Special Guest: Jeanne St. James

Today we have a special guest, award-winning erotic romance author Jeanne St. James. Her book Banged Up launches today at Liquid Silver Books:

Mace Walker can’t wait to get home. Being buried deep undercover for the past two years, on the most complex case of his career, has torn him down physically and mentally. Now the FBI agent has come home to recover after having his leg badly injured from a gunshot wound. Arriving home late one night, his relief is short-lived as he’s faced with a stranger pointing a gun to his head, acting like he is the one who doesn’t belong there!

Colby Parks, a biochemist at the local university, had come to town a year earlier to escape an abusive relationship. She vows never to put herself in that situation again. Then the perfect opportunity comes along: house-sitting for Mace’s sister while making the house she purchased habitable. But she couldn’t anticipate this big snag: the one wearing the tight Levi’s and worn leather jacket, looking like he had just escaped prison. Being forced to share a house creates sparks between them in more ways than one. However, things take a turn when their pasts catch up to them, threatening to pull them apart forever.

Happy release day, Jeanne, and welcome to The Cozy Page!

Thank you for having me! I’m very excited that you’ve invited me here today to celebrate my first release.

Banged Up sounds like an exciting story. I can't wait to read it! Tell us where this idea came from and why you were compelled to write it.

Oh, boy, it’s been so long since I originally started Banged Up. I sat on it for years (I hate to admit that!) afraid to submit it anywhere (even with its contest wins). But I love all aspects of law enforcement and have training in law enforcement myself (as well as two degrees in Criminal Justice) and know a little bit about guns (I own a Glock). One day a scene popped into my head and it ended up being the beginning scene which is an injured FBI agent coming come to heal and being confronted in his own house by a gun-wielding stranger. The irony of him coming home and being put in harms way in his own “safe haven” was what got the story started.

Banged Up has received several accolades! To name a few, it placed 1st in the 2006 Spring into Romance Contest, 2nd in the VRW’s Fool For Love Contest, and 3rd in the CNYRW’s Close Encounters of the First Kind Contest. Why do you think this story has been so well-received?

Good question. I think it was because of the opening scene. I’ll include an excerpt of Chapter One and maybe everyone can judge it for itself.

Your hero, Mace, is an undercover agent. What kind of research did you have to do for his job?

Actually, not much. I work in law enforcement and so does my fiancé. I have various law enforcement training, so that helped.

I can’t count how many romance readers love their law enforcement heroes. What is it about them that makes them so gripping?

They are true Alpha heroes. They are not afraid to put themselves in harms way to save or protect their loved one, friends or family.

Colby, Banged Up’s heroine, sounds like a character readers will easily be able to sympathize. Can you tell us what motivates her and what attracts her to Mace? What draws her back?

What motivates Colby is her desire to be independent (since she came out of an abusive relationship). Mace is a strong male presence but has a soft spot for Colby. He is non-threatening but still an Alpha through and through. His strength is what keeps drawing her back.

According to your website bio, you write erotic romance because it’s a blast and because you love tying it up with an HEA at the end. What’s your method for tying the romance into an erotic storyline?

Well, basically it’s just a romance at the core. I just push the envelope a bit (sometimes quite a bit like in Double Dare) when it comes to a sex scene. I make it hotter, steamier. Banged Up began as a non-erotic romance and I decided to expand the love scenes before submitting it. An erotic romance needs to be a romance first. The hero and heroine have to have an emotional tie and not just have sexual relations.

You fell in love with romance by reading historical and contemporary category romance. Was there a title that really stuck out to you? Why?

Not just one title but some authors. Katherine Sutcliffe and Laura Kinsale are some of my all-time favorites. It had to do with their characters. I fell in love with their broken heroes (especially Kinsale’s).

Banged Up isn’t the only release for you this fall. In fact, November’s a big month for you with two launches, an interracial ménage and m/m. What made you want to branch out to these sub-genres (and feel free to tell us more about them :)?

