Happy Valentines Day, Book Lovers! #ReadMe

Today I have a special gift to you all. My Redcliffe novels are all on a special offer price for the entire weekend. You can purchase my new novel The Darkness of Love for just £0.77, or $1.26. How cool is that?

And the same applies to my first three novels in the Redcliffe series; Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) and Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel). Perfect Valentine’s reading!

 

Hot Week on the #Valentine Hump Day Hook #HDH

I think this year we will make our Valentine’s Day a Hot One, you know what I’m talking about! So here is a *hot* Hump Day Hook excerpt for you. This is from my third Redcliffe novel, Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel):

As I turned to walk into my bedroom he suddenly appeared behind me.  I cried out in surprise as he grabbed my arms, turning me to face him.  I almost spilled the glass of water, but I just managed to reach down and deposit it on a nearby dresser.  Jack crushed his lips to mine, kissing me hungrily.  I couldn’t help myself.  I wrapped my arms around him, returning the kisses, welcoming the surge of heat and desire that roared through my body.  We tore our clothes off and ended up on the floor right there in my living room doorway.  It was hot and passionate, both angry and exciting.  I experienced the most amazing ecstasy I had ever endured.  Eventually we fell into bed together, naked and exhausted.  I slept through until morning with no dreams or visions, and no interruptions.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

Rediscovering the Joy of Reading

I have been reading continuously all of my life, but recently found that my rate of reading declined sharply after the birth of my second child. It’s the same old story; I spend all day running around after a toddler and a baby while juggling housework and the occasional bit of writing, and by the time they go to bed I am exhausted and barely able to look at a book, never mind pick one up. However, I am determined not to lose out on my favourite pastime.

Since I have a bookcase of overflowing shelves, books stacked up in my bedroom, and a Kindle loaded with novels and short stories, I have plenty of material to keep me occupied. I decided that for now I will read one ’real’ book, one digital book, and maybe the odd non-fiction alongside. I joined a book club late last year, and that interrupted my loose schedule because my reading time has been dominated by prescribed books. That isn’t a bad thing, because as I result I finally read a classic novel all the way through, and what’s more I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The novel was Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.  A review will follow, but suffice to say I look forward to reading more of his stories. I read it on my Kindle, and it took me roughly two months to complete, because I have been reading other books around this. One I am currently reading is a review copy from an author friend. That one is in the publication process at the moment, and the review will follow in due course. This novel is a Chick Lit story called Catch the Man (If You Can) by Naomi Chance. Again I am reading on my Kindle, but then I found myself staring wistfully at my bookshelf and feeling the urge to hold a proper book in my hands again.

Subsequently I picked up a copy of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. It is a paperback book leant to me by a friend, and was on our book club reading list about five months ago. I am not even halfway through reading it yet, and that is shocking for a self-confessed bookworm. I have never taken so long to read a book! I admit this one took a little while to catch my attention. The first few chapters were a little rambling and seemed to show little significance to me and my interests. However, at some point it suddenly became a gripping read. I now find that I am desperate to return to it, and will probably spend most of the weekend reading, while I juggle my children… Happy reading my friends!

*Image of girl reading courtesy of Sarah Brennan Blog; image of Great Expectations via website; image of Catch the Man via Naomi Chance

Romancing the witch, werewolf style! Hump Day Hook #HDH

This week we showcase romance in the Hump Day Hook. Here is an excerpt from my second Redcliffe novel, Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel):

“This is all for you, Jessica,” Danny said, “I can no longer deny my feelings for you.”
My heart skipped a beat and the room spun around me.  It was nothing to do with the whiskey.  I swallowed nervously, again glancing from Jack to Danny.  My boyfriend was silent at my side, and I was aware of Simon standing just in front of the desk.
“W-what do you mean?” I asked shakily.
Danny placed his hands on my knees, and I sat rigid, unable to move.  Suri stirred again within me.  I was aware of her lifting her head, surveying the scene with interest.  I could hear her thinking how useful this situation could be to her.  She pleaded again for me to allow her release.
“Not now, Suri,” I whispered, and Danny looked at me sharply.
“Your tiger is here,” he said with a faint smile, “I can feel her.  She wants me.  Do you want me, Jessica?”
I licked my lips nervously.  Yes, I wanted Danny, and it terrified me.  How could I do this to Jack?  Surely I could not be in love with two men.  It wasn’t possible.  Well, maybe it wasn’t love.  But I certainly felt something for Danny, and I could no longer deny it.  He knew.  He stared at me with growing comprehension, and his expression grew triumphant.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

Telling the Stories of Antique Furniture #WritingInspiration

This week is National Storytelling Week in the UK. My world is full of stories. Just this morning I can tell the tale of how my three-year-old daughter woke up late for pre-school after a restless night of sleep, and about the conversations we had on our short walk out. Our dog insisted on stopping to sniff every wall and bush we passed, and then I had to explain for the hundredth time why we stopped at traffic lights before crossing the road. It is never a dull moment being a mother, that’s for sure!

I recently celebrated my birthday, and for a treat I got to visit my local craft and antique centre. Dagfields Crafts and Antiques is a fabulous place. It is a collection of converted barns out in the Cheshire countryside, and it contains a wonderful array of treasures and curiosities. I was able to visit it twice within a week, and without children in tow, which is a novelty these days! Subsequently I found time to browse all of the units and inspect everything on display, which set my imagination alight once again. Each piece of furniture, every ornament, and every seemingly tired object has a story to tell. Here are a few that I particularly liked:

This beautiful antique telephone table looked to me like it would not be amiss in a luxurious Victorian home. It might be a twentieth century piece of furniture, hence being sold as a telephone table, but when I looked at it I pictured in in the sitting room of Lady Sarah Stockton from my recent novel The Darkness of Love. The sofa is luxurious and delicate, it looks comfortable enough to seat a lady of a dainty disposition, and there is a useful table on which she can place her book, her cup of tea, and maybe her fan if the weather is warm.

I really liked this sideboard and am still contemplating purchasing it for my home, although my husband may not like the piece. It has a pull-out writing desk feature, and I could see myself seated there working on my laptop if I were to bring it home. I also pictured this in the Victorian home of Stockton Manor from The Darkness of Love. It was not grand enough to warrant a place in Lord Gregory’s personal rooms, but perhaps it would suffice for the office of his butler, or maybe as a side table in  a hallway. It is very small, so it would only work in a less important room of the house.

These are just a couple of examples of what I saw recently. There were so many treasures to discover that I didn’t even make it all the way round Dagfields on two visits. I was constrained by time on those occasions, but that only means I have to return so I can finish my visit of course! Ah, the simple pleasures of life…

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

New Year, New Hump Day Hook Style! #HDH

We’re back, hooray! Hump Day Hook was hanging in the balance at the end of 2013, but we simply could not let it go. Instead, our wonderful organiser, Kerrianne Coombes, has revised the format and today I present an ‘Action’ sequence from my debut novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel).

Suddenly he was on his feet, so fast I didn’t see.  He lunged at me and I screamed, jumping back as he grabbed for my neck.  He fell to the floor and I backed up, finding myself pressed against the wall, staring at him in horror.  He had tried to bite me!  He wasn’t human.  I couldn’t move; my body was frozen in fear as I watched Jack gather himself and stand up slowly.  It wasn’t Jack that looked at me from those beautiful blue eyes.  It was the monster from my dreams and I screamed as he lunged at me again. I called his name, trying desperately to bring him back.
Suddenly in a blur of movement someone pushed me away from Jack and put himself between us.  It was Marcus.  His eyes were glowing silver, his face white, and then he turned to Jack, restraining him, whispering to him.  Jack went still in his arms and Marcus turned his head to me, looking very human again.  
“Are you alright, Jessica?” he asked gently.

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

Feeding Your Imagination on Instagram

This year I plan to take a more focused route when it comes to social media networking. For the past three years I have concentrated my efforts on Twitter and Facebook, which in the beginning seemed a good idea. I tried a little paid advertising, but with a reduced budget I had to pause that for a while. I joined several Facebook groups for authors who post re-tweets on Twitter for each other as a way of cross-promoting. This also worked for a while, until late last year I realised that I spent a large portion of my week posting tweets for other people and I was simply not seeing any benefit for myself. So I stopped.

One fairly new social network caught my attention in 2013; Pinterest. It was originally suggested by a friend who uses it to research recipes and home décor ideas for her family. I explored it one afternoon and quickly became hooked. I now have a whole collection of boards where I pin photos, links to blogs, ideas for stories and all sorts of random fun and quirky aspects of my personality. If you don't already know it, take a look, but be warned, it is highly addictive! If you are already a seasoned Pinterest follower, join me if you like...

Finally, I was introduced to another popular new social network; Instagram. A friend uses it to feed her addiction to knitting crafts, home cooking and general pretty pictures, and now she has drawn me into the fold so to speak. Indeed, when I upgraded my mobile phone last summer I was determined to switch from Blackberry to Android so that I could specifically download the Instagram app and get started. And I am so glad I did! I find photographs, quotes and infographs very useful for fuelling my imagination when I need a little help.

How about you? Do you use Instagram or Pinterest? Are there any other social networks I need to explore? I am always open to suggestions...