Happy Saturday! I just wanted to poke my head in the door today to remind you about something. If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you have access to FREE books! If want to get a FREE copy of Stranded, you better get it TODAY, because it’s leaving KU tomorrow! Last chance, folks!

Remember, there are 13 luscious erotic short stories inside this volume. If you’re looking for a good deal, get your FREE copy today. But hey, even if you don’t have KU, $0.99 is a GREAT PRICE for this volume!

Then, if you’re still hungry for sexy FREE short stories (sorry, KU subscribers only), every one of my Stepbrothers Stepping Out shorties is in KU! You can check out the stories on my Short Stories Page. Here’s just a sampling of what you can pick up for FREE!

And don’t forget! Next Tuesday, my shorty, Quincy Down Under, releases—and it will be available through KU for a limited time!

Authors love to put a character through trial and tribulations and push their limits. Delilah’s really good at it, isn’t she? It’s fun reading about people forced to grow and change. But doing it ourselves can be pretty painful, unless we find the right challenge to encourage the proper kind of growth. I found the right one for me—I auditioned for my local community theater, the Hamilton Players production of Disaster! A 70s Disaster Movie… Musical!

I sing regularly in my church choir, but I haven’t acted or danced since my community college days in the early 80’s, and I wasn’t particularly great then. When I heard about this particular musical, I thought it was the perfect vehicle to push a few of my limits. The music is familiar—it’s all 70’s hits—and I wasn’t trying for a lead role, just a position in the ensemble.

The audition itself was rather nerve-wracking. The singing was no problem, and the light improvisation wasn’t too bad, but the dancing? Yikes. Just the few steps we learned that night were really hard for me. I’m physically fit for my age, but I’m pretty klutzy, and hip swings and pelvic thrusts aren’t part of my normal workout routine! So, I did my best and laughed off my flubs. When they asked us for our best 70’s free dance, I decided to dance like I just didn’t care and went full-on Saturday Night Fever. Pretty sure I looked ridiculous, but hey, at least I gave it my best shot.

The cast list went up just two days later and to my great shock, I was on it as part of the ensemble. We started rehearsals the next week, getting scripts and doing a full read-through. During the read-through, I was assigned the part of Victim 1—by all the suns, I have lines!—and eventually, I ended up in a ‘named’ part as The Blind Woman. We started on choreography that week as well. Initially, I was disappointed to not be in all of the ensemble pieces, but it wasn’t long before I was grateful. Dancing is a huge challenge for me, especially synchronized dancing.

Not only was I working hard at every rehearsal—four nights a week plus Sunday afternoons—but doing extra dance practices and an hour or so at home most days. Learning even the simplest steps was hard and every muscle surrounding my hips was screaming at me for a couple of weeks. But I persevered and while I’ll never be a natural or great dancer, I got good enough to not totally disgrace our lovely choreographers, Michelle Post and Natalie Naidl.

The singing, speaking and blocking (how you move on the stage while speaking) was easy in comparison. Our director, Denise Rose, and musical director, Emily Athman, handed out critiques, praise and a few blunt expressions of disappointment, pushing all of us to our best performances. I learned a lot from both of them and really enjoyed the whole process, even when it was slightly painful for me personally.

After our final week of dress rehearsals, I was too tired to be terribly nervous before the first performance. Once the performances started, I had so much fun! Sure, there were a few blunders, forgotten lines and missed entrances, but overall, it was smooth and over too quickly. By the second week, we were firmly in the groove, a tight-knit team. We had a great time on stage and off. Those of us with minor roles had a backstage ‘dance party’ during one of the big solo numbers on stage. One of the lead players wrote a lip-synching script for all of us to a medley of ABBA songs which she filmed before performances. Many nights the cast went out after the performance too. I was thrilled, excited and happy to be a part of the amazing whole.

