Morning, ladies! Random.org has selected June M. as the winner of the $10 GC.
June, please email me at desireeholt@desireeholt.com

* * * * *

What’s better than a cowboy?

Why, a “nekkid” cowboy, of course. For everyone who loved STARK NAKED (and I do thank each and every one of you who made it such a hit), now we have BUCK NAKED. And Buck Montgomery is definitely a mouth-watering eyeful. Here’s a snippet from Naked Cowboys, Book 2.

Release date: April 30 from Samhain Publishing

Comment to win a $10 GC to Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

When Amy Stark met Buck Montgomery she was fuming over both a flat tire and his condescending attitude. It onely gets worse when they end up at the same cattle auction and his attitude doesn’t change. Little does she know that Buck harbors a secret he guards closely along with his heart. A secret that prevents him from reaching out to Amy for the relationships he really wants. Against his better judgment he cracks open the wall and lets her in, only to have his past catch up to him in a devastating way. Can Amy get past who he was and love the man he has become, or will he, once again, lose it all?

Silence instantly dropped between them with all the subtly of a lead weight. Amy fiddled with her napkin, very aware of Buck’s careful scrutiny. Again, she wondered what the hell she was she doing here, anyway. He was exactly the kind of man she told herself to stay away from—tall, very masculine, very sexy. Probably had a hundred women chasing after him. Well, she was tired of being one of the pack. Especially for a man like Buck Montgomery, who was now her neighbor.

So why am I sitting here having lunch with him?

Because my head said no but my body and my mouth said yes.

She looked up to find him watching her with his mouth curved in a slight grin. Heat sizzled across the table with an almost visible snap. She squirmed slightly in her seat and searched for a new topic of conversation.

“Do I make you nervous?” His deep voice vibrated though her, the warmth of it like a heated cloud surrounding her and washing over her skin.

Amy cleared her throat. “Nervous?” She clasped her hands on the table in front of her, hoping Buck wouldn’t notice the tremors in them. “Not. Not at all. Is there some reason why you should?”

“No. No reason. You just seem…fidgety. I wondered if it was me.”

Yes.

“Of course not.” She searched for a topic of conversation. “So, when did you buy the Hayes Ranch? I didn’t even know it had sold.”

“About a month ago. It’ll take me a while to get it into shape, but I’m working at it.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the delivery of their food. Using the condiments took up a minute or so. Amy took a healthy bite of her burger and moaned in ecstasy.

“Still the best I’ve ever eaten,” she said around a mouthful of food.

“All their food is good. I eat here whenever I come into town.”

There was more silence as they consumed their lunch. Amy kept her eyes on her food but she was more than cognizant of the heavy-lidded looks Buck kept giving her. She wondered what was on his mind. At the auction he hadn’t seemed all that interested in her, polite and nothing more after their rocky start. Yet now he seemed to be seducing her with his eyes from across the table.

When she finished the last bite of food, she patted her mouth with the napkin and leaned against the back of the seat.

“You missed a spot.” He moved his hand toward her than jerked it back.

“A spot?” She frowned.

“Mustard. On your lower lip.”

Amy patted her mouth with her napkin and looked at the yellow smear on the white cloth. How embarrassing.

“I’m not usually a slob when I eat.” She picked up her napkin and ran it over her mouth again.

“But then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of catching that last little bit on your lip.”

I should just get up and leave before I get myself into trouble. This was a huge mistake.

Okay, where can you find me:

www.desireeholt.com
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Twitter: @desireeholt
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Pinterest: desiree01holt
And…desireeholt@desireeholt.com I love to hear from you so don’t be shy.

I don’t usually repeat the same book two weeks in a row, but this week’s theme was sooooo hard for me to find something that “smelled” even a little like crawling. My characters tend to be too proud for that. They pick fights just so they have good excuses to lay hands (in a sexy way) on each other. This was the closest I could recall. Hope you enjoy.

If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a free download of this book, or its sequel IN TOO DEEP!

“With amazing suspense, and hot, dominant lovin’ this cowboy and his high school sweetheart take the reader on an amazing emotional journey. Mixed with a bit of humor, sizzling bedroom scenes, and cowboys that steal your heart, Ms. Devlin has created a beyond 5 Book worthy start of an incredible new series.” ~ 5/5 Books, Reviews by Molly

Seeking sanctuary could be the hottest mistake she ever made.

The TripleHorn Brand, Book 1

A lifetime ago, Zuri Prescott kicked the dirt off her boots and ditched her small-time small town for the glam city life—and lived to regret it. When she’s framed for a bank job, she lights out for home, seeking refuge with her old high school sweetheart while she figures out her next steps. Only she discovers that the boy she left behind is the last man she should trust.

Sheriff Colt Triplehorn knows trouble when he sees it, especially when it comes in the form of a familiar trespasser, caught naked between an angry bull and her underwear. Sure she’s up to her usual no good, he grants her sanctuary at his ranch—the better to keep an eye on her, and purge her from his system once and for all.

Reconnection is sweet and hot, but the heat can’t hide the truth. When Colt inevitably finds out what Zuri’s running from, it’s too late to put the fire out, and he’s got a career-compromising choice on his hands. Follow the letter of the law, or follow his heart.

Product Warnings: When a sheriff captures the girl who got away, expect revenge so hot it leaves brands on two lonely hearts…

Colt heard her sobs as soon as he pushed through the front door. Moving quietly, he entered, noted the mess and guessed the cause of her sorrow. He’d have spared her this, but she’d given him the slip. Tommy had followed her to the apartment and called him to let him know where to find her.

For whatever cockeyed reason, Zuri had begun to withdraw from him. Pulling away the moment she realized her problems were going to linger for a while. He suspected that she worried about hurting his reputation, that she’d be a burden, but they hadn’t had the privacy to talk about what was weighing on her mind.

Coming up behind her, he knelt and reached for her upper arms. He pulled her back against his chest then wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay, Zuri.”

She didn’t fight him, but also didn’t cling. She lay limply against his chest, her body shaking with her deep sobs. “You can’t know that. You’re a sheriff, you can’t want this.”

You can’t want me was what he heard. He tightened his fingers on her upper arms and gave her a gentle shake. “Don’t tell me what I want.” It came out more harshly than he intended, but it seemed to do the trick.

Zuri stiffened. Her sobs subsided. When she reached up to pry his fingers from her arm, he let her go. She crawled forward on her knees then turned to face him.

Her expression nearly killed him.

Her soft brown eyes were large in her face, her lashes wet and spiked. Her chin wobbled. Gone was any hint of stubborn pride.

At a loss for what to say next, he took off his cowboy hat and raked a hand through his hair. “Billy says I can take you home.”

“This is my home,” she said, her voice thick and raw.

He shook his head. “You’re not stayin’ here.”

“I have work to do. A mess to clean up.”

“I’ll hire a cleaning team. You don’t have to do this.”

“It’s my own damn mess.” Her chin firmed, lifted.

Now there was the hint of starch he’d hoped to find. “Then we’ve got ourselves a problem.”

“What’s that?”

“I have a job. One that requires I be in Caldera County to perform.”

“There’s nothin’ stoppin’ you here.”

“Sure there is. You see, Billy says you’re my responsibility.”

“They released me.”

“With promises from me to make sure you met your court dates. And he expects to contact you in the meantime at my home.”

“You’ll just have to tell him my plans changed.”

He almost smiled. Her eyes gleamed, not with tears, but with anger. Something he could work with.

Slipping his cuffs from his back pocket, he dangled them from a finger. “Now, we can do this the easy way…or…”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “You wouldn’t.”

“I will if I have to.” He held out his other hand. “Gonna come peaceably?”

He read relief in the lowering of her shoulders, but not defeat.

Her glance cut to the side. “I’ll need to pack.”

“There’s not a thing you need. I have a suitcase in the truck. All those pretty things Tommy bought you.”

“I’m not some charity case.”

“Never wanted you to feel that way,” he said honestly. “Didn’t mean to ride roughshod over you these past few days, but I wanted this over. For us to be able to move on. Fact is, I need you, Zuri.”

