Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 426
February 22, 2014
Sharon Cullen: Olympic Obsessed
Hello, my name is Sharon Cullen and I am addicted to the Olympics.
Summer, winter, it doesn’t matter to me. I love everything about it from the pageantry of the opening ceremony, to the bittersweet closing ceremony. You’ll find me attached to the TV during the whole thing.
My youngest daughter, who isn’t as Olympic obsessed as her older sister or me, asked me why I love the Olympics so much. I thought about that for a minute then realized its because I love seeing the athletes realize their dream. I love seeing their stunned excitement when they win a medal. I’m so proud for them and of them.
I love seeing their excitement, their anticipation, the stars in their eyes. These athletes are kids. Some of them the same age as my kids. How utterly cool is that, to be on the world stage due to your hard work and dedication?
The stories about the athletes are also one of my favorite things. They are poignant and inspiring. It makes me want to go workout at the gym. LOL. Or at the very least to get my butt off the couch and do something that makes a difference.
My favorite event is probably the downhill and followed in no certain order by snowboarding, moguls, luge and bobsled.
So, do you watch the Olympics? If so, what are your favorite events?
About Sharon:
Sharon Cullen is the author of the historical romance, The Notorious Lady Anne, Loving the Earl and Pleasing the Pirate. She’s also published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance and contemporary romance.
Her other job descriptions include chauffer, laundress, cook and mediator to her three very busy kids, her husband and two dogs. She lives in southwest Ohio with her brood although her dream is to someday retire to St. Maarten and live on the beach.
If you’d like to find out more about Sharon and her books, you can visit her website. She’s addicted to social networking so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion—books.
Two hearts are wrenched between love and duty in Sharon Cullen’s tale of a ruthless pirate and the Scottish lass who fills him with desire for something greater than plunder.
With her clan’s crops burned and their property confiscated, Mairi McFadden is desperate to free her brother from imprisonment so that he can take his rightful place as chief. Her only hope is the fierce English pirate Phin Lockwood, but the buccaneer laughs at her meager funds. His roving eyes, however, tell Mairi there’s something else he’ll take in exchange for her brother’s rescue. Though she burns with hatred for the English, she’ll do anything to save her clan.
The crown has made it clear that Phin has two choices: bring in a certain Scottish traitor or hang. And he’s not about to let a tiny, whiskey-eyed woman get in his way, even if she is pointing a gun at him. When Phin learns that Mairi’s brother is the very man he seeks, he’s more than willing to use the lass as bait. But as the moment of capture draws near, Phin is surprised by his feelings for the courageous beauty who has him considering risking his life—for someone besides himself.
Buy Links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Random House
Where to find Sharon:
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sharon-Cullen-Author/243329341691
Twitter – http://twitter.com/SharonCullen
Website – http://sharoncullen.net/
February 21, 2014
Chandra Ryan: The Rebel, The Soldier, and The Investigative Reporter…
No, they don’t walk into a bar. Wait… Do they? No. I don’t think they do. Sorry. I digress. The rebel, the soldier, or the investigative reporter, which would you fall for? Rebels are sexy because they’re standing up for a cause. They’re willing to fight the status quo to bring about change. The solider is a natural protector. They put their lives on the line every day to protect our freedoms. And the investigative reporter is determined to learn the truth. They feel the need to shine a light on the dark areas that both groups want to keep hidden. So which is it?
That’s where I was when I started writing Hostile Intent. The heroine is a soldier. She’s a fighter pilot who has complete faith in her military and her missions. But she’s been in a long-term, not-quite-but-almost relationship with Michael, the investigative reporter of this equation. It was a relationship built on a mutually beneficial exchange of information. Through the years, however, it’s grown into something she’s not ready to deal with. And when an under-cover rebel, Sans, gets thrown into the mix the unlikely tri has to chart their own course.
So would you choose? Why not come check out Hostile Intent and fall for all three?
Universal Defiance, Book Four
A few hours of passionate, meaningless sex is all Renee needs to take the edge off before her next reconnaissance mission. And the dangerously handsome stranger she meets on the space station docks is more than happy to give it to her.
But her quickie turns out to be a Coalition soldier who’s been ordered to kidnap her. Adam has no idea how tempting his new mission will be or how quickly his intended victim will work her way under his skin. And when someone tries to kill her, he must decide where his loyalties lie.
If they’re going to survive, they’ll need help from Renee’s longtime lover. As an investigative reporter, Michael has the contacts and access to information they need. He also has a raw sexual chemistry with women and men alike, and Adam can’t resist.
Inside Scoop: This ménage features some scorching male-male action.
A Romantica® sci-fi erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Want to know more? You can read an excerpt on the Ellora’s Cave website, or download a sample on the Amazon page.
February 20, 2014
Amber Belldene: Fated Mates?
Hi Delilah! I want to ask you and your readers–Are you a fan of the Fated Mates trope?
Mostly, I am.
I adored, adored, adored the book The Time Traveler’s Wife, and while not strictly a “fated mates” story, the way Henry and Claire’s lives crisscrossed in time gave it that feel. It’s not a romance novel, but it is one of the most romantic books I’ve ever read.
One of my all-time favorite paranormal romances, with one of most memorable openings, is A Hunger Like No Other, the first book in Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series. In the first scene, the werewolf hero, who has been chained up and burning in a magical fire for something like two hundred years, smells his mate above ground on the streets of Paris and finally finds the strength to break free. There are a lot of great, fun, sexy moments in that book—an ideal fated mates story, in my mind.
Obviously, the rules of paranormal worlds vary a lot, and they change the dynamic of the fated mates trope quite a bit. Do you they only ever get one mate? How do characters physically react to meeting their mate? Can a person find happiness apart from the mate? Only reproduce with their mate?
These can be some of my favorite romances, or some of my least favorite. Sometimes the rules of the world constrain the romantic relationship in my mind—this happens sometimes in sequels, when the world was built around the first book and the subsequent conflicts fall short.
In a way, a fated mates story grants the characters the same knowledge every romance reader already assumes: these characters MUST end up together. Sometimes this works brilliantly, as the characters rail against their fate or one determines to sway or seduce the other.
The fated mates trope does go well with another of my favorites, enemies to lovers. Cole as lots of these in the Immortals After Dark series. And my new release, Blood Reunited (Book Three in the Blood Vine series) is also one of these stories.
I honestly didn’t understand romance tropes well enough to know what I was doing when I first conceived of the premise of this book years ago, though now I see I stumbled upon a great set-up. I had invented a brash ancient female vampire as a secondary character, and also made one of my vampire patriarch’s sons a vampire halfling without entirely figuring how one becomes a halfling. All I knew was he was old and he drank bourbon, not blood.
Holy cow. This parenthetical note turned out to be a whole paragraph: (I expect half of the writers reading this blog will have a heart attack to hear me say I write this haphazardly, and the other half will nod knowingly and feel solidarity. It works for me. I write myself into a puzzle, or a corner, and storytelling my way out of it is the source of a lot of my creativity. I don’t think I could publish a serial like Suzanne has, because my writing style requires a lot of mid-story revisions.)
In the epilogue of Blood Vine, when my brash vampire-ess sent a message to the Kastel Estate Winery, Bel was less than pleased to hear from her. I didn’t know why, so I had to investigate, and what I learned made me cackle with the kind of sadistic glee only authors feel toward their characters (you know, that peculiarly loving kind of sadism, because WE know what’s best for them).
Vampire biologist Bel had been investigating the mystery of his existence for his whole life. Vampires can’t have babies, so how the hell was he conceived? The answer lies in an ancient and secret method which Uta helped his mother undertake. What Uta did not know was that her help would cause a blood bond between she and the baby, making them mates, fated to love one another without any choice in the matter.
Uta feels guilty, Bel feels trapped. Deeper than that, they love each other in every cell. He is stubborn, brooding, and determined to use his scientific expertise to free them from the bond, once he’s saved all the vampires from wasting disease. She is stubborn too, and her brashness covers an Atlas-like sense of responsibility for all that’s wrong with the world. And truly, I’ve never had more fun writing than with this story of these enemies and fated mates wading through the secrets of their past and working together to save the vampire world.
Blood Reunited: Book Three in the Blood Vine Series.
Brooding vampire halfling and biologist Bel Maras is determined to create a cure for the wasting disease that plagues his vampire family. His work becomes essential as the Hunters intensify their global and bloody campaign. When Bel’s cure fails, only his ancient and estranged godmother Uta Ilirije can help. But seeing the ice-cold Uta reveals something shocking–she is his bonded mate.
She may be a dangerous warrior, but Uta feels her failures acutely. She has been unable to protect her kind from Hunters, and vampires are dying out. Worse, she tied Bel to her long ago in an accident of blood, then abandoned him for his own good–a choice he has never forgiven. Many days, she is convinced Bel and the vampires would be better off if she just walked into the sun.
Biology has fated them to be mates. Now these old enemies must overcome their past to save the vampires and come to peace with the bond they never chose.
Author Bio:
Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.
Amber is an Episcopal Priest and student of religion. She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths. Some people think it is strange for a minister to write romance, but it is perfectly natural to her, because the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire. She lives with her husband and two children in San Francisco
EXCERPT: ( I like this one because is shows humor as well as the angst in this story)
She flipped the arm separating their seats up and laced her hands into his hair, pulling his ear to her mouth. Her deft, slender tongue traced a wet line around the shell before she nibbled on the lobe with blunt teeth. Tingles crawled from his scalp down his shoulders and arms, and he pulled her onto his lap.
She whispered. “I have done many things in my life. But I am not yet a member of this club for people who have had sex on airplanes.”
