Kiss You Inside Out by Hedley...

 

The last week or two, I've been watching a number of dramas unfold on the internet, dramas like soap opera from hell drama. It's entertaining but also makes me feel a little sick. It's also kind of fascinating. I'm curious about human nature and the personalities of people who like to stir up shit soup, and the people who then jump into them seemingly without any apparent knowledge of what's really going on. I'm curious about why some people don't see the bigger picture and can only focus on the miniscule issue that appears in front of them. And I'm curious about the level of judgement and hypocrisy that exists on the internet and how people who are so quick to lash out at others for doing certain things are completely blind to the fact that they're doing the same effing douchebag thing. 

It spirals and multiplies, from the initial "wrongdoing" and the first response to that, to someone attacking the responder which is repeated by someone else and someone else until it's a whole bunch of people behaving like “That unprofessional flaming shit-bird who did that really unprofessional shitbird thing and now it’s a stain on his career like a permanent skidmark that bled through his tighty-whities and onto his khaki shorts.” (as Chuck Wendig said so eloquently). As a social phenomenon it's kind of fascinating. Is it the anonymity of the internet that leads people to do this? Is it the fast pace of the information that flows online that makes people react so quickly to information that's not even true, without even checking the facts? Does it make people feel better about themselves to criticize others, perhaps because of some deep-rooted insecurity or lack of self-esteem?

I've seen things tweeted that were then completely twisted into something else, retweeted with outrage, which someone else sees and retweets with more outrage until a whole bunch of people are all angry shitbirds about something that never really happened.

I've seen people stir up conflict between two groups of people by tweeting things that are their own perception of something and not the reality, which other people then see and assume is reality and then respond with more outrage and indignation and turn it into an us vs them thing that never really existed except in one person's own mind. Or, again thanks to Chuck Wendig, they are “Fighting In The Trenches Of The Any Imaginary War” (sic).

I've seen authors tweeting awful things about other authors. An author who is wildly successful is mocked and scathingly criticized. Someone who promos too much is (in one author's opinion) "douchy". Could she be referring to me? I don't know. I don't think I promo too much, but I do retweet a compliment about my book or a good review. Am I douchy for doing that? I guess a lot of us might be. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

Stories about authors choosing to self-publish instead of going with the traditional publisher's deal, stories about authors "outing" a pirate who stole their book, stories about librarians concerned about how ARCs are given out at conferences — are tweeted about with vitriol, hatred and anger. Tweets are twisted to mean something else. People often don't name names. Is that better or worse? You can hide behind the fact that the person you're tweeting about may never see what you said. Or if they do, they'll wonder if you're talking about them or someone else. But often it's not hard to follow a trail and find out who it's about. Would someone say those things to someone's "face" i.e. an @ message saying those same things? Why would you tweet them "anonymously" then? Does it make people feel better about themselves, bigger and more important, to judge other people and call them names?

Oh wait, I actually have seen people saying those things to someone's face, with @ messages on Twitter — and it looked like they were a shark going on the attack. But you know what? You wouldn't see that unless you happened to follow both those people.

And the "outing" of personal information about people - saw it happen twice in the last week, and once by someone who vociferously denounced someone else for doing that same thing.

Another us vs. them was started (okay, actually re-started as this has happened before) between reviewers and authors with the "a negative review is not bullying" meme that sprang up. A group of people started a blog about "bullying" on Goodreads. The group states they aren't even authors (I have no idea who they really are). They aren't  talking about negative reviews. They're talking about specific behaviours on a particular website (whether it's bullying or not is questionable, but I'm not going down that path here). But someone sees a tweet that says "a negative review is not bullying" and says "Hell yeah! That's true!" (because it is true, right?) and they retweet it, and that happens over and over until so many people have seen it and it gets all twisted and spun into "authors hate reviewers" and "authors are too sensitive and can't take criticism" and lots of angry, vicious tweets. Then people start reviving old stories about authors responding to negative reviews. One author even used the Twitter hashtag #morebadauthors to tweet about another author who'd responded to a negative review — six months ago! WTF? What purpose does that serve, dragging up old crap like that? It just propagates the whole conflict. Why? Do we really need to all hate each other? Do people just like the attention they get for doing this?

