Scatterings of Thoughts

I wanted everyone to know that I am mailing out baskets and books to the winners this Monday. Unfortunately time has gotten the better of me once again and I am sorry for the delay. I have one basket winner who also has not gotten in touch with me and hasn't given her address to me.

Dominique Harris, can you please email me at jacquelynfrank@hotmail.com or if someone here knows Dominique from this board or another please tell her she won and I need her info!!

I admit, I am overwhelmed lately. Things seem to keep coming at me in huge waves and I am trying to ride them out. There is nothing traumatic really, but everything feels very intense because it keeps rushing at and over me all at once and I feel like I can't get my feet under me. Part of the problem is my jackass shrink screwed with my medication and it made a basket case out of me. Plus I fired him for being, well, a jackass. I started writing a new book, then Bianca showed up. Then my personal assistant, who was a live-in here at the house with her hubby, moved out suddenly. I lean on her so much and I feel a little lost without her immediately at hand. I am hoping things level out. I need a little breather.

I think I have overextended myself in a lot of ways both professional and personal. I spread myself too thin...I've lost track of commitments (destroying my laptop by falling asleep with hot cocoa in my hands didn't help) and am afraid I have forgotten a few things along the way. I hope I haven't let anyone down. After the mailing this Monday I should be all caught up at last, my laptop is all fixed and I finally have my schedule back in hand. Phew.

I wanted to remind you guys I have two appearances coming up very soon. Despite my better judgment and my fears about doing a signing close to home, I agreed to do one at Fireside Books. Here is the address.

Fireside Books & Gifts

2270 Hwy 74A Byp., Ste. 509

Forest City, NC 28043

(828)245-5188

The date of the event is from 5pm to 7pm September 2nd the debut date of Noah! I will be signing copies of Noah for all comers and I hope to do a reading for you as well. Please don't leave me hanging alone!! It's a party to celebrate the release and I hope you come! Plus the incredible Kay Hooper, whom I worship, is potentially going to show up that day. You have to watch me go gaga over her. LOL! I am hoping that a bunch of us can go out to dinner afterward...so if you hang around long enough you might get swept along.

Then there is the wonderfully fun RAW event thrown by Lora Leigh. You will see that posted in my news and events section. Sunday September 21st from noon to four, EST, at the Pullman Plaza 1001 Third Avenue Huntington, WV 25701 1-866-613-3611 in the Mezzanine area for the open to the public book signing and I would love to see anyone of you show up that day. It promises to be fun.

I have been waiting for a website update for you guys...something fun we came up with to show you the excerpts for Damien and for Noah. Please be patient and check in here. I'll tell you when the challenge is up for you to take :)

Anyway, time for pizza with B. Talk to you guys soon.
hugs and kitties
Jacki

Against the Law

Well, I wasn't going to take time to write until after Bianca had arrived and settled in (my ward and daughter of my heart for those not in the know) for the summer....however I had an experience today I absolutely felt the need to share. I'm not whining or bitching or anything, but I am flabbergasted and utterly appalled.

To cut to the chase, I was a witness to the most blatant and stupefying in-this-day-and-age act of discrimination I've ever seen. It was utterly shameless.

My personal assistant and her husband of her heart are looking for an apartment or house to rent. The woman said right off that she wanted a nice clean couple, no drinking no drugs, that sort of nonsense was not welcome. Understandable. Landlords do have to be discerning. She said she didn't run credit checks and didn't have time for all that nonsense and we should have known then that it was a too-good-to-be-true situation. Just the same they drove out to see the little farmhouse for rent and I figured I would go with them to be a live and in person reference. Anything to help the kids out. Despite going through some ups and downs of life lately, these two are good young people, in their thirties, holding down good jobs. One is ex-navy and the other is by far one of the best women I have ever come to know. Dedicated, loyal and fiercely protective of what she loves, I find those all to be great qualities.

We caught on right away, moments after arriving, that she was a seriously Christian woman. Okay. No problem. But we did make sure to park and drive so my "Get a Taste of Religion: LICK A WITCH" bumper sticker wasn't seen. Not that I care for myself, but knowing how narrowminded some people down South have proven to be about that sort of thing (already someone tried to deface this same sticker by crossing out LICK and writing in PRAY FOR...not to mention how often Ryanne gets accosted when she runs errands...so forgive me for being leery) we had Greg do a body block of the sticker at one point. Heh. So not funny, but certainly shake your head and laugh so you don't lose perspective. Regardless, I didn't want them being penalized for my beliefs.

