UPDATE: The winner is…Jackie Wisherd!

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I’m ready for this, aren’t you? ➡

The weather’s been oddly warm the past couple of weeks, which means I can bear putting my hands on the pool’s metal-poled skimmers and into the water to clean the traps. Already my thoughts are turning toward summer. Maybe we’ll have an early Spring? *fingers crossed*

In the meantime, would you like to dream about a vacation in the Caribbean? Well, I have just the series for you. Just three stories, all about women who get more adventure than they counted on during their “adventure vacations”—and all featuring those awesome, ex-military men. Want a Marine? Sexy SEALs?

Comment for a chance to win one of these stories!

Interested only in experiencing an adrenaline-packed adventure first-hand to give her credo when she books her clients’ adventure vacations, Lace McElhannon finds more excitement than she can handle when she meets and falls into bed with ex-SEAL Dex Haygood.

Fresh from protecting transport ships from Somali pirates, Dex figures his latest job will be a cakewalk, until he finds himself in deep water, swimming with sharks and trying to protect Lace when the yacht they’re sailing on is taken.

“Sweetheart, the sharks are down there.” Ice blue eyes wrinkled at the corners as the man bending over the side of the olive-green skiff pointed a finger into the clear blue depths beneath her.

Did he think she’d missed seeing the swarm, or flock, or whatever the hell you called a group of freaking sharks? They were busy ripping into the grisly bundle of fish parts and guts the dive crew had dropped to the sea floor in a wire basket—which was why she’d hurried over here.

“Exactly! Like any sane person would purposely swim with sharks?” She let her voice frag, then crimped her lips to keep from saying anything else that made her sound like she was twelve. Lace McElhannon was glad she hadn’t given him a snarky wag of her head while she’d said it. But seriously, who would blame her for being snotty? Great White sharks were swimming thirty feet beneath her toes and he wasn’t doing anything about it!

When her yacht-mates had blithely donned their snorkels and goggles then fell backward into the water without a care, she’d only hesitated for a moment. How scary could it be? And the dive team had seemed professional, assuring them the spotters’ job was to watch for any trouble, and they would swoop in to the rescue or drop fresh bait to distract the sharks.

Not until she’d glanced down and seen a dozen huge, sleek bodies—with rows and rows of jagged teeth—circling had she’d freaked out, leaving her ship-mates bobbing on the surface like live bait while she’d struck out toward the skiff.

Fighting for breath, Lace dog-paddled, then swam faster against a rising wave that sent her closer to the skiff’s hull. Salty water splashed into her mouth and she gulped without thinking, coughing and spitting, knowing she looked like an idiot, but her poor swimming skills didn’t have a thing to do with her breathless state. Fear froze her body, making expanding her lungs impossible.

Yes, she’d paid to swim with sharks. Or at least she’d paid for the plane ticket to get here to the Bahamas. But maybe she shouldn’t have watched Susan’s Shark Week DVDs beforehand. Her friend, and partner at the travel agency, had tried to dissuade her from choosing this particular adventure vacation, knowing she’d only ever swum in a heated pool. But who could pass up a week in the Bahamas? She’d had visions of watching the excitement through the window of a glass-bottom boat. But now was not the time to wonder why she hadn’t paid closer attention to Jake Halloran’s description of his “little ocean jaunt.”

“You have to help me up,” she said, sliding up her goggles to let the smirking hunk see her terror-stricken eyes. “I have a cramp.”

His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her. “We’re not here to rescue clients from their own bad decisions.”

“Make an exception.” She pushed the mouthpiece of her snorkel to the side so he could see the determination thinning her lips.

“Better pull her up, Dex,” another voice above her drawled. “The way she’s splashing, those whites’ll think she’s a fish in distress.”

Dex. So that was his name. But she didn’t have time to savor the mystery that had taunted her since she’d boarded the Clementine three days ago for one of Halloran’s daily jaunts. Despite the amenities aboard the 160-foot motorized luxury yacht behind her, she’d been much more interested in this man than the rock-climbing wall near the upper deck. On their first day aboard the yacht, he’d been introduced as the commander of the guard team providing security for the high-end adventure vacation. Unfortunately, he spent most of his time on the much smaller and faster escort boat which accompanied them while they sailed. She’d really hoped for a chance to get to know him. Everything about him had attracted her—his size, his muscled frame, his icy-cool gaze that landed like a hot laser, making her melt.

Funny how that calculating stare didn’t have the same effect when she was scared. Read the rest of this entry »

I love February!! I love the promise of new love, and rekindling love. Appreciating loved ones and straight up delicious sex and smutty reads sure to set the mood!

In honor of the awesomeness that is Valentine’s Day, three releases this month and one of my best friends’ birthday I’m going to have three giveaways! Yea for giveaways!!

1^st is a signed copy of this month’s Penthouse Magazine that I have a story in!! OMFG so excited!! The story is called “Discipline and Desire” and is an MFF ménage and SUPER dirty!!!

2^nd is an e-book copy of Zeke’s Pitstop which is Book Two in the Fantasies A-Z Series! A kinky story that released on 2/9/2016!!

And 3^rd is an e-book copy of Broken Silence – my contribution to the Black Hills Wolves shared world published by Decadent Publishing! This publishes on 2/26/2016 when I’m in San Antonio at the WWW convention!!!

How do you enter all of these awesome contests?!?!?! Tell me in the comments section what you love about well…love!! Someone you love! A holiday you love! A cookie you’d marry if it was legal in the lower 48!! Fill me on what creams your twinkie and don’t forget to put your email address in the comment so I can get a hold of you if you win!!

Hope you love them all and there’s more where that came from!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

About the Author

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – Newsletter – The Decadent Divas – Amazon Page

Facebook – Facebook Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Pinterest

A hurricane is not exactly romantic, but being hunkered down with the one (or ones) you love can certainly create the opportunity for some hot and steamy situations. Set during early September 1995 when Hurricane Fran was menacing the eastern coast of the United States, Rock you like a Hurricane is what I call a retro romance. Anyone who lived in the Carolinas during Hurricane Fran’s rampage can tell you, she was no pushover. When all was said and done, she had caused millions of dollars’ worth of damage and substantial loss of life along the Atlantic coast. My heroes, Tommy and Ken, and heroine, Trisha, decided the best way to wait out Fran was with plenty of snacks and lots of booze. They opted for beer, but I’m going to share Liquor.com’s Hurricane Cocktail Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 oz White Rum (omit if under 21)
2 oz Dark Rum (omit if under 21)
1 oz Lime juice
1 oz Orange juice
2 oz Passion fruit juice
.5 oz Simple syrup
.5 oz Grenadine

First make the simple syrup by heating .5cp of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in .5 cp of white sugar until dissolved. Strain into a jar and seal tightly with a lid. Simple syrup will keep refrigerated for about a month.

Add all Hurricane cocktail ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a large Hurricane glass. Garnish with an orange half-wheel and a cherry.

Lifelong best friends, Tommy Marks and Ken Davidson prepare to ride out the storm with Trisha Harper, the woman both men adore. Determine to preserve their friendship, the men cling to a gentleman’s agreement, promising neither will make a move on her but can such a pact be upheld in the eye of the storm? With both men teetering between desire and the fear of rejection and loss, Trisha has no wish to break up the dynamic duo. For her it’s all or nothing and she’s determined to have Tommy and devour Ken too.

Available at Amazon on February 22^nd or preorder now at Liquid Silver Books.

About the Author

Sierra Brave is a southern girl with a love for fantasy fiction and well-written yarns that celebrate the humor in everyday life. Her love of erotic fiction started in her last year of high school when she first read the sensual classic, Fanny Hill. She felt so naughty yet liberated with her copy tucked away in her book bag and hopes her work will have the same delicious effect on her readers.

Connect with Sierra:

Website/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

Did you ever wonder how an author takes an idea and develops it into a story? Me too, and I’m fascinated by the different approaches authors take. You have your pansters who write by the seat of their pants, the plotters, and those who combine the two. There is no right or wrong way to pen a novel, but I’m happy to say I’m a plotter who embraces epiphany when it strikes.

This method works for me for two reasons. One, I don’t write full-time. If I want to write, edit, and polish four or more 100K books a year and still have time for my family, I need to be organized and focused when its “writing time”. I just don’t have time to deal with plot holes or the dreaded writer’s block. And two, I can’t jump from project to project. I get too caught up in one world to be able to switch back and forth. Each series—Wild Hunt, Royal Pride, Kagan Wolves, and Sander’s Valley—has its own set of rules and a unique “feel” that I lose by jumping around. If I do, everything takes on the same tone and characters start to merge. Other authors thrive by doing this. Not me. I can’t do it.

After my idea sparks, I let it play out in my head, working the kinks out of it and fitting it into the series arc. This can take days or weeks, and this usually happens while I’m editing another book. When I reach the professional editing stage, my current story is usually solid and only needs to be tightened and proofed.

Plotting often involves working on profile sheets for characters, looking for inspirational pictures for scenes to give me a visual nudge, and sketching out the book, chapter by chapter. I even go so far as to write a loose synopsis before I type a single paragraph of the book.

Once all that’s done, it’s time to write. Since I work full-time, the bulk of that is done on the weekend, and I use my lunchbreaks during the week to read over what I wrote and do a first pass edit. Then it’s off to one of my wonderful editors.

The culmination is release day, and I celebrated one yesterday! Hunter Forsaken is the newest installment in the Wild Hunt series. Check it out below and if you haven’t read the free prequel, Hunter Sacrificed, you should. It’s available everywhere.

Hunter Forsaken
Wild Hunt, book 2

A vow to the dead…the mark of the Hunt…a love with one chance to survive.

In the slice of a moment, Ian Callahan lost everything he cared about—a deed done by his own hand. He awakens on the edge of sanity, chained in his own personal hell. He is to be the newest rider in the Wild Hunt, if he can learn to control the rage and guilt that consume him.

Then…a whiff of vanilla. The face of a lover he’s seen only in his dreams. He doesn’t know her name, only that she stirs the hungry beast within him.

For a millennium, Tegan and her sibling riders of the Wild Hunt were imprisoned, suffering under a curse meant for the Unseelie Court. Though her body is free, she carries the curse with her—and the additional burden of finally knowing the name of her destined mate. A human named Ian Callahan.

He’s her Trojan horse, the only one who can heal her heart. Just one last challenge stands in the way of claiming each other, once and for all. Failure means facing eternity the incomplete halves of a whole.

Warning: Contains a hero who’s more than just the total…package. And a daughter of the Underworld who thought she knew what Hell was…until she fell in love. Boundaries of monogamy pushed, pulled, stretched—but never broken.

Praise for the Wild Hunt series…

RT Book Reviews on Hunter Forsaken—“With underworld intrigue, a daring rescue of innocents from the fairy realm and a demon-fueled plot twist, there’s a lot of action, but at its heart, this is a story about the redemptive power of love.”

The Library Journal on the Wild Hunt series— “…intriguing and original… Recommended for those whose traditional sexual values just need a little boost.”

Excerpt

“You’re Calan’s sister?”

She slid her fingers to the column of his neck. “Half sister, yes. All the riders of the Hunt were fathered by Arawn.” She grinned, showing off straight white teeth. “Besides you, of course.”

He swallowed hard. The mention of the Lord of the Underworld put a whole new spin on Tegan’s heritage. “You’re a demigod.”

Not just any lesser god either. She’d been fathered by the black-skinned, winged creature he’d seen when he joined the Hunt. Arawn’s image had appeared inside his head, much like Tegan’s had over the years they’d visited each other. The sight of him hadn’t bothered Ian. Knowing his dream lover carried Arawn’s genes did.

“Yes, I—”

“You knew me before I joined the Hunt, didn’t you?” He had to be sure she’d participated in his dreams, that it wasn’t only his imagination.

Her nostrils flared. “I don’t—”

“Yes or no, Tegan. Have you invaded my dreams for the past three years?” Making me yearn for you? Read the rest of this entry »

And your heart started racing a little faster as you tried to understand my subject line! Ha! We’re not talking about any BDSM themes. Love the picture? My dd had a “tailgate” party for the return of The Walking Dead. All of us got painted up. We had finger food (and got to eat it in the living room! LOL), and then the two youngest went to their room to watch some Barbie Princess movie while the rest of us settled down to watch TWD!

Kelly is already wondering what we might do to celebrate the restart of Outlander. Her hubby’s said he’d wear a kilt! So any suggestions for the party? I don’t think she’d go for making haggis…

*~*~*~*

Just a reminder…

I have a link to a free read on my home page. Today is the last day to pick up your copy!

UPDATE: The winner is Colleen C.!

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Hi, everyone! Mia Hopkins here. I write contemporary romance and erotic fiction. I’m also a food-obsessed home cook and baker. Today I’m happy to be back on Delilah’s blog sharing a sweet recipe.

In my book Cowboy Valentine, hero Caleb MacKinnon is a rancher’s son whose family also owns an almond orchard. Before his girl Cora leaves for college, Caleb spends long, sweet afternoons under the almond trees making out with her (and um, doing other stuff).

Cowboy Valentine is the first installment of my Cowboy Cocktail series. It’s also my first published book, so Cora and Caleb will always have a special place in my heart.

Caleb’s almond orchard was on my mind last week as I was making a fresh batch of marzipan. If you’ve never had marzipan, it’s sweetened almond paste that’s often shaped into little fruits or pigs. Like almost everything in the world, it tastes even better with chocolate.

The following recipe is ridiculously easy. You can get almond flour and almond extract on Amazon; I got mine at the local Whole Foods. Blitz everything up in a food processor and in a couple minutes you’re ready to roll (literally).

Today only, Cowboy Valentine is on sale for 99 cents. To sweeten the deal, I’d also like to offer a $5 Amazon gift card to one commenter below who answers this question: Inquiring minds want to know. Where did your sweetest, most romantic kiss take place?

Please include your email address. Contest ends at midnight PST on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. I’ll contact the winner the next day.

Good luck! Thanks, everyone.

Wishing you good reads (and good eats),

Mia
XOXO

MARZIPAN KISSES

adapted from Korena in the Kitchen
makes about one pound

For marzipan:

1 ¼ cup almond flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill blanched finely ground almond flour)
2 cups powdered sugar plus more for rolling
¼ cup corn syrup
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. water
red food coloring

For decoration:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
sprinkles, nonpareils
small paper baking cups

In a food processor, pulse the almond flour and powdered sugar to break up any lumps. Add corn syrup and almond extract. Pulse to combine. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in 1 tbsp. of water. Stop as soon as the mixture begins to form clumps.

Line your work surface with plastic wrap. Dump the marzipan onto your work surface. Carefully add a tiny drop of red food coloring and knead the marzipan until the color is evenly distributed. (You might want to wear disposable gloves.) Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Roll marzipan into balls; use a little powdered sugar to help with any stickiness. Decorate some balls with nonpareils in a daisy design. Use a small spatula to top the other marzipan balls with chocolate. Leave as is or add sprinkles.  Let chocolate cool and place in paper cups. Store in the refrigerator.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COWBOY VALENTINE

“Cowboy Valentine delivers a fast-paced, well-written smoking read.”
—Reader Girls Blog

“This is a yummy erotic romance…You can expect some really erotic scenes and a fast moving plot in this steaming novella.”
—V’s Reads

“From the beginning, the chemistry between Cora and Caleb is hot and stays hot.”
—Travels n Reads

“Cowboy Valentine was a scrumptious little treat filled with sizzling chemistry, hot sex, and just enough sweetness to leave me wanting more.”
—Crystal Blogs Books

BUY THE BOOK

Kindle
Nook
Samhain
Books-A-Million
Kobo
iTunes
Google Play

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends. When she’s not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. In a past life, she was a classroom teacher and still has a pretty good “teacher voice” and “teacher stare.” She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs.

Connect with Mia!
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Google+ | Instagram

So it’s Valentine’s Day, allegedly the most romantic day of the year. More money is spent on flowers, candy—especially chocolate—and gifts for that special someone than at any other time of the year. I guess that’s because Valentine’s day allows us to focus on a single person. The special someone who makes our heart beat just a little faster, brings the roses to our cheeks, and causes …   never mind. TMI.

The best part of writing Romance Novels is the opportunity to remember the ways in which my special Valentine makes all the things in my life better. And because my Darling Husband is my own personal hero, I can remember with vivid detail the first kiss.

Kissing is an art form, and few people get it right. In the movies, on the silver screen, we often see the most handsome men lunging in for the first kiss by practically attacking the heroine. Make no mistake, if you are an avid reader of romance, you know better. Even in the heat of passion, the hero is serious about his kissing, and will make sure he gets it right and the heroine will never forget him—or that first kiss.

Kissing is more than a prelude to intimacy. It is, in fact, an act of healing. Kissing releases endorphins. You know what they are: those funny little things that melt the tension, restore our enthusiasm and restore energy. Kissing cultivates the closeness in a relationship which promotes feelings of romantic fulfillment.

Sadly, most of us get it wrong. In today’s fast-paced society, we all, at one time or another, deliver quick pecks that send the message “this is all I can afford right now” or our minds wander to other things even during longer kisses. This is self-defeating behavior, if you are kissing and wondering whether or not the kiss will lead to more intimate behavior, such as lovemaking.

Most of the time, we just have poor role models for kissing. In TV and the movies, kissing is usually an aggressive advance with lips roughly mashing together. Overt puckering, the quick smooch, or mashing of the lips suggests that kissers have a set notion of how a kiss is going to be, rather than letting it evolve, an exchange if you will, between two consenting adults.

So, here are some guidelines for Kissing!

1. Take your time. Surprise someone special with a slow, sensual kiss. Put your hands on the sides of their face and turn them gently toward you. Look into their eyes—be sure to take your time—and take some slow deep breaths. Pretend your are never going to see them again as you are at this moment. Keep the eye contact as you draw closer. Make sure you value the connection, not just of lips to lips, but a whole body event.
2. Spend this time experiencing the kiss. Be aware of all the sensations the kissing stirs in both body and soul.
3. Make sure you say it when your lover gets it right. “When you kissed me first thing this morning, I carried it with me all day long. It soothed the ache of a stressful day and energized me to come home to you”.
4. Don’t ignore the urge to sigh with pleasure or murmur approval. If it gives you pleasure, moan. Just be sure to express your feelings.
5. Mirror the breathing of your partner. This small act creates a profound connection between lovers.
6. While you’re in his arms, exercise some spontaneity. Dance with joy, let your partner take the lead in every other kiss, and just see where kissing leads you.
7. Don’t forget to use your tongue. Remember, the swirl of a tongue across the seam of the lips is an invitation for your partner to play. Teeth can also add to the moment by delivering nips, and nibbling makes an even greater connection.

Don’t forget the other ways to make your Valentine feel special. My DH is a lover of all things chocolate, and I like to make him special treats for every special occasion. The following recipe is quick and easy. I’ll bet you have everything you need in the pantry.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Treats.

½ cup crunchy peanut butter
¼ cup crushed salted pretzels
½ cup chocolate chips

Mix the peanut butter with the crushed pretzels in a small bowl. Chill in the freezer at least 15 minutes. Roll a teaspoon of the mixture into a ball, place on wax paper lined sheet and return to the freezer for about 1 hour. Make sure the balls are firm. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, (this takes about one minute) and coat the frozen balls with the melted chocolate.  Return the balls to the wax papered tray and refrigerate for one hour. I place them in mini muffin liners to serve.

Enjoy!

Ane Ryan Walker
HerStoryCalled.com