Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 176
June 23, 2012
Six Sentences Sunday: Six from Beneath the Starry Sky now FREE on Amazon! #sixsunday
Thank you for coming to read my Six Sentence Sunday post today!
Here’s six from BENEATH THE STARRY SKY, a contemporary erotic romance
which is FREE until Tuesday, June 26, 2012 over on Amazon.
She pressed her body against him, her sweet lips reaching up to his. He could lose his mind in her passionate, desperate kisses. He reached down to play with her wet core before lifting her legs around his waist. The tip of his cock met her slippery softness.
“Fuck me, Josh. I want you now.”
So be sure to head on over to Amazon.com (or the links below) and grab yourself a copy!
Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.de / Amazon.es / Amazon.it / Amazon.fr
If you don’t have an e-reader, you can download FREE Kindle reading apps
for your PC, Smartphone, Tablet and more.
And be sure to visit http://www.sixsunday.com/ to find out who’s participating in Six Sentence Sunday this week or follow the #sixsunday hashtag on twitter.
June 21, 2012
SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop – Get a FREE ebook & enter to WIN a gift certificate!
To begin, I want to give a huge thank you to Pippa Jay, who organized this blog hop. She put a lot of work into this event, and I truly appreciate it.
Grand Prize Details:
1st Prize – a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch
2nd Prize -a library of science fiction romance titles from over 20 authors (these will be mostly ebooks with one print anthology), and an Anabanana Gift Card.
All you need to do to enter is pop along to the blogs listed below and comment on as many as you want (only ONE comment per site will count as an entry). Each time you comment at a stop, you’ll earn one entry into the grand prize – so the more sites you visit, the greater your chances of winning. The winners will be drawn at random on the 24th June and announced on this site. The list of participating authors can be found below this post.
***
The summer solstice (or midsummer) results in the longest day and shortest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, that just occurred on June 20. It is a major celestial event celebrated around the world as the sun appears to stand still in the sky.
But what happens when there are no celestial events? When one lives underground? Here’s a taste of AN UNEXPECTED RETURN, where the hero lives below the surface of a moon, and he can’t wait to leave. (WARNING! This is an ADULT excerpt.)
“No one talks like that to me or anyone while on my land.”
Everyone cringed. His father hadn’t been born into a kingdom, but had given himself the title after settling on Tyto. He’d been the president of Otaria, and when he and his followers left for the moon, he’d changed his title to king, and declared the state a monarchy. Though Aris had never understood why his father left in the first place. Every picture he’d seen of his birth planet, the luscious forests and open sky, had left him with an ache to flee from Tyto.
But oh gods, his childhood had been hell, growing up in the cold-climate underworld. He’d been a toddler when his father moved him there. He grew up speaking in the “proper manner,” yet his schoolmates spoke in the old world way. He’d learned the rough dialect and every curse word, yet he took care to revert back to the royal tongue when at home in the castle. He couldn’t wait to leave.
“Aristides.” His father pulled him forward. “Since she is your betrothed, you must decide her fate.”
Just as he’d hoped.
He stuck out his chest, attempting to appear noble while his insides jumped for joy. “Since Madelia deflowered herself with my gentleman of the bedchamber, she shall be bound to him for the rest of her life.”
“Then let it be so,” the king proclaimed.
Benignus grinned. He finally had the woman he’d always wanted. Aris yearned to find an ounce of his friend’s happiness.
“Gentleman of the bedchamber, my ass. More like jack-off partner,” Madelia muttered. “At least he knows how to fuck,” she said, tossing her comment in Aristides’ direction.
Thornton and the doctor appeared at the door, panting like Terran dogs. “Is everything all right, Your Majesty?”
Time to go. He refused to stick around for Ben’s betrothal ceremony, for surely they would have another woman for him by then, too.
“Prince Aristides, where are you going?”
Shit! He refused to turn around and acknowledge his father’s question, for the man would never chase after him. And the two men who would still had to catch their breath.
Aristides rushed to the south wing and down a flight of stairs, toward his waiting Personal Space Transport Vehicle. He’d already packed clothing appropriate for Elatia’s warmer climate and enough nourishment to last his entire journey inside the PSTV.
He climbed in. After starting the engines, Aristides steered the ship up the narrow rock tunnel and out into space. The fold that would take him to the Belverian system lay straight ahead.
So long, Tyto. I’m off to the Emerald planet.
AN UNEXPECTED RETURN is available from Decadent Publishing, Amazon, B&N and other ebook retailers. (All Buy Links, blurb, and another excerpt can be found here.)
Giveaway!!
For your chance to WIN a $5 Amazon.com e-gift certificate, simply leave a comment below with your email address. That will also allow you to enter to win one of two grand prizes of a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch, or a collection of science fiction romance titles from over 20 authors.
FREE EBOOK!!
Also, starting today, you can get BENEATH THE STARRY SKY for FREE on Amazon. It’s not a science fiction romance, but the hero is a former sci-fi television star, and the characters in this story are mentioned in some of my other sci-fi romance titles. Here are the links where you can get your copy:
Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.de / Amazon.es / Amazon.it / Amazon.fr
And if you don’t have an e-reader, don’t fret, you can still download FREE Kindle apps for your PC, Smartphone, and/or Tablet.
Be sure to visit all of the participating authors!