And then when someone reasonable steps in to ask why or to present a different viewpoint, I've seen people (including an author!) respond with rudeness and defensiveness and the comment "feel free to unfollow". Um. Nice.

People do bad things. People make mistakes. I live in sick fear of making some kind of mistake that someone will turn into a huge internet "scandal" that grows and grows until I'm so demoralized and humiliated I have to disappear. Nobody's perfect. I'm not a religious person, but that biblical passage "let he who is without sin cast the first stone" comes to mind. If you've never done anything wrong or made a mistake in your life (Really? Really?) feel free to attack and deride and denounce and ridicule someone online. But just know this — attacking and deriding and denouncing and ridiculing someone, to their face or even if you don't name them, makes you look kinda like a douchy douchebag unprofessional shitbird.

Welcome to the Hot Jocks Blog Tour! I'm giving away winner's choice of one of my "hockey books" - Breakaway, Faceoff, and One Man Advantage.

These books feature hot hockey player heroes - the Heller brothers, Jason, Tag, and Logan. They're connected stories that do stand alone, but if you haven't read them you might want to read them in order. You can find blurbs and excerpts and reviews of these books at my website.

I grew up watching hockey with my mom and my grandma (her mom) on television every Saturday night – Hockey Night in Canada. Strangely my dad wasn’t all that interested in hockey and used to nap on the couch during games. As a teenager, my first boyfriend played hockey and I used to go watch some of his games. He also liked to go to live games, and our local team was the Brandon Wheat Kings (yes, we lived on the prairies J). I remember sitting in the Keystone Centre watching the Wheat Kings while my boyfriend patiently explained what icing was, why they just gave a penalty and what made a play offside. I think I tried to be interested mostly because I wanted him to like me, but it somehow turned into a real love of the game!

When I started writing romance, I wanted to write a story with a hockey player hero, but hesitated because I kept hearing you shouldn’t write about heroes who are professional athletes. Athletes are big and muscular and strong. When they’re successful they’re confident, wealthy and famous. Are these heroic qualities?

Well, big muscles and a sexy smile are important for a romance hero, but qualities of determination, passion, loyalty, dedication, sacrifice and courage are important for heroes too. And don’t professional athletes have all those? 

What athlete romance heroes have you fallen in love with?

Yes it's the Sizzling Summer Reads Event at The Romance Reviews! Today I'm up with a Q&A for a chance to win! Go to the party site here to enter!

I don't know if any of you have noticed I haven't been as active on line recently, but I thought I'd share a quick update about me. I usually keep my private life pretty private, especially when things aren't going well, because I figure people don't really want to be subjected to endless negative and depressing Tweets or Facebook or Yahoo group posts. So I'm trying to keep what little interaction I have on line positive, but I haven't had time to be around as much, which kind of sucks because I had a book out a few weeks ago I should be promoting!

I have two elderly family members who live together who aren't doing well. My sister and I are their only family so have been trying to deal with one in hospital and the other now home alone and not really able to cope. It's been hospital visits, talking with nurses, doctors, OT's and home care. Right now I'm not sure that my aunt in the hospital will ever be able to come home and the other is in deep denial about this and about her own abilities. These are my two favourite aunts who did so much for me growing up and who I adore. It's really hard to see them like this. I can pretty much burst into tears just thinking about it all, but we're trying to deal with it as best we can.

Strangely enough, my writing is saving my sanity. I sometimes struggle to find time to write, with a full time day job and a family, and all the "business" of writing, and now it's even harder. But now when I do have time, I'm eager to jump into it. It's like I can leave behind the real world with all its problems and stressors, and immerse myself in my fictional world that I'm creating. Yes, my characters have problems, but I know that in the end things are going to be okay for them. After an hour living in that other world, I can come back to the real world feeling calmer and more energized and hopeful. So I've actually been quite productive in my writing despite all these other things going on and I really think it's keeping me from falling apart altogether.

