Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 473

A Question…

As you are reading this, I should be somewhere in Virginia farmland, not far from DC. I’ll do my best to poke my head in the door sometime today to see what fabulous answers you come up with!

If you could write yourself into the pages of one of your favorite books to experience that

adventure firsthand, what story would you choose?

Guest Blogger: Miranda Baker (Contest)

Psychic Sex

I believe in magic, ESP and unseen forces. I love paranormal romance, super hero movies, Harry Potter books and Tolkien. I always wanted to impress one of Anne MacCaffrey’s queen dragons, and I’m still hoping that one day I’ll wake up and have super powers.

Even with my love of lore, I’m not sure how Crystal, the heroine of Hook Up, ended up being psychic. I think she started out as a smartass know-it-all, and I decided to validate her ability to put her friends on the spot. Crystal went through hell after a one-night stand left her with empathic abilities, but her friends think it’s a nifty power to have. She always knows how people feel about her. Her gift enabled her to start a successful sensual psychic business. When things begin to go south in a relationship, she can bail before it gets messy. Sounds pretty cool, huh?

I have to admit there have been several moments in my life that would have been easier with some emotional intel. For example, I broke up with an actor when I was in my twenties. He was devastated. Riiiiight…In hindsight, I think he was enjoying playing the break up scene. I was sobbing. He was shouting. What a power trip for him! If I could have sensed his true emotions, I bet I would have played that scene differently. I would have gotten up off my knees and gone out for a celebratory drink!

And then there were all those first-times in bed when I wondered am I doing this right? Oh, to be Crystal then! I wouldn’t have had to wonder if my partner was having a good time. I’d have known! High school romance would have been easier, too. I remember the first time I got the it’s not you, it’s me spiel. If I were an empath, I would have known he was lying. I would have known it was me. The truth hurts, but it’s more humane than complicated emotional half-lies. If I remember correctly, I spent at least another year hoping I could change him. Alas, it never happened, and yes, I occasionally stalk him on Facebook! *snort*

However, you know what I really love about paranormal romances? The hot sex. When characters connect on a physical and a psychic level, the sex is off the charts. In Hook Up, the sex blew Crystal’s mind—literally. When they reconnect, it’s even hotter. I’ve been lucky enough to have moments with my husband that felt supernatural, and I fully expect our connection to get even hotter when my psychic powers come in. What about you? Have you always wanted to be a witch? A shifter? Vampire? Do you want to fly? Do you wish you could read minds? What’s your favorite super power? Or are you just in it for the psychic sex? Do you have a paranormal author who blew your mind? I’d love to have a rec for my TBR pile! Leave a comment and I’ll put your name in the sorting hat to win a Hook Up Survival Kit.

The Hook Up Kit includes:

Orchid temporary tattoo (just likeCrystal’s!)

Mini Magic 8-Ball (to check the auspices for a hook up)

E-copy of Bottoms Up, the first book in the Come Again series (because I can’t actually hook you up, but I can offer you a few hours of reading pleasure. If you already have it, you can re-gift it!)

Two STUDDED condoms (Safety first! In Hook Up, Ryan buys condoms at Come Again and discovers there is more to life than ribbed.)

Romance Trading Cards for Bottoms Up and Solo Play (because I love e-books, but I do miss actual book covers!)

A blast from the past can be hell on the heart.

“Spend the night with me, Crystal.”

One college hook-up with Ryan Anderson ripped Crystal LaRusso’s emotions wide open and hot-wired her to the world around her. After gaining control of her new abilities, she rebuilt her life and started a business as a sensual psychic. She’s bold, fearless and, admittedly, a little freaky. Black leather, exotic makeup and a reputation for only dating women keeps the world at a necessary distance—distance she can’t maintain when Ryan reappears in her life.

Ryan has spent the last ten years wondering what went wrong between them, and now that she’s back in his life,Crystalhas a lot of explaining to do. The chemistry is just as potent as it was ten years ago, so why does she keep running away? One night won’t be enough to satisfy Ryan’s need for her, but it might take the edge off. At the very least, he can ask her why she broke his heart—and this time he’s not leaving without an answer.

Product Warnings: This book contains an unforgettable one-night stand, a heroine with a taste for beautiful women, a quest that begins in a sex shop and ends in a sex club, and enough mind-blowing psychic sex to change one lucky man’s life forever.A Hook Up excerpt can be found here and Hook Up can be purchased wherever naughty books are sold!

