friends page in Facebook nuts with pictures of what I’m creating—the cool and the really, really bad. 🙂

So, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what new challenge you will undertake if this thing goes on forever for you, too. Will you learn to paint? Take up writing poems? Dust off your camera?

Also, just a quick reminder here, folks…

New Orleans Nights: One Hot Night releases on Tuesday!! It’s FREE in Kindle Unlimited. It’s a fun, very fast-paced, and sexy story! Promise! You won’t be bored! Here’s what it’s about and where you can get it.

NEW ORLEANS NIGHTS:
Hot Sultry Nights, Hot-Blooded Heroes…

Part of the private security team hired to keep visiting international dignitaries safe, New Orleans detective, Remy Cyr, has several interesting run-ins with a certain local reporter hellbent on crashing the convention’s nighttime events. While she’s certainly a nuisance, sneaking inside in a variety of disguises, he can’t help admiring how resourceful and stubborn she is. As sexy as she is pretty, he soon can’t resist her attraction.

A socialite determined to earn her own way in the world, reporter Stacia Rice is determined to dig up dirt at the convention, anything to earn her a spot on her newspaper’s front page. But one handsome, dogged cop keeps getting in her way. When they find themselves alone, neither can resist the intensity of their instant attraction.

When a group of armed men invades the venue and takes the dignitaries hostage, Remy realizes that he and Stacia are the only ones who know, and the only ones who can save them…

Pre-Order your eCopy here!
Get your Print copy here!

And finally, the puzzle!

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

Some call it serendipity and some call it a crazy random happenstance… Me? I’m a child of the 80s, so I just take a page from the Hannibal playbook and say, “I love it when a plot comes together!”

When it comes to writing, I’m a Plantser, meaning that I plan some of the things in the book and pants (fly by the seat of my pants) for the rest of it.

For Justice for Hildie there were a few things that were set in stone from the beginning. It certainly wasn’t the cover. There are FOUR distinctly different covers that I created for this book and the manic cover making stopped there. It was like I finally got the “feel” for the story.

One of the things I couldn’t change was the name of the Heroine. She was the BFF in Justice for Sloane. Hildie was the best friend missing a filter. She was a sorority girl with a serious love for high-end shoes. There was no one more devoted to Sloane than Hildie! (Until Vicente Bravo, uber-sexy FBI Agent, that is!)
Hildie was colorful in so many ways, and her name was just a part of it. Her first name was inspired by author Hildie McQueen. I just loved the sound of the name and the way it looked in print! The character’s last name was Faraday.

I honestly do NOT remember where that came from, but it was set in stone when Sloane was released as a book. And yes, she’ll change it when she marries Texas Ranger Jake McGowan somewhere in the future of the San Antonio First Responders series, but FARADAY it is.

And when I was writing the book there came a time when I had to separate the characters for the plot. And one of the plot points was how-off-the-grid the heroine was at that point. And I knew there was a name for a certain product that she’d have to use, and I went looking for it online and WHAM…

What?

Then I had to wonder… did I give her the surname Faraday because I knew in my head how prophetic the name would be? Or did I just give her the name because it was just cool?

Maybe the nebulous cloud of creativity in my head just wanted to have a good ol’ chuckle? I don’t know.

I’m just not going to question it, because it works!!

Giveaway

I’m curious… Has there been a time when something random fell into place and made it seem like the world had your back? What was it? If not… Tell me a unique name (male or female) that you think should be in a book.

Prize — Winner’s choice of one of my single title ebooks from https://www.amazon.com/Reina-Torres/e/B01GF5UIK0

Justice for Hildie

Hildie Faraday thought her life was full. Coordinating care for the clients at the Helping Hearts shelters and community center is a job and a half, but when a client asked her to come to support her at a hearing, she’s right there to help. They teach women to be prepared for anything, but Hildie is shocked when she ends up in the crosshairs of a client’s abusive husband.

Texas Ranger Jake McGowan thanked his lucky stars that he was in the right place at the worst time. Working in Law Enforcement in San Antonio, he knew all about Hildie and the help she provides for women in need. Seeing her put herself between a woman and her gun-wielding husband brought his own feelings into the foreground.

Once he had Hildie in his life, he wasn’t going to let her slip away from him. Jake’s doing everything he can to show her how much she means to him, and Hildie’s giving it right back. It doesn’t take long for life to throw a bunch of obstacles in their way, and Hildie into the trunk of a car.

Jake will pull together local law enforcement officers to help him rescue Hildie and get her back into his loving arms. Will they get there in time?

Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086VKDMQH/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/reina-torres

Can a hunky, blond first responder dude fall crazily
in love with a Plain Jane, curvy academic geek who’s
totally ‘over’ romance?

I love my beta readers. They inspired me to write Sven’s story in February of this year. Though truth be told, I was already in love with him myself!

Sven appeared briefly in SKIPPING CHRISTMAS, my full-length, quirky, HOT contemporary romance about Kelley Dunham and Dante Knight, a Canadian hockey brat and sports star who comes back home to the tiny mountain community of Terrence Point, B.C., to claim the woman he loves. (FYI – it doesn’t go well, LOL. At all.)

But then Lisa R. wrote me this:

Sven… what a genuinely nice guy. He was so sweet to Kelley when she turned up at the dance. I hope you are planning to write a book about him as I would love to know his story and find out who he gets his HEA with. Also, it would be a great opportunity to catch up with Kelley and Dante. No pressure .. just a suggestion!

And Terri (Love you, Girl!) wrote something similar!

To be honest, though, I already knew, once I wrote Skipping Christmas….

I was in love with Sven myself.

Sometimes these characters—I tell you!—already exist in the ether, and just need us authors to listen to them and let them cross over into our world.

You want to hear about Sven, you say? (What can I say – social isolating is making me delusional…or yeah. More so than before. (Shaddap, whoever mumbled that. LOL) But let’s run with it.)

Pull up a chair, Friend.

A golden boy ski patroller living in Terrence Point, British Columbia, working at SNOWY PEAKS, the community’s ski resort, he is a really nice guy. Yeah, he’s gorgeous. The typical, breathtaking, beautiful man. Chiseled, hunky, blue eyes gazing out over the snow fields, with his adorbs puppy Jake, a tiny Lab and an avalanche dog in training, by his side.

Sven’s enjoyed SO MANY exotic lovelies when he’s off shift. Women from all over the world. Athletic, hard-core skiiers, who seem to suit him.

BUT….

What if a basically dowdy, plain, curvy woman jettisoned into his life? With her own agenda…none of which included him?

Could they….

Would there be any chance…

Or would he just do the shallow thing?

Keara Faye Linn is strong-willed. On her own, she’s scrapped for everything she’s had in life. The job she’s forced to take for two weeks as Sven’s assistant is just a stepping stone while she gets her masters, and a way to get her out of Toronto, briefly. She is a bit of a jerk, honestly, at first, and doesn’t take the job seriously.

But when a threat from the past slams into her life….

And a bunch of sick kids need help….

And she’s forced to live with Sven in his self-proclaimed ‘humble’ cabin for a few weeks…

Well, you do the math. 

When You Came just poured out of me. I guess Sven and Keara’s story just HAD to be told. There are lots of moments of lightness and levity, but it’s not a simple melding, and it’s not a short story. Here’s the blurb!

And don’t forget, it’s $2.99 for a limited time. Go here to grab it for yourself!

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/When-You-Came-Military-Romance-ebook/dp/B086R6ZF4J/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1586362635&refinements=p_27%3ASusan+Saxx&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&text=Susan+Saxx

Kobo, Barnes & Noble, IBook and Other Retailers — https://books2read.com/u/bOow8A

When You Came

Book 10 in Susan Saxx’s Real Men Series
$2.99 until April 21!
Snowy Slopes. Faithful Dogs. Sudden Intrigue.

Golden Boy Ski Patroller meets Plain Jane Geek.

Military reservist Sven Golden works as a first responder for the Canadian Ski Patrol, saving lives and training avalanche dogs in stunning British Columbia on Canada’s West Coast.

But after the woman he thought he’d marry does indeed get married—only to someone else—and he’s forced to take the harrowing new management job at Snowy Peaks Chalet, things go downhill fast. And when he’s asked to head the resort’s new Valentine’s Day Extravaganza instead of working on the slopes, protecting people, he’s had enough.

But when he meets organizational whiz Keara Linn, a Torontonian desperate for the 2-week temporary job as his assistant, things just don’t add up. Very plain, curvy, yet smart and focused, she’s hiding secrets.

But the passion and heart she’s buried deep inside finally explodes his world. Now nothing is going to shut that down—or his feelings. Not even a crazed madman who is determined to bring revenge on Keara and her guardian dog, the one she loves with all her heart.

And when it’s time? The whole quirky Terrence Point community will have something to say…about everything.

*******

And by the way, if you’d like to read Kelley and Dante’s story first, SKIPPING CHRISTMAS….(it’s Book 1 of the Terrence Point Location and WHEN YOU CAME is Book 2, go here to get your copy!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Skipping-Christmas-Real-Men-Book-ebook/dp/B082H97SK1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=susan+saxx+skipping&qid=1586367821&sr=8-1

Kobo, Barnes & Noble, IBook and Other Retailers — https://books2read.com/u/m2rzjk

Psst. Book 3 is on its way!

