Today, it is dark and rainy. The perfect setting for the broken-hearted protagonist staring out the window with tears running down their face. Yeah- I am that author. I love to write those scenes that make the tears flow, that make you feel. The ones that make you keep reading but you are hurting. Better known as “The Good Stuff.”
When I need to inflict that hurt upon my characters or I feel the emotions building up—I put on this playlist and I let my emotions flow.
The songs are in no particular order and I limited myself to one per artist.
“I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Live Version from iTunes Festival 2011) by Adele.
To me, Adele is the Queen of Sad. However, there is something about this song being live and the vulnerability that I sense in her voice- instant tears.
“Colorblind” by the Cast of Glee
The words! “I only see gray.” I love the imagery in this song.
“I Can’t Tell You Why” by the Eagles
True story- I listened to this song on repeat when I was going through a break-up in college. It was my first adult break-up and Timothy B. Schmit’s voice is achingly sweet as he sings about the feelings of frustration and helplessness.
“i hate u, i love u” by gnash
Who hasn’t been stuck in this circle? This song speaks to the aggravation that you feel.
“Burning House” by Cam
I saw the artist perform this song on an awards show. It was stark and full of pain. Too little, too late.
“Hurt” by Johnny Cash
Is this a love song? A tale of drug abuse? Pain set to music? I would answer affirmative to all the above. The perfect pairing of Cash’s roughened voice to the angry, sorrowful lyrics
“Yesterday, When I Was Young” by Shirley Bassey
Such a powerful, smooth voice singing about loss and reflection. Dim the lights, sip your favorite beverage, and remember.
“When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars
The first time I heard this song, I wrote an entire book in my head that became You Only. A list of the simple regrets that soon become a huge problem.
“Black” by Pearl Jam
Life and love are never simple. We can grow from pain and learn from our mistakes.
“And So It Goes” by Billy Joel
This is a great example of The Piano Man’s skill. The simple words paint a poignant picture of doomed love.
Grab your box of tissues, lock the door, and let go.
To win an e-book copy of one of my books (your choice) please comment below with your favorite sad song.
About the Author
Melanie Jayne has the best life. She spends her days chatting with feisty females, waking up to sexy men, eating chocolate, and wearing pajamas. Her books predominantly feature characters over the age of thirty-five, facing life head-on. They are woman-positive and advocate empowerment.
As M. Jayne she has been tasked with telling the tales of The Novus Pack. Where a human is dumped on a werewolf pack.
She lives a quiet life on a grain farm in central Indiana with her patient husband and their mastiff, Duncan Keith. She loves trashy TV and TMZ.
My sincere thanks to Delilah for allowing me to return to her wonderful blog and share an update of Diana Cosby’s Romance Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity Home.
A bit of background. Romance readers are AMAZING, and SO is Habitat For Humanity, a charity that I love supporting and volunteering for. Several years ago I thought, why not pair the two and help a deserving family receive a home? And, the Diana Cosby’s Romance Reader’s Build A Habitat For Humanity House fundraiser was born.
I contacted the Habitat For Humanity office in Grayson County, Texas, where I’ve had the honor of helping with several builds and spoke with Laurie Mealy, Executive Director. She embraced the project and was thrilled at the thought of pairing romance readers, who love stories where heroes and heroines overcome challenges to make their dreams come true, with making the dream of homeownership for a deserving family a reality.
Goal: Fund an entire home – $55,000.
I kicked off the challenge by donating $200. As I write this, we’ve raised $23,735, and we’re only $3,854 away from having raised ½ the funds needed to build a Habitat For Humanity Home! Romance readers are amazing, and I have complete faith that as the stories they love, they will continue to join together to raise the amount necessary to give a deserving family a home.
How it works:
As readers send donations to Habitat for Humanity of Grayson County for the ‘Diana Cosby’s Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity House of Love,’ the total contributions are updated below the house graphic on the upper right side of their homepage. Donations can be sent via PayPal by ‘clicking’ on the house, which takes you to the donation page, or by mailing a check or money order to:
Habitat for Humanity of Grayson County
901 N. Grand Avenue
P.O. Box 2725
Sherman, TX 75091
*Please note on your donation: ‘For Diana Cosby’s Romance Readers Build A Habitat For Humanity House.’
Again, my sincere thanks to Delilah for allowing me to return to her blog, and another huge thanks to everyone for helping make an incredible difference in a deserving family’s life. For when they walk into a Habitat For Humanity house, it’s more thank mortar and wood, but a place where they can call home.
