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VOTE!
Tuesday, November 5th, 2024

For you U.S. citizens, today’s the day. Thankfully, some chose to vote early. Our family lives in a rural area, so our polling place is never too busy.

Yesterday was chemotherapy day, and yes, I feel like hell today. However, my family, at least all four voters, is going together to vote this morning. I’ll stay in bed until time to go, then drag my ass there.

I hope you all vote. For a grandmother of five granddaughters, there’s not been a more important election.

Maggie Sims: Feminism in Regency Erotic Romance (Giveaway)
Monday, November 4th, 2024

Hello, everyone! First, a huge thank you to Delilah for letting me join in the fun. I’ve been following this blog for a while and finally found my motivation to write about my experience.

When I set out to write my first novel almost a decade ago, I figured it would take all my efforts just to write a Regency romance that balanced the more erotic components I wanted with a full-fledged romantic arc.

However, my brain would not let me stop there. As a modern woman who’d had a thirty-year career in corporate America, I kept wanting the women to have more power.

So entered the idea of a secret school for young women that would teach them everything from household and money management to owning their own pleasure, and thus, the School of Enlightenment series was created.

But what Regency men would love these women? Imagining that they’d also need to be ahead of their time, I dove into Parliamentary laws and scientific developments. My contemporary perspective drove me to focus on those that impacted women, children, and the working class.

Here are a few significant events I mention in my books:

  • Corn Laws – In an effort to combat imported grains competition to British farms, The Corn Laws were passed in 1814. These helped only the landowners of the farms, not the agricultural laborers, and caused more extreme poverty for the working class.
  • Insolvent Debtors Act of 1813 – This was the first step in Poor Law reform, relieving the overcrowded prisons by releasing debtors if they could reach an agreement with their creditor regarding the distribution of present and future assets. There were further reforms proposed and a few passed, although greater reform did not come until the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, which standardized the treatment of debtors and the use of workhouses. Prior to that it had been up to the parishes throughout Britain and varied widely.
  • Macadam roads – Principal routes were dirt until the first few years of the 19th century when John McAdam’s innovative ‘paving’ was implemented. This was the precursor of what we consider ‘chip and seal’ and saved many horses and carriages from accidents due to poor road conditions in bad weather.
  • Steam engines – Steam engines had begun development centuries ago, but in the early 19th century they became more viable for commercial use – in factories, boats, and locomotives.
  • Salamanca – The first commercial steam locomotive, which ran between Middleton and Leeds.
  • Robert Owen – Welsh textile manufacturer who was a philanthropist and founder of utopian socialism and the co-operative movement. Even as a factory owner, he led reforms in working conditions, child labor, and life-long education. He was famous for the slogan, “eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest,” and helped get the Cotton Mills and Factories Act of 1819 passed.

After my school-focused series, I continued to search for ways to write women’s independence. In my most recent book, Charlotte’s Control, the widow Charlotte has a knack for investing and does not need to worry about money, but she hungers for the educational opportunities afforded to men in secondary school and university. Most classes were taught in Latin, so she wants to learn that. William, an Oxford student, helps teach her using ancient poets:

  • Catullus – (full name Gaius Valerius Catullus Carmina) who wrote sexually explicit (for Roman times) poetry and was a contemporary of Virgil.
  • Ovid – The Heroides (Epistulae Heroidum) and Ars amatoria.
  • Homer – The Odyssey, both the Pope translation and the Chapman translation, as well as Keats’ poem about the latter.
  • Chaucer – Canterbury Tales, from which I drew snippets particularly about the Squire, the Prioress, the Knight, the Reeve, and reference a debate between William and Charlotte over the Wife of Bath.

For giggles, I also created this as an older woman/younger man age gap romance with a bit of femdomme sprinkled in.

Charlotte’s Control

A young rake soon to inherit an impoverished estate…a lonely widow unable to produce an heir…a love they must forsake.

