Win Over 60 Prizes at the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Thankfully Naughty Blog Hop!

Today I'm giving away a copy of Sabrina York's Making Over Maris and a copy of Kristine Cayne's Everything Bared! Both of these books are sizzling hot, and they'll go to one lucky winner! 

I'm very pleased to announce that Malavita, the prequel to my Blood and Honor series, is FREE on all retailers! 

Praise for Malavita

"This is the first book I have ever read by this author and I have to say I couldn't put it down till I finished it. What a ride I got! Love, action, excitement, crime families, heck, what more could you ask??" - Cedarblue, Amazon reader 

"I just love Dana's writing, the plot is very well thought out, fast paced and full of action, and as I've said before with her work, every word is relevant. The story has everything, romance, revenge, 'blood', 'honor', suspense, action, you name it this book covers it. Dana Delamar is definitely an author to watch." - Lindsay and Jane's Views and Reviews blog

"...once I got started with Malavita, I could not, would not put it down. The storyline is captivating from the beginning.... Not only do you have a fantastic love story, but the Mob is involved...I felt dirty (in a good way) just reading it. Written expertly. Exciting, fun, action, suspense, love, honor, loyalty....just fantastic!!" - Liz Cabrejos, Amazon reader

What's it about?

A son determined to avenge his family. A daughter desperate for peace.
Two fathers intent on destruction...

Enrico Lucchesi never wanted anything to do with the Mafia. But when his brothers were murdered, he accepted that he would someday be the next don. However, he doesn't accept that he must marry the daughter of the man who killed them. Enrico will never trust an Andretti, never mind love one. The Andrettis are up to something with their so-called "truce"--and Enrico must avenge his siblings. But will his dark secret spell the end of his vengeance--and possibly the Lucchesis? 

After Antonella Andretti's father tries to destroy the Lucchesis, she persuades him that an alliance--achieved by her marriage to Enrico, the "golden boy" she's loved from afar--would be in everyone's best interests. As her wedding day approaches, people close to her father start dying, and her fiancé's behavior is suspect. When she learns Enrico's true feelings about her--and what her father's actual plans are--will Antonella damn their families to eternal war, or will she broker a peace that might destroy her heart?

Excerpt:

Enrico offered Antonella a hand up. She rose from the stone floor of the loggia and dusted off her dress, then turned her back to Enrico. “Do I look all right?”

His hand brushed along her hip, leaving tingles in its wake. “You look lovely.”

The deepened tones of his voice, the slow, appreciative way he delivered the compliment, started her heart pounding, made her breath catch in her throat. Could he possibly mean what he was saying? Well, he had kissed her, and then when he’d taken her hand and placed it on his…

She could hardly believe any of it had happened. But it had. That kiss, so soft, so gentle, so delicious. And then that hardness—she’d caused that. She had. 

It was enough to make her head spin.

Enrico’s fingers closed around hers and he tugged her to him. “I’m sorry we were interrupted,” he said, a smile curving his mouth. 

The fluttering in her chest intensified. Was he going to kiss her again? She’d dreamed of this moment for so long, she felt almost sick with anticipation—and fear. What if she disappointed him? What if he laughed at her?

What if… he was toying with her?

She searched his face, trying to read his intentions. His chocolate brown eyes twinkling, he bent down until his lips hovered over hers. “I promise to be a gentleman,” he said before kissing her again, more firmly this time, his lips coaxing a soft sound out of her as an indescribable pleasure swept through her body. 

Every place they touched, every bit of skin, lit up as if it were giving off sparks. He slid a hand up to cup the base of her skull, and the other pressed against her lower back, urging her against him once more. But it was his mouth—his wonderful, sinful mouth—that truly undid Antonella. His lips parted, moving against hers in a slow feathering caress that she mimicked, pleased to hear him groan low in his throat and clutch her more fiercely. 

His mouth opened wider and his tongue traveled across the seam of her lips. Did he want her to…? He did it again, and she opened up for him, shocked and amazed when his tongue swept inside her mouth, finding hers and stroking it. She’d never have guessed she’d enjoy such a thing, but now she understood why the girls in her class had giggled about it.

She clutched at his broad shoulders, her knees feeling suddenly weak. How had he reduced her to a quivering mass so quickly? She was nothing but raw emotion, raw reaction. It was all so overwhelming, she needed to sit down. She broke the kiss, and his eyes opened. He looked as stunned as she felt. “Are you okay?” he asked.

He hadn’t let go of her, and she was grateful for it. “It’s just so… much,” she finally whispered. Dio, she must sound like an idiot! Heat raced over her neck and face, making her ears burn. 

He chuckled, but he still held her. “I’d forgotten.”

“What?”

“My first kiss. It shocked the hell out of me.”

Jealousy swamped her. Someone else had kissed her Rico. She straightened and held his gaze. “I’m not shocked.”

“Surprised, at least?”

“A little,” she allowed.

“Want to do it again?” he asked, a wicked grin on his face.

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Nook US | Nook UK | Apple iTunes | Kobo | All Romance eBooks | Smashwords | Sony

If you prefer paperback, you can find Malavita here: 

Print US | Print UK 

Prize Giveaway!

To thank you for visiting my blog and participating in the Thankfully Naughty Giveaway Hop, I'm giving away giving away a copy of Sabrina York's Making Over Maris and a copy of Kristine Cayne's Everything Bared! Both of these books are sizzling hot, and they'll go to one lucky winner!  

To win, you must post a comment with your name and email address. Comments without an email address will be discarded. (Blog comment email addresses are required in case of typos in the Rafflecopter entry; they aren't used for any other purpose.) 

For additional chances to win, follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter.

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To continue hopping, click the next person on the list!

I survived the infamous Simon Duringer interview!

Today I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by Simon Duringer. He subjected me to an interesting and fun gauntlet of ten questions. Find out what I’d do if abducted by a pirate!

http://simonduringer.com/latest-news/simons-10-q-interview/dana-delamar/dana-delamar-author/

Tag, You're It! Blog Hop

Today Nancy S. Thompson, author of the romantic thriller The Mistaken (a very good book, BTW--you should read it!) tagged me for the Tag, You're It! Blog Hop. Here's how it works: 

I answer the following four questions, then tag three others. Here we go!

1. What are you working on now?

I'm wrapping up Redemption, the fourth book my Blood and Honor romantic suspense series, about two warring Mafia families in Italy. This book is about Antonio, who readers first met in Revenge. He's a flirty bad boy and has been a reader favorite from the beginning. In this book, we learn about his past, see him struggling to adapt to his new role in the family, and find out what happens when Bianca, the one woman he's never been able to forget, walks back into his life--just as everything in it is blowing apart. An even bigger problem? Bianca's brother wants Antonio dead, and it's not clear whose side she's on.

2. How does it differ from other work in its genre?

A lot of romantic suspense books star cops, firefighters, or military heroes. I love the genre, but I wanted to do something a little different. I also wanted to set my first series in Italy, and I love Mafia stories, so it seemed like a no-brainer to set a story in that world. I hadn't quite counted on the depth of research I'd end up doing, or the difficulties of writing about a country that I love but haven't lived in for any significant amount of time. Nor had I bargained on how complicated it is to write what's essentially a family saga as well. This idea originally started off as one book. Now it's a five-part series! But I'm having a blast writing it, and I'm really going to miss it when I'm done. 

3. Why do you write?

I started out writing romance novels (well, more like novellas) when I was a teenager. I'd write stories starring me or my sisters or friends and whatever rock stars we happened to be in love with at the moment. My sister and I later wrote a historical romance (still starring all our favorite rock stars, but behaving as we imagined they would during the Regency period). That story had twin princesses in it who (of course) are kidnapped by handsome highwaymen, who (of course) weren't really highwaymen... I think you can imagine how the rest of that went! 

In college, I studied writing, but despaired of ever authoring the next Great American Novel. I'm just not that kind of writer! And though I later took a number of stabs at writing a book (usually some kind of thriller or suspense story), it wasn't until almost two decades later that I realized I'd better actually get off my butt and finish something, or being a writer would never be more than a dream. I also looked myself square in the eye and admitted that I loved romance novels. I'd quit reading them some time in my early twenties (I thought I ought to read something less frivolous), but I'd always been attracted to love stories, the more romantic, the better. So I got hooked up with Romance Writers of America and went back to my first love, romance!

All of this is a long way of saying that I write because I've always pictured myself as a writer. It was the only job I ever thought I'd have. I took a two-decade detour into computer software (where I worked as an editor and writer), but creative writing always owned my heart.

4. How does your writing process work?

I didn't used to outline or plot, but now I do. Partially because writing suspense kind of demands it, and partially because I got tired of writing and then tossing out half a book every time! I still can't make myself write a very detailed outline, but I'll have at least a dozen pages with chapters, scenes, and as much detail about each scene as I can think of, including lines of dialogue. I also spend some time brainstorming beforehand with my critique partner, the awesomely talented Kristine Cayne, and I try to develop GMCs (goals, motivations, and conflicts) for each major character, as well as mini bios that provide the highlights of significant (often formative) events in their lives leading up to where they are now. In other words, I like to know where their damage comes from and what kind of baggage they're toting around. Because then I get to torture them with it later! (I'm evil like that.) 

Thanks again, Nancy, for tagging me. This was fun! :)

So here are my choices (victims?) for who to tag next!

Kristine Cayne
Rhonda Hopkins
P.T. Macias

Win a Sexy Ebook from Sabrina York!

Today's the official release date for Sabrina York's latest book, Making Over Maris! Let's take a moment to gaze at the cover, shall we? It features gorgeous cover model DiAngelo!

So What's It About?

If your Kindle melted while you were reading the scorching first books in this series—Adam’sObsession and Tristan’s Temptation—you’re going to want to read Making Over Maris, the third book in the award-winning Wired Series.

Featuring über-nerd Jack Maris and his co-worker (and secret crush) Sara Grant, this steamy novel continues the erotic story lines of the Trillo-Maris Gang…and steps it up a notch. Jack asks, cajoles, and bribes Sara to help him become attractive to women. What she doesn’t realize is that Jack doesn’t want to be attractive to other women—he wants to be attractive to her. Sara also has no clue that Jack has secrets and is battling a dark past. They go on a series of fake dates, each hotter and more sinful than the last. It’s not long before Sara discovers Jack’s secret desire to be dominated and what began as an arrangement becomes something amazing—something that could be real.

Whew! Sounds like loads of hot, sinful fun! 

Purchase: Amazon | Ellora's Cave

Let's read a little excerpt:

“So… Have you thought about it?” Jack could have kicked himself. He hadn’t intended to burst into her office and blurt it out like that. He’d meant to be suave and slick.

He should have known better.

He’d never been suave and slick.

No. He’d hovered in the vicinity of Sara’s office—after sending Kenny on a meaningless errand—and barged through the door and pounced upon her as soon as Kat left.

“Sit, Jack.”

He plopped into the chair and, because he didn’t know what to do with his hands, laced his fingers.

Sara studied him, dissecting him in that way she had, with her head tipped to the side, wrinkling her button nose. She was so cute when she wrinkled her nose. He forced himself not to wriggle. His cock didn’t listen. Something about her eyes, her lips, her scent, always stirred him.

He shouldn’t have this kind of reaction to her. In the office. Everywhere. But he couldn’t help it. He just did. Always.

When she looked at him like that, when she spoke to him in that clear, commanding voice, it was even worse.

Or better, depending on one’s perspective.

She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’ve thought about it.”

His pulse jerked. “And…?”

She dropped her attention to her blotter and meticulously rearranged several deformed paper clips. His heart pounded a painful tattoo as he waited for her response. “And…” She met his eyes—God, she was gorgeous. “If I do this, we need to have an understanding.”

Relief, or something like it, trickled through him. An understanding was awfully close to an agreement. A promise. “Okay.”