Big Virtual Hugs,
Susan

I do have a guest scheduled for today, but she’s late! Or, I accidentally deleted her post—that has happened. Either way, I had a blank blog this morning, and that can’t happen. There must be order! (I’m saying that in my best Sergeant Schultz voice, and if you don’t know who that was, that’s just sad. 🙂 )

So, long story short (love that phrase!), sunflowers are my “happy flower”. All I have to do is see one and I want to smile. Don’t know why. They don’t have a lovely fragrance. They’re big and gangly. But they feel like a sunny day, don’t they?

What’s your “happy flower”? 

UPDATE: The winner is…Pansy Petal!
*~*~*

Psst! Just a quick reminder!
This offer is ending in just a couple of days!
Get your free read! Lily’s Last Stand

So, here we are in our third week of lockdown. It has been three weeks now, right? Hard to tell. The days blend together.

On the pro side of things (I don’t let myself think about any cons!)—I’m nearing the end of another book! Yay! My dd has been decorating/rearranging things in the house. It’s so pretty now! Her attention has now turned to the storage sheds. I’m not sure how that means multiple trips to the dump and the burn pile, but she has warned me not to look—so for my mental health, I have not! The kids have really liked their online classes and assignments. Sure, they miss their friends, but they’ve been hanging out on TikTok and FaceTime. They aren’t feeling horribly isolated. Not yet, anyway. And now, Arkansas has made the hard decision to close the schools through the end of the school year. What a relief!

Today, in addition to hopefully getting to the end of my book, I begin my #100dayproject art challenge! I’m stoked! I haven’t done anything to prepare, so I’ll be busy scrambling to do my first pieces. I’m sharing everything I do on Instagram. The good and the bad. (I’m sure there will be lots of horrific, too! 🙂 ) An artist, I am not, but I do love working with paints and color, so it feeds something inside me. Makes me happy. That’s the point.

So, three weeks in, how are you feeling? I saw something from Dr. Fauci saying that our return to normal will mean a “new normal.” Makes me sad that we will forever be hyper-aware of what we touch, who we stand next to, and that this disease will continue to be with us. I’m so very thankful that my family lives in a rural area, away from other people. I can’t imagine how paranoid people living in cities will become.

On a lighter note, I have another puzzle for you! It’s something fun! Solve the puzzle, then answer me this for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

If you were to write a YA book using this picture as the cover,
what would the story be about?

Vonna Harper isn’t the real me. I created her to hide behind.

Vonna is a sexually liberated writer of many erotica and erotic titles who gives her imagination free rein while the real me writes much tamer stuff. For a long time I tried to keep the two separate, but today it doesn’t matter. Vonna’s creator needs to come out of the shadows and share something deeply personal about coronavirus’s impact on our family.

I suspect everyone who reads this has been touched by the pandemic in some way. Here’s my story. A little over a year ago the adult son I live with was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. We (yes, both of us) have been through a year plus of hell highlighted by chemo, radiation, heart damage, two infections, three trips to the ER, countless blood tests, and countless sleepless nights.

He was scheduled to have the tumor cut out on March 26. We live over four hours away from the big city cancer center where the surgery would take place. He and his brother, my other son, insisted that Mom not subject her ancient immune system to what we acknowledge is a greater risk of catching the virus. My other son, an educator (what he’s going through is a story of its own), insisted on going with his brother and staying for the approximately five days he’d be hospitalized. I stayed home with the dogs and my thoughts.

The morning of the trip (the day before the surgery) my sons had just gotten on the road when the surgeon called to inform us that the operation was still a go and she was fighting to keep it on the schedule.

Four hours later as they exited the freeway, a second call came. Surgery had been canceled. No rescheduling until the hospital is no longer full of coronavirus patients and dedicated medical professionals.

My sons came home. We wait.

As almost an aside, I promise my erotica is a different experience from what you just read. For proof, I offer a couple of recent titles that include spanking scenes.  His Purchase and His Filly take place in The Society which is made up of Elites and Others. In other words, dominants and submissives.

Alia is an Other, a woman with secrets and few rights in a dark world controlled by The Society.

Kade is an Elite, a wealthy, powerful man who knows how to get the ultimate performance from Alia. Whatever it takes, he will bring his sexy, strong-headed acquisition into line.

When she defies him, Kade repeatedly applies his large hand to her bare bottom until it burns and she’s reduced to tears. Until she can’t fight her erotic reaction.

