The 2014 Authors After Dark Bookie Awards Nominations

Hey all!

Well, it's that time of year again when the Authors After Dark camp opens up floor to accept nominations in over 50 categories of romance, to be honored at their annual awards ceremony.

Will I, or more importantly, Desires of a Dark Lord make the ballot for next year? You can see that the book makes their list.

Fill out the form by following the link below (and nominate other great authors while you're there):

2014 Authors After Dark Bookie Awards Nominations

Make Ginevra & Ronan proud and hope to see you all in Charlotte next August!

RELEASE DAY! Desires of a Dark Lord and a HUGE giveaway!

Happy Release Day to me!

I'm thrilled to announce that Desires of a Dark Lord is now available in both eBook and paperback via Amazon.com.

I can't tell you how excited I am to share this new series and the characters with all of you.

In celebration of release day, I'm giving away an autographed copy of the book to one of you. How do you enter to win this book? Well, it's simple. All I'm asking is that you post a review of this book on either Amazon, Goodreads, or BOTH. There are additional opportunities as well. The more you complete, the more entries you get and improve your chances of winning.


Click the Rafflecopter icon below for details! Good luck and have fun!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4b93750/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reviews are out for Desires of a Dark Lord!

ARCs (advanced reading copies) of Desires of a Dark Lord were emailed to bloggers a few weeks ago. Yes, these are copies sent to the bloggers before the book is actually released, so no hate mail, okay? :P

Well, the bloggers have spoken! Visit their sites (listed below) to see what they thought about the story.

Crystal's Many Reviews

Intoxicating Reads

Sneak Peek at Desires of a Dark Lord!

Join me at Romancing the Book for a look at my playlist for Desires of a Dark Lord!

Most of you know, I'm an avid music fan and often write to a specific list of songs for a particular book. Want to see what inspired this story? Stop by and find out. While you're there, read an excerpt from Desires of a Dark Lord and comment with your answer to my question (listed in the post) for your chance to win an Ebook copy of the story.

http://romancing-the-book.com/?p=18557

Happy Reading!

An Interview with Dante from Blood Moon and Contest!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Lots going on this month as I prepare Desires of a Dark Lord for submission to a new publisher. Keep your fingers crossed that they find Ronan impressive enough to issue me a shiny new contract. I'll keep you all posted as to the details once I submit.

In other news, Dante from Blood Moon is being interviewed at Bitten By Paranormal Romance on October 25th. As I wrap up the interview, I was curious if there were any readers who might be interested in asking Dante a question. I have the opportunity to make this REALLY interesting.

So what do you say? Is there anything YOU want to ask the vampire god? If your question is selected, there's a prize and some swag coming your way! Simply respond to this post on my blog with the question you'd like to ask Dante and you're entered to win!

Contest ends September 10, 2012. I leave you with my vision of Dante. Try your HARDEST not to drool all over your keyboards. Enjoy!

Blood Moon now available for Kindle!

I'm thrilled to announced that Blood Moon is officially available for Kindle exclusively at Amazon.com!

That's right! if you've been dying to get your hands on Dante's story, but aren't keen about print format, you don't have to wait any longer. Satisfy your thirst for more of the Mythic series and download Blood Moon today!

Don't forget to check out the various opportunities listed on the blog to win a PDF copy of Blood Moon. Also, the review drawing continues! That's right, read and review either Mythic or Blood Moon on Amazon, Goodreads, or BOTH. Come back to the blog and post a comment with the links to the reviews HERE, and you're entered to win an autographed paperback of BOTH Mythic and Blood Moon (with some pretty cool swag). Have a great weekend!

Want to win autographed print copies of Mythic AND Blood Moon?

Happy Independence Day to all of my fellow Americans!

As you may know, Mythic (book one of the Mythic Series) is available as a FREE download for Kindle users until Saturday!

With the free download in mind, I have an offer for all of you taking advantage of the promotion.For those of you who review Mythic (or Blood Moon) from today until the end of July will be entered to win autographed print copies of BOTH Mythic and Blood Moon. That's right...one winner will win BOTH novels. No worries, I'll include a slew of other goodies, but thought the books might entice you to read and review!

The rules: Read and review Mythic or Blood Moon and place said review on review sites such as Amazon and Goodreads. Once the review is posted, paste the link(s) here on my blog with your name and a valid email address (so I can contact you if you've won the prize). On July 31st I'll choose a winner (at random) to receive the novels.

Hope you enjoy the read!

Sex Scene Saturday - Round Two!

Happy Saturday!

It's round two of the author blog event, 'Sex Scene Saturday'! Remember to check out the other authors I've listed below for an additional peek at some amazing work that's sure to spice up your weekend!

I encourage you to comment on the excerpt I'm about to post (be sure to include your email address) as I'll choose one winner each week to receive a digital copy of the full-length story. Not too bad, huh? At the conclusion of the event (round 4), I'll have something special for the winning commenter. You'll  want to stick around to see what I have in store!

Without further delay, here's another excerpt from my novel, MYTHIC...

Gianna Marino and Mattias Vitale entered his penthouse on the highest level of the building. He led her to his bedchamber, and allowed her to enter first. Gianna stared at his bed, having second thoughts. When she turned to face him, he’d already removed his shirt. He didn’t waste any time. She cast a slow, hot gaze and knew she was a goner, but continued to play the game.

