Jocelynn Drake's Blog: Announcements, page 13

2019 Brings a Great New Adventure

2018 was amazing. Somehow Rinda and I managed to write seven novels or novellas together. In addition, I wrote a solo novel and another Christmas novella.

What a lot of people might not realize is that I was doing that while working a full-time job.

Yes, for roughly 20 years, I’ve worked in the financial industry. I have placed trades, explained dividends and retirement planning strategies. I written more articles about stocks than I can count. I edited even more than that. Insanely, I’ve also been on TV, radio, and interviewed for magazines.

In short, I’ve had a great career and been lucky to have experienced so much.

But by my count, I’ve also had a pretty damn good career as an author.

And to start 2019, I’m cutting back to just one career.

At the end of 2018, I stepped down as Editorial Director and I’m now focusing my attention on being an author full time. It’s not entirely a clean break. I’m still doing a little freelance work on the finance side (mostly because I love my team and the financial industry pays well).

But the majority of my day will now be dedicated to cooking up new, crazy adventures with Rinda. We’ve got some great books planned for Unbreakable Bonds as well as some fun for Pineapple Grove. We are going to start working on the audiobooks for Unbreakable Bonds to go with Ward Security audiobooks! We will also be batting around some new and different ideas for books.

I will be writing the next book for the Exit Strategy series. I’m can’t wait to spend time with Justin and Gabriel.

Of course, while I’m taking on one new adventure, my husband and I have decided to tackle a second.

We are MOVING!

We’ve lived in South Florida for five years and loved it. The summers were a little intense, but winters were magical and we made so many wonderful friends. But we are ready to try something new.

At the end of January, we are moving to Colorado!

My first visit to Colorado in 2017 for the GRL Retreat gave me a small taste of the state. We returned last summer for a longer visit and we both fell in love. We wandered around Denver, Boulder, Estes Park, and Vail. And it was incredibly hard to leave.

We will be in the Denver area with a great view of the mountains. We’re planning lots hiking and sightseeing. And I’m hoping that the change of scenery will churn up some new book ideas.

The move means that I might be out of communication at the end of the month. My schedule will be a little erratic in January as I attempt to get things packed and the freelance work settled. But by February, we will be settled into our new life.

Here’s to an amazing new year!

Something About Jace Is Out!

Are you tired of the winter and cold already? Then take a trip to Pineapple Grove, Florida. It's time to meet Jace Townsend and his friends.

Yes, Rinda and I are happy to announce that SOMETHING ABOUT JACE, book 1 of the Pineapple Grove series is now out! If you've not heard about Jace and his friends yet, now is the perfect time to jump in.

Here's a quick description of the new book:

Gallery owner Jace Townsend loves his tiny hometown of Pineapple Grove, deep in South Florida. His life is filled with sunshine, blue skies, jogging on the beach with his dog, and the greatest friends a guy could want. What more could he ask for?

Love would be a great start. After his last relationship fell apart, Jace has begun to wonder if he’s ever going to find someone who would fit into his quiet life.

Of course, the last person who would fit into his life is a major movie star.

Trent Elrige is drowning. He’s constantly on the go from one movie obligation to the next. And after the last stalker got a little too close for comfort, Trent decides it’s time to take a step back and figure out what he’s doing with his life.

Pineapple Grove seemed the perfect spot to hide for six months and figure out his future. He just wasn’t expecting to be tackled by love so quickly.

But now that he’s found Jace, is he willing to risk everything he’s worked so hard for? And is Jace willing to walk away from his precious Pineapple Grove to be with Trent?

Ready to jump in? Great! Click here to pick up your copy now!

But wait... there's more!

Rinda and I were so excited to launch this new series that we decided to also write a novella to give away for FREE!

Since you're already planning to pick up SOMETHING ABOUT JACE, go ahead and grab a free copy of DREW & MR. GRUMPY too!

Here's a quick description of that fun novella:

Drew Hopkins has had his eye on chef, Carson Mills, since he took the job at Wilton Cottage Bed & Breakfast. He’s always finding reasons to visit the kitchen to flirt with the sexy big guy, hoping to catch his interest.

Carson wants nothing to do with the tempting front desk manager even if Drew is cute as hell. He tried romance with a coworker, and it cost him everything.

When Drew’s flirting finally gets to him, the grumpy chef snaps and says something he truly regrets.

