Crystal Jordan :: Blog

So, the plan today is to pick up Diana Pharaoh Francis, fantasy and urban fantasy author extraordinaire, and drag her around to sign the books the have on stock in the Sacramento area bookstores. On Christmas Eve. Pray for us.

The good news is, we’re not buying anything, so we don’t have to stand in line. The bad news is: traffic and fighting for a parking space. The kind of attitude holiday shoppers have just might make me whip out my inner Valley Girl on their asses. She’s a scary side of Crystal. Me. Whatever.

Some of the fun goodness that might be signed? (I just love showing off the artwork pretties)

So, I’ve been reading a couple of things lately…well, I’m also rereading them because I liked them so well. I give my personal seal of awesome to these books.

Soulless
by Gail Carriger

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire — and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

Buy it here

Heart Change
by Robin D. Owens

Signet D’Marigold’s lonely life is shaken when a prophet reveals she is a catalyst for change. But to accept her new life-and the charge of the noble child Avellana-means embracing a danger that may be fatal for them both. Especially when Signet’s attraction to her new bodyguard signals a secret enemy sworn to destroy them.

Buy it here

Clockwork Heart
by Dru Pagliassotti

A steampunkish romantic fantasy set in Ondinium, a city that beats to the ticking of a clockwork heart. Taya, a metal-winged courier, can travel freely across the city’s sectors and mingle indiscriminately among its castes. A daring mid-air rescue leads to involvement with two scions of an upperclass family and entanglement in a web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and secrets.

Buy it here

So, I wasn’t feeling too hot yesterday and decided to spend the day lolling about and reading books. I didn’t finish anything, but jumped around to a few different ones to enjoy favorite passages. Then I figured, why not share what I was reading with you? Maybe you’d like them, too!

First up? Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard. I love Jaine. I love Sam. They made me laugh, they made me want to smack them, and they had great chemistry. What more could I ask for?

Next, I went a little filthy with Robin Rotham’s BIG Temptation. Jillian’s repressed. Barett’s Mr. Domination Freak. These two are a big old powder keg–fun to watch explode.

Then it was the girl’s turn to be on top, in The Vampire Queen’s Servant by Joey Hill. This one, I hadn’t read before, so I was just diving in to the first few chapters. So far, verrrrry entertaining.

The last one was Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells. Unlike the others, this was women’s fiction along the lines of Practical Magic, with a little Steel Magnolias thrown in. Very poignant, but not overly sweet or melodramatic, which is good.

Okay, I’m not really that entertaining or funny, but I’ve been entertaining people lately. I had dinner last Saturday with the very pregnant Gemma Halliday, where I gave her all the latest gossip with me and told her all about RWA, which she had to miss because she has her belly alien about to hatch. I got pics of the baby belly.

Being author-types, we went on to the bookstore to sign stock and found our friend Shelli Stevens’s new book.

We were also randomly amused by some classic harlequin titles.

Then, on Monday, I ran around and scooped Kate Pearce up from her house and dragged her into San Francisco, where we sprang IASPR President Sarah Frantz from the airport during her million-hour lay-over for some food and chattering. The restaurant, suggested by Mr. Pearce, was fabulous. Don’t tell Weight Watchers, but I totally had the chocolate cake with fudge sauce and ice cream. Mmmm.

Sarah and Kate.

Me and Sarah.

Mad Madam M still here! I promise Crys will be back later this week. Until then, you’re stuck with me. In the mean time, I figured I should post at least once about something romance related. It only seems fitting…

Last year I got to attend the RWA conference in San Francisco as Crystal’s plus one. While there, I got to meet Hannah Howell, my favorite author. I own all of her back catalog and have read the entire Highland Series more times than I would ever admit in public. Even Crys knows the names of many of the characters and she’s never read any of the books. Even more telling, I’ve read her books with paranormal elements, something I normally don’t enjoy.

Anyway, I didn’t want to be one of those idiot fans that rambled on about how much I loved the one scene or that one character and so I asked about her upcoming releases. I have to admit, while I love her work, I’d grown somewhat tired of the highland setting. It turns out, she was tired of it as well. She made the comment that she had decided she needed to go in a different direction when she noticed she was using “ken,” “och” and “aye” in her everyday life.

