Julie Kenner's Blog, page 56
June 16, 2014
Stark & Ignited on #MostWantedMonday
Well, I totally blew #MostWantedMonday (traveling just confuses me, LOL–how the HECK is it Monday??!).
BUT since Damien and Nikki appear in IGNITED, we’ll cheat and share this awesome post-of-Stark-quotes from Bedroom Bookworms!
http://bedroombookworms.com/2014/06/16/signed-giveaway-our-favorite-stark-quotes/
And be sure to pre-order Ignited!!!!
Amazon/Kindle http://amzn.to/Ure2wl
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1hMv6r8
B&N/Nook http://bit.ly/IgnitedBN
iTunes http://bit.ly/IgnitediBooks
BAM print http://bit.ly/1pCm2VK
BAM digital http://bit.ly/SLgBbd
Indie Bound http://bit.ly/Sw6Gpq
June 14, 2014
Chapter 1 from Take Me by J. Kenner & Stark news on #StarkOnSaturday!
(thanks to Michelle on Goodreads for this really cool teaser image!)
Welcome to #StarkOnSaturday! Since TAKE ME is in print in the back of the US and UK editions of HEATED (out now!) – and since there are more Nikki and Damien novellas coming! — I thought doing a blog post with the entirety of Chapter One would be fun!
Grab Heated here:
Amazon print
Amazon Kindle
Random House
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble/Nook
Books-A-Million
Indie Bound
Also, I have the release dates for the two scheduled Nikki and Damien novellas!
HAVE ME will be out on November 4!
PLAY MY GAME (which leads into an all new trilogy — with a new hero and heroine — set in the world of Stark International) will be out February 17, 2015!
Enjoy!
CHAPTER ONE
It is all around me. Soft and billowing. Gentle and soothing.
I am standing in a room, though I can see neither walls nor windows. There is only the endless flow of material. The sensual caress of silk against my body as I move through the drapes that fill the space before me. Hundreds, maybe thousands. They are beautiful. They are perfect. And I am not afraid.
On the contrary, I am perfectly calm. And as I move forward, my bare feet padding softly on the cool floor, I realize that I am heading toward a light. It shines through the diaphanous panels that flutter as I pass, as if struck by an ocean breeze.
I know that I am traveling toward something—someone—and I can feel the wellspring of joy rising up inside me. He is there. Somewhere beyond this forest of sensuality. Somewhere in the light.
Damien.
I quicken my step, my pulse increasing as I move faster and faster.
I am desperate to see him. To feel his fingertips upon my skin, as gentle as the brush of these curtains against my body. But though I hurry forward, I don’t seem to be getting anywhere, and now the soft flutter of the drapes has taken on a menacing quality. As if they are reaching out, clutching me, holding me back.
Panic bubbles inside me; I have to get to him. I have to see him, touch him, and yet no matter how hard I try, I do not seem to be moving forward at all. I’m stuck, and what had only a moment ago seemed like the welcoming beauty of a curtain into heaven now seems like a trap, a trick, a horrible nightmare.
A nightmare.
My pulse quickens as the truth settles over me. I am not in a room; I am in a bed.
I’m not running; I’m sleeping.
This is a dream, a dream, and only a dream. But it is one from which I cannot seem to wake, even though I am moving faster now, clawing my way through these damnable drapes because I am certain now—with the kind of certainty that comes only in the world of dreams—that if I can just get through them then I will be free. I will be awake. And I will once again be safe in Damien’s arms.
But I cannot get through.
Though I push and shove and beat my way through the gauzy silk—though I run and run until I am certain that my lungs will burst with the exertion—I can get nowhere other than where I already am, and I collapse, defeated, onto the cool ground, my skirt billowing out around me like the petals of a flower.
I tentatively stroke the material. I had not realized when I was running that I was wearing a dress, but this is a dream and I know better than to think too deeply about the odd parameters of this version of reality. Instead, I focus on gathering myself. On staying calm. On breathing deep. I am no longer moving forward, and that is good, because now that I have come to a stop, the curtains are falling away, drifting gently to the ground only to disappear like cotton candy touching water until there is nothing left but me and this room with white walls that seem to press in around me, moving closer and closer with each breath that I take.
My chest is tight, and when I look down, I realize that my hand is fisted in the silk skirt. There are small yellow and gold flowers embroidered against the white silk at the hem, and the flowers are inset with shimmering white pearls that now feel hard beneath my palm. I glance down at the fitted bodice, the perfection of the silk, the gentle pressure of the stays.
I am in my wedding gown, and for a moment, that reality soothes me. Damien, I think again. He is not beside me, but I know that he is with me. This man—this incredible man who will soon be my husband.
Just the thought of him calms me, and I am able to breathe more easily. I can continue, I can move. I can stand and go forward and leave this room.
I can go into Damien’s arms.
I start to do exactly that, shifting my weight so that I can rise to my feet.
That’s when I see the stain.
A blur of pink rising up from the pure, white silk of the skirt. It is so faint that at first I think it must be a trick of the light. But then the hue deepens, shifting from pink to red as it spreads out, tainting the purity of my beautiful dress.
Blood.
Frantic now, I scramble backward, as if I can somehow escape the stain despite the fact that I am wearing it. But of course there is no escape, and I claw at the skirt, trying to yank it up, trying to see beneath it. Trying desperately to find the source of the blood.
I can’t. My hands are too slippery. Red and wet and stained. I rub them on the skirt, trying to clean them. My breath is coming in gasps, my pulse pounding so loudly in my ears I can hear nothing but my own blood flowing through my veins. That same blood that is coating me, escaping me.
No, no, oh, God, no.
But it is true—I am certain of it. The blood on the skirt is mine, and with one final, desperate jerk, I draw the material up, tugging at the silk and satin and lace until it is gathered around my waist and I can see my legs, bare and slick with blood.
I hear a noise—a gasp. It came from me, and I’m rubbing at the blood, searching for the source. I’m on my knees, my thighs pressed together, but now I separate them, and I see the scars that have for so many years marred the soft flesh of my inner thighs. Self-inflicted wounds made by the pressure of a blade held tight in my hands.
I remember the sweet intensity of that first slice. The glorious heat when steel penetrates flesh. The relief that comes with the pain, like the screech of a boiling kettle when it finally releases steam.
I remember the pain, but I no longer need it. That is what I tell myself. I don’t need the wounds; I don’t want the pain.
I don’t need to cut anymore.
I’m better now. I have Damien to hold me tight. To keep me centered and safe and whole.
But there is no denying the blood. And as I look down at the open wound—at the raw and mangled flesh, and at the blood that pools around me, so sticky and pungent—I feel the tightness building in my chest and the rawness in my throat.
Then, finally, I hear myself scream.
You can get your own copy of TAKE ME inside the print edition of HEATED (just follow these links and snag the print edition)
Amazon print
Amazon Kindle
Random House
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble/Nook
Books-A-Million
Indie Bound
Or grab the digital copy of TAKE ME from these retailers:
Kindle
Kindle (UK)
Barnes and Noble
Random House
BooksAMillion
iTunes
Kobo
Where do you want to go next?
The Stark Trilogy and beyond ... bestselling, swoonworthy erotic romance. Have you been Damienized?
The Most Wanted series ... dark, edgy, sexy badboys. Need we say more?
Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom ... oh, come on. The series title says it all!
Protector Superhero series ... fun, flirty paranormal romance.
The Blood Lily Chronicles ... dark, sensual urban fantasy.
The Shadow Keepers ... edgy and sensual paranormal romance
Devil May Care ... who will the next ruler of Sin City be?
The Phoenix Brotherhood ... dark, dangerous, sexy ... and immortal.
and more stories to come ...
Looking to meet JK?
Got a question for JK?
You'll find contact info and FAQs here!
June 11, 2014
Hump Day books from J. Kenner, Joyce Harmon, Margarita Matos, Chantilly White, Donna Cumming, Cindy M. Hogan, Jo Robertson, and Nicola Marsh!
Please enjoy these amazing Hump Day books, including Heated, the second book in J. Kenner’s Most Wanted Trilogy!
I grew up believing in right and wrong, good and evil, black and white. I knew better than to trust. And then I met Tyler Sharp.
Second book in the Most Wanted Trilogy!
Find out more at J. Kenner’s Most Wanted Trilogy webpage!
A sparkling romantic romp in the classic Regency tradition.
More at Joyce Harmon’s website!
Demon Bonds: The Making of a Demon (Psy Demon Chronicles Book 1)
New Urban Fantasy Series!
Connect with Margarita Matos at her website!
Christmas Wishes, Valentine Kisses: Unwrapped & Cupid’s Mistake In One Volume
New Box Set!
More at Chantilly White’s website!
99 cents for a limited time!
Visit Donna Cummings at her website!
New Contemporary Mystery!
More at Cindy Hogan’s website!
Ripped from the 1909 headlines. Now 99 cents!
Visit Jo Robertson’s website!
