UPDATE: The winners are Melissa Packett and Pat Freely!
See comments for instructions!

* * * * *

All you SEAL lovers—get ready to get your freak on! And yes,
I’m hearing Missy Elliott’s song in my head! 🙂

Military Super-bundle of eleven novellas and novels by New York Times, USA Today and award-winning bestselling authors: Lynn Raye Harris, Cora Seton, Zoe York, Kimberley Troutte, Jennifer Lowery, Elle James, Delilah Devlin, Kat Cantrell, Anne Marsh, Kate Pearce and Amity Lassiter.

Get your copy here!

HOT SEAL RESCUE (HOT SEAL Team) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author LYNN RAYE HARRIS. Navy SEAL Cody “Cowboy” McCormick gets a whole lot more than he bargained for when a gorgeous woman with a gun abducts him in broad daylight.

A SEAL’s OATH (SEALs of Chance Creek) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author CORA SETON. Wanted: one wife, one baby. Love not required. Navy SEAL Boone Rudman has six months to find a wife and get her pregnant or he’ll lose his chance to win 1500 acres of prime Montana ranch land. So when he discovers Riley Eaton living on his new ranch, all grown up from the tomboy she used to be, he decides she’ll do for his bride–whether or not she’s got other plans.

FALL DIRTY (SEALs Undone) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author ZOE YORK. Navy SEAL Hunter Dex is a man on a mission–to discover all of his beautiful new girlfriend’s deepest desires.

BRING THE HEAT (SEAL EXtreme Team series) by RITA-nominated NYT and USAT Bestselling Author KIMBERLEY TROUTTE. When hostiles ambush an Army convoy with top-secret weapons and hold his wife hostage, Navy SEAL Tavon Sting faces an impossible choice–protect the White House and his team or save the woman he loves more than life.

A SEAL’s PROMISE (Book #4, SEAL Team Alpha) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author JENNIFER LOWERY. Brogan Steele is a hard-as-nails Navy SEAL. Inheriting half of a spa doesn’t fit any part of his life. His attempt to be a silent partner bombs when he falls for his beautiful partner.

SEAL’S DECEPTION (Take No Prisoners Book #8) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES. A Navy SEAL poses as bodyguard to a sexy CIA operative undercover as the arranged bride of a Saudi prince in search of the biological weapons sale traced to the Prince’s palace.

BABY, IT’S YOU (Uncharted SEALs, Book #5) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author DELILAH DEVLIN. Carter Vance, Jr. stands at the fork in the road. Wounded in action, the Navy SEAL has a decision to make: whether to find work with a spec ops unit, or return to his family ranch in Texas and repair his fractured relationship with his dying father and the woman he wronged. Complicating the decision is his reignited attraction to Melanie Schaeffer and his confusion over his feelings for his dead brother’s little girl, whom Melanie has raised since his brother’s and her sister’s deaths by a terrorist’s bomb.

COMMANDING HER SEAL (ASSIGNMENT: Caribbean Nights) by award-winning author KAT CANTRELL. Lieutenant Commander Charlie St. Croix needs some downtime to decide if he should reenlist. What better way to recharge than with Audra Reed, a hot redhead who’s a self-confessed adrenaline junkie?

The TROUBLE WITH SEALS (ASSIGNMENT: Caribbean Nights) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author ANNE MARSH. A quick, straightforward business transaction rapidly becomes something else when a Navy SEAL butts heads with a beautiful woman over a piece of paradise.

ONCE A SEAL (The Morgan Ranch series) by NYT and USAT Bestselling Author KATE PEARCE. After an eventful career as a Navy SEAL, Jay Williams returns home to Morgantown, California to take over the running of his family’s bar. After being rescued from a hostage situation and barely emerging alive Erin Cooper definitely has trust issues… There’s only one person who will tell her the truth. Her mystery SEAL might not know it, but he’s her last chance…

A COWBOY SEAL’s BRIDE by Bestselling Author AMITY LASSITER. Navy SEAL Lane Sutton wants to retire to the ranch his grandfather left him and battle his demons in peace. Too bad the only way to legally claim the ranch is to marry a woman from his past. A woman who once rejected his proposal and will surely be hell bent on doing so again. But this time, there’s no way Lane’s letting her–or his ranch–go without a fight.

Contest

If you’d like to catch up on the rest of my Uncharted SEALs, you can check out the titles by clicking on the covers here. Two lucky commenters will get a chance to start their reading adventure, because I’ll give them their choice of one of these stories!

