Melissa Keir: My Top Three Favorite Madams

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

My book Chalkboard Romance features a mysterious man named Draikoh San who has a matchmaking and dating service. He’s found many clients’ one and only. Some people would consider him a Madam as he sets up people for a one night stand. Considering this, I wanted to share my top three Madams from books, movies and television shows.

Belle Watling from Gone with the Wind- She is seen as the comfort for Rhett’s demons and is a staunch Confederate. But she’s also a woman who knows her place. When Melanie tells Belle that she’ll acknowledge her if she sees her on the street, Belle tells her not to. Belle is more concerned for Melanie’s repuation than her own.
Miss Kitty from Gunsmoke- As a madam, she was revered by the town’s marshal. They had a loving relationship but never consummated it. The town respected her and came to her saloon for more than a drink but shoulder to cry on. She’s also one of the town’s business woman as she became the co-owner of the saloon.
Miss Mona Stangley from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas-Miss Mona runs a clean brothel that has been turned a blind eye to by the town and local sheriff.She pays for sports teams in town and helps financially in other ways. Her love affair with the sheriff is under wraps until he is forced to close her brothel down. His romantic proposal at the end where he sweeps her off her feet is the stuff of romance novels.

Now that you’ve seen my choices for top three Madams and you’ve heard about Draikoh San…don’t you want to sign up and find your own happily ever after?

Check out Chalkboard Romance and see just how spot on Draikoh is with his choice for Lauren and Mac.

Blurb:

Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wanted to feel sexy again, after her ex tossed her aside for a younger woman. Her teaching partner and best friend encouraged her to sign up for The Playhouse–a renowned dating agency.

Mac Thomas remained trapped in a marriage to a money-grubbing socialite. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse.

Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing?

Excerpt:

“Not happening. The dates arranged by the mysterious Master Draikoh San are legendary.” Melanie perched on the corner of Lauren’s desk. “Supposedly he’s arranged for a few Hollywood and rock-n-roll bigwigs. His ability to find the perfect date is astonishing.”

Lauren avoided eye contact, pulling papers off her desk. “Since the divorce—Boy, I hate that word—I’m hesitant to jump into the dating scene. I don’t want a permanent relationship right now.”

“You need to get back on the horse. We talked about this. Someone to soothe your feminine ego would be perfect.”

Lauren did want to feel desired and loved again. The Playhouse happened to be hideously overpriced but offered a private select screening with a deep background check on all their clients. Few things were known about the owner of The Playhouse, but Master Draikoh San appeared either part god or part magician but totally reliable, very well-respected. He guaranteed his results whether you were looking for a casual affair or long-term love. Most of all, he was discreet.

I’m ready to move forward. She couldn’t keep letting her husband’s—ex-husband’s—infidelity overshadow her life. At least, the alimony would go for something good. She took a deep breath. “I’ll check my email.”

Lauren logged into her account. An email from Master Draikoh was at the top of the list. Her heart began to pound. Nervous to see who Master Draikoh recommended, she hesitated, fingers poised above the keyboard. She agreed to Melanie’s demands partially to get her off her back. She pulled her hands back, then twisted them. Apprehension, excitement, and determination fought for control.

Teachers aren’t seen as hotties except in campy ‘80s music videos. She shuddered. The video for Hot For Teacher crowded her mind. If I take this step, what will happen to my career? What if someone found out I used a dating service? Lauren chewed on her lip as she continued to wring her hands anxiously. She threw her shoulders back.Who am I kidding? The whole process is safe. Besides, I don’t care if someone does find out. I deserve this.

She inched her fingers back toward the keyboard. With a few strokes, she’d find out. Her curiosity would be answered.

“It’s here,” she said with a whisper. Lauren opened up the email, then read the details aloud to Melanie.

“Your night is arranged for next Monday night. I’ve found the perfect guy for your date. I have included the flight information to Chicago, your room accommodations at the Lotus Hotel, in addition to some details about the man you’ll be meeting. Remember our rule…for this first date, only use first names. This enhances your connection. If you want to meet again, you can arrange to exchange numbers afterward. I’m sure you’ll have the night you dream of.”

Buy Links:

SECRET CRAVINGS STORE http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=794

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Chalkboard-Romance-Melissa-Keir-ebook/dp/B00HQ6KIKI/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1390784222&sr=1-4&keywords=melissa+keir

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chalkboard-romance-melissa-keir/1117992791?ean=2940148293705

ARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-chalkboardromance-1389701-149.html

About the author:

As a writer, Melissa likes to keep current on topics of interest in the world of writing. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and EPIC. Melissa is always interested in improving her writing through classes and seminars. She also believes in helping other authors and features authors and their books on her blog.

Melissa doesn’t believe in down time. She’s always keeping busy. Melissa is a wife and mother, an elementary school teacher, a book reviewer, an editor for a publishing company as well as an author. Her home blends two families and is a lot like the Brady Bunch, without Alice- a large grocery bill, tons of dirty dishes and a mound of laundry. She loves to write stories that feature “happy endings” and is often found plotting her next story.

Melissa loves hearing from readers!

www.melissakeir.com

http://www.facebook.com/melissaakeir

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelissaKeir

www.twitter/melissa_keir

Posted in Guest Bloggers, Guest Posts, Promotion | Tagged Chalkboard Romance, contemporary romance, Melissa Keir, My Top Three Favorite Madams, school romance | 23 Comments

Sunday Social : To Be Read…

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

If you are looking for Weekend Writing Warrior, click here.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

I realized sometime last week, while reading a Facebook post, that I have no clue what the last book was that I read (not as a beta read). That’s rather frightening because I always used to know what book I was reading and what book I had just read. No more. I think some of it might have to do with the fact I read from my Kindle or my phone. so I don’t constantly see the book–with its title prominently displayed–as a reminder of what I’m reading now.

I also have no clear concept what’s on my TBR (To Be Read) list either. I add books all the time, but as I’m adding them to a non-tangible list, it’s very easy to forget what I’m supposed to be reading right now.

I think, and these are in no particular order, I’m supposed to be reading:

A Taylor-Made Life by Kary Rader

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Prophecy’s Child by Brenda Dyer

The Long Road to Love series, Ghost Lover and Saving Casey by Liza O’Connor

Seduction in Silk by Jo Beverley

The Temptation of Lady Serena by Ella Quinn

Journey’s Valentine by Patricia Green

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

And of course the list goes on, and on, and on. Each of these wonderful books is sitting right there on my Kindle or Kindle App on my phone waiting for me to find the time to pick them up and read. Maybe I’ll start reading right before bed again. That might work–until I drop my Kindle. 🙂

What’s tops on your TBR list?

Posted in Social Sunday, What I'm Reading | Tagged Jenna Jaxon, TBR list, To Be Read List | 14 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 2/23/14 Betrayal

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

I’m Back!

It’s been almost a year since I was a part of WWW, and I really missed you guys! So I decided to join back up and take a peek at what everyone’s been doing.

What I’ve been doing is writing and publishing my medieval serial novel, Time Enough to Love. Betrothal, Book 1 came out last April and Book 2, Betrayal came out almost a month ago. As that one is the most recent release, I thought I’d give you a snippet of it. I hope you enjoy.

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.

“Geoffrey bade me place this in your hand and no other, my lady,” Thomas said, thrusting the missive toward her.

Alyse compelled herself to hold her hand out.

“He also bade me be at your service, lady, had you need of anything.” He gave the parchment into her hand. As he did so, she looked into his eyes and recognized the same pity she had seen in Princess Joanna’s.

Panic made her arms weak and her fingers numb. She forced her shaking hands to break the seal. Alyse unfolded the letter and slowly read the scratched and blurry words.

I hate to leave you and Lady Alyse hanging here, but that’s my 8 sentences. 🙂 I hope I’ll be back and you’ll come to see me next week. If you want more before next week, Betrayal is available at Amazon, B & N, and Smashwords.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | 26 Comments

G is for Gracias de Gyvill

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Gracias de Gyvill was the favorite court musician of Prince Pedro of Spain (later known as Pedro the Cruel). He was sent by the Prince as a gift to his young bride-to-be, Joanna of England, Edward III’s second daughter, to amuse her and entertain her with songs of her future home on her way to Spain.

