Hey there! Just popping in between guests to let you know what’s happening here. I’m busy working on two new projects, a serialized full-length novel for Montlake (same folks who published Shattered Souls) and the next Delta Heat novel (Beau’s story–sorry, ladies, Mondo’s story comes last!). I have to make some hefty daily word counts to finish, so it’s a good thing I have so many guests lined up to keep you entertained.

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Speaking of Shattered Souls, I have the first two reviews in! See what Night Owl Reviews and Romance Junkies had to say…

“An intriguing paranormal tale that combines romantic suspense with a mesmerizing tale of otherworldly beings. The vivid image of the anomalous clue in the mirror is spine-chilling and the description of the subsequent investigation is filled with unexpected developments.”
~Top Pick, Night Owl Reviews

“Delilah Devlin has created a fascinating world of magic and the mundane in SHATTERED SOULS. A woman with the skills to hunt human predators and the supernatural abilities to deal with the paranormal world all around her, Cait is a captivating contradiction of ferocity and fragility… A terrific book, SHATTERED SOULS will leave you breathless for more. Don’t miss Devlin’s latest winner, a dark, paranormal romantic suspense from Montlake.”
~4 1/2 Stars from Romance Junkies

Thanks to everyone who bought the book! I truly hope you enjoyed it, because there’s a sequel coming soon!

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I have two new winners in the “Having an Affaire de Coeur Year” Calendar Contest! Mamakk (Feb 14) and Pam Howell (Feb 18) are winners! Ladies, send me your snail mail addresses and I’ll get a package in the mail!

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Now, here’s the question…

Is there a food you don’t like that you wished you liked?

I’d love to like Gazpacho. It looks delicious, smells wonderful and is full of lovely nutrients, but I don’t like cold soup! How about you?

Debbie Gould and I have been writing together for years. Hey, we’re to the point that we finish each other sentences – which actually saves time. LOL When we decided to start a new series, Debbie suggested pararescuemen. Once we saw all the training these guys go through, we knew we’d found our team of hot, sexy heroes!

Here’s the training to become a pararescuemen or PJ:

“Pipeline” Training

After completion of six weeks of Basic Military Training, we spend the next 17 months training at the following schools:

•The PARARESCUE/Combat Control
Indoctrination Course
10 weeks, Lackland AFB, TX
•US Army Airborne Parachutist School
3 weeks, Fort Benning, GA
•US Army Combat Divers School
4 weeks, Key West, FL
•US Navy Underwater Egress Training
1 day, Pensacola NAS, FL
•US Air Force Basic Survival School
2 and a half weeks, Fairchild AFB, WA
•US Army Military Freefall Parachutist School
5 weeks, Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ
•Special Operations Combat Medic Course
22 weeks, Fort Bragg, NC
•PARARESCUE Recovery Specialist Course
20 weeks, Kirtland AFB, NM

Air Force Pararescuemen, also known as PJs, are the only DoD elite combat forces specifically organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spectrum Personnel Recovery (PR) to include both conventional and unconventional combat rescue operations. These Battlefield Airmen are the most highly trained and versatile Personnel Recovery specialists in the world. Pararescue is the nation’s force of choice to execute the most perilous, demanding, and extreme rescue missions anytime, anywhere across the globe. The 500+ PJs are assigned to Guardian Angel and Special Tactics Squadrons throughout the Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve Air Force components. They operate most often as independent teams but routinely serve alongside with other US and Allied Special Operations Forces

Mission

To rescue, recover, and return American or Allied forces in times of danger or extreme duress. Whether shot down or isolated behind enemy lines; surrounded, engaged, wounded, or captured by the enemy; PJs will do whatever required to deny the enemy a victory and bring our warriors home to fight another day

Capabilities

To execute the PR mission, Pararescue teams assault, secure, and dominate the rescue objective area utilizing any available DoD or Allied, air, land, or sea asset. Their qualifications and capabilities are extensive. All PJs are qualified experts in Advanced Weapons and Small Unit Tactics, Airborne and Military Free Fall, both High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) and High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) parachute operations, Combat Divers, High Angle/Confined Space Rescue operations, Small Boat/Vehicle Craft utilization, Rescue Swimmers, and Battlefield Trauma/Paramedics. All can fast rope/rappel/hoist from any vertical lift aircraft to both land and open ocean rescue objectives. All PJs can perform both static line and HALO jump operations utilizing boats, vehicles, or other equipment from any fixed wing aircraft. In addition, 1 in 12 personnel are tandem jump qualified and can HALO/HAHO both equipment and non-jump personnel into the objective area. As required, all PJs can jump in with and utilize extrication devices to remove war fighters or civilians trapped in wreckage or collapse structures. PJs also utilize the latest subsurface technology to locate and recover submerged equipment or personnel.

Recent History

Since 9/11 alone, these elite warriors have executed over 12,000 life saving, combat rescue missions. They’ve also eliminated and captured numerous enemy combatants during the execution of these missions. Additionally, because of their unique capabilities, they have been called upon to rescue over 5000 civilians worldwide during catastrophic natural disasters and other responses.

Decorations

PJs are the most highly decorated Air Force enlisted force. They’ve been awarded one Medal of Honor, 12 Air Force Crosses, and 105 Silver Stars.

Their motto, “These Things We Do, That Others May Live,” affirms Pararescue’s dedication and commitment to saving lives and self-sacrifice. As of January 2012, 10 pararescuemen have been killed in action and paid the ultimate sacrifice during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pararescue Creed “It is my duty as a Pararescueman to save lives and to aid the injured. I will be prepared at all times to perform my assigned duties quickly and efficiently, placing these duties before personal desires and comforts. These things I do, that others may live.”

In My Sights

A 1Night Stand Story
Pararescuemen Series – Book 2

Six months ago, Siobhan Cantrell’s world was changed forever by a sniper’s bullet. The incident transformed her from a secure confident woman to a recluse, afraid to leave her own home. When her friends urge her to re-enter the world of the living, they suggest Madame Eve’s 1Night Stand dating service. Nervous, she signs up and learns the company is renown for in-depth background checks and safe encounters. So, how dangerous could it be?

Sergeant Bobby Martin has witnessed Madame Eve’s magic firsthand. His teammate found true love through her service. Still a skeptic but giving in to peer pressure, the Air Force Pararescueman signs himself up. When he meets Siobhan, his doubts fly out the window—unfortunately bullets start flying in them. Determined to protect her from a sniper that won’t give up, Bobby vows to keep her safe. As their chemistry ramps up, so does the sniper’s attempts.

Can Bobby keep Siobhan alive, or will the killer catch them in his sights?

Genre: Contemporary, military romance, erotic romance, suspense/thriller
Heat level: 4
Word count – 16k
Cover art by Fantasia Frog Designs

BUY:
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/My-Sights-Night-Stand-ebook/dp/B00AP83BOE/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357781197&sr=1-2
ARe:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-inmysights-1026099-149.html
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/266141
Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-my-sights-lj-garland/1113983526?ean=2940016105130

EXCERPT:

“Look, I’m not gonna lie to you.” He loosened his hold on her while he perused her face, settling on her mouth. “I wasn’t sure about this one-night thing to start with, but after seeing you…well, I can definitely follow through. No problem.” He shifted his attention to her face, the naked heat swirling in his baby blues causing her breath to catch. “But after what all you told me, I want you to know I get it. We can play this thing any way you want. Fast. Slow. Or I can just hold you.” He trailed his fingers up and down her arms, sending delicious tingles along her skin. “Though I’ll admit, that’s not my first choice.”

She stared at him. God, he was such a gentleman. Without hesitating, she lifted onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, crushed her mouth against his, and…holy crap, what a kiss! Her pulse jumped, her head spun. A fire sparked deep inside her, and her breath caught at the passion winding through her. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting exactly, but not anything like this.

