New Audiobook!

 

Hi everyone, thanks so much for supporting my latest book, Good Looking. I'm happy to announce that it's now available as a professionally produced audiobook. You can find it on Audible, Spotify, or anywhere else you get audiobooks, including some libraries. 

Here is the direct link on Audible. If you get the ebook on Amazon, there's a big discount. 

And if anyone wants a free review copy in exchange for an honest review, I'm happy to share promo codes. Just let me know! 

The same goes for my previous two books, which are also available in audio. You guys, all these narrators are so good, and they make the stories even more devvy. Check them out!

Thank you for supporting The Walled Garden!

Hi PD blog,

Thank you so much to everyone who has been buying and reading my new dev romance novella, The Walled Garden - it's been so exciting to see all of the support. 

I'm checking back in with a few updates. First, the paperback edition is now available through more etailers: check out this link for a full list of purchase options.

Also, if you've already read The Walled Garden, please do take a minute to leave a rating/review on Goodreads or Amazon. It really helps!

Finally, to say thank you - I haven't been able to make time to draw Helena & Michael yet, but I did find a cute sketch of Roy and Asher from Shadowboxing that I never shared. Enjoy!

- R 

New Book Release: The Walled Garden (a.k.a. Jazz Age!)

Hi PD,

I'm very happy to announce the release of my newest dev romance, The Walled Garden. "Jazz Age" has always been the story that received the most requests for a sequel, and I've finally expanded it into a 43,000-word novella! It's chock-full of romantic longing, 1920s glamour, eccentric friends and family, and of course devvy details.

• Buy the ebook/paperback on Amazon

• Preview: read the original "Jazz Age" on the PD stories blog

1922: Helena De Vries is an East Coast heiress dispatched to Southern California, where she wants to help her eccentric aunt establish a museum—while her parents aim for her to court young men of suitable stature. Lonely and dissatisfied, Helena flees a glittering soirée, only to encounter a man who presents her with an impossible appeal.

Thoughtful, witty, and kind, Michael Byrne is a son of one of the nation’s wealthiest families, yet has lived his entire life confined to one wing of the Byrne mansion. Born with cerebral palsy and deemed incapable of public appearance, Michael has never been allowed to meet anyone like Helena. For him, their friendship is an unexpected gift.

But after the first sparks of warmth—and desire—Helena finds herself longing for more. Equally afraid to expose their affection to public censure and to give Michael promises that she might not be able to fulfill, Helena faces an irresolvable dilemma: how can you confess your love for a man who isn’t supposed to exist?

The Walled Garden is a sparkling, lush, and sensual Jazz Age romance novella, featuring a rich cast of characters who struggle to reconcile exacting social expectations and the demands of the heart.

Please read and enjoy -- and if you can, leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads to help the book get off the ground! <3

- R

Buttered Bread

Spencer positions his wheelchair at the kitchen counter and leans slightly forward, bracing his forearms on the counter’s edge for stability. Using his wrist flexors, he paws the knife towards the edge of the counter, getting it just close enough that he can grasp it loosely in his slightly curled fingers. His fingers are unable to wrap around it, but he has enough control and strength in wrists to lift it. 

Even though most would have considered him an old hack at this, an intense look of concentration still breaks out across his face as he dips the knife into the butter and guides it to the bread. His arm moves in a sweeping motion, his shoulder and elbow clearly compensating for his lack of fine finger control. 

The butter clumps. The bread breaks  in the middle where the knife catches it wrong. It takes some time, but eventually the bread is buttered – not perfectly, but satisfactorily. 

With a satisfied nod, he glances around the kitchen, already thinking through his next move. He leans over, hooking one arm behind the small black push handle attached to his chair’s backrest for some added stability, then grabs a lightweight plastic plate in the dishrack. It looks like something made for a child, but it’s more practical than traditional – and heavy – ceramic dishes. Using the back of his hand and wrist, Spencer manages to slide the plate closer to the bread. With a practiced motion, he uses the knife to carefully push the slice of bread onto the plate. It doesn’t land perfectly centered, but it’s on the plate and he’s fairly confident it’s secure enough for transport. 

He backs his wheelchair away from the counter, creating space to maneuver. Without finger dexterity, he can’t grip the plate’s edges, so he grabs it with the heels of his hands and moves it carefully to his lap, then turns towards the living room where his roommates are watching TV. 

Good Looking Preview chapter 2

 Thanks everyone who has read and reviewed Good Looking so far! You guys are the best. 

Here is the second chapter, where we get the dev's point of view. 

Chapter 2

Abby

There’s this guy. I can’t take my eyes off him. 

The first day of my Brit lit class, I’m sitting there quietly, looking over the syllabus and thinking about how I’m going to manage all the assigned reading and writing with my rehearsal schedule when there’s a clattering along the side of the lecture hall. Somehow I just know what that sound is. A second later, I look up to see a white cane hitting the backs of the fixed chairs and my attention is drawn like a magnet to the guy holding the cane, the most arrestingly, strikingly handsome guy I have ever seen. I mean, most girls might look at him and see an average looking white guy with brown hair and brown eyes, but they would be so, so mistaken. His hair is slightly curly and he has that clean-cut, boyish look that I always go for. But it’s not only that. 

It’s because he’s blind. 

Good Looking preview

 Thanks to everyone for the kind words and for pre-ordering my latest book, Good Looking. The wait is over, it's live now! Thanks also to all my awesome beta readers. I worked really hard on this one, and I hope you all enjoy it. If you like it, please leave a review, it helps a lot. 

Good Looking by Lucy May Lennox

Order on Amazon

Follow on Goodreads

Here is the first chapter:

1993: Somewhere in the Midwest

Nick

My brother and I have always been the center of attention. When we were fourteen, all kinds of doctors and researchers spent over a year studying us, because Nate had gone blind and I could still see, even though we’re identical twins. I don't know what they were hoping to find, exactly. It's not like we have secret psychic powers, and I could transmit images to him. Most of the tests seemed boring and pointless, like having us try to solve a Rubik's cube and see who could do it faster, me with colors or Nate with Braille. Nate always won, but that's just him. I bet if we raced now he'd still win. 

Sometimes the researchers would ask hesitantly how it affected us, like if Nate was jealous or resentful or anything, and they always seemed surprised when he said no. But this wasn't because Nate's such a great guy. I had already shown symptoms of the same condition. We had always had trouble seeing in the dark, and by the time we were ten or so we both had blind spots. It’s just that his were bigger than mine. The way he figured it, he was more advanced, and it was only a matter of time before I caught up. 

Nate was right. By the time I was sixteen, I could hardly see anything at all except a few pinholes in big static-y gray patches, like a badly tuned TV set. The studies stopped. 

New Novel!

 Hi everyone, Devo Girl here back with another new novel! I'm getting in on the dev-issance, happy to see so many of our authors coming out with new books. Actually I've been working on this one for a really long time and I'm super happy to finally share it with you.

 I chose to write about a devotee character, which is a bit scary in published fiction, but I really want to get the positive message out there. The release date is August 29, but it helps a lot if you pre-order. We talk a lot here about changing the public narrative on devs, so this is my tiny effort in that direction. Please support!

Good Looking by Lucy May Lennox

Pre-order on Amazon

Follow on Goodreads

Nick: College is supposed to be when you figure out who you are, but it’s not easy when your roommate is your identical twin brother. Nick shares everything with his brother Nate, including a genetic condition that causes visual impairment. Nick feels like Nate is better at everything, including being blind. But when Nick falls for nerdy theater major Abby, he finally starts to strike out on his own.

Abby: That guy in Abby’s lit class is just her type, not only because he’s sweet and gorgeous, but because he’s blind. Abby is a devotee—she’s attracted to people with disabilities. But after her ex rejected her when she came out to him, she’s scared to reveal the truth of her attraction. How can she tell Nick he’s not her first blind boyfriend?

At a big Midwestern state university in the 1990s, Nick and Abby stumble towards adulthood, through awkward parties, regrettable flirtations, frantic cramming, and poorly planned road trips. It’s college life in all its exciting, raunchy, disgusting, hilarious glory, set to a 90s alt-rock soundtrack.

As always, the cover is by an awesome dev artist:

Love In Troubled Times

Hello blog readers, 

Just wanted to let you know that finally, after about two years of working on this story, "Love in Troubled Times" is now available on Amazon Kindle and KU. I've invested countless hours in this story and have really poured my heart and soul into it. I know it's different from what I've written in the past, and I'm not sure how it will be received, but it is what it is, and I hope that some people will enjoy reading it. If you are like me, a devotee who is attracted to men with SCI and men with walking disabilities, you may enjoy my latest book. My male protagonist wears leg braces and uses crutches to help him with walking, and my female protagonist has no issue with that, just the contrary if you know what I mean. 

