UPDATE: The winner is…flechen1!
*~*~*

I feel rejuvenated! Yesterday, I began my day by editing some stories and painting my daily challenge pieces. Then the rest of the day was spent celebrating! My dd and my SIL have birthdays just a few days apart, so we held a family birthday celebration. We all dressed in 80’s fashion—my dd wore a fishnet glove and lacy headband with big black jewelry like Madonna; my SIL wore short shorts and a too-big white tank like Richard Simmons. All the girls, including me, had big hair and neon makeup. The 15-year-old made finger foods; we ate cupcakes. Then we spent a good two hours in the pool together. Pure heaven.

This morning, we headed to the flea market—our first shopping excursion that wasn’t a one-person run-in-and-grab or a curbside delivery. We all masked and used hand sanitizer. I sanitized the shopping cart, and off we went. Of course, we found treasures that went straight into the wash and sink when we got home. What was sad, to me, was how few people there took those same kinds of precautions. I really, really wanted to walk up to “the unmasked” and tell them, “You can thank me for my consideration,” (a passive-aggressive move, I know) but I figured it was a waste of breath. 🙁

Anyways, I have an interesting eggsalad sandwich tray that I think will make a great paint palette. The egg wells can hold the paint. The sandwich wells can be a place to mix the colors… What do you think? (Please ignore my messy art table!)

The fish above it was a fun find as well. I have an aquatic theme going on with the art on one wall of my bathroom. This bit of whimsy will go nicely! 🙂

So, onto the puzzle-contest!

A Puzzle & a Contest

Solve the puzzle and then tell me what you think this picture is all about for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Take advantage of this offer while you can!

Flashback: Quincy (Contest–3 Winners! Plus an Excerpt!) — This offer ends soon! Win a free story!

My mental health is fine (I hear my dd cackling). But then, I limit my time watching the news these days. While the nation goes to “hell in a handbasket,” I keep my head down with work and painting. I won’t get into politics here because opinions are like assholes—everyone’s got one. But I will ask, how’s the social distancing going? Are you still masking? I hope so because I wish you well.

My family is managing quite well. We take a few risks—food shopping, doctor’s visits. The kids had their first “playdate” with a couple of friends. They said they were distancing too, but we kept them all outside in the pool. Arkansas’ numbers are rising, so that might be it for the kids for a while, sad to say. The goal is survival in the Devlin house. Tempers flare now and then, but we have a pool. If anyone gets too hot, we jump in. No irritability lasts long there.

I have a puzzle for you! One sure to make you smile—or at least shake your head. It made me want to find some old Gloria Estefan tune to dance to! Enjoy!

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

So, I’ve been in town three times since mid-March, using precautions (masks, gloves), and I’m amazed how lackadaisical people are about this pandemic. Of course, I live in Arkansas—one of the states that never issued stay-at-home orders. Now, our governor seems confused about how we have a county with the highest rate of infection in the U.S. Duh. More people sick, more people who can reinfect others—especially, when you do nothing.

The kids are getting restless. They understand the need to remain in quarantine, but still, it’s summer. They miss their friends. I miss the flea market. It’s open again, and I may mask up and glove up and head there soon, but my dd says they don’t have staff to sterilize, so anything we bought would have to be sprayed with bleach when we got it home… So, instead, we’re doing projects at home. She’s doing home improvements, I’m painting.

And of course, I’m editing, editing, editing. Seems writers got busy during this pandemic. Lucky you! 🙂

A Puzzle & a Contest

Solve the puzzle and then tell me what you think this picture is all about for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

These contests and offers are still active!

1. Diana Cosby: Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration (Contest) — Win a SIGNED book!
2. Open Contest–Reminders–A New Puzzle/Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Two Important Notices about FREE Reads! — Everyone gets 2 FREE reads!

UPDATE: The winner is…Colleen C.!
*~*~*

Reminder

These contests and offers are still active—but not for long!

1. Open Contests & FREE Short Story! — This offer ends soon! Get your FREE short story!
2. Thom Collins: The Anthem Box Set (Contest—3 Winners!) — This offer ends soon! Get a FREE box set of books!
3. Coming Tuesday! HOT SEAL, DECOY BRIDE, a SEALs in Paradise story! (Contest) — Win FREE SEALs in Paradise story!
4. Reina Torres: An Idea, Some Spare Parts, and a Little Bit of Magic (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
5. Diana Cosby: Nature – Amazing Muse Inspiration (Contest) — Win a SIGNED book!

Another Reminder!

I have a new release! If you love a funny, fast-paced, sexy story, this one’s for you!

