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Archive for 'Flashback'



Flashback: Cowboy
Monday, January 25th, 2010

Tonight I’ll be chatting live at Writerspace—at 8 PM ET with the Ellora’s Cave Authors, then at 9 PM ET with the After Midnight Authors! Join me if you can!

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of this book!

This excerpt is from the first short story I wrote for publication. Something short, sassy and in first person. It was released by the Wild Rose Press in 2007.

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Caught in a sudden thunderstorm on a lonely stretch of Texas highway, I pull into a dingy little diner to wait out the rain, never dreaming the cowboy of my dreams would follow me inside. Now I have a couple of choices, play it coy and safe? Or go for the big brass buckle…

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Lightning clawed the dark like a crow’s foot, illuminating thick thunderheads that glowed yellow-green and ominous. The color of the sky before a tornado twisted its nasty tail.

Glad to be out of the rain and safe from the jagged, streaking light, I shivered against the cool vinyl booth as another flash lashed out like the end of a whip, lighting the horizon so intensely that for a moment the darkened parking lot was bright as high noon.

That was when I saw the large pickup roll in, pulling a horse trailer. It ground to a halt beside the diner’s plateglass window. The driver wasn’t going to bother trying to park it in the flooded lot.

I heard the muffled slam of the truck door, but the end of the lightning strike flickered out, plunging the parking lot back into darkness. The driver would be soaked before he even hit the door. Only twelve feet, but the rain was coming down in sheets. I’d been lucky, arriving before the worst of the storm struck. Mostly dry, I’d peered through the window at the deepening night, waiting for a lull. I’d read the clouds as well as any West Texas native and headed to the nearest shelter. The tiny diner with its 70’s style brick façade, split vinyl bench seats, and peeling, laminated counter tops was a welcome haven. The attached string of motel rooms was part of Plan B if the storm didn’t wane before midnight.

My arrival had been nearly forty minutes ago. Except for a bored waitress smoking a cigarette at a far table, I was the only occupant. Until now.

The door squeaked open, and a cowboy strode inside. He pulled off his cream-colored hat and shook dark brown hair like a dog, sending droplets of water lashing against the glass door. His white T-shirt, soaked almost to transparency, clung to the hills and hollows of sharply defined muscles along his chest and abdomen.

Setting his cowboy hat on the table, he sank into a booth near the door, his expression a study in irritation. Dark brows drawn in a fierce frown, his lips crimped in a thin line.

The man needed a reason to smile.
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Flashback: Unbridled
Saturday, January 9th, 2010

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of UNBRIDLED!


On Tuesday, the next of my Lone Star Lovers books will be available for download. Just to make sure you remember how much you enjoy my sexy little westerns, I’m giving you another look at the first book in the series, Unbridled.

I love my cowboy, and I sure love writing about them. Hope you enjoy and good luck in the contest! ~DD

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“…This is another fantastically hot and sexy book. But it is also a very deep and sensitive story about their confused emotions regarding gay relationships, and ménages.”

Tough…or tender? If she plays her cards right, she won’t have to choose.

Dani Standifer arrives home at her West Texas family ranch a day early, ready to pick up where she left off with Rowe Ayers, her high school sweetheart. However, when she opens the door to their line-shack trysting place, it’s clear she waited a day too long. Rowe’s with someone else—another man. And not just any other man— Justin Cruz, the bad boy with whom she shared one wild encounter, years ago.

Justin’s waited a long time for this moment. He knows his reputation, but since he seduced Rowe, he’s been a one-man cowboy—waiting for Dani to return and become the delicious fulfillment of his and Rowe’s needs. If she’s up to the challenge.

To her own surprise, Dani finds she’s more than ready to have both men in her life—as soon as she and Rowe teach Justin a lesson or two about love.

Their small town may not be ready for their kind of relationship. And Dani’s brother Cutter’s mile-deep grudge against Justin throws in a complication that could break the foundation the three of them have built…

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

“Jesus Christ.” Rowe bent to grab his blue jeans from the floor, then held them in front of his gleaming cock.

