Smashwords is having a SALE! There’s no better time to pick up one of my books than right now! For the month of July, all of my books are marked down! (Smashwords allows you to purchase in many formats, so you can read on any device!) ~Jayden
Every Saturday in July, I’m going to treat you to an excerpt of one of my published novels. Two weeks ago, I gave you a peek at Runaway. Last week, we looked at Y is for Yes. This week, we have yet another novel born of the A to Z Challenge:
Exploration: An Erotic Novel
What would you do with the sudden opportunity to explore any facet of sexuality and BDSM with no judgment, prejudice, or dangerous consequences? In Mara’s community of Zebulon, that’s what she’s about to find out. With endless possibilities for exploration, she’s asked to work on a special assignment—an offer that will change the course of her life.
Marchand moved around and sat on the bed, watching us. Brandon licked and licked at my pussy. I tried to keep sucking him, but it was a difficult position, and I was overwhelmed with all that was going on.
When he was satisfied, he stopped licking me and then tapped me lightly on the thigh. I knew that was my cue to get up. I rolled off of him, lying on my back with my legs spread.
“My turn,” Brandon said, and he crawled between my legs and up my body, so his cock was positioned at my entrance.
He thrust inside me, and I was sore, but it still felt wonderful. I lifted my legs to give him deeper entrance. He held my ankles up and kept fucking me.
Smashwords is having a SALE! There’s no better time to pick up one of my books than right now! For the month of July, all of my books are marked down! (Smashwords allows you to purchase in many formats, so you can read on any device!) ~Jayden
Every Saturday in July, I’m going to treat you to an excerpt of one of my published novels. Last week, I gave you a peek at Runaway. This week, we have another novel born of the A to Z Challenge:
Y is for Yes:
A chance encounter after hours at her new office job ropes Yvonne into a world of BDSM and exploration she never imagined. Join Yvonne on her adventure to ditch the business suits for lingerie in Y is for Yes by J. R. Vincente.
As my lips pressed against Derek’s, I felt my control slip. Our bodies pressed together as though they were molded that way. I could feel the scratchy material of his shirt against my nipples. I moaned softly against his mouth. His arms wrapped around me.
The kiss seemed to go on forever, but I knew it must have only lasted a few seconds. He picked me up and my legs wrapped around him automatically, pressing my pussy right up against his cock. If we had been naked, I was sure he would have been pressed inside me. I could feel how hard he was.
“Yvonne,” he said my name in a tone that spoke of warning.
“Hmm?” I asked, my vision a little hazy from my arousal.
“You’re going to get my pants all wet, little one.”
My face burned with embarrassment again. “I’m sorry, Sir,” I whispered.
Smashwords is having a SALE! There’s no better time to pick up one of my books than right now! For the month of July, all of my books are marked down! (Smashwords allows you to purchase in many formats, so you can read on any device!) ~Jayden
Every Saturday in July, I’m going to treat you to an excerpt of one of my published novels starting with the one I featured last week:
Runaway:
Join Aralyn as she runs from her past in this Erotic Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Aralyn leaves town when her life is turned upside down. Your blood will race as you explore a new town and new people with Aralyn. She might even get to explore a BDSM Dungeon! Make your own choices and find out.
She slid her head forward so that the tip of his cock was right by her lips. She brushed them gently against his soft skin, and he shuddered. She opened her lips and pulled him inside her mouth. Her tongue flicked across his tender flesh as he murmured practically incoherent words of encouragement and pleasure.
He opened his legs wider for her to have better access and she went from kneeling and leaning to the side to kneeling straight on so she could take him deeper into her mouth. She pulled him in until he was pressed right against the back of her throat. She suppressed her gag reflex as she pulled him just a little deeper.
He was staying completely still, not moving, hardly even breathing. Aralyn could feel his body tense near hers. She placed one hand on each thigh and began to rub them gently to help him relax, but it wasn’t working. Instead, he seemed to be getting tenser. “Please,” he whispered.
Smashwords is having a SALE! There’s no better time to pick up one of my books than right now! For the month of July, all of my books are marked down! (Smashwords allows you to purchase in many formats, so you can read on any device!) ~Jayden
This week, I’m featuring my personal favorite, a triumphant writing goal for me. I wrote a Choose Your Own Adventure Novel! Picture dozens of notecards and crazy outlines, 117,397 words, and many hours of love and attention.
It was a labor of love, but I did love it. I have only attempted it (and failed) once since, but I think my favorite part was two things:
No matter what choices you make, you get 26 choices. One for each letter of the alphabet and I posted one chapter for each day of the A to Z Challenge in 2017.
