I’m running a contest to celebrate the release of PLEASING SIR with a $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate as the prize.
See details in yesterday’s post!

Thanks, everyone, for your support in helping me get the word out about Pleasing Sir! I’ve been getting Google alerts ever since yesterday’s post.

If you’ve been visiting here for a while, you know I always have something happening here. Some new release. So far this year, I’ve had 16 new releases. I’m a very, very busy girl.

And next week, I have another story coming on Tuesday. The third book in the Lone Star Lovers series with Samhain Publishing. Over the next few days I’ll share excerpts from the first two books, from next Tuesday’s release, Four Sworn, and give you a sneak peak at book four that I’m wrapping up next week.

Here’s a little bit about Four Sworn to whet your appetites!

There’s a wild child trapped inside her, and they’re hell-bent on unleashing it…

As the pretty daughter of the town whore, Shanna Davies has always tried hard to toe the line. But she just can’t help it. Her boyfriend, Bo Crenshaw, has lured her untamed spirit out to play once too often. It’s time to get the hell out of Dodge and make a new start where no one knows her past. After she fulfills one last, wicked fantasy.

Shanna is Bo’s first everything. First kiss, first sexual playmate, first love. Yet he’s never managed to convince her that he accepts her—good girl and bad—just as she is. So, she wants a memorable send off? No problem. He’ll give her one that’ll make her think twice about leaving.

On the appointed night, Shanna expects nerves. Yet once she crosses the threshold, the prospect of surrendering to a night of unrestrained passion with Bo and the three Kinzie brothers makes her mouth water—and her courage dry up.

But she asked for it, and now she’s not about to blink first in this game of sexual chicken…

Warning: Four lusty cowboys prove a little domination goes a long way in breaking a stubborn woman to saddle. Lots of spanking, binding, flogging, and double-dipping can keep a girl on her toes, her back, her belly, her knees…

I’m running a contest to celebrate this release with a $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate as the prize. Details below!

One adventurous little submissive is just what the bosses need…

Raelie might be a submissive in search of just the right Dom, but she’s not the kind to sit back and wait for the right man to happen. When she gets the chance to fill in as Bryce Caldwell’s executive assistant, she decides some subtle seduction is needed to see if he dominates the bedroom the same way he does the office.

Bryce can’t keep his mind off the sexy blonde sitting just outside his office. Especially not after the security cameras in the copier room catch Raelie “misappropriating” office property. A little disciplinary action leads to a whole lot of complication while he tries to find out whether she’s the right assistant to fulfill a special vacancy. Add a second round of interviews, and suddenly, Bryce is finding out he’s not the only one who’s not sure who’s really in charge.

Read an excerpt
Buy your copy at Amazon
Buy your copy at Smashwords

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Lately, I feel like I’m living on the edge of a whirlpool. I’m swimming along and making a little headway, and then the current pulls me right away. I didn’t plan to be this busy, but I don’t know how to say no, and I really do like a challenge to keep me edgy.

So this is a drive-by. A shout-out to those of you who love my dirty little stories to let you know that I have something new out there, ready for you to read, but you won’t be able to find it in the usual places. Pleasing Sir was a story I wrote as an experiment. A straight-to-the-Internet project to test the Kindle waters.

It doesn’t mean I won’t keep writing for the usual suspects, and doesn’t mean I’m not extremely happy about how they treat me, it just means that I like to experiment and see what else is out there. Maybe the book won’t do well in this venue—in which case, I’ll pull it and submit it for consideration to one of my favorite publishers. Or maybe it will do well enough that I’ll want to do it again. What I like about this is that I’m not dependent on a publisher’s scheduling. And, in the future, I can time the releases of my self-pubbed things for when I have a drought of releases from other houses. I don’t want them to back up against each other, although this one has, but ah well.

And just because this is self-published, don’t go thinking it won’t be any good. It’s still a really hot “Delilah Devlin” book. It’s a full 22,000-word story, comparable in length to a Samhain or Ellora’s Cave novella. I paid a professional editor to find all my typos, so no worries there either. If you’re in the mood to try something with a BSDM-bent and a sexy ménage, go get your copy. If you do buy it, be sure to go back and leave a review. Let someone who’s curious and on the fence know what you thought about the story.

Thanks for all your support. You make it easy for me to get out of bed and hit the keyboard every day.

About that contest!
Help me get the word out! Here’s how you can qualify for the prize:
1) Write a review and send me the link so I can verify
2) Post about the book on your blog (send me the link)
3) Talk up the story on a reader’s loop (forward me the email)

The following is from authors Mandy Roth and Michelle Pillow… ~DD

Big thanks to Delilah Devlin for letting us come here and play today! We’ll get started with our first Q&A.

How You Doin’?

Q: The two of you have some very beautiful covers. Do you have any creative input on these? If so, how much or how little?

