While I’m away, I let my friends come out to play. Welcome Shayla Kersten… ~DD

Imagination is such a quirky thing. Where would we be without it? Probably extinct. *cackle* Human imagination has given us inventions from rudimentary weapons of survival to spaceflight. And in the process, unleashed the written word on a world curious to know everything from vampires to alternate realities to aliens.

I’ve been in love with the idea of space since I was six years old watching the original Star Trek on an old black and white television. What an amazing thing for someone to dream of! And then there we were…humans…men from earth catapulting into space atop massive rockets, walking on the moon. I still get chills remembering that fateful July day and those words—“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. I just knew the future held the starship Enterprise, alien creatures and amazing explorations. I wanted so bad to be part of it, to explore space, to go where no man—or woman—had gone before. *le sigh*

Alas, being blind as a bat ruled out anything to do with flight. A lack of ability with real science limited my options. The closest I came to my dream was the military. I mean, the Federation was a military of sorts, although it espoused peace. After all, they used military ranks, right?

So instead of exploring outer space, I turned to the space between my ears. My head was full of ideas for all kinds of stories. I wrote stories of cops and vampires, of men loving men and happily ever after. But I hesitated when it came to scifi. I had some ideas but not a clear enough picture to explore a universe of my own creation. Until last year.

In a chat, our most adorable Delilah asked readers what stories they’d like to see from her or from me. Brandy W spoke up. She said she wanted to see something from me with vampires and angels. Hmmm… Okey dokie. My brain did a double take. I already have a vampire series—Eternity—and I still needed to finish the last book for it. But it was an interesting idea. Okay. I filed the prompt—vamps and angels—away for later. And went on with the stories I had in process.

A few months later a lot of buzz came around about space opera being big. You know the type of story, Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly… Cowboys in space kind of thing. Okay… My brain took a left turn. Vamps, angels, space… Vamps, angels, space… And the next thing you know, ANGEL MOON is born. The first in a trilogy of stories with more to possibly come. I’m already into book two and book three is nagging me for attention. Hopefully, the words will flow as fast as the ideas are now! *cackle*

ANGEL MOON
By Shayla Kersten
Copyright © SHAYLA KERSTEN, 2010
Now available at Ellora’s Cave
For all of Shayla’s Ellora’s Cave’s book, check out her page
For more about Shayla check out her website

What the story’s all about:
Terra offers sanctuary to Angellum and Virkola. Unknown to the natives, a truce exists there. To Terrans, the two species exist as myths. One is a frail winged creature from religious texts. The other, a demon of the night, living off blood. Both are far from the truth…

Sorin thought sanctuary was the answer to their problems. Terra with its plentiful creatures, full of fresh blood and off limits to the millennia long war with the Angellum—who wouldn’t think it paradise? Except paradise comes at a high price. Claiming a bounty on a renegade angel hasn’t ended up the way he planned.

Teo loves his ship, his life in space, but he loves Sorin more. The plan seems sound but the bounty is a fraud and now the price is on him and Sorin. He’ll make the best of the rest of his life with Sorin, even if it were only a few weeks.

But when hope appears from an unexpected source, both men grab chance by the wings.

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

“You and your fucking bright ideas!” Teo dodged behind a stack of crates as heat sizzled past his leg. The acrid smell of ozone raised the hair on his neck. Popping out from behind his cover, he squeezed off a burst of return fire. Sweat matted his hair and kept trickling down his forehead and into his eyes. The thin atmosphere made every breath a chore. He rubbed his coat sleeve across his face but the water-resistant material just moved the sweat around and added grit to the mix.
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I sold the first two books of a new series to the Berkley Books Heat line (they’re part of the Penguin group)!

My dream publisher!

They publish the likes of Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Lauren Dane, Emma Holly, Jaci Burton, Maya Banks, and my BFF-cruise-buddy, Sasha White, to name a few of my favorites! And now me! Can’t say more about the stories just yet, but be thinking about Vikings on another world. The title of the first one is tentatively called Beloved Captor.

