UPDATE: The winner is…Joy Isley!
*~*~*

Ends September 14th!
Win a $10 Amazon gift card!

All you have to do to enter is send a private email to me at this address—delilah@delilahdevlin.com—with the answers to these questions, which can all be found on this website! Have fun!!!!

1.  What American city name is featured in the title of one of my recent releases?
2.  What 3 books are listed on my Books page, and have you read any of them?
3.  What woman’s name is repeated on two of my covers on my Standalone books page (under the Contemporary category)?
4.  How many stories have I published in my Night Fall series (on my Series books page)?
5.  What’s the title of my next release? (You can find it on my Upcoming/Coming Soon page!)

In the scientific community, there is some argument on whether time travel is possible. The hypothetical theory for it is called an Einstein-Rosen bridge, otherwise known as a wormhole. A wormhole is a short cut through the space-time continuum. It acts like a tunnel connecting two places in three-dimensional space, the present, and the past or future, with time as the forth-dimensional element.

The key aspect of a time travel novel, regardless of what time it takes place, is the fish out of water trope. Imagine, for a moment, that you suddenly found yourself in the 1800s. All the everyday things that you are used to haven’t been invented yet. How do you survive?

In 1876, Edison was still perfecting his telephone. The carbon arc lamp was the first practical electric light in use, but only in larger cities. Women’s clothing included a long line bodice and hemlines that reached the floor. Freedoms and socially acceptable behavior were different. Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch established the germ theory of disease in 1870 but it is not widely practiced. The first city to have a comprehensive sewer system was Chicago in 1885.

How does a woman who is used to having her independence and modern conveniences, cope in a world that doesn’t have cars, air travel, air conditioning, television, radio or even the right of women to vote?

The heroine in my latest time travel story has to make the decision to return to her own time or remain in the past with the man she loves knowing what she is giving up. Is love more important than indoor plumbing or owning your own business? The answers are in my Halloween novella, THE PORTRAIT, part of the Love through Time series. Coming September 17th.

The Portrait

They had only the ghost of a chance…

The first time Catherine went to the historic Hamilton House, she was looking for whatever haunted it. But what she found was even scarier: a portrait of a woman who looked exactly like her. But Catherine was not going to let a look-alike from another century—or a broken heart in the twenty-first—stop her. She would still put on the fund-raiser of the mayor’s dreams so she could realize her goal: a bed-and-breakfast of her own.

David gave it all he had, but couldn’t escape what felt like a life-sentence in his family’s 19th-century prison. He wanted to go West, build his own business, and find his own wife. But his parents stymied him at every turn, choosing both the woman he would marry and the career he would follow. It wasn’t until Catherine popped into his life—and into his arms—that he found hope again.

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X7ZBJ1Z?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1133277052;jsessionid=AC391BDA1382DE947FC6F53223236637.prodny_store02-atgap17?ean=2940163568963
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1478360582
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-portrait-39

Social Media Links:
https://augustinavanhoven.com
Twitter: @augustinavhoven
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Augustina-Van-Hoven-Author/336028986575129
Pinterest: Augustina Van Hoven, Author

UPDATE: The winner is…Michelle Oxrider!
*~*~*

©Diana Cosby 2019

When I craft characters, such as Sir Cailin MacHugh, hero of Forbidden Alliance, book #4 in the bestselling The Forbidden Series, I look for animals that can serve as their talisman, something the character believes holds magic powers to protect them, brings good luck, or is a sign of strength.

One of my favorite talismans for characters is a hawk. They’re intelligent, strong, and determined.

The hawk I’m showcasing today is the Cooper’s Hawk.

You can tell if the Cooper’s Hawk is a fledging or an adult by their eye color. Younger birds’ eyes are pale, whereas the older birds’ eyes will darken to a deep red.

Regardless of the type of hawk, whenever you see one on the ground, in a tree, or flying overhead, their regal air commands attention.

It’s obvious why nobles as rulers throughout the centuries have claimed the hawk as a symbol in their banners.

What do you find intriguing about hawks?

