Happy Anniversary! Time to Party ~ Part III

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to my 10th Anniversary-As-An-Author Party!

I’m celebrating today with a cover reveal for Time Enough to Love, my first novel.

A lot of authors I know use music as inspiration for their writing and I do that as well. Sometimes I have a song stuck in my head when I’m writing the book. Sometimes after I’ve written the book a song comes along that just seems to fit perfectly with the book and then whenever I hear the song, I immediately think about the characters in my book.

Some authors can share a play list of music that they listen to when they’re writing. Unfortunately, I can’t really do that as I have to have complete quiet when I’m writing fiction. (When I was writing academic papers–like my dissertation–I had to have some kind of noise going on in the background. I’d either put on music or start a movie that I had seen many times so I could just tune it out. Weird, huh?)

But I do have a song that I think encapsulates Time Enough to Love, just like my elevator pitch for it does. An elevator pitch is a sentence or two that distills the essence of your book down to one or two sentences–the time it would take you to pitch the book to an agent or editor on an elevator ride. My elevator pitch for Time Enough to Love has always been: “Romeo and Juliet during the Bubonic Plague–with a happy ending.”

And the song that I think fits the story perfectly is Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.” It came out in 2008 and I listened to it (subconsciously at least) while I was writing the book. I’ve found a lot of Taylor Swift and Katie Perry songs pair up to my books.

Now a little musical game for you to play to win a signed print copy of Time Enough to Love and another $5.00 Starbucks gift card! All you need to do is comment below with a song title that either has a Romeo & Juliet theme to it or that can have a play on the word “knight,” as in “Knight and Day” instead of “Night and Day,” or “Knight Train to Georgia.” Have some fun and be creative! I’ll pull random commenters for the prizes at the end of the day.

Here’s another excerpt from Time Enough to Love. In this scene, the three courtiers are on board a ship, heading to France. Changes have occurred and Alyse and Geoffrey are unfortunately no longer a couple, although they have not forgotten one another.

EXCERPT:

She sighed as she gazed out at the water, seeing Thomas’s handsome face before her instead of the waves. There was so much more to the man than his overwhelming good looks: his wit, his loyalty, his chivalry, his devotion to her. She could no longer deny that her fondness for him at the outset of their so-called courtship had changed to a more tender regard. Mayhap that was to be expected, living so intimately together. Or was her heart truly changing?

This confusion had brought her up on deck the past three mornings, trying to resolve the emotions that plagued her. Was she being disloyal to Geoffrey if she were to love Thomas? Or did she betray her husband with her continued regard for Geoffrey? Could these two feelings both reside within her?

She shook her head to clear it of questions. But as she raised it, unbidden, the memory of her sweet, brief time with Geoffrey assailed her. Of their betrothal, and the first time she had heard him call her na—

“Alyse.”

At the sound of that voice, her breath caught in her throat. Her heart pounded as though it would burst from her chest and take wing, and her insides melted toward the planks of the deck. She turned slowly, not knowing whether she would confront a phantom voice conjured from her mind or a living spirit from the past.

Her gaze fell on the tall figure, cloak flying in the morning breeze, eyes narrowed against the early sun. Eyes so sparkling blue they mirrored the waves that played beyond the railing.

The sight of him, after all this time, made her legs give way, as though the very bones had been set free from her flesh. Her knees buckled, and he leaped forward to catch her before she could slide to the deck. He crushed her to him in an embrace that almost ground her into his body. She marveled as his touch seared her like the sun, a ball of heat and light and white-hot passion that threatened to consume her.

Geoffrey tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back. Once again, she stared into those beautiful sapphire eyes, darkened with desire. He took her mouth, greedy with the pent-up passion of their long denial. Starved for the touch of his lips, she eagerly pressed back, reveling in the feel of him. He cupped her head, guiding, slanting it to take the best advantage. She molded her body to his, half-sobbing as he retreated from her lips to drop kisses on the sensitive curve of her neck.

Chills ran the length of her body at his touch, wrenching a low moan from her. She boldly sought his mouth again—the mouth she had for so long kissed only in dreams. In her turn she ravished him, twining her hands behind his nape, reaching to run her tongue over his smiling lips. She thrust boldly, deeply into his mouth, with an abandon she had not known she possessed. As she clung to him, uncaring of the world’s eyes, his manhood rose urgently against her belly. And with it, a flicker of doubt penetrated her mind.

