I’m late! It’s 11:30 AM, and I just got home. My dd (dear daughter) and the 3-year-old left at 2 AM to head to the Little Rock airport. They are now in DC, visiting their father/grandfather. So, while dd’s hubby dropped her off in the middle of the night, I stayed over in their house, which is just across the highway. Couldn’t sleep worth a dang. Then I was up cooking breakfast for the other two girls (12 and 8), because that’s what their mom does on weekends, and I didn’t want them too lonely. I did that while dad got a much-deserved lie-in. After breakfast, I organized the girls to do some housework. When dad rose and decided to do a grocery shop, I decided it was time I headed home and get some work done.

That was my morning. And now, I’m ready for a nap. 🙂

Yes, my life is probably a lot like yours, even if I have this weird job. I live in the country, about five miles outside a small Arkansas town. It’s quiet. We have animals—dogs, cats, horses (that we don’t ride—they’re just giant-sized pets). My life is filled with work and family—trying to balance both is a constant struggle. I tend to let family draw me away from my desk, because I can’t resist the girls when they call and want their “nina”. I used to be pretty focused, but the older I get, the more I love to spend my hours wallowing in their affection. Yes, I said wallow. Like a pig in mud. I head to their house, and even if I just saw them hours before, they’re covering me in kisses and hugs and wanting me to look at their drawings.

They think my job is pretty weird.  Just this morning, the 8-year-old asked who my boss was. I told her, I was. “No, Nina, who tells you what to do?” I raised my eyebrows and told her I was the one who decided what I wrote, what my schedule (ha!) would be, etc. She didn’t think that was so great. “I wanna use one of those clock things, where you put your card in, and it tells you how long you have to work.” I thought about that, and for just a second, I thought, God, that wouldn’t be so bad. Clock in. Clock out. I could leave the job behind once I drove out of the parking lot. But then, I realized that if I had a “real” job, I’d have to head home, jump into the shower, and hope like hell I had everything in my purse that I needed for the day. I’d have to work with people I might not like, maybe deal with customers or clients who I liked even less. “Real” jobs have their own versions of stress. That everything I accomplish, good or bad, rich or poor, is of my own making, well that’s the trade-off.

So, tell me. Do you have a “real” job? Do you ever wonder whether the grass is greener for those of us who don’t?

And remember, I have a brand new short story (a naughty menage) out right now, and a sexy Western coming Tuesday!

How do you do it all?

That’s the question I’m asked most often once people hear I’m a writer. And a mom. And a military wife. And I have a day job.

Sometimes I answer flippantly. “Lots of caffeine!” I’ll say, or “I have a wine cellar.” But my real answer? I just do.

I don’t mean to sound sanctimonious. That just happens to be the answer. I just do. Because there is no alternative, not at this point in my life.

Years ago, when I was single, being a writer was a dream in the back of my mind. Something I’d settle down to do after I’d conquered foreign relations as the first female Secretary of State. (Damn you, Madeleine Albright, that was supposed to be my job!). Then it became something I dabbled in on occasion, in-between my full-time military job and college courses. It took a backseat again when I married and moved overseas, earned my degrees, and spent five years focused on having that family I’d always wanted, but which my body seemed intent on denying me.

But through the pain of recurrent miscarriage and infertility, I found that spark to write again. The little embryo of the dream I had of becoming a published writer grew. Until life happened, yet again, and I put it on hold to focus my energies on my growing family.

Now, here I am, with four little wombats (as my uncle calls them), all of whom play sports and have social lives far more active than mine, a husband who is thisclose to retiring from the military, and a demanding day job, and I choose now to pursue this writing dream full-steam ahead.

Because what is the alternative, really? To shelve it until the kids are grown, the hubby is retired, the day job is done? Sorry, but that’s no alternative. Writing is what fulfills me. Writing romance is my calling, the thing that keeps Cate from being lost in the blur that is “Mom” and “Sweetheart”.