“A little late now,” Justin said. “I think she’s already jumped to the correct conclusion.”

Rowe’s fist clenched around his jeans, then he dropped them to the floor and straightened his shoulders. A look of resignation entered his face; a silent plea for understanding glittered in his pale eyes as he returned her stare.
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Flashback: Saddled
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of SADDLED!

In one week, the second of my Lone Star Lovers books, Unforgiven, will be released. So I thought maybe I’d remind you why you’re going to be eager to rush to Samhain to buy it.

It’s all about the cowboy. Independent and stubborn. Strong but tender. Smells of horse and sweat. Completely, lickably male.

The first of my Samhain westerns was Saddled. I had so much fun writing it that I quickly followed with Unbridled and Unforgiven. And you can bet I have something in the works right now to follow. So indulge yourself in some cowboy lust.

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From Just Erotic Romance, 5 stars: “…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…”

From Vixen Reviews, 5 stars: “…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!!!!!!!…”

From Romance Junkies, 4.5 stars: “…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.”

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?”
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Flashback: Silent Knight
Friday, December 25th, 2009

I’m taking a break today from cruise pictures to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! ~DD

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of this book!

Today, I’m giving you an excerpt from my one and only holiday story. Silent Knight was released in December 2005 by Ellora’s Cave and exists in the My Immortal Knight realm.

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From eCataRomance: “…The perfect holiday read! Delilah Devlin took a Christmas tale to a whole new level when she crafted SILENT KNIGHT.”

From Romance Divas: “…[SILENT KNIGHT] is a sizzling hot vampire story tht will take you on a short escape — the perfect read for a busy holiday season. Sexy and fun, make sure Silent Knight is on your holiday “must read” list!”

From A Romance Review: “Erotically decedent and thrillingly carnal, Noelle and Magnus’ story is enough to make a person self-combust with want.”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Noelle Moyaux questions her gift of sight until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger sets her on a path to save his soul.

Magnus Thornton is a millennium-old vampire who has found evidence of an old foe’s evil at work in the demolished city of New Orleans. Weary of the fight, he decides to greet the coming dawn after a night reveling in his favorite things—a bottle of Bordeaux and a willing woman.

Noelle seems the answer, but she quickly creeps into his heart-the vampire, so jaded from life he never speaks, must now persuade Noelle to flee the city before it’s too late.

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

Noelle Moyaux flicked off the battery-powered Christmas lights that ringed her metal cart, folded her purple tablecloth into a small tidy square and tucked it and the folding table inside the cart before latching the lid closed.

She wheeled the cart across the busy street and waved to her friend Gerard, the owner of a small Cajun restaurant. Continuing around the back of the eatery, she stowed her palmistry kiosk in the storage unit she’d rented from Gerard since before the troubles.

Today’s earnings were slim, despite the unseasonably warm weather that allowed the thin-blooded residents of the city to roam the streets in light jackets. No one believed in a future amid the chaos—and some questioned her ability since she’d received no divination of the coming catastrophe. Indeed, Noelle questioned her gift daily as she sat beneath her umbrella in front of the embroidered cloth advertising “Noelle’s News”.

If not for the little nest egg of money she’d saved from substitute teaching before the flood, she’d be in dire straits.

Clutching her purse close to her side, she headed down the street toward home.

One last night. One last chance to lose myself in The Hunger, a fine glass of wine and the body of a willing woman. Before my last sunrise—the first I will see in nearly a thousand years…

Noelle heard the quiet, fleeting thought as she passed through the crowd ambling along Bourbon Street and spun to find the owner. The inner voice that accompanied the thought was masculine and raspy. Added to the familiar spark of connection when her skin had brushed against his was a wash of the blackest melancholy she’d ever sensed. It nearly drowned her in despair.
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Flashback: Ride a Cowboy
Saturday, December 5th, 2009

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of this book!