Well, I just found out I have a little schedule change (which occurs in the publishing business). Double Dare, which is my interracial ménage a trios, will not be out until January due to scheduling conflicts. It involves an established m/m relationship in which the couple brings in a third, who is a female. It was my first ménage and the fastest book I ever wrote. I enjoyed every minute of writing it. That will be released by Loose Id. Then November 30th, Rip Cord should be released. More firsts for me: a m/m romance and a novella. I decided to write m/m to try something different. I’m not sure I will stick with it. I enjoyed writing the m/m/f ménage story more. But I wrote Rip Cord for a special call for submissions Phaze was having. So Rip Cord will be part of their “Rebel” Heatsheets. You can find out more about both of those stories and read the blurbs and excerpts on my website at http://www.jeannestjames.com/.

Okay, now for the fun part! What’s your zodiac and what does it say for today?

I am a Leo. Today it says (which is funny because I am working on edits so it’s really fitting):
The process of your work or a work project will have quick completion today . . . perhaps coming to an end a little faster than you thought possible. The ending of some projects leave you plenty of time for a long lunch; careful with those second helpings. Your thinking, talking and communication with co-workers flow smoothly. You may later receive news that excites you into action for the next project. Your attitude is usually to hop onto something as soon as it comes to your attention, which is why you are appreciated. This afternoon is favorable for planning, short trips and letter writing. Others acknowledge your intelligence and informed ideas. This evening there are community obligations but there is always time for family affairs.

If you could set a romance where you live, what genre would it be? Historical? Romantic suspense? Paranormal or urban fantasy?

Well, I’d have to say a paranormal because I live in the woods up on the side of a mountain. I could see werewolves and vampires running around.

If you were a mixed drink, what would you be and why?

Probably a whiskey sour. I’m strong and sometimes can be sour (LOL!) but I have a sweet side too.

Who is your favorite erotic/romance hero of all time? Heroine?

I can’t pinpoint any in particular. I really like damaged heroes and heroines who have to overcome a lot internally and externally to find their true love.

What recent read would you recommend?

I recently read Sea Lord by Virginia Kantra. I enjoy her Children of the Sea series. I recently met her at the Romance Writers of America National Conference down in Washington, D.C. She’s a very nice person and a great storyteller.

What’s your favorite smell and is there anything that makes it significant?

Vanilla. It just soothes me.

And last but not least, if you found your heart’s desire at the end of the rainbow, what would it be?

To stay home and write full-time. Maybe soon.

Thanks again for lounging with us here at The Cozy Page, Jeanne! I look forward to reading Banged Up and will definitely be looking for Rip Cord in November and Double Dare in January! To close, would you mind giving us a nibble of Banged Up?

From Chapter 1:

Relief flooded over Mace Walker as he twisted the key in the lock, gave the front door a shove, and stepped over the threshold. Finally home. About time.

Time to heal.

The foyer was dark, but he didn’t need to hit the light switch. Even being gone for as long as he had been, he still knew the house well enough. He made his way to the stairs and set down his bags. Those two small duffels didn’t hold much evidence of his life for the past couple of years. Just some toiletries and a few basic items of clothes.

As he straightened, the foyer lit up, blinding him for a second. He blinked as a young voice rang out from the top of the steps.

“Hold it right there! Put your arms up and back away from the stairs.”

What the fuck?

Mace had expected to see his sister bounding down the stairway of his two-story colonial, excited after not seeing her brother for the past two years. Actually more like one year, eleven months, and fifteen days. Not that he was counting. But instead he stared up into the deadly eye of a Glock. And from his viewpoint it looked like a model 23, a .40 caliber. A compact, but still a decent sized, gun in a very small, very uneasy hand. Instantly, the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

Damn. He'd dealt with crime bosses and their flunkies -- from drug to porno rings -- and had managed to survive. Now he was going to be killed by some measly punk he surprised while burglarizing his house? The cruel irony made him want to laugh.

Instead, he did as he was instructed. With caution he raised his hands above his head before stepping back toward the middle of the foyer. He avoided standing directly under the light, trying to get a better view of the top of the steps. But he didn’t have much success; the upstairs hallway and the upper section of the stairway were hidden in shadows.

If he played his cards right, this little situation would be under his control in no time at all. He just had to keep the kid calm and make the skinny punk believe that he was the one in command. From experience Mace knew the Glock didn't have a conventional safety. All the kid had to do was pull the trigger and pull it again and again until all the rounds in the clip emptied into Mace’s body. And from what he could see in the limited light, the kid's fingers were twitching from nervousness.

Not a good sign.

Where had a young punk gotten an expensive handgun like that? It certainly hadn’t been in the house. And if it had been it would have been locked up in the gun safe.

If only he could see the boy's face. He needed to see the eyes. Mace couldn't even begin to predict what the kid would do without seeing his eyes.

“Don't you dare move or I'll blow your face off!” The kids’ voice raised an octave, making him sound more and more like… a girl.

Tension ran through Mace’s body as the boy started down the steps. At first he could see bare toes, then one slim calf, then another. His eyes flicked to the gun, then returned to the shapely naked thighs that couldn't belong to a kid – no way. Especially not a boy. Those smooth legs definitely belonged to a woman. And he couldn't wait to see the rest of her. So far, the view almost made it worth being held at gunpoint.

Almost.

He was disappointed when an oversized t-shirt – shit, was that Marmaduke on it? -- blocked his view of creamy flesh. His arms were tired, his leg throbbed painfully, and his patience was wearing thin. But he still wasn't going to move, since he had no idea who this woman was descending the stairs. His curiosity piqued when she stepped down into the light, which highlighted her long, curly red hair and made her wide, green – glaring -- eyes sparkle and snap.

A twitch shot through his lower stomach and landed in his groin. Fear or pain didn’t make him suck in his breath. It was her unrestricted breasts bobbing under the cotton shirt with each step she took. Her nipples stood out like two beacons under the worn cotton. Jesus.

He had to clear his throat twice before he could ask her, “Are you robbing this house, dressed like that?”

Readers, don’t forget to stop by Liquid Silver Books and get your copy of Banged Up today! Jeanne, I wish you tons of sales! Everyone can find out more about Jeanne at her website!

And Today's Winner Is...

Congrats, Stacey, you've won the drawing for a free e-copy of Fox & Hound! Please email me at ringletz@bellsouth.net to claim your prize. Thank you so much to everyone who participated. I enjoyed reading your comments and the links to your favorite Valentine's commericials. I hope your stop by For the Love of Writing was enjoyable enough to bring you back another day :)

If you missed your chance to win Fox & Hound, there's more fun to be had at Red Rose Publishing. Enter the February Book Lottery at RRP (http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/extra_info_pages.php?pages_id=16). Answer the questions from selected site's blurbs or excerpts and you'll be in the drawing for your choice of one of twelve print books. Fox & Hound is on the February list of prizes! Follow the link for contest and details.

And for those of you who like prizes, there's more to be had every day this month with Romancing February, continuing tomorrow at Ann Campbell's blog: http://anncampbellsromance.blogspot.com/. Don't forget to keep track of all 28 authors who host a day of Romancing February in order to win a $75 gift card from The Wild Rose Press!

IT'S WENDI DARLIN DAY!

Roll out the red carpet because Linda Howard Award winner Wendi Darlin is here! As a fellow lady of the South, Wendi sure knows how to write super sexy stories that take place—you guessed it—right here in the South! In fact, her tag line is “Hot Southern Lovin” and I’m a huge fan! Not because she’s representing the southern half of American erotic romance—but because she represents well! OH MY GOD well! Just look at the cover for Cowboy Games and drool for yourself.

The story packs as much sizzlin’ punch as the cover does, bringing a truly unique setting to readers and a hero that you’ll want to sink your teeth into from the onset. But more on that later! First, let’s get to know the woman behind “Hot Southern Lovin.”

So happy to have you here, Wendi! Let me just say, there’s nothing like a little hot Southern love to warm up a brisk January night and you deliver!

Amber, thanks for such a warm and enthusiastic welcome! I’m thrilled to be here. I love your blog.

Tell everyone why they have to read Cowboy Games:

Gavin. LOL! Seriously. I love him.

The thing that struck me most about Cowboy Games was the fact that it puts the ROMANCE in Erotic Romance. Yeah, this is a hot story—but it has tender undertones that I found really breathtaking. Can you tell us what compelled you to go the Erotic Romance route instead of straight-up Erotica?

No matter what genre I’m reading, the romantic elements of the book are my favorite parts. I love to fall in love. :) Prior to writing Cowboy Games, I had only written women’s fiction with strong romantic elements. Cowboy Games is my first true romance, and honestly the erotic nature of it came secondary. First and foremost I focused on the developing relationship between Gavin and Rebecca.

I was very nervous about writing the erotic scenes. No one had ever read anything like that from me before and I was worried how it would be received. The whole book has a strong sensual quality to it, so I think that made it easier for me in the end.

Gavin Carter. Wow. The name says it all for me. How did you find Gavin and how did you know this was his story?

Gavin snuck up on me. I didn’t really plan him the way he turned out. At first I thought he was going to be this really bad playboy that the heroine had to turn around, but when I started writing him he didn’t end up that way at all. Thank goodness! I love the way he turned out. Did I mention I love Gavin?

If anyone’s going to give this cowboy a good run for his money, it’s Rebecca Ryder. She bucks the rule book right out the window. Was it hard or easy to develop a heroine with enough challenge and punch to make our cowboy throw up his hands and give a little more every time?

Sassy heroines come easy for me. I can’t imagine why. :) When I first got the idea for Cowboy Games, I only knew about the ranch. I mean, how fun would it be to go to a resort ranch for a week and pretend to fall in love with a cowboy? Sign me up! But in real life, what would make an average woman in her early thirties do something like that? Rebecca needed to be someone who wasn’t afraid to throw her hesitation to the wind and she needed a really good reason. Her wound ran deep, and I wanted her to have the courage to let it heal.

This is a story of healing on both sides. The characters are deep and emotional and one of the most fun things about this story is jumping into their hearts and watching them grabble with what’s going on underneath. Without giving too much away, can you elaborate on this for us please?

Like any romance couple, Gavin and Rebecca both needed good reasons not to fall into one another’s arms and ride off into the sunset on page one. I wanted them both to have to work for this relationship and be deserving of it. Because I’ll tell you right now, if she couldn’t prove she needed him more than I did, I’d have done a quick find and replace. Rebecca Ryder could have become Wendi Darlin in just a few keystrokes. She better know how lucky she is! LOL!

As if Cowboy Games isn’t enough—yep, there’s more, people! Prior to reading Hired Hands, I’d never read a ménage of any sort. But this 34-page TWRP Rosette is an absolute treasure—one that I’ve been known to go back to on cold nights. Again, there’s more to it than the steamy bedroom trio. At the top of the list: character depth—a heroine you truly sympathize (even as you turn green with envy over her…ahem…predicament), a hero you want to box and priority ship to your door, and—oh yeah—that other hot guy thrown in there for us to drool over. Tell us more!

Hired Hands started with a picture I found of two gorgeous identical twin cowboys. Holy moly! Talk about inspiration.

I honestly had a very hard time writing this story and I’m truly taken aback by how well it’s been received. I can give a lot of credit to my fabulous editor, Diana Carlyle, who pushed me for more, more, more.

Hired Hands was the first ménage I wrote, and I had a bit of a stick up my butt in the first draft. Diana wouldn’t let me get away with that and we went through a few rounds of revisions before we were both happy with it.

Come on, be honest, Wendi: did you get jealous of Nora while you were writing those kitchen and bedroom scenes?

It would suck to be her, wouldn’t it? :)

Any chance we might see Jesse (the other hot guy) in the future? Have you considered giving him his own story? I just can’t stand to think of this guy out there on his own while Cole and Nora heat up the ranch house :)

Yes, yes, yes! I was talking to my editor this week about Jesse’s story. I haven’t written it yet, but I’ve finally come up with the heroine who’s ready to tame him. He’s a handful and I think his story is going to be a blast to write. I’ll keep you posted.

In addition, you’ve got Rough and Ready. The title is enough to make me hop over to BookStrand and click the buy button! Your website warns: “This one is for those who like their cowboys EXTRA HOT!” Hotter? Any hotter and I’d break the thermometer, LOL. Tell us about R&R and why you wanted to write something with extra sizzle:

Rough & Ready is an action-packed erotic romance. From the very beginning, Taima, the heroine, is ready to kill the hero. Literally. The tension of the plot adds to the erotic tension. That’s what I like most about this story. It’s like getting into a pillow fight with your boyfriend or husband. The adrenaline is pumping and when the pillows hit the floor you’re both ready to throw all that momentum into lovin’. Ahhh…

Once you’ve read these three titles, don’t despair. Better Than Chocolate is coming soon to The Wild Rose Press. Can we have a peek, Wendi? Pweeety pweease?

Sure! I’ll try to keep it as clean as possible since there isn’t a content warning on your blog, but honestly there aren’t many places in this story that aren’t adult in nature. This is my first paranormal. Can you believe it? No cowboys??? But I think you’ll like Titus. He’s got powers every man should be born with. :)

Better Than Chocolate
Available February 27, 2009
www.thewilderroses.com

Blurb:
Titus is better than chocolate. Dark, dangerous, impossibly gorgeous and capable of giving Randi an orgasm from clear across the room. His skill with telepathy fills her head with his naughty thoughts. A telekinetic ability to make love with his mind leaves her quivering long before he ever lays a hand on her. But this is the same man who has dragged her into the center of a psychic war and exposed the truth of her birth. With her abilities revealed, Randi's connection to Titus is forged. Can he protect her against their enemies or will their irrepressible attraction bring defeat?

Excerpt:
“Then what were you doing back there? You
don’t fake orgasms even when you’re actually having
sex.”
“I wasn’t faking.” Randi bit her lip while the
bartender set the drinks down. She twirled the stem
of her cherry and lowered her voice. “It was that
man. Tight Ass. Titus. The security guy.”
“He was across the hall.”
“I know.”
Mila looked anything but convinced, but their
friendship had weathered bigger storms than this.
“So how are you going to get Clementine to sign a
deal? She thinks we’re a couple of strippers gone
straight. Probably thinks we’ll flake before the first
order is filled.”
“Leave it to me. Just come to the presentations
tonight, and if Tight Ass shows up, run
interference.”
“This guy really got under your skin, didn’t he?”
“You could say that.” She sipped her cocktail
and raised a questioning brow. “Cherry Coke?”
Mila tapped her glass to Randi’s and shrugged.
“Figured one of us needed to lay off the sauce.”
Randi set her drink down slowly. A keen sense
of awareness washed over her. Something she
couldn’t explain happened, but one thing was
certain. She dropped her voice to a whisper. “He’s
here.”
I want to taste you again.
His voice lilted through her mind like a memory
or a thought. Her thighs quivered, and heat curled
in her belly. A hand she couldn’t see slid around her
waist, and a warm breath sent shivers down her
neck. She gasped. “Oh, God.”

** I better stop there. :)

One more question: what’s flaming in your WIP oven at the moment?

Funny you should ask! I’ve got an erotic romance that I’m hoping to finish this week titled Roped & Tied. I think it’s the hottest yet. Two more cowboys and a heroine who isn’t afraid to tell them both what she wants.

I’m also working on one called Long Hard Road. The hero in this story is damaged, but determined. He reminds me a little of your Judd in Blackest Heart. You love him from the word go. Or I did. I hope readers connect with him the way I think they will. His fight to be the man he wants to be and the heroine’s role in getting him there is what makes this one special for me.

Wendi, thank you SO very much for visiting. Here’s your chance to say anything you want about reviews, upcoming releases, or just babble!

Thank you for having me! I’ve been very lucky to get great reviews on all of my books, but what means the most to me are emails I get from readers who enjoyed the stories or fell in love with the characters. If anyone wants to contact me, my email address is wendi@wendidarlin.com or you can always leave a comment on my blog.

If erotic romance isn’t your thing, I’ve also written a sweet coming of age story, The Water Bearer by Wendi Christner. It’s available through Bookstrand, Amazon, or any of your other online bookstores. Of all the books I’ve written, these characters stay with me the most.

Stay warm!

Click here to buy Cowboy Games:
http://www.sirenpublishing.com/wendidarlin/cg.asp

If you’d like to know more about Wendi, check out her impressive trophy collection, or know where to find her other books, visit her website: http://wendidarlin.com

Visit Wendi’s blog to immerse yourself in Hot Southern Lovin’ (the eye candy is enough to add the site to your link list ;)
http://www.wendidarlin.blogspot.com/

I think I might just sneak off for a little while with my copy of Cowboy Games. What? It’s cold!!!