Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 535

Sunday Report Card

Psst! See the bottom of this post for my "Dress Elvis" winner! ~DD

It's uncanny how accurate my horoscopes have been lately.

This was mine for Friday. Notice the part I highlighted? Traffic might be clogged… Friday, I had a doctor's appointment in Little Rock—normally an hour and fifteen minute drive. But some poor trucker rolled his oil tanker on the freeway, which closed all lanes in both directions. Drivers were forced to take little back roads, which then clogged those roads all the hell up! It took me three and a half hours to get to Little Rock. I missed my lab appointment and then was five minutes late for the doctor appointment and had to reschedule. If only I'd believed! I shoulda stayed home.

And then there's yesterday's…

That's me—"overwhelmed." But I'll talk about the work in a minute. Here's today's question:

Do you read your horoscope? Has yours ever influenced you to change something?

This week, I really wanted to be coming up on the end of the short novella and the the Cat Tails chapter, but I'm at roughly 60% on both. Friday killed me—the long drive, and then I had to wait in Little Rock for Hazmat to clear the freeway. So I brainstormed with my sister who was there to chaperone for a wrestling team. It was productive, but I didn't get any pages done. It killed my momentum. I do however intend to finish both by Tuesday so I can wrap them up for February and start something new!

The winner (by random number generator) of my "Dress Elvis" contest is…Rachel Firasek! Congrats, Rachel, and be sure to send me your snail mail addy!

Snippet Saturday: The Moment

It's your last day to enter the "Dress Elvis" contest! See Thursday's blog for details. Comment to win! ~DD

"…The intense visuals, and impressions… the crack of the ice as the skiffs skim through the frozen waters, the colorful sea serpents that tunnel the icy depths, the frozen fortresses of New Iceland, and the seedy underworld of Karthagos all come alive in every sentence. As do the combustible romantic interludes of Dagr and Honora. Ravished is sexier, fleshier, and more mouth-watering than anything else that I have read from Devlin…" Fiendishly Bookish

"Clash of cultures, clash of myths, clash of powerful personalities…how many authors can bring out on paper the excitement and more-than-willing suspension of disbelief that old fashioned adventure stories once brought us?…a wonderful, action-packed, emotional roller-coaster of a read." Alien Places

"With the intriguing meshing of the past with the future this was an engrossing read…" Top Pick!, Night Owl Reviews

What a Viking wants, a Viking takes.

When his younger brother goes missing, Dagr, Viking warrior and Lord of the Wolfskin Clan, will do whatever it takes to get him back. But nothing could have prepared him for Honora—a feisty, intelligent woman who is nothing like the women of his world—women who are content to serve their men in all things. Drawn to her despite her recalcitrant nature, Dagr is determined to force her into submission.

When the two enemies-turned-lovers join forces to find Dagr's brother they are thrown into a rousing adventure full of danger, intrigue and erotic abandon. Can their passion truly unite them or will their different worlds lead to destruction for them both?

When Dagr stood inches from the woman, he glared down his nose. "Where have the men been taken?" he asked, adding a razor edge of tension to his softly spoken words.

The deepening furrow on her forehead said she didn't like having to lift her gaze so high. But she didn't step back. "What men?"

Dagr gave a low growl and crowded closer to her body. "We can play this game, but you will not win. Save yourself unnecessary pain."

She arched a brow. "Will you beat me? Do you want an answer that pleases you or one that is closer to the truth?"

Blood pounded in his ears, and he tightened his fists, wishing she were male because he wanted to trade blows. But there were other ways to conquer. Ones that appealed more than they should.

The glint of stubbornness in her golden brown eyes decided him. When was the last time anyone had defied him?

"Before you interrogate her," Cyrus said, his tone dry, "you'll want the communicators removed from all the crew's uniforms."

Dagr's head whipped toward Cyrus. "Communicators?"

"I think the patches on their collars are radios. They don't wear utility belts anymore, so I wondered where they put them. Check the patches on their collars. They'll be set to allow the crew to talk among themselves and to the ship's systems, but they can be reprogrammed to access an external channel."

Dagr jerked his blade from its scabbard and held it in front of the woman's face. Her skin whitened, but again she didn't flinch. When he tucked his finger beneath her collar to drag it open, the pulse at the side of her throat leapt. He pressed his finger against the spot and noted the quickening of her heartbeat.

