Cheesy subject line, I know. I had a guest scheduled today but sent my reminder too late. Therefore, I have an open date and no blog prepared.

So, please play. Once you see the final picture, maybe you’ll be reminded of what’s coming Friday… 🙂

Have fun!

Okay, this is going to sound like a big line of crap. However, in my family, it’s been a long-standing joke that wherever I go, disaster follows. I went on a cruise that included a stop in Haiti—that big earthquake followed very shortly after. I went to New Orleans, a big tropical storm brought floods. I went to Florida, a hurricane followed.

So, when I told the family I was going to Hawaii…

Here’s a picture of a snippet of a conversation I had with my cousin, writer Brent Archer, back in February. He was trying to convince me to come to a conference in Seattle, but I told him I was done with travel after Hawaii…

Well, after more than 500 earthquakes and multiple eruptions, I’m thinking I really should stick to home…

Is it coincidence or the “Curse of Delilah”? What do you think?

I moved up the release date for True Heart! It comes out this Friday, so I thought I’d tempt you with a peek inside the story. Read the first chapter and meet True and Lonny Wyatt—your next book boyfriends! Did I mention there’s a sexy threesome, too? Enjoy!

True Heart

Coming May 11th!

Two men plus one woman equals three bodies on fire…

True Wyatt’s hands are going to be full enough keeping the herd alive through the dead of winter. The last thing he needs to hear is that his brother Lonny rented out their isolated hunting cabin to a reclusive writer—especially a sassy, disaster-prone brunette. Who has the time to babysit a city girl until Spring?

With a deadline looming, erotica writer Honey Cahill is looking forward to six distraction-free weeks to finish her next book. However, between Lonny’s flirty sensuality and True’s hard-edged intensity, the Wyatt brothers set the stage of her imagination for a winter of wicked delights.

However, the fire that destroys the cabin is as real as it gets. Forced to shelter under True and Lonny’s roof, the temptation to experiment–all in the name of research, of course—is overpowering.

Pre-order your copy here!

Chapter One

True Wyatt prided himself on control—control over the multitude of responsibilities that came with riding herd over a successful ranch; control over his brother, who thought life should be enjoyed rather than conquered; and control over the desires he’d kept in rein since the demise of his marriage. And yet, the sight that greeted him this cold winter day told him he’d only been fooling himself.

From his perch high atop the ridge overlooking the lonely cabin, True Wyatt watched the shapely brunette as she made another trip to her car to pull boxes and suitcases from her backseat, one after the other. Grumpily, he wondered how she’d managed to stuff so much inside a Corolla. The trunk had held a similar assortment of printer-paper-sized boxes, which she’d manhandled into the house, her face growing rosy with exertion.

Despite the biting wind, she’d dispensed with her down coat and wore only a sweater with a crew neck, the sleeves pushed off her wrists. The dark blue knit hugged her upper torso, defining a lovely bosom and narrow waist. Every time she bent to pull out another box her designer jeans hugged her small rounded bottom, and his loins tightened.

Which annoyed the hell out of him. Fact was, he wished he could turn his horse away and pretend he hadn’t noticed trouble had arrived on his mountain—and he knew exactly who to blame. Read the rest of this entry »

“My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges, and trying to rise above them.” ~Richard Branson

Today’s quote comes from Richard Branson of Virgin Records fame. I’m thinking about what he said because I’m looking at my writing plan for the next few months—which is why I’m being very, very brief with today’s blog… 🙂

What unachievable challenge do you face?

Hey, do you love free stuff? Me, too! I look for BOGO deals and clip those coupons, too! If you’re always looking for a deal (not a steal!), pay attention here!

Over this summer, I’ll be doing a series of giveaways and contests on this and my Collections website, as well as through my newsletter. Some of it will be free reads for all; some of it will be prize packages that I’ll mail with fun gifts, signed books, etc. How do you hear about these different deals? It does require a signup or two. I won’t be announcing every contest on each of these, so you do have to sign up for all three! So, today? Do these three things…  Oh, did I say two? I’m a writer not a mathematician!

Do three things!

1) Sign up for my newsletter HERE!

2) Subscribe via email to the Delilah Devlin’s Collections blog HERE (see right-hand column)!

3) Subscribe via email, or plan to visit daily my Delilah Devlin blog, right here (see left-hand column)!

Easy right? And if you’re worried about your inbox exploding, I send out 1-4 newsletters every month. I rarely blog on the Collections site but plan to do so weekly during the summer to make those fun announcements. And I post daily to my blog—mostly posts from other authors. When I do post, be watching for those contests!!

What’s happening today?

Today, I’m going to a part of the Romance Readers Recommend Facebook party. The party kicks off at 2PM Central—I’m the first guest! EVERYONE GETS SOMETHING! So, don’t miss that hour! Or, if you do, that’s okay, because I usually let my giveaways stay open until the next day.

Also, I’m running a poll on the Collections website. A poll with a prize for playing! So, be sure to head on over!

Cover Reveals!

My next two releases are sexy cowboy tales! The first includes a very sexy ménage! I had ugly covers as placeholders for the pre-orders, but now, I can share the shiny new covers here! If you haven’t already pre-ordered, ignore the release dates on Amazon. Both will come very, very soon!

 

Contest

The contest isn’t here! LOL. It’s on the Collections website. So, be sure to head on over there!
But do leave a comment! Tell me the kinds of prizes you love most!

This has not been a very productive week for me. I’ve been trying to catch up on things that got neglected at home while I was gone, plus I’m tired after all the running around. I need a vacation after my vacation!

So, I’m being lazy today. Hope you don’t mind. This morning, I could have been working, but my dear daughter was here giving my aunt a makeover for her Facebook photos. It was fun watching her work with all those brushes and paint. I really do think she could go professional—as a makeup artist and a portrait photographer. She thinks she doesn’t have any artistic talents of her own. Pffft! She’s amazing.

Anyway, me being lazy means me finding something I want to share. I’m loving this version of the Cranberries old song, “Zombie” as covered by Bad Wolves. So sad Dolores O’Riordan wasn’t able to lend her vocals to her iconic song. This version already has over 49 million views. Let’s add a few more. And tell me what you think!

I’m not good at following directions. I know this about myself. So as soon as someone tells me not to do something, or that something can’t, or shouldn’t, be done, that’s pretty much an engraved RSVP ASAP invitation to me. When that inability to do what I’m told and my insatiable curiosity intersect all kinds of wild things happen. In this case, the thing is my new release, Make Me Blush, a beach-read anthology of stories I’ve been told were too sexy for publication.

Here’s something I know: women like to read stories about dedicated partners in sexually-charged situations.

In my other life, I teach freshman composition at a college. We write essays, the standard sort that college students have been writing for years. Thesis statements, MLA formatting, research. All the usual stuff. One place where I get to mix things up is in the prompts. A while back I was wondering what my students thought of the 50 Shades phenomena, so I included a prompt about the widespread popularity of the series. The prompt encouraged the students to question the contrast between the book’s content, the relationship between the two characters, and the current wave of new feminism. Bottom line—why do women connect with this book?

As you might imagine, the prompt generated interest. After reading several essays I’ve found a distinct difference between the younger, 18-20, and older, 25-30 women in regard to Mr. Grey’s relationship appeal.

The younger women find him super romantic. They are drawn to the idea of having a man so dedicated to you that he is “interested” in every aspect of your life. They don’t find him stalky or boundary-crossing, they find him devoted. These younger women write very little about the sex; they write almost exclusively about the attentive relationship. It seems that while young women view career and societal contribution as essential and validating, they still long for a dedicated partner.

The older women write about the sex. They are drawn to the idea of an extremely intense almost completely sexual relationship that has no emotional commitments. These women reflect that while they hope to have an emotionally intimate relationship in the future, they are, at present, busy with school and work and don’t have time to develop “that sort of thing” right now. This staying-single-longer, waiting-for-real-commitment life plan is on the rise, but as noted above with the younger set, this older set seeks devotion. They simply define devotion in a different way.

Here’s another thing: the popularity of female-centered stories are on the rise.

My thinking is that there are two reasons for this. Social media, the obvious one. Privacy and easy access afford the opportunity to enjoy, or experiment with, whatever intrigues. The second reason is the increase in younger readers. In the past, the typical age of the romance reader was about 30-60. Thanks to the popularity of YA books, and the creation of the new adult genre, younger women are reading romance—and women this age don’t want ‘the usual.’ Young women aren’t looking to reinforce their traditional values, they want to test boundaries. They want adventure. They seek vicarious thrills. What they heck, we all want vicarious thrills; that’s why we read romance.

We also love the happy endings.

Of course I write romances with happy endings. That’s one rule I won’t break. There’s a reason why its called escapist fiction.

In short: Dedicated partners + female centered, sexually charged situations + happy endings = Make Me Blush

Make Me Blush is out now. Get your copy and see if you think its too sexual, too feme focused. Its on Kindle and available from other outlets: books2read.com/u/3G98Gp.

MAKE ME BLUSH

Three men: risking everything for the women they love…
The result: three stories of wild, over-the-top sexy satisfaction and three happily-ever-afters.

Pink Lace
Edward knows his wife wants more than his usual brand of gentle lovemaking, so he signs a contract with Winona, a woman who creates custom sexual experiences. He expects a simple lesson in seduction, something to spark Kelly’s interest, but as he settles in front of newly installed video monitors, he realizes he’s been neglecting his wife’s beautiful passion.

Pink Bow
In a luxurious house on the beach, where couples gather to privately enjoy a taste of sexual freedom, Abby’s about to experience the hottest gift a husband can give.

Wicked Pink
If Matthew knew how intensely Tara, his gorgeous raven-haired wife, loves him, he might not deliver her into the arms of his best friend, Dan. Dan thought he’d left behind his life filled with whips and exotic tools. But when given a chance to put his talents to use, he realizes that knowing how to unleash a woman’s wicked side has advantages.

Get your copy on Kindle http://a.co/gHI2Njp and other outlets: books2read.com/u/3G98Gp