Welcome my high school friend, Shayla Kersten! ~DD

Hiya, all! I’m Shayla Kersten, author of gay romances filled with hot manlove! *cackle* I’ve known Delilah Devlin for more years than either of us will admit. I could tell you tales! Woo howdy! But then, so could she so we pledge to remain silent in mutual self-defense. I’m totally jealous of her vacation. I can imagine her sunning herself on the ship’s deck as I freeze my posterior off in frigid Arkansas!

FOR OLYMPUS’ SAKE is my first foray into time travel. Why I haven’t dabbled in science fiction before, I don’t know. I’ve been a scifi geek since I was a kid. So while I’ve written gay vampires and lots of gay cops, FOR OLYMPUS’ SAKE is the first—but not the last—scifi story! I have the first book in a new scifi series coming out after the first of the year. Enjoy this excerpt from FOR OLYMPUS’ SAKE and be on the look out for ANGEL MOON—space cowboys with fangs! (Special thanks to Brandy W for the ANGEL MOON prompt! *cackle*)

FOR OLYMPUS’ SAKE
By Shayla Kersten
Copyright © SHAYLA KERSTEN, 2009

Stephen Liatos’ career as an archeologist hit a brick wall a long time ago. His love life crashed and burned right behind it. When a young, golden intern claims to have the key to the illusive artifact known as Aphrodite’s Necklace, Stephen’s life takes a strange turn. Suddenly, he’s in the middle of the hottest wet dream he’s ever had. Until all hell breaks loose. Literally.

Alex’s mission was to retrieve his mistress’s necklace. He didn’t need a passenger along for the ride, although Stephen’s overactive libido makes for an interesting trip. Nor did he expect to end up in Hades instead of Olympus. Now he has to get the necklace and Stephen out of the Underworld before they both become permanent residents.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stephen Liatos looked up when his office door opened. His body tightened as the new intern Alex stepped into the room. His brain reminded his cock of the trouble young interns and assistants could be. Stephen’s punishment for screwing one of his students led to exile at a completely excavated ruin. Nothing new had been discovered at Knossos in years.

Alex stood a couple of inches taller than Stephen and had a body that looked like he was a Greek god come down from Olympus. And he had a profound effect on Stephen’s libido in spite of the danger—or maybe because of it.

“Can I help you?” Stephen winced at the slight crack in his voice. Grabbing a bottle of water, he hid his embarrassment behind a long drink as the desk hid his physical reaction.

“I found the site of Aphrodite’s necklace!” Alex’s enthusiasm filled his tone and brightened his face.

“What do you mean?” Stephen scowled across the desk. A flush of heat crawled up his neck. Surely, he knew about Stephen’s history of tilting at windmills. “The necklace is a legend, not a real artifact.” He’d once believed a lot of things…

“No, it is real. And I know where to find it.” Alex was practically dancing with excitement. “Would you drive?”

Stephen ran his hand through his hair. To be young and so naïve again. He was tempted to tell Alex to get back to the job he was assigned, but the young man needed to learn from his own mistakes. “Okay. Let’s go.” Maybe getting away from worrying about the museum’s budget would make the world look less gray today.

Pushing away from his desk, Stephen stood then grabbed his jacket against the blustery winter day. Situated between the Mediterranean and the Aegean Seas, Crete didn’t get very cold weather but the damp wind could be chilling. “Lead the way.”

Stephen lagged behind Alex for the short walk down the corridor to the parking lot. A small trowel, a ruler and a couple of brushes in Alex’s right back pocket raised his wrinkled T-shirt enough to reveal the contours of his denim-covered ass.

The view from behind both raised and lowered Stephen’s mood. His body reminded him of how long it had been since he’d been up close and personal with something other than his hand. Too bad his personal rules now made the staff off-limits. Especially the young hardbodies also known as grad students and interns.

Alex scurried across the parking lot to Stephen’s truck. He swayed from one foot to the other, waiting on Stephen to catch up.

Lowering his head, Stephen hid the small smile forming. Once upon a time, he’d had been as enthusiastic as Alex about archaeology. Now at nearly forty, Stephen understood that the find of a lifetime was usually in someone else’s life. Instead of putting a damper on the young man’s mood, Stephen unlocked the car and climbed in.

“So where to?” Stephen asked as he started the car.

Alex stuffed his tall frame into the seat next to him. “The Minoan ruins.”

“But they—” Explaining how many times the palace of Knossos had been searched—by Stephen and others—wouldn’t do any good. Stephen started the car. “Knossos it is.”
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Welcome Bonnie Dodge, whom I’ve just met! ~DD

When I worked for a commercial bank, I thought writing would be the perfect job for me. I loved words. I loved to write. Doing something I loved to do had to be easier than driving to a job I dreaded every day, right? Then I left my (paying) job to write full time and discovered that I had a lot to learn about writing. I have been writing professionally for several years now and here are a few of the things I have learned.

1) Like all jobs, there is a learning curve. Just because my English teacher gave me A’s and said I showed promise doesn’t mean I am the next Ernest Hemingway. In order to become a successful writer, I still have to do the time. I have to read voraciously. I have to attend seminars, workshops, and conferences and hone my craft. I have to network. I have to study people and be alert. I have to write, write, write until my fingers ache. I have to read, read, read until the words on the pages blur. Then I have to work and work and work until my story starts to resemble something someone besides my grandmother is willing to read.

2) Even when I have been over a draft a zillion times, I will still miss an error. It doesn’t matter how many times I or my critique partners have read my manuscript, the minute I submit it the errors will pop out like zits.

3) Perfection belongs in the dictionary, not in my office. Yes, I would like my copy to be perfect. Yes, I want every query letter and synopsis to shine. But striving for the perfect query letter or the perfect story blocks my progress. It’s admirable to strive for perfection, but it isn’t realistic. On good days my words sing. On bad days my work sucks. In the name of progress, it is better that I have an attainable goal—I will write 300 words today. Tomorrow I can worry about making them perfect.

4) I’d better love the story I’m telling because it creeps into my bedroom and becomes more intimate than my lover. It follows me to the grocery store and into the bathroom. It talks back to me while I’m waiting in line at the Post Office, and in some very real ways drives me crazy. So the time I spend with it better be worth it.

5) It never gets any easier. No matter how many stories I have finished, won contests with or had published, the process is still the same. When it comes time to create something new, all the same doubts are there to great me—this idea sucks, there isn’t enough conflict. My characters won’t do what I tell them to do. My hero is wimpy. The only way to climb the hill is to just start writing the story. I can always revise tomorrow.

6) The pay sucks, but there is joy in the journey.

Submitted by Bonnie Dodge, author of Miracles in the Desert: Essays celebrating Twin Falls, Idaho, and 100 years on a high desert plain, and co-author of Voices from the Snake River Plain

Welcome my first guest and “Alluring” friend, Vivi Anna! ~DD

December is always a month of reflection. What did I do this year? What didn’t I do this year? Did I reach my goals? Am I happy doing what I’m doing?

And my favorite…what awesome books did I read this year.

It’s also a time to prepare for the new year and make new goals. My goal for 2010 is change. I have aspirations to change physically, mentally and spiritually. It’s time to let go of some things and try to get others back.

I plan on going in new directions in my career and in my personal life. I’m optimistic about 2010. Can’t wait for it to come at last.

There are also a ton of new books I can’t wait to read in 2010.

Here is a list of my fave reads in 2009:

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
Street Magic – Caitlin Kittredge
Possessions – Nancy Holder
Unwind – Neal Shusterman
Norse Code – Greg van Eekhout
Cape Storm – Rachel Caine
Destined for an Early Grave – Jeaniene Frost
Skin Deep – Mark Del Franco
Undone – Rachel Caine
Unclean Spirits – MLN Hanover
Agents of Light and Darkness – Simon Green
White Witch, Black Curse – Kim Harrison

Reads I can’t wait for in 2010:

Demon Bound – Caitlin Kittredge
Unperfect Souls – Mark Del Franco
The Good, the Bad and the Uncanny – Simon Green
Ghost and the Goth – Stacey Kade
Glimmerglass – Jenna Black
Hunger Games book 3 – Suzanne Collins
Black Magic Seduction – Kim Harrison

What were your favorite reads in 2009? Books you can’t wait for in 2010?
~ Vivi

Be sure to check out Vivi’s latest!

Valorian Chronicles
The Bewitching Hour
Silhouette Nocturne Bites
eISBN 9781426845291
Available December 1, 2009

Witch Fiona Woodland hopes fate brought her and sexy crime scene investigator Hector Morales together at her cousin’s wedding in the Otherworld city of Necropolis. In his arms she feels graceful and beautiful, and the promise of his kiss takes her breath away. Then everything around them starts going wrong, making Fiona think it’s a sign their union isn’t meant to be….

But the burning desire between Fiona and Hector cannot be refused. And before the night is out, Hector will show how he feels with a night of pleasure that will leave them both bewitched….

Just popping in, not to interfere with Vivi, but wanted to let you know that Sasha and I both arrived in Newark safely. NEITHER of us slept the night before or had a single meal and were completely wired. She had a $100 gift certificate for Chili’s so we hit the restaurant determined to power all the way through it. Four hours later—after four drinks, two appetizers, a huge caesar salad, and an enormous piece of chocolate cake—we staggered out of the restaurant.

Did I mention we charmed the airport shuttle driver into ferrying us back and forth to the restaurant? Nice guy! Oh! And you wouldn’t believe the hotel. Very nice, but there’s chain link with concertina wire all the way around it and an armed guard who patrols the parking lot. I’m guessing this side of town isn’t a place you want to go for a casual stroll after dark.

Okay, so maybe I won’t eat that much again, but we both were so ready to sleep, we napped during Bones, then turned off the lights at 9 PM. Not an auspicious start to the whole adventure, but we don’t have to board the boat until 5 PM, so we have plenty of time to get into trouble.

Y’all be good, be sure to check out Vivi Anna’s post and I’ll see ya later! ~DD

Welcome my first guest, Rachel Lynne, aspiring romance author and sprinting partner! ~DD

Reasons for romance…books that is!

High on the accomplishment of 50K in 30 days for the NaNoWriMo challenge, I ushered in December with a list of things left undone during November. A deadline for an as yet unfinished manuscript loomed and a request for submission prompted a brainstorming session and an exciting new plot I was dying to write. On top of writing commitments, there were holiday decorations to bring out, gifts to buy, parties to plan—you get the picture. All the balls were in the air I was juggling like a pro and patting myself on the back for a job well done when…the bottom fell out. My eight year old rounds the corner into my office, er dining room, with the bridge of her glasses held together with packing tape. The dog begins to bark with a ferocity usually reserved for things that go bump in the night, and my cell phone rings—it’s a business call I’ve been waiting on.

What’s a superwoman to do? Huddled in the bathroom farthest from the epicenter, I took the call then phoned the eye Doc to inform them we’d be in for another pair of glasses. Did I forget to mention this is the second pair sat on in the last three months? Oh, and the dog was in attack mode at the front door because she had managed to find and corner a lizard the cat brought in a week ago and then promptly lost. Really, no big deal just another crazy day in our household.

I shooed the lizard out the front door, gave my blind-as-a-bat-without-her-specs kid my reading glasses and best wishes until her new ones arrived, gave the dog a treat for a job well done and plopped back into my chair, intent on getting all those balls back into the air. But the words wouldn’t come. I was too keyed up and hacked off. I began to wish for a Calgon moment (for those of you not old enough to remember, Calgon is bubble bath and their commercial used to be a woman surrounded by household mayhem shouting, “Calgon, take me away!”).

I started to fantasize about what it would be like to be a svelte and sexy brunette draped in the latest couture, boarding a Gulf Stream G650 with Mr. Tall, Dark, Handsome, and mega wealthy CEO for a jaunt to Paris. Or maybe a rock star, with six pack abs and, uhum an interesting bulge displayed to perfection by tight leather pants, straddles a Victory Kingpin and beckons me to take a ride on the wild side. Caribbean vacation flings, or perhaps a futuristic space pirate and one or two of his crew! The pictures in my mind were endless until the guilt set in and I jerked myself back to the tasks at hand. Yet, my brief trip to fantasy land got me thinking. Why do we women love romances?

Whatever the fantasy, it can be found between the pages of a romance novel. For years, our industry has been the red-headed step child that no one wanted to acknowledge, but in a year that’s seen our economy circle the drain, the publishing world has been forced to acknowledge the bright spot on the sales reports. Romance is selling like the proverbial hotcakes and no wonder. Just like Hollywood pictures during the Depression Era, so the romance genre is for today’s women. A little escape. A little journey into the grown-up version of fairytale land is just what the doctor ordered before we dash out the door to get little Suzy to soccer practice or Johnny to band. And we shouldn’t feel guilty. The daily grind gets us down, to do lists overwhelm, relationships get complicated—that’s life warts and all.

But the next time a Calgon moment starts to rear its ugly head, remember a sexy shapeshifter, a badass cowboy, a pair of flirtatious firemen, or a devilishly handsome duke are only a page away.

Check out Rachel’s brand new blog!

Tonight, I’ll shower and dress, maybe lay down for an hour, or maybe just get into the car and find someplace to drink coffee, but I know I won’t be sleeping. My flight leaves early in the morning and I have a bit of a drive to get to the airport. So why bother? Besides, I’ve been waiting so long for this vacation, I haven’t slept well for days. And the dreams!!

Well, let’s just say, Paul Rudd and Antonio Banderas snuck into my dreams and got very busy. I love celebrity dream boyfriends. Although the one I had once about Dennis Hopper was pretty twisted.

Anyway, I’m rambling because I can’t stay on one subject. The point is, I’ll be gone for nearly two weeks and I have a ton of guests scheduled to keep you entertained. So please be sure to come by and say hello. You might meet a new author, connect with a fellow reader, or read a posting that might teach you something. Comment and someone hit that tweet button!

This is who I have scheduled:
Dec 10: Rachel Lynne
Dec 11: Vivi Anna
Dec 12: Bonnie Dodge
Dec 13: Shayla Kersten
Dec 14: Marley Delarose
Dec 15: Masha Holl
Dec 16: Rose’s Plotting Bootcamp Promo
Dec 17: Meg Benjamin
Dec 18: Mary Alice Pritchard
Dec 19: Kathy Kulig
Dec 20: Ashlyn Chase
Dec 21: Heather N

Y’all have fun. And I’ll try my best to check in while I’m gone, but no promises! ~DD

Had to add this fabulous review, just in from Whipped Cream Reviews:

“Two hot cowboys plus one saucy woman equal a whole lotta lovin’ in this latest offering my author Delilah Devlin. UNBRIDLED is a book that offers exactly what the title promises – something wild, untamed, and oh-so naughty!

Saying the story gets off to a sizzling start is an understatement. Dani return’s home a day early to surprise her childhood best friend and boyfriend, Rowe–only to discover him naked as the day he was born inside their love nest, waiting for a lover. Shock doesn’t begin to describe her reaction when she learns it’s not a woman meeting him, but a man she had a fling with years ago and never forgot–the notorious town bad boy Justin Cruz.

Justin is hard, unyielding, and dangerous. Readers will sense the power he wields from the first moment he appears on the page. Ultimately, this is his tale as he’s in love with both Dani and Rowe but doesn’t know how to let his emotions go and trust they will shelter his heart versus crush it. You won’t like him much in the beginning, but as you unravel the layers of this complex man, you’ll understand why he’s become a playboy that remains detached from those he sleeps with.

The heart and playful side of the story come courtesy of Dani and Rowe. It’s evident that they adore one another but need something more to make their relationship work. Both are submissive and desperately crave a dominant force to complete them. They find all of that and more in Justin, and work together to convince the sexy cowboy that putting down roots together is the only way they’ll all be happy.

I have to say, the story leaves you wanting more, and after taking a look I see that Dani’s brother Cutter has his own novella coming soon. I’ve already written the newest installment on my TBR list and can’t wait to see what happens next. UNBRIDLED is a fast paced and blistering hot read that you won’t be able to put down.”

Just one more and a wake-up before I head off on my cruise!

Yesterday, I had a pedicure and solar nails done. And I packed—and repacked. Seems I have too many clothes. I managed to get everything stuffed into the bags, but I may have to mail home dirty clothes on my way back home. My tote with my laptop is HUGE and heavy, but I have to have every single thing I printed off to bring, so no budging there. I’ll just be sure to pack painkillers too.

Sasha and I have been trading emails. She’s excited and starting to pack. We’re both doing our best not to catch a cold. I’ve been sucking down Airborne and orange juice like mad. I worry about the fact I have no socks. I never wear them. Hate anything that restrictive on my feet. It’s why I wear flip-flops 10 months out of the year. When it gets cold, I switch to slide-on mules. But Newark will be icy. Ugh.

I managed to lose weight before the trip, but I wish I’d had the willpower to quit smoking too. I finally convinced my doctor to prescribe Chantix, but it arrived too late for me to start taking it. For some reason they don’t like to give ex-soldiers the meds. They think we get moody and suicidal. I’m a writer. I live with moody every day. Ah well, maybe the cigs will help me keep away from the buffet. And it leaves me another goal for the New Year.

While I’m gone, be sure to continue to check back here. I have guest bloggers lined up for every day. Stop by and give them your support! I’ll read all the comments when I get back. And I should have that action-packed second chapter of Bad Moon Rising to share. You ladies did have to select the most difficult scenario for me to write!