Thanks to my writing friends for their support and understanding right now, it means a lot.

I got a new cover today, but it might look familiar...okay it's not entirely new. It's the print cover for One Wicked Night, which will be out September 4. But there is one difference...look closely...I'll make it nice and big...  :-)

Yes! It's a quote from Carly Phillips!  I can't tell you how exciting this is for me!
You can read about how this happened here at the Plotmonkeys.

SWEET DEAL


The relationship is pretend. The chemistry…isn’t.

After her last job ended with a broken heart and a humiliating exit from the company, Shelby Leighton’s project management career is back on track with a new job and a high-profile project. The problem: her new boss is a little too friendly, and the staff is talking. Can you say, “déjà vu?” The solution: casually mention a fictional new boyfriend.

New problem: she’s expected to bring her new man to the upcoming corporate picnic.

Jake Magill doesn’t do relationships. It’s casual or nothing, but the hot blonde he’s been eyeing at the coffee shop sure is something. Especially when she confesses her problem, and he finds himself offering to act as her date.

Sounds simple. Stroll around the party with Shelby’s sexy curves clinging to his arm? He’s all over it. Until he meets her boss—the man who once stole and married the one woman Jake thought he loved.

Now Jake’s the one with a reason to pretend. If only to save his own pride…and Shelby from the predatory gaze of the man who could ruin her, and any chance of finding out if their fake connection is the real thing.

Product Warnings Contains one desperate lady in need, and a pretend boyfriend who shows impressive dedication to nailing all—and then some—elements of his role. Oh my! 

Check out these reviews for Sweet Deal:

Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews - 4 1/2 STARS! "Sweet Deal was the first book I read by Kelly Jamieson, and boy did I find a new author to love! I love the premise of two peeps who think they are just in it for the fun, but don’t realize they are falling deep in love with each other! This one was done beautifully."

The Book Tart  'This book is a sweet story; it’s a complex story full of heart and emotion and relatable protagonists. If you like contemporary romance and enjoy some steam with your stories. Go Get This Book!"

This weekend's post is another video I want to share - I LOVE THIS VIDEO! It says so much. Enjoy!

This video is on my Pinterest board but I thought I'd share it here too. It made me laugh and smile and cry a little ... enjoy!

Source: youtube.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Continuing from Part I of Kelly Thinks about BDSM at Nine Naughty Novelists, where I talked about BDSM and the importance of trust, and how BDSM intensifies the need for trust between partners and thereby deepens the relationship…

 Now, I want to touch on fiction's portrayal of those in the BDSM lifestyle as people with psychological issues. In FSOG, Christian tells Anna he is "fifty shades of fucked up". I only read the first book of the trilogy in which there are vague references to what exactly happened to him in his past, but I gather it was something quite traumatic. I also recently read "Bared To You" by Sylvia Day, a book that is so similar to FSOG it was somewhat jaw-dropping. In that book, both hero and heroine have encountered abuse in their pasts — like Christian, in this first book Gideon’s history of abuse is only alluded to, but heroine Eva asks her therapist at one point whether two abuse survivors can ever have a functional relationship.

In my own book Power Shift, Gabe is a survivor of war. As a young solder in Bosnia, he was required to do things abhorrent to him, things that scarred him, things that caused him to carry a lot of guilt around all his life. He turned to BDSM because of his dominant nature, but also because of the control that is required of a Dom — with a woman's life in his hands, he wants to prove to himself that he can give her what she wants and needs but always, always stay in control, unlike when he was required to obey orders or else face horrific consequences.

I can see how this may cause readers to think that those who practice BDSM always have some kind of trauma in their pasts that has damaged them. But here's the thing: as storytellers, our characters always have to have something in their past that they learn to overcome. Even in my non-BDSM books this is the case.

