Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 4/20/14 Betrayal

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and Happy Easter!

Finally, after a long couple of weeks, I’m able to be back! I thought I’d ease back in with a little more of Betrayal, my medieval novella and Book 2 of my serial novel, Time Enough to Love.

Alyse’s betrothed, Sir Geoffrey Longford, has been called away to his father’s home because his brother is ill. Geoffrey’s friend and Alyse’s champion, Thomas has just arrived with news and handed her a parchment letter. Alyse reads it with some trepidation as Princess Joanna and the other ladies wait in the next chamber.

Joanna threw open the door and the three of them rushed in to find Alyse crumpled on the floor, Lord Braeton bent over her, chaffing her hands. As the princess entered, he looked up, his face set in harsh lines. “She swooned, Highness.” He scooped Alyse into his arms, gazed around the room then looked beseechingly at the princess.

She understood well the depth of feeling between her waiting woman and Geoffrey Longford. Alyse would need many days to recover from this blow. “Take her to her bed chamber, Lord Braeton. When she wakes, she will likely desire the comfort of her own room.”

If you want more before next week, Betrayal is available at Amazon.

In the mean time, check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Posted in Betrayal, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Betrayal, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, medieval romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | 16 Comments

Horny Hump Day 04/16/13: Betrayal ~ A Delicious Sight

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

WARNING: MATERIAL NOT SUITABLE FOR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18!

NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

Participating authors in Horny Hump Day post three sentences from their published works or WIP, hot like a firecracker! LOL

I’m back! After a two-week hiatus, my production is over and I’m ready to share a hot snippet with you. This is from Betrayal, Book 2 of Time Enough to Love. Thomas is appreciating his bride’s attributes.

His gaze traveled lower, to deliciously rounded hips flowing into the sleek thighs he had been caressing a moment ago. He swallowed hard at the sight of the tangle of dark curls where her thighs met. Almost fully erect, he clenched his fists and bent to the task of hiding all this loveliness under the shift.

Thomas has always been a connoisseur of women. And his wife has certainly inflamed his interest. If you’d like to see how he acts on her loveliness, Betrayal is available from Amazon and Smashwords!

Please continue to the Horny Hump Day blog site for additional sites on the hop and go check out the other hot authors.

Thanks so much for visiting the Journal once more for Horny Hump Day!

Posted in Betrayal, Blog Hops, New Release, On Horny Hump Day, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion | Tagged Betrayal, historical romance, Horny Hump Day, Jenna Jaxon, medieval romance, sensual sex scene, Time Enough To Love | 13 Comments

Horny Hump Day 03/25/13: Betrothal ~ The Glory of His Touch

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

WARNING: MATERIAL NOT SUITABLE FOR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18!

NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

Participating authors in Horny Hump Day post three sentences from their published works or WIP, hot like a firecracker! LOL

Since my medieval novella, Betrothal, is up for a RONE Award, I thought I’d give you a hot snippet from that this week!

He swallowed hard and breathed sharply before running a finger down the cleft of her bosomn then with a contented sigh, he cupped her breasts, stroked them with strong, nimble fingers. The memory surfaced of running her hands over her body, wondering how it would feel when his hands were on her. Never would she have imagined the glory of his touch.

That’s all for now. But if you want more, Betrothal is available at Amazon for just .99. Also, as I said earlier, this novella is up for a RONE award. If you’d like to vote for it (I’m trying to make it into the finals) please click here and vote by March 30. I’d so appreciate your vote!

Please continue to the Horny Hump Day blog site for additional sites on the hop and go check out the other hot authors.

Thanks so much for visiting the Journal once more for Horny Hump Day!

Posted in Betrothal, Blog Hops, On Horny Hump Day, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion | Tagged Betrothal, blog hops, historical romance, Horny Hump Day, Jenna Jaxon, medieval romance, sensual sex scene, Time Enough To Love | 11 Comments

I Need Your Vote! Betrothal is Nominated for A RONE Award

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

My medieval novella, Betrothal, the first book in my serial novel, Time Enough to Love, has been nominated for a 2014 RONE award!

The second phase of the award process is for you, my readers, to vote for Betrothal this week, March 24-30. You can cast your vote here.

You do need to register to vote, but after that brief detour, you can proceed to the voting in the Historical Medieval category. The 5 or 6 books with the highest amount of votes go on to finalist status.

I’ve never finaled in anything, so if you can possibly vote for me and make it happen, I will be walking on cloud nine for a very long time!

Thanks so much! And if you can share this on Facebook and Tweet to all your peeps, I’d be forever in your debt. 🙂

Fingers crossed!

Posted in Betrothal, Contests, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion | Tagged Betrothal, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, medieval historical romance, RONE Award, RONE Award Nominee | 12 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 3/23/14 Betrothal

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! I’m back this week with a snippet from Betrothal, the first book in my medieval serial novel, Time Enough to Love.

In these eight, Alyse de Courcy finds out who her father has betrothed her to.

Mere seconds before she learned her fate and she could scarce affect an indifferent pose before the court when inside every inch of her quivered with anticipation of the name on the king’s lips.

The king straightened, glanced at her then at the man by her side and asked, “What say you then, Sir Geoffrey? Does the lady not speak fair? I vow she will make you a proper wife and a dutiful one as well.”

Alyse turned, until that moment unaware that Geoffrey Longford stood beside her. Chills coursed down her body as the king’s words echoed in her mind. The sensation of falling backward assailed her, as though she rushed away from the tall man at her side even as his figure loomed larger and larger in her sight.

God have mercy on me, for by the look of him, this man will not.

Betrothal has been nominated for a 2014 RONE award! Voting for my category of Historical: Medieval begins tomorrow at http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-three. Hope you’re able to give Betrothal your vote for best medieval. 🙂

In the mean time, check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Posted in Betrothal, On Time Enough to Love, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Betrothal, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, medieval romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | 19 Comments

The Making of a Masterpiece by Nikki Lynn Barrett

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

I am so pleased today to have my good friend and fellow author Nikki Lynn Barrett on my blog to tell you about the making of her latest masterpiece, A Masterpiece of Our Love.

Thank you, Jenna, for having me on your blog today!

I saw a photo with a saying on Facebook recently that said something along the lines of “The first draft is merely you telling yourself the story” Or something of that sort.

You know what, I agree!

I’m a total panster. I come up with a general idea, but there are many things I don’t know about my story when I set to write it. I learn as I go. I plug away on the rough draft. It took me a LONG time to leave it alone and just WRITE IT! I would burn out trying to figure thing out, or I got critiques way too early and all the different opinions messed with my head. I learned. I wrote the first draft, and THEN allowed opinions on it. I don’t even let my husband read it until it’s done (With the exception of Masterpiece, because I wanted a cover and he wouldn’t do it until he read at least part of the story, LOL)

Revisions used to scare the hell out of me. The Secret Santa Wishing Well, my debut, was the first completed book I’d written in eight years. While my writing was better than the last one I wrote, I still had A LOT to learn about the writing process. And really, with me just publishing my fifth book, there’s still plenty to learn. But I’m getting there more and more. Anyway, the first few books after I finished their draft, I was overwhelmed with the idea of revising. I think by the time ON the 12th Date of Christmas was finished and I went to revise, it wasn’t as scary anymore. A Masterpiece of Our Love, I looked forward to revising.

Back to that saying I found- The first draft is my intro to the characters, their lives. I learn about them. I write what I feel works. When I get to revising, I’ve read this story so many times. I know my characters better. I can tweak things and make them even better. I’ve learned not to be so afraid of revisions. They’re the next step to making my story better, to getting right where I want to be. The revising is no longer the hardest part for me. That makes the process less painful.

Blurb:

Two Lives Torn by tragedy.

Eight-year-old Becca and twelve-year-old Hunter cling to each other and life after surviving a plane crash which stole their families.

Two Souls Seeking Love.

Each year, from the time she was old enough to travel on her own, Becca met up with Hunter on the island that altered their lives forever.

Until he stopped showing.

Her constant. Her link to the past. Gone in the blink of an eye.

Two Lives Bound by Secret.

Suffering more heartbreak, Hunter returns to the one place he’s always sought comfort, the island where he and Becca met. It was the place that stole from him, and in the same instance gave to him. He hasn’t been back or spoken to Becca in four years.

Though he’s sure she must hate him for disappearing, Hunter discovers the girl gone, now a woman in her place. Hunter is determined to prove to Becca he isn’t the same twelve-year-old boy of yesteryear.

But someone isn’t happy about their reunion…

Strange things begin happening. Letters start showing up in their hotel rooms and at home with cryptic messages.

Two Broken Hearts Heal as One.

With the mystery unsolved, Hunter convinces Becca to spend the remainder of the summer back home with him, both for safety and to give them a chance to discover the adults they’ve now become.

Will love get a chance to blossom, or will the past come back and tear the masterpiece of their love apart once and for all?

Excerpt:
“Hey, Hunter! It’s been a while!” A short, plump man wearing a security uniform waved ecstatically at them as he led Becca to his plane. “Taking a night spin?”

“No sir, not tonight. I’m just showing my girlfriend the plane this evening.” He had his arm around her and at the word girlfriend, he gave her right shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Arthur, I’d like you to meet Becca.”

“I’ve heard so much about you, Becca.” Arthur held his hand out, his smile warm and friendly. “Hunter speaks so highly of you, but he’s never brought you around. I was wondering if you were imaginary.”

She laughed and held out her hand to shake his. “I can assure you I’m very real.

“Good. I’d hate to think he’s paying you so we all would finally believe that such a woman existed.” He let out a hearty laugh that made his belly shake. “Just giving Hunter a hard time. We all enjoy a little picking around here. He’s no exception. Wait till I tell Dan that I met the infamous Becca.”

“I had a feeling you two were taking bets,” Hunter chuckled. “How much does he owe you?”

The man’s cheeks turned a little red, his grin widening. “You’re good, man. He owes me fifty bucks. But, I’ll have to take a picture of you two in case you don’t bring her by again. He’ll want concrete proof.” His tone was hopeful.

Hunter shook his head, still smiling. “The things I do for you crazy old-timers. You have nothing better to do than take bets on my life, huh? What do you say, Bec?”

“I won’t be the reason he doesn’t earn that fifty dollars. They want a picture? We’ll give them a photo to remember.” She smiled over at Arther, who already had his phone out. She winked and turned to Hunter, cupping his face and leaning in for a kiss. She closed her eyes as the flash of the camera lit up and her lips met Hunter’s.

“Ha, love it!” Arthur pumped a fist in the air. “I’ll take that fifty and take my wife out for the night. She’ll enjoy it. Seriously, it’s wonderful to meet you, Becca. We might pick a lot, but Hunter here is a good man and it’s nice to see him happy. Always had a feeling one day you two would end up together.”

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Our-Love-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00J2QO8Y2

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-masterpiece-of-our-love-nikki-lynn-barrett/1118929164?ean=2940149365722

Gooreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18690120-a-masterpiece-of-our-love

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikkiLynnBarrettauthor

Nikki’s Book Nook on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/713425282019067/
Author Bio: Nikki Lynn Barrett lives in Arizona with her husband and son. She’s an avid reader, a dreamer, and loves everything about books. She runs a book blog, an online used bookstore, and writes various genres of romance. Nikki can also be found outside with her camera when a storm is near, snapping photo after photo. Her dreams of becoming a writer started when she was young, when she started writing books in one subject notebooks by the fifth grade.

Posted in Book Spotlights, Guest Bloggers, Guest Posts, Promotion, Release Party | Tagged A Masterpiece of Our Love, contemporary romance, friends to lovers romance, Nikki Lynn Barrett | 6 Comments

I is for Island

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

No, I really didn’t plan it this way, but the letter I just happened to come up during the week I’m on the beautiful island of St. Thomas, visiting fellow author Ella Quinn. So I thought I’d give you a few facts about this island and share some breathtaking photos of the place.

St. Thomas is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands and lies at latitude 18 down in the Caribbean.

Pirate lore has it that Blackbeard used the island as a hang out while he was down here. They have Blackbeard’s Castle, a tower built for defense by Danes in 1679, but reputed to be his base.

Magen’s Bay is one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. (I can now attest to that!). We go here every morning and walk two miles, down and back. But be sure to say “good morning morning” to everyone you meet. It’s the local custom and to not greet someone marks you as rude.

