I just wanted to show off my meager graphics skills today. I made that image in Canva, and I think it’s pretty darn eye-catching—don’t you? Helps to have great covers (thank you, sis!).

These are the first three stories in the series. Early next year, I’ll begin releasing the next three. After that? Well, it’s up to you. If you’d love more cowboys who ride hard and love harder, just let me know…

This coming Thursday, The Cowboy and the Widow releases. I know. It’s a clunky title, but it tells you what you need to know, right? And I promise it’s sexy as hell! It has these themes goin’ on: older woman/younger man, reunion, widow overcoming disappointment, a cowboy with all the right moves… Uh huh… Go reserve your copy! ~DD

Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, answer me this:

What is your favorite romance genre?

Texas Cowboys

Wearing His Brand
Texas Cowboys, Book 1

An accident involving barbed wire gives Lyssa McDonough the chance to play damsel-in-distress to capture rancher Brandon Tynan’s attention. Brand promised Lyssa’s older brother he’d keep an eye on his kid sister when he went off to war, but the sexy cowgirl tempts his code of honor past the breaking point when her actions beg for his brand of sensual punishment.

A little TLC turns into one hot encounter neither can just brush off. Now, Brand is determined to put the brakes on Lyssa’s reckless behavior–just as determined as she is to find a way to stay in his bed, forever.

Get your copy here!

The Cowboy and The Widow
Coming November 2nd!
Texas Cowboys, Book 2

Following her husband’s death, Maggie McDermott faces the onerous task of running the family ranch. She doesn’t know the first thing about horses, so she knows she needs a capable hand. But Daniel? Guilty memories of the time she’d tempted the younger man keep her blushing.

Daniel Tynan is more than willing to show sweet Maggie the ropes. His gentle ways melt her heart, and his sensual passion burns away her inhibitions. He may be younger, but he’s not without the right kind of experience…

Pre-order your copy here!

Soldier Boy
Coming December 5th!

Fresh from war, “Mac” McDonough wants just two things: whiskey to drown the pain in his damaged leg and a woman. But one look into Suki Reese’s haunted eyes, and he knows she needs the kind of muscle only an ex-soldier can provide.

Mac’s brooding gaze and hard body leave Suki Reece breathless and disturbed. The rugged ex-Marine won’t listen to a word she says until Suki distracts him with a sexy striptease. That gets his attention.

While Suki may have gotten the upper hand, Mac is going to be on top.

Pre-order your copy here!

One of the joys of reading is escaping to places you’ve been or always dreamed of going. One of those places that should be on everyone’s bucket list is Venice, Italy. The city is magical! The canals, the alleyways, the people and Carnival are amazing and take you back to another time.

I chose Venice for Ronin’s Return because I so loved the city. Hotel Eden is a place where we stayed, and I described it just like it was when I went there. I’ve included a picture of my daughter standing beneath the sign at Hotel Eden. The picture of Venice on the cover is one I took while there. I loved the colorful buildings and the reflections of the buildings in the water. I hope you enjoy visiting Venice, even if only in the story.

RONIN’S RETURN

Amazon | Kobo | Nook | GooglePlay | IBooks | Print

Navy SEAL helps Italian heiress evade bounty hunters set on collecting the price on her head, while navigating the canals of Venice.

Navy SEAL, Ronin Magnus, has his first real vacation since his visit to Italy two years ago when he met the woman who continues to haunt his every day and night dreams. His mission: Find Isabella and prove to himself two years of fantasizing has blown her image and attributes way out of proportion. In order to move on, he has to get her out of his system.

Isabella Pisano, daughter of the multi-millionaire Pisano family of Venice had spent the past two years trying to forget a handsome Navy SEAL who’d turned her views on love upside down. Not satisfied to be just the daughter of a wealthy man, she had set out to make a difference in the lives of the women being raped, tortured and sold into slavery in the ISIS raids in Syria. Disguised as the gun-toting Angel of Mercy, she entered Syria and helped hundreds of women and children escape ISIS brutality. When ISIS puts a price on her head, she returns to Venice, resumes her life as Isabella and prays her alter ego and the bounty on her head doesn’t follow her

Unfortunately, their reunion is beset by killers who’ve discovered Isabella’s secret.

