Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 06/30/2024 ~ Mischief Under the Mistletoe~ The Matchmaker’s Ball

Posted on June 30, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

Mischief Under the Mistletoe

BLURB:

Every romance needs a bit of mischief. . .

At her eighteenth birthday celebration Jenny Crowley’s parents announce that instead of having the London Season she’s dreamed of for years, Jenny has actually been betrothed from birth to Alexander Isley, son of family friends and heir to a title. A distraught Jenny refuses point-blank to marry Alec, and when her aunt offers to whisk her away to a festive Christmas house party–complete with many eligible young bachelors–Jenny jumps at the chance to enjoy a variety of entertainments, be courted, and perhaps find the man of her dreams.

Alec Isley is between a rock and a hard place. He desires a marriage with Jenny about as much as she does, but when his family’s dire financial status comes out, he follows Jenny to the house party in hopes of convincing her to marry him after all. When he discovers who else is courting her there, Alec is frantic to keep her from making a horrible mistake. Struggling with his unexpected new-found feelings for his childhood friend, can Alec convince her of his love in time to save her from being ruined under the mistletoe?

I’m jumping ahead to Jenny’s introduction to Lady Celinda Grantham at the Christmas house party Jenny’s Aunt Arabella invites her to. They are talking about coming out in the spring when Celinda mentions The Matchmaker’s Ball. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

Jenny hung her head, staring into her teacup. “I doubt I will be allowed a come out, Celinda.”

“Not have a come out?” Celinda’s round face looked like a huge “O,” her eyes wide, mouth open. “Why ever not?”

With a sigh, Jenny launched into her tale of woe. “And so these weeks here at Marbury Place are all I’m to get for a Season.” She sighed and took a sip of her cooling tea. “I am most grateful to my aunt for arranging it, but in the end, I suppose I shall have to return home and marry Alexander.”

Celinda, whose face had warmed and paled throughout the explanation, leaned forward and whispered, “Is he old and warty?”

And a little bit more…

Jenny laughed and set her cup down. “No, nothing like that. He’s a little older than me, but only by a few years. I’ve known him all my life.” She grew quiet. That was the problem. She didn’t want to marry someone she’d seen climbing trees at ten years old or falling and skinning his knee. She wanted someone new and exciting, someone she could dance and flirt with without remembering that they’d once poured a bucket of rainwater down her back. Most of all, she wanted to have a choice.

“Hmmm.” Celinda tapped her finger against her lips. “But the main reason they want you to marry him is because he will inherit his father’s title. Is that right?” Her eyes closed to mere slits.

Jenny nodded, a sliver of hope dawning within. Did Celinda perhaps have some sort of plan to thwart her parents?

“So if you fall in love with another gentleman who has a title, they should let you marry him, correct?”

“I suppose so.” Jenny thought about her great-aunt’s face when she’d chastised Mama about not marrying up. “Great-Aunt Harriett wants to be able to crow about having a family member with a title. I doubt she’d be very fussy about what the title was.”

“Such a shame then that they won’t let you have your Season.” Celinda sighed deeply. “I’m quite certain you could find the perfect gentleman at The Matchmaker’s Ball.”

“The Matchmaker’s Ball?” Jenny had never heard of such a thing. “Do they have real matchmakers in London?”

Mischief Under the Mistletoe is available for pre-order on Amazon for just .99! Grab your copy here!! It will release on Amazon and on other platforms on July 16, 2024.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There’s some great stories out there!

Posted in Blog Hops, Historical Romance, Holiday Posts, Holiday romance, Mischief Under the Mistletoe, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Regency Romance, The Matchmaker's Ball, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Christmas romance, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Mischief Under the Mistletoe, Regency historical romance, Regency romance, steamy historical romance, The Matchmaker's Ball | 11 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 06/23/2024 ~ Mischief Under the Mistletoe~ Oasis Amidst the Chaos

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

Mischief Under the Mistletoe

BLURB:

I’m jumping ahead to Jenny’s introduction to Lady Celinda Grantham at the Christmas house party Jenny’s Aunt Arabella invites her to. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

Her aunt and her friends had resumed their conversation. Their daughters, however, surrounded her like hunters closing in for the kill.

“Have you just arrived, Miss Crowley?” One young lady, dressed in blue with gilt trim—was it Lady Mary?—arched her neck in a superior way.

Before she could answer, quite the tallest lady of the group grasped her arm and exclaimed, “What a pretty frock you have on. Did you get that in London?”

