Happy Halloween from Daryl Devore. A free Halloween read. #HappyHalloween

 The Slice of a Blade

©DarylOuellette2021

Trembling with giddiness and feverish with anticipation, I wrap my fingers around the drawer handle. The metal is cool to my touch. The drawer glides open. An army of razor edged stainless steel lies before me. Smallest paring knives on the left up to the sleek chef’s knife and the king of the drawer – the butcher knife – on the right. My fingers hover over the butcher knife’s handle. No, tonight is not the night for you. Must restrain myself.

I grasp the 30 cm French-style chef’s knife’s handle and lift it. Honed and sharpened to exquisite exactness, it is not heavy, but well-balanced and rests in my palm with my fingers curled around the ebony black grip. Experimentation has taught me a longer blade will allow a longer single stroke. A longer single slice.

Longer.

Single.

Slice.

No more beautiful words exist.

Longer.

Single.

Slice.

I close my eyes and picture it sliding – s-l-o-w-l-y  t-h-r-o-u-g-h. Perfection.

Casting a critical gaze over the blade, I check for the slightest of imperfections which would dull the edge therefore marring sharpness and the moment. A ray of light reflects off the sleek steel. Memories flit through my mind of this knife’s edge effortlessly slipping through it’s prey. It is the perfect choice. The event will be sublime.

I rip the knife through the air, imagining the smooth gashes through It. My heart pulses in my chest. I spin and slash, spin and slash, spin and slash. A high giggle bursts from my lips. Such joy.

Stop.

Restraint.

Respect the moment.

Respect the act.

Lowering my head, I close my eyes. A small bow to the performance that is about to begin. I lift the knife, gripping with both hands. Holding it before me, I press a small kiss on the bolster. A homage to the beauty of this piece.

I glance back at It. Lying on the table, waiting. Waiting for it’s moment to become the star of my performance. A concerto of cutting, slashing and gouging. Screams would enhance the decadence of the moment. But the walls are thin. Nosey ears listen.

I must remain calm. Savour the moment. That first slice. A shiver slithers down my spine. I inhale, close my eyes and revel in the thrill of anticipation. I pause. Forcing myself to wait. To enjoy. Don’t rush. Ease into each action. Savour the sensations. Writhe in the bliss this act will give.

The moment has come. I step closer to It then lift the blade to my left and in one swift move slash across. The sensation of the knife ripping through It filters up through my handle to my arm and to my brain. A jolt of dopamine is released. Strength – confidence – joy – lust - power - surge through me. I release the knife from where it lays buried in It - lift and slash again.

And again.

And again.

Again.

Again.

It lays gutted. Open and exposed. I reach inside and grab at the entrails. With wild abandon, I rip out handfuls. Grab. Rip. Toss. Grab. Rip. Toss. Grabrip. Toss. Grabriptoss. Grabriptoss. Grabriptoss. Grabriptoss.

Sweat drips down my cheek. Loud gasps fill the void between the heavings of my chest.

The entrails drip from my fingers, the chair, the table and the edges of It.

It is beautiful. A masterpiece. My masterpiece.

It is so perfect.

It is perfection.

Trembles ripple through me. They build. The room sways. Hysterical laughing erupts.

With reverence, I place the blade on a towel, knowing it will be lovingly cleaned after It has been properly looked after.

I turn, once more to look at my masterpiece. Tears of joy stream down my cheeks at the beauty. I am struck numb by it. I know not how long I will stay here gazing at It. I want this moment never to end.

But it must.

 

The freezer lid drops with a solid thud. Orgasmic relief floods through me. Another carving. A smile hints at the corner of my mouth as I walk back upstairs. No one knows. No one suspects.

 

 

 What's happening in November on Romance –  Sweet to Heat

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Caution - One smouldering twisted fairy tale mixed with one hot medieval romance might burn more than your fingers. Daryl Devore's Capturing His Heart #hot #contemporary #medieval #romance

Excerpt -

When they arrived at the Merch Mart, she paid the driver and stepped out into the blizzard. The art deco style building was an impressive and beautiful place to work, even if she was only a junior accountant. She entered the building and walked across the green and orange terrazzo floor, leaving behind clumps of melting snow.

