UPDATE: The winners are…Colleen, Miki, bn100, Jennifer Beyer, Debra Guyette, and Stacey Kinzebach!
*~*~*

It’s Monday, a holiday (so kids are home), and it’s the beginning of a week of bad weather. The 8-year-old slept over with me last night and told me to turn off my alarms because she wanted to sleep in. Wish I could sleep in!!!!

Thought I’d take a moment to remind you about the pre-orders I have up. No, I don’t have big old blurbs to tell you about the last two because I haven’t written them yet, and I never know what the story is about until I’m midway through. I know that sounds crazy, but that’s what works for me.

Both of the first two books are EROTIC romance, so be warned! No Tender Mercy comes out on March 22nd! It’s the sequel to Her Sanctuary. If you love Texas and vampires, you’re in for a sexy ride! Dark Seduction, which releases on April 19th, is the sequel to Dark Legacy and is a story I’m republishing. It’s a full-length novel, very sexy, smutty, involves a police investigation, and is full of twists and turns involving vampires and demons. I love the story. It’s my third favorite thing I ever wrote.

These next two are part of a series you should be very familiar with by now! Hot SEAL, Wild Thing releases May 24th! The authors in this series are using song titles as our theme this time around. Of course, I jumped on one of my old favorites. All I know about my hero is that he’s living his life as wild and freely as he can. If you have any ideas why that is, I’d love to hear them! 🙂

If you read my latest bounty hunter story, Eli, then you’ve met Gabriel. And I gave you a huge hint about his possible love interest, so be sure to pre-order so you read their adventure! It releases on June 28th—my birthday!

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of a download from my ginormous backlist, let me know if you plan to read any of these stories! Also, if you want to gripe at me to write a story you’ve been waiting for, let me know! I’ll choose two commenters!

Open Contests

1. Diana Cosby: Valentine’s Day – Birds & Animal’s Love Liam MacGruder! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a pretty mug!
2. Story Cubes: Tell me a story… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Cheryl St. John: My Character’s Clothing Choices (and what it says about her!) FREE in KU! — Get your FREE small-town romance!
4. A Reminder! A Puzzle! And a Contest! Oh, my! — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. January George: The Way Back Home (Contest & Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Kathleen Bylsma!
*~*~*

January

I had a very busy January. Big goals and I hit them all.

 

Some were work-related:

1. Revise and publish my Dark Realm-related short story, “After Dark“. check
2. Write and publish my fifth Montana Bounty Hunter: Dead Horse, MT, Eli: check
3. Complete two editing jobs, one of them a whopper 87,000 words: check

Some health-related:

1. Annual physical: check
2. Start weight loss program (Weight Watchers): check & lost 12 pounds!

Some home-related:

1. Repaint my bedroom, which is 3/4 done (lots of large furniture to work around): check

All of these accomplishments were part of my 2022 Goals/Resolutions, and since I’m following the plan, so far, I’m feeling pretty good. Maybe it’s the 12 pounds I’ve lost so far, or the terrific sleep I’m getting, I don’t know. I played with insomnia for years, but since I started using a CPAP, I get very deep, natural sleep. And I’ve moved my going to bed time earlier and earlier, from midnight to about 9 p.m. so those 4 or 5 a.m. wakeups simply allow me to get so much more done before the rest of the house wakes up—I consider that a huge win.

Yes, I’m happier, getting healthier, and I hope that will be my 2022 trend!

Hate me yet? 🙂

February

I’m going to put it out there and see what happens.

 

For work-related, I plan:

1. To publish my short story from the Cowboys anthology as a single short story release, “Hunk of Burning Love.” I’ll have it in Kindle Unlimited sometime next week and offer it FREE for download on this website from the 11th to the 14th—my Valentine’s Day gift to you.
2. To write and publish the next Texas Vampires novella, No Tender Mercy. (Have you pre-ordered your copy?!)
3. To complete 5 editing projects in February!

For health-related:

1. I’ll continue with Weight Watchers and hope to lose another 5 pounds. I’m not pushing it, because I like how I feel. Slow is good!
2. I’ll begin some low-impact aerobics, which will include a video workout for old people (I’m not old, and my joints aren’t effed, but I like the low-impact part!), plus, I’ll add some outdoor activities, like pool maintenance and blowing the patio—counting the things I should already be doing to get ready for pool season. All of them burn calories and build muscle. Guess I should count housework, too. Blech.

For happiness-related: 

1. I’m going to work on getting my art room better organized, because…
2. I’ll be working on the #100DayProject art challenge beginning February 13th! My third year in a row. Can’t wait! The puzzle I have to work out is how I’m going to fit in daily art with everything else I’m doing!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Give me suggestions. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read… Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

At last, at last!

