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# Jackie Ashenden - Romance Author

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Blog](https://www.jackieashenden.com/blog/)
- [Keeping Up With Jackie](https://www.jackieashenden.com/keeping-up-with-jackie/) - Just so you know, I only update this blog when I have something special to say - which means hardly ever since I'm usually too busy writing books. :-) However, if you want to keep up with me and my writing, feel free to check me out on FB. I also have a special FB
- [Sexy Excerpt from Taking Him AKA #dirtyeffingvirginhero](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sexy-excerpt-from-taking-him-aka-dirtyeffingvirginhero/) - Taking Him releases on Tuesday! Yay! So I'm posting a sexy excerpt to celebrate. This was in my newsletter that I sent out yesterday so if you'd like to see sexiness regularly...y'know...sign up and stuff. :-) WARNING: ADULT CONTENT (so if you're under 18 get away with you) Ellie didn’t scream. Didn’t make
- [Jackie's  Newsletter](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackies-newsletter/) - So what's all this newsletter stuff about? And what are you signing up for? I send out my newsletter every time I have a new release. In the newsletter are details about the new release itself, inspirational type stuff for the book, special excerpts that aren't available anywhere else (usually of the hot kind hehe), plus
- [Gabriel and Honor Enjoy the View - A Nine Circles Short](https://www.jackieashenden.com/gabriel-and-honor-enjoy-the-view/) - Gabriel and Honor enjoy the view
- [Make You Mine ARC Giveaway](https://www.jackieashenden.com/make-you-mine-arc-giveaway/) - Hey everyone, been a while since I've done a blog post but I thought I'd do one in celebration of the fact that I have print ARCS of Make You Mine, Nine Circles #2!! So....giveaway time! I have 2 print ARCs of Make You Mine to give away (I'll sign them too if you like)
- [Another Happy Ashenden Giveaway](https://www.jackieashenden.com/another-happy-ashenden-giveaway/) - I wasn't able to go to RT in New Orleans this year and I have to admit, I was bummed about it. So to cheer myself up, I'm going to give away some books to the first ten commenters. To get a free book you don't have to leave me a review or sign up
- [Writing a Damn Fine Proposal #3 - The Partial](https://www.jackieashenden.com/writing-a-damn-fine-proposal-3-the-partial/) - Better late than never right? Here's my last post about creating a killer proposal and yeah, I know, it's months overdue and I'm a baaaad for not posting sooner but deadlines always come before everything else… Anyway, my previous posts have dealt with your synopsis and having a couple of sentences to put in your
- [Writing a Damn Fine Proposal #2 - Pitching](https://www.jackieashenden.com/writing-a-damn-fine-proposal-2-pitching/) - So a couple of week ago (yeah, I know I'm late with this but the writing comes first), I talked about synopses. Now, we're going to spend a bit of time with something shorter, but no less fiddly to write – the pitch. Pitches are different beasts. They're designed to be short and hooky to
- [Writing a Damn Fine Proposal #1:  The Synopsis AKA Too Many Things!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/writing-a-damn-fine-proposal-1-the-synopsis-aka-too-many-things/) - I've been meaning to do a post on synopses and pitches for a while now, but as I was writing this post, I realized that writing a synopsis was different to writing a pitch. And then I thought it might be cool to do a post on what to do when you're pitching a series,
- [The Writing Process Blog Chain](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-writing-process-blog-chain/) - This is part of a blog chain that the lovely Rachael Johns tagged me on. I'm slack and posting late and also lazy because I'm supposed to tag three people and I can only think of two people! What am I working on? I have a number of things in the works. Firstly I'm editing
- [Writing What You Love - AKA Why Billionaires??](https://www.jackieashenden.com/writing-what-you-love-aka-why-billionaires/) - Yeah, so I've been thinking a lot about sales and markets and all the stuff you do when you have books being released immanently. And about how some things sell better than others and how lame it is when you don't write what's supposedly 'popular'. It also hasn't escaped my notice that yes, I have
- [Another Happy Website Release 2014 Giveaway!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/another-happy-website-release-2014-giveaway/) - Duuuuudes! I'm feeling fine and fancy today - I have a fabulous website and my next Entangled release comes out on the 13th of this month! What could be better? What's that you say? Another giveaway? Okay, well, sure. You twisted my arm. I could do another one! So what do you get? A copy
- [Happy 2014 Giveaway!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-2014-giveaway/) - Hey guys, I've been away from the blog and from the cyber world in general as I scribble in my garret, churning out vast screes of multitudinous words. I've been doing lots of writing in other words. But now the major deadlines are done and it's 2014, and I have a new website, I wanted
- [Writing An Alpha Male](https://www.jackieashenden.com/writing-an-alpha-male/) - Alrighty, so this is a late post, I know but I've been deep in deadline hell and haven't had time to breathe let alone post. BUT. Jill asked me a couple of weeks ago about writing alpha males and since I love alphas, I thought I'd just whack my thoughts down and stick em up
- [What's All This Nonsense About Craft?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/whats-all-this-nonsense-about-craft/) - I've been writing for over twenty years and in those twenty years, not once did I actually read anything about how to write a story. I knew nothing of character arcs or conflict. Or 3 act structures or black moments. I didn't know why characters need goals and why the hell do they need motivation
- [Worst Date Ever And Other Horror Stories  ](https://www.jackieashenden.com/worst-date-ever-and-other-horror-stories/) - Trying to hook up romance with horror and Halloween is a weird one - especially since I don't write pararnormal or suspense. But I do write contemporary romance and since love can be kind of horrible.. I thought I'd ask if you guys had any hideous dating horror stories you want to share? Sadly, mine
- [Disappointment](https://www.jackieashenden.com/disappointment/) - I'm writing this for those SYTYCW'ers who didn't get into the top 50. And for those who've had a rejection recently. Or for any writer who's had any sort of rejection and is majorly bummed about their writing. Yes. It hurts. Yes. You're allowed to be gutted about it. Don't let anyone tell you those
- [What To Do With Fear](https://www.jackieashenden.com/what-to-do-with-fear/) - So you're afraid. You're afraid of people reading your work. You're afraid people hating it. You're afraid of getting rejected. You're afraid of being successful. You're afraid of not being successful. You're afraid of your mother-in-law finding out you write dinosaur porn. You're afraid of getting a bad review. You're afraid of your book selling
- [How To Succeed In Publishing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/how-to-succeed-in-publishing/) - Writing is hard. What? You don't believe me? Try starting a book. Then try finishing it. Then try sending it out to a publisher. Then try getting a rejection or five. Then try writing another one and repeating the process. Then try finally getting accepted. Then try editing the crap out of as per your
- [How to Finish the Damn Book When the Going Gets Tough](https://www.jackieashenden.com/how-to-finish-the-damn-book-when-the-going-gets-tough/) - When I first started writing, I found beginnings really easy. I'd think of the characters and the setup, get excited, then off I'd go. The first three chapters – hell, the first half of the book – would just flow and I'd be loving it. Then around about halfway I'd start getting bored. It wasn't
- [Jackie's Top Ten SYTYCW Tips Or Stick That Sh*t Up](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackies-top-ten-sytycw-tips-or-stick-that-sht-up/) - After agonizing for months about my blog, have decided to keep writing and posting about what I first blogged about – writing. FB and Twitter will be more reader focused but this blog will be about the craft of writing and how to do deal with the sometimes crappy, sometimes amazing, job of being a
- [Competition Winners](https://www.jackieashenden.com/competition-winners/) - And the grand prize winner, drawn from the magic piggy hat is.... Kaetrin!!! The two other prizes of books go to: Sophie and Lenette!! Plus random prize of Falling for Finn and Unbuttoned goes to: Arely!!! Thanks all for entering guys. You rock!!
- [Talking Dirty with the Player Competition](https://www.jackieashenden.com/talking-dirty-with-the-player-competition/) - Hey people! Have just arrived back from the Romance Writers of Australia conference and while I was away Talking Dirty with the Player released. To celebrate Caleb's release into the wild and also the awesome Maisey Yates' first single title cowboy book, I thought I'd run a contest. So important bit first - whaddya win?
- [Inspiration for Black Knight, White Queen](https://www.jackieashenden.com/inspiration-for-black-knight-white-queen/) - Yep, it's release day for Black Knight, White Queen, my sexy chess playing, Russian hero and his sassy Kiwi heroine. Many people thought a chess playing hero wouldn't fly but Aleks is proof positive that sometimes the weirdest ideas can work - it's all in the execution remember? You may know this already but if
- [Selling to St Martin's Press - EPIC!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/selling-to-st-martins-press-epic/) - For those of you who don't want to read the saga, the story is this: I sold a 3 book series to Monique Patterson at St Martin's Press!!! *dances around like a dork* BUT if you want the juicy details, by all means read on... Just before Christmas I had an idea for a series
- [Buttons!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/buttons/) - Right, so if anyone out there is going to the Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta in July, let me know because I'm going too and I'd love to catch up! Plus, I have some buttons to give away. See?? What do you think?
- [Hoo Is Watching....](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hoo-is-watching/) - Not sure if anyone's still reading this blog - it's probably my fault if not. I haven't been the world's best blogger the past couple of months mainly because I have had four different books to write/edit, a book release, a blog tour, and a six week trip to organize. Can anyone say mental breakdown?
- [When You're Both a Sith and a Jedi - Writing Dark and Light Books](https://www.jackieashenden.com/when-youre-both-a-sith-and-a-jedi-writing-dark-and-light-books/) - Alrighty so I'm probably taking the Star Wars metaphors too far but if you don't know this already, my author personality is kind of a hybrid of Darth Vader and Obi Wan Kenobi. I write two completely different types of books in other words. Oh, don't get me wrong, they're both contemporaries since I love
- [Dirty Virgin Hero Has a Cover!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dirty-virgin-hero-has-a-cover/) - Yep, my #dirtyeffingvirginhero has a cover! Once again I have been blessed by the cover gods at Samhain. See??? Is it not hot???
- [Talking Dirty With the CEO - A Love Story](https://www.jackieashenden.com/talking-dirty-with-the-ceo-a-love-story/) - Okay, so obviously it's a love story since it's a story about love. But this post is also a story about my love for this particuar book. I first wrote this back in 2008. It was the third story I'd written for publication and I thought it was absolute genius because it had the hero
- [Talking Dirty with the CEO Excerpt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/talking-dirty-with-the-ceo-excerpt/) - Right so please ignore the lack of blog posts. This month has been CRAZY. I now have 29 days to write 50k. And edits to do in between. Nightmare. However, the best thing is that Talking Dirty with the CEO is out in 10 days!! In fact it's up on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes
- [Is Blogging Dead?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/is-blogging-dead/) - Lately I've been wondering what on earth to post on this blog. Which I guess partly explains my lack of posts (the other half has been mad edits/deadline stuff but I'm not going to talk about that). Before I sold, this blog was about my journey to publication, the heartache of rejection and the highs
- [Synopsis Suckage - A Few Synopses Writing Tips](https://www.jackieashenden.com/synopsis-suckage-a-few-synopses-writing-tips/) - Haven't done a writing post for ages and since I'm in the process of writing outlines for the agent, I thought I'd do one on every writers arch-nemesis - the hideousness of the synopsis. It would really be good if editors or agents could just lift the story straight from our heads. But sadly, since
- [Here's Why I Don't Blog As Often As I Used To](https://www.jackieashenden.com/heres-why-i-dont-blog-as-often-as-i-used-to/) - I always used to wonder what happened to writers and their blogs after they got published. Seemed that they didn't post like they used to. Or they would but their posts would be sporadic and just about their new releases. I used to wonder why. Well, now I know. Here's what my schedule has been
- [Difficult Women](https://www.jackieashenden.com/difficult-women/) - Again I have been somewhat slack on the blog front - March has been full of edits and deadlines and I just haven't got to it. BUT I have a post I've been meaning to write. And it's about the problem of writing a difficult heroine. I've written about this before a few times but
- [My RT Review for Talking Dirty With The CEO](https://www.jackieashenden.com/my-rt-review-for-talking-dirty-with-the-ceo/) - I don't really know the protocol for putting up reviews of one's books up on one's blog. But I'm going to post my RT review for Talking Dirty because...well...it's RT! And...*blushes modestly*...it was 4.5 stars! Who knows what difference a review like this makes to readers? Certainly I know as a reader myself that even
- [Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit](https://www.jackieashenden.com/oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit/) - It's been a while since I've done a writing post - this month has been crazy with edits and covers and blurbs and newsletters, so the poor old blog has suffered. Before I sold I used to blog a lot about the trials of being an unpublished author and lots of other writing related stuff.