Today, I’m giving you an excerpt from my very first cowboy book. Ride a Cowboy was released in February 2006 by Ellora’s Cave and has since appeared in two print compilations.

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From The Romance Studio: “…Ooooh is this hot! So very descriptive in the sheer need to be loved, to be not only desired sexually by the other. Proving to Katelyn that all men aren’t like her ex, Daniel gives of himself without any hesitation. What a man! This is a keeper, fellow readers, and not just for those dedicated “sexy cowboy” fans.”

From Romance Divas: “…This is one book I could not put down from beginning to end!…I have to compliment Ms. Devlin on her writing prowess. She roped this reviewer with her playground of words, expertise of emotional perception, and exceptional writing ability.”

Katelyn Carter came to rural Texas to lick her wounds and start over after her failed marriage, but a sexy young cowboy seems determined to show her that love is still in the cards for this single librarian.

Sheriff’s deputy Daniel Bodine answers a 911 call to remove a rattlesnake from his new neighbor’s bedroom. What he finds is an embarrassed Katelyn, dressed in little more than her pretty pink blushes. One little omission later, and he’s working for the lady as her handyman.

Burned once by a man, Katelyn fights her growing attraction but finds Daniel more temptation than she can resist. When he shows her he knows his way around a woman’s body as well as he does a hammer and a saw, she takes a walk on the nasty side, vainly hoping she can keep her heart free of entanglement

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Daniel’s chest rose and his jaw tightened. His thumb pressed inside her mouth and she sucked it. With a sharply drawn breath, he bored his gaze into hers. “Tell me you don’t want me to kiss you, Katelyn.”

He’d said the words—torn away the flimsy barrier between unspoken yearning and surrender. She shook her head. “I…can’t.”

His hands cupped her face, gentle and reverent, as he leaned closer. His breath was sweet and brushed her lips first, prompting her to open her mouth. When his lips slid over hers, he murmured and closed his eyes.

Now, Katelyn had shared many kisses in her life. But Daniel’s tasted sweeter, made her feel cherished, even beautiful. His fingers threaded through her hair and he pulled her head closer for a deeper joining.
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Flashback: Close Encounters of the Carnal Kind
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Be sure to post a comment today to be in the running
for a download of this book!

CECK was originally published in September 2005 and was my second appearance in a “Caveman” anthology. Oh, and excuse my alien heroine’s accent. I promise it’s only a temporary thing until she gets her translator adjusted! Enjoy!

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From Coffee Time Romance: “…An encounter of the best kind, these two leave sparks across the sky in a sizzling adventure you will not want to miss.”

Etienne Lambert, a Cajun ex-soldier fresh from the horrors of the war in Iraq, discovers that he’s an alien when an alien woman arrives at his door to take him home. When he resists, she kidnaps him. He soon learns he is the last potent male of the ruling line of their planets and it’s his duty to return to assume the mantle of rule and sire the next generation of the ruling caste.

Mariska is a fightership commander who has succeeded where all the mages, seers, and trackers have failed. She has found her race’s last hope for salvation! When the future king demands that he start work immediately on the primary mandate of his rule — to sire children — she can’t refuse His Majesty’s command.

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Etienne leaned forward, cuddling his beer between his hands, letting the silence wrap around his jangled nerves. Here in the swamp, in a hunting cabin filled with happy childhood memories, he hoped to finally shrug off his soul-deep sadness. He loved his brother and family, but he didn’t want to invite them into the dark place he’d been forced inside ever since Tekrit.

Arnaud had left half an hour before, frustrated and hurt—Etienne knew it, but couldn’t reach out to him, not yet. Maybe a few more days of staring out at the green, wet world around him would drown the memories of the sun-baked dirt that drank his buddies’ blood like a thirsty sponge.

He needed time to fit back into his old life. He snorted at that thought—like he’d ever really fit in to begin with. Taller by a foot than his brothers and swarthy-skinned to their olive, he’d often wondered if he hadn’t been traded in the bassinet at birth. And he’d never been satisfied with what life offered him in the bayou—it’s why he’d enlisted in the first place.