God, she’d dreamed of gripping those broad shoulders. Every single detail of his body bulged with perfection exactly where necessary. And the art, hugging his entire right side, from his neck to his hip was simply delicious.

Her heart raced. She nearly salivated. Damn, the man was ripped and she wanted to trace the detail of his tattoo with her tongue. She was hot all over, dripping with arousal. Shit. She wanted him.

Actually, it wasn’t him she wanted. No, it could be anyone with that body, charm, and hint of diabolic aura. Yeah right. She was done for.

She thought of this moment too often. His muscular build pressed against hers, her resistance dwindling as she grew weak, unable to hold back when she reached the breaking point, begging him to take her and do what he wished. But he’s a coward, a murderer. Isn’t he? Why? Why did he have to live up to her fantastical expectation?

Relax. You’re just using him and that delectable body.

There he stood, in a position meant to seduce, to overpower. He looked deep into her eyes with a ravishing glare that made her knees weak and smirked in spite of himself, curling one corner of his lip into an evil grin. “We’ll eventually end up in the bed.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Eventually?”

Just then, he kissed her so fiercely that her head spun in a passionate haze. Moaning at the taste of him, she tried to put forth the effort of a struggle but felt herself being pulled in, beginning to lose control. Secretly, she loved the taste of the alcohol on his breath. It drove her mad as her tongue longed for the flavor.

He lifted her against the wall and bound her hands with his own, pinning her with his body. Locked. Trapped. Foreplay. Who had the upper hand in their game of seduction? The roles began to blur. He released her hands. But before he lowered her to her feet, she’d removed his belt and unfastened the button on his black pants.

She pulled him close, placing her hands on his back. Not a single inch of him was soft. Duly noted when he pressed his lips to hers as he unzipped her dress. The garment floated to the floor, revealing the sexy black lace underneath. They were both breathing heavily.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” he panted.

She smiled, hoping to keep her wits about her. “And you’ve been patient.”

He leaned his forehead against hers, towering over her with a six inch advantage. “I want you so badly Gianna, you do realize I could hurt you.”

She tugged at his unbuttoned pants, an aggressive move on her part. “I’m hoping that you do.”

“It will be difficult to use restraint. You have no idea what you do to me.”

“Show me.”

He leaned in for another heated lip lock before she interrupted. “First, I have one condition.”

He sighed. “Of course you do…what is it?”

“No biting. Not tonight.”

His eyes widened and he backed away to meet her gaze. “You have got to be kidding!”

Didn’t she? To expect this sort of control when all he wanted to do was lose it? If she hadn’t made him  wait  so  long  he  could  almost  guarantee  his  resistance,  but  he  hoped  she’d  reconsider.  He imagined her blood tasted as good as her body, but if he couldn’t have both, right now, he’d settle for one. He’d have her blood later. She would eventually beg him to taste her. He was that sure of himself.

Gianna knew this was his greatest challenge but she needed something over him, something that could keep him under control, her control, until the time came to play her ace. She knew that asking was nothing short of cruelty, but took her chances and made the request. Hell, if he was as good a lover as he was a cunning, lying, killer, she might offer herself to him on a platter. “Not kidding. Can you control yourself for me? I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”

He leaned into her, pressing his rock-hard erection into her hip. “You don’t make things easy, Gianna.”

“Baby, nothing worthwhile is easy, but if you don’t agree I’ll understand. We can always wait for another—”

“No. No more waiting. Too long have I watched you, wanted you while not being able to touch you. It has been nothing short of excruciating and I’m through with it.

“I guess we have a deal, then?”

He never answered. He took hold of her with a fervent kiss. She almost felt guilty for making him feel this way.

Do I want to be with him?

It was debatable. He exuded undeniable sex appeal. But she knew her reasons for engaging in this situation. She wanted to forget Nicholas, trying to heal her broken, beating heart, and all because she desired to be closer to him. She wanted to erase him from memory as if she wasn’t partly responsible for giving him the green light. Now she’d seduce Mattias to fill the void in a moment of desperate contact.

After savoring every inch of her lips, Mattias reached her neck and collarbone. He tilted her neck and slowly licked the area where he’d typically sink his sharp teeth. There was something to be said for anticipation as he felt a shiver through her body by simply touching the forbidden area, teasing it by testing the boundaries. Then he kissed the same area and grazed ever so lightly with his fangs. He earned a sound of approval.

Deliberately disobedient, he turned her on. She was primed and ready. “Are you going to violate the terms of our deal, Mattias?”

His body pressed against hers, his breathing ragged. “I should. Really, I should. I want to taste you and drain you of every last drop but I think I’ll give it a few more minutes. That’s how long it should take until I have you begging.” His confidence made her ache in every place that was distinctly female, making her so damn hot.

He felt the blood rushing through her veins as he ran his tongue over her warm flesh. Only a thin layer of skin separated his life force from hers, and the thought nearly caused him to lose his sense of reasoning. He could taste the sweetness through her skin and smell the blood on her breath. The distinct sound of her tripled heartbeat confirmed her fading inhibitions. Once he was inside her, she’d want it. It was only a matter of time before he would bind himself to her and her to him. Just one bite and I’ll have everything. Power, a kingdom and a queen.

His cool touch ignited her lust as he raised Gianna’s toned legs, wrapping them around his waist. He lifted her to the bed and managed to shed the remaining lace garments from her body. He appraised her with a stare that burned. Then he grinned and proceeded with a penetrating kiss.

He held her so tightly that she thought she’d choke on elation. His naked body was exactly how she imagined all the way down to his substantial erection. She swore her eyes bugged at the size of him, but he didn’t seem to notice. Listening to his low growls of victory, she traced the planes of his back with the tips of her fingers, earning an ecstatic groan. She’d passed the point of no return. It was impossible to end things now.

Drunk. She was drunk on the aroma. His scent, a provocative hint of amber and woods, compared to rolling around naked amidst crisp autumn foliage. His hands migrated all over her body and she lost track of his movement. He caressed her hip, teased the deep valley of her breasts, and tangled himself in her honeysuckle-infused locks. Ten fingers pulling, demanding. Fuck. He was right. And no, she didn’t care who he was or what he’d done.

Hard kisses crawled higher and she made an offering, a pulsating temptation. She tilted her neck further...further, felt the warmth of his proximity and braced herself with bated breath. Ringing. The chimes of victory, warning bells? No.

His cell phone rang.

Saved by the glorious sound of modern technology, their intimacy interrupted. In a flash, the phone was in his hand.

“What the hell did I tell him?” he sneered.

“What is it Dante? Someone had better be dying.” He paused.

“He’s on the move? So, bring him in. …Why do you need me?” Another pause. "Fine, I’ll be right there.”

Mattias ended his call with a slam of his phone, less than thrilled. But as luck would have it, either by coincidence or in a fit of jealousy, Dante saved her.

Mattias sighed in dismay. “I have to handle something. I won’t be long. Promise me you’ll be right here when I return because I am not finished with you. In fact, I hope you don’t have anything planned for this evening because you’ll be busy warming my bed.”

She pouted, firing his libido. “I’ll do my best. In the meantime, let me give you something to come back to.”

She pulled him on top of her, kissing him passionately. Nothing compared to the way his tongue worked hers. Grasping his shoulders, she spread her thighs, allowing his painful erection to caress the warmth between them, and he growled at the contact. As much as she tried to convince herself that she was teasing him, she wanted it, silently begging him to penetrate and ease the aching. “Stay with me Mattias. I need to feel your strength inside me.”

He trailed his way down her fit body until he stood at the foot of the bed and aggressively pulled her hips to the edge to meet his. He stepped back for a moment to admire the one woman he wanted with every part of his being. He was in awe of her beauty. Every inch of her was bare to him now and she was a goddess, his goddess. She alone could be his eternal bliss or his ultimate ruin. Tonight he intended to show her just how much she was missing. Upon his return, there would be no interruptions, no abrupt reason for either one of them to part ways.

Mattias leaned over Gianna and, with his hands, eased his way into the flesh where she yearned for him. Amazed by how primed she was, he wanted her more than anything, even power. He inserted two fingers deep inside of her and she screamed in ecstasy. His erection grew more painful as he thrust his hand deeper, watching her face, throwing her head back as he pleased her. She looked down at him with starvation in her eyes when he withdrew and licked his wet fingers with a murmur of approval.

“Mmm.” His eyes pierced hers. “Even better than I thought.”

His phone rang again.

“Damn it! Please tell me this is someone’s idea of a sick fucking joke. Someone will pay…dearly.”

“Mattias please don’t go. I can’t wait. I need you.” She wanted this now before she lost her nerve.

“Baby you know that I wouldn’t leave this,” his eyes swept over her, “unless it was important.”

“Oh this is so cruel, Mattias.” She balled her hands into fists and took her anger out on the mattress.

“Now you know how I feel on a daily basis. I’ve been walking around for over a year with a constant hard on that you caused, but trust me baby, this is hurting me far worse than it’s hurting you.”

She looked down at his huge erection with wide hungry eyes. “You know, I can take care of that for you.”

She lowered her gaze and smiled at both the impressive specimen and the meticulous grooming habit. She pulled him close, pushed him onto the bed, and lowered her mouth to his shaft. Suction increased as she covered him, sliding from root to tip. Although unexpected, she enjoyed the salty taste of him, the velvet feel of his cock on her tongue, and it felt too good to play with fire. He cupped her head as she worked him and moaned with such guttural agony, unlike any sound she’d ever heard.

****

God, she was talented as she continued to take more of him. The way her tongue teased, left him balling the sheets in his fists to fight back the urge to release over a year of frustration. So close. Oh yes, Dante would pay for this!

Mattias reluctantly withdrew from her. Confused, she looked at him. “What’s wrong Mattias?”

“I’ll tell you what’s wrong, I’m hard, you’re wet, and we’re still teasing each other. It’s torture, Gianna.”

“Well, what do you suggest?”

He wanted her and didn’t want to wait any longer. But he knew his time was limited due to Dante’s urgency, and he wanted no intrusions. Mattias wanted to take his time, for the moment to be perfect and he would in fact, turn her tonight, with or without her permission. Consequences be damned.

“We’ll resume this when I return. In the meantime, I want you to conserve your energy...because baby, I promise you’re going to need it.”

He stood and dressed himself quickly while taking the time to admire what he was leaving. He shook his head in disbelief that he finally had her in his bed and was being called away. Dante could handle the urgent situation on his own while Mattias indulging himself with Gianna. But if he wanted things dealt with correctly and didn’t want to appear weak, he needed to be the one to see it through.

Fully dressed, he crawled on top of her and claimed her mouth. Gianna pulled back, slightly.

“Isn’t there anything I can do to convince you to stay with me?” She reached her hand inside his pants and cupped him.

He growled at her expert touch. “You’re relentless.”

“Yes and don’t you just love it?”

“More than you’ll ever know.”

He kissed her deeply as she played with him. “I have to…go. I promise…won’t be long.” He delivered one more scalding kiss and had a sinking feeling he was going to regret leaving her as he exited the room.

Mythic is available at:

Amazon (Paperback)
Amazon (Kindle/ebook)
All Romance (ebook)

Check out other Sex Scene Saturday authors:

Yvette Hines

Stacey Kennedy

Jenn LeBlanc

Bridget Midway

Sascha Illyvich

Welcome Author Jessica Aspen

Welcome, Jessica!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

Jessica: Thanks for having me as your guest today, Jae Lynne. I live in Colorado near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and Boulder. I love to go hiking and am outside nearly every day. Between writing and just keeping up with life I’m pretty busy, but I still try to make time to do some of the other things I love, like read and cook.

Jae Lynne:  In which genres do you write?

Jessica:  I write paranormal romance, but I’m playing with some books that might lean into urban fantasy. Little Red Riding Wolf isn’t that dark though. It’s a twisted fairy tale with lots of tongue in cheek references to the original fairy tale as well as some hot romance.

Jae Lynne: What inspires you to write?

Jessica:  This series was inspired by fairy tales and all the possibilities within fairy tales. I began reading twisted fairy tales years ago and I love the idea that we can take a classic story and make it our own. This particular story also had a good dose of inspiration from where I live; Colorado, the Rocky Mountains and the fact that we don’t have wolves (due to the settlers killing them all) also played into the creation of Little Red Riding Wolf.

Jae Lynne: How do you choose names for your characters?

Jessica:  Red’s name was pretty easy. I kept thinking I should change it, but it stuck. Why explain a nickname, especially in a novella where every word counts? Evan’s name just came to me. I don’t know why, but that’s his name. You might have to ask him if he knows. For most of my other characters I go through a baby name site and look at where they come from and their meanings. Sometimes it takes a while, but they all get named in the end.

Jae Lynne:  What is your favorite type of character to write? Do you have a personal favorite amongst your own characters?

 

Jessica:  I love to write characters with conflicts, true inner conflicts that make the story roll fast. I am writing the sequel to Little Red Riding Wolf right now about the villain, or erstwhile villain of the story. In the sequel Seth becomes the hero, and that makes for a very twisty plot.

Jae Lynne:  Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Jessica:  Keep writing, keep submitting. I should add “Never give up. Never surrender.” (Churchill), because I quote that all the time, but it’s true. Those with persistence succeed. Use your moments of adversity as motivation instead of a reason to give up and I’ll be seeing you here on Jae Lynne’s blog next!


Jae Lynne:  Who is/are your favorite author(s)?

Jessica:  I like Jessa Slade, Eve Silver, Jeanne Stein, LKHamilton and Sherilyn Kenyon. All authors with dark twisted heros. See a pattern here? Little Red’s hero Evan isn’t as dark, but Seth (from the sequel) is very dark and twisted.



Jae Lynne:  How do/does your favorite authors(s) impact your writing?

Jessica:  I love to read a very good book when I’m writing, it makes the words flow. Sometimes I’ll pick up an old favorite and re-read it, just to get the mood going. Love reading for inspiration.


Jae Lynne:  If you were stranded on an island with one character from any book of your choice, who would it be and why? :

Jessica:  Oh, this one’s tough. I don’t think I can choose. You see, making decisions can be very difficult for me. You should see me trying to hang pictures, my husband gets very irritated because I think any decision that permanent requires great thought. Luckily he’s the type to push me to decide. Otherwise we’d have bare walls and likely no marriage!

Jae Lynne:  Hollywood called! They want to turn your novel into a movie or television series. If given the choice, who would you cast as your characters?

Jessica:  I think this is always a toughie. Allison Scagliotti from Warehouse Thirteen would make a fantastic Red. As for Evan, I can’t chose. Oh my. Another decision?

Jae Lynne:  Tell us about your novel!

Jessica:  Little Red Riding Wolf is the story of a young female werewolf, Red, who is frustrated with her family’s expectations. When she discovers a very sexy human male she decides he’s just the way she can blow off a little steam. But things get out of hand quickly, and not only does it turn out that Evan is someone she can fall deeply in love with, but he’s also dangerous to her pack. Red has to decide if loyalty to her pack is more important than her newly discovered passion.

Blurb:

Fraternizing with humans is taboo, but when feisty werewolf Red runs into hunky new forest ranger Evan Brewster, she jumps on the opportunity to let loose her desires. Evan is stoked when he meets the petite red haired hottie, and combined with his new discovery of wolves in Colorado, thinks his career and life are made. Then Red pushes him away, her hostile brother threatens his life, and things begin to spiral out of control. Caught between her sexy lover and her pack can Red trust Evan with her secrets, or must she sacrifice her human lover and her heart?

Excerpt: 

The ranger looked to be just under six foot, but that was tall compared to her petite five-foot two. Long and lean, he had the look of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors, hiking or maybe skiing.

He stepped forward and swept back his shaggybrown hair, revealed warm brown eyes. His face held that look. That look that a man gave a woman, open, appreciative, but a touch guarded.

She returned it with a bold appraising one of her own. He was just what she needed to distract her from her family issues.

