The winner of yesterday’s contest will be announced tomorrow. So be sure to post for a second time to win today!

This week, I finished a short story for a Cleis collection and shipped it to the editor. I won’t hear until August whether my story makes the cut. The payout is a very small one, but not the reason I wrote it. Short stories offer a challenge. Telling a story in just a few words hones a writer’s skills.

I also wrote a proposal, just a short treatment, of a concept I have for my own compilation. If it’s accepted it will be a fun project and something different for me to try.

This week, I also began a new novella for Ellora’s Cave. I have a chapter done, and the rest should go really fast. It’s a shapeshifter story—something furry and very sexy.

I was pleased with my accomplishments this week. Family has descended for the reunion this weekend, so I paused for a couple of days. My sister-in-law took a walk around the farm today and came back saying a stray dog was inside the pasture fence. I’m such a softie. I went to take a look and couldn’t resist. I’ve named him Fenris (after Fenrisulfr, the monstrous wolf from Norse mythology). He’s solid black and looks to be part border collie and part German shepherd. He seems very sweet, and very happy that someone wants him. He’s also emaciated.

My daughter bathed him to kill fleas and ticks, which he had aplenty. He stoicly suffered through it, even though he shivered the whole time. Afterward, we let him into the yard where he ate and curled up under our patio table. Looks like he’ll be happy to stay and join our family. We gave him a puppy shot (we think he’s about 2 years old based on his teeth), and tomorrow he will be handed to my son-in-law who will get him dewormed, neutered and then keep him for a couple of weeks of obedience training. I’ll try to remember to take pictures tomorrow.

Oh, and I picked up my new painting, Blueberry Blast, yesterday! 😎

If you post a comment today and tomorrow, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of this book!

Max is one of my favorite heroes. He’s strong, surly, stubborn, and when he falls in love it knocks him sideways. Pia’s all wrong for him, and when he discovers her true nature he’s determined to put her behind him. However, Pia’s under his skin. I love this scene because, for me, it has everything—humor, action, and sacrifice. To save Pia, Max risks revealing a secret he’s kept from everyone. Joe is a vampire on Max’s team and knows well how much Max hates vampires.

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“RELENTLESS has suspense, intrigue, and surprises that grab your attention and never let you go until the last page.”
5 Stars, Susan Holly, JERR

“A wickedly funny and passionate series, fans of paranormal erotic romance will enjoy RELENTLESS tremendously. Ms Devlin has done it again!”
Kathy Samuels, Romance Reviews Today on RELENTLESS

“Her realistic writing of well-packaged vampires and werewolves leaves the reader thirsting for the forbidden and a driving need to be possessed within her erotically charged worlds.”
5 Blue Ribbons, Lady Novelistic, Romance Junkies

To supercop Max Weir, the only good vampire is a dead one. Since his special police unit integrated with vampires, he’s had to suppress his natural hatred to work side-by-side with the undead to hunt down and terminate the deadliest killers. Now the unit is hot on the trail of a new menace in town, a pack of werewolves prowling for vampires, who don’t care whether humans get in their way.

When a stakeout goes awry, Max enters a bar looking for a fight or a woman to help him blow off a little steam. What he finds is a winsome siren who has sexual appetites to match his own.

Vampire Pia D’Amato is on a secret mission to take out Max — either by seduction or by turning him. He’s become a liability to the Masters’ Council setting up jurisdiction in southern Florida, and she isn’t leaving until she’s done the job. But Max is more man than she bargained for and has a deadly secret of his own.

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Joe’s face was a mottled red. “Pia, get behind me.”

“So you know each other,” Max said quietly, feeling his stomach clench that his suspicions about Pia might be true.

“Just met today, partner.”

“I’m not in any danger, Joe,” Pia said.

“You don’t know Max, sweetheart. Get behind me.”

Feeling like a bear protecting his mate, Max stepped between Joe and Pia, clenching his fists. “I gave her my word I wouldn’t harm her here.”

“No, you didn’t,” Pia said.

Max leveled a narrow glance at her.

Pia shrugged. “I asked, but you never promised.”

