UPDATE: The winners are…Misty, AnnaMarie, and Jennifer Beyer!
*~*~*

Before I wrote bounty hunters, I wrote about vampires…

Answer me this for a chance to win your choice from among my many Night Fall titles! 

Bounty Hunters or Vamps and Werewolves?

P. S. And be sure to check out the list of open contests you still have time to enter at the bottom of this post!

Wolf in Plain Sight

“A wickedly funny and passionate series, fans of paranormal erotic romance will enjoy [Wolf in Plain Sight] tremendously. Ms. Devlin has done it again!” ~ Romance Reviews Today

To Super-cop Max Weir, the only good vampire is a dead one. Since his special police unit integrated with vampires, he’s had to suppress his natural hatred to work side by side with the undead to hunt down and terminate the deadliest killers. Now the unit’s hot on the trail of a new menace in town, a pack of werewolves prowling for vampires who don’t care whether humans get in their way.

When a stakeout goes awry, Max enters a bar looking for a fight or woman to help him blow off a little steam. What he finds is a winsome siren whose sexual appetites match his own.

Vampire Pia D’Amato is on a secret mission to take out Max–either by seduction or turning him. He’s become a liability to the Masters’ Council setting up jurisdiction in southern Florida, and she’s not leaving until she’s done the job. But Max is more man than she bargained for with a deadly secret of his own.

Max pushed through the door of the bar determined that tonight he’d either get shit-faced or fucked. Which, didn’t matter so long as he could blow off the steam that had been gathering a head since the botched mission hours before. The bar was a regular haunt—only a block from his house. If need be, he could crawl home. The smoky air, the loud grinding music, and the smell of stale beer appealed when he had an axe to grind.

The SU had swept the area for signs of the wolves that killed the vampires before turning on the humans in a mutilating frenzy. Their bloody paw prints lead beyond the house to a gravel road where they’d disappeared. The pack had made their getaway in cars. This hadn’t been a roaming band’s target of opportunity, but a takedown.

The grim faces of the vampires telegraphed their worry. He hoped they were shaking in their boots. Not that the thought of a rogue wolf pack wasn’t just as unsettling to Max.

But seeing the cock-sure Quentin lose his perpetual smirk was gratifying. Dylan had been grim-faced and pale. Perhaps the bastard saw his own fate in the house.

However, Joe’s silence had been the most telling. He hadn’t looked the least bit surprised.

Max made his way through the tables ringing a small dance floor. The place was nearly empty, save for the men hovering near the bar for the night’s last drinks. The tension in his shoulders knotted tighter. All it would take would be one smart-ass comment. He hungered for an excuse to drive his fist through something.

The crowd parted, and a flash of a slim white ankle snagged his attention. Every trace of anger, bitter regret, and frustration coalesced into a single, burning need.

The men blocking his view shifted, and the ankle drew his glance upward to a bare knee. The woman’s legs parted, and one slid atop the other. Her foot sawed up and down, and a slender, functionless sandal dangled from the tips of her painted toes. God, he wanted to help her lose the shoes altogether.

He advanced toward the men standing between him and his goal. Their faces registered annoyance for only a moment before they stepped aside. The hard hunger that rode his belly must have turned his face into an implacable mask.

As he drew near, her shape was revealed one tantalizing curve at a time. Sweetly turned hips were clothed in a stretchy black skirt that ended at the top of her thighs—not a hint of underwear marred the smooth fit. Conveniently tied behind her neck, a miniscule top bared the gleaming, supple skin of her back and midriff—again, no sign of a bra. Her nipples puckered invitingly against the black fabric that barely contained the apple-like curves of her small breasts.

Finally, his gaze rose to her face. She could have been a whole lot less than appetizing, and he’d still have wanted her on the merits of that ride-able frame. But her face only made him more determined to have her.

Large, doe-like eyes, framed by thick lashes, blinked as she caught his stare. Her upper lip was a fraction fuller than the lower and inspired delicious, succulent fantasies. Her face was round, her jaw small, and a thumbprint dimple carved her chin into two delicious halves. His tongue itched to slide along that little notch.

As he reached the bar, he drew a deep breath, eager to catch the scent of her perfume. He wasn’t disappointed. The woman smelled like sex. Hot, nasty, spicy sex.

His body hardened along with his intentions. With only a fleeting thought for how aggressive he might appear, he loomed over her, his gaze sweeping downward. When he glanced back up to her eyes, he schooled his expression into something shy of predatory. He didn’t want to frighten her away before he’d even learned her name.

ALL THE NIGHT FALL BOOKS!

Click image to get your copy!

Open Contests

Enter while you still can!

1. A bad night to be here… (Puzzle-Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. The Problem with Collections, a New Contest & Open Contests! — Win a FREE book!
3. Boys Behaving Badly (Contest–Three Winners!) — Win a FREE book!
4. It’s Saturday! What are you reading? (Contest–2 Winners!) — Win a FREE book!
5. Trout and Dry Pants… (Contest) — Win a FREE book!

UPDATE: The winner is…Ann Ivey!
*~*~*

“You can’t catch trout with dry breeches.”
~ Anonymous

Whuh?

I know. I love obscure quotes. I collect books of them. This one, to me, is funny. Not sure why. Maybe because I’m not a fisherperson. Still, it does make a point. You can’t catch this fish without wading into the water, getting your boots and pants soaked. An inconvenience, sure. However, those wet pants are also a badge to be worn with pride. You went “all in.”

So, why am I posting this? Because we all have moments when we can go all in or chicken out. We can choose the comfy sofa or do something to prove we’re part of life. I chose to be in the Army. When war broke out, I contacted everyone I knew to get a posting somewhere in the war zone. Why? Because I’d spent twelve years preparing for it and didn’t want to sit on the sidelines. I wanted to see it firsthand, with my own eyes. I got my wish. Fast forward eight years… When I decided I’d had enough of working in a cubicle and attending boring meeting after boring meeting, I decided I’d give writing a go. It worked for me. That choice could just as easily have led to failure, but I succeeded. Of course, I didn’t quit the day job until I was sure I had a fighting chance.

