An Exclusive Interview with Jess Michaels + Giveaway (Thank you, Authors! Thank you, Fellow Readers!)

I first fell in love with Jess Michaels when I picked up and read From London With Love written by her alter-ego, Jenna Petersen. Then I discovered her Albright Sisters series and my admiration (and love) for this author grew even more because of her amazing ability to balance romance and eroticism and story.

She recently concluded her Mistress Matchmaker series, which I loved, and has started a new one, The Pleasure Wars series. Yesterday, November 19, was the release day of Pleasuring the Lady, the second book in the series.

I am so, so happy to welcome Jess Michaels to Love Saves the World today.

LStW: What was the inspiration behind your latest series, The Pleasure Wars?

Jess Michaels: I love certain themes in romance (revenge, healing power of love, etc) and I've always wanted to do a Romeo and Juliet type storyline, with two families at war. That is the core of The Pleasure Wars series, the war between the Rothcastle and Windbury "families" and how that war has destroyed those around them and the fallout of that destruction. Exploring that was so fun for me and I hope it results in three very emotional and sexy stories.

LStW: (Halloween) If you could dress up as any character, real or fictional, who would it be?

Jess: I really wanted to be Minnie Mouse this year because my nephews (3 & 5) are into Mickey's Club House, but all the Minnie costumes were "sexy". Which is gross when it's a kids character. So I may have to plan Minnie out way in advance to avoid the "sexy" version next year.

LStW: (Thanksgiving) As a writer, what are three things that you are most thankful for?

Jess: -I'm thankful for my readers. They are so kind and their continuing love of my books helps me100% support my family in a very comfortable manner through my writing career.
-I'm thankful for my husband. He has always supported my career emotionally but this year he started helping me as my assistant and platform consultant. I've seen a huge increase in sales since we started working together. He also consults for other authors at www.killerbookmarketing.com
-I'm thankful for my publisher, Samhain. Having a great relationship with their publishing house can make things so much better for an author and Samhain is so supportive of me and my goals. I met with them earlier this year and it has made me feel like I can get where I want to go and be happy.

LStW: (Christmas) Do you have a favorite thing to gift friends for Christmas?

Jess: I love to take my time Christmas shopping and usually start in August. I like to try to find "the perfect gift" that matches the person the best that I can. So for each person I try to think about who they are and what they like and what they need and what they want and try to match a gift to them with all those things in mind. I love giving gifts, probably even more than getting gifts.

LStW: (New Year) What's next for Jess Michaels?

Jess: 2014 is really busy for me! I have several paperback releases from earlier books and 5 new books coming out this year! I'll finish The Pleasure Wars series and then I'll be starting a new erotic historical romance series called The Ladies Book of Pleasures series about a naughty "manual" and the havoc it reeks on a few women who pick it up.

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The Pleasure Wars Series by Jess Michaels

An eye for an eye, a sin for a sin ...

The Pleasure Wars, Book 1

Amid all the lies and scandals that fuel Society’s gossip mill, one truth has stood out: House Rothcastle and House Windbury have always hated each other.

Lady Ava Windbury prays the feud will someday end, to no avail. One dreadful night, her brother accidentally causes the death of Christian Rothcastle’s sister, a tragedy that leaves both men maimed.

Consumed by grief, Christian makes a grim decision. He will kidnap Lady Ava so that her family will feel the pain of loss as keenly as he feels the loss of his own sister. But once he has Ava in his clutches, desire takes unexpected hold. Even more surprising, she willingly surrenders to his every sexual whim—after haggling over the terms of giving up her virginity.

Too late, he realizes she is using her body for peace, not war. But just as their affair of revenges turns into an affair of the heart, the past rears its ugly head to take matters into its own hands…

Warning: This book contains scenes of erotic seduction, sexual revenge and the healing power of love.

Once the game begins, there is no tearing your gaze away.

The Pleasure Wars, Book 2

Her mother’s madness and her father’s and brother’s irresponsibility have relegated Lady Portia to the life of a wallflower. The only shining light in her life is her best friend, Ava, who is suffering a rift with her own brother.

Portia’s quest to help takes her to the notorious Donville Masquerade in the hells, where—behind the safety of a mask—she witnesses shocking public acts of sin. And succumbs to the touch of Marquis Miles Weatherfield.

Unfortunately, they’re discovered. And now, tainted by scandal, she and Miles are destined for a marriage neither of them want. But Portia makes a bargain that raises even Miles’s eyebrows.

In return for saving her mother from the asylum, Portia will do anything Miles wants in bed. Shocked by his driving desire for Portia, Miles agrees. As they explore every wicked desire, every forbidden act that pleases them, they discover something that goes far deeper than flesh. But the lies that brought them together could be the very wedge that drives them apart.

Warning: This book contains wicked encounters, erotic voyeurism, lies, a brief threesome, and unexpected kindnesses.

Desire as essential as breath ... deception as fragile as sanity.

The Pleasure Wars, Book 3

Liam, the Earl of Windbury, had everything when he held his secret lover in his arms. Until a feud between their families left her dead, his body broken, and his sister married to his bitterest enemy.

Wracked with guilt, simmering with rage, he’s spent a year in seclusion, seeing no one except a few servants as he does his best to forget the past and patently refuses to think about any kind of future.

When courtesan Violet Milford enters Liam’s lair, she’s on a secret mission to gather information for Liam’s desperate sister, who fears for his sanity, even his life. What she finds is a man scarred inside and out, whose dark, controlling sensuality hides the kind, wounded man within.

Violet awakens a sexual desire more powerful than Liam has ever known, and her stories weave a spell that begins to work its way past his defenses. But when the truth inevitably comes out, it could well destroy the love that is saving them both.

Warning: This book features a sexually experienced woman who will use every trick in her book to save a man from himself.

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Jess Michaels began writing full-time in 1999 after being encouraged by her husband to follow her dream. In 2003, she sold her first novella to Red Sage Press, an erotic historical romance about an Egyptian tomb and a very sexy curse. Since then she has published (or has contracted to publish by the end of 2013) 37 novels and novellas under three different pen names with several major publishers, small presses and via self-publishing. Her erotic historical romances have been national bestsellers and won awards from booksellers and readers.

In 2011, she and her husband moved to Tucson, AZ. There she enjoys hiking in the beautiful desert, spending time with her nephews, designing jewelry (which you can buy here), reading and spending time with her awesome husband and cats.

To find out more about Jess Michaels writing historical romance as Jenna Petersen go here.
To find out more about Jess Michaels writing snarky urban fantasy as Jesse Petersen go here.

To find out more about Jess Michaels and her books, click below:

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

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It's almost Thanksgiving and this is my way of saying "Thank you" to all the wonderful authors and to all the wonderful romance readers in the world.

Image from Freedigitalphotos.net

For this week, there are two prizes to be won: one from me and one from Jess Michaels.

As support for the authors, I'm hosting a giveaway for one copy of An Introduction to Pleasure. (Loved, loved, loved this book -- and you'll love it, too. I promise!) Read my review of An Introduction to Pleasure here.

And Jess Michaels is offering a copy of Taken by the Duke, the first book in her Pleasure Wars series. (I have the book, will be reading and reviewing it soon-ish.)

*This giveaway is via Rafflecopter and is open to International Readers.
*This giveaway will run until November 27.
*One entry per household per IP.
*Rafflecopter will select 2 winners:

One will receive an ebook copy of An Introduction to Pleasure by Jess Michaels (from me)
and the other winner will receive an ebook copy of Taken by the Duke by Jess Michaels (from Jess)

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Drop by next Monday for the next interview and giveaway. ;-)