UPDATE: The winner is…Roxie Jones!
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I would love to have a closet full of pretty shoes but, as a woman of a certain age, comfort rules my choices, so it’s sneakers, slip-ons, Uggs (OMG–they’re like wearing the softest glove on your feet!), cushioned sandals. So, I instead tend to splurge when I can on handbags. I love all the styles, but I do have a couple of favorites. When I’m traveling, I wear a crossbody bag of some sort because I want my hands free, and I tend not to lose the purse when it’s worn on my body like an accessory. When I’m close to home, I love the look and roominess of a satchel bag. I spend money on bags because I keep them for years and hate it when wear on a seam or a handle doom an otherwise usable bag, so I have Coach, Dooney & Burke, Michael Kors, and Kate Spade bags. A splurge (on a well-timed sales event) every couple of years means the top shelf of my closet has a nice, neat row of bags to choose from.

Well, for those who love purses, too, there’s a holiday just for us! Handbag Day! It’s a thing, I promise! I put together a puzzle for you to enjoy. The theme is Types of Handbags. Excercise that gray matter—it’s good for you!

Solve the puzzle then share with us what your favorite handbag styles are for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
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No, it’s not Taco Tuesday, but it is the annual holiday — Taco Day! Woot! Now, this is a holiday I can get behind!

Have fun with the word search. I had fun looking for all the types of tacos I love or would love to try. There actually aren’t many I haven’t had. Okay, so there’s only one I haven’t had—the Tinga Taco. It’s chicken with chipotle sauce, so I can make that happen! I don’t know about you, but our family has tacos often. I love a breakfast taco with egg and potato and a generous stripe of hot sauce. I love chorizo and potato. Lengua (tongue)! Tripas (tripe–yum)! Chicharrón (pork skin–yikes, I misspelled it in the puzzle)!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, and then tell me what your favorite kind of taco is.

UPDATE: The winner is…ButtonsMom!
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I love creating heroes who are unique. They don’t always express themselves the same way or present themselves the same way. Knox Ramsey is a grumpy, gruff man who didn’t think he could be in a long-term relationship because of some issues that haunt him from his childhood. And he’s very physical. I should have added that to the word search!

Anyway, I riffed some attributes I enjoy seeing in my heroes. Have fun with the puzzle!

Then, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC, tell me what attributes you love to see in a hero! 

UPDATE: The winner is…Sara D!
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Next Tuesday, Hard Knox releases! I’ve loved writing this story. Knox is a badass and a grumpy guy. Carleen is, um, adventurous and persistent. Their romance has the town of Dead Horse buzzing!

It’s a sexy read, for sure, and the second in my We Are Dead Horse, MT series. I created Dead Horse as an off-shoot for my first bounty hunters series, and I love the town so much, I couldn’t resist writing more about the quirky characters who people this small Montana town.

I’ve had particular fun with the names of businesses in Dead Horse. They have a theme—something the town council thought would attract tourists. Here are some of the names I’ve come up with so far…

• Better Off Dead — Taxidermy Shop
• Day of the Dead Cantina — Mexican Restaurant
• Dead ‘n’ Gone Antiques
• Dead as a Doornail Hardware
• Dead Center Guns & Pawn
• Dead Easy Saloon
• Dead Heat & Air
• Even a Dead Horse Gotta Eat — Grocery Store
• Dead Horse Motel
• Deadly Delights — Dessert Shop
• Dem Bone Package Store
• Drop-Dead Gorgeous — Salon
• Ride or Die Body and Repair

Since I’ll have more stories coming, I need to feature more businesses and more of the townsfolks. Maybe you can help me out…

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what other businesses should exist in Dead Horse—and if you have suggestions for names of businesses or even for streets, I’d love to see them!

UPDATE: The winner is…Kerry!
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Tonight, be sure to step outside, and weather permitting, you’ll see a “super” blue moon!

What is that, you ask? Well, first, a blue moon isn’t actually blue. What it refers to is the appearance of a second full moon within a single month. What makes tonight’s “super?” A super moon occurs when the moon is closest to earth, and it makes it appear larger. So, tonight is a SUPER BLUE moon.

I’m a Cancer according to the astrological chart, so the Moon is my ruling planet. I pay attention to its phases, and I love to follow the pagan lore about the names of the full moons throughout the year. So, today’s puzzle, to commemorate the special moon tonight, is filled with the names of the year’s full moons.

Enjoy the puzzle! For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you’ll step outside to view the blue moon tonight! If you “practice,” be sure to leave a clear jar of water outside in the moonlight! You’ll know what I mean. 🙂

Word Search: Names of the Full Moons

UPDATE: The winner is…Linda Rhoden!
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For those who read this blog often, you know I love movies. I also cyber-stalk celebrities whose work I love. I was thinking about Julian Sands yesterday. You know him. The actor who disappeared while hiking in some California mountains and whose body was found recently. Such a lovely-looking man, and what a voice! So, on a whim, I bought the movie Warlock, which I hadn’t seen since the 90s and settled in to watch. Yes, the special effects were awful in comparison to what can be done today, but I really enjoyed his performance and that of his true-life friend, Richard Grant. (I follow Richard Grant’s Instagram because he’s been so open about grieving the loss of his wife.)

I have another Julian Sands’ movie, Arachnophobia, on my list to watch this week as well because I want to honor him in my small way for the hours of enjoyment he provided me, personally. Arachnophobia is one I watch maybe every five years, and it holds up well.

When I was thinking about a topic for today’s word search, I thought about those two nostalgic titles and realized they have one-word titles, then I looked through my extensive DVD collection for others I own, and now you have a list of movies I love so much I had to have a physical copy of them in the puzzle below.

Today’s challenge for you for the chance to win a $5 Amazon GC is to add a one-word movie title to my list! 

UPDATE: The winner is…Rachel Blackburn!
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Today’s the 1st! The kids go back to school on the 14th. We’re ready, I think. We’ve bought new clothing, and in the absence of a school supplies list (because our district doesn’t publish their lists—you have to wait for orientation!), we have purchased items we’ve bought in the past. All of it’s in a huge tub, ready to be parsed out, with lots of extra items for resupplies.

Our kids are picky eaters. They despise cafeteria food because mom’s a good cook! They love homemade food, and we believe in making enough dinner to have leftovers for lunch bags. So, of course, we also have containers to keep food hot and cold. I’m the meal packer. I love putting lentil soup in thermoses, fruit in baggies, and adding yogurt and utensils. I fill water bottles with ice and filtered water. My mornings are chaos during the school year because not everyone likes the same items, but I know them well enough I don’t make many mistakes. I give apples to the 14-year-old, orange slices to the 9-year-old, for example.

Yes, I’m gearing up for the morning rush.

This year, I’d like to add something special to their lunchboxes. I’d love suggestions. Also, if there is a special school supply that might make them feel special or loved, I’d love suggestions for that. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, share any ideas you have for making their back-to-school adventure a happy experience!