We have two new SEALS in Paradise stories! The latest releases are by my friends, Parker Kinkade and Kris Michaels! All buy links are below!

Sinful Harvest

Cash “Inferno” Mancini is a take-charge, get-shit-done kind of guy. All he wants to do is help his family bring in the fall harvest, eat some holiday turkey, and then get his ass back to his SEAL team. If it weren’t for his unexpected roommate, he’d be halfway to done already. Cash had no doubt that Aspen Calloway was put on this earth just to annoy him. With her sweet smiles and cheery attitude. With her constant smiles and those pouty lips he’d like to…

Silent Knight

Author’s note: To this Christmas story I’ve also sprinkled two handfuls of Guardians and a dash of an assassin in a Christmas sweater! Come find some old friends and maybe a glimpse into next year’s first release in the Kings of Guardian Series!

Forced to take his ‘Use or Lose’ vacation days, Romeo Platoon Leader Ted (Bear) Black begrudgingly heads home to Hope City and all the nonsense surrounding Christmas. He’d rather stay in San Diego and spend his downtime working, especially when he’s unexpectantly reunited with the woman who was the star of the worst date he’d ever experienced.

Noel Laurent is heading home for Christmas. Her life in San Diego is lacking one thing. Snow! Christmas is the absolute most magical time of the year, and she can’t miss any of the wonderful traditions and events surrounding the season, even if she has to share her travels with the stoically silent Ted Black. Forced to spend time together, Noel is determined to infuse Christmas’s magic and wonder into her travel partner, despite his grumpy disposition. After all, miracles still happen, especially at Christmas!

More SEALS in Paradise Links

Hot SEAL, Heartbreaker by Cat Johnson
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089S5S3JL
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-heartbreaker/id1517407932
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-heartbreaker-cat-johnson/1137147753
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-heartbreaker

Hot SEAL, Charmed by Parker Kincade
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWF7Q42
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-charmed/id1552125791
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-charmed-parker-kincade/1138748474
Kobo:

Hot SEAL, April’s Fool by Becca Jameson
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SBPCT8S
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-aprils-fool/id1548771062
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-aprils-fool-becca-jameson/1138617937
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-april-s-fool

Hot SEAL, In His Memory by Delilah Devlin
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PVV1KGQ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/au/book/hot-seal-in-his-memory/id1543653235
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-in-his-memory-delilah-devlin/1138430889
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-in-his-memory

Hot SEAL, A Forever Dad by MaryAnn Jordan
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08SC2FR3H
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-a-forever-dad/id1547818382
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-a-forever-dad-maryann-jordan/1138579877
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-a-forever-dad

Hot SEAL, Independence Day by Elle James
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PSSV2GQ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-independence-day/id1543730914
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-independence-day-elle-james/1138431894
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-independence-day

Hot SEAL, Sweet & Spicy by Cynthia D’Alba
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWJY1PV
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-sweet-and-spicy/id1552473846
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162566328
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-sweet-and-spicy

Hot SEAL, Labor Day by Cynthia D’Alba
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWXS6MQ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-labor-day/id1552472938
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w?ean=2940162566311
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-labor-day

Hot SEAL, Midnight Magic by Teresa Reasor
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TT4CQFR
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/ie/book/hot-seal-midnight-magic-seals-in-paradise/id1550611527
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-midnight-magic-teresa-j-reasor/1138684839
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-midnight-magic-seals-in-paradise

Hot SEAL, Sinful Harvest by Parker Kincade
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VWG2QL4
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-sinful-harvest/id1552135783
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-sinful-harvest-parker-kincade/1138748630
Kobo: 

Hot SEAL, Silent Knight by Kris Michaels
Available now!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hot-SEAL-Silent-Knight-Crossover-ebook/dp/B08WKMJ7DZ
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/hot-seal-silent-knight/id1553620361
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-seal-silent-knight-kris-michaels/1138824132
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hot-seal-silent-knight

I am tagging on to Delilah’s “St. Nick” post. If you haven’t read it, you can find it here. https://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/2021/12/05/st-nicks-night/. She wrote on her family’s Christmas traditions. Let me tell you about mine.

