Summer is here! It’s time to get out there and enjoy every second of it. Here’s my foolproof plan for enjoying a summer’s day at home.

Step #1

Get an adult beverage. Wine is always an excellent choice but here’s one that’s been a family favorite for years. Mix it up, put it in the freezer, and it’s a cool, refreshing drink whenever you want one.

Summer Slush

Ingredients:
1 – 12 oz can of frozen orange juice
1 – 12 oz can of frozen lemonade
¾ cup of sugar
5 cups of water
2 cups of vodka

In large freezer proof container, mix in order given and freeze.

Serve ½ glass of slush with 7 up or ginger ale.

Step #2

Snacks. There should always be snacks. Unlike winter, when I admit to going heavy on the sweets, this time of year I crave the fresh fruits of summer—apricots, cherries, watermelon, grapes. These are not always easy to get where I live. Some cheese and crackers, maybe some hummus. For dessert—because there should always be dessert—some excellent dark chocolate. These backyard picnic-style snack foods are also a great way to avoid having to cook.

Step #3

A good book. Reading is the way I relax and let go of all my worries. I live in an apartment, so I love to take my book out on my balcony, relax in my lawn chair, and enjoy a refreshing beverage—iced tea or something with a little more zip. (See Step #1)

And if you’re looking for something to read, you might want to check out the Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology. The great thing about an anthology is the stories are shorter and you can sample a variety of authors—perfect for a relaxing afternoon in the sun

Inside Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, you’ll find stories by some of the hottest romance writers out there for readers who crave mysterious, enigmatic men and women who may not be who they claim to be. Perhaps they’re the new next-door neighbor with a secret mission, an alien from a far-away galaxy looking for his fated mate, or a spy trying to catch a foreign agent. Whatever their secrets, intrigue and passion follow…

My contribution is “Perfect Stranger” – An undercover DEA agent must keep his identity secret from the woman he’s falling for, a woman he’s also investigating.

Coming July 30^th. Preorder your copy today.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5SQ4P2P/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secret-identities-delilah-devlin/1145674531
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/secret-identities-8

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit her at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

If you thought the police officers of Delta Heat were hot, the firefighters of Station 69, the Delta Fire series, are on fire! Yeah, that’s kind of cheesy, but I’ve been dying to say that! 🙂 Yes, this series is erotic romance. You’ve been warned!

All I want to say is the guys in Firehouse 69 have suffered a loss and are looking for a way to heal. Enter Club La Forge. Because I want you to start with this book first, I’ve set the price at only $0.99—and it’s FREE for a limited time in Kindle Unlimited. 

Burning Up Memphis

When firefighter John Cooper accepts an invitation to go to Club LaForge with his friends, he didn’t expect the sights and sounds of the BDSM club to have such an effect on him. Far from being turned off, he’s surprised to find himself thinking this lifestyle might just be what he needs—especially if Moira, his luscious guide for the evening, is willing to teach him everything he wants to know.

Moira Blessing is an experienced BDSM trainer, and she senses that Coop is not only a Dom in the making, but he could also be the man she’s looking for—someone to be her lover and her Dom. But Coop’s best friend just died on the job, and he’s not interested in anything serious right now. Good thing Moira thinks going slow can be sexy when done right…

Note: This book was previously published.

Get your copy here!

UPDATE: The winner is…Deb Brown!
*~*~*

What indeed? If you’ve visited this blog during the past couple of weeks, you know that there’s something fun happening over at another website I run, Delilah’s Collections. It only gets active for a few months a year, but when it does, it’s like a firehose of activities!

We’re running a little campaign now through the release of our latest collection, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, which will drop on July 30th. It’s a fun getting to know the authors activity, filled with interesting tidbits about them and multiple opportunities to win prizes or pick up some freebies.

Now back to those images… They represent the first four posts from the authors who are eager to meet you!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether you’ve been over to the Collections website to “meet” our new authors!

This month will be a firehose of books coming at you! Yay!

The first two are re-releases of stories in a series of three, and I’m writing the fourth and final book, which comes your way in September. The books are hot—like smutty, erotic hot. If you’re into that, you don’t want to miss them. And who doesn’t like hot firefighters?!

Pre-order your copy!

Pre-order your copy!

