It’s Saturday morning and I slept in just a little. So I’m running just a little behind. I was going to post something mind-blowingly clever, but now I only have time for this.

There are TWO chances to win something today. Look for ’em!

A Random Scavenger Hunt

I just completed updates to my website, and since I went to that expense, someone is going to darn well enjoy it! (Do you hear the maniacal laughter?)

Following are the questions. You can find the ALL the answers on my website. Be sure to email me your answers DIRECTLY to me at delilah@delilahdevlin.com. Do not help everyone else by posting your answers in the comments! For everyone who sends me their answers, they will be entered to win a $5 gift certificate from Amazon.com! So, not a lot of money, but hey—that could get you five $.99 stories on Amazon!

The Questions:

1) What three stories appear on my Bookshelf page?

2) Which story cover on my Upcoming/Coming Soon page depicts a woman wearing a monocle?

3) Have you signed up for both my newsletter and to get my blog emailed right to your inbox? *hint* Glance down the left-hand column of this blog.

4) What book is coming April 15 and is ready for pre-order now?

Friday’s New Shorty

Just FYI. I promised a new short story every Friday until April.

This week’s new release is Drive Me Crazy. For now, these 5000-word stories can be found only on Kindle. They are free to Kindle Unlimited readers and just $.99 to everyone else.

She’s out for one night of passion in a trucker’s big rig…

Get it at the Kindle store!

I have a brand new page on my website devoted to the shorties. If you’d like to see what’s already out, as well as what’s coming, check it out! Shortie Page

Contest

Win a free download of either Wet Down or Watch Over Me! All you have to do is answer the following questions in the comments!

Which covers on the Shorties page most appeal to you?

At this time of year, I get a serious case of cabin fever and a longing to be digging in my garden.  I love growing things.  You can see from the photo that I have a very large raised bed garden.

Now don’t get me wrong, I really do like snow.  It’s very pretty.  It covers up the dead grass and looks great hanging on the pine trees around my house.  It also adds to the ambience of the holidays.  Snow on the ground at Thanksgiving makes the holiday feel cozier while I’m in my kitchen baking pies.  Moreover, what’s Christmas without snow?  It’s nature’s special holiday decoration.  In my area, when there is too little snow fall in the winter we have problems with our lakes not filling up as much as they need to.  In addition, there are five ski resorts around me and their very livelihood depends on good snowfall.  I just feel that winter lasts too long.  Once the holidays are over the snow should go away and spring needs to begin.

I have found two things that help alleviate winter depression.  The first is planting my own starters.  I have growing tables set up in my garage complete with heating mats under the trays and grow lights above them.  The area is large enough to grow one hundred and eighty seedlings.  At this time of year, I start my tomatoes and peppers.  I live only a hundred miles from the Canadian border and the growing season up here is very short.  If you start your tomatoes outside from seeds, they will be small and green by the time the first frost hits in September.  The only way to have a decent crop is start them indoors and move them outside after the last spring frost, which is around mid-May.

The second thing I have found to battle winter depression and cabin fever is to start writing a new story.  I may be house bound and dealing with miserable weather but my characters aren’t.

My current work in progress is the sequel to my October release, THE KISS OF A ROSE.  The new book picks up about eight months after the end of the first one.  It continues the story with all the same characters and a few new ones.  The title for the second book is, THE THORN OF A ROSE with a release date later this year.

Augustina Van Hoven
Proving Love is Strange
THE KISS OF A ROSE – Now available
www.augustinavanhoven.com
FaceBook | Twitter:  @augustinavhoven

A DISTANT PAST

In 1882, Rose Van Buren loved the wrong man and paid for it with her life. Now, more than a century later, the angel Gabriel has granted her another shot at living. In exchange, she must convince a smart, handsome, up-and-coming lawyer to set aside his lofty ambitions.