Sara sucked in a breath. “First of all, we need to agree this is an impossible task.”

“Not impossible,” he grumbled. Surely not impossible.

“Okay. Improbable then. My chances of success are…dismal.”

Dismal? Jack’s belly dropped. He fiddled with the wiry hairs on the back of his neck. He didn’t like the way this was going. It was depressing that she thought so poorly of him. “Am I that hideous?”

Her eyes widened. A flush rose on her cheeks. “Oh my God, Jack. No. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It sounded that way.”

“Jack…” She rubbed her hands over her face. “Okay. How about this? We have a long way to go. Can we agree on that?”

“Sure.” He knew he was pouting. But he had a damn good excuse. She’d pretty much come out and said making him attractive to women—to her in particular—was a hopeless cause.

“My worry is this. I can teach you all the right things to say and coach you on how to act around women, prescribe a diet and exercise plan and even give you a makeover. But if you don’t listen to me—if you don’t follow the plan—I fail.”

“I’ll listen. I’ll follow the plan.” Hell. He’d follow her anywhere she wanted to lead. If she only knew…

Something fierce stirred in her eyes. “It’s not going to be easy, Jack. I’m gonna work you.” Why he shivered at the tone in her voice, he had no clue. Or maybe he did. “I want you to agree to honor our contract—even if you drop the ball.”

“Of course.” He always kept his promises.

“You swear?”

He put a hand over his heart. “I swear.”

She sat back. The fire in her eyes flickered and sputtered out. “Okay. So next week I’m going back East to spend some time with my mother—”

“How long will you be gone?” Damn. He hated it when she was gone.

Pain flashed across her features; her voice dropped. “She’s…not doing well.”

His heart squeezed and he wanted to say something comforting but couldn’t find any words. Sara’s mother had been in and out of the hospital for a year. They were very close. Each time her mother had a relapse, Sara suffered.

Jack had never had a mother so he couldn’t relate but he imagined having one and losing her would be even harder than never having one at all.

“In the meantime, I’ll put together a plan for you.”

“A…plan?” His mind spun. How on earth was this going to work if she wasn’t even here?

“Yes. And you have to follow it.”

“I will.”

She put her hands flat on the desk and skewered him with a glower. “Religiously, Jack.”

“Okay.” He tried to not wriggle in his seat. He loved it when she got all…adamant. “So you’ll do it?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “I’ll do it.”

Relief cascaded through him. Relief and hope. It was a tiny sprig of hope, but hope was hope. “So when do we begin?”

She gazed at him. Some strange emotion he couldn’t interpret flashed over her features. “Now.”

Oh. God. Excitement and satisfaction and panic surged through him. “Now?”

“Yes. I need to do an assessment. You know. To figure out exactly where we are.”

He swallowed. “An assessment?”

“Of your game.”

“Okay.” He liked games. He scooted to the edge of his seat.

“Let’s pretend I’m a woman—”

“You are a woman.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Be serious, Jack.”

“I am being serious.” He was.

“Let’s pretend I’m a woman you see at a bar. And you’re interested.”

Oh. He was.

“What’s the first thing you do?”

Okay. He could wrap his brain around this. He shifted to the side and pulled out his wallet. Found his trusty cheat sheet and unfolded it and spread it flat on the desk.

“What the hell is that?” She gaped at the rumpled, well-worn paper.

“It’s my flowchart.” Duh.

Sara blinked. “You have a flowchart for picking up women.” Not a question.

“Naturally.” Didn’t everyone?

“Let me see that.” Before he could stop her she snatched the paper away. Scanned it. “Oh God.”

He knew what she was seeing. He’d studied this flowchart a hundred times. Still, when she read it aloud, he winced.

“Picking Up Chicks.” She grimaced. “Seriously, Jack? That’s what you named it?”

“Yes.” What else would he name it?

“‘Step One. Assess the situation’. Okay. That works. ‘Does she seem cranky?’ Cranky? 

Seriously, Jack? Cranky?”

He shrugged. “It’s a critical variable.” It was. It was exceedingly difficult to pick up a cranky woman. “Statistically speaking—”

But Sara ignored him. “‘If Yes: Charm her from her bad mood. If No: Proceed with caution.’” Sara sighed and glanced up at him. “Proceed with caution? We’re not wild animals, Jack.”

“You kind of are.” This he muttered. She didn’t hear. Or maybe she did. Maybe she was ignoring him again. She did that.

With a derisive snort, she crumpled up his precious template for seduction and tossed it in the trash.

With a strangled “eep” he dove in after it, dug it out, refolded it and tucked it back into his wallet. It had never worked but it was all he had. He needed it.

She glared at him. And then for some reason she softened. “Women are not an empirical science, Jack.” She gestured to his wallet. “We’re not all alike. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to winning someone’s heart.”

Yeah. He got that. “But you need to have a standard operating procedure—”

“No, ya don’t.” She blew out a breath. He loved the way it made her bangs flutter up. “Don’t you see? This kind of thing comes off as cheesy. Planned. Practiced.”

“And that’s…bad?” How could planning and practice be bad?

“Women don’t want to feel like they’re an insect being dissected or analyzed. They don’t want to be one option in a sea of possibilities. They want to be special. They want a guy who responds to them on an instinctual level. A guy who is so interested, he can’t help but be charming. Not a guy who has to be reminded to be seductive—by an SOP.”

He shook his head. This was all so…alien. “I don’t get it.”

She buried her face in her hands. “No. You don’t. That’s the point. Oh Jack, I’m going to need a couple days to think about this.”

His pulse stuttered. “But you already promised…”

“No. I’ll do it. I did promise to do it. I just need to think about how to do it.”

He relaxed. Okay. Okay. Okay. It would be okay. “Thank you, Sara.”

“Yeah.” Her cell phone buzzed and she picked it up to check the screen. Her lips tightened and she set it back down. “No prob.”

Damn. Why did she seem so dispirited? He’d seen the tears on her cheeks when he interrupted her meeting with Kat. He’d hated her tears. Hated even more that he didn’t have any right to wipe them away.

“Sara.” He waited until she met his gaze. “Thank you.”

This meant everything to him. More than she could ever know.

“Sure, Jack. Give me a couple days to think about this.”

“Sure.”

She stared at him for a minute and then said in a very small voice, “You can go now.”

Right. He could go. But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to fold her in his arms and hold her and make whatever was making her sad disappear.

He didn’t have that right either.

And he never would.

But for the next few months, he’d have her attention.

And that would be worth a thousand trips to Paris.

Ebook Giveaway! 

To celebrate the release of Making Over Maris, Sabrina is offering a free ebook to one lucky winner! To enter, follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter below. 

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Win Books and a $175 Amazon Gift Card at the Great Autumn Harvest Book Giveaway!

Welcome to the Great Autumn Harvest Book Giveaway Event (Nov. 1 - 3, 2013)

Cool weather, colorful leaves, and a warm cocktail. What could be better? We are over 35 authors giving away a ton of great ebooks and prizes. Keep reading to find out what they are!

The Great Autumn Harvest Book Giveaway Event
Have you joined our event on FaceBook yet? Please take a moment to do so and invite your friends. We are using the event page to highlight the books that are being given away on our blogs. We're also having some games you can play to earn additional entries in the giveaways. Come on over so you don't miss out on anything!

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/657344800953475/


Book Prizes
We have over 35 ebooks to give to our readers! Each blogger is giving away 3-4 of them. You can win one of three right here on my blog.

Hot & Sassy (De La Cruz Saga) by P.T. Macias - Veronica De La Cruz is the bebe (baby) of the familia (family). She’s an intelligent, beautiful, elegant, and sexy mujer (woman). She’s been in love with her novio (fiancé) Christopher Rosas for years. They've waited anxiously for their wedding day. One of her dreams is to become his wife.

Veronica’s other dream is to be an Eve’s Pleasure model. This is the only dream that she’s not shared with Christopher. Veronica has kept this from him. She knows in her heart that he’s totally old school and has macho convictions. She knows that he’ll never accept his wife to model.

Christopher Rosas is an FBI agent and Veronica’s twin sister’s partner. He’s totally devoted to Veronica. Christopher is forced to ask Veronica to help the FBI to locate her twin. 

Will their amor be strong enough to survive her silence? Can Veronica save her amor and twin before time runs out?

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Smashwords 

www.ptmacias.com

Logan's Acadian Wolves by Kym Grosso - Deep in the heart of New Orleans, Acadian Wolves’ Alpha, Logan Reynaud, rescues a beautiful woman in the dead of night. Intrigued by the mysterious human, the commanding Alpha is determined to elicit all of her secrets, including her deepest fantasies. After tragedy strikes, Logan discovers dangerous adversaries are planning an attack in his city. Driven by responsibility and honor, Logan must protect both his pack and the woman who’s captivated his attention.

Dr. Wynter Ryan, a leading virologist, is fascinated with her charismatic protector. As the chemistry ignites between her and the dominant Alpha, she relinquishes her ties to the past, embracing ecstasy and submission within his arms and intrepidly acquiescing to her own adventurous instincts. Succumbing to desire, she learns to trust her Alpha, discovering what it means to be wolf.

Passion and mystery on the bayou stirs Logan’s wolf, demanding he claim his mate. Yet Wynter’s a distraction he can’t afford when his priority is to lead his new pack. Will Logan surrender to the uncontrollable need to claim Wynter as his mate? And will he be able to keep her alive, finding the killer who threatens the Acadian Wolves?

Warning: This book contains several erotic love scenes, including m/f/m menage, and is intended for adult readers only.

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Smashwords

www.KymGrosso.com

Finding Esta by Shah Wharton - Do you love your mystery to have a paranormal theme? Do you enjoy characters who evolve, but come with cracks? Do you love urban fantasy with soul? Read on....

Finding Esta is the tumultuous tale of one extraordinary woman's journey of self-discovery within a supernatural underworld.

Numerous psychic flaws have cursed Luna - a fledgling journalist - forever. All she wants is validation from cruel parents, and physical intimacy without physical pain or mental anguish. But she is denied both. She does have Flo and Ada; two best friends who have one incredible thing in common: They're dead! 

Flo lives within Luna's mind - like house-share. But Ada prefers to kick dark Shadow bootie in the Shadow Lands. 

When Luna's investigation into the abduction of baby-Esta leads her to an underground supernatural community, she loses all contact with her life-long Shadow friends, and her weak sense of identity implodes, as each incredible revelation steers her to a singularly mind-blowing question: "What am I?"

Luna refuses to believe that she is being called by fate, by the power of the moon, by an alien species, and by a vampire who visits her dreams, to begin her destiny as defeater of evil, and the hybrid liberator of all Supes. "I mean, come on!" 

Twenty-three years left in tatters at her feet, Luna's mind further fractures beneath the weight of loss and temptation, all obscured by an innate suspicion of everyone and everything.

Will Luna find her Shadows again? Will she possess strength enough to deal with unearthly creatures, chronic indecision, and a growing dissociation with everything she once believed? Will she ever melt her parents icy hearts? And in the end, will she find poor Esta, or live long enough to tell her story? 

Be aware: The answers to these questions are not what you might think!

Kindle US 

www.shahwharton.com

Here's how the book giveaway works: There are eleven of us who are featuring the giveaway books on our blogs. The books will be won individually so your chances of winning are very high. Be sure to go to all eleven blogs to maximize your odds.

To enter: Fill out the Rafflecopter below. The more actions you do, the more entries you get!

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Grand Prize
Now for the grand prize. We are also giving away a $175 Amazon gift card!

To enter: Fill out the Rafflecopter below. Complete as many of the actions as you can to increase your odds of winning!

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What Now?
For more great ebooks to win, please return to the Great Autumn Harvest Book Giveaway Event page. We'll be highlighting more ebooks, and the blogs where you can go to win them.

Thanks for joining us!
Dana