Today’s theme is life in a small town. I’ve lived in a few of those. Sometimes, it’s nice knowing your neighbors, but sometimes, it’s a pain in the ass because everyone knows your business. Here, Jackson’s lucky everyone knows his…

If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a $5 Amazon gift certificate!

These cowboys ride hard…

There’s a reason Western romance novels never go out of fashion. The cowboy is an iconic figure embodying the dichotomy of the fiercely independent, earthy alpha male crossed with the male as a nurturer and protector. Cowboys take care of their women in every possible way. Wild and wayward women are gentled by the scent of horse and cow and the sight of sun-kissed skin, the feel of work-hardened thighs and arms, and the sound of a deep-voiced Texas drawl.

Contributors at the top of the Western romance genre, including Charlene Teglia, Randi Alexander, Cat Johnson, and editor, Delilah Devlin, have corralled strong and memorable characters ranging from ranch hands to cattle barons, to a rodeo star and a feisty female gunslinger. Traversing romantic settings from Montana, Texas, California, Mexico, and the Outback of Australia, the stories in Cowboy Lust are risky and risqué, full of studs in spurs hot enough to send you to a vacation on a dude ranch!

Jackson Lowry cussed softly when he spotted the blue lights spinning at the roadblock just ahead. Too late to turn back now. He’d only draw more attention.

Squaring his jaw, he rolled down his window and forced a polite smile as he peered into the darkness at the sheriff’s deputy checking IDs with a flashlight.

As soon as the deputy waved the car in front of him to move along and turned to watch the black pickup roll forward, Jackson’s tension eased a fraction.

Maynard Colby’s expression turned from crisply professional to worried in a second a soon as he recognized him. “Dammit, Jackson, where have you been?”

“Around. Why?”

A soft moan sounded beside him, and Jackson reached surreptitiously beside him to tap the tarp covering his precious load.

“You didn’t hear?” At Jackson’s vague expression, Maynard stepped onto the truck rail and leaned toward Jackson. “It’s Sammie Jo. Her car was found in Shooter’s parking lot, the door wide open. No one’s seen her. Looks like she’s been snatched.”

Jackson cleared his throat. “How serious is this gettin’?”

“It’s only been a couple of hours, but Sammi Jo’s daddy is buckin’ to get the sheriff to call in the FBI, the CIA, ATF—and whatever other agency his money can buy to find her. I tried callin’ you, but your phone kept goin’ to voice mail. After the way things went down at the weddin’ last Sunday, I don’t blame you a bit for layin’ low, but I thought you’d wanna know.”

Another sound, this time a snort, sounded beside him.

Maynard’s gaze cut to the dirty tarp folded over a moving bundle on the floor of the cab. A ruddy eyebrow shot up.

“What’s goin’ on, Jackson?”

Jackson rolled his eyes, then pulled up the corner of the tarp to reveal a bound and gagged Sammie Jo whose eyes glittered furiously back at both men.

Maynard barked a laugh, then tightened his lips. “This time you’ve gone and done it, boy. This is seriously fucked up.“ He laughed again, then tipped his hat to Sammi Jo. “No disrespect meant, missy.”

Jackson cleared his throat. “Don’t s’pose you can forget about this?”

Maynard’s gaze shot to Sammie Jo again, raked her once as though ensuring she didn’t look to be in any real danger, then tipped back his cowboy hat. “Tell ya what. I’ll put a bug in the sheriff’s ear, but she better come walkin’ through the po-lice house doors come Monday mornin’.”

“Not a word to her daddy?”

One corner of Maynard’s mouth crooked up. “Man’s already caused enough problems. Deserves to cool his heels a couple o’ days. Don’t do nothin’ I’ll have to arrest you for.”

With a nod, Jackson rolled up the window and pulled past the barricade. In his side mirror, he watched as Maynard crossed to the other deputy’s car and both men bent over laughing.

“See that, Sammi Jo?” he murmured, not expecting an answer because he’d made double-damn sure he’d tied some serious knots and gagged her pretty mouth. “I’m not the only one who thinks you need a good paddlin’.”

* * * * *

Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors’ blogs:

Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens
Leah Braemel
Jody Wallace
Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
Lissa Matthews
Mandy M. Roth
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
HelenKay Dimon
TJ Michaels
Myla Jackson

Hey there! Since I have a chance to play on my own blog today, I thought I’d tell you about some free stuff you might want! Plus, I have two exciting collections ready to release, one right after the other, and filled with smokin’ hot, high-octane stories about the heroes we women love! Take a look!

