Some news, another giveaway, and Tracy Wolff is here!

So I had a very exciting day. . .  I just got back from Ann Arbor, where I filmed a special author interview for the Borders True Romance blog that will air in March. I’ll have more info on that later, but for now I can say that–whew–I think the interview went okay.  I believe it will be posted on the Borders blog on March 1st, the day before Something About You releases.

And here’s some more exciting news. . . as part of the countdown celebration to the release of Something About You, Tracy Wolff is here today!  Tracy writes everything from contemporary romance to paranormal to erotic suspense, and I have to say, she is one of the nicest authors I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know.  Plus, I think she’s been blessed by the cover-gods.  Check this one out:

Whew!  Looks steam-y.  I asked Tracy a few questions about her writing and her upcoming release, Tease Me:

JJ: When did you first realize you wanted to write, and how did you  get started?

TW: I’ve wanted to write since I first knew I could use the alphabet to form words—and spent my whole life getting there.  I’ve got an MFA in creative writing and a Ph.D in American Literature, but it wasn’t until we moved to Texas four years ago that I decided to take a year off with my then youngest child and actually write a novel.  I wrote two that year, and both placed in contests run by Harlequin looking for new talent.  My second book, The Turn for Home, was bought by Harlequin Everlasting Love and promptly became A Christmas Wedding.  My first novel, Full Exposure, was turned down by Harlequin Blaze after placing in the contest, but after a little work became my first erotic suspense for NAL.  I’ve been writing full force ever since.

JJ: What is it about writing romance that appeals to you?

TW: I love the happily ever after, love knowing that in the end no matter what I do to my characters (and I do a lot of terrible things to them) they’ll end up together and happy.  I also really like the diversity of the field—I write erotic suspense and paranormal romance for NAL, contemporary romance for Harlequin and YA paranormal romance for Walker Books.  What other genre would let me write all those different things?

JJ: What do you do on those writing days when you’re stressed, worn out, or distracted?

TW: Eat chocolate.  No, seriously, I force myself to sit at the computer and bargain with myself.  Write 1500 words and I can get up and do something fun for fifteen minutes.  Come back and write another 1500 and I can have a cookie or read a chapter in the book I just picked up or … whatever appeals to me.  But I don’t let myself move (barring blood or mayhem from my 3 boys) until I meet my goal—whether it’s 1000 words or 3000 words.

JJ:  What can you tell us about your next release?

TW:  My next release is called Tease Me and it was so much fun to write.  It’s getting great reviews and I’m really excited about it.  Here’s the blurb:

The “edgy and erotic” (Shannon McKenna, New York Times bestselling author of Tasting Fear) author of Tie Me Down and Full Exposure offers another steamy novel of sex, lies, and sultry games.

Burned once too often, true crime writer Lacey Richards has sworn off love. Instead, she explores her deepest desires through her anonymous- and very provocative-blog. Anonymous, that is, until her dark and ultrasexy neighbor discovers her dirty secret.

Stockbrocker-turned-carpenter Byron Hawthorne gave up life in the fast lane, hoping to start over in a new city. When he learns his alluring neighbor is the one writing the sizzling blog that keeps him up all night, he can’t resist offering to fulfill her fantasies in the flesh. But Byron isn’t the only man provoked by Lacey’s writing. Now Lacey doesn’t know who she can trust-and who she can dare to tease.

JJ: Sounds fabulous!  Can you share a brief excerpt with us?

Excerpt from Tease Me

“Is that what you want to do with the evening?” she asked. “Play 20 Questions?” Her voice was low and inviting and took the sting out of the question.

“Actually, I’ve got a better idea.” God knew, he had a few of them. But tearing her clothes off before the first glass of wine—for the second time in as many days—seemed more than a little rude.

“And that is?” She took a sip of her wine and then shot him a smile that had him straining against the zipper of his jeans.

He studied her for a few seconds, running his eyes over her clothes and jewelry. “I call it nine questions.”

“Nine?” She raised an eyebrow. “That’s a fairly random number.”

“Not really. It’s the number of items you’re wearing—if you don’t go commando, I mean. It also”—he glanced down at himself—“happens to be the exact number of items I’m wearing as well.”

“Well, isn’t that convenient?” She pursed her lips into an inviting O.

