UPDATE: The winner is…Carol!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah! Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss my latest contribution to a charity anthology. This would be my sixth anthology in four years, and I just love participating in these! The main reason is, of course, to raise money for charity. In this case, breast cancer research. The second reason is to stretch my authorial wings. To try something new. To step out of my comfort zone. Earlier this year, I wrote a short story about a female billionaire for a billionaire anthology. I liked doing something a little different. Flipping expectations on their head.

So, to is my newest project…

When I read The Romance Café was putting together a Jane Austen anthology, my interest was piqued. I love Austen and happen to think Colin Firth was made to play Mr. Darcy. And Jennifer Ehle as Lizzie? Perfection. That being said, my favorite of Austen’s few precious works is Persuasion. I empathized with Anne Elliot and adored Captain Frederick Wentworth. When I saw the premise of the Austen anthology was that each story would include an encounter with an Austen character, I knew which famous couple I would choose.

I also wanted to push other boundaries. I write gay romances. There were gay men way back in Regency England. Some authors I know write amazing Regency MM romances. I aspired to write something just as good. Also, I often write interracial romances. Well, there were Black men in Regency England as well. Many were former slaves, but some came from more esteemed backgrounds. I’d just watched the movie Belle about a Black woman in high society, and I knew what I wanted to write. Along came John Blackthorne and his friend Phillip. When John is recalled from the Navy to attend his family’s estate, he’s shocked. Fortunately, he has his good friend (and sort-of lover) Phillip to accompany him as he takes a position of prestige within his family.

Shoving all that story into 7,000 words was challenging, but I’m always up for doing the near-impossible. I was also writing in a time period I knew virtually nothing about, with a language I wasn’t familiar with and with military protocol I had no clue about. Two good friends (including one who is an actual historian) read the story and gave me suggestions.

I had my story. And I’m hoping readers will enjoy it along with the other twenty or so stories set in Austen’s England.

As a thank you to your readers, I’d love to offer up a $5 Amazon Gift Certificate to one lucky commenter. I’d love to hear which is your favorite Austen novel. And if you’re not a Regency fan, do you enjoy seeing classic characters popping up in modern books? Leave a comment and one random commenter will win!

Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me. I hope everyone runs out and buys the anthology—available through Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited.

Austen’s Tea Party

Take care not to spill the tea (literally) while we share the latest on-dit (aka dish the dirt) about the Ton, who is courting, and who has been compromised in this collection of Austen-inspired romance stories.

Join us for a turn around the room in stories from USA Today best-selling and award-winning romance authors curated by the New Romance Café featuring cameos from some of Jane’s most memorable characters (and some we’d like to forget). ALL proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Authors:
Alexa Santi
Angela Kady
Anja Raney
Bianca White
Carrie DiRisio
Catherine Bilson
Catherine Stein
Cecilia Rene
Charlie Lane
Christina Alexandra
Clyve Rose
Deborah E Pearson
Debra-Ann Kummoung
Gabbi Grey
Katy Rose
Kenna Campbell
Michaela Brent
Sharon Michalove
Tabetha Waite
Tanya Wilde
TL Clark

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/AustenTeaParty
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Austen-Tea-Party-Historical-Collection-ebook/dp/B0BKRC76PS
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63135499-austen-tea-party

About Gabbi’s story inside Austen’s Tea Party
“An Uncommon Gentleman”

John

I have served as a sailor in His Majesty’s Royal Navy for the past ten years and had no intention of changing that path. The death of my uncle means I must return to Blackthorne Estate to take up my position as Lord and Master. I’ll step up to do my duty. My dearest wish is that my beloved joins me. When he chooses to accompany me, I set my mind to making him mine. Body and soul.

Philip

I have been a sailor for nearly thirty years and will only retire when my captain orders it. When my beloved is called to attend to his family’s estate, he asks me to attend to him as a valet. I’m happy to do so as it keeps me close to him. He wants to grow the affection between the two of us, but I feel the need to attempt to hold myself apart. In the end, though, I suspect he will win this argument.

