Author: Jeffe Kennedy

Find Me at RT!

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

Me at the Book FairI’ll be at the RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans starting on Sunday.

As they say in show business, I’ll be there all week. 😉 So, if you’re in the neighborhood, find me and say hello!!

For those who don’t know, Tip Number 1 for Finding Jeffe? Look for the hat. Seriously. Sometimes people not on site ask for pics of me, to find out what hat I’m wearing. I wish I could say I’ll be wearing this one, but likely they’ll be a bit less dramatic. (Caution, if you get frisky and look around at other pics on my Tumblr, be warned that there’s some very naughty ones…)

Tip Number 2: Look in the bar. Although, this IS New Orleans so there are a lot of amazing bars. This might not be much of a guarantee this year.

Tip Number 3: When all else fails, go for the scheduled appearances!

RT Book Reviews Welcome Party
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 – 10:00am to 11:45am

I’ll be hanging out, wandering around, you know…

Mardi Gras World Carnivàle!
Get ready for a once-in-a-lifetime experience as the publishing industry unites to celebrate books, authors and especially readers. This event is sponsored by several publishers including: Ellora’s Cave, Gallery, Forever, Kensington, Random House, Samhain, Sourcebooks, Tor/Forge/Tor Teen, and Totally Bound Publishing and author Heather Graham. Mardi Gras World is about a mile from the hotel, and continuous bus service will be provided to take guests to and from the hotel.

A second-line band will lead us through the float den as we get to see the gorgeous Mardi Gras floats up close. After the fun spectacle, you will be led to an event space overlooking the mighty Mississippi where you will be treated to a spectacular southern culinary experience and enjoy local live music that will capture the spirit of New Orleans! Each publisher will host a food station with delectable New Orleans dishes like jambalaya, etouffee, beignets and many others. A great way to start the six-day extravaganza!
Event Date:
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 – 7:15pm to Thursday, May 15, 2014 – 12:00am
Off-Site: Mardi Gras World

Look for me on the Kensington float! No, really!

Kensington’s Karmic Carnival
Your fortune awaits! Kensington invites you to peer into the past and glimpse the future of romance at a magical celebration of Kensington authors and (psychic) reading. Indulge in delicious snacks and refreshments as you chat with your favorite authors, meet the Kensington team and score special prizes. Enjoy spell casting, fortune telling and, of course, great books! As we gaze into our crystal ball, we see a fabulous party filled with fun treats and good books in your future!
Event Date:
Thursday, May 15, 2014 – 5:15pm to 6:15pm

I’ll have copies of The Mark of the Tala to sign and give away!!

RT Pub Crawl
What would give our attendees the perfect New Orleans experience? The answer, of course, is a trip up Bourbon Street — but, in true RT style, arriving as one gigantic group! Imagine 2,000 book lovers descending on the notorious street with drinks in hand (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) and a plethora of local music spilling out onto the colorful streets of the French Quarter. Also, imagine sampling local foods as you stroll along the strip — like treats from Cafe Beignet, located at Musical Legends Park.

And what would make this experience even more fun? Having 10 of your favorite publishers and author-groups host at 10 of the best bars on Bourbon!

At their respective bars, a special area will be designated for each sponsor where they will have a bevy of authors standing by to meet and greet RT attendees. They will also have a string of Mardi Gras beads with their logo to hand out to RT attendees who visit. Each sponsor will be doing something different at their assigned bar. Some will have goodies and giveaways, some will have a limited amount of free drinks and some will just be wild and wacky — adding to the party atmosphere on Bourbon Street. But all will have a strand of beads with their logo — this is important!

Event Date:
Thursday, May 15, 2014 – 6:30pm to 8:30pm

I’ll be part of the bevy at Pat O’Briens! (Which I once got kicked out of, back in the day. I’m sure they don’t remember me…)

Club RT (Friday)
Come by Club RT and meet your favorite author in a relaxed, informal setting. We’re sure you have several burning questions, and no doubt the authors would love to hear your points of view. What better way for them to improve their own writing than by listening to their most devoted fans? Who knows, you might end up inspiring an author to add a character to their series.

Event Date:
Friday, May 16, 2014 – 11:15am to 12:15am

Come visit meeee….

Giant Book Fair

Meet more than 700 authors who will autograph books, posters and bookmarks. Bring your “keepers” and have them signed!

This year we have combined our Giant Book Fair with our E-Book/Indie Expo to provide a great, new, merged experience. Find all of your favorite authors in one place!

This event is also open to the public and tickets can be purchased for just the Giant Book Fair. You can purchase a ticket at the door the day of the event. Pre-ordered tickets will be picked up at the hotel on the day of the Giant Book Fair.

You may bring in your books from home to get them autographed. However, they must be checked in and stamped (with invisible ink, so there’s no damage to your books) before you enter the book fair. Also only two books from home per author are allowed.
Event Date:
Saturday, May 17, 2014 – 11:00am to 2:00pm
Location: 3rd Floor
Room: Grand Ballroom & Mardi Gras Ballroom

Note that you don’t have to attend the convention to come to this. Fun!!

FAN-Tastic Day Party
Meet a revolving door of hundreds of authors as they make appearances every 30 minutes in this high-energy event. Be one of the first 500 attendees and you’ll receive a goody bag filled with free books and promotional items.

Event Date:
Saturday, May 17, 2014 – 6:15pm to 8:00pm

I’ll be wandering around, likely all blingy, because afterwards is:

Harlequin’s Dance Party
Harlequin Enterprises hosts a spectacular dance party and an evening of glamour where you will meet the stars of romance.
Event Date:
Saturday, May 17, 2014 – 9:00pm to Sunday, May 18, 2014 – 12:00am

Yay dancing!!!!

Wow – I’m tired just reviewing all this. Send wine and chocolate.

Hope to see you there!

Cover Reveal for GOING UNDER!

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog
Book 1 in the Falling Under trilogy
Book 1 in the Falling Under trilogy

Knowing all too well the damage online trolls can inflict, game designer Emily Bartwell takes privacy seriously. Living in solitude and working remotely under a male alias gives her a sense of security. The sexy writer renting the house next door ignites desires she’d forgotten she had, and when he invites her to play games of a very different sort, Em is ready and willing. Even if it means breaking all her own rules to abide by his.

Undercover tech reporter Fox Mullins is so close to the biggest scoop of his career: finding the elusive programmer Phoenix. An increasingly erotic adventure with his reserved but passionate new neighbor is the ideal way to heat up the chilly Pacific Northwest nights as he tracks the brilliant gamer.

At first Fox is happy to help Em explore her newly awakened kinky side, no holds barred, no strings attached. But as they push the limits of intimacy, both physical and emotional, Fox discovers he’s not the only one keeping secrets. And revealing hers may mean betraying the one woman who embodies everything he desires.

Cats and Oklahoma Weather

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

005I’m so happy that (new) cat Jackson and (old) cat Isabel get along so well. It doesn’t always work out that way and is so lovely when it does.

This evening I pick up my boss/colleague Laurie and we’re driving over to Oklahoma City for some meetings tomorrow. Then we’ll drive back tomorrow night and she’ll spend a couple of days here in New Mexico. Should be quite the whirlwind!

Otherwise, I’m over at the Contemporary Romance Cafe tomorrow (May 1), talking about where I write. Which, of course, involves treadmill desks. 🙂 If you’re a regular reader here, it won’t be anything new to you. Except to say that I figured out I’ve walked over 150 miles in April and have logged over 61,000 words. It’s been a busy, productive month for me.

Which is good, because Ursula’s book is being kind of wrenching to write. It’s due June 1, so I anticipate May will be another 60K+ month.

Think No-Tornado Thoughts for me!

Let’s Talk About Goodreads

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

Bl_PEN8CQAEkHBdI posted this to the feeds yesterday, but had to share here, too. Jackson loves to play in the bathroom with me in the morning while I get ready. It’s all part of his joyful lead-up to breakfast, his equivalent of the Snoopy supper dance. The game evolves daily, usually involving stalker me from behind the shower curtain, bunching up the throw rug and mutilating Q-tips. Sometimes he hides behind the curtain, snags the Q-tips with a sneaky paw, and drags them to their doom.

Their doom being to be soggily swept down the drain when I shower.

Lately he’s figured out that he can jump up on the towel and bring it down on top of him, making an impromptu blanket fort, from which to stalk me and the Q-tips.

I imagine you can detect the theme here.

Yesterday, the towel-jumping morphed into a full leap onto the towel rack. It’s a narrow bar, mind you, but he managed to drape himself there nevertheless. The best part, I think, is that the picture above and to the right of him is a tuxedo cat, too. Okay, it’s an anthropomorphic tuxedo cat, getting off the trolley in New Orleans with a bag of Krauss Donuts. A Streetcat Named Desire is the title.

Stella!!!

