Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 431
January 2, 2014
JoAnne Kenrick: Getting OUTBACK DIRTY
Thanks for hosting me on your blog today, Delilah. It’s always a pleasure and an honor when my favorite authors give up a corner of their space for me to pimp my work. It makes me feel special! Very special. So seriously, thank you for the pink fluffy moment!
I’m here at Delilah’s place today to chat about my new release and the awesome new multi- author series it belongs to.
OUTBACK DIRTY, Calendar Men book one.
Granted, I’m known for my British voice and stories. And I have been asked several times already why on earth I stepped out of my usual brand to write a story set in Australia without a Brit in sight. Well, simply put, I was homesick! Yes, I’m a Brit, but I’ve lived in quite a few different places and in Australia for three glorious years. I miss the laid back…or should that be ‘she’ll be right’…attitude of the Aussies, and the glorious landscapes and the beer. Oh how I miss Tooheys. I could just neck a frosty Tooheys right about now. That’s right, folks, XXXX and Fosters are not Aussies best beers. They keep the good stuff for themselves. Can’t blame them for that!
We lived in New South Wales. While we were there, we did travel that area, but it’s my one regret to have not travelled farther. Lucky for me, I got to do that in my mind with OUTBACK DIRTY. But really, all it did was make me want to visit the Northern Territory even more. Although I’m not a fan of the deadly creepy crawlies, I sure would love a stay at the Outback Experience…and I’d love nothing more than to get OUTBACK DIRTY (inside joke for those who’ve read the book already).
Without further a fuss, cop a load of the blurb:
She’ll do anything to win him back… even if it means getting OUTBACK DIRTY.
Chris Ruter’s plan for Australia Day is to beat the heat by letting the beer flow. His New York ex, Janine, seems determined to drive the heel of her sharp stiletto right through the wall he’s built to avoid memories of her–but does she want him in front of her camera or in her bed?
Janine Red is ready to get outback dirty to win back her sexy ex. Following him to his plantation, their bushwalk turns into a trip down memory lane. Can the magic of the outback heal her sprained ankle–and their hearts?
BUYLINKS CAN BE FOUND ON THE BOOK LANDING PAGE
http://calendar-men.blogspot.com/2013/12/mrjanuary-calendarmen.html
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE: http://www.joannekenrick.com
Calendar Men, the series.
Heroes doing good while looking great!
Read all 12 stories in this brand new multi-author series for 2014…
…and you’ll have a new book-boyfriend for every month of the year!
A man for every month!
Told by some of best authors in the world of romance, the Calendar Men stories have contemporary settings and star strong heroes doing good while looking great. With off-the-charts swoon-factor, the Calendar Men pose for a charity calendar to help military families of fallen heroes. Each has his own special reason for wanting to help the fictional Hero Family Fund, and each has his own obstacles to overcome before he can find a happy ever after.
Release Dates:
January 1st – Outback Dirty by JoAnne Kenrick
February 1st – February Lover by Rebecca Royce
March 1st – Seducing Helena by Ann Mayburn
April 1st – Frontier Inferno by Kate Richards
May 1st – Shockwave by D. L. Jackson
June 1st – The Other Brother by Lucy Felthouse
July 1st – The Letter by Mina Carter
August 1st – Burning Love by Cassandra Carr
September 1st – A Model Hero by Sara Daniel
October 1st – Falling For her Navy SEAL Again by Clarissa Yip
November 1st – Thankful For You by Cindy Spencer Pape
December 1st – Snow Angels by Sabrina York
Series news, exclusives, freebies, and more at the official Calendar Men blog:
http://calendar-men.blogspot.com
January 1, 2014
Happy New Year! (and a Winner!)
Okay, I’m not crazy about his tie. But I thought a picture would liven up the post. Happy New Year everyone!
First, let me say—thank you! You all have made my dreams come true. I keep saying that in dedications in books, but I will keep saying it because it’s absolutely true. You have made it possible for me to become the thing I wanted to be—a self-employed writer.
Yesterday, I reviewed what I accomplished last year. Now, I’d like to talk a little about what I hope to accomplish this year.
This is a little corner of the annual plan I’ve constructed for the year. Just looking at the numbers under January, you might guess I plan to write a stupid number of chapters this month. I have to! I got myself boxed in and overcommitted, and now I have to dig myself out, but once I get past mid-February—if I can power through—I will take a much more leisurely pace for the rest of the year.
And what sort of stories can you expect from me in 2014?
I already have three stories written that will be released in 2014, as well as one collection of short stories I edited for Cleis Press:
Reined In (Feb)—Book 7 in the Lone Star Lovers series (Samhain)
Once is Never Enough (May)—Book 5 (the last one!) in the Delta Heat series (Samhain)
Her Only Desire (May)—Book 1 in the Sultry Summer Nights series (Samhain)
Cowboy Heat (Jun) (Cleis Press)
I plan to add one last book to the Lone Star Lovers series after Reined In, and then it’s done. I’ll be adding book 9 to the My Immortal Knights series. I finished the Delta Heat series, but now I’m going to add Delta Heat-Firehouse 69 books so I can chase those sexy firefighters for a while. With Lone Star stories finishing up, I’m starting a Comanche Moon Ranch series I hope you’ll love. And since I don’t like to write straight contemporary without breaks for things I find personally exciting, I’ll be starting a new witch series of stories—novellas I’ll publish with Samhain. Then there are the SEAL books… Argh. So many projects. If you read the boxed collection of stories, Uniform Desires, then you know all about my military hero in that book. The next two books in that series (which follow the adventures of three travel agents taking adventure vacations who get into a whole lot trouble only a military man can rescue them from) will be coming out this year too.
And that might not be everything, but now you know I’m gonna be busy.
You’re probably curious to know who won December’s Amazon.com gift card. It’s Pansy Petal (Dec. 11)! Congrats, Pansy! I’ll be in touch shortly to arrange delivery of your prize!
December 31, 2013
2013 in Review
Pssst! Today’s the last day to enter December’s contest! ~DD
* * * * *
Not to bore you, but I love to give an annual recap at the end of the year—just to remind you of the stories I gave you and remind myself I wasn’t a complete slug. Following is the list of stories I saw released in 2013:
01/01/13 – DR. MULLALEY’S CURE, Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, Vol 11 (Running Press)
01/01/13 – RED DAWN, Mammoth Book of Futuristic Romance (Running Press)
01/29/13 – SHATTERED SOULS (Montlake Romance)
02/13/13 – NIGHT AT THE WAX MUSEUM, Best Lesbian Romance of 2013 (Cleis Press)
03/12/13 – IN TOO DEEP (Samhain)
06/04/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 1 (Montlake Romance)
06/18/13 – TWICE THE BANG (Samhain)
06/18/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 2 (Montlake Romance)
06/25/13 – LOST SOULS (Montlake Romance)
06/25/13 –QUICK DRAW and ALL ABOUT ME, Mammoth Book of Quick & Dirty Erotica (Running Press)
06/26/13 – MAKING AMENDS: DAMON’S FIRST BITE (Kindle Worlds)
07/02/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 3 (Montlake Romance)
07/12/12 – STROKES VOL 2 (Kindle/Smashwords)
07/16/13 – SMOKIN’ HOT FIREMEN (Cleis Press)
07/16/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 4 (Montlake Romance)
07/30/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 5 (Montlake Romance)
08/13/13 – LONG, HOT SUMMER (Samhain)
08/13/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 6 (Montlake Romance)
09/03/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 7 (Montlake Romance)
09/03/13 – HIGH OCTANE HEROES (Cleis Press)
09/10/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 8 (Montlake Romance)
11/11/13 – DANGEROUS LIAISON, Uniform Desires (Kindle/Smashwords)
12/03/13 – TEXAS SURRENDER (Samhain)
12/10/13 – CRESCENT MOON (print) – (Montlake Romance)
The “Souls” books and the Crescent Moon installments were the highlights for me. I love writing paranormal stories, and those really challenged me to bring my “A” game. I hope you gave them a chance. I wrote my way through the end of the Triple Horn Brand trilogy, and really loved how I ended it all. I gave you another installment of the Delta Heat series, and I’m still thrilled at how receptive you’ve all been to my naughty cops in Memphis series. Guess it’s a good thing Mondo’s story is already in production! 
Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about what I have in the works for the New Year, and what I hope to get to writing-wise, barring any unexpected requests.
Here’s hoping you all have fun tonight and drive safe!
December 30, 2013
Sharon Hamilton: Finding the Right Narrator (Contest)
FINDING THE RIGHT NARRATOR
Thank you, Delilah, for having me on your site again today. I’ve just come back from a month-long vacation, a cruise starting in Italy and winding up in Brazil. This week I was thrilled to learn my second audio book in the SEAL Brotherhood series, Fallen SEAL Legacy, was live and for sale on Audible/ACX. I worked on it with my narrator, J.D. Hart, while on board this cruise ship, and I have to say it was probably the most fun of my day! We battled the seas of the Atlantic and internet holes between Africa and South America to get this project done. But I’m over the moon pleased with the results.
There are a number of things I was looking for in a voice narrator. First, I wanted a masculine, slightly husky, mature male voice reading my story. I’m not sure why, but I prefer to listen to men narrators over women, if the voice is right. The instant I heard J.D.’s voice it was like my character came to life right in front of me. He was exactly how I thought my SEAL would sound.
I took other’s advice and asked several people to audition for the narration. What I heard was a variety of voices and tones, but none of them seemed to capture the “feel” of my story the way J.D.’s voice did. I imagined a listener spending eleven hours hearing my book on audio, and while other narrators eagerly wanted the job, I knew only one person was the perfect fit. I think an author knows when they’ve found the right voice.
Then came time for other characters to be portrayed. This is where I got to experience the genius of the narrator. Because he is a trained actor, and because of his extensive experience in doing voiceovers and commercials as well, he was able to give me accents and characterizations for my entire cast. It was not something I’d considered before. I can see that had I not chosen J.D., I would have been stuck with someone who perhaps wouldn’t be able to tackle this burden.
There are a whole host of other things I learned while doing these first two audio books, so perhaps on a future post I’ll go into them. At the end of this post, please leave me a comment. One lucky person will be chosen to receive the Fallen SEAL Legacy audio book for free.
Excerpt Cruisin’ For A SEAL:
He got up and left some coins on the table, and made the mistake of looking over at her. He gave her a little crooked smile. She’d have to be completely insane not to pick up he found her attractive. She arched one eyebrow as he couldn’t help but admire her rack. Okay, to be perfectly honest, he wondered what they’d look like released to his hands.
He was normally the gentleman with these types of hot women, not knowing anything about them. It wasn’t proper to admire another man’s lady, and this one was too fine not to be attached. So, he closed his eyes by way of an apology and then looked back at her as if to say Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.
She did the wrong thing. She blew him a kiss with those red lips of hers in an obvious flirtation. The luscious lady slung her yellow Gucci bag over her shoulder, slipped her soft arm around his and snuggled to the side.
She said something in Italian. Marc was stunned. His legs felt like lead, unable to move as she unexpectedly squeezed her body next to his. He could feel her full chest pressing his resolve to the breaking point. His arm suddenly became the second most sensitive of his body parts.
She was holding him close, but leading him, as if he was reluctant. “Si, si, si…” and then something he couldn’t understand. Well, hell, he was reluctant, but for some reason he followed along anyway.
She looked over her shoulder checking out the deserted Piazza, maybe looking to see if her mother noticed her leaving with him. Why would that be a problem? On second thought, if he were her father, he’d definitely not want his daughter going off with some stranger.
But shit, he didn’t care. Whatever she had in mind, unless it involved something dangerous – well, hell even dangerous would be fine – he did that all the time. If it involved some dark underground cellar and beefy guys with lots of dark chest hair, okay, then he’d get out. But he kind of liked how her tits bounced as she walked in those four-inch boots he didn’t know they made. She had a fresh lime spice scent and something else wafting up from her hair.
She kept babbling on as they rounded the corner. She gestured towards the apartments above the shops lining the cobblestoned streets he’d just been walking on.
“Honey, this is all real fun, but I’m not understanding a word you’re saying,” he blurted out before he could restrain himself.
“Ah, Americano! English? No, Americano?” Then she added some other comments he didn’t follow.
You promised you’d learn Italian before the cruise, and now look at where it’s gotten you?
“You speak English?” he stopped and asked.
Her laughter fell like warm water all over him, bathing him in a golden glow he wanted more of. In between her gestures and her giggles, her brown eyes danced. She’d checked out his chest, the size of his shoes and the tent in his pants. Those were things professionals did all the time, or so he’d been told.
He began to worry he’d made a mistake being too compliant. It suddenly hit him that he was not acting with his usual self-control. He dropped his arm and hers slipped out of his grip. He pushed his hands into his jeans and shrugged.
“I’m sorry. Perhaps you got the impression I wanted—”
She cut him off before he could finish. His English was obviously not going to be an impediment to her communication, but it sure was to him.
“Scuse, scuse, signore,” she began, laughing. Then she said something like tey ammo and there was all that fluttering around of her hands. Her breasts were bouncing and the little bracelet was damned distracting on that wrist of hers. Her brown curls flying in all directions. She could have been Brazilian, Italian, Spanish, or anything, but whatever it was, she was live and full of fun and, hell, he didn’t care if she robbed him, it might even be worth it.
He pulled his hands from his pockets as if to say he didn’t have any money. Her reaction was immediate. She slapped him. Hard. She landed her hands on her hips and scolded him. God how he loved seeing her angry. She must have called him every name for a dog and no-good boyfriend and dirty American male, because he heard American several times. He hung his head, nodded as if he agreed, yes, he was a dog. Put his hands back in his front pockets and shrugged a lot.
He started to walk away, worried about attracting more attention than they already were. A shopkeeper was leaning on a broom watching them. A wizened older woman with no teeth leaned out of a lace curtained window overhead and said shouted something in agreement.
“Aye!” the little lady called out, stopping him. She crooked her forefinger and gave him the signal to come back. Well, it wasn’t a signal, it was a full-throated command, if only he could understand her language.
She continued with the finger action, unwilling to be deterred. He brought his palms out to the sides of his pants and didn’t shrug, but knew it was useless to speak. He shuffled back in her direction. She pointed to the ground at her feet emphatically. That got him so close he was almost touching her. She made little growling noises with her throat he took to mean approval. The voice got soft, more melodic. He’d have to say chestier.
She’d dropped her hands but then she raised one again and begged his face to come down to her level. He obeyed. His lips ached to kiss her, did she see it? He saw the soft hairs on her upper lip and the way her nostrils flared as she took in a deep breath, assessing him. He’d stay there as long as she required. He never did this, but it became more important than breathing to stay right in the vicinity of her aura.
Marc was rewarded with her hands pulling his face to hers, locking her lips on him and sucking his tongue deep inside her. He had never been so scared and excited at the same time. He hesitated with his hands.
Oh, fuck it.
Here is a sample of the buttery voice of my narrator, J.D. Hart. This scene happens an hour or two later, and after another exciting love scene. We are still working on this project, so words and tonations may change, but this gives you a rough idea of what we have going. I think you’ll like it. The book will be available in January of 2014, the audio book probably February.
You can here the sample narration here.
Enjoy! Don’t forget to leave a comment with your coded email address so I can pick the winner of the free audio book.
Sharon Hamilton
Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.
Sharon’s Blog ** Sharon’s Website ** Facebook**Twitter
December 29, 2013
Lavender Daye: What Men Can Learn from Romance Writers
Dear Lavender,
The strangest thing happened to me last Friday night, and I don’t know what to do.
I fell in lust with the most amazing man.
I don’t know how it happened. I mean, I’ve been married for twelve years and have two children. I love my family and my life, so this turn of events was a shock. Totally unexpected. And I don’t know how to handle it.
I left my office like always on Friday and when I approached my car, I discovered a tall man in a suit leaning against the driver-side door, the stem of a single pink rose in his hand. He brushed the flower down my cheek and did that thing men do with their eyes, checking me out from head to toe, and then he leaned in and kissed me full on the lips in broad daylight.
Needless to say, I was stunned. I hadn’t kissed a man in public in at least ten years, and here was this handsome man with his mouth on mine. Before I could say anything, he took my arm and led me to his car, going so far as to buckle me into the passenger seat.
He finally spoke as the engine rumbled. “I’m going to take care of you tonight.”
He took me to a restaurant I’d heard great things about but hadn’t had time to visit. It had a reputation, and well deserved, as a romantic spot, mood lighting and sumptuous intimate booths. One hand on my knee, his other on the menu, he ordered for both of us.
When the waiter left, this handsome man revealed his true intent, describing my body intimately, using words designed to bind me to him without a physical touch. A quiver began in my belly as I listened, and an erotic haze settled around me as if I were expecting to be caressed and kissed and loved in the next few moments.
His eyes. Oh, yes. His eyes burned with a deep and abiding affinity and I knew this man would change the way I thought about the male/female relationship.
The interruption from the waiter did little to abate the sexual tension and the sense of the inevitable lingered while we ate. Afterward, he stood and took my hand, drawing me to him and hugging me close to his side until he put me in the car. My body twitched, eager to know more of this familiar stranger and my brain, the most erotic part of me, longed for a permanent connection with the new man beside me.
When he parked in my driveway, I worried that the magic of the night would be lost, but when he helped me from the car his mouth came down hard on mine in a drugging kiss full of promise and passion.
I don’t know where this new man came from or how he came to be in my bed. I’m not sure I want to ask him for the details of his metamorphosis. I only know I want him to stay with me.
So, Lavender, this is where I need your help. Should I ask my husband what happened to enhance the way he loves me? Or should I simply enjoy him?
Lavender’s reply:
Men, smart men, often fall into ruts like we women do. Recognizing the slump and working to change it for the better is a wonderful thing. Enjoy.
Maybe, just maybe, he read a romance novel and gleaned a little insight into what women want in a lover.
Until next time-
Lavender
Find Lavender:
www.LavenderDaye.com
www.facebook.com/LavenderDaye
www.LavenderDaye.Blogspot.com
Lavender’s Latest Release-
Take a Chance
Steve Gladston is a security specialist, a Dom, and part owner of the new BDSM club opening south of Dallas. He and his two business partners refurbished an old country club into a state of the art fetish club. All three are looking forward to the upcoming opening of Private Delights while they finish the remodel and work at their various careers in the community.
Dena Lindsay is the office manager at her family’s firm, and with three overprotective brothers, dating is difficult. She dreams of a sensual adventure and Steve’s appearance in her life gives her hope. Discovering his penchant for BDSM is a shock, and then stimulating.
When danger intrudes in her life, she turns to Steve for protection. Proximity makes her both apprehensive and aroused. At some point, she’ll have to decide what she wants from her man. Protection or Passion?
December 28, 2013
Flashback: Saddled (Contest)
Are you still feeling the “Christmas Hangover”? I’m back on track today, and I’m busy finalizing my 2014 plans.
Today’s flashback is my very first Western with Samhain, which went on to become their bestselling book of 2009. Who knew readers would love my two lonesome cowboys coming to the rescue of one lucky woman… Click on the cover if you’d like to learn more about the book!
Post a comment today and you’ll be entered to win a free download of this story! And if you already have this one, pick another from my list of Western novellas published through Samhain!
“…I couldn’t put this story down! It was danger, betrayal, sexy and fun all rolled together into the perfect erotic romance. The plot was brilliant, and the characters unique…The sexual scenes will make you clamp your knees together and dream of a sexy cowboy or two of your own…” ~5 Stars, Just Erotic Romance
“…What starts out as an innocent effort to warm Kate up turns into some of the most erotic sex I have ever read along with some of the best dialog I have seen in a book so far this year…The chemistry and interaction between the three of them is well written and keeps you chuckling and turns you on. The characters themselves are so well written you feel for them and you want them to make their alternative relationship work….SADDLED is heart-stopping and fascinating!!!!!!!…” ~5 Stars, Vixen Reviews
“…Delilah Devlin’s storylines never fail to pull readers into the story and SADDLED is no exception…Of course the sex scenes are scorching and adventurous with the perfect blend of emotional turmoil to ensure readers keep Ms. Devlin’s name at the top of their ‘must read’ list.” ~4.5 Blue Ribbons, Romance Junkies
Slippery when naked…
When Bobby Blackhawk and Cale Yancey see a car slide off the highway and into an icy creek, they’ve got only minutes to get the beautiful driver out alive. And only one way to save her from hypothermia: take her to their isolated cabin, get naked…and hope like hell that when she wakes up, she doesn’t scream the place down.
Katherine Duvall opens her eyes in a strange bed, and the tingles flooding her body aren’t entirely due to restored circulation. She’s snuggled between two handsome men, one a gruff, gentle giant, the other a sexy, playful Native American. Having just left her fiancé romping with another woman, she’s not quite as shocked as she might have been.
In fact, these two lonesome cowboys could be the perfect bookends to satisfy her hunger for revenge and bolster her dented self esteem. It’s not long before their raging hormones are melting the snow on the cabin roof.
To their surprise, they find something else is melting, too. Their hearts…
Katherine Duvall awoke as sensation flooded her feet and hands—sharp prickling pinches that made her moan.
“Yeah, it’s gonna hurt. But it’s a good sign sweetheart,” a man whispered against her hair. “And there’s no frostbite. I checked.”
He’d checked? One fact penetrated her pain-filled fog. He’d done a lot more than checked. She was naked. And his bare-naked body was pressed up against her back, a penis nudging her bottom.
“Where are my clothes?” she gasped, choking on outrage and fear.
“Had to shuck ‘em. They were soaked.”
She remembered the car sliding into the water. But why wasn’t she in a hospital? “Where am I?”
“In my cabin. Couldn’t chance taking you back to Wellesley. Snow’s comin’ down too hard.”
Her fingers stung, and she pulled her hands from under the covers to peer at them in the inky darkness. “How long have I been here?”
“Maybe an hour. Was worried about you two. You both passed out.”
“Both?”
“Bobby went into the creek after you. He’s not in much better shape.”
She edged carefully away from his body, instantly missing the warmth and rolled onto her back to get her first view of her “rescuer”. What she saw didn’t do a whole lot to alleviate her fears.
The man lying beside her was enormous—a broad-shouldered shadow. Her heartbeat thudded against her chest as her alarm grew, and she wondered what else he might have done while she’d been out.
“Let me get the lamp. You sound like you’re about to freak out.”
About to?
He leaned away. A light flickered on from a bedside table, and she got her first clear glimpse of the stranger in the bed beside her. He leaned on his elbows, his expression taut as she stared back. Shaggy, brown hair, thick dark brows over deep-set eyes. His skin was deeply tanned, his chest and abdomen a study in light and shadow as muscles rippled as he breathed. The thick fur covering his chest glinted with red and gold where the light struck it.
Then she caught a glimpse of another body outlined beneath the covers on his opposite side. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“It’s not what it looks like,” he said softly, a smile turning up the tips of his mouth. “Swear. I had to get you both warm.”
She pulled the edge of the blanket higher over her chest and scooted away from him, caught by a hard shiver.
“You’re still chilled. The electric blanket’s set low. Didn’t want to damage tissue as I heated you both up.”
A groan sounded beyond the bear-like man. “Goddamn, would you both shut up? Fuck, everything hurts.”
“Bobby, you need to wake up. We got a problem here.”
The figure huddled under the blanket stirred and rolled toward them with a moan. When he came up on an elbow, air hissed through Kate’s teeth. The man was even more attractive than the first, and she was wondering if she’d woken up on the wrong side of heaven. This one wasn’t as large but was every bit as ripped. And his wide chest was hairless, his face austere, scraped clean over high cheekbones and a jutting jaw. An Indian by his bronze skin, even without seeing the long black hair that filtered around his shoulders.
Still, they were both naked. And sharing a bed with her. And she didn’t know if she was safe or about to be molested. After all she’d felt an erection prodding her bottom.
She took a quick, silent inventory. The parts of her that weren’t busy thawing didn’t feel any different. She’d know, wouldn’t she, if he’d already taken advantage of her?
“We’re not going to hurt you, lady,” Bobby said. “We saved your life. Get back under the covers and snuggle close. You’ll warm up faster. Can’t have you getting sick, seeing as how you’ll be stuck here for a while.”
Her heart stuttered, then began to race. “What? I can’t stay here.”
“Don’t know if you noticed,” Bobby replied, “but there’s a storm outside. The roads are closed. No one’s getting in or out.”
She opened her mouth to make another protest, but she shivered again and moaned as the pain intensified in her fingertips.
“You’re gonna have to trust us,” the big guy said. “If something comes up between us, you’ll just have to ignore it. My body’s warmer than yours even though I’ve been stuck between two blocks of ice for an hour.”
Color filled her cheeks. She shivered for another few moments and then gave in to the offer of warmth. Facing away, she settled on her side and held her breath as he snuggled close again. When his arm came over her waist, she jumped but calmed as he shushed her gently.
The embarrassment and fear was a small price to pay for the heat his body generated.
“Just go to sleep,” he muttered. “This is as close as I’m gonna get.”
It was close enough. Again, his cock was upright and poking at her bottom.
“Don’t know how it’s staying hard,” he whispered. “Your ass is cold.”
A gust of laughter surprised her. “Serves you right. Should have kept your underwear on.”
“Lady, you always this grumpy?” came Bobby’s slurred whisper.
“No. I’m just not used to waking up in bed beside strangers.”
Bobby grunted and slid closer to the bigger man’s back. She knew because his hand reached right across the body between them to land on her hip. “Fuck, I’m cold.”
December 27, 2013
Getting ready for the New Year…and I need help!
So, every year as I approach New Year’s day, I put together my list of resolutions. I start with my writing wishes. I don’t call them goals anymore, because the darn list I come up with changes so much due to unexpected things, like contracts, invitations, etc. But I do like to layer in all my wishes in pretty blocks on a spreadsheet so I have some sort of picture of what my year could be like—if I could manage to keep focused!
It’s the rest of my life I’m not so sure about. Yes, every year I have some health goal (which gets dropped like a hot potato before the end of the first week!). But what else should be in there?
I’d love your thoughts. What do you include in your New Year resolutions? What would you like to see ME include?
December 26, 2013
Melissa Snark: Interview with Josephine Young from A CAT’S TALE
Josephine Young is a petite Asian woman in her early twenties with delicate bone structure and startling blue eyes. She possesses cat-like grace and is capable of staring without blinking for extended periods of time. Although she appears fully human, one still receives the distinct impression that her tail is twitching.
Interviewer: Ms. Young, welcome to the Daily Show.
Josephine (smiles): Hello! And thank you. Please, my name is Josephine. My friends call me Josie. I’d like to thank Delilah Devlin for having me as her guest today.
Interviewer: I understand that you’re the heroine of A Cat’s Tale? Please tell us a little bit more about yourself.
Josephine: Well, I’m a pure bred seal point Siamese. I’m also a shapechanger. I was born in Florida and used to live with a little old lady from Pensacola before a vampire catnapped me.
Interviewer: Goodness that sounds terrible. Was it traumatic?
Josephine: Oh, absolutely! That leech held me captive for three years as a blood pet. I suffered an awful amount of torment.
Interviewer: But you’re free now.
Josephine: Well, the vamp met with a dusty fate so I’m on my own for the first time in my life. Independence is a little bit scary but I’m enjoying it.
Interviewer: That’s wonderful. Now, let’s take a moment and talk about your story—A CAT’S TALE. I understand that the hero isn’t exactly the same… Erm, what’s the best way to put this?