Had he thought he was hard before? As he watched her lick her lips, the blood rushed from his head so fast that for a minute, he was afraid he might pass out.

And wouldn’t that just be a kick in the ass, particularly on what promised to be one of the most erotic nights of his life?

“Am I correct in assuming that there’s a fee for every question asked?”

“You are, indeed. One item per question.”

“Are any subjects off -limits?”

He smiled then. “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.”

JJ: Tres steam-y, indeed.  ;-)  Okay, now for some fun questions:  What are you watching on TV these days?  What are you reading?

TW:  I’m addicted to Bones and Project Runway.  Seriously addicted.   I just finished reading Christine Feehan’s Street Game, Laura Griffin’s Untraceable and Kathy Reich’s Monday Mourning.  I am waiting with bated breath for your next book and the third book in the Nora Roberts’ Bride trilogy.

JJ:  What are you listening to on your Ipod?

TW:  I’m a creature of habit—same old stuff—Green Day, Aerosmith, Dave Matthews Band, Tori Amos.  I did just buy the relief album for Haiti and listen to that a lot.

JJ:  What is your biggest weakness (shoes, purses, chocolate, etc.)?

TW:  Lipstick and fun, sparkly, dangly earrings.  A woman can never have too many of either, IMHO.

JJ:  Complete this sentence: One fun thing about me that people might  not know about me is that. . .

TW:   I love skydiving.

_________________

Thanks, Tracy!  So glad you could be here with us!

And there’s more–Tracy has offered to give away a copy of any book from her backlist (at the winner’s choosing) to one random commenter.  Tracy’s backlist, and more information about her and her books, can be found at her website or at her blog.  The giveaway will remain open until 10pm CST on Friday, February 12th.

Good luck!

 

Something About You Giveaway (It’s Big!)

It’s almost here.  My upcoming book, Something About You, releases on March 2nd.  So I think it’s time to celebrate–with all of you.

I’m going to give away a grand prize of a $100 gift card to Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble (at the winner’s choosing).  I’m also going to give away second and third prizes of a signed copy of Something About You.  What do you have to do to enter, you ask?  It’s simple: spread the word about Something About You. Here are the details:

1.  Post somewhere letting people know about the upcoming release of Something About You.  Anywhere.  (I’m not fussy.)  You can talk about the book on your blog, your website, on Facebook, heck, even Twitter (my Twitter name is @juljames, for those of you who want to get extra-super bonus points for including that).  Don’t have a blog? Don’t tweet?  No problem–you can post a comment on somebody else’s website or blog, or even on a message board.

2.  Then, come back here and comment below with a link to wherever you’ve posted your qualifying blog/post/comment. This is important, as your comment below is your entry in the giveaway.

3.  Please make sure your link works!  If I can’t confirm you that you’ve posted/commented/blogged/whatever-ed about the book, you won’t be entered in the giveaway.

4.  To qualify, your blog/comment must be new (meaning it must be posted starting February 1st).

5.  For those of you who want to include details about Something About You in your post, the back cover copy and excerpt can be found here.  Or if you want to get really fancy, Lea over at Closet Writer designed a wonderful countdown Sprout that you can use.

6.  While I would love for each of you to spread the word about the release of Something About You far and wide with numerous posts, blogs, etc., in order to give everyone who promotes my book in some way an equal chance to win, I am limiting the giveaway to one entry per person.

7.  The contest is open until 10pm CST on February 28, 2010.  Everyone who correctly enters will be in the running for the $100 dollar gift card and the second and third prizes of a signed book. Authors are eligible to win as well.  Winners will be chosen at random from among eligible entries.  The drawing will occur on March 1st.

Thanks, everyone, for helping me celebrate the upcoming release of Something About You!

Oh– and be sure to check out the contest below, where Beth Kery talks about her upcoming book, Release. (And she’s giving away a signed copy to one random commenter.)

 

Winner–Beth Kery Giveaway

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Release giveaway, and an extra thanks to Beth for donating a signed copy of her book!  So without further ado, the winner of a signed copy of Release is. . .

Natasha A.!!

(comment #20)

Natasha–please email me at info@juliejamesbooks[dot]com with your snail-mail address, and we’ll get the book out to you.

And be sure to drop by early next week, when Tracy Wolff will be here, along with another giveaway. . .

Happy reading!

