Spotlight on…Caitlyn Nicholas

I’m very excited. After inviting her umpteen times to come and blog, fellow Australian author, Caitlyn Nicholas has finally agreed. She’s my special guest for Wednesday.

Caitlyn writes brilliant romantic suspense novels. Her first book, Secret Intentions, holds a special place on my bookshelf. Apart from being an excellent mystery, set in exotic and wonderful places, it is also the first Samhain novel I ever purchased in print. It was a thrill buying a book written by someone I know. Cait even signed it for me.

I’m happy to tell you, Cait has a new book out, Secret Intentions. It’s sitting on top of my TBR pile. As soon as I have met my deadlines, I’m treating myself to her book.

Join me on Wednesday to find out more about this fantastic author.

Jess

A first for me

I know. I’ve said it before, it’s not cool to brag. But this is a first for me, and so I feel compelled.

A Question of Trust has hit three different bestseller lists:

MBaM:

Best Sellers:

• 1. Handyman by Claire Thompson
• 2. If All The Sand Were Pearl by Pepper Espinoza
• 3. With or Without You by KyAnn Waters
• 4. Nice and Naughty by Jayne Rylon
• 5. A Question of Trust by Jess Dee
• 6. Wicked Garden by Lorelei James
• 7. Love Me by Kelly Jamieson
• 8. Kiss Me Again by Dee Tenorio
• 9. Becoming Miss Becky by Shannon Stacey
• 10. The Boys Back Home by Sierra Dafoe

BooksonBoard:

Romance Top 5

1. Dark Curse eBook
2. Hostage to Pleasure eBook
3. Wicked Garden eBook
4. Nauti Dreams eBook
5. A Question of Trust eBook

All Romance Ebooks:

1. Driving Hard
2. The Boys Back Home
3. Leather Boys
4. Handyman
5. Male Me
6. Precious Ache
7. Joey’s First Time
8. Their One and Only
9. Nice and Naughty
10. A Question of Trust

It’s a good feeling. It’s an even better feeling to see Nice and Naughty and Wicked Garden up there too.

Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of the book.

Jess

Spotlight on…Jayne Rylon

Please join me in welcoming Jayne Rylon to my blog. Jayne’s first book with Samhain, Nice and Naughty, from the Menage and More Anthology, shot to no 1 on the MBaM bestseller list less than 24 hours after it released. For good reason. Jayne writes incredibly hot, really good erotic romance. I am a huge fan, and by the time you have read one of her books, you will be too!

Jess

Hello everyone!  First I want to thank Jess for having me as her guest.  I feel very glamorous coming after that spotlight, but a little bit nervous, too.  I don’t blog all that often.  I guess I just wonder what I could have to say that other people care enough to read (other than my books, of course–but I work really hard to make those interesting!).  So, hopefully, I can think of something to hold your attention for the next half minute or so.  Otherwise, feel free to wander off and stare at all Jess’ lovely cover art.  I won’t be offended. 

I’ve recently been chatting with more readers than usual as the Menage and More anthology just released.  I’m sure you know all about that already so I’m not going to bore you with the details, however, it made me realize that a lot of readers have misconceptions about how glamorous–or not–it is to be an author.  Not so long ago, I was one of those fans.  I’m an avid reader, and I never once stopped to think about a day in an author’s life.  I naively assumed all authors wrote full time.  Hah!

Now, please, don’t get me wrong.  I love to write and I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me to know even one person read and liked my books.  However, through my journey to get published (and published again, because every time is a new trial at this stage) a lot of illusions have been shattered.  First, almost every person I know at this stage in my career has another full time job or is the primary care giver of children.  I am one of the former.  I’m out of my house a solid sixty hours or more each week before counting chores, errands, or whatever else I have to do.  I can only imagine how much more difficult writing would be if I had the added responsibility of children with me at all times.

I have the utmost respect for authors who can handle all their other obligations and still crank out work on a regular basis.  I, on the other hand, am slow.  But, in my defense I thought I’d give you a peek at a typical day in my life to help explain why that might be…

5AM – Wake up.

5-6:30AM Check email quickly, shower, get ready for work, print out pages to critique or edit at lunchtime (if I get lunchtime).  I save time here by not drinking coffee (yuck) or eating breakfast.

6:30AM-7:30AM Drive to work, yell at slow cars (I admit it, Alexa’s leadfoot in N&N is based on my reality), sing out loud along with my iPod and brainstorm book ideas.

7:30AM-5/6/7PM Work for Fortune 500 company.  Boring stuff here.

5/6/7 – 7/8PM Get home, make dinner for self and husband or feel guilty for not making dinner and leaving him to eat frozen stuff or fast food.  In between, I read emails, check various yahoo loops, catch up with critique partners, etc.  Okay, so sometimes I also sneak in some goofing off here like watching TV (I limit myself to one show per season), playing Rock Band 2 (it just came out last week, I have to play a little!), doing housework and feeding my cats.

8PM – ?  So, finally, around 8PM, if I’m lucky, I’m sitting down and ready to go.  Sometimes I’ll have chats, or other reader events which give my brain a rest.  For example, today, it’s 10:17PM when I’m at this stage and I owe Jess a blog so I’m writing this instead of working on my latest manuscript.  That’s just the way it goes.  However, when I finish typing this, I WILL write/edit my story or critique chapters for my critique partners.  Because, if nothing else, I think writers are dedicated, persistant and passionate about what they do.  At least the successful ones, and that’s who I want to be when I grow up.

10/11PM-ish to 2AM I will take a deep breath, crack open my latest files and start to write.  If I am on a roll, I could do this all night.  Usually, I get the come-to-bed-now stare from my husband before I’m really ready to call it quits and a lot of nights he goes to bed alone.  This is especially bad for my guilt levels if he’s going to bed with frozen dinner or fast food in his stomach.  But, I do keep writing.  For example, last night I was working on the last two chapters of my nearly complete manuscript, Dream Machine.  This beast has been in various stages of editing/re-writing for two YEARS.  It was my first manuscript and basically has nothing original left in it except the character’s names.  But I see the light at the end of the tunnel and last night I got into the flow of the story and looked up to find it was already 2AM!

2AM-5AM Sleep.  Maybe. It’s not this restricted every night, I’m human afterall, but it was last night and has been many other times.  Hopefully, it will be again because that means I’m writing, the ideas are coming to me and I’m being productive.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Being sleep deprived is well worth the cost when I finally type “The End” on a manuscript, sign a contract, see my cover art for the first time, experience the thrill of release day, recieve an excellent review, team up with fabulous authors like Jess and Lorelei, or watch my book top the charts (okay so it’s just happened recently but it was worth the wait!).  It may not be as glamorous as I thought before, at least not for me and many others, but it’s fantastic all the same.

So, for those brave souls who made it to through my ramblings to the end… bravo!  I can’t help but finish whatever I start reading either   I was glad to visit with you all today.  Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to be the first to say a huge CONGRATS!!! to Jess on making the top ten list at ARe today.  I loved A Question of Trust and I’m so glad to see so many other people have too.

Now… if you’ll excuse me, I have to get to work.

Jayne

I’m blogging over at Novel Thoughts

I am guest blogging over at Novel Thoughts. Pop in and say hi if you like.

http://novelthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/frazzled-moms-unite/

Oh – and there’s a little prize I’m giving away too.

Jess

Treasure Trove Charity Auction

(Posted on behalf of Selena Illyria)

Contact: Rochelle Sorzano
Charity Co-Coordinator
2055 Utica Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11234
Phone: 347-221-0260

http://www.treasuretrovecharity.com/

Our Goal for the Sweet, Sassy, and Sexy Raffle is to get at least 5,000 donations at $20 .00 each. We are fully aware of the current financial climate and understand that $20 is a lot to ask of you. What we are asking is that you give in the spirit of giving. The three causes, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, The 3 Day. Org (Cure for Cancer) and Save the Quiet Kitty are worthy causes. The whole purpose is to help others, we ask that you take part in this endeavor and help us help others.

Simply Simone Inc and the Pink Chair Dairies Presents the Treasure Trove Charity Raffle, each prize is worth an estimated $400.00 and counting. This idea came about when my friend and co-coordinator Author Selena Illyria approached me with an idea to help fellow author and friend The Quiet Kitty/Camille Anthony who was diagnosed in 1989 with Pulmonary Sarcoidosis, caused by exposure to asbestos while an employee of the State of California. (There is a pending class action lawsuit against the State of California, which has been in Pre-Trial hearings for almost a decade.) Camille is now a full time author with no health insurance. She is in stage four of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and cannot get health insurance because of this pre-existing condition.

