Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless.

Jenna’s 411 ~ 7/29/2015

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411! I know I was MIA last week but I was at RWA of course, giving you all the news from New York . This week life is back to normal. Sort of.

Book Chat ~ To Woo a Wicked Widow

The exciting news, which you have heard if you read my RWA blog posts, is that I got requests for fulls from both the editor and the agent I pitched to in New York. So I’m going back through Widow, polishing, changing things just a bit, based on some feedback from the editor, and hopefully sending it off by the end of the week. Fingers crossed time. And I’ll also begin sending out queries out for the book next week.

Meanwhile, I’m also working on Only a Mistress Will Do, Book 3 in The House of Pleasure series, which Kensington is very excited to see. 🙂

On the Home Front ~ License to…Drive

While I was in New York last week, my younger daughter finally got her driver’s license! We’ve been putting it off because, well, she wasn’t really keen on driving, so we sort of let it slide. But with me gone, if she got the permit, she could drive herself to work and have a new measure of freedom. So her sister took her out on practice drives and took her to the test and third time was the charm. 🙂 We’re very proud, and she’s been driving quite a bit and likes that freedom a lot. Unfortunately, when she goes off to college this fall she won’t have a car, so I hope she remembers how to drive when she comes home at Christmas. 🙂

Jenna Fun Fact of the Week

I have no sense of direction. This became something of a problem in New York last week as I ended up walking probably a mile or two out of my way, because I couldn’t figure out which way to turn down the very confusing streets. Not that this problem only occurs in NYC. If I’m driving anywhere and I don’t know which way to go, 9 times out of 10, I will choose the wrong way. Even if I think that and consciously go the other way, it’s still wrong. LOL So VZ Navigator on my phone is my best friend these days. 🙂

So, how’s your week been?

My New Releases! Click the picture for buy link.

Posted in Beloveds, Jenna's 411, Promotion | Tagged drivers license, Jenna Jaxon, Jenna's 411, sense of direction, To Woo a Wicked Widow | 10 Comments

RWA Nationals: Day Four ~ Workshop

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

So sorry this post is late, however, computer problems, a time crunch, and travel home prevented me from posting this yesterday. But my final day at the convention was just as eventful as the others. And the trip home was quite a story.

Saturday, the last day of the conference, I gave over solely to my workshop, Swag for the Romance Author. I grabbed breakfast, got to hear Nalini Singh give a funny keynote speech about her first trip to RWA (that actually resonates with me as you’ll see later). Then I headed to the hotel room of dear friend Beppie Harrison, to put my swag bags together for the workshop. I’d brought an entire suitcase of swag with me—both for the Goody room and for this workshop, so I proceeded to fill and decorate the goodie bags while Beppie and I talked about all kinds of stuff. Great way to pass the morning and keep my nerves at bay.

Saturday’s Key Note Speaker Nalini Singh

After chasing Ella Quinn, her husband, and a group from our Regency Romance Critique loop to an Irish Pub for lunch, I went back to the room to finish the bags and go over the notes for my workshop while trying not to panic. I may teach public speaking, however, I’m usually terrified of speaking to large groups. I had an inkling that this one wouldn’t be over twenty or thirty people, because my time slot was the last workshop on the last day of the conference: 4:30-5:30pm. Everyone was exhausted and getting ready for dinner and the RITAs, right? But with my luck the room would be packed, so I prepared 50 bags just in case.

My Swag Bag for the Workshop

Long story short, the workshop went very well. I had been correct and ended up with only about twenty people, including my friend Beppie, who said it went very well. My moderator was another friend, Lindsay Downs, and the group asked some really great questions and even had some suggestions for me, which I appreciated a lot.

After the workshop, time seemed to telescope. I needed to get changed for the RITAs, have dinner with Beppie, and drinks with Lindsay before attending the RITAs. Everything got done except for attending with ceremony. I had to choose between spending time with Lindsay or going to the award ceremony and I chose the friend. We had drinks at the bar and talked for two and a half hours about all things writing.

Lindsay Downs, Regency Author

At last we said goodbye and I started the final marathon: the train trip home to Virginia. My train left Penn Station at 3:00 am, so I simply didn’t go to sleep at all. I packed up, said goodbye to Beppie and Ella, and headed to the lobby of the Marriott to wait. At 1:30am I got a taxi to the train station and boarded right on time.

So far, so good.

I settled into the Quiet Car and promptly fell asleep. I awakened at 6:00am to the sound of silence. Nothing was on, no lights, no engine sounds, nothing. Going through a tunnel outside of Washington, DC, the train engine had died.

Not good.

And the first thing I thought of was Nalini Singh’s keynote speech the previous morning, because in her trek to her first RWA, the exact same thing had happened to her, the train engine had died in the deserts of Utah.

Oh, the irony. (Well, if my career takes off like hers because of it, it will have been time well spent. LOL)

So we were stuck on the tracks with no lights, no air conditioning, and no flushing toilets for two hours. I ended up starting my signed copy of Jo Beverley’s Too Dangerous for a Lady, which took my mind off my troubles quite nicely. The train finally got a new engine and with only another short delay in DC, I arrived home safe and sound, only three hours late. I got in at 3:00 pm, so I was on the train for about twelve hours total.

Amtrak Train

Now, safe at home, another journey begins, as I finish polishing my Regency romance To Woo A Wicked Widow to send out as requested. RWA is over for this year, but the writing goes ever onward.

Thanks so much for following my RWA saga last week. And if you’re wondering what became of those 30 unused swag bags? Well, if you’d like one, shoot me a comment in this post, include your email address, and I’ll send you one while they last. 🙂

Have a great week, everyone!

Posted in RWA Nationals | Tagged Amtrak, Jenna Jaxon, Nalini Singh, RWA National Convention, RWA Swag Workshop | 19 Comments

RWA Nationals: Day Three: Meetings

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Day three and I’m writing this from the Silver Penny. Ella and I had an early night after another incredibly busy day. (My apologies. For some unknown reason my computer won’t load any of the pictures I took today. If I can up load later in the day, I will.)

The morning did not start well: the subway train broke down, forcing us to take a different train that put us out too far from the Marriott. Thank God for Uber! We caught a taxi and just made breakfast. Unfortunately, the breakfast room was full, so I didn’t get to hear the key note speaker, Julia Quinn.

Instead I took care of my swag in the goodie room then went on to an excellent workshop on conflict. Afterwards, I checked on my agent and editor appointments and met Ella and another author for lunch.

I used the hour before my first appointment to hone up on my pitch and it must have worked because I got requests for from both the editor and the agent I pitched to. In fact, the agent wants me to also send her a copy of Only Scandal Will Do! 🙂 Very excited, but not counting chickens, if you know what I mean.

The next meeting was with my Virtual Assistant. A very productive meeting in which we strategized about several things to do to get my indie publications jump-started in the ratings.

Then off to dinner with Ella and other writers at Don Antonio’s where they had the best gluten-free pizza I have ever had. Absolutely to die for!

Now a little writing and off to bed. Tomorrow is a big day–I give my workshop on Swag for the Romance Author! Excited and terrified!

Again, wish me luck!

Posted in RWA Nationals | Tagged Jenna Jaxon, pitching, pizza | 1 Comment

RWA Nationals: Day Two: Conference Begins

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

I’m putting this post up at 10:00 at night because I’ve finally stopped running around. It has been an incredibly busy day.

Starting with last night’s Literacy Signing. I helped Ella Quinn set up. I fan girled out at Historical romance icons Jo Beverley and Mary Jo Putney (bought books from each).

Mary Jo Putney at the Literacy Signing.

Jo Beverley, my Inspiration

There was a huge turn-out.

This morning we came in for breakfast and a key note speaker, then on to workshops. I attended two: one on ramping up sexual tension in you books and the other on subtext.

Then on to a lunch with Kensington authors and execs at a little French restaurant.

Then the Kensington signing where I got to see the print copy of Only Marriage Will Do. Squeeeeeee!

Then straight to a party hosted by Kensington, and now I’m catching my breath while Ella is off at another party.

Kensington Party

I’m going to stay here, post this and practice for my pitch sessions tomorrow!

Wish me luck!

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

RWA National: Day One

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

It’s only 10:00 and the day has been full already. 🙂

I spent the night on Ella Quinn’s boat, the Silver Penny, the first time ever I’d slept on a boat. Really cool experience! Here’s the view from the boat.

Off the stern of the Silver Penny

Ella and I took the subway in and I registered and have already hit the Goody Room.

Goody Room Swag

My Goodies

I love the Marriott Marquis in NYC! Gorgeous hotel.

The 8th Floor Lobby and Crossroads Café

These elevators make me quite dizzy!

Today I’m mostly hanging out until the Literacy signing at 5:30. I’m not signing, but I’m meeting up with fellow author Lindsay Downs and the Managing Editor of Kensington’s Lyrical imprint, Renee Rocco.

It’s going to be a great week!

Posted in RWA Nationals | Tagged Jenna Jaxon, Marriott Marquis, RWA National Convention, Silver Penny, swag | 7 Comments

On My Way to RWA Nationals!

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

At last I’m on my way to New York for the 2015 RWA National Convention! Woo Hoo!

I’m especially excited this year because I get to take the train from Virginia to NYC. I love to travel by train and thought I’d share some of the journey with you. 🙂

I’m currently located in the “Quiet Car,” so I can get some work done revising Widow.

I did, however, grab my train version of a gluten-free breakfast: Jimmy Dean sausage, egg, & cheese muffin, sans the muffin. LOL And this is the club car this morning.

These are some pics of the journey so far–from Williamsburg to Richmond.

I’ll update you tomorrow about my dinner tonight with Ella Quinn and some other author friends. I understand there will be men in kilts involved! 🙂

Posted in RWA Nationals | Tagged Jenna Jaxon, RWA National Convention, train travel | 1 Comment

Guest Author: Jennifer Lowery and Murphy’s Law (Free this Weekend!)

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Hello and welcome! I’m so glad you’re all here! It’s my birthday weekend-oh, no, not sharing the number, lol—but, I will share my birthday gifts with you! For 3 days only, July 17-19, you can download Murphy’s Law for FREE from Amazon!!! Woot!

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

Murphy’s Law

Romantic Suspense

He lost his family. She gave them back to him.

Blurb:

Home is the last place Jon Murphy can go. After being held captive in Azbakastan, he returns to the States only to find he can’t face his mom and sisters with what he did while he was a prisoner, so he retreats to the mountains.

Widow Sara Sheldon has made a lifetime of mistakes and is now running scared from her husband’s powerful family, who are determined to take her daughter away from her. When her little girl goes missing in the Rockies, Sara enlists the only help she can find: a gruff recluse with tracking skills to admire and a body to covet.

A storm strands Sara and her daughter at Murphy’s cabin, leaving her no choice but to hope her in-laws don’t catch up while she plans where to run next. Murphy resents the invasion of his privacy, but can’t seem to keep his mind–or his hands–off Sara. How can she stand to look at him, with all his scars? He’s not nearly as honorable as she might think…only enough to make sure she’s safe, and then he’ll go back to being alone, the way he should be.

Content Warning: Sexual content

**Murphy’s Law: Previously published by Lyrical Press in 2013**

***Murphy’s Law was a 2006 Golden Heart Finalist***

Excerpt:

Murphy sat at the kitchen table, half in the shadows created by the soft light glowing above the stove. A bottle of amber liquid sat on the table in front of him, an empty glass in his hand. His hair was tousled from sleep and to Sara’s dismay, he was naked to the waist. Her gaze landed on his muscled shoulders and trailed across his tanned chest. So much for getting him out of her mind. Now she had the real thing to dream about. Looking at the dark hairs that veed down his chest and disappeared behind the table, she decided he had been right. He was a dangerous man.

She tore her eyes away from temptation and looked at the granite lines of his face. Beneath the hardness of his expression, something haunting lingered. Drawn, she circled the table until she stood at the opposite end.

Murphy met her eyes with coldness that should have sent her running for the safety of her room, but she remained standing in place. He wanted to chase her away. This time she wasn’t running.

“Mind if I join you?” she asked on her way to the cupboard to grab a glass and return to stand over Murphy’s shoulder. She reached for the bottle. The muscles in his shoulders flexed when she leaned over him.

Murphy’s hand snaked out and wrapped around hers, preventing her from pouring a drink.

“I mind,” he growled.

“Well, get over it. I need a drink.”

Scowling, he let go of her hand and allowed her to pour a glass for herself. She refilled his glass next and set the bottle on the table. Then she moved to the chair beside him and sat before lifting her glass in a silent toast.

“Cheers.” She brought the glass to her lips. His eyes on her as she drained the glass made her fight the urge to cough as the fiery liquid burned its way down her throat. Seconds later she felt the familiar warming sensation as it numbed her insides. Her eyes filled with tears. She blinked them away as she reached for the bottle.

Murphy held it away from her. “What are you doing?”

“Having a drink. I’m not in the mood for warm milk tonight.”

His eyes darkened and narrowed. “You don’t strike me as the drinking type.”

She wasn’t, but tonight it sounded good. Maybe it would soothe away her problems and make her forget how screwed-up her life was. Talking about Kent earlier had brought back painful memories. She didn’t want to feel that misery anymore tonight.

“Maybe you don’t know my type,” she said.

Murphy studied her closely for a moment before rubbing a weary hand over his face. “Go back to bed, Sara. Sleep it off.”

“I don’t want to sleep it off. I’m tired of thinking about it.”

Maybe it was the whisky, or the sight of Murphy’s naked chest, or the part of her that had been dormant for six years coming back to life. More than anything she wanted to discover it with Murphy, her strong, scarred hero.

She rose to her feet. Murphy watched warily as she stepped in front of him and positioned herself between him and the table. He leaned back in his chair and sent her a thunderous look.

“You and I are alike in many ways, Murphy,” she said softly. “We both have lost pieces of ourselves we can’t ever get back and it has forced us into a life of loneliness and solitude. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being alone.”

Murphy pinned her with a hard glare. “I’m not what you want. Go back to your room before I do something we’ll both regret in the morning.”

His harshly spoken words sent little electrical shocks through her body.

“I’m tired of people telling me what I want,” she said.

Author Bio:

NY Times & USA Today bestselling author, Jennifer Lowery grew up reading romance novels in the back of her math book and on the bus to school, and never wanted to be anything but a writer. Her summers were spent sitting at the kitchen table with her sisters spinning tales of romance and intrigue and always with a tall glass of ice tea at their side.

Today, Jennifer is living that dream and she couldn’t be happier to share her passion with her readers. She loves everything there is about romance. Her stories feature alpha heroes who meet their match with strong, independent heroines. She believes that happily ever after is only the beginning of her stories. And the road to that happy ending is paved with action, adventure, and romance. As her characters find out when they face danger, overcome fears, and are forced to look deep within themselves to discover love.

Jennifer lives in Michigan with her husband and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

This is what people are saying about Murphy’s Law:

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Cindy Gerard, Tara Janzen, or Cherry Adair series. Each of these writers have the same flavor with a secret ingredient in their stories as does Jennifer Lowery. Great story! – hmhibbit, Open Book Society on Murphy’s Law

Connect with Jennifer:

Author Website Facebook Twitter Romance Recipes

Jennifer’s Newsletter Jennifer’s Street Team

Buy Murphy’s Law:

Amazon

Other Books by Jennifer Lowery:

SEAL Team Alpha Series:

A SEAL’s Song

A SEAL for Christmas

A SEAL’s Duty

Wolff Securities Series:

Maximum Risk

ATCOM Series:

The Maze

Sawyer Sisters Trilogy

Hard To Handle

Onyx Group Series:

Hard Core

Other:

Murphy’s Law

Taking Chances (short story)

Posted in Guest Bloggers, Guest Posts, Promotion | Tagged contemporary romance, Free Book, Free romantic suspense novel, Jennifer Lowery, Murphy's Law, romantic suspense | 11 Comments

Jenna’s 411 ~ 7/15/2015

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411! I know I was MIA last week but I was down at the beach and holed up in my writer’s cave. I’ll let you know why below. 🙂

Book Chat ~ Only A Mistress Will Do

I have been in the writing for the last couple of weeks working on the synopsis and first three chapters of the next book in the House of Pleasure series, Only A Mistress Will Do. All I can tell you about it now is that if you’ve read the other books, you’ve met the hero, but the heroine is a new character. It opens in November, 1761, in Madam Vestry’s House of Pleasure (a brothel). And my current tag for the book is: Some secrets cannot be kept.

I’m hoping to send the chapters and synopsis off to my editor today, along with the synopses for the final two books in the series: Only Seduction Will Do and Only Pleasure Will Do. Cross your fingers she likes them!

On the Home Front ~ At the Seaside

My view from the deck of the condo every morning. 🙂

Last week my husband and I went to our timeshare down in Duck, NC for most of the week. Our daughters stayed at home, working, so we had the place to ourselves. It was really quiet for a change. LOL I was in the writing cave most of the week, coming up for air only long enough to cook bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp skewers and go shopping with the girls when they came down for a day. We also celebrated my hubs birthday, so it was a very full, very fun day. We had to come back a day early (sigh) so I could go to my local chapter meeting. Still, a great “break” for me (I count writing in a different environment a break lol).

Jenna Fun Fact of the Week

“Fruit3” by tooony – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fruit3.JPG#/media/File:Fruit3.JPG

I hated tomatoes until I got pregnant with my first child. My mother loved tomatoes and told me she ate a quart can of them every day was pregnant with me. I always figured I got all the tomatoes I needed prenatally. So what happens? As soon as I got pregnant, I started craving tomatoes. Tomato sandwiches, to be exact. With Dukes mayonnaise and salt and pepper on untoasted white bread. I had one every day for lunch. The result: my daughter HATES tomatoes. LOL Only time will tell, but I’m betting history will repeat itself if she ever gets pregnant. 🙂

So, how’s your week been?

My New Releases! Click the picture for buy link.

Posted in Beloveds, Jenna's 411, Promotion | Tagged condo, Jenna Jaxon, Jenna's 411, nags head, Only A Mistress Will Do, tomatoes, vacation | 4 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 7/12/15 Crashing Through Time

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

I was so distracted last week, I forgot to sign up officially. So I posted unofficially, but was unable to visit any sites. So I decided to go back in time and repost my 10 sentences from last week. Sort of apropo for a time travel, don’t you think? So I’ve 10 lines from Crashing Through Time that follow just a little after last week before last ‘s snippet.

This is the middle of the first chapter. Corrine has crash landed in a sightseeing plane on the coast of Cornwall in England. She’s gone into the woods to have a “private moment” and hears a strange noise. She then sees a well and is drawn to it and falls down it.

Corrine sat up, gasping for breath. She tried to turn her head every way at once, peering into the forest, suddenly on alert. Gray pitted bricks loomed to her left. Time to get the hell away from that thing.

She bounded up and backed away from the well, not wanting to turn her back on it. Shouldn’t she have landed at the bottom of the damned thing?

Brushing grass and dead leaves from her skirt, which must’ve been filthy by now, she picked her way toward a lighter patch in the woods. Anticipation urged her on, and she gathered speed until at last she stumbled out into brilliant sunlight that warmed her to the bone.

She stared down the field.

No airplane.

Crashing Through Time is available in Crashing Into Love and can be found on Amazon for just .99!

That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed it!

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Posted in Historical Romance, New Release, On Crashing Into Love, On Crashing Through Time, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Time Travel Romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Crashing into Love, Crashing Through Time, Jenna Jaxon, new release, time travel romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | 10 Comments

NEW RELEASE: Longing by Cara Bristol

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Longing

by Cara Bristol

About the Book:
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Genre: paranormal romance (erotic romance)

Blurb: Spurned by vampire society because of his mixed blood, Luc despairs of finding his one true mate. Then he meets her, and they share a single night of passion. Can he convince her to accept a Half Breed, or will that one night have to last him for an eternity?

Excerpt:

Luc Fortier opened a bottle of French red wine and set it to breathe on the wet bar before drawing the drapes to expose the penthouse’s private balcony. The lights of California’s most populous city twinkled and gleamed twenty floors below. He slid the glass doors open to allow the night breeze to waft into the suite.

Miles beyond the ocean of lights rolled the Pacific, visible on a clear day from the upper floors of the Los Angeles Orion Hotel then disappearing after sundown. But its fragrance lingered, and he inhaled the briny tang. He’d loved the ocean since his first transatlantic crossing centuries ago. Timeless and mysterious, the earth’s water breathed and reclaimed life in an endless ebb and flow.

Stepping out onto the balcony, he stretched to his full height of six-foot-three, and he drew in a deep breath. He gripped the railing and stared at the city lights. His spirit ached with longing and disillusionment.

He didn’t hold much hope for the outcome of tonight’s encounter. This date was a last ditch effort at best.

A village seer had foretold of his mate arriving in the “bloom of youth.” Although he didn’t look a day over thirty-five by mortal standards, he was three hundred seventy-six years old, well past any bloom of youth—and still unmated. He’d searched the continents for centuries, but had yet to find his true one. He feared the seer had misread the signs. If his mate existed, wouldn’t he have found her by now?

He would have to face the truth that his mixed blood had sealed his fate. He had no mate.

Luc was a Half Breed, born, not sired. Not pure vamp, and definitely not human. An abomination.

From his vampire mother, he’d inherited his superior physical strength and muscled physique, excellent night vision, sense of smell, and of course, immortality. From his mortal father, he’d acquired the ability to tolerate the sun for short periods, and he could partake of some human foods, although he required blood for survival.

Despite its physical benefits, being of mixed race condemned him to a lonely eternity. Spurned. Feared.

In desperation, he’d turned to Charmed Encounters, a “discreet matchmaking service for extraordinary individuals.” Reading between the lines of the fine print, he’d inferred that they catered to a paranormal clientele. He’d expected the fee to be quite hefty, but surprisingly, there wasn’t one.

An email had instructed him to come to this suite.

Most likely the “service” was a scam of some sort, but he’d exhausted all other options, and like medical miracle cures, Charmed Encounters offered his last and only hope.

Still, he had to ask himself, what could the service do that he hadn’t been able to in centuries? He’d searched every corner of the world. He longed for his one true one with such intensity he imagined he could smell her, sensed her presence like she was a mere breath away. And then nothing happened.

This is pointless! The seer was wrong. Charmed Encounters is a hoax. I have no mate. I will spend eternity alone.

He spun around. There was no sense waiting for someone who wouldn’t show. It was time to go home.

Longing is now available at Amazon.

About the Author:

Cara Bristol continues to evolve, adding new subgenres of erotic romance to her repertoire. She has written, paranormal, science fiction, contemporary, and spanking romance. No matter what the genre, one thing remains constant: her emphasis on character-driven erotic stories with sizzling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Cara has lived many places in the United States, but currently lives in Missouri with her husband. She has two grown stepkids. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading and traveling.

Erotic romance from the heart

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