Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Delilah!

Happy New Year to everyone! I can hardly believe it’s 2014. Another year bites the dust! And what do I find in the stores now that Christmas is over. Valentine’s candy, cards, and assorted gifts! I have to admit I love Valentine’s Day. Sometimes the hubby and I go out, sometimes we stick close to home. This year it will be on a Friday, so it’s kind of a perfect date night. I’m thinking fondue. A reader recently told me that was her special Valentine’s date last year.

Heads up here, I’m doing a drawing for an ebook copy of my erotic romance Kinky Neighbors. Leave a comment on this blog along with your email address (this is will not be used for advertisement, it’s only so I can contact you if you win).

And because I love Valentine’s Day, this year I decided to be a part of a brand new Valentine’s anthology with never-before-published stories from some wonderful writers, Pamela Fryer, Haley Whitehall, Raine English, Lois Winston, Melinda Curtis. And me! We’re all in Love, Valentine Style!

Here’s a blurb for my story which is called Be My Other Valentine.

Five years ago, Grace was given a sacred duty by a woman dying of cancer: Every Valentine’s Day, Grace must deliver a special cake to a girl named Valentine, addressed from the girl’s mother in heaven. But this year, Grace’s van gives up the ghost before she delivers her cargo.

His daughter Valentine is all Brian has left of his wife, but he’s forgotten the cake Valentine receives every year, and they’ve moved to a new house with no way to contact the baker who follows his wife’s wishes.

In their quest to fulfill a dying woman’s last request, can Grace and Brian find their own Valentine?

So Grace is a fabulous baker and she makes wonderful specialty cakes for birthdays, weddings, and all occasions. Of course, I’m not a baker! So when I was putting the story together, I had to come up with some cool cake ideas. The little girl in the story, Valentine, is 5, so I had to think up all the cakes Grace has made over the years. I have to tell you, the internet is a fabulous tool. You can find just about anything you want with just a few keystrokes. So here’s a couple of web pages where I found some really fun cakes!

https://spoonful.com/recipes/dessert-recipes/birthday-cake-recipes

https://spoonful.com/recipes/creative-cakes-gallery#carousel-id=photo-carousel&carousel-item=3

What’s great about this site is that there are recipes and instructions for making the cakes yourself. They’re great for a kid’s birthday party. I once made my husband a cake in the shape of cat. It was actually kind of cute, but the cake itself tasted terrible! Grace would never make a terrible cake. But she did make several of the creations I saw on this cool website! Here’s a little excerpt of the story:

He reached over to open the door. “It’s cold, get in.” When she hesitated, he added, “If your car won’t start, you won’t be able to turn on the heater.” He smiled and patted the seat next to him. “And I have seat warmers.”

“Oh God, you’re evil. I’ll put the cake on the floor behind the passenger seat. It won’t slide as much when you’re driving.”

He kept the engine running and pushed the buttons for both seat warmers. Her van was visible around the corner, and they would see when the tow truck arrived.

Settling beside him, she asked, “So I’ve been dying to know if your daughter likes the cakes.”

He smiled. Valentine was the light of his life. “She adores them.”

“Which one did she like best?”

He supposed it was like a painter or a musician or a writer asking if you liked their latest work. Her cakes were an art form. “The lamb. Or maybe that was just my favorite. Because Valentine was very partial to the pink and red ladybug.” There’d also been an amazing butterfly, its wings topped with colored fruit jellies arranged to look like a pink monarch, and a Finding Nemo fish, which had been pink instead of orange and accented with red stripes instead of black. “You’re very talented.”

Even in the shadows of the car, he recognized her blush. “Thank you. Valentine? For her birthday? I didn’t realize that was actually her name. Her mother didn’t say.”

His mood immediately spiraled. He hadn’t known what Marilyn planned until she’d done it. And when he’d seen the credit card bill later, he almost choked. But she was gone by then, and over the years, he’d realized what she’d given Valentine was worth every penny. In fact, it probably wasn’t enough. This woman—he hadn’t even asked her name—had already provided far more than the money Marilyn had paid her. A childhood’s worth of cakes, a mother lode of love. Why would she go to such lengths for a woman she didn’t know and a child who hadn’t even been born when she made the deal?

Hehe, there are the cakes! You can see samples of the lamb (they called it a sheep), Nemo, the butterfly, the ladybug. Of course, I changed the color to match Valentine’s favorite. Gosh, I should have used the panda, that one was cute, too! And what cake did Grace make for Valentine this year? LOL, you’ll have to read the story to find out!

Don’t forget to leave a comment and your email address to be entered in the drawing. You can find Love, Valentine Style exclusively on Amazon.

You can find me at:
Website: www.jasminehaynes.com
Blog: www.jasminehaynes.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jasminehaynesauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasminehaynes1
Amazon page: https://amzn.com/e/B001IR3N76
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/130583.Jasmine_Haynes

Thanks again for having me, Delilah!

Jasmine Haynes

Yeah, I got nuthin’ today—only because I’m obsessed with this song. If you’d been at my daughter’s house last night, you’d have thought we’d all joined the looney bin. My dd and I showed the little ones the video (what do they know about furries anyway, right?) and for the rest of the night, all you could hear was “What does the fox say? Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding…”

It’s catchy–like Ebola. You’ll see. I dare you to watch it just once. And pay attention to how many downloads this video has gotten!  🙂

Keeping to the Facts—Only the Facts, Please

Organization isn’t my strong point, so I’m always looking for gimmicks to minimize my frantic searches through completed books in a series to find that one vital piece of information that’s absolutely necessary to keep me from making a mistake that some discerning reader’s certain to pick up.

My writing style is linear—that is, I write stories from start to finish without leaving some piece of the puzzle to fill in at a later date. At least that’s what I try to do.

When writing a series, however, I have to make certain that the later books don’t contain information that contradicts some fact I already had established in an earlier book. I’ve learned the hard way that if my editor doesn’t catch these inconsistencies, some eager reader will. If I’m lucky, that reader will write and tell me—if I’m not, she’ll tell every one of her Facebook friends and I’ll be getting a lot of social media attention that I didn’t want.

There are lots of ways to avoid these embarrassing gaffes, from creating a very simple card file of pertinent facts to methods so complex that they can add months, not days to the timeline of writing a series—or even a standalone book for that matter.

Have you ever had to search back in a manuscript to find whether a secondary character’s eyes were blue or brown? Or whether you already mentioned a prop that now has significance later on in a story?

If so, then you’re a lot like me—and my lapses become more so as the time between having written the initial piece of information becomes greater. For example, I wrote the three-book, Caden Kink series over a six month period starting about eighteen months ago. Meanwhile I have started another totally unrelated series.

Therefore, when readers began asking me for a fourth story about the Caden patriarch, I needed to find a simple tool to help me gather information about characters and interactions among those characters which were already established in the first three books. I also needed to gather details about the common setting so as not to create inconsistencies in the new novella.

Scapple is a simple new application from Literature and Latte, designers of the much more complex writing aid, Scrivener. Scapple works as a brainstorming application that is part outliner, part mind-mapper, part writer’s journal. I’ve been using it lately to gather and relate information in Lovers’ Feud, Shotgun Relations and Wild One, that I will use in creating the backbone of a new story which must, by its definition, tie in closely with information I had already established bit by bit in the stories of the new hero’s three grown children.

Generally I find writing aids overrated. Scapple is not. As a matter of fact, it’s awesome! A very inexpensive tool, it allows the writer to jot down notes about characters, character interaction and setting, to arrange them logically in terms of the new book’s premise, and to make connections that make sense.

I’m very glad I stumbled onto Scapple. If you ever have trouble keeping up with what went before, whether in a single book or a series, I encourage you to try it. It’s available for Macs as well as PCs.

Ann Jacobs
https://annjacobs.net
Follow me on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/authrannjacobs
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Join Ann on a Quest for Pleasure…two series, ten futuristic BDSM tales of brave heroes and the women they choose to take into a brave, new future:

No Bounds, available now from Ellora’s Cave and other online retailers

Long Winter Nights

These are the dark days of winter.  In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun rises at about 7:20 in the morning and sets at 4:55 in the afternoon.  This gives us just over nine-and-a-half hours of daylight. Not much time for leisure activities.

For a person like me, who has SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) these short days do make me sad…and blue, and not wanting to get out of bed.

Last winter, though I found a way to make it through this time of dark. I hung around with the Kandesky vampires.

This is their favorite time of the year—their biggest holiday is winter solstice, the longest night of the year. There may only be nine-and-a-half daylight hours, but there are fourteen-and-a-half hours of dark.

During the weeks before and after winter solstice, the family gathers in Hungary from around Europe and North America. Most festivities are at Baron Stefan Kandesky’s castle but the family’s Budapest properties also host visitors. They give gifts, have parties, visit with friends and relatives they haven’t seen for a year.

And last year was even more special because they were having a death penalty trial for their worst enemy, Matthais. He headed up the Huszar vampire clan, the Kandesky’s neighbors and bitter rivals for several centuries.

Set against this festive season are the Huszar’s years of treachery, violence and deceit. These are highlighted when Maxie Gwenoch, the regular who heads up SNAP, the Kandesky’s mega-business, must take the stand and tell her story of kidnapping and rape.

Jean-Louis, second-in-command of the Kandeskys and Maxie’s lover, a stunning five hundred year old Hungarian vampire, is carrying a load of guilt because he didn’t keep her safe. Now, he’s with her—especially through these long winter nights.

And he wants to marry her and turn her. Can she give up the sun for the one she loves? Can she give up the glorious sex to stay a regular?

When I’m with Maxie and Jean-Louis, I’m in an altered state of consciousness. Their world is filled with luxury, glamour and mind-blowing sex. Of course, there’s also violence, fire fights, blood and death. With a combination like that, my “real” world of cooking, laundry and bill paying looks good…not!

I recently saw Janet Evanovich speak and she said she lives in the world of Stephanie Plum when she’s writing. Can’t wait to get back to it every morning.

I understand.

These long winter nights are bearable now because I spend them with Jean-Louis, Maxie and the family.

Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home.  During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries and the six-book Kandesky Vampire Chronicles paranormal romance series, and has just published her eighth book, SNAP: Happily Ever After? She’s working on the seventh book in the series, SNAP: White Nights, scheduled for publication in early 2014.

UPDATE: The winner of the Amazon gift certificate is…Gail Siuba!

* * * * *

If you’ve been visiting here a while, you know I love mythology, and that sometimes I interweave some of the stories I love into the stories I write. One such story is the ancient tale of Inanna. At least that was her name to the Sumerians. She has also been known as Ishtar and is perhaps the source of the story of Lilith. Inanna was the goddess of sexual love and fertility. She was bold and selfish and had a sister who was the Queen of the Land of the Dead, a crown Inanna coveted for herself.

At the heart of the stories in my Dark Realm series is Inanna. She’s never a major character, but her influence is felt throughout. She’s mysterious and beautiful, and evil to the core. Until you see her in The Land of the Dead, enslaved to the husband she lured there and left to save herself. Then you almost feel a little sorry for her. I tried to stay true to her spirit. She wasn’t completely without a heart. And she was a woman before she was a goddess, or in the case of my Inanna, a vampire. Enjoy this little glimpse inside Darkness Captured, the last of my Dark Realm stories.

Post a comment today and you’ll be entered to win a $5 Amazon gift
certificate to buy any ebook you please! 

“Delilah Devlin delivers an erotic tale of good and evil elevated to a higher level… The erotic scenes in this book are hotter than Hades and ten times more tempting. I dare you to resist!” ~ 5 Cups, Coffee Time Romance

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“Devlin creates memorable characters with exceptional emotional depth. Her magical worldbuilding sets as atmospheric scene for a fast-paced story. The sexual tension runs high and the encounters are smokin’ hot.” 4 Stars, RT Book Reviews

Driven by insatiable desire, a werewolf will enter hell to rescue a princess captured by the Master of Demons…

Headstrong and proud—a royal creature of sinuous grace, all primal instinct and lethal beauty—the shapeshifter Gabriella has agreed to serve as emissary to the vampires who rule in the shadows of the New Orleans night. But she cannot resist the pull of the demon she glimpses on the other side of a mirror, and she is drawn to him hungrily, through a magical portal into the Land of the Dead. Now an eternal nightmare awaits Gabriella at the hands of a mesmerizing dark lord who satisfies her every erotic need…while slowly devouring her soul.

The powerful warrior wolf Guntram Brandt is responsible for the safety of the vanished princess he swore allegiance to years before. Yet it is more than a soldier’s loyalty that pulls Guntram down into the depths of nightmare—for Gabriella ignites within him a burning animal passion that must be satisfied.

But when offered an escape, will she follow her rescuer to safety—torn between her lustful obsession with the dark lord who has enslaved her and her fierce sensual attraction to the only wolf who could ever master her?

Gabriella landed on her knees in the middle of the Persian carpet. Once again facing the crudely carved stone walls of Alex Broussard’s magical bolt-hole. “Alex, you lousy bastard, you can’t do this to me—”

Her shout was cut short when the object of her bitter tirade grabbed the hand of the pregnant woman who’d been resting on a deep sofa inside the cavern when they’d flashed inside. He cast Gabriella an apologetic smile, palmed the crystal key to the room, and they both blinked out in a narrow flash of white light.

“Sonofabitch,” she muttered, reaching up to grab the silver-linked choker from her neck that he’d used to subdue her and ripping it off. How could he do this, leave her in his bolt-hole, after everything she’d done to help him in his quest to usurp command of the vampires?

While he’d disappeared for hours, clutching the phoenix-creature he appeared to love against his chest, she’d helped round up the sabat, nipping at the council-members’ heels to herd them toward their rooms where Nicolas posted guards to keep them in lock-down.

Malcolm, Nicolas’s next-in-command, had led away Inanna’s private security force to the barracks for “debriefing” and posted their own men around the compound to keep things quiet while Alex’s closest advisors sorted through the chaos that was the aftermath of Inanna’s expulsion into Hell.

When Alex had at last returned, looking like he’d just had the sweetest sex of his life,  Gabriella shook her fur, pulling on her human skin, ready to remind Alex about their agreement when his gaze fled up the staircase, again.

The look on his face, one filled with a mixture of impatience and tenderness, had made her heart sink. When she’d cleared her throat to remind him she was still standing there, another look crossed his face—one that had her backing up a step and stammering.

The collar had been a real kick in the ass. He’d pulled it from his pocket and apologized, all the while grappling her to the ground to loop the damn thing around her neck. “I swear. It’s just for now,” he’d ground out as she wriggled beneath him. “Just until I get everything sorted out.” Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Year, Dwarf Style

The new Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug, has hit theaters and caused a sensation.  All of a sudden, it’s all about the dwarves – and I can see why!  Richard Armitage is every inch (if short) a king, and the antics of his merry band are heartwarming and, at times, romantic.

I saw an interview with Irish actor Aidan Turner, where he was asked about the relationship between his character, the Dwarf Kili, and the Elven warrior Tauriel.  The romance never took place in the book, so why the movie?  He makes the point that it adds depth to the characters and it’s an important aspect of the overall story.  I couldn’t agree more!  I was rooting for his character and for Tauriel to catch up to him when he was wounded, and there’s even the potential for a love triangle because our favorite elf Legolas fancies Tauriel.  Oh nos!

What do you think when directors change a classic story in order to tell a modern tale?  Not that romance is modern, in any particular; it’s a story as old as time itself.  But should a director add an element that isn’t there in the books, in order to please modern viewers?  Some fans of Robert Ludlum lament that the immensely popular Jason Bourne movie franchise aren’t true to the books.  But the movies are good movies, enjoyable and fast-paced.  I would argue that Peter Jackson has done the same with the Hobbit and deepened the tale, enriching it and telling more of the story as it could have been.

What’s your opinion?  Change away, or leave it the way it is thankyouverymuch?  I’d love to know in the comments!

Getting OUTBACK DIRTY with JoAnne Kenrick

Thanks for hosting me on your blog today, Delilah. It’s always a pleasure and an honor when my favorite authors give up a corner of their space for me to pimp my work. It makes me feel special! Very special. So seriously, thank you for the pink fluffy moment!

I’m here at Delilah’s place today to chat about my new release and the awesome new multi- author series it belongs to.

OUTBACK DIRTY, Calendar Men book one.

 Granted, I’m known for my British voice and stories. And I have been asked several times already why on earth I stepped out of my usual brand to write a story set in Australia without a Brit in sight. Well, simply put, I was homesick! Yes, I’m a Brit, but I’ve lived in quite a few different places and in Australia for three glorious years. I miss the laid back…or should that be ‘she’ll be right’…attitude of the Aussies, and the glorious landscapes and the beer. Oh how I miss Tooheys. I could just neck a frosty Tooheys right about now. That’s right, folks, XXXX and Fosters are not Aussies best beers. They keep the good stuff for themselves. Can’t blame them for that!

We lived in New South Wales. While we were there, we did travel that area, but it’s my one regret to have not travelled farther. Lucky for me, I got to do that in my mind with OUTBACK DIRTY. But really, all it did was make me want to visit the Northern Territory even more. Although I’m not a fan of the deadly creepy crawlies, I sure would love a stay at the Outback Experience…and I’d love nothing more than to get OUTBACK DIRTY (inside joke for those who’ve read the book already).

Without further a fuss, cop a load of the blurb:

She’ll do anything to win him back… even if it means getting OUTBACK DIRTY.

 Chris Ruter’s plan for Australia Day is to beat the heat by letting the beer flow. His New York ex, Janine, seems determined to drive the heel of her sharp stiletto right through the wall he’s built to avoid memories of her–but does she want him in front of her camera or in her bed?

 Janine Red is ready to get outback dirty to win back her sexy ex. Following him to his plantation, their bushwalk turns into a trip down memory lane. Can the magic of the outback heal her sprained ankle–and their hearts?

BUYLINKS CAN BE FOUND ON THE BOOK LANDING PAGE

https://calendar-men.blogspot.com/2013/12/mrjanuary-calendarmen.html

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE: https://www.joannekenrick.com

Calendar Men, the series.

Heroes doing good while looking great!

Read all 12 stories in this brand new multi-author series for 2014…

…and you’ll have a new book-boyfriend for every month of the year!

A man for every month!

Told by some of best authors in the world of romance, the Calendar Men stories have contemporary settings and star strong heroes doing good while looking great. With off-the-charts swoon-factor, the Calendar Men pose for a charity calendar to help military families of fallen heroes. Each has his own special reason for wanting to help the fictional Hero Family Fund, and each has his own obstacles to overcome before he can find a happy ever after.

Release Dates:

January 1^st – Outback Dirty by JoAnne Kenrick
February 1^st – February Lover by Rebecca Royce
March 1^st – Seducing Helena by Ann Mayburn
April 1^st – Frontier Inferno by Kate Richards
May 1^st – Shockwave by D. L. Jackson
June 1^st – The Other Brother by Lucy Felthouse
July 1^st – The Letter by Mina Carter
August 1^st – Burning Love by Cassandra Carr
September 1^st – A Model Hero by Sara Daniel
October 1^st – Falling For her Navy SEAL Again by Clarissa Yip
November 1^st – Thankful For You by Cindy Spencer Pape
December 1^st – Snow Angels by Sabrina York

Series news, exclusives, freebies, and more at the official Calendar Men blog:

https://calendar-men.blogspot.com