Widowed at thirty, Charlotte, Dowager Countess of Peterborough, finds herself on the lonely edge of Society, caught between the young chits vying for a husband and older matrons. In a moment of vulnerability, she meets a young rake who tempts her to forget propriety and reclaim her feminine powers of seduction…for a while. Their affair can only last until he marries a wealthy debutante who can give him what Charlotte cannot. An heir.

In his final year at Oxford, William Stanton, heir to the Earl of Harrington, is forced to manage the earldom for his drunken father and provide for his family. With the prospect of an advantageous marriage looming in his future, he yearns for the frivolity of his peers. But when he encounters a lovely widow, he’s drawn to her keen mind as much as he is to her beauty. She believes they are destined to part. To keep her, he must battle Fate, time, and the rules of Society that conspire against them.

Get your copy here!

Contest

To win your choice of one of my ebooks, tell me your favorite older woman / younger man romance or your favorite femdomme romance. (Also a sneaky way for me to find new fun books.) Giveaway will be open for one week from the date of posting.

For more about Maggie, visit:
Website: http://maggiesims.com
Newsletter signup for a free novella: https://maggiesims.com/newsletter-signup/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiesims.author/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-sims
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4092694.Maggie_Sims
TikTok (sometimes): https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiesims.author

Report Card & Open Contests
Sunday, November 3rd, 2024

Report Card

Last week…

  1. I worked on edits for one author.
  2. I worked on revisions of The Demon Lord’s Cloak, which releases November 12th. Have you pre-ordered your copy? 
  3. I worked on revisions of the first chapters of Ignition to help me get back into the story while cleaning up my nits.
  4. I had a CT scan with contrast to see how chemo is working for me. I read the report and can see two cool findings. The “shadow” on my spine is gone, and the “bubble” on my liver is gone. I can’t tell much about the cancer in my ovaries, uterus, and omentum. The doctor will have to tell me all about that when I see him tomorrow.
  5. I was able to work past noon every day—sometimes, even coming back to work a bit in the evenings. That extra week of recovery I got when they cancelled my treatment on Monday (due to my low platelet count) was a blessing.

This next week…

  1. I’m back in the chemo chair on Monday for another round of infusions. I’ve put a few things on my work schedule for the week anyway. I’m stubborn like that.
  2. I don’t care how crappy I feel the day after chemo, I’m voting on Tuesday!
  3. I’ll be finishing edits for one author and beginning edits for two others this week. Not huge page count goals, but I need to chip away at them.
  4. I’ll continue trying to work on editing the pages I’ve already written for Ignition and, hopefully, finishing a new chapter.
  5. I’ll complete revisions of The Demon Lord’s Cloak and upload it to Amazon. 
  6. I’m going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, even knowing there’s no way in hell I can hit the 50,000 words in November goal. Whatever wordcount I achieve will be a victory.

Open Contests

Be sure to check out these posts and enter to win the prizes that are still up for grabs!

  1. Lacey Davis: Enchanted Deadlines (Contest + Excerpt) — This one ends soon! Win two FREE books!
  2. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Trick or Treat! Favorite Halloween Treats! This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
  3. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Nannie Helen Burroughs – Specializing in the Wholly Impossible (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  4. October into November (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  5. Puzzle-Contest: Hello November! — And a Reminder! — Win an Amazon gift card!
N.J. Walters: HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND HAPPY SAMHAIN!
Monday, October 28th, 2024

The days are getting shorter, and the air has a distinct bite. Trees are losing their leaves as the wind whistles through their branches. Pumpkins are appearing on porch steps with carved faces and flickering lights. Houses are decorated with orange and purple lights that highlight life-size ghosts, zombies, and ghouls of every kind. It’s a spooky, beautiful time of year.

Samhain is just around the corner. On this day, it is said the veil between our world and that of spirit is the thinnest. The nights are long, and the days are short, giving us plenty of time to ponder if such things are real or imaginary.

Traditionally, Samhain is the celebration of the final harvest. It heralded the beginning of the darker times to come. Bonfires flared to drive back the dark. Turnips were carved and lit with candles to drive away evil spirits. (The Halloween jack-o-lantern has its roots there.) In some cultures, people donned masks in an attempt to appease the gods. (You can easily see where the idea of trick-or-treating came from.)

Kids will wear costumes, masks, and makeup and run door-to-door with the familiar refrain of trick-or-treat gathering candy, bars, bags of chips, and other treats to delight them. Adults will dress up in their sexy and scary best and party until the wee hours of the morning. Young and old alike will join in the fun and celebration.

It’s a great time of year for spooky movies. I admit, I don’t go for the scary ones with blood and gore. Some of my favorites are: The Lost Boys, Ghostbusters, The Underworld series, The Crow, Dracula Untold, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

It’s also the perfect time to indulge in a paranormal romance. Vampires, ghosts, and werewolves, oh my! There’s something for everyone in this genre. I have so much fun writing paranormal romances because you can step outside ordinary life and discover something extraordinary.

However you celebrate this time of year, I wish you a safe, Happy Halloween and Happy Samhain!

If you’re looking for some seasonal books, you might check out some of these:

WEREWOLVES:

Salvation Pack Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753H2PLQ/

Lone Wolf Legacy Series:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTKCDR77/

Legacy Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V11M7Q/

VARIOUS SHIFTERS:

Forgotten Brotherhood: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086BT7QJL/

Hades’ Carnival: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0742KNX25

VAMPIRES:

Dalakis Passion Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CHP42S/

MAGIC:

Spells, Secrets & Seductions: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FK8Q19K/

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit her at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

Lacey Davis: Enchanted Deadlines (Contest + Excerpt)
Friday, October 25th, 2024

Hello Delilah, and Happy (Almost) Halloween!

Thanks for conjuring me onto your fabulous blog—I’m absolutely thrilled to be here, broomstick and all. What’s better for Halloween than a witchy tale? I’ve got one for you, and it’s bubbling up with magic, mayhem, and a 100-year-old curse threatening the universe (because, of course, the universe is at stake, right?).

Before these witches can even think about saving the world, they’ve got to make it through the trials of Cauldron Academy—where you don’t just attend classes; you fight for the right to lead! Only after they’re chosen will they each embark on their own quests, piecing together clues to the final, universe-saving battle. No pressure, right?

Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘Aren’t you the sexy ménage author?’ Why yes, I am! But this story has been brewing in my cauldron of ideas for a long time, and I just couldn’t resist sharing it with the world.

The first book is out and FREE everywhere (shoutout to Amazon for that price match magic—come on, Bezos), and book two, Enchanted Deadlines, hits the shelves today!

Is this series as steamy as my usual ménage stories? Well, no… But what it lacks in steamy threesomes, it makes up for in spellbinding adventures and kickass witches. So whether you’re here for the tricks, treats, or just a good story to sink your teeth into, I’ve got you covered.

And now, a little sweet Halloween candy from Enchanted Deadlines just for you…

*~*~*

The bell over the door tinkled, and she heard her grandmother call out, “Daisy, dear, I’m here.”

Yanking her hand away, she pulled out of his grasp. “Sorry, but I have to get these to Grandmother Astor.”

“Oh, my sweet Daisy, come back and let me sip from your nectar,” he said, thrusting his hips in her direction. “We will move the universe with our mating.”

She all but ran out of the kitchen and hurried to the counter.

“Grandmother, thank Merlin, you’re here,” she said, her voice sounding out of breath, her heart racing as she hurried away from the big alien.

“What’s wrong? Is it the pastries?”

“No, my spells. Something is wrong. I can’t read his mind. Then I cast a spell on him, and it didn’t work. That’s never happened to me before.”

No man had ever been immune to her magic until now, which made her uneasy. Before, she could just cast a spell on a man whose attention she didn’t want, and the problem was gone. But Misna was not affected.

Her magic didnt work on him. Except the flippin pastries.

“What are you talking about?” Her grandmother asked in surprise. “I leave you alone for less than an hour and come back to find you all upset and flustered. What’s going on?”

The door to the kitchen swung open, and Misna strolled out completely naked as the day he was brought forth into his world. The man looked like perfection, with his muscled thighs, manhood erect as he strolled determinedly towards Daisy.