Joe’s shoulders bunched like he was ready to take a swing. “We’re still on the fucking job.”

Max shrugged. “So we were blending in.”

“You went too far.”

Knowing Joe was right didn’t ease the ache in Max’s groin. He turned to Pia. Unfortunately, looking into her face didn’t help matters any either. Her lips were still dewy and reddened from his kisses, and her nipples poked at the fabric of her miniscule top. He forced his shoulders to relax. “I have to get back to the station.”

“Can I ride along?” she asked, leaning into him, her eyes wide and pleading. Her nipples scraped his side, and it was all he could do keep from sliding his palm over them again.

“No!” He almost shouted the word. “It’s probably best this way. This thing between us won’t work.”

“Because I’m a vampire?” she asked, her eyes glistening.

“That’s just the beginning of our problems.”

Her expression fell, but she nodded. “I understand.” Turning to Joe, she said, “I’ll just get a taxi.”

“We can drop you off on our way.” Joe gave Max a searing glance and then spun on his heels.

Pia followed him out of the bar with Max trailing them at a distance. Distance he needed to get himself back under control. Moonlight from a full moon in a cloudless sky drew his gaze, but he shrugged aside its allure. He’d had enough moonlit madness for one night.

At their sedan, Joe tossed Max the keys. “You drive. I want your hands occupied.”

Max twisted his mouth into a hard smile. “What’s your problem? Gone all righteous, have you?”

Joe opened the back door for Pia while Max climbed inside.

“Whoo!” she gasped as she settled on the seat. “The vinyl’s a little cold.”

Remembering she wore no underwear beneath her short skirt, Max closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then he jammed the key into the ignition and cranked the engine into life. Before Joe could close his door, Max stomped on the gas and the car leaped forward.

“The sooner we get there the better,” Joe mumbled, slamming the door closed.

Pia clutched the back of their bench seat and leaned forward. “Do we have to go straight back?”

“Yes!” Max and Joe shouted.

“Just asking.”
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Although I complain a lot about distractions, I write best when I’m under pressure. Sometimes, the pressure comes from a deadline that’s rushing toward me too fast. Sometimes, it’s everything else in my life getting more complicated. I have a little bit of both going on at the moment.

We are having a family reunion this weekend, which means the house has to be scoured top to bottom. I don’t have to do it all, but I have to pitch in. Thank God, I don’t have to do anything about food prep.

The Rose’s Plotting Bootcamp requires that I post lessons and feedback to the lessons on a daily basis. I got up at 6 AM this morning to take care of that before anything else got in the way.

I have the new novella to plow through. The first chapter is messy, but on paper now instead of still in my head. I’d like to finish chapter two tomorrow.

I have to get ready to read and work through the next chapter of Robert Ray’s The Weekend Novelist with the workgroup I started online.

I have to start working through character sketches, setting notes, choose themes and props and weapons for the new Viking book.

And I have to do some of all of that today—after I finish this blog—which is why it looks like my To Do list, because all those details are swirling in my mind.

Most of you have day jobs and look at the weekends as a break. I write, or do writerly things seven days a week. It’s the cost of doing what I love, and believe me there are tons of benefits that outweigh those costs, but it is still wearing.

So, I’m going to get started on my long list of things to do, and hopefully be back tomorrow with something a heck of lot more interesting for you to read!

The royalty fairy landed, delivering a nice little surprise, and to celebrate I decided to treat myself to one of my passions. I love myth and history books, dragons, jewelry and paintings. Paintings done by my mother or my friends mean the most. A friend did this for me because I was looking for something blue. Don’t you just love the water droplets on the berries? Wonder if she knows I plan to hang it in my bathroom.

Please welcome fellow Ellora’s Cave and Samhain author, Mari Carr! ~DD

The Summer is Heating UP!

I’m a school teacher so I think it’s safe to say my time is summertime! I live for the months of June, July and August and spend weeks prior to graduation plotting my writing schedule. Why? Because those are the only three months of the year when I can be a full-time writer. I think it’s safe to say every book I’ve ever written has hit the page either on the weekend or during the summer.

I have several works in progress ready to roll out. My writing goals are to finish the Wild Irish series. I still have Saturday Night Special to tweak and all of Any Given Sunday to write. I also intend to write the romantic suspense sequel to my Samhain book, Because of You and I’m starting to co-write a series of four books with my writing pal, Jayne Rylon.

Other than that, I’m celebrating a recent release and a coming soon story at Ellora’s Cave.

Sweet Thursday, book four in the Wild Irish series released a couple of weeks ago.

And on July 9, Rekindled the standalone sequel to Spitfire will hit the virtual bookshelves.

Check out Mari’s website!

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In high school, Lily was too shy to do anything about her feelings for her best friends, Justin and Killian. Now she’s ready to put to rest her regrets with a proposal that might shock even her oversexed friends—the three of them, together, one night, multiple positions.

K and J are more than a little surprised to see Lily at their ten-year reunion. The plain Jane they remember is now a stunning woman—who wants to have sex with both of them. Who are they to deny her? Even if Killian suspects they might be treading on dangerous emotional territory.

The night stretches into the weekend and, as K suspected, none of them want it to end. But he and Lily know people live in pairs, not trios, and they call a halt now, before it’s too late.

Justin, however, knows a good thing when he sees it. He’s ready to fight for what he wants…what they all need. He just has to convince Lily and Killian that unconventional can also be extraordinary.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m not sure you know what you’re asking for, Lil.”

She looked at his friend, reaching over to take Killian’s large hand in her own. “I know exactly what I’m asking for, and I knew before I came here tonight that if there was the slightest chance of capturing your attention, I’d take it.” She glanced over her shoulder to include Justin in the “your”.

“God, K. I don’t think you understand how much I want to do this. I’m sick of coloring inside the lines all the time. I want to grab hold of this opportunity to be free and wild and uninhibited—for just one night. I don’t want to look back at my life in fifty years and realize I never did one daring thing. I’m tired of regrets.”

“If we do this—” Killian started.

She placed her finger over his lips. “When we do this,” she corrected.

“We call the shots. We decide what your limits are. If you can’t agree to that, then no deal.”
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Even girls who prefer guys remember their first girl crush—that physical and emotional fascination with another woman. Who has wondered, What if I acted on my desire, what if I flirted, what if I treased? What if I provoked?

In the steamy stories of Girl Crush, women satisfy their curiosity about the erotic possibilities of their infatuations. Delilah Devlin’s “The Out-of-Towner” is a tale of attraction between total opposites. In Rachel Kramer Bussel’s “Great Lengths”, an unrequited crush on a fiery, flaming hot redhead finally evolves into something more. G.G. Royale’s “An Introduction” follows a nice Indian girl on the eve her arranged marriage as she wanders into a bondage bar. For some, a crush is a passing whim, for others it’s just the beginning. In Girl Crush what happens next may take you by surprise.

I love a challenge. I’ll try pretty much any flavor of erotica. And as a hetero girl, I loved the premise of a girl crush—taking a bite out of that forbidden fruit. Today is the official release date, but Amazon already shipped me my copy of the book. I completely love that cover!

This isn’t my first foray into lesbian shorts. I published “New Orientation” in Zane’s Purple Panties and “The Hired Hand” in Cleis’s Lesbian Cowboys.

From the back cover:

What if?

Even girls who prefer guys remember their first girl crush—that physical and emotional fascination with another woman. Who has wondered, What if I acted on my desire, what if I flirted, what if I treased? What if I provoked?

In the steamy stories of Girl Crush, women satisfy their curiosity about the erotic possibilities of their infatuations. Delilah Devlin’s “The Out-of-Towner” is a tale of attraction between total opposites. In Rachel Kramer Bussel’s “Great Lengths”, an unrequited crush on a fiery, flaming hot redhead finally evolves into something more. G.G. Royale’s “An Introduction” follows a nice Indian girl on the eve her arranged marriage as she wanders into a bondage bar. For some, a crush is a passing whim, for others it’s just the beginning. In Girl Crush what happens next may take you by surprise.

Read an excerpt