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Flea Market Finds and a Puzzle & a Contest!
Saturday, June 6th, 2020

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!

Flashback: Quincy (Contest–3 Winners! Plus an Excerpt!)
Sunday, May 31st, 2020

UPDATE: The winner is…ButtonsMom!
*~*~*

The Montana Bounty Hunters series located in Bear Lodge is complete. However, I’m planning to write a spinoff series, Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT very, very soon. I loved writing the original series, and I can’t wait to immerse myself writing more of these heavy-duty, gritty guys in the near future. Have you seen the cover for Cage, which will release in July? Yeah. His story will rock! Some of the guys you love from the original series will pop up here and there in Dead Horse—after all, they all work for Fetch Winter. Someday, he’ll get his happy-ever-after, too!

Quincy

Quincy

MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS: Authentic Men… Real Adventures…

Sparks fly, as do inhibitions, when a bounty hunter and a beautician are forced to hide out together from a dangerous criminal gang…

Former Army Ranger Quincy James and beautician Tamara Davis met under less than idyllic circumstances–trapped inside her doomsday-bunker-turned-beauty-shop while he was hunting a skip. Now that he’s settled into his new job with the Montana Bounty Hunters, he knows he’s dawdled too long asking her out on a legitimate date. But then, he gets a new case right in the pretty beautician’s neck of the woods. A dangerous new assignment he doesn’t want her anywhere near, However, NOT bumping into her proves tricky and when they do cross paths, he blows it.

Tamara’s already feeling foolish over the fact she got way too friendly with Quincy when they were trapped together, but then, he never contacts her again. When she sees him on the street in her little town, she’s ready to give him a piece of her mind, but he acts like he doesn’t know her. What the hell?

When the pair find themselves forced together again, there’s time for a reckoning…

Contest

Are you all caught up reading the Montana Bounty Hunters?

For a chance to win a download of one of the stories you may have missed
(I’ll pick three winners!), tell me this:
Are you ready for more sexy bounty hunters?

Here are all the Montana Bounty Hunters!

MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS
Authentic Men… Real Adventures…
Reaper: https://amzn.to/2NztLpv
Dagger: https://amzn.to/2zo6Dav
Reaper’s Ride: https://amzn.to/2KKkisI
Cochise: https://amzn.to/2zq4avV
Hook: https://amzn.to/2UrpyYh
Wolf: https://amzn.to/2yUTjr5
Animal: https://amzn.to/2H4Roob
Big Sky Wedding: https://amzn.to/33GprwK
Quincy: https://amzn.to/2QlleM8
Brian: https://amzn.to/2ZV8m2G

Excerpt from Quincy

Tamara Adams blew at a strand of hair that flew into her eyes. Her hands were filled with flyers advertising her beauty shop, Curl Up & Dye, and she’d been papering the windshields of vehicles up and down Main Street. This was her latest idea to draw attention to her shop. If something didn’t give soon, she’d have to pay for a station in someone else’s shop, and she’d never realize her dream of owning her own business.

When she came to the line of motorcycles parked in front of S&S, she nearly passed them by. She really didn’t want to attract that caliber of customer, but then again beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Without windshield wipers to clamp against her papers, she used pretty washi tape to attach the flyers and quickly made her way down the row, eyeing the window of the bar with trepidation, because she really didn’t want any ornery biker confronting her about “trashing up” his bike.

Just as she was taping the last flyer to bug-spattered glass, she heard a commotion erupt inside the unsavory establishment. Curious, she strode toward the plate-glass window to peer inside, but the window was dirty and the interior of the bar wasn’t brightly lit, so she shielded her eyes and leaned closer to the glass. What she saw had her eyes widening.

An honest-to-goodness barfight was underway inside. From what she could tell, a bar filled with brawny biker-types faced three equally brawny dudes, but what the trio lacked in numbers, they made up for in sheer meanness.

The two in the center of the bar sent one biker after another flying through the air from well-placed kicks and bone-rattling punches. One of the men wore a prosthetic arm, which he used to great advantage, following his powerful left-fisted punches with thudding body blows delivered by his mechanical arm.

To the left, she watched as a huge orange-bearded man grabbed the third brawler by his collar, only to be head-butted, and while still stunned, swing an arm wide, which propelled him over the hunched body of his adversary where he landed flat on his back and sucking wind.