No long queue of people blocked the entrance to the elevators. She pushed the Up button. When the doors opened, she stepped inside and tapped 6.

Ok, this never happens. No waiting for elevators. A cab the second I stepped outside. Keep this up and this could be the day Stan notices me.

She opened her purse, pulled out a little makeup mirror and checked her face. Everything seemed perfect. For luck, she applied a layer of her Poodle Skirt Pink lip gloss.

How can a guy that good looking not notice me? I've seen him checking out that bitch Katerina. The way she struts by, shaking that ass.

When the elevator doors slid open, Red stepped into the hallway. Before her, the impressive glass and brass doors of Hood's Chocolatier –the corporate offices of one of the country's largest independent chocolate makers. She stepped through the doorway and marched toward her cubicle.

Three steps from her destination, the word, “Esmeralda!” broke the silence.

Caught! She sighed, formed a smile, and turned. “Yes, Mother?”

“Where have you been? I've called and called.”

“I noticed. Six voice mails and fourteen text messages. Nothing flagged urgent. You seem fine. I'm fine. So, what's the big deal?” She frowned. What could be the problem? “Oh no, is it Grandma?”

Her mother threw her hands up. “Yes!”

“What? What's wrong? Is she sick? She didn't fall and break anything, did she?”

“She's driving me out of my mind.”

Red bit back the sentence – Oh happy day – and instead managed to say, “What's she done now?”

“Not here. Come into my office.”

“Can I go put my coat and things—”

Hearing her mother's sigh of frustration, Red surrendered then remembered that following her mother to her office would mean passing by the office of Stanley Parkinson, VP of Sales. She stood a little taller, pulled in her stomach and strode near his office then deflated at the sight of his closed door.

Red had barely stepped into the office marked R. Hood, when her mother pushed her aside and closed the door. “Your grandmother has booked a stateroom on a cruise ship and is taking a man with her.”

Sensing So what?? was the wrong answer, Red let her mother vent whatever bothered her. This day could still be saved. If her mother stayed focused on the crisis-of-the-moment she might forget the weekly discussion of her love life.

“A man. Did you hear me?”

“Yes, Mother.” Red unbuttoned her coat, dropped her gloves, scarf and onto the seat next to her then settled in the brown leather chair in front of the desk. Her mother walked around and sat behind her large, hand carved, oak desk. It provided an imposing barrier between mother and daughter.

“I haven't told you this before, but your grandmother's going through your grandfather's money faster than you can go through a tub of maple walnut ice cream after a breakup.”

“Mom!”

Folding her immaculately manicured hands and placing them on her desk, Red's mother looked up. “Your flight's at two.”

“Excuse me?”

“I've booked a flight to Miami and a stateroom on The Emerald Forest.”

Red shook her head. “I can't afford a stateroom on a junior accountant's salary.”

“The company is paying. I had my secretary send everything to your cell. Now, you have no time to talk. Go home, pack, find your passport and save your grandmother.”

Red's voice rose an octave, “Save my grandmother? From what?”

R. Hood placed her fingers on her forehead. “Save your grandmother from spending your inheritance on some gigolo. Your grandfather built this company from nothing to a multi-million dollar business. And he had to fight the big boys like Hersey and the Mars brothers to do it.”

Red sighed. “I know the corporate story, Mom. He started by making his chocolate in great grandma's kitchen and from those humble beginnings—”

“Put you through Harvard Business School,” snapped her mother.

“Only to be dumped in a junior accountant's position.”

Blurb and Buy Links

Caution - One smouldering twisted fairy tale mixed with one hot medieval romance might burn more than your fingers.

Daryl Devoré has bundled two of her hot romances into a duology. A hot twisted fairy and a hotter medieval romance combined in Capturing His Heart.

Dark Chocolate and Strawberries takes you on a hot romp on a Caribbean cruise. Esmerelda 'Red' Hood discovers her sweet granny is on a romantic cruise with a gigolo. Horrified, Red races off to save her grandma before it's too late.

On board, she meets Andrew Woodsman and Willem Olf. One a cutie with the biggest puppy eyes and the other - dark and sophisticated. Even with her grandmother's words ringing in Red's ears - Never trust a wolf in sheep's clothing - Red has trouble choosing which man is the big bad wolf and which is her happily ever after.

Branwyn’s Love transports you back to medieval times. It is the tale of a young woman sold as a courtesan in training. Branwyn arrives in a new land to begin daily lessons in the bewildering art of bedding a man.

The noblewoman chosen to be Prince Malacke’s bride rejects him by bedding his hated rival. Malacke turns his anger towards increasing the power and wealth of Black Dorn castle. And he succeeds, until his attention is captured by the face of the woman who will be his queen.

 Amazon ebook – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WM2WN6L

Amazon print - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WK6M91H

 Books2Read ebook - https://books2read.com/CapturingHisHeart

 

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My Books. My Blog. My Post. Two Hearts ~ One Love Trilogy from Daryl Devore. #Hot #rockstar #romance

Book 1

What Happened in Bangkok

To save Darien's life his brother asks, "Can you walk in high heels?"

Erika Bailey, owner/manager of a drag queen club in Bangkok, Thailand has happily settled into all aspects of her new life, except for her lack of a love life. When a new diva auditions, Erika is bewildered over her instant attraction to the blond God, Apollo.

Darien Scott is on vacation after a world tour and mistakenly figures the safest place to be is at The Black Dragon with the head of a Triad. When the club is hit, Darien is the only person to get out alive. Now   he's running from the police and a Triad. Mistake number 1.

Disguised as a drag queen, he's hired by Erika, but falls hard for his new boss, then struggles with not coming clean with her. Mistake number 2.

Can he fix his mistakes and find a life filled with love or is he headed straight for mistake number 3?

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0984JP3NW

Read and review - https://booksprout.co/publisher/book/update/82738

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BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/what-happened-in-bangkok-two-hearts-one-love-book-1-by-daryl-devore

 

Book 2

What Darien Desires

 You loved What Happened in Bangkok and want to know what happens next….

 It's complicated is not only her relationship status, but the definition of Erika Bailey's life. She loves managing her drag queen club in Bangkok, Thailand, but her rock star boyfriend resides in North Carolina. And to top it off, her father threatens she must stay away from Darien or lose the Pink Flamingo. Does she protect her club or her love?

 Darien Scott, Grammy award winning international superstar, wants nothing more than to wake up in the arms of Erika, the woman he loves, but contractual obligations force him to exotic video shoots and an isolated movie set with one of Hollywood's sexiest stars.

 With the feeding frenzy of social media trending every aspect of Darien's life—real or not—it's hard for Erika to know the truth. Will she be able to see through the lies and trust Darien? Or will evidence from damaging Internet rumours condemn their relationship? 

Buy Links - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DZ8M1TP

 

Book 3

 From Despair to Ecstasy

Concerned for his fiancée’s safety, rock star Darien Scott races to Bangkok to protect Erika Bailey, only to discover his brother is missing. Fearing the worst, he contacts his nemesis, Gan, and makes a repulsive deal that will free his brother and protect Erika’s club, The Pink Flamingo. Or so he thinks. When a python and Gan are involved, things go sour, and Darien sinks into a deep depression.

Erika is disheartened by the betrayal of her parents. Her father's destruction of her club and the humiliation of her mother’s drunken behavior have her feeling down, but those are the least of her worries. She has a wedding to plan, but won’t. Having been betrayed too often, she’s scared to trust Darien.

How can Erika prove to herself and Darien that she loves and trusts him? Simple. All she has to do is jump out of a plane.

Preorder link - 

Book release - Nov 1

 

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A photo of Scutum. You read that right. What is it? #space #nebula #constellation

• NASA ID: PIA15413
Keywords: Spitzer Space Telescope
• Center: JPL
• Secondary Creator Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Wisconsin
• Date Created: 2012-03-08
• Visit JPL Website

This nebula, which is in the constellation of Scutum, has no common name since it is hidden behind dust clouds. It takes an infrared telescope like NASA Spitzer to see through this dark veil and reveal this spectacular hidden nebula.

 

 What's happening in October on Romance – Sweet to Heat

29 – My Blog. My Post. My Books

30 – Backlist Saturday Spotlight – Capturing His Heart

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If you love hot, billionaire romances, then Daryl Devoré’s collection is a must read. Three of her hottest billionaire romances bundled into one smouldering collection. #hot #contemporary

Excerpt - 

The din of the music in the bar dulled as she closed the door dividing the bar from the back dressing room. Flame smiled at the other dancers as she made her way through a mess of makeup tables and garment racks. Being a quieter night at the club, most of the tables were empty. Four other performers tucked themselves into tight leather costumes, strapping on ridiculously high heels or applying finishing touches to their makeup.

She plopped onto her chair, stretched her right leg up, and rested her ankle on the edge of her makeup table.

"Big crowd?" Cotton Candy, the wild-haired, blonde stripper sitting at the makeup table next to her, raised an eyebrow.

Flame unbuckled the strap on her silver six-inch stiletto and let it drop to the floor. She massaged her arch, then her toes, and snorted. "Thursday night? In East Millburg? During the playoffs? Maybe fifteen guys. Tops."

"More importantly," Fantasia peeked over the top of the mirror, "what shirt was Baseball Cap Guy wearin'?"

Flame lowered her right foot and lifted her left leg before unbuckling her other shoe. "His white Harley Davidson one."

Dressed in her white leather nurse outfit, Fantasia pulled an envelope off the message board and opened it. "And the winner is… damn. Flame, it's you again."

Flame reached out her hand for the prize money. "Ten dollars? Wow. A whole lot closer to that yacht I'm gonna buy."

Cotton Candy giggled. "When you do get your yacht, where are you gonna go? And can I come?"

Flame closed her eyes and chewed her bottom lip. The fantasy of getting out of the club and getting away from the life was a dream each girl held. They spent way too many nights getting drunk and telling lies of what they'd do when they told Ass Wipe, Frankie, their boss, what he could do with his club. But the pay was acceptable, and it was a job. With so much depending on the money earned each night, leaving was hard.

She popped her eyes open and placed her hand on Cotton Candy's knee. "I'm gonna take that yacht down into the warm Caribbean and tie it up near some deserted island. And yes, you can come. 'Cause I'm going to need help keeping my all-male crew in line. A girl does need her beauty sleep."

"Cotton Candy, you're on!" The boss's voice boomed over the noise.

She stood. "If only it would happen."

"Someday it will." Flame patted Cotton Candy's butt cheek as she passed by. "Now you go out there and make creepy old Baseball Cap Guy cream his jeans. He had a raging hard-on when I left."

Flame tucked nine dollars into her purse, dropped it into the bottom right drawer of her makeup table, and then crossed the room. She pulled open the community refrigerator, grabbed a cold Diet Coke, and placed a dollar in the jar on the counter. She clicked the tab, listening to the hiss as the pressure released. If only the pressures and stresses of her life would dissipate so easily. She checked the wall clock. With the small number of performers at the club that night, she had a good fifteen, maybe twenty, minutes before she had to perform again.

The pop bubbles fizzed down her throat as she gulped a couple of mouthfuls. She glanced in the mirror to check her makeup. Her gaze caught sight of the edge of the envelope sticking out of her purse. A tremble shuddered through her. She didn't need to read the letter. She'd read it enough times before arriving at the club. Rent was increasing. Three hundred more a month. She couldn't afford that. She was barely to afford the rent as it stood now. Could she fight the increase? She could try every means affordable, but her salary was limited and obviously, the real estate corporation's pockets were much deeper.

"Ahh!" A crash and a sharp cry brought her back to the present.

Flame scooted around the corner of her table. Jade was sprawled on the floor, clutching her ankle. One eight-inch heel was lying on the floor next to her. Passion Fruit and Desiree crowded nearby. "What happened?" both asked in unison.

Jade slapped at the broken heel. "Damn shoe broke. Shit! I just got these."

"Can you stand?" Flame held out her hand. Jade grabbed it and started to rise, but then collapsed back to the floor with a flurry of swear words.

The club boss, Frankie, pushed his way through the crowd. "What the hell's going on here? Better not be another bitch fight." He stood, feet spread, hands on hips, glaring at the fallen performer.

Jade flipped her long black hair over her head. "I hurt my ankle. My shoe broke." She waved at the evidence.

"Can you still dance?"

Flame rolled her eyes. That was classic Frankie, compassionate son of a bitch. He dressed like he hadn't bought a new piece of clothing since the eighties, and he usually smelled of body odour, stale beer, and cigar smoke.

Jade rubbed her ankle and groaned. "I don't think so."

Frankie snapped his gaze at the other performers. "Passion Fruit, you're on next. Flame. After her."

"What?" She aimed her gaze at him. "I just got offstage."

"This is me caring." He curled his lip in a sneer. "You know the rules. Shut up and perform." He pointed at Jade. "And get her out of here. She's useless if she can't dance tonight." He strode out of the dressing room.

"Someday. Someday!" Passion Fruit's cheeks reddened as she clenched and unclenched her hands.

"And after you kill him, we'll all help hide the body." Flame patted her shoulder. 

Blurb and Buy Links

If you love hot, billionaire romances, then Daryl Devoré’s collection is a must read. Three of her hottest billionaire romances bundled into one smouldering collection.

Desires - When secrets conflict with dreams, love explodes.

After a mistake by a surgeon’s scalpel shattered Fuchsia Quinn's dance career, she picked up the pieces of her life and moved forward.

Peyton Lang, having run from an impoverished neighbourhood, lives the lifestyle of a successful billionaire.

Frustrated that his current multi-million-dollar project is stalled, Peyton drops in to LEATHER-ICIOUS for a quick drink and late night entertainment. What he saw was a beautiful redhead. What he found was he wanted her.

Two O’clock with the Billionaire – Sometimes, a woman has to do what a woman has to do.

Where Derek Davenport is concerned, women only had one thing in mind: trap him into a marriage.

Unemployed and nearing financial desperation, Arianne is forced to step out of her comfort zone. With minimal hours and excellent pay, she accepts the position of courtesan to a handsome billionaire.

Their sexual antics cause emotions neither is willing to admit. Will Arianne and Derek drive each other crazy…or will they fall in love first?

Two Truths and Lie - The legend of Robin Hood and Maid Marian with a twenty-first-century twist.

As if multiple planes crashes, a car accident, and a concussion isn’t enough, carefree Byn and straight-laced billionaire, Mark clash over Byn's need for independence and Mark's struggle with guilt pushing him in the opposite direction of love. When an art forger, an art thief and a ninety-year-old woman get involved the chance for true love for Byn and Mark fades.

All is lost until a children's game is their only hope.

 

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MZ5H5QH

Print - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NF32CC4

 Books2Read – https://books2read.com/LoveABillionaireCollection

 Print – https://books2read.com/LoveABillionaireCollection-Print

 

 Book sprout – for read and review – https://booksprout.co/book/64122/love-a-billionaire-collection

 BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/love-a-billionaire-collection-by-daryl-devore

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 Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55887306-love-a-billionaire-collection

 Review – copy request - https://storyoriginapp.com/reviewcopies/b30b4408-70d3-11eb-9703-9b686b29034c

 What's happening in October on Romance – Sweet to Heat

24 – Weekend Writing Warriors #8Sunday

25 – #OpenBook Blog Hop

26 – SPOTLIGHT – Kaci Rose - Take Me to the River

27 – Book Hooks #MFRWhooks #MFRWAuthor

28 – Spectacular Space #SpectacularSpace

29 – My Blog. My Post. My Books

30 – Backlist Saturday Spotlight – Capturing His Heart

31 – Happy Halloween – free Halloween read

 

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