About Miranda Baker

It makes me chuckle to think about all the romantic short stories I wrote in my rather too literary creative writing classes in college. If only one of my professors had steered me toward popular fiction! On the other hand, if I had discovered my calling back then, I wouldn’t have gone to culinary school, I wouldn’t have met my husband, we wouldn’t have had three children and I wouldn’t have turned to erotic romance to get my mojo back during all this hair-raising kid raising. To learn more about me, please visit:

My den of iniquity: http://www.mirandabaker.com

My home away from home: https://www.facebook.com/MirandaBakerfans

Or my favorite hangout: https://twitter.com/Miranda_Baker

Delilah, I know you understand the appeal of writing hot paranormals. Thanks so much for having me on your blog today! And thank YOU for stopping by—please comment to enter the Hook Up Survival Kit giveaway, and let’s talk sexy super powers!

DUTY AND DESIRE is out!

Today, I begin my trip to Washington, DC. While I’m gone, I have blogs pre-posted. Depending on Internet connectivity, I’ll pop in here and on Facebook to see what’s happening. In the meantime, take a look at what’s ready to ship now from Amazon!

The only thing stronger than the call of duty is the call of desire! This anthology of military erotic romance serves up a team of hot-blooded men (and women) from every branch of the military who serve their country and follow their hearts wherever they might be stationed. When the mission is done, the unit is recalled or the ship pulls into port, they set their sights on a new target—the pursuit of passion and love. In and out of uniform, stateside and abroad, these military warriors meet passion and danger head on. All’s fair in love and war—in and out of uniform. Edited and with stories by Kristina Wright, wife of a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, Duty and Desire includes stories of U.S. soldiers, sailors, aviators, Marines and Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and many more. Uniforms have never been sexier!

My own story is about two reservists, just arrived home. One who’s smarting over being dumped by his girl via a Dear John letter, the other, a fellow soldier he saved and who will do anything to ease his hurt. Read an excerpt from “The Long Ride Home.”

Buy D&D at Amazon

Guest Blogger: Paisley Smith (Contest)

Writing Kink 

When my editor sent out a call for submissions for kink stories, I wasn’t quite sure how kink was defined. I discussed it with her and determined that kink was turning something non-sexual into something that aroused and titillated. Think shoe fetish or foot fetish. Or Seinfeld’s George Constanza and his velvet couch. Disturbing images of a naked George Constanza on a purple velvet sofa aside, the idea of writing kink intrigued me.

As an avid watcher of HBO’s Real Sex and Billie Piper in Diary of a Call Girl, I’d seen some pretty kinky stuff. I’d also read Anne Rice’s Beauty Trilogy which turned me on more than I cared to admit. Some of those scenes still play out in my head.

I enjoy the psychology of sex. And delving into characters whose psyches had been twisted, resulting in the association of everyday events or things with sex fascinated me to no end. But as a plain vanilla bonne vivante in real life, I realized one doesn’t have to participate in kink or bdsm to enjoy reading about it. 

For my first foray into the steamy, taboo world of kink, I drew on my own memories of playing doctor with the kid next door. To this day, a sexy nurse stars in many of my fantasies. Research revealed that more people than I ever dreamed of not only fantasized about medical fetish scenarios, but acted on them!

After two failed marriages, Avery Walker is encouraged by her therapist to explore her secret obsession. She can’t get off without fantasizing about submitting to intimate examinations—performed by a hot female nurse. When she joins a medical fetish website, she expects to find a partner who’ll provide a little probing and maybe some sexual release to help Avery get in touch with her kinky side. 

Then she meets Nurse Lovette… 

The consummate professional, Darby Lovette is determined to keep her relationship with Avery one of nurse and patient—nearly impossible when the gorgeous woman is on the exam table, willingly submitting to unspeakably intimate “procedures”. The fact that she’s loved and lost helps Darby maintain her resolve; falling in love isn’t part of her treatment plan. But Avery’s determination to explore sex with a woman just might be the cure for what ails them both. 

Reader Advisory: This book employs myriad toys created especially for erotic exams, no holes barred, and, ahem…perhaps a sensual enema—or two.

Surprised by how well Nurse Lovette was received by my readers, I probed into the world of kink again after reading Adele Dubois’ She’s Furry Yiffy, in the She-Shifters anthology, and seeing an episode on a crime drama about people who enjoyed dressing up as various critters to be treated as pets. The kink is called pet play and I drew on it for Purr, a lesbian historical about Katzenhalle, sort of a home for wayward women that’s ruled by a dominatrix who requires her charges to dress as cats and do all manner of kinky things.

Having been caught kissing a servant girl, Arabella suddenly finds herself shackled and bound for Katzenhalle Villa, where she expects to be forced into servitude. Instead, she discovers the mansion is home to other young women with Sapphic penchants—and good behavior is rewarded with kittenhood. All who reside at the villa dream of donning cat ears and tails and earning status as one of the mistress’s “pets”. 