*Photos used with permission of Habitat For Humanity Grayson County, TX.
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 Brothersseries 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 Brothersseries and The Oath Trilogy, she released the bestselling The Forbidden Series.
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 Habitat For Humanity post on Delilah’s blog between 15 March 2021 – 21 March 2021. The winner will receive a Mug.
I almost forgot to post today! Can I be blamed? Over the past week, I’ve been working on four sets of edits for other authors and trying to wrap up the book I have to have finished and uploaded by next Friday (I know, I’m cutting it close—again!). All that while dealing with my busted tailbone, which is making it hard for me to sit for long periods of time. I’m entitled to whine. I’m getting the work done (while popping copious amounts of Tramadol and Ibuprofen).
Anyway, when I’m searching for topics for this blog, sometimes, I just go with whatever’s on my mind. Right now, I have food on my mind, or rather on my belly. My dd cooked one of our family’s favorite meals—Indian chicken curry with naan bread. I added several large spoonfuls of mango pickle. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a very spicy mix of peppers and slices of mango. It sets my mouth on fire, but I love it. Anyway, we just finished the meal, and I was wondering what the rest of you enjoy for family meals.
Let me know a favorite dish you enjoy for a chance to win your choice of a download of one of my books!
I’m Sierra Brave, author of the Horse Mountain Shifters series. I’m excited to be back on Delilah Devlin’s blog today to share an excerpt from my newly released paranormal romance. Scarlett and the Big Bad is a fantasy Red Riding Hood retelling but also the first in a three-book series filled with magic, romance, danger, and angst.
Most everyone knows the original story of Little Red Riding Hood, but Scarlett Capuche, the heroine in my book, is a young woman, who in some ways is as naïve as the original. Imagine being raised away from society and only being taught what your captors want you to know?
I imagine everyone remembers the old lines of “What big eyes you have, Grandmother!” The only elderly matriarch in Scarlett and The Big Bad isn’t exactly on her side, but the (were)wolf is much more open with his intentions. He does reveal something huge to her though…but I’m getting ahead of myself.
Here’s a fun little compare and contrast:
Scarlett and the Big Bad
Fated Fairytales 1
Release Date: March 9, 2021
Promised power and position, Scarlett Capuche left her tiny village to join the prestigious Order of the Phoenix.
Monty Blackwolf never wanted a mate, especially not a human raised on a hidden farm for blood-ritual sacrifice. But his werewolf’s heightened sense of smell drew him to Scarlett’s sweet fragrance from miles away.
Duty-bound to protect her, he will break her of her religious devotion to the magical terrorist group responsible for the murders of his parents and older brother, even if he has to put her over his knee and turn her bottom as red as her hair.
She belongs to him now, and he will claim all of her despite his affliction with a unique, third shifter-form he doesn’t fully understand and isn’t able to control.
Will Monty save Scarlett, or will he prove more dangerous to her than anyone else?
Author’s Note: If you’re offended by steamy fairytale retellings with graphic language, explicit put-you-in-the-moment love scenes, elements of power exchange, and domestic discipline, you might want to look for a different book.
As she relaxed against him, his heart drummed against her back, the beat syncing with hers. The lump in her throat dissolved as her chest rose and fell with his.
She stared at the ceiling. The lights appeared to blur as she mewed and groaned. His hands, big and rough, worshiped her skin, every inch touched, washed, tenderly explored but never exploited. After a while, Scarlett blinked and stretched, realizing the naked girl staring at her was her reflection. Monty patted her dry as she sat on the edge of the tub.
“What happened?” Her heart pounded as confusion nipped at her brain.
Standing with only a towel wrapped around his hips, his six firm abdominals close to her eye level, he shrugged. “We had a bath. I think you might have dozed off a little. It’s been a long day.”
She tapped her finger against her lip as he hung up the wet towels before grabbing a fresh one. She most certainly had not been asleep. Now back in her right mind, she remembered every slight movement of his hand, every turn of his fingertips, the coiling in her stomach as the tantalizing sensations coaxed forth primal feelings she’d never imagined she’d possessed. She recalled breathing in his scent so deeply she could taste it even as they laved the fragrance away, and she had fantasized about him manhandling her, forcing her legs open and entering her even though he had not.
About Sierra
Sierra Brave is a multi-published author of heart-pounding, blush-inducing romance with put-you-in-the-moment love scenes. She enjoys writing about a variety of gorgeous alpha males who can’t resist head-strong heroines. Curvy girls have a special place in her heart and often grace the pages of her books. Tales of shifters, cowboys, twisted fairy tales, space pirates, Amazon warriors, and vampires capture her imagination as do tempting spanking and ménage scenarios, but she also engages in more down-to-earth themes such as office romance. You’ll find lots of unique characters and humor in all of her stories.
