Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin
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Flashback: Handy Man (Contest)
Tuesday, September 19th, 2023

UPDATE: The winner is…Stacy Hartley!
*~*~*

Besides my series, I have written some very sexy standalone stories, too! I forget about them because I’m so busy trying to keep up with series, but I shouldn’t. In fact, I should go back and look at my workplan because I deserve to write something completely fun and one-off!

If you haven’t read the books below, now’s your time to peruse, and I’m including an excerpt from one of them so you can sample some of the fun. Several of them are menage stories, so if that’s your thing, be sure to check them out!

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of one of the books below,
tell me your weekend plans!

Hot SEAL, New Orleans Nights Handymen Jane's Wild Weekend
Raw Silk Begging For It Fun with Dick and Jane
Bad, Bad Girlfriend Saddled Ride a Texas Cowboy

Click on any cover to learn more about the story!

Excerpt from Handy Men…

The impulse came like a flash of lightning—hot and searing—all the way to the bone. An idea born of a need she hadn’t felt in a long, long time…and inspired by one red-hot handyman in butt-hugging jeans and a snug T-shirt.

The man fired the militant gleam in her eyes as she brushed bronzing powder across her cheeks and swiped carmine “eat me” red lip stain across her mouth.

She didn’t give herself time to rethink the decision, reaching for the phone before her usual, cautious self reasserted control. No more couch potato cry-ins for her. No more self-imposed exclusion while she figured out what to do with the rest of her life. Today, a new Pamela Dwyer was reaching for the goddamn gusto.

The anger felt good. Especially after the shock she’d received moments ago when she’d surfed the internet for the latest gossip about her ex.

One glance at Andrew’s Facebook page, and Pamela’s confusion over what the hell had happened to her life dried up. He’d blocked her from his page, but his profile picture had been changed from Andrew’s handsome, craggy face to the soft innocence of his newborn son’s.

The picture said it all. And no doubt every one of their friends here in Austin, who’d rallied around her when he’d left, would now pour out their congratulations to him, while privately agreeing he’d done the only thing he could do to be happy.

Tears had stung her eyes, but she’d refused to let them fall. Instead, she’d blinked them away, closed out the screen and glanced through the blinds at her immaculate lawn. The perfect lawn and landscaping to surround the perfectly appointed house she’d won in the divorce settlement.

But back to that lightning strike…

Across the street, a man had stood atop a ladder while he fished leaves from old Mr. Johnson’s gutters. It wasn’t the fact the old man had spent money to hire someone to do odd jobs around his place that caught her attention, although that was plenty unusual all by itself. It was the way the sunlight glinted on the younger man’s hair. Glints of gold she could see from over thirty feet away. And once her attention was snagged by that halo-like glow, her gaze couldn’t help but trail down the long, lean, buff lines of his healthy frame.

From the back, the man was perfection. Then he’d turned to the side, no doubt to say something to Mr. Johnson who hovered at the bottom of the ladder. The old skinflint would supervise the handyman to make sure he got every nickel’s worth of his money. However, not a hint of irritation showed in the handyman’s expression. His smile had been quick—a flash of white teeth against a tanned face.

Pamela had breathed deeply, enjoying the surge of heat flowing through her veins. So much better than the cold, hollow feeling in her womb. Arousal had bloomed, fresh and unexpected, washing over her, lapping away the disappointment. Leaving her…expectant. Feeling younger than her thirty-eight years.
There were times in a woman’s life when she had to grab the bull by the horns or she’d never taste passion again. Pamela decided then and there that her time was now.

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell chimed.

Christ, do I really have the guts? She’d had twenty minutes to get icy cold feet.

She held her hand in front of her face and blew against her palm then sniffed. Mouthwash still works.

Before opening her door, Pamela bent over, shook her head then straightened, giving her straight blonde hair an extra fluff. She pasted on a smile—not too wide or eager—one she’d practiced in front of the bathroom mirror to make sure it reflected just the right amount of casual interest. She didn’t want to scare him away. At least not before she had a chance to practice being a femme fatale.

However, after opening the door, her smile faltered just a bit. Up close, the repairman was more of a rangy lion than a bull, and even more attractive than her secretive glances through the blinds had revealed. Thickly muscled arms and a broad chest stretching a green Handy Men tee filled her vision.

Maybe she should have targeted someone more in her league—and at least fifteen years older. However, when she’d seen him working on the rain gutters of her neighbor’s house and watched the way he moved gracefully up and down the ladder, a plan had begun to form. One she was too invested in to back out of now.

“Your neighbor said you were havin’ trouble with a garbage disposal?”

Good Lord, his voice was deep and sinful. Her greedy glance shot up to meet his, and she noted the crinkles of amusement at the sides of his eyes. Blue eyes with golden coronas around the pupils. Yum.

Realizing her mouth hung open, she snapped her jaw closed. “Uh, yes. Trouble with the disposal. That’s why you’re here.”