A FUTURE PRESENT

Stephen Winship is headed straight for the governor’s chair. He has a brilliant career, solid allies, and a seemingly perfect girlfriend. But night after night he finds himself dreaming of a heavenly beauty, a luminous but long-dead girl. Like some altered Ghost of Christmas Past, she shows him her own tragic tale in order to “save him.” And he’s beginning to see Rose is risking her heart as much as baring her soul. Yet falling for her will cost him everything—and open him up to a happiness he never imagined.

When an author sets out to write a book, even a pantser like me, they have an end result in mind. For instance, when I set out to write my newest release from Dreamspinner press. Drive Your Truck, I intended to write a contemporary romance about a Navy SEAL and a closeted deputy in Colorado. I wanted it to be a hot, not terribly angst-filled, and full of adrenaline-junkie stunts.

What I got was a couple of guys who met over a grief-filled moment, and a slow exploration of how two men change their lives so they can be together and live as they want to. The whole progression turned out a little darker than I expected, the guys’ relationship far more complex. This was no simple sex to love relationship; it was about both men realizing they had to give up certain unhealthy behaviors, and about them setting aside preconceived notions.

As a writer, I love it when my characters surprise me. Sometimes it delights me, sometimes it challenges me, but I always want to see where the ride takes me.

The title, incidentally, comes from a Lee Brice song of the same name, which was also a surprise. When I first heard the lyrics, I didn’t love the song, thinking it was a bit like emotional blackmail. Let’s combine all these clichés to receive a conditioned response. Then I saw the video, and it turned around my whole view of the song. The singer I already love. Check out how naughty he can be on his song Carolina Boys.

Thanks so much for letting me jabber today as a guest on Delilah’s blog! Here is all the information on Drive Your Truck, which has been on the Dreamspinner bestseller list for two weeks now!

Home on compassionate leave for his brother’s funeral, Navy SEAL Garrison Matthews needs to blow off a lot of stress and grief before he returns to active duty. In honor of his brother, he takes Bettie, the brothers’ souped-up vintage truck, out for a spin. A bit of an adrenaline junkie, Garrison has no problem finding trouble. This time trouble’s named Walt, and he happens to be Garrison’s sister-in-law’s brother.

Neither man expects their fun to amount to anything else, but after an injury sends Garrison home for good, he turns to Walt, hoping to start a new life. Walt is a closeted sheriff’s deputy, and while he adores Garrison, he isn’t sure he’s ready to come out… or for such a big commitment. Being fresh out of the service isn’t easy on Garrison either. To find their happy ending, Walt and Garrison must overcome their trust issues and get ready to settle down together.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5988 (Buy link)

XXOO,

Julia Talbot
www.juliatalbot.com

UPDATE: The winner of the gift card is…ButtonsMom2003!

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Us playing dress up!

How many of you have sisters? Or have a friend you consider a sister? I’m fortunate that my sister is the fabulous Delilah Devlin! I know. Be jealous! We are only 2 years and a handful of months apart in age and we grew up sharing some of the same adventures. Now that we’re writers, we have so much more in common. When something big happens in my writing career, my sister is the first person I call. She celebrates with me and understands some of the strange things that I consider successes in this business. I love my husband and my children, my mom and my dad, but my sister GETS me as a writer.

I was stuck writing my story THE BILLIONAIRE CINDERELLA TEST and she offered to take a look at it and give me some feedback. She read the first 13,000 words and nailed the problem immediately. My hero wasn’t very likeable and he needed a stronger motivation to behave the way he did. After an hour on the phone, I came away with a stronger hero, a better story and a hunger to finish it. She’s awesome and I wouldn’t trade her for the world.

****For a chance to win a $5 Gift card***

Leave a comment about your sister or best friend and why she is special to you.

The Billionaire Cinderella Test

Available for preorder
Amazon: http://amzn.to/17x2rlO
Ibooks: http://bit.ly/1C3YkXF

Billionaire Online Dating Service. Let us find your perfect match!

