Yikes, give me more hours!

Good morning/ afternoon/ evening!

Because it's gone that fast... I was just setting down to write this blog and six other things jostled their way into my attention... so, this will be a scattered version of what I wanted to write (which escapes me right now...)

Many years ago, I used to go to a lovely old gentleman's house for some drawing classes - mainly cartoons and pen and inks - well, one day, he tentatively asked me if I liked erotica - "Hell yeah!" I replied and so we started drawing erotic inspired pictures together.

Catalogue ladies!

Kinky boots

So just the other day I was having a massive clear out and came across some of the work I did at his house. Here are a couple of examples - I'll post more on my own site later.

So thank you for reading this somewhat dis-jointed blog... I'd better go finish those edits, get on with that submission, do my book trailer, get some cards printed - good grief - where's the coffee...?

Love T x x

Writing Again

Move one is down. We are living again at my parents until the close of our new home. And I feel like I can finally breath again. After 7 years in our other home, we sure accumulated a lot more then I thought we did. It took a lot longer to pack then expected. We were moving out right to the deadline that we had to be out. Last week, I took the time to just get things in order here. 4 people living in one tiny room. Yikes. But, its only for a short while I keep reminding myself. I have two work in progresses I need to get completed. One, is Opposites Attract, which is the final book in the Hot Bods series. And another is a June deadline. Yikes ... June is right around the corner. Do you see that date?

Last night I sat down, read a little of my June deadline book, and then added 3,000 words. Hurray! It felt so good to write again. I'm already to go at it again today. Write, write, write. Use my creativity again. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed hearing the voices in my head again. I don't think I ever want to be without them again. Then again, I should be thankful they gave me a break so I could get what I needed to get done ... done.

Happy Monday! I hope if your celebrating Memorial Day today, you have a wonderful day.

See ya next week,
Lacey

Surrender to Me...

That's the title to my new WIP. This book is a sequel to my upcoming July release Make Me Stay. When I was writing MMS, I had no intentions of creating another book for those characters, but there was something intriguing about Martin Abrams that wouldn't leave me. He's an interesting character, one I felt I needed to explore further. Surrender to Me was supposed to be my back burner story. The one I went to in my free time or when I needed a break from my full length novel. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans and all...

Martin speaks the loudest, and who am I to argue?

http://photobucket.com/profile/NOXxcountessxXON/index

My sexy Dom finds himself falling for his not so submissive attorney Arianna. Martin is in for a surprise when he learns his straight-laced lady lawyer is ready to relinquish all control. She wants a peek inside his playroom, but can she handle all that the experienced Dominant has to offer?

Interesting...

Before I can introduce you to Martin and Arianna, you'll have to come and play with Cade and Gracie. In Make Me Stay, you'll see how Martin has a hand in bringing the two estranged lovers back together. Martin is a self-proclaimed D/s matchmaker.

Here's a look at what you can expect from Make Me Stay...

Natural submissive Gracie Miller thought she found her other half in Cade Jameson. He helped her through a difficult time in her life. She was young and impressionable, but Cade knew her body. He tapped into her submissive side and brought her more pleasure than she ever could have imagined. They were perfect for one another.  

Cade knew what he wanted in the bedroom. Gracie brought out his domineering side and ignited his passion. But he feared he was too dominant for this beautiful, naive girl, so he ended their relationship. 

Two and a half years later, Gracie returns a new woman. She disappeared to the city and found a "Master" who showed her what she was truly capable of. Now she's back and wants to show Cade exactly what kind of submissive she could be for him. Can Cade give into his desires this time? Can he be the man Gracie needs him to be?

***

Can you guess who the "Master" was that Gracie found in the city?

Ella

xoxo

Chicago North Spring Fling Conference

I finally get to tell the tale!

XOXO Jaye Shields

In a previous post, I mentioned an elaborate evening of suitcase packing to prepare for my very first conference. I had left no item behind in Alameda, CA that I thought would come in handy. My luggage was packed with every hot shoe I own, hot rollers, four dresses, five shades of lipstick and my rose therapy body cream. If I was going to meet an editor (and I did) I would smell good damn it!

After a rendezvous in the room with my fabulous roommate left me feeling assured the weekend would indeed be epic. After all, a girl with a short pink dress with crystal straps is one after my own heart. I knew she wouldn’t run from me when she woke up and I had hot rollers in my hair ;) Although…I do think she was quite entertained to wake up to Carrie Underwood-height hair.

Okay, enough about my hair. Tee-hee. On to the good stuff. The agent/editor appointments!