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…flchen!
*~*~*

Tin Soldier, the third and final book in my Silver Cyborg series releases today. And, while it’s not exactly the end of an era (I was being dramatic when I wrote the title), it is an end.

And I’m oddly conflicted about it.

You see, while I’ve typed #The End# many times in my writing career, this is the first time I’ve concluded a series. And I kinda don’t know how to react.

I’m so excited to bring readers the love story between Gage Austin, a cyborg with a machine-gun leg, and Audra Muir, a woman battling the ravages of breast cancer. I’m equally excited to wrap up the over-arching government conspiracy storyline, and I hope I’ve done it in a believable and emotionally-satisfying manner. If you’ve read my short story inside Silver Soldiers, you’ve already been introduced to Gage and Audra. I had fun writing a short story about them, knowing I was going to finish their story in my book. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to read that story if you want to jump right in to read Tin Solder!)

But… I love my characters. I’ve had three books in which to develop my main characters and a few secondary characters and merge them into an on-page family that supports one another, lets each other be themselves, and—of course—teases each other. Maybe this series is subconsciously my slightly-futuristic underground rebel alliance cybernetic version of F•R•I•E•N•D•S. Maybe it’s my way of showing that “family” isn’t always blood, but those with a shared experience who you choose. Maybe I just stumbled into it without realizing what I’d accomplished. Whatever the reason, I’m emotionally-attached to my characters.

*Pouts* I don’t want this to be #The End#.

Is this how it is with a series? It’s not just the storyline that continues from book to book, but a relationship that builds between characters and readers until we feel we know each other inside and out, and love one another because (or in spite) of it? I mean, I’ve read series before, but never given much thought to why I enjoyed them. And that doesn’t mean I’ve enjoyed them more than other stand-alone stories. Or, at least, I think.

When I originally set out to write the Silver Cyborg series, it was only ever going to be three books. And continuing to write past that conclusion feels a little like watching Natasha Romanoff in the “Black Widow” movie after I watched that character die in “Avengers: End Game.” I’ve already said my emotional goodbye, even as I hate to let go, and resurrecting that character feels… weird.

Whatever the case, I’m not ready to say goodbye to my Silver Cyborg family. But, I kinda gotta. Could I write a few more novellas for the secondary characters who didn’t get their HEA story told? Yes. Will I? I’m debating. Should I? Well… I guess that’s up to my readers, isn’t it?

I hesitate to write those stories, mostly because I have a dragon shifter series to finish. Two more hawt dragon shifter brother books and my Star of the North Dragons series will be completed. And that will be another family I love that I have to say goodbye to. Another knife twisting in my heart, thank you very much.

Makes me want to write only stand-alone stories.

That’s not true… I’ve loved writing my series and want to do more.

So, give me a few days to mourn, to pout, to wail… (after all, I am dramatic 😉 But also help me celebrate. I have a new book out! I have a series filled with awesome characters who I adore! I have stories I hope readers will relate to and immerse themselves into!

And, because any writer worth her salt is this way, I have more stories banging around my head that need to be written. So, even though I’m saying a fond farewell to my cybernetic rebel alliance (for now), this certainly isn’t THE END for me 😉

For a chance at an ebook version of Tin Soldier, comment with your preference: stand-alone or series, and why.

Tin Soldier

The Army shuffled Staff Sergeant Gage Austin off to a menial desk job at the Pentagon as hush money… as if he’d admit to anyone he’s a cyborg. Society abhors cyborgs, so Gage keeps to himself and suffers the daily humiliation of an extensive security scan with stoic fortitude. He’s a soldier down to his core processor and would willingly give his all—red blood and blue lubricant—for the land he loves. As such, he accepts the task to locate and safely retrieve missing Pentagon assistant Audra Muir. Yet as sparks sizzle between them, Gage questions whether he’s delivering her to salvation… or doom.

Audra Muir has spent years pilfering secrets about corrupt government oversight of the cybernetics industry under the guise of her job at the Pentagon. As she leaves for breast cancer treatment, she happens upon earth-shattering intel. Determined to hand this information over to the people who will wage that particular war, she battles her own personal recovery and rages against a society that can make a cyborg, but can’t save women from breast cancer. Yet when Gage Austin kisses her, that anger dissipates, replaced by a passion that just might deliver her flagging faith in humanity… and herself.