Can you tell I’m excited? It will take a day or two to come down off the high and realize that now I have to write the books. And they are long so—ouch! You know me. Economy of words. Novellas. Short stories. I haven’t written anything full-length since last year when I turned in the last of Dark Realm books, but I can do this. The world I’m creating is richly detailed, the hero to die for. Of course, the sex will rock!

Yippee!

You won’t want to miss this one. Everything you love—a strong, stubborn alpha cowboy who learns the hard way he does have a heart—Texas—and a woman who could be anyone of us looking for a second chance. It’s out today. Get your copy!

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How does a man get over a cheating woman? Sweet revenge…

For Cutter Standifer, the pretty little redhead who opened a café in Two Mule, Texas was “the one.” Until he caught her in a compromising position with the town’s worst womanizer. To further strain his rigid code, his little sister just married the same damn bastard who shattered his world and is living in sin with him and another man.

A year later, he still can’t forgive his ex-girlfriend. And forget? Forget, hell. He’s ready kick his code into the nearest manure pile and take what he never had from her—full satisfaction.

That fateful morning, all Katie Grissom meant to do was use the bad boy’s reputation to force Cutter to piss or get off the pot where their own relationship was concerned. But she went too far—deliciously too far—giving Cutter an eyeful she lived to regret.

When Cutter offers her a no-strings affair she jumps at the chance, hoping to either break through the rigid wall he’s built around his heart…or get him out of her system for good.

Warning: When a hard-as-nails cowboy finally lets loose on the only woman he’s ever loved expect the loving to get hot enough to melt a cold, cold, heart—toys, front and slammin’ backdoor sex are only the beginning…

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of UNBRIDLED!

On Tuesday, the next of my Lone Star Lovers books will be available for download. Just to make sure you remember how much you enjoy my sexy little westerns, I’m giving you another look at the first book in the series, Unbridled.

I love my cowboy, and I sure love writing about them. Hope you enjoy and good luck in the contest! ~DD

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“…This is another fantastically hot and sexy book. But it is also a very deep and sensitive story about their confused emotions regarding gay relationships, and ménages.”

Tough…or tender? If she plays her cards right, she won’t have to choose.

Dani Standifer arrives home at her West Texas family ranch a day early, ready to pick up where she left off with Rowe Ayers, her high school sweetheart. However, when she opens the door to their line-shack trysting place, it’s clear she waited a day too long. Rowe’s with someone else—another man. And not just any other man— Justin Cruz, the bad boy with whom she shared one wild encounter, years ago.

Justin’s waited a long time for this moment. He knows his reputation, but since he seduced Rowe, he’s been a one-man cowboy—waiting for Dani to return and become the delicious fulfillment of his and Rowe’s needs. If she’s up to the challenge.

To her own surprise, Dani finds she’s more than ready to have both men in her life—as soon as she and Rowe teach Justin a lesson or two about love.

Their small town may not be ready for their kind of relationship. And Dani’s brother Cutter’s mile-deep grudge against Justin throws in a complication that could break the foundation the three of them have built…

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

“Jesus Christ.” Rowe bent to grab his blue jeans from the floor, then held them in front of his gleaming cock.

“A little late now,” Justin said. “I think she’s already jumped to the correct conclusion.”

Rowe’s fist clenched around his jeans, then he dropped them to the floor and straightened his shoulders. A look of resignation entered his face; a silent plea for understanding glittered in his pale eyes as he returned her stare.
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If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of SADDLED!

In one week, the second of my Lone Star Lovers books, Unforgiven, will be released. So I thought maybe I’d remind you why you’re going to be eager to rush to Samhain to buy it.

It’s all about the cowboy. Independent and stubborn. Strong but tender. Smells of horse and sweat. Completely, lickably male.

The first of my Samhain westerns was Saddled. I had so much fun writing it that I quickly followed with Unbridled and Unforgiven. And you can bet I have something in the works right now to follow. So indulge yourself in some cowboy lust.

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From Just Erotic Romance, 5 stars: “…I couldn’t put this story down! It was danger, betrayal, sexy and fun all rolled together into the perfect erotic romance. The plot was brilliant, and the characters unique…The sexual scenes will make you clamp your knees together and dream of a sexy cowboy or two of your own…”

From Vixen Reviews, 5 stars: “…What starts out as an innocent effort to warm Kate up turns into some of the most erotic sex I have ever read along with some of the best dialog I have seen in a book so far this year…The chemistry and interaction between the three of them is well written and keeps you chuckling and turns you on. The characters themselves are so well written you feel for them and you want them to make their alternative relationship work….Saddled is heart-stopping and fascinating!!!!!!!…”

From Romance Junkies, 4.5 stars: “…Delilah Devlin’s storylines never fail to pull readers into the story and SADDLED is no exception…Of course the sex scenes are scorching and adventurous with the perfect blend of emotional turmoil to ensure readers keep Ms. Devlin’s name at the top of their ‘must read’ list.”

When Bobby Blackhawk and Cale Yancey see a car slide off the highway and into an icy creek, they’ve got only minutes to get the beautiful driver out alive. And only one way to save her from hypothermia: take her to their isolated cabin, get naked…and hope like hell that when she wakes up, she doesn’t scream the place down.

Katherine Duvall opens her eyes in a strange bed, and the tingles flooding her body aren’t entirely due to restored circulation. She’s snuggled between two handsome men, one a gruff, gentle giant, the other a sexy, playful Native American. Having just left her fiancé romping with another woman, she’s not quite as shocked as she might have been.

In fact, these two lonesome cowboys could be the perfect bookends to satisfy her hunger for revenge and bolster her dented self esteem. It’s not long before their raging hormones are melting the snow on the cabin roof.

To their surprise, they find something else is melting, too. Their hearts…

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

Katherine Duvall awoke as sensation flooded her feet and hands—sharp prickling pinches that made her moan.

“Yeah, it’s gonna hurt. But it’s a good sign sweetheart,” a man whispered against her hair. “And there’s no frostbite. I checked.”

He’d checked? One fact penetrated her pain-filled fog. He’d done a lot more than checked. She was naked. And his bare-naked body was pressed up against her back, a penis nudging her bottom.

“Where are my clothes?” she gasped, choking on outrage and fear.

“Had to shuck ‘em. They were soaked.”

She remembered the car sliding into the water. But why wasn’t she in a hospital? “Where am I?”

“In my cabin. Couldn’t chance taking you back to Wellesley. Snow’s comin’ down too hard.”

Her fingers stung, and she pulled her hands from under the covers to peer at them in the inky darkness. “How long have I been here?”

“Maybe an hour. Was worried about you two. You both passed out.”

“Both?”
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Yesterday, I wrapped up FWD&J and shipped it to my EC editor. Then I gave Bad, Bad Girlfriend one last read through and sent it to her as well. With all that spare time left, I made notes for plots for four new projects I intend to work on this month. I love it when my brain is firing on all cylinders. However, I won’t be at the computer at all today. I’m driving to Dallas and back to pick up the 6-year-old from her father. Mmmm….Tex-mex! I won’t be counting calories.

Thought you might like to sigh over the cover for an upcoming release—a collection of very naughty fairy tales that will be out July 1, 2010 but is ready for pre-order now!

This is the line-up of the stories. Look who’s right up front!

Foreword by Angela Knight, Introduction: Once Upon a Time…
The Obedient Wife by Delilah Devlin
How the Little Mermaid Got Her Tail Back by Andrea Dale
Ducking by Craig Sorensen
Three Times by Justine Elyot
Ellie and the Shoemaker by Louisa Harte
The Pub Owner’s Daughter by Alegra Verde
Sleep Tight by Janine Ashbless
Her Hair is a Net, Woven by Shanna Germain
Mind Your Peas and Qs by Allison Wonderland
Demon Muse by Kristina Wright
Gildi and the Unwieldy, Ineffectual Committee of Bears by Jeremy Edwards
Frosted Glass by Aurelia T. Evans
Gingerbread Man by Carol Hassler
All In a Day’s Work by Saskia Walker
Big Bad Wolf (An Excerpt) by Alana Noël Voth
The Kiss by Michelle Augello-Page
The Return by Charlotte Stein
The Stone Room by A.D.R. Forte

Here’s what Amazon says:
“Award-winning novelist and top erotica writer Kristina Wright goes over the river and through the woods to find the sexiest fairy tales ever written. Playfully seductive, supernaturally sensual, and darkly erotic, Fairy Tale Lust showcases clever twists to classic tales and introduces new stories inspired by the ever-popular genre. Here, a walk in the forest is likely to lead to an erotic encounter with a mysterious stranger and the silver light of a full moon might illuminate an orgy of sensual delights! Highly imaginative and downright stimulating, these stories take fairy tale erotica to the next level. Top erotica contributors deliver sizzling work, including Janine Ashbless, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Delilah Devlin, Shanna Germaine, and Saskia Walker.”

It’s funny how excited I am about this book. The payday was paltry, the story short—but I had so much fun writing it! Here’s what one of the editors at Cleis said about my story:

“…A very artful invention, partly taking off on Beauty and the Beast—it’s beautifully written, has all the fairy tale elements, has very smutty sex, and both a clever twist ending and a deeper moral.”

I was impressed she could get “smutty sex” and “deeper moral” into the same sentence.

I’m taking a break today from cruise pictures to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! ~DD

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of this book!

Today, I’m giving you an excerpt from my one and only holiday story. Silent Knight was released in December 2005 by Ellora’s Cave and exists in the My Immortal Knight realm.

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From eCataRomance: “…The perfect holiday read! Delilah Devlin took a Christmas tale to a whole new level when she crafted SILENT KNIGHT.”

From Romance Divas: “…[SILENT KNIGHT] is a sizzling hot vampire story tht will take you on a short escape — the perfect read for a busy holiday season. Sexy and fun, make sure Silent Knight is on your holiday “must read” list!”

From A Romance Review: “Erotically decedent and thrillingly carnal, Noelle and Magnus’ story is enough to make a person self-combust with want.”

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Noelle Moyaux questions her gift of sight until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger sets her on a path to save his soul.

Magnus Thornton is a millennium-old vampire who has found evidence of an old foe’s evil at work in the demolished city of New Orleans. Weary of the fight, he decides to greet the coming dawn after a night reveling in his favorite things—a bottle of Bordeaux and a willing woman.

Noelle seems the answer, but she quickly creeps into his heart-the vampire, so jaded from life he never speaks, must now persuade Noelle to flee the city before it’s too late.

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

Noelle Moyaux flicked off the battery-powered Christmas lights that ringed her metal cart, folded her purple tablecloth into a small tidy square and tucked it and the folding table inside the cart before latching the lid closed.

She wheeled the cart across the busy street and waved to her friend Gerard, the owner of a small Cajun restaurant. Continuing around the back of the eatery, she stowed her palmistry kiosk in the storage unit she’d rented from Gerard since before the troubles.

Today’s earnings were slim, despite the unseasonably warm weather that allowed the thin-blooded residents of the city to roam the streets in light jackets. No one believed in a future amid the chaos—and some questioned her ability since she’d received no divination of the coming catastrophe. Indeed, Noelle questioned her gift daily as she sat beneath her umbrella in front of the embroidered cloth advertising “Noelle’s News”.

If not for the little nest egg of money she’d saved from substitute teaching before the flood, she’d be in dire straits.

Clutching her purse close to her side, she headed down the street toward home.

One last night. One last chance to lose myself in The Hunger, a fine glass of wine and the body of a willing woman. Before my last sunrise—the first I will see in nearly a thousand years…

Noelle heard the quiet, fleeting thought as she passed through the crowd ambling along Bourbon Street and spun to find the owner. The inner voice that accompanied the thought was masculine and raspy. Added to the familiar spark of connection when her skin had brushed against his was a wash of the blackest melancholy she’d ever sensed. It nearly drowned her in despair.
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