 challenges trying to slow down Jalen Hurts. What actually occurred, though, was far worse than what most people anticipated. Philly put up nearly 500 yards of offense.
At the very least, Minnesota needs to take one part of Detroit’s offense away. Beginning with their run game would be a good place to start.
Now, this is all easier said than done. The Vikings obviously would love to shut down the Lions’ run game. Finding the ability to do so from start to finish is quite a different matter. Currently, Swift has 20 carries for 200 rushing yards, meaning he’s averaging a robust 10 yards per carry. Williams, meanwhile, has 23 carries for 81 yards.
One has to think that making some changes to the personnel would be a good place to start. Currently, the defense is in their nickel package for the vast majority of the time.
Being in nickel for 86% of the snaps is remarkably high, especially considering how much the pass defense struggled in Week 2. It’s also worth noting that the Vikings lead the NFL in terms of how light the box is. Currently, they have an average of less than 6 men in the box.
One has to think, then, that Step 1 is to begin by putting more players in the box. Jonathan Bullard has done some good things. Perhaps some more plays with three defensive linemen – Dalvin Tomlinson, Harrison Phillips, and Bullard – would be productive.
Moreover, we ought not forget that the team also has Troy Dye and Brian Asamoah. Both are small for NFL linebackers. Nevertheless, both move really well. Getting three linebackers onto the field may be another way to make the run defense a bit tougher.
The Vikings defense needs to be better against the Lions. Being able to take something away from their offense is crucial. Dan Campbell’s squad can’t have the luxury of being able to run and pass throughout the game.
The game will take place this Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Climbing to 2-1 would re-energize the fanbase before the Week 4 game in London.
Nice job! Do you think people would be willing to pay enough to make it worth your time? How long does each bouquet take you? I did the same thing for my wedding*, and each of the bouquets I made was probably a full day's work once adding leaves and stems and assembly was taken into account.

*3 bridesmaid bouquets, 1 bridal bouquet, 3 corsages (1 wrist, 1 lapel, 1 hair) for my groomsladies, plus corsages and boutonnieres for various family members. I think it was about 120 flowers total? It was a combination of traditional irises, Kawasaki roses, Kalei Anne Lundberg's Golden Slipper Orchids, and generic 8-petal flowers of my own design. The centerpiece of each of the bouquets was Hernandez Santos Jose Luis' Iris Fairy.Anyone curious about what I’m working on this year? Here are the chosen books below plus descriptions and excerpts. In mostly alphabetical order.
As to which order I’ll finish them in, I’m not sure, but probably: In this Ruined City (Cascade’s story) will be out first (maybe August?), then the next four The Ever Spirits, Somewhere in the Dark, Heiress of Shadow, and Heiress of Rebellion sometime between August and November, and then About that Happy Ending.
Oh, wow, so this was the super old cover mock-up for this first story. A really really old picture of me all shiny and glittery. No, it’s not narcissistic at all… 😀 Someone was supposed to add a cat in there somewhere, probably standing on the tower. Cutting out the fur in Paint tested my patience beyond my capabilities, though. The skyscrapers in the background aren’t fooling anyone, either.
“Why are we talking of hair all of a sudden?” my bewildered father asked.
“It was just an expression,” Pyper defended.
“It’s the balls,” I said.
“What balls?” my mother asked.
“Your balls,” I answered. How could humans be so obtuse?
“Your hair-balls,” I offered helpfully.
“That’s not hair?” My father couldn’t seem to get past that.
“We’ve gone on to hair-balls,” I pointed out.
A dark fantasy about a decoy captured by the enemy and having to pretend to be the cruel princess she’s posing as to keep them from discovering she’s a sham.
His stance altered. He pulled his hand completely away from my captive strand of hair. The movement was somehow decisive, and his next words emerged on a set path now, too, and I thought—I did something wrong.
“Do you want your subjects to be happy?” he asked flatly.
Spirits, I wasn’t up to this—this game he played.
“What’s that mean?” I whispered.
The continuation of my Heiress of the Seven Cities series (Heiress of Healing and Heiress of Magic are the ones already out).
Heiress of Shadow mainly follows Ara’s story after she’s exiled from the First Demesne and must traverse the rich and vivid world outside the walls to challenge her father, a quest put to her by her mother, whose soul he still holds captive. The book will also follow a new character, Char, a weir abducted by the shadow-hungry along with other women to breed their army, and Zara, Ara’s mother whose spirit is held captive by the shadow-hungry leader. And, partly, it will also follow Flair, Char’s twin sister.
The word ended in a slash, as if her mother’s hand had jerked violently over the page.
The rest of the letter descended into a mad, nearly illegible scrawl.
You have three months. In one month, leave for the shadowlands. Don’t leave for his stronghold Grimfell until the day you turn twenty. His power will be wrapped up in preparing the portal then, so he’ll spare less to attack you, meaning less for you to fight and more chance you’ll survive. Don’t take an army, don’t start a war—it would kill us all. Stop him—and your brother, too.
It stopped there. Ara flipped the paper over, hoping to find more, but there was nothing, not a single word.
She stared blankly at the next-to-useless letter, then scream-growled and really did try to incinerate it, forgetting her magic was wrapped up in the magic-suppressing chains. Tricks and spells demanding she play assailed her magic, at which she snarled and crumpled the parchment up instead, tossed it on the hay, and stomped on it. Repeatedly. Shouting expletives. Maybe growling and snarling some more in between.
A guard pacing the hall in his rounds caught sight of her and promptly turned the other way.
This book follows Seriah and Iminique’s stories, Seriah as the apparent heiress to the Seven Demesnes and Iminique as the healer caught up with the wizard who is working against it.
He smiled that sharp-toothed grin again. “Very good. That’s more like it. Now then.” Briskly, he plucked the cane from her grip and slipped into the chair beside her without being invited. Angling himself to face her, he leaned his elbow on the table, crossed his legs, and draped the cane across his lap with dapper care.
Seriah inwardly groaned. He’d adopted the manner of one planning to settle in for a while.
Seriah barely suppressed the urge to subject him to some choice invectives. She settled for a glower.
“You also don’t have to be a good ruler.” Drumming his fingertips on the table, he leaned back in his chair, making it creak, and smiled up at her. Glint, glint, went his incisors.
Yeah, I know, the title doesn’t match. This is just the cover I used for my proof. The actual cover will have normal colors… and the right title!
This is sci fi comic-book style (meaning sci fi with wing powers and mutants rather than technology and space odysseys), centering around a dark love story between a messed-up girl and a guy with wings of knives. My alpha reader really hates this book right now. Almost threw his computer across the room yesterday because I think he described it as an “unfulfilled lust story” about “an a**hole and a thoroughly unsalvageable and inexcusable wreck who let herself be made as such by a sick f*ck”. So, yeah, this one definitely won’t be for everyone! Also, lots of f*cking cussing in this one!
Silhouetted against sunlight sifting through the yellow, diamond-cut window panes, he embodied the image of a vengeful seraph eclipsing the stained glass of some archaic church. A few strands of black hair curtained his darkening eyes.
“Must you ask?” His scurrilous smile widened.
Wow! What a list of books — all sound really interesting! Kämpft mit ihr, bis Thisalee sie einfängt, und be