Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 145
June 3, 2013
Polishing a Rough Diamond – Guest Post by author Cassandra Dean & Giveaway!
It gives me great pleasure to welcome back my friend and fellow Decadent author, Cassandra Dean.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Jessica.
Hi peeps, I’m so excited to be here with you all chatting a bit about the first in my Diamond Series, ROUGH DIAMOND. Part of Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape, ROUGH DIAMOND is set in the fictional town of Freewill, Wyoming and is the tale of a lady saloon owner, Alice Reynolds, and the empty-headed Englishman who proposes he buys her saloon. Rupert Llewellyn appears all foolish and lacking smarts, but Alice can’t help feeling there’s more to him than what he’s willing to show…and you know what, peeps, she’s not wrong.
Rupert, in fact, is quite the wily operator. He’s discovered Alice holds a piece of land rich with coal and his employers, a coal mining company, are looking to purchase all likely land. In his varied career, Rupert has discovered a foppish manner and an empty-headed smile gets under the guard of most customers. However, something about Alice is different. She sees through him from the beginning and he becomes…fascinated.
This story came about after a discussion with my editor on my previous release, TEACH ME. She suggested I write for Decadent Publishing’s Western Escape, and I couldn’t think of any reason not to. In fact, I got kind of excited about writing something so wholly different. I never thought I’d write a Western, so when confronted with the challenge, I grabbed it with both hands. Of course, I had no rightly clue what I was letting myself in for.
I had a few struggles with this book, but one of the most difficult was the whole Western ‘tone’. I can hear English voices in my head, no problem, but a Western twang was a bit of a challenge. It wasn’t until I’d re-devoured all three seasons of Deadwood, enjoyed Timothy Olyphant in another Western-ish TV series, Justified, and read a little of Rapunzal’s Revenge that I started to get the tone right. But even, then it wasn’t quite right.
So I read every vaguely Western book I owned, watched every show I could. I asked my friends, and was lucky enough to have a friend who spent a bit of time in Wyoming—he was invaluable in helping me understand the region. Finally, finally, I started to hear Alice’s voice in my head. Finally, the Western way of speaking was coming through. Finally, I felt comfortable writing ROUGH DIAMOND and I hope Alice and the other Western peeps sound Western-y to their very bones.
Thanks for hanging with me!
Owner of the Diamond Saloon and Theater, Alice Reynolds is astounded when a fancy Englishman offers to buy her saloon. She won’t be selling her saloon to anyone, let alone a man with a pretty, empty-headed grin…but then, she reckons that grin just might be a lie, and a man of intelligence and cunning resides beneath.
Rupert Llewellyn has another purpose for offering to buy the pretty widow’s saloon—the coal buried deep in land she owns. However, he never banked on her knowing eyes making him weak at the knees, or how his deception would burn upon his soul.
Each determined to outwit the other, they tantalize and tease until passion explodes. But can their desire bridge the lies told and trust broken?
Available From:
Amazon US | Smashwords | All Romance | Barnes&Noble | Amazon UK
Giveaway!!
Enter to WIN an ebook copy of both books in Cassandra Dean’s Diamond series!
Author Bio:
Cassandra grew up daydreaming, inventing fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures. Once she learned to read (First phrase – To the Beach. True story), she was never without a book, reading of other people’s fantastical worlds and marvelous adventures.
Fairy tales, Famous Fives, fantasies and fancies; horror stories, gumshoe detectives, science fiction; Cassandra read it all. Then she discovered Romance and a true passion was born.
So, once upon a time, after making a slight detour into the world of finance, Cassandra tried her hand at writing. After a brief foray into horror, she couldn’t discount her true passion. She started to write Romance and fell head over heels.
The love affair exists to this very day.
Cassandra lives in Adelaide, South Australia.
