This has been one incredibly long day. Because of the day job and a four plus hour trip north with two girls under 3 1/2, yes. But more so because I was without Internet. I had it this morning briefly and then as I sat down to get to work and do my post and all that jazz, it was gone.

I don’t know when I became quite so Net dependent, but I find without it my world feels very tiny and I get next to nothing done. Now we are at my brother’s place, and have Net again–yeah!–but it’s already after midnight and I am quite exhausted. As such, I am going to keep this short and leave it to announcing the contest winners from last week.

Congratulations to….

+ Sara Hurt
+ Lisa W
+ Jane
+ Dina
+ Jolene
+ kh

You were all drawn at random to received a signed paperback or ecopy of one of my books. Please email me at Contest@jodilynncopeland.com and I will get back with you as soon as I return home on Sunday night, given the Internet is back up. If it isn’t… shudder … well, let’s just hope it is!

~ jodi

I love books! What’s not to like, right? So it’s no little frustration that I simply don’t have enough room to keep all these books. With six releases out last year and seven this year, the boxes of books keep coming and my husband is starting to get a little perturbed about all these books laying about. Many I send off for review, to friends, family, through contests, then save more for future contests, and still I have a ton of books!

So how about I give some away?

I am attempting to pack up the girls and myself to leave in a couple hours for a weekend away at my parents, so I will make this really easy. To enter to win a signed copy of one my books–will leave which one up to the winners–just join my newsletter group. You can join by sending a blank email to: PassionPress-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com. I get a notice whenever new members arrive. Or if you already belong, just respond to this post with any ol’ comment at all.

I will post a half dozen winners or so when I return from the weekend. Until then, I hope yours is a great one!

~ jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com

Morning y’all!

I always love Fridays, but this one especially. It has been a long week and, unfortunately, not for staying up late writing. The baby and 3 year old were both down (or up and running to the bathroom *eww*) with a bad viral bug for the bulk of it. Then life took over in other ways, reminding me how precious little time I really do have for author stuff, then the poor older girl tripped and rammed face forward into the wall. She has a nice swollen eye and a bruised cheek to show for it, but it appears otherwise is okay–thank God!

In the midst of the sickies and uckies, I did have a great chat time with the TalkingTwoLips bunch, and I did get my new website up for the most part. I am still adding the links, blog, and more excerpts, but a new contest is up, as well as some other stuff, so do check it out!

I also received in some great reviews for Escape To Ecstasy, including a Recommended Read from Two Lips Reviews, and then I was asked to write a free serial online read for eHarlequin in the Spice vein. I got the idea approved and will be getting to work on that soon. The eight chapter mini-story will be posted from early May to late June. It’s going to be a light paranormal, and should be a lot of fun. Will post a reminder when the date draws near, so you can check it out. Free is good!

I also am continuing to get in some good reading. I have missed reading like crazy, so just eating up all those lovely words. Reading Lisa Renee Jone’s latest White Knight story right now. If you haven’t checked them out yet, they are released through Harlequin’s Nocturne imprint and are awesome!

Breakfast is calling, as well as more coffee. After that I am looking forward to finally getting some more writing in and more web updates. How about you? Any good plans for the day/weekend?

~ jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com
ESCAPE TO ECSTASY, Kensington Aphrodisia ~ Just released!
“Recommended Read! This is one powerful read…” -Tina@TTL
“5 stars! I was up half the night reading this story…” -Stefani@JERR

Good morning to all! And it is a good morning. The most wonderful thing happened last night–I slept almost 9 hours. I went to bed at 12:30 and the baby didn’t wake til 5:30 to eat and then again not until 9:30. Part of me was a little worried since she went 7 hours without eating but most of me was ecstatic. Could this be an emerging pattern? Might I actually get to return to a relatively normal sleep schedule? Not that I’ve ever slept 9 hours a night in years, but what a concept!