If you buy the book and you page through, there’s a secret scene you can’t get to any other way. So much fun!
Runaway:
Join Aralyn as she runs from her past in this Erotic Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Aralyn leaves town when her life is turned upside down. Your blood will race as you explore a new town and new people with Aralyn. She might even get to explore a BDSM Dungeon! Make your own choices and find out.
At the beginning of April, fellow romance author Erin Leaf released Magic Never Lies. I needed something light and happy at that point in my life, so I jumped into the book and I am SO glad I did. I am, admittedly, terrible about writing reviews, and in the middle of the A to Z Blog Challenge and quarantine and the world burning, I never got around to writing a review. But the fact that the book has stayed with me for two months says a lot about how much I enjoyed it.
The description reads: Blake Gerritt kicked music and fame to the curb years ago and now he’s happy with his anonymous life in an ordinary town in the middle of nowhere. He raised his sister after their parents died and the simmering magic in his blood has faded. He’s cool with that—he’s too old for falling in love anyway. Magic can’t fix his past and he doesn’t need it for his future.
Aaron Wade is young, rich, and miserable, even though millions love his songs. He knows he should be happy, especially since his bigoted jerk of a father is finally dead, but he can’t sleep. He can’t deal. A small town in the middle of rural America is just the cure he needs to get back on track with his life, no outside help needed.
But what happens when love comes out of nowhere? Does a man let himself fall or does he refuse the magic that could change everything?
This is definitely a 5 star book! It was excellent from start to finish. The characters are real and relatable. The magic is alluring without being too much of a focus (though I love some good paranormal romance, this has just a touch). The story held my attention and the characters made me fall in love. If you’re looking for a romance to disappear into, pick this one!
I am SO excited to share with you all that my favorite blogger from the A to Z Blog Challenge is releasing a novel, and I get to share with you her cover! It is a phenomenal story, and I can’t wait to see how it ends. I highly recommend that you pre-order it now!
East London, 1888 – a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores, and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night, where bright hopes meet the darkest truths. Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger’s son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur them on, Fiona and Joe struggle, save, and sacrifice to achieve their dreams.
But Fiona’s life is shattered when the actions of a dark and brutal man take from her nearly everything-and everyone-she holds dear. Fearing her own death, she is forced to flee London for New York. There, her indomitable spirit propels her rise from a modest West Side shop-front to the top of Manhattan’s tea trade. But Fiona’s old ghosts do not rest quietly, and to silence them, she must venture back to the London of her childhood, where a deadly confrontation with her past becomes the key to her future.
My Review:
The start of a trilogy, The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly was definitely worth the read! I usually like quick, light reads, so I wasn’t sure when I picked this one up. I wasn’t hooked immediately, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I loved the characters, especially the ones who appeared a little later in the book. The historical aspect of it was fascinating, and I love that the main character was a woman out of her time (not literally, there is no time travel).
I definitely recommend it. All the pieces weave together to make a great read!
When Detective Chief Inspector Frank Shapiro loses his right-hand man to a hit-and-run driver, he finds himself with little time for regret. Problem number one is Sergeant Donovan, a broody young Irishman convinced that the policeman’s death was ordered by a local crime baron. And if that weren’t enough trouble for the already understaffed police force in Castelmere, England, someone has chosen this moment to launch a career as a serial killer.
Help comes in the form of Inspector Liz Graham: Intelligent, intuitive, and ambitious, Liz is eager to prove herself worthy of her promotion, and knows she’ll have to fight tooth and nail for acceptance in the overwhelmingly male-oriented world of criminal investigation. The resourceful and canny policewoman is determined that no one–especially not an angry young sergeant who resents her very presence–shall stand in her way.
With the body count rising and no end in sight, Liz and Donovan finally realize that their status as outsiders on the police force is perhaps their greatest strength. And when Liz discovers a link between the murder victims–a link so ordinary, so innocent that everyone on the force is baffled–the pair devise an unconventional scheme of grace and cunning that’s so crazy it just might work… if it doesn’t destroy them first.
My Review:
I picked up A Bleeding of Innocents as part of my random author challenge. At first, I picked up another book by Jo Bannister, but I quickly realized in the description that it was a series, so I looked it up to find the first book.
I knew from the description that it was going to be interesting because it’s a mystery set in England. Being from the U.S., some of the terms and hierarchy of the police force are different than what I’m used to, but even so, it was pretty easy to follow.
