Hi Delilah Fans! Hope you have a safe and warm holiday season. Now that all the excitement is dying down, I’ve got something to talk about.

Addiction. It’s a horror show for everyone it touches, and I’ll bet that most of you are touched by it, one way or the other. Fortunately—I guess—the addiction that touches me isn’t opiates or meth. It’s alcohol.

Alcohol is one of those ubiquitous parts of our world that almost everyone enjoys, a sociable, relaxing, and tasty treat. It’s been part of the human experience since pre-history. According to a February 2017 article in National Geographic, “Chemical analysis recently showed that the Chinese were making a kind of wine from rice, honey, and fruit 9,000 years ago. In the Caucasus Mountains of modern-day Georgia and the Zagros Mountains of Iran, grapes were one of the earliest fruits to be domesticated, and wine was made as early as 7,400 years ago.”

Plenty of evidence suggests that from the earliest days of mankind, intoxicants—especially alcoholic drink—have been at the foundation of religion, creative arts, and even the development of language. It seems that getting out of our minds actually helps us get into our minds.

That out-of-mind aspect, unfortunately, can become a serious problem for those who can’t get far enough or often enough out of their minds, and take up substance abuse as a way of life. Some even argue that substance abuse isn’t a matter of deciding anything, that compulsive consumption is an illness that we may be predisposed to due to genetics and/or early childhood experience.

It’s said that alcoholism accounts for around 88,000 deaths every year and costs the nation billions. On a personal level, suffering addiction or experiencing the troubles of a loved one with addiction is a tragedy that seems never-ending. So when I wrote alcoholism into a character in my most recent novel, Refuge in His Arms, it was a choice I made with some hesitation.

No one wants to relive painful experiences. Romance novels aren’t exactly a place where you expect to think about addiction. No one experiences difficult relationships in the same way. But alcoholism and other forms of addiction are pervasive. Characters without flaws are simply not believable.

My story isn’t meant to be a definitive analysis of alcoholism, and the character of David isn’t just about his love of drink. By the time we see him in this story, the worst of his struggle is behind him.

But like compulsive behavior for anyone, the tendency is never far away. And as David Evans shows us in this novel, when the right circumstances arise, the desire for that mind-numbing relief becomes a battle all over again.

I’m giving a discount coupon (GC48J) for Refuge in His Arms. It’s good for three days only, January 12-14, at Smashwords. If you have opinions about the issue of addiction, alcoholism, or if you read the story and have comments, I’d love to hear them. You can email me at ashworthlizzie@gmail.com.

Follow my blog for more of everything including a complete list of all my books and short stories!

Sign up for my free monthly e-newsletter, Liz’s Hot News, for freebies, pre-release deals, and much more.

Here’s hoping your shiny new 2018 is another step toward your happiness! ~ Lizzie

Thank you Delilah Devlin for inviting me to celebrate the release of the most recent books in the BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS KINDLE WORLD – https://amzn.to/2FqB7rk

What is a Kindle World? It’s a world created by one author but open to other authors to write in. It’s like fan fiction. Each of the authors who’ve written in my Brotherhood Protectors revisit my characters or settings and introduce characters and stories of their own.  This is a great opportunity for writers to reach new readers, and readers to discover authors new to them.

Take a chance and read all of them. They’re on Amazon and available on Kindle Unlimited.

Happy Reading!

Please join us for the FB party from 4-9pm CST Jan 11^th and meet the authors, play some games and have fun!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1418129861629436/

Books in this release:

Texas Marine Mayhem – Cynthia D’Alba – https://amzn.to/2qUJg44
Moving Target – Regan Black – https://amzn.to/2D1Hxzq
Falling for her Bodyguard – Christine Glover – https://amzn.to/2EvDdoz
Rescuing Reya – Tiffani Lynn – https://amzn.to/2EsHEAw
Winter Flame – Aliyah Burke – https://amzn.to/2Dk7d7a
Conrad – Anne L Parks – https://amzn.to/2AOCBrA
Midnight Ranger – Kris Norris – https://amzn.to/2FohLD7
Chasing Katie  – Heather Long – https://amzn.to/2COpcSr
Guardian Ranger – Jesse Jacobson – https://amzn.to/2FnCarT

Hi, I’m Gail Hart, author of grown up romances for grown up girls. Thanks so much to my RomVets sister-at-arms, Delilah Devlin, for having me as her guest.

