Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 179

REINA TORRES: FREE! LOVE IN LOCKDOWN — SUBLET, PART 4

Reina Torres is back with another installment of her short story series, Sublet! We have more stories coming!

Download your FREE copy of the latest installment of the Love in Lockdown story SUBLET!

What happens when two exes have to live in an apartment built for one?

Reina is back with installment #4 of her story, SUBLET! And she’s not finished yet! Enjoy! And have you subscribed to this blog? You might want to do that so you don’t miss a single story! More lockdown stories from more wonderful authors are on the way!

Follow this link!

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Flashback: Before We Kiss (Contest–3 winners!)

I loved writing my Uncharted SEALs series. All those rugged, alpha heroes and strong heroines. Humor. Action. All the ingredients that make stories fun for me to write, and hopefully, fun for you to read.

With Uncharted SEALs, I experimented a bit. For the first time, I did sequels with the same characters—for the simple reason I couldn’t say goodbye to them. I wanted to see inside their Happy Ever Afters. Through Her Eyes and Between a SEAL and a Hard Place share the same main characters, as do Dream of Me and Heart of a SEAL. Big Sky SEAL gave birth to my Montana Bounty Hunters, introducing Jamie and Reaper, who as a result of their work in Big Sky earned their own satellite office of MBH.

A fun theme I used in two of the stories was a cruise ship. Both Before We Kiss and Hard SEAL to Love are set on the same ship, and have the same supporting characters. You’ll meet the crusty veterans who were part of those stories in the scene below. Hope you enjoy it!

   *~*   *~*  

Click on the covers to learn more!

Contest

Win your choice of one of my Uncharted SEALs stories! There will be 3 winners! All you have to do to enter is answer me this…

POST COVID: If you could go anywhere in the world, what would be your cruise destination?

Before We Kiss

Navy SEAL, William “Wiley” Coyote, should have known his “piece of cake” assignment would go sideways in a hurry. But he’d been lured by the promise of an all-expenses-paid cruise. A nice “fluffy” assignment after the last one spent escorting freighters through pirate-infested waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

A general’s daughter, Poppy Shackleford, wasn’t some spoiled daughter of a man made famous for defeating insurgent forces. She’d endured her own tragedies—the loss of her mother when she was young and her father stationed in Afghanistan, and the loss of her fiancé after he’d sustained wounds in Iraq—not from the physical wounds that had claimed his two legs—he’d taken his own life. His death was why Poppy was involved in Soldiers’ Sanctuary, a non-profit that helped disabled soldiers adjust to their new circumstances. Her mission in life is to see that no veteran of war would ever feel so alone, so hopeless he’d choose her dead fiancé’s path. Which was why, despite the current threats against her father, she was on this cruise, assessing the ship’s ability to accommodate the soldiers rather than sending a surrogate.

However, the first threat doesn’t come from terrorists with an axe to grind. Mexican banditos stop her tour bus heading toward Mayan ruins to shake down the passengers for their money and belongings. When one snaps a picture of her, he soon figures out there’s a much bigger payday. She knows she’s going to be kidnapped, but she didn’t know someone was on that same tour bus who had her back.

Wiley’s unconventional takedown of her would-be kidnappers exposes the fact her father didn’t honor her wishes to fly under the radar. And now that the cat’s out of the bag, Wiley’s made it clear he’s moving into her suite for the rest of their time at sea to keep her out of harm’s way.

Excerpt from Before We Kiss…

William “Wiley” Coyote should have known the “piece of cake” assignment his team leader, Deke Warrick, offered him would go sideways in a hurry. But he’d been lured by the promise of an all-expenses-paid cruise. A nice “fluffy” assignment after the last one spent escorting freighters through pirate-infested waters in the Strait of Hormuz. He was due a vacation, and he’d envisioned slipping into a chaise on the cruise ship’s deck while his target sunbathed nearby. Something his team leader had warned him might not be in the cards. After all, Deke’d had a similar, simple assignment when he’d been tasked with protecting a girl. And look what it had gotten his buddy. Shot at. Then married. Happily, it seemed.

