Hello
everyone! It’s December 11, only fourteen more days until Christmas. I’m almost
ready. How about you?
I’ve
been thinking about my characters, too, about how they would spend the
holidays. Some would celebrate Christmas, while others would not. Here’s what
my characters told me:
Frey
from Celestial
Seduction – I never celebrated Christmas before arriving on Earth. Now that
Carrie and I are on the Space Service space station, we celebrate the holidays
with the other people from Earth. And it’s extra special this year with Tabitha
now walking on her own. There’s talk of someone dressing up as Santa to bring
her presents.
Josh
from Beneath the
Starry Sky – I promised Tamara I would take some time off. I don’t have
anything filming right now, so I’m going to take her to Australia. But don’t tell
her. It’s a surprise.
Jewel
from Unknown Futures
– V says we’re going to New York. She knows I don’t like crowds, but she’s
determined to rid me of that fear. I’m sure I can convince her to spend most of
our time in the hotel room though.
Volan
from Satin Sheets in
Space – My brother and I have never celebrated any Earth holidays before.
We don’t live there, and don’t feel the need. But, for Danyka, we’ve put up a
Christmas tree in the ship. And we’re going to visit our parents graves.
Jared
from Sudden Breakaway
– We don’t have any plans to go anywhere. It’s Paige’s first Christmas with
kids. Mine, too. Should be interesting...
Ava
from Another Night,
Another Planet – I wish I could visit my parents on Earth, but that’s just
not possible. Nate can never return. I think he and Wyn are planning to take us
back to Elatia, but I’m not sure.
Skylar
from His Alien Virgin
(coming soon) – Christmas? What’s that? There are no special days here. If
someone were to give me a gift though, I would want a way off this planet,
maybe even a chance to see Daran again.
Giveaway!!
Leave
a comment telling me your holiday plans for a chance to WIN an ebook of one of
my already published 1Night Stand stories.
Bio:
Jessica
Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from
sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or
two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic
rendezvous.
When Jessica
isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and
walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.
Jessica lives
in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves
to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.
I admit it. I’m a 1Night Stand addict. Not only do I write these
stories, but I also buy them and read them. You can check my read and to-read
list on Goodreads to confirm this if you want. The thing I like about this line
at Decadent, is that the stories are all SO different. Of all those I’ve read,
I honestly can’t say that I could compare one to another. Yes, they all involve
a one-night stand between the parties involved, and with a little magic from
Madame Evangeline, one night may lead to many more. But, the characters range
from regular humans, to shifters, vampires, aliens, and more. And the dates
occur all over the Earth and beyond. Some are more memorable than others, and
all a treat to read. Hats off to everyone involved in this series.
So, I’m going to tell you how I create a 1Night Stand story. I’m sure
every author involved in this line has their own formula for writing one of
these stories, but here’s mine:
ONE – Take a
character who feels out of place in society, whether born this way, or as a
result of something that has happened in their life. This is a character who is
not usually the life of the party, but content to stand back and watch. Or
perhaps they might not even be at the party, content to be on their own. And
sometimes, they just want to break free. Here are examples from my stories:
Frey (Celestial Seduction) – He’s an alien from the planet Ginnun. On
his own planet, he is not supposed to feel emotions, but he does. On Earth, he
does not look the same as us, with his blue shimmery skin, but he is able to
create a human image to disguise himself.
Tamara (Beneath the Starry Sky) – She has Alopecia Areata, an
auto-immune disease that has caused her to lose her hair. She wears a wig, but
has lost her confidence.
Jewel (Unknown Futures) – She has acid burn scars all over her face.
Danyka (Satin Sheets in Space) – She is taller than most guys she knows
and has radiant red hair, causing her to stand out in a crowd when she doesn’t
want to.
Paige (Sudden Breakaway) – As a member of the Space Service, she lives
in the shadows recruiting others, but she does not have time for a life.
TWO – Add another
character or characters with issues of their own. This character is usually
more outgoing, and in some cases, set up on the 1Night Stand by someone else.
Here are the other halves:
Carrie (Celestial Seduction) – She is a pediatric nurse, but is also
unable to have children.
Josh (Beneath the Starry Sky) – He is a former sci-fi television star
with his own secrets making him want to leave the limelight.
Flavia (Unknown Futures) – She is one of only a few beings from Earth
working on the Space Service space station. And she is very homesick.
Galan – An alien wanting to settle down. But he also has to think of his
brother, and shipmate, Volan.
Jared – A former Marine who is now the guardian of his preschool-aged
niece and nephew.
THREE – Add
in an interesting location, whether it be a cave in the woods, a spaceship, a
space station, or even a hockey game.
FOUR – Include
intense attraction but some hesitation.
FIVE – Sprinkle in
some of Madame Evangeline’s magic, and you have the beginnings of a 1Night
Stand story.
I have five 1Night Stand stories out there now, with plans for more. And
I’m so happy to say that you can find my first five in the print anthology,
Intergalactic Heat.
Giveaway!!
For your chance to WIN swag from all five of my 1Night Stand stories,
tell me what you think is an important ingredient in a romance story. Contest
is international. Winner will be announced December 31, 2012. Good luck!
A date on a space
station? Alien lovers? Madame Evangeline, owner of the exclusive 1Night Stand
dating service is known to be magical in fulfilling the ideal dates of her
clients, but she’s outdone herself this time, bring together beings from Earth
and beyond. As long as applicants are willing to let go of their pasts and open
their hearts and minds, she will find their perfect match, whether they be a
former sci-fi television star, a nurse, an employee of the Space Service, a
former Marine, or even an extraterrestrial. Because everyone in the universe
deserves a happily ever after…
Excerpt
from Beneath the Starry Sky – MF Contemporary Erotic Romance
She’d held onto so much hope for this date,
and nothing had gone right. She still didn’t know who this guy was. Yet, he’d
already rejected her with his expression. This is the last date I’m going on, unless I’m lucky enough for my hair
to grow back.
His gaze never left her, making her even more
humiliated. “You’re….”
“What? Ugly? Bald?”
He shook his head. “No, I was going to say my
date. I’ve been so busy lately and Madame Evangeline had to send me a
reminder.”
She paused at the Frenchwoman’s name. Could
this hunk of a man really be her date? Didn’t matter. He wouldn’t want her now.
“Well, surprise! I’m damaged goods, so you might as well leave and ask her for
a refund.”
As she slumped to the floor, more tears
streamed down her face. Why is life so unfair? She’d worked hard all of
her life, never taking shortcuts or the easy way out. Not an outcast or
popular, she’d been friends with everyone in school and college. And healthy. She’d
taken extra care to eat properly in order to avoid being diagnosed with
diabetes, like her parents.
Since that fateful day when she’d discovered
her two, oval-shaped bald patches, she’d been dumped by her fiancé and lost all
of her hair, along with any chance to find love and have a family vanishing.
Kids were out of the question. Sure, their chances of inheriting alopecia were
unlikely, but on the chance they did, they’d hate her for passing her faulty genetics
on to them. She couldn’t live with that. She’d be alone. Forever.
Excerpt
from Satin Sheets in Space – MFM Science Fiction Erotic Romance
She had her eyes closed, her lips pressed against his, when
the sensation started. First, a tingling in her hands and feet, as he swept his
digits deep inside her. The buzz spread up her arms and legs until it engulfed
her entire body. She no longer sensed the ground below her.
The man continued to drive his fingers into her core with
vigor, ridding her of the urge to pull away and find out what was happening to
her. She landed with a thud, feeling returning to her limbs. Nothing stopped
the man who held her, though. He continued to ravage her mouth, her jaw, her
neck, keeping her pressed against the wall.
But something felt different. Gone was the hard brick
pressing through her corset and against her skin. She reached behind to brush
her hand along the surface. Soft. Almost like cushioned satin.
With a whimper, she pushed the strange man away. Where was
she? What had she been thinking? This is the stupidest, most insane thing
I’ve ever done.
The Prince Charming she’d had the fortune of being set up
with peered down at her, his gaze intense and filled with lust. “My name is
Galan, and we’re in my spaceship.”
At least she now knew his name, but wait…. Spaceship? She
stared at the man, disillusioned. She could think of no other explanation for
how they had traveled to a new location with the press of a button. Oh God,
she’d been abducted by an alien. How would she get out of this situation? The
first time she’d done something spur-of-the-moment, and she’d ended up being
finger-fucked by an extraterrestrial.
Or
was this some kind of elaborate stunt Josh had pulled off? But why? He was on
his honeymoon, unable to enjoy his handiwork. Her body grew numb; a loud
ringing pierced her eardrums. She could no longer think with the clouds invading
her mind. Then she blacked out.
Bio:
Jessica Subject started writing to
encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded.
Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the
most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She
lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to
hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.
Today I’m celebrating one year since I signed the contract for Beneath
the Starry Sky, my second release, and only contemporary romance to this point.
And I brought Tamara Johnson, the heroine from BTSS with me.
