SILVER SOLDIERS: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Deadline: March 15, 2022
SILVER SOLDIERS is open to all authors.
Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for stories for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled SILVER SOLDIERS: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY.
Why write a short story for this collection? Well, it’s certainly not about making a lot of money, so why do it at all? I’ve said this before, but here are my thoughts…
Writing a short story for a call for submissions is a chance to flex your writing muscle! It can be a chance to experiment with a genre you’ve never written. If you’ve never written a story in first person but don’t want to begin by writing an entire novel using it, start short! For myself, I’ve written stories in new genres or with fresh themes that ended up being so much fun to write they’ve spawned entire series.
You have a deadline! I don’t know about you, but I have trouble keeping my butt in the chair without one!
It’s a promotional opportunity! If selected, you’ll be joined by 12-15 other authors for the launch, sharing your audiences and, hopefully, picking up new readers along the way. Having your story in the collection is another chance to be “seen.”
And remember, you retain the rights to your story, so you can republish it for individual sale or give it away to attract subscribers to your newsletter. You might even decide there’s more story to tell and expand your short story into a novel.
Here’s what I’m looking for…
SILVER SOLDIERS: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY will include stories that satisfy the reader who craves stories with older alpha male heroes. Those salt-and-pepper hotties with crow’s feet earned through rugged training and years of combat. Former soldiers finding their footing after their first careers, or current soldiers nearing the end of their military careers. They’re ready to find the right partner to put down roots, ones who aren’t afraid of scars and rough edges.
SILVER SOLDIERS will seek stories with varied settings here on earth, grounded in reality, or soldiers who might be something a bit more than human—supernatural creatures, or even aliens and cyborgs. The only requirement is that these soldiers understand loyalty, allegiance, and real courage.
I’m open to any subgenre of erotic romance you want to write. I’ll accept contemporary, historical, science fiction, or paranormal stories, and I won’t be picky about whether the stories are hetero, LGBT, ménage… Basically, you, the author, can go anywhere your imagination takes you so long as 1) the story is a romance, and 2) you have a bad boy somewhere in the pages!
The anthology will be sold at a low price—my intent is exposure for you and your writing. The more readers reached, the better! You will retain the rights to your story so that, at a later date, you can republish your stories individually.
I’m seeking hot and inventive stories from authors with unique voices, and above all, I’m looking to be seduced by tales filled with vivid imagery and passion.
Published authors with an established world may use that setting for their original short story.
This is erotic romance, so don’t hold back on the heat. Stories can be vanilla or filled with kink, but don’t miss describing the romantic connection between strong-willed individuals learning to trust and love one another. A deep sensuality should linger in every word. 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. I want original stories.
How to submit: Prepare your 2,500 to 5,500 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12-point, black font, Word document (.doc or .docx) OR rich text format (.rtf), with pages numbered. 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). U.S. grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.
In your document at the top left of the first page, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, email address, and a 50-words or less biography, written in the third person, and send to bbbsilversoldiers@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. I will try to respond no later than May 30, 2022 with decisions.
Payment will be $25.00 USD, ninety days after publication at the end of that month.
Who is Delilah Devlin?
Delilah Devlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romance and erotic romance. She has published nearly two hundred stories in multiple genres and lengths and has been published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Entangled, Grand Central, Harlequin Spice, HarperCollins: Mischief, Kensington, Kindle, Montlake, Penthouse, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.
Her short stories have appeared in multiple Cleis Press collections, including Lesbian Cowboys, Girl Crush, Fairy Tale Lust, Lesbian Lust, Passion, Lesbian Cops, Dream Lover, Carnal Machines, Best Erotic Romance (2012), Suite Encounters, Girl Fever, Girls Who Score, Duty and Desire, Best Lesbian Romance of 2013, and On Fire. For Cleis Press, she edited Girls Who Bite, She Shifters, Cowboy Lust, Smokin’ Hot Firemen, High Octane Heroes, Cowboy Heat, Hot Highlanders and Wild Warriors and Sex Objects.
She has also edited Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance, Rogues: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Blue Collar: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Pirates: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Stranded: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, First Response: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, and Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology.
Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at bbbsilversoldiers@gmail.com.
Between two evils, I like to pick the one I haven’t tried before. ~Mae West
I’m a film buff. I’ll admit it. And I love old classic movies. My absolute favorite black and white movies are Harvey with Jimmy Stewart and Arsenic and Old Lace with Cary Grant. I don’t watch as many these days because the family surrounding me doesn’t get black and white. If there aren’t explosions and superheroes, and dazzling color, what’s the point?
I included the quote above because Mae West was always a treat on the screen. How she got away with some of the things she said back in the day of strict censorship I’ll never know. She was witty, sexy, and her one-liners still slay.
Anyway, Mae West isn’t why I’m here. I got sidetracked.
The other day, I asked you to vote on your favorite themes for a future Boys Behaving Badly Anthology. I’ll admit, I had my favorite. I thought for sure it would be number one. Also, the times I’ve mentioned my theme to authors, they were very excited to write something for it. However, your choices have me rethinking. Not only do I need to appeal to readers but I also have to attract writers to the project.
So, vote one more time to help me decide. I’m not saying I’ll choose your idea in the end. I have to love the idea, too. However, your choices do influence. And here’s a challenge for you! I put two themes together in a couple of those choices because they looked interesting to me…
(1) Vote for your favorite theme, then (2) offer an idea for a title for the book for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! The previous titles have been Rogues, Blue Collar, Pirates, Stranded, First Response, and Cowboys. So shorter titles are preferred!
Narrowing it down... Which themes appeal to you the most for the next Boys Behaving Badly Anthology? Choose only one!
Silver Foxes/Military Heroes (40%, 8 Votes)
Silver Foxes (30%, 6 Votes)
Military Heroes (20%, 4 Votes)
Military Heroes/Winter Holiday Stories (10%, 2 Votes)
If you love dark, uber-sexy stories, you should give this one a try! It’s a full-length novel and is FREE, for now, in Kindle Unlimited! It was previously published—a long time ago—so if you missed it back then, now’s the time to dive into the creatures of Ardeal! Very soon, I’ll be putting the pre-order up for the next book in the series, Dark Seduction, plus there are short stories related to the series you’ll be able to peruse!
I have a full-length novel coming out tonight after midnight! Dark Legacy is a story I wrote back in 2005-2006. I recently got my rights back to the story, so I re-edited it and gave it a brand new dark cover! And now, it’s ready for release—tonight! If you have a Kindle Unlimited account, you can read it for FREE! A print version is already available!
If you love a dark, erotic paranormal, you might want to give this one a go. Just be warned—it’s very sexy and might have some triggering sex some might want to avoid. I love this story. I indulged my love of ancient mythology creating this world. I loved writing the entire series, and if you like it well enough, I might write more…
Here’s what it’s all about…
Dark Legacy
How could everything have changed for Natalie Lambert so radically, so quickly?
Escaping from a tragic past, the virginal beauty arrives in New Orleans and falls victim to a series of strange, unearthly attacks. Now, for the first time in her life, Natalie aches with sexual desire. Confused, frightened, out of control, she struggles desperately to understand a world that is transforming around her. But soon, she will be powerful and magnificent in ways she could never have imagined…
A ruggedly handsome Cajun policeman, Detective Rene Broussard has come to rescue Natalie in her time of greatest need. And when he inexplicably wakes in bed beside her—both burning with a lust impossible to deny—he doesn’t care that a dark and vengeful enemy has brought them to this moment. All that matters is the irresistible curve of her body, the heat of her passion…and the forbidden pleasures the night promises.
With one sharp, sensuous, biting kiss, he will be hers for life…and beyond.
Warning: This book includes triggering scenes of questionable consent and FFM scenes.
Not because she was afraid. For the first time in weeks, her stalker was the least of her worries.
Instead, her present danger lay in her own body’s betrayal.
Heat simmered beneath the surface of her skin—a flush of warmth that spread across her chest and belly. The air around her felt close and heavy despite the fan circling above the bed.
Her heart beat too quickly. Her breasts grew heavy. Her nipples peaked against the thin silk of her nightgown. Then blood rushed to the juncture of her thighs, plumping her slick folds.
She might be inexperienced, but Natalie recognized the signs of desire.
The cause of her misery paced restlessly around the house. The creaking hinges of the doors he checked and rechecked gave away his unrest. The muffled thud of footsteps as he walked around the living room below, and the slap of his bare feet on the wooden steps when he came up to patrol the hall pinpointed his location.
He passed outside her bedroom now, his shadow darkening the space beneath the door. Natalie ached to call out to him. Was Rene exercising extreme caution or suffering like she was?
Reaching beyond the moment, Natalie wondered, why him? Why now?
An instinct—some kernel of inborn knowledge—told her this new hunger was related to the current moon cycle. Just as the changes to her body began with the first sliver of pale light from the new moon, her need unfurled like a heron’s wings with the coming full moon.
This past month, she’d been steadily shedding the baby fat that plagued her adolescence although her appetite, especially for blood-enriched meats, had increased. Her first period ever had come and gone. Then sensual awareness dominated her waking and sleeping thoughts.
For days, she’d dreamed of an anonymous lover in her bed. The things he’d done to her had left her breathless and blushing. If she managed to sleep tonight, she knew she’d find Rene’s face, his jaw taut with desire, his shoulders bunched as he hovered above her, supplanting the hazy man of her dreams.
Why him? Although handsome, he wasn’t the first good-looking man she’d ever encountered. However, from the moment he’d pulled her from the park bench into his arms, her body had recognized his claim. He’d held her close, his thickly muscled torso sheltering her from further harm. His strength and distinctive scent, a spicy heated musk, had imprinted on her mind. If she closed her eyes, she was there once more, draped across his lap in the backseat of the sedan, awakening to desire for the first time.
Everything else—the horror of the attacks, the pain of her many little wounds—had faded away. She’d felt only his hard, muscled thighs beneath her bottom and the steely embrace that had crushed the air from her lungs while he’d struggled for control.
She wanted to know those sensations again—and so much more.
Frustration humming inside her, she tossed back the bedcovers and padded to the French doors, flinging them open. She stepped into a wind that whipped her hair away from her face and the nightgown tight against her body. Infrequent drops of rain pelted her uplifted cheeks, cooling her skin.
A click sounded from the door further down the balcony. Clad only in jeans, Rene stepped out.
He was pure temptation, from brawny chest to bare toes.
“You shouldn’t be out here,” he said, his voice a grumpy, sexy rumble. “You set off the silent alarm.”
With her heart thudding in her chest, she turned away. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Well, how ’bout not sleepin’ inside?”
His growling irritation made her smile. She felt the same way—bitchy, edgy, wonderfully horny.
She noted the tight set of his jaw, the rapid rise and fall of his chest, and felt an overwhelming urge to seduce him. And why shouldn’t she?
The way she figured it, her days were numbered. The menace dogging her steps would eventually catch up. Why not grab for all the joy she could find in what was left of her life?
She leaned back against the balustrade on her elbows, making sure the silky gown pulled tightly across her breasts.
His gaze lowered, lingering for a moment on her beaded nipples. “Cold?” he asked, his voice a graveled, yet silky slide.
“Not really.” She decided to make sure he wouldn’t misinterpret the invitation. She sauntered toward him, stopping inches away from his rigid body. This close, she breathed in his musky male scent. The breadth of his solid chest and his height overwhelmed her, made her feel small, vulnerable—and intensely feminine.
He sucked in a deep breath. “Look, chère, whatever you’re thinkin’—it’s not gonna happen.”
She cast him a challenging stare. “Because I’m not what you want?”
He shook his head. “Damn, you’ve got to know that’s not it,” he said, his voice raw. “This just isn’t the right time.”
She met his gaze, hoping she didn’t look too needy, but wanting him to know she could be his—if he’d just reach out. “What if there never is a right time?”
His hands fisted at his sides. “I’m not lettin’ anything happen to you.”
She lifted her chin. “You can guarantee that?”
He glanced beyond her to the midnight sky and stayed silent.
Stubborn man. He thought he could withstand this chemistry of hormones and waxing moonlight by sheer will. “Tell you what,” she said. “How about a kiss? And I’ll let it drop. It’ll be enough, I swear.” At his suspicious glare, she added, “Just a kiss.”
He blew out a deep breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “Will you come inside then?”
“Yes,” she said quickly. She’d promise anything just to draw him nearer. If he felt even a fraction of her need, he wouldn’t be able to resist for long.
The muscles in his throat rippled, and he nodded. “All right. A kiss.”
Contest
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you love paranormal stories, and if so, what is your favorite paranormal creature!
So, yes, we’re still talking about Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, and next week, we’ll start a new round of contests and discussion about the authors and their stories over on the Collections website (which reminds me I need to head over there tonight and close out some contests—hint!), but I’d like to begin thinking about what’s next because these volumes take time to put together. The first big decision is the theme for the book. As you can see below, we’ve had some fun themes!
Put your thinking hats on! Offer some suggestions for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!
I’ve been thinking maybe a holiday-themed Boys short story antho would be fun, but there’s also, Military Heroes, Real Men (lumberjacks, construction workers, etc.), Silver Foxes, Royalty, Paranormal Heroes, Aliens, etc. Let me know if any of these pique your interest or if there’s something else you’re dying for me to feature. I’ll collect your ideas then come back with a poll! Have fun with this!
If you could have more than one hot boyfriend, why wouldn’t you?
This is a question Emilia finds herself confronting by the end of Rook’s Palace, but before that, she’s already had to go through a lot. Her adventure starts out with a house-sitting gig. The house is more of a fake castle, so that is weird, but she can roll with that. But then, a video game turns on by itself, and Emilia gets sucked into the game.
She knows there is a way to finish the virtual reality adventure: free a vampire prince from his tower prison. She also knows that to get there, she will have to, erm, lose some of the scant lace clothing the game provides her with. As Emilia advances in the game, she begins to understand that it is not really a game at all, but a prison designed to look like a magical palace.
The five monsters Emilia meets don’t just get under her very short skirt but also under her skin, and Emilia decides that she will free them all. It is easier said than done, because the creator of the game doesn’t want his prisoners to escape.
Rook’s Palace has plenty of action: the running kind, and the gasping and moaning kind. And of course, you won’t have to pick a favorite love interest—you get to have all the five monsters on offer.
Rook’s Palace (Her Five Monsters 1)
Release Date: Nov 12, 2021
Drawn into a video game, Emilia falls for five sexy monsters and wonders if the game is real after all.
Emilia is excited to start a house-sitting job, even if the house is creepy and more than a little on the odd side — as odd as the owner’s requests. When she finds an unusual gaming console, she is drawn into a lusty video game in which she crosses paths with five inhuman creatures. She is drawn to them all, but when the five men keep telling her that the game is very much not what it seems, Emilia realizes she can no longer play along.
As the path she follows offers not just desire and intense experiences but also sadness, cruelty, and hurt around every bend, Emilia’s resolve firms: she will free the five men, who tell her they are already a family, already lovers. Whatever she has grown to feel for them, she cannot let them suffer if saving them is within her power.
With the rules of a game she doesn’t understand forcing her to play along, Emilia must find a way to get to the end of the game and get everyone out — whatever the cost. The freedom of her five monsters depends on her.
Another flash of silver washed over Emilia just as she was about to follow a hallway that curved to the left. The lightning dyed the way straight ahead in gray, and at the end of it, she saw a door. The door was closed, unlike all the other doors on the first floor, so Emilia decided to try it. After all, if Blakely wants the shutters of his game room closed, it makes sense he’d keep the door closed as well, she thought.
A few steps in and with her arms out in front of her, Emilia touched the door and felt for the knob. She turned. The door opened, its hinges soundless. The room she saw beyond was the game room indeed. Emilia searched for a light switch instinctively, even though light fell in through the windows, some of which had their shutters shifted open by the wind. Emilia could make out a billiard table, a card table, shelves with games, and a large television set. She stopped looking for a light switch when she saw that, because the TV gleamed faintly.
“What the…” Emilia walked toward the large screen. She was pretty sure that no one else was here besides her. “Mr. Blakely?” she said. Maybe he’d cancelled her services after all, although she would have expected him to send her an email at least. “Hello?” she said, louder.
Emilia looked around, and finally spotted the light panel, higher up than she’d tried. She hit the switch, and the light that filled the room left no shadows for anyone to hide within them. The TV, though, was definitely on.
“Maybe the thunderstorm got you to work?” Emilia said and walked toward it. As she did, she noticed blinking lights from the shelf underneath it. There were several gaming consoles there, new ones she was familiar with. But those weren’t the ones that blinked at her, no.
The console that had caught Emilia’s attention was an oval design, smooth silver. She touched the casing, and found that it was warm, polished metal rather than plastic, with a smaller oval display set in the middle. As soon as her fingers brushed against the console, the display lit up with words.
“Play me? Huh,” Emilia said. “You’re strange. How do I play you?” she asked. There was no controller anywhere that she could see. The other wireless ones were neatly lined up beneath their respective console, but this oddity…
The screen brightened, and the words play me blinked at Emilia.
“Right. I want to.” She turned to look around. On the table behind her, on the chairs, there was no controller in sight either, nor did her search reveal one behind the cushions. Shrugging, Emilia hit the screen on the console. She felt the slight give of a button. “Ah.”
The television set flickered to life, and a suitably eerie voice echoed to Emilia from hidden speakers.
“Welcome to the Rook’s Palace,” said a male narrator. On the screen, the camera was following a path through a thicket of trees. It wound toward a castle that rose like a waking dragon in the distance.
“Wow, this looks super HD,” Emilia said. She pulled one of the floor cushions stacked to the right of the TV toward her and sat down cross-legged.
“Brave traveler, you have chosen to walk the paths to the palace, but beware,” said the narrator. “These paths are full of the pleasures of the flesh, and none that walk them may escape the lust and desire of those who call the palace their home.
“Traveler, should you choose to continue, there is a mission you must carry out.” The screen washed out, the scene shifting from the outdoors to a room. It could have been a room right here in Blakely’s castle. As the camera did a slow turn, Emilia gasped a little as a tall, dark-haired figure came into view. At that exact moment, the man turned and looked at the camera, almost as if he’d heard Emilia’s gasp. His dark hair ran down his back, and he wore what was probably supposed to be some sort of stylized Victorian garb. The pants were tight enough to show off muscular legs, and the pressed white shirt with the silver buttons — half of which were undone — showed a broad chest and a narrow waist. The man, whose hair trailed down to the small of his back and half hid his face, looked straight at the camera. His eyes were the color of amethyst, and a wild emotion stirred in their depth for a second before the man shut it down.
“Lord Radovan, the vampire prince, has been hidden away in the palace’s highest tower. Traveler, if you dare, it is your mission to free Lord Radovan from his captivity.”
Emilia wanted to look at this strange vampire prince more. The video quality was good, uncannily so, everything looked real. It was almost like all she had to do was reach out her hand, and she’d be able to touch the amethyst-eyed vampire prince.
Emilia lifted her right hand, but before she could actually try reaching for the vampire, the camera moved. It went for a window and flew straight out, down toward a hedge maze.
“The palace grounds are full of riddles and challenges. Those who guard the path and the palace will not be assuaged by anything less than taking pleasure in your body, Traveler,” the narrator said. “They will demand you give yourself to them, and if they have no mouth or know not how to use it, they will take pleasure on you regardless, split you open and fill you with their need.”
Emilia felt like she should be taking notes for her chat room work. This was good enough to make warmth run down her spine, to make her shift a little on her floor cushion.
“Traveler, if you wish to proceed to the Rook’s Palace, you must consent now to have your body used. On the path to the Palace, your body will be your token. If you dare not, you may turn back, though you will never know what pleasures hide behind these walls. If you consent, your pleasure will end only once Lord Radovan is set free from his tower.”
The maze opened up to the path again, and the camera rushed back to the spot it had first been in, the one with trees to either side of it. Words wrote themselves across the screen.
“Traveler, do you consent?” it read. “Say yes, and proceed. Say no, and never return.”
Once more, Emilia looked for a controller. The button she’d pushed on the console had gone dark now. She looked back up at the screen…
About Alexa Piper
Alexa Piper writes steamy romance that ranges from light to dark, from straight to queer. She’s also a coffee addict. Alexa loves writing stories that make her readers laugh and fall in love with the characters in them.
The kids, even the 17-year-olds, are eager for tonight! The older ones are going to dress up and escort the younger ones, hoping some candy will be tossed their way, too. You’re never too old. LOL
October was a crazy-busy month.
I had my first art show! It was so much fun and reaffirming! I signed up for some more online art classes, and away I’ll go, getting ready for next year!
I wrote two books and mucked around in one other book! My hands are still sore from that whirlwind of activity!
I’ve been editing like crazy for other authors. I have yet to figure out a way to nail down that particular schedule because some authors deliver late, plus work can go fast or slow depending on how much work is to be done on the book and how rested I am!!!!
Anyway, the important thing about October was that I had two new releases! And NO, I didn’t plan on having two COWBOY books go out in the same month, but that’s how it worked out. October’s theme was just meant to be about Cowboys! (Click on the covers if you want to know more about the stories!)
November’s going to be just as nuts!
First off, my son is coming for a visit on the 1st! We’ve been separated due to distance (he lives on the East coast) and COVID. But he’s staying for a little over a week, and he wants to spend time with me and his sister, and do some junking at local flea markets! You know I’m so in for that!
I have multiple editing projects to keep me busy in November. Plenty busy. ‘Nuff said. It won’t be until December before that train slows down.
And I have books to write. One anyway. I’m thinking, if I can get motivated, that I’ll write another quick, short Cowboys on the Edge story before I start into the next bounty hunter, Eli. We’ll see if I get lazy. I didn’t put the COE story up for pre-order because I wasn’t sure I really wanted to do it, but NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts tomorrow, and I’d love to participate, so maybe that will be enough incentive to keep my butt in the chair.
As for releases in November…
You can’t miss this one. It’s longer than I usually write. My hero is gobsmacked by the heroine from the start, but she’s hiding some dangerous secrets. It’s juicy and suspenseful, a isn’t the cover gorgeous? Have you pre-ordered your copy of Defending Evangeline? I’ll tell you a little secret: THE PRINT VERSION IS ALREADY AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!
However, that’s not the only book releasing in November, though. I haven’t hyped it enough, but I am republishing a book that Avon published back in the 2000s. I’ve been re-editing it and will release it on November 16th. I loved building this world filled with old Sumerian and Judeo-Christian mythology (okay, I’m geeking out!). It’s dark, sexy, and suspenseful. Did I mention sexy? AND it’s a loooong novel…
Is that enough for November?! Gah. I’m already tired. 🙂
Contest
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether you’ve read any of my Cowboys on the Edge stories, featuring my firefighters and deputies in the little town on the edge of a canyon, AND whether a new story in the series would interest you!
I’m a film buff. I’ll admit it. And I love old classic movies. My absolute favorite black and white movies are 
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