Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless.

Jenna’s 411 ~ 1/28/2015

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411!

Book Chat ~ Almost Perfect Release

Almost Perfect, my erotic contemporary romantic comedy, released on January 23. Hooray!

Winners of my Release Day Giveaway were Jennifer Lowery and Loveshistorical.

The Rafflecopter Giveaway continues and will run through the end of my blog tour. For a list of my blog tour stops, click here. Those winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day. Prizes include a gift card and chocolate!

On the Home Front ~ The Boxwood Inn

Weekend before last, my husband and I took a break and spent the night at our favorite romantic getaway: The Boxwood Inn in Lee Hall, VA. We’ve been going to this wonderful bed & breakfast for years, sometimes for the night, sometimes just for dinner, but we always enjoy the experience. We were supposed to spend New Year’s Eve there, but due to circumstances beyond our control, it had to be postponed. And I’m kind of glad it was. We were the only guests there and received the royal treatment. I plan to do a full post on The Boxwood soon, so I’ll save most of the accolades and descriptions for that post. However, I will say that if you’re in this neck of the woods, The Boxwood is a lovely place to stay and be pampered.

Jenna Fun Fact of the Week

I don’t usually confess this so baldly, although most people who know me know this is true, but I am an optimist. My glass is perpetually half-full. I tend to see the good in most situations and I am always looking on the bright side of life. I’m not really a Pollyanna type, but I prefer to believe things will work out. I even think that I would be a survivor of any of a number of disasters, although I suspect I might not want to survive a zombie apocalypse. LOL I’m just sayin’.

That’s all from me. But don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. (See the “J” icon in the right-hand sidebar.) The first edition goes out this weekend to subscribers. I plan to include some sort of goodie for those who receive the first issue, so please, join the throng!

How’s your week been?

Posted in Jenna's 411, On Almost Perfect, Promotion | Tagged Almost Perfect, contemporary romance, Jenna Jaxon, Jenna's 411, newsletter on Jenna Jaxon, optimist, The Boxwood Inn | 3 Comments

Untamed & Unabashed ~ Lydia Bennet’s Story by Liza O’Connor

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Lydia’s Bennet’s story.

If you’ve read Pride & Prejudice, you know Lydia is the youngest of the five Bennet sisters. Like her siblings she has little chance of making a good marriage. Still, Lydia is not your typical heroine. She doesn’t cry over her hopeless future. She sets about to change it, without concern to propriety or decorum. Lydia falls to the charms of Wickham when she’s sixteen, certain a marriage to the handsome fellow is the beginning of her fabulous life. Wickham’s many failings reveal themselves in short order and Lydia realizes she’ll have to secure a better future for them both.

Here’s a bit of detail from Pride & Prejudice that touches upon Lydia’s story.

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin has Lydia and Wickham go directly to Longbourne after their wedding. However, that wasn’t practical, since Wickham needs to make arrangements to pay off debts and has yet to acquire a new position. So I’ve delayed their return to Longbourne in this story, allowing them both to get into more trouble.

Elizabeth Bennet told her story in Pride and Prejudice. Now Lydia Bennet tells her side of her whirlwind marriage to Lieutenant Wickham. The youngest of five daughters with a pittance of a dowry and no hope for a good marriage, Lydia feared her life was doomed from the start. She learns how to set herself apart from her sisters and gain the attention of young men. She hones charm and flirtation to an art. Willing to take risks, she manages to acquire a substantial dowry and marries her beloved Wickham. Yet, her life remains on the brink until she gains the patronage of a wealthy Duke trapped in a loveless marriage.

“Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy and fearless.”

—quote by Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

EXCERPT

After hours of passion beyond her former comprehension, Lydia lay in peaceful bliss, her head resting upon David’s hard chest. His hand gently stroked her arm.

“I will remember this forever,” he said, his voice filled with sadness.

Lydia frowned and pushed herself up. His words sounded like a goodbye. “Will I not see you again?”

Rolling off the bed, he lifted her gown off the floor, shaking it to lessen the wrinkles. “I cannot.”

Lydia could not make sense of his reply. How was it possible she could have incurred delight beyond imagination and he felt nothing? “Did I not provide you pleasure?”

He gasped in pain and turned to face her. “You cannot fathom the pure rapture you gave me.”

Now she was more confused than ever. “Do you dislike feeling such?”

Placing her gown on the bed, he moved away from her. “I consider myself a connoisseur of erotic enjoyments. But I have always kept it in check. While I crave pleasure, the women are not important to me.” He poured himself a drink. “I taste them for a month and then send them off.”

Taking a deep swallow, he turned and faced Lydia. “You are different. You are like opium to the blood. I crave you even now, when I should be satiated.” He sighed. “I dare not continue this. You are too potent, too desirable. I will return you to Wickham and be done with this. Otherwise, you’ll destroy my life.”

SALES LINK

Amazon

More About the Author

Liza O’Connor’s favorite books are Pride & Prejudice and Douglas Adams’ four book trilogy, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Go figure…

Raised in the southern mid-section, Liza escaped to the East Coast once out of college. She’s worked as a journalist, a radio DJ, a security guard, a stock broker, a strategist, and a business solutions consultant to name a few of her many occupations. Again…go figure.

She learned to fly planes, jump out of planes, hang-glide, kayak and scuba dive, to name of few of her ‘let’s kill Liza’ moments. However, her favorite activity is to hike with her dog Jess among the shaved mountains of NJ.

Here are additional Historical Novels by Liza O’Connor

A Humorous Sleuth Series: The Adventures of Xavier & Vic

The brilliant English Sleuth, Xavier Thorn, takes on a cheeky apprentice who turns out to be a young woman. Vic prefers to dress as a young man so she can live a more interesting life in the Late Victorian era. Overtime, Xavier makes her his partner in all ways.

The Troublesome Apprentice — The greatest sleuth in Victorian England hires a young man who turns out to be a young woman.

The Missing Partner — Oops! The greatest sleuth in Victorian England goes missing, leaving Vic to rescue him, a suffragette, and about 100 servants. Not to mention an eviscerating cat. Yes, let’s not mention the cat.

A Right to Love — A Romantic spin-off from the Adventures of Xavier & Vic. The gypsy pirate Jacko falls in love with a compromised lady of high society.

The Mesmerist — The Mesmerist can control people from afar and make them murder for her. Worse yet, Xavier Thorn has fallen under her spell.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

LIZA O’CONNOR

Investigate these sites:

Liza’s Blog and Website Facebook Twitter

Google +

Posted in Book Spotlights, Historical Romance, On Regency Romance, Promotion, Regency Romance, Spotlights | Tagged historical romance, Liza O'Connor, Lydia Bennet's Story, Pride and Prejudice, Regency romance, Untamed & Unabashed | 8 Comments

Medieval Monday: Spotlight on Ashley York

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

My feature is the first in The Order of the Scottish Thistle Series – The Bruised Thistle.

Blurb: Iseabail MacNaughton, the orphaned daughter of a Scottish laird, is forced to flee her home and seek assistance against her lecherous uncle who has usurped her family’s land. When she meets Seumas, a strong and valiant mercenary, she cannot help wondering if he could be the one to stand with her again her uncle. But with a price on her head and enemies on all sides, her trust is not something she can afford to give lightly…

Seumas MacDonell is a man wounded in body and soul, driven by guilt. When he rescues Iseabail from one of his own men, he cannot deny the attraction he feels for her, despite the wound that left him unable to act on it. In the hope of finding redemption for his sins, he agrees to help Iseabail…but will his feeling for her prove to be the ultimate obstacle to his salvation?

EXCERPT:

“Methinks ye wish to place a curse on me with that look of yers… What is yer name?”

Though she jumped at the sound of his voice, she could not help watching as he poured water from a pitcher to a bowl sitting on the table beside the fire. Mesmerized by the motion and the play of firelight over his expansive chest, she did not notice right away when he stopped his movements. She met his eyes. Her heart beat faster and that strange heat centered in her belly again.

He quirked a brow. “I asked ye a question and I expect an answer…or do ye not know how to act with yer betters?”

Her better? Though she seethed inside, Iseabail bit her tongue before she gave herself away. If he but knew how much land her clan called their own…

Nay, Iseabail. Remember the part you play here.

Lowering her eyes, she quietly answered him. “Forgive me, m’lord. I forget myself.” Unsure what else the charade called for, she curtseyed slightly.

“Yer name?” He still didn’t move. His brows were raised in expectation yet again.

“My name is Iseabail.”

He nodded, apparently appeased. “And my name is Seumas.”

