CUE THE HORNS!! ANNOUNCEMENT!!! 

Since this is the last post of the tour, I’m giving something away to every commenter, just answer me this: WHAT is your favorite romance novel book cover and why. ANY cover, not just Smexy covers.

We’ll call this market research. And if you have a link it would be awesome. I’d love to SEE it.  

Some Smexy swag, some eBooks, even some REAL books with Smexy covers.

So comment today and WIN. 

This is it!! This is the end!! After this post, I will announce the winner of the Kindles and or Nooks (readers choices) 

I’m so excited to have been able to share all these fabulous books, authors and covers with all of you and I hope you had a good time on the first ever #StudioSmexy Superstars of Romance Cover Tour!! I had a great time chatting everyone up here and on facebook, so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who joined me. Stay tuned for more Smexy to come, follow me on TWITTER, and FACEBOOK for updates, new covers, new shoots and just over all smexxiness. 

*SMOOCHES*

Jenn

Smexy Jenn:Hi… ME!
Author Jenn: Hi Yourself!!!

Smexy Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Author Jenn: Well, 1. It’s illustrated

2. it’s a serial novel, in six parts. That’s different from a series, this has to be read in order to get the full story.

3. There are TWO heroes and TWO heroines!

4. It’s a time-travel, but it’s more fish-out-of-water than H.G. Wellian, so a bit different from your common time-travel romance.

5. It has been on the top 100 for Time-travel romance for over a year and WON the BOOKIE at Authors After Dark for BEST Historical Romance of 2011!!!

I’m adding one more… IT LAUNCHED STUDIO SMEXY.

Smexy Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Author Jenn: NOPE!!

Smexy Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Author Jenn: Well, since the covers, all eight of them now, were shot specifically for this book, by me, it couldn’t possibly be a better representation of the book.

Smexy Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Author Jenn: ohhhh…. see even I don’t know the answers to these questions. PASSION.

Smexy Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Author Jenn: Different.

Smexy Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Author Jenn: Insane.

Smexy Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Author Jenn: I am working on the audiobook for The Rake And The Recluse, as well as #Twitchy, infamous as she is now, in between shoots and other Studio Smexy craziness.

Smexy Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Author Jenn: As long as y’all keep coming back for it, there will be smexy

Colorado. Canon. Curls. CJs. Chuck Norris.
Born and raised in a household of other people’s children in this beautiful state —very nearly with a camera in hand— she never left. She started her own family, got used to the curls, went to college, built a CJ, started a business, and totally beat the daylights out of Chuck Norris, all with a camera in hand.

Spending her days in parenting chat rooms she got highly adept with one-handed typing and she can still type just about as fast with one hand as she can with two. It’s a great talent to have when engrossed in a scene and in need of a hit of caffeine. Once she finished her first novel she quickly realized: She was born a photographer.

From the realization that someone ELSE would be shooting the cover of HER book her control-freak took over. What started as an easy cover shoot ballooned into this completely new kind of media, designed specifically for digital book readers.

She lives and thrives off chaos and the constant flow of the creative process. She wears shorts and flip-flops year-round —much to the chagrin of her friends and family— an
d she is currently working on the illustrations for her second novel. Her first serial novel THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE is doing its own Chuck Norris impersonation with the time travel charts on Amazon. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook sharing eye candy (NSFW) and being a total rock star.

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Jenn’s FULL SERIAL NOVEL: THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

Images from the book:

Kindle | Nook | iTunes
Kobo| Smashwords | ARe

Jenn:Hi Darcy!
Darcy: Hi Jenn!

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Darcy:
Her Wicked Ways: This was probably my easiest book to write (so far). It just flowed. I wrote the epilogue so that I could introduce a character that would appear in my next Regency series. He’s not named, but he’s mentioned.

His Wicked Heart: The heroine was originally named Emmeline and in an earlier version she was in a traveling troupe of actors. I don’t often picture famous people when I write characters, but when it came to describing Jasper, I kept seeing Daniel Craig. Which was okay with me.

