Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 08/19/18 Wedding the Widow ~ Slow and Steady

So glad to be back on Weekend Writing Warriors! It’s been almost a month since I’ve been home on a Sunday, with internet access, to be able to post. Lots of adventures, but still, nice to be back.

In the mean time, Wedding the Widow has released and is currently on sale for .99, so I thought I’d do one last snippet from it before moving on to my next release, coming up in just a couple of weeks.

So, in this week’s snippet I’m jumping ahead a bit. Jemmy has walked Elizabeth to her room after their heated kiss at the harvest Festival. They continue their tryst and have indeed ended up in Elizabeth’s bed. This snippet is toward the end of their encounter. We are in Elizabeth’s POV.

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules and snippet may therefore be slightly different from published version.)

“Slow and steady, love–let us enjoy this together.”

Yes, enjoy the pleasure as long as they could. She relaxed back on the mattress and he buried his face in her neck. His hot breath sounded ragged in her ear as he moaned with each lunge.

The slow, deliberate strokes kindled a beginning blaze, like a single flame licking deep within her. Heat sizzled down her arms and legs, radiating from her core where he stoked her fire to a white hot intensity she’d never experienced before. The spark must have leaped to him, for he abruptly abandoned his leisured pace, thrusting harder, with a frenzied power that left her breathless. Harder, deeper, faster he plunged into her as if trying to touch her very soul, until with a great cry he exploded within her, hot seed scorching her womb.

She clasped him deep within, shuddering around him, shattering into a thousand pieces as she cried out, “Dickon, Dickon! Oh, yes, yes, my love.”

Wedding the Widow is currently available for .99 on Amazon, B & N, Kobo, Google, and Apple 

BLURB:  

“Will she say yes a second time?” 

Widowed by the Battle of Waterloo, the ladies of Lyttlefield Park are reentering London society, where they’ll learn how to live—and love—again . . .Of all the widows of Lyttlefield Park, Elizabeth Easton seems least likely to remarry. Though many gentlemen would love to get to know the charming Mrs. Easton better, she is devoted to the memory of her late husband. Which is why she’s so shocked to be overtaken by passion during a harvest festival, succumbing to an unforgettable interlude with the handsome Lord Brack . . .

After enduring years of war, Jemmy, Lord Brack, plans to defer matrimony in favor of carefree pleasure. But who could resist a lifetime with Elizabeth Easton, a woman as marvelously sensual as she is sweet? Yet despite their mutual desire, she refuses to consider his proposal. With scandal looming, and their families bitterly opposed to the match, Jemmy must find a way to convince Elizabeth to risk her wary heart on him—and turn one infamous night into forever . . .

 

Books in The Widow’s Club series:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here.  There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

 

 

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Wedding the Widow Release Day!

My Regency romance, Wedding the Widow, releases today at e-tailers and in Barnes & Noble Book Stores, Books-A-Million, and likely Walmart stores across the country! Read on for my Release party Giveaway below.

 

Wedding the Widow is Book 2 of The Widows’ Club series, about six friends who were widowed by the Battle of Waterloo, and now, a year later, are all in various degrees of getting on with their lives.

Elizabeth’s story details her struggle to overcome her husband’s death when she is attracted to one particular gentleman at her friend Charlotte’s house party. Torn between continuing to grieve for her lost husband or admit the stirrings of passion again, Elizabeth must make a choice, and this tale of what happens when passion is denied will hopefully put you very squarely rooting for that passion to win out!

BLURB:

Of all the widows of Lyttlefield Park, Elizabeth Easton seems least likely to remarry. Though many gentlemen would love to get to know the charming Mrs. Easton better, she is devoted to the memory of her late husband. Which is why she’s so shocked to be overtaken by passion during a harvest festival, succumbing to an unforgettable interlude with the handsome Lord Brack . . .