There’s one caveat. Romantic entanglements are strictly forbidden, and this poses a problem when Arabella catches the eye of a favored pet, Giselle. 

Risking discovery, the women indulge their mutual desire, heated looks escalating to thrilling touches with fingers, mouths…tongues. Until Arabella discovers things are not as purr-fect as they seem at Katzenhalle. While breaking the rules may see them punished, the treachery of falling in love may come at a fatal price. 

Reader Advisory: The kittens of Katzenhalle can’t get enough hedonistic sexual attention. They enjoy female/female sex, light BDSM, ménages, multiple partners and even the occasional sensual enema. Meow!

***CONTEST*** Share your fetish fantasy or comment about kink to be entered in a drawing to win a free download of my latest Ellora’s Cave release, Purr!

Intrigued? If you’d like to read more, visit my website at http://Paisely_Smith.com

* * * * *

About the Author

I’m Paisley Smith! I am a full time freelance writer and can usually be found in front of my computer either writing, chatting, promoting or plotting. It’s a glamorous life…working in one’s pajamas.

I attended college in the Deep South where I obtained a slew of totally useless degrees and developed an unrelenting sense of humor.

My books can be found at Ellora’s Cave , Loose Id, and Cleis Press!

I’m a member of Romance Writers of America.

Sunday Report Card…and a New Contest!

If the only reason you are here is to find out who won the Amazon Gift Card Contest, keep reading…

Sunday Report Card

If you look at the top of the last three days’ blogs, you’ll see some bright blue lettering that is impossible to miss! It’s my NaNoWriMo progress. I figure if I have to report my progress in a very public fashion, I’ll be less inclined to blow it off. There are no days off for me this month. I must complete a minimum of 50,000 words (preferably 65,000, because that’s what I need to finish my novel!). This would be an entirely doable goal if I didn’t have a trip to DC planned for next week. Yeah, stupid me decided she HAD to travel, by car, to visit family in the middle of her busiest writing month of the year!

There’ a newborn I’m dying to see. Plus if I hadn’t said I’d go, the Red-Headed Hellion would have gone by herself, and that’s not happening, so I have to figure out how to meet my writing goals even though a big fat chunk of time is excluded from my available writing days. Let’s do the math. My book needs 65,000 words. As of this morning, I have 4611 words, so that means I have to write another 60,389 words. Divide that total by the number of writing days I have left and…holy crap! I have to write 2875 words over 21 days. Okay, now I’m feeling a little queasy.

It’s possible. Maybe I won’t have a single sick day. Maybe my family will leave me completely alone during WRITING TIME. Maybe.

That’s the goal. Let’s see how I do. If you see me slacking up—nag, nag, nag!!!

BTW. This past Monday through Thursday, I wrote a short story for my super alpha anthology for Cleis (4700 words), and completely edited and shipped it off to my “handler” at Cleis. Cross your fingers she loves it.

That’s all the writing news. Hope you enjoyed yesterday’s peek inside A Perfect Trifecta, which is releasing in 9 days! See how I got that plug in? I’m tricky like that.

* * * * *

The Winner

So back to the winner of that contest…

The winner (by random number generator) of the Amazon Gift Card Contest is…Rita Wray (Oct 30)! Rita, send me an email to let me know you saw this. Congratulations!

* * * * *

The DC Kitschy Contest!

What can you win? I don’t know! When I go to DC, I will look around for some suitably kitschy DC tourist thing (a snow globe? a pencil shaped like the Washington Monument?), and that will be the prize. Aren’t you dying to win something you have no clue what it will be? Yay!

What do you have to do to win? Post comments on this blog from now until the contest ends! Each time you post counts as another entry!

This contest ends on November 15th!

* * * * *

While I’m gone, starting Wednesday, I will have a slew (what does that mean?!) of wonderful guests and some pre-posted blogs of mine, so be sure to drop in, post a comment and make the guests feel welcome while you enter for that surprise prize! Love ya. Have pages to write! Outtie.

A Dirty Snippet from A PERFECT TRIFECTA

FYI, I’ll announce the winner of the gift certificate tomorrow. So there’s still time to enter. See details on my Contest page. ~DD

Bet you thought I was never comin’ back. Well, I have been busy. I just wrapped up the “super alpha” antho and shipped it–and no, I can’t tell anyone who made my final cut, because the wonderful folks at Cleis still have to give it their blessing. They have been known to kick a story.

