Update...

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I was so wrapped up in my day job getting ready for our Christmas distribution, that I didn't have time to post anything new here!

But now that the holiday is over, and we are looking forward to the New Year. I wanted to drop in and say hi! And to let you know that I'm hard at work on my next book: Never Ever After- which will be Lucian's story.

Here is the synopsis:

Lucian Harris returns from a year in Iraq to find his best friend married and he starts to feel as lost as he did before he enlisted. When he meets Corrine Prescott, he is instantly mesmerized. That is, until he remembers who she is and why he should steer clear of her. A chance encounter with Corrine's roommate may have ruined any future he could've seen for them.



Here is the prologue:

“Thank you, Lucian,” Stephanie said, looking up at her ex-boyfriend. Her golden blonde hair was shining in the fading summer sun and her green eyes glistened with unshed tears. “If you hadn’t walked away last year, I- I don’t think I could’ve gone through with it,” she whispered, looking down and idly stroking her burgeoning baby belly.

“This is why you wanted to see me before I head off to Iraq, Stephanie?” Lucian asked, closing his dark brown eyes in pain and running his hands through his short black hair. “You wanted to show me that because I bowed out, you’ve got your happy little family? That your cold feet didn’t mean anything? That our three years together meant absolutely nothing to you after all?”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Save it, I don’t even know why I agreed to this,” he interrupted, spinning on his heels and stalking back to his car as the last of the sun slipped down to meet the Earth. What a waste of a fucking trip. He hadn’t known what to expect when she called him and asked for a few minutes of his time before he shipped out again, but it wasn’t the beach ball sized baby bump on her petite five foot frame.

She was happy, without him. And he had been miserable since the second he got on the plane to boot camp. Wasn’t that fucking great? Did she really need to thank him in person? Or was it all about shoving her perfect little life in his face?

See, Lucian? See what you could’ve had if you’d just asked? I told you what I wanted, but you always pushed it away. Well, now you can suffer, knowing I’m about to have everything I ever wanted. Just without you.

He could almost hear the words she didn’t say echoing through his brain as he got behind the wheel of Marissa’s truck and squealed out of the Starbucks parking lot.

He’d thought they’d been on the same page about waiting until they were older, but damned if he was wrong. She’d wanted that ring and that white dress. If he’d known, he would’ve given it to her in a second.

He was done with love. The whole thing was tragic, because he used to be an undeniable romantic. In fact, if you’d asked him a year ago if he’d do it all again, he would’ve answered an empathic yes. After today, though, his romantic spirit was dead, buried, along with his dreams of ever being anything more to a woman than a bed warmer.

In less than three days, he’d be on a plane to a desert, where his future wasn’t just uncertain; his life expectancy was in question. Pulling into the driveway of the new home of his best friend, Marissa and her boyfriend, Aaron, he let out a deep sigh. Sometimes they were so much alike in their relationship philosophies. They were both undeniable cynics when it came to love and finding a happily ever after. She had found happiness, though, hadn’t she? Why was it so hard for him?

Folding his 6’4” frame out of the tiny truck, he walked to her door and knocked. “Hey, Luc,” she answered, shoving her copper hair behind her ear and ushering him in the door. “How’d it go?” she asked, warily. “You weren’t gone very long.”

“It didn’t take me very long to notice the baby bump and for her to say thank you,” he frowned.

“I’m sorry, honey,” she said, doing her best to fold him in her arms in a hug. “It’ll be okay, she just wasn’t the one.”

“They never are, Ris. I think I’m done looking,” he stated.

“Sure you are, Luc,” she retorted, sarcastically. “You are a hopeless romantic at heart. There is no way you can say you’ll never fall in love again,” she shook her head.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I’m going to indulge in copious amounts of pussy and keep my emotions out of it from now on,” Lucian informed her, settling against the brown suede couch. “Love will never be part of the equation for me again,” he vowed, his gaze concentrated, unseeingly, out of Marissa’s living room window.

He wasn’t naïve enough to think that war wouldn’t change who he was, but he never expected he’d be changed before he even took his first steps off of American soil. When/If he made it home, things would be different for him.

I hope you'll add it to your TBR list! http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17369340-never-ever-after

Also, I finally have The Professor series available in paperback!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Professor-Josie-Leigh/dp/1489599827/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388176006&sr=8-2&keywords=josie+leigh

I'm wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year!

The Professor now available in 1 book!

I'm happy to announce that The Professor series is available all in 1 volume now. It includes a never before read Prologue and Epilogue for the series, as well as a sneak peek into my newest contemporary romance novel "Drama Free 2003."

The Professor Blurb:

Damien Areleon never expected to meet his future in a classroom. More specifically, he never expected to meet her in HIS classroom. However, when Sabrina Carson takes a seat in the front row of his Human Sexuality class, he knows he wants her. After keeping his desires at bay for most of the semester, she suddenly asks him for tutoring during his office hours. This one appointment sets the stage for a whirlwind, but secret romance.

Follow Damien and Sabrina as they make the journey from Professor/student to something so much more than either of them thought they were capable of.

The Professor series has lust, love, intrigue, an evil Widow, supportive families, and hot sex involving consensual acts of BDSM. It is for adult audiences only and features an Alpha hero that is not emotionally damaged.

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Professor-Complete-Josie-Leigh-ebook/dp/B00H5FV5PC/ref=la_B009ZDG9AI_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386701836&sr=1-4

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-professor-josie-leigh/1117607541?ean=2940148952367

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/385411

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Professor-Complete-Josie-Leigh-ebook/dp/B00H5FV5PC/ref=la_B009ZDG9AI_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386701867&sr=1-8

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/The-Professor-Complete-Series-ebook/dp/B00H5FV5PC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1386702232&sr=8-6&keywords=josie+leigh

Finally! The Professor Epilogue

Thanks to some horrible mishaps with my health, including bronchitis and a disgusting Thanksgiving related cut on one of my fingers, the release of the epilogue for the Professor Series has FINALLY arrived!

The complete series should be available at all retailers within the next week, so I will keep you updated. Please enjoy the series epilogue though:



Epilogue:

One and a half years later…

 

“Was that the last box?” Sabrina asked as her brother set the large box marked ‘bedding’ on the floor in the master bedroom.

 

“Yes, but I still don’t understand why you didn’t hire movers for this,” he growled. “It’s not like you don’t have the money.”

 

“We prefer our privacy,” Damien answered for her as he entered the bedroom carrying a box of his own. “Not to mention, we wanted everything to arrive unbroken and unrifled through.”

 

“I’ll remember that when we get to Philly,” Joseph Jr. said, his voice snarky. “You’re just lucky you are as big as a house, so I couldn’t say no.”

 

“You still could’ve said no, JJ,” Lotty said from the door with an exasperated sigh. “They have enough friends to help with this stuff, and I had to cancel my weekly lunch date at the club with the girls. I mean, we’re only in town for another week before we head to the Main Line. I can’t believe I’m spending it helping your sister move,” she complained as if Damien and Sabrina weren’t in the room.

 

“Well, we’re done now, honey. Why don’t we head over and see if you can’t catch Miffy?” he suggested, trying to placate his wife. After a barely perceptible shrug in response, J.J. took Lotty’s hand and bid Damien and Sabrina good bye for the afternoon.

