Hello everyone!

I had to share my excitement. Quarterback Blitz, my spicy Contemporary Romance to be released by Ellora’s Cave on August 18, 2010, is now up on the Coming Soon pages. Check out the following link: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8560-50-quarterback-blitz.aspx

You can read an excerpt, too: http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419930416.htm

In a few weeks, the cover, blurb and excerpts will be up on the Contemporary Books page here on my website. Until then, I thought I’d go ahead and share the blurb for Quarterback Blitz.

Enjoy!

All Anna wants for her fortieth birthday is a ladies night out. Her plans are stalled when she ends up stuck in her griffin costume. The mascot for the Alexandria Griffins, she never expects to be rescued by the star of her midnight fantasies, quarterback Kyran Black. Called “The Rebel” by the press because of his long hair, tattoos and playboy stats off the field, he’s everything a high school teacher and team mascot should avoid.

Kyran is gorgeous and irresistible and he invites her to celebrate her birthday with him. Certain she’s too old for him, she agrees to one night. Kyran’s charm and dominance in bed blitz Anna’s defenses, teaching her things about sex that she never thought she’d experience.

But when their one-night stand turns into a relationship, his bad boy past comes back to threaten their future.

Hello everyone,

I have some exciting news to pass on to everyone. My spicy Contemporary Romance, Quarterback Blitz, will be released by Ellora’s Cave Publishing on August 18, 2010! Stay tuned for the blurb, excerpts, chat dates, contest information, and more.

 I am very excited about this book and can’t wait until August. Oddly enough, my birthday is in August, the heroine of Quarterback Blitz, Anna James, has her 40th birthday at the start of the book, and it is largely set in the month of August. Seems like a great match for a release date to me.

I absolutely love the cover, which I know I’ve posted here previously and will do so again just for fun! Enjoy the cover, art work done by the very talented Dar Albert, and let me know what you think.

 Happy 4th of July to all who celebrate it,

Frances Stockton

Hi everyone!

I know I’ve been quiet. I was on vacation and had limited internet access, but now that I’m home, I am thrilled to introduce you to Heather, a reviewer for Everybody Needs a Little Romance. The blog is excellent and the reviewers are genuine, honest, and love to read romance. If you’d like to learn a little about the review site and the reviewers, especially Heather, here’s a link: http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/heather/ or http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/. I think you’ll enjoy the posts and the blog. The link is also to the left on my blogroll. I hope you’ll check out Heather’s thoughts on what it’s like to be a reviewer. Share your thoughts, comments, and questions and we’ll be checking in to respond.

 Hey all, my name is Heather and I review books for Everybody Needs a Little Romance.  I am honored that Frances asked me to guest on her blog.  You see, I am a huge fan of her books.  I don’t usually pick up historical romances but I won the 1^st book in her Panthera Series in a contest and was hooked.   I bought Rhiannon’s Pride as soon as I finished the 1^st one and now have all three of them on my Kindle.

I have been a book lover and avid reader all my life.  In January, I started reviewing books for the blog.  I have never reviewed books for a blog or website until Keri Ford asked me to join their blog as a reviewer.  I started out on a temporary basis because I wasn’t sure how good I would be at reviewing books.  After a couple months I became a part of the blog, I even have my own tab!!

I love reviewing books for them.  I get to read whatever I want and tell people about some of my favorite authors.  Another perk is the free books I get in exchange for an honest review.  I have won ARC’s from Moira Rogers, Jaci Burton and Maya Banks that I’ve been able to review for them.  It’s definitely been a lot of fun.

Its hard to say exactly what I look for in a book, a lot of times it depends on my mood.  I read just about everything from paranormal romance and urban fantasy, to contemporary romances.  I have found as I get older, I tend to like my romance books a little spicier and I absolutely hate teenage angst.  I am probably the only person that hasn’t read the Twilight series. 

I tend to look for books that have strong characters, especially the females.  I like a female character that is able to take care of herself but is willing to accept help when she needs it.  I like my males strong and HOT but with flaws that make them human and approachable.  A cast of complex supporting characters is another must.  They help with plot development and can lead to expansion of the story into other books.

The best books are the ones that have the ability to transport me to another place where I am so vested in the story I am reading that I forget about everything else.  There are a select few books that I have even had dreams about the characters because I didn’t want the book to end.   Some of my favorite authors are JR Ward, Lora Leigh, Gena Showalter Kresley Cole, Lindsey Sands, Patricia Brigss, and of course, Frances.  The list is too numerous to name them all.

When I review books for the blog we use Flaming Heart ratings, ranging from 1 to 5 with the option of a DNF or a Broken Heart.  The majority of the books I have reviewed range from 3 to 4 ½ flaming hearts.  If the book is good and holds my attention but isn’t anything special it will be awarded 3 flaming hearts.  If the book has an extra something it can earn 3 ½ to 4 flaming hearts.  If it’s a really good, can’t put down book, that makes me cry that deserves 4 ½ to 5 flaming hearts.  I happy to say that I have not had to give a book less than 3 stars and have never had a DNF or Broken heart book.

A little about myself:  I am a 42 year old grandma of a beautiful 16 month old.  In addition to spending time with my little angel, I work full time and am in the process of completing my MBA.   My biggest complaint is that there are too many books and too little time.  Please stop by Everybody Needs a Little Romance and check out our blog.  Frances will be our guest on Friday, June 25^th.  My book reviews are posted every other Friday.  http://everybodyneedsalittleromance.com/

Happy Monday!

Today, I wanted to send out an RSVP link to the interview and contest that will be held over at Bitten By Books. I’m going to be answering questions, participating in a blog like interview, throughout the day on Wednesday June 16, starting 12:00PM Central time. In addition to the interview, there will be a contest for two lucky winners, the prize 50$ Amazon.com giftcards to be electronically delivered and in honor of being ‘green’ friendly, the giftcard will be emailed!

Also, if you haven’t heard, Sea Captain’s Ghost is now available for the Kindle over at Amazon.com! Now all three Panthera titles are available at Amazon.

For more information, and chances to win the contest, here’s a link for the RSVP. I’ll have an updated link for the interview very soon: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=26068#more-26068

Don’t forget to RSVP and come on out this coming Wednesday June 16. Hope to see you there!

Frances Stockton

Hey everyone!

I know I’ve been quiet, as I’ve been plotting another sexy Contemporary Romance featuring a secondary character from Quarterback Blitz, and working on first round edits. I had some exciting news to share, however, and wanted to give a shout. First, check out the cover for Quarterback Blitz! I’ve already posted it on Facebook, and will do the same on MySpace and right here on my blog.

Second, I’m going to be interviewed and chatting live this coming Wednesday June 16, 2010 over at Bitten By Books! Monday and Tuesday, I’ll post more information, such as links to the site, and there will be a contest. The prize will be an Amazon.com giftcard. I’m very excited about BBB, the ladies there are fabulous and so enthusiastic about paranormal books. Since I love the genre and have three published so far with Cerridwen Press, I hope you’ll stop by on Wednesday. I’ll be chatting or posting comments throughout the day.

Soon, I’ll be hosting my good friend Todd Mion right here on my blog, doing my first blog interview. Todd will be talking about life in the theater, especially the technical side of things. Be on the look out, and I’ll post links on various social networks.

Happy Friday everyone,

Frances

Hello everyone!

Today, Wednesday May 25, 2010, I am honored to have author Amber Skyze as a guest on my blog. She’ll be posting about writing sex and the reaction it sometimes causes. To learn more about Amber, visit her blog, http://amberskyze.blogspot.com/?zx=f15897c9e226cb22 and take the time to check out her books with Ellora’s Cave Publishing and Aspen Mountain Press. You’ll never be disappointed with an Amber Skyze novel! 

Also, before I continue, let me just say that my website is currently undergoing renovations. They are almost complete and the sites, the links, and all the fun stuff such as morphing characters and book trailer for Seductive Persuasion, all should work fine. If you notice any glitches, let me know, but I hope you enjoy the ‘Happily Ever After: Untamed’ changes that have already been put into place. It’s been a fun process and I’m excited about the direction that both my writing and my website are taking. Stay tuned, along the top of each page you’ll soon see a ‘What’s New’ feature!

So now, without further delay, I bring you Amber Skyze! Be sure to comment or leave a question, Amber and I will be checking in throughout the day to respond.

You Write What?

Yes, I write erotica and yes, I hear that a lot. When people hear erotica they immediately think porn. Porn doesn’t tell a story. Porn is strictly sex for the sake of sex. The language in my stories can be bolder than so prefer, but I’m all about HEA – Happily Ever After.