Next up, is the first book in the new Montana Bounty Hunters: West Yellowstone series! Cyrus is sexy if a bit, reserved (grumpy). The woman who sets her cap for him will find coaxing him into better humor, and into her bed, quite a challenge.

Pre-order your copy!

Finally, Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology will close out the month! I hope you’ll follow along as we introduce you to the authors who’ve contributed their wonderful stories to this volume! We’re running contests on the Collections website that you won’t want to miss!

Preorder your copy!

Open Contests

1. Getting to know Cameron Allie! (CONTEST + 2 FREE Reads!) — 10 Winners! FREE reads for all!
2. We’re gearing up for the release of Secret Identities! — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Meet me on the bridge… — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — Win a signed book + some hand-painted goodies!
5. It’s my birthday, but I’m giving away the gift! — Everyone, get your FREE copy. This offer ends soon!
6. What’s Coming Soon & the Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Orange you glad you stopped by? — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. June into July (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Carol Cox!
*~*~*

Before I dig into accomplishments and plans, I want to invite you to another website!

The Collections website is where the authors of the anthologies I curate play! We’re getting geared up for the release of our newest collection at the end of July, so in this coming month we’ll spend time introducing you to the authors! There will be contests with things to win. Click on the link to check out the site, and while you’re over there, subscribe to get the postings sent straight to your inbox so you don’t miss a thing! Delilah’s Collections Website

June

1. I revised the fifth story of my Delta Heat series and published two of them: Twice the Bang and Once is Never Enough.
2. I’ve revised the first story in the Delta Fire series, Burning Up Memphis, which will be released on July 9th!
3. I continued work on Cyrus, which is presently scheduled for release on July 23rd!
4. I completed 3 editing projects for other authors in June and hope to finish another today!
5. I’ve been editing away on the stories that will be inside Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, coming at the end of July.

Health-related:

1. I had a slew of doctor’s appointments and follow-up screenings. I saw my VA doctor, who thinks I’m now diabetic, barely. I have some work to do to try to reverse course. I also had a mammogram (it was clear!), a CT of my abdominal aorta (that’s a thing to get checked when you are a certain age—and no issue there), a cancer-screening with the dermatologist (no issues), a lung x-ray (I’m good to go), and bone density imaging. I officially have osteoporosis, now. 🙁
2. The biggest improvement I’ve made this month is that I quit smoking. Cold turkey.
3. I did not pay attention to what I put in my mouth. *Sigh*

Happiness-related: 

1. June was busy for family activities. When I had appointments in the city, we took advantage with shopping sprees and meals out. We’ve had movie nights at home and special meals where everyone participated in the food prep. We are loving our new Blackstone grill.
2. The pool is still giving us fits. Every chemical known to mankind has been tossed at it, but we still have issue with phosphates and cloudiness.
3. I finished the #the100dayproject art challenge!
4. Here are some examples of art projects I completed in June:

July

Is that not a yummy array of covers?!

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete writing Cyrus, the first of my new MBH in Yellowstone series, and which I will release on July 23rd!
2. To complete editing the stories for the upcoming collection—Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology! Plus, get the anthology assembled, formatted and ready for publication on July 30th!
3. To revise the first two books in my erotic romance series, Delta Fire. I’ll republish two of the stories in July: Burning up Memphis and Hotter with a Pole.
4. To complete 3 editing projects in July!

For health related, I plan:

1. To exercise. Still not certain the pool will be under control. But I will walk (counting steps) and make use of my recumbent bike.
2. To start back on my Weight Watchers diet, because it’s time to get serious! (I say this every month, but I really, really have to do it!)
3. To reduce salt and processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas) and my liver (apple cider vinegar, flax seeds, sunflower seeds).
4. To take my BP every day and log it!
5. To schedule the last of the health-related appointments I need to wrap up: Eye exam and dental exam.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To fiddle in my art room!
2. To spend time with the family—movies, flea market adventures, and pool (hopefully)!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or 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!

