Jenna Jaxon’s 12 Books of Christmas Giveaway 2017

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

 

December 12 seems a magical date to me. It conjures up images good things to come, like Twelfth Night and The Twelve Days of Christmas. So I wanted to bring everyone my special post again this year.

This year is my fourth  12 Books of Christmas Giveaway with more fantastic Christmas books for you to consider from a dozen award-winning and best-selling authors!

So pour yourself a cup of eggnog,  or cocoa, or Starbucks Gingerbread Latte (my personal favorite), grab a few Christmas cookies, and settle down for some Christmas Cheer.

And here’s an even bigger Christmas present for you:

Make a comment at the end of the post and one lucky commenter will win ALL TWELVE BOOKS listed here!  Some of the authors are also offering additional giveaways, so more than one person’s Christmas wish may come true! Just let us know if you want to be included in all the giveaways.

1.  Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe by Jenna Jaxon

Jenny Crowley has been duped! At her eighteenth birthday celebration her parents announce that instead of having the London Season she’s dreamed of for years, Jenny has 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 Christmas house party, complete with many eligible young bachelors, Jenny jumps at the chance to enjoy a variety of entertainments, be courted, and perhaps fall in love.

Alec Isley is between a rock and a hard place. He desires a marriage with Jenny no more than she does, but when his family’s dire financial status is revealed, 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 dreadful mistake. Struggling with 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?

Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe is available at Amazon.

I’m also giving more lucky commenters a chance at winning: two (2) copies of my Medieval Christmas novella, Seduction at the Christmas Court, currently in the Christmas anthology More Christmas Lovin’, and three (3) copies of Only A Mistress Will Do.

 

2.  Miss Featherton’s Christmas Prince by Ella Quinn

Ella Quinn’s wealthy, titled bachelors think they’re immune to romantic notions. Yet no matter how they try to evade it, love somehow finds a way… 

In the two seasons since her triumphant debut, Meg Featherton’s heart has been tested to its limits. Her first suitor: a criminal. The second, a cur. For her third act, Meg vows to leave love completely out of the marriage equation. She has set her sights on a newly made viscount whom she could take or leave. However, now she must avoid his handsome, roguish, irresistible best friend like the plague. It’s no easy feat, as they are all attending the same house party…

Damon, Marquis of Hawksworth, cannot imagine why Miss Featherton seems so damn disinterested—or why he cares so terribly much. Certainly Meg is a fine wifely prospect for a man in his position, but more than that, he finds he longs for her as he has never done for another woman. She may be determined to protect her heart, but Damon is equally set on winning her over, one delicious kiss at a time…

Miss Featherton’s Christmas Prince is available at the following e-tailers:

Amazon http://amzn.to/1FbRDE1

Amazon UK  http://amzn.to/1ZQy5BF

Apple http://apple.co/1LFhzg2

B&N http://bit.ly/1KWU6nE

Google http://bit.ly/1EsPLvs

Kobo http://bit.ly/1FbSi8l

Ella is also giving away another copy of Miss Featherton’s Christmas Prince  and a German Christmas ornament.

 

3.   Love in the Key of C by Daryl Devore

Can a slice of pizza and a flute erase the ravages of life and allow Giselle and Ethan to fall in love by Christmas?

Collapsing in front the biggest department store in the city on one of the busiest days of the holiday season was not how Giselle imagined her day. Cold and hungry, she trudged through her daily existence wondering if she’d ever find happiness again.

Teenagers. Ethan loved working with them and turning their raw musical talent into something beautiful and rewarding, but that didn’t fill the black void in his soul.

Like fate, the songwriters’ muse nudged Giselle and Ethan together. But can Giselle overcome her fears and can Ethan get past the darkness that surrounds him, so they can find love?

Love in the Key of C is available via eXtasy Books.

Daryl is also giving away another copy of Love in the Key of C.

4.  Christmas Secrets by Donna Hatch

A stolen Christmas kiss leaves them bewildered and breathless.

A charming rogue-turned-vicar, Will wants to prove that he left his rakish days behind him, but an accidental kiss changes all his plans. His secret could bring them together…or divide them forever.

Holly has two Christmas wishes this year: finally earn her mother’s approval by gaining the notice of a handsome earl, and learn the identity of the stranger who gave her a heart-shattering kiss…even if that stranger is the resident Christmas ghost.

Amazon Link to Christmas Secrets is here.

Donna is also giving away  a copy of her Christmas novella, A Winter’s Knight.

 

 

5.  A Black Mountain Christmas by D’Ann Lindun

Noelle Jackson would rather find coal in her stocking than spend Christmas in Blackblack-mt-x-mas-cover Mountain, Colorado. But her best friend’s wedding means putting aside her reluctance. What she doesn’t count on is falling hard for a sexy cowboy who changes her mind about love.

When an angel driving a red Mustang runs Nick Hadley’s sleigh off the road, his first reaction is indignation. His second is awe. The beautiful woman makes him forget his past and look straight into the future. If he takes a chance on love, she will change his life forever.

Available at Amazon.

 

 

 

6.  A Christmas Accident by Melissa Keir

Expecting her first child, Sherri Wilder Davison wants nothing more than to spend time with her father over the holidays, but fate has a way of changing her best-laid plans.

Adam Davison is willing to do anything to make his pregnant wife happy. He will face hell to have her home for the holidays.

For Sherri and Adam, the holidays are a time of celebration and love, but this Christmas will be unlike any they have ever faced.

When a horrible blizzard causes an automobile accident that puts the lives of those Sherri loves on the line, can a Christmas miracle save them?

Available at Amazon and iTunes.

Melissa is also giving away an additional copy of A Christmas Accident.

7.  A Chance at Christmas by Beppie Harrison

A Chance at Christmas tells the story of a Christmas that very nearly never happens for Catherine and her younger brother, struggling with poverty and the boy’s serious disabilities. But an invitation does come for a splendid Christmas at a friend’s great house, and Catherine dares to form a plan that might provide a future for her brother. What she never dreams of is a future for herself as well. Can romance come as a shocking Christmas surprise?

Available at Amazon and Apple.

Beppie is giving away an additional copy of A Chance at Christmas.

8.  Dreaming of You by Marie Higgins

Katelyn Palmer never believed any harm could come from using her college crush as the hero in her first romance novel—the novel that jumpstarted her writing career.  However, when Shane Hunter storms into town, demanding to meet the writer who used his identity Katelyn is confronted with more than her long, silent emotions.  If Shane takes her to court for invasion of privacy, her career would be over.

Shane doesn’t know how to act when his ex sister-in-law accuses him of having an affair while he was married—and then shows him the romance book as proof.  Now he wants to know who this author really is and why she used his name, and most of the events in his life for her story.  Desperate to know the truth Shane befriends Katelyn but he does not expect to be attracted to her, even more unexpected is the joy he finds watching his twins fall in love with the woman who is stealing his heart, too…

Dreaming of You is available at the following e-tailers:

Kindle – http://a.co/3tDGJBp

B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreaming-of-you-marie-higgins/1117408849?type=eBook

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/745794

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dreaming-of-you-22

iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/py/book/dreaming-of-you/id1278744160?l=en&mt=11

9.  A Candlelight Courting by Joyce DiPastina

When Burthred comes courting on Christmas Eve, Meg rejects his advances. She has her heart set on becoming a nun and insists that he call her Christina, the spiritual name she has chosen for herself. She tries to make him swear on her box of holy relics that he will not pursue her, but he carefully words his oath to allow him to stay in her candlelit chamber and try to change her mind.

What Meg does not confess is that her reliquary box holds a secret.

Burthred needs a wife, and no one will satisfy him except Meg. He swore on his father’s deathbed that he would marry her. But Burthred has a secret, too. When they come together before the Yule fire, their shared revelations will either join their hearts together or tear them apart.

A Candlelight Courting is available at Amazon.

Joyce will give away another three (3) copies of A Candlelight Courting!

10.  More Christmas Lovin’

Brighten this holiday season with seven stories from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Grab a cup of your favorite cocoa, coffee or tea, a holiday treat and settle in with the authors from More Christmas Lovin’ for a festive holiday read.