I wrote that scene with the urgent kiss at the end of Shakespeare in Love in mind. It’s the most passionate kiss I think I’ve ever seen on screen–filled with love and longing and the knowledge that they will never be together. “Sad…and wonderful.”

Time Enough to Love is available on sale at the following e-retailers for $2.99 until January 31:

Amazon      Barnes & Noble    Apple    Kobo    Smashwords

Remember: if you click here there is a Rafflecopter giveaway of a $25.00 Amazon gift card. All you need do is enter (there are several ways to get chances) to have a chance to win. Drawing will be held on January 31st.

Also, come back today at 6:00pm for a final chance at more prizes and a game with facts about medieval life.

TIME ENOUGH TO LOVE SERIES

Posted in Cover Art, Cover Reveal, Giveaways, Historical Romance, Medieval Romance, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Happy Anniversary! Time to Party ~ Part II

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to my 10th Anniversary-As-An-Author Party!

I’m celebrating today with a cover reveal for Time Enough to Love, my first novel.

Something anyone will tell you is that the scent of lavender is very important to my medieval story. Alyse’s clothes are scented with lavender flowers her mother cut and dried near their home in France. Not only was this a way for her to smell good–and Geoffrey comes to associate her very strongly with the scent of lavender–but lavender acts as an insect repellent. And in a world where fleas were carrying the bubonic plague, this was quite a plus healthwise.

And lavender is such a beautiful, sweet smell that for my swag for Time Enough to Love, I have always made lavender sachets to give out at conferences.

This hour, my giveaways are a swag pack that will include a lavender sachet plus some other goodies and a $5.00 gift card to Starbucks. Just comment on the post about the scent you think is most romantic.

And here’s another excerpt from Time Enough to Love. In this one, Geoffrey has gone back to his home because his brother is ill. Alyse is waiting for word from him.

EXCERPT from Time Enough to Love:

“Thomas.” Alyse curtsied quickly then blurted out the fear she had fought almost since Geoffrey had left. “Is my lord well? Have you news for me?” Thanks to Anne and Margaret’s thoughtless comments, she had become convinced Geoffrey had fallen ill with Sir Robert’s ailment and now himself hovered between life and death.

Avoiding her eyes, he answered briefly. “Aye, my lady. When I left him, Geoffrey was well enough.”

While his words relieved her, a shadow still lay on her heart. If Geoffrey was not ill, why had Thomas’s manner changed? What had summoned this aloof stranger? He was withholding something from her.

“And Sir Roland?”

He hesitated, searching her eyes then looking away. He fisted his hands. “Sir Roland is…has…”

Alyse could stand it no longer. She crossed to stand directly before him, laid a cold hand upon his arm, and gripped it. “Tell me.”

That there was something he could not bring himself to tell her filled her with terror. He said Geoffrey was well enough when he left. What about now?

Before she could question him further, he drew out a folded piece of parchment, sealed with blue wax and stamped with a signet ring bearing Geoffrey’s family crest. She stared at it, a cold dread creeping through her.

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

Alyse compelled herself to hold her hand out.

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

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

* * * *

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

Anne finally summoned the courage to ask, “Your Highness, what has happened?” She choked back tears. “I meant no harm, earlier. Indeed,” she crossed herself, “I wish Sir Roland and Sir Geoffrey long life.” She turned stricken eyes toward Joanna and whispered, “Is Sir Geoffrey—”

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

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

Time Enough to Love is available on sale at the following e-retailers for $2.99 until January 31:

Amazon      Barnes & Noble    Apple    Kobo    Smashwords

Remember: if you click here there is a Rafflecopter giveaway of a $25.00 Amazon gift card. All you need do is enter (there are several ways to get chances) to have a chance to win. Drawing will be held on January 31st.

Also, come back today at 4:00pm for a chance at different prizes and to find out how music played an important part in Time Enough to Love.

TIME ENOUGH TO LOVE SERIES

Posted in Cover Art, Cover Reveal, Giveaways, Medieval Romance, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Happy Anniversary! Time to Party!

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Jenna Jaxon

HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

Ten years ago today (and I remember the date because it was such a momentous occasion) I began my career as an author of historical romance. It is one of those memories that is so detailed that you feel like it just happened yesterday.

In the spring of 2008 I had directed a production of Macbeth that was so terribly stressful that it made me gluten intolerant. Kicking and screaming I went on a gluten-free diet (back then the food was miserably bad) in July and after six months, just after Christmas, I had a huge surge of creativity. I wanted to direct another show, but it wasn’t my turn and I was desperate to do something to occupy my time that was fun and creative. During the after Christmas sales at Barnes & Noble, I had come across a romance novel by Kathleen Woodiwiss, Everlasting. (I found out later it was her final novel.) I’d read and loved her Wolf and the Dove and Flame and the Flower when I was a teenager, but gave those books up for non-romance writers like Stephen King, John Grisham, and Patricia Cornwell. But I picked up Everlasting, saw that it was set in the medieval period, one of my favorites, and so I bought it.

I started reading it at home and took it to work to finish it, absolutely in love with the hero, Raven. When I finished it, I clearly remember standing at my office desk, holding the book, looking at it and saying out loud, “I think I could write something like that.”

And I sat down at the computer and started to write the novel that became Time Enough to Love.

Seeds of the story had been sown earlier, in October, as I watched a program on the History Channel on The Plague. (I do have a dark and twisty side.) And I remembered a segment that talked about how royalty wasn’t spared by the disease. King Edward III’s daughter, Joanna, left England to go to Spain to wed Prince Pedro. On the way, they stopped in France. She caught the sickness and died in Bordeaux in September 1348. When I decided to write a romance novel, of course it would be set in the medieval period and the story of Princess Joanna sounded tailor made for a romance, although the main characters would be the princess’s courtiers.

The book I began on January 9th I finally finished a little over six months later, on July 28. It was 187,000 words and it had made me laugh and cry and reap the joy of creation.

Ten years later I have revised the original novel (which was hideous in all its head hopping, incorrect comma usage, dangling modifiers, and the like) and turned the book into a series called Time Enough to Love, with currently five books total in the series. The original book was crafted into three longish novellas: Betrothal, Betrayal, and Beleaguered. I later added a short story, Beloveds and a Christmas novella, Seduction at the Christmas Court. The original covers were very medieval-esque, with jewel-tone covers and a font that was the epitome of medieval script.

As part of my 10-year celebration, I gave my medieval series a make-over and had the covers re-envisioned to blend better with my brand. Today I’m unveiling the first of those covers, the cover for the complete set of Time Enough to Love:

 

I’ll be revealing the rest of the series one each week in January, so every Wednesday will bring a new cover in the series. Time Enough to Love: The Complete Series includes Betrothal, Betrayal, Beleaguered, and Beloveds (the only place you can now find the short story). Here is the blurb for the whole story:

BLURB:

When Lady Alyse de Courcy is betrothed to Sir Geoffrey Longford, she has no choice but to make the best of a bad bargain. The hulking knight is far from her ideal man, and although he does possess some wit and charm, he is no match for the sinfully sensual man she secretly admires, Thomas, Earl of Braeton, her betrothed’s best friend.

From the first, Sir Geoffrey finds himself smitten by Lady Alyse, and, despite her infatuation with his friend, vows to win her love. When Geoffrey puts his mind to wooing Alyse, he is delighted to find her succumbing to his seduction. But when cruel circumstances separate them, Geoffrey must watch helplessly as Thomas steps in to protect Alyse—and falls in love with her himself.

As the three courtiers accompany Princess Joanna to her wedding in Spain, they run headlong into the Black Plague. With her world plunged into chaos, Alyse struggles with her feelings for both the men she loves. But which love will survive?

EXCERPT:

“Lady Alyse de Courcy!” King Edward called out again, bringing Alyse’s head up like a startled deer. “Present yourself before the court.”

Alyse shot off her seat. Oh, Lord! She had kept King Edward waiting.

“I beg pardon, sire.” She hurried from behind the table, too aware of all the eyes now on her. As she moved to stand before the king, the low drone of many voices rose around the room.

“Impudent girl.”

“I’d not want to be in her place.”

“Do you think the king will…”

Each snatch of conversation made her heart beat faster.

What will he do to me?

Her normal embarrassment at being the center of attention tripled at the thought of this blatant lapse of protocol. She stopped several feet from the dais and the room hushed as though everyone held their breath.

“What do you require of me, Majesty?” Her mouth so dry she could taste sand, Alyse fought to speak in a normal tone. With a sigh of relief, she dropped into a deep curtsy, hiding her face in the folds of her skirt. If only she could remain bowed thus before His Majesty for the remainder of the evening.

King Edward laughed. “Obedience, Lady Alyse, as I require of all my subjects. As your father requires of his daughter.”

Her heart thumped wildly in her breast. That could mean but one thing.

“Rise, my lady.”

She did so on unsteady feet. “I am ready, as always, Your Majesty, to obey my father as I would you.”

Holy Mary, let it be Lord Braeton.

King Edward lifted an eyebrow toward Alyse. “A very pretty answer, my lady. And are you ready to accept your father’s decree for your betrothal? His messenger has today reached me with the contract, as I am to stand in his stead in this matter.”

Alyse took a deep breath and hoped her voice did not tremble. “Yea, Majesty, I will obey my father.”

King Edward nodded and leaned over to whisper something to Queen Phillipa, who sat beside him, heavy with their twelfth child.

Mere seconds before she learned her fate. She could scarce affect an indifferent pose before the court when inside every inch of her quivered with anticipation of the name. His name, pray God, on the king’s lips.

Thomas.

In her mind, she heard the word.

The king straightened, glanced at her then at the man by her side.

“What say you then, Sir Geoffrey? Does the lady not speak fair? I vow she will make you a proper wife and a dutiful one as well.”

Alyse turned, until that moment unaware that Geoffrey Longford stood beside her. Chills coursed down her body as the king’s words echoed in her mind. The sensation of falling backward assailed her, as though she rushed away from the tall man at her side even as his figure loomed larger and larger in her sight.

Not Lord Braeton.

Her numbed brain repeated the phrase, trying to comprehend that instead he would be her husband. Geoffrey Longford.

God have mercy on me, for by the look of him, this man will not.

Time Enough to Love is available on sale at the following e-retailers for $2.99 until January 31:

Amazon      Barnes & Noble    Apple    Kobo    Smashwords

And now I have promised you fun and games today! So to begin with, leave a comment below and one random commenter will receive an e-book copy of Time Enough to Love and another commenter will receive a $5.00 Starbucks gift card.

And if you click here there is a Rafflecopter giveaway of a $25.00 Amazon gift card. All you need do is enter (there are several ways to get chances) to have a chance to win. Drawing will be held on January 31st.

Also, come back today at noon for a chance at different prizes and a look into how scent and the sense of smell played such a big part in the book.

TIME ENOUGH TO LOVE SERIES:

 

Posted in Cover Reveal, Giveaways, Historical Romance, Medieval Romance, On Time Enough to Love, Promotion | Tagged , , , , , | 26 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 01/06/18 Time Enough to Love: “Where is he?”

Posted on January 6, 2019 by Jenna Jaxon

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

This coming Wednesday, January 9, I will be celebrating my 10-year anniversary as a writer! To celebrate I’ll be having a big anniversary party on my blog that day, with games and giveaways and revealing my new set of covers for the first books I wrote, the Time Enough to Love series. So I thought I’d begin January with the beginning of the book  (the series was originally intended to be one book). This is the cover of the print edition. You’ll have to wait for next week for the brand new version. 🙂

 

I’m beginning at the beginning. It is 1348 in England, at the court of King Edward III. Edward’s daughter, Princess Joanna, is about to journey to Spain to marry Prince Pedro. This is the story of some of the princess’s courtiers.

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules and snippet may therefore be slightly different from published version.)

Princess with her Courtiers

Where is he? Furtive looks up and down the Hall proved futile.

Despite her distraction, she managed to maintain the proper distance behind Princess Joanna as they headed toward the royal dais at the end of the Hall. As they neared his usual table, Alyse craned her neck, searching the various groups of nobles–he was not there. Her heart gave a strange little skip, and her lips quivered as disappointment washed over her; she had waited all day for this one chance and now he had not appeared.

The princess continued to her accustomed place with the royal family while Alyse turned toward the trestle tables set up on the left side of the Hall for the attendants; she joined Lady Maurya Wakefield and her husband Sir John at the table closest to the dais, all the while busily searching the courtiers.

“Your father has still not sent word?”

A sharp poke in her arm made Alyse jump. “Oh, I beg pardon, Maurya, but no, he has not given me the merest hint,” she replied absently as she scrutinized a new courtier entering the Hall.

Not him.

BLURB:  

When Lady Alyse de Courcy is betrothed to Sir Geoffrey Longford, she has no choice but to make the best of a bad bargain. The hulking knight is far from her ideal man, and although he does possess some wit and charm, he is no match for the sinfully sensual man she secretly admires, Thomas, Earl of Braeton, her betrothed’s best friend.

From the first, Sir Geoffrey finds himself smitten by Lady Alyse, and, despite her infatuation with his friend, vows to win her love. When Geoffrey puts his mind to wooing Alyse, he is delighted to find her succumbing to his seduction. But when cruel circumstances separate them, Geoffrey must watch helplessly as Thomas steps in to protect Alyse—and falls in love with her himself.

As the three courtiers accompany Princess Joanna to her wedding in Spain, they run headlong into the Black Plague. With her world plunged into chaos, Alyse struggles with her feelings for both the men she loves. But which love will survive?

Time Enough to Love is available on Amazon .

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

Time Enough to Love series by Jenna Jaxon

 

Posted in Historical Romance, Medieval Romance, On Time Enough to Love, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

Winners from My Release Parties!

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Jenna Jaxon

Congratulations Winners!

 

 

 

 

 

 

WINNERS OF

A MATCH MADE AT CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

S. ELIZABETH M. ABBOTT ~ GIFT CARD

SANDY FEHR ~ CARDINAL ORNAMENT

JACQUIE BIGGAR ~ COPY OF A MATCH MADE AT CHRISTMAS

 

WINNERS OF

WHAT A WIDOW WANTS GIVEAWAY

 

ED HOORNAERT ~ GIFT CARD

SILVATREND ~ SIGNED COPY OF WHAT A WIDOW WANTS

 

Thank you all so much for attending my release parties! I’ll be contacting you all shortly about how to deliver your prizes.

Please come back and help me celebrate my 10-year author anniversary on January 9! Food, fun, and giveaways throughout the day as I reveal the new cover for my medieval series Time Enough to Love!

Posted in A Match Made at Christmas, Giveaways, Release Party, What a Widow Wants, What a Widow Wants, Winners, Winners | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 12/30/18 Beloveds: “I will always be with you”

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Jenna Jaxon

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

For my last WWW post of 2018, I’m going to an older novella from my Time Enough to Love series, Beloveds. Because it’s going away on New Year’s Day. After Jan 1, 2019 it will only be available in the Time Enough to Love Complete Set. So I thought perhaps you’d like a snippet from it.

 

It’s an erotic novella (although this snippet is PG-13) about the three main characters of Time Enough to Love: Geoffrey, his best friend Thomas, and Alyse–the woman they both love.

In this snippet, Alyse is ill and is visited by someone very dear to her.

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules and snippet may therefore be slightly different from published version.)

He picked up her hand and kissed the knuckles.

Warmth flowed through her, soothing her, making her body tingle with that single touch of his lips.

“Is it really you?” Strength welled within her, and she struggled to sit up.

“As ever I was,” he said and smiled, his gaze sweeping her body and his eyes darkening with the desire she remembered well.

“Oh, Thomas,” she cried and threw her arms around him, sighing when they embraced the hard-muscled chest she had lain so oft upon. “I thought you dead, my love–did I but dream?”

“Shhh, my sweet, I am here now.” He stroked her head then pulled it back to peer into her face, saying “I will always be with you, love.” He sank his mouth onto hers, and she melted at the touch of his insistent lips.

BLURB:  

Passion never dies.

Lady Alyse Braeton frets over her renewed passion for Sir Geoffrey Longford, her first love. They have pledged their hearts to one another, despite the fact that both are recently widowed. Alyse worries that she has not properly mourned Thomas and cannot think herself as true wife to Geoffrey until she puts her feelings for her first husband to rest.

And then Thomas unaccountably appears in her bedroom, leaving her stunned and confused. When he begins to make love to her, however, she joyfully surrenders herself to his familiar caresses and expert ministrations…until Geoffrey arrives.

Faced with the dilemma of wanting two lovers, Alyse simply cannot choose—until Thomas suggests she doesn’t have to. Instead, he and Geoffrey will share her. The scandalous proposition awakens new hungers within her. Can she allow herself to abandon all she’s been taught a proper woman should resist, and find pleasure with both her beloveds?

Beloveds is available on Amazon for two more days only!