Kindle | Nook | iTunes
Kobo| Smashwords | ARe

To Love a Thief: I wrote the first draft of this novella in two weeks. It’s the fastest thing I’ve ever written! I’d originally intended the hero to be a character who had about two pages of screen time in Her Wicked Ways, but realized his backstory from Her Wicked Ways wouldn’t gel with who I envisioned this hero to be. So, that guy (Lord Kersey) will get his own book in the next Regency series I write. To Love a Thief launches an overarching suspense plot that carries through the last two books in the Secrets & Scandals series, Never Love a Scoundrel and Scoundrel Ever After.

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Darcy: Yes

Coming Early 2013

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Darcy: All of the covers do a superb job of conveying what I love in a romance: beauty, sexiness, and hot, hot guys. The Her Wicked Ways cover is perfect because it really captures Miranda’s essence. For His Wicked Heart, my designer colored the model’s hair red and it’s PERFECT for the heroine. To Love a Thief is a great pose because of how the woman is sort of in the power position. Since she’s the thief in the title, I like how it looks.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Darcy: Wow, that’s hard. Color. I love me some arms and chest, but the color needs to be eye-catching and vivid. And it should look delicious. If I want to lick a cover, that’s a good sign!

Kindle | Nook | iTunes
Kobo| Smashwords | ARe

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Darcy: Her Wicked Ways: Lush, His Wicked Heart: Smoldering (it’s the way she’s looking at him!), To Love a Thief: Vibrant

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Darcy: Superthoughtfulworrierwhoishelpfulaladocious (What? That’s ONE word.)

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Darcy: I am hard at work on book 5 of the Secrets & Scandals series, which features another Studio Smexy cover! (Never Love a Scoundrel) This is the story of Lord Jason Lockwood, whom readers first met in To Seduce a Scoundrel when the hero saved the heroine from being seen at his vice party (which naturally would have ruined her). It also features Lady Lydia Prewitt, whom readers met in His Wicked Heart and To Seduce a Scoundrel. Lydia is a terrible gossip, but hides a secret despair. I so want both of these characters to get an HEA!

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Darcy: I think that’s a pretty safe bet.

Darcy Burke wrote her first book at age 11, a happily ever after about a swan addicted to magic and the female swan who loved him, with exceedingly poor illustrations. An RWA Golden Heart® Finalist, Darcy loves all things British (except tomatoes for breakfast, or any other time of day, actually) and happy ever afters.

A native Oregonian, Darcy lives on the edge of wine country with her devoted husband, their two great kids, and three cats. In her “spare” time Darcy is a serial volunteer enrolled in a 12-step program where one learns to say “no,” but she keeps having to start over. She’s also a fair-weather runner, and her happy places are Disneyland and Labor Day weekend at the Gorge. Visit Darcy online at http://www.darcyburke.com, follow her on Twitter, or like her Facebook page.

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Darcy’s Her Wicked Ways, His Wicked Heart, or To Love a Thief, winner’s choice. All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

Amazon | B&N | iBooks
Kobo | Sony | Samhain

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Vivian:

1. There are a whole lot of water/wet scenes in this book (take that any way you want!)
2. While I was writing this book I finally had to draw a map of the Coleman land so I’d know which direction people were traveling to get to creeks, houses, etc
3. I phoned an organic rancher who lives in Alberta to double-check information for the book. When I offered the woman a couple of my print books as a thanks, she told me she didn’t read much, and never romance. Sigh.
4. I had the toughest time remembering whose horse was male and whose was female– or at least I kept getting my he’s and she’s mixed up, which made for some funny scenes before they got edited and fixed.
5. ROCKY MOUNTAIN ANGEL is part of the Six Pack Ranch series, even though the hero, Gabe, is an ‘Angel Coleman’ as the locals call them. It was sheer coincidence that a book with Angel in the title released during the holiday season!

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Vivian: My cover artist had shown me some of Smexy’s photos before, and when it came time to find the perfect couple, she linked me to her ideas. One glance through the shoot and we had a winner!

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Vivian: So perfectly! When the cover was being put together I was doing edits and reading through the final scene it was as if the characters had walked onto the cover,

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Vivian: Rain. Totally the rain that makes this cover so awesome. Read the book– you’ll understand!

