Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 2/23/20 Much Ado About A Widow ~ A Rough Patch

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

Today is my final snippet from Much Ado About A Widow, Book 4 of The Widows’ Club series. Next week, on March 1, I’ll change books to my latest WIP. But I hope you enjoy this last little bit of Much Ado About A Widow.

If you’ve been keeping up with my widows over the past year or so, this book is Georgie’s story–a true romantic comedy adventure romance. Of course, nothing else would do for the heroine, Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick!

BLURB:  

Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick defied her family, jilted her fiancé, and married the man she loved. But when her husband died at Waterloo, she was delivered right back into her father’s power . . .
 
Victory is sweet—but England’s triumph was Georgie’s rout. Now that she’s widowed, the loathsome marriage her father first arranged has simply been renegotiated. With neither money nor rights, and nowhere to flee, all she can do is cherish her last weeks of freedom. . . . Until a band of ruffians overtake her carriage and kidnap her. When she escapes in seaside Brighton and encounters her brother’s rather wild friend, Lord St. Just—whom she suspects aspires to be a pirate—she’s prepared to entertain more of his adventurous suggestions than usual . . .

St. Just knows his mind and his duty, and he loves a challenge. Helping a fair lady make her farewells to hoodlums suits his talents well. Within the hour he has Georgie, her lady’s maid—and her little dog too—sailing for his castle in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the lady’s entire family, her kidnappers, and her scheming intended are in pursuit. But as he and the indomitable Georgie grow closer, he begins to suspect that together they will prove a match for them all . . .

I started my snippets a good way into the story. Lady Georgina, on the way back to her father’s house to an arranged marriage with a man she’s already jilted once, is kidnapped. She manages to escape and runs straight into the arms of her brother’s friend, Robin, Marquess of St. Just. who tries to persuade her to sail with him to his home in Cornwall, to which Georgie answers with a resounding “No.” Rob is still fearful for her safety and enacts his plan. He locks Georgie in the cabin and hurries off on an errand, leaving Georgie to fume. Rob returns to the ship and sets sail with Georgie, Clara and Lulu. And Georgie discovers she is no sailor. After a night of being violently seasick, she is appalled when Rob appears with food in hand.

This week’s snippet jumps ahead a bit. Georgie successfully takes some broth and hardtack and gets some much needed sleep while Rob takes Lulu up on deck to do her “necessary.” As this snippet begins, Georgie has risen, dressed, and gone up on deck to find Rob looking out to sea, which becomes rather rough.

We are now in Georgie’s POV, but Rob is the first to speak in this snippet.

Some portions of this snippet may be changed from the book’s regular format to allow for WWW’s 10 line requirement.

SNIPPET:

“Let’s get you back to the safety of the mast–the wind’s picked up rather quickly, which means the waves will likely do the same—and we wouldn’t want you drenched and catching a chill,” he grinned and reversed their course, “not when you’ve just begun to enjoy sailing.”

“Of course.” Swiftly, she stepped away from him and moved toward the towering timber in the center of the ship saying, “Come, Lulu.”

The ship dipped violently forward, and a giant wave of water cascaded over the bow, causing Georgie to shriek and grab St. Just’s arms again.

“I’ve got you,” he said, clutching her about the waist, his strong arms anchoring her to his rock-hard chest, and she relaxed against him.

Frantic barking drew her attention to Lulu, drenched by the huge wave.

“Oh, Lulu, come here,” Georgie said as she bent down and beckoned to the dog.

The ship pitched forward again and Georgie lost her footing on the slippery planks, tumbling to the deck.

“Careful, my lady.” With St. Just’s help, she staggered to her feet, righting herself just as Lulu slid forward and disappeared over the side into the merciless waters of the Channel.

Much Ado About A Widow is now available as an e-book on Amazon and in Barnes and Nobles, Books A Million, and WalMart stores in paperback.

 

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

The Widows’ Club series by Jenna Jaxon

Check them out on my Amazon Author Page!

