Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 441
September 21, 2013
Guest Blogger: A.M. Griffin ~ Science Fiction Author
In my opinion the hero makes the book, maybe because I’m a chick (shrugs). I don’t think I’m alone when I say this, but when I read a story, I like to imagine myself in the heroine’s place and the hero is pining after me. Because of this, the hero has to be someone that I’m attracted too. Someone that I could see myself with given whatever situation the story is set in. It doesn’t matter, where the setting may be; outer space, a small town or a fictional city, I am there and he is all over me like white on rice.
This is the very reason that I like my hero’s to be strong willed, muscular and a little on the cocky side (snort). A little arrogance is always helpful. The more the female plays hard to get, the more he makes his intentions clear—he will have her and she can’t do a thing about it (shudders).
I’ve read stories where the hero is full of emotions and inner turmoil. Those stories really aren’t for me. A hero that cries at the drop of a hat or starts having all that chicky-inner dialogue “Does she like me?” and I put the book down. Now on the other hand if a hero can have the heroine wanting to drop her panties at the first hello, well, then we have a story worth reading.
In my science fiction series, Loving Dangerously, I created a race of humanoid aliens where the males are arrogant, cocky and used to getting what they want. They also have the warrior bodies to make any female melt—no matter how much she tries to resist (because as we all know, resistance is futile). I’m not saying my heroes are always perfect (what heroes are?), they are filled with imperfections and should learn to put their foot in their mouths sooner rather than later, in order to keep them from saying anything insensitive, but usually my heroines can forgive them (maybe because they’re drooling and going goo-goo-ga-ga over rippling muscles).
I love my heroes and hope you enjoy them too!
King Taio Xochis of Sonis ~ Taio is disgusted with the idea of owning a slave—until now. From the moment he sees her, he knows Eva is his for the taking. Torn between lust and duty, Taio knows nothing will stop him from protecting his little warrior.
Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Dangerously-Mine-ebook/dp/B00AO5CWSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355511533&sr=1-1&keywords=dangerously+mine
Captain Kane Epps ~ Kane Epps divides his life into two distinct parts—before the alien invasion and after. Before the invasion, he had a pregnant wife and a high-powered job. After the invasion, he’s left with only himself and his hatred for all things alien. He channels his bitterness by captaining a vessel of renegade humans—space pirates who don’t think twice about taking what they need.
Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Dangerously-Yours-Loving-ebook/dp/B00CZBHA4Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369491547&sr=1-2&keywords=dangerously+Yours
And coming October 9th, Rasha, Captain of the Sonis Royal Guards ~ Rasha, Captain of the Sonis Royal Guard, is a warrior through and through. He’s huge, sinfully sexy and could have any woman on Sonis—but the woman he wants is Jess. He’s very much an alien and Jess knows she should hate him or at least be wary, but whenever he’s around, she loses control. She tells herself it’s only sex—amazing, mind-blowing sex like nothing else she’s ever experienced—but there’s something about Rasha that shakes her soul. The feel of his skin against hers, the look in his eyes as he touches her—they make her want to believe it’s possible to find love and begin again.
Buy link: http://www.ellorascave.com/dangerously-hers.html
About me:
A. M. Griffin is a wife who rarely cooks, mother of three, dog owner (and sometimes dog owned), a daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She’s a hard worker whose two favorite outlets are reading and writing. She enjoys reading everything from mystery novels to historical romances and of course fantasy romance. She is a believer in the unbelievable, open to all possibilities from mermaids in our oceans and seas, angels in the skies and intelligent life forms in distant galaxies.
Now available from Ellora’s Cave
You can find out what else I’m working on by visiting my website: http://www.amgriffinbooks.com
Like my FaceBook page for exclusive news and //www.amgriffinbooks.comfree books and swag giveaways! http://www.facebook.com/amgriffinbooks
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Snippet Saturday: Nights are Better!
Slow start to the morning in day two of the retreat! I should already be writing, but here I am, posting a blog instead. Priorities, priorities… I hate to disappoint! Today’s excerpt is from my first Samhain-published story, Saddled! Enjoy!
If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a free download of this book!
“…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
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.”
Cale lifted his upper leg. He was relieved the woman hadn’t starting screaming the house down, but he was embarrassed just the same that she’d noticed he was aroused. “Slide whatever you need to warm up between my legs.” He slid his ankles forward, capturing the woman’s feet between them.
She sighed and settled deeper against him. “Can’t believe I’m doing this…”
He wondered if she’d really freak if two cocks poked at her when he felt Bobby’s slip between his legs, nuzzling under his balls. His own gasp at the uncomfortable chill stirred thick, fragrant hair in front of his mouth. She smelled like strawberries. Nice.
Spooned front and back, and with his companions warming up nicely, he raised his eyes to the window beyond the bed, thinking it might be an interesting few days while they rode out the storm.
From the sound of the wind howling, shaking the glass and rustling thick drifts of snow over the roof, they might as well hunker down and stay warm inside. Cale tightened his grip on the woman’s slender waist, slowly drawing her closer, and nestled his face against her soft hair. Yeah, the next few days might get hot as hell.
* * * * *
Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors’ blogs:
Lauren Dane
Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
Lissa Matthews
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
HelenKay Dimon
Myla Jackson
TJ Michaels
Leah Braemel
Felicity Heaton
September 20, 2013
I’m at a retreat!
Just a quick note. I’ve joining my Diamond State Romancce Author “sisters” in Hot Springs this weekend, where we rented a large house on the lake for a writing retrea! The house is comfy, there’s a dock off the back of the house–the lake’s right there. Why didn’t I bring my swimsuit? Oh yeah, the temps are in the 70′s today. 
I hope to get many, many new pages written this weekend. Keeping this short. Have to write! ~DD
September 19, 2013
Biz, First, Then a Question…
Remember this book?
Based on Cowboy Lust‘s success, Cleis Press asked me to put together another anthology of sexy cowboy love stories—Cowboy Heat! If you’re on Facebook and Twitter, you may already know the lineup of stories, but if you’re not, here it is!
Mrs. Morgan and the Marshal – Emma Jay
Remember – Mia Hopkins
Cowboy Downtime – Cheyenne Blue
Coming Home – Megan Mitcham
Her Captured Cowboy – Layla Chase
Back Stage Pass – Cynthia D’Alba
Unfinished Business – Cat Johnson
At the Mercy of the Cowboy – Amber Lin
Cowboy Adonis – Michael Bracken
Denim and Lace – Robie Madison
One Track Cowboy – Delilah Devlin
Skin Deep – Randi Alexander
Drop Two Tears in a Bucket – Shoshanna Evers
A Cowboy for Delilah – Sabrina York
Shall We Dance? – Myla Jackson
I’m excited about this book! As soon as I know when it will be released, I’ll be sure to let you know!
I’m busy this week writing a story about an ex-Marine who’s trying to save a woman who has been targeted by a drug cartel in Central America. It’s fun, a thrill ride, and verra, verra sexy! As soon as I post this blog, I’m diving back into the story, which I’ve entitled Dangerous Liaison!
So, here’s today’s question…
Say you won a contest and could choose any piece of jewelry you wanted,
regardless of cost, what would it be?
September 18, 2013
Guest Blogger: Jill Hughey (Free Read!)
Hi, I’m Jill Hughey and I write a historical romance series set after Charlemagne’s death, so I am WAY back there in the 830s. One of the challenges of writing in the medieval period is that there were inventions and materials that we take for granted that didn’t exist, and objects that we consider mundane or disposable that were very important and special in the middle ages.
When you picture a saddle, it includes stirrups, right? I mean, how are you going to get on the horse if there are no stirrups? Good question. Imagine my surprise when, studying medieval horseback riding, I learned that some genius invented the stirrup AFTER the time period I write in. I never figured out how to show a reader that the saddle didn’t have stirrups. How would you do that, after all, without using the word “stirrup” and then completely jarring the reader right out of the story by explaining that there wasn’t one?
In my first book, Unbidden, I decided to use the lack to my advantage by making the heroine’s ability to mount a horse important. She has always been aware enough of her surroundings to make sure she has something to use as a mounting block nearby. When she meets the hero and he consistently helps her mount her horse she gets a little complacent, resulting in a situation where she needs a log or rock to get herself on her own horse, can’t find one, and is endangered because of it. She rails at him that this kind of dependence is exactly what she is trying to avoid.
Also absent in medieval times is an important part of most historical homes: fireplaces. In the middle ages, most homes had one central fire pit in the main room of the house and a hole in the roof to vent the smoke. Not exactly conducive to a private love scene on a rug in the bedroom. So, in my second book, Redeemed, I make that hearth an important place in the household my heroine is trying to set to rights and define her position in. When she first arrives, she notes that the fire seems to be the only thing functioning properly in the entire place.
