Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless.

Sweet Saturday Sample–10/01 Heart of Deception

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

I’m back this week, just in time for a sweet treat at Sweet Saturday Sample. I’ve missed being here the past few weeks. I appreciate everyone coming by and commenting today very much. Thank you also to first-time visitors. I appreciate everyone stopping by.

This week I’m posting again from my Victorian historical short story Heart of Deception. We are now a little further along in the deception…

Andrew glanced around the upstairs paneled hallway of Baron Ivor’s manor house, making sure he was not seen. He stopped before a plain oak door, sent one more furtive look over his shoulder, then twisted the knob and entered. Pulling the door closed, he leaned his powerful body against it, remembering with a smile how little coaxing it had taken for Celinda to agree to his plan. Was she as excited at the prospect of this tryst as he was? It made the seduction much easier than expected.

His eyes roamed the room, resting at last on the pink and white ruffles adorning the coverlet on Celinda’s bed.

Her virginal bed.

He loosened his cravat and removed his coat. After tonight, however. . . He grinned into the empty room, pleased at how well the ruse had gone so far, and wondered if tonight would go as planned. If only his conscience had not begun to nag him, to cause him to doubt the reasoning behind the whole ploy.

Andrew shook his head. He had to go through with this. Too much could go wrong if he relented. He paced around the room, waiting for Celinda, hardly cognizant of his surroundings. Halting next to the fireplace where a small fire burned, he stared into the flickering embers.

Did Celinda love him? God, but she was young. She had confessed she thought herself in love last year, but had given up both suitors after her father made strenuous objections. But she refused to give him up this year and seemed willing to take desperate measures to secure him. Did this speak of love or lust? Which would be served tonight? He knew which one he served.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of hurrying feet outside the room. The door opened and Celinda rushed in, stopping dead at the sight of him in such a state of undress. He smiled in encouragement.

“You left the note for my father?” Her voice was a strangled whisper.

He nodded, noting that her eyes did not leave the expanse of chest left bare by the discarded cravat. She licked her lips and that small movement caused his stomach to drop, and something else to rise.

I wanted to let everyone know that the price of my little “sweet treat with a bit of heat” has been lowered to .99, so if you like what you read today, you can hop on over to the publisher or Amazon and finish what Andrew’s about to start!

Thanks again for sampling my sweets. Come back next week for another “Sweet Sample” or join in the fun with your own. Follow this link to Sweet Saturday Sample to find more “sweet” offerings.

Posted in On Heart of Deception, On Sweet Saturday Sample | Tagged Heart of Deception, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, romance, Sweet Saturday Sample, writing romance | 31 Comments

Almost Perfect Wednesday at Daily Dose of Decadence

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Good Morning! In all the excitement of the blog tour and announcing the Giveaway Winners, I clean forgot I’m blogging over at Decadent Publishing’s Daily Dose of Decadence Blogsite today!

The post is all about my forthcoming work, Almost Perfect for Decadent publishing’s 1Night Stand series. I have a TENTATIVE release date of November 25, so I’m very excited to say the least. Come on over to DDD and take a sneak peek at this fun, erotic contemporary romance.

And have a GREAT day! 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

AUTUMN HARVEST: FALL BETWEEN THE PAGES GIVEAWAY WINNERS FOR JENNA’S JOURNAL

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Just a quick post to say CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the Autumn Harvest: Fall Between the Pages Giveaway! I wanted to thank everyone who came to visit my blog on the tour. I truly appreciated your comments and look forward to getting to know you better on the blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter.

So, without further ado, the WINNERS are:

GRAND PRIZE WINNER IS RONDA TUTT

1ST PLACE WINNER IS DEBRA BROWN

AND 2ND PLACE WINNERs ARE

D’ANN LINSCOTT-DUNHAM

KRISTINA HAECKER

LEANNE GAGNON

BRENDA DYER

Ladies, congratulations and thank you so much for joining us on the

Autumn Harvest Blog Tour!

I will be sending the Grand and 1st place prizes out tomorrow. And if the ladies who were 2nd place winners would please email me at jenna.jaxon@yahoo.com with the title of the work you would prefer, I will send your prizes off to you ASAP. Those who choose Almost Perfect will, of course, have to wait for its publication, set tentatively for late November. I hope you’ll think it was worth the wait. 🙂

Thanks again to all who participated and hope to see you on the next tour!

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Six Sentence Sunday 9/25–As Long As You’re Mine

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Still lurking, but I’ll always resurface for Six Sentence Sunday. Still missing the blogging–got some good ideas for posts too–but the edits for Only Scandal Will Do are not finished. Alas! So I’m playing hooky for a few minutes to arrange another visit with Samantha and Rafe, continuing where we left off last time. 🙂

(Please excuse the modern photo–it’s all but impossible to find pictures of this kind in period costume!)

Pain exploded along his left cheek. Too stunned at first to tell what had happened, Rafe watched Samantha step back, shaking her hand as though it hurt as badly as his face. He moved his jaw gingerly, making sure it had not been dislodged, and rubbed his cheek to assuage the sting, all the while assessing the girl. She frowned and fired heated glances at him, though she seemed more surprised and confused than angry. Was that because of her response to his kiss? There was only one way to find out.

Uh oh. Do you see where this is going? Come back next week to watch more fireworks! LOL

Hope you enjoyed this snippet! For more great sixes please go to Six Sentence Sunday. Or join us for more fun next week with six of your own.

If you liked my six, perhaps you’d like some of my published work as well. Heart of Deception, is available for purchase from Books To Go Now!, and Hog Wild from New Dawning International Bookfair. Both are available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks. I’ve also included the cover for my latest erotic contemporary, Almost Perfect, due out this fall/winter from Decadent Publishing! And my Georgian novel, Only Scandal Will Do, may be out as early as Spring 2012 from Lyrical Press. See you next week.

Posted in On As Long As You're Mine, On Six Sentence Sunday, On Works in Progress, On Writing Historical Romance | Tagged As Long As You're Mine, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Six Sentence Sunday, writing romance | 21 Comments

AUTUMN HARVEST: FALL BETWEEN THE PAGES BLOG HOP TOUR SEPTEMBER 19 THRU SEPTEMBER 26

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Hi, I’m Jenna Jaxon, author of historical and erotic contemporary romance and I LOVE autumn! It’s my favorite time of year and I can’t wait to share some of the things I love about it, including this blog tour and my current giveaway where you can win copies of my published and soon to be published works and a $10.00 Amazon gift card!

BUT FIRST…THE BLOG TOUR RULES:

TOUR RULES:

1) HAVE FUN!!!

2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, September 19, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, September 26, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

Winners will be drawn and posted September 27! ***

4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS AND BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!

5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR AND BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERYONE SOME LOVE!

6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

Fall has always seemed the most beautiful time of the year to me. The changing leaves here in Virginia are gorgeous. I went to school in the Shenandoah Valley and each fall there was one tree outside the English Department building that took my breath away. It always made me think of a huge flame with its perfect shape and red-orange color.

Autumn is also a wonderful time for reading outdoors. The air is crisp, the sun is bright, and the scents of the earth and leaves have an exciting effect on me. I love nothing so much as to sit outside under a tree with a juicy apple or two–Pink Ladies are my favorites–and get lost in a new romance novel.

So far, only my Victorian romance work in progress, As Long As You’re Mine, has been set during the fall.

Another wonderful thing I love about this autumn especially is my most recent erotic contemporary work, Almost Perfect, is set to be released sometime this fall from Decadent Publishing. The tentative date is in November, just in time for the holidays.

Pamela Kimball’s birthday present, a 1Night Stand adventure, is supposed to help her jump-start her life, put a new man in her bed, and help her forget her ex. Unfortunately, movie-buff Pam’s Pirates of the Caribbean fantasy goes wrong when she’s abandoned on a not quite deserted island with ex-husband Roger Ware. When Pam is forced to accept Roger’s offer of dinner, she recognizes that he’s changed since their divorce and his newfound sensuality re-kindles an old fire. When he challenges her to find out how much his amorous skills have improved, Pam is torn between self-preservation and desire. With time running out before they’re rescued, Pam has to decide if her heart can survive the consequences of becoming Roger’s “almost” perfect 1Night Stand.

And here’s a little excerpt to further whet your appetite:

She inched into the lapping surf, searching for movement. Reflection off the water made this task harder than expected. Wasn’t the Caribbean supposed to be teeming with fish? Now that’s something she’d had a lot of instruction in. Almost every marooned-on-an-island movie had a scene where the heroine learned to catch fish. Six Days, Father Goose, Blue Lagoon. All you needed was your hands and patience. She could do this.

