I love charm bracelets. I have two, and I’ve been building both of them for a while.

One I use to celebrate my writing accomplishments. The initial charms stand for publishing houses, for example, “E” is for Ellora’s Cave. The other charms stand for the genres I write in. And looking at it, I realize my poor little bracelet is in need of an update…

The other is my travel bracelet. I love this bracelet. My sister gave me the silver bracelet with the tag inscribed “Lori” when I graduated from college (Lori is my family nickname). I carried it throughout my travels, adding charms when I visited new places.

What got me thinking about charm bracelets was the fact I had a hard time coming up with a birthday gift for my daughter—until I decided she needed her first charm bracelet. She loves animals. Cats and dogs. In the past year and a half, she’s rescued and rehomed over thirty animals. She also has four cats and seven dogs of her own. So I made her a “crazy cat lady” bracelet.

Charm bracelets are very personal things and they tend to reflect something about the persons who wear them. I’d love to know if you have a charm bracelet, and if you do, would you like to send me a picture to include here? (Email me at Delilah@delilahdevlin.com.) I’ll add them as I get them!

From Shirley Long:

Here’s what she said about them…

I actually have 2 charm bracelets. First one I got for my birthday at 14 with a birthday charm. Throughout school, charms were added for events like 8th grade graduation, May Queen 1963 (telling my age here), basketball, school emblem, UIL typing medal. Sitting here looking at it brings back huge memories.

The 2nd one was more in my high school years ~~ birthday charms for 17 & 18, district champs for the football team, Christmas 1967, graduation day May 23, 1969, one from the guy I was dating on my 18th birthday. One is gold & one is silver & I cherish them both. Don’t wear them much anymore but they are both very special to me.

Another of mine…

I forgot about this one. It’s my “inspiration” bracelet. It’s one of those European bracelets with the slide on charms. I have a treasure chest, mermaid, fairy, suitcase, lovebirds, a skull, etc. for inspiration for stories and I added a turtle, because hey, the turtle may be slow, but he gets places because he doesn’t stop. 🙂 Not sure why I added the pig, other than the fact I live in Arkansas and couldn’t find a razorback, and hey, I live in Arkansas—square in the middle of the Bible Belt—but still manage to do what I do…

From Linda Richter:

Note from Linda…

Lincoln charm—his birthplace; 3 grandsons and daughter charms; poodle—I love them; last 4 have been rescued; alligator for Louisiana; hat for Texas, etc. Have to find my Christmas one. Need to add all my great grands now.

From Jeri Westerson:

From Beth Caudill:

Here’s Beth’s note…

The first picture (CharmNecklace.jpg) is actually a necklace.  My mother-in-law gave me this Origami Owl necklace for Christmas one year. The inside charms are a baseball, I heart books, a dog, a heart shaped family icon, and two birthstone charms for my sons.  The two pearls are colors for my husband and I.

The second picture features my current charm bracelet.  (I had one as a kid but it only had 4 charms on it.  I didn’t appreciate it when I was younger.)   This charm bracelet represents my life with my husband.  It features places we’ve been together and our kids.  My latest addition is the Sorcerer Mickey hat.  Sadly in DisneyWorld they only had Pandora charms, I had to order the hat charm online to get something to represent our recent vacation.

This is a great idea for a blog post.  Thanks for the opportunity.

I think as readers we all have those sex scenes that stand out in our minds. Some may stand out because of the number of people involved while others may stand out because of a certain bodily uniqueness as can be found in many sci-fi erotic romances. But recently I realized that within my own books and across the many sex scenes that move my main characters’ relationship forward, I had a particular favorite in each one.

In my debut erotic romance, Masque, it was the Violet Room. In this story, all seven colored rooms offer the heroine a different sexual experience, but by time she reaches the Violet Room which involves sex toys, she and the hero have progressed enough in their relationship to make the experience exciting and tender at the same time, especially when they discover that someone has watched!

In Passion’s Poison, it was the icicle scene. The lovely thing about setting an erotic romance in New Hampshire is that there is this fifth season called Mud Season and this is when the temperatures start to warm up, turning the dirt to mud, only to have a snowstorm sweep in and freeze everything up again. This pattern repeats itself a couple times before spring really hits, so icicles from the melting and freezing are a common occurrence. When Zach and Bea find themselves in his hot tub on the deck, with icicles within reach, he decides to create that natural pattern on Bea.

In my latest release, Passion of Sleepy Hollow, it was the first mirror scene. Yes, there are two, and they are very different because of when they take place in the story and the timing in the relationship. Braeden realizes that Katrina has no idea how beautiful she is, so he takes it upon himself to sit her down in front of a mirror and prove to her how amazing she is. That is, how amazing every inch of her is. I had no idea he was going to do that, but I’m really glad he did.

To give you a taste of what I mean, I have included a sample below. Enjoy.

Always, Lexi

Recluse Braeden Van Brunt is not happy to be the Headless Horseman…until he meets Katrina Van Tassel, owner of the Sleepy Hollow Inn, whose allure bewitches him from the front desk into the bedroom. When he discovers Kat and the village of Sleepy Hollow are cursed to exist in the present day for only one weekend a year, he realizes the sacrifice he must make if he wants to keep her.

Katrina Van Tassel lives between slivers of time. She thought she was through grieving her betrothed’s death, but her dreams flare to life when his mirror image arrives, requesting a room. Drawn to Braeden, she is taken to more erotic heights of intimacy than she ever imagined, but she can’t be sure if her heart is with him or the love from her past.

Knowing he must conquer both time and ghosts to keep the only woman he’s ever loved, Braeden must put the past to rest. But the dead may not rest in Sleepy Hollow.

Excerpt from Passion of Sleepy Hollow

Braeden opened the door to Kat’s bedroom to find her tying the neckline of the loose garment she wore to bed. Her hair was barely plaited from a long day of it escaping its confines. The glow of the lantern next to the bed lit her night clothes, teasing him with her curves.

She glanced up and sucked in a breath. Her attraction to him, when she allowed it to surface, made him feel as if he were her dream come true. He stood straighter, keeping the lantern he held behind him and a tight grip on the towel that lay low on his hips.

Her gaze covered his body and his cock responded. When she finally met his eyes, she swallowed. “I could have warmed up some water for you.”

“That’s okay. You can warm me up now.”

Her mouth shut at his statement and he smirked. For such a tough lady, she could be so sexy when caught off guard. “Would you unbraid your hair for me, Kat?”

“My hair?”

He smirked. “Yes, your hair. You know. Those long, blonde strands you keep tied at the back of your head.”

“Why?”

Had no one made love to this woman? Had no one ever shown her how beautiful she was? “Do you have a hairbrush?”

“Of course.” All bustle again, she moved to her chest and pulled out an old hairbrush. “Do you need it?” She glanced at his head.

He probably did, but that wasn’t what he wanted it for. “In a minute.”

He set down the lantern, picked up a straight-back chair that sat against the wall and placed it facing the armoire. Opening the floor-to-ceiling piece of furniture, he centered the chair across from the large oval Victorian mirror. “Sit.”

Puzzled, she started to obey.

“No, wait.”

She froze in place.

“Take your nightgown off.”

“My what?”

“That long shirt you’re wearing.”

“You mean my shift?”

He nodded.

“But I don’t have anything on underneath.”

He let his smile grow. “Exactly.”

The blush that rose to her cheeks transformed her from beautiful to a glowing goddess. “I can’t do that.”

He stepped next to her and took the brush from her hand. “Yes, you can.” Without giving her a chance to think, he grasped the edges and lifted the garment over her head. She lifted her arms and allowed him to have his way.

She was all curves, and seeing them for the first time all at once was breathtaking. He moved the nightstand closer to the chair so the lantern would illuminate her clearly. Then he took her hand and guided her to sit, forcing himself not to touch all the places he craved. This was about her.

Once she was seated, he moved the other lantern from the floor and set it on her bureau. When he turned back to look at her, she was bathed in a yellow glow.

Her gaze met his and the uncertainty he witnessed made him want to crush whoever had made her think she might be anything less than gorgeous. He forced his body to relax. She could simply be shy.

Best way to help that was to distract her. Without hesitation, he unfolded the towel from his hips and set it on the floor to the side of her.

“Braeden.” The word was a whisper.

“Yes.” He stepped in front of her, his cock as hard as permafrost and level with her mouth. It was almost too much to ignore, but he kept his control. He lifted her chin, forcing her to move her gaze to his face. “You’re lovely, Kat.”

Her brows furrowed. “Really?”

“Look for yourself.” He stepped aside.

She did. He watched as she studied herself in the mirror. Did she see what he saw, substantial breasts with dark, rosy areolas? Did she see the softness of her pale skin and the way it tightened inward at her waist before flaring enticingly to her hips? Her legs… Damn, her legs were fully shaped and begged him to nestle between them.

She moved her gaze away from the mirror and looked at him. “I’ve never looked before.”

His cock jumped as multiple images flashed through his mind of the two of them with a mirror over a bed. He had to control himself. He squeezed the brush in his hand and focused on what he intended in the first place. “Sit back and watch the mirror.”

PASSION OF SLEEPY HOLLOW Buy Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Ellora’s Cave

For more information about Lexi Post:

website:  http://www.lexipostbooks.com/
Blog:  http://www.happilyeverafterthoughts.com/
twitter:   https://twitter.com/LexiPost
Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/lexipostbooks
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6915542.Lexi_Post
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lexi-Post/e/B00EBLAFLI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1392417984&sr=1-2-ent

Spend the 4th of July Deep in Cowboy Country With Randi Alexander’s New Release, All Hat No Cattle…

Last summer, my hubby and I were invited to South Dakota by a rancher friend to enjoy the Black Hills Roundup, a four-day rodeo in the historic western South Dakota town of Belle Fourche. Deep in cowboy country.

My new release, All Hat No Cattle, came from the wonderful experience we had that long 4th of July weekend. The cattle drive down Main Street was fascinating, the ranch rodeo had events different from those at any rodeo I’d ever seen, and the next three days of PRC rodeo, held in an outdoor arena, was exciting and fun. The bulls were rank, and during the first two PRC rodeos, only one rider lasted eight seconds.

The town goes all-out, with music, a carnival, and one of the best parades I’ve ever seen. If you ever get the chance to attend the Black Hills Roundup, you have to go. It’s situated in one of the most beautiful and historic sections of the US, with Mount Rushmore, Deadwood, Custer State Park, and Badlands National Park being just a few of the attractions. And if you’ve never driven through Needles Highway, put that on your bucket list!

All Hat No Cattle is one of the Red Hot and BOOM! stories, and is only $.99 for almost 75 pages of hot cowboy romance. I hope you enjoy the book!

It’s Independence Day, and Harper Johansen is at the rodeo in South Dakota on business. While she’s deep in cowboy territory, she’s hoping to meet a real cowboy—one who shares her dreams for the future. Shaw Donahue, tall and sexy in his cowboy hat, jeans, and boots, could be that man, and Harper quickly falls for his seductive charm. Until he tells her he’s a roughneck.

Shaw can’t believe his luck. Harper is an accomplished, intelligent businesswoman, and she’s beautiful, sexy, and willing. Until she learns he’s working the local oil field. Before he can explain the reason he’s roughnecking, she pushes him away, telling him they can only be friends. He doesn’t fit into her plans. With four days of rodeo ahead of them, can Shaw convince Harper to value a man for more than his cattle?

Break out the fireworks and get ready to kick off your summer with this HOT new collection of stories. All Hat No Cattle is part of the Red Hot and BOOM! multi-author series (stands alone for reading enjoyment)

Excerpt from All Hat No Cattle…

Standing in the shadowed parking lot next to Harper’s car, Shaw’s muscles tensed, wanting to pull her close. But he had to be sure he was interpreting her words correctly. “So, you’re sayin’ you want to give us a chance, right?”

A laugh burst from her and she leaned back on her car. “Lord, I’m so bad at this. I’m not telling you goodbye, I’m trying to say I want to be more than friends.”

Warmth cocooned his heart. “Oh yeah? What made you change your mind?”

Her eyes turned soft, misty. “You’re a good man, Shaw. I want to know you better, see if what I’m feeling for you right now is something that can grow into…more.”

Shaw didn’t move. This was the opening he’d been waiting for, but he didn’t want to rush it. “Don’t think that I’m not willing, because I am, Harper. I’m into you, deep as a man can get. But I don’t want to wake up tomorrow alone, finding out you’ve changed your mind again.”

Over his shoulder, the first sparkles of fireworks glowed. She stepped closer and put both her hands on his waist. “Forgive me? I got confused there for a while. Things were muzzy and just felt wrong when I tried to be your friend. Now, wanting you in my life, everything’s clear and true.”

His lips curved upward and he found it hard to take in breath. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear that.” He set his hands on her shoulders.

She shivered under his palms.

“Do you want to go someplace and talk for a while?” He wanted to grab her, pull her in, haul her somewhere and make love to her, but she deserved his respect and restraint.

“We’ll go to my room, Shaw Donahue, but there won’t be much talkin’ going on.” She gave him a wicked smile. “At least not until tomorrow morning, over breakfast.”

~*~*~*~*~

Read the first chapter HERE

And get your copy for only $.99 at:
AMAZON US
AMAZON UK
AMAZON CAN
AMAZON AU
SMASHWORDS
BARNES & NOBLE
ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
KOBO

Thanks for hosting me, Delilah!

Randi
“Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied”

RandiAlexander.com
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It’s midnight again, and it’s the first time I’ve sat at my desk all day! I swear these days I meet myself coming and going!

To make things simple, I’ll let yesterday’s contest continue to run, but will select TWO winners. So be sure to post a comment on both yesterday’s and today’s blog for two chances to win.

Keeping things simple. That seems to be a theme today. My sister is visiting from the north—North Arkansas, that is. We’re both complaining about burnout, because we’ve both been spinning on that hamster wheel for a while. We’d love a break. Love to have time to think and make sure we are doing the right things for our work, our families, and our future lives.

So, today’s question is this…

Do you have any suggestions for how we slow our lives down? No, we don’t want to stop writing. That’s not it at all, but there’s so much involved with the writing life that you may not be aware of that just eats our lunch. Any suggestions, large or small would be appreciated!

Good luck in the drawings!

I attended a conservative Christian church for most of my youth. When I think back to my formative years and my religion it’s that church that comes to mind. It wasn’t an overly positive experience but there was this one thing. It may seem insignificant to most. But it really stuck with me. Through all these years and all the twists and turns my faith and religion have taken. As silly as it sounds, it was a song. A simple children’s song I learned there. Some of you probably know it. This little light of mine.

For those of you who have never heard it, the song is about the light inside you and how you can’t let anyone or anything blow it out. It’s such a simple message but so true that I’ve often found it profound. Everybody has a light inside them and you can’t let anyone blow it out. Life is hard. It’s not fair. Bad things, stressful things happen but you can’t let that steal your light.

In my upcoming release, Covert Desires, my heroine has mastered the art of protecting her light. We first meet Rowe in Subservience. She’s Harlow’s best friend. And she’s also a prophet. Life isn’t as easy for a prophet as one might think, however. The possibilities are endless. And navigating the correct path takes a strong faith. Faith in that little voice inside her. Faith in her light. I hope you’ll consider picking up Covert Desires when it’s out. It’s the six and final book in the Universal Defiance series, which follows a man as he does everything he can to fix a universe on the brink of self-destruction.

If you’d like to get caught up in the mean time, here’s the link to the rest of the series:

http://www.ellorascave.com/series/universal-defiance.html

And be sure to follow me on

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandra.ryan

Or on Twitter: @ChandraRyan

To keep up to date and find out Covert Desire’s release date.

One of the best parts of writing is playing the ‘what if’ game. For my Annwyn series this meant weaving fairy history with our own. What if all the big plagues were caused by problems in Annwyn?

What if changelings were the offspring of a human and fairy but born in our world instead of Annwyn? What if people with psychic abilities were actually changelings?

While once those kinds of talents would’ve been marveled at they would’ve also become feared or considered the work of the devil with the rise of Christianity. At the same time people would’ve stopped believing in the old gods, or fairies.

Of course fairies still came to our world, they still got together with humans and changelings would’ve still been born; only now most of them have no idea what they are.

This is the predicament the hero of The Changeling Soldier finds himself in. Isaac knows he doesn’t fit in. He sees things (fairies) that no one else does and he gets visions of the future. And they are visions he can’t change so they aren’t particularly useful. Worse he has been dreaming of a battle fought with swords in a snow covered filed all of his life. And the dream is becoming more frequent.

It doesn’t scare him though, not the way it should as he’s begun to see it as his destiny. He can’t change it anyway so why fight it? However leaving the only world he’s ever known to live, and fight, in Annwyn is not a small decision, or one to be made alone.

Here’s a little bit of Isaac’s dream.

Isaac was never ready for the biting cold or the exhaustion of this dream, even though he must have experienced it hundreds of time. Snow was falling, dusting his clothes, and the battleground was silent. Battles weren’t silent. They were noisy and confusing as hell.

He drew in a breath, the cold cutting his lungs, and took a moment to orientate himself. His palm rested on the snow where he was kneeling. His other hand was wrapped around the hilt of a sword; the blade was coated in blue, sticky gore. That he was holding a sword didn’t bother him now, but it still felt wrong in his hand. He was used to guns. There were no guns here.

The blue was more concerning. Blood? It smeared skin and leaked from the wounds of the other fighters. It had to be blood even though people didn’t bleed blue. It wasn’t human blood, though. It was fairy blood.

The sword grew heavy in his hand, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold on to it for much longer. Exhaustion and cold seeped through his body. As he exhaled, his breath clouded. He glanced around looking for a change in the dream, but everything stayed as it always was. He knew this place and had fought this battle all his life, yet things were clearer, sharper now. When he’d been a child, the death had been hidden from him.

He squinted against the glare of the sun on the snow. The battle was over. Around him were the bodies of the fallen. Their pretty faces would never smile again. They looked so young, too young for this. Everywhere he looked, bright blue stained the snow.

Usually he’d wake up now. He waited for the jolt, but it didn’t come.

The Changeling Soldier is book 2.5 in the Annwyn series. Book 1, The Outcast Prince explores another aspect of being a changeling as the hero, Caspian, has the gift of psychometry and has always known what he is…however that hasn’t made his life any easier. Book 2, Lord of the Hunt, takes you to Annwyn and book 3, To Love a King, will be out in October

Her time in the mortal world is running out…

After fleeing Annwyn three centuries ago, Ella built a life in the mortal world making gowns for European royalty and playing in mortal intrigues. Now those Courts are long gone, and she dresses Hollywood starlets. Mortals come and go, but Ella always ends up alone. She longs for the home she left behind.

He’s been dreaming of the coming battle all his life…

Isaac Norton is a returned soldier. Now home, he’s restless and his recurring dream is becoming more frequent: he’s fighting on a snow-covered field stained with blue blood. When he sees Ella, he knows she isn’t human. And she knows what he is, a changeling.

Ella can give Isaac the answers he needs, but there will be a price to pay: his soul.

Buy links:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-changeling-soldier/id867308013?mt=11
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/the-changeling-soldier-1
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thechangelingsoldier-1490614-143.html
http://www.amazon.com/Changeling-Soldier-Annwyn-Shona-Husk/dp/0992423929/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1119556060?ean=9780992423919

In my non-writing life, I’m a lunch lady. No, I’m THE lunch lady at a parochial school. One of the benefits to this occupation is that I have a good part of the summer off (after a state convention and planning for the new school year that starts in August…August?!). But I have the rest of the time for myself, and that means writing.

The school year ended with creating my To Do list. Okay, realistically, I need about three summers to get everything done. It doesn’t help that I took a vacation right after school let out so didn’t jump immediately into a new schedule filled more with writing than cooking. Late May in Yellowstone is fantastic!

However it’s back to real life and now is the time to set the plan in place so each To DO becomes a Tah Dah! And a reason to celebrate. Even if that celebration is simply a sigh of relief as I’m scratching an item off the list. Ah, the simple things…

I’ve already blocked out a certain amount of time each week for day job work—menu planning with requirement changes takes longer, and more thought. I’m determined to start the next school year more organized and ready to go than last year. So, weekly menu planning. A bit of time each day is also set aside for decluttering. Too much stuff seems to be the bane of many folks I know—and I live with two other ‘collectors’ of numerous interests. That means a lot of clutter—which translates to distractions which, of course, means I don’t get as much writing done.

Not that my writing projects aren’t a distraction in themselves. I’m nearly through converting my originally epubbed backlist to an Indie pubbed list. At least one of those will be released this month. I’m also working on a tale that’s part of a series with a group of talented authors. And I’m going through manuscripts again with my red pen so they’ll be ready to go in whatever publishing direction I decide. So there’s a lot on my stove—as well as plenty of new ideas warming in the oven. Good thing I’m accustomed to stirring more than one pot at a time!

The first of the summer’s creations—the release later this month of Blue Keltic Moon, the first of The Children of the Keltic Triad.

Duty before love. As much as Breanna’s heart protested, Gowthaman would have to wait until she returned with the rescued Alfar-Sindhu prince.

Love before self. Following Breanna into the World Between Worlds, Gowthaman faces the pains of his past, risks his intellect, his sanity, and his life. For her.

Destiny before all. In the time of the blue Keltic moon.

Sign up for my newsletter for news of upcoming releases and events—including the grand opening of my new website. When you sign up in June, you’ll be entered in a drawing for a summer fun stretchy bracelet or an ebook download! newsfromthestarr@gmail.com

Now, off to make this summer a Grand Slam—and I don’t even like baseball!