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

JENNA

Time Enough to Love series by Jenna Jaxon

 

 

 

 

Posted in Betrothal, Historical Romance, Medieval Romance, On Time Enough to Love, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 12/23/18 A Match Made at Christmas: Under the Mistletoe

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Jenna Jaxon

 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Because it’s so close to Christmas, I’m switching to my newly released (last Sunday, which is why I wasn’t here)  novella A Match Made at Christmas. It’s one of two Christmas stories I wrote this Christmas, but I think it’s perhaps a little more romantic. 🙂 At least this snippet is! LOL

 

Lady Sophia Constantine has made a dreadful mistake. She’s finished her third Season and has refused every offer, hoping for a love match. However, she forgot that she promised if she was still unmarried at the end of her third Season, she’d allow her grandmother to choose a husband for her.

Now Sophia has four days at a Christmas house party to discover who her betrothed is or find and fall in love with another gentleman.

In this snippet Sophia and Lord Ashurst are out in the New Forest gathering greenery and looking for mistletoe along with others of the party when they encounter a boar. Lord Ashurst dispatches it, and afterward Sophia wants to try out the mistletoe ball they’d found before the boar appeared.

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules and snippet may therefore be slightly different from published version.)

With gentle hands, he cradled her head, tilted it so their mouths joined perfectly, as if they were indeed one person. Head spinning, he eased his lips open and ran his tongue lightly along the seam of her lips—would she know what he subtly asked?

Apparently so, for she immediately opened her mouth, as though she couldn’t wait to welcome him into her. When he slid his tongue in, she sighed, her whole body relaxing its weight against him. What glory it would be to have her thus, but naked and in his bed.

The fight with the boar had intensified his already aroused state. So everything that Sophia had done to him afterward pushed him closer to an edge he would’ve loved to leap over—but would she be willing? They could find a secluded spot away from prying eyes where he could lay her down on the soft carpet of leaves…

“Sophia!”

They jumped apart as her father’s bellow shook the very trees around them.

BLURB:  

A promise is a promise…

Unable to find a husband to her liking in three years, Lady Sophia Constantine is appalled to discover she’s promised to allow her grandmother to choose the gentleman. Balking every step of the way, Sophia is compelled to attend a family Christmas party where the man she’s expected to marry will be revealed. But when Grandmamma is delayed in London, Sophia decides to take matters into her own hands to find a husband of her choosing.

Leonardo, Lord Ashurst, has returned to England after five years of mourning. Ready to begin the search for a new wife, he accepts an invitation to a neighbor’s Christmas party and is introduced to Lady Sophia, for whom he experiences an immediate attraction. With the lady’s betrothal on the brink of being announced, can Leo win her heart by posing as her betrothed or will his deception ruin any chance they have of a happily ever after?

 

A Match Made at Christmas is now available on Amazon!

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here. There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

JENNA

Christmas Books by Jenna Jaxon

 

 

Posted in A Match Made at Christmas, Christmas stories, Historical Romance, Holiday Posts, On Regency Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Regency Romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Book Signing Today!

Posted on December 22, 2018 by Jenna Jaxon

oday I’m signing my Widow’s Club series books (To Woo A Wiked Widow, Wedding the Widow, and What A Widow Wants) at The Little Shoppes on High in Portsmouth, VA.

If you live in the area or happen to be in the area, please come by and join in the celebration of the release of What A Widow Wants. There will be cookies, candy and some very good deals on all my books. I’ll have copies of my House of Pleasure series, as well as the Christmas collection Yuletide Happy Ever Afters, and my medieval saga Time Enough to Love.

And I have a new signing pen that I’m just dying to try out. 🙂

So I hope to see you this afternoon at The Little Shoppes on High!

Happy Holidays from Jenna!

Posted in Book Signings, Release Party, What a Widow Wants | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Release! What A Widow Wants (The Widows’ Club, Book 3)

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Jenna Jaxon

 

Happy Release Day!

My newest novel in The Widows’ Club series is releasing today!

What a Widow Wants is a story of tangled intrigue, sins of the past, and passion that refuses to die.

 

BLURB:

Widowed by the Battle of Waterloo, the ladies of Lyttlefield Park are returning to London society—with their futures in their own hands . . .
 
The widowed Lady Stephen Tarkington, Fanny to her friends, has finished mourning her cad of a husband and is ready to enjoy her freedom. The kind of freedom neither a gently bred miss nor a close-watched wife is permitted: dressing up as Aphrodite for a masquerade, drawing gentlemen away from the party, and hinting at late-night assignations with her dance partners. All is going pleasurably according to plan—until the Roman god Fanny kisses during a masquerade turns out to be Matthew, Lord Lathbury, whose proposal she refused years ago . . .

Lathbury is charming, passionate, inventive, everything Fanny wants in a lover—but unfortunately, he’s on the hunt for a wife. He’s more than willing to use all his wicked skills to persuade her back to the altar, but he can’t wait forever. And now Fanny’s position is more precarious than she once thought. If the tongues of the ton set to wagging, it’s possible no offer in the world will save her from ruin. But does she want to be saved?

EXCERPT:

Lifting her left foot over the water, she sucked in a breath and braced herself for the plunge.

Beneath the water, something grabbed her right foot and pulled.

Fanny shrieked and fell backward onto the wooden planks of the wagon floor. Scrabbling for a purchase, she dug her elbows in and yanked her right leg back, trying to free it from whatever hellish monster had seized her.

The monster’s grip was relentless, however. It clamped down on her ankle and refused to be shaken off. Dear God, what had grabbed her? She had to get away before it dragged her under the water. If she couldn’t pull away maybe she could injure it so it would let her go. Fanny pistoned her leg back and forth, kicking it at the unseen menace. Grunting with the effort, she frantically peered about the bathing machine for some kind of weapon to use against this terror. Blast it, nothing of any use close to hand.

The chair that held her clothing stood directly behind her a foot or two away. She dove backward, shooting her hand out to grasp it. Fingers gripping the sturdy square wooden leg, she jerked it toward her but the chair moved not at all. Fanny pulled harder, but her fingers encountered the cold metal heads of the nails that fastened the chair to the wagon floor.

The murky water stirred between her legs. Bubbles broke the surface, followed by a sleek, round black form.

She screeched again, pulling herself back from the dark figure that was trying to claim her.

A black head emerged from the depths.

Drawing a deep breath to scream once more, Fanny stared at the monster climbing into the wagon and blinked. “Matthew?”

The name came out an absurd little squeak as she stared into the dripping, grinning face of Lord Lathbury.

“Are you all right, my lady?” A distant shout came from without the bathing machine. Apparently her screams had alarmed her driver and brought him to her rescue.

“The water’s so cold,” she called, scooting back as Matthew mounted the steps, his magnificent naked body towering over her. “I was quite shocked.”

Drops of seawater slid gracefully down the sleek muscles of his chest and arms, over his taut abdomen to fall from his body onto her stomach.

“Are you ready to come out, then, my lady?”

Matthew raised an eyebrow and whispered the words “Or do you want to be wicked?”

Heat surged in Fanny’s belly. “No, I believe I can get used to it,” she called, raising her hand toward Matthew.

He grasped it and pulled her to her feet.

“It’s just going to take me a little bit of time. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Very good, my lady.”

Wrapping cold arms around her, Matthew pulled her against his wet chest. Her breasts protested the chilly contact only for an instant before the warmth of him began to seep into her skin. “You are a lunatic. I nearly died of fright.”

“I had faith you were made of sterner stuff.” He grinned, gently grasped her face, and brought her lips to his.

She thought to settle into a long, soul-searing kiss, one that would curl her toes and warm her from the inside out. She’d dreamed of such a kiss often since their encounter at Lady Beaumont’s masquerade.

Matthew, however, had other ideas. He brushed her lips with a fleeting kiss, then pressed his mouth to her cheek, traveled upward to caress her eyelid, then breathed into her ear sending shivers of delight all along her body. With the tip of his tongue he traced the shell of her ear slowly from the top, sliding down the sensitive edge until he reached the bottom, then sucked the lobe into his mouth and kneaded it with his tongue.

Blissful shudders wracked her and she arched her back, pressing her breasts harder against his chest. “Mmm. Matthew.”

His chuckle rumbled against her ear, sending another wave of shivers down her spine. “You wanted to be wicked, my lady. Does this qualify?”

Leaning her head back to gaze into his dark blue eyes—now mostly black with desire—she arched an eyebrow. “That depends on what you intend to do.”

 

To celebrate this new release, I’m giving away  prizes today to people who comment on this blog post. Signed copies of What a Widow Wants and a $10.00 Amazon gift card will be awarded by random drawing. So tell me what you think of my third “wicked” widow?

What A Widow Wants is currently available in e-book format at Amazon  , B & N, Kobo, Google, and Apple.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Widows’ Club Series

 

 

Posted in On Regency Romance, Promotion, Regency Romance, Release Party, The Widow's Club, What a Widow Wants, What a Widow Wants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Match Made at Christmas Releases!

Posted on December 16, 2018 by Jenna Jaxon

Happy Holidays!

My newest Christmas novella is releasing today!

A Match Made at Christmas is a spirited Christmas romance in which, for once, two wrongs do make a right.

BLURB:

A promise is a promise…

Unable to find a husband to her liking in three years, Lady Sophia Constantine is appalled to discover she’s promised to allow her grandmother to choose the gentleman. Balking every step of the way, Sophia is compelled to attend a family Christmas party where the man she’s expected to marry will be revealed. But when Grandmamma is delayed in London, Sophia decides to take matters into her own hands to find a husband of her choosing.

Leonardo, Lord Ashurst, has returned to England after five years of mourning. Ready to begin the search for a new wife, he accepts an invitation to a neighbor’s Christmas party and is introduced to Lady Sophia, for whom he experiences an immediate attraction. With the lady’s betrothal on the brink of being announced, can Leo win her heart by posing as her betrothed or will his deception ruin any chance they have of a happily ever after?

EXCERPT:

“Lady Sophia, I believe the first set is making. You did promise that one to me, did you not?” His eagerness was gratifying, but as she’d seen it in many gentlemen in the past three years, she could only muster a wan smile and take his arm.

“Yes, it is your set, my lord. I can scarcely wait to see what Mrs. Carson will favor us with.” At least it assuredly was not a waltz.

The music began for “Lady Mary Ramsay,” a lively reel at which Ormonde acquitted himself well. The sets of couples wove in and out as the lead couple became the second couple. During this set, she brushed Lord Ashurst’s arm several times as she and her partner turned, a thrill streaking up her arm each time she did so.

As the country dance wound to a close, Sophia curtsied to her partner and took his arm. “Quite an enjoyable dance, my lord.” She smiled up at him, genuinely pleased with him. “If you would be so kind as to take—”

“I believe I am engaged to you for this next, Lady Sophia.” Ashurst’s silky voice stopped Sophia before she could finish her thought. She turned to find his hand already held out to receive hers, a dangerous look in his eyes that Ormonde would do well to heed.

“Of course, my lord. Lady Sophia.” Ormonde bowed and retreated so quickly Sophia and her new partner were left quite alone on the dance floor.

“Is that how you procure all your dance partners, Lord Ashurst? Intimidation?” She laughed softly into his face. “If so, it seems quite an effective way to deal with unwanted rivals.”

“Only when I’m not using force, my lady.” He grinned, and his green eyes darkened. “I daresay I can manage that tonight as well if you wish some excitement for your amusement.”

Throwing her hand up in mock fear, Sophia matched his level of gaiety. “I believe the evening will prove exciting enough without further theatrics, my lord.” This man was a charming rogue. Such a pity he’d been away the past three Seasons. He would’ve enlivened Almack’s and the endless stream of parties and balls immeasurably.

“Just remember, I am at your service, my lady.” His grin was infectious. It deepened the lines beside his mouth, which gave him the wicked look of a pirate.

“Then dance with me, my lord.” Although striving for a light tone, the voice she managed to summon fell low and husky on her ears.

“My pleasure.” The last word lingered in her ears as Lord Ashurst took her hand and put his other one on her waist and drew her close.

Sophia gasped as her face hovered mere inches from his, their bodies closer than would be proper even for a married couple. “I believe you mean to make this dance scandalous once more, Lord Ashurst. You do recall that I am all but betrothed?”

“I do. Does that make a difference to you?” The green-eyed gaze searched for an answer.

On the tip of her tongue to say “yes,” she surprised herself when a commanding, “No,” emerged instead. This man had her behaving in ways she’d never imagined she would.

“I thought not.” He squeezed her hands together, and they commenced to waltz.

To celebrate this new release, I’m giving away  prizes today to people who comment on this blog post. Copies of A Match Made at Christmas, a Cardinal Christmas ornament, and a $10.00 Amazon gift card will be awarded by random drawing.

A Match Made at Christmas is currently available at Amazon and Smashwords.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

Posted in A Match Made at Christmas, Holiday Posts, On Regency Romance, Promotion, Regency Romance, Release Party | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments