Yesterday, I spent the entire day flipping through research books looking for story ideas. Finally, I had to close the books and went for a swim. By the time I’d finished my laps, I had five really cool ideas—including a very strong premise for a YA fantasy novel.

Today, I’m going to plot something sexy and spooky. Mostly I’ll be working in worldbuilding notes. Today’s message from me is short.

Get ready!

I have two releases coming out at the end of this month and I have a great big contest that will begin as soon as my webmistress gives me what I need to get this ball rolling. I’ll need your help to get the word out!

If you’ve been wondering whether you would like Darkness Burning, here’s a review I found on AlienPlaces:

“…if you like a wonderful, sensual celebration of life and love, amazing storytelling, great plotting, powerful worldbuilding, and delightful writing, try [Delilah Devlin]!

Or so you think.”

I had an interesting day yesterday. Spent it in an emergency room rather than with my friends talking Donald Maas. The red-headed hellion is fine, but has a very nice goose egg on her head to go along with the pretty bruises up and down her back.

I did finally start working on my TBR pile. I’m doing my best to conquer Katharine Briggs’s The Fairies in Tradition and Lore. It reads like a textbook but is filled with a huge world of fairy stories. I’m hoping to find that spark of an idea…

And while surfing the other day, looking for some online Tarot instruction since I bought this pack of cards and the book that accompanies it sucks, I found a site that does FREE one-card readings. I submitted my question. Here’s the lovely response I got from “Moonbug”, my spirit guide:

Thank you so much for visiting me at the Free Tarot Network! I am happy to provide you a free one-card reading about your question: ‘Will I get another New York publishing contract before the year is out?’

Peace & blessings,
Moonbug

So you heard it from “Spirit”. Good news should come in the Fall. And I signed up to join the network so that I can do one-card readings under a mentor. Should I tell him I’m a newbie? Maybe we could have fun with readings on my blog or during our monthly chat!

And according to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, the June moon brings love, marriage (now, we know why women want those June weddings!), and success. So see there? I have double the good news today!

Today, I’m off to another writer’s meeting in Conway. I’m hoping the skies stay clear and no tornadoes drop to scuff away the rest of the paint on my car! Also, just FYI—I finished the cowboy ménage I’ve been working on!! I’m crossing my fingers for a November release, but I’ll let you know soonest!

In the meantime, I have a guest. And I’d love for you to welcome her. She’s a fellow author from Ellora’s Cave, Stephanie Julian, and she has a new book coming June 26th! Heeeeere’s Stephanie!

What’s your ultimate sexual fantasy?

No, don’t answer right away. Think about it for a few minutes. Let it roll around in your brain and gather steam.

Why? Because the question begs some internal discussion.

How far are you willing to go to fulfill it? And when you do, what’s next?

Maybe some fantasies are better when they remain just that. There’s no let-down, no regrets, no recriminations.

That’s why I love writing erotic romance. Because those ultimate sexual scenarios that tie your brain in knots when presented with reality are the perfect way to spend a few hours wrapped in a book.

When I conceived of the Magical Seduction series, I knew I wanted to explore as many erotic situations as possible. My first six stories are straight male/female, the bread and butter of romance.

But for the seventh, I wanted that ultimate sexual fantasy.
So a ménage was definitely in the cards.

As a reader, I love the fantasy presented by ménage. Two (or more) hot guys dedicated to the pleasure of one woman, how could that be bad?

In “Seduced by Two,” Nica Donato meets Tanner and Jensen Miller and, though she doesn’t realize at first what’s in store for her, she embraces the adventure. And the brothers.

As a strega, an Etruscan witch, Nica is a descendent of the once-mighty Etruscan magical civilization. She controls a powerful magic that must be kept hidden from the non-magical world. She’s also about to take her mother’s place in their boschetta (coven) and give up all notion of a normal life.

When she walks into that bar, she’s looking for a release, an escape. And finds the ultimate pleasure and the ultimate romance with two men.

That meant two hot heroes for me to create. Two strong men with very different personalities, both of whom need compelling reasons to share the same woman.

For me, a ménage is like a teeter-totter, with a man on either side and a woman balancing in the middle. It’s quite a ride when you get all the logistics worked out.

And an ultimate fantasy.

So what’s yours?

Stephanie Julian is the author of the Magical Seduction series, beginning with Seduced by Magic and continuing with Seduced by Two, releasing June 26 from Ellora’s Cave. She’s a writer with a reading problem, though some days, it’s the other way around. Her series has gotten great reviews, which you can see on her website at www.stephaniejulian.com.

That’s what I’m talking about today over at the AA loop. So follow the link below and join me!

So, Friday was interesting. I made the trip to Conway for the Donald Maas workgroup (an hour and a half one way!). All the ladies were very nice. One I already knew from the Diamond State Romance Authors.

We were getting to know each other and talking about the story we want to use while we go through the Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, when I look through the plate glass window and see a trampoline go flying by.

I must have said something like, “Well, that’s not something you see every day.” The women turned to the window and started making noise about how nasty it was outside. When more large objects got hurled through the air I said, “Let’s get behind the wall.”

Yeah, there was a tornado in the neighborhood. And we never got the siren or saw a funnel—just wind so strong it turned deck umbrellas inside out and bent them sideways, sent trash cans sliding down the street, and flattened large sections of privacy fence. The rain came at us sideways, and for a few moments even seemed to curve upwards.

When it was over, so was the meeting. There was just too much excitement to get back to work. Then I went out to my car and had a nasty surprise. A large section of shingle from a neaby roof had gotten wedged under my car, and the gritty side flapped against it. The side that faced the wind was covered with pits and tiny, hair-like scratches. I’m bummed because my deductible is pretty high, but whatcha gonna do?

I know what I’m gonna do—write another story to pay for the paint job.

Okay, so when I opened this blog up, the only thing I could think of to talk about was my tattoo. So the original title was “My tattoo’s molting!” But then I thought that people might be eating breakfast (or whatever you eat when you don’t live in my time zone), so I had to really think hard for another topic.

Then I remembered that tonight I will be at the Fallen Angels Reviews site!! Yup, I’ll be in their chat room at 8 PM CST, talking about whatever anyone who shows up wants to talk about. If you’ve never been there, here’s the link: Fallen Angels Chat Room (And yeah, I do give out a prize, er bribe!)

So back to the tattoo. Or not. Since LOCKDOWN’s out now, and I can focus completely on my Work-in-Progress (a cowboy menage), you’d think I’d be ready to blast through the end of that story. Only have a chapter and a half to go. But nooooo!

Last night I saw an email about someone who was looking for another author to join a special group tackling Donald Maas’s Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Since I have the workbook and have never made it past chapter one because I have no discipline, I called her at 9 o’clock last night begging for a seat at her table.

So today, I’ll be away from the computer, away from the email and my WIP. But I’m taking my camera. If our fearless workgroup leader doesn’t mind, I’ll come back with pics so you can see what working writers really look like!

So you’re still wondering why I typed the title back in? Couldn’t help myself. I didn’t know tattoos could be so gross. It itches like hell and is shedding skin like I have some skin-shedding disease, only my skin’s shedding in pretty colors. And I still can’t get into the pool.

Thanks to everyone who kept this blog so lively over the past few days! This is the end of this contest, but be watching because in a few days, I will be announcing another contest to celebrate the releases of Darkness Burning and Tempted by a Cowboy!

Following are the names of the current winners. The lucky ones need to send me an email to let me know where to deliver their prizes!

* The autographed copy of TEXAS MEN or DOWN IN TEXAS goes to…Lyoness2009!
* The autographed copy of ALLURING TALES: HOT HOLIDAY NIGHTS goes to…Heather Brewer!
* The free download of any one of my Ellora’s Cave backlisted stories goes to…Tamika!