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Vivian: Renewed.

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Vivian: Adventurous.

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Vivian: The next in the cowboys series will be out in May-ROCKY MOUNTAIN REBEL. Paranormal lovers-there’s a new wolfie book, WOLF NIP, coming Feb 12. And the Big Adventure is HIGH RISK, a new Berkley Sensation coming March 5.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Vivian: I sure hope so! I think there’s a bear shifter hiding out at StudioSmexy, if we can convince him to join us!

Vivian Arend in one word: Adventurous. In a sentence: Willing to try just about anything once. That wide-eyed attitude has taken her around North America, through parts of Europe, and into Central and South America, often with no running water.

Her optimistic outlook also meant that when challenged to write a book, she gave it a shot, and discovered creating worlds to play in was nearly as addictive as traveling the real one. Now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of both contemporary and paranormal stories, Vivian continues to explore, write and otherwise keep herself well entertained.

Find Vivian: Author Site | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Rocky Mountain Angel. All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

These covers are so DARN CUTE!!! 

Amazon | B&N | ARe
iBooks | Smashwords

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book.
Erica:

1. The heroine, Daisy, is an apprentice fairy, trying to earn her wings and gain the respect of her peers.
2. The hero, Trevor, is a no-nonsense paleo-anthropologist who doesn’t believe in magic.
3. Daisy’s best friend is a talking, smart-aleck Pegasus.
4. Seeing as how she doesn’t (yet!) have wings, Daisy’s mode of transportation is a where-frog, who teleports her “where” she wants to go.
5. A Himalayan Lust Charm is a terrible thing to end up in the wrong hands. In the right hands, however…

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Erica: Yes! You have lots of great images. Other author friends have also used Studio Smexy.

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Erica: I think the cover image portrays a great Daisy. The cover looks fun and sexy and magical, which is exactly what I hope readers think about Love, Lust & Pixie Dust!

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be?
Erica: I love Daisy’s anything-could-happen smirk, and how Trevor only has eyes for her.

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word.
Erica: Fun!

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word.
Erica: Wanderlust.

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Erica: Wands, Wishes & Genie Kisses is the next book in the Nether-Netherland romantic comedy trilogy, followed by Fate, Fire & Demon Desire.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Erica: Absolutely! Both Wands, Wishes & Genie Kisses and Fate, Fire & Demon Desire feature smexy models!

Erica Ridley learned to read when she was three, which was about the same time she decided to be a writer when she grew up. Over the course of her school years, she graduated from self-illustrated stories written in crayon to dramatic sagas filling reams of spiral notebooks.

Now, Erica writes paranormal, fantasy, and historical romances, often with a touch–or a lot–of humor. When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Costa Rica, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.

Find Erica: Author Site | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Love, Lust and Pixie Dust. All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

TES HILAIRE!!! *Does a happy dance* OMGoodness, this cover. This is the second #StudioSmexy cover released in mass market, and it’s just THE. COOLEST. THING. EVER. I love walking into a bookstore and seeing my guys on books. Real life touchable BOOOOOKS. And Tes is SUCH a sweetheart! The designer on this cover is the AMAZING Tricia “PickyMe” whom I adore to my TOESIES. She was one of my first official clients (that was the Mary Wine highlander cover, the first #StudioSmexy mass market) and ever since we have worked on some stunning covers. I am just blown away by what she does with my images, and quite honestly I do a major shimmy whenever I see her downloading images to use. Most of the time I’m not allowed to know about the projects, some are VERY top secret, but I know whatever the cover, it’s going to be drop dead smexy.