Simple objects like needles were made from whatever materials were available. Peasants would use bone or thorn. Only wealthy people bought brass needles. In my third book, Vain, the heroine is a tailor — a member of the merchant class — who marries an aristocrat. She does not want to ask him for spending money, her need for it hasn’t occurred to him, and eventually she can’t afford to buy needles at the market. Of course, one of his friend’s wives notices and alerts him to the oversight, which creates the opportunity for him to start the conversation about money and home management that they really need to have.
Romance treads a fine line within the medieval period. After all, romance has to be romantic at some level, but, back then, existence for all but the very wealthiest was hard and dirty and not very glamorous. The heroine in the fourth story, Little Witch: Historical Romance Novella, yearns to escape her mundane life of farming and gathering. She leaves her family home, knowing she needs a life with more variety, more people, more everything!
I hope you’ll give my Evolution Series a try. Unbidden is free at most ebook vendors. I also have a book bundle that includes the first three novels plus a bonus short story. The links for it are included below. Thank you for the opportunity to visit here, Delilah!
Evolution Series Bundle buy links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Apple/iTunes
If you’d like to keep up with Jill Hughey, she blogs at http://jillhughey.blogspot.com, is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jillhugheyromance, and tweets @jillhughey.
September 17, 2013
Guest Blogger: Marie Tuhart
I’m very happy to be here on Delilah’s blog today.
Where Do Ideas Come From?
As a writer, I get this question a lot. And it’s a hard one for me to answer, because I get my ideas come from my characters..
I start developing my characters first, then I play the what if and why game with myself and the characters.
For example: More Than One Night —I have the heroine out celebrating her thirty birthday with her girl friends. Then I decided, what happens if I drop the hero in at the same bar and my heroine’s rules are “No dating men.” And then he asks her to dance, they flirt and by the end of the night they want nothing more than to spend the night together.
From there I went— What if:
The heroine leaves the next morning without saying good-bye. What would happen?
Would the hero track her down? If he did, how would she react? What happens after that? Why is the hero interested in her? How do her friends push her into acting out of character?
The first scene practically wrote itself and the book just flowed from there.
Another example is from my story in an anthology: Silver Screen Dom.
The original characters for this story, decided they needed their own longer story which left me wondering who the heck I was going to use. A secondary character popped up his head—Michael.
That was all I knew, his name. So I started delving into his character.
What if:
I go back to before Michael got this movie role?
What happened for him to get the role?
Does he have a leading lady in his life?
What is she like?
Answers flew at me faster than I could write, and the story was born.
As you can see, the what if and the why, play a big part in my ideas. It helps me determine the conflicts, the motivation and the characters for the book.
I’ve heard it say ideas can be found anywhere, but for me I being by creating my characters, then putting them in a situation that is going to do nothing but cause them trouble.
Bartender Beth Grant has sworn off men after yet another failed relationship, but when a friend dares her to dance with a handsome stranger, she’s tempted by the fantasy. Jake turns out to be dashing, charming and very rich, everything Beth avoids. But she can’t resist, and one dance turns into an evening of exquisite passion. Beth vows not to repeat a night like this, despite liking the mysterious Jake – a lot.
Successful business owner Jake Masters knows he’s met his dream girl the minute he lays eyes on Beth across the crowded dance floor. But the next morning she disappears and all he has is her first name. Jake vows to go to any length to get more than one night with Beth, and when he discovers she has a jaded past, he puts his heart and soul at risk to prove he’s the one.
Available at all other e-book retailers on Sept. 20th.
Michael Levin is a rising Hollywood start up for a career-making role. The pressure is intense, but thankfully the leading lady in his life, Kelsey Pierce, knows just how to wield the whip and ease his tension. However, when his potential co-star schemes to take Kelsey’s place in his off-screen life, Michael has to switch to Master mode, a role he’s more than comfortable with, and assume command.
Can Michael and Kelsey’s relationship withstand the strain, or will they survive the games and find long-lasting love?
Book will be available Sept. 24th at Amazon, your favorite e-retailer or at Sybarite Seductions.
September 16, 2013
What’s new?
I’m crazy busy here. How about you? I’d love to hear all about it.
I’ll catch you up on what’s happening in my life.