Not that Wiley had marriage on his mind. No, sir. Not him. Everything he owned was stuffed into a duffle bag. He lived in hotel rooms, tents, and, now, a cruise boat cabin. No, he had nothing to offer a bride. Marriage wasn’t something in his cards. And certainly not to some celebutante who couldn’t keep her picture off multiple social media sites on a daily basis. That sort of exposure, even by association, would be deadly in his line of business.

He’d listened intently when Deke outlined his assignment, determined to keep this job all business, despite the photos that had spilled from the envelope during his initial briefing.

“Every time she steps out of her suite, the room attendant will buzz you. You keep on her tail, but not close enough she notices. Her daddy said she’d raise hell if she knew he’d hired security after she refused a special detail.” At that point, Deke had grinned. “I think he’s a little afraid of her.”

Wiley hadn’t smiled. Instead, he’d grunted. General Shackleford wasn’t any lightweight desk-jockey. He’d seen his share of action.

The ship had barely left the Port of Miami before Wiley understood. The woman never stopped moving. Or talking. Sometimes loudly, if she didn’t like what she heard. If he could have worn earplugs, possibly his first impressions of her would have been very different.

Poppy Shackleford was a pretty little thing. Blonde-haired, blue-eyed, lightly tanned, curves in all the right places. And maybe five-foot-two in her espadrille sandals. He’d had a girlfriend charge two pairs to his credit card years ago, so he knew darn well what they were and how much the cork-heeled things cost. Although he could appreciate the sexy curves the three-inch heels gave her toned calves, he wasn’t risking getting any closer. So far, he’d managed to operate under the radar. He had no doubts she’d know exactly what he was there to do if she got one good look at him. Nothing escaped her attention. Not the too-steep ramps leading onto the ship when they’d embarked. Nor the undercooked steak she’d been served last night in the dining room.

He’d begun to think she was deaf because she talked so loudly, but then he’d realized her complaints were on behalf of her fellow passengers, and this cruise had been billed as senior-themed. Most of the thousand passengers on board were over seventy. The dinner conversation surrounding him last night consisted of tracking blood sugar levels as his companions pricked their fingertips and fed droplets of blood into their readers. Afterwards, their conversation drifted to the best fiber to promote healthy bowels and where the captain would store their bodies if they happened to pass during the night.

“No kidding?” Deke had said after Wiley’s status update early that morning.

Wiley’s jaw ground shut at the snickering no hand over a receiver could muffle. “The Countess cruise line’s security seems pretty tight. Someone is always nearby, although they’re better at blending in than I am.”

“You mean you didn’t pack any Hawaiian shirts?”

“Don’t own one,” he’d gritted out.

“How are you keeping from blowing your cover?”

Wiley grunted. “I haven’t shaved, and I have on my cowboy hat and boots.”

“So you’re sticking out like a sore thumb.”

“She won’t expect a security detail to blend in quite like I do.”

Deke grunted. “Just remember you have people positioned around the ship. Channel two if you need them.”

Which would be great if his assignment was actually aboard the ship. The farther into the jungle their tour bus drove, the deeper his concern grew. They were on an excursion to view Mayan ruins. Anywhere along their route would be a great place for an ambush. The two security people provided by the cruise line to accompany his target were in good shape, but he could tell neither was armed. Conventional weapons were impossible to smuggle aboard the ship, and the weapons kept under lock and key aboard the vessel wouldn’t have been permitted for this little jaunt.

And why were they out here? If he remembered right, the pyramids weren’t exactly wheelchair-friendly. But he knew Poppy was thorough, that she took her tour coordinator job seriously. No stone would be left unturned. No tour unvetted, personally, by her.

He’d read the dossier Charter Group had put together. Poppy Shackleford, daughter of Lieutenant General Randall Shackleford, wasn’t some spoiled daughter of a famous man. She’d endured her own tragedies—the loss of her mother when she was young and her father stationed in Afghanistan, the loss of her fiancé after he’d sustained wounds in Iraq, although not from the physical wounds that had claimed both his legs. Frank Sutton, who’d been despondent over the loss, had killed himself.

His death was why Poppy was involved in Soldiers’ Sanctuary, a non-profit that helped disabled soldiers adjust to their new circumstances, whether supporting wounded vets with additional therapies the VA was slow or unable to provide, or seeking the latest in prosthetics and mobility devices. And the organization provided mentorship, one wounded soldier to another, to ensure no veteran of war would feel so alone, so hopeless, they’d choose Frank Sutton’s path.

Wiley understood and admired her for not simply crying then moving on, but embracing a cause that might help others. However, today he wished she wasn’t quite so determined to make it impossible for him to protect her. Not that she had a clue he was there. If she’d glanced toward the back of the air-conditioned bus, all she might have noted was one dark head amid a sea of white, gray, and blue.

The fellow seated next to him gave another narrow-eyed, flinty glance.

Wiley aimed a frown his way, hoping the old guy would mind his own business. The man was burly, surprisingly muscled for an old dude.

He leaned sideways in his seat and whispered, “Name’s Joseph Olinsky, but you can call me Joe. I’m a Marine.” He nodded toward the head of the bus where Poppy stood beside the tour guide, asking questions. “She someone important?”

Not as invisible as I thought. Wiley blinked. “No, sir. I think she’s just another passenger. A noisy one.”

Shaking his head, Joe grunted. “She has a detail. That guy with a clipboard ain’t a cruise director. I’d say he’s ex-Navy, probably a SEAL. Has a trident tattoo on his upper arm. Saw it when he was stowing her backpack into the overhead.”

Knowing there was no use convincing Joe he was just a guy on a trip to see a pyramid, Wiley gave him another look. He recognized the type—his dad had been the same steady, patriotic sort. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Maybe he did need backup, should shit go sideways. “You’re right,” he murmured. “The cruise line provided her security.”

“What about you?” his gray-haired companion asked.

“Name’s Wiley, and I was Navy.”

“A SEAL,” he said, nodding. “Can’t hide that look. Everyone else, besides her, has been taking a nap. Not you. You’ve been watching the road ahead. Expect trouble?”

“Not expecting, but prepared.”

Joe nodded. “Don’t get along as well as I used to,” he said, patting his right knee. “But I can be another set of eyes. And I do know who she is, son. She’s the daughter of that general ISIS wants taken out. They had his face and his daughter’s plastered all over Facebook faster than Homeland and the FBI could take down the pages.”

Wiley almost smiled at how in tune the old guy was. “Nothing much gets past you, does it?”

Joe lifted his chin toward two older gentlemen seated across the aisle from them.

Wiley glanced over to find both old codgers staring back.

“We were in the same division, the 3rd, during Vietnam. We’re all that’s left of our company. Try to take a trip every couple of years. Went to Nam five years back. There were eight of us then.”

Wiley nodded his understanding.

“That’s Morty,” he said, pointing at the thin one with a round belly. “The other one’s Sly.”

Sly gave him a grin that displayed unnaturally white teeth.

Wiley gave both men a nod then turned his attention back to the front of the bus.

“She know you’re tailing her?”

How had the old guys figured out he was there for Poppy? He remembered how the old men had jostled him, cutting him from the rest of the group when they’d boarded the bus. He’d thought it unintentional, but now knew they’d meant to be seated beside him. Admiring their cunning, he shook his head. “She doesn’t know. Not yet, anyway.”

“Need a better cover,” Joe said, eyeing his boots and the scruff on his chin. “Could tell folks you’re my grandson.”

Wiley chuckled. Sounded like a better plan than the one he’d started with. “Just don’t get in the way. If things go down…”

“You could use another set of eyes—between the three of us, we might just make one good pair.” Joe tilted his head toward his buddies.

This time, Wiley laughed.

Joe grinned and gave a slow nod to his companions, who settled back in their seats and now directed their attention to the job at hand—and the woman wearing the pretty blue dress at the front of the bus.

Suddenly, the bus shuddered and slowed. Cries arose from those seated near the front.

“Fat’s in the fire now,” Morty said, pointing forward.

Wiley cussed. A pickup was parked sideways in the middle of the road. He began to rise, but then he noted the four men standing in front of the truck. All dark, but with features that were clearly Mestizo. So, bandits rather than terrorists. He settled back in his seat. He’d let this play out a bit before he gave himself away. As long as no one was hurt, he’d keep his cover.