Gage and Audra find peace from their own inner demons within the heat of each other’s arms. But defeating the evil that is ruining the cybernetics industry is a far bigger enemy, and requires the force of a secret band of rebels and their hidden cyborg army.

Book Three of the Silver Cyborg Series. This story has a romantic happy ending and a resolution of the storyline continuing through books one and two.

Excerpt from Tin Soldier…

“David spoils us with his cooking.” Doc patted David’s hand, then squeezed it. “Among other things.”

Audra smiled at the look of utter adoration Doc sported whenever he glanced at the other man. Did the others see it as well? It was the same expression they each wore whenever they looked at their beloved. Very likely the same expression she had when she looked at Gage.

Did that mean she loved him?

“All those years cooking at the firehouse come in handy.” David shrugged off the compliment, but he winked at Doc.

“I only have years of patting people down and handcuffing them.” Adam offered as he dipped his taco into the adobo stew. “Not sure what I offer the group is on par with you, David.”

“Those skills are for me, alone.” Eve glared at Adam, then jerked. He grunted, then shot her a smirk. Had she just kicked him under the table? “Don’t you dare share.”

He appeased her with a quick kiss on the lips while the others merely chuckled at the innuendo.

Audra chewed slowly, savoring the delicious meal and the comradery, made all the more intimate and serene by the greenery and flowers surrounding the dining area of the bunker. The ceiling screens had switched to early dusk mode, so a light pink digital sun dipped down the horizon of one end of the bunker while a digital half-moon and a galaxy of twinkling lights hovered in the expanding darkness at the other end. Strands of merry lights draped around the dining perimeter like warm hug, lending a halcyon summer picnic vibe that oozed contentment. How could anyone stress about the wrongs of the world above when immersed in the languid peace of this setting?

She’d only met these individuals today, and yet they settled under her skin like comfortable old friends. Friends she’d never had because her life had always been upended and embattled and dangerous. And this past decade of having to isolate herself from humanity…Knowing what little bit of each person’s history they’d shared with her, the others here had suffered much the same. They knew what it was like to live a lonely life on the sharp edge of danger, fearful the secrets in their hearts and bodies would be discovered.

Before they’d found each other, everyone at this table had lived with a mutual trauma that no doubt strengthened the bond they had. And they’d accepted her without question.

Buy Links:
Books2read: https://books2read.com/TinSoldier

About Ava Cuvay

Ava Cuvay is an award-winning bestselling author of out of this world Sci-fi and Paranormal Romance featuring sassy heroines, gutsy heroes, passion, and adventure… often set in a galaxy far, far away. She resides in central Indiana with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder and kiddos who remind her daily she’s not nearly as cool as she thinks. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

I’m posting late again. This time, it’s not due to my age-addled brain. We had heavy thunderstorms last night and lost power around 3:30 AM. It came back on around 5. Then went out again at 6 AM. Power did not return until after 6 tonight. I live in a rural area, so our service restoration ALWAYS takes last priority after more populated areas (even though our service is more expensive than for the townies).

How did we spend our day? We waited for a good five hours before digging the generator out of the shed. Usually, outages only last about four hours. So long as we don’t open the fridge, we’re good. We hunker down, eat sandwiches, and during the heat of summer, we open the windows to get a breeze flowing through the house. This time, it didn’t pop back on so we ran one cord to the fridge and used the second plug on the generator to run a coffee pot then charge our phones. It was hot and sticky. The house smelled. We smelled. When most of the others decided to head to town to eat dinner and sit in the AC, the 14-year-old and I stayed behind to walk and water dogs and SWIM in the pool. So refreshing.