After nine performances, we took our final bows with standing ovations and calls for extending the run. After our final show, we broke down the set and had a cast party. It was definitely a bittersweet day. I’m happy to have all the time back, but I’m really sad I won’t be hanging out with all these fantastic people every day.

Overall, it was a great way to push my limits a little and force a little growth. I highly recommend community theater to anyone. If you’re not into performing, there are many ways to contribute: on house staff, fund-raising, set building and technical crew are just a few. Check out your local theater!

I’ll definitely try out for another show, but probably not for a while—I have another book to write! And speaking of, I’ve just released my fifth in the Folding Space Series, Lightwave: Circini Search. If you like adventure and battles in space with a little romance, like Firefly or Star Wars, I think you’ll like my books.

If you sign up for my newsletter on amscottwrites.com, you’ll get a free novella, Lightwave: Nexus Station. Check it out! Have a wonderful summer and check back with the talented and generous Delilah Devlin daily!

Guardian Security

Each man has had his own personal experience with danger.
Now they are guardians of your safety and always there when you need them.

Finding Redemption is Book #5

Her son was kidnapped and there is no trace of him anywhere. The one man who can help her is wrapped in his own dark misery. Can she convince him to help?

She shook herself at the sound of Josh’s voice.

Lisa looked at the man across from her. She’d seen him a few times, in very brief situations, but this was the first time she’d had the chance to study him.

At thirty-eight he looked at least ten years older. He had thick black hair peppered with grey, worn long enough that he tied it back with a leather thong. His beard looked more like the result of not shaving rather than a deliberate plan, and dissolution had added extra flesh around the jaw line and pouches under his eyes. His skin was an unhealthy, ruddy color, probably from the amount of alcohol she heard he drank with regularity. Although he carried a few extra pounds, she bet that in his best days, he was lean and mean.

If this were, as the fairy tales said, once upon a time—before Charles had killed any interest she had in men and before Ethan Caine had destroyed himself—she could see herself being drawn to him. Now he just offended her, and she resented any latent spark of attraction he ignited in her.

But then she saw his eyes and something stabbed at her. Although they were alert, studying both the Taylors and his surroundings at the same time, they were a bottomless black filled with so much pain it hurt to look at them. What had this man seen and done that caused that much personal misery? Was this the kind of man she could trust to find her son?

“Lisa?”

She shook herself at the sound of Josh’s voice. “I’m sorry. My mind tends to wander these days.” She pasted what she was sure was a grotesque mockery of a smile on her face. “Than you very much for coming, Mr. Caine.”

“Ethan. Don’t thank me yet.” His voice was deep but not smooth, more like the scraping sound of gravel falling on cement. “Right now we’re just having lunch.”

“That’s true.” She nodded, willing her hands to stop their incessant tremors.

“So, why don’t we order and you can tell me what this little meet and greet is all about.”

Find all Buy links here:
https://desireeholt.com/books/finding-redemption/

In Order:
Book #1 Moving Target
Book #2 Silencing Memories
Book #3 Killing Lies
Book #4 Running Scared
https://desireeholt.com/guardian-security/

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Note from Delilah: We’re having trouble with the link to the newsletter signup, but you can go to Desiree’s website, wait for the pop up, and sign up that way to get your free book!

My family has long been fond of road trips. Whether it was the pilgrimage to Disney World, or a visit to a new city, my family usually took the trip in cars.

We’d load up with snacks, pillows and books. Sometimes, Mom and Dad would wake us up at four in the morning to start the drive, so we’d sleep through most of it. Other times, we’d make the journey part of the trip, stopping to see various sites along the way.

When I got older and went away to college, I continued to go on road trips, this time with my friends. We’d drive to other cities for festivals and concerts, homecoming games and other sporting events. Sometimes, we’d drive someplace just to figure something out, or prove each other wrong.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that when I write, some of my favorite stories to tell involve travel. The hi-jinx that comes with travel is a fun vehicle for stories. No trip is ever one hundred percent smooth, how people respond to the craziness is where the memories – and the stories – lie. What would you do if you got lost in Delaware? If your luggage went to more places than you did? If you got stuck at a road stop for a few hours? What if you forgot someone at a pit stop?