Okay, so everyone is guaranteed one appointment. Mine was with an editor from Avon. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to name names, so let’s just call her Foxy Editor #1. I walked in there, red dress billowing behind me like a champ, and took my seat with a please-publish-my-ass smile. :D  I introduced myself and mentioned I was published as Jaye Shields with two erotic novellas releasing this year and went on to tell her that fans of my erotic novellas will LOVE my full-length trilogy. Then I pitched her Secrets of the Sky, my epic tale of a young lady with a back full of enchanted tattoos. I love this book, but the problem is..it’s the third book in the trilogy. I had meant for them to stand alone, but pretty much every crit partner I’ve had had let me know that Sky does not really stand alone and that it’s a bit confusing in the beginning. I guess that’s bound to happen when the last book leaves off at an epic demon war above Alcatraz island. But I digress…So Foxy Editor #1 promptly requested a partial of 50 pages + complete synopsis. Then she told me not to worry if I don’t hear back for six months because that’s about how long it takes. Ouch. Before I was summoned from the room for the next eager appointment, Foxy Editor #1 told me she loved my dress and had noticed me earlier. *Blush*

The appointment I almost had to rumble over.

Okay, so if an appointment chickens out, the slot becomes free. I had high hopes for this to happen with a Samhain Editor. I just had the feeling that my novels were perfect for Samhain since they really have a feel for darker urban fantasies. So, I sat down with Foxy Editor #2, told her I was a huge Samhain fan, and that I am published under Jaye Shields, yada yada. She seemed really excited that I had some erotic novellas coming out about sex demons so I told her that I had originally queried Samhain, but received other contract offers and I didn’t hear back from Samhain in time. And when I did hear back from Samhain, they’d said they didn’t receive my submission. Foxy Editor #2 seemed so bummed by this I was really taken aback. What a sweetheart. So I finally got on to my pitch and she interrupted me to tell me that she loved my title and my heroine’s name. Sweet! Okay, fast forward, by the end of the appointment I was feeling pretty damn good. And she too liked my dress. *Swoon* When she confessed to an addiction with Marilyn Monroe I think I official declared her my editor soul mate. Oh, and we were both wearing nude high heels. Fate much? Needless to say, she requested a full. I can only hope she’s not pissed that I pitched her the third book in a series.

Besides Foxy Editor 1 and 2 I also met a bunch of brilliant aspiring and published authors. Among them was Sarah Anderson would charmed me with her workshop on being a harlequin author. Friggin hilarious. I’m pretty sure I chuckled the whole time. Oh, and I even got some swag. If you want to check out Sarah’s books, you can find them here.

I had the privilege of dining with her, and thank God, because I probably would have gotten myself in deep trouble when the auction came around. Anyone else out there have any hilarious over-bidding stories? After I heard a couple I was a bit timid with the bidding. After all, I’m still a starving artist…

Other highlights:

Meeting Tiffany Reisz at the book signing. Since I just went under contract for a couple erotic novellas, I was stoked to meet another young lady making it big in my genre. She was so adorable, and even signed “Jaye is a babe” in the novella swag I got. *Grin* What a poet. :) I bet she says that to everyone…

Hot Nights Critique…Very fun. But let’s just say that after hearing other ladies reading their “spicy” reads, I realized there wasn’t a room for my FLAMING reads.

Okay, since I’ve rambled on quite long, I’m just going to close on how fabulous the headliners were.

I had the joy to meet Simone Elkeles, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Dianna Love. All of their speeches brought me to tears with their hilarious words of encouragement and tales of triumphs and tribulations. Every time I gave Simone Elkeles (author of  much-loved Perfect Chemistry series) I felt her love and encouragement soak into me. When Dianna Love came around her desk to give me a hug I got teary-eyed. Simone Elkeles through a workshop worth flying from San Fracisco for...but I've been sworn to secrecy not to discuss the contents. Let's just say it was epic.

The support I realized existed between authors is a beautiful thing.

Yep, my first conference will never be forgotten and I want to thank everyone that attended for being incredible.

XOXO Jaye Shields

About Me: Born and raised in the grunge capitol, I took my love of music and poetry from the Pacific Northwest to California. Now I live in Alameda, a quaint island town in the Bay Area. Graduating this month with a degree in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology, I'm just itching to climb some more pyramids. When I'm not in school, I'm either working at VW or taking long walks along the Alameda beach and gazing at the the outline of San Francisco in the distance. Oh yes, and let's all go to Paris...

Other Links:

The End

 Up next at bat in the At The Beach Round 2 Anthology, talented author Kaylie Newell.
Check her out on Friday at www.kaylienewell.com for the continuation of her own steamy short.

Also up on Friday is Pepper Anthony. Find her yummy beach short at www.pepperanthony.com

Sun in Scotland – no, seriously!

This week has started off fab. The sun is splitting the trees, well its about 15c which to us means its time to whip out the milk bottle legs. Another bonus, the workmen across the street from my office decided to go sans shirt yesterday. Needless to say I didn't get much work done. Yes, I'm a perv :o)

Oh, not to mention the fact that I sold my second book, The Isle of Sensuality, to Beachwalk Press! More details on my blog. Yup, things are definitely looking up.