Chased through the streets and canals of Venice, Ronin and Isabella must elude their enemies or die. But they cannot escape the burgeoning love, threatening to consume them.

UPDATE: The winner is Buttons!

* * * * *

My favorite cause—finding forever homes for homeless pets—is also the inspiration for my Klein’s K-9s Service Dogs contemporary romance series. In fact, all of the pets in my books were adopted from animal shelters or rescue groups. There is a long-held, erroneous idea that shelter animals are pathetic mutts, flea-bitten cats, or vicious, antisocial pets. The majority are wonderful animals in need of love and a family. Through our writing, authors have the opportunity to reinforce that fact and encourage responsible pet ownership, such as spaying or neutering pets.

Smokey, my author logo and the Chinese crested hairless drug-sniffing dog from my first book, At Her Command, was adopted from a shelter. The idea of such a talented, tiny dog working for DEA appealed to my sense of humor, and I’ve included a crested in all of my books since.

Klein’s K-9s

My Klein’s K-9s series features wonderful working pets—from police and military dogs to service and therapy animals. In Racing Hearts, the first novella in the series, a toy-sized dog is a trained seizure alert dog. Tom Tyler, my race-car driver hero, suffers a traumatic brain injury and is at first skeptical that a dog who barely reaches his ankle can help him. But soon he’s relying on the little pooch and falling for Meg Klein, the dog’s trainer.

Buy Links for “Racing Hearts”

Amazon: https://amzn.to/1OzgWn9
Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/jnbntuu
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/racing-hearts-9
Apple: https://tinyurl.com/zkps7pa

The second in the series, 8 Hounds a-Howling, is a humorous story about the photographing of a dog-themed 12 Days of Christmas calendar. This novella includes 78 dogs, along with several cats and a pot-bellied pig. The third Klein’s K-9s novella, Nothing But a Hound Dog, finds a country music star working off his community service sentence at the local animal shelter. The fourth, Scrooge & the Secret Santa, pits an anti-Christmas police dog trainer against a holiday-loving therapy animal trainer. Love, of course, wins.

Contest

Not surprisingly, I enjoy stories that feature pets. I’d love to hear your favorite books, TV shows, and movies that include animals. Tomorrow, I’ll randomly pick several commenters to receive a free “Racing Hearts” ebook! I hope you’ll drop by my website to check out my books. Happy Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month and Happy Halloween!

About the Author

Marcia James finaled in 11 Romance Writers of America contests before selling her first contemporary romance. A national and international Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestseller, she writes hot, humorous romances featuring heroines you can root for, heroes to die for, and funny dogs. In her eclectic career, Marcia has shot submarine training videos, organized celebrity-filled nonprofit events, and had her wedding covered by People Magazine. After years of dealing with such sexy topics as how to safely install traffic lights, she’s enjoying “researching” and plotting her novels’ steamy love scenes with her husband and hero of many years.

Website: www.MarciaJames.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarciaJamesAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Marcia_James
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/marciajames/
Amazon Author Central page: www.amazon.com/author/marciajames

My youngest, who is seven, was ambivalent about her Halloween costume this year. She waffled between being a cheerleader or a princess. I wasn’t crazy about either choice, mostly because they seemed a little boring to me. And, to be totally honest, I was disappointed in the cliché of princess or cheerleader. Freckles plays tackle football. She lays out boys her age every week. She has older brothers and she imitates them, even tries to best them at the things they do. She’s fierce.

But she is also a girly-girl, and if my little warrior wanted to be a princess for Halloween, so be it. I’m determined to raise strong daughters who know their own mind and their own worth, which means allowing them to make their own choices.

Then I came across Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a book of 100 stories about empowered women from Queen Elizabeth I to Serena Williams. One of the stories was about Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen of Ireland, who lived in the sixteenth century. Grace inherited her father’s lordship, despite having brothers, and led a life fighting against British rule of her land. She led raids on ships, pillaging and plundering with the best of them, using the treasures to help fund the cause for Ireland. When Freckles saw this, she changed her mind. “I’m going to be the Pirate Queen!”

