Pickle Juice is not my best look...
What do you mean I have to smile?
You ever have one of those weeks where it’s all you can do just to show up?
That’s what this past week was like for me. I didn’t even get my newsletter out on time. (I’m hoping you didn’t notice.)
As I was driving home from yet another appointment late one afternoon, I berated myself for, wait for it, not smiling.
Not.
Smiling.
Because it wasn’t enough that I was dragging myself through molasses to get kids to school, therapy, and doctor’s appointments.
It wasn’t enough that I put dinner on the table (almost) every night.
It wasn’t enough that I got in excess of 15,000 words down on my (oh so delicious) book four.
And it wasn’t enough that I was dealing with personal issues that sapped every ounce of energy I had to give.
No.
I had to smile.
Be joyful.
And live in denial over the very real reasons I was dragging.
Well, fuck me, but if I tried to smile at that point, I would have looked like a deranged fool who’d just downed a shot of pickle juice.
I got angry with myself on my own behalf.
(Don’t look at me like that - every writer I know carries on conversations with themselves as well as a whole slew of imaginary people. Admit it - you do too!)
And I set a boundary, one of compassion, with myself.
I reminded myself that I showed up.
Every single day, despite everything that was going on, I showed up.
And that was enough.
❤️I wish you a week filled with self-compassion.❤️
Spotlight On: M.L. Broome!
I’m super-excited to share M.L. Broome’s upcoming release with you because she writes over 35 characters like me! Her books are slow-burn, angsty, spicy goodness - my favorite recipe. Throw in enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity? Is there really any question?!!
I have a very big problem … in the form of one very petite woman.
Don’t get me wrong. I adore women, and if you ask any female in Sparkwood, you’ll learn the feeling is mutual.
With one tiny exception.
Oriana Thorne is a literal thorn in my side—a plucky, infuriatingly gorgeous, pain in the rear who rents the store next to mine.
We’ve disliked each other from the beginning, or at least since she marched into my shop and started issuing demands. Needless to say, I didn’t roll out the welcome mat after that meet-hate.
I'd love to avoid the woman until the end of my days, but as fate would have it, I need her help.
Without her approval, my plan to open a speakeasy beneath our shops is dead in the water.
Considering Oriana is as fond of me as I am of her, winning her assistance will be no easy feat.
So, when a faulty lock forces the two of us to spend the night together, it’s anyone’s guess if we’ll survive until morning.
But that’s a chance I’m willing to take. What’s the worst that can happen?
It’s not like I’m going to fall in love with the woman …
News!
I’m 3/4 of the way through writing Book Four of my Sage Ridge series. This one has been a long time coming because real life got in the way of my fantasy world, but, it is coming!
Here’s a snippet to tease you. Keep in mind, it hasn’t hit the editing process yet!
A few minutes later, Gabe slammed his truck into park. Stepping down from the truck, he walked around to my side and handed me out. “From here, we walk.”
“Oh, wow,” I breathed. “Are those treehouses?”
Platforms and wooden structures dotted the trees around us. Bridges and nets stretched between each.
My eyes skittered back and forth, following the paths that were now more than apparent. “Wait a minute,” I murmured.
Gabe squeezed my hand. “Hey, we’re here for the 3:00 PM booking.”
My head snapped around to see a man holding two harnesses, matching helmets on the ground beside him. My poor, Gabe-addled brain had finally caught up.
I crossed my arms over my chest and stepped back. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
Gabe’s eyes widened as his jaw dropped half a second before he burst out laughing.
“It’s not fucking funny, Gabe,” I fumed.
The man grinned at me and stepped back. “I’ll give you two a minute.”
“A minute?” I exclaimed. “How about a refund?”
Slinging an arm around my shoulders, Gabe chuckled and nuzzled into my neck. Voice low and raspy, he murmured, “It’s kind of funny.”
“It’s not,” I insisted, rigidly maintaining my stiff posture.
The tip of his tongue touched my neck, quickly followed by his soft lips. “We need to uncover your wild child.”
I snorted and turned away. “She’s fine exactly where she is.”
Turning me further to align my back with his chest, he ran his hands up and down the curve of my hips before dropping his mouth to my ear. “No, I don’t think so. I think she wants to come out to play.”
I hissed in a breath as his scruff hit my neck and tilted my head to the side to give him full access, clarifying, “At home. In bed. With you.”
Shaking him off, I stepped away and flung my arm up to the suspension bridge hanging over our heads. “Not risking life and limb to…to…to monkey around!”
He howled, doubling over to clutch his guts before grabbing me and pulling me into his chest. With one hand wrapped around my ponytail, he tugged my head back and grinned down at me. “Do you think, for one minute, I’d do anything to risk your life or limbs?”
Swoon. Right???
No pre-order up yet, but title, blurb, cover and release date set to be revealed soon.
If you haven’t started the Sage Ridge series yet, start with book one, A Lifetime Of Afters, right here:
I’ve got a few treats for you in the spirit of Halloween - I know, a few days late and a dollar short, but treats are treats.
Cool Nights and Steamy Encounters is a ‘find your next favorite author and join their newsletter’ giveaway:
You’ll find my Milltown box set in this collection of Boxed Sets and Anthologies - stock up on tissues and don’t throw your kindle!!! (Really…don’t!)
From Halloween to Christmas in 30 seconds…kind of like the stores! You’ll find my Nothing Truer Than This in this Christmas is Coming collection. If you’re in the mood for some best friends to lovers pining with a dirty-talking MC and a one-bed-winter-snowstorm kind of situation? Dive in!
And if you just want the spice? This next one looks like it just might deliver. In spades.
Enjoy.
And remember,
Live Messy, Love Madly, Love Devin❤️