Thursday, December 17, 2020

Berhoud Colorado Ice Sculpture 2020

Despite the warm temps the Berthoud Ice Sculpting contest took place this past week. Humor abounded along with architectural wonders. Here are the amazing results! My photos do not do them justice. It was a nice little afternoon entertainment, spent with my sister and brother-in-law all wearing out holiday masks. 



 Dung beetles moving a ball labeled 2020. LOL 2nd place winner.
     Incredible work making such a perfect sphere. 


Grandma got run over by a reindeer!
Third place winner. 


Very nice architectural achievement here. 


 Baby Yoda
This one made everybody laugh!



Santa in jail: 1st place winner!

A bit of a weary warrior. had to love him though, 
some of his great detail melted. 

Love the expression on this sweet face.


A Christmas dwarf with a big hat and an even bigger beard. 


An amazing show of talent. Thank you to all who made it happen.




#Berthoudsnowsculpture #BertoudColorado



Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Solace Fae Warrior book 1 Finalist in NN Light 2020 contest.

                                                                                                               

Thank you N N Light for selecting Solace and Undercover Outlaw as finalist for book of the year


Solace: A contemporary sci/fi fantasy of romance and adventure.

                             
Will one of Mother Nature’s favorite Fae Warrior
                     Win the battle, but lose her heart? 
              Solace and Tanner are fighting for their lives
                   as Reptile invaders threaten to take over Earth.
                     
                              Solace: The Fae Warriors Trilogy book 1


  
                                
Solace: Fae Warriors book 1
  There must be some mistake. The man striding toward her couldn’t be Tanner Jackson. Dressed in a black t-shirt, camo cargo pants, and rugged lace up boots, he looked ready for a special ops mission, not a day of wrestling with figures and scientific data. Tall and well-muscled, he appeared rock solid, like he belonged in the age of Athena. In fact, he seemed so overwhelmingly masculine, she worried he might not be human. That gave her pause. Had the Reps already established a man on the inside?  
    Other than Reps, she had nothing against alternate species, including humans. She just liked to know for sure with whom or what she was dealing. Double standard of course, as she had no intentions of letting this man know her Fae status.
  His dark brown hair, curiously well beyond regulation length, curled past the nape of his neck, and even darker brown eyes studied her as he drew near. He halted before her, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his stance slightly spread to give maximum stability.  Without a word, he reached for the I.D. dangling from the strap around her neck.
  “I had hoped for a tour of the facility,” she said, snatching the card from his hand.
   His commanding presence made her feel out of control, not an acceptable condition unless she happened to be in his bed. Oh for crying Cassiopeia, this was not the time for randy thoughts and daydreams. Right now she needed her wits about her. She clamped her lips together and returned his unyielding stare, all the while wondering what secrets he knew as she fought the urge to become lost in the dark depths of his eyes.
   “I’m afraid your request is out of the question,” he said, snapping her back to reality. “We’re on level six lockdown. Any higher and our interview would have been cancelled, a true shame as I would have been very sorry to disappoint you.”
   She doubted he could disappoint a woman in any capacity. “Why the high security?” she asked, following as he turned and headed for the door he’d come through. “Let’s start the interview with that question.”
   He gave a little snort of amusement and escorted her to a comfortable room housing a table, plush chairs, a small fridge and a coffee machine. Not waiting for her, he took to a chair and scrubbed a hand across his face. Only now did she notice the shadowy smudges beneath his eyes. He looked like he needed a good night’s sleep. Again her mind strayed to a vivid image of him in bed. It hadn’t taken long for her to disregard her vow to swear-off Earth men. Cursing her racing hormones, she took the chair across from him and pulled out her hand-held to record their conversation.
    “No taping,” he said.
    “But…”
    “Some areas have voice activated security checkpoints.”
    With a huff she reached for the recording device intending click it on as she shoved it back inside her purse. He grabbed her wrist and stopped her cold then calmly relieved her of the little contraption, removed the back panel, and flipped out the rechargeable battery. With a knowing look, he deposited the pieces back into her hand.
    Calling up her best expression of sarcastic disdain, she dumped everything inside her purse and dug around for a pen and paper. The back of her grocery list would have to do.
    He still hadn’t answered her first question, but by now she couldn’t remember what it had been so she tried another. “Maybe you could tell me more of what you do here.” She had a basic idea but was curious to see what he would reveal.
    “How about some coffee?” he asked, rising and heading toward the coffee maker. Again he avoided answering her question. This was going to be a fascinating interview.   
    “I’d prefer tea,” she said, just to be obstinate.
     Not missing a beat, he accommodated the request. For a big man he moved easily, just short of graceful, as he went about the mundane chore. How could he stand to work in an office capacity, cruelly forcing his gorgeous body to sit in a chair behind a computer day after day? He looked like he should be on the frontlines saving the world from the disaster she feared they were heading for.
   “Straight up or fancy?” he asked.
   “Straight up is fine.” It didn’t really matter as she hated tea and had no intentions of drinking it.
    He set the cup before her along with a little plate of cookies. How sweet, now she felt guilty about requesting the tea. After resuming his seat, tasting his coffee, and eating a cookie in two bites, he stared at her like a hopeful child waiting for her to do the same. Left with little choice, she took a nibble of cookie and braved a sip of tea.


