It’s probably inescapable that the holidays bring gloom as well as good cheer. The year once again turns to the shortest day and the renewal of the sun becomes a marker in time. For weeks, we’re surrounded with music, lights, and celebrations. As we follow our traditions, the days are jam-packed with memories—our childhood, the childhoods of our children, loved ones who are no longer here. It’s a time when obligation and expectation puts you side by side at the dinner table with people you don’t really like—as well as those you thoroughly enjoy.

Then suddenly another day dawns and it’s all over.

And there are those depressing extra pounds added your butt or belly! Yes, I said I’ll eat just two of these peanut butter cookies and then ate nine.

Coping with this confusion of feelings drives me to the tequila bottle. Or to organizing my files or to staring out my office window at the cold rainy woods. Or—if I’m lucky—to the keyboard where a new story takes shape. It’s no secret that writers may find therapeutic value in their work. What surprises me is when things long hidden in my subconscious are suddenly staring back at me from the page.

I’m not sure how that happens, but I’m glad it does. Of course writing isn’t the only constructive method people use to wrestle with depressing demons. For some, it’s exercise. Others may confide in friends or a therapist. Some shop. Some clean house or stand at the kitchen sink with hands deep in hot soapy water.

And what’s wrong with a quick escape into a steamy romantic story?!

What are your ways of dealing with emotional holiday fallout?

CONTEST! Comment below. Describe your favorite way of dealing with holiday stress and sign up for my monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bHOyS9. I’ll include your name in a random drawing for a Surprise Gift Box, including a paperback copy of my latest novel, Caerwin and the Roman Dog. I’ll draw a second name to win a paperback copy of Caerwin and the Roman Dog.

Don’t forget to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you. (This contest is also announced in my January newsletter and on my Facebook page. Entries close January 9. Winners announced January 11. The contest is solely my responsibility.)

Now here’s an excerpt from my latest sexy short story, Holiday Journey. They’re random strangers stuck at an airport with flight delays.

… He leaned toward her. “After enough of these wasted hours, I’ve learned a couple of coping skills. A few hours can pass quickly if you know how to divert your attention.”

She stared at him. His tone and insinuation caught her off guard. His eyes were the most peculiar color, kind of green, kind of gray, and were watching her with a careful assessment she found disturbing. Not slasher disturbing. Disturbing as in reckless, out of bounds. She couldn’t avoid the sudden scene pictured clearly in her mind of his mouth on her nipples sucking them to hard points.

Her body reacted with instant zinging heat that brought fullness to her breasts and pulsing in her clit. Embarrassing as hell that she had any reaction at all, but his words echoed in her ears. She hated that her glance had observed his physique, the broadness of his shoulders as he lounged against the pillar, the rugged strength of his hands.

Oh for Christ’s sake. Really Giselle? Last night’s dream of Dan had left her vulnerable, emotions on the surface. No one escaped the holidays without suffering. Too much of her lonely, work-driven life had weakened her defenses. Too many years saving herself from entanglements. She needed to start working out again, subscribe to a book club, invest in better sex toys. Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: The winner of the free download is Daun Ann Korty!

* * * * *

Hey, I have my first newsletter of the year ready to go. If you aren’t a subscriber and would like a copy, just let me know and I’ll send you one—I will need your email address. Also, if you want to subscribe, here’s where you go: Delilah’s Newsletter Signup Form. I send out announcements about new releases, run contests, and this year, I’ll give my subscribers free reads and sneak peaks at upcoming books, so maybe you’d better join…! 🙂

And while we’re still talking administrivia, do you subscribe to my blog? Does it sound crazy to do that? Do you like finding out a day too late that you missed a chance to win something or to learn that something’s running free on Amazon for the day? Then maybe you should subscribe! Just look at the left-hand column of this page and scroll down until you see “Subscribe to Blog via Email”—how easy is that? And think of the new authors you’ll meet! I’m excited for you!

Too much coffee?

So here’s your question. Easy enough to answer. Okay, so the question is a questionzzz… Sue me. Answer for a chance to win a free ebook—something from the first page of this list on Amazon…Delilah’s Amazon Page! And hey, while you’re checking out that list, why not “FOLLOW” me there?!

