I'm 80k words into the first draft of At Her Pleasure, and Mick and Cyn's high voltage chemistry is roaring right along. Since I'm kind of the first reader of the books the muse gives me to write. I'm learning their backstory, including why Cyn is so volatile, and how her family background ties into Mick's present. With every book I write, this creative "unfolding" renews my love for the storytelling process.
Do you want to know what the book's about, and see the beautiful cover? That information is below, with a fun teaser from the current draft. We also have PREORDER LINKS! Release date will be November 30. Reserve your copy so it will be on your device after Thanksgiving. You can reward yourself for all the cooking, cleaning and family entertaining. Or, if you don't do all that nonsense, it can just be an anticipated (and hopefully satisfying, if I do my job right) weekend read.
It was a night for doing stupid things...
Ten years ago, Mick should have arrested the drunk, angry woman vandalizing a cemetery. Instead, on that cold night, he yielded to her pain and rage, and let her go. Now a former cop, he's come to New Orleans on business, which brings him face to face with the woman he never forgot.
Cynbad Marigold is a successful businesswoman and a formidable Domme, a Mistress who chooses subs who need enough pain to appease her limitless craving to give it. Most subs safeword before she goes too deep, but when Mick reappears in her life, he doesn't want safety. In uncovering the shocking depths of his own darkness, Cyn realizes the pleasure she takes in giving pain is matched only by how much she wants to give him the home he needs…safe in the shadows of her soul.
Whose darkness will take them deeper—and will their bond keep them from going too far?
While ALL of them can standalone, there are currently THREE other books in the Mistresses of the Board Room series. Enjoy them before Cyn's story releases in November!
"Hill brings you into her world and you don't ever want to leave. This book took me longer to read because after certain scenes I just wanted to hold onto the feelings evoked. I would put it down to savor what I experienced. Another great read by Joey W. Hill."
"This was my first Joey W. Hill book, and I’m kicking myself for not reading any of her books sooner. Highly recommended..."
It thrills me to pieces that both existing and new readers are loving Brick and Les's story. I hope you all have been enjoying it too, or you'll have the chance to do so in the future, when it makes it to the top of your TBR pile!
ALL LINKS (Universal)
Amazon US * Kobo * Nook * Google * iBooks
PROLOGUE and CHAPTER ONE Download
I put this on my social media platforms at the end of May, but I wanted to be sure my newsletter subscribers saw it, too! Would you like a printable checklist to keep track of the Vampire Queen series books and novellas you've already read, plan to read, or need to buy? The books are listed in the reading order in which I wrote them. Also included is a list of the downloadable FREE Bonus Content stories/novellas from the series, so you can make sure you have all of those as well. Many thanks to Lara Adrian for the concept. She did this for her wonderful Midnight Breed series, and then a reader sent it to me and said, "hey, this is a fabulous idea!" What would I do without you all?
I also plan to do one of these lists for my Nature of Desire and Knights of the Board Room series when I have more hours in the day. Remember, if you ever want a MASTER booklist of all my titles, divided by series, in chronological order, all you have to do is visit my website, click on the Books menu item (click ON it, not the drop down menu) and it will take you to that list!
You may already follow my Facebook Author Page, but perhaps have never joined my JWHMembersOnly fan group. Members post a lot of fun stuff there, and you can lurk or participate in the lively comment exchanges as much as you wish. No drama or politics - just pure love of books, reading, and the erotic romance genre. All this month, Get That Book is running a Join Our Group giveaway where, if you join my fan group, or the fan groups of other authors participating, you'll be entered in the $200 giveaway! Just click here for the details. You only join the author groups you want to join, so if mine's the only one, you're entered! If you see other authors whose group you want to join, that just increases your winning chances!
In the last issue of the newsletter, I offered the chance to win a $50 book vendor gift certificate to those who sent me the answer to the question, "What's your favorite Nature of Desire series book" (or your favorite of all my books/series). I have loved reading your responses! Nancy D said if she "had" to choose, it would be Thomas and Marcus's story in Rough Canvas. She was my randomly chosen winner, but I wish I could have awarded everyone a gift certificate, particularly after reading answers like these:
"Ugh! You know us book readers--we can never limit ourselves to just one of anything! I am LOVING your Mistresses of the Board Room series soooooo much, but I also loved Unrestrained...and also...I better stop..." --Tina S
"No way in hell am I gonna pick just one. My response is, I LOVE THEM ALL!!!! Brick is gonna be one of my new favorites. But then again, all of your guys are special. I've never met one that I didn't fall for. So, if that knocks me out of the contest, OH WELL...I'll just be down here, loving them all." -- Shirley L
See what I mean? Thank you so much EVERYONE who sent me their answers, chock full of love and smiles about the books and characters.
Since marketing wisdom says info can take two or three subsequent appearances to be noticed, I wanted to include this reminder for you all again (smile). Most of my Nature of Desire and Knights of the Board Room series, plus several of the Vampire Queen series and Naughty Bits, are available in audio format, so feel free to skim the full library here. Enjoy!
THANK YOU for the many ways you all support my work, not only by purchasing my books, but by spreading the love to other readers, through reviews or direct recommendation in online groups or one-on-one to friends and family. It ALL helps!!
Let's check out this month's featured three e-books - download one or more today!
"Hill has few equals when it comes to BDSM romance. While her stories are powerful in and of themselves, it's the depth and strength of her characters that will draw you in and keep you captivated. Who wouldn't want an Alpha male who recites poetry as he rocks your world?" --Amazon Reviewer
"...truly one of the few authors I know that can lay the soul of the characters on the page in a way that speaks directly to my soul. Thank you for another wonderful escape full of hope and contemplation (on my part) and poetry." --Reader Feedback
It's finally here! I hope you all are enjoying Brick and Les as much as the two readers quoted above have. Or will do so, when it comes to the top of your TBR pile. I can relate to that! A reader posted a great meme on the JWHMembersOnly FB page this week that said, "I'm not a book hoarder. I'm prepping for the possibility that one day I might have 173 years to do nothing but read." Does that sound like anyone else's idea of heaven? I know it does mine. However, I also wouldn't be able to resist the urge to put down an inspiring book and write another story, because the two passions skip along hand in hand for me.
Anyhow, I'm so thrilled to give you this next Nature of Desire series book. We had a great release day celebration on June 30 at the JWHMembersOnly and JoeyWHillAuthor Facebook pages and my MeWe page. It included giveaways and behind-the-scenes info on the creation of this book, like the first responder research that went into it, plus pictures, experiences and events that inspired key scenes, settings and props. I talked about intriguing new secondary characters, including one who will be the hero of my next book, as you'll read later in this issue. Remember, you're always welcome to drop in. Lurkers are eternally welcome, but postings are allowed at the group page (JWHMembersOnly), and comments welcome at all three platforms!
I love my social media followers, but my newsletter readers are no less important to me. As such, I want to offer an EXCLUSIVE TO YOU giveaway! Drop down below the graphic (a slow scroll is fine - I love that backside view myself, lol...) to find out the details, though definitely pause on the buy links if you need to grab yourself a copy of Brick and Les's story.
ALL LINKS (Universal)
Amazon US * Kobo * Nook * Google * iBooks
PROLOGUE and CHAPTER ONE Download
Yes, I'm offering a $50 gift certificate to the book vendor of your choice! So how do you enter? Just email me at storywitch@storywitch.com and tell me your favorite Nature of Desire series book. If you haven't yet read them, then let me know which book/series of mine is your favorite. And remember Ice Queen is a free gateway-to-series book you can download any time you wish! I'll announce the winner in the next issue of the newsletter. (Note: in addition to the universal vendor link, you can use the BookFunnel link, if you have any problem getting the download FREE from your preferred vendor).
If you’re reading Ignition Sequence, you will! When Brick takes Les to a private BDSM party, they briefly cross paths with Mick, who organizes and runs the party. This enigmatic male will be CYN’S HERO, in our Mistresses of the Board Room series. The notes for this book are just gushing in, and the first chapter is already so clear in my head. It's a whoa, WTF crazy opening. Want a little snippet of Mick's description from Ignition Sequence? No spoilers, just his physical description:
As Mick closed the few strides between them, Les saw startingly sharp-pupiled eyes with irises that could be brown or blue, the club’s lighting making it too difficult to determine. His ginger-brown hair, a thick wave of it brushed back from a high forehead and square, strong face, matched the groomed beard. His shoulders and torso under the fitted blue shirt said he was solidly built. While not as tall and broad-shouldered as Brick, that didn’t make him a lean or small man, since most men weren’t Brick’s size.
Mick wore brown slacks with the shirt, which was open at the throat, revealing a silver crucifix. A blade of some kind had left a shiny, mauve scar from his collarbone to a couple inches past the cross’s resting place. On closer inspection she realized the figure on the crucifix wasn’t Jesus. It was a skeleton, and it was hugging the cross, not crucified on it.