Welcome, Tamara, to the 1Night Stand blog. Can you
tell us a bit about yourself?
Tamara: Well, I’m a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company.
And…*glances around at her audience* I have Alopecia Areata, which is an autoimmune
disease that results in the loss of hair in patches, or a total loss. *fingers
her short locks* I’m lucky that mine has started to grow back, but there is the
possibility I will lose it again.
Wow, that is certainly a lot to deal with. Why did you
decide to apply to 1Night Stand?
Tamara: My fiancé abandoned me at the alter due to my bald patches.
After that, all my hair fell out. Even wearing an expensive wig, I didn’t think
I could give a man any more than one night. Once he saw my bare head, he would
leave me alone again. 1Night Stand fit my needs, and I didn’t go in expecting
more than one night with the man I was set up with.
So what did
you think of Josh when you first saw him?
Tamara: I thought he was the sexiest man ever, but when he told me he
wasn’t my date and then left, I was extremely disappointed. At that point, I
thought my date had somehow found a picture of me bald, and decided to call off
the date.
But he did come back?
Tamara: Yes, he said he forgot about the one-night stand and thought I
was some crazed fan. The funny thing was, I didn’t even know he was a
television star until he told me. But when he returned to the room, he caught
me with my wig off. I thought he would leave again, just like my fiancé did.
Turns out, he has his own issues and could relate. The rest of our date was one
big whirlwind, a night I will never forget.
I assume things went well then?
Tamara: Yes, very well, and they continue to do so.
Can you tell us your favorite thing about Josh?
Tamara: Other than the fact that he is sexy as sin? He’s a romantic at
heart, and always treats me like I’m the most precious thing in the world.
Well, I wish you two the very best. Thank you for
being here, today.
Tamara: It was my pleasure.
Beneath the Starry Sky Blurb
Left at the altar with bald
patches on her head and her self-confidence stripped away, Tamara Johnson must
pick up the pieces of her life and face her Alopecia Areata, the autoimmune
disease causing her hair to fall out. She is convinced no man will date a bald
woman and arranges a one-night stand through Madame Evangeline’s popular
service, 1Night Stand. With her new wig held firmly in place, Tamara arrives at
the Castillo Hotel in Las Vegas for a night of passion and pleasure.
Anything more than one night would mean exposing her bald head, and she will
never do that to any man again.
Running into the Castillo Hotel,
away from the paparazzi constantly at his heels, Josh Summers wants to spend
his next few days locked away from the flashing lights and screaming fans. When
he finds an incredibly sexy woman lying on his hotel room bed in nothing but
lingerie, he thinks management has made a mistake. Leaving her behind, he heads
for the lobby to get the situation rectified. But an unexpected text from
Madame Evangeline sends him back to his room. Though unsure whether
the woman on the bed is really his perfect match or just another fan believing
him to be like his character on television, he knows he must find out, even if
it means he must risk telling her his own secrets. If Tamara can handle his
imperfections, she just might be his ideal woman.
If you enjoyed Beneath the Starry
Sky, be sure to follow Josh and Tamara’s story in Celestial Seduction & Satin
Sheets in Space.
Bio:
Jessica Subject started writing to
encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded.
Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the
most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She
lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to
hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.
For your chance to WIN choice of one
Decadent Publishing title from Jessica E. Subject, leave a comment telling me
the most compromising position you’ve been caught in. Contest is international
and winner will be drawn August 11, 2012.
Recently, I contracted my fifth 1Night Stand story, and it got me thinking about where these stories come from. I’m not a plotter, so I didn’t have extensive notes about what was going to happen before I sat down to write any of these stories. Yes, I had a basic understanding of the characters, and an idea of where the story would take place, but that’s about it.
To be honest, every single story started in the shower. That is where my muse likes to flood my mind with ideas. Sometimes she shows me a brand new story, and other times what’s going to happen in a story I’m working on. And then begins the daydreaming, usually when I’m supposed to be doing something else, like making dinner. It takes a couple days for me to develop the story in my head before I start writing it, sometimes longer if I have other writing commitments.
Here are my first thoughts for each of my stories:
Celestial Seduction: A woman who can’t get pregnant. Her husband left her because of this. An alien comes down from space. Can he grant her lifelong wish?
Beneath the Starry Sky: This is Tamara’s story (from Celestial Seduction). She wears a wig to hide her Alopecia Areata, and has low self-confidence.
Unknown Futures:This story has to take place in a dance club. What if the dance club was on a space station? It’s a lesbian romance, and one of the heroines has scars on her face. The story has to include Carrie and Frey from Celestial Seduction.