First, there’s little Siobhán… Adorable, right? And she’s turned all our lives upside down. I’m doing a lot of babysitting while mama takes care of her menagerie of animals and the other two girls. All of which cuts into my writing time, but I won’t complain. Ever.
Then there are the two horses we adopted from the equine rescue group, Brandi and Whiskey. No, the one on the right isn’t a baby. He’s full-grown, and doesn’t look like a pony so much as a tiny, tiny horse he’s so well-proportioned. The SIL is helping dad fortify fences so we can let them into different pasture areas. We have to arrange for a vet to come out this week. And then there’s the trainer we have to hire… But they are lovely and gentle. They both have sad stories. Brandi and her mom were starved when they were rescued. Little Whiskey was kept on a short rope and halter so long that the halter grew into his nose. We can’t wait to for the kids to be able to ride them.
As for the writing…
You probably already know I wrapped up the Crescent Moon serial. The book is available in its entirety on Amazon. If you read it, I’d love it if you’d leave a review. Those help other readers make their decisions about whether they should buy a book or not, so your opinion does count!
I finished revisions of a long, full-length BDSM-suspense novel set in the Louisiana bayou with a wealthy, ex-SEAL hero who arrives with his entourage of ex-military best friends to reclaim his crumbling plantation house and meets a home-town girl. Sorry folks, Her Only Desire doesn’t release until next year…
Based on editorial comments, I have a little more work to put in on Cowboy Heat, so all you authors out there who are still waiting on decisions whether you are in the anthology or not, you have to wait just a little while longer. I’m almost there. Promise!
I have three novellas to complete in the next three weeks–one military story, a cowboy story, and a calendar man story. Think I can do it? Cripes. I better start writing now!
On other fronts…
I’ll be at a writer’s retreat this weekend with friends from the Diamond State Romance Authors and my sister, Elle James/Myla Jackson! I need it! Time away from all the distractions at home.
On the 28th, I’ll be setting up a table at the Bismarck Craft Show to sell jewelry. And then there’s the Artist’s Studio Tour I’ll be participating in mid-October…
And I think there is a booksigning in Little Rock sometime in November, but I’ll have to post those dates later.
I think that’s everything. I hope you all are happy and doing well. I’m happy, but just a little out of my mind trying to keep all those balls in the air… 
September 15, 2013
Guest Blogger: Lucy Felthouse
Co-authoring is something that I’d vaguely thought about, but never really in any great detail. That is, until, towards the back end of 2012, my good friend and fellow writer Lily Harlem suggested co-authoring something together. I explained I had a few projects on, so I couldn’t start right away, but I would definitely be interested. She was busy too, so we said we’d start in the early part of 2013, when all the Christmas and New Year festivities were over and done with, and life was back to normal.
The writing bug bit Lily, however, and in December she sent me a chapter that had just come to her, so she’d written it down. I managed to read it quickly, but knew I still wouldn’t be able to do anything with it until January. I was eager to try out co-authoring, but other commitments had to take priority.
Then 2013 arrived. I’d cleared my commitments and was free to start something new – hurrah! I read the chapter again and then bombarded Lily with a million and one questions about the process of co-authoring, how she thought it would work, our intended publisher, and so on. I was very lucky in that a) Lily had co-authored many times before so knew how it worked b) she was very, very patient with me and answered all my questions c) that our writing styles are quite similar, so that although we wrote from separate character viewpoints, our respective sections would still fit together well and d) we know each other well enough to give constructive and honest feedback that will be truly helpful, rather than trying to sugar coat anything for the sake of being nice.
And so we began. The chapter Lily had written back in December was from the female perspective and I was happy to write from the male perspective. I’ve done it many times before and enjoy it very much. We’d already agreed that if things didn’t work out, we wouldn’t worry too much about it, so I opened the document and began to write without thinking too hard. We had no plan, no idea what on earth the book was going to be about, really, just that it would be an erotic romance. Despite this, the words came. Fast.
After writing a chapter of roughly the same length as Lily’s, I skim read it and sent it back to her. And thus the mad email exchange began. Prior to this project I’d only written one full-length novel by myself and found it a learning curve, albeit it a fun and very satisfying project, but often I had to force myself to carry on and not procrastinate. With this book, however, it was totally different. It was full of surprises – because we hadn’t planned it, the chapters we sent back to one another were a total surprise, and we both had to think on our feet to work out where the plot would go next. We’d agreed not to rush one another for chapters as we both had other things on, too, and although we didn’t pressure one another, we still produced the words at lightning speed (for me, anyway!). I grew eager to read Lily’s next chapter, to see where the characters – which I’d quickly grown very fond of – would go next, what they would do. There was very, very little procrastination! None, really. Just lots of use of Google Street View.
The only thing we’d really planned was that the book would be longer than 50,000 words – to make it novel length. We did discuss how it would end, but never made a set decision, we just decided to keep writing and hope it came to a natural conclusion. We agreed that because Lily had written the first chapter, that I would write the last. That was the only time throughout the project that I felt pressure – and it was from myself, not my co-author. I had to write the last chapter, therefore the ending, therefore it had to be good, and satisfying! I put my fingers to the keys of my laptop and hoped that what came out would be good. When I finished the final chapter I read it again and made tweaks, then decided that no benefit would come of me staring at it – so I sent it to Lily. And waited with bated breath for her reply.
She loved it!! She even said that it made her cry. Naturally, I was incredibly relieved that she liked it – and the fact it made her cry was a huge bonus. Poor Lily was suffering with a bad cold at the time so she wasn’t feeling her best, but I decided to take the compliment anyway. And voilà - our novel, which had been through what felt like a bazillion title changes throughout the writing process, was finished. We smashed our 50k minimum and ended up with 70,000 words, roughly. In five weeks (with me even doing two chapters in one day – one in the morning, then one in the late afternoon as Lily sent hers back in the early afternoon) we penned a novel that we were both absolutely delighted with, and characters we adored.
Next, we made ourselves leave it alone for a while. We both agreed that jumping in with edits and polishing too soon wouldn’t help. We’d made comments on each other’s chapters as we went along, asking for clarification of certain points or even just saying parts had made us “LOL” and that helped immensely. So much so that after our waiting period, we didn’t change very much at all.
Then came the discussion on submission. We’d had a publisher in mind all along – Ellora’s Cave – and we submitted to them. Thankfully, they said yes. Cue much happy dancing from Lily and I! As we waited for news, we had a bit of a debrief and agreed we’d both loved the process and were amazed at how quickly the book had come together – and even discussed making it into a series. Now that series is in progress, and even has its own website: http://rawtalentseries.co.uk. The first book, Grand Slam, just released – cue lots of nerves from the two of us –but thankfully, we’ve already had some excellent feedback. So our baby is out in the world and people are enjoying it – what could be better?
I totally adored the process of co-authoring with Lily. It was genuinely fun and we just seemed to work really well – and quickly – together.
I’m also now co-authoring with two other authors… it seems I’m addicted!
So if you’ve been thinking about co-authoring, I would say go for it. If you know someone who you can work well with, and you will be honest with one another and complement one another, then it’s a great way to write a book. You’ll have to ask lots of questions to make sure you’re both on the right wavelength, but it’s worth it in the end.
*****
California had seduced me with promises of a new life working at Los Carlos Tennis Academy. What I didn’t expect was the dark, brooding number one seed, Travis Connolly, resisting my help. He wasn’t interested in my psychology skills. Instead his attention was drawn to the edgy, sharper corners of my desires, proving that they existed, setting me challenges and driving me crazy to the point of combustion.
I’m the best tennis player in the world—officially—so why would I need a damn woman full of psychobabble to get me on form? Despite my irritation, however, I can’t resist pushing Marie Sherratt’s buttons even though doing that shows her the darkest shades of my lust, the parts of me I buried deep. So I set her a challenge, one she rises to, one that has me rising too, and before long my game relies on her calling the shots, hitting the target and bending to my will. One thing was certain, being not just master of the court, but also of Marie is seriously good for my soul.
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He looked at my feet. “Do you really think so?”
“Think what?”
“That all pain is bad?”
“Yes, it’s the body’s warning system to let you know something is wrong.”
“Or right,” he said quietly, his lips barely moving, his attention rising from my feet to my face.
“I’m not following you.”
He sat and swung his feet to the floor. Rubbed his hand down his cheek and around his chin; the stubble making a rasping sound against his palm.
“Travis?” I said, closing the notebook and hoping that would send a signal that whatever he wanted to tell me would be off the record. Was he still suffering when he was training? Had he not healed properly? If so that was something we needed to take very seriously.
He stared at me, almost as if he was angry that I’d made him think of something, then stood, walked to the window and surveyed L.A.
I couldn’t help but ogle his cute behind. I knew what his arse looked like naked but bloody hell, he could fill out a pair of jeans to perfection. His tennis gear looked amazing on him but jeans, especially a pair that suggested he’d spent many an hour lounging in them, were enough to actually make my mouth water.
He placed his hands on his hips, kept his back to me. “Come here, Marie.”
“Why?” I looked at the back of his head, how his dark hair sat like silken fingers on his collar.
“Do as I ask.”
I was about to retort that I’d do no such thing. I was his psychologist and I’d stay in my chair, but something in me wanted to comply with his request. Perhaps it was the way he’d said it, as if I had no choice but to go to him, or maybe it was some kind of magnetism his sexy aura gave off that pulled me in like a fish on a line.
Placing the notebook and pen on the chair, I moved to the window and stood next to him, about a foot away.
“Some people like pain,” he said, still not looking at me.
“Masochists you mean?”
“Yes, I suppose.”
Shit, was he trying to tell me that he enjoyed the pain the accident had left him with? If so, we really needed to discuss this. “That’s not the majority of people though.”
“No, but more than you think. And some people like administering pain.” He turned to me, cocked his head slightly and moved into the space I’d left between us.
I looked into his eyes. Swallowed and tasted his cologne as it traveled into my nostrils and then laced my tongue. “Would you consider them to be good people, Travis? These individuals that like to hurt others.”
“I’ve known a few people who like to give and receive higher sensations, and most of them I consider to be good friends as well as good people.”
I hesitated, felt his body heat radiating toward me, wrapping around me as I pondered his words. We were close, very close, and his consuming presence made logical thinking much harder than normal. “I’m not quite sure what you’re telling me.”
“You talk about pain like it’s a bad thing, Marie.”
“It is.”
He smiled but it wasn’t a sweet smile, more like one of a hunter who’d spotted prey.
“Pain is unpleasant for a reason,” I said. “Because it’s bad.”
“I disagree.” He raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes. It was a challenging, cocky gesture.
A tingle snaked its way up my spine and threatened to wreak havoc in my body by turning into a tremble. But I beat it down. I wouldn’t let a patient get to me this way. I was the one supposed to be holding the reins here.
“Maybe, Marie, you should open your mind to new ideas with a little more grace.”
“I fail to see how I haven’t been graceful in discussing your theory that pain is good.”
“Can we keep it that way?”
“I hope so.”
“In that case,” he flicked his attention from my eyes and looked at my hair, “would you like me to demonstrate?”
Damn, the guy made me feel tiny. Even though I was wearing heels, his broad chest and wide shoulders were looming over me. “Okay.”
He twitched the right side of his mouth into a half-smile. Now he looked like a hunter who’d captured his prey. A trickle of fight or flight seeped into my system. Which would be my best option?
“Now that’s the first rule.” He reached up and undid the clasp holding my hair on the top of my head. It tumbled around my shoulders as the clasp fell to the floor. “Consent.”
“Doesn’t consent require knowing what you’re agreeing to?” Fuck, with him this close and stroking my hair, spreading it out, I’d pretty much agree to anything. Who was I kidding? Fight or flight was not an option, the only thing that shot through my mind was giving myself over to him. Allowing him to do whatever he wanted, control my body, feed it what it needed.
Damn, it had been too long since I’d been with a man. It was making me desperate.
He slotted his other hand over the left side of my head, the sound of him sliding his fingers over the shell of my ear noisy. My breath hitched and I locked my knees to stabilize my stance. I stared up at him, noting the small shafts of black hair sneaking out of his skin on his chin and the way his bottom lip was a little plumper than the top.
“You see, some pain,” he said, gathering my hair up at my crown and tugging to create tension on the roots, “can heighten the awareness of everything else going on in the body.”
He pulled harder, forcing my head to tip back.
I gasped as discomfort shot across my scalp.
He increased the pressure a little more.
I reached out and clutched at his shirt, felt his hard chest beneath. “Travis, I—”
“Shh, I’m just showing you.” He slipped his arm around my waist, dragged me close and yanked my hair, really hard.
“Ow, I—” A barrage of sensations blasted through my system. The feel of him pressing up against me, hot hard male, all wide pecs and solid thighs. The pain from having my hair tugged with force, and the awareness that my belly was shoved right up against his groin. A groin that held a wedge of thick flesh.
“Just feel,” he whispered, hovering his lips over mine. “Endorphins are rushing into your bloodstream, giving you a natural high as pain alerts your nerve endings that something exciting is happening.” He slid his free hand up my back, tracing the outline of my spine through my blouse.
