Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 409

NyQuil Dreams

I have a head cold again. Never fails. If I travel, I get sick. I went to bed last night after taking NyQuil, woke up at nine, ate breakfast, and then back to bed I went. My body aches from resting so much, but the dreams have been amazing. Mostly half-naked, unconsummated scenes. Is it the NyQuil? If so, I need another bottle.

So, when I dream, I’m my pretty young self. Or I’m someone completely different. Sometimes, I’m even a man. And I dream in color. Usually lots of turquoise, sunny yellow,  tangerine orange and spring green. If I sweep into a house, the room has niches in the walls with statuary. The beds look like something out of Hansel and Gretel—big four-posters with thick duvets. A lot of my dreams are set beside the sea or on a boat. Of course, the boat never rocks, so I’m never queasy.

I have a dream dictionary I consult whenever I have a particularly vivid dream, but it falls short quite often. How would you interpret alabaster-skinned aliens without sexual organs falling naked from the sky? Or basement swimming pools where the steps descend into a lighted grotto?

I suppose I’ll have to stir from this chair and go get a shower. Maybe the last of the NyQuil haze will clear. If I press “publish” now, will I regret it later? What sort of dreams do you have?

Qwillia Rain: Those Darned Pesky Characters

Thank you, Delilah, for letting me chat here today. I’m going to keep this pretty short and sweet. For those who don’t know me, I’m Qwillia Rain and I write erotic romance with BDSM elements. I started my published author’s journey through Loose Id, LLC in 2007 with my first book, Santa’s Elf. Little did I know that a single, simple scene in the story would spawn an entire series – The Diablo Blanco Club.

I loved that people wanted to read about Mattie and Bryce after being introduced to them in Santa’s Elf.

It was interesting, too, when a quick run to McDonald’s ended up becoming a 45-minute drive so Vance Justiss could get his and Ben’s story off his chest and I could write my very first m/m romance. (Trust me, I tried hooking them up with some very nice ladies, but they just weren’t having it. The only lady they wanted was no longer available.)

Then there was the response I received for Mike and Lyssa’s story. I’m glad people actually got where Lyssa was coming from, and the depth of dedication Mike had to her. My favorite review was a 4-star review at Miz Love Loves Books that the reviewer left a note saying: “24 hours after writing this review, I’m still thinking about Lyssa…” especially since she didn’t like Lyssa when she first read the book.

Now I come to the problem child of the series and the reason his story is still not done after four years of trying and over 200,000 words written and deleted…Richard Bennett. See, Rick was never supposed to have a book (that may be the cause for his stubborn refusal to talk). Not that I planned on any of the characters having a book other than Dayton and Elf and Mattie and Bryce. No, Rick and Becka’s story was just information tossed on the page to act as a foil for Bryce and Dayton. Until I rewrote Santa’s Elf after getting my rights back to it in 2011. Then a different image of Rick emerged which had me wondering, what could have possibly happened between his ménage with Mattie and Bryce and his meeting with Dayton in the revised story to make Rick go from mild to deadly?

Sometimes secrets should simply stay secret. Unfortunately, the cat is outta the bag and as I’m slogging through the edits on the 92,000 word I-Don’t-Know-What-Number rough draft, I have to wonder what the readers are going to think of him. All I do know is, he’s not someone you want to mess with when he’s angry. And don’t even think of touching Becka without his permission.

I have no estimated release date for this story. Sorry. But I do know it will be done this year. If I have to tie Rick to a St. Andrews cross and flog him for information.

 

Born in California but raised in Las Vegas, Qwillia Rain embraces fully the independent spirit of the West she grew up in, even if she currently resides in North Carolina—after brief sojourns to Alaska and Montana.

Over the years she’s worked at a diverse mix of jobs including: casino change person, bill collector, book and video store clerk, and computer teacher to Kindergarten through 8th graders. Throughout it all, writing has always been part of her life.

