Friday, June 30, 2017

Random Thoughts: Second Half of the Year and Other Stuff

It's actually a pretty morning here in Texas. There's a breeze and the birds are singing, and yes, I hear both of these over the hum of the air conditioner. Turn off the air conditioner and the heat would take over. Summers in Texas, gotta love them. LOL!

DH is outside getting one of his BBQ pits ready. Yes, you read that right. After years of competing in BBQ competitions, he has several pits. I'm lucky. He likes to cook. Today, he's making beef jerky. Last night he prepared the meat and got it to marinating (two new recipes), and today, he's going to smoke the meat. It's a real tough job being his guinea pig.

This is just a start for the Fourth of July...aka...Independence Day in the US. He's planning to BBQ pork ribs and probably a brisket too. I've already been asked to make my "rich" banana pudding, a request not only from family but from some of the friends coming over. I have two different banana puddings that I make. One is just the regular pudding, bananas and vanilla wafers. The other one is a much richer version because of several additions I make to it.

Tomorrow is July 1st.
Wow!
The year is half over. It's something how fast time flies.


Surviving Ivy came out on June 14.  I really enjoyed writing Ivy's story, but now I need to look at the rest of the year and decide what I want to do.

For the last two weeks, I've worked on outlines. I have finished the outlines for a three-book series. Now, I'm working on the outline for Phoenix, book 2 in the Brimstone Heat series. I'm looking through partial outlines and notes for other books, and in some cases. I'm also trying to better organize myself. My office is a complete disaster. I still have boxes that I can't unpack because I don't have any place to put the stuff. I have less bookshelves than I used to have.

What will be the next story I write? I'm not sure. Which story do you want to read next?

Have a wonderful weekend and a safe holiday!

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Excerpt: Surviving Ivy



Ivy hummed to herself as she waited for the barista to make her drink.

She looked around the room. She was going to miss the place. She hoped Bryant Station had a coffee shop. “If they don’t, I could always open one myself.” She smiled at the thought of opening her own business. Once she was moved and settled into her new home, she would have to look into the possibility of opening her own business.

Change was definitely a good thing.

Now, she just had to find her mate and keep him alive.


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Monday, June 26, 2017

Quote of the Week


In the end, 
it's not the years in your life that count.
It's the life in your years.
--Abraham Lincoln


Friday, June 23, 2017

Random Thoughts: Texas Heat, Surviving Ivy, and Outlines

Summer is definitely here! Where I'm at in Texas is HOT! The current temperature is 98F, but it feels like 102F. The air conditioner is running. Even with the a/c going, I can hear the birds and cicadas singing. Right now, there are dove in the backyard. I live on the backside of the staff housing on what used to be an military base, so my backdoor open up on to a field.

DH put out several bird feeders and over the weeks there has been a variety of birds visiting. Dove, mockingbirds, blue jays, cardinals (mated pair) are just a few. It's interesting to watch them. I've even seen a roadrunner hanging around the area.

There's other wildlife out here too. The trees are home to squirrels, woodpeckers and owls. Coyotes live in the area. I haven't seen them, but I have heard them late at night. It's kind of eerie to sitting up late and to suddenly hear the lonesome howl. I've seen a couple of deer, and DH tells me there is a fox living under the building where he works. Of course, we have the deadlier critters too. Workers have killed several rattlesnakes and copperheads already this summer, and a couple of the snakes were definitely not small either.


Surviving Ivy is live in ebook form at various vendors. Though it took me longer to write, I really enjoyed Ben and Ivy's story. If you have read it, leave a review and let others know about it. On Facebook, I have promos you can share. If you have a blog and want to post a cover, blurb, interview etc. just send me an email.

I am on Instagram and Facebook, if you want to follow me.

The paperback version will be available soon. The formatting is not finished, and the cover needs to be done.

I haven't started writing another book yet. Instead, I've been working on outlines. There are several books I want to write--for the series I already have out and for new series. I also have several ideas for series that I want to develop. So far I have two outlines ready and am about halfway through a third one. Ideas are flowing right now, so I'm trying to take advantage of it.


Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Excerpt: Surviving Ivy

Surviving Ivy
Bryant Stations Curves, book 8


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Book Summary:
He is a bear shifter. 
She is a witch. 
They shouldn’t be mates, but they can’t live without each other.

Ivy Braxton has almost no magical skills. She is a klutz and has a curvy figure. Her parents ignored her and deemed her not good enough to be an active member of the Braxton Coven. But when Ivy starts having nightmares about her mate being killed by a demon, she is willing to risk everything to protect him, even if he rejects her because she is a witch.

Ben Anderson never expected his mate to be a witch. But the curvy little witch is his and he will do whatever it takes to protect Ivy Braxton from the demon that is after her, even if he has to give his life in order for her to live.




Book Excerpt:
“Are you okay?” The deep, rich male voice was right next to her ear.

“Double hockey sticks!” Ivy realized she was lying on top of a man. The man who had just saved her from planting her face into the cement. “You shouldn’t have done that…I mean...thank you for saving me. But now, I’m squishing you.” She tried to get up but the man wouldn’t release her. “You have to let go of me so I can get off of you. I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I already have.”

The man chuckled, causing Ivy’s whole body to shake with his. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The sweet scent of peppermint and musky male odor filled her nose. Desire rippled through her body. She no longer wanted to get up.




Monday, June 19, 2017

Quote of the Week


Get your facts first,
then you can 
distort them as you please.
--Mark Twain


Friday, June 16, 2017

SURVIVING IVY is Now Available!!!


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Paperback Coming Soon






He is a bear shifter. 
She is a witch. 
They shouldn’t be mates, but they can’t live without each other.

Ivy Braxton has almost no magical skills. She is a klutz and has a curvy figure. Her parents ignored her and deemed her not good enough to be an active member of the Braxton Coven. But when Ivy starts having nightmares about her mate being killed by a demon, she is willing to risk everything to protect him, even if he rejects her because she is a witch.


Ben Anderson never expected his mate to be a witch. But the curvy little witch is his and he will do whatever it takes to protect Ivy Braxton from the demon that is after her, even if he has to give his life in order for her to live.