After enduring years of war, Jemmy, Lord Brack, plans to defer matrimony in favor of carefree pleasure. But who could resist a lifetime with Elizabeth Easton, a woman as marvelously sensual as she is sweet? Yet despite their mutual desire, she refuses to consider his proposal. With scandal looming, and their families bitterly opposed to the match, Jemmy must find a way to convince Elizabeth to risk her wary heart on him—and turn one infamous night into forever . . .

EXCERPT:

“As the seed goes to the fertile ground, so goes the Harvest Lord to his Maiden…Nora Burns.” Michael Thorne intoned the ages-old chant, then seized the dark-haired Nora, her face alight with joy and triumph, by the hand and pulled her to him.

A jubilant cry went up from the crowd, a wail of lament from the three would-be Corn Maidens. They scurried out of the circle, arms around each other.

Elizabeth’s heart thumped so hard she gasped for breath. Could Lord Brack feel her pulse pounding in the hand he held so tightly?

The Harvest Lord led his Maiden into the center of the circle, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her above his head, spinning them around. After making a complete circle, he lowered her inch by inch to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the field stubble, he grasped her face—her cheeks red, her eyes snapping with excitement—and lowered his mouth to hers.

A stab of desire jolted Elizabeth, tearing through her like a lightning bolt straight to the apex of her thighs. Her breasts tingled as the Harvest Lord claimed his Corn Maiden.

As Thorne deepened the kiss, Nora threw her arms around his neck, pressing herself against the powerful body before her.

Panting, Elizabeth strained forward as well, her hands clasped vise-like around Lord Brack’s arm. A moan of need began in her throat, but she bit it back. What was happening to her?

She’d not been this aroused in over a year, not since her husband Richard, or Dickon she’d called him, had gone away to war. She’d felt his death so sharply she’d not even thought about love or desire for another man. Not until Charlotte had dragged her to the house party in August. There she’d met Lord Brack, who she’d found very amiable, but hadn’t thought of as desirable. Well, not exactly. Nor had she paid much attention to his obvious interest in her. Until now.

His arm tensed as he watched the crowning of the Corn Maiden. From the corner of her eye she marked his Grecian profile as it stood stark against the flickering torchlight, his gaze fixed on the couple before them. His jaw clenched so tightly she could almost hear it creak. He turned his head to peer down at her, his eyes dark with a desire of his own.

Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he turned them away from the sight of Michael and Nora as applause from the surrounding crowd crashed around them. He led her from the lighted circle, toward a stand of trees at the edge of the field.

Elizabeth had expected her senses would return once she no longer bore witness to the incredible raw sexual power of that kiss. Her body, however, continued to throb, then to ache with the need to feel a man’s touch once more.

Lord Brack stopped just at the tree line, well out of the light. He loosed her hands from their grip on his arm, then cupped her face, just as Michael Thorne had done to Nora, and sank his mouth onto hers.

A bolt of fire shot through her, down her arms and legs, through fingers and toes. Her core heated as though a sun burned at the center, and the ache deep inside her, begun while they watched the Harvest couple, became a demand she could not ignore.

Brack deepened the kiss, his tongue stealing warm and welcome into her mouth. She arched her neck back, opening herself fully. Let him take her here and now.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON:  https://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Widow-Widows-Jenna-Jaxon-ebook/dp/B0776J92D4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530394326&sr=8-1&keywords=9781516103263

B & N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wedding-the-widow-jenna-jaxon/1127396070?ean=9781516103263&st=AFF&2sid=Kensington%20Publishing%20Corp._8067221_NA&sourceId=AFFKensington%20Publishing%20Corp.#/

GOOGLE:  https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781516103263&c=books

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wedding-the-widow-1

APPLE:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wedding-the-widow/id1307709008?mt=11

 

 

To celebrate today’s release, I’m giving away two signed copies of Wedding the Widow. Comment below for a chance to win a copy!

Books in The Widows’ Club Series

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 07/29/18 Wedding the Widow ~ An Early Night

Wedding the Widow will release on July 31, 2018!

Only 2 days until Release Day!!!!!