Now, I’m joining NaNoWriMo to slam pages on the Shattered Souls sequel. I don’t know how to tell you folks how much I love this series. I hope you’ll give it a chance. I hope you’ll pre-order SS to give it a chance for others to find it, I believe in it that much. That being said, do you know I have a book coming out in just 10 days? The next Delta Heat story? That’s right. Have you heard me say the story’s all about sex? Yeah, for some reason my fireman and his pretty little sub can’t manage to be in the same room and not get busy. When Craig the cop was added to the equation all hell broke loose. I have a scene I plucked from pretty far into the book. What’s the lead up? Let’s see. Aiden, the fireman, is a Dom who’s a frustrated sadist. He can’t let go with his little subbie the way he wants for fear of hurting her. Enter Craig who gets off on pain. A menage made in heaven? You’ll have to wait and see. Here, Craig’s dealing out a little punishment to a very sorry Jenn.

Excerpt:

Jenn didn’t find Aiden’s car at the usual places—the apartment building or La Forge—so she drove to the firehouse. There, she found his black pickup parked outside. She pulled in beside it then let herself out. So she’d found him. But she still didn’t know yet what she’d say.

Hoping she hadn’t completely fucked up their relationship, she walked through the bay, down the hallway to the rec room. She peeked inside, noted the TV blaring and gave a wave to one of the men who started to stand. He knew her and eased back into his armchair.

The clank of weights dropping drew her attention. Moving farther down the hall, she stood at the door of the small gym room. Several other firefighters were inside, mostly sitting on benches and talking. One of them noted her appearance, slapped the man next to him, and suddenly they were trailing past her, leaving her alone with the man who pretended she wasn’t there.

The barbells he lifted in rapid succession were heavily weighted. He was sweating. Shirtless. Wearing just a pair of plain gray sweatpants and sneakers.

Her mouth watered because she wanted to lick at the sweat. But she shook herself. Aiden needed something from her.

Trying not to think about what she was doing, she went with her instincts. Her submissive heart. She strolled slowly inside, dropped her purse beside the door and closed the door before she stripped to the skin. Naked, she walked toward him and knelt beside the bench where he reclined.

Aiden continued to ignore her.

For her part, she ignored the hardness of the polished concrete floor beneath her knees. Other things weren’t so easy to push out of her mind as she waited. His body was so beautiful. So strong. A study in rippling, übermasculine muscle.

Every flex heightened her awareness of the things she loved about his body. The strength of his embrace. How safe he made her feel. The sheer power he kept tightly controlled every time he touched her. Aiden didn’t trust that strength. Not when it came to her. And she’d resented it.

But that restraint was a testament to his desire to protect anyone weaker than he was. Proof of his deep feelings for her. How selfish had she been to want to push him into losing his control for her own pleasure?

He settled the weights into their bracket then jackknifed to sit with his legs straddling the bench.

Jenn didn’t dare glance up. Not until he said something. Gave her permission.

“Why are you here?”

She closed her eyes. What was the right thing to say? Rather than the apology she wanted to give him, she whispered, “I’m here to be punished.”

After a long, pregnant silence, he asked, “Did you even lock the door?”

She shook her head. “I deserve the humiliation.”

“If you deserve it, why did you close it?”

Jenn dropped her head another notch. “Because I wanted you to make that choice.”

Again, he remained quiet. So long that she thought maybe coming here had been a huge mistake.

“Go open the door, Jenn.”

She held still for a moment—shocked he’d actually made that choice—but then she rose unsteadily and walked to the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it. Thankfully, the corridor was empty. But it was a firehouse. Men had work to do. The doorway to the gym was one away from the kitchen. Eventually, someone would see.

She left it open and returned to kneel beside him again.

He raised a finger, touched her nipple and rubbed the tip. It hardened beneath the second and third soft brush. Then he pinched it between his thumb and forefinger and held it.

“Back up.”

With his fingers still squeezing her nipple, she crawled backward, mindful her ass faced the door but seriously beginning not to care. He rolled the tip between his fingers then released it to spring back. He stood and slowly rolled down his pants, freeing his cock.

The long column bobbed in front of her face, already partly hard. More than anything, she wished she could rub her cheek on it, seek a little solace from the warmth. She licked her lips then heard a soft grunt.

Glancing up, her gaze locked with his. His smile gave her pause. Chilled her. Oh, he was going to take back his pride in spades. His expression held too much satisfaction. She’d behaved boldly following him here and then giving him her subservience in such a potentially embarrassing way. But she’d wanted to prove how much she loved him, how willing she was to let him lead. If she’d waited, his anger and disappointment in her might have festered. She’d give him this moment. Sacrifice her pound of flesh.

Aiden lifted his head. “Sorensen!”

Her body jerked, and she swung her head to look behind her.

Heavy tread came quickly down the hallway. Billy Sorensen’s broad frame filled the doorway. His gaze dropped to the floor and widened. “Holy shit. Um, what did you need, Aiden?”

“Block the doorway. But you watch.”

Blond brows shot upward, but Billy leaned a hip against the door, signaling his willingness to stay.

Turning back, she watched as Aiden reached down, palmed his balls, then gripped his shaft and stroked himself hard. Lord, he had her full attention now as he lifted the tip to her mouth. “Suck it, slut.”

He’d called her that often, but again, it was all about context. This time he’d done it in front of his friend. But wasn’t she deserving? Humiliation burning in her cheeks, she opened her mouth.

The firehouse wasn’t the right place for this kind of punishment. They both knew that. At the club, she’d have done this gladly, but Billy Sorensen wasn’t a member of their club. And Aiden had never asked her to go public outside the club’s environs.

But that was the point. She’d instigated this, and now he wanted her embarrassed. Wanted her cowed.

Closing her eyes, she closed her lips around his cock and sucked.

Anger boiled inside Aiden. She’d dared him into this. Stripping where he worked. Offering service here where he’d been so careful to keep his secrets. His crew was a horny bunch, but they lived in a vanilla world. They kept their affairs private, or at least as much as bragging men ever did.

Aiden aimed a glare at Billy, who gave him a shrug, confusion and more than a little curiosity gleaming in his blue eyes.

“What’s this about, Aiden?”

“Punishment. Hers.”

“And this is how you do it? The captain has strict rules…”

“It’s needed.”

Billy gave a slow nod. “I’ll expect an explanation. If he catches you, it’s my ass too.”

The only way Aiden would be able to explain would be to take Billy to La Forge. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. They’d been growing closer as friends. Saved each other’s asses a couple of times. Talked about their women when they bunked side by side. Aiden had kept silent about his practices, but Billy knew all about Jenn.

At least the part about her moving in with him. Billy had teased him about weddings and babies. Something Aiden had ignored because he knew Jenn and he were a long way from setting down roots together.

Only maybe that prospect wasn’t as distant as he’d thought. Her willingness to do whatever made him happy took guts and strength he’d never attributed to her before.

Although, looking at her now, she looked anything but strong. Tears streaked her cheeks as she gave him the sweetest head ever. Aiden rubbed his hand over her hair, petting her, loving the picture she made kneeling in front of him, her eyes closed as her lush, red mouth swallowed him down.

Digging his fingers into her scalp, he began to pump into her mouth.

Her suctioning grew stronger. She breathed a little more noisily as she took him deeper and deeper into her throat.

“Use your hands,” he murmured.

Eagerly, she gripped him with both and began to work his shaft, her fists gliding in the moisture she’d left, up and down, her strokes meeting every forward bob of her head.

She was becoming aroused. Her nipples were small, tight spikes. Her skin was flushed.

He pulled her hair to force her to back away. Jenn blinked her eyes open and another tear skimmed down her cheek. His heart twisted, but Aiden couldn’t stop now. He reached down to help her to her feet, then bracketed her waist and forced her to turn around and face Billy.

She didn’t fight him, but her legs wobbled a bit. Her arms stayed at her sides, giving Billy an unimpeded view of her pretty body.

Bending toward her, Aiden gave Billy a steady glare, warning him not to say a word. “Bend at the waist, Jenn, but look at him. No hiding. Let him see what a pretty slut you are.”

Billy’s gaze studied her. No doubt he wondered why she put up with Aiden’s crude words and even cruder actions. Hers and Aiden’s preferences had to be shocking. Spots of red crept across Billy cheeks, but he didn’t move a muscle and his expression didn’t change.

Aiden wished he’d had a chance to warn him first, but what better test of friendship and loyalty? Ignoring Billy, Aiden turned his full attention to the woman whose body trembled in front of him.

“Now, Jenn.”

 Buy at Samhain — Buy at Amazon

Guest Blogger: Juniper Bell

You know that feeling when you finish a book and you loved the characters so much you want to immediately read it all over again? Or when you slow down toward the end (or try, anyway!) because you really, really don’t want it to end? When I love a book, I do all of the above.

So imagine how it is when you’re actually writing the book, and it’s part of a series, and you’ve come to know the characters over four books and three years. That’s what’s going on with me right now as the final book in the Receptionist series, UNLEASHING THE RECEPTIONIST, comes out. Talk about separation anxiety. I’m a basketcase! 

I still remember where I was when I wrote the first word in this series (the café at the Anchorage public library.) Of course I didn’t know it would be a series then. It was just a book written on a whim, a saucy, kinky nod to office power politics called TRAINING THE RECEPTIONIST, starring Dana Arthur and her two sexy bosses. But the characters weren’t done with me yet, and I felt called to write a sequel (RESTRAINING THE RECEPTIONIST.) And then, a wonderful reviewer wondered if I was ever going to write about the past of the two heroes, Ethan Cowell and Simon Dirk. Well, of course I was, now that she mentioned it! As soon as I read her review, I knew exactly how I wanted to reveal the secret incident that brought them together.

(If you ever wondered whether reviews influence authors, in this case it definitely happened.)

Dana, Ethan and Simon and I go way back, and saying goodbye is difficult. Those three sure know how to rock each other’s worlds, and they’ve certainly rocked mine. Here’s the blurb for the last installment in their story, as well as an R-rated excerpt. And this is me, blowing kisses to my dear departing characters.

You can tie a girl up, but you can’t keep her down…

…the Receptionist, Book 3

In the year since Dana joined Ethan and Simon’s firm, the three of them have found the perfect balance of power and pleasure in their three-way, work/play relationship. Not only that, but it’s been the firm’s most successful year financially.

Except something is missing. Her men won’t tell her anything about their past. How they met, or how they formed such an unconventional business and personal partnership. Until they start sharing their secrets, Dana fears she’ll always be the odd girl out.

Everything changes when a vengeful former partner resurfaces. Suddenly, both the business and their idyllic relationship are under siege. With a tax auditor watching their every move, the three must be on their best behavior.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Dana seizes the chance to prove herself—and finally win her sexy bosses’ full trust and confidence. Now the race is on to root the evil nemesis out of their lives once and for all—before her dream relationship cracks under the pressure. 

Product Warnings: Contains hot three-way M/F/M sex, highly inappropriate office behavior, a shocking secret, a kinky accountant and some really bad girl-on-girl porno reenactments.

 Excerpt:

On a typical workday, if I’m chained to my desk it’s with silk cords and for one purpose only—because it leads to screaming orgasms for me and my two delectable bosses, Simon and Ethan.

With one exception. Business plan time.

During business plan, I’m chained to the desk in the usual, strictly metaphorical way. You know, working. Needless to say, it’s not my favorite time of year. It’s tough to spend all day and half the night shut up inside an office with two sexy gods when neither has touched you once. But maybe that’s just me. Not every receptionist has been trained to receive pleasure as well as incoming calls.

“Dana,” said Ethan, jolting me from my sexually frustrated daze. “Can you put another pot of coffee on, luv? And then I’ll need the P&L’s again.”

I hid a sigh as I trudged to the kitchenette. “Coming up.”

At least the profit and loss statements were good. Cowell & Dirk had had a very satisfactory year. Especially if you asked the only actual employee—me. I had experienced a blissfully high level of job satisfaction since Simon had hired and trained me.

“Mu shu pork okay?” called Simon. “I’m ordering from Great Wok.”

Now that was more like it. My mood brightened as I put on the coffee and gathered up the files. I’d do anything for my bosses, we all knew that. But I certainly preferred some duties to others.

“Food’s on its way,” said Simon when I returned with the coffee pot. “If I could only tear Ethan away from that spreadsheet.” He shot me a green-eyed pirate wink. His hair was a tousled black mess, but I loved my Simon in all his moods.

I gave him a questioning glance, wanting to make sure I’d interpreted correctly. Simon and Ethan had a strange bond, one I couldn’t quite figure out even though I was closer to them than anyone. They seemed to read each other without words. Simon gave me a go-ahead tilt of his head. With his wrinkled white shirt open at the neck, he looked half-drunk, as if he’d been swilling expensive brandy all night instead of crunching numbers.

“Maybe we need to spread something else in front of him,” I suggested. I put down the files and the coffee and prowled toward Ethan, who barely looked up from his swivel chair. He wore his reading glasses, his grizzled blond head bent over the desk. I challenge you to find anyone hotter than a sexual beast like Ethan with a pair of wire rims perched on his much-broken nose.

I knew from the angle of his head that he was tracking my approach. Ethan was like a wild animal picking up scents, especially the scent of eager Dana. His nostrils flared as I came close to the desk.

“We wouldn’t want our Senior Partner to burn out. Occasional breaks are healthy. I’m sure that’s in the employee manual somewhere.” I circled behind him and trailed my finger across the back of his neck. He tensed. I felt the tendons go taut as elevator cables. “This poor man has been working far too hard. If we don’t get him to relax, his head might explode.” I ran my hand through his thick hair.

“Sounds dire,” Simon agreed. “Urgent, even.”

“Oh, yes, I’d say it’s an emergency.” I slid my other hand inside his shirt, under the T-shirt, where rough curls greeted my fingers. “There isn’t even time to call a doctor. We’ll have to do what we can all on our own.”

Ethan let out an amused growl. “Nice try, luv, but it won’t work. Can’t mix business plan with pleasure.”

I snorted. The three of us had been mixing business with pleasure for over a year now. “You’re so right, boss. I’m being bad, aren’t I?” I rubbed my nipples on the broad plain between his shoulder blades. Obedient little soldiers, they peaked right away from the heat of his body. Or maybe from the memory of all the things Ethan had done to them. “There’s probably something in the manual about this. In the punishment-and-correction section.”

“I’m warning you, Dana.” But I heard the heat in his voice. I knew the game was on.

I aimed a cat-who-ate-the-cream look at Simon, inviting him to join me. He rose to his feet and ambled toward me, taking off his belt. I shivered at the sight and instantly went wet. “Perhaps our lovely receptionist needs a refresher course in obedience,” he said with a frown. “Hands behind your back, Dana.”

“But, Simon, I’m just trying to relax him…”

“Hands behind your back.” His stern voice made heat shoot to my pussy. I straightened up and put my wrists together behind my back.

“It’s not her hands that are causing the trouble.” Ethan swiveled around so he faced me. “It’s her nipples.” He gave my chest a smoldering glare, which ignited little aching flames inside each breast. “They need to be taught a lesson.”

“Quite right,” said Simon.

Ethan flicked open the buttons of my blouse, pop pop pop, until it hung open. Underneath I wore their favorite kind of undergarment, a pushup teddy that barely covered my nipples. One quick move of Ethan’s hand and it didn’t cover them at all.

From behind me, Simon ran the leather belt through his hands. It made a rough, hissing sound like a snake sliding across gravel. “Keep your hands behind you, disobedient Dana. Nipples out.”

I swallowed hard. Arousal was already percolating through my body, hotter than the coffee I’d just brewed. I gripped my hands together and arched my breasts toward Ethan. He gazed at my chest for a long, considering moment. My poor nipples rose in response, as if he were a snake charmer working his voodoo on them. He put his thumb to his mouth, swirled his tongue across it, then circled my nipple with saliva. Instantly I felt every air current in the room on my sensitized flesh.

Ethan gave Simon a nod.

Guest Blogger: Raina James

“Why do you write?”

I think that’s a question some writers struggle with answering in their own minds as much as they do answering it when someone else poses it.

The responses run the gamut from a shrug and an “I don’t know, I just do,” to, “I’m a writer; I have to write” to, “the characters won’t let me sleep.” I’m not making fun, here. I believe those are all honest answers. I know writers who get fidgety if they can’t let the words flow. I know others who say it’s a job, and has to be treated as such – but still feel over the moon after writing a tight scene or solving the crime or reuniting lost lovers.

My reasons for writing are entirely selfish. Well, not entirely – I’m more than happy to let readers in on the game, too.

It’s the vicarious thrill.

There, I’ve said it. And you know it’s true.

Who hasn’t imagined themselves as one character or another? Wanted to be Harry Potter, one day a normal kid, the next a magical defender against the ultimate evil. Or Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, who gets to eat junk all day, try to chase bad guys, and be faced with the tough decision of cuddling up with Ranger or Morelli. (Forget choosing, I say – go with both!) Or be Linda Howard’s Cate Nightingale from Cover of Night, a widowed mother of two who makes the sexy town handyman stutter with lust and love.

That’s the whole point of reading a great book – the escapism of imaging yourself as someone else, somewhere else, doing something else.

I write because it puts me in charge of the fantasy.

I’m not supermom, but I can write a character who manages to start a business, attend soccer practice, make home-cooked meals and win the love of a rock star.

I’ve never been a dancer – think more Elaine’s weird dance from Seinfeld – but one of my characters can seduce the pants off the man in her life, and take to the wild side while she’s doing it.

And no way am I a soldier on a world far, far away, but my heroine can kick asses, take names and win the love of not one good man, but two.

Now there’s living vicariously.

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Available now from Samhain Publishing: Three Wicked Wishes

“What is your deepest, most secret, most treasured desire?”

Cassie Parker doesn’t know either when the exotic woman who materialized in her living room asks. One minute, she’s enjoying wine – a lot of wine – over reruns of I Dream of Jeannie, the next – poof! When she wakes the next morning, hung over and late for work, Cassie is convinced it was all a dream.

Until the real dreams begin. Involving David Michalek, her boss, so sexy in his Clark Kent-Superman kind of way.

David, as triumphant knight to her fair lady.

David, but two of him, as the sensual twin club owners who ask her to judge a most intimate contest.

David, this time in triplicate, the consorts of a galactic princess.

David, the man she’s fallen deeply, passionately, impossibly in love with.

And he doesn’t have a clue.

What’s a girl to do?

Too bad it’s just a dream. Or is it?