The post Flashback: Before We Kiss (Contest--3 winners!) first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

How I feel today. How about you? (Puzzle-Contest)

I have lots of ground to cover writing-wise and cleaning-my-office-mess-wise today! I’ll keep the election coverage playing in the background but can’t let it mess with my head today! So, here goes…

Puzzle Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle then tell me whether you feel like I do today!

Open Contest

Be sure to enter this contest before it’s gone!

This Writer’s Life & a Poll (Contest) — This ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!

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Cynthia Sax: Warlord’s Return And Our Characters’ Other Loves With

One of the (many) things that fascinate me as a Romance reader and as a Romance writer are the beings or other living things a character loves BEFORE he/she finds her/his main romantic love interest(s).

What is her/his basis for love?

For example, in Warlord’s Return, Ariq, the barbarian hero, cares deeply for his brothers-in-arms. They have fought side-by-side for a good portion of his lifespan. He would do anything for them, would trade his life for theirs without hesitation.

I know Ariq is capable of great love and lasting relationships because he experiences that in a platonic way at the beginning of the story. When he meets his heroine, Xareni, I expect his commitment to her to eventually be as strong or stronger than his bond with his brethren.

Xareni, on the flipside, seems to be a loner when we first meet her. She has been hurt…greatly. Due to that not-yet-healed pain, she keeps herself separated from other humans and humanoids, tends to grumble at beings, is admittedly relationship-adverse.

Except she DOES have a relationship. She would kill, would die for Spark, the mini-dragon she considers to be her hunting partner.

She curses at the equally ornery creature but she goes out of her way to feed him the choice bits, often pets him, is more concerned about his reaction to returning to civilization than about her own. Her attachment to Spark is strong and deep.

And I know her relationship with Ariq has the capability of being as strong and as deep. Even when she pushes him away, when she stabs him…multiple times, I have faith she could eventually love him with all her soul.

Knowing this about both characters gives me great hope they will…eventually…have their happy ever after. Their relationship and their love should last.

Question:  What does the hero or heroine love or care for at the beginning of the romance you’re currently reading?

Warlord’s Return

Ariq is a barbarian warrior seeking a war.

He locates that battle when he meets Xareni.

Ariq is one of Chamele’s top warriors. A genetic predisposition to fighting, paired with intensive training and experience, has honed the scarred male into an effective killing machine. He loves war, can’t live without combat.

The Succession Wars, however, have finally ended and the Chamele sector is now at peace. Seeking excitement and purpose, the barbarian warrior accompanies his Second to the Refuge, an outlaw settlement on Carinae E. He hopes to locate the battle he’s been craving there.

Ariq finds that conflict and more when he meets his fated mate.

Xareni owes the Ruler of the Refuge a favor. That’s the only reason she has returned to the settlement. She doesn’t like crowds or structures or a certain barbarian warrior who insists on following her everywhere. It doesn’t matter that there’s a connection between them, that he makes her burn with desire, that he looks at her with heat in his dark eyes.

She’s a monster and monsters don’t need anyone.

Warlord’s Return is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian Sci-Fi Romance featuring a determined barbarian warrior, an equally resolute human female, and an eyeball-eating mini dragon.

Buy Now:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon AUS

Apple Books

B&N

Kobo

Smashwords

About Cynthia Sax

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes steamy Cyborg, Alien and Contemporary Romances. Her stories have been featured in Star Magazine, Real Time With Bill Maher, and numerous best of top ten lists.

Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled monthly newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com

Website:  http://cynthiasax.com/

Newsletter:   http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/cynthiasax/

Twitter:  @CynthiaSax

Blog:  http://tasteofcyn.com/

The post Cynthia Sax: Warlord’s Return And Our Characters’ Other Loves With  first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

I voted! And an unexpected gift!

I hadn’t planned on blogging today. I know!!!!!! In five years, I’ve only missed a daily posting two times. I think. Pretty sure, anyway. It’s my morning thing. But today, I got up early, got dressed (an event in itself, because I’ve been on lockdown for months), and went to my tiny community center in the middle of nowhere, driving down a narrow windy road to get there. I voted.

Then I came home and checked the news. About midday, I decided I had to get away from the prognostications because I’m a nervous wreck. I’ll be watching tonight, no doubt, but at least then, there might be some news coming in from around the country. In the meantime, no doomscrolling for me. I turned on Starz and started watching American Gods.

