First responders aren’t isolated when it comes to the heart of their jobs. They interact with citizens and other first responders to provide services and aid.

Authors can sometimes seem/feel alone. Writing is somewhat of a singular enterprise. When you’re sitting at the computer, tap-tap-tapping away, it’s just you and those keys.

Part of the reason I enjoyed my local NANOWRIMO group was because it was the chance to share some of my lonely challenges and successes.

Now, with such a thriving online romance community, I have the opportunity to work with others from time to time.

Like today! I sent up a Hail Mary message to Delilah Devlin. I was stuck like an ill-fitting cork in a bottle. For a few precious minutes, we went back and forth with ideas and POP! Yes! Woohoo! Happy Dance! There it was…the answer!

So…I’d like to give away an ebook copy of my next release. To enter, tell me about a time that you had the help of a friend!

Check it out!

I’m just poking my head in the door to let you know I’ve got a new cowboy story coming soon. It’s book #5 in the Cowboys on the Edge series. I’m planning to release it before the end of September, but I gave myself some wiggle room in Amazon, so it looks like October. Lately, I can never set a plan and not having something big rise up and stomp all over it!

When a deputy’s motorcycle club trashes a bar with him leading the brawl, his punishment is serving as the bouncer/enforcer for the saloon, which turns out to be a sweet deal when part of what he’s protecting is its sassy bartender.

Pre-Order your copy here!

As a writer, you’re only as good as your editing.

Misspellings, misuse of homonyms, and horrible punctuation will ruin even the greatest stories, and yet, there are times when our brains simply can’t figure out how to fix what’s so obviously wrong.

Take me, for instance. Back in 2005, I’m about seven months pregnant in the summertime in San Antonio, Texas.

For those who’ve never had the experience of walking around in the 100+ degree heat while in your last trimester of pregnancy, consider yourselves blessed. That along with my pregnancy brain in full force, it was truly amazing I never forgot to put pants on every day.

One of the writing organizations I belonged to at the time was the Association of Health Care Journalists. Back when people posted to message boards and Yahoo loops, I posted a response to a question from a fellow member that went out to everyone in the organization.

For whatever reason, I had to use the word “subtle” in my response. I couldn’t tell you what the question was or why I needed to use that particular word, but that day, I could not spell it. And when I said I couldn’t spell it, I mean, just that.

I tried. S..u…t?

Wait. That’s not right. S…u…t..t..l..e?

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and tried again.

S…u…t…

And again.

S…u…(exhale)…t? Dammit!

I closed my eyes and attempted to let my fingers sail across the keyboard, hoping that part of my (pregnant) brain would kick in and spell the word subconsciously.

Nope. That didn’t work.

Spellcheck?

Nope, it kept correcting to settle, scuttle, or shuttle.

After spending a good ten minutes on this one word, I said screw it and sent it out into the professional writing world, knowing I’d misspelled it. My brain and body were simply too tired to care, but I knew I’d hear from someone.

And I did.

Within a few hours, I got a private message stating, “By the way, it’s subtle.”

That’s right! There’s a B in the middle of it.

I could’ve been totally annoyed, but whatever. One stinking mistake didn’t make me a failure. I emailed back, explaining I tried for ten minutes to spell the word and my pregnancy brain simply wouldn’t have it.

The response I received couldn’t have been scripted. She wrote, “Really? I’m the editor for *Fit Pregnancy Magazine. We’re doing a survey on pregnancy brain. Are you having a boy or girl?”

I wrote back, telling her we were having a girl and decided I might as well bite the bullet and pitch her a short story for their “How I told him” page.

And she bought it.

These are the kinds of real situations I make sure to include in my stories. Whether I’m writing about a family who lives in the Texas Hill Country, a woman who’s navigating her life after running out of her wedding, or a group of doctors and nurses re-inventing themselves in Montana, those real, insane, imperfect events have to be my favorites. It makes true escapism so worth it and if I may say, my wonderfully flawed characters are waiting to sweep you off to their imaginary worlds.

How’s that for some subtle self-promo?

Check out Patricia on social media and her website (that’s getting a facelift right now).
www.patriciawfischer.com
FB: www.facebook.com/PatriciaWFWriter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Pawf1067
IG: www.instagram.com/PatriciaWFischerauthor
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/PatriciaWF
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Patricia-W.-Fischer/e/B00A7DWSH8?ref=dbs_mng_calw_a_1
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/patricia-w-fischer

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

Some call it serendipity and some call it a crazy random happenstance… Me? I’m a child of the 80s, so I just take a page from the Hannibal playbook and say, “I love it when a plot comes together!”

When it comes to writing, I’m a Plantser, meaning that I plan some of the things in the book and pants (fly by the seat of my pants) for the rest of it.

For Justice for Hildie there were a few things that were set in stone from the beginning. It certainly wasn’t the cover. There are FOUR distinctly different covers that I created for this book and the manic cover making stopped there. It was like I finally got the “feel” for the story.