At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the book. There was action early on, but it didn’t hook me as much as I would have liked. But after a while, it picked up and I couldn’t put it down. I really liked the way the characters interacted. They were very realistic.
Overall, I liked the book and I would consider reading more in the series now that I’m invested in the characters. 4 stars!
Worldbuilding is the ultimate act of creation for speculative fiction writers, but how exactly do you worldbuild? You ask ‘what if’ and use each answer as a springboard to more questions and answers about your fictional world.
In THE A-ZS OF WORLDBUILDING, that ‘what if’ process is broken down into 26 themed chapters, covering topics ranging from architecture to zoology. Each chapter includes a corresponding set of guided exercises to help you find the ‘what if’ questions relevant to your story’s world.
Fair warning, though: worldbuilding is addictive. Once you get started, you might never put your pen down again.
My review:
I have always been a fiction writer, but I have exclusively written in the “real world.” I might make some mild changes like omitting STDs and pregnancy scares for the sake of sexiness, but I have never even touched on the realm of historical fiction, much less worldbuilding. The idea of it, honestly, was terrifying.
That’s why I was so excited to pick up a book that would guide me through the process of worldbuilding! I have had an idea floating around in the back of my mind that would take place on Earth but in a totally different society than what exists, but I had absolutely no idea how I would ever make that idea a reality. I didn’t even know where to begin.
Well, now I do. The A-Zs of Worldbuilding helped me to work out my ideas. I decided that I would read through the whole book once and then I’ll go back and work on actually outlining my world. That was a mistake. I should have just worked on my outline as I read the first time. But, the book is 140 pages, so it was a quick read, and it’s not a big deal to go back.
The writing was direct and succinct. Rebekah Loper explained things clearly, and the ideas were easy to follow. She even referenced other resources if you needed more depth or other chapters within her book for deeper thoughts. I am really excited now to delve into the realm of worldbuilding! 5 stars!
And now an interview with the author, Rebekah Loper!
Why did you start blogging?
To create a platform for my writing and connect with an audience.
Any other books coming out soon?
I will have a fantasy short story in an anthology this spring, but release date has not been settled yet.
Brief tip on writing:
Never stop looking for inspiration – it’s always there. Even if you don’t have time to write it, always keep looking for that magic ‘what if’.
Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?
I love worldbuilding. When I was looking for ways to learn how to worldbuild as a young writer, I was always disappointed by the lack of true worldbuilding workbooks, so this was born out of that desire.
What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?
Draft a second volume of The A-Zs of Worldbuilding on creating magic systems. Establish a true writing habit for my fiction, which I’ve let be overrun by ‘real life’ the past several years. Finish revising at least one of my set-aside novels.
As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?
A fascinating summary, followed closely by a stunning book cover!
What compels you to keep reading a character’s story? A tangible connection with the character. Similarities are great, but that’s not all a connection is. The character must resonate with me emotionally, somehow, even if they are the polar opposite of who I am. A lot of that comes with a writer being able to convey the humanity of even the most despicable or most privileged characters.
What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this post to answer or remark on in the blog comments?
What about worldbuilding most inspires or hinders you, either as a reader or writer?
I picked up the Cemetery Keeper’s Wife by Maryann McFadden and I am glad I did. The storyline was compelling and I read through it in a matter of days. I loved the storyline and I was thrilled to find out that it’s based on a true story. I will say that there were parts of the book where the description was a bit repetitive, but other than that, it was well edited. I liked the characters and felt that they were very real. I definitely recommend this novel!
Book Description:
What happens when the line between the past and the present begins to blur…
Rachel Miller is on the cusp of a new life when she moves to Union Cemetery after marrying Adam, the 7th generation cemetery keeper. Though she’s known him only twelve weeks, his tender love seems like a miracle of fate after her years alone.
On her first walk through the lush and silent grounds of her new home, Rachel discovers a stunning monument to Tillie Smith, who died in 1886. Reading the words carved into the stone, “She Died in Defence of Her Honor,” Rachel is overcome by a powerful memory buried deep in her past.
A series of uncanny coincidences linked to Tillie Smith follows, setting Rachel on a journey that grows into an obsession: Why did the murder of a poor kitchen maid at the local seminary become a national sensation? Why were people in town trying to keep her from finding the truth? But most disturbing of all, why was Tillie reawakening a past Rachel chose to bury long ago. A past that could threaten her marriage.
The Cemetery Keeper’s Wifepoignantly blends fact and fiction as two women scarred by shame, and separated by more than a century, reach across time to rewrite history.
As part of the A to Z Challenge, I am participating in the Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!