Smokin’ Hot Firemen — July 16, 2013

If you are an Amazon. com customer, don’t pay attention to that official release date because this book is shipping right now!

Below are pictures of the front and back of trading cards I had created to celebrate the release of the new book. And if you’d like to read snippets from the stories inside this volume, follow the countdown celebration occurring right now on the Smokin’ Hot Firemen website! There you’ll find sexy snippets, personal stories about the inspirations for the authors’ stories, and prizes! We also have a Facebook page where we post pics of handsome firefighters and chat about her obsession with suspenders.  😉

If you’d like trading cards, email me directly at delilah@delilahdevlin.com!

 High Octane Heroes — September 3, 2013

Again, don’t pay attention to that official date! Amazon tells me I’ll have my copy August 15th!

We’re getting geared up for the countdown over at the High Octane Heroes website. To entice you over there, we are giving away prizes. Be sure to check us out! Also, we have a brand new Facebook Fan Page for you to “Like!” Stay tuned for more fun happenings!

In the meantime, if you want trading cards, you know what to do…

Winner and a Brand New Contest!

The winner of June’s $20 Amazon gift card is…Melissa Keir (June 13)! I’ll be emailing Melissa shortly! Congrats!!

To make it simple, I’ll continue this contest for July…

What can you win? An Amazon gift card worth $20!

What do you have to do to win? Simple. Comment on my blog—on any posting, from now through July 31st! I’ll choose a winner at random from among all the comments. Good luck!

Thanks for hosting me today, Delilah. Today I’m sharing a bit about the idea that started my story, Whirlwind. Several years ago I was living in San Antonio, and I saw a huge article in the newspaper on a national tattoo convention being held downtown in the Convention Center. I became intrigued by the idea of these artists who are normally situated in small shops, probably working with a specific clientele, all coming together in a large forum to display their artistic abilities. Like with other gatherings of professionals, there were instructional opportunities as well as chances to see lots of exquisite work. This was years before the television reality shows featuring such artists. About the same time, I’d visited a museum and saw photos of Native Americans with various tattoos. Those two components meshed and I had my heroine, Senna Whitefeather. Read further to learn a bit more about the erotic short story, Whirlwind.

Unveiling tattoos with a stranger has never been so dangerous…or so sexy.

Hosting her first booth at a national tattoo convention is nerve-racking enough for artist Senna Whitefeather. But then she runs into another Native American—one with a smoking hot and firm body—a man she soon realizes is following her. Appreciation for art takes on a new meaning when a challenge to unveil their tattoos escalates into a passionate encounter in the back of her booth. But will Senna’s brazen attitude of going after what she wants backfire?

Senna lifted the plastic badge, angled it toward the security guard then turned toward her designated booth. And bumped smack into a male—solid muscle from chest to knees—and she stumbled.

Firm hands grasped her upper arms and steadied her. “What’s your hurry?”

The deep voice rumbling near her ear resonated through her bones, kicking up her heart rate, and set her further off-balance. Both hands tangled with the supple cotton of his T-shirt and held tight. All she saw before her was a broad expanse of black cloth. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking—” She glanced up—straight into midnight black eyes that seemed to look deep into her soul. Her gaze clung for a long moment then she forced herself to blink.

The stranger smiled and the bronze-toned skin around his eyes crinkled. “Good thing I was, or we’d both have gone down.”

With a quick look, Senna registered the slash of his dark brows, high cheekbones, and long, black hair pulled back along his neck. Another Native American. Strong features balanced by an open smile. Why did she have the sudden urge to sway forward against his broad chest? A chest that appeared capable enough to harbor a woman tied in nervous knots over today’s exhibit.

Spirit of Life, she was late.

“Again, I’m sorry.” She stepped back, away from his broad hands and fought against acknowledging the immediate loss of warmth. No time for distractions, even tall, dark and sexy ones. “I’ve got to get to my booth.”

With a dip of his chin, he swept a hand in the direction she headed. “The right-of-way is yours.”

Senna hustled down the side aisle but couldn’t resist a quick backward glance over her shoulder. The tall stranger dressed all in black had disappeared into the crowd.

AMAZON:           https://amzn.to/13sXmUu
B&N:                     https://bit.ly/19plihI
TWRP:                   https://bit.ly/11DBnaT

Those who leave a comment here will be included in a drawing for a dream catcher key chain. Be sure to include your email address. (US and Canada only)

BIO:   On a dare from a close friend, Layla Chase challenged herself to explore the steamier side of romance and discovered all sorts of characters whose stories needed sharing. She writes contemporary and historical stories from her mountain home in California that she shares with long-time husband and two dogs.

