- “Hey, Sunshiners! Riley Sunshine here, with Midnight Mark!”
“Hey, Sunshiners! I’m not here as Riley Sunshine’s guy, but rather as my Clark Kent alter ego, A.K.A. The App Geek. I want to let you know that I listened to your last comments, and we’re moving forward with an updated edition of Friendzone! Using the same AI technology that has made BlindDate so successful, we’re launching the revamped Friendzone next month for all of you who may not be looking for love right now but would love to find your gym buddy, fellow football fanatic, quiz bowl team member, or whatever you’re looking for!”
- Happy Fourth Of July to my American Sunshiners! On a day we celebrate independence here in the States, what I was reminded of is how interdependent we all are. None of us stand alone. Look to your left and right and help those around you. If we all do this, not just today, but every day, the whole world would be better off.
I started out my day with family, then went to the nursing home for a cherry pie eating contest. I’m not sure there were any losers. Especially when my friend brought her dogs down to do some animal therapy with the residents.
Check out the pictures of our family having a good old-fashioned barbecue, complete with some of the vegetables from my mother’s own garden! Check out pic #3, you’ll see how lucky I got in the DNA lottery from Mom! Love my family, love Midnight Mark, and love Raffy—did you see his flag bandana? Love you guys, too!
- Taking a few days out of these hot August days to soak up some sunshine! Yes, I’m wearing my sunblock. I’m all about that #SPF50Life. Thanks to Joroast Cosmetics for their hydrating lotion for afterward.
- We decided on our honeymoon! Are we going to announce it? Not quite. We love games, and we decided that the first Sunshiner to guess the location is going to win a special gift directly from us! A hint: we’re going to get to explore five centuries of shipwrecks, all by scuba diving! The prize? A Pure Vibe candle in coconut thyme scent. (Oops, maybe that’s another hint!)
- I really need to give harder clues! Sorry to all those who didn’t see my post within the first ten minutes! We’re going to randomly pick another five correct answers and those posters will get a prize as well. Love to all the Sunshiners!
- Happy first day of fall, Sunshiners! It’s beautiful outside, but I got hit with some bad news today. The chapel where we planned to have the wedding accidentally double-booked. I’ll be honest, I cried . . . a lot. But the venue isn’t the important part of the wedding. All that matters is the bride and groom speaking from their hearts. That helped me calm down. And then, like so often happens, one door closes and a window opens. Or well, your husband-to-be opens the window for you. He asked his boss, who is an amazing person—CEO, mother, classy, and kick-assy—if we could get married in her back yard. To be clear, her ‘yard’ is a palatial estate. And she said yes! New venue, new plans to make, but still smiling at the way sunshine can spread. And best wishes to the bride who’s getting married at the chapel. It’s stunning, and I hope you have a lovely day too!”
- Hey, Sunshiners! You are amazing people with beautiful, big hearts! Many of you have written to ask how you can celebrate our wedding with us, wanting to send gifts to my P.O. Box. We are so appreciative and grateful, but we truly have everything we could possibly need. If you’d really like to send something, please send canned goods. Yep, you heard me right. Click on your Amazon cart or your local grocery delivery app and send us some canned goods or non-perishable items. We’ll be donating them, along with any leftovers from the wedding dinner, to local homeless shelters. Other ways we’re helping others with our big day? I ordered cookie favors from an organization that sends one to troops overseas, one for one. For every cookie we buy, a soldier gets one too. And the flowers will go to nursing homes and hospitals after the reception. And though it might take me a minute to let go, even my dress is going to an organization that uses them to make angel baby dresses. Can you think of any other ways we can help spread sunshine? How can you spread a bit yourself?
- Happy Turkey Day! Okay, Sunshiners, time for my honesty check. Yes, I’ve been doing some extra workouts to look my best for the wedding and the honeymoon. Midnight Mark’s doing the same, even though he’s practically perfect as is . . . but he says the same thing about me. Guess that’s just how it is. But today is special and we’re skipping all that. Because today’s about eating . . . and celebrating with family, of course. But make no mistake, I’ve got my eating pants on and Raffy’s eyeing a turkey leg like it’s got his name on it. Don’t tell him but I might’ve gotten him his own cute little Cornish hen. Spoiled dog is probably going to sleep until December!
- Today’s the day, Sunshiners! Sing it with me . . . dun-dun-dun-duuuuun. It’s my Wedding Day.
I promise I’ll post pictures later, but I gotta go get married before a certain worried moonlight groom realizes I’m a little bit extra sunny!
- “Hey, Sunshiners! Happy New Year, with an amazing New Year’s gift! It seems that our honeymoon in Bermuda did more than give us some killer tans and great memories. We’ve made a little Sunshiner in here! Talk about amazing, huh?”
- Check this belly out. I swear there’s only one future Sunshiner in here. The doctor even confirmed it. But whoo, feeling large and not in charge. But Baby will be here soon.
- Baby Star, meet the Sunshiners. Sunshiners, meet Baby Star, here in her Daddy’s arms. No, that’s not her real name, but we’re keeping that quiet and letting her have her own online secret identity too. Born an amazing nine pounds, seven ounces and as beautiful as her father, I can only hope I’m as good a mother as my mom is.
I love you, Baby. We’re going to do amazing things together.
Spread some sunshine, everybody!
I hope you enjoyed the story! If you did, read on for an excerpt of my book Rough Love. If you haven’t read this series, you’re missing out!
Excerpt: Rough Love - Tannen Boys Book 1
Bruce
“Fuck, it’s hot!” I bark to no one as the screen door slams behind me, blocking out at least a portion of the August heat. The sweat rag I’m using to wipe my face down is about as useless as tits on a bull, already soaked through, wrung out, and soaked again.
But as I open my eyes to the coolness of the kitchen, it’s not the heat from outside that stops me in my tracks. It’s the one raised eyebrow and glaring eyes on the face of the otherwise sweet woman in front of me. “Language, son.”
Busted in my own damn house. How’s that even happen? “Uh, hey there, Mama Louise. Didn’t expect to see you over here.”
There’s a question in there somewhere, something along the lines of ‘what the fuck are you doing in my kitchen?’ but I don’t dare voice it out loud.
She ain’t my mama, and I damn sure ain’t her son, but as we’ve learned lately, sometimes, family is what you make of it, not what nature gives you. Mama Louise is the woman who has taken us Tannens on as fixer-upper projects. Me and my two brothers, Brody and Bobby, might as well be condemned buildings for all the work we need, but my little sister, Shayanne, seems to be doing okay with Mama Louise’s motherly influence.