Saturday, December 27, 2014

Booked 2014

One Wicked Night by Jo Leigh - p (Temptation)
Her Cowboy Hero by Tanya Michaels - p (American)
Diary of a Mad Diva by Joan Rivers - p
Marrying the Cowboy by Trish Milburn - p (American)      
The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan - p (Presents)
The Marriage Proposition by Sara Craven - p (Presents)              
How Sweet It Is! by Roseanne Williams - p (Temptation)            
The Good, the Bad and the Wild by Heidi Rice - e (Presents)
Sensible Housekeeper, Scandalously Pregnant by Jennie Lucas - p (Presents)
The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean - p
Bet the House by Erika Marks - e
Queen of Your Own Life by Kathy Kinney - p
Secrets: Volume 8 by MaryJanice Davidson - p
Everybody's Got Something by Robin Roberts - p
Rodeo Rebel (Texas Rodeo Barons, #0.5) by Donna Alward (American)
Waking Up Pregnant by Mira Lyn Kelly - e (Kiss)
Her Rancher Rescuer by Donna Alward - e (American)
Hired by the Cowboy  by Donna Alward - e (Romance)
Crazy, Stupid Sex by Maisey Yates - e
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - a

 

Saturday, November 01, 2014

National Novel Writing Month!

I've been addicted to NaNoWriMo since 2004, when high on pain meds and fear, I finally finished my first novel. I'd started a dozen, but never made it to the end until NaNo intervened. That book - after much TLC - became Just One Spark. I've faithfully been a WriMo-er ever since. Most of the stories make it to publication (For Kicks, Drive Me Crazy) Others are not fit for human consumption, like the time I tried to write a Regency or the gothic horror I typed after losing three family members in a month. I'm sticking to my strengths this year - a Las Vegas wedding, a kilted hero, and schmexytimes in chapter 1!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

So this is happening...

At the coffee shop I'm writing at, I spy this...

And my mind thinks, what is Derek McNally up to? Why is he putting a student through this?

Monday, October 20, 2014

Wednesday, October 08, 2014

JUST ONE SPARK: First Kiss

Wide-eyed, Hannah looked up at him. He reached out as if in a dream, tucked his fingers underneath her chin, and angled her mouth up to accept his. He brushed his lips softly against hers, wondering if she’d resist him. Her eyelids drifted closed and he let himself taste her. 

Gently, he kissed her, fighting the urge to push and plunder. She crept her hands up his body and flattened her palms against his chest, resting them there for a second before she firmly pushed him away.

As her heavily fringed lids fluttered open, she said, “I don’t know you. You have no right to kiss me.”


Cocking his head to the side, he wondered if she was more upset that he’d kissed her, or that he’d stopped. From the way her chest hitched with every breath, he’d bet his paycheck on the latter. Still, she denied the attraction.

“That was not a kiss.”

“Excuse me? I know when I’ve been kissed,” she said breathily.


This is a kiss.”

JUST ONE SPARK
Amazon | BN | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

JUST ONE SPARK!

It's finally here! I've waited almost a decade to be able to bring Just One Spark to my North American readers. It's so exciting to be able to realize a dream.

  •  Here's an interview I recently did about me, Just One Spark, and what's next.
  • 1.  Who are you, how long have you been writing, and how long have you been with Samhain?  :D  (If you have alter egos, please feel free to let us know about them, too!)  Is this your first release or your 50th?

I'm Jenna. I never introduce myself as 'Jenna Bayley-Burke' because, well, it feels weird. When you meet someone you don't spew out name rank and serial number. Lucky for me, most reader events and conferences come with a badge :) I write sexy contemporaries, and have a love for monogamous erotica which I write as Jenna Allen. I've been writing forever, but finished my first novel with NaNoWriMo in 2004. It came out in 2006 with Mills & Boon in Europe, Asia, & Australia. I was so sad it never made it to North America - until today! Just Once Spark was my first release, and now, my 11th with Samhain :D

2.  Do you write full time?  part-time?  for an hour at a time in the middle of the night?  :)  If you have a penname (or five), how did you choose your alter ego?  Would you do that again?  :)  Did the characters in this story surprise in any way?  Or did they do just as you anticipated?


