Life happens, and last year I hit rock bottom. In an emotional whirlwind, I found myself unable to write mysteries or crime stories. They took me to a place that I couldn’t quite crawl out of. Their darkness I couldn’t so easily wash away.

But the love of writing didn’t just leave. Words continued to loop. I needed to write, to place words on a page—even if no one ever saw them. Simply put: I had to again find out who I am, and why I write the things that speak to me. Sometimes the sexy Highlander is just what this girl needs, but other times a vampire or two would be enough to keep reality at bay.

During my worst days, the comfort I found in a paranormal romance—the action, adventure, romance and smoking hot heroes—made it all worth it. I could curl up and enjoy the ups and downs, following their trials and tribulations. So, it wasn’t long until the muse showed up again with characters in tow. And the characters just happened to be of the fantastical kind, carrying the Viking sword called the Ulfberht.

The Ulfberht made it that the Vikings were fierce in battle, for the steel sword was strong, practically unbreakable (it was in such a demand and quality that there were even counterfeit Ulfberhts created and sold for those who could not afford or obtain the original).

Getting in bed with a paranormal romance has not been an easy feat for this crime fiction author. Sure, research is part and parcel of creating a story, but there is so much that I didn’t know. As the story unfurled, I then realized that I wished to tell more than what people might expect with Vikings—the stereotypical tale, especially since Viking is probably not a name that they called themselves, but a name given to them. There was no united Viking army, but instead they lived in factions, as tribes (and it must not be forgotten that these tribes, led by chieftains, fought each other).

I didn’t just want to throw in the names of Norse gods, but truly celebrate what we typically know and maybe even reveal things that we didn’t know. So, the what-if questions formed and elements of time travel mixed with Vikings, and the fantastical tale of a shape-shifting dragon. I wanted to build a world that provided enough of a backdrop that could embrace this fantasy with all of its magick.

Taking Delilah’s Plotting Workshop also helped tremendously in pushing me in the right direction with my story. Through this, I learned that my process is multifaceted. It will start with a simple idea, and then the layering begins. Surely, inside my head is a magnificent web of intricate information that I am not even aware of. When I’am inspired and the muse is talking, I am practically living a movie – watching as the characters interact, taking notes as to their performance, and trying to herd the cats struggling to take lead.

I am putting the finishing touches on my next release, and first paranormal romance, Snakes and Dragons.   Who doesn’t like men wielding swords?

Why Vikings and Dragons? The answer is why not!

So tell me, what do you like about Vikings and Dragons?

About the Author

TINA GLASNECK is the author of the Spark Before Dying Series, including Deadly Sins, and Angels Cry, as well as 7 Twisted Fairy Tales, a collection of fractured flash fiction fairy tales.

In 2015, Tina created a reader-centric blog called Celebrate with a Book, where she promotes authors and their works. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime Central Virginia, Romance Writers of America, and Virginia Romance Writers.

A proud geek-girl, Tina resides in Virginia. She holds a Masters of Arts in Religion degree; enjoys history, traveling, and cooking; and, when she is not creating a story, she can be found putting paint on a canvas or playing video games. Connect with Tina online at her website and join her newsletter to stay up-to-date on her next release.

Picture it. A dark, quiet space with only a pale blue light for illumination. Thick ropes tied off on a long, metal bar, each peg numbered with the rope extending into the darkness above. The wooden stage shrouded with black curtains suspended from metal bars. This is my favorite part of the theater. While many actors ran their lines in the dressing rooms or peered into mirrors framed in light bulbs and adjusted their hair or makeup, I found myself seeking the cool sanctuary of the rigging before the curtain opened, the spotlight turned up, and the show commenced.

In that solitude, interrupted only when a stagehand rushed by or the actors took their places just before the grand drape parted, I imagined the stories the space held secret. The trysts on the catwalks, stolen kisses while waiting to pull ropes or setting lights. Gossip and secrets shared or confessed in the darkness. It was the perfect place to escape for a few fleeting moments from the ten hour rehearsals for ten straight days before running the show for two weekends. As the shows ran, the next series of ten hour days began with rehearsals for the next show of the summer season.

Summer Stalked incorporates that sense of solitude in the rigging, as well as the drama happening behind the curtains, at a summer theater. One of the main characters, John-Michael Wolfe, seeks sanctuary on the catwalks and ropes as the other main character searches for him. Though I never pined for one of the other actors as John-Michael did, writing this story brought back many memories and experiences of waiting for opening or taking a deep breath in the pale blue light after the curtain closed before heading backstage to change and get ready for the next rehearsal.

You can read about Luke and John-Michael in Summer Stalked here.

Excerpt:

Disappointed he didn’t find John-Michael, Luke returned to the room he shared with Brayden at the small cluster of cabins by the theater. Brayden was changing into fresh clothes as he entered. Though not Luke’s type at all, he considered his friend an attractive guy with a work-in-progress body. Luke’s gaze roamed over his roommate’s hairy chest and noticed new definition both on his pecs and his arms before settling on Brayden’s caramel eyes. “You’re starting to show your work at the gym. Nice pecs, dude.”

With a smile, Brayden tugged the shirt over the slight roll at his sides and smoothed out the fabric over his stomach. “I’ve got a long way to go.”

“You’re not ripped like me,” Luke said as he pulled up his T-shirt. “You’ll get there if you keep it up, though.”

“I’m not going for the stick-thin anorexic look.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” Luke let his shirt drop and plopped down onto his unmade bed. “Why are you putting on nice clothes? You got a date or something?”

Brayden looked himself over in the mirror. “You could say that.”

Luke puzzled at Brayden’s words before realization dawned. “Booty call?”

With a smirk, Brayden turned to face him. “Maybe.”

Jumping up, Luke’s arms flailed into the air. “Dude! Who is it?”

“Well, since you’re stroking your dick for John-Michael, I need a little somethin’, so I got a date.”

Wrinkling his nose at an unpleasant thought, Luke dropped back onto the bed. “It’s not Colton, is it?” The mere idea turned his stomach.

“Good God, no.” Brayden frowned. “I’m not that desperate.”

“Then who?”

With a shake of his head, Brayden crossed to his own twin bed and slipped on his shoes. “You’re not getting it out of me, so stop asking.”

Eying his friend, Luke furrowed his brow. Brayden usually told him everything, most of the time in gory detail. “What gives? Is it on the down-low?”

“Definitely. Look, all you need to know is that I’ll be back about midnight.” Brayden stood and grabbed his keys from the table. “You got time for a quick drink at the pub?”

Luke brightened up. “Always time for that. You meeting your mystery man there?”

Brayden rolled his eyes and crossed to the door. “No, but it seems a good place to ditch you while I go and get me some.”

With a chuckle, Luke stood. “Okay, man, let’s go.” As Brayden strode out the door, Luke couldn’t help but worry about who his friend was hooking up with.

About the Author

Brent Archer began writing in 2011 at the nudging of his cousins. His first story sold, and he was hooked! The second story in his Golden Scepter Series, Pennington’s Conquest, will release in the Summer of 2016 with MuseItHOT Publishing. Stay tuned!

Visit his website to keep up on upcoming releases, and follow him on Twitter: @brentarcherwrit.

Thanks, Delilah, for having me over today.

“Stop. Pull over here.”

How many times have I uttered those words on our car trips? My husband thinks of the journey one way, it’s the destination. The sooner he gets there, the more fun he can have.

I’m more about stopping and smelling the roses, so to speak. I want to know where we’re going and what’s happening in the towns we pass by. Or at least stop to pee.

He thinks stopping just slows down his timing.

A few years ago, when gas was inching or over the $4.00 mark, I wondered if leisurely car vacations were on their way to the history books. Like Mickey Mouse rotary phones and car hop drive ins. But the oil supply stabilized and prices went down, so much that the guy who sold me my most recent car was shocked when I asked about gas mileage. What he doesn’t know about me is I like to be prepared for the worse.

Anyway, back to roadside attractions. I’m particularly fond of gift shops, historical sites, and zoos. Like the big cat sanctuary, we found as part of a local winery in central Missouri. After touring the tiger enclosure, we went up to the restaurant/bar and gift shop to purchase souvenirs. Who doesn’t need another shot glass or too tight t-shirt?

The setting stuck with me for years and I finally wrote Wild Hearts, the first book in the Castle View series. Book 2, Roadside Attraction deals with what happens when you stay at one of these tourist traps just a little too long.

Of course, my fictional St. Josephs is in northern Idaho, a place I love to visit, as it feels magical. A place where even bad things can turn good.  A place where happy ever after’s actually come true. Mix that with food, I’m in heaven.