Josephine: Creature?
Interviewer: Yes, that’s it!
Josephine (sniffs): Jared is a werewolf.
Interviewer: So yours is a cross-species romance?
Josephine: I suppose you could say that.
Interviewer: How did you and Jared meet?
Josephine: In a bar. He was very attracted to me—naturally. At the time, I thought he was sorta cute but nothing to write home about. Anyway, I slipped a horse tranquilizer into his drink and abducted him.
Interviewer: Good grief!
Josephine (innocent look): What?
Interview: You must be kidding?
Josephine (blank stare)
Interviewer: I can see you’re not kidding. Well, Jared must have been upset.
Josephine (grins): Yes, he was furious.
Interviewer: So, when you fight—it’s like cats and dogs?
Josephine (huffs in obvious irritation): Look, I understand where you’re going with this but I’m not interested in labels. Jared and I may not be a conventional couple, but that doesn’t mean we should be treated like a spectacle.
Interviewer (clears throat): Let’s try a less inflammatory topic. Josie, what is that you enjoy doing in your free time.
Josephine: I enjoy all the things other girls do: endless hours grooming, long naps in the sun, a little bit of nip now and then.
Interviewer: Uh, yes. I can see how that makes you just like other girls. Tell me, do you embrace your uniqueness, or have you always just wanted to fit in?
Josephine (brow lifts): Fit into what? I’m extremely limber. I can squeeze my body through any opening my head fits through, and as a cat, I’m not very large. So sure, I guess you could say that I can fit into almost anything… I’m very talented at getting into trouble too or so Jared says.
Interviewer: Uh, so you’re just a conventional cat-girl.
Josephine: Exactly!
Interviewer: Is Jared as unconventional as you?
Josephine: My man is a werewolf, but he’s not all that different from other wolves, at least not that I’ve noticed. I wouldn’t call him unconventional. Snarky and something of a smart ass, maybe… Jared is also a firefighter which resulted in unfortunate and really bad jokes when we first met. I won’t go into details, but I’m sure you can imagine.
Interviewer: Yes, I can imagine. Unfortunately, our time is running out. Josie, do you have anything else you’d like to share with our readers. Any dark secrets?
Josephine (unblinking): I can’t tell you or I’d have to kill you.
Interviewer: I can’t tell if you’re kidding. That’s really disturbing. Er, one last question. If you could do anything without concern for consequences, what would it be?
Josephine (smirks): Give a werewolf a hot foot.
Interviewer: And that’s all the time we have today! Everyone, please give Josephine Young a hand!
***
ISBN 978-1-61217-215-6
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About A CAT’S TALE:
4 Hearts From Sizzling Hot Book Reviews:
“A Cat’s Tale was an exciting tale of lust and trust as Josephine must learn to accept that Jared isn’t like other men. He is willing to do anything to protect and keep Josephine safe, including submit to the vampire. Jared is a hot sexy werewolf with more power than anyone expects. His sexual energy would drive a vampire wild but he only has eyes for his kitten.”
4-1/2 Stars from Just Erotic Romance Reviews:
“With a starting phrase ‘somewhere between Virginia and California,’ you know you are in for a treat with A Cat’s Tale. Jared is so much fun, a true Alpha male who knows when to keep his Alpha tendencies down and hidden. I love how Jared plays the vampire Evangeline, yet stays honest with Josephine. The sexual chemistry between Josephine and Jared is obvious from the first meeting, but distrust keeps the chemistry at a simmer. The dialogue between the werewolf and werecat will keep you entertained hours after finishing the story. Even though Josephine is in a bad situation, she is determined to do whatever it takes to stay alive and fight another day. Once Jared and Josephine finally have sex, it is hot and raunchy, with the needed animalistic mating that you expect from an Alpha. There are plenty of secondary characters in the story that move the plot along though never taking away from the main characters. While there wasn’t as much sex in the story as I would have liked, I did have a great time reading A Cat’s Tale and can’t wait to read more from Ms. Snark.”
Alpha werewolf, Jared Kohl, wakes up in a vampire’s dungeon, swearing revenge upon the wily Siamese werecat who lured him there with her sultry lips and the sweetest tail. To escape his undead captor, all he has to do is seduce the skittish puss and show her that trust is often a hot and hard lesson to learn.
Enslaved feline shifter, Josephine Young, has learned the hard way not to believe in anything or anyone—not men, not love, and certainly not the blood-sucking mistress who tossed her into the cage with the hungry beast she’d betrayed. But Josephine does what she must to survive, including tempting the dominant werewolf to give her more than promises.
Imprisoned for their blood, Jared and Josephine fight for survival and discover a passion that neither can walk away from. Can these two predators survive long enough to prove that cats and dogs can be more than enemies?
