UPDATE: The winner is…BN!
*~*~*

I haven’t been this close to a deadline in forever, but here I am, typing my little fingers to the bone this week to make sure Jackson is ready to load tomorrow afternoon! Wish me luck! I’ll be sprinting to the finish!

It’s a good thing I’m having fun with the story or this would be torture. My hero and heroine, Jackson and Rachel, have been a joy to “get inside.” And whoo-ee, the story’s hot!

I thought it might be fun for you to get ready for the release next Tuesday, too. So, as part of my countdown, here’s a puzzle with some words related to the story. I’m a word nerd and love crosswords and word searches. If you’re anything like me, these little challenges are a great way to keep your mind sharp. Calisthenics for the brain! (I’m using a lot of exclamation points so I can “use them all up” before I head back into the story. 🙂 )

Word Search Puzzle: Jackson

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC, let me know whether you’ve read some of my bounty hunter stories, and where you might like to see hunters hunt in the future! Do you have any ideas for adventures? Have fun!

I love writing my bounty hunters. They have the best adventures with criminals who could all compete for top honors in the Darwin Awards. I love finding out who my heroes are while they are in the midst of a new hunt. Jackson is no different. If you’ve enjoyed the stories so far, you’ll love this one, too. If you’d like a peek inside Jackson’s adventure, read on!

The games begin when a lone bounty hunter, who likes working alone, clashes with a cable TV showrunner who’s determined to make him a part of her show…

Long Excerpt from Jackson…

Jackson Black crept closer to the encampment, going to his belly as he neared the clearing where the group was partying. Light from a fire penetrated the foliage, giving him enough illumination that he could clearly see the occupants of the campsite.

Pulling his miniature binoculars from a pocket on his vest, he peered around the group ringing the open fire. They were all drinking beer and passing a blunt, person-to-person, around the loop. They were laughing, mostly looking droopy-eyed and chill. They made enough noise that it masked the sounds of him crawling toward their clearing.

Sweeping the group with his lenses, he paused when he found her. Christine Pollack. Mud-colored, curly hair cut chin-length. Pale eyes. Slim. Not bad-looking, just generally unkempt. She wore a tank top, cutoff jeans, and short hiking boots with slouchy socks. A tattoo of a spider’s web trailed from her right shoulder up the side of her neck. Another of a dragon snaked up her left thigh.

His target was seated on the ground between the spread knees of a male who sat on a camp stool. The male was scrawny but hard-faced. A long scar stretched from one eyebrow down his cheek and disappeared into his beard. He was the boyfriend Chrissy’s mother had described. The one who’d led her “down a fool’s path, straight to the devil.”

Jackson didn’t believe in devils or righteous paths—or following the rules. Certainly, neither Chrissy nor Nate Stritch liked following rules. However, they’d bent them until they’d broken, robbing a gas station outside Butte before joining this group of losers squatting inside the Bitterroot National Forest on the Montana side of the park.

What looked like a tiny deer was roasting on a spit over the fire. The scent of roasting meat and marijuana burning was what had given Jackson his first break of the day. After slipping a hundred to a friend of Chrissy’s who’d known they were heading toward the forest and getting the approximate area they’d be camped, he’d been looking for a needle in a haystack until he’d smelled the roasted meat and sagey weed.

Jackson had plenty of paper on Chrissy. How she’d been granted bail when she’d already had a date for another charge was beyond him. Nate, he’d leave for another day when the bondsman who’d handled his bail got really worried. Chrissy had a prior charge for taking a joyride in a stolen front loader. The two-time loser was worth more to him. Although getting them both would’ve been nice, he knew taking Chrissy, when he was working alone, was the smart thing to do.

He placed his binoculars back into his vest and then pulled out his camera to film the rest of the group. He was sure he’d see them again, and it was good to remember faces and the places folks like this thought were safe to hide out. Now, he just had to wait until she headed into the shadows to take a piss. He’d take her then.

Rustling sounded to his side, and he lowered his head, peering under the brush to see whether it was more of Chrissy’s friends or an animal approaching.

Instead, he caught the silhouette of a man and the glint of something shiny on his belt.

Fuck, had the law found them, too? Or was someone here to scoop his bounty out from under him?

He remained still, waiting to see what would unfold while keeping his eye on Chrissy because she was his target, and no one was getting to her first. He got to his knees, ready to spring into the clearing.

“Stand down,” came a whisper to his left. Read the rest of this entry »

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

For all of those in the USA, Happy 4th!

