Jessica Jarman

2012-01-10T17:42:00.000-06:00

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Tara R

2nd PRIZE

Gabrielle J

3rd PRIZE

Kerry

Congratulations!!

We'd like to thank everyone who entered. We were thrilled at the response and are so excited. The above winners will be contacted via email and will need to respond to Jessica (jessica@jessicajarman.com) within three (3) days to claim their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Congratulations to all the winners!
Jessica, Devon, Bronwyn, Gwendolyn, Kris and Suzanne

Make 2012 Happy, Happy, Happy...NEW CONTEST!

2012-01-10T12:00:00.000-06:00

Win a Kindle Fire!! ENTER HERE!!

2012-01-01T19:24:00.001-06:00

Welcome to 2012!

And what better way to celebrate than with a brand new Kindle Fire!

Six sexy TEB authors are coming together with a fabulous giveaway to usher in the New Year! And entering couldn't be simpler.

Just visit each of our blogs beginning January 1st,

and leave a comment on the contest post with:

your name (or user name) and contact email, and
your top two (2) choices from the author's backlist to kick-start your Kindle library should you win.

Contest will close at Noon ET on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, and a winner will be drawn from all the readers who commented on all six blogs:

Gwendolyn Cease at gwendolyncease.blogspot.com

Suzanne Graham at suzannegraham.blogspot.com

Bronwyn Green at bronwyngreenblog.blogspot.com

Jessica Jarman at jessicajarman.blogspot.com

Kris Norris at krisnorris.blogspot.com

Devon Rhodes at devonrhodes.blogspot.com

The Grand Prize winner will receive a brand new Kindle Fire and two ebooks of their choice from each author!!

Second Prize will be winner's choice of two ebooks from each author's backlist...that's 12 new books!

Third Prize will be winner's choice of ebook from each author's backlist...that's 6 new books!

More surprises and prizes at each blog, so what are you waiting for?

The clock is ticking, so Fire up the New Year and you could be the winner!!

NaNoWriMo - Week 2 - Check In

2011-11-14T00:00:00.010-06:00

Okay, checking in for week 2...

Me: 2098 (pitiful, just pitiful)
DD1: 4035
DD 2: 3879
Gwen: 3246

Clearly, I'm the doofus who can't make her goal...or even close. But, the girls are kicking it!! I think I may just have to treat them BOTH for Starbucks because wow! They are awesome

Hugs,
~J

NaNoWriMo Check In - Week 1

2011-11-07T00:00:00.006-06:00

Week 1 check in...

I have a big ol' goose egg. Some life stuff got in the way and that's just the way it is. Can't go back and change so I'm plugging forward

DD1 - 3002
DD2 - 0 (was a hard week--end of the quarter at school... Good lesson for her though. Sometimes, writing takes the backseat. :( )
Gwen - 2115

So I'll be bringing DD1 for her Starbucks...

**Edited to add: She had a yummy salted caramel mocha and LOVED it. :)

Hugs
~J

Guilty Pleasures: Office Supplies

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, you read that correctly. I have a thing for office supplies. I love my computer but there is something completely awesome about a new notebook and a pen that writes really, really well.

Here's some of the supplies I go nuts over--

Notebooks and journals - lined, unlined, large, small... It doesn't matter. I love notebooks. I have them all over the house, in my car, in my purse - I'm rarely without one.

Pens - oh the world for a nice writing pen. *sigh* If I find a pen I like, I will protect it and fight you for it. Just ask my kids and hubs. Poor things.

Planners/Date books - While I use calendars on the computer (I use Google calendar for family things and Outlook calendar for writing deadlines), mostly for the reminders that ping at me when I set them, there is something about writing it out. In this case, I forgo my beloved pens and use pencil, because if I have to shift things around, I don't like scratching stuff out.

Binders - I have TONS of binders lining my shelves. I print a lot of my stuff out and put in binders. Why? For back up (Never fear I back up like crazy online, but I'm comforted in the fact I have copies of my contracts in a safe place , etc)

Post-Its - I stick this suckers everywhere. Notes for the kids on the door, notes for me on the mirror (I have a HORRIBLE memory and this is my system. It works for me. LOL), and so on. I mark thinks in books with Post-Its. I use them or index cards to plot out books when I'm having trouble.

Now that I've typed this out, I'm feeling rather silly... I can't help it though. I HEART OFFICE SUPPLIES!! I go crazy during Back-to-School sales. I stalk the home/office aisle at Target. Surely I can't be the only one...

Hugs,
~J

November Book of the Month - The Boy Next Door

2011-11-02T00:00:00.023-05:00

November's Book of the Month is The Boy Next Door, available from Samhain Publishing.

Darcy and Mac are “best friends with benefits”, but now Mac wants more than just the hot sex. He wants Darcy forever. And he’ll risk everything to get her.

The last thing Darcy Phillips wants after the end of a disastrous relationship is to get involved with another man. Being free and unattached was the plan until her old pal Thomas “Mac” MacAllister strolls back into her life.

Mac has always loved Darcy but the timing was always wrong. Now, she’s home and unattached. And after a night of wine and conversation, things turn hot fast. But Darcy isn’t ready for more than the physical and she definitely doesn’t want anyone knowing what the two of them are up to. Especially her mother.

It isn’t long, though, before Mac wants more. Much more. Yet Darcy isn’t sure she’s willing to risk their long-time relationship for something as dangerous as love. But Mac is a man who knows what he wants and he’s not afraid to go after it.

Using their incendiary passion as a starting point, Mac sets out to win the girl of his dreams and show her that everything she wants…is right next door.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:00:00.038-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Since Halloween always makes me think of scary things, I figured I'd do a list today on that subject.

Five things that Scare Me

1) Spiders - Anyone who knows me isn't surprised this is first on the list. Yes, I know logically they are probably more scared of me than I am of them, but I also know, deep down, they are evil incarnate and are coming after me.

2) Rollercoasters - Basically heights. It's really sad that all my kids love going to the amusement park and I can't bring myself to go on a coaster. Seriously, my nine year old has more balls than I do.

3) Certain movies - Not just horror flicks either. I don't care for those, but I'm not afraid Jason or Freddy is coming for me. The movies that really get me are like the ones based on true stories, true crimes. They freak me out because I know that kind of evil is really out there. If I could wrap my family and loved ones in bubble wrap and keep it all out...I totally would.

4) Failure - Who isn't, right?

5) Drowning while trapped inside something (like a car) - Seriously. I have nightmares about this. I'm not afraid of water. I love to swim and everything, but I hate driving over bridges etc. The thought of being trapped... *shakes head* Nope, not going to think about it. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts...

Hugs
~J

ABCs of Me

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

A - Age: In my 30s

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: I have to choose? The bathroom.

D - Dog's name: Sascha

E - Essential start your day item: Caffeine, hands down

F - Favorite color: green

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5'5

I - Instruments you play(ed): None, sadly.

J - Job title: Mom. Author, Editor

K - Kid(s): Four

L - Living arrangements: House. Husband. Kids.

M - Mom's name: Elizabeth

N - Nicknames: Jess

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: None

P - Pet Peeve: Saying you'll do something, then not doing it.

Q - Quote from a movie: "“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: 1 Brother, 1 sister, 6 bro-in-laws, 7 sis-in-laws (I think I counted right!)

T - Time you wake up: uh...varies. A lot.

U- Underwear: Yes. I definitely wear them.

V - Vegetable you dislike: overcooked anything.

W - Ways you run late: Always.

X - X-rays you've had: teeth, abdomen, chest

Y - Yummy food you make: Cinnamon Rolls

Z - Zoo favorite: wolves

Hugs,
~J

NaNoWriMo

2011-10-26T00:00:00.023-05:00

For those who don't know, November is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. For detailed information, visit their website. The basic goal is to write a novel in a month's time - 50,000 words in 30 days.

The key is turn off your internal editor and just write. This is the main reason I hesitated to do NaNoWriMo. So I was going back and forth. I'd seriously love to write that amount in a month, but to put it bluntly, my internal editor is a loud bitch. Really.

Well, a conversation a few weekends ago changed the game for me. My thirteen-year-old daughter asked if I knew what NaNoWriMo was? I said I did and we talked about it quite a bit. She then told me she was doing it. We looked it up online and they actually have a Young Writers program. Cool, right? I'm so proud of her that she's jumping in to do this. How can I do any less? Once we decided to do it, my other daughter, who's 11, decided to give it a shot too. After talking about it, she decided to make a goal of 10K for the month, rather than 50K. I think that is an awesome goal for her!

Well, it didn't stop there. We threw down the challenge to Ms. Gwen Cease. Even added a "do you wanna be beat by 11 and 13 year olds?" for good measure. :-D Gwen jumped right on board, but then upped the ante. Each week, we are going to check in here. The person who has written the most that week will win. Win what you ask? The PERFECT prize. A gift card to....

Here's to me, my girls and my bestie writing like crazy. Yay us. And I'm TOTALLY going to win each week, but I'll give the girls a sip of my fabulous drink, 'cause I'm nice that way.

Hugs,
~J

Grand Rapids Highlights AKA My Awesome Weekend

2011-10-25T22:56:00.002-05:00

I had the most FANTASTIC time this weekend at the Grand Rapids Region Writers Group's "I've Always Wanted to Write a Book!" conference. This was the first conference this group has offered, and you would never know it. It ran very smoothly and was a wonderful experience.

I didn't attend every workshop offered, but the ones I did were very much worth my time.

Friday evening, there was a wine tasting. The wines offered were all Michigan wines...who knew there was such fabulous wine in that state?! Well, I do now and I think I'll be stocking up on some when I drive there to visit family. :-D

The first workshop I attended was on relaxation for productivity. Much of this workshop was experiential, which was wonderful. We listened to a CD with guided imagery. It was very relaxing and I felt very refreshed afterwards. Writing this reminds me I have to buy a copy of the CD! I've always been a big fan of guided imagery and self-hypnosis. I know there are skeptics out there, but I'm firmly in the believer camp. I used the techniques to quit smoking and it worked when nothing else did!

Next, I went to "How to Make the Most of Your Writing Time" presented by the delightful Margaret Yang. She had some wonderful ideas and suggestions. I loved how passionate she was about the subject, and it really made me acknowledge to myself just how much time I wasted during the day. While not purposefully wasted, it's an obscene amount of time during which many words could be written.

After lunch and my pitch to the literary agent (yeah, those were my knees knocking. This stuff never gets easier, I swear), I attend "Authors Behaving Badly" where Jen Armintrout and Bronwyn Green talked about, and sometimes demonstrated, some things authors shouldn't do--on social media, in public venues and so on. It was hilarious, but very, very informative.

I hit the book-signing, then visited with my new buddy, Shannon in the hotel lounge for a while. Funnily enough, we ended up on the same flight out of Grand Rapids, one row apart. What are the odds of that? Definitely made what was sure to have been a very boring plane ride fun and enjoyable. :-D

And that was it--the end of a conference I loved attending. I hope this is something GRRWG will do annually, because I would love to go again.

On a non-conference note, I went to dinner with a small group after the conference. We went to the Melting Pot. O...M...G!! Seriously this was one of the best meals I ever had. And when I say mean, I mean MEAL. Four courses of awesomeness. There were many moans of pleasure around the table, let me tell you. I was so excited to find out we have a Melting Pot in the Twin Cities. I can't wait to take the hubs. I tweeted about how good the food was...and Melting Pot tweeted me back. How funny (in a cool way) is that?

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. I was a little sad to leave, but quite happy to come home to the family.

Hugs
~J

Looking Forward to the Weekend

2011-10-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

Why I'm Looking Forward to

"I've Always Wanted to Write a Book!"

(conference hosted by Grand Rapids Region Writers Group)

I'm getting away for the weekend! *happy dance* I love my family to death, but seriously we all need a break, right?

I'm going to Michigan. :-) Yay! My favorite state EVAH!

I get to see some of my favorite people - Bronwyn Green, Brynn Paulin, Mia Watts and Jennifer Armintrout.

I get to go to the "Making the Most of Your Writing Time" workshop with Margaret Yang. Is it dorky that I'm looking forward to this one like nobody's business? Yeah? Well, I can totally accept that.

Did I mention I get to go away for the weekend??? :-)
See ya all when I get back!

Hugs
~J

The Bare Necessities...

2011-10-19T00:00:00.042-05:00

And now I'm singing songs from the Jungle Book. :-D LOL

What do *I* need to write a book...

The bare necessities? I only need two things to write.
1) Something to write on. Preferable my laptop. But a notebook and pen/pencil will do very well.
2) Time.

Simple, right?

There are some other things I like or prefer to have when I sit down to work on a book, though.

1) Some kind of caffeinated beverage. I'll admit my Mt. Dew addiction. I drink it daily. Though I also drink coffee and tea, so if I run out of the Dew, I'm covered even if I'm not really happy. LOL

2) mp3 player and headphones. Music played on computer will do, of course, but the headphones/earbuds are essential. This house is chaotic and loud, no getting around that. So music drowns that out. It also signals to the rest of the family that I'm writing. If I'm just checking email or surfing the net, I don't have headphones on. So if the kids or hubs sees me wearing them, they know to leave me be unless it's an emergency.

3) Friends. I love that I have friends I can bounce ideas off of. Whether I'm plotting out a new story or having problems with a scene I'm working on, I have some pretty awesome people in my life I can talk it through with. Totally invaluable.

And that's about it. Jess's bare necessities. :-D Though sometimes I need the reminder. It's all too easy to get caught up in the "I'd get so much more writing done if I had (fill in the blank)." I suppose I could add one more thing to the essentials list - discipline. Sitting my butt down every day and writing. Yeah, I think that's going to the top of the list.

Hugs,
~J

Catching up!

2011-10-17T00:00:00.009-05:00

Wow, it's been a crazy couple of months. Sometimes that goes without saying with this family. LOL I cannot believe it's already the middle of October! I've been making holiday plans...how insane is that?

What HAVE I been up to? Some good, some not so good things. My youngest daughter had her tonsils removed. Definitely a mixed blessing there. She'd been sick most of the summer and fall, so it needed to happen. But the recovery took a bit longer than we'd anticipated. The really good news? She's fully recovered and back in school. Here's to a super happy rest of the year!! (and beyond. LOL)

We've had some icky sickies rolling through the house - which is pretty typical in the fall with back to school and all those germs.

The hubby has been traveling A LOT for work, so that's been challenging, but believe it or not, the kids have been fantastic through it. Sure, there have been some bumps (with teenagers/preteens that is so to be expected!), but overall, they've been awesome. Lucky mama here.

