Yes, I’m pitching another book—meaning, I have a new one coming out on Tuesday that I hope you’re going to love. I certainly do.

Cyrus and Milly were so much fun to write. You’ll think it’s crazy writer fantasy stuff when I say that characters reveal themselves to me rather than I create them. I wait for inspiration to tell my fingers what to type. Often, I see the story appear like a movie reel in my head, and I’m simply the person typing as fast as I can to capture what I see and hear. I pay attention to the clues, as they appear, about what makes my characters unique. I don’t like writing the same book with the same hero and heroine, just changing the names. And I may be starting a new Montana Bounty Hunters series, but I’m hoping the stories inside the stories are just as unique for every book as the two main characters.

Cyrus wrote himself. In the beginning, we meet him, and he’s not much of a team player. He’s irritated that MBH is moving into West Yellowstone and contemplating moving on to the greener pastures. Working with MBH doesn’t really change him. It’s meeting the one woman in the world who was meant to be his other half that convinces him to stick around. You’ll see. Milly is… You’ll see.

The adventures they both have together and apart keep the story moving along and add a lot of the humor and excitement. This story is stuffed with stupid criminals doing criminal things. That will be familiar to you if you’ve read other MBH stories. The takedowns are always fun.

I knew the day when I sat down to write the “meet-cute” scene, that Cyrus and Milly were going to meet. *duh* However, I didn’t know how they’d cross paths until this guy appeared. And yes, I had to find the words very quickly to describe this facial expression.

That’s all I’m going to say. The scene didn’t end the way I thought it would. Let’s just say, Milly made quite the impression on Cyrus. 🙂

That’s all I’ve got for today, folks. I hope I piqued your interest enough you’ll go pre-order Cyrus. Here’s the link to make it even easier: PRE-ORDER CYRUS HERE. See that? Super easy.

Puzzle-Contest

Solve the puzzle then tell me about any memorable wild animal encounters you’ve had for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card. If you can’t think of one, make one up! Your story does not have to be long or even any good. Just have fun.

UPDATE: The winner is…Debby!
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I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name…

I don’t know why that song is playing through my mind today. Okay, so maybe because it’s so dang hot in this house. I’ve stopped looking at the thermostat. Only, this heat isn’t desert-like. It’s swamp-like. I should’ve hunted for a swampy picture for the puzzle.

Since I’m still whining today, you know that our AC hasn’t been fixed. The repairman tells us it will likely be Monday. He’s not my favorite person right now.

I’m tired of the slumber party every night in the 20-year-old’s room. The girls are lovely—my favorite people and wonderful chaos, really. But I’m ready to be a hermit and retire at night to my own bedroom. I was up at 3-ish this morning and tried to go back to sleep, but everyone, including the 20-year-old’s cat, was snoring. So, I snuck downstairs to my office, turned on every fan, and pointed it toward my desk, and here I shall remain until the heat fogs my mind, and I have to throw in the towel. Probably just after noon.

Whine-whine-whine. Whine some more. Okay, I’m done.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me something uplifting today. A quote. A funny story. Your choice!

UPDATE: The winner is…Diane Sallans!
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Before we get into the contest… 

I just wanted to remind everyone, that we’re doing a “Getting to Know You” thing on the Collections website. We’re running contests and giveaways. You’ll meet authors who might be new to you! Be sure to follow this link to check it out. The posts will continue until the release of Secret Identities at the end of this month!

Now, onto today’s little ramble…

The 19-year-old turns twenty today! Our little college girl/pom squad member/school ambassador/future teacher. We’re so proud of her. So, her mom, I, and the 10-year-old are taking her to the city for a meal and a movie—Inside Out 2. We all love a good animated picture. 🙂

So, I’ll be away from my desk for most of the day. Today will be the one break I’ll give myself until I finish the book due out later this month! I hope everyone has a wonderful day, too. Be sure to catch up on the contests still open here and on the Collections website. Enjoy the puzzle!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you are a fan of animated movies. Do you have a favorite? Any recent favorites? The 10-year-old and I adore Moana and probably watch it once a month together just because. 🙂

UPDATE: The winner is…Katherine Anderson!
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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!

UPDATE: The winner is…Pansy Petal!
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It’s Saturday, so it’s puzzle time!

I went to my favorite photo site to find an image and typed in “romantic.” Of course, there were lots of couples sitting on park benches or sharing champagne in a darkened restaurant. Then I saw this photo. It’s the perfect place for a rendezvous. He texts and says, “Meet me on the bridge near your work at noon…” But for what? That’s up to you.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell a little story about who is meeting there and why. Or if you have a favorite “bridge scene” you remember from a book or movie, tell us about it here! Have fun!

UPDATE: The winner is…Deb Brown!
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International Panic Day is a “mock” holiday meant to give people a day to intentionally de-stress.

I’m all for that! Well, I’m all for another odd holiday and all for destressing! How ’bout you?

I thought making a list of ways I like to destress would be fun…

1. 🐈 Pet a pet
2. 📻 Listen to music
3. ☕ Drink a cup of tea
4. 😮‍💨 Breathe
5. 🧘‍♀️ Meditate
6. 🏊‍♀️ Swim!
7. 👭 Spend time with friends
8. 🚶‍♀️ Go for a walk
9. 👩‍⚕️ See a therapist
10. 🏝️ Get away from it all!

The last two aren’t things I generally do, but I was struggling to get to 10! I also managed to fit in a puzzle for you all since so many of you enjoy them!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then add to my list of 10 or tell me which items on my list you use!

UPDATE: The winner is…Beth!
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Do you sometimes wake up with a goal you can’t shake?

I watched a trailer for a movie yesterday and got so excited about it that I messaged the link to my daughter for her to watch. She never replied. So, I take that as she’s not excited about the idea. But how can she not be?! A giant shark in the Seine, IN PARIS?! It’s going to be epic!

Okay, so it’s not as over-the-top as the Sharknado movies (has there ever been anything as gonzo?!), but I can see the possibility of a fun movie night. When the Sharknado films came out every summer for all those years, we made the releases a big event. We’d binge-watch the preceding movies and hunker down with finger-foods and popcorn, our attention glued to the screen. They weren’t meant to be great art, and they weren’t, but oh what fun they were. I have the same reverence for The Meg movies. I just love shark movies and Shark Week. Summer isn’t summer without watching some new shark-disaster movie.

So, this morning, I awoke determined to watch the new movie tonight. I’m pretty sure I can talk the 15-year-old and the 10-year-old into watching with me. We’ll get a huge tub of popcorn and dim the lights. Under Paris will be watched!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you love shark movies like I do. Have you watched Jaws, the Sharknado movies…Shark Tale?