What is your favorite way to read a book (ebook or paper), and where is your favorite place to read (bed, recliner in the living room, etc.)? Do you prefer noise happening around you or pure silence while you read?

Hi Readers!

Welcome to 2016!  I’ve got a BUNCH of books coming out by three different publishers (I’ve been busy). 🙂

BROKEN DREAMS, Book 4 of the Delos Series, is Alexa Culver’s story.  She is a USAF A-10 Warthog combat jet pilot who flies the skies of Afghanistan, keeping troops on the ground safe.  She comes from a military dynasty family.

USAF Captain Alexa Culver is not weak or incapable; just the opposite.  She loves to fly.  She’s been deployed to Afghanistan for four years straight.  Her twin brother, Delta Force Sergeant Matt Culver, is also assigned to Bagram Army Base.  And so is her oldest sister, Captain Tal Culver, USMC, who is assistant CO to a Marine sniper unit operating out of the same base.

BLOG TOUR for BROKEN DREAMS coming December 28, 2015 through January 8, 2016!  A $10.00 Visa card giveaway, so take the tour with me!  There will be exclusive excerpts and photographs that only you will see!

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT JUST FOR YOU from BROKEN DREAMS

Broken Dreams by Lindsay McKenna
Delos Series, Book 4
Copyright 2015 Blue Turtle Publishing

Chuckling, Gage nodded. “Let me pick up the cost of the pizza, then.”

“Fair enough,” Matt Culver said, asking the bartender for a third plate.

The smell was intoxicating. Gage ordered two more beers and paid the bartender for everything. It was the least he could do for Matt. He’d been a good friend for years.

Gage’s mouth watered as he looked at the pizza. It was a triple cheese and pepperoni, and Matt was placing a big wedge on his plate. The two men began wolfing down the slices, nearly burning their mouths, but they couldn’t have cared less. Gage lost himself in the spicy-sweet taste and aroma of the salt and cheese and saw that Matt was busily attacking the rest, gulping it down as fast as he could.

Suddenly, Gage was aware of a faint, feminine fragrance. As a Marine Corps sniper, his senses were acute, and he picked up the subtle scent of almonds. Where was that coming from?

He lifted his head just in time to see a young woman stop beside their table and put her hands on her hips, grinning at Matt.

“Well! I’d better hurry up and grab some pizza, or it’ll be all gone before I can sit down!” She greeted her brother and aimed a warm smile at them both. Gage instantly put down his pizza and stood up, giving her a slight nod of hello.

Matt did the same and then pulled out the chair between himself and Gage. “Hey, Alexa, you got here just in time! Gage and I were taking no prisoners with this pizza. Have a seat.”

Gage was mute, however. All he could do was stare. Damn! Alexa Culver was drop-dead gorgeous! Never mind that she wore a shapeless desert-colored flight suit. Her red hair was almost auburn, with gold and burgundy strands mixed into the single braid between her shoulder blades. She was probably around five feet seven inches and maybe one hundred thirty-five pounds. And she was curvy in all the right places. She took off her Air Force garrison cap and stuffed it in a large pocket in the thigh of her flight suit.

Gage’s heart started a slow pound of appreciation, and he sat down, surprised. Meanwhile, Alexa sat down and scooted up to the table, grabbing a wedge of pizza.

“Gage,” Matt said, “meet my sister Alexa Culver. Alexa, meet one of the best Marine snipers I have the privilege to work with, Gage Hunter.”

Alexa turned, smiled, and said, “Nice to meet you, Gage. I’d shake your hand but I’ve got pizza in both of mine.” She laughed, holding his dark gaze.

“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Gage said, drowning in her gold-flecked hazel eyes.

“Oh, please, drop the ‘ma’am.’” She smiled and held his gaze. “I’m Matt’s sister, so any friend of his is a friend of mine.”

Gage liked that idea. “Then it’s nice to know you, Alexa.”

She gave him a dazzling, genuine smile. “Same here.”

Although he’d picked up on the heightened male interest in the room when Alexa arrived, she seemed totally unaware of it. Her full lips closed around the pizza, her eyes blissfully shutting as she savored it.

Gage felt like a shy teenager again, awkward and out of his league, as he stared at her. And then he caught himself, snapped out of it, and resumed eating, but with less gusto. This woman fascinated him. Everything she did, everything she said.

He found he was enjoying watching Alexa eat. The woman ate like she meant it, not like a lot of women who picked through their food, leaving half of it on the plate. At the same time, there was a delicacy to her, from her long, slender fingers to the clean line of her neck. He wondered if it extended to the rest of Alexa’s body that was hidden beneath the frumpy flight suit.

He was mesmerized by her mouth, those lips of hers; she didn’t wear any lipstick, but she didn’t need any. Gage’s lower body stirred, reminding him how long it had been since he’d had a relationship. This woman, though, was off-limits. She was his friend’s sister, and that was taboo among military men. One did not go after a buddy’s sister.

*~*~*

Join my newsletter: www.lindsaymckenna.com   with exclusive information, a giveaway and so much more!

Lindsay

Before you head out to celebrate at the club or with friends (or like me, with family), here’s my wish that you all stay safe, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December 31st is always a strange day. The last day of a year that flew by way too quickly.

I set two shoot-for-the-moon kind of goals for myself in 2015.

First, I would have a new post every day on my blog. Between guest blogs and my own posts, I didn’t miss having something fresh up on my blog every single day! Woot!

Second, I teach a class called “Write 50 Books a Year”. Now, you know that title is a hook. I couldn’t write 50 stories in a year unless I devoted the year to writing short stories, but I decided to see whether I could release 50 stories in 2015. Something to prove to my Rose’s students that with planning and perseverance, you can accomplish almost anything. Following is my list of releases. Keep in mind, some are reissues of stories I got back from a publisher (they had to be re-edited, so there was definitely effort involved!) and some were stories that appeared in collections or box sets and were re-released as single titles.

But with yesterday’s release of “The Out-of-Towner”, I hit #50!!!

2015 Releases

1. 01/22/15 – WATCH OVER ME, Uncharted SEALs series, break from box set (Indie)
2. 01/28/15 – WET DOWN, Cowboys on the Edge series, break from box set (Indie)
3. 01/28/15 – ONE TRACK COWBOY, short story (Indie)
4. 01/29/15 – LOVE IN BLOOM, short story (Indie)
5. 01/30/15 – NIGHT AT THE WAX MUSEUM, short story (Indie)
6. 02/04/15 – THE OBEDIENT WIFE, short story (Indie)
7. 02/10/15 – SWEETER THAN HONEY reissue (Samhain)
8. 02/11/15 – DRIVE ME CRAZY, short story (Indie)
9. 02/20/15 – DR. MULLALEY’S CURE, short story (Indie)
10. 02/25/15 – RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, break from box set (Indie)
11. 02/27/15 – DREAMING BY THE SEA, short story (Indie)
12. 03/06/15 – THE PLEASURE IN SURRENDER, short story (Indie)
13. 03/13/15 – CATNIP, short story (Indie)
14. 03/20/15 – PITCH BLACK, short story (Indie)
15. 03/27/15 – LONG RIDE HOME, short story (Indie)
16. 03/30/15 – SM{B}ITTEN, reissue, Night Fall series (Indie)
17. 04/03/15 – JOHNY BLAZE, short story (Indie)
18. 04/09/15 – THE RUNAWAY BRIDE, short story (Indie)
19. 04/15/15 – WARLORD’S DESTINY, reissue, Seven Sinful Stories antho (Indie)
20. 04/17/15 – TAILGATING AT THE CEDAR INN, short story(Indie)
21. 05/15/15 – NIP-N-TUCK, short story (Indie)
22. 05/12/15 – UNDER A BLOOD MOON, Beaux Rêve Coven series (Samhain)
23. 05/18/15 – WARLORD’S DESTINY, break from box set (Indie)
24. 05/28/15 – THE MORNING RIDE, short story (Indie)
25. 06/18/15 – TRULY, MADLY…DEADLY, reissue, Night Fall series (Indie)
26. 06/24/15 – LILY’S LAST STAND, short story (Indie)
27. 07/07/15 – HER NEXT BREATH, Uncharted SEALs series, SEALs of Summer box set (Indie)
28. 07/14/15 – CONQUESTS (Indie)
29. 07/15/15 – WITH HIS PARTNER, Stepbrothers Stepping Out series (Indie)
30. 08/04/15 – THROUGH HER EYES, Uncharted SEALs series, Cat Johnson’s Hot SEALs Kindle World (Indie)
31. 08/04/15 – CONTROLLED BURN, Cowboys on the Edge series, 12-Alarm Alpha Box Set (Indie)
32. 08/11/15 – HOTTER WITH A POLE, Firehouse 69 series (Samhain)
33. 08/18/15 – HER NEXT BREATH, Uncharted SEALs series, break from box set (Indie)
34. 09/01/15 – KNIGHT IN TRANSITION, reissue, Night Fall series (Indie)
35. 09/04/15 – CONTROLLED BURN, Cowboys on the Edge series, break from box set (Indie)
36. 09/07/15 – LORD GRIM’S WITCH reissue (Indie)
37. 09/22/15 – WOLF IN PLAIN SIGHT, reissue, Night Fall series (Indie)
38. 09/23/15 – WITH HIS BOSS, Stepbrothers Stepping Out series, short story (Indie)
39. 10/09/15 – KNIGHT EDITION, reissue, Night Fall series (Indie)
40. 10/13/15 – STILL, Love, Lust and Zombies anthology (Cleis Press)
41. 10/19/15 – HOW TO TRAIN THE SKJALDMAER, short story (Indie)
42. 11/03/15 – FAMILY VALUES, Lone Star Lovers series (Samhain)
43. 11/04/15 – IT TAKES A SEAL, Naughty SEALs box set (Indie)
44. 11/10/15 – DREAM OF ME, Uncharted SEALs series (Indie)
45. 11/17/15 – NIGHT FALL ON DARK MOUNTAIN, reissue, Night Fall series (Indie)
46. 11/24/15 – WITH HIS PROFESSOR, Stepbrothers Stepping Out series, short story (Indie)
47. 12/04/15 – THE HIRED HAND, short story (Indie)
48. 12/12/15 – BAD MOON RISING (Indie)
49. 12/18/15 – THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN, short story(Indie)
50. 12/29/15 – THE OUT-OF-TOWNER, short story (Indie)

And if you’d like to check out any of these titles, go here: The Kindle Store

Stay safe! And see you in the New Year! ~DD

UPDATE: The winner is…Pansy Petal!

* * * * *

Once upon a time in a land about 150 miles from where I live now, I had a big, beautiful house and I used to decorate for the holidays. I spent hours twining garland and white lights around the railings in the front. More hours trying to remember how to put my pre-lit Christmas tree together and hanging my many accumulated-over-the-years ornaments on it. It took years before I’d part with the money to buy an appropriate angel to go on top, but when I did she looked beautiful watching over our holiday activities. I shopped and wrapped and shipped and stressed. I bought Christmas dishes (at Target’s after-holiday sale) and I’d use them for the family meal gatherings. I threw parties for my family and friends. I traditionally drank too much at my husband’s work Christmas party. We went to the country club for New Year’s Eve.  That all happened in another lifetime.

Now I walk by my neighbor’s house and see her many Christmas lights and I think I see at least two lit trees in her house. Turns out she has three. Her yard is filled with holiday decorations and lights hang from every tree and eaves of her tiny home. I tell her that makes up for me not having any because I’m too lazy. She says, “No. It’s because you still work.”

It’s true, I do work part-time at my day job and the rest of the time I spend writing. And really? If I have a choice between twining lights around trees and hanging Christmas ornaments, I would rather spend that time writing. If I asked, my husband would hang up some lights so it would at least look like we’re participating in the season, but this year I told him not to bother.

I’ve narrowed my holiday-ing to what’s really important to me at this time in my life. My small circle of close friends. My husband, my children and their spouses and my siblings. I don’t need the outward trappings, which really have nothing to do with the reason for the season as I am reminded by the numerous signs throughout my neighborhood. (Although there are lots of lights and decorations right next to the signs!)

As I’ve aged I’ve narrowed my focus. Time has taken on new meaning. I realize how much time I’ve spent doing things that didn’t need to be done. Of course, when my children were young, I tried to create holiday traditions for them and there was value in that. But nothing made me happier than when my daughter was old enough to take over the decorating. In her teens, she and her boyfriend would do it all while I stood back and admired their efforts. My only condition was that they’d also take it all down.

So if you drive by my little house and you don’t see lights and a tree and an angel smiling down from above, don’t think I’m not celebrating. I am. I’m probably inside tapping away on my keyboard working on my next book. And I’m thanking the reason for the season every day of the year for everything and everyone I’ve been blessed with. And that includes the chance to write and publish the kind of books I love and for all of the romance novel fans like you.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition? Do you love to decorate? Why or why not?

I’ll give away a digital copy of FANTASY MAN to one lucky commenter on this blog. Winner chosen by January 15, 2016. Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

One lie of omission could turn her wildest dream into a world of hurt.

Quinn Fontana never thought witnessing two murders would lead to her first taste of freedom. But when her overprotective brother puts her on a plane for L.A. to hide until it’s time to testify, she can’t stop the shiver of anticipation.

If her life is going to be cut short, she plans to live it to the fullest. And that includes seducing her intended protector—her brother’s best friend and star of her private fantasies.

When security consultant Reif Callaghan awakens after a rowdy night out with his coworkers to find a warm, willing woman in his bed, he’s almost past the point of no return when he realizes it’s Quinn. And he’s come way too close to debauching his best friend’s little sister.

Her enticing offer—one night, no holding back, no regrets—is a temptation he can’t resist. Until he realizes she’s been hiding a piece of vital information that could cost not only their one chance to turn fantasy into reality, but their lives.

Warning: Contains fantasy-come-true sex, get-it-out-of-their-system sex, angry-as-hell sex, and on-the-run sex. Also, accidental ferret-napping. Asthmatics are advised to load up on antihistamines before reading.

“How do you choose a mattress?” Quinn asked. “I’ve never done it before.”

Reif wondered if that comment was intended as some kind of double entendre, but he doubted it. She was pushing down on one of the mattresses when she said it, seeming as confounded by the array of choices as Reif was.

“This one feels hard,” she said. She pushed down on the mattress again. “Really hard.”

“How hard is it?” Read the rest of this entry »

Seeing as a new year is just around the corner, I gave myself light goals this week. I’m spending a ton of time with my daughter. She’s got her three kids and a step for the break, and the house is in chaos. I’ve been helping watch kids, clean house, change diapers, etc. I don’t understand the need to squeal and shriek and pound feet through the house, but I guess it has something to do with self-expression and dominance—the loudest gets heard. By the time the 1st of January hits, I’ll be glad to be back at my desk…in the quiet. 🙂

I spend a lot of time with my dd, regardless of the holiday. She lives right across the highway. Her house is maybe two football fields in length away from my front door. When I’m working, I break mid-morning for coffee with her. At the end of my workday, I head to her place to unwind, drink more coffee and eat dinner. If I get out of there before baths and bedtime, I might be back over there later in the evening for a spot of tea.

When she was growing up, she was such a hellion. Red hair, fiery temper, and such a mouth! But now, we’re best friends. We go everywhere together. Travel together. Flea market shop together. Spend art days together. I never would have imagined a friendship like that between us, but there it is. She’s my rock and vice versa.

Do you have someone like that in your life?

I want to start by thanking Delilah for letting come play here again with all of you.  It’s always a lot of fun to do.

When I started thinking about this blog post, it was still early December, but I’d already been working on my writing goals for next year.  Which got me to thinking about all of the things still to do before next year.  So I made a short list…

5. Take a look back at the old year.

It’s hard to make new goals without knowing how we did on the old goals, right?  So what did you get accomplished?  I didn’t get as much accomplished as I wanted, but I put a fair dent in my list.  I did have some unexpected trips come up in the spring, to visit a very sick family member, and then again a month or so later for a funeral.  Did anything pop up to derail your plans during the past year?  I do wish I’d been a little harder on myself with regards to time spent doing other things instead of working on some of my goals.  I’d be much happier with my results (and myself!) if I’d checked a few more things off the list.  How about your plans vs. results?  Are you happy with your outcome, or a little disappointed like I am?

4. Look at where you are, right now.

I’m not talking about physical location, but an honest assessment of the things and people who require your attention in addition to any goals you might be thinking about.  I’ve got a great day-job this year, much better than where I started last year, but I know that there are a couple of weeks every single month where my schedule there is nuts and requires overtime.  Then there are the family and household obligations (and, really, things I want to do for both).  And I’ve taken a good look at where those things figured into my goals and achievements (or lack thereof) for the past year, so I can realistically decide how all of these will figure into the new year’s goals.

3. Make a plan.

Sounds simple, right?  But for myself, I want a realistic plan with achievable goals, while still stretching outside my comfort zone–though without aiming impossibly high; there is no sense in setting goals that have no chance of being reached, and doing that just makes you (me, anyway) feel bad.

I don’t make resolutions, just set goals.  I took Delilah’s Write 50 Books class again this year (even though work got a bit in my way), so I could work on those ahead of time.  And I try to break my goals down into manageable pieces.  For me, saying I want to write five new books this year and lose weight doesn’t work.  I need to break my goals down further:  monthly and weekly–how many pages or chapters, how many pounds.  Doing that makes it easier for me to look at the overall list and decide if I have a chance or if I’m setting myself up to fail.

I have to be specific, and maybe that will work for some of you, too.  Saying I want to lose weight is great, but I need to decide how much, by when, and how I’m going to do it.

Be reasonable.

2. Prepare.

Again, kind of a simple step, in theory.  But what can you do now to make a good start on those goals in the new year?  If the goal is learning a new skill, know now what kind of study and practice that will require so you’ll actually be ready.  If it’s diet and weight loss, start now clearing out the stuff you can’t have once you begin that new plan.  Decide on the fitness program you’ll be starting–join the gym now so you can kick off the new year with a workout or personal trainer.  How many new books to read in the new year vs. how much free time?

For my writing goals, I’m doing background work now on the two main characters for the first book on my list for the year.  If I know them a little bit before I start, starting will go easier.  I hope!

1. Celebrate!

Once you’ve done your countdown and all of your prep work, so take a little time now to relax and celebrate the old year, and then to welcome the new year in a few days.

To make that celebrating a little more fun, I’m going to give away an e-book of Hunting Medusa to one commenter (via RandomResult):  how did you do on achieving your goals for 2015?

Thanks again to Delilah for having me, and happy New Year to all!

Hunting Medusa:  http://tinyurl.com/k7ap35z

When Kallan Tassos tracks down the current Medusa, he expects to find a monster. Instead he finds a wary, beautiful woman, shielded by a complicated web of spells that foils his plans for a quick kill and retrieval of her protective amulet.

Andrea Rosakis expects the handsome Harvester to go for the kill. Instead, his attempt to take the amulet imprinted on her skin without harming her takes her completely by surprise. And ends with the two of them in a magical bind—together. But Kallan isn’t the only Harvester on Andi’s trail…

Excerpt:

Andi kept up her steady pace as they trekked farther into the forest. The sounds of the birds and chattering squirrels kept them company, as they had for the past two hours. He didn’t try to carry on a conversation with her while they walked. He was clearly accustomed to physical activity.

Which meant she’d have a harder time than she’d anticipated in ditching him.

Not that she’d imagined it would be easy.

Nothing could possibly be easy about this. Her luck clearly didn’t run in that direction.

She paused to take a sip of water from the bottle she’d tucked into the side of her backpack, and he stopped beside her. Warmth spread up her spine, and she frowned into the bottle she held. Stop it. He was not potential mate material, no matter how happy her hormones were when he was near.

“All right?” He took a quick drink from his own water, his arm brushing hers as he did so.

She shifted her weight onto her other foot, away from him. “Fine.”

He met her gaze.

Her pulse skipped.

“I know you don’t want to trust me, but you can. On this, you can.”

Read the rest of this entry »