In Love Me Now, my heroine and hero both have dreams they’ve pushed aside because of family obligations. It’s tough to balance the needs of others with your own needs. And make no mistake, pursuing a lifelong dream is a need, not a want. It’s something I’ve learned over the years. I’m a better wife, mother, and friend when I’m not feeling restless and resentful. It’s a realization that my hero, Miles, eventually makes and helps Calista, my heroine, see. Though he takes it to the extreme at one point, going so far as to sabotage his fledgling relationship with Calista. You’ll have to read my book to see what ends up happening. *wink*

Langston Hughes once famously asked, “What happens to a dream deferred?” For a long time, mine sagged like a heavy load. But now I am watching it explode. And it’s marvelous.

What is your dream? What is holding you back from making it happen?

About the Author

Cate Tayler is a beach baby, born and raised on the Connecticut coastline. She met the love of her life while serving in the US Air Force, and after extensive overseas travel, they are now raising their four children in the wild suburbs of Maryland.

When she’s not living her own happily ever after, she’s creating them in her small-town romances. Because the world always needs more happy endings!

In addition to writing, her passions include cooking, everything 80s, sappy Hallmark movies, Arrow (specifically, Stephen Amell’s abs), and the Miami Dolphins. You can connect with her at her website: https://www.catetayler.com.

About Love Me Now

A sassy good girl. A rebellious billionaire. A pretend proposal. What could possibly go wrong?

Calista Markatos is failing miserably at saving her family’s Greek diner. Without a miracle, her parents will lose everything. And it’s all the fault of a land developer whose big ideas are destroying her family’s livelihood.

Driven by guilt over his brother’s death, Miles Gardner plays the role of dutiful son. But he rebels against his father’s choice of a bride. A fake engagement can help him avoid the marriage trap. All he has to do is convince the Greek goddess to go along with his plan.

She doesn’t have to like him to pretend to love him.Thirty days later, they’ll both get exactly what they want—and maybe something they didn’t know they needed.

Love Me Now will be available May 23, 2017. You can preorder a copy at all major
e-book retailers for a special price now until Memorial Day!
https://books.pronoun.com/love-me-now/

Hi Delilah Fans! Have you ever had one of those dreams where you feel like you’re so awake that when you wake up, you still think all that really happened?

That’s where this story came from. I can still see the man, still remember the magical touch of his skin. So I’m sharing it with you in hopes you can help me out. That’s because I don’t know how the story ends!

He wasn’t my type. I went for the slightly shorter, less sinewy man whereas this guy loomed several inches taller with an almost lanky frame. My tastes had ranged from blond and blue-eyed to dark and dangerous. I’d never given much consideration to men with light brown hair and eyes that were—what, amber? I stole another glance.

Damn. He noticed my brief examination. One of his eyebrows rose slightly, asking. I quickly looked down and broke out in a little sweat. Damn damn damn.

I told myself no. A chorus of reasons shouted in my head—that I didn’t know him, that we were standing in a hotel hallway waiting for an elevator. Anyone could walk up. Additional major point: accosting a stranger simply wasn’t something I would do.

The handle of my heavy briefcase itched against my sweaty palm. I could assign this momentary insanity to fatigue. Like all such conferences, this one had turned into a three-day blur of classes on everything from specialty cost coding and catastrophe adjustment to the latest on defining a collapse under a property insurance policy. But I was ready for home, a long hot soak in my tub and a mindless couch session with a bottle of wine and my cat Winston.

My body responded to his attention. There was this urge, whatever recess of hell it sprang from, that caused my thighs to clench. I licked my lips, hoping my libido would tuck its tail and slink away. Maybe if I gave myself a few more minutes and a couple of deep breaths…

Nope. Not working. Jesus, how did anyone exude such sensuality?

I couldn’t avoid another furtive glance. His lips fascinated me, halfway between full and thin, sensual with a little flare at the bow and curling upwards at the corners. Tan and weathered, his skin stretched over prominent cheekbones and a bold jaw. And his neck, which happened to be directly in my line of vision—its intriguing cords and hollows disappeared into the open throat of his white shirt.

Oh, I could almost taste the salt on his skin. Feel the pulse in his throat against my lips.

I had seen him around the hotel, once passing along the corridor when I arrived for the first day of the conference, another time on the other side of the cocktail lounge where I hid at a dark corner table and sipped my wine. He’d been alone there, and I fantasized that he would appear at my table. I would allow him to join me and we would sit smiling in the dim light to pursue witty conversation with just enough innuendo. I refused to imagine what would happen afterwards, but I dreamed about him that night and woke up wet.

What the hell was wrong with me? I’d been around. Mild wear and tear, enough to consider any potential hook-up through slightly jaded eyes. No big hope left that some special ‘one’ lurked out there for me.

Now this? I wanted to slap myself for being ridiculous.

But, damn it, here I was at the elevator feeling as if my body had disconnected from my brain and would do what it pleased no matter what I thought.

Maybe it was that we were both leaving and I’d never see him again. Really, it wasn’t a choice I made. I was standing there with my briefcase gripped in my hand and a garment bag slung over my arm, my other hand seized on the handle of my wheeled travel case. Hands sweating. Knees trembling. Wanting a stranger so much I was about to embarrass myself in public.

The elevator was taking forever. He was standing a couple of feet away, looking up to watch the elevator numbers frozen on floor twelve. He too had a garment bag over one arm and his travel case handle in his other hand, looking so incredibly fabulous in that simple white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up those tan forearms and in khaki slacks that looked a little wrinkled. I even checked out his shoes, Sixties style cordovan loafers, winey brown color, well-polished and clearly loved.

I could almost hear the switch flip in my head. Brain turned off. Instinct taking over.

I turned into him holding my gear on either side of me. He accommodated me by holding his luggage away from his body. With only a brief glance up at his face, I registered on his amusement, his welcome. As if we had known each other forever and this was going home.

I nestled my full length against him and brushed my lips against his neck, and oh god he felt good. At every point of contact, which actually was the entire front of me, he felt good. The strength of his thighs, the solid press of his loins, his hard chest—right there against me, holding his own, not backing away. And his neck—Jesus Christ, this was chocolate and musky wine and that skin, that soft velvet flesh that had served its time in the sun, warm and strong and scented with a heavenly fragrance of aftershave and soap and him.

My lips savored him in that brief moment, brushing along the column of his neck as if he was my last sip of water in a desert. In those few seconds—minutes?—that I stood there pressed against him, I had no sense of shame, no regret, no worry, no question. My mind stood still. I wanted never to move.

Millennia existed between us, former lives, lost memories. A tremor passed through him. Or maybe it was me. Nights we would hold each other. The touch of his lips against mine. Joys and agonies, the raw force of life energy surging through us.

All that could ever be existed in that moment, in us. Children. Stormy nights wrapped in his arms, soup bubbling on the stove. Old age bestowed gently as we held hands.

And then it ended. I don’t know how it ended. Maybe it was the elevator. A musical ‘ding.’ We moved apart. On the way down, I fought to overcome the searing embarrassment of what I’d done. One minute I was in full body contact with a man I didn’t know, oblivious to anything but him, and the next minute we were on opposite sides of the elevator with a crowd of people between us including two kids and a dog.

The elevator reached the lobby. People filed out and I didn’t dare look up. Mildly heartbroken, I started toward the door to hail a taxi.

He was standing there in the lobby, waiting for me as if we’d made a plan, a promise. My heart lunged against my ribs. Had we? Could it be that simple?         (to be continued?)

~~~

Dear Reader, is there more to this story? Do they say a few words then walk away? Do they ride together to the airport then wait for their flights in a quiet booth at the nearest cafe?

What would you do? Send me your idea at ashworthlizzie@gmail.com. I’ll post all replies in my next newsletter.

~~~

Lizzie Ashworth lives in the wilds of the Ozark Mountains with three cats, two hound dogs, and too many deer in her yard. She’s been writing her entire life and wants her readers to know how much she enjoys sharing her naughty stories.

Sign up for Liz’s free monthly e-newsletter. Liz’s Hot News – Free monthly newsletter with excerpts, freebies, pre-release deals, and much more. Sign up at https://eepurl.com/bHOyS9

Follow Liz for free erotic short works, hot photos, and the occasional rant on her blog at https://lizzieashworth.com/

Like Liz’s Facebook author page for updates on other nice and naughty works https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLizzieAshworth/

UPDATE: The winner is…Toni Whitmire!

* * * * *

I like to read books that make me smile and those about family. I’ve written mysteries and romance and, in this new series, chose to combine them. I realized it would be fun to have two main characters and make them identical twins. One would dread sex because of her sole previous marriage. The other would love sex and have three exes who still want her and shower her with finery. But she’s still trying to find that elusive soul mate. Who just happens to be the man who will take her sister’s breath away and make her feel things she’d thought impossible.

My oldest daughter is a wonderful special ed teacher who loves her challenged students; so do I. That’s why I made the sister who didn’t want romance again have a handicap: she’s dyslexic, which causes her problems. She also has a neurosis that she’s struggling to overcome.

Because I adore older people, I gave the sisters a sweet, spry mother who lives in a retirement home in bayou country, where they and I happily reside. Mom’s cadre of buddies love to give her twin daughters advice about romance. Things they hear from other (or make up to pass the time) might help or hinder trouble the twins when murder comes around and aims at one of them.

Who can they believe? Who can they trust? Is love real—or is the man who seems perfect a killer?

I hope you enjoy their story!

Amazon | Nook

I stood in a rear pew as a petite woman in red stepped into the church carrying an urn and stumbled. She fell forward. Her urn bounced. Its top popped open, and ashes flew. A man’s remains were escaping.

“Oh no!” people cried.

“Jingle bells,” I hummed and tried to control my disorder but could not. Words from the song spewed from my mouth.

“Not now,” my twin Eve said at my ear while ashes sprinkled around us like falling gray snow. She pointed to my jacket’s sleeve and open pocket. “Uh-oh. Parts of him fell in there.”

I saw a few drops like dust on the sleeve and jerked my pocket wider open. Powdery bits lay across the tissue I’d blotted my beige lipstick with right before coming inside St. Gertrude’s. “I think that’s tissue residue,” I said, wanting to convince myself. I grabbed the pocket to turn it inside out.

“Don’t dump that.” Eve shoved on my pocket. “It might be his leg. Or bits of his private parts.”

“Here Comes Santa Claus,” I sang.

She slapped a hand over my mouth. “Hush, Sunny.”

The dead man’s wife shoved up from her stomach to her knees, head spinning toward me like whiplash.

CONTEST

What’s your favorite Cajun food or food from the South? (Mine is boiled crayfish. You’d better get out of my way if there’s only one of them left.)  One winner will be chosen at random and receive your choice of Delilah’s e-books. Get your stomachs thinking!

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra G!

* * * * *

As always, I want to start by thanking Delilah for letting me come hang out here with you all.  It’s always a lot of fun to play here.

It’s a shiny new season, which makes people sometimes want a fresh start in different areas, maybe something big like a job, or a new home, or smaller like a hobby, or just cleaning out a closet—my mom and grandma always did huge, empty-all-the-cupboards spring and fall cleaning every single year, and I never understood it; after all, who cleans things that are already clean.  But sometimes that fresh start isn’t by choice.  Maybe an employer has to down-size, or, worse, close.  Maybe a family member far away needs a caregiver and there isn’t anyone else willing.   Lots of us have experienced some of these fresh starts, by choice or by necessity.  It’s part of life.

Spring seems like a good time to get some of the by-choice fresh starts underway.  Mini-house cleaning (the windows always need a good scrub after winter, right?), or getting rid of old clothes we no longer wear to make room for a few new pieces.  Culling a collection that doesn’t mean as much now as it did when we started it.  Those are reasonable, I think.  Some of us set bigger goals—redoing a room, or planning a vacation.

I’ve seen a lot of (and written some) books that start with one of the main characters undertaking a fresh start in their life, some voluntarily and others not, that sets them on a collision course with something they never planned for, sometimes something that turns their fresh start upside-down so they wind up with yet another fresh start.  It’s one of the things that keep us reading, I think, watching how they adjust to the unplanned roadblocks that pop up and make the characters rethink what they thought they knew or wanted.

One of the things I’m starting over this year is my publishing plan–my publisher closed their doors a couple of months ago, so a whole lot of authors had to add some major tasks to their to-do lists for the year.  I’m still trying to rework my writing goals for the year while I figure out what to do with Hunting Medusa and the other two unpublished books in the trilogy.  I have a lot of (scary!) options on my plate so have been doing research to whittle down that list and make the best choice I can for my books.

In the manuscript I’m rewriting now, the heroine has chosen to make a fresh start—she’s accepted a new job in a state where she doesn’t know a single person.  But she has a few months to wrap things up before she goes—sell the house where she grew up, find a place to stay in the new state, get in as much time with her BFF as she can.  Romance is definitely not on the list for now, but when her BFF’s older brother sets his sights on her, what can she do?  She’s had a crush on him since they were kids, but he never really saw her…until now.  It’s sure going to make that fresh start a lot more difficult, though, when she has to leave.

What are some of your favorite ‘fresh start’ stories?  I have a signed copy of Hunting Medusa to give away–everyone (US residents over 18) who comments will be entered into a drawing via RandomResult.com. 

About the Author

Elizabeth Andrews has been a book lover since she was old enough to read. She read her copies of Little Women and the Little House series so many times, the books fell apart. As an adult, her book habit continues. She has a room overflowing with her literary collection right now, and still more spreading into other rooms.  Almost as long as she’s been reading great stories, she’s been attempting to write her own.  Thanks to a fifth grade teacher who started the class on creative writing, Elizabeth went from writing creative sentences to short stories and eventually full-length novels. Her father saved her poor, callused fingers from permanent damage when he brought home a used typewriter for her.

Elizabeth found her mother’s stash of romance novels as a teenager, and—though she loves horror—romance became her very favorite genre, making writing romances a natural progression. There are more than just a few manuscripts, however, tucked away in a filing cabinet that will never see the light of day.

Along with her enormous book stash, Elizabeth lives with her husband of more than twenty years and two young adult sons, though no one else in the house reads nearly as much as she does. When she’s not at work or buried in books or writing, there is a garden outside full of herbs, flowers and vegetables that requires occasional attention.

Hunting Medusa

The Medusa Trilogy, Book 1

When Kallan Tassos tracks down the current Medusa, he expects to find a monster. Instead he finds a wary, beautiful woman, shielded by a complicated web of spells that foils his plans for a quick kill and retrieval of her protective amulet.

Andrea Rosakis expects the handsome Harvester to go for the kill. Instead, his attempt to take the amulet imprinted on her skin without harming her takes her completely by surprise. And ends with the two of them in a magical bind—together. But Kallan isn’t the only Harvester on Andi’s trail…

Check it out here!

Today, let’s take a moment and introduce you to an author you’ve probably never heard of:  Grace Risata…  (In the interest of honesty, I interviewed myself for Delilah’s blog…yes, I usually talk to myself, so I figured why not go full on ‘crazy’ and do a complete interview!)

ME:  Hello.  How are you today?

Myself:  I’m fine!  Thanks for having me.  What would you like to know?

ME:  Tell the readers of Delilah’s blog a little bit about yourself.  All they know so far is that you’re a little strange.

Myself:  I prefer the term ‘eccentric’ because it sounds a little bit more sophisticated.  Well, I’m a new author who published three books in 2016 and I’m actually publishing my newest release, “My Dirty Vacation” in a few weeks.

ME:  Sounds good.  What kind of books do you write?

Myself:  I specialize in contemporary romance, heavy on the comedy aspect and VERY heavy on the steam.  I like realistic situations so the reader can envision herself as the main character.  I love alpha males, sexy bedroom scenes (I have a tendency to involve food in some of my intimate scenarios), and lots of humor.  You will ALWAYS find a Happily Ever After in my full length novels.

ME:  What don’t you like in books?

Myself:  I hate cheating, love triangles, secret billionaires, and heroines who make poor choices.

ME:  Why don’t you tell us about one of your books, please.

Myself: I’d be happy to!  My best-selling book is called MOWED.  It’s a very steamy humorous erotic romance.  Here is the synopsis:

Curvy girl Pepper is accustomed to flying under everyone’s radar. Being a big girl hasn’t led to many dates or exciting adventures. All of that was about to change.

Through the small-town rumor mill, Pepper learns her old teenage crush just moved back to town. Jason was the star quarterback, prom king, and also Pepper’s neighbor from across the street.

One day he sees Pepper out mowing the lawn and makes her an offer of no-strings attached, no-holds barred sex that has the potential to benefit them both.

Nothing quite turns out the way either of them thought it would.

Click to look inside and find out what happens when the simple act of mowing the lawn turns into so much more…

WARNING: This story contains a plentiful amount of graphic sex scenes (over EIGHT of them…yes, I counted…including ones involving Barbeque Sauce, Pirates, Ice Cubes, and Handcuffs). They are all M/F and absolutely consensual. If you’re looking for a sick, twisted, dark tale – please go elsewhere, you will NOT find it here. All my stories come with a guarantee that you will crack a smile, find a happily-ever-after ending, and never have to deal with an annoying cliffhanger. There’s also no cheating, no love triangles, no unicorns, and no murder. 

If I’ve grabbed your attention, I would like to let you know that it’s on sale for only 99 cents on Amazon.  Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/Mowed-Erotic-Beautiful-Comedy-Romance-ebook/dp/B01M1FJ7IL

ME:  Thanks for being here, Grace, and good luck with your writing career.  One last thing…where can we find you online?  Got any social media links?

Myself:  Yes, I do.  Thanks for asking!  You can “follow” my blog (The icon in the right corner of the website) and get exclusive access to new releases and Advanced Reader Copies.  I also post random tidbits about what’s going on in my life.  You’ll find posts about recipes gone wrong, product tests gone wrong, and vacations gone wrong.  Yes, I’m a magnet for a trouble.  However, it sure makes for entertaining stories!

Grace Risata
Website https://gracerisata.wordpress.com/
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Risata/e/B01AUXMZAO
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14888691.Grace_Risata
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Grace-Risata-1692337781051007/

Thank you for joining me today and, as a parting gift, I’d like to invite you download a free story on Smashwords or Instafreebie.  Here are the links to “Unicornia” https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/625171   and “My Dirty Bet” https://instafreebie.com/free/lFQoA. 

Enjoy!  I’d also like to give a giant “THANK YOU!” to Delilah Devlin for having me.

UPDATE: The winner of this contest is…Alyssa Drake!

* * * * *

I collect photos like some folks collect baseball cards or Fenton glass. In my down time, it’s not unusual for me to peruse the stock photo sites, looking for a little inspiration for future stories. I found this photo, and while I didn’t have a particular project in mind (still don’t!), the woman, the misty setting—they intrigued me. So I downloaded it.

Writers often use “photo prompts” to kickstart the brainstorming process. Today, if you’d like to play, you can try your hand at coming up with your own story idea. Doesn’t have to be long or involved. Just have fun!

If you do decide to play, there’s a free story in it for one lucky winner! You can choose any story from among my most recently released series, Night Fall, Cowboys on the Edge or Uncharted SEALs.