Website | Cassandra and Lucy | Facebook | Twitter
Goodreads | Tumblr | Pintrest | Amazon.com
Follow the rest of the tour here:
June 5th – Fool’s Gold Spotlight @ Melissa MacKinnon
June 5th – Rough Diamond Review @ Out There Reviews and Stuff
June 6th – Fool’s Gold Review @ Out There Reviews and Stuff
June 9th – Both Books Spotlight @ Book Babe
June 11th – Both Books Interview @ Sizzling Hot Books
June 12th – Fool’s Gold Interview @ Theresa Stillwagon
June 13th – Rough Diamond Review @ Reviews from Beyond the Book
June 15th – Spotlight @ Release the Pages
June 16th – Fool’s Gold Review @ Reviews from Beyond the Book
June 18th – Rough Diamond Review @ Fall into Reading Reviews
June 20th – Both Books – Guest Post @ Ambrosia Arts
June 21st – Both Books Promo @ Book Reviews and More by Kathy
June 22nd – Both Books Promo @ Self Publish or Die
June 26th – Both Books Spotlight @ Deal Sharing Aunt
June 27th – Fool’s Gold Review @ Fall into Reading Reviews
June 2, 2013
Interview with Kylie Wolfe, author of Rayven’s Keep #scifirom #sfrb @KylieW1
Hello Kylie! Welcome to Mark of the Stars! It’s a pleasure to have you here today. Tell us about your new release.
KW: Rayven’s Keep is my debut novel and I am so excited to have it released through Lyrical Press! It’s a Science Fiction Romance about complete opposites thrown together by circumstance and who must rely on each other to stay alive.
Nick Rayven is a former soldier, a survivor of a war that devastated his home world and cast him adrift. He has fought hard to make a new life for himself and the last thing he needs is to be saddled with an heiress running for her life. Keeping Tru Creighton alive and out of trouble is almost not worth the credits her family is paying him to protect her. His growing attraction to her complicates matters, blurring the lines between his strong sense of duty and emotions he thought long dead. No matter how hard he tries to keep her at a distance she still manages to pierce the walls he builds against her.
Tru never expected to find herself thrust into the middle of an inter-planetary conspiracy involving drugs and murder. Her sheltered life has not prepared her for the harsh realities she now faces. Struggling to cope with her changed circumstances she is drawn to Nick, to his strength and solid presence. Falling in love with him was easy, convincing him they belong together – not so much.
Describe the heroine in three words.
KW: Fiesty, determined, romantic
What traits does the hero posses that makes the heroine swoon?
KW: It isn’t just what he looks like- the strong and disciplines body, the roguish walk, the glint of danger in his eyes – it’s what she senses he is deep down inside. Nick Rayven is hero material, steadfast and honorable, bold and powerful, with a hint of vulnerability. What woman can resist a package like that?
What was your inspiration for this story?
KW: The first sentence. Seriously! It just popped into my head one day and wouldn’t leave me alone. From there the story just sort of evolved.
Who is your favorite character from this book? Can you include an excerpt involving this character?
KW: My favorite character has to be Nick. He’s a warrior, a man who has seen the worst and survived. He’s not prepared to deal with one small female that gets under his skin and shakes him out of the emotional vacuum he’s been living in.
Nick was no stranger to the tumult of feelings coursing through his body. He’d felt the punch-drunk assault of adrenaline many times in his career. He understood the heady rush of euphoria once the danger had passed and knew firsthand the reckless need for physical release in its aftermath. He recognized it a very human response to the need to reaffirm life continued.
All those feelings and needs made his hands shake and drawing breath into his oxygen-starved lungs difficult. He wanted to follow Tru to her bed and sink into her warmth with a painful intensity leaving his muscles taut and his emotions a tangled mess.
If the situation were different, he would have gone with his friends to a tavern and indulged in the usual male bonding ritual of congratulatory back-thumping and drinking until he was either too drunk to stand or had found a bed partner. A sobering thought. He’d been younger then, still idealistic and sure of his ability to survive what life threw at him. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and he’d learned surviving was sometimes almost too painful to be endured.
To let her walk away had cost him. The heavy thud of his heartbeat pulsed in his temple and restless energy held muscles rigid. He called himself ten kinds of a fool, even though he knew he did the right thing. He ran a hand across the back of his neck before he went in search of a canister of ale he knew was onboard. He didn’t drink often, but tonight promised to be long and lonely.
After he snagged the chilled canister, he returned to the bridge. Slouching in his chair, he nursed the drink and stared moodily into space.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
KW: I think I land somewhere in between. I am not prone to outlining the plot in any detail, but I know where I want the story to go and flesh it out from there. Sometimes I am surprised when there is an unforeseen twist, but I love the idea of chasing it and seeing where the story goes.
What genres do you enjoy reading?
KW: I just plain love to read and my book collection is taking over my house! I just finished reading a regency novel and next on my list is a mystery. The only thing I don’t read is horror. I don’t like being scared. Okay, I admit it…I am a total chicken!
What is your favorite book that you’ve read?
KW: The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory. I have read it so many times it is looking dog-eared. It is a wonderful love story with two characters you can’t help but root for.
Do you belong to a critique group or have critique partners? If so, what have you learned from them? How has it affected your writing?
KW: I have a critique partner and she is wonderful. We have very different writing styles, but somehow it works. She always knows exactly the right word I am looking for and is a genius at untangling my convoluted sentences. She helps me delve deeper into the emotions of my characters and doesn’t hesitate to let me know when my story is getting off track. It is important to have someone whose opinion and suggestions you trust. How can you grow as a writer if you are only told what you want to hear?
What is the best piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
KW: Never give up! No matter how many rejections you receive, how much advice or criticism you get, it is important to believe in yourself and the story you want to tell. Keep learning and keep moving forward. You will get there!
Great advice! Where can my readers find you?
KW: Blog: http://www.kyliewolfe.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KylieW1/.
Where can my readers find your books?
KW: Through Lyrical Press and wherever eBooks are available.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to be a guest on your blog. It was a lot of fun answering your questions! ~Kylie
Rayven’s Keep by Kylie Wolfe
Tru Creighton wants her wealthy and powerful family to take her seriously. Sneaking away to investigate bookkeeping discrepancies from one of their holdings seems the perfect opportunity to prove her worth. Stranded on a hostile planet with a price on her head, she seizes her one opportunity for survival.
Nick Rayven, determined to build his reputation and fledgling security company, doesn’t flinch at difficult and dangerous missions. A former soldier and refugee from a war-demolished planet, he battles to create order and stifle his painful memories. His hard-won accomplishments are threatened when a spoiled heiress in danger awakens emotions he thought long gone.
Two people with plenty to prove risk everything to unravel their tangled missions. His sense of duty and vulnerable heart compel him to fight his growing attraction to her. Her heart demands she follow it straight into his arms. The people behind the conspiracy keeping them together and in harm’s way have other ideas.
CONTENT WARNING: Language & Violence
TAG: Drugs, murder, conspiracy, and a headstrong heiress complicate his covert security mission.
A Lyrical Press Science Fiction Romance
Excerpt:
The lights shut off, except those on the helm, casting eerie blue shadows on their faces. Tru’s apprehension rose as she tested her shoulder harness and fidgeted in her seat. She looked to him, and drew strength from his rock-solid presence. She didn’t know much about solar storms– only enough to be frightened. She clutched the armrest.
“Impact in three, two…” Siren intoned matter-of-factly.
The invisible wave hit them and electrical sparks flashed over the ship’s nose, coming at them with terrifying swiftness. Blistering shocks pulsed along her skin and nerves felt as if they were on fire, burning her up from the inside out.
“Shields strong, life support holding,” Siren continued.
The ship bucked and lurched, snapping Tru’s head forward then back.
“Siren, how long until we’re out of the storm?” Nick demanded, while he continued to monitor the power to the shields and make rapid adjustments only he understood.
The ship’s engine groaned and metal screeched from the force of the storm. Lights flickered on the helm, sparks flying from wires affected by the solar pulses battering them.
“Hang on, Tru. We’re almost through,” he assured her while he swiftly rerouted connections.
June 1, 2013
Back List Blast & Cover Reveal for Never Gonna Desert You #lesbian #romance @DecadentPub
Hello and welcome to the first Back List Blast of June. Well, Alien Adoration has been released for a month now, and I have two releases coming this month with Decadent Publishing. One of my upcoming releases is Never Gonna Desert You, which is the second book in the Underground series.
Today I’m going to sharing an excerpt involving all three main characters from Never Gonna Let You Go, the first book in the series. And I’m also going to reveal the cover for Never Gonna Desert You.