Her glare was withering, which amused him.

He glided the finger under her chin and raised it, then fisted the banded collar and carved out the small patch, taking more material than he needed, baring her throat and the top of her chest. Holding the fabric between his fingers, he dropped the collar on the floor and crushed the patch beneath his boot.

"Give the order," he said to Cyrus, not tearing his gaze from the woman.

Her cheeks were reddening, her body quivering. With anger now. Good. He ducked, shoved his shoulder into her belly, and lifted her off the ground.

"Khasi-bastard!" she said, her fists swinging at his head and kidneys.

"Cyrus! Check the computer. See whether another ship has docked here recently."

"Aye, Captain," Cyrus shouted after him, laughter in his voice. "I'll check the logs and the manifests while you're . . . busy."

The woman bucked hard, legs and arms flailing to escape, but he clamped an arm around her thighs and strode toward the maintenance lift at the side of the corridor.

"Your cabin," he bit out, nearly smiling because she wiggled harder than a black-headed eel. "Where is it?"

"Find it yourself, bastard!"

"Shall I take you against the wall, where anyone might see?" He didn't mean it, but he wanted her nervous. He'd dull the edge of authority from her stubborn chin. Didn't she know women were meant to be soft and yielding?

"That's right. Prove you're a watyie pirate. Rape me!"

When her toes slammed perilously close to his groin, he swatted her backside. "It will not be rape. We both know that."

The wriggling calmed, but only because she'd worked a hand beneath his wolf headdress and was pulling his hair. "I'll fight you."

He grimaced. Her grip was fierce, and his scalp stung. "You'll only make a show of it because you should, elskling."

The doors of the lift closed, and the conveyance slid downward. When the doors opened again, he stepped into a deserted corridor, narrower than the one that tracked along the spine of the bird-shaped ship.

"Which way?" His hand rubbed her bottom, and she squirmed harder, trying to break his hold. "Make your choice. Will I take you here, where anyone might see us? Or in your room?" To prove his threat, he slid his hand between her legs and stroked her folds through the thin black skin.

Her body stiffened, and her gasp echoed in his ear. "Damn you. End of the hall."

The corridor was barely higher than the top his head, and he pushed forward, crouching slightly but not caring that her bottom hit the ceiling here and there.

Her hands clasped his hips to steady herself and he grunted, enjoying the fact she was already adjusting, adapting to his control although she likely thought she was only trying to avoid further injury.

He came to the last door, pressed down the latch, and pushed open the oval metal hatch. He ducked inside and halted, remembering it from his search. The room was barely larger than the many closets he'd seen. The bed was little more than a shelf and too short for his body. Her furnishings were sparse—just the bed and a small built-in cabinet beside it with a gooseneck lamp jutting from the wall.

There were no pictures, no art or even maps on her walls, which were no more than cabinet doors. Not a single note of color warmed the small, airless, gray room. No softness was betrayed whatsoever. And yet she was fully feminine. The curves surrounding his shoulder and digging into his back were proof.

He set her on her feet, ignoring her as she sputtered and slammed her fists against his chest as any woman would when furious with a mate.

Standing still, he waited while she regained control of herself. Her fists landed again, but froze on his chest, which rose and fell in shallow swells while hers billowed wildly. Her gaze flitted up, perhaps to gauge his expression and see whether she'd angered him.

She hadn't. He couldn't be more pleased with her womanly tantrum. It revealed passion, and the hardness of her blows proved her wiry strength. She might be slender, but she wasn't truly delicate. He could already imagine how tight her woman's passage would be, how it would squeeze deliciously around his cock. A small, tight fit like the tiny space where she slept.

Her furrowed brows remained set, shadowing her eyes, but her hands flattened on his chest. With her soft, shiny hair mussed and her mouth soft and pouting, she was lovelier, more tempting, than she should have been, dressed as she was in the ugly black skin-suit.

He waited, letting the thud of his heart tell her of his attraction, his muscles rippling as she curled her fingers and pulled her hands slowly away.

With slow steps, she backed up to the far wall, her eyes glittering with anger, but her body quivering with something else. Her intense arousal perfumed the thin, stale air of her cabin.

Remembering that he did have a purpose for bringing her here, alone, he hardened his expression. "Where are the men your people captured?"

"Not here. Obviously," she said, her features neutral. Her eyes, however, betrayed her. She blinked.

Dagr grunted, wondering why he enjoyed her defiance so much. He hoped she'd force him to take stronger action. "Why aren't they here?" he said just as evenly.

"Another transport arrived to take them away."

"I want the name of the ship."

Her jaw tightened. "I don't know it."

"I don't believe you."

"I don't care what you believe."

Annoyed now, he bit out, "You should. Your life and that of your crew depends upon my mercy."

"You and your men are criminals. The Consortium doesn't negotiate. They'd sooner destroy the whole ship than see you reap a profit from this . . . venture."

"So we are at an impasse . . ." he said softly.

"Looks like it."

Dagr shook his head, wondering at her mental state. She faced a foe who weighed easily twice her weight, and yet she wouldn't back down an inch. Perhaps she needed a little softening first. He dragged off his wolf headdress, toed off his soft leather boots.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a catch in her voice.

"What we both want."

"You just captured my ship, throttled my crew," she said, her voice rising. "You threatened to cut off my head, you barbarian. You think I want you?"

She did. He was sure of it. "Next time you decide to tell a man you don't desire him, dress in a few more layers." With deliberation, he dropped his gaze to her chest, to the nipples that spiked hard against the thin, oiled skin.

Her gaze followed, then jerked back. "You arrogant ass! I don't want you." Her chin jutted upward.

A gesture that was beginning to amuse him. He stepped toward her, crowding her against the wall she hugged, and stuck his hand between her legs, cupping her sex. "If you say it again, I will leave you here. And we will never know. This isn't punishment. It's not rape. We shed our clothes; we shed who we are." A shoulder lifted in an easy shrug. "When we are done, we resume the battle. I find I enjoy your resistance."

Her mouth opened around ragged breaths. "I won't be used. My surrender won't be held up for you to mock later."

"Lady Captain, we will use each other. Whatever passion we share remains between us." He held her stare, keeping his expression set, waiting for her to decide.

Without breaking with his gaze, she squeezed her thighs together, trapping his hand. "I'm not some pleasure thrall."

"Are you telling me this because you lack skill and fear I'll be disappointed?" he drawled.

"I could care less whether you are disappointed," she spat.

He leaned closer and trailed his lips across her forehead.

She jerked and turned away, her chest trembling around her quickening breaths.

"Why do you resist me? We can both seek our pleasure. You are as aroused as I am." He pressed his fingers harder against her sex.

Her head swung back. Stark longing mixed with rage were reflected in her amber gaze. "You are my enemy."

"Then treat this like another form of battle."

Her jaw tensed, her lips firming, but she rolled her hips, a slight, shallow movement that ground her pussy against his palm as moisture soaked through to wet it.

He held her there, giving free rein to his arousal. His heart beat like a skin drum, pulse quickening at his temples and his groin. He strummed his fingers over her clothed folds and moved in to trap her chest.

Her hands came up to push at his shoulders. "I fight because I should," she whispered.

Dagr gave a curt nod, then bent to cover her mouth, plunging into moist heat. She tasted exotic, smelled of musk and sweat, not too pungent, but tantalizing enough to capture his arousal, full-blown and surging to rut against her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors' blogs:

Eliza Gayle

Emma Petersen

HelenKay Dimon

Jody Wallace

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Shelli Stevens

Taige Crenshaw

TJ Michaels

TGIF!

The "Dress Elvis" contest is still running! See yesterday's blog for details. Comment to win! ~DD

Today, I'm heading to Little Rock. I have a doctor's appointment. Sis is staying in a hotel there with the wrestling team (I promise that's not as interesting as it sounds!). We'll meet before noon and have a write-in at Starbucks. We don't get together as often as we'd like because she lives over four hours away. I'm hoping to get a major word count under my belt, but we tend to brainstorm and make big plans. We'll be talk-talk-talking away. Then Saturday, I'll be reviewing my goals and groaning because I'll have a ton of catch-up to do.

I want to finish two things by the first of March. A quickie for Ellora's Cave and the next free chapter of Cat Tails. If I can keep focused, I will. HOWEVER, Sunday is hosed as well because I'll be meeting Shayla Kersten in Little Rock for some Diamond State Romance Authors business. Sheesh. Where did February go?

