Bayou Road Trip!

My sister, Delilah Devlin, and I took a trip last August to Louisiana. We drove all the way down to Grand Isle, LA which is nothing more than a little spit of land surrounded by water and barely above sea level. Houses were built on stilts and daring the ocean to take them back. Great sunrises greeted us in the morning and even more beautiful sunsets closed out the day.

We trekked on up to Thibodeaux, LA for a fabulous airboat tour of the bayous, a tour of Oak Alley Plantation and then on to New Orleans for a conference and to explore some of the Voodoo shops in the French Quarter.

We were in search of great settings, and a firm understanding of what it means to live along the bayous and the crazy but loveable people who do. From the ladies dressed in period costumes leading tours through the old plantation houses while serving mint juleps, to the crazy coonasses insane enough to drag a ‘gator out of the water so we could pet it, we met wonderful people along the way. Small towns, lots of water and great food added to the experience.

And what a change of scenery heading into New Orleans! What happens on Bourbon Street stays on Bourbon Street! Street performers, voodoo shops, palm readers, men in red dresses and beignets…the city is magical.

All these forays were great fodder for my Cajun Magic series coming out this year from Entangled Publishing. Watch for VOODOO ON THE BAYOU (Feb 2013), VOODOO FOR TWO (April 2013) and DEJA VOODOO ( Jun 2013) for a little fun delving into Voodoo and the magic it can create.

Voodoo on the Bayou

Book #1 of the Cajun Magic Series

by Elle James (aka Myla Jackson)

 “By day a frog, by night a man, ‘til de next full moon…”

At first, lawyer and ladies’ man Craig Thibodeaux thought Madame LeBieu’s chant was a strange bayou joke. But the voodoo worked and Craig is spending his days as…well, a small green frog. Now he has only two weeks to find love, or his new froggy transformation becomes permanent.

When she receives the anonymous toxic water sample from Bayou Miste, research scientist Elaine Smith decides a trip to the bayou is the perfect excuse to escape the lab, and forget about her cheating ex-fiancé. Then she accidentally stumbles upon Craig’s oh-so-fine naked form, and her science-nerd brain is overrun with naughty thoughts about her new gorgeous night-time bayou guide.

But there’s more to Bayou Miste than voodoo curses and sexy late-night trysts. Dark secrets threaten the delicate ecosystem, and there are those who would do anything to keep those secrets hidden. Even murder…

Elle James Bio

Elle James aka Myla Jackson spent twenty years livin’ and lovin’ in South Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, Elle is proud to be writing full-time, penning, sassy western romances, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edge of their seats. She has 31 works with Harlequin, self published works under pen name Elle James, over many works with other publishers including Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon and 19 works self-published under pen name Myla Jackson. Now living in northwest Arkansas, she isn’t wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling her muses, a malti-poo and yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

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Hi, Delilah, Thanks so much for inviting me onto your blog.

I’m a British author with over twenty books published, over half of them Regency romances. I was raised on the Isle of Wight in Southern England, a stone’s throw from Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s island retreat. Carisbrooke Castle, where Charles 1^st was imprisoned before being taken to London to have his head chopped off is just five miles away and we have more castles, ancient ruins and stately homes than you can shake a stick at.

We took them for granted but I think that’s when my love affair with history started—well then and when I first read Jane Austen and desperately wanted to be Lizzie Bennet! I kind of absorbed the historical vibes like osmosis and that was that. I love the idea of men in tight breeches with impeccable manners, shedding both the moment the bedroom door closes!

However, I digress. My latest, Forgotten Heiress, was released as an e-book by Samhain on February 19^th.  This one tackles the class society, so prevalent in Regency times. My own childhood home was modest; the equivalent of poor housing in Regency times, I guess, and yet was so close to all that Victorian opulence. It struck me as incongruous when I was old enough to think about it and opened my eyes to the huge divide between the haves and have-nots.

My heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a banker and so, although she has a huge dowry, she knows society’s doors will remain firmly closed to her. When the heir to a dukedom takes an interest in her, she throws caution to the wind and decides to have some fun. Her neighbour, Harry Benson-Smythe, is suspicious at the upturn in her fortunes and vows to rescue Eloise from her own folly. He loves her feisty, free-spirited attitude to life but even if he manages to get rid of her aristocratic admirer, he’s already engaged to a far more suitable lady, so there can never be a happy ending for Harry and Eloise, can there…?

I’m giving a copy of Forgotten Heiress away. Just leave a comment here and along with your contact details, letting me know what you most enjoy about Regency romance.

Good luck!

Forbidden Heiress from Samhain Publishing and all e-retailers, price $3.85
Read more about me and my books on my website

Thanks so much for having me here, Delilah.

Wendy

Why I Write Romance

I’ve been writing since I was twelve years old and most of my friends and family knew I loved to write. But when I finally “came out” that I was writing romance and that I intended to try getting published as a romance author, one of the first things questions they asked was “but are you ever going to write anything else?”

And the answer to that is no, I probably won’t.

Romance is what I love to write. Human relationships are the glue that holds society together and I’m fascinated by them, especially romantic relationships. Love is an awesome thing and it has a lot of power, and exploring the pain and heartache and joy that goes along with falling in love is amazing.   

Let’s face it. Real life can suck so hard sometimes. And part of what I adore most about being a writer is the fact that I can take two broken people who have had bad things happen to them, and give them the happy ending they deserve.  Because there really aren’t enough happy endings in this world.

I guess this is why I find writing romance an honour and a privilege. It’s like I’m putting a little more love out there in the world. Giving people a little more of the happy, a little more of the optimism. The sense that bad things can happen but you’ll be okay and that happiness is possible. In fact, it’s not only possible but necessary and deserved.

Romance isn’t fluff and nonsense and not real literature. It’s powerful and amazing. Yes, sometimes the characters are larger than life and sometimes so are the situations, but the heart of every great romance novel deals with something everyone single person in the whole world can relate to – we all want love and a happy ending (even though we won’t admit it).

So yeah, I’m pretty happy with writing romance thank you very much. And I’m thoroughly stoked that my little contribution to world happiness is now out in the world!

What about you guys? What is it about reading romance that you love?  Do you shout about it or is it a guilty pleasure? And what’s your favourite kind to read? (Jackie will give away a download of this book to one lucky commenter! ~DD) 

When you’ve been burned, the heat of the moment is the scariest place to be.

Six months after a sexual assault, Anna Jameson has decided enough is enough. She’s sick of being a victim, of letting the experience have power over her. She wants her fear of physical intimacy gone, as in now.

In the quest to reclaim her sexuality, she needs a man. A man she trusts absolutely. A man like her best friend, Finn.

Finn Shaw is all about taking risks. He does it every week on his extreme sports TV show. But there’s one boundary he’s never pushed, and that’s his friendship with Anna. When his hyper-intellectual family kicked him to the curb over his dyslexia, Anna stuck by him.

Her request to become friends with benefits throws him for a loop. He can’t deny her anything, but this is a whole different ball game. Once they’re skin to skin, there will be no hiding the fact that he’s loved her for years.

When their chemistry burns out of control, Finn decides he’s the one who’s had enough. It’s time to break out of the friend box—and show Anna that risking her heart is a risk well worth taking. Even if it costs him her friendship.

Warning: This book contains a strong-willed heroine who knows what she wants, a daredevil hero intent on showing her how much more she could have, sexy love scenes that’ll melt your heart, and a grand gesture you’ll need a tissue for.

Buy at Samhain
Buy at Amazon

Getting Real

For the past four or five years I’ve been writing stories about Konigsburg, Texas. It’s a Hill Country town with lots of hunky guys and strong women. It’s also imaginary, which makes it really easy to write about. Need a winery outside town? No problem. Need a hideout for some inept bad guys? Got it. Towns you invent can provide you with everything you need just when you need it. All you have to do is remember what you called that street the last time you had the heroine walk up it.

But when I decided to do a trilogy of stories about a family of mediums, I didn’t want to set them in Konigsburg for a lot of reasons. I wanted someplace real and someplace spooky. Someplace you could actually visit if you were curious, and a place you could believe harbored a ghost or two. I settled for San Antonio’s King William District, one of the town’s oldest surviving neighborhoods. And there went all the convenience of having my very own town to play with.

You see, when you’re dealing with a real place, you have to respect the real details. For example, I couldn’t make up street names anymore. King William has streets and they have names. If I wanted my characters to walk along the river I had to specify that they were walking along Washington and not, say, Riverside. And they had to cross the river over real bridges, not something I concocted for the purpose of getting them over the water (fortunately for me, King William has the Johnson Street Footbridge—a really cool way of getting across the San Antonio River).

Moreover, I needed to be true to the way King William actually looks, its mixture of Victorian limestone mansions and smaller, wood frame houses from the last century. This wasn’t hard when I lived in San Antonio—all I had to do was take a drive through the District to get a feel for it. But now I live in Colorado, and reminding myself about what the District looks like required finding photos on-line of the things I needed to see (for a taste of King William, you can check out my Pinterest board).