His face settled into a slight smile and he continued with his washing. His muscles flexed as he rubbed across his chest and down his arms, scrubbing the soap into lather then rinsing it clean until his skin glistened. When he finished, he reached for the cloth beside him but turned his face to her.

She exhaled slowly.

“Come here, Iseabail.”

His tone was coaxing, as if speaking to a newly harnessed foal. She took the few steps toward him. When he reached for her face, she tensed and her mouth went dry. He was no better than her uncle, after all, and disappointment washed over her. She glanced down, steeling herself for the imminent assault, before facing him. His hand stopped just short of her face. Their eyes met and she could tell he was insulted by his tight lips and furrowed brow.

He wiped her cheek with a wet finger. “Ye’re filthy,” he said with disgust. “Make use of my water and be quick about it.” Seumas walked away, rubbing his hands dry.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Apple

Next Medieval Monday my featured author is Mary Morgan with her latest release.

Posted in Medieval Mondays, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged Ashley York, historical romance, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, Scottish historical romance, The Bruised Thistle | 2 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 1/25/14 Almost Perfect

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! My erotic romantic comedy, Almost Perfect, just released on Friday, January 23rd. I’ve added two short stories to this enhanced version of the novella, giving more exploits of my hero and heroine.

So today I’m giving you 8 sentences from a new scene in the original novella, now titled “An Almost Perfect Night.” The setting is a tropical island where Pam’s waiting for her Pirates of the Caribbean adventure to begin:

The deliciously hard body pressed her into the warm sand. Sinewy arms pinned her shoulders while his stubbly beard rasped against the skin of her neck as he kissed and nibbled his way down the slope of her neck. Her pirate had shown up at last, a dream come true. Tall, dark, and handsome might be a cliché, but man, it felt so good. The warmth of his naked torso rubbing against her bare midriff set her ablaze with hungers she’d thought would never be satisfied.

She’d been sitting under the trees, contemplating a scathing rejoinder to Roger’s accusation when she’d been pulled into an embrace from behind. She’d shrieked and tried to scramble away, but he’d nuzzled her ear and whispered, “It’s me, Pam. I’m here to give you your perfect night.

Blurb for An Almost Perfect Night

Can their love turn “almost perfect” into one perfect night?

Pamela Kimball’s birthday present, a One Perfect Night adventure, promises to jump-start her life, put a new man in her bed, and help her forget her past. Unfortunately, movie-buff Pam’s Pirates of the Caribbean fantasy takes an alarming wrong turn when she’s abandoned on a not quite deserted island—with ex-husband Roger Ware.

Forced by hunger to accept Roger’s offer of dinner, Pam realizes the geek she used to be married to has transformed into one of the most charming, sexiest men she’s ever met. His newfound confidence—and hot body—re-kindles old fires. A simple kiss leads Roger to challenge her to discover how much his lovemaking skills have improved, leaving Pam torn between self-preservation and burning desire.

With time running out before they’re rescued, Pam must decide if her heart can survive the consequences of becoming Roger’s “almost” perfect night.

Almost Perfect is available now on Amazon, B & N and ARe . So come grab your copy!

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

Posted in On Almost Perfect, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Almost Perfect, Jenna Jaxon, pirate fantasy, Weekend Writing Warriors | 12 Comments

Almost Perfect Releases!

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

My erotic contemporary romantic comedy, Almost Perfect, released today!

*throws confetti in the air*

To celebrate the release and the beginning of the blog tour, I’m doing a giveaway via Rafflecopter here and on all of my tour sites. You can find a list of the Almost Perfect Blog Tour sites below and on the Blog Tour page above.

The tour runs from today, beginning with a stop at Liza O’Connor’s blog, (where you’ll find a fantastic 5 star review) and ending with Jennifer Lowry’s Romance Recipes in mid-February just before Valentines Day, which is when the winners will be announced. Two winners, in fact. One will receive a $25.00 gift card. The other, in honor of Valentine’s Day, will receive a basket/box of chocolates.

“Valentines Day Chocolates” by John Hritz from Ann Arbor, MI, USA – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

So, here’s the blurb and an excerpt from Almost Perfect.

Blurb:

They met by accident at The Rocky Horror Picture Show and their first Christmas was almost their last. Can Pam Kimball and Roger Ware hope to make marriage work? Only time–and these three tales–will tell: An Almost Perfect Meeting, An Almost Perfect Christmas, and An Almost Perfect Night. An erotic romantic comedy for people who are “almost” perfect.

Excerpt from An Almost Perfect Night:

“If you’re skinny dipping, you forgot to remove one very important piece of clothing.”

She shrieked and whirled around.

Roger stood on the beach behind her, a green bottle of Perrier in one hand. His gaze played up and down her naked torso, and his salacious grin widened. “Mind if I join you?”

She gasped, wrapping her arms across her chest to shield her breasts from his hot gaze. “What the hell are you doing back here?”

“I came to make peace.” He waved the bottle at her. “Thought you might be thirsty by now.”

Her gaze fastened on the green glass, her mouth suddenly dry as sand. She stepped toward him then froze as she glanced at his face.

Roger stared at her, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He wiggled the bottle, challenging her to take it.

She’d be damned if she’d accept anything from him. Not here, anyway. That would make her feel weak, dependent. She eyed the condensation on the bottle. A single drop ran down the side, hung for a second at the bottom then plopped into the sand.

Shit. Right now, she was weak, dependent, and thirsty.

“Come on, Pam. It’s only water.” He still held the tempting thing out to her. Hell. She marched up to him, her steps as loud as she could make them on the packed sand. Stopping an arm’s length from him, she peeled one hand away from her breasts and shifted her other to cover as much as possible. For once, she thanked God for a B cup. She snared the bottle and shot him a look of triumph, only to realize the bottle was capped. To open it, she’d have to use her other hand.

Furious, she shifted her gaze from the tantalizing object to his gleeful eyes. “Would you open this for me, please?”

“Suddenly lost all your strength, have you, hon?” His eyes took on a hunger she remembered. “It’s not as if I haven’t seen your breasts before.”

“Then you don’t need to see them again, do you?” Heat rose in her cheeks. He was enjoying this way too much. “Come on, open it. You said it was a peace offering.”

“And these are part of the peace negotiations.” He stood, arms crossed over his muscled chest, better looking than she remembered.

Not fair.

“I’m bored, Pam. My date still hasn’t turned up, so I thought I’d come harass you a while. I’ll tell you what.” He reached for the Perrier and unscrewed the cap, but didn’t offer it to her. “You show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”

“And why would I want to see yours again?” She fixed her gaze on the bottle resting at his hips, watching the carbonated bubbles rise to the top, willing herself not to let her gaze stray toward his crotch.

“For old time’s sake?” His eyes flashed with mischief as he tipped the sparkling water up and started to drink.

She stared, her parched lips opened in outrage. Glug, glug. He was making that sound on purpose. Was he going to drink the whole damned thing?

After swallowing at least a third of the contents, he came up for air. “Ah! Hits the spot every time.” He grinned. “Still can’t take a joke? Too bad. Here.” He thrust it toward her.

Pam grabbed the bottle with both hands and shoved the end into her mouth so quickly the glass clicked against her teeth. Greedily, she sucked in and almost choked. The exquisite lime-flavored water rushed into her body to hydrate parched cells. Three more guzzles, and she breathed deeply, satisfied for the moment.

She wiped her hand across her chin where she’d dribbled and held the bottle out to him, but his slack-jawed attention was riveted on her chest. Which meant….

“You still look fine, Pam. Mighty fine.” Her ex-husband licked his lips, his grin reaching almost ear to ear.

“Damn it, Roger.” She wrapped her arms around her breasts so fast she hit herself with the bottle. If there hadn’t still been some water left, she would’ve brained him with it.

He reached down and slipped off his sandals then untied his drawstring, all the while grinning like a fool. With one swift movement, he shucked his pants to reveal a hard, tanned body, complete with a seriously large erection.

She hadn’t seen that coming.

Almost Perfect is now available at Amazon, Smashwords, and ARe.

Now click here for the Rafflecopter: Enter to win the gift card and chocolate! And follow along on my blog tour for more chances to win!

Jan. 23 Liza O’Connor

Jan. 26 Melissa Keir

Jan. 27 D’Ann Lindun

Daryl Devore

Jan. 28 Jennifer Lowry

Jan. 29 Monica Corwin

Jan. 30 Sheri Fredricks

Feb. 2 Meet the Characters

Feb. 12 Romance Recipes

Posted in Almost Perfect Blog Tour, Blog Tours, New Release, On Almost Perfect, Promotion, Release Party | Tagged Almost Perfect, contemporary romance, deserted island, Erotic Romance, erotic romantic comedy, Jenna Jaxon, Kama Sutra, new release party, pirates, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rocky Horror Picture Show, sex on the beach | 13 Comments

Jenna’s 411 ~ 1/21/2015

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome! Here’s another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411!