All of these scenarios can be a challenge for the best of trip planners, but they could also be a ton of fun for someone who’s willing to roll with the punches. For example, on one road trip, my dad asked a store clerk for a breakfast recommendation for his family. Turns out the recommendation was a bar. What did Dad do? He found us a table away from the booze, ordered up a big family breakfast, and left the barkeep an excellent tip. Years later, my parents visited that city again and they found the bar. They took a picture of the sign and had it framed, hanging it in a place of honor.

Rolling with the crazy of a trip isn’t always easy, but sometimes it opens the doors for fun adventures. I am definitely looking forward to some road trips this summer when I head to the mountains. I know what we’ve got planned, but I have no idea what we’ll find and that excites me.

Need a read for your next road trip? The Girl U Want will be out this summer!

The Girl U Want

Sue Douglas loves her dream job as a publicist for an up-and-coming rock band even though…

• The bass player hates her
• The lead singer wants her
• The drummer is trying to fix her up with anyone but the lead singer
• The band’s record company has set her up to fail
• And if she does, she could lose everything.

Sue’s used to working under pressure, but it reaches epic levels when she goes on tour with the band. Doesn’t matter though, she’s determined to get them all the publicity they can handle, and then some.

Join my newsletter to get the first 3 chapters, free, plus be among the first to know when the book is live.

About the Author

Elaine Reed has something to say.

All the time.

Since it’s not reasonable or productive – two things she occasionally tries to be – to talk twenty-four hours a day, she channels most of that into books. Her stories focus on adventurous and ambitious women and the men who love them.

When she’s not reading or writing, Elaine can be found exploring the Low Country of South Carolina and looking for her next adventure.

Visit Her At:
Website: https://www.elaine-writes.com
**Newsletter: https://www.elaine-writes.com/newsletter/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/elainereedwrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_elainewrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writeelaine/

UPDATE: The winner is…Bonnie Hometchko!
*~*~*

I spend a lot of time working on this website, so it only seems fair I should expect everyone to love it as much as I do, in all its sprawling splendor. 🙂 Do you know I have a ton of stories out there? No? Well, in the interest of acquainting some of you with what’s on my site, I’m holding a scavenger hunt!

Now, this is important. YOU CANNOT POST ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS. If you do, you’ve done the work and shared the answers with everyone else, and what’s the point? You don’t want competition for the prize, do you? NO! Send your answers to me PRIVATELY to me at Delilah@delilahdevlin.com!

Scavenger Hunt

Here are the questions…

1. What is the title of Delilah’s latest Boys Behaving Badly collection?
2. Of the six stories listed in the Bookshelf on my Blog, which do you want to read the most?
3.  On my By Series page (find under Bookshelf), how many books are listed under my Montana Bounty Hunters section?
4.  On my Standalone books page (also under Bookshelf), how many stories in the Paranormal section have “Moon” in the title?
5.  What’s “high on my list” of things I enjoy? (You can find this under Hobbies on my Bio page.)

Everyone wins!

The scavenger hunt winner will win a $5 Amazon gift card, but everyone can pick up a free copy of my short story, DRIVE ME CRAZY!

UPDATE: The winner is…Sheryl Cassell!
*~*~*

Now, this is important. YOU CANNOT POST ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS. If you do, you’ve done the work and shared the answers with everyone else, and what’s the point? You don’t want competition for the prize, do you? NO! Send your answers to me PRIVATELY at Delilah@delilahdevlin.com!

Scavenger Hunt

Here are the questions…

1. What are the first three stories listed on my Upcoming Books/Coming Soon page?
2. Which series on my By Series page would you like to see more of?
3. How many Strokes volumes are listed on my Standalone page?
4. What free piece of fan fiction do I offer on my Extras page, and what TV show is it written for?
5. Tell me which story on my Short Stories page you’d most like to read (not the first three; they aren’t written!). (You might get a surprise!)

And the prize? How about a download of your choice from among my recent releases?! But, hey, everyone wins, right (see #5!)?

When I first saw Delilah’s invitation for stories for the Stranded collection, I was in the middle of a very different project—still erotic romance, but a longer series of connected novels. Stranded: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, Book 4 is a short story collection. I like both, but they’re very different to write… and to read. I was torn. Should I stay focused on what I was doing or light a new flame? I couldn’t resist; I decided to do both. I quickly wrote “Out of This World” and submitted it.

Short stories require fast story-telling. The author has to get to the heart of the matter quickly, and everything is heightened. The pace, the action, and the heat level. In romance, short stories focus on instant attraction. The snap, the flare, and the fire bursting into life… It’s like when dry kindling catches a spark. The fire flares hot and bright. And then, poof. The story is over, but the reader is left fanning herself. It’s instant gratification.

Longer erotic romances can also have instant attraction, but they’re often followed by a delicious slow burn. The fire is simmering, burning deep, getting hotter and building strength. In my Courting series (my other project), two of my favorite characters, Josh and Nina, meet in Book 1. He’s a police detective, and she owns a high-class escort service. (Ahem… she’s a madam.) The two begin a slow dance around each other like two tiny flames at different ends of the same log. Their attraction keeps heating and twisting, moving towards one another. With a series, the slow burn can last and last. Josh and Nina’s romance finally rages into life in Book 4. It’s like the embers of a camp fire that hasn’t been fully extinguished suddenly bursting into flames, threatening to burn the whole forest down.

As a reader, that type of romance is so rewarding to me. I like seeing the foundation of characters’ relationships being built. I like to see what’s driving them, what’s keeping them apart, and what pushes them to the edge. And then when the match is finally lit? Ahhhh, satisfaction.

That’s why I like to write different lengths, different genres, and different styles. How about you? As a reader, do you like the flash fire or the slow burn? Or do you like both—as long as the spark is there?

Meet the women and men who work at Luxxor Limited, a high-end escort service. The company caters to the wealthy by matching them with escorts who are as smart, mannered, and cultured as they are beautiful. The one limitation in Luxxor’s contracts? No sex allowed. Except, of course, if the contact is mutually acceptable.

COURTING TROUBLE (The Courting Series Book 1)

When times get tough, how bad does a good girl have to get?

Sienna Blakely is bright, articulate, and woefully underemployed. In order to get by, she’s forced to rely on the one asset she vowed never to use—her looks. With bills piling up, Sienna signs a contract with Luxxor Escort Services. A contract that strictly forbids any sexual contact with clients…

And then she’s assigned to escort Jason Sloan.

Just meeting the hockey player turned business shark causes a full-body jolt. Arrogant, powerful, and sexy, he’s trouble. He can see beyond the facade she’s erected, right down to the intelligent and sensual woman underneath. He challenges her wits, and he challenges the rules.

When he gets Luxxor to upgrade her to an exclusive and more lenient contract, just how far will Sienna go to pay her rent? And to explore her deepest, most intimate desires?

Ebook Available on Amazon (free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers)
Print book

About the Author

When taking the Myers-Briggs personality test in high school, Kimberly was rated as an INFJ (Introverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Judging). This result sent her into a panic, because there were no career paths recommended for the type. Fortunately, it turned out to be well-suited to a writing career. Since receiving that dismal outlook, Kimberly has become an award-winning author of romance and erotica. She has written for seven publishing houses, both domestic and international, and has recently focused her efforts on the exciting world of self-publishing. Her book Haunted Hearts is a 2019 RITA® Finalist from the Romance Writers of America®.

https://kimberlydean.com/