Let me get a couple of announcements out of the way, then I’ll get to business! This is one of my New Year’s rezzies, so put up with it already!

Last Day to Get It Free!

It looks like folks are finding the story. As of this morning, there had been 2500 free downloads in the States, and more in England and Germany. The point was to:

1) reward my loyal readers, and
2) perhaps, pick up some new readers—if they liked what they read.

Tonight at midnight, the offer goes away and the price will go back up to $2.99. I’d like for it to finish strong so that when it goes back to the “paid” list on Amazon, it doesn’t fall away into oblivion. So, be sure to get your copy now and send the link to a friend! And if you’ve read it, why now take a minute to leave a review? Just sayin’…

Three Signed Books Contest

Remember that? If not, click on my contest link: Contest

All you have to do to enter is post a comment sometime between now and January 31st! And the more days you drop by and say hello, the more entries you have! Easy, right?

My Report Card

I keep a To Do List, which I update every Sunday. I shoot for the moon, but am truly satisfied if I only accomplish lift off. The point is to keep all my goals fresh and in front of me while I whittle away.

This week, I managed to:
1) Field questions regarding the Wild at Heart call for submissions; (If you’re a writer, you’ll want to click on the link and find out more!)
2) Respond to lessons from the ongoing Plotting Bootcamp;
3) I completed chapter 1 of AT;
4) I wrote the opening of a new short story;
5) My formatter person rushed the job for me so that I had Strokes back in time to upload it on Monday, then I spent time promoing the book everywhere I could think of;
6) I put together the newsletter for the After Midnight Fantasies group;
7) And it wasn’t part of my goals, but I put together a one-page, single-space proposal for a two-novella demon book;
8 ) I wrote a proposal for a Cleis antho and shipped it to my editor;
9) Tuesday, my daughter was ill, so I dropped everything and spent the day and evening at her house taking care of the wee ones;
10) Thursday, I attended an art guild meeting with my mom and aunt;
11) and Saturday, I spoke at the Diamond State Romance Authors‘ monthly meeting about time managements and planning!

Does that sound like enough? It was definitely not enough progress on the main goal, the demon story. I hope to remedy that this week!

I need nags. “You go write, Delilah” “Why are you on Facebook when you should be writing me more stories!” I won’t get mad, and just maybe, I’ll follow orders! Y’all have a good week!

For the next three days, starting just after midnight (Pacific time) and ending Sunday at midnight, Strokes will be available for download for free at Amazon.com!

Help me get the word out. Please tweet and Facebook about this special giveaway. Tell a friend! And if you’ve already purchased Strokes, send me a copy of your receipt and I’ll send you a free .pdf of Pleasing Sir or Her Soul to Keep.

Click on the cover and head to Amazon to get your copy now!

You can do something for me in return. While you’re downloading your free copy, be sure to “like” and “tag” Strokes. And if you aren’t shy about it, please come back to post a review after you’ve read it! I hope you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for all your support!

Today, you have two chances to enter the Three Signed Books Contest. Post a comment here, then pop on over to Wild & Wicked Cowboys! ~DD

I love Mexico, love lying on the beach drinking margaritas and relaxing the day away.  Who doesn’t? 

But would you go on a vacation there with your hubby’s work wife? My husband wants to go to Mexico and stay for a week at the same time his work wife is there.  I don’t love the fact that he has a work wife, but I trust the guy.  Do I want to spend my time and money to go on a vacation with her, Mr. work wife, and a few other people from his company?  No.  I’m not even a little bit interested.  But he really wants to go.

Am I being completely selfish if I say no thanks?

I would love to hear all of your opinions on the subject, and I’ll leave you with an excerpt from my latest book, Double Dare.

Sydney James straddled the hard bodied, sun bronzed working man on the bed beneath her. He was fresh out of the shower with only a white towel and her legs wrapped around him.

“Where are you going to be working tomorrow?” She leaned down and sucked at Logan’s earlobe then flicked the tip of it with her tongue.

He smelled like soap and man and the heat rushing to her crotch made Sydney almost forget her mission. “Somewhere close to my cabin I hope?”

His cock came to attention between her legs. Long and hard, its heat pressed against the skin of her inner thigh and her pussy clenched in response. This was one of the best things about dating a twenty-six year old. He was up anytime she even suggested sex. Logan Ford was a good match for exactly what she needed. Smoking sex, and lots of it.
Read the rest of this entry »

First, I want to thank Delilah Devlin for allowing me to be on her blog today. I am a big fan of Delilah’s and she might not know this, but she is one of the authors who influenced me to take my writing to the next level.

If you don’t know me, my name is Melissa Schroeder and I write romance in time periods from historical to futuristic and in heat levels in sensual to erotic.

