It's a Mystery Podcast interview with Dana Delamar #mafia #romance

Hi everybody! I just realized that I never posted the podcast interview I did last June with Alexandra Amor at the "It's a Mystery" podcast. (BAD DANA!) 

I had a very fun time talking to Alexandra, and I hope you enjoy the interview. We talked about how the "Blood and Honor" Mafia romance series came to be, why I love Italy, and why I'm probably on an FBI watch list somewhere. 

http://alexandraamor.com/italian-mafia-history-and-romantic-suspense-with-dana-delamar/

Win Over $100 in Prizes! Addictive Summer Reads Sale & Giveaway!

Hi everyone! This week I'm taking part in a special event: the Addictive Summer Reads Sale & Giveaway! You can win over $100 in prizes, as well as a special prize that I'm giving away here on my blog. More about the prizes below!

As part of this event, Revenge, Book 1 in my "Blood and Honor" series, is on sale now for only .99 cents! (Regularly $4.99.) 

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle AU
Nook US | Nook UK | Kobo | Apple iTunes | 
All Romance eBooks (ARe) | OmniLit

A woman on the run. A damaged Mafia don. A rival bent on revenge...

Kate Andretti is married to the Mob--but doesn't know it. When her husband uproots them to Italy, Kate leaves everything she knows behind. Alone in a foreign land, she finds herself locked in a battle for her life against a husband and a family who will "silence" her if she will not do as they wish. When her husband tries to kill her, she accepts the protection offered by a wealthy businessman with Mafia ties. He's not a mobster, he claims. Or is he?

Enrico Lucchesi never wanted to be a Mafia don, and now he's caught in the middle of a blood feud with the Andretti family. His decision to help Kate brings the feud between the families to a boil. When Enrico is betrayed by someone in his own family, the two of them must sort out enemies from friends--and rely on each other or die alone. The only problem? Enrico cannot reveal his identity to Kate, or she'll bolt from his protection, and he'll be duty-bound to kill her to safeguard his family's secret. 

Attacks from without and within push them both to the breaking point, and soon Enrico is forced to choose between protecting the only world he knows and saving the woman he loves. 

*** Revenge was a double-finalist in the 2013 Booksellers Best Awards! ***

Excerpt: 

Enrico raised a hand in greeting to Kate, and she returned his wave and started descending the steps. She headed straight for him, her auburn hair gleaming in the sun, a few strands of it blowing across her pale cheek and into her green eyes. With a delicate hand, she brushed the hair out of her face. Enrico’s fingers twitched with the desire to touch her cheek like that, to feel the slide of her silky hair. A small, almost secretive smile crossed her features, and he swallowed hard. Dio mio. He felt that smile down to his toes.

She stopped a couple feet from him. “Signor Lucchesi, it’s good to see you, as always.”

He bowed his head slightly. “And you, Signora Andretti.” He paused, a grin spreading across his face. “Since when did we get so formal, Kate?”

She half-turned and motioned to the doorway behind her. And that was when he noticed it—a bruise on her right cheek. Merda! Had someone hit her? Tearing his eyes off the mark, he followed her gesture. A tall, sandy-haired man, well-muscled and handsome, leaned in the doorway, his arms crossed. “My husband, Vincenzo, is here.”

Enrico’s smile receded. He looked back to Kate. “I’d like to meet him.” And if he did this to her, he’s going to pay.

A Trip Through Italy

I chose to put Revenge in the Addictive Summer Reads Sale because that story (and the series that followed it) was inspired by two of my favorite all-time vacations through Italy. I fell in love with Italy during those vacations, especially the area around Lake Como, where much of the "Blood and Honor" series is set. Here are a few of my favorite vacation pics (and all of these locations are featured in the series). 

The terrace off the back of the Villa d'Este Hotel on Lake Como. 

A gazebo on the grounds of the Villa Carlotta on Lake Como.

A beautiful trattoria in Bellagio on Lake Como. 

A street in Capri. 

The grounds of the Grand Hotel Quisisana in Capri. 