So, my question to you is what dive into the deep end of the pool did you take? Share for a chance to win your choice of a download of one of my backlisted books. I’ll choose three winners! When did you get your breeches wet?

It’s Sunday! For me, it’s time to retool my plan for the week. I’ll edit some but probably won’t write. After I update my planner, I’ll likely do some housecleaning. I need to move a bit because I’ve been way too sedentary this week. I finally started work on my New Year resolution to concentrate on my health. I joined online WeightWatchers and am at least listing everything I eat even when I’m not “good”. This week, I’ll add listing water to make sure I’m doing what I should there. Little things, not everything at once. Tweaks! Trying to make big changes, all at once, is always my downfall. My dd gifted me with an Alice in Wonderland Tervis cup, so no excuses. My water looks pretty and fun!

Anyways, didn’t intend to share so much, but that’s what happens when I’m at my keyboard! Enjoy the puzzle. It’s perfect for a Sunday! And be sure to check out all of this past week’s open contests!!

UPDATE: The winners are…Beckie and Eileen Airey!
*~*~*

It’s too bad the only Saturday song I can think of is Chicago’s “Saturday in the Park”—because I detest it. I know, there are Chicago fans out there, but I’m not one of them. But Saturday needs a theme song, don’t you think?

And it can’t be this one either… *shudder*

Now, you can thank me for the ear worm. 🙂

But it is Saturday! For me, it doesn’t mean much work-wise (every day is a workday), but it does mean the kids don’t have online schoolwork, so I’ll be seeing them in my office a heck of lot more. Argh.

Now, if I had time on my schedule to read a book today—I don’t! I’m editing and reading shorties for the anthology—I would likely pick up a book I’ve already read. One of my “comfort reads”, like Johanna Lindsey’s Warrior’s Woman or Mackenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard, or maybe Julie Garwood’s Saving Grace. I have a single shelf of books I’ve read over the years that I consider my comfort reads. Okay, I think I’d read this one:

It was the first Sci-Fi romance I ever read, and I shared it with the ladies I bunked with during Desert Storm. That copy was so dog-earred by the time I returned home—LOL!

Anyway, for a chance to win your choice of stories from my backlist, tell me what you’re reading this weekend, and whether you have any comfort reads you’d like to share with other readers!

The happiest of all lives is a busy schedule. ~Voltaire

I’m not sure that’s true. The thought of a slothful day sounds like heaven. Lately, because I have so much work on my plate, I rise around 6 AM to begin my days. I write down every little thing I want to complete in the order I want to complete them. None of that Steven Covey stuff about working on the highest priorities first because if I didn’t put “Shower” on the list, I’d forget!

Today’s list includes a shower, yes, and editing a certain number of pages, writing a certain number of pages, reading a certain number of stories, cleaning my desktop (my art supplies have overtaken its surface!), blogging, the daily art project, and many little administrivia things (phonecalls to be made, for example), and if I can get to it, vacuuming and mopping!

I like a list—even a long one. Today’s has 15 times! Checking off accomplishments is my nirvana.

Are you a listmaker? 

UPDATE: The winners are…Brenda Rumsey, Kelly Samuels, and C. Marie Bowen!
*~*~*

This month, I’m reading the rest of the cowboy stories that will be a part of my next Boys Behaving Badly short story collection. I’m having a blast reading the offerings from some very talented authors! Once I select the stories, edit them, then compile them into a book, I’ll hand them over to my sister, Elle James, to create a cover for the antho before we get it up on Amazon for you all to purchase! (These big books are always offered for only $0.99—a steal because we want everyone reading the authors’ stories!) It’s a huge undertaking, but one I love. Every anthology, I’ve added new author friends, many of whom who come back, again and again, to submit new stories for readers to enjoy.

As soon as Cowboys is in the can, I’ll be searching for a new theme for the next anthology. That’s where you come in. Below, I have the covers of the previous anthologies so you can see what themes we’ve covered. For a chance to win a download of your choice from among these titles, tell me what you’d like to see next!

Click on the covers to learn more about these books!

UPDATE: The winner is…Denise Fidler!
*~*~*

The problem with collections is that they take up space and are often non-functional. The other day on Delilah’s Corner, I shared a photo of my collection of vintage vanity table powder jars, to start a conversation about weird collections anyone might have. Yes, powder jars were a thing. Mine don’t contain powder! My jars date back from the 1930s to the 1950s. See all those swans below? You can rest a lipstick tube between the wings. So cool! Okay, so maybe you just see them as dust collectors, but I adore them—especially, the animal-themed jars.

Anyway, I gathered all my jars for the photo then started to put them back in my bathroom, but my counter is really jam-packed with these things, so I thought I’d spread them around the house.

Here’s where this one wound up—on my desk. It’s actually my favorite and from the 1930s. And no, those white spots on my desk aren’t dust or dandruff—they’re divets in the wood like someone took an icepick to the surface! Anyway, for a chance to win a download of your choice from my backlist, give me a suggestion for what I should use the jar for. Have fun! Be creative or silly!

Open Contests & a Giveaway!

Enter while you still can!

1. Ad Astra–To the Stars, I think… (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win a FREE book!
2. Reina Torres: Love in Lockdown — SUBLET, Part 5 — Everyone wins! Download your FREE story!
3. Music Motivation Playlist (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Jaap Boekestein: To Dance (Contest–Two Winners!) — Win a fat, FREE anthology!
5. A bad night to be here… (Puzzle-Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!