Tag Archive | romance

Now That When Tis Done Is Over

Sep16

When Tis Done cover

I’m aware this never goes very well, but now that When Tis Done is over, I need to decide what to share next. I’ve got a fourth book in the Miracle, Mississippi series, but it’s only 38 pages long, and I very much doubt I’ll finish it anytime soon. That being said, I’ve got a few things for you to choose from. I really do want your opinions, because why post something you don’t want to read?

I have a couple of (slightly) more traditional fantasies – though when do you get traditional and normal from me, hm? When hell freezes over, is when.

alton-cropped

velda

Alton & Velda is set in a more Medieval world. Alton is a Wood Sprite, and Velda is a River Nymph. They travel the world, seeking a place to call home. On their journey, they meet Astrid and Revanth—a princess and a man cursed to be a horse. They set out together to find the witch who cursed him, and set him free. Sounds pretty straight forward—it’s not. That is choice 1.

 

 

Raven Willoughby cover

Raven Willoughby: Origin. If you’ve read One Night in Daytona Beach, the name Raven Willoughby should be familiar. That is the hybrid vampire character that Draven plays on TV. I decided to flesh out the character and tell his story. No spoilers, but this is my original zombie(ish) tale. You’ll have to choose this if you want to know more. (Just so you know, my zombies don’t eat brains.) This is choice 2.

From here, I’m a little flummoxed. You see, I have a wealth of riches to share, and can’t make up my mind.

Poplar Mountain cover

Do you want a romantic suspense set in the mountains of Kentucky in 1939? If so, pick Poplar Mountain. No sex, only a little cursing, lots of action. Choice 3.

sidetracked cover

Or would you prefer something darker, like my NaNoWriMo novel from last year, Sidetracked? It’s murder, without the romance. Not my usual fair. Choice 4.

I also have several romances to choose from. Like my other books, these aren’t normal romances in any sense of the word. My couples get along, don’t have huge arguments, and hate each other for ¾ of the book. Not that they don’t disagree and have misunderstandings, they communicate and work it out. If you want something like that, I’ve got two to choose from. (I haven’t got covers for these yet.)

Blacksmith’s Heart is set at a dude ranch in New Mexico. Girl meets cowboy and falls in love. It’s an exciting story, even if they aren’t hunting a bad guy, and it’s got some juicy love scenes (which I will have to tone down for posting – but they are still fun.) Choice 5.

Game Junkies is love—gamer/ geek style. The young couple have known one another a long time, been friends for years, but finally realize that they have more feelings than mere friendship. It has some exciting moments (not just in the bedroom) and there are a couple bad guys who get their comeuppance. (a tube of glue comes into play) This is Choice 6.

I’d say that these were the only choices, but I had a bunch more on my list—29 to be exact. They’re all good stories, so you see my dilemma? I want to find something which will entertain, that many people can enjoy. Like I said, why post something that no one wants to read. Please put your choice in the comments. You may order by number, like they do at the fast food restaurants.

So, do you want fantasy, romance, or romantic suspense? You decide, and tell me, or I’m going to have to pull a rabbit out of my hat. I haven’t got a clue.

© 2018 Dellani Oakes

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Red River Radio Presents Dellani’s Tea Time with Amanda, CD and JM!

Jun10

JOIN US MONDAY, JUNE 11 – 4-6 PM EASTERN ON BLOG TALK RADIO

red river radio logo

It’s officially summer and time to kick back and relax by the pool, on the beach, or wherever the mood takes you! Not hot enough for you? Well, our authors can certainly turn up the heat. All these ladies are known for spinning a great yarn, whether it be werewolves, dragons, warrior queens or witches, they have it all.

Christine Gorri

First, please welcome CD Gorri. She is a fantasy author whose books include Wolf Moon, Charley’s Christmas Wolf, and The Dragon’s Valentine.

Amanda Kimberley

Second, please welcome Amanda Kimberley, author of Forever Bound, Salem’s Trial by Judge, and a non-fiction title Fibromyalgia and Pregnancy

Both ladies are in an anthology: Wicket Nights of Summer

JM Robison

Also joining us is JM Robison, author of historical romances, The War Queen and The Foes Between us. This is JM’s second visit to our show, and we’re delighted to have her back! 

We’re so pleased to have these three magnificent authors here to chat with us!

JOIN US LIVE OR LISTEN LATER

The First Day, First Paragraph

Apr1

rami-ungar-first-day-first-paragraph-tagMy good pal, and fellow author, Rami Ungar came up with this idea and tagged me. The process is simple. When tagged, you publish the first paragraph of something you’re working on, follow the instructions below, and have fun with it! Thank you, Rami, for thinking of me! ~ Dellani

So if you get this tag, here’s what you have to do:

  1. Publish your own post on the first day of the month.

  2. Use the graphic above.

  3. Thank and link back to the person who tagged you.

  4. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.

  5. Post the first paragraph of a story you’ve written, are writing, or plan to write someday.

  6. Ask your readers for feedback.

  7. Finally, tag someone to do the post next month (for example, if you do the tag on the first of August, the person you tag has to do it on the first of September), and comment on one of their posts to let them know the good news.

it-takes-a-thief-coverMy first paragraph is from my novel, It Takes a Thief – a romantic suspense novel available in e-book format on Amazon.

Jason Banes was a thief. Despite how much he and his lawyer might publicly deny it, it was the truth. Which was why he was standing before the judge in an ill-fitting suit, sweating. A twist of fate had brought him to this. He was an excellent thief, masterful, skilled, almost magical in his ability to divide his marks from their possessions. Regardless of his skill, he’d been caught. His palms began to perspire as the judge looked over the top of her pearl studded reading glasses. She didn’t look happy. Jason saw his world collapse as she studied him. Her scrutiny made him nervous. She looked like a velociraptor ready to attack and rip his guts out with her long, sharp claws. She blinked.

I welcome your comments below!

I tag Rachel Rueben

He Thought He Saw Is Over!

Mar15

He Thought He Saw redHe Thought He Saw is over. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! I thought about skipping to another book, but I decided to share the next book in the series.

the-man-who-wasnt-thereThe Man Who Wasn’t There – Book 2 in the Miracle, Mississippi series, is set in the mystical, made up town of Miracle. The Man Who Wasn’t There picks up not quite a year after He Thought He Saw ends. Jordan and Brian are happily anticipating the annual Halloween Ball, the social event of the season. This one is special, because it marks the 300th anniversary of the appearance of a magical stranger known only as The Peddlar. It also commemorates a major battle between the Circles and a cult of evil witches. Already, things are stirring and Brian’s dreams have grown tumultuous. Something wicked this way comes.

Look for The Man Who Wasn’t There starting on Sunday, March 19 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time.

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Red River Radio Presents Dellani’s Tea Time with Barbara and Karen

Jan9

The New Year is upon us! As we’ve done for the last few years, Christina and I will chat with a couple of our other Red River Radio hosts, Barbara Ehrentreu and Karen Vaughan. Tune in TODAY at 4PM EST or catch our recorded podcast later.

Barbara Ehrentreu is the author of If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor and After. She has also penned a lovely book called You’ll Probably Forget Me: Living With and Without Hal.

Karen Vaughan is the author of eight cozy mysteries, among them Left for Dead, Dead on Arrival, Dead Men Don’t Swing and Dead Comic Standing.

Co-host, Christina Giguere, known by her nom de plume of Rachel Rueben, will also chat about her work. She is the author of young adult novel, Hag. She also has a wonderful vampire novel, Eternal Bond, available to read on WattPad.

 

Host Dellani Oakes is the author of 12 published books – mostly romantic suspense, but 4 of them are from a science-fiction series set in the distant future. Dellani’s most recent book is Lone Wolf Tales: A Lone Wolf Series Companion, a collection of short stories connected with the Lone Wolf series.

Each author will talk about her show, her goals as an author and how she feeds her writing addiction. Be sure to tune in TODAY at 4 PM EST for this fun filled show.

2016 A Good Year for Writing

Jan6

Dellani Oakes with glasses2016 stunk in a lot of ways, not the least of which were all the deaths, both famous and not. Too many taken from us too soon. There was one respect in which 2016 was kind of all right. It’s a very personal way, not something that means much to anyone but me.

For several years, I’ve made a resolution to finish a book a month. This doesn’t mean that I start and finish the book in the same 30 day period (though I do that, too). This means that I take a book I’ve been working for awhile, maybe years, and I complete it. I’ve been making this same resolution for three years now, and I’ve just made it again. I don’t always meet this goal, but I feel that if I make a concerted effort and write constantly, I’m progressing well. Of course, the new goal becomes getting them publication ready—a longer and more complicated project. (And, let’s face it, a lot less fun)

In 2016, I managed to finish fourteen books! That’s better than one a month. There were a few months I didn’t complete something, but others where I did two or more. Please keep in mind, unless it states short story or novella, these are all books 50,000+ words. That includes the ones written in 5 – 10 days.

This years list includes:

January – Author of Love

February – Tarrah (a short story)

March – As yet untitled novella

April – Ranger’s Heart & When Tis Done

May – none finished as I was editing Room 103 for publication

June – How Far is Heaven, Sierra and Food Truck Hero (which was written in 6 days)

July – Raven Willoughby: Origins, Beach Bum, Alton & Velda and Game Junkies

August – He Needed Killin’ (written in 9 days)

September – none finished

October – none finished

November – So Much It Hurts (2016 NaNo, completed in 5 days)

December – none finished

Overall, not a bad year, though I did better in 2015 (25 books), but I consider anything 12 and over, a win. I finished 14 books in 2014 as well. Though I didn’t finish any books every month of the year, I started 4 new ones. I couldn’t seem to make up my mind how to finish them, but it gives me a goal for this year. Challenge accepted!

© 2017 Dellani Oakes

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First Meeting from Star Crossed

Oct6

star-crossed-coverThe man in the truck frowned when he Helene her approach. He shut off the engine and got out, glowering.

“What?”

Helene stopped in her tracks. He was angry and surly, but one of the handsomest men she’d ever met.

“Hello, I’m Helene Marcos. I hear you’ve bought the last of the trees. I was wondering if you’d be willing to part with the blue spruce.”

He was already frowning and shaking his head. He ignored her hand and raised his chin at the young man, telling him to start loading with a jerk of his head. Tipping his head at Helene, he frowned. It wasn’t so much anger, she sensed, as a dislike of the cold wind. His eyes watered. A startling blue, they made a stark contrast with his sleek, black hair.

“The blue spruce. Could I buy it from you? I’ll be happy to pay whatever you did, plus ten percent?” Her voice rose to a childish, almost whimper. She hated when she did that. It made her sound like such a child. As if the blonde hair and big blue eyes weren’t enough of a problem.

“No.”

“What? Why not?”

“I need it. I ordered, and received, fifteen very specific trees. I was lucky they weren’t taken with the rest.”

Helene could feel tears in her eyes. “Surely one….”

“Look, Miss….” he’d already forgotten her name. “I work for a party planner and we have a gig Sunday night. I contracted for fifteen trees. I’m being paid for fifteen. I can’t bring fourteen.”

“But the blue….”

“Is the center piece of the display. Look, I’m sorry. If I could….” He snorted in frustration, running his hand through his hair. “There’s another lot, about two blocks down. Maybe they have a spruce?”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Sure. I’ll go look. I kind of wanted to shop here. I mean, they got robbed. By the looks of them, they’re counting on the money. I just thought….” A shuddering breath caught in her throat. The tears tickled her eyelashes. “Never mind. It’s not your problem. Thank you.” She turned and walked back to the lot, hoping to find another tree for her mother’s Christmas.

Abraham Carson watched the petite blonde walk away and let out a low groan of frustration. Gallantry warred with every other emotion in him. He wasn’t a greedy man, but he did have a contract to fulfill. And he’d seen three blue spruce trees at the other lot on his way here. Not as nice as this one….

“Miss!” he called. “Miss—Marcos?” he bellowed, extending his arm in a gesture of frustration.

She turned, her eyes wide and liquid.

Dammit. Not tears. Dammit! No tears!

“I’ll—I’ll find another tree. And you don’t have to pay extra, just give me what I paid for it.”

An angelic smile wreathed her features. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” He wasn’t, but what else could he say to that sweet face. “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Oh, thank you!” She ran over to him, placing a warm kiss on his cold cheek. “Thank you. Do you mind a check?”

“Not at all.”

“I promise it’s good. I work at Dr. Staley’s office on Tenth, though, if you have any problem with it.”

“I’m sure I won’t.”

She held her pink checkbook, full of checks scattered with hot air balloons, purple pen poised over the page. Her blue eyes widened expectantly and he realized she was waiting for his name and the amount.

“It was umm, seventy-five….” So he shaved off a few bucks. “And you can make it out to Carson’s Party Planners.”

Flashing a five star smile that struck him deeply, he waited while she wrote out the check. She handed it to him, grinning, thanking him. The check smelled like violets. Resisting the urge to sniff it, he folded it, putting it in his wallet. His boss, who was also his sister, would probably kill him. But he was a softy at heart, which was why she handled the business side and he just picked things up. He really couldn’t be trusted in a more official capacity.

“Thank you so much. My mother is really ill, and this will make her happy. I wanted the perfect tree and she always loved blue spruce.”

Could he feel any more like a complete tool? Not likely. A sick mom. The perfect tree. But the smile and those big, blue eyes, made him feel less like a heel. She kissed him again and his heart lurched.

“You’re very welcome, Miss Marcos. I hope you and your mom have a very Merry Christmas. And I’ll keep her health in my prayers.”

This smile was damn near angelic. Why had he said that? He hardly prayed anymore. His days as a choir boy were well behind him, but he hadn’t lost that grain of truth and hope that had been part of his life since he was a child.

“Hey, Chet, can you load up the lady’s tree?” he called to the young man. “The blue spruce.”

“Sure thing, Abe!” The young man hoisted the tree onto his shoulder and carried it to her car. He got it safely roped on the top and attached the red bandanna she had brought for the base of it. Whistling happily, he nodded when he accepted the tip she gave him.

Standing side by side, Abe and Chet watched Helene drive away.

“You seriously only charged her seventy-five? That was a hundred dollar tree.”

Abe watched the car turn the corner, blinking rapidly against the cold once it was gone. “Yeah, well…. I’m a sucker for big blue eyes and tears.”

“She cried? Oh, hell, I would have given it to her for free!”

Abe chuckled, knuckling the kid’s head. “I almost did, but Tina would decorate a tree with my balls if I did. Now, I have to go down the way and spend my own money on another tree.”

© 2016 Dellani Oakes

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