I hope everyone is having a super January!

I’d love to share my 10th book, Her Deception. This is my second M. M. Mayfield book. Choosing a title isn’t easy as some folks think it is. My working title was Angel, since my main character adopts the name Angel when she leaves her husband to return to stripping. So now you know! I called this book my stripper book. That gets some curious looks. After checking Amazon for titles, I discarded The Stripper’s Revenge, Angel’s Revenge, Their Deception and Their Secrets. So here is Her Revenge, my stripper book.

Her Deception

The day Patrice heard her husband order a hit to be done quickly or his ass wouldn’t be worth anything, she knew she had to leave him. The only way she knew to investigate him and his people was by returning to stripping where she would meet the people who dealt in death, drugs, and prostitution. When she worked her way through college she learned more about crime than she ever wanted to know.

Why would anyone believe Hugh, the man who played golf with the mayor of the a small town on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, who socialized with the chief of police in that town and respected business owner had a second life one involving crimes? Who would believe a former stripper over this man?

Excerpt…

By the time Patrice searched every surface of furniture in every room in the house, she felt drained. Tomorrow she’d make an appearance at her office, attend the staff meeting.

Tomorrow she’d clear out with resources to start a new life away from this house. She’d miss the things she’d done to change a sterile, fashionable showplace into a beautiful home. If she could get the goods on Hugh, he’d go to jail and everything would likely be confiscated.

Nothing she took must be traced back to her.

She grabbed Hugh’s car keys and searched his Mercedes. One slip of paper between the seats contained a combination of numbers and letters. These she copied. She dared not leave anything that would catch the attention of the car’s proud owner. She had actually seen her husband take out a monogrammed silk handkerchief and wipe a speck of dust from the dashboard. He’d notice any minor damage to the carpet or any lining or cover moved, so she had to stop her search.

Exhausted, but keyed-up, Patrice went back to the master bathroom upstairs and filled the whirlpool tub to soak. For the last time she poured her favorite bath salts, a gift from Hugh.

Climbing into the tub, she sank up to her neck in foaming water. Even over the noise of the water jets, she heard the hateful words echoing. “Get the job done before Friday or forget the price we discussed. If the man is alive to stand trial, we’re all dead.”

She didn’t want to hear them. Enough already, think about something else. Blue Atlanta skies, magnolia blossoms, fragrant honeysuckle, juicy ripe peaches, symphony music, the man who introduced her to the world of Atlanta culture.

Warmth melted her bones and moving water lulled her. “We don’t pay you to think. Just kill the man like we told you to. Make it look good, the way you always have. My employers don’t leave loose ends alive, you should know that.”

Patrice woke with a start in a tub of cold water. Was someone in the house? Had she really heard the hateful words or has she dreamed them? She stood shivering as she grabbed her towel from the warming rack and wrapped it around her body. She listened. No thumps, no footsteps. Surely her subconscious had awakened her to keep her from drowning in her bath.

Surely the noise had been her imagination, like the sound of Hugh’s voice moments ago. She yanked her soft robe from its hook on the door, then put it on. Grabbing her cell phone and the gun on the ledge of the tub – she had kept them within reach – she crept to her room.

The downstairs alarm hadn’t gone off, but a woman couldn’t be too careful. If Hugh had returned home early he’d have called out to her. He didn’t know she had heard him order a man killed.

Carrying her gun and cell phone she eased into the hall and searched. Her guilty conscience made her jumpy. Since there would be no sleep for her, she selected a few of her books and other items Hugh wouldn’t notice were missing.

She emptied jewelry cases into the bag with lingerie and sleepwear. The street-smart person knew to take salable things, so she filled an overnight bag with Hugh’s watches and rings. He’d think they’d been robbed, a false trail.

Once she’d moved that suitcase down to the garage, she selected her two most expensive furs. She lugged them down to the garage and put them in her car’s trunk.

Since she’d done everything, she went to her bedroom to rest. She mussed the bed. Her cook and housekeeper would believe this morning was just like any other morning.