Jenny stood tongue-tied as the questions came fast and thick.

“Are you related to the Duke and Duchess of Beddingfield–their family name is Crowley.”

“No, their name is Crawley, Caroline.”

“Indeed, Anna, I know it is Crowley because Lady Grace Winthorpe married a younger son and—”

“You look like you could use a cup of tea right now,” said a petite blonde in a sweet pink and cream sprigged dress, holding out a steaming cup toward her.

And a little bit more…

“Here, let’s go sit away from all the fuss.” The young lady motioned toward a pair of chairs in a cozy corner away from the fireplace. “Ladies, please go back to your places. Let Miss Crowley have a minute to accustom herself to our company.”

Jenny smiled gratefully at her. “Thank you.” She hesitated. Was this Lady Diana or Miss Newel?

“Lady Celinda Grantham,” the blonde supplied with a little tinkling laugh. “It’s always impossible to remember which face belongs to which name when they throw them at you all at once. It’s easier for me, since there’s only one of you.” She smiled, crinkling her eyes and drawing a dimple out of her left cheek. “You’re Miss Crowley, from Lancashire, is that correct?”

“Please call me Jenny,” she said, dropping gratefully into the plush chair. “I’m not at all used to being called Miss Crowley.”

Lady Celinda seated herself in the companion chair, smoothing out her skirts. She cocked her head. “And I insist you call me Celinda. But why are you not used to your address?”

“I’ve only just become Miss Crowley. I’ve been plain Jenny up until my birthday, ten days ago.” She sipped her tea, wanting to groan with pleasure as the hot, fragrant beverage slid down her throat.

“Ah, a happy birthday wish is in order.” Lady Celinda leaned forward and bounced in her chair. “Then you will be coming out this spring?

Mischief Under the Mistletoe is available for pre-order on Amazon for just .99! Grab your copy here!! It will release on Amazon and on other platforms on July 16, 2024.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There’s some great stories out there!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 06/16/2024 ~ Mischief Under the Mistletoe~ A Place in Society

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

Mischief Under the Mistletoe

BLURB:

The birthday celebration continues, however Great-Aunt Henrietta has a very important question. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

“Not bad?” Great-Aunt Harriet swung her gaze to Jenny and fixed her with a cold blue-eyed stare. “You should be grateful, girl. Your parents and I have arranged for you to take your place in society, as a titled lady in due time.”

Jenny sent a panicked gaze from her great-aunt to her mother. “It’s not true is it, Mamma?” She could barely choke out the words in a voice that didn’t sound like her own at all–too high, too soft. A peculiar roaring in her ears made her head light.

“Yes, my dear, it most certainly is true.” Great-Aunt Henrietta nodded with such vehemence that the feathers on her green velvet turban bobbed back and forth.

And a little bit more…

“When your mother refused to marry up, I swore none of your family would ever see a penny of my money. Then when you were born, she came to me, begged me to reconsider, and promised that you had already been betrothed to the Isley heir here.” She pointed a finger at Alec who looked like he might dive under the table. “She showed me the betrothal papers.”

The others at the table sat in stunned silence, their eyes darting from one face to another.

Jenny looked down at her hands, clasped together so tightly her knuckles showed white. All her dreams of excitement and romance during her Season had just exploded in the blink of an eye. Then the real import of her great-aunt’s word sank in and her stomach twisted. They expected her to marry Alec?

Mischief Under the Mistletoe is available for pre-order on Amazon for just .99! Grab your copy here!! It will release on Amazon and on other platforms on July 16, 2024.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There’s some great stories out there!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 06/09/2024 ~ Mischief Under the Mistletoe~ Whose Wedding?

Posted on June 9, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

Mischief Under the Mistletoe

BLURB:

The birthday celebration continues, however Great-Aunt Henrietta has a very important question. Enjoy!

EXCERPT:

“So, Charles, when is the wedding to take place?” Great-Aunt Henrietta trumpeted the question from her place at the mid-point of the table, her spoon already busy with her dessert.

“Wedding, Aunt Henrietta?” Papa’s voice rose in a question, but he cut his eyes toward Mamma, who sent a frightened look at Jenny.

Odd, but no more so than her great-aunt’s question. Whose wedding was she talking about?

“Yes, Charles. Jenny’s wedding to young Alexander here.” Henrietta nodded across the table to Alexander Isley, who sat up abruptly, staring at her aunt with wide eyes, as though he thought the old lady quite mad.