June 19, 2012
The Great Outdoors Blog Tour: Interview with author Becky Moore
It is a pleasure to have fellow Decadent Publishing author, Becky Moore on my blog today. To begin, Becky, can you tell us what genres you write in, and what appeals to you about these genres?
BM: So far, I have five contemporary romances available in ebook format, and my first children’s book is available in print. I’m working on romantic suspense, though, and hope to find success this summer when I submit it. I love contemporary romances because I can connect with the characters, and am a big believer that your everyday average Jane and Joe actually have compelling stories. Children’s literature appeals to the nurturer in me. My son’s 14 now, but when he was born I started building a really great library for him … luckily, he’s a big reader. And romantic suspense has action and adventure, a little danger; it satisfies my wanderlust with exciting destinations. The heroines are capable and brave, the heroes confident and sexy. Sigh … I suppose, though, that the connection between all three is what appeals to me the most: hopeful endings and the sheer possibility of happiness. Who doesn’t need that?
What titles do you have published?
BM: My very first romance was published with a small Canadian digital publisher, XOXO Publishing, called The Right Words. When the contract was up, I updated it and self-published it as Closer to My Heart. It’s a gentle contemporary romance about Jane Porter, a travel journalist who returns home after a family tragedy, and Lucas Moore, an undercover agent who retires after a harrowing case. My next two books are part of the Carolina Oak Leaves series, a fictional hockey team in North Carolina.
The Penalty Box follows Justin Mangum, an Oak Leaves power forward who retires and begins practice as a physical therapist, and Olivia Casey, an architect who falls for the media- and relationship-shy athlete.
Icing on the Cake focuses on bad boy Quinn Dawson, who’s brandished a Lothario in the media for sleeping with the wife of the Carolina Oak Leaves’ owner, and Hellon Masters, a reporter unprepared for the media frenzy surrounding Quinn’s trade to a Canadian hockey team.
Guardian Angel is a contemporary novella about Sasha Mitchell, a manga author turned videogame magnate who finds love unexpectedly with Dr. David Ellington, who helped rescue her the day she was mugged.
And my latest, and possibly most fun book to write, is part of Decadent Publishing’s 1Night Stand Series: The Great Outdoors. My family is really active outdoors—hiking, cycling, kayaking—so I knew that I wanted Tallulah Murphy, a busy arts educator with the Atlanta Art Museum, to bask in her shared love of the outdoors with Mitchell Weaver, a detective with the Charleston Police Department.
Do you have any recent or upcoming releases?
BM: My young reader chapter book, Peggy Noodle, Hula Hoop Queen, was published in February under the pseudonym Dolly Dozier, and The Great Outdoors was published in March.
What are you working on now?
BM: I’m waiting on the final contract details for my second children’s story (A Star for Sam), and I’ll submit the second Peggy Noodle book in the series in June. I’m also working on two romantic suspense novels that I hope to submit next month. Cross your fingers!
*fingers crossed* Are you a plotter or a pantser?
BM: Both. I like to plot in the initial stages of a book, but inevitably wind up navigating by the seat of my pants.
What genres do you enjoy reading?
BM: Oh, lots of things, actually. My go-to genre is romance, but I also like to read biographies for insight into different lives and experiences; travel books and periodicals; thrillers from James Patterson (my favorite is The Blue Nowhere) and Harlen Coben (Tell No One); and capers, like Peter Mayle’s Anything Considered (actually, that’s one of my all-time faves in any genre).
What author(s) have influenced your writing style?
BM: Hands down in romance it’s Julie Garwood and Linda Howard … but I also look to former ad-man (like myself) Peter Mayle, and social commentator Harper Lee for my greater world view. For children’s books, I find that Shel Silverstein, Barbara Park, and Kate DiCamillo speak to me.
What writing/writer’s organizations are you involved with? Can you explain how they help your writing and/or your writing career?
BM: I belong to the Romance Writers of America, and my local chapter Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. Additionally, I belong to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. On the one hand, these organizations can seem like one more place to spend money; on the other, the resources are wonderful. I don’t belong to a critique group, but through HCRW I’ve had the opportunity to pitch to an agent in a closed setting (there were 10 of us who had the opportunity following one of our monthly meetings), and enjoy networking with some of the seasoned authors in the industry. Like everything else, I get out of it what I put into it.
Where can my readers find you?
BM: Thanks for asking! You can find me:
www.BeckyMoore.net / @beckym_romance / BeckyMooreRomance
Or, you can read more about my children’s books at www.DollyDozier.com.
Where can my readers find your books?
BM: Decadent Publishing / Evernight Publishing / Amazon / All Romance / Apple iBooks / Bookstrand / B&N Nook / KOBO / Diesel / Smashwords / 1Place for Romance
Thank you so much for being here today, Becky!
The Great Outdoors:Tallulah Murphy is a busy woman. As the newly appointed Director of Education for the Atlanta Art Museum, she has a thousand and one things to do on any given day. Dating is not high on that list; in fact, it’s not even on the radar. Three hundred miles away in Charleston, South Carolina, Lieutenant Mitchell Weaver is gearing up for his promotion to be the youngest police chief in the city’s history. And unfortunately, as a prominent city official with all eyes watching his every move, a quality date seems untenable. But when good friends and good fortune set Tallulah and Mitch on a fateful adventure with Madame Evangeline’s high-end dating service, 1 Night Stand, they may just find that a little matchmaking magic can reset their spirits of adventure, and open their hearts and minds to the possibility of love.
The Great Outdoors excerpt:
Lou stared at the screen, a little stunned.
After a silent moment, Allison elbowed her in the ribs. “So, a cop, huh? That sounds pretty sexy. Maybe he’ll bring his gun with him.”
Lou laughed and read the message from the top again. “I love surprises but this makes me a little uneasy. What if he’s really aggressive? I’ve only dated artists and guys like Donald. And check out that description—likes to play board games. Good grief, what if he’s a total goober?” She groaned.
“Then you’re also a goober because you’re charitable and you like board games. I sort of like her approach. She’s matching y’all up because you fit, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. She’s not focusing on any kind of physical beauty. Come on—you had that, and Donald was a dick.”
“You’re right. I know. It just worries me when a date’s described as he’s a nice guy.” She sighed and closed her eyes for a second. “Okay, this’ll be fun. There’s no pressure to do anything except enjoy our adventure. If he’s a cop, he’s bound to be in good enough shape to hike, right?”
“Atta girl. It’s nice that your adventure’s over the weekend, so you don’t have to take any time off.”
“Especially since Madame’s only giving us a week. Geesh.”
“Actually, that’s not such a bad idea for you. Maybe she felt you’d chicken out or find some silly excuse for changing plans if you had lots of lead-time. You don’t have enough time to be nervous. Speaking of which, do you have everything you’ll need?”
“Yep. I bought a new pair of boots last fall, and I’m mostly set for clothes.”
Allison nodded. “I can’t wait until you get the picture. Will you forward it to me before you leave?”
“I’ll probably have to send it from my phone, but I’ll forward it as soon as she sends it.”
“I’m dying of curiosity, but I also want a picture in case he’s a psycho. You know, in case I have to share something with the FBI. I’m just saying.” She reached into her lunchbox and pulled out two chocolate pudding cups, and handed one over to share.
Holy shit! Lou felt faint. Black spots danced in her periphery and panic swelled in her throat.
“Louie, I’m kidding,” Allison said, laughing. “I’m just messing with you. He’s a policeman. He’s safe. Really.”
She blinked for a moment, then shook her head and opened the pudding. He’s not a psycho killer…no way would this 1Night Stand place stay in business if they killed their customers. Right? Taking a bite, she thought how good an adventure would be. And who cared if she found Mr. Right. Mr. Right Now sounded pretty good, too.
Author Bio:
Becky Moore is tall and buxom, highly educated and culturally savvy…well, three outta four ain’t bad.
She’s a world traveler, problem solver, and crusader. Thankful for the love of reading she inherited from her mom, mother to a superbly cool kid, wife to the world’s most handsome man. A mental-marathon runner, freelance photographer, faithful companion to Magnolia May the beagle, and a prolific reader and writer.
She’s an active member of her local Romance Writers of America chapter, the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers.
In her down time, and in the real world, Becky loves to spend time with her husband and son. They live in the urban wilds of central North Carolina. Becky is an avid gardener, biker, kayaker, bicyclist, knitter, and community volunteer. She spent over a dozen years working as a writer, graphic artist, photographer and PR whiz in the pharmaceutical advertising, hi-tech, performing arts, and HIV/AIDS (grantwriting) fields before venturing into her current status of full-time author. And like her favorite characters, when you close her books, Becky will be just be a fond memory.
Coming Soon – SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop!
Hello there!
On Friday 22nd June (Pacific Time) the SFR Brigade will be holding its first ever Blog Hop to celebrate Midsummer. 36 fabulous science fiction romance authors will be telling you mystical or scientific stories related to the event, and they’ll each be giving away a prize – books, gift cards, swag bags…and lots more!
Plus there’s TWO GRAND PRIZES!
1st Prize – a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch
2nd Prize -a library of science fiction romance titles from over 20 authors (these will be mostly ebooks with one print anthology), and an Anabanana Gift Card.
All you need to do to enter is pop along to the blogs listed below and comment on as many as you want (only ONE comment per site will count as an entry). Each time you comment at a stop, you’ll earn one entry into the grand prize – so the more sites you visit, the greater your chances of winning. The winners will be drawn at random on the 24th June and announced on this site. The list of participating authors can be found below this post. Spread the news!
June 17, 2012
Blog Tour: Liz Crowe’s Turkish Delights series continues with two new releases!
I’m so excited to have Liz Crowe here to share her first memories of Turkey which helped to inspire her Turkish Delights series. I’ve read the first three, and am anxious to read the next in the series, Flower Passage, as well as the prequel, The Diplomat’s Daughter. Take it away, Liz!
Istanbul, Turkey: Day 1. August 2000
Heat simmered, small children whimpered, mom tried to hold it together. The driver they sent to fetch us from the Ataturk International Airport spoke 2 words of English, literally. We had rented our flat sight unseen as the one we had originally chosen got rented out from under us (more on “Graft Inherent in the System” later) had no idea what to expect really other than vague descriptions and a few photos. Instead of the going with the “soft landing” many ex pats opt for in which you go from airport to cushy hotel for a week or 2 we somehow thought jumping into our living quarters straight away was somehow a good idea. It was a very bad one. August in Istanbul is truly abhorrently brutally hot. Most natives have decamped for the coastal resort areas, including the majority of people who would be working for my spouse. The flat had no functioning A/C as it had been closed up a while. And we had no fans, no food, no water and no way of finding any. We show up, disheveled, exhausted, sweaty and pissed off.
Suffice it to say the “kapaci” (doorman) took perverse delight in our misery at first. It would take nearly 2 years for me to gain his trust by learning his native language. We were rescued by a lovely young Turkish man whom we still call “Emre Our Turkish Brother”. He scooped us up after a long night I personally spent sitting on my suitcase refusing to unpack determined I was on the next flight home with my kids screw this place. He took us across the Bosporus to the Asian side (we lived in Europe) to “Carrefour” which is French for “Walmart” got us set up with food, water, fans, and blessed alcohol (which is hard to come by and expensive there).
Within a week we secured our fate as “Mail-less” for the next 2 years by not understanding that the men at the door selling “tickets to a concert in the park for the mail men” were actually soliciting bribes so that we would receive mail.
Within three weeks I still had not unpacked.
By the time we hit a month I had gotten used to being woken by the cluck-cluck of chickens and the bleat of goats that lived down the hill from our super luxe, Bosporus view flat and the 5-times a day call to prayer, had found a decent grocery in walking distance. Still lived out of my suitcase although the kids had moved their clothes into dresser drawers and made friends with the Turkish kids across our small complex.
The day the kids went to school in the historic Istanbul International School Rumeli-Hisar complex literally in the shadow of the remains of an ancient Roman wall, I had been befriended by the “buyuk Anne” (Boo-yook Ah-nay—literally “Big Mother” translated to Grandmother) of the complex. She spoke zero English. I spoke 5 words of Turkish and 2 were cuss words. But our little mornings over the bitter tea and sweet cakes came to give me solace, made me feel welcomed and I slowly settled in.
After 2 years of travel, adventure, craziness and random misbehaviors we were on our way out and to England. The last day of my kids’ school out at the larger International School campus there was a pool party at some classmate’s house. I was on my way there, sans passport or visa as the spouse’s company had them to arrange our departure papers. There was an impromptu roadblock as the large neighborhood where I was heading housed a drug lord and they were attempting to capture him doing something illegal and caught me instead. I spent 2 hours in the company of the Turkish Gendarme, in the middle of nowhere, nearly hysterical and pissed off and finally amused.
My landing and departure both don’t do the amazing, frustrating, beautiful, ugly, exciting, lethargic, exhilarating, smelly, historic, modern, amazing place justice. I can’t wait to go back!
The Diplomat’s Daughter:When Vivian Kincaid’s eyes meet those of a hunky local at the Turkish university her father forces her to attend it only takes her a split second to recognize her childhood friend. Levent Deniz was the servant boy who taught her to run the streets of Istanbul years before, giving outlet to her wild streak even as a child.
Now face-to-face once again as adults, the only thing standing between them and happiness is her father. The newly appointed Consul General for the United States has other plans for his only daughter. Ones that do not include a former servant, now successful entrepreneur and businessman. He will do everything in his power to keep them apart.
The Diplomat’s Daughter is set in 1960s Istanbul and tells the story of pre-destiny, passion and the rebellious power of true love.
The Diplomat’s Daughter excerpt:
Vivian tore her gaze from the large windows, tried to ignore the tedious professor. She tugged a lock of her dark hair over her eyes. The stupid, frumpy outfit her father made her wear to school chafed every inch of her skin. She glanced around, not finding anyone interesting to stare at in the stuffy economics classroom. Frowning she looked over her shoulder, bored, angry at her circumstances, and itching to get out of the confines of the room. It was stifling hot already. Her thoughts wandered to her plans for the evening with her friends.
They’d discovered an old Roman cistern that had been transformed into an illicit nightclub. Precisely the right amount of danger, served up with imported whiskey, local cigarettes, and attractive Turkish men plus a few daring tourists—the very thought of the place made Viv smile. Sneaking out of the consulate residence was a snap. Her father never paid attention to her anyway. Istanbul in the late 1960s was awash in tourist money and development. Plenty of trouble could be found if a girl knew where to search.
When her gaze met that of some hunky local staring at her like she was a water mirage in the desert her skin prickled. His eyes were dark, his features sharp and striking. The dark tie and light blue shirt hugged his obviously strong torso. Her eyes narrowed. Two can play the stare down game. When he smiled, she gasped and her heart lurched into her throat. She whipped around and clutched her hands together on the desk.
Oh God. It was Levent Deniz. Her childhood friend. The boy who’d made her early years as the child of a busy diplomat in this teeming city bearable. They’d spent countless hours playing in the parks by the Bosporus, daring each other through various mazes of dangerous boat docks, across rickety bridges through neighborhoods and streets where she had no business.
How could it be? She snuck a look back. The unique color of his eyes—a soft, deep blue—and that scar at the corner of his mouth, when he’d fallen and gotten injured trying to protect her from the feral dog that was chasing them. Yep. It was him all right. She turned again to face front, her heart pounding.
That day, his poor mother had been apoplectic. So had hers once they’d returned to her house. His father was the chief groundskeeper and his mother was the cook that came with the diplomatic residence where her family lived. She’d technically been forbidden to play with him again. But it didn’t matter, because after that day, he’d disappeared from her life. She remembered desperately looking through the kitchens and back halls where he usually lurked doing his schoolwork while his parents worked to serve hers.
Damn. He’d gone and gotten handsome. The years she’d spent back in the states after her parents’ divorce she’d nearly forgotten about him. Now she was back, thanks to her mother’s death and her father’s insistence on having her nearby. Stuck going to Robert College, getting into as much trouble as she could behind her father’s back, Viv hated every moment of her life since her return to Istanbul.
She snuck another look back over her shoulder at the young man. He had one dark eyebrow raised. His finger touched the scar at his full upper lip and was starting right at her. Vivian felt sweat break out under her stiff blouse. She crossed her legs. This was an interesting turn of events. One for the diary for certain. She grinned to herself, picturing her father, the newly appointed Consul General for the United States of America, all fat and sassy with his new wife and baby when he caught her making out with that lovely hunk of Turk under the consulate steps. Just what he deserved really.
Vivian gave her old friend one last quick glance, letting her eyes soften so he’d know she’d recognized him. Her skin pebbled again under his intense gaze. She studied his broad shoulders, his classical, almost Roman, features. Lovely. And about to get into a perfectly delightful amount of trouble with her, if she had any control over it. And she knew she did.
As if reading her mind, he leaned back in his seat, stretched his long legs out in front of him, and ran a hand through his thick hair. Was he actually blushing? Yes. Delightful trouble. Vivian grinned at him. It was a life changing moment that she would never, ever forget.
Flower Passage:What would you do if the lover, brother, son and friend you thought you’d lost forever was returned to you?
Brutally battered emotionally and physically for the past two years, Tarkan Deniz has escaped his captors. When the Deniz family discovers the shocking truth they rally and do everything in their power to bring him back safely. But all have been affected by the tragedy of his loss, and must come to terms with the new reality, each in their own way.
When Happily Ever After seems like a nightmare…one man can bring healing to all, but will he ever be the same man again?
Flower Passage teaches the lesson that love once lost, can be regained, even if it takes a slightly different form than before.
Flower Passage excerpt:
Caleb stared at his computer screen, unfocused, exhausted. He took a breath and hit reply on the Skype chat, after typing a response to Adem’s recent inquiry as to his state of mind.
“About the same really. Only worse. Because I miss you like a fucking amputated limb. When are you coming back?”
“I finally got the location secured, on the corner I wanted and the contractors start today on the remodel. It will take at least six months so I thought….”
Caleb frowned. It was not like Adem to leave decisions hanging. He ran a hand down his face. He had not slept for more than three hours at a time since the other man had left. That made it, what, two weeks since he’d had a decent night’s rest? The dream kept cropping up during their last week together in California and after they’d fought, Adem had gone as promised, leaving Caleb to himself. Exactly what he did not want right now.
“You thought what? I can’t leave here for a while. You’re a lot more flexible than I am. I’m on salary, remember?” He hit return before letting his inner self-editor soften the words.
It was a solid five minutes before Adem replied. Caleb spent the time slugging back yet more caffeine and pondering Elle’s calendar, hoping he didn’t screw it up again like he had that morning. He’d misplaced some dates and had to tell her she was scheduled to be in Prague next week, not in September like they’d thought. Jesus. He was losing it.
“I actually thought I’d go to Turkey day after tomorrow, spend about a week, and then head back to the States.”
Caleb’s heart lifted somewhat. Thank God. He hadn’t spoiled things with his lame-ass emotional constipation or whatever his problem was lately.
“That sounds great. Really really (really) great.” He hit return. Then typed, “I miss you. So much.”
“I know. I miss you, too, my love.” Caleb smiled. “Try the massage before bed. Call that service. Or, if all else fails, rub one out.”
“What the hell do you think I’ve been doing? Drinking chamomile tea?”
“No. I guess not. I must go. Meeting with general contractor in ten.”
“Okay. Call me later.”
“I will. Caleb. I love you. Remember that.”
“I know. I do. I don’t deserve you.”
“Now that is the truth. But it’s mutual. Until later….”
He closed the Skype window as his phone buzzed at his elbow. Frowning at the international number his heart clenched when he realized who it was.
“Vivian! So good to hear your voice!” He stood, intending tore fill his coffee cup while he chatted with Emre, Tarkan, and Lale’s mother. Her next words made him release the ceramic mug to the floor, bouncing it off the cork flooring and splattering the dregs of warm liquid up one pants leg. He dropped back into his chair and put his head on the desk, listening, realizing why he’d been having the dream again, and mentally booking his flight to Istanbul.
After ten more minutes of back and forth, he hung up, staring at the device that had somehow delivered news that he had longed to hear for years, but now only served to make him want to crawl into the corner and pull a blanket over his head. He’d promised to call Emre for her. But how to begin? Didn’t matter. It had to be done. He stood, pacing and placed the call that would blow apart everybody’s newly ordered world all over again.
Author Bio:
Microbrewery owner, multi-published author, beer blogger and journalist, mom of three teenagers, and soccer fan, Liz brings years of experience in beer sales, plus an eight-year stint as an ex-pat trailing spouse to her life as erotic romance author. When she isn’t sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, she can be found writing, editing or concocting promotional efforts for her beer bar or her latest publications.
