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Archive for May, 2010



May Wrap-up
Monday, May 31st, 2010

May was all about waiting. And not very gracefully either.

I waited to hear whether my Berkley editor liked my first book and whether she would approve the synopsis for the second. I’m still waiting.

I waited to hear whether my Samhain editor liked my third installment of the Lone Star Lovers series. She hasn’t gotten back to me either.

The waiting killed my productivity, which isn’t a very good excuse, but it’s hard to argue with your insecurities.

I did manage to write the first draft of a 16k short-novella then trashed exactly half of it and rewrote it into a 22k erotic novella. I rewrote it because even though I was having tons of fun with the sex in the story, I lost the emotions that go into building a relationship. I like the rewrite much better.

I still have six pages of a short story to finish today, revise tomorrow, and then submit for a Cleis collection of short stories. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble meeting that deadline.

May saw the release of Captive Souls, the print anthology co-written with Vivi Anna and Kimberly Kaye Terry.

Three short stories I had submitted in previous months to three publishers received their verdicts.
* Xcite turned down my entry in their “Kiss in the Dark” anthology.
* The editor for the Cleis “Passion” anthology accepted The Morning Ride.
* The editor for the “Mammoth Book of Hot Romance” accepted Hot Out Here.

June is going to be complicated month. I have a week where I will barely hit the keyboard due to a family reunion. And I lose another day on the 12th when I travel to Dallas to deliver the 5-year-old to daddy.

The Cleis collection, “Girl Crush” releases tomorrow, so I do have a book to push! Look for it tomorrow.

I fell very short of my goals for May, but I still intend to stick my neck out and state what I hope to accomplish in June.
* Once I have approval of my proposal for the second Viking book, write the first 7 chapters
* Write proposals for two Cleis anthologies
* Write a short story for the Cleis “Dream Lover” anthology
* Revise a proposal for Blaze
* Write chapter 4 of Cat Tails

I’m ambitious, but if I start out boldly, I can do it. Here goes.

P.S. Thanks, Rachel for the reminder. I also have an on-line month-long plotting bootcamp to lead along with my sister. Gah!

Sunday Report Card
Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Yesterday, I should have made a mad dash to Dallas and back, but the 5-year-old’s dad asked to put off the exchange a couple of weeks. Yay! I’ll get to share the pool with her before she heads off for her summer away!

This week, I finally wrapped up the neverending novella and sent it to my beta readers to see what they thought. It’s not my usual fare, and it has me a little nervous, but it is what it is. I thought the story was one long tease between a secretary and her boss, but it ended up this BDSM thing with his partners involved. Hey, it’s where my imagination went. I’m not going to apologize!

Then I started on something a little more fun and much shorter. (Gawd, I really hope so!) It’s due June 1st, so I really have to get on it. Before I headed out to a friend’s birthday party yesterday, I hit 1100 words on the story. Since I only need 2500, I think I won’t have a problem meeting the deadline, except that the timeframe of the story requires a little research.

This week, I get to start a shiny new month, full of new opportunities for success as well as some enormous hurdles to conquer. More about that when I wrap up the month on the 31st!

Yesterday’s winner, by random number generator is…Mitzi H.!

Mitzi, email me with your snail mail address!

Flashback: Once Upon a Legend
Saturday, May 29th, 2010

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

Ignore the puke green cover! This book is funny and hot! And one of my favorite collaborations. Along with my sister, Myla Jackson, and our very good friend, Layla Chase, we dreamed up a trio of tales set in the Wild Wild West with heroines who had unusual occupations. This was the follow-up book to Wild, Wild Women of the West I. Enjoy the excerpt! My heroine writes dime novels about larger-than-life western heroes, but this is her first time out of Chicago and she’s just discovered that a story she wrote is coming true.

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

“…Sisters Devlin and Jackson team up with Chase to create sizzling stories of delicious, daring men and even wilder women. Make sure you’ve got time to kill, because once you start you’ll want to read this collection in one sitting.”
4 ½ Stars, RT BOOKreviews on WILD, WILD WOMEN OF THE WEST II

These women like their horses fast and their men hard. And they always know how to get what they want…

When Prudence Vogel finally meets Jake White Eagle, she discovers he really is the tall, handsome hero of her novel. And his dark sensuality and raw masculinity make her eager to explore every intimate inch of his beautiful body…

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

A quick darting glance around the edge of the window and Prudence spied her target. The gunslinger had his back to her and was talking to a large man who tucked his wrinkled shirt inside his pants and hitched up his yellow suspenders.

When they moved toward the door, she quickly drew back and straightened the hem of her neat, gray-striped jacket. She’d settled on a staid, professional outfit. No use in trying too hard to win an appreciative glance.

She’d only look desperate.

In her hand, she held a copy of her novel. Not the precious dog-eared copy that had been the first to roll off Beadle’s printing press.

This was a fresh copy. She intended to give it to him along with the warning that, however unlikely it sounded, the events within its pages were coming true.

She wouldn’t mention she was the novelist. That would be far too embarrassing. After reading it, he might guess correctly at her infatuation.

Oh, why had she extolled his beauty and gone on and on about the strength in his taut, leanly muscled body? He’d wonder how an innocent maiden lady would know about any fires that heated the loins of the heroine at just the sight of his manly physique.

Never mind he’d figure that out quickly if she couldn’t remember how to breathe. She was about to get her first clear view of that impressive body and handsome face, and her insides trembled like jelly.

The door opened and the burly man with the yellow suspenders stepped onto the planked walkway, wincing at the sunlight. “Dammit, Jake. A man could go blind this time a day.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Man-Candy
Friday, May 28th, 2010

I found this image on the website, Just Beautiful Men, and have to agree. Love the towel. And there’s just a hint of you-know-what below it to tease. Lovely. *sigh*

Yesterday’s question provided me quite a few new adds to my bucket list! Thanks to everyone who responded.

With only a few days left in this month, I have to knuckle down to finish my two projects. I’m close on one, but am stumbling over the last chapter. I have to wrap it today. No more excuses. The second project is short, but is very complicated setting-wise. I hate getting down to the wire.

Tomorrow, I have to drive to Dallas to drop the 5-year-old off with her daddy. Very sad day. I’ll post some sort of contest tomorrow to make it fun so be sure to stop by. ~DD

A Question for You…and Bookmarks!
Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Here’s another of my questions for you to ponder…

What is one trip you have never taken but would
really like to take some day?

My answer will be in the comments.

Also, I cleared my backlog of contest mailings this week because I have the new bookmarks I ordered. If you’d like bookmarks for yourself, friends, or to drop at your local bookstore, just send me an email with your snail mail address and how many you’d like to have. Here’s what they look like:

Guest Blogger: Paige Tyler
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

While I’m in Little Rock today, welcome my guest and fellow Ellora’s Cave author, Paige Tyler! ~DD

Here’s a note from Paige:

I’m so excited to announce that I have a new erotic romance out with Ellora’s Cave called GOOD COP, BAD GIRL that’s fun, sexy and smokin’ hot!

When people ask me where I get ideas for my books, I tell them anywhere and everywhere, which is true. Sometimes, I’ll read an article in a newspaper or magazine and it will give me an idea. Other times, someone will say something that will make me think, hey that’d be a great idea for a book. That’s how I came up with the story for GOOD COP, BAD GIRL. One of the women who works in my hubby’s office is a huge fan of the television show “Cops” and she was telling him about an episode in which a cop pulled over a pair of girls for speeding and they thought the whole thing was a prank because the guy was just way too good looking to be a cop.

When my hubby told me about it, I immediately had one of those hey-that’d-be-a-great-idea-for-a-book moments! Having the hero pull the heroine over for a traffic stop wasn’t going to work in the book, though, so I decided to have him show up at her apartment because the party she’s having for her birthday is getting a little too loud and disturbing the neighbors. And instead of thinking it’s some kind of prank, she assumes the hot cop is a male stripper her friends hired for her birthday. Hmm, a hot guy in uniform that comes with his own handcuffs. You probably think you know exactly where this is going, don’t you?

While I won’t tell you exactly what happens between the hero and heroine, I will share a sexy excerpt with you! Hope you enjoy it! And if you decide to pick up GOOD COP, BAD GIRL let me know how you like it!

Gotta love a guy who comes with his own handcuffs!

When a hunky cop shows up at Julie Hanson’s apartment to tell her the police received a complaint about the noise from her birthday party, she assumes he’s a male stripper her girlfriends hired. Upon discovering the gorgeous Kirk Chandler really is a police officer, she’s completely mortified, especially since she teased him about giving her a birthday spanking.

Kirk appears at her door for a second time later that night, bearing gifts and asking if she got her birthday spanking. Julie not only gets her bottom nicely warmed, but is treated to a night of pleasure that qualifies as the best birthday present any girl could ask for.

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

Laughing, Julie yanked open the door and found herself face to face with the most gorgeous guy she’d ever seen. Tall, with short-cropped brown hair and a perfectly chiseled jaw, he had a wide, sensuous mouth and soulful dark eyes. More gold than brown, they were the kind of eyes a girl could end up getting lost in.

She forced her gaze to move lower, taking in his broad shoulders and muscular biceps before coming to rest on the shiny badge on the front of his dark blue uniform. Directly across from it was a nametag that read Chandler. This hot hunk was a cop?

Abruptly realizing she was just standing there staring at him, she reached up to tuck her long, ash blonde hair behind an ear. “Can I help you, Officer?”

