J. Kenner's Blog, page 91

Love the Thrill of Post-Apocalyptic Books? Denise Agnew Dishes on her New Favorites (Plus a contest!)

I’m so glad to welcome Denise Agnew to the blog today! For the scoop on the exciting genre of post apocalyptic books, and a chance to win one of Denise’s novels, keep reading!

 

Solar Flares, Haunted Houses and Post Apoc Mayhem!

So what do you think of post apoc novels, movies and television programs?

I’ve read excellent YA post apoc by author Ann Aviles, and I’m totally addicted to that series. Dean Koontz’s The Taking is one of the creepiest, most amazing post apoc type books I’ve ever read. I’ve read it more than once and the first few paragraphs set up a foreboding tone so well that it causes the hair on my arms to stand up every time I read it. But hey, that’s me. I like the creepy/spooky stuff.

I’ve watched some post apoc on TV such as the addicting television series Jericho (which the network canceled dang it.) If you like British shows, definitely look up Survivors on Netflix or rent it. I resisted watching The Walking Dead at first because I was tired of zombies, but I tried the first episode again and got hooked big time.  I sped through watching the first season since the second was already out by that time. Great acting, characters, and wonderful plot.

I consider zombie movies part of that post apoc environment, although there aren’t a lot of zombie movies I like. One of my favorites is 28 Days Later. Superb acting and story! Watching moves and shows like these, which are as much about great characterization as they are anything else, really makes me wanna write, write, write.

When I decide to write about a theme or subject I don’t take the standard advice to read as many stories in that genre as you can. I usually do just the opposite. You could say I have a stubborn streak, but in the end I think it’s more about originality. I don’t want anything about another author’s writing to influence the story I want to write.

So how did I come up with the initial idea for post apoc/romance/paranormal novel?

Well, you and I both know that writers find story ideas in the weirdest ways, right?  One day I was walking my dog down the usual path. Now our neighborhood is a gated, well-maintained place with mostly over fifty-five. Not the place you’d expect a creepy house. On the route I walk there’s a house that has no one in it, and at one point during the summertime the rose bushes always grow up and the weeds get gnarly. It’s a nice house, though, so it doesn’t look like a haunted abode. Someone gets the weeds cleaned up and the roses trimmed every couple of months. Still, no one lives there. It was the overgrown roses that sparked the idea for my sorta post apac story Blackout, which features a solar flare that takes out the grid, a haunted house, and a romance between a federal marshal (former U.S. Marine) and a self-reliant, tough woman looking for her place in life.

So what do you think of post apoc stories, or other stories that are out of the box? Comment and you could win a paperback from my backlist.

 

Denise A. Agnew is the author of over 57 novels. Romantic Times Book Reviews calls her romantic suspense novels “top-notch,” and she’s received their coveted TOP PICK rating. Denise has written paranormal, romantic comedy, contemporary, historical, erotic romance, and romantic suspense. Archaeology and archery have crept into her work, and travels through England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have added to a lifetime of story ideas. A paranormal investigator, Denise looks forward to exploring the unknown.  Visit Denise’s website!

 

Thanks to Denise for coming on the blog! Remember, comment for a chance to win one of her novels!

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

A Fan of “Castle”? Claudia Dain talks Alpha heroes and Rick Castle!

Claudia Dain joins me today to talk about Alpha characters, the show “Castle,” and Rick’s descent into Beta-status. Leave your thoughts on her review below!

I write Alpha heroes. I can’t help myself. My dad was an Alpha and my husband is an Alpha; I’ve been surrounded by Alphas my whole life!

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I write Alphas. Alphas of every shape, size, and type. I don’t think it’s necessary for Alphas to be pushy and arrogant, though some are. (Lord Dutton in Much Ado About Dutton is the arrogant type, and am I having fun watching the heroine pin his ears back!).

