[Play the music while you read!] It’s my birthday today! I’m the big 6-5! I’m officially “elderly” now! My daughter is in denial. I’m excited. I’m old enough for Medicare now. Not that I need it because I have my military retirement with Tricare. Important stuff when you get old though.
What else can I celebrate? I’m 65! When I was a teen, I didn’t expect to live past 21—I was a bit of a wild child. So, I always thought any day over 21 was just “gravy.” And while some bemoan the milestones, I’ve never worried. I hit 30 and thought, “awesome!” 50—the same. 60—I had a lovely birthday party with both my parents still there to celebrate. Now, at 65, I’d love to have them here, but life’s a journey, and I’m not going to bemoan the fact I’m 65 and still fabulous!
I decided to take a picture to prove it. I sent my selfie to my dd and said, “What do you think?” She immediately sent the 14-year-old to snap a picture with her iPhone. So, I’m assuming she wasn’t impressed. This is what she sent back to me.
Huh. She thought I needed a filter—and wondered why I didn’t bother with makeup other than a swipe of lipstick. I guess she was right. My sunburned nose and forehead made both look shiny and really big. Still, I don’t look like a wrinkled old woman just yet. Well, there are some wrinkles. Here’s the original, what do you think?
I still have less forehead wrinkles than someone I won’t name because she’s pissed looking at me every day. My eyebrows and eyelashes aren’t blond anymore. Or gray. They’re translucent—which is why you can’t see them! Still, I don’t feel a day over 40. Actually, I don’t feel old. Period. Although, sometimes, when my hands hurt after a day at the keyboard… I just call that a workout. They’re supposed to be sore.
They threw me a party last night. It was nice to have the fam around, plus a couple of their friends. We ate finger foods and pie. No candles, because we didn’t want to burn the house down. Today, I’m back at the keyboard because that’s what I do. Who I am.
So, tell me: Have any of your milestones been downers for you?
Are you looking for a sexy, suspenseful read? A 45-minute punch of SEAL yumminess? Well, I have just the story for you!
Along Came a Spider started out as a novella in the Men in Uniform anthology published by Entangled, but I recently got the rights back. So, I re-edited it, had my sister make me a gorgeous cover, and now, here it is! If you’ve never read it, or if you want to read it again, here’s your chance. And as a plus, it’s FREE for the next little while in Kindle Unlimited!
Along Came a Spider
All this SEAL wants is time alone to recharge after a grueling mission, but what he gets is caught in the crossfire of passion and danger.
After Spider follows a fellow SEAL’s advice to take some downtime and try fishing to get over his restlessness after back-to-back missions, he finds himself even more irritated until his fishing lure gets caught in the bushes, and while trying to free it, he notices men armed with tactical equipment moving through the forest. Curiosity piqued, he follows and is just in time to prevent the men from harming a lone female camper.
Jessie Tamberlin hoped to hide out in the woods until after her wedding to a billionaire, following her discovery that he is an illegal arms dealer. However, she knows secrets he’s determined to keep silent; he’s never going to let her go. When she finds an ally in the woods, who helps her escape, she has to make an on-the-spot decision to trust him.
Together, they work to stay one step ahead of her ex-fiancé while trying to ignore their growing attraction for each other.
The Whole Tooth is available for pre-order now and hits KU July 6!
Beagan is a tooth fairy. She loves what she does and has never felt unfulfilled. Until one night her body freezes when a man opens a door.
Ethan is a normal guy. Just doing his best to make a good life for him and his son. Until one night he opens a door and changes their lives forever.
Can these two find a happy ever after together?
This is a steamy, fun, (almost) insta-love, paranormal romance short story with adult language, off-page parent abandonment, and “open door” sexual situations.
Elliot Ason is a lover of all things romance, especially if there’s a monster sprinkled in there somewhere 😉 Her love of reading drove her to write paranormal and monster romance short stories. She is an indie author who also works full time and is a wife and mom – always outnumbered by two boys!
Of great debate in my author circles is whether or not to read reviews, how much stock to put in them, and whether they should have any impact on your writing.
I’ll admit, I didn’t understand the importance of reviews when I first started publishing. As time went on, and as I immersed myself in all things publishing, I learned just how critical they can be.
Case in point (from a guru I respect) — all things being equal, if a book has one 1* review, it will sell better than the equivalent book with no reviews. At first, that feels counterintuitive. Someone hated the book, why would others want to read it? But that review is social proof — someone bought and read the book. Okay, they didn’t like it. The book wasn’t for them. Doesn’t mean the next person won’t love it (some book lovers choose books with bad reviews for the fun of it). But the book with no reviews? Well, no one bought it or if they did (and if they read it), it didn’t inspire enough emotion in them to leave any kind of feedback. The book lacks social proof.
Now, look up any great work of literature and there are plenty of horrible reviews. Not everyone loved Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre. I can’t fathom that, but I look at some other books I didn’t enjoy, read the glowing reviews, and realize there’s someone out there who will love every book.
I admit to sending out review copies with my books, even knowing the reviewers have the option to decline to review, review even though they didn’t enjoy, or enthusiastically tell everyone what a great book I’ve written. Obviously, I prefer the latter, but even the middle doesn’t bother me. If someone didn’t enjoy my book, that means they weren’t my target audience. The key, with the hundreds and hundreds of romance books being released every week, is to find the reader who wants your book. Who needs your book? Who will see the genius in your book?
Which brings me back to reviews. Advanced reader copies (ARCs) for my book releasing this week, Love Without Reservations, went out last week. Normally I try to give a longer lead time, but things kind of got away from me with this book. Therefore, I wasn’t expecting reviews for a bit. Some readers, though, grabbed it and dug right in. Soon after, I began to receive notifications that reviews were being posted.
To read or not to read: that is the question.
In the end, I took a peek. Who wouldn’t? Well, at least one of my mentors doesn’t…and good for her for having the strength to resist.
Alas, I’m a weak woman.
The reviews are generally positive. Readers enjoyed the book. Understood what I was trying to convey. Didn’t regret having picked it up.
But one reviewer… Man, this gutted me. She pointed out I’d missed an opportunity with one of my characters.
I literally gasped in…anger? Frustration? Annoyance? Not at the reviewer, of course, but at myself. They’d found a plot point I’d forgotten about. A thread I’d meant to tie up.
One line. I just needed one line. And I’d forgotten it.
Now, after writing 38k, a writer can be forgiven for missing one sentence. Only it was a really important one. So here it is:
Aaron managed to secure a job overseeing the renovations of the Grand Hotel.
Now, that doesn’t mean anything to anyone who hasn’t read the book. But for those who have, it solidifies the happily ever after. It ties off that loose thread.
Alas, I didn’t format the book myself and making the change would be monumental. So, dear reader, you are the only ones who know about it. I fully intend to weave that fact into a future book (I write in series and my characters ALWAYS come back…)
Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me. I enjoyed sharing my little angsty story. To a lucky randomly selected commenter, I would love to give a $5 Amazon GC. To win, please consider answering the following question: what would make you leave a review? Or, let me know a book you read that left a loose thread that drove you nuts. Thanks!
Love Without Reservations
Noel
I’ve tracked down my wayward sister to Cataluma, California, and my goal is to drag her back to Canada before she gets in trouble with the American authorities. The problem? She’s gone and fallen in love with some dude and refuses to come home. I need to stick around to talk some sense into her, but there’s only one damned inn in this podunk town and they insist they’re full. I can’t get the handsome innkeeper to make an exception, not even for the few days I’ll need to get Kendra safely headed back across the border.
Aaron
I love my job as the owner of the quaint Cataluma Inn. I also pride myself in being a peacemaker. When I find squawking siblings arguing about a good friend of mine at our traditional barbecue, I have to step in. Next thing I know, I’m offering to share my one-bedroom apartment with a very attractive Canadian. Oh, and he’s gay too…
Love Without Reservations is s story in the Shopping for Love in Cataluma series. The book is a 38k word small-town gay interracial romance novella with a grumpy Canadian entrepreneur, a sunshine American motorcycle rider, and the love they never saw coming.
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.
This is just a reminder that Along Came a Spiderwill release on Tuesday! It’s a very sexy, action-filled story with SEALs coming to the rescue. Should be right up your alley!
All this SEAL wants is time alone to recharge after a grueling mission, but what he gets is caught in the crossfire of passion and danger.
After Spider follows a fellow SEAL’s advice to take some downtime and try fishing to get over his restlessness after back-to-back missions, he finds himself even more irritated until his fishing lure gets caught in the bushes, and while trying to free it, he notices men armed with tactical equipment moving through the forest. Curiosity piqued, he follows and is just in time to prevent the men from harming a lone female camper.
Jessie Tamberlin hoped to hide out in the woods until after her wedding to a billionaire, following her discovery that he is an illegal arms dealer. However, she knows secrets he’s determined to keep silent; he’s never going to let her go. When she finds an ally in the woods, who helps her escape, she has to make an on-the-spot decision to trust him.
Together, they work to stay one step ahead of her ex-fiancé while trying to ignore their growing attraction for each other.
Note: This novella was previously published in the Men in Uniform anthology.
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card: 1 ) Solve the puzzle (share your time, if you like!), and 2) Tell me a story about what you see. The story doesn’t have to be long, or even good. Just have fun with the challenge!
June is Pride Month. Specifically, June 28 is Pride Day. I would be remiss if I didn’t in some way acknowledge these months. For some, this post may seem unnecessary or as “Duh!” However, let me briefly explain why I’m writing it.
In 2020 when the world broke, many terrible things occurred. However, personally, I found a silver lining in all of it. It humbled me and allowed me to grow as a person. My eyes widened, and I found compassion in places I did not know existed. I also engaged in a lot of streaming, and it was this streaming that I discovered something that caused me to pause in my steps. As a writer, there are always discussions about pushing limits. Now, the next few statements are not made to point fingers, climb on any political or social agenda soapbox, shame, slight, or belittle anyone. I’m not about that life. Everyone is entitled to his opinion whether right, wrong, or indifferent. And I’m not one who decides what is right or wrong. I’m simply outlining the events that happened.
There is a saying in the writing community that authors should only write what they know. This view in its strictest sense means men cannot write female characters and women cannot write male characters. Additionally, it suggests that writers are only allowed to write characters of the same race, nationality, ethnicity, culture, religion, and sexual orientation. Following such strict guidelines would gravely limit the types of characters and books authors create. The argument is that a person who is not of the same group/community cannot accurately or intelligently discuss, depict, or communicate the group/community in question. And here is where the issue became super complicated.
In one of the series I was viewing during that time, a character of a marginalized group expressed that it was not his place to educate others about his community and, if people wanted to know, they would learn for themselves. However, when people began to ask questions to educate themselves, they were accused of being rude, nosy, and offensive. So, when these same people took to the internet for answers and received misinformation, they were chastised for not knowing better. My question was then, how can one adequately become educated if no one is willing to teach and discussions can’t be had? Attitudes of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” have benefits but also drawbacks. In many ways, it is like walking on eggshells.
At a former job, there was a rule that if the institution paid for an employee to attend a professional conference or workshop, the employee would have to give a brief summary presentation to coworkers who didn’t attend. Not only did I think this was a fair rule, but I also enjoyed it because it encouraged the spread of information. Why bottle up education and restrict it from anyone wanting to learn?
In my novels, I attempt to include diversity in my characters. I also heavily research any unfamiliar topics. My blog (Creole Bayou) is 98% researched based. (I do occasionally write an opinion piece which I always clearly indicate.) So, as I was sitting pondering what to write, I saw a post on Twitter that included the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+. I admit, I didn’t know what the 2S stood for. Later the same day, someone asked me what the Q and the I in LGBTQIA meant. Now, before the pandemic, if someone had said they didn’t know what the Q and I stood for in LGBTQIA, I would have given them the side eye for not knowing. I would have thought, “How could you not know? It’s all over the place.” However, we all have different lives and experiences. We all have different experiences and levels of exposure. Just like I assumed everyone would know what the Q and I meant, there are people who would think I should know what 2S meant. Thus, that is what has led me to this post. I thought why not share what someone would assume to be common knowledge but that may not be for everyone?
What is the acronym 2SLGBTQIA+?
Lesbian
Gay
Bisexual
Transgender
Queer and/or Questioning
Intersex (a concept that exists not in objective reality but has been created and accepted by the people in a society that reflects a variation in sex characteristics including chromosomes, genitals, and/or gonads that do not appear to fit into conventional definitions of male or female)
Asexual/Ace (may not experience sexual attraction to anyone or has a low or absent interest in sexual activity) *NOTE: Some people consider the A to represent Ally (a heterosexual person who supports the LGBTQ+ community)
+ reflects the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to identify (e.g., aceflux, akiosexual, aromantic, demisexual, graysexual, pansexual, reciprosexual, etc.)
2S – Two-Spirit (a term used by some Indigenous people to describe the behavior or gender expression of persons who do not match masculine or feminine gender norms in their communities.)
The calendar says it’s summer, but when I look outside the window the view doesn’t quite agree. The trees are just getting leaves on their branches and the flowers are beginning to poke their heads above the soil. I live in a cold climate so this isn’t unusual, but I do love summer and can’t wait for it to truly begin.
Summer…just saying the word conjures up images of steamy hot nights and long sultry days. Warm sand and cool drinks with little paper umbrellas, backyard barbeques, picnics, and long holiday weekends. People slow down more in the heat of the summer, they’re not as frantic, and they relax more and go with the flow. There are baseball games to watch while sipping a cold beer, vacation days to enjoy to the fullest, and books to read while lounging on the deck.
Looking for a sizzling summer read to enjoy on the deck or by the pool? Check out the latest book in the Forgotten Brotherhood series.
Hunter Avenged
Forgotten Brotherhood Book 6
It’s taken Viking hunter Sven Knutson six frustrating months to find her. To track down the angel responsible for compromising the Forgotten Brotherhood and waking the drakon. She may be clever. Resourceful. But no one ever gets away from Sven. Ever.
All Rivka longed for as an angel was a chance to serve on Earth and help humans. Instead, it all went impossibly, horribly wrong, and she still doesn’t understand how or even why. All she knows is that she’s on the run—not only from Heaven’s dangerous elite guard, but also from the Brotherhood, who want answers.
She might just have to trust the immortal Viking whose icy blue eyes make her feel almost wickedly human. Because someone wants Rivka dead and the Brotherhood eliminated. Someone powerful enough to take on the most dangerous assassins who have ever lived. Someone who could unleash the fury of both Heaven and Hell…and Rivka is the key.
Teaser from Hunter Avenged…
Rivka awakened longings, needs he’d never experienced. I should walk away.
That would be the intelligent thing. His mottos in life were simple. Show your opponent no weakness. The most dangerous weapon in the world was a warrior’s brain. A thinking warrior lived to fight another day.
He was tossing out every tenet he’d ever lived by, allowing his emotions to overrule his common sense.
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