A twig snapped nearby, and Etienne froze. As if he’d never left Iraq, time slowed, and in one long moment he realized the crickets had stopped their raucous chirping, the owls no longer called to one another—he had a visitor.
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Flashback: Garden of Desire
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Be sure to post a comment today to be in the running
for a download of this book!

Originally released in February 2004, Garden of Desire was the third book in the Desire series series. Enjoy!

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From Just Erotic Romance Reviews: “Ms. Devlin has great talent for writing HOT HOT HOT sex scenes and the characters in this book are intriguing and well developed.”

From Sizzling Romances: “…Ms. Devlin has penned an erotic adventure that will leave you smiling. This wonderful blend of humorous dialogue, vivid descriptions, and exceedingly hot sex make GARDEN OF DESIRE a must read.”

Ex-pirate Cantor Marlowe is drowning in femininity. Perfumes assail him morning, noon, and night. And the voices! High and trilling when calling to attract his interest. Low and throaty when whispering dark and sexy promises in his ears. Loud and strident when bringing their never-ending complaints for him to resolve.

As the governor to a fledgling colony, Cantor and his fellow pirates have entered into a pact to set down roots, self-govern without Dominion interference, and raise families on an uninhabited planet at the edge of the known galaxy. Who would have thought the ex-cons they liberated to make their wives would have so much to complain about in paradise? ‘Tis no wonder Cantor itches to go a-pirating.

Martha knows how to pick a lock. What the little thief can’t figure out is how to steal Cantor’s heart. When Cantor’s head is turned by the arrival of an innocent harem girl, Martha fears she’s lost her chance at love until the girl turns to Martha for a little lesson in love.

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“I think I would’ve been better off wearing my sandals than these ill-fitting boots,” Kirsten said over her shoulder, as she slogged down the rough-cut trail through the forest.

“Stop complaining,” Martha said, tugging at the waist of the breeches she’d nicked from Ivan’s wardrobe. For the hundredth time, she wished she’d thought to steal a belt along with the rest of his clothing; the trousers fit snugly at the hips, but bagged around her middle. “There aren’t many men with spare boots to fit your big feet.”

Kirsten halted and turned to her, a scowl darkening her face. “My feet are in proportion with my body. They get me where I need to go.” The scowl cleared and Kirsten looked into the canopy of leaves above them. “Do you think we’re still on the right trail?”

Martha snorted. “Do you really think any animal on this planet cuts trails with laser-swords?” She changed the bag she carried from one shoulder to the other. She’d packed light, but her bag seemed to grow heavier as they walked.

“How come we haven’t caught sight of them, yet?” Kirsten, who’d been so eager to start this adventure, had kept up a steady stream of complaints for the last hour.

She was wearing on every last one of Martha’s nerves. “Because you keep wasting our time on bitching.”

“I’m hungry. Do you have any more of the bread Pingat stole from the galley?”

“Yes, but you aren’t having it.”

“Why not? I’m hungry.”

“You’ll be hungrier in the morning when there’s nothing left to eat. Besides, you could stand to go hungry for a few days,” Martha said nastily. “Now, pick up your feet.”

Kirsten headed back down the trail. “Do you really think we won’t catch up before dark? I don’t like the thought of bedding down by ourselves.”

Martha didn’t want to face that possibility yet herself. She was a city-girl, born and raised in the Dallas-Austin metropolis. She’d rather walk down mean-streets at midnight than spend a night alone in the woods. “We have the electro-stuns I stole from the armory. We’ll be fine.”

Kirsten stopped again. “But what if one of those giant bats comes after us? Will it be enough?”

Martha shoved her onward. “Keep walking! I’m sure they’re not bats. You heard what Trina said. She had her ear to the door the entire time Doc was in there with Travis and Nicky. Besides, whatever they are, they’re too big to fly through this thicket. You’ll be fine—you’re considerably larger than a sheep.”

“Are you calling me fat?”

“If the shoe doesn’t fit…”
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