Tuesday’s winner is posted at the bottom of this blog! ~DD

I’m late posting today. Have a headache and I really wished I could have stayed in bed longer. However, I have to play catch up with my goals for the week.

Already out of the way:
* The short story is done and shipped to the editor.
* The synopsis for a new novella was written, shipped and accepted by the editor.
* Yesterday, I completed revisions on the first Viking book and returned it to my editor.
* This morning I finished work on the straight-to-Kindle project and shipped it to someone else to format for Kindle and Smashwords.

When I state everything like that, I think I haven’t done so badly this week, but one glance at my planning spreadsheet reminds me what more has to be done and out the door this week.

What got in the way? Family. My daughter’s a smart girl, but math isn’t one of her talents. I spent the last two days over at her place working through problems with her. Hours working through function points, formulas and graphing lines. Makes my head hurt.

And the pool is cloudy and starting to turn green. That’s what two days of not paying attention to my baby gets me. I so wanted to swim this morning, but the chemicals have to dissipate a bit before I can.

Did I tell you about my encounter with the water moccasin?

I was outside my back door on the phone with the tattoo artist I’m going to see on Sunday in Little Rock at a tattoo convention. Mid-sentence, I glanced down and saw a coil beside my hand. I jerked back. The snake started slithering away.

Now, I like snakes. I don’t have a problem letting them go about their business—unless they are in poisonous and in my yard where they can hurt my family or my dog. This one was an olive-y brown, around 3-feet long, thick-bodied, and with a triangular-shaped head. Water moccasin! Cottonmouth! Whatever you want to call them. This is what they look like:

I couldn’t find my snake stick (it’s just a long supple branch you can use to beat the back of a snake to kill it) so I ran up the stairs to get “Dead-Eye” dad and his shotgun. Without his glasses, and on the first shot, he took off the snake’s head.

Ah! Life in rural Arkansas!

So you want to know who won the signed copy of Darkness Burning, right?

The winner (by random number generator) is…Jennifer Mathis! Jennifer, e-mail me with your snail mail address!

Psst! Yesterday’s contest continues. If you post today, you have two chances to win! ~DD

Note from Emma:

I have a split personality. I write contemporary romance, romantic suspense and historical romance as one name, and erotic romance as Emma Jay. Because I’m a teacher, and thanks to my enthusiastic principal, people know I write romance, and they know my other pseudonym.

I can’t let them know about this side of my life. In fact, very few people do. My husband, but not my son. Some writer friends but not others.

This has resulted in me having a split personality. I have two Twitter accounts, two Blogger accounts and two email accounts. In fact, today I was on the same email loop as both personas. I was getting whiplash changing from one to another! I haven’t actually found a balance yet, and I’m glad to be on summer vacation as I’m trying to work it out. Any suggestions on managing a split personality would be much appreciated! ~ Emma

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

University teaching assistant Jamie Winston is ready to break out of her shy, unadventurous shell by finally approaching Brady Lane—the sexy Iraqi war vet seated in the front row of her journalism class. He’s brave and outgoing—something Jamie is not—and good looking to boot. Her shy flirtation with Brady at a frat party leads to a deliciously sinful tryst that leaves her wanting more. Each breathless encounter with Brady peels away a layer of Jamie’s insecurity, leaving her more wanton and willing each time. But eventually, all good things must come to an end. When Brady finally leaves for an internship, will Jamie be brave enough to let him go?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He checked the room, then turned to face her. “You think I was playing around about that fantasy? Every time you walk by my seat, I get a hard-on, smelling you.” He leaned in to take a deep breath, then frowned a little. “And you walk by my seat a lot.”

“I thought you were interested in what I was teaching.”

“Oh, yeah. But I’m also trying to see what you look like under those clothes.” His gaze traveled down to her breasts. “This is much better.”

She tilted her head and smiled. “You clearly don’t have much of an imagination.”

“We’ll see what you say about that when I’m done.” He opened another door, looked inside, and gave her hand a gentle tug.

Heart pounding, she tried not to stumble as her feet failed to meet the enthusiasm of the rest of her body. When he closed the door behind them, she attempted to swallow her doubts.

He’d chosen the library, only one small desk lamp illuminating the room. The room smelled of books, then Brady crowded her against the door, filling her with his scent, a spicy soap mixed with the softer yeasty scent of beer.

And he was big, so big. Even in her wedge heels, her nose only reached the middle of his chest as he edged closer. His shoulders blocked the light as his breath washed warm over her skin. Her pulse leapt like a rabbit at her throat as he lowered his mouth to brush over her parted lips, once, twice, before settling over them.

Oh, God. His lips were firm, and molded to hers, learning the shape of her mouth. His tongue teased the entrance of her mouth, then he delved deeper.

She glided her hands up his chest and curled her fingers through his shaggy hair, letting her body slide up his as she opened herself to his kiss, bringing his tongue deeper. God, he was hard everywhere, his shoulders, arms, chest, thighs, cock.

Wow, it was big. She circled her belly against it until he groaned, his fingers tightening on her hips before easing up under her blouse.

I needed a little inspiration before I started the day. Thought you might too! Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a new flashback contest! Happy Monday!!

I’m muzzy-headed this morning. Returned from Dallas close to 2 AM. The 6-year-old is with her mom and ecstatic to be back. Although, I’m sure she’s not as happy as we are to have her. It’s nearly a nine-hour round trip for us, and we made it a little longer because we stopped for dinner and a trip through Walmart to get her a toy to play with on the way home.

Anyway, let me recount the happenings this week.

* I reached negotiation stage on a proposal for a collection of short stories (more about that once the ink is dry on the contract!)
* I’m nearly through chapter two of the second Viking story
* I’m three pages away from being done with the short story
* I’ve revised 200 pages of the first Viking story
* I completed another chapter of the Quickie for Ellora’s Cave
* And I brainstormed an idea for a novella for Samhain

This week, I’ll:
* Finish through chapter four of the second Viking book
* Wrap up the short story and ship it out
* Finish the last polish of Pleasing Sir and ship it the guy who will format it for Smashwords and Kindle
* Write the synopsis and the opening scene for the novella for Samhain
* Finish the last two chapters and ship the Quickie off to Ellora’s Cave

And that’s enough, don’t you think?

Today, I have to prepare for a birthday party and clean the pool so the whole family can jump in! The sun’s out at last.

Psst! A short note from Tory Richards, my guest blogger this week: Guess what! Just did a drawing and Natalie wins a download of Talk Dirty to Me! Congratulations! Please contact me at tory.richards@yahoo.com to claim your prize, thanks.

Wasn’t she a great guest?

So today, I am driving with my daughter to Dallas and back to pick up the 6-year-old (she had a birthday while she was gone). While I’m away, I have 4 itty bitty questions I’d like you to answer. (My answers will be in the comments.)

1. Four TV shows you love to watch

2. Four websites you visit daily

3. Four of your favorite foods

The winners of this week’s contest are posted at the bottom of this blog! Thanks to everyone who played here, on Access Romance’s blog, and on Facebook!

I couldn’t sleep last night. I got an email yesterday evening that there’s interest in a proposal I submitted a while back. I’m supposed to talk to the editor later today. If all goes well, you’ll hear me squee clear to the Mississippi. Needless to say, after the email, I stayed up late reviewing my plans to see when I could deliver that book. It’s a different sort of endeavor for me, so I’m playing cautious. Since I won’t be able to depend solely on me for the work, I have to add time for the others I’ll have to solicit to do their thing.

Was that a tease or what?

Yesterday, I was very pleased with my page count, and if you take a look at the word counters to the right of this post, you’ll see a lot of pretty color to prove it. The first chapter of the new Viking book is done. It’s rough, but I think it’s compelling. I added to the short story I need to finish by the 15th. It’s a little mirky still. I’m not sure I like how it’s turned out, but I will hit it again today. I had thought to start a new short novella this week, but the one I worked on last month and set aside called to me again, so I plowed through another chapter of it. Now, I think I have a story there—and it’s full of horny werewolves, so some of you will be pleased.

