UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

Enter while you can!

1. Ava Cuvay: The Tentacle Dilemma (Contest — 4 Winners!) — This ends soon! Win an anthology or a cool T-shirt!
2. Megan Ryder: Claiming Lyla (Contest–4 Winners!) — Win books or a gift card!
3. Okay, I’m officially tired of… (Plus, a Puzzle-Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. January George: Blackout (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Diana Cosby: Nature’s Beauty – At The Marsh (Contest) — Win a signed book!

What’s Her Fairytale Contest?

I found a very cool puzzle for you to solve. Solve it. Then think about what her story might be. Tell me her story for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Have fun with this! ~ DD

UPDATE: The winner is…Tracie!
*~*~*

Blogging!

Not that I plan to cut down. I can’t. However, I didn’t really think my schedule through.

A couple of art challenges started up after I began self-quarantining (I’m still doing it!), so I thought it was a great time to accept the challenges. Part of the challenge for me was being public about what I was doing, in order to keep me honest about producing something every single day. Today is Day 69 of #100dayproject challenge! I post anything I do art or craft related on another website I own (that gets zero traffic), but you can check out what I’ve been doing there if you’re interested:  The Emerald Casket

The second art challenge overlaps another art challenge I wanted to participate in, the #icad2020 (index card a day) challenge. Adding a second piece of art to my daily To Do has really eaten my lunch, but I persevere. Today was number 13 of 61 days. You can also check out those little pieces of art on The Emerald Casket.

Of course, I have this blog, which I post to every single day. In the past 7-ish years, I’ve only missed posting a handful of times. It’s truly a daily habit, my “morning pages” to limber up the fingers and the brain, except when I host guests here.

Then, there’s the Collections blog. It’s one I turn to whenever I’m getting ready to publish another anthology. The authors who are featured in the book get to play there, too! Right now, we’re posting a countdown set of blogs, including snippets from our stories and prizes to entice readers to check the stories out! If you haven’t seen the website, head here: Delilah’s Collections.

So, too many blogs. Right now, anyway. And posting is time-consuming. I still have my “real” work to do—editing gigs to wrap up, writing my own stories. As well I insist on family time, too. I really wish I had more stamina, but I love lazing in the pools in the afternoon this time of year.

But a busy me is a me that isn’t getting into trouble…

Do you have something you think is far too time-consuming? Are you considering throwing in the towel? Or are you committed? 

If you want to do a little procrastinating, here’s a pretty puzzle. 🙂

The Puzzle-Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, and then tell me what title would fit if this image was used for a book cover!

Enter while you can!

1. Flea Market Finds and a Puzzle & a Contest! — This offer ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Bragging a little about what I’ve been learning… (Contest) — Win your choice of my recent releases!
3. Delilah Devlin: What’s Coming? Contests! Excerpts! (Contest–3 Winners!) — Win a Bad Boy Anthology!
4. Michal Scott: The $5.00 Kiss of Life (Excerpt & Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Ava Cuvay: The Tentacle Dilemma (Contest — 4 Winners!) — Win an anthology or a cool T-shirt!

A Puzzle

I’m currently posting three different blogs a day. It’s TIME-CONSUMING. Plus, I have numerous editing gigs, all stacked in a row (I’ll finish one today). Then I have my own writing to do. I’ll finish a shorty this week, finish collating an anthology by the end of the weekend (cross my fingers, hope to die), and I’ve started my next Bounty Hunter story!!

Think that’s enough to keep my busy for a while? Sheesh.

So, if I’m a little “light” on content here today, no worries. YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT AVA CUVAY’S VERY FUN POST ABOUT TENTACLE SEX! Yes, I said it. Tentacle sex. Ava has a story inside my anthology that will blow your mind. She actually makes it incredibly sexy… Want to see what she has to say about her story? Head over here: Ava Cuvay: The Tentacle Dilemma (Contest — 4 Winners!)

And here’s your puzzle!

UPDATE: The winner is…flechen1!
*~*~*

I feel rejuvenated! Yesterday, I began my day by editing some stories and painting my daily challenge pieces. Then the rest of the day was spent celebrating! My dd and my SIL have birthdays just a few days apart, so we held a family birthday celebration. We all dressed in 80’s fashion—my dd wore a fishnet glove and lacy headband with big black jewelry like Madonna; my SIL wore short shorts and a too-big white tank like Richard Simmons. All the girls, including me, had big hair and neon makeup. The 15-year-old made finger foods; we ate cupcakes. Then we spent a good two hours in the pool together. Pure heaven.