With those challenges - I've still managed to write. Woot! :-D Not as much or as quickly as I'd like, but I'll take it. I'm finishing up a paranormal (witches) that will come out from Resplendence Publishing early next year. I'll be sharing more about that (and other upcoming projects) soon. :)

And that's what's been happening with me.
Hope everyone had a great weekend and your week is off to an awesome start. :)

Hugs
~J

New Feature - Book of the Month

2011-10-16T06:28:00.004-05:00

Starting in November, I'm going to highlight one of my books each month. I'll post excerpts, character interviews, recipes from the stories, and other fun things. At the end of each month, I'll give away a copy of the highlighted book.

I'll be kicking it off in November with The Boy Next Door. :)

Hugs
~J

Her Way - NOW AVAILABLE

2011-10-16T04:10:00.001-05:00

Her Way, Book 1 of my Loving series if now available from Resplendence Publishing.

Emma Lawrence is used to doing everything for everyone else—putting herself last. While celebrating her thirtieth birthday with her girlfriends, Emma does something totally out of character, something just for her. She takes hottie, Will Calonen, home.

Will isn’t looking for a serious relationship. Hell, right now, he isn’t looking for a casual one. Then Emma stumbles into his life. He doesn’t know how the sexy brunette will fit into plans, but he knows one thing—he’s not about to let her stumble out of his life.

As their relationship intensifies, Emma learns just how sweet—and satisfying—having her way with Will can be. But when her family begins placing demands on her, will he run for the hills...or defend his woman and help her stand up for herself?

Here is an excerpt -

“Here’s to the big three-oh.”

Emma Lawrence glanced around the table at her friends, her gaze finally landing on Lynn Michaels, who held up her glass in a toast. “God, don’t remind me.”

“We’re here celebrating your birthday,” Lynn said pointedly. “How can I not bring up the momentous occasion?”

Emma chuckled and sipped from the cold beer she held. “Happy birthday is sufficient. We don’t need to mention which one, thank you very much.”

“Oh, come on,” their friend, Ana Harris, chimed in, taking a break from checking out the men in the bar. “Thirty isn’t old. We’re in the prime of our lives, sweetie. Enjoy it. I know I am.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Shaking her head, Emma couldn’t hold back her grin. Not for the first time, she wished she had a fraction of her friends’ confidence. They seemed to know exactly what they wanted and went after it without hesitation or doubts. While she, on the other hand, stumbled through life, just trying to figure out what to do day by day. Hour by hour, some days.

“And,” Lynn drawled, “you’re all moved into your new house. Another reason to celebrate.”

“While I do miss having you as a roomie, I’m absolutely thrilled for you.” Ana nudged Emma with her shoulder. “Even if your family isn’t.”

Emma closed her eyes briefly then met her friend’s gaze. “Ana.”

“What? I’m just saying that it’s pretty shitty of them to give you hard time about buying a house. Especially, since you haven’t lived on the compound for years.”

“God, do you have to call it that?” Emma cringed.

“Oh I’m sorry. The estate in which your father and your brothers and their families all reside. Is that better?” Ana batted her eyes playfully.

Before Emma could respond, Lynn spoke. “Did you tell any of your sibs to come tonight?”

“I let them know about it, but Nick’s out of town. Tom and Mark couldn’t find sitters so they won’t be coming—what?” she asked when both friends let out snorts.

“Tom and Mark couldn’t come because their go-to-sitter is the guest of honor,” Ana pointed out.

“Enough,” she said with a sigh. “Let’s not do the whole criticize-Emma-for-being-a-wimp thing. Not tonight. Please.”

“Darlin’, we’re not criticizing you. It’s that family of yours,” Lynn pointed out.

Emma didn’t say anything. She just took another drink and glanced around the crowded bar, waiting to see if they’d drop the subject.

Ana sighed. “Okay, so the older bros aren’t coming. What about Matt?”

“Yeah. He said he’d stop by if he could.”

“Matt, huh?” Lynn sat up straighter and glanced toward the door. “Nice.”

Emma hid a smile by taking another sip of beer. Lynn had a thing for her little brother but refused to admit it because of the age difference. Though Emma didn’t see why a few years should be a problem and loved to watch her friend and brother circle each other. She often wondered who’d make the first move. She had her money on Lynn, but Ana and their friend Hannah thought it’d be Matt. So far though, nothing.

“So,” Ana drawled, “what are your plans now, Em?”

“For what?”

Lynn and Ana looked at each other and sighed before Lynn spoke up. “You have your own house now. You’re on your own. What are your plans? Lord knows you don’t have to work, but what are you going to do with your time? Don’t tell me you’re going to start hosting those charity things and all that.”

“No. I’ll leave that to my eager sisters-in-law, thank you very much.” She thought for a moment. Honestly, her family kept her busy enough; they were a full time job on their own. She knew she was lucky not to need a job for money, but she wasn’t one to sit idle. Now, if she could just figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. “I don’t really know. I guess I’ll fix the house up and go from there.”

“What you need to do is find a man and get laid, girl,” Ana said with a pointed look.

“Please tell me I didn’t just hear that remark aimed at my sister.”

Emma jumped out of her seat and hugged her brother. “Matt! I’m so glad you made it.” She sat back down and gestured at the table. “Sit.”

It didn’t escape her notice that he chose the chair next to Lynn.

“Hello, ladies. I ask that all talk of my sister’s sex life cease now.”

“Women have needs too, Matt,” Lynn purred, leaning closer to him.

“I’m well aware of that, but in my happy little world, my sister doesn’t. No offense, Em.” He reached over, snagged her beer and took a swig.

“None taken.” She pulled the bottle from his grasp. “Get your own.”

“I’ll go get us another round,” Ana volunteered and headed for the bar, beaming at the men she passed on her way.

“So, Ms. Homeowner, feel good to be out on your own?” Matt grinned.

“Damned straight it does.”

“Has Dad been by to check out the new digs?”

“Yeah, and grumbled the whole time about my coming back home.” She laughed.

“Yeah, well, he’s more protective of you. You being the baby girl and all; he wants you where he can take care of you.” He leaned across the table and ruffled her hair playfully.

Emma shoved his hand aside and rolled her eyes. Yeah, having four brothers, three of them older, and being the only girl made for an interesting and stifling childhood. Whereas her brothers ran free. Well, most of them were pretty good. Kinda boring in Emma’s opinion. But Matt, well, he took great joy in shocking their dad and keeping him guessing. Hence, the longer hair, the tattoos, and she knew there were piercings besides the ones on his ear but didn’t want to know the specifics on those. Yet, her dad had taken that all in stride, but wigged out when she pierced her ears and dyed her hair. Once! And it hadn’t even been permanent!

“Round of shots, everyone!” Ana announced, setting a tray with filled shot glasses, lime wedges and salt shakers on the table.

“My kinda lady.” Matt grinned, and Emma noticed Lynn’s slight frown. “Hey, you guys aren’t driving, are you?”

“No, we took a cab,” Ana informed happily.

Emma licked her hand, sprinkled on the salt and licked it off, and threw the shot back. She screwed up her face as it burned its way down. Oh yeah, baby.

The rest of them had just finished their shots when Hannah walked up to the table.

“Started the party without me, huh?”

“Glad you could make it.” Emma hugged her friend.

“Ooh, I’ll go get some more.” Ana jumped up and headed for the bar, once again.

Hannah handed Emma a decorative bag as she sat. “Here. Happy birthday, girl.”

“Oh sure, make me look bad,” Matt teased. “I didn’t bring her present with me.”

Hannah flipped her long black hair over her shoulder. “Not my fault, and, for the record, y’all don’t need me to look bad.”

Emma chuckled and peered in the bag. “Oh, cool.” She pulled out one of the small fairy figurines. She collected them and was touched that Hannah remembered. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. So what’d I miss?”

“Not much. Harping on my family. Ana ogling the men. You know, the usual.”

“You forgot your need to get laid,” Lynn interjected.

Matt groaned and banged his head on the tabletop. “Stop it, please.”

“Well it’s true. It’s been quite a dry spell for her, and that’s not a good thing.” Lynn grinned at Hannah, then Emma.

“Stop bugging Matt.” Emma patted her brother’s hand. “Don’t worry. In the unlikely event that I do get some, I won’t give you a play-by-play.”

He straightened up. “Gee, thanks, sis.”

“And here we go.” Ana plopped down another tray. “Don’t worry, Hannah, I got you a cola.”

“Thanks.” She grabbed it and took a long drink. “Drink up, my friends, so I can make fun of your drunk asses.”

Laughing, the group lifted their glasses in her direction. Sometime later, Emma lost track of just how many drinks she had consumed. She sighed as the warm, fuzzy, head-wrapped-in-cotton feeling enveloped her.

“You know,” she said, pointing at her friends, “it’s not a bad thing to help family out.”

“No, it’s not,” her brother agreed.

“It is when they take advantage of it.” Lynn shoved at him, missing and nearly falling in his lap. “Not so much you, Matt, but the rest of them totally take advantage of her. It’s not right.”

“Do you really think they do?” he asked, his forehead crinkling as he thought about it.

“Yes,” all three of Emma’s friends chimed together.

Emma sighed. It was hard to be annoyed with them. For one thing, they had her best interests at heart. For another, they were kinda right.

“I’m gonna say no.” She nodded emphatically. “The next time they ask me to watch the kids or to do something when I already have plans, the answer is no… Well, unless it’s an emergency.”

“A real emergency, Emma. Not an oh-dear-I-have-a-hangnail-and-have-to-go-get-a-manicure one,” Ana lectured.

“Right and…” Lynn trailed off as she stared past Emma toward the bar.

“What?” Emma turned around to see what her friend was looking at.

“I wonder what he’s doing here,” she murmured, then shook her head. “Sorry. You remember Will Calonen from school, right, Hannah?”

“Yeah.” Hannah glanced over. “My cousin works at his family’s restaurant, so I’ve seen him around. What’s the big deal with him being here?”

Lynn shrugged. “Just haven’t see him here before, that’s all.”

“Which one is he?” Emma questioned.

“Standing at the end of the bar.” Hannah pointed. “Dark brown hair. Tall. Black pants and white shirt.”

Emma’s breath left in a whoosh when her gaze landed on him. Wow, he was a hottie hot guy. Damn, she’d missed out going to that all girls’ school. Thanks a lot, Dad.

“Whew. Wet panty alert,” Ana piped in.

Matt groaned again, but Emma couldn’t disagree. The man inspired some feelings in the downstairs department, that’s for sure.

“Soooo,” Matt said slowly, “you have a thing for this Will guy?”

Emma turned back around and had to hold back a giggle. Her brother was staring Lynn down.

“No!” she protested. “Just surprised to see him, that’s all.”

“Okay.” Satisfied with that, he rose and moved next to his sister. He bent at the waist, hand on her shoulder. “Gotta run. You okay? Call a cab or let Hannah drive you home, all right?”

“I will.” She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. “Thanks for putting up with us girls tonight.”

Matt straightened and glanced around the table, his gaze finally resting on Lynn. “Anytime.” With that, he walked out.

“So are you ever going to jump the poor man or what?” Ana asked.

“So, I wonder what Will’s been up to.” Apparently, Lynn was going to ignore the question.

“Why don’t you go ask him?” Emma focused on the man again.

“Nah, we didn’t run in the same circle. He probably wouldn’t even know who I was. So, ladies, are we still on for shopping tomorrow?”

The conversation dimmed around her as Emma stared at Will. She shifted in her chair as she just drank him in. From his dark, wavy hair down to his black shoes. As she decided that he definitely filled out his pants nicely—at least from behind—he turned.

Emma’s mouth suddenly went dry and her stomach quivered. Unable to look away, she met his gaze full on. After a moment—or what felt like an eternity to her—the corner of his mouth quirked up into a slight smile. Oh God, stop staring like an idiot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check it out over at Resplendence!

Hugs!

I got interviewed...

2011-10-12T22:17:00.001-05:00

...by one of my favorite people in the world.

Head on over to Bronwyn Green's blog and check out what I have to say. It's chockful of awesomeness. Well, it won't put you to sleep in any case. (At least I hope not!!)

Leave a comment and you could win a copy of one of my books. :-D

Hugs
~J

Wooohooo, check it out!

2011-09-21T00:00:00.002-05:00

I got the cover art for my upcoming release from Resplendence Publishing. Isn't it gorgeous? I love it!

Her Way is the first book in the Loving Series. It was so much fun to write, and I can't wait to write the remaining three books in the series.

Here is the blub:

Emma Lawrence is used to doing everything for everyone else—putting herself last. While celebrating her thirtieth birthday with her girlfriends, Emma does something totally out of character, something just for her. She takes hottie Will Calonen home.

Will isn’t looking for a serious relationship. Hell, right now, he isn’t looking for a casual one. Then Emma stumbles into his life. He doesn’t know how the sexy brunette will fit into plans, but he knows one thing—he’s not about to let her stumble out of his life.

As their relationship intensifies, Emma learns just how sweet—and satisfying—having her way with Will can be. But when her family begins placing demands on her, will he run for the hills...or defend his woman and help her stand up for herself?

I'll post more about this story and an excerpt soon. :-)

Hugs

Want to be ALONE WITH LIAM?

2011-09-20T01:47:00.001-05:00

Look at him... You know you want to! ;-)

Alone with Liam is my latest release, a super short erotic story from Resplendence Publishing.

The last thing Erin Harrison expects when she heads to girls weekend away is to end up stranded with Liam Donovan. The man she shamelessly threw herself at three months before. The man who totally shot her down. The man she’s steered clear of ever since.

Erin wonders how she'll survive the one thing she's avoided…and the very thing she yearns for more than anything—being Alone with Liam.

Here's an excerpt:

If she didn’t die, she was going to resort to murder instead of writing about it.

Erin Harrison gripped the steering wheel and leaned forward to peer into the relentless snow bombarding her poor car. Not that it helped one iota. She could barely make out the road in front of her. The tire marks, illuminated by her headlights, were quickly filling with the horrid white stuff.

Why had she listened to Penny? Her best friend had reassured her that the weather was going to be clear, that it was a perfect weekend for a cozy winter getaway with the ladies at the cabin. Yeah right. Erin should have foreseen this. Really, Minnesota in December? It wasn’t rocket science. Of course, she wouldn’t mention that when she ripped Penny’s hair from her scalp.

She breathed a small sigh of relief when she came upon the narrow road leading to the cabin. It would’ve been so easy to miss in this shit if the road hadn’t been plowed recently. Penny’s husband, Ryan, must have been out with the truck, though Mother Nature was quickly messing up all his work.

She peered into the whiteness. Time crawled slowly as she wound her way along the curvy path. When she finally pulled up in front of the small house, she turned off the engine and leaned her head against the steering wheel. She focused on breathing evenly and counted to ten before straightening. Uh, she was never doing that again.

Bracing herself, she left the car. Immediately, snow whirled around her, violently pulling at her coat and hair and pushing her against the car.