I think you can see why I fell in love with Italy during these trips and why I just had to write a series set there!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

In addition to the giveaways running on the Addictive Summer Reads page (where you can win over $100 in prizes), I'm giving away a $10 Starbucks gift card, because Italy is the land of espresso! To enter my giveaway, just follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter the giveaways for the Addictive Summer Reads Sale, follow the instructions in the RaffleCopter on that page.

To check out the other Addictive Summer Reads giveaways, click the next link below! 




Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Reading! 

~ Dana Delamar

Book Release: REDEMPTION is here!!!

Hi everyone! Finally, at last, it’s about damn time—Redemption (Blood and Honor, #3) is available at the following retailers! *breathing big sigh of relief* Apple, Kobo, Sony, and Diesel will come online over the next week or so.

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle AU | Nook US | Nook UK | All Romance eBooks | OmniLit | Smashwords

Paperback US | Paperback UK 

I hope you all enjoy Antonio and Bianca's story. Many of you have emailed me at least once asking for it, and I very much appreciate your patience. This was a tough book to write; I cried buckets while writing it, and I hope all that emotion comes through. 

In case you didn't see my earlier posts, here's what it looks like and what it's about! 

Want to see the gorgeous cover?

Many, many thanks to Scarlett Rugers for her awesome design!!!

What's it about? 

A mobster seeking redemption. A woman on a mission.
A powerful enemy ready to pounce…

Antonio Legato has always been an outsider, even though he's moved up in the Lucchesi mob organization. When he falls in love with Bianca Lucchesi, Antonio may at last become part of the family, but he’s hiding an ugly secret about her father’s death. Telling Bianca the truth will pit blood against blood and annihilate the family he loves.

Bianca Lucchesi is on a mission to help her brothers ruin Antonio so they can take their rightful place in the organization. As assistant to the don’s wife, Bianca seduces Antonio while pursuing her brothers’ revenge. But her loyalty is divided—she and Antonio share a secret that he’s unaware of. She longs to tell him, but fears he can never forgive what she’s done.

When Bianca and Antonio learn that her brothers have rashly allied with a cunning enemy who is plotting against the Lucchesis, can they heal the family’s wounds before everyone they love is destroyed?

Want a little taste?

Her heart pounding, Bianca Lucchesi smiled at the man she’d come to see while doing her best to ignore the one she’d never wanted to see again. Antonio Legato. She’d arranged to meet her uncle at the bank instead of at his home because she’d hoped to avoid Antonio. And here he was anyway.

Dio mio, would her heart never slow down? One glimpse of him had been enough to bring everything back. Everything she’d tried so damn hard to suppress. To forget.

She took a breath and widened her smile. “Zio Enrico,” she said as he came around the desk and embraced her, kissing her on both cheeks. Marriage had agreed with her godfather. He was still lean, still handsome as sin, with that black hair and those chocolate eyes. He looked happy again—not stricken, the way he’d looked at the funerals for her father and her brother Fedele.

“Prego,” he said, motioning to the chair beside Antonio. “I don’t believe you’ve met my capo di società, Antonio Legato.”

Would Antonio say something about their past? She stuck out her hand and tried to look mildly interested. Anything but infuriated. Or hurt. “Signore,” she said.

Antonio rose and took her hand in his large one. Cristo, he’d grown. He was a man now—at least six feet, with the broad shoulders and slim hips of a male in his prime.

His blue eyes met hers, a shock of unruly blond hair falling just over them. Though he looked a little pale, a wave of heat rolled through her. How many nights had she dreamed of him unbidden? How many times had she relived those moments they’d spent together?

He flashed her a casual smile, as if he were utterly unaffected by her, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, the light brush of his lips reminding her of other places he’d kissed.

“Signorina Lucchesi. It’s a pleasure. I haven’t seen you since secondary school.”

“I wasn’t aware you knew each other,” Enrico said.

“We had a class together,” Antonio said. “Chemistry, I believe.”

Bianca wanted to kick him in the shin. Was he trying to flirt with her? Chemistry! Yes, they’d had it. But outside of class.

“You’re mistaken, signore. It was biology, not chemistry.”

“My error.” He was still grinning at her—the arrogant bastard. Did he think she still wanted him? Well if he did, he was all wrong. 

Antonio let go of her hand, and they retook their seats. Bianca’s skin tingled where he had touched her, and she resisted the urge to press her hand to her mouth, to feel that tingling against her lips. Damn him. Antonio Legato was a hundred different kinds of infuriating. 

And he knew it. 

Add Redemption to your Goodreads TBR list! 

Cover Reveal and Excerpt from REDEMPTION!

Update: So I've got good news and bad news (but really, the bad news isn't that bad). 

The good news: I've added another sixteen pages of material since sending Redemption to my beta readers, and now it feels just right. (Hmm... I sound like Goldilocks there.)

The bad news? I've delayed the release about a week so that the book can get another round of proofreading. So, instead of being on your ereader for Christmas, it'll be a lovely post-Christmas gift. I'm anticipating it'll come out somewhere around 12/29, give or take a day or two.

Many thanks to those of you who've told me you're excited about the book. So am I! I always get nervous when I release a book, and I'm hoping you all love Antonio and Bianca's story as much as I do. 

I'm headed back into the writing cave to get this baby all polished up and ready to go!!! 

Happy Holidays,
Dana

I'm very excited to announce that Redemption (Blood and Honor, #3) will be released very soon--somewhere around December 29th, give or take a few days. Readers have been emailing me for the last few weeks asking when the next one is coming, and it's great to know that so many folks are excited for it. 

Want to see the gorgeous cover?

Many, many thanks to Scarlett Rugers for her awesome design!!!

What's it about? 

A mobster seeking redemption. A woman on a mission.
A powerful enemy ready to pounce…

Antonio Legato has always been an outsider, even though he's moved up in the Lucchesi mob organization. When he falls in love with Bianca Lucchesi, Antonio may at last become part of the family, but he’s hiding an ugly secret about her father’s death. Telling Bianca the truth will pit blood against blood and annihilate the family he loves.

Bianca Lucchesi is on a mission to help her brothers ruin Antonio so they can take their rightful place in the organization. As assistant to the don’s wife, Bianca seduces Antonio while pursuing her brothers’ revenge. But her loyalty is divided—she and Antonio share a secret that he’s unaware of. She longs to tell him, but fears he can never forgive what she’s done.


When Bianca and Antonio learn that her brothers have rashly allied with a cunning enemy who is plotting against the Lucchesis, can they heal the family’s wounds before everyone they love is destroyed?

Want a little taste?

Her heart pounding, Bianca Lucchesi smiled at the man she’d come to see while doing her best to ignore the one she’d never wanted to see again. Antonio Legato. She’d arranged to meet her uncle at the bank instead of at his home because she’d hoped to avoid Antonio. And here he was anyway.

Dio mio, would her heart never slow down? One glimpse of him had been enough to bring everything back. Everything she’d tried so damn hard to suppress. To forget.

She took a breath and widened her smile. “Zio Enrico,” she said as he came around the desk and embraced her, kissing her on both cheeks. Marriage had agreed with her godfather. He was still lean, still handsome as sin, with that black hair and those chocolate eyes. He looked happy again—not stricken, the way he’d looked at the funerals for her father and her brother Fedele.

“Prego,” he said, motioning to the chair beside Antonio. “I don’t believe you’ve met my capo di società, Antonio Legato.”

Would Antonio say something about their past? She stuck out her hand and tried to look mildly interested. Anything but infuriated. Or hurt. “Signore,” she said.

Antonio rose and took her hand in his large one. Cristo, he’d grown. He was a man now—at least six feet, with the broad shoulders and slim hips of a man in his prime.

His blue eyes met hers, a shock of unruly blond hair falling just over them. Though he looked a little pale, a wave of heat rolled through her. How many nights had she dreamed of him unbidden? How many times had she relived those moments they’d spent together?

He flashed her a casual smile, as if he were utterly unaffected by her, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, the light brush of his lips reminding her of other places he’d kissed.

“Signorina Lucchesi. It’s a pleasure. I haven’t seen you since secondary school.”

“I wasn’t aware you knew each other,” Enrico said.

“We had a class together,” Antonio said. “Chemistry, I believe.”

Bianca wanted to kick him in the shin. Was he trying to flirt with her? Chemistry! Yes, they’d had it. But outside of class.

“You’re mistaken, signore. It was biology, not chemistry.”

“My error.” He was still grinning at her—the arrogant bastard. Did he think she still wanted him? Well if he did, he was all wrong. 

Antonio let go of her hand, and they retook their seats. Bianca’s skin tingled where his lips and fingers had touched her, and she resisted the urge to press her hand to her mouth, to feel that tingling against her lips. Damn him. Antonio Legato was a hundred different kinds of infuriating. 

And he knew it. 

Want to know when it comes out?

Join my mailing list
(I send it only a handful of times a year, so it won't clog your inbox)

Add Redemption to your Goodreads TBR list! 

MALAVITA is FREE August 26th - 28th!

Hi everyone! I'm very pleased to announce that Malavita (Blood and Honor Prequel) is FREE on Amazon August 26th - 28th! Download your copy now and tell your friends!

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle DE | Kindle FR | Kindle ES | Kindle IT | Kindle JP| Kindle IN | Kindle BR 

Praise for Malavita

"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?

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle DE | Kindle FR | Kindle ES | Kindle IT | Kindle JP| Kindle IN | Kindle BR 

MALAVITA is FREE July 9-10th!

Hi everyone! I'm very pleased to announce that Malavita (Blood and Honor Prequel) is FREE on Amazon July 9th-10th! Download your copy now and tell your friends!

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle DE | Kindle FR | Kindle ES | Kindle IT | Kindle JP| Kindle IN | Kindle BR 

Praise for Malavita

"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?

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle DE | Kindle FR | Kindle ES | Kindle IT | Kindle JP| Kindle IN | Kindle BR 

Win a Signed Copy of "Malavita" at Goodreads!

I’m doing a giveaway on Goodreads for my latest book, "Malavita," the prequel to my existing “Blood and Honor” romantic suspense series, about two warring Mafia families in Italy. Enter now to win a signed copy!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Malavita

by Dana Delamar

Giveaway ends July 10, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Psst: Book 1, “Revenge,” regularly $4.99, is on sale now for only 2.99/£1.99!

Amazon US (Kindle) | Amazon UK (Kindle) | Amazon Canada (Kindle) | 

Apple | All Romance eBooks | Barnes & Noble | Barnes & Noble UK | 

Diesel | Kobo | OmniLit | Smashwords| Sony 

"Malavita" (Blood and Honor Prequel) is here!

Hi everyone! I'm very pleased to announce that Malavita (Blood and Honor Prequel) is finally available at Amazon as an ebook and a paperback. Malavita will be available at all online retailers in September.

I hope you all enjoy this prequel to the "Blood and Honor" series. Some of the scenes that appear in Malavita were originally written for Revenge, but were cut for one reason or another. After hearing from several readers who wanted to know more about the origins of the feud between the Lucchesis and the Andrettis, I decided to write a prequel that tells the story of how Enrico came to be married to Antonella.

I know many of you are impatient for Antonio's story (Redemption), and I apologize for the extra delay, but if the reaction of my beta readers is any indication, you'll love Malavita and hopefully forgive me. :) And here's the good news: I'm roughly a third of the way through Redemption and plan to release it in the fall, so you won't have too much longer to wait!  

Here's the book description:

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?

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | print US | print UK

To those readers who have written to me, reviewed my books, or come out to see me at a book signing, thanks so much for all your kind words and support! I truly appreciate it and am so glad to know that you enjoy reading this series as much as I enjoy writing it. On to Redemption!