Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 74
November 25, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wishing all of my American friends, family, readers, and fellow authors a Happy Thanksgiving! It’s a regular day here in Canada, as we had our Thanksgiving back in October, but I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
And don’t forget to enter my contest for the Thankful For You blog hop. You can find the post here: http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/thankful-for-you-blog-hop/
November 24, 2015
Help fight Illiteracy with Grammarly on #GivingTuesday (December 1st)
Infographic from https://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check
You can get involved by spreading the word about global literacy, volunteering with a local literacy program in your community, or donating to literacy charities like First Book or Reading is Fundamental.
And, on #GivingTuesday, December 1st, 2015, don’t forget to show your support for the movement on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook by posting your #UNSelfie and tagging it #UNSelfie and #GivingTuesday.
November 23, 2015
Jessica E. Subject’s Weekly Writing Update ~ Alien Kisses at Midnight is finished!
Hello! It’s Tuesday, and time for another update.
ALIEN KISSES AT MIDNIGHT ~ I’ve finished! This will be a New Years’ Eve short alien romance FREE for my newsletter subscribers, and will be sent out between December 25, 2015 and January 1, 2016. If you’re not a subscriber, you can be one by subscribing here: http://eepurl.com/eX1Zw. I started at 3,685 words, and I’m now at 5,408, for a total of 2,351 new words. Now, I have to self-edit, which will likely add new words, before I send to a beta reader.
BRYCE ~ I started at 5, 416 words, and finished the week at 5,568 words, for a total of 152 new words. Not a lot of new words, but I’m back to working on this story.
REWRITES ~ I recently received the rights back to An Unexpected Return and Made For Her. With Made For Her, I will be rewriting the ending. An Unexpected Return will be rewritten throughout, as it was part of a multi-author series at my publisher, and has some proprietary places and names. The tone of the story will completely change, and the story will be expanded a great deal. For that reason, I will likely give it a new name when I re-release it. So, I will be working on these two stories as well.
GOALS FOR THE WEEK ~ I will write as many words as possible on Bryce and/or edit one of the rewrites mentioned above.
MOVIE UPDATE ~ I watched two movies over the weekend, Max and San Andreas. I loved Max! Warning! There are many sad parts in the movie, but it does not have a sad ending like some movies about dogs. It sheds light on dog training, and how dogs are used to help the military in their missions. But, it’s also a sweet story about a boy learning to love a dog, and to understand his brother. San Andreas was okay. It was full of action, but it reminded me of The Day After Tomorrow, where a child travels away from their parents, an extreme natural disaster happens, and the parents have to rescue their child, hoping their child is able to survive.
Please share what you have been up to this week….
Get @KarynGerrard’s The Barron and the Mistress #FREE November 23-25! #historical #FREEread
THE BARON AND THE MISTRESS
by Karyn Gerrard
Release date: April 7th, 2015
Historical/Victorian/Sensual
Approx: 29,700 words
KG Publishing
THE BARON AND THE MISTRESS FREE LIMITED TIME!
NOV 23-Nov 25th ONLY!
Forget the horrors. Remember…me.
A shivering young woman leans against a lamppost in the most notorious street of ill repute in all London. For Asher Colborne, Baron of Wenlock, this is a haunting vision of beauty and wretchedness. Uncharacteristically halting his carriage, he is shocked to discover the thin, dressed-in-rags creature is none other than Chastity Armitage, a beautiful angel who captured his heart at a grand ball more than two years past. For Colborne, her circumstance is a mystery he feels honor bound to unravel.
Chastity and her siblings have been on the run for more than two years. Desperate for food and lodging money, she is forced to sell herself. She never expected a tall, handsome man to appear as if from mist and change her life forever. She is given a choice, continue down the path of never-ending poverty or become the baron’s mistress.
Though they are both determined the arrangement remain an emotionless business transaction, the attraction between them is scorching. Many barriers and obstacles lay in Chastity and Ash’s path. Can the baron and the mistress embrace true love?
Heat Level: Very Sensual
Available from:
Amazon | AmazonUK | AmazonCA | AmazonAU
THE BARON AND THE MISTRESS FREE LIMITED TIME!
