Thank you, Delilah, for inviting me to hang out with your readers today!

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And Jill a dull girl. Along those same lines, a common thread in writerly conversations is the need to step away from our computers/notebooks/scrolls and refill the creative well. Getting out of our chairs is good for our physical health. And getting out of our writing cave benefits our mental health. Plus, it’s nice to feel the sun on our cheeks and breath outdoor air.

I know many of my fellow scribes are introverts and would be perfectly happy to be hermits all day, every day. I go for days seeing only my hubby, and I’m fine with that. But there’s a whole wide world outside my walls and it behoves me to enjoy as much of it as I can while I’m able.

To that end, hubby and I dusted off our bicycles the other day and went for a ride. Not far from our house lies a former railroad that has been converted to a walking/biking rail. Lined with trees, shrubs, and flowers, away from vehicular traffic, and without steep hills, it’s a lovely way to bike into town. Or from one town to the next if you’re feeling energetic. Did I mention no steep hills? Because trains needed fairly level terrain, us middle-aged bicyclists benefit now that the rails are torn up.

(As an aside, I wish we had better train service in this part of the world [NS, Canada] like a lot of other developed nations do.)

Our recent trip, the first of the season, was a brief expedition to check out our machines and to limber disused muscles. We encountered a few other bicyclists and a few walkers, including a couple visiting our fair town from Nottingham, UK! We had a lovely chat on the trail and shared the location of a pair of deer we’d seen.

Here are a few pictures I took along the trail:

The larger of the two deer, along with a herd of cattle who quickly became bored with our presence. The lupines are starting to bloom and I revel in the many shades of blue and purple they display. Finally, one of our neighbours welcomed us home.

After a few hours in the saddle I returned to my writing cave refreshed in body and spirit. And eager for our next outing, which will include a picnic lunch and an ice cream at our destination.

To my fellow writers, what do you do to get away from the story mill and experience the wide world?

And to my fellow readers, if you were presented with an entire day free from obligations, how would you spend your time?

Love & Mayhem

Sybil is happily on the shelf, tending to her sheep. But she fears she’ll depart this life without experiencing physical love, which she suspects is rather enjoyable. When her long-lost fiancé returns from sea, she decides he’s the lucky man who’ll receive her virginity.

Max is eager to return to his sugar plantation and has no intention of remaining long in London. However, he didn’t bargain on a wilful, pretty, exasperating spinster determined to take him to her bed.

He insists on marriage but she wants only his body. Her heart is not part of the deal. Unfortunately, love doesn’t always follow the rules.

Get your copy here!

Excerpt:

“I see all sorts of advantages to the married state.” He brought her hand to his mouth, kissing each knuckle in turn before kissing her palm. Then he flicked his tongue over the inside of her wrist. She bit back a moan. Who knew the wrist was such a sensitive spot?

She forced her mind back to the task at hand. Which, when you came to think of it, served the other task as well. Namely, getting him to flick his tongue on other sensitive parts of her body. She took a deep breath. “Some enjoy those advantages without the bother of a marriage ceremony.”

Buy links:

Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/non-american-historical-romance/5180-love-and-mayhem.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Mayhem-Luanna-Stewart-ebook/dp/B072TQGG3J
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-and-mayhem/id1252491353?mt=11
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/love-and-mayhem-1
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-and-mayhem-luanna-stewart/1126952180?ean=2940158555770

About the Author

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. As soon as she discovered her grandmother’s stash of romance novels, all plots had to lead to a happily-ever-after.

Luanna writes full time, concentrating on sexy romantic suspense, steamy paranormal romance, and spicy historical romance.

Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Luanna has recently returned to the land of her birth with her dear husband and two spoiled cats. When she’s not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious.

Under her previous pen name of Grace Hood she has two novellas published with The Wild Rose Press.

