I was not a ball of fire this month.

Yeah, way more than a sane human ought to consider doing in one month, but I always like to shoot high! 😉

The winner of the $25.00 gift certificate is posted at the end of this blog!

This is kind of a random blog today. For my own sake, I NEED to do a Report Card so that you can all scold me, and I can get mad at myself and get to work! On the other hand, I’ve been gone so long that I’ve missed making a few little announcements. So read on!

Real quick recap. I wrote 3 pages this last week. 3 FREAKING PAGES. Nuff said? 3 FREAKING pages a week will get you a book in a FREAKING decade. So puh-lease, tell me how lazy I am. Or better yet, how you’re waiting anxiously for the next story. I need to picture your grasping hands reaching through the monitor to wring my neck if I don’t get to work.

So, on to other more interesting things…

I have a newish interview up at Coffee Time Romance. Check it out if you’d like to know a little more about what was in my crazy head when I wrote Darkness Captured! Interview at Coffee Time Romance

Thought you might like a sneak peek at a book that’s coming out in July 2011. I have a short story in this compilation, entitled Hot Out Here.

Twenty-five unashamedly modern romances with a strong erotic element aimed at the women’s market. Twenty-five unashamedly modern short romances which don’t shy away at the bedroom door from the crème de la crème of contemporary romance writers, including Lilith Saintcrow, Louisa Burton, Anna Windsor, Susan Sizemore, Michelle M. Pillow, Rebecca York, Charlotte Stein, Shiloh Walker, Victoria Janssen, Saskia Walker and Cathy Clamp.

This is writing which is more direct, less euphemistic, and frankly accepting of sexuality – fiercely hot stories of flesh and blood and feelings which will entrance and beguile romance readers.

Here’s a little snippet!

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

Beads of condensation, glittering jewel-like in the sputtering candlelight, ran in rivulets down the sides of Jason’s ice-cold beer.

Detail I shouldn’t have been able to note, given the fact I wasn’t anywhere near him.

As I lowered my nephew’s toy binoculars, I reflected that I had indeed sunk to a new low. You see, my bedroom window conveniently overlooked Jason and Robert’s fenced backyard. A fact that never registered with the previous tenants, but one that proved too delicious to ignore after the arrival of the handsome duo.

I began a furtive surveillance at once. One that had me cringing in embarrassment each time I greeted them in passing and feeling even more ashamed when we struck up a friendship.
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Yes! I have two posts today. Be sure to see the one just under this for contest details!

Since the theme is “Fight”, I thought it might be fun to go way back—to my second book, the first in the My Immortal Knight series where you meet Dylan and Quentin for the first time.

“A wild romp of raunchy sex, laugh-out-loud humor, and suspense…” Romance Reviews Today

“Ms. Devlin’s take on the vampire world is unique and creative.” The Romance Studio

Love bites!

Emmaline Harris meets the perfect man at a Halloween party. After he rescues her from the unwanted attentions of another partygoer, she succumbs to his kisses and spends an evening engaged in wicked-sexy lovemaking. Sure she’s just a one-night stand, she tries to exit gracefully, but soon find she needs Dylan’s special skills when her world is turned upside down by a blood-drinking killer and his gang who target her for their next meal.

Dylan O’Hara only wants a night of passion to slake his sexual needs, but finds Emmy is a full-bodied, red-blooded siren whose innocence and humor draws this Master vampire like a moth to a red-hot flame. When Emmy attracts the attention of a serial-killing vampire, Dylan vows to protect her, but he fears he’ll lose Emmy once she discovers her “Dracula” has real fangs!

“Dylan, watch your back!”

At his friend’s warning, Dylan O’Hara spun on his heels and ducked beneath a sweeping claw. He feinted to the left, and then surged upward, slamming the creature into a damp brick wall. “You will heed me!”

Arms immobilized, the beast shuddered and bared its teeth, a flash of white in the scant moonlight penetrating the narrow alley.

In its most primitive form, the creature couldn’t understand him. Dylan sighed. This might take some time.

Behind him, wood splintered and metal rang against rock. “Quentin, you’d better finish your end quickly,” he shouted, careful not to look away from the vampire. “We’ve more problems waiting at The Cavern.”

“I’d be happy to oblige, but this one won’t release its prize.” Quentin grunted in accompaniment to the thud of heavy fists pounding flesh.

Dylan’s vampire renewed its struggle.

Battling his own mind-stealing anger, Dylan barely pulled his throat away from a mouthful of jagged teeth. He slammed the creature into the wall again. “I will outlast you, bitch.”

Intelligence glittered in the creature’s dark gaze, and then her features relaxed, morphing instantly from snarling vampire to the cotton-candy sweetness of a teenaged girl. “Mr. O’Hara, I’m so sorry. You can let me go now.”

The “Mr. O’Hara” made him feel at least a couple of centuries old. Dylan glared at the dark-eyed girl whose mane of curly, brown hair framed a pale face with sweetly bowed lips. “Who made you, little girl?”
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Today’s the last day of the contest to win the eGift Certificate. You have to post a comment to win!

I was surprised. I didn’t take all that many pictures this trip. Maybe it was because of the weather. Or maybe it was because I’m a little jaded. My cruise last year with Sasha was sooooo much fun and the weather was completely awesome. I will admit that cruise travel isn’t really my cup of tea. I much prefer flying to one place and taking trains/renting a car to see the surrounding area. Port calls just don’t leave you time to explore.

These are the last pics I’ll share. Tomorrow I’ll be back with a winner and news about a new book.

Believe it or not, this cruise was work-related. Here’s proof (just in case Mr. Taxman is reading!). From left to right is Erika from Avon, Eric from Tor, and Wanda and Adam from Harlequin.

My favorite view. Really. The ninth deck at the back of the boat wasn’t a hopping place, which was what I often needed. I liked standing there and just breathing the sea air and forgetting that there were 2500 other people crawling over the same boat. I’m such an introvert!

After debarking, this was the sight as our shuttle bus pulled up to the airport. There were easily a dozen police cars covering the entrance. But the cops were only standing around. No guns were drawn. Not sure what was up, but it was an interesting end to the journey.

So today, you get to make up a reason for why all those cop cars
were covering the entrance to airport!

The contest continues. See note at the bottom of this entry!

Okay, so the title of this post is more exciting than the pictures from Cozumel. The cruise ship docked. Passengers debarked and entered a small shopping area that was suspiciously pristine. Cyndi and I walked the length of the shopping area, then crossed the road. Immediately, we realized that not all of Cozumel was brightly painted and clean—and since nothing appealed, we turned around and shopped our brains out. So yeah, I didn’t take a lot of pics.

The best part of the day was Cyndi! She taught me to haggle.

Our boat’s the one on the left. Massive things, aren’t they?!

Anyone who has cruised knows that one of the fun things the room steward’s do
is make these little towel pets.

So guess what each of these is supposed to be. Remember, yesterday’s contest continues today—but you have to comment!

***Contest! Post a comment on my blog and you’re entered. Contest ends Sunday, so post every day for more chances to win! The Prize? A $25.00 gift certificate from Amazon.com!**

Here are a few pics from the first 24-hours of my cruise to Key West and Cozumel!

Miami from the sea!

Taken from the dock at Key West on Friday morning!

Cyndi is the one who dragged me on the cruise. She sent an email and begged me to come. She really had to twist my arm hard! First thing we did on Key West was rent a little electric car. So worth it!

Key West is packed with cute little shops, overaged hippies and really cute houses!

This is the one I want!

Pretty little cottages all in a row.

Do you get the feeling the Westies know how to enjoy life?

Pirate sighting!

Cyndi and I sped around the island in our little car (okay, the fastest we could go was 20 mph) and took in the sights. Some. Mostly, we shopped! We picked up art work. I bought a pendant made from the silver from the sunken Spanish galleon, the Atocha. At the end of the day, we were ready to head back to the ship for a rest.

I keep wondering what Captain Booty’s story is. Maybe y’all can help me make one up. Why would a man dress in a red-sequined pirate outfit with a stuffed rooster on his head?

WHERE IS MAINE?

by Pam Champagne

I often wonder if Maine is part of the United States of America. CNN news and weather seldom mention us. Their national weather map stops at lower New Hampshire and Vermont. Perhaps they think Maine is part of Canada? Or perhaps we aren’t media sensational as other States during blizzards, ice storms and floods. Oh wait! We did make national news when the ski lift fell at Sugarloaf. The media loves tragedies or potential tragedies and such.

Granted, Maine’s population is low. The majority of Maniacs are self-sufficient with generators and woodstoves, so are able to survive a week or more, if not forever, without electricity. I’d guess there’s no news if people aren’t freezing or starving to death. If your vehicle goes off the road, you either winch it out or wait for the next truck to come along and pull you out.

A few years back, I recall a contestant on the Wheel of Fortune won an island off the coast of Maine. The winner asked, “Where is Maine?” Pat Sajak replied he wasn’t quite sure, but thought it was “in the northeast somewhere.” I’m not making this up folks. It’s the God’s honest truth.

There have been rumblings in Maine about dividing the State into two States. About 75 percent of the population lives from Portland south. In my opinion, this area is an extension of Massachusetts, since many of the people who live there relocated from southern New England “to move to the country.” News flash! They brought the rat race they hoped to escape in their luggage.

The vast majority of residents of central Maine get by and the ones in northern Maine for the most part are impoverished. They work seasonal jobs and collect unemployment for much of the year. Tough new fishing laws hurt these coastal residents. The Go Green movement has hurt our logging industry, which is strange since trees are a renewable resource. Shoe shops, once the main employer in Maine, are for the most part extinct thanks to our Asian imports. My Dad actually raised his family by hand sewing in a shoe factory.

Many celebrities and Fortune 500 people have seasonal homes on the coast and their taxes keep the towns running smoothly. On the downside, locals have to pay those taxes too.

I’m lucky to live within commuting distance of Bangor (takes me an hour or more), so my skills as a legal secretary enabled me to find a job. Many aren’t so lucky. Yet, for all its hardships, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I can be in the wilderness and mountains or the beautiful coast in about 2 hours. Who could ask for more?

For a taste of life in Downeast Maine, one of the poorest areas in our State, check out my book, Bed of Lies. If you’re not familiar with Maine, you will be enlightened.