I should be jazzed about the three things I'm currently writing, but I'm majorly distracted by the Girls Who Bite project. I'm really excited about the anthology. Really love the stories that will be in the volume. I have some fun things I'm planning for the launch, and the ladies, for the most part, are game to play. Remember, the book is ready for pre-order and has a reduced price. FOR NOW. So if you think you're interested, now is the time to reserve a copy so you can take advantage of the low price. You can click on the cover in the carousel to the left and you'll go straight to Amazon.

I hope your Friday passes quickly for you and that the weekend is spent either with someone you care about or with a very dirty book!

"Dress Elvis" contest!

I still have a prize to give away to one lucky winner that I bought at one of Graceland's shops. It's an Elvis dress up doll! You know—a magnetic paper doll thingie that you can stick to a white board, a filing cabinet or a fridge! Yes, Elvis, with several changes of clothes—and his dog! Woohoo! *throws confetti*

So, if you'd like a chance to win it, post a comment on my blog. And if you'd like more than one chance (who buys just one lottery ticket?!), post tomorrow and Saturday too! On Sunday morning, I'll announce the winner!

Just so you have something to post a comment about, here's a question for you…

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Guest Blogger: Kate Davies

I first fell in love with the Bard in Junior High. A very ambitious—or possibly insane—drama advisor selected Julius Caesar as the school play. I was cast as Portia, Caesar's wife, and spent hours learning my script and practicing my lines and blocking.

Unfortunately, I was the only cast member who felt the same way. The play was cancelled several weeks into rehearsal.

The beauty of the language and my fascination with the characters stayed with me, though, through high school and college, through Shakespeare in the Park productions and community theater, through Helena and Viola and Desdemona. It stayed strong as I became a junior high teacher myself, with the requirement that I teach Romeo and Juliet every year. (Side note: why Romeo and Juliet? Do school boards not know the play? Is it really the best idea to teach kids that you can find your true love at 14 and if your families don't want you to be together, might as well off yourselves? I'd much rather have taught one of his comedies. But I digress.)

I can still remember entire monologues from performances I was in. I was devastated when I found out that my favorite actor was going to be in a Shakespeare in the Park performance of Much Ado About Nothing—on the other side of the country—and I was going to miss it. When it comes to Shakespeare, I'm an unabashed fangirl.

In case it's not clear, I'm passionate about Shakespeare, and was thrilled to work a subplot about his plays into my newest book, Take a Chance On Me. In it, my heroine Jessica teaches Shakespeare and directs the school play—though with a lot less enthusiasm initially for the task than I would have had! Eventually, though, the Bard works his magic on her as well.

Do you like Shakespeare? What's your favorite Shakespeare play/movie/performance?

Accept no substitute…for love.

The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

Jessica Martin is determined to earn a permanent teaching position at Summit High School. That means hard work, dedication, and even volunteering extra time to direct the school's Shakespeare play. Which leaves no room for romance—especially with a co-worker. She didn't factor in the school's sexy security officer and the delicious fantasies he inspires.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Former cop Tom Cameron likes his job. Or he did, until the new substitute busted his orderly life right open. Now, he can't seem to avoid her—deserted hallways, empty theaters, classrooms after dark—but he's got too many skeletons in his closet to risk his heart again. Asking her out to distract her from the play's, well, drama is a friendly gesture. Nothing more.

The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

Their chemistry could melt down the science lab, and before long they're burning up the sheets off-campus. And uncovering raw emotions—a stark reminder that love isn't in their curricula. When a troubled student goes over the edge, though, the need to stop a tragedy brings them right back where they started—face to face with fate.

Warning: This book contains sexy encounters in classrooms, inappropriate use of school facilities, backstage shenanigans, and illicit activities on a ferryboat.

Want a free read?

Well, you're not getting it here. Head to Everything Erotic today for peek at Nip 'n' Tuck. It's a short story, in its entirety, written by yours truly.

What happens when a seamstress agrees to a naughty liaison with a stranger from on online chat room? More than she bargained for. Enjoy! And be sure to drop a comment. Sometimes, all I writer wants is a little appreciation.

Everything Erotic

Catch me at After Midnight Fantasies!

I'm doing my usual thing, only not right here! Join me at After Midnight Fantasies where I'm asking for YOUR favorite simple delights.

After Midnight Fantasies

Sunday Report Card

Y'all are only interested in who won that creepy Dead Elvis doll. But you're gonna have to wait until the end to find out. That's just the way I roll. And don't you scroll down! That's cheating.

It's Sunday. Time for me to brag or blush. But first I have to tell you what happened to me yesterday on my way to my Diamond State Romance Authors meeting.

I'm taking a back road, lots of winding turns. The road straightens out for about two seconds, and my foot gets a little heavy (I was listening to Five Finger Death Punch's Bad Company). A cop comes around a turn. I glance down. Yeah, I'm speeding. Please don't stop me. Please don't stop me.

In my rearview mirror I see him do a three-point turn in the middle of the road and know I'm sunk. Crap!

I'm bending over, reaching into my glove box, when he walks up and knocks on my passenger-side door. I look up into the prettiest blue eyes shaded by a State Trooper's hat. And he has that jaw—you know the one. Straight at the edge, jutting, with hollows in his cheeks above. His mouth's a straight line. Super sexy, and I'm starting to blush.

"Ma,am, do you know you were driving 17 miles over she speed limit?"

I squint and wrinkle my nose. "Sounds about right." (I sound like a freaking genius!)

He pauses, probably to figure out if I'm being a bitch. "Was there a reason you were in such a hurry?"

I usually blurt the truth. But for once I was able to press my lips together to keep from telling him I was listening to Five Finger Death Punch, because I thought maybe he'd think I was cussin' him in code.

So instead, I say, "Uh, I was listening to Disturbed." I know, another bonehead answer, but it's better than the time I told the cop I was "blow-drying my car."

Anyway, I got another ticket. Third here in Arkansas, but none has made it on my driving record so far. Phew! And I wasn't mad. I figure I will take the ticket off my taxes as "research", and besides, he was the finest thing I looked at all day. It was just the price of admission.

Back to the report card…

* Last week, I started work on the next free chapter of Cat Tails. DiDi and Mason are in bed. Again. So you'll have some nice smutty sex at the start.

* I am at 90% completion of my little novella. Did I mention it's a MIK?

* I had a long conversation with marketing at one of my publishers, which prompted me into a frenzy of activity to get them information and to galvanize the other authors involved in the project.

And that's about it, other than the DSRA meeting yesterday, which turned into a late lunch and stretched all the way until 4 PM. Had a great time even if I didn't get any writing done.

So, back to Bony Elvis. He's been keeping a smile on my face all week. I hate to let him go. But, I did promise, didn't I? The winner of Dead Elvis is…(drumroll)…(by random number generator, as always)…Jen B! Jen, congrats and email me!!

Play with me…

…but not here! Today, I'm at Wild & Wicked Cowboys. I've posted a picture of a very sexy cowboy and posed a question. Stop by and post a comment, and…

You guessed it! You'll have one more shot at that creepy little statue of Dead Elvis. Tomorrow morning, I promise I'll name the winner.

Girls Who Bite: Pre-order it now!

I was surfing last night. I get to do that after I finish up my pages for the day—my reward to me. I went to Amazon, and just for fun, typed in "Girls Who Bite", never expecting that it would actually appear—but there it was! I'd only first seen the cover on Wednesday, and I originally was told it wouldn't be out until October, so I was doubly surprise that the release date is September 13th!

I can't wait to tell you more about the book or share the blurb (I have yet to finalize that with the publisher). Soon though! In the meantime, I can share the line up of stellar authors that appear in this anthology. This is the tentative order of the stories as well, chosen more for how the stories flow, from one to the next, rather than which I liked best.

Vivi Anna — Bloody Wicked

Delphine Dryden — Al Dente

Paisely Smith — Dark Angel

Angela Capterton — Pet Door

Karis Walsh — Dark Guard

Anna Meadows — La Caida

Adele DuBois — The Crystal Altar

Shayla Kersten — Beloved

Christine D'Abo — Bound Lust

Myla Jackson — The Gift of Lillith

A.E. Grace — Madeline

Victoria Oldham —Red Horizon

Regina Jameson — Impundulu

Delilah Devlin — Night at the Wax Museum

Rebecca Buck — She Knows I am Watching

I really think that vampire fans and erotic romance fans are going to enjoy this volume very much. The stories are fresh, some completely startling, and all of them very well written. I can't wait until you all have a chance to see for yourselves. Do yourselves a favor, and pre-order the book now. If you're a fan of any of these ladies, at the very least, visit Amazon.com to "like" and "tag" it to help us get the word out!

Be sure to comment again today for second chance to win Dead Elvis!