I hope you enjoy reading about Eli falling in love and finding his “fated mate”. Yes, it’s a contemporary romance, but sometimes, a guy really does have just one woman who can reach inside his chest and squeeze the hell out of his heart. Eli finds her in this story.

I’m six books into this series, and I’m still having a blast writing about bounty hunters, but, as I’ve said before, the secret has been making sure I have unique characters every time. No cookie cutters. This time around, my hero is a very reserved man. Someone accustomed to experiencing life at a distance. He’s a former sniper for the SEALs and has closed off his emotions and his ability to connect with the people around him. That is, until he meets his perfect match—a fiercely independent sheriff’s deputy, who with the arch of an eyebrow and a direct, unwavering stare captures his attention. He’s the first “silver fox” of the series, so I enjoyed that aspect as well. In the meantime, there are lots of sexy times, lots of funny shit happening, and of course, we have the Dead Horse crew and townsfolk to add dimension to the excitement.

I hope you enjoy reading about my silver fox! And if you have time, I’d really appreciate it if you’d leave a review. Reviews aren’t for me, they’re for other readers who need to know about your experience with the story. I can say it’s sexy and fun, but readers believe other readers.

Eli

An ex-SEAL sniper, who has spent his life experiencing everything from a distance, finds his self-imposed solitude challenged by the one woman in the world who might have been made just for him.

Eli Pope left the SEALs when he feared that he was losing his humanity. Now, he’s the latest new hire at the Dead Horse branch of the Montana Bounty Hunters. However, working with the tight-knit hunters hasn’t broken through his reserve. He’s still the man on the outside looking in.

Then a chance meeting with Sheriff’s Deputy Kira Ennis sets him on a new path, leaving him hopeful for a brighter future. She’s unlike any woman he’s ever met—independent, smart, brave, and strong in her own right. He begins to believe that she’s the one person in the world meant to end his loneliness, but he hesitates, wondering if it’s right to pursue her when she’s so much younger than he is.

Get your copy now!
Plus, it’ll be FREE in KU!

 

UPDATE: The winner is…Beverly Blank!
*~*~*

So, far there are six stories in my Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT, series. Eli releases sometime after midnight tonight! And there will be more stories. Gabe is already in the works, and you’ll see a short scene featuring my hero and heroine at the end of Eli. How many more stories depends on you! If you still love the hunters, I’ll write them! See below a little of the inspiration for my little town…

 

 Amazon link to Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT

The next story, Gabriel, is already up for pre-order at Amazon…

I’ve had fun building this “world”—my little Montana town called Dead Horse, named after a dead horse that the town’s founders were left as a warning not to stay. That bit was a little autobiographical, because when I bought a house in a rural subdivision in Texas, the house had been empty and unsold for a while. When I walked through the house with the realtor, the next door neighbor tried to talk me out of buying it. I think he didn’t like the idea of having a neighbor next to him, so he invented some wild tales about the house and the property. When we were ready to move in, we had a little “gift” left on our walkway—a large, dead deer that someone had shot. The carcass was just left to rot and stink, and there was evidence it had been dragged there. So, there you go. Southern hospitality—or Texas hospitality. That neighbor poisoned a cat of mine, too…

In the Dead Horse series, there’s a story inside the story about how the town was named and how the hunters became a part of the town’s history. It all goes back to the first book, Cage. All along the way, I’ve introduced the characters who “people” the little town. My favorite is Nadine, the ornery waitress at the Dead Horse Walk-in Diner. (She has some funny scenes in Eli!). The town’s shops all feature that “dead” theme in their names. It’s fun and makes me smile whenever I play in Dead Horse, writing a new story.

I hope you’ve followed along, because I have more in store for Dead Horse—not just the hunters, but the townsfolk, too. I hope you’ll pick up your copy of my latest installment, Eli, or that you’re going back to pick up previous stories to catch up. I promise, they’re all fun, filled with action, sexy times, and people as real as I can write them.

Contest

I’ve run this contest before, and some of you have contributed place names!

I’ve named some of the businesses in the town: Dead Horse Walk-in Diner, Dead Easy Saloon, Dead Center Guns & Pawn, Dead Heat & Air, Dead as a Doornail Hardware (which is now closed, due to the arrest of its owner, so I suppose I need a new hardware store!), Dead End Cemetery, Deadly Delights (the bakery), Dead Horse Realty, Dem Bones Package Store, Ride or Die Body and Repair, Ride or Die Gas Station, and the Drop-Dead Gorgeous Salon. I added a street name in Eli—Casket Lane.

My challenge to you is to name a new business or street. We can have competing businesses, so you can name another hair salon or barbershop, or whatever. I’ve only named one street, so the sky’s the limit! Have fun!

Play for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Do you love a Silver Fox? Do you love seeing two lonely people find each other? Then you don’t want to miss this story! Eli’s story releases tomorrow night after midnight!

An ex-SEAL sniper, who has spent his life experiencing everything from a distance, finds his self-imposed solitude challenged by the one woman in the world who might have been made just for him.

Eli Pope left the SEALs when he feared that he was losing his humanity. Now, he’s the latest new hire at the Dead Horse branch of the Montana Bounty Hunters. However, working with the tight-knit hunters hasn’t broken through his reserve. He’s still the man on the outside looking in.

Then a chance meeting with Sheriff’s Deputy Kira Ennis sets him on a new path, leaving him hopeful for a brighter future. She’s unlike any woman he’s ever met—independent, smart, brave, and strong in her own right. He begins to believe that she’s the one person in the world meant to end his loneliness, but he hesitates, wondering if it’s right to pursue her when she’s so much younger than he is.

Reserve your copy now!
Plus, it’ll be FREE in KU!

Open Contests

1. Flashback: Ride a Texas Cowboy (Contest–Two Winners!) — This ends tomorrow! Win a FREE book—2 winners!
2. A Saturday Puzzle Contest, and Open Contests! Lots of Prizes! — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Opening Scenes… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Pre-order ELI & Enter the Puzzle Contest! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Miki!
*~*~*

Before we play, I’d just like to remind you that Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT, will add a new title this coming Tuesday! This is what Eli’s story is about in a nutshell…

An ex-SEAL sniper, who has spent his life experiencing everything from a distance, finds his self-imposed solitude challenged by the one woman in the world who might have been made just for him.

Reserve your copy now!
Plus, it’ll be FREE in KU!

You know it’s going to be a sexy good time! ~DD

Puzzle-Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, and then tell me what happens next to the people in this picture! Have fun with your answers!

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
*~*~*

The kids, even the 17-year-olds, are eager for tonight! The older ones are going to dress up and escort the younger ones, hoping some candy will be tossed their way, too. You’re never too old. LOL

October was a crazy-busy month.

I had my first art show! It was so much fun and reaffirming! I signed up for some more online art classes, and away I’ll go, getting ready for next year!

I wrote two books and mucked around in one other book! My hands are still sore from that whirlwind of activity!

I’ve been editing like crazy for other authors. I have yet to figure out a way to nail down that particular schedule because some authors deliver late, plus work can go fast or slow depending on how much work is to be done on the book and how rested I am!!!!

Anyway, the important thing about October was that I had two new releases! And NO, I didn’t plan on having two COWBOY books go out in the same month, but that’s how it worked out. October’s theme was just meant to be about Cowboys! (Click on the covers if you want to know more about the stories!)

November’s going to be just as nuts!

First off, my son is coming for a visit on the 1st! We’ve been separated due to distance (he lives on the East coast) and COVID. But he’s staying for a little over a week, and he wants to spend time with me and his sister, and do some junking at local flea markets! You know I’m so in for that!

I have multiple editing projects to keep me busy in November. Plenty busy. ‘Nuff said. It won’t be until December before that train slows down.

And I have books to write. One anyway. I’m thinking, if I can get motivated, that I’ll write another quick, short Cowboys on the Edge story before I start into the next bounty hunter, Eli. We’ll see if I get lazy. I didn’t put the COE story up for pre-order because I wasn’t sure I really wanted to do it, but NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts tomorrow, and I’d love to participate, so maybe that will be enough incentive to keep my butt in the chair.

As for releases in November…

You can’t miss this one. It’s longer than I usually write. My hero is gobsmacked by the heroine from the start, but she’s hiding some dangerous secrets. It’s juicy and suspenseful, a isn’t the cover gorgeous? Have you pre-ordered your copy of Defending Evangeline? I’ll tell you a little secret: THE PRINT VERSION IS ALREADY AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!

However, that’s not the only book releasing in November, though. I haven’t hyped it enough, but I am republishing a book that Avon published back in the 2000s. I’ve been re-editing it and will release it on November 16th. I loved building this world filled with old Sumerian and Judeo-Christian mythology (okay, I’m geeking out!). It’s dark, sexy, and suspenseful. Did I mention sexy? AND it’s a loooong novel…

Check out Dark Legacy!

Is that enough for November?! Gah. I’m already tired. 🙂

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether you’ve read any of my Cowboys on the Edge stories, featuring my firefighters and deputies in the little town on the edge of a canyon, AND whether a new story in the series would interest you!