“What makes her special?” I asked, my feminist heart soaring.

“She was smarter than her brothers,” she said. “That’s why she became the leader in her family.” Ah, something that resonates with the baby of our family!

We had fun putting together her costume and talking about Grace, as well as the many other strong women in the book. She is already talking about being Jane Goodall next year. But should she change her mind and decide she wants to be Sleeping Beauty, instead, I will happily support her. Because I do feel you can believe in fairy tales and dream about princesses, and still be a strong empowered woman. I am a romance writer, after all. Fairy tales and happily-ever-afters are my bread-and-butter.

One of my goals when writing romance is to create heroines who aren’t helpless, who aren’t “saved” by the hero. These heroines experience the same heartbreak, the same doubts, have the same flaws that we all have at one time or another, but persevere nonetheless. The hero may aid in her self-discovery, but it’s she who finds her own strength and resilience.

In my latest release, Love Me Like You Do, the heroine had a crappy childhood and it’s soured her on love. She hasn’t dismissed the idea of committed love entirely, but when she has it, it will be on her own terms. The hero, throughout most of the novel, tries to show her how she’s wrong, that marriage and children are something they can have together. He’s stunned and disbelieving when she informs him that she doesn’t want children. Surely, it’s only because of her own dysfunctional upbringing, and once she sees that he is different, she’ll embrace the traditional commitment he craves. He’s not a bad guy, or even a jerk. He’s just like many people today who are confused when they meet a woman who doesn’t want a husband or children. That’s the role women have been pigeon-holed into for centuries.

Thankfully, it’s starting to change, as slow-going as it may seem at times. Women are turning traditional roles upside down. Our voices are louder than ever and we’re standing up for ourselves, as well as for our mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends, in numbers that scare some men. Those who should be scared. We aren’t going to be pushed around.

Haley, my heroine, does go through a change in heart as far as trust and love go. But she holds fast to her principles. She knows what she wants and she’s secure in it. How in the world can these two ever reconcile their own wants and needs? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out. *wink* But I do promise it’s a happy ending.

My kids’ school held Fall Fest recently, which gave us a trial run for Halloween costumes. Freckles donned her pirate dress and flaming red wig, and grabbed her plastic sword. Most people didn’t know who she was, and thought she was a female Jack Sparrow. She corrected them. “I’m Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen. She fought for Ireland and she was smarter than her brothers.”

My hope is that we start to see more Grace O’Malleys, Jane Goodalls, Serena Williamses, or Katherine Johnsons at Halloween, along with Rapunzels and Elsas. Whatever and whoever they want to be. Because giving girls more choices empowers them. And empowered girls turn into empowered women who change the world.

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid? (Or as an adult?)

Love Me Like You Do

Though florist Haley doesn’t do love and marriage, sexy and sweet handyman Will tempts her into reconsidering. But Will is hiding something and if he doesn’t come clean to Haley, it might mean losing her forever. And when secrets and lies from the past threaten their fragile future together, each must decide if it’s worth risking their hearts to find a happy ending they both can live with.

Link: https://www.catetayler.com/love-me-like-you-do.html

About the Author

Cate Tayler is a beach baby, born and raised on the Connecticut coastline. She met the love of her life while serving in the US Air Force, and after extensive overseas travel, they are now raising their four children in the wild suburbs of Maryland.

When she’s not living her own happily ever after, she’s creating them in her small-town romances. Because the world always needs more happy endings!

You can connect with her at her website: https://www.catetayler.com.

UPDATE: The winner is Peggy!

* * * * *

I think I’ve mentioned this before… I love writing short stories. I began my career as an author writing novels. Then browsing some calls for submissions, I ran across calls for short stories. I wrote one. Then another. And then another. I quickly discovered I loved writing them. They gave me a chance to reach THE END very quickly, which was hugely satisfying. They gave the chance to try out different genres to see whether I enjoyed writing them. Plus, they gave me stress relief.

Very soon, I compiled quite a backlist of shorties, and I was tempted to try my hand at editing my own anthologies. I put together several projects for Cleis Press, but when the company sold, I decided to release my own personally-curated books. I find it highly enjoyable developing the theme and seeking authors to write stories.

These anthologies were never meant to be money-makers. Instead, I wanted a way to help authors, and me, expand our reader base by sharing our readers and encouraging them all to pick up every one of these books, so I offer them for a very low price to recoup expenses then offer them for free. There’s little risk that way. If you love only one story in 15, it’s still worth the asking price, but I’m betting you’ll discover authors you want to follow.

So, below is what I have so far of my self-pubbed anthologies. You can check out my full list at my Collections website. Coming in January (I hope), will be the next volume, Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology.

*****

Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance

Just $0.99!

Vikings. Fierce warriors who terrified all in their path as they raided and marauded, enslaved and murdered during Europe’s Dark Ages.

But these rough men from a rugged land were also sailors, explorers, craftsmen, and highly sought after mercenaries.

Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance will transport you to the realm of fantasy where such fearsome and loyal men are relentless potent lovers. Whether the lady of the keep demands a few stolen hours of pleasure with a captured Viking warrior or the handsome Northman is the one seducing his captive, you will find plenty of lusty adventures in settings as far-flung as Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Byzantium, Moorish Spain and the New World.

Let your fantasies run wild to a time when men wearing bearskin shirts and shining iron helms could capture a fierce maiden’s heart!

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | IBooks | GooglePlay | Print

Rogues: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology

FREE!

Rogues! Even the word conjures a special sort of hero—a playful bad boy with a heart of gold—at least when it comes to his lady love. This volume is filled with the Jack Sparrows of old—pirates sailing the high seas, Regency-era highway men, modern-day jewel thieves, like Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief—men doing bad things, bending or breaking the law, but in a very sexy way. With thirteen stories sure to satisfy the reader who craves that ultimate bad boy, prepare to have your heart stolen!

Amazon | Nook | Kobo | Print

Blue Collar: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology

Just $.099!

When it comes to love…Blue Collar is better!

It’s time to set aside those sexy billionaires and enjoy stories about the everyday, even sexier bad boys you meet in real life. They may have dirty hands and wear tool belts and jeans instead of Rolex watches, but they’re earthy alpha males unafraid to get down and dirty when face to face with a woman in need–whatever her need may be!

Just a few of the titillating stories inside…

In “Elevation” by Megan Mitcham, an always-in-control policewoman trapped in an elevator shaft gets a sexy rescue from the handsome repairman. A lonely woman drives a thousand miles to meet an oil field roughneck ready for a long night of laying pipe in Mia Hopkins’ “We Drill Deep While Others Sleep”. Jennifer Kacey shows the lengths to which an enterprising gal will go to get the owner of an oil change shop to check her fluids in “The Boss”. And those are just a few of the sexy stories inside this collection about the everyday hero next door.

These are men who’ve built their powerful muscles from hard work rather than inside any gym, and they sure know how to use their hard-earned skills to pleasure a woman…

Amazon | Amazon UK | Nook | Kobo | IBooks | GooglePlay | Print

*****

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of one of my self-published backlist stories or one of these anthologies, answer me this:

1. Are you looking forward to an anthology filled with pirate stories (historical, sci-fi, steampunk, etc.)?
2. What other kinds of bad-boy themed anthologies would you like to read?

UPDATE: The winner is…Buttons!

* * * * *

At some point, the numerous releases will slow down. I’ll reach the end of the stories my publishers returned to me, and you’ll be stuck with only new stories to read. Will you be sad? I know some of you are more recent recruits to my stories, so the oldies I refurb and repub are “brand new” to you, like this week’s Under a Blood Moon. Thanks to everyone who purchased it! Hope you love it, because I’m writing three brand new stories to complete that series! But here’s what else is coming soon!

Coming November 2nd!
The Cowboy and The Widow
Texas Cowboys, Book 2

Maggie McDermott doesn’t know the first thing about horses, but Daniel Tynan is more than willing to show her the ropes. His gentle ways melt her heart, and his sensual passion burns away her inhibitions. Daniel takes the time to love her right.

Pre-order your copy here!

*~*~*~*

Coming November 9th!
Big Bad Wolf
Night Fall, Book 13

Ginnie Martin is a badass. She was born that way. Forged in blood—her own and her family’s. The vampire who saved her recruited her to fight with his small army against the creature responsible for her losing everything. But now, Viper’s asking too damn much. He wants her to open her home to new allies who, until only recently, were their fiercest foes. Wolves.

Calum Fletcher already bristles over providing muscle to a vampire force. Content living in his remote cabin on Dark Mountain, he’s never been much for mixing with other wolves, much less making nice with vampires. He thought he was having a hard time dealing, but the woman letting him bunk in her home wears an even larger chip on her shoulder. Quickly, his new favorite sport is goading her into losing her temper—because everyone knows a vampire’s bloodlust leads to some very sexy places…

Pre-order your copy here!

*~*~*~*

Coming November 14th!
Reaper
Montana Bounty Hunters, Book 1

“As a general rule, Reaper didn’t like working with a partner, especially female partners. When working a warrant, he preferred to keep his head down and follow the leads. He didn’t like the “chatter” that usually accompanied working with a woman.

However, partnering with Jamie Burke had taught him a few things. There were women who could focus on the job at hand without letting silly distractions get in the way of his concentration. Jamie was one of those rare creatures who didn’t gossip, didn’t get into his business, and could actually be useful when shit went sideways and they had to get physical. Her methods of subduing a target weren’t ones he’d ever employ, but she knew how to compensate for her smaller frame and lesser strength. Over the months since their boss, Fetch Winter, had put them together, Reaper had come to admire the woman’s grit and ingenuity.

Case in point was their present predicament…”

See what happens when Reaper has to deal with a ride-along author who, when shit goes sideways, proves his first female partner’s “grit and ingenuity” weren’t just lucky happenstance, and who challenges Reaper’s relationship rules…

Pre-order your copy here!

*~*~*~*

Coming December 12th!
Wolf Moon Rising
Beaux Rêve Coven, Book 3

In Jefferson Parish, deep in the bayou, is a place called Bonne Nuit. Off the beaten path, isolated by swamp and connected to the sea, there the Beaux Rêve Coven thrives. Five witches… Too many demons to count…

Aoife is the most flighty of the sister witches, and she has a secret, one her mother told her to keep close to her heart. Her father was a fairy. Which explains her quirkiness and her affinity for flowers and butterflies. She lives in a cabin on stilts that juts into the bayou, and one of her demon guardians is a werewolf. She’s attracted, but how would he feel if he married her, fathered a child, and that child disappeared into the land of the fae. Plus, she’s being stalked by her ex-fiance, a skin-walker, who has infiltrated the demons protecting the witches. If he can’t trick her into choosing him as a mate, he will take her.

Pre-order your copy here!

Contest

All you have to do to enter to win a small Amazon gift card, is answer me this…

Are you planning to read any of these stories? If so, which one(s)?

It’s heeeerrrrre! Wearing His Brand, that is. If you love stubborn cowgirls, who aren’t afraid to push a guy to the brink of violence, and stoic cowboys, who go wild when pushed…well, you’ll love this story! And guess what? There are five more stories coming right behind it! So, start here. Get ready for more. Nuff said?

Just a note to those who do read the story… Reviews are greatly appreciated! ~DD

An accident involving barbed wire gives Lyssa McDonough the chance to play damsel-in-distress to capture rancher Brandon Tynan’s attention. Brand promised Lyssa’s older brother he’d keep an eye on his kid sister when he went off to war, but the sexy cowgirl tempts his code of honor past the breaking point when her actions beg for his brand of sensual punishment.

A little TLC turns into one hot encounter neither can just brush off. Now, Brand is determined to put the brakes on Lyssa’s reckless behavior—just as determined as she is to find a way to stay in his bed, forever.

Get your copy here!