UPDATE: The winner is…Ginger!

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Hello, Delilah fans!

My latest book, Cowboy Resurrection, is about a bullfighter and a city-slicker businesswoman who join forces to produce a rodeo in their tiny hometown. In between the bickering and the banter, these sexy opposites fall for each other…right into bed.

Cowboy Resurrection is set in rural California. Today I’m chatting with fellow author Genevieve Turner about what makes California—and California cowboys—so special.

I hope you enjoy our conversation. We’re also sponsoring a giveaway. Instructions are posted below.

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MH: We both write romance set in California. Why did you choose the Golden State as a setting for your work?

GT: A common piece of writing advice is to write what you know, and I’ve lived in California my entire life (my family’s been here since the late 1700s), so when it came to choosing a setting for my books, I never really considered any other option. I don’t think I could ever live anywhere else—I love it here too much. It also makes it easy, research wise, since I can just step outside to get ideas for descriptions and settings.

MH: California is home for me, too. I was born here, but in my twenties, I got the chance to travel and even live abroad. Being away gave me fresh perspective and a lot of appreciation for my home state. That appreciation lasted long after I moved back. In my stories, setting is a character—the beach, the inner city, the high desert, or the mountains.

GT: People also don’t realize that California has a huge agricultural and ranching industry, so it’s fun to write about places that someone familiar with only LA or San Francisco might not know exist.

MH: Exactly. As a child, I spent time on a grape farm near Delano. All of my cowboy stories are set in this region, the southern part of the Central Valley.

GT: The great thing about California cowboys is that while they’re still rough around the edges (like a cowboy should be), they’re also sophisticated. A California cowboy will work all day getting dirty on the ranch, but once he’s home and showered, he’s totally happy to go out for sushi. Or wine tasting. (Especially if he lives near one of our many wine countries!)

MH: Nothing like a cowboy who knows his chardonnay.

GT: And while he’ll be a total gentleman when he’s taking you to all these fancy spots, he’ll still be a total cowboy when he gets you home. That’s the California cowboy difference.

MH: I agree—that’s the heart of it. Are you working on any California cowboys at the moment?

GT: Right now I’m finishing up Her Cowboy Rival, the next book in my Cowboy of Her Own Series.  Ana has never much liked the charming and arrogant Luke, no matter how he makes her heart race. And since she stole away his best employee, Luke hasn’t liked Ana much either, no matter how she makes his head spin. When they’re forced to collaborate on a charity event, they’ll have to decide: Are they the worst of enemies? Or could they be the best of lovers?

MH: That sounds so juicy!

GT: It’s been so much fun writing this one, since it involves an obstacle race, lots of long runs together on lonely back roads (perfect for kissing), and two people who think they hate each other, but are secretly so hot for each other!

MH: My next project, Cowboy Player, is out in June. It’s the third book in my Cowboy Cocktail series. Rancher Clark MacKinnon is a prankster and a flirt who never takes anything too seriously…until his childhood crush Melody Santos moves back to town and gets a job helping him sell his family’s grass-fed beef. Sparks fly between them. Melody has trust issues following a horrendous breakup, and Clark is a player who’s never been in a serious relationship. Together, they’re a hot, sexy mess!

***

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Rescued By Her Firefighter

Trapped together in the wilderness, a straight-laced scientist and an easy-going fireman will discover opposites don’t just attract—they ignite…

Available at: Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo | Google Play

Cowboy Resurrection

Ball-busting businesswoman meets no-holds-barred cowboy.
He’s gonna need a longer rope.

Available at: Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | B&N | Samhain | All Romance | Google Play | Books-A-Million

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Genevieve Turner writes romance fresh from the Golden State. In a previous life, she was a scientist studying the genetics of behavior, but now she’s a stay at home mom studying the intersection of nature and nurture in her own kids.  (So far, nature is winning!)  She lives in beautiful Southern California, where she manages her family and homestead in an indolent manner. For more information, please visit www.genturner.com.