I found it in the midst of utter chaos. I was chasing down the perfect gifts for loved ones, planning a party, and juggling visiting family with different schedules, dietary needs, and pets. Facebook was my escape from reality. It was my coping mechanism—don’t judge. There was a picture depicting Jolabokaflod. I looked at that photo of a blazing fire with an inviting chair under the snow-covered windows. A hot beverage next to a pile of books lay beside it.  I was immediately transported to Iceland. The house was quiet; the fire crackled; all my friends were curled up with books. I wanted that. Okay, I lived on the gulf coast, so snow and a roaring fire were not realistic, but I could give books on Christmas Eve. Setting up little reading nooks and an array of warm beverages were possibilities as well. I was now on a mission to adopt Jolabokaflod. It helped me rediscover my love of the holidays. Gone were the worries of making everything perfect and attending every party. What fun I had shopping for the perfect stories for my house full of guests.

Jolabokaflod is the Icelandic tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve then going off to read them with a non-alcoholic hot drink. It started after World War II, when paper was not rationed, and booksellers were trying to hawk their wares. They published a list of books and mailed it to everyone in November encouraging the giving of books for Christmas.

At my house, the big night arrived—Christmas Eve. The weather was warm.  I kicked on the air to frigid, so people could snuggle up with cozy blankets.  I had chosen to keep my guests in the dark about the evening’s event, so their faces were filled with anticipation as I handed out the beautifully wrapped gifts. I even learned how to make fancy bows, which is a huge feat since I am the least crafty person on Earth. Thank you, YouTube. My drinks trolley overflowed with cider, teas, coffee, and hot chocolate. I explained the tradition. Then everyone took turns revealing their books. There were oohs and ahhs and a few puzzled hmms. Friends selected beverages and dispersed to find the perfect reading spots. It was amazing. We were alone but together, kind of like a silent book club. After a couple of hours, we gathered back for a late supper of roasted lamb and flatkaka to keep with the Icelandic theme. The conversation flowed and ranged. Huge success. It was all that I had hoped for and more. Jolabokaflod is now my annual Christmas Eve event. The participants and books change, but the feeling of discovery and friendship thrive from year to year. Give it a try.

If you are looking for a book gift, I highly recommend Passionate Ink’s Falling Hard anthology (which is currently FREE in KU!). It contains seven steamy stories to warm your cold December nights. Michal Scott writes of Eve trying to escape an unwanted marriage in 1898 in Who Can Find a Virtuous Woman. Ryley Banks’ hot ginger TJ comes face to face with his teenage crush, Harley. Who doesn’t love a hot ginger? Find out what happens in Hard Cider Crush. Calia Wilde’s Burned Bones doesn’t disappoint with demons, dragons, and scorching sex. Learning that there is life after tragedy is the story of Roger Callahan. Ryan T. Osborn’s Claiming Papa is a daddy story that stays with the reader. Jordyn Kross’ Open Enrollment has you rooting for Dr. Chandra Russell from the first paragraph. What a steamy alien love story that has you hoping for a sequel. “When it comes to love and death, time is just another four-letter word.” Deni Dawson has a way with words. In her Between Love and Death, you find yourself thinking about houses and ghosts in a new way. A Facebook (can you tell it’s my story?) reconnect of first love leads to more than chaste kissing in The Homecoming.

All proceeds for Falling Hard go to Proliteracy.org!!

Want a sexy variation on Jolabokaflod? Pick up an erotic novel from your favorite author, pour your favorite beverage for a special person(s) of your choice, and take turns reading passages out loud. You don’t even have to wait until Christmas Eve!

Do you have a book tradition that you would like to share? I am always looking for new ways to celebrate with books or just celebrate!

Thank you, Delilah, for letting me share my favorite holiday tradition with your readers. Happy Holidays and Reading.

XOXO
Candy

To find out more about Candice LaBria, visit her website at www.CandiceLaBria.com or her socials at Bria_writes on Instagram and Twitter and Candice LaBria on Facebook.

House of Rae franchisee Marie Argenta is on the run after her estranged husband Ned inflicts unimaginable tortures. Leaving her Paris House to hide out in the U.S., she ends up at the San Francisco House to serve as temporary manager. The very first day, her gaze lands on the most arrogant man she has ever seen, Adrian Velasquez. He’s also the most compelling devastatingly attractive, over-the-top pleasure partner the universe could ever conjure, which makes her think twice about the rules forbidding employee relationships.