A former Navy SEAL is teamed with a feisty ex-Marine to provide protection for a Greek tycoon’s daughter to make sure the bride gets safely to her destination wedding…

Former Navy SEAL, Trigger Matthews, now a special operator with Justin Ballard’s Black Knight Security in New Orleans, is teamed with a feisty ex-Marine as part of the protection detail for a Greek tycoon’s spoiled daughter. The prickly woman proves to be a challenge he’s eager to explore.

Due to her uncanny resemblance to their client’s daughter, Cassandra Locke is tasked with being a “decoy bride”, a job that sees her going through some matrimonial hoops while fighting her growing attraction for her partner for this operation. Together, they create diversions to make sure the real bride has a chance to prepare for her coming nuptials.

Both loners, and unaware of the fact that they are indeed lonely, Trigger and Cass find out they have many more qualities in common, including an inability to stay away from each other. As the real bride’s day draws closer, they learn that she’s more than a girl born with a silver spoon in her mouth and find unexpected friendships along the way.

When danger draws nearer, they must trust each other’s strengths to get them through it.

Get your copy now!
Read an excerpt!
Also available in print!

The Puzzle Contest!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle and then tell me a story about what you think the picture means!

The winner is…Christine!
*~*~*

First, Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers out there!

I spent last evening working with the 6-year-old to make a special mom’s day gift for my dd. It was “super-secret” and mom was warned away from the craft room. The little one chose the beads—a very pretty, dainty, black hematite accented with silver and rhinestone spacers. Then I cut the elastic and supervised her as she strung all those little beads (took forever, and she dropped a few), until I could tie the knot for her. She was very proud of herself. Then I let her work with my Derwent watercolor pencils to draw a special card for mommy. I loved every minute. She was soooo excited about making something she knew her mommy would wear often. I was excited to share something I know how to do with her.

I imagine she’ll be begging to “bead” often now. 🙂

My own mother passed this last January. So, this is the first Mother’s Day of my life that I’m not celebrating with her. I, too, remember making her paintings that she hung on the fridge. I miss her every day, but more so today. Happy Mother’s Day, mom.

A Puzzle

And just for fun, and to play to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle and tell me what it’s about!

UPDATE: The winner is…Kelley!
*~*~*

Here’s a list of open contests! Be sure to enter!

1. Another month gone… A reminder about open contests, plus a new contest! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. A Reminder and a Puzzle/Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. A. Catherine Noon: The Great Pause (Giveaway) — Get a free app!
4. Flashback: Crescent Moon (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!

Tell me your story!

Let’s get this party started!

I bought this brainstorming tool years ago at some writers’ conference. I’ve only used it here! “Story Cubes” is a brainstorming game. You roll the dice and whatever pictures appear, face-up, are the ones you use to riff off a story.

To make this fun, I’ll offer a prize—a $5 Amazon gift card—good for purchasing one or two stories…

Have fun with this! Don’t overthink! Here’s the roll…

This looks so interesting!!! And there’s a cat hair under the arrows and a crumb in the groove on my desktop. I’m cleaning as soon as I post this!

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

A Reminder!

These contests are still open! Enter while you can!

1. Simple Delights (Contest–3 Winners!) — This one ends soon! Win a free story!
2. Angela Addams: Dream Cast for Wicked Disclosure (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Another month gone… A reminder about open contests, plus a new contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!

A Puzzle & a Contest!

Can you believe I almost forgot to post today? I’ve been posting a daily blog for YEARS, so you’d think it would be part of my DNA by now. But no. So, this is quick!

So far as what’s happening here…? We discovered mold in the basement. Has anyone ever dealt with it before? OMG. We’re tackling it ourselves. Cleaning walls with chemicals, painting with Drylok, pulling up tiles and replacing them. It’s a huge undertaking. The lockdown is feeling pretty convenient right about now…

Our state is starting to open back up. Can’t pay that unemployment if you force people to work. Not getting into that here though. Such sad, sad news, truly horrifying coming from all over the country, but we’re trying our best not to become statistics. We’re continuing our social distancing throughout the dang summer, come Hell or high water!

The goats are growing and growing! Now, my dd wants a lamb (but not as a pet). The big question will be how to keep the little ones from getting too attached!  I’m still pounding away at my story which I have to finish by end of next week. I’m only a little stressed out (cough). I have two editing jobs to finish this week and another to begin. I’ve got all the work I can do. AND I’m keeping up so far with my daily #100dayproject postings!

Here’s today’s:

So, onto why you’re really here!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me a little snippet of a story about this woman!