Jared’s voice dropped in a ploy designed to tempt her cat curiosity. He leaned in and whispered, “Want to know another secret?”
Her ears shot forward, tall and erect, and her tail lifted. “What?” Josephine asked in spite of herself.
Jared smiled and eased closer to her. He brought his lips to her ear and resumed his former position between her thighs. Despite her better judgment, Josephine opened for him, welcoming the return of those lean hips and the button fly straining against his erection.
He waited. He pressed against her, stroking his hands over the soft fur of her haunches, teasing her nipples with his chest hair. Josephine’s breath hitched more than once, coming faster until she felt lightheaded. Her tail crept around his thigh, twining there.
“What secret?” Josephine demanded, ever impatient.
Jared nuzzled her cheek, his lips lingering in a long kiss, and the tip of his tongue tasted her flesh. The gentle caresses were a bright promise and so very tempting, because Josephine craved intimacy more than anything. Too long denied a kind word or a caring touch. At the same time, he frightened her because if she let her guard down, he’d possess the means to destroy her more thoroughly than killing her.
“Jared?” Josephine grasped his face and pulled his lips from her skin to stare up at him. “What secret?”
He gave new meaning to wolf smile. He had such big teeth. “I’m not the only one aroused, little cat.”
Mouth open in shock and attempted denial, Josephine stared as he walked away.
Author Bio:
A friend asked me once how I chose my pen name. I told her the following: “Melissa, because when people mix up my first name, it’s the most common goof up. Snark, because it amuses me. A) I love the word ‘snarky’ and B) I love Lewis Carroll.”
As an individual, I’m sarcastic, stubborn and blunt to a fault. I have a strange sense of humor and I like to laugh (usually at my husband or children), but also at myself. I’m not particularly extroverted, although I do enjoy time with my family and close friends a great deal.
At the moment, I’m a stay at home mom who writes in my spare time. I’ve got a B.S. from Arizona State University in Business, and I’ve worked a variety of different jobs, including as a medical device documentation specialist, a technical writer, and an auto liability adjuster. I live in the San Francisco East Bay of Northern California with my husband, three kids, and three cats. My hobbies include roleplaying, cooking and reading.
I maintain an author blog called The Snarkology.
Where to find Melissa on the Internet:
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Email: melissasnark at gmail dot com
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December 25, 2013
Merry Christmas!
December 24, 2013
Gemma Juliana: The Christmas Monster…
Have you ever heard of the Christmas monster?
In my world, Christmas has always been about all things positive…Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Rudolph with his red nose, snow, caroling, hot chocolate. On a religious level—it’s about the Star of Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus. Sure, I know about Scrooge and The Grinch, but something much darker lurks in the shadows.
I spent almost a decade living in German-speaking countries in Europe. I was even married to a German for eighteen years and had a mother-in-law who spoke no English. I’m ashamed to say that until a few days ago, I had never heard of the Krampus, nor seen one. Now I’m obsessed with him and what he represents.
Wikipedia describes him as, “a beast like creature from the folklore of Alpine countries…” There is a morbidly fascinating 8-minute video of a Krampus festival held annually at Graz, Austria where people dress up as the Krampus every year. If you have 8 minutes to spare, I encourage you to scroll down that page and watch it. Talk about high quality costumes and make-up—this parade of Christmastime devils makes our yuckiest zombies and ghouls of Halloween look like wimps!
Lumps of coal? Forget it, you naughty children! Things can get a lot worse than that! Krampus was the devil-like monster who terrified bad children and took them away to his cave. Their best possible fate was to be locked up and starved. Worst case scenario: they became a meal for the Krampus.
From a greeting card featured in Wikipedia
How was it that in all these years I had never heard of the Krampus? It occurs to me that this is yet another display of the theme darkness and light. Since St. Nicholas/Santa Claus is a benevolent being of light, are we surprised there is an equal and opposite being of darkness? Since Christmas falls so close to the Solstice which is the longest night of the year and the shortest day, it stands to reason there is a “dark” character involved in countries where adults would go to any length to make children be obedient and well-behaved. Krampus may be tied in with ancient pagan rituals.
There has been a general tendency toward darkness and monsters in recent years, especially around Halloween. Apparently new Krampus parades are popping up around the USA now. Just google ‘krampus parade’ to find one near you!
As a writer who enjoys sprinkling paranormal spice on my stories, my mind is already at work… how I can incorporate Krampus into an upcoming novella?
There’s no such character to be found in my two holiday novellas—Autumn Masquerade and Christmas Spirits. In both stories, the only paranormal characters readers must contend with are ghosts.
How about you—if you knew about the Krampus, please share what you know!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity.
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