Adrian knows what he likes and this new House manager Marie ranks above and beyond anything he’s ever imagined. Too bad his life is already crammed too full of family troubles, work overload, and finishing his law degree to even consider stretching the rules with this irritating woman. But a touch here, a kiss there, might be too delicious to refuse and she’s, well, she wants him. He knows it.

What Marie and Adrian are soon to discover is that Ned knows where Marie has fled and plans to take her back no matter what.

West Coast life like you’ve never imagined! Take luxurious surroundings, drop in a few gorgeous men, and stir. Don’t forget there’s serious trouble ahead.

Get your copy! Amazon Free promotion Dec 7, 8, and 9 ONLY

Follow my blog for GIVEAWAYS of Book III and IV, coming up in a few days! https://lizzieashworth.com/

** Reviews Needed! ** Please take a moment and review this book!

Excerpt from Reprieve…

Adrian lounged in the hallway outside the ground floor conference room. If it were his call, he’d bring everyone to the room at once throwing out ideas and arguing over word choice. But it wasn’t his call and Marie obviously preferred to take advice from one person at a time. He stopped himself from further questioning her reasoning. He didn’t want to think about her reasoning, her, or her luscious body.

Damn it.

He’d found it unexpectedly difficult to craft language that surpassed hers. He’d actually wasted a lot of time thinking up clever ways to make her uncomfortable with over-the-top sexual innuendo. Which wasn’t the purpose of the task, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. He wanted to provoke her, push her limits, test her control. Any opening and he would storm past her walls.

Ridiculous, he knew. Storming her walls was the last thing that should be on his mind. She set something loose in him, something he’d never encountered in all his thirty years. Not carefully calculating his hours, his days, his future as had been his pattern. Instead, this doppelganger lurking inside him plotted devious methods that would result in Marie’s eager nude body in his bed.

He shifted uncomfortably as his cock twitched.

The door opened and Savannah walked out, throwing him an amused glance. “Hey, sex boy. You’re next.”

He shook his head and grinned. “Tear it up, Savannah.”

He rolled his shoulder around the door frame, crossed his arms and looked down the long table to where Marie sat at the far end. Surrounded by papers she was organizing into stacks, she glanced up only momentarily before motioning to a nearby chair. Her hair had been fastened loosely on top of her head but a few strands had worked loose, drifting around her face and doing something outrageous with her beauty. A gauzy pink blouse floated around her shoulders and vanished into the shadow of her sumptuous décolletage. He was instantly hard as iron.

Did she know the image she presented, part sex goddess, part ice queen? He had no doubt of her intellect, whip smart and aggressive. He also had no doubt that she would be a wild cat in bed, a tempest of little moans and cries, all of which would ensure his undying servitude to her unending pleasure. Yes, in a perfect world, he would devote himself utterly to Marie, to fulfilling her every sexual need in long leisurely episodes of rampant lust.

His balls had drawn up tight.

As he pulled out the chair nearest her and sat carefully, her gaze followed the bulge straining his pants until his hips disappeared under the table. He watched her reaction, a careful flick of her tongue against her full bottom lip and a slight flush of pink across her cheeks. Goddamn it, that’s all he needed for his rowdy dick to threaten to leap out of his pants.

“Whatever this game is you are playing, monsieur, it will go nowhere,” she said in a husky voice. “Surely you know I cannot entangle myself with an employee.”

He cleared his throat, fighting against laughter. Triumphant laughter. So the cards were on the table.

“Of course,” he said in his most dignified voice. “But I don’t know what ‘game’ you mean. I’m here only to offer advice on the advertisement.”

Her long lashes blinked up and her aquamarine gaze intensified as she studied him, her brow creased. Oh, he could make that gaze darken and smooth that lovely brow all in the same moment. Just one moment to bare her lovely breasts, taste the dark pink nipples—she would call his name. He would draw those rosy tips hard against his tongue until she cried out.

Then he would move lower, teasing with little kisses and bites, until he reached the altar of her body, that delicious valley of moist ruddy flesh where he would live off her delectable nectar. His tongue, his mouth, and his fingers would perform ancient rites of homage until she flailed and cried out, desperate for his engorged cock.