She stumbled around to retrieve her bag and laptop from the trunk. She glanced around, squinting against the driving gusts. A laugh welled up within her chest. No other cars were there. Only a set of tire marks leading into the garage gave evidence of anyone else. Apparently, all the other ladies had sense. At least, Penny was there to maim. Erin had that to look forward to.

She battled the wind and climbed up the porch steps. A warm light filtered into the night from one of the first story windows.

She pushed the front door open, quickly entered and slammed it shut.

“Penny, you wench, it took me forever to get here. The weather is supposed to be clear, huh? Well, take a look outside, sister! I’ve been thinking of payback the whole way, and you know I have one hell of an imagination. Be afraid. Be very afraid,” she drawled as dropped her bags and moved to hang her outwear in the closet.

“Penny’s not here.”

The masculine voice had Erin yelping in surprise and trying to turn. Her shirt caught on a hook, and she was pulled into the closet, tumbling head first into the small space. Her wet shoes slid right out from under her, taking her feet with them. She landed smack on her belly, face in a pair of Penny’s sandals, legs sticking out of the closet like a rag doll.

Before she could scramble out, she was lifted and set on her feet.

“Sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t mean to scare ya. Are you okay?”

Erin closed her eyes, acutely aware of the large hands still on her waist, warm and firm. Oh God, not Liam. What was he doing here? What did he mean Penny wasn’t there? This was supposed to be a ladies’ weekend. No guys. She specifically remembered Penny saying no guys, that Ryan was going to plow out and head back home. There had been no mention of his brother, and Erin wouldn’t have forgotten that little detail.

“I’m fine. Thanks.” Carefully, she turned and found a pair of clear blue eyes peering at her. Her stomach quivered, and she swallowed hard as her throat tightened. “Where’s Penny?” she croaked.

He frowned. “At home. She decided not to come up because of the weather. She was supposed to call everyone.”

“Huh, guess she forgot me.” She bit back a groan as his fingers tightened ever so slightly. Oh God, she had to get away from him before she made a fool of herself. Right now. “Well, I’m obviously here for the night, so I’ll just settle in. What room do you have?” She pulled away, inched around him and lifted her bags.

“I haven’t brought my stuff in yet. You choose.”

Why was he staring at her like that? She thought she was behaving admirably all things considered. Of course, she had just been butt side up on the floor minutes before, so that might be it.

“I’ll take the front room then.” She hurried through the living room and, once in the bedroom, all but slammed the door behind her. Leaning against the wood, she let out a shaky breath.

Oh, Penny was really in trouble now. Not only had she abandoned her best friend, but somehow, Erin had ended up stranded in a snowstorm with Penny’s brother-in-law. This wouldn’t be a problem aside from the fact Erin had made an idiotic move on the man several months ago, and he’d turned her down flat. Yes, ma’am, Penny had better hide her skinny self far, far way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope you'll check it out! A quick easy (and HAWT) read for 99 cents? Can't beat that. And Resplendence has a bunch of other shorts available and coming up!

Hugs
~J

Getting back on track

2011-09-13T02:30:00.000-05:00

Honestly, the first half of the year was completely nuts. Writing took a major backseat to some other stuff going on in my life. *shrug* Nothing could've been done to prevent it, and I did what I had to do. Such is life.

BUT... I'm finally getting back into the swing of things. WOOT. I'm back to writing regularly - the kids being back in school plays a huge part in that LOL

I recently had a short, Alone with Liam, release with Resplendence. I'll post a short excerpt from that this week, so stay tuned.

I have another book coming out with Resplendence. The first in my Loving Series entitled Her Way. I ADORE this story and hope you will fall in love with the characters like I did. Especially sexy Will, the hero. Yummy.

I just submitted a Christmas short, and am waiting to hear on it. *biting nails* It never gets any easier. I still get so nervous when submitting. Don't think I'll ever get over that. :-D

Now, I'm just figuring out what to work on next. I'm thinking it'll be paranormal, since the last four books I've finished have been contemporaries. So the choices are vampire, witches, menage, faeries...or any combination thereof. LOL

Maybe I should sleep on it. See what is "talking" to me tomorrow. *yawn* Yep, I think that's what I'll do.

Night all!
Hugs,
~J

Sunday Snog ~ Coming Home

2011-09-04T03:36:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice hot one from Coming Home, now available from Resplendence Publishing

Several minutes later, Kate let the back door close gently behind her and locked it. She didn’t try to kid herself about why she’d gone out the back way. She wanted to see if Gabe was still around. He wanted to talk, and though she wasn’t looking forward to the conversation, she felt she owed it to him to actually talk to him. Also, he’d looked so hurt during the exchange with Sean. The others didn’t see that, of course. They just saw him as the big brother who always took charge, not as someone vulnerable with real feelings.

She didn’t really expect to find him out here. He’d taken a suite at the resort and had probably already headed back there. But maybe… Her gaze zeroed in on the dock that ran the length of the boathouse, and her heart leapt into her throat. He was there, silhouetted against the last light of the setting sun.

Without giving herself a chance to change her mind, Kate started across the yard toward the lake. What was she going to say to him? How should she act? Shit, it was like high school all over again. No wonder she’d hated adolescence. She ran her hand through her hair, pushing it away from her face, and tucking it behind her ears.

She stopped just before the dock and took in the sight of him. His back was straight and his hands were fisted tightly as he looked out across the water. Kate took a deep breath and put a hand to her stomach, trying to calm herself.

“Hello, Kate.” Gabe turned toward her.

“How did you know it was me?” Kate stepped onto the dock and walked its length until she was next to him.

He chuckled hollowly. “Only you would come check up on me. The others couldn’t care less.”

“That’s not—” She stopped herself. He didn’t need her contradicting him. “Are you okay?” She hesitated a moment before reaching out and touching his hand.

He glanced down at her and smiled. He relaxed his hand, and when their palms met, his fingers closed gently around hers, giving them a slight squeeze. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind. Nothing to worry about. Should we sit?”

She nodded and released his hand to bend at the waist and take her sandals off. Gabe toed his shoes off, then removed his socks and rolled his jeans up. They sat and dipped their feet in the lake. Kate swung her legs back and forth, watching the water ripple with the movement. Gabe reached over and grasped her hand again, sending tingles up Kate’s arm.

Silence surrounded them. Hands linked, they studied the lake and its surroundings. Kate tried to concentrate on the scene in front of her, but her mind focused on the feel of Gabe’s hand. His thumb began to stroke the back of her hand, and her heart quickened.

Lifting her head, she found his eyes on her.

“What?” she whispered.

He lifted his other hand and ran it though her hair. She shivered as his fingertips grazed her scalp. “You grew it out. I didn’t notice when…well, before.”

“I had it up before.” She’d always worn her hair shorter—never past her shoulders. Now, it fell to the middle of her back. She resisted the urge to fiddle with it, but couldn’t quite manage to keep her mouth shut. “You don’t like it?”

“I do. It’s different, but nice.” He played with the ends of her hair and met her gaze.

Breathe, she told herself as she stared into his green eyes. Desperate not to stare in silence, she blurted out, “You look good, too.”

She saw his lips curve as his head lowered. Her eyes slid shut as his lips met hers. The kiss was gentle and brief. She nearly cried out when he pulled away. His face was a scarce inch from hers.

Releasing her hand, he reached up, cupped her face. “When did you grow up, Kate?” He gave her no time to answer before claiming her mouth again.

She rested her hands on his waist and tilted her head up to deepen the kiss. Warmth spread from her lips through her body like hot oil. The world faded around her. There was only Gabe. She felt him urge her lips open. Her fingers curled into the hem of his T-shirt as his tongue swept through her mouth and dueled with hers.

Sliding one hand into her hair, he fisted the curls and pulled her head back. His lips trailed over her jaw, down to her neck. He sucked at the delicate skin then nipped with his teeth. Kate’s belly tightened, and desperate to feel his skin, she yanked at his shirt. Flattening her palm on his back, she ran it up then down again, savoring the heated flesh.

Gabe dragged her skirt up and skimmed his fingers along her thigh to play along the edge of her panties. “God, I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Now head on over to Victoria Blisse's blog to read her snog and others!

Hugs,

Lookie what I got....

2011-09-02T20:11:00.001-05:00

Okay, first, I will apologize for how much I suck. This summer has been INSANE, and blogging totally took a backseat to writing, kids and family obligations. Now that school starts in three days (WOOT), I am making a concentrated effort to put blogging back on my to do list.

That said... I have a short releasing with Resplendence Publishing next week! Yay! Here is the gorgeous cover and blurb...

The last thing Erin Harrison expects when she heads to girls weekend away is to end up stranded with Liam Donovan. The man she shamelessly threw herself at three months before. The man who totally shot her down. The man she’s steered clear of ever since.

Erin wonders how she'll survive the one thing she's avoided...and the very thing she yearns for more than anything—being Alone with Liam.

Hugs,
~J

I've been Joyfully Interviewed

2011-07-07T16:01:00.000-05:00

Check it out here!

Had a blast answering questions... And I LOVE the fact that Tanya, the interviewer, is a fellow Doctor Who addict. We are everywhere! LOL

Hugs
~J

Consolation Prizes...

2011-06-22T00:02:00.001-05:00

As promised, I drew three names from the remaining entries. And the winners are..

Meghan Kinch

Amy Smith

Lindsey E

Please contact me at jessica@jessicajarman.com to receive your choice of e-book from my backlist!

Congrats!

Hugs
~J

2011-06-21T14:47:00.001-05:00

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Erin Cavin

2nd PRIZE

Theresa Angelosanto

3rd PRIZE

Tracey D

Congratulations!!

We'd like to thank everyone who entered. We were thrilled at the response and are so excited. The above winners will be contacted via email and will need to respond to Jessica (jessica@jessicajarman.com) within three (3) days to claim their prize, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Jessica, Devon, Bronwyn, Gwendolyn, Kris and Suzanne

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS I'll be drawing for some consolation prizes later this evening so be sure to check back! ~Jess

SIZZLING SUMMER SOLSTICE CONTEST!!!

2011-06-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

The sizzling height of summer is coming! What better way to beat the heat than with a brand new Nook Wi Fi 3G or a Kindle 3G with Wi Fi!

Six sexy authors of erotic romance are coming together with a fabulous giveaway this summer solstice! And entering couldn't be simpler. Just visit each of our blogs beginning June 14th, and leave a comment on the contest post with:

* your name (or user name) and contact email, and
* your top two (2) choices from the author's backlist to kick-start your E-Reader library should you win.

Contest will close at Noon ET on Tuesday, June 21st, 2011, and a winner will be drawn at 1:16pm ET from all the readers who commented on all six blogs:

Gwendolyn Cease at gwendolyncease.blogspot.com

Suzanne Graham at suzannegraham.blogspot.com

Bronwyn Green at bronwyngreenblog.blogspot.com

Jessica Jarman at jessicajarman.blogspot.com

Kris Norris at krisnorris.blogspot.com

Devon Rhodes at devonrhodes.blogspot.com

The Grand Prize winner will receive their choice of a brand new Nook Wi Fi 3G or a Kindle 3G with Wi Fi plus two ebooks of their choice from each author!

Second Prize will be winner's choice of two ebooks from each author's backlist...that's 12 new books!

Third Prize will be winner's choice of one ebook from each author's backlist for a total of 6 books!

More surprises and prizes at each blog, so what are you waiting for? When summer hits its height, you could be the winner!!

Details:

* In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must leave a comment at each of the six blogs with your email address and choice of two books. We're sorry, but anyone who misses a blog or forgets to leave their contact info will be disqualified.

* All comments must be posted by 12:00 Noon, ET, on June 21st.

* Valid entry comments must be in response to the official Contest post on each blog, although we also welcome comments on other posts, so feel free to poke around!

* The E-Reader will be shipped to the winner's house. Ebooks will be emailed separately to the winner.

* Winner must respond to Jessica within three days or an alternate winner will be announced.

*******

So it's on! Check out my books and decide which two you want! You can click on the covers along the left sidebar to go to the publishers' websites for blurbs, excerpts and reviews. I'll also be drawing some names for consolations prizes at the end of the contest. :-) Even more ways to win! Yay.

To enter, just comment below with your name and contact email and which two of my books you would like to win! Optional to add, what is your favorite summer activity? Then visit the other five blogs and cross your fingers!

GOOD LUCK!!

Contest up and going!

2011-06-15T15:07:00.000-05:00

What a great response to our Sizzling Summer Solstice contest we've had already. Yay! Remember to post on all six authors' blogs to be entered! :)

Can't wait to see who wins.

Hugs
~J

ODE-ious Monday: Ode to my Alarm Clock

2011-05-23T02:03:00.000-05:00

Yes, the odes have reared their ugly heads again. And since I have to get up so stinking early tomorrow morning (um, THIS morning), I figured my alarm clock was an apt subject.

Enjoy the silliness of it, and hope everyone has an awesome start to the week :)

Ode to my Alarm Clock

We were never a good pairing.
Face it, we were doomed from the start.
Incompatible in every single way.

I enjoy late nights at the computer writing,
and late mornings
Snuggled beneath the covers.

Dreams flow through my head.
I'm relaxed, muscled fluid,
No worries bearing down on me

That's when you speak up.
Pierce the happy little cocoon
I drift within, weightless and free.

You're loud. Rude, really,
with your constant BEEP BEEP BEEP
tearing me from slumber

Oh sure, you offer other options.
Rainfall, babbling brook, birds chirping,
and even the radio softly playing.

But, let's get real.
None of those will wake me,
none will get me out of bed.

No. Loathe as I am to admit it,
your annoying and incessant beeping
works; you get the job done.

So while we aren't a match made in heaven,
I will go to sleep, each night, with you by my side.
I may not like it, but you're here to stay.

Hugs
~J

Playing Catch Up

2011-05-19T01:37:00.001-05:00

Wow, it's been busy around here - end of the school year, hubs has been traveling ALOT (heads out again this weekend for a week *sniffle*), and some family stuff that was just unavoidable. It all cut into the writing time, unfortunately. It stinks.

But writing IS happening...just not as quickly as I'd like. I'm wrapping up 2 books right now and will be so happy to have them finished and sent to my editors. The goal is to finish them by the weekend, before the hubs leaves for the weeks.

Oh! I'm so excited to share the cover for my summer release from Resplendence Publishing.

Isn't it pretty? :) Losing Control is book two in my Angel Lake series. Book one, Coming Home is available now from RP. :)

I'll be posting the blurb soon and will keep y'all updated as the release date comes closer. :)

Now, off to get some more writing in!

Hugs,
~J

Popping in...

