Today’s post may seem an odd one, but for me, it isn’t. See, recently, Mardi Gras was celebrated, which is a major event in Louisiana. And since 2020—when the entire world broke—it hasn’t been the same. Sure, it’s on its way to recovery, but it’s taking a while to get there. I should say, though, that this isn’t something that many people who have been around and are familiar with carnival are overly concerned with because, as mentioned, Mardi Gras is a big deal. It has tons of moving parts. Restructuring events this large is complicated. For those who think I’m minimizing the disruption, reflect on what happened in the years following Hurricane Katrina. It wasn’t that much different than what is presently occurring.
I began by saying Mardi Gras is a popular celebration in Louisiana. This is true. However, it is an event celebrated across the globe. New Orleans is likely the place where it is the most famously celebrated or is given the most attention. But NOLA wasn’t where Mardi Gras was created or even first celebrated. It’s just that when NOLA does something it does it big. Like, there is nothing really “over-the-top” about the place. Nevertheless, this post isn’t about Mardi Gras. Carnival was just the reason this topic registered with me.
This year, several parades were canceled—not due to weather but due to continued money issues that a lot can be attributed to the start of the icky Rona situation. In 2020, Fat Tuesday was on February 25, barely beating the U.S. shutdown/shelter-at-home. In 2021, it’s fair to say, that the Mardi Gras public celebration in NOLA was all but canceled. In 2022, it returned, but many parades/krewes didn’t return due to financial issues and parade route conflicts. This has continued to be the case as people get back on their feet.
So, as some friends and I were discussing the “good ol’ days” of carnival, we began to realize that there are plenty of things that we’ve taken for granted about Mardi Gras. Taking something for granted means failing to appreciate the value of something due to overfamiliarity. It also means failing to make assumptions without asking questions. Well, while we were having this profound discussion (and yes, distilled spirits were involved), the song House of the Rising Sun (or as I’ll refer to it from henceforth, HOTRS) began playing. And for the first time, I took note of the lyrics—perhaps because the first line begins: “There is a house in New Orleans.” As many times as I’ve heard this song, I never once questioned anything about it. I looked at my companions and asked where this place was located. No one knew, and that sent me spiraling down a wormhole of intoxication and loose association. Not only was I curious about the where, but I also wanted to know the what and why. So, I did some digging, and the results were intriguing…at least, to me.
Before I began dumpster diving into the where, what, and why, I was smacked with who. This became significant later when trying to answer what.
Like Mardi Gras being closely associated with NOLA despite it not originating from there, HOTRS is mostly associated with being performed by the British rock band, The Animals. Their version was released in 1964. However, HOTRS is a folk song that is believed to have been written in the early twentieth century and has been performed/recorded by a host of other artists. This list includes (in alphabetical but not recording order) the following: The Animals, Clarence “Tom” Ashley, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Five Finger Death Punch, Gwen Foster, Frigid Pink, Geordie, Andy Griffith, Woody Guthrie, Johnny Halliday, Lead Belly, Los Speakers, Miriam Makeba, Johnny Miller, Sinead O’Connor, Odette, Dolly Parton, Pete Seeger, Nina Simone, Thin Lizzy, Dave Von Ronk (Mayor of McDougall Street), and Glen Yarborough. This list may not be exhaustive.
Reportedly, The Animal’s version of the song was based on Bob Dylan’s version, and Dylan based his version on Dave Van Ronk’s version. However, Ronk wasn’t the original artist. The original artist is alleged to have been a woman, and the original lyrics reportedly are “poor girl” and not “poor boy.” It is believed the lyrics were changed when the gender of the singer switched from male to female. This is significant because the switch in gender perception changes the interpretation of the song. I’ll swing back around to this later.
Where?
Most of the information that I’ve read says that the HOTRS is based on a real location in NOLA. To be fair, I did find a couple of sources that said it was fictitious and a few others that concluded it was real but located in other places than NOLA. As to what type of establishment it was, three common answers kept recurring: Read the rest of this entry »
I had really wanted to show up today blaring trumpets and screaming “I have a new release! I have a new release!”, but unfortunately, I can’t.
My PNR wolf shifter book that was scheduled to release today, had to be postponed. So instead, I’m here to take a brief break before I go back to frantically trying to finish it so the proofer can get through it before it’s due to Amazon in less than a month.
If you think fated mates wolf shifters are for you, you can pick up the first one in the series, Drew (for free) here, and you can preorder Callum, which will be out next month (if all goes well) here.
I come with some news though. I’m starting up a Bookstagram Reviewer’s Choice Award.