On Saturday my favorite writing group held its first write-in of 2018, and somehow the conversation turned to religion—which at the moment is at least a safer topic than politics!

Turns out, one attendee is a descendant of Jews who immigrated from eastern Europe to east Texas around the turn of the twentieth century and converted to Catholicism. She observes both of the religious traditions she inherited.

Another was raised Catholic but now describes herself as a “heathen.”

I grew up in the Unitarian-Universalist church but hadn’t attended regularly in about two decades. Then a couple of years ago I heard that the nearest UU church was calling a new minister. On a whim I went to hear his candidate sermon. He hooked me by using humor to make serious points; by revealing that he met his wife at Starbuck’s; and by quoting one of my favorite movie lines, “What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?” (For those of you too young to remember, the line is from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and the correct answer is, “African or European?”) So I returned to the religion of my youth.

The heroine of my latest book, Her Magic Touch, goes on a religious journey of her own. Over the course of the story, Sarah trades Christianity for an earth-centered religion—despite the strong objections of the men in her life. I hope you’ll enjoy watching Sarah learn to follow her heart.

HER MAGIC TOUCH

Sarah Talbot is trapped in a life at odds with her free spirit. She wishes she had the guts to chuck the business world for something more creative. Until then, she’s eager to explore her newfound gift for casting spells. Too bad the hunky bartender who gets her all hot and bothered has had his fill of hocus-pocus.

Abandoned by his teenage mother, ex-Marine, personal trainer, and part-time bartender Matt Lucas grew up in the loving but chaotic home of his aunt, a quirky local witch. He longs to buy his own gym, meet a sensible businesswoman, and build a secure, conventional life. The last thing he wants is to fall in love with a witch.

Can love conjure the magic these two hearts need to thrive?

Excerpt

Tension snaked through Sarah’s body as she listened to the phone ringing on the other end. After five rings, she was ready to hang up when a woman’s voice came on the line, breathing heavily. “Hello?”

She took a deep breath and plunged in. “Hi. May I speak to Ms. Parker?”

“You are, but it’s Zoe.”

“I’m calling because I saw the article in the Post…”

“I know. I’ve been expecting your call. That’s why I answered, even though I’m in the middle of feeding the goats, instead of letting the call go to voicemail.”

“How can you have been expecting to hear from me? You don’t even know my name.”

Zoe’s tone was soothing. “Then tell me your name, daughter.”

“Umm, it’s Sarah. Sarah Talbot.”

“And you want to learn about developing your gift.”

She gripped the phone more tightly. “You probably get calls from a lot of kooks, but I’m not one of them, I swear… hold it, how did you know why I was calling?”

“As I said, I was expecting you. The universe told me you’d be coming to me for guidance.”

“The universe talks to you?”

“Of course. It speaks to you too. How do you think you found me?”

“Through the Washington Post.”

“Yes, dear, but why do you think the reporter was led to write that article at that time?”

“Are you saying…”

“I’m saying that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

Buy Links

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yanmfrmo
Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/ydfjhchz
iBooks: https://tinyurl.com/ya3qya8l
Kobo: https://tinyurl.com/yc8wnyap

About Gail

Before becoming a writer, former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest finalist Gail Hart spent a few years as an Air Force JAG, then settled in as a lawyer and manager for the US government. Despite what opposing counsel sometimes said about her briefs, she didn’t write any fiction until later in her career. She must have been destined to be a romance writer, though, because even the law review article she wrote had “sex” in the title. She spent most of her life on the east coast but now lives in San Antonio, where she doesn’t miss the cold

Find Gail

Website: www.gailhart.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorgailhart/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Gail_Hart/

Love cowboys? How about handcuffs wielded by a woman set on seducing one? Well, you should enjoy this one! You’ve met Tara and Cody (him, under unflattering circumstances in Wearing His Brand). Cody gets his comeuppance and his redemption. Hope you love it! ~DD

Bound & Determined

When Tara Toomey hosts the annual cowboy auction in her bar, she’s in the mood to serve bad boy Cody Westhofen more than a drink when she raises her bidding paddle. She’s done with his freewheeling ways. It’s time for the sexy cowboy to man up or get the hell out of her life. What better way to capture his attention and show him she’s serious than to kidnap him for a wanton weekend?

Tied to Tara’s bed, Cody is more than willing to cooperate. Until he found himself cuffed to her bed, he didn’t know how desperate she was to show him how much she cares.

It’s going to be a long, hot weekend…

Get your copy here!

Coming Next Month!

Shonda Rhimes already had two successful shows on TV, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice, when Judy Smith, the inspiration for Olivia Pope, did a 10-minute pitch to her about a show called Scandal. In those 10 minutes, Shonda could automatically see what 100 episodes would look like.

I’ll have what Shonda’s having, please. But while I’m figuring out her secret, I force myself to write faster twice a year. In April I do the 30 poems in 30 days challenge for National Poetry Month (I also offer an online challenge giving participants 30 prompts in 30 days – it’s a busy month!) and in November I participate in NaNoWriMo, a free write-a-book-in-a-month contest. I wrote the first draft for my book The Shadow of A Dog I Can’t Forget during a poetry challenge and finished a first draft of my second book Squinting Over Water during a NaNo challenge. I completed a first draft of my third book Little Earthquakes–Fast Lit To Go in the recent Nano contest.

Here’s the plan I follow. Hopefully it makes you a faster writer too:

BE A LITTLE UNDONE: By that I mean, jump up and down, have a little tantrum as you summon up all the imagination and grit you’ve got in you. Kick expectation and fear to the curb. You want first draft material here, not final-final brilliance. That comes later. Who is your favorite superhero? Mine right now is Jessica Jones played by actress Krysten Ritter. She’s so very flawed and so are we during this fast writing phase. Flawed characters make for great storytelling. Be BAD.

MASTER CLASS THINKING: There’s a mindset of successful people. They stay fit in body and mind, they fully believe in what they’re doing and they never give up. Like them, you can train your brain to create in 15 minute intervals. Each night, an hour or two before you fall asleep, write down what you want to accomplish in a story the next day. I brainstorm the perfect conflict for my character, the highlights of scenes I want to write. I try to determine how he or she loves ‘cuz come on, isn’t that at the core of most good stories? If you’re strapped for time or just not feeling the love, it can be as simple as writing down the last line you wrote from the previous day. I love things that have a double-whammy benefit, so usually midday, I listen to a quick TED Talk (TED.com) and work-out at the same time – running in place, doing jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, squats, lunges and a 60-second plank. REPEAT. I always feel more motivated sitting back down to write after this ritual. I also run a fast  mile every day to get me pumped for the day’s writing. Okay, some days, it’s just a few times back and forth in the driveway with the dogs!

REFUSING TO GET STUCK: I follow the good advice of an L.A. screenwriter who suggested writing down the words AND THEN and keep going with the story. If I’m still stuck, I ask myself: What are my story’s interesting events? Do my character’s meet randomly or is there an interconnectedness nobody saw coming? Does the story have any secret tragedies, any crash and burn moments? I try to be patient, reminding myself often of why I write –for me it’s to find out what every story is about.

WHAT TO DO WITH GREAT IDEAS THAT AREN’T FITTING INTO YOUR STORY: Nothing is ever lost on a writer. We’re all little spies. We find good ideas  everywhere, sometimes we just don’t know where to put them. During these manic fast writing months, I keep a fragment file. Holiday Crisp, a character in a Little Earthquakes story, came to me from a discarded  apple crate I nearly tripped over in a Whole Foods parking lot! A good resource book I found is Master Lists for Writers by Bryn Donovan.  If I find myself using too many he said/she saids, I open up Bryn’s book where she’s got lists of everything we need to create a great story broken down into sections:Descriptions (Gestures, body language, emotional descriptions, evocative images); Settings – (Sounds, scents, 100 interesting settings for scenes); Plotting; Action – (Words for action scenes, sex scenes, that show attraction, etc.); Dialogue; Character Names; and Character Traits. I never use an exact idea Bryn suggests but just reading through some of her lists gets me back on track with my story.

READ GOOD WRITING:  Before the contests start I get out books by my favorite writers. Every day I type up a favorite paragraph or two. I really believe there’s a rhythm to good writing. This little exercise helps with that.

Here’s my quick take on what fast writing is to me:

F= Feel your character’s mood & emotions. What does your character want? What obstacles are in the way? Get that all out on the page.

A= Accountability. Nothing keeps me writing faster than deadlines like NaNo.

S = Scenes, surprises, side trips & set backs, your story needs all of this.

T = Try to thread what matters most to your narrator throughout the story. Like the hem on a dress, you can’t see it, but it does an important job.

The trick to all of this of course is keeping the momentum going once the challenge ends. I’m always setting goals for myself using writing contests as deadlines to finish stories. I also study the work of creatives I admire, trying in my small way to somehow be as good. And then there’s that fast mile (almost!) daily!!! Always remember, if this was easy, anyone could do it!!!

WRITE…WRITE…WRITE…READ…READ…READ and KEEP MOVING!

Be on the look-out for my third book Little Earthquakes – Fast Lit to Go.  Here’s where to find me – Email: marylovesdogs@sbcglobal.net

Twitter: @WordActress
Instagram: wordactress/Mary Kennedy Eastham
Website: www.rp-author.com/MKE

A few years ago, my granddaughter self-published two novels on Amazon, at the age of fourteen. I was impressed with this and decided to try writing a novel myself, after all they do say everyone has a book in them. I thought that at the very least it would be a good mental exercise for my then sixty-nine-year-old brain. How much exercise I could never have imagined.

I believed the younger generation thought most people over the age of sixty had one foot in the grave, and were just killing time until the grim reaper claimed them. But, I knew that wasn’t the case for many people, so I looked for a way to write something to show them in a positive light.

I got the idea to write a romance, with the hero and heroine being over sixty. And, I came up with the idea of my characters being residents at a retirement village that was pretty much a private 5* hotel. There was a lot of scope for activities and relationships and I was sure the idea would work.

Unfortunately, I had virtually no previous writing experience or training and no idea about planning, outlining, plotting etc. So, the book started off as a series of conversations, and developed slowly from there. Sadly, my inexperience meant that a lot of what I wrote wasn’t very good, and I had to throw away a lot of material as the book developed and the story just didn’t work properly. This meant the book took a lot longer than I had initially expected it to.

I submitted a sample chapter to a publisher to see if it fitted with the sort of work they publish, and it did. After a year of rewriting and polishing the manuscript I submitted it and ten months ago I won a publishing contract. Now, at the age of seventy-three, my debut novel, Grace’s Turmoil has been published today as Book One of a series called Not Too Old for Love.

It seems that over recent years more and more readers of romance have become frustrated that all the heroines they read about were aged about twenty, whilst they were on average at least ten years older. Now it seems that there are a growing number of authors writing for this new market, which seems to be being referred to as Seasoned Romance, Second Chance Romance, and the like. I’m proud to be a part of that growing band of authors trying to respond to this demand.

Grace’s Turmoil

Divorced and emotionally damaged, artist Grace Stollery wants nothing more than to spend her semi-retirement painting and let time heal her emotional scars.

But when dashing widower Alfred Nobel moves into her retirement village he turns her life upside down and her heart inside out by awakening feelings she wants to keep dormant.

Alfred quickly sets out to woo Grace and slowly she warms to him. But the village’s resident femme fatale wants him for herself. Will she succeed in driving a wedge between Alfred and Grace?

Get your copy here!

Excerpt

Grace jabbed at the volume button on the remote control, turning up the sound on the television. She was trying to drown out the chatter which filled the palatial residents’ lounge. It had been like that for days, and she’d grown tired of it. Who would have thought the imminent arrival of one man could affect mature ladies like that?

One of the things which had appealed to her when she moved to The Grange retirement village was the lack of men. Yet a man who aroused feelings in her she didn’t want was going to add to their number.

Grace had caught a glimpse of him across The Lounge a few months ago, taking the standard tour of The Grange. He’d towered over the young woman he’d been with, and she’d guessed he was at least six-foot-five. Built like a tank, with a mass of wavy white hair and a snow-white beard, he’d reminded her of a polar bear. His presence had been overpowering and almost menacing. An image of him defending a seventeenth century mansion in days gone by had jumped into her mind.

Looking at him had sent a spontaneous burst of attraction rippling through her. It had caught her by surprise. Becoming attracted to anybody was the last thing she’d needed right then. Her divorce had been too recent and too painful. All she wanted was to focus on her painting to block out the pain. Although she hadn’t come there to look for a man, there was no denying how she’d reacted to the sight of him. She wondered how she would cope when they met. And she couldn’t help feeling he was going to have quite an impact on her life. Whether it would be a good impact or not was the million-dollar question. He might be the greatest thing since sliced bread! Or he could turn out to be a snake in the grass like her ex-husband.

About the Author

Peter Perrin writes sweet, seasoned romances involving larger-than-life mature characters who will make you rethink your views on older people in a positive way. His characters are mature in age but not necessarily in their behaviour. They may not be in the first flush of youth but that doesn’t stop some of them acting like hormonal teenagers.

Peter was born in Romford, in the county of Essex, near London, England. For nearly twenty years he has lived with his wife of almost forty years in a quiet suburb of Swindon, in the county of Wiltshire, in England. He is a father and grandfather.

He is a former member of The Royal Air Force who has served in the UK, and in Madagascar, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia. He was also stationed for two years in Aden—which nowadays is part of Yemen.

After almost fifteen-years’ service in The Royal Air Force Peter worked in Engineering, Quality Control, and Procurement Management, not to mention myriad smaller jobs in between those careers.

Now retired Peter’s interests are Writing, Carp Fishing, and (despite being in his early seventies) PC and PlayStation games.

His favourite quote is “Youth passes, but with luck, immaturity can last a lifetime.”

Website: https://peterperrin.blog
Blog: https://peterperrin.blog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterperrin44
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterPerrin44/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/peterperrin/
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/PeterPerrin
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B078J3NVHW

This one’s releasing sometime early Tuesday morning, but I thought you might like to take a peek inside first! Hope you love the excerpt! Information regarding the contest is at the bottom of this post! ~DD

Pre-order your copy here!

Read an excerpt!

When the DJ’s speaker set crashed to the floor as the first women to arrive rushed the tables nearest the stage, Tara Toomey scrambled for a replacement and chalked the mishap up to high spirits.

When one of the volunteers carrying a tray of Jell-O shots tripped, and cherry and lime gelatin slid in glistening trails down his face and naked chest, she laughed as eager women offered to lick him clean.

However, it wasn’t until one of her staff whispered in her ear that she knew she was in for a long night. The main attraction had yet to arrive.

She crushed her dog-eared copy of the “Hook-up” program in her fist and headed toward the old-fashioned, double swinging doors, ready to stomp all the way to Redbone Ranch to drag his butt to town.

As she passed excited, tittering women her smile felt strained, and her nerves stretched taut. The “Annual Honky-tonk Hook-up” had always been a good time, but this year she wished she hadn’t been so quick to volunteer her bar again. Sure, it was good for business and many of the “blow-ins” from Houston, San Antonio, and San Angelo returned throughout the year because they enjoyed the event and Paraiso’s authentic western ambience.

But Tara wished she could return home, crawl into bed, and pull the covers over her head. The last thing she felt ready to do was watch one particular cowboy strut his stuff across the stage and land in some other woman’s clutches—even if it was just one night, completely innocent, right, and for a really good cause. The fact he might blow off the auction pissed her off almost as much as the thought of the spectacle he’d cause if he did finally make an entrance.

If anyone thought splintered speaker casings or a little spilled Jell-O were trouble, they hadn’t seen a room full of women erupt in the wake of one seriously sexy cowboy. Read the rest of this entry »