NOV 23-Nov 25th ONLY!
This book is coming out of Kindle Unlimited Dec 13th, so snap it up during the free sale, or for 99 cents until December 13th. After that, returning to regular price.
Karyn lives in a small town in the western corner of Ontario, Canada. She whiles away her spare time writing and reading romance while drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey tea. A multi-published author with a couple of bestsellers under her belt, Karyn loves to write historicals, particularly in the Victorian era. She also writes contemporaries. Tortured heroes are a must.
As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden.
Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement keeps her moving forward.
Karyn’s Site | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon Page
November 20, 2015
The naked man behind the curtain #MySexySaturday from ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER PLANET #1NS @DecadentPub
Hello and welcome to the 119th week of My Sexy Saturday.
Here are the details: every Saturday, published and unpublished authors will be sharing 7 words, sentences, or paragraphs from a work-in-progress or an already published story.
Today’s theme is…
IMAGINE SEXY
Here’s seven from ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER PLANET, a sci-fi romance 1Night Stand story that takes place on another planet. Enjoy!
Set-up: Ava and Nate have both arranged a date with the 1Night Stand dating service, though they never expected to be reunited with each other.
Ava’s cheeks burned as she gazed at the naked man who’d drawn back the curtain. Nate. Her first lover. The first guy to break her heart. Tanned skin covered his muscular body. He’d kept his hair short and even his nether region was trimmed to show off his large cock. By far the most gorgeous man she had ever seen, improved even more over the star cycles, he watched her, his face void of any expression.
Nate is one of my favorite heroes. There are more descriptions of him, but not in the same section, so thus, this is all you get. Will Ava give him a second chance?
~ About Another Night, Another Planet ~
Limited by status…
Ava is a housekeeper aboard Star Spirit, a luxury cruise ship travelling between the Milky Way and the Belvarian System. Coming from a middle-class family on Earth, she is considered by passengers as nothing more than an object to be tossed away when they’re done with her.
Shunned because of his lineage…
Banned from several planets across the universe, Nate struggles to run his interstellar shipping business. But the DNA of an exterminated race runs through his blood, giving him a diluted form of their powers, and leaving him labeled as a terrorist.
Both searching for the one…
Through her 1Night Stand dating service, Madame Evangeline matches these two together for a celestial escape on the pleasure planet, Elatia.
Will Ava and Nate find what they’re looking for, or will their date be just another night on another planet?
You can find buy links for this title on its own here.
Or, you can get it with four other titles in AN ALIEN TO LOVE:
Amazon US | UK | Canada | Germany | Australia
Another Night, Another Planet is also available as an Audiobook:
For more My Sexy Saturday postings, check out the participants’ list here
November 19, 2015
Thankful For You Blog Hop ~ November 20-27 #Thankful4You
Huge thank you to Anna from
The Herd Presents for organizing this hop!
I am thankful for many things, for the ability to do something I love, for all the things I’ve learned from my critique partners and editors, for all the support for my readers, family and friends. And after recent world events, I am thankful for so much more.
In my new release, Leanne is thankful to be alive after an accident at her parents’ dairy farm.
~ ACCIDENTAL ROMANCE ~
Her plans changed in an instant…
Once finished college, Leanne intended to take over her family dairy farm, let her father retire and finally take a vacation. After one tragic night, her dreams go up in smoke. She loses the ability to do the most basic of things.
And brought him closer…
Jake, the farm hand who lives down the road, refuses to let Leanne give up on her goals. He remains by her side throughout her healing. But, when he confesses his true intentions, their friendship takes a drastic turn.
If only she’d known before she lost her arm.
Available from:
Amazon US | UK | Canada | Germany | Australia
Visit the other participating bloggers:
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November 18, 2015
Can a demon have a normal life? OFFER THE DEMON by @ShielaSue Stewart #paranormal @DecadentPub
Does the word bring terror to mind? For some it does. True believers of Christ and Satan fear that if their soul is tainted, if they commit any sort of sin, Satan will send his demon’s to possess them and in doing so, be sent to hell. It’s terrifying to think you could be possessed by an evil spirit, that a foreign being is able to take your body over and do unspeakable things, but, even more terrifying is the thought that one might spend eternities burning in hell for your sin. It is also believed that to rid a body of the evil inside is to exorcise it by bringing in a priest who can supposedly convince the evil presence to leave the body. But what if there are demons out in the world who aren’t evil, who walk amongst us, living normal lives. Do you think that’s possible?