He was hot, male, and a stranger.



And a little later we have Evan’s view of the encounter:

Without warning she’d lifted her head, seemed to sniff

the air. Her head swiveled and she looked at him. Found him

hidden, where he stood stunned in the shadows at the side of the

trail. Her eyebrows rose, dark pupils contracted in astonishing

golden eyes.

Excitement pumped danger through his veins.

His instincts took over. Held him completely still. Afraid of

startling her, like a wild creature. He held his arms down at his

sides and looked straight at her, non-threatening, barely able to

breathe.

Then her eyes warmed, and she’d smiled.

He’d let out his breath, and smiled back.

Even now, as tired as he was after chasing her up half-a-mountain,

he got hard as he remembered her looking at him.

Remembered the touch of her hand, soft and hesitant and as

lethal as lightning.

Jae Lynne:  Are there any other projects you’re working on?

Jessica:  I’m always working on something else, but my most important project right now is getting Seth’s story out there. Seth is Red’s brother. Dark and conflicted he’s becoming a hero right on my keyboard this month. I can’t wait to see how this alpha get’s his just deserts.

Jae Lynne:  Where can our readers find you? 

You can find me the first Friday of the month at Paranormal Freebies and most days during the week at http://jessicaaspen.com.

You can also follow me on Twitter @jessicaaspen and Facebook.  

Don’t forget to enter the contest HERE to win novellas, chocolate and more!

Come into the woods with Little Red Riding Wolf, my spicy paranormal novella, at Passion in Print Press.

 

I had a great time answering these questions and I’ll look forward to answering comments. Leave a comment today on Jae Lynne’s blog and tell me about it HERE to enter to win prizes in celebration of the release of Little Red Riding Wolf.

New Interview and Giveaway!

Join me today at 'Now that's what I'm talking about' for an interview and giveaway of my short story THE CONTRACT!

Remember, if you comment at both my 2/5 and 2/6 appearances AND leave a comment here on my blog, you'll be entered to win a serious box of swag!

Happy Reading!

Welcome Author Joey W. Hill!

Hey, All!

It's my distinct pleasure to welcome one of my favorite authors to the blog today! Joey W. Hill was kind enough to answer a few questions and give us a glimpse of her latest novel, Bound by the Vampire Queen, scheduled to grace store shelves TOMORROW!

Welcome, Joey!

Jae Lynne:  Tell us a bit about yourself.

Joey W. Hill:  I’m an extremely boring person, because all I do is write. Write, take care of animals (we have nine), write, try to keep the dust bunnies in the house to a somewhat less-than-horrifying size, write, market, market, market, do promo, get ready for conferences, and make sure I kiss my husband at least ten times a day. On the flip side, I am gifted with a wonderfully interesting muse who gives me great characters to write, which has resulted in a readership of fascinating people who enliven my life a great deal--for which I thank you all.

I worked in office administration for twenty years, ten of which were spent pursuing animal rights issues, and the latter ten in pursuing a writing career. I went to full time writing in November 2007 and have been fortunate enough to do that ever since. I exercise 90 minutes a day, and during 60 of those minutes I indulge my favorite passion, which is watching movies or favorite TV dramas, because I like to immerse myself in a great story, whether it’s in a book or on the screen. Given that my internal editor NEVER shuts off any more, sometimes immersing myself in a great story is easier on screen.

Jae Lynne: In which genres do you write?

Joey W. Hill:  I write erotic romance, both paranormal and contemporary. Some of the paranormal has an urban fantasy flare, but I’m still a little fuzzy on what the difference is between paranormal and urban fantasy, so I’m just regurgitating what I’ve been told when I say it has a touch of urban fantasy (grin). Oh, and on the back copy for the latest book, I’m noted as a “cult favorite”. I have no idea what that means either, but marketing people live on an entirely different planet from writers, so I just roll with it (wink).

Jae Lynne: What inspires you to write?

Joey W. Hill:  That’s always a hard one to answer. I think the saying “we all have a book inside us” is true. Most of us have a natural desire to put pen to paper. In past centuries, it was considered very culturally appropriate to maintain journals, write poetry and stories, though gauche to try and actually get them published (wink). However, what inspires a person not only to start a story, but to finish it, polish it and seek to publish it, is more difficult to pin down (I vote for insanity as the answer to that – lol) . I started writing novels when I was in elementary school. I began reading at a very early age, and I was so captivated by a well-told story I had a need to try and craft my own. When I have a goal, I’m pretty driven to achieve it, and the desire for my stories to reach a broader audience was one of those goals. I was fortunate that a combination of perseverance, timing, networking and sheer luck resulted in success. It’s kind of a boring tale, but as noted above writers for the most part aren’t all that interesting – at least not this one. I pour the good stuff into the characters!

Jae Lynne:  How do you choose names for your characters?

Joey W. Hill:  I keep a list of names that are interesting in my MS Notes application. If one doesn’t quite fit, I’ll often visit the baby name sites and look for one I like based on its meaning. In Vampire Instinct, I brought that into play when Mal was thinking about the names Elisa gave the vampire children (because they couldn’t verbalize their given names), and he realized that she’d chosen names whose meanings fit their personalities, and that helped him understand a little bit more about her relationship with the children.

Sometimes the names pop right into my head, but I have to be careful about that. I’m the world’s worst about giving multiple characters the same name, or names that start with the same letter. I’ve had to change a few names when I was halfway through the book and realized 4 out of the 5 main characters had names starting with “M”. Of course, if the muse has already decided that’s the person’s name, it’s difficult to change it! Once again, when writing Vampire Instinct, I realized I already had a full servant in a previous book named Malachi, AND I’d named a Vampire Council member Lord Malachi. But when I decided to change the name (even running a contest to let my readers offer suggestions), the muse flat out refused. So he became Mal, and I addressed it in the story, to avoid the confusion of readers thinking he was one of those other two characters (Plus, since Mal of the far-too-short-lived series Firefly is one of my personal alltime favorite characters, having a “Mal” in my books wasn’t too bad.)

Jae Lynne:  What is your favorite type of character to write? Do you have a personal favorite amongst your own characters?

Joey W. Hill:  Incredibly strong hero or heroine with severe emotional damage. I know most of us have a person like this in our lives – someone who can handle anything you throw at them, but there’s a part of them closed down and deeply wounded, such that they can’t maintain a healthy relationship. I like to write a story where the damaged person fights their way out of that baggage to accept love and heal. The pen takes over the direction, and each scenario has a lot of potential for emotional and physical intensity. The Dominance/submission genre provides great foundation for that.

One of my personal favorites among my heroes was Gideon of Vampire Mistress/Vampire Trinity. A hardcore vampire hunter who has been steeped in blood for years, he comes to a crisis of faith when he has to become the full servant of a woman forcibly turned to a vampire. As a result, he becomes part of the vampire world he hates so deeply. Gideon was a true bad boy, angry, hostile, yet with the courage of an army and a heart of gold. He’s a lost warrior who needs love and healing, but to do it, he has to surrender, let down his shields. Anwyn is a Mistress of a BDSM club when she’s attacked, so she brings a unique set of resources to open Gideon up – both strong and fragile at once.

One of my favorite female heroines is Mina of A Witch’s Beauty. Part mermaid, part Dark One, straddling the line between good and evil is a daily personal battle for her. She’s a powerful sea witch and a loner, eschewed by the mermaid world, viewed with suspicion by the angel legion. Enter David, a young angel who sees the damaged woman behind the dangerous power, and wants to change her life for the better. If she doesn’t destroy the world first. Marguerite of Ice Queen/Mirror of My Soul is her contemporary counterpart. Marguerite survived a childhood most of us wouldn’t, and crafted herself a very careful, controlled environment to get through each day. She’s an incomparable Domme, but it takes another Dom, Tyler Winterman, to help her break out of her ice house and learn to truly love.

Jae Lynne:  Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Joey W. Hill:  Four things: 1) Know your craft, 2) Know the business, 3) Never give up and 4) Network, network, network. That appears to be the successful formula for many of the authors who make it. It took me three years to get published (after writing off and on for 15 years, so I already had a good craft basis) and eight years to reach the point I was receiving a notable amount of income from it. And I still probably quit my day job about two years too early (laughter).

The above process was a combination of honing my skill, always striving to write a better story than the last one. That meant studying other writers’ styles and staying wide open to feedback, encouraging it from readers, authors, editors, whoever was willing to give me a general or detailed opinion. I still do that today, and I always will, because we’re never as good a writer as we can be. Never, never, never argue with feedback. The reader’s experience is their experience; arguing with them does not change that. Your job is to listen and determine if what you’re hearing can help you improve your work.

Knowing the business/networking is distasteful to a lot of us – let me just stay in my cave and write, for heaven’s sake! But knowing the business, getting out there and rubbing elbows with others in the industry is vital, not only for getting published, but promoting/marketing your work once you get published. 98% of marketing/promo is on the shoulders of the author these days, and knowing the business is important to spend your resources wisely.

Finally, the “never give up”? That’s not rhetoric. Writing books, getting published, staying published, being successful while published, continuing to produce quality stories…it’s hard work, and there are days you think “is this really worth it?” See the insanity clause noted earlier in the interview (grin). You do have to be a bit crazy and tremendously determined to make it in this business. But the golden egg, if handed out at all, is handed to the person who won’t give up striving for it.

Jae Lynne:  Who is/are your favorite author(s)?

Joey W. Hill:  I tend to choose favorite books vs favorite authors, because authors vary their offerings over their careers. That’s no slur on them – usually all their work is quality stuff; I just prefer some of their subject matter more than others. Nora Roberts’ work in the eighties and early nineties was a huge influence on my initial work/style (and probably still is). Her JD Robb series is my brain candy when I need a break. Audrey Niffenegger’s Time Traveler’s Wife, Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper, Once in a Blue Moon by Penelope Williamson, Laura Kinsale’s Flowers in the Storm or For My Lady’s Heart…those are books I consider absolute masterpieces of craft, emotion, character, etc and they live on my keeper shelves. I am also a recent Black Dagger Brotherhood fan. I was caught by Zsadist’s story, which I thought was an incredibly well told story, and so I’ve been an avid reader of the series since.

Jae Lynne:  How do/does your favorite authors(s) impact your writing?