A few months ago I attended an author panel with a group of multi-talented writers. Some were NY Bestsellers. As I sat at the table I grew anxious. I was the only erotica writer there. I’m a shy person and public speaking is NOT my thing. But I wanted to overcome one of my fears, because someday I’ll be a NY Bestseller. J

There I was looking out over the crowd of twenty-five people thinking I can’t tell them what I write. These people were a bit older than me and I’m not that young. I’m a grandmother. Okay, I confess a young grandmother, but a grandmother all the same. There was even a young teen in the audience. I know I wouldn’t want my 13 yr old daughter to hear an author talk about sex. I decided to tell people I write spicy romances instead of erotica. It seemed easier and judging by their age group it was unlikely they’d ask for more details.

When the MC read a short bio, she announced that an anthology I’m part of Spank Me Twice had won Best Erotica of 2009. Imagine my shock when all heads turned my way.

I gave my quick speech and I mean quick – less than 30 seconds. Much to my surprise I was asked a few questions. They weren’t related to my recent writing, but stuff I wrote fourteen years ago. With my cheeks flushed crimson I answered each and every one. At the end of the panel the guests were given the opportunity to speak to the author’s one on one. There I sat all alone, no one wanted to ask the porn writer anything in private and honestly I was a bit relieved. I told you I’m painfully shy.

Then as I’m packing my things the elderly couple (older than 70) comes up to me.

The woman whispers. “What was the name of that book? Slap me…hit me, what?”

I smiled and answered. “Spank Me Twice.”

Elderly woman asks. “Can we find it online?”

I nod and grab a post card that contains all the information to find my books. “You can find it here.”

She smiles and thanks me. She turns to her husband. “Honey we have to look this up as soon as we get home!”

My mouth hung open for a few minutes after they left. I never imagined they would be the ones to ask me about my books. They were the only ones, but they made my night.

I’ve learned that not everyone will accept erotica and that’s okay. As long as I’m comfortable with what I’m writing it doesn’t matter. The reality is sex sells and at any age. 

Hi everyone,

As the subject heading indicates, I wanted to send a big shout out and thank you to Sheldon S. Higdon and Kate George. The were gracious in agreeing to be my first guest bloggers this past week.

Sheldon’s post, (if you scroll down you can still read it, as all posts remain and are archived monthly) was the first and it was all about why he likes to write Horror or Dark Fiction. An amazing talent, you’ll find Sheldon’s blog, The Obituary of Sheldon S. Higdon, among the blogroll along the left side of my blog page.  He’s on Goodreads.com, Amazon.com’s author page, and Facebook. Take time out and read his blog, it’s really very good. And, while I know that Horror is the polar opposite of Romance, there are several things they have in common. Excellent authors and writing can be found in both genres, as well as dedicated writers who keep plugging away at their favorite genre, often including sub-genres. And, both work on emotion. While one is meant to touch the heart, (or keep it pounding with excitement if you’re cheering for the couple or reading a spicy scene and you can’t put it down even after everyone’s in bed), and the other is meant to evoke the emotion of ‘fear’, often leaving your heart racing or sleeping with the light on at night or not let you sleep at all.

So maybe they’re not so different after all? Either way, again, thank you Sheldon! 

Kudos and thanks also go out to the fabulous Kate George. Her post on creativity was awesome, and I truly enjoyed reading the responses. By the way, I very much enjoy creating a character bio, which ultimately becomes a very basic outline/synopsis, but I also find photos of actors or models that become my ‘inspiration’ for what a character looks like. Long ago, right after Dances With Wolves came out on the big screen, I had a huge crush on Rodney Grant, who portrayed Winds in His Hair. There was something about that character/role and his acting that made me believe he was Sioux. Whether he really is/was, I can’t say but he inspired me enough to write a book that featured a hero like that. Now, I admit that the manuscript remains in my files, perhaps someday I’ll pull it out, dust it off, and rewrite it for today’s market.  

Before that I need to concentrate on my fourth book, recently contracted with Ellora’s Cave Publishing for the Ellora’s Cave imprint, which means it is a very hot Contemporary Romance featuring an older heroine (she’s 40) and younger hero (he’s 30), titled Quarterback Blitz!  And yes, the book does feature a legendary quarterback Kyran Black who’d been injured at 27 and almost lost his whole career. On a comeback as a mentor and back up, he meets the team mascot, Anna James. To learn what happens next, stay tuned!

Happy Monday everyone,

Frances Stockton