For more information about future releases:

www.laylachase.com

https://www.facebook.com/layla.chase.52

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/229815.Layla_Chase

My random number generator chose a winner—Amber! Congratulations, Amber,
I’ll be in touch today! ~DD

* * * * *

After not having a release out for a while to having 5 out in the space of a month… Crazy days, huh? I hope you’ve all got your copies of Lost Souls, and that you’re devouring it, and finding that one particular scene… I would love to hear what you thought about THAT!

In the meantime, this one’s not scheduled to release until mid-July, but Amazon informed me that it’s shipping on the 3rd! So I thought I’d better give you a little advanced warning! This one’s hot! Smokin’ Hot! And I’ve got a teeny excerpt here to prove it!  

If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a $5 Amazon gift certificate!

(I forgot to name last week’s Snippet winner, so I’m heading over to do that now!)

Who can melt any woman’s heart with a single smile? The sexiest icon of all—a fireman!

They enter fiery structures with selfless courage–the very definition of the word “hero.” Women understand their allure… A soot-covered face, sweat dripping from hard, chiseled muscles, the sharp snap of suspenders—yes, only a fireman can make suspenders sexy! Delilah Devlin’s burning-hot book includes thrilling stories teeming with gorgeous firemen from some of today’s hottest romance writers. In “Saving Charlotte,” Sabrina York’s firefighting Dom rescues a woman tied to a red-hot bed; from Cathryn Fox comes “Temperature Rising” where a fire chief fulfills some very steamy fantasies; Elle James’s “Chasing Fire” sees a daring smoke-jumper parachuting into the hot zone of a forest fire then setting his girlfriend ablaze with erotic heat; and Magic Mike ain’t got nothin’ on Delilah’s own fireman-turned-exotic-dancer-for-a-night “Johnny Blaze.”

With a list of award-winning authors that includes Ily Goyanes, Shoshanna Evers, Adele Dubois, and Rachel Firasek, Delilah delivers tales of these courageous men sliding down their big poles to steal readers’ hearts! Smokin’ Hot Firemen imagines the romantic possibilities of being held against that massively muscled chest by a man whose mission is to protect and serve…

I held my iPhone in front of me as far as my arm could reach and took a picture. Then I quickly sent it to my Facebook page. Yes! I don’t know how Syl managed to talk me into it, but I’m at HardCox!!! Happy Birthday, me!

I posted the photo, then slipped my phone back into my purse, which I’d placed beneath the small round table where Sylvia, Heather, and I sat next to the raised stage.

“You took a picture of yourself?” Sylvia giggled and held out her hand. “Give me that phone!”

“No way, you’ll just post pictures of the dancers’ asses.”

“And their hoses!”

My eyes bugged. “My mama would be horrified!”

I was already beyond mortified at being here—a male strip club, of all places. Syl didn’t have to add kerosene to the fire burning in my cheeks. But she’d had me at one name, “Johnny Blaze.” Read the rest of this entry »

The winner of the grab bag is Elizabeth H! Congrats, Elizabeth!
My sister will be in contact with you shortly! ~DD

* * * * *

Deja Vu

How many times do you see something, meet someone, witness an event you feel you’ve done this before? Maybe you have in another life. Maybe you’ve seen or witnessed something similar. I find myself thinking of quotes from favorite poems, lines from movies or pictures from movies or stories or mental images of  past experiences recurring in much of what I do or where I go.

While in Paris the week before last, touring Notre Dame Cathedral, I was Esmeralda from Hunchback of Notre Dame, crying out Sanctuary! At the Louvre, I was Molly Brown when she went to Europe studying all the paintings to get cultured Walking the streets of Paris I saw a vendor selling pink cotton candy and I was back in the pages of DEJA VOODOO with Molly B Boyette at the festival buying pink cotton candy. So much of our experiences in literature or movies repeats itself or has a close match and it’s fun to reference those times. It’s like coming home. I’m including (just because) some pictures from my trip to Paris. Notre Dame Cathedral, a photo of the Mona Lisa which doesn’t begin to describe how beautiful she is in person and a picture of the Sacre Coeur chapel on the only hill in Paris.

Leave a comment telling me about your Deja Vu moment for a chance to win
the prize package.