Hi Delilah, thanks for hosting me. My post today is a little different. Instead of plugging my work, I’m asking your readers to help me spread the word about a charity anthology. There is also a charity-based contest at the bottom of the post.

When my oldest daughter, Turtle (nickname, obviously) was only a week old, she went through the kind of medical hell no child should ever go through. First, she nearly died from a bacterial infection. Two days later we learned she’d also had a stroke. Our lives shrunk to our daughter’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit room as we measured her life in hours. Celebrations like her first Christmas and first birthday seemed like impossible goals.

Not long after Turtle turned a corner and came off the ventilator, our nurse came into the room with a hat and a blanket. She told us that they’d been donated to the hospital’s Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units by Project Linus for babies and children in crisis. It was a small gift, but in the midst of hell, it was a ray of light.

Since then I’ve made a point of donating to Project Linus annually in Turtle’s name.

We are one of the lucky families. There was a small bit of white matter damage from the stroke, and Turtle needed a foot brace for under a year. One of her kidneys permanently failed, but the other is healthy. As you can see from the photo, she’s like many other seven year old girls—obsessed with ballet. She’d like to be an artist when she grows up.

There is a series of charity anthologies run by a company called Coming Together. I find the idea of giving back by writing erotica inspiring, and I’ve participated in four anthologies as a writer. When there was a call for more editors, I was inspired to volunteer. Coming Together: Under the Mistletoe was born, with all proceeds going to Project Linus.

Submission Call

Deadline is September 1, 2016

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow because we’ll be heating up this sexy December anthology.

I am looking for your best winter stories. Are your characters cuddled up inside while a blizzard rages, or are they snowbirds spending Christmas Day on the beach in the tropics? Who belongs on Santa’s Naughty List? Is your billionaire a Scrooge? Is this the year they come out to their family? Do they have a special someone to kiss when the ball drops?

While the theme is winter, you may also add in your favorite December holiday, but this is not mandatory. I’m looking for compelling stories with compelling characters and a rich plot as well as beautiful poetry.

Guidelines

• Your story should be set between December 1 and December 31 whether explicitly or implicitly.
• All orientations, ethnicities, pairings, and interpretations of “winter” are encouraged.
• All sub-genres and time periods welcome (contemporary, historical, paranormal, sci-fi, steampunk, you name it).
• All heat levels from sweet and romantic to down and dirty—as long as it is plot driven.
• HEA/HFN preferred, but not required.
• Stories up to 7,500 words
• Poetry is welcomed and encouraged
• No underage, no scat, no non-consent, no incest

Coming Together is a charity organization. You retain all rights to your stories, and previously published stories and poetry are welcomed (as long as you hold the rights).

Please use Times New Roman font, size 12, and double spaced with one inch margins. No extra lines between paragraphs. Set indentations to .5 – do not use tabs or spaces to indent. Use .docx, .doc .rtf formats only.

Only submit your final, best version of the story to delilahnight@gmail.com with the subject line “Under the Mistletoe insert your title insert your name”

Do not send multiple versions of the same story. Up to two stories/three poems will be considered from each author. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable and be clear which one is which), mailing address, and up to 250 word bio. Do not paste your story into the body of your message.

You will be notified as to the status of your story by no later than October 1, 2016.

Coming Together is a non-profit organization, and all Coming Together authors and editors have generously donated their talents to various causes. Compensation for inclusion in this work is a PDF contributor copy of the finished product and your name on Santa’s Nice List (or Naughty, if that’s your preference). You retain all rights to your story. All proceeds go to Project Linus, which provides home-made blankets and hats to children in crisis.

Questions? Email me at delilahnight@gmail.com

Contest

The first five (5) readers who share the submission call on their websites will get a ten dollar usd ($10 usd) donation to the charity of their choice. I’ll also send you a pdf copy of your choice of the four Coming Together anthologies to which I’ve contributed—Coming Together: For the Holidays, Coming Together: Among the Stars, Coming Together: Strange Shifters, or Coming Together: Keeping Warm.

My link is posted here at the Erotica Readers and Writers Association, and I have a dedicated page on my website. You can cut and paste the call, or write a short blog entry about why you would encourage people to submit to the anthology (feel free to cut and paste/use any information and photos I’ve used in this post and then add a link to the call).

Email me at delilahnight@gmail.com with a link to your post and the name of your charity (no political or religious organizations). I’ll provide you with a screenshot to prove that I’ve made the donation.

UPDATE: All commenters were winners!
This contest is closed!

* * * * *

Howdy, everyone. I’m so glad to be back on Delilah’s blog today to talk about my latest release, Cowboy Player. It’s the third book in my Cowboy Cocktail novella series, starring the lovelorn MacKinnon brothers and the smart, feisty women who fall for them.

Cowboy Player is a friends-to-lover story starring brother number three, Clark MacKinnon—player, prankster and enormous flirt. Melody Santos, his longtime platonic friend, has zero time for his brand of shenanigans…or does she?

To celebrate the release of Cowboy Player, I’m offering a giveaway of all three Cowboy Cocktail books in your preferred e-book format. See below to play!

Thank you for reading!

This cowboy and cowgirl sell the steak and the sizzle.

Cowboy Cocktail, Book 3

For eight years, Melody Santos played the game of love and lost—big time. Now she’s back in her tiny hometown looking after her younger sister, making ends meet with an assortment of odd jobs. When her childhood best friend hires her to help him sell his family’s grass-fed beef, the last thing she anticipates is falling in lust with the legendary, brown-eyed player.

To put his family’s cattle ranch back in the black, Clark MacKinnon has his sights set on big contracts—gourmet chefs and restaurateurs. If that means long hours traveling from farmer’s market to farmer’s market, Clark doesn’t mind. Particularly since his new assistant is his childhood crush, all grown up and sexy as hell.

One night in bed leaves them breathless and hungry for more. But when his love-’em-and-leave-’em reputation collides with her trust issues, Clark and Melody must face the truth about what they’ve become: not friends, not lovers, but players in a game that’s impossible to win.

Warning: Contains filthy banter, raunchy sex, excessive Johnny Cash references, and hundreds of pounds of raw beef.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

“What a sweet and steamy read!…I am intrigued by those Mackinnon brothers and am anxious to read each of their stories.”
—Goodreads review, 5 stars

“Great read. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. I found the characters easy to fall in love with and the pace didn’t lag at all.”
—Goodreads review, 5 stars

“This is a quick, hot read. [Melody and Clark’s] connection to each other is strong, based in friendship, and becomes a stronger love. The end of the story brought tears to my eyes. I highly recommend this story. I plan to read more of Mia Hopkins.”
—Goodreads review, 5 stars

BUY THE BOOK

 Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | B&N | Samhain | AllRomance | Google Play | Books-A-Million

EXCERPT

With a grimace, Melody swallowed down the last of her gin and tonic. One of the bartenders whisked her glass away and asked if she wanted another. Even though she did, Melody shook her head.

Something touched her bare arm. A warm fingertip grazed her skin from elbow to wrist. She looked up.

“Lost in thought again?” Clark leaned close and kissed her cheek, just as he had hundreds of times before. One of the Silver Spur’s waitresses put a beer down in front of him and flashed a sexy grin. He smiled at the woman briefly and turned his attention back to Melody.

She shook her head. “It must be hard to be you.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Women. The endless parade of women fighting for your attention.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad.” Clark took a sip of beer.

“Where are all your brothers? They usually help carry the burden.”

“I’m on my own tonight,” he said. “But let’s talk about you, not me. Why so blue, Mel? Baby sister all grown up?”

They turned to look at the crowd in front of the stage. Harmony had found herself a cowboy admirer. The lucky fellow was holding her close and nuzzling her neck as he led her around the dance floor.

Was Melody sad that Harmony was growing up? No, not exactly. Nostalgic, more like—for a version of herself she wasn’t sure ever existed. Had she ever been that young and optimistic? Had she ever let herself be that free?

“I’m proud of her,” Melody said at last. “It’s been hard. Seeing our mom get sick like that. Lots of kids would’ve dropped out. But she finished school with a 3.8. This is her first night out in a long, long time.”

“A smarty-pants, just like you.”

“Smarter than me,” said Melody. “She learned something useful. Solid paycheck, helping others, all that good stuff.”

“You’re a brilliant teacher, from what I’ve heard.”

“Diagramming sentences isn’t exactly going to save us from the zombie apocalypse, now is it?”

“If there’s a zombie apocalypse, nothing will save us, Mel. The only thing left to do is get drunk and screw.” He held up his beer mug and winked at her. An honest-to-goodness wink.