“I’m not right for you. Not—”

“Don’t say you aren’t good enough.”

Her eyes filled. “You know what I came from, what I’ve been accused of. Folks can’t be that forgiving, not in Caldera.”

“Folks will learn to judge you by the company you keep, by the good things you do.”

A tear escaped her eye and trailed down her cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you, Colt. I couldn’t stand that.”

Colt reached out a finger and wiped the tear away. Then he cupped her face between his hands, locking her gaze with his. “The only way you’ll hurt me, Zuri-girl, is if you let me walk out that door alone.”

She drew in a breath, opened her mouth to speak, but then came up on her knees and flung her arms around his shoulders. “I’m so glad you said that. I wanted to give you an out, but it would have killed me to say goodbye. Guess I’m selfish.”

Colt held her close, smiling into her hair. “Guess I’m selfish too, because I wasn’t jokin’ about those cuffs.”

“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

Tugging on the back of her hair, he forced her head back. “If you come home with me, you’re gonna live under my roof. My rules.”

Her lips curved. “Didn’t mind your rules so much the last time.”

“Glad you’re so eager. But I’ve got this ring that’s been burnin’ a hole in my pocket for twelve long years.”

“You kept it?”

“Belonged to my grandmother. I wasn’t gonna throw it away. It’s been waitin’ for the right girl to come home.”

“Your rules?” she said, arching a brow.

“You have to come home as my wife.”

* * * * *

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

Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
HelenKay Dimon
TJ Michaels
Lissa Matthews
Myla Jackson
Lauren Dane

The Winners!

The winners of these two books were picked by a random number generator. Teresa Hughes (April 7 comment) wins the copy of the The Mammoth Book of Futuristic Romance! Melissa Porter (March 30 comment) wins the copy of the signed ARC of Shattered Souls! Teresa and Melissa, congrats! Email me to arrange delivery of your prizes!

Night Crow Pendant Contest

I have a brand new contest!

What can you win? This is a handmade pendant. It’s a domino, which I altered with ink and paint and a bit of silver foil. It’s not as dark as this picture makes it out to be, but it is eerie! I’ll gift it along with a black leather cord necklace to one lucky winner!

What do you have to do to win? Simple. Comment on my blog—on any posting, from now thru April 25th. I’ll choose a winner at random from among all the comments. Good luck!

For those of you who haven’t seen my recent posts on Facebook, I’ve been busy building inventory for a brand new website store. You can see some of the things I’ve made on my Pinterest board!

And here’s a suggestion so you don’t miss out on future fun things—SUBSCRIBE to my blog via email. See the box in the left-hand sidebar!

The winner (chosen by random number generator) of the free download
of Laying Down the Law is Chris Bails! Chris, congrats! And send me an email
so I’ll know where to send your story! ~DD

* * * * *

This week’s snippet theme is all about the heartbreak of breaking up. Zuri and Colt from Laying Down the Law had a parting that haunted them for years. In this scene, you’ll meet both stubborn souls still too proud to admit they’ve never been able to forget their youthful romance and move on. Enjoy!

“With amazing suspense, and hot, dominant lovin’ this cowboy and his high school sweetheart take the reader on an amazing emotional journey. Mixed with a bit of humor, sizzling bedroom scenes, and cowboys that steal your heart, Ms. Devlin has created a beyond 5 Book worthy start of an incredible new series.” ~ 5/5 Books, Reviews by Molly

Seeking sanctuary could be the hottest mistake she ever made.

The TripleHorn Brand, Book 1

A lifetime ago, Zuri Prescott kicked the dirt off her boots and ditched her small-time small town for the glam city life—and lived to regret it. When she’s framed for a bank job, she lights out for home, seeking refuge with her old high school sweetheart while she figures out her next steps. Only she discovers that the boy she left behind is the last man she should trust.

Sheriff Colt Triplehorn knows trouble when he sees it, especially when it comes in the form of a familiar trespasser, caught naked between an angry bull and her underwear. Sure she’s up to her usual no good, he grants her sanctuary at his ranch—the better to keep an eye on her, and purge her from his system once and for all.