—Jenn 

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BAM | indiebound
Discover A New Love

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Tes:

1. The Paladin legend I used to base my mythos after came from an old French piece of literature called The Song of Roland
2. Before I’d fleshed out my mythos for the series, back when I was writing the first chapters of Deliver Me from Darkness, Logan (hero of book two, Deliver Me from Temptation) was simply a vampire hunter of some sort. The other baddies and the Paladin order came after many agonizing hours of research and crazed hours of brainstorming.
3. Jessica, our homicide detective heroine, originally carried a Glock 19. I had to switch it to another NYC police issued weapon, the SIG P226 DAO because the Glock does not have an external safety and I needed one (a “decocker” in the case of the SIG) for one of the scenes.
4. With a crazy home life schedule, it took me nine months to write the first version of Deliver Me from Temptation. After realizing that crazy home life had been too much of a distraction and the novel had suffered for it, I scratched it and wrote the rough draft of the version you see here in one month. Talk about a deadline!
5. Researching the city details for Deliver Me from Temptation became a nightmare! Having lived most my life in NYC and been to the city at various points through it, I thought my original use of the city that never sleeps was a great idea for my novel. All I’d have to do is take a quick 2 hour road trip to check things out if needed, right? Well then we moved to North Carolina. Needless to say it became real difficult to take a little research jaunt down into the city both because of time and distance. Thank goodness for good friends and google maps!

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Tes: To my lack of luck, no! But now that I do I can spend many blissful hours drooling over the pretty pictures here

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Tes: I love how the cover model captured the strength of Logan. As a Paladin warrior and next in line to lead their council, he’s chalked full of characteristics like honor, duty, competency and yes… a really hot warrior body. The muscular back-shot combined with the gritty city and dark colors correctly portray the intensity of the fight he leads against the enemy that is gaining ground on our world.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Tes: Oh man… That’s a toss up between the model and the landscape. My stories are all based in NYC, though an alternate one where evil is lurking around the corner and slowly infusing itself into our lives without our knowledge, but the story is all about the hero and heroine. So I guess if I could pick one thing it would be the model that portrayed the sort of intensity I’m looking for in my characters.

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Tes: Intense

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Tes: Hmmm.. how about a Tes-of-All-Trades

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Tes: The next book in the Paladin Warriors series comes out in November! I am so excited

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Tes: I hope so! I will certainly be here drooling over all the pretty pictures at least!

Daphne Award-winning author Tes Hilaire started creating whole new worlds to escape upstate New York’s harsh winters before finally fleeing to sultry North Carolina. Her stories are edgy, exciting, and bring a hint of dark fantasy to paranormal romance. And no one ever has to shovel snow. For more, visit www.teshilaire.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter. Look for the other books in the Paladin Warriors Series: Deliver Me from Darkness (in stores now) and Prince of Shadows (November 2013).

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Deliver Me from Temptation. All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

Amazon | B&N | ARe

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Rhonda:

1. Starts on a tropical island
2. Seth is a quarterback
3. Morgan owns a bookstore and is a literacy advocate
4. Make a pit stop to Philadelphia
5. Ends in Texas

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Rhonda: No I did not.

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Rhonda: It’s very close to vision I had of the two characters. The cover complements the story.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Rhonda: The football.

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Rhonda: Sensual.

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Rhonda: Dreamer.

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Rhonda: The next release is my novella Shutter, which has a release date of February 22nd. It’s about a hot photographer named Antonio who loves women and trouble.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Rhonda: I hope so!

Rhonda Laurel is a contemporary romance writer whose two great loves are writing and landscape photography. She uses both as a vehicle to convey the complexity of the human spirit and the beauty of the world around her. Her writing career has spanned two decades but has recently gained momentum in 2012 with her debut novella Ebb Tide. Contemporary, interracial/multicultural romance that is “A little heat mixed with sassy and sweet” is her writing style in the form of novellas and novels, but the author also writes poetry, inspirational quotes, designs greeting cards and the occasional essay. For the Love of the Game, Masquerade was released in 2012 as well. Shutter is scheduled for release February 22, 2013. Star Crossed and Memories of You are tentatively scheduled to be released in 2013. She is happily working on building her backlist.

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of For The Love of the Game. All you have to do is leave a comment.