I haven’t had much of a chance for checking blog posts this last week so I just got to go through the BB ones now. Great topic, Denise, on promotion! What a huge and endless thing. With Escape To Ecstasy showing up in stores and now shipping from the online vendors, my head is again spinning with ways to get it out there. I guess we just do our best, what we can afford, and hope it’s enough.

Going with the topic of what readers want, I am in dire need of a website overhaul. I have been hoping to get to this for a couple months now, but am determined to make it happen before I run out of maternity leave in a few weeks. So I’m wondering that reoccuring question… What are the best components of a website? What do you want to see? Are there colors you love, or those that turn you off? How often do you want to see updates?

I am also concentrating on writing. After a long dry spell it so awesome to be back to writing! I wrapped up my first NAL Heat release (a 10/09 release with Cathryn Fox and Lisa Renee Jones) last week and am now working on a paranormal shifter proposal with both a fun and suspense angle. This one is going down fast, so hoping that’s a great omen. Back to the NAL Heat story. I have to admit I finished this one wondering if there is enough heat. Normally this isn’t something I wonder over, but this set of stories is largely family focused and I think that angle, as well as the romance one, might overshadow, or at least equal, the heat. If you read Heat, would that be an issue for you?

Before I head out, here’s a (non erotic) taste of Escape To Ecstasy, which Stefani at JERR had to say the following on…

“To date, this is my favorite story from this author!… I was up half
the night reading this story and didn’t want it to end. It was the perfect combination of sensual foreplay, sexual tension that exploded into keep-you-up-all-night-sexcapades.”

If you are interested in reading a .pdf ARC of the book and posting a review on your site, blog, or an online vendor site like Amazon, shoot me an email to: Author@jodilynncopeland.com. Note, I think my email is being wonky and eating half of what I send out, so if you don’t hear back, please try again.

Have a good one!

~ jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com

Can’t get the excerpt to post the way I want, so here it be in the postie…

** This is an excerpt with Chris, the hero whose thought starts the scene out, and Nic, the guy he suspects is up to no good at the healing resort’s expense **

How intelligent was it to put his life into the hands of a guy he knew hated him?

Without looking his way, Nic started the engine and pulled down a narrow path surrounded by a copse of trees and underbrush. A short distance down the path converged onto the gravel road that surrounded the island. The terrain grew mountainous after the first mile, the road rising up sharply along with it. More of the camouflaging trees and sporadic bursts of wildflowers filled up the landscape on the left. On the right, the road’s shoulder dropped off at an almost perfect ninety degree angle. Jagged rocks protruded from the dark, wind-whipped waters fifty feet below.

“Someone was to get pushed down there, the body would never be found,” Nic commented wryly.

Chris had planned to spend the ride in silence, wait until they reached the gym to attempt to get him talking. Now, he couldn’t resist looking over and sneering. “Planning on pushing me out?”

“I’m not the murderer here.”

Chris’s rage returned in an instant. Fuck, he should have known Nic couldn’t resist taunting him. “Whatever you think you know, I suggest you check your facts.”

He glanced over, mouth curved in a shit-eating grin and humor gleaming in his eyes. “It’s killing you, isn’t it? Wondering who my source is and how much they told me? Like I said before, enough. A few words to the right people and you’ll wish I’d pushed you out.”

“Then why don’t you speak them?”

“Big brother.” Nic let the words linger as he turned off the gravel road onto the dirt one leading to several of the employee cabins and the gym that had been converted from a one-time polebarn. The steel structure appeared ahead, and he added, “It’s just a matter of time before Treah sees the light. When he does, you can bet I won’t be the only one standing in line to put a nail in your coffin.” He pulled the Jeep into a parking spot in front of the gym. “Door to door service. So much for being an asshole, eh, cazzo?”

Chris climbed out. He frowned when Nic didn’t make a move to shut off the engine. “You’re not coming in?”