Liz writes “romance for real life” utilizing less traditional storylines in which characters have flaws, quirks, and multi-layered histories behind their motivations. They could be your best friends. Or the girl in your office that drives you crazy. She wants readers to sees a little of themselves in her characters—to identify, sympathize, and even get a little aggravated by them but always want to know more.
Her beer blog a2beerwench.com is nationally recognized for its insider yet outsider views on the craft beer industry. Her books are set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch and in high powered real estate offices. Don’t ask her for anything “like” a Budweiser or risk painful injury.
Last Stop of the SATIN SHEETS IN SPACE blog tour: Enter to WIN a copy!
The book blog tour for Satin Sheets in Space ends today at Reading Diva’s Blog with a review and giveaway:
PSST, THERE’S MORE…
In the next few weeks, I will participating in three different blog hops, each offering a Kindle for a Grand Prize and more! AND, one of my books will be offered for FREE starting Friday, for a limited time.
June 16, 2012
Guest posting at Erotica For All
The SATIN SHEETS IN SPACE blog tour continues over at Erotica For All, where I discuss why I write Science Fiction Romance.
http://eroticaforall.co.uk/guest-blogs/guest-blog-jessica-e-subject/
And congratulations to Holly W. who won on my Shameless Summer Giveaway Hop post!
June 14, 2012
Interviews, reviews and so many chances to WIN!
Hey All! Today is the third stop for the SATIN SHEETS IN SPACE blog tour. I’m being interviewed over at Curse of the Bibliophile. There’s an excerpt from the story there, too.
http://curseofthebibliophile.blogspot.ca/2012/06/satin-sheets-in-space-by-jessica-e.html
Also at Curse of the Bibliophile, there’s a review up for SATIN SHEETS IN SPACE.
“The love scenes were steamy and will leave you begging for more so I highly recommend this fun and sexy read!”
Here’s the entire review:
http://curseofthebibliophile.blogspot.ca/2012/06/satin-sheets-in-space-by-jessica-e_13.html
There’s been two other stops during the tour with reviews and chances to WIN a copy of SATIN SHEETS IN SPACE. You can find them here:
http://www.delightedreader.com/posts/review-giveaway-satin-sheets-in-space-by-jessica-e-subject/
Oh, and don’t forget about the Shameless Summer Giveaway Hop with over 100 authors and bloggers participating and giveaways at every stop!
http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?p=10494
And if you get a chance, stop by Backward Momentum, where I’m talking about writing THE END.
http://backwardmomentum.blogspot.ca/2012/06/writing-end.html
Have a great day!
June 12, 2012
Sins of the Mind blog tour: An interview with L.J. Garland and Debbie Gould
Shameless Summer Giveaway Hop post here.
I am excited to welcome back Laura Garland and Debbie Gould to my blog. I’ve had them both on separately before, but together they are even more fun. If you get a chance, be sure to check out their fun and completely original author interviews over on Garland & Gould.
Okay, to begin, what genres do you write in, and what appeals to you about those genres?
LAURA: I write paranormal, sci-fi, suspense, and time travel romance.
DEBBIE: Romantic Suspense and paranormal.
LAURA: Together, Debbie and I started out with romantic suspense. But lately, we’ve really branched out! I think we’ve hit 4-5 other romance genres. The story we just finished is paranormal romance.
What titles do you have published?
We’re both multi-published authors, but to date, we only have on title published together. Sins of the Mind from Decadent Publishing — He wants to protect her, but everyone she loves is dying. Is he next on the killer’s list?
Do you have any recent or upcoming releases?
Our latest release is the first book from the Red River series. It’s a romantic suspense from Decadent Publishing called Sins of the Mind (shh…we’ve already started on the next story in the Red River series…)
What are you working on now?
LAURA: Well, guess the cat’s outta the bag there… lol
DEBBIE: LOL, we are working on the next book in the Red River Series, yup more murder, mayhem, and romance, lol.
LAURA: Yep, we’ll be torturing the next characters even more than the first. Though, I think Sins of the Mind had several unexpected twists…and the characters got banged up pretty good.
Can you describe your daily writing routine?
LAURA: Uh, routine? Do we have a routine??
DEBBIE: No routine here. I keep telling her we need a routine, but she’s too busy drinking coffee all day.
LAURA: Hey, it works, and we get the stories finished. Hmm…my mug’s empty. Back in a sec.
DEBBIE: See what I mean?
LOL You two crack me up. Are you plotters or pantsers?
LAURA: Okay, back. Now…what was the question? Plotter or pantser? Neither. 
Um, both? Hmm…
DEBBIE: We outline lightly so we know what we are supposed to be accomplishing in each chapter, but we are always veering off course and re-arranging. Our characters don’t seem to like to be fenced in.
LAURA: Yeah…we got ourselves some free-range characters! Hahahaha!
DEBBIE: (huge eye roll) We’re not talking chickens here.
LAURA: Better not be! If they were chickens, they’d be dead. I mean, all that murder and mayhem going on in our story? Well, they’d be running around like chickens with their heads cut off!
Who is your favorite character from Sins of the Mind?
LAURA: I would have to say that was Elliot Swanson Attorney at Law. He’s a self-involved nut job. LOL
DEBBIE: I HATE him. He’s a jerk!
LAURA: Okay then, I think maybe he’s the character I love to hate. LOL Who is your favorite character?
DEBBIE: Well, Ethan of course. He’s the hot, hunky, sensitive, Alpha of the book. What’s not to love?
It’s fun to have characters on both ends of the spectrum. Makes the books memorable. Where do your best ideas come from?
LAURA: HA! I would have to say each other! Debbie and I get to talking and the ideas just flow. It amazes me how “on-track” we are with each other. We’re both very open…listen to each other’s thoughts and ideas…whining, complaining… *cough*, um, laughing and giggling.
DEBBIE: Definitely. We have great brainstorming sessions it’s amazing the things we come up with. I also think we share a brain, lol.
LAURA: Yeah! A lot of times, I’m IMing something to Deb and by the time I hit SEND, BAM – she IMd me the same thing! LOL
Awesome! Me, I have editors that keep throwing ideas my way. 
What is the best piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?
LAURA: Learn the craft. Write the best story…and most important…Never quit.
DEBBIE: Ditto! Oh, and research what you’re not sure of.
LAURA: Yeah, research is good, too. And the Internet makes that part so much easier than back in the dino-age. I’ll tell you, it ain’t easy running from a T-Rex while lugging a set of encyclopedias.
Where can my readers find you?
We can be tracked down at http://www.garland-and-gould.blogspot.com/ where we blog, chat about stuff, and interview other authors.
Laura can be caught at www.lj-garland.com and emailed at mail@lj-garland.com
Debbie can be found at http://www.authordebbiegould.com/ and emailed at mountecho2006@yahoo.com.
We love hearing from people who have enjoyed our stories!
And where can my readers find your books?
L.J. Garland & Debbie Gould
Sins of the Mind – Kindle / ebook
L.J. Garland
On the Fringes – Kindle / ebook
Cadence Interrupted – Kindle / Ebook
MechMan – Paperback / Kindle / Ebook
Dreamspell Revenge – Paperback / Kindle / Ebook
Dead or Alive – Kindle / Ebook
Debbie Gould
Second Chance – Kindle
November Rain – Kindle
Infidelity – Kindle
Mountain’s Echo – Kindle
Thanks so much, Ladies! I wish you the very best with this release and in the future!
Sins of the Mind blurb:Seven years ago, Abby Montgomery survived a brutal attack. Now she is ready to put her pain in the past and move on with her life. The problem is, one by one the men in her life are being viciously murdered.
The detective assigned to the case, Ethan Parker, has demons of his own to hide. As the danger gets closer to Abby, so does Ethan. But can they get past his secrets before the killer gets to them? Sometimes the sins of the mind are more depraved than the sins of the heart.
June 11, 2012
Author Interview with author, DL Jackson. Find out about her multiple releases this month.
Shameless Summer Giveaway Hop post here.
I am honored to welcome romance author, DL Jackson to my blog today. I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy her stories. She has three awesome releases this month, one a contemporary military romance, and the other two, science fiction romances.
DL, how long have you been writing with the hopes of publication?
DLJ: Three years before I published my first story.
What genres do you write in, and what appeals to you about those genres?
DLJ: Romance and erotic romance, Young adult and the sub-genres of science fiction, paranormal, suspense, military, Western, dystopian and horror. I like the ability to build worlds from scratch. With paranormal, and science fiction especially, I have that flexibility. I keep my stories grounded, familiar, by including what I call reference points. If it’s science fiction the reader might hear about the Terran Marines. That way I’m still giving the reader something they can relate to.
Can you tell us about your recent or upcoming releases?
DLJ: My two recent releases are with Decadent publishing and they both came out on June 1st. Those are My Boogie Woogie Bugle Guy, a 1 Night Stand story, and Rebel Souls, an erotic science fiction romance. I also have a story for the new series Decadent launched in April, called Elatia. You can find the links to buy on my site. http://authordljackson.com
What are you working on now?
DLJ: I continue to work on the Blown Away series for Passion in Print. I have two stories that follow Detonate and Happy Trails. They are Bomb Voyage and Collateral Lives. My biggest issue is I wrote book four before I finished book three and can’t submit the finished story until I get three done and it’s halfway written. As this spring has been insane, they’ve been sitting on the backburner. I have another 1Night Stand story called, On Being Prince Charming, which is Gunny and Lissa’s story. It follows Cinderella Wore Combat Boots. I also have a story I’d like to shop to agents that I’m cleaning up. Another I’m writing for submission to Ellora’s Cave. And a few others here and there that I haven’t decided what I’m doing with them yet.
Wow, that’s a lot. Can you describe your daily writing routine?
DLJ: Yes, I get up in the morning and check my email for any incoming edits, galleys, critiques or beta reads I need to do. I down load them to take with me to work. I go to work an hour early and work on these things in my vehicle while I listen to the radio. At lunch I work on a story, whichever one has priority. When I get home, its family time, dinner, whatever. As soon as the husband passes out in his recliner, I start networking and promoting.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
DLJ: Pantser. I know the beginning and the end of a story (well most of the time I do) when I start. Everything else comes to me as I make my way through the book.
What genres do you enjoy reading?
