Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 3/09/14 Only Scandal Will Do

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! I’m changing gears this week and giving you a sample of my Georgian romance Only Scandal Will Do, which is once again available at Amazon!

This is from the beginning of the novel, which is set in London, 1761:

“Put her back in the carriage, now!” Her assailant snarled the brusque command, sending a shiver of fear through Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam.

An unseen attacker seized and tossed her into the coach. Gagged, hands pinioned behind her back, ankles bound together, she lay trussed like a Christmas goose in a cramped bundle on the hard plank floor of the dim carriage, her diaphanous Grecian costume in ruins. Schemes for escape flashed through her head in a dizzying whirl.

The horses jerked forward, the uneven cobblestones of London’s streets jouncing her already aching body.

All because she’d been bored.

Doggedly, Katarina tested the bonds securing her hands, strained against the coarse rope then relaxed, seeking play in the cords–none.

If you want more before next week, Only Scandal Will Do is available at Amazon on SALE today for $3.19!

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

Posted in House of Pleasure, On Only Scandal Will Do, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Jenna Jaxon, Only Scandal Will Do, Weekend Writing Warriors | 25 Comments

Scandal is Back!

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Hooray! My Georgian romance novel, Only Scandal Will Do, has been off the market for the past couple of months while its contract was assumed by Kensington Publishing because of the merger with Lyrical Press. So Scandal has been unavailable–until now!

I checked Amazon today and I am so happy to say Scandal is again available for purchase in e-book format at the new bargain price of $3.19! The original price was $5.99 and the list price now is $3.99, but it’s discounted even more for its debut as a Kensington book. 🙂

In case you’ve not heard about Scandal, here’s the blurb:

He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?

Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.

Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she’s a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he’ll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who’ll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family’s name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He’s betting their future he’ll capture her heart, but does he have what it takes to win the wager?

WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.

And a short excerpt:

“I assure you, there was never a night like that before.” Lord Dalbury spoke quietly, and Katarina sensed a tension in him. “I had never done such a thing before. Never participated in such an auction. Never tried to take a woman unwillingly to my bed.” He stopped speaking. Just stopped. Then his breath hissed as though he’d slowly released it.

“I cannot find the words to tell you how deeply I regret I was not a better man that night.” He paused, and she held still and waited. “What I tried to do was madness, without thought, without honor. I do not even have an excuse other than my base desires, and that your abundant charms overwhelmed me.” His face was shadowy in the scarce light of the sickle moon, but he sounded contrite. “I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. I have no right to expect it. But I would ask you to allow me to attempt to remedy the situation.”

Kat shook her head slowly. “What on earth do you believe you could do, Lord Dalbury, that could even come close to a remedy for the terror and humiliation you put me through? Do you think now that I have met you, heard your feeble attempts at an apology, and rejected them, the memory of that night will magically disappear?” She fought to control her anger, though she yearned to blast him with it. “What magic potion would you have me take that would erase the memory of you pinning me to the bed? Because if you have such an elixir, then yes, I will gladly take it from you and obliterate you absolutely and irrevocably.”

He stood silent at her words, then said simply, “I have only myself to offer, my lady.”

“You would have me kill you, my lord? In that, too, I agree I would oblige you, but not at the cost of my own life. I understand the English law punishes those who do murder quite severely.” Kat was astonished when he lurched backward, as from a blow.

“No, my lady, I would not have you kill me,” he said, sounding grimly amused. “Though indeed that would probably give you most satisfaction. I meant I would have you marry me.”

His words surprised a laugh out of her. “Marry you?” The laughter grew. “I see, my lord, you think me both a whore and a fool.”

“I think you are neither, Lady Katarina.”

“Then you are the fool to believe I would put such a man as you in control of every aspect of my life.” That he thought she would even entertain the suggestion was insulting.

The pale moonlight shadowed his face, but she could read displeasure there just the same. “You judge me solely on one act that, I assure you, was grossly out of character for me. You cannot possibly know what kind of husband I would be.”

“And never will, Lord Dalbury. I can swear to you that I would not marry you if I were in Hell and you were my only hope of Heaven.”

He inclined his head toward her, a faint smile touching his lips. “I believe you made a similar claim about dancing with me, Lady Katarina. Yet we have indeed enjoyed a dance together despite your words.” His tone was soft, the sensuous, cajoling one he had used to seduce her that night in the House of Pleasure.