He glanced at the other girls still sitting in the living room before those incredible eyes settled on her again. “Is this your apartment, ma’am?”

She stifled a groan. Even his voice was sexy as sin. “Yes.”

“We got a complaint about the noise you and your friends were making.”

Julie automatically opened her mouth to apologize, only to close it again as the obvious suddenly struck her. God, she was slow sometimes. This mouthwatering specimen of a man wasn’t a real cop; he must be a male stripper her friends had hired for her birthday. And if he looked even half as good naked as he did in that uniform, then she was in for a real show. Her friends were the best!

She glanced at the other girls over her shoulder and gave them a wink before turning back to him. Her lips curved into a sexy smile. “And you’re here to arrest me, right?” she teased. “Or maybe you’d rather give me a birthday spanking instead?”

He lifted a brow, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion.

Julie was a little surprised by it herself. So much for not being able to ask a guy she’d just met for a spanking. She wasn’t usually quite so bold. Then again, she was already on her second margarita. Not that she was tipsy or anything. She was just feeling a little naughty. And if she couldn’t be naughty on her birthday, when could she be naughty?

When he didn’t answer, she gave him a pout. “No? And one of my friends just gave me the cutest heart-shaped paddle, too.” She shrugged. “Maybe later then. I’d much rather see you strip anyway.”

His brows drew together. “Strip?”

Damn, he was really good at staying in character. She nodded. “Yeah, you know, take off your clothes. Though I wouldn’t do it out in the hallway if I were you. Not unless you want my neighbors to really call the cops.”

When he didn’t move, she reached out and grabbed the front of his belt to give it a tug. He didn’t resist, but let her pull him into the entryway. As much as she would have liked to keep her hand right where it was, maybe even move it a little lower, she forced herself to release him. She should probably let him start dancing before she got too familiar. She waited, expecting him to make suggestive little moves with his hips and unbutton his shirt, but he only continued to regard her with that same authoritative expression on his face. Sheesh, this guy was seriously into his role.

Julie took a step closer to him. He was taller than she was by almost a foot and she had to tilt her chin to look up at him. Up close like this, she could see light flecks of green in his golden eyes.

“You’re really good, you know that? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a real cop.” She circled him slowly, running her hand up his arm and over his shoulder, then across his back. “The uniform looks real, that’s for sure.” She let her fingers trail over his opposite shoulder and down his other arm, her gaze going to the gun in the holster at his hip as she walked around to stand in front of him again. “So does the gun. And the handcuffs.” She ran a finger over the badge on his chest. “And that badge is the best I’ve ever seen.”

As she studied the radio clipped to his left shoulder, she realized it looked real, too. She didn’t know male strippers wore such authentic getups. She was about to say as much to him when the radio suddenly hissed.

“All units in the vicinity of Bayview, we have a 2-11 in progress…”

She frowned. Bayview was a neighborhood in the southern part of the city, across town from where she lived in the Lower Pacific Heights section of San Francisco. Oh…crap. This guy wasn’t a stripper. He was a real cop! She jerked her head up to look at him, her eyes wide.

A slow smile curved his mouth as he folded his arms across his broad chest. “That’s right, ma’am. The uniform is real. The gun is real. The handcuffs are real. The badge is real. And you,” he added meaningfully, “are in real trouble.”

Watch the Trailer!

Buy it from Ellora’s Cave

Buy it on Amazon Kindle!

Happy Reading!
Paige

And for more of my sexy, erotic fiction visit my website

Looking on the bright side…
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

This was in my inbox yesterday!

From The Romance Studio: “…The seventh book in the My Immortal Knight series, Knight of My Dreams is by far the best. The story is such a perfect contrast between light and dark, past and present, vengeance and redemption, that it leaves you aching with its haunting beauty. Quentin is a fierce warrior, who loves his wife and is ready to sell his soul to the devil in order to save her. Kamaria, on the other hand, is not the devil she wants all to think she is, and the hints of vulnerability she shows only make her the most powerful character in this story. Moreover, Darcy, along with all the secondary characters, does not fall short in her complexity and strength…But no question, this book is intense in every sense of the word, and it is ready to rob you of your breath.

And after a lot of wallowing, I have managed to make progress. Everything on Sunday’s To Do list is complete. So I’m a day behind—so what! I still hope to complete the novella for the Kindle project by Thursday. Have to see where Sasha is with her story…

For any of you who are waiting for contest materials to be mailed, I worked on a huge stack yesterday. I’ll mail them when I’m on my way to Little Rock tomorrow. You should have them in your hot little hands soon!

And lastly, the pool temperature finally rose above 80 degrees! The water’s warm, clear and I didn’t have to fish any critters from the depths. It’s all good.