The official release date of Cleis Press’s latest collection, Best Erotic Romance, is December 6th, but Amazon, for one, is already shipping! I have a little story in this first annual “Best of” collection, entitled “Drive Me Crazy.” Click on the cover to head to Amazon if you’d like to order your copy now. Hope you enjoy the excerpt!

Oh, and while you’re over at Amazon, how about clicking on “Like” and the “tags”—those things do help a book! Thanks! ~DD

This inaugural collection of erotic romance features the very best of the genre. In erotic romance, the sexual component is critical to the development of the romantic relationship. Each of these masterfully written tales contains the essence of true romance: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. What sets Best Erotic Romance apart is the scorching hot sex and the happily-ever-after (or happy-for-now) ending. Award-winning romance writer and editor Kristina Wright and her cast of terrific romance writers have crafted stories that touch the hearts and minds of readers, and linger in the memory for a long, long time.

Just a glimpse of him standing in profile, arms crossed over his well-developed chest and leaning his firm, round butt against the dispatch counter, was enough to shore up my weakening resolve. Dressed in faded blue jeans, a black, chest-hugging t-shirt, and a red Razorback ball cap turned backwards on his dark shaggy hair, he was every woman’s blue-collar fantasy. My mouth dried as I glanced down his tall, muscled frame. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t want one night with all that ripped hotness?

And that’s all it could be—one night. I’d waited until the last possible moment to make my move.

The midnight drive to the dispatch office had given me plenty of time to argue my way out of what had seemed like a good plan earlier when I’d realized that the planets had aligned to give me this one last chance to fulfill my long-standing fantasy.

There’d never been the right time. For the longest time, I was married. When my husband dumped me, Danny had been living with a woman with two kids, and seemed to be heading down a straight road to marriage.

We’d flirted; he’d issued lazy invitations for dates or a quickie at the Motel 6 down the road. But I’d never detected even a hint of serious interest. If something was going to happen, I had to be the one to make a move. Today had been my last day at Henderson Transport. It was now or never.

All the reasons why I was crazy to consider it fell away as I ticked through them in my mind:

He’s too young—He’ll be happy because I won’t have any expectations, I said to myself. Well, none beyond a really good time.

I’m management and he’s a driver—Midnight had just ticked past, so not true anymore. We were both free agents. Both consenting adults. All he had to do was say yes.
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I’m sick as a dog today and not able to spend much time in front of the monitor, so this is a quick post.

Have you ever been escorted out of a place by security?

As a teenager, I was asked to leave a movie theater for making too much noise with my friends, but I can’t remember anything more exciting than that. Tell me your story!

Persistence

Persistence is a word often thrown around in publishing. If an author writes books and is persistent, she’ll get published.

Well, maybe.

Persistence has many faces. It can help a person get a promotion at work, lose weight, or even get your kids to clean their bedrooms when their junk drifts into the hallway. And if that doesn’t work, there’s always yelling!
It would be nice if getting published was as easy as making kids pick up their messes. Selling a book basically comes down to part stubbornness, part learning craft, and part finding the right story to hook an editor.

It took me seventeen years, many unsold manuscripts, and a fabulous agent to sell my little courtesan matchmaker book to Berkley. And mine wasn’t an easy road to publication. I have a file stuffed with tear-stained rejection letters to show for those unpublished years. If that isn’t persistence, I don’t know what is! But those letters also let me know I was on track as I studied craft and learned stuff like not starting a book from a horse’s POV (who knew?).

Those first letters began as “Dear Author” photo-copied form letters (with my first book) and slowly morphed (with subsequent manuscripts) into “Dear Ms. Smith, thanks but no thanks…” to “Dear Cheryl Smith, I love your voice but the story just isn’t quite what we’re looking for. Please consider me with future projects….”

I’ve been rejected by the best! But persistence kept me slogging forward when I thought a job as French-fry girl at McDonalds might be my future. Well, persistence and the overwhelming drive to write stuff. Every time I thought I’d quit writing and get a ‘real job’, a fun storyline would pop into my head and I’d be off to the races again!

So, yes, persistence is a key part of getting published. Mix that with a strong spine and the willingness to take the hard lumps with the good stuff in order to succeed. It will be worth it in the end!

If you’d like to learn more about Cheryl and her books, you can visit her at: www.cherylannsmith.com or Facebook.

Yesterday’s winner, by random number generator, is…Wendy! Congratulations, Wendy, and be sure to send me an email with your mailing address so I can get your package in the mail!

Answer the question and qualify for the drawing for this pretty Christmas tree ornament! It’s handmade and signed. I thought it was adorable, and I have some other ornaments I picked up from my favorite curio shop that I’ll share over the next month.

Answer this question:

What song would you sing at karaoke?

Dead and Bored?

(Posted originally in the secret Undead Weekly ezine)

Have you done it all, seen it all, and nothing moves you? Perhaps you’ve been living your excellent undead existence day in and day out for a few hundred years now and the pressure to blend in to society is getting to you.

We have exactly what you need! A luxury resort set in the remote wilds of Alaksa. It’s the deepest part of winter when we’re open, so there’s no worry about exposing yourself to any pesky sunshine.

Come, relax, bring your bonded mate or loving companions to join you. We’re a full service establishment and can cater to the needs of the living as well as meet your every dark decadent desire. Care to journey back to your time as a sultan? Or do you miss those English schoolroom days with the strict teacher and her trusty paddle?

Our theme rooms, including two wildly popular slate-tiled dungeons, will certainly call to your inner beast. Want to swim or impress your seethe-mates with your vacation tan? No worries! We’ve got an entire pool wing decorated like a tropical island and the spray tan is free.

If outside sports are more your thing we’ve got skiing, tubing, and lots of winding paths illuminated by twinkling lights. Shed your civilized mask and take a blood bath in the Roman suite, ‘stalk’ live prey from willing donors (rules apply), or visit our orgy room with some close friends you’d like to get even closer to.

We promise, your vampire vacation at the V V Inn will be like no other trip you’ve had in decades! Have a shifter lover? No problem, we don’t charge extra for shedding clean up. Prefer to dance the night away or relax in an Irish pub? We’ve got you covered.

If you’re idea of a good time is more along the lines of reading collector edition books, a game of whisk, or drinking shots of an ancient vampire’s blood from a warmed snifter, then our English gentleman’s lounge may be just the spot for you.

Rafe and I will be your hosts for the week. We’ll make sure your every fantasy comes to life right before your very eyes. Be sure to call and book soon—we’re filling up fast and our Holiday ball only has a few spots left.

Inn Proprietors: Vivian and Rafe McAndrews
1-800-Dark-Fun
The V V Inn, Deadfoot, Alaska
(please call for plane coordinates)

~~ C.J. Ellisson ~~
Guest Speaker at Vamps at Sea – a Vampire Themed Cruise to Alaska
6.23.2012
Facebook * Website * Everything Erotic * Digital Digest

Yesterday’s winner of a free download of SILENT KNIGHT is named
at the bottom of this post! ~DD

I’m extremely excited to announce that The Cowboy, now Cowboy Lust, is a go!

And just to give you a hint about what you’ll find inside this volume, this is what I said in the introduction of the book.

There’s a reason Western romance stories never go out of fashion. The cowboy is an iconic figure that embodies the dichotomy of the fiercely independent, earthy alpha male while being a nurturing protector. Given a picture of a man on a horse, wearing Wranglers, chaps, and with a broad-rimmed hat shadowing his face, women melt. I melt—and admittedly, I’m a pretty jaded reader, but I’m still the reader who craves the romantic idea of that gruff, capable man.

Even when he’s up to his knees in mud freeing a calf from a wallow, his image doesn’t tarnish. The imagination sparks, filling in the details—the scent of horse, cow, and crisp, clean sweat; the sight of sun-leathered skin and crow’s feet; the feel of work-hardened thighs and arms; and the sound of a deep-voiced, Texas drawl.

Maybe my abiding affection for Western romances is grounded in the nine years I lived in the heart of the Texas Hill Country with a working ranch nestled up against my backyard fence. Cowboys in Wranglers, wearing straw hats and boots was a common sight. The slower pace of life there was a soothing balm after life in a corporate cubicle. The romance of the place—despite the dust, tarantulas, scorpions and snakes—enthralled me. Still does.

So when I put out the word I was looking for “cowboy” stories, I had high expectations. The writers delivered!

From Cari Quinn’s Riding Double, which has a wicked twist, to the last story, Anna Meadow’s haunting She Don’t Stay the Night, you’ll travel a breadth of distinct voices, settings, and themes.

Veteran erotica writer, Cheyenne Blue, will take you to the Australian Outback for riveting tale with a heroine on the run for her life. Michael Bracken tells a quieter, simpler tale of a cowboy and a school teacher in Drought that’s no less compelling.

There’s a female rodeo star determined to win back her buckle and her confidence in M. Marie’s Rough Stock, a gun-toting girlfriend set on firing up the hussy who laid hands on her man in Lissa Matthews’ Small Town Famous, and a gunslinging couple in the Wild West seeking revenge in Raney’s Last Ride.

Bored, yet? I dare you to give this collection a try. You’ll find humor, heart-melting romance, and sweet, as well as rough lovin’, in these here pages. Saddle up, y’all!

This is your lineup of authors and their stories:

Cari Quinn—Riding Double
Cheyenne Blue—Under the Southern Cross
Randi Alexander—Banging the Cowboy
Cat Johnson—Ladies Love Country Boys
Michael Bracken—Drought
Charlene Teglia—Roped
M. Marie—Rough Stock
Sedona Fox—The Ranch Hand
Lissa Matthews—Small Town Famous
Tahira Iqbal—The Storm
Nena Clements—Caught Unawares
Kimber Vale—Some Like It Dirty
Chaparrita—Raney’s Last Ride
Delilah Devlin—Runaway Bride
Anna Meadows—She Don’t Stay The Night

Congratulations, authors! Readers, sorry to say, you’ll have to wait until Fall 2012 to find this book!

Yesterday’s winner is…Ebony Morton! Congratulations, and email me!

Enjoy an excerpt from my one and only Christmas story! Post a comment and enter a drawing for a free download of Silent Knight!

“…The perfect holiday read! Delilah Devlin took a Christmas tale to a whole new level when she crafted SILENT KNIGHT.”
5 Stars, Heather, eCataRomance

“…[SILENT KNIGHT] is a sizzling hot vampire story tht will take you on a short escape — the perfect read for a busy holiday season. Sexy and fun, make sure Silent Knight is on your holiday “must read” list!”
4 Kisses, Karen Steele, Romance Divas

“Erotically decedent and thrillingly carnal, Noelle and Magnus’ story is enough to make a person self-combust with want.”
4 Roses, Angel, A Romance Review

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Noelle Moyaux questions her gift of sight until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger sets her on a path to save his soul.

Magnus Thornton is a millennium-old vampire who has found evidence of an old foe’s evil at work in the demolished city of New Orleans . Weary of the fight, he decides to greet the coming dawn after a night reveling in his favorite things–a bottle of Bordeaux and a willing woman.

Noelle seems the answer, but she quickly creeps into his heart-the vampire, so jaded from life he never speaks, must now persuade Noelle to flee the city before it’s too late.

Noelle Moyaux flicked off the battery-powered Christmas lights that ringed her metal cart, folded her purple tablecloth into a small tidy square and tucked it and the folding table inside the cart before latching the lid closed.

She wheeled the cart across the busy street and waved to her friend Gerard, the owner of a small Cajun restaurant. Continuing around the back of the eatery, she stowed her palmistry kiosk in the storage unit she’d rented from Gerard since before the troubles.

Today’s earnings were slim, despite the unseasonably warm weather that allowed the thin-blooded residents of the city to roam the streets in light jackets. No one believed in a future amid the chaos–and some questioned her ability since she’d received no divination of the coming catastrophe. Indeed, Noelle questioned her gift daily as she sat beneath her umbrella in front of the embroidered cloth advertising “Noelle’s News”.

If not for the little nest egg of money she’d saved from substitute teaching before the flood, she’d be in dire straits.

Clutching her purse close to her side, she headed down the street toward home.

One last night. One last chance to lose myself in The Hunger, a fine glass of wine and the body of a willing woman. Before my last sunrise—the first I will see in nearly a thousand years…
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