So, one of the questions I, and I’m sure every author out there gets asked, is where we get our ideas from. My answer is usually “how do you make the ideas stop?” but for my latest release, Aries Revealed, there were a few specific triggers. I’ve already mentioned on the blog tour (redzworld stop) that the film Soldier with Kurt Russell laid a major seed for the Zodiac series (and, as it happens, the species idea for the Sargosians from Taming the Wildcat) but Soldier just laid the seed. It wasn’t until a friend showed me this image from Magic Mike (of course, I didn’t have a clue what it was at the time)

So, after I stopped drooling on the keyboard (this friend has a habit of sending me images like this just to see me stop what I’m doing and drool. Her favourite subjects are Alex Pettyfer and Jensen Ackles *whimpers* Both of which I am extremely susceptible to, and ceases word production immediately) I started to think about strippers in a sensible, writerly type of way. Okay, okay…AFTER I got over thinking about Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer taking their clothes off, I started thinking about things sensibly and just how I could use a stripper character in my cyborg series. I love convoluted storylines and new angles on things so it got me to thinking what if the stripper with the cyborg act really was a cyborg? He’s pretending to play a human who plays a cyborg? The idea was just too much fun NOT to write and thus, Aries Revealed was born!

I would like to point out that there was a second image sent to me shortly after the first, but this one just shorted out my brain so I can’t really claim it helped with the creation of Aries any. But it provided a good hours viewing pleasure 😉

So, now I’ve gone around the houses and up the garden path, let me leave you with some info on the story our lovely lads from Magic Mike inspired!

Sometimes the best place to hide, is in plain sight…

Johnny makes a living on the strip circuits. His most popular routine? The Aries 7000. Bronzed and oiled, he pretends to be the scourge of the universe, one of the deadly and outlawed zodiac cyborgs. But Johnny isn’t really a stripper playing a cyborg. He’s a cyborg playing a stripper.

Milly, a freighter captain, has had a thing for the sexy stripper for months. But when Johnny, the subject of many of her hottest fantasies, asks her out to dinner, she runs. All is not lost, however; a chance encounter yields an Aries 7000 sexbot, hers for a weekend of pleasure.

It seems too good to be true. Sex with the man of her dreams without risking her heart. But Milly’s bot has some secrets…secrets that could save her life when the past returns to haunt her.

Available from: Ellora’s Cave | Amazon | Amazon UK | ARe

Suffering the curse of eternal curiosity Mina never tires of learning new skills which has led to Aromatherapy, Corsetry, Chain-maille making, Welding, Canoeing, Shooting, and pole-dancing to name but a few.

A full time author and cover artist, Mina can usually be found hunched over a keyboard or graphics tablet, frantically trying to get the images and words in her head out and onto the screen before they drive her mad. She’s addicted to coffee and Nutella on toast.

Where to find Mina…

Twitter
Facebook

[Sorry—photos removed!]

Twice the treats! Today, you get Indie sensation Sharon Hamilton dishing out a delicious excerpt below—can’t get enough SEALs, can you? Then AFTER you’ve posted a comment here (remember the pendant contest!), head on over to Lissa Matthews’ website, where I’m her guest and giving away and stuff there too!

GIMME A HOT MAN IN A UNIFORM (OR OUT OF ONE!)

Navy SEALs have gotten a lot of press lately, and while most of this is well deserved, SEALs themselves shy away from such publicity. And perhaps that’s why we love them. They live in this super secret community of elite warriors, keeping only to themselves and their families and ducking the limelight. Part of this is because of the nature of their work. And part of this is because of who they are and how they are trained.

How can we not fall for a guy who is so physically well developed, capable of doing so many impossible things, but yet doesn’t have to boast to the whole world about it? Those strong silent types. Still waters run deep. Very deep. Just the way we like it.

We love them because they are take charge. But boy, don’t we love to see them brought to their knees by that heroine? They know everything about blowing things up and doing a high level extraction, but fall hard for a woman without scaring them off? That is a different story. I like to write them so they are way outside their comfort zone. Make them squirm. Yes, I admit it. I like to torture them.