So sorry I was not on WWW last weekend, but I was in transit from the RWA National Conference in Denver and arrived back in Virginia at 9:00 in the morning!  I promptly went to bed and have been recovering all week, amid other adventures.

Today I’m actually not at home, but in Washington, DC where I will attend a performance of Hamilton. All I can say is God is good. This was a bolt out of the blue, but I am super excited about it. So I won’t be able to visit you all until Monday. But look for me then!

This is release week for Book 2 of The Widow’s Club series, Wedding the Widow. Come by my blog on Tuesday for some release party fun!

I’ll probably have one more snippet next weekend from this book before going on to the Regency novella, Heart of A Scoundrel, that  will release in e-book in August.

So, in this week’s snippet I’m jumping ahead a bit. Alarmed by her growing amorous feelings for Jemmy, Elizabeth has pleaded a headache and he has taken her back to Lyttlefield Hall. They enter the drawing room and Jemmy, in an attempt to stay with Elizabeth, has ordered tea. We are now in Jemmy’s POV.

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules and snippet may therefore be slightly different from published version.)

“I am afraid I am too tired even for tea, Lord Brack.” She still gripped her reticule tightly, her gaze darting repeatedly toward the door, seeking escape. “I will give you good night and thank you for a lovely day.”

“I am sorry your headache is no better, my dear.” He might as well sneak that endearment in while he could. “Don’t you think hot tea would make a world of difference?” Desperation made him grasp any straw that presented itself to keep her here.

To his dismay, she shook her head and smiled sadly. “I think the only thing that will rid me of this pain is an early night.”

“Then let me come with you.”

Wedding the Widow is available for pre-order on Amazon, B & N, Kobo, Google, and Apple.

BLURB:  

“Will she say yes a second time?” 

Widowed by the Battle of Waterloo, the ladies of Lyttlefield Park are reentering London society, where they’ll learn how to live—and love—again . . .Of all the widows of Lyttlefield Park, Elizabeth Easton seems least likely to remarry. Though many gentlemen would love to get to know the charming Mrs. Easton better, she is devoted to the memory of her late husband. Which is why she’s so shocked to be overtaken by passion during a harvest festival, succumbing to an unforgettable interlude with the handsome Lord Brack . . .

After enduring years of war, Jemmy, Lord Brack, plans to defer matrimony in favor of carefree pleasure. But who could resist a lifetime with Elizabeth Easton, a woman as marvelously sensual as she is sweet? Yet despite their mutual desire, she refuses to consider his proposal. With scandal looming, and their families bitterly opposed to the match, Jemmy must find a way to convince Elizabeth to risk her wary heart on him—and turn one infamous night into forever . . .

Next Sunday I’ll be joining you from my cabin retreat in upper New York State!

 

Books in The Widow’s Club series:

 

 

 

 

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here.  There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

 

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 07/15/18 Wedding the Widow ~ Let Him Take Her

Wedding the Widow will release on July 31, 2018!

Only 16 days until Release Day!

Welcome to more of my snippets from my upcoming release, book 2 of The Widow’s Club series, Wedding the Widow, which will release in print and e-book on July 31. This has been a very busy summer!

In this week’s snippet I’m continuing from the beginning and the crowning of the Corn Maiden. Lord Brack (Jemmy to his family and friends) and Mrs. Elizabeth Easton, are attending the Harvest Festival while at a house party in Wrotham Village, Kent. The festival is about to finish with a somewhat potent ritual called the Crowning of the Corn Maiden. This week we see just how powerful that ritual is. We are still in Elizabeth’s POV as she looks at Lord Brack.

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules and snippet may therefore be slightly different from published version.)

 

The Kiss by Carolus Duran

He turned his head to peer down at her, his eyes dark with a desire of his own.

Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he turned them away from the sight of Michael and Nora as applause from the surrounding crowd crashed around them. He led her from the lighted circle, toward a stand of trees at the edge of the field.

