For the next seven days, it’s going to be an adventure in babysitting…dogs and cats. My daughter’s to be exact.

While she’s off enjoying a family vacation in DC, I’m staying at her place to look after the critters. Did I mention she’s an animal activist and rescues dogs and cats in need of fostering? *sigh*

At the moment, I have four dogs and four cats to look after. All of them were either rescued from the pound’s death row or found beside a highway. One of the dogs, Millie, was a hit-and-run victim that dd took to the vet to treat her injuries. One of her hind legs was amputated. Not that missing a limb keeps her from doing anything.

Where does the retreat come in, you ask? I will have limited web access. Will be away from my land line phone. And checking my email’s a pain the ass, so I won’t be bouncing back to it constantly to see what’s up. Which means, I have time to write.

I wrapped one project yesterday and shipped it to my editor at Cleis Press. Now I have to put the final touches on my next Western for Samhain and ship the sucker! After that, I have days and days to do nothing by write (and walk dogs and clean litter boxes…).

Which brings me to today’s question. Do you have pets? How many and what species?

I’m blogging today at Wild & Wicked Cowboys, so if you post here and post there, you have two entries in The Pretty Pendant Contest!

I don’t have big plans. Write, take a break and swim in the pool, write… I should wrap up Smokin’ Hot Firemen today! And no, I can’t tell you whether you’re in the book yet. My publisher has final approval, and they may well yank your story.

Y’all have a happy 4th! And if you have time, tell me what your plans are…

The Pretty Pendant Contest

What can you win?
Two people will win their choice of a domino pendant from among those offered below! (Psst! My dd and I made them.)

How can you win it?
Post a comment on any blog posting until the contest ends. Each entry counts as another chance to win!

This contest ends July 17th!!

A Question

Need a question to get this party started?

What is one piece of advice that you wish you could pass along to everyone else?

[Sorry—photos removed!]

Bad Boys = Real Good Men

There’s just something about a bad boy, isn’t there? A dark-n-dangerous man, tall, handsome and covered in tats just gets my libido going and my juices flowing. I completely lose my head, and my mind is over run by images of me doing bad, bad things with the bad, bad boys.

And I put every ounce of my intense yearning into the hero of my just-released Ellora’s Cave novel, His Forbidden Submissive.

Brock Michaels is everything I’ve ever wanted in a bad boy—the heroine too. He wears his tats like a second skin. He doesn’t take shit from anyone. His shaved head makes me want to rub my hands over all that sexy smoothness and direct his mouth to, um, certain places on my body…

Oh, and did I mention he’s a Dom too?

Mmm. Am I the only one who just shivered? Don’t lie! You know you want some of that! How could any hot-blooded woman not? Which begs one question.

What is it about bad boys that draw us in like kids to a candy store? I have a few ideas…

Bad boys are confident and adventurous. They’re a challenge to even the most headstrong woman. And oh god, they ooze masculinity like a marathon runner oozes sweat, and bad boys can turn that oozing masculinity into a string of perfect words so intensely perfect they could quite easily charm the panties of a nun. But most importantly, in my opinion, bad boys are broken—and we want to fix them.

Okay, okay, I know they’re not really broken. It’s just a perception thing. They’re thugs, they’re outsiders. In other words, they’re not what society “says” is normal or politically correct, and they don’t care. It’s that aspect that makes them more addictive than crack.

At least for me. *grin*

But what do YOU think of bad boys? Do they make the private places between your legs do funny things? Or do you give a wide berth when you see a leather-clad, tattoo-sporting hottie heading your way?

Let me known and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a copy of any book from my backlist. (Click here to go to my book page.)

Later, Lovelies!

~Brandi

His Forbidden Submissive, out NOW from Ellora’s Cave!

Sunday Report Card/June Recap

The things swirling in my brain. You have no idea, but then again, if you’ve been following along, maybe you do.

June was Hell Month. Rather a nice place to be for a writer. So often we work with the HOPE of selling a story. Then along come the contracts, and suddenly, we have DEADLINES! I much prefer having them than not. However, I could have used longer lead times for the stories I have to spit out, one after the other.

I had hoped to complete three biggish projects in June. I managed to completely close on the most important one, am very nearly done with the second biggest priority, and am in spitting distance of wrapping up the third. So, I count June as a success!

* Shattered Souls, my first full-length novel for Montlake, went out the door on Thursday!

* I have the short stories for Smokin’ Hot Firemen selected (this is tentative, because Cleis has final approval), placed in a manuscript template, and I’ve started editing the stories. I hope to have them completed and ready to go by Tuesday. My own entry is 1/3 written, but I should finish tomorrow. Shorts are easy for me to zap through once I have the story in my head.

*  My next Western for Samhain is just a couple of chapters away from being done. I HAVE to finish by Wednesday or my name will be “mud” with my editor. So no pressure there. 🙂

Coming July

Two exciting releases I can’t wait for you to savor!

FOURNICOPIA

Coming July 10th, and ready for pre-order now…

Gus Taggert knows a setup when he sees one. When one of his police officer buddies sends him on a doughnut run to one particular doughnut shop, Cornucopia, he hesitates. It’s too frilly and pink. However, the woman behind the counter serves him more than a couple dozen gourmet doughnuts, she gives him a mini-lesson in submission%mdash;something he’s eager to learn more about. When she orders him to see her that night at the BDSM club, La Forge, he’s more than eager to obey.

Newly vetted Domme, Aislinn Darby, has a sub she’s eager to take for a test run. The large, burly cop is the kind of alpha guy she’s been dying to tie up and spank. However, after she takes him through his paces, she finds herself more than willing to let him take control, something she hasn’t enjoyed with a man before. Gus’s brand of loving is addictive, but now she’s doubting herself and her own ability to control a scene. She has to have him back for one more go, only this time, she’s going to do it with a crowd around them to ensure he doesn’t forget who’s in charge. She bribes him into submission. Accept her dictates, and he can have her any way he wants as reward.

What Gus wants is Aislinn in the middle of a scene he orchestrates himself with the help of three of his best friends.

~*~

SHE SHIFTERS

Coming to a bookstore near you on July 10th, although Amazon is shipping now…

Following the success of her ground-breaking GIRLS WHO BITE: LESBIAN VAMPIRE EROTICA, best-selling author Delilah Devlin and her contributors deliver another stunning collection.

Shapeshifters—beings both human and animal—ignite our imaginations with visions of primal passions and insatiable hungers. Most commonly seen as dark, masculine demons, these sixteen stories investigate shapeshifter myths from around the world, and add fur and claws to a fresh girl-on-girl blending of physical power and inescapable desires.

Embrace your wild child as you journey through worlds of unexpected delights with some of today’s hottest erotic romance authors, including Sacchi Green, Christine d’Abo, Adele Dubois and Myla Jackson. Fly atop the Tower of London in Paisley Smith’s “The Night Crow.” In Anna Meadows’ “Verde,” feel the burn of a hot Mexican summer. Experience the raw lash of a dragon’s tail in “Scorched Retribution,” then linger in the sensual delights of a furry convention in “She’s Furry Yiffy”.

Prepare to be embraced inside the warm, feathered wings of a phoenix, race through a rain forest morphing from tiger to kingfisher, and watch your lover surrender her seal’s pelt to walk hand-in-hand with you along a cold and lonely shore. In She Shifters, love comes running, slithering, flying—in all shapes of desire.

Delilah Devlin’s one-of-a-kind She Shifters unleashes the wild creature inside us all!

Yes, I’ve been crazy busy, and July will be just as bad, but I love hearing from you. And Tuesday, I’ll post a brand new contest with a very fun prize, so be sure to check back! ~DD

On July 10th, FOURNICOPIA will release to the world! And I can’t wait for you to read it! I haven’t had so much fun with a series in a while, and you will see why!

Imagine it… FIVE lusty, hard-bodied cops—best friends with very few sexual inhibitions and a taste for kink. I introduced my Fabulous 5 in Five Ways ‘Til Sunday. Not a subtle title at all, is it? In this next installment, the same to-die-for men are challenged by one among them to help him with a fiery Domme.

Yes, we finally make it to theBDSM club, La Forge!

But that’s what’s coming. If you haven’t read the first book, you’ll want to read it so you know what came before. Click on the covers if you’re ready to order Five Ways or place Fournicopia on Pre-order!

Here’s what Five  Ways was all about…

“A really well written, hot, steamy and at times funny book that I have no problems recommending to anyone. A little of everything to suit everyone, no matter what your tastes or fantasies!” 5 Stars, Scorching Book Reviews

“FIVE WAYS ‘TIL SUNDAY was an awesome read…” 4.5 Stars, Night Owl Reviews

“Delightfully quick read, you are so consumed in the story it is difficult to put it down…” Sensual Reads

Sometimes a man’s just gotta call for backup…

Marti Kowalski is all wrong for Officer Jackson Teague—he just won’t listen to reason. She didn’t finish high school, runs a bar. Has a tattoo and a blue streak in her hair. Yet he still wants to marry her? She can’t say she’s not tempted, but she’s got a bucket list to complete before she ties the knot.

Not just any bucket—more like a fifty-five-gallon drum of sexual wishes so explicit, there’s no way one man, even Jackson, can fulfill them all.

When Marti turns him down again, Jackson doesn’t give up, he insists on knowing why. That’s when she shows him her list. He takes it, thinks about it—and calls on the only men he can trust: four buddies from his academy graduating class.

Between the five of them, he’s sure they can come up with a plan to check off every item on her list in one wild, wicked weekend. That is, if she has the nerve to follow through—and if he can bear to share her.

Warning: Five men on a mission to break down the resistance of one determined woman. Author suggests readers keep their significant others on speed dial. Not responsible for accidental 911 calls.

Marti Kowalski waved a hand blindly behind her at her desk, swiping the inventory sheets she’d slaved over for two days, and her telephone, to the floor. She didn’t care about the mess—or by the crunch—the loss of her phone. Right this moment, she had Jackson where she wanted him—too far gone with want to worry what damage he might cause.

His body was hard; his expression carved to a lustful edge, which promised the kind of sexy interlude she preferred—something spontaneous and surprising.

Even after all the months they’d been seeing each other, he managed to surprise her. Like now. He’d pulled her from the door of the ladies’ restroom and goose-stepped her with her arm bent behind her back to the manager’s office, growling menacingly into her ear about the wicked things he’d do to her.

Ma’am, keep quiet and I won’t hurt you.

She’d shivered at the menace in his voice, but he’d rubbed her hip gently to remind her this was just a game. She had to hand it to him. He knew what made her hot.

Jackson bent her over her desk and shoved up her blouse. His head ducked to pluck a nipple with his lips, and then he bit it.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” she gasped, her fingers digging into the rigid Kevlar armor he wore beneath his dark shirt. “You’re on duty. Thought you didn’t cross that line when you’re wearin’ the uniform.”

His head reared back. His dark eyes flashed. “Shut up, ma’am. You draw any attention, and I might have to get rough.” Read the rest of this entry »

Hi everyone,

Thank you for asking me to be a guest on your blog today, Delilah, and speak to your many fans.  I’m Meg Lacey, and I have a new series Million Dollar Men, with the first book, Million Dollar Mistake, coming October 23, 2012 from Samhain Publishing.  I’ve previously written for Harlequin/Silhouette and am really excited to join the Samhain Family.

It’s a rainy day where I live, the perfect day to forget about everything and sit down with a good book and have a “Me” Day. I can hear some of you thinking, “Yeah, right, never going to happen! I have too much to do.”

As women, we come with guilt programmed into our DNA. Work, family, school, etc.—got it! I don’t relax well.I wrote my first novel in the sixth grade, but my writing career didn’t last. Instead I went into theatre before ending up in television as a writer-producer.

Over the years, I’ve been an actress, director, producer, copywriter, creative director, college instructor, creative dramatics teacher, author, mime, mom, and a school bus driver—wow, are there stories in that experience!  I’ve started two creative marketing companies and worked in all media from network cable programming to games and corporate initiatives; but always returned to writing. I have children, a husband and tons of obligations, so I understand busy. But lately I’ve been forcing myself to haul out my inner diva and say, “Screw it. I’m taking time for me!”

Knowing how busy most of us are got me wondering what it would be like to have no obligations, and have the time and money to do anything I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. That thought translated into Million Dollar Mistake.

Warning: Million Dollar Mistake contains a tabloid sweetheart who loves to be bad, a sexy hero with little patience for mind games, and a game of strip pool that will make you rethink your weekend plans.   

In addition to overseeing the financial affairs of the wealthy Kristoff family, Nicholas Demetrious specializes in hauling its rambunctious members out of trouble. Especially his distant cousin, Raven Rutledge.

The tabloids love her bad-girl antics, sexy pout, and body made for sin. Nicholas would love to spank the bejesus out of her, but this time the situation is too serious to entertain such a fantasy. A lucrative business deal with the Exeters is in jeopardy, and Jackson Exeter Sr.’s ultimatum is clear: Remove this man-eater from my country house, or the deal is off.

Raven is in way over her head. She accepted the invitation to the Exeters’ Adirondack house party as a refreshing change from her jet-setting lifestyle—until she learns the guest list includes his entire family. His ex-girlfriend. And the junior Exeter’s intention to propose.

If ever she needed suave, sophisticated Nicholas’s persuasive powers, it’s now. Then he’s there with a plan to get her out of this tangle: sweep her off her feet. But their pretend passion turns all too real. And what started out as a weekend of fun threatens to shatter into betrayal and heartbreak.

I had a great time writing this book. There’s a lot of hot sex, but there is also a lot of humor in my writing, with the result that this book is a fun, sexy read. Million Dollar Mistake is actually a continuation of a minor character introduced in my novel, Million Dollar Stud from Harlequin (available in ebook.) You might want to check it out to get some background on Nicholas. Meanwhile, I can’t wait to bring you more stories about Million Dollar Men and the women who love them.

Oh yeah, one more thing before I go. I also have a paranormal series coming out from Imajinn Books this fall—Tales of the Sparrow.  The first book is The Sparrow and The Hawk. As the book is still in production, I can’t share the cover with you yet, but I can tell you a little bit about the story that will also come out in Autumn, 2012.

Tales of the Sparrow is a humorous, paranormal romantic adventure series set one week into the future—a time when magic, myths, shapeshifters and other mystical creatures were all possible because the veil between this world and the next had been stripped away.

In the first book, The Sparrow and The Hawk, Jillie Harte, the Sparrow, is a documentary filmmaker who also works undercover for the “NAS (Normal, Abnormal & Strange) Agency”, a secret private agency sponsored by an eccentric billionaire and run by her uncle whose mission is to protect the world from evil in any form—from that done by ordinary humans to that done through mystical direction.  Under the guise of creating a TV documentary on “Fashion and Decoration throughout history,” Jillie is sent undercover to recover an ancient necklace with the power to unleash evil on the world if it falls into the wrong hands. A lot of people want the necklace, including her new cameraman, Griff Ryland. Griff, The Hawk, is actually from an alternative dimension and as a shapechanger is able to change to a cougar and a hawk when circumstances demand. Magic, witchcraft, alternative dimensions and dragging around a cameraman who looks like ‘sex-on-a-stick’ makes the team’s chase after the necklace dangerous, exciting, sexy and fun.  From San Francisco, to New Mexico to New Orleans, and finally to San Diego, CA.  Sparrow and Hawk must overcome each obstacle until they finally find the ‘manipulator’, the ultimate evil whom they must defeat to recover the necklace and eliminate the curse that surrounds it. That’s not all happening though—Jillie and Griff must also face their developing relationship and decide what to do about it. And they thought saving the world from evil and chaos was hard!!!!

Thanks again, Delilah, for inviting me to share news with all of your fans about my forthcoming books. If you want to know more, or read excerpts, please visit my new website: www.meglacey.com or send an email to: meg@meglacey.com.

Be sure to register for the contests that will accompany the release dates of Million Dollar Mistake and The Sparrow and the Hawk.

So today, or sometime soon make time for the Me in You. Forget the guilt and just go for it. Grab a glass of wine, a book and take a bubble bath, find a corner and indulge in yoga followed by dark chocolate, watch a sad movie and cry your eyes out, or do what I’m going to do today—go for a long walk in the rain.

Take care and smile.

Meg