It’s Saturday, but only about 2 AM. Had a long talk with Sasha White tonight. We talked about things we want to do and see on our vacation/retreat, and after I hung up I started doing the worry thing—you know, what do I wear? what should I pack? Sheesh, I have to make a list (whenever I get restless or worried, I HAVE to have a list).

So here I am. One thing I was worried about was whether I’d really find time to write (that is one of our goals for the trip after all). I have to worry about that because I have so many balls that I’m juggling in the air right now that I don’t have a lot of slack time. The trip will be part vacation and I will be visiting Canada for the first time, but I justified it to myself as a writer’s retreat. Seems Sasha has some big goals too, so we’ll be guilting each other into getting something accomplished.

Can’t wait. I fly to Edmonton, Alberta on Thursday. My flight’s at a god-awful hour—6:42 AM. And since it’s an international flight, I think I have to be there two hours ahead of time. I may not go to bed the night before. The last trip I took with Sasha, that cruise to the Caribbean last winter, I left at about 1:00 AM, stopped at the Waffle House on the way for a very leisurely breakfast and arrrived at the airport well ahead of schedule. I’d rather be very, very early than rushing to the gate. I can always sleep on the plane.

So, today (after I get a few hours of sleep), I’ll be making my lists (packing list, things to get done before I go). My lists are always horribly ambitious. I just have to remember the priorities. Have to get my hair done Tuesday, nails on Wednesday. And lord, someone remind me to pack my passport. Forgetting it would really blow.

Anyway, I fly to Edmonton, spend a couple of days with her at her place, then we’re going on a road trip to Seattle for our writers’ retreat. We’ll be there five days, then drive back to Edmonton following a different route so we see some different scenery. We plan to see Banf, Jasper, Vancouver. We may even go see our friend Vivi Anna in Calgary!

Okay, so I’m finally yawning. I think I’ll try to go to sleep again. Later!

I subscribe to a website called Giveaway of the Day. They give away a new piece of software every day—with a limited 24-hour window to download. Most days it’s geek stuff I don’t have a clue what it does, but today, I’m playing with a mosaic-building software that uses your photographs to build an image.

Take a look!

This is the picture I selected as my “master”—the image I wanted the mosaic to mimic. It’s a picture I took pointing up a drainhole in an old fortress in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Here’s the mosaic the program generated:

I’m guessing I need to find master images with a bit more contrast between light and dark.

If you try it and want to share your image, send it so I can post! Oops! Which reminds me I still have Bearded lizard photos to post!

Today’s the end of the contest! I know, two someones get prizes and the rest of y’all don’t. So most of you will heave a dejected sigh. 🙁

But it’s not all bad, right? You had fun. Maybe learned a little about me and my stories. I sure had fun reading through your entries.

If you don’t know me well, be sure to drop by often. I run contests almost weekly. It’s a bribe to keep you coming back, but I think that’s not such a chore. Lots will be happening in the coming months. I have two major releases coming up: Darkness Captured (dark paranormal) in September and Ravished by a Viking (futuristic) in January. I have eBooks coming soon with both Ellora’s Cave and Samhain—and I have a couple of free reads on the way. Textile Free will be available for a free download as soon as the cover is complete and I figure out how to put it up on Smashwords.

So lots happening. I blog every day. Even when I go on vacation, I have friends take up the slack and blog for me. The content here is never stale.

So back to wrapping up this contest. First, let me answer the questions:

1) List as many images as you can find hidden in the pretty picture at the top of this page.
This one was the most fun. Someone mentioned the “skin” at the top of the page acts like an ink blot test. Everyone saw something different.

The most popular answers: wineglass (it’s supposed to be a chalice!), wolf, sailing ship, two knights on horses, one carrying a pennant, a dragon on a shield, a crescent moon and a hot as hell man.

The most creative answers: witchy woman with a black pointy hat, side view of an angel, a heart, the number 3, a minatour holding a flag, and a woman with a unicorn coming out of her forehead, the letter D (bottom of the wineglass), double d’s on one of the knight’s shield, mother and child, Mother-father-and-child, flick knife, prawn/shrimp, and a picture frame.

2) What is the title of the book I will self-publish next month? And what color is Raelie’s bra? Pleasing Sir; lavendar/purple

3) What three novellas appear in Un, Deux, Trois, Ménage!? Raw Silk, Fun with Dick and Jayne, Jane’s Wild Weekend

4) What is the title of the short story I have in the latest anthology in the “Fantasy” section? The Obedient Wife

Now for the drawings (both are being conducted using a random number generator)…

The winner of Prize Package #1, which includes a $25.00 gift card from Amazon.com, and a download of any of my eBooks, is…Miranda Grissom!

The winner of Prize Package #2, which includes a Delilah Devlin canvas tote bag, two signed DD print books, reader’s choice, and Delilah’s goodies (pen, bookmarks, post-it notes), is…Sue Brandes!

Ladies, congratulations, and be sure to email me about delivery of your prizes!

Thanks so much, everyone, for celebrating with me! ~DD

My “Brand New Look” contest ends today! Be sure to check Monday’s post for the contest rules and the prize list!

Please welcome my guest today, Juniper Bell! ~DD

I’d like to give a big thank you to Delilah for having me on her blog. Delilah, you’re one of my heroes and it’s a thrill to be here! Call it a Release Day treat for myself—my latest book, My Three Lords, comes out today from Ellora’s Cave.

My Three Lords is an erotic Regency ménage about one newly married young lady and three very naughty lords. I wrote the story because the idea came to me, because lords were the Alpha heroes of their time, and the thought of three of them … mmm. I didn’t worry about whether such a story could have happened in that time period. Regency romances come in many flavors, from sweet to steamy, although I generally picture formal balls and strict rules of behavior. Think every Jane Austen movie ever made.

I don’t think of threesomes … or in the case of my book, a foursome. Would a gently bred girl and three noblemen really end up in bed together?

So I did a little research, and lo and behold, people back then did all kinds of things they weren’t supposed to. Or at least, they thought about it. I found examples of erotica written around that time—not during the Regency itself, but from ten years earlier and about fifty years later. And some of what I read made me blush. One book, written by “Anonymous”, wrote about lusty governesses seducing schoolboys, anal sex, lots of man-on-man sex, woman-on-woman, multiple partners, group sex, even brothers and sisters experimenting.

I have no idea if his story is true. But at least it proves that people thought about sex then—a lot, in his case. Erotic books were written, published and read. But I wonder, why should that surprise me? The infamous Marquis de Sade was still alive at the time my book takes place (1811). Casanova had only died about thirteen years earlier. Those guys would put some of our current-day studs to shame.

After all, why would the Regency-era sex drive be any less than ours? Human nature hasn’t changed that much. Just because social behavior was strictly controlled doesn’t mean people didn’t get down and dirty in the privacy of their own bedrooms. In fact, maybe the lure of the forbidden made it even more tempting.

If Mr. Anonymous could write scorching erotica in the 1800’s, I can write scorching erotica set then. Maybe my story wouldn’t have happened, maybe it would. Who knows? But I’ll wager my best silk gloves that some adventurous lords and ladies thought about it. Ah, the seductive power of fantasies.

So is My Three Lords historically plausible or not? I say, based on my research, that I have no idea. But if you read it in the spirit of erotic fantasy, absolutely.

And that’s the best way to enjoy it anyway.

Here’s the blurb and an excerpt from My Three Lords, which releases today from Ellora’s Cave.

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

How is one innocent country girl to choose between a Duke, a Marquis and an Earl? Must she?

When Miss Alicia Silverwood marries the Earl of Dorchester, he whisks her off to Notre Plaisir, a country manor where erotic surprises await in the company of three powerful lords.

The young Earl needs a wife and heir. The cynical Marquis de Beaumont needs a playmate. And the commanding Duke of Warrington needs a reason to live. As for the new Lady Dorchester, she’s about to discover the true nature of her own sensual needs. On top of that, she’s falling in love.

It might take a miracle for Lady Alicia and her three lords come to an arrangement that makes them all happy. Or perhaps all that’s required is a little scandalous rule-breaking.

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

“I make you two promises, Alicia. The first is that I shall not take your maidenhead. Only one man may do so, and that is your husband. The second is that tonight you will experience more pleasure than you’ve ever imagined, thanks to me. If the Earl were here tonight, you’d receive no gentle caresses, no stroking such as I intend to give you. Your nipples would be left untouched, save for a rough tweak or two. Whereas I intend to savor their sweetness and watch them stand to attention like pink sentinels of your desire.”
Read the rest of this entry »

My “Brand New Look” contest continues through tomorrow! Be sure to check the rules and the prize list in yesterday’s post!

A little birdie at Ellora’s Cave told me that Warlord’s Destiny is the best-selling reissue so far, she thinks. That’s good enough for me! They’ve been breaking apart older anthologies and reissuing the novellas individually. Nice for the author because we’re seeing an older title gain a new life.

WD was originally published in 2005 as one of three stories in the anthology Fated Mates, which was nominated for Best Paranormal Erotic Novel of 2005 by RT BookReview Magazine.

Thanks so much for your support. Without it, I’d have to have a day job and would no doubt be writing fewer books!

This is what the story is about:

Promised in marriage for a decade, Mora has no illusions she is anything other than the sacrificial lamb to ensure peace between her peace-loving planet and the warlike world that demands her union with one of their own. No great beauty, she resigns herself to a loveless marriage with a man who will only do his duty by her. However, when she meets the rugged warlord who will be her husband, Mora feels an immediate stirring of lust. She decides in that moment to win his heart—she’ll settle for nothing less!

Lord Tetrik finds his bride more than the scrawny handful he had expected. She has hips to breed him strong, sturdy sons, and intelligence that is a gift worth more than a pretty face. When he suspects his wife harbors tender feelings for him, he wonders if he can be the husband she desires. After all, love for a woman is a frivolous thing—and not a Warlord’s Destiny.

Read an excerpt here

I’m running a contest through Wednesday on this website to celebrate my site’s new look. She’s shiny and new and ready for you to take a peek under her skirts! There are two different prize packages for two lucky winners.

The Contest: Ends Wednesday

Prize Package #1:
* $25.00 gift card from Amazon.com (I like to encourage READING)
* A download of any of my eBooks
Prize Package #2:
* Delilah Devlin canvas tote bag
* two signed print books, reader’s choice
* Delilah’s goodies (pen, bookmarks, post-it notes)

Rules:
* Send the answers to the following questions to me PRIVATELY at Delilah’s Email. All the answers can be found somewhere on my website.
* Post comments to my blog Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I will check!

Questions:
1) List as many images as you can find hidden in the pretty picture at the top of this page. (There is no right number of answers, so just find what you can!)
2) What is the title of the book I will self-publish next month? And what color is Raelie’s bra?
3) What three novellas appear in Un, Deux, Trois, Ménage!?
4) What is the title of the short story I have in the latest anthology in the “Fantasy” section? (Hint: look on the “By Genre” book page.)

Good luck and thanks, everybody, for you’re wonderful support over the years! ~DD

Just a couple quick announcements, then on to my weekly truth-telling…

Today, I’m going to work on getting together a set of questions and a list of prizes I will give away this week for a SCAVENGER HUNT to celebrate the unveiling of my new web design. So be sure to stop by every day, see what’s happening and post those comments!

Also in the planning stages is a blog tour to spread the word about the release of Darkness Captured in September. It’s not too early to plan, and I need your suggestions. What websites do you think I should approach to see whether they might host me for a day? You all have your favorites, I’d love to start a list so I can try to get on their calendars.

In addition, I’ll be preparing a contest widget that I’d love for any of you out there interested in putting it on your site. Of course, there will be bribes… 🙂

So on to the truth-telling…

This week:

* I wrapped up a story that was supposed to be a Quickie for Ellora’s Cave, but ended up being a novella. I was a little irritated with myself for not following the plan, but you won’t mind, right? The tentative title is A Long Howl Goodnight, and the story is related to the MIK series because it involves wolves from the Dark Mountain clan (last seen in MIK-6).

* I began work on my next Western for Samhain. Can’t tell you what it’s about yet, but I like the opening. My heroine is a writer, and strangely, every time I have a writer-heroine (the only other time was DiDi in Bad Moon Rising), I manage to portray her very close to my own personality.

* I continued teaching and providing detailed feedback for the FFnP Logline, Premise, Query and Synopsis class.

* And the big excitement was the finalization of my new web page design! Woohoo!

Next week, I hope to wrap up a short story for a Call for Submissions. I want to get through chapter 3 of the new Western. I want to finish the last bit of planning for the second Viking book, and I’ll be running that scavenger hunt! Lastly, I’ll wrap up the FFnP class.

Thanks for suffering through that last bit. 😉