One of the areas as an author that I feel like I have failed in is writing reviews. I know how important they are to new authors and experienced authors alike, and yet I hardly ever write them. When I do write them, I tend to post them on my blog and maybe Goodreads, but that’s it. I was delighted to have the opportunity to get an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review of J Lenni Dorner’s upcoming book, “Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier” to be released March 26, 2019.
The first, and one of the most important things to me, is how easy to read the book is. I was happy to see that even though this was an ARC, it was well edited. It flowed seamlessly, was very informative, and explained things clearly. I would have read the whole thing in one sitting except it was after midnight, and I fell asleep. I was so close! I even read the author bio and the thank yous, which I often skip. (Bad author, bad. I know.) I read everything from cover to cover, starting with the excellent front cover image. It’s all books: a book floating in the center of more books. Awesome image!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who writes reviews, or who should be writing reviews, but isn’t – like me! I will absolutely be checking out more of his work now. As a typical romance and mystery reader, this was not the type of book I typically pick up, but anything that helps me hone my craft is welcome. It’s always awesome when an experienced writer shares expertise on writing reviews, as I know J Lenni Dorner writes a lot of them. It’s also great to support someone I’ve known digitally through the A to Z Challenge, but have never met. I feel like I got to know J a little more through this experience.
This book left me excited to start writing my first review and walked me through the process seamlessly. At the author’s request, I timed myself through each phase. I decided to work with an outline and then write the actual review. The outlines took me a total of 13 minutes. From there, it took me 15 minutes to write up the review, and I do think it will go faster now that I’ve done one. I have always felt like I needed questions to answer to gather my thoughts that wouldn’t contain spoilers when reviewing novels, and now I feel like that’s exactly what I have! And just in time, too, because I’ve started a book reviewing project…
5 stars for an excellent book on how to write reviews!
If you’re interested in pre-ordering the book, you can do so Amazon and Smashwords!
And now… an interview with the author:
Why did this you part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was “given life”?
It’s the ten year anniversary. I’m very excited to be a co-host of the A to Z Challenge. This is an incredible community.
“You may wonder why I started a blog. I may wonder that too! Actually, this blog was started because I heard about the A to Z challenge from some nanowrimo friends.”
Any other books coming out soon?
This is my current new publication. “WRITING BOOK REVIEWS AS AN AUTHOR: INSPIRATION TO MAKE IT EASIER” I have several stories in the works though
A motivational quote when you feel like giving up on writing from J Lenni Dorner
Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?
The idea came from interviewing so many debut authors at Operation Awesome. I noticed that some authors reviewed a lot of books, and others had never written one. I set out to inspire those who didn’t write reviews. It turned out to be long enough for a month of blog posts (this coming April). Then I noticed I had enough to make a reference book.
What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?
My biggest writing goal this year is to publish two books in 2019.
As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?
A recommendation from a trusted source, reading something interesting about the book, or the book being by an author I like.
What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this post to answer or remark on in the blog comments?
What motivates you to write book reviews? (Or, if you don’t write them, what deters you?)
(If you don’t know the process behind my new project, check it out here!)
A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock, by Lydia Adamson is the 15th in a series of mysteries surrounding an amateur sleuth. I know that this was the same author I had randomly picked up a decade ago, so I had a little bit of background on the characters. But even without that, the book was excellent. Adamson gave enough information about the characters that even jumping in the middle of the series.
I loved the cats that are featured in the novel, as in all of the series, and the characters are likeable and real. Although this novel took place around Christmas, it wasn’t featured heavily and is great for any time of the year. Excellent author, excellent novel. Highly recommended.
Many years ago (more than a decade) I started a project where I would go to my local library and choose a random book. I started with an author whose last name started with A and worked my way up.
Unfortunately, I was in college at the time, and I don’t think I made it past B or C, but the idea stuck with me.
More recently, I have thought of attempting to do something like that for the A to Z Blog Challenge, but I don’t think I could manage to do it all in a month, or even in a year to prepare for that one month. Plus, I like to use the Blog Challenge to work on my fiction.
So, what to do… what to do… I’m going to do it on a monthly(ish) basis. I picked up the first book just before the new year, and I am going to pick up the next one tomorrow. The genres will vary wildly, but I think it will be a fun project. Stay tuned for book reviews coming your way!
The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers grabbed me within the first chapter. Written entirely in letters and journals, Rivers reveals information to the reader in such a way that I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to read it straight through. I devoured it! Compelling characters, exciting plot, and excellent writing!
J R Vincente 