Jude’s Blog

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I am a forum gal at heart, but I am trying to maintain this blog as well! If you’d like an interactive area to chat with me, feel free to join my free forum at http://www.judesplace.com/forum and you can also follow me at twitter @judel. I visit both several times a day. This blog is mainly a catch all for my twitter tweets. I also post articles on occasion.

If there is any author who would like to be a guest blogger and/or be interviewed, please let me know. I would love to exchange promos!

The following was sent to me by Seriously Reviewed, the site that has done two reviews for me. Check it out!

Seriously Reviewed has launched Contest Connection, a free blogspot to advertise author contests. To advertise a contest see submission guidelines at www.contestconnection.blogspot.com This a free service provided by Seriously Reviewed for authors of any genre.

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Romance Reader

**Permission to Forward**

To jump start the Wednesday Author promos, I will feature myself. If you’re an author, you could be here next week. Let me know, so I can put you on the calendar.

Why do you write and what are your inspirations?

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first romance as a happy ending to one of my failed teenage relationships. Back then I wrote a lot from my own experiences, but as my writing matured so did I. I’m not really sure what my inspirations are now. An idea just comes to me, and I feel almost possessed while I’m writing it. It might be something I read in a book or saw in a movie, and I might wonder how differently it could have turned out. It’s nothing concrete. I sometimes surprise myself with the ideas I write about, as if my muse wrote the story through me.

Who is your favorite hero in one of your books? Why?

Drew from A Modern Myth will most likely always be my favorite hero (and character). If it’s possible to fall in love with one of your characters, that is what happened as I wrote about Drew. He is such an interesting and conflicted man, and I’m so happy that I was able to create such a complicated hero.

what is the heat level of your books?

That has definitely changed lately, since I’ve been writing erotica since June of last year. Before that, it could still run as hot as NC-17. The book I’m promoting today is an erotic contemporary romance novella.

What’s the book you’re promoting today?

Painful Reflections published by Cobblestone Press:

Meg Garrett loses her husband, Kyle, on their honeymoon but returns every year to the place she last saw him. There she meets Todd, a man who sets her blood on fire, but how can she move on when she can still feel her husband?

She then finds out Kyle is still alive, and that Todd isn’t who she thought he was. Where has her husband been for the past four years, and why doesn’t he remember her? Meg must trust a man who has betrayed her to find out the truth behind the deception.

Following is a short excerpt. To read more, be sure to visit Cobblestone Press:

He choked on his own beer and sputtered. She stared at him with concern, half tempted to pound him on the back.

“You lost him on your honeymoon?” he finally asked.

She frowned and then realized she must have left that part out as she told him what had happened. She could have left a number of things out…like they had been making love just before. Meg smiled at the last pleasant memory she had of Kyle and nodded. “Yes.”

“How long had you dated?” he pressed.

“Just over a year. We clicked, you know? He was my soul mate.”

Todd’s eyebrows rose at that statement, and Meg could read his doubtful expression. “Don’t you believe there’s the perfect woman out there for you?”

He shrugged as he looked into her eyes. “She doesn’t have to be perfect.”

Her eyes misted as she saw the raw emotion in his gaze. “Well, Kyle was.”

“Are you sure?” Todd asked softly. “Or can it be just the memory of him that was perfect?”

Shocked speechless at first, Meg could only stare at him. Who was he to talk of Kyle? She glared at him and sputtered. “You didn’t know him, Todd. You would have liked him though. Everyone liked Kyle.” If his charm didn’t do it, the money always did. Friends were never in short supply, especially since Kyle’s generosity extended to everyone. He had been rich his entire life, but it hadn’t spoiled him. Meg truly felt he was the best person she would ever know.

At her silence Todd continued, “He’s been gone longer than you were with him, Meg. Isn’t it time you said your final goodbye and moved on?”

Tears trickled down her cheeks, and remorse crossed his tanned features. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” His voice trailed off as she continued to shake her head.

“You have no right. You didn’t know what a wonderful person he was. The world is a sadder place without him. Everyone is sadder without him…so am I.” She wiped a hand below her eyes and pushed away from the bar. “I wish you hadn’t come back here.” Meg blurted the lie as she ran down the path toward her bungalow.

Todd caught up with her just before she reached the door. He grasped her arm just above the elbow and turned her toward him. She lost her footing and landed against his chest. The next thing she knew, his hot mouth pressed down against hers. Meg sucked in her breath and knew she should immediately push him away, but the shock mixed with the unexpected pleasure stilled her hands. Todd took advantage of her surprise and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, moving his tongue to caress the insides of her mouth. She had never been kissed in such a way before, had never actually liked the way Kyle kissed and was totally blown away by the unexpected sensations erupting throughout her body.

As Kyle’s loving face surfaced in her mind, she choked back a sob and broke free of Todd’s inviting mouth. She pushed her hands between them and scowled. “No, don’t.”

He frowned but pulled back. “Don’t tell me that you didn’t feel anything, ‘cause I know you did.”

Not able to meet his gaze, she stared at his bronze chest, trying to regain her breath. “Maybe that’s why I stopped you. I can’t help but feel Kyle watches everything I do, and this feels like a betrayal.”

“He’s dead, Meg. I can’t believe that he would want you to be alone. You shouldn’t be alone.” His breathing was a bit unsteady.

She finally met his passion-filled gaze and could so easily have taken that step forward to be back in his arms. Her entire body quivered at the thought of what his mouth could do to the rest of her, but she held back. “Kyle was the only man I’ve ever loved…the only one I’ve been with. I just can’t do this!” She turned to grasp the doorknob, but Todd’s voice made her pause.

“I won’t give up on you, Meg…especially now that I’ve tasted you.”

Her eyes closed with a moan at his last words. She licked her lips and almost nodded. Instead she straightened her spine and spoke to him without looking at him. “It might be best to just stay away, Todd.”

“Kyle never kissed you like that, did he?”

She gasped but didn’t turn around, instead pushing open the door and stepping through it. Todd didn’t stop her as she closed it without a backward glance. Meg leaned her back against the door, tempted to bang her head against it as well. Her heart raced as she wondered what she should do. No other man had ever kissed her the way Todd had. She felt warm all over, especially between her legs. She’d never in her life been tempted by a one-night stand, but she could see herself … enjoying it. Admitting that made her wonder if she should avoid him the rest of the week in Mexico. But did she truly want to?

I will be posting author promos every Wednesday starting tomorrow. I will be kick starting them with one of my own books and have at least two other authors scheduled. If there are any other authors that would like to be a guest blogger (in exchange for having me as a guest on your blog), let me know here or on my forum. Following is what is needed for any guest author:

I’ll need the link to the book you want promoted, along with an excerpt, and answer at least two of the following questions:

What is your main inspiration for writing and why?
What is your favorite genre to write and why?
Who is your favorite hero in one of your books? Why?
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

And everyone needs to answer the following:

What is the heat level of your books?
Where can readers find your books?

Please note that while the books you want to promote can be any heat level, the excerpt must be rated PG13 or lower.

Please be sure to visit Cobblestone Press on the 21st and check out my first erotic romance novella. If you’d like to read an excerpt, visit my forum.

Help make my first officially published book a success!

To celebrate the coming soon release date, I am giving away a free copy of the ebook of Painful Reflections. To read an excerpt, visit the forum. All you have to do to win the ebook is to join Jude’s mailing list (occasional newsletters on upcoming contests, new releases, etc). It’s on the right side of the main site at judesplace.com. I will announce the winner on Friday, August 7th. For those that still want to read the book but don’t want to join the mailing list, be sure to visit Cobblestone Press on the 21st to buy a copy for the low price of $4.99.

Throughout the month of July save money at Smashwords. Get the first book of my trilogy, Nada’s Secret for 25% off. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/2373

Publishing your ebooks online has never been easier. Read my newest article at NewsBlaze where I show you how easy it is to sell your ebooks online! http://newsblaze.com/story/20090626151755jude.nb/topstory.html

I’ve been as busy as a bee getting all my books converted to Kindle on Amazon. It’s a time consuming process, but I’m sure it will pay off in the end. Be sure to check out what’s available by clicking here! There are quite a few left to do (I’ve done 3 of the 8 ) and it takes awhile for them to show on Amazon. Be sure to check it out!

RWA challenges validity of Digital Publishing! Be sure to read my newly published article on Newsblaze.com:
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090622151919jude.nb/topstory.html