Head over to Romancing Rakes For The Love of Romance for a fun spotlight on Melissa Schroeder and win an ebook copy of Desire by Blood and Angus: The Cursed Clan.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

Lovely, lovely, lovely Mia. I met Mia through our designer, Carrie at Seductive Musings. She needed a pirate, and I had a Karl to fit the bill. Since then we’ve had a few more covers come through the works, and I think we have a few more on the horizon. Mia is a wonderful woman, a beautiful writer, and has a visual sensibility that I love to work with. So without further adoooooo—

-Jenn

Kindle | Nook

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Mia:

1. Captain Nicholas Scott, hero of LORD OF DEVIL ISLE, is a smuggler/trader based in Bermuda just before the Revolutionary War.
2. My heroine Eve spent time in prison before she was shipwrecked on the way to Colonies. Nick fishes her out of the storm-tossed Atlantic and refuses to take her on to Charleston.
3. History buffs rejoice! There’s a true-to-history raid on the British powder magazine on Bermuda in the book.
4. I actually visited Bermuda to make sure the settings were accurate! Hope you can smell the trade breeze.
5. Nick’s beloved ship, the Susan Bell, is named for my dear little dog Susie Bell. She was my constant companion for 12 years and I still miss her every day.

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Mia: No, Carrie of Seductive Designs sent me over to browse through Smexy’s incredible portfolio of images. Talk about man-candy. It’s hard to pick just one!

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Mia: The cover really captures Nick’s smoldering sensuality and dangerous nature. I love it.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Mia: Oh, my, there’s so much to choose from, but one of the things that really works on the cover of LORD OF DEVIL ISLE is that the model is wet. Nick first meets the heroine when he dives into the waves to fight off a tiger shark that’s circling her and her friends. In all my imaginings of Nicholas Scott, he’s always hauling himself back into his ship, dripping wet and totally hot after a
brush with razor-jawed death.

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Mia: INTENSE!

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Mia: Curious.Jenn:

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Mia: My next release will be STROKE OF GENIUS, the tale of a brawny and brilliant marble sculptor. And of course, Carrie is using a Smexy model for the cover.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Mia: Yes, indeed. Next summer, SILK DREAMS will feature another fabulous Smexy image. Be sure to pop over to http://miamarlowe.com/next.php to check out my cover art. It’s always posted there first!

Mia’s work has been featured in PEOPLE magazine and one of her books is on display at the Museum of London Docklands! Her TOUCH OF A ROGUE was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Top Ten Romances for Spring, but the accolade Mia loves most comes from her readers.

Connect with her at http://www.miamarlowe.com , http://facebook.com/MiaMarloweFanPage and http://twitter.com/Mia_Marlowe .

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Mia’s Lord of the Devil Isle. All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

Adorable, sweet, lovely, wonderful, fun Laurie. We’ve been twitter friends for awhile, but FINALLY got to meet at Authors After Dark last year. It was a BLAST. Laurie tagged along on a photoshoot, Gonzo style, on and around Bourbon Street in NOLA. It was such a blast. Tricia, who designed her Smexy cover, was also with us. We had SO MUCH FUN. I can’t wait to see this woman again, hopefully next month in Portland… *nudge nudge* 

-Jenn

Kindle | Nook | iBooks
Kobo | Smashwords

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Laurie:

1. Because every romance needs a sexy premise, when you cross through an Iron Portal, everything (including clothes) disintegrates. I thought it would be interesting to have two strangers, enemies actually, cross through together and end up naked on the other side. LOL
2. Originally, the heroine of ASSASSIN’S TOUCH had a different name (Nalia), but for some reason, it never felt quite right. When I watched a performance by The Lumineers at a special live session in Seattle, I was intrigued by their cellist, Neyla. The name was similar to the heroine’s name, but it sounded a little more beautiful and other-worldly to me.
3. The first time I saw the hero in my head was when he was silhouetted in the cave, standing over Neyla and wearing only a leather kilt. I then had to backtrack to figure out what happened to get them into this situation in the first place.
4. Because I’m a horse girl, I wanted to work horses into the story, but I wanted to have a contemporary world too. So I created two worlds—one contemporary with technology, etc. and one medieval-like with horses and castles. One of my favorite scenes happens when they’re on his horse.
5. I first wrote ASSASSIN’S TOUCH to submit to the now defunct Harlequin Bites line, but I changed my mind and held onto it. I’m so glad I did, because I expanded the world and turned it into a series.

