J. Kenner's Blog, page 94
March 4, 2013
March Madness Blog Hop! (And a Bonus Excerpt Claim Me Excerpt!)
(Contest & Excerpt below!)
It’s madness! Madness, I say!
What is?
The state of my yard. I ignored it all winter (as one is supposed to do, but apparently in Texas we no longer have winter. So although it’s barely even March yet, spring has sprung. And not lightly like a bunny, either. No, more like some fanged, scary hell beast.
Don’t believe me? Check out this weed that, I swear, popped up in my back yard almost overnight, along with about two million of its closest friends!
So, while I’m diligently doing galleys for Claim Me, the weeds are waging war on my backyard.
Har-umph!
But I’ll show those weeds! Here’s a bonus excerpt from Claim Me, Book 2 in the Stark Trilogy following Release Me … a little something to tide you over until #StarkOnSaturday! (Don’t ask how that will show the weeds … I have no answer!)
“Your carpool’s here, Mr. Stark. You don’t want to be late for homeroom.” I turn to head back inside, but he grabs my hand and pulls me back. His kiss is long and deep and makes my knees go weak, but Damien considerately holds me up so that I don’t collapse in a puddle on the flagstone tiles.
“What was that for?” I breathe when he releases me.
“A reminder that I believe in you,” he says.
“Oh.” His voice is filled with so much pride and confidence that I wish I could soak it up like a drug.
“And a promise of things to come,” he adds with a sexy curve to his lips. “I’ll call you when I get back. I’m not sure how late I’ll be.”
“The helicopter not as speedy as it looks?” I tease.
“More like my colleagues don’t conduct business as expediently as I’d like.”
“No prob. I should have dinner with Jamie tonight, anyway. I’ve been a best friend in absentia lately.” I start to pull away, but his fingers tighten around mine. “What?”
“I don’t want to go.” His grin is boyish, and I laugh with delight. Damien is so many things, and I am falling hard for all of them.
“But if you don’t, then how can I spend the day looking forward to having you back?”
“You’re a very wise woman,” he says, then presses a fresh kiss to my lips. “Until tonight.”
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 now for the contest part!
I’m still celebrating eight weeks on the USA Today list with Release Me, so if you haven’t already entered, be sure to check out my Rafflecopter for a chance to win an early copy of Claim Me and a gift card!
And the Blog Hop has some awesome prizes, too! Check it out and use the Rafflecopter to enter! And be sure to follow the links below to visit everyone who’s hopping! (Again, if the widget or the linky doesn’t show up, just refresh your page. That almost always fixes it!)
On Writing: When Characters like Damien Stark Stand Up and Demand to Be Heard
I’m over at Everyday eBook today sharing some thoughts on writing; specifically, I’m talking about character creation and erotic romance.
I’m riffing off of the general idea that “erotic romance stems from the same place as other novels – from the characters and from the situation. And if that situation is a bit steamy … well, that’s just all the more fun!”
Come on over and read the rest of my thoughts, particularly as they relate to Damien and Nikki from Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me!
And don’t forget the contest that I have going! Check it out if you’re interested in winning an early read of Claim Me, book two in the Stark Trilogy! You can learn all about it here (and please share with your friends! the prizes have the potential to grow!)
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.
March 2, 2013
Stark on Saturday – new snippet from Claim Me, Stark Trilogy book 2
“Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now?”
“Tell me,” I beg.
“I want to strip you bare and press you up against the glass. I want to trail my fingers over you lightly, just enough to make you awaken to my touch. I want to watch the lights of the Pier flash behind you, and I want to watch my own reflection in your eyes as you come.”
My mouth is dry, so the little “oh,” that I say doesn’t actually come out as sound.
“But I can’t,” he says. “I believe I told you that I wasn’t going to touch you.”
“I won’t hold you to it,” I say.
“But that would be breaking the rules.”
I have to force myself not to whimper. “You’re playing games with me, Mr. Stark.”
“Yes,” he says plainly. “I am.”
“I suppose that’s fair, sir,” I say. “I’m yours, after all. At least for the night. But tomorrow, I’ll be a rich woman and the game’s going to have a new set of rules.”
For a moment, he is perfectly still. Then he nods slowly. “You raise a good point, Ms. Fairchild,” he says. “I need to make sure I get my money’s worth.”
“Your money’s worth?”
“Did you read the article in Forbes I sent you?” he asks. “The reporter did a good job of describing my philosophy in business.”
“I read it.” In fact, I’d read it several times, savoring every tidbit I learned about Damien The Businessman.
“Yes, sir,” he corrects.
“Yes, sir,” I repeat. “I read the article.”
“Then you know that I attribute much of my success to my ability to extract as much value as possible from every monetary transaction.”
I lick my lips. “And I’m a monetary transaction?”
“You are indeed.”
“I see. And how do you intend to extract value?”
“I already told you,” he says. “If you’re not going to pay attention . . . ”
“You said you were going to make me come.”
His mouth curves into a lazy smile and the corners of his eyes crinkle. “So I did. Good girl. You get an A in class, after all.”
Come back next week for another snippet!
Behind them, the lights of the Santa Monica pier …
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
March 1, 2013
It’s a Celebration! Wanna snag an early read of Claim Me and and Amazon, B&N or iTunes card?
Since I’m giddy that
Release Me
has been two months on the USA Today bestseller list, I thought a new, fun “progressive” contest was in order!We’ve got three potential winners. Check it out:
So what’s the prize? An early read of Claim Me (the winner will need to sign up for a NetGalley account), a signed copy of the book once it’s available, and a $50 gift card from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes!
But there’s more!!!
If Release Me hits the USA Today list again next week (i.e., the March 7 list) that’s more reason to celebrate, and another winner will receive early read of Claim Me (the winner will need to sign up for a NetGalley account), a signed copy of the book once it’s available, and a $100 gift card from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes!
BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!
If Facebook likes for the J. Kenner page hit 5,000 by the time the Rafflecopter expires on March 9 that’s also reason to celebrate! Another winner will receive an early read of Claim Me, a signed copy of the book once it’s available, and either a $100 or $150 gift certificate (depending on whether the book also hit that March 7 USA Today list)! Good luck!
(That’s about 1500 new likes, but spread the word and maybe we’ll get there!)
You can enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. (If you don’t see it, refresh this page.)
Also, please spread the word — and send your friends over to Facebook to “Like” the page!
If you want to post a widget on your site linking to this page (that would be super awesome!) you can use this code here:
That code shows the image below, and links back to this blog post.
Thanks for spreading the word about the contest, and also about Release Me, the trilogy, and Damien and Nikki!
Scream at the Devil: Help Make a Movie!
I love movies; I don’t see enough of them lately.
My undergraduate degree was in movies, and if you check out the movie Future Kill, you’ll actually see me.
I was a production assistant, but I was an extra in one scene. Here I am, in all my street-bum glory.
So my love of cinema just kicks into overdrive when I see that a friend is actually making a movie.
I mean, how cool is that? (And not my neighbor with a video camera; we’re talking professionals, with years and years of Hollywood and live theater creds behind them.)
Specifically, my friend Shari Shattuck, who writes one of my absolute favorite series, The Callaway Wilde series that began with Loaded, is starring in it (she’s done a TON of movie and tv work).
Here’s the info straight from Shari:
My husband Joseph Stachura, the acclaimed artistic director of the Knightsbridge theatre and two previous award winning films, will be directing the movie and it will star little ol’ me, Shari Shattuck (ON DEADLY GROUND, SPY HARD, DALLAS, blah blah, on and on.) and Eric Etebari (STAND UP GUYS, THE LINCOLN LAWYER, 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS) and some other really amazing people that I can’t wait to tell you about.
There is an amazing supporting cast and crew… our Academy Award winning Editor, Nancy Frazen and our VFX producer, Shannon Shea (MEN IN BLACK, JURASSIC PARK, PREDATOR) are only two of a remarkable team, all of them have joined on because they love the project!!
Very cool, eh?
Anyway, they have the funding to make the movie and are looking to raise money to make the movie even better. As Shari says, ”
Though we already have the basic budget, to make this film as exceptional as we know it will be, we could use a little help from you!! You can contribute 5 dollars or 5000, or just get on board by signing up for the newsletter and watching the fun!!
If you’d like to be part of it, you can see the contribution page for Scream at the Devil here! There are all sorts of fun perks that go along with the contribution levels! I’m excited to see the movie and know I helped out just a little!
Have you ever been in or worked on a movie or a stage play?
P.S. - my current book -- Release Me -- spent three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is still on the USA Today bestseller list (its 8th week!) Color me psyched! Have you got your copy yet?
And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the series even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30. WOOT!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
February 28, 2013
New outtakes from Claim Me by J. Kenner (Stark Trilogy, Book 2)
Y’all asked, so here you go!
More Nikki and Damien outtake snippets from the upcoming Claim Me!
(Keep in mind, these are bits that did NOT make it into the book. Actual excerpts from the upcoming release can be found at Stark On Saturday!)
Snippet 1:
More, I want to hug Damien. Because even though I think I understand where I fit in Damien’s heart, there are still enough shadows lingering between us to make me worry. Both about my own motivations for giving myself so completely to him, and about the monsters that might leap out if we step too close to the dark.
Snippet 2:
I am flabbergasted by the amount of bile this guy is throwing at me. It’s pretty damn clear what Bruce meant by throwing me to the wolves, but surely he didn’t anticipate this. … (this scene continues, and there’s one more, too–short, but steamy! Just CLICK HERE to read more!) (The bookmark code on the Outtakes page doesn’t seem to be working – so just scroll down to the third set of outtakes!)
P.S. - my current book -- Release Me -- spent three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is still on the USA Today bestseller list (its 8th week!) Color me psyched! Have you got your copy yet?
And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the series even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30. WOOT!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
So many fab books to read!
I asked the folks over at my J. Kenner Facebook page what they are reading right now, and I got so many great answers that I have to not only share, but archive the post over here so that I can find it again and make myself a buy list.
In the interest of public service, I’m sharing the link here!
By the way, have you “liked” my Facebook page? I’m going to run a fab contest when I hit 5000 likes … so I’d appreciate the Facebook love!
Enjoy!
P.S. - my current book -- Release Me -- spent three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is still on the USA Today bestseller list (its 8th week!) Color me psyched! Have you got your copy yet?
And in super fab news, Bantam has moved the pub date for the next two books in the series even sooner! Claim Me will be out April 23, and Complete Me out July 30. WOOT!
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
February 27, 2013
Hump Day Books from Julia London, Terry Spear, Leighton Gage, Liliana Hart, Wendy Etherington, Angie Fox, Suzanne Johnson, and Jacquie D’Alessandro
Looking for awesome books to beat the mid-week slump? Check out these new or notable reads–great books from your favorite or soon-to-be-favorite authors!
The Last Debutante (Secrets of Hadley Green)
A sensual romance about a young English lady and the Laird who holds her hostage…
Learn more at Julia’s website!
He’s No Angel (Heaven Can Wait Book 1)
A sensual romance about a young English lady and the Laird who holds her hostage…
Learn more at Jaquie’s Website!
Bound by Danger
New paranormal romantic suspense from bestselling author Terry Spear!
Learn more at Terry’s Website!
Perfect Hatred
The Sixth Chief Inspector Mario Silva Investigation.
Learn more at Leighton’s Website!
Whiskey Rebellion (Romantic Mystery/Comedy) Book 1 (Addison Holmes Series)
$.99 for a limited time!
Learn more at Liliana’s Website!
Sparked (New Mystic City)
I’m so excited to be featuring Wendy’s latest… utterly bewitching!
Learn more at Wendy’s Website!
Immortally Embraced
The latest from New York Times bestseller Angie Fox!
Learn more at Angie’s website!
River Road
An urban fantasy with Louisiana spice…
Learn more at Suzanne’s website!
Interested in submitted a title for the weekly Hump Day feature? Here’s the info!
[dropoff]
February 26, 2013
The thrill of an author’s first cover ….
I remember when I got my very first cover for my very first book, Nobody Does It Better, a Harlequin Temptation.
I really didn’t know what to expect, and the image just blew me away, all the more so because the cover model looks like Pierce Brosnan, and the book has a very definite Remington Steele vibe.
Forty some-odd books later, and that thrill is still there.
I love seeing covers come into my inbox (and I miss getting cover flats–that’s just not as common as it used to be).
In fact, I just got draft versions of the cover for Complete Me (which I can’t wait to reveal)! 
But never again will I have the thrill of having That Very First Cover.
Which is why I’m so excited for my friend Richard Ellis Preston, Jr., whose first book is coming this July: Romulus Buckle and the City of the Founders
It’s new adult steampunk, and I think that 47North really rocked the cover.
Check it out:
What do you think? What’s your favorite book cover (authors or readers)?
P.S. - my current book -- Release Me -- spent three weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and is still on the USA Today bestseller list (its 7th week!) Color me psyched! Have you got your copy yet?
P.P.S. And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
Passion Between the Covers!
Here’s a chance to win a copy of Release Me, along with two Eden Bradley books, The Dark Garden and Forbidden Fruit!
iVillage is running a Passion Between the Covers Sweepstakes! Here’s the blurb:
You could win three steamy novels: The Dark Garden and Forbidden Fruit by Eden Bradley and Release Me by Julie Kenner! Plus, we’re throwing in a $25 Victoria’s Secret gift card so you can spoil yourself with something sexy.
Enter daily – we’re picking 50 lucky winners.
And good luck!