For the few hours she dozed, she didn’t rest well. A memory made her bolt straight up in bed. Vacations. Foreign banks. Yeah, she and Hugh had visited one bank in the Bahamas and one in Switzerland. What had they been called? She didn’t sleep, but she did remember details about off shore banks.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Her-Deception-M-Mayfield-ebook/dp/B07HF4X5V2/

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Update! The entire family has decided that AQUAMAN is the best super-hero movie ever! We LOVED it! I will say, the dialog wasn’t the best (that honor goes to the two DEADPOOL movies!), but we loved the humor, the CGI-ocean scenery and creatures (I want a seahorse!), and the non-stop action! And of course, for all the girls, Jason Momoa WET for over two hours was a divine treat!

Just a reminder. ANIMAL will release a little after midnight tomorrow night! I hope you’ll keep it on you TBR-right now list! It’s fun and very sexy!

Oh, and I had another really weird dream last night. I know, like you care, right? But dang, I have to share anyway.

Last night, I dreamed that my dad was back in the hospital and scheduled for release. So, I got all domestic and made a stew that took me nine days to get right (I’m guessing that nursery rhyme “…in the pot, nine days old” was in my head). Anyway, he arrived home and I gave him the Christmas present I’d made him—a hand-painted ceramic head of Santa Claus (yeah, don’t know where that came from). He looked at it and put it aside. Said “that’s nice”, which told me he wasn’t impressed, and them my mom popped into the kitchen and brought him back a bowl of steaming…ramen. I was so pissed she hadn’t served him the reindeer stew I’d slaved over, especially given the fact that every time I went outside, Santa’s reindeer attacked me because Donner was in the pot!

Tomorrow, it’s back to the grindstone. I’m starting a new story, Big Sky Wedding, which will revisit Jamie and Sky from Big Sky SEAL. I’ll also be finishing up reading all those sexy Stranded stories, and working on edits for an author friend. So, busy, busy! Have a great week, y’all! ~DD

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

Want to win a tote filled with books from your favorite authors?
Want to find out ow Strike Force came to be?
Want to win a copy of UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, Strike Force Book #1?
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In honor of the prerelease of ADVANCE TO THE REAR, Book #4, Strike Force, in my reader group I am running a contest for four more weeks. Each week we award one book but at the end of the campaign, on release day, February 12, some lucky person will win a Desiree Holt tote filled with signed books from some of your favorite authors, including the fabulous Delilah Devlin.

The concept of Strike Force originated from many conversations I was fortunate to have with a former member of Delta Force. He shared what he could of his experiences and patiently answered my tiring questions, so I could get it just right. In addition, I am so lucky to have become friends with a former member of one of the elite forces who is now in law enforcement. He has been invaluable in making sure my information is correct and that I don’t throw outrageous stuff into my books. In fact, he’s a fanatic about it, one of the reasons I dedicated the book to him.

The concept of ADVANCE TO THE REAR is, as they say, ripped from the headlines and is a very real probability.

Here is an exclusive excerpt.

Bang!

The explosion two streets over erupted in the night air. At the same moment, Slade detonated a small amount of Semtex on the back door and blew it open, the sound barely seconds behind it. Then they were in the rear room of the house, a room as barren as the one at Ibrahim’s. The two hostages, a man and a woman, huddled together in a corner, looking both terrified and bewildered. Both looked disheveled and each of them sported bruises on their arms and their faces.

Bile rose in Marc’s throat, as it always did when he saw how human beings had been unnecessarily been abused. Once out of here and back at the FOB, they’d get proper attention. Right now, though, the only focus was getting the fuck out of here.