Not much else is known of Gracias. It is supposed that he died of the plague that swept through France in 1348. His grave site is unknown, his body never recovered because the royal château and docks were set on fire in order to stem the tide of the plague.

Almost every source cites this exact message, of Prince Pedro’s gift to Princess Joanna. The main exception to this rule is a novel entitled Gracias, written by Susan Wetherall, in the first person in Gracias’s POV. In this tale, he and the princess have a lover’s tryst.

A similar situation occurs in “In the Wake of King Death,” an original play written for Northern Kentucky University Department of Theatre and Dance. In this fictionalized version, Princess Joanna is appalled to find her retinue of courtiers dying all around her. To assuage her grief, she seduces Gracias.

No account of Princess Joanna ever hint that she would have had an illicit affair with someone, much less with someone not of her station in life.

In Beleaguered, my third medieval novella, I do include Gracias in a very minor role as the musician sent from Spain to entertain Princess Joanna. He teaches the courtiers a particular dance that provokes a startling reaction from Alyse.

I tried to weave small bits of historical fact—like Gracias, who was an historical figure—into my tale to give it some dimensionality. He’s like a “fun fact” that helps bring my story to life.

Posted in Alphabet Post | Tagged Alpahbet Post, G is for Gracias de Gyvill, Gracias de Gyvill, Jenna Jaxon, King Edward III, plague, Princess Joanna of England | 14 Comments

Swag for the Romance Writer, Part II: Book Swag

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to the second installment of Swag for the Romance Writer. Today I’m talking about ideas for book swag–items to help showcase and sell your current book.

Book swag is designed to call attention to and promote a specific book or series. You can use all the swag ideas for Author promotional items for Book promotion as well. However, take into consideration how long such a campaign will be in force. If you have 1000 pens with the name of one book, you may not distribute them all before your next book comes out.

Some inexpensive ideas for Paper Swag are:

Business cards. Just with the book cover on one side and infor and buy links on the back. You can also place a QR code on the back that takes you to your website or a buy link for the book. I’ve seen business cards with a tip calculator on the back. Now that’s something we’d all tend to keep!

Signature Cards. I’ve heard these called various things, like Keeper Cards or Collectible Cards. Whatever the name, this is a great promotional item especially if you have ebooks, yet want to do a book signing. The cards are 4 X 6 and have your cover on the front and your blurb and buy link info on the back plus a space for you to sign. Printingforless1 has postcards for .24 each for 500, front color, back black & white. With shipping this totals approximately $130.00.

Bookmarks. I think it’s ironic that so many authors use bookmarks to promote ebooks. LOL But the reality is that people still use bookmarks for a variety of reasons, including to mark a place in other books. Some people collect book marks and I’ve heard of people collecting them at signing events and then going home to download the ebook. Paper bookmarks are also relatively inexpensive. Printingforless1 has bookmarks (4 color on front/b&w on back with your design) at 500 for $93.37, including shipping. That’s .17 per bookmark. Very reasonable with delivery in about a week without rush instructions.

Chapter Books. This is one of my favorite pieces of paper swag. They are small booklets that contain the first chapter of your book that the reader can take away with them. You can even sign them on the inside cover as a bonus for the reader. And hopefully, once the reader reads that first chapter, she will just have to buy the whole book! 🙂 I currently have out the first two books of my medieval trilogy, so my printer came up with the idea to combine both chapters into one Chapter book (foreground). When you finish the first chapter of Betrothal, you turn it over and the back cover is Betrayal and its first chapter. The first chapter book I did was an entire short story, Heart of Deception (See pic above). The same idea as having a short story for free on Amazon, but you can also sign it!

Next week, in the third installment of Swag for the Romance Writer, I’ll finish up with all the fun promotional items that I call Exotic Swag: Cell phone screen cleaners, necklaces, post-it notes, gummy candies…the list is almost infinite, but I’ll give some suggestions for you to think about which of these items might be best to promote YOUR book.

What items have you used to promote specific books? Which ones made a lasting impression, do you think?

Now a shameless promotional plug for my latest book, Betrayal.

It’s the second book in my medieval series and is currently available at Amazon and other e-tailers. The latest review–5 stars!–said: “I was looking so forward to reading this after the first book, Betrothal, and I was not disappointed! Every bit as thrilling as the first, Betrayal had me on the edge of my seat. A love triangle has to be done just right for me to enjoy it, and Jaxon navigates these waters seamlessly.” I hope you will enjoy it too!

Posted in On Writing, Promotion, Swag | Tagged book swag, bookmarks, business cards, chapter books, Jenna Jaxon, Promotional Items, signature cards, swag, Swag for the Romance Writer | 23 Comments

Horny Hump Day 02/19/13: To Woo A Wicked Widow ~ No Resistence

Posted on February 19, 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

Changing gears completely and giving you a tiny taste of my current WIP

To Woo A Wicked Widow.

In this scene Charlotte has come seeking a tryst and Nash is about to oblige. She’s fallen into him but is not complaining.

Shocked to meet with no resistance, Nash repressed a groan of need. At this moment he’d like nothing better than to lay her down on the thick carpet and sink his all into her. Instead he reveled in the sensuous feel of her–silky and smooth.

Hope you enjoyed my widow. She’s certainly enjoying herself!

My medieval novella Betrothal is available at Amazon still for just .99! And if you liked Betrothal, you will just love my newest medieval, Betrayal. 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!

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

E-Making of a Hero: Liza O’Connor’s Coming to Reason

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Recently, Jenna Jaxon wrote several excellent posts on the making of a hero. I asked her for space to give a rebuttal, but then realized she was right. It also explains why I did what I did in book 3, Coming to Reason.

How to Build a Hero: Part I ~ Physique

How to Build a Hero: Part II ~ Features

How to Build a Hero: Part III ~ Characteristics

She quotes a higher authority, Louis P. Pojman, who claims a hero is a person with moral integrity, a lack of fear, and self-control.

Trent, my ‘hero’ of the first two books of A Long Road to Love, frankly shows none of those traits. Well, perhaps ‘lack of fear’ but only because he has a bullet proof limousine and an excellent lawyer on retainer.

However, he did risk his life once pulling my heroine to safety from a large filing cabinet falling from five stories above. To explain why he saved Carrie, and why it doesn’t count as bravery, let’s look at the world according to Trent:

As you can see, Trent is the most important thing on earth…to Trent. He has many servants who try to make his days go by without any discomforts. They are the moon. His slacker employees constantly annoy him, which makes them space junk.

Trent had remained in a state of perpetual dissatisfaction until he hired Carrie as his Executive Assistant. Carrie is his warm cheery sun, rotating AROUND HIM. Without her, his life is dreary, cold and irritating as hell.

This is why, without a thought to his own safety, he saved his sun (Carrie) before it got obliterated by a giant hunk of space junk. (Bad employee and her five nephews pushing a cabinet out the window.) However, one could reasonably say he did it for himself. (Earth would be a miserable place without its sun.)

Which, I suppose, is why no one gives him credit for his heroic deed.

This series is highly divisive. 80 percent of readers thought Worst Week Ever hilarious, while the other 20 percent hated it and rightly claimed the two main characters needed therapy.

I can’t argue with the point that Trent makes a crappy hero and Carrie too willing to forgive.

Look at Jenna’s heroes and then look at Trent.

Even when he improves in Book Two, deep down, he’s still selfish. And that personality trait is what blows up their relationship in Book Three, and why it’s called Coming to Reason.

It’s not just Carrie that needed to come to reason. I, Liza O’Connor, the author, needed to face the fact that the man I created, with the history I gave him would NEVER be good enough for my heroine, whose main flaws are being overly forgiving and having a desperate need to be needed, which she incorrectly correlates to being loved.

For Trent to change, he requires a life-altering nuclear explosion to put him on a different path.

And to make Carrie wake up and smell the coffee, it has to be a devastation beyond the pale. One that will convince her he has never loved her. Otherwise, she’ll just forgive him and continue to ignore a far better guy I found for her.

Sending Trent into mass destruction mode proved very easy. I just had to let Coco do her thing and then Trent’s selfish determination to preserve HIS happiness wreaked havoc beyond my wildest imagination.

For some of you, when I leave Trent lying on a sidewalk, you’ll be so mad at him, you won’t care if he lives or dies. Carrie deserves a real hero…like the ones Jenna Jaxon describes. A man with flaws but with integrity and genuine love, who focuses on the heroine rather than himself.

But a great many of you will feel betrayed and hurt. You fell in love with Trent in Book 2. He might be a crappy hero, but, by God, you love him anyway. Me too.

Still, I had to break them apart. Their relationship was not healthy for either of them. To get them both to HEAs, they had to split, only neither would give up on the relationship without a disaster beyond forgiveness.

Trent’s nuclear explosion is the only way Carrie could open her eyes and see a true hero who would love her the way she deserved. And Trent: he had to lose Carrie, to hit rock bottom, before he could fundamentally turn himself into a new and better man, a hero per Jenna’s definition. Finally, in Book Four, we will discover the man Carrie always saw inside Trent. A man worth loving. A man you’ll admire.

Breakups are hard and painful, but sometimes they are the only way for people to reach their full potential. This is true both in real and fictional life.

COMING TO REASON

Book Three: A Long Road to Love

Humorous Contemporary Disaster Romance

Blurb

Book 3 of A Long Road to Love series

Carrie has committed to an inter-species engagement with Trent, her billionaire boss. Presently, he is eighty percent dreamboat and twenty percent nightmare. When he fires her so they can become a normal couple, everything heads south.

Providing her a stark contrast, her new boss, Dan Marshal, is everything a woman could want. But for Carrie, her heart is taken and thus, her path to reason remains long and arduous.

When her relationship with Trent explodes in a shocking fashion, finally her heart gives up and reason takes over. She realizes a brighter future and a better man has been at her side all this time. But can she overcome the obstacles in her path to secure him? Or is Carrie doomed to never know true love?

Warning: If you loved Carrie and Trent as a couple, this book may break your heart.

Liza O’Conner writes books that speak to my soul. Carrie is a character you will not soon forget.

–Rebecca Royce, author of The Warrior series.

I only have one thing to say about Liza O’Connor’s A Long Road to Love series: Read them. They’re funny. You won’t regret it!

—Maria Hammarblad, author of Kidnapped.

Excerpt

Monday morning, Carrie stood outside Dan Marshal’s resource firm, wearing her best blue suit. She’d arrived early, knowing Dan kept to a tight schedule. She smiled as his car pulled to the curb.

Dan let himself out of the limo, something Trent still wouldn’t do, and headed to the office door. His brow remained furrowed until his gaze settled on her, then a smile brightened his handsome face.

“Carrie! What a pleasant surprise.” Leaning down, he kissed both her cheeks in greeting. While Dan didn’t possess Trent’s height, he still towered over her. “Are you by chance wishing to speak to me?”

“If you have time.”

He glanced at his watch and the furrows in his brow returned. “Fifteen minutes, before a meeting I’ve called. If you need more time, hopefully, you can wait an hour for the meeting to be finished.”

“More than fair since I didn’t make an appointment.”

His head tilted as he studied her. “Which is unlike you.”

“True, but I didn’t know I needed a job until yesterday, when Trent decided the time had come for him to grow up and run his own company.”

Dan led her to the elevator with his hand rested on her back. “Really?” His tone turned happy upon discovering her state of unemployment, but she let it slide.

“Evidently, he made the decision a while back, but didn’t bother to share it with me until yesterday.”

Dan’s smile grew more pronounced, borderline celebratory.

Once they entered the elevator and the doors closed, she wrinkled her nose at him. “Well, I’m glad my unemployment makes you happy. I expected a stern lecture after the last time I asked you to get me an interview.”

His smile disappeared. “Good point. Is this a real job you want, or are you trying to get rid of one of Trent’s groupies?”

She laughed. “Trent doesn’t have groupies. And this is a real job I want. We’ve decided to become a normal couple with daily time off from each other. Otherwise, Trent will continue to rely on me too much.”

For some reason, her reply saddened him.

Links

A Long Road to Love

Book One

Worst Week Ever

Amazon

“Love this book and couldn’t stop laughing from beginning to end.” 5 stars – Alves – Amazon

67 reviews: 4.3 stars

Book Two

Oh Stupid Heart

Amazon

“Be warned though, this book is completely different from The Worst Week Ever. Yes, there is still humor, dry wit, situations that you would think…NOT AGAIN but this one humanizes Trent more.” 5 stars – Brian’s Mom – Amazon

8 reviews: 4.8 stars

Book Three

Coming to Reason

Amazon

Other Books by Liza O’Connor

Saving Casey

Ghost Lover

Liza O’Connor

Author Bio:

Liza lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels. She loves to create interesting characters, set them loose, and scribe what happens.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

LIZA O’CONNOR & UPCOMING BOOKS:

Liza’s Blog and Website Facebook Twitter

Prizes:

Tour prize: a $50 Amazon Gift Card

Gift at every stop for one lucky commenter

Must request book in comments

& leave email address:

Worst Week Ever or

Oh Stupid Heart ebook.

Enter to Win $50 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted in Blog Tours, Guest Bloggers, Guest Posts, On Writing Romance, Promotion | Tagged A Long Road to Love series, Coming to Reason, contemporary romance, Disaster Romance, heroes, How to Build A Hero, Liza O'Connor, Oh Stupid Heart, Worst Week Ever | 10 Comments

Betrayal Release Day Winners!

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Congratulations to all the winners of my Betrayal Release Day Giveaway! I had winners of books, jewelry, and a gift card on my blog plus winners of copies of Betrayal on the blogs of my friends who hosted me for the release.

Winners for Jenna’s Journal

Winner of copies of Betrothal and Betrayal and a copy of one of my back listed contemporary erotic romances

Linda

Winner of Medieval inspired Earrings

Margery Scott

and

Winner of the $25.00 Gift Card

Juli D. Revizzo

Thank you all for coming by during my release party for Betrayal.

The following people commented on various blogs and have won a copy of Betrayal:

On Daryl Devore’s blog: Katherine R. Blake

On Aine Massey’s blog: Maria D.

On Jessi Gage’s blog: bn100candg

On Lauren Smith’s blog: Amanda Pereira

On Gina Danna’s blog: Ashley York

On Patricia Green’s blog: Katherine Deane

On Melissa Keir’s blog: Gemma Juliana

Congratulations to all the Winners!

I’ll be contacting you shortly for your info so your prizes can be delivered.

Posted in Giveaways, New Release, Promotion, Release Party | Tagged Betrayal, Betrayal Release Party, Betrayal Release Party Winners, giveaway winners, Jenna Jaxon | 4 Comments

F is for February 14th!

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Jenna Jaxon

Being a romance writer, I had to find a way to salute this most romantic of holidays. 🙂 So my Alphabet Post is sort of a history and little known facts about St. Valentine and his holiday.

St. Valentine is the patron saint of engaged couples—as well as beekeepers, epilepsy, and the plague.

Valentine, from the Roman name “Valentius” meaning worthy, strong, or powerful, was possibly two men who lived in the 3^rd century in Rome. One was a temple priest beheaded near Rome in 270 CE. Another account is of the Bishop of Terni, martyred on the outskirts of Rome in the same year. As the accounts are very similar, they could be the same man.

The saint was reputedly martyred for performing marriage ceremonies secretly for young Roman men when the Emperor Claudius had outlawed such marriages, thinking single men made better soldiers. Pope Gelasius, in the 5^th century, decreed February 14^th as St. Valentine’s day in his honor.

In doing so, he may also have tried to tie a Roman holiday to Christian values. The Roman’s celebrated a very raunchy fertility festival in mid-February called the Lupercalia. By appropriating this festival and declaring it a saint’s feast day, Gelasius may have helped strengthen the Church’s influence.

But St. Valentine’s Day may have been publicized as a lover’s day by the medieval poet Geoffrey Chaucer. In 1375, Chaucer wrote a poem entitled “Parliament of Foules” that links courtly love with the saint’s feast day. The reference occurs in the line “For this was sent on Seynt Valentyne’s day/Whan every foul cometh ther to choose his mate.” The lines suggests that on February 14^th, St. Valentine’s feast day, both birds and humans choose their mates. It is after the poem is published that February 14^th gains its reputation of being a day to celebrate love.