You have spoken. My series of erotic shorts for Kindle will center around the hotties in a firehouse! Looks like I have some research to do! And I’ll be back for help with a series title. How do you like the title “Drinking from a Long Hose” for the first installment? Too crass? Makes me smile!
In the meantime, help me choose my first long project for Kindle. This time, you get just one choice!
What flavor of ROMANTIC fiction do you prefer me write for my next longer Kindle project?
Recently dragged from Hell, a powerful godlike dragon seeks to steal his old lover from the vampire king (43%, 24 Votes)
A teller implicated in a bank robbery seeks sanctuary from the small-town sweetheart she left behind who happens to be the new sheriff in town (39%, 22 Votes)
A disgraced female ex-cop seeks help from two former lovers, her ex-partner and a powerful sorcerer, to stop a murderous demon (20%, 11 Votes)
Remember! The Three Signed Books Contest continues. Find the details here! ~DD
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The Reading Rush
My Mommy Wine Club friends think I must read very fast. It’s funny for me because to my online circle of avid romance readers a book a week is a crawling pace. It’s all about perspective.
I learned to speed read in high school, and it did make college textbooks easier to plow through. I still like the technique for non-fiction, but I like to enjoy my novels. I like to read them slow, chapter by chapter, a small sip of loveliness before I fall asleep each night.
Which, as any romance reader will tell you, is not always the best idea because there are some stories that you literally cannot put down and the next thing you know, the clock has hit single digits and you’d rather drink a pot of coffee tomorrow than set the story aside tonight.
In my latest book, For Kicks, the heroine learns to speed read at the beginning of an extended business trip and winds up using her time in airports, planes, and hotel rooms to explore interests she never had time for. Astrology, diet, knitting, Tarot, origami, reflexology…if you can find it in an airport bookstore, she’s liable to pick it up. My former expense account and I plead the fifth on where the idea for this little habit came from.
For a chance to win a $5 e-gift card to Amazon or B&N (which you can use to buy own copy of For Kicks)…tell me, what have you always wanted to learn about?Why don’t you do something to learn more about it today?
Breeze Cohen senses something is missing from her life, but her career doesn’t leave time for anything but retail business strategy—particularly the upcoming product launch for her cornerstone client, Nitrous.
No way is she going to let live-for-the-moment Logan Chandler tarnish her professional reputation. Even if the ex-athlete poster boy for Nitrous makes her heart pound like she’s run a marathon.
After surviving a near-fatal accident, Logan doesn’t want to waste a minute of life. It’s meant to be lived, ravished, enjoyed—and there’s no one he’d like to ravish more than Breeze. There’s a deep pool of mutual desire beneath her icy façade. He can feel it every time they touch.
When a training snafu at Nitrous launches Breeze into damage control, Logan is ready and waiting to lace up and take her for a run on the wilder side—if he can catch her.
Warning: Side effects may include a desire to melt chocolate with body heat, spontaneous phone sex, and an intense drive to find loopholes in your workplace fraternization policy.
I’m currently busy finishing up stories I’ve already committed to write, but I’m also makin’ plans for what’s next. Yes, more Lone Star Lovers and even a new My Immortal Knight are in the near future, but I’d also love to write a continuing series of short erotic stories—fast lunchbreak reads—that I could put up on Kindle in a hurry when you get hungry for a quickie. I have ideas, but would like for you to tell me what you’d love most. These may or may not be romances and would definitely lean more toward erotica. Don’t worry, I have a romance poll coming in a couple of days too!
Take a look at this list. You can choose up to three. The one with the most votes will be the first I write.
What flavor of short erotica stories would you prefer to see from me?
A firefighter series, featuring a single fire station and the firefighters' off-duty playmates (32%, 22 Votes)
A cowboy series, featuring the same lucky lady and a group of sexy cowboys (25%, 17 Votes)
A Victorian series, featuring Dr. Mullaley and Nurse Percy (continuing their story from STROKES) (16%, 11 Votes)
A "Sexy Secretary" series, featuring an administrative assistant and her Dom boss (14%, 10 Votes)
A sex club, featuring different D/s couplings and groupings (13%, 9 Votes)
Since the Dec. 7, 2011 release of my latest book, SURRENDER HER TOUCH, I have had so many Readers write me and ask that I do MORE Dragon Shapeshifter stories. Writing Slade Stryker’s story was my first foray into the fascinating world of Dragons, and now I have this sneaky suspicion it won’t be the last time.
As I was sitting at my desk contemplating this, in walked my sexy Alpha Hero. Or should I say, he “stalked” into my office. Dragon shifters seem to stalk everywhere, as though anyone or anything in their path is prey. It must be their inherent “primal” souls remembering when they once ruled the world at the top of the food chain. Sexy, but intimidating to say the least!
I tried to hide my surprise as Slade nonchalantly settled into the chair opposite me. “Hey, Slade,” I said oh-so-casually. “Any reason for this visit? I thought I’d settled everything with you when I wrote the words ‘The End’.”
“Good morning, Kari,” he rumbled sexily. (He always talks that way!) “I flew over this morning to talk to you about something that has developed since you wrote ‘Surrender Her Touch’.” (When he says “flew”, he means in dragon form! How kewl is that!)
“Problem?” I shook my head. I couldn’t think of any problems developing once the book is released. Everything pretty much goes smoothly. It’s all that “before” stuff that can drive a writer crazy (the edits, etc).
“Yeah,” he rumbled again. “You exposed us with that book. I’ve had to keep my Firestorm Team patrolling around-the-clock ever since the book came out. We’ve had nonstop ‘tourists’ climbing all over the woods looking for easy access into the Compound. None of our people can go into town without being accosted by curious humans.” He growled low, a sound indicating his inner dragon was slowly awakening. “Why didn’t you think about all this before you wrote about us?”
Gulp. Actually, I had thought about it. But I was so sure that people would think it only Fiction and not go looking for the real dragons! “Sorry?” I gave him my best “I’m-really-innocent-despite-the-proof” smile. It didn’t work. He glared at me. And when Slade Stryker gives his dragon glare, you know you’re in trouble. “What can I do to help?” Was it even possible? Readers everywhere were now out hunting the Shamara Dragon Clan, and it was all my fault.
“You’re going to write a Retraction,” he announced in a soft demand. “Tell those Readers it’s all Fiction.”
UhOh. “I can’t do that,” I mumbled. “The book is out and more Readers are reading every day.”
Slade stared hard at me for a long minute. Was that steam I saw coming from his nostrils? Never push a shapeshifter to reveal his inner dragon….
“Fine,” he said, his tone brooking no argument. “I’m going to tell you more dragon stories. Some so horrifying, so incredibly unbelievable, you’ll have nightmares for weeks. Then, you’re going to write those stories. THAT should scare off all those Readers.”
Meekly I explained, “But Romance can’t be horrifying, Slade.”
He grinned, the sight so sexy I had to remind myself that he already had a Mate. “Oh, there will be romance. Passionate, hot, romance to curl your toes. You’re going to leave those Readers ….gasping.”
Let me get a couple of announcements out of the way, then I’ll get to business! This is one of my New Year’s rezzies, so put up with it already!
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Last Day to Get It Free!
It looks like folks are finding the story. As of this morning, there had been 2500 free downloads in the States, and more in England and Germany. The point was to:
1) reward my loyal readers, and
2) perhaps, pick up some new readers—if they liked what they read.
Tonight at midnight, the offer goes away and the price will go back up to $2.99. I’d like for it to finish strong so that when it goes back to the “paid” list on Amazon, it doesn’t fall away into oblivion. So, be sure to get your copy now and send the link to a friend! And if you’ve read it, why now take a minute to leave a review? Just sayin’…
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Three Signed Books Contest
Remember that? If not, click on my contest link: Contest
All you have to do to enter is post a comment sometime between now and January 31st! And the more days you drop by and say hello, the more entries you have! Easy, right?
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My Report Card
I keep a To Do List, which I update every Sunday. I shoot for the moon, but am truly satisfied if I only accomplish lift off. The point is to keep all my goals fresh and in front of me while I whittle away.
This week, I managed to:
1) Field questions regarding the Wild at Heart call for submissions; (If you’re a writer, you’ll want to click on the link and find out more!)
2) Respond to lessons from the ongoing Plotting Bootcamp;
3) I completed chapter 1 of AT;
4) I wrote the opening of a new short story;
5) My formatter person rushed the job for me so that I had Strokes back in time to upload it on Monday, then I spent time promoing the book everywhere I could think of;
6) I put together the newsletter for the After Midnight Fantasies group;
7) And it wasn’t part of my goals, but I put together a one-page, single-space proposal for a two-novella demon book;
8 ) I wrote a proposal for a Cleis antho and shipped it to my editor;
9) Tuesday, my daughter was ill, so I dropped everything and spent the day and evening at her house taking care of the wee ones;
10) Thursday, I attended an art guild meeting with my mom and aunt;
11) and Saturday, I spoke at the Diamond State Romance Authors‘ monthly meeting about time managements and planning!
Does that sound like enough? It was definitely not enough progress on the main goal, the demon story. I hope to remedy that this week!
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I need nags. “You go write, Delilah”“Why are you on Facebook when you should be writing me more stories!” I won’t get mad, and just maybe, I’ll follow orders! Y’all have a good week!
Get your free copy of Strokes while you can. See yesterday’s blog for details!
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Enjoy today’s little snippet which highlights the unusually close friendship Bo shares with the Kinzie brothers…
“…what you get is explosive, emotional and endearing, something Delilah Devlin does better than anyone…”
4 Cherries, Whipped Cream
There’s a wild child trapped inside her, and they’re hell-bent on unleashing it…
As the pretty daughter of the town whore, Shanna Davies has always tried hard to toe the line. But she just can’t help it. Her boyfriend, Bo Crenshaw, has lured her untamed spirit out to play once too often. It’s time to get the hell out of Dodge and make a new start where no one knows her past. After she fulfills one last, wicked fantasy.
Shanna is Bo’s first everything. First kiss, first sexual playmate, first love. Yet he’s never managed to convince her that he accepts her—good girl and bad—just as she is. So, she wants a memorable send off? No problem. He’ll give her one that’ll make her think twice about leaving.
On the appointed night, Shanna expects nerves. Yet once she crosses the threshold, the prospect of surrendering to a night of unrestrained passion with Bo and the three Kinzie brothers makes her mouth water—and her courage dry up.
But she asked for it, and now she’s not about to blink first in this game of sexual chicken…
Warning: Four lusty cowboys prove a little domination goes a long way in breaking a stubborn woman to saddle. Lots of spanking, binding, flogging, and double-dipping can keep a girl on her toes, her back, her belly, her knees…
Bo rehearsed the request a dozen times, pacing in front of the Kinzie porch. He’d come early enough to catch them before they headed into town to hit the saloon, getting a rash of shit from his foreman because the old man had guessed his distraction had something to do with a girl.
Fuck. How did you ask friends to help you blow your girl’s mind without looking like a fool?
“Do you think he knows we’re out here?” came an overloud whisper.
Bo turned, shooting a glance over his shoulder. The three Kinzie brothers were lined up on the other side of the rail, eyeing him. Josh grinned. Cade’s expression was wary, his eyes narrowed. And Ezra? Well, Bo never could get a bead on what Ezra thought because the man’s expression never strayed from neutral.
He chose to address Cade’s wary glance first. “I’m not here to borrow your tractor again.”
“Weren’t gettin’ it even if you did. Got it stuck to the axle last time.”
Josh leaned his butt against the rail. “Only thing ever gets you so worked up is Shanna Davies.”
Bo snorted and narrowed his eyes. Josh wasn’t a mind reader. He’d been drinking with Bo Saturday night when Shanna had approached him.
Josh grinned. “Well, that got a reaction. Better come in and get a beer while we get cleaned up.”
Bo blew out a deep breath, glad for the reprieve, and climbed the porch steps.
Inside the house, Josh headed down the hall toward the bedrooms, Cade on his heels.
However, Ezra pulled the tab of the beer he already held and settled onto a settee in the family room, not caring that his clothes were sweat-stained and covered in dust. “So what’s botherin’ you? You finally tell Shanna you’re in love with her?” Read the rest of this entry »
For the next three days, starting just after midnight (Pacific time) and ending Sunday at midnight, Strokes will be available for download for free at Amazon.com!
Help me get the word out. Please tweet and Facebook about this special giveaway. Tell a friend! And if you’ve already purchased Strokes, send me a copy of your receipt and I’ll send you a free .pdf of Pleasing Sir or Her Soul to Keep.
Click on the cover and head to Amazon to get your copy now!
You can do something for me in return. While you’re downloading your free copy, be sure to “like” and “tag” Strokes. And if you aren’t shy about it, please come back to post a review after you’ve read it! I hope you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for all your support!
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“…what you get is explosive, emotional and endearing, something Delilah Devlin does better than anyone…”