Michelle: I’m very lucky to have a really good friend, what was her name?, who does coverart for me at a couple of my publishers, man I wish I could recall… Steve…Bob…Nat…

Mandy: Hmm, odd. Wonder who the friend is. We should send her a fruit basket. Or hunky male cover models WITH fruit baskets. LOL. All joking aside, I really think that over the years we’ve been very blessed when it comes to cover art. There have only been a few that made me cringe. No. I won’t name names but I will say, they still make me cringe today. LOL. It was hard to recontract a few things because I loved the covers so much and knew they’d change. Like Gypsy Nights. I loved, loved, loved its first cover so much it was hard to agree to re-release it elsewhere.

I feel very strongly that cover art can make or break a book. Unless you’re to the point that your name on a blank screen will sell a book, you do need to be mindful of art. I’m curious, how do readers feel about cover art?

Michelle: Natalie Winters! That was the name. (*cough* aka Mandy Roth’s art penname)

I agree, cover art can really make or break a book. It’s the first thing a person sees while browsing. I, too, have had some covers that make me want to cry. I won’t list them, but I’m sure you can pick some out if you browse our websites, lol. New cover art day is like a holiday for me and a bad cover is like getting a single pair of plain white socks for Christmas—sure, you needed socks, but who wants to open that gift? A good cover is like a box full of coffee beans. Mmm… coffee…

Featured M&M Book of the Day:

Buy Link

Raven Books
www.theravenbooks.com
Raven titles are available on Amazon.com as well as other third party sites

Mandy M Roth
www.mandyroth.com

Michelle M Pillow
www.michellepillow.com

Thanks for letting us hang here, Delilah! Everyone, remember that to be entered in the contest at the end of the tour, you need to comment on the posts. You can enter as much as you like.

Join us tomorrow when we visit Stephanie Julian.

Today’s the end of the contest! I know, two someones get prizes and the rest of y’all don’t. So most of you will heave a dejected sigh. 🙁

But it’s not all bad, right? You had fun. Maybe learned a little about me and my stories. I sure had fun reading through your entries.

If you don’t know me well, be sure to drop by often. I run contests almost weekly. It’s a bribe to keep you coming back, but I think that’s not such a chore. Lots will be happening in the coming months. I have two major releases coming up: Darkness Captured (dark paranormal) in September and Ravished by a Viking (futuristic) in January. I have eBooks coming soon with both Ellora’s Cave and Samhain—and I have a couple of free reads on the way. Textile Free will be available for a free download as soon as the cover is complete and I figure out how to put it up on Smashwords.

So lots happening. I blog every day. Even when I go on vacation, I have friends take up the slack and blog for me. The content here is never stale.

So back to wrapping up this contest. First, let me answer the questions:

1) List as many images as you can find hidden in the pretty picture at the top of this page.
This one was the most fun. Someone mentioned the “skin” at the top of the page acts like an ink blot test. Everyone saw something different.

The most popular answers: wineglass (it’s supposed to be a chalice!), wolf, sailing ship, two knights on horses, one carrying a pennant, a dragon on a shield, a crescent moon and a hot as hell man.

The most creative answers: witchy woman with a black pointy hat, side view of an angel, a heart, the number 3, a minatour holding a flag, and a woman with a unicorn coming out of her forehead, the letter D (bottom of the wineglass), double d’s on one of the knight’s shield, mother and child, Mother-father-and-child, flick knife, prawn/shrimp, and a picture frame.

2) What is the title of the book I will self-publish next month? And what color is Raelie’s bra? Pleasing Sir; lavendar/purple

3) What three novellas appear in Un, Deux, Trois, Ménage!? Raw Silk, Fun with Dick and Jayne, Jane’s Wild Weekend

4) What is the title of the short story I have in the latest anthology in the “Fantasy” section? The Obedient Wife

Now for the drawings (both are being conducted using a random number generator)…

The winner of Prize Package #1, which includes a $25.00 gift card from Amazon.com, and a download of any of my eBooks, is…Miranda Grissom!

The winner of Prize Package #2, which includes a Delilah Devlin canvas tote bag, two signed DD print books, reader’s choice, and Delilah’s goodies (pen, bookmarks, post-it notes), is…Sue Brandes!

Ladies, congratulations, and be sure to email me about delivery of your prizes!

Thanks so much, everyone, for celebrating with me! ~DD

My “Brand New Look” contest ends today! Be sure to check Monday’s post for the contest rules and the prize list!

Please welcome my guest today, Juniper Bell! ~DD

I’d like to give a big thank you to Delilah for having me on her blog. Delilah, you’re one of my heroes and it’s a thrill to be here! Call it a Release Day treat for myself—my latest book, My Three Lords, comes out today from Ellora’s Cave.

My Three Lords is an erotic Regency ménage about one newly married young lady and three very naughty lords. I wrote the story because the idea came to me, because lords were the Alpha heroes of their time, and the thought of three of them … mmm. I didn’t worry about whether such a story could have happened in that time period. Regency romances come in many flavors, from sweet to steamy, although I generally picture formal balls and strict rules of behavior. Think every Jane Austen movie ever made.

I don’t think of threesomes … or in the case of my book, a foursome. Would a gently bred girl and three noblemen really end up in bed together?

So I did a little research, and lo and behold, people back then did all kinds of things they weren’t supposed to. Or at least, they thought about it. I found examples of erotica written around that time—not during the Regency itself, but from ten years earlier and about fifty years later. And some of what I read made me blush. One book, written by “Anonymous”, wrote about lusty governesses seducing schoolboys, anal sex, lots of man-on-man sex, woman-on-woman, multiple partners, group sex, even brothers and sisters experimenting.

I have no idea if his story is true. But at least it proves that people thought about sex then—a lot, in his case. Erotic books were written, published and read. But I wonder, why should that surprise me? The infamous Marquis de Sade was still alive at the time my book takes place (1811). Casanova had only died about thirteen years earlier. Those guys would put some of our current-day studs to shame.

After all, why would the Regency-era sex drive be any less than ours? Human nature hasn’t changed that much. Just because social behavior was strictly controlled doesn’t mean people didn’t get down and dirty in the privacy of their own bedrooms. In fact, maybe the lure of the forbidden made it even more tempting.

If Mr. Anonymous could write scorching erotica in the 1800’s, I can write scorching erotica set then. Maybe my story wouldn’t have happened, maybe it would. Who knows? But I’ll wager my best silk gloves that some adventurous lords and ladies thought about it. Ah, the seductive power of fantasies.

So is My Three Lords historically plausible or not? I say, based on my research, that I have no idea. But if you read it in the spirit of erotic fantasy, absolutely.

And that’s the best way to enjoy it anyway.

Here’s the blurb and an excerpt from My Three Lords, which releases today from Ellora’s Cave.

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How is one innocent country girl to choose between a Duke, a Marquis and an Earl? Must she?

When Miss Alicia Silverwood marries the Earl of Dorchester, he whisks her off to Notre Plaisir, a country manor where erotic surprises await in the company of three powerful lords.

The young Earl needs a wife and heir. The cynical Marquis de Beaumont needs a playmate. And the commanding Duke of Warrington needs a reason to live. As for the new Lady Dorchester, she’s about to discover the true nature of her own sensual needs. On top of that, she’s falling in love.

It might take a miracle for Lady Alicia and her three lords come to an arrangement that makes them all happy. Or perhaps all that’s required is a little scandalous rule-breaking.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I make you two promises, Alicia. The first is that I shall not take your maidenhead. Only one man may do so, and that is your husband. The second is that tonight you will experience more pleasure than you’ve ever imagined, thanks to me. If the Earl were here tonight, you’d receive no gentle caresses, no stroking such as I intend to give you. Your nipples would be left untouched, save for a rough tweak or two. Whereas I intend to savor their sweetness and watch them stand to attention like pink sentinels of your desire.”
Read the rest of this entry »

My “Brand New Look” contest continues through tomorrow! Be sure to check the rules and the prize list in yesterday’s post!

A little birdie at Ellora’s Cave told me that Warlord’s Destiny is the best-selling reissue so far, she thinks. That’s good enough for me! They’ve been breaking apart older anthologies and reissuing the novellas individually. Nice for the author because we’re seeing an older title gain a new life.

WD was originally published in 2005 as one of three stories in the anthology Fated Mates, which was nominated for Best Paranormal Erotic Novel of 2005 by RT BookReview Magazine.

Thanks so much for your support. Without it, I’d have to have a day job and would no doubt be writing fewer books!

This is what the story is about:

Promised in marriage for a decade, Mora has no illusions she is anything other than the sacrificial lamb to ensure peace between her peace-loving planet and the warlike world that demands her union with one of their own. No great beauty, she resigns herself to a loveless marriage with a man who will only do his duty by her. However, when she meets the rugged warlord who will be her husband, Mora feels an immediate stirring of lust. She decides in that moment to win his heart—she’ll settle for nothing less!

Lord Tetrik finds his bride more than the scrawny handful he had expected. She has hips to breed him strong, sturdy sons, and intelligence that is a gift worth more than a pretty face. When he suspects his wife harbors tender feelings for him, he wonders if he can be the husband she desires. After all, love for a woman is a frivolous thing—and not a Warlord’s Destiny.

Read an excerpt here

I’m running a contest through Wednesday on this website to celebrate my site’s new look. She’s shiny and new and ready for you to take a peek under her skirts! There are two different prize packages for two lucky winners.

The Contest: Ends Wednesday

Prize Package #1:
* $25.00 gift card from Amazon.com (I like to encourage READING)
* A download of any of my eBooks
Prize Package #2:
* Delilah Devlin canvas tote bag
* two signed print books, reader’s choice
* Delilah’s goodies (pen, bookmarks, post-it notes)

Rules:
* Send the answers to the following questions to me PRIVATELY at Delilah’s Email. All the answers can be found somewhere on my website.
* Post comments to my blog Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I will check!

Questions:
1) List as many images as you can find hidden in the pretty picture at the top of this page. (There is no right number of answers, so just find what you can!)
2) What is the title of the book I will self-publish next month? And what color is Raelie’s bra?
3) What three novellas appear in Un, Deux, Trois, Ménage!?
4) What is the title of the short story I have in the latest anthology in the “Fantasy” section? (Hint: look on the “By Genre” book page.)

Good luck and thanks, everybody, for you’re wonderful support over the years! ~DD