J.M. Jeffries's Blog, page 3
April 18, 2013
Vegas Bites 4: From Vegas With Love
Iva’s story is done. For those of you who have patiently waited, thank you for your support. Jackie and I are putting the finishing touches and polishing the last little bits of Iva’s story and we sincerely hope you are not disappointed.
Here’s a tiny preview. Please keep in mind we haven’t completed all our edits, so please forgive misspellings.
Prologue: From Vegas With Love (Iva’s story)
Luka Vadim tried not to fidget. Being in the presence of the matriarch of the most powerful werewolf clan in the world would make anyone nervous though he worked hard to keep his face impassive and not to show his feelings. His father had once whipped him for smiling when he shouldn’t have. Luka had only needed the one lesson. Being stoic was part of being Russian.
Esther Temple faced him from behind her massive desk. Her grey hair was piled on top of her head accenting her high cheekbones and the smooth caramel coloring of her strong-featured face. The desk was abnormally neat, cleared of all clutter, ready for the next occupant. The bookshelves showed empty spaces where a book had once been and was now gone, probably packed ready for Esther and her husband, Julius’s move to Alaska.
“Please,” Luka said holding up one hand. From the look on her face he could already tell she’d made her decision. Surely she wouldn’t begrudge him one last effort to change her mind. “Before you give me your final decision, let me add that I know Siberia is a long way away, but it does rival Alaska for snow.” Though why they wanted to go to Alaska when he was offering them something so much better was beyond him. “With you and your husband as my partners, you will have exclusive right to run in our forest, a percentage of the oil and diamond production to further enhance the wealth of your pack, and the isolation you have stated you are looking for.” He needed her and her husband. He needed the strength of their name, their position as the past leaders of the Temple werewolf pack. He needed so much from her and he had put so much into his offer even as he saw she was unmoved by his final appeal.
“You wrap it all up in a pretty package, sweetie,” Esther said with a slight tilt of her head. Her gaze drifted over to her husband. Julius stood with his back to the window, a slight frown on his handsome face. Like her his hair had gone grey even though they were middle-aged in werewolf years. “But your pack is small and your father made a lot of enemies.”
Including you, Luka thought almost sad at the thought of his father’s stupidity. “My father is dead and I am not my father.” His father had made more enemies than any one person should, but his father had been of the old school and the tactics that worked to keep the pack together a hundred years ago, a thousand years ago would no longer work in the new world order of computers, iPads, iPhones and internet.
She gave him a long, considering look. “And that’s why Iva had to pull you off a cocktail waitress on my craps table?”
“She smelled nice,” he said with a touch of bravado, “but she wasn’t what I was looking for.”
Esther’s eyes narrowed. “What are you looking for?”
What was more important, he asked himself, his pride or his legacy? “My father was not so much your enemy as he was with others. Consider this an olive branch.”
“Do you intend to make peace with all of your father’s old enemies?”
“No,” he replied. “I don’t mind if some people continue to be my enemies, but you I would like as an ally.”
“Why us?” Julius asked.
“Just the mention of you as my allies will keep my enemies at bay.”
“So you don’t want us as friends?” Esther asked.
“Friendship comes later when you get to know me.”
“At least you’re not asking to be family,” Julius said.
The memory of Iva filled his mind. He wouldn’t mind having Iva as family. “You have many beautiful women, who knows what will happen in the future if we are allies.”
Esther folded her hands together. “That’s not going to happen, Luka. My husband and I have decided to turn down your proposal.”
“I see,” Luka said doing his best to hide his disappointment.
“You don’t sound terribly disappointed,” Esther said.
“I’m Russian I try not to hope.” Luka stood sensing the meeting was at an end. “Congratulations on your new daughter-in-law. Enjoy your retirement. If you find Alaska boring, come visit me.”
Esther’s eyebrows arched up in surprise. “Thank you.”
Luka bowed to both Esther and Julius. He turned on his heel he left the room and found his younger brothers waiting outside the door. Mischa leaned against a wall and Pavel stood in the very enter of the hall, feet spread and hands clasped in front of him.
Luka said. “Get the plane ready. We’re leaving in two hours. You’ll find me in the bar.”
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February 16, 2013
Protecting Lulu is FREE!
For two days only, Protecting Lulu is free. Exclusively on Amazon.com from 2/16 through 2/17.
Protecting Lulu
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February 7, 2013
California Christmas Dreams by J.M. Jeffries
J.M. Jeffries – California Christmas Dreams
Coming from Harlequin Kimani in November 2013
Back cover copy:
California Dreaming…
Former child star Meredith Alcott knows life isn’t like the movies. But now she has a chance to realize her own Hollywood dream by restoring a rundown amusement park to its former glory. Clashing with the owner’s arrogant, all-business son wasn’t in the job description…even as Jake Walters sweeps her into a romance she never wants to end.
As financial adviser to the stars, Jake always has his eye on the bottom line. He doesn’t want an outsider anywhere near the legendary institution that’s been in his family for generations. Yet Meredith gets top billing when she’s hired to revamp his family’s park. The bewitching designer challenges him at every turn while arousing a passion that fulfills Jake’s wildest fantasies. But, sabotage threatens to turn all their passionate dreams to dust. Unless Jake can come up with a design for loving that keeps the magic going—and Meredith in his arms forever.
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January 11, 2013
Protecting Lulu (Global Protection Agency) Book 1
Protecting Lulu by J.M. Jeffries available now for only $2.99 at Amazon.com
Lulu Bennington, a tall, curvy plus-sized woman has it all—brains, beauty, billions and the latest celebrity accessory—her own celebrity stalker. When her brother hires a security firm, Noah Callahan comes into her life.
Noah Callahan is a dangerous man, exactly the kind of man Lulu avoids.
Noah accepts the job of keeping Lulu Bennington alive, thinking it’s just a job. But Lulu isn’t a job, she’s a force of nature who pops his safe little bubble and completely turns his world upside down.
As the two dance around their attraction to each other, the threats escalate. More than her life is at stake as she find the dangerous Noah barging into her heart.
Noah has never met a woman like Lulu. As his investigation leads him through the complexities of her life, he discovers that love is finally within his grasp.
Noah and Lulu will rock each other’s world as they fall deeper in love and realize life is precious and meant to be lived.
Protecting Luly by the award-winning duo
J.M. Jeffries
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January 3, 2013
The Year of the Diamond Mine
World renowned artist Emmy Sebastian doesn’t intend to tell her story, but a young, ambitious reporter coaxes it out of her. Emmy takes a long hard look at her youth and the year she worked her secret diamond mine and her dreams of the riches it would produce and lift her family out of poverty. But the treasure the diamond mine gives her is beyond her wildest dreams. As she relates her tale, she relives the year that profoundly changed her life.
FAMILY SECRETS, BETRAYAL, AND HOPE
Available from Amazon.com in both print and e book format.
October 8, 2012
My Only Christmas Wish from Kinmani
I love Christmas. Jackie doesn’t. Yet we wrote this happy little Christmas story that takes elements of both of our feelings about Christmas and incorporates them.
Jackie hates the pressure to shop, to find the right gift for everyone on her list. She doesn’t like feeling pressured that she has to be happy for Christmas. The twenty-four hour, cheesy Santa Claus Christmas music is annoying when she wants Linkin Park. The commercialism bothers her when it should be more about the spirituality of the event. Sometimes she has so many regrets over what she hasn’t done, or accomplished and Christmas makes her see those regrets too clearly. It’s cold, end of the year and dark. Christmas is something she feels like she struggles through the season and gets no joy out of it. And then at the end of the season, she has this profound sense of relief that it’s over. She says it’s not as bad as it used to be, but still occasionally feels like hell.
And she does know there are beautiful things about Christmas. She likes fat opera singers singing O Holy Night. When you score the perfect gift for someone. When you read something in the news about people going above and beyond helping someone else out. When she gets twelve pounds of Starbucks Christmas blend coffee for a friend. She loves the camaraderie people have during the season.
I love Christmas.I love the cheesy Santa Claus Christmas music. I love decorating my house with lights and getting out my tree. When I unpack my ornaments, I remember every one I purchased and why. I have every ornament my children made for me. I remember the story of each ornament and what it means to me. They all go on the tree. Parker and I used to buy one new ornament every year. As I take them out, I remember Parker and how much he adored Christmas. He was a Santa clone and he adored having little children call him Santa Claus. He played the role like he really was Santa. He loved his rock and roll Santa that twisted back and forth to Santa Claus Rock. Parker would dance around the house to the music of the silly thing. But most of all, I love the looks on my grandchildren’s faces when they get that one present I knew they really wanted. I’m always looking for unique things. I shop all year long.
The tradition in my house is to have Swedish braid bread. Parker would get up at 4 am to start the process. Some years we would eat breakfast first and then open presents. Other years we’d open presents first and then eat breakfast. I can still smell the aroma of the bread filling the house and see Parker standing over the stove. I have so many wonderful memories.
Writing My Only Christmas Wish
I used those memories and feelings for My Only Christmas Wish. Darcy Bennett is me and Eli Austin is Jackie. We took the best of each of us and created Darcy and her love of Christmas teaching Eli that Christmas is all Bah! Humbug.
For me Christmas is magic and I wish the feelings would last all year long. Jackie admits she’s learned over the years that Christmas is only as much pressure as she puts on herself. She’s learned to relax more and take it one day at a time, avoiding the things she doesn’t like and loving the things she does. Once she’s relaxed, she does enjoy the Season. And in her house there is no cheesy Christmas music, but classical Beethoven, Mendelsohn, even Mozart. And between the two of us, we have achieved a balance.
Until next time, enjoy My Only Christmas Wish, on sale November 1, 2012 at bookstores and for download on Amazon.com and .
October 2, 2012
My Only Christmas Wish
See the ad in the Women's Day Christmas Special magazine, on sale Oct 1 2012 through Jan 9, 2013.
September 20, 2012
My Only Christmas Wish
Pre-order your copy today.
August 20, 2012
Tow truck pursuit, or I just lost two hours of my life
I just lost two hours of my life, which I will never get back, and I’m at fault. I turn on the news most nights to get the weather report. Tonight the news concerned a police pursuit of (of all things) a tow truck. Okay, I’ve wasted my brain because I kept thinking the station would finally figure out, I want the weather, not the tow truck pursuit. Didn’t happen. I started watching the news at 5 pm. Decided to do an errand and came back an hour later. Guess what?? The pursuit was still on the news. Me: WHY? Los Angeles has high speed pursuits almost daily. I guess this one made the news because it was a low speed pursuit with a tow truck. A tow truck! If I’m going to be involved in a high speed pursuit, I want a Cadillac Escalade rather than a tow truck. Let’s be comfortable, after all, once I’m caught I’m off to jail for whatever time I will have earned. Grand theft. Failing to yield to another car. Yeah, whatever.
All I want to know is: do I need my umbrella and rain coat tomorrow? Never did find out. I’m still being subjected to a ribbon along the bottom of my TV screen to update me to the tow truck pursuit.
The worst part! The newscasters who waste my time and theirs trying to figure out why someone is driving a tow truck and being pursued by the cops. Excuse me! Who Cares? I don’t. And I don’t want to hear another inane stupidity from a newscaster trying to assign a purpose to the unknown driver. Is the reason why they stole a tow truck relevant when no one really knows. It’s not like they have a direct link to the tow truck driver so they can ask him/her (yes, we did have a woman on one long term pursuit–high speed (and low speed) pursuits are equal opportunity pursuits).
The newscasters are the worst. They wasted more time theorizing why the person took the truck and no matter what they say, later when the real reason comes out, it’s never what the news people thought. So why bother. Oh! I get it. Fill the air time with stupidity. No one wants dead air.
Okay tow truck, will you please run out of gas and save my sanity. Thank you. That didn’t happen, either.
So, let’s establish some boundaries. No more news about high speed, or in this case, low speed pursuits. Once I’ve heard the weather report, you can hypothesize and theorize on every stupid reason why the tow truck, the Cadillac, or BMW driver stole, borrowed or just plain got caught doing whatever once I know if it’s going to rain tomorrow or not.
So, are we there yet? Oh, wait? The cops are on my tail, no bathroom breaks until I run out of gas.
August 6, 2012
My Only Christmas Wish by J.M. Jeffries, Harlequin Kimani Oct 2012
It’s official. My Only Christmas Wish book cover finally arrived. Hope you all like it as much as we do. Jackie and I are very excited to be a part of the Harlequin family.
‘Tis the season for passion
All Darcy Bennett wants for Christmas is for her family’s upscale Atlanta department store to stay in the family. No man, especially a stubborn–and deliciously sexy–Scrooge is going to edge her out without a fight. Bent on vengeance, new store owner Eli Austin has no problem using power to get his way. But is Darcy’s feminine charm and a dash of holiday cheer enough to convince Eli to let her keep her legacy?
In a world full of mergers and takeovers, Eli does what it takes to stay in control. However he doesn’t count on the irresistible urge to unwrap Darcy like a holiday surprise. And he definitely isn’t prepared to compromise with a woman whose family destroyed his own. With the magic of Christmas surrounding them, will Darcy and Eli be able to put aside their differences and realize that love is the only gift worth wishing for?
