One quick note! Randi Alexander, one of my blog sisters at Wild and Wicked Cowboys, needs your vote! Her vampire cowboy erotic romance, This Cowboy Bites, is one of the four final stories at All Romance eBook’s Just One Bite Contest. You can read the entire story, plus three others, free at ARe. Thank you! ~DD

Did I mention that a short story I wrote for Sacchi Green’s call for submissions for Girl Fever: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex for Lesbians made it into the anthology? The book will be released in May 2012. My story is entitled “Ignition Switch” and you can imagine what body part I’m talkin’ about! To see the entire roster of stories and authors, check out Sacchi Green’s blog. And 69 stories? 69 authors to work with? She’s a martyr! Just kidding, I bet the challenge was envigorating.

For you writers out there who want to know where I see these calls for submissions, check out the Erotic Readers & Writers Association website.

And for you readers, I thought I’d give you a heads up for the stories releasing between now and the end of this year.

11/22/2011 – FIVE WAYS ‘TIL SUNDAY, Delta Heat series, eBook (Samhain)
11/29/2011 – DRAGON’S DESIRE, Alluring Tales-3, eBook (Kindle)
12/06/2011 – RED HOT WINTER, print anthology (Samhain), includes my novella “True Heart”
12/13/11 – BEST EROTIC ROMANCE OF 2012, print anthology (Cleis Press), includes my new short story “Drive Me Crazy”

The winner of the free autographed book I offered during my visit with the Smutketeers is Shadow! Shadow, be sure to email me with your snail mail address
so I can get your prize to you!

I think I have most of my family obligations out of the way now. I’m buying the Red-Headed Hellion a house, and we closed on Friday. Yesterday, we bought cleaning and painting supplies, contacted the handyman, worked on getting utilities scheduled. Today, we did one last drive by Walmart for last minute supplies. Since I’m the bank, I don’t have to do the work. I’m free now to do what I do best—write.

But now I’m running on empty. Have any suggestions for ways to get me energized? Any secret family recipes? What do you do rev up for a hard week? I’m drinking a cup of coffee as I write, but I’m sure I’ll need more to get me through the next couple of weeks. I have to keep my head down, ignore the family, and pretend my office is a cave deep inside a mountain with a dragon guarding the door while I slave away.

Any suggestions?

Also, I sent out my first newsletter using a new newsletter hosting site yesterday. If you didn’t get a copy (and it was a little skimpy on news, only because I didn’t have time to add a personal note) be sure sign up for the newsletter. The signup blank is easy, and located to the left of this blog, although you might have to scroll down a little to find it. I will be running some contests in the newsletter that are only for subscribers!

OMG! I have a stable Internet connection again!

I live in the boonies so I don’t have the option of calling the local NERDS to come fix my computer problems. So, it was a process of elimination. First, checking the satellite connection/strength, figuring out whether other computers in the house (six!) had the same issue. All did, excerpt for the one connected directly to the router by cable. Sooooo…

I ordered a new router. It’s installed. And so far, so good. You have no idea how time-consuming and frustrating it is trying to work with spotty connection. The only time I seemed to get good connection was the middle of the night, so I set alarms to get up at 3 AM to take care of email and blogging. I know friends who tried to reach me during the day thought I’d dropped off the face of the earth.

Anyway, here it is 10 AM and I’m happily cranking out today’s blog about INTERNET WOES. Not sexy, right?

The next problem I have is trying to figure out why my computer goes to the Blue Screen of Death when it hibernates. Guess I’ll uninstall every piece of hardware I have, one at a time, to see if one of them is the issue. Then maybe I can get back to writing!

I did finish a very sexy, funny short story this week to include in the Cleis cowboy collection. After reading the sexy stories other writers contributed, I was just a little intimidated. Took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do that would fit with the collection and still be distinctive.

Yeah, I get the advantage of doing that since I get to read ALL the stories first. 🙂

Remember, if you’ve read any of my recently published stories and don’t feel wierd doing it, post a review and send me the link. You’ll be entered in the Promo Ho contest. Details about the stories I need reviews for are listed on my “Contest” page. You only have 3 more days to enter!

The winner of yesterday’s flashback download (selected by random number generator) is…Fedora! Fedora, congrats and email me!

The Romance Studio is hosting their 2d Annual Spookapalooza party! I’ve posted a couple of excerpts, and I’d love for your to comment on them, but there’s also a huge list of giveaways. Be sure to check it out!

I’m nearing the end of editing for The Cowboy, which is being retitled Cowboy Lust. The stories I’m working on are hawt! I hope to wrap it up by the end of the week.

FYI, in case you haven’t seen the FB or Tweets, GIRLS WHO BITE is getting huge rave reviews. Take a look!

“GIRLS WHO BITE is one incredible read.” 5 Paddles, BDSM Book Reviews

“…original, sometimes devastating, and at other times unusual and brilliant…” 5 Stars, Love Romance Passion

“…Absolutely Amazing! Packed with heat, sexuality, and darkness. This book delivers on so many levels.” Rated Magnificent, Romancing the Book

“I’m glad I spent my first time with Ms. Devlin’s beautiful choices.“ 5 Stars, Siren’s Song Reviews

“…GIRLS WHO BITE is an extraordinary entertainment and highly recommended for adult reading lists.” 5 Stars, Midwest Book Reviews

So, if you haven’t already ordered your copy, why the hell not?

One last note before I get back to work: remember that I have two contests running, the Authors After Dark Grab Bag contest and the Promo Ho contest (which is awarding two $25.00 gift certificates!). Check out the Contest Page for details.

I’m playing at Wild & Wicked Cowboys today. Drop by, ogle a sexy cowboy pic, and help me dream up a story!

Today, I’m talking again about my Viking book at Nine Naughty Novelists. Remember, any comment you post there counts as an entry in the Authors After Dark Grab Bag Contest. Remember, I also have two $25.00 gift certificates up for grabs in the Promo Ho Contest! Both those contests end next week! Details about both can be found on my Contest Page.

And just so you have a reason to post a comment here, today… Did you know…?

Alaska has the highest percentage of people who walk to work.
~from Snapple Real Facts

That seems just plain wierd to me given the fact it can get pretty damn nippy up there. Wonder why that is…

Well, I skipped my Diamond State Romance Authors’ chapter meeting today, intending to get some work done this morning, but got talked into taking my daughter and mom out on the art tour again. Daughter is doing better, in short spurts, so we only hit the guy who’s selling fusion glass. I picked up several pieces of small art, like bookmarks and pendants that I thought would make good giveaways here. He also had a shadow box that was decoupaged and had bits of things (photos, a small bird’s nest, etc.) that gave me all kinds of ideas for things I might want to try to do, so I bought it. Yeah, like I have time for any other artistic endeavors. 😕

Anyway, my butt is firmly planted in this chair for the next while. I have tons of work to finish, and a daughter who still needs some help with kids while she recovers, but I will try to do better about keeping you entertained here. I HAVE GOT to post the pictures from the animal refuge and from Romanticon. Those are coming. Promise!