You know you could write a story in one weekend, right? It’s JUST 2500 to 5500 words, give or take!
ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE! DD

*~*~*

SECRET IDENTITIES:  A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Deadline: December 15, 2023

SECRET IDENTITIES is open to all authors.

Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for stories for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled SECRET IDENTITIES:  A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY.

Why write a short story for this collection? Well, it’s certainly not about making a lot of money, so why do it at all? I’ve said this before, many times, but here are my thoughts…

Writing a short story for a call for submissions is a chance to flex your writing muscle! It can be a chance to experiment with a genre you’ve never written. If you’ve never written a story in first person but don’t want to begin by writing an entire novel using it, start short! For myself, I’ve written stories in new genres or with fresh themes that ended up being so much fun to write they’ve spawned entire series.

You have a deadline! I don’t know about you, but I have trouble keeping my butt in the chair without one!

It’s a promotional opportunity! If selected, you’ll be joined by 12-15 other authors for the launch, sharing your audiences and, hopefully, picking up new readers along the way. Having your story in the collection is another chance to be “seen.”

And remember, you retain the rights to your story, so you can republish it for individual sale or give it away to attract subscribers to your newsletter. You might even decide there’s more story to tell and expand your short story into a novel.

Here’s what I’m looking for…

SECRET IDENTITIES: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY will include stories that satisfy the reader who craves stories about mysterious, enigmatic men. Perhaps, they’re the new next-door neighbor with a mysterious past that finds him just as he’s meeting a woman he doesn’t want to leave. Maybe he’s an alien from a far-away galaxy looking for his fated mate. Could he be a spy setting up surveillance on another suspected spy? An assassin scouting his target who discovers his handlers lied about the reasons for targeting a particular individual he’s intrigued by? Is he a werewolf living in the human world? Yes! So many ways to go.

SECRET IDENTITIES will seek stories with varied settings here on earth—present, past, or future—or on another planet or moon in this solar system or in a galaxy far, far, away.  Heroes and heroines might be more than human—supernatural creatures or even aliens and cyborgs.

I’m open to any subgenre of erotic romance you want to write. I’ll accept contemporary, historical, science fiction, or paranormal stories, and I won’t be picky about whether the stories are hetero, LGBT, ménage… Basically, you, the author, can go anywhere your imagination takes you so long as 1) the story is a romance, and 2) you have a bad boy somewhere on the pages!

The anthology will be sold at a low price—my intent is exposure for you and your writing. The more readers reached, the better! You will retain the rights to your story so that, at a later date, you can republish your stories individually.

I’m seeking hot and inventive stories from authors with unique voices, and above all, I’m looking to be seduced by tales filled with vivid imagery and passion.

Published authors with an established world may use that setting for their original short story.

This is erotic romance, so don’t hold back on the heat. Stories can be vanilla or filled with kink but don’t miss describing the romantic connection between strong-willed individuals learning to trust and love one another. A deep sensuality should linger in every word. Keep in mind that there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters, and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please, no reprints. I want original stories.

How to submit: Prepare your 2,500 to 5,500 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12-point, black font, Word document (.doc or .docx) OR rich text format (.rtf), with pages numbered. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing; do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). U.S. grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.

In your document at the top left of the first page, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, email address, and a 50-words or less biography, written in the third person, and send to bbbsecretidentities@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Authors may submit up to 2 stories. I will try to respond no later than March 15, 2024, with decisions.

Payment will be USD 25.00 ninety days after publication at the end of that month.

Who is Delilah Devlin?

Delilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romance and erotic romance. She has published over two hundred stories in multiple genres and lengths and has been published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Entangled, Grand Central, Harlequin Spice, HarperCollins: Mischief, Kensington, Kindle, Montlake, Penthouse, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.

Her short stories have appeared in multiple Cleis Press collections, including Lesbian Cowboys, Girl Crush, Fairy Tale Lust, Lesbian Lust, Passion, Lesbian Cops, Dream Lover, Carnal Machines, Best Erotic Romance (2012), Suite Encounters, Girl Fever, Girls Who Score, Duty and Desire, Best Lesbian Romance of 2013, and On Fire. For Cleis Press, she edited Girls Who Bite, She Shifters, Cowboy Lust, Smokin’ Hot Firemen, High Octane Heroes, Cowboy Heat, Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors, and Sex Objects.

She has also edited Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance, Rogues: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Blue Collar: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Stranded: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, and Silver Soldiers: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology.

Direct any questions regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at bbbsecretidentities@gmail.com.

UPDATE: The winner is…Diana Sallens!
*~*~*

I packed the 10-year-old’s lunch bag today with the usual stuff, plus an apple. Then I added the one thing I knew would make her smile because she loves them as much as I do—a big fat juicy dill pickle. I’m sure her friends look at her funny, but she’d rather have a pickle than a piece of fruit. Seriously.

I LOVE pickles. Plain ol’ dills, kosher dills, gherkins—but I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE mixed, spicy pickles, too. Have you ever tried Korean kimchi? Yes, you have to get past the fermented garlicky smell (doesn’t bother me a bit!) to get to the yumminess. They do pickles with cabbage, carrots, beets, cucumbers, etc. I adore mixed, spicy Mexican pickles, too. There’s really an endless variety. Then there’s my great-grandma’s chow-chow. She had the best dill pickles and chow-chow ever. Like, to-die-for good.

Let’s celebrate World Pickle Day with a puzzle and a contest!

Solve the word search puzzle, then tell me about your favorite pickles for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen!
*~*~*

Grumpy cat and I share a lot in common today. When I looked into the mirror first thing this morning to brush my teeth, that was my expression!

However, I’m generally a very positive person. Annoyingly so. I wake up the kids for school by singing children’s songs off-key, ignoring their groans and becoming more maniacally loud the longer they linger. Today, I think I’m grumpy because I’m in almost mid-way through the NaNoWriMo challenge and I want to take a break. I CAN’T because I refuse to be behind on my wordcount, but I also haven’t built enough of a cushion beforehand to skip a day. Wah-Wah. Get over it!

I thought maybe you could help me get in a better mood. I love jokes, but many jokes are just too long. I love witty, funny, or ironic sayings, so I thought that might be the ticket. We’re going to make our own Silly Sayings Day! The first ever, I think. Maybe it’ll become a thing! Woot!

So, let’s turn those frowns upside down! For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, share a silly saying.

Here are a couple to start us off…

Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that, who cares? — He’s a mile away, and you’ve got his shoes!
~ Billy Connolly

Or…

If a clown farts, is it funny?
~Anonymous (and likely ashamed)

As I was beginning to prepare this week’s plan, I pulled the Queen of Pentacles. I’ve pulled her before. I had rather good luck with her. So, I study the card. She’s pretty and voluptuous. Mature. She holds a gold pentacle in one hand and grapes in the other, so I can assume she likes her comfort. She’s Queen Omphale who purchased Heracles in a slave market. He was a rough barbarian, and she coaxed him into wearing rich clothes and enjoying the “comforts” she provided. She shared her largesse freely with him.

Is she supposed to be me? I do offer my “grapes” to my friends and family. So, what does it mean for me? Perhaps the week is about seeking and sharing comfort with my family. I like that thought.

Now, I’ll check the book. The Mythic Tarot says that it’s time to learn about the “importance of pleasure.” I may also be called upon to “secure” and husband “money and energy.” So, I was only half right. Yes, enjoy myself but don’t spend too much. Good advice. LOL

Open Contests

1. Story Cubes: Tell me a story… (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Saturday Puzzle-Contest! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Flashback: Strokes (Contest–3 Winners!) — Win a FREE book!
4. Gabbi Black: Those Pesky Side Characters (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Genevive Chamblee: Ways to Give Thanks (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
6. Let’s celebrate Veterans Day! Plus, a Puzzle (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Tara Leavitt!
*~*~*

I have a lot of people to thank for their service on this day, starting with my late father who received recognition at his graveside. I thank my sister, Elle James, my brother and my nephew, who all served. Service is in my DNA. I had uncles who served in WWII, luckily all returned. I’m sure your families have their own heroes as well. So, a shout out to all who served! If you get a chance today, thank a veteran for their service.

Saturday Puzzle-Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you have a family or friend you’ll celebrate today.

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

Typically, November sparks the season of gratitude and being thankful. Social media is blasted with daily posts of gratitude and giving. While there is nothing wrong with doing this, often, this is presented the same, and this can become disingenuous. It also may become a struggle for persons experiencing difficult times. It’s no secret that this type of year can be hard for many people for many reasons. Therefore, this post will attempt to give some alternative ways of expressing and demonstrating thanks.

1. This one is simple; although, it may not seem apparent. Say a person is thankful for his/her family. Yes, by all means, express that. However, the person shouldn’t only post it only social media. He/she should tell his/her family how thankful he/she is for them. Do something special for them. Additionally, tell someone else how wonderful their family is (e.g., you have great kids, your wife is a phenomenal cook, your father-in-law is exceptional at his job, etc.) Extend what you’re grateful for to others. Not only will it make them feel good, it will remind them to be grateful as well.
2. When I was in high school, many of the clubs/organizations had community service goals. Actually, it was a requirement by the school, but that’s beside the point. While this was an excellent component to have embedded in organization bylaws, it was flawed. See, many of the community service events served the same persons/program. For example, one of the organizations I was involved in had adopted a meal program. Each day, students would take a meal to a man who lived close to the school. I cannot remember if the man had been selected because he was elderly, had a disability, or both. What I do remember is that he was receiving meals daily from multiple organizations. Now, it could be argued that he could save the meals for later. But honestly, does one person need nine boxed meals per day? I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been receiving meals. My point is that the love could have been spread to more people. I’m confident in saying there were plenty of other people in need who received nothing from any organizations.
3. Many years ago, a friend applied for WIC. The WIC office informed her that before she could get approved for services, she would need to go to the public health department to verify her pregnancy and be approved for Medicaid. The health department nurse told her she could not be approved for Medicaid until she was approved for a program (she couldn’t remember the name of the program) that would pay for childcare. From there, she was sent to another place to apply for something else. It was a musical slot machine of services. What my friend realized was that if she had been approved for one service, she would have been approved for multiple services. However, since she was denied by one, she was denied for all. The irony was, she hadn’t wanted all the services. All that she had wanted was help paying for baby formula. She wasn’t asking for insurance or childcare or any of the other stuff. And she wasn’t asking for any other items from the WIC program other than formula so that she wouldn’t have to struggle to feed her child. A pack of diapers would have been a bonus but not necessary.

For many people, being thankful includes sharing their good fortune with others. Why not attempt to make that sharing reach as many as possible? Instead of focusing so much on a few, why not adjust to include more people?

4. Considering small things. When in a rut or a dark place, sometimes it is hard to see the light. For example, a person who has recently lost his/her home may find it challenging to see the world as a positive place. Should they be thankful for being unhoused and experiencing such a loss? Should they be happy that someone has profited off of their misery? Here’s the thing. When something negative has occurred in one’s life and the negative cannot be undone, it is futile to focus on it. The results will remain the same. So, the person may need to cling to the things that are preventing the situation from being worse. For example, the person may be thankful to have friends who are allowing him/her to reside in their home until he/she finds another location. Or he/she may be thankful that they are in a safe shelter. Or he/she may see this as an opportunity to move and start fresh in another city.
5. Non-comparison. Keeping up with the Joneses is a thing even for people who think it isn’t. For example, looking at photos on Instagram may cause a person to feel less thrilled about his/her life. First, many of those photographs are photoshopped and/or fake. For the ones that aren’t, many are misleading. That great makeup look one is admiring may have been created by a professional makeup artist using gifted products and professional lighting and prompts. Envious because you can’t afford a month’s vacation in the Mediterranean? That person on IG may not have been able to afford it either and is now $10,000 in debt and fired from his/her job. Everything is not always what it seems. In this scenario, a weekend staycation would be far better than a month’s vacation.