Crossing the Line (World Apart, book 1)
Discounted to $0.99 for a short time only!
For more information visit Nicola Marsh’s website!
Would you like to submit your book to be included in our Hump Day feature? Click here for more information!
June 10, 2014
Are you registered to meet J. Kenner in Seattle June 14?
I’m so excited! I’ll be at the Emerald City Author Event this coming Saturday, June 14 from 11:30 to 4pm in Seattle at the Red Lion Inn on 5th Avenue!
You need to pre-register to get in, but the event is free … and the author list is awesome! Check it out … and hope to see you there!
Where do you want to go next?
The Stark Trilogy and beyond ... bestselling, swoonworthy erotic romance. Have you been Damienized?
The Most Wanted series ... dark, edgy, sexy badboys. Need we say more?
Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom ... oh, come on. The series title says it all!
Protector Superhero series ... fun, flirty paranormal romance.
The Blood Lily Chronicles ... dark, sensual urban fantasy.
The Shadow Keepers ... edgy and sensual paranormal romance
Devil May Care ... who will the next ruler of Sin City be?
The Phoenix Brotherhood ... dark, dangerous, sexy ... and immortal.
and more stories to come ...
Looking to meet JK?
Got a question for JK?
You'll find contact info and FAQs here!
June 9, 2014
Want & Need on #MostWantedMonday – Heated by J. Kenner
He was everything I shouldn’t want and couldn’t have, and yet right then there was no denying that he was exactly what I needed.
from Heated by J. Kenner (Most Wanted series #2) on sale now!
Please enjoy the rest of the excerpt on #MostWantedMonday!
But though there was a thrill and a power that came from knowing that these men desired me, their interest didn’t have the same impact on me. I wasn’t dancing for them. It wasn’t these men who made me want to put on a show.
For that, I had to imagine Tyler.
Tyler, sitting in the dark.
Tyler, watching me as I slowly peeled my clothes off, and getting harder and hotter as each garment was removed.
He wasn’t really there—not yet. I knew, because every few minutes I let my gaze sweep the place. And with each look, I grew more disappointed. I wanted him to see me up here. Wanted him to know that I was doing this for him as much as for the job.
So help me, the man had truly gotten to me. He’d gotten under my skin, and this was as much punishment as it was tease. Except he wasn’t there to see any of it.
It frustrated me that I cared—that I wanted. That all I had to do was think of him to feel my body flush. Tyler Sharp was like a flame that heated me all the way through, making me weak. Making me melt.
I was a fool to toy with that man. He was dangerous. Distracting me, when I wasn’t the kind of woman who put up with distractions. Tempting me, when I wasn’t the kind of woman who was tempted.
He was everything I shouldn’t want and couldn’t have, and yet right then there was no denying that he was exactly what I needed. Tyler Sharp in my head, in my memories, in my imagination.
Don’t Miss Any of the Books in the Most Wanted Series
Coming Aug. 26
Where do you want to go next?
The Stark Trilogy and beyond ... bestselling, swoonworthy erotic romance. Have you been Damienized?
The Most Wanted series ... dark, edgy, sexy badboys. Need we say more?
Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom ... oh, come on. The series title says it all!
Protector Superhero series ... fun, flirty paranormal romance.
The Blood Lily Chronicles ... dark, sensual urban fantasy.
The Shadow Keepers ... edgy and sensual paranormal romance
Devil May Care ... who will the next ruler of Sin City be?
The Phoenix Brotherhood ... dark, dangerous, sexy ... and immortal.
and more stories to come ...
Looking to meet JK?
Got a question for JK?
You'll find contact info and FAQs here!
June 4, 2014
Hump Day books from Bella Love, Barbara Raffin, A.J. Locke, Carly Carson, Synithia Williams, Stephie Walls, Donna Fasano, and Molly O’Keefe!
Please enjoy these eight new Hump Day books, including a Contemporary Romance, an Urban Fantasy, and an Erotic Romance!
Spin: A Sexy Contemporary Romance
Super Sexy Contemporary Romance-Now Free!
More at Bella Love’s website!
Finding Home (St. John Sibling Series)
When life handed Sam Ryan lemons, he ran…headlong into love with the one woman who could teach him how to turn them into lemonade.
Be sure to visit Barbara Raffin’s website!
New Urban Fantasy
For more information visit A. J. Locke’s website!
Duke of Devonwood: Bachelors of British Nobility
New Contemporary Romance-Feisty American entrepreneur plots to regain her inheritance from an arrogant English duke.
Connect with Carly Carson at her website!
Worth the Wait (Crimson Romance)
On Sale for 1 Week!
More from Synithia Williams at her website!
Erotic Romance $0.99 sale!
Connect with Stephie Wells at her website!
Save 75% off regular cover price!
Visit Donna Fasano at her website!
Wild Child: A Novel (The Boys of Bishop)
99 Cent Sale!
Find out more at Molly O’Keefe’s website!
If you would like to submit a Hump Day book please click here and read the instructions!
June 3, 2014
RELEASE DAY! HEATED by J. Kenner is now on sale!
“Kenner may very well have cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them . . .” – RT BookReviews (on Heated by J. Kenner)
I know better than to trust him, that I should never risk my heart. But fierce passion comes at a high price.
I grew up believing in right and wrong, good and evil, black and white-that there were some boundaries that could never be crossed. And then I met Tyler Sharp.
Bold, charming, and dangerously sexy, Tyler always gets what he wants. But his smile can be deceiving, his dealings sordid, his ambitions ruthless. I thought I was the one woman strong enough to resist him, but our need for each other is too urgent to deny.
One look and I’m in trouble. One touch and I’m hooked. One night and I’m his. And once I fall, there’s no going back.
The Men
Evan Black. Tyler Sharp. Cole August.
Brilliant, fierce, determined. Sexy as hell. And utterly dangerous.
They make their own rules, find their own way, and to hell with anyone or anything who tells them otherwise, be it a cop, a court, or a woman.
They’ve spent over a decade watching each other’s backs, protecting each other’s secrets, and relying on each other’s talents.
They’ve taken risks, said “fuck you” to the law, and made a tidy profit in the process.
There’s not a scheme they’ve concocted that they haven’t pulled off, not a desire they haven’t achieved. And there sure as hell isn’t a woman they’ve pursued that they haven’t caught.
None, however, have captured their hearts.
None, until now.
The Women
Angelina Raine. Sloane Watson. Katrina Laron.
Three completely different women, each with a unique way of looking at the world. Each with secrets and ambitions she holds close to her heart.
And each more than capable of standing on her own two feet.
None are looking for a man. But whether because of lust, greed or duty, each woman finds herself in a forbidden bed with the one man capable of crashing through her defenses and taking her-both physically and emotionally-to her breaking point and beyond.
It’s a dangerous game-and what’s at stake is everything.
Don’t Miss Any of the Books in the Most Wanted Series
Coming Aug. 26
Where do you want to go next?
The Stark Trilogy and beyond ... bestselling, swoonworthy erotic romance. Have you been Damienized?
The Most Wanted series ... dark, edgy, sexy badboys. Need we say more?
Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom ... oh, come on. The series title says it all!
Protector Superhero series ... fun, flirty paranormal romance.
The Blood Lily Chronicles ... dark, sensual urban fantasy.
The Shadow Keepers ... edgy and sensual paranormal romance
Devil May Care ... who will the next ruler of Sin City be?
The Phoenix Brotherhood ... dark, dangerous, sexy ... and immortal.
and more stories to come ...
Looking to meet JK?
Got a question for JK?
You'll find contact info and FAQs here!
June 2, 2014
One more day to HEATED by J. Kenner on #MostWantedMonday
I’m so excited that HEATED is coming out tomorrow. Here is another excerpt for you to enjoy!
I watched, enjoying myself thoroughly, as he stripped off his shirt. His body was deliciously perfect, tan and lean, with the kind of defined arms and chest that you’d see on a swimmer. I wanted to reach out and touch him. To find out for myself if the smattering of chest hair was as soft as it looked, and if the muscles were as hard. I wanted to run my lips over every inch of him.
Mostly, I wanted to tumble him into the tub with me.
Instead, I settled for watching him sit on the edge, still in those elegant gray trousers. He looked like something from a pin-up calendar, all easy sensuality in slacks with no shirt and his hair slightly tousled.
He was exceptional, and I couldn’t help but wonder how many women he’d brought to his room, touched, bathed, taken to bed.
I wondered—and wished that I hadn’t let the thought enter my mind. I had no right to jealousy. Tyler wasn’t mine—couldn’t be mine—and whatever connection I might fantasize that I felt tonight was just an illusion. How could it be real when we were both clutching tight to our secrets?
“Deep thoughts?” he asked, stroking my hair.
I smiled up at him. “Just thinking how gorgeous you are.”
His brows lifted. “I’m flattered.”
“Like hell. You know you’re amazing.”
“And in so many ways,” he said, with a cocky grin.
Where do you want to go next?
The Stark Trilogy and beyond ... bestselling, swoonworthy erotic romance. Have you been Damienized?
The Most Wanted series ... dark, edgy, sexy badboys. Need we say more?
Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom ... oh, come on. The series title says it all!
Protector Superhero series ... fun, flirty paranormal romance.
The Blood Lily Chronicles ... dark, sensual urban fantasy.
The Shadow Keepers ... edgy and sensual paranormal romance
Devil May Care ... who will the next ruler of Sin City be?
The Phoenix Brotherhood ... dark, dangerous, sexy ... and immortal.
and more stories to come ...
Looking to meet JK?
Got a question for JK?
You'll find contact info and FAQs here!
June 1, 2014
Counting down to HEATED by J. Kenner – a new excerpt!
“Shall I give you a clue?” he asked as the fingertips of his right hand trailed feather light over my arm. The sensation was both sweet and erotic, and it was all I could do not to turn in his arms and claim his mouth with my own.
“I could entice you with words,” he said. “Someday, I want to touch you only with my voice and tease you only with my words. I want to watch as you quiver with longing, as your body goes soft and slick. I want to watch the fire build inside you, and I want to make you explode before I even brush a finger over your skin.”
I trembled, knowing with full and humbling certainty that he could do exactly that.
“But not tonight,” he whispered as he gently brushed his hands over my shoulder blades. “I don’t have the strength tonight. Tonight, I need to touch you.”
Where do you want to go next?
The Stark Trilogy and beyond ... bestselling, swoonworthy erotic romance. Have you been Damienized?
The Most Wanted series ... dark, edgy, sexy badboys. Need we say more?
Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom ... oh, come on. The series title says it all!
Protector Superhero series ... fun, flirty paranormal romance.
The Blood Lily Chronicles ... dark, sensual urban fantasy.
The Shadow Keepers ... edgy and sensual paranormal romance
Devil May Care ... who will the next ruler of Sin City be?
The Phoenix Brotherhood ... dark, dangerous, sexy ... and immortal.
and more stories to come ...
Looking to meet JK?
Got a question for JK?
You'll find contact info and FAQs here!
Meet Kate Connor, demon hunting soccer mom on #SoccerMomSunday
My name is Kate Connor and I used to be a Demon Hunter.
I’ve often thought that would be a great pickup line at parties, but with a teenager, a toddler, and a husband, I’m hardly burning up the party circuit. And, of course, the whole demon-hunting thing is one great big gargantuan secret. No one knows. Not my kids, not my husband, and certainly not folks at these imaginary parties where I’m regaling sumptuous hunks with tales from my demon-slaying, vampire-hunting, zombie-killing days.
Back in the day, I was pretty cool. Now I’m a glorified chauffeur for drill-team practice and Gymboree playdates. Less sex appeal, maybe, but I gotta admit I love it. I wouldn’t trade my family for anything. And after fourteen years of doing the mommy thing, my demon-hunting skills aren’t exactly sharp. All of which explains why I didn’t immediately locate and terminate the demon wandering the pet-food aisle of the San Diablo Wal-Mart.
I fell in love with Kate years ago when I first started writing the Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series … and now I’m thrilled that there is a new book in the series, PAX DEMONICA!
If you haven’t met Kate, you can try out the series for FREE (Carpe Demon is currently free at digital retailers!) and you can also get book 2 in the series, CALIFORNIA DEMON for a reduced price.
The rest of the titles in the series are DEMONS ARE FOREVER, DEJA DEMON, DEMON EX MACHINA, … and the new PAX DEMONICA. Learn more (and find retailer links) here!
Grab PAX DEMONICA here:
Kindle http://amzn.to/1lRPDJb
iTunes http://bit.ly/1oUJvRx
Smashwords http://bit.ly/1jX3ezo
Where do you want to go next?
The Stark Trilogy and beyond ... bestselling, swoonworthy erotic romance. Have you been Damienized?
The Most Wanted series ... dark, edgy, sexy badboys. Need we say more?
Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom ... oh, come on. The series title says it all!
Protector Superhero series ... fun, flirty paranormal romance.
The Blood Lily Chronicles ... dark, sensual urban fantasy.
The Shadow Keepers ... edgy and sensual paranormal romance
Devil May Care ... who will the next ruler of Sin City be?
The Phoenix Brotherhood ... dark, dangerous, sexy ... and immortal.
and more stories to come ...
Looking to meet JK?
Got a question for JK?
You'll find contact info and FAQs here!