One of the things I couldn’t change was the name of the Heroine. She was the BFF in Justice for Sloane. Hildie was the best friend missing a filter. She was a sorority girl with a serious love for high-end shoes. There was no one more devoted to Sloane than Hildie! (Until Vicente Bravo, uber-sexy FBI Agent, that is!)
Hildie was colorful in so many ways, and her name was just a part of it. Her first name was inspired by author Hildie McQueen. I just loved the sound of the name and the way it looked in print! The character’s last name was Faraday.

I honestly do NOT remember where that came from, but it was set in stone when Sloane was released as a book. And yes, she’ll change it when she marries Texas Ranger Jake McGowan somewhere in the future of the San Antonio First Responders series, but FARADAY it is.

And when I was writing the book there came a time when I had to separate the characters for the plot. And one of the plot points was how-off-the-grid the heroine was at that point. And I knew there was a name for a certain product that she’d have to use, and I went looking for it online and WHAM…

What?

Then I had to wonder… did I give her the surname Faraday because I knew in my head how prophetic the name would be? Or did I just give her the name because it was just cool?

Maybe the nebulous cloud of creativity in my head just wanted to have a good ol’ chuckle? I don’t know.

I’m just not going to question it, because it works!!

Giveaway

I’m curious… Has there been a time when something random fell into place and made it seem like the world had your back? What was it? If not… Tell me a unique name (male or female) that you think should be in a book.

Prize — Winner’s choice of one of my single title ebooks from https://www.amazon.com/Reina-Torres/e/B01GF5UIK0

Justice for Hildie

Hildie Faraday thought her life was full. Coordinating care for the clients at the Helping Hearts shelters and community center is a job and a half, but when a client asked her to come to support her at a hearing, she’s right there to help. They teach women to be prepared for anything, but Hildie is shocked when she ends up in the crosshairs of a client’s abusive husband.

Texas Ranger Jake McGowan thanked his lucky stars that he was in the right place at the worst time. Working in Law Enforcement in San Antonio, he knew all about Hildie and the help she provides for women in need. Seeing her put herself between a woman and her gun-wielding husband brought his own feelings into the foreground.

Once he had Hildie in his life, he wasn’t going to let her slip away from him. Jake’s doing everything he can to show her how much she means to him, and Hildie’s giving it right back. It doesn’t take long for life to throw a bunch of obstacles in their way, and Hildie into the trunk of a car.

Jake will pull together local law enforcement officers to help him rescue Hildie and get her back into his loving arms. Will they get there in time?

Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086VKDMQH/
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/reina-torres

UPDATE: The winners are…Delaine McLafferty and Mary McCoy!
*~*~*

I’m pleased to see that the number of subscribers to my blog is growing! You’re discovering that there’s always something happening here! Whether it’s seeing what other authors are giving you in the way of new stories or playing puzzles or entering to win prizes—there is always something new. Thanks for stopping by and being a part of this romance writer’s community! If you haven’t already subscribed, check out the left-hand column of this page and do it now! ~DD

Flashback: Slow Rider (Contest–2 Winners!)

When Joe Chavez and fellow sheriff’s deputy, Logan Ross, pull over a speeding motorcycle in the middle of the night, neither is particularly shocked to find Paraiso’s wild child, Sarah Michelson, riding bare-assed naked, nor are they surprised when she invites them to join her in a sexy threesome.

Talking her way out of an embarrassing date with the county judge, who just happens to be her daddy, Sarah promises the officers the ride of their lives. Having the men turn the tables on her and introduce her to some scary D/s play, she learns some things about herself she never suspected. Too bad Joe will never see her as anything but a sexy hell cat in need of taming…

Read an excerpt here!

Contest

Comment on this post to win your choice of one of the books in the Texas Cowboys series! This series is a very sexy set of stories set in a small town in Texas, where cowboys and lawmen are “bound & determined” to win their ladies any way they can!

Here are all the stories in the Texas Cowboy series!

Click on the covers to learn more!

This is a busy post, but hang in there!

Contests still open!

So, yes, I have a new contest for you today, but I thought you might like a reminder that there are still more prizes to be won! Go enter today!

1. Reina Torres: Silver Foxes aren’t my Spirit Animals… I crave them! (Contest) — Ends this weekend! Win a FREE book! Closed!
2. A Puzzle & a Prize! (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card! Closed!
3. Scavenger Hunt (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

Real Life

I’ve had a bad cough since right before Halloween. I’ve had laryngitis for the last ten days. I still have to shout-whisper to be heard. And now, I have pleurisy and my ribs ache like I was kicked by a mule. But I am getting better. I’m not sleeping all day like I was. I’m not coughing quite as much, and it is breaking up.

As if that’s not enough to deal with, I noticed that my mother looked like a Simpson. Her skin tone turned a bright yellow overnight, it seemed. My dd took her to the emergency room, and they transported her to the big city hospital in Little Rock yesterday. My aunt is camped out in her room there. My dd placed her oldest girl in our house to help me out while mom is gone, and we’re all trying to get ready for company that is descending this week for Thanksgiving.

Do you think we’re a little stressed out?