What is that?
Well, right now I’m recruiting active bookstagrammers who love to read and review romance books! In March, I’ll be opening up the entry form for romance authors to enter their book (so long as it’s published between May 2023-April 2024).
This is an excellent opportunity for both Bookstagrammers and romance authors to connect with each other and to reach new romance readers.
There will be prizes for the top scoring entries in each category.
Judges will be receiving the books they judge for free.
If you’d like more information, you can read about it here.
And if you’re a Bookstagrammer and you think you’d like to be a judge, you can sign up here.
How about a quick, unedited excerpt from Callum?
A few more hours and she could supervise the cleanup. Tonight, she’d sneak away to the tree fort for some quiet reading time, and if she was lucky, she’d miss seeing her father tonight.
As she thought through her plans, she straightened a tray on the table, and that’s when it hit her.
Or—more correctly—hit her nostrils.
The spicy, sweet scent from the other night, the one she’d thought was a cologne.
It was stronger now and immediately she realized what it was. Her mate.
For a second, she closed her eyes and just breathed in the intoxicating scent.
The noise of the crowd faded to a dull buzz. Across from her, someone shifted, and she just knew.
Looking up, there he was, the blond man, Elliot’s cousin, staring at her.
Her mouth watered as his scent flooded her senses. He was beautiful. His blond hair was darker at the roots and lighter at the tips, styled with a forelock that twisted and dipped across his forehead. A slight beard scruff covered the dimple in his chin.
He was stunning, and…related to Elliot.
Her father would never approve. Fated mate or not.
If he knew.
Her mate swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. “It’s you.”
Quickly, she glanced around before hushing him. “Don’t talk to me. Not here.”
With that, she turned on her heel and fled, her mind whirling with each step.
New plan.
Seduce her mate and convince him to imprint on her before her father found out.
What do you do when you find out your ex-boyfriend was cheating? You spend Valentine’s with your bestie and a bottle of Vodka. Maybe she suggests you slash the cheater’s tires. Maybe you get arrested by the sexiest cop you’ve ever seen.
UPDATE: The winners are…Bridget and Ellen Wulf!
*~*~*
Tonight, I’ll be leading a Gelli plate class for my local art guild. It’s going to be some messy fun! We’ll create papers we can repurpose to make many cool things. I’ll show them the gift tags I made from papers I painted.
We’re all creative people—creative in many different and beautiful ways. I’d love a chance to showcase what you do!
So, my challenge to you is to send me a picture of something you made. It could be a piece of art, an apron you sewed, a lovely dish you cooked for your family—the possibilities are endless!
Send me a picture of what you’ve made, and I’ll post a blog next week highlighting your “art.” Send the picture to me no later than this coming Sunday for me to post next week! Then I’ll choose a winner at random to receive something I made: a bookmark, a postcard, a couple of these tags, perhaps? Your choice! Send your pictures to me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com then comment below to tell me what you’re going to share, because I’d love everyone to read your comments! In fact, I’ll choose a winner from among the commenters to receive their choice of a download of one of my books, so there’s a second prize to be won!
Hello, Delilah, and thank you for inviting me here today! Another month…another anthology! I have to admit, this one had me stumped. I was terrible at real-life dating. I couldn’t fathom fake dating. Of course, I knew I was going to write a gay romance for this anthology, but that was as far as I got. I did what I do a lot these days – I turned to my good author friend who is also a plot whisperer. I whispered gay romance, fake dating, and 15k into her ear. And, like magic, she came up with something. Now, we worked on this plot together, but I think it’s something a little special.
We started with Horatio – the buttoned-up executive who is extremely successful – just not in the love department. His second in command is a great executive – whose husband loves to organize company functions. Before the Valentine’s event, she commands Horatio to ‘find a date’ so that there’s an even number at the party. She’s aware her boss is gay, so that’s not an issue.
About this time, Horatio’s nephew – who has been living with him – announces that he’s marrying an older woman and moving in with her and her three kids. Horatio’s stunned. First, because he didn’t know his nephew was dating. Second, because the woman is as old as the nephew’s mom and her eldest son is just a few years younger than the man his mom is about to marry. Finally, a little discombobulated because, to help him out, Horatio’s nephew asks him to take in that younger son as a roommate.
Horatio loves his nephew and wants only the best for him. He’s housed the young man through his entire education. If taking in a stranger would help his upcoming marriage, then, of course, Horatio will do it.
