Just a couple quick announcements, then on to my weekly truth-telling…

Today, I’m going to work on getting together a set of questions and a list of prizes I will give away this week for a SCAVENGER HUNT to celebrate the unveiling of my new web design. So be sure to stop by every day, see what’s happening and post those comments!

Also in the planning stages is a blog tour to spread the word about the release of Darkness Captured in September. It’s not too early to plan, and I need your suggestions. What websites do you think I should approach to see whether they might host me for a day? You all have your favorites, I’d love to start a list so I can try to get on their calendars.

In addition, I’ll be preparing a contest widget that I’d love for any of you out there interested in putting it on your site. Of course, there will be bribes… 🙂

So on to the truth-telling…

This week:

* I wrapped up a story that was supposed to be a Quickie for Ellora’s Cave, but ended up being a novella. I was a little irritated with myself for not following the plan, but you won’t mind, right? The tentative title is A Long Howl Goodnight, and the story is related to the MIK series because it involves wolves from the Dark Mountain clan (last seen in MIK-6).

* I began work on my next Western for Samhain. Can’t tell you what it’s about yet, but I like the opening. My heroine is a writer, and strangely, every time I have a writer-heroine (the only other time was DiDi in Bad Moon Rising), I manage to portray her very close to my own personality.

* I continued teaching and providing detailed feedback for the FFnP Logline, Premise, Query and Synopsis class.

* And the big excitement was the finalization of my new web page design! Woohoo!

Next week, I hope to wrap up a short story for a Call for Submissions. I want to get through chapter 3 of the new Western. I want to finish the last bit of planning for the second Viking book, and I’ll be running that scavenger hunt! Lastly, I’ll wrap up the FFnP class.

Thanks for suffering through that last bit. 😉

If you’re reading this on my blog, you know I have a new website design. Woohoo! No, there wasn’t a thing wrong with the old, but I like to change it up now and then because I get bored with the same ole thing. I invite you to browse through my site if it’s been a while, because I’m constanty updating content. If you find a link or something that looks wonky (we can’t catch everything!), just let me know!

I should have a grand opening party or something, and run a scavenger contest to make you look around. Maybe I’ll start that Monday and run it for a week. What would you like for a prize(s)?

The little one goes home today. Even despite her running like a wild thing through the house, I managed quite a bit of work yesterday. My EC editor, Mary, asked me to add words to A Long Howl Goodnight to bring it up to novella length. I wrote an epilogue. I also added pages to a new Western novella. I have one really grumpy hero (there are a pair of brothers), which I find very, very sexy. And she’s the second writer-heroine I’ve had. It’s strange, but when I cast a writer, I somehow reflect a very accurate internal picture of me in the story.

Let me know what you think of the new site! And let me know what you’d like as prizes for a scavenger hunt! ~DD

I have the little on underfoot all day today. She’s still in bed, so I have a moment’s peace. I have to make this quick! (How do they find so many things to talk about?!)

If you could have the voice of any famous person, living or deceased, whose voice would you claim as your own?

You’ll find my answer in the comments later this morning!

If this page looks a little different (I’m noticing that my progress bars are purple today!), it’s because my webmistress is in the process of converting me over to another web design. Hopefully by the end of the weekend, it will all be over and we can ooh and aah over the pretty new page. Please forgive any inconvenience or confusion this may cause you.

And talking about those progress meters, another one is filled up. I finished a short novella yesterday and shipped it to Ellora’s Cave. It’s a werewolf story and involves the wolves at Dark Mountain who were featured in MIK-6. Cross your fingers my editor likes it. So now it’s back to cowboys and Vikings.

I’ll pick up the little girl today. She’s going to stay a couple of nights. I’m hoping I can get some writing done while she’s here, but that’s always a dream. She doesn’t mean to interrupt, but the concept of little interruptions killing a train of thought doesn’t compute in a 6-year-old mind.

Y’all probably want to know who won Tuesday’s Flashback contest, right? Thanks to everyone who posted, but— there can be only one! (I do miss The Highlander.)

The winner (by random number generator) is…Armenia Fox! Armenia, congratulations and be sure to email me with your snail mail address!

Psst! Yesterday’s contest continues. If you post today, you have two chances to win! ~DD

I want to give Delilah a huge thank you for inviting me today. Delilah’s an author I first started reading shortly after I decided to get serious about writing, now quite a few of her books stand side by side on my keeper shelf. I wonder if it was a sign that I’d write Texas Tangle when I picked up a copy of Delilah’s Tempted by a Cowboy anthology last year.

I’ve always loved cowboys—there’s something about them that I find so attractive, despite how they must smell of the barnyard by the end of the day. From way back to the days of Gunsmoke and Bonanza (I had a wicked schoolgirl crush on Little Joe) to modern day cowboys, I’ve always had a softspot for those Stetson wearin’ fellas. That’s probably what inspired me to write Texas Tangle (although I have to confess, neither hero is technically a cowboy, though they do both ride horses.)

But what is it about cowboys that we find so sexy?

I know first-hand that there’s something sexy about hearing a soft southern drawl of a guy asking if they can do something for me. Or maybe it’s just the way their “ma’am” drags out in a much sexier fashion than it does up north.

Or maybe it’s those chaps that highlight that cute tight butt by the absence of leather? (I used to think this until my eldest son bought a pair of chaps to wear while riding his motorcycle. Now I view chaps in a whole different light.)

Is it the slightly bow-legged amble after they’ve climbed off their horse?

Or knowing that they can make a thousand pound animal do their will?

Does wearing a Stetson automatically make a guy sexier? Well, in Matthew McConaughey’s defense, I don’t think the hat had much to do with how sexy he is. 😉

I love the cowboy on the cover of Texas Tangle – in fact Delilah must too, since it looks like he’s the same guy in her banner.

So tell me, why do you find cowboys sexy?

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

Thanks to her cheating ex-husband and her thieving brother, all horse breeder Nikki Kimball has left is a bruised heart, an overdrawn bank account and an empty home. When sex-on-legs Dillon Barnett and his brooding foster-brother Brett Anderson start showing more than just neighborly attention, Nikki is intrigued…and a little gun-shy.

Dillon and Brett have a history; back in high school, the two friends fought a bitter battle over Nikki. Now, ten years later, Brett still longs to be the man in Nikki’s life, but he’s determined to stand back and let Dillon win Nikki’s heart.

Society says Nikki must choose between the two men she loves. Is Nikki strong enough to break all the rules in order to find happiness?

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

“No, no, no!” With steam billowing from the hood of her truck, Nikki maneuvered blindly easing the vehicle to the side of the road, making sure the horse trailer she was towing wasn’t blocking traffic. “You can’t die here. We’re so close to home.”

With a sigh, she killed the engine, climbed from the cab and kicked the front tire. “You couldn’t have held on for another three miles, could you? No-o-o, you had to blow out the rad here, you piece of shit.”

She waited in the inky black night for ten minutes before a vehicle crested the hill, its high beams blinding her until the driver dimmed the lights. She moved to the side as the Jeep zipped past, not even slowing to see if she needed help. A half-dozen cars zoomed by over the next half hour without a single one slowing. She was starting to consider unloading her newest horse and riding him home when a familiar white pick-up slowed then parked in front of her truck.

First a long, booted leg, then the rest of the driver’s body unfolded as he clambered down. Dillon Barnett jammed a dusty black cowboy hat on his head before he ambled over. “Hey, Nik. Need some help?”
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If you post a comment today and tomorrow, you’ll be in the running for an autographed copy of this book! I’ll announce a winner on Thursday.

This collection of short stories was a labor of love among friends and was released in November 2008. There’s a little something for everyone in this book.

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

From the authors of the bestselling ALLURING TALES: AWAKEN THE FANTASY comes a new erotic romance anthology featuring seven super-sexy holiday-themed short stories. Together, the Allure Authors offer more than just steamy romances—they introduce readers to an erotic world full of limitless possibilities.

The holidays are heating up — with seven wickedly sensual stories guaranteed to spice up those chilly winter nights!

A psychology student goes online hoping to live out her steamiest fantasy — and ends up on a hot mystery date with a wickedly imaginative stud who brings out her inner pole-dancer…

A determined lady comes home, burning for her girlhood crush — a sexy lawman who totes a big gun…

A creative ad man’s passion is aroused when he sees his buttoned-up coworker in a revealing new light — dressed in sizzling red satin on a giant billboard…

A professional dominatrix wishes upon a star, and her fantasy appears — an insatiable alpha male in biker boots who’s literally out of this world…

A tall, dark, handsome warlock finds himself obsessed with his “familiar” — a sleek and sexy cat-woman who turns out to be the purr-fect lover…

She was always hot for big brother’s best friend — and now her erotic dream is here in the taut and tempting flesh…

A pair of fugitive lovers finds themselves warm and toasty in a sultry Caribbean paradise — and ready for some red-hot fun in the sun…

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

Dalton cut his cruiser’s lights as soon as he saw the little red Miata parked in the judge’s driveway. He recognized it as the same sassy little car parked outside the courthouse that morning.

After radioing to the dispatcher, he grabbed his flashlight and headed to the backyard. He had a good idea where their “burglar” would be. Sure enough, as soon as he rounded the corner of the house he found her, arms stretched in a lazy back stroke, her body nicely outlined by the recessed lighting rimming the bottom of the pool.

Flicking off the flashlight, he knelt beside the water and waited patiently for Harmony to finish her lap, enjoying the sight of her sleek, toned frame as she glided to the edge of the pool. Her body hadn’t filled out all that much since high school, but her slender curves were still all woman. Dusky nipples drawn into tight little buds rode the crests of shapely little breasts. He forced his gaze away from the thatch of dark hair between her legs. However much he enjoyed the sight, he had a job to do. Tonight was just one of the perks.

As her hand grabbed the edge of the pavement to stop her momentum, she stared up at him from upside down, a slight defiant smile curving her full lips.

He pointed to the steps. “I’ll wait ‘til you’re dressed.”

Harmony kept floating and her lips pouted. “Sheriff, you sure know how to suck the fun out of a little civil disobedience.”
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I’m getting a late start today. The weekend was a blast, but sooooo draining. I’ll talk about the barge trip later this week, once I steal photos from Facebook from one of the guys’ pages. For now, I’ll share yesterday’s adventure.

The red-headed hellion and I drove to Little Rock yesterday to a tattoo convention. We made appointments ahead of time with my SIL’s tattoo artist who’s from Des Moines, Joshua Bowers. Kel was getting her 5th. I was adding my 2nd tat. Most of hers are in hidden places, but this time we both wanted something on our wrists. I guess I must be an exhibitionist because I don’t have any hidden tats. I have one on my foot, and since I wear flip-flops everywhere, it’s out there.

Anyway, we got there early before most folks attending had crawled out of bed. Josh was easy to find and very, very nice. K took pics while he was doing mine. I like this one because it looks like he has magic hands (which he does). [Note how tightly I’m gripping that bench?!]

As you can see from K’s face, she’s reached that mythical endorphin high some folks get when they enjoy the process. Or maybe she’s still too dead from Saturday’s long adventure. Either way, she’s going to kill me for this photo!

I have never experienced that high. It freaking hurt! Ever had a surgeon cut into your skin without benefit of anesthesia? Well, me neither, but it can’t be much worse. Once my arm heals, I’ll take pics of the tatoo. Right now, the skin in still puffy and reddened. But I have a pretty bracelet I never have to take off.

After the convention, we hit Petsmart so I could get a tag made for my rescue dog, Fenris. He’s coming home from training school this week and I don’t want him outside without my telephone number around his neck. But while we were drooling over all the lovely animals, I found this one very agitated, very beautiful betta. Since he had such an nasty attitude, I had to bring him home. He survived the night in his new bowl. I had a blue betta up until he finally passed last year, and I missed Mr. Fish. This lovely fella reminded me of the sea serpents in my Viking book, so I’m calling him Drago.