Social media links:

Website:  http://www.luannastewart.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Luanna_Stewart
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Luanna.Stewart.nau
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/luannastewart/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14104212.Luanna_Stewart
Amazon Author Page:  www.amazon.com/author/luanna_stewart

My first book was At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, a science fiction romance. I released it in 2004, only a few years after 9/11. The news was full of women wearing burkas and the controversy over wearing one by choice versus being given no option. I decided to include a reference to this in my book, but I changed it from being women to being an entire race of people.

“Betters” were called so because they were genetically enhanced to do more, be more, perform more, remember more. They were physically beautiful. As close to perfect as possible and far beyond superhuman. When society realized that Betters could also control a normal human’s mind by means of voice, it frightened them, and they called for the cessation of Better creations as a whole.

Fearmongers demanded all Betters be sterilized to prevent them from multiplying and taking over society.

At the time of my story, the Better Laws prevented them from going out in public uncovered. They could show only hands and faces, or face penalties and jail time. The heroine, a captain in the rebel army, always finds ways to perform her duties without calling attention to herself. Until now.

For this mission—getting back a prototype stolen by the government—she must show herself in public as a Better who flaunts the law. Her cover is a rich cougar with a cute boy toy on her arm. To accomplish this, she hires an attractive young thief to steal back the item. There’s just this small catch. He’s been sedated by his master and cannot respond to her whatsoever. This could be one frustrating mission.

Here’s an excerpt.

From At the Mercy of Her Pleasure

NarrAy met Senth’s penetrating gaze. How had she ever seen him as a boy?

He had a man’s hands, well-groomed nails and sinewy forearms that revealed power and strength. His biceps bulged. Angular jaw, a firm mouth with lips made for kissing. A hot flutter rose within her and she tamped it down at once, refusing to let her pheromones get the upper hand.

Senth was watching her, gaze narrowed, head tilted. He gave a sniff and then eased into a smile. His proximity heightened her desire. He smelled clean, fresh and ruggedly male. A tingle signaled the imminent letdown of her pheromones and she fought to calm the spike of lust flickering through her like a torch about to combust.

Senth’s faint smile revealed nothing, but he lifted his head, sniffing the air. Kin could smell emotion and desire. Could a half-breed? Might be time to find out…
—
At the Mercy of Her Pleasure is a fast-paced sci fi romantic comedy. He’s an adorable, fun-loving hero who’s half-human and half-cat. She’s a by-the-book army captain. Do opposites attract?

Oh, mercy!

Universal book link https://books2read.com/u/m2o9P1

About the Author

Kayelle Allen writes Sci Fi with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr. She’s a US Navy veteran who’s been married so long she’s tenured.
https://kayelleallen.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Facebook https://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
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Hi Delilah Fans! Can you believe the year is half over already? 2018 is flying by!

Okay, here’s what I’m up to today. I’m trying to learn more about romance readers. So I’m posting a questionnaire here and on my Facebook page. I hope you’ll take two seconds to reply—your participation is greatly appreciated. Your email and other info will NOT be used in any other way—no mailing list, no follow-up. Unless you’re one of the three winners. Then you’ll be notified of your win.

Just email me at ashworthlizzie@gmail.com with your age and your favorite type of romance. That’s it!

A randomized drawing will result in three winners of a FREE COPY of Faint Heart, a sexy romance novel (ebook format). But don’t wait. Entries accepted through Friday June 15 ONLY.

Cara Carson only wants one thing, and it isn’t a man. Her new business, Cara’s Kitchen, is the only safe place for her heart. Her recipes are perfected and the old house remodel is underway. But on this raw March morning, the contractor isn’t returning her calls, there’s a bulldozer mired in mud on the side lot, and the man operating it has managed to destroy the huge old willow tree she wanted saved. Furious, she charges across the mire to demand answers and finds her feet stuck and then her heart flailing after the bulldozer operator has to come carry her out.

Morgan Woods never believed in love. Until now, it’s been easy to take and leave women. This woman shouldn’t be any different, except something about her pouty pink lips and her blazing hazel eyes sails past all his defenses. His business-partner dad is sick and his businesses are struggling, but he never wants to let this woman out of his arms.

Can two broken people love again?

About the Author

Lizzie Ashworth lives in the wilds of the Ozark Mountains with three cats, two hound dogs, and too many deer in her yard. She’s been writing her entire life and wants her readers to know how much she enjoys sharing her naughty stories. Visit her website for more on all her books, www.lizzieashworth.com

When is full cast audio such a big deal for romance? When it lives up to your imagination and blows your mind! I can say that I am picky. I always have been. When a movie actor doesn’t live up to my imaginary image of a character, I’m disappointed. I don’t think I’m alone. So when I decided to publish my bestselling MMF ménage novel Polished, I was obsessed with finding the right actors who could truly personify my characters. The process was long…and tedious. Not unlike authoring a book, producing full cast audio is much like breathing life into a dream. There is an implicit difference between single narration and specifically cast voice actors performing each role while in character. With a single narrator, you are being told a story, the voice speaking encourages you to connect the words to images in your mind in the same way reading does. Full cast audio brings you into the story. You are right there, a fly on the wall spying in, with a bowl of popcorn. Can’t you just imagine that tiny little bowl? I digress. The difference is immense, the audio is immersive and I don’t know if I could ever look back.

What’s it like to cast an audio book? When casting Spencer and Jack for Polished, there were days when I wondered if I would ever find just the right voice. As a writer, I hope to communicate the subtle nuances of dialogue by context, by choice of words and even by coming right out and taking the not-so-subtle approach of just explaining exactly how the words were said. I hope the context is recognized. I hope the reader hears what I hear. Romance readers generally do. As connoisseurs of the genre, we see the cues, read between the lines and understand when thick smoky allure is woven through a sentence. But, when your voice search inbox is full of guys who probably never read a romance for enjoyment, the outcome is pretty funny. I can’t say how many times I laughed out loud. Then just when you think It might be hopeless, an audition appears that curls your toes, that brings your hero (and in my case heroes) to life. Found: a voice that fits like a glove with your female actor. It’s the happy dance of the century, because your book has actually been reborn through their voices.

Full cast audio is worth the extra work to find just the right actor to portray your characters, one who understands them, who gets their personalities and becomes this imaginary person you dreamed up. I am so unbelievably thrilled with how Polished turned out. Oddly, I never felt closer to these characters now that they have voices, and I hope you will too.

Here’s a free audiobook sample of Polished for your listening enjoyment…nearly two hours of an erotic romance journey to HEA in full cast audio. If you know my writing then you know it’s MMF, it’s fun, emotional and NSFW. If you don’t know my writing, I think it’s about time that we got acquainted! Polished Preview

More about me…I write emotionally rich stories of imperfect people trying to find happiness amidst internal and external challenges…with lots of hot sex. I’m known for writing hot and emotional erotic romance with more than two characters intertwined. I write ménage with and without BDSM elements and never spare my characters from a hard climb to HEA. Find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Get more on at AlyssaTurnerWrites.com and see all my published books on Amazon. Thank you Delilah for letting me drop by!!

Alyssa Turner

Fifty years ago, I published my first attempt to become a writer. Over the years, I’ve seen so many changes. In the old days, I often received my manuscripts with comments written in the margins or in letters helping me improve my stories. These days, editors seem to want a manuscript nearly ready to publish. In those days, there were magazines galore waiting for short stories and an agent wasn’t needed for submission. Slowly, the magazine market dried up. A number of book publishers have either closed their doors or merged with other publishers. In some ways, this is sad.

But there are positive matters to consider. Back then, there were only hard cover and paperback books. I remember being at a small conference when two writers so envied me because three of my books were in hard cover. Now, there are many ways to publish. Major publishers, small publishers, electronic publishers, self publishing.

I found electronic publishing near the end of 1997 and had my first eBook appear in 1998. These times were exciting and sometimes traumatic for writers, if they chose to go that ways. My first book, though it’s been updated and parts re-written, is available today. The book in its many incarnations has not made me a fortune but has continued to sell and sell. MURDER and MINT TEA was and is the title.

Murder and Mint Tea

Katherine is a retired nurse and a retired church organist. The small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families.

When amoral Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house, trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her fear for her friends and family.
Finding the killer becomes her goal.

Get your copy here!

Editorial Review
“Murder and Mint Tea is a gem in its genre, combining the voice of a classic American whodunit with that of a traditional British detective novel. Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple in a beautifully crafted tale that makes the reader want to reach into the pages and dispense justice to the villainess themselves.” ~ Writer Gail Roughton

I have written a most unusual series, The Heiress Games. 3 books that all follow the same events, but each one tells the story from the point of view of different characters. Three women who are all competing for the family fortune. Each book in the series follows one of the couples. The third and final book in the series is out this month. THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS. Here’s the 411.

About the series…

Eccentric heiress, Victoria Armington, has died and left her vast fortune to her pet pig, Matilda. Now three Armington descendants have been chosen to compete for custody of the pig…and control of the money. Then there’s the lawyer in charge of overseeing the competition, and his two best friends, who arrive to make sure nothing goes wrong.

Heiress #3: Bailey Tenant – The Forgotten Heiress

Once upon a time, songwriter Bailey Tenant’s mother was cut off from the Armington family for daring to love the wrong person. Bailey doesn’t want anything to do with them now, but she has a mountain of medical debt, and without that fortune her grandchildren could still be paying it off. When Grammy-winning singer Jackson Stone shows up to escort her to Palm Cove, she agrees to compete. She just never expected the most dangerous aspect of the competition would be losing her heart to Jackson.

Jackson Stone lost the love of his life in a fiery plane crash and then he lost the music. He has to find a way to reawaken the muse, and helping his friend oversee The Heiress Games might work. Soon, Bailey Tenant is reviving his buried heart and tempting him to see forever again. Bailey and Jackson have both vowed to avoid love, but sometimes there’s no choice but to surrender to the promise of a fortune in love.

In the midst of it all, there’s a saboteur at work. Someone who might stop at nothing to make sure no one wins.

NOTE: Unlike the previous 2 books in the series, THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS finally reveals the winner of Armington fortune (and custody of Matilda the pig) and the identity of the saboteur.

Here’s an excerpt showing how Bailey & Jackson meet…it’s pretty great.

Chapter One

Jackson Stone watched in reluctant fascination as Marilyn Monroe slowly stripped right in front of him. The screen goddess reached up and removed her platinum-blonde wig, revealing a skullcap underneath. He found himself holding his breath as her arm rose again, this time to pluck the cap off her head. A few strategic bobby pins later and a mass of ginger-colored curls spilled across her creamy-white shoulders. It was like watching a curtain of cinnamon rain down on a frothy cappuccino.

Raining cinnamon? 

Where had that come from? He must be out of his mind.

The striptease continued as Marilyn reached under the hem of her iconic white dress. Jackson caught a glimpse of a shapely thigh as she flicked a fastener and began rolling a silk stocking down her leg.

Old-fashioned garters…

He shifted on the couch as a part of him that had mostly been dead for the last year stirred to life. Heat washed over him as a savage want surged through his veins.

Two days ago Jackson’s best friend, Cameron Reed, had asked for a favor. A high-priced lawyer with a large estate to probate, Cam needed help looking after three women who were possible heiresses to an immense fortune. Jackson didn’t know the whole story about the will. He did know there was some kind of competition…and a pig was involved…somehow.

Jackson had been cursing his friend for sending him on this fool’s mission ever since he left Miami, but now he didn’t know whether to be grateful…or run like hell. He hadn’t traveled to the outskirts of New Orleans expecting to take part in a peep show. Then again, he hadn’t expected to find a fake, long-dead actress taking off her clothes, either.

He should alert her to his presence.

Yeah…absolutely, positively should do that.

Then she raised both arms to her chest and Jackson forgot all about being a gentleman. Except, instead of untying the top, she reached inside and removed what looked like two huge, raw chicken breasts.

Jackson’s startled laughter filled the room.

Buy Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Heiress-Games-Book-Tales-ebook/dp/B07BJMZVP8/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-forgotten-heiress/id1339788041?ls=1&mt=11

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forgotten-heiress-the-heiress-games-book-3-kristin-wallace/1127882310

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-forgotten-heiress-2

You can also catch up on the Don’t forget to go back and read the first two books: LEAST LIKELY HEIRESS (Book 1 – Eve & Cam’s story); and NOT QUITE AN HEIRESS (Book 2 – Abby & Killian’s story).

About the Author

Kristin Wallace is the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. She is the author of two other best-selling series, Shellwater Key Tales (sweet contemporary romance) and Covington Falls Chronicles (inspirational romance).

UPDATE: The winner of is…Janelle Beaver! 
*~*~*

I think all writers are inherently curious people, ones who love figuring out all the different ways to answer a simple question that starts off, “Hey, what if…”

An example of that in my own writing career stems from a lifelong interest of mine. Although I was an English major in college, I’ve always found geology fascinating.

I grew up in Missouri and live in the Pacific Northwest, both of which have interesting geological features and forces at work. Missouri is famous for its caves while Seattle has its Underground, leftover from when the city was rebuilt after a fire in the late1880s.

Both states also have fault lines that sometimes shiver and shake, making life interesting. Those same fault lines gave rise to the volcanoes scattered along the western side of North America. There are five in Washington State alone.

About ten years ago, I got to thinking about the geology I found so interesting and how I could incorporate it into a paranormal romance. Answering that particular “Hey, what if?” gave rise to my Paladin series. I decided there was an energy barrier that separated our world from another one. That barrier collapsed whenever an earthquake or a volcano decided to act up. If that happened, the people from the other world would come streaming across in a murderous rage. The Paladins are the warriors who stand the line to defend against the invasion. Their headquarters are located in the caves in Missouri and in the Seattle Underground.

Just to make it more interesting, the Paladins have some very special abilities. They’re stronger and have more highly developed senses than normal humans. They heal faster and can even come back from death—but only some many times. And where did they get these gifts? From those very same aliens they’ve been fighting for centuries.

The Paladins have a lot of the characteristics I love in a paranormal hero. They’re bigger than life, have secrets they must protect, and a willingness to sacrifice themselves to save everyone else. I always say the women who love them have to find some way to convince them that it’s just as important that these guys be willing to live for the people they love as they are to die for them.

What other characteristics do you look for in a great romantic hero? Do you prefer a three-piece suit, jeans and a T-shirt, or a uniform?

Leave a comment for a chance to win an Amazon gift card.

Alexis Morgan

In Darkness Transformed

The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Paladin series returns with this sexy, original title featuring a man discovering the paranormal world of the paladins.

Dying hurts…but not as much as living.

Eli is lucky to survive the helicopter crash that killed the rest of the passengers. But when he notices his wounds healing before his eyes, it seems like his survival may have come from more than luck.

Safara knows what Eli does not—Eli is a paladin, a mortal enemy of someone like Safara, someone from Kalithia.

Still, after Eli saves Safara’s life, and Safara introduces Eli to a whole new world, they just can’t seem to treat each as enemies.

Get your copy here!
Amz: a.co/4UvqCQC | BN: bit.ly/2DGOmWC | iB: apple.co/2n42b7g | Kobo: bit.ly/2DGEiwI

About the Author

USA Today Best-selling author Alexis Morgan has always loved reading and now spends her days imagining worlds filled with strong alpha heroes and gutsy heroines. She is the author of over forty-five novels, novellas, and short stories that span a variety of genres: American West historicals; paranormal romances, fantasy romances, and contemporary romances. She is excited to say that next year will see the release of her first cozy mysteries series.