***CONTEST & GIVEAWAY***

November 10 celebrates the anniversary of the publication of Defending the Net. I want to commemorate this day by celebrating it with readers of romance. Would you like a FREE copy of Defending the Net, the second book in my Locker Room Love hockey romance series? It’s simple. Leave a comment telling me what you like about sports romance or your favorite sports in general. It’s that easy. A winner will be selected at random. Please be sure to check spam mail in case the notification email is routed there by the server. (NOTE: For an additional entry, you can also comment on the post on my Instagram page (genevivechambleeauthor).

So, that’s a wrap on today’s topic. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

Get ready. It’s time to hit the ice again. Future Goals has arrived and is available.

When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.

Order your copy at:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RjPYb9

Other booksellers: https://bit.ly/3CI8d5W

Did you missed the first four books in my hockey romance series? No frets.

Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at https://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit https://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.

Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.

Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.

Penalty Kill (book #4) retakes the ice. Get a copy at https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p or https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p and let the pucker begin.

For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or X (formerly tweet) me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search for me on Goodreads, Amazon Authors, BookBub, Bluesky, Threads, or TikTok.

NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click https://genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com/newsletter/ and sign up today.

Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

About the Author

Genevive Chamblee resides in the Bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm,” and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.

On October 25^th of this year, I went in for total knee replacement surgery. It’s been a long time coming. In fact, the surgeon told me I probably should have had it done ten years ago. While I don’t think he’s wrong, precisely, I didn’t want to rush into anything. I was doing “all the things:” physical therapy, working out three times a week with a trainer, twice a week yoga, mindfulness meditation, pain management training, and I have lost about forty pounds in the last year. In September, my husband and I went on a work trip to San Francisco, and it became glaringly obvious that the status quo could not continue. So, I called the surgeon, and we scheduled it as soon as possible.

You’d think that would be it, right? I mean, major surgery is, well, major surgery. I met with my Human Resources team and my department head to schedule my time out of the office. Would I need medical leave? No, I would just take two weeks off, so it was done on “PTO,” or “paid time off.” I’d scheduled the week of American Thanksgiving as vacation for my family, and I “gave” that back – since I’d be out from October 25^th ’til November 8^th. And then I settled down to prepare.

What I didn’t realize, is that I was, in fact, embarking on a roller coaster.

Our annual Founders Retreat for Writer Zen Garden is the last full weekend in September. This year, we met in picturesque Park City, Utah, at a ski resort. It was, in a word, amazing. The condo we rented was enormous, with a full kitchen and huge living/dining room with a large table to seat all of us. We cooked, we wrote, and something magical happened: Dear Reader, I got my writing mojo back. I wrote more in the month of September than I’ve written in the last eight years combined. It’s felt like one long, dark slog through the Mines of Moria: first the 2016 election debacle, then the publishing world imploded (which, to be fair, had already started by then), the pandemic, the riots, the wildfires, (one of which, the Bolt Creek Fire, was within fifteen miles of our home), and the rise of fascism around the world. All of it meant that my well was bone dry. Sure, I’d try to write, and I kept up my avid journaling practice. But Story?

Nothing.

It’s immensely painful beyond words for a writer to go dry. I’ve met people who will airily assure me they don’t “believe” in writer’s block. My friend, I wish you the peace of your naivete. It happens, and it happens to the best of us. And it’s like bleeding to death with nothing coming out.

So to say I was ecstatic would be an understatement. It’s as though a part of me that had been amputated, suddenly grew back. Things started to heat up: I met some new friends through the NaNoWriMo Seattle Discord server and started writing “word sprints” with them (a word sprint is where you show up and do timed writing for, say, fifteen minutes).