And a little bit more…

Jenny thought so herself. A prickly sensation began at the back of her neck. She shot Alec a quick look. Did he know what her aunt was talking about? No, his face wore an expression of outright confusion, his brows knit over his dark brown eyes.

“She’s eighteen now, and you promised me when she was of age I’d see her married into the Isley family. I have lived for the day that I could announce to the world that one of my family had moved into the titled class.” She glared at Mamma, who blushed and turned to Jenny.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds, Jenny darling,” Mamma said, patting her hand.

That might have reassured Jenny, except her mother’s wide, staring eyes said yes, it was that bad. Maybe worse. Her heart began to pound and the sweet trifle turned sour in her mouth.

Mischief Under the Mistletoe is available for pre-order on Amazon for just .99! Grab your copy here!! It will release on Amazon and on other platforms on July 16, 2024.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There’s some great stories out there!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 06/02/2024 ~ Mischief Under the Mistletoe~ A Special Birthday Celebration

Posted on June 2, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

So much has been going on I didn’t realize it’s almost been a month since I posted here. I went to Chicago for my daughter’s play which was fabulous. Then I came down with conjunctivitis and have been unable to see clearly for almost two weeks. But now I’m back with the first book in the reboot of my Handful of Hearts series. It’s a Christmas story, and it’s actually a prequel to the new The Matchmaker’s Ball series called Mischief Under the Mistletoe. It went up on pre-order on Amazon yesterday and will release on July 16 as part of my Christmas in July promo. So I’ll be showing snippets of it for the next few weeks!

Mischief Under the Mistletoe

BLURB:

EXCERPT:

“Happy birthday, my dear.” Mama smiled her lovely, sweet smile, her eyes brimming with tears and hugged Jenny around the shoulders. “Your favorite desert for your special birthday.” She motioned for Agnes, the maid, to enter the festively decorated dining room. Candles burned brightly in the best silver candleholders all along the blue damasked covered table. Bows of gaily colored lace adorned the chair where Jenny sat in the place of honor on this great occasion, in Mama’s seat at the end of the table. Her closest friends and family were gathered around the table to wish her well on this auspicious day.

Jenny twisted around to see, as though she were a mere eight rather than a dignified young lady of eighteen. She turned again and straightened her new blue silk striped gown, feigning reserve when what she wanted to do was shout and skip all over the house. She had done it, had at last turned eighteen–this year all her dreams would come true.

And a little bit more…

“Happy birthday, Jenny.” Alexander Isley leaned toward her, his deep voice startling her out of her daydream. He was seated to her right, and currently running his finger around the top of a very tightly tied cravat. The elder brother of her best friend, Alec had ever been a presence when she and his sister, Margaret, played together growing up.

“Thank you, Alec. It’s so good to see you today. It’s been ages, hasn’t it?” She smiled and patted his hand. He’d almost been the brother she’d never had, playing with her and Margaret constantly throughout their childhood years. Sadly, she’d not seen much of him the past few years. First, he’d been off at university, then living in London attending to some sort of family business Mama had said. The last time she’d seen him had been at Margaret’s wedding.

His quick, lopsided grin assured her he hadn’t changed an iota. He’d always used that silly smile to tease her.

Mischief Under the Mistletoe is available for pre-order on Amazon for just .99! Grab your copy here!! It will release on Amazon and on other platforms on July 16, 2024.

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There’s some great stories out there!

A Countess Never Tells is on Sale!

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

A Countess Never Tells on Sale for .99!

BLURB:

They say rakes make the best husbands…but do they?

At the age of twenty-four, vivacious Kitty Tate is having the time of her life in her first London Season—such a good time in fact, she’s caught the eye of Lord Ashwood, the ton’s most notorious rake. And he’s caught hers.

She’s instantly taken with the handsome lord and finding out he’s a scoundrel doesn’t deter her one bit. Nor does her brother forbidding her from seeing him. Unfortunately for him, Kitty has a mind of her own and the willpower to fight for what she wants.

After a brush with death, dedicated rake Lord Ashwood has changed his tune and is ready to marry and secure his line. Unfortunately, his reputation is so bad he’s considered virtually unmarriageable by the ton. Intrigued by Miss Tate’s delicious blend of innocent and siren, he’s willing to make a bona fide offer for her. When he finds Kitty eager for his attentions, Ash’s desire for her burns brighter still.

But a dastardly wager surfaces, and Ash discovers a truly despicable man is determined to ravish Kitty at any cost. Now forbidden to marry her, Ash must find another way to protect the woman he’s come to love before she’s ruined by another man.