Hurt, Drew withdraws completely, and it doesn’t take Carson long to realize he’d been more tempted than even he knew.

You can get your free copy of this novella here.

Happy reading!!

Something About Jace Cover Reveal

Hold on tight! Rinda and I are taking a detour to the beach with our new series, Pineapple Grove.

If you missed the announcement, you can catch up on all the details here, but the short of it is that Rinda and I are launching a new books series that is separate from Unbreakable Bonds and Ward Security.

Think beach, blue skies, and some sexy fun in the sun.

And we are happy to announce that the first book, SOMETHING ABOUT JACE, will be out on December 28.

Would you like to see the cover?

I thought so!





Hot stuff, right?

Here’s a quick description of the first book:

Gallery owner Jace Townsend loves his tiny hometown of Pineapple Grove, deep in South Florida. His life is filled with sunshine, blue skies, jogging on the beach with his dog, and the greatest friends a guy could want. What more could he ask for?

Love would be a great start. After his last relationship fell apart, Jace has begun to wonder if he’s ever going to find someone who would fit into his quiet life.

Of course, the last person who would fit into his life is a major movie star.

Trent Elrige is drowning. He’s constantly on the go from one movie obligation to the next. And after the last stalker got a little too close for comfort, Trent decides it’s time to take a step back and figure out what he’s doing with his life.

Pineapple Grove seemed the perfect spot to hide for six months and figure out his future. He just wasn’t expecting to be tackled by love so quickly.

But now that he’s found Jace, is he willing to risk everything he’s worked so hard for? And is Jace willing to walk away from his precious Pineapple Grove to be with Trent?

You can pre-order the book right now by clicking here.

Since it’s the first book in a new series, we are also releasing a new FREE novella to go with the first book called DREW & MR. GRUMPY.

We will have more details on the novella and how to download your free copy when we get closer to the release.

To keep up on all our news, you can join our Unbreakable Readers Facebook group or you can sign up for our newsletter here.

Fall in Love This Christmas

Thanksgiving is over.

We’ve survived the horrors of Black Friday.

It’s official. I’m now allowed to talk about Christmas and the holiday season without being ostracized.

Despite living in a region that never sees snow unless it’s on a cone, I do love the holiday season. I love the images of Christmas trees, snow-covered fields, and bulky, warm sweaters. (Sure, I’m sitting here in shorts and barefoot right now, but that’s just South Florida.)

December means trips to the ballet to see the Nutcracker. It’s decorating with colored lights. It’s soooo much shopping. And it’s hanging out with family and friends.

It’s also the time of year where we all tend to believe in magic. It’s a “magical” time of year when we want to believe that anything is possible and we can all find love.

And it’s part of the reason that I write my Ice and Snow Christmas series. The novellas are a tad bit sweeter than I usually write, but they are fun books about finding love over Christmas.

The first book is WALKING ON THIN ICE, and it’s about billionaire Spenser Roland bringing Evan Scott to Christmas as his fake boyfriend to meet his loving and somewhat crazy family.

The second book is ICE, SNOW, & MISTLETOE, and it features Spenser’s best friend John and his second chance at love with the one that got away.

And the newest book that came out yesterday is SNOWBALL’S CHANCE. It features Evan’s friend Adam as he’s forced to work with his office nemesis Jason on a major project.

Here’s a quick description:

Christmas is a time of love, second chances…and getting stuck on a project with the one coworker who drives you insane.

 

Adam Reynolds loves working as a graphic designer for Roland-Wainwright, but he could do without being tied to so-called marketing genius Jason Edmond. The man might know his way around a campaign, but he’s boring and far too demanding. Though, Adam has to admit that the man is incredibly sexy and maybe there is a little mystery about what he does when he’s not wrapped in his form-hugging suit all day.

 

Jason ecstatic to be selected to work on this unique marketing campaign for Roland-Wainwright, but he’s not looking forward to dealing with Adam’s know-it-all attitude. Okay, so maybe the guy creates visually stunning graphics that are so far ahead of his peers…and maybe he is occasionally distracted by Adam’s sinful mouth.

 

Jason and Adam must find a way to work together to complete the campaign without killing each other. And if they succeed, the prize at the end stands to change both their lives in ways they never imagined.

 

Each novella can be read as a stand-alone story and now is a great time to start reading. All three books are in Kindle Unlimited. You can find the entire series here.

When I originally started this series, I was planning it to be only three books. However…there’s a character that we meet in Snowball’s Chance that is now calling to me. I haven’t decided if he’s getting a book yet. I probably won’t make that decision until July — when I usually start writing the Christmas novella each year.

Happy reading!

Audiobooks: A New Way to Enjoy Ward Security

The world has become a race it seems. We’re running to the next appointment, next event, next date, next obligation. We’re racing to get our to-do list done before we have to do or be somewhere else.

Just sitting down and reading a book isn’t always available when we’d like.

But that doesn’t mean you have to go without your favorite characters.

Audiobooks have soared over the past several years as people listen to them while doing housework or stuck on a long commute to and from work. You get to go on the adventure with characters you’ve come to love or writers you’ve come to enjoy, while still knocking things off your growing to-do list.

That’s why Rinda and I have started releasing audiobooks with the help of Kenneth Obi as our narrator.

Ward Security Audiobooks

Jumping into audiobooks was a bit of a nerve-wracking decision for us. It’s both a financial and time commitment. Neither Rinda nor I are audiobook listeners, but we wanted to be sure to put out a product that avid audiobook fans would enjoy. As a sort of test, we started with Ward Security.

Right now, you can pick up:

Psycho Romeo

Dantes Unglued

And the newly released Deadly Dorian on audiobook.

What’s more, we just completed production of Sadistic Sherlock and it should be out before Christmas!

More Audiobooks

Now that we are caught up on Ward Security, we will be looking to start released the Unbreakable Bonds series on audiobook in early 2019. We don’t have any release dates yet. It’s simply a matter of when we can fit it into our narrator’s schedule.

In addition, my newest solo book, Deadly Lover from the Exit Strategy series will be released on audiobook either toward the end of 2018 or at the beginning of 2019.

Happy reading!

Deadly Lover: A New Book, A New Adventure

It’s been an incredibly busy year and I’m planning for an equally busy 2019.

But to close out 2018, I thought I’d kick off a new series with a bang!

You see, Rinda and I both got our start writing solo books. I started over in urban fantasy with the Dark Days series and the Asylum Tales. I’ve always loved books with lots of action, a nice dash of violence, and a healthy helping of chaos.

Of course, I generally carry that love into the books I write with Rinda.

But I had a little spare time in between projects this year, so I was able to finally finish the first book in my Exit Strategy series with Justin and Gabriel.

Both men are mercenaries for hire who prefer to work alone. Not surprisingly, trust isn’t easy to find in their line of work, but when a well-paying job comes their way, they decide to work together to get it done. And of course, chaos ensues.

I actually started working on DEADLY LOVER nearly three years ago, but it was something that I could only tinker with here and there due to my dayjob and the books I was working on with Rinda. However, when I finally saw an opening in 2018, I had to take it.

And I’m so glad that I did. I loved working with Justin and Gabriel (or G. Love as Justin prefers to call him). The two men are like night and day, but they manage to perfectly complement each other in the most interesting ways.

Here is a quick description of the book:

Justin Mallory has years of bad decisions to make up for, starting with agreeing to join the CIA after being recruited out of the Marines. Now he chooses the jobs and he works alone. It’s safer that way, and he can make sure the good guy always wins.

But this job…he can’t do alone. Two pharmaceutical researchers are dead and a dangerous drug is on the cusp of winning FDA approval if he doesn’t track down the culprit behind the lies and murders.

Gabriel Prescott is a well-trained, efficient, and cold-blooded killer. After a brutal betrayal left his lover dead, Gabriel is out only for himself. But when this lucrative contract lands in his lap, he can’t pass it up. Even if it means working with the unpredictable and insane Justin Mallory.

Dodging bullets and secret meetings find them depending on each other. And one hot, frantic night together leads to a hidden sweetness…and questions of whether they could possibly have something more.

Deadly Lover Freshly Edited

Now, if you happen to look at the reviews, you will find several complaints regarding the editing of the book. That was my fault. I poorly timed the release around the GRL conference and the edits were not completed in time for release.

But I am happy to report that in the first week of November, a revised and properly edited version was uploaded to Amazon. This version was also used to make the print edition. The book is clean now if you pick it up.