Tell me a story. Just a short one will do. Doesn’t have to be good or long. Funny is always appreciated, too. Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
Sure, I don’t have a 9 to 5 job anymore, but Fridays are still a special day of the week in the Devlin house! Why?
The kids can see the light at the end of the tunnel! They live for Fridays. They wake up with a little more pep in their steps because they know they only have to muddle through one more day of school assignments (all four do online school) and tomorrow they can sleep in!
Parents see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just one more day of pushing kids to finish up their assignments, and they can sleep in, too!
Friday nights are usually movie nights. We have a dinner everyone enjoys then we settle in on the couches for family fun night.
We talk about what kind of fun things we can do over the weekend. Yes, there are chores to catch up on, but we do try to find something fun and safe to do, like make a trip to the open, airy flea market! (That’s my hope for this weekend, anyway.)
What about you? Are Fridays a day where hope springs eternal that you’ll get a chance to relax a bit and do something fun? For a chance to win a free download, let me know whether Friday is a special day of the week for you or just another day? And let me know if you’re doing anything fun this weekend!
Danger is sexy. Why? Pounding heart, rushing blood, a wild cry in the night. Is it danger or passion? Hard to tell because they evoke the same responses. They wake us up and put all our senses on high alert. The difference is while one can end in death, the other can lead to eternal love. Danger also makes us vulnerable. Forcing us to trust, and Delia has a big problem with that…
After 2020, Delia Sloane struggles to keep Rainbow Falls Resort afloat while grieving the loss of her father and husband. She refuses to let her Key Largo slice of paradise—a haven for non-mainstream couples—die. But when a serial killer begins attacking her guests—leaving a single dreadlock on each victim—everything spins out of control, including what’s left of her family.
Hides a killer…
After her brother’s experience with police brutality, the last place she wants to turn to for help is law enforcement. Scarred mentally by a deadly force incident, Detective Will Peterson has avoided homicide cases. But only he has the skills to drill into the elusive killer’s twisted mind.
And it just got personal…
When a hurricane strikes, exposing the horrible truth behind Delia’s losses and threatening everything she holds dear, trusting Will may be her only hope. Are they up to the challenge?
They climbed the metal staircase and arrived at her door. Her hand trembled as she swiped the card key and opened it.
Will’s eyes looked electric blue in the semi-darkness, burning into her soul.
“Would you like me to come in?” he asked, his voice so husky she could barely understand him.
The throbbing magnetic pulse between them was much easier to comprehend.
She answered by grabbing his hand and pulling him inside. While he closed the door, she turned on her pineapple-shaped lamp, nearly knocking it over. She felt as if she swam underwater as he looped his arms around her waist. She locked her own behind his neck, exploring the crisp texture of his hair while they kissed again.
His hot tongue explored her mouth, making her melt at every joint, especially between her legs. The olive pantsuit she wore seemed to catch fire as her skin ignited with desire. Was it chemistry? Or the danger?
Stop. They had to stop.
She wrenched her mouth away. “I-I haven’t been with anyone since Keith.”
“There’s been no one since Amy, either.”
“Then why are we here?” she asked.
He brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “Because we need each other.”
Maybe if she hadn’t heard about the video of her father, she wouldn’t be so emotional right now. So vulnerable. It felt as if a dam had broken inside her, washing away all her control.
Every pain she’d ever suffered bubbled to the surface—Keith’s drowning, Jamal’s injury and imprisonment, her economic problems.
The force of it flooded her. Made her grab the lapels of his blazer and wrench it off. As if joining with him would cure every pain she’d ever endured. Wildness and pain filled his eyes, too. He grabbed her hips and slammed them against his pelvis. Against his steel-hard desire.
She kissed him until her lips bruised. Until the pain mixed with the losses screaming and aching inside her.
“Where’s your bedroom?” he asked, breathing hard against her cheek.
She cupped her hand over the swollen ridge behind his zipper. “We’re not going to make it that far.”
Afton Locke is a USA Today Bestselling Author who prefers romantic fantasies to everyday reality. Fantasies take her to different times, races, places, and beyond. She lives with her husband, several unnamed dust bunnies, and a black cat that can be scary or cuddly, depending on the current book. When she’s not writing, Afton enjoys hiking, cooking, reading, and watching retro T.V.
Do you ever need a good cry?