In 2007, her first book (revised and self-published in 2011) Santa’s Elf, was published, opening a whole new world where she can play with her characters and get paid for it. Her curiosity and tendency to ask “What if” is sure to keep her occupied with ideas while she keeps her wanderlust at bay. Her books can be found on-line at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, or through her publisher, Loose Id, LLC (www.loose-id.com)

Elaine Violette: A Kiss of Promise

Hello! I appreciate the invite and opportunity to acquaint readers with my newest historical romance ebook, A Kiss of Promise and the story behind it.  A Kiss of Promise, a story of betrayal, greed, sacrifice and love, is a sequel to the Blackstone brothers’ saga introduced in my first Regency, Regal Reward (available in print and ebook).

In Regal Reward, York and Martin Blackstone’s father, a lord of the realm, is falsely accused of treason, imprisoned, and his family tossed to the streets of London. Eventually orphaned, the boys survive among beggars and thieves until they become adept as highwaymen, stealing from the wealthy.  Regal Reward tells of York’s obsession to clear his father’s name and regain titles and lands lost to him as the eldest son.

Excerpt: “His feelings for Marielle were just that, feelings. Feelings could be harnessed and controlled. Eventually they would diminish or at least be kept at bay, but he’d made her his own. He couldn’t think of that now. Another day, another time…”

In A Kiss of Promise, younger brother Martin attempts to escape his family’s scandal and his wretched past.  Since he was the youngest when his aristocratic family was destroyed, most of his childhood was spent surviving peril.  Unlike his brother, who is now the lord of his late father’s holdings, Martin has the freedom to do as he pleases.  He chooses to voyage to America, leaving the beautiful Alaina Craymore behind. He refuses to consider that his inability to commit to a relationship and his need for wild adventure is an escape from his own brokenness.

Alaina is the daughter of the villain in Regal Reward and continues to be victimized by her father’s illegal ventures in A Kiss of Promise.  A stranger appears at her door with evidence that can be used to send her brother to prison unless she cooperates in one of her father’s unfinished business deals. She succumbs to his blackmail, sacrificing her reputation to save her brother.  When Martin hears that she is in danger, he will face death to save her. He must not only deal with a dangerous scoundrel but also come to terms with his past before he can offer Alaina what she needs the most, his love.

Excerpt: “She wanted his love, not his pity. She had brought ruin upon herself and now she must pay the price.”

I loved including secondary characters from  Regal Reward in A Kiss of Promise, giving them  new issues to resolve, humor to lighten their stories, and satisfying resolutions. A Kiss of Promise also gave me the opportunity to research and write about the hazards of ocean travel while my characters journeyed to new environments and fear-filled futures.

My books are available at most online venues and on my website.  Read more about them at http://www.elaineviolette.com or purchase all from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Elaine-Violette/e/B008H5NKQQ

Biography

Elaine is a veteran English teacher and holds a BS in English Education from the University of CT and an MS in Educational Leadership from Central CT State University.  She presently teaches public speaking part time at a local community college. Her debut regency novel, Regal Reward, finaled in the NJRW Golden Leaf contest. Her second regency, A Convenient Pretense, illustrates her ability to create emotional depth in her characters and plot as well as her ability to write poetry that can be both heart-wrenching and humorous. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, CT Romance Writers (CTRWA) and Charter Oak Romance writers (CORW). She resides on the Connecticut shoreline and especially enjoys being a wife, mother, and grandmother to six grandchildren.

Thank you once again, Delilah, for hosting me. I’d love to hear comments from readers!

Jessica Shin: Mood Music (Contest)

Many writers have a particular style of music they like to listen to while they write. Hard rock, classical, pop, country…each genre has its diehard fans that swear they write better, faster and hotter because of what they listen to. For me, it tends to change with each story I write. It’s like I have a theme song for each book that runs through my head the whole time the story is coming together, whether I am actually working on it or just thinking about it.