She was already fumbling between them for his belt, her tongue pressed between her lips in determination.
He pressed his forehead into hers and chuckled. “Yes.”
He ached to be with her again like this, but he wouldn’t make the same mistake as last time. This would change nothing.
Amber Belldene
Mystically Sexy Romance…Because Desire is Divine
Website | Twitter | Facebook
February 19, 2014
A Question…
If you follow my FB posts, you know I’m buried in commitments. Too many books due. Which leaves me little time to play or chat. That doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention to what you’re talking about. Here’s another chance to let your online friends (and me!) know how your mind works…
If an anonymous benefactor gave you $500 and told you it was yours, so long
as you told no one else you had it, and that you had to spend it in a day,
or even a single purchase, FOR YOURSELF, what would you buy?
It’s blow money. And yours. And you can’t put it against a bill…
February 18, 2014
In One Week…. (Contest)
I know you’re ready for more dirty shenanigans from my boys in Texas! You have just one more week to wait! Next Tuesday, Reined In, the latest of my Lone Star Lovers books is ready for pre-order now.
Pre-order at Amazon
Pre-order at Samhain
But wait, you want to know what the story’s about first. Now, I could give you the full blurb—it’s fun—but you just want a nutshell version, right? How ’bout this?
Daddy’s little girl is back at the ranch, bound and determined to get exactly what she wants. And she wants two cowboys. She’s spoiled like that. 
Stormy’s a bitch, but I love that about her. Willful, needy, and vulnerable where her heart’s concerned. Once the boys get past her prickly hide, there’s a woman bursting to love them.
If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win a free copy
of any of my Lone Star Lovers stories!
Here’s a naughty excerpt…
Stormy was nervous. Her body began to shiver. But she lay still, letting Joe look his fill. Cam still knelt beside her, with his fists curling, like he wanted to touch her but wouldn’t. Not until Joe said so.
She’d always known Joe would take the lead. He’d been the first to touch her, turning her over his knee when she’d been a brat. She’d fought him, sure, cussing and scratching, but once his palm had landed the first strike, she’d arched like a cat, her body on fire.
Cam had given her tenderness, and she’d dreamed of that first kiss, but she needed more. Needed someone stronger, more stubborn than she was. Meaner, even.
Not that she feared Joe. He was firm. Stood up to her sass. Didn’t give her an inch of room to defy him.
No one had ever done that. And she knew, deep inside, she needed a man who’d take her in hand to bring out the woman in her. Cam would be the strong chest she nuzzled against, but Joe…ah, Joe knew her. The real her, which was why when she did horrible things to him, like grinding her heel on his hand, he didn’t just walk away. He’d seen her challenge for what is was. A plea.
For his mercies. For his strong, hard hands. She quivered on the bed, letting him stretch out the moment until her nervousness caused her belly to quiver and her arousal grew so strong it wet the covers beneath her.
Her gaze ate him up as he sauntered toward the bed. He sat on the edge and glanced sideways at her. Then he patted his thigh.
“Think I’m a puppy ready to hop up on your knee?” She blurted that before she had a chance to consider what she ought to say, and her eyes widened immediately.
Joe’s gaze narrowed to ornery slits. His pouty lips, lips she’d fantasized about for years, firmed into a thin straight line. He held out his hand. “You know you want this. Why play games?”
Because she loved the game, she wanted to shout, but she came up on her elbows. “I want you to spank me,” she said, suddenly breathless. “What does that make me?”
“Sexy as hell, Peaches.”
“I hate that name.”
“I know, but it’s what I’m gonna be thinking about when you’re draped over my thighs and your juicy pussy gets me all wet.”
“You’re crude.”
“And you’re already wet.” He patted his thigh again. “Come here, Stormy.”
It was the harder edge of his voice that took away the rest of her breath. And that had her slowly sitting and then crawling toward him. When she was beside him, she gave him a look, letting him see her doubt, her tension, mirrored in her eyes and the tremble of her mouth. God, she wanted this, but could she really handle it? Handle him?
Joe palmed her breast, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’ll be just my hand. This time. Nothing more than you can take. Swear.”
The soft drawling whisper seduced her. She moved over his lap, dropping her feet to the floor, one hand grasping the covers as she bent.
Faced downward, she hated she couldn’t see his expression, or know whether he communicated with Cam. What must Cam think about her? Then she wondered what it would be like to be spanked by him and had to squeeze her thighs because the thought was too wicked. Big, gentle Cam would die before he hurt her.
Joe placed a hand in the center of her back and pressed down to hold her still. He smoothed his other hand over her ass. “You’ve got a soft ass, Peaches. So pretty when you walk. I’ve imagined you like this a thousand times. Did you think about me, about what I did and how wet you got that first time?”
“I was a kid.”
“Which saved you from having me pull down your pants and give you the spanking you really deserved. I’m a pervert, but I wouldn’t go that far.”
