Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

I Write Normal

“What do you write?” could be heard around every table at a writing conference I attended a couple weekends back. A great question, but it always left me with a grin. We’d go around the table — historical with paranormal elements, sci-fi romance, vampires, erotic paranormal, werewolves, dragons, paranormal thriller…and then they’d all be looking at me. “I write normal.” It gets a laugh, which I tend to go for in my books too, but it’s the truth!

I love to read paranormal stories, but my brain doesn’t work that way. I’ll leave it to those who understand the history of vampires…and dragons (who knew there was so much to know about dragons? The conference had a whole class on them.) Me, I’m sending people to yoga and out for doughnuts.

People often ask where a writer gets their ideas. We don’t know, so it’s hard to answer. Everywhere, I think is the common response. But really, a writers stories are just there, twisted in their mind until they unwind themselves onto the page. My stories are classic romance themes with a modern twist (I’m quite excited that my Pride & Prejudice meets Beauty & the Beast story, Pride & Passion, was just contracted!)

I love the indulgence of traditional romance, spiced up but not taken seriously. Hence why I write about Cinderella and unrequited lust. This time of year I am always tempted to write some kind of ghost story, but I resist the urge. Someday I might dip my toe in the paranormal pond, but for now, I write normal.

Undone

There are a lot of things going undone in my life lately. House cleaning. Oil changes. Making word count…

Sometimes life happens. We sold our house, but were outbid on the place we’d planned to move. Now every free moment is spent trying to find a new home.

And there aren’t many free moments. The kids are out of school. My best friend has breast cancer.

It’s amazing how a sudden illness can put everything in perspective. It’s like a plot device for life to make us appreciate what we have and reevaluate what we should be doing.

Like right now, I planned on writing while eating lunch in the hospital cafeteria. I think I’ll head back to my friend room and giver her a foot rub.

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Jenna’s latest release, Compromising Positions, promises to use chocolate, fruit, and the kama sutra to take your mind off of reality.

Par For The Course: PRINT

PAR FOR THE COURSE
by Jenna Bayley-Burke

Magazine columnist Jillian Welch is on assignment to show her readers the golf course is the news single’s bar, and show an old flame all the ways she’s changed. Unless she hasn’t changed at all…

Warning: Fore! This title contains explicit sex, and a love story hazardous to your hankie supply. Oh, and exploding toads.

Samhain Website excerpt
Click here for a special blog-only excerpt!

Par For The Course is a fun summer read and is absolutely enjoyable. – Joyfully Reviewed

This is my first experience with a Jenna Bayley-Burke novel and let me tell you quickly that it is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I love her writing style and her ability to tell a story from a fresh perspective and with an unpredictable cast of characters that prove to her readers that she is a superb author. I have seldom read a contemporary romance which held me breathless as quickly or as speedily seized my attention.

I loved this book. Her characters were magnificent. Her supporting cast was so important even though, typically, they were not the focal point. I found myself totally immersed in the characters and the story as a whole. There were definitely surprises embedded in this storyline. I can guarantee that you will love the story and recommend it to all your friends. I’m honored to have reviewed this book._ – The Romance Studio

Contests : Do you have to be the homecoming queen?

Romance writing is ripe with contests. Entire websites are dedicated to tracking contests and winners. Writers on their way to publication are encouraged to mold their writing into the best version possible before presenting it to editors and agents.

Once a book is published, there are more contests looking to sift through and find the best representation of the industry. These contests are cost prohibitive, so authors need to take into consideration lots of variables — who is judging, what is offered to finalists and winners, how many books need to be shipped, the entry fee, etc.

Like the contests for aspiring authors, most of the contests for published books are judged by writers, some are graded solely by authors, and a few are ranked by industry professionals like booksellers and librarians. For me, comparing who the judges are is like comparing winning the Oscar (judged by peers) to the Golden Globe (voted on by the press). Anytime your work is recognized, it’s fantastic.

No matter who is evaluating the novels, a story is being read by someone who might not have read it otherwise. Anyone who volunteers to read for a contest obviously likes romance novels, so if your story wows them, they’ll likley find another of your books. And tell their friends about their new find. Finalling is just icing on the cake!

Why do I have contests on the brain? Her Cinderella Complex is a Passionate Plume finalist! There are quite a few Samhain books on the list. Check it out ::

Contemporary

**Jenna Bayley-Burke – Her Cinderella Complex **Mari Carr – Erotic Research

Paranormal / Time Travel

**Dana Marie Bell – The Wallflower, Halle Pumas Book 1 **Crystal Jordan – Treasured
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Jenna Bayley-Burke

Compromise Can Be A Good Thing...

Sensational Sex is titillating
Breaking His Rules sets the stage for a battle of wills
Working It Out is cute

When I turned the book in, I figured anything was better than how I described the book to people – a Kama Sutra yoga book where Betty Boop takes down the Incredible Hulk. See? Anything would be catchier than that!

The book came through the edits beautifully, the title was more elusive. And then, my editor and I got the tagline back from the Samhain blurb factory ::

Falling in love is the last thing on his busy agenda…but compromising positions can lead just about anywhere.

If we’d been on a sitcom, you would have seen our eyes go wide as we slowly turned to look at each other. Sophie & David’s story had a title – Compromising Positions!

Compromising Positions releases today – complete with Butterflies in Flight, a Snake Trap, and a steady addiction to sugar.
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Jenna Bayley-Burke

Taunted by Book Covers

I know, my mother taught me not to judge a book by its cover…but sometimes I just can’t help it. When you spend too much time in online writing forums (ahem) you know whenever a fantastic new cover is created.

A sensational cover can tease you for MONTHS before you’re able to get your hands on the book. I’ve been staring at Gwen Hayes Oh Goddess for far too long. I mean, just look at it. Intriguing, right? And to think, in a few clicks it could be yours…when it finally comes out!

I’ve had the same love/hate relationship with Sela Carsen’s Carolina Wolf. That cover has been tantalizing me through forums and blogs for I don’t know how long. It’s great, and suits Sela as well as the story.

When it came time to work on the cover of my next story, Compromising Positions, I thought of the covers that stood out to me. I wanted something a little different than the standard muscled chest cover (though someday I want one of those…the naked man cover, not the muscled chest!), something that readers would remember and look for… I can only hope it works! I like it, for now that’s all that matters.
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Jenna Bayley-Burke

Her Cinderella Complex

She’s got the man—and the wedding—of her dreams. If only love were part of the fantasy.

I’ve thumbed through the pages of Her Cinderella Complex, the intoxicating scent of new book wafting to me. There’s nothing so gratifying to an author…well, nothing I’ve experienced yet. I’m expecting the USA Today Best Seller title to feel pretty darned nice.

But until then, here’s 13+ reasons to thumb through your own copy of Her Cinderella Complex, not including the new book smell.

1. The Pool Scene. Has to be the number one reason…hence why I pulled the excerpt from there :)
   
2. The Private Island…don’t tell me you don’t want one.
   
3. It’s a modern fairy tale
   
4. The hero has a secret, and even he doesn’t know what it is!
   
5. I got to keep the shoes!
   
6. A millionaire boss
   
7. It’s dedicated to Cherry Adair and everyone at the Emerald City Writers Conference who finished the damned book.
   
8. There is a getaway in a yacht!
   
9. Sex in the kitchen
   
10. I worked in references to Great Expectations
    
11. It spent weeks on the My Bookstore and More best seller list
    
12. It got great reviews like :: “The characters were splendid and jumped off the pages. The whole concept of the story was very intriguing and was enough to keep me glued to the pages until I finished the book. Would this happen in the real world? It would be very nice if it did and I was Heather. The sexual tension was exactly where it needed to be.” Fallen Angel Reviews
    
13. And :: “This is a fantastic story with very strong characters who were beautifully written and I immediately fell in love with both of them.” The Good, The Bad, and the Unread
    
14. Plus :: “Her Cinderella Complex was a wonderfully sexy and fun book…Their sexual encounters were extremely erotic…Her Cinderella Complex is the first book that I have read by Ms. Bayley-Burke and it won’t be the last.” The Romance Studio
    

REGIFTING...Books?

We all do it. There are photo frames and candles in my closet right now, waiting for someone to give me a gift I wasn’t expecting. I didn’t buy them…and I am a bit paranoid of giving them back to the same person who gifted them to me…but other than that, I’m a regifting fan.

Give me your candles, your wine, your huddled coffee mugs yearning to be free…

Are books off limits for regifting? I know you can give a book you loved to a friend…but can you give a book you’ve read and have it count as a gift? What if there’s nothing to show it’s not new?

Would this make me akin to the wardrobers who keep the tags on clothes and return them?

It’s such a temptation to simply empty a shelf and have my holiday shopping be done. I can’t give someone a book I haven’t read – because what if it’s not perfect for them – but do I need to buy a second copy if it’s not something that will stay on my keeper shelf?

Wedding Daze

I have a slight addiction…to something every romance reader can’t get enough of — wedding videos!!

Wedding videos have come a LONG way. I remember when they were just a video camera set up on a tripod, capturing footage that should have been edited…but never seemed to be. Still, we watch the videos even though the quality doesn’t hold up to our current digital age. It’s not clarity we’re looking for after all, but glimpses of loved ones who’ve passed and the chance to show our memories to those who weren’t there to share them.

Back To It

School…Work…Long pants…whatever you ignored for the summer, it’s time to pick it back up where you left off.