UPDATE: The winner is…Mechelle!
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March

March was… It’s hard to describe. Crazy busy, super annoying. Big happy wins and crotchety pain-in-ass (literally) setbacks.

On the health front… I started the month still recovering from a busted tailbone, but by the third week, I sat comfortably (with a donut, still). My hand (last September’s fall) is still wonky and I met with the ortho guy who said the continued tightness and swelling are all normal, and if I keep doing my hand exercises, I should, someday, be able to curl my fist again and open a damn jar. Good news on the medical front? I had my second COVID shot and my dd had her first! Now, we have the 16 and 17-year-olds scheduled, too. We’re slowly getting there, but still masking and distancing, and will continue to do so until they have vaccines for the little ones.

On the work front… I finished writing Hardman and published it! Woot! Thanks to everyone who read it and left a review. Reviews are so appreciated! I also completed 5 editing projects, two of which were loooonnng. They kicked my ass, but they are out the door! I got the rights back to some old books I published through some traditional houses a while ago, so I added them to my work schedule because they need a refurb, and one set of stories needs a readthrough because I want to write more in the series. To say the least, I’m super stoked.

On the art front… I am still slogging through the #100daychallenge, although I’m about ten days behind. Here are some of my favorites so far…

April

I completed my April calendar yesterday, and it already needs some fixes. I think April is going to be that kind of month—one where I have to be fluid and roll to evade the bombs and sinkholes. The big thing in April is that I have to write a book and publish it. Yeah, I haven’t written page one, but I generally do best when I’m running on adrenaline, and a hard deadline gooses me into creativity.

That book is Hot SEAL, In His Memory, and it’s going to be a hard one for me to write because it deals with the loss of a friend and a husband. If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy…

Pre-order your copy here!

As for editing gigs, I presently have two scheduled, but I had that many scheduled for March as well, and look what happened! So, I’m hoping I’ll have the first couple of weeks pretty free to dive into my new story.

On the homefront, I’ve begun work to get the green scum out of the pool. That’s always a weeks-long thing. I can’t wait to swim!!!!! And my dd is putting in a garden. We’re hoping it does well and that we have a summer full of lettuce, cucumbers, strawberries, blueberries, peppers, and more! I love admiring the “fruits” of her labor, but diggin’ in dirt is not my thing. I’ll maintain the pool, thank you very much.

And I plan to catch up on the art challenge, too. I’m getting better at it, I think. But the purpose is to connect with my creative center. Writing has become a job in my mind. I need to find that spark again.

So, I’d love to hear whether you had big wins in March and plans for April! Chime in for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Alison Hutfelter!
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It’s Saturday, and I have some ground to cover this weekend to catch up on my schedule! Why did I fall behind? It’s kind of a mash of post-COVID-shot-malaise (there was a bit of fatigue associated with the shot, nothing big), plus the post-book-release-exhale (which is a real thing for me, folks!), but it’s time to step it up because I have a new book to whiz through this month, plus several editing projects. It never ends, and weekends aren’t weekends when you’re self-employed!

So, today, I will be editing and starting the new story. As well, I’m behind on the #100daychallenge, which is an art challenge I take on every year to get my creative juices going. I’ve been posting my paintings online, which is nerve-wracking because some of them look rushed and slapped together, but some of them…? I really like this one. I think it will earn a frame. 🙂

And I still have to promo Hardman, which is my latest release if you didn’t already know. It’s a fun, action-packed story with two very deserving-of-each-other characters. The story was a joy to write because my heroine is a “prickly pear” of a woman. Only Hardman can see her soft inner self, which is as it should be when he’s her perfect match…

Is your weekend book boyfriend Pierce Hardman?

Remember, the book is out there now!

Click on cover to get your copy now!

Today’s Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what your weekend looks like!

Open Contests

Enter while you still can…

1. Melanie Jayne: The Sad Song Playlist (Contest) — Ends tomorrow! Win a FREE book!
2. Because we all need a dreamboat… (Puzzle Contest) — Ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. 2nd Shot! And Open Contests! (And New Contest) — Win a FREE book!
4. Definitions of Me: Lazy, Indolent, Slothful, Work-shy… (Puzzle Contest) — Win a FREE book!
5. Michal Scott: The Pleasant Surprise of Florence Price (Contest & Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!

This former SEAL thought BUD/S training was the challenge of a lifetime until he faced his biggest challenge, teaching a woman who’d never learned trust to trust in them…

Former Navy SEAL, Pierce Hardman, the new guy at Montana Bounty Hunters in Dead Horse, MT, finds that riding with his partner and trainer, Marti Mills, has some perks. Marti’s unlike any woman he’s ever met, and she intrigues him from the start. However, her tough demeanor hides secrets she’d rather keep hidden. Marti’s dedication to her trade leads her to take some interesting risks that only fuel his interest and desire.

Marti’s new partner proves to be her undoing. Until Hardman, she’d never been tempted to cross certain lines. All her old tricks to deflect a man’s interest backfire on her, and soon she finds herself thinking about a life outside of “the hunt” with him.

Just when she’s ready to surrender her solitary life, one last job might cost her everything, even her life.

Pre-Order HARDMAN here!

So, I wrapped up Hardman today! It’s why I’m posting this so late. I wanted to share another snippet from the book. I think you’ll really like this story. It’s very sexy. Much more so than Preacher. Sorry, if that’s not something you love, but Marti and Hardman wrote the story themselves. They were very “handsy.” Have a look at where Marti’s mind tends to go…

“Hardman…hard man,” Marti muttered. Then she thought maybe mumbling his name would make his handle less of an issue. “Har’man.” Now, she was reaching.

She considered calling him by his first name instead, but “Pierce” hit her straight between the thighs. She was double-fucked when she put both names together. Pierce Hardman. Had his mommy wanted him to be a porn star?

The double doors to the detention center entrance swung open, and Hardman strode outside, his gaze landing on his SUV. Wearing the dark, long-sleeved Montana Bounty Hunters T-shirt he’d pulled from his duffel earlier, he looked ripped and edgy. With his angular jaw and prominent cheekbones, he was a handsome man. His nose was slightly slanted, like it had been rearranged a little in a fight. It didn’t detract from his looks one bit. She liked that nose. Liked those gray-blue eyes, too, especially when they narrowed on her.

Yes, he’s very, very cute. And there’s tons of action in this story because Marti has to be a badass. And she’s…creative and fierce, and…can you tell I love her?

Anyway, Hardman will release next TUESDAY!

Inside Hardman, you’ll get a fun glimpse at my next hero, Chase. He’s… Well, I’m not going to give you any hints. He’s all about the job. In fact, he tried to scoop a bounty out from under Marti, because he beat her to guy she’d been trying her best to catch. As you can imagine, the interplay between Chase and Marti was…interesting. Not that kind of interesting—she’s a one-man woman. But Chase and she tend to bump heads. It’s fun. You’ll see. And if you want to go ahead and pre-order his story, follow the link! It will release in June!

Pre-Order CHASE here!

Today’s post is just a reminder that I do have a book coming soon! If you want to read an excerpt, head over here! It releases on March 23rd! So, if you haven’t already pre-ordered this book, here’s the link!

Get your copy of Hardman!

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
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Do you need to know anything else about this story? I mean, seriously? Marti Wells is going to have the time of her life climbing this tree! Mmm-hmm.

Have you read my bounty hunter stories? I love getting my guys and girls out into the woods on a chase. It’s like doing your morning constitutional to get your blood going (for me, climbing the stairs—LOL). Yeah, get them into the woods so you can see your heroes in action. The opening of Hardman is no different, and yet, this takedown has a little more spice than usual. I’ve posted the scene on Hardman‘s book page.

Follow the link below and enjoy! Then come back and tell me whether you’ve met any of the other characters in the scene before (which stories have you read)? It’s okay to say you haven’t taken that dumpster dive into pure action-adventure adrenaline, yet. LOL. One commenter will get his or her choice of one of my previous Montana Bounty Hunter books!

Read an excerpt