Santa for Christmas by Lisa Kumar
A sexy elf who hates everything about Christmas is forced to be Santa and must go into the seething heart of humanity—the abode of a beautiful single mother and her child in order to save them.

An EverAfter Christmas by K.S. Thomas
Sailor Belle is no stranger to adventure, so being stranded in a blizzard three days before her wedding, is not about to stop her from marrying the man of her dreams. But then, as the obstacles keep coming, she clings to her last hope – it’s the season for miracles, and she may need one to get her EverAfter Christmas.

Holiday Homecoming by Melissa Keir
Two broken hearts mend as love blossoms, but when danger comes calling, can the two loners learn to rely on each other or will they lose all they have found?

Mistletoe & Ashes by RaeAnne Hadley
Tiffany knew the threats of being a firefighter on the Hot Shots team. She embraced the heat and the danger but she could have never predicted that her heart and her mind would be in peril. Could a Christmas miracle save her or would she end up as ashes?

Seduction at the Christmas Court by Jenna Jaxon
Lord and Lady Longford have journeyed to the Christmas Court of King Edward III to wait upon the king and take part in some Yuletide merriment. When Geoffrey is suddenly called to war, and rumors of his death arise, Alyse fends off an old suitor who wants to renew their friendship. But how long will he take “No” for an answer?

All I Want For Christmas by Deb Julienne
Who knew one little boy’s Christmas wish could change so many lives?

The Christmas Fantasy by D’Ann Lindun
Widower Christian Vega believes he’ll never find true love again, until an actress catches his eye. But she’s way out of this cowboy’s league. Hope Snowden swears to never date another out-of-work actor again. Then she falls for a cowboy-turned-stuntman. Is it love, or just a Christmas fantasy?

 

11.  Loft at 22nd Street by Mairi Norris 

In this lighthearted Christmas tale set in 1906 America, a Society girl and her Highlander bodyguard fall unexpectedly in love.

For American-born Scotswoman Ainsley Birral, the game of marriage is a tricky proposition, one in which there are three strikes against her. Too tall, too old and modestly unconventional, she expects to live out her life as a maiden aunt. Then one autumn morning she opens her Uptown bookshop to discover an unpleasant surprise. Before she can say “skidoo”, she’s embroiled with a Highlander who touches her heart and stirs her senses, and whose size makes her feel – for the first time ever – deliciously small and feminine.

Brendan MacKean is hired to protect a beautiful woman threatened by an elusive killer. For this former Scotland Yard Inspector, it’s a ho-hum, run-of-the-mill task – until he discovers his usual dispassionate demeanor toward his work is thrown off stride by a powerful attraction to his client. Ainsley Birral is the woman of his dreams, but is she out of reach to one whose roots are sunk deep in the back streets of Inverness?
As the busy holiday season approaches with its attendant excitements, joys and festivities, Brendan must keep Ainsley safe while they explore the passionate love building between them – and find a way to bridge the gap between their respective worlds.

Available at Amazon.

 

12. A Highland Moon Enchantment by Mary Morgan

You first meet this warrior in Dragon Knight’s Axe, Order of the Dragon Knights, Book 3

Irish warrior, Desmond O’Quinlan has never surrendered his heart to any woman. He has no wish to have his soul tortured by love. Yet, the moment he locks gazes with Ailsa, his fate is destined for an adventure he never fathomed. He may have battled alongside a Dragon Knight, but his greatest challenge will come from within his own heart.

Ailsa MacDuff, a warrior among her clan, has no desire to have a man chain her to a life of obedience. However, that is before she meets Desmond. The temptation to allow this warrior inside her heart is a risk she dares to take, but one that could lead to a future of emptiness and sorrow.

When betrayal looms from within, the battleground of love is no match for these two warriors. Can the power of a Highland full moon be strong enough to unite or destroy them?

A Highland Moon Enchantment is available at the following e-tailers:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0767QVJBX/

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-highland-moon-enchantment-mary-morgan/1127176325

Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-highland-moon-enchantment/id1294140045?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-highland-moon-enchantment

 

Mary is also giving away a copy of A Magical Highland Solstice. 

