Romance Slam Jam, for the love of books

When readers and writers merge in one place to network, laugh and have fun together it's called Romance Slam Jam. Book lovers from across the globe make up the attendees of this annual event. The location changes, however, the love and atmosphere doesn't. This year Detroit, MI was out home. From the welcoming reception to a tour of Hitsville, USA to the Emma Award Banquet RSJ pulls emotions from deep within your core. Hosted by a book club this years RSJ yielded Karaoke, a river boat ride and as always a magnificent luncheon and Emma Awards. Some times you are meeting new friends, reconnecting with friends you only see during this time or sometimes you are just mingling with tried and true comrades. It doesn't matter why you attend, we all have something in common. The love of books. Love never gets any better than this. It wraps around you and the energy of from it brings forth light. No one ever leaves the way they entered.

12 NEW SENSUAL ROMANCE STORIES BY TWELVE AUTHORS THAT WANT TO BRING YOU THE BEST IN CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE. Do you love sexy boss stories? What about those stories where there is sexual tension and a hot love affair? Only for one or both of the characters to discover they work together and are at odds. Oh, the passion mounts…come inside and see the great stories awaiting by some of romance’s top bestselling authors. Keith Thomas Walker ~ Hotline Fling ~ When Sonya decides to date a co-worker at her call center, there’s a lot more than love on the line. Sheryl Lister ~ He’s conducting his own experiment…one passionate kiss at a time. Monique Lamont ~ Boss of You ~ When love appears to be a twisted joke of fate, it is time to stay and fight or run like hell. Deatri King-Bey ~ Someone to Hold ~ Heating things up from the bedroom to the boardroom. Barbara Keaton ~ Clean Up Love ~ Both are vying to win, neither anticipated falling in love nor the chain of events that threaten their chance at a happily ever after. Wayne Jordan ~ Uncover Me ~ Trey planned on hiring her to care for his sons, but he could only think of kissing her…over and over. Denise Jeffries ~ Bon Appe’tit ~ How many eggs will a chef have to crack to find the recipe for love? Cheris Hodges ~ Hard for the Money ~ Somebody has to come out on top. Shelia Goss ~ If These Shoes Could Talk ~ When a woman from the Big Easy meets a man bringing that Texas heat…it results in one spicy union. AC Arthur ~ Come Ride With Me – When hands-on training consists of his hands on her body. Kianna Alexander ~Working Overtime- He’s the only one with the skills to save her farm…and change her life. Available Now: Amazon iBooks Barnes and Noble Kobo

It's all about family!

I was lying in bed, eyes closed thinking I needed a nap. I even posted on face book that was my intention. However, my mine wouldn't shut down. After all it was only three hours after I'd gotten up for the day but since procrastination was strong today it sounded like a good idea. I was thinking about family and how blessed we are when we have family. I found myself out of the bed and in my kitchen staring out the window. my mind reminiscing about the recent family reunion/cookout I hosted in July. Lots of food, laughs, stories and thoughts about the ones not present. Before I knew it it was pulling the peaches I recently brought on my trip back from Myrtle Beach. I just spent a few days with A.C. Arthur at her beach bash. More family. A.C. was the matriarch of the event who surrounded us with readers. More family. There were readers present that I've know for years and readers I hadn't had the pleasure to meet until the beach bash. Other family included fellow authors. We come together with the some of the same goals. Network. Build readership. Have fun and if its at all possible, allow out muse to roam free and pick up on the energy filling out lungs and just maybe we'll be able to pound out more books and work on the ones waiting for us so we can attend more bashes and events. It's the family that we have weaved together that keeps us going. They keep us focused and do what we love to do. We want to hang out with old readers, meet new ones and network with other authors and do what we are disdained to do... write.

Tag lines and blurbs

That one little line that will grab you and pull you into a book. That simple sentence that defines an author. Lines like Denise Jeffries, Author. A wild ride of romance and intrigue. What does that say to you. I write romance. Sure. I like to keep my readers intrigued. Yes! All of that and more. It also keeps me wanting to put out a good product and keep my readers busy and happy. I want them to say, when is the next book coming out. I want to hear, are you coming to the conference, etc. These are the things that drive me. Take for instance, my latest release, 'Saint's Bayou,'As anger builds and sparks fly, when their paths cross again, will they be able to put the past where it belongs... in the past and allow what's building between them to blossom or will the lies separate them forever. This book has two people who crossed paths in their past and in the blink of an eye, they were again in their own worlds with mere memories of what they share. This sentence says a lot. How many of us have met someone in our past or done something and you wish you could push the past away and start new. How many of us wish we could turn back the clocks of time. I recently saw a statement that was so profound it will most likely stay with me for a very long time. The statement said, 'if I could turn back time, I'd find you sooner so that I could love you longer.' My circle knows I lost my husband last year, Feb. 2014. We were only married for 15 years before he died. If only... And what about, As worlds collide, only one will survive. Immediately you know this is a book about survival. It's about forces fighting together to win a war. The question is, who will win? Who will come out the victor. And does it matter that they are shape-shifting fire fighters? And finally, when your dreams become nightmares and your nightmares become reality... run. How bad can a nightmare be. I had a nightmare once where a man was standing over me strangling me. I fought and kicked to save my lift. The crazy thing of it all. I knew I was dreaming, but I couldn't pull myself out of it. When I finally woke, my throat was sore and my voice was harsh. Run? I know I would. Would you? I think its a good assumption that it can be a minor sentence or tag line that draws someone to a book and keep them there. Intrigue. Love. Lust. Suspense. Murder or romance, rather it's contemporary or historical, authors have a very difficult job of remaining true to the words and delivering what they promise. If we don't the reader will do what... run!

Wow! It has been a long time since I wrote on my blog. Where has the time gone. 2014 was very emotional for me. I lost my husband Feb. 5th. A piece of me is now in heaven kicking up his heels and feeling good. However, I God is good. He brought me family and friends that have held me up and given me strength. My author friends and the multitude of readers have been by my side keeping me strong, making sure I didn't waver too far from the writing world. At one time I didn't want to write, however, they wouldn't have it. My muse was enlightened with ideas and vigor. I now have three full length manuscripts that I am finalizing. The first one, Saint's Bayou, will be released in March, just in time for Romance Slam Jam, www.romanceslamjam.com. If you haven't registered you need to do it right now. The second one is Rhythms of the Soul which I'm hoping will be released this summer. It will be a great summer read. Lastly, Stalking Passion will be out early 2016. Yeah! I am doing the happy dance. It feels good to have the writing bug. Saint's Bayou, blurb. Enjoy! Tyson St. Jerreau didn't believe in fate, luck or love at first sight. He believes in getting the job done. It's about the missing women and children. The girls and the boys. It’s about the case. The one thing he certainly didn't have time for was history repeating itself. Raine Jacobs doesn't believe in fate or love either or anything else that instills beliefs that life is fair and what it's supposed to be. After all, she shouldn't even be here. She's supposed to be dead. As anger builds and sparks fly, when their paths cross... again, will they be able to put the past where it belongs... in the past and allow what's building between them to blossom or will the lies separate them forever.

Look how the time flew by

Geez, I knew life threw some very heavy bricks into my life but I had no idea it had been so long since I wrote in my blog. I've been working on a few things. Saint's Bayou and Rhythms of the Soul. Both are finished at least first draft. Now on to second and third and so forth. I had hoped to have Saints Bayou out this past spring but it didn't happen. Oh well. Life happens. Here's a little taste of this romantic suspense. 'Tyson sucked Raine’s finger between his lips. Her breath hitched when his tongue stroked along its length, when he pulled on it. He laid her down onto the bed, touched her, kissed her. He wanted this to be special. He wanted to make love to her the old fashioned way, drawn out kisses and strokes. He wanted her pliable under his hands. He wanted her gasping for breath and begging him to allow her to orgasm. And when she couldn’t take it anymore, when his body screamed for release just as loudly, he’d slid into her in long drawn out strokes, rekindling the fires that burned so deep within them that when it was over their skin would be burned from their bodies. The curtains in his apartment would go up in flames as would the mattress and sheets. When he’d finished with her she wouldn’t know her name. She wouldn’t be able to move, much less walk. When he finished with her, she would have no choice but to come back to him because without him she’d die. Pretty much as he would die without her.' I can say one thing happened over the past months. If you haven't had a chance to get, Yesterday's Promises, you better hurry up. Yesterday's Promises is the much awaited sequel to Sleeping Beauty. 'Until history is brought into the light the days will remain in the dark. Lies... Everything they lived, believed and fought for was a lie. Now the one thing Deatra fears the most must come to light. Can she break free and awaken her true self or will the lies destroy her forever. Redemption... Promises are meant to be broken. history could push Xavier into the arms of another woman and away from the one he truly desires, loves. How far is he willing to go to get what he wants? To get his mate? How much of his heart, his soul is he willing to give up? Love... Yesterday's Promises are not what they seemed. With nothng in their favor, will there be enough love to finally break the curse that has plagued them for centuries? Is it enough to tear away the shados clouding what they want, desire, need? As world's collage only one will survive.

Exclusive Interview with Jericho Wolfe and Dominque Rue from St. Agnes (Whispers in the Dark)

Reporter: I’m here in St. Agnes with Jericho Wolfe and Dominique Rue. I’d heard so much about this small Eastern Shore town I had to visit. I must say I was impressed. The people are absolutely amazing. After much begging I finally convinced several of them to give me impromptu interviews about their life in this quaint little town. So let us begin. Reporter: “So tell me Jericho, how are things with you and Dominique?” (Jericho reached out and grasped Dominique’s hand and gave it a little squeeze.) Jericho: “We are good.” He chuckled softly, “No, not really, we are great.” Reporter: “Well, that’s just wonderful. Rumor has it that Dominique didn’t want anything to do with you. Is this true? How did you get her to change her mind?” (Dominique rolled her eyes toward the sky; however a slight smile curved the corner of her mouth.) Jericho: “It’s amazing what people can do with a mango.” (Dominique burst out laughing.) Reporter: “Did I miss something. What about you Dominique, when did you know he was the one?” (Dominique cleared her throat.) Dominique: “No, it was nothing. He was very persistent, that’s all and besides, who said I changed my mind. The jury might still be out.” Jericho: “You see what I have to put up with.” (He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Her eyes widened in shock surprise.) Reporter: “I’ve been told St. Agnes was a quiet little town until you arrived. Can you elaborate?” (Dominique shook her head.) Dominique: “This town hasn’t changed one bit since I moved in. It’s still full of nosey busy bodies, Jericho included. It’s always been crazy.” Reporter: “Now correct me if I’m wrong. You were almost killed recently, correct?” (Dominique didn’t answer. Neither did Jericho which told me there was more to that story.) (Dominique glanced at her watch and then Jericho.) Reporter: Am I keeping you from something? (Jericho smiled and shook his head.) Dominique: “Yes, life.” Reporter: “Okay, sure. Just a one more question and I’ll be done. Jericho, I was told by my sources an old flame of yours recently sent you flowers in hopes of getting back together. How does a man handle that?” Jericho and Dominique in unison: “There’s nothing to handle.” (They glanced at each other and something in their eyes said there was more to that story.) Reporter: “Oh, I see. Well with that I’m going to leave you to do whatever it is you do in St. Agnes. Dominique can get back to her police officer duties and Jericho to his teaching at the college.” Want to know more about Jericho and Dominique’s story? Keep reading for a blurb for Whispers in the Dark. When your dreams become nightmares, there’s only one thing to do… run. Dominique’s hands and soul are stained with her partner’s blood. Riddled with guilt because she never admitted her true feelings for him to herself, she flees the nightmares and walks away from the police force and her past life. What she didn’t bargain for… Jericho Wolfe, the handsomely nosey next-door neighbor. He will stop at nothing to uncover her secrets and hide some of his own. Will his persuasiveness break down the wall she has built around her or add more mortar to the nightmares.