Joey W. Hill:  Nora Roberts, as noted above, really influenced my style, because she turned her back on the “misunderstanding” formula in romance. We all remember it – where the hero/heroine stay at odds with each other throughout the book, because of this or that ridiculous miscommunication, etc? She let her hero and heroine enjoy sensual scenes throughout the book. They might wrestle with underlying emotional conflicts that briefly drove them apart, but typically they were dealt with in toe-to-toe interactions with one another. She also wrote the alpha males that were really pretty much borderline sexual Doms, and that caught my attention. I liked her writing craft as well, and like most new writers, when I started, I emulated that style until started finding my own voice. As far as sensuality, that woman could ratchet up body temperature with one well-crafted sentence about fingers intertwining. It helped me pay close attention to the details of an erotic scene, instead of just the obvious stuff.

The other writers/books noted above have influenced me with how deeply they delve into the emotions of their characters. Character-driven stories hold my attention far more than plot-driven ones. I studied how these authors and others like them introduce the characters, their emotional conflicts, how they integrate it into the plotline, etc, and try to hone that skill in my own writing. To me, one thing a good author does is always bare his/her soul in the work. This doesn’t mean I know intimate details about that author; but it does mean that at key points, I will cry or laugh because the author cried or laughed when she wrote that section. She opened herself up to the characters, poured her magic into their magic and created a wonderful story. I don’t think you can write a truly great story unless you’re willing to step beyond knowledge of mechanics and offer your own blood to the book.

Jae Lynne:  If you were stranded on an island with one character from any book of your choice, who would it be and why?

Joey W. Hill:  That would be Anna of A Mermaid’s Kiss. Since she’s a mermaid, I wouldn’t be stranded at all. She could take me to all sorts of wonderful places in the ocean, and when I was too water logged, her mate, Jonah--who happens to be a gorgeous angel who wears only a short red half-tunic, sword and silver white wings, could take me flying through the clouds.

However, if I was truly stranded, such that I needed someone who would be excellent company, I’d go with Mina of A Witch’s Beauty. Yes, she’s also half-mermaid, but the reason I’d want her there is she’s very complex. She’s well read, an advanced magic user, has an irascible attitude and says exactly what she thinks. Sort of a seawitch/Maxine cartoon character combination. Plus she’s mated to David, who is also an angel and Marguerite’s brother from Ice Queen/Mirror of My Soul, so he’s an interesting combination of human and paranormal, which would make him a versatile island companion as well. Plus he’s quite easy on the eyes (lol).

Of course, you know my REAL answer to this would be ALL of my characters. I’d love to just sit in a tree , letting my bare feet dangle, and watch all of them interact and play on the island. It would be like an erotic version of Lost where instead of having to solve intrigues and face terrible dangers, they’d just indulge every fantasy they have with each other…and I’d get to watch (of course all the poor trees would be stripped, because I’d be scribbling down story ideas on every leaf scrap).

Jae Lynne:  Hollywood called! They want to turn your novel into a movie or television series. If given the choice, who would you cast as your characters?

Joey W. Hill:  I’m always hesitant to answer this question, because I don’t want to impact who the readers see in their minds when they read the books. I’m afraid when I tell them who I see it will ruin the story for them, but that may be giving my opinion more weight than it deserves (lol). There was a contest on the fan forum some time ago to cast Gideon, Daegan and Anwyn from Vampire Mistress/Vampire Trinity, and the readers came up with some awesome options, including Andy Whitfield for Gideon (God/dess bless him, taken from us too early). But let’s see, I’ll give it a stab. I’m assuming you want me to venture options for Lyssa and Jacob of Bound by the Vampire Queen, since that’s the latest release. If I cast all my books, we’ll be here much longer than appropriate (lol).

I could see Alex O’Loughlin (currently playing McGarrett on the new Hawaii Five-O) doing an excellent Jacob, and Melinda Clarke (Lady Heather from CSI, also played a madame in an episode of Firefly) as an incomparable Lyssa.

Jae Lynne:  Tell us about your novel.

Joey W. Hill:  You mean the bane of my existence? The Torment Sent Straight from the Bowels of Hell? Oh, okay, I’ve finished the manuscript now, so I guess I can think of some nicer names for it, lol. Bound by the Vampire Queen, which is the eighth book in the Vampire Queen series, is the third book featuring Jacob and Lyssa as the main protagonists. Their books are always a challenge, because first there are the intense push-pull interactions between them, the result of her being a vampire queen, and him being her protective alpha male servant, both of them in a world where human servants are supposed to be the property of their vampires. Second, they’re usually wrapped up in a lot of political wrangling and near-death experiences involving the Vampire Council and vampire society at large. As if that wasn’t bad enough, in this book they spend a great deal of time in the Fae World, and so the politics and near-death wranglings with that group also figures into the plot. Chuckle. Seriously, while it was a bear to write, I’m hopeful that readers will enjoy the results. The fun thing about writing a book about protagonists you’ve written about before is they can indulge in a lot of intimate/romantic scenarios only possible with a couple who are already comfortable/familiar with each other. Readers who’ve read the first two books about them (Vampire Queen’s Servant and Mark of the Vampire Queen) have that “inside information”, which enhances the reading experience (if I’ve done it right!).

Researching the Fae world for this book was also a perk. I won’t research something on my own; a documentary or non-fiction book will put me to sleep, but if it’s for a particular writing project, my interest comes alive and I devour everything I have time to read on the subject. I didn’t realize how broad and diverse the Fae world was; in fact, I probably got a little carried away with all the various participants in the Wild Hunt on Samhain night that’s featured in the book. It reads a little bit like a D&D Monstrous Compendium (who wants to admit they know/remember what that is?). There are four characters that come to life in the Fae world that might just get their own story down the line as well, so I may be branching out from the vampires into another species before long (grin). But never fear, I have plenty of fodder for more vampire books.

Jae Lynne:  For those of us who’ve been following the series from the beginning, what can we expect from this installment?

Joey W. Hill:  When we left them in Mark of the Vampire Queen, Jacob and Lyssa had experienced a significant power exchange that could potentially change their relationship dynamic. You’ll get to see how that’s going, plus what kind of parents they make with their new son, Kane (in fact, for long term fans of the series, I wrote a little vignette about the three of them Christmas shopping which will show up at the Literary Escapism site on December 13). In this book, we’ll also get to visit some familiar faces, because Mason and Jessica of Beloved Vampire will make an appearance, and Gideon, Jacob’s brother who was mentioned earlier, will have a vital role with Daegan and Anwyn, his vampire Master and Mistress.

Hope you all enjoy this latest book in the series!

Blurb:

Sworn to obedience, compelled by loyalty, and threatened with damnation for betrayal, Jacob entered Lady Lyssa’s servitude as a human servant. Now he is a vampire, but still bound to Lyssa, who has found herself struggling with the capricious powers that have come alive in her paternal Fae blood—and challenged by two enemies…

While the Vampire Council threatens to take away Lyssa and Jacob’s newborn son, the Fae Queen has ordered Lyssa to appear before the Otherworld court to face inescapable charges. The Fae have nothing but contempt for vampires, but to serve her, protect her, nourish her, and pleasure her, Jacob will follow his lady into hell itself. No one—neither Fae nor vampire—will compel him to break the oath he made to serve a vampire queen forever.

Click HERE for a free excerpt!

Jae Lynne: Are there any other projects you’re working on that we can look forward to?

Joey W. Hill:  I just turned in In the Company of Witches, the second in the Arcane Shot series. Raina, my heroine, is half-succubus and all powerful witch, and she runs a bordello where her staff are full incubi/succubi. Mikhael shows up on her doorstep running an incubus fugitive to ground. The incubus seeks sanctuary with her, and she and Mikhael come up against each other in a major way over that. Mikhael’s a Dark Guardian, which means he works for the Underworld, so he’s one of those dark, dangerous guys that I love to write. It took some surprising turns.

The book I’m working on now is the fifth in the Knights of the Board Room series. Hostile Takeover is Ben’s story, the last of the Kensington & Associates executives to get his story. The “Knights” are five high level business executives who all happen to be hardcore sexual Dominants. Each book focuses on one man finding the woman who’s meant to be his forever. In the four previous books, my strong heroines really needed a “Knight” to help them out of a difficult situation. In this last book, Ben is the one floundering a bit. He’s seen his four friends find their soulmates, but for the past few years, he’s been on his own. Then the younger sister of one of the previous heroines returns home, and she has her sites set squarely on him, no matter that he sees her as “Cass’s little sister”. It’s been a hugely fun book to write, because though she’s a submissive, she’s absolutely determined he’s her Master, and she is stubborn, fiery and precocious. He’s trying to be the gentleman, but he’s actually the most extreme Master of all four of them, so at a certain point, the reins just snap and it gets really interesting.

Jae Lynne:  It sounds like you have a big year ahead of you with new releases and a few scheduled appearances. In fact, you’re the Mistress of Ceremonies at next year’s Authors After Dark convention in New Orleans. What do you hope to take away from your experience?

Joey W. Hill:  I’m looking forward to spending time with old friends and discovering new ones. At the last AAD I attended everyone was so welcoming. It’s a great environment for readers, and those are the conferences I like best – where everything is focused on the reader having a great time, them getting access to authors, and us having access to them, so we can find out what they like, don’t like, and just enjoy the heck out of our mutual love of books. The “field trip” idea this year is an excellent one. Authors with New Orleans settings in their books will take readers to places that figure into those stories, which will give everyone a chance to see more of the city while attending the con.

I personally hope to take home about three pounds of beignets on my hips! In Hostile Takeover, which is set in NOLA, Marcie is licking powdered sugar off her fingertips until the hero grips her wrist and takes over that little task. Just thinking of that warm sweet bread melting in the mouth, it makes me wish I was there now! Okay, the finger licking thing wouldn’t be bad either…

Jae Lynne:  Where can our readers find you?

Joey W. Hill:  I have an email contact link on my website, www.storywitch.com. I’m also at Facebook under Joey Woody Hill, Twitter under Joey W Hill, and of course thanks to four wonderful ladies (of which Jae Lynne is one), you can find me cruising through the JWH Connection fan forum. There’s a “Got a Question for Joey” link there where you can leave direct inquiries any time. You’ll also find free download vignettes at the forum revisiting characters from my full length works, character interviews and graphics inspired by the books, so it’s a great place to visit. For access info, click HERE.

On my website, there’s a subscription link to my monthly newsletter, and it will keep you abreast of all my online and conference appearances, as well as when I’m having giveaways, offering new vignettes, etc. I love to hear from readers. Don’t ever be shy about contacting me!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Joey. Congrats on the release!

Want to win a copy of BOUND BY THE VAMPIRE QUEEN? Joey is giving away one eBook OR print copy of either BOUND BY THE VAMPIRE QUEEN or any of her other titles (reader's choice) to one lucky commenter! Be sure to include a valid email address in your comment so we can contact you regarding your prize! Giveaway is open worldwide and ends on Friday, December 9th!

Happy Reading!