UPDATE: The winner, chosen by a random number generator, is…ilona!

* * * * *

I’ve written a lot of books and every one of them is special to me, but there are a few that are my favorite babies. Shattered Souls is one of those. From the moment I dreamed the pivotal scene in the first act, I was driven to write this story. I knew Cait inside and out from day one. I didn’t know exactly what she was capable of, but she led me through her story, bitching all the way. The words came fast, just as though they were being fed through a funnel. Like they weren’t coming from me at all. The sequel was almost as fun to write, although there was one particular scene that just about killed me. Those of you who read Lost Souls will know which one I mean… Enjoy the excerpt.

UPDATE: The winner of an eBook copy of Fear Of Flying is Elaine Swinney!

* * * * *

Confession: I’ve pretty much always been afraid to fly. It started at age 18, with a rough plane ride on my first flight to Europe. Since then I’ve tried not to let my fear of flying control my life, but every time I board a plane, I can’t help but get a little nervous. Ironically, (since I didn’t actually search them out), I’ve had a fortune teller assure me I’ll never die in a plane crash and an astrologer friend tell me I will live to a nice old age. I think of those two women every time I buckle my seatbelt!!

But now I’ve found a way to turn my fear of flying into a positive thing:

I’m the author of nine books, and the advice always given to writers is “write what you know.” So for my latest story, aptly titled Fear Of Flying, I decided to get semi-autobiographical. I gave my heroine, Jessie Jordan, a fear of flying and wrote her story based on many of the real-life experiences I’ve had.

A job as a book publicist? Check. On a nationwide book tour with a travel writer? Check. Winter de-icing of plane wings and bouts of white-knuckle clear air turbulence? Check!

Everyone probably has stories of scary plane flights, me just more than most people. And I included them all in this book! Pretty much everything in it is true, except for the ex-military travel writer hero of the story, Regan Quade, whose lust for Jessie helped make this a very hot contemporary romance!

Here’s the blurb:

“You’re never going to die in a plane crash…”

A mysterious fortune teller’s prediction plays right into book publicist Jessie Jordan’s biggest fear. A difficult childhood has left Jessie determined to control all aspects of her life, but she can’t control airplanes…

Travel writer Regan Quade also has control issues. A devastating event during his time in the military has scarred him into believing he needs to remain single. He can’t risk being responsible for anyone else’s life.

But during a nationwide media tour to promote Regan’s newest travel book, Jessie’s fear of flying prompts Regan to help calm her anxiety in a shocking – and highly intimate! – way.

The sudden change in their relationship unleashes their mutual attraction, but Jessie doesn’t know if there’s any way to pierce the wall Regan’s built around his heart.

This romance is definitely one wild ride! I’ve gotten some great reviews and some wonderful feedback from readers. Here are two buy links if this sounds like a fun read to you…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/1CNHQX5
Nook: https://bit.ly/1xoXbsy
Smashwords: https://bit.ly/1xuh2tH

Now that you know I’m afraid of flying, it’s time to share! Tell me about one of your fears and how you cope with it. I’ll pick a comment at random to win an e-copy of Fear Of Flying.

Best,

Leigh
www.leighcourt.com

They say, “Home is where the heart is.”  James Otis said, “A [person’s] home is [their] castle.”  There are books on buying a home, creating a home, remodeling the home you have, loving your home, and making a second home.

But what, exactly, is “home”?

For me, I don’t feel “at home” unless there are books, a piano, and cats.  Failing cats, at least pets of some kind, preferably mammals.  That’s what’s necessary to make it not just a house, but a home.  I’m always puzzled by people without books.  I’m told there is a creature who is “not a reader,” but that is as alien to me as breathing the atmosphere on Venus.  And no pets?  What blasphemy is that?

More esoteric, perhaps, is the existence of a piano.  I wander, room to room, wondering what’s missing, and if I see a piano, I stop, comforted.  Somehow, the fact of the piano calms me and lets me know I’m in a place that can be called a home.

While musing on home, and creating art, and music, and all sorts of other things that writers muse upon at the crest of a new year, I created the mandala above.  It’s a word art representing the question of “What is home?”

But I’m curious, Dear Reader:  what makes you feel at home?

—

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E.E. Cummings

**New** SEALED BY FIRE is available from LooseId LLC. An All Romance eBooks Bestseller!
The Chicagoland Shifters series:
Book 1 BURNING BRIGHT, available from Samhain Publishing.
Book 2 TIGER TIGER, available from Samhain Publishing. An All Romance eBooks Bestseller!
The Persis Chronicles:
**Coming Soon!** Watch for EMERALD KEEP from Torquere Books, out April 2015!
Check out EMERALD FIRE, available from Torquere Books.
Check out COOK LIKE A WRITER , available from Barnes and Noble.

My links: Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | LinkedIn | Pandora

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Team Blogs: Nightlight | Nightlight FB Page |  Beyond the Veil | BtV FB Page  | Nice Girls Writing Naughty | NGW FB | NGW Twitter Publishers: LooseId |  Samhain Publishing | Torquere Press

It’s that time of year again. The time when we set bright and shiny goals and resolutions. I talked about some of my personal resolutions on my blog recently. But today I thought I’d talk about the resolutions we set as readers.

In general, it seems most people don’t set reading goals. But I’ve found that in the romance community, we’re all about the reading challenge. And I love that. I love having some goal set that I’m working toward with books. Last year, I created my Push Your Boundaries reading challenge to try to encourage me and others to step outside our favorite genres on occasion and expand our reading horizons. I did pretty well, hitting about 75% of the categories I’d set up. But this year, I’m not sure what challenges I want to do beyond my number goal of reading at least 60 books.

I want to continue to read widely and not just in my favorite genres because I definitely discovered some books/authors I liked last year that I never would’ve found without the Push Your Boundaries challenge. But I don’t know if I’ll do it as a formal challenge. And I’ve done the 50/50 challenge a few times before—50 books and 50 movies in a year—which was fun, but I’m not sure I want to focus on movies this year. I’m more behind on TV shows. And I’m way behind on my TBR pile because, lawd, do I have a lot of unread books. I may have a book buying addiction—shh, don’t tell. 😉

So maybe I’ll fashion some challenge this year that focuses on decreasing the TBR pile I already have and on watching some of those TV series that have piled up on my DVR and Netflix cue. Hey, maybe I’ll call it the Catch Up Challenge, lol.

But here’s what I want to know from you: What reading goals are you setting this year? Do you set a number? Do you participate in some of the fun annual reading challenges that book bloggers host? Tell me your favorites! I’m a sucker for a reading challenge. 🙂

CONTEST: Leave a comment and get a chance to win a copy of my book, NOT UNTIL YOU!

And if you want to help fund my book buying addiction (*wink*), here’s my newest release—a hot m/m/f ménage!

About NOTHING BETWEEN US:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Need You Tonight comes a steamy Loving on the Edge novel that proves watching is only half the fun…

Unlike the heroine of her popular thriller series, Georgia Delaune can’t afford to take risks or push sexual boundaries–unless you count spying through her neighbor’s bedroom window, and never missing a single move he makes.

Colby Wilkes is more than willing to put on a show for the alluring woman next door. But his dominant side aches to show her the pleasures of submission up close. As a counselor, Colby is sensitive to Georgia’s fears. As a Dom at The Ranch, a private BDSM retreat, he’s the perfect teacher to unleash her passion.

But just as Georgia lowers her emotional barriers, an unexpected complication arrives: a bad boy musician from Colby’s past who adds fuel to her heated imagination. Now, the lonely author has two gorgeous men eager to fulfill every fantasy she’s ever written–and one she’s never dared to dream….

Buy: Amazon | B&N

UPDATE: The winner of the scavenger hunt is…Susan Rollison!

* * * * *

My daughter is producing a PILE of envelopes and packages to mail. Wait! Let me take a picture…

THAT is my office floor. I have to walk through those landmines to get to my desk until she has time to come back and finish up. I called and wheedled her into doing it for me. And she loves monotonous tasks like this, but you should have heard the cursing when she saw just how deep was the stack of requests and prizes she had to handle. Now you know it’s being handled. And you know they’ll go out soon, because I have to reclaim my office!

So, today I won’t add one more thing to her mailing pile.

We’re having a scavenger hunt! The winner gets his/her choice of download from among my currently available Samhain ebooks.

RULES:

DO NOT POST YOUR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS HERE! Why would you want to help someone else qualify for the prize, huh!?

DO POST HERE SAYING HOW MUCH FUN YOU HAD! Not that I’ll make posting here a requirement to win. I just like knowing that the things I do here are something you enjoy!

So here are the questions. All the answers can be found on my website or on links that exist on my blog page…

1) What is the name of Delilah’s upcoming February release?

2) Which phrase or word appears the largest on my blog’s tag cloud? (Hint: Scroll down the left-hand column to the very end.)

3) What three titles appear on my Bookshelf page?

4) How many series are listed on my Series page AND how many of them only have one entry (meaning more books are to come!)?

5) How many books are listed in my Collections? What was the title of the latest release?

6) Do you subscribe to my blog? (If not, you can do so by scrolling down the left hand column of this page to “Subscribe to Blog via Email.”) Do you subscribe to my newsletter? (If not, that signup is right next to the blog signup!) And lastly, do you follow me on Pinterest? (No, no, no is a perfectly acceptable answer. I won’t ding you!)

And that’s it! REMEMBER! Do not post your answers here! Send them to me privately at: Delilah@delilahdevlin.com. Enjoy!

This contest will end Friday, so there’s plenty of time to play!

Happy New Year Everyone! I’m sure you’re going to be hearing that for a while. We’re only a couple days in and my year started out with a bang. My oldest kiddo turned 16 on the 1^st. We went to lunch at our favorite Chinese buffet, watched Back to the Future, and she spent the night at her friend’s house. It was a pretty chill day and perfect.

I also have a new series kicking off called Mystic Zodiac. I can’t remember (or choose to block it all at this point) how it came about but I had this crazy idea of creating my own paranormal-based zodiac and write a story a month featuring whatever mythical being of that particular month. Yeah, you read that correctly. 1 book each month for 12 months. I planned on getting ahead last year but life got in the way and we moved from Washington State to Virginia. I had already put out the booklet featuring the covers and roughly sketched out most of the books. There was no going back on with insane idea.

So today I’m bringing you the 1^st of 12 books: Thane, Mystic Zodiac Book 1

The premise of the series is a bet between the Fate Chlotho (I’ve changed her name to Chloe) and Eros, the God of Love. Chloe thinks Eros has it easy. Anyone could get humans to fall in love. Eros challenges Chloe to match 12 couples, each one featuring a Mystic. If she can match all 12 she will earn Eros in her bed for one month. No distractions. No other plaything for Eros.

I hope you’ll stick around and see how the series turns out. I’d love to give away a $10 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble to one commenter. Ask a question. Make a comment. If nothing comes to mind, tell me were you fall on my Mystic Zodiac.

January | Angel                   February | God/Goddess
March | Shifter                    April | Nymph
May | Fae                            June | Witch/Warlock
July | Siren                          August | Dragon
September | Djinn               October | Vampire
November | Spirit               December | Demon

Thane

BOOK: Thane
SERIES: Mystic Zodiac, Book 1
MONTH: January
SYMBOL: Angel
PUBLISHER: TEZ Publishing
RELEASE DATE: January 5, 2015

Welcome to the Mystic Zodiac Series.

High atop Mount Olympus, the ancient Gods and Goddesses still reside, hidden from mortal view.

They have always been there.

WILL always be there.

Watching…

Judging…

Meddling.

They dabble in the lives of humans and lesser immortals, known as Mystics.

For fun. Out of boredom. Simply because they can.

They thrive on watching people squirm under their thumbs. Laugh and celebrate each other while plotting to top what they did.

This is where our story begins…

With one more task to complete, Fallen Angel Thane will finally get what he’s dreamed about for decades…his rightful place back on Olympus with his brothers. All he needs to do is keep one woman from “doing something stupid”. How hard could that be?

NOTE: Mystic Zodiac is a 12 book series. It is NOT a serial. Each book ends in a happily ever after for the main couple. However, the prologue and epilogue of each story follows the Gods that kick off the series, Eros and Chlotho (aka Chloe). At the end of the series the bet between the two will come to a conclusion.

BUY HERE: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

EXCERPT:

Chloe’s sisters rose and began to move away. Slowly, she stood, smoothing out her dark blue chiton while looking at Eros one last time. He threw his head back and laughed heartily at one of the insipid women before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing her soundly. When he released her, his gaze collided with Chloe’s. The slow rise of the corner of his mouth set off her fury with him once again.

Without thought she stomped over to where he sprawled with his harem. “You think you are so wonderful, Eros. The pre-eminent gift to both man and woman. Using your looks and ability to arouse desire in those around you to get what you want. Other than for sexual entertainment, you’re useless. Even your gift is a joke. You help mortals fall in love. How ridiculously easy that must be. Zeus knows, we wouldn’t want to tax your limited abilities by giving you something that mattered.”

In one smooth movement, Eros rose from his seat. The women surrounding him gasped in unison before closing their silly mouths. He stood in front of Chloe, towering over her, before she had a chance to flee. Not that she would give him that particular satisfaction.

“Oh sweet, Chloe. Still hurt at being rebuffed?” His words came out on a purr. Hatred rose within her. The man oozed sensuality and used it to his advantage.

“Never,” she hissed, knowing full well it was a complete and utter lie. Eros had to have figured as much. He lips lifted, a smirk painted across his face, as he stepped closer. She could feel the heat of his body, though there were still many inches between them. The thin film of her dress did nothing to diminish that heat or stop her body from wanting to melt into him.

“I believe you are,” he stated, regarding her in study.

She pressed her lips together to keep her words at bay. He would use whatever she said against her. It’s how he liked to play. How most Gods liked to get their rocks off. His head tilted to the side, a thoughtful look smoothing his features.

Damn the man for being attractive.

“I have a game for you, a challenge if you will. One I think you’ll quite like.”

“There is no game I want to play with you, Eros. That momentary lapse in judgment has passed.”

He stepped forward, closing the last of the distance between them. Chloe sucked in a quick sharp breath as his chest brushed against hers. Her nipples responded, hardening to rigid points.

“You would never pass up a challenge, I know you too well. Besides, this one has quite a wicked reward if you prevail. Something you desperately want and I denied.”

A flash of arousal burst through her. He couldn’t mean what she thought. She knew what she had been denied and though she would not admit it to him, she still wanted it—wanted him. She licked her lips and watched as his eyes dilated, tracking the movement. He wasn’t as immune to her as he portrayed.

She was unable to resist now that she knew. “I do love a challenge,” she whispered. She raked his body with a gaze, so lost in him; she jumped when he slipped an arm around her waist, pressing her into him. Her body betrayed her feigned lack of interest in his by quivering in response.

“I challenge you to match twelve couples.”

She opened her mouth to retort how easy that would be, when his finger landed on her lips, silencing the words that had yet to come out.

“Not until I’m done. Twelve couples, one a month, but they won’t only be human. I deal with much more than you think. You, my sweet Chloe, will match one Mystic a month for the next year, following the Mystic Zodiac. They must fall in love. If you succeed, as you surely believe you will, then you get me. For one…whole…month.”

He dropped his finger from her lips, his arm from around her waist, and took a step back. She nearly stumbled, locking her knees before that happened.

“An entire month?” she croaked, her mouth having gone dry.

He grinned like a fool. “Yes. All to yourself. No other playthings to occupy my time. Only you. Would that satisfy you?”

The young maiden within urged her to say yes. The wizened woman inside cautioned her. How could she lose though? Helping humans and Mystics fall in love couldn’t be that difficult. Humans fell in love too easily and too often. Mystics, if they had been on that plain long enough, did as well. It would be a breeze.

“Will I be choosing the Mystic or will you?”

“I will, of course. It is my job to know who will fall and when. I do have more than just one couple a month to deal with. I’ll give you the name of the Mystic, but I won’t tell you whom he or she is matched to; that you will have to figure out all on your own. Consider it an added degree of difficulty, since you find my job so easy. If you’re successful, we’ll meet again on the first day of the next month and I’ll give you the next name. If you aren’t successful, that is where the challenge ends.”

The deal sounded wonderful in her head and too good to be true. There had to be a catch. Something he got out of it if she failed. No God or Goddess did anything without a return in kind. “What will I owe you? If, by chance, I’m unsuccessful.”

Eros grinned. “That’s just it. You’ll owe me. One favor of my choosing. Doesn’t matter what it is, you’ll have to deliver.”

Chloe pursed her lips and thought it over. It didn’t take long to come to a decision. Confidence was never something she lacked. “You have a deal Eros—and you better be worth it.”

Eros threw his head back and laughed, much like he had earlier. When his laughter died down, he stared at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “Oh, I am Chloe. I am definitely worth it.” Quick as lightning, he dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “I’ll call on you tomorrow.” He spun away, joining the women back on the lush pillow-laden seating on the floor.

Chloe crossed her arms over her breasts, hiding her body’s reaction to him. The fools around her didn’t need to know of her attraction. “Your challenge has been accepted. Give me the name,” she demanded.

Eros chuckled, spreading his arms out to encompass the women around him. “I’m done for now. I have other pursuits to attend to. You can wait, Chloe, or are you that desperate to have me?”

“No one would ever be desperate over you. You give yourself freely to one and all.”

He pinned her with a look that stole her breath. Eyebrow raised, lips thinned. She stepped too far in pushing him. He opened his mouth and she cut him off.

“Tomorrow then,” she snapped. Turning on her heel, she left as quickly as she could without making more of a scene. His voice didn’t ring out behind her with the truth, and for that she was grateful.

“Blast, the damn man for being gracious.”

ABOUT:

Brandy is a paranormal romance author who, on occasion, likes to dabble with contemporary. She’s addicted to MDK shows and who-done-its. You’ll almost never see her without some type of skull paraphernalia on and is always dreaming of more tattoos.

Brandy is a Navy brat, prior enlisted Army, current Army wife, and mom. She lives in Virginia with her husband of almost 20 years, their three kids and one dog. Find out more about Brandy at www.brandywalker.net.

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You’re not supposed to pick favorites with your kids or your novels. But hey, I’m a rule breaker. I won’t confess to having a favorite child. A waterboarding expert couldn’t get it out of me. My favorite novel on the other hand… Vail Tucker made it impossible for me to keep it under wraps. Take a peek…

Warrior Mine Excerpt

In little less than a second Vail had a decision to make. Option one, continue the draw, shoot her in the head, and hope he could grab the detonator before she depressed it. Option two, leave his gun where it hung, attack with bare hands, get the detonator before she depressed it, and then find out who the hell she was and why she’d broken into his office. Deciding on option two, he released the gun and coiled slightly to strike. But a closer look brought that train to a grinding halt.

A long lever compressed between a slender metal box and her palm. That, combined with the distance she put between them, railroaded a surprise attack.

“Listen carefully,” she demanded in an even tone. “I do not wish to harm any of you nor steal your secrets. But, if you push me, I will lay waste to us all and have completed my task all the same. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” He held his body loose, waiting for any opening, while he catalogued the intruder.

Five-eight, maybe five-nine. Slender frame. Full breasts.

Not important at the moment, Tucker. 

                Still, he couldn’t help but notice how the thin cotton fitted the pretty mounds and dipped at the sway of her waist.

He moved on. Belt with extra magazines. Knife strapped to thigh. Bulge at ankle, probably a small cannon. Dark, sad eyes. Light caramel skin. Smooth. Long lashes.

Again, not important.

                Heedless of the warning, his body stirred.

“Open your left desk drawer.”

Tracking his options, he did as she asked, knowing what came next.

“Remove your gun with two fingers, place it in the drawer without putting your hand inside, then close it.”

Her gaze didn’t rove like his had, but speared him in the solar plexus. A nice trick to watch the surrounding area and your target at the same time.

“What is it you hope to accomplish with this misadventure?”

“Secure your sidearm. Then we’ll talk.”

“I don’t expect talking ranks high on your to-do list,” he said, dropping his weapon into the shallow drawer and pushing it closed.

“It is my list.”

“Really?” For a reason completely concealed from understanding, the words, ‘I think we’d fare better with action,’ tickled his tongue. He swallowed them, but his brow and smirk refused to fall in line.

She surged forward one brimming step. The gloved hand not holding the key to their possible doom snapped to her hip. Her gaze rose and lanced his own.

“Yes,” her sweet voice lashed like the end of a whip.

Vail remained still and watchful, a ready predator to his unsuspecting prey. She calmed in stages, as if summoning all her strength to rein a simmering rage. Again he inspected her eyes. There was no more accurate tell about a person’s mental state than the eyes. They were windows all right—he just didn’t think soul described what they revealed. Intent. Sanity or the lack. Direction. Fear. Malice. Truth and lies. If only they’d differentiate the lies from the truth.

The hue of her big rounds matched his coffee—devoid of cream or sugar—and the eyes that stared back in the mirror every morning. Only where his gave nothing away but the chill of earth’s poles, hers revealed everything. Passion. Fear. Determination. Stability.

“Don’t make this more difficult than it has to be.”

“For you?” he asked.

“For me. For you, Mr. Tucker. For your agents and organization. For your secretary.”

She’d done her homework because she knew just how to tweak him to get the desired results. His people and the security of his organization trumped it all, even his own wellbeing. Most of his people were currently on mission, but the lives of the few who remained were in his hands. Plus the lives of those on the thirty-one floors above them. Yeah it was late, but more and more people put in grueling hours, striving for that next corporate rung or avoiding home life. He couldn’t make a move without endangering their lives. So he’d ride this wave a bit further and look for a safe break for land.

“How can I do that? What’s your name?”

The mask moved around her mouth, but she didn’t speak. A smile, maybe, or a frown. He hated not being able to see her face. The tiny gestures lost behind the knit also gave vital clues to a person’s intentions.

“Pick up your phone, hit only the top left button for your secretary, tell her you need a boost and this coffee isn’t doing the trick. You need her to go get you a triple shot espresso.”

“Would you like anything?”

“I’d like for you to quit being a smart ass.”

Warrior Mine – Base Branch Novel 4
A silver fox learns new tricks.

The Base Branch office in Washington D.C. is so heavily fortified it makes Fort Knox look like a 7-Eleven. After twenty years in covert ops, nothing fazes Commander Vail Tucker. When a lightning bolt of feminine fury crashes into the interrogation room, holds him at gunpoint, and takes over the task with his prisoner, he’s more than surprised. She escapes without a trace, but Vail is unable to remain dispassionate. He must know what is so important the beguiling woman would risk her life to find it.

Carmen Ruez is deadly and desperate—a combustible combination. Born into the remnants of the Arellano Felix Organization, drugs and violence kept her in a gilded cage—until a twist of fate showed her the roots of their riches, making her yearn for freedom. She works for it. Fights for it. But her brother crosses the line to keep her loyal to the treacherous family she is determined to leave behind. Following instinct, Vail uncovers Carmen’s motives and is galvanized by a protective instinct he hadn’t known he possessed. Determination and desire force them to work together to defeat those loyal to Carlos Ruez and the AFO. But are those traits enough to make them fight for a future together?

Tell me in the comments below who your favorite book boyfriend is and what quality made him achieve that rank and one lucky commenter will win a digital copy of Enemy Mine, the first installment of The Base Branch Series.

—

Megan Mitcham
Sizzling Suspense – Are you sizzling yet?

The Base Branch Series
The Blacklist Series
Anthologies

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