Satin Sheets in Space: An 18th century ball. The woman is taller than most. She works for Josh from Beneath the Starry Sky. What about a ménage? And her dates are two hunky aliens.
Sudden Breakaway: A guy is being recruited for the Space Service (Celestial Seduction & Unknown Futures), but he can’t join as he has kids. No, not his kids, but he is their guardian. He’s a former Marine. The date takes place in Washington DC…at a hockey game.
I don’t know if any other author’s thoughts are as scattered, but this is how I think, and come up with the ideas for most of my stories. Hey, it works for me.
Giveaway!
Leave a comment with your email address for a chance to WIN an ebook copy of any of my currently released 1Night Stand stories. (Beneath the Starry Sky, Celestial Seduction, or Unknown Futures)
Beneath the Starry Sky Blurb
(Although this is the second 1Night Stand story I had published, it begins my sub-series)
Left at the altar with bald patches on her head and her self-confidence stripped away, Tamara Johnson must pick up the pieces of her life and face her Alopecia Areata, the autoimmune disease causing her hair to fall out. She is convinced no man will date a bald woman and arranges a one-night stand through Madame Evangeline’s popular service, 1Night Stand. With her new wig held firmly in place, Tamara arrives at the Castillo Hotel in Las Vegas for a night of passion and pleasure. Anything more than one night would mean exposing her bald head, and she will never do that to any man again.
Running into the Castillo Hotel, away from the paparazzi constantly at his heels, Josh Summers wants to spend his next few days locked away from the flashing lights and screaming fans. When he finds an incredibly sexy woman lying on his hotel room bed in nothing but lingerie, he thinks management has made a mistake. Leaving her behind, he heads for the lobby to get the situation rectified. But an unexpected text from Madame Evangeline sends him back to his room. Though unsure whether the woman on the bed is really his perfect match or just another fan believing him to be like his character on television, he knows he must find out, even if it means he must risk telling her his own secrets. If Tamara can handle his imperfections, she just might be his ideal woman.
Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.
The heroine in Beneath the Starry Sky, Tamara Johnston, deals with Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune skin disorder which may appear as one or more small, round or oval-shaped patches on the head, to a complete loss of all body hair. This non-contagious disease occurs when the body’s immune system mistakes hair follicles as foreign invaders. Often beginning in childhood, Alopecia Areata affects almost two percent of Americans regardless of sex, age, or Ethnic background.
If you have a close family member with Alopecia Areata, you have a slightly increased chance of developing the disease, but it often occurs in people with a family history of other autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, and more.
In most cases, hair does grow back, but it may fall out again before the disease runs its course. There is no cure or drugs approved to treat Alopecia Areata, although some medications approved for other purposes can help hair to grow back, at least temporarily.
It is important to note that while the effects of Alopecia Areata can be socially and emotionally disturbing, it is not a painful disease, nor does it make people physically sick. Those with the disease are generally healthy otherwise.
To learn more about Alopecia Areata and to help find a cure, visit the National Alopecia Areata Foundation http://www.naaf.org and the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation http://canaaf.org/
Beneath the Starry Sky Blurb
Left at the altar with bald patches on her head and her self-confidence stripped away, Tamara Johnson must pick up the pieces of her life and face her Alopecia, the autoimmune disease causing her hair to fall out. She is convinced no man will date a bald woman and arranges a one-night stand through Madame Evangeline’s popular service, 1Night Stand. With her new wig held firmly in place, Tamara arrives at the Castillo Hotel in Las Vegas for a night of passion and pleasure. Anything more than one night would mean exposing her bald head, and she will never do that to any man again.
Running into the Castillo Hotel, away from the paparazzi constantly at his heels, Josh Summers wants to spend his next few days locked away from the flashing lights and screaming fans. When he finds an incredibly sexy woman lying on his hotel room bed in nothing but lingerie, he thinks management has made a mistake. Leaving her behind, he heads for the lobby to get the situation rectified. But an unexpected text from Madame Evangeline sends him back to his room. Though unsure whether the woman on the bed is really his perfect match or just another fan believing him to be like his character on television, he knows he must find out, even if it means he must risk telling her his own secrets. If Tamara can handle his imperfections, she just might be his ideal woman.
Available from Decadent Publishing and other ebook retailers.
Bio:
Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.
Volan
from Satin Sheets in
Space – My brother and I have never celebrated any Earth holidays before.
We don’t live there, and don’t feel the need. But, for Danyka, we’ve put up a
Christmas tree in the ship. And we’re going to visit our parents graves.
