I’ve been writing for a while. I have numerous series, standalone titles, and short stories. If you’ve never read or barely read me, I can keep you busy for a while! 🙂
One of my first series, that’s still ongoing, is my Night Fall series. It’s near and dear to my heart. And there are 14 stories in the series, so far. The last title I released was Big Bad Wolf, which I adored. What wasn’t to love? A rugged, backwoods wolf with no love for vampires. A vampire with every reason to hate wolves… Of course, they had to fall in love. And there will be more stories. So, dive in. None of them are terribly long. You can consume them like candy. I dare you to give them a try…
Comment for a chance to win your choice of download from among the stories shown below! I’ll pick three winners!
Click on the covers to learn more about the stories!
Big Bad Wolf
Ginnie Martin is a badass. She was born that way one horror-filled night. Forged in blood—her own and her family’s. All were ravaged by savage beasts. Her vampire savior recruited her to fight with his small army against the creatures responsible for her devastating loss. But now, he’s asking too damn much. He wants her to open her home to new allies who, until only recently, were their fiercest foes. Wolves.
Calum Fletcher already bristles against providing muscle to a vampire force. Content living in his remote mountain cabin, he’s never been much for mixing with other wolves, much less making nice with vampires. He was already having a hard time dealing, but the woman letting him bunk in her home wears an even larger chip on her shoulder. Quickly, his new favorite sport is goading her into losing her temper—because everyone knows a vampire’s bloodlust leads to very sexy places…
Read an excerpt…
The moment Calum Fletcher stepped into The Cavern, his body quickened. The heavy thud of his heart pounded at his temples. His skin prickled. Above the scent of booze and sex, he noted the musty, metallic odor of blood, and his stomach churned. Every instinct shouted danger.
Striding past the brawny, dull bouncer at the door, he kept moving, needing to draw calm around him before his nature was revealed. Although the vampires had been warned of his pack’s arrival in Seattle, he preferred to cloak himself in humanskin, free of wolf scent. The better to study the enemies he’d now be aligning with in war.
Dance music beat against his body. Bright, strobing lights pierced his eyes. Turning from the dance floor, he moved toward the bar, ignoring the activities of the patrons—the feasting, the fucking. Everywhere, except at the bar, an orgy of bloodlust and sexual excess was in progress.
The blonde behind the bar gave him quick, assessing glance. Her green eyes narrowed. “Can I get you a drink?” she asked, all the while continuing to watch him as though she expected trouble.
“A beer.”
“No preference?”
He shook his head, wanting to look away, but he was studying her as well. The blonde, uneven cut that barely reached to her chin looked wind-tousled. Her pale unpainted cheeks were as smooth as porcelain. Her mouth was bowed but held in a tight, firm line. Below, her figure was lean and muscled with only a slight flare of hips and a meager bosom.
And then he viewed her clothing—a black, form-fitting tank and faded blue jeans with ragged holes over both knees, stuffed into square-toed black boots. Harsh, dark. Echoing the look in the eyes.
Vampire, he concluded. Had she already guessed his true nature?
She placed the beer on a cardboard coaster in front of him. “Haven’t seen you here before,” she said, her voice soft, but with a hint of an edge.
“I’m from out of town.” Out of state, actually, but he didn’t elaborate.
“How did you find this place?”
He gave a shrug then met her gaze, locking with it. “I was walking along the docks. Heard the music.”
She frowned. “And once you came inside…?”
Her tone clued him she was angling to hear what he thought of what was going on. A human who ventured inside by accident should be shocked. So, she hadn’t made him.
He held still. Barely breathed. If she knew he wasn’t a willing “host,” someone who understood the rules of the blood exchange, what would she do? His curiosity was piqued by her deepening frown and downturned mouth. Was she considering giving him a “friendly” warning?
Calum broke with her gaze and glanced at the dance floor. Most pairs danced, bodies moving in a wild fervor. A few barely swayed while hosts’ necks bent and vamps’ mouths worked, teeth and tongues biting and licking. He barely repressed a shudder. Worse, his gums tingled. When he turned back, he didn’t bother hiding a frown.
She reached out a hand and cupped the back of his wrapped around the beer. “Are you curious?” she asked, her voice thicker than before and lisping.
Curious about her, yes. Which should have alarmed him. But she wasn’t flirting and wasn’t attempting to use her vampire’s tricks to seduce him. Her gaze was direct. A straightforward challenge.
And although he wasn’t there to play, he did have time to satisfy his curiosity. The rest of his pack would be arriving soon enough. He’d pushed ahead of the convoy while they’d stopped for a meal. He gave a slight nod.