Curiosity satisfied, and her original gut instinct to give the bar a wide berth confirmed, she moved back from the glass and returned to the curb where she reached over the hood of a car and stuck her pink flyer under a wiper blade.

The door behind her swung open, and she peered over her shoulder.

A familiar man appeared, his gaze sliding past her bent-over body before returning to glance up at her face. His eyes widened for a second, but then he quickly turned his head and walked away.

What. The. Fuck. The man she’d mooned over for weeks, before she’d realized he’d never intended to call her after they’d shared an afternoon of illicit delight, had just walked past her like he didn’t even know her. Not a nod. Not a “Hi, there.” Not a knowing, smirky smile. Nothing.

Her breath caught in her chest as she acknowledged the blow. She’d actually thought they’d shared something special. And she’d been making excuses for his failure to communicate all this time.

Just that morning as Miss Gracie had finished stocking the shop’s refrigerator with her eldercare protein drinks, Tamara had leaned an elbow on her table as she’d sat in her beautician’s chair staring into the lit mirror, remembering how he’d sat there and flirted with his sexy, hazel-green eyes—after she’d zip-tied him to the chair. After all, she’d just been locked inside her bunker by a bail jumper on the lam. The new stranger had claimed to be a bounty hunter, but why should she trust him? His dark beard and intense gaze had sent shivers of awareness through her body.

Okay, so she had a thing for bad boys. Obviously. She’d dated some real winners, but this time, she’d thought…well, she’d hoped…that Quincy James wasn’t a douchebag.

As he strode purposefully away from her, her heart hammered against her chest, and her eyes stung with tears that she quickly blinked away.

No way in hell was he getting away with pretending he didn’t know her. Or worse, that she was bubblegum stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Holding her sheaf of flyers against her chest, she ran after him.

When she caught him, she’d give him a piece of her mind. A man did not use a woman and make sexy promises with his eyes. He’d fooled her with his I don’t know how to flirt with a woman bullshit line. She’d swallowed it—and his big cock—and then she’d waited, day after day for him to call. Hell, she’d turned down a date with Mason Jernigan, whom she’d planned to seduce into asking her out on a date before Quincy had been trapped inside her shop. But no! She’d turned Mason down. A good looking man who owned his own small car dealership had asked her out on a date, but she’d held out for the hope of Quincy James, because she wanted more of his wicked kisses.

“Stupid! That’s what I am,” she muttered under her breath. “Thirty fucking years old and I wasted a month of my prime years for you, Quincy James.” She picked up her pace, but although she was running, his long-limbed gait still left her breathless. When he turned the corner to enter a dark alley beside the bar, she didn’t hesitate. She was too mad to take heed of the warning bells ringing in her head. The dark narrow space smelled like old beer and vomit, and her Sketchers made a sound similar to the one they made when she walked across the floor surrounding Miss Gracie’s station where the buildup of hairspray sucked at the rubber bottoms of her shoes.

Ahead, Quincy moved more furtively, running up to the corner of the building to the access road behind the business. She slowed and melted into the shadows, wondering what the hell he was up to, and then he flattened his back against the wall. She did the same, not knowing why, but the tension in his frame transmitted a jolt of fear into hers.

Just then a tall, greasy-haired, bearded man slipped around the corner, moving so quickly he didn’t see Quincy, but he did see her. His eyes widened. “You with those damn bounty hunters, too, bitch?” he growled, not slowing down as he came toward her.

“Not a bounty hunter,” she squeaked. “Beautician.” She raised her flyers to prove her claim, but it was too dark for him to read, or maybe he’d already made up his mind, because the snarl on his face nearly made her wet her pants.

Panicked, she tossed up the flyers like they were a ninja’s magic dust, turned on her heel, and ran for the street.

Take advantage of these offers while you can!

  1. Diana Cosby: Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration (Contest)Last Day! 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!
  4. A Puzzle & a Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
  5. FREE Short Story! 3 Days Only!2 days left! Get your copy!
Childhood Fears — and check out the open CONTESTS!
Friday, May 29th, 2020

“We kids feared many things in those days—werewolves, dentists, North Koreans, Sunday school–but they all paled in comparison with BRUSSELS SPROUTS.” ~ Dave Berry

So, I was looking for an inspirational quote to share today, but I found this one instead. Since it made me smile, I figured it was worth as much as any uplifting quote. And it got me thinking about what I feared when I was a kid…

Heights (still have that one), being called on in class (I got over that one because I was almost always smarter than the teacher–or so I thought), nuclear bombs (I did those “get under your desks” drills in school), being left behind at a rest stop by my parents (they did that one time with my little brother), or my parents being taken over by aliens. I never feared werewolves or vampires because I wanted to be turned into one; didn’t matter which.