Book Chat ~ Almost Perfect Release

Almost Perfect, my erotic contemporary romantic comedy, releases day after tomorrow on January 23. I hope you’ll come by for the release festivities. I’ll have a Release Day Giveaway as well as a Rafflecopter Giveaway that will run through the end of my blog tour. Winner will be

“Valentines Day Chocolates from 2005” by John Hritz from Ann Arbor, MI, USA – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

announced on Valentine’s Day. Prizes include gift cards and chocolate!

On the Home Front ~ Newsletter: From the Pen of Jenna Jaxon

One of my goals for 2015 was to start a monthly newsletter for my readers, to give them updates in what I hope will be my busiest year to date. Well, I’m now happy to report that the first letter will go out in early February! And yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks. Yesterday I created a sign-up form with MailChimp, and actually put a button to it on my blog! I’ve got the icon here, which can be found in the top right-hand corner of the blog. So if you’d like to sign up, please do! I plan to give news about up-coming releases, advance cover reveals, giveaways each month, and a gluten-free recipe good enough to tempt non-gluten free readers. 🙂 And much more. Look for the first edition in just a couple of weeks!

Jenna Fun Fact of the Week

I’ve written posts before about using the sense of smell in romance writing and how important it is to put the reader into the character’s skin through the olfactory sense. I’ve also taught my classes that one way we communicate non-verbally is through the sense of smell: the perfume or cologne we use says something about how we want to be perceived. My signature cologne is Chloe by Lagerfeld. If you don’t know it, it’s a very sweet, flowery, and (to me) romantic scent. It makes me think of a woman in a flowing long white dress running through a meadow. You can’t get more romantic than that!

That’s all from me. How’s your week been?

Posted in Jenna's 411, On Almost Perfect, Promotion | Tagged Almost Perfect, contemporary romance, Jenna Jaxon, Jenna's 411, newsletter on Jenna Jaxon, signature perfume | 9 Comments

Spotlight on La Contessa and the Marquis by Lindsay Downs

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Thank you very much for having me visit you and your blog to introduce my newest regency cozy mystery series, Rogues and Rakehells Mystery. The first book in the series, La Contessa and The Marquis is currently available for preorder with its release set for Monday, Jan 19, 2015.

As I’m not sure where you, the readers of this post, live in the world I’ve included all the Amazon buy link for your convenience.

Blurb-

When Bianca Maria Ledford Goretti, La Contessa de Massa, flees back to her homeland and the safety of her godmother, The Duchess of Gorham, little does she realize who’s arms she lands in.

Lord Rainer Cross, Marquis of Hathaway, is a well-known and dangerous rakehell within the ton. Little does he suspect his godmother has set him up to halt his skirt chasing days.

Over time the reason for Bianca’s return comes to light which has Rainer deeply concerned. Not sure who he can trust Rainer turns to has several of his more interesting staff. He has them use their talents to ferret out the truth.

Everything get more complicated when they learn a friend might not be who he claims to be. Not sure who to trust, except Rainer and the duchess, Bianca learns several startling facts which could protect her from harm.

Once everything is revealed the duchess steps in with a surprise, something neither could have ever seen coming.

Excerpt-

Rainer Cross, Marquis of Hathaway, settled his shoulder against a pillar where he’d ensconced himself so he could overlook the ballroom. A warning glare to several want to be rakes was all that was needed to send them scurrying back to their mommas.

With a renewed resolve, to search down one particular individual, his piercing blue eyes studied the throng of ladies. Some too old but searching for a lover, even if for a brief tryst. Others on the hunt for a husband of which he had no interest, at least with them, as he already had his sights set on one person in particular.

Granted, he’d not seen her, except from a distance, but if the reports were to be believed she was, without a doubt the most beautiful lady, the truest diamond, to ever grace the ton.

Then, as if Venus rising from the ocean, she appeared at the top of the grand ballroom vestibule. He could feel the air rush from his lungs, something he’d never experienced before, as he fixed his gaze on her.

Seeing her in the flesh, as it were, he knew all the whispers circulating about had been true. Without a doubt she was the most beautifully, enchanting and mysterious woman he ever set his eyes upon.

He was pleased to see she was conversing animatedly with an elderly, heavily bejewelled woman. From where he was standing and the angle of the matron, Rainer wasn’t able to see her face.

“As long as she’s not my godmother, then I most assuredly will gain an introduction to the Contessa,” he mumbled to himself.

Due to the loud voices, so everyone could be heard over the musicians, he didn’t hear their presentation. His only concern was the woman accompanying the contessa as he already knew her name- Bianca Maria Ledford Goretti, La Contessa de Massa. Levering himself off the pillar he started toward them, still unable to see who her chaperone was when a friend, another fellow rake, stopped him.

“Rain, I do hope you’re not going after that delicate morsel, as I’ve it on excellent authority she’s eaten up and spit out several lords,” Tony, or more precisely Anthony Fuller, Earl of Wyatt, his friend from their days at Eton then university, informed him.

“My dear friend if she does, then I’ll die a happy man for la Contessa is a gem whom I wish to possess.”

“Ah, and that’s the rub. After she dismisses you she’ll then tread over your heart leaving nothing but a shell of a man. Trust me on this for I’m sure you’ve heard the rumor her first husband died mysteriously.”

“Tony, the only lady I fear is my godmother. If you’ll excuse me I’m going to attempt an introduction,” Rainer told him. With a pat on Tony’s shoulder he stepped around his friend and started for the divan where both ladies had settled.

As he made his way forward he wasn’t surprised to see both women had already collected a small group of young ladies around them. What he found amusing were several swains on the outskirts, all trying to be noticed by either lady.

Upon seeing a frontal assault was out of the question Rainer selected to attack from the rear. Stepping into an adjourning, but linked, alcove he easily approached them and came to a halt within feet of his object.

“Damn. I thought she wasn’t in town,” he mumbled on spying his nemesis, best known as his godmother, The Duchess of Gorham.

Buy Links-

Amazon US- http://tinyurl.com/pyw2lba

Amazon UK- http://tinyurl.com/nhp3oph

Amazon CA- http://tinyurl.com/kwf494z

Amazon AU- http://tinyurl.com/q6ssryz

Amazon DE- http://tinyurl.com/pcmhkgm

Amazon FR- http://tinyurl.com/ms85q3a

Amazon BR- http://tinyurl.com/m8849d6

Amazon IT- http://tinyurl.com/jwy7524

Amazon MX- http://tinyurl.com/lwqv3c9

Amazon NL- http://tinyurl.com/msfmqj2

Amazon ES- http://tinyurl.com/mch56nh

Amazon IN- http://tinyurl.com/m4bqqfu

Trailer-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKXamzz68x4

Bio-

I’ve been an avid readers ever since I was old enough to hold a red leather bound first edition copy of Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake in my lap.

So it only seemed natural at some point in my life I take up pen and paper to start writing. Over time my skills slightly improved which I attribute to my English teachers.

My breakthrough came about in the mid 1970’s when I read a historical romance written by Sergeanne Golon, Angelique. This French husband and wife team opened my eyes to the real world of fiction. Stories about romance, beautiful damsels, handsome heroes and plots which kept me hooked. Of course, being a man, I had to keep my reading hidden from others as that wasn’t appropriate reading for men.

With this new found appreciation of the written word I took up other books and devoured them as a starving person would a plate of food. I them attempted to write again. I still wasn’t satisfied so I put it aside for years as other events entered my life.

Finally, in the early years of the new millennium I tried again to write and once again met with limited success. At least now I was able to get past the first page or two. Then, in 2006 a life changing event brought me back to my love, I took a job as a security officer. This allowed me plenty of time to read different genres.

My favorite was Regency. As I poured through everyone I could get my hands on I knew this could be something I wanted to attempt.

Since 2012 when my debut regency romantic suspense released I was hooked and have, except for a few contemporaries, focused on this genre.

Since 2012 I’ve lived in central Texas. I’m also a member of Romance Writers of America and their local chapter.

Where you can find me-

Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/lindsay.downs.7

Facebook Pages- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lindsay-Downs-Author/325132754200597?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Regency-by-Lindsay-Downs/421654731286944

Twitter- @ldowns2966

LinkedIn- http://www.linkedin.com/home

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3210224-lindsay

Lindsay Downs-Romance Author- http://lindsaydowns-romanceauthor.weebly.com/

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Lindsay-Downs/e/B007NQAIIS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_2

Posted in Guest Posts, Historical Romance, On Regency Romance, Promotion, Regency Romance | Tagged historical romance, La Contessa and the Marquis, Lindsay Downs, Regency romance, Rogues and Rakehells Mystery | 4 Comments

Medieval Monday: Barbara Bettis

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to Medieval Monday! Today I’m hosting Barbara Bettis and her release The Heart of the Phoenix.

Excerpt:

At first, Evie thought it was the thud of her headache. Then the pounding came again, louder. She groaned and turned over. Opening her eyes told nothing; the blackness in the cabin was impenetrable.

“Marie?” Her voice rasped in a dry throat. Blasted tears.

No one answered. The girl must still be on deck. Evie might as well have left Marie behind, for all the assistance the maid provided. With a groan, she swung her feet over the side of the bunk and felt her way along the wall toward the sound of another insistent knock.

“A moment,” she called. “I’m coming.” Who had the nerve to wake her in what must be

the middle of the night? Hah. Need she even wonder? Her toe collided with something, and she yelped as she landed on her knees on the wood plank floor. Just what she needed. A broken foot.

The door burst open, bringing with it a dim light. “What’s wrong?” Stephen’s deep voice filled the room. “Where’s the damned lantern?

“If I knew, I would have lighted it.” Blasted man. Did he think she enjoyed stumbling around in the dark? He acted as if she did so just to plague him.

Holding a shielded ship’s lantern high, he stepped toward the desk. “Here it is. Where’s that lightskirt who’s supposed to be your companion?”

“Leave Marie alone. I wanted privacy and gave her permission go above.” Never mind that Evie had just complained about the same thing. He had no right to do so.

“What do you want?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

“A little late to ask that, isn’t it?” He bent to coax the cabin lantern to flame.

“Oh, for the love of heaven. Stop plaguing me. Why are you here?”

“I thought you’d like to know the identity of our fellow passenger.”

“At this hour? Could you not have waited until morning?” Sweet Mary, preserve her patience. He was the most maddening man alive.

Light flared in the cabin’s shuttered lantern, throwing a shadow across his face, reminding Evie of another reason he should not be here. Her body instantly throbbed to life.

She pressed her palms against her stomach and inhaled. Calm. She needed calm. He was not the most beautiful man she’d ever beheld. He did not possess the power to heat her blood to boiling.

He did not care that she thought of him night and day.

That much was true, for certain.

“I have news that will make the rest of your trip joyful.”

His words centered her whirling mind, and Evie eyed him warily. What news could possible make her happy right now?

She ventured a guess. “You are leaving? Your second in command, the delightful Sir Macsen, will accompany me the rest of the way home?”

“Much better.”

She could tell he was angry now by the way he glowered and roared in that whispery sort of way no one else could hear, but left her with no doubt of his displeasure.

“Your betrothed.” He bent and scooped her off the floor.

“What? What about him?”

“That’s the identity of the illustrious lord who crosses to England with us.”

“You’re drunk. And put me down. I’m perfectly capable of getting up on my own.”

“Be quiet. You have blood on your leg.”

“Of course I do. I tripped and fell trying to answer your pounding when you could as easily have opened—“ His words finally penetrated her throbbing head. “I’m bleeding?”

Oh, blast. The contents of her—empty—stomach churned. She attended the villagers’ hurts, bound the cuts and scrapes of servants and their children. The sight of their blood bothered her not a whit.

But her own? Black spots danced at the corners of her vision, becoming larger and larger until she heard Stephen’s voice.

“Evie, Evie. What the hell?”

His voice echoed so far away. If she didn’t know better, she’d vow he sounded alarmed. Perhaps she’d close her eyes for a moment.

As the ringing in her ears crescendoed , she recalled his words. Betrothed.

Her betrothed was on board?

Dear Lord, just let me die.

Blurb: Some call him a ruthless mercenary; she calls him the knight of her heart. Memories Lady Evelynn’s childhood hero is home—bitter, hard, tempting as sin. And haunted by secrets. A now-grown Evie offers friendship, but Sir Stephen’s cruel rejection crushes her, and she resolves to forget him. Yet when an unexpected war throws them together, she finds love isn’t so easy to dismiss. If only the king hadn’t betrothed her to another. Can be cruel Sir Stephen lives a double life while he seeks the treacherous outlaws who murdered his friends. Driven by revenge, he thinks his heart is closed to love. His childhood shadow, Lady Evie, unexpectedly challenges that belief. He rebuffs her, but he can’t forget her, although he knows she’s to wed the king’s favorite. And deadly When his drive for vengeance leads to Evie’s kidnapping, Stephen must choose between retribution and the love he’s denied too long. Surely King John will see reason. Convict the murderers; convince the king. Simple. Until a startling revelation threatens everything.

Buy links:

Amazon: http://bitly.com/1vSZgLG

The Wild Rose Press: http://bitly.com/1nIViQz

NEXT WEEK my guest is Ashley York . See you then on Medieval Monday.

Posted in Medieval Mondays | Tagged Barbara Bettis, historical romance, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, The Heart of the Phoenix | 9 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 1/18/14 Almost Perfect

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! My erotic romantic comedy, Almost Perfect, releases on Friday, January 23rd. I’ve added two shorts stories to this enhanced version of the novella, giving more exploits of my hero and heroine.

And today I’m giving you 8 sentences from short story #1, “An Almost Perfect Meeting,” with only a little creative punctuation. The setting is a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Pam, who is in the shadowcast, needs another actor. Roger has just backed into her:

She’d been talking to a guy in costume seated at the end of the row, and he’d practically upended her into his lap. Before he could utter a word of apology, though, she straightened and her face lit up as if he were the answer to her prayers.

“Thank God.” She shoved a pair of black plastic glasses onto his face and said, “I need a Brad.”

Had she lost her boyfriend? He shook his head. “I’m Roger.”

“I don’t care if your name’s Elvis, you’re Brad tonight!”

An Almost Perfect Meeting:

Does the right place and the wrong time equal the almost perfect couple?

When Pam Kimball’s plans to play Janet at a Rocky Horror Picture Show get derailed, she’s determined to go on with the show. She commandeers the first guy she sees—a tall, sexy, geeky stranger—to be her Brad. The guy knows nothing about the show, but plays along, stunning her with a kiss in the middle of the performance. Pam feels his interest while they dance and decides to make a bold next move.

Roger Ware’s come for a midnight showing of a classic movie, only to find a cult classic playing instead. To make it worse, he’s dragged onto the stage by a forceful brunette who won’t take “no” for an answer. Not that Roger wants to say no after one impulsive kiss gets him fired up for more. When Pam invites herself over after the show, her seduction is clear, but will it continue once Roger reveals one embarrassing secret?

Almost Perfect releases on Jan. 23, but it’s up for preorder on Amazon and ARe right now. So come grab your copy!

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

Posted in On Almost Perfect, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Almost Perfect, Jenna Jaxon, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Weekend Writing Warriors | 7 Comments

Jenna’s 411 ~ 1/14/2015

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome! Here’s another week’s installment of Jenna’s 411!

Book Chat ~ Almost Perfect Pre-Order

The final copy of Almost Perfect, my erotic contemporary romantic comedy, is now uploaded and approved by Amazon! It’s just waiting for release on January 23. I hope you’ll come by and pre-order your copy. Two short stories and a novella about a young couple–a girl obsessed by movies and a guy who’s a computer geek– who meet by accident at a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Instant attraction could lead to some hot sex. Sounds perfect, right? Wait until you read the rest of the story!

On the Home Front ~ CONTEST WINNER!

I have just been informed that my Regency Romance, To Woo a Wicked Widow, won First Place in the Historical Category of the Chesapeake Romance Writers’ “Finish the Damn Book” Contest! So thrilled! The presentation of my “Rudy” award will be made at the chapter conference in

Rudy Award

March. I can’t wait! Now I’m really hoping for big things from Widow. I need to start querying it again soon.

Jenna Fun Fact of the Week

“Stephen King, Comicon” by “Pinguino”

Many of you know that my favorite romance author is Jo Beverley. However, I have to admit that my all-time, across the genres, favorite author is Stephen King. I’ve always been a big fan of horror books and movies and when I discovered King (the first book of his I read was Carrie and I loved they format of the book with all the “documentary” evidence of the “White Report.” My absolute favorite book of his is It (also loved the TV movie), although The Stand, 11/22/63, and The Drawing of the Three (Dark Tower Series #2) run a very close second. In fact, I have his latest–Revival–on my nightstand, just waiting to begin. Of course when I read his books I sleep with the light on afterwards. LOL A small price to pay for the thrill of being scared by the master himself.

That’s all from me. How’s your week been?