I breathed in the air he was breathing out, warm and sweet. The scream of hurt in my scalp made me want to wriggle but being held so firmly and confidently kept me still. The heat of the discomfort slipped down my nape and neck and over my shoulders, then combined with the lovely sensation of him stroking my back.
“Can you feel it?” he whispered. “Pain mixing with pleasure, the lines between the two blurring.”
I could feel it with every fiber of my being. My skin was alive with awareness, my breasts were heavy and desperate for stimulation, and between my legs I was buzzing for action. Good, hard man action, preferably of the naked, sweaty variety. “Yes,” I gasped.
*****
Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over seventy publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include Best Bondage Erotica 2012, 2013 and 2014 and Best Women’s Erotica 2013. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies. She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9
September 14, 2013
Snippet Saturday: Be My Baby
This week’s theme is “Be My Baby” and I have a scene from my recent release (doesn’t that just sound dirty?) that I’d like to share. Sure, Tommy Triplehorn’s “Be My Baby” avowal isn’t wrapped in a pretty pink bow, but it’s effective, don’t you think? Besides, I love a man who knows what he wants and isn’t gonna suffer any fools!
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When two lonely hearts collide, age becomes just a number.
Sarah Colby’s marriage was over long ago, but she’s never shed the scars her abusive husband left behind. Add the one shameful indiscretion from her past, an affair with a much younger man, and she’s haunted by that long ago summer.
Tommy Triplehorn is happy his brothers have settled down and started families of their own, but he’s feeling a little smothered by all that domesticity. Carousing and drinking no longer holds a thrill, and he thinks he knows the reason why. He’s waited long enough for Sarah Colby to get over being ashamed of their shared past. He’s old enough to know what he wants, and he wants her.
Warning: A cowboy on a mission to seduce will do whatever it takes, including offering his woman a no-holds-barred weekend of sex, even a ménage with a friend, to prove he’ll fulfill her every sexy need…
Sarah heard the slamming of a vehicle door in the distance and wondered who it might be coming this late at night.
When she opened her front door and stepped out under the porch, her eyes widened on the figure stomping through her grass. “Tommy?”
He didn’t answer. Didn’t even appear to be looking at her. His head was down, the brim of his hat hiding his face, but the clenched fists were telling.
Her heart stopped and then sluggishly began thudding in her chest. She backed up toward her door, reaching behind her for the knob.
Tommy stomped up the steps, his boots slamming against the wood, until he stood in front of her, gazing down with his storm-cloud eyes. “You didn’t call,” he said, his voice gruff.
Tommy angry was different from Paul Colby in a snit. Something she shouldn’t have to remind herself about. She let go of the knob and leaned back against the wood, staring up into the face she’d dreamed about every night when she’d laid in her bed alone. “You didn’t call,” she said softly, repeating his words.
Moisture filled his eyes and he glanced away blinking. “It was your choice. It was always your choice. Either you accepted me, or you used that weekend to get me out of your system. I waited for your call.”
Sarah dropped her head, wanting to hide her face so he couldn’t see her expression, couldn’t guess what a coward she’d been. He’d been so proud of her that weekend, loving the fact she’d let go of her fears and inhibitions. But the moment she’d come back home, she’d been assailed with doubts.
Caldera wasn’t Abilene. People knew them both. And there was the fact she hadn’t been completely honest with him about the baggage she’d bring to their marriage. The fact she was barren.
“I was afraid,” she whispered. “Afraid that I wouldn’t be strong enough to tell you, or if I told you that you would brush away the truth like it didn’t matter, when I know it will.”
Tommy stepped closer, so close his boots touched hers and his chest crowded against her breasts. When he looked down, the intensity of his stare nearly shredded her resolve. She wanted nothing more than to melt against him, cling to him. She wanted him to carry her inside and tear the clothes from her body. She wanted him deep inside her, her body wrapped around him while he plunged toward her center, baring her heart.
“I can’t give you children,” she said, tears blinding her. “I can’t get pregnant—not without a lot of medical intervention, and even then…”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said gruffly, pressing closer, his hands landing on the sandstone wall behind her.
She smacked his shoulders and shoved against him. “Of course it matters!” she cried brokenly. “It matters,” she whispered, then slid down, only to be propped up by the thigh he pushed between her legs.
“You’re out of excuses,” he whispered.