Mostly, we hung out and napped. Our internet was down, but we could pick up a few bars by walking out into the yard to call the damn electric company. It would’ve been nice if they could’ve given us updates, but they don’t do that. All we got was the message that said there were outages in our area, and they were working on them. I feel for anyone who didn’t have a generator because no doubt they are emptying their refrigerators and freezers of spoiled food. I know in some places, somewhere, you can make a list of your losses and submit them for some amount of refund, but not here.

So, long story short. The power’s back on. I lost of day of work. I have a ton of emails to get through, and I’m burning candles and incense to freshen the air. Humidity + animals + human sweat = a stinky house. But we’re back! No contest today, and more than you wanted to know about my real life, but this space is mine and I over-share.

Y’all have a great evening. I plan to putter around a bit more, feed my traumatized betta, and get an early night. I have a lot of catching up to do tomorrow.

This last week was such a cool one! Not temperature-wise, of course, but we did manage another movie day—we saw Haunted Mansion! It was a fun family-oriented flick. Strange New Worlds aired the “Subspace Rhapsody” episode, which we all watched and LOVED. It was a total blast. We swam multiple times, including two night-time swims with the tiki torches keeping the bugs at bay. And I did manage to get started on my new book and finish up one set of edits. So, it was a productive week. Today is the start of the last week of summer vacation for the kids, so we’re still trying to get ready for that and pack in some more fun—nothing big, but some “together” time. We’ll miss having them underfoot when they start school.

So, that’s the catch-up, here’s my Sunday Tarot card…

Sooooo…

Today’s the day of the week I always update my plans so I know what to hit hard and what’s going to get in the way of me reaching my goals (appointments, family events, etc.). I was shuffling my cards, asking whether I was going to “get my shit together this week,” and readying the deck to pull one when this single card fluttered to the floor from the deck landing face-down. So, I figured The Powers That Be intended me to have this card. I flipped it over and sighed.

It’s The Star. It’s a very pretty card, but it’s not the best to pull when you have a ton of stuff on your plate.

This card from the Mythic Tarot deck depicts Pandora. You know her, right? Zeus, being a bit of an asshole, had his smithy-god create a beautiful woman as a gift to mankind then had the gods give her gifts. Hermes, who I think understood the order best, gave her the “gift” of idleness and lies. She was warned by her husband (I forget which god, so I’ll consult the book once I’m done interpreting the card myself) to never open the chest that accompanied her. Pandora just couldn’t resist. She opened the chest and unleashed a host of unpleasant things out into the world; here they are the dragonflies and bugs flying away in the dark cloud. Also released though was hope, depicted here as the Star of Hope. So, while her own worst instincts had her open the chest, the Star of Hope is there, not to rescue, but to show Pandora that all isn’t lost. I think so, anyway.

Now, to the book. Yes! Her hubby was Prometheus’s brother, Epimetheus, who was warned by his brother not to accept gifts from Zeus. (Too late!) He did warn Pandora not to open the box. The bad things she released? Old Age, Labor, Sickness, Insanity, Vice and Passion. They all flew out into the world. Only Hope stayed. The card, according to the book, “portends faith in the midst of difficulties.”

All this means, I have my work cut out for me. I have to stay focused and not let my “idleness” cause me to muck up my plans.

Open Contests

1. Puzzle-Contest: Make a Wish… — Win an Amazon gift card!
2. July into August (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Word Seach: Back to School Supplies (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Krysten Lindsay Hager: Top 5 Favorite Comfort Movies (FREE Read!) — Everyone, pick up your FREE read in KU!
5. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Flea Market Finds — Win an Amazon gift card!

Thanks go out to the fantabulous Delilah Devlin for allowing me to do a guest post for her blog today.

I’m celebrating the release of Passionate Ink’s charity anthology, Hot & Sticky. 2023 marks the fifth year the members of PI have donated their time and talent to this project, and as always, all proceeds will go to benefit ProLiteracy. Last year’s anthology, Holiday Shorts, raised over $2,400, which went to support their mission of worldwide adult literacy. With seventeen amazing authors, this one will be bigger and better than ever.

My story, “Wicked Heat”, is set in the Wicked Magic world, created by my alter ego, Minette Moreau. As the stories in Hot & Sticky are short, there’s always a question of, “What happens next?”