Fortunately for me, King William is a full service location. Along with the Victorian mansions, perfect for ghostly visitations, it also has the Blue Star Arts District with its cafes and galleries and the Southtown district with its boutiques and funky clubs. And I was able to create a few things without doing too much damage to reality. Several of my characters do some research at the King William Historical Society, for example, an organization that exists only in my imagination.

In the end, I enjoyed my stay in King William a lot. I hope you’ll stop by and visit sometime, or at least visit my family of mediums.

Here’s the blurb for Medium Well:

Love At Second Sight

Real estate agent Danny Ramos has always had a knack for selling homes, but when his boss saddles him with a neglected carriage house, Danny discovers that his abilities are more than simple intuition…

On his first visit to the house, Danny is confronted with visions of a violent murder. His assistant, Biddy Gunter, doesn’t seem affected, and Danny starts to think he’s going crazy—until he gets a visit from his mother, who suggests that Danny’s uncanny talent to sell old houses may stem from his family inheritance: psychic empathy.

When Biddy reveals to Danny her own strange dream about the carriage house ghosts, they team up to investigate and discover both the house’s dark history and their own unexpected attraction. But as the hauntings turn from unsettling to downright dangerous, Danny and Biddy need to figure out how to rid the house of its ghostly inhabitants, before their budding romance meets an untimely end…

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Read an Excerpt.

Debbie Gould and I have been writing together for years. Hey, we’re to the point that we finish each other sentences – which actually saves time. LOL When we decided to start a new series, Debbie suggested pararescuemen. Once we saw all the training these guys go through, we knew we’d found our team of hot, sexy heroes!

Here’s the training to become a pararescuemen or PJ:

“Pipeline” Training

After completion of six weeks of Basic Military Training, we spend the next 17 months training at the following schools:

•The PARARESCUE/Combat Control
Indoctrination Course
10 weeks, Lackland AFB, TX
•US Army Airborne Parachutist School
3 weeks, Fort Benning, GA
•US Army Combat Divers School
4 weeks, Key West, FL
•US Navy Underwater Egress Training
1 day, Pensacola NAS, FL
•US Air Force Basic Survival School
2 and a half weeks, Fairchild AFB, WA
•US Army Military Freefall Parachutist School
5 weeks, Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ
•Special Operations Combat Medic Course
22 weeks, Fort Bragg, NC
•PARARESCUE Recovery Specialist Course
20 weeks, Kirtland AFB, NM

Air Force Pararescuemen, also known as PJs, are the only DoD elite combat forces specifically organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spectrum Personnel Recovery (PR) to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations. These Battlefield Airmen are the most highly trained and versatile Personnel Recovery specialists in the world. Pararescue is the nation’s force of choice to execute the most perilous, demanding, and extreme rescue missions anytime, anywhere across the globe. The 500+ PJs are assigned to Guardian Angel and Special Tactics Squadrons throughout the Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve Air Force components. They operate most often as independent teams but routinely serve alongside with other US and Allied Special Operations Forces

Mission

To rescue, recover, and return American or Allied forces in times of danger or extreme duress. Whether shot down or isolated behind enemy lines; surrounded, engaged, wounded, or captured by the enemy; PJs will do whatever required to deny the enemy a victory and bring our warriors home to fight another day

Capabilities

To execute the PR mission, Pararescue teams assault, secure, and dominate the rescue objective area utilizing any available DoD or Allied, air, land, or sea asset. Their qualifications and capabilities are extensive. All PJs are qualified experts in Advanced Weapons and Small Unit Tactics, Airborne and Military Free Fall, both High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) parachute operations, Combat Divers, High Angle/Confined Space Rescue operations, Small Boat/Vehicle Craft utilization, Rescue Swimmers, and Battlefield Trauma/Paramedics. All can fast rope/rappel/hoist from any vertical lift aircraft to both land and open ocean rescue objectives. All PJs can perform both static line and HALO jump operations utilizing boats, vehicles, or other equipment from any fixed wing aircraft. In addition, 1 in 12 personnel are tandem jump qualified and can HALO/HAHO both equipment and non-jump personnel into the objective area. As required, all PJs can jump in with and utilize extrication devices to remove war fighters or civilians trapped in wreckage or collapse structures. PJs also utilize the latest subsurface technology to locate and recover submerged equipment or personnel.

Recent History

Since 9/11 alone, these elite warriors have executed over 12,000 life saving, combat rescue missions. They’ve also eliminated and captured numerous enemy combatants during the execution of these missions. Additionally, because of their unique capabilities, they have been called upon to rescue over 5000 civilians worldwide during catastrophic natural disasters and other responses.

Decorations

PJs are the most highly decorated Air Force enlisted force. They’ve been awarded one Medal of Honor, 12 Air Force Crosses, and 105 Silver Stars.

Their motto, “These Things We Do, That Others May Live,” affirms Pararescue’s dedication and commitment to saving lives and self-sacrifice. As of January 2012, 10 pararescuemen have been killed in action and paid the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pararescue Creed “It is my duty as a Pararescueman to save lives and to aid the injured. I will be prepared at all times to perform my assigned duties quickly and efficiently, placing these duties before personal desires and comforts. These things I do, that others may live.”

In My Sights

A 1Night Stand Story
Pararescuemen Series – Book 2

Six months ago, Siobhan Cantrell’s world was changed forever by a sniper’s bullet. The incident transformed her from a secure confident woman to a recluse, afraid to leave her own home. When her friends urge her to re-enter the world of the living, they suggest Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand dating service. Nervous, she signs up and learns the company is renown for in-depth background checks and safe encounters. So, how dangerous could it be?

Sergeant Bobby Martin has witnessed Madame Eve’s magic firsthand. His teammate found true love through her service. Still a skeptic but giving in to peer pressure, the Air Force Pararescueman signs himself up. When he meets Siobhan, his doubts fly out the window—unfortunately bullets start flying in them. Determined to protect her from a sniper that won’t give up, Bobby vows to keep her safe. As their chemistry ramps up, so does the sniper’s attempts.

Can Bobby keep Siobhan alive, or will the killer catch them in his sights?

Genre: Contemporary, military romance, erotic romance, suspense/thriller
Heat level: 4
Word count – 16k
Cover art by Fantasia Frog Designs

BUY:
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/My-Sights-Night-Stand-ebook/dp/B00AP83BOE/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357781197&sr=1-2
ARe:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-inmysights-1026099-149.html
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/266141
Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-my-sights-lj-garland/1113983526?ean=2940016105130

EXCERPT:

“Look, I’m not gonna lie to you.” He loosened his hold on her while he perused her face, settling on her mouth. “I wasn’t sure about this one-night thing to start with, but after seeing you…well, I can definitely follow through. No problem.” He shifted his attention to her face, the naked heat swirling in his baby blues causing her breath to catch. “But after what all you told me, I want you to know I get it. We can play this thing any way you want. Fast. Slow. Or I can just hold you.” He trailed his fingers up and down her arms, sending delicious tingles along her skin. “Though I’ll admit, that’s not my first choice.”

She stared at him. God, he was such a gentleman. Without hesitating, she lifted onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, crushed her mouth against his, and…holy crap, what a kiss! Her pulse jumped, her head spun. A fire sparked deep inside her, and her breath caught at the passion winding through her. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting exactly, but not anything like this.

Before she melted into a puddle at his feet, she broke the kiss and gazed up at him. “Does that answer your question?”

A sexy grin curved his lips. “Yes, ma’am.”

Sexy, Brought to You By the Letter “E”

Thanks for having me on your blog Delilah! It’s always fun to have the chance to hang out and chat with new readers and future friends

Lately (okay, pretty much always), I’ve been thinking a lot about words and sex appeal and I’ve come to an interesting conclusion.

“E” is a super sexy letter.

Really, it’s true. When it comes to pure sex appeal, the other twenty-five letters are out of luck.

No, the shape doesn’t do it for me. In that category, “s” wins hands down. “S” takes the sound prize too. Hey, sibilance is sexy. (Sexy is sibilant too, which works nicely, don’t you think?)

If we’re talking about the letter that starts off the most words that are downright sensuous (another “s,” I know), “e” rises to the top.

How do I know this?

Recently, I was browsing through my favorite reference book, the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus looking for new and exciting words for my latest story, “Lights Out”, a short I wrote for the We Love New York: A Romance Anthology to Raise Funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief.

Well, I started to read through the thesaurus but quickly got sidetracked. It’s sooo easy for a word junkie like me. I mean, check out these great slang synonyms for abscond, a fantastic word in itself. Vamoose, skedaddle, clear out, make tracks, skip town, take French leave (huh?), scram … I never made it out of the “a’s.”

Instead, I turned to a list of sexy words I’ve compiled, loosely based on Annette Blair’s List of Sensual Words. There are a lot of hot ones there and every letter is represented. Yes, even the Scrabble 8- and 10-pointers: Juicy. Kinky. Quicken. X-rated. Zealous. (Zealous and quicken are also “bingos,” for those of you who care about such things. My husband does).

Scrabble aside, the words that really caught my eye all started with the letter “e”.

Allow me to explain, elucidate and expound.

Think about it. Of course, there’s erotic and its close cousin exotic. But how about these?

Eager. Earthy. Ecstatic. Effusive.

Electric. Enfolding. Enigmatic. Exposed.

Now, while I don’t recommend using all of these in one sentence, every one of them evokes some very sexy ideas.

Or maybe that’s just me.

For extra credit…

Use each of these in a sentence. More than one for a bonus. (Note: not recommended for staff meetings. Or discussions with your mechanic. Unless he’s really hot like Cole Cassidy in my debut release Revving Her Up).

Any “e” words I missed? Or some super sexy words that deserve a place on my list? Got another contender – a letter you think can topple “e” from its first-place perch?

Joy Daniels writes erotic romance because she likes to expose her characters completely – strengths, flaws and scars. Although she is from New York City (and still a loyal Yankees fan), since moving to Maryland she has developed passion for southern boys and their toys. Her debut novella, Revving Her Up features stock car racing, and she’s working on a ménage story set in Nashville. Given the opportunity to help her hometown, Joy contributed a short story, “Lights Out”, to We Love New York: A Romance Anthology to Raise Funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief. Her novella Unmasked will be included in the second volume of Coliloquy’s Entwined Erotica line.  You can visit her online at www.authorjoydaniels.com.

If you commented on this Friday’s and last Friday’s blogs, you are eligible to receive a free set of dog tags from Sharon. Send an email to sharonhamilton2001@gmail.com! ~DD

* * * * *

Who Would A Golden Vampire Hire For Protection?

Well, of course, Navy’s finest: SEALs. In my book, they are retired SEALs. In writing Mortal Bite, I found my little fingers writing some new quirky characters to further the saga along. Golden Vampires, like in Book 1, Honeymoon Bite, can live in the sunlight, and they live forever. But their children are born mortal.

My legendary family, the Monteleones of Tuscany, hire dark coven vampires as their security. But dark vamps have to go to ground in the daylight, so, to add protection, they train some ex-SEALs to handle some of the daytime things. Now, can you imagine what happens when these SEALs learn about tracing and transporting? These are guys who are used to doing HALO jumps at midnight over water. Do you think they’d love to trace with a dark vamp? Heck yes. They’d be wanting to trace to go to the liquor store or the favorite burger joint.

I have a secondary character in this book who will have his own book soon: Lionel Jett.  He has two brothers who live in California and help protect the Monteleone family. Lionel is about to go on a fact-finding mission. They have set up a group of ex-SEALs to join their team in the coming days. But tonight, they want to go incognito, pretending just to be a couple of randy guys.

Here’s a little excerpt of  Lionel Jett and his brother, Hugh. But the ladies all call him Huge.

CONTEST NOTE: As a giveaway, one winner will get a poster-sized print of this book cover, SIGNED BY JIMMY THOMAS, or a free copy of Mortal Bite. Winner to be announced Sunday. And, if you comment on today’s blog, and then go back and comment on last Friday’s blog (CLICK ON “Friday’s blog), I will send you a set of special dog tags. So everyone has a chance to win something!

Excerpt, Mortal Bite:

Lionel was relaxed but wary as he strode down the wet streets of the little winery town. The heels of his scuffed Doc Martens pounded along the sidewalk, causing storefront glass to wobble. He made a point to go lighter, so as not to draw attention to his preternatural powers. He wanted to spend the evening without drawing undue attention, if he could.

His standard uniform was black leather jacket with the myriad of zippered pockets, his tight black Levis with more pockets, and the lace-up boots with the steel toes he wore everywhere except for a tuxedo affair. Since those only came along a couple of times a century, he still had a pair of pumps he’d bought back in the 1800’s made from pressed alligator—an illegal substance in today’s world—which were perfect and drew little attention.

 PRESS was full of people tonight. The first thing that struck him was the giddy laughter coming from the bar and dark corners of the place, even though the lighting was darker than usual. It wasn’t the romantic quiet he usually found at a hook-up place. There were groups of people everywhere. Things were being said indiscreetly. Boundaries were being pushed. He was hit with glamour from all directions, indicating the dark forces were very present.

Perfect. Just what you wanted, right? Read the rest of this entry »