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Laurie: Yes! I drooled over your stock photo site as soon as I’d heard of it. Now, I visit quite often.

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero/heroine? Of the story?
Laurie: Trish Pickyme did a great job! She found the perfect sexy image of the hero, changed the kilt to look like
font looks like stone.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Laurie: Chest

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Laurie: Accurate

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Laurie: Myself? Um…nice?

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Laurie: The next Iron Portal book, Rogue’s Passion, will be out soon.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Laurie: Yes, definitely!

Laurie London is the author of the Sweetblood and Iron Portal series—dark, sexy paranormal romance, set primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Publisher’s Weekly calls the Sweetblood series “sexy” and “sizzling.” Her latest release, ASSASSIN’S TOUCH, kicks off the new Iron Portal series.

She lives on a small farm outside of Seattle with her husband, two children and a variety of animals. After graduating cum laude with a business degree from Western Washington University, she worked for a Fortune 500 company as a programmer/tester and an underwriter. Her other jobs included cocktail waitress, hotel maid, candy store manager and bridal gown sales.

When not writing, she can be found running, reading, sewing, making jewelry, mucking stalls, volunteering or riding her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

For more information about Laurie’s books, visit her website at www.LaurieLondonBooks.com

She loves to talk to readers on Facebook and Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Assassin’s Touch. All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book

Lex:

1. Broken Bonds features two twink guardian angels who lose the feathers in their wings because things are going wrong for the two heroes – Kellen, the dominant and Haven, the submissive.
2. Originally, the story was meant to be a short story but the characters just took on a life of their own and the story morphed into a 25,000 word novella.
3. This is the first book I’ve self-published and since its release on Christmas it’s climbed the lists of gay romance at Amazon until it hit the top ten, climbed to the number two position at All Romance eBooks’ main Top Ten list, and has been nominated for Love Romances Café’s Best BDSM Book of 2012.
4. The dominant, Kellen, is a real bastard until the angels show him things he should have already known about his submissive.
5. The story is very Dickensian and the angels make reference to that in a very tongue in a cheek way.

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Lex: Yes, I did. Since this was a self-published book and I do own a graphics company Winterheart Design, it was natural for me to do my own cover.

Jenn: How well does the cover illustrate your vision of the hero? Of the story?
Lex: I chose images based on my vision of my heroes, but the Studio Smexy image really solidified Haven Noel, the submissive, in my head. The expression on the model’s face and his bound hands truly give a sense of submission to the viewer. The beautiful bound man with an almost pleading look in his eyes perfectly conveys the emotions of this story to anyone who sees it.

Jenn: If you could pick one element for your cover, what would it be? (chest, landscape, dress…)
Lex: The model’s face with his big eyes and soulful expression.

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Lex: Emotional

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Lex: Complicated

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Lex: My next release will probably be the sequel to Broken Bonds. Bittersweet Bonds will be self-published just like Broken Bonds. I’m also working on three novellas for MLR Press and the next novel in my series Tales of the Darkworld for Jupiter Gardens Press.

Jenn: Is there more #StudioSmexy in your future?
Lex: Absolutely!

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Smashwords

The one thing Haven Noel wants for his Christmas birthday is for his master, Kellen, to love him. But the wonderful Christmas Eve Haven plans for his master goes awry and instead of receiving his master’s love, Haven ends up on the street without his collar. Heartbroken, Haven heads to the club where he and Kellen originally met, only to find it closed. 

With a blizzard descending and nowhere to go, Haven curls up on the club doorstep, courting death. Hopeless and shattered, on the verge of losing consciousness, he makes a wish for Kellen to find happiness some day. Two angels with a vested interest in Haven and Kellen’s happiness hear his wish and conspire with Kellen’s family to save Haven’s life, bring love back to Kellen’s heart and give them both the best kinky Christmas ever.

Lex writes across genres from contemporary to urban fantasy in M/M, M/F and M/M/F. A native of Monterey County, California, Lex now lives in a canyon in Orange County, California with her long haired tattooed husband, her college age daughter and bunch of cats with strange names that she collectively calls “babies.” She works for a 100+ year old cemetery, loves loud rock and alternative music, builds her own computers, and has a propensity for having very weird vivid dreams about Nikki Sixx although he’s never naked in them to her great disappointment. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and is active in the Rainbow Romance Writers, PASIC and Orange County chapters. Lex loves to hear from her readers. Her door is always open at lex@lexvalentine.com or on her author Facebook page.

Find Lex: Author Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Broken Bonds. All you have to do is leave a comment.

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Loose ID

Jenn: Hi Katalina!
Katalina: Thank you Jenn for having me today as Studio Smexy’s guest! I’m thrilled to be here and I love my Studio Smexy cover image on book 2 of the Bag Of Tricks series Claimed By Dragons

Jenn: Tell us 5 fun facts about your book
Katalina:

1. Claimed By Dragons was Amber Skyze‘s love child. She wrote all the plot and character storylines. I came in later and filled out the basic template. This was the first time either of us had co-written in this way and I admire Amber’s patience and trust in me immensely.
2. Amber is a dragon-shifter fan but I had never read a dragon-shifter book. This both complicated matters and gave us an advantage. I wanted to try a different angle on the story telling and I was on my own to do so. I took a gamble and I’m really happy with the results. Claimed By Dragons is the most reviewed and the highest reviewed of all my books.
3. Claimed By Dragons grew from a finished 32k novella to a 93k completed novel and endured nine rounds of edits with six different editors aside from our primary editor at Loose Id the amazing Rory Olson, who also worked each round. It was a high-speed circus of keeping everyone coordinated.
4. The tighter the deadline the more I need music while I work. Music is my rocket-fuel on a hard day.
5. I always keep a picture on my desktop of at least one of my heroes, so he can make eye contact with me and keep me in the writers groove.

Jenn: Describe yourself in one word
Katalina: In a word I would describe myself as “adventurous”. I’m always looking for something new on the horizon and feeling optimistic about heading toward the next interesting thing I can fall in love with.

Jenn: Did you know of Studio Smexy before it ended up on your cover?
Katalina: Before you contacted me Jenn, I did know a little about Studio Smexy through social media sites. I’m happy to report Amber and I were delighted to get a Studio Sexy image on the cover of Claimed By Dragons!

Jenn: Describe your cover in one word (smexy or sexy doesn’t count)
Katalina: The one word I would use to describe my Studio Smexy cover image is “Inclusive” I love this ménage image because it’s far like the vibe that she seems to be in control guiding the show. Our heroine Jael (pronounced Ji-el) in Claimed By Dragons starts the story as an indecisive person and blooms into a more confident, take-charge woman. Winning the love of two dragon-shifters will do that. : )

Jenn: What can readers expect from you next?
Katalina: 2013 is already off to a great start. I just had two new erotic-romance paranormal novels contracted with a third contract on the way from Ellora’s Cave. Also Amber and I will be working on books three and four of the Bag Of Tricks series for Loose Id Publishing. I’m really looking forward to working on that and hope to have a couple more Studio Smexy book covers in my near future.

Katalina: Thank you Jenn and Studio Smexy for having me as your guest!

I love writing for Ellora’s Cave. I was an avid fan long before I had the courage to write my own stories. For many years I was primarily a painter. I started writing several years ago when I felt the need to fill a larger canvas and tell bigger stories without actually taking up more space. lol

Ellora’s Cave provided my imagination with everything I loved about traditional romance novels without the coyness. They were painted in bold colors and I loved the variety of authors and genres offered. I loved it so much I started writing so I could get in on the fun.

I’ve been very fortunate to live an adventurous life with the love of my life and fellow artist at my side. My husband and I share our lives with a wonderful son and a very sweet border collie named Molly.

Find Katalina: Author Site

GIVEAWAY:

Today on the blog you can win an ebook copy of Claimed By Dragons. All you have to do is leave a comment.

To be entered to win the fabulous e-Reader giveway, click on the banner below.