I may be a bit giddily full of Friday today…

So, Goodreads has been morphing a bit lately. No surprise there with their acquisition by Amazon. Thus far it’s been fairly gentle (since the wholesale removal of some reviewers, that is). Recently Goodreads has started nudging me as an author – mostly via these monthly emailed “author newsletters.” Overall I like the tone and the suggestions seem reasonable. After all, I like Goodreads. I enjoy tracking my books there and seeing what other people are reading. Goodreads readers and reviewers have embraced my books and done a great deal to chat them up. Much more so than on, say, Amazon.

One thing that I hear people like on Goodreads is book giveaways. I’ve even entered them myself – and gotten the books! In fact, I recently discovered (no one told me, alas) that my publisher set up a giveaway for THE MARK OF THE TALA, which goes through April 30. When I looked just now to grab the link, 359 people had signed up! Pretty cool, I think.

And food for thought.

Yesterday I got the cover concept for GOING UNDER, the first book in FALLING UNDER, my new series of full-length erotic romances. And Goodreads, in the March Author Newsletter, had suggested ideas for cover reveals on their site. I spent a bit of time reading up, followed their instructions and set up my Cover Reveal Event.

Then I balked.

Because the next step is to invite people. The newsletter even suggested that I add a bribe (they didn’t call it that – I think they used the word “incentive”) that the first 100 people to add it to their “To Read” shelf will get a special excerpt or some such.

Now, I receive Goodreads invites pretty regularly. Usually from people I don’t know and don’t care about. Sometimes people I’m not even friends with, which I can’t figure out. I delete them all. In fact, I kind of hate getting those invites. And now they want me to send them? Ugh!

I asked this question on Twitter and Facebook, how people feel about getting these invites. The writers say they get a lot and auto-delete – my tribe, clearly – but other folks suggested that maybe readers like it better.

So, I’m torn. What do you all think?

RT Booklovers Convention! What to Wear

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

002First off, I posted this to the website, and waxed breathless about it on Twitter and so forth, but I got all wrapped up in posting the NestPitch stuff and never mentioned it on ye old blogge here. My upcoming release, The Mark of the Tala, first in my Twelve Kingdoms trilogy, got the best possible review from RT Book Reviews! You can’t read it online for another two months, unless you’re a subscriber, but this is what it says:

“This magnificent fairy tale will captivate you from the beginning to end with a richly detailed fantasy world full of shapeshifters, magic and an exciting romance! Andi isn’t your ordinary must-have-a-prince-to-save-me type of princess. She begins as the invisible middle sister, not a great beauty like Amelia, nor a warrior like Ursula – instead Andi is content to remain a wallflower, until she meets Rayfe and her entire world is turned upside down. She makes wise choices, all to save her people from the harsh realities of battle, and even when faced with horrible options, her course is one of truth, loyalty and love. Rayfe is dark and intense, keeping his feelings close to the chest, but trusts Andi to make the right decisions. They are a remarkable pair, one who celebrate individuality with a partnership that will last for a lifetime.”

– RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars TOP PICK!

4.5 Stars is their top rating, so I’m over the moon. The story threads this reviewer picked out are exactly what I wanted this book to show. The book comes out May 27 (so soon!), but I’ll have copies to sell and give away at the RT Booklovers Convention, which starts May 14. It takes place in fabulous New Orleans this year, so this gathering which is already essentially one big week-long pary will be extra festive. I’m particularly thrilled to be sharing a house in the French Quarter with some writer and book blogger friends.

On one of my author loops last night, someone asked about dress code and how to know what to wear. Seeing as how this is my 5th RT Convention, I offered some advice. Then I thought, I should just post it here, too. Because there is kind of a trick to it, which isn’t always clear to the uninitiated.

Each evening there’s a big party that you can find on the agenda. If you click on the links on the website, you get more details. For example, Thursday night is the Samhain Saints and Sinners party and it says:

Calling all angels and devils! Samhain Publishing invites you to join us Thursday evening for a wicked good time. Sweet and sinful eats. Delightfully dangerous beats. Amazing author treats! Come dance the night away with our Samhain Authors — whether you wear halos or horns, you’ll be sure to find some kindred spirits! 

The translation here is that people will come in costume as angels or devils. You don’t HAVE to – and lots won’t – but that’s your cue. Heather Graham’s party used to be called the Vampire Ball or the Fairy Ball (they’ve kind of morphed over the years) and still says “Calling all vampires, vixens, queens and kings … royal courts of light . . . and darkness!” So that gives you a costume cue, should you choose to accept it. Vampires AND fairies is how I read that one.

For the Harlequin Dance Party, they say “a spectacular dance party and an evening of glamour” which means dress up and be sparkly.

For the rest of the time, it’s generally business casual. A lot of people dress up – it can be a big fashion show – and a lot of people don’t. Many authors dress in ways that reflect their book themes. I tend to stick with my own personal style. I often see the advice to wear comfortable shoes, and for walking around the French Quarter and the Riverwalk, I’d definitely agree. However, this is a great opportunity to show off your fabulous heels too! You know I’ll be wearing mine. 🙂

Nest Pitch JK8: THE GIRL ON THE HALF SHELL

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

Nest Pitch JK8: THE GIRL ON THE HALF SHELL

Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Word Count: 120,000

Pitch:

Virgin rich girl burner and superstar addict find love in NYC. These two lost people, a guy fresh from rehab and the daughter of a 60s music icon, fight to hold onto a searing passion.

If the MC was an Easter egg…

Alan is milk chocolate because he is smooth, seductive, a blend of pleasure and pain.

Excerpt: 300 words

People would have stared at my father even if he had not been famous. He is just that kind of man, but it has taken me until the age of eighteen to understand that. In my younger years, when I hated Jack in fleeting spurts, I thought fame was like a suit, he could take it off for me if he wanted to. Now I know better than to have childish expectations of what my father can or can’t do for me. Life with Jack is what it is. It is enough that he showed tonight, even if he did miss nearly the entire senior class spring recital. 

I carefully conceal myself in the stage curtains as I watch Jack slipping into the auditorium and fading back into his customary seat in the far left corner. I can feel him in the darken theater though I can only make out a hazy detail of shape with my eyes.

Any other parent making that entrance would have had no impact on the audience. It is soundless. But my father is Jackson Parker, an icon of the sixties, forever part of the music and voice of a generation, and the entire chemistry of the room instantly alters.

Rene drops her chin on my shoulder as she stares out at the audience. “So, Jack did come,” she says. She frees my fingers from the shabby velvet and tosses a harsh glare at the curtains, their ages beaten elegance a thing she finds preposterous since the private Catholic boarding school we reside at cost a small fortune in tuition each year. The shabbiness of the facility she is certain is nothing more than deliberate proletarian punishment for children of non-proletarian families. “He said he would come and actually showed. Chalk one up for team Jack.

Nest Pitch JK7: UNDER THE YELLOW ROSE

Jeffe Kennedy / / Blog

Nest Pitch JK7: UNDER THE YELLOW ROSE

Category/Genre: NA/ Romantic Ghost Story

Word Count: 104,000

Pitch:

Free spirited twenty-three year old single parent nurse meets sexy thirty-two year old history professor.  Professor rents his spacious Victorian house to her.  Unfortunately, it is still occupied by the spirit of his deceased mother.

If the MC was an Easter egg…

Jemma would be green-apple flavored, though sweet like an apple she will kick if provoked!

Excerpt: 300 words. 

As the sun slid beneath the horizon turning the page on another day, Jemma Hollister nudged her rust-speckled Volvo into its usual parking space at Dreamhaven Nursing Home. Holding her breath, she reached down and shut off the ignition. The cantankerous old car sputtered and shook, but the engine kept on running.

“Come on bitch! Die already!” Jemma hissed, slamming her fist into the dash.

The car emitted a long unhealthy sounding wheeze then finally gave up the fight.

“Damn girl! Remind me to stay out of your way tonight!” Remarked a familiar voice outside her window.

Jemma looked up to see a tall, gangly, black man smiling down at her.

“Hey Martin!” She hailed, grinning up at him sheepishly. “Wanna buy a car?”

Martin took a step back pretending to assess the vehicle in question. What used to be pearly white was now a sickly shade of yellow and the driver side mirror was secured with a bumpy wad of duct tape. All four tires were maypops (may pop at any time), and the once luxurious upholstery was stained and threadbare.

“Just kidding,” Jemma smirked. “I wouldn’t do that to you.” Then after hauling herself and her overstuffed nursing bag out of the car, she attempted to shut the door. At first, it closed like any other car door, then with a tiny squeak of protest it fell ajar.

“Damn it Agnes!” Jemma cursed. “I don’t need any more shit from you tonight!” Lifting one leg, she forcefully kicked the door back into place. When she turned back around, Martin was holding his hands up and inching away. “Sorry,” she sighed. “I didn’t get any sleep again today.”

“Understandable,” he replied lowering his hands. “So who’s this Agnes chick anyway?”

“Oh,” that’s just what Kenzie calls it,” Jemma explained, gesturing to the car.