My baby is in first grade this year! Which means I now consider myself a full-time author. I try my best to write during the week, while they're all at school. I take off one weekend day for family time, and try not to work from the time the kids get off the bus until they're asleep.

My name is my name. I should have been more imaginative, but I was just so darned proud to see my name on a book! For the erotica I went with Jenna Allen because they voice is so different. It's first person, which I know from meeting my readers that a lot of them aren't into that. And I didn't want a reader grabbing Desire Renewed expecting a sexy, light beach read and getting emotional erotica. The stories are different, so it made sense.

I wrote Just One Spark without any plan, so the characters were always surprising me. I mean, penguins? Hairless dogs named Monkey? I still can't believe I made that up.

3.  Are you doing anything special to celebrate your newest release?  Framed coverart?  Night out on the town?  New jewelry?  New body art?  New appliances?  Trip to a place on your bucket list?


I'm down for the count! I usually celebrate with a nice, romantic dinner with the hubster complete with champagne. But I got sucker punched my diverticulitis on Friday and I'll be off food for at least another week. Every time I hit a big bestseller list I hit the Coach outlet for a new handbag, and name the bag after the book. So far, I have two - David & Xavier :D
 
4.  Are you going on a blog tour?  If so, let us know where so we can stalk, um, I mean, FOLLOW you ;)

I haven't had much success with my last few blog tours. Which ones do y'all follow?

5.  Where can we find you on the web?  (Website, FB, Twitter, Pinterest, etc...)

Jenna Bayley-Burke
 
Jenna's Romantic Notions

Jenna Bayley-Burke

Jenna Bayley-Burke (@jennabb) | Twitter

Jenna Bayley-Burke (jbayleyburke)
 

6.  What are you working on next?  Any sooper-sekrit projects coming up?  Please spill--we can totally keep a secret!  ;)

I just turned in Caribbean Cowboy, the 4th in the Under the Caribbean Sun series. Y'all will LOVE Janny. She's a die-hard romance lover who has Nik playing the role of all her favorite heroes. Lucky bastard.

The rest of the Just One series is coming soon. First up is Just One Touch, featuring Derek and Kate who play a prominent role in Just One Spark.

And...there may be a sooper-sekrit project in the works with Donna Alward & Sarah M Anderson. With cowboys. Not sure how much I can say on that one... 

7.  Speaking of bucket lists, what places or things ARE on your bucket list?  Any plans to work down that list this year?  :D  Perhaps in the name of research?  What's the most interesting thing you've learned/place you've gone for research?

Research is the best bucket list excuse ever! I'd love to go to a dude ranch and refresh my western skills. M grandpa sold the ranch when I was 14, so I'm way rusty. And Paris. Because it's Paris. I really want to take my kids to Disneyland. They've never been, and my oldest is 13 so I worry I missed my window with him.

8.  Did you enjoy any conferences or signings this year?  Where can your readers meet you in person?  Do you enjoy these events or dread them?  How do you choose which, if any, to attend?

I'm back on the conference circuit, and I have to admit, I like the smaller reader-focused ones best. I am horrible co-dependent, so I need to latch on to someone nice. Much easier to find nice people in a room of romance readers than industry types. I'll be at the Emerald City Writers Conference in Bellevue, WA next weekend. Next year, I'm planning on RT in Dallas, RWA in NYC, and maybe Lori Foster's reader author weekend. If y'all know of any fun reader events, I'd love to go.

9. Happy October!  Any fun fall plans or are you writing, writing, WRITING?!  (Not that writing isn't FUN! ;) )  And have you started your fall decorating?  Do you go all out?  Have you started shopping for Halloween candy?  Do you dress up?  Can you tell us what your costume plans are going to be?  ;)

I have the kids costumes sorted out - Aurora, Blackbeard, and sullen teenager. We have a great neighborhood for trick or treating, and love seeing all the costumes. Our dogs however, hate Halloween. All that knocking and strangers. I always toss on some kind of hat and call it a costume. It's amazing how versatile a witch's hat can be.

10. Is your newest a stand-alone?  Or part of a series?  If it's part of a series, we'd love to learn more about the series too!!

Just One Spark is stand-alone, but also part of the Just One series, following the lives and love's of the McNally brothers. Up next is Just One Touch!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Pink Heart Society: Time Out Thursday - Nail Art

The Pink Heart Society: Time Out Thursday - Nail Art: Our Pink Heart Society columnist Jenna Bayley-Burke dreams about taking a time-out. On the beach with a pina colada. Until she actually runs away from home, she's always on the lookout for ways to take a little time to herself, even if it's only by doing her nails.

Saturday, August 09, 2014

Romance Cooks

I'm sharing Lauren's Red Potato and Bacon Salad (Cooking Up A Seduction) on Romance Cooks ::  http://nblo.gs/Z3OWW

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Glow Run!

For some reason, I love fun runs. The 5K version with a walking option. Basically, I like to wander about and look at people dressed in ridiculous costumes. All the better if there is beer at the end. And thanks to my sister, this one was free. And we all know how much I love a freebie.

When we arrived they gave us glow-glasses and necklaces, we brought flashing rings, and as soon as the sun set, they sent us off to cross the bridges and walk by the river. Neither are things I would typically attempt in Portland at night.

I loved it, especially when they started the foam machine. I am a fan of all things quirky.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Caribbean Cowboy

I wish life had lined up so I could write faster about Nik Hansen. In the mean time...

Monday, June 09, 2014

What Google Really Thinks of Me

I was stalking The Bloggess and she did a post about Googlism, a site that gives you the straight poop on what Google thinks of you. Of course this made me curious, as most things do. I had check it out. Careful, it's not like you can unlearn these things about yourself.

jenna is famous
jenna is ecstatic
jenna is even dumber than her father
jenna is the answer to a mothers prayers
jenna is appearing on live with regis on monday
jenna is described as "bubbly" and “a blue
jenna is known along the strip
jenna is certainly special
jenna is like that also in real life
jenna is winning
jenna is really concentrating here
jenna is in the building
jenna is knowledgeable about spacecraft
jenna is torn about her future
jenna is a masterpiece
jenna is a chameleon
jenna is more than a woman
jenna is a chip off the old block
jenna is all business on the wrestling mat
jenna is a goddess
jenna is a very sweet

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

RT Convention :: New Orleans!


Every year, the leading magazine about romantic fiction holds a conference where thousands of readers convene to celebrate all things romance. At the RT Convention there are parties and book fairs and parties and luncheons and parties and...you get it.

I'd never braved the masses, but I've always wanted to go to New Orleans, so I prepared my introverted self and made the trip. Largely because my publisher promised I could throw beads off a Mardi Gras float. Can you say bucket list?


Plus, it was my birthday weekend, and Randy lives there so if I truly freaked out I'd have someone to laugh at me in the loony bin.

Things did not start as I had planned. I made it to the airport for my buttcrack-of-dawn flight, and they postponed my flight for two hours. Then six. Then...I took a flight that would get me as far as Denver, and hopefully to New Orleans by midnight. I had an eight am meeting the next day, so I was keen to get there. Plus...I had scheduled a ghost tour. Ah, well.

I made it there around two am. Luckily my roommate was waiting at the door and had found a couple of dudes to buy our drinks. Apparently, I've set a precedent with her that the bar is required after airline issues.

The conference started in full swing the next morning. To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. There were so many people! Most of the authors had been there before, or were newbies. So I was in this weird place of being established, and not knowing what the heck to do. I learned quickly - give stuff away. Lots of it. These readers want stuff for them, and for their family and friends. Okay. Will do that next time.

Every time I felt overwhelmed or underprepared, I took a walk outside. Our hotel was an easy walk to just about all the bucket list things in Nola. Our first excursion was to the French Market. They have a little bit of everything there, mostly at tourist prices. But I did find a few budget friendly reader bribes - I mean gifts. Whenever I do a print signing, I like to have a few things on hand for readers who come to say hello, but don't buy a book because they already have the ebook. Given the crowds at RT, I knew the dozen treats I'd brought would be gone in no time.


Lynda had vacationed with her family there the week before, so she was able to play tour guide to a cemetery - where if you knock three times on a witch's crypt and make a wish, it comes true. We also saw Nikolas Cage's pyramid tomb. Like all good ghost hunters, we stopped for beignets on the way back.

During the weekend we also went to a voodoo shop, and an occult shop where a friend had her cards read.

On my birthday, I dragged all my girls to have our tea leaves read. Accordingly, I can expect seven years of success and overseas travel in 2015. So there is that.

The conference went well for me, but next time? I'm swagging it out!



Friday, May 02, 2014

Greetings From the Review Trail

Cooking Up A Seduction has been getting some great reviews lately...

I give Cooking Up Seduction 5 Fangs only because 6 isn’t allowed. Hot steamy romance mixed with yummy described food makes an awesome tale. -- Authors That Rock

A lovely, fun and smooth read that I can heartily recommend to even the most discerning of romance readers. -- Rage, Sex & Teddy Bears

I will try to keep my gushing about this book small, but that will be difficult as this was such a fantastic read. This is one I know you won't regret reading. -- Sarah Says Read Romance

Thursday, May 01, 2014

That Time I Got Stabbed At My Brother's Wedding

We're just back from a trip to DC for my brother's wedding. The bride was gorgeous, the ceremony touching, the pictures full of personality & the reception was off the hook! Until I got stabbed.

By a pencil thin stiletto heel, in my toe. I may have disinfected it with a shot of vodka. It wasn't nice vodka, I wouldn't be so wasteful. But it did end my dancing early, even before my one-year-old niece stole the spotlight with her rendition of the hokey pokey.

I think my bridesmaid season is ending. My brothers are all married, as are many of my friends. Which is fine, because I am a dynamite wedding guest but kind of a lackadaisical bridesmaid. I'm the one trying to get everyone to have some champagne and cracking jokes. The MOH in this wedding was fierce! It was awesome to watch her in action. Reminded me of my own MOH :)

This wedding was doubly special for our family because we welcomed two new members into our brand of crazytown - the lovely bride and my too-cute-for-words nephew. He's only six-weeks and he made it into the family portrait! My mom was so excited. I hope I didn't pull a face in that pic, because I have a feeling it will be hanging in my parents living room forever.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Glam Squad

My sister-in-law called in a glam squad for the wedding. I had no idea what to ask for - so I said I didn't want all my hair back & not too much make-up.

And then all my hair went back and the make-up was caked on. At that point, though, eh, just roll with it. My mom liked it, so there was that. My daughter wanted to know what happened to my face. Nice, kiddo. I'm telling myself that make-up looks good in pictures, not in person.

And learn to take a selfie. Sheesh, that pic is blurry.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Caribbean Cowboy sneak

This hasn't been polished buy the lovely editor, but I felt like sharing...


Janny slipped her arms into Nik's jacket and frowned. “I’m not exactly dressed for taking a turn as a biker chick.”

“You’ll never touch the ground, so it won’t matter a bit. Climb on, princess.”

She glanced down at the dress and heels and decided practicality played no part in fantasy. In for a penny. She stepped to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. His lean thighs gripped the bike so it held steady as she climbed on. She gathered her skirt between them and inched forward until the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs pressed so close she felt the seam of his jeans. She leaned forward, her body very aware as she pressed herself against his back.

“That’s it. Now hold tight.” He took her hands and pulled her arms around his torso, hugging him closer than she would have dared on her own. His nipple peaked beneath one palm, the ridges of his abs teasing the other.

Exhilaration shot through her, lifting her high above her usual caution. She lifted her feet off the ground and hooked the heels of her shoes onto the pegs beneath her legs. He lifted the kickstand and turned back to her.

