The highs make you giddy, but the lows’ll bury you

I’m Michelle Moore, half of the writing team responsible for the Ylendrian Empire scifi series, and Delilah has been kind enough to let me invade her blog with a guest post today.

The past few weeks have been interesting, to say the least.  Right before Halloween, my other (and most would say better) half, Reesa Herberth, was hospitalized with pulmonary embolisms.  Actually, do you use the plural term embolisms if there are multiple blood clots in both lungs or is it always just a pulmonary embolism singular?  Funny, never thought to ask the doctor about correct terminology.  Anyway, can I say how terrifying it is to hear that someone you love was within a day of dying if she hadn’t gone to the ER?  Pretty damn scary.  You know, just in case you were wondering.

The day Reesa got out of the hospital we got the news that we’d sold our newest novel to Riptide Publishing.   We sweated blood and tears over Peripheral People, mainly because it was a real stretch for us, a mystery with a psychic serial killer (in SPACE!).  Never having written a mystery before, we had a trial-by-fire learning experience, and while we both had the utmost faith in the story, we were still worried about finding it the right home.  So talk about euphoria when Rachel Haimowitz at Riptide contacted us.

I don’t think I’m mentally equipped for extreme ups and downs.  I have a tic in my left eye, I’ve chewed my cuticles to the quick, and if I were given the opportunity to get in bed with Delilah, I’m afraid it would only be so I could pull the covers up over my head and hide!

Anyone else been on an out of control see-saw?  Comment with your gory details for a chance to win an e-book copy of The Balance of Silence or The Slipstream Con.

Michelle

A quick FYI for writers… I don’t have any guest blogging dates left November through January. Thanks to everyone who grabbed theirs quickly! 🙂

I’ve been back from my trip a couple of days. I’m caught up with email, sort of, snail mail, and the post-trip laundry. Now, I’m ready to hunker down and write my stubby little fingers off! Send me positive thoughts that I can actually power through the rest of this darn book!

Thought you might like to see the prize I brought back to the winner of The DC Kitschy Contest…

And the winner of the DC cup, snow globe, playing cards and magnet is…Kelli Jo Calvert (Nov 10)! Kelli, email me to let me know your snail mail addy. Congrats! And now, I have to catch up on all my mailings! Assistant! Where’s my assistant?

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The Random Act of Winning Contest!

What can you win? I don’t know! I love saying that. But really, for the next two weeks, I might pop in one day and choose a winner. The prize might be a free download or a small gift cert from Amazon. I don’t know. Drop by every day and comment, and you might get lucky and find out! 🙂

What do you have to do to win? Post comments on this blog from now until the contest ends! Each time you post counts as another entry!

This contest ends on November 29th!

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I’ll start the conversation with a question. Answer for a chance to win. Can’t say for sure I’ll chose a winner today, but that’s the fun of this, right?

If you had to choose weather that’s typical for your area in any given month and make it last the whole year-long, which month’s weather would you choose? Are you a June girl like me? Early summer in Arkansas isn’t horribly muggy just yet, but it is warm enough to heat up my pool. What’s your favorite month’s weather and why? Could you really take it for the whole year? (Yes, I really, really could!)

Snow Bound (In All the Right Ways)

Snow. The very sight and sound of it’s descent to the earth is magical. The hushed anticipation that comes with the first few snowflakes as they drift to the ground before melting.

I know those of you who live with it knee-deep several times a year might not feel the same, but for those of us living in the southern United States, the appearance of this enchanting weather phenomenon is few and far between. My debut novella opens with the little town of Cadence experiencing the worst snowstorm the Tennessee valley has seen in a decade. While it takes several feet to confine those of you in other places to your homes, down south whole towns can be incapacitated by a few inches because we don’t have the equipment to keep roads clear and make travel safe on icy highways.

I have wonderful memories of few and far between snow days. The still silence of standing in the woods while crystallized flakes blanket the ground in a crunchy white crust. Watching the first reactions of my babies, totally unused to this freezing ground cover. My father and neighbors clearing our little rural road with their own chainsaws after waiting days for the county to move downed trees. And refusing to get on the roads because, in case you don’t know it, us southerners are dangerous on ice! Not near enough practice, in my opinion. But one particular memory stands out in my mind.

During the first year of my marriage, we had a major snowstorm that covered the state with a layer of ice underneath the white stuff, along with a week of temps that kept the slick surface from melting. And since we weren’t keen on getting run over, my hubby and I holed up in the house with a heating unit not nearly adequate enough to keep the freezing air at bay. Best defensive action? 2 bodies. 1 blanket.

I guess I don’t need to explain where that type of scenario might lead? Especially for newlyweds. SNOW BOUND’s hero and heroine are certainly tempted to heat up their nights while snowed into the heroine’s isolated farmhouse – if they can keep safe from the past determined to terrorize their cozy little nest.

What’s your favorite way to pass the time if you’re SNOW BOUND?

Today I’m giving away a cute little “snow” pack to 1 lucky commenter, including hot chocolate, a snowman cookie, fuzzy lap blanket, and a $5 Amazon gift card. My heroine would most definitely approve!

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SNOW BOUND

Available now through Amazon and Smashwords.

The last thing Damon West wants is a trip to his bookish neighbor’s house in the midst of the worst snowstorm Cadence, TN, has seen in a decade. Still, his military instincts warn him that Miss Priss could use a little help. His arrival is met with an attack by an unknown assailant and the sight of Miss Priss in a sexy wisp of nothing-much, confidently wielding a double-barreled shotgun.

Tori Anderson carefully portrays herself as a responsible bookstore owner and capable young woman to anyone willing to look twice. But two men grappling in her backyard called for speed more than decorum. That’s how the guy she’d been secretly lusting after since he’d bought the house next door sees her in a silky robe and panties—with nothing in between. Damon’s sudden interest thrills her, but she can’t help worrying about the unknown threat scared off by her shotgun blast.

Trapped in her house under several feet of snow with no way to reach the outside world, Tori finally has the chance to indulge her wildest fantasies. But she isn’t sure which is more daunting—the abusive boyfriend back to punish her or her desire to have more than one night with the town’s most unavailable bachelor.

I’m back from the DC area! Lovely visit there with family, but I’m glad to be home. The drive was grueling up and back. We delivered Great Pyrenees puppies to be rehomed, and my daughter picked up two German Shepherds for training. So tons of stops along the way for walking and watering. Did I say I’m glad to be home?

I have winners to announce for the two countdown contests I ran while I was gone. Winners were chosen via random number generator.

The winner of the free download of Five Ways ‘Til Sunday is…Sue Foster!

The winner of the free download of Fournicopia is…Debbi D’Attomo!

Ladies, email me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com to arrange delivery of your prizes. Congrats! Hope you enjoy!

Don’t forget about the DC Kitschy Contest that ends Thursday! I brought back a mug, a magnet and a snow globe. I’ll try to post a picture of the prizes some time today so you can see what’s up for grabs.

But the big news today is that A Perfect Trifecta released! If you wouldn’t mind too much, head to Amazon and click on “Like” and the tags. It helps raise visibility of the book to other readers. And if you read it, I’d very much appreciate you posting a review to let other readers know how you are enjoying the series. Purchase links are listed below the sexy cover! Thanks!!

Buy at Samhain
Buy at Amazon

NaNo Day 12:
SS-2—0 words (vacation)

Sometime today, I’ll be rolling into my driveway, exhausted after my whirlwind trip to the DC area. But no rest for the weary, here. I have to knuckle back under to catch up on all those NaNoWriMo pages I didn’t write while I was gone. Send me good wishes that I can pick right up where I left off!

In the meantime, I’m sharing another little excerpt from the newest book in the Delta Heat series. This one releases sometime after midnight. Be sure to order it now so you won’t have to wait a minute to read it once you power up in the morning! I love this series. I plan two more stories to finish my 5-4-3-2-1 countdown. Bet you can’t guess who I’m saving for last…

This time, you’ll meet my easy-going cop, Craig Eason. He’s quick with a smile, charming as all get-out, but just a little confused about what else he might be. Be warned! This scene is not for the faint of heart! And I had fun with it, because this same scene is depicted in the prequel book, but from totally different points of view. Here you find out there was a heck of a lot more going on than you thought. 🙂

Playing with pain can put you in a world of hurt…or bliss.

Playing switch in front of a La Forge BDSM club audience was supposed to be a one-time fling. A favor for a friend. Instead, when Craig Eason realizes he’s caught the attention of an enigmatic, powerful Dom across the crowded room, he senses this could be the man he’s been looking for to test the boundaries of his own sexuality.

Firefighter Aiden Byrne is a very private man with strong S&M longings he keeps in check for everyone else’s safety. His sub, Jennifer Callum, thinks she likes it rough, but he can’t let go the way he’d like to. Until one defiant stare from the handsome cop on the La Forge stage causes Aiden’s most dangerous needs to uncoil from the deepest, darkest part of his soul.

With the blessing—and active involvement—of his sub, a seduction is set in motion that ends in a scene that shakes them all to the core…

Product Warnings: Contains a powerful, burly firefighter who plans to take everything a hot cop thinks he knows about himself and send it up in smoke. Please replace the batteries in all your smoke detectors before reading this book. Contains scenes with m/m/f, m/m, spanking, flogging, restraints, and one wild orgy of pleasure.

Craig Eason stood in the shadows, his stomach tightening with a mixture of dread and excitement. He cracked his neck from side to side, then stepped toward the rear of the crowd gathered around the stage, his hands on hips, waiting for his cue.

Where minutes ago techno music had blared through the door of the changing room while he’d donned a thin pair of black cotton sweats, Club La Forge was now eerily quiet.

Lights from the crystal chandelier that lit the large main salon were dimmed. A spotlight shone above one stage, drawing all gazes.

The pretty little redhead who stood in the center of the raised stage looked poised and confident, but Craig knew the Domme was a quivering bundle of nerves, and he couldn’t help but smile. One of his best buds, Gus Taggert, was about to receive a hell of a sexy beating from his very own doughnut girl—a woman the big guy hadn’t stopped talking about since he’d been conned into buying doughnuts at her shop. Gus had fallen as hard as a stack of bricks the moment Aislinn Darby had told him to face the pastry shelf and spread ’em—and then firmly gripped his junk.

Craig understood how a moment like that could change a man. He hoped to have a moment like that of his own one day soon. Maybe it would happen here at the club. Maybe it would happen tonight, but he wasn’t holding his breath. Tonight was Gus’s night. Craig was only here for support, or so Aislinn had said. Although exactly what kind of support he wasn’t a hundred percent sure after she’d grilled him over the acts he’d be willing to perform, like a menu of spicy dishes, some so hot he’d gotten instantly hard. When she’d finished, he’d asked what exactly she had in mind. Read the rest of this entry »

NaNo Day 11:
SS-2—0 words (vacation)

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be starting my looooong journey home. The trek from the DC area to my Arkansas home is about 17 hours! While I’m still away from my desk, I’m tempting you again with a snippet from the second book in the Delta Heat series, Fournicopia. Yeah, I love that title too, and I love, love, love Ash and Gus, the two central characters in this story. What’s not to love about a pint-sized Dom and the giant of a cop who wants to be her one and only…sub.

Come along as the two meet each other for the first time. And if you leave a comment here today, you’ll be in the running for a free download of the book. Yeah, yeah, if you already have it there’s got to be something from my backlisted, downloadable Samhain books you might want instead.

 Forget the sugar. Send her the spice.

Delta Heat, Book 2

Gus Taggert knows a setup when he sees one. The doughnut shop his police officer buddies have sent him to, Cornucopia, is too frilly. Too pink. Then the woman behind the counter serves up a mini-lesson in submission that leaves him ready and willing to obey her order to see her tonight at La Forge BDSM club.

The large, burly cop is exactly the kind of alpha guy that newly minted Domme Aislinn Darby has been dying to tie up and spank. Yet after she puts him through his paces, she finds herself eager to let him take control—something she’s never before enjoyed with a man.

Determined to find out once and for all if she has what it takes to control a scene, she orders him up for one more go. Only this time, she intends to ensure he remembers who’s in charge. She’s even willing to offer a little bribe: accept her dictates, and his reward is her—any way he wants her.

Except when it’s time for payback, it comes with several twists she never saw coming.

Product Warnings: When a male sub decides to turn the tables on his pretty Domme, he calls for backup from his best friends. Contains scenes with m/m/f, m/f/m, f/f, spanking, restraints, and an orgy of pleasure no woman can resist.

Gus Taggert knew it was a cliché. A cop in a doughnut shop. The officers waiting for him to arrive for the sergeant’s morning meeting didn’t like making the run because of the inevitable roll of the eyes or smartass grin they’d get standing in line.

However, he didn’t mind being the “doughnut guy”. The plus for being the brunt of any jokes was that he ate for free. That was okay with him. He took any pointed looks or lame jokes in stride. He was an affable guy. Hard to rile.

He’d learned long ago to stifle his anger and look for the good in people, even when they messed up. Being oversized and strong, he’d always had to be more careful throwing his weight around. People could get hurt, and that wasn’t why he’d been drawn to law enforcement. He wasn’t a bully in a uniform.

Gus liked being a cop. Liked what it stood for. Loved the dark navy uniform and the camaraderie of his brother cops. He didn’t mind that his closest buds were all moving on to bigger and better things. He liked being a beat cop. Liked patrolling the neighborhood he lived in and getting to know the people he protected.

His father had been a small-town cop, and his father before him had been the sheriff of their little Arkansas berg. But then his mom had moved to Memphis—not because she’d wanted to, but because when his mom and dad divorced, she’d wanted to start fresh where everyone didn’t know her business and didn’t whisper to her ex about who she was seeing next.

Gus had missed his old school and friends, but had a natural gift for making new ones. That he was big and brawny, quick on his feet despite his size, had made him a natural for the football team.

And that’s where he’d met Jackson Teague and Craig Eason, who surprisingly enough wanted to be cops, too, when they graduated.

They’d all gone to college together, applied for the police academy and been accepted. That’s where they’d met the remaining members of their current posse, Beau McIntyre and Mondo Acevedo.

So, Gus was never lonely. He had his peeps, a job he loved, a city that kept him on his toes. And today, he was on his way to explore a new doughnut shop.

Mondo, although now in vice and no longer attending the station-house morning meetings, had given him a roll of bills the night before. “Treat the guys to doughnuts. On me.”

Gus had glanced at the roll. “This is too much.”

“Not for the place I want you to go.”

He should have known from the gleam in Mondo’s dark brown eyes that something was up, but Gus liked to think the best of people. Maybe Mondo really did just want to treat the guys to something special.

Well, it was special all right. Not like any doughnut shop Gus had ever seen before. He stood on the street in front of the small store front, eyeing the painted glass window with its pink awning, and felt the first rumbles of misgiving.

Cornucopia. He’d had to Google it the night before to get the address and see what the name meant. A horn of plenty. A familiar Thanksgiving ornament. But there weren’t ears of corn or squashes spilling from the dark pink horn painted on the glass. Doughnuts looking like Christmas presents, painted with ribbons and sparkling with stars, spilled from the mouth of the horn.

All the pink and frothy cuteness made him itch. However, he’d been given a wad of cash and a mission to buy a couple dozen doughnuts from this specific shop. For once, his face burned at the idea. Read the rest of this entry »

NaNo Day 10:
SS-2—0 words (vacation)

Yes, I’m still out-of-pocket. Happily visiting with family somewhere in Virginia, just outside the capitol. Since I didn’t have any guests lined up for the weekend, I’m going to take a little time to seduce you into loving my Delta Heat series. The third book comes out on Tuesday, A Perfect Trifecta. Today, I’m going to give you a glimpse into the first book, Five Ways ‘Til Sunday. And since you know I love giveaways, post a comment today, and you’ll win a copy of the book! If you already have this one, take a look at my Samhain backlist. There has to be something there to tempt you. 🙂

I know some of you love series because you love those glimpses of characters you meet along the way. Marti and Jackson are featured in every story. You meet them for the first time here…

“FIVE WAYS ‘TIL SUNDAY was an awesome read…” ~4.5 Stars, Night Owl Reviews 

“Delightfully quick read, you are so consumed in the story it is difficult to put it down…” ~Sensual Reads

Sometimes a man’s just gotta call for backup…

Marti Kowalski is all wrong for Officer Jackson Teague—he just won’t listen to reason. She didn’t finish high school, runs a bar. Has a tattoo and a blue streak in her hair. Yet he still wants to marry her? She can’t say she’s not tempted, but she’s got a bucket list to complete before she ties the knot.

Not just any bucket—more like a fifty-five-gallon drum of sexual wishes so explicit, there’s no way one man, even Jackson, can fulfill them all.

When Marti turns him down again, Jackson doesn’t give up, he insists on knowing why. That’s when she shows him her list. He takes it, thinks about it—and calls on the only men he can trust: four buddies from his academy graduating class.

Between the five of them, he’s sure they can come up with a plan to check off every item on her list in one wild, wicked weekend. That is, if she has the nerve to follow through—and if he can bear to share her.

Warning: Five men on a mission to break down the resistance of one determined woman. Author suggest readers keep their significant others on speed dial. Not responsible for accidental 911 calls.