When I was writing Tell Me Lies, it was Fleetwood Mac’s Sweet Little Lies. For A Rapture of Centuries, it was Michael Buble’s rendition of Fever. My upcoming release, Released By Moonlight, used Come on Closer by Jem for it’s inspiration.

My most recent release, Instruction by Seduction, follows the story of Leah, a young college student floundering in her life until along comes Hale, a mystery man who catapults her into making her dreams a reality with his erotic life lessons. For this story it was America’s You Can Do Magic that inspired me. The song’s description of a woman who can have anything she desires with her “magic” made me cheer for Leah throughout the book. It also reminds me that when each of us “spell-casts” with our thoughts throughout our daily life, we too can make our dreams a reality.

Is there a particular song that inspires you to create? Or a song that has its own music video that plays in your head each time you hear it? Share in the comments! I’ll pick a random commenter to win a digital copy of their choice of Tell Me Lies or Instruction by Seduction. The winner will be selected from comments posted by noon EST on August 19th.

You do not open the box. The box opens you.

When Leah picks up an ornate box at a flea market she knows it’s special. But she has no idea how her life as a sexually disappointed college student and grocery store cashier will be transformed.

Through forces unknown, the box summons Hale—a man who knows Leah inside and out. He uses their no-strings-attached sexual escapades—which include a hot threesome and light bondage—as lascivious lessons to teach Leah what she needs to succeed in her job, education and relationships.

With each sexual encounter growing more and more extreme, Leah comes away challenged and questioning everything. But will Leah listen to her new instincts and embrace the life of her dreams or will she continue to hide in her old and comfortable but self-defeating ways?

Buy Instruction by Seduction today!

Ellora’s Cave | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Adrian Ennis has only known the life of organized crime, having been trained to be a mob assassin from age eight. Crime king pin Ezra Drake is more like a father to Adrian than her boss and is one of the few people she feels she can trust. But on the evening of her 29th birthday when Ezra orders her to kill Tony, her friend and lover, Adrian’s perception of who is and is not her friend becomes a blurred line of blood and bullets.

When Adrian makes an unlikely ally in Atlanta PD detective Damon Wyatt she learns the truth about her past, an unsavory web of murder and deceit that includes the destruction of her entire family. With an innocent life hanging in the balance – Tony’s ten-year-old son – Adrian has an opportunity to amend for the wrongs of her past and to bring those who destroyed her life to justice…her way.

Buy Tell Me Lies here!

Amazon

Still on the road…

This is the last day of my trip. We’re in Tennessee and stopping at an outlet mall (shopping for school clothes) before committing to the final hours of our journey.

Already I’m dreading all the catching up I’ll have to do when I arrive home—laundry, mail, email, updating plans. But that’s okay. I’ll simply be happy to sit at my desk with my “things” all around me.

Rachel E. Carter: The Black Mage

Take a girl who is obsessed with YA (young adult), Harry Potter, medieval fantasy, kick-butt heroines, and hot bad boys and what do you get? For me that answer is my debut series THE BLACK MAGE.

To be honest I’ve had this story line floating around my head since the 7th grade. At the time the vision wasn’t very clear –all I knew was that I wanted a boy and girl as rivals who were secretly starting to fall for one another despite their own wishes. See, unlike the TWILIGHT fans out there I’ve always been drawn to the aloof/arrogant/misunderstood bad boy-types of characters. Romance in real life is almost always sweet –or at least predictable, when I read my novels I want spicy.

Enter Prince Darren. He was born with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. To start with he is second-in-line to the throne so he already feels like has something to prove. His obsession with being best leads him to alienate many people with his biting sarcasm and condescension. When he meets the protagonist he is torn between disdain and an unbidden attraction that leads him to help her later on despite his own nature.