Melody shook her head. “You can’t help yourself, can you, MacKinnon? You’re a hopeless flirt.”

“Flirting? Thought I was just drinking beer and being myself.” He looked down at the empty coaster in front of her. “What about you? What are you having? Gin and tonic, right?”

He remembered her favorite drink. Melody smiled. “No, I’m good. I’m on sister watch tonight. She really wants to cut loose. Someone’s gotta hold her hair back when the vomit flies. Which it inevitably will.” She waved her hand at him. “You should go have a good time. Get yourself a nice piece. Enjoy your Saturday night.”

Only Clark could make a shrug look so sexy. “But I’m already enjoying my Saturday night.”

Something about the way he said those words made Melody’s skin tingle.

As an experiment, she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, resting her arms on the bar. For a nanosecond, Clark’s dark eyes darted to her cleavage before resting on his beer. A sudden, electric thrill shimmied down her spine. Her body clenched with pleasure, knowing she could still get the attention of a man as insanely hot as Clark MacKinnon.

But then…guilt.

That’s Clark. Don’t flirt with Clark.

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of Cowboy Player, I’m offering a giveaway of all three Cowboy Cocktail books in your preferred e-book format. To play, answer the following question in a comment below and PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS…

Clark MacKinnon is a prankster. What is the best prank you’ve ever witnessed? You can change names to protect all parties involved.

I’ll select one winner at random. Contest closes Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at midnight PST. Good luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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. Connect with her on Twitter @miahopkinsxoxo or visit her website at miahopkinsauthor.com.

It’s heeeerrre! 

The Pleasure Bot is a story I loved writing. I smiled my way through it. The story has some of my favorite tropes—mistaken identity, hiding in plain sight. Add a playful and annoying personnel computer, a pirate with a sense of humor, and a woman who thinks she only wants to get off—and you have it.

The story played well with reviewers:

• Nominated for Best Erotic Romance and 4 ½ Stars and TOP PICK! from Romantic Time BookClub Magazine, “…Hot sex, sidesplitting humor and an out-of-this-world story set this erotica apart from the rest!”
• Also, 5 Flames from Sizzling Romances; 5 Stars from Just Erotic Romances; 5 Stars from eCataRomance

Give it a go! The Pleasure Bot is book 4 in the Planet Desire series, but is completely standalone. It exists in that universe, but the characters never cross paths. It’s free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers! And isn’t that cover just lickable? Thanks, sis!

The Pleasure Bot

4 ½ Stars and TOP PICK! from RT BookClub Magazine, “…Hot sex, sidesplitting humor and an out-of-this-world story set this erotica apart from the rest!”

Bringing new meaning to battery operated boyfriend…

Priscilla Potter rents the latest sex toy, a better-than-lifelike pleasure robot, for a little weekend R&R. However, her fantasy companion isn’t quite what she expected. He’s unshaven, uncouth, and doesn’t seem to understand she’s in charge of her own pleasure. But she soon decides the on-line shop got the order just right. As the weekend draws to a close, she has to find a way to keep her robot past its return date.

Bootlegging “entrepreneur” Declan O’Hanlon needs a place to lay low until he can figure out how to liberate his crew and ship from Customs impound. The “uninhabited” house he picks for his hideout actually belongs to a sex kitten who mistakes him for her latest toy. Intrigued by the idea of being a woman’s fantasy come true, Declan does what any red-blooded man would do–he pretends to be her acquisition. But he doesn’t count on Priss being quite so irresistible. As the time depart nears he wonders how he can ever leave her behind.

Get your copy at Amazon!

The Contest

I’ll give away a free download of any of these three stories to three lucky commenters! Wish me luck with my new release, and let me know if humor is something you like in a story!

Celebrate my birthday with me and my hot heroes
In honor of my birthday I am giving away 8 prizes
Leave a comment and I will choose 8 people to win their choice of one of my books

Today is my 80th birthday, a milestone for sure. It hardly seems possible that I have been writing romance novels for twelve years, publisher for ten, and have more than two hundred titles out there for my readers. It’s a career I started as a hobby, sort of, after all my other careers and finally retiring from the last one I had.

I always wanted to write. I loved making up stories even as a kid. But my life was so busy that I never really had the time to devote to it until I retired. Funny thing is, I always thought I would write mysteries. My mother and sister read them—Ellery Queen, Agatha Christie, Emma Lathan, Mignon Eberhart, Rex Stout. You get the drift. AS I readied myself for retirement my staff took great pleasure in helping me plot The Book that I would write as soon as I got settled.