 

“Thank you again for your help!” Sabrina called after them as she shut the heavy oak door behind them. After a year of proving her education by running the Hayward stores in Arizona and with the retirement of the Hayward East President, her father decided to shift around the responsibilities of company management so that he could enjoy his own retirement. J.J. was now in charge of the east coast and Sabrina had stepped into his position on the west. This meant a change of scenery, including a brand new faculty position for Damien at UCLA in their department of Sociology.

As much as they both loved Arizona, they were excited to start this new chapter in their lives, too. The house they’d purchased in Malibu had the perfect ocean view and was big enough to accommodate their growing family. Although the cost of the home had been exorbitant to both of them, they knew it was the perfect place to start the next chapter in their lives.

 

“I can’t believe we live here now,” Damien laughed looking out the floor to ceiling windows of their living room. “I’m not sure you can continue to only wear panties in this house, otherwise the people on the beach will get a free show.”

 

“The windows are one way and tinted, so I’ll be fine if that’s what you desire,” she reminded him. “Although, with Tristan coming soon…” she trailed off.

 

“Well, babies do change things,” he smiled, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest, his hand resting on her swollen belly.

 

“I’ve only got three weeks left, so we need to get started on the unpacking. I wish we’d been able to close last month, because I feel like I could pop any day now,” she groaned, lifting the flap on a box in the middle of the room marked ‘books.’ When she looked inside she started to laugh. “Books? Really? Is that what we are calling our paddles these days?” she raised an eyebrow at her husband and Dom.

 

“You question my labeling, pet?” he said with false bravado, looking equally as amused as she did.

 

“Absolutely not,” she pouted. “I mean, they can be just as educational…I suppose.”

 

“I’m happy to teach you a lesson with them right now,” he said, quirking an eyebrow in her direction.

 

“I mean, if the baby would stop matching my swats with kicks of his own.”

 

“I know what you mean,” Sabrina agreed with a whine. “I haven’t been able to get to subspace in the last few months because your son seems to be battling you for power over me already.”

“I’ll put this in the new playroom,” Damien announced, grabbing the box from the floor and taking it into the master bedroom. Luckily the house had been built with two over-large walk-in closets, one of which they’d converted into their new playroom, complete with an industrial lock to keep the children out.

 

Children. The word still gave Sabrina chills, but in a good way. After her graduation, although Damien had expressed his desire to try right away, he decided that they would spend their summer traveling together instead. So when they returned to prepare for her new job and his new semester, she made the appointment to have her IUD removed.

 

And here it was, a year later, two years after they’d first laid eyes on each other, and they were about to become parents. The feeling was overwhelmingly amazing. Sitting in the lecture hall, Hayward 130 that Monday morning in mid-August, she never would have expected her life to look like this, for her life to be so full of love. She wouldn’t have wanted her life to turn out any differently, though.

**

The weeks following the move seemed to fly by as they readied the house and themselves for their impending arrival. The painters had finished Tristan’s room the day after they’d moved in. Damien wanted the painting to have been completed, at least, a week prior because the fumes weren’t safe for Sabrina, but the scheduling of fall planning meetings at his new University had made it impossible.

 

When Sabrina’s father came to him at the end of his spring semester with the management changes he had in mind for Hayward’s, he’d been reluctant to leave the University. Joe Hayward had respected his daughter’s marriage enough to discuss his vision with Damien before putting the plans into motion. He’d offered to move Sabrina’s position to the east coast, which would have put him in closer proximity to his family, but UCLA had been courting Damien for the last couple of years. He was happy that everything seemed to fall into place after that.

 

He was sad to leave behind such a significant part of his history with his wife and sub, but he was looking forward to their future even more. Every day, he wondered if his marriage was some sort of elaborate dream that he would wake from at any moment. However, morning never seemed to come, much to his delight.

 

“Sabrina?” he called out when he made it home after his late Tuesday night class.

 

“In. the. Bedroom,” he heard her pant out from across the house. He didn’t race to the room, hearing her labored breathing though, because she’d been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions for the last couple of weeks. He crossed the threshold to see his wife in nothing but a pair of hot pink lace panties, trying to grab her hospital bag from the floor.

 

“Need some help?” he asked, humor evident in his question.

 

“My water just broke,” she blurted out.

 

“And you couldn’t have lead with that when I walked in the house?” Damien roared, his usual calm and in control demeanor slipping as his wife succumbed to another contraction. Grabbing the bag from the floor, he got himself in motion. “Why aren’t you dressed?”

 

“I’m never dressed,” she snapped between breaths, her brown eyes alight with fire as she gazed at her husband. “I just changed my underwear because I’m not going to the hospital in wet panties,” she explained as the pain seemed to pass.

 

With a growl, Damien walked to their closet and pulled out a simple black wrap dress that he could get her into quickly so they could get out the door.

 

“Thank you,” she smiled, tears brimmed in her eyes. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” she whispered.

 

“It’s okay, pet, let’s just get you to the hospital now,” he allowed, grabbing the bag with one arm and bracing his wife with the other.

 

As they reached the door to the garage, Sabrina stopped and looked around their new house. Damien couldn’t help taking a last glance, too. “Enjoy the silence, Sir,” she said, moving her eyes to his and holding his gaze, “because it’s the last peaceful moment you and I will have together for the next eighteen years.”

 

With a light chuckle, he took a moment to savor their connection in the quiet of their house. The slightly ajar garage door allowed the sounds of the surf in the distance to soothe them both as they started walking again. Just like that warm Saturday in February not so long ago, they both knew that the next time they walked into this house, their lives would be changed again.

Professor Prologue

Well...I planned to have the Professor series bundled by today, but then my entire household got sick last week and I didn't get a chance to finish all the formatting and the epilogue for The Wife...

I'm hard at work on it this week and should have it completed by the end of the week!

In the meantime, enjoy the brand new, never been read before Prologue to The Professor (which is now available to anyone who picks up an updated copy of the novella:

The Professor Series- All in ONE!

Happy Friday!!

I'm working hard to bundle to Professor series into 1 novel and release it on ebook and paperback by November 19th!! The bundled edition will include a prologue and epilogue not included in the original series.

I will be releasing both for FREE on my blog, for those that already purchased the series in its entirety.

Other than that, I'm working really hard on my next book: Never Ever After, which is a stand-alone, but is part of the Never Series, because it is about Lucian's journey after he leaves for the military. I'm hoping to have the vast majority of his story finished by the end of this month and complete in its first draft by the end of the year.

Once I'm finished with Lucian's story, I will be working with Anton!

Also, Kay Dee Royal's blog will be featuring an interview with Damien and Sabrina next week! It was a lot of fun, so check it out. She'll also be giving away a free copy of the series to someone.

Lastly, in honor of my daughter's first competition of the season, all of my full length novels will be on sale from November 15th-17th! So pick them up while they are cheap!

Drama Free 2003 release day!

It's finally October 29th and the book went live a little earlier than I expected, but Drama Free 2003 is now available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords!

I'm excited for you to read this one, as it's one of my favorite that I've written. Brady is by far my favorite, but I'm biased because he's based on my husband. Pick up a copy, let me know what you think on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads!

Blurb:

Intended for readers over the age of 18 due to sexual content and excessive use of the 'F' word.

Lucas "Lucy" Dunn is a slut, a party girl... At least that's how most people would describe her. She takes offense to the double standard that because she doesn't want a relationship, but has a rolodex of booty calls (well, three) that she must be easy. She's not, not even close. Lucas knows that if she didn't 'hit it and quit it' on a weekly basis, she'd never survive the stress of working and going to school full-time. Alcohol and orgasms are a wonderful stress relief combination, after all. Plus, any new relationship when she was still caught up with her high school sweetheart... well, they just weren't worth it.

Until one fateful New Year's Eve night...Lucas asks her friend, Brady Manning, to pretend to be her date for the evening so that she can let someone she doesn't want anymore down easy. She didn't count on feeling something for him. She didn't count on wanting to be with him. She didn't count on all the drama she was inviting into her life because she couldn't stop herself from falling in love again.

Brady Manning never expected to be divorced at 23, only seeing his daughter on the weekends, but one thing is for sure, he's learned the lesson that love is disastrous the hard way. It's something he never wanted in his life again. With a child in the mix, he has to be careful with who he lets into his life. Until one evening of make believe with his friend, Lucas, changes everything.

ARC reviews:
Drama Free 2003 by Josie Leigh is anything but drama free!...Josie Leigh has written something a little different from her latest erotic series and has proven beyond a doubt to me that she can write! Drama Free 2003 is a little on the dark side, at least in the beginning, as the ground work is set and the atmosphere of the story is established. What blossoms from those starter seeds is a story of learning to trust, learning to feel worthy of love and taking a chance on life again.

-Dii Bylo, TomeTender


What a fantastic read! Lucas and Brady are a swoonworthy couple...and don't let the title of this novel fool you...there's a ton of GREAT drama that keeps you turning the pages.

-Brittiainy Cherry, Author of "The Space in Between"

4 Independent, Determined, Sassy and Strong Stars * * * *

-Wendy, Goodreads reviewer

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Drama-Free-2003-ebook/dp/B00G9HSUP0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1383009384&sr=1-1


Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/365101#longdescr

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drama-free-2003-josie-leigh/1117076349?ean=2940148589907

4 more days...

I'm nervous/excited for Drama Free 2003 on Tuesday. I'm also resisting the urge to hit the release button early... It's still available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and Kobo.

Plus, it looks like you can download the first 20% of the book on Smashwords, too.

The title Drama Free 2003 is meant to be slightly tongue-in-cheek, because there is nothing Drama Free about the book- as you can read from my ARC reviewers. It is also the first in a two part series, the second book will be called "A Drama Free Wedding."

And since I've given away an eARC copy on my Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads page, I will also give away a free eARC copy to the first person to message me from this post, too- send me an email at joeskatan@gmail.com with your ereader preference!


Here is the blurb for the book again:

Lucas "Lucy" Dunn is a slut, a party girl... At least that's how most people would describe her. She takes offense to the double standard that because she doesn't want a relationship, but has a rolodex of booty calls (well, three) that she must be easy. She's not, not even close. Lucas knows that if she didn't 'hit it and quit it' on a weekly basis, she'd never survive the stress of working and going to school full-time. Alcohol and orgasms are a wonderful stress relief combination, after all. Plus, any new relationship when she was still caught up with her high school sweetheart... well, they just weren't worth it.
 Until one fateful New Year's Eve night...Lucas asks her friend, Brady Manning, to pretend to be her date for the evening so that she can let someone she doesn't want anymore down easy. She didn't count on feeling something for him. She didn't count on wanting to be with him. She didn't count on all the drama she was inviting into her life because she couldn't stop herself from falling in love again.
Brady Manning never expected to be divorced at 23, only seeing his daughter on the weekends, but one thing is for sure, he's learned the lesson that love is disastrous the hard way. It's something he never wanted in his life again. With a child in the mix, he has to be careful with who he lets into his life. Until one evening of make believe with his friend, Lucas, changes everything.

Josie's Random Thursday thoughts...

So it seems that my recent pattern has been to write blog posts on Thursdays. It's not something I plan, just seems to work out for my schedule lately, I guess...

First thing- Drama Free 2003 is available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drama-free-2003-josie-leigh/1117076349?ean=2940045315470

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/drama-free-2003-drama-free-1

And Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/365101

Since I'm not a "publisher", I can't make it available for pre-order on Amazon, though. I do think the new feature on Smashwords allowing for pre-order is pretty cool, so we'll see how it works out.

Other than this, I am spending my days catching up on some reading and polishing DF and the Professor series, and gearing up to start Never Ever After in a few weeks.

I did get an opportunity to take a Girls' Trip with one of my best friends, her oldest daughter, and my two girls to Los Angeles this past weekend. It reminded me of one of the things I love about living in Arizona- living 6 hours away from the ocean, plus a lower cost of living and less traffic congestion!

We spent the morning at an awesome dance studio where my youngest took a couple of technique classes for their younger kids, and her daughter rocked it in the adult classes (even though she's only 10, she's a flipping genius when it comes to dance). Afterward, the five of us spent a wonderful afternoon walking along the beach, and then bringing home half of the sand in Santa Monica. All in all, even though we did so much this past weekend, it was relaxing. It's helped me to regroup and get ready for all of the craziness in store for the next few months!

Hope everyone else is having a great week. Below, I'm attaching my favorite picture from this weekend- my daughters at the ocean:

A little about me plus a call for reviewers and bloggers

As I get closer to the release of Drama Free 2003, I am in the process of finding bloggers and reviewers that might be interested in an ARC copy. If you are interested, please send me a message via Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, etc or leave a comment here or send me an email at joeskatan@gmail.com

I can't wait for you to read the book. I've been working on it since January of this year and am finally happy with the story within the pages. I love Lucas and Brady and their story is not your typical romance book. Lucas "Lucy" Dunn is more of the stereotypical book hero than the heroine. That's not to say that Brady isn't the hero, though.

Lucas is one of the strongest characters I've ever had the privilege to write, so I hope you'll embrace her. As I've said before, this book is dedicated 100% to my husband and his undying support for me.

I'm releasing "Drama Free 2003" on October 29th, 2013 in tribute to Love, but Never- which was released on the same day a year prior. I cannot believe that I've been doing this for a year now. It seems like just yesterday I picked up my first novel in what felt like forever and read.

When I was kid and into my teen years, I was a HUGE bookworm. I always had my nose in a book and was up on my bedroom floor as close to the hall light as I could possibly be after my bed time, just trying to read one more chapter. However, when I started college and the need to keep up with my studies prevailed (I was a Chemistry major then a Nutrition major), my love of reading was squashed by dry text books and homework.

That started the downward spiral of life getting in the way- which I guess is usually the case. After graduation, I was studying to take my CDM exam, then I was busy with work and, of course, there was always television that needed to be watched...

In January 2010, I woke up with severe pain in my left shoulder blade and back, to the point where I could barely move. It took three months and numerous doctors to narrow it down to a severe vitamin deficiency exacerbated by my Crohn's disease. During those months, I got sick of television and the four walls of my bedroom. It was then, while on short term disability, that I re-discovered my love of reading. I picked up my oldest daughter's "Pandora Gets Jealous" book and blew through the four books that were available at the time quickly, and needed more. By the time Christmas of 2011 hit, I got my kindle and I haven't looked back since.

Now writing was different. I've always written, I've always NEEDED to write. During my studies, I took as many English/Writing electives as I could, and write often for my job. Generally, the writing is in the form of newspaper articles and grant proposals, but it's writing nonetheless. However, I didn't get back into writing for pleasure until I started reading again. I'm sure most authors will tell you that reading and writing go hand in hand, and it's absolutely true.