Desperate to find a date to his own charity ball to avoid taking a spoiled debutante, billionaire Gage Tate agrees to give his friend’s online dating system a try. Tired of gold-diggers and society princesses, he wants a woman who isn’t after his money, and won’t become a bridezilla-wanna-be when exposed to his high-society world and the trappings of wealth.

She never expected a computer program to be her fairy godmother…

Fiona McKenzie returns home from college to discover the family ranch threatened by foreclosure. Desperate to find a way to earn enough money to pay off medical and mortgage bills, she’ll do practically anything to save the home she loves. Unbeknownst to Fiona, her stepsisters enter her name in an online dating system, which she flat-out tells them she doesn’t have time for nor the inclination. Her focus is on saving the ranch.

When Gage’s date is reluctant to go out with him, he’s challenged to win her over. After a little digging, he discovers she’s in a tight financial situation. He sees this as an angle to pay for a date, help her out, with no strings attached when the charity ball is over. Only he didn’t count on falling for the pretty cowgirl, turned Cinderella. With her family ranch on the line, Fiona has no other choice than to accept Gage’s offer and she’s swept into a world of high-society most girls would consider a dream come true. Fiona isn’t impressed, but finds her prince charming a little to attractive to forget when the spell wears off.

Note: Make a stop at Myla Jackson’s Ugly Stick Saloon in this story and say Hi to old friends.

NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over seventy stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she is published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington, Cleis Press, and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Elle’s Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

Myla Jackson’s links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter

UPDATE: The winner of the gift card is…Mary Preston!

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Honey is heeerrrre! It’s a gorgeous cover, isn’t it? Enjoy the excerpt I’ve included. It’s just a tease. Things get zanier and sexier in a hurry. Honey has heart, too.

If you read it, I’d love to know how you enjoyed it. And if you have time and don’t mind, I’d love for you to post a review. Reviews do help other readers make up their minds to buy.

Post a comment today for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card. I’ll be awarding the prizes for the countdown postings later today, so you still have time to enter!

Something’s on the rise in Two-Mule, Texas. And it ain’t just the temperature.

1880, West Texas

Honey Cafferty lives a happy, if precarious, existence as a traveling saleswoman. She sells her elixirs and potions while searching for the one thing she hasn’t been able to brew from the back of her colorful wagon—a sense of belonging. She arrives in Two Mule, Texas, with her Elixir of Love, a potion that improves a man’s libido but might just get her run out of town.

Sheriff Joe Tanner is protective of his little town. Downright hostile toward anyone who might take advantage of the fine folk under his protection. Any snake-oil salesman who rolls into town better just keep right on rolling.

Honey isn’t what Joe expected, from her vibrant red hair and cat-green eyes to her curvy mouth and hips. And when the men of the town begin to plead exhaustion—and place the blame squarely on her sweet-smelling shoulders—Joe has no choice but to launch an investigation. A very, very deep investigation…

Warning: Contains a sheriff who prides himself on keeping his town running as smooth as a well-greased wagon wheel, and a wandering saleswoman who’s more than a bump (and grind) in his road.

Buy at: Samhain | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

“Sheriff, you’ve gotta do somethin’ about that woman.”

The note of exasperation in Curly Hicks’s voice was one Joe Tanner had heard often in the past couple of days—at least from the unmarried men of the town. He didn’t need to ask which woman Curly was talking about. He already knew who was responsible for Curly’s agitation. Her name was on everybody’s lips, although the tones with which her name was spoken varied widely.

He was curious what the normally reticent shopkeeper had to say about the lady in question. “Just what do you want me to do about her, Curly?”

“Send her packin’! She’s up to somethin’. Cain’t tell you ’xactly what, but ever since she came, nothin’s been the same.”

So he wasn’t the only one to notice. Since the day Honey Cafferty’s fancy-painted wagon had rolled into town, the mood around Two Mule had seemed…expectant, like the town itself was wakening from a long slumber and had suddenly discovered every joyful holiday was all wrapped inside one bright, shining moment.