I do think Alphas are strong and stoic and unflinching. They are successful, driven, and decisive. No one pushes an Alpha around. Alphas are sexy. Alphas are Alpha, and everyone in the room knows who the Alpha male is.

So, let’s talk about Castle. Rick Castle. Castle and Beckett.

I used to love that show. Adored it. Loved everything about it. First, I’m a Nathan Fillion fan (still mourning Firefly); the guy is golden. Sparkle, wit, charm: in spades.

I’m a big fan of cop shows. I have watched every Law and Order episode at least three times (conservatively). I watch NCIS and NCIS:LA and I watched Detroit whateverthenumberwas (good show, sad loss); the point being, I like the template of a cop show and I liked that Castle broke the mold. It wasn’t serious! It was light and silly and charming.

His “Writer” bulletproof vest is a stroke of comic brilliance.

But here’s my problem. As the show has progressed, Castle has become less Alpha. He should be a true Alpha. He’s rich and handsome, a self-made man who rose to the tippy top of his field. He’s the Donald Trump of crime fiction. He’s a famous New York personality. And he’s acting like a Beta.

He is cowed by his mother, by his daughter, and by Beckett.

It’s killing the show for me. It’s killed the show for my Alpha husband, who loved it at the start and now mumbles, “Wuss,” when Castle does some wimpy thing while Beckett does the Alpha thing.

Beckett is Alpha, and I love that. But a Beta man and an Alpha woman? It doesn’t work, not for me. Castle should be Alpha! He was Alpha to begin with and now he’s Beta to the max. When even his daughter rides roughshod over him. . . well, that’s too much.

I can’t love Castle unless he’s an Alpha. Can you? What’s your position on Alpha males, Alpha females, and the Castle/Beckett storyline?

 

Claudia Welch/Claudia Dain graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in English. While there she became a member of Alpha Phi, one of the oldest sororities in America. 

A two- time Rita finalist, she has won numerous writing awards and honors since her first novel was published in 2000.

She has lived for most of her life in Los Angeles, called Connecticut home for a decade, and currently lives in North Carolina with her husband.



If you’d like to see more from Claudia Dain, see her website.

Many thanks to Claudia for her post! Are you a fan of Castle? Is he too beta? Are you all about alphas or do you love the beta boys, too? Who’s your favorite television or literary alpha male?

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Stark on Saturday – A Claim Me excerpt (Stark Trilogy book 2) … and Ian Somerhalder eye candy!

  I’m taking the weekend off from the Internet, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on #StarkOnSaturday!  Here’s another snippet from the upcoming Claim Me, book two in the Stark Trilogy that began with Release Me.

 

Definitely one of my top Damien picks!

 

 

As Evelyn leads Jamie to Blaine, I head into the kitchen, planning to drop off my camera bag and continue to the closet.

I don’t get that far, however, because as I’m hooking the Leica strap over my arm and putting the bag in one of the cabinets, I see Damien coming down the hallway from the bedroom area. I stop what I’m doing, and stand frozen, simply staring at him. He’s wearing pressed black pants and a collarless black jacket over one of the starched white shirts I love so well. It’s unbuttoned, and the open shirt paired with the jacket gives him the quality of a powerful rebel. He looks so breathtakingly sexy that I have a hard time believing that he is real, much less that he’s mine. On the contrary, he must be a fantasy that I have conjured. A dream in which I’m now living. A perfect dream from which I do not wish to wake.

He’s holding his phone and speaking low, so that I can only make out a few words. But from his tone, I can tell that the subject is urgent, and that he is bothered.

I think about last night and wonder if this is more fallout. Maybe it’s his father. Or maybe it has to do with Stark International’s legal troubles in Germany.

After a moment, he frowns, ends the call, and slides the phone into his pocket. For a fleeting instant, I can see the irritation on his face. Then it is wiped away, as if he has willed the universe to behave, and the universe has no choice but to agree. Damien Stark is a man who gets what he wants, however he wants.

When he looks in my direction, I see in his eyes that what he wants right now is me.

 

 Claim Me will be on-sale April 23!

Pre-order Claim Me from Amazon!

Pre-order Claim Me from Barnes & Noble!

Pre-order Claim Me from Books-a-Million

Pre-order Claim Me from Random House

Pre-order Claim Me from your favorite independent bookseller

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Amazon

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Waterstones

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from WH Smith

Want more? You can even 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 don’t miss the contest! We’re celebrating Release Me being 8 weeks on the USA Today bestseller list!  Learn all about it here!

More soon,

XXOO

Wanna win a print copy of Claim Me (Stark Trilogy, Book 2)?

I got an early copy of Claim Me in the mail yesterday, and I’m giving one away!

Here’s the Rafflecopter to enter! (Hit refresh on this page if you don’t see the widget)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here’s the mobile link to the Rafflecopter, if you’re checking this page from your phone:  http://bit.ly/Y8Goqv

Good luck!

A Haunting at Fort Hays. Velda Brotherton talks Ghost Stories and her Western Historical Novels.

I’m excited to welcome Velda Brotherton to the blog today! Keep reading for her captivating and spooky tale of ghost towns…

Haunting at Fort Hays

A popular “reality” series on television today is ghost hunting in buildings and homes said to be haunted. This got me to thinking about ghost towns of the old West, since western history is big on my research list. Everyone knows that ghost towns aren’t necessarily haunted. At least that’s not why they’re called ghost towns. As I understand it a ghost town can be boarded up or abandoned buildings with no population or a community with many abandoned buildings and a small population of residents. There are other definitions, but none mention that the ghost town may be haunted. Being an author, I’d much prefer it if it were. And sometimes, as I stroll through the streets of an abandoned town, I see something out of the corner of my eye. Or feel and hear voices, footsteps, the rattle of chains on a wagon. The laughter of children running and playing. Perhaps even the echo of shots fired.

Let’s accompany a team of ghost hunters and see what they find.

We’re here tonight at Fort Hays, Kansas, which certainly qualifies, at least as a ghost fort, as it was abandoned in 1899. We’ll set up our cameras and sound equipment in the hopes of capturing the Blue Light Lady on film. She is said to have wandered the area around Sentinel Hill since her death in the fall of 1867. In life she loved to walk this hill when she wasn’t tending to the soldiers who had fallen ill to the dreaded cholera.

The wind is blowing hard enough to knock down the camera tripod, and we’re having trouble with our mics transmitting the songs of a ghostly choir. Overhead the night sky appears to have more stars than darkness.

As the story goes, Elizabeth Polly decided to care for the ill and dying during a horrific cholera epidemic. Some claim she was a trained nurse, while others say that’s not true. No matter. She worked tirelessly tending the sick soldiers. Of course, she finally caught the disease. For her services to the dying soldiers, she was given a full military funeral.

We’re told that Elizabeth Polly began to prowl Sentinel Hill because her dying wish was to be buried there. That wish couldn’t be granted because the hill was bedrock, so her grave was placed at its feet.

It’s not clear to us how this wandering ghost was first identified. Do you suppose she told someone who she was? She’s been seen by several people over the years since she died. Perhaps someone has talked to her.

In 1905 Fort Hays was officially closed. All the soldiers bodies were moved to Fort Leavenworth, while the civilian bodies were reinterred in the Hays City Cemetery. All except for poor Elizabeth. She was left in her grave.

In 1917, John Schmidt first reported seeing a woman dressed in blue walking across his farm towards Sentinel Hill. This brave fellow decided to follow the ghost when she went into one of his sheds. Inside he found no one was there and nothing had been disturbed.

Perhaps at this point everyone got together and agreed the wandering spirit must be Elizabeth Polly. No matter. In 1941 her wish was finally honored and her body moved to the hill she loved so much. One would think that would put an end to her wandering.