The next time she defies him, she refuses to explain why. He commands her to strip naked and submit to another harsh spanking. As if that isn’t enough, she has no choice but to let him place a butt plug inside her.

Alia wants to hate Kade for doing these shameful things to her, but his firm handling arouses her in ways she can’t deny or resist.

It will take all her resolve not to admit her deepest secret to this man who owns her.

Get your copy here!

Kali has no choice but to work for Boden, a wealthy, powerful Elite. As a vulnerable Other in a dark world of control and controlled, Kali knows her submissive position within the Society. But her vow to do everything she can to protect his valuable racehorses puts her on a collision course with the man who in essence owns her.

Boden decides to discipline the lovely, headstrong young woman via a hard bare bottom spanking. To her shock, she’s deeply aroused. She can’t hide her erotic response which he uses to his advantage.

The lessons continue to take place. Boden doesn’t hesitate to order her to pull down her pants and expose her vulnerable, naked ass. She shudders with every blow then moans when his all-knowing hands slide between her legs. She can’t stop him, can only submit.

Surrender.
Experience.
Want.

Wonder if anything will be left of her.

Get your copy here!

Equine Therapy and PTSD

PTSD has reached epidemic proportions in returning veterans. Repercussions of wartime experiences bring staggering rates of divorce, abuse, hopelessness, homelessness and suicide.

Experts report effects of PTSD are complex and deeply rooted. It affects nearly every facet of the mind, including cognitive and physical responses like reflexes, being easily startled, nightmares, irritability or rage. Having been exposed to consistent trauma such as war or combat, the brain rewires itself and locks out fear, guilt, reasoning and emotional reaction to the experience while in battle. This is the body’s survival instinct at work.

Domestic animals, like cats and dogs, are known for easing anxiety and depression and providing comfort to people. Horses have personalities similar to dogs, except they’re much larger. They’re recently becoming touted for their ability to ease post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms such as fear, anxiety, confusion, and depression. In many cases, therapeutic horseback riding, also known as equine therapy, can help significantly decrease PTSD symptoms like insomnia, flashbacks or panic attacks.

How?

Equine therapy uses horses to help promote emotional healing and growth of those with disabilities. Behaviors of horses and those with PTSD are similar. They meet on common ground. They’re both oversensitive, easily startled and hypervigilant to danger. Another person, especially in a medical setting, may not be able to provide such a relationship.

Horses, similar to PTSD sufferers, are hypervigilant and fearsome until they perceive they’re not in danger. One must gain their trust. Because of their own issues, a PTSD subject can easily relate to a horse.

Horses sense human emotions and start to emulate them. The horse acts as a mirror to their emotional status. Because of this, the person must work on their own problems to make progress with the horse.

Relationships

Working with horses stimulates spiritual, physical, psychological and occupational healing. Building a trusting, non-threatening relationship with the animal can further positive feelings of love, respect, empathy, patience, and safety in the human

The debilitating feeling hits a PTSD sufferer, and managing the condition means avoiding triggers or sleeping it off. Many find within a few minutes of riding symptoms ease, proving equestrian therapy offers huge benefits.

Equine therapy allows you to communicate with a partner who has no agenda. Horses are well-suited because of their instincts and the way they communicate. You get real-time feedback from the animal. Horses don’t question motives. They react to actions. You must change your actions in order to change results with your therapy partner.

There’s no fear of being exposed or judged by a horse. This accelerates progress. Many enjoy sessions and look forward to them. Retention rates are reported to be much higher than some other therapies, and the average number of sessions needed is fewer. Around the world, equestrian therapy has a solid track record of enabling results.

Many conditions such as addiction, substance abuse, mood, and behavioral disorders, eating disorders, learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, grief or loss, trauma, sex addiction, compulsive gambling, bipolar and depression have benefited from equestrian therapy.

Benefits:

Assertiveness
Emotional awareness
Empathy
Stress tolerance
Flexibility
Impulse control
Problem-solving skills
Self-actualization
Accountability
Responsibility
Self-confidence
Problem Solving Skills
Self-control

2nd Chance Ranch

Captain Chance Gordon dedicates his life to service. The injured Navy Seal returns to his hometown where his future and life depend on the woman who owns his heart—the one he deserted. REVIEW:

♥ AMAZING!!! Lynda IS an amazing writer! I have read all of Lynda’s books and love them. I can’t wait for the next one. Once I start reading one of Lynda’s books I CAN’T put it down. ~Karen Dawn

Buy Link: https://www.lyndareesauthor.com/2nd-chance-ranch/
or https://www.amazon.com/author/lyndarees