The winner of Kate’s contest is…mylilypad! See note #36 in the comments! ~DD

Release Day—DREAM BOUND is out!

Delilah, I really appreciate your invitation to blog—today is pretty special because I’ve got a new book out: Dream Bound is the first of the two book Dream Catchers series. The final story, Dream Unchained, will release in November, but Dream Bound is another one of those stories that started with an idea that sort of took on a life of its own.

I was thinking about that tonight, and I realized that in all of my stories for Kensington’s Aphrodisia imprint, I’ve started out intending to write a totally sexy yet traditional romance—Aphrodisia is, after all, an erotic romance imprint. What I don’t actually plan, and what always seems to happen, is the various relationships that aren’t in the original synopsis I send to my editor!

When Kensington bought the Wolf Tales series, my editor knew she was getting into a story line with same sex relationships. I hadn’t planned to write the stories that way—they just sort of happened within the context of the Chanku characters and their powerful libidos. When I wrote the novella that introduced the Dream Catchers series, I gave my editor a brief synopsis about a young computer geek in 1992, in the Silicon Valley, who falls for a woman who is literally the product of his sexual fantasies. Zianne is also an alien, and her story is the basis for the entire series.

What I didn’t expect was the hero, MacArthur Dugan, and the relationship that developed between him and Nils “Dink” Dinkemann, his childhood friend who has remained his best buddy into young adulthood. Dink is openly gay, but Mac isn’t, though Mac is aware Dink has loved him for years. It’s something they both sort of ignore as best they can, but bringing Zianne into the relationship changes everything.

When I was writing the story, I realized that the sexual dynamic between the two men was every bit as powerful as what I was writing between Mac and Zianne, which, of course, led to a really sexy scene with Dink and Mac, and then an even hotter one with the three of them together. Thank goodness my editor is open-minded enough to go with whatever I send her, because I don’t think she was expecting the Mac/Zianne/Dink part of the story, which of course carries over into Dream Bound and Dream Unchained.

In my convoluted manner (and no, my books are actually a lot better organized, but when I blog I sort of let my thoughts wander and you get whatever dribbles across the page…) I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t intentionally sit down and say, “Okay, I’m going to write a book with forty gazillion sex scenes and they’re going to include every combination known—or unknown.”

What I do is sit down at my computer and start a conversation with my lead character, and I essentially let them tell the story. I have no idea that Mac really wanted to experience sex with Dink, or that Zianne was interested in sex with two men. I ran into the same thing with the Dream Team, the six young men and women who are brought together by Mac Dugan in 2012, twenty years after Zianne disappeared (after the novella ends) but since she was traveling through time to see Mac, it’s only been twenty-four hours for her.

It’s been two decades for Mac while he struggles to develop the technology and raise enough money to mount a rescue of his beloved alien lover. Well, when Dream Bound starts, he’s got the money and his satellite array is built, and he’s bringing together his team. But Dink comes back into his life, too, and the story once again took off in some directions I wasn’t planning on. I do hope you’ll give Dream Bound a chance. I’m really pleased with the way the story came together—it was one of those that felt as if it was meant to be written, and it was a nice break between my Wolf Tales/Sexy Beast stories, and the new Chanku series, Spirit Wild, which will debut next May. I just turned the first book, To Love a Dark Wolf, in to my editor on Friday.

And yep, that one’s got a same sex relationship I didn’t see coming, either. You’ll get to see Lily Cheval all grown up, and I discovered that Anton is a wonderful father, but he’s also a pain in the butt at times. It was wonderful, going back into that world and reconnecting with characters who are like old friends.

Do you ever have that happen? Get so caught up in a fictional character that they’re like real people to you? Happens to me all the time—I think it’s the very best part about being an author. Well, that and meeting readers. Definitely love that part! And if you’re going to be anywhere near Anaheim, California on July 25, the humongous book signing for the Romance Writers of America National Convention will be going on. From the RWA website:

Romance Writers of America is pleased to announce that the 2012 “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is conveniently located next to the Anaheim Marriott (RWA’s conference hotel). RWA would like to thank Avon Books for generously underwriting the event, which takes place Wednesday, July 25, 2012, from 5–8 p.m. PT in the Ballroom (third floor) at the convention center.

Now that my public service announcement is over, if you leave a comment, you’ll be entered for a chance to win both a copy of DREAM BOUND, and a really cute little stuffed squirrel. And if you’re going to be in Anaheim, please let me know. I love the chance to actually get to meet my readers!

Buy Dream Bound at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

Got Bondage?

Bondage. The word conjures such a strong gauntlet of emotions, doesn’t it? Fear. Arrousal. Curiosity. The scope of emotions is almost as limitless as the way bondage can, well, bind us. Debt bondage. Spiritual bondage. Bondage to our day-to-day lifestyles. And, of course, my favorite…sexual bondage. And if you’ve read my last book, Lust, Lace & Lingerie, I’m sure you’re not surprised by that fact!

There’s just something about giving up power to another person (when done sanely, safely and consensually, of course) that creates a heightened sensation of…everything. It gets the blood pumping and the brain spinning into overdrive. Giving your pleasure—or pain—over to someone else to experiment with is intense, something the heroine in my newest Ellora’s Cave novel, His Forbidden Submissive, found out the, um, hard way.

(Oh look, more shameless self promotion, LOL. It’s the last for this blog. Scout’s honor. *crosses fingers behind back*)

But my surprised heroine wasn’t the only person learning about BDSM and sexual bondage between the digital pages of His Forbidden Submissive. I was too. I’ve enjoyed BDSM stories by other authors and I’ve always been curious about the lifestyle, but I really didn’t know much about how it really worked. So I went to work scouring the internet for fun and sexy facts about BDSM and bondage.

I had a basic understanding of BDSM when I started my research, but some of the things I learned shocked me, made me laugh, and on more than one occasion, made some mighty interesting things happen between my thighs. *wink, wink* But in the end, it all came together to help me create a story that’s hot, emotional and brimming with leather, whips, chains and more bondage than my poor, poor heroine thinks she can handle.

I’m so mean, aren’t I?

But as it happens, when you start doing internet searches about anything sexual, you’ll get back a massive amount of results. Some interesting, some down right disturbing, and some you just can’t click out of fast enough—especially with kiddos around. But don’t worry. I won’t share any of that with you, LOL. Instead, I want to share with you 10 strange and fun facts I’ve discovered about the human penis.

Yep, you heard me right. Ten fun facts about the penis. Here we go…

1. The number of calories per tsp of semen is only 7.

Woot! Semen is a low calorie food. Good to know. So eat up, ladies—or guys—because this is one treat that defies the “minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips” rule!

2. Acidic fruits and alcohol have been shown to give semen a sugary flavor. On the other hand, foods like meat and fish produce a buttery flavor (although I’m not putting it on my popcorn).

So there there ya go, ladies. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, make sure and get your man hopped up on ice cream and booze before you go down on him.

3. The amount of time needed for a man to regain erection after orgasm can vary from 2 minutes to 2 weeks.

Two weeks! Could you imagine the romance novel that took a hero 2 weeks to form another erection? OMG, that’s a book I don’t want to read. Well, I guess it could work, depending on how crafty our hero is at, um, filling the void for his partner.

4. The average number of times a man will come in his lifetime is 7,200 times. And of those times, only 2,000 will be by his hand.

Only 2,000? I’d figured it’d be higher, wouldn’t you?

5. The average speed of an ejaculation is 28 mph!

Wait, what? 28? Wow. Just wow. This can’t be right, can it? I now have a completely new respect for the strength and ingenuity that goes into making condoms.

6. The smallest FUNCTIONAL penis was an incredible 5/8 of an inch.

Talk about coming up short! I’d really like to know the specifics on this one, wouldn’t you? Just who is/was this man? How tall was he? And now I’m thinking about the shoe size/penis size correlation. If that really holds true, he’s got to be like 2 feet tall, right? (Please, feel free to check my math, LOL.)

7. This one isn’t exactly about the penis itself, but it involves the penis so I’m throwing it in: 13% of men have said there’s actually been at least a moment in their lives where they were NOT interest in sex.

I have to say this one really, really surprised me. I wonder how many of these times were during an important sporting even. “Not right now, honey. The game’s tied with .3 seconds left on the clock!”

8. The average number of erections men have per day is 11, and 9 of these are while they’re sleeping.

I admit it. This one makes me laugh out loud. I’m not surprised that a guy would have 9 erections while sleeping, but what gets me is that he only has 2 while he’s awake. That just doesn’t seem right, especially when you couple it with #7.

9. The approximate cost for a year’s supply of condoms is $100.

But I don’t think this holds true for heroes of romance novels, do you? At least not the heroes I write. *wink*

10. And finally, the tissue that surrounds the testicles and the penis is more durable even than the tissue that surrounds the human brain.

Wow. If the body naturally protects the most important parts first, this put a whole new light on that old saying about men always thinking with their penises.

And there ya have it. Ten things I learned about the human penis while doing researching for books. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it. I hoped you enjoyed these as much as I did. 😉

Today, I’m giving away a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter. To enter, all you have to do is tell me the most bizarre thing you know about sex. From positions to fetishes…dirty minds want to know!

Later, lovelies!

~Brandi Evans

p.s. And if you didn’t get enough sex-related fun facts, click here to read my blog post 10 Strange Facts About Sex.

His Forbidden Submissive releases June 27th from Ellora’s Cave!

Click banner to learn more!

There are TWO giveaways going on today. Two different sites.
Right here, you can enter a drawing for a free download of FUN WITH DICK AND JAYNE, by simply posting a comment. Then head over to the She Shifters blog for a chance to win a signed copy of Kate Douglas’s latest book, DREAM BOUND!

Sometimes, seduction comes with hearts and flowers. But that doesn’t work for everyone. Be sure to check out all the authors’ links this week to find the one you love the most. My personal favorite kind of seduction tends to appeal to the primal, primitive instincts. Have fun seeing what appealed to Garrett about the couple across the road…

“…Loved the characters, loved the conflict, loved the scorching hot sex…I do give high praise to Ms. Devlin. Her writing leaves me breathless and her heroes are simply delicious.” ~9 of 10, Seriously Reviewed

He didn’t know the nightly peepshow was just a naughty invitation…

Garrett knows what he’s doing can get him into trouble, but he can’t help himself. Every night, as he arrives home, the blonde across the alley gets busy with her boyfriend with the blinds open. He’s spent the past two weeks getting an eyeful and falling deep into lust.

But when Garrett sees a man in a black ski mask sneak into his sexy neighbor’s bedroom, he doesn’t know he’ll be the one captured.

Jayne has a nice life with a nice lover who sees to her every need, but she’s still drawn to the lonely man across the alley. She’s been sharing her deepest fantasies with him from afar, but is ready to up the stakes. When she talks Richard into enacting a dangerous scenario, everything works out as planned. Only Garrett’s not happy about being played. And he’s got reservations because she already has a lover and he’s not into threesomes. Guess she’ll just have to convince him otherwise.

Tuesday

They were going at it again, and he was gonna get arrested. Which would be pretty damn embarrassing, considering he was cop.

Like clockwork, the couple across the alleyway started banging the minute his car pulled into the garage.

The street along the back of the parallel rows of one-story houses wasn’t much of a buffer. Driveways spoked off the narrow, paved road. Only twenty feet separated his garage from the bedroom window across the way.

Last night, he’d loosened the garage light bulb to make sure it didn’t give him away when the door slid up. Tonight, he flicked his car’s overhead lamp switch off so that the light wouldn’t beam the moment he exited. Carefully, he closed his car door, pushing it with his hip to muffle the click as it locked, walked around to the back then sat with his butt against the trunk to watch the show.

They had to know anyone walking by could see every damn thing—every drop of sweat, every short curl of pale blonde hair. She faced the window, clutching the bottom windowsill, her breasts bouncing every time Boyfriend slammed her ass.

God, her tits were Grade-A prime. Cherry nipples, topping creamy mounds.

Her blue eyes closed, her mouth rounded, and he knew when she came because she always wore the same expression—her cheeks growing rosy, her eyebrows drawing together tightly and the corners of her mouth curving like the cat that licked the cream.

And if the wind hadn’t been whistling through the alley, he would have heard the whimper she gave when Boyfriend milked the last little contraction of her orgasm.

Fuck. He needed his own woman. Maybe she had a twin. Because he sure as shit wouldn’t be satisfied with anyone who wasn’t her, Jayne Peabody—Jayne Hotbody as he’d begun to call her. He’d had her plates run so he’d have a name to assign the woman who’d played a starring role in all his fantasies this past couple of weeks.

They’d finished and Boyfriend was pulling her into his arms, wrapping them around her belly and cupping those beautiful breasts as she snuggled against his chest.

It was time to leave. The show was over for the night.

Then her eyes opened, and Garrett Masters could have sworn she looked right at him. He cussed softly, straightened and raised his arm, pulling down the garage door and shutting off the sight of her mouth stretching into a wide grin. Read the rest of this entry »

First Kisses

One of my favourite parts to write in any story is that all-important first kiss. This is the moment—at least for me—where the relationship changes from an idea and an emotion to that first step towards physical intimacy. Depending on the story, we may go a lot further than a kiss, or we may not.  But that kiss is chemistry in action, when all the senses are on high alert.

Each kiss is different because each character is different. Therefore the emotions are different and as we know it’s not just the actual kiss that counts but how it feels to the character emotionally.

I wasn’t sure how it was all going to go in my current release, actually. Clara Ferguson is a former victim of abuse so physical contact is a real challenge for her. I knew that Ty had to be gentle so she wasn’t physically overwhelmed. At the same time, I wanted it to be fan-flipping-tastic. For both of them. I wanted it to be romantic and the stepping stone into the next step of their relationship.

Here’s a sneak peek at that kiss:

They were nearly to the door now and it seemed every nerve ending Clara possessed was on high alert. She was interested in Ty. She thought about him far too often and she was way too aware of him. But that wasn’t the same thing as being interested in a relationship. They were two very different things. Attraction was momentary. Relationships represented a commitment too scary to even really comprehend.

But it didn’t stop the tingling sensations she felt as his arm brushed hers, sliding the barn door a few feet to the side, letting in a chilly puff of air.

“The moon’s bright tonight,” Ty murmured. His body blocked the door part way; there was no way she could slip through the gap without brushing against him. She swiped her tongue over her lips that seemed suddenly dry.

“It was full two nights ago,” she replied, closing her eyes briefly as she realized how breathy she sounded.

“But cloudy.” Ty still didn’t move. He pointed upwards. “Look. It’s so clear the stars go on forever. The unending sky is my favourite thing about the prairies.”

She moved forward a bit but her view was blocked by the breadth of Ty’s chest. He slid back against the heavy wood frame of the doorway, making room for her to peer through.

The sky was enormous and stunning, full of twinkling stars and the steady, watchful gaze of planets. A cloud of breath frosted the view for a moment as she tilted her head up to watch a satellite cross the sky in a steady, perfect arc.

“What do you suppose it’s watching?” she whispered, pointing at the moving dot.

When Ty didn’t answer, she turned her head. He wasn’t watching the stars at all. Instead he was looking at her. He wasn’t smiling. But there was something about him that made her forget the fall air and made her warm all over.

“Look at the stars,” she chided softly. “They’re beautiful.”

“No more beautiful than you.”

Her breath caught in her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

“Why did you really come out here tonight?”

She couldn’t answer. Instead she bit down on her lip as she stayed suspended in the delicious sensation of being the sole focus of Ty’s attention.

He lifted his hand and rested it on the side of her neck while his thumb brushed the curve of her jaw. Breathing was torturous now as Ty’s face seemed to come closer. His eyes were open – those gloriously velvet eyes with gold flecks dancing around his pupils. The cotton of his shirt touched the knit of her sweater as their bodies drifted closer.

But Clara was totally lost when he raised his other hand and cradled her face in his palms, like he was holding something precious and fragile. There was no fear here. No hesitation. There was no darkness, only light.

“Clara,” he murmured, and he shifted his head the tiniest bit, closing the remaining gap and touching his lips to hers.

Her lips drifted closed as the sensation rippled through her. His lips were soft and gently persuasive. Instinctively hers parted beneath his, willingly yet carefully tasting what he was offering. What she discovered was sweetness. She hadn’t expected sweetness from a man like Ty.

His hands moved from her face to cup her neck, his fingers tangling with her hair, moving through her curls but demanding nothing. All her preconceptions drifted away on the night air. He was the Cadence Creek bad boy. She’d expected him to take. But he wasn’t. He was giving, instead, and she rested a trembling hand on his chest for balance as she tilted her head and leaned into the kiss.

He was a solid wall of muscle and man; steady and strong. As she slid her hand up to his shoulder the kiss deepened, losing a touch of its sweetness and replacing it with a wildness that was a promise of what lay ahead. It was an urgency that was somehow unrushed – an acknowledgement of the flare of passion without the need to let it burn out.

It was the most incredible kiss she’d ever experienced.

Ty broke away first, resting his forehead against hers for a few seconds. His breath fanned her cheek in small gasps and she felt the accelerated rise and fall of his chest and shoulders beneath her fingers.

The last thing she expected to see when she pulled back and looked into his face was concern.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly. “I didn’t mean to push. To rush you. I…”

Emotion rushed through her veins – relief and gratitude and affection and awe. She stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck, drawing him into a hug.

“Hey,” he soothed, but he didn’t push her away. He looped his arms around her back and rubbed the base of her spine. “It’s okay. Right?” His breath was warm on her hair. “Should I have asked first?”

He sounded so unsure. It was a revelation and a smile blossomed on her lips.  She nodded against his neck. “It’s okay,” she said, the words muffled but discernible. He tightened his arms around her and she wanted to weep with the wonder of it. It was more than a kiss between them. He knew. He understood.

Today I’m giving away a kindle copy of THE REBEL RANCHER to one lucky commenter! All you have to do is tell me about a favourite first kiss – real or fictional!

From the ERWA website:

EVENT ALERT!

GLBT Live Chats with the Pros

Who: Delilah Devlin, accompanied by Ily Goyanes and Sacchi Green
When: June 7th, at 8:00pm EST, (5:00pm  PST;  1:00am  GMT)
Where: ERWA chats are held on the ShadowWorld chat server, channel, #erachat. (Follow the link above. On screen you’ll see ‘Connect o ShadowWorld IRC’. In the Nickname box, key in your name. Leave the channels box at #ERAChat, and click ‘Connect’. A chat text box will appear at the bottom of your screen)

GLBT erotica is a genre to be reckoned with. ERWA will help interested authors with a “Live Chats with the   Pros.” Delilah Devlin,  Ily Goyanes, and Sacchi Green will be on hand to answer   questions, offer advice, and exchange ideas with authors of GLBT   erotica. Whether you’re penning your first gay fiction, or are a   spicy-seasoned pro, don’t miss these opportunities.

Delilah Devlin is a prolific and award-winning author of erotica with a   rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with   complex characters. Ms. Devlin has published over 100 erotic stories in   multiple genres and lengths. She is published by Avon, Black Lace,   Kensington, Harlequin, Atria/Strebor, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave,   Samhain Publishing, and Berkley. If you want to know how to do the deed,   Delilah is the lady to talk to. This  is your chance to chat live with   her. Read about Delilah at www.delilahdevlin.com

Ily Goyanes is a journalist, food blogger, culture critic, publisher, and sex enthusiast. She has been writing and editing professionally since 1993. Her first lesbian erotica anthology, Girls Who Score: Hot Lesbian Erotica, is being released in August 2012 by Cleis Press. You can sample her salacious stories in Best Lesbian Erotica 2012, Lesbian Cops: Erotic Investigations, Spankalicious: Erotic Adventures in Spanking, and Power Plays. Follow Ily on Twitter @realily and check out her publishing house at ampersandeditions.com.

Sacchi Green‘s stories have appeared in a hip-high stack of publications with erotically inspirational covers, and she’s also edited eight erotica anthologies, including Girl Crazy, Lesbian Cowboys (winner of a 2010 Lambda Literary Award,) Lesbian Lust, Lesbian Cops, and Girl Fever.   Find her at sacchi-green.blogspot.com or on Facebook (as  Sacchi Green)

Out of 138 entries, the winner (by random number generator) of the Dragon Cup Contest is…ELF! ELF, be sure to email me with your mailing address so I can get your
prize into the mail. Congrats!

(Don’t miss details of my Memorial Day Weekend give-away at the bottom of this post! ~DD)

My Question:

What is the name of Lissa’s free read? (Hint: Check out her ‘books’ at lissamatthews.com )

The Prize:

Kindle Fire

Contest Rules:

10 Authors. 10 Questions. 10 Easy Answers.

You will go from blog to blog gathering questions about each author. There will be a hint and a link that will lead you to the answer.

In order to be entered to win the big prize, a Kindle Fire, you will need to send your answers to Brandy at bray829@gmail.com SUBJECT: Friday Fireworks

You must include all 10 questions with answers.

Winner of the big prize will be drawn and announced on Heather Long’s blog. Any prizes offered individually on the author’s page will be taken care of by that author.

You have until Midnight on Memorial Day to send in your answers!

Participating Authors:

Heather Long
Virginia Nelson
Melissa Schroeder
Saranna DeWylde
Lissa Matthews
Jenn LeBlanc
Wendi Zwaduk
Kris Cook
Missy Jane

For this weekend only, I’ll choose three lucky winners who will recieve their choice of one currently available Lone Star Lovers book! So comment away, and be sure to enter the Friday Fireworks contest too!

Out with the Old (Winner, that is!)

The winner of the Two Book “Two-fer” Contest is…Tabitha Parrish! Tabitha, congratulations! Be sure to send me an email with your snail mail address so I can deliver your prizes!

In with the New–Dragon Cup Contest

What can you win?
The delicate, lovely coffee cup below.

How can you win it? Post a comment on any blog posting until the contest ends. Each entry counts as another chance to win!

This contest ends June 5th!!