“This…”

Her grandmother busted out laughing.

Daisy’s eyes widened as she realized he was coming for her, and she knew his intent. “What am I going to do? He’s immune to my spells and he ate one of the pastries? Now he wants to…wants to…”

“Honey, from the looks of that alien, I think his big Johnson is more than you can handle at this time. How long does the pastry potion last?”

“At least three to four hours. You try a spell on the guy,” Daisy said as he gripped her hand and raised it to his lips.

He pulled her against him.

“Do you want my help or not?”

Of course, she wanted her grandmother’s help. Right now, she’d even take the town ogre’s help.

“Yes,” she yelped as Misna pulled her mouth to his, his lips covering hers, consuming her.

The world ceased to exist as his mouth devoured her. Time seemed to stop, and her arms wound their way around his neck as he moaned deep in his throat.

What was happening to her? Never before had she experienced this kind of kiss. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and warmth seemed to infuse her from the tips of her toes to the top of her head.

She wanted this big alien. She wanted to shed her clothes and join with him.

The tinkle of the bell above the door had her pushing back, she quickly turned away from Misna, glancing to where Astor had been standing.

She was gone. She’d left her.

How embarrassing to be so thoroughly kissed in front of her grandmother.

Quickly, she glanced down at his man parts and laughed. Grandmother’s spell didn’t reverse the pastry potion but had put him in a male chastity belt. The poor man still had a hard-on, but he couldn’t get to her even if he wanted to.

Now, she had to entertain a lovesick alien until the pastry spell wore off.

Grab Your Copy to See How Daisy Fights Off The Alien

Since you read to the end, post your favorite Halloween candy and you could win book one, Cauldron Academy, and book two, Enchanted Deadlines.

Time is Running Out

Daisy Le Deux faces a daunting deadline: she must find her true love within weeks, but no one catches her eye. Fresh out of Cauldron Academy, Daisy is tasked with saving the world, though she has no idea how or from what. The pressure is mounting as time runs out for both her and the planet.

Enter Crazod Krazolz, an alien from Tilnora, who arrives on Earth in search of a powerful witch from the Le Deux coven. His kingdom is trapped under a sleeping spell, and only Daisy’s magic can break it. But convincing the charming and hesitant Daisy to join him is a race against time.

Will her magic break the spell that holds his kingdom hostage? And will she return in time to save earth?

About Lacey Davis

Lacey Davis is a pseudonym for a USA Today bestselling author who wanted to try her hand at writing sexy romance. With these novels, I hope to write sizzling romances that will leave you grabbing a fan to cool yourself off.

If you like hunky bad boy heroes who like to be in charge and strong pretty women who are willing to risk it all, then look no further. These sexy reads will get you in the mood. Come experience strong women who will tame these bad boys and leave them wanting more.

website: www.laceydavisauthor.com
newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/laceydavis_author
Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/lacey-davis
Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/show/7985938.Lacey_Davis?from_search=true&from_srp=true
Amazon Author Central: amazon.com/Lacey-Davis/e/B08KRGK49Y/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
Facebook: facebook.com/LaceyDavisromancewriter

Catfight!
Thursday, October 24th, 2024

I’m just popping in to share this image. This is my life now. My two geriatric cats have declared war. The sounds are worse than the deep growls of hellhounds, especially at three in the morning. Tessa has decided I’ve betrayed her and struts around with her tail twitching. Pumpkin is much smaller than Tessa, but her growl is terrifying. If I sit with Pumpkin on my lap, Tessa sits at the foot of the chair, glaring up at us, and both cats hiss back and forth at each other. I have to carry Pumpkin to the water and feed bowls—and the cat box—because Tessa tries to block her. When they do battle, the sounds are something I wish I could record because you wouldn’t believe how fierce these two old cats sound!

How long will this last?!!!! Seriously, any advice will be appreciated. And no, neither will be rehomed. Period.

Gabbi Black: Trying something new… (Contest)
Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024

UPDATE: The winner is…Diane Sallans!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for inviting me today to speak about my new release!  Another anthology—which surprises no one.  I get a huge thrill when I’m able to try something new, and boy, is Flying Hearts something different!