#ScifiFantasyRomanceReaders  #FaeWarriorsRomance
#FaeWarriorsTrilogy #ReptileInvasion  


Undercover Outlaw Finalist in NN Light 2020 contest.

 


Thank you N N Light for selecting Undercover Outlaw as a finalist for book of the year!



Undercover Outlaw: 
Romance and adventure in the Old West. 
                    How far would you go to find your brother's killer? 
                              Jesse's ready to sacrifice everything.  
                   Would you throw caution to the wind,
                         and follow your heart for a man you just met?
                                Trinity is about to do just that.


Undercover Outlaw
  Trinity spun around to face Jesse head-on. “What are you doing here?” 
“I live here, remember. What are you doing here? I told you to stay away from this place.”
  “I’m attending a birthday party.” Her surprise at seeing Jesse quickly turned to desire, warm as liquid sunshine. 
     He glanced around the empty room. “Are we early or late?” 
     “I don’t know.”
     “I think perhaps we’re both right on time, and Mary June planned this whole surprise.”
      Whether they’d been tricked or not, Trinity longed for Jesse to say all that really mattered was they were together. But he didn’t. He just kept staring at her while silence hung in the air, heavy as the fragrance of honeysuckle on a hot summer night.
       Jesse narrowed his gaze, his expression turning dark. “What the heck are you wearing?” His voice, hard as flint, cut to the quick. “I don’t need any new girls on the payroll.”
       Her cheeks grew hot. How could she have forgotten her attire? 
Recalling what her friends said about first time love and not letting the moment pass into a lifetime of regret, she ignored his harsh words.  
    “You don’t like my costume?”
     His gaze jumped to her face. There was fire in his eyes, but not anger. Now he studied her deliciously slow, his gaze almost a physical touch. “I never said I didn’t like it.” 
      “I could take it off if you prefer.” She toyed with the ribbon tied at her waist.
      A ragged, guttural noise was his only response before he found his voice. “What I want isn’t important.” Even now his voice wavered. “Where’s Mary June?”
      The question took her off guard, and hot jealousy bolted through her. How could he think of another woman when she stood before him so invitingly—with an almost hand-written invitation to do more than just look?
      “Mary June? Why?”
      “I need to speak with her.”
       Hurt by his rejection, she headed for the door. “Have a seat. I’ll find her for you.” Stalking past, she floundered on the high heeled boots, and bit back a curse.
       Jesse reached to steady her, his fingers wrapping around her arm, holding fast. “You sound jealous.” He drew her close, turning her in the circle of his arms. Could he see the hurt in her eyes?
       “You are jealous. Aw, hellfire, Trinity.” He sounded as if he’d finally given himself over to some unseen force. 
       She struggled against him. “I thought you wanted Mary June.”
      “What I really want,” he whispered, “is you—only you.”


#westernromance #historicalromance #romancereaders #fivestarhistoricalwestern #cowboyhero