I should have known this was a losing battle though when after looking at the cute little farmhouse in question we sat down to this woman's idea of an interview. Right out the gate...she began to preach to us. I get irked when people try to force their beliefs on me, but I kept very calm by tuning her out and humming "The Christians and the Pagans" in my head. It reminds me to be tolerant. I think it was a reasonable tactic to curb my own impulses toward intolerance. I don't hate Christians. I don't think ill of them in the least. I find all religions beautiful in their own way. Unfortunately, there are too many out there that can't say the same. She quoted the bible and, in order to be conversational, I quoted it right back. She lit up like a Christmas tree...until I told her I wasn't a Christian. Then it was "Oh. Well, I want to talk to you about that one day." (Read: Preach and try and force you to think like I do) But that was okay. I was there for other things and just figured I wouldn't be visiting my friends too often if they ended up hanging around this woman. The goal here was to obtain the cute little farmhouse for my friends.

But I daresay when the topic came up about what I write, she was just delighted by my success...until I told her they were Demons. She adopted a look like I'd stuck a poker up her ass. But hey. That's cool. Everyone has a right to like or dislike me. Like or dislike my books. Whatever their reasons. (I already lost a born-again friend because of the nature of my work. I realized then that I wasn't the one with the problem and that moment was no different.)

Mind you I am not bashing Christians. Everything I am saying is to set you up for the kill...the twist in my story. The turn you don't expect.

So she is grilling my friends about things that, frankly, I felt was often going over the line. You have to expose yourself to gain a rental home to some degree, but this was getting a little too personal and had no bearing on the business at hand that I could see. Then, it happens. She starts to ask them about their marriage. (Okay so I am leaving out the part where she bashed cats for ten minutes...and no, i didn't sit there and agree with her. I love my friends, but I won't do that for anyone.) Back to the marriage thing. When were you married? What date? Where?

Excuse me?

WTF???

Tell me what that has to do with a rental deal. Please. Someone. Anyone.

Being honest, Ryanne says, "Actually, we had a commitment ceremony. I was in a bad marriage for years and--"

"What?? You're not married? Oh honey, I don't rent to unwed couples!"
And then she proceeds to tell us that 'cohabitation' between unwed couples is against the law in North Carolina. That landlords are breaking the law when they rent to them.

There was a clang as my jaw hit the floor. Ryanne starts to bristle, starts to explain again why she won't legally marry anyone ever again. The woman actually says "It's real cheap you know. Doesn't cost you hardly anything."

"Until the divorce," I said, getting to my feet. As far as I saw, this was the end of the interview. Anyone who thinks they can say something like that and get away with it...well...there's no reasoning with them and I wasn't about to let my friends talk her around it in what would amount to groveling. I managed to keep my tongue, but I was horrified and I was so offended on behalf of my wounded friends. Their devastation, their shock and their outrage was palpable. We tried to laugh it off, but there was no way around it. This woman had just discriminated against my friends based upon their familial status.

And btw, NC State Law and the fair housing act says that no one may be discriminated against for age, race, sex, religion, or familial status. This woman had treated them like they were trash. Dirt. Lower than methheads in full tweak.

I told them to sue the bitch.

Raffle WINNERS!!

And the winners of the fabulous raffle baskets are as follows!!

The BBQ basket goes to BROOKE Neilissen!

The Sinful Shadowdweller basket goes to Dominique Harris

The Freakin Fantastic Basket is for Stacey Lindsay

The breathtaking Queen Siena necklace and all the books included goes to Meshelle Dominnguez!

The spectacular Princess necklace goes to Renee Meyer!

Congrats to all my winners! And thank you from every corner of my heart for being so generous. I made my goal and then some. I am going to revel in handing this check over...you have no idea!
All winners please e-mail me your snail mail address using the subject line to name your prize (so I know what you won), wait one week for me to finish my manuscript then I will ship out the books and such. Thos who won actual baskets will get that part of the deal before the rest comes, no doubt, since I am sending books media mail in order to save more money for the kittehs and puppehs!


Congratulations to all my good friends and fabulous fans for reaching out and winning with every single ticket you bought in ways you may never fully comprehend. ACN and I thank you so very much.

Spotlight:: The Lycanthrope/Vampire Princess's Necklace!