“Think of it like dancing to a song you’ve never heard, princess. Lean in and let me lead. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”


 

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Reviews

A lovely review from Farrah at Imagine A World ::

Cooking Up a Seduction was a lovely romance. It was light, fun, and a truly enjoyable read. Romance lovers, this is a book worth checking out.

Friday, April 11, 2014

For Kicks - new review

 Thanks to Miranda Grissom Joyfully Reviewed for a lovely review
Jenna Bayley-Burke’s For Kicks is one outstanding romance. Breeze and Logan heat things up quickly. Breeze is such a determined woman she almost lets it get in her way. Logan is carefree but knows when to be serious. I love the way he romances Breeze. It is so sweet and dreamy. I mean, if a guy did some of the stuff he does for me I would be putty in his hands :) . This contemporary novel has it all: exceptional characters, wonderful plot and a heavenly romance. Don’t miss out on For Kicks this is a keeper romance.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Thursday Thirteen Interview :: Liz Everly



1. Latest release?  Like Honey , the third in my SAFFRON NIGHTS series is just out. It’s set in beautiful Scotland with a sexy spy-turned-beekeeper and a young lonely widow. Gray is sent to there to infiltrate her honey business because of illegal goings-on. They are very attracted to one another—but he’s her employee (at least that what she thinks) and she may be a criminal, so Gray can’t act on his impulses. The way they get to know one another better makes up a part of the story. The other part is the suspense element, which includes an international drug ring, along with local rivalries.
2. In the hottest scene...kisses or condoms?  Neither—honey. ;-)


3. What are you working on?  I also do a little publishing on Amazon right now. I’m publishing a series of linked short stories, Eight Lays Around the World . The first one is set in Egypt, the next one will be set in Hong-Kong.  These stories are more erotic than romance. Grin.
In addition, I’ve just signed a contract with Harper Impulse to do and anthology with my group blog, Lady Smut. LADY SMUT’S BOOK OF DARK DESIRES.

4. What have you Googled for research? Oh GAWD, what haven’t I googled? From methods of murder to kinky sex toys and BDSM practices to all kinds of freaky food things. Hah!
5. What do you drink when writing? Water or hot tea. Not very exciting, is it? I’ve tried to write with a glass of wine—it sounds so romantic! But it doesn’t work for me.


6. Do you have a writing uniform? Nope.
7. Where do you write? I write in a room that used to be a sun porch. We’ve turned it into an office.
8. What was the last thing you read? Hmmm. I read something in a genre I don’t usually read and I liked it. The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr. I liked it a lot.

9. Paper, audio, or ebook? Paper. But I love my Nook!


10. Favorite book in the last few months? Wisp of a Thing: A Novel of the Tufa (Tufa Novels) by Alex Bledsoe

11. Favorite social network? Twitter.
12. Secret super power? Disappearing. Especially when I have a book due. My family can not find me, my house remains untouched, and I am gone, baby!

13. Guilty pleasure? Chocolate. Always!

LIKE HONEY

Saffron Nights, Book 3
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 
Wanted: A Hot Honey of a Man

Love brought Jennifer D'Amico to Scotland, but it's honey that makes her stay. Her honey farm is all the beautiful widow has left of her brief marriage. All she needs is a master beekeeper to get the flailing business back on track. What she gets is Grayson McGhilly, a boldly sexy stranger who knows his honey--almost as well as he knows how to bring Jennifer to the brink of passion. . ..

From the moment Gray lays eyes on Jennifer, he's hooked, mind and body. But his mission isn't just to savor every succulent inch of her, but to keep her from harm. For Gray isn't just a beekeeper, but an undercover agent investigating criminal activity at her farm. And now he'll do just about anything to keep the sweet and oh-so-satisfying Jennifer safe in his arms. . ..

 
 
Liz Everly writes, plays, and cooks in a tiny house with a big garden. She writes under a pen name to escape expectations and to embrace all possibilities.