Reconnection is sweet and hot, but the heat can’t hide the truth. When Colt inevitably finds out what Zuri’s running from, it’s too late to put the fire out, and he’s got a career-compromising choice on his hands. Follow the letter of the law, or follow his heart.

Product Warnings: When a sheriff captures the girl who got away, expect revenge so hot it leaves brands on two lonely hearts…

The Grand Adventure Continues for Sabrina York. Also, Win A Tiara.

Long ago, in a time shrouded in myth and mystery (circa April 4^th, 2012), a virgin author, a tender soul, ventured out into the cold, hard world, unsure of what she would find. Would there be slavering wolves with long glistening fangs? Hideous trolls? Wicked witches cackling with glee at every misstep?

Oh, sure. There were a couple of those.

But to our heroine’s delight, she met come champions along the way, valiant souls who became companions, and then friends.

And Delilah Devlin is one of those souls.

Okay. Yeah. I am waxing poetic. But I’m in a poetic mood, damn it all.

It’s been a year since the release of my first book (Adam’s Obsession). A year since I dipped my toe into the publishing pond. A year since I wrote my very first blog (for one Delilah Devlin, in fact).

As I reflect on all the other firsts of the past year—the glorious triumphs as well as the…ickier moments—I can’t help but smile. It has been a rollercoaster ride, for sure—but a grand adventure. Now I have nearly a dozen titles with many more in the wings and, I am delighted to report, fans all over the world.

Who knew?

I wanted to thank you, Delilah, for welcoming me into your welkin, for embracing my work and encouraging me giving me opportunities to succeed. You are a champion. An inspiration.

And because of your encouragement, and that of many others, I am about to embark on another adventure (one that has me nibbling my fingernails to the nub).

I am releasing my first self-pubbed book.

There were a lot of reasons for trying this—not the least of which is the ability to offer a book for free once in a while to THANK MY READERS for their loyalty. But to be perfectly honest, my secret motivation is to prove to myself that I can.

Yep. Yet another grand adventure for a girl who always dreamed of being a writer but was told she was far too dyslexic to try.

There are always people willing to tell you reasons you shouldn’t take a dare.

It’s a good thing I never listen.

(Pssst! I had to include this screen shot! ~DD)

Sabrina’s First Novel-Without-A-Net…

Rebound is Book One of the Tryst Island Series—following the romantic adventures of a group of friends sharing a vacation house on the fictional Trystacomseh Island in Washington State’s San Juan archipelago. The series was inspired by my visits to a family cabin on the coast. I’ll share a picture of the view, so you get an idea why I couldn’t stop myself from writing these stories.

Sigh. I know. Right?

Here’s a taste of Rebound. It’s scheduled to come out April 4^th on Amazon. I hope you check it out.

Rebound by Sabrina York

A Tryst Island Erotic Romance

Kristi Cross has had the hots for her friend, Cameron Jackson as long as she could remember, but she knows she’s not his type. She’s nothing like the women he dates. So when he suggests they play for a kiss over a game of Hearts, Kristi can’t resist. Even if she loses, she wins. Because she’s finally going to taste him.

Of course, one kiss can quickly become something altogether steamier, especially when both parties are on the rebound…

An Excerpt of Rebound

Cam nodded and dealt the cards. They were halfway through the first hand when he broke the silence.

“Do you remember the first time we played?”

“You had to teach me.”

“Took me all night.”

“That was hardly my fault.” She rearranged her cards. “You kept pouring me shots.”

“You’re the one who kept drinking them.” Read the rest of this entry »

Writing a Series

A friend recently suggested I read FOREIGNER by C.J. Cherryh, a popular sci/fi writer. It’s the first book in a series and has a fascinating premise. A spaceship from Earth has gone off course into an alien universe. A colony is sent down to live on a planet populated by the atevi, an intelligent group that resembles humans, but are taller, stronger, and have black skin and yellow eyes. The hero, Bren Cameron, is a human translator who has learned the atevi language and culture. He wants desperately to maintain the peace between the two diverse groups, but things never run smoothly. By the end of the book, he’s so badly injured he’s on his way to the hospital for surgery, but for the moment, he’s out of danger. The second book, INVADER, begins with Bren leaving the hospital and right back into deep trouble. I don’t usually read sci/fi, but this series is so fast-paced and exciting, it drew me right in. Bren is such a sympathetic character, I couldn’t stop after the first book!

