J. Kenner's Blog, page 84
June 23, 2013
An intriguing new series from Vivien Sparx – Meet Jack Stone
It’s always fun to find a story that sounds intriguing, and I recently learned about the new Jack Stone Dark Master series coming from Vivien Sparx.
As Vivien says over on the Jack Stone Facebook page (where you can learn more):
“Jack Stone is a character who has already become larger than life in my imagination. He is the ultimate hero and a man who is a skilled BDSM Master.
He is tough, sexy, relentless and determined.
Each book in the Jack Stone series is an erotic BDSM adventure that promises plenty of sizzling sex, action and mystery. The books are stand-alone and can be read in any order.”
I’ll be giving it a try! How about you?
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
June 22, 2013
A new #StarkOnSaturday from Complete Me (Stark Trilogy book 3)!
Here’s a new snippet from the upcoming Complete Me, book three in the Stark Trilogy that began with with Release Me, continued with Claim Me, and will conclude with Complete Me!
I’m heading off to mingle with readers at an Author Tea near Dallas today! I’ll check in later here and on Facebook and Twitter! In the meantime, enjoy!
“Is this the first time you’ve received a text like this?” His voice is steady and firm and cold as hell.
“Yes,” I say flatly. Once again I feel the weight of the real world pressing in around us. The thin glass of our protective bubble is starting to crack. I don’t know what will happen when the pressure is too much and those tiny fissures finally explode under the weight of the world. I fear, though, that I’m going to find out.
And when the explosion comes, I hope I can resist the urge to pick up one of the shards and grind it into my own smooth flesh.
A shudder runs through me. “Just delete it,” I say harshly. “Just make it fucking go away.”
“No. We’re going to trace it.”
“Later,” I say. “Please, Damien. Leave it for later. I don’t want to think about it now.”
He studies me for a moment, then he turns off my phone and slides it into his pocket.
I cross my arms over my chest.
“Trust me, sweetheart, you won’t need it tonight.”
I can’t help my responsive grin, especially when he pulls out his own phone and turns it off as well. “Now it’s just you and me.”
“Just how I like it,” I say, taking Damien’s hand and letting him pull me back into the protective circle of his arms. He slides his card key into the lock and I watch as the light flicks from red to green. My body is tight with anticipation. I am expecting lust and passion and Damien’s hands upon me, his cock inside me.
I am expecting to slide back into that magical fantasy where there really is nothing but the two of us.
But when he opens the door, I realize that the real world can follow us anywhere.
Because right there—sitting on the couch where Damien has fucked me so many times—is a woman I never thought that I would see again.
A woman who used to be in Damien’s bed.
The last two snippets have been decidedly steamy, so I thought I’d shift the tone and shake things up a bit this week–hope you enjoyed!. But if you’re a fan of the steamy-tease, never fear! I’m feeling generous and am going to do a #StarkOnSaturdayTuesday this week — along with a (really fab!) contest! (Psst! Tell your friends! Sharing this post will earn you extra entries in the contest!)
And if you want more Damien and Nikki, why not pre-order Complete Me from Amazon or from Barnes and Noble! On-sale July 30!
And if you missed Release Me, you can snag your copy from your favorite retailers here:
Random House
Amazon (print)
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon United Kingdom
Barnes and Noble (print or Nook)
Books-A-Million
Kobo
iBooks
Indie BoundAnd, of course, you can get Book 2, Claim Me, from these great retailers:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
Random House
your favorite independent bookseller
in the U.K. from Amazon
in the U.K. from Waterstones
in the U.K. from WH Smith
More soon,
XXOO
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
June 20, 2013
June 19, 2013
Hump Day Books from Robyn DeHart, Elaine Grant, Julie Kenner, Anna Markland, Kourtney Heintz, Zoe Dawson, Tracy Deebs, and some yummy fat fast dishes!
Lots of great books this week to help you get over that mid-week hump!
The Secrets of Mia Danvers: A Dangerous Liaisons Novel (InterMix)
I’m excited! I’ve been looking forward to this Jack the Ripper centric book from Robyn DeHart for forever! And now it’s out, and at a great price! Snap it up folks! And learn all about Robyn here!
The Caverns (Tennessee Mountain Home Series)
Here’s a new release from Elaine Grant that looks absolutely awesome! Already raking in the 5 star reviews!
California Demon: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom
In anticipation of Demons Are Forever FINALLY coming back to digital format (should be by this weekend sometime!), I lowered the price on California Demon! Enjoy.
