Medieval Monday: First Encounter! ~ Winners Announced Next Week!

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

First Meet Winner

will be Announced Next Week on November 20

The winner will be chosen from people who have followed along with an author each week, reading their snippet and commenting on each of the blog sites they were on.

Below is a list of the different blogs for the authors because it’s not too late. You can go to each of my snippets, or any other author, leave a comment on each blog post and you’ll be entered to win.

Authors

And with the holidays around the corner,

here is an excerpt from my Medieval Christmas story,

Seduction at the Christmas Court.

Excerpt:

Alyse stared in horror as Guy nonchalantly raised her hand to his lips. The skin seemed to shrink, as though it would crawl off her bones to escape his touch. She longed to snatch it away from the vile man however, mindful of the thousand eyes that marked her every movement, she instead gave him a coy look and a nod. “You are kind to remember me, Guy, now that you have my sister to wife. I doubted you would give me a glance in the wake of her beauty.”

Geoffrey moved closer to her, his hulking presence a subtle warning.

An she knew her husband, he was now sorely tempted to run Guy through with his sword. Thank God it lay safe in their chamber. “I give you good evening, Sir Guy. It has been long since last we met at my father’s house.” Remind him who had triumphed that evening and mayhap he’d keep his distance and his head.

“Too long, cherie. Perhaps now we are to be kindred, we will see much more of one another.” His gaze rested on her mouth and he licked his lips.

Bold villain. Alyse drew closer to Geoffrey. The man’s dark-eyed gaze would peel the clothes from her like the skin from an orange an she endured it much longer.

Face blackened in a scowl, Geoffrey bumped her side as he stepped between her and Guy. “My wife will enjoy her sister’s company as often as she likes while we are at court, Sir Guy. An you are in the room you may bear them company as well during the Christmastide. Should you journey to Longford after you are wed, of course, we will always open our home to you.” Her husband’s teeth clenched so tight his jaw creaked. He’d rejoice in Guy’s company when the last trump sounded.

“Pippa,” Alyse said, turning to her sister, sorry that she must bear witness to Guy’s disrespect. Pray God His Majesty never heard tell of this conversation. She grasped her sister’s hands, pulling the girl from Guy’s side. “’Twill only be a short time ‘ere we are gone from here. This feuding twixt Guy and Geoffrey will last only so long as we remain here. Once you are married—”

“Once I am married to him there will be no escape, Alyse.” Pippa’s voice, hard-edged, flat, and filled with anger, made her cringe. “I will be forever chained to a man who cares nothing for me, only for my sister.”

Blurb:

Christmas tidings of comfort, joy, and temptation

BLURB:

Alyse and Geoffrey, Lord and Lady Longford, have journeyed to the glittering Christmas Court of King Edward III in the year 1349 to wait upon the king and take part in some Yuletide merriment. However, when Geoffrey is suddenly called into the king’s service again, Alyse must remain at court, attending the queen and persuading her rebellious sister to accept an unwanted betrothal. When rumors of Geoffrey’s death arise, Alyse fends off an old suitor who wants to renew their friendship. But how long will he take “No” for an answer?

Buy Links:

Available in the boxed set More Christmas Lovin’ for just .99!

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/More-Christmas-Lovin-Lisa-Kumar-ebook/dp/B076NMYN2G/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Titles in the Time Enough to Love Series:

Posted in Historical Romance, Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion, Seduction at the Christmas Court, Seduction at the Christmas Court | Tagged historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, Seduction at the Christmas Court, Time Enough to Love series, winners | Leave a comment

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 11/12/17 Falling in Time~ A Practiced Air

Posted on November 12, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

This week I’m sharing from the book I’m revising as part of NaNoWriMo. Yeah, it may be a little outside the rules, but I’m expanding the novella by 50K words, so I think it works out the same. They have a badge for Rogue NaNos, so I’m going for it!

Anyway, its a time travel novella that was published in a boxed set several years ago, then called Crashing Through Time, now changed to Falling in Time. I’m turning it into a full length novel.

Corinne MacGowan is on a sightseeing plane ride when the engine fails and she crashes into the countryside around Cornwall. Answering a call of nature, Corinne finds an old well in the forest (think the one from The Ring). She’s mesmerized by the sound coming out of the well and it pulls her into it. She comes to in the same woods and tries to find her way back to the crash site.

In today’s snippet, Corinne has met the rider from last week’s snippet. He declares he is Ian Hunterly, the nephew of her master’s thesis research topic.

Mr. Ian Hunterly

He plopped down on the wooden turnstile and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and said, “My hat, please.”

She plucked it from beneath her arm and handed it to him, trying not to smile.

He seated it firmly on his head with a practiced air.

Corrine stared, her heart lurching in her chest. With the hat, the coat, the boots, this guy was the spitting image of the oil painting she’d discovered of the real Ian Hunterly, who’d been born in 1833 in London and died in 1868 in Cornwall. She looked closer, searching his face for some sort of prosthetic device. Actors never looked that close to the real thing without special effects. She frowned for his face looked like…well, his face. Clear, tanned skin and features that were obviously his own. The hairs on her arms pricked to attention.

BLURB for Falling in Time:

More than hearts can be broken when you fall through time.

Theatre professor Corinne MacGowan is in a sightseeing plane that crash lands in a field in Cornwall. She wanders away from the crash site, led by a strange buzzing in her head that is coming from a black well (think The Ring). She falls down the well and ends up in Cornwall in 1868 at the home of her Master’s thesis subject, playwright Sir Robert Graysill. She immediately meets Sir Robert’s nephew, Ian Hunterly, and once she comes to terms with the fact that she has fallen through time, realizes from her research that Ian is doomed to die within a matter of weeks. Can she save him and change history? Or let history run its course and lose the man she has come to care for?

Check out my Amazon Author page for all my works!

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 Falling in Time, Historical Romance, on Victorian Romance, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Time Travel Romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Falling in Time, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, time travel romance, Victorian historical romance, Weekend Writing Warriors | 24 Comments

The Duchess Lydia by Liza O’Connor

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

The fatal ending of Jane Austen

In 1817, widowhood could emancipate a woman or lead her to poverty, depending on the income she derived from her dower rights, which was the money and goods that a bride’s father had negotiated for her upon her marriage.

Proper women could not make money for themselves.

For example: Jane Austen never married, which placed her in a precarious state. Despite being an author, she had to have her brother, Henry, submit her books for publication. (1811-1816) The books proved mostly successful and Jane had some good years.

Then Henry’s bank went under and sadly, other men in his family were harmed in the fallout. This meant no one had money to contribute to Jane’s survival nor her publications. Since Jane could not afford to pay the funds needed to get her books published, they went into limbo and all income stopped.

Thus impoverished, upset with her uncle’s will that left her nothing, and sick with Addison’s disease, which only kills if left untreated, Jane dies in July 18, 1817—Much like any other impoverished woman of the times.

BLURB

Thanks to the Duke of Rochester’s generosity and the death of Wickham, Lydia Bennet is now a wealthy, independent woman. When Lydia takes residence in the finest house in the West End, her brother-in-law, Darcy, is concerned that she is ‘over her head’.

Despite his concerns, Darcy retrieves his sister, Georgiana, from Pemberley and places her in Lydia’s home. The two young ladies, both recently widowed, form a strong sisterly bond and soon set out to find love again.

Unfortunately, the man Lydia wishes to marry, David, the Duke of Rochester, is already contracted to marry another woman. When Lydia discovers the fiancée plans to murder David and his sons, she rallies her servants and friends, determined to stop the murderess at all costs. Will Lydia’s love of David and his boys triumph, or will the “Lady of Death” continue her path of destruction?

EXCERPT

Darcy was not pleased when Lydia demanded to know the details of his sister’s dowry, but Lydia insisted he discuss the matter with her and Georgiana.

Darcy frowned at Lydia and then focused on his sister. “Georgiana, you must know I would never cheat you out of your dowry!”

“Of course, she does!” Lydia replied. “She does not ask this because she doesn’t trust you. You may very well be the most trustworthy man in London. But what if a carriage runs over you tomorrow? Will she know where to go to retrieve her money? Will she even be allowed to withdraw funds for food and clothing? I understand you want to protect her, but she deserves the right to protect herself as well.”

Lydia gripped his hand into hers. “Darcy, you once did me a great service. You helped me protect myself from Wickham’s foolishness. Will you not do the same for your wonderful sister whom you so clearly love? We cannot predict when we will die. Do not leave the sister you love so dearly to a precarious future. She’s grown up and needs to be in control of her own life now. I have no doubt she will always ask for your opinions before she makes a decision, but give her the right to choose what she wishes to do.”

SALES LINK

Amazon

Free for KU customers

More About the Author

Liza O’Connor’s favorite books are Pride & Prejudice and Douglas Adams’ four book trilogy, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Go figure…

Raised in the southern mid-section of U.S., Liza escaped to the East Coast once out of college. She’s worked as a journalist, a radio DJ, a security guard, a stock broker, a strategist, and a business solutions consultant to name a few of her many occupations. Again…go figure.

She learned to fly planes, jump out of planes, hang-glide, kayak and scuba dive, to name of few of her ‘let’s kill Liza’ sports. However, her favorite activity is to hike with her dog Jess among the shaved mountains of NJ.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

LIZA O’CONNOR

Investigate these sites:

Liza’s Blog and Website Facebook Twitter

Google +

Check out Liza’s Many Books

Posted in Guest Posts, On Regency Romance, Promotion, Regency Romance | Tagged Liza O'Connor, Pride and Prejudice, Regency romance, The Duchess Lydia | 8 Comments

Southern Comfort Food ~ Butter Beans

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

As we head into the holiday season, I realize how much the food that I’ve grown up with has comforted me through bad times and good. Looking forward in a couple of weeks to sitting down with a huge roomful of people at my aunt’s house, I want to share with you some of the recipes that have been handed down to me through my family.

The first one, and the one that gave me the idea, I made this past weekend as a side dish for butterflied fried pork chops: southern style butter beans.

I’ve been eating butter beans all my life. My dad had a garden in the back yard for as long as I can remember. He was famous for his tomatoes, but he also put in snaps (green beans), potatoes (planted every St. Patrick’s Day), squash, cabbages, collards (also famous for in our family), and butter beans. I used to help him pick all these things during the summer and with the snaps and butter beans I remember him telling me to “Pick ’em close.” That meant he wanted me to pick every possible one that was big enough to eat, so we’d have a big enough “mess” of them to cook.

All of these foods have very fond memories for me, and I’ll be writing about them as I go along each week. By the way–all of this bounty was grown, picked, and frozen by my mom and dad so that we had these out of this world fresh vegetables well into the winter. And they were always on the table at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

So, here’s the recipe for good ole southern butter beans. This recipe comes to me from my cousin Valerie, but it may well have come to her from our grandmother or my dad. These are the butter beans I’ve eaten all my life.

Southern Butter Beans

3 lbs fresh butter beans (three packages of frozen butter beans can be substituted and Hanover Silver Label are the best)

3 cups water (1/2 pot full)

1 TBS salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter

Bring salted water to a boil. Add beans and return to a boil. Cover and cook on medium heat, boiling for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

When beans are done, add sugar and butter, stirring until the butter is completely melted. This should create a thick, buttery sauce for the beans.

This pot of beans was made on Sunday and gone by dinner on Tuesday.

Serve and enjoy.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my little walk down memory lane. Come back next week for another recipe full of southern comfort.

Posted in Cooking and Recipes, Southern Comfort Food | Tagged butter beans recipe, grandma's recipes, home cooking, Jenna Jaxon, Southern Comfort Food, Southern cooking, vegetables | 8 Comments

All Hallow’s Eve Party Winners!

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

WINNERS!

Everyone won on my blog last week!

As a special treat, I got Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve made into a small print book, so everyone who commented on my blog on Halloween will receive a signed copy of my holiday short story! Ladies, I’ll be in touch to get your snail mail addresses today.

Now for the big prizes:

Winner of a signed copy of Only A Mistress Will Do is

Yasmine Phoenix

Winner of the signed copy of Three Weeks to Wed is

Ashley F.

Winner of a $5.00 Gift Card to Starbucks is

Melissa Keir

Winner of a $5.00 Gift Card to Amazon is

Charmaine Gordon

Thank you to everyone who came by and commented! Hope your Halloween was Spooktacular!

Posted in Contests, Giveaways, Halloween stories, Hearts at All Hallows' Eve, Historical Romance, Holiday Posts, Promotion, Winners, Winners | Tagged All Hallow's Eve Party Winners, Handful of Hearts series, Hearts at All Hallows' Eve, Jenna Jaxon | 1 Comment

Medieval Monday: First Encounter! ~ Jenna Jaxon’s Betrothal

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

First Meet!

is our theme for this round of Medieval Monday! And we’ve come to the end of this meme. In this last First Meet post you’ll see the final scene of the meeting of Lady Alyse de Courcy and Sir Geoffrey Longford.

This week, the final excerpt from

Jenna Jaxon’s

Betrothal

Excerpt:

Oh, Father, what have you done to me?

As they continued down the long side of the Hall, Geoffrey leaned over to ask, “Why so quiet, my lady? Are you in awe of me or merely stunned by the good fortune of our betrothal?”

Outraged by the conceited fool, Alyse opened her mouth to explain exactly how unimpressed she was, both with him and her so-called good fortune, but instead met eyes of darkest sapphire flickering with merriment at her indignation.

So the oaf has wits.

Blurb:

The heart can choose, but can it also change?

Lady Alyse de Courcy has fallen in love with Lord Braeton, a nobleman in King Edward III’s court and a man to whom she has barely spoken. Fate, however, has decreed her betrothal to his best friend, Sir Geoffrey Longford—a handsome and imposing knight, yet hardly the man she wants to wed.

When Sir Geoffrey is bound in betrothal by his father, he could not have expected the beautiful stranger to win his heart the moment they meet. But Alyse’s infatuation with his friend casts doubt on whether she can ever return his regard and their wedding day is fast approaching… Will he have time enough to win her love?

Buy Links:

Available at:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CF6UZFW

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/betrothal-jenna-jaxon/1115182506?ean=2940044481251

SMASHWORDS: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/307838

Titles in the Time Enough to Love Series:

Posted in Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged Betrothal, First Encounters, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, Time Enough to Love series | Leave a comment

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 11/05/17 Falling in Time~ Behemoth

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

This week I’m sharing from the book I’m revising as part of NaNoWriMo. Yeah, it may be a little outside the rules, but I’m expanding the novella by 50K words, so I think it works out the same. They have a badge for Rogue NaNos, so I’m going for it!

Anyway, its a time travel novella that was published in a boxed set several years ago, then called Crashing Through Time, now changed to Falling in Time. I’m turning it into a full length novel.

Scanning the open meadow, she spotted figures on horseback spread across the expanse of grass, the nearest one bearing down on her. Quickly. Turning on her heel, she raced toward the woods, not fifteen feet from her. Almost there. Almost… Her foot caught on one of the hills of churned up grass sending her sprawling, scraping knees and elbows in the coarse greensward and filling her nose with the fresh smell of newly cut grass.

She lay petrified, afraid to move as the earth shook around her. Above her the high-pitched whinny of a frightened horse. Dear God, she’d be crushed. Rolling sharply to her left she stared up at a chestnut behemoth rearing over top of her, its front legs sawing the air, its rear ones doing an impromptu dance like a Lipizzaner stallion.

BLURB for Falling in Time:

More than hearts can be broken when you fall through time.

Theatre professor Corinne MacGowan is in a sightseeing plane that crash lands in a field in Cornwall. She wanders away from the crash site, led by a strange buzzing in her head that is coming from a black well (think The Ring). She falls down the well and ends up in Cornwall in 1868 at the home of her Master’s thesis subject, playwright Sir Robert Graysill. She immediately meets Sir Robert’s nephew, Ian Hunterly, and once she comes to terms with the fact that she has fallen through time, realizes from her research that Ian is doomed to die within a matter of days. Can she save him and change history? Or let history run its course and lose the man she has come to care for?

Check out my Amazon Author page for all my works!

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.

Winners for the Halloween Party on my blog last Tuesday will be announced on my blog this coming Tuesday, Nov. 7. Prizes include: giveaways of copies of Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve, Only A Mistress Will Do, and a signed copy of Ella Quinn’s Three Weeks to Wed, plus gift cards! Stop by my blog Tuesday to find out if you won!

All Hallow’s Eve Party!

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

To celebrate my favorite holiday, Halloween, and the release of Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve, I’m giving away copies of the short story,

gift cards to Starbucks and Amazon,

signed copies of my most recent release, Only A Mistress Will Do,

and a signed copy of Ella Quinn’s Three Weeks to Wed, the first book in The Worthington series.

Just leave me a comment telling me what your favorite Halloween movie is and you’ll be entered for the drawing! My favorite one is not scary, but so much fun: Hocus Pocus!

And please consider signing up for my newsletter! I’ve got a HUGE announcement coming in November and my newsletter subscribers will get the news first. Plus: If you sign up today, you automatically receive a copy of Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve for FREE! Just click here!

Posted in Giveaways, Hearts at All Hallows' Eve, Holiday Posts, Only A Mistress Will Do, Promotion | Tagged A Handful of Hearts series, All Hallows' Eve, Ella Quinn, gift cards, Halloween Party, Hearts at All Hallows' Eve, Jenna Jaxon, Only A Mistress Will Do, Three Weeks to Wed | 13 Comments

Medieval Monday: First Encounter! ~ Laurel O’Donnell’s The Angel and the Prince

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

First Meet!

is our theme for this round of Medieval Monday!

Join us, our heroes and heroines and as we see that crucial first encounter with a couple meant to be together.

This week’s excerpt is from

Laurel O’Donnell’s

The Angel and the Prince

Excerpt:

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” Ryen snapped. “I asked for the numbers.”

“Two thousand archers and five thousand men at arms.”

Ryen smiled. This was valuable information. “Tell me of these archers; are they as good as everyone says?”

“Yes, they are good, but…” Bryce said, then his voice faltered.

“Go on. You must tell me all you know.”

“The archers…” he muttered, “the archers are ineffectual now. Many bowmen have died. It will take half a year to train more men to replace them.”

Ryen could barely control the laughter that bubbled in her throat. “Is Henry planning to attack France?”

Next week, Laurel will have the ending to this exciting scene! Join her at http://www.laurel-odonnell.com

Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a signed copy of The Angel and the Prince!

Blurb:

In this exciting medieval romance, the French lady knight known as the Angel of Death wages a battle of wills and desires against her dreaded enemy — the English warrior known as the Prince of Darkness.

Ryen De Bouriez is a French warrior, dedicated to protecting her country against the hated English. In place of glittering ball gowns, she wears shining armor. Instead of practicing the gentler arts, she wields a sword. Those who whisper her name in fear and awe call her the Angel of Death.

Bryce Princeton is the Prince of Darkness, an English knight sent by his king to find and destroy their most hated adversary — the Angel of Death. Little does he know that his enemy is no man at all, but a beautiful woman who will challenge his heart and honor at every turn.

Forced to choose between love and honor, the Angel and the Prince wage a battle of wills that challenges everything they have ever believed in.

Buy Links:

Available at Amazon.

And find my next installment of the first meet in Betrothal on Laurel’s blog today.

Posted in Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged First Encounters, historical romance, Laurel O'Donnell, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, The Angel and The Prince | 2 Comments

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 10/29/17 Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve~ “I Had No Brothers”

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

I’m sharing from the brand new short story I’ve just released for Halloween called Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve. It’s set in the world of my Handful of Hearts series and it will be FREE to those who sign up for my newsletter in October! Just click here. 🙂

Miss Cecilia Powell is attending her first masquerade on All Hallows’ Eve when she sees something just a little strange. A hooded figure in black begins to stalk toward her, a mysterious and handsome stranger in a glittering mask and black domino.

This snippet continues from last week’s. Cecilia and the mysterious stranger have finished their dance and the clock is striking midnight.

(Creative punctuation used liberally!)

“Indeed, I do, for your dancing gave you away,” she giggled again, nervous as the clock began to strike. “I believe I met and danced with your brother at Lady Hamilton’s ball in May–you whirl your partner in just the same breathtaking way he did.” Some of the lightness left her as she said, “I was very distressed when I heard he had—”

“Drowned?” The clock almost smothered his voice as it continued to chime the midnight hour.

“Yes, may I extend my belated condolences to you?” He must be grieving still, for his lips had tightened.

“I accept them with heartfelt gratitude, however, I fear you are mistaken.”

Was he not the new Lord Seaton after all?

“You see, I had no brothers.”

BLURB for Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve:

When Miss Cecilia Powell attends her very first masquerade on All Hallows’ Eve, she’s thrilled when a mysterious reveler pays court to her. As their encounter continues, Cecilia is charmed, then smitten with this masked stranger, even though she senses something odd about him. Is he truly the man of her dreams, or will Cecilia find her dream a true nightmare?

Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve is available at Amazon, B & N, and Smashwords, as well as other e-tailers.

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.

Halloween Party at my blog on Tuesday, with prizes: giveaways of copies of Hearts at All Hallows’ Eve, Only A Mistress Will Do, and a signed copy of Ella Quinn’s Three Weeks to Wed, plus gift cards! Stop by my blog and enter a comment for a chance to win!