“What do you want?” His gruff voice jerked her from her thoughts. “You’re supposed to be out studying those tapir things. I’m not one of your specimens, so move on.”
He’d turned into such an ass since his tryst with the commander. And still, Calla couldn’t stop the desire coursing through her body as she stared at his halfnaked body. She hadn’t been with anyone since him, and every other male in the camp was at least old enough to be her father. Mission or not, on Earth or Airondelle, she still craved a man’s touch. Erik’s touch.
“Seriously, Jacobs, leave or I’ll report you to Holloway.” He growled the words as he continued to work on the drill. “She’ll put you on mess duty for the rest of the mission.”
Calla cursed Holloway for changing Erik. What could have happened between them to turn her once best friend into someone who couldn’t stand the sight of her?
“Did someone mention my name?”
Calla cringed at the sound of her commander’s unwelcome voice. If she didn’t acknowledge her, perhaps the commander would continue to walk past her. She didn’t know Holloway very well, had avoided her since Erik’s involvement with her. In truth, she could find no reason to get to know her any better. Many crewmembers called Holloway a bitch, among other names, behind her back yet acted like googly-eyed teenage boys when she disciplined them for insubordination.
“Jacobs, follow me,” Melina said, her tone sharp.
Shit! If only she’d gone straight to the Jeep instead of stopping to drool over Erik. She didn’t need to be reminded of Holloway’s authoritative prerogatives as commander, a position she dreamed to one day be in. The thought entered her mind too often already.
As she followed the commander, she glanced back at Erik. He didn’t even appear to notice she’d left, as if she was a bug he’d squashed and thought of no more. What had she done to deserve to be treated like shit? Sure, she didn’t have a perfect, shapely body like Holloway, but in the past, he’d told her he loved her.
Available From:
Amazon (US/UK) | Decadent Publishing | All Romance | Barnes&Noble | more
Now, the second book includes all three characters, but Melina and Brook are the main characters. Who is Brook? Well, you’ll have to read to find out. 
And here’s the cover for Never Gonna Desert You, which releases June 25, 2013:
May 31, 2013
My Sexy Saturday – Spend the night with TWO sexy aliens in Satin Sheets in Space
Hello everyone! Today I’m staring a brand new author meme called My Sexy Saturday. Every Saturday, published and unpublished authors will be sharing 7 words, sentences, or paragraphs from a work-in-progress or an already published story.
For my first sexy Saturday, I’m going to share an excerpt from Satin Sheets in Space, my bestselling story, which just celebrated its one-year book birthday.
Here’s an excerpt:
At their request, Danyka stood beside the bed, and waited for one of the brothers to move. They stared for what seemed like hours, when in reality, seconds had passed. Finally, Volan slid off the bed and approached her from behind. She dared not move for fear she’d wake up and learn this had all been a dream. As his warm breath tickled her skin, he reached around and slid his hands inside her corset. He cupped her breasts, lifting them out of the restricting material. Kissing her neck, he worked magic across her bare flesh with his hands.
Galan drew closer, peeling off her pasties before he leaned down and sucked on her nipple. She gasped, overwhelmed by her longing, the heat invading her body.
Enhancing each sensation, Volan rubbed her other pebbled peak between his fingers. “Do you want to leave us?”
She whimpered. “No, but please don’t hurt me.” Her only fear of being with these aliens and two men at the same time.
Galan gazed up at her, unhooking her corset. “We could never bring you any harm. You’re our sodalis, should you decide to stay.”
His brother unzipped her skirt, letting it pool at her feet. “No, we’ll never hurt you, our sodalis.”
She didn’t care what sodalis meant, for these two worshiped her body, their hands and mouths exploring every inch. A nip here, a squeeze there, sent her closer to release. By the time they’d laid her on the bed, they’d stripped her of all her clothing. Volan stretched his naked body beside her, his large cock jutting into her hip, and stroked her breasts. At the edge of the bed, Galan finished removing his garments. He crawled behind her, pressing his body, his ample erection against her bare ass.
Available From:
Decadent Publishing | Amazon | ARe | B&N | iTunes | more
For more My Sexy Saturday postings, check out the participants’ list here.
LAST DAY of Alien Adoration tour! Enter to WIN $25 Amazon GC!
Good day! I must say a huge thanks to all of the Alien Adoration tour hosts, and to those who have followed me throughout the tour, commenting and tweeting almost everyday. I truly appreciate your support!
So, today is the LAST DAY of tour stops and your last day to enter the tour giveaway for a $25 Amazon.com e-gift certificate or 1 of 3 Awesome Alien Adoration swag packages.
Today’s tour stops are:
Interview with Luke Jones (Harley-riding alien) at Selena Robins’ blog
Part 6 of JUST ANOTHER WEDDING at Ramblings From This Chick
If you missed any of the previous stops, here they are:
Layna Pimentel - Extended Excerpt
Cate Masters - Interview
Heather McCorkle - How music inspired a story
Laura Kaye - Book Spotlight
Mark of the Stars - Romance Serial Part 1
Pippa Jay - Book Spotlight
Kacey Hammell - Interview
Fictional Candy - Interview
Wicked Readings by Tawania - Romance Serial Part 2
Get Lost in a Story - Interview
Zee Monodee - Why I decided to self-publish
Lisa Fox - Romance Serial Part 3
Reading Between the Wines - Extended Excerpt
Liz Crowe - Across the Beer Bar Interview
Tracy Riva - Romance Serial Part 4
Lilly Van Horn - Extended Excerpt
Valerie Mann - Book Spotlight
Valerie Mann - Romance Serial Part 5
Offbeat Vagabond - Character Interview
Bookin’ It Reviews - Extended Excerpt
Jenna Jaxon - Interview
More Giveaways!!
I’m giving away TWO ebooks as I celebrate the book anniversaries of Satin Sheets in Space and An Unexpected Return. Go here to enter.
A Buck A Book – WIN a Nook!
Decadent Publishing has select ebooks on sale for only $1 from multiple retailers. That’s a great deal! Plus, you can enter to WIN a 7″ HD Nook Tablet. You can find all of the details here.
Plus, over at Julie’s Book Review, there are multiple Decadent Publishing books reviewed. Enter to WIN one of the awesome prize packages using Rafflecopter in the sidebar.
May 30, 2013
Celebrating TWO book birthdays! Enter to WIN!
Good day!
Today I’m celebrating the one-year book birthdays of Satin Sheets in Space and An Unexpected Return.
Come join the party at Backward Momentum and enter to WIN!
And the Alien Adoration tour is in it’s final stretch.
Check out a NEW extended excerpt at Bookin It Reviews. Plus, I’m interviewed over at Jenna Jaxon’s blog. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter draw!
May 29, 2013
Part 5 of the romance serial JUST ANOTHER WEDDING is hot, Hot, HOT!
Check out the “Living in a small town” character interview with Rachel from Alien Adoration over at Offbeat Vagabond.
And the romance serial I wrote for the tour, JUST ANOTHER WEDDING, continues at author Valerie Mann’s blog.
If you missed any of the previous story, you can find it here:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter giveaway at each stop for your chance to WIN a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate or 1 of 3 Alien Adoration swag packages.
Looking for more giveaways and great deals?
A Buck A Book – WIN a Nook!
Decadent Publishing has select ebooks on sale for only $1 from multiple retailers. That’s a great deal! Plus, you can enter to WIN a 7″ HD Nook Tablet. You can find all of the details here.
Plus, over at Julie’s Book Review, there are multiple Decadent Publishing books reviewed. Check out the reviews for Accidental Romance and Made For Her, and enter to WIN one of the awesome prize packages using Rafflecopter in the sidebar.
May 28, 2013
Hump Day Hook – A one-night stand in Another Night, Another Planet #HDH #scifirom
Hello everyone! Here’s another look Another Night, Another Planet,
an erotic sci-fi romance, which is set to release June 14, 2013.
This excerpt follows last week’s:
She longed to find a guy to wine-and-dine her, to share conversation rather than a roll in the hay. Not that she’d complain about having sex with the guy Madame Eve chose for her during their guaranteed one night together. But she wanted to leave the date satisfied, mentally and physically.
Buzzing through the heavy traffic on her hover bike, Ava reached the spaceport in record time. Perfect. She found a parking locker in the cold, dank underground lot to squeeze her bike into then dashed toward security. If she could pick up a faint signal, maybe she would have a chance to check her email one last time before takeoff. Unlike the guests on board her mother traveler, she couldn’t afford to connect her tablet to the wireless system, not since she’d paid for her one-night stand. She used her once-a-week employee video call to speak with her mom and dad.
Be sure to visit the Hump Day Hook blog to see who else is participating this week!
Writing for a publisher’s line & the Alien Adoration tour continues…
Hello! After a wonderful weekend away, I’m back at Paranormal Romantics with a post about writing for a publisher’s line. Published or unpublished, please add your thoughts.
The Alien Adoration tour continues… Today you can catch an extended excerpt at author Lilly VanHorn’s blog. And check out the book spotlight at Valerie Mann’s (my editor for Alien Adoration) blog.
Don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter draw for your chance to WIN a $25 Amazon GC!!
May 26, 2013
A Buck A Book, WIN A Nook with Ursula Sinclair & @DecadentPub #giveaway #Nook #sale
Hi, my name is LaVerne Thompson. I also write romantic suspense as Ursula Sinclair and I’m happy to be here today as part of Decadent Publishing’s A Buck A Book Win A Nook blog tour.
I thought I’d tell you a little something about myself. I’m a tea drinker. I’m one of those folks whose metabolism always runs high so coffee puts me to sleep. Yeah go figure. So tea it is.
When I was younger I took my tea with milk, English style, well I was born in Trinidad once part of Great Britain so no surprise. But as I got older I experimented more. For awhile I was a chai tea drinker but seriously nothing gives you a sweet rush like hot cocoa so I ixnayed chai a long time ago. After having tried quite a few types of teas now I know what kind I like: for every day white tea with a peach flavor nothing added to it, occasionally I’ll add a little honey, when I’m sick green tea with lemon and honey, and to help me sleep chamomile with a little honey.
It’s also why in most of my books you’ll find my heroines drinking a nice cuppa tea. So the next time you read one of my stories take note if they’re drinking coffee or tea.
White Wedding- Guardian Agency Series Book 1
By Ursula Sinclair
Shanna Stiles hasn’t been a virgin for years, but it’s still her dream to have a white wedding. Her dream becomes a nightmare when, just before she walks down the aisle, her fiancé is seen kissing his best man.
She runs away from her life, and a chance encounter with the gorgeous, successful Ross Marshall leads to a week of passion and a connection neither of them expected. Ross is determined to have a future with Shanna, but someone out there won’t let it happen. Shanna returns home and soon discovers disturbing secrets about the people she trusts.
With so much stacked against her, she looks to Ross for protection and comfort, and it turns out he may be exactly what she needs–except the man she left at the altar isn’t giving her up without a fight.
LaVerne Thompson is the author of several works in the contemporary, fantasy and sci/fi genres. She also writes romantic suspense with an edge under her alter ego Ursula Sinclair. She loves to hear from readers.
http://facebook.com/groups/lavernesnews
http://twitter.com/lavernethompson
http://isisindcblog.blogspot.com
Attention Readers! Decadent Publishing has a great promotion going on now – A Buck A Book WIN A Nook! You can get ebooks for only $1 from great authors. Plus, you can enter to WIN the draw for a Nook 7″ HD Tablet.
The total value of the ebooks is around $48, so you will be saving 75% if you buy all of them. Prices of the ebooks on sale range from $2.99 to $5.99, so $1 is a HUGE deal! Here is the list:
Awaken the Demon–Shiela Stewart
The Naughty Angel– Shiela Stewart
Daughter of Lust–Ann Mayburn
Amber Moon–Ann Mayburn
Night With a Dom–Casea Major
White Wedding–Ursula Sinclair
Something Blue–Ursula Sinclair
Last Request–Arlene Webb
Falling For Water–Arlene Webb
The One he Chose–Wendy Burke
Respite- Wendy Burke
Senator Mine–Kerry Adrienne
They are already marked down on Amazon, Decadent Publishing, Smashwords, and ARe, and will be until 7/1.
