Long Winter Nights

These are the dark days of winter.  In the Northern Hemisphere, the sun rises at about 7:20 in the morning and sets at 4:55 in the afternoon.  This gives us just over nine-and-a-half hours of daylight. Not much time for leisure activities.

For a person like me, who has SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) these short days do make me sad…and blue, and not wanting to get out of bed.

Last winter, though I found a way to make it through this time of dark. I hung around with the Kandesky vampires.

This is their favorite time of the year—their biggest holiday is winter solstice, the longest night of the year. There may only be nine-and-a-half daylight hours, but there are fourteen-and-a-half hours of dark.

During the weeks before and after winter solstice, the family gathers in Hungary from around Europe and North America. Most festivities are at Baron Stefan Kandesky’s castle but the family’s Budapest properties also host visitors. They give gifts, have parties, visit with friends and relatives they haven’t seen for a year.

And last year was even more special because they were having a death penalty trial for their worst enemy, Matthais. He headed up the Huszar vampire clan, the Kandesky’s neighbors and bitter rivals for several centuries.

Set against this festive season are the Huszar’s years of treachery, violence and deceit. These are highlighted when Maxie Gwenoch, the regular who heads up SNAP, the Kandesky’s mega-business, must take the stand and tell her story of kidnapping and rape.

Jean-Louis, second-in-command of the Kandeskys and Maxie’s lover, a stunning five hundred year old Hungarian vampire, is carrying a load of guilt because he didn’t keep her safe. Now, he’s with her—especially through these long winter nights.

And he wants to marry her and turn her. Can she give up the sun for the one she loves? Can she give up the glorious sex to stay a regular?

When I’m with Maxie and Jean-Louis, I’m in an altered state of consciousness. Their world is filled with luxury, glamour and mind-blowing sex. Of course, there’s also violence, fire fights, blood and death. With a combination like that, my “real” world of cooking, laundry and bill paying looks good…not!

I recently saw Janet Evanovich speak and she said she lives in the world of Stephanie Plum when she’s writing. Can’t wait to get back to it every morning.

I understand.

These long winter nights are bearable now because I spend them with Jean-Louis, Maxie and the family.

Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home.  During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries and the six-book Kandesky Vampire Chronicles paranormal romance series, and has just published her eighth book, SNAP: Happily Ever After? She’s working on the seventh book in the series, SNAP: White Nights, scheduled for publication in early 2014.

UPDATE: The winner of the Amazon gift certificate is…Gail Siuba!

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If you’ve been visiting here a while, you know I love mythology, and that sometimes I interweave some of the stories I love into the stories I write. One such story is the ancient tale of Inanna. At least that was her name to the Sumerians. She has also been known as Ishtar and is perhaps the source of the story of Lilith. Inanna was the goddess of sexual love and fertility. She was bold and selfish and had a sister who was the Queen of the Land of the Dead, a crown Inanna coveted for herself.

At the heart of the stories in my Dark Realm series is Inanna. She’s never a major character, but her influence is felt throughout. She’s mysterious and beautiful, and evil to the core. Until you see her in The Land of the Dead, enslaved to the husband she lured there and left to save herself. Then you almost feel a little sorry for her. I tried to stay true to her spirit. She wasn’t completely without a heart. And she was a woman before she was a goddess, or in the case of my Inanna, a vampire. Enjoy this little glimpse inside Darkness Captured, the last of my Dark Realm stories.

Post a comment today and you’ll be entered to win a $5 Amazon gift
certificate to buy any ebook you please! 

“Delilah Devlin delivers an erotic tale of good and evil elevated to a higher level… The erotic scenes in this book are hotter than Hades and ten times more tempting. I dare you to resist!” ~ 5 Cups, Coffee Time Romance

“Another hot read of dark sensuality, riveting situations and jaw-dropping desire.” ~ Fresh Pick!, Fresh Fiction

“Devlin creates memorable characters with exceptional emotional depth. Her magical worldbuilding sets as atmospheric scene for a fast-paced story. The sexual tension runs high and the encounters are smokin’ hot.” 4 Stars, RT Book Reviews

Driven by insatiable desire, a werewolf will enter hell to rescue a princess captured by the Master of Demons…

Headstrong and proud—a royal creature of sinuous grace, all primal instinct and lethal beauty—the shapeshifter Gabriella has agreed to serve as emissary to the vampires who rule in the shadows of the New Orleans night. But she cannot resist the pull of the demon she glimpses on the other side of a mirror, and she is drawn to him hungrily, through a magical portal into the Land of the Dead. Now an eternal nightmare awaits Gabriella at the hands of a mesmerizing dark lord who satisfies her every erotic need…while slowly devouring her soul.

The powerful warrior wolf Guntram Brandt is responsible for the safety of the vanished princess he swore allegiance to years before. Yet it is more than a soldier’s loyalty that pulls Guntram down into the depths of nightmare—for Gabriella ignites within him a burning animal passion that must be satisfied.

But when offered an escape, will she follow her rescuer to safety—torn between her lustful obsession with the dark lord who has enslaved her and her fierce sensual attraction to the only wolf who could ever master her?

Gabriella landed on her knees in the middle of the Persian carpet. Once again facing the crudely carved stone walls of Alex Broussard’s magical bolt-hole. “Alex, you lousy bastard, you can’t do this to me—”

Her shout was cut short when the object of her bitter tirade grabbed the hand of the pregnant woman who’d been resting on a deep sofa inside the cavern when they’d flashed inside. He cast Gabriella an apologetic smile, palmed the crystal key to the room, and they both blinked out in a narrow flash of white light.

“Sonofabitch,” she muttered, reaching up to grab the silver-linked choker from her neck that he’d used to subdue her and ripping it off. How could he do this, leave her in his bolt-hole, after everything she’d done to help him in his quest to usurp command of the vampires?

While he’d disappeared for hours, clutching the phoenix-creature he appeared to love against his chest, she’d helped round up the sabat, nipping at the council-members’ heels to herd them toward their rooms where Nicolas posted guards to keep them in lock-down.

Malcolm, Nicolas’s next-in-command, had led away Inanna’s private security force to the barracks for “debriefing” and posted their own men around the compound to keep things quiet while Alex’s closest advisors sorted through the chaos that was the aftermath of Inanna’s expulsion into Hell.

When Alex had at last returned, looking like he’d just had the sweetest sex of his life,  Gabriella shook her fur, pulling on her human skin, ready to remind Alex about their agreement when his gaze fled up the staircase, again.

The look on his face, one filled with a mixture of impatience and tenderness, had made her heart sink. When she’d cleared her throat to remind him she was still standing there, another look crossed his face—one that had her backing up a step and stammering.

The collar had been a real kick in the ass. He’d pulled it from his pocket and apologized, all the while grappling her to the ground to loop the damn thing around her neck. “I swear. It’s just for now,” he’d ground out as she wriggled beneath him. “Just until I get everything sorted out.” Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Year, Dwarf Style

The new Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug, has hit theaters and caused a sensation.  All of a sudden, it’s all about the dwarves – and I can see why!  Richard Armitage is every inch (if short) a king, and the antics of his merry band are heartwarming and, at times, romantic.

I saw an interview with Irish actor Aidan Turner, where he was asked about the relationship between his character, the Dwarf Kili, and the Elven warrior Tauriel.  The romance never took place in the book, so why the movie?  He makes the point that it adds depth to the characters and it’s an important aspect of the overall story.  I couldn’t agree more!  I was rooting for his character and for Tauriel to catch up to him when he was wounded, and there’s even the potential for a love triangle because our favorite elf Legolas fancies Tauriel.  Oh nos!

What do you think when directors change a classic story in order to tell a modern tale?  Not that romance is modern, in any particular; it’s a story as old as time itself.  But should a director add an element that isn’t there in the books, in order to please modern viewers?  Some fans of Robert Ludlum lament that the immensely popular Jason Bourne movie franchise aren’t true to the books.  But the movies are good movies, enjoyable and fast-paced.  I would argue that Peter Jackson has done the same with the Hobbit and deepened the tale, enriching it and telling more of the story as it could have been.

What’s your opinion?  Change away, or leave it the way it is thankyouverymuch?  I’d love to know in the comments!

Getting OUTBACK DIRTY with JoAnne Kenrick

Thanks for hosting me on your blog today, Delilah. It’s always a pleasure and an honor when my favorite authors give up a corner of their space for me to pimp my work. It makes me feel special! Very special. So seriously, thank you for the pink fluffy moment!

I’m here at Delilah’s place today to chat about my new release and the awesome new multi- author series it belongs to.

OUTBACK DIRTY, Calendar Men book one.

 Granted, I’m known for my British voice and stories. And I have been asked several times already why on earth I stepped out of my usual brand to write a story set in Australia without a Brit in sight. Well, simply put, I was homesick! Yes, I’m a Brit, but I’ve lived in quite a few different places and in Australia for three glorious years. I miss the laid back…or should that be ‘she’ll be right’…attitude of the Aussies, and the glorious landscapes and the beer. Oh how I miss Tooheys. I could just neck a frosty Tooheys right about now. That’s right, folks, XXXX and Fosters are not Aussies best beers. They keep the good stuff for themselves. Can’t blame them for that!

We lived in New South Wales. While we were there, we did travel that area, but it’s my one regret to have not travelled farther. Lucky for me, I got to do that in my mind with OUTBACK DIRTY. But really, all it did was make me want to visit the Northern Territory even more. Although I’m not a fan of the deadly creepy crawlies, I sure would love a stay at the Outback Experience…and I’d love nothing more than to get OUTBACK DIRTY (inside joke for those who’ve read the book already).

Without further a fuss, cop a load of the blurb:

She’ll do anything to win him back… even if it means getting OUTBACK DIRTY.

 Chris Ruter’s plan for Australia Day is to beat the heat by letting the beer flow. His New York ex, Janine, seems determined to drive the heel of her sharp stiletto right through the wall he’s built to avoid memories of her–but does she want him in front of her camera or in her bed?

 Janine Red is ready to get outback dirty to win back her sexy ex. Following him to his plantation, their bushwalk turns into a trip down memory lane. Can the magic of the outback heal her sprained ankle–and their hearts?

BUYLINKS CAN BE FOUND ON THE BOOK LANDING PAGE

https://calendar-men.blogspot.com/2013/12/mrjanuary-calendarmen.html

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE: https://www.joannekenrick.com

Calendar Men, the series.

Heroes doing good while looking great!

Read all 12 stories in this brand new multi-author series for 2014…

…and you’ll have a new book-boyfriend for every month of the year!

A man for every month!

Told by some of best authors in the world of romance, the Calendar Men stories have contemporary settings and star strong heroes doing good while looking great. With off-the-charts swoon-factor, the Calendar Men pose for a charity calendar to help military families of fallen heroes. Each has his own special reason for wanting to help the fictional Hero Family Fund, and each has his own obstacles to overcome before he can find a happy ever after.

Release Dates:

January 1^st – Outback Dirty by JoAnne Kenrick
February 1^st – February Lover by Rebecca Royce
March 1^st – Seducing Helena by Ann Mayburn
April 1^st – Frontier Inferno by Kate Richards
May 1^st – Shockwave by D. L. Jackson
June 1^st – The Other Brother by Lucy Felthouse
July 1^st – The Letter by Mina Carter
August 1^st – Burning Love by Cassandra Carr
September 1^st – A Model Hero by Sara Daniel
October 1^st – Falling For her Navy SEAL Again by Clarissa Yip
November 1^st – Thankful For You by Cindy Spencer Pape
December 1^st – Snow Angels by Sabrina York

Series news, exclusives, freebies, and more at the official Calendar Men blog:

https://calendar-men.blogspot.com

Okay, I’m not crazy about his tie. But I thought a picture would liven up the post. Happy New Year everyone!

First, let me say—thank you! You all have made my dreams come true. I keep saying that in dedications in books, but I will keep saying it because it’s absolutely true. You have made it possible for me to become the thing I wanted to be—a self-employed writer.

Yesterday, I reviewed what I accomplished last year. Now, I’d like to talk a little about what I hope to accomplish this year.

This is a little corner of the annual plan I’ve constructed for the year. Just looking at the numbers under January, you might guess I plan to write a stupid number of chapters this month. I have to! I got myself boxed in and overcommitted, and now I have to dig myself out, but once I get past mid-February—if I can power through—I will take a much more leisurely pace for the rest of the year.

And what sort of stories can you expect from me in 2014?

I already have three stories written that will be released in 2014, as well as one collection of short stories I edited for Cleis Press:

Reined In (Feb)—Book 7 in the Lone Star Lovers series (Samhain)
Once is Never Enough (May)—Book 5 (the last one!) in the Delta Heat series (Samhain)
Her Only Desire (May)—Book 1 in the Sultry Summer Nights series (Samhain)
Cowboy Heat (Jun) (Cleis Press)

I plan to add one last book to the Lone Star Lovers series after Reined In, and then it’s done. I’ll be adding book 9 to the My Immortal Knights series. I finished the Delta Heat series, but now I’m going to add Delta Heat-Firehouse 69 books so I can chase those sexy firefighters for a while. With Lone Star stories finishing up, I’m starting a Comanche Moon Ranch series I hope you’ll love. And since I don’t like to write straight contemporary without breaks for things I find personally exciting, I’ll be starting a new witch series of stories—novellas I’ll publish with Samhain. Then there are the SEAL books… Argh. So many projects. If you read the boxed collection of stories, Uniform Desires, then you know all about my military hero in that book. The next two books in that series (which follow the adventures of three travel agents taking adventure vacations who get into a whole lot trouble only a military man can rescue them from) will be coming out this year too.

And that might not be everything, but now you know I’m gonna be busy.

You’re probably curious to know who won December’s Amazon.com gift card. It’s Pansy Petal (Dec. 11)! Congrats, Pansy! I’ll be in touch shortly to arrange delivery of your prize!

Pssst! Today’s the last day to enter December’s contest! ~DD

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Not to bore you, but I love to give an annual recap at the end of the year—just to remind you of the stories I gave you and remind myself I wasn’t a complete slug. Following is the list of stories I saw released in 2013:

1. 01/01/13 – DR. MULLALEY’S CURE, Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica, Vol 11 (Running Press)
2. 01/01/13 – RED DAWN, Mammoth Book of Futuristic Romance (Running Press)
3. 01/29/13 – SHATTERED SOULS (Montlake Romance)
4. 02/13/13 – NIGHT AT THE WAX MUSEUM, Best Lesbian Romance of 2013 (Cleis Press)
5. 03/12/13 – IN TOO DEEP (Samhain)
6. 06/04/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 1 (Montlake Romance)
7. 06/18/13 – TWICE THE BANG (Samhain)
8. 06/18/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 2 (Montlake Romance)
9. 06/25/13 – LOST SOULS (Montlake Romance)
10. 06/25/13 –QUICK DRAW and ALL ABOUT ME, Mammoth Book of Quick & Dirty Erotica (Running Press)
11. 06/26/13 – MAKING AMENDS: DAMON’S FIRST BITE (Kindle Worlds)
12. 07/02/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 3 (Montlake Romance)
13. 07/12/12 – STROKES VOL 2 (Kindle/Smashwords)
14. 07/16/13 – SMOKIN’ HOT FIREMEN (Cleis Press)
15. 07/16/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 4 (Montlake Romance)
16. 07/30/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 5 (Montlake Romance)
17. 08/13/13 – LONG, HOT SUMMER (Samhain)
18. 08/13/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 6 (Montlake Romance)
19. 09/03/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 7 (Montlake Romance)
20. 09/03/13 – HIGH OCTANE HEROES (Cleis Press)
21. 09/10/13 – CRESCENT MOON – Part 8 (Montlake Romance)
22. 11/11/13 – DANGEROUS LIAISON, Uniform Desires (Kindle/Smashwords)
23. 12/03/13 – TEXAS SURRENDER (Samhain)
24. 12/10/13 – CRESCENT MOON (print) – (Montlake Romance)

The “Souls” books and the Crescent Moon installments were the highlights for me. I love writing paranormal stories, and those really challenged me to bring my “A” game. I hope you gave them a chance. I wrote my way through the end of the Triple Horn Brand trilogy, and really loved how I ended it all. I gave you another installment of the Delta Heat series, and I’m still thrilled at how receptive you’ve all been to my naughty cops in Memphis series. Guess it’s a good thing Mondo’s story is already in production! 🙂

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about what I have in the works for the New Year, and what I hope to get to writing-wise, barring any unexpected requests.

Here’s hoping you all have fun tonight and drive safe!

FINDING THE RIGHT NARRATOR

Thank you, Delilah, for having me on your site again today. I’ve just come back from a month-long vacation, a cruise starting in Italy and winding up in Brazil. This week I was thrilled to learn my second audio book in the SEAL Brotherhood series, Fallen SEAL Legacy, was live and for sale on Audible/ACX.  I worked on it with my narrator, J.D. Hart, while on board this cruise ship, and I have to say it was probably the most fun of my day! We battled the seas of the Atlantic and internet holes between Africa and South America to get this project done. But I’m over the moon pleased with the results.

There are a number of things I was looking for in a voice narrator. First, I wanted a masculine, slightly husky, mature male voice reading my story. I’m not sure why, but I prefer to listen to men narrators over women, if the voice is right. The instant I heard J.D.’s voice it was like my character came to life right in front of me. He was exactly how I thought my SEAL would sound.

I took other’s advice and asked several people to audition for the narration. What I heard was a variety of voices and tones, but none of them seemed to capture the “feel” of my story the way J.D.’s voice did. I imagined a listener spending eleven hours hearing my book on audio, and while other narrators eagerly wanted the job, I knew only one person was the perfect fit. I think an author knows when they’ve found the right voice.

Then came time for other characters to be portrayed. This is where I got to experience the genius of the narrator. Because he is a trained actor, and because of his extensive experience in doing voiceovers and commercials as well, he was able to give me accents and characterizations for my entire cast. It was not something I’d considered before. I can see that had I not chosen J.D., I would have been stuck with someone who perhaps wouldn’t be able to tackle this burden.

There are a whole host of other things I learned while doing these first two audio books, so perhaps on a future post I’ll go into them. At the end of this post, please leave me a comment. One lucky person will be chosen to receive the Fallen SEAL Legacy audio book for free.

Excerpt Cruisin’ For A SEAL:

He got up and left some coins on the table, and made the mistake of looking over at her.  He gave her a little crooked smile. She’d have to be completely insane not to pick up he found her attractive. She arched one eyebrow as he couldn’t help but admire her rack. Okay, to be perfectly honest, he wondered what they’d look like released to his hands.

He was normally the gentleman with these types of hot women, not knowing anything about them. It wasn’t proper to admire another man’s lady, and this one was too fine not to be attached. So, he closed his eyes by way of an apology and then looked back at her as if to say Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.

She did the wrong thing. She blew him a kiss with those red lips of hers in an obvious flirtation. The luscious lady slung her yellow Gucci bag over her shoulder, slipped her soft arm around his and snuggled to the side.

She said something in Italian. Marc was stunned. His legs felt like lead, unable to move as she unexpectedly squeezed her body next to his. He could feel her full chest pressing his resolve to the breaking point. His arm suddenly became the second most sensitive of his body parts. Read the rest of this entry »