As for writing, there hasn’t been any of that this month. It’s hard to be creative when you feel like hell. I have been editing, so I haven’t been a complete bum. 🙂

And that’s where I’m at. I hope you all are doing better than the Devlins are at the moment!

One cool thing. Just when I was feeling my worst, I received a package from my author-friend, Diana Cosby! She sent me not one, but two lovely mugs! I’ve been drinking honeyed tea from them! Aren’t they pretty? Thank you so much, Diana!

Flashback: Bound & Determined (Contest–2 Winners!)

Comment on this post to win your choice of one of the books in the Texas Cowboys series! This series is a very sexy set of stories set in a small town in Texas, where cowboys and lawmen are “bound & determined” to win their ladies any way they can!

When Tara Toomey hosts the annual cowboy auction in her bar, she’s in the mood to serve bad boy Cody Westhofen more than a drink when she raises her bidding paddle. She’s done with his freewheeling ways. It’s time for the sexy cowboy to man up or get the hell out of her life. What better way to capture his attention and show him she’s serious than to kidnap him for a wanton weekend?

Tied to Tara’s bed, Cody is more than willing to cooperate. Until he found himself cuffed to her bed, he didn’t know how desperate she was to show him how much she cares.

It’s going to be a long, hot weekend…

Read an excerpt here!

Here are all the stories in the Texas Cowboy series!

Click on the covers to learn more!

UPDATE: The winners of are EVERYONE who posted a comment!!
*~*~*

Yes, I’m posting late, but yesterday flew by. I spent time with my sister, Elle James, and my mother. We made the rounds of mom’s doctors appointments and x-rays then visited two stops on a local artists’ studio tour. Mom and I came away from that determined to make more time for meetings at the local art guild! Enjoy today’s contest and the excerpt from an exceptionally dirty story, Two Wild for Teacher!

Contest

Win your choice of one of my Lone Star Lovers stories! I’ll choose three winners! Just comment below. Tell me whether you’d love more ménage stories.

Two Wild for Teacher

Two bad boy cowboys need a little tutoring to learn how to love…

Fathers know to keep their daughters close whenever Sam Logan’s twin sons come to town. Those two hell-raisers have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. All of it earned. When it becomes clear his youngest sons won’t settle down without another nudge, Sam reissues his challenge. Find a wife…

There’s only been one woman who could hold their attention for more than one night, but she’s been out of reach. Their former teacher’s a little too worried about a pesky morals clause to let them close. But they’re older now and ready to prove to her that sometimes rules are meant to be broken…

Molly Pritchet thinks her path is predetermined: to always be a child’s teacher, never a mother or a wife. Until the two boys who tempted her way back when crash back into her life. Overwhelmed by yearnings she’s long suppressed, she’s swept along on a tide of forbidden desires.

Excerpt

As she adjusted her burden in her arms again, Molly Pritchet wished she’d driven. She was hot, starting to sweat, and the muscles in her arms were beginning to burn with the weight of her box of personal items she’d emptied from her desk. Earlier, traces of roses and honeysuckle scenting the warm air had drawn her from her house, enticing her to get ready to embrace the last day of school and the start of her plans for a summer of blessed solitude, free of responsibility.

That morning, she hadn’t wanted to think about anything but the pretty day, the flowers she’d purchased to set into their beds, and the small, decorative pond she wanted to install in her backyard.

Besides, walking to and from the little high school was the only real exercise she ever got.

With every passing year, she fought a little harder to keep padding from settling on her rear and upper thighs. So, she walked, getting more of a workout than she’d planned, but enjoying the sounds of lawnmowers growling, birds chirping, and children playing.

Lord, she loved the sounds of children. Not something that had changed over the eight years she’d been teaching. And it was a true joy to meet up with graduates who remembered her and stopped by to tell her about their lives, and how she’d touched them.

She might never have her own, but there were plenty of children she’d helped raise in her own limited capacity.

The sound of footsteps on the sidewalk—heavy tread, a little hollow—men’s booted heels, came from behind her, and she edged to the side to let whomever was approaching pass.

However, the steps slowed, and before she knew it, she had a man at each elbow.

Her breath caught when she recognized them. “Mason, Jason,” she said, hoping they’d take her reddening cheeks for exertion, not delight. She’d always had the most inappropriate thoughts where these two were concerned.

Some things never changed. They both looked so handsome and tall—shaggy blond hair curling beneath the brims of their straw cowboy hats, matching blue work shirts—nicely ironed—and dark Wranglers that molded to powerful thighs. The only notable difference in their appearance was their boots. Mace Logan’s boots were saddle-brown leather while Jason’s were black. She didn’t need visual clues to keep the two of them straight. Unlike most folks in Two Mule, she’d always been able to tell them apart. Mace had a lazy smile that invited a woman to linger. Jason was a tad sharper, with a keen glance that had burned right through more than one woman’s defenses, or so she’d heard.

Good Lord, she’d just checked them out, and from Mace’s slow grin and Jason’s razor gaze, they both knew it. Read the rest of this entry »