The 11th Commandment is FREE!

To celebrate the upcoming release of Death Becomes Her, I've made The 11th Commandment free on Smashwords and through them, B&N, iTunes, Kobo, and 'txtr. Amazon (US) has decided to price match as well, so you can even grab a copy there, if you wish. ♥

You may recall that this story was the very first 10-part serial romance to appear in InD'tale Magazine. If you haven't subscribed to InD'tale, I strongly urge you to do so. Besides the entertaining articles, you can find professional reviews of independently published fiction. ☺

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪ Three Days Grace ~ Home 

♥ E-book Sale at Smashwords! ♥

Every year, Smashwords has their July Summer/Winter sale. I've decided to participate this year by enrolling all my titles in the promotion. That means you can get Honor, Betrayal, Deception, Intrigue, Spellbound, Heartless, Redemption, and Forgotten, and other Heartless tales for only $1.50 (USD) each by using coupon code SSW50 in your shopping cart. The 11th Commandment and The Dragon's Birth are FREE using the same code, and My Lady Coward is always FREE. ☺

Thank you so much for all your support, my lovelies! ♥

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There’s a jukebox in my head. It’s currently playing

♫♪  Sick Puppies ~ Don't Walk Away 

~Saturday Snippets~ Introducing Saturday Snippets: The 11th Commandment

The last two Fridays I've posted excerpts from my newest release, Forgotten, and other Heartless tales. That got me thinking. I'm a huge fan of alliteration. Not sure why, I just am. (Yes, I know, Regency Wednesday doesn't qualify, but that choice was due to Almack's Assemblies being held on Wednesday nights. Kind of a huge Regency thing, you know?) 

I digress. 

This thought in mind, and remembering that I'd once participated in Sweet Saturday Samples, I wanted to go back to sharing snippets of my writing, past and present. Thus, Saturday Snippets. I will start today with a shorter snippet of one of my available works. Next week...well, we'll see what I come up with then. ☺

Without further ado, here is a portion of The 11th Commandment, the serial Regency romance I wrote for InD'tale Magazine. Enjoy! 

---

Part II

The Will

“S-Simon?”

Simon Delacourt's heart leapt into his throat. Lady Katherine, Duchess of Jarvis, wife of the late Duke of Jarvis, once again stood in the same room with him, only a few paces away. Her ebony hair gleamed, caught up at her nape in a ruthless knot. The sight conjured the memory of all those silken strands loosened from their confinement, sliding over his hands and falling over their naked flesh.

The bittersweet recollection sent a thrill coursing his spine even as shame pooled in his middle. Jarvis had been his friend, confidante, closest companion for many years. But while Jarvis was his friend, Katherine was his curse, the devil's own daughter sent to tempt him. He'd wanted her forever with a desire that made all other women—whores and ladies alike—pale in comparison. It was no wonder he'd stumbled so weakly into her arms at the mere crook of a finger.

That shame leapt quickly into anger, anger at her, anger at himself, and anger at Jarvis. They were all to blame, he knew it and Jarvis knew it. He was pretty sure Katherine, with her wide astonished eyes, had no idea just how much Jarvis was to blame.

Her astonishment at Simon's presence at the reading of her husband's will, however, was out of proportion to the situation. It was apparent she'd forgotten his relationship to the late duke, forgotten they were cousins.

He would have said something wholly inappropriate, anger overcoming sense, but a snicker beside him—courtesy of the new Duke of Jarvis—brought him back to the present. Offering the slightest of bows, he murmured, “Lady Jarvis,” and jabbed an elbow into the new duke's ribs. That young man's gasp returned sense to the room.

---

I hope you enjoyed this snippet. If you'd like to read the rest of the story, you can subscribe to InD'tale Magazine (it's free) and go back through the magazine archive starting with the July/August 2012 issue, or you can get the compiled edition from Amazon (US & UK), B&N, Apple, Smashwords, or Kobo for only 99¢. Thank you for stopping by!

Watch for another snippet next Saturday. ☺

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ Escala ~ Requiem for a Tower 

Review Copies

If you like "clean" (no graphic sex) Regency romance and are willing to post a review, I'd love to send you a copy of Intrigue, Forgotten, and/or The 11th Commandment, which are all in need of some review love on Amazon, B&N, Apple, Smashwords, and/or Goodreads. This doesn't mean the review must be positive, only honest. 

If you are interested in reviewing one or more of the three I just mentioned and you are able to download books from Smashwords, please comment here with your email address or email me at jaimeygrant [at] yahoo {dot} com with your request. I'm looking for a reasonable turnaround, but I also understand the demands of life. Your review must contain the fact that you received the book as a gift. This appeases the FTC. (I have heard that if you indicate it's a gift specifically from the author, Amazon will delete your review. Not sure what the deal with that is...)

I'll accept review copy requests through May 31. Thank you! ☺ 

Oh, and if you've already read one or more of these, would you consider posting a review? I'd be ever so grateful. ♥ 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ Linkin Park ~ The Messenger 

~General Updates~ New Releases, InD'Tale, The 11th Commandment

It's now time for another catch-up post. 

New Releases...

I've revealed the cover for my upcoming release, Intrigue. This book is connected to my others in that it takes place between Deception and Entangled* and it features a rather memorable appearance by the Duke of Derringer (from Heartless). 

So here's the official... 

...for you lovely blog readers: 

Look for this new title in July 2013. The book description can be found on my website HERE.

*Formerly known as Spellbound.

InD'Tale Magazine... 

With the end of The 11th Commandment, there's now a new serial in InD'Tale Magazine, the first installment having officially made its debut in the June 2013 issue. Check your inboxes for your copy. If you haven't subscribed yet, you should do so now. It's still FREE.

The new story is a bit morbid, a bit dark, and a good bit more humorous than I'd originally intended. I knew body-snatching would be a dark subject and when the idea occurred to me for a woman to have this unlikely profession, it also occurred to me she'd need help doing it. Sisters, perhaps. Six sisters, in turns out, for a total of seven young women involved in one of the most despised activities of the time. Who knew they'd all have senses of humor, teasing each other, clearly a close-knit family, despite their very morbid job. It'll be interesting to see how it all turns out. ♥

On that note, I need to brainstorm a new idea for my next serial...

The 11th Commandment...

My previous serial Regency has been compiled and is now available for purchase. If you want the convenience of having the whole story on your e-reading device, it's only $1 USD to get it. The eBook is currently available on Amazon and Smashwords, with B&N, Kobo, Sony, Apple, and Diesel coming soon.

If you are an InD'tale subscriber, you can still read the whole story for free by accessing past issues in the magazine archive. (You must be registered and logged in to access the archive.)

I think that's the extent of my news at the moment. I am stressed, excited, overwhelmed, and a little nuts at the moment, but I think things will calm a bit after the Romance Novel Convention in August. ☺

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Sick Puppies ~ Odd One

~General Updates~ Regency Wednesday, RNC, InD'Tale, Cover Reveal

Regency Wednesday...

Before I get into the big updates I have to confess that I am deeply sorry but Regency Wednesday will be postponed for the next several weeks. I have eleventy-billion things to do before the Romance Novel Convention in August (Vegas, baby!!) and I'd rather choose to temporarily suspend my weekly Regency-themed posts than continue to feel guilty for forgetting to do them. 

Romance Novel Convention...

Click the image to find out more about the
Romance Novel Convention!

I had a recent issue and seriously considered asking for a refund for the Romance Novel Convention. Things have been [adequately] resolved now, though, so I will hold my tongue and plan, plan, plan to have the BEST time there. Perhaps I'll even get to meet some of my fabulous readers! ♥

The First Annual 

Romance Novel Convention 

presented by international cover model 

Jimmy Thomas 

Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino 

Las Vegas, Nevada 

August 7-11, 2013 (Wednesday-Sunday) 

All-Inclusive 

(registration, 5 days/4 nights hotel, all classes, events, and meals) 

In other RNConvention news, the first annual RONÉ Awards will be held Friday, August 9 at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino. InD'Tale Magazine is hosting this event. The voting is open now so click on over to www.indtale.com to cast your votes for your favorite indie romances.* ♥♥

InD'Tale Magazine...

The 10th and FINAL installment of The 11th Commandment has officially been published! That means I can now compile the entire collection into one convenient volume and offer it up for reader consumption. This edition will be released June 1 with the help of TreasureLine Publishing.

That also means there's a new serial Regency just around the corner. I came up with something that really plays on my dark, slightly morbid tendencies, and I hope it turns out as entertaining for you to read as it does for me to write! The announcement of my new story was done with a...

...in the May issue. Without further ado, here's the lovely threads for my next serial project:  

This new story is about a resurrectionist or body-snatcher—someone who steals bodies from graves and sells them to the various medical schools for the purpose of dissection. The really cool thing about this story is that the body-snatcher is female. And there's a doctor. And he's hot, of course. ♥

I think that's it for now. If you have any thoughts on my new cover, my new serial, the Romance Novel Convention, InD'Tale Magazine, or love and life in general, please leave a comment.

*Voting requires website registration (free). If you'd like to vote without registering, the site has instructions on how to do that. Romance Novel Convention ad, RONÉ ad, The 11th Commandment cover, and Death Becomes Her cover/ad were designed by Laura J Miller of An Author's Art (me, lol).

As always...

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ FFXIII-2 ~ Parallel Worlds

~Regency Wednesday~ Funerals and Wills

Most of you know I've been writing a serial Regency romance for InD'tale Magazine called The 11th Commandment. The story focuses on a woman, Katherine, who committed adultery, was caught, and sent to Scotland to live alone. The first part features her return to London after her husband's death for the reading of his will. (If you didn't know about this serial and want the story, click on over to InD'tale's site and subscribe. You only get messages when the issue is delivered and subscriptions are FREE. You can find past issues in the site's archive, after you've registered and logged in.)

OK, let me get to the point of mentioning this. For this story I had to delve a bit into the death angle of the Regency world, a topic that isn't written about very often. I found some great info in regard to wills on Courtney Milan's site and a bit about funerals at Regency Reader. 

Later research revealed that things I'd only guessed at, such as Katherine being present at her husband's burial and whether or not she'd have made it back to London in time to see him before he was buried, I've since been able to confirm. (There are times that you just gotta wing it 'cause the deadline's looming.)

Just a few things I've learned and links to where I found the info: 

• Katherine would not have been at the burial, as women rarely attended the burial. See the post at Regency Reader titled Regency Reader Questions: Funeral Rites.
• Katherine would not have made it back from Scotland in time to see his body before the burial. They didn't embalm bodies then and I believe my particular characters would have wanted him in the ground fairly quickly to avoid the overpowering smell. The bit on embalming can be found in an article titled Regency Death and Burial at Historical Hussies.
• For Katherine to become engaged within a year of her husband's death would be a huge scandal, especially since her husband was a duke. OK, I already knew that. That's kind of a "duh" when mourning for a husband was typically 12 months. 

As for the reading of the will, I assume that took place after the burial. I have not been able to confirm this but it makes sense to me that they would want to lay the deceased to rest before reading the will. I could be wrong on this bit and would love it if someone who knows better can either confirm or deny my assumption.

That's it for now. Next week's post will be about mourning attire. Such cheery subjects I've picked! 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ FFXIII-2 ~ Countless Partings

~Sweet Saturday Sample~ The 11th Commandment

Sweet Saturday Samples are back and here I am with my offering! 

First, an intro. The 11th Commandment is a serial Regency romance I'm currently writing for InD'Tale Magazine. Here's the short blurb for the story as a whole: 

Lady Katherine never learned the fine art of hiding one's indiscretions. Thus her one mistake became Society's biggest scandal. Can she overcome the shame and learn to love again?

The following excerpt is from Part 7, the installment set to appear in the February 2013 issue. Enjoy! ♥

---

Part VII: The Escape

She had to escape. Her very sanity depended on her swift removal from the premises. If she stayed, she knew—KNEW—she would do the unthinkable. She would seek him out, welcome him into her arms and her bed.

Again.

Katherine stifled a scream, her hands fisted at her sides. How could this be happening again? She'd returned to England to bury her husband, not take back the lover she'd taken years ago, the lover who'd ruined what little remained of her marriage.

Angry, frustrated steps took her first one direction, then the other, pacing a line in the soft carpet covering her chamber floor. She'd yet to disrobe, her assertion that she had to leave sending her immediately into nervous pacing. Three handkerchiefs lay in melancholy shreds on the floor, littered at her feet as she moved.

Her mind focused on one thing and one thing alone: Simon would ruin her again.

And she would enjoy every second of it!

Therein lay the problem. She would cheerfully go to her own ruin. She knew herself better than she used to and that meant knowing her own weaknesses. And if she knew Simon at all, he would be making his way to her room—

The knock barely sounded before she spoke, “Go away, Simon.”

Silence lay so thick Katherine wondered if she'd imagined the thunk on the door. Then, “I promise I won't touch you,” rumbled through the thick wood.

“It is not proper,” she insisted, holding her breath, a traitorous part of her urging her to let him in.

“You are a widow, Katherine. To hell with propriety.” She'd annoyed him, his rough words grating to her ears. She said nothing for a long moment. Just as she opened her mouth to tell him to take his gutter language straight to the very place he mentioned, he added softly, “Forgive me.”

Something in his tone struck Katherine. She touched the door, the smooth wood cool against her palm. Did he simply apologize for his language? Or more?

The middle of the night, in the middle of her late husband's home, the soon-to-be home of the new duke, was not the time for Katherine to have such a conversation with her former lover. If she was intelligent, she'd walk away, pretend she'd never heard his whispered plea.

If she was intelligent and not the woman who'd once tasted heaven in this man's arms. Latent desire curled its way through her limbs, a weakness in her knees tempting her to lean against the door, grasp the latch, and allow him entrance. But thoughts of her daughter and the example she must set for her firmed her determination to resist the temptation of Simon's embrace.

Straightening, Katherine took a deep breath and decided. She walked away.

---

Thank you for taking the time to read my little excerpt! If you want to read the rest, click on over to InD'Tale's website and subscribe to the magazine. Each issue is delivered right to your inbox. Subscribers also have access to past issues, where six previous installments of this story can be found. The best part? Subscriptions are FREE!

And don't forget to check out the other Sweet Saturday Samples offered by other lovely authors. 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing

♫♪ Hayley Westenra ~ Dark Waltz

~General Updates~ InD'Tale, Heartless, My Lady Coward

InD'Tale....

The new issue of InD'Tale Magazine hit inboxes about a week ago. The latest installment of my serial Regency is in there, as well as the usual offerings from my fellow columnists Tammy Grant (Soapbox Blather—always funny) and Jimmy Thomas (cover design advice—always informative). In this particular issue there's an entertaining article with author H.P. Mallory, an article on the Steampunk genre, another on pixies, articles on writing, and any number of great tidbits. And don't forget the book reviews. If you haven't subscribed, click on over and do it now. Subscriptions are still FREE.

Meanwhile, I've turned in part 5 of The 11th Commandment. YAY!!! Look for it InD'Tale's December issue. ♥ 

Heartless...

After agonizing over the back cover blurb for Heartless, I finally came up with something satisfactory. I posted it over on my Heartless blog, so click on OVER THERE and give it a read. 

Also in Heartless news, I've closed review copy requests and all eBook copies have been sent out. The new edition is now live in the Kindle Store. After Feb 4, 2013 Heartless will be made available at Smashwords, B&N, Kobo, Sony, Apple, and Diesel. I'll keep you all updated on that. 

My Lady Coward....

I've been transcribing part 10 and I'm almost POSITIVE this time that part 10 will be the final installment of this Regency serial. (Yes, I know I said I'm transcribing it, but I haven't actually reached "The End" on the handwritten version.) As it stands (without counting part 10) this story is just over 11,000 words. I think that's a nice length for a short story, don't you?

Until next time.... 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Bon Jovi ~ Always

~General Updates~ InD'Tale, Heartless, RNC

InD'Tale...

The new issue of InD'Tale Magazine hit inboxes early yesterday. In it you will find:

• in-depth interviews with authors J.R. Rain and Sylvia Day; 
• columns by romance cover model Jimmy Thomas and author/reviewer Tammy Grant; 
• a new short story; 
• articles relating to books and publishing; 
• and don't forget all those lovely reviews. 

You can also enjoy Part 2 of my own bi-monthly offering, my serial Regency romance, The 11th Commandment. In this installment we witness the reading of the will and learn what Katherine's husband left to her...if anything. And this part is from our hero's POV.

If you missed Part 1 you can still get it right from InD'Tale's website. In the upper left column of the site, where you see this issue's cover, simply select "previous" instead of "Current Issue." You'll be able to download the July/August issue where you can find Part 1 of my serial romance.

Heartless...

Heartless was supposed to be re-released today. It won't be. For details check out the latest post on my Heartless blog: The Heartless Duke.

Romance Novel Center...

The beginning of this month I finally took the plunge and joined Jimmy Thomas's social network, Romance Novel Center (RNC). It was easy and painless and considering it's a network geared toward readers and writers of romance, it was about time I did so. If any of you are on there, please send me a friend request. You can find me HERE.

I think that's it for now. Until next time.... 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Staind ~ Believe

On the Topic of Blog Updates

I hate when I get so distracted that I end up having to do an update type of blog post instead of a normal one. Oh well. There's no help for it sometimes, as life often gets in the way. 

On the Heartless front: 

I've just posted my progress report on my Heartless blog. Click over to find out where I am in this endeavor. (The link will open in a new tab or window, depending on your browser settings.) In addition, I've announced the official release date for Heartless, the new revised edition. Watch for it to hit the virtual shelves August 31. 

On the writing front: 

I've been working on my prison hulk story, the serial for InD'Tale Magazine, and My Lady Coward. Coward will have to take a backseat until I get Heartless back out there, though. The 11th Commandment, on the other hand, will go forth as planned, since readers of InD'Tale will want to know what happens next. I'm curious about that myself. If you'd like to get in on this Regency serial, click on over to InD'Tale and subscribe. Subscriptions are free. If you subscribe now, you'll get access to the July/August issue which includes part 1 of The 11th Commandment. 

☺

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Savage Garden ~ Universe

Time is ticking away...

There are only a couple days left to subscribe if you want in on Lady Katherine's adventures in Regency Society. Go to www.indtale.com and subscribe FREE. Subscriptions will only be free for a limited time so take advantage while you can. ☺

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Lee Ann Womack ~ Something Worth Leaving Behind

New Serial Romance

So the news is out! My new serial romance, The 11th Commandment, will be published exclusively in InD'tale Magazine. And here's the cover I created to go with it: 

Lovely, yes? This cover was a wonderful thing to work on while neck-deep in writing this serial. Yes, I'm still writing it, but Part I is done and set to appear in the upcoming issue of the magazine. Part II is well on its way.

Now, you'd probably like a bit of a blurb for this serial, right? I don't blame you. ☺ How does this sound:

Lady Katherine never learned the fine art of hiding one's indiscretions. Thus her one mistake became Society's biggest scandal. Can she overcome the shame and learn to love again? 

I'm told the cliffhanger at the end of Part I leaves the reader salivating for more. I hope this is the case since that's the whole point of a serial. 

If you want to follow Katherine's adventures in love, make sure you subscribe to InD'tale Magazine BEFORE the July issue's release. You won't want to miss a single installment! 

♥Happy reading, writing, and blogging!!♥

There's a jukebox in my head. It's currently playing
♫♪ Creed ~ Beautiful