So, how about you? What did you fear when you were a child?

And speaking of children, here’s the 6-year-old feeding goats. The goats were one of our stay-at-home projects. 🙂

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!
  4. A Puzzle & a Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
A Puzzle & a Contest!
Thursday, May 28th, 2020

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!
The way things work out… (Open Contests/Giveaways!)
Tuesday, May 26th, 2020

Sometimes, things work out the way they’re supposed to.

Take for example, the #100dayproject, which I’ve been completely faithful to since I began on April 7th (I’m on Day 51 of the challenge!). I planned to participate, not knowing 1) how difficult it was to produce a single piece of art every single dang day, and 2) how much I’d need something to put all that effort into.

Sure, as a writer, I create almost daily. But, unless I’m in the buzzy tail-end of a story when the action is speeding up, writing feels like work, and I know I can do it and do it well. The only challenge I face, these days, is getting to the end when I’d rather be doing anything else. However, I am not a mixed media artist. I can’t draw worth a flip, and I don’t know a lot about the different mediums. Over the past few years, I’ve only dabbled. So, I accepted the challenge, and then made my commitment very, very public by announcing it and then posting my daily attempts at art on FB and Instagram. Sometimes, with embarrassing results!

The challenge came along at the perfect time because, now that we’re living in Corona-time, we all need reasons to stay home. I love getting on FB and seeing folks who are baking for the first time ever or building something in their yards that they’d been promising themselves to do for years. My dd has been getting after it, too. She built a goat pen and bought goats! She also built a fire pit in the yard near the pool, and she bought a projector so we can watch movies outdoors, with a fire and lots of citronella candles going to keep away the mosquitoes!

Some states are loosening their stay-at-home orders. Our state never implemented any. However, we’ve been doing our own sheltering, keeping everyone close to home, with only rare visitors and only those who’ve also sheltered. We plan to do this for as long as we need to keep everyone safe. So, we’ll be looking for new challenges and around-the-home projects.

How about you? Are you still self-isolating? Have you finished any longterm projects on your To Do list?

Oh, and here’s my #100dayproject–Day 51 entry. 🙂

Contests/Giveaways

These contests and offers are still active!

  1. Thom Collins: The Anthem Box Set (Contest—3 Winners!)This offer ends soon! Get a FREE box set of books!
  2. Reina Torres: An Idea, Some Spare Parts, and a Little Bit of Magic (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
  3. Diana Cosby: Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration (Contest) — Win a SIGNED book!
  4. Open Contest–Reminders–A New Puzzle/Contest!  — Win an Amazon gift card!
  5. Two Important Notices about FREE Reads! — Everyone gets 2 FREE reads!
Open Contest–Reminders–A New Puzzle/Contest! –Yes, it’s Saturday!
Saturday, May 23rd, 2020

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!

Hot SEAL, Decoy Bride
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!

Diana Cosby: Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration (Contest)
Wednesday, May 20th, 2020

UPDATE: The winner is…Linda Richter!
*~*~*

©Diana Cosby 2020


As a writer, refilling my muse is important, and I’ve found that walks in nature are amazing muse inspiration.


Surrounded by flowers, lush grass at the pond, the cool breeze through the trees in the woods, or the tang of salty air at the marsh, each journey is special.


With the birds migrating, it’s exciting as each day, I never know what I’m going to see.


During spring, birds are building nests, while other animals are tending to their young.


Nature is magical, and I’m continually in awe of the incredible wildlife that I see.


Each day as I step outside, I can’t wait to see what inspiration nature will offer my muse.

About the Author


A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated into five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series, The Oath Trilogy, and the first four books of The Forbidden Series, she’s thrilled with the release of book #5, Forbidden Realm.

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

Contest


***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post about, ‘Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration,’ on Delilah’s blog between 20 May 2020 – 31 May 2020. The winner will receive a signed copy of His Woman.

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
The Forbidden Series