Enter Ryiah. She was born dreaming of a better life than the lowborn one she was brought into. Hot-headed to match her scarlet red locks, she tries out for the faction of Combat and finds her biggest rival in the school prodigy, Darren. He seems to go out of his way to insult her, yet as time goes on she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him anyway.

Anyway, that is just the beginning of their tale. For more check out my excerpt and trailer below, or better yet, buy the book!

TRAILER LINK:        http://youtu.be/noRhabNFJqk

Before the age of seventeen the young men and women of Jerar are given a choice –follow tradition, or pursue a trial year in one of the realm’s three war schools to study as a soldier, knight or mage…

For 15-year-old Ryiah the choice has always been easy. Become a warrior and leave the boring confines of her lowborn life behind. Set to enroll in the School of Knighthood on the eve of her next birthday, plans suddenly shift when her twin brother discovers powers. Hoping that hers will soon follow, she enrolls with Alex at the Academy instead –the realm’s most notorious war school for those with magic.

Yet when she arrives Ry finds herself competing against friend and foe for one of the exalted apprenticeships. Every “first-year” is given a trial year to prove their worth –and no amount of hard work and drive will guarantee them a spot. It seems like everyone is rooting for her to fail –and first and foremost among them Prince Darren, the school prodigy who has done nothing but make life miserable since she arrived.

When an accidental encounter leads Ryiah and Darren to an unlikely friendship she is convinced nothing good will come of it. But the lines become blurred when she begins to improve –and soon she is a key competitor for the faction of Combat… Still, nothing is ever as it seems –and when the world comes crashing down around her, Ry is forced to place faith in the one thing she can believe in –herself. Will it be enough?

Magic just got a whole lot harder.

 

Rachel Carter lives in Placerville, California with her fiancé and their two spoiled pets: a feisty feline named Charlie, and Zoey, the Australian Shepherd who gets jealous of her own shadow. She loves to organize –and when she is not color-coding her closet she is always looking for the next good book. She grew up reading about magic, hot bad boys, and lady knights. The Black Mage, her debut series, is a tribute to all the things she never stopped loving.

THE BLACK MAGE: FIRST YEAR is the first book of Rachel’s four-book YA fantasy series with Astraea Press. Rachel invites you to visit her author page at www.facebook.com.theblackmageauthor.  She loves to hear from other aspiring authors or readers via email at rachelcarterauthor@gmail.com. Follow her on twitter @blackmageauthor and read her blog at http://theblackmagegirl.wordpress.com.

Megan Mitcham: Cover Crush

I could spend this entire post talking about how wonderful Delilah Devlin is. But I won’t. If you’re here you already know as much. I’ll just say, “Thank you, DD, for your compassion, encouragement, and sharing your imagination with us, your revenues throng of eager readers.”

Why is it a book is not a book until it has a cover?

You see, I recently unveiled three new covers, all my very own. No, I didn’t design them. But the words they guard the door for are mine. All mine! Yet, the words didn’t seem real until that sentinel stood tall before them. Almost 200,000 words, and they didn’t seem real. Crazy right? Then again, not.

Though the words make the story, it’s not a marketable product without a cover. The good. The bad. The Oh my gosh, what were they thinking! You still need it to make a book. When I think back to some of my favorite novels none are the ones with the most beautiful cover. This doesn’t stop me from having cover crushes. My current lady crush is Delilah’s Once in a Blue Moon. My current man crush is Parker Kincade’s Borrowed Cowboy.

Who are your current cover crushes?

I’ll leave you in the capable hands of these three hotties. Baine. Law. Ryan. Maybe they’ll be list contenders.

When you’re done ogling hop on over to www.meganmitcham.com. Sign up for my newsletter. I’m always running contests and giveaways! Currently running: $10 Amazon gift card giveaway to one of my lucky subscribers when we reach 200! Last week they got a sneak peek at these fellas, and two weeks before five received advanced reader copies of Enemy Mine.

The Base Branch Series

Serve in the name of honor. Battle in the name of love.