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Merry Christmas from all the 12 Books of Christmas authors. 

May your holidays grant you your own Happy Ever After!

Please don’t forget to leave a comment with your email address if you want to participate in the giveaways.  It would be helpful also if you indicate which giveaways you would like to enter or if all, simply say all.  Thank you again for visiting today.  I hope you enjoyed our little stroll through the 12 Books of Christmas.

(Images courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Posted in Book Spotlights, Giveaways, Historical Romance, Holiday Posts, On Holiday Stories, Promotion, Spotlights | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 48 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 12/10/17 Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe ~ What is Between You and Somersby?

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

weekend_writing_warriors_header3

This week, to return to the holiday season, I’m sharing a snippet from my Regency Christmas romance, Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe.

 

 I’m sharing a scene where Alec has taken Jenny aside after he witnessed her and Somersby under the mistletoe out in the woods.

(Very creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules.)

“What is between you and Somersby?”

His words took her so aback she stepped backward, bumping into the cool stone wall of the entry hall saying, “Are you jealous?”

How thrilling if he were; not that she wanted such attentions from Alec of all people, still if her budding relationship with the earl had provoked a jealous streak in her longtime acquaintance, she couldn’t deny a certain delight deep in her heart.

“Of course not.”

Her little bubble of satisfaction burst with an almost audible pop. Resisting the urge to stamp her foot, Jenny groaned and rolled her eyes; it might be impolite but Alec was being most annoying, dragging her away from the fun at the tree to ask her questions that were none of his business. She opened her mouth to tell him so, and stopped, glad she hadn’t moved away from the wall.

His eyes flashed and his lips straightened into a thin, harsh line that sent a shiver of fear trickling down her spine before he asked, “Have you set your cap for him?”

The impudence of the question melted her alarm enough to ask, “What business is it of yours if I have?”

“Considering we are betrothed, I think it’s very much my business.”

 

BLURB for Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe:

Jenny Crowley has been duped! At her eighteenth birthday celebration her parents announce that instead of having the London Season she’s dreamed of for years, Jenny has 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 Christmas house party, complete with many eligible young bachelors, Jenny jumps at the chance to enjoy a variety of entertainments, be courted, and perhaps fall in love.

Alec Isley is between a rock and a hard place. He desires a marriage with Jenny no more than she does, but when his family’s dire financial status is revealed, 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 dreadful mistake. Struggling with 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?

Books in The Handful of Hearts series:

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Posted in A Handful of Hearts, A Kiss Beneath the Mistletoe, Historical Romance, On Regency Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

Cover Reveal: Wedding the Widow

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

The cover to my second book in The Widow’s Club series, Wedding the Widow, has been released!  I actually found it on Amazon a couple of days ago, so there’s no big “reveal” but I love the cover and wanted to formally share it with you. 🙂 I think it compliments To Woo A Wicked Widow extremely well!

And here’s the official blurb:

Will she say yes a second time?

Of all the widows of Lyttlefield Park, Elizabeth Easton seems least likely to remarry. Though many gentlemen would love to get to know the charming Mrs. Easton better, she is devoted to the memory of her late husband. Which is why she’s so shocked to be overtaken by passion during a harvest festival, succumbing to an unforgettable interlude with the handsome Lord Brack . . .

After enduring years of war, Jemmy, Lord Brack, plans to defer matrimony in favor of carefree pleasure. But who could resist a lifetime with Elizabeth Easton, a woman as marvelously sensual as she is sweet? Yet despite their mutual desire, she refuses to consider his proposal. With scandal looming, and their families bitterly opposed to the match, Jemmy must find a way to convince Elizabeth to risk her wary heart on him—and turn one infamous night into forever . . .

Excerpt:

“As the seed goes to the fertile ground, so goes the Harvest Lord to his Maiden…Nora Burns.” Michael Thorne intoned the ages-old chant, then seized the dark-haired Nora, her face alight with joy and triumph, by the hand and pulled her to him.

A jubilant cry went up from the crowd, a wail of lament from the three would-be Corn Maidens. They scurried out of the circle, arms around each other.

Elizabeth’s heart thumped so hard she gasped for breath. Could Lord Brack feel her pulse pounding in the hand he held so tightly?

The Harvest Lord led his Maiden into the center of the circle, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her above his head, spinning them around. After making a complete circle, he lowered her inch by inch to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the field stubble, he grasped her face—her cheeks red, her eyes snapping with excitement—and lowered his mouth to hers.

A stab of desire jolted Elizabeth, tearing through her like a lightning bolt straight to the apex of her thighs. Her breasts tingled as the Harvest Lord claimed his Corn Maiden.

As Thorne deepened the kiss, Nora threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself against the powerful body before her.

Panting, Elizabeth strained forward as well, her hands clasped vise-like around Lord Brack’s arm. A moan of need began in her throat, but she bit it back. What was happening to her?

She’d not been this aroused in over a year, not since her husband Richard, or Dickon she’d called him, had gone away to war. She’d felt his death so sharply she’d not even thought about love or desire for another man. Not until Charlotte had dragged her to the house party in August. There she’d met Lord Brack, who she’d found very amiable, but hadn’t thought of as desirable. Well, not exactly. Nor had she paid much attention to his obvious interest in her. Until now.

His arm tensed as he watched the crowning of the Corn Maiden. From the corner of her eye she marked his Grecian profile as it stood stark against the flickering torchlight, his gaze fixed on the couple before them. His jaw clenched so tightly she could almost hear it creak. He turned his head to peer down at her, his eyes dark with a desire of his own.

Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he turned them away from the sight of Michael and Nora as applause from the surrounding crowd crashed around them. He led her from the lighted circle, toward a stand of trees at the edge of the field.

Elizabeth had expected her senses would return once she no longer bore witness to the incredible raw sexual power of that kiss. Her body, however, continued to throb, then to ache with the need to feel a man’s touch once more.

Lord Brack stopped just at the tree line, well out of the light. He loosed her hands from their grip on his arm, then cupped her face, just as Michael Thorne had done to Nora, and sank his mouth onto hers.

A bolt of fire shot through her, down her arms and legs, through fingers and toes. Her core heated as though a sun burned at the center, and the ache deep inside her, begun while they watched the Harvest couple, became a demand she could not ignore.

Brack deepened the kiss, his tongue stealing warm and welcome into her mouth. She arched her neck back, opening herself fully. Let him take her here and now.

Wedding the Widow is on pre-order on Amazon!

Books in The Widows’ Club series:

Posted in Cover Art, Cover Reveal, Regency Romance, The Widow's Club, Wedding the Widow | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Southern Comfort Food ~ Ginger’s Christmas Cookies

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Welcome back to Southern Comfort Food, my weekly post with a recipe that will taste like home and warm your soul.

Now we’re into the Christmas holiday season, I’ll be posting Christmas recipes, my mouth watering all the way!

I’ll begin my Christmas treats with one I grew up with, my cousin Ginger’s Christmas cookies. These are a great sugar cookie recipe where the cookie itself is not too sweet, giving you the chance to decorate with all the sugary goodness you can stand. 🙂

My cousin Ginger (on my mother’s side) always had a Christmas party at her house each year. She’d provide a lot of wonderful food–how she did it with a full-time job I don’t know, but it was a splendid gathering year after year.

I remember most these Christmas cookies, and making them with my mother every Christmas. We had one particular set of copper cookie cutters (which have been put away somewhere now) that we always used: a Santa, a Christmas Tree, a bell, and a reindeer.

Tonight, just for this blog, I made a batch. I hadn’t made them in at least 10 years, but they came out tasting just exactly as I remember them. *Sigh*

Unbaked and heading for the oven.

 

The strange shaped ones on the right are my daughter’s. It’s a Porcupanda–a gift from her Gishwiz package (it’s a Supernatural thing–need I say more?). The rest are my current Christmas cookie cutters.

Baked and Delicious

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Cookie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finished product.

Ginger’s Christmas Cookies

 

1 3/4  cups flour (for a Gluten-Free version substitute Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1                                           Baking Mix)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (Rumford)

2/3 cup butter, softened but not liquified

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg well-beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour and baking powder together in large bowl. Set aside.

In another large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Mix beaten egg into the butter mixture and add vanilla. Into this stir the dry ingredients in stages (a big tablespoon at a time works well). Mix well until soft dough forms.

Divide dough into three portions. Roll out 1/2 inch thick on a floured board. Cut into shapes and decorate if desired. (If you intend to ice them, bake them plain.)

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

I do hope you’re able to enjoy these wonderful cookies over the holiday.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back next week for another recipe full of down-home southern comfort. 🙂

 

Posted in Cooking and Recipes, Southern Comfort Food | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe on Sale!

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

‘Tis the Season to be Jolly!

Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe is on sale for a limited time for .99!

Grab this Regency Christmas romance for some fun time for the holidays!

Exclusively at Amazon.

BLURB:

Jenny Crowley has been duped! At her eighteenth birthday celebration her parents announce that instead of having the London Season she’s dreamed of for years, Jenny has 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 Christmas house party, complete with many eligible young bachelors, Jenny jumps at the chance to enjoy a variety of entertainments, be courted, and perhaps fall in love.

Alec Isley is between a rock and a hard place. He desires a marriage with Jenny no more than she does, but when his family’s dire financial status is revealed, 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 dreadful mistake. Struggling with 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?

EXCERPT:

“Good evening, Mary, Anna.  You remember Miss Crowley?” Celinda spoke to the young ladies even as her gaze skimmed the crowd.

“Indeed, it is a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Crowley,” Lady Mary replied, looking down her nose at Jenny.  “I understand you are the guest of honor at these festivities.”

Startled by the cold hostility in the young woman’s voice, Jenny stuttered, “I…I suppose I am, Lady Mary.  My aunt invited me to the entertainments this week as a kind of birthday present.”  Best leave it at that.

“Well, I should think—”

“Good evening, ladies.”  A masculine voice silenced Lady Mary.

Jenny looked up at her dark-haired cousin, Eric, his handsome friend Lord Somersby at his side. Eric had introduced Somersby, a childhood companion from a neighboring estate, to her while they had waited for dinner to be announced.  Son and heir to the Marquess of Thaxted, the most powerful peer in the county according to Eric, Lord Somersby nevertheless had been most gracious to her, laughing and talking to her easily as they awaited the gong.

So tall she had to tilt her head back to look into his face, Somersby seemed like a prince out of one of the fairy tales she’d read as a child. His broad shoulders seemed barely confined by his well-cut black evening coat. The elaborately tied cravat at his neck seemed almost too stark a contrast to the lean, chiseled planes of his face. Wavy blonde hair and dark blue eyes completed the features of one of the most handsome men she had ever met.

“Lady Celinda, would you do me the honor of dancing the first set with me?” Eric’s grave face belied his merry eyes.

Celinda gave him a keen look.  “Have I ever danced the first with you, Mr. Conroy?”

“Why no, I do not believe you have, my lady.” His eyes were twinkling now.  “Apparently I have never been the first in line to ask.”

Celinda smiled at him and gave him her hand.  “I am happy to see you are now fleeter of foot, sir.” She moved off on his arm, her blue satin dress swishing as they headed toward the dance floor where the set was making up.

“I would also beg to claim the first set from you,” Lord Somersby began.

Lady Mary stepped forward eagerly, an arch smile on her lips.

Jenny moved to the side, twitching her skirt out of the lady’s way. She didn’t want Lady Mary to trip on it in her haste to claim her partner.

“Miss Crowley,” Somersby finished a beat later.

Lady Mary gasped and stumbled back.

Jenny’s attention snapped back to his face. “I beg pardon, my lord?”  The words came out as a squeak.  Had he actually asked her to dance?

He smiled, his deep blue eyes amused, and offered his arm. “Would you honor me with the first set, Miss Crowley?”

Vaguely aware of Lady Mary’s hasty retreat, Jenny smiled and nodded.  “Yes, thank you, my lord.  I would be pleased.”  She lay her hand on his, her heartbeat thudding like a drum. Lord, help her, she couldn’t faint now. In a daze she glided across the floor as he led her out to the very first dance of her season.

Books in the Handful of Hearts series:

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 12/03/17 To Woo A Wicked Widow ~ A Meeting to Remember

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

weekend_writing_warriors_header3

This week, to celebrate my receipt of ARC copies of my upcoming release To Woo A Wicked Widow, I’m sharing another snippet from this Regency romance.

 

 I’m sharing the scene, at a ball, where Charlotte meets Nash, the Earl of Wrotham. As meet cutes go, it’s pretty cute. 🙂 We are in Nash’s POV.

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules.)

Lady Cavendish stepped forward quickly, a smile curling her lips. “I am pleased to meet you, my lord.” Her eyes widened, her gait faltered, then she pitched forward with a little cry, arms flailing.

Reflexes honed from years in the Navy, Nash stepped in neatly, catching her under her arms. She landed with a thump against his chest, sending a whiff of jasmine all around him and a thrill of lust straight to his loins. He paused, savoring the soft body pressed against him, the shining hair brushing his chin. With regret, he got himself under control and reluctantly set her on her feet.

Her neck and face had flushed, turning the color of the deep red roses that adorned the terraces at Wrotham Hall. She kept her eyes downcast and stepped back.

“The pleasure is certainly all mine, my lady.” 

BLURB for To Woo A Wicked Widow:

The war years are behind them. 
The future is before them.
And one by one, the widows of Lyttlefield Park are getting restless . . .
 
Lady Charlotte Cavendish is still the spirited girl who tried to elope in the name of love. That dream was thwarted by her father who trapped her into a loveless, passionless marriage. But now widowed, Charlotte is free to reenter the giddy world of the ton—and pursue her desires. For hardly your typical widow, she remains innocent to the pleasures of the flesh. Yet her life is finally her own, and she intends to keep it that way . . .

Nash, the twelfth Earl of Wrotham, is beguiled by Charlotte at first sight—and the feeling is mutual. When he receives her intriguing invitation to a house party, the marriage-minded lord plans to further their acquaintance. But even he cannot sway her aversion to matrimony, and only with great restraint does he resist her most tempting offer. For unbeknownst to Charlotte, the misadventures of the past are revisiting them both, and bedding her could cost him everything—or give him everything he ever wanted . . .

Available for pre-order at Amazon. 

If you would like an ARC copy of To Woo A Wicked Widow, please contact me at 1jennajaxon@gmail.com. I’d love to share it with you!

Books in The Handful of Hearts series:

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Posted in Historical Romance, On Regency Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, The Widow's Club, To Woo A Wicked Widow, To Woo A Wicked Widow, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

12 Books of Christmas Book Giveaway

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Happy December to everyone!

Each December 12th I’ve been running a great giveaway opportunity and I’m very pleased to let you know that 2017 will be no exception. I’m preparing now for 2017’s 12 Books of Christmas Giveaway, happening here, on my blog, on December 12.

By coming to my blog and commenting you’re eligible to win 12 Christmas books from Best-Selling and Award-Winning authors of Contemporary and Historical romance!

Authors include:

Daryl Devore                                               Beppie Harrison

Donna Hatch                                               Marie Higgins

Jenna Jaxon                                                 Melissa Keir

D’Ann Lindun                                              Mary Morgan

Mairi Norris                                                 Ella Quinn

JOIN THE FUN!

Hope to see you on December 12!

Posted in 12 Books of Christmas, 12 Books of Christmas, Book Spotlights, Contests, Giveaways, Holiday Posts, Promotion | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Winners of To Woo A Wicked Widow ARCs

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Happy Friday, Everyone! And Happy December! Such a cheerful month and the first thing I’m going to do is make two people very happy.

The Winners of the

To Woo A Wicked Widow

ARC giveaway are

Daryl Devore

and

Jennifer Wadkins

Congratulations, ladies! I’ll be contacting you shortly for your snail mail addresses so I can send your signed copies out ASAP! I certainly hope you enjoy your read!

Thank you so much to all those who came by and commented!

If you weren’t a winner this time, there’s another way you can get a copy. Sign up for my newsletter, which is going out early next week. My newsletter always contains news about my upcoming releases, early cover reveals, giveaways, and any other news about me and my writing. There’s going to also be an ARC giveaway for newsletter recipients in December, so if you sign up for my newsletter here, you can have another chance at a copy. 🙂

 

 

Posted in Giveaways, Promotion, The Widow's Club, To Woo A Wicked Widow, Winners | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Southern Comfort Food ~ Meemaw’s Chicken Vegetable Soup

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

 

 

Thanksgiving is past, but the turkey remains! This recipe can help use some of that giant bird.

Welcome back to Southern Comfort Food, my weekly post with a recipe that will taste like home and warm your soul.

This week’s is, to me, the epitome of southern comfort food–my mother’s chicken vegetable soup. Always good on a cold autumn or winter’s day, although I make it regularly in the summer and spring as well. And it never lingers in the fridge. My family eats it quickly.  My eldest daughter has been known to have it for breakfast!

It can also be made with turkey, which I did this morning. Unfortunately, my husband was the first to get home and put it away before I could take a picture of it for this post. So I found one that looks almost like mine, although I cook mine in the crock pot.

 

 

Meemaw’s Chicken Vegetable Soup

2  16 oz cans mixed vegetables, drained (you can also use fresh or frozen for all the vegetables)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can lima beans, drained

1 can corn

1 can tomato sauce

1 large onion sliced

3 bouillon cubes

3 chicken breasts/thighs or any leftover chicken or turkey (about a pound makes it nice and thick)

salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken in enough water to cover for about 20 minutes. This recipe works very well when you have a whole chicken you can boil and get the goodness out of the bones. Remove meat from the liquid and let cool. Pour liquid into the crock pot and add the bouillon cubes. (If you like your soup very soupy, you can add a can of chicken broth.)

When cool enough to handle, pull meat from chicken bones or chop breasts/thighs and put in pot. Add all the vegetables, tomato sauce, and onion. Salt and pepper to taste. Because of the tomato sauce, this soup comes out much more orange than most vegetable soups.

Cook on high for about 2 hours, then on low for about 4 more hours, stirring every once in a while. Ladle into bowls and enjoy! I got home too late tonight to eat my soup, but I’m taking it for lunch tomorrow!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back next week for another recipe full of southern comfort. 🙂

 

Posted in Cooking and Recipes, Southern Comfort Food | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meet Jenna Jaxon!

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Back when I got the contract with Kensington Publishing for my Widow’s Club series, I knew that I would sooner rather than later take the plunge and release my photo. I was told I needed an author photo for To Woo A Wicked Widow, for the back cover, so I knew the day was coming. But that was two years ago.

I’ve been protecting my identity because of my profession as a college professor, although there were no real ethical issues involved. Still, I was a bit shy about my identity becoming public knowledge.

Still, I worked hard for this book release and I really wanted my picture on the back cover. I thought it was time you got to see me.

So today is the day you get to meet Jenna Jaxon.

The photo for the cover of To Woo A Wicked Widow

In my opinion, I am not the most photogenic person, so a couple of weeks ago I hired a photographer (fantastic photographer!) to take pictures for me to possibly use. This is the shot that will be used on the cover. We had a great afternoon in the little town where I live taking shots up and down Main Street.

Love the color of the background building, somewhere on Main Street

 

This one is against a really pretty aqua-colored building. I’m not sure if the white is camera effects or just a lucky stream of light.

In the Library

And this one is the “author shot” of me in the local library with a book. 🙂 And no, it’s not one of my books. In fact, I just grabbed a book at random off the shelf. Why did I choose that book? It was the correct size for the shot!

So that’s the first cover shoot for Jenna Jaxon. There are several more shots that I deem good enough to see the light of day. You’ll be seeing them either here or on social media, with new ones from time to time as well.

Don’t forget I’m running a giveaway for a signed ARC copy of To Woo A Wicked Widow through this Thursday. Go to my Monday blog here, comment telling me you want a copy of the book, and I’ll pull two names at random on Thursday night and announce the winners on Friday. Hope to see you there!

Posted in About the Author, Promotion, The Widow's Club, To Woo A Wicked Widow | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments