Two contests have ended. Tons of winners are listed here, but first, you have to read to the end—or at least, I hope you read to get to the end! 🙂 ~DD

If you’ve never read the My Immortal Knight series, Monday will be a great opportunity to dive in. Not sayin’ why–okay, yes I will. All Hallows Heartbreaker, Book 1, will be offered for free—for two weeks only! Since the publisher would love to introduce you to the series and entice you to read the rest, covers for the first four books have been redone (yeah, I need to get them changed on this website ASAP), and…on March 23rd MIK-8, My Sweet Succubus, releases.

On Monday, I’ll post an excerpt from All Hallows Heartbreaker, but for now, here’s something to enjoy from Book 2, Love Bites.

“…congratulations to Ms. Devlin for creating a masterpiece. This story has all the elements that a Gold Star book has in it. The novel has intense suspense that was thrilling and delightful,…”
Gold Star Award, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

“… LOVE BITES is a delicious, emotional romp of a story, a tale that builds powerfully on the old, often-used love triangle and succeeds beautifully in creating something new and exciting.”
Sensual Romance

On the trail of a serial killer, vampire Quentin Albermarle is mistaken for the killer by a police special task force. Once the smoke clears, Quentin finds himself in a delicious position-atop one of the unit’s crack officers, Darcy Henry.

In need of Quentin’s access to the vampire sub-culture, the task force leadership invites Quentin to join the crime unit as a special advisor, much to the chagrin of the men in the unit, and especially, of Darcy.

A no-nonsense cop with no time for romance, Darcy suddenly finds herself embroiled in a steamy love triangle between her mortal partner, Joe, and the handsome vampire. Going from abstinence to wantonness, she is unable to resist the two men’s relentless seduction or her own sensual curiosity about a vampire’s special “kiss”.

When the real killer threatens the life of someone close to her, Darcy makes a choice that forever binds the three of them together.

Darcy entered her house quietly and set the bags she’d retrieved from Quentin’s hotel room on the floor. He could carry them the rest of the way to his bedroom when he woke. His bedroom. Already, the house felt alien. Invaded. As soon as she’d deposited Quentin and Joe on her front doorstep earlier, she’d hotfooted it out of the house. Retrieving his things had only been an excuse to put some distance between the vamp and her raging hormones. Why him? Why did her body come alive at just the sight of him?

Sunshine poured into the large open space of her Florida room, and she grinned. Joe was a devious man. He’d opened every blind and shutter to ensure the vamp remained trapped behind the guest bedroom door. Joe was on the couch sleeping, a tangle of covers knotted around his waist. His chest bare. With his arms flung above his head, she had an excellent view of his washboard abs and the arrow of black hair that stretched from nipple to nipple and down below the edge of the sheet.

Cursing herself for noticing, Darcy tiptoed past him. Her sexual libido had rotten timing. The vamp had awakened feelings she’d tamped down for three years.

Thankful she had Joe around to save her from herself, Darcy headed to her bedroom. Inside, she stripped off her clothes and padded on bare feet into her bathroom, intent on showering away the sand she was sure had worked itself into every crevice.

Reaching behind the shower curtain, she turned on the water. She brushed her teeth, and rummaged beneath the cabinet for the scented soap her mother had given her at Christmas. The raspberry-perfumed soap would be her secret indulgence. No matter she normally used only plain bar soap for a quick scrub. She wondered if the vampire’s keen sense of smell would detect her change of routine.

She reached in to lift the stopper and stepped beneath the shower’s spray.

“I thought you’d decided to find yourself another place to stay.”
Read the rest of this entry »

If you look closely, you’ll see that the tiger on the right is missing its hind leg. This beautiful cat was rescued and given a second chance by the fine folks at the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.

For all you writers out there who are also animal lovers, here’s your chance to help a worthy cause. The entire proceeds from the book the Diamond State Romance Authors intend to publish will go to the 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.

Last October, 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 centered 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.

Ah… Spring.

In my part of the country, it’s looking a lot like Spring has sprung. Flowers are blooming and people are sneezing left and right.

For me, spring means two things: soccer and cleaning.

I’ve already started my mad rush of cleaning. Yes, I’m sick, I know. This past weekend the floors were swept, scrubbed, and vacuumed. Even the corners, crevices and those icky places along the baseboards had a spotlight on them. Do you have any idea what hides there??? *shudder*

But my physical house isn’t the only thing that needs a good cleaning. I REALLY need to get through all those somewhat intangible things that float along the edges of my life. All those things-to-do that never quite got done. The projects that I started but didn’t quite finish. The list of goals I want to accomplish, but haven’t yet. New story ideas that I’ve been tucking away on random pieces of paper. I simply must find time to go through all of that STUFF and get it organized before I either loose the thought or it keeps getting buried and therefore, never done.

Surely I’m not the only working-mom who always seems to be chasing her tail?? What helps you guys keep up with everything? Other than a personal assistant, that is. That’s just not in the budget. LOL

While you’re thinking about that, take a much-needed and probably well deserved break and go check out my new Quickie from Ellora’s Cave, Down to Business. Find out about the bargain Leigh Templeton made with her husband John so they could have a work-free weekend getaway. Down to Business is available on Ellora’s Cave and Amazon Kindle.

Buy at Ellora’s Cave
Buy at Amazon

Stop by my blog – I’d love to hear from you!

~ Dena Garson
https://denagarson.com
https://twitter.com/#!/DenaGarson

If you don’t already know, there are two contests currently running on this website. Up for grabs? 8 books and 2 $25 gift certificates. Be sure to check out the rules on my contest page. Both contests end on THURSDAY!

I’m going to be deep, deep into my new story today, doing my best to nail a chapter. What am I working on? The sequel to A Four-Gone Conclusion. The two handsome twins have finally met their perfect match. So while I’m writing like my hair’s on fire, I’ll leave you with a question…

What author would you choose to write your memoir?

Drama and a Giveaway!

Thanks so much for having me, Delilah! Hi everyone 🙂 I’m Gillian Archer and I’m guest blogging here because my first story with Carina Press releases today.

Unlike my heroine in Wicked Weekend, I don’t have any sibling angst. Don’t get me wrong, my sister and I used to fight like cats and dogs…when we were little. My mom always says she knew we were really going at it when all the yelling and bickering would stop and it suddenly got quiet in our room—that was when she would yell down the hall to “knock it off in there!” Probably had a bit to do with our two year age difference. But we grew out of it somewhere around middle school.

Now as adults, my sister and I are completely different people. She’s an analytical hippy chick who is getting her PhD in Radiochemistry (of all things) and practically worships Bob Marley. Whereas I love everything George Strait and used to be a mining engineer (weird, I know!) but now spend my days writing steamy romance scenes. There’s so much we don’t agree about, but my week is not complete unless I talk to my sis at least once. What can I say? I love her 🙂

And yet I absolutely cannot get enough of family/sibling angst. Whether it’s in books or on television, I’m glued to the drama. The latest reality family spectacle that I can’t get enough of is American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior. My husband watches for the bike builds but I’m glued to the angst. The lawsuits and nasty comments about their own family members break my heart. Will they ever be able to mend fences and be a family again? How can anyone move past the kind of history that these guys have? These are the kinda questions that fuel my writing muse.

So when it came to writing my heroine, I just had to give her some family angst. There’s a history between the sisters that’s apparent from the first page, and they have a few run-ins along the way as well as the prerequisite sibling jealousy. Of course when she meets a hawt guy and has some naughty fun with him she realizes she has no reason to be jealous of her sister. It’s so much better being her. *grin*

Why did Lauren Vaughn introduce her sister to the man she herself was crazy about? Now Lauren is watching the happy couple at their combined bachelor/bachelorette party—while Lauren sits all alone at the bar. Until she spots a hot stranger with the telltale black handkerchief in his pocket: the signal for “seeks no-strings affair with sexy submissive.” Lauren can’t take her eyes off him. So when he comes over, she kicks her inner good girl to the curb and follows Jamie Forman to his room, where he makes her scream with pleasure all night long.

But Jamie is a complicated man. He can’t handle how desperately he wants her in his bed—and his life. It’s up to Lauren to teach him how to make all night last forever.

You can read more about Wicked Weekend at my website, or buy it today from Carina or other book selling sites like Amazon or B&N!

So do you have some sibling angst? Or a favorite book or tv show dealing with family angst? Leave me a comment and you’ll have a chance to win a book from my backlist.

Thanks for having me Delilah!

* * * * *

Gillian Archer lives in Northern Nevada with her amazing husband and two goofy dogs. When she’s not writing (but probably should be) Gillian is usually reading, baking or walking her very spoiled dogs. You can find her at her website, on Facebook or Twitter.

Psst! The winner of one of Myla Jackson’s (March 5) fabulously erotic books is…Leann! Leann, be sure to contact me to arrange delivery of your prize! Congrats!

Free Story!

If you don’t have this story, click on the cover now!

This offer won’t last long!

And since it’s for free, maybe you wouldn’t mind “tagging” and “liking” it on Amazon. A review would be nice too… 🙂

Thanks to you, it rose pretty quickly up the Free Erotica list at Amazon. Just maybe, I’ll find a few new readers. Your reviews help them decide to take the chance, and those reviews don’t have to be pretty. In fact, the less polished the writing, the more the reader will trust you.

Brand New Covers

The first four of the My Immortal Knight stories have fresh new covers. Take a look! I haven’t changed them on my website yet because they aren’t up on Amazon, but they are up at Ellora’s Cave! Click on the covers if you’re interested in reading more!

Contest Reminder!

Two contests end on March 16th! The 4x2x4 Contest (four sets of two signed books to four lucky winners) and The Promo Ho contest (up for grabs? TWO $25.00 gift certificates!).

And because I want to give more of you a chance to win, I’ll add TWO HOT to the list of eligible books for the Promo Ho contest! Check out my Contest Page for more details.

Sunday Report Card

What a busy-productive week!

1) I completed a short-short story entitled “Quick Draw” and submitted it for consideration to an editor!
2) I completed my part of Charmed in the Big Easy, a co-written story with Paisley Smith, and submitted it!
3) I put together three brief treatments for possible stories and shipped them to my agent for his opinion.

Not bad, huh? This week, it’s back to cowboys!

Next Week’s Guests

This week, I’ll have the following ladies blogging here:

Mar 12 — Gillian Archer
Mar 14 — Dena Garson

Be sure to drop by to say hello. You might just find another author you have to read!

A quick note! Be sure to get your free copy of TWO HOT this weekend: Link to FREE COPY

People protect themselves in different ways. Sometimes, it’s through silence—if you never attempt to connect, you won’t be hurt. Sometimes, it’s through a clever quip—something stinging or so clever it makes potential mates back away. In this scene you have have both.

“A FOUR-GONE CONCLUSION is a prime example on how a novella should be written; fast and fun, touching characters that pull you in and a story that is completely fulfilling.”
4.5 Cherries, Long and Short Reviews

One devilish night…or a chance at heaven?

Sam Logan’s foster sons have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. Most of it earned. When it becomes clear they don’t plan on giving up scootin’ after ever pretty pair of boots in town anytime soon, he issues the one thing he knows they can’t resist: a challenge. Find a wife.

The oldest, Johnny, is actually grateful. He’s had his eye on Mean Ellie Harker for a long time, and Sam’s challenge is the kick in the pants he needed to ask her out. Except before he can make his move, his brothers kidnap her right out from under his nose. Now, instead of being one question away from victory, he has to compete for the woman of his dreams.

Ellie thought she’d be a dried up old spinster before Johnny finally untangled his tongue long enough to ask for a date. But instead of teaching him better uses for that tongue, his brothers have whisked her away to the ranch. At first she’s furious…then intrigued when she starts to wonder what it might be like…

Warning: Four handsome cowboys. Four choices. Would it be a single sordid night or a chance at heaven as she savors every luscious inch of the Logan brothers?

“I could help you, you know,” Killian said, his tone casual.

Too casual. Johnny grunted. “With what?”

“Gettin’ you a wife.”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Worry about findin’ your own.”

“It’s not how it works, bro. We’re brothers.”

“We’re not blood.”

“Blood’s not what counts.”

Which was a sorry damn truth they all knew too well. Blood had failed them all.

Johnny cussed under his breath. “How would you help? You gonna chat her up for me? You gonna tell her what a catch I am?”

“Well, you are. You stand to inherit a fourth of the Double Tree. And I’ve seen the way women look at you.”

Johnny snorted.

“You’re not a bad lookin’ guy.

Johnny aimed a blistering glare his way. “You gonna ask me out?”

Killian grinned. “Just statin’ the facts. You’re not hard on the eyes. And you’re tall. Girls like that. And they like your hair. They like you fine until you give ’em that thousand-yard stare like you’re sightin’ down a rifle barrel.”

Johnny gave him his meanest glare. “This isn’t gonna work.” Read the rest of this entry »