The story behind that cross has me really curious, but I already know how he got the scar (wink). Interesting note: The main character of a movie that hit the theaters just this month has a LOT in common with Mick. I won't say which movie right now because that WOULD give you spoilers, but needless to say, the collective unconscious is a real thing. Once a storyteller in any medium has a thought, it's apparently tossed out into that subconscious creative flow, accessible to all of us. As far as what Mick looks like in my head, it’s the compilation of three actors (reflected in the graphic and identified below it), though you can imagine him as whoever you'd like him to be!
Pilou Asbaek, who played the pirate Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones – “I am the storm, brother. The first storm and the last.”
Mark Rowley, who is the gorgeous Irish warrior Finan in The Last Kingdom.
Plus a bit of Tobias Santelmann thrown in. He’s Ragnarson, again in The Last Kingdom – have I mentioned I’ve been binge watching this fabulous series?
So what’s your favorite Mistresses of the Board Room book to date? If you’re still thinking about reading the series (three books so far), you can find your preferred vendor link to the first one here. AT HER COMMAND is the story of CEO Rosalinda Thomas and former Navy SEAL Lawrence Barrera (a bodyguard, protector hero, Mistress/alpha sub romance).
Yes, including Ice Queen, mentioned earlier. Most of my Nature of Desire and Knights of the Board Room series, plus several of the Vampire Queen series and Naughty Bits, are available in this format. You can skim the full library here. Enjoy!
THANK YOU for the many ways you all support my work, not only by purchasing my books, but by spreading the love to other readers, through reviews or direct recommendation in online groups or one-on-one to friends and family. It ALL helps!!
Let's check out this month's featured three e-books - download one or more today!
Brick cupped the side of her neck. He slid one large finger behind the shell of her ear, beneath the lobe, to that tender spot of skin. A touch like that said a man wanted to know a woman, learn her. Use those little gestures to find where her heart was, her soul, the center of what aroused and sheltered her. It reinforced what she’d just said to him. She could give him her trust.
Only a few more weeks for the new standalone Nature of Desire series book! I'm on the 3rd edit (I do a total of 4), and my content readers are reviewing the manuscript. As I noted last month, my source material experts are looking over the scenes relevant to their skillsets. My research covered a wide range on this book: arson investigation, firefighting, EMT practices, medical insurance, Catholicism, Civil War history and BDSM fireplay. As often happens, my wonderful readers provided most of the contacts needed to verify my research. Plus I found THREE retired firefighters in my neighborhood, which is awesome!
So, what's been the hardest information to verify? The Major Crimes area of the Richmond Police Department in downtown Richmond, Virginia. As an arson investigator/detective, that's where Brick's office would be. I've been to Richmond before, and had intended to go back before the release date to visit the building and see what access was possible in person. Though real life and my schedule didn't work out on that, I can call the location to ask my questions. However, police departments often want a request like mine to go through a PR department, which can take more time than I may have at this point. They can also be understandably a little concerned about a stranger calling up and wanting to know the floor layout of their offices, lol.
Regardless, we'll do our best, because we like the finished story to be as accurate as we can make it! In the meantime, here's a reminder of the PREORDER LINKS if you'd like to go ahead and reserve your copy. You can also download the prologue and first chapter to get a taste of where Brick and Les are going to take us. If you're on the JWHMembersOnly group, I just gave them the exclusive early peek link for the first THREE chapters.
ALL LINKS (Universal)
Amazon US * Kobo * Nook * Google * iBooks
PROLOGUE and CHAPTER ONE Download
On June 30, don't forget to drop in on the JWHMembersOnly and JoeyWHillAuthor Facebook pages, or my MeWe page. We always have giveaways and fun behind-the-scenes stuff on release day!
So when you're looking for a new romance to read, what hero (or heroine) profession will catch your attention? I asked this question on the social media pages this month, and was VERY delighted to find that firefighters are a popular response. Also popular are CIA and military, cowboys, doctors, private security operatives, billionaires and university professors. There was even one for "mage or occult/paranormal librarian." I think Rebecca had a specific hero in mind, lol.
One of the answers I particularly liked came from Bobbi: "I'm always alert for non-traditional? out of the ordinary? ones you don't find in every third romance? lol... things like potter, circus performer, stuntwoman, Renaissance fair coordinator/performer, dog rescue founder... I like heroines who exceed the norms. As for heroes, I'm partial to blue collar men who know how to fix things." Which complemented Laramie's response: "I have an obsession with blue collar guys; work boots, dusty jeans, those veins that run up their forearms, and know how to use their hands (shivers!).
Both of these responses reminded me of our roofer Des from Worth the Wait, another Nature of Desire series book. His heroine would also fall in the category of the unusual, since Julie was a community theater manager.
As a reader, I admit to being partial to the traditional alpha heroes - cops, military, billionaire. However, an out-of-the-norm job for a heroine will always catch my attention. Like if she's a firefighter herself, or in the case of the Mistresses of the Board Room, it's the HEROINES who are the corporate millionaire/billionaires.
When all's said and done, it's the character that pulls me in. But when I get to learn something about that career path I didn't know, and its emotional challenges expand the storyline, that makes the story all the better. Learning about Brick's profession as an arson investigator, and Les's challenges as a 3rd year medical student, has definitely enhanced and made their story an even more pleasurable one for me to write. I hope you'll feel the same!
A few weeks ago, just before Mother's Day, I realized Elaine Wilder has the distinction of being mother to THREE of our Nature of Desire series main protagonists: Thomas of Rough Canvas, Rory of In His Arms, and now Les of Ignition Sequence. Shortly thereafter, I also realized I have NEVER officially identified the North Carolina town where these characters were born and raised. As a North Carolina native, I loosely based it on a compilation of Lumberton, Laurel Hill and Wadesboro, but since we are on the THIRD book where this setting is relevant, I realized it was time to give the town an official name.
Because it was conceived as a compilation, I didn't want it to have the name of a well-recognized North Carolina town (where specific/accurate landmarks would be an issue), so I threw it out to my readers to see what they thought. Sheila W came up with the name that "pinged" bigtime with the muse. It also won a poll I took on social media among my readers. So now I'm delighted to say FAIRHOPE, NORTH CAROLINA, is where Thomas, Rory and Les call home. You'll get to spend time with them there June 30 when Ignition Sequence releases!
THANK YOU for the many ways you all support my work, not only by purchasing my books, but by spreading the love to other readers, through reviews or direct recommendation in online groups or one-on-one to friends and family. It ALL helps!!
Let's check out this month's featured three e-books - download one or more today!
Our next Nature of Desire series book is getting ever closer! We now have an official cover, preorder links and a sneak peek at the Prologue and Chapter One. PREORDER your copy today, and download the first chapter to get a taste of where Brick and Les are going to take us. Release date JUNE 30!!
ALL LINKS (Universal)
Amazon US * Kobo * Nook * Google * iBooks
PROLOGUE and CHAPTER ONE Download
I'm well into the second edit round, which means I've passed the "OMG, this is total crap, what was I thinking?" phase I experience on every book I write. Yes, writers are psychotic, but I'm sure that's not news to anyone, lol.
This is also the point in the creative process where I recruit beta readers/scene checkers who can help fill in my knowledge gaps. For this book, that includes firefighting, arson investigation, Catholicism, medical school training and fireplay (quite the combination, right?). Thanks to my generous readers, I'm now covered on all of those but firefighting/arson investigation. I have pretty good resources, thanks to fire companies posting training and step-by-step firefighting stuff on YouTube. However, if you are a firefighter or have a significant other who is one, and are willing to let me run some questions and key scenes past you, shoot me an email at storywitch@storywitch.com. I want to do all I can to ensure those elements of the story are as accurate as possible.
This month, I asked readers on my social media how they choose their next book to read. The range of answers reminded me of that age-old question about writing: "Are you a plotter or a pantser?" meaning, do you lay out an outline or just see where the muse takes you? Apparently choosing the next book has a similar spectrum. Even with a "plan" for the next book, it can often be derailed by what we're in the mood to read - and why not? There's a reason it's called pleasure reading! I've posted a sample of the answers below the graphic, to show you what I mean:
"It's random, depending on my mood and how bad is the slump my last book left me in, hahaha. If it was a big one, I try to go for a cleanser, something short, smutty and fast burn that you are just over and done with and wouldn't bother picking up again once you are done, until I'm ready for another one of those that just pull you under." --Macarena
"I have an excel sheet that is organized by author's last name. Honestly, the list is so long now, I just skim through until something catches my attention. I will have to live to 538 years old in order to get through all of them. Lol" --Erin
"If I'm reading a series it's usually the next book. If it's a standalone I'll look for something by my favorite authors. And down that rabbit hole I usually find new authors and might give it a try. If I like them, I'll look for more of their stuff. And so on and do forth. My TBR list on my Kindle is over 100 books." --Nicollette
"I will get on a kick and read a complete series back to back if I discover a new author. I will read a new release on that day if I have been waiting for a long time. Sometimes I just grab something based on the cover artwork." --Beth
Last month I told you about the $200 Amazon Gift Certificate giveaway contest, where readers could enter simply by following me on Bookbub. This month, Get That Book is offering another giveaway, only the card amount is up to $350! This time you have a wider set of choices on where to follow me and/or the other participating authors, as noted in the graphic below. All you have to do is click on this link and enter your email address at the appropriate section. Remember, it doesn't matter if you're already following me on these platforms. Clicking this link to enter will either add you to my followers or confirm your entry. You'll then see a list of other authors you can select to follow to increase your chances to win! [By the way, I gained 400 new Bookbub followers last month, so these events really do help authors. I appreciate it VERY much.]
Also remember, Get That Book is a one-woman operation. Niki does a lot to support authors and readers. When she's not running GTB, she's also a hardworking PA for several other authors! In short, she will never sell your information, and she's always very clear about the parameters of her promotions/contests, if that's a concern.
My husband started watching the Why Files last month, and I've found myself becoming rather attached to AJ and Hecklefish. Lizzid People! Anyhow, every time AJ finishes a show, he does this closing, "BE SAFE, BE KIND AND KNOW THAT YOU ARE APPRECIATED." It never seems repetitious to me, because he transmits it so sincerely. So, though I say it in every newsletter, please know I mean it the same way: THANK YOU for the many ways you all support my work, not only by purchasing my books, but by spreading the love to other readers, through reviews or direct recommendation in online groups or one-on-one to friends and family. It ALL helps!!
[Important FYI: AJ often does a hilarious dance during his credits that is WELL worth seeing. Makes me laugh every time.]
Let's check out this month's featured three e-books - download one or more today!
If you've been on my Facebook or MeWe pages, you know I have been narrowing down some cover choices for Brick and Les's story with the help of you, my wonderful readers. The votes came down to two pictures, which I dubbed "Tender Kiss" and "Hot Jeans." Tender Kiss had a slight lead over Hot Jeans, but then Scott did this rough cover mockup to see if that changed--and it did! Hot Jeans will be polished up to become our Ignition Sequence cover. We might put a cool firefighter tattoo on his back - we'll see. I should have the final, PLUS PREORDER LINKS, by next month, so you all will be able to reserve your copy of the next Nature of Desire series story. It releases JUNE 30, 2023!! And don't worry - if you liked "Tender Kiss" better, that picture will be used for teaser and promo graphics for the story, along with the other pictures that were in the first round. Nothing goes to waste!
I've finished the first draft of the story, except for a key scene with more complicated fire play. During a first draft, I can often write the bones of a scene despite needing more research to flesh it out. However, to create the bones, the soul spark has to be there. When a certain level of research is needed to find that soul spark, I hit pause to go find it. I'm currently diving into photos, videos and reaching out to personal contacts who love this form of play. Once I've found the inspiration I need from those helpful sources, I'll take it back to the book and hopefully make that one last scene...incendiary. (Sorry - sometimes a writer can't resist the low hanging fruit!)
THIS OFFER IS OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL READERS, TOO!
Finally! We have a Mistresses of the Board Room bookmark, joining the bookmark options for my six other series. Would you like one? How about two? Because when we love a story, we like to talk about it with other readers, I always send two, in case you find a friend who might be interested in my work.
If you'd like an MBR bookmark, just shoot me an email at storywitch@storywitch.com and tell me so. Include your mailing address (used ONLY for sending the bookmark to you), and I'll usually have that out to you within a week of the request. Remember me mentioning that I have bookmarks for ALL my series? If ever you want a bookmark (or two) from another series, all you have to do is let me know in the same way. You can see the full bookmark selection under the Bookmark Gallery on my website. Some of these do have older cover images, but if that doesn't bother you, I'll be happy to send you your selection. Many of you read these books when they had the older covers, so usually there's good sentiment for them. However, once my stock runs low, I will update them with the newest covers.
Recently in my GoodReads blog, I threw out the statement - "No woman wants to read a romance where the man gets spanked--right?" As I explored this subject from the standpoint of Domme/sub romance, I used the Alan Ritchson Reacher TV series as a way to illustrate my point, which was a lot of fun (I've binge watched it three times as least!). You can read the blog post here.
I don't do a lot of the pushy marketing stuff, but if you would like a quick and easy way to support your favorite author(s), on a site that is about NOTHING but books, authors and readers, this is that option. All you have to do is click on this link and enter your email address at the appropriate section. It doesn't matter if you're already following me on Bookbub. This will either add you to my followers or confirm your entry. You'll then see a list of other authors you can select to follow to increase your chances to win!
I visit Bookbub all the time as a reader, because I like getting the sale notifications and seeing what new releases are coming out from authors whose work I love. I also support Bookbub because they respect both readers and authors, focusing on what features best help them connect to one another.
On that same note, this promotion is run by Get That Book, which is a one-woman operation. Niki does a lot to support authors like me. When she's not running GTB, she's also a hardworking PA for several other authors! In short, she will never sell your information, and she's always very clear about the parameters of her promotions/contests, if that's a concern.
As always, THANK YOU for the many ways you all support my work, not only by purchasing my books, but by spreading the love to other readers, through reviews or direct recommendation in online groups or one-on-one to friends and family. It ALL helps!!
It's time to check out our featured ebooks, penned by three wonderful authors - download their stories below!
Since March is the month we typically think of the color green, thanks to spring happening on this side of the world AND St. Patrick's Day, it seems fitting that the Daughters of Arianne new cover branding look incorporates tones of green--though admittedly more ocean than earth tone green (smile). The stories have NOT changed, so there's no need to buy them again if you already have them. However, if you haven't yet tried this trilogy, remember Book 1, A Mermaid's Kiss, is FREE for download at your preferred vendors or at BookFunnel. The Daughters of Arianne trilogy have mermaid heroines and angel heroes, with the exception of the third book, which has a merangel heroine (daughter of Jonah and Anna, from the first book) AND a half-vampire hero!
After I completed this trilogy, this was the little summary/promo comment I made about them: "When I wrote these books, I expected them to be romances with lovely mermaids, really hot angels, and awesome good-versus-evil climactic battles. All that worked out just fine (wink), but the stories also became an emotional exploration into how we deal with love and loss, regrets, and how we try to live every moment of our life with a deep understanding of how precious it can be, no matter what challenges we face." I still love the characters in these books, and hope you'll enjoy them, too, either for the first time or as a re-read!
What a month we've had on the Facebook JWH Members Only Fan Forum! Here were the most engaging topics of conversation. You can drop in and offer your own two cents, using the permalink I've included to each subject:
So what's the dose of reality you DON'T need in your romance reading? This wasn't the big dealbreaker stuff, like adultery, but the small stuff that just pulls you out of the book. For me, it was having the hero fart. Yes, you may laugh, but it TOTALLY turns me off. One of my readers had me rolling when she chimed in with this comment: "People actually write that in romance books?? WHY?? I mean I read to get away from real life for a while... I live with my husband and 2 young adult sons... I SOOOOO don't need more farting in my life."
What did my readers suggest my book heroes should do for their heroines for Valentine's Day? Or vice versa? This resulted in some lovely stories about what readers' significant others had done for THEM, which may just become material for MY future stories, lol.
How does an author handle negative reviews? How do you feel about writing them? A reader initiated this topic on JWHMembersOnly, which inspired me to offer my own detailed reaction. (Hint: I'm in the camp that believes most reviews are useful to an author, good or critical, with a few notable exceptions!)
But the BIG winner in terms of interest and engagement was prompted by this question: How many books will you read in a series before your interest wanes, and why does it wane? There were SO many different answers to this question - I was surprised!
Posts authored by me are often parallel-posted on my FB JoeyWHillAuthor page and my MeWe page, if you prefer to browse through the content there. However, since reader posting is allowed on the group, it has the additional advantage of book-inspired pics, memes, questions and comments being offered by them throughout the month.
On all my platforms, I also post things related to the creative process. Like this tidbit about Des and Julie's story in Worth the Wait that I discovered in my 2008 story notes. Apparently, I was considering a TOTALLY different direction for Julie's hero. Here was that early note:
"Julie doesn’t care about having a relationship. She finds hanging out with girlfriends and flirting with gay men far preferable to the betrayals and heartbreak of her catastrophic attempts to find “Mr. Right.” So she focuses on her community theater work and tells herself that’s enough fulfillment for her. Her best friends, Thomas and Marcus (Rough Canvas), know that’s not enough for her. So, being good friends, they set her up for a wild evening at The Zone, and in so doing, they introduce her to the Dom of her dreams. But what will convince her that he’s not just a hired gun, but someone truly interested in a relationship with her?"
While it would have made an intriguing vignette/prequel for her, I much prefer Julie's hero being Des, our roofer and rope Dom struggling with diabetes, who meets Julie in the Charlotte erotic theater she was getting onto its feet!
So if you're ever in the mood to enjoy discussions about the books, erotic romance and to celebrate our genre, stop by the JWH Members Only Fan Forum, my JoeyWHillAuthor page or MeWe. Feel free to lurk or weigh in with your own comments. Remember, on the group you can also offer original posts. They just have to relate to erotic romance, my books, or our love of books/romance in general, which usually isn't difficult for any of us to do! (Group rules for posting are pinned to the top.)
If you check out the newsletter via the links I post on FB, Twitter and MeWe each month, that is fabulous!! However, if ever you decide you'd like to subscribe so it automatically gets delivered to your inbox, we have a new perk to that process. If you are in the U.S., when you sign up, you can indicate if you'd like to receive a signed swag pack from me. I SO wish I could offer this internationally, but the postage is too dear. I'm terribly sorry about that, but don't worry, my contest giveaways throughout the year, here and on social media, will continue to be open worldwide, and I always try to include a swag pack when I have an international winner!!
I'm still hard at work on Ignition Sequence, Brick and Les's story in the Nature of Desire series, and am about 70k words into their book. Brick's side of things includes firefighting and arson investigation. Les's includes the ups and downs of being a third-year medical student. Plus getting to experience the pleasure of fire play under Brick's hands (a beautiful thing to watch, when done correctly).
We'll get to meet some intriguing new side characters in this book, including Rufus, a childhood friend with whom Brick did Civil War re-enacting, and Mick, who organizes BDSM private parties and resists definition as Dom, sub OR switch. He's giving me some tingles as a potential Mistresses of the Board Room hero. We'll see... Ignition Sequence is coming together well, but the ideas and scenes are tumbling out so fast, the first edit is going to be challenging! I hope to have a cover for you soon, and the release date is looking like mid to late JUNE.
As always, THANK YOU for the many ways you all support my work, not only by purchasing my books, but by spreading the love to other readers, through reviews or direct recommendation in online groups or one-on-one to friends and family. It ALL helps!!
It's time to check out our featured ebooks, penned by three outstanding authors in the genre - download their stories below!
For the past couple months, I've been working on the foundation for my 2023 marketing strategy. This included learning about Amazon and Bookbub ads, researching authors and groups who are open to promotional efforts, and organizing author resources, like online groups I can visit for questions and ongoing promo ideas. Most importantly, I finally did what I have been trying to do for several years. I went through ALL of my filed marketing emails, plus reviewed most of the marketing files on my computer and MS Notes. Over 500 files/suggestions, some dating back to 2015!
Marketing can be so draining when you're just throwing something at the wall to see if it sticks. The result of this hard work is my marketing strategies now have some useful focus. Since I've already seen some modest results from the initial efforts, it gives me hope that if I continue implementing these ideas in a cohesive manner, I should be able to do my part to keep the lights on at the Hill house (smile). But the best part of all of this is that I can now GET BACK TO WRITING! I started Brick and Les's story this week, as you can see from this picture I posted for my FB and MeWe groups.
Fun fact? Those with better eyesight than me zoomed in on "orgasm denial," under my pinky there. Ah, my beloved readers - I can always count on you! Anyhow, I scribbled down about 9,000 words in two days. Brick and Les have been percolating in my brain for months, so I had copious outline material in my MS Notes file for them. My recent road trip to see my aunt gave me about forty more recorded snippets of dialogue, scene ideas and more to supplement what I already had.
Since Brick is an arson investigator, I'm reviewing YouTube videos on the topic so I can accurately reflect his knowledge in this field. You can't get me within a mile of anything related to science UNLESS it's for book research. My husband has to suffer my enthusiastic babblings over the endless facts I accumulate to build a characters' experience base. The other night I was hanging onto every word of a step-by-step lab analysis of charred wood, lol.
However, that very video provided me the title for the book! In order for ignition to happen, there has to be an ignition source, fuel and an oxidant. Considering that characters in a romance need elements like those to "ignite" their relationship, the term for these three things, the order in which they happen, got a big PING in my head. So here's our graphic from last month's issue, with a TITLE update! What do you think?
IGNITION SEQUENCE will be Book 12 of the Nature of Desire series. And, since Les is the sister of Rory of In His Arms and Thomas of Rough Canvas, it is very likely we will get to see how those characters are doing. We'll maybe even do a drop in on their family friend, Julie, and her Dom, Des, from Worth the Wait. You never know who is going to make a guest appearance in these books!
I had an amazing experience a couple weeks ago, even though I'm sure Raina, Ruby and Ramona, my Arcane Shot series witches, were rolling their eyes at me for being so surprised. The situation involved a family love story (my maternal grandfather and grandmother, pictured here), a missing necklace, and a bit of kitchen magic. It made a great blog post on GoodReads, so if you'd like to check it out, follow the link here.
My initial plan for 2023 was to attend SpaceCoast in Orlando, Florida if I made it to the top of the extensive author waiting list. However, during my ruminations about this year's conference options, my husband let me know what he'd like for his 60th birthday, which will happen this year. He'd like to go on a cruise, something we've never done before. Since I'll be turning 55, another milestone, it sounds like a nice gift for both of us.
Finances are tight for a lot of people now. In the book world, many midlist authors are scrambling to bring in enough royalties to keep doing this for a living. I am unbelievably fortunate that the decision I have to make is between the expense of a conference or a birthday cruise, rather than far more serious issues, like making mortgage payments or covering groceries. Since we all know family comes first, and Scott has lived 33 years with a workaholic author for a wife, I've therefore decided to postpone my future conference considerations to 2024 and do the cruise with him this year.
I will MISS seeing those of you who attend the 2023 reader-author conferences. I love the re-charge I get from rubbing elbows with you and my fellow authors. However, if you're ever in my neck of the woods of coastal South Carolina, don't hesitate to shoot me a note - maybe we can get together for a coffee! Don't forget, in the sidebar are ways you can get a signed book or swag from me YEAR ROUND. If there's enough interest, I'll also consider some fun online live events with you this year, like a virtual signing for Ignition Sequence or At Her Pleasure (Cyn's story in the Mistresses of the Board Room series, coming Fall 2023). We'll see how the year unfolds!
As always, THANK YOU for the many ways you all support my work, not only by purchasing my books, but by spreading the love to other readers, through reviews or direct recommendation in online groups or one-on-one to friends and family. It ALL helps!!
I hope you have a wonderful VALENTINE'S DAY. Let's check out our featured ebooks - they might just make the holiday even more romantic!
That was what Amazon "Vine Voice" reviewer and blogger Nadine Bookaholic/Obsessed with Books thought about Tiger and Skye's story. She also asked me to do a five-question interview with her. One was Why should we read At Her Call and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique? Here was my answer:
Skye is a Domme, and she’s also mute. She’s learned to navigate and embrace a world while communicating differently from most of us. At the beginning of the book, Tiger suffers an injury that impairs his hearing, and the “club-only” relationship they had as Mistress and sub changes. As the writer, I had the chance to explore a Dom/sub relationship that doesn’t rely on “normal” communication methods, and how this impacted the life of my heroine before and the life of our hero now. Throw in the biker hero and businesswoman heroine angle, and it got even more interesting!
Most of my storylines look at the deeper psychological angles of Dom/sub relationships, plus expand that view outside of a strictly BDSM storyline. I don’t want to portray just a BDSM-session relationship. I want to see how the protagonists integrate that with everything they are; how they make that orientation work with their jobs, families and other aspects of their non-BDSM lives.
These are the other four questions she asked. Read the rest of her review and my interview here!
What was the most interesting (or surprising) thing you learned while writing your books?
How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
Do you listen to music while writing? Does it influence the flow of the scene you are writing?
What do you like to do when you aren't writing?
If you haven't yet had the opportunity to enjoy Skye and Tiger (and believe me, I understand - there's never enough time for all the books we want to read!!), click this At Her Call title link to find it at your preferred vendor.
If you've enjoyed At Her Call but haven't read the other books, I'd love you to experience Rosalinda and Abby's stories. Check out the full series to date here, while we wait for the next book, At Her Pleasure, Fall 2023 (Cyn's story).
All of the Mistresses of the Board Room series books can stand alone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans. Though the series link is to Amazon, all the main vendors carry the titles. Here are the universal links for Ros's story, At Her Command and Abby's story, At Her Service. Navy SEAL heroes in both books - oh yeah!
So if you'll recall, each year I offer a special December giveaway. I send the winner's favorite charity a $100 donation. This year, that person also had the choice of one of my signed print books, or THREE ebooks, if the winner didn't want a print copy. As always, it was heartwarming to see how many of you support organizations that bring light and hope to those in need. My randomly chosen winner is Simone M, and her charity was PAWS Chicago. Congratulations, Simone!
So, now that the holidays are over, you deserve a treat in the new year. How about a $200 AMAZON GIFT CERTIFICATE to load up your Kindle or fill your shelves? Think how many books that would be! Maybe about forty ebooks, or ten print books, depending on the prices. If you use GoodReads, all you have to do to enter the giveaway is click on this link or the graphic below and read the directions to follow me. Increase your number of chances by following other authors on the list or sharing on social media. It's entirely your choice! Have fun with it! [Note: If you don't do GoodReads, a similar offer on other platforms will be happening in the coming months, no worries!]
In February, I'll start working on Brick and Les's story, the next Nature of Desire series book. However, I've already started playing with the prologue between our doctor and firefighter protagonists. Here's a snippet you might enjoy.
"Okay." Brick studied her. "I'll give you the time and space to finish medical school. But if you're on your own when that's done, I'm coming for you."
Les scoffed. "I know firefighters are brain damaged by their testosterone overload, but you do realize this is the 21st century? Men don't come and carry off women."
"There's no medical evidence for that first part, doc. I know what I want, and that's you. You belong to me." He leaned in, eyes locked with hers. "Tell the truth. When I said I’m coming for you, what happened?"
It had made her toes curl and her breath shorten. No way in hell was Les admitting that. She settled for exiting his truck and slamming the door.
His chuckle followed her through the open window like that trail of strong fingers on her collar bone, the teasing intimacy of them under her bra strap. She knew she'd regret not looking back, but if she took the risk, those intent eyes wouldn't be laughing. And that look alone might pull her right back into the truck.
As a reminder, Les is Thomas's sister from Rough Canvas, and Brick was introduced as a high school friend of Rory's in In His Arms. When they hook up again, Brick is also an arson investigator. I hope to have them out to you in late Spring 2023 and, as mentioned earlier, the next Mistresses of the Board Room book will happen in the Fall (Cyn's story).
Thanks for checking out my news! Now, how about some featured ebooks from authors you might want to check out?
Our November 30 release day went wonderfully, and I'm very happy that so many of you are loving the story of our hot alpha biker and mute Mistress. Here are some Amazon and Goodreads review clips on At Her Call :
"Joey's characters are deep. [She] understands the human psyche better than most psychologists/psychiatrists...This series is crushing; it makes you want to be such a better person to those around you, because you never know what they are truly going through." --Kimi5564, GoodReads
"When it comes to BDSM romance, Hill has few equals. Her series books are so much more than BDSM scenes strung together. She creates marvelously unique characters and weaves them into intricate stories with some drama, angst, conflict and touches of danger. You will come to care about her characters, root for them, despair and celebrate with them. At Her Call certainly measures up to the previous books in this series and to all of the rest of Ms. Hill's body of work!" - Mel, Amazon
"This story broke my heart and rebuilt it. I was immersed in Skye and Tiger's journey and can’t recommend this story enough." - Donna, GoodReads (and In My Humble Opinion Reviews)
If you didn't get a chance to join us on release day, we had a variety of posts you might want to check out. The permalinks below are for the JWHMembersOnly FB group (which you are welcome to Join), but these same posts can also be found on my public JoeyWHillAuthor FB page and my MeWe page. Just go to those pages, scroll down or search on the key words noted to find them.
Motorcycle Research vs Experience / Writing a Disabled Character
Imagining the Mistresses / Imagining Tiger / It's All About the Music
If you want to talk about the book in detail, we also have a Spoiler Thread post on the JWHMembersOnly group. I hope you all enjoy the book, as well as the other two in the series (noted below). I intend to bring you Book 4, (very likely to be Cyn's story) in the Fall, after some intense marketing work this winter and hopefully a Spring 2023 Nature of Desire series book. You can read more about the upcoming stuff under "What's Next" in this issue.
All of the Mistresses of the Board Room series books can stand alone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans. Here are all the links you might need to read At Her Call or any of the others:
CHAPTER ONE PREVIEW FOR AT HER CALL
MISTRESSES OF THE BOARD ROOM SERIES LINK
Series link is AMAZON, but books are available at all popular vendors.
So every year, I offer a special December giveaway. Here's how it works. Email me the name of your favorite charity and which of my signed print books you'd like to have (or THREE ebooks, if you don't want print). By the next newsletter, I will randomly choose ONE winner, and send their charity a $100 donation, plus award the winner the book(s) they requested. This is one of my favorite giveaways, because I get the chance to confirm what is evident year-round in every interaction I have with you all - that I have wonderful and generous readers who care about others.
Service is a recurring theme in my books, and not just as it applies to the Dom/sub relationship. It's Marguerite of Ice Queen maintaining a safe playground for kids in a rough area in Tampa, or the Knights of the Board Room pitching in to help Louisiana and Mississippi residents during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Or retired SEAL Dale Rosseau (Unrestrained) taking over a New Orleans animal shelter while his former teammates Neil, Max and Lawrence help with the area youth center. And Ros and Abby of the Mistresses of the Board Room founding a battered women's shelter. Service and care to the community is part of what makes a romance hero or heroine actually a hero/heroine. It's therefore no surprise that romance readers exhibit those same qualities!
I had a difficult time writing this section. I started it quite a few times, and hit delete because it didn't match what I feel. I'm actually not all that good at expressing my own feelings - I feel through my characters. But here goes. Desiree might have been chronologically eighty-six, but she was timeless in her enthusiasm and joy for life and where it could take her. When she started writing books in her sixties, she'd already had a pretty amazing journey, but she wasn't the type of person who put an age cap on accomplishment. She was interested in writing erotic romance; her husband encouraged her to do so, and so she did, becoming widely recognized for her many series.
We met in 2006, when she reached out to me via email, because she'd read Ice Queen for an awards contest (the Eppies). She expressed then that she hoped we'd meet one day, and we did eventually, both of us being Ellora's Cave authors. I later had the honor of co-writing one of my vampire books with her, Selene and Quinn's story in Nightfall. Desiree is the only person with whom I've ever co-authored a book. Because my creative process is so solitary (and tyrannical, lol), there are only two people in the world I feel I could do that with. Desiree was one of them.
The night we brainstormed Nightfall remains one of my favorite conference memories, and the weeks we worked together after that were a pleasure. Desiree's warmth and humor kept me smiling. One morning when we were working on Selene and Quinn's story remotely, I sent her a note, asking her what she was doing. Famously, her matter-of-fact response was "I'm sitting here eating waffles and watching a video about strap-ons." She also was the type of person who made you feel cared about when you were in her presence, or communicating with her online. If you go to her fan group, Desiree's Darlings, you will see countless comments right now from all the people she impacted, people who are likely expressing the how and why of that far better than I am.
She and I wrote Nightfall when she was 78. Desiree embraced life fully, all the way up to the last few days of her life. Remember me mentioning she started writing in her sixties? She now has several HUNDRED books in her backlist - she even had a book release November 22! A couple weeks ago, when her PA let me know the decision had been made to call in Hospice, she added that she'd skyped with Desiree and had this to report: "She is weak but feisty. 'Tell readers to buy the new book,' she said."
When you know someone like this, it never feels like enough time. I didn't see her often, but knowing she was in the world made the world a better place for me. I will miss her deeply, and when I read her books and smile, I will think of her. I have no doubt she is with her husband and planning her next story. I look forward to the day I'll see her again.
As I mentioned above, it's looking like Cyn's story will be the next Mistresses of the Board Room book. She had a strong presence in At Her Call. I'm still waiting for her hero to step into the spotlight, but he's going to have to be a powerful personality to hold his own with Cynbad Marigold. I'm betting it will be an intense rollercoaster of a story!
Brick and Les's story from the Nature of Desire series will precede Cyn's. As a reminder, Les is Thomas's sister from Rough Canvas (she was pursuing her medical degree), and Brick was introduced as a high school friend of Rory's in In His Arms. Brick is a firefighter and arson investigator, so I'm already doing some firefighting research. I need to catch up on some backlist marketing before I get started on either book, but hopefully I'll stay on target for a Spring 2023 release for Brick and Les, and Fall 2023 for Cyn.
I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and holiday season, filled with family, friends, love, and all the things that matter the most. Now, onto this month's ebooks!
[Note: beginning with this issue, we are transitioning from FREE EBOOKS to FEATURED EBOOKS. Some might be free, some might be sale price, some might be normal price. But all are worth a look to see if they can be your next great read! However, as always, if the book IS at a sale price or free, grab it now in case that changes in the future!]
This is going to be a short issue, because it's crunch time on the final edit round, a week where I normally schedule NOTHING to compete with that last dash toward the finish line. Yet somehow I've managed to overbook this week with 1) my usual newsletter schedule, 2) committing to be a poll manager on election day, and 3) having visitor commitments on both the fore and after weekends. Where's that cloning machine when I need it?! Ha! Anyhow, do skim the issue for the fun At Her Call giveaways in process, the usual THREE free ebooks, and any other info about the book you may need. And here's some early feedback on At Her Call from my beta readers:
"Tiger is literally and figuratively breaking ties with the pure force of his submission, while Skye, although still the consummate Domme, becomes much more than just that..." - Gab, GoodReads Reviews
"It's fabulous, thought provoking, lushly descriptive, and gritty. Devoured it last weekend, currently re-reading it this weekend..." --Bobbi
"I love all your characters; you really make them come alive on the page, and this was another great story. Gotta love those happy endings." - Kath P
Beta readers have the thankless task of toiling through my early drafts and helping me clean them up. Since there's ZERO expectation of them praising the book - actually, just the opposite, lol - I get even more tickled when they do. So I hope this is a good indication that you all will enjoy it as much in its final "polished" form.
Oh, and on a final note - an email from fabulous author Kristen Ashley tickled me so much I had to share: "A BIKER SUBMISSIVE?!?! I think I strained my wrist pre-ordering your next book. Can’t wait!"
Many of you have been discovering the Mistresses of the Board Room series while waiting for Skye's story, so thank you for that! All the books can standalone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans. However, if you've already read Book 1 or 2 and are eager for Book 3, remember you can read the first chapter of At Her Call and/or preorder the book NOW! Here are the links:
Series link is AMAZON, but books are available at all popular vendors.
DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR REVIEW SITE? Would you be willing to share information about At Her Call on your site or post a review of the book there? If so, that would be wonderful! Please fill out this Google Form and the requested information will be sent your way on or close to November 15 (review can be posted anytime between then and year end, 12/31/22).
HAVE YOU JOINED THE JWHMEMBERSONLY FACEBOOK GROUP? Now is a good time to join this supportive and drama-free community, because I'm offering a couple ways to get even more excited about the release of At Her Call:
FIRST: From now until release day, I'm running a weekly giveaway for readers who post fun/relevant material on the group. Each Friday there are TWO winners. One is for the post that received the most comments and reactions. The other is a random choice post winner. We've all been reaping the benefits of this contest, with everything from sensual art offerings to funny memes about the things we enjoy in our erotic romances.
SECOND: If you liked that Chapter One preview offered in the links above, but need more before November 30, there is a link to an exclusive EARLY PEEK of Chapters One THRU Three posted on the group now! (When you join, that Early Peek link will take you right to it.)
Winner chosen on Release Day gets to choose either the stained-glass bondage art OR an Amazon gift certificate. And yes, the link in the graphic is that Chapter One link noted earlier in this issue. After you read the chapter, send me an email to enter, as detailed below!
The Romance of Reading Facebook group is a place "for people who love to discuss and gush about great books that they've read - with a big lean toward romantic fiction." They have guest author takeovers throughout each month, and this month I have the honor of being one of them. I've posted the graphic with the full schedule if you'd like to check out any of the other authors as well. On our assigned day, each of us will offer giveaways, plus posts about our books and the month's general theme, which for November is gratitude! Join the group if you'd like to tune in to any or all of our takeover days, or just to visit the group and enjoy the daily book love vibe.
Brick and Les's story from the Nature of Desire series continues to accumulate a lot of planning notes (including some pretty steamy scene ideas, lol). I look forward to getting started on the book in early 2023, with the hope of a late spring release date! As a reminder, Les is Thomas's sister from Rough Canvas (she was pursuing her medical degree), and Brick was introduced as a high school friend of Rory's in In His Arms. Brick is a firefighter and arson investigator, so I'll get to do some research on firefighting.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Samhain and you're anticipating a great kickoff to the holiday season in November. Now, onto this month's free ebooks!
First edit round is all done on At Her Call, and three to go! Many of you have been discovering the Mistresses of the Board Room series for the first time before the release of this third book, which delights me! I thank you for that, and for feedback like this:
"While Hill is one of my ultimate go-to authors, I often find myself reading her books in small doses because they are always heartbreakingly beautiful and raw. JWH is a compassionate, meticulous, thoughtful writer who can elicit a wide range of emotions, but especially unequivocal love for her characters and for the way they love. At Her Service is the story of a woman with a mental illness, of a fierce sisterhood that can make grown men quake in their boots, and of a man who loves so fiercely and resiliently that you'd wish anyone battling their demons had their own version of him to withstand the fires and tribulations of hell."
As noted in her wonderful comment, MizzMReads on Twitter was referring to Neil and Abby's story in At Her Service, Book Two of the series.
All the books can standalone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans. However, if you've read Book 1 or 2 and are eager for Book 3, remember you can read the first chapter of At Her Call and/or preorder the book NOW! Here are the links:
Series link is AMAZON, but available at all popular vendors
Drop down a little further to find out how you can be eligible for the big release day giveaway! But first, here's a little teaser line Tiger threw out during the first edit. I thought you all might enjoy it. I have a serious crush on our biker hero!
DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR REVIEW SITE? Would you be willing to share information about At Her Call on your site or post a review of the book there? If so, that would be wonderful! Please fill out this Google Form and the requested information will be sent your way on or close to November 15 (review can be posted anytime between then and year end, 12/31/22).
HAVE YOU JOINED THE JWHMEMBERSONLY FACEBOOK GROUP? We'd love you to be a part of this supportive and drama-free community that celebrates not just my books/characters, but erotic romance and love stories in general. Currently we're offering a couple ways to get excited about the release of At Her Call at the group:
FIRST: From now until release day, I'm running a weekly giveaway for readers who post fun/relevant material on the group. Each Friday there are TWO winners. One is for the post that received the most comments and reactions. The other is a random choice post winner. Though honestly, I think the main prize is all of us getting to see what book/erotic romance related posts the entrants offer! There've been some great ones so far, and it's a big help to me as I'm working through the editing rounds and doing the launch work for the release.
SECOND: If you liked that Chapter One and need more before November 30, there will be a link to an exclusive EARLY PEEK of Chapters One THRU Three posted on the group, sometime between now and November 1.
You might see this graphic (or versions of it) show up other places between now and November 30, but you get to see it here first! Enter today - winner gets to choose either the stained-glass bondage art OR an Amazon gift certificate. And yes, the link in the graphic is that Chapter One link noted above.
Many of you know I offer free short and novella bonus content "revisits" with my favorite series characters. Those can all be found through my website, under the Cantrips (Vignettes) menu item on the home page, with BookFunnel links for easy download to your preferred devices. But did you know there are a whole boatload of "Character Interviews" on my website, too? This is a collection of interviews that were posted on various blogger sites throughout the years. A couple of them were "group" interviews, like with the Knights of the Board Room and their ladies. In the spirit of the month, I wanted to draw your attention to one of these, titled "A Limo Ride with the Knights in NOLA for the 'Howl-a-ween' Ball." Delilah Raines of Riverina Romantics "visited" the Knights in New Orleans during a charity ball benefit for a local animal organization, and it turned out to be quite an adventure. You can find that "interview' and all the others under the "More" tab of my website, but here's the direct link to the Character Interview library.
[Note: while I haven't had a chance to put these in BookFunnel formats for download to preferred ebook devices, they can be pulled up on your browser, no problem.]
Brick and Les's story from the Nature of Desire series continues to accumulate a lot of planning notes, and I look forward to getting started on the book in early 2023, with the hope of getting it to you all sometime in the late spring! As a reminder, Les is Thomas's sister from Rough Canvas (she was pursuing her medical degree), and Brick was recently introduced as a high school friend of Rory's in In His Arms. Brick is a firefighter and arson investigator, so I'll get to do some research on firefighting.
Now, onto the free ebooks other authors are offering in this issue of my newsletter!
The full draft of Tiger and Skye's story is written, and the first of my four edit rounds starts this week. However, I've had so much fun writing this so far, I went ahead and polished up the first chapter for you all. AND I have preorder links if you'd like to make sure Skye and Tiger's story is in your hands on their November 30 release date.
These two have trouble keeping their hands off one another. Some couples have more patience when it comes to giving me time to integrate the story arc with their desire to play, but this is NOT one of those couples, lol. There will be plenty of steamy chapters in this book.
To keep up with Tiger's biker interests, I've also been watching YouTube videos about motorcycles - not only how to ride them but how to maintain one, and what it's like to visit one of the many rallies that happen annually. Yes, there's a fun scene in the book where Tiger shows Skye how to do a tune up on a bike. When this part of the book is ready, I can guarantee someone with mechanical skills (definitely not me) will be beta reading it!
I've also been doing research on what it's like to live as a deaf and/or mute person (Skye is mute), which has made me add learning American Sign Language to my bucket list. What a beautiful way of communicating! It's a form of dancing which integrates gestures, facial expressions and body language - a great mesh for the sensual world of erotic romance. My sister-in-law is fluent in ASL--she's a teacher who has been an ASL interpreter, as well as worked with special needs children. She was recently visiting my mother-in-law down here at the beach, and we spent a great afternoon on an oceanfront balcony discussing the million questions I had. She's agreed to be one of my resources during the final rounds to verify I have it all as right as possible.
Remember if you lose one of the links above, you can always find them on the At Her Call book page on my website - just go to the home page and click the At Her Call cover in the side bar.
Want to read the first two books in the series, At Her Command and At Her Service? Click the series link here or use one of the Books2Read links noted in the graphic. Like Knights of the Board Room, all the books can stand alone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans.
While I'm working on editing At Her Call, I'm also outlining and making notes for Brick and Les's story from the Nature of Desire series. Just like Tiger and Skye, Brick and Les have a lot to tell me. Since trips are my primo brainstorming time, I already had a good amount of notes I recorded on my way to and from the Norfolk SASS con in late July. However, on my way to visit my Aunt Linda in Virginia last week, they let me know they weren't done. I have a bunch more notes to transcribe, which is always a good sign that it's going to be a love story worth writing.
As a reminder, Les is Thomas's sister from Rough Canvas (she was pursuing her medical degree), and Brick was recently introduced as a high school friend of Rory's in In His Arms. Brick is a firefighter and arson investigator. Every time I hear Alan Jackson's "Country Boy," I get an itch to write the prologue for this book, which will be kind of a prequel/early years scene where Brick is visiting Les at college.
"A great mix of chaos, reaper, witches, fates, love, D/s, intrigue, and soul connection." Thank you to the readers who have given Silas and Ramona's story so much love! I always appreciate the time you take to spread the word, whether through reviews, discussions on reader groups, in book clubs and/or with the fellow readers you meet in grocery stores, on the bus, in the library, etc. Side note: Is anyone else tremendously relieved when you find a book lover at a party, so you don't have to make pointless small talk?
My gratitude for your help in sharing the love is endless, so thank you! If you're still thinking about reading this third story in the Arcane Shot trilogy, you can find all the available buy links here. Remember the first book in the trilogy, ARCANE SHOT, is a permafree gateway into the series. Here are all the links to that free full-length novel, plus a BookFunnel link if your vendor doesn't show that price. You can also view the full series list on Amazon here.
Now, onto the free ebooks other authors are offering in this issue of my newsletter!
This story – I swear, I can’t keep up. Skye and Tiger are firing MORE scenes and dialogue at me WHILE I’m in the middle of writing active scenes for them! I’m handwriting the first draft because that's been easier for my creative process on this one, and I've already filled up one notebook. I'm now working off of my llama clipboard of scrap paper, because I can’t find any other cute 70-page ruled notebooks, thanks to school supplies being bought up (those darn kids and their educational needs, lol). That’s okay, though – I have a tower of scrap paper and should be using it anyway. I’ve been typing up in the evening what I hand write during the day, and we hit 60K this week, so we’re rolling right along on schedule.
And when is that scheduled release date, you ask? NOVEMBER 30! I plan to have preorder links for you in the next COUPLE WEEKS, so keep an eye on the social media platforms or your preorder notices (if you're following me on Amazon or Bookbub). You will also be able to find the links on my website - just go to the home page, click on the At Her Call cover in the side bar and it will take you to the book page. I'll announce them in the next newsletter as well.
Would you like a look at that cover? Here you go! I hope you like it.
If you're curious, here's also a shot of one of the notebook pages. Note the writings in the margins – those are the OTHER ideas for scenes coming into my head WHILE I’m writing the current scene. Oh, and did I mention Brick and Les from the Nature of Desire series have started telling me things about THEIR story, which is the next book I’m writing after At Her Call? Some of my margin notes on other pages are theirs. As a reminder, Les is Thomas's sister from Rough Canvas (she was pursuing her medical degree), and Brick was recently introduced as a high school friend of Rory's in In His Arms. Brick is a firefighter and arson investigator!
I’ve no complaints – as an author, I’d MUCH rather characters be throwing scenes and dialogue at me faster than I can keep up, rather than being silent and stubborn, leaving me with cricket song echoing in my brain. I'm actually pretty blissed out right now, loving who Tiger and Skye are becoming together while getting the chance to learn more about each of them, including what in their background has ignited their chemistry - they have had some seriously hot scenes already. I'll have more specifics for you next month, aka teasers (wink).
Want to read the first two books in the series, At Her Command and At Her Service? Click the series link here. Like Knights of the Board Room, all the books can stand alone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans.
I was so glad my first conference since 2019 was this one. The Sexy and Sassy signing is a laid back, a la carte event where there are optimal amounts of time to spend with readers and other authors. Author Amy Marie, Lisa Honoria Sproat and a dedicated small army of volunteers made sure we had a weekend full of events, books and swag, plus lots of treats like giant cookies and cupcakes. No romance conference is complete without an overdose of sugar - especially chocolate!
I reconnected with readers, both existing and new, plus had a great couple dinners with ladies from my forum group. There was plenty of chatting with authors I knew, like Elizabeth SaFleur and Laci Paige (SO good to see them again, plus Laci's husband Rick!), as well as authors I met for the first time, like Sydney Storm and Angera Allen. I was so flattered to find out they are both fans of my work. Needless to say, with the chance to hang out with so many reader and author friends, it was an energy-charged weekend. Many hugs were exchanged! Side note: I love how often readers bring their mothers or sisters with them, because it gives me fond memories of when my mother came to conferences with me.
At the panels we answered a variety of reader questions, like what traits we consider essential in our characters, where our ideas come from, etc, but the question/answer that received the most laughs was when we were asked how we handle writer's block, and author Theresa Sederholt declared, "We drink!"
For the signing, I was assisted by "Mouse," the mother of author Roxanne Witherell and PA Heather Witherell, who I know many in our reader group and the book world know. To me, this wonderful trio of ladies exemplifies the community of booklovers and storytellers, how much we help and inspire one another, creating even more passion for reading or writing books. Mouse was a powerhouse at the table, helping with the checkout process and keeping me amazed and laughing by turns at the stories of her remarkable life. She's been a fishing boat captain for years, and continues to do that - at age 69! The woman IS a book character. I hope one day she'll write some stories of her own.
At the Cinderella ball, I saw a unicorn dancing, and NO, I wasn't drinking at all, lol. Amy Marie's delightful daughter dressed up in a unicorn costume and bopped around the floor, adding to the festivities. The DJ treated us to 80s favorites and more current tunes, and even jumped down on the floor a couple times to lead us in some dancing. It has been so long since I've been dancing, I was glad I decided to wear my party dress with my New Balance sneakers instead of trying for heels. I achieved MUCH more dancing with cushioned soles and padded arches!
We said good-bye at the Hansel and Gretel brunch after a very satisfying weekend. Norfolk is such a beautiful place, with art everywhere, and so many things to do. As it's the home of the largest naval base in the world, the first day we were there, a group of military personnel were finishing up an overnight conference. With a hotel full of romance readers and authors, you can bet we were stealing some glances at good-looking potential romance heroes as they took their morning jog, or joined us in the elevators with smiles and polite "ma'am" greetings. Oh, the ideas one little word can inspire. Reminded me of Max and Janet in Willing Sacrifice!
I'm not sure what my conference schedule will be next year. I plan to budget for at least one or two, depending on the size, so once I choose, I'll announce it to all of you. If you want to see more pics from the conference, including the dancing unicorn, visit my Facebook or MeWe page, as I put all of them there, along with the sculptures I saw on my walk. Norfolk is FULL of mermaid sculptures (about 200 I think, last count). On the Facebook JWHMembersOnly group, some of the readers who attended have also posted wonderful pictures!
If you have read Silas and Ramona's story, I hope your experience matched this reader's: "I did not put this book down...I loved the journey to their HEA. I promise it is not easy, and it is full of twists, turns, and amazement." If you're still thinking about reading this third story in the Arcane Shot trilogy, you can find it at all these vendors:
Amazon * Amazon Worldwide * Apple * Kobo * Nook * Google * Print
No plans for audio at this time.
Remember the first book in the trilogy ARCANE SHOT, will remain a permafree gateway into the series! Here are all the links to that free full-length novel, plus a BookFunnel link if your vendor doesn't show that price. You can also view the full series list on Amazon here.
Just a reminder from last month, if you are on Twitter, I've started a Wishful Wednesday Book Quote series. Having accumulated a lot of amazing quotes from my various reading materials, I decided to start sharing the joy, pleasure and inspiration from those authors. You're welcome to post your own responses to my offering every Wednesday! My Twitter handle is @JoeyWHill if you'd like to follow me.
Now, are you reading to check out this month's FREE EBOOK selections from some other authors? Let's do it, and thank you all for your support!
Silas and Ramona's story is now out in the world! I'm so glad to finally complete this trilogy for all of you. It took me places I didn't expect myself. Every story does, really; as soon as I get out of the characters' way, they usually show me amazing things. I hope you'll find the same experience when you take the journey with my Chaos witch and her Reaper. If you haven't grabbed your copy yet, you can download it from any of these vendors:
Amazon * Amazon Worldwide * Apple * Kobo * Nook * Google * Print
No plans for audio at this time.
A BEE KEEPER, A TERRIFYING OFFICE MISHAP, AND THE EARLIEST SPARK FOR SILAS'S CHARACTER... Last issue, I told you I'd be offering some fun background stories about the book as part of the release week celebrations on the social media platforms. However, for those of you who aren't on any of those platforms, here's a recap so you're not left out of the loop!
WHAT SPARKED SILAS'S CHARACTER? The movie Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt was what inspired me to start cogitating on the idea of a Reaper hero. The concept of Death as a person, having desires and interests, a personality and curiosity about the world, stayed with me a long time. Being a writer, I started asking questions. How would a Grim Reaper feel about the souls he/she/it Reaps? What kind of self-awareness, desires or wants would they have? The scene that Brad’s character has with the Jamaican woman in the hospital, and his romantic chemistry with Claire, heavily influenced that thought process.
DID YOU SAY BEEKEEPER? Yes, I did (grin). While Meet Joe Black had me thinking about a Reaper character, I didn’t have a picture of Silas in my head yet. That came from a local news segment about bee keeping back in 2015, featuring a sexy, nerdy beekeeper, an ASU professor named James Wilkes. I immediately thought, this is my Grim Reaper! In my MS Notes at the time, I wrote this: “James Wilkes, Ashe County, wire rimmed glasses, old salmon colored ball cap, lean face, long fingers.” You’ll find a little homage to that news segment in Arcane Chaos (grin).
So why did the beekeeper bring Silas into being? Despite the tremendous power a Grim Reaper wields (or maybe because of it), I envisioned Silas as a quiet, thoughtful person, not quick to rouse, but quick to defend, because he’s very protective of his souls (as well as of the witch who catches his attention). Rather than thinking of a Grim Reaper as a scary thing to confront on the threshold of death, I envisioned that being as a steady, soothing presence, because transitioning out of one’s physical body can be a traumatic experience. Also, because evil is always waiting to take advantage of soul energy, he’d become a fierce, scythe-wielding warrior when that soul needs protection on the journey through the Veil.
A TERRIFYING OFFICE MISHAP: Remember Chaucer in A Knight’s Tale saying “all human activity lies within the writer’s scope?” If I have a frightening or upsetting experience, as soon as I get through it, I’m immediately analyzing how I can use it in a story. Not DURING the scary experience, mind you. Post-trauma reflection produces better writing results, since while the event is happening my “writer’s scope” usually stops right at “oh, fu#k” and “help!”
There is a scene in Arcane Chaos that happened to me (don’t worry, nothing spoiler-y coming). It probably qualifies for one of those “ride along” emergency shows, specifically the calls that fall under the “how on earth did this happen” category. A couple years back I was doing some office temp work, and one of my tasks was packing up the CEO’s office for a move. He had a heavy horseshoe desk arrangement. To unplug his computer, I had to reach behind his desk up to my armpit. When I did, I leaned against the desk. In the blink of an eye, it shifted just enough to pin my arm. I couldn’t obtain the leverage or angle to free myself.
In the book, this happens to a secondary character, and reveals a change in one of the plot conflicts. Since how he gets free is also how I got free, I won’t tell you anything more (wink). However, it is one of my favorite scenes in the book, so when a writer says we really don’t regret much of anything that happens to us if we can survive it, there’s a reason, lol – it becomes fuel for the next story or great scene.
Hope the above has added to your anticipation and/or enjoyment of Arcane Chaos, and if you haven't yet read the first two books in the trilogy, remember the first book in the series, ARCANE SHOT, will remain a permafree gateway into the series! Here are all the links to that free full length novel, plus a BookFunnel link if your vendor doesn't show that price. You can also view the full series list on Amazon here.
This is something I've been thinking about during the writing of my last 2-3 books, so I wrote a GoodReads blog post on it. I'd love to get my readers' input on the topic. Click here to take a look.
We are only weeks away from SASS, and I am very excited. It looks like about NINETY authors will be present at the signing, so there will be oodles of book browsing to do. There will also be a plethora of giveaways for the charity raffle. I've contributed a mermaid theme basket, PLUS this lovely stained glass bondage girl, created by gifted artist and author Kathy Clark (NightWriter93). And don't worry, you'll get another chance to win this lovely lady in the fall. I commissioned a SECOND one to give away as part of Skye and Tiger's book release celebration!
Now, if you are coming, HAVE YOU TOLD ME WHAT BOOKS YOU WANT ME BRING? Remember, with 50+ books and six series, I can't pack all of them, particularly older titles, but if you tell me you want something, I will make sure it's in the box! Just email me at storywitch@storywitch.com and tell me what book(s) you'll be seeking. If you want to be pre-invoiced for them so they can be signed and waiting for pickup, just let me know that as well!
Be sure to join the Facebook Group to stay on top of all the details for the conference. If you don't do Facebook, visit the Eventbrite page, which includes a link to contact the organizers if you have further questions. If you live near Norfolk, you can also buy a ticket to just the Saturday July 30 signing and come see all of us that day! See everyone in a few weeks!
If you are on Twitter, I've started a Wishful Wednesday Book Quote series. Having accumulated a lot of amazing quotes from my various reading materials, I decided to start sharing the joy, pleasure and inspiration of those authors. You're welcome to post your own responses to my offering every Wednesday! I've always believed a great book elevates our minds, gives us perspective, hope and an excitement about life, even when real life is doing its best to inflict just the opposite. A beloved book can be as effective a defense against the wear and tear of the world as Captain America's shield! My Twitter handle is @JoeyWHill if you'd like to follow me.
Been scribbling a bit on Tiger and Skye as I finished up some marketing things, but I'm ready to plunge in and start the first draft in earnest of At Her Call, the third Mistresses of the Board Room story. Just as a refresher, Skye is our mute IT/Tech manager, and Tiger is a handsome tattooed garage manager and biker bad boy who has subbed for her before - but their relationship is about to experience an unexpected change. Skye's fellow Dommes at Thomas Rose Associates will play key roles in the book, of course - Cyn has already made her presence known in this part of my notes, lol.
Want to read the first two books in the series, At Her Command and At Her Service? Click the series link here. Like Knights of the Board Room, all books can stand alone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans.
Now, how about we look at this month's FREE EBOOK selections from some other authors?
Well, after last minute research details about looms, spinning wheels and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the final manuscript of Arcane Chaos was completed and uploaded. Thank goodness for my wonderful readers and your many connections, talents and travels! Remember you can PREORDER NOW from these vendors:
Amazon * Amazon Worldwide * Apple * Kobo * Nook
The print proof is on its way to us, so once it's approved, we'll release it for purchase. That usually happens at least a week before the ebook release, to give print buyers the opportunity to have it in hand by or just before the June 15 release date. I do love my ebooks, but it's always a pleasure to hold the book in my hands and see the cover in all its glossy glory.
[Google will be available on or just before the release date. No plans for audio at this time.]
One of the earliest books I wrote (in the nineties) was the now out-of-print book Guardians of the Continuum, where the heroine of the story was Wiccan. It was in researching that faith that I found my own spiritual home, and I've considered myself Wiccan ever since. The magical elements of Wicca lent themselves delightfully to an integration with the paranormal elements of that earlier book, and from there into the storylines of Ruby, Raina, and now Ramona. Though my own practices are mainly spiritual, it would be nice to have some of the powers these three do (particularly when I need to clean my house, lol).
WANT TO READ THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS? Earlier in May, I gave my JWHMembersOnly Facebook group their usual early peek at the first three chapters of the book, and now I offer the same to my newsletter subscribers. Click here if you'd like to download that to your reader.
On the week of the release (JUNE 15), I'll have some fun background stories about the book, which will include a sexy beekeeper, a terrifying office mishap, and what movie was an early spark for Silas's Reaper character. Tune into my FB and MeWe groups to hear those stories if you like, but if you're not on any social media, I'll put some of that in my next issue as well, never fear.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy Arcane Chaos, and if you haven't yet read the first two books in the trilogy, remember the first book is free! See below.
If you've never read any of the books in the soon-to-be completed Arcane Shot trilogy, start with Ruby's story for FREE! Here are all the links, plus a BookFunnel link if your vendor doesn't show that price. You can also view the full series list on Amazon here.
I have a new blog post on GoodReads! It was inspired while sitting on a screened porch in lovely Belle Isle one afternoon, reading the fabulous book Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Though the post is a bit rambly, you might like it. If you want to take a look, click here.
I have picked out my outfit for the Cinderella ball - have you? I found a very Hollywood starlet style dress that flows. Now I have to figure out what color orthopedic sneakers to wear with it - ha! My mother would turn over in her grave if I did that!! Of course, she was cremated, so maybe it's more appropriate to say she'll become a vortex of ash and choke me? Lol...she'd say that was more her style. Anyway, if you're coming, you'll be able to see firsthand what I end up putting on my poor flat feet.
Reminder - if you are coming that July 28-31 weekend, AND WANT TO BE SURE I'LL HAVE CERTAIN BOOKS AVAILABLE - email me at storywitch@storywitch.com and tell me what book(s) you'll be seeking. If you want to be pre-invoiced for them so they can be signed and waiting for pickup, just let me know that as well!
Be sure to join the Facebook Group to stay on top of all the details, and if you don't do Facebook, visit the Eventbrite page, which includes a link to contact the organizers if you have further questions. See you in July!
I'm taking a little break to do some marketing work before I start my Fall 2022 book, At Her Call, the third Mistresses of the Board Room story. But I haven't stopped brainstorming. I have the opening scene for Skye and Tiger's story already in mind. While Tiger's not part of an MC, he is an avid biker, so I'm going to have to expand my research into motorcycle enthusiasts a little beyond a binge re-watch of Sons of Anarchy. Fortunately, I live outside Myrtle Beach, where there are two major biker rallies every year. Plus I have biker enthusiasts in my own neighborhood AND readers who are bikers. I'm looking forward to exploring all those resources to bring Skye and Tiger's story to life. (But I am still totally binge-watching those first two SOA seasons I love so much again - Jax Teller, swoon!)
Just as a refresher, Skye is our mute IT/Tech manager, and Tiger is a handsome tattooed garage manager and biker bad boy. A powerful sub, he's never become overly attached to one particular Domme. Unexpected circumstances will change the nature of their relationship, taking Skye to new levels as a Domme, and demanding far more from him as a submissive. Want to read the first two books in the series, At Her Command and At Her Service? Click the series link here. Like Knights of the Board Room, all books can stand alone, as each focuses on one of the five women who are part of the Thomas Rose Associates marketing firm in New Orleans.
Now, how about we look at this month's FREE EBOOK selections from some other authors?
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