This was always the hairiest part. They had scant seconds to pull this off. Slade held up a finger to his lips to signal silence, then mouthed “U. S. Army.” He and Marc pulled the hostages out through the back door, silent as ghosts. Beau and Trey had their guns out and ready to hit anyone who came through the door from the front of the house. In seconds they were all out in the alley behind the house where Ibrahim, good as his word, now waited in his cousin’s van. Seconds later they were all inside. Down the narrow street and around the corner. They stopped only long enough for Ibrahim to get out and melt away. If he was caught driving them he and his family would be annihilated.

Then Slade took over and they headed hell-bent for leather out of town.

The hostages sat silent and petrified in the middle seat, sandwiched between Trey and Marc. They clung to each other as if that contact was their only salvation.

“I know you can’t figure out what’s happening,” Trey said, his voice soothing. “All you have to know is you are with American soldiers and in less than thirty minutes we’ll all be out of here.”

Still neither of them spoke. Marc could imagine the treatment they’d suffered, the way their captors had terrorized them. But at least they weren’t screaming and trying to run away from the team, or doing anything else to hinder their departure. Beyond a cursory examination to make sure the two were mobile and didn’t need to be carried, the team had not questioned them.

“Still all clear back here,” Beau said from the third seat. He was on his knees, his rifle pointing out the window of the rear hatch door.

Marc knew he had one order to execute. If anyone came up behind them, shoot and keep shooting. Marc kept checking his watch, counting down to when the Night Stalker would be there. So far so good. They were out in the desert now, the driving slow going through the sand.

They were almost at the extraction point when Beau hollered back to them.

“Enemy vehicle on the horizon. Right on our tail.”

The MH-60 M Black Hawk zoomed in and hovered just past the van, skillfully handled by its Night Stalker pilot. Marc helped hustle the aid workers out of the van and into the chopper, handing them up to the two men crouched in the open doorway. Sand kicked up everywhere from the rotors, getting into even their eyes and teeth.

Beau was the last one in, crouched in the open doorway, positioned with his gun. Just as they lifted off, the four-wheel drive vehicle made it to the outskirts of Agadez and came plowing through the sand. The man riding in the rear began firing the vehicle-mounted machine gun while two other climbed out and started firing assault weapons at the chopper.

The pilot banked to the left, away from the line of fire, even as Beau fired steadily at the men below. And then they were out of range, rising higher until the desert was far below them.

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Thank you to Delilah for hosting me today.

Do you prefer mountains or the beach? I enjoy both, but I love mountains most. I find them inspiring. I remember one trip, for instance, to Estes Park, Colorado several years ago. This magical trip occurred on the first weekend in October.

While we were there for a conference in which my husband participated, we stayed in a lovely hotel. Our room had a huge plate glass window view of the mountain. I had taken my laptop with the intention of writing while my husband was busy. This beautiful, slow snow came with giant snowflakes that stuck to the pine trees.

How can anyone be expected to work in those conditions? I confess that for the most part, I watched the snow fall. Where we live in the Fort Worth area of North Central Texas, we don’t get much snow—some years none. You can understand how fascinated I was with this lovely sight.

The conference featured a tour for spouses on Saturday afternoon. One of the sites we toured was the Stanley House Hotel, which Steven King supposedly used in THE SHINING. It’s a lovely hotel and not at all frightening. While we were walking through, a Regency reenactment group was holding a dance that looked entertaining.

Our tour guide said she lived in a haunted house that had had a poltergeist when she and her husband first moved there. She reported the poltergeist swept dishes off shelves and was a destructive nuisance . I’ll bet even Stephen King would find that frightening. I certainly would.

One evening, my husband and I strolled to the center of town. The elk that came up to feed and drink are protected and have right of way. I couldn’t help laughing at them as they wandered on and off the street and caused drivers to stop. This was the first time I’d seen an elk that wasn’t in a zoo.

I’ve been to Colorado several times, but this was the most memorable visit. I’ve written numerous books that take place in a mountain setting at different seasons. When I’ve done so, I recall the wonder of that trip. Perhaps to people who are used to a lot of snow, such scenes are annoying instead of awesome. To me, if was wonderful and unforgettable.

I relied on these memories for my latest release, GARNET, book 9 in the sweet western historical series, The Widows of Wildcat Ridge. Though GARNET is set in Utah, I picture the Wildcat Ridge Mountains resembling those on the Colorado trip I so enjoyed. In GARNET, a terrible mining tragedy has left many widows in town.

Here’s the book’s description:

Garnet Chandler is fighting to hold onto her café, her niece and nephew, and her sanity after the deaths of her husband, his brother, and his sister-in-law. A persistent prowler and the threat of losing custody of her niece and nephew spur her to action. She doesn’t need another man, but she needs a husband long enough to convince the children’s grandparents she can offer them a stable home.

Bounty hunter Adam Bennett was ready to settle down when his friend was killed by a horse thief. He set out to capture the man who had also killed a guard when escaping prison. Adam must have let down his defenses because the man he followed and two cohorts waylaid Adam, beating him and stealing all his possessions before kicking him down a steep ravine. Adam is determined to capture the three as soon as he heals from their encounter.

Garnet and Adam join forces to achieve both their goals but will that be enough?

The buy link is http://getbook.at/garnetWOWR . GARNET is available in e-book and will soon be available in print. Of course, it’s free in KU.

Here’s an excerpt…

A loud rap at the back door startled her. She kept the curtains closed unless they were serving food and couldn’t see who had knocked.

Joey grabbed his stick. “Don’t answer it. Might be the robber there.”

She wiped her hands on her apron. “Or a friend who needs something.” Joey didn’t know the Colt .45 was in her apron pocket. After taking a deep, bracing breath, she opened the door.

The dirtiest man she’d ever seen stood there. His beard was as dirty as his clothes. Fresh cuts showed through the mud on his face. He was tall and broad-shouldered but looked as if he could barely stand.

“Ma’am, my name is Adam Bennett. Please don’t be put off by my appearance. I was robbed up the mountain a ways and lost all my gear. I’m mighty hungry. If you need anything done, I like to work for a meal.”

Joey was by her side. “He isn’t the one from last night.” All the same, her nephew kept his pick handle in his hand.

“We’re the Chandlers. Come in and sit down. Wait, wash your hands and face at the sink first. You can’t handle food while you’re that filthy.”

While the man washed his hands, she filled a plate from leftovers and poured a cup of coffee. “Joey, please get my medicine box from upstairs.”

He leaned close. “I don’t think I should leave you alone while he’s here.”

Joey took being man of the family seriously. “Oh, all right. Hyacinth, would you get the medicine box for me?”

“How come he doesn’t have to and I do?” Usually sweet, Hyacinth was a bit spoiled and definitely jealous of her brother.”

“Because Mr. Bennett is injured and needs our help. Please hurry.”

Her niece stomped up the stairs while muttering under her breath, her golden curls bouncing with each step.

When Garnet glanced at the man, she saw he’d wolfed down his food. “I’ll get you more. How long since you’ve eaten?”

“Not sure how long I was in and out of consciousness up there. They attacked me on Saturday morning. What day is this?”

“Monday. No wonder you’re hungry.” She set another plate of food in front of him and refilled his cup.

Contest

I’ll be giving away an e-book copy of GARNET to two people who comment today. Tell me your most memorable vacation in a comment to enter.

Hello, my name is Jean Adams and this is my first time on Delilah’s blog. I hope it won’t be the last.

Although I live in New Zealand, I originally hail from England, where I hope to revisit some time. Truth be told, if I could live where they live in The Coroner (a UK TV series) I’d upsticks and go tomorrow. ‘Nuff said about that before that pesky frog decides to revisit my throat.

My writing is pretty eclectic. By that I mean I write what takes my fancy and don’t stick to any one style. My latest what if, is a novella about an older couple who meet again after fifty years.

I’ve dabbled in contemporary, time travel (ancient Egypt), erotica, family, and currently have a TIP (trilogy in progress) set in ancient Egypt (historical, nothing to do with time travel.) Two other books are also in the works; a contemporary, and another set partly on Atlantis. I call it an archaeological paranormal.

When I say dabbled, that’s just about the right word for it. So I have been prompted to sign up for a writing course that also teaches marketing without being salesy or scammy. That’s what scares me about marketing; all the scammy messages out there screaming “read my book”. Don’t know about you but I find them a real turn-off. So I never do any. Now, hopefully, all that will change.

Having been a sub-editor for many years, apart from writing I also do some editing and proofreading. I don’t make a song and dance about it, but if friends ask me to run my eye over their manuscript for a small fee, I’ll do it.

I also teach romance writing for a New Zealand writing school from a course I wrote especially for them.

Being a great believer in love and romance, I firmly believe there’s someone out there for everyone. You just have to wait, keep your eyes open, and not settle.

Publishers:
The Wild Rose Press: Contemporary
Yesterday’s Dreams, The Fires of Passion—2 book series
A Man Like Saxon
A Place of Healing
No Other Love
Honey’s Greek Billionaire
Heart of Atlantis (TBA)
Blake (TBA)

The Wild Rose Press: Erotica
The Boss’ Temp-tation
Midnight Madness
The Good Neighbor
Good Girls Do trilogy – Lessons in Lust, A Long and Lusty Road, Tender Lusting Care

Highland Press:
Beats a Wild Heart
Eternal Hearts, time travel
Forever One, part of A Twist in Time anthology
Soul Mates, older couple novella
A Touch of Magic, part of Christmas Tidings 2018 anthology
Trilogy in progress. Daughters Of Isis (Egyptian goddess): Might have to change that name, however : Daughter of the Nile, Daughter of the Temple, Daughter of the Palace.
Futuristic sci/fi trilogy novellas seeking new home: originally with Secret Cravings (now defunct).
Love Slave, Tempting Tempest, Dariela and the Virgin Soldier.

I’m writing my stubby fingers to the bone, so no time to write you a love note! Enjoy!

Power. Prowess. Virility. Women want a powerful man. This is basic biology. It’s psychology. It’s human mating nature.

That is the shapeshifter hero, or my shifter heroes, anyway.

Yes, confession, I love writing shapeshifter heroes and heroines.

I’ve always been fond of animals, felt a closeness, a connection with them. And, I adore alpha heroes who cherish their heroine—a hero who can be the perfect gentleman and the savage beast. So, it’s a natural for me to write shapeshifter erotic romance.

And after all, who is more protective, more devoted than the shapeshifter hero once he’s discovered his forever mate?

The alpha man who claims a woman as his, who is steadfast no matter what, that is my type of shifter hero. Yes, even when my heroines are alpha-tough, they desires their love match. They want a hero or heroes who match their fiery untapped passions—the man or men who arouse their sensually uninhibited natures.

Because, whether my heroine knows it or not, whether or not she has to be lustily convinced, she wants the raw, tough, primal hero who is, or becomes madly in love with her.

And, at heart, she’s attracted to the man who possesses an alpha predator side. Or, the wolf, the big cat shapeshifter—yes, I love them both.

Often, it becomes a battle for who gets the starring role, the canine or feline shapeshifter. Given there are endless shifter-breed possibilities—half-breeds, hybrids, and much more—I like exploring those flights of fantasy in my flash scenes. Over the last several years I’ve created my own shapeshifter, supernatural, paranormal world, and timeline, known as Wolf Peak Territory, Montana.

Nowadays, the variety of shapeshifters in romance novels, is highly imaginative and beautifully wondrous. Dragons seem especially popular with many readers. I have several flash scene starring dragon shifters, but haven’t written that erotic romance for publication. Not yet.

I also enjoy writing stallion shifter heroes. ‘Cause I love horses. Yeah, who can resist the wild stud who chases after the woman he desires until he wins her? Not me.

The appeal of creating a shapeshifter hero…well, he’s stronger and faster, more committed, bravely powerful. He’s deadly with claw and fang. He will morph to his animal side, his beast side, ferociously defending his woman from all of their enemies.

Of course, I don’t leave out shapeshifter heroines. I do love writing the warrioress heroine. In fact, my first erotic shapeshifter romance was a sci-fi starring Sun Rocket, a kick-ass red lioness shifter.

As human beings we have animal instincts, our primitive side. Genetically, we are very close to the animal kingdom/queendom. Few degrees of separation, as they say.

Writing a shapeshifter romance allows for that primal animal side, inside us all, to be fully expressed by the hero, by the heroine. The rigid norms of society can be cast aside. We are empowered to act boldly as real heroines and heroes—to save our mate, to save the day for our families—and if need be, to save the world for ALL.

On a final note, as I assess it, there are current and unfortunate societal trends that encourage men and women to be pussified-wussified. To become the domesticated sheeple.

Romance novels, as a creative expression, will naturally counteract these trends with alpha-powerful men and alpha women. Thus, another reason for the “The Lure of ShapeShifter Erotic Romance.”

~~~~~~

HER MIDNIGHT STARDUST COWBOYS

An Erotic Romance Ménage

A woman desperate to save herself and her prize horses.
Two shapeshifter cowboys who want her as their woman.

When Zance, a timber wolf shifter,
and Dontoya, a black cougar shifter,
find Sherilyn dying due to a reckless driver,
there is only one way to bring her back to life.
But, that’s only the beginning…

Sherilyn hides out on her small ranch near the odd town of Talbot’s Peak, Montana, determined to save her prize horses from being stolen. She has no time for men. Besides she’s been down that heartbreak road one too many times. The hitch: she didn’t bargain on two shapeshifter cowboys who decide she belongs to them.

Zance, a timber wolf shifter, and Dontoya, a rare black cougar shifter, are longtime pardners. Having built up their immense ranch in the supernaturals community, they’ve settled into a cattleman’s lifestyle. Now they’ve finally found the one woman they both want as their mate.

EXCERPT/BUY LINK http://savannakougar.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html

Talbot’s Peak, Montana
December 2011, After Christmas

Enchanted, in a semi-trance, Sherilyn stared…

Enchanted, in a semi-trance, Sherilyn stared at the graphically gorgeous poster advertising a New Year’s Eve celebration at the Pleasure Club. The large poster looked out of place hanging next to the community board, just inside the small-town, somewhat odd grocery store in Talbot’s Peak, Montana.

“It’s the grand opening of the Midnight Stardust, Dante’s new supperclub. Are you thinking of going?” Brenda chattily asked, as she rang up Sherilyn’s purchases.

“Ladies are free like it says. Dante himself hung the poster. He’s such a gentleman,” Brenda trilled like a teenager with a crush.

“He made a point of telling me there will be plenty of dance partners,” she added.

“Is that right?” Sherilyn murmured, unable to force her gaze away from the oh-so elegant couple dancing beneath a galaxy of sparkling stars.

The forties era, swanky scene struck her as magical, and was everything she’d been craving of late. But that was not to be. Not for her.

Sadness welled up inside Sherilyn. She mercilessly tamped it down. That time in her life was gone, and all that mattered now was the harsh reality of her circumstances.

With the snow piling up, she needed to get on the road, get home. Mentally sighing, Sherilyn fished her credit card out her bag. “I thought Dante ran the biker bar outside of town. That’s what I heard, anyway.”

About the Author

Savanna Kougar lives on the tame prairie in the Midwest, and enjoys a quiet lifestye. She pens love stories because that’s her deepest heart. She writes in the futuristic/fantasy/paranormal *and shapeshifter* subgenres because that’s her fiercest passion. And, she writes erotic romance because she ferociously enjoys ripping the damn doors off.

You can find my books at:
Savanna Kougar ~savannakougar.com~
ShapeShifter Seduction ~shapeshifterseduction.blogspot.com~
Title Magic ~titlemagic.blogspot.com~