In my upcoming release, Sweet Deal, which features TWO people and NO kinky stuff (okay, yes, still some hot sexytimes) hero Jake was abandoned by his mother and sisters when he was young. They left him with his not-so-nurturing father, and Jake grew up believing women would always leave him — so he always leaves first. When he did get into a relationship, and the woman he loved left him for his best friend, this only confirmed his belief that he's not worthy of love and women will always leave him. It takes a woman who willingly opens her heart (maybe too willingly!) to show him that love is worth taking that risk.

In real life, some of us are perfectly normal, some have hang-ups and obsessions and compulsions and baggage and scars. But to create a powerful story, writers tend to write about the characters with baggage and scars and how they overcome those, both in BDSM and non BDSM stories.

This week I shared a smutty  sexy excerpt from my BDSM book Rigger at The Good Smut Event on Tuesday May 22 - stop by to check it out, and I'm posting more about why I write BDSM there on Tuesday May 29. 

Today I leave for France for a ten day holiday. My husband and I will be flying to Paris, then taking the train to Montpellier where we'll stay for a few days visiting my daughter. Then we're going to Nice for a couple of days, and then back to Paris where we'll meet up with my daughter for the remainder of the trip. I haven't seen my daughter since she left in January, other than Skyping, so I'm excited! (And terrified about flying, but several glasses of wine will help with that). 

I hope I'll be able to blog and Tweet about the trip, and share some pictures (preferably the ones my professional photographer husband takes, rather than my pathetic amateurish ones), so check back this week for updates about The Big Trip to France. Yay!

My mom loved figured skating and when she was still alive, I used to take her to see Stars on Ice every year as her mother's day present. The year after she passed away, my daughter surprised me with tickets for Stars on Ice (yes, I cried) and every year since then she has taken me as my mother's day present. This year, my daughter is living on the other side of the world (France) so she wasn't here to take me (although she did the sweetest things for mother's day - she sent me a card, and in it she told me to go look in her room on the left side of her desk in the lid of a small ceramic box, where I would find money she left there before she went away, and told me to buy myself something with it *sniff*) but I still got to go to Stars on Ice, I made my husband take me last week. Yay!

My favourites - Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir

There I discovered the joy of the Shazam app - my husband had it on  his iPhone and when we wanted to know what the song was a particular skater was skating to, it told us!! I immediately had to download that app on my BlackBerry - I love it!

As for hockey, I haven't been much into the playoffs this year. First, my Jets didn't make the playoffs, and then every other team I might have cheered for was eliminated. Not as much fun.

And speaking of hockey, you should check out the review One Man Advantage got at Amazon - go click "Like" on this, not just because it's my book, but because this reviewer is hilarious and totally deserves it! Or leave a comment.

I've already heard from a reader who read One Man Advantage, and while she liked the story and had positive things to say about it, there was one aspect of the story that disappointed her, to the point where it impacted her overall experience reading the book.

To be honest, I'd wondered about this when I finished writing One Man Advantage. (For those who haven't read it, I'll try to talk about this without being spoilerish.) When I started writing this book, I'd thought the answer to this unanswered question would come to me as I wrote. I even asked some readers what they thought about it. Because another truth is, I don't even know the answer yet!

I'm mostly a "pantser", although I do plan the turning points of my stories - but those are based more on the emotion and the epiphany and the decision that has to happen for the character at that point, not actual plot events. Many plot events come to me as I write the story and get inside the heads of the characters. As this story unfolded, I brought in characters from past books briefly, but this was not their story - this was really Nicole's (and Logan's) story. I do see it mostly as Nicole's story, with her character growth being more than Logan's.  And when the story ended, I realized there was no more opportunity to add something in that was really unrelated to Nicole's story. 

 

I didn't do it deliberately to try to sell more books.

I asked my editor's opinion about this too, and she felt the story was fine the way it was.