2011-04-12T16:08:00.000-05:00

...for just a moment. Deadline is looming and I'm working hard on the next Angel Lake book. This is Maggie and Ty's story, titled Losing Control. They are fun to write, but I'll admit to having a few moments of discouragement when I stupidly lost some of what I'd written. Totally my fault. And I *was* able to recover a small, small fraction of it. But it's better than nothing, right?

In other awesome news, warm weather has finally come. Though I'm hearing talk of some white stuff on Friday (nooooooooooooooo!), but I'm going to just plunk my head in the sand. Because if I refuse to acknowledge it, it won't happen. ;-) LOL

Now, back to the manuscript. Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

Hugs
~J

The Dumbass of the Year Award goes to...

2011-04-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

...yours truly.

Seriously and without a doubt.

I spent much of the night writing - unable to sleep (sick kid and other stuff) - and had written an insane amount of words. I was so giddy and then I went to shut the window and when asked if I wanted to save, I hit no. I. Hit. Don't. Save. OMFG. I'm not going to say how many words I flushed down the metaphorical toilet, because it would make me physically ill, but...*sob*

I can only claim extreme sleep deprivation and complete dumbass-ness. I actually cried. I know better, dammit. I know to save as I go...why didn't I save as I went??????

So, I'm hunkering back down because this book needs to be done...and you can believe I'll be compulsively clicking "save" as I go. *sniffle*

Hugs,
~J

Head down, in the zone

2011-04-07T01:18:00.000-05:00

What have I been up to this week? Easy answer - writing, writing, writing. Coming up on a deadline and it's serious BICHOK (butt in chair, hands on keyboard) time for me. I'm super happy the hubs is back from his trip, though I feel *slightly* guilty that I'm ignoring him to finish this book. Though he does understand, I know.

I was faltering a bit last week. No particular reason, really. Just a combination of things that made focusing on the current work-in-progress difficult. And I couldn't have changed those things even if I'd wanted to, so I'm not dwelling on them. Instead, I'm just blocking everything else out and finishing the book. And trusting that things will not fall apart just because I'm not micro-managing everything. (Have I mentioned I have control issues? LOL)

My pal, Devon Rhodes, wrote an awesome blog post about the things that can stop an author in her tracks. I identified with several of the points and was nodding and mm-hmmm'ing through the entire post. I encourage you to go check the post out! :-)

Now, it's time to go eke out a few more words before turning in for the night!

Hugs
~J

COMING HOME - NOW AVAILABLE!!

2011-04-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

Now available from Resplendence Publishing

Book 1 in the Angel Lake series

Kate Pearson thought she was over her childhood crush on Gabe, but his return has all those feelings rushing back. Add in the toe-curling, mind-blowing sex…and Kate is well on her way beyond just a crush. Despite his constant meddling and insistence that they need to keep things platonic, he makes her tremble with desire and yearn for forever with him.

Even as Gabe begins to accept their blossoming relationship, Kate's past casts a shadow over their future as they realize he isn't the only one who’s come home.

Rambliness & what my day really looks like. LOL

2011-03-25T18:16:00.000-05:00

All I can say is I'm sooooo happy that the kids' spring break has officially started! Most people mistakenly think that spring break, with all the kids hanging at home, would be chaotic and insane. Actually, it's the opposite. Oh, I'm not saying my routine doesn't change, because writing steamy sex scenes when a kid can wander by at any moment puts a bit of a cramp on things. BUT our schedule, as a family, is much crazier when school is in session. None of the kids are over-scheduled - the hubs and I are very adamant about kids being able to just be kids - but with activities for four kids, *I* find myself over-scheduled. LOL

Most of the time, it's a balancing act. My husband is all kinds of awesome and does the early morning running (choir practices etc that meet before school) while I'm still warm in bed. Bless him. And the evening stuff we juggle, and he does more than his fair share of it when I'm on a deadline. And yes, I know how damned lucky I am.

Now, the hubs is out of town for work this week and next. (Though he's coming home tonight - in about 4 hours! Yay!) for the weekend. So I'm happy the kids are on break because I'm on a deadline right now and doing the normal running solo would likely have broken me. LOL

I don't know how some people do it, really. I'm in awe of the authors I know who balance everything with seeming ease...or at least much, much better than I do. I wish I could say a day in my life flows seamlessly, that I get the kids off to school, put on my writing hat and it doesn't come off until the kids get home. At which point, I cook a fabulous gourmet dinner which NO ONE complains about in my spotless kitchen, then put my feet up and relax with the family. :-/

That is quite far from the truth. LOL There's a lot more running around, distractions and harried looks upon my face. I often forget to pull something for dinner out of the freezer, resulting in quickly thrown together meals. LOL But for the most part it works and I'll keep working on the balancing act of it all. Because even through the craziness I know I'm lucky as all get out to be doing what I love every day.

I know other authors struggle with the juggling too - even the ones who, on the outside, look like they have it all together in a perfect routine. Heck, not just authors... I think everyone, to some degree, have to work at balancing their lives. Whether it's family, work, school, etc. I know I'm always looking for news ways to make it all work, because let's face it, what worked last year, or even last month, may not work for the situation we find ourselves in today.

Okay, I'm need to get of and feed the kids, who are starving and clearly wasting away. And yes, I did forget to pull something from the freezer today. LOL

So I'll leave you with a question. What do you do to balance everything going on in your life? Are you a scheduler, list maker, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-through-the-day-er?

Hugs!
~J

My weekend (AKA I need sleep!)

2011-03-13T03:24:00.000-05:00

It is 3am. (We just sprung forward and lost an hour. Oh woe!) I wish very much I was sleeping and have a feeling I'll be wishing that all through this day.

Honestly, my sleep schedule is so messed up, despite my efforts to regulate it. LOL I'm a night owl, always have been. But I've been trying to retrain my brain to understand that I can actually write when the sun is shining. Much harder than it seems! Comes from all the late night writing when the kids were teeny tiny, I think. Really, though, writing during the day, when ALL the kids are at school, would really be ideal. I should be taking advantage of the situation, no? Well, I am trying, and my body/mind is revolting.

Friday, I wrote during the day, but then the book was really flowing and I ended up writing until 2am. I would have kept going but I was soooo tired. So I saved, shut down and headed to bed. And laid awake for the next 4+ hours. Normally, I'd get up and do something when I can't sleep - write, read, even clean - but I was just exhausted and my head hurt. So, I just stayed in bed and played over the ending of the book I'm writing in my head over and over again. :-\ I managed to squeeze a few hours of sleep in, but then had to be up (and alert!) because the oldest kiddo had friends coming over.

As a group, for Spanish class, they had to make a cooking show (and yes, they had to do it all in Spanish). Somehow, it was decided it would recorded on location at Casa de Jarman.

So much of the day was spent with three teenage boys rehearsing and filming the making of churros, then editing it for DVD burning. I will admit they made me laugh, despite my sleep deprivation, and they did a fantastic job.

And the churros were muy delicioso!

After they boys went home and things quieted down, I settled in to get writing. I managed to get some good words down, but then got a headache. Not surprising with lack of sleep! So I decided to make it an early night. Fell asleep quickly, and proceeded to wake up every 45 minutes or so. And that brings us to now - 3am and can't fall back asleep.

I can't really complain, I suppose. I've gotten a lot of writing done this weekend despite the less than ideal sleep schedule. Now, I'm going to try to quiet my brain and see if I can catch a few more zzzz's. If not, maybe I can squeeze in a nap sometime today. :-)

Hugs
~J

It's been one of those weeks...

2011-03-10T15:48:00.000-06:00

I've been writing, just not as much as I'd planned. Things have just been getting in the way - things well beyond my control and that needed my attention. Nothing horrible or anything, just important. *shrug* Good news is I've been squeezing writing time in whenever I can. Even better news? Today is all writing. I've gotten through a particularly tough scene already, and the end of the book is well in sight. WOOOT

Another happy moment for me was getting the cover for Coming Home, aka 10YOM, which will be releasing soon from Resplendence Publishing. Here it is, along with the blurb:

Coming home for Gabe Monroe isn’t a joyous occasion. He returns to say goodbye to his father, and he stays to honor his father’s final request—take care of the family. He’s completely unprepared for the attraction he feels for his sister’s best friend and blames his grief when he gives in to it. Gabe tries to put things right. Kate is practically family, and he promised his father he’d take care of her. However, Gabe is pretty sure taking Kate hard and fast against any ready surface wasn’t what his dad had in mind.

Kate Pearson thought she was over her childhood crush on Gabe, but his return has all those feelings rushing back. Add in the toe-curling, mind-blowing sex…and Kate is well on her way beyond just a crush. Despite his constant meddling and insistence that they need to keep things platonic, he makes her tremble with desire and yearn for forever with him.

Even as Gabe begins to accept their blossoming relationship, Kate's past casts a shadow over their future as they realize he isn't the only one who’s come home.

*happy dance*

Now, I need to get back to this manuscript and get writing!
Hugs
~J

Write, write, write....

2011-03-01T21:56:00.000-06:00

...is what's on my agenda for the foreseeable future. Not incredibly exciting but there it is. LOL I've some deadlines creeping up, and while I'm completely on track to meet said deadlines, I know how easily I can be to get sidetracked. (Oooooh, SQUIRREL!) Luckily, I have some rocking friends who are always will to kick me in the posterior should I need it...some with steel-toed boots! :-O

I've been joining in on a Twitter #WordWar with a couple of fabulous authors - Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Mia Watts, Jennifer Armintrout...and whoever else wants to jump on in. The deal is to write for 45 minutes (quarter after the hour until the next hour) then take a 15-minute break...then do it all over again. I've found I'm very productive when I have to actually report my word count each round. LOL Feel free to come on over and check out the exchange between all of us. We're always good for a few laughs...particularly someone who delights in being inappropriate....though I won't name names. ;-) You can follow me and join in the fun! The "war" is usually on M-F, 10-2ish (EST). :)

And, of course, the fabulous Devon Rhodes regularly taps into my competitive streak - and we battle it out in the evenings. Whoever gets the most words written in an hour wins the round. Since we write at a similar pace, it's usually a close call. :-D

So I'm very lucky in the company I keep as they keep me motivated to churn out as many words as I can. :-)

Now, I'm off to get more words written and get this book done!
Hugs
~J

Chaos ensues...

2011-02-25T00:52:00.000-06:00

*hands head in shame*
It's been way too long since I blogged. :( I wish I can say it's because I was in the "zone" and writing like crazy. Alas, reality isn't that awesome. LOL

It's just been crazy in the Jarman house lately. The hubs managed to fall and break his hand. *shakes head* Not merely falling on the ice in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. No, he was at a scouting event with our youngest munchkin and playing Capture the Chicken (Capture the Flag but using a rubber chicken. LOL). He was going for the chicken and hit some ice and fell. I would like to add at this point, our child was more than happy to tag him and trot his father on to jail. LOL So they came home, and his hand was very very swollen and looking nasty. After several hours, he finally went to the ER and they confirmed yup, broken bone. I did have to chuckle because he apparently "stumped" the orthopedic surgeon, who couldn't figure out how he broke that particular bone in such a manner. LOL Pure talent, let me tell you.

This was the perfect time, of course, for a huge snow storm to hit us. Thank goodness for the teen-aged boy in the house, who did the majority of the shoveling, since his dad really couldn't. We got hit with nearly 2 ft of snow and it was a pain.

Other than that, it's just been regular stuff that's been keeping me running around. Parent-teacher conferences, keeping up with laundry and feeding kids that are never full. LOL And just feeling pooped in general. I actually fell asleep sitting up on the couch the other day, and I soooo don't do that. :-D

While the stuff that keeps me busy is important, I needed the reminder to put writing back on the priority list, so I pulled up the screensaver I made for Gwen, and after staring at him for a while, I got the message. *ggg*

So now, I'm off to write, and kick some word count booty. :)

Hugs,
~J

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T23:08:00.004-06:00

Chiming in late with my Valentine's wishes... Because it was STILL a Monday. LOL

I hope everyone had a great day...and got to spend some time with loved ones.

It was a normal day here for the most part - but I did get chocolates and some pretty sweet cards from the family. AND the kids even did a bit of cleaning without my having to ask them. Now THAT is the greatest gift EVAH!

Currently, I'm trying to get some words in before going horizontal. I'd like to get this book finished and turned into my editor this week, so the pressure is on. Especially since I've told my pals the goal (and I suppose I just announced it for everyone here LOLOL).

Anyway, here's to love in all its forms and showing that love every day!

Hugs,
Jess

Valentine's Blog Party!!

2011-02-13T05:18:00.002-06:00

I'm blogging over at the Goddess Fish Pavilion and Whipped Cream Guest Blog today! I'm blogging about:

First Kisses
Heroes
Gifts that make me feel loved
and Labors of Love

(I'll post the direct links to my posts as soon as they are live!)

Come and check it out...and enter to win a Nook or $150 gift certificate, or another awesome prize!

Hugs

Publish Post

Shivering....

2011-02-08T23:24:00.000-06:00

And not in a good way either! It's freezing here in Minnesota and I feel like I am moving at a snail's pace. All I want to do is curl up under a nice comfy blanket and hibernate until the temp is at least in the double digits...ABOVE zero! ;-)

But since I can do that, I'm just chugging along and writing. I'm finishing up an erotic contemporary, then I'm jumping into a project I'm very, very excited about. Vamps. *booty dance* Sexy, hot vamps. Le sigh. They are wandering around my head, quite vocal and impatient and driving me NUTS. I threatened to hit them, but that just made them grin at me. Go figure. ;-)

So I'm off to get some more words on this contemporary so I can get it done....and appease the ones who bite. LOL

Hugs
~J

Crazy week...and happy news!

2011-01-30T01:32:00.000-06:00

Hi all!

This week has been INSANE. The hubs was out of town for work, and that equals a lot of running around for me. LOL Really, I know how lucky I am to have him and definitely feel it when he's away (not JUST because he does lots of running with the kids, ya know. I love him and all that too. ;-) ) I was very happy to pick him up from the airport. :-D

Tomorrow... *glances at clock*...er, today, is the oldest kiddo's birthday. He's 14 - don't know how that happened! We'll be having chocolate overload today--choc cake, icing AND ice cream. Yes, his choice. Should be a great day, sugar highs and all.

Now, the happy, happy news - I submitted my manuscript, Coming Home (Yes, this is 10YOM!) and I heard back this week that it was accepted for publication! *happy dancing* It will be releasing with Resplendence Publishing. I'll share more details as I get them. I can't tell you how excited I am. This story is very special to me and I can't wait to share it with everyone. :-D

I'm off to bed to get some zzzz's before the alarm goes off. *groan* Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Hugs
~J

Let the hyperventilating begin...

2011-01-21T09:36:00.000-06:00

Okay, 10YOM has been sent to editor and I'm in dire need of a nap. LOL I spent a good part of the night reading over the ms and tweaking, tweaking, tweaking...