Here we are at almost the last day of ticket sales for my raffle baskets and two are sold out and the third and fourth are so close behind!! The one that isn't selling so much is the one I am spotlighting tonight and I want you to know I am SO not settling for that. So...I saved all my best for the very last! Best jewelry, yes, but by far the BEST books you ever saw in one basket! Brimming with Brava, Aphrodisia, and Kensington authors as well as others...(can you say Yasmine Galenorn? I knew that you could!!) this is going to be the best three bucks you could ever spend in order to reward both yourself and the animals of ACN! I am determined to reach goal, people. So help me out!!

Let's start with the pretty little bauble...Syreena's collar. Made by the ever-so-talented Serena from www.serenedreaming.com and fashioned of pure moonstones of varying color, a gorgeously designed medallion as the center point, it is 15.5 inches long making an excellent choker but also a pretty drop into the hollow of the throat if you don't want or like it so tight. As seen in this picture of Laura wearing it at the Romantic Times convention.










Now....woman cannot live by necklace alone, so I have STUFFED the basket with our second favorite thing...BOOKS!! Books galore!

Featuring:

YASMINE GALENORN

Synopsis

Meet the D'Artigo sisters: half-human, half-faerie, they're savvy-and sexy-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But their mixed-blood heritage short-circuits their talents at all the wrong times. Delilah shapeshifts into a tabby cat whenever she's stressed. Menolly's a vampire who's still trying to get the hang of being undead. And Camille is a wicked-good witch, except her magic's as unpredictable as the weather, as her enemies are about to find out-the hard way.

Publishers Weekly

The first in an engrossing new series about conflict in the magic modern world as told by the half-human, half-Faerie D'Artigo sisters the latest from Galenorn (One Hex of a Wedding) is a whimsical reminder of fantasy's importance in everyday life. Narrator Camille is a good witch with unpredictable powers who runs a Seattle bookstore while working as an Otherworld Intelligence operative, sent Earthside to keep an eye on things. When an operative from the Wayfaerer, a human/Faerie hangout, is killed, Camille springs into action with her sisters Delilah, a werecat, and Menolly, a freshly minted vampire. Tracing the murder back to evil demon leader Shadow Wing, the sisters find evidence of a far-reaching plot, but the Otherworld Intelligence Agency offers no help, stifled by bureaucratic red tape and a nasty Otherworld battle. Galenorn's gallery of rogues is an imaginative delight, each species and personality carefully crafted. Though the plot can drag, effusive characters and pretty writing ("I whispered, and the stars heard me from behind their cloud cover and answered") will lead readers through to the much-anticipated final battle. (Oct.)


Now comes Changeling-again featuring Camille, the good witch, Menolly, the vampire, and Delilah, a feline shapeshifter. They're the D'Artigo sisters, half-human, half-Faerie supernatural agents who are now enlisted to find the fiends responsible for slaughtering the weres of Rainier Puma Pride.

The D'Artigo sisters, Camille, Delilah, and Menolly, are half-human, half- Fae operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. When humans begin to go missing, then turn up as newly born vampires, Menolly- an acrobat extraordinaire-turned-vampire- must face the demons haunting her memories.





Hotter After Midnight by Cynthia Eden

SYNOPSIS

Emily Drake’s patients tend to be a little unusual. Instead of the typical therapist’s caseload of midlife crises and mother fixations, Emily treats vampires with blood phobias and sex demons looking for meaningful relationships. But her gift for recognizing and healing the Other–those creatures of the night that most humans don’t even know exist–requires a few house rules. First: Never trust a shifter. Especially not one like Detective Colin Gyth, whose gold-flecked eyes and predatory air make Emily realize how much she’s been longing to lose control.

Colin can’t believe the doctor he’s been assigned to work with on the Night Butcher murder investigation is the one person who could expose his true identity as a wolf shifter. Smart, sexy, and stubborn as hell, Emily brings out the alpha male in Colin, unleashing a wild, heady desire that takes them both over the edge.

But in the shadows, the Night Butcher waits…eager to spill Emily’s blood and taste her terror. And he’ll use any means to destroy her, including the one person she has grown to trust…

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis:

Synopsis

When you want to fly the best, you fly Sky High Air. And when you want spectacular adventure and scorching seduction, Jill Shalvis's tantalizing, talented pilots Noah, Shayne, and Brody will get you there-fast, slow, or any way you want it.

BUCKLE UP. IT'S GOING TO BE QUITE A RIDE.

Despite his brooding bad-boy attitude, Brody knows life has treated him pretty well. His luxury charter airline, Sky High, has given him financial security and the means to take to the skies whenever things on the ground get complicated. And lately, things have become very complicated, thanks to the insanely passionate, or perhaps just insane, kiss he shared with Sky High's gorgeous, wisecracking concierge, Maddie. He's tried to keep his distance, but now Maddie desperately needs help, and it's triggering protective alpha-male urges Brody didn't even know he had.

