Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless.

Medieval Monday: Celebration! ~ Barbara Bettis’s The Lady of the Forest

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Celebration!

is our theme for this round of Medieval Monday!

Join us as we celebrate weddings, holidays, and all manner of medieval events!

This week’s excerpt is from

Barbara Bettis’s

The Lady of the Forest

Excerpt:

In this excerpt, Henry has interrupted the wedding celebration at Stonehill Castle to challenge Mortimer’s right to marry Kate.

[Henry and his two friends] stalked into the hall where the lord held forth at the high table before the household left for the chapel. Kate sat at his right, the priest at his left.

“Sir Mortimer.” Henry’s voice boomed above the din. “Stand and answer my challenge.”

Mortimer lifted his head. “Lord Henry. Sit, break your fast before I wed my lady.” His oily tone did not match his hard set of jaw and narrowed eyes.

Henry ignored the words and continued across the floor. Mortimer rose but before he could speak, Henry leaped onto the dais.

“You have no right to demand Lady Katherine in marriage.” It took all Henry’s determination not to glance at Kate.

“I have an order from the king, granting me this holding and the lady as my bride.”

“I say the order does not exist.” A murmur rose from the people seated at the lower tables. Calling the lord a liar meant a fight. But no sounds arose of benches scraping back. Perhaps the soldiers awaited a signal. Henry stepped closer. “Produce this writ. Let me examine the seal.”

Dull red moved up Mortimer’s neck; his nostrils flared.

Henry sucked in a breath of satisfaction. He had him now. “You cannot. The people of Stonehill have been mistreated and their lady driven into hiding in fear for her life. You’ve lied and cheated, and you’ve taken part in a treasonous attempt to overthrow one of the king’s barons.”

He hadn’t known what to expect from Mortimer, but it wasn’t the self-satisfied upturn of the man’s mouth. Dread scraped a cold trail along Henry’s spine.

“You may be another baron and a pet of the king,” Mortimer said, “but that don’t make you always right, and that don’t keep you from facing a fight when you accuse an honest man of wrongdoing.”

He motioned to the priest, who stood and withdrew a section of parchment from a leather satchel beside him on the bench. It contained no seals.

Henry clenched his teeth. Why in the devil’s own hell hadn’t he considered the priest as the knight’s accomplice?

The churchman opened the document and at a nod from Mortimer, read. “Sir Mortimer of Corbeau, in gratitude for service, is granted the holding of Stonehill in Nottinghamshire…”

A loud buzzing in Henry’s ears blotted the words that followed. Satan’s backside! The writ existed. The parchment was stained and tattered, not the official document often used to dispense favors, but he’d seen Richard direct a clerk to scratch out such awards after a battle. They were rough and hurried, yet they carried the weight of the king’s power.

And they always carried his seal.

Where was the seal for this order?

Blurb:

When her elderly husband dies, Lady Katherine fakes her own death and disappears into the forest with others escaping the brutish new lord. Determined to protect her people, she knocks the wrong man senseless. But Lord Henry isn’t an enemy, he’s the brother of her childhood friend. Although his tender confidence tempts her, she’s bound by duty.

Henry of Chauvere has found the one lady he wants for his own, never mind she’s tied him hand and foot. When he learns the king has ordered her to wed Stonehill’s ruthless new master, he insists Kate seek haven with his sister. But she won’t desert her friends. Henry vows to solve her problem, provided he catches a traitor before the threat from Kate’s past catches her.

When a daring rescue compels Henry and Kate to join forces, their attraction grows into love. If only duty didn’t drive them apart.

Buy Links:

Buy Links: AMAZON: http://amzn.to/2czF6Fl

TWRP:http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=the+lady+of+the+forest&submit_search

Next week we begin a new cycle and a new theme, with a new format! Come back to this blog to begin a Medieval Monday blog hop, where you’ll follow all the snippets each week to get the whole story for the author you’re following. I start my snippet next week here, then I’ll tell you where my next snippet will be the following week and so on. Once it starts it’s going to be lots of fun!

Oh, and our new theme: VILLAINS!

Posted in Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged Barbara Bettis, Celebration theme, historical romance, Medieval Monday, medieval romance, The Lady of the Forest | 1 Comment

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 01/29/17 Only Scandal Will Do ~ “There will be Pleasure”

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

I’m back this week sharing snippets from the first book of the House of Pleasure series, Only Scandal Will Do. It’s one of my favorites of my books, and although many of you may remember it, I do want to share that 18th century world of Georgian England with you once more.

I began at the very beginning with an introduction to the heroine, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam, then moved on to the auction block, where Lady Katarina was perused by Duncan Ferrers, the Marquess of Dalbury. This week, their first meeting where Kat tries to convince him she’s a lady. (Very creatively punctuated to conform to WWW rules.)

“A lady in distress?” he laughed and straightened. “How did a lady come to find herself on display at an auction, scandalously clad in a transparent Greek costume, in Madame Vestry’s House of Pleasure?”

“House of Pleasure?” she squeaked.

“Where else would such a thing occur?” The masked man’s amusement seemed to deepen at her indignation. “And there will certainly be pleasure here tonight, slave.”

He ran a hand slowly down her arm, fingers trailing silkily against her bare flesh. Mouth agape at such a liberty, she slapped the hand away and ran for the door. With a long arm, he snared the diaphanous folds of her gown. The material strained against her body and Kat froze lest it rip, exposing her completely; cursing her own folly for choosing such a costume, she swung around to face her captor.

BLURB:

He has the woman of his dreams, but what price will he have to pay to win her heart?

Kidnapped and sold at auction in a London brothel, Lady Katarina Fitzwilliam squelches an undeniable attraction to the masked stranger who purchased her, pits her wits against him, and escapes him and the scandal that would ruin her life.

Unable to resist temptation in a London brothel, Duncan Ferrers, Marquess of Dalbury, purchases a fiery beauty. She claims she’s a lady, but how can she be? No lady of his acquaintance in polite society is anything like her. Then he discovers she is who she says, and that this latest romp has compromised her reputation. He knows how that is. One more scandal and he’ll be cast out of London society, but he needs a wife who’ll provide an heir to carry on his illustrious family’s name. He seeks out Katarina, intending only to scotch the scandal, but instead finds his heart ensnared. He’s betting their future he’ll capture her heart, but does he have what it takes to win the wager?

WARNING: A blade-wielding heroine who crosses swords with a master of sensuality.

Books in the House of Pleasure 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, House of Pleasure, House of Pleasure Series, On Only Scandal Will Do, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Only Scandal Will Do, Regency romance, The House of Pleasure series, Weekend Writing Warriors | 22 Comments

The Romance of Language: Word for the Week 1/27/17

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Monomachy:

“A duel.” from Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language, 1755.

Even though I’ve written about duels in my romance novels Only Scandal Will Do and the upcoming Only A Mistress Will Do, I had not come across this term for single combat. It is apparently from the Latin “monomachia,” taken from the Greek “monomakhia” (mono=single and makhia=fighting).

Although in my books duels are usually fought with swords, by this time duels could just as well occur using dueling pistols. In fact, next year’s Only Seduction Will Do will have a duel with pistols.

As I am a big fan of Hamilton The Musical, I

Hamilton-Burr duel

should feel remiss not mentioning that famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr was fought with pistols. And the American forefather seemed to be spoiling for “monomachies,” because in addition to this famous duel, Hamilton himself received/issued almost a dozen challenges to duel and his son, Philip, was killed in a duel.

And here is the song from Hamilton: “The Ten Duel Commandments”:

Posted in Romance of Language | Tagged duel, forgotten words, Hamilton the Musical, Hamilton-Burr duel, historical words, Jenna Jaxon, monomachy, Romance of Language, Ten Duel Commandments | 4 Comments

Be My Guest! ~ Author Interview with Alexandra Christle

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Hello, and welcome to my new feature for 2017.

I’ve begun a Wednesday weekly post to present interviews with authors across all romance genres. Although I’m primarily an historical romance writer, I do read outside my genre and suspect a lot of you do as well. And what’s more fascinating than finding out more about either your favorite authors or new ones? I plan to change up my questions (most of them at least) every three months or so, just to keep the interviews lively.

So now gather round the tea table, grab a scone or cookies, and a cup of tea or coffee and discover a new friend in the writing world.

This week on Be My Guest, I am so very excited to have my BFF, Alexandra Christle here. Alex and I joined Chesapeake Romance Writers on the very same day and over the years have come to enjoy a wonderful friendship. Although Alex has been writing for much longer than I have, she’s just recently gotten a contract for her first book with Deeds Publishing, and is celebrating the release of her first book this coming weekend! So come on in and meet Alex!

Who was the first romance author and book you read?

Sandra Brown – probably her Texas Trilogy

Who has been the greatest influence on your writing?

My friends from Chesapeake Romance Writers – too many to name. But they’ve encouraged me, inspired me with their successes (and failures), and pushed me when I was about to give up. Without CRW, I wouldn’t be on this blog interview right now. (Thank you, Jenna!)

And Elizabeth Sinclair and Cappy Rearick, who, 20 years ago, believed in me.

Aww, thank you, Alex! But who or what inspires your writing?

Events – I like finding unusual tidbits and weaving a story around them.

Kind of like you did in Between Nowhere and Lost. Okay. I’ve done that myself.

Which of your own books is your favorite and why?

Hitchin’ (coming out this summer, hopefully). It’s partially autobiographical, except I don’t know anyone in the Mafia. Lol I have, however, met people who were in the DEA and FBI

If you could have one wish granted just for you (not world peace, LOL), what would you wish for?

Living closer to my grandchildren, which is something I plan to do.

You’re going to leave me? Oh, the humanity. 🙂

What is the most exciting/daredevil thing you’ve ever done?

Skydiving. Scared the **** out of me and I said I’d never do it again, but if I had the chance now, I would.

I would have died of a heart attach on the way down. *smh*

Who is your favorite non-romance genre author? What is your favorite book of theirs?

I have lots – I like thrillers, so I read David Baldacci, William Bernhardt, Vince Flynn, Michael Palmer. I also love Tami Hoag, who started as a romance writer.

My, my, you do read a lot! Now, tell us a little bit about one of your books.

Between Nowhere and Lost is a love story…not a genre romance. It takes place in the 1960s and deals with racial issues and textile unions. It’s Bridges of Madison County combined with Norma Rae.

What was your inspiration for this story?

I found some information about Darlington Manufacturing Company, a textile union that voted to go union in the 1950s. The owner closed the mill. It’s a heartbreaking event and it touched me deeply.

Just like you said above. So, do you have plans for a sequel to this book?

No, unless my readers demand it. 😉

Consider yourself demanded! It was a great story and I’d like to hear more!

Now, the Infamous Lightning Round: (Choose 5-6 of the questions below)

What is your favorite amusement park ride?

None, and I HATE roller coasters. I will never ride Space Mountain again. I worked at Disney World back in the early 80s.

Tea or coffee?

I like both – mint-flavored green tea is great, but I need my morning coffee.

Beach or mountains?

I love both, but if I could only have one, I’d have to take the ocean.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate! Dark! On or with anything!

Blond, brunette or redhead? (preferred men’s hair color)

Brunette. I have to really push myself to give a male character light hair. (Although Chris Hemsworth could make me change my mind. LOL)

Would you rather skydive or scuba dive?

Skydive. If I’m going to die, going splat would be faster than drowning. LOL

Would you rather vacation in Hawaii, Vegas or London?

I’d like to just take a vacation, period. Want to go with me?

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…any time! LOL

Now let’s give our readers a taste of your love story!

BLURB:

1960s housewife Helen Hodges has reconciled herself to a quiet, childless life in a small South Carolina mill town, but when she has a happenstance encounter with David Drummond, the mill owner’s son, her repressed longings for a child are reawakened and discontent floods over her. David is immediately taken with Helen, but tries, without success, to focus on his problems at the mill and the union takeover looming over his plant.

As the union fight becomes heated, racial tensions emerge and the town is polarized; violence breaks out and the situation intensifies, putting David in danger. Helen’s husband, the union representative, becomes David’s unlikely guardian, and although on opposite sides of the issue, the two men become friends. And as Helen is torn between her duty to her husband and her desire to be with David, as well as reconciling herself with her Catholic faith, events escalate until she learns some life-changing news and rushes to tell David before he leaves town, and her life…forever.

EXCERPT:

Dina gave her mouth an exaggerated twist. In fact, she never did anything that wasn’t exaggerated. She was my closest and, quite possibly, only friend in Mayfield. “Helen, you can’t give these kids everything they want. You’re their mother, not their friend.”

My head snapped around. “I’m not anyone’s mother.”

My tone caught her off-guard. She held up her hands, palms toward me. “You know what I mean. You can’t be their buddy. They’ll take advantage of you.” She relented somewhat. “Okay, then. Maybe one game. Teach her a lesson, anyway.” She leaned back in her chair and eyed me. I averted my gaze under her scrutiny. “What’s got you so bummed out?”

“Aren’t you meeting Jake for dinner? Don’t you need to go?”

“No. Spill it.”

My mouth scrunched. Keeping my emotions in check had never before been so difficult, but I’d never had reason to be so…discontent. My tone became defensive. “I am not, as you put it, ‘bummed out’. I’m merely…” I searched for an appropriate substitution.

“Depressed? Thinking about kids again?”

I stared at the pale yellow concrete block wall behind her, imagined my finger tracing down and across the lines of grout between each block. She waited patiently for me to speak. “No. Not this time.” I paused, debating. “Fine. I met a man.”

She straightened. “What do you mean, you ‘met’ a man? You have a man. His name is Harold. What kind of man? Where?”

“He was lost.”

“This is the sixties. Everyone is lost. What was he, a hippie? Was he driving a Volkswagen bus with flowers on it? I suppose he was trying to find himself.”

I clucked. “Not that kind of lost. Geographically. He pulled into my drive and asked for directions.”

“Did you tell him the commune is four hundred miles to the north?”

I rolled my eyes. “To Mayfield, nitwit,” thinking my use of her standard verbiage might ease up this onslaught of questions.

Instead, her eyes narrowed. “Harmless enough.”

“It was, until I asked him over for dinner.”

She sucked in a breath. “You didn’t!”

The office door flew open and the boys’ gym teacher stuck his head in the room. “You locking up, Deen?”

“I got it. Later, gator.”

He yanked the door shut behind him and was probably halfway across the gym before his muted ‘bye’ reached our ears.

“So you asked him over for dinner? And you didn’t think Harold would notice?”

“He’s in Connecticut, at one of the other plants.”

“Convenient. All right, lay it on me.”

I told her the entire sordid story, prudently omitting the part about wanting to kiss him.

“You want to kiss him, don’t you? Helen Hodges, I never would’ve believed it. You’re thinking about having an affair.”

Between Nowhere and Lost is available on Amazon.

Please please save the date next Wednesday when I’ll be sitting down with one of my favorite writers, Cara Bristol. No, she’s not historical romance. Head the other way–out into the future or space or perhaps another reality with kick-ass technology and gorgeous cyborgs! Hope I’ve got your mouth watering, so don’t forget next week!

Posted in Author/Character Interviews, Be My Guest, Interviews, Promotion | Tagged 1960s love story, Alexandra Christle, author interview, Be My Guest, Between Lost and Nowhere, Bridges of Madison County, Jenna Jaxon, love story, Norma Rae, vintage | 16 Comments

“A Pirate’s Life for Me” by Gina Danna

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Pirates. With Hollywood giving us pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow, what’s not to like? He’s adorable with a wit. But with the return of Starz’s Black Sails, pirates take a turn for the dark side of violence and blood, all for coin, which is spent immediately on drink and whores till they are broke and they start on the hunt for more treasure again.

Yet why would English sailors turn pirates and attack their own country? The English used privateers during the war against France and Spain in the 17th century by giving these men a letter of marque, allowing them to hunt Britain’s enemy without retribution and required the privateers to pay the crown a percentage on riches taken. Unfortunately, at the end, they saw that privateer had turned pirate, attacking more than enemy ships. With this monster on their hands, they shoved these men away, calling them criminals, leaving them adrift. Men like Flint, Long John Silver and the rest of the pirate stories of war against the English show the dark side, the true reality of the world of pirates. It is a violent world.

Set free of England as unfit for English society, pirates flourished during the 17th to 19th centuries. The English Royal Navy was a harsh place to work. Officers were appointed, mostly out of the nobility. Their crew was held in line with harsh, often extremely cruel laws and punishments, so recruiting was hard, so hard they had to ‘press’ men into service. It was not smooth sailing, so when pirates attacked and offered the sailors the ‘opportunity’ to ‘get on the account’, the phrase to take up piracy, many jumped at it.

The world of piracy was one of the original democracies of history. Anyone, regardless of

Circa 1715, Captain Edward Teach (1680 – 1718), better known as Blackbeard, a pirate who plundered the coasts of the West Indies, North Carolina and Virginia. His hair is woven with flaming fuses to increase his fearsome appearance. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

his or her origins or sex, could become a pirate. Pirates did not believe in racist views. Many times, they raided slave ships off the coast of Africa because 1. Those ships had a small crew with members who would join them, 2. The slaver ships were large with a large hold that pirates could readily use and 3. They’d free the slaves (most did verses selling them) and some of those Africans, too far from shore, would also join the account.

How did one become a captain as a pirate? Those who did earned the trust of the crew. A captain could be easily replaced if he didn’t bring them large treasures to take or he lost their trust. On a ship, all slept together with only the captain taking a singular cabin. All could be brought to account easily by the crew.

In This Love of Mine, our pirate captain is on the verge of losing his position because his mission is to find the man responsible for the death of his wife. Sometimes, the ships he has them raid hold little worth, making his crew unhappy and put him on the verge of losing his position.

The fear of women onboard ships is a fear that has held across all shipping lines, navy to pirate, and prevalent through centuries. Even during World War II, the Waves, who were the women naval reserves, were not on the ships because that fear was strong. Since all navy personnel are assigned to ships, these women were assigned to ships that had been sunk in the Potomac River during the American Civil War. So Eleanor’s presence on the ship sent the pirates on edge. Considering women could become pirates, even leaders, like Ann Bonny, the irony of fearing women onboard is an oddity.

Piracy had its supposed glory days during the 17th to early 18th centuries but it still exists. To get a glimpse of their world, join Eleanor, James and Trent in This Love of Mine.

Blurb:

England 1810

Kidnapped on a trip to London, Lady Eleanor Whitmore awakes in the hold of a ship with no memory of her past or of her perfect marriage to Lord James Haddington III, Earl of Windhaven. All she knows is that a fierce and stunningly handsome pirate is yelling about women being bad luck on a voyage. Adrift at sea in both body and mind, she finds herself falling in love with the pirate captain, whose flashing eyes and muscular frame leave her breathless.

