UPDATE: The winner is…Charlene Whitehouse!
*~*~*

Coming next Tuesday!
Order your copy now!

I’m writing my stumpy fingers to the bone to get this book done! I have to load it TOMORROW! But the good news is I’m almost there! I can’t wait for you to read Cowboy and Colleen’s story next Tuesday! They’re a mess. Or at least, she is. And fun and funny! My girl’s a beautiful girl carrying some extra pounds, and Cowboy has his work cut out for him convincing her she’s the only one for him. And of course, you have the entire Dead Horse crew interfering/assisting in their romance. I’m soooo going to hate it when I run out of Dead Horse bounty hunter stories. Maybe I’ll have to write some Dead Horse resident stories after that… I think Nadine needs a man.

Anyways, happy Thursday! Wish me luck. Just a few pages more…

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of one of my Montana Bounty Hunter stories, tell me whether you’ve read any of my bounty hunter stories! If so, which was your favorite? If not, why the heck not?

An excerpt from Cowboy…

He was sleeping with the back of his head against the wall and a cowboy hat tilted over his face to shut out the overhead lights. His chair was a curved hard plastic and looked tiny in comparison to his large body. He wore jeans, very scuffed cowboy boots, and a plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows with the sleeves of a thermal shirt stretched to his wrists. The hat shouted that he probably wasn’t from around here, but the thermal shirt in mid-October sealed it.

Colleen Bradley lowered the top of her magazine just a little more to give his body a onceover, knowing she was safe because no one else was around to see her ogling the hot cowboy.

Lord have mercy, the man had muscles on his muscles, a thick chest, tapered waist, thighs like tree trunks. The beard sprouting on his cheeks and chin was dark, maybe black. She wished she could see more of his face so she’d have a reason to lose interest. No way could he be handsome as well or the world would just be too cruel.

A man like that wasn’t meant for a woman with curves too soft and rounded. He’d need a woman with stamina, while she huffed and puffed climbing the stairs up to her apartment on the second floor. Well, it didn’t hurt to look.

Until it did.

Suddenly, he straightened in his chair and tipped back his hat.

Damn, the man was fine, fine, fine.

He stood, removed his hat, and raked a hand through his short black hair.

Darn, he wasn’t bald. Did the man have any flaws? Maybe he had a high squeaky voice. Maybe he was gay—which would be disappointing, but then she’d turn her eyes elsewhere. Maybe he had a horrible temper, was a narcissist—someone as hot as he was might be entitled to think he was the moon and stars and all that…

He turned to peer into the room he sat outside of, his hands on either side of the wide doorframe, which gave her a view of his toned back and ass, and man, she had the sinking suspicion the man really was perfect.

His gaze shot sideways, toward her, and she quickly lifted her magazine to cut off the sight of him. Maybe he wouldn’t know she’d been eating him up with her gaze for a while now. How embarrassing would it be to see him smirk? And again, how disappointing. Then again, if he was a jerk, he’d be a whole lot less fascinating.

Colleen lowered the magazine to find him staring right at her.

“Was I snorin’?”

Shit, was that a southern drawl? “What?” she asked, pretending she hadn’t been watching him while he’d slept.

“You know, that magazine’s upside down.”

Her jaw dropped, and she glanced down at the magazine. It was not upside down.

“You had to look, though, didn’t ya?” A grin stretched across his handsome face, revealing two perfect dimples in his cheeks.

Just $0.99!!
Order your e-copy here:
Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play

We (all 15 authors!) are very proud of this edition! Click on the cover above to read more about the stories in this anthology. They’re all spicy and fun and all feature cowboys—whether riding a horse in Texas or wrangling space creatures. We set the price low, not because we didn’t think people would be willing to pay a higher price, but because we want to share it with as many people as we can. There will be a print edition very soon. So, get your copy! The eBook costs less than a cup of coffee—even the straight, unflavored cup! Remember, I have a short story in this volume, too! One related to my Cowboys on the Edge series…

Also, please visit the Collections website for the next wee while. Starting tomorrow, the authors will be sharing photos that depict an aspect of their stories, plus, there will be contests! 

And reviews are always much, much appreciated! ~ DD

I finished writing Defending Evangeline yesterday! Woot! It’s longer than my usual story, and it about killed me!

