Julie Kenner's Blog, page 7

J. Kenner’s Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals for June 22, 2021

Six great deals from fan favorite and bestselling authors, including my own Man of the Month collection Spring Fling and Lisa Mondello’s Dakota Hearts boxed set. Enjoy!

Spring Fling by J. Kenner0.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“With each novel featuring a favorite romance trope—beauty and the beast, billionaire bad boys, friends to lovers, second chance romance, secret baby, and more—this series hits the heart and soul of romance.”— New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips

Prince of Wolves by Susan Krinard0.99 (or free with KU!)AmazonWanna join Kindle Unlimited?

 

“A far more gentle and romantic interpretation of the werewolf mythologies” from the bestselling author of Prince of Dreams and Prince of Shadows (Library Journal).

Rex by Saskia Walker0.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“From page 1 right to the final period, My expectations were pleased.” – Amazon reviewer

Betting on the Wrong Brother by Cathryn Fox0.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“A Cathryn Fox book is a must read great escape.” –  Sylvia Day, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Bared to You.

Dakota Hearts by Lisa Mondello0.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“Lisa Mondello had my imagination racing and wondering. I could feel the love, disappointment, courage and hope that tookhold of the characters as the story between past, present and a possible futurecollided into an epic story of love, lies and misunderstanding. Worth the read!!!” Cathy – Amazon Reviewer

Alyssa Cole by A Hope Divided0.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“Her prose is flawless. Her historical research is absorbing, and her characters are achingly human. This book is fantastic.” —Kirkus Reviews

AUTHORS:

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Friday New/New-ish Release blast, just fill out this form. Don’t hesitate to send your title in early!
CLICK HERE FOR TO SUBMIT A FEATURED NEW OR NEWISH RELEASE  

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals, then this is the form you want:
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A TEMPTING TUESDAY “STEAL OR DEAL”

The post J. Kenner’s Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals for June 22, 2021 appeared first on J. Kenner.

Wednesday Writing Prompt

Sometimes writers know exactly what they want to write, and sometimes we need to brainstorm. One of the best ways I’ve found to brainstorm is to just take an idea and riff off it and see what happens.

Since I’m currently at the beach working to a deadline, I thought this would be a perfect week to suggest some writing prompts, both to get the creative juices flowing and also to maybe give you a story idea!.

I’m putting a story in Kindle’s new Vella app that’s about to launch, and it’s a story that was inspired by an incident at my Florida condo where I ended up locked out of my condo in sleep shorts and a rather immodest tank top. (Oops!). That incident inspired a story … so I figured that it’s a good writing prompt for you, too!

So here goes:

What was the funniest thing that happened to you while traveling?

or

You’re on vacation and all of your luggage is stolen. What do you do?

Ready … go! (mostly, have fun!)

The post Wednesday Writing Prompt appeared first on J. Kenner.

J. Kenner’s Featured New Releases for June 11, 2021

Did you miss any of these new releases from bestselling and fan favorite authors including Memories of You (by me!) and Melissa Foster’s The Wicked Aftermath.

Don’t forget to scroll down for the video!

The Wicked Aftermath by Melissa Foster$4.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“Love, Strength and Loyalty. Those Whiskey boys are something else. WOW!” – Dirty South Books

Wicked by Elisabeth Naughton$4.99AmazonAppleNookKobo

“I loved returning to the world of Argolea and the Eternal Guardians. Now I think I feel a series re-read coming on!” – Amazon

Memories of You by J. Kenner$2.99Amazon

 

“A quick hot must-read, if you like your hero’s dark and broody, and let us be honest who doesn’t, all put together with a story of friends reunited.” – World of Books 65

My Rebound by Carrie Ann Ryan$4.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“Carrie Ann Ryan just knows how to write characters that make you feel. She gives us characters that we would love to have in our circle of friends.” – Amazon reviewer

Rebel’s Karma by Rebecca Zanetti$8.49AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“Be sure you are prepared to hunker down for the long haul when you open this book. Because this is one that will suck you in and not let go until the last page turns.” – Amazon reviewer

Targeted Risk by Sidney Bristol$4.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

Thrown together, Tabby and Jamie must put aside their differences and ignore their chemistry if they’re going to get to the bottom of an international theft

Click to watch the video

AUTHORS:

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Friday New/New-ish Release blast, just fill out this form. Don’t hesitate to send your title in early!
CLICK HERE FOR TO SUBMIT A FEATURED NEW OR NEWISH RELEASE  

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals, then this is the form you want:
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A TEMPTING TUESDAY “STEAL OR DEAL”

The post J. Kenner’s Featured New Releases for June 11, 2021 appeared first on J. Kenner.

Damien Stark, New Releases, and the Allure of Pain & Pleasure

So, raise your hand if you’ve read Release Me…..

… Okay, that’s a lot of you! Now tell me. Do you remember the part where Damien tells Nikki that basically pain and pleasure work together?

You do? Good.

Because that’s a lot like a release day for authors. No, really!

Now imagine Damien Stark. (I’ll wait a bit so you can enjoy the moment ….). Remember that scene we’re talking about? It’s their first time together, and he’s about to bind her wrists, and she asks if it’s going to hurt…

A deliciously sexy scene, right? Full of anticipation and possibilities edged with fear.

Now let’s imagine Damien saying those lines … but this time he’s not talking about sex:

“Do you know what a book release day is?”

I blink, confused.

“Most people think it only means that your book is tossed out into the world. But that’s not all. The word derives from the Latin. It means suffering. Submission. Pain and pleasure, Nikki. A book release.”

The flash of heat that burns across his expression is unmistakable.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” I say without hesitating.

“Then trust me to help you make this the best release ever.”

Release Me … only changed up

Release MeBuy Now

(So who caught that double entendre at the end?… Release. … Release … Get it?)

Ahem. OK, clearly I’m being silly, but I think it’s fair to say that for most authors, a book release, well, has a little bit of that BDSM vibe to it. Pleasure, yes. But pain, too. Especially if you’re an introvert.

For me, I’m trying much harder to be present in the moment on release days because I really, truly, 100% So.Much. Love interacting with readers and hearing what excites them about the book and the characters. I mean, I lived with those people on the page for a long time; they’re part of me. Heck, they’re family.

But at the same time … introvert. (There is a reason that in my lawyering years I never wanted to be a trial lawyer. Appellate? Hell, yes. You’re prepared ahead of time. It isn’t off the cuff–or at least not as much. … But being right there in court with all eyes on you as you? That would be almost like being an actress … :::shudder::: In my fantasies, I might be able to sing Broadway show tunes that bring down the house. In reality? Never in a million years…..

(I also don’t like surprise parties and I’m not a huge fan of birthday parties. Why? Because I’m in the spotlight.)

Yeah, so, release days are a lot like that. But not only am I in the spotlight–and with social media, there are a LOT of spotlights shining!–but people are talking about something I created. And I want to engage, to chat. And at the same time, I want to hide. So the whole thing is an eep kinda feeling for me.

Like a lot of writers, my happy place is observational. That’s not universal, of course, but it’s fair to say it’s pretty common.

And yet … and yet … I still WANT to be out there. Commenting. Sharing. Riffing over the characters. Joying in the fact that this new book has come into the world.

I want to be this guy:But I’m more like this little guy:

And I’m not the only one! I chatted with a number of author friends, and I think it’s fair to say that, based on my entirely non-scientific poll, Release Days are both stressful and wonderful.

USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke sums it up nicely: “Release days are a strange mix of “Wow, did I really do that?” and “Yes, this is off my plate and out in the world!” They are also a good excuse for a cocktail or glass of wine. 😉”

(Me: Yes, please! Pass the wine and chocolate!)

New York Times bestselling Author Annika Martin says, “I feel like I’m so public, out dancing in the town square, talking about my book and myself so much, like, Annika Martin! Annika Martin! Annika Martin!!!!! I feel soooo tired of Annika Martin by the end of the day.”

(Me: Yes! Yes! Yes!)