If He’s Wicked is the first book in her new series and boy is it a blast of fresh air! I read it in one sitting…it was that spell-bounding. The characters are fun and the storyline is well constructed and interesting. I will say the cover art and title – as is the case for many books – has pretty much nothing to do with the book. From just looking at the front of the book, I thought it might have werewolves. I mean “wicked” is in the title and there is a full moon in a very purple sky. However, it’s the heroine that has a touch of magic. I totally recommend this book if you are looking for a fun, summer read!

I spent the day wrestling with my insurance company to get everything transferred over to California from Utah (DMV is on Thursday–that wounded-animal whimper you’re hearing is me), and I emerged triumphant! For my pain and suffering, I had to go and buy some new books. Some women like shoes, some like handbags, some want the bling. Me? Books. Lots and lots of book. What? I didn’t become a writer because I hated them, now did I?

I signed a couple of On The Prowls and Carnal Desires, so if you’re at the Pruneyard Barnes & Noble in San Jose, autographed books await you!

However, on to the goodies I bought for myself. I even grabbed a few pictures. Yes, I’m the Casper the Friendly Ghost type chick. Writing is an indoor sport!

First, I hit the Young Adult section (you know, after I scoured the romance area, of course) and picked up Vamped by the awesome agently one, Lucienne Diver.

See? I totally bought it. Hmm…now how do I get her to sign it when I’m west coast and she’s east coast? Must contemplate. P.S. If you don’t read her blog, you really should. I think she’d doing a special week on historicals right now!

Then I moved on to the Science Fiction/Fantasy section (because I’m a nerd and that’s just how I roll) and went all squee fangirl over Diana Pharaoh Francis’s swath of shelving.

And after I divested them of some of their stock, there was magically room to face her books out.

Oh, yes, that book was mine. That one right there. I’m pointing to it. Mine, mine, MINE!

Though I have no idea what my head is doing in that shot. Or why my lips disappeared when I smiled. Ah, well! The good news is, Di’s got the first in an urban fantasy series called the Horngate Witches releasing this fall.

I. Can’t. Freaking. Wait.

What? You didn’t think the fluttery fangirling went away once you were published, did you? Silly rabbits!

Eden Bradley’s over at Hooked on Romance getting interviewed. Go read the fun stuff!

My friend and fellow writer, Eden Bradley, has a release out today that I wanted to mention to you called FORBIDDEN FRUIT.

Here’s the details I stole from her website:

FORBIDDEN FRUIT, my sexy, sensual food fetish book, is out today! Look for it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online, Border’s online, or at your local bookstores!

I had such a great time writing this book. My favorite research materials were whipped cream and strawberries, which I plan to take with me to my Playboy Radio interview on November 11th-stay tuned for details!

I really tuned into the sensual aspects of food while writing this book; food is one of the great sensual pleasures in life, for me, anyway. What are yours? A steamy bath? Silk pajamas? I’m sure some of you have ideas I haven’t thought of…I hope you’ll share!

While you’re thinking about it, here’s the blurb for FORBIDDEN FRUIT:

Sometimes the forbidden…

is irresistible…

One taste is never enough.

For university professor Mia Rose Curry, it was all academic: her course in alternate sexuality was a safe, socially-acceptable way for her to talk about the things she desires most—but has never let herself experience. And while students crammed into her class to learn about fetishes, bondage, voyeurism and much more, Mia kept her own raging desires, and her most private fantasies, carefully under wraps…until one student undressed her with his eyes…

Jagger James is everything Mia wants and everything taboo, yet Mia can’t help imagining drawing closer and closer to this forbidden fruit. She soon discovers how much Jagger wants her, demanding she abandon every inhibition with him. Now, they are about to take a dangerous step, tempting each other’s flesh, savoring every touch and breaking every rule in the book—knowing that this dazzling, sensual feast is only a taste of something more to come…

And just for my blog readers, an excerpt from the book:

“That was an amazing meal, Jagger. Thank you.”

“It was my pleasure. I have dessert back at my place.”

“Oh, I don’t…I don’t think I should.”

“You’ll be ready for something sweet by the time we get there. Or we can sit and have some more wine first.”

“No, I don’t mean…Jagger, I shouldn’t go back to your place. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I need to figure some things out before I…” She trailed off, too unsure of what she needed to say, what she needed to do.

“It’s alright. I understand. I’ll walk you to your car, then.”

She nodded, half grateful he hadn’t argued the point with her and half wishing he had.

God, you really are a mess.

They moved down the street, the night air cool on her face, but Jagger’s presence was warm next to her. As they walked, he took her hand, just a gentle twining of fingers around hers. It felt good. Better than it should have, and the sensation wasn’t entirely sexual. It was more, a different kind of heat that moved through her chest, loosened her up inside. Opened her up.

They reached her car, a silver Mini Cooper, parked only a few doors down from Jagger’s building, a little too quickly.

“This is me.” She tried to drop his hand, but he held on.

“Come upstairs with me, Mia Rose,” Jagger said softly.

She wanted to. Every cell in her body wanted nothing more than to go upstairs with him, to let him kiss her again, touch her. She blew out a long breath, leaned back against the passenger door of her car.

“I can’t, Jagger.”

“Alright. But I’m not going to let you go without kissing you.”

He leaned in, and she found herself lifting her face to his, her mind emptying even before his mouth met hers. Then it was just the cool, plush texture of his lips on hers, that soft press of flesh upon flesh. Her hands went around his neck, his skin so hot and smooth there, and he moved in closer, leaning into her, the weight of his body pressing her into the car. When his tongue moved her lips apart, he slid inside. She went soft and loose all over, her breasts aching for more than the hard press of his chest against hers, with the layers of sweater between them.

In moments she was panting, wet. And he deepened the kiss, the heat of his mouth making her crazy. She wanted him. Wanted him to fuck her. Right there. Right now.

His hips were hard up against hers, and that solid ridge of flesh pushed against her belly.

God.

Her hips tilted, her sex filled, throbbed, wanting, wanting. But she wasn’t supposed to be doing this.

She was not supposed to be doing this.

He kissed her harder, wet and hurting, bruising her lips. His hands gripped her waist, his fingers biting into her, and all she wanted was more. God, she could almost come if he only kissed her long enough, just kissed her like this.

He pulled back, brushed her hair with his lips, with his cheek. He was breathing as hard as she was. He still had her up against the car, his body pressing her against the cold steel. His hands slid down over her hips, dug in again. She couldn’t have moved even if he hadn’t been holding her so tightly. She could barely breathe. She didn’t want to.

“Jagger…”

“Fuck. I’m sorry, Mia Rose.”

“No. That’s not it.”

“What, then?” He looked down at her, his eyes glittering in the silvery light of the street lamp a few feet away.

The words came out on a half whisper.

“I don’t want you to stop.”

***********

FORBIDDEN FRUIT was a Romantic Times Top Pick, and a Recommended Read at Fallen Angels. Here’s what people are saying about FORBIDDEN FRUIT:

“Eden Bradley has written one of the best erotic romances I have read this year…”

~Fallen Angels Reviews

“…Bradley delivers the goods. There is intense intimacy and heart-wrenching emotions… This is delicious and delightful from the first page until the conclusion.”

~Romantic Times

“Graphic, loving, and incredibly well-written, the sex scenes ratchet up the drama with unbelievable intensity…sexual desire intertwines with emotional intensity, resulting in a book you won’t want to put down…A thoroughly delightful read. Don’t miss FORBIDDEN FRUIT.” ~Romance Junkies

For more details on FORBIDDEN FRUIT, or any of my other books, visit my website!

Please join us at Romance Divas THIS WEEKEND!

Friday October 10th and Saturday October 11th, we will be joined by some huge names in fantasy and fantasy-romance for a workshop on what the difference really is between the two genres.

Please join us at Romance Divas THIS WEEKEND!

Friday October 10th and Saturday October 11th, we will be joined by some huge names in fantasy and fantasy-romance for a workshop on what the difference really is between the two genres.