Will Dexa and Soren have babies? If they do, will their children be snow leopards or dragons? What does their house look like? Do they have pets? You get the idea. 😊

It is my hope the following answers some of those questions—and puts Dexa and Soren on the hot seat!

If steamy contemporary romance is more your jam, I have another book coming out TODAY, Friday, August 4. Charon’s Chaos is the fifth book in my Club Apocalypse series. You can learn more about it on my website at https://raisagreywood.com.

Excerpt from “Wicked Heat”

“Welcome back to The Mating Game! It’s time to find out which of our mated couples will win a year’s supply of fresh beef from our friends at the Vanessa Springs Ranch in Wyoming. Will it be Dr. Dexa Khadka and her mate Soren, or Lyric and Todd Warner?”

The host, Chase Miller, smiled at the camera as the canned applause faded, and Dexa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn’t believe she’d let King Davryn talk her into this, but she supposed he wanted humans to see that supernaturals were just like everyone else.

“Todd, we asked Lyric what you’d do if you had the day off and an empty house. What’s your answer?”

“I’d be sleeping. Definitely sleeping.”

Laughing, Chase held a card up for the camera and a bell rang. “One point for Lyric and Todd!”

“We’re cheetahs. It’s what we do,” Lyric replied, smiling at the canned laughter.

“Soren, we asked Dexa what your guilty pleasure is.”

“Stealing things to please my mate, but I fail to see why I should feel guilt.” Soren frowned at the canned laughter. “Should I have said I did feel guilty?”

A buzz sounded as Chase held up a card, “Dexa said you like to scare the climbers on Mt. Everest when you visit her family.”

“Ah. That is my second favorite thing, but I don’t feel guilty about that either.” Soren lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Dragons gonna dragon.

Dexa ignored her snow leopard’s comment and focused on Chase.

“Todd, we asked Lyric what she’d buy if you asked her to get you a treat from the store on her way home.”

“Turtle cheesecake,” Todd replied, smiling at his mate.

The bell rang a second time as Chase held up a card. “Lyric said cheesecake, and that’s another point for Lyric and Todd!”

When the canned laughter faded, Chase turned to Soren. “We asked Dexa who is the bigger pack rat between the two of you.”

“Dexa is.”

“What?” She shook her head; sure she hadn’t heard him properly over the buzzer. “Did you forget your hoard?”

“The score is now two for Lyric and Todd, and zero for Dexa and Soren. Lyric, we asked Todd what always makes you laugh.”

“That old sitcom Dinosaurs.” Todd leaned over to kiss her as the bell rang.

“Another point for Lyric and Todd,” Chase said. “Dexa, we asked Soren which of you is better with children.”

“He is.” The buzzer sounded and she gave Soren a wry smile. “Whoops.”

“Soren said you were,” Chase said. “Lyric, we asked Todd which of you takes forever in the shower?”

“Me. It’s always me.”

The bell rang as Chase held up the answer card for the camera and waited for the canned applause to fade. “Dexa, this is our final question. Which of you is more likely to sleep in and be late for work?”

“Soren.” Her lips parted and she stared at him when the buzzer sounded. “What? You’re always sleeping in.”

Chase cleared his throat and held up the card. “Err. I don’t think we’ve ever had a couple earn no points before. Are you sure you know each other?”

“Yes,” Soren replied without looking at him. “My pleasure is tied to yours, kitten, and nothing you want will ever be denied you. My hoard is yours and none of it has purpose unless it pleases you. You’re the favorite with all the cubs and dragonlets and I can’t wait to have a few of our own. And yes, you do oversleep because I turn off your alarm when you need the rest.”

“Fates,” Lyric murmured. “I don’t know if that’s scary or the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

“He’s a dragon,” Todd replied. “They’re…um… You know, dragons.”

Chase stared at Dexa and Soren for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Congratulations to our winners, Lyric and Todd Warner.”

Soren stood and held out his hand to help Dexa to her feet. “I believe I’ve already won the perfect prize.”

As a YA contemporary romance author, I love movies that have characters with an irresistible connection.

