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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Guest Post with Author Jess Michaels and Giveaway

Today I am happy to have one of my favorite author back on the blog, author Jess Michaels(aka Jenna Petersen). Jess is currently celebrating the release of her new book An Introduction to Pleasure and has stopped by today to chat. But before I give the floor over to Jess, lets get to know a bit about her.

Jess Michaels is a pseudonym used by author Jenna Peterson.

Jenna Petersen knew she wanted to be a writer at a very young age and had a very specific image of what that meant. In her mind, she would live in Los Angeles (why not New York… who knows?), attend book signings, drive a very expensive car and date endlessly (and apparently, unsuccessfully). There was little actual writing involved in the fantasy.

Instead, she got a degree in Psychology from the University of Washington, married her high school sweetheart and moved to Central Illinois. There was much actual writing involved in the reality and she learned a lot in the years she waited to hear she sold a book.

Jenna enjoys travel, history, live baseball, Bears and Eagles football, and of course, all things related to reading and writing. She runs a website for aspiring authors called The Passionate Pen, which has become a popular resource in the romance writing community. She also writes zombie comedy under the pseudonym Jesse Petersen.

Places to find Jess:
Site Blog Facebook Twitter | Passionate Pen |

Back From the Dead
Jess Michaels (Jenna Petersen)

I’m back from the dead. Now this may make you think that I’m blogging as my writing alter ego, Jesse Petersen, who writes zombie novels, but no, I’m speaking as  Jess Michaels. Yeah, I have a lot of writing names.  Jenna Peterson  (historical romance),  Jess Michaels (erotic romance, mostly historical) and that pesky zombie girl, Jesse. For a long time, Jess has been a little… dead. My last erotic romance (aside from a few contemporary ones I self-published last year) was out in 2010 and was written in 2009. So it’s been quite a hiatus while I focused on the other two names and the books they had contracted.

But then, suddenly, opportunity struck. Once I left my other publisher, projects that had been on the backburner were brought back to life. And  Jess Michaels sucked in her breath, sat up from her coffin and said, “I’m still here, you know.” She even brought an equally dead idea with her for a series called “The Mistress Matchmaker”. In it, a celebrated courtesan is known for matching mistresses with protectors… but her track record gets sullied a bit as her friends and their matches begin to fall in love.

Back in 2007, when EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN came out, this idea had been swimming in my head, but my publisher at the time wanted to pursue more books in that series rather than start a new one. I put it aside and figured nothing would come of it. But it kept… nagging at me. Coming to the surface to remind me it was there.

Writers do that. Even when we try to set concepts aside, they never quite leave our minds. At least, the ones we love don’t. This one did it enough that I had to write it. Samhain Publishing bought the series and is putting them out fairly close together (AN INTRODUCTION TO PLEASURE is out today, FOR DESIRE ALONE is out Nov. 6 and HER PERFECT MATCH closes out the series on Match 5 of next year). I must say that writing them has been a relief. At least it’s left more room for all the other whispering stories.

Luckily, Samhain Publishing doesn’t mind living dead writers or their whispering dead stories.


An innocent lady’s education could be a gentleman’s wicked seduction.

Mistress Matchmaker, Book 1

Lysandra Keates is running out of options. Her father is dead, her mother is ill, and her efforts to find respectable employment have ended in failure. With her small savings bleeding away, she swallows her pride—and her terror—and turns to Vivien Manning, an infamous courtesan, to match her with a wealthy protector.

For years, Viscount Andrew Callis has lived a monastic existence at his country estate, hardening his body against the snobbish, lazy young man he once was, hardening his heart against grief over the deaths of his wife and infant son. When Vivien asks him to spend one month training a young woman in the ways of a mistress, his mind resists…but his body responds with an ache he thought long dead.

As Andrew begins his gentle tutelage, he finds himself falling under the spell of Lysandra’s innocent charms. And as they give in to the powerful hunger, the last thing Andrew ever expected, or wanted, forms between them. An emotional connection that could carry them well past the training period—if only Andrew can open his heart to the possibility of love.

Product Warnings: Includes training in all kinds of sexual positions and delights, as well as an emotional romance. May produce swooning.

Places to Purchase:
| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain Publishing |


Want to win an copy of Taboo1 lucky commenter(US ONLY) will win a copy.

To Enter:
  • Leave a comment answering the question: What do you think of books with Matchmakers? Would you ever go to see a Matchmaker? 
  • Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  

25 comments :

  1. I have read a couple of them seeking out a matchmaker and actually falling fr the matchmaker. I don't think I could, even they were successful.

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  2. I think matchmakers always help others find happiness. Having someone to help you make a decision about a mate could be very interesting. So yes, I would use a matchmaker to help me find that special someone.

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  3. I think matchmakers try to help people find their other half. Sometimes having help is a good thing but I'm not sure I would use one.

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  4. I think it would be kind of like eharmony.com or the other online dating sites and I din't think there is anything wrong with those sites. I think all of the help you can get, the better for you. I have been married 34 years, so I would not have any use for a matchmaker. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  5. I think a matchmaker might be a good thing. Perhaps an outsider might see something that you can't!

    Please enter me in the contest. Thank you

    annfesATyahooDOTcom

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  6. Thanks for a great post and giveaway! I love stories w/ matchmakers. Often times they are the comic relief. I wouldn't go see one myself, I'm too self conscious :)

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  7. Wow, I knew that Jess was the same person as Jenna but I had no idea she was also Jesse Petersen (I guess I should have realized from the name). I normally hate zombie books, but Married With Zombies is my one exception to that rule. So funny. Anyway, as far as matchmakers go, I've never tried it, but I would be willing to. I like books with matchmakers. Sometimes an independent 3rd party can see things much clearer than the two involved parties.

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  8. I think matchmakers are a Great idea. I know they have been very helpful to the career professionals with absolutely no time to go through the "dating ritual", so they tell someone else eveything about themselves & what they are LQQking for in a relationship. I think matchmakers are also great for people who do not like the bar/clubbing scene or if they only place they really see people is at work, but shy away from work-place romances, this is perfect. There's also another big section of people that I think Matchmakers are Great for, as we all get older, over 50, 60, & so on, good for them :) , it is more difficult to meet people, especially those LQQking for a lasting relationship with someone their age, so I think a Matchmaker wouldbe Wonderful for them.

    Take Care & Wishing Everyone Finds Their Special Match :)
    PaParanormalFan (Renee')
    paranormalromancefan at yahoo dot com

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  9. I think matchmakers are a good idea especially in this day and age. I personally do not need one as I have been married for 28 years.
    Yvette
    yratpatrol@aol.com

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  10. Living dead writers...heh Thank you for the great guest post and giveaway! :)

    Matchmakers in period fiction are usually comical to read about (like in Julia Quinn books). I personally would never go to a matchmaker, but I respect anyone that feels the need to seek one out.

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  11. I think books with matchmakers sounds interesting. I have never been to one, but you never know. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  12. Excellent idea! I love the whole matchmaker storyline although I don't think I read it nearly often enough:) I don't know that I would consider using one for myself, but I definitely like to read about them:)

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  13. Hi everyone! So glad to be here today. A few people have mentioned that matchmakers can add a humorous element and that's true... but not in this book. This is a dark, erotic romance. So if that's up your alley, hope you'll go pick it up after you enter the contest here. :) It's available today!

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  14. I think its a fantastic idea.

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  15. I haven't read any stories with matchmakers. I think it sounds like a fun element to have in a romance.

    geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

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  16. I have read some stories, both with professional matchmakers and with the more common friend/family matchmaker. I really love them. Sometimes it seems like the matchmaker has made a mistake, but in the end it works out that they were correct. I have never used a matchmaker, but if I though that it would definitely work, I would be open to it.

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  17. I Like books with matchmakers if they are written with good intentions, if they are matchmaking mama's looking for titles, money etc.... without caring if the matches are happy ones then no. Would I ever use a matchmaker, I honestly don't know, possibly.

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  18. I don't think I've read a book with an official matchmaker in a long time, only some unofficial ones like relatives or friends. They can be a lot of fun.

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  19. I like reading books with matchmakers. I don't know if I would go see one.

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  20. Matchmakers, in most cases should leave well enough alone. No, I would never to a matchmaker.

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  21. I like the idea of matchmakers, but Im not sure that I would want to go to one - different era. I love books like that though.

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  22. I always enjoyed books and stories about matchmakes - things always work out in such interesting ways - but I don't think I've ever had the desire to see one myself.

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  23. Bring me back to life! Love the sound of the Mistress Matchmaker! I like the idea of someone being able to find you the perfect match, if I were single and having trouble looking I would give it a try. It could be fun! Like your book sounds, like a lot of (hot) fun!

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  24. In real life never...in books they are fun!

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  25. I'm not sure that I am secure enough to go to a matchmaker like that. I'm still learning who I am and what I want in life from myself, my professional life and personal life.

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