I have to ask though, 'cause its been freaking me out, has anyone noticed the size of the bumble bees and wasps this year? Have they all mutated over the winter and come back with some master plan? I'm not usually a paranoid person, but I was chased on my lunch break the other day by a bumble bee the size of a golf ball and I hate the regular sized ones! Creepy.

Anywho, ramble over. Hope you're all having glorious weather where you're at.

P.S. Woke up to a lovely mock-up of the cover art for The Monster of Fame today. Got a feeling this week's going to be awesome!

Xoxo

Beachwalk Press - New Releases

Its that time again, new releases from the fantastic publisher, Beachwalk Press. Be sure to check these out! They are available on amazon, nook, beachwalk press, Allromance, and bookstrand.

The flame within a dragon warrior's heart awakens Arianna's passion as she begins a journey in which she will discover she's something more than she ever imagined possible.

The realm of the dragons is a world of magic, danger, and mystery. For centuries they've been at war with the vampires, but now the two enemies must work together to save all immortals, and the mortals they co-exist with, from an ancient evil. In order to do so, they need the help of the Forsaken, descendants of immortals who were cast out into the human realm, their memories wiped clean of their true heritage.

Clayne MacDagon is a powerful dragon warrior who is sent on a mission to find one of the Forsaken. Although he's told that this woman is his fated mate, he can't believe it could possibly be true. Arianna Mergliano possesses both dragon and vampire blood, and Clayne has an intense hatred for anything even remotely related to vampires, the evil beings who were responsible for his beloved twin's death.

When Arianna meets Clayne, she's convinced that the man is insane, or maybe he's a warlock or even the devil himself, but whichever it is, she wants nothing to do with him.

Clayne knows he can't fail at his mission. And once he meets Arianna he also knows that what he's been told is true—she is, ironically, his intended mate.

Convincing her to accept him is only the beginning. He has to protect her from those who might want her dead. Together, they must face the shadows and evil that have long plagued the immortal realms and find a way to survive the coming war.

Content Warning: graphic sex, some violence

A ghost from Barb's past is an ever-present reminder that she’s not good mother material, so what happens when she falls for a man with a ready-made family?

Barb Grant is the resident dressmaker for Winter Creek, an old ghost town that's being rebuilt. But the town ghosts aren't the main thing that's causing Barb trouble. It's the pre-teen girl who suddenly decides she would make a good substitute mother. And the girl's father.

Wyatt Campbell has been the bane of Barb's existence since their first meeting. One minute the cowboy is pissing her off thoroughly, but then the next moment she's wanting to rip his clothes off and make love to him. When rumors start flying that he's a horrible lover, she can’t believe they could possibly be true. How could a man who can evoke so much passion be a bad lover? Her need to know the truth is the only reason she says "yes" to his date request. Her plan—have sex with him and then say goodbye.

Unfortunately, Wyatt has other plans. He wants a real relationship. But he comes with a ready-made family, and that scares Barb. A ghost from her own past keeps reminding her that she's not good mother material. She's made mistakes, mistakes that resulted in a child's life ending, and she can't ever forget that.

Could Wyatt be the one man capable of getting past her barriers? Or will Barb's past forever affect her life?

Friday Night Memories

Hey everyone, it’s Friday.  I was just thinking back to the days when I was single, and my bestie Alison and I would spend Friday nights at our favorite summer hangout, The Rusty Pelican. Happy hour meant yummy, free finger foods and cheap drinks, so we’d pretty much spend the whole evening there. There was a bar area with a good-sized dance floor, a fine-dining restaurant (spendy!), and an awesome deck overlooking the Willamette River. We’d stand there with our drinks, leaning out over the water, and let the silky breezes cool our faces, while of course checking out the single guys.. ...and letting ourselves be checked out by them.

Sounds idyllic, right? In retrospect, it could have been fun. But to be honest, the major emotion I was feeling at the time was anxiety. I might have looked cool and “together”, but inside I was a mess of self-doubt.

Do these pants make my butt look fat?
Is the moisture in the air making my hair fuzzy?
What if that super-hot guy asks me to dance? Yikes!

In the end, most of the guys I met there turned out to be looking for casual sex – big surprise – which was not something I was up for in those days.  Alison and I invariably went home alone, only to repeat the process the following weekend. I’m not sure what we were looking for. We never found it. I eventually met my hubby through a personal ad in the local art rag, forerunner of online dating. We’ve been together way more years than I care to admit here.

If the RP was still there, and I happened to be free on a Friday night, I would love to stand out on that deck again and watch the singles play their games.  I might understand it all a little better now. I’d certainly be more relaxed.

What about you? What was/is your favorite Friday night hang out? 

~Pepper Anthony
"Let's read something spicy!"