“I wanted it,” she said and then bit her lip. “And I kept after you, hoping you’d do it again.”
He glided his hand on her bottom again, more firmly now. “I know. Which was why I stayed far away from you. You were a little Lolita, tempting me every time you swished your ass.”
“I don’t swish.”
“Liar.” He lifted his hand.
She held her breath, but when his palm landed, it was barely a tap. “My memory must have blown the first experience way out of proportion,” she grumbled.
Joe’s chuckle was low and dirty.
The next swat was sharper and left her ass tingling. She’d have savored the sting, but he followed it quickly with more swats, each harder than the last until she rocked forward with each slap. “Jesus,” she gasped.
Her bottom was on fire, but so was her pussy. Just as he’d predicted, her arousal spiked, a wash of liquid spilling from her channel, so that the next slap landed in moisture, directly over her folds.
Her back arched. Her whole body tightened with delight. She was warm, her breaths coming in choppy pants. “Oh fuck,” she groaned.
“You haven’t earned that yet.”
Joe gripped her shoulders and helped her ease off his lap. She crumpled to the carpeted floor, her knees under her as she kept her head down, her face and bottom so hot she started to sweat.
He stood beside her and eased his pants down his legs. Eager for a glimpse of what he bared, she peeked at him, her mouth drying as she stared at the slight curve of his thick cock.
As he stepped out of his pants, Joe gripped his shaft and gave himself a couple of strokes. Then he sat on the bed again. He pushed his cock downward and the tip glistened with a moist pearl of his arousal. “You know what I want.”
Because she was just as eager, she scooted on her knees until she was right in front of him and then stretched upward to take the tip into her mouth. Her eyes closed as his steamy cock filled her mouth. She sucked it, her tongue sweeping his shaft.
Joe’s breath hissed between his teeth, and she almost smiled, knowing he loved everything she was doing. But then he dragged his fingers through her hair and molded his hands around her head, forcing her forward and back, deeper with each forward motion until he tapped the back of her throat.
Before she could unlock her jaws and take him deeper, he pushed her back, and her eyes slid slowly open. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she met his gaze.
A swallow worked his throat. His cheeks were dark. His eyebrows lowered. He’d never looked more dangerous—or sexier, with his belly tight with tension, his cock gleaming from the moisture of her mouth.
“Cam,” Joe said, not looking back at his best friend, whose face was equally hard. “Fuck her until you both come.”
February 17, 2014
AJ Best: Forgiveness (Free Book!)
There are times that, for no good reason, I decide to write a little story. It niggles and picks away at my brain until finally I just write it down and get it out. I thought that while I was visiting today I would share my latest little story with you.
****
It’s not every year that your boyfriend picks you up in front of your house in a horse drawn carriage. I nearly fell over. I was expecting nothing more than a dinner and a little late night romance to fill the rest of the evening. But we rode cuddled together. The snow was lightly falling and I was glad we had a blanket to cuddle under.
We headed to a very nice restaurant. I ordered a tender filet mignon lightly seasoned with salt and pepper accompanied by a colorful medley of mixed vegetables. Even though he loves seafood my boyfriend decided that he would be kind enough to sustain tonight. He knew that I didn’t care for the smell and even kissing him after would cause my allergies to flare.
For some reason he started acting a little ‘squirrelly’, which wasn’t totally off for him, but he normally didn’t act like this in public. His hands were nervously wringing and he kept looking over his shoulder. He caught the eye of the piano player and they both nodded, I was just a tad confused. But when our song started playing I knew something was up. I turned back to my boyfriend and smiled.
The next thing I knew he was down on one knee. “The first time I looked at you from across the crowded classroom, I knew I was in love. You had your hair held back with a pen, and you were scribbling notes in your notebook. I knew right then that you were the girl I was going to marry. So baby, please make my dreams and wishes come true and be my wife.”
Tears streamed down my face and I choked back a sob. “Of course I’ll marry you you fool. Now get up and kiss me,” and boy did he ever. We didn’t even hear the patron’s light applause as we kissed. After time started again, he and I sat down and the waiter brought over a molten chocolate cake, the cake of love, because I LOVE chocolate.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do to beat that Valentine’s Day gift this year; I think I might get him a t-shirt. I’ll never match that.
****
OK, I know it’s a little corny, but I couldn’t help it. If you’d be interested in reading something of mine that has a little more spice in it than that, today is your lucky day. If you stop by my publisher, you can get your very own copy of my book Forgiveness for FREE! What a great Valentine’s Day present to me that they gave me the opportunity to share my story with you. (http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=136)
Here’s a brief excerpt for your reading pleasure…
It seemed more and more lately that no matter how hard she tried, he looked right through her. It was infuriating and heart breaking. She’d had enough heartbreak during the past year to last her a lifetime. Her mother had been sick battling cancer all last year. Unfortunately she’d lost the battle. She’d made sure to pass on information to Mary while on her deathbed though.
Something Mary had never seen coming. She was adopted. Her world felt as if she had lost all control.
The adoption information that her mother had left with her will quickly found its way into the trash. Why would she want to find someone who didn’t want her? She had enough instances of that in her own home. She did wonder, after a year, if she had reacted too rashly. You never know when you’ll need family, and if she met her biological mother maybe she could figure out who she was, inside and out.
Mary plopped herself on the bed and let out a huge rush of air. There was no way Joe hadn’t noticed her outfit. She had bought it specifically for their ten-year anniversary night.
She remembered how she had anxiously awaited this evening and decided that she would make it perfect no matter how she was feeling. Every year on this day, they left the house at four twenty five and drove to the lake where he had romantically declared his undying love and proposed to her. He always hired a horse drawn carriage. The prancing steed would take them from the lake to a lovely candlelit dinner for two. After having one too many glasses of wine and a wonderful meal, they would enjoy a leisurely stroll to the theater. Wicked was currently playing on Broadway, and she couldn’t wait to hear the music that made her soul dance and her heart soar. Re-reading the book several times had her excited, and she knew the night would be perfect.
Then reality reared its ugly head.
Carefully she unlaced her corset and tossed the silky white thong in the corner; it still held the dampness from her unquenched desire.
“I can’t believe I wasted my time and effort on this. Sometimes my husband is such a jerk.” When she took a look around it dawned on her that she was talking to herself. Another deep breath and swish of hair and she mused, “I guess it’s okay to talk to myself as long as I don’t answer back, huh CC?”
She slipped her silk robe on quickly and snatched the cat from his slumberous repose. He squirmed to free himself but Mary kissed his little nose first. “Don’t be like your daddy, at least notice I’m here.” She placed the cat gently on the bed and started her morning ritual. Getting ready for work was the last thing she was interested in.
****
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Web: www.ajbestwrites.com
Email: ajbestwrites@gmail.com
February 16, 2014
Mia Hopkins: Cowboy Coctail (Contest)
Thanks, Delilah, for the opportunity to come say hi on your blog!
As a native Angeleno, I spend an awful lot of time in my car. The other day as I was driving home late from work, I found myself engaging in unexpected and somewhat inappropriate behavior, especially for someone stuck in L.A. traffic.
I was enjoying myself.
For some reason, the sunset sky was extra beautiful that evening. Pink clouds lashed with deep purple drifted west toward the horizon and the light that shone through my windshield was golden. If there hadn’t been all that traffic, I would’ve been content to speed right past all that beauty without looking up.
Second, a really good song came up on the radio. It was Dierks Bentley’s “Come a Little Closer,” a sexy country song about making amends. Here are some of the lyrics.
Come a little closer, baby
I feel like layin’ you down
On a bed sweet surrender
Where we can work it all out
There, in the middle of rush hour gridlock, I found myself actually smiling. The song reminded me of Cowboy Cocktail, a story I had just finished about two broken-hearted people trying to put themselves back together. Wanda is a busy single mom and Tom, the owner of the local cowboy bar, is her ex-husband’s brother. The attraction they feel is complex, forbidden, and hotter than a blast furnace.
Music is important to me when I write, so for fun, I’ve compiled a short list of sweet, mellow songs that I like to listen to when I’m working on a cowboy romance. Pour yourself a cowboy cocktail—which I’ve been told is whiskey and soda, hold the soda—and turn up the volume. You’ll be smiling in no time, I promise!
“Come a Little Closer,” Dierks Bentley
“When You Say Nothing at All,” Keith Whitley
“A Thousand Miles from Nowhere,” Dwight Yoakam
“Here Comes the Rain,” The Mavericks
“Always on My Mind,” Willie Nelson
“The Grass is Blue,” Dolly Parton
“Springsteen,” Eric Church
“Gettin’ You Home,” Chris Young
“Remember When,” Alan Jackson
“Neon Moon,” Brooks & Dunn
I’d like to give away an ebook copy of Cowboy Cocktail to a random commenter below. Please answer this question: What music do you listen to when you unwind?
Here’s an excerpt from Cowboy Cocktail by Mia Hopkins, available now on Amazon.com. Connect with her at her blog, miahopkins.blogspot.com.
Wanda always assumed that Tom had been sleeping in the back room of the Silver Spur among the empty kegs and stacks of bar towels. As she sat at his table, she looked around in awe. With its wood paneling, recessed lighting, and thick oriental floor rugs, his bachelor pad was downright classy.
“How do you like you eggs?” he called from the kitchen.
Fertilized, she thought. Then she shook her head. That’s Tom, you pervert. Cut it out.
“Scrambled is fine,” she said.
“You sure? I can do all the fancy eggs, no problem.”
“I like ‘em scrambled. Save your fancy eggs for the fancy ladies.”