 

 

 

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 2/16/20 Much Ado About A Widow ~ A New Perception

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

Sorry I’ve been MIA for a couple of weeks–I had a deadline (2 actually, one for a manuscript, one for edits on another manuscript), so I was writing non-stop for about 3 weeks. But now edits are done for the next Widow book and I’m awaiting edits on my next to-be-published book, Only Pleasure Will Do, so I’m back with time to spare to come visit you all for WWW.

I’m back again with more from Much Ado About A Widow, Book 4 of The Widows’ Club series.

If you’ve been keeping up with my widows over the past year or so, this book is Georgie’s story–a true romantic comedy adventure romance. Of course, nothing else would do for the heroine, Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick!

BLURB:  

Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick defied her family, jilted her fiancé, and married the man she loved. But when her husband died at Waterloo, she was delivered right back into her father’s power . . .
 
Victory is sweet—but England’s triumph was Georgie’s rout. Now that she’s widowed, the loathsome marriage her father first arranged has simply been renegotiated. With neither money nor rights, and nowhere to flee, all she can do is cherish her last weeks of freedom. . . . Until a band of ruffians overtake her carriage and kidnap her. When she escapes in seaside Brighton and encounters her brother’s rather wild friend, Lord St. Just—whom she suspects aspires to be a pirate—she’s prepared to entertain more of his adventurous suggestions than usual . . .

St. Just knows his mind and his duty, and he loves a challenge. Helping a fair lady make her farewells to hoodlums suits his talents well. Within the hour he has Georgie, her lady’s maid—and her little dog too—sailing for his castle in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the lady’s entire family, her kidnappers, and her scheming intended are in pursuit. But as he and the indomitable Georgie grow closer, he begins to suspect that together they will prove a match for them all . . .

I started my snippets a good way into the story. Lady Georgina, on the way back to her father’s house to an arranged marriage with a man she’s already jilted once, is kidnapped. She manages to escape and runs straight into the arms of her brother’s friend, Robin, Marquess of St. Just. who tries to persuade her to sail with him to his home in Cornwall, to which Georgie answers with a resounding “No.” Rob is still fearful for her safety and enacts his plan. He locks Georgie in the cabin and hurries off on an errand, leaving Georgie to fume. Rob returns to the ship and sets sail with Georgie, Clara and Lulu. And Georgie discovers she is no sailor. After a night of being violently seasick, she is appalled when Rob appears with food in hand.

This week’s snippet follows a few sentences after the last time I posted. Rob has  implemented his grandfather’s method of administration to recalcitrant patients and is trying to get more nourishment down the weak but still feisty Georgie.

We are still in Rob’s POV.

Some portions of this snippet may be changed from the book’s regular format to allow for WWW’s 10 line requirement.

SNIPPET:

The Justine

“I am pleased to see you are assisting with your recovery—what is that dog doing?” he asked as he peered down at the bit of fluff trying to worry his good leather boots.

“She is protecting me from unscrupulous gentlemen who would take advantage of a lady when she is obviously suffering and incapacitated with a dire illness.” Frowning, Lady Georgina took another small sip, without his prodding this time–an excellent development.

 “Well, she is attempting to ruin my best pair of Hessians–will you call her off before I am forced to interfere in a manner similarly unpleasant?”

Another look of delightful malice from the expressive green eyes, then Lady Georgina called to the animal, “Lulu, go sit in the corner; I’ll tell you if I need you to”—she stopped abruptly and glanced at him—“assist me further.”

Amazingly, the dog seemed to understand her mistress completely, for she trotted to the corner and lay down, muzzle on outstretched paws.

“And now, my lady, the broth if you please?” he said, plucking the cup out of her hand and swiftly substituting a bowl of chicken broth instead.

Wrinkling her nose, Lady Georgina curled her lips up, then said, “Are you always such a bully to your captives, Lord St. Just? I must confess I did not suspect this side of your character when we met at Lyttlefield Park last autumn.”

“As I recall, Lady Georgina, at that time you were not attempting to sail the Channel in the dead of winter.”

Much Ado About A Widow is now available as an e-book on Amazon and in Barnes and Nobles, Books A Million, and WalMart stores in paperback.

 

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

The Widows’ Club series by Jenna Jaxon

Check them out on my Amazon Author Page!

 

 

 

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 2/02/20 Much Ado About A Widow ~ “One Swallow Down”

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

Much Ado About A Widow, Book 4 of The Widows’ Club series, released on New Year’s Eve!

If you’ve been keeping up with my widows over the past year or so, this book is Georgie’s story–a true romantic comedy adventure romance. Of course, nothing else would do for the heroine, Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick!

BLURB:  

Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick defied her family, jilted her fiancé, and married the man she loved. But when her husband died at Waterloo, she was delivered right back into her father’s power . . .
 
Victory is sweet—but England’s triumph was Georgie’s rout. Now that she’s widowed, the loathsome marriage her father first arranged has simply been renegotiated. With neither money nor rights, and nowhere to flee, all she can do is cherish her last weeks of freedom. . . . Until a band of ruffians overtake her carriage and kidnap her. When she escapes in seaside Brighton and encounters her brother’s rather wild friend, Lord St. Just—whom she suspects aspires to be a pirate—she’s prepared to entertain more of his adventurous suggestions than usual . . .

St. Just knows his mind and his duty, and he loves a challenge. Helping a fair lady make her farewells to hoodlums suits his talents well. Within the hour he has Georgie, her lady’s maid—and her little dog too—sailing for his castle in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the lady’s entire family, her kidnappers, and her scheming intended are in pursuit. But as he and the indomitable Georgie grow closer, he begins to suspect that together they will prove a match for them all . . .

I started my snippets a good way into the story. Lady Georgina, on the way back to her father’s house to an arranged marriage with a man she’s already jilted once, is kidnapped. She manages to escape and runs straight into the arms of her brother’s friend, Robin, Marquess of St. Just. who tries to persuade her to sail with him to his home in Cornwall, to which Georgie answers with a resounding “No.” Rob is still fearful for her safety and enacts his plan. He locks Georgie in the cabin and hurries off on an errand, leaving Georgie to fume. Rob returns to the ship and sets sail with Georgie, Clara and Lulu. And Georgie discovers she is no sailor. After a night of being violently seasick, she is appalled when Rob appears with food in hand.

This week’s snippet follows a few sentences after last week’s. Rob has lifted Georgie into a sitting position in order for her to drink the ginger tea he brought. As she won’t drink the tea, Rob has to implement his grandfather’s method of administration.

This week’s snippet follows directly from last week’s. We are still in Rob’s POV.

Some portions of this snippet may be changed from the book’s regular format to allow for WWW’s 10 line requirement.

SNIPPET:

The Justine

Nimbly, Rob slipped the edge of the cup to her lips and poured.

Coughing, she almost choked, but got a good swallow down.

He released her nose and held the cup out to her saying, “Would you care to try the next one on your own?”

“Wretch.” She wiped at her face with the sleeve of her white nightgown, frilly lace at sleeves and neck–the elegance of the garment suited her, somehow; not surprisingly, she took the cup from him.

“One swallow down, one to go before we advance to the broth.” A good sign that the first sip of tea was staying put; distractions were good, and came in many different forms. He nodded, waited a moment, but when she didn’t move, he reached for the cup once more.

The lady snatched it out of his reach and took a tiny sip. “Are you satisfied with tormenting me, my lord?”

 

Much Ado About A Widow is now available as an e-book on Amazon and in Barnes and Nobles, Books A Million, and WalMart stores in paperback.

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

The Widows’ Club series by Jenna Jaxon

Check them out on my Amazon Author Page!

 

 

 

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 1/26/20 Much Ado About A Widow ~ Grandfather’s Method

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

Sorry I didn’t sign up for today, but thanks for coming by anyway! I’ll still be visiting you all!

Much Ado About A Widow, Book 4 of The Widows’ Club series, released on New Year’s Eve!

If you’ve been keeping up with my widows over the past year or so, this book is Georgie’s story–a true romantic comedy adventure romance. Of course, nothing else would do for the heroine, Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick!

BLURB:  

Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick defied her family, jilted her fiancé, and married the man she loved. But when her husband died at Waterloo, she was delivered right back into her father’s power . . .
 
Victory is sweet—but England’s triumph was Georgie’s rout. Now that she’s widowed, the loathsome marriage her father first arranged has simply been renegotiated. With neither money nor rights, and nowhere to flee, all she can do is cherish her last weeks of freedom. . . . Until a band of ruffians overtake her carriage and kidnap her. When she escapes in seaside Brighton and encounters her brother’s rather wild friend, Lord St. Just—whom she suspects aspires to be a pirate—she’s prepared to entertain more of his adventurous suggestions than usual . . .

St. Just knows his mind and his duty, and he loves a challenge. Helping a fair lady make her farewells to hoodlums suits his talents well. Within the hour he has Georgie, her lady’s maid—and her little dog too—sailing for his castle in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the lady’s entire family, her kidnappers, and her scheming intended are in pursuit. But as he and the indomitable Georgie grow closer, he begins to suspect that together they will prove a match for them all . . .

I started my snippets a good way into the story. Lady Georgina, on the way back to her father’s house to an arranged marriage with a man she’s already jilted once, is kidnapped. She manages to escape and runs straight into the arms of her brother’s friend, Robin, Marquess of St. Just. who tries to persuade her to sail with him to his home in Cornwall, to which Georgie answers with a resounding “No.” Rob is still fearful for her safety and enacts his plan. He locks Georgie in the cabin and hurries off on an errand, leaving Georgie to fume. Rob returns to the ship and sets sail with Georgie, Clara and Lulu. And Georgie discovers she is no sailor. After a night of being violently seasick, she is appalled when Rob appears with food in hand.

This week’s snippet follows a few sentences after last week’s. Rob has lifted Georgie into a sitting position in order for her to drink the ginger tea he brought. As she won’t drink the tea, Rob has to implement his grandfather’s method of administration.

We are in Rob’s POV .

Some portions of this snippet may be changed from the book’s regular format to allow for WWW’s 10 line requirement.

SNIPPET:

The Justine

She clamped her lips shut tight.

Very well, lady’s choice, then.

Without warning, Rob seized her nose, pinched it shut, and waited.

Lady Georgina’s eyes widened, and she batted at his hand, making it hard not to spill the hot tea on her. “My lady, you are going to make me scald you if you keep this up.”

She opened her lips a crack, letting out a squawk before shutting them a second before he could bring the cup to her lips. The dog started its infernal barking, bumping against his boots as if trying to knock him off his pins. This might be the closest to a cell in Bedlam that he’d ever been.

Disregarding the animal, he moved the cup close to her mouth–she couldn’t hold out much longer without breathing. She had spirit, he’d give her that– her face had taken on a bright red hue before she opened her mouth at last, gasping for breath.

 

Much Ado About A Widow is now available as an e-book on Amazon and in Barnes and Nobles, Books A Million, and WalMart stores in paperback.

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

The Widows’ Club series by Jenna Jaxon

Check them out on my Amazon Author Page!

 

 

 

 

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 1/19/20 Much Ado About A Widow ~ Daggers

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

Much Ado About A Widow, Book 4 of The Widows’ Club series, released on New Year’s Eve!

If you’ve been keeping up with my widows over the past year or so, this book is Georgie’s story–a true romantic comedy adventure romance. Of course, nothing else would do for the heroine, Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick!

BLURB:  

Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick defied her family, jilted her fiancé, and married the man she loved. But when her husband died at Waterloo, she was delivered right back into her father’s power . . .
 
Victory is sweet—but England’s triumph was Georgie’s rout. Now that she’s widowed, the loathsome marriage her father first arranged has simply been renegotiated. With neither money nor rights, and nowhere to flee, all she can do is cherish her last weeks of freedom. . . . Until a band of ruffians overtake her carriage and kidnap her. When she escapes in seaside Brighton and encounters her brother’s rather wild friend, Lord St. Just—whom she suspects aspires to be a pirate—she’s prepared to entertain more of his adventurous suggestions than usual . . .

St. Just knows his mind and his duty, and he loves a challenge. Helping a fair lady make her farewells to hoodlums suits his talents well. Within the hour he has Georgie, her lady’s maid—and her little dog too—sailing for his castle in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the lady’s entire family, her kidnappers, and her scheming intended are in pursuit. But as he and the indomitable Georgie grow closer, he begins to suspect that together they will prove a match for them all . . .

I started my snippets a good way into the story. Lady Georgina, on the way back to her father’s house to an arranged marriage with a man she’s already jilted once, is kidnapped. She manages to escape and runs straight into the arms of her brother’s friend, Robin, Marquess of St. Just. who tries to persuade her to sail with him to his home in Cornwall, to which Georgie answers with a resounding “No.” Rob is still fearful for her safety and enacts his plan. He locks Georgie in the cabin and hurries off on an errand, leaving Georgie to fume. Rob returns to the ship and sets sail with Georgie, Clara and Lulu. And Georgie discovers she is no sailor. After a night of being violently seasick, she is appalled when Rob appears with food in hand.

This week’s snippet follows a few sentences after last week’s. Rob has lifted Georgie into a sitting position in order for her to drink the ginger tea he brought.

We are in Rob’s POV and he speaks first in this snippet.

Some portions of this snippet may be changed from the book’s regular format to allow for WWW’s 10 line requirement.

SNIPPET:

The Justine

He pulled her up, careful not to spill the tea, until she sat more or less erect–a tempting armful in more ways than one.

“I said ‘no,’ my lord, and I meant it.” Staring directly into his face, she drew her lips inward.

More spirited now, a very good sign.  “I also had a bout with seasickness when I was a lad,” he eased his arm from behind her to free his hand, “I was perhaps ten at the time, and I reacted the same as you; nothing my grandfather said would convince me to drink this tea.” Grasping the handle with one hand, he tested the temperature with the other, to make sure it had cooled sufficiently. “But my grandfather had a remedy for such stubbornness.” He lifted the cup before her eyes. “Would you prefer to take a sip of your own accord, or shall I demonstrate my grandfather’s method?”

If the daggers in her gaze had been real, he’d have been a dead man.

 

Much Ado About A Widow is now available as an e-book on Amazon and in Barnes and Nobles, Books A Million, and WalMart stores in paperback.

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

The Widows’ Club series by Jenna Jaxon

Check them out on my Amazon Author Page!

 

 

 

 

Cover Reveal: The Widow’s Christmas Surprise

Just when I thought Christmas was over, I got another present! Kensington released the cover for my next Widows’ Club novel,

The Widow’s Christmas Surprise!

 

That was certainly a surprise, and a good one! It won’t release until the end of September, in time for next Christmas, but I’ll feature snippets of it when I do my Christmas in July celebration. So stay tuned to the blog and my Facebook page.

Here’s the blurb for The Widow’s Christmas Surprise:

The death of her husband has thrown Lady Maria Kersey’s future into doubt—and her heart into the arms of a man she cannot have. But Christmas with the Widows’ Club will bring choices—and surprises–that may change all her holidays to come . . .
 
Maria just gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter—but the event is shrouded in sorrow.  A month earlier, Maria’s husband, Lord Kersey, was killed in a duel under compromising circumstances. Worse, Maria’s failure to provide a male heir has stripped her of any hope of an inheritance. Scorned by the ton, one of her few allies is her late husband’s steward, Hugh Granger. Hugh is everything her husband was not—warm, charming—and penniless. . . .

Hugh has fallen desperately in love with Maria, but has little to offer but comfort. As their attraction becomes impossible to resist, Maria flees to London to spend Christmas with her dearest friends, a group of widows who lost their own husbands in the Battle of Waterloo. Little does she know the holidays will reveal a twist of fate she never expected—proving that the greatest Christmas gift is the magic of true love . . .

The Widow’s Christmas Surprise is available for pre-order on Amazon and other e-book retailers!

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ 1/12/20 Much Ado About A Widow ~ A Cure for Seasickness

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors!

Much Ado About A Widow, Book 4 of The Widows’ Club series, released on New Year’s Eve!

If you’ve been keeping up with my widows over the past year or so, this book is Georgie’s story–a true romantic comedy adventure romance. Of course, nothing else would do for the heroine, Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick!

BLURB:  

Lady Georgina Kirkpatrick defied her family, jilted her fiancé, and married the man she loved. But when her husband died at Waterloo, she was delivered right back into her father’s power . . .
 
Victory is sweet—but England’s triumph was Georgie’s rout. Now that she’s widowed, the loathsome marriage her father first arranged has simply been renegotiated. With neither money nor rights, and nowhere to flee, all she can do is cherish her last weeks of freedom. . . . Until a band of ruffians overtake her carriage and kidnap her. When she escapes in seaside Brighton and encounters her brother’s rather wild friend, Lord St. Just—whom she suspects aspires to be a pirate—she’s prepared to entertain more of his adventurous suggestions than usual . . .

St. Just knows his mind and his duty, and he loves a challenge. Helping a fair lady make her farewells to hoodlums suits his talents well. Within the hour he has Georgie, her lady’s maid—and her little dog too—sailing for his castle in Cornwall. Meanwhile, the lady’s entire family, her kidnappers, and her scheming intended are in pursuit. But as he and the indomitable Georgie grow closer, he begins to suspect that together they will prove a match for them all . . .

I started my snippets a good way into the story. Lady Georgina, on the way back to her father’s house to an arranged marriage with a man she’s already jilted once, is kidnapped. She manages to escape and runs straight into the arms of her brother’s friend, Robin, Marquess of St. Just. who tries to persuade her to sail with him to his home in Cornwall, to which Georgie answers with a resounding “No.” Rob is still fearful for her safety and enacts his plan. He locks Georgie in the cabin and hurries off on an errand, leaving Georgie to fume. Rob returns to the ship and sets sail with Georgie, Clara and Lulu. And Georgie discovers she is no sailor. After a night of being violently seasick, she is appalled when Rob appears with food in hand.

This week’s snippet follows on directly after last week’s.

We are in Rob’s POV and he speaks first in this snippet.

Some portions of this snippet may be changed from the book’s regular format to allow for WWW’s 10 line requirement.

SNIPPET:

The Justine

“Whatever your feelings for me, I am in charge of your welfare, which includes attempting to cure you of your seasickness and to do that you must eat.”

“No.” Scowling at him, she shook her head vehemently. “If I eat that I shall be violently ill.” She clamped her lips shut and stared at him, defiant.

“You may be a bit queasy at first, but once we get the tea down, the ginger will take effect, and you’ll feel much better–this has been a sovereign remedy for mal de mer for generations of sailors.” Perhaps a bit of a distraction would help. “Did you know that Admiral Nelson also suffered from seasickness all his life? Still, during his entire career he fought it and died a hero despite the affliction.”

“I assure you, I do not intend to make a career of the sea, my lord.”

Much Ado About A Widow is now available as an e-book on Amazon and in Barnes and Nobles, Books A Million, and WalMart stores in paperback.

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

The Widows’ Club series by Jenna Jaxon

Check them out on my Amazon Author Page!