UPDATE: The winner is Brenda Rumsey!
*~*~*

Buy Link:
https://books2read.com/u/3RnOyY

It’s aliens!

From Ice Barbarians to Spider-men, aliens have invaded romance. Everywhere I look there’s some new alien romance sprouting up, and it’s quickly moving into monster/alien romance as well. There are interesting tales, species that are desperate for mates, human women seeking love, matchmaking agencies, wars… You name it, sci-fi romance writers go for it.

Naturally, I decided to jump into this and kick off a new series as part of the upcoming boxset, Chosen By An Alien.

Twenty stories of alien love. With plenty of action, adventure, and of course, aliens!

My story, “Operation: Pinpoint”, focuses specifically on a futuristic world where humanity has left Earth and travels throughout space on a constant-in-motion mothership. Humanity seeks to further its future existence by making allies with alien species and gaining technology.

Main character Captain Ravenna Joyner is a Space Force Ops Commando on a mission to find her missing lover. She’s roped into an unlikely partnership with an alien called Dravos Trax.

Dravos is Hirudo, a species burdened by severe anemia, and required to feed from the blood of animals to replenish their iron supply. Yes, you read that right— Space Vampires. Dravos is also a prisoner of Space Force and using his tracking abilities to locate a missing vessel is his way of negotiating for his freedom.

The only problem, Ravenna is Dravos fated mate. Between mistrust, betrayals, and a conspiracy that will rock the universe, Ravenna and Dravos are forced to work together even as their connection may threaten everything.

Of course, I’m only one story in a pond drop, there are 19 other adventures as well for just $0.99.

For a chance to win a book from my backlist, tell me this… Are you an alien sci-fi romance fan? What type of aliens do you like?

UPDATE: The winners are…Colleen C, Pamela Reveal, Debbie Caswell, Bn100, and Cheryl!
*~*~*

I won’t actually do any counting here, because that’s too much like math and, well… ew. But over the past few years, I’ve come to love the concept of anthologies.

Firstly, I get a try out new-to-me authors. Yes, this can also be accomplished by buying random books from random authors, but this tactic is a tad inefficient. And if I’ve spent hard-earned money on a whole book that turns out to be poorly written, poorly edited, or just plain unsatisfying, it’s like biting into a chocolate chip cookie only to realize it’s oatmeal raisin.

But a whole selection of authors and voices in one purchase? That’s a buffet! A smorgasbord! A feast, and I’m sure to find at least one (usually several) author whose voice I now love and can’t wait to read more of!

Secondly, short stories rock. I still love thick books with massive world-building that transports me across the universe or deep into a secret world within the world I already know and takes my mind and heart on an operatic-level journey toward an epic conclusion. A full 7-course meal with all the pomp and circumstance in presentation, complete with three different forks, two spoons, and weird clamp-type utensils for the escargot.

But there’s something to be said for peeling back everything but the most essential, impactful details and getting right to the heart of the story. Skipping all the minutia and going straight for dessert. Getting my money shot and my Happily-Ever-After and my hand-to-my-heart-deep-sigh-of-satisfaction… while waiting to pick a kiddo up from whatever practice they have today.

Lastly, there’s the price. I could achieve all of the above without buying an anthology… and spend a fortune doing it. Ooooor, I can dip my toe in the waters of an anthology for a lot less financial outlay. The greater the price of a book (or ebook), the greater my expectations. And therefore, the greater my disappointment if it’s not awesome.

Buuuuut, a quality book from a sure source that only costs 99-cents? OMG take my money and keep the change!!

And funny that I should be extolling the benefits of anthologies… because Delilah’s latest Boys Behaving Badly Anthology is going live October 12^th. The Cowboys edition has everything you’d want in an anthology: great authors, rocking short stories, a can’t-pass-up-price, smokin’ hot cowboy heroes that will set your naughty bits aflame, and heroines you’ll feel in your heart because you’ve been them at some point in your life. I’m thrilled to be part of this year’s anthology, and (squee!!) have read most of the other stories… trust me, they are ah-mazing!!

GIVEAWAY

Please comment with something anthology-related (your favorite, a fun experience, why you like them, etc.), and I’ll randomly pick five winners to receive an Amazon pre-order of the upcoming Cowboys anthology.

An excerpt from “Solar Flare” in Cowboys by Ava Cuvay

Planet Crysceous, Iona Quadrant

“Dad, the Coronal Mass Ejection will reach us tomorrow. Have you hired the replacements to herd—” Solarne Vacca jerked to a halt halfway into her father’s office, her attention snagged by the three strangers standing there. Specifically, the tall drink of aqua at the front, one hip cocked and his arms crossed at his chest, far enough from the blaster strapped to his thigh to appear non-threatening.

One glance at his sharpshooter’s face was enough to know his relaxed manner was an act.

Her heart hammered in her throat. She’d seen this man on the “Wanted” holo-vids posted around this system, sporting a list of violent offenses. He was even more striking in person, lounging with all the self-assurance of a king. Nearly two meters tall, with a head of bedroom-mussed hair as dark as a starless night, eyes the color of a cloudy day, and a body built for sin. She wouldn’t be a woman if the view didn’t steal her breath and shoot heat straight to her core with laser-point accuracy. But she was also CEO in charge of her family’s sprawling crehdisth worm ranch. This was her kingdom. And this man’s visit was a threat.

He was not here for a casual social call. He was a hired gun.

Hello again! Grace Adams here, Nearly Published Author of Elemental Dragons book one Fire’s Rising. I’m thrilled to be back as a guest blogger of the gracious Delilah Devlin.

Last time in my first ever guest blog post I offered a chance to win a copy of my debut paranormal romance to anyone who commented, so let me first offer congratulations to Debra Guyette. I’ll reach out and make sure I’ve got your details and you’ve got mine, and before Fall turns to Winter you’ll be my first ever honest-to-goodness reader-who’s-not-related-to-me. In the meantime, read on while I reveal Clan Drakon’s sigil as well as all four of the Elemental Dragon titles. And tell you how to enter to win a set of these dragon magnets (see below!).

I read contemporary romance, historical romance, and romantic suspense, but my favorite genre is paranormal romance. I think it’s because my first book love was science fiction/fantasy. When paranormal romance burst onto the scene, I had the best of both worlds. So the choice of what genre to write, when I finally decided to write, was a simple one. And so was the choice of what kind of paranormal creatures I’d write about. Because it was always going to be dragons.

Ah, dragons. I’ve wanted a dragon of my own ever since I picked up my first Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern book. How I devoured book after book about Pern and its dragons.

So all these years later I asked myself, what if dragons were real? All capable of flight and breathing fire, but each with a magical bond to one of the four elements: Fire, Air, Water, and Earth.

And what if human beings could be dual-souled, sharing their minds and bodies with dragons who emerge from within their human half? Of course, the dragons would share their magic. These dragon shifters would be powerful beings when in dragon form and equally so when in human form, with their dragon’s shared magic affording the shifter an affinity over some aspect of their dragon’s element.

I imagined the dragon shifters of Clan Drakon have always walked among humanity, hidden for the Clan’s entire two-thousand-year history, yet emerging often enough to spawn fantastical myths and mysteries. Awakening awe. Fear. Even loathing. For perhaps the medieval Order of the Dragon — yes, there actually was a real medieval Order of the Dragon — was in fact formed by knights fanatically devoted to destroying all dragon shifters and obliterating their abomination from God’s sight…

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. Elemental. But with dragons!

Book one will be Fire’s Rising, about fire dragons Lili and Cole, meeting in the summer at the start of a year-long battle between Clan Drakon and the Order of the Dragon. The story continues into the fall with air dragon Nina and virologist Reuel in Wind’s Fury, shivers through winter with water dragon Sonnan and CDC doctor Adrian in Storm’s Warning, and races to its conclusion in the spring with earth dragon James and FBI agent Isabella in Earth’s Awakening.

In my slow-but-steady crawl toward publication, I come to you now with the reveal of the sigil for my clan of dragon shifters, Clan Drakon.

Contest

Thanks for reading! For a chance to win the set of magnets, tell me your favorite mythological creature in the comments. Have you always wanted to meet a mermaid at the shore? Fly with a griffon? Race through the woods with a fairy? What magical being has filled your dreams and flights of fantasy?

About the Author

Grace Adams is a 2017 Golden Heart® finalist and award-winning author of paranormal romance who loves nothing more than a happy ending. Whatever the genre, regardless of the medium, as long as justice prevails, the good guys win, and people are falling in love, she’s in.

A lifelong reader of science fiction, fantasy, and of course romance, Grace also enjoys painting and drawing and is an avid skier. One of those rare Geeks who loves both Star Wars AND Star Trek, she’s got a closet full of costumes she created and firmly believes that she who dies with the most fabric (and books) (and shoes) wins.

Grace has a B.S. in Mathematics from Ursinus College and an M.A. in English from Wright State University.  She is a veteran of the USAF as a communications officer and currently works as an IT Controls Analyst. She shares her home with the best super cats ever, Thor and Loki.

UPDATE: The winner is…Donna Antonio!
*~*~*

October 12th is fast approaching! Have you pre-ordered your copy of Cowboys? It’s going to be huge! 15 sexy stories by some familiar names and by authors you’ll want to get to know real quick! Did I mention it’s only $0.99?! Crazy, right? The point is, this is a book we want EVERYONE to read, because there’s literally something for everyone inside it.

Right now, you can only pre-order it on Amazon, but it will go wide soon. If you want to pre-order your copy now, here’s the link: COWBOYS

Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology

Get ready to fall in love with sensual tales filled with the earthy scent of horses, cows, and crisp, clean sweat; the sight of sun-leathered skin and crow’s feet; the feel of work-hardened thighs and arms; and the sound of a deep-voiced drawl…

Inside Cowboys: A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology, you’ll find the following stories by some of the hottest romance writers out there… 

Sweet Home Cowboy by Jamie K. Schmidt – A runaway bride returns home to visit her father in the hospital only to discover her jilted groom has taken control of the family’s ranch

Free Rein by Elle James – Former Delta, now rodeo security cowboy, rescues a barrel racer on a runaway horse, rekindling an old flame in the process

Eight Seconds by Margay Leah Justice – At the rodeo, sometimes all it takes is eight seconds to fall in love

Sweetgrass Summer by Reina Torres – A rock-steady rancher, determined to give his love a slow traditional courting, is surprised when she takes the reins

Cowboys & Zombies by Cindy Tanner – Nothing can keep me from my cup of coffee—not the threat of zombies or a double-shot of sexy cowboy…nothing venti-ed, nothing earned

Carry Me Home by Kelly Violet – Down on her luck, a city girl travels back to Kansas and the boy she left behind

East of the Rift by January George – A family tragedy reunites a lonely rancher with his estranged wife

Tying the Knot by Jennie Kew – A city girl, with a submissive streak a mile wide, falls fast for a dominant, dirty-talking cowboy

Second Chances by Megan Ryder – Overwhelmed trying to hold onto her dead husband’s ranch, a lonely widow turns to the one man she can’t have for a night of passion

The Patience of Unanswered Prayer by Michal Scott – Kidnapped and destined to be another victim of Reconstruction-era violence, a feisty shop owner is rescued by a trail boss whose dark secret might save them both

Something to Talk About by Izzy Archer – When a grad student takes a job as a nanny to two motherless children on a cutting horse ranch, she catches the eye of her sexy boss

The Scoundrel by Natasha Moore – A lonely widow finds her strength when she indulges her attraction to a weathered cowboy on his last night in town

Solar Flare by Ava Cuvay – An interplanetary rancher recruits hired guns to help herd her livestock and falls into the arms of their sexy leader

Hunk of Burning Love by Delilah Devlin – A woman accidentally sets her kitchen on fire while trying to catch the eye of a Texas firefighter

Thoroughbreds and Thermodynamics by Sukie Chapin – A nerdy vet weathers a snowstorm to help a hot-as-hell rancher deliver a breach foal; save a horse, ride a cowboy, indeed!

Pre-order your copy here!

Contests

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what themes you’d like to see for the next anthologies!

And for a second chance to win ANOTHER GIFT CARD, be sure to head over to my Collections website to read about what we’ll be doing in the runup to the release! Delilah’s Collections

UPDATE: The winner is…Misty Dawn!
*~*~*

I’m currently suffering from a flabby middle.

I don’t mean the rolls that come with middle age, although I do have those. I’m talking about the flabby middle of my current book. The halfway point when the story can get mired and struggle to make headway toward the happy ending. Add the fact this is the second book in a trilogy, and I’m dealing with a double whammy: I’m in the flabby middle of the flabby middle. It’s quicksand for an author, and I’m up to my ears in it.

I love this aging-cyborg trilogy and I had such high hopes for this second book. Such enthusiasm for these characters and this story… but it all just seems to wander around aimlessly. No focus, no energy, no—Gasp!—mojo. Something is seriously wrong with my story!

These are the times when an author sits down and has a heart-to-heart with her characters. I don’t mind my characters running amuck with my anticipated plot… as long as they’re, you know, moving in some direction even if it’s not the one I’d planned for them. But my conversations with my characters are like talking to my teen children. Lots of mumbling, some grunting, eye-rolling, and heaving sighs. You know, real mature behavior coming from characters who are in their thirties! *gives characters the stink eye*

Or maybe I’m the problem. Beginning late last year, I’ve undertaken being in charge of my unmarried, aging aunt… her finances, her health, her wellbeing, and her neglected house. All this from a state away. It’s been an enormous and very-daily responsibility, and it has zapped my creative juices. The care and feeding of active teens have evaporated the rest. I’m in the flabby middle of my life, mired in obligations and struggling to make headway.

My muse is depleted to a greater extent than even during last year’s quarantine crisis. The spirit is willing to write, but my focus, my energy, my—Gasp!—mojo is gone.

But enough whining! This all shall pass and I will emerge on the other side of this saggy middle—my life and my cyborg book—with a strong, engaging story my readers will love! In the meantime, I’m celebrating placing second in the PRISM contest’s Sci-fi/Futuristic category with the first book of my cyborg trilogy, Tin Man. And I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to a random winner for commenting on something (big or small) in your own life you’d like to celebrate!

About Ava Cuvay

Ava Cuvay is an award-winning bestselling author of Sci-fi Romance featuring sassy heroines, gutsy heroes, passion, and adventure… often set in a galaxy far, far away. She resides in central Indiana with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder and kiddos who remind her daily she’s not nearly as cool and hip as she thinks. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

website: http://www.avacuvay.com/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Ava-Cuvay/e/B01E5OIZ0I
Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15051407.Ava_Cuvay
Facebook: https://facebook.com/AvaCuvayAuthor/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ava-cuvay

Nothing gets my engines revving as a romance reader like a super determined (and often grim) hero chasing his wily passionate female through obstacle-strewn terrain.

There are twists and turns, near misses, danger, and the thrill of the hunt. The more she evades him, the more frustrated he becomes and the hotter the capture scene will be. We know once he finally places his hands on her, his hands will be ALL over her. (Fans my face.)

Delilah Devlin crafts this emotional buildup extremely well in Cage, her first Montana Bounty Hunters story. Cage, her hero, is hunting Elaine, his ex-wife. And she gives him a great and wonderfully steamy chase.

Taelyn, the heroine of Baring Grudge, my brand new cyborg romance release, makes Grudge, the cyborg hero, pursue her also. Their game of predator and prey spans the entire universe.

She wants him. Badly. And she senses he wants her with the same fervor. His brilliant blue eyes glow when he looks at her. His body reacts to her proximity.

But she also believes he plans to deliver her to the Humanoid Alliance, the baddies, a cruel and harsh organization she has been stealing from and tormenting in other ways. Those beings, if they find Taelyn, will torture and kill her.

There will be repercussions for being caught.

That is part of the thrill of reading about these hunts. They have consequences.

We realize it won’t be all gentle touches and soft words when the hero finally secures the heroine. The sexy times will be explosive (especially in the case of bomb-loving Grudge) and rough. She will be punished in some way.

There will be repercussions for the hero also. And conflict. She is his heroine yet he has a duty to fulfill. Will he choose love or honor?

What is your favorite romance that features a chase or a hunt between the love interests? What prompted that chase?

Baring Grudge

No one in the universe is more determined
than a cyborg warrior tracking his female.

Grudge, a C Model cyborg, has been assigned a mission – safeguard a Humanoid Alliance space station for his kind. Honor was once all he had, and he is determined to fulfill his duty.

That resolve is tested when a tiny human female enters the space station and sets the prettiest little explosives the warrior has ever seen. She is Grudge’s genetic match, the one being manufactured for him. He wants to touch her, kiss her, claim her in all ways, but first he has to stop her from blasting him into the next galaxy.

Taelyn has a self-appointed mission—to destroy every battle robot the Humanoid Alliance has ever manufactured. A huge gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg warrior with mismatched arms won’t prevent her from achieving her goal. She’ll escape him, leaving destruction in her wake.

Before she departs, she’ll experience one toe-curling moment of hatred-edged passion with her handsome foe. She’ll show him how skilled with detonations she truly is. He will have his universe rocked.

Then she’ll disappear.

Her cyborg, however, has no intention of ever letting her go.

Baring Grudge is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.

It features a determined, damaged warrior, an equally resolute human female, and an explosive game of predator and prey played across galaxies.

Buy Now:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B08ZL2D986
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/baring-grudge/id1559566673
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baring-grudge-cynthia-sax/1139086727
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/baring-grudge
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1075600

About Cynthia Sax

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax writes steamy Cyborg, Alien and Contemporary Romances. Her stories have been featured on TV, in Star Magazine, and numerous top ten lists.

Sign up for her dirty-joke-filled monthly newsletter and visit her on the web at www.CynthiaSax.com.

Website:  http://cynthiasax.com/
Newsletter:   http://cynthiasax.com/newsletter/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/cynthiasax/
Twitter:  @CynthiaSax
Blog:  http://tasteofcyn.com/

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary McCoy!
*~*~*

The start of school in my district looms in the very near future, and I’m trying to transition from Summer mentality to Subbing mode. Amazingly enough, this year will be my fourth year as a Substitute Teacher…an anniversary shared with my career as an author/illustrator of children’s picture books.

In truth, the latter exists solely because of the former.

Before I became a Substitute Teacher, I’d already been a published author of Sci-fi Romance with two novels under my belt. I was working diligently to establish my brand and promote my books. I carried business cards with me everywhere, but I also special-ordered a phone case with my first book cover on it. What better way to begin a conversation about my romance books than to have someone notice my phone case!

Unfortunately, the only people who noticed my sexy phone case were elementary students I was substitute teaching. Ack! Big-time F****-Up! I depended on my phone’s alarm to keep me mindful of subject transitions, recess, lunchtimes, etc. And thought nothing of the instrument of my timekeeping…until kiddos started to comment.

A few “that man’s neck is really long,” “I can see that man’s chest,” and “Who is Ava Cuvay and why is she on your phone” was all it took. I snatched a little story bobbing around my head and wrote it down, then I drew pictures to go with it. I ended up with Slow Squirrels for Old Dog, a sweet first-grade level book to honor my 14-year-old dog who had passed away. Not the most cheerful idea for a book, but it was a cathartic step in my personal grief, and the death of a beloved pet is something any owner deals with at some point. Loss isn’t something we can or should pretend never happens, and I’ve found young children are, for the most part, resilient and pragmatic on the topic.

So! Children’s book published and new, school-age-appropriate phone cover in place, I thought I could leave it at that and get back to my Romance books. But the interest and enthusiasm from the students kept pulling me back to make more. This last June, I published my third children’s book, Soaposaurus Rex Versus Poop Ninja. A special request for a friend’s 7-year old son, it’s an action-packed, humorous story to encourage handwashing.

When I attend author signings, my three children’s books are as popular as my romance novels. When I substitute teach, they are a great starting point to talk about writing and drawing and encouraging students to pursue their dreams.

Four years later, I’m so grateful I F****’d Up and neglected to consider what was on my phone case that first year of Subbing!

**Giveaway**

Because we’re talking children’s books, comment with your favorite children’s book for a chance at a $10 Amazon gift card!

About the Author

Ava Cuvay w/a Tippi Hickey: Tippi lives in central Indiana with her hubby, kiddos, kitties, and a love of all pets furry, fuzzy, feathery, and scaly!

Social Media Links:
Website: https://TippiHickeyAuthor.wordpress.com
Email: Author.TippiHickey@outlook.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TippiHickeyAuthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17928757.Tippi_Hickey