Find me at:

Website: RainaJames.com

On Twitter: @RainaJames

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/raina.james.77

Guest Blogger: Rachel Firasek

This year I’ve been notoriously late for my blog posts, but I promise it’s with mostly good reason. Delilah was so sweet when I shared with her why I’m sending this at the last minute. I had surgery early in October—my first ever. We removed a tumor and my thyroid. Anyway, that’s not what this post is about. It’s Halloween! Time for hauntings and I wanted to share a true life horror moment with you guys—which stems from my hospital stay. I decided to make you the hero or heroine in the story, so enjoy my dark ride.

They wheel you down a long corridor, your honey is holding your hand and trying to keep his shit together, because after all, he is the hero of your dreams and has to live up to that status. You get one last moment to hug him, kiss him, and get a little grope if you’re lucky—or like me. He scolds you, “Behave. And you better make it through this so I can punish you for that.”

You are pushed into a large room with curtained stalls. There are bodies all around you. They draw the curtains so now it’s just you. The sounds around you are men and women telling others what is about to happen. You’ve been told that they’ll give you a happy drug to keep you calm during this stage, but so far nothing. A man wails about his wounded leg even though he lost it in WWII. Another man moans. A woman is weeping softly in the stall next to you while they talk about a double mastectomy. It is all too real.

A man comes in and inserts an IV. An hour passes. The time can be measured by the lovely round clock directly above your feet. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

“Okay, it’s your turn.”

You frantically grasp the side of the bed frame and swivel up to see your doctor and nurse. “Wait. I was told I would have a happy drug before this shit went down. I really want that.”

The Doctor grins at you. His skull cap has pushed thick eyebrows low over his beady eyes and he winks. “I think you can make it.”

“Well, of course I can, but I don’t really want to if I don’t have to.”

Someone shoots something in your IV and the corridor lights grow fluffy and fade. Ah, you are much happier now. There’s some conversation around you. Someone puts a mask over your face and tells you to breathe. Breathe again. Breathe some more.

Three hours later.

You hear people calling your name and they want you to wake up to the burning pain. No. It’s much nicer in the dark.

“Wake up.”

Dim lights meet you and you’re again in a room full of stalls filled with other moaning, groaning bodies. Someone sits down next to you and takes your hand. The pain is unbearable, but you don’t say anything except to answer their many questions.

“What is your name.”

You answer.

“What day is it?”

You didn’t know that going in, so you guess. They don’t like this.

“Who is the president.”

You smirk. Really?

A man is woken two stalls down and he’s big, and mad. He fights the nurse. Your crew runs to help and it takes six of them to put him back on his bed. There is moaning and groaning everywhere. But it’s okay, because they have left you to suffer through your pain in peace.

A cute male nurse leans over you. A nice distraction from the fire inside. You try to open your eyes and watch his sexy ass as he twists and turns on his stool. He has blue eyes, but they are dull and not as blue as the man waiting for you somewhere else in the hospital. You reach up toward your incision, hoping to scratch away the pain.

He takes out a syringe and lays it on the bed next to you. So close. You can almost reach it if he wasn’t holding your arm down now. He smiles and you think, yes, he’s going to end this suffering. But he doesn’t. Instead he leans over and whispers. “It’ll be about fifteen more minutes before I can give you something for the pain.”

You glance up and through the slits of your eyes see the round clock stationed directly beyond you. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Okay, so the pain goes away with morphine—who knew? But, that really is how my OR experience went and it really is a terrifying moment. Horror doesn’t always have to be ghouls and goblins. Most of the time, it’s these events in our life that we draw from when we write. And you better believe that this experience will be in a book some day—a very sexy one.  I hope you all have a safe and sexy Halloween, and if you are misplaced because of Sandy, just remember, if you have your health and safety, that is the most important thing.

NaNoWriMo, anyone?

Psst! Remember! This Thursday is the close of the Amazon Gift Certificate Contest!

So be sure to post those comments! ~DD

* * * * *

Such a crazy time for me! I’m trying to get my office straightened so the piles of books and papers don’t make me crazy. Clean desk = fresh start, for me, and I want to be ready to dive into NaNoWriMo on the first. Don’t know what that is? Imagine thousands of crazy writers, hunkering over their keyboards for a month. Family, friends and lovers told to take a rain check because, hey, we have a job to do! The goal? 50,000 words of story in one month.

I’m trying to declutter in preparation. I also have that Super Alpha collection to get out the door. My own short story isn’t finished! Bad author, me! But come Thursday morning, I’ll be ready. Even revitalized. Expectant. Something wonderful will happen. All that positive energy zinging around the web, some of it’s bound to leak through my connection and flow right over me.

Or at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Anyone else planning to “NaNo” all November? Want to be my buddy? My NaNo name is DelilahDevlin. I’ll be your buddy if you promise to kick my ass when I fall behind!