Strangely, it’s not holding my attention. It’s exactly my favorite genre of TV. Or second, behind straight up high octane action films (Die Hard is my favorite movie!!). Maybe it’s just that I’m off today because I am so nervous.

Anyways, the mail came this afternoon, bringing with it a lovely distraction. Christina Thomas, a reader-friend from Wales, made me this gorgeous little House in a Teacup!

And somehow, one of my cat’s hairs drifted right into the saucer. Wouldn’t you know…

Anyways, it’s a lovely gift and a much needed lift to my spirits. Thank you, Christina!

Now, all you Americans, if you haven’t already—GO VOTE!

The post I voted! And an unexpected gift! first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today’s my dad’s birthday. He passed away in March of 2019. I still hear his voice in my head. Once, I actually heard his voice from the other side of my bedroom door, calling me by my childhood nickname. I dream about him and my mom, looking a little younger and walking steady on their feet. They’re in the living room, and dad is grinning because he’s just teased her about something, and my mother is looking mildly disgusted and swatting at him. I don’t often have the same dream, but I have this one pretty consistently. I’m convinced it’s their way of telling me they’re together and happy.

I live in the big, solid house he built with my dd and her family, now. Of course, she’s made some changes to the place, but we always ask ourselves whether dad would like this and whether mom would approve. We’re respectful of his labor of love.

Well, Happy Birthday, Dad. I miss you, but you left me with wonderful memories and a home I cherish. You’re the best dad a girl could have had.

The post Happy Birthday, Dad first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Lindsay McKenna: Silver Creek Fire , Book 1

Silver Creek Series

Zebra/Kensington

Buy Link: https://amzn.to/384PthF

Do you ever pick up a book and wonder what the story behind it is, and what inspired the author to write it? I always wonder what memories a writer carries with them that come alive again through in their writing.

I believe that a writer cannot write outside of themselves. Real life experiences shape who they are and will always filter through to the story they write. These moments in time give what I term, “meat to the bones” of a story, and add richness and depth to the details that make a book shine and stand out to the reader.

When I was writing my new Silver Creek series, I tapped into my own childhood from the ages of 2 to 9. I have very vivid, keen memories of those years, and what happened during them left a lasting impact that I carry with me to this day. My hope is that the joy I hold of these years is conveyed to readers through my books.

In Book 1, Silver Creek Fire, the heroine, Lea Ryan, is a master carpenter and wood sculpture artist. To create Lea’s character, I channeled my own memories as a little girl sitting with my grandfather in his woodworking shed and superimposed his incredible artistic abilities and love of nature into my heroine. Let me elaborate further….

My grandparents were originally from the Canton, Ohio area. In 1929, with the Great Depression in full swing, they packed their daughter (my mother) and son into their Model T and headed west to California, looking for some kind of chance to start over. They eventually settled in San Diego. My grandfather had been a coal miner back in Ohio and decided to leave the underground work and become a farmer, instead.

My mother grew up in San Diego before moving to Hawaii to work as a secretary on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. She was there during the attack in 1945 and was eventually sent home to California. During this same period, my grandfather (I called him pop), worked as a master carpenter, making beautiful, custom kitchen cabinets. He also made a good name for himself among the wealthy elite who could afford such luxuries.

From the time I was three, my grandparents babysat me during the week while my mother went to her office job. Grams used to send me out to Pop’s garage where he did all his woodworking magic. I loved being out there with him. I enjoyed going over to the small garbage cans—each one held a different type of wood—and running my small hands over the wood inside. Pop would often come over and kneel beside me, taking out a short piece of wood that he’d cut and share it with me. He would tell me that the wood was alive and urge me to smell it. Each one smelled wonderful and unique. Pop told me to look at the grain, and explained what it was and how each piece of wood varied in color, grain, and texture from the others. Pop’s work was like a wonderful mystery to me. How did he know where and how to cut a piece of lumber? But the real magic was how his cabinets were pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle and slowly took shape. I stood mesmerized day after day as little deer, birds, elk, and butterflies blossomed out of the colors of the wood. I remember smoothing my hands over warm, satiny surface which had come to life through my grandfather’s careful skill and patience.