He suppressed a groan, couldn’t help that his glance had drifted to those luscious mounds waiting for him under that flimsy pink blouse. Was it his imagination or could he actually make out the erect peaks of those perfect tits pressing their captivity, begging him?

She brought her papers into a neat stack and looked up. “When you manage to tear your eyes away from ma poitrine, perhaps we can hear your ideas? S’il vous plait?”

He dragged his gaze back to her face, unable to keep the guilty grin off his face. “Ma poitrine,” he drawled. “Is that what they call those lovelies in French?” He leaned forward, as much to punish the rigid length of his raging cock as to push the boundaries of her personal space. He knew he was acting like an ass, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. His outrageous alter ego was in full control.

“It’s a shame their beauty must be hidden from the world.”

“Pah, you are not here to seduce a client, Monsieur Velasquez.” She tapped a perfectly manicured fingernail on the papers. “What ideas do you have?”

UPDATE: The winners are…Stacey Kinzebach and Laura!
*~*~*

Some of you might not be aware, but my sister and I began writing together, just over twenty years ago. These stories were our first efforts. Funny contemporaries that we set aside for years while we concentrated on writing our solo works. Then, a few years ago, we decided to revise them and put them up for sale. We never lost our love for these characters or the funny things we put them through. If you haven’t read them yet, check them out!

For a chance to win your choice of one of the Texas Billionaires Club books, answer this…

Do you love billionaire stories? Or do you prefer a blue-collar kind of hero?

 

Something to Talk About

What happens when Martha Stewart teams up with the Oscar Madison of radio talk shows? Sparks fly, romance blooms and their audience goes wild!

Diane Denton is a cool, sophisticated home and garden talk show host on K-YAK 102.5 radio station. All she thinks she wants is to talk about fertilizer and place settings, while fending off her well-meaning country club parents’ attempts to push her into marriage with the “right man.”

To Diane, fellow talk show host, Rip O’Rourke, is nothing more than a rebellious, overgrown teenager flaunting his baseball-capped, Hawaiian-shirted, ex-football player physique to “score” with anything with breasts. Proof of his perversity is the crude, but popular, hour of programming he hosts that discusses such manly topics as wet T-shirt contests and sports statistics. Diane wouldn’t spit on Rip if he were on fire, while Rip on the other hand, wants to do more than spend time with Diane. She is a challenge to mankind as a whole and his goal in life is to see Diane’s crisp shirts and tailored slacks properly rumpled, just once.

Rip gets his opportunity when the radio station is sold to a large corporation and the station manager is challenged to come up with a prime-time show that will set the city on its ear. From one of Rip and Diane’s public arguments springs the idea of a show about the differences between men and women giving their audience, “Something to Talk About.”

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Excerpt from Something to Talk About…

Their boss and station manager, Dave Lebcowitz, stepped into the room at just that moment. The high-spirited chatter halted. Anxious faces turned in his direction.

“Good afternoon, team.” Dave’s voice carried like a sonic boom in a cardboard box. “I know you’re all wondering why I called this meeting. I don’t want to keep you hanging, so I’ll cut to the chase.” Dave glanced around the room, drawing out the pause.

Casey held her breath. Dave only acted this way when he was about to announce something big—something they weren’t going to like. Despite her belief superstition was for ignorant people, Casey crossed her fingers in her lap. Please don’t cut my show.

“The station’s been bought out by ROR International.”

Pandemonium broke out, and everybody spoke at once. A buy-out usually meant one thing. Someone, maybe a lot of someones, would lose his or her job.

Dave raised both hands, “Quiet now, everyone.” He waited until the noise subsided before continuing. “I just got off the phone with the new management team. They’ve been studying our ratings and haven’t recommended any personnel or timeslot changes, yet.”

“What do you mean—yet?” Casey demanded. “We all know what happened to that station in Denver they bought out six months ago. It’s pretty much a turn-key operation now. Most of their programming comes from nationally syndicated shows.”

“Well, they did express concern about our ratings,” Dave admitted, “but I talked them into giving us a little breathing space—a chance to prove ourselves as part of their new team.”

“Were they amenable to the idea?” Rip asked.

“They agreed to give us two months,” Dave responded.

Casey frowned. “A kind of trial period?”

