We had another round of severe weather last night. The power popped off and on. Internet was hosed for hours! So I’m preposting this late Wednesday night so that there’s something there for you today (Thursday!). Remember! The contest for the journal continues. If you don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, check out the post from two days ago.

I’ll be away until this afternoon. I’m hoping those flash flood warnings are more of a guideline than actual fact. I have to get to Little Rock for a doctor’s appointment. Ugh. I’m hoping it’s just a listen to my heart and any complaints I have. Maybe she’ll give me some kick-ass antibiotics to get rid of this respiratory infection I’ve had since the RT convention.

Maybe it’s me being lazy, but I’m going to make you do the thinking today. I’m running an unofficial poll, something I might use for my own project planning purposes. You may vote for two answers, and the poll closes Sunday!

Be sure to post a comment to let me know that you were here so that you’ll be entered in the contest for the fairy journal!

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Today, I’m hoping that I can unclutter my office and my mind.

I have a housekeeper coming to clean my place. Does that sound like the height of decadence? It is. But she’s inexpensive and a lot more thorough than I am, and when she’s done, somehow, it feels cleaner than if I did the work myself. While she runs the Hoover and mops, I’ll be decluttering my desk.

Not that I’ll give up a single dragon or fairy figurine, or King Kong hugging his NY skyscraper, or my Cinderalla and Sleeping Beauty Pez dispensers. Those aren’t clutter. They’re friends. Along with the small stuffed unicorn and carved stone alligator, frog, bear, wolf and elephant, they are things I can hold in my palm and caress when I’m running into trouble with my WIP (Work in Progress). When I stroke a thumb across their surfaces, they unlock dreams like a genie’s lamp.

The decluttering has to do with the stacks of papers I have laying on every surface—on the desk, the file cabinet, the printer—yes, even on the floor. I’ve been sick and have let more stack up than usual because I haven’t been able to concentrate. But no more excuses. I have to attack the stacks, then settle down to write some pages. I have books due. I’m late. Feel free to nag!

And woot! Riding a little high this morning. A reader plopped a brand new review up on Amazon for Pleasing Sir. “…It’s not Romance, though you will feel the pinch of love and desire found in some of the best of contemporary romances. This is erotica at it’s finest. There is a difference, and Delilah is the master and making that clear.

And if you’re inclined to hop to another blog today, I have a post on another site about my two April releases, Handy Men and Moonstruck. I’d love a comment or two or even just a wave so I don’t look like a loser. 🙂

Hop on over to After Midnight Fantasies.

It was a very sad week for me. Not a single word was written. After arriving back home from LA on Sunday with a cough, I suffered a full-blown upper respiratory thing all week accompanied by horrible fatigue. I can work with a cough; I can’t create when I’m wrung out. End of story. Needless to say, I’m woefully behind on all my goals. I need to rethink my plans, which makes this my shortest report card ever. 😥

You all know I love using a visual to get the old gray matter firing. I saw this truck in a parking lot. Loved the name of the business and his slogan! So tell me what sort of adventures Nick the Plumber might get up to!

Although I was sick for most of the conference last week, I did manage to stir from my room to meet friends. It’s the best part of conference, seeing old friends and making new ones. Here are some of my favorite pics.

Of course, I had to meet the man on my Moonstruck cover, Jimmy Thomas. This was his display at the booksigning on Saturday. You can see Moonstruck on the upper right corner!

I shot this after one of the panel discussions I participated in. In the picture are my BFF Kimberly Kaye Terry and the fabulous L.A. Banks!

More KKT and me! Doesn’t she look amazing?!

L.A. at the booksigning!

Just to prove it’s not all female authors at RT! I bought Jeremy’s book, Hungry for Love—what can I say? I can’t get enough of zombies!

The promo princesses themselves, Megan Hart and Lauren Dane!

I sat next to the very sweet and funny, HelenKay Dimon at the booksigning!

Richelle Mead is signing Frostbite for me!

Another very sweet lady—Taige Crenshaw!

You never know who you’re gonna meet at conference. Here’s my beta-buddy, Virginia E taking a pic of me while I’m taking a pic of her!

Virginia without the camera. 🙂

Kimmie with the rockin’ Vivia Anna!

A Flash of Long Black Hair…

Story inspiration can strike in the strangest places. The other day at the nail salon, I saw a young Asian woman with the most gorgeous long black hair. I mean the kind of hair only seen in commercials. Almost blue-black, high shine, and down to her hips, her beautiful tresses tempted my poor fingers to reach out and touch. Just to see if her hair felt as sexy as it looked.

I couldn’t get the idea of the unbelievable beauty of her hair out of my mind. So of course, a story started forming.

Like a song you can’t banish from your mind, sometimes a flash of inspiration refuses to leave you alone. While the story isn’t complete, the basic set up is in my list of stories to write. Definitely another lesbian vampire story. *cackle*

Songs or music videos are another great inspiration for my stories. A Familiar Taste of Poison by Halestorm hit me several ways. First the title. I wish I’d thought of that one! Then there’s the lyrics—

I breathe you in again
Just to feel you underneath my skin
Holding onto the sweet escape
Is always laced with a familiar taste of poison

Finally, there’s the video. I mean…just wow. Fabulous visuals. Great film noir look and feel. An entire murder mystery in four minutes.

A lot of Halestorm’s lyrics strike a chord with me. No pun intended. I think I could write an entire series inspired by their music.

Friends are another source of inspiration, especially if they are also writers. I don’t mean writing about their lives. Although Delilah’s life would make for a very interesting book. *wink*

Brainstorming can start with a single word or a simple premise. Back and forth banter blossoms into stories. Delilah is one of the best at brainstorming. She’s pulled me out of several plot holes.

Then there’s the random stray thought, like the one that inspired my latest story, Consensual Infidelity.

What would you do if you found out your boyfriend were bisexual?

Would you run away as fast as your feet could carry you? Accept it but agree that part of his sexuality should stay hidden? Or would you actively pursue his fantasy of being with a man—then join in?

You can probably guess what Denise Wilder did in Consensual Infidelity. And boy, do they have fun!

Sometimes, a great story comes out of a combination of all of the above. For instance, a bisexual Asian woman murdered in the early 20th century who is resurrected as a vampire. Now I need a little help from my friends to fill in the plot holes! *grins*

Thanks, Delilah, for letting me ramble on about inspiration!

Consensual Infidelity—now available at Amazon.com

The big book expo was yesterday. Had a great time. I loved chatting with the folks who brought their dog-eared copies of my books, their Kindle covers, and their bookplates for me to sign. It made the whole week worthwhile. I’m flying back to Arkansas today, so I’ll be right back here tomorrow! In the meantime, give a warm welcome to Cathryn! ~DD

Aloha from Hawaii. My husband and I are vacationing on the Big Island—the one with the active volcano. Sadly for my dreams of watching molten lava flow into the turqouise sea, Kilauea is currently…not active.

However, today we drove up from the sunny, warm seashore high into the cool, misty clouds of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. With other tourists from all over the world, we viewed the huge caldera, with sulphurous steam venting from a crater and from the ground all around the park observatory.

We drove down from the 4,000 foot summit to the wind-whipped south-east shore of Hawaii, where just last month, pahoehoe lava flowed down and hardened into black sheets like so much icing, covering mountainsides, verdant forests and even highways before it cascaded into the sea.

It happened. I was not there to see it. But, through the magic of video, maps, diagrams and dioramas that the Park Service does so very well, I was still able to experience the thrill. And I learned about the history of Hawaii, both geologic and how the people who settled here wove the volcanoes into their folklore and religion. The goddess Pele watches over her islands with a loving, jealous heart.

And, sigh…I suppose it’s safer this way. There are only so many roads on this gorgeous island, and I feel for the people who have lost their homes to the fury of Pele’s fire. So, if she chooses to stay her hand, I’ll enjoy the grandeur of her handiwork safely cooled.

And hang out at the beach. Snorkeling tomorrow! I have a date with a handsome husband, lots of tropical fishes and a turtle or two, out on the reef.

Mahalo to Delilah for letting me stop by,
Cathryn
… red hot romance!
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