My fictional hero in Accidental SEAL, Kyle Lansdowne, has come back from Afghanistan with a stronger desire to set down roots and perhaps find something more satisfying than the string of one-night stands he is accustomed to. But he is really not prepared for how fast the he will land right in the middle of a hot romance with Christy. Although their stormy first encounter is by accident, he soon learns she is something he wants, on purpose.

Christy Nelson embarks on her new career in Real Estate by holding her first open house. Entering the wrong house, by accident, she finds the nude sleeping body of a young man.

Navy SEAL Kyle Lansdowne, on a mission to find his AWOL Team buddy, is staying at his buddy’s home while investigating the disappearance.  When someone breaks in, he takes protective measures. He doesn’t expect to find that a beautiful young woman is responsible for his teammate’s abduction.

What starts out as a meeting by accident becomes a hot affair neither one is ready for. Kyle is conflicted about getting Christy involved in his mission, but his hand is forced when he learns the same San Diego gang responsible for his teammate’s abduction has kidnapped her.

Battling a cadre of dirty law enforcements hell-bent on getting military equipment, especially state-of-the-art firepower, Kyle is forced to admit that he would be willing to die to protect her.

This excerpt happens after lunch when Kyle asks Christy to help him find a place to buy. Christy is in the process of showing him a model home in her condo complex…

“Some of these places went for close to a million dollars when they first came up for resale,” Christy said as she let them inside the furnished model with her passkey. “My mother was one of the first to buy. She got in under a special housing density program.” They both stepped into a beautifully staged great room and kitchen. Through tall picture windows, the bay gleamed as if covered with shattered glass. Kyle opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the balcony.

“Nice place. Doubt I could afford it.” He turned, resting his back against the black iron railing, his bulging package prominent. He cocked his head, removed his sunglasses and asked, “How much?”

“This one’s five sixty. But we could make them an offer. It’s owned by the bank. If you have some sort of down payment, this could be financed VA.”

“Not sure I have enough.” He walked past her and waited by the slider opening.

“Want to see the rest of the place? It has a nice big bedroom.” Read the rest of this entry »

A New Release, A Contest, and A Book Giveaway

Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me today. Hi, I’m Randi Alexander and I write cowboy erotic romance. I’m published with The Wild Rose Press. My newest release, Turn Up the Heat, is available today!

It’s always a pleasure to be here and spend time chatting with Delilah’s awesome readers. She’s always got something new and innovative going on with her writing.

My new release is something different. There’s a cowgirl who’s also a chef, who falls for the host of the reality TV show she’s competing in. The host…is a woman! Yep, I’ve written my first female/female story.

It started as a scene in my first erotic romance. My editor at The Wild Rose Press encouraged me to take it out of that book and give Mackenzie and Gina their own story. Of course, I took my editor’s advice.

While cooking and food have a strong place in the story, so do the formidable differences between the two women. A cowgirl from Wyoming and an actress from California. Conservative vs. liberal – in this election year, could they be any more polarized?

But the one area they’re very much in sync is in bed. It was so much fun to write the sex scenes. A little bit of BDSM, some sex toys, lots of sensual, kinky talk. I’ve included the first sex scene as an excerpt, and I hope you enjoy it.

What is your favorite part of a romance? Is it when they first realize they’re falling for each other? Is it the first time they have sex? Is it the conflict that drives them apart, or the happily ever after ending where that mean author 😉 makes your cry happy tears? Leave a comment for a chance to win an ebook.

Mackenzie Jarvis has never slept with a woman. So why has she fallen madly in lust with Gina Volto, host of the reality cooking show Mackenzie is competing in? Mackenzie’s wild desire to live out her fantasy, battles with her conservative Wyoming values. Then Gina pours on the seduction, Mackenzie runs–home to her ranch, her horses, and her busy career as the owner and chef of a restaurant. But Gina shows up at her ranch in a snowstorm, and Mackenzie allows herself one weekend of forbidden, kinky pleasure.

When Gina admits she wants more than just a few days, can Mackenzie ignore her upbringing and her plans for a traditional life with a husband and children? Or will she give in and turn up the heat?

EXCERPT:  Over 18 only, please.

The magnitude of this moment struck Mackenzie. She blurted, “I’ve never done this before.” It sounded stupid, but she didn’t want to make a mistake and hurt her.

“Honey.” Gina reached between her legs and took Mackenzie’s middle finger, sliding it upward. “I’m exactly like you.” She pushed her finger into the cleft at the top and used it to circle her clit. “Does that feel familiar?”

Gina’s wet pussy gave off an irresistible musky scent. Mackenzie breathed deep, an answering, pull tightening deep in her pussy. She wanted more. “God, yes. And perfect. Gina.” Her words slurred, not from the alcohol, but from overpowering desire. “This is so sexy.”

Gina pushed her hand back and closed her legs. “You first, Mackenzie. Pay attention…” Her grin curved sinfully. “Because I’ve perfected this technique. Once you’ve learned from the mistress, you will be allowed to attend her.”

She bit her lip. “Kinky.”

Gina settled Mackenzie back on the pillows, propping one under her but. “We’ll start with extraordinary and move on to kinky later.” She ran a hand up Mackenzie’s leg, another hand up the other one, and at her knees, bent and lifted them, exposing Mackenzie completely.

Gina stared, her face flushed bright red. “Ah, honey, you are beautiful.” She looked into Mackenzie’s eyes.

Tremors of desire shook through her as she gazed at the lust on her friend’s face. “Touch me.”

Gina closed her eyes for a second, shuddering. She slid her hands gently up Mackenzie’s thighs to her apex. “Your hair is so curly.” She ran her fingers through it, gently plucking at the hairs.

Mackenzie wanted release from the sensual torture. She tipped her pelvis up.

“Be patient, sweet girl.” Gina smiled. “You’re going to have the best sex of your life.”

To celebrate my new release, I’m giving away, to one *commenter, an e-copy of my erotic romance anthology Cowboy Bad Boys. Just leave a comment today and we’ll choose a winner tomorrow. *Commenter must be 18 years of age or older to win.

Because Turn up the Heat is about a chef, I’m giving away a really cute custom-made apron and potholder set to one lucky person who joins my mailing list between now and August 8. Click here to enter.

Good luck, and thank you!

Randi  “Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied”
RandiAlexander.com
Wild and Wicked Cowboys Blog
69 Shades of Smut Blog

-Turn Up the Heat and all my TWRP books are available at The Wild Rose Press and all my books are available at Amazon

[Sorry—photos removed!]

Bad Boys = Real Good Men

There’s just something about a bad boy, isn’t there? A dark-n-dangerous man, tall, handsome and covered in tats just gets my libido going and my juices flowing. I completely lose my head, and my mind is over run by images of me doing bad, bad things with the bad, bad boys.

And I put every ounce of my intense yearning into the hero of my just-released Ellora’s Cave novel, His Forbidden Submissive.

Brock Michaels is everything I’ve ever wanted in a bad boy—the heroine too. He wears his tats like a second skin. He doesn’t take shit from anyone. His shaved head makes me want to rub my hands over all that sexy smoothness and direct his mouth to, um, certain places on my body…

Oh, and did I mention he’s a Dom too?

Mmm. Am I the only one who just shivered? Don’t lie! You know you want some of that! How could any hot-blooded woman not? Which begs one question.

What is it about bad boys that draw us in like kids to a candy store? I have a few ideas…

Bad boys are confident and adventurous. They’re a challenge to even the most headstrong woman. And oh god, they ooze masculinity like a marathon runner oozes sweat, and bad boys can turn that oozing masculinity into a string of perfect words so intensely perfect they could quite easily charm the panties of a nun. But most importantly, in my opinion, bad boys are broken—and we want to fix them.

Okay, okay, I know they’re not really broken. It’s just a perception thing. They’re thugs, they’re outsiders. In other words, they’re not what society “says” is normal or politically correct, and they don’t care. It’s that aspect that makes them more addictive than crack.

At least for me. *grin*

But what do YOU think of bad boys? Do they make the private places between your legs do funny things? Or do you give a wide berth when you see a leather-clad, tattoo-sporting hottie heading your way?

Let me known and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a copy of any book from my backlist. (Click here to go to my book page.)

Later, Lovelies!

~Brandi

His Forbidden Submissive, out NOW from Ellora’s Cave!

Hi everyone,

Thank you for asking me to be a guest on your blog today, Delilah, and speak to your many fans.  I’m Meg Lacey, and I have a new series Million Dollar Men, with the first book, Million Dollar Mistake, coming October 23, 2012 from Samhain Publishing.  I’ve previously written for Harlequin/Silhouette and am really excited to join the Samhain Family.

It’s a rainy day where I live, the perfect day to forget about everything and sit down with a good book and have a “Me” Day. I can hear some of you thinking, “Yeah, right, never going to happen! I have too much to do.”

As women, we come with guilt programmed into our DNA. Work, family, school, etc.—got it! I don’t relax well.I wrote my first novel in the sixth grade, but my writing career didn’t last. Instead I went into theatre before ending up in television as a writer-producer.

Over the years, I’ve been an actress, director, producer, copywriter, creative director, college instructor, creative dramatics teacher, author, mime, mom, and a school bus driver—wow, are there stories in that experience!  I’ve started two creative marketing companies and worked in all media from network cable programming to games and corporate initiatives; but always returned to writing. I have children, a husband and tons of obligations, so I understand busy. But lately I’ve been forcing myself to haul out my inner diva and say, “Screw it. I’m taking time for me!”

Knowing how busy most of us are got me wondering what it would be like to have no obligations, and have the time and money to do anything I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. That thought translated into Million Dollar Mistake.

Warning: Million Dollar Mistake contains a tabloid sweetheart who loves to be bad, a sexy hero with little patience for mind games, and a game of strip pool that will make you rethink your weekend plans.   

In addition to overseeing the financial affairs of the wealthy Kristoff family, Nicholas Demetrious specializes in hauling its rambunctious members out of trouble. Especially his distant cousin, Raven Rutledge.

The tabloids love her bad-girl antics, sexy pout, and body made for sin. Nicholas would love to spank the bejesus out of her, but this time the situation is too serious to entertain such a fantasy. A lucrative business deal with the Exeters is in jeopardy, and Jackson Exeter Sr.’s ultimatum is clear: Remove this man-eater from my country house, or the deal is off.

Raven is in way over her head. She accepted the invitation to the Exeters’ Adirondack house party as a refreshing change from her jet-setting lifestyle—until she learns the guest list includes his entire family. His ex-girlfriend. And the junior Exeter’s intention to propose.

If ever she needed suave, sophisticated Nicholas’s persuasive powers, it’s now. Then he’s there with a plan to get her out of this tangle: sweep her off her feet. But their pretend passion turns all too real. And what started out as a weekend of fun threatens to shatter into betrayal and heartbreak.

I had a great time writing this book. There’s a lot of hot sex, but there is also a lot of humor in my writing, with the result that this book is a fun, sexy read. Million Dollar Mistake is actually a continuation of a minor character introduced in my novel, Million Dollar Stud from Harlequin (available in ebook.) You might want to check it out to get some background on Nicholas. Meanwhile, I can’t wait to bring you more stories about Million Dollar Men and the women who love them.

Oh yeah, one more thing before I go. I also have a paranormal series coming out from Imajinn Books this fall—Tales of the Sparrow.  The first book is The Sparrow and The Hawk. As the book is still in production, I can’t share the cover with you yet, but I can tell you a little bit about the story that will also come out in Autumn, 2012.

Tales of the Sparrow is a humorous, paranormal romantic adventure series set one week into the future—a time when magic, myths, shapeshifters and other mystical creatures were all possible because the veil between this world and the next had been stripped away.

In the first book, The Sparrow and The Hawk, Jillie Harte, the Sparrow, is a documentary filmmaker who also works undercover for the “NAS (Normal, Abnormal & Strange) Agency”, a secret private agency sponsored by an eccentric billionaire and run by her uncle whose mission is to protect the world from evil in any form—from that done by ordinary humans to that done through mystical direction.  Under the guise of creating a TV documentary on “Fashion and Decoration throughout history,” Jillie is sent undercover to recover an ancient necklace with the power to unleash evil on the world if it falls into the wrong hands. A lot of people want the necklace, including her new cameraman, Griff Ryland. Griff, The Hawk, is actually from an alternative dimension and as a shapechanger is able to change to a cougar and a hawk when circumstances demand. Magic, witchcraft, alternative dimensions and dragging around a cameraman who looks like ‘sex-on-a-stick’ makes the team’s chase after the necklace dangerous, exciting, sexy and fun.  From San Francisco, to New Mexico to New Orleans, and finally to San Diego, CA.  Sparrow and Hawk must overcome each obstacle until they finally find the ‘manipulator’, the ultimate evil whom they must defeat to recover the necklace and eliminate the curse that surrounds it. That’s not all happening though—Jillie and Griff must also face their developing relationship and decide what to do about it. And they thought saving the world from evil and chaos was hard!!!!

Thanks again, Delilah, for inviting me to share news with all of your fans about my forthcoming books. If you want to know more, or read excerpts, please visit my new website: www.meglacey.com or send an email to: meg@meglacey.com.

Be sure to register for the contests that will accompany the release dates of Million Dollar Mistake and The Sparrow and the Hawk.

So today, or sometime soon make time for the Me in You. Forget the guilt and just go for it. Grab a glass of wine, a book and take a bubble bath, find a corner and indulge in yoga followed by dark chocolate, watch a sad movie and cry your eyes out, or do what I’m going to do today—go for a long walk in the rain.

Take care and smile.

Meg

The best laid plans…

Thanks so much for having me here, Delilah!

I’m perked to be here with you all today. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty hyped-up over all. This is a very exciting time in my life. You see, my kids are grown and stepping out into the world, and that means my husband and I are empty-nesters for the time in our marriage… Uh-huh. Life is good.

But all these changes have me thinking about plans in general. At last, my husband and I are making plans for just the two of us. We chuckle because it seems our children’s plans change with the wind, but that’s to be expected at their age. When I think back on who I was and what I thought I wanted when I was in my early twenties, I marvel at how far I strayed from my plan.

Here are a couple examples:

The plan: Marry somewhere around twenty-five, first kid by twenty-eight, done having kids by my early thirties.

The reality: At the age of thirty-two, I married a man with two children from his previous marriage and raised them as my own.

The plan: To become super-business-woman like Tess McGill in Working Girl and live the big city dream with Harrison Ford.

The reality: I stumbled into a career I didn’t even know existed when I was in my twenties and married a small-town guy from the south who bears a striking resemblance to Sheriff Woody from Toy Story.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. At. All. Although my life has taken a different path than the one I envisioned when I was a young adult, I have no regrets. So far, it’s been pretty darn awesome. That realization got me thinking about how lucky I was to have the nerve to jump out of line.

By letting go of “The Plan”, I lived my life instead of programming it.

The conflict between dreams and reality is a central theme in most of my novels. In Contentment, Tracy Sullivan almost flushes her idyllic life down the toilet because she can’t let go of her old dreams. Commitment was the story of Maggie McCann, a woman who discovers unanticipated happiness in a change of plan. Spring Chickens focuses on a couple brave enough to take a chance on a second chance at happiness. Even my paranormal romances, Paramour and its sequel Inamorata, feature characters who must learn to let go of the past in order to move forward.

Was it my plan to weave a common theme through every novel I’ve written thus far? *snort* Not at all. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even realize that I had until I was explaining the premise of one of the books to an acquaintance this past weekend. How cool is that?

Tell me, what plans have you changed when the prospect for something different came along?

I’d be happy to give one commenter their choice of any story from my backlist (including the steamier stuff I write as Maggie Wells,
but you have to promise not to tell my mom).

If you’d like to check them out, here are the links to my webpages:
www.margaretethridge.com
https://maggiewells.weebly.com/

The winner of Kate’s contest is…mylilypad! See note #36 in the comments! ~DD

Release Day—DREAM BOUND is out!

Delilah, I really appreciate your invitation to blog—today is pretty special because I’ve got a new book out: Dream Bound is the first of the two book Dream Catchers series. The final story, Dream Unchained, will release in November, but Dream Bound is another one of those stories that started with an idea that sort of took on a life of its own.

I was thinking about that tonight, and I realized that in all of my stories for Kensington’s Aphrodisia imprint, I’ve started out intending to write a totally sexy yet traditional romance—Aphrodisia is, after all, an erotic romance imprint. What I don’t actually plan, and what always seems to happen, is the various relationships that aren’t in the original synopsis I send to my editor!

When Kensington bought the Wolf Tales series, my editor knew she was getting into a story line with same sex relationships. I hadn’t planned to write the stories that way—they just sort of happened within the context of the Chanku characters and their powerful libidos. When I wrote the novella that introduced the Dream Catchers series, I gave my editor a brief synopsis about a young computer geek in 1992, in the Silicon Valley, who falls for a woman who is literally the product of his sexual fantasies. Zianne is also an alien, and her story is the basis for the entire series.

What I didn’t expect was the hero, MacArthur Dugan, and the relationship that developed between him and Nils “Dink” Dinkemann, his childhood friend who has remained his best buddy into young adulthood. Dink is openly gay, but Mac isn’t, though Mac is aware Dink has loved him for years. It’s something they both sort of ignore as best they can, but bringing Zianne into the relationship changes everything.

When I was writing the story, I realized that the sexual dynamic between the two men was every bit as powerful as what I was writing between Mac and Zianne, which, of course, led to a really sexy scene with Dink and Mac, and then an even hotter one with the three of them together. Thank goodness my editor is open-minded enough to go with whatever I send her, because I don’t think she was expecting the Mac/Zianne/Dink part of the story, which of course carries over into Dream Bound and Dream Unchained.

In my convoluted manner (and no, my books are actually a lot better organized, but when I blog I sort of let my thoughts wander and you get whatever dribbles across the page…) I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t intentionally sit down and say, “Okay, I’m going to write a book with forty gazillion sex scenes and they’re going to include every combination known—or unknown.”

What I do is sit down at my computer and start a conversation with my lead character, and I essentially let them tell the story. I have no idea that Mac really wanted to experience sex with Dink, or that Zianne was interested in sex with two men. I ran into the same thing with the Dream Team, the six young men and women who are brought together by Mac Dugan in 2012, twenty years after Zianne disappeared (after the novella ends) but since she was traveling through time to see Mac, it’s only been twenty-four hours for her.

It’s been two decades for Mac while he struggles to develop the technology and raise enough money to mount a rescue of his beloved alien lover. Well, when Dream Bound starts, he’s got the money and his satellite array is built, and he’s bringing together his team. But Dink comes back into his life, too, and the story once again took off in some directions I wasn’t planning on. I do hope you’ll give Dream Bound a chance. I’m really pleased with the way the story came together—it was one of those that felt as if it was meant to be written, and it was a nice break between my Wolf Tales/Sexy Beast stories, and the new Chanku series, Spirit Wild, which will debut next May. I just turned the first book, To Love a Dark Wolf, in to my editor on Friday.

And yep, that one’s got a same sex relationship I didn’t see coming, either. You’ll get to see Lily Cheval all grown up, and I discovered that Anton is a wonderful father, but he’s also a pain in the butt at times. It was wonderful, going back into that world and reconnecting with characters who are like old friends.

Do you ever have that happen? Get so caught up in a fictional character that they’re like real people to you? Happens to me all the time—I think it’s the very best part about being an author. Well, that and meeting readers. Definitely love that part! And if you’re going to be anywhere near Anaheim, California on July 25, the humongous book signing for the Romance Writers of America National Convention will be going on. From the RWA website:

Romance Writers of America is pleased to announce that the 2012 “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is conveniently located next to the Anaheim Marriott (RWA’s conference hotel). RWA would like to thank Avon Books for generously underwriting the event, which takes place Wednesday, July 25, 2012, from 5–8 p.m. PT in the Ballroom (third floor) at the convention center.

Now that my public service announcement is over, if you leave a comment, you’ll be entered for a chance to win both a copy of DREAM BOUND, and a really cute little stuffed squirrel. And if you’re going to be in Anaheim, please let me know. I love the chance to actually get to meet my readers!

Buy Dream Bound at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million