Known by few as the Base Branch, the United Nations’ Special Operations Forces provide globe defense against any who threaten the fragile balance of peace.

ENEMY MINE

When friends become enemies and enemies become lovers.

Born in the blood of Sierra Leone’s Civil War, enslaved, then sold to the US as an orphan, Base Branch operative, Sloan Harris is emotionally dead and driven by vengeance. With no soul to give, her body becomes the bargaining chip to infiltrate a warlord’s inner circle, the man called The Devil who killed her family and helped destroy a region.

As son of the warlord, Baine Kendrick will happily use Sloan’s body, if it expedites his father’s demise. Yet, he is wholly unprepared for the possessive and protective emotions she provokes. Maybe it’s the flashes of memory. Two forgotten children drawing in the dirt beneath the boabab tree. But he fears there is more at stake than his life.

In the Devil’s den with Baine by her side, Sloan braves certain death and discovers a spirit for living.

JUSTICE MINE

For justice. For country. For love.

STRANGER MINE

One takes control. One finds balance in letting go.

Megan Mitcham was born and raised among the live oaks and shrimp boats of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where her enormous family still calls home. She attended college at the University of Southern Mississippi where she received a bachelor’s degree in curriculum, instruction, and special education. For several years Megan worked as a teacher in Mississippi. She married and moved to South Carolina and began working for an international non-profit organization as an instructor and co-director.

In 2009 Megan fell in love with books. Until then, books had been a source for research or the topic of tests. But one day she read Mercy by Julie Garwood. And oh, Mercy, she was hooked!

Megan lives in Southern Arkansas where she pens heart pounding romantic thriller novels and window-steaming erotic romance.

Author links:

http://www.meganmitcham.com/

https://www.facebook.com/meganmitchamauthor

https://twitter.com/MeganMMMitcham

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6552758.Megan_Mitcham

http://www.pinterest.com/meganmitcham5/

Violet Ingram: Writing Is My Passion

First I’d like to thank Delilah for having me here.

Growing up Saturday mornings were spent in the library. My first loves were Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books. I used to devour the books and then go outside and pretend that I was on the case trying to solve the mystery with them. Growing up on two acres of land and surrounded by acres and acres of cornfields on 3 sides allowed for plenty of room for exploring.

I read my first romance book when I was in high school. Sadly, I can’t remember the author or the title but it did spark my interest in genres besides mystery.

When I was a kid I thought I’d be a singer and movie star. The problem was I can’t sing and though I did do several plays in high school – even won a supporting actress award. I discovered that I was a home body. The idea of a big city was horrifying. I also discovered that despite growing up with horses I didn’t want to be too far from civilization. To be honest, I just didn’t want to drive a half hour to the nearest McDonalds.

As I got older I dreamed of being a Veterinarian. Sadly, this career path was also doomed before it began. It turns out I can’t talk to animals and I absolutely positively can’t stand the sight of blood or anything else gross and disgusting.

Fast forward a few years and I met my future husband while volunteering for the MDA telethon. After our second child was born I became a stay-at-home mom.

Sometime after the birth of my fourth child, I decided to stop ignoring the voices in my head screaming to put their adventures on paper. It was hard to fit writing time in between everything else going on but I did it. Those first few books shall remain locked away, never to see the light of day, until after my demise at which time my family has been instructed to destroy them.

I briefly considered giving up but the thought made me sick to my stomach. So, I kept writing. Somewhere along the line I discovered that writing was my passion. My husband and children are my greatest gifts but writing makes me happy which in turn makes me a happier and more patient person. My family is laughing right now but just ignore them.

My first book to be published is DEATH BY HIGH HEELS. For some reason, as I wrote this book I knew it was different. I knew this was the one that would go out there for people besides my critique group and family to read.

I have to thank my five kids and husband for all their love and support. Without it my book would have never gotten written. Also, to my critique group I say thanks for giving me the encouragement to send out those query letters and keep trying.

So, what is it that you’re passionate about?

Death by High Heels (The Investigator Series 1)

Spending time with a dead guy, being interrogated by the cops and getting stitched up by a cute ER doc wasn’t exactly the evening plans private investigator Kimberly Murphy envisioned. Especially the getting caught standing over a dead body, again, part. Only this time it wasn’t her fault. Just once she’d like it if homicide detective Grant Tompkins didn’t assume she was guilty.

To clear her slightly tarnished name, Kim goes after the clever killer while avoiding a certain hot homicide detective determined to put her in handcuffs – and not the pink, fuzzy kind – not that she’d mind. Too bad Kim’s efforts lead to dead ends and even more dead bodies. Kim will need all her skills and a bit of luck to outwit a killer who’d like to put an end to Kim’s meddling permanently.

Available at:

Sweet Cravings Publishing

Krysten Lindsay Hager: Book Therapy

I want to thank Delilah for having me on her site today!

I became a writer because I was such a huge reader as a kid. Some people turn to comfort food and I, as a preteen, turned to what I called, “comfort books.” My first “soul food book” was when I started the sixth grade and found the Judy Blume book, Just as Long as We are Together.  I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the first day of school and I showed up with a perm…okay, fine, a “body wave,” (I wasn’t that brave and I had curl commitment issues). Now I don’t have any truly traumatic hair story to share—my hair turned out okay (well, okay for the times, now you’d probably ask why I left the house), but it still was an anxious day for me.  After all I was coming back to school with a new look and feeling insecure not just because of my hair, but wondering where my place was after that whole summer away from friends. I remember my mom picked me up after school and we stopped and bought the book. I even remember what I had on that day and, oddly enough, the lip gloss I was wearing. I can never tell you what I had for breakfast on any given day, but I can always remember the exact shade of lip product I had on in almost all memories. It is a talent yet to be appreciated by the rest of the world. Anyway, I took that book home and escaped from my anxious middle school life into a safer world.

Recently, I found myself looking for comfort in book form again when my dad was hospitalized. It’s been a tough time and the first night, I found myself turning to reading at night to relax. The next day, after I left the hospital, I went to the bookstore and picked out a new book as my “escape.”  As (bad) luck would have it, I began reading and not even halfway through the book, there was a scene with the father being rushed to the hospital and passing away. Yeah, I didn’t expect that from a book with a pink cupcake on the cover. So I went to my own shelves and picked out one of my favorites that I had already read before making it safe with no scary dad-related storylines in it. I choose Bridget Jones’s Diary as my escape. It wasn’t that the book was a cure-all, but it took me out of my life and my problems for just a little while and that was exactly what I needed. Recently I saw one of my Facebook friends, author Sandra Sookoo, posted this as her status: Ever since my husband’s heart attack in early February I’ve been re-reading the Anne of Green Gables series…I’m now nearly halfway through the last one. Sometimes the good old classics are soul comfort food.”

Books can almost have a therapeutic effect to help you get out of your own head for a bit and relax. Revisiting old favorites is a nice way to do that and hey, it’s cheaper than therapy and you don’t have to put real pants on and leave the house either.

And now I’d like to know what are your favorite therapeutic soul food books?

GIVEAWAY—I’m giving away an Amazon ebook of my YA/MG book, True Colors. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with one of your favorite soul food books.

In TRUE COLORS, Landry Albright just wants to be one of the interesting girls at school who always have exciting things going on in their lives. She wants to stand out, but also wants to fit in, so she gives in when her two best friends, Ericka and Tori, push her into trying out for a teen reality show modeling competition with them. Landry goes in nervous, but impresses the judges enough to make it to the next round. However, Ericka and Tori get cut and basically “unfriend” her on Monday at school. Landry tries to make new friends, but gets caught up between wanting to be herself and conforming to who her new friends want her to be. Along the way she learns that modeling is nowhere as glamorous as it seems, how to deal with frenemies, a new crush, and that true friends see you for who you really are and like you because of it.

Excerpt: The competition was for girls between the ages of thirteen and seventeen, but it felt like Ericka, Tori, and I were the youngest ones there. I only saw a couple of girls from school, and the lineup looked more like something you’d see on a music video set. All the girls were gorgeous, and they had these curvy womanly bodies. I looked like a skinny little kid next to them. The first girl walked out, and I heard the judges say she “owned the runway,” and, “walked like a gazelle.” I was starting to feel ill. I wasn’t sure which way it was going to come, but I knew I had to find a bathroom — fast. I started to get out of line when Ericka grabbed my wrist.

“It’s almost time,” she said. A tiny bit of spit flew out of her mouth and hit my cheek.

I wasn’t sure why she was so intent on me going through with it, but she had a death grip on my arm, so I didn’t have much of a choice. Her number was called and she walked out to the stage. One of the other girls said she walked like a kid with sand bucket stilts on her feet, but she came back with a smirk on her face like she knew she’d get chosen.

“They said they had never seen such long legs,” she said.

Tori was next.

“She walks like a gorilla at feeding time,” said the girl behind me. I went next, and I tried to focus on not tripping over my feet. My mom’s pumps had a rubber sole on the bottom, which probably wasn’t the brightest idea seeing as my shoes were making squeaking noises as I walked. I was so nervous I couldn’t stop smiling as I walked. I looked like the plastic clown who blows up balloons with its mouth at the Pizza Palace. When I got to the end of the runway, I tried to cross my feet to turn like the other girls had, but I over rotated and ended up doing a full spin which made my kilt fan out and gave the mall walkers a view of my blue underpants. I tried to act like it was intentional and did an extra turn. One of the judges put her hand up to stop me, and I held my breath as she started to speak.

* * * * *

Krysten Lindsay Hager is an author and book addict who has never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and also writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. TRUE COLORS is her bestselling debut novel from Astraea Press. She is originally from Michigan and has lived in South Dakota, Portugal, and currently resides in Southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing. She received her master’s in American Culture from the University of Michigan-Flint.

Find Krysten at: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/

Follow her at: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay

Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

Instagram: http://instagram.com/krystenlindsay

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/True-Colors-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B00L2G0YJS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403419976&sr=8-1&keywords=krysten+lindsay+hager

Barnesandnoble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-colors-krysten-lindsay-hager/1119742726?ean=2940149747658

itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/true-colors/id890673002?mt=11

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/true-colors-17

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/449308

Meet Lizzie Ashworth (Free Read)

Good Morning, Delilah fans! Please allow me to introduce myself. I’m Lizzie Ashworth, and I write erotic romance. I live out in the country on a remote hilltop, surrounded by woods and more hills here in Northwest Arkansas. My yellow cat Mao and hound dog Weezie provide excellent advice, when I remember to ask. And right now, I’m just a tiny bit upset that my tomato plants aren’t doing so well—one thing I really look forward to each summer is home grown tomatoes.

Okay, I know most of you probably never heard of Lizzie Ashworth. That’s because my first books didn’t hit the market until a year ago. The first one that came out was an erotic BDSM romance, Hers to Choose, soon followed by His to Lose, a two book series about those devilishly handsome Cannon cousins. Then in December I published A Gift for Jarrod, a BDSM novella that turned out to be the first in five. The story of Jarrod Bancroft grew so much, I’ve now released it as a print novel and as three e-books. But more about that later. In May of this year, I released Faint Heart, a sexy contemporary romance.

If you’ve read any of my books, you know that I write explicit sex scenes. I confess—I have to. I grew up in a time when the bedroom door stayed closed. No details! No descriptions! I was so frustrated—I wanted to know what happened. It’s only been in the last few years that readers can find stories that keep the bedroom door open and even turn back the sheets to reveal everything from the skin heat to the color of certain—ahem—body parts. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s fabulous!

After all, the male writers who have been in control of books until recently don’t leave out the gory details of violence—guts, blood, broken bones, the sound someone makes when he’s shot. I never could understand why sex was considered obscene but violence wasn’t? What?

Evidently reading explicit sex scenes makes men uncomfortable. And I’ll concede that some female readers are not down with it either. Well, hopefully we can all agree that it’s okay for writers to write and readers to read whatever they like!

I’d love to tell you a few things about Jarrod Bancroft. First of all, he’s a younger man. As in, when the main female character Macie Fitzgerald first meets Jarrod, he’s her high school student. Ten years pass. Now she’s 38 and he’s 28. And a lot has happened.

Secondly, he’s a hunk. Gorgeous. Mouthwatering. Here’s a photo from the ebook Jarrod Bancroft Book II.

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Third, he’s at a crisis point in his life, willing to explore his masochist and submissive tendencies and chafing at his role in his father’s corporation. The story follows him through a major life transition, and I admit, it gets dark at certain points.

But that’s what you want, right? As readers, don’t you expect your books to grab you, make you care, make you sweat about what will happen next? That’s what I try to give you, work my little fingers to the bone to create. I want to give you a guy you can’t help but love, a man with angst and drive and such physical beauty that you see him in your dreams. I want to give you a lead female character who isn’t afraid to take a few risks, but isn’t ready to lay her heart on the chopping block either. After all, she’s been down this romance road before, and there’s real pain lurking around the corner. Isn’t it smarter to wait, hold back, maybe decide ‘no, can’t go there again.’?

Thank you for sharing this moment with me today. I’d love to hear from you. “Like” me at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLizzieAshworth?ref=hl Or “Friend” me at https://www.facebook.com/liz.ashworth.524 Or follow my blog at www.lizzieashworth.com You’ll enjoy the erotic shorts on my blog—they’re free!

Here’s the blurb for Jarrod Bancroft Books I, II, and III.

With everything she cared about gone, Dominatrix Macie Fitzgerald has built a new life in service to those seeking pain and submission. She takes pride in her success. When she accepts Jarrod Bancroft’s application to her next training session, she knows he poses a risk to her fragile emotionless world.

Macie fears are confirmed when she discovers that the ten years since he was her high school history student have only made him more magnificent in every way. How long can she resist him? What devastation awaits her if she can’t?

Life has been too easy for Jarrod Bancroft—rich parents, football star, law degree, high powered job, women by the score. Something is missing. He wants whatever Stonybrook Academy can dish out, much as it scares the hell out of him.

Tied to the bed, his body violated in every way, he faces his first night realizing he was right to be afraid. He never imagined this torture and deprivation. And this woman, his sadistic mistress—the voice behind her mask sounds familiar.

Macie faces her biggest challenge as she struggles to fulfill her professional obligation to give Jarrod what he wants, what he needs. But Jarrod soon discovers that Macie is what he wants. What she doesn’t give, he takes—a risky venture when you’re a sub.  Defenseless against his potent charm, Macie breaks every rule she’s made for herself. Heartbreak soon follows.

To complicate matters, a legal hammer hangs over Jarrod’s head at Bancroft Investments threatening to ruin his professional future. Sucked into his father’s illegal business mess, Jarrod’s life takes an unexpected and life-threatening turn. Powerless as a nightmare unfolds around him, Jarrod dreams of his queen, the only woman he wants. But there’s nothing Macie can do for him now.

Told in three parts, the story of Jarrod Bancroft weaves a web of denial and fear, dark family secrets, and wealth at any cost. The lash of a whip is nothing compared to pain like this. When pain feels like love, how does love feel?

Please note that along with romance, love, and erotic pleasures of a more traditional nature, this work includes scenes of sadism, masochism, and sex acts involving multiple and same-sex partners. For mature readers only.