Today will be a busy one. I have to do a final readthrough before I ship DE off to my sister. The story “lives” in her Brotherhood Protectors–Team Trojan world. As soon as I finish that, I’ll be editing one final story for the Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, which releases October 12th! Then it’s straight to another author’s story I have to wrap up the edits for by Friday! Yes, a big busy day!!! Oh, the glamorous life of an author-editor!

Tomorrow, I start another book with a VERY SHORT deadline. Yeah, I’ll be typing until my fingers are little stumps—oh, wait! They already are! But enough whining.

Let me know what stories you’re looking forward to reading, not just mine! And be sure to enter the contests I have listed below. They’re still open!

Open Contests

1. Story Cubes — Tell me a story (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Candice LaBria: Falling Hard (Contest & FREE in KU!) — Win a FREE book and get a FREE read!
3. How big a deal is Halloween? (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Have you pre-ordered your copy? Defending Evangeline (Contest + Excerpt) — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winners are…Colleen C, Pamela Reveal, Debbie Caswell, Bn100, and Cheryl!
*~*~*

I won’t actually do any counting here, because that’s too much like math and, well… ew. But over the past few years, I’ve come to love the concept of anthologies.

Firstly, I get a try out new-to-me authors. Yes, this can also be accomplished by buying random books from random authors, but this tactic is a tad inefficient. And if I’ve spent hard-earned money on a whole book that turns out to be poorly written, poorly edited, or just plain unsatisfying, it’s like biting into a chocolate chip cookie only to realize it’s oatmeal raisin.

But a whole selection of authors and voices in one purchase? That’s a buffet! A smorgasbord! A feast, and I’m sure to find at least one (usually several) author whose voice I now love and can’t wait to read more of!

Secondly, short stories rock. I still love thick books with massive world-building that transports me across the universe or deep into a secret world within the world I already know and takes my mind and heart on an operatic-level journey toward an epic conclusion. A full 7-course meal with all the pomp and circumstance in presentation, complete with three different forks, two spoons, and weird clamp-type utensils for the escargot.

But there’s something to be said for peeling back everything but the most essential, impactful details and getting right to the heart of the story. Skipping all the minutia and going straight for dessert. Getting my money shot and my Happily-Ever-After and my hand-to-my-heart-deep-sigh-of-satisfaction… while waiting to pick a kiddo up from whatever practice they have today.

Lastly, there’s the price. I could achieve all of the above without buying an anthology… and spend a fortune doing it. Ooooor, I can dip my toe in the waters of an anthology for a lot less financial outlay. The greater the price of a book (or ebook), the greater my expectations. And therefore, the greater my disappointment if it’s not awesome.

Buuuuut, a quality book from a sure source that only costs 99-cents? OMG take my money and keep the change!!

And funny that I should be extolling the benefits of anthologies… because Delilah’s latest Boys Behaving Badly Anthology is going live October 12^th. The Cowboys edition has everything you’d want in an anthology: great authors, rocking short stories, a can’t-pass-up-price, smokin’ hot cowboy heroes that will set your naughty bits aflame, and heroines you’ll feel in your heart because you’ve been them at some point in your life. I’m thrilled to be part of this year’s anthology, and (squee!!) have read most of the other stories… trust me, they are ah-mazing!!

GIVEAWAY

Please comment with something anthology-related (your favorite, a fun experience, why you like them, etc.), and I’ll randomly pick five winners to receive an Amazon pre-order of the upcoming Cowboys anthology.

An excerpt from “Solar Flare” in Cowboys by Ava Cuvay

Planet Crysceous, Iona Quadrant

“Dad, the Coronal Mass Ejection will reach us tomorrow. Have you hired the replacements to herd—” Solarne Vacca jerked to a halt halfway into her father’s office, her attention snagged by the three strangers standing there. Specifically, the tall drink of aqua at the front, one hip cocked and his arms crossed at his chest, far enough from the blaster strapped to his thigh to appear non-threatening.

One glance at his sharpshooter’s face was enough to know his relaxed manner was an act.

Her heart hammered in her throat. She’d seen this man on the “Wanted” holo-vids posted around this system, sporting a list of violent offenses. He was even more striking in person, lounging with all the self-assurance of a king. Nearly two meters tall, with a head of bedroom-mussed hair as dark as a starless night, eyes the color of a cloudy day, and a body built for sin. She wouldn’t be a woman if the view didn’t steal her breath and shoot heat straight to her core with laser-point accuracy. But she was also CEO in charge of her family’s sprawling crehdisth worm ranch. This was her kingdom. And this man’s visit was a threat.

He was not here for a casual social call. He was a hired gun.

UPDATE: The winners are…Colleen C, Elaine Howell, and Cheryl!
*~*~*

Depending on how long you’ve been reading me, you might not be aware of my naughty cowboy ménage series, Lone Star Lovers. All my sexiest fantasies are rolled up in those stories. Two cowboys, three cowboys, four… All that attention concentrated on one lucky girl… Heck, it’s not really fair, and there must be something in the water in Two Mule, Texas because there’s a whole lotta sharin’ goin’ on. 🙂

Comment for a chance to win your choice of
one of my Lone Star Lovers books! 

Four Sworn

Sometimes it takes a cowboy, or maybe four, to unleash a woman’s wild child…

Being the pretty daughter of the town whore was reason enough to ensure Shauna Davies lived a circumspect life, stepping out of line only occasionally with her favorite cowboy, boyfriend Bo Crenshaw. But her untamed spirit is forcing her to make a new start in another place where no one knows her past — but not before she fulfills one last wicked fantasy…

Cowboy Bo Crenshaw has loved Shauna since they shared their first sexual adventures as teenagers, but he hasn’t found the way to show her he accepts the wild child she keeps hidden inside — at least, not until she confesses a long-held fantasy. Now Bo is determined to give her a send-off that will make her think twice about blowing out of town.

Hoping he’s found the key to unlocking her heart, he turns to the Kinzie brothers, his three closest friends, to provide her a single night of unrestrained passion.

Excerpt from Four Sworn…

Friday night, Shauna couldn’t get any closer to Bo unless she crawled inside him. She’d climbed into the cab of his pickup, slid all the way over the bench seat, and lifted his arm to snuggle against his side. She was hot and cold and scared, all at the same time.

Ever since he’d told her the Kinzies had agreed to share her, she’d second-guessed herself a million times. She’d even called Bo twice to tell him she wanted to cancel, that it was all a joke, but he hadn’t believed her either time. And here she was, pulling in front of the Kinzie ranch house, and her stomach was so taut she thought she might throw up.

The trip from her place in town to the ranch took only fifteen minutes, but she’d held her breath most of the way and felt winded.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Bo said, pulling her close and kissing her temple. He raised his arm over her head, put the truck into park, and killed the engine. Then he turned back to her, his moss-colored eyes crinkling at the corners with his strained smile. “You don’t like something, all you have to do is say so. If you want to change your mind, just head for the door. I won’t judge you.”

Shauna gripped one of his hands and squeezed it, glad of the darkening shadows that hopefully hid the blush heating her face. “I can’t believe this is gonna happen, and that you’re okay with it.”

His eyebrows lifted up and down in a quick, wicked waggle. “Why wouldn’t I be? You want it. I want you happy.”

“That’s what friends do, huh?” she said, lifting her chin in challenge. “Find a group of men willing to gangbang their girlfriend?”

His sigh seemed to come all the way from his toes. “It’s not gonna be like that, Shauna. I swear, it’s not gonna feel dirty.”

“How do you know? Are you a girl?”

His chin firmed. “You wannna leave? We can head to Shooters. I’m okay with that. We can drink ourselves shitfaced. I’ll see you home and tuck you in safe—and alone.”

Shauna glanced away, staring blindly at the sprawling white ranch house. “I’ve dreamed about this every night since you said they’d do it, you know. I dream that tomorrow I’m walking through Two Mule, but I’m naked, and everyone can see me.”

His arm snaked around her shoulders, and he hugged her close. “On my honor, baby, this is just between us. No gossip. Not a word or a sly look will follow you after this. I know you want this, but I know why you’re scared. That’s one thing you won’t have to worry about.”

She cocked her head to the side and gave him a slow smile. “Oh, yeah? So what will I have to worry about?”

His smile widened. “Walkin’ bowlegged for a week.”

Shauna couldn’t help it, she snorted. Laughter spilled out. When they’d both quieted, she lifted her mouth.