UPDATE: The winner is…Katherine Anderson!
*~*~*

Before we get to the puzzle, I’d like to say a word about something that’s starting on Monday and will continue through the release of Secret Identities: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology on July 30th! There are 14 authors who have contributed stories to the book, and I can’t wait for you to meet them all! To introduce them, we’ll be starting a “Getting to Know [insert author name]” campaign, where you’ll learn fun things about these authors and compete for prizes! So, if you don’t want to miss any of the fun, be sure to head to the website and subscribe to get the posts sent to your email inbox. Here’s where you can go to sign up: Delilah’s Collections. We’ll see you there next week!

Saturday Puzzle-Contest

Orange you glad you stopped by? Sorry for the cringey pun! I couldn’t help myself. When I think of summer, I remember my summers spent in Florida, the roadside orange stands that weren’t far from my house, and driving past the fragrant orange groves. The scent of oranges is my favorite of all things. (Maybe I shouldn’t post these things before breakfast!)

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, and then tell me what your favorite fruit-scent is + tell me whether you’re planning to join us next week on the Collections site!

I’m sipping coffee and listening to the Stones’ “Mothers Little Helper.” Here goes…

It’s been a while, but my daughter and I hit the local flea market! Had to snap the flea market mascot, Catrick Swayze. He’s the barely domesticated, loves to nip, and gripes with every meow. You can see his meanness in his face, can’t you? My kind of cat.

And here’s my haul…

Not so impressive, I know. The microwave candy is for the girls, not me. Blech. My daughter found the pineapple for me. We’ve been looking for a solution to hold my coffee K-cups in the art room—and voilà! She also found the pretty tin. I collect them and have dreams of cutting them up into pretty shapes to make jewelry with them. She winces when she spots a pretty tin because she can picture the carnage. The cardboard box beside everything…? Someone bought up a bunch of those Amazon mystery boxes and offered them individually. We bought one! It’s so much fun to get them home, open them, and see whether you have treasure or dreck. We had a mixed box. Bento boxes. Christmas decorations. Pillow covers. Finger chopsticks. Maybe 70 small Christmas-themed notebooks. And six decibels-measuring devices…? (I will have to figure out how to unload those!) Yeah, treasure and dreck. But so much fun unboxing.

Report Card

Last week…

• I worked on two editing jobs for other authors; I should finish one of them today.
• I resolved my issues with the Kindle platform, and all four books in the Delta Fire series, which is the follow-on to the Delta Heat series, are loaded and ready for pre-order, including the last book in the series, which has not previously been published, Ignition. I’ll share all the covers this week—they are so hot!
• I am working on editing the Secret Identities short stories for the anthology.
• The biggest bummer of the week is that our pool is still “un-swimmable” for now. We were having fits, dumping tons of chemicals and never getting the water perfectly crystal clear, so we decided to replace the sand. When my SIL replaced it and put the filter back together, it leaked. We replaced seals and a collar on the filter, then when we got everything put back together, we had another leak on the Polaris hose. We got a part in yesterday, so I’m crossing my fingers that’s the problem. It will be a few days before the pool is clear enough to swim in. My dd says there’s another snake in there, but it’s too cloudy to fish the critter out. *sigh*
• Okay, so maybe that’s not the biggest bummer. I went to the doctor at the VA this week, and she says I’m diabetic now. Barely, but she’s putting me on meds. I have got to drop some pounds!

This next week…

• I will work on two editing projects for other authors, finishing two, I hope!
• I’ll continue editing stories in the Secret Identities anthology. Plus, I’ll work with the authors to organize a promo schedule.
• I have a lung and bone density test coming up, so we’ll have another trip to the big city.
• I will finish creating small art daily for #The100DayProject. I’m almost there!
• The pool situation will be settled this week!!!!!
• I’m adding one more goal to get a plan in place to tackle the weight. I’m going to research what foods I can eat and those I can avoid, and then create a meal plan. Realistic exercise goals will be set, too. I tend to have better success when I follow a plan…

Open Contests

1. Word Search: Inside SECRET IDENTITIES (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Gabbi Grey: Are we allowed to have favorites? (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Story Cubes — Tell me a story (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Saturday Puzzle Contest: On this day…Ghostbusters released! — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Melanie Jayne: My Nightly Conundrum—To DNF or Not (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — Win a signed book and hand-painted goodies!
7. Another Puzzle Day: What is he hunting? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Happy Sewing Machine Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
9. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Shark Movies are Summertime Fun! — Win an Amazon gift card!