If you love romances about charming rakes, like Simon in The Duke and I and Sebastian in Devil in Winter, you’re going to love Ash in A Countess Never Tells.

Here’s an excerpt in which Ash and Kitty are dancing a graceful if somewhat staid minuet:

EXCERPT:

When Miss Tate gave him a rueful smile in return, Ash wanted to whoop for joy. He’d managed to divert the lady’s ire away from him.

“I do admit you comported yourself well, Lord Ashwood. You dance admirably. I cannot fault you there.”

They broke apart, and the ladies circled together in the center of the floor. Ash’s gaze was trained on his partner, admiring her grace and the exuberance she displayed in the simple steps of the minuet. She’d told him she loved to dance. That had been nothing but the truth.

The couples met again, and Ash opened his mouth to compliment her on her dancing but was interrupted. “But watching you dance is scarcely why I wished to stand up with you for this minuet, my lord.”

Her words took him so aback he almost lost track of the intricate steps. Thank God for his tireless early training with the dancing master at Brierly Park, who’d made him master every dance imaginable until he could perform them in his sleep. What was the woman talking about? “I beg your pardon, Miss Tate?”

They walked down the down the dance floor with stately steps.

At last, Miss Tate spoke. “I am dancing before this assembly with a notorious rake. I expected something more than a staid promenade from you, my lord. What is the use of being a rake if one does not make the most of it to entertain a lady?”

“What use indeed.” Ash shook his head. Miss Tate was proving more of a handful than he’d ever expected. “One should excel at one’s deeds, be they good or bad, don’t you think?”

To his delight, the lady burst forth with a peal of genuine laughter. “True, my lord. If you must be a rake, by all means, be the best one you can be.”

They broke apart again, her teasing words ringing in his ears. Here was a woman worth pursuing.

They came back together to promenade down the floor.

“There may be a problem, however, Miss Tate. Lady Phoebe may not have heard, but I am a reformed rake.”

Miss Tate’s eyes widened. “What? What does that mean?”

“It means that I have given up my life of notorious behavior and am currently in the process of deciding to which lady I wish to pay court.” Ash hadn’t stated his intention so baldly and succinctly before, but he believed it best to let Miss Tate know precisely what was at stake.

From the wide-eyed look and mouth in a perfect O, she understood exactly. Then she let out a peal of laughter. “Why do I not believe that, my lord?”

“My reputation has that effect on people, I grant you. However, I will swear to you, my reformation is true. And as such, I wish to take this opportunity to act boldly and beg you to join a party I’ve gotten up for Vauxhall tomorrow evening. There are to be fireworks, which are simply not to be missed, Miss Tate.”

Her hands squeezed his, sending a jolt through his body. “Fireworks, my lord? Truly?” The excitement in her voice gave him hope, despite her disparagement of his intent.

“I promise, Miss Tate. If you attend, there will be fireworks.”

A Countess Never Tells is available on Amazon currently for .99.

Posted in A Countess Never Tells, Captivating Countesses, Georgian romance, steamy romance | Tagged A Countess Never Tells, Captivating Countesses series, Georgian romance, Jenna Jaxon, reformed rake, Regency romance, spirited heroine, steamy historical romance | 2 Comments

A Little Music to Set the Scene

Posted on May 16, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

Back in the day (at least when I first started writing lo these many years ago) I remember a lot of authors publishing play lists of music they listened to when they were writing their books. I always kind of envied them those lists, which I never had because I can’t listen to anything when I’m writing my romance novels. (For some reason when I was writing my dissertation I had to have something playing in the background, music or a movie, just so I could tune it out.)

Anyway, as I’ve been writing my romances, usually a single song will make itself known as the book’s “signature song,” a song or music that I strongly associate with that particular title. I thought I’d share some of those with you over the next few weeks. And I’ve decided to begin with my current series, the Welwyn Marriage Wager.

Each of the books in this series have several elements that I decided when I first sketched the series out, that I wanted to incorporate into each of the novels. I think of them as part of the framework of the series. First, each of the heroes is named for my father and each of his brothers (and his grandfather) using their middle names. The dedications of each book are to the respective uncle, great-grandfather, or my father named in the book.

I also, for some unknown but random, tortured reason, decided that when the hero sees his lady for the first time, it must correspond to part of the lyrics from the song “Pretty Women” from the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (my favorite musical). I’ll explain the link for each of the books as we go.

