**Remember! The Skull Stealing Fairy contest continues!
Click on the contest name for details! ~DD

If I could make a living writing short stories, I would. I love getting quickly into a story, finding the surprise (Yes, I know that makes me sound a little nuts. I’m the one writing the story, how can I be surprised? But so often, I am!), then zooming to the close. Writing short helps me polish my prose, helps me focus on word choice. Have Sex Will Travel was especially fun to write since I placed the story in Europe aboard the Orient Express—a train I enjoyed several times while I lived there. I hope you enjoy the little snippet!

“Sexy Little Numbers” is a choice cut of all new and original erotic stories and the latest addition to Black Lace’s immensely popular series of erotica collections. This longer collection will contain even more variety and a greater range of female sexual desire than ever before. It will be the first of an annual collection of the best general erotica stories written by women. Fun, irreverent and deliciously decadent, “Sexy Little Numbers” will combine humour and attitude with wildly imaginative writing from all over the world. This will be the most entertaining erotic fiction for women to be found anywhere in the world.

From Have Sex Will Travel…

The Russian’s fingers did it for her.

As annoyed as she’d been with his arrogant set down on the train platform before they’d boarded, one look at his hands as he clutched his newspaper in front of his face and she was mesmerized, unable to drag away her gaze.

He had large hands, shaped like shovels, dark, sparse hairs sprouting below the second set of knuckles. His fingers were long—the tips blunt and thick. His nails were clean, trimmed, but not filed or buffed. He had a man’s large and capable, but unfussy hands.
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I have another call for submissions to any writers out there—and its short-fused! If you get your submission into me early enough, and if it requires changes to make it acceptable, you’ll get the chance to resubmit. I’ll work with you. Also, I need a sexier title. Anyone have any suggestions? I’d love to hear your ideas!

And don’t forget about Beastly Babes—those short stories are due at the end of July. Read more about it here: Beastly Babes ~DD

The Cowboy
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Publisher: Cleis Press in Fall 2012
Deadline: August 30, 2011 September 10, 2011
The Cowboy (tentative title) is open to all authors.

Editor Delilah Devlin is looking for hetero cowboy stories for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled The Cowboy.

There’s a reason Western romance novels never go out of fashion. The cowboy is an iconic figure that embodies the dichotomy of the fiercely independent, earthy alpha male and the male as a nurturer. Given a picture of a man on a horse, wearing Wranglers, chaps, and with a broad-rimmed hat shadowing his face, women melt.

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 crows feet; the feel of work-hardened thighs and arms; and the sound of a deep-voiced, Texas drawl.

The Cowboy will seek stories that satisfy the reader who craves the romantic idea of that gruff, capable man while exploring stories in the American West as well as lesser-known international settings. The stories will be primarily contemporary with the possibility of a few historical Westerns. While traditional themes are likely to be featured, writers will be encouraged to imagine greater in order to create tales that, while featuring that iconic hero, may also surprise, like the rodeo clown seducing the cowboy-crazy “buckle bunny” or a Quigley Down Under story set in the pampas mired in a South American range war.

Published authors with an established Western world may use that setting for their original short story.

The stories may be as kinky or vanilla as the writer wants—but a deep sensuality should linger in every word. Exotic locations and scenarios are welcome. Keep in mind there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please no reprints. We are seeking original stories.

How to submit: Prepare your 1,500 to 4,500 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 words or less bio in the third person to cleisthecowboy@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. Delilah will respond in October 2011. The publisher has final approval over the stories included in the manuscript.

Payment will be $50.00 USD and two copies of the published book upon publication.

About the editor: Ms. Devlin has published over eighty erotic 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 debuts her first anthology with Cleis Press, Girls Who Bite.

Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at cleisthecowboy@gmail.com.

I’m Day 8 of a blog tour to celebrate the release of Carnal Machines! Folks ask me all the time why I write for these collections. They’re short. The pay stinks. My name’s not on the cover. What I tell them is that I love being in the company of great writers. That readers who’ve never read me might discover me. That shorts give me a chance to try something new.