Also, as a way of making amends to readers who suffered through the rough original version, I am working on a free short story/novella for Justin and Gabriel. I am hoping to have it completed in December.

In the meantime, you can pick up your copy here. I hope you enjoy Justin and Gabriel in Deadly Lover. They will be back in their second book in early 2019.

And don’t miss out on Rinda’s new solo series, Thick as Thieves. You can read about all the details here.

You can also sign up for our newsletter to stay current with all our books.

Happy reading!

Pineapple Grove: A New Book Series

Rinda and I have been up to mischief!

You know that we're always playing around with new ideas and cooking up new ways to make our readers squeal.

And I think we've got something new that you're going to love.

It starts with a sleepy little beach town called Pineapple Grove in South Florida.

Not far from where I am currently living, there's this artists' district called Pineapple Grove situated within Delray Beach, Florida. It's on the Atlantic Ocean, neatly placed between West Palm Beach and Boca Raton. It's a place for the snowbirds in the winter and people who have wandered south for just a visit...and simply never left again.

Over the past several years, I've visited Pineapple Grove and Delray Beach enough that's left me wondering about the residents and the shop owners, which got me wondering if maybe some of these shop owners were sexy, single gay men looking for a bit of love....

Yeah, this is about when I start nudging Rinda about a possible series with sexy new men, a beach, and some South Florida romance. (Let's just say that I didn't have to sell too hard before she jumped on it.)
A New Series
The Pineapple Grove series follows the members of a small business owners' support group that meets once a month to talk about business. Over the year, the people have grown into close friends who are always there to support each other. With each book in the series, you will get to see another member of the group fall in love and fight for that love.

Some of the people you will be meeting include:



Jace Townsend - owner of Artisan Grove - a gallery and shop for local art.

Morgan and Dan - married couple and owners of Surf's Up bar and restaurant

Tasha and Ariel Bollinger - married couple and owners of Ocean Breeze, a clothing boutique

Wesley Blake - owner of Wilton Cottage Bed & Breakfast

Jamison Porter - owner of Tropic Lit bookstore

Lincoln Reese - owner of a local coffee shop

We don't have a title for the first book yet, but we are aiming for December 2018 release. The first book will focus on Jace and a certain sexy actor that you have already met in Sadistic Sherlock .

While Pineapple Grove will exist within the Ward Security and Unbreakable Bonds universe, there will be far less overlap with the other two series. With the exception of the first book, there may be only small cameo appearances of other established characters.

Also, Pineapple Grove will be strictly contemporary romance where Ward and Unbreakable are romantic suspense. (In other words, Jocelynn will be shooting people and setting things on fire far less in this series so that Jocelynn and Rinda can focus more on the sexy times.)
What About Snow?
I know that we previously announced that we would be working on Snow's book after Sadistic Sherlock , but Dom's book left us a little exhausted and we needed some more time to think about Snow. We want to do Snow and Jude justice. There is no rushing their book.

We've also realized that there's a baby due to be born this winter to Lucas and Andrei. After some discussion, we've come to think that this little baby might have a bigger impact on Snow than we previously expected. We need to plan for that.

So...Snow's book is still coming.

Rinda and I needed some time to play in the Florida sun and surf with some new friends before we brace for Snow.

More details will be coming soon!

In the meantime, be sure to scoop up Rinda's new book, Remote Access , and my new book, Deadly Lover !

Happy reading!

Dantes Unglued Audiobook is Available

Do you love yourself some nerdy hacker? Quinn Lake definitely fits that bill.

And that nerdy hacker needs himself a little bit of sexy private investigator with the most bone-melting smile.

Enter Shane Stephens.

You don’t want to miss a second of this red-hot romance. That’s why Rinda and I are excited to announced that the audiobook for Dantès Unglued is now available.

Kenneth Obi, who narrated Psycho Romeo , is back to bring Shane and Quinn to life in this audiobook.

If you’ve not tried Dantès Unglued yet, here’s a quick description of the book:

When private investigator, Shane Stephens, is hired by the mayor of Cincinnati to track down the hacker who has been threatening him, Shane is sure this is the opportunity to launch the Merleau Detection Agency into the big time. He even convinces Rowe Ward of Ward Security to loan him one of his best IT specialists, Quinn Lake.

 

Shane, a man who prefers casual intimacy, is surprised by his attraction to the moody computer geek, but when Quinn suggests they have fun for the month he’s on loan, Shane happily agrees. Both men are expecting nothing more than a good time.

 

But the investigation takes an unexpected turn and they quickly discover they are facing more than a hacker out to ruin the mayor’s re-election chances. And as they spend more time together, they realize their relationship may be a lot more than just a good time.

 

With only weeks until the election, Shane and Quinn race to gather the proof they need while dodging bullets and possibly…falling in love.

 

Right now, our audiobooks are:

Psycho Romeo

Dantès Unglued

And coming soon… Deadly Dorian!

If you’re enjoying the Ward Security series, remember that Jackson is still available for free here. Also, Dominic’s story, Sadistic Sherlock , just came out in ebook and print.

Keep up with all our news by signing up for our newsletter!

Sadistic Sherlock Is Now Available

I love release day! Don't you? New books. New characters. New adventures. New romance. And today we are celebrating the release of SADISTIC SHERLOCK, the fourth book of the Ward Security series.

If you've not checked out this fast-paced book yet, here's a quick description:

Ten years ago, Dominic Walsh faked his own death. With no true identity, it wasn’t hard. But if he’d stayed, he would have been drawn further into a life he’d never chosen. He has friends and family at Ward Security now and has managed to escape his dark past. There is only one thing he truly wants.

Abraham Stephens.

When Dom was first tasked with watching over his friend’s father, he didn’t expect to fall so hard for the gorgeous silver fox. But Abe is interested in friendship only. He’s at a point in his life where he wants something permanent, not a romp with the sexy redhead who happens to be the same age as his son.

But Abe finds himself drawn deeper into Dom’s life when cryptic messages start appearing—ones that frighten the skilled security specialist. The more Dom tries to hide what’s happening, the more Abe wants to help him.

And maybe, just maybe, he’ll find a way to trust the strength of the bond Dom understood from the start.

Dominic made his first substantial appearance in PSYCHO ROMEO, while Abe made his first appearance in DANTES UNGLUED. It's time for them to finally have their happily ever after.

You can click here to get your copy now.

If you're just starting your adventure with the Ward Security crew, the reading order for Ward Security is:

Psycho Romeo

Dantes Unglued

Deadly Dorian

Jackson (a free novella)

Sadistic Sherlock

We hope you enjoy this check in with the Ward Security team. Happy reading!

Pre-Order Sadistic Sherlock Now!

I gotta admit that it feels like forever since we released a book and even longer since we checked in with the Ward Security crew. It’s been a busy year of books and travel and just a lot of fun stuff.

But Rinda and I aren’t neglecting our boys.

We are happy to announced that on Friday, September 28, you will get to see our playful Dominic Walsh finally meet his match in Abe Stephens with Sadistic Sherlock .

We’re excited for you to head on this adventure with the Ward Security crew.

Here’s a quick description of the book:

Ten years ago, Dominic Walsh faked his own death. With no true identity, it wasn’t hard. But if he’d stayed, he would have been drawn further into a life he’d never chosen. He has friends and family at Ward Security now and has managed to escape his dark past. There is only one thing he truly wants.

 

Abraham Stephens.

 

When Dom was first tasked with watching over his friend’s father, he didn’t expect to fall so hard for the gorgeous silver fox. But Abe is interested in friendship only. He’s at a point in his life where he wants something permanent, not a romp with the sexy redhead who happens to be the same age as his son.

 

But Abe finds himself drawn deeper into Dom’s life when cryptic messages start appearing—ones that frighten the skilled security specialist. The more Dom tries to hide what’s happening, the more Abe wants to help him.

 

And maybe, just maybe, he’ll find a way to trust the strength of the bond Dom understood from the start.

As with our other Ward Security books, we had some literary inspiration.

With Psycho Romeo , we turned to William Shakespeare for Romeo and Juliet.

For Dantès Unglued, it was Edmond Dantès of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas.

For Deadly Dorian , it was The Portrait of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde.

And yes, Sadistic Sherlock turns to the most brilliant detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If you happen to be a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, you will find a number of Easter Eggs hidden within the text.

If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy of Sadistic Sherlock yet, don’t wait! Don’t miss a second of this story!  Click here to pre-order now.

You can also sign up here for our newsletter so you stay up to date on all the book we have coming out.