Bo didn’t have to be told what she needed. He gave her a quick chaste kiss. “Come on inside. The guys aren’t gonna jump you. We can talk first.” He reached for his door handle.

She reached for hers and opened her door. “This is embarrassing. I’m already imaginin’ them all naked. They won’t have a thing to be embarrassed about.”

“Neither will you.”

She slammed the door and met him around the front of the truck. “I’m too skinny. I’ve got no ass. And a sixth-grader has bigger boobs than me.”

“You’re slender. You’ve got the prettiest, softest skin, and your nipples are cherry-colored.” He thumbed one of her little berries through her shirt.

Her pussy clenched. “Okay, I can do this.”

Bo encircled her waist with both arms and pulled her into his chest. “Yes you can. I’ll be right there with you. I won’t let anything happen you don’t want.”

How could she tell him there wasn’t likely to be anything she wouldn’t want? She’d stored up a lifetime of sexual fantasies, never letting them loose because she hadn’t wanted to be seen as anything like her mother. Even with Bo she’d stuck to plain vanilla, shying away from anything too wild. She squared her shoulders.

Bo unwrapped himself from her and held out his hand. She took a deep breath and placed her trust in him. He’d never let her down. Never pushed her. He’d been the best friend a girl could have.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

When she stepped onto the porch stairs, the front door opened. Josh, the youngest of the Kinzie brothers strode out and clomped eagerly down the steps. He stood beside Bo and waited, staring her up and down.

“Be polite, Josh,” Bo said, his voice clipped.

“Can’t help it,” Josh said, eager as a puppy dog. “I’ve wanted to see you naked forever, Shauna Davies.”

Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: The winners are…Laura, Mona Lisa Swarm, and Eileen Airey!
*~*~*

For a chance to win your choice of one of these Cowboys
on the Edge stories, answer me this!

Do you love cowboys who are also firefighters and lawmen?

(Click on a cover if you’d like to learn more!)

Don’t know what you’re missing in this cowboy series? Read an excerpt…

Lawless

When a Texas deputy’s motorcycle club trashes a bar with him leading the brawl, the sheriff decides his punishment will be serving as the bouncer/enforcer for the pretty owner while she runs a booth serving bikers during a weekend-long motorcycle club convention.

Get your copy here!

Excerpt from Lawless…

Just look at what had happened last night at her bar. One minute she’d been giving the bikers her little speech about how to behave in her place, and the next, one of the town’s deputies was going toe-to-toe with a rival club’s knucklehead who’d gotten too handsy with one of her waitresses.

Not that Ruby was sweating the damages. The vets’ biker club had shown up as soon as she’d opened her doors earlier that day to help with the cleanup. And they’d all pitched in to cover the damages for the broken window and furniture.

As for the man who’d started the free-for-all, Sheriff Penske had assigned the deputy, as punishment, to hang around her booth all weekend to make sure more fights didn’t break out.

What the hell was she going to do with him constantly underfoot? He’d be a six-feet something, tattooed and heavily muscled, dark-haired, dark-eyed distraction.

And why she’d noticed all those qualities was a mystery. She liked her single life. Liked the occasional date with a man who knew her boundaries. Liked to bed one once in a while.

However, when she’d seen the deputy wade in with his fists curled and his eyebrows lowered, a shiver of pure lust had radiated down her spine and straight into her core. Just remembering had her clenching her thighs.

Dammit. Wasn’t she more evolved than to be attracted to a knuckle-dragging meathead? Okay, so maybe she was reaching for a description that would place him in the “Oh, hell no” category of men she met, but she needed to strengthen her backbone before he showed up.

No. She shouldn’t have it, no matter how kind Josh’s offer had been. She didn’t need a man hovering. She could take care of herself—Thank you very much, Sheriff Penske.

But she hadn’t said a word when he’d assigned the deputy his penance.

Ruby glanced at the oversized dial of her watch. It was nearly two. He’d be here any minute. Glancing around, she tried to think of some way to divert him. Too bad there weren’t any visitors who looked ready to let their fists fly. No, everyone was pretty mellow, gathering around unlit campfires near their pitched tents and campers, looking as laidback as any seniors in an RV club, gathering to chat and play some checkers with old friends.

“Miz Tackett?” came a low-pitched voice behind her.

Her heart fluttered, and she cursed silently. Ruby Tackett did not get giddy around any man. She turned slowly, and her heart stuttered at her first sight of him. His jaw was dark with a thickening shadow of whiskers. He wore a black T-shirt with “Ride Free – Respect Our Vets” across the front, his club’s leather jacket, and well-worn brown cowboy boots. A black cowboy hat was tilted low over one eye. His badge and a holster were attached to his leather belt. Oh boy, was she in trouble.

Straightening her spine, she gave Deputy Nolan a stern look. “You made a mess of my place last night.”

“I surely did, ma’am, and I’m sorry about that. I’m grateful you didn’t press charges.”

She drew a deep breath and forced her expression to remain as mean as she could manage. “The sheriff says you’re going to hang around my booth this weekend.”

He gave her a solid nod, his gaze never slipping downward.

Something she appreciated, since most men couldn’t control the urge to check out her boobs. They were out there, after all. Nothing she was ashamed of. God gave her big boobs, and she’d learned to use them to her advantage, not the other way around. So, maybe he wasn’t a boob man…? “There’s no room inside my booth for someone who’s not handing out drinks.”

He reached behind him and pulled out a small red book.

Her mouth twitched as she noted he had a vintage copy of Mr. Boston Official Bartenders Guide. “Jesus, where did you find that?”

He wrinkled his nose. “At Mary’s Used Books.”

“I’m shocked,” she said, giving him a little smile. “I didn’t think she carried anything her pastor would disapprove of. It’s damn hard to find a decent romance book in her store that doesn’t have some Amish woman on the cover.”

His mouth stretched. “She swore me to secrecy when she pulled it out from under the counter. Said she knew someday the right customer would come looking for it.”

Holy hell, I’m in trouble. His smile dug dimples into both of his cheeks, and the man had all his teeth.

“So where do you want me?” he asked, his eyelids narrowing just a bit.

Did he really just ask that? Was he flirting with her? Ruby drew a deep breath, which strained the buttons of her shirt.

His gaze slid slowly downward.

And there it was. Her superpower hadn’t failed her after all. She took a step past him and beckoned him with a curled finger held beside her shoulder. “Follow me.”

This story has a long history for me. I began publishing through various online and traditional houses in 2003. I wrote Her Sanctuary in 2006. The first publisher disappeared. I re-pubbed it through a second publisher a few years later that disappeared as well. I dragged my feet on again publishing this story on my own because, over all those years, I’ve gotten many requests from readers for sequels. I wasn’t ready to continue the series then. I am now.

So, without further ado, here’s the first story in my Texas Vampires series. It’s FREE in Kindle Unlimited. I hope you’ll read it and want more. Because “more” (specifically Diego’s story) is in the works!

Enjoy the story! If you have time, tell someone about it. And thank you for supporting me over the years. I love my job. 🙂

Her Sanctuary

A woman surviving on the edge of a dark frontier strikes a sensual bargain with a handsome stranger hiding a dangerous secret…

In a post-apocalyptic future, creatures who’ve hidden in the shadows for millennia are freed to roam in a world shrouded in darkness. Rancher Kate McKinnon runs Sanctuary Ranch—a last refuge on the western frontier. While running herd over her cowhands and integrating refugees into their self-sufficient refuge, she escapes her responsibilities the only way she has left—via radio to pockets of other survivors. One man, Ty Bennett, is her confidante, and she thinks she might be falling in love with his deep, rasping voice. Although they’ve never met, he seems to know her heart.

On a patrol to scavenge supplies, Kate and her cowboys are surrounded by a gang of renegades intent on claiming her. Rescue comes unexpectedly by a militaristic band led by the man she’s spent so many hours talking to through the dark nights. She brings him home only to discover she’s brought vampires inside the refuge.

Already half in love with the human woman, Ty offers added muscle to her defenses and promises to move her people to safety. Fighting his own nature and appetites, he seeks redemption for his many sins but can’t control his hunger to possess Kate. Getting past her prejudice and choking responsibilities tests his seductive powers.

Get your copy now!

Enjoy a peek at Diego’s cover!

For Diego, the career his father had insisted was his destiny turned out to be the perfect preparation for the end of times. The Army made him a warrior—and then it turned him into a monster.

Pre-order your copy now!