Having one continuing character works well not only in sci/fi, but also in mysteries and thrillers. Sue Grafton has pushed Kinsey Millhone through the alphabet. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum humorous mystery series is on NOTORIOUS NINETEEN. Fans know they won’t be disappointed when they read the next book in a popular series.

When a family friend married a bullfighter’s daughter, I thought it a great premise for a book, but I hadn’t anticipated a series when I began. Wealthy men often have multiple wives and create new families, and a matador was a perfect fit for the role. My goal in FIERCE LOVE was to tell the story of Magdalena Aragon, a young woman in her twenties who’s meeting her famous father for the first time. She’s the daughter born of his brief marriage to an American woman, and this is her first visit to Spain. That she has half brothers and half sisters she’d also never met added near endless complications to her reunion with her father. When she falls for a matador herself, he’s the very last man she wants to love. The story is set in Barcelona, a city I love, and the book was a joy to write.

When I sent the finished the book to my editor at Samhain, it proved impossible to leave Maggie’s eldest brother, Santos, behind. He’s the bullfighter’s son, and deserved a book of his own. FIERCE PRIDE is an entirely different story. He’s a matador himself and someone wants him dead. That he falls for Maggie’s half sister, Libby, strengthens the ties created in the first book and gives characters I’d grown to love a chance to come back for an encore.

You can probably see this coming, but Maggie’s father had a mistress, a super-model with an independent spirit, who demanded a book of her own, FIERCE PASSION. This series grew from the characters and their complicated relationships, and I had to run to keep up with them. I do believe the FIERCE series is complete as a trilogy, but Maggie has twin half sisters who may someday get a book of their own.

Do you love to read books in a series? I’ll be happy to send pdf copies of FIERCE LOVE and FIERCE PRIDE to someone who comments.

FIERCE LOVE is available in both ebook and print from Samhain. FIERCE PRIDE, a February 2013 ebook, and will be in print in February 2014. The beautiful mistress’s story, FIERCE PASSION will be a November 2013 release. Rest assured, no bulls were harmed in any way in the writing of these books.

Building a Community

When I started the UGLY STICK SALOON Series, I knew I wanted to build a whole community of characters where I could end one story and start another revisiting some of the same places and same characters. In the Ugly Stick Saloon Series, secondary characters get their stories. This gives the readers a chance to revisit some of their favorite characters like old friends.

In one of my first UGLY STICK SALOON books, SEX ED, I introduced Ed and Kendall’s story. But Lacey Lambert played a big secondary role in that story. She’s finally getting her story in BOOTS AND LACE. The reader gets to learn why Lacey acts the way she does and how Nick McBride wins her over. It’s been over a year since SEX ED came out. It’s about time Lacey got her man!

***Leave a comment for a chance to win a download of Sex Ed ***

Author Bio

Myla Jackson 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. Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Welcome back to the Ugly Stick Saloon!

She wants no strings…but he wants it all.

After her philandering husband left her, Lacey Lambert found sanctuary, and a better class of friends, at the Ugly Stick Saloon. Where she learned that the best revenge—against her ex, and the “friends” who kicked her out of the Temptation Garden Club—is to live life to the fullest.

Now that her best friend is moving out of her apartment building, she’s feeling a little lonely. And more than ready for a little commitment-free sex with the hot new downstairs tenant.

Freshly divorced, Nick McBride isn’t looking for another failed relationship. But when the luscious brunette offers no-strings sex—with him and his brother—he can’t come up with a good reason to refuse.

After he gets over the shock that she likes it loud, long, and in front of an open window, he finds himself wanting more time with her. Maybe even on a permanent basis. But it’ll take every ounce of his cowboy charms to convince her to let him sweep her off her feet.

Samhain Publishing
Barnes & Noble Nook
Amazon Kindle