Elizabeth had expected her senses would return once she no longer bore witness to the incredible raw sexual power of that kiss. Her body, however, continued to throb, then to ache with the need to feel a man’s touch once more.

Lord Brack stopped just at the tree line, well out of the light. He loosed her hands from their grip on his arm, then cupped her face, just as Michael Thorne had done to Nora, and sank his mouth onto hers.

A bolt of fire shot through her, down her arms and legs, through fingers and toes. Her core heated as though a sun burned at the center, and the ache deep inside her, begun while they watched the Harvest couple, became a demand she could not ignore.

Brack deepened the kiss, his tongue stealing warm and welcome into her mouth. She arched her neck back, opening herself fully–let him take her here and now.

Wedding the Widow is available for pre-order on Amazon, B & N, Kobo, Google, and Apple.

BLURB:  

“Will she say yes a second time?” 

Widowed by the Battle of Waterloo, the ladies of Lyttlefield Park are reentering London society, where they’ll learn how to live—and love—again . . .Of all the widows of Lyttlefield Park, Elizabeth Easton seems least likely to remarry. Though many gentlemen would love to get to know the charming Mrs. Easton better, she is devoted to the memory of her late husband. Which is why she’s so shocked to be overtaken by passion during a harvest festival, succumbing to an unforgettable interlude with the handsome Lord Brack . . .

After enduring years of war, Jemmy, Lord Brack, plans to defer matrimony in favor of carefree pleasure. But who could resist a lifetime with Elizabeth Easton, a woman as marvelously sensual as she is sweet? Yet despite their mutual desire, she refuses to consider his proposal. With scandal looming, and their families bitterly opposed to the match, Jemmy must find a way to convince Elizabeth to risk her wary heart on him—and turn one infamous night into forever . . .

Next Sunday I’ll just have arrived back from RWA National Conference in Denver, but I plan to post (I won’t have slept at all, but I’ll post). 🙂

 

Books in The Widow’s Club series:

 

 

 

 

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here.  There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

 

 

The Highlander’s Outlaw Bride by Cathy MacRae

To celebrate the hot new covers for the Highlander’s Bride series, The Highlander’s Outlaw Bride is on sale July 12-15 for only 99 cents at Amazon!

What will it take to turn an outlawed lass into a Highlander’s cherished bride?

Buy link:  https://www.amzn.com/dp/B00UD9JMBQ

Blurb:

Thrust into the role of laird upon his father’s unexpected death, Connor MacLaurey returns home to learn his cousin has usurped his lands and title. Furthermore, his betrothed–a lass he barely knows and certainly did not agree to marry–is hunted by the sheriff, accused of stealing cattle. He intends to petition the king for clemency for the foolish chit, break the betrothal, and take his castle back from his treacherous cousin. Marriage is not in his plans.

Brianna Douglas has no use for marriage. Widowed young, berated daily for failing to give her husband a child, and sent home in subsequent disgrace, she devotes her life to holding her family’s land for her young brother as their sotted father drowns his sorrow in whisky over their mother’s death. Raiders have hit her clan hard, and to save them, she finds herself betrothed to Laird MacLaurey’s son to seal a pact of protection with the MacLaurey clan.

Forced into a marriage neither wants, it will take a king’s edict and sacrifice from both to discover what love means. But can they accept their losses and learn from their mistakes before Brianna marries another?

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 07/08/18 Wedding the Widow ~ The Harvest Lord Claims His Corn Maiden

Wedding the Widow will release on July 31, 2018!

Only 30 days until Release Day!

Welcome to more of my snippets from my upcoming release, book 2 of The Widow’s Club series, Wedding the Widow, which will release in print and e-book on July 31. This has been a very busy summer!