Anyhow, if you enjoy "Love in Troubled Times", please let me know and connect with me on IG, FB, or on Goodreads. Thank you for all your support throughout the years!

Hugs, Dani 

Love in Troubled Times

The Cove concludes

Hi all, 

Thanks for the excited comments last week; I'm glad people are having fun with this story. 

If you missed the first part of "The Cove," an erotic short story set in bohemian Paris in the 1930s: click here for The Cove, part 1.

This week, we'll pick up with Luc telling his partner Sofie about a heated encounter he had with a wealthy young gentleman on the Côte d’Azur, i.e., the land of fancy beaches...

-----------------------------------

The Cove, part 2

“When we reached his family villa, his housekeeper looked at us very strangely, indeed. But Ferdinand put on quite the manner with her and said only that I was a new friend of his from the town, and that I had come to see the view. And we swept on past her.

“The view really was beautiful, seeing the whole sweep of the coast, all the dark woods and the pale villas and cottages, the turquoise water below and beyond. And it was curious to see the cove, my cove, from afar; I tried to picture what I would have looked like, there.

“But we only saw it for a few minutes together, because Ferdinand just about yanked me back to his room.” Sofie made a little murmuring noise of pleasure and pulled closer to Luc, beginning to kiss his neck again.

Luc closed his eyes, trying to concentrate, smiling at her kisses. “The room was enormous. He slanted all the blinds so no one would be able to peep in, and it felt like a wonderful cool cave, with white walls and a big dark bed with acres of linen. And he simply picked me up out of my wheelchair, in the same gallant way, and put me in that enormous bed, and we took off our shirts and kissed for a long time.

New short story: The Cove

Hi, PD folks -


I'm still around and writing, just busy and easily distracted by different projects. But I'm happy to say that the upshot of being easily distracted is that I'm now almost done with not one, but two dev novels/novellas that I'll be publishing as ebooks. One is the long-delayed expansion of Jazz Age (~40k words), and one is the complete Bérénice (~30k words). So, both historical romances featuring male leads with cerebral palsy. (But yes, Bérénice's flirty, blind former lover Vincent shows up more, too. :) )

In the meantime, here's yet another product of distraction... I wrote a short story in the same setting as Bérénice, bohemian Paris in the 1930s. This is probably also the horniest thing I've ever written, soooo... I hope you all enjoy it?! I'll be posting it in two parts:

-----------------------------------

The Cove, part 1

Sofie was in bed with a stomachache and a headache, and cross about it; she wasn’t used to being ill and slothful.

Luc was incredulous at first and teased her when he found her still in bed. But she snapped back at him, and when he realized she really was feeling poorly, he apologized a dozen times, covered her face with kisses, and brought her tea. He put in too many leaves and steeped them too long, so it was bitter, but she drank it anyway.

He leaned forward in his wheelchair with puppyish eagerness and watched her.

When she finished her tea, set aside the mug, and eased back onto her pillows, Luc offered: “I can tell you about one of my adventures you haven’t heard before.” He gave a winsome smile. He had wide-set eyes of a dark blue in a square, boyish, tanned face, topped with curling dark-blond hair.

New story from new author: Only in My Dreams?

Hi there, another anonymous author has blessed us with a new and steamy story. Check out Only in My Dreams? by Armchair Author!

Yay! Thanks to all the great authors out there, keep them stories coming!

Cheers

Lovis

New story from new author

Hi there, I’m posting on behalf of a new author: Chloe. Her story, Jason, is available now, so please shower her with comments and praise so she’ll give us more :)

Best

Lovis

PS: If you also have a story you’d like to share with the community please email us at paradevo@yahoo.com!

Short story: Turbulence

Hi there, just dropping in to leave this short story for you: Turbulence. I’ve published it before as part of a writing contest under the title "I am Devotee" on a different site that doesn't seem to exist anymore. Anyway, this is a slightly revised version since now I'm not bound to any word count. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think.

Lovis

Crashing

When the doorbell rings I buzz the entrance to the multi apartment complex. I’m living on the ground floor, so when I open the door to my apartment he’s already standing in front of me, pulling his trunk close.

“Hi,” I say, somewhat reluctantly but I remember my good manners. I even extend my left arm, the right one being occupied with the cane.

Update later this week?

 Hey, friends and loyal readers, I'm here just to wave a "I've not given up" flag and let you know that the story (or STORIES lol) is in progress! I've just been really busy with life recently.

I should have a Let it Snow chapter later this week, perhaps on the weekend! And maybe some other stuff... ;)

Thank you for your patience and see you soon!

"I'm still here" ; prompt challenge WEEK #1

I dab tiny dots of concealer under my eyes. Looking at them in the mirror, I can't recall a time when I didn't do it. I sit i before my vanity mirror, tilting my head to get the light just right as I soften my features with makeup. I'm immediately satisfied with the way the dark circles from my sleepless nights seem to disappear with each delicate tap of the concealer, blending seamlessly into my skin. It’s a quiet, meticulous work, like an artist's, and I use my clean ring finger to gently lift the corners of my eyes where I suspect-

“Stop obsessing. There’s nothing there, Vee.” I hear Matt's voice behind me, his reflection in the mirror, like he’s reading my mind. It doesn’t take a lot—I'm an open book in a foreign language that he happens to be an expert on. “You’re perfect.”

"I'll have the small latte" ; prompt challenge WEEK #2

He dropped his keys in his nervousness to get inside. Knowing her as well as he did, Alara was probably still asleep. After a moment of fumbling, once he finally got the right key in, he placed the food on top of the counter and limped to the kitchen. Jonah hissed as the pain in his right leg grew sharper and the adrenaline wore off, like his body was cooling down and he was finally noticing how bad it actually was. He could feel his own warm blood dripping down his calf now.

A few months ago, right after they moved in, he might have struggled to find what he was looking for, going through the cabinets for a long time before finally finding it. But at this point, they were well acquainted—the first aid kit and him. Jonah crouched down to the floor with a painful sigh and leaned back, shielded by the counters and cabinets around him, just in case Alara decided to wake up.

She'd throw a fit.

LITT - Dani

Hi everyone,

I've decided I won't post any more of "Love in Troubled Times". 

I understand it's probably not what people are used to from me, and I just haven't gotten many hits here anymore after the first two chapters. The lack of comments makes me believe that it's probably not really people's "cup of tea". Thanks to the readers who did comment and let me know, it means a lot, and I'm sorry, I'm not going to post anymore. It's difficult to be confident in my writing when I don't really "see" anyone actually interested. Stay tuned for when the story gets published.  

I've put a lot of work into this story, and I am finishing it up at the moment. Hopefully, I can publish it for Kindle in the next couple of weeks. 

I write and publish under Dani Deveaux, so follow me on Goodreads, Amazon, or IG if you're interested in my work or want to stay in the loop about "Love in Troubled Times". I've also got several new ideas that I would like to put down as stories, so stay tuned or let me know you're out there if you're interested in my work.

You're also welcome to write to me at deveauxdani18420@gmail.com if you have any questions. 

Thanks for reading!

Hugs, Dani

   

and the (totally) unexpected happens in LET IT SNOW... again

 HEY! I should've posted this last week but, ehhh, things got pretty busy! So here it is another chapter of Let it Snow, in which Will begs and Nick complies because he definitely doesn't like her. 

HERE's chapter six!

Also, thank you for all the feedback and I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm thinking about posting the Onde Anda Você update next week, but also, I've been insanely... inspired recently and I might be dropping a few short stories soon? No promises! Because I suck at keeping those. But yeah! See you soon!

Enjoy!

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and they spend more time together, a LET IT SNOW update!

Hello, you lovely PD people! I knooooow it took me longer than intended, but I'm here now! And I have some good news; aside from a fresh chapter to Let it Snow this week, I also have the next chapter ready to go aaaand a Onde Anda Você chapter as well! So I'll have at least a couple active weeks now, lol

In this chapter, we get to see a little bit of Will and Nick's past! HERE it is.

Also, I've been thinking... Would you like me to release all chapters at the same time, but a while from now, or "weekly", as I write them? It's supposed to be a short story, so there aren't many more chapters to go. 

As always, let me know what you think!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Happy new year! and also a let it snow update (heh)

I'm back! Took me a little longer because I was dealing with a lot during the holidays and couldn't reach my PC to post it. Happy New Year, you lovely people. I hope this year we can read lots of amazing stories here. 

In this chapter, Nick and Will have a very pleasant drive to their unnamed town (because I'm lazy).

Chapter IV❆

Let me know what you think!

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