She stood up and walked around the clean, cozy living room. Tom had thrown his cowboy hat on a sofa of caramel leather. The sofa sat alongside a matching armchair draped with a wool Navajo blanket and lit with a copper reading lamp. A huge wooden shelf filled with books stood behind the chair. There was a brand new flatscreen TV on one wall, which Wanda had expected to see, and a happy, healthy houseplant on the coffee table, which she hadn’t.
Wanda sat back down, deeply impressed. The smell of cooking bacon wafted out of the kitchen and completed the effect: this man had his shit together.
Tom came out of the kitchen and set the plates down in front of her. He went back into the kitchen and brought out silverware, napkins, and two glasses of orange juice. Before he sat down, he poured a little ketchup heart on her eggs with a squeeze bottle.
“There you go,” he said. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Aw,” she said, smiling. “Is this what all your fancy ladies get in the morning?”
He took his seat and waggled his eyebrows at her. “Sure. But they get something else first.”
She swatted him with the back of her hand, then picked up her fork and took a bite, feeling the warmth spread through her body from the inside out. She hadn’t been up past midnight in a long time and having a late-night meal felt oddly like naughtiness. She looked up at Tom, who to her surprise was looking at her.
“What?” she asked, automatically wiping her mouth with a napkin.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me,” she said.
He leaned forward. She blinked slowly, trying not to ogle the long line of his broad back. “Why do you waste your time with ridiculous men?” he asked.
“You mean like your brother?”
“Yeah. Like Sean.”
“Well,” she said, frowning. “I didn’t know Sean was ridiculous until much, much later.” She cleared her throat, dislodging all the insults she usually kept in reserve for her ex-husband and swallowing them down for now. “But that other guy, today,” she said with a sigh, “I suppose I knew he was ridiculous from the start.”
“Then why waste your time?”
“Beggars can’t be choosers.”
It was Tom’s turn to blink. He shook his head slowly and slid his eyes over her. Suddenly feeling naked, she reached down and tugged the hem of her dress down over her thighs. Her skin tingled warmly against the touch of her own hand. She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly gone dry.
“The hell you say?” Tom said softly. “You’re certifiable. There’s nowhere on this green earth you’d be classified a beggar, woman.”
“So…what am I?” she said. “A chooser? I don’t seem to have chosen this life, Tom.”
“Maybe not. But you’ve risen to it.”
She frowned. “Then I’m a…”
“Riser.”
Wanda considered it. “I like that. A riser.”
“Yep,” he said, “and you sure as hell get a rise out of me.”
She froze mid-bite and put her fork down slowly. She looked up at him and didn’t flinch, even though her knees were trembling under the table. It had been a year and a half since she’d slept with Sean. Her body was betraying her, getting fired up over Tom—Tom, whom she’d known forever, her ex-husband’s brother. Tom, who hadn’t touched her or even made a pass at her.
Or had he?
She took a breath and broke eye contact, pushing her chair away from the table. “I’d better go,” she said, standing up. Her brain was mighty proud of itself, but her body was furious, throbbing for contact and release.
Tom was quick. He took her forearm; his grip was warm and firm. She gasped but didn’t pull away.
“Fucking hell,” he whispered, closing his eyes. The pain in his face mirrored the deep ache in her bones. He lifted her hand to his mouth and traced his lips slowly across her palm. With incredible gentleness, he pulled her arm toward him and pressed a warm kiss to the pulse on her wrist, his breath washing over the delicate skin and casting a spell as bottomless and dark as shame.
She stared at him, awestruck. He opened his eyes and seared her with irises the color of a high sierra lake.
“Tell me I’m not crazy, Wanda,” he rasped. “I want you so bad I can’t breathe.”
She was so close to him she could smell the musk of his skin, a combination of aftershave, laundry detergent, and clean sweat that suddenly made her tongue ache to know what he tasted like.
When she pulled her hand out of his grasp, she could almost feel his heart collapse in his chest. His guilt was palpable.
“Jesus Christ,” he murmured. “I’m sorry, Wanda. I didn’t mean to—“
Before he could finish the sentence, and before she could second-guess herself, she stepped into the space between his legs, put her hands on his rigid shoulders, and pressed her lips to his.
February 15, 2014
Katherine Bone: Duke by Day, Rogue by Night (Contest)
Thanks for having me on your blog today, Delilah. It’s a pleasure to be here!
Hello, me hearties! My name is Katherine Bone and I write Regency Pirate Action/Adventure Romance. Huzzah and Hoorah!!!
One of the great things about writing Historicals, as I’m sure Delilah and many other brilliant writers like her have told you, is getting to do research. I absolutely love digging into research and then using what I’ve learned to write swashbuckling romance. It’s a win, win. Besides, pirates are boat loads of fun, pardon the pun. And with a name like Bone, what couldn’t be more appropriate, right?
Today, I’d like to share a bit of what I’ve learned and used to flesh out my Nelson’s Tea female characters over the years.
Pirates. Deadly. Vicious. Determined. These roving souls took to the seas hell bent on filling their coffers with other men’s treasure. Eager to escape society, boredom, the law, these fearless men and women forged a brethren code and hoisted a flag meant to stir fright in the most stalwart of men.
Admiral Nelson was assigned to protect England’s shores. In my Nelson’s Tea Series, Nelson enlists the aid of a well-connected lord, a former naval associate, and a pirate family to get the job done. I adore the swashbuckle and mayhem my characters create throughout the series. But in reality, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially a woman who turned to piracy in order to protect those she loved.
~ Pirate Queen Roll Call ~
Alfild ~ The beautiful daughter of a 9th Century Scandinavian king balked at marriage to the only man who made it past serpents her father kept at her door. (Good old-fashioned fatherly love in action, eh?) Hesitant to marry her champion — zounds! his name was Alf too — Alfild donned men’s clothes and took to the seas. His pride beyond wounded, Alf had no other recourse but to give chase and attack Alfild’s ship. Legend has it a fierce battle took place. Alfild fought beside her crew and, upon seeing her face for the very first time when her helmet was knocked off, Alf took the fair pirate queen for his wife, putting an end to her shenanigans.
Lady Mary Killigrew — In the late 1500s, Mary’s father was known as the “Gentleman Pirate of Suffolk”. In keeping with family tradition, she married Sir John Killigrew, a pirate who bought her a fancy house in Arwennack, near Pendeniss Castle along the Cornish coast. It was here she staged her enterprise, boarding and looting damaged ships in Falmouth Harbor. Aided by her son John, president of the corrupt Cornwall Commission for Piracy, Mary operated a lucrative business until she was tried and set free, a rescue that was both politically motivated and expensive for her son.
Grania ny Maille — “Terra marique potens” (powerful by land and sea) was Grace O’Malley’s powerful family motto. The short-haired daughter of a Gaelic chieftain married Dónal O’Flaherty whose motto “fortune favors the bold” encouraged her to raid the Thames. Together, they specialized in ambush tactics and created an impenetrable fortress, Cock’s Castle, on Clare Island in Clew Bay. Grace’s strained relationship with Queen Elizabeth is legendary but, oddly enough, culminated in friendship by the time of their deaths in 1603.
Anne Fulford, aka Anne Bonny, and Mary Read — After falling for James Bonny and then being seduced by Captain Jack Rackham — Calico Jack — Anne, not-yet 20 years old, put on trousers and joined her lover at sea. Later, they met and teamed up with Sailor Read (Mary in disguise) who pledged death by hanging was “no great hardship”. After Anne, Jack, and Mary pilfered the William in 1720 and roved around Jamaica, they were hunted down, captured, and taken to trial. Anne and Mary claimed they were with child and, instead of dancing “the hempen jig” like Jack, they were sent to prison. Mary became feverish and died before her pregnancy could be authenticated, while Anne gave birth and was never heard from again.
Fanny Campbell ~ After her beloved fiancée, merchant sailor William Lovell, was captured by pirates and then charged with piracy, Fanny knew just what to do. She changed her name to Channing, dressed as a boy, joined a ship’s crew, and staged a mutiny aboard the Constance, where she posed as second officer. Taking over as captain, to William’s surprise, she orchestrated his rescue. Soon afterward, Fanny and William married and became privateers in the American Revolution.
Rachel Wall ~ Daughter of Presbyterians, Rachel eloped with fisherman and privateer George Wall. Together their biggest ploy was to rob and kill would-be rescuers after they moored their sloop, waited out a storm, set their vessel adrift, and then raised distress flags to lure passing ships. Her greatest claim to fame? She was the last woman hung in Massachusetts in 1779.
Cheng I Sao — A Cantonese prostitute — Cheng I Sao married Cheng I and sailed with him until his death in 1807. Their confederation of 400 junks and 70,000 men was tightly bound by a constitution signed in 1805. “Wasps of the ocean” Madame Cheng’s pirates created an unbeatable naval force until Cheng I Sao went into retirement in 1810, ending her charismatic reign over the South China Sea. Twice widowed, the lovely pirate queen died peacefully at 69.
Throughout my series, similarities exist between these pirate queens and my characters. For instance, Fanny’s ship is named Constance and Constance Danbury is the heroine of my book Duke by Day, Rogue by Night. Adele Seaton, the heroine of book two, The Rogue’s Prize, channels Grace O’Malley’s, Lady Killigrew’s, and Rachel Wall’s swashbuckle. Mercedes Vasquez de la Claremont, the heroine in book three, The Rogue’s Surrender, has similarities to Anne Bonny and Alfild. And lastly, Baroness Chauncey in My Lord Rogue, the prequel novella, taps into Mary Read and Cheng I Sao’s bravado.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this overview of pirate queens. 2014 is a new year with endless possibilities and I’m excited to announce that the first book in my Nelson’s Tea Series, Duke by Day, Rogue by Night, is relaunching with EsKape Press < http://eskapepress.com/> on March 4, 2014.