My newest book coming out this month is The Cursed Clan: Callum. It is the first of a five book paranormal series. The first book is a bit of a discovery for the reader and the heroine, Dr. Phoebe Chilton, and with each book, the magic and mystery will grow. There are five cousins, Callum, Angus, Logan, Fletcher and Anice, who will each have their own book as they race to break the curse. It isn’t quite as erotic as my Harmless series, but it his highly sensual. I really fell in love with Callum and Phoebe. They are a wonderful couple and I hope the readers like them as much as I do!

Meet me around the web:

WEBSITE
TWITTER
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE
THE CURSED CLAN SITE
HARMLESS ADDICTS

Here is a little tidbit from the book.

Preorder from Are.

As Laird, Callum Lennon feels he has always failed to protect his cousins. Callum’s impulsiveness caused the death of his father and the experience has scarred not only his body, but his soul. From that point on, he made sure to always go with the more logical choice in every matter. When his younger cousin Angus finds clues that might help break the curse, Callum begrudgingly hires Phoebe Chilton to investigate. Callum doesn’t like bringing outsiders into their family affairs. Their life would become fodder for the tabloids if anyone were to find out about the curse. It doesn’t help that the instant he meets Dr. Chilton he’s attracted. But, he doesn’t really have a choice because she might be their last hope.

An expert in archeology, Phoebe has always been dwarfed by her parents’ shadow. Their high standards had her in college by thirteen and earning a second PhD by twenty-two. But her career and her broken marriage have left her needing something more than just diplomas and degrees. She wants to prove that her interest in legends, especially Celtic legends, is as important as her parents’ work. When the Lennon family contacts her, she sees the opportunity to win a massive research grant. With a long-time rival breathing down her back, she jumps at the Lennons’ offer her, hoping it will ensure her the grant. But uncovering the Lennon family secrets, and her attraction to Callum, could prove more than she can handle.

Forces outside the family are determined to ensure that they fail. When an old enemy threatens both the well being of the clan and the fragile new love, Callum will have to choose between believing his mind or his heart.

 * * * * *

“I protect what is mine. I’ll not allow you to use Angus.”

She moved away from the counter, her body tense with anger. “I have never used another person, especially in that way. You’ve convinced yourself that I decided to somehow use my considerable wiles on your cousin to somehow gain who knows what.”

When she said it like that, he felt juvenile and petty.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Lennon. I’ll avoid your cousins from now on.”
Read the rest of this entry »

This is going to be a hodgepodge of announcements, but I do need to get some reminders out there, and I HAVE to talk about work or I won’t take it seriously! (New Year’s Resolution, you know— 😉 )

Strokes

First off, I should be uploading this one to Kindle today! I’ll let you know when it goes live. I’m rather proud of this collection. It’s got a little bit of everything so you are sure to find something to your taste. It’s a “naughty collection of seven bedtime stories, for a week’s worth of nighttime pleasure—a little ‘som-som’ to inspire sexy dreams or a one-handed orgasm, or to be read to a partner and enjoyed together.” Click on the cover and read more about Strokes!

The Ellora’s Cave Grab Bag Contest

Remember this?

• A signed book by Lila DiPasqua (not an EC author, but since I had a copy of The Princess in His Bed, I thought I’d add it to spice up the pot!)
• A sexy mouse pad signed by Liz Andrews
• A J.K. Coi and Christine D’Abo water bottle
• A multitude of trading cards, bookmarks, excerpt booklets, pens, Post-It pads, etc.

Well, it ends on Tuesday! See rules here. Every comment counts!

Rose’s Plotting Bootcamp

For you writers out there, my sister (Elle James/Myla Jackson) and I are leading a plotting bootcamp starting tomorrow. If you’ve never taken the class, you’re missing out on an experience. It’s a month-long class, so you can complete the exercises at your own pace. We provide feedback and support every step of the way. By the end of the class, you will have a fully fleshed outline for a novel. Besides the lessons, there are live chats where you can pick our brains for industry know-how or brainstorm your story. We’ve had folks return numerous times to plot a new book because we really do help you dig deeper. If you’re interested, click on this link: Rose’s Plotting Bootcamp

The Report Card

Even considering I returned from a vacation on Wednesday, I accomplished a lot this week.

1) I wrapped up final line edits of Lone Heart, my next Samhain book scheduled to release on January 31st. Was I cutting that a little close? The book was messier than I normally allow so it took time to read through and correct.
2) I received edits for Strokes, worked through line-by-line to clean it up, then attempted to format the thing for release at the Kindle store. However, I realize now, I haven’t the patience for that sort of thing. I shipped it to a professional formatter for her to whip it into shape. Believe me, it’ll get done faster—and it’s better for my blood pressure.
3) I put out the call for submissions for Wild at Heart. I need short stories featuring exotic animals in need of rescue and refuge. I’ve been answering questions and promoting the challenge every where I could think of. If you have ideas for where to send it, let me know. This is a really good cause.

And that’s a wrap, folks! Be looking for a brand new contest this week. Nag me to write every chance you get! And if you’re a writer, invite me to sprint with you. I could use the company.

For all you writers out there who are also animal lovers, here’s a challenge. The proceeds of this book will go to the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. I wrote about the facility back in October. Check out Sweet Refuge! for more details about the good work they do.

Wild at Heart
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Publisher: Diamond State Romance Authors
Deadline: April 1, 2012

Wild at Heart is open to all authors.

Editor Delilah Devlin is looking for stories for a special project to benefit the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.

Recently, six Diamond State Romance Author chapter members spent a weekend falling in love with the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and its exotic inhabitants. The refuge is home to large cats and a variety of exotic animals that would otherwise have to be put down because they aren’t suitable for placement in zoos or to be returned to the wild. The need for financial support was apparent. Our chapter decided to pool its resources and find a way to help.

What we propose is to produce a volume of short stories, all centred around animals in need of refuge. All proceeds from the sales of the book will go directly to the Turpentine Creek Refuge. We will edit the submissions, seek professional cover art and formatting, and assist the refuge by uploading the anthology to online bookstores like Amazon’s Kindle store and Barnes & Noble’s Nook store.  Additionally, we will help upload the book to CreateSpace so that printed volumes can be available for sale in brick-and-mortar bookstores throughout Arkansas and inside the refuge’s shop.

This is an international call for submissions of short stories to be donated for the cause. Only the best stories will be accepted. All genres of fiction (contemporary and paranormal, sweet adult romance and Young Adult) will be considered. Please keep in mind that stories must be PG-rated as the book will be two-sided—one side geared toward adult readers and the other toward teenaged readers.

Examples of the kinds of stories we seek:

• A maimed Iraqi war veteran learns to accept his disability by working with equally damaged animals
• A teenaged girl helps a were-cougar hide his true nature while both hunt for an escaped cat
• A teenaged couple encounters a tiger escaped from its private owner’s cage and work together to find help to capture and care for it
• A pushy animal psychic must gain the trust of the refuge’s veterinarian to help a depressed bear
• A troubled teenager discovers a tiger living in a national forest, then seeks a way to prevent locals staging a hunt from killing it

How to submit: Prepare your 1,500 to 4,000 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12 point, black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, NOT.docx) OR rich text format. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.

In your document at the top left of the page, include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to dsrawildatheart@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Authors may submit up to 2 stories.

About the editor: Ms. Devlin has published over one hundred stories in multiple genres and lengths. Her published print titles include Into the Darkness, Seduced by Darkness, Darkness Captured, Down in Texas, Texas Men and Ravished by a Viking. Her short stories are featured in Zane’s Purple Panties, and Cleis Press’s Lesbian Cowboys, Girl Crush, Fairy Tale Lust, Lesbian Lust, Passion, Carnal Machines, and Dream Lovers. She is published by Avon, Kensington, Harlequin, Atria/Strebor, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, and Berkley. In Fall 2011, she debuted her first anthology with Cleis Press, Girls Who Bite.

Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at dsrawildatheart@gmail.com.

First, thanks to the authors who kept you entertained while I was gone! I appreciated the fun commentaries and the fact I didn’t have to worry about posting while I was away. 🙂

My trip was a fun one! My daughter, the 7-year-old hellion, and I flew to DC last Saturday. We visited with my ex and my son and his family. I think it’s funny how we all ended up divvied up so neatly between Arkansas and Virginia. It certainly makes it convenient. The visit was lovely. We ate too much, shopped like fiends, and took tons of pictures of kids doing cute things. Then the three of us drove back in my “new” used Honda Pilot, which hubby passed along to me. For folks who like to drive to “get ‘er done” it should have taken us 17 hours, but the Red-Headed Hellion and I believe in enjoying the journey, so we took two and a half days to get back to Arkansas. If we saw a sign from the interstate that intrigued us, we followed it. More about our stops later.

While I was gone, I got exciting news from Maxim Jakubowski, the editor of The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, volume 11, which is due out next year. “Dr. Mullaley’s Cure,” which appeared in Cleis’s Carnal Machines, was selected for the anthology! Yay!

I also learned that I’ve lost my editor at Ellora’s Cave. I’ll miss her, but hope she’s going on to bigger and better things. Love you, Mary!

I’m settling back in, looking over the schedule for work I have to complete by month’s end, and making tweaks. I ALWAYS put too much on my plate, so I’ve been skinnying down my goals. Today, I’m working on the final revisions of Strokes, which I plan to format and upload this weekend, and hope will be available for purchase by next Tuesday. Be looking for it!

I think that’s it for now. I missed my daily chat. Now, I have to go unpack and start some laundry. Then I’ll unbury my desktop and get to work!