5. 13 Going on 30: How perfect is Jennifer Garner in this role? Everything about this works from the thoughtful dollhouse to the way Matty looks at her as an adult. Swoon! They are so cute together. My favorite scenes are where he slows sees her as the girl he fell in love with all those years before.

4. Peggy Sue Got Married: Okay, so clearly I love those going back in time movies and things involving reflecting back on middle school and high school. This one is a fave because the script is perfection. Peggy Sue has such an overwhelming reaction to ending up back in high school that it feels like this is really happening to her. The scene where she has the emotional response when she hears her Grandma’s voice on the phone—it’s so overwhelming as she’s clearly missed her grandma who is no longer living in the future. Also, the scene where she starts to rewrite her high school experience by dating a different guy and realizing her first love was real after all is touching.

3. Just Friends: The perfect friends to lovers set up. So many good lines that crack me up. The scene where he’s in the car and she’s witnessing him talk to himself over how he blew their lunch date always cracks me up.

2. Roman Holiday: Audrey Hepburn as a princess who wants a taste of a normal life and Gregory Peck as a journalist. It’s sweet, adorable, and a perfect date movie.­

1. Wonder Woman: Love, love, LOVE this one. I teared up a couple times during this movie, but her speech when she tells off the general, the scene with her aunt, and No Man’s Land had me super emotional. Plus, Steve and Diana are so cute as he clearly loves and respects her. Oh, I love this one.

If you love YA contemporary novels with all the feels, you might like my book, Next Door to a Star, about a high school girl who goes to a beach town for the summer and finds herself living next door to a teen TV star and falling in love for the first time.

Next Door to a Star

A fresh start in a new town and a chance to reinvent herself. But can Hadley handle the popular crowd?

Hadley Daniels is sick of being invisible at school and wants a fresh start. She sees a chance to reinvent herself when she moves to the lake resort town of Grand Haven. There she gets her first taste of popularity when she moves next door to a teen actress who used to be on a popular TV show. Simone is everything Hadley longs to be: pretty, popular, and famous, so why doesn’t Simone want to talk about her life in Hollywood? Hadley gets caught up hanging with the popular crowd and starts dating Nick Jenkins.

However, the popular girls turn on her and fill Nick’s head with a lie about Hadley that leaves her heartbroken. Hadley soon finds out what it’s really like to be in the popular crowd and what being famous is all about as Simone opens up to her about her time in Hollywood. Can Hadley find true friendship and true love in a new setting?

Reviews:
​“It’s a beautifully written YA story that was so hard to put down. I loved every minute of it. It’s a perfect teenage drama that I think all girls will enjoy reading. And I just want to say this, no one can write teenage feelings better than Krysten Lindsay Hager. She does it so perfectly, making her characters believable as well as relatable.” Fizza Younis, author

“Take a trip down memory lane, relive your first crush, your first kiss and get to know Hadley who lives ‘Next Door to a Star.’” Leila Tualla, author

It’s free in Kindle Unlimited!!!

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1/
Amazon Can: https://www.amazon.ca/Next-Door-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B08W55KGX1

Find Krysten here:
Website: www.krystenlindsay.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager/e/B00L2JC9P2
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/krysten-lindsay-hager
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIQCsRcKc97-25oXvabZ8A

I’m posting late today. Sorry—no puzzle! And no, those aren’t my legs (obvi!), but the view is very similar to the one I enjoyed today.

We were up early this morning so we could hit the Caddo river with our innertubes before a mob arrived. Tubing is very popular around here.

Several years ago, I invested in rugged river tubes because it’s something we love to do in the summertime and renting tubes is ridiculously expensive for a family of six. I also bought a floating cooler-tube that we fill with water bottles and snacks. And although we bought the best SPF sunscreen we could find, I’m still a very pretty color of dark pink at the moment.

I’m worn out. I think I’ll blow off the rest of the day and sit under an AC vent with a big jug of water to play Charm King until it’s time to go to bed. I promise, I’ll share a puzzle tomorrow!

Here are some pics with my favorite people: