Sweet Saturday Sample–8/27 Only Scandal Will Do

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to Sweet Saturday Sample.  My great thanks to all who’ve been coming by each week.  I appreciate your comments very much.  And thank you also to the first-time visitors.  I appreciate everyone’s feedback.

This week I’m finishing up posting from my Georgian historical novel Only Scandal Will Do.  Finishing up, you say?  Yes, because Sweet Saturday sample has done it again.  Last week I received the fantastic news that Only Scandal Will Do had been accepted for publication with Lyrical Press!  The two works I’ve put up on this blog tour have both been accepted for publication in less than a month.  So I’ve been happy dancing all this week.

Today I’m posting the end of the scene–and the end of chapter one–from last week, where our heroine Katarina’s situation continues to worsen.  Please enjoy the sample!

The door burst open and the woman in charge reappeared, handing Nigel a smooth, white full-face plaster mask.  “Put that on her, Nigel.  No one will see the gag under it.  And for God’s sake hurry. The first auction is already underway.” 

Before Kat could protest, the woman’s eyes flashed and she raised a warning finger. “Use your head, girl. That mask protects your identity though it may gall you to wear it. Unless, of course, you wish to become tomorrow’s scandal.”  She sped off without a backward glance.

Nigel shoved the mask onto Katarina’s face, almost suffocating her.  Flailing, she pushed against the man, tried to pry the mask from her face, and was rewarded with a cuff to her head that sent her reeling.  By the time the world stopped spinning, she was being borne down the corridor in Nigel’s arms.  The rank smell of his sweaty, unwashed body permeated the mask and Kat fought back a wave of nausea.  A thunderous roar of voices emanated from behind a dull red curtain, as though an entire army was carousing there.  Katarina’s stomach cramped with fear. 

They stopped before the doorway, and Nigel bent his head to whisper, “If you try to run, try to take the mask off, try anything, my sword will find its mark before the night is over.” Then he heaved her over the shoulder of a blond giant, dressed in the purple and white robes of a Roman senator.  She landed on his collarbone with so much force that her breath made a soft “ugh” as it left her lungs. Katarina hung there, struggling to breathe, but still less afraid of suffocating than of what lay beyond the red curtain.

Out of the frying pan, into the fire for Kat this week.  And just what lies beyond the red curtain?  I promise to let you know…when Only Scandal Will Do is released for publication.  Hoping that won’t be too far in the future.

Thanks again for sampling my favorite sweets.  Come back next week for a new “Sweet Sample.” Or even better,  join in the fun with your own.  Follow this link to Sweet Saturday Sample to find more “sweet” offerings.

If you liked the above sample, you might also like some of my published work.  Heart of Deception, set in Victorian England, is available at Books to Go Now.  Hog Wild, an erotic contemporary retelling of The Three Little Pigs, is available at New Dawning Bookfair.  And both are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks.  Blurbs for both books can be found on my Published Works page.

Posted in On Only Scandal Will Do, On Sweet Saturday Sample | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Almost Perfect Cover Art

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

I’ve just received the final version of the cover for my new erotic contemporary story Almost Perfect.  The book will be released this Fall/Winter from Decadent Publishing as  part of their 1Night Stand series.  Here’s the blurb for Almost Perfect:

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 the brand new cover art:

Although I’d call it absolutely perfect!  The graphic artist must have read the story or read my mind.  Either way, I’m thrilled with my cover and can’t wait to be able to tell you a release date.  Hopefully sooner rather than later of course. LOL

I’ve also updated the image on my blog tour post.  If you haven’t been by the tour you should check out my post annd the others on the tour.  Everyone’s got giveaways or contests.  I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card and copies of my published works, plus some little goodies as well from my romance hope chest.  There’s always good stuff in a hope chest, especially one belonging to a hopeless romantic!  So come check out Monday’s post and hop on the tour.  We’ll  make your Sultry Summer Nights Sizzle!

Posted in 1Night Stand, On Almost Perfect, On Writing Erotic Romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Reader’s Corner: Guest Author Sherry Gloag

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Hello, Everyone!  Today I have my first ever guest blogger on Jenna’s Journal,  author Sherry Gloag.  I met Sherry through the Sultry Summer Night Blog Hop and Six Sentence Sunday and she agreed to do a post for me today to help give me time to finish revisions for As Long As You’re Mine.

Sherry has two works currently available:

 

 

 

 

Her first work, The Brat, at The Wild Rose Press. And Duty Calls at Black Opal Books. 

 

Getting to know your book is a bit like finding the jigsaw pieces and putting them together. But, unlike a jigsaw, the pieces don’t come ready-made or ready packed. To add to the confusion, you don’t even know what those “pieces” look like.

My latest jigsaw puzzle is a romance called From Now Until Forever that has just been accepted by Astraea Press.

Authors are often described as “plotters” or “pantsers.” They first plot their stories in detail before they start writing, while others work from an “idea.” I fall into the latter category.

So how can a pantser possibly “get to know their book?”

Even they must have a few basics on the table before they start. What kind of book do they want to write? If it’s a romance they then have to decide which sub-genre they are aiming for. And by association what kind of reader they want to attract.

But that’s not enough.

When a reader picks up a book they expect to be drawn into the story. They want to experience that personal connection with the main characters.

To ensure the reader will keep turning the pages the author must create well-rounded, believable characters that are fully developed. People the reader can relate to, whether they like your characters, or hate them, if they can say “she/he reminds me of…” then you have reader connection with your characters.

To do this the author must ask themselves three basic questions.

1) What does my character want?

2) What is obstructing their goal?

3) How will the characters solve their problems?

That on its own will not hold your reader, so you have to add action and suspense.

You have to find a plot that has more twists and turns than the most dangerous mountain switchbacks. But, and there is a but… the conflicts you put in your characters’ way must be believable.

This does not necessarily mean gunfights, murder and mayhem or shouting matches between your hero and heroine. Especially not the shouting matches. Nothing will turn a reader off more than a book-full of constant bickering.

Your action and conflict can be internally related. By that I mean something in their past influences the moment you open the first page of the book. The action and conflict must draw the reader in so they forget the real world around them. All conflict requires balance to hold the reader.

Even a pantser has to keep these criteria in mind when they write. They have to know their book.

The characters in my debut novel The Brat, published by The Wild Rose Press and the characters in my current novel Duty Calls, published by Black Opal Books seemed to know this instinctively. For the most part they “told” their own story and used me as their “go-between.” On the occasions when they, and I, forgot the rules we found ourselves backtracking that involved some major re-writing.

An author can’t help but get too close to the action when writing a book.

To them their characters are real people, with real problems. They are the jigsaw pieces that complete the puzzle. The only difference is the author must know their puzzle/book inside out before putting each piece of the puzzle together in the correct order.

Then, and only then, when they have that knowledge, can they start writing!

****

Sherry is also offering a Giveaway: A signed bookmark of The Brat for one commenter drawn at random.  So leave her a comment and be entered to win!  You can also check out Sherry’s Website and visit her on The Heart of Romance Blogspot. 

And if you haven’t already hopped onto the Sultry Summer Night Blog Hop, check  out my post from Monday and jump right in.  All 28 authors are offering some fantastic prizes.  I’m giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card and copies of my published works.  Come on!  You’ve got to enter to win!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Contests, On Writing, On Writing Romance, Reader's Corner | Tagged , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Jenna’s Journal Update: News Flash

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Hello and Happy Monday!

There is a lot going on this week for Jenna’s Journal, including super BIG news, so I thought a News Flash would be the best way to get the word out to everyone.

News Item #1(the BIG news):  My historical romance novel, Only Scandal Will Do, is now under contract with Lyrical Press!  I am absolutely thrilled that this work will soon be published available to readers.  It is the first of a five series that takes place in Georgian England in the early 1760s, full of action, suspense, and above all romance.  As soon as I have more details (cover art and release date) I will let you know!

News Item #2:  Join the Sultry Summer Nights:  Ignite Your Passions Blog Tour!  This entire week Jenna’s Journal will be on tour.  The official post is just below this one.  Check out my suggestions about how to “ignite your passions” and enter to win an Amazon gift card and copies of my published works.  Then “hop” to the next blog (via link list provided at the end) to check other authors’ sites and enter their contests as well.  The potential for bigtime loot is incredible!

News Item #3:  On Thursday, August 25, Jenna’s Journal will have its very first ever guest blogger!  Author Sherry Gloag will be in the Reader’s Corner talking about her new release Duty Calls.  I hope my readers will come by, check out her post, and maybe leave a comment.  I’m so looking forward to my guest!

News Item #4:  Due to the blog tour, which runs from today, Monday August 22 through Monday, August 29, my regular feature, Reviewed by Jenna, will not appear this week or next.  Part of the reason is the tour and part is my desire to use this coming week to complete revisions on my Victorian romance As Long As You’re Mine.  Lots of writing means no time for reading (or reviewing).  But Reviewed by Jenna will return for Labor Day, September 5.

That’s my News Flash.  If anything else pops up this week, I’ll certainly let you know!  Hope to see you all on tour!  Have a great week!

Posted in Blog Tours, Contests, On As Long As You're Mine, On Only Scandal Will Do, Reader's Corner | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

SULTRY SUMMER NIGHTS: IGNITE YOUR PASSIONS BLOG HOP TOUR AUGUST 22 THRU AUGUST 29

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

What makes you sizzle on a sultry summer night?

Hi, I’m Jenna Jaxon, author of historical and erotic contemporary romance.  So I’ve got some ideas about the answers to the question above.

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, August 22, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, August 29, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

Winners will be drawn and posted August 30th! ***

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***

I’ve got a few suggestions below to help you “ignite your passions”  on a sultry summer night. Plus, at the end, learn how you can win copies of my published works and a $10.00 Amazon gift card!

THINGS THAT CAN MAKE YOU SIZZLE:

A HOT MAN YOU CAN’T HAVE

Suggestion #1:  Visit an English manor where passions blaze no matter the season in Heart of Deception, available now at Books to Go Now and other e-book vendors.

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.

A RIDE ON YOUR DREAM MACHINE

Suggestion #2:  Hop on a Harley behind seductress Lula Wolfendale and take a ride to find the perfect motorcycle and mate in Hog Wild, available now at New Dawning Bookfair and other e-book vendors.

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?

A ROMANTIC NIGHT ON AN ISLAND PARADISE

Suggestion #3:  Escape with Pam Kimball to an almost deserted island where you’ll find romance in the most unexpected places in Almost Perfect, coming soon from Decadent Publishing.

 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.

A GORGEOUS HUNK IN A STEAMY SHOWER

Suggestion #4:  Join the hottest party in town! Ashley Thompson’s wild Friday night bash attracts a bold stranger who’s confident of seducing her in Seven Days of Seduction.  A Work in Progress with a life of its own!

Ashley is known for her outrageous parties and last Friday night was no exception.  Only this time she wakes to find a video of her in the middle of a menage a trois with her ex-boyfriend and a gorgeous stranger.  Unable to remember anything about the night, other than the hot sex she sees on the computer screen, Ashley begins a search for Mr. Hunk.  She has no luck until he unexpectedly shows up–in her shower.

Hunter Hopewell would love to initiate Ash into a variety of sexual experiences he finds exciting, but fears his tastes are too wild even for her.  As the week of escalating sexual encounters intensifies, Ashley must choose to let go of her final inhibitions if she is to join Hunter in the promise of a truly unforgettable Friday night.

A SENSUOUS KISS FROM A DARK STRANGER

Suggestion #5:  Wish for adventure and feel the heat of a stranger’s kiss, be swept away by your passions.  But wait!  Beware what you wish for, for you just may get it in Only Scandal Will Do, coming soon from Lyrical Press.

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.

Now, as promised!

THE SULTRY SUMMER SIZZLER CONTEST!

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 say hello. If you like what you see, become a fan by “Liking” my page and adding me to your favorites.

PRIZES FOR THIS CONTEST:

1) Grand Prize: A $10.00 Amazon Gift Card and a .pdf copy of both Heart of Deception and Hog Wild!!!
2) First Place Prize: One winner will be chosen to receive a .pdf e-book Heart of Deception and Hog Wild!!!
3) Second Place Prizes: Multiple winners will be chosen to receive their choice of .pdf e-book Heart of Deception or Hog Wild!!!
4) Third Place Prizes: Multiple winners will be chosen to receive a gift from my romance hope chest!!!

Now continue your Sultry Summer Night 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:

Thanks so much for visiting Jenna’s Journal.
Hope your summer night continues to sizzle!
Posted in Blog Tours, Contests, On Almost Perfect, On Heart of Deception, On Hog Wild, On Only Scandal Will Do, On Seven Days of Seduction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

Six Sentence Sunday 8/21–As Long As You’re Mine

Posted on August 21, 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 hope you’re having as much fun as I am.  Last week my blog hit its record high for hits for one day.  I’m really psyched!

This week, again we see another scene with Rafe and Samantha.  Today we’re going to eavesdrop on a bit of their meeting out under the copper beech.  Rafe has just asked her if she will consent to become his wife.

“You don’t want to marry me.”

            “No, my lady, I must say I do not.”

             “Thank God,” she said as she let out the breath she had been holding, and relaxed. “Did you tell my father that you didn’t want to marry me?” she asked, then pushed herself away from the tree and came to stand before him, looking up expectantly.

            “No, I never voiced that opinion to him,” Rafael said, looking at her curiously.  The animation that had sprung into her face transformed her from a merely beautiful woman to an exquisite woman of unparalleled beauty; it was like watching life breathed into a china doll.

At last Samantha has an ally; or does she?

Hope you’re still enjoying the six each week from As Long As You’re Mine. Next week we’ll see what we can come up with.

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.

Posted in On As Long As You're Mine, On Six Sentence Sunday, On Works in Progress, On Writing Historical Romance | Tagged , , , , | 31 Comments

Sweet Saturday Sample–8/20 Only Scandal Will Do

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to Sweet Saturday Sample.  My great thanks to all who’ve been coming by each week.  I appreciate your comments very much.  And thank you also to the first-time visitors.  I appreciate everyone’s feedback.

This week I’m continuing to post from my Georgian historical novel Only Scandal Will Do.  This week we go back to our heroine Katarina or Kat, whose situation has gone from bad to worse.  She’s been kidnapped and taken to a house  run by a ominous woman somewhere in London.  (I’m sorry but the picture’s abduction is a bit more pleasant than Kat’s is.)  Please enjoy the sample!

With a curt nod the woman lit their way with a single yellow candle down a shadowy corridor.  Opening a door at the far end, she lifted the brass candlestick high to examine Katarina’s outfit, then cocked her head.  The woman’s features were stark in the harsh light: ghostly white skin, delicate dark brows puckering over a petite nose, and the dark red mouth pursed, dispassionately appraising her captive. Uncommon beauty coupled with cruel detachment. Turning away she called, “Marco!  Change into the Roman costume now!”

A snarled a reply from the dim hallway caused the woman to step toward the surly voice.  “You’ll do it or I’ll turn your pretty face over to Nigel.” The discordant sound of the softest, most menacing voice imaginable sent a chill racing down Katarina’s spine.  The dark-haired woman thrust the candlestick into the other kidnapper’s hand and rushed off, her full skirts swishing in her haste.

As the woman disappeared into the shadows, Katarina was hustled into a narrow room barely wide enough to hold its plain washstand and wooden close stool.   They plopped her down on the convenience chair and untied the ropes.  As soon as her hands were free, she drew back for a blow to the nearest brigand, but the tall, thin man who stood over her pushed a sword into her face and shook his head.

“Lay a hand on either one of us, girl, and I’ll carve your face so your own mother wouldn’t know you.”  His flat voice and icy gray eyes told Kat he spoke in earnest.  She reached to untie the gag, and the sword tip waved dangerously close to her nose.  “Nay.  The gag stays until the deal is done.  Afterwards, you can try to talk your way out of it.”

Kat did not understand that last statement but lowered her hands as the other kidnapper, an unremarkable man with a jovial face, finally finished untying her legs.  She rotated her ankles and wiggled her toes, trying to force feeling back into them.  She needed to be able to run at the first opportunity.

The kneeling kidnapper grabbed first one and then the other foot, stripping off shoes and stockings with lightning efficiency.  He stood up, grinning, and Kat longed to kick him for his effrontery.  The man elbowed his companion, remarking, “I’m thinking that’s not all’s coming off before the night’s over, eh Nigel?”

The swordsman said nothing, but a lecherous gleam in his eye told its own tale.  Nigel.  The dark-haired woman’s threat to Marco now made sense.   The woman must employ them all.  Did she engineer my kidnapping?  Outrage warring with her fear, Katarina narrowed her eyes at the pair and concentrated on memorizing their features.  They would pay for their part in tonight’s assault when she got out of this predicament.

Katarina’s a resourceful girl, but can she overcome all these obstacles?

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.

If you liked the above sample, you might also like some of my published work.  Heart of Deception, set in Victorian England, is available at Books to Go Now.  Hog Wild, an erotic contemporary retelling of The Three Little Pigs, is available at New Dawning Bookfair.  And both are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks.  Blurbs for both books can be found on my Published Works page.

Posted in On Only Scandal Will Do, On Sweet Saturday Sample, On Works in Progress | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Update: Name Game Contest–And the Winner Is. . .

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Hi, Everyone!  I have finally chosen a winning title for my erotic novella:

To celebrate, I thought perhaps one more little excerpt would be in order.  So here’s the bit where Ashley meets Hunter for the first time (that she can remember, LOL):

The bathroom door opened and closed.  “Damn it, Sam.  Why is it every time I take a shower you have to pee?  Couldn’t you just hold it for once?  Or pee in a cup for God’s sake?”

“I’m not Sam.  And I don’t have to pee.”

Ashley’s eyes popped open and the bottle of body wash hit the tub with a loud “thunk.”  The husky voice she’d heard on yesterday’s video and in this morning’s dream was richer in person.  Sexier.  Her heart took off like a deer before baying hounds.  She peered at the shower door, seeing only a shadowy figure through the opaque glass. 

“Hello?  Are you there, Ash?”  The amusement evident in his tone brought her back to earth.

“Yeah, I’m here.  And just who the hell are you?”

“I’m Hunter Hopewell.  Sorry we didn’t get introduced the other night.”

“No, shit!”  Damn. The all-important name meant nothing.  She’d never even met the guy.  The spray from the shower roared in her ears and Ashley took a step toward the shower door.  “So who are you?  I mean, you say Hunter Hopewell, but I don’t know you.  And you seem to know me.”

“Yes, I do.  I’ve never met you, but I’ve been interested in you for a while now.”

Despite the hot water, chills raced over Ashley’s body.  Oh, my God!  A stalker.  I’ve attracted a stalker.  And she was shut in a bathroom with him.  Suddenly she couldn’t breathe.

 “You’re a beautiful girl, Ashley.  With lots of potential.”

Potential for what?  She gasped in air, finally needing to breathe or pass out.  “I think you should leave.”  Where the balls came from to utter that sentence she had no idea.

“Why?”  His voice rose in puzzlement.

“Because you’re scaring the crap out of me!”

His laugh was deep and genuine.  “Well I didn’t mean to do that.”  Through the frosted glass she glimpsed him moving, though she couldn’t see exactly what he was doing.  Was he actually going to leave?   A stab of regret streaked through her chest.

The shower door slid open.  Ashley screamed and backpedaled two steps until she slammed into the wall beneath the still pulsing showerhead.  She watched, unable to move, as Hunter shoved his big, naked body through the opening then slid the door closed.

“Hi.”

Talk about having balls!  And Hunter definitely knows how to use them. LOL

Seven Days of Seduction suggested itself to me based on the writing I did in Chapter 2.  So, because I didn’t use one of your great entries, a contestant’s name has been drawn at random to receive a copy of one of my books.  And the Winner is:

Lisa Kumar

Congratulations, Lisa!  If you would email me and let me know which of the four possible books you’d like a copy of (Heart of Deception, Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, or Seven Days of Seduction), we can discuss the details of your prize. 

My great thanks to everyone who helped name my novella!  I’ll keep you up to date on its progress and hope to have it submitted to New Dawning Bookfair in couple of weeks.

My published work is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks as well as the publisher websites.

Posted in Contests, On Seven Days of Seduction, On Works in Progress, On Writing Erotic Romance | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Reader’s Corner: The TBR List

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Funny that since I started writing I have done less reading.  My crit partners and friends on Facebook or Twitter always talk about the books they are reading.  I feel like such a slacker!  I read at night, just before I go to bed, for perhaps half-an-hour.  Or if I’m out somewhere, stuck in a waiting room, I pull out my Kindle and read until it’s my turn.

As a result, my TBR list has grown in leaps and bounds.  Because I run across books all the time and say “I must read that!” and then don’t.  One friend in my local RWA chapter reads books at red lights!  I don’t know how she does that.  I’d be dead if I tried that–killed by drivers enraged that I sat through the red and green lights because I “just had to finish the chapter.”

I have always been a voracious reader and when I first started writing I went for weeks on end when I did nothing but read romance novels.  Didn’t write a word, but absorbed everything I could from those books.  Now the pendulum has swung to the opposite side and all I can think about is writing.  But I feel the need to go back, read more, maybe sleep less.  But I need to escape not into my fictional worlds, but into others’.

So here is my TBR list, or part of it–I don’t want you to spend the day on this blog. LOL  These are in no particular order, when I read I read according to my mood, not when I added a book to the list.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon  Recommended by a crit partner who also loves historicals

The Help by Katheryn Stockett  Looks like a lot of fun and I’m from the south.

Through the Rabbit Hole by Lisa Kumar  One of my crit partners’ books; I read excerpts that really intrigued me–and the cover is gorgeous!

The Sins of Viscount Sutherland by Samantha James  New romance by one of my favorite authors

11/22/63 by Stephen King  Comes out this fall, about a man who travels back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination.  I love Stephen King and this story had me at hello.

Mariner’s Coveby E. Ayers  A member of my local RWA (not the red-light reader, however) whose excerpt I loved.  It seems a very gentle love story and we all need that every once in a while.

The Bargain by Mary Jo Putney  Another one of my fave authors.  This is a reprint, but I haven’t read it.  A fun story line.  I’m a sucker for romance. 🙂

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  I don’t actually want to read this book, but have been told by too many people that I must.  It sounds incredibly brutal to me, but I’ll probably read it right after I watch Gladiator for the first time. (I may be the only person who hasn’t seen it.)

Black Dorn by Daryl Devore  An erotic historical by another crit partner.  Set in a Scottish castle and again, a gorgeous cover.  Don’t even know what it’s about, but the cover sold me (see what they tell you is true!).

Memories of Murderby Lara Nance  Another member of my local group (still not the  red-light reader) whose blurb intrigued me.  A paranormal romance, about a witch, set in Virginia.  Yep, I was going to bite.

Well, that’s a small part of my TBR.  At least with my Kindle I’m not knocking them over as I rush to get to my computer and write.  I promise to do better and whittle down this list.  Just as soon as I finish my next book.

What’s on your TBR?  When is your time to read?  Do you find yourself reading more or less these days?  Why?  I’d love for you readers to share!

Posted in On Reading, Reader's Corner | Tagged , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Come to Your Senses: The Art of Using the Sense of Touch in Romantic Writing

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

This post is a re-print of the post I did for Savvy Authors earlier this month.  I’ve changed it a bit, so please enjoy it again!

Romance writers are always encouraged to use all five senses when they write, in order to draw their reader deep into the point of view of their characters.  I have been exploring the importance of each sense and suggesting how  writers can use the senses more effectively in their work. Today’s blog continues that series with a look at the most sensual sense:  touch.

The mechanics of the sense of touch are different from those of the other four senses.  Sight, smell, taste, and sound are each located in one specific part of the body.  Touch is located everywhere.  This sense originates in the dermis, the deepest layer of skin.  It contains thousands of nerve receptors that, when stimulated, carry messages of pain or pleasure to the brain via the spinal cord.

Of greatest interest to the writer, however, is the fact that touch is experienced over every inch of the body.  Immediately, the possibilities for the use of this sense explode.  Any part of a character’s body can be described as feeling some stimulus and can therefore be affected by it.  Heroines can delight in cool sand between their toes, revel in the heat of the sun on their face, or shiver as an ice-cube slides down their back.

Describing an intimate touch is the stock in trade of the romance writer.  We’ve all written love scenes and, from sweet to scorching hot, the sense of touch figures prominently.  A kiss is a mere touch of the lips—but in the hands of a skilful wordsmith, it is an event that will rock the reader to her soul.  Well written, smokin’ love scenes transport the reader into the scene most often through depiction of the sense of touch.  Catherine Texier, in the article Awaken Her Senses, describes exactly how revealing a man’s touch can be: “The touch of a man is his imprint, his signature.  How soft or callous his hands are, how dexterous his fingers, how insolent and bold, how sensual or rough his handling of your body. . . .  Each one of his moves reveals his character, his mood of the moment, and his knowledge of you.”

When all is said and done, however, what we are talking about is the skilful use of language.  Writers create everything using the exact words that will evoke the senses in the reader.  Channel that language into your writing and your readers will “feel” right along with your characters.

A quick excerpt from my WIP Only Scandal Will Do, the hero and heroine’s first kiss hopefully illustrates that all important sense of touch:

She felt every magnificent swirl of his tongue, not only in her mouth but in the deep, private places of her body as well.  Katarina moaned into his mouth, the low, guttural sound coming from some unknown reservoir of need.  Pressing him to her, her hands slid up the steely hard muscles of his back, evident even through his cloak and clothes. 

Do you include the sense of touch in your writing as much as you should?  Do you create opportunities for your reader to feel everything right along with the characters?  Please leave a comment and thanks for sharing!

If you’d like to see more of my work, below are links to my two published short stories.  Click on the cover to purchase a copy !

Posted in On Writing, On Writing Romance | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments