Blog Talk Radio

I was the guest at Lette’s Chat this week. Carlette asked me questions about writing, we talked books, etc. If you’d like to listen to the interview, here’s the link: Lette’s Chat

Three New Releases

A busy week for me, huh? In case you missed the announcements, here are the three new books I’ve added:

Shapeshifters—beings both human and animal—ignite our imaginations with visions of primal passions and insatiable hungers. Most commonly seen as dark, masculine demons, these sixteen stories investigate shapeshifter myths from around the world, and add fur and claws to a fresh girl-on-girl blending of physical power and inescapable desires.

Embrace your wild child as you journey through worlds of unexpected delights with some of today’s hottest erotic romance authors, including Sacchi Green, Christine d’Abo, Adele Dubois and Myla Jackson. Fly atop the Tower of London in Paisley Smith’s “The Night Crow.” In Anna Meadows’ “Verde,” feel the burn of a hot Mexican summer. Experience the raw lash of a dragon’s tail in “Scorched Retribution,” then linger in the sensual delights of a furry convention in “She’s Furry Yiffy”.

Prepare to be embraced inside the warm, feathered wings of a phoenix, race through a rain forest morphing from tiger to kingfisher, and watch your lover surrender her seal’s pelt to walk hand-in-hand with you along a cold and lonely shore. In She Shifters, love comes running, slithering, flying—in all shapes of desire.

Gus Taggert knows a setup when he sees one. When one of his police officer buddies sends him on a doughnut run to one particular doughnut shop, Cornucopia, he hesitates. It’s too frilly and pink. However, the woman behind the counter serves him more than a couple dozen gourmet doughnuts, she gives him a mini-lesson in submission%mdash;something he’s eager to learn more about. When she orders him to see her that night at the BDSM club, La Forge, he’s more than eager to obey.

Newly vetted Domme, Aislinn Darby, has a sub she’s eager to take for a test run. The large, burly cop is the kind of alpha guy she’s been dying to tie up and spank. However, after she takes him through his paces, she finds herself more than willing to let him take control, something she hasn’t enjoyed with a man before. Gus’s brand of loving is addictive, but now she’s doubting herself and her own ability to control a scene. She has to have him back for one more go, only this time, she’s going to do it with a crowd around them to ensure he doesn’t forget who’s in charge. She bribes him into submission. Accept her dictates, and he can have her any way he wants as reward.

What Gus wants is Aislinn in the middle of a scene he orchestrates himself with the help of three of his best friends.

From National Bestselling Author, Delilah Devlin, and Amazon Bestseller, Paisley Smith, comes LICKS, a collection of eight scrumptious lesbian tales, ranging from succulent and sensual to tempting and taboo.

Climb aboard a Harley with a butch beauty in “Riding Bitch”. Satisfy your craving for unrepentant girl-on-girl sex in “The Out-of-Towner”. Travel back in time to 18th century Paris in “Bordello”. A sexy femme submits in “The Hired Hand”. Celebrate a first lesbian encounter in “My Best Friend’s Birthday” and take a wild ride with your favorite toy in “The Only Game in Town”.

These irresistible stories and more invite the reader to savor that delectable flavor of the ultimate in lesbian erotica.

Contests

Don’t forget! The Pretty Pendant contest continues! Click on the link and follow the rules! Basically, all you have to do to enter is keep on posting! I’ll choose a winner this Tuesday!

Yesterday’s winner of a free download from among my Ellora’s Cave backlist is…Kimberly Hoefs! Kimberly, congrats! And send me an email with your choice of downloadable stories from my Ellora’s Cave backlist.

Sunday Report Card

Remember back in May when I told you I have 18 projects to get out the door by January 2d? The current list looks like this:

4 3 full-length novels (2 1 paranormal suspense, 2 BDSM)  — Shattered Souls, done!
3 1 novellas (1 Delta Heat, 1 Western, 1 TBD) — Delta Heat: Fournicopia, and Laying Down the Law done!
3 2 short stories — “Red Dawn”, done!
2 1 anthologies I have to edit — Smokin’ Hot Firemen done!
4 novels to extensively edit & expand (it’s a secret!)
1 novella to extensively edit and publish — Dragon’s Desire, edited! Publishing soon!
1 short story anthology to edit and publish — Licks, done!

Likely, I’ll be adding one more thing to the list. Cleis Press has given the green light to another anthology. This one filled with yummy Super Alpha males (think SEALs, Delta Force, SWAT, Smoke Jumpers, etc). I’ll be working on getting a “Call for Submissions” out the door early this week!

Also this week, I knuckle down to work on the next full-length novel. Send me good thoughts, wishes, vibes, prayers. I’m having a hard time starting. Have to push past the opening and get into the sexy middle. I’m sure it will come to me as soon as I get my hero and heroine horizontal. 🙂

So, one of the questions I, and I’m sure every author out there gets asked, is where we get our ideas from. My answer is usually “how do you make the ideas stop?” but for my latest release, Aries Revealed, there were a few specific triggers. I’ve already mentioned on the blog tour (redzworld stop) that the film Soldier with Kurt Russell laid a major seed for the Zodiac series (and, as it happens, the species idea for the Sargosians from Taming the Wildcat) but Soldier just laid the seed. It wasn’t until a friend showed me this image from Magic Mike (of course, I didn’t have a clue what it was at the time)

So, after I stopped drooling on the keyboard (this friend has a habit of sending me images like this just to see me stop what I’m doing and drool. Her favourite subjects are Alex Pettyfer and Jensen Ackles *whimpers* Both of which I am extremely susceptible to, and ceases word production immediately) I started to think about strippers in a sensible, writerly type of way. Okay, okay…AFTER I got over thinking about Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer taking their clothes off, I started thinking about things sensibly and just how I could use a stripper character in my cyborg series. I love convoluted storylines and new angles on things so it got me to thinking what if the stripper with the cyborg act really was a cyborg? He’s pretending to play a human who plays a cyborg? The idea was just too much fun NOT to write and thus, Aries Revealed was born!

I would like to point out that there was a second image sent to me shortly after the first, but this one just shorted out my brain so I can’t really claim it helped with the creation of Aries any. But it provided a good hours viewing pleasure 😉

So, now I’ve gone around the houses and up the garden path, let me leave you with some info on the story our lovely lads from Magic Mike inspired!

Sometimes the best place to hide, is in plain sight…

Johnny makes a living on the strip circuits. His most popular routine? The Aries 7000. Bronzed and oiled, he pretends to be the scourge of the universe, one of the deadly and outlawed zodiac cyborgs. But Johnny isn’t really a stripper playing a cyborg. He’s a cyborg playing a stripper.

Milly, a freighter captain, has had a thing for the sexy stripper for months. But when Johnny, the subject of many of her hottest fantasies, asks her out to dinner, she runs. All is not lost, however; a chance encounter yields an Aries 7000 sexbot, hers for a weekend of pleasure.

It seems too good to be true. Sex with the man of her dreams without risking her heart. But Milly’s bot has some secrets…secrets that could save her life when the past returns to haunt her.

Available from: Ellora’s Cave | Amazon | Amazon UK | ARe

Suffering the curse of eternal curiosity Mina never tires of learning new skills which has led to Aromatherapy, Corsetry, Chain-maille making, Welding, Canoeing, Shooting, and pole-dancing to name but a few.

A full time author and cover artist, Mina can usually be found hunched over a keyboard or graphics tablet, frantically trying to get the images and words in her head out and onto the screen before they drive her mad. She’s addicted to coffee and Nutella on toast.

Where to find Mina…

Twitter
Facebook

Don’t worry if you try to click on the widget below and it doesn’t work. If you click on the picture, you can head over to where it really does! I posted the picture so you’d know about tonight! I’ll be the live guest at Lette’s Chat, an online radio talk show, at 8 PM ET. You’re welcome to call in questions, but if you miss the chat, I’ll post a link on my site so you can listen in and hear what happened! 🙂

Is there anything you’d like me to work into the conversation? Something you’re dying to know?

[Sorry–photos removed!]

To check the names of the three winners from yesterday’s blogfest,
see the top of yesterday’s blog! ~DD

Thanks so much to Delilah for inviting me on her blog today. My name is Jennifer Bernard and I’m a fireman-a-holic. I know I can’t be the only one who drools over those smoking hot guys in (and out of) their strangely sexy turnout gear.  I mean …

That would be enough to get my blood sizzling, but what about their heroism? Their willingness to risk their lives? Their involvement in community events? Their kindness to old ladies whose cats are stuck in trees? I could go on, but I’ll spare you.

Luckily, I’ve found ways to cope with my little problem.  First, I wrote some books. THE FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME and HOT FOR FIREMAN are out now, and a third book, SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN, is coming in January 2013. They’re part of the BACHELOR FIREMEN series, which takes place in a California firehouse filled with sexy, single firemen.

It takes a long time to write and edit a book, not to mention research it. My research involves countless calls and emails to a kind fireman I happen to know. Tough life, I know. If you add together all that time, it’s hours and weeks and months spent in the company of my fictional fireman hotties.

Then comes the promotion. What better way to promote books about firemen than spending hours on the internet hunting for sexy photos? Every Friday on my Facebook page is Fireman Friday – it’s even a hashtag on Twitter. It’s my job, my duty, to find new and awesome photos to post. I’d be letting down my Facebook friends if I forgot. Not that I’m likely to. I mean …

I get to do some promotion in real life too. I’ve visited the real San Gabriel firehouse, given books to the firefighters at my “fire consultant’s” station, and eaten dinner with the guys there. Read the rest of this entry »

[Sorry—photos removed!]

Twice the treats! Today, you get Indie sensation Sharon Hamilton dishing out a delicious excerpt below—can’t get enough SEALs, can you? Then AFTER you’ve posted a comment here (remember the pendant contest!), head on over to Lissa Matthews’ website, where I’m her guest and giving away and stuff there too!

GIMME A HOT MAN IN A UNIFORM (OR OUT OF ONE!)

Navy SEALs have gotten a lot of press lately, and while most of this is well deserved, SEALs themselves shy away from such publicity. And perhaps that’s why we love them. They live in this super secret community of elite warriors, keeping only to themselves and their families and ducking the limelight. Part of this is because of the nature of their work. And part of this is because of who they are and how they are trained.

How can we not fall for a guy who is so physically well developed, capable of doing so many impossible things, but yet doesn’t have to boast to the whole world about it? Those strong silent types. Still waters run deep. Very deep. Just the way we like it.

We love them because they are take charge. But boy, don’t we love to see them brought to their knees by that heroine? They know everything about blowing things up and doing a high level extraction, but fall hard for a woman without scaring them off? That is a different story. I like to write them so they are way outside their comfort zone. Make them squirm. Yes, I admit it. I like to torture them.

My fictional hero in Accidental SEAL, Kyle Lansdowne, has come back from Afghanistan with a stronger desire to set down roots and perhaps find something more satisfying than the string of one-night stands he is accustomed to. But he is really not prepared for how fast the he will land right in the middle of a hot romance with Christy. Although their stormy first encounter is by accident, he soon learns she is something he wants, on purpose.

Christy Nelson embarks on her new career in Real Estate by holding her first open house. Entering the wrong house, by accident, she finds the nude sleeping body of a young man.

Navy SEAL Kyle Lansdowne, on a mission to find his AWOL Team buddy, is staying at his buddy’s home while investigating the disappearance.  When someone breaks in, he takes protective measures. He doesn’t expect to find that a beautiful young woman is responsible for his teammate’s abduction.

What starts out as a meeting by accident becomes a hot affair neither one is ready for. Kyle is conflicted about getting Christy involved in his mission, but his hand is forced when he learns the same San Diego gang responsible for his teammate’s abduction has kidnapped her.

Battling a cadre of dirty law enforcements hell-bent on getting military equipment, especially state-of-the-art firepower, Kyle is forced to admit that he would be willing to die to protect her.

This excerpt happens after lunch when Kyle asks Christy to help him find a place to buy. Christy is in the process of showing him a model home in her condo complex…

“Some of these places went for close to a million dollars when they first came up for resale,” Christy said as she let them inside the furnished model with her passkey. “My mother was one of the first to buy. She got in under a special housing density program.” They both stepped into a beautifully staged great room and kitchen. Through tall picture windows, the bay gleamed as if covered with shattered glass. Kyle opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the balcony.

“Nice place. Doubt I could afford it.” He turned, resting his back against the black iron railing, his bulging package prominent. He cocked his head, removed his sunglasses and asked, “How much?”

“This one’s five sixty. But we could make them an offer. It’s owned by the bank. If you have some sort of down payment, this could be financed VA.”

“Not sure I have enough.” He walked past her and waited by the slider opening.

“Want to see the rest of the place? It has a nice big bedroom.” Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday’s winners (I decided to choose 2) are named at the bottom of this post!

I’m a blog-hoppin’ babe!

I’m going to be doing some blog hops in the coming weeks to celebrate the releases of three books: Fournicopia, She Shifters, and Cowboy Lust! Be sure to stay tuned to this blog, my Facebook page and Twitter, for news about where I’ll be.

Today, I’m at Fictional Candy. Be sure to drop by to enter to win a free book. I’m talking about titles. And you know I have fun with those!

Live radio chat this week!

Yeah, I’m doing a live web/radio chat on Thursday. And I’d love for you to tune in, and if you’d like, phone in questions. Ask me anything. I can plead the 5th if I think my answer will get me into trouble. 🙂

Here’s the link so you can learn more: BlogTalkRadio

Two books releasing this week!

Both books release, officially, on Tuesday, July 10th, although She Shifters is already shipping from Amazon!

Click on the covers to read an excerpt or for “buy” information! And if you happen to head to Amazon to take a peek, please “like” and “tag” the books. If you’re amenable to posting a review, I’d be forever grateful too!

The Pretty Pendant Contest continues!

Don’t forget! Every comment on this blog until July 17th counts as an entry in the contest. Two luck winners will get a pendant! Check here for details: The Pretty Pendant Contest

* * * * *

Sunday Report Card

This week has been stone-cold crazy!

* I wrapped up all the editing for the short stories I included in my draft of Smokin’ Hot Firemen for Cleis Press. And no, I can’t tell you which stories made my first cut, because Cleis gets the final approval. There were soooo many great stories I had to leave out due to word count issues. I also wrote my short for the collection, “Johnny Blaze.” It took me months to come up with an idea, but between all the hoopla over the Magic Mike film and my own daughter insisting I should tell the story of her 18th birthday party at a male strip club, I created the perfect tease of a story.

* I finished the final draft of Laying Down the Law—my next Western for Samhain—and shipped it to my editor! It’s the first of a trilogy of TripleHorn Ranch stories, has a very exciting suspense plot, and no, sorry pervs, not a ménage.

And now, I’ve moved on to the next big book. A sexy BDSM novel set in southern Louisiana. I have the rough of the first chapter complete. This week, I’ll be adding pages to that WIP (Work-in-Progress), and maybe playing with a short story, as well as tackling deep edits for a book my sister and I co-wrote that we’ll publish with Samhain. Have a taste for wealthy Texans and romantic comedy? Well, you’ll just have to wait.

And that’s all folks. I’m housesitting for my daughter while her family’s in DC. Other than taking care of her 4 dogs and 4 cats, I’m treating this time like a retreat—nothing by writing. Be thinking of me, my stubby fingers curled over the typewriter…

Have a great week! ~DD

This week’s round of snippets is all about reunions. I haven’t written too many stories about people who reconnect after time spent apart. I love the idea of meeting someone new. Someone unexpected. However, when I began to write Unbridled, I had a scene in my mind, the one you’re about to read, and I knew this reunion would be a shocker for my poor heroine—which made it interesting for me. 🙂

Post a comment today, and you’ll be entered in a drawing
for a free download of any of my Lone Star Lovers books.

“Unbridled is a stand out!” ~ Joyfully Reviewed“…In [UNBRIDLED]…we are following the sexy machinations of Justin, and he does sexy so well it isn’t difficult to picture him doling out love to his two subs. It’s also remarkably easy to see why they’d be eager to do his bidding. However, it is totally refreshing to watch Dani and Rowe slip the noose and insist on him obeying them for a change of pace… If you are seeking an intensely erotic short read, UNBRIDLED is the one for you…” ~ 5 Angels, Fallen Angels Reviews

Tough…or tender? If she plays her cards right, she won’t have to choose.

Dani Standifer arrives home at her West Texas family ranch a day early, ready to pick up where she left off with Rowe Ayers, her high school sweetheart. However, when she opens the door to their line-shack trysting place, it’s clear she waited a day too long. Rowe’s with someone else—another man. And not just any other man—Justin Cruz, the bad boy with whom she shared one wild encounter, years ago.

Justin’s waited a long time for this moment. He knows his reputation, but since he seduced Rowe, he’s been a one-man cowboy—waiting for Dani to return and become the delicious fulfillment of his and Rowe’s needs. If she’s up to the challenge.

To her own surprise, Dani finds she’s more than ready to have both men in her life—as soon as she and Rowe teach Justin a lesson or two about love.

Their small town may not be ready for their kind of relationship. And Dani’s brother Cutter’s mile-deep grudge against Justin throws in a complication that could break the foundation the three of them have built…

Warning: Hold on for the rodeo of your life with rough ridin’ male on male action; blazing hot m/m/f scenes; and melt-your-panties lovin’ as each of these sexy cowboys gives it the way they know best to turn their woman inside out.

There are moments that can change the course of a woman’s life from one heartbeat to the next. For Dani Standifer, this was that moment.

She’d returned to Two Mule, Texas, a day earlier than she’d planned, intending to surprise her boyfriend. But the surprise was definitely on her. Rowan Ayers’s body, hardening with arousal, demonstrated more poignantly than any “Dear Jane” letter that she’d been gone far too long. He’d moved on.

Everything she’d ever dreamed of for her future evaporated like the sweat glistening on his naked chest.

As well, it hurt that he’d chosen this place to bring another woman. The isolated, ramshackle line shack had been their favorite place, their secret love nest. The cabin sat nestled in a thicket of scrubby cedar, a tall live oak providing the structure shade from the late afternoon sun. The shack was situated inside the Ayers fence line, equidistant from both of their ranch houses. Perfect for the trysts they’d shared throughout high school and during summer breaks from university. Here, they’d explored their young bodies, talked about their dreams for the future…and made plans.

Just moments ago when she saw his horse and realized he was here, emotions had welled up, threatening to overspill—gratitude for his friendship, uncertainty because he’d been so aloof of late, and certainly lust since this place had been their special sanctuary from the world.

She squared her shoulders, preparing to climb up the steps, but then she heard the soft nicker of another horse.

Peering around the corner, she spied a tall, gelded bay, and a leaden weight settled in her middle. But she didn’t want to jump to conclusions. There could be a simpler, more innocent explanation for why two horses were hitched to the rails outside the cabin.

She had to know the truth. Read the rest of this entry »