In my Demon series, I’ve created a family of demons who want a normal life, who want to be rid of Satan. In Book one, Awaken the Demon, Draco Starr is a demon who has spent the better part of his life obeying his master, Satan. Having been released from Hell to collect souls for the devil, Draco did his duty, but after decades, he feels like something is missing in his life. He’s created a company and has massed millions of dollars, yet something is still empty inside. When he learns of a child born from a Demon and human, he sets out to find her. Though mating with a human is taboo, Draco disobeys his master and pursues Missy Green. What he discovers is a love so strong that he is willing to sacrifice it all just to have her.
Draco, a once evil force in the world collecting souls, causing pain to others is now a mild man caught in love. But after several years together, both Draco and Missy discover they want more. They want a child.
Enter Aurora Starr.
Offer the Demon is book two and begins just after Aurora turns twenty-one. Because her mother was part human, her parents had to barter with Satan in order to have a child. Draco and Missy strike a deal with Satan and are granted a child. Only stipulation. She must gather souls when she turns twenty-one.
Aurora hates being a demon. Hates having been sheltered all her life. She wants more. She wants to live like the humans do. Only problem is, Satan won’t let her. Aurora is a stubborn woman and won’t take no for an answer and despite the wrath of Satan when she disobeys, she pursues a man who has caught her eye and she’s willing to sacrifice it all just to keep him.
Do I believe that every person, no matter how evil they are, can be redeemed? No. There are some souls that are so tainted they can’t be cleansed. Do I believe that Satan or demons have control over them? No. But it sure is fun to write about it, to imagine a world with demons roaming in search of lives to corrupt. That is the beauty of fiction.
What do you believe? I would love to hear what you have to say. One lucky commenter will win a free ecopy of Offer the Demon. Please leave your email address in your comment.
OFFER THE DEMON
by Shiela Stewart
Twenty-one years ago a bargain was made for her existence. Twenty-one years ago was the beginning of the end.
Born to serve Satan, Aurora Starr wishes she could lead a normal life. Being a demon, that’s not so easy to do. By night she takes the lives of those Satan chooses. Despite her hatred for her job, she knows she must continue. All she wants is to live like a normal human.
Enter Scott Monroe.
Tall, blond, and gorgeous, he is more than Aurora can resist. Knowing that mating with a human is taboo, Aurora throws caution to the wind and begins seeing Scott. But when Satan makes her choose between her family or the man she loves, Aurora has had enough.
Available in Print and ebook
All Romance | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo
“What are you?”
She sat back on the coffee table and began to explain. “My father is the direct descendant of Satan. He was born full demon. My mother was conceived by a demon and a witch. She is also part human. I’m a little of both.”
“Oh yeah, yeah, I see it now.” He laughed, uncontrollably.
“Oops, I forgot to tell you about the euphoria. You’ll feel a little high for a bit. Ever smoked weed?”
“No, no I haven’t, but I might consider it after this.” Bent over at the waist, he couldn’t stop laughing.
“No, you won’t. See, it’s almost over. I like your laugh, by the way. Very sexy.”
“This is crazy.” Pulling himself from the chair, he stood. His knees wobbled and he fell back down.
“Careful, you don’t have your sea legs yet.”
He ran a hand over his face. “I’m dreaming, hallucinating. None of this is real. It’s some insane nightmare or illusion.”
“I’m real, Scott. You aren’t dreaming, or hallucinating, and I am no illusion.” Taking his hand in hers, she pulled him closer and sank her lips into his. She took the kiss slow, making sure he could feel her, taste her, and know she wasn’t a figment of his imagination. “See, real.”
He leaned back, licked his lips. “How is this possible?”
She needed a smoke, desperately, and since she didn’t have any on her, her only recourse was to conjure one up. “Sorry, but I need this.” Snapping her fingers, the cigarette appeared in her fingers, smoldering.
“Oh Jesus, Jesus.” He laid his head on the back of the chair and closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry, really I am. Let me try to answer your question.” She stood, because walking helped her concentrate, helped with the nervousness she was feeling. “There are all manner of things that people choose not to believe. That they ignore. Witches, demons, vampires—all walk the earth.”
“I’m trying to picture Glinda the Good Witch, but I keep seeing the bad one, you know, the Wicked Witch of the East, or was it West?” He shook his head. “Okay, let’s see, witches, demons, and vampires. Are we talking vampires as in I want to suck your blood?”
She smiled as she blew a cloud of smoke in the air. He did a great Slavic impression of
Count Dracula. “Yes, well, not in the way people have portrayed them, but close enough.
You would be surprised how many walk amongst us, holding down normal jobs, living normal lives.”
“Oh yeah, sure. The woman at the grocery store, she’s got these fangs. I should have guessed.” He snickered lightly, shaking his head. “Is that what you are?”
He wasn’t really grasping it all, but she kept going on the off chance it would register soon. “No, though we do need blood to survive, as well as some raw meat. It’s been a long time since my kind has preyed on innocent humans for food.”
His eyes went wide. All the blood in his body seemed to drain from his face. “Oh God, do you have any idea how that sounds?”
“Sorry, I know it’s hard for you to grasp all of this and try to understand it all.”
“No, no, you don’t. You have no idea.”
She waved her smoke away. “I think I do, somewhat. See, I didn’t learn what I really was until I was six,” she began. “As a child, I was secluded from everyone, everything on the outside world, and kept in my home. My parents were afraid they would take me out and I would do something to give them away. You know, conjure up a toy they wouldn’t buy me, make someone do something, change things, cause a minor storm with my tantrums, and so on. When I turned six, and I made Hunter disappear, they sat me down and explained what was happening to me.”
She could still remember it all, the terror the disbelief. “They explained to me that because I was demon, I couldn’t attend normal schools, I couldn’t go out, and I couldn’t have friends unless they were people that knew of our kind. The older I got, the harder it was for me to keep to myself, but that’s neither here nor there. I’m veering off the topic.”
She took a deep breath. “The fact is when my parents first told me what I was, it terrified me. I couldn’t look in a mirror for fear of what I might see. And I didn’t believe them, not completely, until I experimented. It hit me like a brick to the stomach. Once I got over my terror, I learned to accept it.” And detest it with every breath.
He rubbed his fingers along his temples.
“Okay, okay, tell me again. What are you, and your parents?”
She sighed. “Demons. My father was born in Hell. He is the great-great-grandson of
Satan. My mother is part witch: half demon, half human.”
He ran a hand through his hair, staring at her. “Satan, as in the big ugly red guy with horns and a tail?”
She nearly laughed. He had no idea how wrong he was. “That’s only a depiction of what people have decided he looks like. Believe me when I say they are so far off. He isn’t red, and he doesn’t have horns and a tail. He is so much worse.”
“Okay, let me see if I’m getting this.” He stood now, his legs a little more stable. “Your father is a demon, a descendant of Satan, the big bad?”
“Yes.”
“Your mother is a witch? Part demon, part human?”
“Yes, she didn’t learn what she was until she was my age. It’s a long story. I won’t get into that right now.”
“Thank you. I’m not sure how much data this fuzzy brain can handle right now. Okay, dad’s full-fledged demon, mom is demon-witch-human, and that would make you…?”
He turned to her, his blue eyes a little glassy.
“Three-quarters demon, one-quarter human/witch.” She saw his mind working. “I wanted to tell you, Scott, but it was forbidden. Being together is forbidden. That was why I had to stop seeing you. It’s forbidden for a demon to mate with a human.”
Comment to the post and leave your email address and you could be a lucky winner of a copy of Offer the Demon.
Shiela’s website: www.shielasbooks.ca
November 17, 2015
Her sexy pink hearts #MidWeekTease from ACCIDENTAL ROMANCE #NewAdult #99cents
Happy Wednesday! It’s time for my Mid Week Tease post! Mid Week Tease is an author meme started and hosted by author Sandra Bunino, where authors share snippets from their recent releases, back list titles, and works-in-progress (WIPs). So, please check out my tease and visit the other participating authors listed below.
For today’s post, I’m sharing an excerpt from ACCIDENTAL ROMANCE, a New Adult Western Romance.
In this excerpt, Leanne is visited by Jake (a neighbor and their farm hand) in the hospital for the first time since her accident, since he saved her. Enjoy!
“So, how are you feeling, LA?” Jake sauntered into the room, his worried expression replaced with a cocky grin.
God, she hated that look. It meant he was planning something, ready with another prank. And using his nickname for her, LA, another sign he was up to no good. Things were different now though. She wouldn’t be working with him every day, and the thought made her stomach twist.
“Oh, fine, Jake-a-roo. I’m missing a hand, but otherwise, just peachy.”
“Great, then get the hell out of bed.”
She drew in a quick breath. How dare he talk to her like that. She was in the hospital. “Did you not hear me? My hand is gone.” How could anyone forget? She never would.
“Yes, your hand, not your legs.” He shucked the blankets off her. “So, get off your ass, and let’s go for a walk.”
“I only have a hospital gown on. I can’t go wandering around.” Reaching for the sheets, she tried to cover herself, but he refused to give them back. “C’mon Jake, this is embarrassing.” She didn’t need him or anyone else in shock from an accidental flash.
He finally let go, only to march over to her small closet and grab her robe. “Put this on.” He tossed it at her. “Otherwise, I’m going to carry you out into the hall and plop you down on the floor.”
“You’re such an ass.”
His shit-eating grin returned. “I know, but I refuse to let you sit around and throw a pity party.” He gripped her arms and stared into her eyes, as serious as when he’d arrived. “You’re not dead.”
The intensity radiating from him stole her breath. She was seeing a side of Jake he’d never revealed before. Why? She gasped, struggling for air. What was she supposed to say? He didn’t understand. She had to thank him, yes, thank her hero. “Jake, thank you. You…you saved me.”
“Yes, I did.” His gaze traveled down her body, leaving a trail of goose bumps. Then he glanced at the door. “Let’s go, LA.”
Shit, he wasn’t going to give up. Might as well placate him. Pressing her hand onto the mattress, she swung her legs off the side. She slipped her feet into her fuzzy slippers and stood up, immediately feeling a cool breeze across her back. Most days, she welcomed air conditioning, but not today. “I, um, need some help with the robe.”
When Jake returned his focus to her, his cheeks flushed. “Yeah, I guess you do.”
He held it open while she slipped her arms into the sleeves, the first with ease, the second, not so much. The dressing around the end of her nub caught in the fleece. Pain sliced through her arm, and she yelped.
“Sorry.” His face drained of all color. He yanked the robe off her bandages and draped it over her right shoulder then secured the tie at her waist. “I guess it’s going to take us all some time to get used to this.”
“Yeah.” Except he didn’t have to get used to anything. Leanne wouldn’t return to the fields or the barn. The only time she’d see him was the occasional night her parents invited him to stay for dinner. And even then, he wouldn’t have anything to do with her except friendly conversation.
“Since there’s no longer a chance of you showing off your sexy pink hearts to everyone….” He winked at her. “Let’s go for our walk.”
Crap. He’d seen her thong. “Did you like the view?” Her cheeks warmed. She’d blurted the first thing that came to mind in order to stifle her embarrassment, but only made it worse.
He placed his hand in the center of her back and guided her into the hall. “I did. Now, let’s find the cafeteria. I’m starving, and I’m sure you could use some decent food, too.”
~ ACCIDENTAL ROMANCE ~
Her plans changed in an instant…
Once finished college, Leanne intended to take over her family dairy farm, let her father retire and finally take a vacation. After one tragic night, her dreams go up in smoke. She loses the ability to do the most basic of things.
And brought him closer…
Jake, the farm hand who lives down the road, refuses to let Leanne give up on her goals. He remains by her side throughout her healing. But, when he confesses his true intentions, their friendship takes a drastic turn.
If only she’d known before she lost her arm.
Available from:
Amazon US | UK | Canada | Germany | Australia
Be sure to visit the other Mid Week Tease participating authors…
November 16, 2015
Jessica E. Subject’s Weekly Writing Update ~ Progress!
Hello! It’s Tuesday, and time for another update.
ACCIDENTAL ROMANCE is available again! You can get his New Adult Western Romance for only 99¢ here: All Romance, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Coffee Time Romance, Google Play, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords.
BRYCE ~ I’m still at 5, 416 words. No new words on this story this week.
ALIEN KISSES AT MIDNIGHT ~ This will be a New Years’ Eve short alien romance that will be FREE for my newsletter subscribers, and will be sent out between December 25, 2015 and January 1, 2016. If you’re not a subscriber, you can be one by joining the list here: http://eepurl.com/eX1Zw. I started at 628 words, and I’m now at 3685, for a total of 3,057 new words. Plus, I created my own cover for this story. What do you think?
GOALS FOR THE WEEK ~ I will write as many words as possible on Bryce and/or Alien Kisses At Midnight.
TELEVISION UPDATE ~ I’m watching Bones on Netflix. Plus, there are some new movies there I’m looking forward to watching. On the CTV Go app, I’m watching Quantico, and any other shows I like that I miss during its regularly scheduled time.
MOVIE UPDATE ~ I watched two movies over the weekend. At the movie theater, I watched Spectra. There wasn’t much to choose from in town, and I’d already seen The Martian. I think I should have seen it again. While the opening scene of Spectra was good, it didn’t hold my attention, and I dozed off several times. The next day at home, I watched Jurassic World. This movie was on my must-watch list. Even though I was at home and very comfortable, I stayed awake for the entire movie and enjoyed it. I want to buy it now, instead of just renting it, so I can watch it again and again.
Please share what you have been up to this week….
November 15, 2015
Her plans changed in an instant… ACCIDENTAL ROMANCE is now available! #NewAdult #99cents
Hello my dear readers! I’m excited to announce that Accidental Romance is available again. While it has been slightly edited throughout, the only drastic change is the cover, publisher, front and back matter, and the price. Yes, you can get this New Adult Western Romance for only 99¢!
Her plans changed in an instant…
Once finished college, Leanne intended to take over her family dairy farm, let her father retire and finally take a vacation. After one tragic night, her dreams go up in smoke. She loses the ability to do the most basic of things.
And brought him closer…
Jake, the farm hand who lives down the road, refuses to let Leanne give up on her goals. He remains by her side throughout her healing. But, when he confesses his true intentions, their friendship takes a drastic turn.
If only she’d known before she lost her arm.
Available for 99¢ USD from:
Amazon US | UK | Canada | Germany | Australia
I will e-sign any of my titles through:
“We broke up Saturday night, before my…accident,” she said. “I want to remove him from my contact list.”
Tina handed the instrument to her and Leanne thumbed through her contacts to find Scott’s number. With the press of the delete button and the resulting beep, she erased him from her life forever.
Tina gathered her in a hug, rubbing her back. “I’m sorry.”
She reveled in the fact her friend didn’t say I told you so or tell her she deserved better. Tina was simply there, everything she needed at the moment. Loosening her grip, Leanne took a deep breath and leaned back on the bed. “Thank you for being here. And thanks for not being put off by the fact I’m no longer whole.”
“Why would I be anywhere else?” Tina gripped her arm again. “You’re still the same person. So what if you’re one hand less.” A tear trickled down her cheek. “Anyone who can’t see you’re still the same beautiful Leanne is an ass.”
“I agree.”
Leanne turned her head toward the doorway at the sound of the familiar husky voice. But the sight was not what she was used to at all. Instead of his dirty and smelly farm coveralls, Jake had on a T-shirt that stretched across his ripped chest, and his blue jeans hugged all the right places. He’d left the ball cap somewhere else, revealing the wave in his dark brown hair. When had he grown up from the teen she remembered in high school? His blue eyes were fixed on her as if she’d disappear if he glanced away.
But she wasn’t going anywhere. He might have saved her life, but she’d never be the same. Her dream of taking over the farm was shattered. She’d never work by his side again.