And lastly, each book would have a single word title and a single song that corresponded to it.

I’m really not sure why I thought any of this was necessary, but I haven’t been able to let go of these bits of framework, so I thought I’d share and let you see a little more how my mind works when I’m being creative.

So, to begin with book one of the series, we have Until I’m Safe in Your Arms.

The story itself never changed at all, but the title had to. Originally, I’d wanted to call this book Battlefield, after the song “Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benetar (who my husband actually knew long before we met, but I digress).

The hero of the book is Alexander Bancroft, named for my great-grandfather Robert Alexander Jackson. And when he first meets Emma Washer (my actual great-grandmother’s name) they are at a house party and he sees her standing on the main staircase, waiting to come down the steps in the midst of a crowd of people.

Part of the lyrics from “Pretty Women” are

“Pretty Women, fascinating

Sipping coffee, dancing

Pretty women are a wonder, pretty women

Sitting in the window, or standing on the stair,

Something in them cheers the air”

As I have no idea what my great-grandparent’s love story actually was, I’ve given them quite a tumultuous courtship in the pages of my book, hence the musical selection of “Love is a Battlefield.” I thoroughly enjoyed writing this first book and hope you all have enjoyed reading it.

So let me leave you with my musical inspiration for Until I’m Safe in Your Arms, from Pat Benetar: “Love is a Battlefield.”

Posted in Uncategorized, Until I'm Safe in Your Arms, Welwyn Marriage Wager, Writing Craft | Tagged Jenna Jaxon, Love is a Battlefield, musical inspiration, Pat Benetar, Pretty Women, Sweeney Todd, The Welwyn Marriage Wager | 1 Comment

Saying Farewell to A Series

Posted on May 14, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

As I posted this in my May newsletter it may not come as a surprise to some of you, but I have decided to reboot my Handful of Hearts series.

I began the series quite a few years ago when my brand as steamy historical had not been solidified and for some reason I thought I needed a sweet series to counterbalance the steamy. Unfortunately, fans have come to expect the steamy love scenes in my books and this sweet series has fallen out of favor. So I’ve decided to reboot it, hopefully breathing new life into it.

I’ll begin by giving the series a new name, giving each of the novellas a new cover, and a new title. Then I’ll go in and add about 15k words to each novella which will include new steamy love scenes. The characters and story lines will remain pretty much unchanged save that the characters will be much more physically attracted to one another than previously and all the wonderful changes that will bring to both them and to the plots.

The Handful of Hearts series will be officially retired on June 1st, 2024, so you have a couple of weeks if you want to grab the sweet series before it goes. To sweeten the deal, I’ve just lowered the price of each novella to .99 until they leave. Here are the beautiful covers (which I love so much) and the link to the series is here.

The short story, Hearts at All Hallows Eve, will remain as it is because it’s a short story and for plot reasons I don’t think a reboot of it would work.

Now for news of the new series: The Matchmaker’s Ball

The new series titles speaks to the idea that each of the couples in the series begins their romance at Lady Hamilton’s ball, which has the reputation of bringing so many couples together that it’s unofficially called the Matchmaker’s Ball.

The first book to be given its makeover is Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe, which will become Mischief Under the Mistletoe. It will go up for pre-order in June and will release in July during my annual Christmas in July promotion. And unlike the original series, The Matchmaker’s Ball novellas will be available in paperback!

I’ll be having a cover reveal for Mischief in June as well, so keep an eye on my blog for details on that.

I’m really looking forward to saying hello to these new again novellas!

Posted in Mischief Under the Mistletoe, New Series, Regency Romance, The Matchmaker's Ball | Tagged Christmas Regency romance, Handful of Hearts series, Jenna Jaxon, New Historical Romance series, Regency romance, The Matchmaker's Ball | Leave a comment

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 05/12/2024 ~ Heart of Decadence~

Posted on May 12, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors !

Sorry for being MIA the past few weeks, but I’m back this week with a new snippet from Heart of Decadence. It’s possibly my favorite book from my sweet novella series Handful of Hearts. And because it’s my favorite, I decided to share some of it with you this week and next week. But then big news is on the horizon for the Handful of Hearts series. But more of that after the snippet!

Heart of Decadence

BLURB:

Can a woman with a past have a future?

Miss Amelia Burrowes was the scandal of the ton in her first Season, when her fiancée died and she was declared a ruined woman by Society. Ten years later, she’s back in London to make an arranged marriage that will hopefully allow her sisters to be received by the ton.

