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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Guest Post with Author Jess Michaels and Giveaway


Today I am happy to welcome back to RFTC not only one of my most favorite authors but one of my most favorite people author Jess Michaels. Jess is celebrating the release of her newest book For Desire Alone and has stopped by to chat. Please give Jess a warm welcome.

Jess Michaels began writing full-time in 1999 after being encouraged by her husband to follow her dream. In 2003, she sold her first novella to Red Sage Press, an erotic historical romance about an Egyptian tomb and a very sexy curse. Since then she has published (or has contracted to publish by the end of 2013) 37 novels and novellas under three different pen names with several major publishers, small presses and via self-publishing. Her erotic historical romances have been national bestsellers and won awards from booksellers and readers.

In 2011, she and her husband moved to Tucson, AZ. There she enjoys hiking in the beautiful desert, spending time with her nephews, designing jewelry (which you can buy here), reading and spending time with her awesome husband and cats.

Places to find Jess: 
| Site | Facebook | Twitter

Why I Write Books
Jess Michaels

First off, I wanted to say a big thank you to Danielle for having me at her blog today. It’s always fun to visit around the web. If you don’t know me, I write erotic historical romance as Jess Michaels, historical romance as Jenna Petersen and urban fantasy as Jesse Petersen. Danielle has always been a great supporter of moi, and I appreciate it.

She also gave me sort of carte blanche to write what I wanted. This is a good thing and a bad thing for a writer. A good thing because then I could write about ANYTHING. And a bad thing because shoot, I could write about ANYTHING and that seems to make my mind empty of all reasonable ideas. I start thinking about writing about watching paint dry, I get so desperate to come up with a valuable topic.

But then I stopped panicking and I started thinking about what’s been on my mind lately. A lot has changed in my world in the last year or so. We moved across country, my husband quit his job and started a new business and we bought a new house. The one constant in my life of late has been writing. And so my mind wanders, quite often lately, to why I write books.

I’ve always felt a drive to write. I wrote stories all through elementary, junior and high school, but I never took it very seriously, even when I wrote my first full-length book in college. But somehow, through a lot of soul searching and some time off after college, I decided I would try for the big prize, becoming a published writer.

Some people might think that’s why a writer writes. To be published , to make money, to become a bestseller, and all those things are true. I support my family through my writing, so these very practical reasons to write are on my radar at all times. But they are not the ones that keep me going through the hard times. In fact, those practical goals seem to hurt me more than help when I’m low.

The reason that I write is because I have so many stories in my head and I want to see what happens in them. I write because it makes me calmer, it makes me happier, I lose myself in the process of it. I write because I’m passionate about an idea (I’ve never written a book I didn’t love) or a character or a scene. I write because when I don’t write, it makes me very sad and antsy. This fact was proven to me over the summer when I took two months off and nearly went mad by the end.

Ultimately, it’s the passion for our work that drives us to sit in a chair with a cat taking up half the space, wrecking our wrists, wracking our brains, crying over the failures, and still we write. It’s that thing that makes us keep trying. And hopefully, as readers, it’s the thing you feel when you pick up a book and get lost in it.


When friends turn to lovers, anything can happen…

A mistress should never be foolish enough to fall in love with her protector, nor trust him with her financial future. Mariah Desmond did both, and now her dearly departed protector has left her with nothing.Forced to seek another protector, she’s determined that this time, she’ll lead with her survival instinct—not her heart. But when she attends one of Vivien Manning’s infamous parties, the familiar face of her late lover’s best friend throws her for a loop.

A painful past taught John Rycroft that he’s not fit to be anyone’s knight in shining armor. His soft spot—make that a hard spot—for Mariah is precisely why he’s kept his distance. Yet the sight of her flirting with a bevy of men vying to become her next lover makes something inside him snap.

As John hauls her bodily away from her suitors, Mariah’s indignation melts away in the heat of the sizzling sexual chemistry. She quickly finds it isn’t easy to navigate John’s stormy emotional waters. Especially when his abusive father’s quest to get his son back under his thumb puts her life in danger.

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

Click for more info. 

1 lucky commenter will win a copy of Nothing Denied


To Enter:
  • Please leave a meaningful comment or question for Jess. 
  • Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.
  • US Shipping ONLY

Good Luck =)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

19 comments :

  1. Great post! Thanks for sharing with us the many faces/pen names of Jess Michaels:) For me too, life has been ever changing, but the one constant that I can always count on and never fails is reading, so thanks for doing what you do by writing:)

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  2. Whatt a great pot. Thank you for sharing with us. I've loved all of the books I've read that you've written as Jess and I can't wait to read this series.

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  3. Congrats on the new release. For Desire Alone sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it. Thanks for the great post and for sharing some of your life. How many books will be in the Mistress Matchmaker series?

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  4. Hi Joanne! Three books in the Mistress Matchmaker series. Then next Summer/Fall there will be a new series out from Samhain called "The Pleasure Wars". So lots on the radar coming up. :)

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  5. Thanks for the great post and congrats to Jess on the new release! I've only read the Jess Petersen books and I can't wait to start on the Jess Michaels' books :) Ummm... what do you have to have/do before or while writing?

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  6. You know, I don't have many writerly superstitions. This is my job, so I sit down and do it every day. I don't listen to music or burn candles or whatever to set it up.

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  7. I think it's wonderful that your husband encouraged you to become a full-time writer. So sweet! :) Thank you so much for the awesome post, and for sharing your story :)

    Marie

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  8. Sounds like a really good series! Thanks for the chance to win!

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  9. Great post! Its so sweet the way your husband encouraged you! Your book sounds great!! Thanks for sharing! Best wishes and many blessings to you!

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  10. Congrats on the new release Jess and thank you so much for sharing abit of yourself with us. This Series sounds awesome as does you giveaway book Nothing Denied. Although I must sadly admit to not having read any of your books yet (very busy trying to reading through my TBR list) I do have you on my list. Although after reading your excerpt might have to move you up on the list. This series has me very intriqued! Love it!

    joylynne66(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  11. Great post, Jess! How wonderful it is that your husband is so supportive of your writing. I love the cover on your books. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  12. Did you have a particular teacher that encouraged your writing when you were young? Did you let your friends read your stories?

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  13. Thank you for sharing Jess's books with us. I haven't read any and am looking forward to enjoying them.

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  14. Excited to read this series, great excerpt and I love the covers. Thx for the giveaway.

    blinkysthebest at aol dot com

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  15. Congrats on the release Jess! I have read a couple of your straight historicals but not any of your more erotic romances yet.

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  16. This book sounds awesome! Would love to read this and discover a new author :)

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  17. Congrats on the new release!! I have to say that I love your book covers, they are really appealling! You are a new author for me and will have to take a look at some more of your books!

    susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com

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  18. is it hard to come up with enough variety of characters & situations when you write a series?

    sallans d at yahoo dot com

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  19. I always thought authors were like other artists in that they love to create. The story looks like a good one.

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