Writers have to write, it's who we are, it's what we do. We might have a "day" job or another career that we love, and we may not ever share what we write, but that doesn't stop us from writing. Sometimes it's a compulsion. It's so hard to explain.

Tell me if you've always been an avid reader or if you found that life got in the way of reading for awhile too! I love to hear from you.

What's next...

Aside from Drama Free 2003, which will be released at the end of the month, I've also got a few other things in the works...

I do plan on bundling the Professor series together and making it available on November 12th. The bundled series will include a never-before released Prologue and Epilogue for the series. I will also release these items for FREE on my blog to those who have already read and purchased the series separately. The copies of The Professor and The Wife that are individually available will also be updated with these...

Also, I love to participate in National Novel Writing Month- which is November. And this year, I plan on spending the month working on Never Ever After- Lucian's book (part of the Never series). After that book is complete and is in revisions, I will be moving on to Anton's story. I already have a picture that I'm considering for the cover. It is sexy.

I'm really excited about what the future brings and hope that you all are too! Thank you so much, as always, for your support.

My non-erotica books

Before I get into this blog entry, I have a serious question about the future Anton book. I asked this on my facebook, and I got 1 response, so I'm asking again. Would you like to see it as a series, like the Professor and get 1 book a month for 4 months, or would you rather wait 4-6 months and get the book all at once? I know a few of my beta readers have already messaged me saying they are missing my daily emails, so I know their preference, but let me know- do you prefer a series or one novel?

ANYWAY...

The Professor playlist

Like most authors, I have music that inspires me. In fact, the music video for "Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" by Brand New gave me the idea for "The Weakness In Me." So it's not a surprise that I have a writing playlist on my iPhone for the Professor series.

Some of the songs I can point to specific scenes in the series that they inspired- i.e. Buttons for the striptease scene in The Widow, or Poison for the lectern scene in The Professor. Others...I don't know why they spoke to me, but they did.

I even have my obligatory Smashing Pumpkins song on this soundtrack, too. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a HUGE Smashing Pumpkins fan, so, of course, they inspire me...

The songs run the gamut from modern pop (Clarity- Zedd) to 90's punk (Infected- Bad Religion) and everything in between. I put the playlist up on my youtube channel. I hope you enjoy it, along with the release of The Wife. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVhNqJO2cjXHZirAOlskP1551G8b-lG4

Next projects

Now that I'm nearly finished with the Professor series, (moment of silence for how sad I am about it) it's time to look ahead at what I'm currently working on. The first post-Professor project is "Drama Free 2003"- I've been working on this full length novel all year and I'm currently in the polishing stage. It should be out this month, too. It is a new adult contemporary romance.

This one is near and dear to my heart because Brady is the closest Hero I've written to my husband, even the smoking- although he quit in 2009. After writing about so many other swoon-worthy men, I wanted to show him how much he means to me.

Drama Free 2003 blurb:

Lucas "Lucy" Dunn is a slut, a party girl... At least that's how most people would describe her. She takes offense to the double standard that because she doesn't want a relationship, but has a rolodex of booty calls, well, three, that she must be easy. She's not, not even close. Lucas knows that if she didn't 'hit it and quit it' on a weekly basis, she'd never survive the stress of working and going to school full-time. Alcohol and orgasms are a wonderful stress relief combination, after all, and new relationships when she was still caught up with her high school sweetheart, well, they just weren't worth it.

Until one fateful New Year's Eve night...Lucas asks her friend, Brady Manning, to pretend to be her date for the evening so that she can let someone she doesn't want anymore down easy. She didn't count on feeling something for him. She didn't count on wanting to be with him. She didn't count on all the drama she was inviting into her life because she couldn't stop herself from falling in love again.

Brady Manning never expected to be divorced at 23, only seeing his daughter on the weekends, but one thing is for sure, he's learned the lesson that love is disastrous the hard way. It's something he never wanted in his life again. With a child in the mix, he has to be careful with who he lets into his life. Until one evening of make believe with his friend, Lucas, changes everything.


Excerpt:

Introduction

Lucas

 

“I’m ready for this year to be over, Lucy,” Brady grumbled in my ear as our friends drank around us.

“Me, too,” I approved, looking over at him. “2002 sucked balls.”

Luckily, I’m drunk enough not to flinch at Brady calling me Lucy. He always does, even though I, now, prefer to go by my real name. I’d had the name Lucas my entire life, but went by Lucy until I was in high school. Once the teen angst took over, having a boy’s name was suddenly cool and didn’t get me made fun of anymore. Everyone who’d met me since high school called me Lucas, but my family and friends I’d had my whole life still insisted on calling me Lucy. Brady fell into the latter category, not because he’d known me since high school, but because his roommates had.

 “10!” My guests started the make shift countdown to midnight, staring at the second-hand of my living room clock. I was positive that it was fast and we were prematurely counting down the New Year, but it was okay. At least this shitty year would be over, finally. I wasn’t exaggerating when I told Brady 2002 had sucked. I was banking on the hope that 2003 would be better. If it wasn’t, I swore to GOD, I was leaving this God-forsaken state and moving far, far away. The thirty minute move to Tempe had helped, but not enough.

“5!” My eyes slid back to Brady, my ‘date’ for the evening, a good friend who agreed to pretend to be my temporary conquest so that an auditionee for my boy corral, Trevor, would get the point that it wasn’t going to happen between us again. He was nice enough, if not a bit quiet. Good looking, too-long, shaggy, brown hair, beautiful steel blue eyes, which were similar to my own, oval features, a gash mark scar on the left side of his chin. He was taller than me, but only by two to three inches, and I’d learned tonight that I fit perfectly under his arm as we snuggled on the floor beside my living room window.

“1! Happy New Year!” my guests yelled and turned to kiss their dates or hug the friend they came with. Trevor shot me a hopeful smile, prompting me to turn to Brady, giving him a nervous, but questioning, look. With a shrug, he pulled me close and planted a sweet, linger kiss on my forehead before settling my head against his chest. I could feel the steady rhythm of his heart against my ear. There was something completely calming about being wrapped up in his arms, but I didn’t want to dwell on it.

“Here’s to a drama free year,” he whispered in my ear, as my face heated and chills raced through my body when his breath hit my neck. I couldn’t wipe the silly grin off my face at the kiss he gave me on my forehead. I’d be appalled at my reaction if I hadn’t drunk enough alcohol to take shame off the menu. I knew he’d never be truly interested in me. He’d seen me retreat to my bedroom during my monthly parties with a constantly rotating roster of guys to really want to be with me. I’d be lying to myself if I said that before that moment, I’d ever considered being with him either. Yet, through the course of the evening, something inside me had changed and he was all I could see.

Trying to push the thought away, I did my best to enjoy the remainder of the party before saying good night to those not sleeping on my nearly vacant living room floor and collapsing on my, now, lonely queen sized bed. Is there a way I could get Brady interested in me, without compromising who I was? I doubted it. I was destined to be the girl that flitted from hook up to hook up, never able to find the guy she was really supposed to share her life with. I was okay with that, though, because it meant I never had to compromise what I wanted out of life because of someone else’s whims.

As I drifted off to sleep, Brady’s smiling face was the last thing I saw. I wondered what 2003 would have in store for me when I awoke the next morning to my empty bed and party trashed living room. Would Brady be the first person I thought of in the light of day, too?


If this sounds like a book you are interested in checking out, add it to your goodreads list: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17207209-drama-free-2003


AND! There is a character in The Wife that I will be spinning off into his own series. I'm already in love with him!

It's raining!

I'm an Arizona native, so rain is always spectacular to me and 100% welcome. Unfortunately, we have a really well insulated house, so the only place to actually hear the rain (unless it's torrential) is under the vent fan in the bathroom. However, we also have a 55 gallon fish tank in our family room, so the filter for that makes it sound like it's constantly raining... And it always makes me feel like I have to pee...

Anyway... I am over 12,000 words on The Wife, as of last night and I posted the synopsis and tentative release date on Goodreads. It is so hard to write a decent synopsis for the book without too many spoilers for those that have yet to read the series. 

Other news: I did an interview about the Professor series for Kay Dee Royal's blog this week. Head over, check it out and enter the giveaway for a chance to win copies of all the books currently available in The Professor series!

http://www.kaydeeroyal.blogspot.com/2013/09/josie-leigh-erotic-romance-goddess-bdsm.html

Last bit: I need 1 more reader for The Wife. Please be aware of the commitment: I will send you the book in its current form and updates (sometimes daily) as I write the book. I will need you to read the updates and send me feedback- a la 'that didn't make sense', 'that sex scene was too dark,' 'you changed the spelling of this person's name, etc. my betas are who helps me get my books out quicker. If you are interested, email me right away: joeskatan@gmail.com. First email gets it. 

Thank you!

BIG THANK YOU!

The Professor is FINALLY free on Amazon UK, US and Canada. For some reason, it's not free everywhere, even in the US, because I am still getting Professor sales on my report. I'm deeply puzzled by these, so if anyone has an explanation for how all this works, let me know, because- yeah, it's weird.

Thank you to TomeTender: http://www.tometender.blogspot.com , Chris' Book Blog Emporium: chrisbookblogemporium.blogspot.com/ , Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads: http://shaynareneesspicyreads.blogspot.com , and Smut Book Club: smutbookclub.com for posting about the Professor on Facebook and Twitter! And a HUGE thank you to everyone who picked up a copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

As it says in my bio, The Professor series is the first time I'm writing erotica. I was so nervous to write this series, because it's SO different from anything I'd previously written. I almost released the series under a separate pen name, but decided to own it. I'm glad that I did and I hope that if you picked up a copy of the Professor, you really enjoyed it. I've had such a blast with this series.

To give you an update on the status of The Wife:

I am just under halfway finished with the novella. Pain continues to sideline my writing, much to my disappointment, but I have some great stuff planned. I know part of the reason that I'm writing this one so much slower than the other three is because I really am sad to say goodbye to these characters. Damien and Sabrina are a great couple. They are functional and passionate, without being stupid and hot headed. I love that they don't run from each other and are a true team in their relationship. It's not often that, as a writer, you get to work with such a strong couple.

Below, I've decided to give you a teaser of an excerpt from The Wife. Be aware it contains spoilers from the end of The Widow, so don't read it until you've finished the 3rd book!

Never, ever, ever, ever

This is what I feel like right now.  I am hurting...like a lot... and I am trying to write the Wife, but I don't want to give you guys a half-assed piece of writing as the last book in something I've had such a blast writing. So I'm going to take my time to make sure I do it right.

I have Crohn's disease and I've been diagnosed since 2003. I've enjoyed remission since 2006, but right now I am having a nasty flare- my worst in years. And severe abdominal pain is not conducive to writing hot sex. I'm sure you'll agree. When you are in pain, sex is probably the furthest thing from your mind. What I can write, currently, is caring and nurturing in a good relationship, because I can honestly say that I have the most amazing and understanding husband. But then, he's been on this Crohn's journey with me since the beginning and knows my limitations and doesn't try to push me. He's so supportive. So if in 6-9 months, I have a book about an incredibly patient and supportive hero, know that he was my inspiration.

All that said, I'm hoping that the writing Gods will be kind to me and let me get this last installment to you by September 13th at the latest. Just because I'm having trouble writing doesn't mean that I'm not getting anything down. I'm at about 6,000 words, even though I was hoping to be closer to 14,000 by now.

Good news is that after weeks and weeks of trying to convince Amazon to price match the Professor with Smashwords and Barnes and Noble, it is FINALLY free in the US and Canada:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Professor-ebook/dp/B00D9C6J6U/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377728707&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Professor-ebook/dp/B00D9C6J6U/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377728760&sr=1-6

Better news is that I've been working on Drama Free 2003 and it should be out sometime next month, too!

Dance season starts soon for my youngest, so I'll be spending too much time at the dance studio and in hotel ballrooms. Look out for a flurry of new material!

Trying to make the Professor Free on Amazon

Currently, the Professor is available for free on Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/323950#longdescr
and Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-professor-josie-leigh/1115533111?ean=2940044616820

I am trying to go through the process to get it free on Amazon, too, but it's taking FOREVER! Please let Amazon know! Go Here http://www.amazon.com/The-Professor-ebook/dp/B00D9C6J6U/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377043354&sr=1-3#_ and under the sale rank, and above the reviews, there is a link that says "Tell us about a lower price" if you click that and input the links from one of the sites that has the book for free, Amazon will lower the price.
Thank you for your help!

The Widow is LIVE

It's currently not searchable on Barnes and Noble, but you should be able to find it here:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-widow-josie-leigh/1116373415?ean=2940148449706&itm=1&usri=2940148449706

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Widow-Professor-3-ebook/dp/B00EF5DN96/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376086751&sr=1-6

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/345487 I hope you love it!

Coming very soon, The Widow

I'm so close to the end of The Widow I can see the finish line!

Here is the blurb for the book:

Finally able to publicly declare their relationship has brought Damien and Sabrina closer than they ever thought possible. After a tense New Year’s Day breakfast, Damien secures her father’s permission to explore his connection with his student. He takes immediate advantage by demanding a true full time relationship with his sub, including sharing his bed nightly. As the pair truly begin to navigate the trials and tribulations of a new relationship, Celeste is waiting for her opportunity to strike when they are most vulnerable.

Celeste wanted to have it all. If she could get Damien in her back pocket, her future would be secure. However, the Professor’s relationship with Sabrina ruined everything she’d been working toward since her husband passed away. Facing the possibility of jail, Celeste forms a new plan. A plan to sacrifice Damien’s future for her freedom, but has she trusted the wrong people to see her plan through?

A Drama Free update: the release of Drama Free is being pushed back. Because of my work on the Professor series, I haven't been able to get the manuscript to a point I'm happy with. But rest assured, it will be out soon, too. 

The Widow has a cover!

I went back and forth on this one. Trying to find the perfect cover. And today, lightening struck and I found it!! So here is the cover for the upcoming 3rd book in the Professor series:

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday and in celebration, as soon as all of the websites cooperate with me, all of my books will be $.99 for the next 24 hours! 

 Also, the first 5 people to email me at joeskatan@gmail.com or send me a message over goodreads, twitter or facebook, will get to pick any book of mine for free! 

General Update- I'm almost to the halfway point in the Widow and things are heating up even more (if that's possible!) and I'm running into an issue that my readers have with Drama Free, so I'm going to be spending the next three weeks straight in the writing cave.

 Thank you for reading!

The Widow and Drama Free 2003

I finished the first draft of Drama Free 2003 on July 12th and it's currently with my readers. Everything seems to be going smoothly for its August release date and I couldn't be more thrilled. I hope people love this book as much as I do. It is told in alternating first person POV from Brady and Lucas' perspectives and is a roller coaster ride. The end is good and leaves it open for the second part of the story, coming in 2014. 

I planned to take this week off of everything. I've been a writing machine lately. I usually average 19,000 words a month, but I've written 65,000 words in the last 6 weeks. However, the Professor would have none of that and I'm already 3k words into the Widow. If this keeps up, it may be ready by the first week of August. 

I'm working on a mock up for the cover and have posted options on my twitter account @leigh_josie  Please head over there and favorite your choice. 

Thank you!

The Student

The Student is live on Amazon The Student
And Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/334280

And Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-student-josie-leigh/1115959022?ean=2940148345992

Coming soon to Kobo.

Synopsis:

What happens when one discovery shatters the trust between a Dom and his sub? Can they find that trust, that bond they had to continue their journey?

When Damien learns more about Sabrina, he realizes that their trust may not be what he thought it was. He much come to grips with her secret before they can move on.

With a suspicious roommate, meddling parents, the holidays and a Widow who can't take no for an answer, Sabrina and Damien have to strive harder to grow what they have beyond a few hot encounters.

And once the semester ends, and being with Sabrina is no longer a taboo, will the thrill be gone? Was the excitement of getting caught the only thing that motivated their coupling?

Enjoy!

Less than a week!

I'm DYING to release a sneak peek of The Student, but I don't want to reveal too much!! BUT I'm almost done with it and it should release next Tuesday ON TIME! It'll be the same length as The Professor, if not slightly longer.

I'm almost done with the first draft of Drama Free 2003, too! I hope to have it to readers by the end of the weekend.

I appreciate all the love I've been getting on the Professor series and I'm going to do my best to meet my one book a month demands I placed on myself for them. However, because of the release of Drama Free 2003 on August 13th, I may need to push The Widow back a week or two from what I'd planned.

The Widow WILL have scene from Celeste's point of view and is now available to put on your TBR list on Goodreads!

I'm trying to take advantage of the fact that I'm going to have the house to myself this weekend! My daughters are on vacation: My youngest is camping with my parents and my oldest is on a road trip with her other family, and my husband will be working! It's the first weekend since May that I won't be babysitting, too!

I don't know about you, but as much as I love kids, babysitting five kids 7 and under isn't an environment for writing erotica- it's pretty much the opposite.

I am working on The Professor's writing playlist and will be posting it soon. Some of the songs will be obvious, but necessary, others will seem weird- all contributed to the first two books.

As always, I love to hear from you! Drop me a line, comment, whatever.

Cover reveal

The Student! I'm so in love with this cover:

All work and no play...

News flash, I stalk my reviews... I'm grateful for anything anyone writes about my work- good or bad. 

That said, I'm so excited by the feedback I'm getting on the Professor. It's always scary trying to work in a new genre, but this series has been so much fun. 

I've written more in the month of June then I usually do and it's all because of the possessive Dom whispering his story in my ear at all hours of the day. 

Cool things are happening behind the scenes and I should have some interesting news soon. 

In the meantime, I'm working on finishing up Drama Free 2003 and getting it into editing and finishing up The Student for its early July release. 

The Professor is now available

Pick up your copy at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Professor-ebook/dp/B00D9C6J6U/ref=la_B009ZDG9AI_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1370889425&sr=1-4

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/323950

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-professor-josie-leigh/1115533111?ean=2940016417387

I'm working more on Drama Free this week and I'm starting "The Student"- I hope you enjoy this quick and dirty novella.

The Professor

I just finished my first draft of the Professor and have sent it to my proofreader/editor, Didi! I'm hoping to have it up on Amazon and everywhere earlier than my June 14th goal.

Please add it to your TBR list on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17997560-the-professor

It is about 80 pages long, or 23k words and is my first foray into the erotica genre. It will be a short 4 book series and has been so much fun to get out. I've never written anything as quickly as I finished this novella. I write part-time, meaning about 20k words a month. I was able to finish this book in just under two weeks.

I hope you all enjoy it!

Soul searching answer...

After much deliberation, I've decided NOT to use a separate pen name when releasing "The Professor" next month. Please be aware that this novella (I'm planning on less than 20k words) is straight up erotica. While it will also be considered contemporary, it is DEFINITELY book porn.

Synopsis:

When Sabrina Carson's daydream in class leads her to ask her Professor to tutor her after hours, she knew what she was really asking. She knew what she wanted, and with the help of her roommate, she even knew how to go for it. She only questioned whether he'd be receptive to her advances.

Professor Areleon didn't know why he'd already been drawn to Sabrina since her first day of class. When she asks for help, he decides it's time to explore her hold over him. After she is late for their appointment, he learns exactly what Sabrina is capable of, and hopes that his burning desire to possess her doesn't bring him and everything he's ever worked for down around him.

Add it to your TBR list on goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17997560-the-professor

Read on for a excerpt and cover reveal:

News! And a question...

Last week was a very, very, very crazy week for me. I released Love, but Never to Smashwords and Amazon:

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/318048

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-but-Never-ebook/dp/B009YJXY6K/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_3_K69B

And on Thursday, I hosted my last promo day for The Weakness in Me. The day went viral and I gave away THOUSANDS of copies, where I normally give away a few hundred. The entire thing was completely surreal to me. I want to thank everyone that picked it up and has rated and reviewed it on Amazon and Goodreads.

I'm in the process of finishing up a few things: 1. Drama Free 2003- I'm finally in the home stretch of the first draft of this book. I'm really loving writing it. It's told in alternating first person perspective, which is totally new for me. 2. Getting further on Never #2, Lucian's book and 3. a novella that is begging me to spend more and more time with it, and ignoring my other two current works in progress.

My Question for the masses is... there is NO question that this novella will be erotica- straight up. And if you've read my books, you know that while I write a few sex scenes throughout the book, they are plot driven, rather than sexually driven. I am toying with the idea of releasing the Novella under a different pen name. Do you think releasing it under the Josie name will cause confusion or should I release is under another pseudonym? Email me, comment, let me know what you think! I'm also looking for people who want to read the first 2000 words!

Finally! A re-release date!

If all goes according to plan, I want to re-release Love, but Never on May 22nd. Feedback is starting to come in from readers and I'm making adjustments where the questions overlap. I'm excited to have this book available again, because it's so much more than it was previously.

Anyone who already purchased a copy of this novel, prior to April 26th, 2013, please send me a screen cap of your invoice (personal info hidden, of course) via email and I will be HAPPY to send you an updated copy, since it'll take Amazon 6 weeks to offer a draft update to customers.

This time around, the pain is deeper, the sex is hotter, and Marissa journey is who she is and what she wants is faster. And Aaron is SO much more. Yes, John is still John, but not everything can change, can it?

Other housekeeping information, I'm hoping to be done with the first draft of Drama Free 2003 by the end of the month, but by June 13th at the absolute LATEST and will be looking for betas! I'm also working on Lucian's book and a down and dirty professor/student erotic encounter. Keep up with the blog to get updates on those projects.

I'll leave you with a song from my writing soundtrack for Love, but Never. This song is EVERYTHING Marissa feels about herself through the majority of this book: Ugly, by the Smashing Pumpkins- the song is haunting, sad, and shows how much Marissa grows by the end of the book.

http://youtu.be/70hdNUiKKZk

Taking a break from Lucas and Brady

Because of all the work I've done revising Love, but Never, I've been getting inspiration on the next book in the Never series and I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at his playlist:

Love but Never rerelease update

I've gotten some feedback from my betas. I'm patiently awaiting news from the rest. I'm hoping to be able to put the finishing touches on the book and have it available again soon. 

Love, but Never...revision update

<i>I am now about half way through this revision, and finally made it past Aaron and Marissa's first love scene. Because I'm a super giving person, I wanted to share it with everyone who reads this blog first! If you haven't read Love, but Never, this scene takes place in the construction zone of a housing development. Marissa and Aaron are trying to find a house to spend some time together in because she can't invite him into her parents' house.<p>

Because goodreads doesn't format these blog entries correctly, this is better read on my off-site blog www.joeskatan.blogspot.com . Please be aware that this scene is explicit in nature and should only be read by those 18+ <p>

I hope you enjoy it, and as always, I love to receive any feedback you may have.<p>

Cover reveal!

With a brand new revision, comes a brand new cover. Here is the new cover for Love, but Never. 

Update: Love, but Never Revision

The revision is complete! And the book is now with my beta readers. It's not too late to become a beta for this book, just message me if you are interested or email me at joeskatan@gmail.com Here is the NEW synopsis for Love but Never:

Marissa Masterson's life has never been easy. She has lived through things most girls her age will probably never experience if they lived to be 100. Her entire focus is becoming the daughter she thinks her parents will be proud of. When pains in her stomach turn out to be more than indigestion and her path to acceptance is blocked by health complications, she has to find another way to earn the respect she's wanted her whole life.

While she finds herself bewitched and mesmorized by local musician, Aaron Andrews, she tries to ignore their connection in favor of her best friend, John Kramer. Her father has hand-picked John to take care of his little girl, but Marissa's feeling for him struggle to grow beyond friendship. Will Marissa's desire to become the perfect daughter win over her heart? Or can she learn that only she can decide what and who is best for her future?

Love, but Never rewrite...

It's not really a rewrite, per say, just a heavy revision. Below is the revised introduction and first chapter! Please let me know what you think!

New cover for The Weakness in Me!

I decided to give the cover a redesign after some feedback that it wasn't resonating well with my audience. I LOVE the new cover. Let me know what you think

Waking up on the wrong side of the bed

I'm in a mood this morning that even sour cream and onion pringles for breakfast can't fix. And I don't know about you, but I think that is the breakfast of champions. This feeling goes all the way back to marching band roadtrips in high school.

Anyway, a few housekeeping items: I'm at about the 75% mark of Drama Free 2003 and I'm hoping to have it in editing by the end of May so that my timeline for an August release stays in tact! After I finish this book, I'm going to be working hard on Lucian's book and a heavy duty rewrite/edit on Love, But Never, which I pulled from Amazon while I complete this.

The Weakness in Me did not make the semi-finals for the ABNA contest, but the review from Publishers' Weekly was better than I could've imagined! They called it a 'Heartbreaking contemporary romance' and said that "the author solidly paints the agony of losing a loved one and the long process of recovery." I'm sure the emphasis is on long, because The Weakness in Me is (of course) about Samantha and Jason's relationship, but it's also about learning to live again after you lose someone you really and truly loved. It's a slow building book because there was no way Samantha and Jason would've found their way back to each other any sooner. There was a lot of hurt on both sides of that relationship when it ended. I was over the moon when I read this, though, because as an author, still new to the game of writing full length novels for public consumption, rather than someone who writes short stories and papers for school, I have the tendency to question my abilities. I know that I am growing with every story I write and you hope that every book you write is better than the last, but that doesn't mean it's true.

If the review wasn't as good as it was, I probably would still be in a dark room, rocking back and forth, telling myself it's okay cause my mom likes me. I would still write, but I'd be way more gun shy about releasing my work to the general population.

That's it for now. 'Like' me on facebook and follow me on twitter for random updates about popcorn flavored jelly bellys, how hot I think Captain Hook from Once Upon A Time is, and probably my thoughts on the upcoming NFL draft.

The Weakness in Me free on Amazon tomorrow!

To celebrate the release of the paperback and getting a pretty good Publishers' Weekly review of 'The Weakness in Me', the kindle edition will be available for free tomorrow only! Pick up a copy of the book my reviewer from PW called 'A heartbreaking contemporary romance' that 'solidly paints the agony of losing a loved one and the slow process of recovery.'

Drama Free 2003- Lucas doesn't want a relationship

I've written almost 12k words this week, so I'm releasing another teaser of Drama Free 2003. Just a reminder...this is raw and unedited. It is subject to change before the release of the book. This is from Lucas' POV

Because of the couch moving extravaganza, my regular lunch date with Abby was pushed back a day, guaranteeing a run in with Eric. When we pulled up, I could tell she was already giddy with the prospect. I still didn’t understand what it was about being in a couple that made you suddenly want to pair up all of your friends, even if the thought of being in a relationship made them want to claw their eyes out.

“Stop bouncing, Abby, before I have to tell Ted to stop giving you sugar in the morning,” I growled. When she giggled, I continued, “I didn’t mean in the metaphorical sense. I literally mean I’m going to tell him to stop buying you donuts.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” her green eyes widened and I hid my grin behind a curtain of black hair as I bent to pick up my purse from the floorboard beside her.

“Just behave, okay? I don’t have the desire or time to turn my arrangement with Eric into something more permanent,” I warned again.

“Fine,” she pouted, but exited my truck with her head high. “But, that’s not going to stop us from partying like crazy this weekend, right?”

“Ugh,” I groaned, when the date flashed in my head. “I told Dennis I’d work Saturday at the other hotel to make up for the time I’m taking off for my party next weekend. I’m sorry! I totally forgot you wanted to drink your way through Mill Ave!”

“Ugh is right!” Abby’s pout seemed to grow deeper at my words. “But, if it’s slow, he’ll let you leave early and you can meet Ted and me wherever we are?”

“But how am I supposed to help you drink your way down Mill if I have to drive afterward?”

“Ted and I will pick you up and we’ll get trashed!” she grinned at the new plan. “I can’t promise I won’t be already trashed though.”

“I didn’t expect you to wait, Abs, believe me,” I chuckled as we made our way to the familiar bar top and two empty chairs against the wall. Part of me wondered if we were really that lucky to always find bar seats right away, or if we had help from a guardian angel answering the phone.

“Hey, Eric,” I greeted, flipping him a salute as we sat down.

“Hey, Lucas, am I up tonight?” he asked, winking at me with his dark brown eyes sparkling.

“Do you want to be?” I flirted.

“I already am,” he stage-whispered to me across the bar.

“Well, I get off work at 11 tonight, if you want to swing by,” I offered.

“Sounds like a plan,” he smiled. “I’ll be the puppy scratching at the door at 11:15. I tried to call the other night, but you didn’t answer.”

“Oh, I had someone over,” I answered, dismissively.

“Auditioning another newbie, Lucas?”

“Oh, nothing like that,” I laughed. “My friend, Brady, stayed over to help me move a couch Carter gave me.”

“Look at you all fancy with your furniture from ex-boyfriends.”

“Carter isn’t an ex, well, not really.”

“I couldn’t see you for like three months when you met Carter, Luke. Even if there were no labels, he was your boyfriend,” Eric said.

“I’ve seen you guys together, Lucas. Carter was your boyfriend,” Abby agreed, making me feel cornered.

“Doesn’t matter now, does it?” I sneered at them. “I tried to show him I could commit, but he wasn’t interested.”

“That guy is straight up in love with you, Lucas,” Abby shook her head. “Mark my words, if he starts to feel like someone is a threat to his tentative claim on you, he’ll get aggressive.”

“Maybe I should meet this guy, size him up, make sure he’s worthy of you,” Eric offered, his eyes suddenly distant.

“Thanks, but—”

“You’re still coming to the party next weekend, right?” Abby asked, starting to bounce in her chair again.

“Um, I was planning on it; you’re still getting me a pack of New Castles, right?”

“Yeah,” I nod.

“Then you can meet Carter then! He’d never miss one of Lucas’ parties, too much lady on lady action.”

“Good to know,” he rubbed his chin as the phone at his station started to ring and he excused himself to get back to work. Our waitress came to grab our usual order and Abby and I fell into a companionable silence until our drinks came.

“So, how did everything go with Carter and Brady?” Abby asked before taking a sip of her Coke.

“Fine,” I shrugged, plunging my straw into the glass of ice cold Dr. Pepper in front of me.

“Fine? Really? Cause Carter had murder in his eyes when you kissed Brady last weekend.”

“I know,” I sighed. “He kissed me hard enough to bruise after I kissed Brady, like he was trying to prove something,” I rolled my eyes.

“So, nothing’s going on with you and Brady?”

“Carter asked me that yesterday, too, and the answer is no,” I shut her down. “Brady is a good friend, he doesn’t think of me like that.”

“Oh, convenient little phrasing there, Lucas,” Abby smirked over the chunk of pizza in her hand.

“What do you mean?” I frowned.

“He doesn’t think about you like that? What about you?”

“What about me? That doesn’t matter; neither of us is looking for anything. I think his divorce turned him against relationships.”

“Hmmm, sounds perfect to me,” she grinned.

“You really don’t care who I’m paired up with, do you? Carter, Eric, Brady? You just want me to have a boyfriend.”

“Um, HELLOOOOO?” she said, as if what she was about to say was the most obvious thing in the word. “Double dating?”

“It’s not my fault you want me to come on your dates with Ted, Abs,” I groaned. “I don’t want to be in a couple, what makes you think there is even the remote possibility that I’d want to be a part of a couple’s night? That’s like double the commitment,” I choked out, disgusted at her suggestion. “I’m afraid something like that would actually cause my death, because I would be suffocating on my lack of freedom.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it, Luke,” she warned before we turned back to our lunches. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to have to distance myself from Abby until she realized that Lucas Dunn and relationships were like oil and water or maybe I should just double down on the debauchery until she got the point. Yes, this was something that could only be fixed by calling in the rotation in succession. I’d only been calling Eric for far too long and people were starting to get ideas.

Though, my heart gave a little kick I didn’t want to acknowledge when I thought about the possibility of adding Brady as a pinch hitter. I couldn’t fight the visions that flooded my brain of having him as the only player in the dugout, and how it almost brought a smile to my face. Fuck! I’ve gotta get rid of this crush, because it was more dangerous than I ever thought possible.

Beta request again!

I'm about 50% through Drama Free and I'm still looking for beta readers. I only have a few and I need more!! Please email me (joeskatan@gmail.com) if you are interested!!!!!!

A little bit of me

I put a little bit of myself into every book I write, and I think most authors would say the same thing. For instance, even though the spelling isn't quite correct, Sammy's daughter Corigan is a dedication to my favorite band, the Smashing Pumpkins and my love for the musical genius that is Billy Corgan. Lucas in Drama Free 2003 has a cat named Shadow. I'm a total cat person, even though my husband is a dog person. Chloe in a work in progress that doesn't have a title yet, plays the flute, which I've played for 20 years now.

The hardest thing for me to write about was Marissa in Love, but Never. She and I both have Crohn's disease. I'll have been diagnosed for 10 years at the end of this year. I've been (mostly) in remission since 2005, thanks to biological immunosuppressant drugs like Remicade and Humira, but when I was first diagnosed, I had to take almost a year off of college and it threw my life into total upheaval. Although, it derailed Marissa's plans and caused issues in her day to day life, it didn't impact her nearly as much as it did me! After all of the other problems she had, I couldn't let her suffer as much as I did.

These last three days, I've been in the midst of a Crohn's flare that has nearly brought me to my knees! Worst I've had in years! So I'm so far behind on my goals for Drama Free 2003, but I'm at about the 50% mark, so I am hoping for a surge when I'm no longer incapacitated by pain...the story is starting to back up in my head and I need to start getting it out again.

I'll release another teaser one I get started again!!

Drama Free 2003- Meet Brady

Be aware this is unedited and unrevised. This is the beginning of the 2nd chapter, when we first get to hear from Brady, as opposed to hearing about Brady.Brady

The manufacturing plant where I worked was still shut down for the holidays until Monday, and I wouldn’t get my daughter again until tomorrow. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was bored. My roommate, Flynn, was out with some crazy tatted chick he’d met at the sex shop where he worked graves. Meanwhile, our other roommate, Becca, was looking at me like she wanted to devour me whole. I knew she was jealous that Flynn, her ex, was out on a date and she wasn’t, but I didn’t know if I wanted to hook up with her anymore. It was something that had become common place for us since a party at Lucy’s old house, before she moved to Tempe.

Lucy, damn, I went a whole ten minutes without thinking about her and what happened at her house a couple of nights ago. Which was nothing. I just helped her get rid of a guy she didn’t want anymore. I wasn’t thinking about the way she smelled like apples or how she fit perfectly in my arms, because I just couldn’t go there with anyone. Love was a soul sucking pit of existence, and I refused to get sucked in again.

“Are you watching this?” I asked Becca, motioning toward the old episode of Buffy playing on the television.

“No, why?” she asked. I knew she was trying to sound seductive, but all I heard was desperation. “What did you have in mind?” It took everything I had to hold back the cringe I felt as she trailed her fingers from my wrist up my arm. Something about her touch right now just felt wrong.

“I wanted to play some GTA, but if you’re watching the show…” I trailed off, shutting down her flirtations.

“No, you can have it,” she snarled and tore out of the living room toward her bedroom, slamming her door behind her. I know she wanted me to feel guilty for rejecting her advances, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care. With a shrug, grabbed my controller and sat down in front of my Play Station to steal some cars and kill some hookers.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a callous guy, but damn if that girl had no respect for herself. She was attractive and nice, but not for me. I don’t know why she thought it was her roommately duty to attend to Flynn and me that way. She and Flynn had been off and on since high school, but I always thought their relationship was a cluster fuck of epic proportions. It was so destructive that it swallowed everyone it touched whole and regurgitated their bones. They’d been engaged more times than I could count, but always broke up. They were good people separately, but together, damn, they were a category five hurricane. I’d question why I got involved with her in the first place, given her on-going history with my best friend, but I knew the answer to that, it was 80 proof and started with the letter V.