“Yes.” Dave turned to pace the length of the conference table. “The problem is we’re not rock ‘n roll. We’re not rap. Face it—we’re not sexy. We’re talk radio. We’ve been losing market share steadily in our ‘morning drive’ slot ever since Jack the Yak left. We need to change that.”

“Any suggestions on how to turn that around?” Rip asked.

“We need something different. Something that will get the entire city listening and talking. Ladies and gentlemen,” he looked around the room at each face, pausing on Rip, who was poking holes in his paper coffee cup with a pen, “…and Rip, if we don’t come up with something big, we’re all likely to be out of jobs.”

He took a deep breath and continued, “Having said that, I called you together to brainstorm a new idea for our morning drive. We need something that will set this city on its ear.”

As the others settled into discussion, Casey sat silent, racking her brain for an idea. With a quick look around the room, she made a mental inventory of the current lineup.

Dan Rice had the hourly news segment. Not much you could do with that. Randy Gaither had “Mechanic’s Corner” in the mornings right after the morning drive timeslot. Evelyn Krinard hosted the late-night jazz segment on the weekends, and Trish Yarborough was the resident gossip columnist, mixing national with local celebrity news, in the hour following the evening drive hour. With disgust, Casey noted Trish’s attention was fully tuned in to Rip O’Rourke, the resident macho man who hosted the coveted evening commuter’s show and the “Just for Men” program after ten o’clock. She stopped her perusal there.

Casey pursed her lips. She couldn’t understand what she’d seen in him. His square jaw and many-times-broken nose, combined with his ice-blue eyes and dark chestnut-colored hair, were certainly arresting. His belly, as yet, hadn’t turned to flab despite his hedonistic appetites, and his shoulders strained the seams of his shirt, almost to the point of bursting. She hated to admit his exterior certainly had its charms.

But, he was rude, slovenly, and uncouth. A no-necked, ex-jock with the perfect combination of misogynistic qualities that made his show, featuring a mix of sports and male-oriented chatter, so popular.

She’d originally been attracted to his ruggedly handsome face and physique, and ignored warnings of his womanizing tendencies. For once, she’d followed her instincts and gone out with someone her mother would never approve of. And she’d been sadly disappointed when he’d lived up to his reputation, and then some. And he probably still had the paint to prove it.

Despite her own lack of interest, other women loved him. They fell all over themselves to be with Rip O’Rourke, case in point: Bambi. Sliding her gaze upward to his face, she found him watching her.

He winked.

She glared back, and then dropped her gaze, trying to get control of the heat suffusing her cheeks. Casey stared at his chest for a moment before she noticed the T-shirt he wore beneath his open Hawaiian shirt. “Good grief, O’Rourke. Can’t you find something more—” Casey gave up searching for the right word and said what she thought, “—more adult?”

He waggled his eyebrows at her, grinning. “What’s the matter, Cramer? Don’t you like my hairy chest?” He turned toward the rest of the group and pulled the shirt open wider. His T-shirt sported a drawing of curly hair and a belly button.

“Of course not,” she replied sharply. “It’s crude and disgusting.”

“Don’t be such a prude, sweetheart. Haven’t you ever run your fingers through a man’s chest hair before? Or don’t the men you date have any?”

Embarrassed by the turn of the conversation, Casey pursed her lips. “It’s none of your business what I have or have not run my fingers through. That shirt belongs in a frat house—not a workplace. It’s as bad as the T-shirt you loaned me the other day.”

“That’s just your opinion, Cramer. Shall we poll the rest of the group to see if they feel the same?”

Glancing around the room, she was startled to realize the “Rip and Casey Show” held center stage. Even Dave was quiet, a speculative gleam in his eye, as though he waited for the next shot to be fired.

“All right,” Rip continued, “all those who like the T-shirt and don’t think it’s childish or—more to the point—don’t care, raise your hands.”

Most of the guys raised their hands. Trish smiled, raised hers, and batted her eyes at Rip.

Rip turned to Casey with a triumphant look on his face.

“Only the majority of the male half of this room agreed with you,” Casey pointed out, discounting Trish’s vote. “Obviously, you don’t have a clue about a woman’s preferences,” she said, with a smug expression of her own.

“Au contraire, Cramer. The only thing that’s obvious is you don’t know how to loosen up and have fun. You’re so stiff, I bet you even starch your underwear.”

Starched underwear? He had nerve. “I. Do. Not,” she said through gritted teeth.

Rip’s eyebrow rose. “Prove it.”

“I will not, you moronic, prepubescent buffoon. Why don’t you grow up?”

“I will as soon as you learn to loosen up. I’d like to see you when your shirt’s wrinkled and your hair’s messed up. Or you have salsa all over your chest. That’s when I can almost mistake you for a mere mortal like the rest of us.”

“That’s it!” Dave shouted.

Every person in the room turned startled gazes to the man standing at the head of the conference table. Dave’s color was heightened, and he had a feverish gleam in his eyes. “That’s it!” he repeated.

“What’s it, Dave?” Rip asked.

“That’s our show.” He clapped his hands together like a child at the circus.

“What are you talking about?” Casey stared around the room, certain she had missed something.

“The whole reason we’re in this room,” Dave answered, excitement staining his cheeks red. “Pay attention, you two. We’ll do a show on male versus female opinions with Casey and Rip as the co-hosts.”

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SILVER SOLDIERS:  A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Deadline: March 15, 2022

SILVER SOLDIERS is open to all authors.

Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for stories for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled SILVER SOLDIERS:  A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY.

Why write a short story for this collection? Well, it’s certainly not about making a lot of money, so why do it at all? I’ve said this before, but here are my thoughts…

Writing a short story for a call for submissions is a chance to flex your writing muscle! It can be a chance to experiment with a genre you’ve never written. If you’ve never written a story in first person but don’t want to begin by writing an entire novel using it, start short! For myself, I’ve written stories in new genres or with fresh themes that ended up being so much fun to write they’ve spawned entire series.

You have a deadline! I don’t know about you, but I have trouble keeping my butt in the chair without one!

It’s a promotional opportunity! If selected, you’ll be joined by 12-15 other authors for the launch, sharing your audiences and, hopefully, picking up new readers along the way. Having your story in the collection is another chance to be “seen.”

And remember, you retain the rights to your story, so you can republish it for individual sale or give it away to attract subscribers to your newsletter. You might even decide there’s more story to tell and expand your short story into a novel.

Here’s what I’m looking for…

SILVER SOLDIERS: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY will include stories that satisfy the reader who craves stories with older alpha male heroes. Those salt-and-pepper hotties with crow’s feet earned through rugged training and years of combat. Former soldiers finding their footing after their first careers, or current soldiers nearing the end of their military careers. They’re ready to find the right partner to put down roots, ones who aren’t afraid of scars and rough edges.

SILVER SOLDIERS will seek stories with varied settings here on earth, grounded in reality, or soldiers who might be something a bit more than human—supernatural creatures, or even aliens and cyborgs. The only requirement is that these soldiers understand loyalty, allegiance, and real courage.

I’m open to any subgenre of erotic romance you want to write. I’ll accept contemporary, historical, science fiction, or paranormal stories, and I won’t be picky about whether the stories are hetero, LGBT, ménage… Basically, you, the author, can go anywhere your imagination takes you so long as 1) the story is a romance, and 2) you have a bad boy somewhere in the pages!

The anthology will be sold at a low price—my intent is exposure for you and your writing. The more readers reached, the better! You will retain the rights to your story so that, at a later date, you can republish your stories individually.

I’m seeking hot and inventive stories from authors with unique voices, and above all, I’m looking to be seduced by tales filled with vivid imagery and passion.

Published authors with an established world may use that setting for their original short story.

This is erotic romance, so don’t hold back on the heat. Stories can be vanilla or filled with kink, but don’t miss describing the romantic connection between strong-willed individuals learning to trust and love one another. A deep sensuality should linger in every word. Keep in mind there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters, and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please no reprints. I want original stories.

How to submit: Prepare your 2,500 to 5,500 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12-point, black font, Word document (.doc or .docx) OR rich text format (.rtf), with pages numbered. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch, and double space (regular double spacing; do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). U.S. grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.

In your document at the top left of the first page, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, email address, and a 50-words or less biography, written in the third person, and send to bbbsilversoldiers@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Authors may submit up to 2 stories. I will try to respond no later than May 30, 2022 with decisions.

Payment will be $25.00 USD, ninety days after publication at the end of that month.

Who is Delilah Devlin?

Delilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romance and erotic romance. She has published nearly two hundred stories in multiple genres and lengths and has been published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Entangled, Grand Central, Harlequin Spice, HarperCollins: Mischief, Kensington, Kindle, Montlake, Penthouse, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.

Her short stories have appeared in multiple Cleis Press collections, including Lesbian Cowboys, Girl Crush, Fairy Tale Lust, Lesbian Lust, Passion, Lesbian Cops, Dream Lover, Carnal Machines, Best Erotic Romance (2012), Suite Encounters, Girl Fever, Girls Who Score, Duty and Desire, Best Lesbian Romance of 2013, and On Fire. For Cleis Press, she edited Girls Who Bite, She Shifters, Cowboy Lust, Smokin’ Hot Firemen, High Octane Heroes, Cowboy Heat, Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors and Sex Objects.

She has also edited Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance, Rogues: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Blue Collar: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Stranded: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, and Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology.

Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at bbbsilversoldiers@gmail.com.

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
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I have a full-length novel coming out tonight after midnight! Dark Legacy is a story I wrote back in 2005-2006. I recently got my rights back to the story, so I re-edited it and gave it a brand new dark cover! And now,  it’s ready for release—tonight! If you have a Kindle Unlimited account, you can read it for FREE! A print version is already available!

If you love a dark, erotic paranormal, you might want to give this one a go. Just be warned—it’s very sexy and might have some triggering sex some might want to avoid. I love this story. I indulged my love of ancient mythology creating this world. I loved writing the entire series, and if you like it well enough, I might write more…

Here’s what it’s all about…

Dark Legacy

How could everything have changed for Natalie Lambert so radically, so quickly?

Escaping from a tragic past, the virginal beauty arrives in New Orleans and falls victim to a series of strange, unearthly attacks. Now, for the first time in her life, Natalie aches with sexual desire. Confused, frightened, out of control, she struggles desperately to understand a world that is transforming around her. But soon, she will be powerful and magnificent in ways she could never have imagined…

A ruggedly handsome Cajun policeman, Detective Rene Broussard has come to rescue Natalie in her time of greatest need. And when he inexplicably wakes in bed beside her—both burning with a lust impossible to deny—he doesn’t care that a dark and vengeful enemy has brought them to this moment. All that matters is the irresistible curve of her body, the heat of her passion…and the forbidden pleasures the night promises.

With one sharp, sensuous, biting kiss, he will be hers for life…and beyond.

Warning: This book includes triggering scenes of questionable consent and FFM scenes.

Pre-order your copy here!

Excerpt from Dark Legacy…

Natalie couldn’t sleep.

Not because she was afraid. For the first time in weeks, her stalker was the least of her worries.

Instead, her present danger lay in her own body’s betrayal.

Heat simmered beneath the surface of her skin—a flush of warmth that spread across her chest and belly. The air around her felt close and heavy despite the fan circling above the bed.

Her heart beat too quickly. Her breasts grew heavy. Her nipples peaked against the thin silk of her nightgown. Then blood rushed to the juncture of her thighs, plumping her slick folds.

She might be inexperienced, but Natalie recognized the signs of desire.

The cause of her misery paced restlessly around the house. The creaking hinges of the doors he checked and rechecked gave away his unrest. The muffled thud of footsteps as he walked around the living room below, and the slap of his bare feet on the wooden steps when he came up to patrol the hall pinpointed his location.

He passed outside her bedroom now, his shadow darkening the space beneath the door. Natalie ached to call out to him. Was Rene exercising extreme caution or suffering like she was?

Reaching beyond the moment, Natalie wondered, why him? Why now?

An instinct—some kernel of inborn knowledge—told her this new hunger was related to the current moon cycle. Just as the changes to her body began with the first sliver of pale light from the new moon, her need unfurled like a heron’s wings with the coming full moon.

This past month, she’d been steadily shedding the baby fat that plagued her adolescence although her appetite, especially for blood-enriched meats, had increased. Her first period ever had come and gone. Then sensual awareness dominated her waking and sleeping thoughts.