For months, Maddie hid her crush on sexy, exasperating Brody behind a cool, kick-ass exterior and then blew that to smithereens by jumping him in the lobby. Yeah, real smooth. She's tried to break her ties with Sky High, but Brody won't let her walk away-especially now that he knows that Maddie and her twin sister Leena are in big-time trouble. To save Leena, Maddie and Brody must pose as husband and wife, and Maddie is amazed that the man she thought was oblivious to her existence knows her very well indeed. But that's nothing compared to the way she's about to get to know him-intimately, in depth, and over and over again.

And some Aphrodisia!!

Sweet and Sinful by Jodi Lynn Copeland

















She's On Top by Susan Lyons

Synopsis

They call themselves the Awesome Foursome-four girlfriends who share everything except their men. Three have found the ultimate in lust and love and now it's Rina's turn.

PLAY ME

Music is Rina Goldberg's passion and she can never forget the sensual rhapsody she experienced in the arms of Giancarlo, her first lover. Ten years later, Giancarlo is sexier and more romantic than ever. His masterful fingers still know how to create the most intimate melody of pleasure and he understands every nuance of a woman's sensuality. And Rina is the only woman he wants. Their passionate encore takes her to a glorious, unforgettable climax and there's more where that came from. Much more.

Black Silk by Sharon Page

Synopsis

DANGEROUS SEDUCTION

Maryanne Hamilton had expected to be shocked, but the wanton orgy she finds in Mrs. Master's salon makes her wonder if she has walked into hell. Desperate to escape, she comes upon the master of sin himself-Lord Swansborough. Fascinated by his nakedness, she longs to touch every inch of his long, hard body. And when he bids her come near, she quickly surrenders to his wicked promises of carnal pleasure and sensual ecstasy.

And any other damn book I come across will get thrown in as well. So buy tickets!!!

Now, about a little thing called my MARATHON CHAT taking place this Saturday!! Woowoo!

Here's the roster I have...and don't forget that every last one of these ladies is giving away their latest and greatest works during their hour in the sun!! So simply show up to the party on Saturday by going to my website and clicking on VISIT THE CHAT ROOM on the top of the forum page.

My lovely guests :)

10:00 – 11:00: Patrice Michelle

11:00 - 12:00: Alexandra Ivy

12:00 - 1:00: Gena Showalter

1:00 - 2:00: JJ Massa

2:00 - 3:00 Lauren Dane

3:00-4:00 HelenKay Dimon

4:00-5:00 Lara Adrian

5:00-6:00: Cynthia Eden

6:00-7:00: Jeri Smith Ready

7:00-8:00: Meljean Brook

8:00-9:00: Shelly Laurenston

9:00 - 10:00: Yasmine Galenorn

All right? Now shut up and buy tickets! (Hehehe can you tell I am addicted to Deadliest Catch??)

Spotlight:: The Queen's Necklace

First, I have to start by saying that the BBQ basket and the Jacki Frank Freakin' Fantastic Basket are both SOLD OUT!! YAY!!!! If you sent money for tickets for that basket I have emailed you asking where else you would like it put.

Now, to continue so we can sell out all the remaining prizes before Saturday!!

The Lycanthrope Queen's Necklace!

Designed by the ever talented Serena from www.serenedreaming.com, this is a one of a kind piece designed by her with my guidance for the representation of Siena the Lycanthrope Queen's necklace.

Serena used real moonstones in this piece, a gorgeous milky blue and white color the way I always dreamed they should be. I am including pictures of my GF's Tanya and Laura wearing the necklaces at one of this year's Romantic Times convention's costume balls.

Serena learned how to chain link just for these two pieces. How's that for dedication to the truth of my vision?? This is why she will always do my pieces for me from now on. In fact, Serena is working on pieces for me right now that I will be wearing to the RAW Masquerade at Lora Leigh's shindig! And every time I mention Serena's name here you can click on it and see a new and fascinating piece of her jewelry. :)

This piece is a 16 inch choker...adjustable to smaller as needed.








More pics:

This is Tanya wearing the Queen's collar.

























And Laura wearing the Princess's collar :)








Now....woman cannot live by necklace alone, so I have STUFFED the basket with our second favorite thing...BOOKS!! Books galore! Including Ready, Willing, and And Able from the FABULOUS and generous Lucy Monroe. I spotlighted one of those in a previous basket, but this is the whole set. And also:

Noelle Mack:

WILD:

1st in the sexy steamy series!

Synopsis

Kyril. Marko. Semyon. Brothers like no other, sworn to lead the Pack of St. James and defend the English crown, though the blood of Russian wolves runs in their veins. In 1815, every woman in London has heard of their legendary passion for seduction-but no one knows of the supernatural powers that raise them far above the ranks of mortal men.

DANGEROUS LOVER

In pursuit of a priceless treasure stolen from his homeland, Kyril commands the Pack to gather in secret. A rash act by one woman-one extraordinary woman, the sensual and utterly alluring Vivienne Sheridan--has put their ancient clan in peril. He vows to find her-and find out her every secret--before it is too late.

Hidden in a ruined mansion, concealed by the shadows of a moonlit night, Vivienne comes forth, drawn to Kyril by a mysterious magic she is unable to resist. In his powerful embrace, Vivienne senses the wild nature beneath his gentlemanly fa‡ade--and she surrenders to his intimate touch. Whatever he wants, she will give.with all the passion of a woman mesmerized...

Praise for Noelle Mack and her novels.

"Hot sex.sizzling and innovative."—Romantic Times on JUICY, a Top Pick! 4 /12 star review

"A truly sensual story that will titillate and captivate readers."—Romantic Times, four-star review of THREE

"The queen of seduction meets the king of rakes. Sensual, sexual, stupendous."—-Harriet Klausner Reviews on THREE

WANTON:

This book has yet to be released!!!

Synopsis

Kyril. Marko. Semyon. Brothers like no other, sharing an ancient blood bond and descent from Russian wolves. Sworn to lead the Pack of St. James and defend the English crown, their seductive charm is legendary among the women of London. But no one knows of the supernatural powers that raise them far above the ranks of mortal men. In WANTON, the second book of her compelling trilogy, Noelle Mack presents Marko's story.

A DANGEROUS PLEASURE

In the year 1816, the Pack of St. James meets in secret in their London lair. An unknown assailant has begun to prey upon the women who consort with the men of the Pack-two have already died in mysterious ways and a poisoned communication threatens still more. With Kyril Taruskin and his love Vivienne away in the far north, attending to the clan's business in the Russian port of Archangel, his brother Marko begins to investigate-and finds the trail leads to a scandalous beauty known only as Severin.

One of the victims was Severin's half-sister, but that alone is not enough to explain her intimate knowledge of the strange case. Well aware how a clever woman can hide more than she reveals, Marko employs all his powers of sensual persuasion, barely able to resist the allure of her amber eyes and softly seductive voice. He has never been outwitted by a woman. But Severin is different from all the rest-very different-and loving her is a dangerous game indeed.

Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden!

Newly released!

Synopsis

Two of paranormal romance's bestselling authors combine their extraordinary talents and set the pages on fire with an after-dark anthology featuring Alpha males so hot, so wild, and so bad, they may just be the best you've ever had...

SHELLY LAURENSTON

Miss Congeniality

It's those damn stockings that get me every time. They have this sexy little line down the back and I can't help but stare at her legs ... constantly. And you'd think she'd be all over me like every other female in the Seattle area. I'm young, good looking, and one day I'll be Alpha Male of my family's Pack. But Professor Irene Conridge acts like I don't even exist. How is that possible? Now she's got enemies coming out of the woodwork and I have to protect her. Why? Because that's the kind of man I am. Yes, I am that amazing. Of course, it doesn't hurt that while I work to secure her safety, she'll be hanging out at my house. That's hours ... days even that I've got Irene Conridge right where I want her.

CYNTHIA EDEN

Wicked Ways

I'm too dangerous for her. I know it, but I can't get my sexy new neighbor out of my head. When I hear her scream one night, the absolute last thing I expect to see is Miranda Shaw-star of my hottest fantasies-being attacked by a vampire. Now the undead jerk is after her, and I'm the only thing standing between the beautiful lady and a killer who just won't stop. Well, too bad for him, because that vamp has just made the worst mistake of his afterlife-he's tangled with a shifter. And Miranda, well, she's so busy watching out for him that she won't see me closing in on her-not until it's too late-and I'm about to show her just how wild I can get.

Plus Jill Shalvis, more Cynthia Eden, and Susan Johnson...and more!

This is easily 60 to 70 dollars in books! All for a three dollar ticket. You can't beat beefing up your TSPB collection for a price like that!