Our family will be playing it low key. #1 — It’s hot as hell, so we’re not driving anywhere to sit and be consumed by mosquitoes while we roast. #2 — We probably won’t do more than sparklers and little poppers because our many animals would freak out, plus the 9-year-old doesn’t like the sound of explosions. #3 — We have a pool, so hopefully, we’ll decide a nighttime swim would be more enjoyable. We are planning finger foods and sandwiches. No grilling. Again — it’s too damn hot. But I hope the rest of you have fun! I’d love to hear what your plans are! I can draw vicarious joy from your celebrations!

So, share what you’ll be doing this 4th for a chance to win a $5 Amazon GC!

FOR AUTHORS — REGARDING A RATE CHANGE FOR MY EDITORIAL SERVICES.

I’ve posted the change here on my webpage: https://www.delilahdevlin.com/editorial-services/

My rate has been the same since 2016—and I’ve been told numerous times that I undercharge for this service. So, I’m hiking up my per-word rate.

For those who already have manuscripts with me or are committed to a firm date for the turn-in of your manuscript, I will charge you the old rate for that ms.

For those who decide I’m more than their pocketbook can take, I understand completely if you need to look for another editor. I still think I’m cheap, but I do understand and wish you well.

As I began updating this week’s work plan, as is my custom, I pulled out my favorite tarot deck, shuffled, and asked my question, Am I going to finish this book?

The answer is: It’s all up to me! Of course. No, I didn’t pull The Star or The World, so there will be no shining, triumphant march to the finish. I pulled Temperance.

First, I studied the card. The picture’s pretty, right? A sunny sky, a pretty rainbow, a lovely angel. A lovely setting. But what is she doing? She’s pouring something from one cup to another. Perhaps measuring the liquid as she does.

Temperance, the word, means moderation and self-restraint. So, the cards are telling me, I have to be “measured” in how I approach the work this week. Follow the plan! Don’t expect some surge of inspiration or endless energy to push me toward The End. Take a solid, measured approach. I can live with that. So, back to my plan and figuring out how many pages/chapters I have to write each day until I’m done!

Open Contests

1. SPIDER coming soon, and Saturday Puzzle-Contest! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Gabbi Grey: When you miss that one little thing… (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. June into July (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Dream Vacation Spot — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Beckie!
*~*~*

Today, already, is hot as hell here in Arkansas (it’s 85 degrees Fahrenheit at 9 AM). The temperature will be over a hundred. We tend to stay indoors when it gets like this, then wander out to the pool when the sun dips below the horizon. The pool is so warm it offers little relief, except for the lovely feeling you get when you’re soaking wet and enter the AC-cooled house. My daughter doesn’t deal well with the heat. She loves winter—sweaters, leggings, and boots. Summer makes her ill. Just sitting outside this morning, talking to me over a cup of coffee, made her nauseous. AND IT’S ONLY THE FIRST DAY OF JULY. I’m down for it. Of course, most of my day is spent in my cool-ish window-less basement office. When I rouse to step outside, I enjoy the bright light and looking at the flowers blooming. My dd would love to mow the lawn, but she pretty much has to do that at dusk or dawn. Like a vampire. LOL. I think today, we’re going to take a break from the heat and head to the indoor flea market. Whee!

So, thinking about summer and lovely things I wish I could do, I searched for a photo of my dream vacation spot. It’s today’s puzzle challenge. Enjoy!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know if this would be anywhere on your bucket list. If not, what would be?

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
*~*~*

June

1. I revised and re-published a story that was originally part of an Entangled anthology, Along Came a Spider on June 27th!
2. I began writing the next Montana Bounty Hunters: We Are Dead Horse, MT — Jackson!
3. I settled on the theme for the next Boys Behaving Badly Anthology — Secret Identities!
4. I completed 3 editing projects for other authors in June.

Health-related:

1. I’ve been swimming almost every day. Sometimes, twice a day.
2. Through medicines and some diet tweaking, I’ve managed to get my blood pressure down. Not enough, and not without an occasional spike, but it’s so much better.

Happiness-related: 

1. I have been working on and making great progress organizing my art room, getting ready for the next push for art shows and reopening my Etsy store.
2. I finished #the100dayproject online art challenge! Here are some of my last pieces I completed in the beginning of June…

July

1. To complete writing and publish Jackson, the next in my Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT series which releases on July 11th!
2. To complete 4 editing projects in July!

For health related, I plan:

1. To swim at least once a day!
2. To resume counting those points for my Weight Watchers diet and hopefully shed at least 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
3. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas, red wine).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps.
5. To do more housework because my art room isn’t finished! Cleaning is exercise, too.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To spend quality time with the family—movie nights, swim-time, making fun meals together!
2. To participate in and complete a free art workshop, the Fodder Challenge 2023!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read in July…
Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!