It was the truth, so she didn’t stutter over it. However, she didn’t mention she’d thrown a handful of screws into the sink to make sure the old disposal seized. Her plan to lure him into her house was working like a charm. She wished her ex could see her now. Plain Pam, reliable Pam, boring, defective Pam had a few tricks left.

“I’m Jeff McCaffrey,” he said, and held out his hand.

Blowing out a little breath to release her tension, she gave him her hand and shook. “Pamela,” she said quickly.

His palms were callused and large. She slid her hand slowly from his, enjoying the scrape. Even if things didn’t work out, she’d have plenty of sensory details to savor later to go along with the lovely picture he made.

“Um…” He lifted the toolbox with a flex of impressive biceps and raised his eyebrows.

It took a second to register that he needed her to move away from the door. Feeling flustered, she stood back and waved him inside. She closed the door behind him and followed eagerly on his heels into the hallway.

He halted abruptly.

Unable to stop her forward momentum, Pamela held out her hands to brace herself—and cupped his ass.

His head swiveled to glance back at her, a slight, dazed smile curving his mouth.

She paused a second too long before removing them, but it was his own damn fault. His ass was too much temptation for her to resist a little squeeze. “Sorry about that,” she muttered, palms and face burning. Lord, she was thirty-eight, and he had her blushing like a teenager. Her flirting skills were woefully rusty.

He cleared his throat and pointed toward the door on the left. “The kitchen?”

“Yeah,” she said, sounding a little winded, but her fingers tingled and her skin felt on fire. She hadn’t wanted to come on to the younger man like a cougar in heat, but he was fine-fine-fine.

He swung open the door and walked to the counter, where he set his toolbox beside the sink. “What sort of noises was it makin’?”

“Crunchy?”

“Crunchy?” His lips twitched.

She shrugged. He was the “Mr. Fix-It”. He’d figure out soon enough what the problem was. Maybe he’d think the screws in the disposal had gotten there by accident.

He reached beneath the cabinet next to the sink and flipped the switch.

Metallic grating made her wince. The poor thing ground worse than her ex’s teeth.

Without looking back, he said, “Don’t touch the switch. I don’t have my tongs, so I’m gonna stick my hand down there to see what’s happenin’.”

In his hand went, and he turned slightly to the side, his gaze meeting hers while a frown drew his honey-brown brows together. When he pulled free, he held a screw. “Wonder how that happened?” he drawled.

She grinned brightly. “Serendipity?”

“Wha—?”

So maybe not a brain surgeon, or even much of a reader, but the calculated stare he returned told her he wasn’t stupid. He pulled out another and laid it on the countertop, and then another. “Somethin’ you wanna tell me, Pamela?”

What’s leaving Kindle Unlimited soon?! (Contest)
Friday, September 15th, 2023

UPDATE: The winner is…Daun Ann Korty!
*~*~*

This is just a quick reminder. I have tons of work to get off my desk over the weekend. Too much, really. I have to learn to say NO (but that’s always been a problem of mine!). Anyway, thought I’d just remind those folks who use Kindle Unlimited to acquire books that I have several that will be leaving Kindle Unlimited. So, if you want to get them, get them now! Here are the ones scheduled to leave soon and the dates they will leave KU and go wide to other retailers…

Along Came a Spider Jackson
Ripples Hard Knox

Along Came a Spider — Leaves KU on September 24!
Jackson — Leaves KU on October 8!
Ripples  — Leaves KU on November 28!
Hard Knox — Leaves KU on December 10!

Contest

For a chance to win a free download of any book on my backlist, tell me whether you are a KU subscriber! Easy, right? Have a great weekend, and be sure to check back in tomorrow for the Puzzle-Contest!

 

Get ready to meet Knox and Carleen! HARD KNOX is here!
Tuesday, September 12th, 2023

I’m so excited it’s finally here! Knox and Carleen were so much fun to write! What should you expect? Do you see that cover? It’s the story. Seriously. Girl chases boy. Boy chases girl. Sexy times abound. And I’d so move to Dead Horse if it existed. If you have the time and the inclination, tell someone about it and/or leave a review so another reader will know it’s worth a read. I can’t wait to hear what you think about it! Enjoy! Hard Knox

After relentlessly pursuing the biggest badass around and failing, Dead Horse, Montana’s wild child offers him an irresistible proposition—one night of passion, one and done, and she’ll walk away forever…

Dead Horse, Montana’s wild child, Carleen Crossley, knows what she wants—or rather—who. She’s spent years chasing after Knox Ramsey, the biggest badass in Dead Horse, MT. However, she’s resigned herself to the fact that her methods of gaining his affection aren’t reaping any rewards. Yes, her antics keep the townsfolk amused, and Knox definitely knows she’s alive, but she has yet to break through his cold, hard heart to claim her man.

For Knox, Carleen is impossible to ignore. She’s everywhere he is. The sexy vixen has made him uncomfortably aware that she’s his for the taking, and Lord knows he’s tempted. However, he knows he’s not the man for her. He’s his father’s son with his father’s temper, and he won’t succumb to Carleen’s charms because she deserves better than him.

In one moment of frustration over his refusal to really see her and everything she’s offering, Carleen proposes a deal Knox finds impossible to resist. One night of passion—one and done—and she’ll never bother him again.

When she keeps her promise afterward, Knox’s pursuit begins because once was not enough.

Order Ebook: Kindle
Order Print: Amazon

Saturday Puzzle-Contest, Plus a Bounty Hunter Poll!
Saturday, September 9th, 2023

UPDATE: The winner is…Nathalie!
*~*~*

I’m at Book #9 in my Montana Bounty Hunters: Dead Horse, MT series. Jackson was the last one (it was released in July). I know I’ll write at least one more book in the series, entitled Malcolm. He shows up in next Tuesday’s book, Hard Knox, in case you read the story and recognize the description of the newest bounty hunter in town… Anyway, the point is, while I will likely write a bounty hunter in Dead Horse here and there, Dead Horse will still be a thing because I’m moving my attention to that quirky little town with the We Are Dead Horse, MT series.

However, I’m not done writing many more bounty hunters, they’re just too much fun, and I want to look at starting up something new somewhere else. So, I’m running a poll to see where your preferences lie. Here’s the poll. You can choose up to three. If you have a suggestion that’s not listed, add it in the comments!

Where should I go with bounty hunters?

View Results

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Saturday Puzzle-Contest

Today, I begin a new story in a setting I’ve never tried before. I’ve been doing some research to make it fun! Solve the puzzle, then for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether this is something you’d ever want to do or have already done—and where!

Coming Next Tuesday–HARD KNOX!
Friday, September 8th, 2023

In case you haven’t ordered your copy yet! Here’s a reminder.

Hard Knox

After relentlessly pursuing the biggest badass around and failing, Dead Horse, Montana’s wild child offers him an irresistible proposition—one night of passion, one and done, and she’ll walk away forever…

Dead Horse, Montana’s wild child, Carleen Crossley, knows what she wants—or rather—who. She’s spent years chasing after Knox Ramsey, the biggest badass in Dead Horse, MT. However, she’s resigned herself to the fact that her methods of gaining his affection aren’t reaping any rewards. Yes, her antics keep the townsfolk amused, and Knox definitely knows she’s alive, but she has yet to break through his cold, hard heart to claim her man.

For Knox, Carleen is impossible to ignore. She’s everywhere he is. The sexy vixen has made him uncomfortably aware that she’s his for the taking, and the Lord knows he’s tempted. However, he knows he’s not the man for her. He’s his father’s son with his father’s temper, and he won’t succumb to Carleen’s charms because she deserves better than him. So, when her sexy short skirts and heavenly scent drive him crazy, he curls his fists and pretends disinterest to keep from reaching for her.

In one moment of frustration over his refusal to really see her and everything she’s offering, Carleen proposes a deal Knox finds impossible to resist. One night of passion—one and done—and she’ll never bother him again.

When she keeps her promise afterward, Knox’s pursuit begins because once was not enough.

Pre-order your copy now!

Word Search: Businesses you find in a small town… (Contest)
Thursday, September 7th, 2023

UPDATE: The winner is…Sara D!
*~*~*

Hard Knox

Next Tuesday, Hard Knox releases! I’ve loved writing this story. Knox is a badass and a grumpy guy. Carleen is, um, adventurous and persistent. Their romance has the town of Dead Horse buzzing!

It’s a sexy read, for sure, and the second in my We Are Dead Horse, MT series. I created Dead Horse as an off-shoot for my first bounty hunters series, and I love the town so much, I couldn’t resist writing more about the quirky characters who people this small Montana town.

I’ve had particular fun with the names of businesses in Dead Horse. They have a theme—something the town council thought would attract tourists. Here are some of the names I’ve come up with so far…

  • Better Off Dead — Taxidermy Shop
  • Day of the Dead Cantina — Mexican Restaurant
  • Dead ‘n’ Gone Antiques
  • Dead as a Doornail Hardware
  • Dead Center Guns & Pawn
  • Dead Easy Saloon
  • Dead Heat & Air
  • Even a Dead Horse Gotta Eat — Grocery Store
  • Dead Horse Motel
  • Deadly Delights — Dessert Shop
  • Dem Bone Package Store
  • Drop-Dead Gorgeous — Salon
  • Ride or Die Body and Repair

Since I’ll have more stories coming, I need to feature more businesses and more of the townsfolks. Maybe you can help me out…

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what other businesses should exist in Dead Horse—and if you have suggestions for names of businesses or even for streets, I’d love to see them!

COLD HARD CASH, Book #1 of the WE ARE DEAD HORSE, MT series is available in several new venues! Check it out!
Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023

I know some of y’all have been waiting for Cold Hard Cash to show up in some other venues. I’ve taken the book out of KU, and it’s available at all the usual outlets now. Just thought I’d let you know. 🙂

The wealthiest man in Dead Horse, MT, decides it’s time to acquire a wife and gives his eminently efficient personal assistant the task of finding the perfect candidate…