Lord James resisted the shackles by marriage until he met Eleanor. Her beauty and charms captured his heart, and now that she’s disappeared, he vows he will find her or die trying. His search becomes a chase to the New World, a trip that could destroy him as Eleanor’s bonds with a pirate captain tighten. Can James provoke her memory and win her love, or will the pirate steal her heart forever…

This Love of Mine is available at the following e-tailers:

Kindle – http://amzn.to/2iKYcJQ

Kobo – http://bit.ly/2iyOxGG

iBook – http://apple.co/2jvUx2g

B&N (paperback) – http://bit.ly/2jgvAuu

Amazon (paperback) – http://amzn.to/2jJhG1l

Nook – http://bit.ly/2jvj5Jr

Author Bio:

A USAToday Bestselling author, Gina Danna was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and has spent the better part of her life reading. History has always been her love and she spent numerous hours devouring historical romance stories, always dreaming of writing one of her own. After years of writing historical academic papers to achieve her undergraduate and graduate degrees in History, and then for museum programs and exhibits, she found the time to write her own historical romantic fiction novels.

Now, under the Texas sun and with the supervision of her three dogs, she writes amid a library of research books, with her only true break away is to spend time with her other life long dream – her Arabian horse – with him, her muse can play.

Find Gina Here:

www.ginadanna.com

FB – http://www.facebook.com/GinaDannaAuthor

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/GinaDanna1

Posted in Guest Posts, On Regency Romance, Promotion | Tagged 19th century pirates, Gina Danna, piracy, pirate romance, pirate's life, Regency romance, This Love of Mine | 13 Comments

Medieval Monday: Celebration! ~ Mary Morgan’s A Magical Highland Solstice

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Celebration!

is our theme for this round of Medieval Monday!

Join us as we celebrate weddings, holidays, and all manner of medieval events!

This week’s excerpt is from

Mary Morgan’s

A Magical Highland Solstice

Excerpt:

Cormac’s stomach protested fiercely as he descended the stairs. He had eaten little on his journey with Eve—happily content to watch her munch on an apple, or nibble on bread and cheese. She chatted between bites, her hands flying about to match her liveliness. When she complained he had not eaten anything, he relented. He watched in fascination as she wedged cheese and apple slices between the two pieces of bread she tore off for him. It was the most glorious meal he had ever eaten. However, his heart almost stopped beating when she nearly cut her finger with his sgian dubh.

As he attempted to snatch the blade from her hand, she smacked him away, informing him she knew how to handle a knife.

He chuckled at the memory and nearly collided with the golden-haired beauty coming toward him.

“Yikes! I’m sorry, Cormac.” She grabbed his arm, trying to steady the trencher with her other hand.

He lifted the item from her hand as it was about to tumble free. “My pardons. My thoughts were elsewhere.” Inhaling the aroma, he asked, “Wild boar with mushrooms and onions?”

“You have guessed correctly, Laird Cormac.”

He arched a brow. “We are feasting grandly with only a few days before the Yule?”

Eve glanced over his shoulder and behind her before stepping close, as if she was about to pass along some great secret. “They’re experimenting with new mushrooms and herbs from Cathal. I heard it on good authority that a certain laird must approve the dish.” She gave him a wink.

Cormac inspected the dish and then lifted his finger.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she protested, smacking his hand away.

Lifting the trencher high over his head, he replied, “Remember, I am the laird, aye?”

Eve fisted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “And because you are the leader of the clan, you must show some respect.”

His gaze raked over her face and settled on her lips. “I will concede defeat, but only if ye grant me a kiss.”

Her cheeks flushed as she looked around the corridor. “Here?”

“Aye.” As Cormac stepped closer, Eve moved backward.

“What if…someone sees us?”

Cormac’s smiled turned predatory. “All I asked for was a kiss, nae to plunder your body.”

When her back hit the wall, she parted her lips. “One kiss only?”

He arched a brow, understanding her meaning. “I beg for only one. Yet, later, I shall demand many more.”

“Then take your kiss, my laird,” she whispered.

Slowly, Cormac lowered his mouth to hers, and a moan of pleasure slipped through her lips. Powerful, hungry desire spiraled through him as her tongue invaded him, seeking, stroking. He growled, taking all she had to offer. When one of her hands wrapped around his neck, he deepened the kiss. He was lost in her touch, her lips, and Cormac burned for more.

Finally breaking free, Cormac found he was the one trembling.

“Is your arm getting tired?” she asked, breathing heavily as her hand slipped across his shoulder.

“Nae.”

She gave him a gentle push back and stepped away from his embrace. “Good. I’ll relieve you of the trencher, though I’ll make sure to place it near you.”

Obliging, Cormac handed her the trencher of food. As he strolled away, he said, “Ye may inform Moira and the others I approve of the meat.”

Eve glanced over her shoulder at him. “Now why would I lie? You haven’t tasted the food?”

“Och, but I have, fair Eve. From your lips.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

Cormac roared with laughter. “I shall leave it to ye to help me make amends for my bad habits, Lady Eve.”

She snorted and walked into the Great Hall.

“By the hounds…what have ye done to me, sweet lass?”

Blurb:

Laird Cormac Murray has witnessed how love destroyed his own father after the death of his mother, and he vows to never take a wife. Yet, when he comes upon a bewildered lass traveling alone, he finds his heart will no longer listen to his mind. In the end, Cormac risks everything to claim the love of a woman not of his time.

Eve Brannigan loves helping others and baking. After winning a contest, she is stunned to learn that the Clan Murray has requested her assistance to cater to their guests during the holiday season. When a lost path in Scotland leads her to a handsome but gruff Highlander, Eve fights the temptation to allow love to enter her heart for the first time.

Can the Fae and the magic of the Yule season bring together two souls who have forsaken love? Or will tragedies from the past separate the lovers forever?

Buy Link:

Amazon BN Kobo Apple iBooks

Posted in Medieval Monday, Medieval Romance, Promotion | Tagged A Magical Highland Solstice, Celebration theme, historical romance, Mary Morgan, Medieval Monday, medieval romance | 1 Comment

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 01/22/17 Only A Mistress Will Do ~ A Matter of Necessity

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

I couldn’t resist switching to my April 2017 release, Only A Mistress Will Do, this week because Friday I had the cover reveal for it and just had to show off the cover! Next week I’ll return to Scandal, although I’ll return to Mistress before its release.

This is part of the beginning of Only a Mistress Will Do, so I hope you’ll enjoy meeting Miss Violet Carlton, a woman facing a horrifying decision: become a prostitute in order to live or retain respectability and starve. (Creative punctuation used to conform to the WWW rules.)

“I would like to speak with Madame Vestry, please.” Perhaps she should have waited until later in the morning; such an establishment would obviously keep late hours, but the ache in her belly had forced her here as soon as the sun had risen.

“She’s still sleep. Come back later today.” He started to push the door closed but Violet rammed her boot between it and the jamb. The boy kept shoving, squeezing her foot until she winced in pain, but she gritted her teeth, put her shoulder to the door and pushed back. If she didn’t do this now, she wouldn’t have the courage, or the strength, to come back.

“I need to see her now,” she raised her voice, and threw her weight against the rough boards. Despite her small stature, she was stronger, for he staggered back and she fell into a narrow back foyer with a row of coat hooks and the devastating yeasty smell of baking bread. Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled; she hadn’t eaten for days.

BLURB:

The man of her dreams…belongs to another woman.

Destitute and without friends, Violet Carlton is forced to seek employment at the House of Pleasure in London. She steels herself for her first customer and is shocked when the man rescues her instead of ravishing her. A grateful Violet cannot help but admire the handsome Viscount Trevor. But she must curb her desire for the dashing nobleman she can never have because he is already betrothed to another . . .

Tristan had gone to the House of Pleasure for a last bit of fun before he became a faithful married man. But when he recognizes the woman in his bed, he becomes determined to save her instead. Now, his heart wars with his head as he falls for the vulnerable courtesan. Unable to break his betrothal without a scandal, Tris resolves to find Violet proper employment or a husband of her own. Still, his arms ache for Violet, urging him to abandon propriety and sacrifice everything to be with the woman he loves. . . .

Only A Mistress Will Do is available for pre-order on

Amazon and B & N.

Books in the House of Pleasure 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, House of Pleasure, House of Pleasure Series, On Weekend Writing Warriors, Only A Mistress Will Do, Promotion, Weekend Writing Warriors | Tagged Georgian romance, historical romance, Jenna Jaxon, Only A Mistress Will Do, Regency romance, The House of Pleasure series, Weekend Writing Warriors | 25 Comments

Cover Reveal: Only A Mistress Will Do

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

At long last, I have the cover for my third Georgian romance in The House of Pleasure series, Only A Mistress Will Do. Kensington has changed the style for a new look and the rest of the series will follow suit shortly.

The man of her dreams…belongs to another woman.

Only A Mistress Will Do is available for pre-order on

Amazon and B & N.

It will release on April 4, 2017.

Other books in The House of Pleasure series:

Posted in Cover Art, Cover Reveal, Historical Romance, New Release, Only A Mistress Will Do, The House of Pleasure | Tagged cover reveal, Georgian romance, Jenna Jaxon, Only A Mistress Will Do, Regency romance, secret lover, The House of Pleasure series | 6 Comments

The Romance of Language: Word for the Week 1/20/17

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

This week’s word is somehow very apropos to my way of thinking.

Bubbleable:

“Capable of being duped.” from T. Lewis Davies Supplementary English Glossary, 1881.

Depiction of final scene of The Beggar’s Opera where all the women have been duped by Macheath

Further looking up duped, I came up with “a person who is easily deceived or fooled.” And “A person who unquestioningly or unwittingly serves a cause or another person.”

So many women in the Regency. . .well, to be fair, in all periods, managed to become dupes of men who used them and then moved on to something or someone else, leaving the women ruined. So they would have been “bubbleable” indeed.

Posted in Romance of Language | Tagged Bubbleable, duped, forgotten words, historical words, Jenna Jaxon, Romance of Language | 1 Comment

Be My Guest! ~ Author Interview with Viviana Mackade

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Jenna Jaxon

Hello, and welcome to my new feature for 2017.

So now gather round the tea table, grab a scone or cookies, and a cup of tea or coffee and discover a new friend in the writing world.

This week on Be My Guest, I have one of my newer online friends, author Viviana Mackade. I met Vivi rather recently through a shared online writer’s group and we’ve hit it off famously. So I was thrilled when she told me she wanted to Be My Guest!

Beach bum and country music addicted, Viviana lives in a small Floridian town with her husband and her son, her die-hard fans and personal cheer squad. She spends her days between typing on her beloved keyboard, playing in the pool with her boy, and eating whatever her husband puts on her plate (the guy is that good, and she really loves eating). Besides beaching, she enjoys long walks, horse-riding, hiking, and pretty much whatever she can do outside with her family.

Find me:

On my website www.viviana-mackade.com On FB On Twitter On Goodreads

Welcome, Viviana! I’m so happy to see you here today!

Now, let’s start off with an easy one: Who is your favorite romance hero or heroine and why? What qualities do they possess that make them memorable?

Oh, wow. That’s a tough one. I couldn’t pick just one. I loved many Heroes and Heroines for different reasons… such a book slut. The common factor is energy, wherever that comes from. The people I like (both in this reality and in a story’s), have to have some sparkle. I don’t care if it’s physical, mental, if it comes from loving their job, a hobby. There has to be something brewing within them.

Sorry to have begun with a tough one. Okay, so then maybe this will be easier: Who or what inspires your writing?

Anything. A story can come up from a newspaper, a lazy afternoon at the beach where you can sit back and think, a song. A fight. Sometimes the characters speak to me and tell me their story, other times the story comes up and I discover the people in it as I go.

That sounds a lot like me, Vivi. I can get an idea from almost anything. So then, what is your favorite holiday and why?

I love Thanksgiving. Not per se, but because my son was born around that time. I remember being pregnant and getting closer the Massimo-day, and everything was getting ready for Thanksgiving. It was so happy, the world around me–bright oranges, the cozy browns, the falling leaves (fake, because we don’t get falling leaves here. But still..), the flowers. It was like the world wanted to welcome my boy, and every year since.

Oh, how lovely! 🙂 If you could have one wish granted just for you (not world peace, LOL), what would you wish for?

Just for me, so nothing about my family. Mh, let me think. Uh, I got one. To have my books, past, present, and future, made into movies. I already have the casts lined up, and the soundtracks. My characters are real of course, but that would give them so much more! I’d love for them to have that experience, and that reach. Not all would be happy about that, I’m sure. Some had trouble with me butting into their lives, but it would be cool anyway.

What an absolutely perfect wish! I think I’m going to steal it if I ever run across a genie in a bottle! Now, what is the most exciting/daredevil thing you’ve ever done?

Leaving Italy so many years ago with nothing but a suitcase and my husband (then boyfriend), and move to the UK. Fresh out of college, no money, no job, no home. Little to none English. Best, smartest, and pee-in-your-pants jump I’ve ever made.

Wow. That did take guts to go off to a country with no money, where you didn’t know the language. Whew! Talk about daredevil! Maybe more on the quiet side, do you have any hobbies/passions outside of writing?

Horses, anything that has to do with them. Not just riding, although I do love that. Hanging out with them is enough. And the beach. A ride on the beach is sheer perfection

I can so picture that now. And who is your favorite non-romance genre author? What is your favorite book of theirs?

Ah, so, so many. Let’s see if I can skin it down a bit. Edward Rutherford (London and Dublin), Ken Follett (The Pillar of the Earth), Clive Cussler (Treasure), Wilbur Smith (Desert God), James Patterson (Along Came a Spider), Umberto Eco (The Name of the Rose). Yeah, too many.

That sounds like me trying to narrow down the field. LOL

Now let’s turn toward your books. What was your inspiration for your last story?

Andrea, the heroine of She Came With The Tide, had escaped a cult her parent had joined when she was young and had been on the run ever since. The idea came when I saw a documentary about cults from the prospective of a girl who got out. It was hard to watch, harder to understand, and it must have been even worst for Andrea, because it hadn’t been her decision. I thought of Erik when I listened to a Luke Bryan’s interview. He was so sunny, and had a big smile in his voice, and I thought a man like him would be perfect for Andrea. Erik is very laid back and cool (he was a rock star, after all), loves to have fun, and knows how to enjoy the benefit of hard work. So I played matchmaker, and here we are.

What a great story! And I like the names Erik and Andrea. I am a fanatic about my character names. Are these character names special in any way?

Of course. There’s so much in it. In Italy we say Nomen Omen, your destiny is in your name. That’s why I want a name that really speaks of my character. Family history can come playing into the choice, so the melody of the name, but is the essence I care about. It takes me a long time to find out a character’s name, but it’s worth it.

Do you have plans for a sequel to this book?

Actually, I do. I have different stories set in Crescent Creek, Erik’s town. I’ll stick around there for a while, see in what trouble the townsfolk stumble upon.

Now, the Infamous Lightning Round:

What is your favorite amusement park ride?

Sea World. I’m not a roller coaster kind of gal, so there are plenty of other things to do for me while my husband puts his stomach to the test. Crazy dude. It’s never too fast for him.

Tea or coffee?

Depends. Coffee in the morning, Earl Grey in the afternoon.

French manicure or color (and if color, what color)?

Color. Something glittery in some lilac shade. It takes too long for the French thing. And I do it myself, because I don’t have the patience to go somewhere, wait, do the whole thing, go back home… Nah, too long.

Beach or mountains?

Beach in summer, mountain in winter.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Come on. Chocolate. Lindt is my favorite, dark with chilly or milk chocolate.

Boxers, briefs or commando? (preferred for your heroes)

Brief.

Blond, brunette or redhead? (preferred men’s hair color)

Redhead. They usually come with freckles and I love those, too (incidentally, my husband used to be ginger. He’s darker now, more mahogany, but his beard still carries the red. And he has freckles. A lot. Yum.).

Would you rather skydive or scuba dive?

I’d rather chop off my pinky fingers (all 4, and I’m fond of them) than skydive. Scuba dive all the way. Which I actually do with my brother in law.

Would you rather vacation in Hawaii, Vegas or London?

I lived one-and-a-half-hour east of London for 5 years. I went (and didn’t quite understand) Vegas. And I live in Florida (it might not be Hawaii, but it’s darn good in the same beachy way. Go Gators). Sooo… I’ll ride the nostalgia wave and pick London. It’s a fantastic city, by the way. The British Museum rocks.

What’s the one thing you would never do?

I would never say never. Circumstances make all the difference, time and places change, nothing is ever the same. Today I might say I would never do something, and tomorrow that thing exactly what I have/need/want to do.

Thank you so much for coming by today, Vivi. I’ve had such fun talking with you. But I guess we should let the others take a peek at She Came with the Tide in the Rock Stars: Our Songs boxed set.

BLURB:

He’s impulsive, fearless, and fun loving.

Erik Axelsson, Ax, had it all: talent, fame, money. He’d lived the rock & roll life fully and with gusto until it wasn’t fun anymore. Without a second thought, he’d traded the spotlight with the Floridian sun, and the guitar with a surfboard. Young, rich, and free from anything – what more he could need?

She’s innocent, scared, and in trouble.

Andrea Smith escaped the life imposed to her when her parents joined a cult. After years on the run, hunger pushed her to accept a stranger’s offer for breakfast. She had no clue her life changed with that simple ‘yes’.

But the past catches up with her, forcing Andrea to choose what person she wants to be: the scared cult member that obeyed in silence, or the new woman Erik made blossom.

EXCERPT:

She took a step back to look at him in the eyes when he towered in front of her.

“Andrea?”

“Thank you for everything, Erik. It’s more than anyone has ever done for me.” She had to stop and clear her voice. Those words burned and scorched more than a thousand flames. “It’s time for me to leave. I’m sure you understand.”

He ran his fingers through his pale gold mane, scratched his head, frowned as he looked outside for a second. “You can be sure I don’t.”

“I’m sorry about that, but–”

“But what? Is it the itch of the road? Because believe me, baby, I know all about that.”

“No, it’s not that.” Far from it.

He opened his arms, just as wide as his sapphire eyes. “Then what the hell is it? All the secrecy, the half words.” He walked to the fridge, took a bottle of cranberry juice, closed the door with a slam that made the inside of the fridge rattle. Then he faced her again. “I opened my house to you.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“You’re right. My bad. Regardless, I’m sure I deserve a teeny-tiny bit of trust. Or, at the very least, a goodbye.” His eyes leveled with hers as he leaned over. “You were sneaking out, weren’t you, Pixie?”

“No.”

“Lousy, lousy liar.”

“Why are you so mad?” she managed and was surprised to see the same question in his eyes.

“Just because.”

She’d be damned if she let the tears go. It didn’t matter if his eyes had lost the heat of anger and turned a soft blue. It didn’t matter if he stretched his hand, only to brush the back of his finger along her cheek. “I know you’re in trouble. Trust me, Andrea. Please.”

“Why,” she managed through a shaky voice. “Why are you going through all this trouble for me?”

He shrugged.

That made her chuckle through the tears. “That’s not an answer.”

“Neither are yours.”

She closed her eyes. Tired. She was so tired. Of running, of loneliness, of fear. What he offered was not a solution because there wasn’t any. He was ready to give her some relief, support, a shoulder that would help to take the edge off the past years and it was more than she’d ever had.

Andrea took his hand, big and warm and strong, in hers. “Come sit with me.”

You can buy She Came with the Tide and the whole Rock Stars boxed set at Amazon.

Please please save the date next Wednesday when I’ll be introducing you to my BFF, Alexandra Christle whose very first published book is coming out on January 28! I’m even going to the launch party! Her forte is mainstream/vintage settings and enough romantic elements to break your heart. You’re not going to want to miss this!