Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin
HomeMeet Delilah
BookshelfBlogExtrasEditorial ServicesContactDelilah's Collections

Archive for 'excerpt'



Snippet Saturday: Holiday
Saturday, November 26th, 2011

Silent KnightEnjoy an excerpt from my one and only Christmas story! Post a comment and enter a drawing for a free download of Silent Knight!

“…The perfect holiday read! Delilah Devlin took a Christmas tale to a whole new level when she crafted SILENT KNIGHT.”
5 Stars, Heather, eCataRomance

“…[SILENT KNIGHT] is a sizzling hot vampire story tht will take you on a short escape — the perfect read for a busy holiday season. Sexy and fun, make sure Silent Knight is on your holiday “must read” list!”
4 Kisses, Karen Steele, Romance Divas

“Erotically decedent and thrillingly carnal, Noelle and Magnus’ story is enough to make a person self-combust with want.”
4 Roses, Angel, A Romance Review

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Noelle Moyaux questions her gift of sight until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger sets her on a path to save his soul.

Magnus Thornton is a millennium-old vampire who has found evidence of an old foe’s evil at work in the demolished city of New Orleans . Weary of the fight, he decides to greet the coming dawn after a night reveling in his favorite things–a bottle of Bordeaux and a willing woman.

Noelle seems the answer, but she quickly creeps into his heart-the vampire, so jaded from life he never speaks, must now persuade Noelle to flee the city before it’s too late.

Noelle Moyaux flicked off the battery-powered Christmas lights that ringed her metal cart, folded her purple tablecloth into a small tidy square and tucked it and the folding table inside the cart before latching the lid closed.

She wheeled the cart across the busy street and waved to her friend Gerard, the owner of a small Cajun restaurant. Continuing around the back of the eatery, she stowed her palmistry kiosk in the storage unit she’d rented from Gerard since before the troubles.

Today’s earnings were slim, despite the unseasonably warm weather that allowed the thin-blooded residents of the city to roam the streets in light jackets. No one believed in a future amid the chaos–and some questioned her ability since she’d received no divination of the coming catastrophe. Indeed, Noelle questioned her gift daily as she sat beneath her umbrella in front of the embroidered cloth advertising “Noelle’s News”.

If not for the little nest egg of money she’d saved from substitute teaching before the flood, she’d be in dire straits.

Clutching her purse close to her side, she headed down the street toward home.

One last night. One last chance to lose myself in The Hunger, a fine glass of wine and the body of a willing woman. Before my last sunrise—the first I will see in nearly a thousand years…
Read the rest of this entry »

Four Days to Five Ways!
Friday, November 18th, 2011

You do know you can pre-order it, right? And that you can save $1.05 if you do it now? Just wanted to make sure…

I should have my new computer installed tonight. I’m crossing my fingers the Geek Squad had no problems getting all my files and emails from my old hard drive. I’m thinking only positive thoughts. The alternative will make me cry. Not really, but it would be hugely inconvenient if they can’t!

Anyway, back to Five Ways. Where’d that title come from? I really don’t know. I think one of my muses, the Mr. among the three, came up with it, hoping to make me blush. He should know better by now. Once when I was mad at my daughter, I shouted down the aisle at the grocery store, “Honey, was that supers or ultras?” as I shook a box of tampons at her. Ahhh, such sweet memories.

I don’t think you’ll have any complaints about this book—other than the fact my cops aren’t wearing Wranglers and cowboy hats. But hey, they are cops with cuffs and badges. Next best thing, right?

Meet the boys, ladies!

* * * * *

Two days later, Jackson sat at his usual table with his buddies in The Emerald Tavern, eyeing Marti’s flushed face as she worked the bar. She hadn’t glanced his way except once when he’d first arrived.

Things had been strained between them since he’d read the note. Although they’d gone through the motions, the part of their relationship that made it so different than anything he’d experienced before was absent, crushed beneath the strain of the damn list.

“So’s the honeymoon over?”

Jackson shot Craig with a stinging glare then scanned the rest of his friends. Thursday was the one day of the week where their schedules allowed them to meet. They slouched in their seats. Condensation glistened on the sides of their beers. Not something that happened often because the first beer was always eagerly consumed.

Absent were the rowdy laughter and crude jokes. Not a single gibe had been aimed his way, even though his attention was snagged, as usual, by the curvy brunette behind the counter.

Beau McIntyre cleared his throat. “Craig said you needed some help with something.” Humor glinted in his slanted, dark brown eyes, but his features were difficult to read. Although he was only half Asian, the other half African American, inscrutable was still a word that fit his neutral expression. If he was laughing inside, no hint shown in his dark eyes as he watched Jackson.

Jackson glanced at Craig, frowning, wondering if he’d spilled the beans about The List. “I don’t need help with a goddamn thing.”

“Yeah,” Beau said, his tone dripping sarcasm. “I can see things are peachy between you and Marti. She hasn’t been to our table even once. I’d say she’s avoiding us.”

“She’s avoidin’ me.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Five Days to Five Ways!
Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Two Quick Notes:
* I still have computer issues, but I should have my new box installed tomorrow. In the meantime, if I owed you a response to something, either send me a fresh email or you’ll have to wait until I can dig into my old inbox!
* Also, because I’m behind on stuff, the “I’ll Change My Name to Wendy or Tammy” Contest” continues for now. Be sure to post a comment to win one of four signed books!~DD

* * * * *

If you’ve followed my blog for long, you’ll know I love Memphis. I love the music, love the river that flows through it. I love the crazy, “New Orleans” feel of Beale Street. So it was only natural that I dreamed up a series set in that city.

I have four books coming in Delta Heat, all with a number in the title to give you a little hint as to the flavor of the ménage. We’re gonna count down until all five of my to-die-for cops have their happy-ever-afters.

I hope you enjoy the opening scene. I promise—it only gets hotter. 😉

Sometimes a man’s just gotta call for backup…

Marti Kowalski is all wrong for Officer Jackson Teague—he just won’t listen to reason. She didn’t finish high school, runs a bar. Has a tattoo and a blue streak in her hair. Yet he still wants to marry her? She can’t say she’s not tempted, but she’s got a bucket list to complete before she ties the knot.

Not just any bucket—more like a fifty-five-gallon drum of sexual wishes so explicit, there’s no way one man, even Jackson, can fulfill them all.

When Marti turns him down again, Jackson doesn’t give up, he insists on knowing why. That’s when she shows him her list. He takes it, thinks about it—and calls on the only men he can trust: four buddies from his academy graduating class.

Between the five of them, he’s sure they can come up with a plan to check off every item on her list in one wild, wicked weekend. That is, if she has the nerve to follow through—and if he can bear to share her.

Warning: Five men on a mission to break down the resistance of one determined woman. Author suggest readers keep their significant others on speed dial. Not responsible for accidental 911 calls.

If you’re under 18—don’t read any further!

Marti Kowalski waved a hand blindly behind her at her desk, swiping the inventory sheets she’d slaved over for two days, and her telephone, to the floor. She didn’t care about the mess—or by the crunch—the loss of her phone. Right this moment, she had Jackson where she wanted him—too far gone with want to worry what damage he might cause.

His body was hard; his expression carved to a lustful edge, which promised the kind of sexy interlude she preferred—something spontaneous and surprising.

Even after all the months they’d been seeing each other, he managed to surprise her. Like now. He’d pulled her from the door of the ladies’ restroom and goose-stepped her with her arm bent behind her back to the manager’s office, growling menacingly into her ear about the wicked things he’d do to her.

Ma’am, keep quiet and I won’t hurt you.
Read the rest of this entry »

Snippet Saturday: Sexy
Saturday, November 12th, 2011

Some books just about write themselves. That’s what happened with me when I began Darkness Captured. I knew exactly where the story started—exactly where Darkness Burning ended. I knew that my fierce werewolf princess would be tempted by a dragon while being pursued by her loyal werewolf bodyguard. I wasn’t exactly sure who would win her in the end, although I had a real fondness for Guntram from the very beginning. What could be sexier than a man who sacrifices so much, even his own desires, for the woman he loves? Here’s Guntram when he finally has Gabriella exactly where he’s wanted her for centuries. Too bad they’re in a pleasure dungeon deep in The Land of the Dead.

“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

“Darkness Captured is…another steamy sensation!… Delilah Devlin is definitely the mistress of erotic romance!”
Reader to Reader Reviews

“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?

“May I serve you, mistress?” the man standing in the darkness said softly.

She looked behind her down the long dark corridor, assuring herself that she hadn’t been followed. “I…I think so. Yes.”

He stepped from the shadows, and Gabriella’s gaze swept over him. Her lust renewed instantly. His human form pleased her. Bare-chested, thick brown fur covering his chest, he appeared so like Guntram she nearly cried. She wondered what horror the mask hid, but decided she didn’t really want to know. Maybe he was handsome—one of the undead humans, just playing The Executioner role for entertainment purposes.

His scent was unusual. Beneath a light floral lay an earthier aroma, pleasing to her nose. She stepped inside the cell and slid the barred door closed behind her. “What do you offer?”

“Any fantasy you desire,” he said, his voice deep and gruff.
Read the rest of this entry »

Snippet Saturday: Setting
Saturday, November 5th, 2011

Setting is about more than where or when a story takes place. An author strives to place the reader in this other world and immerse them inside it. This is the prologue from Ravished by a Viking, where I introduce Eirik who is making a very grave mistake, one that launches his brother Dagr on a daring mission to rescue him, and which continues in the next story, Enslaved by a Viking. The last line of this excerpt is what “seals the deal” so far is Fatin is concerned. Enjoy sinking into the setting with New Iceland Vikings!

“With the intriguing meshing of the past with the future this was an engrossing read…”
Top Pick!, Night Owl Reviews

“A steamy and fascinating adventure…”
Romance Reviews Today

“Clash of cultures, clash of myths, clash of powerful personalities…how many authors can bring out on paper the excitement and more-than-willing suspension of disbelief that old fashioned adventure stories once brought us?…a wonderful, action-packed, emotional roller-coaster of a read.”
Alien Places

What a Viking wants, a Viking takes.

When his younger brother goes missing, Dagr, Viking warrior and Lord of the Wolfskin Clan, will do whatever it takes to get him back. But nothing could have prepared him for Honora—a feisty, intelligent woman who is nothing like the women of his world—women who are content to serve their men in all things. Drawn to her despite her recalcitrant nature, Dagr is determined to show her who’s boss both in bed and out.

When the two enemies-turned-lovers join forces to find Dagr’s brother they are thrown into a rousing adventure full of danger, intrigue and erotic abandon. Can their passion truly unite them or will their different worlds lead to destruction for them both?

Eirik Ulfhednar glared into his opponent’s reddened face and adjusted his hand, just a slight movement to improve his grip, and then bore down with all his might. The muscles of his forearm and bicep burned. A spike of adrenaline seared his blood.

Harald, who had boasted his prowess over drinks, didn’t seem so confident he’d win this contest now. His lips pulled away from his teeth in a feral snarl, but his bushy red brows rose, betraying his surprise that the man in front of him, so much younger and more privileged than he, hadn’t already crumpled.

A smile eased up the corners of Eirik’s mouth, and he narrowed his eyes. He would prove he was every inch his brother’s equal and deserving of respect from the crew at the mining camp. Respect that they’d denied him since his arrival that afternoon.

However, respect had to be earned from these fierce, rough men. An accident of birth didn’t grant an Ulfhednar, a Wolfskin, any special favors inside this clan. Further, Eirik’s status wasn’t helped by the fact that the last time he’d visited the camp, he’d been a gangly teen with blemishes on his face, tagging behind his elder brother.

But Eirik wasn’t a boy anymore. This challenge was a good place to prove it.

Without a hint to warn his opponent, Eirik opened his jaws and yawned, then squeezed harder around Harald’s huge fist and slammed it into the table.
Read the rest of this entry »

Flashback: Stone’s Embrace
Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

NaNo Day 1:
LR—409 words—and finished draft!
DD—1303 words

The annual NaNoWriMo challenge starts today! 50,000 words in one month, which breaks down into 1,666 words a day, I think. I’ve done this four times. I’ve succeeded three of those four. At the end of every day, I’ll be back here posting my wordcount totals for the day, just to keep me honest. If anyone wants to “friend” me on the NaNo site, my handle is DelilahDevlin.

* * * * *

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

This book was a labor of love. I worked with two writers I admire, Kim Kaye Terry and Vivi Anna, to create a trilogy of stories that were tightly interwoven. In my story, I got to travel into the Greek Underworld with a gargoyle and wrote great sex with Hades. What greater adventure could a writer hope for?

“…STONE’S EMBRACE is a wonderfully descriptive story…The mix of Greek mythology with Christian elements is intriguing and adds to the subtle layering of eroticism and exoticism…this story is fantastic and a super-hot read!”
~5 Angels, Fallen Angels Reviews

“…The sex in the book was off the charts hot!…It was a wonderfully different story with a strong characters and a fun plot that left this reviewer breathless!”
~5 Stars, Just Erotic Romances

Lust trapped them in darkness…only love can free them…

Petra Pedersen has lived as a recluse all her life thanks to a genetic double whammy—a strange deformity and a shameful power inherited from the father she will never know. The power to incite lust in men and women with just a touch.

Exploring the garden of the mansion she’s just inherited, she comes across a fascinating stone gargoyle whose raw, passionate expression draws her to caress its broad chest. Her imagination follows her fluttering fingers. As she closes her eyes and gives herself up to the arousal, something shifts beneath her touch.

Long ago, failure to stop a demon battle trapped Octavius in a prison of stone. Freed by the woman’s incendiary touch, he doesn’t hesitate to unleash his pent-up rage and desire in a blistering fury. Yet once the haze of lust clears, he discovers he isn’t really free after all.

They are both trapped in another realm where he must choose between his last chance for redemption or returning Petra home…

Warning: Sex with inanimate objects, lusty m/m/f ménages with gods…it’s all good when the reward is freedom.

The letter had arrived only a week ago accompanied by a bank draft to cover the expense of her journey. Petra Pedersen’s father was dead and his house was to be divided among three sisters.

Sisters Petra hadn’t known about but was intensely curious to meet. Would they share more than a father’s claim on a birth certificate?

Her mother had spilled what little she did know about Jean-Paul’s past in an effort to dissuade her from coming. Beatrice had been aware of the first child, Dominique, who’d been born to a witch. It was her birth that had instigated Jean-Paul’s flight to Europe because, until that moment, he hadn’t believed the curse a Haitian priest had put on him when he’d refused to impregnate the priest’s disfigured daughter. Jean-Paul was cursed to father only females and each girl would bear the priest’s mark.

The evidence clear in his first daughter’s dark, mutated gaze had frightened him.

Determined to break the curse, he’d traveled, seeking a healer’s magic. He’d found her mother.

Beatrice hadn’t been able to resist the handsome stranger’s allure. She’d been raised in a good Christian in a small village. Magic didn’t exist except in fairytales. Never mind she’d been born with her own magical gift. A healer in a long line of healers, she’d assumed the gift came from God.

When her own daughter was born, despite the evidence of her daughter’s deformity staring back at her every day of her life, she’d still believed Petra’s gifts would be like her own. Jean-Paul had known better, fleeing shortly after the birth.

But her mother had clung to her belief—until she’d taken Petra along to tutor her as she plied her craft, laying on hands to heal. She’d been horrified to discover that Jean-Paul’s curse had changed her gift from something good into something dark and twisted.

Petra had been sheltered ever since. Kept away from others to prevent a chance touch—worn a contact to hide her evil eye. But the whispers surrounding her hadn’t stopped.

Women in their village eyed Petra as though she were a demon come to steal their men. The men’s gazes followed her everywhere she went as they wondered whether the stories were true—if her touch could enflame a man beyond control. They didn’t seem to fear the curse, and instead, sought excuses to rub up against her in the market or at church.

Her touch incited men to lose their minds to lust. To rape. Inevitably, she and her mother had been forced to move and start again. She’d donned gloves to prevent accidental touches.

Now, she stared down at her hands and wondered if her sisters would be immune and whether they’d inherited a different sort of curse.

“You sure this be the right place, cher?”
Read the rest of this entry »

Random Sneak Peek
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Psst! The winners of the Authors After Dark Grab Bag and the first Promo Ho
$25.00 gift certificate are listed at the bottom of this blog!

* * * * *

Thought you might enjoy a little glimpse of “Drive Me Crazy”, which will be featured in Cleis’s Best Erotic Romance, due out in December. Enjoy!

Just a glimpse of him standing in profile, arms crossed over his well-developed chest and leaning his firm, round butt against the dispatch counter, was enough to shore up my weakening resolve. Dressed in faded blue jeans, a black, chest-hugging t-shirt, and a red Razorback ball cap turned backwards on his dark shaggy hair, he was every woman’s blue-collar fantasy. My mouth dried as I glanced down his tall, muscled frame. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t want one night with all that ripped hotness?

And that’s all it could be—one night. I’d waited until the last possible moment to make my move.

The midnight drive to the dispatch office had given me plenty of time to argue my way out of what had seemed like a good plan earlier when I’d realized that the planets had aligned to give me this one last chance to fulfill my long-standing fantasy.

There’d never been the right time. For the longest time, I was married. When my husband dumped me, Danny had been living with a woman with two kids, and seemed to be heading down a straight road to marriage.

We’d flirted; he’d issued lazy invitations for dates or a quickie at the Motel 6 down the road. But I’d never detected even a hint of serious interest. If something was going to happen, I had to be the one to make a move. Today had been my last day at Henderson Transport. It was now or never.

All the reasons why I was crazy to consider it fell away as I ticked through them in my mind:

He’s too young—He’ll be happy because I won’t have any expectations, I said to myself. Well, none beyond a really good time.

I’m management and he’s a driver—Midnight had just ticked past, so not true anymore. We were both free agents. Both consenting adults. All he had to do was say yes.

“You’ll never see him again,” I muttered under my breath as I rubbed my cold hands together. “If he turns you down, you won’t have to live with his smug smile.”

I sucked in a deep fortifying breath, adjusted the neckline of the red Lycra top to show my breasts to their best advantage, and pushed through the glass door.

His head turned at the sound, and then he straightened away from the counter and dropped his arms. “You cuttin’ my route, Angel?”

I gave him a crooked smile. “Think I’d do that and ask you to wait for me here in the middle of the night?”

His brows drew together, curiosity glinting in his gaze before it dropped to my boobs. I’d worn a bra that pretty much left everything sitting on a shelf. My nipples were outlined against the red, stretchy fabric of my top, the tips spiking because I’d given them a little tweak before I’d exited my car.

His frown deepened. “What’s this all about Angela?”

I cleared my throat and tried for a sultry look. “I think you know.”

He cocked his head and looked me up and down again. Slowly. “You don’t have to hijack a man’s keys to get his attention, sweetheart.”

I planted my hands on my generous hips. “Apparently, I do, because you sure as shit haven’t followed through on any one of your invitations.”

His lips twitched. “I thought you flirted like that with all the guys.”

“You ever see me do it? Even once?”

His jaw tightened. Fatigue showed in the shadows under his eyes. Stubble clung to his craggy cheeks.

I felt a momentary twinge of guilt over the fact I was keeping him from his bed, but that was all I’d allow. He was young and hot as hell. If he needed sleep that damn bad, he could tell his latest squeeze to come around another time. Tonight, he was mine.

“My keys weren’t in the lockbox. I know I left ’em there.”

“You did indeed,” I said nodding. Then I looked him up and down, making sure he hadn’t mistaken my intent. “Fact is, I have an itch that needs scratchin’ and I’m hopin’ you’ll help me out.”

I tried to exude more confidence than I felt, but lost my nerve on the return trip up his hard body. I paused and swallowed hard, then gave a little cough to loosen the knot lodging at the back of my throat. When I reached his mouth, he was grinning..

Shit.

“Angela, is there somethin’ you want?”

You, preferably naked and tied spread-eagle on a bed so you can’t stop me nibbling every edible part of you.

“Angela?”

“Is there something I want? Yeah, there is.”

“Then just say it.”

But I couldn’t. I felt foolish enough. I reached into my purse and drew out his key ring. “Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken this so far.”

“You made me wait half an hour, when I could have been home, showered and in bed. You know how long I’ve been out this time.”

“I know. I arranged the schedule.”

Still, he didn’t take the keys.

I took a step toward him and had to tilt my head to maintain the lock on his gray gaze.

His hands settled on my waist.”You want somethin’, sweetheart?” he repeated, his voice lowering to a sexy rumble.

I squeezed my eyes shut, prayed for courage and that the blush staining my cheeks would fade. “I want you,” I said, then opened my eyes.

His grin widened. “Now, was that so hard?”

“Matter of fact it was.”

He bent toward me, his gaze narrowing on my mouth, but I turned away my face. “Not here. Your rig.”

His eyebrows shot up, and he pushed me gently back. “After you. You know where I’m docked, and you have a key. Let yourself inside and get comfortable. I’m hittin’ the locker room for a quick shower. I smell like diesel.” He turned on his heel, giving me another view of that backside I’d drooled over for months.

A moan slipped from my mouth, and I heard a chuckle as he pushed through the door and left me standing weak-kneed in his wake.

* * * * *

The winner of the Authors After Dark Grab Bag is…Janice Peruzzini! The winner of the first $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate for being a stellar Promo Ho is…Crystal Hynds! Ladies, email me at del…@delilahdevlin.com to arrange delivery of your prizes! Congrats!