“Excuses?” She dashed away her tears with the back of a hand.
“Yeah, never heard such whinin’—too old, barren—you make it sound like all you have to offer a man is your cunt and your womb.”
She gasped. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me, Sarah Colby. I’m not buyin’ it. Your little pity party has cost me nearly a month of lost sleep. My dick’s raw from me rubbin’ on it because I can’t get you out of my head.”
Sarah could hardly breathe. Her stomach felt cramped, her chest ached. And there, right between her legs, she felt the telltale pulse of her heartbeat. She stared up at Tommy, at the ruddy splotches of color on his cheeks, at the deep emotion clouding up his eyes, and she couldn’t bear it another second. Something inside her snapped and then eased. Everything became clear. Crystal clear.
“I love you, Tommy Triplehorn,” she whispered. She scrunched the front of his shirt in her fist and tapped his chest. “And I don’t care about the fact some folks might give us a second look because you’re so damn perfect and I’m…not. But I’m not lettin’ you go. You’re mine.”
His brows drew together, and his chest heaved as he sucked in the deepest breath.
“How long you been holding that?” she teased.
“Since you looked at me like I’d run over your cat. Like I was gonna throw you away because you can’t get pregnant. Seriously, Sarah? Did you think so little of me?”
* * * * *
Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors’ blogs:
Lauren Dane
Caris Roane
Eliza Gayle
Lissa Matthews
McKenna Jeffries
Shiloh Walker
Taige Crenshaw
HelenKay Dimon
September 13, 2013
Guest Blogger: Cindy Carroll
My pen name was supposed to be blogging today about her erotic paranormal short story collection but I muscled in because it’s Friday the 13th! A day synonymous with horror, especially the series of movies by the same name, and my current release is a horror short story.
I love Friday the 13th. Weird, I know, since most people stay away from anything with 13 in it. But I was born on the 13th. And I do love horror movies. And when the 13th happens on a Friday I want to cozy up on the sofa with my fiancé, with a big bowl of popcorn, the lights turned off so the only light is the flickering of the images on the TV, and watch a few of the Friday the 13th movies. I loved the first one. Really liked the second one too. They were still sort of fresh back then. And slightly (slightly) plausible. The killer in both had a believable motive for killing over-sexed camp counselors. With each sequel they just got ridiculous though. But still, I watched them. Because if there’s something better than a really good horror movie, it’s a really bad horror movie. 
Although I’m against remakes (there are too many brilliant new screenwriters trying to break in to be reusing old material) I did watch the remake of Friday the 13th. And no it wasn’t just because Jared Padalecki was in it. Okay, well maybe it was a little because of that. 
But I did want to see how they redid the franchise and if they could breathe some new life into the movies. I was disappointed. Of course if a franchise is working, Hollywood will keep making movies so eventually there will be a Friday the 13th Part 13. Do I think it will be horrible? Yes. Will I watch it anyway? Of course.
What about you? Do you like horror movies? Will you be watching any of the Friday the 13th movies tonight?
My current release isn’t a Friday the 13th wannabe but it is about a group of friends who end up in the wrong place and end up fighting for their lives.
Stay away from the mirrors
A road trip without a plan sounded like a good idea when Lena and her friends hit the road. A mini vacation and support for Steve, recently dumped, have the friends travelling through small towns and back roads. After hours of driving in the heat in a cramped car they’re all ready for something to eat and a good night’s rest.
Reflections Inn looks perfect for the group of friends. Though a little run down, it hides a supernatural horror.
Don’t read the curse
Everything looks normal when they check in, except an old woman yelling about a curse. Intrigued, some of the friends decide to investigate. Some stay behind and learn about the curse first hand.
Run
A curse that replaces people with their repressed alter egos forces the friends to fight for their lives. And they realize they didn’t know each other as well as they thought.
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About Cindy: Cindy Carroll is a member of Sisters in Crime and a graduate of Hal Croasmun’s screenwriting ProSeries. Her interviews with writers of CSI and Flashpoint appeared in The Rewrit, the Scriptscene newsletter, the screenwriting Chapter of RWA. She writes screenplays, thrillers, and paranormals, occasionally exploring an erotic twist. A background in banking and IT doesn’t allow much in the way of excitement so she turns to writing stories that are a little dark and usually have a dead body. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her fiancé and three cats. When she’s not writing you can usually find her painting landscapes in oil or trying space paintings with spray paint.
