Bayou Road Trip!

My sister, Delilah Devlin, and I took a trip last August to Louisiana. We drove all the way down to Grand Isle, LA which is nothing more than a little spit of land surrounded by water and barely above sea level. Houses were built on stilts and daring the ocean to take them back. Great sunrises greeted us in the morning and even more beautiful sunsets closed out the day.

We trekked on up to Thibodeaux, LA for a fabulous airboat tour of the bayous, a tour of Oak Alley Plantation and then on to New Orleans for a conference and to explore some of the Voodoo shops in the French Quarter.

We were in search of great settings, and a firm understanding of what it means to live along the bayous and the crazy but loveable people who do. From the ladies dressed in period costumes leading tours through the old plantation houses while serving mint juleps, to the crazy coonasses insane enough to drag a ‘gator out of the water so we could pet it, we met wonderful people along the way. Small towns, lots of water and great food added to the experience.

And what a change of scenery heading into New Orleans! What happens on Bourbon Street stays on Bourbon Street! Street performers, voodoo shops, palm readers, men in red dresses and beignets…the city is magical.

All these forays were great fodder for my Cajun Magic series coming out this year from Entangled Publishing. Watch for VOODOO ON THE BAYOU (Feb 2013), VOODOO FOR TWO (April 2013) and DEJA VOODOO ( Jun 2013) for a little fun delving into Voodoo and the magic it can create.

Voodoo on the Bayou

Book #1 of the Cajun Magic Series

by Elle James (aka Myla Jackson)

 “By day a frog, by night a man, ‘til de next full moon…”

At first, lawyer and ladies’ man Craig Thibodeaux thought Madame LeBieu’s chant was a strange bayou joke. But the voodoo worked and Craig is spending his days as…well, a small green frog. Now he has only two weeks to find love, or his new froggy transformation becomes permanent.

When she receives the anonymous toxic water sample from Bayou Miste, research scientist Elaine Smith decides a trip to the bayou is the perfect excuse to escape the lab, and forget about her cheating ex-fiancé. Then she accidentally stumbles upon Craig’s oh-so-fine naked form, and her science-nerd brain is overrun with naughty thoughts about her new gorgeous night-time bayou guide.

But there’s more to Bayou Miste than voodoo curses and sexy late-night trysts. Dark secrets threaten the delicate ecosystem, and there are those who would do anything to keep those secrets hidden. Even murder…

Elle James Bio

Elle James aka Myla Jackson spent twenty years livin’ and lovin’ in South Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, Elle is proud to be writing full-time, penning, sassy western romances, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edge of their seats. She has 31 works with Harlequin, self published works under pen name Elle James, over many works with other publishers including Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon and 19 works self-published under pen name Myla Jackson. Now living in northwest Arkansas, she isn’t wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling her muses, a malti-poo and yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

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Hi, Delilah, Thanks so much for inviting me onto your blog.

I’m a British author with over twenty books published, over half of them Regency romances. I was raised on the Isle of Wight in Southern England, a stone’s throw from Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s island retreat. Carisbrooke Castle, where Charles 1^st was imprisoned before being taken to London to have his head chopped off is just five miles away and we have more castles, ancient ruins and stately homes than you can shake a stick at.

We took them for granted but I think that’s when my love affair with history started—well then and when I first read Jane Austen and desperately wanted to be Lizzie Bennet! I kind of absorbed the historical vibes like osmosis and that was that. I love the idea of men in tight breeches with impeccable manners, shedding both the moment the bedroom door closes!

However, I digress. My latest, Forgotten Heiress, was released as an e-book by Samhain on February 19^th.  This one tackles the class society, so prevalent in Regency times. My own childhood home was modest; the equivalent of poor housing in Regency times, I guess, and yet was so close to all that Victorian opulence. It struck me as incongruous when I was old enough to think about it and opened my eyes to the huge divide between the haves and have-nots.

My heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a banker and so, although she has a huge dowry, she knows society’s doors will remain firmly closed to her. When the heir to a dukedom takes an interest in her, she throws caution to the wind and decides to have some fun. Her neighbour, Harry Benson-Smythe, is suspicious at the upturn in her fortunes and vows to rescue Eloise from her own folly. He loves her feisty, free-spirited attitude to life but even if he manages to get rid of her aristocratic admirer, he’s already engaged to a far more suitable lady, so there can never be a happy ending for Harry and Eloise, can there…?

I’m giving a copy of Forgotten Heiress away. Just leave a comment here and along with your contact details, letting me know what you most enjoy about Regency romance.

Good luck!

Forbidden Heiress from Samhain Publishing and all e-retailers, price $3.85
Read more about me and my books on my website

Thanks so much for having me here, Delilah.

Wendy

The winner of the free download (chosen by random number generator) is commenter #2: Charley! Charley, send me an email to arrange delivery of your prize!

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I’m feelin’ lazy today. Like I don’t want to spend the day tappin’ the keyboard, so maybe I’ll be here, but maybe I’ll watch all those Longmire episodes I have TIVO’d. While I’m deciding whether to be a grownup or to blow the day off, you can get busy reading a naughty spippet. Be sure to comment! Then go check out all the other author who are playing today! Today’s theme is whatever the hell the author wants it to be!

If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a free download of this book!

“With amazing suspense, and hot, dominant lovin’ this cowboy and his high school sweetheart take the reader on an amazing emotional journey. ” ~5/5 Books, Reviews by Molly

“Devlin has done it again! I pretty much gobble up anything she writes and “Laying Down the Law” is another hit… ” ~The Brunette Librarian

“I LOVED it! Now, in fairness, it is my kind of book – Sexy heroic intelligent somewhat domineering man (preferably a cowboy) rescues a sexy, smart and sassy heroine… and she rescues him right back! How can you beat that? And Ms.Delilah is the Queen of Smart and Sexy…a win-win-win!” ~SnifferWalk

Seeking sanctuary could be the hottest mistake she ever made.

The TripleHorn Brand, Book 1

A lifetime ago, Zuri Prescott kicked the dirt off her boots and ditched her small-time small town for the glam city life—and lived to regret it. When she’s framed for a bank job, she lights out for home, seeking refuge with her old high school sweetheart while she figures out her next steps. Only she discovers that the boy she left behind is the last man she should trust.

Sheriff Colt Triplehorn knows trouble when he sees it, especially when it comes in the form of a familiar trespasser, caught naked between an angry bull and her underwear. Sure she’s up to her usual no good, he grants her sanctuary at his ranch—the better to keep an eye on her, and purge her from his system once and for all.

Reconnection is sweet and hot, but the heat can’t hide the truth. When Colt inevitably finds out what Zuri’s running from, it’s too late to put the fire out, and he’s got a career-compromising choice on his hands. Follow the letter of the law, or follow his heart.

Product Warnings: When a sheriff captures the girl who got away, expect revenge so hot it leaves brands on two lonely hearts…

Zuri breathed, taking in his crisp male scent. No man had ever smelled like that. Of horse and sage and his own male musk. Wearing his clothes had cloaked her in it, even freshly laundered. When she was surrounded with that smell, she couldn’t help but remember all the times they’d been like this, waking in the dawn, weak morning sun casting rays to chase away the shadows that made their loving something private and secretive. Something she could handle because he couldn’t see every expression flitting across her face.

Mornings revealed, inspiring fresh passion as well as fear. She worried over how she looked. Could he see the wrinkles beside her eyes? Would he think she’d grown old? Did he compare her to other women, more generously endowed women?

But mostly, she feared the honesty light revealed. With him, now, she couldn’t put on a careless face. He’d see how much every little caress meant, how wild he made her.

He came up on an elbow. Morning was more than kind to the man. Dark stubble on his jaw and chin added a dash of danger to his appearance. His large hand cupped her small breast and his callused thumb rasped the tip.

She bit her lip against a moan. Lazy heat burned between her legs. She angled toward him, unable to resist the challenge in his gleaming eyes. Reaching beneath the covers, she cupped his erection in her palm. “Have to say, Sheriff Triplehorn, you do know how to get a lady’s attention.”

His cock surged against her hand, and she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, loving the steamy heat and the soft satin feel of the skin surrounding his steely hardness. She gave him a gentle stroke, strumming her fingers over his length.

A deep growl rumbled through his chest, and he slipped the hand on her breast around her hip to cup a buttock. “Don’t tease if you don’t mean to do something about it. I’m in a world of hurt here, Zuri.”

“And it’s my fault? All I was doin’ was sleepin’.”

“You breathed, baby. That’s all it takes.”

This time when he leaned in to kiss her, she didn’t demur. Her mouth opened, her tongue slipped out to lick his bottom lip, then slid inside. The moist warmth she found fanned the flames building in her core. “Colt?” she whispered against his mouth.

“Anything, baby. Say it.”

“Fuck me. Jesus, fuck me hard.”

Abruptly, he rolled, covering her chest to toes, his hard cock trapped against her belly. She would have opened her legs, welcomed him inside, but his knees settled at either side of her and kept her closed.

“That’s not how this works,” she said, angling her head to trace the edge of his strong, square jaw with her tongue.

His stormy-gray eyes glinted before he scooted down her body, moving quickly but not missing a spot as he licked and nipped his way down to her breasts.

And as she had learned long ago, her breasts might be small, but they contained all the necessary nerve endings. Already engorged, the hard points tingled as his tongue flicked, shooting sparks south to warm her core and release a wash of arousal that dampened her sex.

She wound her fingers tightly in his hair and pulled and scratched while shivers shuddered through her. Her head thrashed, her pelvis bucked.

When he bit her nipple, she screamed, creaming in an instant. “Colt, Colt…”

* * * * *

Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors’ blogs:

Lauren Dane
Shiloh Walker
Mari Carr
Jody Wallace
Shelli Stevens
TJ Michaels
Leah Braemel
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Felicity Heaton
Caris Roane
Myla Jackson
HelenKay Dimon

Why I Write Romance

I’ve been writing since I was twelve years old and most of my friends and family knew I loved to write. But when I finally “came out” that I was writing romance and that I intended to try getting published as a romance author, one of the first things questions they asked was “but are you ever going to write anything else?”

And the answer to that is no, I probably won’t.

Romance is what I love to write. Human relationships are the glue that holds society together and I’m fascinated by them, especially romantic relationships. Love is an awesome thing and it has a lot of power, and exploring the pain and heartache and joy that goes along with falling in love is amazing.   

Let’s face it. Real life can suck so hard sometimes. And part of what I adore most about being a writer is the fact that I can take two broken people who have had bad things happen to them, and give them the happy ending they deserve.  Because there really aren’t enough happy endings in this world.

I guess this is why I find writing romance an honour and a privilege. It’s like I’m putting a little more love out there in the world. Giving people a little more of the happy, a little more of the optimism. The sense that bad things can happen but you’ll be okay and that happiness is possible. In fact, it’s not only possible but necessary and deserved.

Romance isn’t fluff and nonsense and not real literature. It’s powerful and amazing. Yes, sometimes the characters are larger than life and sometimes so are the situations, but the heart of every great romance novel deals with something everyone single person in the whole world can relate to – we all want love and a happy ending (even though we won’t admit it).

So yeah, I’m pretty happy with writing romance thank you very much. And I’m thoroughly stoked that my little contribution to world happiness is now out in the world!

What about you guys? What is it about reading romance that you love?  Do you shout about it or is it a guilty pleasure? And what’s your favourite kind to read? (Jackie will give away a download of this book to one lucky commenter! ~DD) 

When you’ve been burned, the heat of the moment is the scariest place to be.

Six months after a sexual assault, Anna Jameson has decided enough is enough. She’s sick of being a victim, of letting the experience have power over her. She wants her fear of physical intimacy gone, as in now.

In the quest to reclaim her sexuality, she needs a man. A man she trusts absolutely. A man like her best friend, Finn.

Finn Shaw is all about taking risks. He does it every week on his extreme sports TV show. But there’s one boundary he’s never pushed, and that’s his friendship with Anna. When his hyper-intellectual family kicked him to the curb over his dyslexia, Anna stuck by him.

Her request to become friends with benefits throws him for a loop. He can’t deny her anything, but this is a whole different ball game. Once they’re skin to skin, there will be no hiding the fact that he’s loved her for years.

When their chemistry burns out of control, Finn decides he’s the one who’s had enough. It’s time to break out of the friend box—and show Anna that risking her heart is a risk well worth taking. Even if it costs him her friendship.

Warning: This book contains a strong-willed heroine who knows what she wants, a daredevil hero intent on showing her how much more she could have, sexy love scenes that’ll melt your heart, and a grand gesture you’ll need a tissue for.

Buy at Samhain
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Following is the final list of the stories that will appear in Sex Objects: Erotic Romance for Women, scheduled for release by Cleis Press on August 13, 2013. That’s the final title for that anthology of super alpha male stories. The order of the stories may change. Congratulations, authors!

As You Were – Alice Janell
Five Alarm Fire – Sabrina York
Renegade – Brindle Chase
Painted – Leah Ridgewood
Besieged – Elle James
Pumping Iron – Christine d’Abo
Diving Deep – Jenny Lyn
Heated Negotiations – Macy Man
Once Upon a Time in Mukdahan – Sidney Bristol
Big Guns – Michael Bracken
Natural Appetites – Adele Dubois
SEAL Destiny – Sharon Hamilton
Mountain Man – Tamsin Flowers
The Star – Tahira Iqbal
Pitch Black – Delilah Devlin

Getting Real

For the past four or five years I’ve been writing stories about Konigsburg, Texas. It’s a Hill Country town with lots of hunky guys and strong women. It’s also imaginary, which makes it really easy to write about. Need a winery outside town? No problem. Need a hideout for some inept bad guys? Got it. Towns you invent can provide you with everything you need just when you need it. All you have to do is remember what you called that street the last time you had the heroine walk up it.

But when I decided to do a trilogy of stories about a family of mediums, I didn’t want to set them in Konigsburg for a lot of reasons. I wanted someplace real and someplace spooky. Someplace you could actually visit if you were curious, and a place you could believe harbored a ghost or two. I settled for San Antonio’s King William District, one of the town’s oldest surviving neighborhoods. And there went all the convenience of having my very own town to play with.

You see, when you’re dealing with a real place, you have to respect the real details. For example, I couldn’t make up street names anymore. King William has streets and they have names. If I wanted my characters to walk along the river I had to specify that they were walking along Washington and not, say, Riverside. And they had to cross the river over real bridges, not something I concocted for the purpose of getting them over the water (fortunately for me, King William has the Johnson Street Footbridge—a really cool way of getting across the San Antonio River).

Moreover, I needed to be true to the way King William actually looks, its mixture of Victorian limestone mansions and smaller, wood frame houses from the last century. This wasn’t hard when I lived in San Antonio—all I had to do was take a drive through the District to get a feel for it. But now I live in Colorado, and reminding myself about what the District looks like required finding photos on-line of the things I needed to see (for a taste of King William, you can check out my Pinterest board).

Fortunately for me, King William is a full service location. Along with the Victorian mansions, perfect for ghostly visitations, it also has the Blue Star Arts District with its cafes and galleries and the Southtown district with its boutiques and funky clubs. And I was able to create a few things without doing too much damage to reality. Several of my characters do some research at the King William Historical Society, for example, an organization that exists only in my imagination.

In the end, I enjoyed my stay in King William a lot. I hope you’ll stop by and visit sometime, or at least visit my family of mediums.

Here’s the blurb for Medium Well:

Love At Second Sight

Real estate agent Danny Ramos has always had a knack for selling homes, but when his boss saddles him with a neglected carriage house, Danny discovers that his abilities are more than simple intuition…

On his first visit to the house, Danny is confronted with visions of a violent murder. His assistant, Biddy Gunter, doesn’t seem affected, and Danny starts to think he’s going crazy—until he gets a visit from his mother, who suggests that Danny’s uncanny talent to sell old houses may stem from his family inheritance: psychic empathy.

When Biddy reveals to Danny her own strange dream about the carriage house ghosts, they team up to investigate and discover both the house’s dark history and their own unexpected attraction. But as the hauntings turn from unsettling to downright dangerous, Danny and Biddy need to figure out how to rid the house of its ghostly inhabitants, before their budding romance meets an untimely end…

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Read an Excerpt.

Thanks, Delilah, for having me here today!  I write a sexy paranormal romance series called Guardians of Ascension featuring winged warrior vampires.  You heard it right:  vampires with wings!  I’ve gotten more questions about this choice and my fallback position is the whole bat-vampire thing.  I decided to expand the concept and create an epic, multi-dimensional world engaged in a war that has raged two millennia.  Humans who experience a sudden onset of preternatural power go through a process of ‘ascension’ which turns a human into a vampire.  Of course, my stories feature the famous Warriors of the Blood who sport massive wings when they battle the enemy in the air.  And of course each of the warriors ends up knocked flat by love.  Of course.

I know, I know.  Far-fetched, but I’ve had more fun writing this series.  Here’s a sampling from the first novel, ASCENSION, about wing-release which will give you an idea where I went with this outrageous concept.

Kerrick drew in a deep breath and felt the familiar vibration through the muscles of his back, the sweet thrum, which preceded the powering of his wings through his wing-locks.  He let them fly.  He let them extend to their full height and breadth.  He stretched them and held them at the farthest reaches of full-mount until his head swirled with endorphins and a fighting sheen of sweat flowed over the entire surface of his skin.  He wanted Greaves reminded of the extent of his powers, that he wasn’t an ordinary warrior, and that if he wanted to go head-to-head, Kerrick was goddamn ready, right here, right now, this place, this time.  Bring-it-the-fuck-on…

I don’t hold a lot back in this series, as you can probably tell.  And one of my favorite characters is the leader of Second Earth, the infamous scorpion queen known as Madame Endelle.  She’s profane and has no real filters that I’ve been able to find.  But beneath her hard-bitten, fashion-challenged shell resides a compassionate heart, and we grow to love her as much for her eccentricities as for her self-sacrifice.

My most recent installment of Guardians of Ascension, a novella called, THE DARKENING, features a warrior vampire with emerging dark powers and his woman, Vela, who has the capacity to take him through an intricate maze of hidden tunnels called the darkening.   The couple stubbornly holds back, unwilling to give up their respective solitary lives.  But the chase is on and in the end they each surrender to love.

I hope Guardians of Ascension can become a new journey for you! 

You can learn more about THE DARKENING at here.

BIO:

Caris Roane aka Valerie King has published over sixty Paranormal and Regency novels and novellas.  In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency Romance.  As Valerie King, she is currently releasing her gently-edited backlist and working on a Regency Historical project.  As Caris Roane, she writes paranormal romance for St. Martin’s Press and also dabbles in a few self-pubbed projects.  www.carisroane.com