Before she melted into a puddle at his feet, she broke the kiss and gazed up at him. “Does that answer your question?”

A sexy grin curved his lips. “Yes, ma’am.”

Sexy, Brought to You By the Letter “E”

Thanks for having me on your blog Delilah! It’s always fun to have the chance to hang out and chat with new readers and future friends

Lately (okay, pretty much always), I’ve been thinking a lot about words and sex appeal and I’ve come to an interesting conclusion.

“E” is a super sexy letter.

Really, it’s true. When it comes to pure sex appeal, the other twenty-five letters are out of luck.

No, the shape doesn’t do it for me. In that category, “s” wins hands down. “S” takes the sound prize too. Hey, sibilance is sexy. (Sexy is sibilant too, which works nicely, don’t you think?)

If we’re talking about the letter that starts off the most words that are downright sensuous (another “s,” I know), “e” rises to the top.

How do I know this?

Recently, I was browsing through my favorite reference book, the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus looking for new and exciting words for my latest story, “Lights Out”, a short I wrote for the We Love New York: A Romance Anthology to Raise Funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief.

Well, I started to read through the thesaurus but quickly got sidetracked. It’s sooo easy for a word junkie like me. I mean, check out these great slang synonyms for abscond, a fantastic word in itself. Vamoose, skedaddle, clear out, make tracks, skip town, take French leave (huh?), scram … I never made it out of the “a’s.”

Instead, I turned to a list of sexy words I’ve compiled, loosely based on Annette Blair’s List of Sensual Words. There are a lot of hot ones there and every letter is represented. Yes, even the Scrabble 8- and 10-pointers: Juicy. Kinky. Quicken. X-rated. Zealous. (Zealous and quicken are also “bingos,” for those of you who care about such things. My husband does).

Scrabble aside, the words that really caught my eye all started with the letter “e”.

Allow me to explain, elucidate and expound.

Think about it. Of course, there’s erotic and its close cousin exotic. But how about these?

Eager. Earthy. Ecstatic. Effusive.

Electric. Enfolding. Enigmatic. Exposed.

Now, while I don’t recommend using all of these in one sentence, every one of them evokes some very sexy ideas.

Or maybe that’s just me.

For extra credit…

Use each of these in a sentence. More than one for a bonus. (Note: not recommended for staff meetings. Or discussions with your mechanic. Unless he’s really hot like Cole Cassidy in my debut release Revving Her Up).

Any “e” words I missed? Or some super sexy words that deserve a place on my list? Got another contender – a letter you think can topple “e” from its first-place perch?

Joy Daniels writes erotic romance because she likes to expose her characters completely – strengths, flaws and scars. Although she is from New York City (and still a loyal Yankees fan), since moving to Maryland she has developed passion for southern boys and their toys. Her debut novella, Revving Her Up features stock car racing, and she’s working on a ménage story set in Nashville. Given the opportunity to help her hometown, Joy contributed a short story, “Lights Out”, to We Love New York: A Romance Anthology to Raise Funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief. Her novella Unmasked will be included in the second volume of Coliloquy’s Entwined Erotica line.  You can visit her online at www.authorjoydaniels.com.

I swear I haven’t forgotten about my naughty cowboys in Two Mule, Texas. They all seem to have a thing for threesomes, but I thought I’d let them rest a bit because a couple of the wives are expecting. In the meantime, if you haven’t read the series, Lone Star Lovers, here’s a snippet.

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

“…Put into the mix three sexy brothers who happen to be cowboys and who are hot for one lucky female? You have a sexual, erotic masterpiece!” ~5 Stars and Top Pick!, The Romance Reviews

“…Delilah Devlin just makes this type of story such an adventure as well as a hot ride… You will never go wrong with a Delilah Devlin story and you will never be disappointed.” ~5 Cherries, Whipped Cream Reviews

“Cleverly written, Breaking Leather breaks the mold when it comes to ménage stories… Highly recommend.” ~Sizzling, 4 1/2 Stars, Sensual Reads

“…The characters themselves are fantastic. All three men are alike and yet very unique. Chrissi is a strong woman and her character is flawless. Add in some wonderful support characters and you’ve got one robust set of characters and one outstanding story that shouldn’t be missed.” ~5 Hearts, The Romance Studio

One for remembrance…one for healing…and one to seal her heart forever.

Chrissi Page has tried to find one man who heats her bed the way the Kinzie brothers did one shameful night years ago. She’s failed miserably, leaving her with no choice but to bank that inner fire—and keep a lid on her inner bad girl.

She’d been weak, unable to choose between three men who appealed to her in different ways. And when they’d confronted her as a tease, anger had boiled over into a passion so wild, she’s still trying to live it down.

Since that night, Ezra, Cade and Joshua have individually sown their wild oats with pretty much the entire available female population of Two Mule, Texas. Yet nothing erases the attraction they still feel for Chrissi. And when she ends up stranded on the road near their ranch, it’s their last chance to turn their mutual obsession into an unusual proposition.

One weekend, three on one. If she can’t stand the heat, they’ll let her go on with her life. And try to find a way to live with the hole she’ll leave behind in theirs.

Warning: A girl who thinks she can’t have it all, and three brothers who set out to prove otherwise. One on one, two on one, and three on one; bondage in the wild; a bit of riding crop action. And a pickup truck load of emotion.

Chrissi Page raised her cell phone in the air, staring at the screen. No bars. Not even a hint of one skinny, green nub. “Oh, come on,” she moaned as her radiator hissed behind her. “Damn, damn, damn.”

She’d been tempted to ignore the CHECK ENGINE light when it first appeared, wanting to take the chance she could limp back into Two Mule. However, the steam seeping from under the hood had pretty much killed that hope.

Today was not the day for her car to break down. Not so far from town. Not so close to their ranch. Any minute now one of the Kinzie brothers might happen by.

They’d stop because they’d never leave a woman stranded.

They might not let her go because of their shared past. Read the rest of this entry »

If you commented on this Friday’s and last Friday’s blogs, you are eligible to receive a free set of dog tags from Sharon. Send an email to sharonhamilton2001@gmail.com! ~DD

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Who Would A Golden Vampire Hire For Protection?

Well, of course, Navy’s finest: SEALs. In my book, they are retired SEALs. In writing Mortal Bite, I found my little fingers writing some new quirky characters to further the saga along. Golden Vampires, like in Book 1, Honeymoon Bite, can live in the sunlight, and they live forever. But their children are born mortal.

My legendary family, the Monteleones of Tuscany, hire dark coven vampires as their security. But dark vamps have to go to ground in the daylight, so, to add protection, they train some ex-SEALs to handle some of the daytime things. Now, can you imagine what happens when these SEALs learn about tracing and transporting? These are guys who are used to doing HALO jumps at midnight over water. Do you think they’d love to trace with a dark vamp? Heck yes. They’d be wanting to trace to go to the liquor store or the favorite burger joint.

I have a secondary character in this book who will have his own book soon: Lionel Jett.  He has two brothers who live in California and help protect the Monteleone family. Lionel is about to go on a fact-finding mission. They have set up a group of ex-SEALs to join their team in the coming days. But tonight, they want to go incognito, pretending just to be a couple of randy guys.

Here’s a little excerpt of  Lionel Jett and his brother, Hugh. But the ladies all call him Huge.

CONTEST NOTE: As a giveaway, one winner will get a poster-sized print of this book cover, SIGNED BY JIMMY THOMAS, or a free copy of Mortal Bite. Winner to be announced Sunday. And, if you comment on today’s blog, and then go back and comment on last Friday’s blog (CLICK ON “Friday’s blog), I will send you a set of special dog tags. So everyone has a chance to win something!

Excerpt, Mortal Bite:

Lionel was relaxed but wary as he strode down the wet streets of the little winery town. The heels of his scuffed Doc Martens pounded along the sidewalk, causing storefront glass to wobble. He made a point to go lighter, so as not to draw attention to his preternatural powers. He wanted to spend the evening without drawing undue attention, if he could.

His standard uniform was black leather jacket with the myriad of zippered pockets, his tight black Levis with more pockets, and the lace-up boots with the steel toes he wore everywhere except for a tuxedo affair. Since those only came along a couple of times a century, he still had a pair of pumps he’d bought back in the 1800’s made from pressed alligator—an illegal substance in today’s world—which were perfect and drew little attention.

 PRESS was full of people tonight. The first thing that struck him was the giddy laughter coming from the bar and dark corners of the place, even though the lighting was darker than usual. It wasn’t the romantic quiet he usually found at a hook-up place. There were groups of people everywhere. Things were being said indiscreetly. Boundaries were being pushed. He was hit with glamour from all directions, indicating the dark forces were very present.

Perfect. Just what you wanted, right? Read the rest of this entry »

I flat-out love men, they are such exciting creatures. They are simply fun to observe and appreciate even if it’s from afar. I enjoy men more close up, of course, and if they’re good-looking, so much the better. Rather than whistle the way construction workers do, I’m discreet and barely lift a brow. A writer of romance novels has to be an expert in her subject, right?

When creating a hero, examples are good to have, whether they’re photos of models or the workingmen on the UPS Calendar. The man has to be appropriate for the book. A dark mysterious vampire hero won’t resemble a rugged cowboy. I’m particularly fond of cowboy images. The men are usually fair-haired and lanky, and who doesn’t love a man in worn Levis, gloves and scuffed boots?

Perhaps you’ve noticed that romance heroes are usually tall. Do you remember Evan Lysacek, the Gold Medalist in men’s figure skating in the 2010 Winter Olympics? You’ll find him on You Tube. He’s 6’2” and his skates add another couple of inches. When he glides onto the ice, he already looks like the winner. He’s handsome, lean and perfect hero material. He seems like a nice guy in interviews, but using him for a physical prototype, I don’t expect to ever meet or know him.

I’ve created many heroes with fair hair and blue eyes, doubles for Brad Pitt. They fit in a Viking tale. They’d have built muscles swinging a broadsword and rowing a sleek ship through the North Sea. I’ve been to Scandinavia, and the men there are some of the best looking in the world. They’re also impressively tall.  

People often say someone isn’t their type. I’ve never read any explanation of why both men and women tend to prefer one physical type over another. Tall, lanky blue-eyed blonde men appeal to me, but I’ve no idea why. I’m sure there are scores of dark-haired short men who are wonderful fun. We’ll never find each other. Do you have a type that appeals to you? More dark sexy men are on romance covers than fair-haired men. Perhaps they appear more intriguing, more romantic, and more dangerous.

 My February 26, release, FIERCE PRIDE, has a hero who is built like Evan Lysacek. He’s handsome, tall, lean, black hair, brown eyes and a popular matador. He has a matador’s remarkable grace. Many romance heroes are described as moving like panthers, but panthers have a low prowl and then spring for their prey. No heroine wants to a hero who leaps at her. At least, none of my heroines do. Just thinking about it makes me laugh.

 I hope you’re spending Valentine’s Day with someone you love, or reading a great romance novel that will warm you to the tips of your toes.

Charlene entered Delilah’s Blog and tugged on Kami’s red-gloved hand to coax her along. 

“Relax, Kami. These people don’t bite, you know. They’re excited to meet the star of One for Kami. They’ll love you.”

Kami’s shoulders arched and she shook her arms, ending with a murmur. “Oh, it’s not coming to Delilah’s that has me on edge. It’s that cursed Ober.”

“Ober? The inter-dimensional transport…thing?”

“Yes.” She ran her hands down her hips and cringed as she curled into a slight bow. “All the training in the world couldn’t prepare me for what that thing does.”

Charlene quirked her brow and eyed her heroine. She definitely looked frazzled, her lush red hair frizzed to create a fluffy poof around her face and down her back. Instead of brilliant blue eyes, they look glazed, lids puffy. Certainly not the prim Villa she usually portrayed. Even in the grubbies she wore during hikes and romping with the dogs, Kami managed to look dignified.

“Ober did that to you?”

Kami huffed, irritation vivid. “Pressure, they said. It almost crushes me to death! Light headed they said. More like light everything! It turned my entire body to jelly. Have you ever tried to steady your balance with an arm that warped into goo before your eyes?”

“Um… Well, no, I…”

“And when you finally get through it all, every move you make is like an involuntary turn on.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s like a pending orgasm when a man simply touches your hand. Condrad, one of my guides, pulled that one on me and laughed when I, um…” A scowl finished her statement.

“Ah. Sorry, Kami. You must have gotten a little worked up with panic for it to make you so sensitive in that way.”

Kami heaved a sigh and folded her arms. “Well, I’ll try to be congenial while we’re here. But this really isn’t the best time to hold a blog post appearance. I thought the Ober transport would be better the second time, but apparently not.”

“Well, let’s just introduce One for Kami and invite everyone to join in the tour wide giveaway. We have some great prizes to give away and they can get all the details at Charlene Blogs.”

A spark lit in Kami’s dull eyes and a genuine smile touched her lips. “Yes, we do! A One for Kami SWAG package, Juicy Fruit prize package—There’s got to be a way for me to nab that one—, a $10 Amazon gift card…”

“And your red gloves! We can’t forget the best part. KnitWit’s Knits & Crochet is making a special pair for this tour and offering One for Kami fans a 20% discount if they order something from their Etsy Shop by using the coupon code One4Kami! So cool!”

“I can’t wait to see my gloves with the Hearts on Her Sleeve pattern on them.”

“I ordered a pair for myself. That prize alone is a $20 value!”

Sighing, Kami’s posture relaxed to match the new glow in her countenance. “I love my story.”

Charlene leaned her head, pride seeping through her chest. “And so will everybody else, sweetie.”  She takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. “I know they will.”

Thank you for having us here today, Delilah. It’s a real treat! Have your readers get those Kindles ready, because One for Kami will be FREE to download at Amazon tomorrow (Feb 14^th)! It’s a Sweet Sci-Fi Romance, the perfect “lunch-time” read. There’s also a Rafflecopter contest going on. Just follow this link for the list of prizes and for your chance to enter! And if you follow Charlene’s blog, you can earn more chances to win!

Can love be true if shared with more than one?  Kami doesn’t think so when she finds Ian is an elite and required to take three wives to eliminate the poverty-stricken population.  Why can’t he be poor the way she thought he was when she fell in love with him?

Determined to find a realm that doesn’t have such dictates, she travels to dimension Three-Two-Three to begin her search.  But is love truer in a place that only allows one spouse than it is in Ian’s heart?

What they’re saying

“Sweet, romantic, and heartfelt.  A great introduction to the author’s world.”—J.D. Brown Book Club

“One for Kami is a story that will have you willing to give up everything for your one true love.”—Annette, Gothic Mom’s Book Reviews

“[Wilson] spins a tale of true love spanning time and dimensions that will inspire the reader to sacrifice everything to find their soul mate.”—Debbie, Read2Review

Voices surged and Kami clung to the illegible sounds.  A low groan rode alongside them.  The vocals ebbed from her mind.  Mute gray light drifted before her eyes, a flash of white, and then a haze.  Darkness covered her vision.  A sour pang caused her to lurch and she heaved, the voices clambering from a distance.  The back of her skull thudded against a hard surface.  Words broke between melodic and static riffs. 

“Kami, breathe.” Read the rest of this entry »