What’s your favorite roadside attraction? Or are you a gas and go like my cowboy? We have the remnants of the first Illinois prison to claim here in our little Mississippi town.

Lynn

Roadside Attraction
Book 2 of the Castleview series

Maggie Castle never thought she’d be empty-nesting at 32. When her foster daughter leaves for college, Maggie’s at a loss on how to fill her time except managing her restaurant. Until Josh walks into her bar one night.

Josh Reyes, gave up on his father’s dreams and left the family business. Now Josh is living his own dream – riding his motorcycle through as much backcountry as possible. Until he breaks down outside a little northern Idaho town and meets Maggie.

One is tied to home by commitment and responsibility, one running from home and those ties, can they find common ground or will their attraction be just one more memory from the road?

Buy Link

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and two fur babies.

Delilah, I wanted to thank you for having me here today. For your readers, my name is Houston Havens. I have a series out right now titled Psychic Menage. As of today, there are 4 books out and there will be three more coming for the conclusion of this tale. Today, I am featuring my newest release, Intimate Betrayal, book 4 in this continuing saga.

For more information on my books you can visit my web site: http://houstonhavens.com.

Kindise Wyatt escapes her Star Rider captor and returns to Earth. With the help of a sexy Old World Mole and his mysterious friend, she’s determined to uncover the whereabouts of her lover. Instead, she finds nothing but betrayal and her captor in pursuit.

On the lam after betraying his evil ruler, ex-Dirt Dweller and drifter Jaden Valenti confirms his name is on a hit list. Finding what he believes will be safety amongst the Airbornes, he recreates himself and hides his past until trouble walks back into his life in the name of Kindise Wyatt, the woman he was ordered to assassinate and didn’t.

Due to the obsessions of a Fae woman Sori gave up his hardearned royal title and left his homeland of Elfame. Love is the furthest thing from his mind until he is sent in Jaden’s place to pick-up some cargo…human cargo in the form Kindise Wyatt. He feels the Fae magnetism of his soulmate in her. Problem is; she’s in love with someone else.

Will Jaden fulfill his orders to kill Kindise and get his name removed from the list, or will his secret be exposed and betray the friendship he has with Sori? Does Sori help Kindise find her lover, or will a love between them have a chance to flourish before a fatal attraction and a determined captor rip their love asunder? Will Kindise find true love or will betrayals at every turn crush the fight out of her? Can she find her inner strengths to keep fighting and lead The Freedom Fighters to defeat the Dirt Dweller elites, once and for all?

Intimate Betrayal Excerpt

“Hey, just the man I want to see.” Sori sliced his hand through the air toward the beautiful redhead beside him. “Kindise this is Jaden Valenti.”

He mentally retrieved his chin from the floor as Sori turned toward him, finishing introductions he needn’t finish.

“Jaden meet Kindise Wyatt.” He twisted back to the woman and made a dramatic bow at the waist, concluding. “Welcome to our home.”

Her genuine smile caused a familiar tickle deep in Jaden’s chest. Seeing her expression up close revealed she was more enchanting than any thirty-foot surveillance could show. Nursing the pain of a bullet graze on his left side, he took his time standing but opted out of walking over to shake her hand. Not because his wound prevented him from moving, but because he knew if he got too close, the temptation to kiss her delectable mouth would be overpowering. How many times had he fantasized about her full lips, their warmth, their softness, and their sweet taste? He dreamed of her too many times to count, and now here she stood.

“Jaden?” Sori’s verbal prodding drew him back to the moment.

“Huh? Oh. I’m sorry.” He shook his amorous thoughts about the silkiness of her hair free and bowed his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kindise.”

“It’s kind of you both to allow me to stay here.”

Her glimpse was too fleeting. It barely landed on him before shooting back to Sori. It was the first time he heard her voice; it was as sexy as hell’s temptation and as seductive as the woman herself. If he could only reach out to caress her cheek, while enjoying the depth of those amazing eyes. The deep color was breathtaking, nearly paralyzing him where he stood when she looked back at him. Wait! What did she say? She’s staying here? He straightened just a little taller.

A soft chuckle escaped her, capturing his heart as the sight of her had so long ago. Her thick lashes danced between him and Sori as she spoke. “I promise my intrusion on your privacy won’t be long.”

His pulse pounded through his body. Light dew dampened his palms. Rapid puffs of air exited his lungs on silent billows. This was fate playing out her hand, and rewarding him for the sacrifice he’d made to keep Kindise alive. Fate brought her back to him.

Her deep mellow tone stirred something buried inside him as she said, “as soon as I find–”

“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about.” Sori placed the basket he held on the floor near the kitchen, before taking Kindise’s arm, guiding her toward the sofa where Jaden had been resting.

Holy Christ, I can’t sit next to her. The gentle-sweet smell of her perfume accosted him as he stepped out of the way and headed for the kitchen. Glancing back, he saw Sori turn with raised hands that spoke his silent question. He answered as if he’d been verbally asked. “I’m going to get our guest something to drink.”

“I’ve seen to her needs.”

Jealousy tainted his thoughts. Yeah, well you better not have seen to all of them, my Fae friend.

“Come sit down, we need to talk to you.”

Hi Lovely READERS!

EEEHHHAAAA !! The Cowboy Justice 12-Pack releases on 4/5/16 and is now up for pre-order on ALL OUTLETS for only .99 during pre-order. The set includes TWELVE COWBOY LAWMEN who are so hot it should be criminal my fabulous author  friends: Becky McGraw, Elle James, Donna Michaels, Lexi Post, Cynthia D’Alba, Susan Stoker, Delilah Devlin, Sable Hunter, Sabrina York, Randi Alexander, Lindsay McKenna and Beth Williamson!

I’m delighted to be with these eleven cowgirls who are some of the BEST Western Romance storytellers in the business! My addition is a Delos Series novella I created just for this 12-pack! BLIND SIDED is about a Texas deputy sheriff, Cade Patterson, who has loved Cara Knight from afar. Cara runs the Delos Home School in Clayton, Texas. Born from a rich family, she has been controlled by her father until she was eighteen. Now, at twenty-six, when Cade walks back into her life, everything changes. Her father called him trash from the wrong side of the tracks. But her heart knows different. The past collides with the present. Can their unrequited love blossom? Or is shadowy family secrets going to destroy any hope of a future that Cara desperately wants with this heroic Texas deputy?

Order your copy today! Only .99 cents!!!!

But HURRY!  It won’t stay at this price!  Get your copy NOW!

LINKS
Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | B & N | Kobo

Join me in my NEWSLETTER! Exciting up-to-the-minute information on my books and what I’m writing and doing! Exclusive content! Giveaways monthly! www.lindsaymckenna.com, green button on front page! See you soon!

Just this week, I wrapped up the 4^th book in SEAL OF MY OWN Series. Nothing feels better than to complete a series and yet I feel like I’m leaving my family behind! In the SEAL OF MY OWN series, I blended some of my other series. You’ll see some of my SOS – Stealth Operations Specialists and characters that started out in my COVERT COWBOYS series. I just can’t let go! And yet I’m looking forward to my next series BALLISTIC COWBOYS. Those will come out in 2017.

So this month Navy SEAL Captive released! Books #3 & #4 come out in October and November of this year. I hope you all run out and get your copy now of this book. This is what you’ll find in the book:

• Hot Navy SEAL (what else do you need?)
• Strong heroine/former secret agent/bait for a human trafficking ring
• Lush Cancun setting
• Romance
• Suspense

Available now!

Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo | Nook | iBooks | GooglePlay

Sign up for my newsletter for your chance to win great prizes!
I’m drawing for winners May 3^rd Hurry!

Elle James’s Newsletter

Jilted bride rescues vacationing Navy SEAL only to become
his enemy’s target in NAVY SEAL CAPTIVE

Being abducted by a beautiful woman in Cancun wasn’t part of Sawyer Houston’s R & R mission. Jenna Broyles claims she’s rescuing the vacationing Navy SEAL from unknown assailants. Only it’s her life on the line when the jilted bride becomes a target.

The high-end Mexico resort was supposed to be Jenna’s honeymoon destination. But after a dangerous discovery forces her to play hero, she’s the one in need of the gorgeous stranger’s expertise. As Jenna and Sawyer flee across treacherous tropical jungles, the heat between them builds to a fever pitch. Can they make safe haven before Sawyer’s secrets get them both killed?

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Elle’s Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

Hi Delilah Fans! Spring has sprung and it’s sending our pulses up. Ready for some fun?

All of us authors who write sexy romance have a problem that you can help solve. It’s all about WORDS! I’m running a little contest right now on my Facebook page. If you enter, you’ll have a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate. How to enter?

Like I said, it’s about words—those pesky scribbles we use to convey our thoughts, emotions, and activities. These essential bits of modern civilization are especially bothersome when you’re a romance writer. How many different ways can you say ‘sex’?

Yes, we’re probably even more tired than you of hearing all those terms for body parts or acts of passion. But what other words are there? Writers are pretty much limited to anatomical terms (clitoris, penis, ejaculate—you get the idea), or common nicknames (pussy, cock, seed)—and yes, I know the clit is not the same as the pussy, a term which describes the vulva and/or vagina. Or your favorite feline.

Flowery terms are also overused: bud, petals, folds, center, arousal, manhood… What’s a writer to do?

So please, give me a hand. Visit my Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLizzieAshworth/ ] and add your vote. What do you prefer—anatomical, nickname, or flowery? Your comment enters you to win that gift certificate and, more importantly, gives me some important feedback. THANKS!

Now for the teaser excerpt from my novel Faint Heart:

Morgan Woods took his time rambling back to his office, sorting through the last of the pink message slips. The phone rang, and he collapsed into his chair before answering. Somebody from the Chamber asking politely but persistently about this year’s dues. He made excuses and let the phone down gently before pulling open the bottom drawer and taking out a bottle of scotch. He poured a generous dose into his well-used tumbler and leaned back.

A familiar anxiety coursed through him. No matter what he did or how hard he worked, he never felt like he’d done enough. And it never was enough. For years, he’d held on believing he could build a successful business, take over for his dad, and support them both so his dad could enjoy retirement. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he even toyed with the idea of finding someone to love and maybe raise a family, his dad’s idea more than his own. When Cara Carson crossed his radar, that thought popped to the surface.

But he wasn’t any closer than he’d ever been in opening himself to a serious relationship. Farther away, really. Maybe he needed to face reality and admit it might never happen. Marriage and family were highly overrated, anyway.

He should know.

The whiskey’s heat warmed his neck and almost immediately began relaxing muscles that had been screaming at him since sometime before lunch. Maybe he was getting old. Maybe sitting at a desk or behind the controls of a big Cat had made him soft. Shoveling mud had put his whole body to work. It almost felt good, in a self-torture kind of way, like a vicious deep massage or a too-hot sauna. He looked through the messages again, sorting them by priority.

The front door slammed. “Back here!” he shouted. He waited to hear the footsteps, one man or another coming in late off a job to unload gear or get the work sheet for the next day. He hadn’t checked the clipboards. He stood up and started out of the office, and came face to face with Ms. Carson.

“Oh!” she began. “What are you doing here?”

Damn, she had a way about her. His jaw pulsed. “What am I…? I work here. What’s your excuse?”

She glared at him and peeked around him toward Dutch’s office. “Is Mr. Woods here?”

“No, he’s out sick. I think Margaret told you that each of the nine times you called. Didn’t she?”

Another glare. Well, let her glare. He was too tired and stressed out to care much about this little princess or her project. Unfortunately, she hadn’t lost any of her appeal since he last saw her. Her dark hair had partly come loose from the tie on the back of her head, and wafted in strands along her cheeks. The same petulant expression on her lips made him instantly crazy. It might not be a good idea that she was here when he was exhausted and rapidly sinking into the cozy glow of good scotch.

In spite of his more honorable intentions, his gaze traveled over her body, the proud jut of her breasts inside that nondescript shirt, the curve of her luscious ass, the long legs that had been draped over his arm… He cleared his throat and brought his stare back to her indignant face, fighting to keep a lascivious grin off his face.

~~~

Visit my blog [ http://lizzieashworth.com/2016/04/02/spring-bargain/] for the rest of this hot excerpt.

SPRING SPECIAL!  I’ve got a discount going until April 9. The regular $2.99 price for Faint Heart is knocked down to 99¢ at Smashwords. []

Thanks for reading!

I live in the wilds of the Ozark Mountains with my cats, hound dogs, and whichever child has taken up temporary residence between grad school and relocation. I’ve been writing my entire life and can’t express how wonderful it is to share stories with readers like you. Every book comes from my heart in the hopes that you’ll find a bit of pleasure within these pages. Thank you for your kind words and appreciation! You make it all worthwhile.

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