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends. When she’s not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs. For more information, please visit www.miahopkinsauthor.com.

GIVEAWAY

Answer this question in the comments below:

Where would your cowboy take you on date night?
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

One randomly chosen winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card, one ebook copy of Rescued By Her Firefighter, and one ebook copy of Cowboy Resurrection. Contest closes Sunday, March 20, 2016, at midnight PT. Good luck!

The sentimental jewelry used during the 18^th and 19^th centuries is fascinating to me. These tokens of affections are sometimes very elaborate or made from unusual items, such as a loved one’s hair.

One short-lived jewelry trend that started in France sometime in the mid 1700’s and spread to London was the exchange of eye miniatures also known as lover’s eyes. It is generally believed that the Prince of Wales, who later became George IV, popularized this form of jewelry in London.

These portraits feature only an image of the eye, allowing a person to present it to a lover while keeping their identity a secret from others. They were also exchanged among family members. Lockets, containing portraits were another popular item but contained covers to hide the identity of the person. The anonymity of eye miniatures meant they could be worn openly.

Photo Credit: Yale University Art Gallery, Unknown eye, circa 1805-10, Watercolor on ivory.

The trend lasted until the 1820’s. It is estimated that less than 1000 eye miniatures exist in the world today with the Skiers of Birmingham, Ala. owning the largest collection.

My research into eye miniatures inspired my short story, “An Eye for Love”, which will appear in Delilah Devlin’s Rogues, a romantic erotic anthology. My heroine, Lady Olivia, is a collector of eye miniatures who discovers one of her miniatures missing and hires the hero to help her recover it.

For more information on eye miniatures:

Dennis Gaffney, “Gazing Into Lover’s Eyes,” http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tips/loverseyes.html
Candace Hern, “Lover’s Eyes Brooches,” http://candicehern.com/regencyworld/lovers-eye-brooches-origin/
Emma Mustish, “The secret history of lover’s eyes,” http://www.salon.com/2012/01/21/the_secret_history_of_lovers_eyes/
Diana Scarisbrick , “Miniatures and Silhouettes,” in Portrait Jewels (New York: Thames and Hudson, 2011).

Do you own any jewelry that holds sentimental value?

Cynthia Young
cynthiayoungauthor.com

UPDATE: The winner is…Janie!

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For those of you who aren’t signed up for my newsletter, I have a new release!

Well, this is a new-old story. One I wrote way back when. Because I still love it, I prettied it up and readied it for prime time. Sort of. It’s still a tad raunchier than my current stuff. ¿Cómo es posible?, you ask. You gotta love the alphabet: mf, mff, mfm, and of course, orgies…

But at the core, Desire’s Prisoner is very much a romance between the captain of a pirate space ship and the captain of a prison ship, who also happens to be a prisoner…

Get your copy now for just $0.99! That price won’t last long.

*~*~*~*

Desire’s Prisoner

Love on the edge of the galaxy…

For Captain Adam Zingh, the mission is simple–acquire one hundred wives for him and his crewmates to help colonize a new planet, far from Dominion rule. Rescuing prisoners from penitentiary in deep space should have been a simple in and out operation. The women would be grateful for a second change at freedom, or so he thought. However, he hadn’t yet encountered the stubborn captain of the prison ship.

When pirates overtake their ship, Evena McClure resists, mindful of her duty to protect the women under her command as well as her impending pardon.

The pirate and the prisoner have only a week to seduce the other side to their will.

A pirate’s parlay has never been so sweet!

Get your copy here!

*~*~*~*

Desire’s Slave

Book 2 of the Planet Desire trilogy is coming next month!

After a fellow convict is murdered while she’s guarding the maximum-security cellblock, ex-con Calandra Jones escapes the ship of the pirates who liberated the convicts, determined to make it on her own. Just as she’s attempting to arrange passage on another ship headed for a mining colony, she’s abducted by a handsome slave trader bent on offering her for sale at a potentate’s auction.