For days, she’d dreamed of an anonymous lover in her bed. The things he’d done to her had left her breathless and blushing. If she managed to sleep tonight, she knew she’d find Rene’s face, his jaw taut with desire, his shoulders bunched as he hovered above her, supplanting the hazy man of her dreams.

Why him? Although handsome, he wasn’t the first good-looking man she’d ever encountered. However, from the moment he’d pulled her from the park bench into his arms, her body had recognized his claim. He’d held her close, his thickly muscled torso sheltering her from further harm. His strength and distinctive scent, a spicy heated musk, had imprinted on her mind. If she closed her eyes, she was there once more, draped across his lap in the backseat of the sedan, awakening to desire for the first time.

Everything else—the horror of the attacks, the pain of her many little wounds—had faded away. She’d felt only his hard, muscled thighs beneath her bottom and the steely embrace that had crushed the air from her lungs while he’d struggled for control.

She wanted to know those sensations again—and so much more.

Frustration humming inside her, she tossed back the bedcovers and padded to the French doors, flinging them open. She stepped into a wind that whipped her hair away from her face and the nightgown tight against her body. Infrequent drops of rain pelted her uplifted cheeks, cooling her skin.

A click sounded from the door further down the balcony. Clad only in jeans, Rene stepped out.

He was pure temptation, from brawny chest to bare toes.

“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, his voice a grumpy, sexy rumble. “You set off the silent alarm.”

With her heart thudding in her chest, she turned away. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Well, how ’bout not sleepin’ inside?”

His growling irritation made her smile. She felt the same way—bitchy, edgy, wonderfully horny.

She noted the tight set of his jaw, the rapid rise and fall of his chest, and felt an overwhelming urge to seduce him. And why shouldn’t she?

The way she figured it, her days were numbered. The menace dogging her steps would eventually catch up. Why not grab for all the joy she could find in what was left of her life?

She leaned back against the balustrade on her elbows, making sure the silky gown pulled tightly across her breasts.

His gaze lowered, lingering for a moment on her beaded nipples. “Cold?” he asked, his voice a graveled, yet silky slide.

“Not really.” She decided to make sure he wouldn’t misinterpret the invitation. She sauntered toward him, stopping inches away from his rigid body. This close, she breathed in his musky male scent. The breadth of his solid chest and his height overwhelmed her, made her feel small, vulnerable—and intensely feminine.

He sucked in a deep breath. “Look, chère, whatever you’re thinkin’—it’s not gonna happen.”

She cast him a challenging stare. “Because I’m not what you want?”

He shook his head. “Damn, you’ve got to know that’s not it,” he said, his voice raw. “This just isn’t the right time.”

She met his gaze, hoping she didn’t look too needy, but wanting him to know she could be his—if he’d just reach out. “What if there never is a right time?”

His hands fisted at his sides. “I’m not lettin’ anything happen to you.”

She lifted her chin. “You can guarantee that?”

He glanced beyond her to the midnight sky and stayed silent.

Stubborn man. He thought he could withstand this chemistry of hormones and waxing moonlight by sheer will. “Tell you what,” she said. “How about a kiss? And I’ll let it drop. It’ll be enough, I swear.” At his suspicious glare, she added, “Just a kiss.”

He blew out a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “Will you come inside then?”

“Yes,” she said quickly. She’d promise anything just to draw him nearer. If he felt even a fraction of her need, he wouldn’t be able to resist for long.

The muscles in his throat rippled, and he nodded. “All right. A kiss.”

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you love paranormal stories, and if so, what is your favorite paranormal creature!

UPDATE: The winner is…Alison Rush!
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So, yes, we’re still talking about Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, and next week, we’ll start a new round of contests and discussion about the authors and their stories over on the Collections website (which reminds me I need to head over there tonight and close out some contests—hint!), but I’d like to begin thinking about what’s next because these volumes take time to put together. The first big decision is the theme for the book. As you can see below, we’ve had some fun themes!

Put your thinking hats on! Offer some suggestions for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

I’ve been thinking maybe a holiday-themed Boys short story antho would be fun, but there’s also, Military Heroes, Real Men (lumberjacks, construction workers, etc.), Silver Foxes, Royalty, Paranormal Heroes, Aliens, etc. Let me know if any of these pique your interest or if there’s something else you’re dying for me to feature. I’ll collect your ideas then come back with a poll! Have fun with this!