First Review: Heart of Deception

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Good things come unexpectedly sometimes.  Really good things almost never come, expected or unexpected.  Except last week it did, though I wasn’t aware of it until yesterday.

Dawn Luedecke, a reviewer for the Atlantic City Examiner, an online newspaper, has given Heart of Deception its first review.  And it’s five star. 

That just takes some getting used to.

I am posting the review here, because first, I am so proud I could burst, and second, what the hell else is a blog supposed to do but help you blow your own horn? 

Jenna Jaxon brings readers everywhere to the ‘Heart of Deception’

 “Atlantic City readers love a good historical romance — especially those set in Great Britain. With Regency giants like Stephanie Laurens, Julia Quinn, and the ever so sweet Stefanie Sloan, it’s no wonder writers everywhere are putting down their books and picking up their pens for a chance at crafting the perfect historical romance. After all, there’s nothing more exciting than intrigue with a hint of English nobility.

     Ms. Jenna Jaxon captured the perfect mixture of intrigue, romance, and love in her short story ‘Heart of Deception’. Celinda Graham falls in love with Andrew Finley, Viscount Hurston. Who just happens to be the newest edition to the balls and drawing rooms of 1890’s London. When her father protests the marriage, they must find another way to be together. Andrew proposes a ploy that will leave them in a sea of scandal, but what Celinda doesn’t know is Andrew holds a secret which may just ruin their chance for happiness.

To find out if they can overcome the deception and make love work, New Jersey readers can purchase the story at a variety of places, including: Amazon.com, barnsandnoble.com, bookstogonow.com, the Android Marketplace. For more information on this wonderful, up and coming author, you can visit her blog at https://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/. After all, she may just be the next Eloisa James.”

Ms. Luedecke is an up-and-coming author herself and you can read more about her and her works at Atlantic City Books Examiner.  I can only say “Thank you very much, Ms. Luedecke.  You’ve made me happier than you can know!”

I hope Ms. Luedecke piqued your interest enough that you decide to download.  If so, I want to say a heartfelt  “Thank you” and please enjoy!

 

 

Posted in On Heart of Deception, On Writing Historical Romance, On Writing Romance, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Irresistable Blog Award

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Wow.  I never thought to get a blog award, but here I am, nominated by Lindsay, for this “ahem,” prestigious award.  Thank you, Lindsay.  I only hope I can return the favor sometime. 🙂

The requirements for this illustrious award are 1) Have a blog; 2) Post seven random facts about yourself that will only get you in a small amount of trouble with the powers that be; 3) Pass the award along to seven more worthy vict…fantastic bloggers; and 4) Be sure to tell everyone who nominated you by linking back to moi!

Since Jenna’s Journal is a blog, I have fulfilled the most strenuous requirement for this award.  Requirement #2 is below.  (Beware–this may be TMI for many of you.)

1)  I have never gone commando.

2)  My least favorite musical is South Pacific.

3)  I am desperately afraid of heights.

4)  I love to fly. (See #3 and ponder the paradoxes of the universe.)

5)  I have been inside an Egyptian pyramid.

6)  I do not like green eggs and ham. (But I love Dr. Seuss!)

7)  My favorite drink is Bailey’s Irish Cream on the rocks.

Not too painful, now, was it?

And now for requirement number 3:  And the Winners Are–

1)  Kary Rader

2) Lisa Kumar (so you must both participate!)

3)  D’Ann Linscott-Dunham

4)  Kaycee Kacer

5)  Denise Jeffries

6)  Toni Kelly

7)  Lila Barton

My many thanks to you all as you take the torch of the Irresistable Blog Award and carry it off into the night!  May the Force be with you.

Jenna’s new releases, Heart of Deception and Hog Wild are available for purchase!  Just click on the covers and enjoy!

Posted in On Blogging | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Best Kiss Contest Winners!!!

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

This announcement has taken way too long, but I’ve moved to DC and just today solved my internet problems.  But the good news is there are three winners of my Best Kiss Contest from the Goddess Fish Launch Party Promotion last week.

The winners are:  Jen B, Carnation, and Jean P.  If you ladies would kindly drop me an email to jenna.jaxon@yahoo.com I will be more than glad to send you your copies of Heart of Deception and Hog Wild!  Hope to hear from you soon!

Posted in On Heart of Deception, On Hog Wild, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Six Sentence Sunday–Heart of Deception

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Hello and welcome back to Six Sentence Sunday.  I really missed this last week and am so glad this venue is open again.   I am posting from a writer’s retreat deep in the Virginia countryside.  It has been a very productive weekend so far, so next week you’ll probably see the fruits of this labor.

This week I have six sentences from my historical romance, Heart of Deception that released last weekend.   Andrew and Celinda are about to put into motion a plan so that they can marry.  What Celinda doesn’t know is that Andrew is not really what he seems.  I hope you enjoy the following snippet!

 

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.  

Hope you enjoyed my six.  Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought.  Heart of Deception, is now available for purchase from Books To Go Now!, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

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

FYI Sixers–I will be moving to the Washington, DC area for the summer and I leave today.  So I will be visiting your sites later in the week once I buy a new computer!  Happy Six!

Posted in On Heart of Deception, On Six Sentence Sunday | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Love at First Sight or Chemical Romance?

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Serendipity is an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.  This post owes it’s existence to that aptitude.  While I was researching the Art of the Sense of Hearing in Writing Romance, I ran across an amazing article by James Hall, “Learn the Six Secrets of Chemical Romance.”

Chemical Romance?  I thought that was a musical group.

Well, apparently there’s something to it other than just a cool name for a band. 

Chemical romance is “a scientific approach to seduction that reveals how to unleash the natural chemicals in the body.”  When we are attracted to someone, our bodies release specific chemicals that produce a state of euphoria.  So if you’ve ever found an immediate attraction to someone—love at first sight—you have experienced a chemical romance.

The three chemicals that combine to create this phenomenon are oxytocin, phenylethylamine, and endorphins.  Together they produce intense feelings of pleasure within the body, hence the attraction to the person who makes you feel good. 

Oxytocin, released during sexual orgasm in both men and women, is thought to enhance the ability in humans to bond with one another.  Its production can be stimulated by other physical means as well, such as massage, and is present during child-birth, encouraging mother-child bonding.  In a study, published in 1999, researchers found “that oxytocin may be mediating emotional experiences in close relationships.”

The second ingredient in this triple-cocktail of love is phenylethylamine, or PEA.  This is “a neurotransmitter chemical in the brain that causes you to fall madly in love with someone. It is a natural form of amphetamine that floods the regions of the brain involved in sexual excitement.”  Bob Condor’s article, “A Chemistry Lesson for Lovers,” is based on the work of Professor Robert Friar and Theresa Crenshaw, a sex-therapist, experts on the “biochemistry of love.” Says Crenshaw, “PEA could well be the visual component of the chemistry of love at first sight.”

And finally, endorphins, the body’s natural morphine, accounts for the pleasurable feelings of “being in love.”  Studies have shown that blood endorphin production during sexual intercourse can increase up to 200%.  Endorphins produce a sense of well-being, of feeling soothed and at peace.  But beware!  Like many drugs, endorphins can create a “drug-like dependency.”  And there are those who become addicted to their “love high.”

Although the effects of chemical romance are fascinating, can this information help you in writing romance?  I believe that understanding how the biological or psychological mechanisms of love work in people can greatly enhance your ability to portray the same actions in your characters. 

So go back to James Hall’s Six Lessons and use some of his suggestions in your writing.  Have your characters turn the lights down low, have them feed each other sensuous food, have them “romance” each other.  Is it love or is it chemistry?  Odds are the results will be just as enticing either way.

Have you ever experienced “love at first sight?”  Have your characters?  Do you think this theory of “chemical romance” is valid or is there something else going on as well when we fall in love?

Available now!  Click on the cover to purchase your copy today!

Posted in On Writing, On Writing Romance | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

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

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Romance writers are always told to “put the five senses into your writing.”  This means  that we need, as much as possible, to put our readers into the virtual bodies of our heroes and heroines by showing how those characters are feeling.  Most romance readers want to vicariously experience the joys and thrills of love by putting themselves into the characters they read about.  In order to do this, the author needs to describe in detail, everything the characters experience—what they hear, touch, taste, and smell, and see.

Over the next few weeks I would like to explore each sense in-depth, talk about what each sense evokes and ways to help you put your readers “into the moment” through use of these senses.  This week I’m focusing on the sense of hearing.

First, the senses are channels of communication.  Each time we hear a sound, we are receiving information about something.  Even the way information is presented sends messages.  So hearing is a major way that we communicate.  The article “The Voice of Love:  Building Romance through the Sense of Hearing” gives ideas for how to use the sense of hearing to make romance bloom. Some of these tips can be utilized in writing romance as well.

Next, use paralanguage to make your dialogue pop. Paralanguage is all the sounds we hear connected to language other than the words themselves.  Using these elements—vocal fillers, pitch, tone, rate, volume, inflection—you can give a complete picture of how the characters sound when they speak and reveal themselves.  A character who uses vocal fillers–um, er, well, you know, and like—has a character trait that may suggest hesitancy.  A heroine whose voice squeaks signals her excitement; the hero who drops his tone to husky is also excited, but in a different way.  How fast or slow they speak, how loud or soft their voice is, all set the scene and enhance what characters are experiencing.

And finally, make your romance novel richer by adding sounds the POV character would naturally hear or be aware of within the scene.  The crackle of leaves underfoot in a dry forest, the swift, dull thudding of horses hooves on dry mud, the blood pounding in the heroine’s ears as her heart beats faster at sight of the hero.  Sounds that surround your hero and heroine should sink the reader into the psyche of the character, letting the reader “hear” what the character does.  The better your descriptive writing skills, the better the experience for your audience.

For more tips on using the sense of hearing (and the other senses) to add emotion to your scenes, check out Rosemary Gemmell’s article “How to Write Romantic Short Stories.”

The following excerpt from Heart of Deception, my newest release from Books To Go Now!, shows how effective sound can be used to bring the reader into the scene.

Heart pounding, he laid her on the frilly coverlet, still clothed. His strong fingers slid her gown and chemise off her shoulders.  Celinda looked up at him, her eyes liquid pools of golden brown heated by the sure touch of his fingers.  She sighed, a slight sound that sent a blow to his heart.  Then he watched, incredulous, as her small hand gripped his, led it to the neckline of the gown now barely covering her nipples.  Sliding his hand beneath the fabric, she pressed his fingers into the soft white flesh and moaned as they brushed the tip of her erect peak.

Tell me how you put your reader into your scenes?  Do you make an effort to put all five senses into your writing?  Do you find it difficult to include all five?  Do you find yourself using only your favorite senses?  Thanks for sharing!

Click on the cover to purchase your own copy!

Posted in On Writing | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Your Kiss Is On My List–Best Kiss Contest

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Hi, everyone!  In conjunction with my promotional blogs today over at Godess Fish Party Pavillion, I decided to run a contest to find the most romantic, sexy kisses on-screen.    My absolute fave is in the You-tube video below: 

THE KISS between Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeline Stowe in The Last of the Mohicans:

That is one satisfied woman!

So what’s your candidate for Best Kiss?  Leave your vote in a comment to this post or in one of the posts at Goddess Fish Party Pavillion and I will announce the winner (made by random drawing) on Saturday, June 11 on Jenna’s Journal.  The winner will receive copies of my two new releases, Heart of Deception and Hog Wild.

Kiss, Kiss!

Click on the covers if you’d like to buy your own copy now!

Posted in On Heart of Deception, On Hog Wild | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Heart of Deception Releases Today!

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

It’s a red-letter weekend!  Not only did my short story Hog Wild release on Friday, but Books to Go Now! informed me yesterday that my historical romance short story Heart of Deception is being released today!  Two publications in one weekend is a dream come true.

The story will be available from Books to Go Now! today, and from Amazon and B & N in a day or two.  I am super excited!

Below is my gorgeous cover, blurb, and excerpt for Heart of Deception.  Enjoy!

Blurb for 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:

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.

Tomorrow, starting at 9 am, I will be joining Goddess Fish Promotions for their June New Release Party.  Just click on the link above and come join the fun.  I’ll be blogging throughout the day, answering questions or comments, giving away copies of both Hog Wild and Heart of Deception, and Goddess Fish will be giving away an Amazon gift card as well. 

Sounds like a party to me!  Come join us!

Posted in On Heart of Deception | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Fairy Tale Ending Contest: And The Winner Is

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

Thank you to all of those who visited my blog during the pre-release festivities for the Fractured Fairy Tales  and to those of you who participated in the Fairy Tale Ending Contest.

Without further ado, I am pleased to announce that the Winner of the Fairy Tale Ending Contest is:  Gabrielle J.

Gabrielle, please send me a quick email from the account where you want me to send your five fairy tales!  Thanks again and Congratulations!

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

“Now that I’m Published…” Coping with Authorship Part 1: How to Handle Reviews

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Jenna Jaxon

It’s official. Today, thanks to New Dawning International Bookfair and all their fantastic staff, I am a published author.  For years this has been the day I’ve been working towards.  So now I’m done, right?  Move on to the next project. 

Not so fast.

Publication is only the beginning.  Because publication brings with it responsibilities:  to your publisher, to your readership, to your book, and to yourself.  And I now know that there are a lot of mistakes that new authors, and not so new, can and do make.  In the next weeks I’m going to be talking about some of these mistakes and offer some advice I’ve found or been given to help you avoid them.

I am starting today with a topic that has garnered a lot of attention because it is one of the facts of life as an author:  the bad review.  But now I actually have a work that people, hopefully, will be reading and reviewing.  Now I have to worry because of the negative impact a bad review can have on your work.  Right?

Maybe not so much.  On The Big Bad Book Blog, for Greenleaf Book Group, Shenandoah Diaz discusses the fact that negative reviews can actually help you in several ways. 

First, one or two negative reviews can reassure readers that the reviews are authentic.  Nothing (not even your own literary labor of love) is 100% perfect.  Letting readers see that there are possible flaws encourages them to believe that a couple of less-than-glowing critiques are simply the law of averages.  If you have ten glowing and two unfavorable reviews, most people will assume that majority rules.

Second, really outlandish or over-the-top bad reviews can make readers curious.  Is it really that bad?  Why would a reviewer say such a thing?  I need to read this and judge for myself.  Some authors have ridden a bad review very solidly to the bank.  You don’t want to wish for this kind of review, but if you get it, use it to your advantage if possible.

The final, and most important, thing new and established authors need to beware of with the bad review is your reaction to it.  Yes, seeing those unkind words about your pride and joy will hurt your heart.  However, possibly the worst thing you can do is try to defend your work or point of view.  Remember, each reader is entitled to his opinion—and face it, a review is really just one person’s opinion.  Trying to argue, rage at, slander, or otherwise attack the reviewer is committing authorial suicide.  It makes you seem petty, immature, and unprofessional.  Any sympathy you may have garnered for receiving the bad review will automatically revert to the reviewer.  Kathleen Massara at Flavorwire gives examples of how to act and how not to act towards the bad review.  Heed her advice WELL, my newly pubbed friends, and you will be able to take that sour note and make sweet music for some time to come.

Today there is much excitement on Jenna’s Journal as well as at New Dawning International Bookfair. 

My Fairy Tale Ending Book Giveaway Contest is in full swing with the prizes being free copies of Hog Wild, Pinocchio Syndrome, Goldie and the Three Doms, Hideous, and Snowy and the Seven Wharves. 

 

 

 

 

It’s easy to enter:

1.  Read the excerpts from those five tales posted on my blog earlier this week.

2.  Answer the five questions below and email them and the answers to jenna.jaxon@yahoo.com

3.  Post a comment about one or more of the tales on this blog before 11pm tonight and you are entered.

FAIRY TALE ENDING QUESTIONS:

1.  In Hideous, how is Triselle’s hair styled?

2.  Where were Rob and his brother supposed to ride to that morning in Hog Wild?

3.  In Goldie and the Three Doms, what is the first name of the guy who blindfolds Goldie?

4.  How long does Chio say his dick is going to be in Pinocchio Syndrome?

5.  What are the legal charges against Snowy’s stepmother in Snowy and the Seven Wharves?

The winner will be drawn randomly from all correctly answered entries and announced on Jenna’s Journal tomorrow.

 Meanwhile, today at Publishing Trove New Dawning Bookfair will be hosting a chat from 10am to 10pm with contests, giveaways, prizes, jokes, recipes, and more.  Please come join in the fun!

 Even better, join New Dawning’s new group, Bookfair Buddies, to find out about more prizes during the month of June, including info on how to win a Kindle and upload a free book twice a week for a month.

 I’ll be online at Publishing Trove beginning at 10 am, so come chat with me!

Posted in On Fractured Fairy-Tales, On Hog Wild, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments