Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin
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You love cowboys, right? Well, help me decide… (Contest & Poll)
Monday, January 8th, 2024

UPDATE: The winner is…Annie!
*~*~*

Sometime in late spring/early summer, I’m going to write a book that will be the start of a new series. All I know about it is that it will be centered around a ranch and have elements of suspense or mystery. Maybe the books will be related with brothers or former soldiers coming together. The brothers might have second jobs (deputy sheriff, firefighter, pilot…). There will be suspense and danger, but that’s really all I have floating around in my head. I’ll try to give it some thought before I start writing (not my usual M.O.).

Help me out by letting me know where you’d like this series set. Enter your choices (you have two) in the poll then share any ideas you have for me in the comments for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card. They don’t have to be good. They can be entirely silly—I’d love that. Have fun!

Where would you like my cowboy/suspense series set?

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Sunday Report Card & Open Contests
Sunday, January 7th, 2024

Sunday Report Card

The last time I did a Sunday Report Card was back in 2013. I posted weekly updates about my work schedule and progress to keep me motivated to WORK. I’m going to try it again because, with all the planning I do, I am finding it really, really hard to stick to the plan. And I know it’s because I have front-loaded too much work, meaning I have too many items listed to accomplish, but I want to have a better first quarter than I had last year, where I didn’t publish a single book in January and February because I just didn’t feel like it.

So, this is my tough love for myself. I’m going to put it out there and, hopefully, shame myself into picking up the pace.

This snippet of my January calendar is very colorful—and jam-packed. I don’t expect you to understand what you’re seeing, although you might guess. The main thread throughout it is in purple and lists the chapters I am committing to write this week for my next book, Malcolm. Big in red in the center is “Move Malcolm release date in KDP!” That’s because I’m behind my original schedule to complete it (the one big motivator for this change!), so I have one opportunity to move my release date with KDP, and I have to do it this week. Depending on how well I keep to my schedule this week will determine how far back I push that date. So, you see my problem. Lots to accomplish. Too little time. And projects pulling me in several directions.

Ask me anything you like about my calendar. Maybe you can help me get in the right mindset with an attagirl or two…? Or a, “Delilah—WRITE THAT BOOK! You can’t push Malcolm back too far because I have it on pre-order, and you’re destroying my January TBR list!

Anyway, I’m going to try the weekly report card for a while and see if it shames me back into alignment. I’ll keep it brief, because I still plan to do my End of Month report and don’t want to bore you too much! 🙂

Open Contests

  1. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Undersea Fantasy (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
  2. December into January (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  3. Happy National Science Fiction Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  4. A look back at books from 2023…then a pie in the sky plan for 2024 (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  5. Cameron Allie: My Mistletoe Master (FREE Reads-Contest-Excerpt!) — 2 FREE books to download, and a contest to win a print book!
  6. Word Search: Coffee Stream of Consciousness because… (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
  7. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Ice Crystals on Glass — Win an Amazon gift card!
Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Ice Crystals on Glass
Saturday, January 6th, 2024

UPDATE: The winner is…Jennifer Beyer!
*~*~*

Winter has finally arrived in Central Arkansas. Our winters are generally mild compared to the rest of the country, but we do get cold weather. Last night was 23 degrees, so we dripped faucets and ran the pool pump to keep the pipes from freezing up. From here through mid-March-ish, we’ll be checking the weather nightly to take precautions, like making sure we have gas to run the generator when ice takes down a power line. When Spring comes, it’ll arrive quickly, and we’ll have a bit of Spring before full-on Summer arrives. If we can get the pool cleaned quickly, we could be (temperatures permitting) getting into the pool by the end of April. God, I hope so. I live for summers, which are muggy and intolerably hot, but I LOVE swimming and hanging in the pool with the kids. Yes, I talk a lot about the pool because I am obsessed. Water baby, here. I’m a Cancer, so yeah, I love any excuse to don a swimsuit. Right now, I’m dreaming about floating in the river, renting a pontoon for a lake party, and slicing up watermelon and cantaloupe to eat beside the pool… On and on. My daughter loves “sweater weather” but I love flip-flops, shorts, and pool time.

However, the winter does have its moments. We had snow falling yesterday, which didn’t stick because it turned to rain mid-morning. Still, I snapped some pictures because it was pretty. But I wasn’t sad when it melted. My dd was. She loves nothing better than when we get a couple of feet of snow, and my SIL ties an innertube to the tractor to pull the kids across the snow. They love building igloos (again, aided by the tractor to push up the snow high enough) and snowmen. Yes, we’re redneck as hell with our winter activities, but you use what you’ve got when you live in the South and want to enjoy the weather while you can. 🙂

In the meantime, I have a puzzle with ice crystals stuck to a windowpane. Solve the puzzle and tell me what you and your family like to do in the cold weather for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! 

Word Search: Coffee Stream of Consciousness because… (Contest)
Friday, January 5th, 2024

UPDATE: The winner is…Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

I had “Word Search” on my blog list for today, and with the app open couldn’t think of a topic. So, I took a sip of the coffee I’d poured from my French press…

I LOVE coffee, so it’s easy for me to let my mind drift through all the types of brews, appliances, etc. I did a “stream of consciousness” thing, where I let my mind riff through coffee-related things, and I made my list of words very quickly.

I thought of my grandma and grandpa’s stove-top percolator that I swear made the best coffee on earth. They added evaporated milk and swirl of sugar to make it palatable to six-year-old me. I own a French press (for when I have the patience to wait), an espresso machine (for when I have the patience to clean up after I use it), and a Keurig machine near my desk. Yes, I’m serious about coffee. I have to drink 2-3 cups a day to keep me alert and my mind spinning tales. Of course, at my age, I have to stop drinking it just after noon or I don’t sleep.

Most of the time, I drink my coffee black. But there are occasions when I love an iced, chocolatey coffee. Or a cappuccino or latte. That’s for when I want to sit at the table and chat. It’s a ritual thing, I think.

Anyway, there’s a contest here. I want you to do a “stream of consciousness” list of coffee or tea related things for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! Have fun!

Cameron Allie: My Mistletoe Master (FREE Reads-Contest-Excerpt!)
Thursday, January 4th, 2024

UPDATE: The winner is…Stacey Kinzebach!
*~*~*

Happy New Year!

I started 2024 by publishing a new book! Well, I re-released a book, that is.

My Mistletoe Master was originally published in 2016. It was my first book. I recently got my rights back from the publisher and decided to try my hand at self-publishing. It has a brand-new cover, a fresh edit, and a prologue that’s included for the first time!

Plus…it’s FREE!

My Mistletoe Master is a spicy contemporary romance. It’s new adult, BDSM, forbidden romance, second chance, and older brother’s hot best friend all rolled into one holiday-themed novel.

I’m visiting the blog today to drop off an excerpt for My Mistletoe Master, along with a link for you to download it for FREE. (Please note, I’m waiting for Amazon to price match it. It’s currently .99 cent there, but free everywhere else. Hopefully, they will drop it to free soon.)

In addition to My Mistletoe Master, I also have a PNR wolf shifter-fated mate novel that’s FREE! Two free books to start off your reading list this January. You can get it here: get Drew for free!

And I’ve heard you all like contests. Leave me comment and tell me how you celebrate the New Year. One winner will be selected to receive a paperback book. Their choice between the following:

  • Love Spells, Full Moons, and Silver Bullets
  • Tails from the Clayridge Fountain
  • Drew
  • Callum (after it releases in paperback)
  • My Mistletoe Master (after it releases in paperback)

 

My Mistletoe Master

Three years ago, he broke her heart. Now, she’s back in town and he’ll do anything to keep her.

When Nick catches her watching a fetish porno, Amelia isn’t sure what to expect. It certainly wasn’t a proposition to indulge her kinky side with her brother’s best friend—the man who destroyed her heart and confidence in one swoop.

Amelia’s three-year absence had taught Nick one thing—he doesn’t want to live without her. Nick isn’t willing to make the same mistake twice. He’ll do whatever it takes to show Amelia he can make her happy, even if that means learning what it takes to keep her satisfied in the bedroom.

Sneaking around during the holidays, Amelia questions if she can move past their history and trust Nick again.

Excerpt

Three years later…

Low keening moans and sharp slaps came from the speakers on her tablet.

Alone yet subtly embarrassed in her parents’ big house, she turned the volume down just a touch.

With her dad at work and her mother and brother recently gone to finish their holiday shopping, the welcome home from university hadn’t been as momentous as she’d expected. She’d been absent for three years, barely coming home between semesters. She had thought some sort of conversation would have at least occurred, not the quick ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ as her family fled the house she had received.

It was a busy time, especially with her parents’ annual holiday party. Besides, they hadn’t expected her home until late afternoon anyway, so who could fault them for rushing out the door as soon as she’d arrived?

Having dumped her stuff in the foyer, she’d proceeded to make herself a cup of tea, then had settled on the couch to check her grades.

No updates.

After scrolling social media, she’d given up trying to find a distraction and, instead, pulled up one of her favorite softcore porn videos. This one featured a Dom, clad in black leather pants and nothing else as he restrained a woman. He raised one arm, then the other, locking them in place above her head with cuffs. Suspended from the ceiling, the man went about binding the woman’s feet to the floor. Naked and spread eagle, she moaned for him. As he slowly raked his hand over here exposed ass, he denied her any form of release.

Growing wet between her legs, Amelia realized it had been too long since she’d had a man. Her body strained for more than her simple touch, but since she and her boyfriend had split two months ago, she would have to make do. To heighten her pleasure, she resisted her own needs, merely watching the two on the screen.

Pressing her palm against her jean-covered crotch, she watched as the woman cried out in a mix of pain and pleasure as the man repeatedly spanked her. Moaning aloud with the video, Amelia abandoned her restraint, rocking against her hand. Her eyes drifted shut as she tugged on the button of her jeans, eager to touch herself and work herself toward climax.

A cough sounded behind her, and she froze. “What a great way to start my morning.”

Amelia squeezed her eyes shut. No. No. No.

“Please, Sir,” the woman’s voice rang out from the tablet.

Wide-eyed, Amelia scrambled to shut the device off, finally muting the sound and flipping the cover over the screen.

A key in the front door that she would have heard, but another person already in the house? Damn it!

For a humiliating minute, Amelia prayed the floor would open up and swallow her whole. After three long years, this was not how she had envisioned facing him for the first time.

Frankly, she had planned to wear something sexy and elegant, and she wouldn’t have acknowledged his existence either. Instead, this was what Fate had in store.

Fuck my life.

Clutching her tablet to her chest, Amelia gathered what was left of her courage, standing to face him.

Nick Fuller. Her brother’s best friend and the man she’d been miserably in love with for decades.

From behind her makeshift shield, she studied him. He still took her breath away, even after he’d destroyed her fragile heart. With an unwavering stance, he stood with sleep-tousled hair, wearing nothing but pajama bottoms, and blocked her escape. His chest was broad, his stomach chiseled, and his arms corded with long, lean muscles. His expression was dark and confused.

She realized he was waiting for an explanation. Rather than provide one, she led with, “What the hell are you doing here?”

He blinked. “I’m here for the holidays, like every year.”

Amelia groaned. “My mom didn’t tell me you were here yet,” she admitted lamely, as though that explained her sinful behavior. Granted, her mother had barely said two words to her when she arrived.

“Three days.”

At a standstill, they simply stared each other down. His gaze was curious as it examined her.

Her cheeks heated.

How long was he standing there watching me?

Rounding the couch, she wondered how many days she could hide in her room before her parents dragged her out forcibly. With a bit of luck, she could avoid him at least for a few days.

But that was the coward’s way out and she knew it. This year’s plan had centered on pride and confidence, no matter how much she had to fake it.

I guess that plan is out the window now.

Aiming to shoulder her way past him so she could get to the stairs, Amelia put on a brave face and stalked toward him. His big body didn’t budge as she tried to maneuver around him.

Attempting to edge by, she mumbled, “Maybe we could just forget about this. You know, pretend I’m just not here yet.” She tried for a bright smile, but it faded when she saw humor light his gaze. Growing up, he and Gabe had teased her endlessly, and now she’d handed him ammunition.

“I don’t think so,” he took a step closer.

She had to tilt her head to keep his gaze. Rascal that he was, he dared to smile at her discomfort. Her body was primed for the orgasm she’d denied herself and his nearness didn’t help matters. Masculinity and dominance rolled off him in waves. People had always taken notice when he entered a room. He wasn’t the broad and bulky type like her brother; he was lean with a natural grace that made women think: stamina.

“I can’t believe it. I would never have thought Gabe’s little sister was such a perv.”

Convinced he was merely trying to get a rise out of her, her eyes narrowed, and her determination to sock him grew. Casual as you please, she shrugged. “It’s just a little kink.”

His smile widened.

She knew better than to trust that smile.

“You’re not going to tell anyone.” She winced when her words sounded more like a plea than an order.

“What’s my silence worth to you?”

This was the Nick she remembered from her childhood. Rebel, tease…scoundrel.

She ground her teeth and insisted, “You won’t tell.”

“Well, that depends on you, sweetheart,” he whispered. And was it her imagination, or had he gotten closer?

A look back at books from 2023…then a pie in the sky plan for 2024 (Contest)
Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary McCoy!
*~*~*

This will be the last look back at last year, I swear. It’s just I love to take a moment to brag about what I’ve accomplished. Aren’t you impressed with all my “pretties?” 🙂

Yes, these are the books and stories I published last year. If you missed one or two along the way, you can click on the covers and read more about them.

Mica Danger Zone Box Set Silver Soldiers
 

Cold, Hard Cash Along Came a Spider Jackson
 

Ripples Hard Knox Eye of the Storm
 

Gunn's Mission The Triplehorn Brand, Books 1-3 Little Green Dreams
 

Seven longer stories, two short stories, two box sets, and one anthology later…and now, here we are in 2024. What do I currently have planned? For sure, these two books are coming your way soon…

Malcolm What Happens in Bozeman
 

Beyond these two, I hope to write a new bounty hunter story set in a new Montana Bounty Hunter office in West Yellowstone, Montana—yes, my third MBH series! I do love those hunters. Dead Horse’s office was getting a bit cramped, and since there are so many criminals on the lam in the tri-state area of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, well, my hunters just have to open a new office… I also hope to write two more We are Dead Horse, MT stories because I can’t leave that town forever. And yes, we will see the Dead Horse hunters pop up in those stories, and I hope to figure out a romantic interest for my favorite Dead Horse resident, Nadine, the persnickety older waitress at the diner. Her story will percolate in the background of the We Are Dead Horse novels. It should take two or three stories before her romance wraps.

I want to get back to writing cowboys this year, too. What do you think about that idea? In what state should they be located? Any suggestions? 

And I do want to finally write the last book in the Beaux Reve Coven series, Dark Moon. I want to wrap up that series, and then look at which other series need to be completed and sit my butt down and do it.

Dark Moon

 

So, I know you’re only thinking about what’s new and what everyone’s talking about, but do you have any comments about my 2024 plans? Anything you want to see in particular? Comment below for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Happy National Science Fiction Day! (Contest)
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024

UPDATE: The winner is…Ann Ivey!
*~*~*

This is the second year I’m celebrating! I’m a huge Sci-Fi fan. I started watching movies like The Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, loved The Thing (Lord, was Kurt Russell hot!), and loved the Terminator and Alien movies. However, I love watching Sci-Fi series (like Farscape), where the good guys are good and the future gives you hope for humanity. My all-time favorite series are the many Star Trek series. And as I said last year, I began bingeing all the Star Trek series during COVID—and thank goodness, there’s a lot out there because I’m still working my way through all of them.

So far, I’ve made it completely through Star Trek: Next Generation (Picard), Deep Space Nine (Sisko), and Voyager (Janeway), Enterprise (Archer), and Picard. I’ve been struggling through Discovery. I love some of the characters (Captain Georgiou, especially). I love that they shot far into the future, out of the usual Star Trek timeline. I’m waiting for another season of Strange New Worlds (Anson), which is proving to be my favorite Star Trek series, by far, and the animated series, Lower Decks. I also began a rewatch of the Original Series with William Shatner, and all I can say is that Star Trek owes a huge debt to Shatner because his natural charisma kept you watching even when the storyline was silly. I do believe that a different actor wouldn’t have made you care as much about the story.  And good lord, yes, the man was sexy as hell.

If you’re interested at all in checking out the series, here’s a list of all the Star Trek series in the order they appeared—not necessarily in the chronological timeline.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Enterprise (actually, the first in chronological order)

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Short Treks

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: Very Short Treks

I couldn’t find a good, uncopyrighted image for this animated series of shorts!

So, there is a contest in here somewhere. I’ve rambled enough.  For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what Sci-Fi series or movies made you lifelong fans. Are you more of a Star Wars fan or a Trekkie?