Learn more at www.DemonHuntingSoccerMom.com
Haunted Knights (Montbryce~The Next Generation Medieval Romance)
Don’t miss this new release from Anna Markland!
The Six Train to Wisconsin (Volume 1)
Don’t miss this release from Kourtney Heintz!
You can learn more at Zoe Dawson’s webpage!
Don’t miss the sale! Doomed for $2.99 … and I think today is the last day, so hurry!
Fat Fast Cookbook: 50 Easy Recipes to Jump Start Your Low Carb Weight Loss
I’m not doing a fat fast, but I have scoped out and tried a number of recipes from this book, and can I just say: YUM. You’ll want to beware if you’re not a low-carb eater (fats and carbs do not play well together in the keeping-pounds-off department) but if you tend to eat low-carb, you really should treat yourself!
Want your book listed on the Hump Day Reads blog post? Click here for submission info!
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
June 18, 2013
Writing the Supernatural: Kourtney Heintz’s Research and Discoveries in Telepathy (plus a contest!)
If you’ve ever read my Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series, you’re no stranger to paranormal fiction. Today Kourtney Heintz gives us a taste of her own kind of paranormal – the telepathic. Keep reading for a chance to win a copy of her breakout book The Six Train to Wisconsin and my own Release Me!
Where Research and Reality Collide
Big thank you to Julie for having me on her blog! I met her during the 2010 Brenda Novak Charity auction. I won her feedback on the first chapter of my manuscript. She told me she thought I had something there. Her belief helped me stick with it for the next 3 years. Thank you so much Julie!
When I decided to write a telepath, I knew I needed to explore the supernatural more. To learn how it worked and then create my own version of it.
I read a bunch of books on witchcraft. Trying to understand the rules that governed different magical systems. Some books weren’t that helpful. Some didn’t make any sense to me. Then I stumbled on Laurie Cabot’s Power of the Witch.
The way she explained things just clicked in my head. Every other book had confused me, but using her technique I taught myself how to meditate in a few days. To slow my thoughts down and visualize things. To relax my body and reach a calmer state.
This was really cool stuff. But I wanted more. I craved an actual lesson. So I signed up for a week-long workshop with Laurie Cabot “The Official Salem Witch” in Salem, MA.
She taught us about the concept of alpha brain waves. That when you slowed down your mind you could tap into something deeper. More intuitive. A universal consciousness if you will.
Over the course of the week we did several meditations. We learned how to craft a protective shield, do a past life regression, and to see other people’s illnesses from miles away.
That last one was the coolest experience. We did this exercise where we each wrote down the names, locations, ages, and illnesses of 3 people we knew. Then we were randomly assigned a partner and given the name and location and age of one of their people. Using meditation, we visualized the person and diagnosed their illness.
Each of us experienced it differently. I tended to be very visual. So I saw a woman with a big head and a bony brittle body. I didn’t understand what it meant. So I talked through the image. Until I arrived at osteoporosis. I was right.
Sounds impossible, but we all got most or all the people’s illnesses correct. Without ever meeting them or seeing them.
It was an otherwordly experience and made me believe that the mind is capable of some awesome stuff when it’s trained to do it. And when you believe you can do it.
The idea of a telepath and a dreamwalker no longer seemed so far outside the realm of possibility.
Here’s your chance to win a signed copy of The Six Train to Wisconsin by Kourtney Heintz and Release Me by J. Kenner! Just fill out the Rafflecopter on this link and you’re entered to win!
Kourtney Heintz writes emotionally evocative speculative fiction that captures the deepest truths of being human. For her characters, love is a journey never a destination.
She resides in Connecticut with her warrior lapdog, Emerson, her supportive parents and three quirky golden retrievers. Years of working on Wall Street provided the perfect backdrop for her imagination to run amuck at night, imagining a world where out-of-control telepathy and buried secrets collide.
Her debut novel, The Six Train to Wisconsin, was a 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Semifinalist.
One Sentence Summary of Novel:
When Kai’s telepathy spirals out of control, her husband Oliver brings her to the quiet Wisconsin hometown he abandoned a decade ago, where he must confront the secrets of his past to save their future.
You can download the first chapter of the Six Train to Wisconsin as a pdf file.
Connecting with Kourtney on her website, Blog, and Facebook page!
Find The Six Train to Wisconsin at Amazon and Barnes and Noble!
Wow, what an awesome experience, Kourtney! What do y’all think about the superpowers of the mind? Don’t forget to fill out the Rafflecopter for your chance to win The Six Train to Wisconsin and Release Me!
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
June 17, 2013
Still time to grab Doomed by Tracy Deebs for a great price!
I’ve mentioned Doomed on my blog before, but that was when it first came out. Now, it’s on sale. Woot! Grab it while you can for $2.99 before it kicks back up in price!
Pandora’s just your average teen-glued to her cell phone and laptop, surfing Facebook and e-mailing with her friends-until the day her long-lost father sends her a link to a mysterious site featuring twelve photos of her as a child. Unable to contain her curiosity, Pandora enters the site, where she is prompted to play her favorite virtual-reality game, Zero Day. This unleashes a global computer virus that plunges the whole world into panic: suddenly, there is no Internet. No cell phones. No utilities, traffic lights, hospitals, law enforcement. Pandora teams up with handsome stepbrothers Eli and Theo to enter the virtual world of Zero Day. Simultaneously, she continues to follow the photographs from her childhood in an attempt to beat the game and track down her father-her one key to saving the world as we know it. Part The Matrix, part retelling of the Pandora myth, Doomed has something for gaming fans, dystopian fans, and romance fans alike.
And, of course, there’s my daughter’s review: ”Loved it!”
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
How Marijuana May Follow in the Footsteps of Condoms: Colleen Gleason on Legalization
Here’s a post that’ll make you think–pot, condoms and a touch of controversy to kick off your weekend! Please help me welcome Colleen Gleason to the blog!
How marijuana could follow in the historical footsteps of condoms…
My latest release, Roaring Midnight, is the first in a historical urban fantasy/romance series set in 1920s Chicago. The trilogy will tell the story of Macey Gardella, vampire hunter.
I love the era of the Twenties (The fashion! The hats! The music!… And of course the intrigue of the speakeasies and clubs). I had so many fascinating things to research about this time period, and one of the most interesting things I had to investigate was the issue of birth control.
We all know that The Volstead Act (The 18th Amendment) made illegal the sale, distribution, and manufacture of alcoholic spirits. But to my surprise, liquor wasn’t the only item outlawed in the early 20th century that is in common use today.
I’m talking about condoms.
Of course my characters in Roaring Midnight had to practice safe sex–and so I had to find out what options were available. To my surprise, I learned that condoms were already being manufactured out of rubber, and were plentiful in Europe–where they weren’t illegal.
This was not the case in the US. In and around 1873, thirty states made the sale and manufacture of condoms illegal. And during the same time, The Comstock Laws made it illegal to send condoms through the mail anywhere in the US. Which pretty much made condoms impossible to come by.
But while fighting overseas during World War I, US soldiers had been accustomed to having condoms readily available. In fact, they were distributed like candy to the GIs in order to keep them healthy–and happy.
It was only after our men came home from the Great War, bringing with them an increased number of syphilis cases, that the laws were changed to allow the prophylactic to be sold legally in the States.
Even then, however, the Moral Majority had their way. Condoms could only be sold as protection from STDs. Not as contraceptive devices. That restriction controlled how their uses were advertised as well.
Many people might feel the restrictions on marijuana sale, possession, and use–currently limited in most states to medical use only–is eerily similar to the situation with condoms. As we know, condoms were eventually able to be sold as contraceptives as well…one can only wonder whether, some day, the same will be said for marijuana.
In the mean time, many casual pot users are surely doing their best to get legal access to their favorite weed…just as those conscientious men (and women) of the early 20th century, who didn’t want to start a family quite yet, were finding legal ways to acquire the illegal contraceptive device known as a rubber.
Visit Colleen on her website!
Wow! Who else didn’t know that condoms were against the law until after the 20s? What do you think about the direction marijuana’s going towards legalization?
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
June 15, 2013
A steamy #StarkOnSaturday excerpt from Complete Me (Stark Trilogy book 3) and a sexy pic!
Thanks to Reading is My Breathing for another awesome graphic!
Here’s a sizzling #StarkOnSaturday as we come closer to the release of Complete Me - Stark Trilogy book 3!!!
I recently learned that Claim Me has gone back to print for the fifth time! And Release Me went back to press again recently, too! I’m so thrilled that new readers are discovering Nikki and Damien!
I hope you enjoy this snippet from the upcoming Complete Me, book three in the Stark Trilogy that began with with Release Me, continued with Claim Me, and will conclude with Complete Me!
I can only moan. Words are impossible, the power of speech obliterated by the violence of the emotions raging through me.
He leans over and punches the intercom button, then asks the driver how close we are to the hotel. We’re just a few blocks away, and I don’t know whether to be relieved or frustrated when Damien tells the driver to circle the block until he says otherwise.
Then he clicks off, smiles at me, and pours himself a shot of whiskey over ice. His eyes never leave my face as he tilts the glass back and takes a long, deep swallow before moving back to my side, the glass still in his hand.
“Open,” he says.
I open my mouth, and he takes out a cube of ice, holding it between two fingers and his thumb. He brushes it gently over my lips, and I open wider, reaching out with my tongue to taste the smooth liquor. It’s gone too soon, though. Because he eases down until he is holding the ice cube over my belly, and three fat drops fall from the cube to land upon my over-heated flesh. The sensation is electrifying, and I arch up, gasping. Wanting. The droplets swirl on my skin with the motion, leaving a cool trail down to my pubic bone. My skin quivers, my need like a palpable thing.
Damien meets my eyes, then slowly—too damn slowly—trails the cube between my thigh and the sensitive skin of my sex. My body bucks, and I’m not certain if I’m trying to escape because it is too much to bear or if I am desperate for more. All I know is that I cannot escape. I am bound, tied down, and right now, Damien can do with me whatever he wants.
“Oh, god. Damien, what are you doing?”
“Unless I’m doing it wrong, I’m getting you very, very worked up. And, my dear,” he adds, as he tosses the tiny shred of ice that remains back into the glass, “I think I’ve succeeded.”
Want more? You can pre-order Complete Me from Amazon or from Barnes and Noble! On-sale July 30!
And if you missed Release Me, you can snag your copy from your favorite retailers here:
Random House
Amazon (print)
Amazon (kindle)
Amazon United Kingdom
Barnes and Noble (print or Nook)
Books-A-Million
Kobo
iBooks
Indie BoundAnd, of course, you can get Book 2, Claim Me, from these great retailers:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million
Random House
your favorite independent bookseller
in the U.K. from Amazon
in the U.K. from Waterstones
in the U.K. from WH Smith
More soon,
XXOO
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
June 14, 2013
The Giant English Mastiffs: Anna Markland on their History, their Practicality, and their Lovability!
Are you a fan of these huge cuties? Anna Markland joins me on the blog today to give us the scoop on English mastiffs. Keep reading for their fascinating history!
ENGLISH MASTIFFS
Before we get too deeply into this, I have to come clean. I am not a dog lover. Cats—yes. In my upcoming release, Haunted Knights, readers will meet a lovable brindled kitten named Topaz.
However, I digress! I became fascinated with the dog breed known as English mastiffs after I introduced a pair of them into my novel, If Love Dares Enough. Boden and Brigantia belong to the Melton family. One of them takes a shine to the hero, Hugh de Montbryce, and is also responsible for saving the life of the heroine, Lady Devona Melton.
There are several theories as to where the Mastiff breed originated but it is generally believed that the British created the breed as it is known today. There is evidence of Mastiff-like dogs dating as far back as 2500 BC in the mountains of Asia. Bas-reliefs from the Babylonian palace of Ashurbanipal (now on display in the British Museum) depict Mastiff-type dogs hunting lions in the desert near the Tigris River.
Marco Polo wrote of Kubla Khan, who kept a kennel of 5,000 Mastiffs used for hunting and war. When Hannibal crossed the Alps, he took with him several battalions of trained war mastiffs, who, during their long travels, “fraternized” with local breeds to produce what became the St. Bernard, once called the Alpine Mastiff, as well as other giant breeds.
All of the massive mountain dogs of Spain, France, Turkey, and the Balkans can trace their size back to Mastiff blood in their ancestry. Even the Chow Chow carries Mastiff blood, as does the Pug, which was originally a form of dwarf Mastiff.
Phoenician traders are believed to have introduced the Mastiff to ancient Britain. When the Romans invaded Britain, they took dogs back to Italy and used them to guard property and prisoners as well as to fight in arenas. Other sources indicate that Mastiffs were used as war dogs by the ancient Celts, and accompanied their masters into battle.
Despite the differences of opinion on where the Mastiff originated, most agree that the British are the creators of the breed as we know it today. Of all the countries that used the Mastiff, it was the British who kept him in his purest form, and it is to them that we owe the Mastiff of today.
They kept Mastiffs to guard their castles and estates, releasing them at night to ward off intruders. They accompanied soldiers into battle and, during the Elizabethan era, Mastiffs were used to fight large game, including bears and tigers, usually for the entertainment of the Queen.
Henry VIII is said to have presented Charles V of Spain a gift of 400 Mastiffs to be used in battle. The Legh family of Lyme Hall, Cheshire, who were given their estate by Richard II (1377-1399), kept and bred Mastiffs for many generations.
Stowe’s Annual, a reference book, shows that King James I (1603-1625) sent a gift of two Lyme Hall mastiffs to Phillip II of Spain. These, or their immediate descendants, are certainly the Mastiff-type dogs shown in famous portraits of the Spanish royal children.
By the mid-1800s, dog showing had become popular in England and the first recorded pedigrees for the Mastiff had begun with the Kennel Club of England. By the late 1800s, Mastiffs were being imported into North America where they were often used as plantation guards.
During the First and Second World Wars, Mastiffs were used to pull munitions carts on the front lines. During World War I, the breed started to decline in England and by the 1920s, the breed was almost extinct in that country—It was considered unpatriotic to keep dogs who ate as much in a day as a soldier and, as a result, entire kennels were put down. At the end of World War II, British fanciers began to import stock from Canada and the U.S. in order to revive the breed. Today, the Mastiff breed is well established with the greatest numbers likely being in the U.S.
The Mastiff, also known as the English Mastiff and Old English Mastiff, is one of the heaviest breeds—an adult male can weigh more than 200 pounds. He is massive, powerful, stately and noble in appearance and he is known as the gentle giant of the dog world.
The Mastiff is a versatile working dog. His great strength was once used to turn water wheels, pull carts and carry heavy loads on his back. He was also originally used as a guardian and fighting dog. Today, Mastiffs are excellent companions and family members. They can be seen participating in various activities such as carting, tracking, weight pulling, obedience competition and conformation. They are also used as Therapy Dogs and in Search and Rescue.
The Mastiff is watchful, self-confident and patient. He is very devoted to his family and will protect both his family and property in a calm and dignified manner. While some Mastiffs tend to be aloof with strangers, others are fairly friendly. However, the breed has a strong guarding instinct and will always be very watchful of strangers entering the home and/or around his family members. His good nature, patience and calm, steady demeanour also means that he is generally excellent with children. The Mastiff needs human companionship and is not a dog to be left alone for long periods of time.
The Guinness Book of Records holder for the world’s largest dog is a Mastiff named Zorba. In 1989, when he was 8 years old, Zorba weighed 343 pounds and measured 37 inches at the shoulder. Good thing Boden didn’t weigh so much. Hugh had to carry him when his foreleg was sliced open by the villain’s sword!
Order IF LOVE DARES ENOUGH from one of these great retailers:
Amazon kindle and paperback
Kobo
Nook
Anna Markland is a Canadian author who writes medieval romance about family honour, ancestry and roots. Her novels are intimate love stories full of passion and adventure. Following an enjoyable career in teaching, Anna transformed her love of writing and history into engaging works of fiction. One of the things she enjoys most about writing historical romance is the in-depth research required to provide the reader with an authentic medieval experience.
Born in England, Anna has lived most of her life in Canada. Besides creating intimate stories that revolve around the lives and loves of her characters, her other passion is genealogy, and she has written histories of many of the families she has researched. This has had a big influence on her fiction writing.
The mother of four grown children, she spends her time enjoying the beauty of Vancouver Island and the incredible beaches of Panama.
Twitter @annamarkland
Subscribe to Anna’s Newsletter on her Blog
Thanks to Anna for her post! What kinds of breeds are you especially bonded to? Would you want a dog like the English mastiff?
P.S. - If you enjoy romance with a magical twist, my award-winning THE CAT'S FANCY is currently on sale for only 99 cents! And it's also in the top 10 of several of the Kindle romance charts! Woot!
And as a cool bonus, it's the prequel to my fun series of superhero romances that began with the USA Today bestseller Aphrodite's Kiss!
I hope you check out The Cat's Fancy!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
June 12, 2013
Thanks to StoryFinds for featuring my romantic comedy The Cat’s Fancy today!
The Cat’s Fancy is currently on sale, and StoryFinds has it as a listed feature! Very cool!!!
Click the image to learn more, or click here to get The Cat’s Fancy for the Kindle!