Pam waded out further then stopped just before the water hit her now dry shorts. “Not gonna to have a damp crotch all night.” The words reminded her of exactly what she had hoped for tonight. “But not from wet shorts!” She headed back to shore to remove and drape them next to her shirt. The bandeau was a different story. Still damp, even after several hours, and uncomfortable. Might dry better if not next to her skin anyway. “Screw it! Live dangerously.”

Standing as good as naked on the deserted beach, Pam smiled as the warm breeze caressed her bare body. The sense of being slightly naughty added to her delight in the sensual feel of the air as it dried her breasts. Her nipples peaked as the wind cooled them. She strutted down to the water’s edge to sink her toes in the sand, the salty tang in the air adding to the perfect moment.

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

Pam 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?”

* * * *

Both of my already published works came out this past spring, although that doesn’t mean they won’t make perfect reading this fall.

The first is an historical romance, set in Victorian England, entitled Heart of Deception. Celinda Graham—young, naïve, passionate—is head-over-heels in love with Andrew Finley, Viscount Hurston and insists on marrying him. Unfortunately, Andrew’s family has been feuding with Celinda’s for generations. When her father refuses to allow the marriage, Andrew proposes a scandalous way to get his approval. But Andrew has a secret that may spell disaster to his plans if Celinda finds out he is not what he seems.

Excerpt from Heart of Deception:

“Then what can we do, my love?” Despair returned, heightening her anguish. “The season is in full swing and Papa has decreed I must choose a husband this year. He was quite vexed that I did not last year and has threatened that if I don’t choose someone appropriate he will choose for me.” Celinda shuddered. The men her father mentioned as “appropriate,” was ludicrous. Andrew tugged her into his arms.

“Would someone of his choosing be such a tragedy?” His face buried in her hair, his warm breath against her head heated her whole body.

“Ugh, yes.” She snuggled further against him. The clean scent of his cologne enveloped her, making her want to burrow inside him. Closing her eyes she sighed. “The men he suggested are terrible. Old and titled and stodgy.”

Andrew laughed and released her to stand at arm’s length from him. “I’m old and titled. Do you think if I can prove to be stodgy he would approve of me then?”

Celinda giggled. “Oh, Andrew, you aren’t old. And you must not become stodgy! How could I ever cope with a husband who bored me to tears?”

His raised eyebrow, a sudden devilish puckering of his lips, and her breath caught. This man had thrilled her with his attentions from the beginning. Life with Andrew would always be exciting, even dangerous. She shivered in anticipation.

“Celinda, I have an idea how we can gain your father’s approval for our marriage, but it’s rather daring. I don’t know if you would agree to it.” His eyes glinted with a roguish flare. “I don’t know if you should agree to it.”

As if an icicle had been drawn down her spine, goose-flesh rose on Celinda’s arms. “What is it, Andrew?”

“Scandal, my love. But it would make sure that we could marry.”

“Scandal?” Her voice squeaked.

He smiled wickedly as he drew her head towards him. “Let me whisper it in your ear, love.”

Heart of Deception is available now from Books to Go Now, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks.

My other currently published work is Hog Wild, a Fractured Fairytale retelling of The Three Little Pigs–with an erotic twist to it. It’s available at New Dawning Bookfair and the other e-book vendors listed above. Here, take a look and see if this might not be the perfect read to warm you up on a chilly autumn night:

When Lula Wolfendale’s motorcycle breaks down on her way to a Harley rally, she detours into tiny Shoshone, CA to find a new ride. Seducing bikers Beau and Rob Hogue and commandeering their Harleys is easy; finding sexual satisfaction is a “hog” of a different color. A Blue Phantom, to be exact, owned by the pair’s older brother, Jesse. After brief, unsatisfying encounters with the first two Hogues, Lula approaches Jesse with a proposition: a sexual contest for his Phantom, where Lula will emerge with either a bike to die for or the climax of her dreams. Or can she possibly obtain both?

Here’s a PG-13 excerpt from Hog Wild. (If you want a more adult rated one, check out some of the previous posts on my blog.)

Flat on his back, Beau Hogue’s arm cramped with the strain of trying to tighten the bolts on his 1955 Harley-Davidson Panhead bobber—again. He swore colorfully every time he worked on his bike, which meant constantly.

Love at first sight, the Panhead had been a complete wreck when he rescued it from a friend’s barn where it gathered dust and rust for at least thirty years. Beau worked on the bike every day for the last year and a half and had fixed most of its countless problems. But he’d never managed to correct the trouble with the bolts. At least not for good. No matter how tight he ratcheted them, they managed to work themselves loose.

“Need some help?”

The sultry voice came out of nowhere. Beau shot upright as though bitten, conking his head on the exhaust header.

“Shit!” He put a hand out to steady his bike and peered at the woman with annoyance that changed abruptly to appreciation. His appraising stare began at her high-heeled black leather boots that ended mid-thigh, then traveled up three inches of perfectly tanned skin before the edge of the tiniest black leather mini-skirt came into view. The soft, dark material covered the bare essentials only, hugging her hips before smooth skin reappeared. A twinkle of metal at her navel captivated him. The jeweled ring glinting in the early morning sunlight sent a Morse Code message straight to his groin—Sex On Site. His grin broadened as his flesh stretched.

Her bandeau top barely confined perfectly round breasts. The sight stopped Beau’s upward trek as he tried to convince himself he could see dark nipples through the white cloth. He licked his lips and forced his eyes to her face.

Had he died and gone to hog heaven? What he wouldn’t give to—

“Do you want some?”

* * * *

And a final soon-to-be-published work, Only Scandal Will Do, will hopefully be coming out next spring. It’s another historical romance, my first full-length novel, to be published by Lyrical Press, and I couldn’t be more excited! Here’s the unofficial blurb and a short excerpt (pre-edits), again to whet that appetite for 2012.

Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam—kidnapped, sold at auction inLondon’s notorious House of Pleasure—must pit her wits against the masked stranger who purchased her. Although overwhelmed by her attraction to the man, Kat returns to her senses before he causes her utter ruin, bashes him over the head and escapes.

Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury—rake and master swordsman—is one scandal away from social ruin when he discovers his latest romp has compromised a lady. He seeks out the fiery Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal and gain the wife he needs to carry on his family line. Instead he finds his heart ensnared by the beauty who wields a sword as well as he. Determined to marry her, Duncan uses desperate measures to convince Katarina that what began in scandal can become the marriage of her dreams.

And a short excerpt:

London, 1761

“Put her back in the carriage, now!”

Her assailant’s gravelly voice sent a shiver of fear through Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam. Violent hands seized and tossed her back 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. Her mind whirled, scheming how to get out of this predicament.

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

All because she was bored. Doggedly, Katarina tested the bonds securing her hands, strained against the coarse rope then relaxed, seeking play in the cords. There was none. She muttered a curse and forced her whole body to relax. Tension would never free her. Rough and tumble games growing up with Jack had taught her that.

Jack! God, where was he? Was he alive or . . . She heard one muted cry when they were attacked, then nothing. If her brother were dead it would be her fault.

Katarina pulled and twisted her wrists. If they had stayed in Virginia they would have been better off. London was far wilder than she would have believed. Although she’d heard of women being abducted by highwaymen, she’d thought them only tales until now.

But when Jack inherited a title, they were forced to come to London. The year of mourning for their father not quite over, Great-Aunt Harriet now commanded the little social life allowed Katarina. The past month found her stuck all day with strong tea and inane gossip about her aunt’s old friends. Finally, rebellion set in. Over breakfast this morning, she demanded Jack escort her to a masquerade ball at seven this evening, ironically attired as Athena, goddess of war.

A nasty rut jarred the carriage, making Kat groan. What wouldn’t she give for Athena’s armor at this moment, or at least her spear. She had to admit, though, she’d gotten her wish. She wasn’t bored now.

Now, as promised

AUTUMN HARVEST GIVEAWAYS!

1) Subscribe to Jenna’s Journal–so you can check out my blogs, find out about other cool contests, and be the first to know when my newest works are coming out.

2) Leave me a question or a comment here at my blog below. Please also leave your email address so I can notify you in case you are a winner!

3) Go to my author page at FACEBOOK and like me.

PRIZES FOR THIS CONTEST:

1) Grand Prize: A $10.00 Amazon Gift Card and a .pdf copy Heart of Deception, Hog Wild, and (upon publication) Almost Perfect !!!

2) First Place Prize: One winner will be chosen to receive a .pdf e-book Heart of Deception, Hog Wild, and(upon publication) Almost Perfect !!!

3) Second Place Prizes: Multiple winners will be chosen to receive their choice of one .pdf e-book (Heart of Deception, Hog Wild, or (upon publication) Almost Perfect).

Now continue your Autumn Harvest Tour at one of the other Tour stops below!

REMEMBER: HAVE FUN!

IN CASE YOU’RE LOST
AND NEED TO GET BACK
TO THE BLOG HOP LINKY LIST,
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

BLOG HOP LINKY LIST

Thanks so much for visiting Jenna’s Journal.

Hope your Autumn Harvest Tour continues to shine!

Posted in Blog Tours, Contests, On Almost Perfect, On Heart of Deception, On Hog Wild, On Only Scandal Will Do | Tagged 1Night Stand, Almost Perfect, Autumn Harvest Blog Hop Tour, Blog Hop Tours, Books to Go Now, contemporary romance, contests, Decadent Publishing, Erotic Romance, Heart of Deception, historical romance, Hog Wild, Jenna Jaxon, Lyrical Press, New Dawning International Bookfair, Only Scandal Will Do, romance, romance short stories, writing romance | 60 Comments

Six Sentence Sunday 9/18–As Long As You’re Mine

Posted on September 18, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

I’m back, of course, for Six Sentence Sunday. I’ve missed blogging this week, but I’ve gotten a lot done on my edits–for two books! I’m a little overwhelmed, but had to post this for my friends “The Sixers.” I do truly appreciate everyone’s comments each week; it’s like a friendly face poking a head inside my door. Thank you to all who choose to visit my blog.

We’re back once more this week, under the copper beech where Rafe is taking control.

His mouth descended without warning, pressing her lips with his searing kiss. Encouraged to find no resistance, Rafael angled his head and slipped one arm behind her waist, the other behind her head to steady it against his onslaught.

He ran his tongue lightly over her closed lips, teased along the seam seeking some chink in her tight defenses. When he found none, he concentrated on seducing her lips with gentle tugs, nibbling here and there. She relaxed in his arms and her hands slid up onto his shoulders, pulled him towards her. He lifted his head, surprised, and opened his eyes to find ice picks of gray steel staring back at him from less than an inch away.

Or is he? Samantha may have something to say about that kiss. 🙂

Hope you enjoyed this snippet! For more great sixes please go to Six Sentence Sunday. Or join us for more fun next week with six of your own.

Something Different: Maureen Betita Guest Blogs Today

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Today I’m welcoming Maureen Betita, a fellow Decadent Publishing author, whose latest release, Something Different, comes out on Friday. Read on to find out more about this “second-chance” love story and how you can win a copy! And I hope you enjoy her fabulous post. 🙂

Writing with the Wind

I have always loved the idea of sailing. From my very first pirate movie to writing my first pirate character story…it’s all about the ships, the wind, and the water.

Now, my muse is a pirate and he’s very much all about anarchy. A real world sailor will tell you that sailing and anarchy don’t go together. At least not if you want to actually get anywhere.

Good thing this isn’t the real world.

In the writer’s world I haul anchor, pull the sail up, turn my bow and go where the wind takes me. I don’t plot. (Much.) Okay, I have charts in my cabin and I own a compass, which is carried by my muse. I count on my crew of characters to show me the direction to take and — this will sound very metaphysical — but I trust the wind. But I don’t plot. My muse will mutiny if I plot. He likes me to believe in him.

This belief has taken me on a wonderful journey. And continues to push me where I need to be. Ah, the ports I’ve visited!

In 2007, I was floundering about, not sure of what to do with all the writing flowing through me. I probably had about…oh, a million words written in an assortment of stories. My overriding passion being my never-ending pirate saga, The Caribbean Spell series.

Then I almost died. Nothing like having your heart sputter and stop on you. Went to sleep in bed, woke up three days later in the ER. Sudden Cardiac Death nearly ended me. My husband wouldn’t let it. A year after my scare, I attended my first Romantic Times Booklovers Convention, took a beginning writer’s two day class…and never looked back. (Honestly, after nearly dying, what is the worst that could happen? Didn’t I already do that? Rejection would be nothing!)

Five years later and I am still writing. Still writing pirates and sailing. Sometimes they are Caribbean pirates, sometimes other world sailors/pirates. Sometimes they sail through a sea of stars. (There are solar winds, you know!)

I got an agent after RT in Columbus…she signed me with Decadent Publishing and at RT in Los Angeles, I signed copies of my first book, The Kraken’s Mirror, the first of a trilogy in the world of the Kraken’s Caribbean. Decadent also published two erotic sci-fi shorts and this week, will release Something Different, part of their wildly successful 1Night Stand series.

Something Different is the story of Aarón Castillo, widowed for three years and convinced no one can replace his beloved Maria. But his adult children know that love isn’t finished with their father. And their mother believed it for him also. Come sailing with Aarón and his date to see if his second chance at love finds smooth water!

What about you? How do you view your life and the stories you tell? Do you sail? Race? Dance? Sing? Tell me and one lucky comment will win a copy of my new release, Something Different!

—————————————-

Maureen O. Betita believes in 2^nd chances and heading for that horizon, wherever it is!

She is on Facebook, Maureen O. Betita author

www.maureenobetita.com

And is 2^nd Chance, the inventive bartender at www.romancewritersrevenge.com

Thank you so much for being my guest today on Jenna’s Journal, Maureen! I’ll certainly be looking for Something Different on September 16th!

Thanks to everyone for stopping by. Remember, leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to win a copy of Maureen’s new book.

Posted in 1Night Stand, Contests, Guest Bloggers, On Writing | Tagged 1Night Stand, contemporary romance, Decadent Publishing, Jenna Jaxon, Maureen Betita, pantser, pirate muse, sailing, Something Different, writing erotic romance, writing inspiration, writing romance | 10 Comments

Hiatus

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Hello, all. Just a little note to let you know a couple of my features–Reviewed by Jenna and Reader’s Corner–are going on hiatus until mid-October.

I’ve gotten busy in my day job and just received pre-edits for Only Scandal Will Do. So my blogging is going to be curtailed for a bit. I’ll still post probably twice a week–Six Sentence Sunday and at least one other day. And of course whenever I have news about my To Be Released or Published Works I’ll post that as well.

Later this week I have a guest blogger, Maureen Betita, whose book Something Different is being released on September 16. This book will be the latest in Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand series, so please check out her post on Wednesday.

Thanks for reading Jenna’s Journal and I hope to see your comments from time to time in the next few weeks. 🙂

Posted in On Only Scandal Will Do, On Writing | Tagged historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Maureen Betita, Only Scandal Will Do, romance, Something Different, writing romance | 3 Comments

Six Sentence Sunday 9/11–As Long As You’re Mine

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

We’re back once more for Six Sentence Sunday. I truly appreciate everyone’s comments each week. Thank you to all who choose to visit my blog.

I also want to extend my thoughts and prayers to all those families who were affected by the tragedy that occurred ten years ago today. The loved ones who are gone are truly heroes and heroines.

We’re back again this week, under the copper beech where things continue to heat up for Rafe and Samantha.

“Stop looking at me like that, Mr. Beauregard.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’re thinking about. . . about what happened. . . ,” Samantha trailed off, then raised her chin to meet his smoldering gaze.

“But I am thinking about it, my lady.” He reached out and seized her shoulders. “Oh, yes, I am thinking about it right this second.”

And does thinking lead him to…action? LOL

For more great snippets please go to Six Sentence Sunday. Or join in the fun next week with six of your own.

And if you liked my six, perhaps you’d like some of my published work as well. Heart of Deception, is available for purchase from Books To Go Now!, and Hog Wild from New Dawning International Bookfair. Both are available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks. I’ve also included the cover for my latest erotic contemporary, Almost Perfect, due out this fall/winter from Decadent Publishing!

Guest Blogger with a New Release

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Good morning and welcome to Jenna’s Journal. I am very pleased to welcome Roseanne Dowell, author of paranormal, contemporary and mystery romances. Roseanne is a multi-pubbed author whose contemporary romance, Connection of the Minds was released today by MuseItUp Publishing. Thank you so much, Roseanne, for posting on Jenna’s Journal today and sharing your release date with us.

How Much Fact to Put into Fiction

I know well-meaning friends often say – “You ought to write this down, it would make a great story.” Well, actually, no it wouldn’t. I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “fact is stranger than fiction” – well it is. If you’re writing non fiction, fine go ahead and use the story about Uncle Joe getting stuck on the roof. It was a comical incident and will make a great creative non fiction story. However, for fiction the idea won’t make for a great story without some changes. For the most part, it’ll come off as false. Readers just won’t believe it. Why? Think about it. Other than Science Fiction – which still has to be written as believable- when you read a story or novel, one of your first thoughts is – can this happen. It might be far-fetched but it can happen. Besides you, the author will be telling the story. And we want to show our stories.

Here’s our incident. Uncle Joe got stuck on the roof while hanging Christmas lights. He put a ladder on the peak of the garage and when he went to get off the other peak he reached his foot out, the ladder slipped away. He moved toward it and inched his way off the roof, reached his foot out and tried to snag the ladder. Again it slipped away. One more time and it slipped out of reach. By this time he was hanging by his elbows. . No one was in the house. It was cold and the roof was covered with snow. He looked around to see if a neighbor might have come out. Nothing – his arms were getting tired and he didn’t know what to do. The only thing left was to jump. He knew if he landed on his feet, they’d slip out from under him and he’d slide off the roof like a bullet. He took a deep breath and let go. Thankfully he landed and didn’t slide.

If I were writing it for creative non fiction, I’d embellish it, make it humorous.

But, how do we create a story from this idea? It almost sounds like an incident from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or didn’t Grisham do something like this in Skipping Christmas? How did they do it? Some people need to plot out the idea on paper, which is fine. I wish I could do that. But, I’m one of those writers that just start writing. Oh I’ll jot down some ideas and know where I want to go, but in the beginning I usually have no idea how to get there. I know the beginning and the end. What happens in the middle is as much a surprise for me as it is for the reader. And that works for me. What ever works for you is fine.

Okay, we have the idea. A man is stuck on a roof. We don’t have to have him putting up Christmas lights. He could be up there for a variety of reasons. Maybe they had a leak and it was raining cats and dogs.

One of the first things, even for me, is to create the plot. I start, of course, with my character’s name, age and appearance. Okay let’s call our guy, Charlie. He’s middle-aged, slightly balding, but tall and muscular. Next I ask why Charlie was on the roof.

Once I have my characters, I develop my idea. First question: What genre’ am I writing? This is where we start asking the questions, what happened, how did it happen, etc. If I’m writing mystery I have to decide is it a murder mystery? Who gets killed, where and why?

Hmm – maybe someone moved the ladder. And maybe Charlie makes it down but he knows someone is trying to kill him.

If Charlie is the intended victim we’ll need a potential killer.

Once we know the where and why, we need to know if the murder is going to happen in the book, or behind the scenes. In other words has the murder been committed when we come on the scene or are we going to show our readers the murder. In this case it’s an attempted murder because Charlie isn’t dead.

Then we need to know how our main character is going to solve the crime. We need some clues, usually not ones the reader will pick up on right away, but clues that at the end of the story they’ll hit their foreheads and say “Oh I should have known.”

Do you see how we took a real life incident and changed it into something totally different? Sure we could have written humor like National Lampoon, but why stop there. Explore different avenues. You could take the same incident and change it into a romance or fantasy. Maybe even Science Fiction. I don’t write that either so I’m not going try to explain that. But who knows maybe while Charlie is repairing the roof, men from mars kidnap him. Let your imagination run wild.

Roseanne Dowell is an avid reader and writes various types of romance – paranormal, contemporary, and mystery. She has several books published with MuseItUp Publishing as well as over 40 articles and short stories published in magazines such as Good Old Days, Nostalgia, and Ohio Writer and several online publications. Besides teaching writing courses for Long Story School of Writing www.lsswritingschool.com ,she also taught two writing courses for the Encore Program at Cuyahoga Community College.

Roseanne lives in Northeast Ohio and where she enjoys life as a wife, mother of six, grandmother of fourteen and great-grandmother of one. Besides writing, Roseanne enjoys embroidery and quilting, especially combining the two.

Visit Roseanne at her website www.roseannedowell.com or her blog http://roseannedowellauthor.blogspot.com

Her latest book, Connection of the Minds will be available Sept. 9^th with MuseItUp Publishing – http://bit.ly/ConnectionoftheMinds

Blurb and Excerpt:

Blurb and Excerpt for Connection of the Minds

Visions of someone’s life disturb Rebecca Brennan’s dreams. The dreams become dangerous and she’s determined to find who shares her mind. Her search leads her to a small town and puts her life in danger too.

Excerpt:

The next morning Rebecca, once again, sat in Bernard Clark’s office. Something about the heavy-set, middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and scruffy beard reminded her of her grandfather. As usual, he listened to her story with a serious expression.

Was this really helping? How many hours had she spent sitting across from the mammoth mahogany desk, staring at the book-lined shelves behind him? And so far, she didn’t know anything more than before. Once more, that’s it. If nothing changed today, she’d quit coming. Maybe he was a quack, like her brother said. Rebecca took a breath and relaxed in the comfortable atmosphere, inhaled the smell of new leather that clung to the chair, and leaned back. Okay, maybe she did have a deep extra sensory perception connection with someone like Bernard said. The question was with whom.

“I think you need to find this person,” Dr. Clark suggested. “It’s possible the physic mind is reaching out to you for help.”

“How?” That’s why she was here. If he didn’t help her figure it out, that was it. No more visits. Besides, it cost money, and who could afford it? If Allison hadn’t agreed to pay half, well that was another story. Dr. Bernard’s voice brought her back.

“Start with the dreams,” he suggested. “Tell me about them again.”

“I see scenes with emergency vehicles. Last night someone got shot,” she told him for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I wonder if he has something to do with law enforcement or other emergency operations. I’d recognize the town if I ever saw it in person. It’s so vivid in my mind.”

“Would you consider hypnotism?” Bernard fingered his beard. Intense blue eyes stared into hers. “Maybe your sub conscious mind will reveal the place, or person, or something to help you find it.”

Leary about being hypnotized, but desperate to find who shared her mind, Rebecca agreed.

Under her hypnotic trance, she revealed the name of a shoe factory. A place called Booth’s Boots, and she repeated the name, Morris, over and over.

“It’s not much to go on,” Rebecca told Allison later,” but it’s more than I knew before. Maybe Morris is my mind connection.”

Encouraged by the information, she spent the better part of the day doing research. Using the Internet, Rebecca keyed in Booth’s Boots. Instantly, several websites popped up.

“Okay, let’s check out Boothsboots.com.”

A website, showing various types of boots from hunting to work boots, popped up.

“This is great. Let’s see what this says.” She clicked on News and Events. “No help there. Okay, let’s try Outlet Stores.” She almost jumped out of her chair. “There it is!” A factory, located in Morrisville, Ohio.

“Morrisville, could that explain the name Morris?” A prickly sensation went up her spine. She was getting close; she could feel it.

“Okay, let’s try this.” Rebecca didn’t care she was talking to herself. Besides, it wasn’t the first time. Keying Morrisville into the search engine, she held her breath, more determined than ever to find the town. If it took all day, then so be it. A site popped up with several suggestions. “Okay, let’s see what this one is about.” Morrisville.net homepage popped up, and further down the page, it showed–Pictures taken around Morrisville.

She held her breath and clicked on one. The first picture that came up was a log cabin. No help there. “Okay, how about this one? The Square. ” It looked familiar. Shivers ran up her spine. “Okay, how about Hotel Darby. Yes! I’ve seen this place.” One more. She drew in her breath and clicked on Victorian.

“Oh my God, that’s it! That’s the house.” She almost jumped out of her seat. The Queen Anne house in her dreams showed on the screen big as life. Where is this place? Clicking back to the homepage, she found it on the map. “Not far from Wattsburg; only a three-hour drive from here. I have to go there.”

“Allie.” Rebecca phoned her friend. “I found it, I searched the net, and I found it. Even pictures of the town. I recognized all the buildings right down to the house.”

“Calm down…”

“I have to go there. It’s only a three-hour drive.” Not waiting for Allison’s response, Rebecca continued. “I have to find out who I’m connected with.”

“What are you going to do?” Allison asked. “Walk into the little town and say hey, someone here is connected to my mind.”

Rebecca laughed at her friend’s wit. “I have a plan. First I’ll go to the newspaper office and check for stories about someone being shot on Friday. Then I’ll try to find out where he is. I’m sure he’s alive.” Her intuition told her danger still lingered, but she couldn’t explain that to her friend.

“Maybe it’s a she,” Allison said. “What makes you say he?”

“I don’t know.” Rebecca paced the living room. “It’s just a feeling I have. It doesn’t matter; whoever it is, I have to go.” Okay, it was a crazy scheme, but feelings like this couldn’t be ignored. “There’s no turning back now, Al, I have to find him.”

“Would you like me to go with you?”

“I have to do this myself.”

“I don’t like this, Beck. You shouldn’t be doing this alone. What if it’s dangerous? I mean you see cop cars and stuff. What if he’s a criminal?”

Rebecca shivered. God, what if he was a criminal? No, something told her that wasn’t the case. Call it a gut feeling or intuition, whatever it was, Rebecca would bet her life he wasn’t a criminal.

“I’m sorry, Al. Thanks for the offer, but no. I have to do this on my own. I’ll be fine. Really.”

I would like to thank Roseanne once again for such a wonderful post and great excerpt from Connection of the Minds. Remember, it’s now available from MuseItUp. Thank you for coming by the blog today. If you have questions or comments for Roseanne, please feel free to leave them below.