In 2004, I finally sat down to write The Book, the greatest mystery of all time, except a funny thing happened on the way to completion. I got three chapters written and couldn’t seem to get beyond that point. I thought, well, crap! And then I read my first romance ever, a romantic suspense by Linda Howard called Cry No More. I thought, damn! This is for me. This is what I want to write.

I sat down and wrote like a fiend and Target was finished in three weeks. Yes, three weeks. Note: it actually took five years to get that book published, and others came before it. So now I had a book and no idea what to do with it. When I found San Antonio Romance Authors SARA) I was sure I hit the jackpot. I learned all the things I didn’t know about writing a successful book and discovered the ongoing battle to get a book published when you are one in every ten thousand that actually is contracted.

But I learned a lot from SARA. Delilah Devlin told me my story really started on page 32 (way too much backstory), Elle James showed me how to structure a plot. Linda Carroll-Bradd taught me about dialogue tags. And so many others in SARA who encouraged and guided me and celebrated with me when I got that very first contract.

I didn’t start out writing erotic but again, I can thank my SARA friends who told me when Ellora’s Cave had an open submission call for themed Quickies (15K). Imagine my shock when Cupid’s Shaft was contracted. I think I stared at the email for an hour just to make sure I read it write.

My journey since then has taken a lot of twists and turns and there are so many others to thank for helping me make it: The Wild Rose Press (and the wonderful Rhonda Penders) who published me when nobody else would; Kelli Collins and Diana Carlisle, two of the best editors I have ever had (and I have to add Paige Christian at Kensington to that list); all my friends at SARA who encouraged me. Margie Hager, my long time beta reader. Shirley Long, a reader who has been with me since my very first book. The wonderful Frauke Spanath at Croco Designs, web and graphics designer extraordinaire who puts up with my disorganization and makes everything so beautiful. My new PA, Nicole Kuhn, who does so much to make sure my promotions get out there and work. Sharon Slick Reads, whose reviews taught me what makes a book readable and special.

I know I’ve forgotten someone, which always happens when you start naming people. If I left you out I’m sorry but you live in my heart. Believe me.

Last year was a great year for me, with the launch of my first series with Kensington (my New York publisher), the launch of my paranormal series with Decadent, and the launch of my Kindle World, The Omega Team, with Amazon.

This year promises to be even better. Kensington has given the go ahead for a new small town romantic suspense series. My Kindle World (The Omega Team) has three more launches scheduled. (see the link to the video below) I am in the process of writing the first in a four-book military romance series for Totally Bound which will go mass market. And thank you to all the people who have invited me to be part of box sets, also.

This year I am also deep into the planning, with my four co-hostesses, for the fifth Wild Wicked Weekend, our fun convo for romance authors and readers. Check it out at www.wildwickedweekend.com

I want to thank everyone who reads my books and helps me promote. You all are what make it work for me. I hope to be doing this for a long time yet, at least to fulfill all the contracts I’ve signed (grin!).

Below are the links for my newsletter and my app. Both are free and easy ways to keep up with me.

Huge thanks to Delilah who has been with me from Day One for letting me babble on her bog today.

Oh, and that first book I wrote, Target? Not only did it finally get contracted and released as the first book in a four-book series, but I am I the process of revising all of them and they will be re-released this year and next. Watch for them.

Download my App. It’s free!!!!
Google http://bit.ly/1QA1JHG
Apple http://apple.co/1Tm8Wfp

Sign up for my newsletter here:  http://bit.ly/1SJqwvg
Web: www.desireeholt.com
Blog: wwwdesiremeonly.com

The Omega Team video:
http://www.fiverr.com/download/MA7A091F7D67/original/OmegaT.mp4

Chronicles of the Fallen, Book 4

A legendary sword isn’t the only thing this merciless demon desires…

Possessed of immeasurable patience and an unrelenting drive for justice, Sebastian, the Demon of Vengeance, has finally met his match. His mission is to keep the new Guardian safe until the Sword of Kathnesh is retrieved, but the aggravating woman insists on throwing herself into harm’s way at every opportunity.

Finding the sacred relic is Phoebe Mackenzie’s task, and protecting it is her family’s legacy. But when Sebastian resorts to magic to save her life, he unwittingly exposes a secret sealed deep within her—and paints a target on her back no demon can resist. As Phoebe fights to hold on to her identity, Sebastian’s oldest nemesis vows to use any and all means to force Sebastian into a fight to the death—including targeting his mate. Sebastian will do whatever it takes to preserve the barriers between Earth and Hell. But in unleashing the raging storm inside him, he risks losing the woman he loves.

Excerpt:

“Well, they probably have Dad’s last journal now.” Phoebe mustered the strength to roll over on her side to face him. She tugged the blankets up, tucking them firmly in place. “It shouldn’t be a major issue, not unless they’re familiar with the region. My father encrypted all his journals. It was a code he only ever taught to me. It started out as a game when I was young, but then, after the fire, it became serious. Eventually it was the only way we communicated about anything, at least in writing. They won’t be able to read the journal themselves, I’m sure of that much at least.”

“Then we still have a slight advantage.”

“Not with me in this bed,” Phoebe pointed out, filled with determination. Once more, ignoring the trembling of her limbs and the shaking in her hands, she made to sit up.

But Sebastian was on his feet before she could blink. His large hand pressed against her good shoulder, careful but insistent, urging her back against the pillows. “Oh, no, you don’t.

Not yet. You’re not strong enough. Tell me where to go, what to look for.”

“That’s just it. I don’t know.” She gave up struggling and sagged into the mattress, exhausted. No way was she going to let him hunt for the sword while she languished in bed. He’d find the damned thing and she’d never see him or it again.

Not that it mattered if she saw him again. She bit her lip, unhappy with the taste of the lie souring her mouth.

What should it matter?

Answer? It shouldn’t.

But it did.

And she didn’t know quite what to think about that.

“Every journal I found was filled with clues. Clues and more clues. A hodgepodge network of riddles I had to work through. Riddles only I could work through. The clues form a map of sorts leading to yet another journal. It’s a complicated process, one I’d hoped I was reaching the end of.” She studied his face, bit her lip. And decided to test the waters.

Would he keep to his word, or was he no better than the other demons she’d encountered?

No better, just sneakier?  “Dad said he would leave a trail of breadcrumbs, should the sword ever disappear.”

“So there is a way to recover it, even though it’s in Stolas’s hands?” He leaned forward, his expression avid.

His excitement set off faint warning bells. Was it just ingrained caution? Or something more sinister? She hesitated. She needed him to trust her, regardless of whether or not she trusted him. If he trusted her, he might relax his guard. If his guard was down, she might be able to escape if need be.

Besides, he already knew most of the crucial information. She wasn’t confirming anything new. Not yet, at least.

“Yes.”

“Yes, for sure. Or yes, you hope?”

Stirring herself, she replied, “Yes. Definitely, yes. He would have ensured there was some way to find it, no matter what. I firmly believe that. But we can’t wait. Too much is riding on that sword.”

Sebastian sat there, his hip pressed to hers as he leaned across her, his expression inscrutable. His palm was braced on the mattress beside her hip, pinning her in place. He regarded her with such intensity she fought the urge to squirm.

“What are you?” His question came out of left field.

She sucked in a sharp breath. How could he know? How had he figured out that she wasn’t—

“I know you don’t trust me, not yet. But in order for me to do my job, in order for me to protect you to the best of my ability, you have to tell me what you are.”

He waited. She swallowed. He cocked an eyebrow. She blinked. He was clearly growing impatient by her continued silence. Still, she couldn’t do it, couldn’t tell him what had happened to her, what she’d seen in the mirror the day she’d learned of her father’s death.

Eventually, Sebastian heaved a sigh. “Mark my words. I will find out, Phoebe. I don’t know what you’re so afraid of, why you fear telling me. But I’ll find out.” He stood and bent over her. And then he flattened his hands on either side of her shoulders, pinning her as he got in her space. “I will find out. And I’ll still stand beside you. I’ll protect you anyway. Even if I have to protect you from yourself.”

He dropped a soft kiss on her forehead, shocking her speechless, before he straightened and moved toward the door.  “If you can get up, can get dressed on your own, and meet me downstairs in twenty minutes, I’ll take you back to Mexico tonight. Otherwise, the trip will have to wait until you’re stronger.”

“I don’t have any clothes,” she pointed out, cursing when her arms shook violently, threatening to give way as she pushed up on the bed once more. Phoebe squawked in surprise when a stack of neatly folded clothing appeared beside her without any warning.

Why did she get the feeling she was in over her head? Way, way over her head.

“Thank you,” she said, gritting her teeth in determination. Perspiration beaded her upper lip as she managed to get into an upright position. She clutched the sheet to her chest with one hand and reached for the pile of clothing with the other. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, Sebastian. You’ve been…beyond kind.”

He stopped halfway across the room and slowly turned. The smile he sent her nearly stopped her heart.

“Sweetheart, there are three very important things you need to know about me…know and remember above and beyond anything else. First, I don’t have an altruistic bone in my body.”

Phoebe blinked.

“Second, when I want something, I won’t ever stop until I get it. Not. Ever.” He paused, stared at her for a long moment, stared hard, as if to make certain she not only heard but completely understood every last word. A heavy sense of foreboding settled in the pit of her stomach and she frowned.

“And third… I. Want. You.”

The smile he gave her left her with no doubt in her mind over what he’d meant by that last remark. And then he vanished. A long moment later, she sucked in a shuddering lungful of air. That old adage about frying pans and fires came back to her once more.

“What did I just get myself into?”

Review Quotes:

Praise for Brenda Huber…

“Ms. Huber is an author who makes every page look effortless.”   ~ says Catherine Bybee, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

“Temptation by Brenda Huber is imaginative, vibrant and completely addictive…  Another amazing tale from this compelling series!” ~ Fresh Fiction Reviews

“[Brenda Huber’s] ability to infuse romance, action and humor…will certainly keep me coming back for more. Reading Chronicles of the Fallen Series is a must for any PNR fan.” ~ The Jeep Diva

“Thrilling, dangerous and seductive… Brenda Huber has done it again with her continuation of a fantastic plot, amazing characters and sizzling passion.”  ~Fresh Fiction Reviews says of The Seer

“With danger, passion, sexy demons…, and a lot of action, THE SLAYER by Brenda Huber is a new favorite of mine.” ~Fresh Fiction Reviews

“Ms. Huber has the ability to draw you into the story and keep you thoroughly entertained.” ~ The Romance Review

” Author Brenda Huber has crafted a tale that will ensnare the mind and enrapture the heart…”  ~Long and Short Romance Reviews

“Ms. Huber has a gift with weaving emotions and building characters…” ~Seriously Reviewed

“Amazingly well written…A gripping story of magical creatures…You just can’t put this book down.” ~Nocturne Romance Reads

Purchase links:

www.samhainpublishing.com
www.thewildrosepress.com
www.amazon.com/author/brendahuber
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/brenda+huber?_requestid=384701

Giveaway Details:

In the weeks leading up to the Release Day for Demon of Vengeance, I will be announcing a drawing on my webpage and my author page on Facebook.  I will be announcing the winner on June 28^th on my webpage and my social media outlets.

About the Author

I’ve always been an avid reader.  With that love of books came a passion to write them.  The first romance novel I ever picked up (and probably still one of my all time favorites) was Captive Bride by Johanna Lindsey.  I own every book she has out.  I have too many other favorite authors that I loyally read to list,  but I tend to lean more toward Paranormal Romance, of course, as well as Suspense and Historical.  I am a determined gardener, despite the fact that my family claims I have a black thumb.  Even I will admit that plants in my household have a 50/50 shot…but I refuse to give up.  I love to study history, particularly that of the American West and Civil War, and Revolutionary War, Medieval European history, and Egyptian history.  Eclectic, I know, but there it is.  I prize spending time with my children above all else.  I live in Iowa with my wonderful husband, my two children, and my very spoiled dog Sam. You can learn more by visiting me on my website (brendahuber.webs.com), or following me on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1F4VsNc) and Twitter (@b_hubie).

Social Media links:
www.brendahuber.webs.com
Twitter:  @b_hubie
Instagram:  author_brenda_Huber
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brenda-Hubers-Author-Page-110286325668262/

A quick whee and we’ll move onto the contest!
And thanks to everyone who bought a copy of With His Pack!

Whee!

Tell me a story!

I bought this little brainstorming tool years ago at some writers’ conference. I’ve used it only once—here! “Story Cubes” is (that looks wrong, but I promise it’s not) a brainstorming game. You roll the dice and whatever pictures appear face up are the ones you use to riff off a story.

Here’s the roll…

Do any of these symbols tell you anything? You can pick some or use all of them. Tell me a story, or just a glimmer of an idea, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!