“Never planned to. I’ve got business to do.” Barely waiting for Chris to clear the Jeep’s front tires, Nic backed out of the spot and took off in the direction they’d come from. The office was in that direction. Of course, so was a good deal of the employee cabins. But what business would Nic have to do in someone else’s cabin when the women were on the island and his wasn’t along for the ride?

Whatever the business, something told Chris it couldn’t be good.

Here we are, nine days into the New Year and I am already behind. I think this takes care of my resolution to stay on top of things better this year, and thank Goodness for that, one less thing to stress over. So I spent my New Years with my two little girls. The hubby had to work and my stepson was at his mom’s. Since my 3-year-old never wants to sleep at night anyway I didn’t have to feel bad keeping her up till midnight. Actually I think she kept me up. Then we headed to bed for a sleepover in Mom’s room, which thrilled her. Then I woke up four times to feed the baby and another three to rub the older one’s back and calm her down from nightmares.

Unfortunatley I am following that theme of doing what I did the first day of the year the rest of the year and spending every night shuffling between feeding baby and calming her sis from bad dreams. Fortunately I am making some writing progress along the way and the baby is still sleeping a good deal. Now if could just find a chance to sleep… Ooh and let’s not think about what will happen when I return to the day job. Really loving this SAHM thing.

This New Years I was hit with the usual rash of emails inquiring about ongoing series I haven’t finished with Ellora’s Cave. And like every New Years I still want to finish them and am hoping this year is the one. Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky and it really will be–it all comes down to finding the time. I’m also hoping to get the website overhauled, which I know is sadly long overdue. And about ten gazillion other things.

On the baby note, thanks to all for the well wishes and inquiries on her progress. She’s doing great! She packed on almost 2 pounds in the first four weeks, compliments of all those nightly feedings and her sister dropping a pound of ketchup on her head (see my newsletter for details). The great thing about the feedings is I lost the pounds gained while pregnant. Now if I can just rid of the excess hips life will be grand.

With my last post I gave away two copies of Escape To Ecstasy, which is due in stores anyday. I heard from one of the winners but not the others. And, yes, I am blanking on names right now and on the wrong computer to check my author emails. Anyway, if you did win and didn’t hear back from me, please shoot me another email. I got very behind for a while and I may have lost you in the shuffle.

Breakfast is calling…well, the kids are calling saying they need breakfast…so best get to it. Wishing everyone a fab Friday! For those who get my newsletter, I should have a new one out today. To those who don’t but would like to, you can join by clicking on the newsletter loop on my website or shooting an email to: PassionPress-Subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Have a great one!

~ jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com
ESCAPE TO ECSTASY, Kensington Aphrodisia ~ 1.09
IN ENGLISH ARMS, Ellora’s Cave Trade ~ 10.08
SWEET AND SINFUL, Kensington Aphrodisia ~ 7.08

I’m hoping that a late post qualifies as being better than no post at all. A handful of times today it occurred to me I needed to get a post up, but a couple little girls kept delaying my good intentions. While this post is arriving a bit late, I’m overjoyed to share that my second daughter arrived early, both in the early morning hours at 3:00 AM on Tuesday and early in terms of her due date. We are home as of Wednesday afternoon and doing quite well. Now comes the challenge of adjusting daughter number one, who is three and developing quite the bossy ‘tude. But she seems to love baby, so I hold out hope all will go smooth on that front.

I also had a second (clearly not nearly so wonderful) gift arrive this week in the form of a check I wasn’t expecting. It made for a very nice present in that it allowed me to finish some much-needed Christmas and household shopping just on time to be mostly homebound for several weeks.

Then, finally, came a third gift. Yes, I had a very good week to be sure! I received a boxful of author copies of my late January Kensington Aphrodisia release, Escape To Ecstasy. I hadn’t planned on seeing these copies until early to mid January, so the box came as a real shocker. Of course it also means I now have copies to share and, for once, quite a ways in advance.

Interested in receiving a signed copy of Ecstasy? Just respond to this post and I’ll pick a few commentors at random to send a book along to. Good luck and a good weekend to all!

~ Jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com

I was sitting in my office at the day job the other day and could not help overhear my coworker and close friend raving about a book series she just adores. She spent a good hour plus chatting it up to everyone who would listen. Now I love this girl, she is a great friend, but her exuberance started to get on my nerves–if only because I was trying to concentrate on a report that had to get out ASAP. It also left me wondering why I didn’t feel that same energy.

I enjoy reading, but I think I must view it as more of an escape when time allows than a real passion. I just don’t get overly excited about fiction (does this pertain to writing it, sometimes though not always). That being said I have loved some books, but even when I did love them, I soon forgot them. I don’t know if this is because as an author I expect so much from a story that when it delivers I simply see it as meeting my expectations, or just a facet of my personality and where I’m at in my life.

Where do you find your reading experience lies? Do you have certain authors you have to pick up the instant they hit the shelf? Do you hang on every word? Or are you one to read as time allows and enjoy the experience, but enjoy others just as much? Why do you think this is, and do you find your experience has changed as your life changes?

In hindsight, I do now recall a period when I did love reading, had a true passion for it, and would autobuy certain authors. That was before I was married with young kids, before I had to invest so much time in both the day job and night job. Basically, before I had so many other expectations. I guess for me the excitement has gone the way of my free time. So perhaps one day, when I have free time again, I will regain that excitement. Until then, I look forward to finding the rare book that compels me to raving about it when I should be working.

~ jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com

Wishing a very Happy Halloween to all! Of course, the kids are just as anxious as can be to get to the trick or treating. With the time change not until tomorrow night, most of the T&T will be in the light this year, but I figure that can only be a good thing in helping my daughter not to fear all those ghouls and goblins out and about. And, of course, I cannot wait to go digging through their bag of goodies for mommy treats. Seriously, they encourage letting mommy share. Really, they do… After all, what would happen to all those succulent twixs and snickers and dots and all that other goodness otherwise? Even when I do go digging through, it seems we end up throwing out half the stuff each year as no one family can possibly eat that many sweets. But oh what fun (and cavities) to be had in the trying!

I got an early treat this year with the trade paperback release of In English Arms. This is the only historical erotic romance I’ve published to date, but it’s also one of my favorite stories. I love history and getting to spend lots of time researching just makes my day. For now In English Arms is available to order exclusively through the Ellora’s Cave print title website. Then in about another two weeks it should be available on most of the online vendors and also showing up in various bookstores that stock EC titles. You can check out the yummy cover on the left-side blog column. Early on in the print production, I had been shown a different cover which was truly delish, but this one will do quite nicely as well.

So how about you? Are you gearing up for a night of monsters and witches galore? Do you get to do the “T&T goodie walk” with the kidlets? Got any favorite Halloween memories to share?

One particular H-Day that sticks in my mind is when I was about 7 or 8. I grew up in the very rural country and we had to drive from house to house to garner our goodie stash. We were at a house a few miles from my own when our long-lost cat appeared. I was overjoyed! Then came the part of taking kitty home. She did not appreciate the car ride one bit. She spent the ride home, which took about 15 minutes for all the shouting and hissing, jumping from lap to lap, head to head, steering wheel to seat back, digging her nails in all the while. I’m not sure what it is about my family and animals on H-Day, but the year before my sister was cornered by a large dog and knocked backward into a garbage can that swallowed her right up, until little wiggling feet were all that was visible.

I’d love to hear your H-Day tale, be it very old or very new. From those who comment, I will pick someone to receive a signed copy of In English Arms. One note of warning, I am told I won’t be able to get my author copies for a couple more weeks, but I promise to send out the winner’s book just as soon as I have those copies in hand.

Happy Haunting!

~ jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com

Here it is late again and I only just received notice it was my day to post. I rely on Outlook to keep me informed as I’ve no mind as of late, but one must actually use Outlook for that to happen. Today was spent on the day job and then celebrating my daughter’s 3rd birthday, so I am late and I apologize for that. I seriously will try to do better.

Well now what to blog about? As noted I really don’t have much mind these days. I am in the last couple months of pregnancy and my thoughts are saturated with delivery time. I had a real struggle with my daughter in some ways. Her delivery from first contraction to first breath actually was under 7 hours, quite short for a first baby. But in the midst of it, they tried unsuccessfully to give me three epidurals and when that failed, gave me Demural. I can’t take 99% of drugs, including Demural (or however you spell it). Well I didn’t know what they were giving me and by the time I found out, I was lost in la la land. Apparently I said a lot of funny things amidst trying to remember where I was, as my husband and mother still enjoy telling their tales. This time I’ve vowed to tell them straight up no meds. It might hurt, yes, but at least I will be mostly cognizant this way.

Since I am baby obsessed at the moment, I will share that I got to hear two of my favorite words this week… small baby. Our area is notorious for the 10 and 11 pounders. Fortunately, I tend to have the ones that are on the 6-7 side. My doctor said it’s the difference between cornfed mothers and those who live inner city and don’t exactly watch their diets while pregnant. Don’t know about, just know small baby put a big smile on my face.

And since I am baby obsessed, I would love to hear any special stories you have of your own. Whether it’s while you were carrying them, a delivery funny or scary, newborn tales. I just love babies and getting to Ooh and Aah over stories about them is just too fun!!

After spending this summer mostly focusing on the kids, day job, and catching up on sleep, I was relieved to find my writing mojo again. I’ve had a story idea gelling for quite some time. Not all the components were there, but enough that the characters were beginning to do that demanding to be heard thing characters are so good at. Over the last weeks, I finally was able to get their story down in outline format and get quite a bit of the first chapters out. The story is a single-title suspense with lots of twists and turns. This is the genre I started out writing and is also the one I still love to most read and write.

Unfortunately reality then had to dawn in the form of a deadline for another story. This one a contemporary erotic romance novella. To say there is a difference in my process in writing one to the next is vast is putting it mildly. Yes, I still need to invest some forethought into writing the novella, but since the story isn’t focused around a suspense angle and I know my editor mostly wants sizzling heat packed into those very limited pages, I feel like I’ve gone from cramming for a final exam to taking a pop quiz.

Of course, pop quizzes have never been easy for me. In truth, I do better with final exams. And I find the same is true in regards to writing the full-length story with lots of twists over the shorter one that is mostly based around the heat and emotion that centers on a short period in two character’s lifes. Where after cramming for months on the suspense, I was then able to jump right in and get out pages I loved in short order, I am now struggling to find an opening I love and that doesn’t feel cliche in some mode or manner with the novella. I keep hungering for the big story, the grand concept, the endless twists and turns. Not to mention a hundred or so pages to build a relationship before my leads hop into the sack.

On a good note, one twist did surface with the novella that I never saw coming and I do like how that is working with the story. On a not-so-good note, it still isn’t on par with the twists in the suspense, and I find myself wanting to return to the suspense instead of writing the novella. Well, that isn’t something that can happen, since the novella is under contract and due shortly, and the suspense merely a proposal to be shopped around. So for now I am soldering on, bumbling my way through this pop quiz and hoping the result doesn’t read nearly so bumbled in the end. And then, too, reminding myself that a shorter story with less twists and turns can be very nice indeed.

Having said that, I then think, geez, is it? What do you think? Do you enjoy a shorter read with a fast and relatively fun plot? Or is the longer, more gritty tale more your cup of tea? For me, it generally comes down to mood on any given day, though in the end, I would have to say the longer, grittier story almost always wins out.

~ jodi

www.JodiLynnCopeland.com