Cover Goodness

Waddya think of my newest cover?

I know. It’s gorgeous.

And…it suits the book PERFECTLY!

Office Affair releases at Samhain on the 1st of May.

Jess

Edit Induced Exhaustion

It’s been a marathon few weeks for me edit-wise. I have two books coming out soonish, one in May, one in July, and the books have been edited back to back. (Usually I have a couple months break between edits at least.)

Now please don’t think edits only involve the books. They don’t. There’s also the little matter of writing and editing the blurbs, the taglines and the warnings as well. Yeah, I know. They seem soooo simple. But seriously? They’re not. Tricky little devils those blurbs. There’s so little space to write so much AND capture the reader’s attention, it’s quite an art. (One I haven’t quite mastered.) Fortunately, we have a blurb editor at Samhain to help us along the way.

I’d thought the blurb for my May release, Office Affair, was all done and finished, but edits on the book changed the story a little, so the blurb had to be redone. As did the tagline. Just as I finished the second round for that blurb, so I had to focus on the blurb for my July release, Colors of Love (Speed, Book 2).

Now I have two sparkly new blurbs to show for my two sparkly new books. Well, actually, only one book’s all sparkly at the moment. The other is still mid-edit.

Don’t get me wrong. I know I sound like I’m complaining, but really, I’m not. I love the editing process. I love that opportunity to take a book that’s good enough and make it shine. And time and again, I am stunned by my editor’s incredible insights and suggestions. She’ll look at my story and just magically know what to do to make it better.

Why am I going on about this now? Because *Ahem* I shouldn’t be here blogging. I’m on deadline. I have to get the edits for Colors of Love back to my editor tonight. So really, it’s all I can think about.Which prompts me to finish off this blog, and open up that Word document once again.

I’ll leave you with my two sparkling new blurbs. (Coz yeah. I wanna show them off.)

Jess

OFFICE AFFAIR: The Blurb

All work and no play? Not for this girl. Not anymore.

Melissa Sparks has had enough. Enough of being the high achiever, enough of ignoring her social life in favor of her job and enough of being lonely. Just this once she wants a change. Something different. Something that looks very much like her business associate, Ben Cowley.

Ben Cowley is all alone in the deserted offices of Preston Elks. He’s gorgeous, he’s single and he’s been her secret fantasy for the last two years. It’s a split-second decision, but there’s no going back.

When Ben looks up from his desk, the last thing he expects to see is his too-serious, straight-laced colleague stripping naked. It’s been a year since his last relationship ended, and though he’s still picking up the pieces, Melissa throws his carefully balanced world off its axis. So does her offer: a brief affair, no strings attached.

Right about the time he realizes a simple affair will never be enough, she’s back in professional mode—and clearly as distant as ever. Now it’s up to him to show her that what they have is no fluke…and he’ll do whatever it takes to convince her. Even if it means inviting another man into their bed.

Warning: This book contains a man haunted by his past decisions, a woman determined to succeed, sex hot enough to steam up every office window on the block, and a voyeur who gets off watching those windows steam up.

(Office Affair releases May 1st at Samhain)

COLORS OF LOVE: The Blurb

Their true colors are hidden…until one woman turns everything upside down.

Speed, Book 2

Seth Pace, guitarist of the rock band Speed, is a born dreamer, and nothing stands in his way of making those dreams a reality. Except when it comes to band manager Luke Struthers. He’s everything Seth wants in a partner, but even after five years of perfectly explosive sex, Luke refuses to commit.

After a childhood ravaged by abuse, Luke knows he’s a potential danger to anyone foolish enough to love him. Seth is safer without him, but Luke has no idea how to cut him loose painlessly. Until he spots Seth’s kind of woman—pretty, smart, friendly. The plan: seduce her into a sexy threesome, then leave the two alone to fall in love. Problem solved.

A night of excitement with the two hottest men on the planet? Yeah, baby! Yet Kaz’s inborn ability to read auras tells her something isn’t right. It’s obvious Seth and Luke are madly in love, but subtle clues in Luke’s aura signal he’s up to something. She’s not sure what, but if she doesn’t do something quick, the two men she’s quickly come to adore will wind up without the happily ever after they both deserve.

Warning: One man + one man + one woman = a whole lot of steamy two-way and three-way M/M & M/M/F sex, a hero or two to drool over, and a heroine who recognizes true love when she sees it.

Colors of Love releases of the 24th of July at Samhain)

Currently loving…*Sigh*

So, what am I currently loving?

It’s pathetic really, but here you go:

Chopped up apples in fresh, all natural yogurt.

*Sigh* Can you tell I’m on diet?

It’s amazing how everything tastes so good when you have limited amounts of it, isn’t it?

Jess

Currently loving…an awesome book series

A couple weeks ago I finished reading Maria V Snyder’s YA Study series, and cannot explain how much I loved it. I finished the first book in a day, the second book the next day, forced myself to take a break between books two and three, and then missed the characters so much, I read the third book on day 4.

The books are magical. Literally. I think if I tried to describe them I would not do them justice, so rather read the blurb from the first book, Poison Study, and see for yourself:

Poison Study:

Choose: A quick death or slow poison…

On the eve of her execution for murder, Yelena Zaltana is offered an incredible reprieve – on the condition that she becomes the food taster for the military leader of Ixia, Commander Ambrose.

Avoiding poison is the least of her troubles, however… General Brazell, father of the man she killed, has vowed bloody revenge; she’s beginning to have feelings for her captor, Valek; and someone is plotting the downfall of the current regime.

In a desperate race against time, Yelena must learn to control the growing magical talent within her and master the demons of her past. The Commander’s life, the future of Ixia and all those she loves depend on it…

————–

Go ahead. Read the first book. You will love it.

The nice thing about this series is that Ms. Snyder follows it up with a whole new series “Glass” – about a character we meet in the Study books. She brings us right back to magical world she’s created, and generously lets us meet up with all those wonderful characters from the Study series.

But please – don’t make the mistake I made. Don’t read Glass before Study. You’ll enjoy all six books way more if you read them in order.

Happy reading,

Jess