Calandra vows to seduce the trader into changing his mind about offering her for sale. A sensual storm erupts during their desert odyssey that culminates when Calandra is sold, and Drago must decide whether he trusts their love enough to launch a rescue.

Reserve your copy here!

*~*~*~*

Contest

For a chance to win a small Amazon gift card, answer me this…

Are you a fan of Sci-Fi romance? Would you like to see more stories in this genre?

I’m an author. There, I said it, not whispered, not ducking my head. I can’t help the flame in my cheeks. I’d happily sit back in a hole and type away at my keyboard, typing the words until they see the light of day, never seeing another soul.

One of the hardest parts? Talking about it. Putting myself out there. I don’t do it for me. I do it for my books, for my characters. They wanted their story to be told. Sometimes too many crowd my head and if I talk about it, I see that look come into people’s eyes.

Really, I’m sane. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! So, about those stories.

I’ve an affinity for dragons. They fascinate me. The myths and legends, the exotic pets, I’ve read and researched anything I can get my hands on. Yes, I own almost every Dragonology book printed. Fascinating to follow the adventures written there.

I can’t help but believe that they were real. Too many tales weave throughout history. They disappeared somehow. Okay, I see that look in your eye! Just think about it. I have.

It all comes out in my writing. Dragons and the apocalypse, my other obsession.

My series starts with the world dying, missiles exploding, disease spreading and dragons waking. You don’t see all that though. I get right into the nitty gritty of my dragons and their hunt for their fated mate. I just needed the rest to get my mind in the correct place. Starting the background for my dragons to live.

The result? Stealing Hope. Stealing Hope is an erotic paranormal romance-book one in A Dragon’s Fated Heart series.

The apocalypse has come and gone.
Those who survived learned to adapt.
Dragons awaken to once again reign over the skies.

Upon eruption of a volcano, Ari awakens to a changed world, and a knowing that his dragon’s mate is near. He saves her twice—once as a dragon, and again as a man—and wins her confidence.

Hope cried out, moaning, “just change me with pleasure?”

Hope is restless and unfulfilled until she meets Ari, the man of her fantasies. The sensual tension between them heightens with every touch. When their passion explodes, Hope gets pulled into the dragon’s mating ritual…and into a world of erotic sensation she never dreamed existed but now cannot live without. The dragon binds his mate to him with a ritual that shows Hope her true nature in this humorous erotic romance.

Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Hope-Beverly-Ovalle-ebook/dp/B018IW60BE/
http://www.amazon.de/Stealing-Hope-English-Beverly-Ovalle-ebook/dp/B018IW60BE/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stealing-Hope-Beverly-Ovalle-ebook/dp/B018IW60BE/
http://www.amazon.ca/Stealing-Hope-Beverly-Ovalle-ebook/dp/B018IW60BE/

About the Author

Beverly Ovalle dabbled with writing on and off for years when her best friend finally dared her to submit a story to a writing contest. Beverly decided she had nothing to lose and since she’d always wanted to be an author sent it in and agonized for months waiting to hear back. Contract in hand she has never looked back.

Beverly has been obsessed with dragons and romance since she was a young girl, collecting dragon books and reading everything she could find on them even down to the care of real life dragons. She’s always been slightly panicked that the world as we know it will end, so has prepped for it, haunting survivalist pages and prepper projects she felt she needed in the event SHTF.

An avid fan of all romance, Beverly’s goal is to share her love of the written word and write the hot and erotic romances that she enjoys. She writes what she loves to read and it was only a matter of time before her obsessions crept into her writing for her to share. She hopes you enjoy her tales as much as she loves writing them.

A Navy Veteran, Beverly has traveled around the world and the United States enabling her to bring her settings to life, meeting and marrying her husband of twenty five years along the way for her own romance. Reading romances since the fourth grade she’s followed as the genre changed and spread into the vast cornucopia of romance offered today.

