“No one looks good in HD”, an actor said on TV. I had to laugh at his remark, because it’s true. High definition resolution shows every flaw on an actor’s skin. Scars, pimples, lines and moles that make-up and filtered lenses used to hide are impossible to cover in high def.
Seemingly overnight, celebrities have transformed from impossibly perfect icons into regular people dressed in their Sunday best. We’re able to see them as they really are—flaws and all—and I find the change refreshing. It not only removes the impossible standards women, especially, are pressured to emulate, but also levels the playing field for us authors, who never had the benefit of filtered lenses, plastic surgery or make-up artists in the first place.
At book signings, I always wonder how readers see the people behind the stories. We authors aren’t celebrities like the actors on TV. We’re more like the man behind the curtain in Oz, whose stories might intrigue us, but whose appearance might sometimes be better left a mystery. As long as there have been books, there have been ordinary people behind the stories. Our imaginations, not our physical forms, are what inspire readers.
I like that high definition television has opened the wizard’s curtain and let us see actors a bit clearer. It makes life so much easier for the rest of us.
REV ME TWICE Summary:
Crystal is a bad, bad girl in the most delicious ways. She tries to be good and is tempted to commit to her Navy MP boyfriend, Tomas, but has no experience with an exclusive relationship or healthy family structure. She likes her life as a cable TV stripping weather girl and sex party host, and resists conforming to the traditional lifestyle Tomas craves. Without her weekly ménages and wild orgies, can she become the partner Tomas wants?
When Crystal receives death threats, a media frenzy erupts. During a break-in, the threatening letters are stolen, erasing evidence that thwarts an arrest. Tomas sports Crystal away on his Harley to protect her, but a deadly crash changes everything. Faced with the choice between self-interest and self-sacrifice, Crystal must decide if she will embrace a new life with Tomas or walk away.
Hello all, and thanks to Delilah for letting me blog here today!
So sometimes when an author writes a story they have a playlist of music they listen to. It can vary depending on what they’re writing (genre, heat level, etc.)
I tend to go back and forth. Sometimes a list demands to be made for a book, sometimes not. Sometimes I listen to rain meditation music because I can zone out and just type. Tonight I’ve turned off everything because we’re having a windstorm and I love the sound of the wind whistling through the tree branches.
My most recent book out is a Command and Control, a novella from Samhain. It’s the second book in my Holding out for a Hero series. The series follows three brothers in a small town, all who’ve chosen heroic careers to go into, and they’re journey in finding love.
My hero in Command and Control is Trevor. He’s my army guy. He’s a war veteran, and he has some serious baggage. This book didn’t really have a playlist, it had a song. Hammerhead by The Offspring. I kind of stumbled on it and really loved it. It worked for my hero. It was his song. It showed his frustration. His anger. His struggles. (Disclaimer: The end of the song gets kind of weird and there’s debate on whether this song is about a soldier, or more of school shooters type of thing. I went for soldier. I tend to just skip that little last bit of the song.)
Anyway, that’s a little peek at Trevor and this book. Leave a comment and I’ll have Delilah draw a winner to receive an ebook off my backlist!
I promised a contest! Be sure to leave a comment today, and you’ll be entered to win a free download of ANY of my Samhain or Ellora’s Cave ebooks! In the meantime, enjoy the excerpt. I had an amazing time writing Ravished by a Viking and it’s sequel (coming this Fall), Enslaved by a Viking. I hope you enjoy the excerpt, even though some of the aspects may feel unfamiliar because you haven’t been deep into the story and learned about the rich world I built. ~DD
“Clash of cultures, clash of myths, clash of powerful personalities…how many authors can bring out on paper the excitement and more-than-willing suspension of disbelief that old fashioned adventure stories once brought us?…a wonderful, action-packed, emotional roller-coaster of a read.”
Alien Places on RAVISHED BY A VIKING
What a Viking wants, a Viking takes.
When his younger brother goes missing, Dagr, Viking warrior and Lord of the Wolfskin Clan, will do whatever it takes to get him back. But nothing could have prepared him for Honora—a feisty, intelligent woman who is nothing like the women of his world—women who are content to serve their men in all things. Drawn to her despite her recalcitrant nature, Dagr is determined to show her who’s boss both in bed and out.
When the two enemies-turned-lovers join forces to find Dagr’s brother they are thrown into a rousing adventure full of danger, intrigue and erotic abandon. Can their passion truly unite them or will their different worlds lead to destruction for them both?
Just as his skiff crunched against the rough edge of the beach, Dagr jumped to the ground, then spun to see how the battle fared. What there was left of a battle, anyway. The action was mostly a retreat—an ignominious run for safety. He counted heads quickly, assuring himself that every one of the men who had accompanied him had made it.
Frakki ran to his side. “Shall we save the bastards?” he said, disgust flavoring his tone. He nodded toward the Consortium soldiers doomed to die if the Vikings didn’t mount a concerted rescue.
Odvarr loped toward him, his chest heaving, his face creased with worry. “Dagr, your woman!” he shouted, pointing toward the open waters.
A woman was on the ice! Dagr turned in time to see a slender figure pitch over the side of a skiff and slide on her belly perilously close to the edge. He didn’t bother asking what Honora was doing there, or, more precisely, what she was doing on the frozen water. He broke into a run, heading for the closest boat, Frakki on his heels.
They both swung up, Frakki taking the steering ropes, and Dagr balanced on his feet at the raised nose of the small craft. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Stay still, Honora,” he shouted, although the wind, the hollow roars of the beasts, and the screams from the remaining soldiers drowned out his voice.
He ignored the slashes of laser light that pounded the ice around him, dared the soldiers sure to die a gruesome death to kill him because he wasn’t turning back. If the goddess Hel herself reached up from her frozen kingdom to drag him down, he’d fight her.
“Dagr . . .” Frakki said quietly, dread in his voice.
“I know.”
Beneath them, a dozen sea serpents, blue, green, and orange, swam, tracking them like prey, spiraling, shooting away for a few feet, then circling in closer. Read the rest of this entry »
Okay, so other authors, even my sister Delilah Devlin, are doing it. They’re doing it on their blogs, in their newsletters, on Smashwords, in the closet, under the bed… Oops, I digress. My mind hits the gutter way too easily when I’m anywhere near Delilah. Ah the joy of the older sister rubbing off on me.
And what, might you ask, are they doing?
Free Reads!
Good grief. Who wants free reads? Don’t we all want to read books we paid for—spent our hard-earned dollars on to seek a few minutes of escapism? Spew…choke…snort!
Free Reads? Who wants ’em?
We do! We do!
I see your hands up, and finally I’m convinced. So where do I start? What makes a good free read? What does the audience want from a Myla Jackson story? I have to say, I’m stumped and in need of a little help.
Should I write a western with sexy cowboys and strong women, willing to hog-tie their men if that’s what it takes? Or should I craft a contemporary comedy sure to tickle a funny bone here and there. Or maybe a dark paranormal story with shady shifters, vicious vampires or ravenous beasts of all shapes and sizes?
The selections are endless, the time is limited and I’m still on the fence about what to write. It’s not for lack of an idea, it’s drinking from the fire hose of ideas. Sigh…
Such is the nature of the writer’s life. So many stories, so little time. So help me please… Help me by choosing a premise that pleases you, a genre that gets you going, characters that you can’t let go. Step on over to my web of intrigue (my website and my blog ) and let me know your choice of suggestions and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $20 gift card from Amazon.com. Then join my newsletter to read the installments of the free read you’re going to help me build…
And check out my newest western ménage in the Bound and Tied Series:Duty Bound. Also check out the other contests I have going for a chance to win more gift cards and free books!
**Winner announcement at the bottom of this post!**
I’ll be in Little Rock all day Saturday to attend a holiday party with members of my RWA chapter, so I might not get a chance to respond to you all until this evening. Enjoy! ~DD
In December 4th’s blog, I asked three questions I needed answered by you before I could continue writing my free, serialized story, Bad Moon Rising.
Poll #2 is now closed. The answer to the question concerning why Mason didn’t want to participate in The Prowl is:
Mason detests The Prowl and wants to wait for his True Mate.
So now we have the last question. It requires a little set up…
DiDi’s back at her aunt’s place, but she’s curious about the rest of the property. She hadn’t realized the dock existed that extends over the river where she and Mason last had sex before he took her there. Now, she finds a little flat-bottomed boat at the end of the dock and decides to head across the river/bayou to see what’s on the other side.
What does DiDi find across the river from her house? (You may choose 2 answers!)
Didi finds her aunt's diary which exposes DiDi’s mixed (human/panther) ancestry. (40%, 36 Votes)
Didi finds a talisman with a panther symbol that belonged to her aunt—left for her to find on an altar. It "speaks" to her. (35%, 32 Votes)
Didi finds the diary of a woman who experienced The Prowl and how she survived the ritual. (14%, 13 Votes)
DiDi finds unmarked graves of the human women who didn't survive The Prowl. (9%, 8 Votes)
Didi finds a run-down shack with cat skeletons lying behind it. (2%, 2 Votes)
Total Voters: 52
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I’m offering a $10.00 Amazon.com eCertificate as an incentive to get you to vote. I’d like all the answers to the polls nailed by Tuesday AM. Be sure to POST A COMMENT after you vote so I know who to enter in the contest.
The winner of Cat Tails Poll #2 is…Diane (Thursday’s comment #26)!
Diane, congratulations and email me!
Today’s the last day to enter! AND you can enter again! Just Tweet, Facebook, or blog about this book and send me the link!
So this is the thing I need your help with. I’d like to get this widget spread as far and wide as I can. Read the contest instructions. There are TWO! Your suggestions regarding how to proliferate this over the web for the next three weeks would be appreciated!
**Winner announcement at the bottom of this post!**
In December 4th’s blog, I asked three questions I needed answered by you before I could continue writing my free, serialized story, Bad Moon Rising. Poll #1 is now closed. This is your definition of what The Prowl is:
“The Prowl” is when members of the clan mate, and if a human is caught within their territory, they may be hunted and mated, by force if necessary
We still have two more questions to go.
Mason made a vow to not participate in the prowl, which should have placed DiDi off-limits. Why would Mason make a vow like that in the first place?
Mason detests The Prowl and wants to wait for his True Mate. (47%, 48 Votes)
Mason avoids The Prowl because a woman he mated there a long time ago died. (31%, 32 Votes)
Mason was elected The Protector and is supposed to keep the event safe. (13%, 13 Votes)
Mason made the vow to prove how much control he has. (10%, 10 Votes)
Total Voters: 103
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I’m offering a $10.00 Amazon.com eCertificate as an incentive to get you to vote. I’d like all the answers to the polls nailed by early next week. Be sure to POST A COMMENT after you vote so I know who to enter in the contest.
The winner of Cat Tails Poll #1 is…Loretta! Loretta, congratulations and email me!
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