I have to confess. I am a hopeful romantic. I believe that love can conquer all. Even an Aztec demi-goddess like the one that terrorizes the hero and heroine and assorted others in a Mexican jungle in AZTEC GOLD.

The AZTEC GOLD novella was influenced by a business trip that I took to Mexico several years ago. I was able to visit some Mexican pyramids and learned about how the indigenous people in that area lived. You can see some photos from my trip and also find out about my fear of heights, as well as my climb to the top of the pyramid, by visiting the Carina blog

I also was able to read up on the gods and goddesses of the Aztecs and their way of life. All of those things inspired me to write not only AZTEC GOLD, but THE FIFTH KINGDOM, a romantic suspense that comes out from Carina Press in July 2012.

But what was even more fun was including some of my favorite things and hopefully some of yours. A strong heroine, although Cynthia has a fear of adventure (kind of like my fear of heights). A very alpha action-adventure guy in Rafael, Cynthia’s ex-love who had gone missing in the jungle thanks to the actions of that bad ass Aztec demi-goddess.

And even though Cynthia and Rafe have their issues, and have to stay alive somehow in a creepy Mexican temple, love does conquer all.

Thanks for taking the time to drop by! I hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day.

We have a little bit of a surprise giveaway today since I was lucky enough to get some early copies of THE LOST, the next book in the SINS series which will be out in August.

Leave a comment and you could win a copy!

Amazing what you can find on the internet when you do a simple google search…

Tomorrow and Wednesday, I’ll have two guest bloggers, but on Thursday I’ll be back with some really bad photos of my trip to Memphis (my daughter took the pics). And I have two gifts I bought there to give away. So, I need to dream up a special Elvis contest…

But for now, Happy Valentines, everyone! I’d love to hear what others did for you or what you did for yourself to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

On Friday night, I ate Chinese food with the fam. Not my favorite cuisine. I like a lot of spice. However, it’s always fun to get to the end of the meal and open those crunchy shells to read the fortunes inside. This time, mine made me smile.

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence.

How strange and appropriate was that? I’m not one to dwell on what’s not real. Yes, I did stand in the dark during that last eclipse at 2:00 AM, hoping to soak up a little magic. Yes, I have been known to do a “hand spell” when I can’t sleep because I’m waiting for something to happen. Heavens, I’ve even been known to talk to the air, hoping some entity is listening and will grant me solace or a wish. What I don’t do is put too much stock in anything other than my own strengths.

However, every now and then, I get those little wake up calls. Those little coincidences that surprise, amuse and make me wonder. I told you about the feral cat I met and befriended on the night of that lunar eclipse. The last time I did a hand spell, I got a contract with Berkley. My confidence has been a little shaken lately, but now, I have an answer from the ether. Autograph my work with excellence.

I’m off to Memphis for the weekend. I’ll be back with pics! Enjoy the snippets! ~ DD

A love scene is empty unless supercharged with emotion. And I’m not so particular whether that emotion is anger, lust, want, or need. However, when there’s sorrow in the mix, somehow the sex transcends. Read on and see what I mean. I fell in love with True here.

“I have a definite soft spot in my heart for the strong silent type and True in this story…that’s my kind of guy. A little rough around the edges that loves as hard as he works. Can I PLEASE have a True? Man alive.” ~ Taryn Elliott’s blog

“I thought the story behind True was fascinating; he is a captivating character. A delightful read.” ~ Sensual Reads

Two men plus one woman equals three bodies on fire…

True Wyatt’s hands are going to be full enough keeping the herd alive through the dead of winter. The last thing he needs to hear is that his brother Lonny has rented out their isolated hunting cabin to a reclusive writer—especially a sassy, disaster-prone brunette. Who has the time to babysit a city girl until Spring?

With a deadline looming, erotica writer Honey Cahill is looking forward to six distraction-free weeks to finish her next book. However, between Lonny’s flirty sensuality and True’s hard-edged intensity, the Wyatt brothers set the stage of her imagination for a winter of wicked delights.

The fire that destroys the cabin, though, is as real as it gets. Forced to seek a bed under True and Lonny’s roof, the temptation to experiment—all in the name of research, of course—is overpowering. One night in their arms doesn’t feel like enough; it feels like more. Particularly with one cowboy who fires all her cylinders…

Warning: It’s a Devlin ménage—expect men with stamina and not an ounce of mercy to behave like sex gods, and the lucky woman to love every minute of it. A little domination goes a long, long way…

Everywhere she looked was so masculine, so hard, that her fingers tensed and her mouth grew dry.

But it was his cock that made her want to weep. Thick, long and so aroused it lifted proudly from his groin—it reminded her of everything she’d lost. She missed sex, missed feeling a man thrust deep inside her body. Missed the heat, the gentle violence.

“You’re doing it again.”

His gruff tone coaxed a smile from her. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Killing the mood.”

He sat on the edge of the bed. “Does it look like I’m worried?”
Read the rest of this entry »

Today, I’m blogging at Access Romance about, what else? Vikings!
Join me if you can. I’d love the company.
Access Romance

“The biggest sin is sitting on your ass.” ~ Florynce Kennedy

I’m hoping she meant that figuratively or I’m screwed.

It’s the day after Snowmageddon. We got a paltry five inches. Not that five inches isn’t enough to halt all traffic (including school buses!). Yesterday, I had the hellion and her kids here because they were “bored”. Like I’m the entertainment? Little high-pitched voices screaming, “She hit me!”, “No-ny! No-ny!” (she can’t say Nina), and the sounds of things crashing to the floor, sent the muse into hiding. I should have unpacked the Pack ‘n’ Play and given them both boxing gloves.

Still, no excuses. Today, I will pay the price with double the pagecount to make up.

I’m sure what Florynce meant was that the greatest sin is doing nothing. Doing nothing when it’s time to speak. Doing nothing when it’s time to act.

Well, I’m acting now. Just on my ass. 😛

Yeah, disturbing, huh? But wait, if you look long enough you… No, never mind. I don’t know why that picture seemed to call to me today.

I’ve been back in my vamp world the past few days, writing a quickie for Moses Brown from the My Immortal Knight series. No bats there either. The story’s coming very naturally. It’s fun, it’s sexy. I’m hoping to get to scary, but sexy might be all that Moses has. Poor man’s been waiting a long, long time for his Happy Ever After.

Snowmageddon’s supposed to be happening right now. Forecast keeps saying 6-8 inches, and that’s surreal for this part of the state. I’m hoping we keep our power, because being cooped up due to bad roads is bad enough. Being cooped up without Internet or TV—with two little ones—well, just shoot me now.