But in 1950 a patrolman swore he hit a woman with his patrol car near the fort. She wore a long blue dress and a white bonnet. But, you guessed it, when he got out of his car to investigate there was no woman, nor was there any damage to his car. Obviously, having her wish at long last fulfilled didn’t put an end to Elizabeth’s wandering. It is claimed her ghost continues to roam the hill much as she did when she was alive. The figure emits a blue light, and today the locals call her the Blue Light Lady. In the 1960’s a marker was placed at her gravesite that reads “The Lonely Grave.”

It’s going to be up to the ghost hunters to find this spirit. Maybe they can prove that this is Elizabeth and not some other lost soul whose final wish has not yet been granted. Look, over there. What is that blue light floating our way?

For information about Fort Hays, click here. (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

How to Stay True to History when Writing Historical Fiction books. Maryann Miller Shares Her Experiences (plus a contest!)

I’m excited to invite Maryann Miller to the blog today to talk about being historically accurate in writing fiction! It’s absolutely fascinating. Maryann’s also giving away a copy of her book Boxes for Beds, so keep reading!

Making It Real

by Maryann Miller

Thanks so much for inviting me to be your guest today, Julie. I’m happy to be here to write about historical accuracy in fiction. Getting it right is so important in books, television and film. People don’t like to be tripped up on their trips down memory lane because something is glaringly wrong, like a car in the wrong time period, or someone using an electric coffee pot when they were not invented yet.

In film and television there is a special person to handle continuity – making sure that the right things are in the right place at the right time. In television series such as Vegas, which is set in the 60′s, the continuity person makes sure that any modern vehicles are out of the scene about to be shot, as well as ensuring that everything else in range of the camera fits the era.

We writers have to do that for ourselves, although a good editor can help us spot discrepancies.

When I was doing research for my latest book, Boxes For Beds, which is also set in the 60s, I found a lot of accurate information that I could use. Primary to the storyline is the fact that the mob controlled Hot Springs, Arkansas from 1920 to the early 60s. I had to make sure that the mob had not been chased out prior to 1960, and I was glad to discover that they had not.

The central character, Leslie, is a single mother who was never married and attitudes toward unwed mothers were not the same as they are today. Girls who got pregnant prior to the later 60s were often ostracized and forced to give their babies up for adoption. The stigma of being “a scarlet woman” did begin to ease somewhat in the mid-sixties, so to be sure that subplot would work the story had to be set a few years earlier. I chose to use 1961, which was well before attitudes started to change.

That created a bit of conflict with another sub plot that centers on the Civil Rights movement. One of the reasons that the sheriff does not like Leslie is that he thinks she is “One of those Yankee do-gooders come here to tell us how to treat our nigras.”

To tie the two sub-plots together I needed some of the sit-ins and other attempts to break color barriers to take place in Hot Springs and the fictional small town of Pine Hollow before they did historically. While the Civil Rights Movement started in the late 50s, not much happened in Arkansas until 1964. That was too close to when the mob was chased out of Hot Springs, for my comfort, so I decided to have fictional sit-ins take place in Pine Hollow in 1961. I wrestled with the decision to play loose with that bit of history, but finally decided that I would, as long as I made a full disclosure in the acknowledgements so the reader would be prepared.

All three of the plot elements – the mob control of the area, attitudes about unwed mothers, and the Civil Rights movement – were integral to motivations. When babies are kidnapped in the small town of Pine Hollow, the sheriff, who is controlled by the mob bosses, is under pressure to solve the case without calling in the Feds. A convenient scapegoat, Leslie, has just moved there from New York. Locals are already speculating about her and her daughter and the lack of a man around.

The book was just released the first week of March, and so far readers have not been upset at my altering the true historical events. For that, I am very thankful. I made every effort to make all the other details accurate, including the electric coffee pot.

Do you alter history or true facts in your writing? Is total historical accuracy important to you as a reader? What will you accept and what won’t you accept?

 

Maryann Miller has won numerous awards for her screenplays and short fiction, including the Page Edwards Short Fiction Award, the New York Library Best Books for Teens Award, and first place in the screenwriting competition at the Houston Writer’s Conference. She has been writing all her life and plans to die at her computer or out in her garden in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas where she lives with her husband, one horse, one goat, one sheep, one dog and four cats. The cats rule.

Buy Boxes For Beds on Amazon!

Contact Maryann through social media:

Website

Blog  

Facebook

Twitter

 

 

Many thanks to Maryann for her guest blog! Remember, to be entered for a chance to win her Boxes for Beds, leave a comment below!

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Hump Day Books from Nancy Goldberg Levine, Kelly McClymer, Sheri Fredricks, Lori Austin, Gina Robinson, S.J. MacIver, L.J. Charles, and Tawny Weber

 

Need a lift from the mid-week slump? Try out these great new books!

A SEAL’s Surrender (Harlequin Blaze)

“If you are looking for a sexy, sassy romance with plenty of attitude, look no further than author Tawny Weber. Her newest book, A SEAL’S SURRENDER, fits this description perfectly.” – Romance Junkies

Learn more at Tawny’s website!


a Touch of Betrayal (The Everly Gray Adventures)

New Release!

Learn more at L.J.’s website
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CINNAMON GIRL

Bargain Book!


The Union

New Release!

Learn more at GIna’s website!


Beauty and the Bounty Hunter: Once Upon a Time in the West (ONCE UPON A TIME IN WEST)

Nominated for a RITA award from Romance Writers of America for Best Historical Romance

Learn more at Lori’s website!


Remedy Maker (The Centaurs)

On Sale Now!

Learn more at Sheri’s website!


The Unintended Bride (Once Upon a Wedding)

Now available on Audiobook!

Learn more at Kelly’s blog!


Sweeter Than W(h)ine

Now only $0.99 for Kindle

Learn more at Nancy’s blog!

P.S. - I have a new Protector (Superhero) novella out!  Check out Aphrodite's Embrace (currently only on the Kindle, but coming soon to other etailers!)

And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the Stark Trilogy even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30.  WOOT!  (And if you missed book 1, Release Me, grab your copy now!)


P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!

XXOO

--J.K.

Claim Me (Stark Trilogy book 2) early reviews: big time yay!

It’s always nerve-wracking when a book “goes public.” Color me happy that early reviews of Claim Me (book 2 in the Stark Trilogy) are great!

Here’s a sample of some that have popped up so far:

“There are no words that can describe the emotions that this book brings out. HOT! EROTIC! Heart stopping good! Release me tempted me with its erotic nature, and Claim Me has cast a spell upon the reader…it’s impossible to put down.” – Patricia (Goodreads reviewer)

and

“The story just keeps getting better and better and Nikki and Damien keep getting better and better on their own and as a couple. A definite must read series.” Triin of T’s Bookish Moments (from Goodreads)

and

“I love how Nikki in particular handled everything, she is one of my favourite leading ladies, even with her problems, she feels strong. I highly enjoyed this book, it suckered me in, J Kenner has me enchanted with her words.” Busy Moms Book Reviews

Thrilled y’all enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to read and review and spread the word!  (And thanks to Bantam for providing ARCs to reviewers and bloggers!)

And if you missed it, you can grab your very own copy of Release Me right here!

Author Jessica Scott on Hamsters, Soldiers, Iraq and War

I’m thrilled to have Jessica Scott on the blog today!  I know Jessica through my local RWA chapter, but we really got to know each other (ironically) while she was in Iraq.  I’d be working late at night, she’d be getting up, and we’d trade pages to read.  So it’s totally apropos that Jess is here today talking about hamsters.  (Okay, not really the hamsters, but it is appropriate that her current book is The Long Way Home, which she developed from her blog of her time in Iraq and her journey home.  Don’t miss this one, folks!

And now, without further ado, here’s Jessica Scott, hamster-wrangler extraordinaire!

How to Lose a Hamster in 10 Minutes

Thanks so much for letting me crash the blog with my rodents, Julie! This isn’t exactly a typical topic, huh, especially not for a book about coming home from war, now is it?

So if you’ve followed me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that for the last year and some change, we’ve had some pretty *cough* exciting times with the hamster population in our family. What started out as a pre-k class pet somehow morphed into two permanent members of the family.

So, Squeak. Squeak arrived shortly after Fluffy went to the great hamster wheel in the sky and promptly escaped inside of ten minutes. That beat even Fluffy’s record.

Squeak is, well, an industrious little hamster. She’s constantly getting into things and when I moved to Georgia, I took them with me (for a lot of reasons that we won’t go into today).

Anyway, the other day, I was cleaning the hamster cages and I put Squeak in the kitchen sink because it’s the safest place to keep her out of trouble while detoxing her home. So I ended up on the phone with a friend of mine and got distracted by the dog asking to go out. I take the dog outside, walk him for a little bit, then come back inside, having completely forgotten about the rodent in the sink.

Well, she wasn’t in the sink any longer. Somehow, she climbed out and was sitting in the middle of my stove like What’s Up? when I walked back in. Needless to say, the ghost of Fluffy is disappointed that she once again wasted the opportunity to escape. After such a promise future, Fluffy remains continually let down by her padawans.

Hamsters are just one facet of my life that’s changed since I came back from Iraq and started on that transition. As a mom, getting used to being mom again – to include caring for the hamsters – was a big adjustment.

I’ve included the trailer for THE LONG WAY HOME: One Mom’s Journey Home From War. I hope you’ll check it out!

Check out the :

Below is an exclusive excerpt from The Long Way Home:

Unprepared

 

December 27, 2009

 

WHEN YOU GET HOME from deployment, the Army sends you through all this reintegration training. Some of it is worthwhile, a lot of it is a waste of time and even more is a check-the-block exercise. I understand the intent behind it, but frankly, I didn’t need or want most of it. There was, however, one class that I really got a lot out of and it was taught by the chaplains. They discussed reintegrating with your families and I paid attention because honestly, I’ve been worried about reuniting with my kids.

 

They talked about expectations and reactions and how you and they are different now than when you left home. I knew all this but still I paid attention. There was a lot of anticipation within me about seeing the kids and getting my family back together.

 

I thought I was prepared.

 

So when we’re in the middle of a busy rest stop in New Jersey last night and my youngest starts crying out of the blue, I wasn’t prepared to hear why she was upset. She had real, painful tears, the kind of crying that sounded like her little heart hurt. When I asked her what was wrong, she sobbed, “I don’t think you love me.”

 

It was not a fake cry. It wasn’t a cry for attention. And I had no idea how to react. Instantly, I started crying. In the middle of a rest stop, with people wondering what the heck was going on, I was trying to get my oldest’s coat on her while trying to get my youngest to understand that I did love her and I had missed her.

 

My husband freaked out when he walked up and saw me and our youngest both in tears. My oldest rested her head on my shoulder and told me she knew I loved her. But none of that helped until I could make my youngest understand.

 

It was a brutal episode and one I did not expect. They tell you about the babies not knowing you or your grade school kids wanting to talk incessantly but nothing prepared me for my three year old’s confusion and true heartache.

 

It’s better today. She’s back to normal and so am I, but the pain from last night lingers. So today, I’m hugging both of them more and telling them I love them. I’d already been doing that but apparently, it wasn’t enough to make up for a year of no hugs and no up close “I love you”s. The web cam was good but it wasn’t enough.

 

I don’t know if I can ever make up to either of them for being gone. I don’t know what else is coming.

 

And I don’t know that I’m prepared to deal with it.

 

Make sure you check out the reviews on Goodreads and if you haven’t already, add it to your shelf!

From the back cover:

My name is Jessica Scott. I am a soldier. I am a mother. I am a wife.

In 2009, Army second lieutenant Jessica Scott deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. She thought deploying was the hardest thing she’d ever do.

She was wrong.

This is the story of a mother coming home from war and learning to be a mom again. This is the story of a lieutenant making the grade and becoming a company commander. This is the journey of a writer persevering through a hundred rejections. This is the story of a soldier learning to be a woman again. This is the story of a wife waiting for the end of a war.

This is the journey as it happened, without commentary.

This is her blog. There are many blogs from the Iraq war, but this one is hers.

Get your copy today: Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Amazon | Kobo

Jessica Scott is a career army officer, mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs, wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she’s a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.

 Oprah has called her. True story.

 Her debut novel BECAUSE OF YOU launched Loveswept, the first Random House digital imprint.

 She’s written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View Regarding War, and IAVA. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of OIF/New Dawn and is currently a company commander stationed at Fort Hood.

 Most recently, she’s been featured as one of Esquire Magazine’s Americans of the Year for 2012. 

 Connect with Jessica at

 Website: http://www.jessicascott.net

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jessicascott09

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessicascottauthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5131118.Jessica_Scott

Thanks so much, Jess!

So, readers — Have you or a loved one served in the military? For that matter, do you have a hamster? Hamsters or war, we want to hear your thoughts!

 

New snippet from Claim Me, Stark Trilogy book 2!

It’s #StarkOnSaturday again — and that means it’s time for other snippet from the upcoming Claim Me, book two in the Stark Trilogy that began with Release Me.

 

 

“While I would love to carpool with you, I’m afraid that’s not possible today.” He leans close and I expect a kiss. Instead, his hand closes over mine and he very deliberately brings the croissant to his mouth and takes a bite. He grins up at me, his eyes dancing like a mischievous child. “You’re right,” he says. “Delicious.”

“You owe me now, mister. You can’t expect to steal a woman’s pastry and get away with it.”

“I look forward to your just and severe punishment,” he says, standing. He holds out his hand to me. “Or perhaps I could make it up to you in the shower.”

“I don’t think so,” I say archly. “I don’t want to be late for my first day.”

“I thought you weren’t due in until ten.”

I nod as I finish the croissant and wash it down with another slug of coffee. “I’m not. But I need to get home and get dressed.” I shoot him a wicked smile. “And I need to shower off last night’s sex.”

“That’s a very sad thought,” he says. “Of course, if you insist on taking such drastic action, I did offer to share my shower.”

I look him up and down. He’s clean-shaven and dressed in neatly pressed slacks and his usual white button-down shirt. His jacket is laid across the foot of the bed, and I can even smell the soapy fresh scent of him. “Looks like you managed just fine without me,” I say.

“Never.” The word is heavy with meaning. “And for you I’m willing to get doubly clean.”

“Tempting,” I admit as I push the tray away and slide out of bed. The air is cool, but it feels good against my still Damien-sensitive skin. “But don’t you have work to do? Things to merge? Cutting edge technology to acquire? Perhaps a galaxy to buy?”

He holds a robe open for me to slip on. It’s not the red one that I soaked in the pool, and I wonder how many robes he has stocked in that closet. “I did that last week. Apparently there’s nothing left to buy.”

“Poor you.” I twist in his arms and plant a gentle kiss on his chin as he tightens the sash around my waist. “Just like Alexander. No worlds left to conquer.”

 Claim Me will be on-sale April 23!

Pre-order Claim Me from Amazon!

Pre-order Claim Me from Barnes & Noble!

Pre-order Claim Me from Books-a-Million

Pre-order Claim Me from Random House

Pre-order Claim Me from your favorite independent bookseller

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Amazon

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from Waterstones

Pre-order Claim Me in the U.K. from WH Smith

Want more? You can even 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 don’t miss the contest! We’re celebrating Release Me being 8 weeks on the USA Today bestseller list!  Learn all about it here!

More soon,

XXOO