When I signed up for the sports anthology, I had gay archers in my mind.  Rivals to lovers.  The Olympics.  Helping each other out.  Then I spoke to a friend who actually does archery, and my story was beyond improbable.  So, then we came up with a story that was so convoluted that I backed out of the anthology entirely.  I just didn’t have a story.

Fast forward a couple of months.  I had a pre-made cover I’d bought, and I needed a title for it.  I asked Plot Whisperer.  She asked a few questions about it, and…fifteen minutes later, she had an idea.  Together, we worked through most of it, but she left me to fill in the blanks.  On the cover was a woman between two men in a passionate and loving embrace. Okay, so who were they?  Why were they wearing odd outfits? What was their story?

Out tumbled Flying Hearts. Yasmine and Kaden are trapeze partners. They’ve been together since their early teens.  Only romantically when they turned eighteen.  And Nick?  Well, a rigger, of course. A guy who knows his way around ropes. Only…yeah. I realized this was a kinky book—that Nick’s into bondage with those ropes as well.  The next thing I knew, I had an MMF BDSM story.  Because, let’s be honest, everyone gets it on with everyone in this very steamy tale.

I approached the anthology people, and they were happy to add me back in.  So, along with all the traditional sports stories, there’s a little one about two trapeze artists and the rigger who makes them very happy. I love telling nontraditional stories.  I love taking risks—and this definitely is one.

I hope everyone will run out and snag a copy of Well Played.  Over 1,000 pages of sports goodness wrapped up in over 20 stories!

Thank you, Delilah, for hosting me today.  As a thank you to your readers, I’d like to give away a $5 US Amazon gift card.  Tell me—what sport would you love to see a story about?  Random will pick the winner.  Good luck!

Well Played

True love often isn’t a slam dunk.

No matter how hard you try, sometimes you fumble.

You want to get to loving strokes and fore play but there may be hurdles to overcome.

If a happily ever after is your goal, step up to the plate and hope you don’t strike out.

Well Played, the first Sports Romance collection from The Romance Cafe is coming in 2024.

Authors:
Kenna Shaw Reed
Cecelia Conway
TL Hamilton
Sharon Michalove
Kalli Dean
Katherine Isaac & Crystal North
Maida Malby
J.T. Silver
Katharine O’Neill
Danielle Sibarium
Ariana St. Claire
JCC Downing
Juliet Martini
Harper Michaels
Sofia Aves
S L Hollister
T.S. Simons
Toni Denise
Belinda E Edwards
Melinda Pine
Gabbi Black

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/tnrc2024wellplayed
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Well-Played-Romance-Anthology-Collection-ebook/dp/B0CN82WW5B
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202118717-well-played

About Flying Hearts by Gabbi Black

Yasmine

I’ve trusted Kaden with my life on the trapeze since we were fourteen, and with my heart since we became lovers at eighteen. People give us odd looks when we say we’re in an open relationship, but I’ve never been concerned about Kaden’s other partners. But then Nick lands in my life, and suddenly Kaden’s not the only man I can see.

Kaden

I’ve had a super partner in Yasmine—both on and off the trap. I assumed she was happy with our open relationship. She’s got her studies, and I have my…temporary bed partners. All is going well until a domineering rigger arrives. Suddenly, everything changes.

Nick

As a professional rigger, I know rope. I’ve worked in the entertainment industry for almost fifteen years, keeping people safe in front of audiences and in private. Rope is not just my profession, it’s my pleasure. Yasmine intrigues me, and when Kaden tries to interfere between her and me, it’s going to be a competition to see who comes out on top.

Flying Hearts is a 15k steamy BDSM short story about a couple who didn’t know they needed more, and the man who’s tying them in knots.

About Gabbi Black

Even though Gabbi Black is a firm believer in happy endings, she makes her characters work for it in every romance she writes, no matter what the genre. From contemporary to BDSM, they are penned early in the morning in her home in beautiful British Columbia while her trusty ChinPoo dog keeps her company. She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and small-town romances as Gabbi Powell.