Duke by Day, Rogue by Night
CONSTANCE DANBURY is desperate to escape an arranged marriage to a man nearly twice her age. Her only hope is to board a merchantman bound for Spain to enlist her aunt’s help. Her plans go awry when she’s captured by pirates. Even more alarming, her traitorous body longs for the man who’s returning her to England! Pushed into a marriage of convenience, she’s caught between two men—one owns her heart, the other is bent on stealing it.
PERCIVAL AVERY is a member of Nelson’s Tea, an elite group assigned to protect England’s shores at any cost. On a mission to avenge his sister’s death, Percy infiltrates the gang of cutthroats responsible. When his vessel attacks a merchantman, Percy must choose between vengeance and saving the life of his commander’s niece. His only choice is to mutiny, but mutiny obliterates his well-laid plans. Forced on a new course that leads straight back to Constance Danbury, Percy has to make a decision—chase revenge or allow himself to love again.
Readers, does anything about these pirate queens surprise you? Would you be able to leave your land-loving life behind and take to the seas? One lucky commenter will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Woot!
Katherine has been passionate about all things historical since she was an Army brat traveling all over the world. Initially, she dreamed of becoming an artist, but when she met and fell in love with Prince Charming, her own dashing Lieutenant, vowing duty, honor and country, and found herself quickly saying “I do.” Life as an Army wife took her abroad to castles, battlegrounds and cathedrals, where tales of romance, swashbuckling characters, and unforgettable adventure filled the lonely nights Uncle Sam called Charming away. Now, after raising four children, Katherine lives in the south with her rogue and fluffy Maine Coon, where she writes about alpha males and the happily ever afters they deserve.
February 14, 2014
Happy Valentines Day! (FREE STORY)
I wrote a Valentines Day story several years back.
Today it’s free, from me to you.
Happy Valentines Day! XOXO ~DD
DOWNLOAD NOW:
Love in Bloom (PDF)
February 13, 2014
Dena Garson: Mystic’s Touch (Contest)
I’m very excited about my new book release, Mystic’s Touch.
The world they live in is fantasy – a kingdom and a culture based on ancient Egypt. It was great being able to live in that place, in my head, for a while. And the characters were fun. I was surprised when two more of the hero’s friends showed up half way through the book!
And it all started with a dream.
Yup! I dreamed about my characters before they ever landed on the page. It just took a couple of years to figure who they were and what they were trying to tell me.
I don’t always remember my dreams, but some have been doozies! I try to record the really interesting ones so I can figure out what was on my mind or what the universe was trying to tell me. More than one of those may end up in a story someday.
Once I dreamed about getting a new job before being called for an interview. Then there was the time I dreamed that the place I used at was falling down – as in, the building was being evacuated in my dream because it was crumbling. A short while later a buy-out was announced. I’ve been told by friends that still work there that the company is no longer the same place.
A couple of years ago I had a dream about my son being kidnapped that freaked me out so bad I disabled his online gaming account for weeks. I hope that one NEVER comes true. *shudders*
And, naturally, there have been a few dreams that could only be recorded with adult-content labels. *blushes*
Dreams are important to Danet and Ceros, the main characters in Mystic’s Touch. They see each other in dreams for years before ever meeting. Their soul-deep bond strengthens their relationship and makes it hard to resist. No matter the odds.
Have you ever had a significant dream? One that came true or one that was so vivid it stuck with you for days after waking?
Leave a comment and let me know. And link over to my Rafflecopter to be entered in the drawings for goodies. I’m giving away books, jewelry, and lots of other fun stuff! Follow this link:
When Prince Ceros returns home to take his place on the throne, he falls prey to a mysterious malady that leaves him unable to speak or move, though his thoughts and awareness remain intact. Danet, a talented healer, realizes the prince is alert inside his body. The two are able to share thoughts telepathically. Unfortunately her connection with Ceros may bring unwanted attention to her abilities and result in her banishment from the city.
Their unique bond grows as Danet races to find a remedy for the prince’s condition. Desire turns to love, which makes Danet fear for their future when he awakens. They seek out the villain attempting to take the throne and endeavor to find a way to stay together.
Inside Scoop: Ceros’ secret shifter status adds complication and intrigue to their budding romance.
Buy Links:
Ellora’s Cave / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Book Trailer Video: http://youtu.be/4rcPumYSe5w
Dena Garson loves to read romance—the hotter the better. When one of her BFFs said “one of us should be writing this stuff”, she took up the challenge. If she isn’t writing, she’s designing jewelry but somehow she still manages to make it into the office on a regular basis.
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