Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 202

Somewhere In Between by Stacey Kennedy

Huge thanks to Mark of the Stars for letting me stop by today and share my new release, Somewhere in Between.

This novelette is the sequel to Takedown, which is an m/m erotic romance. While writing that story, I knew that I would eventually get down to writing Somewhere in Between so Rye and Wyatt could meet their woman. To be honest, I hadn't known how Darby would find her place between the two men. I only knew that she was meant to belong there.

When I started Somewhere in Between, I wanted to use Wyatt's employment as a U.S. Marshal to be the way that he met Darby. Seeing that he deals with the worse types of criminals, I knew this story was going to be interesting to write. Let me say, I had a total blast writing the opening pages. Talk about intense!

The journey of digging a little deeper into his character to see what he goes through as a Marshal, and also going along the ride with him as he chases a killer was exciting. But in the end, this story was so much more—even though, it's a quick read. It was about a woman finding herself again, blossoming love, emotion and sex scenes that even made my cheeks warm.

I'll admit to this, though, as much as I enjoyed my time with Wyatt and Darby—Rye stole the show for me. He's always been such a fun character to write and I'm sad to see these characters go. But I loved the time I spent with them.

And I hope you do too!

U.S. Marshal, Wyatt Tanning is in a race to catch a serial killer who has evaded the authorities. Just as the case hits a dead end, an unexpected email gives him a lead. As much as he wants to share the surprising message with his lover, Rye Daniels, he must hunt a killer first.

Darby Grant never expected that one night would change her life forever, but that's exactly what happened. Not only has she been abducted, but she is in a situation that nightmares are made of. As she begins to lose all hope, fate steps in to offer her aid, but she's well aware things will never be the same again. Soon, though, Darby begins to realize that might not be such a bad thing…

*WARNING:  m/m and also ménage love scene.

Buy link – http://www.staceykennedy.com/somewhere-in-between/

Teaser:

Wyatt sprinted up the front porch, hearing the wood crack and groan under his weight. At the front door, he raised his foot and kicked the door open with a crash. Holding his weapon at shoulder height, he placed the flashlight underneath to offer light in the dark space and entered cautiously.

"Spread out," he ordered.

His team dispersed, each taking a room to search. Wyatt strode forward and kept his gun in his line of vision. He scoped out the living room; if he could even call it such. Old furniture situated around the room sat covered in dust—so much in fact, it itched his nose.

"Clear," Taryn called out from the kitchen.

He glanced around, looking behind the couch first then searched every place someone might hide. He found nothing. "Clear," he replied. Each of the deputies issued the same response from upstairs to confirm the house lay empty.

Lowering his gun, he sighed. He'd hoped the lead Madame Eve gave would have brought them to Marcus. Apparently, she'd been wrong, and that not only confused, but irritated him. His hopes had risen only to plummet again.

He spun around to approach Taryn in the kitchen, and a light caught his eye. If he'd come in the daytime he never would've seen it, but being pitch black in the room, the light glowed through the dark space. A small hole, maybe the size of a pea, sat at the bottom of the far wall.

Wyatt raised his gun and approached. "I've got something here." At the wall, he squatted and ran his finger over the light. He looked to Taryn when she stepped in next to him. "There's something behind here."

He stood, raised his leg and after a few well-placed kicks, his foot went through the wall. He peered through the hole to see a set of stairs, and a wall lined with soundproofing. Turning his gun around, he  used the butt end to bash in the wall.

The loud cracking of wood filled his ears, but the second he stopped, something else registered in the air—a loud scream for help. He jerked his head toward Taryn. "Did you hear that?"

"I heard it." She pushed on his back. "Go."

Stacey Kennedy's novels are lighthearted fantasy with heart squeezing, thigh-clenching romance, and even give a good chuckle every now and again. But within the stories you'll find fast paced action, life threatening moments and a big bad villain that needs to be destroyed. Her urban fantasy/paranormal and erotic romance series have hit Amazon Kindle and All Romance Ebooks Bestseller lists. If she isn't plugging away at her next novel, tending to her two little ones, she's got her nose deep in a good book. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband. Be sure to drop her a line at www.staceykennedy.com , she loves to hear from her readers.

 

Bring Out Your Gentlemen! – Guest Post by Maureen O. Betita & Giveaway!!

Bring Out Your Gentlemen!

Thank you, Jessica, for inviting me to blog about my upcoming 1 Night Stand story, Something Different. While this Decadent series is known for its erotic hotness, I wanted to talk a bit about how my family influenced my writing this story. And I don't mean my husband, though he likely came into this a bit…

Now that everyone is looking at me with their head tilted, I want to mention my father.

Hee, hee.

(Okay, I'm gonna put everyone out of their misery right now. Something Different has some sweet steamy stuff into it. But at the heart of it all, it's the story of an old world gentleman, Aaron Castillo, and his setting his grief aside to take a chance with a new woman, courtesy of his deceased wife's machinations with Madam Evangeline of the 1 Night Stand dating service.)

When Valerie Mann and Kate Richards spoke to me about writing the story of the senior Castillo, I knew I needed to do some research on how to do justice to a man in his mid-fifties, raised in the Cuban traditions and culture, who had one love in his life. For the Cuban-ness, I spoke to Valerie and to my agent, Saritza Hernandez. For the gentleman, raised Catholic, married young…I looked to my father.

Dad wasn't Cuban, he was Irish and Mexican. Met my mother when he was seventeen. Their story is different, no resort kingdom, no cancer to steal his wife away. But Dad was very much an old world gentleman with Latin sensibilities and though he's gone now, and passed before my first book was published, I know he's proud of me.

Aarón Castillo has the silver and black hair which my father sported. The bright streaks at his sideburns and the lock of silver that curled down onto his forehead came from my Dad. When I think of Aarón, I think of my Dad, Robert O'Hagan.

Excerpt:

"…We women, we know the truth of love and the human heart. He will mourn me, dearest Evengeline. But as this illness steals my time with him, I want to leave him with hope. This dating service you run…when you feel he is ready, find him a woman, Eve. Find him someone different so that he doesn't look for me in her eyes.

Show him my letter, so that he knows I want this for him with all my heart. Our children will follow your lead. He will resist, but be firm. Use all you know to bring love back into his life.

My days are numbered, the drugs ease my pain. Help my Aarón to heal from his.

Yours in spirit, Maria Consuelo Castillo"

He read the letter and slid into the chair at the family meeting. With a shudder, he met his son's eyes and sighed. They all watched him, waiting. She wanted this? His beloved wife, gone three years? It was a useless gesture, but he wouldn't deny the attempt.

One date, to satisfy Maria. But that was all. He swore it.

Blurb:

Sail into the sunset as an old world gentleman finds himself charmed by a Californian upstart, challenged to open his heart and take a chance with a new love.

Something Different, available from Decadent Publishing on September 16.

Giveaway:

Win a copy of Something Different! Tell me who you think of as an example of an old world gentleman! Be sure to leave your email address. Contest is international and ends September 18th, 2011 at midnight EST.

REB: Takedown – A 1 Night Stand story by Stacey Kennedy

Takedown (a 1NightStand story) by Stacey Kennedy

Publication date: June 7, 2011 by Decadent Publishing

GLBT, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance

From Goodreads:

U.S. Marshal Wyatt Tanning has been on the hunt for a killer on the run in Turks and Caicos. A week into the investigation, he has absolutely nothing to show for his efforts. Feeling defeated he returns to Castillo Resort to drown his frustrations. There he meets UFC fighter, Rye Daniels. Now the resort's bartender, Rye recognizes a man that has been beaten down, but he also senses a shared attraction that is hard to ignore. Wyatt might not be ready to step out from behind the shadow of lies, but Rye will stop at nothing to unleash the beast within.

Takedown is available from:

Decadent Publishing
Amazon Kindle Store
B&N Nook Book Store
and more

Find Stacey Kennedy on her Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Be sure to stop by Thursday to get another look at the guys from Takedown in Somewhere In Between.

Thanks for visiting!

REB: Cinderella Wore Combat Boots (a 1NightStand story) by D.L. Jackson

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots by D.L. Jackson

Publication date: August 25, 2011 by Decadent Publishing

Military Romance, Erotic Romance

From Goodreads:

Sometimes Fairytales come true.

First Sergeant Cori Valentine faces a bleak future. She's turning forty in three weeks and life as she knows it is over. An injury received while on deployment has earned her an early retirement from the Marine Corps, something she's not sure she'll survive. Things get even better when interfering Marines set her up on a blind date for a party she doesn't want. The guy has to be a total toad to want to go out with her. Right?

When Madame Eve informs Retired SEAL, Sol Keller she's found his perfect match, he doesn't believe it, but takes up the challenge. One look at the First Sergeant in a sexy dress and combat boots has him wondering if fairytales really can come true. Madame Eve might be the legendary Fairy Godmother, and Cori his Cinderella. Sol intends to show the Marine beauty a Prince Charming she'll never forget, and that retirement isn't the end of her story but merely the beginning.

Cinderella Wore Combat Boots is available from:

Decadent Publishing
Amazon Kindle Store
B&N Nook Book Store
and more

Find D.L. Jackson on her Website, many Blogs, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Thanks for visiting!

Going from Book Blogger to Author w/ Book & Swag Giveaway!!

Today I'm visiting my online buddy, Diana @ Offbeat Vagabond where I'm talking about my journey from Book Blogger to Published Author.

AND I'll be giving away a copy of Celestial Seduction and book swag.

So be sure to drop by.

All the best!

Six Sentence Sunday #45: 09/11/11 – Learn more about Tamara and her wig

Thinking of all of those affected by the 9/11 tragedy 10 years ago. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Thank you to everyone who keeps coming back to read and comment on my excerpts every week. I appreciate all of your support.

This excerpt is from my soon-to-be-released 1 Night Stand story from Decadent Publishing entitled Beneath the Starry Sky. Please note, edits have not been done yet. If you've read Celestial Seduction, this is Tamara and Josh's story, but find out a little bit more about Tamara and her wig here:

She only wanted a night of passion, a night to prove she could date again, hidden under her wig. Love meant taking the wig off and she would never expose her bald head to a man again. If that meant a life of one-night stands, so be it.

She reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out the red lace teddy she'd bought the day before. If there's one way to get a man to fuck me, it's with sexy lingerie.

After changing into the glove-like outfit, she waited on the bed, trying to figure out the sexiest pose to be in when her date arrived.

Visit http://www.sixsunday.com/ to find out who's participating in Six Sentence Sunday this week or follow the #sixsunday hashtag on twitter.

Decadent Heroines featured at Starla Kaye's

Today, Starla Kaye is featuring several heroines from the 1 Night Stand series published by Decadent Publishing. Stop by! You might just add some books to your TBR pile.

(Athough there are no heroines in her recent 1 Night Stand release )

Decadent Publishing is now accepting submissions for the following…

Decadent Publishing is actively seeking stories that fit our new Honor Guard line.

The Honor Guard line is composed of contemporary multi-national romance stories with a heat level of 3-5 and word count between 10k-30k.

Setting: US embassies around the world. The hero can be any alpha male having to do with embassy operations: Marines, MP, CIA, Homeland Security, NSA, etc.

The heroine can be an American or foreign national. Her age should be 25+ (can be Late Escape–romance between couples age 50+–as well). If your setting is in India, Australia, Norway or wherever, we need "local flavor". Tap your travel experiences!

If you write about the military, make sure it's accurate. Give us fun, adventure, romance, interesting settings, strong characters and hot lovin' combined with cultural insights. HEA is mandatory.

Designed by JoAnne Kenrick

Decadent is also taking submissions in our popular 1Night Stand line and is open for general sunmissions in the following catagories. Please keep word count between 5-50k at this time.

See SUBMISSIONS page on the website for details. http://www.decadentpublishing.com/index.php?osCsid=084930d6cc456d4ae1915b6958c5a3e5&content=submissions

Historical paranormal romance

Late Escape romance (couples who are 50 years of age or older)

May-December romance

Comedy (romance or mainstream fiction)

Time travel (romance or mainstream fiction)

Erotic Romance

GLBT (especially F/F)

Non-Fiction (Biography, historical, memoirs, autobiography)

So, get writing!!

Interview with YA fantasy author Heather McCorkle

Heather, welcome back to Mark of the Stars and congratulations on the release of your debut novel The Secret of Spruce Knoll!

Thank you Jessica, stopping by your place is always a pleasure, and not just because of all the hot ab pics.   

LOL Now, I have been following your blog for well over a year now, but for those who don't know you, can you tell us about yourself? 

I love all things fantasy/sci-fi, and horror but I venture out to other genres often to keep myself well rounded. I'm a huge supporter of other authors and writers who are looking to make a career out of their passion because when I first started out information and connections were really hard to come by. And I just love helping others!  

How did your writing journey begin? 

We have to go back a long ways for that. Reading the books on my grandmother's shelves about old fables were what first sparked my interest. I wrote my first novel when I was twelve. It was awful and will never see the light of day, but I knew from that moment on that I wanted to be an author. 

After researching several venues and an offer from a small press, you decided to self-publish The Secret of Spruce Knoll. Can you tell us why you chose this path and the things you considered before making this decision? 

It was the hardest, scariest decision of my life and in the end I chose what I did because of the level of control I would retain if I published independently. When an author publishes traditionally we give up not only 90% of our profits to the publisher, but also at least 90% of our control. We have no say on the cover, interior design, distribution, or format. Once a publisher showed interest I realized the novel had merit and that I could do it on my own without giving up control and so much of my profits. I still love traditional publishing and small presses, and support them fully, it just wasn't right for me and my novel. After I made the decision to go independent instead of with the small press I had a second publisher express interest! 

Now, The Secret of Spruce Knoll is a young adult fantasy novel; what draws you to write this genre? 

I've loved the fantasy genre since before I could read. Stories of princesses and peas and knights and dragons filled my head at a tender age. I fell in love with young adult when I met Aprilynne Pike and Sarah Rees Brennan at a writer's retreat and they showed me how much the genre has grown and how innovative it had become.  

Do you read a lot of YA fantasy as well? If so, what is the one book you've read in this genre that was so enjoyable that you just can't get it out of your head? 

A great majority of the novels I read are YA fantasy, in all its many sub-genres. I have many favorites but if I had to narrow it down to two I would say the brilliant novel The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell, and the captivating Mistwood by Leah Cypess.  

What was your inspiration behind The Secret of Spruce Knoll? 

That's a good one, I don't think anyone has actually asked me that. I was reading an article about the rain forests that were being decimated and how many species have gone extinct because of it. A picture of a multi-cultural girl tied to the earth and it's disappearing forests started to form in my mind, and Eren was born.  

After her parents' tragic death, Eren, the main character of The Secret of Spruce Knoll, moves to Spruce Knoll to live with her aunt, only to find the entire town is filled with channelers. Can you explain what channelers are and how they are tied to the fate of the world? 

Channelers can channel the energy of living things~as well as their own energy~and use it like a physical force to either fight or heal, depending on what kind of channeler they are. The secret is, all humans once had this ability but now the only ones left that do are those that are still in tune with the earth. Unfortunately, this connection means that as the earth is dying from pollution and misuse, their kind are going extinct as well.  

Eren meets a local boy named Aiden, also a channeler. Between the two, which character was easier to write and why? 

Ah, you're asking me to choose favorites! How can a mother do such a thing? LOL! Seriously though, Aiden was easier to write, odd as that may seem. There is a darkness that surrounds him due to what he's been through and something about that just flowed onto the page.  

In fantasy, like science-fiction, there is a lot of world-building involved. What is your favorite part of creating these new lands? 

The research! Since four different cultures of people immigrated to America to form the town of Spruce Knoll, I had to do a lot of research to learn about them. It was fascinating and opened up many ideas for future novels.  

Fridays, on your blog, you feature a new fantasy creature. Which is your favorite and why? 

Fridays are one of my favorite days to blog because of this post. I'm so happy I started it! My favorite is Muse. You only have to check it out to see why.  

Ah, I do see. Not only do you have your own blog, but you are also involved with the Critique Sisters Corner blog and #WritersRoad on twitter. How have these two resources helped you and how do they help other authors and aspiring authors? 

They've helped me more than I can ever say. I met my Critique Sisters years ago at a writer's retreat and we connected immediately. We created our blog as a way to help other writers by sharing our experiences together. Soon we'll be offering critiques to writers in need of help with first sentences, first pages, query letters, and the like. Freelance editor TS Tate and I started the #WritersRoad chat when our favorite Twitter chat went defunct. It's a valuable resource for authors that we just couldn't stand to lose. Each week we talk about a different writing related topic. Published authors~both traditional and independent~often join in as well as the occasional agent.

What's next for you?

There is a lot of exciting things going on in my future. Blog readers will see me around a few more blogs this month talking about my debut novel. In October I'm doing my first author signing in Seattle, in January I'll be at the Writer's Digest conference, and tentatively spring of next year the sequel to The Secret of Spruce Knoll will be releasing (eekk!).

So exciting! Where can we find you?

Sometimes it feels like I'm everywhere at once! LOL! Here are my favorite haunts though:

On Twitter: @HeatherMcCorkle

My blog: http://heathermccorkle.blogspot.com

Critique Sisters Corner: http://critiquesisterscorner.blogspot.com 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4957267.Heather_McCorkle

Thank you so much, Heather for coming to visit us today. I wish you all the best with this release and many more in the future.

Thank you so much Jessica. It's such an exciting journey and I owe it all to the wonderful people like yourself and your blog readers.

Blurb:

Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with her aunt. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with "channelers"—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.

Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Now, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad.

Buy Links:

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.ca, Book Depository, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de

Recently Enjoyed Books: Fantasy In Death by J.D. Robb

Fantasy In Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)

Publication date: February 23 , 2010 by Putnam Adult

Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction, Futuristic

From Goodreads:

In the latest novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb, it is game over for the criminals pursued by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas. 

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . . 

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob­lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .

Fantasy In Death is available from most book retailers in print and as an ebook.

Find more about the In Death series here: http://www.jdrobb.com/

Thanks for visiting!