We have new cover art for the reissue of Spring Chickens – coming January 8, 2015!
So….
You wanna see?
Maybe just a peek?
I promise there are no disembodied heads floating above the hills
And no poultry in sight
You ready?
I said…
Here it comes…
Monday Mayhem – Diving Into December
If you need me, I’ll be over here having a nap…
Kidding. Actually, I had an awesome long weekend. Here’s my recap, complete with pictures!
Thanksgiving brunch was yummy.
My baybeh came over to play
I kept cranking away at the NaNoWriMo word count
Until I got this:
Then I spent some time doing this:
and this
But there were still things to do. I had to finish a read through on Spring Chickens and do first-round edits on Going Deep
Then we made our annual contribution to the electric company
December will be the month of revision for me. I have 2 mostly complete manuscripts that are pretty darn messy. I have 2 websites I want to overhaul. I also have 2 releases to promote, 2 holiday parties on the same day…Oy. Maybe we can skip right to January?
How about you? Is your December shaping up to be crazy as well, or are you going low-key this holiday season?
It’s release day!
HOT NIGHTS IN ST. BLAISE by Maggie Wells
The Complete Calendar Collection – January – December
Welcome to St. Blaise
Home of the Men and Women of St. Blaise Regional Medical Center
When the St. Blaise Regional Medical Center Board of Directors hired hometown girl, Beth Watkins, to jump-start their public relations, they never imagined she’d be stripping their most prominent doctors, nurses, and support staff down to their birthday suits in order to beef up the hospital’s bank account.
Six men and six women were chosen to represent the best and brightest of this little town nestled in the heart of the Mark Twain National Forest. They also happened to be the hottest tickets in town. Soon the fundraising calendar is spiking temperatures throughout the Show Me state, and the men and women of St. Blaise are setting their small-town nights on fire.
Limited time price only $0.99!
IBOOKS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | SMASHWORDS | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
Monday Mayhem – Magoo edition
Greetings, my friends, and welcome to the home stretch. As we round the bend into the final week of November, there are tons of things happening. Big things, wow things, as well as little things and ‘do this now’ things.
It’s the final week of NaNoWriMo and as I type this I have just over 10k left to make my goal. As many of you know, I am a write by the seat of my pants girl, and though I always start with a loose outline, most of my stories veer off at some point. This one (Bossy Pants) has pretty much been pretty much like taking a drive with Mr. Magoo.
I’m also in the midst of the first round of edits on Going Deep (Kensington-Lyrical – September 2015) and just returned the second round of revisions on Spring Chickens (Turquoise Morning Press – January 2015)
While I do all of that, I’m preparing for 2 more Maggie releases.
The first will be a boxed set of the Hot Nights in St. Blaise series. This will be all twelve novellas (including both Passionate Plume finalists-August Awakening and Daring Miss December) for the awesome introductory price of only $0.99! You can pre-order yours here:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ Apple ~ All Romance ~ Smashwords ~ TMP Bookstore
On December 15th, I’ll be celebrating the first of my Kensington-Lyrical releases, Three Little Words.
Amazon ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google ~ Kensington ~ Kobo
December is shaping up to be a busy month as well. I’ll have two mostly finished, but really rough manuscripts (Full Court Press and Bossy Pants) to wrestle into shape.
I have to sit down and work on my 2015 business plan (Bet you didn’t know authors actually did those, did you?) and set my goals for the year.
I’m also planning to undertake a website overhaul…or two. You may have noticed that I’ve been mentioning my Maggie Wells work here more often, and talking about some of my Margaret books on Maggie’s blogs. I plan meld my websites and combine my blogs (if I can).
I’m taking on two board positions with my two Romance Writers of America chapters. In 2015, I’ll be President of the Diamond State Romance Authors, and Vice President of Passionate Ink RWA.
Oh, and Thanksgiving is Thursday.
And Christmas is just 30 days away.
So yeah…the holidays are here! What are your plans for wrapping up 2014?
Guest Author – Sandra Jones shows off Her Wicked Captain!
I’m so grateful to Maggie for letting me visit with you today. My new release, Her Wicked Captain, is the first book in a new series, The River Rogues. Today, I’m giving away a FREE copy of my book for one lucky commenter.
Excerpt
Vaguely she heard a clink and the sound of a bottle stopper. Then whiskey vapors burned in her nose as the rim of a glass touched her lips. A warm hand held her jaw steady, then she swallowed the liquid fire.
Warmth surrounded her suddenly. She forced her eyes open and found she was wrapped in a soft blanket in the circle of Rory’s arms. He carried her to the middle of the bed and climbed beneath the covers with her. Her cheeks went hot, thinking him naked, until she felt the caress of fine cotton against her side and realized he’d put breeches on while her eyes had been shut. She wriggled to give him space.
“Be still while I warm you.” His whispered command roused suspicion in her sluggish brain. How did he intend to do that? His hand rested on her bare stomach as his lips pressed against her neck. Delight curled through her as she felt the tip of his tongue trace her skin, his teeth grazing over her collarbone. His warm breath rushed out as he spoke across her, “I dreamt of you this way, but the reality is infinitely better.”
His thoughtful ministrations were too much, causing her composure to crumble. With the help of the whiskey that he’d poured down her throat, she found her voice. “I’m sorry I ruined your g-game. I’m s-sorry about Molly’s dress, and—”
“Philadelphia.” He pushed up on one elbow to look down at her, and his hair fell in shaggy waves around his face, reminding her of when he was an awkward youth. Charming. “That game meant nothing. It was supposed to be practice for you, and you were brilliant. The dress—I confess you were fetching in that dress, but I’ll buy Molly another. I’ll buy you scads more. I’m the one who should be apologizin’ for taking you there with little protection. I should grovel at your lovely feet.” He kissed the valley of her throat and his hair brushed her chin. He murmured, “Actually, I think I will.”
The bed shifted under his weight and he disappeared underneath the blanket. She lifted her head to see what he was doing when his large form maneuvered beneath the covers. Again she wondered at his intentions until she felt his coarse hands curling around her calves and his lips on the soles of her feet.
The tickle of his stubbled mouth sent vibrations humming through her. She squealed and clawed the bed, struggling against the impulse to kick. “Stop, stop!” she laughed.
Obediently, he left her feet, turning his kisses to her ankles, causing waves of heat to travel up her limbs. Higher and higher, his lips inched over her, pressing more tiny kisses along the inside of her leg.
Suddenly Rosemary Hughes’s priggish life as a schoolmistress dimmed in comparison to tonight’s adventures.
“Is it working?” he murmured between kisses.
“What? Oh. Yes.”
Blurb
She played right into his hands.
Possessing uncanny people-reading skills like her mama, Philadelphia “Dell” Samuels has spent thirteen years in her aunt’s rustic Ozarks home, telling fortunes over playing cards and trying to pass as white. But the treacherous Mississippi River childhood her mama dragged her away from finally catches up to her on a steamboat captained by her old friend Rory Campbell.
Known to his crew as the Devil’s Henchman, Rory is a gambler in need of a miracle. Following the cold trail of his boss’s wife and bastard daughter, Dell, Rory has only one goal in mind: saving his crew from the boss’s cruelty by ruining him. The only one who can defeat the Monster of the Mississippi is the man trained to take his place. Rory’s convinced he can lure his boss into a high-stakes game against a rival, and with Dell’s people-reading skills, the monster will lose everything.
Under Rory’s tutelage and protection, Dell agrees to the tortured captain’s plan. Passion and peril quickly bring them together as lovers. But when Rory’s plan goes awry, the lives of the innocent depend on Dell’s ability to read the situation correctly—and hopefully save them all.
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22922437-her-wicked-captain
Buy Links
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-wicked-captain-sandra-jones/1120006611?ean=9781619223752
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/her-wicked-captain
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/her-wicked-captain/id903379545?mt=11
Author Info
Historical romance author Sandra Jones was born and raised in Arkansas. She loves living in a cabin overlooking White River where she enjoys watching eagles and dreaming about the adventurous frontiersmen who once traveled past in steamboats. When she’s not reading, writing or researching, she’s the cook for her cranky old tom cat, her husband of more than 25 years, and her two grown sons. She also loves to chat with her fans.
Author Links
Website: http://www.sandrajonesromance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandra-Jones-Author/428923117143918
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SJonesRomance
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SandraJones
The River Rogues are highly competitive men. They enjoy a good game of cards or sharpshooting pistols.
Are you competitive at anything? What’s your favorite game or sport? Comment for a chance to win a FREE e-book of Her Wicked Captain. I’ll choose one commenter this week for the winner.
Guest post – Her Wicked Captain
Here’s something that probably won’t come as much of a surprise…I’ve had a thing for riverboats ever since Rhett Butler took Scarlett O’Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler away for the most decadent honeymoon his ill-gotten gains could buy. That’s why I’m super excited to introduce my pal, Sandra Jones’, new release, Her Wicked Captain! Welcome, Sandi!
****
I’m so thrilled to visit with you today. My latest release, Her Wicked Captain, is the first book in a new series, The River Rogues. Pack your bags and get ready for a voyage with dangerous cardsharps and gunslingers! It’s a historical romance with an unusual setting—the smoky gaming parlors of steamboats on the Mississippi River of the 1850s, where river pirates indulge their vices and a lady’s greatest enemy may be the rogue in her bed.
I’m giving away a FREE copy of my book for one of Margaret’s readers. Read on for details.
Her Wicked Captain
River Rogues #1
By: Sandra Jones
Samhain Publishing
Blurb
She played right into his hands.
Possessing uncanny people-reading skills like her mama, Philadelphia “Dell” Samuels has spent thirteen years in her aunt’s rustic Ozarks home, telling fortunes over playing cards and trying to pass as white. But the treacherous Mississippi River childhood her mama dragged her away from finally catches up to her on a steamboat captained by her old friend Rory Campbell.
Known to his crew as the Devil’s Henchman, Rory is a gambler in need of a miracle. Following the cold trail of his boss’s wife and bastard daughter, Dell, Rory has only one goal in mind: saving his crew from the boss’s cruelty by ruining him. The only one who can defeat the Monster of the Mississippi is the man trained to take his place. Rory’s convinced he can lure his boss into a high-stakes game against a rival, and with Dell’s people-reading skills, the monster will lose everything.
Under Rory’s tutelage and protection, Dell agrees to the tortured captain’s plan. Passion and peril quickly bring them together as lovers. But when Rory’s plan goes awry, the lives of the innocent depend on Dell’s ability to read the situation correctly—and hopefully save them all.
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22922437-her-wicked-captain
Buy Links
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-wicked-captain-sandra-jones/1120006611?ean=9781619223752
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/her-wicked-captain
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/her-wicked-captain/id903379545?mt=11
Author Info
Historical romance author Sandra Jones was born and raised in Arkansas. She loves living in a cabin overlooking White River where she enjoys watching eagles and dreaming about the adventurous frontiersmen who once traveled past in steamboats. When she’s not reading, writing or researching, she’s the cook for her cranky old tom cat, her husband of more than 25 years, and her two grown sons. She also loves to chat with her fans.
Author Links
Website: http://www.sandrajonesromance.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandra-Jones-Author/428923117143918
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SJonesRomance
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SandraJones
I want to know who you would most like to face across a card table (even if you only play “Go Fish!”). Comment for a chance to win a FREE ebook of Her Wicked Captain. I’ll choose one commenter at random this Thursday.
Monday Mayhem – November Nuttiness
It’s November and I’m knee deep in NaNoWriMo. This year, I’m working on a novella about a young widow looking to cut loose, and the guy who’s just the man to help. 🙂
It’s also birthday month. That means I dragged Fodder out to the movies. Hard to make the man sit still for 2 hours, so I need to take advantage when I can. We saw St. Vincent. I can definitely recommend it.
I’m also doing Weight Watchers again. So far I’m down 5 pounds total, but I might have indulged a bit this weekend. I needed that chocolate chip cookie. I needed it bad.
This year, I will have the day after Thanksgiving off for the first time since 2002. I’m looking forward to the long weekend. I hope to finish the first draft of Bossy Pants by then and start in on the first book in a new series I’m calling Hooligans to finish out the 50k I need to complete the challenge.
Finally, the Diamond State Romance Authors will be hosting our annual public meeting next Saturday, November 15, 2014 at the Thompson Library in Little Rock. The program will be about Writing Short, and will start at 10am. Coffee, donuts, and good company – all for the low, low price of FREE! Here’s the blurb:
There’s more to writing short than less story. Join the Diamond Sate Romance Authors for a glimpse into the beauty of brevity. Learn tight writing, secondary plots, characterization and backstory. We’ll discuss tips and techniques that will help you craft a better story of any length with fewer words.
This free public workshop will prove you with the tools you need to improve your pacing, tighten your plot, and make every sentence count.
Monday Mayhem – Revisiting old friends
This week I spend a bit of time with some old friends. Remember Lynne Prescott and Bram Hatchett from Spring Chickens? Well, I just finished the first round of edits on the revised manuscript, and I have to admit, I still love these two. It was great spending time with them again.
The second edition will be all scrubbed up, repackaged with a new cover (thank goodness), and available in January 2015.
Along with the change to standard time, NaNoWriMo started this weekend. I’m about 4.5k into a new story I’m calling Bossy Pants. Wish me luck!
The Ethridge Estate was attacked by a T-Rex Halloween night. Thankfully, only the candy bowl was destroyed.
Lastly, we’re being held hostage by our animals. I think we may end up just abdicating and leaving them the house. If any has a lead on new place….
What’s happening in your world this November?
Monday Mayhem – I saved it for you
Okay, so there was going to be a Facebook party that never happened. I was all set to be entertaining for my allotted hour and now I’m stuck with a bowl full of Halloween candy that apparently isn’t Weight Watchers friendly (who knew?) and a bunch of silly questions. Fodder has gallantly volunteered to eat the candy, therefore I have decided to inflict, uh, I mean share the questions with you.
Want to play along?
1) What Halloween candy do you eat first, and what would you trade? Me, I’m all about the Reese’s cups, but you can keep your peanut butter kisses. I’m funny that way.
2) What do you think about this pumpkin spice craze: super nice or overripe? Can’t get into it. Believe me, I’ve tried.
3) One time I dressed as Peg Bundy from ‘Married with Children’ for Halloween. Sorry for the pic of a pic, but my scanner isn’t working. So, tell me…what’s the zaniest costume you’ve ever worn? Share pics if you have ‘em!
4) Let’s talk pie…I’m all over the pecan. What’s your favorite? Mine is pecan, but key lime is a close second. Your turn! Go!
5) You’re being haunted – choose your ghost: Rex Harrison or Patrick Swayze? Write in votes accepted.
Monday Mayhem – Thank you!
It’s been a busy couple of weeks with the release of Enchanted Lover, and you managed to hang in there. Thank you all for your support! As you can imagine, I’m a little burnt out on blog posts. I don’t really have much to say other than I think you are AWESOME!