DLJ: Everything. If it’s not nailed down, I’ll read it. Including those little inserts in the tampon boxes, the back of cereal boxes and electronics manuals. I’m hopeless. Right now, I’m reading Sun Tzu’s Art of War. I read a little of it when I was in the Army, but it’s been a while, and I had never read the whole thing.
Who is your favorite character from any of your books?
DLJ: Nathanial Miller. He’s the brother of Jocelyn Miller in Slipping the Past. I have a story about him that I have been working on for a couple years. Just about done. I’ll give you an excerpt from Hear no Evil, the work in progress.
Her soul! The fucker took her soul. Nate sat up, eyes wide open. Blood pounded through his veins and his heart slammed against his ribs like a jackhammer, driving the breath from his lungs. A trickle of moisture meandered down his spine. He swallowed, kicked the sheets away, shoved both hands into his hair and pulled his knees to his chest. No!
She didn’t kill herself. All these years, all this time he’d believed she’d committed suicide. He’d never known. Where was she now? Where did Ian put her?
He swung his legs over the bed. His innards twisted. “It was a dream.” He tried to convince himself, but he knew the truth. Why now? Ever since he’d inherited Ian’s body he’d been dreamless. The voices kept REM away and made drifting off impossible.
Tonight that all changed. What had awakened the small bit of the beast? Ian’s soul had been fragmented and destroyed, all but a small sliver that had been missed. It sat at the back of his mind and fed him dark thoughts, but never came forward, it wasn’t strong enough. It had felt like nothing more than an ugly thought.
Until now.
It reveled in the death of his mother. He felt Ian’s delight. He’d felt his hunger. Nate reached up and touched the brand that now burned. Ian’s energy felt stronger, harder to hold back. God, he was in trouble. He’d no one to talk to that wouldn’t trigger the voices and visions, an anchor to sanity.
Nate froze. Except her. He’d hadn’t heard, seen or felt anything when she’d spoken to him. Well, that wasn’t one hundred percent true. He’d felt something. He’d gotten damned hard and it had taken hours and an ice shower for it to go away. Everything about it was unnatural and if he’d learned anything lately, it was also fate.
He needed to talk. He needed to work through the dream without outside visions interfering. He needed to freaking think. Most of all, he needed to see Paxton.
She’d left her purse in the office. When Jocelyn hadn’t been looking, he’d rifled through it and had taken the opportunity to learn something about her. He should be ashamed he’d snooped, but he wasn’t. She was in trouble and needed help. But she wasn’t the only one.
Nate glanced out the window then at the clock. Three in the morning, a little early to drop by and return her handbag. He could go to her house and wait for her to wake. He sure wasn’t going back to sleep.
“I am not Ian Saefa. I am not a monster.” He eyed his reflection in a large mirror that leaned against the wall. The swelling in his face had gone down and the black and purple had faded to tan and olive. Not pretty, but better than before. Reapers did indeed heal faster than most.
He reached out and touched the mirror’s frame. He kept it to remind him of what resided inside him and what he could become. He hated looking in. It always seemed like someone else stared back, and frankly, it creeped him out. But he had his reasons. Good ones. His gaze traveled to the corner to where a note had been scrawled across the silver surface.
“Know thy enemy.”
First thing when he woke, Nate looked into it and would recite the message over and over. Evil still resided in this body and he wouldn’t allow himself to forget, nor would he become the monster Ian Saefa had been.
“Know thy enemy.” The brown eyes, so dark they looked black, bore into him. Ian. That energy had wrapped him in a stranglehold, filling his head with cold thoughts, urging him to do things he would have never considered doing before—terrifying things—gruesome things—things that made him question if he was no longer sane. “Know thy enemy. Know thy enemy.” Nate leaned in. “Fuck you, asshole.” He stepped back and flipped the mirror on its stand so he could no longer see him.
Ian might have left him a hell of a body, as he was built like an Olympic athlete and not bad looking, but he also had that whole Boogieman thing down. Yeah, Ian had worked that to perfection. It was in the eyes, the windows to the soul, and his windows weren’t any place a sane person would want look. What had looking into those eyes done to Paxton? He didn’t want to scare her. He needed her, more than she could imagine. He rubbed his face again.
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?
DLJ: Yes. I’ve belonged to Critique Circle for about seven years, long before I was published. It’s where I met my IPs, indispensable peers, Laurie Green, Arlene Webb and Barbara Elsborg. When we met, none of us were published. Now, Barbara, Arlene and myself have published novels and Laurie took a different path, going after the big fish. She’s a triple Golden Heart finalist. I’ve learned a lot from them. Just about everything I know. Plus they have been a voice of encouragement, a shoulder to cry on and ears to hear me vent. Indispensable doesn’t begin to describe how I feel about them. I have other critique buddies I’ve met through my publishers too, but the Critique Circle is my main go to place.
Where can my readers find you?
DLJ: http://authordljackson.com
Where can my readers find your books?
DLJ: Same place. I list all the links to all my publishers on my site. You just click on the cover and it takes you to where you can buy the book.
Thanks for having me, Jessica. Really excited about the double release and I can’t wait to hear what the readers think of the two stories.
Best,
D L
It’s been a pleasure to have you here today, and I look forward to your return on July 2 when we get more personal about your upcoming release, Courtesan Boot Camp. All the best!
