The winner of the Jimmy Thomas calendar is named at the bottom of this post! Thanks, everyone, for playing! ~DD

One of my favorite openings was the easiest to write. Newscasts of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were so very detailed that I sank into these opening pages and pretty much wrote it in a day (with tons of revision, of course, later!). You meet the hero right up front. Then you meet the villain of the piece, and he’s murky and frightening, but you see him from poor Nic’s point of view and learn the horror of who the villain really is. The Dark Realm stories are among my own personal favorites. They were tough to write and I cursed my way through the whole experience, but in the end, I had a quartet of books of the sort I love to read. Not a bad legacy.

“…The electrifying follow-up to INTO THE DARKNESS is a breathless read. Devlin’s intricate vampire society is filled with compelling personalities. The chemistry between the characters is explosive, and the horrific villain will give you goosebumps…the ending will leave you begging for more.” 4 ½ Stars and TOP PICK!, RT BOOKreviews

“…This is a deliciously edgy series with mind-blowing sex scenes that sizzle…Ms. Devlin’s DARK REALM series is devastatingly erotic and pushes the boundaries in both premise and sexual explicitness. Ms. Devlin pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” Paranormal Romance

For eight hundred years Nicolas Montfaucon has dedicated his life to preventing the rebirth of an immortal evil. But now a terrible storm has assaulted unsuspecting New Orleans—and the beast walks the earth once more. “The Devourer” has been awakened, and there is only one in the besieged city who can help Nicolas defeat the foul creature—a mysterious and beautiful enigma who haunts the handsome Revenant’s erotic waking dreams and enflames his passionate obsessions.

Chessa Tomas is not an ordinary policewoman. A vampire, she works only at night, patrolling a seamy and unseen underworld of roiling chaos. Though Nicolas is sensuality incarnate, Chessa wants no part of him or his kind—but she cannot close her eyes to the unholy malevolence that would consume their world. And Nicolas has uncovered the secret lust that rules her—a steaming, uncontrollable desire he intends to unleash, bending Chessa to his will by making her most forbidden fantasies real.

His brother had thought Hell a fiery abyss, but Nicolas Montfaucon knew better. It was wet, smelled like a sewer, and sounded like the rush of collective hopes draining toward the sea.

With a heartbeat as leaden as his footfalls, he followed the sound of flowing water. His rubber boots sank in the rain-soaked grass as he stepped off the cemetery’s entrance road to head toward the water’s edge. Bayou St. John’s previous sluggish ambience had given way to a torrent in the aftermath of the storm. Just as the security team had reported, the waters that breached the levee in the early morning hours spilled into the bayou, raising it well above any thousand-year flood plain.

They couldn’t have planned for a worse scenario. The mausoleum lay in the center of a newly etched basin.

A cold, tight knot of horror settled in his gut, numbing him to the elements, while a soft rain fell like God’s kiss of benediction before the coming battle. The prickling unease lifting the hair on the back of his neck was familiar, but one he hadn’t experienced to this degree since the searing heat and biting sand of Palestine over seven hundred years ago.

Quiet, muffled voices drew him deeper into the cemetery. He followed the blurred edges of a once pristine graveled path, now strewn with long tangled strands of Spanish moss and broken tree branches, around sturdy stone crypts—ones untouched by the raging storm that had drenched New Orleans and changed its landscape irrevocably.

He glanced toward the dark gray clouds giving his team cover for what they must do. At least God hadn’t added one more insurmountable burden to overcome this day.

“Erika, Pasqual?” he called softly as he approached.

They turned with dread tightening their pale faces.

He noted their quick sideways glances and knew their loyalties might be tested. Just the night before one quarry had escaped their net. Did they know his role in the deception that had allowed the newest Born female to flee?

“The crypt is submerged,” Pasqual said, nodding ahead toward the swollen bayou.

Nicolas followed his gaze and found the winged angel that graced the top of the Morel mausoleum, the bottom edge of her robe licked by foaming, lapping waves of dark water.

“We brought a pirogue,” Erika said, shivering despite the humid heat, “but the water’s so swift…”

Nicolas nodded. “I’ll go. We’ll have to tie off the boat on both sides of the bayou to keep it from being swept away.”

“The crypt was solid. The doors were chained,” Pasqual said, his voice strained. “Do you really think he could have escaped?”

Nicolas’s lips curved and tightened. “His sarcophagus was in the center of the cemetery. The bayou jumped its banks and carved a new path—straight through his prison. Do you think that’s coincidental?”
Read the rest of this entry »

I’m extending my contest to win that lovely calendar by one day. Tomorrow, the winner will be announced. But today, you have a second chance to enter to win. Join me at Wild & Wicked Cowboys and post a comment—and we’re having a little fun with the calendar pic…

Exhaustion hit me last night about eight P.M. I pulled too many later nighters wrapping up some February projects. The problem now is that it’s five in the morning and I’m wide awake!

Oh, and those projects? Well, one of them is my part in a four-author anthology that I will do my best to get onto Kindle this month for you. Something paranormal-ish. My story features a favorite character from the Immortal Knight series—it’s the dark and brooding Moses Brown’s happy ever after!

I also sent a quickie, one on the longish side, so you’ll have no complaints there (not that you ever grouse!), tentatively entitled Handy Men. My Ellora’s Cave editor has promised to push it through quickly, so hopefully you’ll have that one soon too.

And I know you’ll be excited to know that I have written the latest installment in our Cat Tails story—you know, the one you all have been helping me plot. Poor DiDi is about to find herself in deep doo-doo, but not just yet. Mason has her purring in this chapter.

NOW I can officially start on my March goals—another Lonestar Cowboy, a short urban fantasy, and a BDSM story. Yeah, plenty to keep me busy and burning more of that midnight oil.

In the meantime, I have something sexy to give away. A 2011 calendar chock-full of manly goodness. Post a comment today, and it could be yours!

See the bottom of this post for the name of yesterday’s winner!

Erotic Romance – Life Affirming

by Michelle Polaris

My mind is on babies and the miracle of birth. My sister, bless her soul, just had her third little boy. She has three now under the age of four. Oy! And although I’ve heard the advice to avoid the subject of children in erotic romance for the mood killer it may be, I made a decision to throw that advice out the window in my last release. In all truth, no actual babies appeared in my story, but the subject of fertility and the goal of becoming parents were explicit in the plot.

I believe the sexiest erotic romance involves deep emotional bonds between the characters, and authenticity behind the painful struggles and incredible emotional risks those characters must take together. Children and the commitment they symbolize are a loaded risk. But they provide one of the greatest sources of hope imaginable. And hope translates to a sense of future. If I want to create a story where one feels my characters standing on the precipice of their future, balancing, eagerly or fearfully reaching out despite their risk of falling, dangling a baby out there in front of them does the trick.

Throw in the fact that I write BDSM erotic romance and this may seem strange. But I firmly believe BDSM story lines are an awesome opportunity to explore honest communication and vulnerability between characters. And, hey, kinky people have children too.

Putting aside that twist, am I the only one who feels this way about the subject of babies in erotic romance? How have they worked or not worked for you as you’ve read stories touching on this issue?

Check out my newest release, Fettered Love, at Ellora’s Cave to see if I’ve managed to pull off this idea without killing the sexy, kinky, tantalizing pull between my three characters. My novella is part of the 1-800-DOM-help series new to EC—BDSM at it’s best from a group of talented Ellora’s Cave authors.

Kirk, Master to his long-time lover Evan, decides it’s time to place his permanent collar around Evan’s sexy cock. But when he proposes, he faces a surprise. Evan wants a child. So where will they find a kinky woman to help?

A mysterious card with the 1 -800-DOM-help number advertises assistance for unusual problems in the BDSM community. When Evan calls, he recognizes the voice of Sarah—Kirk’s best friend from childhood, Evan’s Mistress of several years in college. They both loved her and suffered betrayal when she walked out of their lives.

Now she proposes to be the mother of their child. No strings, just a chance to have the men she respects and loves back in her life. Evan embraces the idea while Kirk rages with mistrust.

At Evan’s request, they share one night of passion, Kirk and Sarah working together to dominate Evan in the scene of his erotic fantasies, hoping it will be enough to rekindle trust and make all their dreams come true.

Safe, sane and consensual,
Michelle Polaris

The winner of yesterday’s prize is…Sarah M! Congrats, Sarah, and be sure to send me an email to collect your prize!

If you post a comment today, you’ll be in the running
for a free download of this book!

Hard to believe, but once upon a time I didn’t think I knew how to write a contemporary love story. No fangs? No space pirates? You mean, I would have to write about the characters and not the whizz-bang stuff? Well, fortunately for you, I figured out I’ve been doing that all along. Strip away the gadgets and the woo-woo and you concentrate on the love story. What happens in bed is the story, because sometimes, that’s where people fall in love.

“…Delilah Devlin is well known for her personable characters and intense storylines and she certainly doesn’t disappoint with JANE’S WILD WEEKEND!…This story had me smiling, tearing up, worried and wanting to hug them all…This is a wonderful heartfelt story that’s as exciting as it is emotional. A perfect combination in my opinion.” 5 Blue Ribbons, Romance Junkies

“…JANE’S WILD WEEKEND was a sinful page turning delight!!…The sex is hot!!!!!!! I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something different that is fun to read and has some wonderful characters. Ms. Devlin’s books continue to be favorites of mine.” 4.5 Stars, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Jane wants Bruno…Bruno wants Cord…Cord wants Jane…but can everyone get what they really want?

Jane, fresh from a breakup, decides to seduce Bruno, one of the firemen next door, to restore her shattered confidence. But the trap she sets is sprung instead by his best friend, Cord. After she flees in embarrassment, Bruno makes a proposition too wicked for any good girl to consider, but how can she refuse the chance at not one, but two strapping firemen?

Bruno’s shared women with Cord before, but decides to use Cord’s attraction to Jane to break down his defenses for the ultimate threesome. Cord thinks he knows how this little tryst will go down, but he’s seduced into allowing Bruno intimacies this hetero guy has never before considered.

Note for Readers: You must be of legal age in your country of origin to read this excerpt.

Cord nearly groaned he was so relieved he hadn’t somehow blown it. Sliding deep into Jane’s sexy body had become an obsession. He braced his hands on either side of her shoulders, lifted his torso off hers, and slowly settled his knees between her thighs. “Put me inside you,” he whispered.

A soft, thin moan sifted between her lips and she slowly slipped a hand between their bodies, her fingers gliding between their quivering bellies to wrap around his cock. With their gazes tangling, she pushed him between her folds, pausing to rub the tip against her slick clit then pressed him downward until he prodded her opening.
Cord groaned and rocked his hips forward, shoving into her silky slit and driving deep.

Jane’s breath rushed out. Her mouth opened, but no sound escaped. Her knees rose on either side of him and she tilted her pelvis, giving him a straight shot, giving him permission to stroke deep and hard.

Cord gritted his teeth, wanting to savor the feel of her wet walls closing around him, wanted to wallow in the gentle convulsions sucking at his cock, pulling him inside. He wanted to be gentle, to get it right, but her hot, wet heat was doing a number on his self-control and he flexed and stroked deep and sure, his buttocks quickly picking up momentum.

He held himself above her, the muscles in his arms and backs thickening, defining, as a primal satisfaction, a need to mark and prove ownership, was fulfilled with each steady stroke. Sweat broke on his face and chest, and he dipped down to rub it on her breasts, growling when her nipples stabbed and she pressed closer.

Slipping one hand beneath her ass, he gathered her up. He crawled closer on his knees to gain leverage and power then shortened his strokes, banging against the open, soaked cradle of her thighs. The bed creaked, the headboard thudded. The sound only added to his growing excitement.

“God, Cord, harder…” Jane gritted out, her face flushing a deeper rose, perspiration beading on her upper lip. Her arms swept around him, her hands clutched his back, her fingernails digging into his skin.

Cord grunted, shifted his knees again and pounded, setting the bed rocking forward and back. He didn’t care if he knocked out chunks of drywall, he wasn’t stopping now, couldn’t slow down, couldn’t hold back.

Her pussy squeezed around him, long, rhythmic caresses that slid along his shaft, buttery cream churned up by the motion of his hips and the steady, quickening thrusts of his cock.

The bed dipped beside them and Cord stiffened, pausing mid-stroke to aim a killing glare at Bruno, who smiled and lifted a tube of gel, a short braided leather flogger and a blindfold.

Jane’s desperate gaze swung toward Bruno and a soft, pained laugh gusted from her thinned lips. “Your timing sucks.” Her hands tightened on Cord’s back for a moment, and then she lay back and let them fall to the mattress beside her as she drew deep, shattered breaths.

Cord pulled away, angry, frustrated, wanting to curse and throw Bruno out of the room, but his arousal pulsed—a current of sensual curiosity and heightening tension sweeping through him.

He didn’t like that Bruno’s return sparked his interest. But he wasn’t going to fight it. Jane lay pliant, sweating, her breath rasping. Bruno’s hot gaze swept her body, lingering on her spiked nipples, then clung to the sight of her pussy—wet, open, white streaks of her honeyed arousal glistening on her parted folds.

“Really think she needs the blindfold?” Cord growled.

Bruno’s lips twisted. “No, but you do, buddy.”

February was certainly more productive than January for me.

The high points of the month were:
* I wrote and submitted two new proposals for Cleis anthologies to follow up Girls Who Bite (which releases in September).
* I wrote a novella, which will be part of an anthology that will include stories written by Sasha White, Charlene Teglia and my sis, Myla Jackson.
* I wrote the rough draft of a second novella, which will go to Ellora’s Cave as soon as I complete one last round of edits.
* I have completed 23% of a second novella headed to Ellora’s Cave that will be part of the 1-800-Dom-Help series.
* I completed copy edits of Enslaved by a Viking (releases October 2011 by Berkley).
* I completed first round edits of The Warrior’s Touch (releases May 2011 by Harlequin).

In retrospect, I shouldn’t beat myself up that I didn’t finish every blame thing I wanted in February. It was a good month.

In March, I hope to accomplish the following:
* Complete my 1-800-Dom-Help novella for Ellora’s Cave.
* Write a novella for another Kindle anthology.
* Write the sequel to True Heart for Samhain.

It’s Monday morning after a very busy night—4.8 earthquake with a 3.something aftershock—tornado watch and thunderstorms—visitors at three AM escaping the storm and slipping into my bed because I make everyone feel safe. And yet, I do feel refreshed.

It’s another week and another run at my stories. I have so much to wrap up. Wish me luck!

This week, I think I’ll do a flashback giveaway; Michelle Polaris guests on Wednesday, and I have a yummy new Jimmy Thomas calendar to give away. But more about that on Thursday.

Today’s horoscope? (Just because it’s been so much fun lately for me!)

“Career matters, or perhaps matters involving independent work which you do on your own, should move smoothly and successfully today, bringing a lot of satisfaction your way. Others are likely to admire the results of your efforts…”

Wouldn’t that be nice?