Elle’s Bio:

Elle James spent twenty years in South Central Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, retired Army and Air Force Reservist, she’s proud to be writing full-time, penning intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edge of their seats or laughing out loud. Now, living in northwest Arkansas, she’s given up wrangling cattle and exotic birds to wrangle her muses, a malti-poo and a yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow skiing, boating, or riding her four-wheeler, dreaming up new stories.

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellejamesauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MylaJacksonAuth
Website: https://www.ellejames.com/
Blog: https://ellejames.blogspot.com/

Deja Voodoo Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Itunes

A little magic goes a long way…

Alexandra Belle Boyette is closing in on the big 3-0 and her mama has made it her mission to marry her off. In the tiny parish of Bayou Miste, deep in the Louisiana swamps, finding suitable hubby material can be a challenge—and Alex would rather not rely on magical spells to do the trick. But there is a sexy new man in town who might fit the bill…

Ed Marceaux is in Bayou Miste to safeguard a key witness to a Louisiana Mafia murder. He must keep an eye out for suspicious characters—but the place seems to be full of them! What could be stranger than a woman dressed in a sexy nightgown chasing a naked man down the street? The enchantingly gorgeous Alex Boyette certainly makes it worth his while to find out…

Add a Voodoo spell gone wrong, and voila! madness—and love—ensues.

We have a winner! The random number generator chose #8…BookLady!
BookLady, congratulations! We need to hook up via email to talk
about delivery of your prize! ~DD

* * * * *

It’s Saturday! Which means authors are sharing snippets, enticing you to read their books! Be sure to read my excerpt and then follow the links at the bottom of this post to find sexier bits to read. The theme is Circles in the Sand (warm weather), but since I have a new book coming out on Tuesday, rather than a hot beach scene, I’m showing you the opening of Lost Souls, Book 2 in the Caitlyn O’Connell novels. It’s set in Memphis in the hot, sticky summertime. It doesn’t start with a sexy beach scene. Instead, it begins with a spooky mystery to unravel. Enjoy!

If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a $5 Amazon gift certificate!

What people said about Book 1,  Shattered Souls:

“SHATTERED SOULS shocked me with its exhilarating story line and its magical world of Witches, Wraiths and Demons. Ms. Devlin wrote an intriguing urban fantasy with just the right balance of romance, nail-biting scenes and well-developed characters. She really got me hooked from the beginning until the end.” ~
5 Feathers and Top Pick, Under The Covers

“An intriguing paranormal tale that combines romantic suspense with a mesmerizing tale of otherworldly beings.” ~ Top Pick, Night Owl Reviews

“Delilah Devlin has created a fascinating world of magic and the mundane in SHATTERED SOULS… A terrific book, SHATTERED SOULS will leave you breathless for more.” ~ 4.5 Blue Ribbons, Romance Junkies

Fan favorite Delilah Devlin delivers her second paranormal romantic thriller featuring unforgettable heroine, Caitlyn O’Connell. This time, the psychic PI joins her police detective ex-husband to find a demon pulling women into the past to commit their murders in a seedy Memphis hotel.

Private Investigator Caitlyn O’Connell is tapped by Memphis PD to discover who has been using a Memphis hotel as his killing ground. Women are going missing, and their bodies are found inside the walls of the hotel. But the bodies themselves? They appear to have been murdered in the distant past. With ghosthunters and cops crawling all over the crime scene, Cait and her detective ex-husband Sam Pierce race to find the demon responsible before he kills again.

Darkness sank as murky as the sultry summer air, as heavy as a blanket pulled over a child’s head to hide the monsters lurking in a shadowy closet. Street lamps popped and sizzled, darkening then lightening, but failing to flare bright enough or long enough to chase away deep pockets of inky black. Cait was creeped out, since all she had were glimpses of silvery light from a full moon rimming buildings and casting deeper shadows to cloak alleyways and doorway stoops.

Another full moon. An event she was acutely aware encouraged monsters, both human and supernatural, to come out and play. Edgy and beyond bored, she almost wished for something out of the ordinary to happen, but then quickly changed her mind. The last time her job had given her a real challenge she’d battled a demon in an attic while a wraith latched its freezing fingertips around the man sitting beside her, slapping him around like a rag doll.

For just a second, she relished that last memory. At least Jason had been awake.

For the umpteen thousandth time that night, Caitlyn O’Connell sighed. This time exaggerating the sound. Loudly. Actually, more of a groan than a sigh. A sound that invited Jason Crawford, lying back in the seat beside hers, to wake up and keep her company. She was bored as freaking shit. Surveillance was the one part of her job she truly hated. In fact, she thought she might like having her ingrown toenails cut better than sitting in a dark alley waiting for something to happen.

The weather irritated her even more. Although she’d stripped down to a tank top and jeans, the insides of her boots were damp from the oppressive summer heat. Not a trace of a breeze stirred, and they’d shut off the sedan’s engine to be able to hear vehicles approaching, so the AC sat silent.

What good was having magic if she couldn’t even muster up a spell to start a breeze? She’d tried waving, punching, wiggling her nose, but nada. Worse, she’d tried to come up with a poem to appease The Powers That Be, but hadn’t found a line that sounded even remotely elegant with “wheeze” tacked on the end.

She supposed she’d used up her last favor asking for intervention with Worthen’s monstrosity, the Civil War–era demon resurrected in his tomb, for which she’d had to beg The Powers and a certain sorcerer for help defeating. Or perhaps they didn’t like how she’d ignored Morin since she’d fought the demon and won. Whatever. She was a PI, not a witch. And right now, she had a job to do. Read the rest of this entry »

The winner (chosen by a random number generator) of one of the prequel stories
and a $5 Amazon.com gift certificate is…Christina (#18)! Christina, congratulations
and email me to arrange delivery of your prize! ~DD

TWICE the Bang!

Just one more day! Sometime after midnight tonight, Twice the Bang will release! I can’t wait to hear what you think! But if you haven’t read any of the books in the series all you have to do is read through the excerpts. They are a very good hint of what’s to come! I think you’ll get the picture. Sexy, naughty stories—a dirty girl’s favorite fantasies… That’s what Delta Heat’s all about. I have just one book left to write in the series—Mondo’s happy-ever-after. I’m not sure what he needs. I’ll have to give it a little thought. Maybe you have some suggestions…?

In the meantime, I’ll go through today and start picking winners for the first three days of the countdown. There’s still time if you don’t see notes at the top of those blogs naming winners! Here’s the rules…

THE CONTEST: Every day of the countdown, I’ll give away one free download of that day’s prequel book and a $5 Amazon.com gift certificate to one lucky commenter. If on that day, you win a download of a book you already own, I’ll let you choose a commenter to give that free download to, but you get to keep the gift certificate! Then on Tuesday, I’ll choose a name from among all the people who posted during this countdown and award a $25 gift certificate. (Obviously today, there is no prequel book to give away, so I’ll offer any of the first three books to today’s lucky winner.)

Who says it’s better to share your toys?

Beau McIntyre has had his eye on Pansy Patton for a while. But after their friends’ coming out party—where Pansy wears nothing but a sexy smile—Beau isn’t the only one jockeying for the best view of her pretty backside. Realizing it was a mistake to opt for a drawn-out seduction, Beau plans on staking his claim.

Billy Sorenson knows he’s out of his league with a submissive like Pansy, but it was lust at first sight. Now he’ll do whatever it takes to have her, even if he has to be penciled into her schedule for equal time.

A smoking-hot firefighter with ice-blue eyes, or a mysterious cop…what’s a girl to do? Pansy has the answer: refuse to choose and savor the consequences of both men pursuing her.

Doe she expect her lovers to play fair? Oh, no. She’s hoping they’ll play dirty. Real dirty…

Warning: Contains m/f/m and f/f/m scenes, paintball and other sexy ball games, flogging, and one wild orgy of pleasure.

DO NOT READ THE FOLLOWING UNLESS YOU ARE OVER THE AGE OF 18!!

Billy’s fists curled at his sides. What the hell? He knew this was a posture subs took to signal their willingness to obey, but he was no Dom. Not some poser who needed a woman to call him Sir in order to get a hard-on.

He’d seen how Aiden treated Jenn that once in the gym of the firehouse. He’d winced as he’d called her a slut, felt shame for the arousal her tearfully rendered obedience had coaxed.

The last thing he wanted was to lay a harsh hand on Pansy’s pretty, creamy skin. He didn’t want her crying, didn’t want anything but moans and maybe a scream, but he’d never get her there if he didn’t play first. He wasn’t sure he had what it took.

Something that didn’t seem to concern his cock because it surged inside his pants, crowding his fly. “I’m not a Dom, Pansy.”

“No, you aren’t. I could see that at Aiden’s.” But she didn’t rise, didn’t lift her head.

“I’m not sure I can give you what you need…”

“Just tell me what you want,” she whispered. “Anything. I’ll do it.” Read the rest of this entry »