“I survived because I was tougher than everyone else.” Bette Davis

I can claim “tough”.

I served 14.5 years in the U.S. Army (including a stint in the Middle East during the Gulf War), plus another 7 in the Guard.

I gave birth to a 10.5 pound kid without so much as an aspirin.

I worked full time, wrote full time, and put up with a 3-hour commute each day.

So why do I want to whine like a 5-year-old because I’m up at the butt-crack of dawn now and can’t go back to sleep?

It’s my own damn fault. I looked at my calendar, carved up what I still had to accomplish for the rest of the month, then did a little backward planning to come up with my To Do list for the next few days. Today’s has a hellish 30 items I need to get through to keep on track. I’ve been making great headway on the Viking story, but shoved everything else aside this week to make sure I kept focused on goal #1, but I can’t afford to let all the other little things slide either. They add up. And they keep my edgy.

So, here I am at O-dark-thirty, getting the the first thing scratched off my battle list. And if I’m reverting to Army-speak, it’s because I feel like I need to roll out today like I’m getting ready to cross the LD (the line designated to coordinate the departure of attack elements). Hooah!

In case you hadn’t heard, I have a free book that you, the readers, are helping me plot. You tell me what you want to have happen next, and I write it. Chapter 4 is finished and ready for you to enjoy. Follow the link at the bottom of this post to my Free Story page and click on the chapter links to read them all.

Enjoy! And while you read, be thinking of what you’d like to see happen next to my intrepid heroine, DiDi Devereaux. Very soon, I’ll be asking for your suggestions for what’s next in Chapter 5. If an idea occurs to you while you’re reading now, be sure to post that idea in the comments.

Comment anyway to let me know how your story is going so far. 😉 ~DD

*~*~*~*~*

On a whim, romance author DiDi Devereaux decides to travel to remote Louisiana bayou country to take possession of a house she inherited from a reclusive relative. But before she reaches her destination, she drives her car into a ditch to avoid a large animal that leaps into her path. Rescue comes in the form of a sexy sheriff, whose gruff demeanor seems to hide a feral attraction. As DiDi settles into her new home she finds herself torn between her attraction to the sheriff and the raw, handsome bad boy whose offer to help her renovate her home is a little too convenient and tempting.

Nothing in Bayou Noir is what it seems. When strange things begin to happen, her natural curiosity leads her into danger…

Read the first four chapters

Praise You
By Dita Parker

I’m on Delilah’s blog, I’m on Delilah’s blog… *chants* What? I think she’s a pretty fabulous author with the track record to match. What is a rookie like me to do but flaunt a little?

Speaking of which, I need to ask you all a favor. I’d like to play a game today. A really simple one and everyone’s eligible to enter. You see, I picked up a beauty magazine at the hairdresser’s the other day and instantly remembered why I gave those up sometime during the last century: they make you feel ugly. Conveniently, they also offer the remedy to all the insecurities and inferiorities of their own making on the very next page because that’s what they’re selling, both the disease and the cure.

Screw them. I think there’s nothing more beautiful than someone who is comfortable in their own skin, and it has nothing to do with what we’re being sold or told. So what I want to do today is hear you flaunt your fannies off. I don’t want to know what you’d change about yourself if you could, I want to know what you wouldn’t trade for the world. I don’t want you to compare yourself to anyone, living or dead, and say you wish you looked like so-and-so, I want you to tell me what you like about yourself. When we’re done, keep telling yourself that, with conviction, with a vengeance, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Okay? Okay.

To get you going, I’ll go first. I like my eyes, golden brown stars spreading on olive green. My nails are strong and healthy, so is my hair. Wavy, wash and go, always a plus when you don’t have the time or the inclination to spend gargantuan portions of time in front of the bathroom mirror each morning. You know what else is naturally curvy? My figure. I got hips and shoulders and I’ve got a butt, but I’ve also got a waist, a proportional hourglass I think looks pretty nice.

That wasn’t so hard. It actually felt quite good, and that’s saying a lot when you’re originally from Europe where they teach you self-aggrandizement is the eighth deadly sin. Luckily, I grew up elsewhere.

Before I forget, thank you, Delilah, for the spotlight! Now let’s turn it on you. Don’t be shy and do not be modest. Show me the pretty, the beautiful, what you love about yourselves, and shine on!

Yours truly madly deeply,
Dita Parker
https://ditaparker.blogspot.com

I’m blogging today at Everything Erotic. If you’ve never visited the site, it’s chock full of smutty delights from reviews of sex toys, informative articles about sexual mores of the past, and best of all, erotic fiction!

I’m going to be sharing the story I contributed to the Lambda award-winning anthology, Lesbian Cowboys. The first installment goes up this morning. Stop by to check out the site and be sure to say hello!

Hey there! It’s my turn to guest blog. I’m hanging out today at the Vampire Chix blog! Come on over and say hi, and be sure to enter the contest for a chance to win a free autographed book! While I’m playing hooky, I’ll be working on getting the books and gifts ready to go that have accumulated in my To Be Mailed stack. Ugh! I need an assistant.

Drop by! I’d love to see some familiar faces. ~DD 😉

Before I get to my report card, I want to express some heartfelt gratitude.

Thanks to reviewers for the following lovely comments:

From Fresh Fiction on Darkness Captured: “Another hot read of dark sensuality, riveting situations and jaw-dropping desire.”

5 Stars (Orgasmic heat) from Just Erotic Romance for Bad, Bad Girifriend: “…Ms. Devlin puts you right in the thick of things and you feel the emotion that drives their decisions. The characters are well developed and the story is satisfying to the end. Make no mistake, this short is scorching HOT! So be careful, your toys may burst into flames…”

4/5 from Book of Secrets for Pleasing Sir: “…Delilah Devlin knows how to write a scorching hot short story!…There is a wickedly delicious twist at the very end that I don’t want to give away. I’ll just say that Raelie is one lucky girl!”

And huge thanks to readers, who’ve made Pleasing Sir and Four Sworn such stellar successes!

Amazon stats for Pleasing Sir:

Amazon stats for Four Sworn:

And, back to the report card…

I’m settling into a routine. One that has me running to the keyboard every spare moment I have. I have a six-year-old and a 20-month-old underfoot during the week, and they are both darling little time-suckers. But I am making progress.

I wrapped up the next installment of my serialized free read, Bad Moon Rising. I sent it through the Rose’s critique group, and should have it back today. Then I’ll revise quickly and ship it to my webmistress for her to put up on the site. Depending on how booked up she is, you should be able to read it by Tuesday or Wednesday.

I’ve also made progress on a new short for the Cleis collection, Women in Lust. I have a woman lusting over a trucker and taking matters into her own hands.

And then there’s the Viking story. And, at last, I feel the groove. I’ve made significant progress and have the story in my head for the next few chapters, which means I will be able to whiz right through the pages. In between diaper changes.

(My T-shirt contest is still running. See last Saturday’s post for details! ~DD)

Did you know that it’s National Boss Day? Why on earth would they make it a Saturday where you wouldn’t see your boss to tell him you appreciate him?

It works well for the Raelies of the world who only have to slide beneath the covers to show their bosses just how much they care.

In honor of all the bosses out there…

“…PLEASING SIR is a hot number. I loved how both of these characters suffered unrequited lust, only to find out they both were wanting the same thing. The way Raelie is so determined to get her man even as she becomes the submissive woman he wants her to be. Add in the sexy ménage a trois scenes and this is one tantalizing tale that will leave you panting for more.” Coffee Time Romance

One adventurous little submissive is just what the bosses need…

Raelie might be a submissive in search of just the right Dom, but she’s not the kind to sit back and wait for the right man to happen. When she gets the chance to fill in as Bryce Caldwell’s executive assistant, she decides some subtle seduction is needed to see if he dominates the bedroom the same way he does the office.

Bryce can’t keep his mind off the sexy blonde sitting just outside his office. Especially not after the security cameras in the copier room catch Raelie “misappropriating” office property. A little disciplinary action leads to a whole lot of complication while he tries to find out whether she’s the right assistant to fulfill a special vacancy. Add a second round of interviews, and suddenly, Bryce is finding out he’s not the only one who’s not sure who’s really in charge.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Note for Readers: You must be of legal age in your country of origin to read this excerpt.

Raelie bent to retrieve her purse from the bottom drawer of the EA’s desk and slipped inside the panties and the copies she’d made.

Bryce’s office door opened, and she straightened, knowing her face burned. She hoped he didn’t intend to stay much longer, because she needed to get into the online copier folder and delete the pictures of her pussy.

“Do you have a minute, Ms. Wood?” he said, his words sounding clipped.

“Of course, sir,” she said breathlessly, still horribly aroused. She’d wiped the copier glass with her panties, but knew she’d have to return with some Windex. She’d gushed arousal as the machine vibrated and heated beneath her bottom. She’d imagined Bryce looking at the pictures of her cunt, and she’d been transported.

His face looked so stern as she passed him upon entering his inner sanctum that she faltered for a moment, wondering if she’d been caught after all. However, Morgan sat on the dark leather couch inside. Surely, this was all about business. He wouldn’t chastise her in front of another man. “Is there anything I can do for you before I leave, sir?”
Read the rest of this entry »