 

Beth Kery is Here!

Please note: the giveaway is now closed.  Winner will be announced shortly.

Please join me in welcoming award-winning author (and good friend) Beth Kery, who is here to talk about her upcoming book, Release.

I’m so thrilled Beth is able to drop by, and cannot wait to get my hands on Release when it arrives in bookstores February 2nd.  I’m a big fan of Beth’s writing– and in addition to being incredibly talented, she gets extra bonus points for using Chicago as the setting for many of her books.  Here’s a little more about Release:

His need for her was so absolute, he agreed to share her with another man in order to possess her.

Genny loved her husband Max, but something was missing—a sexual charge that was instead ignited by his business partner, Sean. He was ruggedly handsome, with a heart-stopping smile and a slow, sexy New Orleans drawl that made Genny weak. The more time they spent together, the stronger the attraction between them became and when her husband offered to share her with Sean for one intoxicating night, both Genny and Sean were too tempted to refuse.

That night in the company penthouse, Max and Sean showed Genny the heights of ecstasy. But it was Sean who scored her very spirit, and one-on-one, they were red hot. But as Genny learns, there’s a price to pay for such impulsive pleasure. What began as a night of forbidden desire spirals into a whirlpool of murder, sensual submission, secrets, and a scorching passion that threatens to consume everyone it touches.

An excerpt of Release can be found here.

______________

Beth has offered to give away a signed copy of Release to one lucky winner who leaves a comment below.  And here she is to tell us even more about the book:

Julie: Hi Beth!  I’m really looking forward to Release. How is it different from your previous books?

Beth:  I used flashbacks a lot in Release. The book itself takes place in the present, but the sexual tension, romance and danger all come from a pivotal event that took place three years ago. Well, pivotal events, I should say: an impulsive ménage a trois and the murder that followed. It was fun, but tricky, at times, to do the present, build up tension, and then flash back to an illuminating event from the past. It gave me whole new respect for people who use the method. It’s a little like doing a 3-D puzzle versus a flat one.

Julie: What was your biggest challenge in writing Release?

Beth:  The writing process itself was pretty smooth for this one. What was a challenge was that I got a call from my agent asking if I’d do a super quick proposal for a slot that had opened at Berkley. I came up with the concept for Release in about four days—in loose synopsis form. It’s a fairly complicated plot, so it made for some sleepless, brain-churning nights. Luckily, I have a friend from high school who is in military intelligence. He gave me invaluable insight into Sean’s background and the private intel firm that he owns.

Julie: Your hero and heroine of Release—Genny and Sean: which one would be more fun for you—Beth Kery—to hang out with?

Beth:  I’d have to go with Sean, just so I could hear his N’ Awlin’s drawl. He looks awesome in jeans (and even better out of them) and he makes great muffuletta. Seriously, the reason I like Sean so much is that he’s one of those people who had it rough as a kid. Really rough. He was practically born fighting for the right to survive. He doesn’t think he deserves the woman he loves—Genny. But he also figures he’s flawed, because he’s so stubborn that he’ll go against all the odds in order to have her. It’s a twist in a character I’ve never done before, and it endeared me to Sean. He feels undeserving, but that doesn’t stop him from staring fate in the eye, flipping her off, and taking this one beautiful thing in his life. In possessing Genny, he essentially affirms his right to happiness as a human being.

Julie: What are you most afraid of?

Beth:  Falling. I have terrible dreams about falling…down elevator shafts, out of a plane, stuff like that. As a result, I’m not so fond of heights, either.

Julie: What would you like people to remember about you as a writer?

Beth:  Deep emotion, great sex and a love story that lingers in the mind.

Julie: Give us a quick look at your next book. I know it presented some challenges for you.

Beth: The next novel I have coming out is with Samhain. It will initially be in ebook format, and then will go into trade paperback. It was a challenge for me because it’s a vampire book. I actually love the genre, but have shied away from it because it’s been done so much. I conquered my fear by putting my own special twist on it. I’m really interested in humans as energy beings…auras, things like that. So I made my Princes of the Underground both vampires of lore and energy/lifeforce suckers.

Oh. And they’re not really vampires.

Here is a bit about Velvet Cataclysm, Princes of the Underground, Book 1. It comes out May 4 from Samhain.

In his battle to resist, he found the impossible. His soul.

Christina Astor’s telepathic ability is an asset in her job as a psychiatric social worker. What’s driving her crazy, though, is her elusive, gorgeous landlord. She senses that Saint Sevliss wants her with an all-consuming hunger that’s somehow…different. Just how different becomes all too clear when his dangerous world collides with hers.

For centuries, Saint’s kind have been called vampire and werewolf. Even soulless. But their true nature remains a mystery. Bound by a magical mandate to control his bloodthirsty clone, Teslar, at all costs, Saint will do anything to keep Christina away. She infuses his gray universe with life and color, but his world—and his need—would destroy her.

When an attack reveals the true power of Christina’s gift, one thing is certain—Teslar won’t rest in his underground labyrinth until he possesses her, body and soul…

Julie: Wow– sounds really intriguing!  Please give us a paragraph or two from your writing of which you are particularly proud. Why do you like this portion?

Beth: I believe I like this little part in Release so much because it seems simple, but it highlights Sean’s uncontrived masculine charm and his pure love for Genny. Besides, there’s something about a man remembering such a small, intimate detail about a woman after all those years that encapsulates the poignancy of romance.

“Look what they had at the market, girl. That’ll cheer you up. I won’t say a word if you eat every one of ’em while you’re all snuggled up out there on the couch, either.”

Genevieve paused in the process of withdrawing some romaine lettuce. Her eyes leapt up to meet Sean’s. He wore a crooked grin as he watched her, his blue eyes lambent and warm. She hastily took the bag of gourmet bing cherry chocolates and set it on the counter, averting her gaze.

She didn’t know what to say. He knew they were her favorite treat, knew she craved them whenever she was a little blue. She’d once told him how she occasionally bought the treats and ate a whole bag of them while she read a trashy novel in bed. She recalled how he’d been fascinated by her revelation of that small intimacy.

The fact that he’d remembered—the repetition of that benign, personal secret in his husky voice—made her lose her already unsteady emotional footing. It had struck her as sweet. Precise. Intensely sexy.

So Sean-like.

* * *

Julie: Thank you for joining us, Beth!  I can’t wait to read Release.

Beth: It’s my pleasure, Julie. Best of luck with Something About You! I think it’s going to be a blockbuster.

Please note:  Beth’s giveaway will remain open until 10pm CST on Friday, February 5th.  Good luck!

And don’t forget about the Something About You contest, where you can enter to win a $100 gift card to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Borders.  Details here.

 

Q&A at Beth Kery’s Blog (with a giveaway)

Hi everyone!  Today I’m over at fellow Chicago author (and good friend) Beth Kery’s blog as part of her Countdown to Release contest.  I’m answering questions about my upcoming release, Something About You, and I’m also giving away a signed copy of one of my books (at the winner’s choosing).  You can check that out here.

Hope to see you there!

 

Annual Reader Poll

Okay, so I’m a couple days behind in this. . . just thought I’d mention that the AAR Annual Reader Poll is open, where you can vote for your favorite romances of 2009. The poll will be open until midnight on January 31st, and can be found here.

Happy voting!

 

Early Review for Something About You

I couldn’t resist– the first official review for Something About You is in.  (I’ve heard good things informally, but this is the first actual review I’ve seen.)  It put a smile on my face, and I thought I’d share.  So here it is, from Coffee Time Romance:

Rating: 5 Cups

Three years ago, assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde was all set to try a vile man for some horrendous crimes. Then her boss shut her down, informing her that there would be no trial and she would have to take the fallout.

Jack Pallas is a FBI agent who was undercover investigating the same criminal that Cameron was supposed to be prosecuting. When she effectively closed the doors on the case, Jack mouthed off to the press and was immediately transferred.

Cameron is trying to relax in a hotel when she finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation. Jack just happens to be back and also happens to be the agent on the case. They will have to put their differences aside and work together, especially when Cameron finds herself the target of a murderer. When feelings of loathing turns to lust, both try their hardest to stay professional, but with one too many heat-filled looks, Cameron and Jack turn a professional relationship into something much more personal.

From the first page until the last, Julie James knows how to keep a reader entertained with her amusing repartees and hilarious, argumentative characters. Something About You pits a stubborn woman against a man who has had to fight for his very life many times over. Add a sexual tension thick enough to ooze off the page, a man determined to kill anyone in his way, and a murder investigation involving the social elite, and this makes for a winning novel. You could not ask for a better book to read and this author never fails to impress me.

Danielle

Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

“Sexual tension thick enough to ooze off the page”. . . they should put that on the front cover of the book.  ;-)

On another note, Practice Makes Perfect was nominated for a 2009 CAPA award! And they sent me this nice graphic to display:

Many thanks to The Romance Studio for that– I’m thrilled!  You can see all the nominees here.

Until next time. . . happy reading!

 

Joss Ware | Borders Media

So it’s not exactly a secret that I’m a big fan of Joss Ware’s debut book, Beyond the Night, which releases today.  (And which I highly recommend.) If you’d like to find out more about the book, and about Joss (who also writes as Colleen Gleason), check out a video interview she did with Sue Grimshaw for the Borders True Romance blog.  (And psst– at the 9:40 mark I get a very nice shout-out.)

Click here to watch the interview:

via Joss Ware | Borders Media.

 

Giveaway winners– Countdown to SAY and Beyond the Night

Thanks to everyone who participated in both of last week’s giveaways!  And thanks as well to Joss Ware, for stopping by to tell us about her wonderful debut, Beyond the Night, and for generously donating a signed copy of the book.  So without further ado, let’s get down to the winners of both giveaways.

The winner of the signed copy of Beyond the Night is. . .

LISA!!!

(comment #7)

And now for the Countdown to Something About You giveaway… I have to say, I loved reading all your guesses.  Some of you put some serious thought into this! So first the answer: the photograph at the top of this blog was taken (by myself) at the Il San Pietro hotel in Positano, Italy.  In accordance with the posted rules of the giveaway, everyone who guessed Positano as the correct city was entered to win. (Meaning you didn’t have to guess the hotel to be entered, although if you did, you were entered and get extra super-sleuth points.  ;-)  )  So with that said, the winner of the $25 gift card is. . .

JULIE!!!

(comment #40)

Congrats to both winners!!  Both of you should email me at info@juliejamesbooks.com with your snail-mail addresses.  And Julie: please let me know whether you would prefer a gift card to Amazon, Borders, or Barnes & Noble.

And be sure, everyone, to check back throughout this month and February.  As the countdown to the release of Something About You continues, so will the giveaways…

Happy reading!

 

Giveaway– Countdown to Something About You

**Please note: the giveaway is now closed.  Winner will be announced soon.

It’s not that far away now–my next book, Something About You, releases March 2nd.  For those of you who haven’t seen this, here’s a brief description:

FATE HAS THROWN TWO SWORN ENEMIES. . .

Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends in bloodshed. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and nearly ruining his career…

. . .INTO EACH OTHER’S ARMS

Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it’s no joke: the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension…

_________________________

Now here’s the giveaway part:  Something About You opens with Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde, who’s had a rough couple of months at work.  She decides to treat herself to a night of R&R at a luxury hotel, but things don’t exactly go as planned.  To say the least.  You can read an excerpt of the book here to see just how wrong things go for our intrepid heroine.

Because a hotel room plays such a pivotal role in the book, I decided to have some fun.  Here’s the question: the photograph at the top of this blog (the one of the patio with the tables, flowers and trees) was taken at a hotel Mr. James and I vacationed at.  I’ll give a $25 gift card to Borders, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon (at the winner’s choosing) to one random person who leaves a comment below correctly identifying the location of the hotel.

Here’s how the contest will work: I’ll choose a winner among anyone who correctly identifies the city where the photo was taken. If no one identifies the city, then I’ll choose a winner among those of you who correctly guessed the country.  If no one identifies the correct county, then I’ll choose a random winner among everyone who entered.  One guess per person please.

Want a hint?  The hotel is built into the side of a cliff and faces a large body of water. And they have a dog named Bette who escorts you to the lobby when you arrive. She greets you at the boat dock (that’s another hint), rides the elevator with you, and takes you to the front desk.  No joke.

The contest will remain open until 10pm CST on Sunday, January 10th.

Good luck!

Please note: friends and family of Julie James and Mr. James are not eligible for the giveaway.

Psst–be sure to check out my other giveaway, where you can enter to win a signed copy of Joss Ware’s fantastic debut release, Beyond the Night.  Details here.