Cue Dade. Sweet, loveable Dade. The twenty-something guy who’s trying to break into the film business. He moves in and…Horatio’s life changes forever. Well, we’ll start with Horatio asking Dade to accompany him to the Valentine’s Day dinner as a date. Here’s where my readers will find plenty of cameos from characters across a number of my pennames and series because…well, frankly, because I can.
In the end, age doesn’t matter. Because when two people are meant to be together, even the fake can become real. I think plot whisperer and I got this one right. Even my editor remarked on how much the story stuck with her.
So I’ve joined together with a pile of other authors to offer this great anthology at a low price. It’s also on Kindle Unlimited and only available for a short time.
Thanks, Delilah, for hosting me. I would love to give one of your commenters a $5 Amazon gift card. Have you ever been on a fake date? Or known someone who has? I attended prom with a friend as his date. Kind of awkward when he asked me if I’d let him kiss me – I was dating someone else at the time. The guy I was with turned out to be a weasel and I often wondered what would have happened if the date had been real… Anyway! Make a comment and random number generator might pick you!
Fake It ‘Til We Make It
Want to make your ex jealous? Do you have to attend an event? Need to stop your family matchmaking? Whatever the reason, a fake relationship may be for you! But what happens when what started out as fake starts feeling way too real? You were faking it, but is it time to make it real?
Find out in this spicy collection containing exciting stories from USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors curated by The New Romance Café. Faking it has never felt so real.
Authors:
DL Gallie
Chelle Pimblott
Kathleen Ryder
Annee Jones
Keighley Bradford
Harper Michaels
Tracy Brody
Lily Kindall
CM Peters
Ebony Snow
Jo Bradley
Jamie Sands
Serafina Jax
Sofia Aves
K McEvern Lestrade
Gabbi Grey
Denise T Ford
The anthology will only be available for a limited time.
About “Acting the Part” by Gabbi Grey inside Fake It ‘Til We Make It…
Horatio
My persuasive nephew convinces me to let his friend, Dade, move into my condo. Somehow I end up telling my coworkers that the young man’s my boyfriend, and I invite him to the Valentine’s Charity dinner. It’s all supposed to be a fake, but he’s not like anyone I’ve ever met, and the more time we spend together, the less I want this charade to end.
Dade
I’m busting my butt trying to land an acting gig, and my buddy offers me a room in his uncle’s luxurious condo. All I have to do is keep the old guy company. Only, the guy’s not that old. I’m happy to pretend to be his boyfriend for one event, but with every passing hour, I’m less and less eager to pull the plug on this act. Can we take fake to real, or will the magic end when the night’s over?
This is a 15k fake relationship, gay romance novella with a successful entrepreneur, an out-of-work actor, and a night to remember.
About Gabbi Grey
USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.
If you’ve enjoyed my bounty hunters so far, you’ll love Malcolm and Darleen’s story! This is a transition book as well. There are hints aplenty of where the hunters are going next and who’s going to be front and center in the next series. So, if you’re eager to start the new series, you’ll need to read this one! I’m excited for you and me. There are many more adventures to come.
For now, Malcolm is available at Amazon in both eBook and print. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get the book for FREE! Happy reading! ~DD
Malcolm
MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS: DEAD HORSE, MT Authentic Men… Real Adventures…
Two fiercely independent bounty hunters must fight their attraction while learning to trust each other as they work together to bring in a dangerous skip.
Former SEAL Malcolm Winslow was looking for a change. He’s been bounty hunting on his own since leaving the teams and has missed the camaraderie of fellow warriors, so he accepts a job with the Montana Bounty Hunters. His first hunt takes a turn when the MBH team discovers that another lone hunter has found their target first. Not wanting to infringe, they stand by just in case their competition needs help.
Darleen Crockett has things well in hand. Sure, she’s alone, without a weapon (because where would she hide it in her skimpy outfit?), and the skip she’s determined to take down is one mean MF, but Darleen likes to ride that dangerous edge between victory and disaster. She’s an admitted adrenaline junkie.
When her skip attacks, she has things well in hand but is suddenly rescued by a rugged, tattooed man who makes her heart pitter-patter. What’s up with that? She’s quickly recruited by Malcolm’s agency and finds herself on the biggest hunt of her career. Denying her attraction to her temporary new partner isn’t possible when they spend so many hours alone, but what she doesn’t expect is finding something more with the equally footloose and independent Malcolm. Things get thorny between them when Malcolm can’t seem to get past the fact she’s a woman to trust that she can handle herself.
When the agency prepares to track an old adversary preparing to flee justice, Malcolm and Darleen are quickly folded into the team heading to Lander, Wyoming, to find their dangerous skip.