Author Jenn Stark says, “I’d say I go through the five stages of author launch day: Denial that I can’t actually do everything I planned to do to promote the book…anger that a brilliant idea I had the night before never had a chance to make it into the book…bargaining that If I could just hit this list or get this number of positive reviews I will find a way to lead a more balanced life…depression over any first day review that dips below a four star or says something unreasonably harsh, making me wonder why I do all this… And finally, acceptance that I do it because, well, stories. 😉. “

(Me: Stories for the win!)

Check out her newest book in her Sara Wilde Urban Fantasy series coming June 23!

New York Times bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan adds, “You would think after 100 release days things would become rote or even dare I say, easy. That’s totally not the case! While I love the fact that I finally get to share my words and characters with my readers, I’m far too stressed to actually enjoy it until the next day! LOL”

(Me: Right there with ya!)

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Toni Anderson, author of the Cold Justice novels, says that after a release day she feels “Like I have run a marathon.”

(Me: I’ve never run a marathon … but I’m sure that’s accurate!)

And New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti says, “Release days are stressful for me.  I love that the book is available to fans, but I’m a basketcase all day.  I usually fall down the stairs, spill coffee, or tumble into the pond on release day, so I’ve learned to stick close to my office and keep bandaids near.  :)”

(Me: Right there with ya! … and worried a bit about that stair falling thing…)

CLEARLY, WE HAVE A CONSENSUS!

So there you go Release days are heady and exhausting. They are amazing and stressful. They are pain and pleasure. The best kind.

I think Damien Stark would approve.

XXOO

(P.S.! Carrie Ann, Rebecca, and I will be talking about our new releases on Friday, June 11! Join us on Zoom! Just click the image, or follow this link at 7pm CST on Friday!

Come Join Us!!

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J. Kenner’s Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals for June 8, 2021

Six new reads from fan favorite and best selling authors, including Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street and Bilinda Sheehan’s A Grave Magic. Which one will you read first!

The Most Eligible Viscount in London by Ella Quinn0.99 (or Free with KU!)AmazonWanna join Kindle Unlimited?

 

“Quinn explores the allures and idiosyncrasies of aristocratic life with wit and charm reminiscent of Jane Austen. This intelligent romance gets the series off to a promising start.”
—Publishers Weekly

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young$1.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“The chemistry between Jocelyn and Braden was on fire. The characters were believable and more importantly they were lovable…one of the best books I have read in 2012!”—Rainy Day Reads

Heart of a Devil by Morgan James0.99AmazonAppleNookKobo

 

“I absolutely loved it! I love the suspense and romance of Morgan James’s books. She is an amazing writer and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.” – Amazon reviewer

Meant to be Immortal by Lynsay Sands$1.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“Love this book, sadly came to the end too quickly. I love Lindsay Sands sense of humour which is present in all her books. I liked the plot in this one too. I just love the whole series.” – Amazon reviewer

A Grave Magic by Belinda SheehanFree!AmazonAppleNookKobo

 

“I loved the book so much that I ended up buying the entire series and binge-reading it over the course of a weekend.” – Amazon review

Verity by Colleen Hoover0.99 (or free with KU!)AmazonWanna join Kindle Unlimited?

 

“This isn’t a book, it’s a visceral experience.” -B.B. Easton, bestselling author

AUTHORS:

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Friday New/New-ish Release blast, just fill out this form. Don’t hesitate to send your title in early!
CLICK HERE FOR TO SUBMIT A FEATURED NEW OR NEWISH RELEASE  

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals, then this is the form you want:
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A TEMPTING TUESDAY “STEAL OR DEAL”

The post J. Kenner’s Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals for June 8, 2021 appeared first on J. Kenner.

Hot Romance Giveaway!!!!

Want to enter for a chance to win 1 of 30+ eBook and Signed Paperback giveaway prizes from the Ladies Who Write?

Enter here –> http://bit.ly/LWWLoveGwy

WHO ARE WE? The Ladies Who Write are a group of romance authors bringing sexy and emotional love stories to readers everywhere!  Scroll down for a list of all the awesome prizes!

Hurry! The Giveaway only runs through June 11!

PRIZES UP FOR GRABS: 

Ten (10) winners will receive a signed paperback copy of DIRTY CHARMER by Emma Chase 

One (1) winner will receive a signed paperback copy of OUR ITALIAN SUMMER by Jennifer ProbstOne

(1) winner will receive a signed paperback of FOREVER IN CAPE MAY by Jennifer Probst

Five (5) winners will receive a digitally signed paperback of SHATTERED WITH YOU by J. Kenner (that’s me!)

Ten (10) winners will receive a digital copy of BAYSIDE FANTASIES by Melissa Foster

Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of THE REVELATION OF LIGHT & DARK by Sawyer Bennett 

HOW TO ENTER –>  http://bit.ly/LWWLoveGwy

The post Hot Romance Giveaway!!!! appeared first on J. Kenner.

Are you a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom?

Ever have one of those days when everything is just coming at you and coming at you? Yeah.  That was my week!  I’ve been feeling a lot like Kate lately … the mundane mixed in with, oh, fighting demons!

If you haven’t met Kate Connor, a retired Demon Hunter with Forza Scura, a secret arm of the Vatican, who’s desperately trying to keep her past life secret from her husband and kids, now’s the perfect time!

Book One, Carpe Demon, is only 99c! Grab your copy now!

Carpe Demon

The post Are you a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom? appeared first on J. Kenner.

J. Kenner’s Featured New Releases for June 4, 2021

Nine new releases from fan favorite and best selling authors, including Skye Warren’s 1001 Dark Nights love story Finale and E L James’ Freed.

Don’t forget to scroll down for the video!

Finale by Skye Warren$2.99Amazon

 

“This was an instalove story, and I loved it”! – Amazon reviewer

The Rival by Kendall Ryan$4.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“The perfect combination of great characters and a heart warming connection.”– The Overflowing Bookcase

Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout$9.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“Jennifer L. Armentrout’s intoxicating new fantasy is her best yet!” —New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

Seduced by the Spy by Shayla Black$2.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“Once again Shayla Black creates characters that we are quick to love and storylines that are impossible to put down.” – Amazon reviewer

Freed by E. L. James$7.39AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“What do you want me to say? THIS WAS EVERYTHING! I’m a huge fan of Christian’s POVs! This book is over 13 THOUSAND kindle ‘pages’ long and I wanted a million more.” – Amazon reviewer

Act of Surveillance by Mandy M. Roth$6.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“I loved this book so much that I am ready to read it again already!” – Amazon reviewer

A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams$10.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“I absolutely adore this book…love story begins slow—like a delicious lowcountry boil—but heats up to the perfect ending.” –Kathleen Y’Barbo, bestselling author of The Black Midnight

Neon Gods by Katee Robert$7.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“Deliciously inventive…This red-hot romance is a winner.” – Publishers Weekly STARRED Review

In Your Dreams by Julia Kent0.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

“Your very breath will be stolen, and you will willingly give her your heart long before the journey is over. She is a true literary genius!!” – Amazon reviewer

https://youtu.be/mZmwN5Qh63EAUTHORS:

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Friday New/New-ish Release blast, just fill out this form. Don’t hesitate to send your title in early!
CLICK HERE FOR TO SUBMIT A FEATURED NEW OR NEWISH RELEASE  

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals, then this is the form you want:
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A TEMPTING TUESDAY “STEAL OR DEAL”

The post J. Kenner’s Featured New Releases for June 4, 2021 appeared first on J. Kenner.

THEREFORE … the story moved forward…

Today, I’m mining past posts that I don’t want you to miss! If you’re struggling with structure and story movement, this should help you out! (This was originally published on the blog a few years ago!)

Enjoy:

I’ve been on a craft kick lately, as in I’ve been attending a lot of workshops, watching a lot of videos, reading books on craft, etc.

Partly because I’m actually writing some short books on various aspects of craft (yeah, you’ll hear more about that later!), and so it’s a good way to get into that headspace. But mostly because craft is the architecture of story, the piers and beams, concrete and rebar, that keep your story from falling over and trapping your poor characters under a pile of rubble.

Also, even after 100+ books (holy freak that sounds like a lot), I constantly learn something new that I can apply to a current project. More than that, thinking about craft gets the juices flowing, and inevitably some new story concept will come to me in the process.

Craft is sort of like riding a bicycle. You can just learn. And what you learn will become ingrained. Get your story-telling chops and you’ll be able to hop on and start pedaling and come up with a solid, satisfying story. But if you want to really kick it up, you’ll want to understand more about what you’re doing and why it works–you’ll want to dig deeper into cadence and power and all that good stuff. You’ll want to grow and push yourself. (Why, yes. I did recently set a cycling goal…funny you should ask.)

When I first started writing, one of the first books I read was Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham, a title that never sticks with me because I always think of it as Scene & Sequel, because the concept of stuff happening after a scene was one of those things I sorta kinda innately got … but when I read that book, it was an aha moment. There’s a scene in which stuff happens. And as a result other stuff happens. Pretty basic, right? Cause and effect.

But you would be surprised how many times an author will write a story where something happens. And then another thing happens. Then something else. Almost as if the author (or screenwriter–you see this a lot in unsatisfying movies) has checkbox style list of set pieces and is dutifully going through and marking Xs.

But here’s the thing: Stories aren’t about a string of events. Stories have movement. Stories have choreography. Forward motion toward a goal (and obstacles along the way). And that motion is driven by action followed by reaction. A scene, then a sequel. A cause, then an effect.

That’s how I’d thought of it for the nineteen years of my career. And I stand by that analysis. But I recently saw a very short video of Trey Parker and Matt Stone speaking to a class, the creative minds behind South Park, and I absolutely love the way they summed it up. Simply. Brilliantly. What did they say? Well, basically, if your story is “and then” you need to go back to the drawing room. You want your story to be full of “therefore” and “but.” Seriously, check out their video below. (Really. It’s not even three minutes. Go on. I’ll wait.)

I absolutely love the simplicity of their explanation of this aspect of story structure. And thanks so much to  (one of the White Collar co-creators) for sharing the video.

And you know what? That’s how I want my life & career to be, too. Not a random string of events. But forward motion.

Don’t you?

The post THEREFORE … the story moved forward… appeared first on J. Kenner.

J. Kenner’s Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals for June 1, 2021

Six amazing reads — including fan favorite and best selling authors — for prices that are too tempting to pass up!

Bitten & Smitten by Michelle RowanFree!AmazonAppleNookKobo

 

“Rowen hits the nail (or is it the stake?) on the head with her feisty debut novel…a true modern girl’s guide to (vampire) life.” – Publishers Weekly

Her Big City Neighbor by Jackie LauFree!AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“This book is like drinking a warm cup of hot cocoa. It’s sweet and satisfying, and hits exactly the right spot.” -Christine on Goodreads

Arrange Me by Katy RegneryFree!AmazonAppleNookKobo

 

“It’s a lighthearted, refreshing, romantic, emotional, and sexy read.” –Tanya, Get Your Book On

They The Pretty Stars by Eden O’NeillFree!AmazonWanna join Kindle Unlimited?

 

“I loved loved loved it! Can’t wait for the next! – Becca Steele, bestselling author of The Lies We Tell

Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr$1.99AmazonAppleNookKoboGoogle Play

 

“Another wonderful page turner in the series, a captivating read.” – Amazon reviewer

Firelight by Kristin Callihan$1.99AmazonNook

 

“Compulsively readable…a compelling Victorian paranormal with heart and soul.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review)

AUTHORS:

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Friday New/New-ish Release blast, just fill out this form. Don’t hesitate to send your title in early!
CLICK HERE FOR TO SUBMIT A FEATURED NEW OR NEWISH RELEASE  

If you’d like your title to be considered for the Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals, then this is the form you want:
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A TEMPTING TUESDAY “STEAL OR DEAL”

The post J. Kenner’s Tempting Tuesday Steals & Deals for June 1, 2021 appeared first on J. Kenner.