Her chest rose, and she lifted a hand to signal to a waitress, who made her way behind the far end of the long wooden bar. Then the blonde lifted the hinged, vertical opening in the bar and stepped through to join him.
Standing next to him, she had to raise her head to meet his gaze, something that appeared to irritate her, because a frown dug a line between her brows. “Bring your beer.” She stepped past him, skirting the dance floor and moving toward a row of leather-upholstered booths at the opposite side of the room, lit only by candles set in decorative glass bowls.
He followed, beer in hand, then slid into the booth she indicated.
Rather than taking a seat opposite him, she slid in beside him and turned, raising one knee to the seat. Her gaze went to his beard then trailed over his chest and below, before slowly rising again to his face. “I’m Ginnie,” she said, her voice huskier than before.
He noted the sharpened tips of her corner canines, peeking from beneath her upper lip. “Calum,” he said, his own voice deepening. His breathing was coming faster, sitting this close to her, drinking in her sweet-almond scent, which should have acted like repellent. But almond blended with a slight hint of vanilla and her feminine musk, and now moisture gathered in his mouth. He wanted a taste.
His mouth twitched and, inside, he laughed at himself for his attraction. How long had passed since he’d fucked a woman? Now, he wished he’d come better prepared. Vampires were naturally sensual creatures. That was all this lust was. He was growing aroused because she was what she was, and he’d been without for far too long.
Thank you, Delilah, for inviting me to hang out with your readers today!
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And Jill a dull girl. Along those same lines, a common thread in writerly conversations is the need to step away from our computers/notebooks/scrolls and refill the creative well. Getting out of our chairs is good for our physical health. And getting out of our writing cave benefits our mental health. Plus, it’s nice to feel the sun on our cheeks and breath outdoor air.
I know many of my fellow scribes are introverts and would be perfectly happy to be hermits all day, every day. I go for days seeing only my hubby, and I’m fine with that. But there’s a whole wide world outside my walls and it behoves me to enjoy as much of it as I can while I’m able.
To that end, hubby and I dusted off our bicycles the other day and went for a ride. Not far from our house lies a former railroad that has been converted to a walking/biking rail. Lined with trees, shrubs, and flowers, away from vehicular traffic, and without steep hills, it’s a lovely way to bike into town. Or from one town to the next if you’re feeling energetic. Did I mention no steep hills? Because trains needed fairly level terrain, us middle-aged bicyclists benefit now that the rails are torn up.
(As an aside, I wish we had better train service in this part of the world [NS, Canada] like a lot of other developed nations do.)
Our recent trip, the first of the season, was a brief expedition to check out our machines and to limber disused muscles. We encountered a few other bicyclists and a few walkers, including a couple visiting our fair town from Nottingham, UK! We had a lovely chat on the trail and shared the location of a pair of deer we’d seen.
Here are a few pictures I took along the trail:
The larger of the two deer, along with a herd of cattle who quickly became bored with our presence. The lupines are starting to bloom and I revel in the many shades of blue and purple they display. Finally, one of our neighbours welcomed us home.
After a few hours in the saddle I returned to my writing cave refreshed in body and spirit. And eager for our next outing, which will include a picnic lunch and an ice cream at our destination.
To my fellow writers, what do you do to get away from the story mill and experience the wide world?
And to my fellow readers, if you were presented with an entire day free from obligations, how would you spend your time?
Love & Mayhem
Sybil is happily on the shelf, tending to her sheep. But she fears she’ll depart this life without experiencing physical love, which she suspects is rather enjoyable. When her long-lost fiancé returns from sea, she decides he’s the lucky man who’ll receive her virginity.
Max is eager to return to his sugar plantation and has no intention of remaining long in London. However, he didn’t bargain on a wilful, pretty, exasperating spinster determined to take him to her bed.
He insists on marriage but she wants only his body. Her heart is not part of the deal. Unfortunately, love doesn’t always follow the rules.
“I see all sorts of advantages to the married state.” He brought her hand to his mouth, kissing each knuckle in turn before kissing her palm. Then he flicked his tongue over the inside of her wrist. She bit back a moan. Who knew the wrist was such a sensitive spot?
She forced her mind back to the task at hand. Which, when you came to think of it, served the other task as well. Namely, getting him to flick his tongue on other sensitive parts of her body. She took a deep breath. “Some enjoy those advantages without the bother of a marriage ceremony.”
Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. As soon as she discovered her grandmother’s stash of romance novels, all plots had to lead to a happily-ever-after.
Luanna writes full time, concentrating on sexy romantic suspense, steamy paranormal romance, and spicy historical romance.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Luanna has recently returned to the land of her birth with her dear husband and two spoiled cats. When she’s not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious.
Under her previous pen name of Grace Hood she has two novellas published with The Wild Rose Press.
My first book was At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, a science fiction romance. I released it in 2004, only a few years after 9/11. The news was full of women wearing burkas and the controversy over wearing one by choice versus being given no option. I decided to include a reference to this in my book, but I changed it from being women to being an entire race of people.
“Betters” were called so because they were genetically enhanced to do more, be more, perform more, remember more. They were physically beautiful. As close to perfect as possible and far beyond superhuman. When society realized that Betters could also control a normal human’s mind by means of voice, it frightened them, and they called for the cessation of Better creations as a whole.
Fearmongers demanded all Betters be sterilized to prevent them from multiplying and taking over society.
At the time of my story, the Better Laws prevented them from going out in public uncovered. They could show only hands and faces, or face penalties and jail time. The heroine, a captain in the rebel army, always finds ways to perform her duties without calling attention to herself. Until now.
For this mission—getting back a prototype stolen by the government—she must show herself in public as a Better who flaunts the law. Her cover is a rich cougar with a cute boy toy on her arm. To accomplish this, she hires an attractive young thief to steal back the item. There’s just this small catch. He’s been sedated by his master and cannot respond to her whatsoever. This could be one frustrating mission.
Here’s an excerpt.
From At the Mercy of Her Pleasure
NarrAy met Senth’s penetrating gaze. How had she ever seen him as a boy?
He had a man’s hands, well-groomed nails and sinewy forearms that revealed power and strength. His biceps bulged. Angular jaw, a firm mouth with lips made for kissing. A hot flutter rose within her and she tamped it down at once, refusing to let her pheromones get the upper hand.
Senth was watching her, gaze narrowed, head tilted. He gave a sniff and then eased into a smile. His proximity heightened her desire. He smelled clean, fresh and ruggedly male. A tingle signaled the imminent letdown of her pheromones and she fought to calm the spike of lust flickering through her like a torch about to combust.
Senth’s faint smile revealed nothing, but he lifted his head, sniffing the air. Kin could smell emotion and desire. Could a half-breed? Might be time to find out…
— At the Mercy of Her Pleasure is a fast-paced sci fi romantic comedy. He’s an adorable, fun-loving hero who’s half-human and half-cat. She’s a by-the-book army captain. Do opposites attract?
Hi Delilah Fans! Can you believe the year is half over already? 2018 is flying by!
Okay, here’s what I’m up to today. I’m trying to learn more about romance readers. So I’m posting a questionnaire here and on my Facebook page. I hope you’ll take two seconds to reply—your participation is greatly appreciated. Your email and other info will NOT be used in any other way—no mailing list, no follow-up. Unless you’re one of the three winners. Then you’ll be notified of your win.
Just email me at ashworthlizzie@gmail.com with your age and your favorite type of romance. That’s it!
A randomized drawing will result in three winners of a FREE COPY of Faint Heart, a sexy romance novel (ebook format). But don’t wait. Entries accepted through Friday June 15 ONLY.
Cara Carson only wants one thing, and it isn’t a man. Her new business, Cara’s Kitchen, is the only safe place for her heart. Her recipes are perfected and the old house remodel is underway. But on this raw March morning, the contractor isn’t returning her calls, there’s a bulldozer mired in mud on the side lot, and the man operating it has managed to destroy the huge old willow tree she wanted saved. Furious, she charges across the mire to demand answers and finds her feet stuck and then her heart flailing after the bulldozer operator has to come carry her out.
Morgan Woods never believed in love. Until now, it’s been easy to take and leave women. This woman shouldn’t be any different, except something about her pouty pink lips and her blazing hazel eyes sails past all his defenses. His business-partner dad is sick and his businesses are struggling, but he never wants to let this woman out of his arms.
Can two broken people love again?
About the Author
Lizzie Ashworth lives in the wilds of the Ozark Mountains with three cats, two hound dogs, and too many deer in her yard. She’s been writing her entire life and wants her readers to know how much she enjoys sharing her naughty stories. Visit her website for more on all her books, www.lizzieashworth.com
The happiest of all lives is a busy solitude.~ Voltaire
If that quote is true, then I guess I’m pretty damn happy. Because I’m up to my eyeballs!
Today, I finished working on a 400+ pager by a very talented author. Last week, I wrapped up a 200+ pager from another. Tomorrow, I have to start slamming through a book that I have to load into Amazon by the 22nd. Think I’ll make it?
Lord, I don’t know, but tomorrow, I’m meeting my friend Cynthia D’Alba for a mini, one-day retreat at a favorite coffee house to do nothing but write, write, write. If you know Cyndi, you’re probably laughing at that thought, because she’s a talker, and she brings out the Chatty Cathy in everyone she knows. But I’ll stand firm. Maybe insist on a timer. 45 minutes of words, then 15 of talking. Hope she’s into it. 🙂
So, tell me. What are your strategies for keeping on task? Any words of wisdom for me?
Maybe I need a soundtrack, and it could start with this…
When is full cast audio such a big deal for romance? When it lives up to your imagination and blows your mind! I can say that I am picky. I always have been. When a movie actor doesn’t live up to my imaginary image of a character, I’m disappointed. I don’t think I’m alone. So when I decided to publish my bestselling MMF ménage novel Polished, I was obsessed with finding the right actors who could truly personify my characters. The process was long…and tedious. Not unlike authoring a book, producing full cast audio is much like breathing life into a dream. There is an implicit difference between single narration and specifically cast voice actors performing each role while in character. With a single narrator, you are being told a story, the voice speaking encourages you to connect the words to images in your mind in the same way reading does. Full cast audio brings you into the story. You are right there, a fly on the wall spying in, with a bowl of popcorn. Can’t you just imagine that tiny little bowl? I digress. The difference is immense, the audio is immersive and I don’t know if I could ever look back.
What’s it like to cast an audio book? When casting Spencer and Jack for Polished, there were days when I wondered if I would ever find just the right voice. As a writer, I hope to communicate the subtle nuances of dialogue by context, by choice of words and even by coming right out and taking the not-so-subtle approach of just explaining exactly how the words were said. I hope the context is recognized. I hope the reader hears what I hear. Romance readers generally do. As connoisseurs of the genre, we see the cues, read between the lines and understand when thick smoky allure is woven through a sentence. But, when your voice search inbox is full of guys who probably never read a romance for enjoyment, the outcome is pretty funny. I can’t say how many times I laughed out loud. Then just when you think It might be hopeless, an audition appears that curls your toes, that brings your hero (and in my case heroes) to life. Found: a voice that fits like a glove with your female actor. It’s the happy dance of the century, because your book has actually been reborn through their voices.
Full cast audio is worth the extra work to find just the right actor to portray your characters, one who understands them, who gets their personalities and becomes this imaginary person you dreamed up. I am so unbelievably thrilled with how Polished turned out. Oddly, I never felt closer to these characters now that they have voices, and I hope you will too.
Here’s a free audiobook sample of Polished for your listening enjoyment…nearly two hours of an erotic romance journey to HEA in full cast audio. If you know my writing then you know it’s MMF, it’s fun, emotional and NSFW. If you don’t know my writing, I think it’s about time that we got acquainted! Polished Preview
More about me…I write emotionally rich stories of imperfect people trying to find happiness amidst internal and external challenges…with lots of hot sex. I’m known for writing hot and emotional erotic romance with more than two characters intertwined. I write ménage with and without BDSM elements and never spare my characters from a hard climb to HEA. Find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Get more on at AlyssaTurnerWrites.com and see all my published books on Amazon. Thank you Delilah for letting me drop by!!
Fifty years ago, I published my first attempt to become a writer. Over the years, I’ve seen so many changes. In the old days, I often received my manuscripts with comments written in the margins or in letters helping me improve my stories. These days, editors seem to want a manuscript nearly ready to publish. In those days, there were magazines galore waiting for short stories and an agent wasn’t needed for submission. Slowly, the magazine market dried up. A number of book publishers have either closed their doors or merged with other publishers. In some ways, this is sad.
But there are positive matters to consider. Back then, there were only hard cover and paperback books. I remember being at a small conference when two writers so envied me because three of my books were in hard cover. Now, there are many ways to publish. Major publishers, small publishers, electronic publishers, self publishing.
I found electronic publishing near the end of 1997 and had my first eBook appear in 1998. These times were exciting and sometimes traumatic for writers, if they chose to go that ways. My first book, though it’s been updated and parts re-written, is available today. The book in its many incarnations has not made me a fortune but has continued to sell and sell. MURDER and MINT TEA was and is the title.
Murder and Mint Tea
Katherine is a retired nurse and a retired church organist. The small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families.
When amoral Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house, trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her fear for her friends and family.
Finding the killer becomes her goal.
Editorial Review “Murder and Mint Tea is a gem in its genre, combining the voice of a classic American whodunit with that of a traditional British detective novel. Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple in a beautifully crafted tale that makes the reader want to reach into the pages and dispense justice to the villainess themselves.” ~ Writer Gail Roughton