And there is a wonderful night life here! Ella took me to Latitude 18, a small bistro type place, frequented by the locals. The food is excellent and the music of Flipswitch was fantastic!

Tomorrow we’re off to St. John’s Island, where I hope to take even more pics. I’ve got 5 blogs this weekend, including this one, so I’ll be posting lots more of my adventures before I leave on Sunday.

If you like island romance, you should check out mine, Almost Perfect, an erotic Caribbean romp with a man who knows his Kama Sutra! Available at Amazon!

Hope you enjoyed this little island tour! Back to the land of ice and snow next week. 😦 But I’ll make the best of the tropical clime while I’m here.

Posted in Alphabet Post | Tagged Blackbeard's Castle, FLipswitch, I is for Island, island romance, Jenna Jaxon, Latitude 18, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands | 14 Comments

Horny Hump Day 03/12/13: Almost Perfect

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

WARNING: MATERIAL NOT SUITABLE FOR THOSE UNDER THE AGE OF 18!

NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

Participating authors in Horny Hump Day post three sentences from their published works or WIP, hot like a firecracker! LOL

Since I’m in Island mode this week, down in St. Thomas visiting fellow historical author, Ella Quinn, I thought I’d give you a hot snippet from my island romance Almost Perfect.

Pam’s fantasy 1Night Stand has gone very awry. Instead of her pirate lover, she’s left with her ex-husband. However, Roger’s been busy during the two years of their divorce–and he’s decided to show Pam what he’s learned. Vigorously. In this scene they are in the warm Caribbean water and Roger is standing, taking Pam for a wild ride.

In no time, he’d built a delicious tension that excited her in a whole new way. Then he shifted to faster, deeper thrusts, squeezing her ass as he pumped in and out. He brought her body to the sharp pinnacle of release just as he groaned and dipped them into the water.

Hot Caribbean night! If you want to feel more of the heat, Almost Perfect is available at Amazon, B & N, and ARe.

Please continue to the Horny Hump Day blog site for additional sites on the hop and go check out the other hot authors.

Thanks so much for visiting the Journal once more for Horny Hump Day!

Posted in Betrayal, Blog Hops, New Release, On Horny Hump Day, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion | Tagged Betrayal, blog hops, historical romance, Horny Hump Day, Jenna Jaxon, medieval romance, sensual sex scene, Time Enough To Love | 19 Comments

Interview with Eden Ashe, Author of The Dragon’s Heart

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

I want to thank my fellow Lyrical author, Eden Ashe, for agreeing to do this interview with me today. Eden’s got her newest release, The Dragon’s Heart, first book in her Dragon Lore series, to talk to us about today.

Welcome, Eden.

Tell us a little bit about your new release.

The Dragon’s Heart is the first story in the Dragon Lore series that follows a group of ancient dragon-shifters. After three millennia of war, peace is finally on the horizon for his people when the dragon king, Daniel, realizes he has a mate. The same woman he believes had tried to have him killed the year before. But Shelby, the most famous actress in the world, is anything but a murderer, and despite how long it took her to get over him the first time, she puts everything she is into convincing him that forever with him is exactly what she wants.

2. What was your inspiration for this story?

I love writing stories about characters who have every reason to not want to be together, but can’t seem to walk away, either. Daniel was always certain Shelby was an actress, and when I had her shot with the entire world watching, the pieces started to fall into place. What better conflict than having a man half in love with a woman he believes tried to have him killed?

3. I am a fanatic about my character names. Are the character names special in any way?

Weirdly, a lot of my characters change their names a lot, except for the characters in this series. Daniel has ALWAYS been Daniel, along with Adrian, Micah and Luca. Their names came out of nowhere and just stuck. The one thing I am fanatic about is making them a little different, a little quirky. Because Daniel would never let me change his name, I had to come up with a surname that fit his status as dragon king—hence Ashborne.

4. What was your process for writing this book? Is this different or the same as other books you’ve written?

I’m a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants writer. Always have been, always will be, but I am a chronic over-thinker. I do better under massive amounts of pressure where I can turn my brain off and just write what the characters want me to write.

5. Do you have plans for a sequel to this book?

Yep! Dragon Lore Book 2 is in the final stages of its second draft, and as soon as I get the last few chapters wrapped up, it will get sent to the beta readers for suggestions and comments.

6. Who was the first romance author and book you read?

Judith McNaught’s Perfect. Oh, good Lord Above I loved that book so much I devoured everything she’d ever written the seconds I could get my hands on it. Shortly after that came my Julie Garwood addiction.

7. If you could have one wish granted just for you (not world peace, LOL), what would you wish for?

A house on the beach someplace warm.

8. What is the most exciting/daredevil thing you’ve ever done?

No, I am SO not a daredevil. The only time I ever acted out of character was at a county fair when a woman grabbed my niece’s arm and yelled at her. My husband finally had to lift me up and drag me away from her before I ended up in jail for assault.

Now, Lightning Round:

9. What is your favorite amusement park ride?

Any roller coaster.

10. Tea or coffee?

Neither. Sugar Free Red Bull for me, please. Preferably mainlined right to my blood stream.

11. French manicure or color (and if color, what color)?

Neither, really.

12. Beach or mountains?

Beach

13. Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla

14. Boxers, briefs or commando?

Boxer briefs.

15. Blond, brunette or redhead? (preferred men’s hair color)

Brunette.

16. Would you rather skydive or scuba dive?

Skydive

17. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii, Vegas or London?

Hawaii.

18. What’s the one thing you would never do?

Scuba dive.

Here’s the blurb for The Dragon’s Heart:

The dragon-shifter king will do anything to keep his mate alive…even if it means war.

After millennia as king of the dragon-shifters, Daniel Ashborne wants a little peace and quiet, especially from the beautiful Hollywood starlet who haunts his memories. His escape tactics end abruptly when he is called to the ER to save the one woman he wants to forget, but who now bears his mark.

Shelby Kincade’s life and movie career were nearly destroyed when Daniel vanished a year ago. Now he’s back, claiming they have been accidentally mated. Getting over him once was hard enough, but she must choose either the life of her dreams or the man she can’t live without. With peace finally on the horizon between the dragon-shifters and the Hunters, an assassination attempt on the dragon king and his mate shatters everything. Tensions rebuild as Daniel and his loyal team of shifters try to discover who put out the hit. Enemy and ally lines are crossed, but in the end–after the battle ash has settled–no one could have foreseen who has plotted for their own gain.

CONTENT WARNING: Graphic fight scenes, lots of great sex, and hot, hot, hot dragon men. A Lyrical Press Urban Fantasy Romance

Excerpt:

A furious Daniel towered over her.

Realizing she was in an ambulance, she scooted back on the stretcher, pulling the sheet tighter around herself. Something was very, very off. There was no pain or range of motion issue with her shoulder. There was just a blackness where the last hour should have been. Whatever was wrong with her, it ran core deep, and had everything to do with the man treating her as if she’d caused all the wrongs in his world.

She let out a pathetic snort. He had vanished on her, leaving her to face the last year alone. The media wasn’t forgiving at the best of times, and they’d had a field day–field year–with America’s Good Girl falling from grace. A dead body, and the disappearance of the man accused of the crime, was too good of a story for the media not to run around the clock for a month straight.

It didn’t make any sense why he hated her. For as much hell as he’d caused her in the last eleven months, professionally and personally, nothing had prepared her for the blast of emotions that rocked her at seeing him standing close to her again. She had no idea what to do with the realization she’d missed him. As soon as she figured out what the hell was going on, she needed deep psychological help.

“So.” She was careful to keep her left arm tucked against her stomach as she tried in vain to put more distance between them. It still didn’t hurt, but the thought of ripping the rapidly healing wound open made her queasy. She’d never been a big fan of blood. Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip as she tried not to worry about how much space he took up, even while sitting on the bench. He was huge. “You’re alive.” When he leaned forward, bringing them closer together, she tried to keep her face impassive. Her gaze dropped to the huge forearms he braced against tree trunk-sized thighs, before she snapped her attention back to his face. He was a lunatic who looked to be on the verge of major violence. She wasn’t so confused she didn’t understand the combination was a powder keg with a lit fuse. “I wasn’t sure. The police said you were gone before the ambulance ever got to the hospital.”

“Disappointed, princess?”

She almost snorted at him. She’d spent the last year hoping he was still alive, and trying not to let the uncertainty drive her out of her mind. “I didn’t get myself shot on purpose, you know. So whatever you’re mad at me about, it’s not my fault. I didn’t ask them to call you.”

“Right.” He dragged his gaze from the mark over her heart back to her face. Though she was sure she was imagining it, she could have sworn his eyes lingered on her mouth. “Just like the Hunter showing up in your bedroom was just a weird twist of fate?”

“A hunter?” She asked, certain she was missing a huge part of the conversation. “Daniel, my house was in the most exclusive part of Los Angeles. There isn’t anywhere to hunt.”

“Ryuu.”

She remembered that word from their first date. He’d told her it was an ancient dragon curse because his sister didn’t like him using cuss words. Funny. She’d thought it was sweet at the time. Now she was sure it just made him bat-shit crazy.

About the Author:

Convinced dragons have gotten a bad rep throughout time, and more than a little addicted to fairy tales and romance novels, Eden Ashe has decided to re-write history. In her version, the dragons are ancient warriors in tarnished armor, who not only deserve the girl in the end, but will fight forever for her.

www.edenashe.com

www.twitter.com/EdenAshe

www.facebook.com/eden.ashe.author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7262875.Eden_Ashe

Posted in Interviews, Promotion | Tagged dragon-shifters, Eden Ashe, Interview with Eden Ashe, Lyrical Press, Paranormal Romance, The Dragon's Heart | 9 Comments

My Writing Process

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

I have answered questions many times about my writing process, but when my great friend and fantastic author Patricia Green (http://www.patriciagreenbooks.com) asked me to participate in this blog tour, I was intrigued. The questions that you are required to answer are not the run-of-the-mill questions about process. And some of them are down right hard. But I like things that make me think and if you really want to know about how I write, this post should tell you that exactly.

1) What am I working on?

Currently, I am finishing a polishing run on my Regency romance To Woo A Wicked Widow and sending it off to an agent. I’m also awaiting edits for my Georgian romance Only Marriage Will Do, the second book in the House of Pleasure series. And I’m hard at work revising the third and final novella, Beleaguered, part of my serial novel, Time Enough to Love. When that’s done…well, we’ll see.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

In my bio I state that I have “always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise.” I’m a great fan of Saki, O. Henry, and Stephen King, so I have been influenced by them all and try to incorporate all of these darker elements into my romances. I love nothing better than a surprise ending or a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter. You don’t always get that in romances, so I sort of think of it as my niche.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I am a history buff. Have been since I was a child. History was always been my passion, and I love research, so when the writing bug bit me, it seemed quite natural for me to write historical romances. I’d read romantic suspense and historical fiction, but I was most drawn to the historicals. The year I started writing I must have bought and read 200 historical romances, falling deeper and deeper in love with the genre. I have written several contemporary erotic books, but as I said, history is my passion.

4) How does your writing process work?

Hands down I am a plotter. I get an idea for a story—usually a song will come on while I’m driving in the car and I then take it and run (To Woo A Wicked Widow came about from my listening to the Weather Girls singing “It’s Raining Men!”). Next I plot out all the major points, like a story board using post-it notes. Then when I have all the points down, I write a detailed outline of each chapter. I don’t always stick to the outline exactly. If another connection occurs to me, or another character presents itself, I can go with it. Then I begin to write the first draft, using the outline as a guideline. During this draft I layer in and discover character traits. And in the next draft I go back and add in more description (I hate writing description!) and historical details, fleshing out the book and enriching it. My goal is to have the reader so immersed in the time period they feel like they are there. After this it goes to my wonderful beta readers and then hopefully out to agents and editors.

Now, after hearing all about my process, who is up on deck for next week’s tour stop? Two wonderful writers from my local RWA chapter. Dani Jace had her first novella, White Doe, an erotic paranormal romance published last September. And E.J. Towler who writes military romance and is sending out a request for her current book shortly.

Thank you all for coming by to check out my writing process. I hope you’ll check out Patricia’s, Dani’s, and E.J.’s as well!