Just so y’all don’t think I’ve been resting on my laurels, here’s a peek at the book I finished last week for Ellora’s Cave. Lockdown is the sequel to my dark paranormal, Sin’s Gift.

What happens when demons take over a cellblock?

Around nine o’clock when prisoners were beginning to settle in front of the television or into little groups to chat quietly, Gillian’s mike squawked. “Priest, got a new ten-fifteen. Needs an escort.”

She hadn’t been briefed about their procedures for bringing in new prisoners, but she had read the manual. Didn’t seem any different from Bentonville’s SOP. She headed out of the housing unit to West Gate’s “Sally Port.” A white van was pulled up close to the port. A sheriff’s deputy was outside the vehicle chatting to with the officer manning the gate when she walked up to them.

“Got fresh meat,” the officer said.

Gillian wasn’t entirely sure whether he was talking about the prisoner being led up in leg irons toward the gate or her. And a glance at his twisted lips told her the ambiguity had been deliberate. She lifted her chin and held out her hand for the clipboard with the papers describing their requisition of a new prisoner, named Gabriel Vlahos.

Inmate number 140849 now. Chains rattled, feet shuffled as the prisoner rounded the end of the van.

Gillian’s eyes widened a fraction and she quickly looked at the clipboard again to gather her scattered wits. She’d only lost them a second.

It didn’t matter how beautiful the man was. The papers said he’d killed. But no matter the crime or the length of his sentence, the white jumpsuit rendered him forever off limits to her.
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…I hope you all got a good night’s sleep. I was keyed up all night and got a lot of housecleaning done after the announcement. However you voted, we should all be hopeful for the future. Isn’t it a blessing that we get a chance to wipe the slate clean every four years and try again?

So, with a shiny desk and lighter heart I have a question for you. Yeah, another one of those silly questions just to get a conversation going and learn a little more about each other. Here goes…

Of all the movie characters you have seen, which one do you believe is most like you?

Twenty years ago, I’d have answered instantly, “Private Benjamin.” Everyone who knew me thought of me as that clueless blonde soldier with the big wide eyes. And I have to own up to the fact that I was oblivious to so many dark and dangerous things going on around me that it was a pretty accurate comparison. I saw a movie recently that resonated with the current me. If you haven’t seen it and want to look inside a writer’s very strange mind, watch Emma Thompson in “Stranger than Fiction.” My daughter saw the movie first and made me order it. She told me, “Oh my God mom, she’s soooo you!”

I can’t wait to hear whom you choose!

And the title here is longer than the post. Okay, so I have one more time I’m going to blog about the new books, and it’s today at Access Romance’s All-A-Blog. I’d love to see you there!! ~DD

Please join me at the Aphrodisia Authors website today. Yeah, I’m talking about Down in Texas again, but what the heck? Do you really have anything better to do other than give an author a reason to smile? 😎

The winner of the last 30 Days of Giveaways prize is…Darby! Darby, email me!

Someone who knows I’m into cowboys sent me this joke:

The Zipper

As the bus stopped and it was her turn to get on, she became aware that her skirt was too tight to allow her leg to come up to the height of the first step of the bus.

Slightly embarrassed and with a quick smile to the bus driver, she reached behind her to unzip her skirt a little, thinking that this would give her enough slack to raise her leg . She tried to take the step, only to discover that she couldn’t.

So, a little more embarrassed, she once again reached behind her to unzip her skirt a little more, and for the second time attempted the step.

Once again, much to her chagrin, she could not raise her leg. With a little smile to the driver, she again reached behind to unzip a little more and again was unable to take the step.

About this time, a large Texan who was standing behind her picked her up easily by the waist and placed her gently on the step of the bus.

She went ballistic and turned to the would-be Samaritan and yelled, “How dare you touch my body! I don’t even know who you are!”

The Texan smiled and drawled, “Well, ma’am, normally I would agree with you, but after you unzipped my fly three times, I kinda figured we was friends.”

😆

Regarding yesterday’s contest–it’s still running. Post here or on yesterday’s blog–they both count!

Lockdown was completed 10/30 and shipped!

Progress so far for Dark Realm-4

Okay, so the title of this posting is really, really cheesy. I don’t care!

It’s going to be that kind of month—zany, cheesy, stressful, and tons of fun! If you’re a writer, aspiring or published, and you don’t know what NaNoWriMo is all about, click on the picture to find out.

What it means for me personally is that I will be spending the month of November with my head down, writing balls-to-the-walls. If you’re a writer-friend and want to join me in a “Word War” be sure to send me an email! We can egg each other on as we soar toward that 50,000-word goal!!