Today, I need to brainstorm a sexy, winter cowboy story. Any thoughts on what you might like to see?

Wish me luck today. Whatever the verdict from the call, I will probably be twittering about it later. Love you guys! Thanks for being here. Oh, and Access Romance posted the blurbs and cover for Un, Deux, Trois, Menage! on their website today. I’d love it if you stopped by to say hello!

And the winners (by random number generator) are…

Congratulations, and email me to let me know where to send your prizes!

A note about the contest! Yesterday’s contest continues today. And since I find myself in a bit of a dilemma, you have additional chances to win. I double-booked today. So if you post here today and post at Access Romance’s blog, you will have additional chances to win. And to make this a little more interesting, I will add a second prize to the contest. In addition to the download of Ride a Cowboy, I will add a download from the Jasmine-Jade site—any book you want. So post away. Now there will be two winners!

Note from Tory:

Hi everyone! I’m honored to be here as a guest today. My first Ellora’s Cave Quickie was released in May and I’m excited to announce that so far it has received some great reviews. I hope you’ll check it out. It might be a Quickie but short isn’t always a bad thing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lilly has been in love with her brother’s best friend Blake for years. She lost her virginity to the oil driller on her eighteenth birthday, only to wake the next morning to find him gone. After he pulled that stunt twice more, she swore never to see or talk to him again. But now he’s back for her brother’s wedding, and he’s as sexy as she remembers.

Blake thinks Lilly’s even sexier than ever. Unable to resist one another, they don’t make it out of the airport parking lot before taking up where they left off. As the two rediscover their passion for each other, nothing and nowhere is off limits!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lilly drove her little car around the airport at least twice before finding her way to Southwest arrivals. Parking wasn’t allowed so she could only hope Blake was waiting for her somewhere outside. She drove slow, searching through the crowd on the sidewalk for him. Desire churned in her stomach.

And then she saw him.

Her body reacted instantly, thinking about him was one thing but seeing him in the flesh was even more powerful. Awareness exploded through her body, as she remembered all the times and places they’d had hot, naughty sex. How Blake had taken her to paradise a thousand times. Her panties became soaked as she clenched her legs together hoping to ease the need that was becoming unbearable. A pleasant prickling in her full breasts caused her to raise her arm and brush it over them to try to ease some of the ache.

Blake hadn’t changed at all. He was still the sexiest man on earth. As she sat there staring at him she felt her breathing become erratic and her heart rate pick up speed.

Blake was six feet tall, and lean. Yet his black polo shirt revealed he wasn’t lacking on muscle power. The gray slacks he was wearing gave evidence to the strength in his thighs and stretched across the prominent outline of his cock. He looked dangerous. He was dangerous, only in a way that had always drawn her in. His dark hair was shorter than he used to wear it, military cut. Lilly couldn’t see his eyes for the dark sunglasses covering them, for which she was thankful. Blake had the kind of eyes that could look right through someone, into their very soul.

He’s just a man, he’s just a man, Lilly repeated to herself. Flesh and blood and as mortal as she was. He had emotions, he could be hurt. He had needs. Her cheeks grew hot when she thought of their last night together, and how they’d made love like two wild animals trying to consume one another. Then he’d left the next morning for an assignment on an oil rig in the North Sea. And she’d tried to convince herself that she hated him ever since.

Now she knew how futile that had been.

Reviews:
Manic Readers
My Overstuffed Bookshelf
Whipped Cream Erotic Reviews
Seriously Reviewed

My second Quickie with Ellora’s Cave, Breathless Surrender, will be out soon! Thank you for having me today Delilah. Readers interested in learning more about my books can visit my website!

Tootles!

Tory Richards
Author of sizzling romances!
Tory’s Website
Tory’s Blog