Kat trembled, recalling the incredible sensations of his hands, his mouth on her body. Damn. He could not do this to her again. Not just with his voice.

“Is there nothing that would entice you to leave your Hell for my Heaven?”

She struggled to answer, opened her lips to deny it, only to find her mouth completely sealed by his.

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of Scandal. 🙂 If you’d like to read more, it’s available at Amazon.

And more good news about the House of Pleasure series! I’ve just received the contract for Only Marriage Will Do, which is Juliet’s story and book two in the series. Tentative release date is in late October.

So great news all the way around this Saturday morning! Hope you come back for more Scandal tomorrow for my Weekend Writing Warriors post. 🙂

Posted in Book Spotlights, On Only Scandal Will Do, Promotion, Uncategorized | Tagged books reissued, Georgian historical romance, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Kensington Publishing, Only Scandal Will Do | 8 Comments

H is For Historical Heroines

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Penthesilea as one of the Nine Female Worthies

Heroines are the life’s blood of the romance novel. Even though I hear time and time again “I read romances only for the heroes,” the heroines of romances are just as, if not more critical to drawing the reader into the book.

If a heroine is unlikable early on in the novel, chances are the reader isn’t going to enjoy the book and may simply put the book down and refuse to read more. One friend recently said that she’d been reading a first book in the series but didn’t think she’d go on to the second one. When asked why, she stated that the heroine of the second book was to be the sister of book one’s heroine and she was such an unlikable character she didn’t want to read her story.

I personally believe that we have sort of a double standard where unlikablilty is concerned. I’ve found—at least with myself—that I’m more forgiving with unlikable heroes. I’ll read much further in a book, pulling for the hero to redeem himself, than if it’s the heroine I don’t care for. My biggest case in point is Claire in the Outlander series. I’m still reading the series (about at book 4 now) even though I still don’t like Claire. But if I have to put up with her to have Jamie Fraser, then so be it. 🙂

So yes, we feel very strongly about our heroines, for bad or for good.

Then what makes a good heroine? In her article “Three Characteristics a Heroine Should and Should Not Have,” Jeffe Kennedy states that the most important characteristics a heroine should have are to be believable, be relatable, and be admirable. These are certainly “must haves” for today’s heroine. My personal opinion (again) is that our heroines have changed (at least in the historicals I’ve read) to reflect the changing times and our changing sensibilities about these three characteristics.

To be believable, relatable, and admirable today, heroines in historicals must have a bit more spunk that would usually be found in women of the period. (This may also be true in contemporaries, but I don’t read very many of those so I can’t vouch for them.) I teach my classes in theatre that theatre holds a mirror up to society. If you want to see what people thought during the time period, look at what they put on stage. I think the same is true, recently, of romance novels. Because of the feminist movement of the 1970s that convinced women that they were just as capable as men in every arena, women today have grown up with that sensibility.

Readers today want to see a resilient heroine who can meet every challenge without waiting for a man to rescue her. (Not that she can’t be rescued by him, but if she can do it one her own, she will.) These heroines are sympathetic and very entertaining—I wrote one myself in Only Scandal Will Do—but are they a reflection of today’s woman or the woman of the period?

Remember, our heroine has to be believable. How man women throughout history knew how to fight with sword and pistol? Could drive a carriage? Was adept at piloting her own ship? Was head of a spy ring? There may have been some, but I suspect they were a small minority throughout history. If we hold these activities up to the industry standard—Miss Elizabeth Bennett—she falls short on each one. Yet she is one of the most beloved heroines of all time who is believable, relatable, and admirable.

I remember refusing to read the end of an historical series because all the wives of one particular group of men were extraordinary by the standards of the day. I mean, you’d expect one or two to have unusual attributes, but eight? That stretched my willing suspension of disbelief. These heroines were admirable and relatable, but sadly not believable to me.

Historical romance authors walk a fine line today with regards to their heroines. They have to find ways to make these women appeal to their audiences, while still holding true to the period. One way to do this is to research your time period—be it Regency, Georgian, Medieval, or Victorian—and find those stories of true heroines and how they managed to win their men and overcome their obstacles. Then use these ideas to create a likeable heroine who is true to herself and her niche in time.

Posted in Alphabet Post, On Writing Historical Romance | Tagged Alphabet Posts, feisty heroines, heroines, Historical Heroines, Jenna Jaxon, romance heroines | 19 Comments

Horny Hump Day 03/05/13: Betrayal ~ Forget Everything

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

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

NOT SAFE FOR WORK!

What do you think of our brand-spanking new banner? (Pun intended!)

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

A final snippet from Betrayal before I move on next week.

“A consummation devoutly to be wished.”

He began to withdraw and thrust, creating a smooth rhythm that soothed her aching flesh and kindled excitement once again. Soon she writhed like a wanton beneath him, everything forgotten except the drive of his shaft and the throbbing deep within her. She locked her hands round his neck and raised her hips to meet him, thrust for thrust.

They’ve left no doubt about that marriage bed. If you like my snippet, 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, blog hops, historical romance, Horny Hump Day, Jenna Jaxon, medieval romance, sensual sex scene, Time Enough To Love | 21 Comments

A Warm Welcome to Embracing Romance!

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

This gallery contains 16 photos.

Just found this delicious looking historical romance blog and thought my readers might like to also embrace the romance.

More Galleries | 2 Comments

Spotlight: Pleasing the Pirate by Sharon Cullen

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Blurb:

Two hearts are wrenched between love and duty in Sharon Cullen’s tale of a ruthless pirate and the Scottish lass who fills him with desire for something greater than plunder.

With her clan’s crops burned and their property confiscated, Mairi McFadden is desperate to free her brother from imprisonment so that he can take his rightful place as chief. Her only hope is the fierce English pirate Phin Lockwood, but the buccaneer laughs at her meager funds. His roving eyes, however, tell Mairi there’s something else he’ll take in exchange for her brother’s rescue. Though she burns with hatred for the English, she’ll do anything to save her clan.

The crown has made it clear that Phin has two choices: bring in a certain Scottish traitor or hang. And he’s not about to let a tiny, whiskey-eyed woman get in his way, even if she is pointing a gun at him. When Phin learns that Mairi’s brother is the very man he seeks, he’s more than willing to use the lass as bait. But as the moment of capture draws near, Phin is surprised by his feelings for the courageous beauty who has him considering risking his life—for someone besides himself.

Excerpt:

The sound of large, booted feet made its way toward Captain Phin’s cabin, interrupting her thoughts. The steps were heavy, methodical, steady, moving ever closer. Mairi sat up. Her palms grew moist and her heart thundered. This had to be him. Even his footsteps sounded authoritative.

She jumped up and wiped her free hand on her skirts, wincing at the protestation of her stomach. Transferring the pistol, she wiped off her other hand, then raised the pistol with both hands, sighting down the barrel as her da taught her to do.

The door creaked open and Captain Phin stepped in. All six foot plus of him. He had to duck to clear the doorway and when he straightened, the top of his blond head nearly touched the ceiling.

He locked stormy gray eyes on her. He was wearing a dark blue waistcoat with gold epaulets at the shoulders and absolutely nothing beneath it except a very large expanse of sun-browned skin.

Oh my. She had to remind herself to breathe.

His breeches were tan in color and so tight she saw every muscle in his thighs ripple. Rugged, well-worn boots reached his knees.

Mairi tore her astonished gaze from his body to his face. This was not what she expected when she pictured Captain Phin Lockwood. She’d imagined an older man, face creased by years on the ocean. Bowlegged, bent at the shoulders, a dry voice and rheumy eyes.

This man’s shoulders were impossibly wide and his eyes . . . She swallowed. She’d never seen such beautiful gray eyes.

A dark brown brow was lifted in query, a sensuous mouth twisted in an ironic smile. He crossed his arms over his naked chest and spread his very non-bowlegged legs to accommodate the rocking of the ship.

“That pistol is as big as you are, little one.”

Oh, dear. That voice wasn’t dry at all. It was smooth as the whiskey her da had kept in his study.

Sharon’s Bio:

Sharon Cullen is the author of the historical romance, The Notorious Lady Anne, Loving the Earl and Pleasing the Pirate. She’s also published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance and contemporary romance.

Her other job descriptions include chauffeur, laundress, cook and mediator to her three very busy kids, her husband and two dogs. She lives in southwest Ohio with her brood although her dream is to someday retire to St. Maarten and live on the beach.