Which posed a dilemma for Joe. Two Mule had elected him to keep the peace and things had been riding smooth like a Conestoga over flat land—no bumps, no bone-jarring thuds. So far, the townsfolk had been pretty satisfied with their lives. It was a quiet place—the right kind of town to set down deep roots—and he intended to keep it that way.

However, Honey Cafferty had a way about her that was anything but quiet. She radiated shimmering sensuality, from her vibrant red hair and cat-like green eyes to her lushly curved lips and body. Everything about her shouted like Fourth of July fireworks and crazily spinning whirligigs, eliciting a restless hunger in him that had no place in his tidy little life. Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: The winner of the free download is Lynne Rivet!

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“It’s all about that badge, ’bout that badge, no trouble…” That isn’t how that song goes? And now it’s in your head…

You’re welcome! But isn’t it true? Don’t you love the thought of a man with a badge—sworn to protect—and all you want is for that man to prove he’s a hero? Well, my hero in Sweeter Than Honey is a lot like Colt Triplehorn. A man torn between duty and his heart. And since this is a romance, we know which way he’ll swing, right?

Am I tempting you yet? You can pre-order your copy at Samhain, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Post a comment and you’ll be entered to win a free
download  from among my Triple Horn Brand stories!
And don’t forget to enter yesterday’s drawing too. I won’t be
picking any prizes until release day, tomorrow!

“With amazing suspense, and hot, dominant lovin’ this cowboy and his high school sweetheart take the reader on an amazing emotional journey… Once again, thank you, Ms. Devlin, for stealing my heart with complex and witty characters, hot sex and riveting suspense!” 5/5 Books, Reviews by Molly

“Devlin has done it again! I pretty much gobble up anything she writes and “Laying Down the Law” is another hit…” The Brunette Librarian
Seeking sanctuary could be the hottest mistake she ever made.

The TripleHorn Brand, Book 1

A lifetime ago, Zuri Prescott kicked the dirt off her boots and ditched her small-time small town for the glam city life—and lived to regret it. When she’s framed for a bank job, she lights out for home, seeking refuge with her old high school sweetheart while she figures out her next steps. Only she discovers that the boy she left behind is the last man she should trust.

Sheriff Colt Triplehorn knows trouble when he sees it, especially when it comes in the form of a familiar trespasser, caught naked between an angry bull and her underwear. Sure she’s up to her usual no good, he grants her sanctuary at his ranch—the better to keep an eye on her, and purge her from his system once and for all.

Reconnection is sweet and hot, but the heat can’t hide the truth. When Colt inevitably finds out what Zuri’s running from, it’s too late to put the fire out, and he’s got a career-compromising choice on his hands. Follow the letter of the law, or follow his heart.

Product Warnings: When a sheriff captures the girl who got away, expect revenge so hot it leaves brands on two lonely hearts…

Zuri looked up, her hands pulling the belt tighter around her waist, grateful that this time she was covered neck to mid-calf. Still, she was hyper-aware she was naked underneath it and only one knot away from making another big mistake.

“You find everything you needed?” he asked, his tone impersonal.

Oddly, she thought she might actually prefer that ragged edge of anger he’d blistered her with by the river. “Yes, thanks.” She dropped the ties and smoothed her hands down her sides, nervous beneath his unblinking stare. “I don’t suppose you have anything I might wear, besides this robe, that is.” She flushed at how awkward this felt, how ridiculous her situation was. A closet full of clothes hung waiting for her six hundred miles away.

“You’re pretty skinny. I might have some sweatpants and a T-shirt, but you’ll have to cinch in the pants at the waist to keep ’em from fallin’ off.”

Skinny? Once he’d likened her slender frame to a filly’s, and she’d taken it as the highest compliment. She lifted her chin. “That’d be fine.”

She jerked when he strode for her, but he edged around the bed, headed to his dresser and pulled out a pair of gray sweat pants and a navy tee. He tossed both on the bed, and then stood with his hands fisted on his hips.

Zuri bit back a complaint, wishing he’d quit hovering because he was keeping her on edge. But when he didn’t budge, she dragged her feet to the bed, scooped up the wash-softened cotton and turned toward the bathroom.

“Uh uh,” he said, tsking softly. “My house. My clothes. My rules.” Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: The winner of the free download is…Robin!

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Yesterday, I slept late. Today, I was up at 5:30. I guess my subconscious wasn’t going to let me rest because I lost work-time yesterday futzing with my printer. Darn thing burned up. Add that to the computer going to the “blue screen of death” and I think technology was just reminding me not to take it for granted.

Anyway, I have a book coming out on Tuesday and I’m doing this little countdown, hoping to tempt you into pre-ordering my funny-sexy, historical western, Sweeter Than Honey. Yesterday, I reminded you I can write humor. Today, I’m proving I can write cowboys. You can pre-order your copy at Samhain, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Post a comment and you’ll be entered to win a free download of True Heart. And don’t forget to enter yesterday’s drawing too. I won’t be picking any prizes until release day, February 10th (Tuesday, for those of us who can’t keep track of the date!).

 

“I have a definite soft spot in my heart for the strong silent type and True in this story…that’s my kind of guy. A little rough around the edges that loves as hard as he works. Can I PLEASE have a True? Man alive.”  Taryn Elliott on on TRUE HEART

“I thought the story behind True was fascinating; he is a captivating character. A delightful read.”  Sensual Reads

Two men plus one woman equals three bodies on fire…

True Wyatt’s hands are going to be full enough keeping the herd alive through the dead of winter. The last thing he needs to hear is that his brother Lonny has rented out their isolated hunting cabin to a reclusive writer—especially a sassy, disaster-prone brunette. Who has the time to babysit a city girl until Spring?

With a deadline looming, erotica writer Honey Cahill is looking forward to six distraction-free weeks to finish her next book. However, between Lonny’s flirty sensuality and True’s hard-edged intensity, the Wyatt brothers set the stage of her imagination for a winter of wicked delights.

The fire that destroys the cabin, though, is as real as it gets. Forced to seek a bed under True and Lonny’s roof, the temptation to experiment—all in the name of research, of course—is overpowering. One night in their arms doesn’t feel like enough; it feels like more. Particularly with one cowboy who fires all her cylinders…

Warning: It’s a Devlin ménage—expect men with stamina and not an ounce of mercy to behave like sex gods, and the lucky woman to love every minute of it. A little domination goes a long, long way…

True Wyatt prided himself on control—control over the multitude of responsibilities that came with riding herd over a successful ranch; control over his brother, who thought life should be enjoyed rather than conquered; and control over the desires he’d kept in rein since the demise of his marriage. And yet, the sight that greeted him this cold winter day told him he’d only been fooling himself.

From his perch high atop the ridge overlooking the lonely cabin, True Wyatt watched the shapely brunette as she made another trip to her car to pull boxes and suitcases from her backseat, one after the other. Grumpily, he wondered how she’d managed to stuff so much inside a Corolla. The trunk had held a similar assortment of printer-paper-sized boxes, which she’d manhandled into the house, her face growing rosy with exertion.

Despite the biting wind, she’d dispensed with her down coat and wore only a sweater with a crew neck, the sleeves pushed off her wrists. The dark blue knit hugged her upper torso, defining a lovely bosom and narrow waist. Every time she bent to pull out another box her designer jeans hugged her small rounded bottom, and his loins tightened.

Which annoyed the hell out of him. Fact was, he wished he could turn his horse away and pretend he hadn’t noticed trouble had arrived on his mountain. He knew exactly who to blame. His anger smoldered like hot coals ready to erupt into a full blaze. The clop of hooves approaching behind him carried just the fuel to add to the fire.

“Did you know?” True barked without glancing back.

“Know what?” his brother asked, humor underlying his slow drawl as he pulled up alongside him.

“That our tenant is a woman.” Read the rest of this entry »