When I settled in to prepare for my knee surgery, Dear Reader, I thought everything was going to be easy-peasy: I was writing again, I could take two weeks off to recover, what could go wrong?

I did not schedule any time to prepare. I worked until October 24^th, and surgery was October 25^th. That was my first mistake.

Then, the week before surgery on October 16^th, my beloved eleven-year-old cat Nadya had a stroke at 07:30 while I was on a video call with my therapist. She told me, “don’t catastrophize,” which is good advice but I knew what I knew. My husband was out with the dogs and our housemate, his brother and a retired emergency veterinary technician, was asleep. I waited for my husband to get back and my appointment to be done (which was the longest fifteen minutes of my life, let me tell you). My husband woke up his brother, and he examined Nadya, and gave us his advice.

Get her to the vet immediately and tell them it’s a thrombus. It’s not a saddle thrombus, which affects both hind legs; he said in his opinion it was a thrombus (i.e. a blood clot) that lodged in her right front leg, cutting off sensation and nerve impulses to her right leg. We got in the car and raced to the vet. I told my husband to call them first, to make sure they were open and that we were coming, and they told us the bad news: take her to the emergency hospital in Lynnwood, an hour’s drive, because they have the scanning equipment we’d need.

We got there and got her seen by the emergency techs right away. We came back home, and I naively thought I’d be able to pick her up again.

The cardiologist said that she was in early-stage heart failure. My brother-in-law and his partner, also an emergency vet tech, said they’ve seen exactly one cat survive this scenario and that cat died within three months, because once they throw one clot, it’s inevitable they’ll throw another. The treatment is unpleasant and consists of either subcutaneous medication (i.e. stabbing my cat with a needle) or oral meds (shoving a pill or, more likely, multiple pills down her throat on a daily basis), or both.

We made the decision to let her go and drove over that night after work.

Afterward, we came home and I went back to preparing for surgery, and trying to relax because relaxation is critical to good outcomes.

At 0430 the morning of surgery, my old man cat Boria fell down behind the dryer and got hung up in the wires for the dryer and the septic tank alarm. We’re not sure if he fell asleep on the dryer and fell off, or if he just got confused and climbed back there, or what. We got him out and my brother-in-law and his partner tended to him for the next two days. Meanwhile, I went in for surgery on Wednesday as planned.

Boria died in my husband’s arms on Friday, October 27^th.

Dear Reader, may you never go through back-to-back events like this.

I had planned to give you the news that Six Geese Laid, our holiday story set in the universe of the Chicagoland Shifters, is available at your favorite eBook seller. I even have it halfway uploaded onto Amazon but didn’t quite get it finished in time to get my guest post over to Delilah. I will, and my goal is to get it done by this weekend for you so you have something new to read before the holidays (our longtime fans will know this is the audio story that the talented Vance Bastien read for us on the WROTE podcast, and this is the long-awaited eBook version). And I also can tell you that Rachel Wilder and I are hard at work on our newest book series, the first of which is called, for right now at least, As the Crow Flies and is about crow and raven shifters and the trouble they get into.

I’m still doing all that, but I’m moving a bit slower than I planned. But the good news out of all of this is that I AM moving, at long last. Nadya and Boria are with me in spirit, keeping me company as I get back onto the page. And like Peggy Carter in the Marvel series, we’ve decided that I will be the bionic battle granny to my newest grandchild, who we will get to meet in June of 2024.

Talk about ups and downs, Dear Reader. My heart is sad, and glad, and grateful.

Best wishes,

Noony

Resources

• National Novel Writing Month, NaNoWriMo: https://nanowrimo.org/
• My NaNo: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/a-catherine-noon
• Park City, Utah: Then Best Ski Resorts: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g57097-zff8-Park_City_Utah-Hotels.html
• Knee Replacement Surgery: https://www.prolianceorthopedicassociates.com/services/knee-replacement

“My own experience has taught me this: if you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured it may never arrive.”
~ Maurice Chevalier

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