This morning, we headed to the flea market—our first shopping excursion that wasn’t a one-person run-in-and-grab or a curbside delivery. We all masked and used hand sanitizer. I sanitized the shopping cart, and off we went. Of course, we found treasures that went straight into the wash and sink when we got home. What was sad, to me, was how few people there took those same kinds of precautions. I really, really wanted to walk up to “the unmasked” and tell them, “You can thank me for my consideration,” (a passive-aggressive move, I know) but I figured it was a waste of breath. 🙁

Anyways, I have an interesting eggsalad sandwich tray that I think will make a great paint palette. The egg wells can hold the paint. The sandwich wells can be a place to mix the colors… What do you think? (Please ignore my messy art table!)

The fish above it was a fun find as well. I have an aquatic theme going on with the art on one wall of my bathroom. This bit of whimsy will go nicely! 🙂

So, onto the puzzle-contest!

A Puzzle & a Contest

Solve the puzzle and then tell me what you think this picture is all about for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Take advantage of this offer while you can!

Flashback: Quincy (Contest–3 Winners! Plus an Excerpt!) — This offer ends soon! Win a free story!

My mental health is fine (I hear my dd cackling). But then, I limit my time watching the news these days. While the nation goes to “hell in a handbasket,” I keep my head down with work and painting. I won’t get into politics here because opinions are like assholes—everyone’s got one. But I will ask, how’s the social distancing going? Are you still masking? I hope so because I wish you well.

My family is managing quite well. We take a few risks—food shopping, doctor’s visits. The kids had their first “playdate” with a couple of friends. They said they were distancing too, but we kept them all outside in the pool. Arkansas’ numbers are rising, so that might be it for the kids for a while, sad to say. The goal is survival in the Devlin house. Tempers flare now and then, but we have a pool. If anyone gets too hot, we jump in. No irritability lasts long there.

I have a puzzle for you! One sure to make you smile—or at least shake your head. It made me want to find some old Gloria Estefan tune to dance to! Enjoy!

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

So, I’ve been in town three times since mid-March, using precautions (masks, gloves), and I’m amazed how lackadaisical people are about this pandemic. Of course, I live in Arkansas—one of the states that never issued stay-at-home orders. Now, our governor seems confused about how we have a county with the highest rate of infection in the U.S. Duh. More people sick, more people who can reinfect others—especially, when you do nothing.

The kids are getting restless. They understand the need to remain in quarantine, but still, it’s summer. They miss their friends. I miss the flea market. It’s open again, and I may mask up and glove up and head there soon, but my dd says they don’t have staff to sterilize, so anything we bought would have to be sprayed with bleach when we got it home… So, instead, we’re doing projects at home. She’s doing home improvements, I’m painting.

And of course, I’m editing, editing, editing. Seems writers got busy during this pandemic. Lucky you! 🙂

A Puzzle & a Contest

Solve the puzzle and then tell me what you think this picture is all about for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

These contests and offers are still active!

1. Diana Cosby: Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration (Contest) — Win a SIGNED book!
2. Open Contest–Reminders–A New Puzzle/Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Two Important Notices about FREE Reads! — Everyone gets 2 FREE reads!

UPDATE: The winner is…Colleen C.!
*~*~*

Reminder

These contests and offers are still active—but not for long!

1. Open Contests & FREE Short Story! — This offer ends soon! Get your FREE short story!
2. Thom Collins: The Anthem Box Set (Contest—3 Winners!) — This offer ends soon! Get a FREE box set of books!
3. Coming Tuesday! HOT SEAL, DECOY BRIDE, a SEALs in Paradise story! (Contest) — Win FREE SEALs in Paradise story!
4. Reina Torres: An Idea, Some Spare Parts, and a Little Bit of Magic (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
5. Diana Cosby: Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration (Contest) — Win a SIGNED book!

Another Reminder!

I have a new release! If you love a funny, fast-paced, sexy story, this one’s for you!

A former Navy SEAL is teamed with a feisty ex-Marine to provide protection for a Greek tycoon’s daughter to make sure the bride gets safely to her destination wedding…

Former Navy SEAL, Trigger Matthews, now a special operator with Justin Ballard’s Black Knight Security in New Orleans, is teamed with a feisty ex-Marine as part of the protection detail for a Greek tycoon’s spoiled daughter. The prickly woman proves to be a challenge he’s eager to explore.

Due to her uncanny resemblance to their client’s daughter, Cassandra Locke is tasked with being a “decoy bride”, a job that sees her going through some matrimonial hoops while fighting her growing attraction for her partner for this operation. Together, they create diversions to make sure the real bride has a chance to prepare for her coming nuptials.

Both loners, and unaware of the fact that they are indeed lonely, Trigger and Cass find out they have many more qualities in common, including an inability to stay away from each other. As the real bride’s day draws closer, they learn that she’s more than a girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth and find unexpected friendships along the way.

When danger draws nearer, they must trust each other’s strengths to get them through it.

Get your copy now!
Read an excerpt!
Also available in print!

The Puzzle Contest!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle and then tell me a story about what you think the picture means!