Through a computer glitch, I wasn’t able to access the linky list this week, however, I thought I’d put up a snippet just in case anyone came by. I still can’t access the list, but if you’ve found me, leave a link and I’ll visit you either Sunday or Monday.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

In this week’s snippet I’m continuing from the beginning. Lord Brack (Jemmy to his family and friends) and Mrs. Elizabeth Easton, are attending the Harvest Festival while at a house party in Wrotham Village, Kent. The festival is about to finish with a somewhat potent ritual called the Crowning of the Corn Maiden. Jemmy has just told her the crowning used to entail more than just a kiss. Now the Harvest Lords makes his selection. And the effect on Elizabeth is arousing to say the least!

(Creative punctuation utilized to conform to WWW rules and snippet may therefore be slightly different from published version.)

A jubilant cry went up from the crowd, a wail of lament from the three would-be Corn Maidens; they scurried out of the circle, arms around each other.

Elizabeth’s heart thumped so hard she gasped for breath; could Lord Brack feel her pulse pounding in the hand he held so tightly?

The Harvest Lord led his Maiden into the center of the circle, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her above his head, spinning them around. After making a complete circle, he lowered her inch by inch to the ground. As soon as her feet touched the field stubble, he grasped her face—her cheeks red, her eyes snapping with excitement—and lowered his mouth to hers.

A stab of desire jolted Elizabeth, tearing through her like a lightning bolt straight to the apex of her thighs–her breasts tingled as the Harvest Lord claimed his Corn Maiden.

Panting, Elizabeth strained forward as well, her hands clasped vise-like around Lord Brack’s arm. A moan of need began in her throat, but she bit it back. What was happening to her?

Wedding the Widow is available for pre-order on Amazon, B & N, Kobo, Google, and Apple.

BLURB:  

“Will she say yes a second time?” 

Widowed by the Battle of Waterloo, the ladies of Lyttlefield Park are reentering London society, where they’ll learn how to live—and love—again . . .Of all the widows of Lyttlefield Park, Elizabeth Easton seems least likely to remarry. Though many gentlemen would love to get to know the charming Mrs. Easton better, she is devoted to the memory of her late husband. Which is why she’s so shocked to be overtaken by passion during a harvest festival, succumbing to an unforgettable interlude with the handsome Lord Brack . . .

After enduring years of war, Jemmy, Lord Brack, plans to defer matrimony in favor of carefree pleasure. But who could resist a lifetime with Elizabeth Easton, a woman as marvelously sensual as she is sweet? Yet despite their mutual desire, she refuses to consider his proposal. With scandal looming, and their families bitterly opposed to the match, Jemmy must find a way to convince Elizabeth to risk her wary heart on him—and turn one infamous night into forever . . .

UPDATE:  My previous WWW offering, Only Seduction Will Do, went on sale last week for .99, and it’s still on sale, but I don’t know how long. Here’s the link if you want to take advantage.

 

Books in The Widow’s Club series:

 

 

 

 

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Warriors here.  There’s some fantastic snippets to be read.

 

 

Christmas in July!

It’s Christmas in July!

During the month of July I’ll be putting my Christmas books on sale for .99 each. They are available at Amazon, Smashwords, B & N, and other e-retailers. The sale includes the medieval series book #5 Seduction at the Christmas Court, the Regency series Handful of Hearts Book #1 Hearts Beneath the Mistletoe, and All Wrapped Up, a collection of short stories (which is actually free). Sale starts July 1!

New Christmas Novellas for 2018

I’m currently writing two new Christmas novellas for Christmas 2018, Married by Christmas  and A Match Made at Christmas. I’ll be posting some snippets of them on my blog in July so please drop by. They will be releasing in separate boxed sets sometime this fall. Please stay tuned for cover reveals and dates of release.

AUTHOR SIGNING

Also in July, I’m scheduled to have an author signing at the Book Nook at the Little Shops of Portsmouth, in Portsmouth, VA. On Saturday, July 28, I’ll be signing books there along with several of my fellow local chapter members of Chesapeake Romance Writers. If you’re in the area and would like to come by, we’ll have quite a celebration going on. I always love meeting my fans, so please drop by!

Here’s a little trailer showing some of the authors who will be there:

 https://animoto.com/play/yDdCvKEnKJg93qiM4xl9Bg