I loved the idea and wanted to help as much as possible; And, I thought we should extend it to include a couple of my other favorite charities. Breast Cancer is a concern for all of us and it will take all of us to help find a cure. In addition, St. Jude, when I first heard the story of how the Hospital came to be it struck a chord with me. Moreover, I always promised myself that if I can ever support them with the wonderful work they do I would.

My very talented friend Selena Illyria came up with the Sweet, Sassy, Sexy Charity Raffle, a nod to the cheeky erotic stories she and fellow authors pen. We thought this would be a fun way to give back to those who are generous enough to donate to our charity. We called on all of our writer friends from all over the romance world to donate to these worthy causes, and to my delight, it just kept growing and growing. Until each trunk is now worth over $400.00 and counting.

You can also help us help others, by donating at http://www.treasuretrovecharity.com and selecting the trunk of your choice and then clicking the donate button. Each theme will represent a charity and at the end, we will share 60% of all net profits equally to the charities.

Rules: There is unlimited bidding until the time the raffle comes to a closed.
Sweet Trunk :

Sexy Trunk:

Sassy Trunk :

Please Note:
60% net of the proceeds goes to the above-mentioned charities.
For information: http://www.treasuretrovecharity.com, http://www.simplysimoneinc.com/, http://www.pinkchairdaires.com/ or
Contac: rochelles@simplysimoneinc.com
Phone: 347-221-0260

Spotlight on…Jayne Rylon

Just one and a half more days to go. (Yep, it gets confusing with dates in Australian and American time) My very special guest blogger on the 24th of Sept, is Jayne Rylon. Fellow Menage and More Anthology author, this is one writer you want to get to know better. Her books are scorchers. Soon as I read Picture Perfect, Jayne hit my favorite author list. Nice and Naughty just confirmed my good taste. Come and meet Jayne on Wednesday. You’ll see. If you’re not a fan already, you will be soon.

Jess

Sandie’s Review

For those of you who haven’t met the wonderful Sandie yet, she is one of the Samhain Cafe moderators. Apart from always keeping the conversation lively and fun, Sandie has a little hobby all of us authors love. She writes reviews about the Samhain books she’s read. I can tell you, I’ve bought several books on Sandie’s recommendation alone – and enjoyed every one of them.

So, you can bet I was thrilled to find Sandie’s review of A Question of Trust at the Cafe today…

A Question of Trust is a fantastic story that gets one of my highest recommendations.

This is a story about Maddie and her lover Gabe, and of Gabe’s best friend Connor. Gabe and Connor have shared a woman occasionally. But would Maddie go along with such a thing, and what would happen afterwards if she did?

I loved this book and have already read it twice. This was one of the hottest, steamiest, and most explicit books I’ve read in a while. It was also a great edge of your seat love story.

Jess’s enthralling story was a true sensual feast that you don’t want to miss. But be prepared with a hunk of your own, or a bucket of Ice, or in this case BOTH!!! (Sandie, Samhain Cafe, Sun, 21 Oct – Sydney time)

{{{HUGS}}}

Thank you, Mamasand.

Jess

The interviews are up

The podcast interviews for Jayne Rylon, Lorelelei James and myself are up at BooksonBoard. Just click on the RSS feeds on the botomo left hand corner to access them.

And don’t forget to look out for the fabulous contest BoB is holding for the Menage and More Anthology. There are book vouchers (ranging from $5 to $25), print books and other goodies to be won.

Good luck to all of you.

Jess

Seriously slithery situation

Well, there’s been lots of excitement in the neighbourhood today.

I was summoned downstairs earlier to look out of our window. And there, standing in the beautifully kept garden of our next door neighbours, were two policemen. The expressions on their faces spoke of trouble, and they carried bags and sticks.

My heart sank as I intuitively realized my sweet, charming and quiet neighbours were in fact dangerous drug dealers who had just been bust. They had to be, right? Wouldn’t that explain the abject terror in their eyes? Wouldn’t it explain the policemen prowling around their garden?

Obviously not. A better explanation would be the spotting of a Mainland Tiger Snake wrapped around a rock next to their fish pond – which backs onto our property. A tiger snake, you say? Never heard of it? No worries. Allow me to enlighten you.

Tiger snakes used to be the most common cause of snake bite fatalities in Australia. (That’s changed now. Brown snakes are the biggest cause of fatalities – but only, it seems, because the number of brown snakes found in Australia has grown hugely in the last few years). Female tiger snakes birth about 30 live young in late summer, and their food of preference is frog. Oh, and here’s an interesting fact. If you harm or kill a tiger snake, you can be fined up to $4 000.

We have a lot of frogs in our garden. I’m not kidding. Tons of them. In fact, they are Luigi (the dog’s) favorite toy. He likes nothing more than chasing down, capturing and torturing them to death. Seems like he now has competition.

While the policemen tried their best, they could not actually capture the dear thing. They managed to grab it by it’s tail and toss it over the neighbours’ fence into the adjoining park. The last I saw of it, it was slithering away towards greener pastures. Thing is, I left shortly thereafter. There exists every possibility that Tiger could have turned back and targeted our house as his greener pasture.

Joys! This isn’t a first for us. Nope, a while back we found a lovely red-bellied black snake down by our pool. (Yep, I blogged about it. You can check out that story here.)

Hmmm. And to think we came to live in Australia because it would be safe…

Jess

Spotlight on…Lorelei James

I am very proud to welcome Lorelei to my blog. Lorelei is one of Samhain’s top selling authors. The books of her Rough Rider Series have all been instant bestsellers at numerous bookstores – as have her other novels. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with Lorelei on the Menage and More Anthology, and I gotta say, it’s been a privilege and a pleasure. And now I won’t say anymore, because I know you are here to visit her and not me…

Jess

LORELEI JAMES:

Does too much information ruin your perception? And your reputation?

I was in the store the other day and that John Mayer song “Real World” came over the loudspeaker. Now, I’ve always loved that song, and hummed along whenever I heard it. I thought it had a fresh, funky kind of vibe – easy listening, but hip, with smooth jazzy undertones, know what I mean? So when it started playing, I didn’t experience that feeling of happiness I used to get, I thought…that John Mayer…he’s such a pompous jackass. Not only does he have crappy tastes in swimsuits (have you seen him in that neon one-piece atrocity?) he’s stunted emotionally, no better than a high school jock gossiping in the locker room. How could he kiss and tell, not only with what he’d done between the sheets with Jessica Simpson, but with Jennifer Aniston? He’s not that cute. And really, he does make the kind of music my mother likes….

Whoa. Reality check. I don’t know John Mayer. Never met the man. I’m making all these assumptions about his character on here-say. What I’ve read in line at the supermarket tabloids like the National Enquirer, or thumbing through Entertainment Weekly, or what I’ve seen on celebrity gossip shows on TV and online clips. How do I know he isn’t misrepresented, misunderstood and just plain misquoted?

I don’t. In this day and age of instant entertainment, and tell-all’s about every person who’s had fifteen minutes of fame, you never know when it might come back to haunt you. Or you might come off looking bad—whether you intended it or not. And usually, there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.

These days I’m more of a public person than I’ve ever been. My books are out there for download at several online booksellers and in print on the bookstore shelves. My website is out there for people to browse. I have a myspace account. I comment on blogs that interest me. I speak at conferences. I’ve volunteered my time to national writer’s organizations. I have a yahoo group devoted to readers/fans/interested parties of my work. On that loop I talk about works in progress, upcoming promotional appearances, all the usual stuff we authors have to do these days to get our names out there. I try to keep these things focused on the business part of my persona, but personal friendships and relationships always spring out of these situations. You share something personal with me, it’s only courtesy for me to do the same. So if I toss off a comment about how I don’t have a dog…and it resonates wrong with a reader, I’ve turned them off completely, not only from me personally, but from my work. Chances are they’ll tell another person that I’m anti-pet (and this has happened, I mentioned in passing I don’t have a dog by choice and the next person who saw me said, “Hey, it’s the dog-hater!” true story) and so on. All because of one innocuous comment.

Have actions or reactions of a person you admired somehow changed your perception of him or her? Inquiring minds want to know…and naturally I’ll keep it just between us ☺

Lorelei James is not a rabble-rouser, rather, a mild-mannered Midwestern housewife who pens hot and naughty erotic stories about modern day cowboys and Indians. For more information on Lorelei and her books, visit: www.loreleijames.com