Could I have gone back and changed things? Possibly…but when I look at the only scene where this could have happened, this scene was a turning point for Logan. That was his "black moment" where he believed he'd lost everything (again without giving spoiler details).  If I'd added in that significant, life-changing event for a character who is really a minor character in this story (despite how attached we all may be to him from his own story!) this would have detracted from the impact of Logan's dark moment. At that point, the focus had to be on Logan, on what was happening with him and how he was dealing with it, and not on another character.

The other place I could have changed things up was the phone call between Logan and his mom, near the end of the story. But something that momentous seemed out of place there, during the resolution of Nicole and Logan's story.

A reader's experience reading a book is always subjective - we all have our own filters and hot buttons and experiences that influence us when we read. And I'm very sorry when any reader is disappointed reading any of my books. For me, as an author that’s the worst thing about writing  - disappointing readers. There may be people who don't like my books, and I can live with that. But if someone who likes my books buys a book and reads it with certain expectations, I'm really sad if I let them down. On the other hand, I can't write my books to please everyone, because we're all so different. So all I can say is -  I will find a way to answer this question!

Today my book One Man Advantage is out!

One Man Advantage is my third book to feature a hockey player hero. Lest you think that hockey players are big and ugly and have no teeth, behold a few of the Winnipeg Jets:

Blake Wheeler

Zach Bogosian

Andrew Ladd

Evander Kane

These days the younger players mostly have their own teeth because they have to wear mouth guards. But some of them clearly don’t like it, as you often see them with the mouth guard hanging out of their mouths as soon as the whistle goes.

Andrew Ladd

But of course, it’s not looks that make a hero, although big muscles and a sexy smile do help! Qualities of determination, passion, loyalty, dedication, sacrifice and courage are important for heroes too.

Even a professional athlete can have insecurities. In One Man Advantage, Logan Heller grew up in a family with four boys, all who play hockey. Oldest brother Tag (Faceoff) was drafted by the NHL while in college and left college early for his pro career. He’s captain of his team, a natural leader. Next oldest brother Jason (Breakaway) played major junior hockey and also was a top draft pick. They’re both considered top players in the league. Younger siblings often struggle with living up to the accomplishments of their older siblings, but it might be especially hard to follow those kinds of achievements.

When Logan meets Nicole, he discovers they have a lot in common. Both their families are considered “hockey royalty”, Logan’s because of the three brothers playing in the NHL, Nicole’s because her father is Jacques Lambert, a hockey legend and now owner of an NHL team. They both love hockey. Nicole played too. And they both grew up feeling that they might not live up to their family’s expectations of them. (They also have some things in common they like in the *ahem* bedroom.)

But a hero is brave enough to face his insecurities and flaws and steps up when life is difficult. In One Man Advantage, Logan gets traded to a new team and even though he knows it’s part of the business and not personal, it still feels like a punch in the gut. He’s faced with starting over, with a new team, in a new city. He feels bitter and resentful and some guys might let that affect their performance. 

Here's an excerpt from One Man Advantage:

 

He took off his jacket and laid it on the floor. He looked at her as he sat on the floor, leaning against the wall opposite the windows. “Take off your jacket.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

She snorted. “Hah.” But pleasure expanded inside him as she unwound her scarf from around her neck and removed her jacket, laying it on top of his on the floor. Beneath she wore a pair of low-rise jeans that hugged her hips and legs all the way down to the beige Ugg boots. On top, a black long-sleeved T-shirt clung to her full breasts.

“Come here,” he said.

She walked over and slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor beside him.

“It’s a nice view,” he said.

“Yes.” She stretched her long, jeans-clad legs out in front of her and crossed her booted ankles.

Logan had always thought Ugg boot were the Uggliest thing ever invented for women to wear on their feet. Give him a pair of pointy toed stiletto boots any day. But he found himself unaccountably charmed by her chunky fleece-lined boots.

He turned his head to look at her, and she too rolled her head against the wall. Their eyes met.

Lust slammed into him like a body check.

They looked at each other. Moments accumulated. Heat built.

He dropped his gaze to her mouth, so lush and soft looking. His gaze dropped lower still and observed her breasts rising and falling with her quick, shallow breaths. She was affected by him too. There was something there.

He would never move in on another dude’s girl, but she’d only dated the guy once and he’d eat a hockey puck if he was wrong about her being as attracted to him as he was to her. He leaned in closer, slowly. Her eyelids dropped, her lips parted and then he closed his own eyes as he brushed his lips over hers. Once. Twice. And then he opened his mouth on hers and kissed her deeper.

He lifted a hand and dragged his fingertips over the soft skin of her jaw, then cupped her face and held it while they kissed. And yeah, hell yeah, she kissed him back, opening for him, and when he slid his tongue into her sweet mouth, she made a soft little sound in her throat that encouraged him. Her tongue moved against his and his brain shorted out, heat sizzling over every nerve ending in his body.

“Don’t do this,” she murmured, shifting her mouth away from his. He kissed her cheek instead.

“Say it like you mean it,” he murmured back. She groaned and triumph flared inside him. With his thumb on her chin, he tilted her head back toward him and kissed her again, longer, deeper.

“I can’t do this,” she whispered. “I can’t.”

“Why, sweetheart? It feels like you want it as much as I do.” He nuzzled her hair, her ear, breathed in her scent, something fresh and clean, green and citrusy. Heat pounded through his body with every beat of his heart, building in his balls.

“I... câlisse.”

“Hmm, what?” He opened his mouth on the side of her neck and sucked, so gently.

“I don’t want to want you!” she cried, but her hands grabbed his arms and her fingers dug into his sweater, holding on to him, not pushing him away.

“Why?” he asked again. “What’s wrong with it? Christ, Nicole, there’ve been sparks flying ever since we met.”

She moaned.

“Right?” He was pushing, because if she really wanted him to stop, he had to stop. He wanted to be sure of what was going on.

“Right.” The word sounded dragged out of her. He smiled and moved in for another kiss, another hot, mind-scrambling, sense-robbing kiss.

...is out Wednesday! Here's a sneak peek and some info about purchasing One Man Advantage. 

So many readers have emailed me asking if there was going to be another hockey story to follow Breakaway and Faceoff. The answer was yes! And now it’s finally here! I’d always intended there to be at least three books and it looks like now I have to write four,  because I have one more brother to find a happy ever after for, and, you’ll see when you read One Man Advantage, I also have one big, dangling loose end to tie up… 
 

I had inquiries from a couple of readers who buy from Amazon, because One Man Advantage isn’t available there for pre-order. Unfortunately this particular publisher doesn’t upload books to Amazon until after release day and it takes a while for Amazon to get them on their website.

However, if you want to buy One Man Advantage on release day, or soon after, you can buy it directly from the publisher’s website. http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10033-one-man-advantage.aspx . They do have all formats but if you have problems or questions, they also have a good help page http://www.jasminejade.com/t-allaboutebooks.aspx

He has a one man advantage – he knows what she really wants…

After her ex trashes her reputation in front of the media and it quickly goes viral, Nicole vows she’ll never get involved with another hockey player. Too bad her job with the Minneapolis Caribou puts her in contact with sexy hockey players on a daily basis, including the newly traded center, Logan Heller. Logan’s pretty sure Nicole is the perfect woman for him and he’s determined to have her—in and out of bed. Nicole is equally determined to never date another hockey player. But Logan has a one man advantage...he knows what she really wants. 

Here's a sneak peek - Nicole is taking Logan around to look at condos for him to move into:

“Are you sure you don’t want to look at more? It’s a big decision. You might want to check out other neighborhoods...”

“I’m hardly ever home,” he said. “We’re on the road a lot. In the summer I go home. It doesn’t really matter where I live.”

“As long as the ceiling will support a swing.”

A surprised laugh popped out of him. His dancing eyes met hers. “Noooo,” he said. “Don’t be silly.”

She lifted one eyebrow.

“I’m not really into swings. But I do need a hook for suspension bondage.”

Her pussy immediately gave a warm squeeze. She kept her smile in place and her tone light. “Oh stop. You’re getting me all hot and bothered.”

His eyes widened. “Really?”

“No.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m joking. As were you.”

But some kind of intuition told her he wasn’t joking. And as their eyes once again met and held, her intuition told her that he knew she knew that.

“Damn,” he murmured.

Heat swept over her body, a tiny ache developing low down inside her. She gazed at him in the late afternoon dusk as they stood on the sidewalk outside the last building they’d looked at and licked her lips. “Okay! Well, enough kidding around. That makes my job easier, if you’re going to decide that fast. I’ll leave it up to you to contact the agent and get things started.”

“Thanks for finding these. They were all great.”

“It’s my job,” she said dryly. “Other duties as assigned.”

        “Okay. Would it be other duties as assigned to have dinner with me tonight?”

         Her hand paused on the door handle as she went to open the door of the SUV. “What? Again? You’re asking me out again?” Tabarnac? Not again! She closed her eyes briefly. Why was he doing this to her! She could let her imagination run wild and picture them having a romantic dinner somewhere, eating by candlelight, talking (about hockey) and laughing and then maybe going back to her place, and her belly did a little flip of lust at the thought of hot, athletic sex with him...oh holy Virgin Mary.

“No!” he said. “I’m not. Definitely not. This would totally be a business dinner.”

She snorted. “Bullshit.”

She caught his eye, the amusement glinting there, the tug of the corners of his lips, and she went all melty inside. But at least this time she had a built-in, ready-to-use excuse, an impermeable defense strategy against his charm. Thank god. She really couldn’t go out with him that night. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t. I have a date tonight.”

His eyes shadowed. “Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were seeing someone. I...” He shook his head. “Never mind. Okay. I’ll drive you back to the arena.”

They’d left her car there earlier.

The easiness that had developed between them throughout the day had disappeared, replaced with a stiff awkwardness. Nicole clasped her hands on her purse on her lap as they drove. She’d accepted that date with Paul, who she’d met on the plane, because it was time for her to move on, to date someone outside the hockey world. Nobody was ever going to insult her again because of dating a hockey player. She was sticking to her resolution on this, no matter how tempting the big, charming man beside her was. But damn, it was hard! Especially since he seemed to like her too. It was enough to make her melt like a skating rink in the spring.

Seems like I just announced this contract and already I have a release date! One Man Advantage will be out April 25! Yay!

Here's the blurb:

After her ex trashes her reputation in front of the media and it quickly goes viral, Nicole vows she’ll never get involved with another hockey player. Too bad her job with the Minneapolis Caribou puts her in contact with sexy hockey players on a daily basis, including the newly traded center, Logan Heller. Logan’s pretty sure Nicole is the perfect woman for him and he’s determined to have her—in and out of bed. Nicole is equally determined to never date another hockey player. But Logan has a one man advantage...he knows what she really wants.

Sadly I don't have a cover yet! But I'll  put it up here as soon as I do.

I do have a cover! Here it is!

I'm so excited about this book coming out because I've had SO many emails from readers wanting to know when the next "hockey story" will be out. Here it is!  As you can see from the blurb, this is Logan Heller's story. He's just as big and strong and sexy as his older brothers Tag (Faceoff) and Jase (Breakaway) but it's not easy being the little brother of two such successful pro athletes. And I found a great girl for him - Nicole is also strong and sexy and I think she's the perfect match for him.

 

I got me some cover love to share with y'all!! Two covers in one week, woo hoo and they are AWESOME!

First up:  SWEET DEAL

Sweet Deal is a sexy contemporary romance and will be out June 12:

 And...HOT RIDE!
This is a romantic adventure, something a little different for me and I love, love, LOVE this cover:

	A goat has been given in your name to bring lasting abundance to hungry families. For impoverished families, a gift of one or even two goats is a fantastic milk, food and income source. The family will also receive training on how to breed the goat and start a business. Because of you, this precious gift can even be the start of a flourishing dairy business for the family that receives it. Thank you!

Dear Twitter Followers, Thanks for following and for supporting World Vision! Sincerely, Kelly Jamieson

The first book - Jason's story

I don't have the contract actually back yet but I think it's safe to announce this new sale to Ellora's Cave, since we're already done the edits! Just waiting for a cover and release date, which I'll share here as soon as I know!

One Man Advantage is my third "hockey" book, and features the third Heller brother, Logan. I think I found a great woman for him! (You'd think I'm a matchmaker not a writer, LOL!)

The second book - Tag's story

Here's the unofficial blurb for One Man Advantage:

After her ex trashes her reputation in front of the media and it quickly goes viral, Nicole Lambert vows she'll never get involved with another hockey player. Too bad her job with the Minneapolis Caribou puts her in contact with sexy hockey players on a daily basis, including with newly traded center, Logan Heller. Logan's pretty sure Nicole is the perfect woman for him and he’s determined to have her. Nicole is equally determined to never date another hockey player. But Logan has a one man advantage...he knows what she really wants.

The RT Booklovers Convention is coming soon!  I'll be there again this year, in Chicago, April 11-13. I'm looking forward to connecting with friends I made last year and meeting new people! This year five of the Nine Naughty Novelists will be there and along with the Smutketeers, we're hosting the Cover Model Karaoke party! Come sing along with hot cover models! Take home schwag! It's going to be so much fun!

The five of us Naughty Nine will also be doing a panel on social networking and using the group blog as a platform. We'll be talking about our experiences (not that we're world experts on social networking!) and how things have worked for us.

Also I'll be participating in a panel discussion on Erotic Romance, along with (OMG) Reece Butler, Kate Pearce, Lindsey Faber, Kelli Collins and agent Miriam Kriss. Should be hot!

If you're at RT I hope you'll get a chance to say hi and chat!

Other news...

I've been fortunate to get a few good reviews lately...

RT Book Reviews:

ONE WICKED NIGHT
by Kelly Jamieson
Genre: Erotic Romance, E-book

RT Rating

This wonderful story is as much about family as it is the M/M/F and M/M relationships depicted. The connections among the characters flesh out a well-designed plot that is both witty and heart-wrenching.

Kaelin isn’t prepared for bad boys Tyler and Nick to come back to town for her best friend’s wedding. After a few drinks at the rehearsal dinner, Kaelin sheds her good-girl image and heads for Tyler and Nick’s hotel room. Not only does she instigate a threesome, she discovers the men are lovers — and comes close to neglecting her duties as maid of honor. Trouble comes once again for the guys as someone spots them at the hotel with a woman, bringing back long-buried memories. (SAMHAINPUBLISHING.COM, dl $5.50)
Reviewed By: Donna M. Brown


Booked Up Reviews said about One Wicked Night: "...I love the way the author makes you feel like it is happening to you and how Ms. Kelly Jamieson makes the characters so lovable and exasperating. Meanwhile, she makes you want to hit Tyler upside the head and tell him to talk to people instead of just letting them believe the bad instead of the good....This is a very good book which keeps you on the edge of your seat and a tissue in hand. Be sure that you are ready for a heartbreaking and heart-healing book before you read this one because it takes you the full circle of emotions all in one short book."

And for Rule of Three from Fresh Fiction :

"RULE OF THREE is a beautifully written modern love story. Much like modern design esthetics, it's deceptively simple, with clean and simple lines. While the erotica element is prominent, it is ultimately a romance that expands the definition of "couple" to include three people. I was drawn to the three main characters; they are strong, loving, independent, and utterly comfortable in who they are and what they want."