Silver Creek Fire is out now in e-book and paperback.

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This Writer’s Life & a Poll (Contest)

It’s November of the most trying year I’ve ever lived—and that’s saying a lot given the losses our family has suffered the past nearly three years. Sometimes, it truly feels like we’re living in the dawn of an “Extinction Event.” We’re doing what we can to keep ourselves healthy. I’m sure we’re making mistakes, but we’re masking, handwashing, keeping kids out of school and online, and trying not to go stir-crazy in all our togetherness. Take Halloween. We’ll be playing Halloween games and holding a scavenger hunt in lieu of trick-or-treating. Family fun. Making an event out of everything (just not an extinction event) is important for us because the kids always have something to look forward to.

All this togetherness has taken a toll on my writing. I’ve produced less than half of my usual number of stories this year. I need alone time to create. After Mom died in January and my dd’s family moved into the house, and then the pandemic forcing everyone into closer quarters 24/7, alone time is something I’m training my brain to find in the midst of kid-chaos. Of course, I wouldn’t trade having family around me for anything, but I really do have to commit to sitting my butt in a chair to write more consistently.

That’s why I’m taking up the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge. It runs from November 1-30. The goal is to write 50,000 words. If you carve that up into a daily wordcount goal, that’s 1667 words a day. Completely doable. I begin tomorrow. So, today, I have to figure out what I’m going to write. I have a title (Preacher), a cover (Two, actually. See below!) and a blurb, but no idea what’s going to happen in the story. Not one clue. But I have today to figure out at least the first scene, and since it’s a Montana Bounty Hunter book, I’ll probably jump right into a takedown because those are the most fun scenes to write.

This month, is also the deadline for submissions for my Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology. NOVEMBER 15TH AUTHORS! Tell you what—accept the NaNo challenge just long enough to write that 2500-5500-word story! You can do it! So, you know, I’ll have to add reading submissions to my To Do list! Want the rules? Follow this link.

I’m also trying my hardest to cut out some time to improve my art. I love doing it at night after the hustle and bustle of the day. It’s relaxing. And I think I’m learning. This is last night’s piece. I used Nupastels which, for me, is like drawing with crayons. Completely fun and liberating. I love the foreground, the sky? Not so much, This was taken from a photograph from western Ireland.

So, that’s going to be my November—write, write, write, read, art.

N.J. Walters: 5 Things I Love About Halloween

Halloween is almost here!

This year the holiday will be celebrated slightly different, given the state of the world, but there is still lots to enjoy about this holiday.

My Top 5 Things I love about Halloween!

Pumpkins! I love carving Halloween pumpkins. The designs are limitless and there are plenty you can find online. I don’t even mind having to clean out the guts first. And it’s something the entire family can enjoy.


Movies. I’m not a fan of slasher/horror films, but I love films like The Crow, Underworld, Dracula Untold, Sleepy Hollow, and Lost Boys. Again, there is something for everyone, from fun kid’s movies all the way to the classic horror films.


Candy. They may be as sweet as sin, but I love candy corn. And mini bars. For some reason I don’t feel as bad if I eat mini bars. Everyone has their favorite.


Decorations. As a kid, I couldn’t wait to put up decorations for Halloween. They’ve come a long way since the cardboard cut-outs we’d tape to the living room window. Now there are lights and elaborate outdoor displays to enjoy. I keep it simple, as I live in an apartment, but I do have candles and lights and some pumpkins.


Trick or Treat. That’s going to be different this year with many families opting to keep it among close family and friends. The kids will still have fun dressing up and eating candy.

However you chose to celebrate, I hope you have a Spooktacular holiday! And if you’re looking for a sexy vampire book to read, you might want to check out Burning Ash, the latest release in my Forgotten Brotherhood series.

Happy Halloween!

Burning Ash

Forgotten Brotherhood, Book 3

No one is more surprised than Asher, one of the oldest vampires on Earth, that he’s attracted to vamp hunter Jo Radcliffe. She’s smart, a talented slayer, and she’s gorgeous. Something about her pulls at him, like no one ever has before. For a man, whose name strikes fear in everyone––this is something new and intriguing. And quite possibly deadly, if she discovers his secret.

Jo has two things in common with the handsome Asher––they are both slayers and someone is messing with them in a very-much-trying-to-kill-them way. She’s not so happy about joining forces with a dude she doesn’t know. But he’s sexy as hell and really good at his job as one of the Forgotten Brotherhood, whose business it is to execute misbehaving paranormals.

She knows she’s bait in a larger plot to harm Asher and the Brotherhood. And there is nothing he won’t do, no line he won’t cross, to keep her safe––which may be the weakness that destroys them both.

TEASER from Burning Ash

“Stop right there. That’s not happening. I work alone. I’ll take you as far as the nearest town and then we’re done.”

“Until the next email.”

“What are you saying? That the sender wants us together? That doesn’t make sense. We don’t even know each other.”

“We do now,” he reminded her. “If I leave, I’ll bet you everything in my bank account that we’ll both end up at the same place in the near future. For whatever reason, someone is manipulating us. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sit well with me.”

“You’re damn right it doesn’t. I’m no one’s puppet.”

“Yet, we were both there.”

Shit, he was right. “What are you suggesting?” She wasn’t sure she could handle Asher for an extended period of time. She’d either jump his bones or kill him.

It could go either way.

Buy Burning Ash:

Entangled Publishing: https://entangledpublishing.com/burning-ash.html

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FGV7C9Q/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burning-ash-n-j-walters/1137455950

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/burning-ash

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/burning-ash/id1527096039

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:

Website: http://www.njwalters.com

Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

The post N.J. Walters: 5 Things I Love About Halloween first appeared on Delilah Devlin.

Reina Torres: An Escape from Reality

I’ve always believed that reading was an escape. As a child, I read during a lot of playground times because when the other kids were teasing me about wearing glasses, or being fat, or stuttering, the characters in books didn’t make fun of me. They invited me and took me on a journey.

As an adult, I think a lot of this is still true for me. Although, the reality I need an escape from is different. There’s a satisfaction in knowing that at the end of the book in my hands (well, my phone is in my hands!), the two main characters will be happy. Most of the people around them will be happy (unless they’re the focus of the next book, and then we know they’re about to go through some stuff to be happy), and hopefully, anyone who was mean or cruel to the happy couple will have some kind of reckoning.

Predictable? Sure, but isn’t that satisfying?

And being very honest with all of you, I need that.

I think a lot of us do. And that’s what’s awesome about romance. We may be living in places all over the world, but we all want that happiness and for a few hours we know exactly where we can find it!

Characters aren’t as cool as we are. They struggle. They don’t know they’re about to get their happy ending, and that means they can do stupid things, like fighting it. The same actions they think are noble, we’re grumbling about. When they think they’re being smart to protect their hearts from loss, we’re ready to throw something at them…or just throw our books/devices (Don’t do this!).

But Characters, man…they’re work!

And they can be frustrating!! Why won’t they just listen to us, talking to them? The nerve of these people!

When I was writing Shelter for Aylin, my Alpha reader (don’t worry, I have a beta and gamma, too) would get so frustrated with Stillman Rook, my hero… Why was he so difficult and frustrating? Why couldn’t he just let himself go after what he wanted?

I felt bad for her frustration but I also loved it when we came to that magical moment when he pulled his head out of his plot-driven backside and reached out to find happiness!

Contest

So tell me: What kind of Romance book do you like to escape into? Historical? Military? I want to know!

One randomly selected commenter will have their choice of an ebook from my Amazon Author page

Shelter for Aylin

Aylin Blaise, daughter of Station Seven’s Fire Chief, is loving her life. Well, most of it. An extended family of first responders and friends in college are expanding her world in leaps and bounds, but the one person she really wants to spend more time with, is keeping his distance.

Stillman Rook is on the verge of becoming a full-fledged firefighter and fulfilling the dream he’s had since he was a child. The one distraction in his life is Chief Blaise’s daughter. He could easily fall in love with her, but he’s a guy set on his path in life and she’s just discovering hers.

Rook may think he’s being honorable by keeping his distance, but it’s hard to protect the ones you love when you’re not close to them. When the world tries to level her with a crushing blow, will Rook be the Shelter for Aylin?

Get your copy here!

The post Reina Torres: An Escape from Reality first appeared on Delilah Devlin.