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

Hello, everyone! I want to start by thanking Delilah for letting me come play here again. I always enjoy hanging out with all of you.

If your summer has been anything like ours, it’s been ungodly hot pretty much from the start. Summer isn’t my favorite season, though I do love all the fresh fruits and veggies. When I was a kid, I didn’t mind summer—of course, it was school break, so we had long days to play, and it wasn’t this hot then either. My birthday is even mid-summer, so you’d think a summer baby might enjoy their season more.  I just find it harder every year to tolerate the heat and humidity we have here in southern Pennsylvania (I know it’s much worse as you go south from here), so my outdoor activities are severely limited once we get to steady summertime weather. I wish I’d kept track from the start of how many 90 and 100-degree-plus days we’ve had—I bet it would be a long list this year. I’ll be thrilled to see it end—no more walking outside to grab the mail and coming back inside forty seconds later dripping sweat. I’m ready for days cool enough to spend time outside with a good book, pretty colors on the trees, and cool nights around the firepit. And after that, winter, at least in theory; it’s been more than a few years since we had a good snowstorm in my neck of the woods. And I love spring, all the flowers waking up, the trees sprouting new leaves after their rest…though spring seems shorter as summer starts sooner every year.

I found some relief from our actual summer, though, with both my reading and writing—when you get lost in a good story, it’s easy to imagine yourself in that place and time, so when it’s sweltering where you are, why not pull out a book set during a blizzard, or if you’re freezing, a hot romance set in a tropical locale? I recently finished reading a holiday story with lots of snow that made me way less unhappy about our weather for a few hours while I lived in the winter with the characters as they fell in love. One of the stories I’m writing at the moment is set during late fall-early winter, so lots of chilly days there that need hot cocoa or cozy sweaters—at least in my head; I doubt I’d want to do that even with our frosty a/c running. (The one story I really should be finishing, though, is a summer story, the third and final book in my Medusa’s Daughters Trilogy, and they’re headed for an even hotter destination than where we are.)

Am I the only one who likes to visit another season this way? What is your very favorite season and why? If you share your response here in the comments, I’ll do a drawing this Sunday, 8/18/24 after 12 noon for one of my eBooks (winner’s choice!).

UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy!
*~*~*

I’m busy writing, writing, writing! And I have no idea how the story will unfold. It’s kind of fun being in the dark until stuff happens I never expected. I let the characters do their thing. I know. It sounds nuts, but it’s usually how my stories happen. I know how they begin but after that…?

Anyway, I have so much to do. Write another mystery chapter, edit some, and then read more Secret Identities stories. I’m up to my eyeballs in work—and then, before I can go to bed, I’ll have to paint something to stay on track with the challenge.

What do you get to do? Well, I have a challenge for you, too! Are you excited? 🙂 Solve the puzzle then add some ideas for what you think a romantic date night should include for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

The winner is…Stacey Kinzebach!
*~*~*

February

 

1. I completed work on Malcolm (Book #10 of Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT) and published it!
2. I began work on What Happens in Bozeman, my next We are Dead Horse, MT, book!
3. I completed 3 editing projects for other authors in February.

Health-related:

1. I visited my heart doctor, and he was so pleased with my progress I don’t have to see him for another year!
2. I continued concentrating on drinking more water, plus, I continued drinking water mixed with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar twice a day to improve my liver health. I began drinking one cup of Turmeric tea a day.
3. I’ve managed to keep my blood pressure down to 135-155, despite the fact I haven’t lost any weight. Gah.

Happiness-related: 

1. I began the #the100dayproject art challenge.
2. I led a hands-on program for the local art guild using Gelli plates to produce pretty papers for things like collage. (See the tags I made below, which were painted using Gelli plates!)
3. Here are some examples of art projects I completed in February.

March

 

1. To complete writing What Happens in Bozeman, my next We are Dead Horse, MT, book, which releases on March 19th!
2. To begin work on my next Brotherhood Protectors book!
3. To complete 4 editing projects in March!
4. To finish reading and selecting stories from among the submissions for the upcoming collection—Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology!

For health related, I plan:

1. To start back on my Weight Watchers diet, because it’s time to get serious! I HAVE to get back in the saddle!
2. To continue to reduce salt and processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas) and my liver (apple cider vinegar, flax seeds, sunflower seeds).
3. To begin daily workouts using my recumbent bike and some chair yoga exercises.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To continue #the100daychallenge where I’ll be painting something every single day!
2. To meet three of my favorite author-friends for a luncheon to get some writer time!

Contest

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

UPDATE: The winner is…Deb Brown!
*~*~*

I watched a TikTok where a man played a prank on his girlfriend while they were eating at a restaurant. While she was in the bathroom, he paid their bill and then waited for her to return. When she sat, he leaned toward her and dared her to do a “Dine & Dash” where you eat and flee without paying. She was reluctant at first, but then her eyes brightened. They ran from the restaurant and jumped into his car; then she told him, “Go, go, go!” while she patted her chest because she was so frightened and excited. After they pulled away, he told her he had paid, and she said, “Oh, thank God!” He asked her, “But was that fun, right?” Her smile was everything. He’d invited her to do something naughty but had protected her from the consequences. I thought, “Damn, he knows her.” And, “How romantic.”

Okay, so maybe you think that was risky and weird for a date, but it got me thinking about what makes a dinner romantic.

So, today’s challenge: For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle then tell me what your ideal romantic dinner would look like.

UPDATE: The winner is…Steph!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for letting me drop by today to share my new release!  And, unsurprisingly, it’s another anthology.  When I heard about this one, I knew I wanted to be part of it!  My gay romance, Returning to You is set in my Mission City world.  The story is about two men who dated covertly in university. One wanted to make their relationship public, while the other needed to stay in the closet – for fear of his family’s reaction.  Fast forward half a dozen years and then men are in very different positions.  The question was, of course, could they make a go of a new relationship? Especially since one is now a single father and the other is a bachelor who now hooks up with guys regularly.  Well, my story is a romance, so you can guess the outcome.  Happy ending anyone?

Great.  Got the story written, edited, and off to the anthology people (two lovely women whom I adore).  Of course, I started working on another LGBTQ charity anthology novella for a project in June.  As I was writing it, though, I realized I had another story I needed to tell.  And it was a second chance romance story.  I contacted the anthology ladies and asked if they could squeeze in one more story.  They were like, uh, sure…?  So, I wrote Josette and the Count in a couple of hours.  I sent it off to be edited and submitted it to add to the anthology Second Time’s A Charm.  Now, Josette’s brother, Jacob, is important to the story. Don’t worry, his story is coming soon!  How he gets to his HEA will be quite a ride.

I love these charity projects.  Makes my heart swell when I know I’m helping.  Last year, we raised thousands of dollars for charities that are near and dear to my heart.  My aunt is a breast cancer survivor and although she’s recovered, that illness stuck with me.  If I can help raise money for Breast Cancer Research, then I’ll happily do it.

As a thank you for letting me drop by today, I’d love to give away a $5 Amazon Gift card to one randomly selected commenter. Are you a sucker for a good second chance story? Or is there another trope that you enjoy?  I’m in a bunch of anthologies over the next two years, so I suspect there will be one that might pique your interest.

Thanks, Delilah!

Second Time’s a Charm

Is love better the second time around or are we just repeating past mistakes? How do you know if you are falling back into bad habits or falling into your happily ever after?

Find out in this spicy collection containing enticing stories from USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors curated by The New Romance Cafe, with ALL proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Authors:

Sofia Aves
Rachel Abugov
MacKade
Melissa Kendall
Jane Suen
Niki Brazen
Sharon Michalove
Keighley Bradford
Kat Long
Laura M. Baird
Stacy-Deanne
Chelle Pimblott
C.M. Youngren
J.E. Parker
Katina J Rose
Tasha Blythe
JK Lycke
Bella Paige
Poppy Parkes
Amy Stephens
Kathleen Ryder
Marissa Frosch
Wynter Ryan
Katherine Moore
Dawn Patricia Bolton
Rachel Radner
Niki Trento
AK Landow
Annee Jones
Gabbi Grey
Gabbi Powell

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links: 
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/tnrc2024secondtimesacharm
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWH3JY1K
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122923533-second-time-s-a-charm

About Gabbi Grey

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.

UPDATE: The winner is…Deb Brown!
*~*~*

Today, I searched for an image for the puzzle on my favorite photo site by just typing in the word “romance.” This odd photo popped up in the top row, and I thought how fun would it be for you all to tell me what you think is happening here.

So, solve the puzzle and tell me what’s goin’ on for a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC!

UPDATE: The winner is…Miki!
*~*~*

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me a story…

Who are they? Where are they? What are they doing? Just have fun with the challenge!

Barbie Pics!

On Tuesday, the girls and I went to see Barbie. And what fun we had! But it didn’t start with the movie. It started at home as we all donned our Barbie tees and glammed up a bit. The 9-year-old did my makeup! Fabulous job, right?! Pink earrings, pearls… LOL

Here are the rest of the girls…

Anyway, like I said, it was a very fun day!