Contact Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BeverlyOvalleAuthor
Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/BeverlyO
Website: www.beverlyovalle.com
Blog: www.beverlyovalle.net
Blog:  http://beverlyovalleromance.blogspot.com/
Tumblr:  http://ovalleba.tumblr.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ovalleba
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FatedDragons
Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/ovalleba/
LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/BeverlyOvalle
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BeverlyOvalle0211/posts
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SSLYblog
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SslySmileSomebodyLovesYou
Blog:  http://SSLYblog.wordpress.com

Once upon a time, there was a farmer.  This farmer was very busy, because he’d been rude to his wife and she left him to fend for himself in the wilds of the wilderness, with only his little farm to keep at bay the darkness of the big, wide world around him.  Working all day didn’t help, because when he stopped work at night he still had many tasks undone.

One night, a bird flew by looking for his mate and he saw the farmer toiling in the barnyard.  He flew up to the top of the barn to watch for a while, because maybe the farmer missed some hayseeds as he raked up the bedding for the horses and fed the pigs.

After watching for a long time, the bird took pity on the man as he went from one task to the next.  He knew the farmer must be hungry, and so he went hunting for worms in the soft loam by the creek.  Just before dawn, he found it – a fat worm, just waiting to become the bird’s breakfast.  The bird caught it in his beak and flapped his way back to the farmer.  The man sat on a hay bale, watching the sun come up, and the bird arrived.  Just as he set the worm down for the man, the man let a handful of corn fall for the bird in thanks.

About this time, a lady bird saw the action of the bird and her heart swelled for she knew this would be her mate.  She flew up and alighted on the edge of the fence, watching the bird and the man.  The bird took one look at her and made a decision.  Rather than gorging on the good, sweet corn, he hopped back so she could have it.  She ate her fill and the bird – well, the bird, he got his worm.

And that’s why they say “the early bird gets his worm.”  It’s all because the farmer was rude to his wife.

—

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
– E.E. Cummings

My links: Blog | Books | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | LinkedIn | Pandora

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This is a new old story. One I wrote way back when. The first story I ever published—but now, refurbed, prettied up, and readied for prime time. Sort of. It’s also just a tad raunchier than my current stuff. ¿Cómo es posible? You gotta love the alphabet: mf, mff, mfm, and of course, orgies…

And at the core, a romance between the captain of a pirate space ship and the captain of a prison ship who also happens to be another prisoner.

Check it out. It’s coming your way next week…

“Captain, I’ve picked up the ship’s warning beacon.”

Captain Adamarik Zingh straightened from the navigation console. At last. The final stage of his plan was about to unfold. The beacon was programmed to broadcast as soon as any ship approached within hailing distance of the penitentiary. “Let’s hear it.”

His communications mate pressed the intercom switch.

“Warning! You are entering Interplanetary Dominion-controlled space.” The computer-generated message transmitted in the Universal Language. “This ship is a Dominion Prison. Any vessel detected within a one hundred milli-league radius of the ship will be destroyed.”

“Retract the visor,” Adam ordered, ignoring the warning.

The whirring sound that accompanied the retracting curtain of metal made Adam wince, reminding him of the loss of his previous spacecraft. Its state-of-the-art bioluminescent screen would have recreated the view of space without leaving the ship’s hull vulnerable.

But pirates couldn’t be too choosy. The lumbering transport vessel he now captained had enabled his band of raiders to creep close to their target, beneath the blanket of the Dominion’s detector beams. Its unremarkable appearance in this little-traveled part of the universe was a perfect ruse.

“I see her, Adam.” The man at the helm, first mate Cantor Marlow, dipped the prow of the ship leeward. The sudden change in tack caused the old barge to shudder violently as it resisted the gravitational pull exerted by the desolate, uninhabitable planet the larger prison ship orbited. Then a low, ominous groan from the hull itself rattled the consoles, spilling cups and charts onto the floor.

Adam maintained his balance, barely, and turned to glower at his first mate. “Cookie’ll dice your innards for that. He’ll be cleaning grub from the ceiling for a week.”

Cantor shrugged, a wicked twinkle in his eye. “I was just making sure the breaching crewmen were out of their bunks.” His gaze shifted beyond Adam. “There she is.”

Adam glanced through the open portal, searching space beyond the rim of the small planet. An infinite, black night stretched before him. Full of endless possibilities. An irresistible siren’s call that had beckoned him from his first voyage.

Then he saw it. The enormous hull of the prison ship loomed in the distance. Anticipation leapt in his veins. “Alert the breaching crew.”

His first mate grunted. “Lucky sods.”

Three whistles shrilled, followed by the alert message.

“Cantor, you’re in charge,” Adam called over his shoulder as he headed toward the ship’s hold.

“Aye, sir. Good luck—and don’t forget my list.”

Adam slapped his palm against the door button, and it slid silently open. Within the hold, the breaching crew was assembling—or at least he thought it was his crew. Gone were their beards and rough pirate’s clothing. In their place stood well-scrubbed, clean-chinned men.

His security officer, Darak, strode toward him clad in a deep azure shirt tucked into tan leather breeches.

“What in hell are you wearing?”

“It’s just a little something I picked up at our last port of call. Alarian silk.” Darak shrugged, grinning sheepishly. “Quite sturdy material, actually.”

“You look like a damned peacock,” Adam muttered. His gaze swept over the rest of his breaching party, and he fisted his hands on his hips. “I’m capturing a ship with a bloody flock of peacocks.” Read the rest of this entry »

Releasing March 14^th!
Tiara Giveaway!

SEVEN NIGHTS OF SIN

One night, one tryst can change everything…

Seven Sensuous stories by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Sabrina York, with bestselling and award-winning authors Maggi Andersen, Lynne Conolly, Eliza Lloyd, Suzi Love, Hildie McQueen, and Victoria Vane. Enter a world of passion and mystery where dashing heroes and dauntless heroines come together in a scorching conflagration that will will tip your world on its end.

LUSCIOUS by Sabrina York
Revenge…or redemption? Which will he choose?

ONE SCANDALOUS NIGHT by Maggi Andersen
Can one night with a rake be enough for a lifetime?

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by Victoria Vane
 She found heaven in the devil’s arms.

UNDER A SILVER MOON by Hildie Mcqueen
The shadows of the past fall over a man and a woman attempting to start anew.

MY DEAR MR. FORRESTER by Eliza Lloyd
He can’t resist a woman in trouble. Will he ever learn?

WHAT HE WANTS by Lynne Connolly
Love hides in unexpected places…

PLEASURE HOUSE BALL by Suzi Love
Love revealed at a courtesan’s ball.

Preorder Now:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Nights-Sin-Bestselling-Historical-ebook/dp/B019EP2X06
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1063152528
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/seven-nights-of-sin-victoria-vane/1123048506?ean=2940152666427
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/seven-nights-of-sin-2

LUSCIOUS by SABRINA YORK

When Deveny Hargrove rescues a waif in a rainstorm in the middle of nowhere, he has no idea that she represents his long-awaited chance at vengeance. When she offers him her virginity—in an attempt to escape an unwanted society marriage—he has to agree. To his surprise, very little of his motivation stems from punishing her brother.

The fact is, Matilda Paddington represents his chance at revenge…or redemption…but his choice could destroy them both.

Read an excerpt

What Providence. That this man—one who, other than the beard, was perfectly acceptable for her purposes, and damn handsome to boot—should stop and pick her up?

Clearly God in heaven above was on her side.

“You do realize this is something that cannot be undone?”

She had the sense he was asking the question purely because his moral code required it. “I do.”

“You are quite young…to be making a decision that will change everything.”

“Everything?” she asked. “Do you really believe that one act changes who a person is? At their core?”

He stared at her as though stunned to hear such words from a lady’s lips. But then he said, “I certainly hope not.” Read the rest of this entry »