I’ve never done Steampunk. To me, it’s a fascinting, frightening genre. So much to learn. A huge world to build. And I’m not very mechanically oriented. So writing a story for this particular collection was a challenge I couldn’t resist. A chance to dip my toes in strange waters. I was thrilled when my story made the cut!

I will admit, I didn’t fly very far from the truth in my fantasy. I researched Victorian sexual practices, remembering from an old Amanda Quick book a common treatment for “female hysteria”, then researched machinery that actually was used to stimulate women into orgasm in those times, for purely medicinal reasons, and then building on those. Yes, my story’s all about sex. I hope you’ll enjoy the excerpt I’ve provided here from Dr. Mullaley’s Cure.

If you’d like a peak at the other authors and stories that are part of the collection, edited by D.L. King, here’s a list of blogs and dates. Some have already past so you’ll have plenty to sample already!

May 1 D. L. King
May 2 Teresa Noelle Roberts
May 3 Kathleen Bradean
May 4 Jay Lawrence
May 5 Kannan Feng
May 6 Essemoh Teepee
May 7 Elizabeth Schechter
May 8 Delilah Devlin
May 9 Tracey Shellito
May 10 Renee Michaels
May 11 Elias St. James
May 12 Lisabet Sarai
May 13 Janine Ashbless

The Victorians wrote some of the best and most enduring erotica. For such a tightly-laced age, people spent a lot of time thinking about things carnal. Jules Verne, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, et al enthralled us with their visions of new possibilities. The rich and slightly decadent visuals of the steam age lend themselves perfectly to the new carnality of post-punk era. And, of course, what is repressed will be even more exciting once the corset is unlaced. Steampunk, even without sex, is erotic; with sex, it’s over-the-top hot. A widowed lady engineer invents a small device that can store the energy from sexual frustration and convert it to electricity to help power a home. Teresa Noelle Roberts shows us what it can do, confronted with sexual fulfillment. What volume of steampunk would be complete without a tale of sailing ships and the men who sail them? If your taste runs to sexy pirates in space, Poe Von Page will delight you with the mutinous crew of the Danika Blue and their new captain.

Then there’s the very special room on the top floor in the House of the Sable Locks, a brothel where sexually discriminating men go to have their fantasies fulfilled. Even if a man daren’t put those fantasies into words, Elizabeth Schechter’s “Succubus” will give the madam all the information she needs with which to make her clients happy. There are brothels, flying machines, steam-powered conveyances, manor houses, spiritualist societies. The following stories afford intelligently written, beautifully crafted glimpses into other worlds, where the Carnal Machines won’t fail to seduce you, get you wet or make you hard so, lie back, relax; a happy ending is guaranteed.

I’d been warned that the doctor was a bit eccentric. That he dabbled in machinery and had been ostracized by others in his profession for the lengths he went to please his patients.

“You’ll never find another employer,” I was told. “Not once they see your only reference is Doctor Mullaley.” The mad Irishman. The charlatan who promised cures to bored housewives and whose waiting room hadn’t been empty since I arrived for my first day’s work. If I hadn’t already been turned away at every other respectable physician’s practice, I might have heeded the advice. However, those warnings only served to stir my interest.

I was intensely curious about the nature of the doctor’s cures, and even more so about the conditions he treated, but they were only spoken of in whispers and never in the presence of an unmarried woman. Which made me wonder why he’d hired me. Not that I complained. One glance at his tall rangy frame, frosty blue eyes and dark, slicked-back hair, and my misgivings evaporated.
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Girls Who Bite was my first anthology for Cleis Press. I had so much fun reading the many entries and working with the authors that I sent in a proposal for another! On Thursday, I got the email saying they wanted it! So, here are the details for any authors or aspiring authors out there! I can’t wait to read your stories!

Beastly Babes
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Publisher: Cleis Press
Deadline: July 29, 2011 August 15, 2011

Beastly Babes is open to all authors.

Editor Delilah Devlin is looking for lesbian shapeshifter stories for a romantic erotica anthology entitled Beastly Babes.

The concept of shapeshifters—beings both human and animal—ignites our imaginations with visions of primal passions and insatiable hungers. Most commonly seen as dark, masculine demons, shapeshifters are in need of a metaphysical overhaul—a new feminine/Sapphic blending of physical power and inescapable desires.

Beastly Babes will re-envision common and not-so-common myths and deliver a fresh perspective from the storytellers. Traditional lycanthropes and feline familiars are welcome, if told with a fresh twist, but writers are encouraged to imagine greater, and perhaps explore more obscure, lesser-known mythologies from around the world to create inventive tales celebrating feminine power, lust, and erotic love. Concentration primarily focuses on the lesbian relationship, although ménage and secondary m/f depictions will be permitted. Published authors with an established shapeshifter world may use that setting for their original short story.

The stories may be as kinky or vanilla as the writer wants—but a deep sensuality should linger in every word. Exotic locations and scenarios are welcome. Keep in mind there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please no reprints. We are seeking original stories.

How to submit: Prepare your 1,500 to 4,500 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 th epage, include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to cleisbeastlybabe@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. Delilah will respond to you in October 2011. The publisher has final approval over the manuscript.

Payment will be $50.00 USD and two copies of the published book upon publication.

About the editor: Ms. Devlin has published over eighty erotic 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 debuts her first anthology with Cleis Press, Girls Who Bite.

Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at cleisbeastlybabe@gmail.com.

NOTE: If I receive the submission early enough and like it but it’s not quite right, there may be a chance to revise and resubmit. The key is to get the story in early!! DD

While Moonstruck is busy uploading at Kindle and Smashwords, let’s talk about my contribution to Cleis Press’s Lesbian Cops.

I love writing shorts. Those of you who visit often know that I do it for fun. It’s a way to experiment with a genre I’ve never tried or simply to clear my mind when I’m deep into a longer story.

When Sacchi’s call for submissions went out, I was all over it! Over the years, I’ve had cop friends, lesbian cop friends, so my story about a big city cop moving to a small southern town was very nearly biographical (and parts autobiographical—but I’m not telling which!). The funny things that happen to the cop in my story are true. The dry humor, the tight-knit friendships are real as well.

I got my copy in the mail the other day and have started reading through the stories. They’re hot, varied in tone and style, and very well done. You’re going to love this. And even if the theme isn’t your persuasion, I think you’ll be drawn in. I worked with Sacchi on Lesbian Cowboys, and she knows a good story when she sees it. 😉

If you’d like to check out the other stops in Sacchi’s blog tour, check out her website: Sacchi’s Blog

(Click on the cover to buy!)

What is it about lesbian cops that pushes all the right buttons? It’s not just the uniform, with handcuffs and weapons, or the confidence, authority, and sense of danger. There’s something more as well, an irresistible force that these writers have channeled into fiercely erotic stories of policewomen in or out of uniform, on patrol or undercover, in charge or in need of healing, on the case or under the sheets.

The action can be gut-level tough, as in Jove Belle’s ”Hollis” where anti-terrorism boot camp surges over the inevitable edge into BDSM, or heart-wrenching as in Evan Mora’s “A Cop’s Wife” when death threats sharpen the need for life-affirming sex to a keen edge, or quirky as well as steamy while Teresa Noelle Roberts’s cop finds a way to maintain respect for her own “Dress Uniform” while indulging her anime-girl lover’s cos-play kink. Delilah Devlin, Andrea Dale, R. G. Emanuelle, Cheyenne Blue, and all the other contributors offer their own sizzling visions of the complexity and depth, the strength and vulnerability, and above all the commanding, overwhelming sex appeal of Lesbian Cops.

From The Only Game in Town, Lesbian Cops:

I wondered why I’d bothered changing out of my uniform before hitting the bar. Back in the city, the department had strict rules about drinking in uniform. However here, a circle of black uniforms sat crowded around the table in the far corner, cold beers sweating on the scarred wood.

Lonny James caught sight of me and waved me over. “Make room, guys.”
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I have two reminders before we get to the guts of today’s entry! ~DD

Last Day of Auction to Support Fatin!

For Readers: A tote back with the reader’s choice of three signed print books, an Amazon gift card for $25.00, and various promo gifts from Delilah Devlin. Delilah does ship internationally! Bid Here

For Writers: Co-founder of RosesColoredGlasses.com and multi-published author, Delilah Devlin offers a one-on-one plotting bootcamp, with critique of the partial, when written, plus a second critique after revisions. The writer may work at his or her own pace. Bid Here

Four Sworn needs your vote! Deadline March 31st!

Four Sworn has been nominated for Best Erotic Romance (Non-Traditional Lifestyle) in 2010!

But it needs your vote to win! Here’s the link to the page. Be sure to check out the list of all the nominees in all their wonderful categories, then go vote for Delilah’s! 😉

The Romance Reviews Voting Page

Blog Tour Kickoff!

What is it about lesbian cops that pushes all the right buttons? It’s not just the uniform, with handcuffs and weapons, or the confidence, authority, and sense of danger. There’s something more as well, an irresistible force that these writers have channeled into fiercely erotic stories of policewomen in or out of uniform, on patrol or undercover, in charge or in need of healing, on the case or under the sheets.

The action can be gut-level tough, as in Jove Belle’s ”Hollis” where anti-terrorism boot camp surges over the inevitable edge into BDSM, or heart-wrenching as in Evan Mora’s “A Cop’s Wife” when death threats sharpen the need for life-affirming sex to a keen edge, or quirky as well as steamy while Teresa Noelle Roberts’s cop finds a way to maintain respect for her own “Dress Uniform” while indulging her anime-girl lover’s cos-play kink. Delilah Devlin, Andrea Dale, R. G. Emanuelle, Cheyenne Blue, and all the other contributors offer their own sizzling visions of the complexity and depth, the strength and vulnerability, and above all the commanding, overwhelming sex appeal of Lesbian Cops.

The editor of the compilation, Sacchi Green, kicks off a blog tour today! You can check out her schedule and click on the first link to an interview with Sacchi! Sacchi’s Blog

[Don’t miss the winner announcement at the bottom of this post!]

My horoscope today: “You are fortunate in that you have a clear vision of what you want out of life, Delilah. Many people never truly know what it is they are meant to be doing. Even with the distinct advantage that you have, however, you may still find it difficult to “live your bliss,” as the expression goes. Too many people, all of them well meaning, try hard to impose their opinions on you. Stand firm. You better than anyone know what’s best for you.”

When a horoscope is good, I thank the cosmos for the good advice. When it’s bad, I quickly hit delete and thank goodness I don’t believe a word of it! Today, I’m grateful. 🙂

Anyway, Lesbian Cops, the latest erotica anthology from Cleis Press (the same folks who are publishing Girls Who Bite), is out on Amazon.com early!! Click on the cover for the Buy Link!

Yeah, the cover is a little strange, but hey, the stories HAVE to be hot, right?

What is it about lesbian cops that pushes all the right buttons? It’s not just the uniform, with handcuffs and weapons, or the confidence, authority, and sense of danger. There’s something more as well, an irresistible force that these writers have channeled into fiercely erotic stories of policewomen in or out of uniform, on patrol or undercover, in charge or in need of healing, on the case or under the sheets.

The action can be gut-level tough, as in Jove Belle’s ”Hollis” where anti-terrorism boot camp surges over the inevitable edge into BDSM, or heart-wrenching as in Evan Mora’s “A Cop’s Wife” when death threats sharpen the need for life-affirming sex to a keen edge, or quirky as well as steamy while Teresa Noelle Roberts’s cop finds a way to maintain respect for her own “Dress Uniform” while indulging her anime-girl lover’s cos-play kink. Delilah Devlin, Andrea Dale, R. G. Emanuelle, Cheyenne Blue, and all the other contributors offer their own sizzling visions of the complexity and depth, the strength and vulnerability, and above all the commanding, overwhelming sex appeal of Lesbian Cops.

From my short story, The Only Game in Town, about the budding relationship between a bicycle cop and a patrolwoman:

The next few days were a little strained around the guys. Word got around. Sly glances followed me everywhere. But since I didn’t rise to any of their innuendos, the excitement faded and they found someone else to hound.

This day, I’d parked my car at the Stop ‘n’ Go. It might be small-town Louisiana, but bandits still preferred the ease of a quickie robbery when they were low on cash. The store had been hit twice in the past six months and the sheriff had promised a “presence” to the owner. So in between calls, I parked in the hot sun at the edge of the parking lot, running my AC with the window open to ease the humidity inside the vehicle.

The whir of spokes catching the wind whizzed by my car. Little black shorts hugging a nicely rounded backside caught my attention.

Ramona halted at the edge of the curb next to the shop’s front door and eased off her helmet. Sweat stained the center of her back, her hair lay in wet tangled spikes around her head. She glanced my way and gave me a smile that set my heart beating faster, and then entered the store.

I opened my car door and dumped the fresh cup of coffee I’d bought just a few minutes before then headed inside.

“Back so soon?” Dolores asked from her seat behind the counter.

I gave a quick glance around the aisles but didn’t find my quarry. “That cup went right through me,” I said, making my way to the restroom in the back.

Once the door swung shut behind me, I quietly locked it.

A toilet flushed. The stall door opened. Ramona stepped out and her eyes widened. “Didn’t hear you come in, Cath.”

“I won’t keep you long.”

She walked to the sink, soaped up and cleansed her hands, then used a paper towel to wipe the sweat from her face. “What is it you want?”

I leaned against the bathroom door and folded my arms over my chest. “You said we should take some time to know each other, but that’s never gonna happen if you’re avoiding me.”

She met my glance in the mirror. Challenge glittered in her golden brown eyes. “Is that what you think I’m doing? Why’d I come here when I could have chosen a dozen other businesses to stop in?”

I raised a brow. “Maybe because it’s public and you could say you weren’t avoiding me and get away with it?”

She grunted, her lips twisting. “Again, what is it you want?”

This wasn’t going well. Again, I felt like I had two left feet. “How about a yes or no?” I blurted. “Wanna go out?”

She gave a feminine grunt. “No.”

The disappointment cut, but I nodded, firming my chin, and began to turn.

“There’s not anywhere in public we can go together, Cath. The sheriff wouldn’t like it if we paraded a date. But I’d like you to come over for dinner.”

“Your place?” I said, forcing the words past a tightened throat.

“Yeah. Tonight.” She sauntered forward and tucked her fingers under the sharp edges of my buttoned collar. Her hand twisted, cinching it around my throat and pulling me down.

I’d kissed women before. Even kissed a few men. This was hotter than I’d ever had—even with two layers of Kevlar between our chests.

Her mouth smoothed over mine then suctioned. Her lips were thick and juicy, her tongue rimming me. I waited, not charging in, and was rewarded when her tongue pushed against mine. Just a touch, and then it was gone. I tasted mint. She had to taste the coffee I’d guzzled all day.

She leaned back, her mouth open and air gusting as she licked her lips. “Tonight.”

She strode past me. I heard the snick of the lock as she opened it. The door whooshed closed.

“Oh, fuck.”

And someone today is going to be particularly grateful for the gooey goodness that is The Hillbilly Calendar! Drumroll…the winner is…Estella!