But when Nathan, Lord Ainsley, the man she’d really had a tendre for all those years ago, renews their acquaintance, the flame between them rekindles and Amelia must convince him that her ruin is not what it has seemed all these years.

This excerpt is from the beginning of the novella. Amelia, whose reputation was ruined in a scandal years ago, is trying to marry in order to save the reputations of her younger sisters. As the scene opens, Amelia has been hiding from the gentleman who has been induced to marry her, but Mr. Burke has managed to find her and, to Amelia’s dismay, put her in a compromising position.

EXCERPT:

“Let me go, sir.” Amelia twisted her wrist, trying to break his hold, but he was strong– she’d likely have a bruise there tomorrow.

“Not without some token of your affection, surely? We must learn to get along amiably, mustn’t we?” Sliding his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her against him until it seemed every inch of her touched his body. “Much better, don’t you think?”

“I do not, Mr. Burke.” She raised her foot and stamped hard on his. “Ouch.” Her soft kid slippers were no match for his leather dancing pumps and now the arch of her foot ached.

And a little bit more…

“A veritable spitfire, aren’t you?” His grin widened. “Let’s see if that all that passion can be redirected.” He darted his head down toward her, seeking her lips.

“No.” Twisting her head from side to side, she tried desperately to avoid his mouth. “Mr. Burke, please. Stop.” She got her hands up between them and gave a mighty push, but the effort had no effect on him whatsoever.

It did, however, distract her from evading his determined efforts to kiss her, and he dropped his mouth onto hers with a triumphant cry.

Amelia’s heart sank. What could she do now? Maybe if she held herself aloof, did not respond at all, he’d think her unfeeling. God knew she didn’t want his kisses, though he was remarkably gentle once he settled into it. Ceasing to struggle, she forced herself to relax, go limp in his arms, show that the kiss meant nothing to her whatsoever.

Unfortunately, that only seemed to encourage him. He ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth, pushing insistently, trying to gain entry. Oh, absolutely not. Once again, she pushed against his chest, digging her palms into his jacket and trying frantically to back away.

The click of the library door opening froze Amelia, posed, unfortunately, like a reluctant nymph being ravished by some errant god.

“Kate? Are you in here?”

The man’s voice spurred her to desperate measures. Of one thing she was certain: she couldn’t afford to be compromised by Mr. Burke. Then she’d be forced to marry him or become even more of an outcast in Society. Praying for strength, she hauled back her hand and thumped him on his ear.

He grunted and released her.

Amelia sprang backward, her hands covering her mouth, scrubbing at her lips. Turning her gaze toward the door, she looked into the startled gray-eyed gaze of a very tall, very handsome stranger.

The man’s eyebrows had shot straight up, but now returned to normal. His lips drew into a disapproving pucker. “Well, you are certainly not Kate.”

Heart of Decadence is available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited! Grab your copy here!!

And now for the news about my Handful of Hearts series: The entire series is getting a reboot! Over the years my brand has become settled securely in the steamy end of historical romance. However, the Handful of Hearts novellas are all sweet historicals, ending in no more than a kiss. But that is about to change.

In June I will be taking the Handful of Hearts sweet novellas down for good and in their place over the coming months, new iterations of all the books will be released one by one. They will have the same characters and much the same stories except there will be about 15k new content in each novella which will include several steamy bedroom scenes that will put the new series firmly within my brand. (If you’d like to grab this series before it’s gone, here’s the link to the series page.)

The new series will be called The Matchmaker’s Ball (because all of the couples either meet or begin their romances at Lady Hamilton’s ball). Each novella will have a new title and a new cover, more in keeping with their new, steamy nature. The first book in the Matchmaker’s Ball series is called Mischief Under the Mistletoe and will be released in July to celebrate my annual Christmas in July promotion. If you’re one of my newsletter subscribers you’ll get a sneak peek at that gorgeous new cover in my June newsletter!

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the WWW snippets here! There’s some great stories out there!

Posted in A Handful of Hearts, Blog Hops, Heart of Decadence, Historical Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Regency Romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged A Handful of Hearts series, Heart of Decadence, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Regency historical romance, Regency romance | 5 Comments

Want a Little More Romance in Your Life?

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Jenna Jaxon

If you’d like to discover more historical romances like mine, check out these links! There’s so much historical romance out there to fall in love with!

First, here are some specifically Regency or Jane Austen Fan Fiction romances for you.