About Diana Cosby

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated in five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series, The Oath Trilogy, and the first two book of The Forbidden Series, she’s now working on book #5, Forbidden Realm, of the five-book series, which will be released April 2020.

Contest

***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest post about, ‘Hawks – Character Talisman,’ on Delilah’s blog between 8th September 2019 – 15th September 2019. The winner will receive one of Diana’s totes and Celtic earrings by Joy Boothby, J and T Jewelry and Designs.

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
Forbidden Series: Forbidden Legacy/Forbidden Knight/Forbidden Vow/Forbidden Alliance‒Aug. 6th 2019/Forbidden Realm April 2020

Not much of a post today. My dd is over to help get the house ready for my mom. She had back surgery on Friday and is coming home today. We’re happy because all seems to have gone very well. She had crumbling discs, and the doctors went into her back and “roto-rooted” away the debris which had caused her pain for years.

After we finished getting things right for mom, we descended into the basement to the craft room where Kel worked on her Cricut, and I worked on some bracelets. Here are a few I finished:

Of course, as always happens when I make bracelets, I ended up giving some of them away. I made a lovely rosewood and lavender quartz bracelet as well as one just like the red one above to my dd. I gave the second red one to my aunt when she admired it. So, I’m ahead just two bracelets in my efforts to build inventory for my Etsy shop. At this rate, it will be a very long time before I can re-open. 🙂

So, now we just wait. Mom will be back soon. My sister, Elle James, stayed with her at the hospital throughout the ordeal. I had the fur-babies to take care of—five of them. I had to sleep in mom’s bed where they all join her at night, and she gets up to walk them two or three times a night. So, yes, I’ll be happy when everyone is home and mom is well! LOL

Ever wonder what motivates an author? What are her/his deepest drives and passions when writing a romance novel? For me…

As a writer, I just can’t resist creating erotic romances that dance on the fringes of paranormal subgenres. Or, I’ll explain it this way by using the famous “Star Trek” opening phrase—”To boldly go where no man has gone before”.

To update that phrase: Where no heroine or hero has gone before.

I blame this ‘fringes’ proclivity on my ‘vivid’ imagination, and my longtime fascination with ‘outside the box’ topics such as UFOs, mysticism, various psychic subjects, the face on Mars, the secret space program, and of course, the antediluvian civilizations like Atlantis.

Although, at this point in time, these topics are going mainstream, even if it is still a slow ‘drip-drip-drip’ revealing to the public. However, the ‘fringes’ are always. expanding.

I also love experimenting, the challenge of stepping beyond where I’ve been before as an author. For example, I wrote a ‘first person’ scifi erotic romance, in both the heroine and hero’s voice. Once I rework this short story into a longer and richer version, I intend to Indie publish—that is, if the cosmic Trickster quits pummeling me with a whole series of bigtime problems.

Yeah, this summer has been absolutely unbelievable. In fact, the worst summer of my life, even with the overall enjoyable mild temps.

The reason I explain my authorly nature is to explain one of my unique heroines. Keina is a winged filly shapeshifter from another dimension. Her hero is an ex-super soldier. Drev has survived the brutal rigors of the black-ops world, finally finding a home in Wolf Peak Territory.

Yes, Keina and Drev’s erotic love story is set in my ‘on the fringe’ fictional world of Wolf Peak Territory, Montana. Mostly through writing flash scenes, since 2011, I have been worldbuilding—growing and evolving—this ‘hidden from the outside world’ shapeshifter-supernatural community.

Or as they like to say, the Peak is home to shapeshifters of all types and stripes, to supernaturals of every imaginable and unimaginable kind. Humans are included, of course. Smiles.

The policy in the Peak: if you’re on the GOOD side, you’re welcome. If not, you could potentially be torn to shreds with claw and fang, beak and talon. At all times, the territorial boundaries are patrolled by the numerous Guardian teams. There is also dragon-shifter aerial surveillance, and since Keina has wings, she joins in.

Indeed, Wolf Peak Territory is very multicultural and also an advanced, highly complex society that works for All. Dante, the alpha wolf shifter leader, will accept nothing less.

In closing, another aspect I bring to my erotic romance novels is a visionary blueprint for a more loving, powerful, and creative society. As a teenager, given some challenging experiences, I made a decision to ‘help’ bring about a better world, one where dreams come true for everyone.

Over the years, I’ve done my best to fulfill that promise to myself. I won’t comment on the current state of our world. However, in my romance novels I get to ‘make dreams come true’ for my heroines and heroes in their fictional worlds.

So, if you like dancing on the paranormal fringes as a reader. If you want to take a leap into the romance unknown—and if you enjoy lots of action scenes…well, I hope you’ll consider Keina and Drev’s love story.

Oh, and since Thanksgiving Day is around the corner, well, WAITING FOR A FILLY GIRL takes place during the Turkey Day celebration in the Peak—yes, pumpkin pie and whipped cream erotically included.

~~~~~~

Waiting For a Filly Girl

A ShapeShifter Seduction Erotic Romance Novel

Ex super-soldier boy meets winged filly girl.
Will they live happily ever after?
In Wolf Peak territory anything is possible.

A passion that cannot be denied…
A woman banished from her realm…
A man who will fight for love no matter the cost…

Drev Zander, ex super-soldier, built a new life in Wolf Peak Territory. His traumatic past is fading. On the Guardian Team, he battles sinister enemies threatening the shapeshifter community. After a mysterious Pegasus ruins his T-day plans, Drev finds the woman he’s been waiting for.

Will she rule his heart?

Keina Svonj, winged horse shifter, is banished from her realm—the dastardly Prince has convinced the King. Flying above the Montana forest, Keina interferes with a hunter. She mind-melds with him, and realizing her mistake, makes amends. Passion explodes between them. Love follows.

Will Drev save her from a forced marriage?

~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

How was she going make this right? How?

Still shaking, she hovered and slowly reached for him with her wing. Gathering her courage, Keina caressed his square jaw with the tips of her feathers.

When she knew he felt the stroke of her wingtip, Keina spoke to his mind. Even if the hunter didn’t hear her message, his heart would know the apology coming from her heart.

So she hoped.

Somehow, some way, she’d find a way to make his Thanksgiving celebration a good one. For him, and his family.

With resolve now ruling her, Keina gradually backed away. Since she needed to know, she searched his mind for the precise location of his home.

Bingo-bango, in seconds she had it memorized and mapped. The solitary cabin sat on a long slope of ground, amid Lodgepole Pines, Spruce, and elder Aspen trees.

Keina ascended fast. That is, after a last look at the man’s handsome face. Mmm, yes yum, his hunk-sexy stubble did quivery things to her.

There just had to be a suitable turkey available somewhere. She’d check every shop. And since she had the Pegasus wings—Keina smiled to herself—it wouldn’t take long to reach her temporary home on Earth, and start the search.

Strongly flapping, Keina streaked through the sky toward Billings, Montana, where she’d rented a small apartment, and pretended to be human.

Excerpts & Buy Links: https://shapeshifterseduction.blogspot.com/p/chapter-three-blue-sky-blues-ive-got.html

~~~~~~

About the Author

Savanna Kougar lives on the tame prairie in the Midwest, and enjoys a quiet lifestyle with her pets, and the wild critters. She pens love stories because that’s her deepest heart. She writes in the futuristic/fantasy/paranormal *and shapeshifter* subgenres because that’s her fiercest passion. And, she writes erotic romance because she ferociously enjoys ripping the damn doors off.

Currently, Savanna Kougar has fourteen published ebooks, with six in print. She is a bestselling author at Siren-Bookstrand. She is currently writing a ShapeShifter Seduction novel set in her fictional world, Wolf Peak Territory. And has lots of WIPs waiting their turn to be finished.

You can find her at:
Savanna Kougar ~savannakougar.com~
ShapeShifter Seduction ~shapeshifterseduction.blogspot.com~
Title Magic ~titlemagic.blogspot.com~

Hi, my name D. V. Stone and I want to thank Delilah for having me here today. Like many of you, I wear different hats. Wife, mother, grandmother, author, and full-time medical receptionist. It’s a busy life for all of us and trying to keep up with chores and work can sometimes suck the life out of a person. No, I don’t have the cure. Sorry. But there are things that I do to help keep the sanity and balance.

I love to cook. I love to camp. Not on the ground mind you, we have an RV. Bonus! It has an outdoor kitchen. Why do I bring this up? I’m learning to cook over the open fire.

Recipe

These are called Hobo Bags.

I sprayed the foil with non-stick spray and then added seasoned chicken topped with potatoes and corn. A pat of butter, twist them shut and cook for about 45 min. No muss. No fuss. No dishes to clean up. You can do it on a grill or in the oven, too.

Camping reminds me of the old ways. Maybe you remember when you were a kid, unexpected dinner guests. Whoever was at our house got fed. “Mom, can fill in the blank stay for supper?” Could be heard from a lot of houses, including ours. Especially popular with my husband was finding out what his mom was making and then getting himself invited to a friend who wasn’t having a veggie-centric meal.

Since I live in the suburbs, daily shopping is a waste of time and gas. Also trying to eat healthier is hard in a grab and go situation. So, what are some of the things a busy person can do to

I keep a pretty well-stocked freezer and pantry of basics. I’m a big believer in semi-homemade. That means things like a rotisserie chicken is a staple in my house. Dinner, then sandwiches, and finally leftover pieces tossed with some frozen vegetables and seasoning gives me a great lunch for work. Onions, garlic, and peppers are always in the fridge.

In my local market, I found this huge bag of stir-fry and tossed out the sauce because of how much salt is in it. If you have some chicken or frozen shrimp and a few spices add some liquid and you’ve got a tasty meal. I’ve used wine, chicken broth, and I discovered a jalapeno peanut butter which cooked down adds a kick.

Later this year I have a book coming out titled Rock House Grill. The story is about a restaurant and characters with hopes and dreams. I get to combine several things. Classic Rock, cooking, and medical. I used to be an Emergency Medical Technician, and Shay, my female lead character, dreams of being a chef.

What about you? What can you pull out of your magic hat at a moment’s notice? Even better, what do you do to keep sanity and balance?

About the Author

D. V. Stone is a multi-genre author of two independently published books. Felice, Shield-Mates of Dar is a fantasy romance. Agent Sam Carter and the Mystery at Branch Lake is a mid-grade paranormal. Recently, Rock House Grill, a contemporary romance has been signed with Wild Rose Press. She also hosts Welcome to the Campfire where each week she interviews authors about not only books but their life. You may pick up a recipe or two there.

Born in Brooklyn, D.V. Stone has moved around a bit and even lived for a time on a dairy farm in Minnesota before moving back east. Despite her wandering, she always considered herself a Jersey Girl. She met the love of her life and moved, this time to Sussex County. Her husband, Pete, is a lifelong Sussex County man. They share their home with Hali a mixed breed from a local shelter and Baby a small gray cat who bosses everyone around.

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Instagram
Pinterest  Bookbub  Goodreads  Newsletter

UPDATE: The winner is…Tamara Kasyan!
*~*~*

Growing up, my parents would often tout hardship and struggle as “building character” opportunities. At the time, their philosophy seemed self-serving and entirely unfair because 1) I was a teen and already knew everything so didn’t need character, 2) it was surely just an excuse to get me to do housework, and 3) they never said at what point I had accrued enough character… My life was just a series of opportunities.

Flash forward a few *cough*cough* years and, as a romance author, I’m still building character… but this time, it’s on the page, and without all the unfounded teen angst and attitude. However, the concept remains consistent in both writing and real life: greater suffering equals more character. I’m not talking the kind of character I built while cleaning the cat box the night I won a local scholarship pageant, even though the image of being up to my white satin elbow gloves in litter-crusted poop still sticks with me and is good for a chuckle. Nor am I talking about the character I automatically build by simply having tweenagers, even though that character is most often called gray hair.

I’m talking the kind of suffering we put our characters through before they get their happily ever after. Authors talk about making characters earn their HEA. When in doubt, make them suffer more. When the going gets tough, make it worse. If it’s clear sailing until the end, throw another road block at them. Kill off your [non-main-character] darlings. Not unlike those movie chase scenes where the pursued knocks over shelves and lamps and grandfather clocks… whatever they can get their hands on to stall or slow their pursuer. We authors try to slow the progression of our characters toward their happy ending. Because if their journey is too easy, they won’t appreciate the destination.

I’m sure my parents spouted something about better appreciating what was earned versus what was given, just as I’m sure I’ve said the same to my own tweenagers.

As an author, it’s crucial that my characters earn the end-prize, which in romance is… well… the romance. The emotionally satisfying and hopeful ending where the two (or more) characters are assured that for at least their immediate future they are safe and in the company of someone who loves them unconditionally. This is what we want: for our characters to have overcome the most overwhelming, insurmountable obstacles, so that when they finally fall into the arms of their loved one(s), they fully appreciate it because they’ve experienced first-hand how sh*tty their life could otherwise be.

Really, it’s also what we want for ourselves, but without all the overwhelming, insurmountable obstacles. Yet while it’s far more satisfying to read about fictional characters being wrung through the wringer for their HEA, doesn’t life imitate art? Don’t we as individuals better appreciate what or who we have when we personally experience how much our life would suck otherwise? Don’t we suffer and come out on the other side with more character?

So, in spite of my teenage eye-rolling at the concept, building character is a good thing, in both fiction and real life. Now, if only I could convince my tweenagers 😉

Contest

Comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Blood King: Revamping the Monarchy

Below is an excerpt from my third book, Blood King: Revamping the Monarchy. My hero, Rune, is an alien vampire king who begins the story dead. My heroine is a hair stylist on a getaway vacation. And it all goes downhill from there. 😉

In a blink, she was on her back, prone on the couch with Rune’s powerful body above hers, his hips wedged between her legs, pressing against her instantly throbbing core. She clutched his taut biceps, breathless from the swift change in position and the overwhelming heat of summer lightning which started where his erection pulsed against her clit and zapped along her nerves. He lowered his head to her neck, his hot breath like some snarling predator about to slake its hunger on its prey.

He was going to bite her. The moist warmth of his tongue trailed along the column of her neck. The slight scrape of fangs against the tender skin tickled and alarmed. Her skin prickled and her nipples tightened. She held her breath, her heart racing with an explosive combination of fear and arousal.

“You are so demanding, Kazandra.” His soft murmur vibrated straight to her core and he rocked his hips along the sensitive nub. A needy whimper escaped her lips.

“Should I drink from here?” He nibbled the space below her earlobe.

Kaz held her breath.

“Maybe I shall drink from here.” His fangs gently raked the chord where her neck met her shoulder.

She hissed in a breath, her heart galloping as if it could run away.

“No, from here would be best.” His mouth widened around the jugular, his fangs pressed against the thin bit of skin and muscle protecting the artery.
His body tensed for the attack.

Her body flinched.

Bloody hell, this was it.

Rune straightened to a stand in one fluid motion. His expression transformed from simply Rune to Vahsiil Lahdunae, powerful monarch of an entire species. A frown tugged at his lips and the earlier warmth in his eyes frosted over. His voice was similarly icy. “Please understand if I do not abide by your command, Kazandra. You are not ready to be a benefactor and I will not drink from you.”

Available in both ebook and print versions:
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HDVRCKC
NOOK: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/ava+cuvay?
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/blood-king-1

About Me

Ava Cuvay writes out of this world romance featuring sassy heroines, often-alien-but-always-sexy heroes, and an alcoholic beverage or two… Set in a galaxy far, far away. She resides in central Indiana with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder, kiddos who are growing up without her permission, and two kitties that make her laugh. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

website: https://www.avacuvay.com/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Ava-Cuvay/e/B01E5OIZ0I/
Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15051407.Ava_Cuvay
Facebook: https://facebook.com/AvaCuvayAuthor/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ava-cuvay