If you’d like to find out more about Sharon and her books, you can visit her website. She’s addicted to social networking so you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Friend her! Like her! Follow her! She’d love to hang out with you and talk about her passion—books.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EX48V3C?ie=UTF8&tag=randohouseinc-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B00EX48V3C

Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?ISBSRC=Y&ISBN=9780345549723&cm_mmc=Random%20House-_-Pleasing+the+Pirate-RandomHouse-9780345549723-_-Pleasing+the+Pirate-RandomHouse-9780345549723-_-Pleasing+the+Pirate-RandomHouse-9780345549723

Random House: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/233800/pleasing-the-pirate-by-sharon-cullen#abouttheauthor

Posted in Book Spotlights, Guest Bloggers, Promotion | Tagged historical romance, pirate romance, Pleasing the Pirate, Scottish historical romance, Sharon Cullen | 5 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 3/02/14 Betrayal

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors! Thought I’d share some more of that same scene from last week–eight more sentences that are…troubling.

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.

In her bedchamber, Princess Joanna waited with Maurya, Anne, and Margaret. The women’s faces had changed from puzzlement to fear. Joanna looked from one maid to another, trying to hide her despondency. So many prayers had not been answered today.

Anne finally summoned the courage to ask, “Your Highness, what has happened?”

A wrenching wail of anguish shattered the hushed room, as though the very walls echoed the sound. The four women stood rooted to the floor at the almost-inhuman shriek of grief.

The sound cut off abruptly, and in the eerie silence that followed, they heard the soft thud of a body hitting the floor.

Yes, I’m being bad this week with that cliffhanger. 🙂 If you want more before next week, Betrayal is available at Amazon on SALE today for .99.

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, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Betrayal, Jenna Jaxon, Weekend Writing Warriors | 34 Comments

Swag for the Romance Writer: Part III ~ Exotic Swag

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

The final category in my series on promotional swag is what I term Exotic Swag. This type of promotional item is usually done for a special occasion–such as RWA or RT conventions–and is usually more expensive than typical author or paper swag. But at these larger conventions, the exotic or practical items are what gets taken away. Paper swag is often left behind at such conventions, so you need to plan when and where you want to put your hard-earned dollars to get the most exposure from your swag.

Cookie with Cover of Ella Quinn’s The Seduction of Lady Phoebe

Items in this category include anything you can think of, pretty much, to help sell you and your book. these items can include, but are not limited to: cell phone screen cleaners, cookies, post-it notes, pens, gummy candies shaped like something in your book, lanyards, drink holders, bottle openers, take measures, mints, tea bags, key chains, manicure sets. The list is virtually endless.

There are some decisions you can make to help you get the biggest bang for your buck. Catch people’s attention by making the swag both practical and related to your book or you. If there is some theme to the book–cooking for example–incorporate a cookie recipe or shaped cookie cutter. If your book is set in Regency England, paste a promo label on an English Breakfast tea bag. Author Katherine Bone handed out stress-relief balls in the shape of bones with her name and info.

Current thought says to give away items that will last. A pad of post-it notes with your

Katherine Bone’s “Stress Bone”

name or books name on each sheet will keep the name before the reader only until the notes are all used. The same goes for things like mints or candies, other food items, chap sticks (although these do last a while), and bath salts.

If you want to spare yourself the expense of having your items personalized, yet want to make your swag memorable, use a swag bag to bundle several items that include things like signature cards, candy, novelty items, or pens. Swag bags themselves can be anything from a clear baggie to specialized

Kieran Kramer’s Princess Swag Bag

cellophane treat bags. A great site for these is mygirlfriendshouse.com. They sell a wide variety of designs and sizes on these bags: hearts, flowers, chili peppers, lip prints, etc. at $10.45 for 100 bags.

One final consideration I’d like to address is cost. How much should you spend on swag? If you have unlimited funds, the sky’s the limit to what you can purchase. For those on a budget, however, you need to be rather canny. You don’t want to spend so much on swag for one book that you cannot make the money back in sales. Price out all components of your swag (include such things as the bag, the items, distribution costs if they have to be shipped to the site include postage) and figure how many sales you can reasonably expect from the convention or event.

I’m taking lavender sachets to RWA this year to promote my medieval serial novel Time Enough to Love that will be released as a print book as well as an e-book bundle (three novellas). Lavender figures prominently in the book and a sachet is something that will last for a while in a sock or underwear drawer, reminding the reader of my book. Price of all components is about $175 for 300 sachets and signature cards I will attach to them. If the e-book bundle itself is priced at $4.99, I will need to sell 50 bundles to make back my investment. I think I’ll be able to do that.

But you need to be careful. Swag is just as seductive to authors as it is to readers. Don’t get carried away with ordering so much or such expensive swag that you will not be able to recoup your investment.

I hope this little series on swag–which I do find fascinating–has helped give you ideas about what can be done to promote your books and yourself creatively and inexpensively.

What has been your all-time favorite piece of swag you’ve gotten? (Mine is a bath tea bag–a sachet you put in your bath water. It gave me the idea for my lavender sachets.)

Posted in Promotion, Swag | Tagged book promotion, book swag, exotic promotional items, exotic swag, Jenna Jaxon, Promotional Items, swag bags, Swag for the Romance Author | 13 Comments

Horny Hump Day 02/26/13: Betrayal ~ Forbidden

Posted on February 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

In keeping with yesterday’s post–The Historical Quickie–I’m giving you a snippet of Thomas and Alyse’s “quickie” from Betrayal. They have been forbidden to go up on deck, but they defy the order and seek a tryst under the stars.

He caressed her backside then lifted her up, settled her upon his eager shaft. A muted groan of pleasure escaped as the throbbing heat slid deep within her. She leaned forward to kiss him, and he pushed her into a gentle rocking rhythm that gathered speed, causing the tension inside her to mount quickly, spurred on by the forbidden nature of their act.

I hope you enjoyed this “quickie” from Betrayal. 🙂 If you did, it’s 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!

The Historical Quickie

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

There’s nothing new under the sun. Couples throughout time have lived and loved and done a very good job of finding creative places to indulge in…well, in each other. I’ve done some research to find out ten of the most popular spots historical couples went to have a “quickie.”

1. The Woods. Yes, picnics often ended with desert of a different kind. Mind you, young ladies would be heavily chaperoned, so most of these tete-a-tetes were between husband and wife, or betrothed couples. (A very high percentage of babies were born less than 9 months after weddings during the Regency period.) But the freedom of the outdoors made for frisky behavior.

2. House parties. What better place than a house party to slip away for a bit of alone time. Here young ladies could probably manage an assignation without Mama being the wiser. And certainly married couples could. So many rooms in these manor houses in which to dally with a delicious young man: the library, the billiard room, the linen closet.

3. Balls. Believe it or not, couples who had little time together could be ingenious when it came to making the best of an opportunity. Balls were one of the few places young men and women could mingle without strict chaperonage at all times. With a very willing partner, a secluded nook in a ballroom could turn into a little piece of heaven.

4. A Closed Carriage. Unmarried women were forbidden from riding in a closed carriage with a gentleman without a chaperone for this very reason. But married couples could and did take advantage of the drawn drapes and the rocking motion of a swiftly moving carriage.

5. Coaching Inns. Travel, until the advent of the steam engine, took a lot of time and so a series of overnight accommodations evolved all over England and the Continent. Coaching inns were hotels that provided a change of horses, bed and board for the night. Assignations could be arranged there easily between men and women, especially if a lady’s maid servant had been conveniently left at home.

6. The Gazebo. Also called a folly, these structures served admirably as a trysting place on many an estate. They often had lots of windows, so you had to be bold—and very quick—lest you be seen.

7. Bath Houses. During the medieval period public bath houses existed in all major cities. Bathing facilities were co-ed, providing patrons with numerous opportunities for a quick one in the tub.

8. Formal Gardens. Many estates boasted formal gardens on the property, some with walls or sturdy hedges surrounding them. These gardens acted as an outdoor haven for courting couples, affording a lot of privacy for afternoon delights among the roses and shrubbery.

9. The Theatre. The theatre provided a place for aristocrats to see and be seen. It also provided a private box—with curtains—where, if a couple was not too noisy, they could re-enact a love scene with much more realism than was found on the stage.

10. Vauxhall Gardens. Vauxhall was a pleasure garden, a leading place of public entertainment in London especially in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Amid the tightrope walkers, singing, dancing, fireworks, and food vendors, one irresistible draw of Vauxhall was its dark pathways, down which couples could stroll unnoticed and experience the true meaning of the phrase “pleasure garden.”

Finding unusual places for making whoopee seems to have been a favorite past time throughout history. Do you have any favorite or exotic places where characters have “done it?”