Right now, I'm feeling an odd mixture of relief (OMG, I finally sent it and can work on another ms!) and panic/nervousness (OMG, I finally sent it and it will be read by editor!) It doesn't matter how many mss I've submitted or how many books I've had release, I still get nervous when I hit "send". Okay, fine, I get nervous well before that point, but it hits the high point as soon as I click that "send" button. I don't know if that will ever go away. And frankly, I don't know if I want it to. Sure, I could do without the churning stomach and obsessive inbox stalking, but I don't ever want to get comfortable and assume an editor is going to like my stuff. I want that push to put the extra work into each and every manuscript. Though admittedly, sometimes I need a nudge, or ALL CAPS IM, to tell me to quit fiddling and just send the thing. (Thank you Dev, Bron, and Gwen for being that for me many, many times! You rock.)

So, now that I've sent 10YOM off, what am I doing now? Well, there is definitely a nap in my near future, believe me! LOL Then I'm keeping the momentum going. I'm diving into a ms that I'm already 34K into. Yeah, that's right, another nearly finished manuscript that's mocking me--not for 10 years mind you! but long enough. I'm so close to being done with this one, I figure if I fit a couple solid blocks of writing in this weekend, I'll have this done by the end of the weekend. Then it's onto a trio of vamps that are running around in my mind, wreaking havoc. They aren't the most patient of characters and want their stories very much. :-D

In un-writing news, it's freaking cold in MN today. Currently at 16 below. Weather channel says we'll hit 0 degrees sometime around 1 this afternoon. Yeah, I'm not setting foot out there. No sirree. I made sure I got the fixings for dinner last night (okay, I texted the hubby at work yesterday and he picked up the fixings on his way home, but *I* arranged it!). So I'm thinking, lazy day with naps, dinner and family time, then into writing time. :-D

Hope everyone is keeping warm, especially those in the Midwest, and has a fantastic weekend!
Hugs
~J

What Do You Say With the First Lines of Your Book.

2011-01-16T19:19:00.001-06:00

I saw this over at Dev's blog, and looked like a fun idea.

The plan is to list the first lines of your last ten books and draw some conclusions.

I think it's every writer's goal to draw readers in from line one. It was interesting to go back and look at the first lines. I kinda broke the rules and put more than just the first line with some of them. LOL

So here are the first lines from my books:

Darcy Phillips stared at the canvas before her, gnawing on her bottom lip. Finished. Finally finished. ~The Boy Next Door

Death stared Kaelen in the eye and promised to be long and painful. ~Fate's Song

Neiva, Princess of Fey, wandered through the gardens surrounding the royal residence. She didn’t know where her friends had gone. Off flirting with boys, no doubt. ~Waters of Fate

Ciarra walked through the shadows of the forest, running her hand along the rough bark of trees, over shrubs that tickled her palm. ~Shadows of Fate

Fenlon stared down at the body, shock coursing through him. Death was thick in the air, suffocating his senses and turning his stomach. Well, shit. This made his job a whole lot harder. ~Lust Me, Trust Me

They will all die. Jaecar stared at the crimson words on the wall. The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, and he struggled against the nausea swamping his system. ~Have Me, Hold Me

Brielle stood in the centre of the small, dingy motel room, frustration radiating off her in waves. Damn it, he was always one step ahead of them. ~Tease Me, Please Me

“Wow, he’s hotter than I remember.” ~All or Nothing

Oh shit, she couldn’t breathe. ~Sweet Urges

Motherf--kers! Did they really think they could outrun him? ~Current WIP

That was interesting! LOL I actually thought I started more with dialogue. I think it's because it's usually a snippet of dialogue or an entire conversation in my head that is the seed to each story. So when I think of each book, it's usually that dialogue that comes to mind.

Okay, I need to actually go write some new words now. :-D
Hugs,
~J

I'm here...in spirit.

2011-01-13T19:51:00.000-06:00

Sorry for being MIA since the contest, all. I've been deep, deep in my current work in progress. And I finished! Woohoo! Booty dancing ( / ) ( \ ) ( / ) ( \ ) ( / ) ( \ )

As a result, I'm EXHAUSTED! LOLOL

I am going to be making it an early night tonight, but the next step after catching some zzzzz's is to polish and send to my editor. The goal is to send it off this weekend - so if I don't surface until Monday, you know why!

Hugs,
~J

NOOK CONTEST RESULTS!!!

2011-01-11T12:11:00.003-06:00

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Terra Pennington

2nd PRIZE

Miranda (Sweet Vernal Zephyr)

3rd PRIZE

Jason

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to the winners!

Jessica, Devon, Bronwyn, Kris, and Suzanne.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations to Terra, Miranda and Jason!

This had been a wonderful contest--truly it's been a blast. As a thank you to everyone who took the time to visit all of our blogs, I've drawn three consolation prize winners:

Nikyta
Judy T
Molli

Congratulations. I'll be contacting you soon to ask your choice from my backlist.

Hugs,
~J

Contest Closed!

2011-01-11T11:00:00.001-06:00

It's Noon (EST), and the Nook Contest is officially closed!
Check back at 1:11pm and see who the winners are!

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

~J

WIN A NOOK COLOR!!

2011-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to 2011! And what better way to celebrate than with a brand new Nook Color!

Six sexy authors of erotic romance are coming together with a fabulous giveaway to usher in the New Year! And entering couldn't be simpler.

Just visit each of the six authors' blogs beginning January 3rd, and leave a comment on the contest post with:

your name (or user name) and contact email, and
your top two (2) choices from the author's backlist to kick-start your Nook library should you win.

Contest will close at Noon ET on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, and a winner will be drawn at 1:11pm ET from all the readers who commented on all six blogs:

Gwendolyn Cease at gwendolyncease.blogspot.com
Suzanne Graham at suzannegraham.blogspot.com
Bronwyn Green at bronwyngreenblog.blogspot.com
Jessica Jarman at jessicajarman.blogspot.com
Kris Norris at krisnorris.blogspot.com
Devon Rhodes at devonrhodes.blogspot.com

The Grand Prize winner will receive a brand new Nook Color AND two ebooks of their choice from each author!

Second Prize will be winner's choice of ebook from each author's backlist!

Third Prize will be winner's choice of an available print book personalized and signed by the author!

More surprises and prizes at each blog, so what are you waiting for? The clock is ticking, and when it comes up all ones, you could be the winner!!

Details:

In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must leave a comment at each of the six blogs with your email address and choice of two books. We're sorry, but anyone who misses a blog or forgets to leave their contact info will be disqualified.
All comments must be posted by 12:00 Noon, ET, on January 11th.
Valid entry comments must be in response to the official Contest post on each blog, although we also welcome comments on other posts, so feel free to poke around!
The Nook will be shipped directly from the store to the winner's house. Ebooks will be emailed separately to the winner.
Winner must respond to Jessica within three days or an alternate winner will be announced.

I will also be drawing a consolation prize from non-winning entries on that day to win their choice of ebook from my backlist. And speaking of which, here are my books from which you can choose your top two in this entry comment! :) Visit the links for the blurbs and excerpts. (All books are male/female couples unless otherwise noted :D )

The Boy Next Door (erotic contemporary)
Sweet Urges (light BDSM - part of Night of the Senses anthology)
All or Nothing (MFM menage erotic contemporary)

THE FEY SERIES
(erotic paranormal)
Fate's Song, Book 1
Waters of Fate, Book 2
Shadows of Fate, Book 3 (MFM menage)

INTO THE SHADOWS SERIES
(erotic paranormal/vampire)
Lust Me, Trust Me, Book 1
Have Me, Hold Me, Book 2
Tease Me, Please Me, Book 3

Good luck, everyone! And Happy 2011!

Hugs,
~J

Contest almost over!

2011-01-09T20:27:00.001-06:00

Our Win a Nook Contest is almost over! Only 1 day, 16 hours, and and 44 minutes (give or take) until we announce the winners. Not before you go thinking I'm keeping track that closely--my 8 year old figured that out. LOL

Wow, this week has flown by. We've had over a hundred people enter! Thanks so much for entering, and thank you for all the kind words about my books. :)

If you haven't entered yet--ENTER! Even if you don't win the Nook Colour, you could still win books from all six authors. Remember to post your contact info and book selections AND to hit ALL six blogs--otherwise your entry doesn't count. And we everyone to have a shot!

Hugs
~j

Motivation

2011-01-07T00:48:00.001-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about motivation this week. I've talked with writing buddies about it, rolled it around in my head. Let me be honest here. I love to write. It's all I've ever wanted to do. Yet, I find myself NOT writing as often as I should/could.

Of course, sometimes there are valid things that keep me from writing. I have four kids. They come first. Always. No question. So when they are sick or just need some Momma time, writing gets set aside. That's life. I've set aside writing to spend time with my hubby. Heck, I figure I'm spending the rest of my life with him, he needs some face time! LOL

But there are things that are just time sucks. Like Facebook games. *facepalm* OMG, what is wrong with me that I play those stupid games? I mean, if I spent as much time writing as I do on building my city/town... Well, let's just say I'd probably be done with this blasted book already.

Then there is the sudden urge to clean. Yes, clean. *sigh* I should be writing, but omg, that load of laundry needs to be switched RIGHT NOW! The kitchen counters need to be wiped. The floors so need to be vacuumed, and it must happen this very moment. Well, you get the point.

I really don't know why I do this, because as I said, I love writing. And I'm thinking about the book, the characters, the plot as I do these other things. So instead of trying to figure out the why of it, I'm just determined to beat it.

I've found one thing that definitely helps - tapping into my competitive nature. Last night, Devon Rhodes and I had a little word count competition: See who could write more words in an hour. We did two one-hour competitions. She won the first time; I got it the second time. The nice thing is we seem to write at similar paces so it is definitely a close finish and makes things interesting. :-D I guess I need to make more "dates" with Dev. LOLOL

I also know I need to change my attitude about writing in general. I wrote a bit about this in my 2011 Plans post. I have to look at it as a career and give it priority. Gwen Cease and I were talking about this tonight and she has the same issue. So I sent her a little pressie--a pic for her desktop background--and I'm going to share it with you. Because, well, it's just too hot not to share.

He's so intense and stern, and looks like he means business, doesn't he? Le sigh.

Drooling aside *wipes chin* the sentiment is something I need to take to heart. And on that note, I have to get back to this book before turning in for the night.

Hugs
~J

Plans? I got'em!

2011-01-05T02:03:00.001-06:00

Okay, I said I'd post resolutions for the year. Though I'm calling them my plans. Silly I know, but in my head resolutions are wishy-washy things you SAY you're going to do at the beginning of the year and then never think of until the following year--and beat yourself up because you didn't accomplish them. LOL

So here is my list of 10 "plans" for 2011. :) And you SO have permission to call me out on ANY of these!

Finish 10YOM (10 Year Old Manuscript) and submit it! I'm soooo close.
Write EVERY DAY. No excuses. I don't even care if it's 100 words. I find if I do this, I stay on track (and usually write more than 100 words!), but if I let myself slack off, it snowballs. Then it's been days, or eek, weeks since I've written. None of that in 2011. :-D
Blog regularly. I've been doing better the last couple weeks, but I can soooo do better.
Attend at least one conference. hehe this is an easy one since I've already registered for Authors After Dark. Though maybe I can even fit in another one.
Move more. I'm not going to say "lose weight" or put a number on this. I just need to move my rear end more. Being a writer, I sit in front of a computer many hours a day. I need to get up and move.
Start treating writing as a career, instead of something I squeeze in when I have time. Because, really, how can I expect others to take my writing seriously, if I don't show that I do.
Learn to say "no". I'll admit, this one gives me hives. LOL I think it fits in with taking my writing seriously. I tend to give in and help someone out even though I really do need to sit down and write. This one is going to take some work, but I'm a determined woman.
Be more social. I think writing itself is an isolating profession, but hey, we are in 2011, and there is plenty out there to keep in contact with readers, other authors, etc. We have facebook (ahem, and not to dink around on games like cityville :-/ ), twitter, blogs, etc.
Be more organized. This applies to writing things, but also around the house. The clutter drives me nuts and I find it hard to focus. I won't bore you with my decluttering plan, but I have one. LOLOL
Remember to take time and appreciate what I have. Let's face it, I have a pretty darned good life. Yes, I'm busy, and things tend to be unpredictable and crazy. BUT I have a wonderful husband who supports what I do. I have four beautiful kids. I'm lucky enough to be able to pursue a career I love. I need to remember that more!

So there you have it. My list. Anyone else make resolutions/goals/plans for 2011? What are they?

Hugs
~J

HAPPY 2011!!

2011-01-01T23:48:00.000-06:00

I canNOT believe it's 2011. I'm working on a resolution/goal list. I'm big into lists, I'll admit. :-) I think I might even post my writing related goals--nothing like putting it out there to keep me accountable. :-D An exciting thing about 2011--my husband and and I will be celebrating out 15th wedding anniversary. *gasp* Hard to believe he put up with me for that long. LOLOL Honestly, I love the man more than life, and I'm so lucky to have him in my life. *cue sappy music*

At this very moment, I'm chilling in the hotel room after spending the day with my parents and family. Two of the four kids are off spending the night with friends and/or cousins, the other 2 are snoozing across the room, and the hubby is close to snoring. :-) I had a wonderful vaca with Gwen Cease and the time spent with my family has been so great--I'm almost sad to go home tomorrow. Though I know I'll be happy to be home. Even if I have a blue million things to do.

One thing I *get* to do is talk about a fantastic giveaway coming up. I can't go into details right now (THAT has to wait until the 3rd). However, I can say, I'm teaming up with 5 incredible authors--Devon Rhodes, Bronwyn Green, Kris Norris, Gwendolyn Cease, and Suzanne Graham--and we are going to ring in 2011 right! So stayed tuned!

For now, I'll just say: Happy New Year! I wish you much happiness and success in 2011!

Hugs,

On Vacation...Woohooo

2010-12-29T19:42:00.000-06:00

I've been on vacation the last couple days. The day after Christmas I got on a plane (so won't go into the drama of the airport security which resulted in my missing my first flight--I want that to be distant memory!) and I headed to Louisville for a few days with my bud, Gwendolyn Cease.

OMG we've been having so much fun. The funny thing is we haven't been doing much of anything. Really. I got to sleep in each morning--what a treat! We've hit Starbucks a few times, had DELICIOUS Gigi's cupcakes. Serious sugar rush that was so worth it. But mostly we've just been having out, visiting and writing. It's been serioulsy awesome.

Sadly, I'm leaving tomorrow. :( The family is picking me up from the airport, and I don't even get to go home. LOL We are immediately driving to the UP of MI to see my parents and sister for New Year's weekend. If I could have arranged to fly to the UP instead of hours on an airplane followed by hours in the car, I would have, but *sigh* can't be helped. I am looking forward to the time with family, though. :) Then it's back home in 2011 and back to the routine of school and activities and all that.

Now, I'm off to hang out with Gwen, maybe fit some more writing in before I have to go to sleep--because it's an EARLY flight. *groan*

Hugs
~J

Baby, It's Cold Outside...WINNERS!!

2010-12-26T11:12:00.000-06:00

Hi all,
Sorry for the delay in posting. I did choose winners on Christmas Eve but was having connectivity issues. :- So here we go....

Winning a copy of Tease Me, Please Me are Jackie P, and Peg M.

Winning ALL three Into the Shadows books is Bridget W (Bridgetw3).

Congratulations, ladies!

Hugs
Jess

Baby, It's Cold Outside...(GIVEAWAY!!)

2010-12-20T14:47:00.000-06:00

...let's heat things up. With a giveaway!

I'm ready to celebrate! Not only is Christmas almost here, but Tease Me, Please Me (Into the Shadows, Book 3) just released from Total-E-Bound Publishing.

I'm curled up on the couch, in the process of getting snowed in AGAIN, and I'm in the giving mood :-D So let's do this.

I'm going to give way TWO (2) copies of Tease Me, Please Me AND one reader will get all three (3) Into the Shadows books - Lust Me, Trust Me; Have Me, Hold Me; and Tease Me, Please Me.

You have three (3) ways to enter:

"Like" my author page on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Comment on this blog post and tell me the best Christmas gift you've ever gotten

Do all three to increase your chances to win. If you already follow me on Twitter and/or like my page on Facebook, you are automatically entered there.

I'll draw the winners' names around 11pm Christmas Eve.

Good luck!
Hugs
Jess

Tease Me, Please Me is Available NOW!

2010-12-20T13:32:00.000-06:00

Tease Me, Please Me (Into the Shadows, Book 3) is now available from Total-E-Bound Publishing. I'll be honest, I LOVED writing Seth--he's been alive in my head since the first book of this series, and I'm thrilled to be able to share him with the world now. :)

How do you show a man willing to die in pursuit of revenge that some things are worth living for?

Seth Feeney has a mission. Put an end to the Rogue vampire who turned him against his will and ruined his life. Nothing will deter him from that mission, not death and certainly not a red-headed vampire who makes his blood race.

Brielle has a mission as well. Track down Seth Feeney and make sure he doesn't get his fool-headed self killed. She and her partners are seasoned operatives for the Triumvirate. Tracking a vamp who'd been changed for a little over a year should be a walk in the park. Should be. Brielle didn't count on just how skilled Seth is, newly turned or not. Nor did she count on her reaction wot him when she does get close enough to stop him.

As Seth gets closer to his target, can Brielle convince him to accept her help in taking the Rogue down? What's more, can she show him his life isn't over, that life with her can be more rewarding than anything he would have had as a human?

Buy now from Total-E-Bound Publishing!

Happy Dancing

2010-12-13T17:47:00.001-06:00

I just registered for Authors After Dark. Granted it's next summer, but I'm super excited. Can't wait to go, catch up with readers and author friends. Wooot *happy dance*

Craziness...

2010-12-09T14:57:00.000-06:00

Things are always crazy in this house -a given with 4 kids - and this time of year just amplifies that. Lots of parties, concerts, and so forth happening right now. I'm exhausted just thinking about it, never mind actually DOING it. LOL

The family will be staying put for Christmas this year, though the day after I'll be off to see the fabulous Gwen Cease. I cannot wait for that. I'll be back in time to make the trek up to my mom and dad's over the New Year's weekend. After that, I hope to come up for air!

I started an official page on Facebook--mainly because I want readers to get news and updates from me without having to wade through the silly posts from games I play (read: waste time on). So come and "like" me over there. I have some great things coming--contests, excerpts, and a free read just in time for Christmas!

I'll be posting more about those things tonight and in the next couple days, so stay tuned. :)

Hugs
~J

Super Excited

2010-12-03T15:31:00.000-06:00

First, Thanksgiving was awesome. Had a great time with my parents and sister & her bf. They got DUMPED on with snow--I think it was 12-14 inches. Luckily we got there before it it. Whew.

I can't wait until we go up for New Year's. :)

Tonight, I'm excited to go out of town with the hubs. We're going to see Bill Engvall tomorrow but decided to go up tonight, and have a night away, just the 2 of us. Wooohoooo. I'm really looking forward to it. Bill Engvall always cracks me up and a break (even just overnight) is just what I need right now, and figure it'll be just what we need to gear up for the busy season in front of us. :)

I'm even leaving my laptop behind. :-S I know, I know, it's just overnight. hehehe

So I'm off to make sure my SIL and BIL have clean sheets to sleep on--bless them for coming and spending the night with the kiddos--and dinner is all set for the kids before we leave.

Hugs,
~J

Holiday Weekend

2010-11-24T01:56:00.000-06:00

I'm so excited--in a few hours I'm off to the UP of Michigan to see my parents and sister for the long Thanksgiving weekend. Can't wait to see everyone and plan on fitting in some writing in. I figure while my man and kids are frolicking in the hotel pool, I'll be typing a way. :-) And I will, of course, enjoy the Thanksgiving feast my mom always serves!

For those who are in the US, HAPPY THANKSGIVING and have a wonderful weekend. Those who aren't celebrating...have a great weekend too. :-)

Now, I need to get some sleep so I can get up and finish packing--nothing like leaving it to the last minute. *sheepish look*

Hugs
~j

Doing the cover art happy dance....

2010-10-25T19:46:00.000-05:00

Isn't it pretty! Tease Me, Please Me - Into the Shadows, Book 3 - releases from Total-E-Bound in December.

Here is the blurb:

How do you show a man willing to die in pursuit of revenge that some things are worth living for?

Brielle has a mission as well. Track down Seth Feeney and make sure he doesn't get his fool-headed self killed. She and her partner are seasoned operatives for the Triumvirate. Tracking a vamp who'd been changed for little over a year should be a walk in the park. Should be. Brielle didn't count on just how skilled Seth is, newly turned or not. Nor did she count on her reaction to him when she does get close enough to stop him.

As Seth gets closer to his target, can Brielle convince him to accept her help in taking the Rogue down. What's more, can she show him his life isn't over, that life with her can be more rewarding than anything he would have had as a human?

Pity Party...for one

2010-10-14T14:29:00.000-05:00

The last couple weeks were toughies. I managed to hurt my hips and lower back. Now, I've had problems with them before (after a car accident and well, 4 kids!), but not this bad. Made me realize how much I took simple things for granted. Thing is you use your hips for everything--sitting, standing, lying down... There was much pain. :( But I'm better. Still some pain and staying in one position for any length of time isn't an option, but I'm able to move, so I'll take it.

On the writing front, working hard on Kate and Gabe (still to be titled erotic contemporary) aka 10YOM. I'm loving it. And though I'd hoped to be done with it by now...I'm cutting myself a little slack and pushing forward.

I'm blown away how the time is flying. Can't believe it's mid-October already. The holiday season is sneaking up on us. We'll be heading to the UP of Michigan at some point to visit my family. I'm a tad sad we didn't get up there to see the brilliance of fall, but that's okay. I'm pondering what other trips to take soon. I want to go visit the fabulous Gwen Cease before the year ends. And I'm hoping, hoping, hoping to do some kind of UP trip--maybe next year?--and convince my separated-at-birth buddy, Bronwyn Green, that she needs to come along as well as some others. :D I mean what could be better than time spent with author friends who really *get* you?

Now, I'm off to get some work done before the brood returns from school... Wish me luck!

~J

CONTEST WINNER!!

2010-09-28T12:25:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!

And we have a winner. My son drew the name out of a hat, and the winner is....Kelly M! Congratulations, Kelly!

Please email me at jessica @ jessicajarman.com (no spaces) and let me know which title you would like me to send you.

Thank you to all who entered, and keep coming back. I have more giveaways up my sleeve in the coming weeks. :-)

~J

Relaxing, lazy weekend and CONTEST REMINDER

2010-09-25T13:08:00.000-05:00

In a way. LOL Not working on the day job and ignoring the housework that is screaming to be done, BUT I'm writing. Yay. I'm having a blast working on this story. I forgot how much I love these characters.

I will take a break later - going to take in a movie with the sweetie. Not sure what we'll watch, but curling up on the sofa with the fireplace blazing and a movie sounds like a perfect way to wrap up this cold and wet day. :-)

I also wanted to remind everyone to enter my contest and have a chance to win a book from my backlist. I'll be selecting the winner on Monday, so enter now!

Now back to the characters. ;-)

~J

Oh 10YOM...

2010-09-24T00:35:00.000-05:00

I'm working on the 10 year old manuscript (aka 10YOM, thanks to Dev) and I'm ready to pull my hair out. It's actually going well, but the word count is soooo going in the wrong direction! I'm 2K less than when I started. *sigh* BUT the story is tighter, flows better, and I like it more, so I guess that's what counts.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. Fall is such a busy time with school starting, sports and activities, it seems like we're always on the run. It'll be nice to have a lazy weekend. Plus it's been rainy and yucky, and shows no signs of stopping, so I don't even have to feel bad that I'm not outside prepping the yard for the coming winter. That'll wait for next weekend. LOL

Okay, back to 10YOM for a little bit before going horizontal.
Night all!
~J

Happy Anniversary, Devon Rhodes

2010-09-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a year since Devon Rhodes - an awesome author and even more awesome friend - had her first book published. It's been a freaking fantastic year for her. I had to share some love with her on this special day.

Check out her story and enter to win one of her ebooks!
http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com/2010/09/happy-anniversary-to-me-big-giveaway.html

Love ya, and happy anniverary, Dev. Here's to many more books from ya!

~J

ODE-ious Monday...and a GIVEAWAY. :-D

2010-09-21T01:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Fall! This is seriously my favorite time of year. I do enjoy summer activities, but the heat and humidity aren't on my faves list. ;-) Fall for me is just the perfect time of year--past the heat of summer, before the subzero temps of Minnesota winters, and not as messy/muddy as spring time.

To celebrate my love for the season, I'm posting an ode AND a Fall giveaway. Details on how to enter to win a copy of any title on my backlist follow the ode. :-D

ODE TO FALL

The slight chill in the air,
the crisp smells,
the trees on fire with color.

Curling up with a good book,
long walks without melting,
serious cuddling with the sweetie.

Bonfires, roasting marshmallows,
sitting outside without swatting
a single mosquito.

The perfect uniform, my fave,
jeans and a sweatshirt,
no obsessing over daily shaves. ;-)

Pure heaven with school in session,
long, quiet days to write with no
interruptions or "Mooooooom!"

Weekends are breaks again,
no work, time with family,
to play, laugh, and enjoy.

Fall is my favorite time,
time to be me again,
and live free.

Okay, so how do you win? That's what you're wanting to know, right? All you have to do is post a comment to this post and tell me your favorite thing about fall. It can be anything at all! The contest will run all week. I'll randomly choose a commenter in a week - on 9/27/2010 - and the winner has the choice of any of my titles - you can find a list of them here.

Good luck all!
~J

ODE-ious Monday

2010-09-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

ODE TO THE 10-YEAR OLD MANUSCRIPT

There you sit languishing away
on my hard drive.
You've not been forgotten.

Through the years, I've thought
of you often.
With fondness. With longing.

You were my first attempt at writing
more than a few pages.
And you're not half-bad.

Lately, you've been on my mind
on a daily basis.
Teasing me with what-ifs.

I opened you today and began to read.
Curiosity got the better of me,
and I just had to peek.

Although there are many cringe-worthy
passages, overall, your story
still touches my heart.

So instead of just reading, I find
my fingers typing--deleting, adding,
revising to fit me as the author I am today .

Maybe, just maybe, some day soon
I'll be ready to share you
with the world.

Next Up...

2010-09-10T15:10:00.001-05:00

So I'm settling into the fall routine. The kiddos are adjusting better than me. *sigh*

What's happening here? Well after way too long with one computer (desktop and laptop both died, leaving only my netbook :-0 ), we are back up to three. Thanks to my freaking awesome brother in law. YAY!

I have been writing. Which is always a good thing. LOL I'm currently working on polishing up two erotic contemporaries to send to my editor. They are coming along very, very well. I'm also plotting a new vampire series *rubs hands together* It's going to be very fun...and hot. Can't forget hot. :-D

The third book in my series Into the Shadows will be releasing from TEB in December. It's called Tease Me, Please Me, and is Seth's story. Oh he was fun to write, albeit a bit angsty. Still, he managed to make me laugh often and I just love him. Here's the blurb:

Seth Feeney has a mission. Put an end to the Rogue vampire who turned him against his will and ruined his life. Nothing will deter hm from that mission, not death and certainly not a red-headed vampire who makes his blood race.

Brielle has a mission as well. Track down Seth Feeney and make sure he doesn't get his fool-headed self killed. She and her partner are seasoned operatives fro the Triumvirate. Tracking a vamp who'd been changed for little over a year should be a walk in the park. Should be. Brielle didn't count on just how skilled Seth is, newly turned or not. nor did she count on her reaction to him when she does get close enough to stop him.

I'll share more as the release comes closer, of course. :)
Now, back to writing for me. Have a great weekend, everyone.

~J

ODE-ious Monday

2010-08-30T02:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is our 14th wedding anniversary, so I thought it fitting that today's ode would be to that special man...

Ode to my Husband

I know how lucky I am.
Even when I am my crabbiest, my lowest,
I know how lucky I am to have you.

The man who makes me laugh,
who can make my heart skip a beat
even after 14 years.

The man who gets me,
who supports me even when my ideas
are crazy at best.

The man who sees the real me,
who holds me when things get tough,
but knows when to step back.

The man who supports me,
who cheers me on even if my dreams
seem lofty and out of reach.

I couldn't do without you.
Each day with you by my side
is that much brighter.

Love ya, baby. Happy anniversary.

~J

Where did summer go????

2010-08-29T20:23:00.000-05:00

I really don't know the answer to that. All I know is I have to go meet the kids' teachers on Tuesday and they start school a week after that. Ack. I'm looking forward to having my days back to myself (love my kiddos to death, but you try writing sex scenes then having to snap the laptop shut when a kid sneaks up behind you ninja-style. LOL).

All in all, it's been a great summer--even with the camping trips. *shudder* Last week, Gwen Cease visited, and it was a freaking blast. My kids love her, my husband calls her his second wife, and we just get along like peas and carrots. We visited, drank cheap wine, wrote a ton, and even fit a trip to the salon in there. And can I just mention the scalp massage ... O...M...G. Is it wrong that it was a near orgasmic experience? Nah, I didn't think so.

Writing-wise, I finished the next story in my vampire series, Into the Shadows. Now, I'm working on 2 manuscripts that were complete. Yes, that's right. Two manuscripts complete sitting on my hard drive. *hangs head in shame* Don't know what what was up with me. Both are in fairly good shape, and I'm just tweaking and polishing before I send to my editor.

After that, I don't know what I'm working on for sure. Still in the deciding phase there and trying not to dwell on it while I work on the current mss.

Now, I'd better get back to writing, as I've spent the rest of the day working the day job. It was *supposed* to be a writing day. Whoopsie. Better get to gettin'.

~J

Interview

2010-07-29T20:31:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!

Been super busy in this house lately. Working the day job, bringing kids to and from camps, and now, I have my nephews here for the next couple days. Lots of fun.

The lovely Bronwyn Green interviewed the Sultry Solstice authors (Bron has a great story in the collection as well!). Click here to give it a read and to win some of Bronwyn's books!

Now it's off for birthday cake--my baby girls hits double digits today!

~J

Again,bad blogger Jess

2010-07-17T16:40:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted. Just been crazy in the everyday life here.
I'm thrilled to announce Have Me, Hold Me - Book to in my Into the Shadows series - released this last week.

It feels like I've been waiting for this one forever. I love Jae, the hero. He's been in my head since I wrote his partner Fen's story. He's a smart ass and cracked me up, but when I started writing his story, he surprised me. He could actually be serious. ;-) In a good way. LOL

I'm currently working on book 3 - Seth's story - and I simply love revisiting these characters and this world. Now if I could just get the kids to stop saying "mom" every minute - they tag-team, ya know?
:-D

~J

OH! Nearly forgot!

2010-06-30T15:47:00.001-05:00

Isn't is gorgeous? LOL I love this cover for Jae's story. Absolutely love it. This is release in July -coming up quick! Here's the blurb:

After walking away from him years ago, will she have the strength to do it again - and will he let her?

As an operative for the Triumvirate, Jaecar was used to hunting Rogues and investigating crimes against his kind. When the murder of one of the the Three rocks the entire community, he finds himself face to face with Verina, the woman who'd chosen her ambitions over him years before.

Rina had worked her entire life for one thing, to become a member of the Triumvirate. Now, the very event that secured her position within the Three broung the man she'd loved - and left - back into her life.

When it becomes clear that Rina, and the other members of the Triumvirate, are in danger, Jaecar's mission is to keep Rina safe and catch a murderer. He is determined not to fall under her spell again, knowing she will always choose her career, but can he deny the feelings he still has for her? Is being in the Triumvirate enough to fill the emptiness Rina has felt ever since walking away from Jaecar? Especially after being in his arms again?

Can't wait for this to release!

Hugs all!

Jess

Insanity...

2010-06-30T15:27:00.000-05:00

Holy crap... This week has been I-N-S-A-N-E. The day job is busy, busy, busy. I've been trying to keep the house in order (a completely impossible task, it seems), and we're prepping for a long weekend of camping starting Friday. Color me thrilled. :-

I have lists coming out of my ears - I'm big on lists. List of meals for each day, list of things needed from store, list of things to pack, list of things that need to be accomplished before we leave. It's overwhelming, but the lists help. At least I think they do. Helps me put it all in perspective.

Not a ton of writing has happened... Okay, I'll be brutally honest: No writing has happened the last week or so. And I don't like it. No. One. Bit. Mostly it's been out of my control. Work has to be done (whether for the day job or at home - the kids want to eat every day for some reason. Go figure). Limited computer/online time as some wicked storms have rolled through. Two weekends ago nearly 30 tornados touched down southwest (I think...I'm directionally challenged); here, we just had major rain and weird/scary looking skies. Last weekend was worse for us. Massive rain fall - our road was flooded, water in the basement, branches down etc. Could have been worse though. I know this. I think of those who lost their homes and everything they own in the tornados/storms, and I'm grateful all we suffered was lose of electrical stuff for a while and a bit of mess to clean up.

So I'm trying not to be pissy about the not writing...but I am. LOL I said, trying. It's hard not to be bothered by it. I love writing; it's my passion. And having to put it on hold sucks. But this will pass. And I plan on writing this weekend. Granted, it'll be long hand as I'm not taking computers campings, but sometimes writing in a notebook sparks something. In fact, when I'm 'blocked', I'll often grab a notebook and pen and things start to flow. I'm not going to question that - it just works for me. LOLOL

Gotta run. More to do. Everyone, have a great night!

Best,
Jess

Ode-ious Monday

2010-06-22T01:30:00.000-05:00

Well, this past week hasn't been the greatest. Had the ickies and was horizontal much of the time. Today, I'm feeling semi-normal and am back into the swing of things. The day job was the focus today, much to poor Seth's dismay. He'll just have to deal though, becaue the job is going to get much of my focus this week, since we have our family camping trip the weekend of the Fourth and I can't really bring work with me.

Those who know me are well aware of my feelings about camping. I admit, I usually end up having a good time, but camping in general isn't my thing. There's the sleeping on the ground (or air mattress which I insist on, but it still isn't my comfy bed), the bugs, the heat and humidy, the bugs, cooking on a fire (which I don't do well), the bugs, the lack of showers, the bugs, the scarcity of flushing toilets, and did I mention the bugs? Seriously, I don't do bugs...for proof, see this post.

As I said, in all likelihood, I'll come back and be able to tell you what a great time I had with my family, but you never know. LOL

I'm going to hit the mattress now. I'm super tired and have an early day tomorrow. I'll leave you with this ode... With all the poetry makin' going on in the house, I have odes coming out my ears and I figure it's only fair to share with everyone. :-)

ODE TO SUMMER VACATION
I remember the excitement, the anticipation.
Squirming at my desk as the teacher rambled on,
I counted down the days, the hours, the minutes
until you arrived.

The long days, the sun beating down, the late nights.
Oh, I enjoyed it all, loved it, lived it with abandon.
The beach, the bonfires, the fireworks are all still
so fresh in my mind.

I smile as my kids now look forward to your charm,
laugh as they chant, "No more pencils, no more books..."
They cross off each square on the calendar boldly,
anxious for the fun to start.

I'm happy for them, knowing the memories they'll have,
but for me, you've lost your luster, your appeal.
Oh the sun still beats down, and the days are long, the nights late,
but in such a different way now.

How many times will I hear, "Mooooom..." followed by
such silliness as "He's looking at me", "She took my *fill in the blank*",
"Can I have money?" "Do I have to?" Or my personal favorite,
"She's breathing my air!"

There will be good times in the days to come,
great even. I know this very well. The memories will
bring a smile to my face, and some day, I'll yearn for these years,
wonder where the time went.

But today, I am weak, selfish. I look at the calendar,
and again count the days, the hours, the minutes.
Two weeks of summer vacation have passed...
Only eleven more to go.

Night all!
~Jess

Over at Hitting the Hot-spot...

2010-06-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

I'm talking about secondary characters over at Hitting the Hot-spot. And yes, it includes an ode. *snicker*

See you over there!

~Jess

Ode to My To-do List

2010-06-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

What do I have to do to make you go away?
I diligently cross items off, yet you remain.
Not only that, but you seem to grow,
Not only by a few items, but rather exponentially.
How is this possible?

I've crumpled you up, torn you to bits,
Set you ablaze, tossed you in the trash.
But even when not in front of me physically,
Your laughter echoes in my mind
reminding me of all the things I have yet to do.

You keep me awake at night,
Distract me from enjoyable things.
Foolishly, I have hope that you will one day disappear,
Or at least take a vacation, so I can enjoy one myself.
I'll continue on, drawing lines through each task.

Writing this accomplished something--
"Write blog post" gets stricken from the list.
And as soon as I hit "Publish Post"
I can add "Post blog post" to the done column.
It's little victories like that that keep me going.

~J

I got the best hubby in da world!

2010-06-09T03:31:00.000-05:00

I got my birthday present today (a few weeks early)--a new netbook. Oh it's so prettiful and small and sleek--but it's actually quite comfortable to type on.

It couldn't have come at a better time. The kids' last day of school is tomorrow. For the last couple weeks, it's been battle to keep my laptop mine. LOL Our desktop is running REALLY slow (here's hope the computer guru bro-in-law can resusitate it *fingers crossed*) and they've needed to get online and research stuff for papers etc. So now, I have this *rubs keyboard* and they are not allowed to touch. At all. Woot. :-D

Now, I'm off to bed. Need much sleep. So tired. But all my files have been transfered and I'm all set to go tomorrow (er, today) when I get up. Yay.

Night all!
~J

New Cover! Shadows of Fate

2010-06-07T17:58:00.000-05:00

Le sigh. Isn't it beautiful? I love this cover soooo much. LOL

Shadows of Fate is the third story in The Fey series, and is releasing as part of Total-E-Bound's Sultry Solstice collection along with stories from Bronwyn Green, Charlotte Stein, and Rachel Randell on July 19th.

Here's the blurb for Shadows of Fate:

Finding one's true mate is rare, finding two true mates is nothing but a dream...or is it?

Ciarra, Guardian of the Dark Realm, fantasises of forever with two men but knows how unlikely that is to happen. Those around her are more than happy to point out how foolish such dreams are, and she vows to be content with her life as it is. She loves her home, her family and her lover, Finley, but when Leilen of Fey comes to the Dark Realm on behalf of the King, he reawakens all her dreams and desires.

Can she really have it all? Happily ever after with both Leilen and Finley? Or will her dream be banished once and for all?

I can't wait for this too release. I had such a fun time writing this story, and am looking forward to writing the next book of the series. :-)

~J

Start of another week...

2010-06-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

...the last week of school for the kiddos. I look forward to and dread summer vacation every year.

I love summer--don't care for the cold Midwestern winters--but with 4 kids, our crazy schedule is just as crazy in the months of no school. Sports and camps and all that jazz. The hubs and I try to do as much as we can *with* them, because we know the time is coming with hanging out with Mom and Dad is going to be the last thing they want to do.

But it's all good--I've planned out my summer schedule and know exactly what I want/need to accomplish. For me, it really helps to get my plans on paper or on screen. I need that right in front of me, reminding me of what needs to happen, otherwise--I'll admit it--I totally flake and at the end of summer vaca, I'm sitting there scratching my head, wondering why I didn't get more done. LOL

I've been updating my website (after giving this blog a bit of a makeover), which is a hair pulling experience. Drives me crazy every time, but in a warped way, I enjoy it. Best feeling ever when it turns out the way I want it to--it's just the journey to that point can be a bit frustrating.

I'm still working on Seth (the next Into the Shadows book), and that is coming along so well, I'm kinda scared. LOL If all goes well, and darn it, it'd better, I'll be sending off to my editor by the weekend. Wooot.

I guess I'd better get back to it. :)
Happy Monday, all!
~J

Ode to My Wrist

2010-06-04T21:38:00.000-05:00

Oh, why dost thou betray me so?
Was it the hours of typing whilst on deadline?
Was it swinging the bat with the kids at the lake?
Was it the two tons of groceries hauled in the house?

I wrap you lovingly, and bath you in ice.
Will the ache be relieved? Will the pain diminish?
Will my tender attention and care be enough?
It must be, because I can promise,
all the above WILL happen again.

I Am Such a Girl

2010-06-03T22:03:00.000-05:00

So I ran outside tonight, and apparently while out there, so big ol' bug landed on my shirt. I didn't realize this of course and innocently came back inside. I went to the bathroom to...well, go to the bathroom *snort* and felt this tickle on my back. I reached back and felt this bug. Now, let me just clarify, I didn't freak out at this point. I held my cool. Really.

So I brush it off. This BIG ASS black thing flies around me and lands in my PANTS! I...the complete and utter girl I am, shriek like a banshee, kick my pants to the side and run. Thank GAWD, it's past bedtime and no one was around to see me streaking to my room.

So I'm in my room trying to breath and, you know, find something to cover my lower half with. There's a knock at my door, it's my thirteen year old son.

"Mom? What's wrong? See a spider or something?" (*sigh* there, cat's out of the bag. I'm a complete wimp when it comes to spiders and big mutant bugs)

"No!" I yell through the door. "There's some big bug thing in the bathroom."

Silence. Then "I don't see anything."

"It's in my pants!"

"Uh how'd it get in there?" At this point, I KNOW I hear laughter in his voice.

I explain the whole thing--through the door, and he says. "Hold on. I'll take care of it."

I hear muffled words (later realize he's exclaiming how big the thing is and how hard it is to squish), then "It's safe to come out now. It's dead and I flushed it."

I come out, and he proceeds to tell me how it was this beetle type thing that had some kind of pincers. Um didn't need to know that, thank you, my boy.

So I've learned a few things tonight.
1) I'm a wimpy girl.
2) I can shriek VERY loudly.
3) There's some kind of mutant bug population in this great state.
4) Thirteen year old sons totally rock and will rescue you when you really need it.

Okay, back to writing now that my heart has recovered.

~J

Updating on Me

2010-06-03T01:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, busted. I've been naughty and haven't blogged in a while. It's been crazy busy here. End of the school year is mad every single year--you'd think I'd be prepared, but noooo. Every year it takes me by surprise.

So, what's been happening? Lots. Other than the usually family craziness--which is always there! LOL--we've traveled a bit. Just spent a fabulous long weekend in my old home town. Had a lovely day on Lake Superior with family and friend. Ate waaaay too much, dipped my feet in the FREEZING cold water, and even played baseball with the kids (No snickering!)

Writing has been happening. I've finished the most recent story in The Fey series--a menage--and I'll be sharing about that soon. :-D I'm currently working on the next vampire story in my Into the Shadows series. The first book was Lust Me, Trust Me (Fen and Sarah's story), the second book is scheduled to come out this summer. That is Jae's story. I love him and can't wait to share him with everyone. The book I'm working on now is the third installment and is Sarah's brother Seth's story. Oh he's a smooth one, let me tell you. I wasn't planning on working on him yet, had other plans, you know. But he sweet talked me and invaded my dreams. *sigh* So his story is the one that is open in front of me now. And he's talking! The story is flowing quite well and I hope to have him done and to my editor in the next week or two.

So now, before I lose my focus, I'm diving back into Seth.
Hope everyone's having a great week!
~J

Writing, Travelling, and a new kitchen

2010-04-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

First, I must YAY here--my kitchen is done. Has been for a little bit, but still super excited about it. I have new counters, refaced cabinets, new island, and *drumroll* a dishwashers. Wooohooo Right now, loading the dishwasher is a novelty, and as my 7 yr old DS says while doing it, "This is much fun." LOL

I'm writing like mad, finishing up the latest Fey story and thinking ahead to the vamp story that's percolating.

I'll be traveling this weekend--sans DH and kids. A very rare thing and I plan to enjoy it. My "baby" sister is graduating from college so I'm headed to attend the ceremony. We'll go up as a family over Memorial Day for the party with relatives etc, but I'm so happy to be going to share this with my sis and to get a wee break. :)

Now I have to get back to writing, or Devon R will kick my tail--she already busted me on facebook earlier today when I should have been writing. LOL

~J

Sooooo freaking excited

2010-04-12T14:35:00.000-05:00

I am busy writing away and also with the day job, but had to take a moment to happy dance. The remodel for the kitchen is underway. There is much noise and chaos, and it's making it a bit challenging to work (I see a trip to the coffee shop with the laptop in my near future) but I can't complain because YAY my kitchen is getting done. LOL

Okay, now I must really get back to work *Puts headphones on and cranks the music* There, that might help.

Hugs
~jess

Over at...

2010-04-10T14:36:00.001-05:00

Hitting the Hotspot Blog today talking about where ideas for stories or characters come from.

Hugs
Jess

Bad, bad Blogger Jess

2010-04-09T00:52:00.000-05:00

*sigh*
I am such a bad blogger. It's been a crazy crazy little while here. Things are settling down a bit, and I'm getting back on a schedule. Who would've ever thought I'd do better on a schedule. I've always been a flexible, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of girl--is this a sign of my getting older?

Anyhoo--spring has sprung here in Minnesota. The grass is getting green, pollens are in the air...this means much sniffling and sneezing in the house. Thank goodness for Zyrtec!

Not much has been happening here. Working the day job, running kids to and fro, trying to fit some time in with the hubs. And yes, trying to fit in some writing time, darn it! I've busted butt on day-job projects during the week here, so my weekend is free for writing. I need to finish this next Fey story. My ever-sweet, patient editor is waiting for it. *blows kisses her way* It's coming, I promise!

One thing I'm excited about--my dad is coming to work on my kitchen. Yay. You have no clue how thrilled I am for this. We moved into this house almost 2 years ago. The kitchen/dining room is decent size, but has no dishwasher. Really, it wasn't on the make-or-break list when we were considering house. But with 4 kids, a dishwasher will sure be nice. So that's on the list for the remodel. Plus he's going to put in an island. *happy sigh* I know it'll make a hectic week while he's here (he's coming from Michigan to do it!), keeping the kids out of his way, cooking not being so easy to do, etc. But it will sooooooo be worth it. I can't wait.

So, I'll leave you with a little glimpse into the next Fey book:

Leilen has been tasked by his King to go to the Dark Realm to make sure the traitor, Darrick, is where he is supposed to be. The Dark Realm is a hellish place, where people are banished to suffer for their ill deeds. Leilen is ready to get there, complete his duty, and get back to the Fey Realm as quickly as possible.

As one of the Keepers of the Dark Realm, Ciarra sees the beauty of the world in which she resides, although most everyone else tries to block its existence from their minds. She knows Leilen is coming--she dreams of him...with him. For the Fey that means one thing, they are true-mated--halves of the same whole. There's just one problem...they aren't the only ones in the dreams. Ciarra finds pleasure in slumber at the hands of two men. But that cannot be. Who has ever heard of *three* Fey mated? Is it even possible?

All righty, that is a very rough, rough blurb. I need to fine tune it a bit, but it's the gist of the story anyway.

Okay, off to bed, I go.
Night all. Hope everyone has a great weekend.
~Jess

Coming along...coming along

2009-12-18T03:11:00.000-06:00

Mr. Seth's story is chugging along. Gotta love that.

I've been challenged by the lovely Devon Rhodes to have him finished before the new year. That's 2 weeks... I can do that. I SO can do that. LOL I, of course, had to return the challenge--that she finish her current work in progress in the same time frame.

I love having writer friends--those souls who understand me. Devon totally gets that I needed that challenge right now, that deadline to focus on. Even with the holidays it's a perfectly doable challenge, but if left to my own devices, I'd have put it off, found other things to do--things that perhaps needed to be done, but not right at that moment. LOL Well, now, we are checking in daily with each other to make sure we are on track. Definitely what I needed right now.

On the Christmas front--almost done with my shopping. I have to finish shopping for one kid, figure out a small gift for my dad and sister, then I'm done. Whew. This year, we're traveling to my parents for Christmas. Normally we do Christmas Eve in town here at my in-laws, Christmas morning with the kids opening gifts, THEN make the long trek to my parents for a few days--usually spending New Years with them. This will be the first time in 10 years we've done Christmas Eve and Day with my family and I'm so excited. Excited enough not to dread the 7 hour drive. I'll get some good writing done during that 7 hours, I'm sure. :)

So I'm off for some much needed sleep. Once again the alarm is going to be going off way too early. Darn it.

Night, all!
~J

2K written

2009-12-08T00:42:00.001-06:00

Managed to write 2K words today. Not bad, considering I start until after the kids went to bed. The story is flowing so nicely, I'm hesitant to stop and go to bed, but I know I need to. The alarm is going to be going off way too early. LOL

I already stayed up later than I intended. Now, Seth will have to wait until morning to get the nookie we just led up to. LOL

Night all!
~J

I'm a bad, bad blogger

2009-12-07T23:20:00.000-06:00

It has been months since I blogged. Horrible I know. I've made a vow, a commitment that I will blog regularly from here on out. I've even put it on my calendar to remind me. Obviously I need that!

I can't believe Christmas is less than 3 weeks away. Things are mad around here--Christmas plays, programs and concerts galore. Add in Christmas shopping. I always make a vow every year to do shopping early, yet every year I end up shopping the week before Christmas. LOL I enjoy everything that goes on, but it makes for some very busy days, let me tell you.

I've recently finished, and contracted (YAY!), the next book in my vampire series. The first was part of Total-E-Bound's Bite Me! collection. Well book 2 is now done and will release sometime in 2010. I'm very excited, almost as excited as Jae, the hero in the book, is. He has waited patiently for me to get my act together and write his story. Okay, it wasn't so patiently 100% of the time, but he tried. :) Now I'm about halfway done with book 3, which will be Seth's story. It's coming along beautifully and I hope to have it done by the end of the week. I think my editor will swoon to have 2 submissions from me in one month. I think I'll have to send smelling salts along with the manuscript. :)

I have another book to finish up the series, then I'll be focusing on the next book in The Fey series. I've missed my faeries and am excited to be able to get back to them.

I really should get to bed soon, though the scene I'm working on is flowing well. Maybe I can finish that up before I hit the sheets...:)

~J

Long, lazy weekend

2009-09-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

Last weekend until school starts. Wooo. Since the hubby had Friday and Monday off, we headed to northern MN when his parents have a lake house. It's beautiful up here--even though I saw a tree that was changing colors already. So not cool.

Right now, the girls are with Daddy and Grandpa out on the lake fishing. The oldest kiddo is lazing around reading (really, he is SO my kid), while the youngest boy is running around crazy, making me exhausted just looking at him.

I'm getting ready to take my pen and notebook out on the deck and write. I'm kinda hitting a wall with the current WIP, though I know exactly what is going to happen, what needs to happen. Sometimes scribbling in a notebook makes things click for me. Don't know why, but I'm not going to question it.

So I'll get to enjoy the lovely weather--and the gorgeous sunset over the lake--and hopefully make some progress on the stubborn hero who is giving me fits. He's just lucky I *heart* him so much, or I'd kill him off. LOL

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Hugs
~J

I'm outnumbered

2009-07-15T21:23:00.000-05:00

Oy!

LOL I'm working on a vamp short right now--it's part of a series. And wouldn't you know it, the hero in the one I'm working on is clammed up tighter than tight, while the secondary characters (who will eventually get their own stories) are talking up a storm. And there is not an ounce of patience between them.

To be honest I wasn't expecting this to be a series. I'd originally written the first story for Total-E-Bound's Bite Me! collection (Lust Me, Trust Me, which is Fenlon and Sarah's story). Well I just had to write the story of Fenlon's partner, Jaecar. He was just so fun. That's the story I'm currently working on. The whole thing blossomed into something much more. I fell in love with this young man who showed up in their lives--how could I not write his story eventually? Then we met other vampires who worked with Fenlon and Jaecar, and they started talking... and well you get the picture.

That's the beauty of what I do. I never know where I'll be lead, who'll I'll be introduced to next. :)

So for right now, I'm hanging on and enjoying the ride...

~J

Off to bed...

2009-07-06T20:34:00.001-05:00

last night's lack of sleep caught up with me. I'm off to bed now...at 8:30. That is unheard of for me. But I need it. LOL Sweet dreams all. Hoping to have sexy vamp dreams--it would be appropriate since I'm writing vamps. I think I deserve a hot vamp chasing me around as I slumber! :-D

Night all!
~J

No sleep, but lots of words

2009-07-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

I could not sleep for anything last night. Don't know why, but it was not fun. LOL Bright side, I pulled out a notebook and started writing. Didn't feel like staring at the computer screen so I wrote long-hand. Sometimes that's what works for me, what gets the words flowing. I don't know for sure how many words I ended up writing, but I have 20 handwritten pages. We'll see how much that translates into when I type it all in.

The youngest son is off to day camp this week. He didn't want to do a "sleepover" camp, so I'll be dropping him off each morning and picking him up each afternoon. I think it'll be really good for him though. All too often he's hanging out with older kids (his sibs), so being with kids his own age will be great. Already when I dropped him off, he had become fast friends with a little boy who shared his birthday. LOL

Don't know how much I'll accomplish today, but I'm bound and determined to get more writing done. The laundry is nearly done--thank you, hubby!--but I do need to get it all put away and tackled the *gasp* bathrooms. Ick, ick, ick. But it needs to be done, in a big way!

Hope everyone's having a wonderful Monday. :)

~J

Birthdays and Fireworks

2009-07-05T19:00:00.001-05:00

I had a fabulous weekend. Friday was my birthday--we won't mention age in this post at all, thank you very much ;-) --and of course the Fourth on Saturday. The hubby and the kids made me a cake. I got a cool game for the Wii. :-) And otherwise had a lazy, lazy day. I didn't go on the computer, I didn't do house or yard work...nothin'. I read and and lounged around. Just lovely.

The Fourth was low-key. My family lives in another state, and we weren't going to travel again a few days after getting back from vacation. :) Most of the hubby's family was out of town for the holiday. So his sister & her fiance stopped by and we grilled out. Another of his sisters came by for a bit later (he has 7 sibs so really, most were out of town!) It was great. Very relaxing, though I did miss my family. I'm looking forward to our next trip up there later this summer.

But the relaxation is over. LOL Gotta jump back into the current work-in-progress. The goal is to finish it by the end of the week and submit to my editor. Of course, then it's on to the next project--the next Fey book! Yay.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

~J

New Reviews

2009-07-02T12:25:00.000-05:00

Yay, I just received 2 lovely reviews from the ladies over at ParaNormal Romance for Waters of Fate. Here's a snippet from both reviews-

"WATERS OF FATE was a beautiful story. Ms. Jarman did an excellent job with all the important mechanics of the story, and the world she created for the Fey was amazing. Neiva was my favorite type of heroine-she knew what she wanted, but she wasn't going to chase after a man too dumb to know when he had heaven in his hands. Rhys was very noble, even if he was a bit thickheaded at times. He was so busy trying to do the right thing that he forgot to think about what was right for him. All in all, this was a great story!"

Reviewed by Beth Foster

"What a good story! I love confused men, women who know what they want and are determined to get it/him. A+++ to the author."

Reviewed by Nancy Eriksen

To read the reviews in their entirety, click here.

Thank you, Beth and Nancy, for the wonderful reviews. I'm so happy you liked Waters of Fate. Stay tuned because there's more from the Fey coming!

~J

I'm baaack

2009-07-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

We just got home from a family vacation, and boy, was it nice. We went to Wisconsin Dells, and the kids had a blast at the water parks. The hubby and I did too! LOL Even though I got a tad sunburned in the process. LOL Getting away and spending quality time with the family was just what I needed. :)

I've been writing like crazy, even on the vaca. I'm finishing up another vampire story--a sequel to Lust Me, Trust Me. It's Jae's story and he is keeping me busy and hopping, let me tell you! I'm also working on a special project with my girl, Gwen Cease. I'll share more about that later, but I'll just tell you it's fun, fun, fun and hot, hot, hot. :-D

Now, I'm gearing up to work hard the rest of the summer. I'm writing, of course, and gardening to my little heart's content. We've been eating fresh strawberries--YUM--and our mulberries trees are full and the berries are nearly ripe. I've been looking up recipes for those yummy fruits. And I got baby tomatoes. Yay. I'm looking forward to making delish fresh tomato recipes. :-D This is one of my favorite things about summer.

Now, I'm off to fix supper and feed the natives!

~J

New book!

2009-06-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

I'm really excited. I have a new book coming from Total-E-Bound in September. I absolutely love this story and I know you will too. :)

Here's the blurb:

Two sexy men - her husband and his best friend - in her bed. Shannon couldn't stop thinking about it, but can she let go of the doubts and go through with it?

Shannon is happily married and very much in love with her husband, Nate. Her feelings are thrown for a loop when his best best friend, Zac, moves in temporarily. His intense stares and naughty whispers about a menage ignite something inside Shannon, but she says nothing to Nate. After all, Zac will be moving on soon, and there's no reason to upset her husband over nothing.

But Zac keeps pushing, and Nate doesn't seem all that mad at the possibility of a menage with Zac. Can her marriage survive if the three of them go to bed together? Can it survive if they don't?

Craziness ensues...

2009-05-20T19:17:00.000-05:00

This time of year is always insane around our house. It's the end of the school year and there's a ton of programs, concerts, etc to attend. And frankly, the kids are getting squirrely. They're ready for summer, ready for school to be D-O-N-E. I can't blame them; I remember what it was like. :-D

It's been beautiful here--warm weather, sunny days. I've gotten a ton of yard work done...and still a ton to do. LOL But I'm enjoying it. It's so nice to be be outside after a long winter, isn't it? It's difficult to sit inside on the computer when it's so nice out, but I manage. LOL

The day job is keeping me busy, but I love it. I've been writing when I can. I'm currently finishing up a short--a menage. It's yummy and I am completely and utterly in love with the heroes. Gotta love that. I'm also working on the next installment of the Fey series. Fingers crossed that my editor loves these stories as much as I do.

We're heading out of town this weekend. Going to visit my family. I'm looking forward to it very much. I haven't seen them since Christmas and this summer is hectic so I don't know when the next time I'll be visiting will be. So the plan is to enjoy the long weekend with my parents and siblings, and niece and nephews. I'm planning on writing. Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm a night owl. I'm up long after everyone goes to bed, so it's the perfect time to enjoy the peace and quiet and get some pages in.

I hope everyone's week is going well. Any big plans for the weekend?

~J