Spotlight on Jess Michaels - - Guest Post & Giveaway

There's something special about discovering an author at the beginning of their publication journey. We get to watch their writing skills grow, see them push the boundaries of their comfort zones, branching out to explore new horizons, and, in the case of today's guest, we have the special joy of celebrating a big milestone, one many authors never achieve. I've been following Jess Michaels' career - and reading her books - for almost twenty years. I've had the pleasure of spending time with her in person at romance conferences over those years. I'm delighted to welcome her today as she counts down to the release of her 100th book. 

Welcome, Jess! 

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Hi everyone and thanks so much to The Romance Dish for having me as a guest today! If you don’t know me, I’m Jess Michaels and I write historical romance…very spicy historical romance. And I write a lot of it because my 100^th book will be out in just about a month (100 Nights with the Duke). The crazy thing is that I’ve known PJ from The Romance Dish for almost the entire span of that career. So when we started talking about this feature, we couldn’t help but talk about this milestone in terms of how it started and the path it took.

I started writing full-time in 1999 and sold my first two novellas to Red Sage Publishing, a now defunct small press, in 2003. In 2004, I sold my first full-length novels to HarperCollins (Avon) under my Jenna Petersen name, which is when I met PJ. Back then, there wasn’t really a structure for indie publishing (you could sell books from the back of your car, essentially) and none of my first few books even had eBook versions. But Scandalous, my debut with Avon, did really well and I was excited about my career and its trajectory.

Fast-forward to my 30^th book. That was A Scoundrel’s Surrender and it was my last book with Avon. I’d published 18 of those 30 books with them, under both Jess Michaels and Jenna Petersen. But it was time to shift. The industry was changing, I had different options and the working relationship there no longer allowed me to thrive. I moved on, first to Samhain Publishing (which closed in 2015) and then to indie publishing.

Which brings me to book 50. The Scoundrel’s Lover (funny that 30 and 50 were both Scoundrel in the title LOL). This was my second book after I’d gone completely indie (I’d dipped my toe in before but this was all in). This book is really special because I introduced my sexy Regency underground club, the Donville Masquerade and it features a fan favorite hero, Marcus Rivers. I felt the turn in my career right about here. The realization that indie publishing was a much better place for me as an artist and human. And I hit the USA Today with the next book in that series (The Widow Wager).

By book 75, I’d hit that same bestseller list 10 times. The Last Duke marked the end of my most popular and well-loved series, the 1797 Club series. When people ask me where to start on this very massive list of mine, I always point them to The Daring Duke (1797 Club 1) because this is the series I seem to be most well-known for.

And now we’re here, or almost here. 100 Books. And I have to tell you, I’m so excited for this one to come out on May 10. 100 Nights with the Duke was something I wrote very intentionally to speak to the roots of my Jess Michaels career. It’s very sexy, it features a courtesan heroine who is extremely sex positive and a duke hero who absolutely worships the ground she walks on. I wrote all the desperate longing, all the “it can’t be” goodness that I think people like about what I do. And if it’s the only book people ever read of mine, I think it will be a good punctuation point on who I am as a writer.

And so now I look forward to the future. I’m not young in my career by any stretch, but I’m still pretty young in my life (46 this year). I have a long time to keep writing and creating. And I’ve already got the next 50 books and ten years planned…some of it written down, some of it just floating around in my head. Seeing that path laid out before me and turning around to look at the long and lovely path behind me…well, that’s just icing on a delicious cake. Thanks to all of my readers who have taken and keep taking the walk with me.

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Thanks for sharing your journey with us, Jess. I'm eager to read 100 Nights with the Duke and wish you continued success with your next 100 books! 

Readers, have you read Jess's books yet? Do you have a favorite?

Two randomly chosen people who post a comment before 11:00 PM, April 8 will each receive an e-book copy of The Daring Duke. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited

 

Review - - Betrothed by Christmas

Betrothed by Christmas

A Holiday Duet

By Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex

Publisher: The Passionate Pen, LLC

Release Date: October 15, 2019

Reviewed by Santa

 

I love the holidays and my favorite part – aside from the food – yum, those seven fishes and roast beef with all the trimmings. I digress. My favorite part of the holidays are Christmas romances. And though I loathe to see holiday decorations in the stores, I look forward to Christmas romances filling my hands as early as October. Betrothed by Christmas by Jess Michaels and Elizabeth Essex duet, a romance novella duet, is a five star, hot, hot read that fits the bill. 

I have been a fan of both authors for many years. Their stories are connected by the heroines Evangeline and Tamsin who we meet over a bowl of flaming brandy. I kid. They watch as lackwit lords haul the bowl into the ballroom and prepare to burn off a brow or two as they try to catch a flaming raisin. They both agree that a life of independence is far better than marrying any one of these gents. As young ladies of the ton, they have little choice in this area. Or do they?

The answer to their individual dilemmas is for them to seek out MALE WALLFLOWERS! Hold the phone! Not a rake? Not a rouge? You heard it right, male wallflowers. Where does one find one? Against a wall? By a potted plant? Nope. The library where you’d be surprised to find more than one or two.

Jess Michaels’ “A Lady’s Gift for Seduction” has you cheering for Evangeline and Henry from the first moment Evangeline, the daughter of a duke, approaches Henry, an astrologer and a third son of a viscount. Henry has lived across the park from her father for many years. She hopes to marry and keep her independence and control over her life. Her dowry guarantees that Henry can pursue his research while she continues to be in control of everything else. Both are in for an eye-opening experience as they come to find they are so much more together.

Elizabeth Essex’s “A Lady’s Gift for Scandal” brings Tamsin and Simon. Tamsin wants nothing more than an independent life much like her aunt who holds salons and does as she pleases. Her aunt came to this lifestyle following a scandal and that’s just what Tamsin thinks she needs. Not a huge scandal, just a slight one. That’s where Simon comes in. He seems a retiring sort who presents to the ton as somewhat simple since returning from the war. Our man Simon has built up a reputation that keeps others at bay but not Tamsin whose arrangements bring them both exactly what didn’t know they needed all along.

Go ahead, snuggle on the couch with a throw, sip your pumpkin spice latte and enjoy Betrothed by Christmas!

Review - - An Affair in Winter

An Affair in Winter
By Jess Michaels
Publisher: The Passionate Pen
Release Date: July 12, 2016
 

 

Widow Rosalinde Wilde is on her way to her beloved sister’s wedding when an unexpected storm waylays her at an overcrowded inn. There she meets a tempting stranger who sweeps her into a night of unforgettable passion. 

Grayson Danford never expected a night with the irresistible Mrs. Wilde, but she was a welcome distraction from the unpleasant duty of breaking up his brother’s impending nuptials. He’s shocked when he discovers his passionate lover is none other than the sister of his brother's intended. 

Now Rosalinde and Gray will butt heads, even as their simmering desire for each other threatens to boil over. Who will win? And who might lose it all? 



Jess Michaels kicks off her new historical romance series with a sensual, appealing tale of stranded strangers who indulge in a night of nameless passion only to find themselves on opposite sides of an upcoming wedding the next day. I have to say, I really enjoyed this story. Gray and Rosalinde have an immediate physical connection that refuses to stay in the shadows even though their minds tell them they shouldn't do anything about it once they discover the obstacle of Rosalinde's sister's betrothal to Gray's brother. They both have their sibling's best interests at heart and valid reasons for their feelings about the upcoming wedding. A widow, Rosalinde still believes in love and marriage, even though her own was not ideal and wants only happiness for her sister. She also has very good reasons for wanting to remove her sister from their grandfather's controlling thumb. Gray, on the other hand, has watched both of his siblings suffer through the heartbreak of bad relationships and wants to protect them from repeating their mistakes. He views Rosalinde's sister as a scheming, social climber and tries his best to remove his brother from her clutches.

Watching Gray and Rosalinde push their agendas while (unsuccessfully) battling their mutual attraction at the same time is a delight. Both characters are well developed and likable - their banter, a delight and their mutual attraction, emotional and steamy. I found myself cheering for them, both individually and as a couple and wondering how Michaels was going to bring everything (for them and their siblings) to a satisfactory conclusion. Never fear. She does just that and in a very satisfying manner, giving one couple a happy-ever-after and setting the stage for the next book in the series. I'm already fully invested in all of these characters and looking forward to each of their books. Next up is the September 6th release of book two, A Spring Deception. Count me in! 

~PJ

Today's Special - - Jess Michaels

Jess Michaels is a woman with multiple personae.  She writes historical romance as Jenna Petersen, snarky urban fantasy as Jesse Petersen and, as Jess Michaels, is an award-winning author of erotic historical romance.   I first met this talented author -and really fun lady - as Jenna Petersen but today we're welcoming her as Jess Michaels, writing geek.  When Jess isn't busy writing, she can be found hiking the desert surrounding her Arizona home, spending time with family and designing jewelry (which she sells).  Find more information about her at her website.

Welcome, Jess!

Confessions of a Romance Writing Geek

Jess Michaels

Hi everyone and thanks so much to PJ and Andrea for having me here on Romance Dish. I think we’ve known each other since the dawn of time. Okay, so maybe more like 7-8 years. Sometimes that feels like the dawn of time to me.  But some of you lovely readers may not know me quite so well, so here is what you need to know about me: I write erotic historical romance as Jess Michaels set in the Regency period. I write dark, emotional erotic stories and it’s pretty darn fun. I have also written historical romance as Jenna Petersen and I write snarky urban fantasy as Jesse Petersen. I wear a lot of hats.

But the big thing I’m here to talk about today is I am also a self-proclaimed, loud and proud geek. It didn’t used to be cool to say that. As a kid, my geekish tendencies had me ignored on the playground, but now is a great time to be a geek. So how am I a geek? Well, my home is decorated with art from comic books, Star Wars and Venture Brothers for one. I am a huge fan of anime. I wear t-shirts with Star Wars on them and lines from Portal (a video game). Oh, and I play video games. A lot. And Munchkin.

So basically, your happy geek. But lately I’ve been thinking about the fact that my geekishness is what helps me write. As a kid, I was always entangled in pretending. My brother and I had friends (The Davlin Kids) who used to come to stay with their Dad in the summers. As soon as they got to town, they’d practically live at our house, playing Star Wars, writing our own movies and generally wreaking havoc on the order of my Mom and Dad’s house.

Pretending got me through a lot of days. Telling and acting out stories was a fun escape we all indulged in. Now I do it for a living. Though instead of acting out the stories I’m telling, I write them down on the page and eventually they become available for mass consumption. I don’t think I’d be doing that if I hadn’t played Princess Leia in a dozen new adventures in my back yard as a kid.

So what makes you geek out? Or did you ever do anything as a kid that led you to the path you’re on now?