- [Black Knight White Queen Blurb](https://www.jackieashenden.com/black-knight-white-queen-blurb/) - Oooh, exciting week in Ashenden Land! Just got my blurb for the chessman! One night in Bangkok changes all the rules. Professional chess player Aleksandr Shastin never lets emotions rule his life, or his game. Not even the unexpected death of his mentor shakes his icy control—at least that’s what he thinks. Until he meets
- [Black Knight White Queen Cover](https://www.jackieashenden.com/black-knight-white-queen-cover/) - I've been holding off doing a blog post for ages, mostly because I've been dying for the go ahead to show you my fabulous cover for my Chessman book! OMG, it's swoon worthy! It's perfect. My heroine really looks like that! And it's got a chessboard! And a cool font! And my hero who thinks
- [Why Promo Is Like Fishing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/why-promo-is-like-fishing/) - As Finn hits the digital shelves, I have been thinking about promo. Probably too much but nevertheless, that's me. Over-analysis is my thing. Mainly because people have been asking me if I did anything special to promote Finn. I have to tell you that no, I haven't. But I guess that's kind of wrong. Because
- [Post-Release Jackie Angst](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-post-release-jackie-angst/) - It's been a fantastic release week, really and truly. Finn got on the USA Today HEA blog, and is at #4 on the Samhain bestseller list (pretty good for a book that isn't erotica, mm, free, or written by a NYT bestselling author). :-) But really, best of all have been the people who have
- [First Ever Release Day!!!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/first-ever-release-day/) - So this is where all the hard work finally pays off. The culmination of all the years of tears and angst and wailings and gnashings of teeth and beatings of breast, and sackcloth and ashes, and OTT drama queeness. Of perseverance and stubborn-bitchness, and 'this is not the end, dammit!' The moment when all the
- [Tomorrow....](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tomorrow/) - Is my release day. Well, in NZ it is. Apparently it'll still be the 18th in the rest of the world. Stupid time zones! Anyway, I'm going to have a release day morning tea with some writer mates (it may or may not include bubbly), and I'll also have a blog thingy where I will
- [Valentine's Day - Plus Another Finn Excerpt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/valentines-day-plus-another-finn-excerpt/) - To celebrate Valentine's Day I'd thought I'd do some candy hearts for Finn and Anna from Falling For Finn. Oh and another excerpt... A fine appreciation for single malt was something they’d discovered a couple of years ago after Finn had done a Wild Life show on Skye, in Scotland. In
- [One Week To Go](https://www.jackieashenden.com/one-week-to-go/) - It's one week till Finn time. And I had planned to do lots of countdown-promo-y stuff. But as you can see, I haven't done any of it. Have taken on a new and exciting opportunity that's due June. Plus have final galleys for my May release with Entangled. Plus two books due at the end
- [Twelve Days And Counting... Random Release Day Angst](https://www.jackieashenden.com/twelve-days-and-counting-random-release-day-angst/) - Twelve days until my release date. And I won't bore you with the details of my angst other than to say I'm sh*t scared. This book wasn't meant to be published. I mean, I didn't write it with the intention of publication. I wrote it because I wanted to write it. It was everything I'd
- [A Maisey Yates Stick Figure Masterpiece](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-maisey-yates-stick-figure-masterpiece/) - So am finally back from holiday and after a week with limited net, what should happen as soon as we get home? Our net goes down! Cue frustration and irritation and annoyance. Especially when I am dying to share a special thang... My crit partner, the very wonderful and talented Maisey Yates, is not only
- [Winners of the Giveaway!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/winners-of-the-giveaway/) - And the winners are.... Well, since y'all are awesome, I've decided that everyone who commented on my last post is a winner! So if you commented on my last post and you haven't pre-ordered (or you have pre-ordered but want to read it sooner!), use the contact form to drop me a line or send
- [New Website, New Blog, New Book](https://www.jackieashenden.com/new-website-new-blog-new-book/) - Hey guys, sorry to make y'all move over here but...well, I thought it was time I had everything in the one place. I hope you'll continue to come visit me here like you continued to visit my old blog. I'm going to keep that one where it is so if you forget the link... ;-)
- [Pitch Opportunity!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/pitch-opportunity/) - Hey everyone, I'm joining nine other Samhain authors at Musetracks for a giveaway and a pitch opportunity on the 12th of January. The pitch is to Samhain editor Jennifer Miller and there will be also be book giveaways for those who comment - and I'm giving away Finn!Details of how to pitch are here.So if
- [In Which Jackie Gets Ranty-pants About Guilt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/in-which-jackie-gets-ranty-pants-about-guilt/) - I'm going to do a flat-out amazing and thought provoking post on mother guilt today, because you know, I haz it. Summer holidays here and I have edits I have to get in to the editor in the next two weeks. Then I have to write the third book in my Entangled series which is
- [Happy 2013!!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-2013/) - I'm excited. And not because I've just had an a lovely beach holiday (see picture!). I'm also excited because now I can say that my book will be released THIS YEAR!! And not only this year...Where I was over New Year!NEXT MONTH!!!Ahem.Sorry for shouting. Anyhoo, the prospect fills me with both joy and terror. There
- [Happy Christmas and Giveaway Winner](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-christmas-and-giveaway-winner/) - Well, this year has been a pretty fantastic year for me. Six sold books and one agent is a pretty good effort huh?But I wouldn't have got this far if it hadn't been for the wonderful network of friends and family who have given me so much support.To all of you who read my blog,
- [The Next Big Thing - And a Christmas Giveaway](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-next-big-thing-and-a-christmas-giveaway/) - Well, I've been tagged to do a Next Big Thing post by three fabulous people. First up is my awesome friend and CP Maisey Yates! Check out her post about her amazing new cowboy story - it's....OMG, I can't even.... Second and third are two wonderful fellow Entangled authors and Kiwis, Michelle deWinton and Bronwen
- [Monday Morning Inspiration - Or Not](https://www.jackieashenden.com/monday-morning-inspiration-or-not/) - In the quest for blogging inspiration, I've been going over my old posts from December last year to see what was happening in terms of writing back then and I came across a post about my chess player. At that stage I was in the process of rewriting him for SYTYCW, planning to submit the
- [Monday Morning Freak-Out](https://www.jackieashenden.com/monday-morning-freak-out/) - I'm having a bit of a freak-out at the moment. Nothing new for me I guess but a 'thing' has happened and it's left me feeling all weirded out.I've had this idea for a series in my head for at least a year now and I always thought I'd write it as category length. However,
- [Being a Speed Demon - My Last Minute Nano Project](https://www.jackieashenden.com/being-a-speed-demon-my-last-minute-nano-project/) - You'll have to forgive me if I haven't been online much in the past week but that's because I've been writing. I decided to take on a last minute Nano project in the last two weeks of November and in order to meet the deadline, I had to write fast. Very, very fast.I've always been
- [Falling For Finn Excerpt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/falling-for-finn-excerpt/) - Well, FINALLY, I'm on the Samhain website as 'coming soon'. On the last page but there I am!So if you want to read an excerpt, go...HERE!
- [Very First Author Interview Eva!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/very-first-author-interview-eva/) - So...uh...I have my very first author interview with Sasha at Caribbean Accent. There's also a giveaway of Falling For Finn if you'd like to enter. So...um...yeah....go along and check it out.*shuffles feet nervously*I really need to get over this not wanting to toot my own horn thing.*tries again* *with extra American-ness*YA'LL!! I am being interviewed
- [More New Author Confessions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-new-author-confessions/) - Being a writer is SUCH a funny/weird thing. Firstly you angst about your book when you send it to the publisher. Then after the joy of acceptance has worn off, there's the angst about the revisions. About the cover. Then the copy edits. And then once you've finished angsting about that and you have your
- [The Delicate Art of the Synopsis](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-delicate-art-of-the-synopsis/) - I wanna talk about synopses. Well, not really, you understand, because synopses SUCK. But I wanna talk about them because I was complaining about them on Twitter and someone mentioned they'd looked at my blog and asked me if I'd done a post about them. And I realised it's been a year since I've done
- [Breaking World Shattering News - Jackie is On Amazon](https://www.jackieashenden.com/breaking-world-shattering-news-jackie-is-on-amazon/) - Ridiculous noobishness happening here but.....I AM ON AMAZON!!!!Here is the link.Falling for Finn Jackie's bestest debut book evah and better than at least 1% of books on Amazon....Yes, I am squeeing and being utterly ridiculous but you can only enjoy these things for the first time once so I am taking the liberty of fully
- [The Difficulties With Passions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-difficulties-with-passions/) - Okay, I confess. Some days the rainbows and unicorns and shiny baubles of finally getting a publisher who wants to publish your book aren't enough. They scare away your doubt crows right enough but the bloody things keep coming back.So what you sold six books this year? That doesn't mean readers will buy ANY of
- [It's My Process Man!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/its-my-process-man/) - I'm not doing Nano this year - at least not officially - despite starting a brand new story as of yesterday. And since Nano tends to make people think about their process a lot more and since Maisey did an awesome post about writing process and being fast, I thought I'd totally copy her and
- [Post-Book Hangover - The Reality of Having a Deadline](https://www.jackieashenden.com/post-book-hangover-the-reality-of-having-a-deadline/) - Have finished my Dirty Virgin Hero for Samhain - yay! Honestly, I loved the guy but he was one hell of a complicated hero to write. He had ISSUES man. Serious issues. And it was one of those stories where I had to stop and think through every one of his reactions and responses because
- [ARC Love!!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/arc-love/) - I haven't posted for ages because I wanted to wait until I got my ARC! And now I have! Yay! It looks like an actual booky book thingy that actual people might (will!) buy! It's got copyright info and an ISBN and a dedication and everything! *falls over with excitement*My mission with my ARC is
- [The Story of a Story](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-story-of-a-story/) - I'm on the Entangled Authors blog talking about the looooong four year journey my story went on before it was accepted by them for publication. So if you fancy reading a novel length post about what happened, pop over to say hello. :-)
- [Dealing with Disappointment](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dealing-with-disappointment/) - Post SYTYCW I thought I might put up a little post about disappointment. Because I KNOW what disappointment tastes like and it's not bitter aloes. It's dog meat. Or cat's breath. Or dinosaur turds. Or like your most hated food doubled. Crap in other words.Anyway, I know I didn't enter but I do feel the
- [Awesome Book Cake!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/awesome-book-cake/) - I wanted to post this awesome photo because I have had some good news over the weekend which I can't tell anyone about yet but shall taunt you with mercilessly (and no, it's NOT another sale). Anyway, the kids decided a celebration was in order and so - as a surprise - made me a
- [Putting the A in A-Hole](https://www.jackieashenden.com/putting-the-a-in-a-hole/) - I've been writing more of my dirty virgin hero and pondering the mysteries of what makes a hero an a-hole for some readers and yet not for others. It's an interesting question. I've read books where the readers hated the hero and I haven't really been able to understand why because he seems fine to
- [Um....Another Sale](https://www.jackieashenden.com/um-another-sale/) - I am starting to feel a bit weird now. Like it's a dream and someone's going to rudely shake me away and tell me it's not real. That I didn't just sell six books in one year. Yes, that's right. Six.Because I sent in my proposal (three chapters and a synopsis) of my Dirty Virgin
- [Writing A Virgin (Hero)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/writing-a-virgin-hero/) - I didn't enter SYTYCW this year and now I am suffering from a severe case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). To distract myself from possibly slipping up and quickly whipping in a last minute entry (I think the deadline is up anyway) I thought I'd do a post on.....dun dun dunnnn....THE VIRGIN HERO!Yes folks,
- [Fear - If You Can't Handle It Then Writing Isn't the Job for You](https://www.jackieashenden.com/fear-if-you-cant-handle-it-then-writing-isnt-the-job-for-you/) - Here's a few things I've learned about fear after I sold:It never goes away - I used to think that once I sold my first book, I'd never feel afraid of sending my writing out again. Wrong. Somehow the thought that the editor loved the last book makes sending in the next book harder. Because
- [Common Romance Writer Myths Busted](https://www.jackieashenden.com/common-romance-writer-myths-busted/) - Over the past week or so (in between skiing trips and sending off my next book to my editor at Entangled) I have been hearing various things about romance writing and romance authors in general - and, surprise surprise, some of it has NOT been good. Assumptions. Stereotypes. Mommy porn. Etc, etc... You get the
- [Wot I have Been Doing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/wot-i-have-been-doing/) - Chocolate! From the Armani shop! Armani chocolate!Haven't been blogging much these past couple of months. Mainly because I've been up to my neck in conferences, rewrites, submissions, edits, Dr Jax going to Milan and me being a solo mum, and deadlines. It's been a thing.Anyway, I thought I'd give you an update on where I'm
- [Finn Blurb!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/finn-blurb/) - I have a tagline and blurb! I am excited! And here's some more exclamation marks to show just how excited I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ahem. Okay, so here we go... Falling For FinnWhen you’ve been burned, the heat of the moment is the scariest place to be.Six months after a sexual assault, Anna Jameson has decided enough is
- [Blogs: Are They Dead?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/blogs-are-they-dead/) - Okay so I'm bad. I haven't done a post for a while but that's because all my social media falls off my list of things to do when I have writing that needs doing. So really, I'm not bad. I'm good. :-) For those interested, I'm now working on edits for the next in my
- [When Your Characters Scare the Pants Off You](https://www.jackieashenden.com/when-your-characters-scare-the-pants-off-you/) - Screamy is scaredI really love my sheikh but honestly, in the process of rewriting Mr Sheikhypants, he and the wretched heroine decided to go to a place I was NOT comfortable with. And no, it wasn't Huntly (though they do go into the desert, which is also not comfortable). It skated close to a line
- [Ten Things I learned at the RWNZ Writers Conference](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ten-things-i-learned-at-the-rwnz-writers-conference/) - 1. The sky is NOT falling. The future for authors is bright because the world will always need stories and stories never die (Randy Ingermanson).Carol Marinelli, Frances Housden, and Amanda Antonio at the dinner2. Eloisa James is who I'd like to be when I grow up. Inspirational and funny and shared hot NYT author bestselling
- [RWAus12 - The Pantomime](https://www.jackieashenden.com/rwaus12-the-pantomime/) - I think I said 'the musical' last year so this year it's a pantomime. Sorry, I'm not going to sing or dance. That would be far too much. But I shall post photos instead. Had the bestest time evah on the Gold Coast for the Romance Writers of Australia conference. My third year and this
- [It's Conference Time](https://www.jackieashenden.com/its-conference-time/) - Well, I've been a bad blogger. Haven't been posting much but in my defense, have had lots on with getting Mr Sheikhypants into a fit state for sending, while angsting about my next Samhain submission and also the editing of the next Indulgence that I'm planning to send off soonish.Oh and in the middle of
- [Oh, I'm on Fire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/oh-im-on-fire/) - A few people have said that I'm on fire recently and I graciously took the compliment, feeling pleased with myself. Little did I realise that that my hotness would soon spread to other areas - namely Dr Jax's man-shed. In other words, we had a fire last week and poor Dr Jax lost his shed. I'd
- [Giveaway winner - The Boss and Her Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/giveaway-winner-the-boss-and-her-billionaire/) - And the winner of Michele's book is Jess A!! Jess, can you either contact me with your details via the 'contact' form on the blog. Or leave a comment below. Congrats!
- [Mr Sheikhypants Goes Through to the Semi-Finals!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mr-sheikhypants-goes-through-to-the-semi-finals/) - In keeping with the Olympic theme of the post before, before last, I'm delighted to announce that Mr Sheikypants, the Presents ms that I won a pitch with on eHarlequin, has had a full request! *happy dances*Needless to say I am thrilled. It's been a while since M&B have asked for a full from me
- [Giveaway - Michele de Winton and The Boss and Her Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/giveaway-michele-de-winton-and-the-boss-and-her-billionaire/) - Doing another giveaway today - for a fellow Kiwi and Entangled author Michele De Winton. She's talking about receiving the magic Call. Leave a comment for a chance to win her fabulous book, The Boss and Her Billionaire. This is currently burning up the Barnes and Noble charts so get in quick before they're all
- [Cover Squee!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/cover-squee/) - Okay, I can finally post my Samhain cover! Woots all round!! I can't tell you how exciting this is and I just love it. LOVE IT!!Is it not gorgeous?? It's got my name on it and everything!
- [Publication as an Olympic Sport](https://www.jackieashenden.com/publication-as-an-olympic-sport/) - Congrats to Gillian who won a copy of Robyn's wonderful book! I'm also going to be running another giveaway on Wendnesday for a fellow Kiwi and Indulgence author, Michele de Winton so be sure to check in then for a chance to win her book too!In the meantime, I've been watching the Olympics (and no
- [Robyn Thomas and His Unexpected Family - Giveaway!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/robyn-thomas-and-his-unexpected-family-giveaway/) - So proud today to introduce my CP Sister and all round fabulous lady, Robyn Thomas. Her debut book has just been released from Entangled and it is awesome! You can win your own copy here if you leave a comment! *promos shamelessly* :-)I’d like to thank Jackie for inviting me here today to chat about
- [First Cover Sighted!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/first-cover-sighted/) - Hanging around in this sold-but-yet-to-be-published limbo is weird. You want to yell about your books but you can't yet because they're not out. And they won't be out for another six months at the very least. You kind of want to keep going 'hi, remember me? Yeah, I sold. But my book isn't out for
- [Giveaway at the Sassies - His Unexpected Family](https://www.jackieashenden.com/giveaway-at-the-sassies-his-unexpected-family/) - I can finally announce that Robyn's debut release for Entangled Indulgence is live on Amazon! We're having a giveaway at the Sassies in celebration so do pop along and leave a comment to be in the draw.I'm going to be having Robyn here on the blog with another giveaway in a few days so keep
- [Friday Indulgence - Chocolate Martinis](https://www.jackieashenden.com/friday-indulgence-chocolate-martinis/) - As you know, the role of the chocolate martini has a historic place in my writing career and been the pick-me-up of choice when it comes to the hideousness of rejections. I've even doled out several (virtually) to lots of writing friends. So now is the moment when I can finally share with you Dr
- [The View from the Other Side](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-view-from-the-other-side/) - I've actually been waiting to post on here a while because I wanted to do a Happy Release Day post for my lovely CP and fellow Entangled Sister Robyn. But due to technical difficulties, we'll have to wait a little bit longer for that.So I thought I'd write intead about being on the other side
- [The Trick is to Miss the Ground - Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Writing Again](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-trick-is-to-miss-the-ground-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-writing-again/) - Okay guys, I've been wanting to write this post for weeks now but I had to wait until I'd signed the Samhain contract. It's about my first sale and why writing for yourself is so important.As you all know, I've been aiming at Mills and Boon for years. I had some success early on but
- [More News - Sale to Samhain!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-news-sale-to-samhain/) - You know that super angsty story that I wrote last year? The one I mentioned in my last post? Weeeellll guess what? I'm finally allowed to say that I sold it. To Samhain!!Okay. So this is where it gets a little freaky.The Samhain sale was actually my first sale. I hadn't heard from anyone regarding
- [Bring on the Angst!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/bring-on-the-angst/) - The quicksand book is done. At least the first draft of it is. And thank God because I thought I'd never claw my way out of it. Why do first drafts suck so badly??? Anyway, my plan now is to let it sit and fester and while it's brewing away I'll start another book aimed
- [Getting Stuff Done](https://www.jackieashenden.com/getting-stuff-done/) - This one's for the lovely Scarlet Wilson who told me on Twitter that I needed to blog about time management. And since I always do what I'm told, I thought I'd better go do it. :-)First up, there are a few things that work in my favour when it comes to fitting in writing around
- [Quicksand Book](https://www.jackieashenden.com/quicksand-book/) - This time the quicksand isn't in the journey ahead, it's in the book I'm writing. And no, I'm not exaggerating. I'm SURE my book is composed entirely of quicksand because every time I open the damn document I get sucked in. And not in a good way. More like a 'help, help I'm drowning!' way.
- [Settling the Dust](https://www.jackieashenden.com/settling-the-dust/) - Okay, so the last two weeks have been a total whirlwind. Three book deal, revisions from Mills and Boon, a contest final, plus another thing I'm not allowed to mention yet, AND my birthday!! Apart from all the good writing stuff, the bestest present was the crocheted screamer from Edvard Munch's The Scream. Yes, a
- [Call Story](https://www.jackieashenden.com/call-story/) - Two posts in one day?? Insane. But then that's my life at the moment and I don't mind telling you that I'm quite happy with it thank you very much. :-)Anyway, I've posted my Call story on the Sisters site. It's long and rambly. Don't say you weren't warned... :-)
- [Sold to Entangled!!!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sold-to-entangled/) - I've thought about how I would write this post a million times. And for the past week I've been imagining all the ways I would write it. But now the time has come, I can't think of what to say!! So I guess I'll just say it.I have a three book deal with Entangled Publishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's
- [Revisions are Groovy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/revisions-are-groovy/) - It's kind of amazing how a couple of editorial sentences can make you look at an ms and suddenly you see exactly what isn't working. The email I just got from M&B was just like that. In fact, in terms of revisions, it was one of the best ones I've ever received in that it
- [How Throwing a Tantrum Can Work](https://www.jackieashenden.com/how-throwing-a-tantrum-can-work/) - Soooo....you know how I threw an epic tantrum about how nothing was happening?? And many of you said to hang in there and things will start to move?Well, I woke up this morning to an email from the wonderful editor at M&B about Mr Sheikhypants. They love him and his conflict (yay me for getting
- [In Which Jackie Drags Out Yet Another Tired Analogy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/in-which-jackie-drags-out-yet-another-tired-analogy/) - For the few people still reading this blog, I thought I'd vary my analogy today. I've given up supermarkets for the moment, since supermarkets imply movement. I'm going with quicksand today since there is absolutely no movement whatsoever. Plus I can also get in the whole 'journey to publication' thing since, apparently, it is a
- [Supermarket Queues](https://www.jackieashenden.com/supermarket-queues/) - So I'm at a packed supermarket and I'm trying to find a checkout that hasn't got fifty million people queued up and not having much luck. I can't use the 12 items or less checkout because I have more than 12 items and the self-serve checkout is a little bit new-fangled and freaky for me.My
- [Research. It's Weird.](https://www.jackieashenden.com/research-its-weird/) - Another WIP finished, another ms to add to the pile. Yeah, finished Mr Rough yesterday. And I mean finished very loosely. My endings are so bad, mainly because I hate writing em. Usually because it's not until I write that I figure out what's missing in the rest of the ms. With Mr Rough I
- [Jackie's Little Checklist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackies-little-checklist/) - Again, thousands of apologies for my lack of keeping this sorry excuse for a blog up to date. And also apologies for not doing my usual round of visits to other people's blogs. I've been keeping my social media distractions to a mimimum for the purposes of pretending that I am an NYT #1 bestselling
- [Emotion - The Heart of the Character](https://www.jackieashenden.com/emotion-the-heart-of-the-character/) - Hmmmm, bad blogger me with the weekly posts. I should be doing more. But well, I tend to slow down when I'm feeling in a low patch and have had another dip in the trail in the past couple of weeks. The journey to publication has gone way downhill, past the swamp and the garbage
- [The Trouble with Women](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-trouble-with-women/) - So I had problem with alphas in my last post. My new hero, Mr Rough, is being let off the reins and he's loving it, but now I'm wondering all over again about sympatheticness (if that's even a word) as it relates to the heroine. The romance heroine does have a reputation for being a
- [A Hard Man is Good to Find - Fear of the Alpha](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-hard-man-is-good-to-find-fear-of-the-alpha/) - I think you'll all know by now that when it comes to heroes, I'm an alpha girl all the way. I like a hard man. A man who doesn't take any crap from anyone. A take charge, protective man. And most especially a tortured man. Mmmmmm....tortured man....*Homer Simpson donut noise*Ahem.So anyway with all this alpha-love
- [Lucky 7](https://www.jackieashenden.com/lucky-7/) - The lovely Rach has tagged me for the Lucky 7 Meme and since I've been away for Easter, this is slightly late but...well....better late than never, right?The deal is this:Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP■Go to line 7■Copy down the next 7 lines–sentences or paragraphs–and post them as they’re written. No cheating.■Tag 7
- [Treadmill Blues](https://www.jackieashenden.com/treadmill-blues/) - I wish this was a post about running on an actual treadmill and burning actual calories and getting awesomely fit. But it's not. It's about running on an analogous treadmill, where no calories are burned and nothing actually happens, you just keep running and running and not going anywhere.Yep, you guessed it, this is a
- [I Hate Beginnings](https://www.jackieashenden.com/i-hate-beginnings/) - It wasn't always this way. I used to love them. I used to find them really easy. An idea would pop into my mind and five seconds later I was writing it and it would just flow and the world was full of happy bluebirds and fluffy bunnies and singing princesses. Of course afterwards I'd
- [Peek of the Week - With Ink](https://www.jackieashenden.com/peek-of-the-week-with-ink/) - See the inspiration for my new hero - and be afraid. Be very afraid!
- [Marriages of Convenience - Hot or Not?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/marriages-of-convenience-hot-or-not/) - I've kind of been slack at blogging lately. And slack at Twitter. About the only social media thing I haven't been slack at is Pinterest. Sigh. I've never been one for collages for my mss but there's something about Pinterest that's just so...Hmmmm.....Anyway, my excuse for this slackness is due to finishing Mr Sheikhypants. Which
- [Adventures at 3.30am](https://www.jackieashenden.com/adventures-at-3-30am/) - I am a slacker. I was going to post earlier but I've totally been recovering from the trauma of getting up at 3.30am to pitch Mr Sheikhypants to unsuspecting editors (not to mention actually writing as much of Mr Sheikhypants as I possibly could). Naturally enough I had the usual nightmare - that I'd slept
- [Master Class at the Sisters](https://www.jackieashenden.com/master-class-at-the-sisters/) - Naturally since I am the WORLD EXPERT at pitching, I am doing a post on pitching at the Sisters today. Here in fact. Of course, when I say world expert, I mean that term very loosely. Exceedingly loosely. In fact, I'm actually no expert (shock, horror), more of an enthusiastic amateur. And it's basically a
- [Mr Sheikhypants Wins!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mr-sheikhypants-wins/) - Okay so I was naughty and didn't tell anyone that I'd entered the Presents pitch on eHarlequin. I probably should have but to be honest I have been getting a little sick of announcing that no, I didn't get anywhere so I thought if no one knew and I didn't get picked then I wouldn't
- [Playing it Safe](https://www.jackieashenden.com/playing-it-safe/) - Sometimes I wonder if I'm not making things harder for myself. I'm thinking this after reviewing some feedback for a contest I entered a while back. It was my chess playing hero's story and he didn't do all that well in the contest. Why? Because one judge HATED the story. Now, most of the other
- [Mr Sheikhypants](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mr-sheikhypants/) - When I was at university, I got through my English degree with a healthy dose of Mills and Boon. Shakespeare and Chaucer and Dickens and Bronte were leavened with lots of billionaires (or millionaires since a million bought you a hell of a lot more then than now!). But back then I was most particular
- [izzy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/izzy/)
- [More Novella Love](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-novella-love/) - I am boring for New Zealand about writing something different on the Sisters' blog today. I'd like to say you might win something if you do. But sadly all you'll win is my excellent regard for your good taste. :-)
- [Novella Love](https://www.jackieashenden.com/novella-love/) - Okay, so things in Ashenden world aren't so great. On the up side, I have nearly finished my novella. And when I mean novella, I mean the-little-story-I-thought-would-be-20k-at-most-that-ended-up-being-47k novella. I have no idea why this story got so out of hand. I thought it would be a nice little friends-to-lovers story, where the heroine asks the
- [Grim Determination](https://www.jackieashenden.com/grim-determination/) - I was going to do a Valentine's Day post but...well...I didn't. I've been too busy hanging on to this writing gig by the skin of my teeth.I think in my last post I questioned why we do this thing and y'know, for the past few days I've been thinking about it. The answer I always
- [Hiding](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hiding/) - I know, I've been gone for a wee while. Two weeks of mad writing, closely followed by a full-on doubt spiral and crash. No reason for it, just....Well, actually, I tell a lie. The trigger was a narrow miss on finalling in a contest. Which I should NOT have got so wound up about but
- [To the Bat - ahem - Writing Cave!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/to-the-bat-ahem-writing-cave/) - Talk about timing. I go camping with the family (let us not mention tents and the dismantling of said edifices in the rain) and the next day find out that I have won a full request from a pitch competition! Argh!!! Why the argh? Well, I'm camping for a week with patchy internet access and
- [The Big Seckrit](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-big-seckrit/) - You know the big secret? The one that our hero hides because he doesn't want anyone else to know? Or the one that the heroine never talks about and is afraid someone will find out? Like, the hero used to steal cars and one time, when he was chased by the cops, he hit someone
- [Rethinking The 10%](https://www.jackieashenden.com/rethinking-the-10/) - Last year I posted a somewhat gloomy post about how getting published was 30% talent, 30% hard work, 30% persistence, and 10% of luck (or something like that - don't ask me to check). And that the problem I had with that equation was that the 10% was something you had no control over. It
- [A Romantic Start to 2012](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-romantic-start-to-2012/) - So, this is what 2012 is like... *walks around* *sniffs the air*Okay, not too bad so far. No rejections at least so that's something. Still, the year is but a nipper which means there's plenty of time for Rs to come rolling in... Sigh. Positive much?On the up side, my New Year started beautifully and
- [Happy Christmas and Good Riddance 2011](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-christmas-and-good-riddance-2011/) - Haven't posted much recently - still suffering the post-Chessman slump. Which then morphed into another 'all my writing sucks' slump. Which morphed further into a 'everything sucks' slump. Cue endless rounds of Angry Birds and Pocket Frogs on Brad the iPad.Anyway, this is wishing everyone a happy Christmas and New Year from me here in
- [One Perfect Night - Happy Release Day!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/one-perfect-night-happy-release-day/) - Big day today folks! Time wish my awesome CP and fellow Sister, Rachel Johns a happy release day for her debut book, One Perfect Night, available from Carina Press.It's a wonderful book so if you need a bit of Xmas cheer this season, or just need a fabulous, fun and romantic read, head over to
- [The Magic Moment](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-magic-moment/) - It's a magic moment really. The moment when the manuscript you wrote with such excitement, the characters you thought were so fabulous, the conflict you just knew was SO different, the story you lovingly crafted into a work of art, suddenly turns to crap in the space of a second.Something silly might have triggered it
- [Checkmate](https://www.jackieashenden.com/checkmate/) - Yep, my chess player has finally been checkmated. Thank God. Here's a snapshot of some ms stats:*Number of times entire ms rewritten - 3*Number of times beginning rewritten - 6*Size of 'deleted scenes' folder - 227k*Number of times hero/heroine conflict changed - 3 *Number of times I wanted to kill hero/heroine - 20*Number of tantrums
- [When Your Hero is a Complete *$%#&#](https://www.jackieashenden.com/when-your-hero-is-a-complete/) - Okay, I'm admitting this up front - I love a good b*stard. I really, really do. I like reading about them and I loooove writing them. There's is something very satisfying about a sexy, arrogant SOB who gets his comeuppance at the hands of the heroine. The powerful, autocratic alpha male brought down by some
- [Jackie Lays the Blame](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackie-lays-the-blame/) - So there I was, nursing my disappointments, holding on to them really tightly. And feeling tired and burned out and like it was all too hard. And I was doing really well, had my 'giving up' speech all prepared, the towel fully ready to be thrown in.And then some wretched people decided to write me
- [The Ten Percent](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-ten-percent/) - This was meant to be a fabulous motivational post for but since this week has been disappointing writing-wise, I've kind of lost any motivational type attitude. Not that I had much to start with.This year has been a hell of a year. Lots of very, very hard stuff to deal with. Lots of hard work
- [In Which Jackie Waves a Big Stick](https://www.jackieashenden.com/in-which-jackie-waves-a-big-stick/) - It's always the way. You come back from holiday and life kind of descends on you like the 1000 tonne ACME weight descends on the coyote from Roadrunner. Actually, I shouldn't complain (though I am, obviously), because spending four days down in Queenstown, in a beautiful hotel, isn't something to complain about. It's just the
- [The Joy of Rewrites](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-joy-of-rewrites/) - It should come as no surprise to any of you that my approach to writing is rather emotional (I approach the rest of life rather emotionally as well, not just writing but that's an entirely different story).So when something is wrong with a story, EVERYTHING else is wrong too. The kids are a nuisance, the
- [Crash](https://www.jackieashenden.com/crash/) - It was inevitable. What goes up must, at some stage, go down. Yeah, the drug that was the character high has now worn off. Big time. Everything is as it was - crap. Oh, not entire crap because I still have had that great character revelation and I still feel good about it. I just
- [Epic Moments - The Joys of Pantsing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/epic-moments-the-joys-of-pantsing/) - Do you ever have moments when the scene you're writing suddenly becomes epic? When you know absolutely that THIS scene is a pivotal moment in your book? A scene that totally makes the rest of the story? A scene that is so powerful that you just know you're gonna have to rewrite the rest of
- [Nothing to Say So Here's a Picture of a Man Instead](https://www.jackieashenden.com/nothing-to-say-so-heres-a-picture-of-a-man-instead/) - Iam feeling generally unenthused about everything at the moment, most especially writing. Oh, don't get me wrong, I always write. Every day, mostly. But the writing has become a bit of a battle lately and nothing's going right.So to save you all from a fantastic vent, I am posting a nice pic of a nice
- [A Post About Rugby (No, Really)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-post-about-rugby-no-really/) - If you had told me two weeks ago I would be writing a blog post about rugby I would have told you you were mad. I am not a ruby fan. I never watch it. I know the ball is oval, that you need to score a try to earn points and that you can
- [Calm the $%* Down - Tips for the Over-Optimistic Writer](https://www.jackieashenden.com/calm-the-down-tips-for-the-over-optimistic-writer/) - I am an optimist. No, really, I am. "But you run your subs down ALL the time!'' I hear my CPs shout. It's true, I do that. But that's just a cunning front. Because deep inside, I am an honest to God, genuine, over-the-top optimist. And not in a 'I think my sub isn't too
- [The Dog Ate My Blog Post](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-dog-ate-my-blog-post/) - Because school holidays have ruined my career as a wanna-be romance novelist, not to mention keeping this blog up to date, I'm taking the easy way out post-wise and directing your attention to the Sisters' site where I have a post about emotion up there. It's one I was going to do for here but
- [A Budgie Called Doris - The Perils of Backstory](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-budgie-called-doris-the-perils-of-backstory/) - I am consistently amazed by how little backstory you need in a first chapter. I know! Who'd have thunk it? But it's true. The reader does not need to know as much you think they do.The reason I'm concerned with backstory is that I've been wrestling with the beginning of this chess ms and as
- [That Ole Emotional Connection Type Thing Again](https://www.jackieashenden.com/that-ole-emotional-connection-type-thing-again/) - When I was a baby author, I really liked my characters to fight ALL THE TIME. Why? Because I liked the angst and conflict and the torment and the anguish. It was awesome, plus I got to write hot, angsty love scenes which is always a bonus. Unfortunately there was also a problem with this
- [The 'I Hate My Story' Syndrome](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-i-hate-my-story-syndrome/) - I've got a general theme this week - first my stupid process and now I'm hating my stupid story. First draft blues in other words. I should know by now that at a certain point in the first draft - usually about 3/4s of the way through - I start to doubt everything. And I
- [Stupid Process](https://www.jackieashenden.com/stupid-process/) - Yeah, well, sometimes my process is stupid. Why? Well, I've been doing again what I swore never to do - moving my characters to suit my plot. Gah! It's so insidious. You have a great idea for a scene perhaps mid-way through the book and because you love the idea of this scene so much,
- [FOMO](https://www.jackieashenden.com/fomo/) - Okay, confession time. I have been avoiding New Voices. Yep, totally and completely avoiding it. Why? Weeeeelllll, long story and one I'm not going to share on this blog but it was part of why last year was the Annus Horribilis of my writing career (can I call it a career when I'm not actually
- [](https://www.jackieashenden.com/302/) - I've been thinking about romance.
- [The Rules](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-rules/) - I've got some Rules to follow over at the Sassy's site if you're interested. All about how to include alien motherships in Presents. (not really).
- [Synopsis Love](https://www.jackieashenden.com/synopsis-love/) - I know, you wondering how that's even possible. Because there is NO FREAKING WAY to love writing a synopsis. And actually, it's not that I love writing synopses (I don't, I hate 'em) or that I'm any good at writing them (Nup, not that either) it's just the past two synopses I've written have been
- [Distracting Myself From Pressing Send](https://www.jackieashenden.com/distracting-myself-from-pressing-send/) - It's subbing eve. Soon I will have two stories out there. Soon I'll be back on that big 'ole rollercoaster, viewing my inbox with trepidation, nay with horror. But what's a girl to do?I had two really great pieces of advice when I confessed my subbing fear at the Auckland chapter group meeting last week.
- [When You're Afraid of Your Own Story](https://www.jackieashenden.com/when-youre-afraid-of-your-own-story/) - Alrighty, I have now finished the partial requested by Mills and Boon, and also the full I need to send to to Carina. All I need to do is a final polish on both and then a synopses each. Easy. Well, okay apart from actually writing the synopses. And the HUGE subbing fear that is
- [RWNZ Conference - The Musical](https://www.jackieashenden.com/rwnz-conference-the-musical/) - Okay, so no, I'm not going to sing (you lucky people!) But after the conference I certainly feel like it. The passing of Sandra Hyatt cast a pall - how could it not? - but I'm sure she won't mind if I pass on some of the good things that came out of the conference.
- [Sad News - Sandra Hyatt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sad-news-sandra-hyatt/) - I'm going to continue to my round-up of the RWAus Conference and then pass on some good stuff from the RWNZ conference too but I just wanted to mark the passing of Desire author, Sandra Hyatt. I didn't know Sandra well but often had great chats to her at our Auckland chapter group meetings. In
- [The Awesomeness that was the Romance Writers of Australia Conference - Part 1](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-awesomeness-that-was-the-romance-writers-of-australia-conference-part-1/) - Alrighty... *rolls up sleeves* So this post is going to be about the best part of the conference (for me at any rate) - the people. What came across quite clearly at the conference - from a number of different speakers - was what a wonderful bunch of people romance writers are. And I can
- [Essence and Identity](https://www.jackieashenden.com/essence-and-identity/) - Okay, this is last blog post before Melbourne and the RWAus conference. Really looking forward to it - especially spending actual face-time with some of my awesome online buddies. Plus I get the extra special treat of meeting one of my Sisters! *waves at Robyn just in case she sees this* But before all that,
- [Another Ride on the Rollercoaster](https://www.jackieashenden.com/another-ride-on-the-rollercoaster/) - Yep, the publication rollercoaster has pulled up outside my station and apparently there's a seat there with my name on it. What the hell am I talking about?Found out yesterday I won the First Impressions Contest #2, a pre-RWNZ conference contest. Was pretty damn pleased, as you can probably guess. The past month has been
- [Climbing Mt Ngauruhoe](https://www.jackieashenden.com/climbing-mt-ngauruhoe/) - Holidays over. Phew. And a new month, which is even better, cos July has been, quite frankly, a stinker.Yep, you guessed it, moany post alert! I haven't had one for a while so I figure I'm due one.Keeping going with this writing stuff hasn't got any easier I'm afraid. I've stoppped thinking of climbing Everest.
- [The Unbearable Lightness of an Old MS](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-unbearable-lightness-of-an-old-ms/) - This week has been a nightmare. School holidays, massive colds for both children, a broken leg that's taking ages to get better, and a husband who also has a cold... Argh. Where's my holiday??As per usual I want to write and am frustrated by not being able to. Also frustrating are the doubt crows circling
- [Ask Dr Jax](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ask-dr-jax/) - This is a very late post. I plead a wedding, a 40th birthday party and a cold all in the space of nearly two weeks. Oh and not forgetting school holidays. Yay. Not.Anyway, time for the good doctor.Question: How correct is it to say that one painful event can shape a person's life?Answer: Like I
- [Problems and Other Miscellaneous Announcements](https://www.jackieashenden.com/problems-and-other-miscellaneous-announcements/) - Quick post to blow my own trumpet about a little pre-conference RWNZ contest which I finalled in! Yay! Entries go off to Lucy Gilmour at M&B for a final placing and when she arrives in NZ in August, I get to have a 10 minute face to face pitch session with her. I'm really thrilled
- [Being Different](https://www.jackieashenden.com/being-different/) - Okay so I'm going to say straight up that I have no idea what constitutes 'different'. Actually, no, I do have some idea, but whether my idea squares with an editors idea is something that hasn't been determined yet...Um, no, that's not quite right either. So far my idea of different has NOT squared yet.
- [](https://www.jackieashenden.com/317/) - Rejection? Well, I've had a few. It's tough. Gutting. Confidence destroying. It gets to you and you want to give up. Writing? Bugger that, too hard. Everyone hates my writing so I may as well give up.Been there. Thought that.Many years ago I had an experience that was pretty awful and I decided that day,
- [Every Good Alpha Deserves A Hobby](https://www.jackieashenden.com/every-good-alpha-deserves-a-hobby/) - A week? Argh, naughty Jackie! My only excuse is that I've been hard at work this week getting in more contest entries. Yep, anything and everything, that's my motto. Gotta be in it to win it etc, etc...Anyway, it's one of these entries that got me thinking about heroes. Heroes and hobbies to be exact.
- [No Holding Back!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/no-holding-back/) - Okay, it's official. Jackie is no longer holding back.I know, I know, I was supposed to do this months ago. But I only really managed it in one chapter and that was my contest chapter. The rest of my mss, I've been dicking around with but not getting anywhere, questioning every action my characters took,
- [Seven Random Facts](https://www.jackieashenden.com/seven-random-facts/) - The beauteous Rach (newcarinauthorbookoutinDecemberbuyitbuyitBUYIT!!!) has nominated me for a blog award that means I have to reveal seven random facts about myself. Okay, so here goes:1. I am a romance writer. Yes, shocking and you totally didn't know it right? Unpublished still but not unhopeful.2. I have hereditary deafness and as I'm getting sick of
- [Ask Dr Jax - Dr Jax Responds Part 3](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ask-dr-jax-dr-jax-responds-part-3/) - false false false EN-NZ X-NONE X-NONE And this one is from me, because this is a HUGE problem for me. How do we know if our characters are being too self aware?Dr Jax: A good rule of thumb is if you think they are too self aware, they probably are. :-) Other red flags (though
- [Ask Dr Jax - Dr Jax Responds Part 2](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ask-dr-jax-dr-jax-responds-part-2/) - The good doctor responds to more questions...Dr. Jax, do you think we're aware of the events in our past which have shaped us? Or is it more common to simply assume you're all right, and that you're more or less 'normal'?Dr Jax: Yes, most people think they're okay. However, the things that shape us the
- [Ask Dr Jax - Dr Jax Responds Part 1](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ask-dr-jax-dr-jax-responds-part-1/) - Got some great questions for Dr Jax - thanks everyone! I'll post some answers today and then some more tomorrow. If any of the responses prompt more questions, feel free to ask. I'll run this until the end of the week.Have also decided to make the first Monday of each month a regular Ask Dr
- [Ask Dr Jax - Questions Please](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ask-dr-jax-questions-please/) - All right, the people have spoken!Bring your tricky conflict questions to Dr Jax! He's a qualified psychiatrist and can give real life advice on any thorny behavioural issues. Would your characters really act the way they do? Or would they do things differently? How do people generally respond to tragedies in their lives? Etc etc.You
- [Dr Jax Helps Out](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dr-jax-helps-out/) - Was going to do a long and involved post today but since my youngest daughter broke her leg yesterday (jumping off a bunkbed trying to touch a light!), I am at her beck and call instead!Still, thought I'd mention that I was talking to Dr Jax over the weekend and asked him if he might
- [Jackie Has Some Good News For a Change](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackie-has-some-good-news-for-a-change/) - Yes, my successes have been few and far between of late but I found out this morning that I have finalled in the RWNZ Great Beginnings Contest! Big woots for me!! I've entered this competition for the past three years with no luck but this time round hit the mark and I'm extremely pleased!I'm even
- [Carving Michelangelo's David](https://www.jackieashenden.com/carving-michelangelos-david/) - I feel a bit like Michelangelo trying to carve out David from a block of stone at the moment. I keep chipping away thinking I see the figure inside, but then realise that my David looks more of an ogre than a svelte young man. All the proportions are wrong and he's wearing clothes instead
- [Jackie's Year of Surviving Rejection](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackies-year-of-surviving-rejection/) - I've done a post on the Sisters' Blog in celebration of our blog's first birthday. It's on...drum roll.... surviving rejection! If you're keen for a bit of Chumbawamba, then head over. If you're still in denial about the possibility of being rejected then keep away... :-)
- [Character Lightbulbs!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/character-lightbulbs/) - Yeah, I'm finding I'm having lots of lightbulb moments with my chess ms. In fact, I'm beginning to think that my chess story is becoming a bit of a watershed ms. I am learning so much with this one. I knew at the beginning of the year that it was proving to be quite a
- [Character Traits vs Conflict](https://www.jackieashenden.com/character-traits-vs-conflict/) - Janet asked me an interesting question about my last blog post and since I'm scraping around trying to find things to blog about, I thought I'd actually give my answer as a post. This comes with the usual caveat that my answer is my thoughts about the subject, thoughts that could be totally erroneous, sadly
- [Heroines Do My Head In](https://www.jackieashenden.com/heroines-do-my-head-in/) - Ah crap, nearly another week has gone by. I do have an excuse though. I have been...drum roll....writing!What you say? Jackie Ashenden actually writing? Unheard of!Yeah, yeah, I'm being sarcastic. I never really stop writing to it's no surprise. But lately I have been turning off the net to concentrate wholly on what I'm doing.
- [Jackie Discovers The Holy Trinity - Character, Conflict and Plot.](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackie-discovers-the-holy-trinity-character-conflict-and-plot/) - Wow, slack blogger Jackie! *slaps hand* It's been a week - nearly. Groan. In my defence, I should say that I'm not online so much for a reason. Being obsessed by writing hasn't been good for me so I'm reconnecting with non-writing things, and that means less time at the computer and more time doing
- [It's Not A Rolls Royce](https://www.jackieashenden.com/its-not-a-rolls-royce/) - Just got back from an Easter trip to a place called Pauanui, where all the nobs in Auckland go to spend their holidays by the beach. Strangest place. You might get a vast mansion with a helicopter out the back and a huge boat in the garage and then right next to it will be
- [Trying to Get Back Up Again](https://www.jackieashenden.com/trying-to-get-back-up-again/) - Well, I did think I would do a few more posts than this but my inspiration to write continues to go up and down like a lady of the night's underpants. Plus, my direction and confidence are wavering all over the place. It's frustrating. The worst part is not having anything else out there. If
- [Getting Back Up Again Or How Buying a Handbag Is Always a Good Thing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/getting-back-up-again-or-how-buying-a-handbag-is-always-a-good-thing/) - Okay, so I've been laying on the mat after the big KO for a while now. Plenty of you guys have told me to take it easy and be good to myself. Now, I'm not very good at doing that. My solution to feeling crappy about writing is just to keep writing. This is not
- [A Murder of Crows](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-murder-of-crows/) - It's been a while since the last post - I usually blog more than this. But to be honest, I'm trying to drum up some enthusiasm. I've got a cold, which doesn't help, but there's also a murder of doubt crows sitting on just about every available flat surface in my office. Some days it's
- [Kicking Fear's Butt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/kicking-fears-butt/) - So I've been contemplating this mountain thingy here and while I have, I've been thinking about my writing and all those bloody rejections. Especially the last two. I found it very interesting that in the ed's opinion, the Hammer Pants ms, the one I'd written 18 months ago, was stronger than the one I'd written
- [The Fabulous Rach!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-fabulous-rach/) - And one of my lovely CPs (name drop, name drop) has just sold her contempory romance to Carina Press!!!!Break out the champers Hoo, we're having a sale party!!!!Big huge, mega congrats, Rach my dear!! The story is awesome and so are you. :-)Check out the call story here!
- [Jackie Contemplates the Mountain](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackie-contemplates-the-mountain/) - So. Um. Hi. My name is Jackie and I'm a wannbe writer. A romance writer.Extremely brief history: I started pursuing publication seriously three years ago. Since then, after a brief blaze of glory and the odd flash of brilliance, it's since been a gentle (not) slide into relative obscurity. Yay me.So here I am, in
- [Blog! The Decision!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/blog-the-decision/) - Thanks everyone who left a comment regarding this blog. It means such a lot to know everyone still likes what I put out there and that I'm helpful in some way, even though at the moment I feel like the biggest fraud in the world.So, I guess I'd like to say that I'm going to
- [What To Do With This Blog?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/what-to-do-with-this-blog/) - Okay, well, here I am. And wondering what the next step is. At this point, you can pretty much take my advice with a whole salt pan because clearly, I do not know what I am doing with my writing.Actually no, that's bollocks, I DO know what I am doing. I've learned HEAPS in the
- [Rock Bottom](https://www.jackieashenden.com/rock-bottom/) - Well, they didn't the Hammer Pants. I was right all along. It was pants. And the even worse news? It's back to the slush for me. There really isn't any further to fall right now.So. Really. Where do I go from here? Where do I want to go from here? Am I any good at
- [Unpublished! Why It's Awesome](https://www.jackieashenden.com/unpublished-why-its-awesome/) - I'm coming up to the mid-March you'll hear back deadline. And I've got that whole love/hate relationship thing going on with the Inbox of Doom. It's mostly hate at the moment, followed by brief, intense bouts of love. Such as waking to find there is NO email from the editor in the mornings - love
- [Ten Ways to Make Your Heroine Suffer - plus some Pimpin'](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ten-ways-to-make-your-heroine-suffer-plus-some-pimpin/) - Right, I thought I'd do a companion piece to my hero torture list since fair's fair, turnabout etc. Time for the heroine to get her turn. Now, I do find writing teh ladeez a tad difficult - women are so complicated! - so if anyone wants to add to the list or disagree, feel free!
- [My Heroine Hell](https://www.jackieashenden.com/my-heroine-hell/) - So there I was, whipping along with the Chessman, 15k in three days and thinking "I SO rock at this writing thing" etc, etc, when suddenly, at 39k, everything came to a crashing halt. And the problem? My heroine. As you who read this blog know, heroines make me want to tear my hair out.
- [Ten Ways to Make Your Heroine Suffer](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ten-ways-to-make-your-heroine-suffer/) - 1. Give her a hero who is the antithesis of everything she believes in. (He's arrogant and uncaring. I hate him).2. Make him absolutely physically irrisistable to her. (But man, he's soooo hot! Hateful male)3. Give him one (or more) qualities that she can't help but admire (He's so arrogant! But...he really loves puppies and
- [Attack of the Killer Blahs or I Suck](https://www.jackieashenden.com/attack-of-the-killer-blahs-or-i-suck/) - Blah. Such a great word. Sums up so many things in such a short space. Also correctly and precisely describes my feelings about the tsunami of submission doubt that has dumped itself on my head. I'm at the point where you know you're going to hear back soonish and am trying to resist the lure
- [A Very Sassy Correspondent](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-very-sassy-correspondent/) - Hey everyone, just thought I'd let you know that we have a new feature on the Sisters' blog - the Sassy Correspondent. Jo Dixon is our correspondent and every Friday at the end of the month she will be doing a guest post. Today is her first post so do pop over and say hi.
- [Jackie's Character Defining Epiphany](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackies-character-defining-epiphany/) - Never let it be said that I am one to dwell (actually I do dwell but I am trying not to do so today). The R has happened, I am now officially over it. Moving right along.And I am moving right along to a little epiphany I had while having coffee with an awesome writing
- [SYTYCW - The Aftermath](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sytycw-the-aftermath/) - Things to do with your form R:1. Print it out then burn it.2. Print it out, pull it to pieces very, very slowly. Then burn it piece by piece.3. Print it out, frame it, stick it on your wall and stare at it every day, brooding on your revenge.4. Print it out, put it on
- [SYTYCW? No, Apparently I Can't](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sytycw-no-apparently-i-cant/) - Which means I got an R and a bog standard R at that. Thanks but no thanks, your story was 'not strong enough'. Now, of course, Rs are not new to me. But this has the dubious honour of being the first form R I've ever had. No, I've never had one. Welcome to the
- [Valentine's Day in Limbo](https://www.jackieashenden.com/valentines-day-in-limbo/) - Okay, so, since Elissa nailed shut the escape door in Unpublished Author Waiting Limbo, I am now trapped here. Which means you will all have to put up with me moaning about it until I manage to swim the lakes of fire, slay the two-headed dogs, manage to scale the nine hundred million mile high
- [The View from the Bar in Unpublished Author Waiting Limbo](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-view-from-the-bar-in-unpublished-author-waiting-limbo/) - There is a special place that all unpublished authors wanting to submit to a publisher evenutally congregate in. It's called Unpublished Author Waiting Limbo. It's really not either heaven or hell but I'm going to designate it hell and give it it's very own special circle because Unpubbed Author Waiting Limbo can be torture. And
- [Ten Ways to Make Your Hero Suffer](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ten-ways-to-make-your-hero-suffer/) - Still nothing from SYTYCW but apparently the last responses are going to be sent out this week. I am feeling extremely nervous as some Rs without feedback have already gone out so - like everything in this business - there are no guarantees.Anyway, as a kind of distraction, I thought I'd turn my thoughts to
- [So You Think You Can Wait Part 2](https://www.jackieashenden.com/so-you-think-you-can-wait-part-2/) - I'm still in waiting room hell. Have heard nothing re SYTYCW this week. I'm almost wishing I'd got one of the Rs they sent out last week because then at least I'd know. But the worst part is that after waiting another week after everyone else, I STILL could get an R. Groan. Poor eds,
- [So You Think You Can Wait Part 2](https://www.jackieashenden.com/so-you-think-you-can-wait-part-2-2/) - I'm still in waiting room hell. Have heard nothing re SYTYCW this week. I'm almost wishing I'd got one of the Rs they sent out last week because then at least I'd know. But the worst part is that after waiting another week after everyone else, I STILL could get an R. Groan. Poor eds,
- [Portrait of the Artist as a Young(ish) Romance Writer (TM)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-youngish-romance-writer-tm/) - In the absence of SYTYCW news (yes, still waiting), here's a picture of me being stupid.A day or two ago, Joanne Coles suggested on Twitter that Maisey Yates needed bons bons and champagne and then she'd be a real romance writer. Following a discussion about stereotypes, Maisey instantly came back with this gorgeous pic of
- [My Chapter 8 Horror](https://www.jackieashenden.com/my-chapter-8-horror/) - In the absence of news from SYTYCW (due to a badly timed bout of flu - poor eds!) and, indeed, any news from anywhere else, I thought I'd do a post on that tricky beast pace.First, let me set the scene:Due to difficulties with a scene, Jackie asks Dr Jax to read the Hammer Pants
- [So You Think You Can Wait](https://www.jackieashenden.com/so-you-think-you-can-wait/) - I still haven't heard re SYTYCW. If it wasn't for a bunch of other people who haven't heard either, I would be REALLY paranoid now that my entry was lost. It still could have been for all I know. Sigh. The most annoying thing of all is that now I have to wait until Tuesday
- [Still Waiting....](https://www.jackieashenden.com/still-waiting/) - I'm still waiting to hear back re SYTYCW. It's like waiting for the firing squad to get to you. They've shot everyone else, there's only you left. Groan! And it's worse for me because normally my news comes while I'm sleeping due to the difference in time zones between the UK and NZ. Yay for
- [So You Think You Can Write? Or Does My Butt Look Big in This? (Plus Congrats!)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/so-you-think-you-can-write-or-does-my-butt-look-big-in-this-plus-congrats/) - Who else is feeling like they can write? I should clarify, this is for those of us who are taking the SYTYCW trip and are expecting to hear back this week. Are you excited? Nervous? Couldn't care less? NTAI? Personally I'm feeling like I can vomit.I actually thought I would be okay with this. Mainly
- [The Van Gogh Process](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-van-gogh-process/) - Doubt crows be circling today. Pesky things. When will they ever leave me alone? Aaaanyway, I have finished the Hammer Pants ms. Need to rewrite the last chapter - again - but yeah, it's done. While writing it though, I was chatting with the CPs and happened to let slip that I had done six
- [I Do Not Know What I'm Talking About](https://www.jackieashenden.com/i-do-not-know-what-im-talking-about/) - I know, I know, you're all finding it absolutely incredible to believe but it's true. Jackie does not know what she's talking about. This post is mainly for people searching for writing advice or any clue on how to get ahead in this hell we call the publishing business, or indeed anyone who may be
- [The Trouble with Riva](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-trouble-with-riva/) - Ahem. You know what I said a couple of days ago about the need to keep conflict simple? Well guess what I did?? *shakes fist at ms*Sigh. Figured out that I have too many things going on for my heroine. I have two major problems with her and really, I should just have one and
- [All Hail Internal Conflict - A Long Muddled Post In My Usual Rambling Way](https://www.jackieashenden.com/all-hail-internal-conflict-a-long-muddled-post-in-my-usual-rambling-way/) - Am I mad? Quite possibly. You see, the thing is, *whispers* I love internal conflict.There, I've said it. I know, I know, it's something that's terribly difficult to get right and is the bugbear of many a wannabe writer, me included, but I. Love. It. Which is partly why writing for M&B is something I
- [Jackie Is In the House](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackie-is-in-the-house/) - Back again from the hell that was the beach with no internet access.... Okay, so it wasn't entirely hell but being separated from my lovely net was definitely no picnic. At least I had the iPad. You do know how much I love this thing right? I'm calling it Brad on Twitter since every time
- [Happy Christmas!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-christmas/) - Happy Christmas everyone!The above is an image of the Pohutakawa Tree - NZ's very own Christmas Tree. Now, I hate to be smug but Christmas in NZ means summer and sand and the beach so think of me while you're shivering beside your fires...Actually, I'm quite jealous in some ways. I'd love to have a
- [The Closet and Some News](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-closet-and-some-news/) - This is just a quickie post to say I'm over on the Sister's blog talking about coming out of the closet. And no, not that particular closet in case you were wondering. :-) Just a small post about being loud and proud of your work.And now for the news - I've been handed on to
- [Here Endeth the Year of Suck](https://www.jackieashenden.com/here-endeth-the-year-of-suck/) - I thought I'd take a leaf out of my dear sister Chelsea's book and do a post about what I've accomplished for 2010 since, it being a sucky year, it might be a good perspectiviser (no, I know, it's not a word) and not as depressing as it seems.So, anyway, on with the perspectivising...I have
- [Patience is a Virtue](https://www.jackieashenden.com/patience-is-a-virtue/) - The above picture is the sound of silence. Both in my house just now and also from the mighty offices in Richmond. I was actually feeling quite good about the silence (in both places) for a while but it's been 8 weeks since I sent in my chapter and synopsis and...well, getting a bit impatient
- [Hammer Pants Shoots! Hammer Pants Scores!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hammer-pants-shoots-hammer-pants-scores/) - Ah, my Hammer Pants. How I love thee. Let me count the ways...Okay, okay, enough waxing lyrical. What's the news? Well, I got a nice early Christmas present in the shape of:WINNING THE HIGH FIVE CONTEST!!!But that is not all, no, that is not all.I GOT A REQUEST!!!Ahem.Sorry for the shouting but 2010 has been,
- [Hammer Pants Shoots! Hammer Pants Scores!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hammer-pants-shoots-hammer-pants-scores-2/) - Ah, my Hammer Pants. How I love thee. Let me count the ways...Okay, okay, enough waxing lyrical. What's the news? Well, I got a nice early Christmas present in the shape of:WINNING THE HIGH FIVE CONTEST!!!But that is not all, no, that is not all.I GOT A REQUEST!!!Ahem.Sorry for the shouting but 2010 has been,
- [First Drafts Suck](https://www.jackieashenden.com/first-drafts-suck/) - Why? Well, here are some reasons my draft sucks:1. The story is boring.2. The conflict is confused.3. The characters are irritating.As you can tell, I'm at the 'they're never going to want any more of this story so what's the point in writing it' stage. Sigh.I always get to this point in every story I
- [Bring on the Torture](https://www.jackieashenden.com/bring-on-the-torture/) - I love writing the black moment. Love, love, love it. My love of angsty drama has been my downfall in many an ms where I try to get to the emotional bits too soon and skip over huge layers of conflict, thus making my characters too self aware. These days I am pacing myself and
- [Meanwhile, Back at the Mansion...](https://www.jackieashenden.com/meanwhile-back-at-the-mansion/) - I hate first drafts. Really, really hate 'em. Mainly because I have to force myself to finish them. I'm a pantser at heart and so my first draft is ALL about discovery. Who are these people that I'm writing about? What's their background? What's their conflict? etc. etc. Usually I have a basic plan as
- [How Dorothy Dunnett Ruined Me for Writing Category Romance](https://www.jackieashenden.com/how-dorothy-dunnett-ruined-me-for-writing-category-romance/) - **Spoiler Alert! If you plan on reading these books and like surprises then stop reading now. Right now. This instant! ****I mean it.*****Well, okay, but don't say I didn't warn you.***I like subtlety. My very favourite historical romance in all the world - The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett, that I first read at the
- [Neutering the Bad Boy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/neutering-the-bad-boy/) - It's funny the things you find out about your characters that you don't realise until you've written The End. Have done the HEA for the Hammer Pants ms (actually they're Hammer Capris since I've come up short on the word count) and figured I've been pulling back on my hero. I wanted him to be
- [Hammer Pants Get a Prize](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hammer-pants-get-a-prize/) - The rollercoaster has been up and down this year, mostly down it has to be said, so I was pretty pleased to be told last night that the MC Hammer Pants ms finalled in the RWAus High Five contest. Apart from Feel the Heat two years ago, I've done poorly in most contests I've entered.
- [Pants!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/pants/) - You know that 13k? Best. Deletion. Ever. Yes, indeed, sometimes starting the whole thing again is the best thing to do. Because now I am at 25k and thinking it's not total pants. Okay, so that's a lie, it IS pants, just not saggy, baggy, smelly, held-up-with-string pants. More like dodgy tracksuit pants. Or gold,
- [The 17 Step Method](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-17-step-method/) - Why is it that the more you know, the harder it is to write? A couple of years ago, my process was this:1. Have an idea.2. Write it.Excellent huh? But then came along this pesky thing called craft and things changed, and so did my process. It became something like this:1. Have an idea2. Work
- [Delete, Delete, Delete](https://www.jackieashenden.com/delete-delete-delete/) - Did you hear that?*screams*That folks is the sound of thirteen thousand words being deleted. Such a great start to Nano huh? Writing this reunion story has been like pushing the proverbial excrement up the proverbial hill and yesterday I was going to give up the whole story in complete disgust and wander around wailing and
- [Dealing with the Whataboutmes](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dealing-with-the-whataboutmes/) - Trying to haul myself out of the blahs with a post over at the Sisters about how to deal with a bad case of the 'whataboutmes'. And if you want to know what they are, here's the link:What about me?If you don't, here's a picture of Andy Whitfield from Spartacus instead. Are you not entertained?
- [The Joy of Reunion Stories. Not.](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-joy-of-reunion-stories-not/) - Still suffering from the 'mehs'. With a sprinkling of 'blahs' and some 'whatever' sauce. This is not good. It does not help that my current wip is a reunion story. This is the first one I've attempted and I gotta say it's hard! Now, back in the mists of time (a year ago), I used
- [Like, Whatever](https://www.jackieashenden.com/like-whatever/) - Oooh, I've been a bit of a bad blogger. A week with no post! Well, the truth is I've been staying offline a bit over the past week. A case of the 'what's the point of anything?'s. Maybe it's time of the month (don't get me started about dealing with hormones and writing!) or maybe
- [How Badly Do You Want It?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/how-badly-do-you-want-it/) - Okay, so I'm a sad case, but this is something I ask myself quite regularly. Especially this weekend as I wandered around feeling sick as a dog with submission doubt. Is my heroine acting out of character or over the top again? Is my hero way too nice? Did I keep my conflict simple enough?
- [Three Little Problems](https://www.jackieashenden.com/three-little-problems/) - Yep, have sent a chapter and synopsis to the ed. No, not the NV entry as yet. This is my soldier story (though I'm thinking of losing the soldier part since it only adds to his character and doesn't directly relate to the story). I feel paranoid and sick about it naturally. The previous two
- [The Importance of Being Earnest (and Honest)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-importance-of-being-earnest-and-honest/) - Sometimes this blog is a difficult thing. When I started it, I thought I'd just do random posts about how the writing was going and also - because I spent 10 years as a librarian and I'm firmly of the belief that knowledge is power - I wanted to share what I'd learned from the
- [Sale Congratulations](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sale-congratulations/) - Just interrupting the pity party to offer congrats to:Amy Strnad for her sale to MH!! Yay, go Amy! She will now have to get herself a blog so we can all go comment. Hint, hint... :-)Wendy Marcus for her sale to Medicals!! Go Wendy!Well done ladies.The whine will continue anon.
- [Dark Night of the Soul](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dark-night-of-the-soul/) - Hey everyone, back again from holiday. But unfortunately coming back to a bit of a downer so excuse the ranty post. Heard from the ed while I was away and although it was a very nice, long email, it was full of all the things I'm doing wrong and not much about what I'm doing
- [It's Not Over Yet](https://www.jackieashenden.com/its-not-over-yet/) - Thanks to the lovely Jo Dixon, I see that there are more chances to get a critique of your New Voices chapter. To enter the draw go here.Also it looks as if the eds will be posting the names of authors they want to see more from in the next week. I'm hopeful IT Girl
- [Best Use of Neil Diamond In An Opening Chapter](https://www.jackieashenden.com/best-use-of-neil-diamond-in-an-opening-chapter/) - Firstly, thanks all for your fantastic support of my New Voices chapter. The response to it has been unbelievably amazing and I'm so happy that so many people seemed to like it. Truly, I had no idea it would be so popular or that it would stay being so popular throughout the competition. That has
- [Sexy Octopus](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sexy-octopus/) - Yes, you heard. I said sexy octopus. Right now Hoo is over on the Sisters' site being Peek of the Week. So go say hello - if you can stop drooling over his knitted blue hotness long enough. ;-)BTW, re New Voices, can I just send out a huge woohoo to the wonderful Lacey Devlin
- [Stuck](https://www.jackieashenden.com/stuck/) - Stuck in the mire of self doubt at the moment. Working on polishing up my next sub but am doubting basically everything about it. At least the thing I'm pretty sure I've got right is the emotional connection between my characters - at least, I think I have. Famous last words huh? And if that's
- [Extra Special Treat for Lovers of Modern Heat](https://www.jackieashenden.com/extra-special-treat-for-lovers-of-modern-heat/) - Very excited to say that Natalie Anderson, Modern Heat writer extraordinaire and USA Today bestselling author, is guesting on the Sister's site, like, RIGHT NOW!So if you want to hear about her favourite hero, her upcoming release, plus some hot writing tips, trot along to the Sisters site. And if that isn't enough to get
- [Putting the E Back Into S*x](https://www.jackieashenden.com/putting-the-e-back-into-sx/) - Okay, so, I've got over my rejection. Actually I'm well over it. Much more so than the previous one. Odd considering how much time and effort I put into this story. And maybe that's part of it. I've learned SO much just in the writing of it that I didn't feel any of that effort
- [From High to Low](https://www.jackieashenden.com/from-high-to-low/) - Lucky me, I got an R for the Never Ending Story this morning. And I'm really annoyed about it. I've worked for 11 months on that story with the editor. Got the synopsis reworked, the character bios, the partial rewritten twice, and to not even get a request for a full is just so disheartening.
- [Thank You Lovely Blog Friends](https://www.jackieashenden.com/thank-you-lovely-blog-friends/) - Today I am sending out HUGE thank yous to all of you who read my chapter in the New Voices comp. I know, there's still two weeks to go till we hear about the finalists but honestly, I'm so grateful that I almost don't care if I place or not (almost!). ;-)To say I'm thrilled
- [Feeling Sick](https://www.jackieashenden.com/feeling-sick/) - You know that person who handles stress well? Who is always calm in a crisis? The one who everyone turns to when the pressure is on? I am not that person. I am the person running around like a decapitated chicken trying to squawk through its neck. Or the one quietly throwing up in the
- [New Voices!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/new-voices/) - I have a short post over on the Sister's blog about the New Voices competition. Think I actually may have talked myself out of it! Anyway, there's cyber drinks for all those entering and hand holding if required. Hoo is buying the drinks and offering tentacles if you need something to squeeze while you hit
- [I Swear....](https://www.jackieashenden.com/i-swear/) - Was really hoping I'd at least get some sort of verdict before the NV competition starts but, well, whaddya know, still no verdict. I have to say I've kind of given up on this story. It's dragged on so long that I've already said goodbye to it in my mind. Oh, I'll be gutted if
- [Bad Habits](https://www.jackieashenden.com/bad-habits/) - September already and, hey, whaddya know, I STILL have had no word on my sub. First subbed the synopsis of this story in October last year so if I don't hear this month, it will mean a year's wait for a verdict on a partial. So all those of you who guessed dates for the
- [Angry Birds](https://www.jackieashenden.com/angry-birds/) - Okay so no, haven't had any news since that email from the ed last week. And am feeling frustrated today. The progress of this story feels somewhat akin to Chinese Water Torture and I'm wondering whether in April, when they told me the story needed to be rewritten, I should have just accepted the story
- [The Terrified Optimist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-terrified-optimist/) - I always thought I was a glass half empty kind of person. But just over the past couple of days, I've realised that in fact, I'm not. I'm not even a glass half full kind of person. I'm actually a glass overflowing with the sparkling Waters of Immortality kind of person. I am, deep down,
- [Remembering the Affair to Remember - NZ Conference](https://www.jackieashenden.com/remembering-the-affair-to-remember-nz-conference/) - Back from my conference marathon - the NZ conference has just finished and I'm now, officially, shattered. Think this conference was harder mainly due to the fact that I was the Registrar and was running around stressing that I had everything right. Was not helped by the fact that my useless spreadsheet skills had mucked
- [The Terrified Optimist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-terrified-optimist-2/)
- [More on Sydney](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-on-sydney/) - So, did I have any goss from the Aussie conference? Not as far as hot M&B goss goes and believe me, my ears did a lot of flapping. :-) Dianne Moggy, the Harlequin VP, gave a great talk about how well Harlequin was doing and did mention a new line that had a 'broader editorial
- [Seednee!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/seednee/) - Or Sudnuy (if you're a Kiwi). But, anyway, main thing is, after a fabulous week away in Australia, I'm back! Was hoping to post while I was away but was seriously hampered by the lack of decent wireless. What's up Australia? It's as bad as Kiwi-land and that's saying something. ;-)Did lots of sightseeing stuff
- [Very Soon Sweepstakes Update](https://www.jackieashenden.com/very-soon-sweepstakes-update/) - The 'Very Soon' sweepstake is nearing the end of its first week and....sorry Janet who picked the 6th. No word for me this morning. :-( So, we'll be entering the second week on Monday so fingers crossed that one of you who picked this coming week will be right.It's not the best week to be
- [POTW - Angry Young Man](https://www.jackieashenden.com/potw-angry-young-man/) - Marlon Brando. At Seven Sassy Sisters. Nuff said.
- [How Soon Is Now (Including Hot Love Scenes)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/how-soon-is-now-including-hot-love-scenes/) - Getting a real theme going here with song titles as blog posts. And today's is courtesy of one of my fave late 80s, early 90s bands, The Smiths. Thanks Morrissey. It occurred to me because now is not soon. And 'very soon' is not now. So sadly Lacey, you're out of the running. :-)But the
- [Bad Romance](https://www.jackieashenden.com/bad-romance/) - I know it's a Lady Gaga song but hey, it's just crying out to be used as a blog post title too. ;-) And hey, my writing is all crap at the moment so it's a fitting title. Anyway, I've been slack on the blog front. Mainly due to the massive plunge into 'why do
- [](https://www.jackieashenden.com/412/) - I think I really need a bit more in the way of demotivation since I'm not nearly demotivated today.
- [Demotivation](https://www.jackieashenden.com/demotivation/) - Not much happening here. Again. I'm extraordinarily demotivated today, hence the demotivator above.Still, I started a new story - bad me - 'cause I was thinking about the New Voices competition but the ed told me not to enter the last one so I'm wondering whether it's the same deal this time round. Then again,
- [The iPad and NTAI](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-ipad-and-ntai/) - I did a little post about NTAI and the iPad on the Sisters' blog if you want to know about how I'm coping with my wait on the NES. And yes, still waiting. :-)www.sevensassysisters.com
- [I Am Not a Number - Or Collection of Character Traits!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/i-am-not-a-number-or-collection-of-character-traits/) - Another slow news day in Jackie land. To NTAI, I'm concentrating on thinking about the iPad which is finally being released in NZ on Friday. And yes, I'm going to get one. I'm such a gadget girl, I can't help myself. iPad wins over shoes any day in my book.Anyway, on the writing front, after
- [Oops I Did It Again](https://www.jackieashenden.com/oops-i-did-it-again/) - If you're here wanting a dose of Brittney, then pop back to Google again - ain't no Brittney on this blog. However, if you're here with romance writing in mind and feeling like you keep making the same mistakes over and over again then join the club 'cause that's exactly where I am now.My soldier
- [The Glory of the 80s](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-glory-of-the-80s/) - I'm over at the Sisters blog today with my very own Peek of the Week. It's a theme so prepare yourselves for...Peeks of the 80s!It's a festival of hair folks so you have been warned.Here's a Johnny Depp teaser anyway...
- [Don't Call Me Baby](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dont-call-me-baby/) - Well, feeling very jealous about all the conference stuff going on. What with RNA and then RWA, little ole NZ is feeling very far away from everything! Luckily next month there will be the RWAus Conference in Sydney, which I am attending for the first time. Be so cool to see my CPs Rach and
- [Drama Queen Gets Well Deserved Slap Round the Head](https://www.jackieashenden.com/drama-queen-gets-well-deserved-slap-round-the-head/) - Ahem. Have to apologise for the whine-fest that was the last post. My only excuse is that I was feeling particularly low and was kind of daring the universe to see what would happen if I gave up. And the universe responded with a stop whining, pull yourself together and get on with it message.
- [One Percent](https://www.jackieashenden.com/one-percent/) - Another slow news day in Jackie land. Or should I say another day of stressing out about the NES (Never Ending Story). I should be consoling myself with another WIP but that well seems to have dried up. I've hit the wall in other words. And as such, the question needs to be asked -
- [The Never Ending Story](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-never-ending-story/) - It would have been nice to start the weekend off with some news - but I don't have any news. Sigh. I guess me having to update the synopsis has put a spanner in the works. I was really, really hoping that it wouldn't but maybe the day she'd set aside for my partial was
- [Synopsophobia](https://www.jackieashenden.com/synopsophobia/) - The ed has let me know that she'll get to my chapters by the end of the week. Big yays! However, when I let her know that my synopsis is now no longer quite so correct, she requested an updated one. Not so big yays. Was this a stupid move on my part? At the
- [Missing Something Vital - The Romance!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/missing-something-vital-the-romance/) - I've been doing major edits on the wip and after a while I got to thinking that I was missing something. And you know what it was? I forgot the romance. So tied up with making sure there's conflict and tension and whatnot, that I forgot I was writing a romance and these two people
- [Just Hanging Around](https://www.jackieashenden.com/just-hanging-around/) - Nothing new to report here. Just twiddling my thumbs. Actually that's a lie, I started a new story. Bad, bad Jackie. I have two stories at the partial stage and one with a first chapter done so those really need finishing - I shouldn't be starting a new one! But y'know, when the new story
- [Round One Edit Complete](https://www.jackieashenden.com/round-one-edit-complete/) - Okay, so I've finished the first edit of my wip. Still no word from the ed on whether she likes chapters 2 and 3. I had planned not to touch it until I heard from her but couldn't keep away. Anyway, it's done now and it's in better shape than the first time round. Wondering
- [The Dance of the Seven Veils](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-dance-of-the-seven-veils/) - Aren't you guys fabulous? I got some great comments about the whole digging deep deal last post - really set off lots of lightbulbs for me, especially with the WIP I'm going to be subbing next. So big cheers and thanks to you all for commenting!Anyway, that digging deep post really set me thinking about
- [Digging Deep - What the $@&! Does That Mean??](https://www.jackieashenden.com/digging-deep-what-the-does-that-mean/) - It is a question that has mystified the ages - what on earth do they mean by digging deep? Well, giving you a giant hint here: it's got nothing whatsoever to do with mining. Or drain laying. :-)Now, in my journeying through the murky, disgusting swamp they call conflict, I received some valuable advice from
- [Post Birthday Blues](https://www.jackieashenden.com/post-birthday-blues/) - Took a short blog hiatus over the weekend. Had a fantastic birthday where Dr Jax whisked me away to our wonderful capital city - Wellington - for a weekend of a swish hotel, fine champagne, nice food and, best of all, no kids! My birthday present was a lovely bit of bling, something that surprised
- [Happy Hoo-ness](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-hoo-ness/) - I'm talking about Hoo, knee high stockings and not giving up at the Sisters blog. Check it out if you're interested. If not then as you were. ;-)
- [Forty](https://www.jackieashenden.com/forty/) - Okay, so it looks like a particular dream I had will not be realised. I wanted to be published by the time I turned forty, and as that day is on Saturday, short of a miracle, looks like I'll have to accept that I won't be. However, I'm hoping that as I will be forty
- [Too Many Eggs and Not Enough Baskets](https://www.jackieashenden.com/too-many-eggs-and-not-enough-baskets/) - I'm wondering about eggs. And baskets. And wondering if I've got too many in one place with the whole Modern Heat thing. Because that's the only line I'm targetting at the moment. Mainly because I really, really wanted to get a handle on it and doing anything else felt like changing my focus. Yeah, I'm
- [Control, Alt, Delete...](https://www.jackieashenden.com/control-alt-delete/) - I deleted 4k yesterday. Yep, after a whole day sweating over all those words, I decided that there was a reason I was sweating over them and that reason was because they were crap. Honestly, you'd think I would know this stuff by now but no, after two years of short category discipline, I still
- [Jackie is Climbing the Mountain](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackie-is-climbing-the-mountain/) - Chapters 2 and 3 are now in the hands of the editor. So is my sorry excuse for a synopsis. I'm not very good at them I've decided. I hope it was better than my last one - I think it is. I concentrated entirely on the emotional growth of the romance with barely any
- [Getting Rid of the Box](https://www.jackieashenden.com/getting-rid-of-the-box/) - So, have now rewritten chapters 2 and 3 - they're totally different to all versions of this ms. It's actually now a completely different story to the one I initially submitted. The only things that have remained the same are the names, the hero being a venture capitalist, the heroine's love of photography and the
- [Announcing - Jackie!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/announcing-jackie/) - Yeah, it's me. If you want to know more about how I actually came to write romance (and see a photo that I spent HOURS fiddling with), then check out the Sisters' blog.www.sevensassysisters.comIf not, then there's nothing to see here. Move along. ;-)
- [The Seven Sassy Sisters Strike Back](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-seven-sassy-sisters-strike-back/) - Who are the Seven Sassy Sisters? What on earth do they do? What's all this about a double life? Why is a small, knitted, blue octopus so important? Is it even possible to write both Blaze and Sweet at the same time? Who likes Stephen King and romance too? What is it about displaced Australians
- [Revision Nightmare](https://www.jackieashenden.com/revision-nightmare/) - I've been slack as with this blog the past couple of weeks. Mainly because I've been wrestling with these revisions. Hard. Hard. Hard. You know I say that romance writing 'aint for sissies?IT'S TRUE!Tears have been shed. Yes, I admit it. Tantrums have been thrown. I have said many times 'I'm giving up. I can't
- [Finding the Happy Medium](https://www.jackieashenden.com/finding-the-happy-medium/) - I've always been an instinctive writer. I've been writing for 25 years (not submitting I hasten to add just in case anyone has visions of Jackie stuck in a garret, toiling away), writing lots of different stuff, poems, science fiction, fantasy, literary, and romance, and all of it just kind of flowed. I had no
- [Revisions or What the Ed Said](https://www.jackieashenden.com/revisions-or-what-the-ed-said/) - So, been examining the ed's email in great depth and having a think about my story. There were a number of points that she pointed out were wrong and here are the main ones:1. My conflict was too obvious, too early. I really needed to give hints of it, not reveal it so starkly.2. My
- [And the Winner With Massive Revisions is....Jackie!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/and-the-winner-with-massive-revisions-is-jackie/) - Yup, consensus is revisions! Lucky me! Well, I have to say, it was nothing I didn't expect. When I wrote the partial I thought it was the best I'd ever done - certainly better than the last one - but of course, over the space of five months, you learn. And once you've learned, you
- [Character Arcs - Learning Craft](https://www.jackieashenden.com/character-arcs-learning-craft/) - Craft wasn't something I ever paid attention to when I first started writing. I never read any books and I never took any classes. Writing was always instinctive for me. And that type of approach certainly worked for 20 years - it was that experience that got me an editor letter from the Instant Seduction
- [More About the Non-Sassiness of My Heroine](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-about-the-non-sassiness-of-my-heroine/) - Have had a little writing hiatus over the past week or two. Actually, when I say writing hiatus I actually mean writing sulk. I went on strike in other words. Not that anyone except me was affected and certainly no one noticed. So yeah, my strike was very effective. Not. Still, it did do me
- [Climbing Everest](https://www.jackieashenden.com/climbing-everest/) - I've been thinking about how tough this business is the past couple weeks - while I've been waiting unsurprisingly - and wondering at what point people give up. Is it worth the constant feeling of impatience? The feeling of sickness when you download your email in the morning? The disappointment when there is no answer
- [Nothing to Say](https://www.jackieashenden.com/nothing-to-say/) - I keep delaying my posts in the hope that I have something to tell you.But I have nothing to tell you.So to keep me going and to keep the crows at bay, here is Jean Claude Van Damme with my own personal mantra.Maybe it'll be this week.
- [Jackie Ashenden and the Inbox of Doom](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackie-ashenden-and-the-inbox-of-doom/) - After nearly two weeks of waiting by the Inbox of Doom, nothing. I was kind of hoping not to post until I had news to relate but, sadly, I have no news to relate. No boulders falling from the sky. No snakes. No flaming arrows flying at my head. No jewels waiting on the head
- [A Miracle - The Non Sassy Heroine](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-miracle-the-non-sassy-heroine/) - Is this even possible in Modern Heat? Having a heroine who is not sassy? Is not quick with the comeback? Does not give the hero what-for at every given opportunity?This, friends, is my conundrum. Having left the Frenchman to stew quietly in his own juices (don't go there) for a wee while, the time has
- [So What Do I Do Now?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/so-what-do-i-do-now/) - Okay, so here I am, still waiting. No drama though. In many ways still waiting is good. Everything is still a possibility, nothing has been rejected. Yet. Groan. My only problem is feeling sick every morning as the Inbox of Doom fills up with emails.Anyway, in order to help the NTAI along a little, I've
- [Hi, My Name's Jackie and I am a Writerholic](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hi-my-names-jackie-and-i-am-a-writerholic/) - Just got back from an Easter break and am feeling very writing deprived. Apparently it's good to have a rest but I tell you five days without writing anything feels like torture to me. Luckily I wasn't in the middle of a wip otherwise it would have been hell. Still, the one good thing about
- [The Importance of Being Nervous](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-importance-of-being-nervous/) - Why am I nervous? Because I've heard from the editor that I've been working with and she's told me that she should be getting to my partial in the next couple of weeks. Argh!!! And I've gone from impatient waiting to nervous twitching instead. Perhaps it's nicer not knowing. Because when you don't know, you
- [Headache or Plot Device?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/headache-or-plot-device/) - Finished my Frenchman. Yes, it was fast but I'm realising that writing the first draft really quickly is kind of my process. I have to get it down ASAP because if I don't, I lose interest and never finish it. And since finishing is a weak point of mine, it's something I really have to
- [The Trouble with Endings](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-trouble-with-endings/) - Is that I find them hard to write. I think I may have mentioned before how hard I find them. Which is possibly why, until I started writing romance and seriously trying to get published, I never finished any of the stories I used to start.I'm not sure what it is about them that I
- [The Rudeness of the Frenchman](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-rudeness-of-the-frenchman/) - I'm not talking about Frenchmen in general, just about my particular Frenchman. And his problem with rudeness. Because sadly, in the first chapter he is not at his best and is quite rude to the heroine. Now some people who have met him had no problems with his rudeness and yet others found it difficult.
- [Don't Just Stand There - Do Something!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dont-just-stand-there-do-something/) - Yes, problems with the Frenchman yet again. Honestly, I don't know what it is about this ms that's causing me so much grief! That man needs - in the immortal words of my paternal grandfather - a good whipping with barbed wire. Anyway, so after rewriting the first chapter five times, I then had a
- [The Perils of First Chapters](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-perils-of-first-chapters/) - Honestly, you wouldn't believe the trouble I'm having with the first chapter of the Frenchman. Having planned out the conflict and a good idea about how I was going to start, I then somehow lost my mojo.My problem is that I actually wrote three chapters of this last year, way back before I had a
- [Vent of the Month Plus the Adventures of Hoo the Incredible Blue Octopus](https://www.jackieashenden.com/vent-of-the-month-plus-the-adventures-of-hoo-the-incredible-blue-octopus/) - I'm trying to get into writing my Naughty Frenchman but I have to say, I'm having a 'what's the point' week. The waiting is killing me - it always does - and even though I have lots of stories in the works, I'm feeling a bit directionless. I always get a bit like this as
- [](https://www.jackieashenden.com/456/) - As you know, I have been hard at work fiddling around with conflict etc for my Naughty Frenchman. So there I was, happily minding my own business, rewriting chapter 1 for the FIFTH time (don't ask!), when I was blindsided by a new idea for my nearly-there-but-sadly-rejected ms.I know, I was supposed to be writing
- [Building a Heroine (and An Award)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/building-a-heroine-and-an-award/) - I've been putting this off because quite frankly, heroines are not my strong point. I prefer heroes because, well, to be honest, I'm way more interested in him than I am in her. And possibly also because I'm just not very good at writing a decent heroine. I think the only one of mine that
- [Building a Heroine (and An Award)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/building-a-heroine-and-an-award-2/)
- [Building a Hero](https://www.jackieashenden.com/building-a-hero/) - I've decided I really like my new hero. Not that I didn't before, I just like him even more now I know where he's coming from. In my last post I mentioned I was going to try sorting out the conflicts first for a change, then build the characters around that, and then - lastly
- [New Story Love](https://www.jackieashenden.com/new-story-love/) - So I'm in the middle of editing my next sub but since it's pretty much written, I thought I'd spare a few thoughts for the sub after that - never hurts to think ahead and it's great for the NTAI, right?Now, I have two stories I am planning to rewrite. One is my Feel the
- [For the Love of Editing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/for-the-love-of-editing/) - I love editing. There, I've said. I love editing and I don't care who knows it. I love fiddling around with scenes and layering in little bits here and there, or even cutting out a scene that didn't work and rewriting it. In fact, in many ways, getting that first draft down for me is
- [Being Too Self Aware About Self Awareness](https://www.jackieashenden.com/being-too-self-aware-about-self-awareness/) - I have done a post about this before, I realise, but I think it's worth posting about again since I know a little bit more about it than I did before. And also I have finally finished the major rewrite of my next potential sub and self awareness was a particular bugbear in that one,
- [Niceness for Valentine's Day](https://www.jackieashenden.com/niceness-for-valentines-day/) - Here on the right we have a lovely Russian icon type picture of Saint Valentine. Why? Because obviously it's that day that all romance writers like - Valentine's Day! Now, the reasons a day celebrating love is associated with an old Roman saint are a little unclear (at least according to that well known and
- [What Would An Alpha Male Do?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/what-would-an-alpha-male-do/) - So Dr Jax had a significant birthday this week and I took the liberty of booking us a room at Auckland's Hilton hotel for the night. I'll just say this now - it was for his birthday but, obsessive writer that I am, it was also research since the characters of my current WIP also
- [What To Think About When You're Not Thinking About It](https://www.jackieashenden.com/what-to-think-about-when-youre-not-thinking-about-it/) - Okay, so the NTAI ain't going so well. Ridiculous since it's only been five weeks since I submitted the thing but there you go. So, what does one do when one is trying to Not Think About It?I usually write. I write like the dickens. There is something about totally losing yourself in a new
- [We Shall Fight](https://www.jackieashenden.com/we-shall-fight/) - We shall fight on the beaches, We shall fight on the landing grounds,We shall fight in the fields and in the streets,We shall fight in the hills;We shall never surrender.Thanks Winston. So why am I fighting? Well, my last post was grade A whine material. Now, I was going to apologise for that but I
- [Riding the Rollercoaster](https://www.jackieashenden.com/riding-the-rollercoaster/) - Hmmm, despite my happy 'I love rejections' post, the crows of doubt have come to roost again. Par for the course. No surprises there. To be honest, the constant ups and downs are very tiring. It does tend to be my personality (hello! Gemini!) but I have been kind of thinking, 'do I need stress
- [Why Is Love Always So Complicated?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/why-is-love-always-so-complicated/) - I should rephrase that to read 'why do I always make love so complicated?'?! Yes, indeed folks, I am a supreme complicator of conflict that should remain simple. I have no idea why I do this.
- [How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Rejections](https://www.jackieashenden.com/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-rejections/) - No, I haven't had my partial rejected. I really, really hope it won't be but nothing is ever certain when it comes to publishing. However, if it does get the big ole R, I hope people will remind me of this post because I'm currently trying to get my head around loving my rejections.This is
- [Putting the E Back Into Sex](https://www.jackieashenden.com/putting-the-e-back-into-sex/) - The E is the emotion I'm talking about, not some...um...other E. Ahem, moving right along, MH is a very sexy line. Lots of opportunities for action. And personally I really like writing a good love scene. I tend to put a lot of sensuality in mine to really build it up. I've been told by
- [The Joy of Rewrites](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-joy-of-rewrites-2/) - You may have noticed that I'm not updating my word count bars (or you may not have. You may have better things to do than to check my word count bars!). The simple reason is that I am rewriting and find it too complex dicking around with existing word counts as opposed to rewrite word
- [Bad Boys](https://www.jackieashenden.com/bad-boys/) - Here's an interesting question for you: what bad stuff do you think a hero can get away with doing?The crit group and I were discussing this as I have an ms with a bad boy in it, a bad boy who has left all the bad stuff behind physically but not mentally. Now I'm talking
- [Kreativ Blog Award](https://www.jackieashenden.com/kreativ-blog-award/) - Both Kaily Hart and Romy Sommer have nominated me for a Kreativ Blog award - thanks for the kudos guys! - so I'd better get on with it eh? I have to reveal 7 interesting things about me and pass it on to 7 other bloggers. Righto...7 interesting things about me (well, at least semi-interesting):1.
- [Heeeerrrre's Jackie!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/heeeerrrres-jackie/) - Hey everyone, I'm back. After 10 days of sea, sand, sandcastles and waaaay too much bubbly, it's back to reality again. To the right there is a small picture of Pataua, the little beach settlement where my husband has a family beach house. It was built by his grandfather way back in the 1930's so
- [Chocks Away!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/chocks-away/) - It's done. Cat and Sean are winging their way to London. Hope they like it over there. Hope the ed likes them. They're really a lovely couple. Much nicer now I know them properly. Sean has been re-alpha'd because the ed warned me not to make him too good. And Cat has been de-immatured.They have
- [New Year's Eve vs My Partial](https://www.jackieashenden.com/new-years-eve-vs-my-partial/) - Right, well, I suppose I should be thinking about resolutions and whatnot, it being New Year's Eve today. Thing is, I'm not paying attention to anything much (including the kids) because I am totally immersed in fiddling with my partial. In fact, I'd like to give New Year's Eve a total miss so I can
- [The iPhone Cometh](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-iphone-cometh/) - Yes indeed, Dr Jax came through. There was a large box waiting under the tree for me on Christmas Day and Dr Jax told me to be careful with it as it was heavy and fragile. I was a bit suspicious because he sometimes tricks me by putting small boxes in large ones and I
- [A Good Old Kiwi Christmas](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-good-old-kiwi-christmas/) - That blaze of red right there folks (image to you right) is the flower of the Pohutakawa tree, NZ's Christmas tree. And see that beach beyond the flower? That beach (oh, okay, not that particular beach but one fairly similar) is where I'll be the day after New Year. Beaches, sun, sand and Pohutakawa trees
- [Dr Jax Stages An Intervention](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dr-jax-stages-an-intervention/) - There I was, throwing myself dramatically on the floor, crying that I couldn't do it, sounding remarkably like my four year old daughter, when Dr Jax at last arrived home from work. Honestly, I don't think he knew what to make of it. No, that's a lie, he knew exactly. I am the biggest drama
- [Heroines Behaving Badly](https://www.jackieashenden.com/heroines-behaving-badly/) - I am going spare trying to figure out the characters of my new submission. The editor has asked me to do character bios of each of them in an effort to get me to focus on characterisation and it's driving me crazy! I think I've got my hero figured out but my heroine refuses to
- [On Contests](https://www.jackieashenden.com/on-contests/) - I wasn't going to weigh in to the fray with the palaver happening on the I Heart Presents site, but I wanted to say a couple of things in response. No, not controversial stuff, there's enough of that floating around at the moment I 'm thinking, it's just something to think about.I pretty much just
- [Presents Competition - Congrats!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/presents-competition-congrats/) - Hey, big huge congrats to the winners of the Presents Writing Competion! To get so far out of so many entries is a huge acheivement. Chocolate martinis and champagne cocktails all round.Especially to fellow aspirant MH author and MH winner, Gill (AKA Jilly). I've only just met you but your talent is truly inspiring. Can't
- [Romance Writer, Amateur Psychologist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/romance-writer-amateur-psychologist/) - Why psychology? Because I got feedback about my synopsis and, yes, there were problems. Guess where my problems were? Yup, the evil heroine strikes again! Hero had potential, heroine...childish and immature.Groan! I'll be honest here, I did wonder when I was writing this story, whether her conflict was right. Halfway through the book I was
- [The Red String Bracelet Or The Problem with Quirks](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-red-string-bracelet-or-the-problem-with-quirks/) - Thanks everyone for the great input on my last post! Got some great ideas. You rock, did you know that? Anyway, still on the subject of my difficulties with heroines, I had a bit of a brainwave today. It actually happened while I was doing a pilates class (as you do). I realised that in
- [Difficult Heroines](https://www.jackieashenden.com/difficult-heroines/) - Right, well, no news for me this week. But I'm good with that. No, really, I am. Patience is a virtue and one I'm slowly learning. Certainly Maisey's 20 month wait for her Call is a fantastic lesson in good things come to those who wait. So I shall continue waiting.In the meantime, I am
- [This Is Why We Do This - Congrats Maisey!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/this-is-why-we-do-this-congrats-maisey/) - We do this so that one day we might actually be published authors. Like Maisey Yates. This damn fine woman got the call yesterday and I would just like to sent out a huge...(no, get your mind out of the gutter)...WOOHOO!!!!Presents/Modern's brand new author is not only a very cool person but a great writer
- [Why Do We Do This Again??](https://www.jackieashenden.com/why-do-we-do-this-again/) - I should imagine that I'm not the only aspiring romance author who is feeling sick at this moment in time. Hands up all those who entered the Modern/Modern Heat writing contest! It's a horrible feeling eh? Knowing a decision is being made, one that is all about your hopes and dreams, and knowing that you
- [New Hero Love](https://www.jackieashenden.com/new-hero-love/) - New story love is a special kind of love. So too is new hero love. And I adore my new hero. Or should I say, I adore my new-old hero, cause he's not really new, having made his first appearance in my Feel The Heat entry last year. However, he IS kind of new in
- [All Dressed Up](https://www.jackieashenden.com/all-dressed-up/) - Okay, well, the partial is done. Its got its party dress on, hair has been styled, the makeup done. Now all it's waiting for is to be asked out. Don't want it to be a wallflower...In other romantic news, the darling Dr Jax took me for a suprise wedding anniversary weekend to Waiheke Island, one
- [Wherefore Art Thou Tension?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/wherefore-art-thou-tension/) - I have just realised why I've been unhappy with the last third of my wip and why the black moment feels like it comes out of the blue - there is no tension. My characters are having a lovely time now they've fallen into bed but where is the 'OMG it's all going to end
- [Everyone's Always in the Kitchen At Parties](https://www.jackieashenden.com/everyones-always-in-the-kitchen-at-parties/) - Okay, so not just parties. In the process of editing and I've discovered that in every one of my mss there is always a scene where one or the other of the characters is in the kitchen making coffee. I have no idea why. No, actually, I do: it's the old 'let's have a conversation
- [Finished](https://www.jackieashenden.com/finished/) - Big woots all round - I finished my story! Yep, now have 48k of...dross probably. :-) Got bogged down in the last third and I'm hoping it's not going to be as bad as I think. Dr Jax says I'm over-thinking the conflict. He's probably right. But won't know until I see what I've written.One
- [New Publishing Opportunity](https://www.jackieashenden.com/new-publishing-opportunity/) - Harlequin have asked me to pass on a new publishing opportunity - they are going digital!Carina Press will be launched in the summer of 2010 and they are looking for new authors in all sorts of genres. Submissions are open right now and you can get the details here:Carina PressCould be good you reckon?Oh and
- [](https://www.jackieashenden.com/494/)
- [The Dangers of Self Awareness](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-dangers-of-self-awareness/) - It's been a bit of a full on weekend. Firstly it was my daughter's fourth birthday, secondly I am in the middle of Nano-ing, and thirdly I twisted my ankle right at the crucial moment of getting my daughter to come to see her birthday cake! Collapsing on the couch in a moment of extreme
- [Caveat](https://www.jackieashenden.com/caveat/) - I'm feeling a bit bad here. I'm really liking that people who read this blog get something from it to help in their writing, but please know that this is only my journey. And I am still travelling on it, nowhere near my destination yet. Which means that some of this stuff on here may
- [Conflict: Past vs Present](https://www.jackieashenden.com/conflict-past-vs-present/) - So, here I am in waiting no-man's-land. I am forging ahead with my wip regardless though. Even if they don't want it, it's great practise and I have to say, I'm quite enjoying writing it. I even like my heroine for a change! :-)Anyway, I wanted to talk about a comment Janet left on my
- [Synopsis Sent](https://www.jackieashenden.com/synopsis-sent/) - After two weeks of fiddling and rewriting, synopsis version 6 is on its way. Thanks to the wonderful Michelle Styles, I now have a story with potential, rather than severe flaws. Of course the editors at Mills and Boon may not agree but even if they don't, I have learned SO much about conflict and
- [Another Minor Epiphany](https://www.jackieashenden.com/another-minor-epiphany/) - Yes, I know, two in one week is ridiculous but after Friday's lightbulb moment, I kind of had another. I wanted to use the whole action/reaction/consequence thing on my other WIPs but first I had to really concentrate on the essential conflict of the h&h. And it was as I was doing this that I
- [A Minor Epiphany](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-minor-epiphany/) - After a week of banging my head against a brick wall with this new synopsis I have finally - with the help of the perspicacious Dr Jax and the wonderful Michelle Styles - figured out my problem. I simply could NOT get my characters to act without exaggerating my conflicts. And I had to exaggerate
- [The Rebound Submission](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-rebound-submission/) - Yes, that's exactly what my rejected sub was. I had the rejection on the revised full and then, so desperate to submit again was I, that I quickly fiddled with a new story and sent it away without thinking it through properly. Or rather, I over-thought it. I was trying so hard to get it
- [Romance Writing is Not for Sissies](https://www.jackieashenden.com/romance-writing-is-not-for-sissies/) - Okay, as someone told me on the RWNZ email loop today, congratulations on my rejection because it means I'm a writer. And she's right. I can no longer pretend that it's a little something I do in my spare time, that it's a sideline to my real life, that it's my hobby, that it doesn't
- [Missed Again](https://www.jackieashenden.com/missed-again/) - Well guys, I heard from Anna and no, they didn't want it. As you can imagine, I'm very disappointed. All her comments were right on the money but it's the usual story - you submit something and only after it's gone do you learn more and realise what you should have done.So, having gone from
- [A Riddle Inside A Mystery Wrapped In An Enigma](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-riddle-inside-a-mystery-wrapped-in-an-enigma/) - No, I'm not talking about Russia (thanks Winston Churchill), I'm talking about the wretchedness that is internal conflict. As you know (or should know by now!) internal conflict is where Modern Heat/Modern is at and you'd think, after a year of learning about this, I would have finally figured it out.Nup.Witness my Kate'n'Alex story. I
- [Attraction](https://www.jackieashenden.com/attraction/) - Following Heidi's inspirational video (lord the Modern Heat authors know what they're doing if this is their inspiration!) , I thought I might put one up of my own. I keep seeing this on TV and every time I see it I think, 'yes, that's what the attraction between the h&h has to be like!'.Except
- [Attraction](https://www.jackieashenden.com/attraction-2/) - Following Heidi's inspirational video (lord the Modern Heat authors know what they're doing if this is their inspiration!) , I thought I might put one up of my own. I keep seeing this on TV and every time I see it I think, 'yes, that's what the attraction between the h&h has to be like!'.Except
- [Ten Fun Ways to NOT Win the Harlequin Presents Writing Competition](https://www.jackieashenden.com/ten-fun-ways-to-not-win-the-harlequin-presents-writing-competition/) - If you have your heart set on NOT winning the Harlequin Presents contest, here are some (slightly tongue-in-cheek) ways to achieve this.1. Have no internal conflict.That doesn't mean car chases and villains. Internal conflict is what keeps your h&h from their HEA if they met in bar one night. And it can't be just because
- [Why I Like Ebooks](https://www.jackieashenden.com/why-i-like-ebooks/) - Because I am extremely, extremely impatient and downloading an ebook is instant. No getting into the car and driving to the bookshop, no feeling annoyed because they don't have the book you want, no getting back into the car and driving to another bookshop, no waiting in a queue at the fourth bookshop where you
- [The Joy of the One Page Synopsis - Part Two](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-joy-of-the-one-page-synopsis-part-two/) - Righto, now I shall reveal all my secrets... :-)Seriously, I am not setting myself up as an expert in this so please take my advice with a fairly hefty grain of salt. The final judge will always be the editor. However, I have learned a few things in the past year and doing it this
- [The Joy of the One Page Synopsis](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-joy-of-the-one-page-synopsis/) - This is a killer, right? You're not wrong. How do you get everything you want into one page? Well, it's not easy but it's entirely possible. After Michelle S gave me her critique of my sorry synopses, she suggested that I try doing them in one page. This was really hard but in doing so,
- [Light and Flirty Modern Heat: Yeah, Right.](https://www.jackieashenden.com/light-and-flirty-modern-heat-yeah-right/) - I'm worried about my sub. So what else is new right? Well after reading the transcript of the editor chat on eHarlequin, I've got several worries:Firstly, I'm worrying that my sub is too angsty for Modern Heat. The problem is that I love deep, emotional internal conflict. And I love a strong, tortured hero. However,
- [Home Again or Completely Gratuitous Shots of New Zealand Countryside](https://www.jackieashenden.com/home-again-or-completely-gratuitous-shots-of-new-zealand-countryside/) - Okay, 4055kms later, I am finally back home! And already feeling the post holiday blues... :-) Stupid eh? But had a lovely time. Travelling the country has given me a new appreciation for how beautiful New Zealand is. If any of you are down this end of the globe, make it your mission to see
- [A Missive from the Deep South - On Heroines](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-missive-from-the-deep-south-on-heroines/) - Still adventuring in the wilds of New Zealand's South Island. We're in Dunedin, the southern most city and I have been searching in vain for wireless internet. I think poor old NZ is rather foot-dragging when it comes to providing free wireless hotspots because there ain't none around here. Luckily Dr Jax has an iPhone
- [In the Millionaire Playboy Psychiatrist's Penthouse](https://www.jackieashenden.com/in-the-millionaire-playboy-psychiatrists-penthouse/) - Two out the four statements in the above title are true and I'll leave you to figure out which ones are which...Yes, it is a little bit sad to be posting a blog entry while I'm on holiday but a) wouldn't you know it, I have a cold and am holed up in our apartment
- [Holidays!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/holidays/) - Woohoo!! Yep, we're going on holiday for two weeks on Thursday! Be the first holiday for me in months (no, two nights in Rotorua does not count) and I can't wait. We're going to Queenstown (see piccie) in the South Island for a conference that Dr Jax is attending. Queenstown, for those in the northern
- [Yet Another Post About Heroes](https://www.jackieashenden.com/yet-another-post-about-heroes/) - Yes, I know, I've probably posted this before but I thought I'd do another one simply because I love a good hero. Always have, always will. I like a good heroine, don't get me wrong, but baby bring on the hero because that's what I read romance for.Now apparently I do a good hero -
- [More on Cliches](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-on-cliches/) - I've been thinking about the post up on the I Heart Presents blog about cliches. They're tricky little beasts aren't they? I mean, how on earth are you supposed to write a category romance avoiding all cliches? And not just category romance - any romance! Surely it's impossible! :-)Well, no one said writing romance was
- [Conference - RWNZ](https://www.jackieashenden.com/conference-rwnz/) - Warning, this post contains scenes of shameless name dropping...So, how was the RWNZ Conference? Pretty damn good actually. Romance writers are such a lovely bunch of people - I can't get over how friendly and supportive and just plain old nice they all are. Which makes a conference full of 'em a great place to
- [Having a Whinge](https://www.jackieashenden.com/having-a-whinge/) - Having a grumpy 'I hate waiting' day today. Also a 'my mansucript sucks and is boring' day. There's lots of emotion in there - I'm actually wondering if there's too much! - but it still feels boring! Maybe I'm too close. Maybe I need to put a car chase in there to liven things up.
- [Three Cheers for Editing!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/three-cheers-for-editing/) - No, that's not sarcasm you hear. I'm actually being serious. Yep, I have been dreading editing this hideous story and yet, now that I'm in the middle of it, I'm actually quite enjoying it.Of course, I've only done the first half. It's the second I should be worried about.Now, I had a really clear idea
- [Another One Bites the Dust](https://www.jackieashenden.com/another-one-bites-the-dust/) - Well, it's done. Done and dusted. In a triumph of internal conflict overcoming external, my story has morphed from that of woman whose wedding for visa purposes falls through and she tries to marry a guy off the street (yes, I kid you not), into that of a risk-averse lawyer who falls for a risk
- [I Am a Rock. I Am An Island.](https://www.jackieashenden.com/i-am-a-rock-i-am-an-island/) - It's hard when you have a hero who won't open up - like Lorraine said in her post, how is the heroine supposed figure him out when he won't tell her anything?? I've saddled myself with a particularly difficult customer. My hero is a climber and they are notorious for being the strong, silent type.
- [Reflections on Heroines](https://www.jackieashenden.com/reflections-on-heroines/) - I have been reading Jane's blog and trying to pass on the advice about internal conflict that I was given in my rejection. Which meant I had to read the damn rejection email again. And you know what? I realise that in fact, I hadn't read it properly. Or at least, I only saw parts
- [Husbands Are Useful or What Would Luke Do?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/husbands-are-useful-or-what-would-luke-do/) - I knew there was a reason for husbands. I mean apart from changing fuses, cleaning drains, getting rid of spiders and entertaining children. Yes, mine has yet again proven his worth when it comes to sorting out my complicated plot dilemma.I was telling him about my great new idea that involved a pretend relationship instead
- [Plots - Are Your Characters Driving or Are You?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/plots-are-your-characters-driving-or-are-you/) - Plots are the work of the devil. Yes, I'm sorry, but they are. They join internal conflict in their very own special circle of hell. At least, in my own personal writing hell. Why is this you say? Well, because in Modern Heat land (and no doubt in Modern/Presents land too), the plot needs to
- [Big Time Sensuality](https://www.jackieashenden.com/big-time-sensuality/) - Thanks for the title, Bjork. And thanks to Romy for a question she asked about taste that got me thinking about the senses. About writing in a sensual way. Sensuality is very different from sexuality, and I think we all get that right? Writing sensually involves using all your senses to describe how a person
- [Conflict Sorted](https://www.jackieashenden.com/conflict-sorted/) - Back from the joys of Rotorua. Was lovely actually - the highlight being the spa in the motel (sadly heated by gas and not by hot volcanic rocks) and a night time visit to a wildlife park where we saw a kiwi. You'd think, being an NZ'er, I would have seen tonnes and tonnes of
- [Going to Roto-Vegas](https://www.jackieashenden.com/going-to-roto-vegas/) - We're off for a couple of days down to Rotorua, the home of boiling mud, hot pools and the smell of rotting eggs. The husband has a conference there and after days of trying and failing to get my hero's conflict sorted, I'm hoping that a break will give me some ideas too.Rotorua is the
- [Black Moments](https://www.jackieashenden.com/black-moments/) - Ah, the black moment. The best part of a romance. At least, it's one of my favourites. I do love writing them. If I haven't made at least one of my characters cry and/or reach for the medicinal scotch then I feel I haven't done a very good job. In fact both crying and reaching
- [The Hook - Vital Plot Element or Unnecessary Complication?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-hook-vital-plot-element-or-unnecessary-complication/) - Okay, you'll all be pleased to know that I'm done with the crows (until I hear from the eds I guess but NTAI!). My poor climber has been left to languish at a crucial moment so I should probably get back to him and give him his HEA. However, my sticking point is my plot.
- [Hard Slog](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hard-slog/) - Well, coming into the home straight with my re-write of my climber story, but it feels at the moment like wading through treacle. Not quite sure why. I'm really having to force myself to keep going with this one. Initially I was quite excited about it but the last third of the book has been
- [Presents Writing Competition](https://www.jackieashenden.com/presents-writing-competition/) - Great news re the new competition at I Heart Presents. Another fabulous opportunity for people to bypass the usual wait and get their stuff in front of an editor.Seeing as how I was a runner up in the previous comp and given what I've learned since, thought I'd post a few bits of advice for
- [Submission Doubt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/submission-doubt/) - I've put up my scarecrow again because I've got submission doubt and need something to scare away the crows.These are particularly ornery ones I have to say. It wasn't so bad the first time around because I was just so pleased to have had a full request. And true, the first lot of revisions were
- [Sent](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sent/) - I've done it. Sent in my new sub last night. Was going to ship it around a few more people to read but, well, simply couldn't face fiddling with it any more and thought I'd just send it and forget it (sorry guys!).Haven't heard whether Anna received it or not. I hope she lets me
- [Active vs Reactive](https://www.jackieashenden.com/active-vs-reactive/) - I've been thinking lately about Michelle's advice re my characters being reactive as opposed to active. At least that's what they were in my original synopsis. I never really thought about this before - of course they were active, they were walking and talking and making decisions, right?But that is not being active. They didn't
- [The Fine Art of Synopsis Writing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-fine-art-of-synopsis-writing/) - Right, forget flowery phrases. Sentences that scream 'look at me!'. Paragraphs that read well but don't actually tell you anything about the story. Throw them out of the window. Why? Because all your synopsis needs is the setting, the internal/external conflict, the evidence of growing attraction, the black moment and the resolution.Yes, I have been
- [The Fine Art of Synopsis Writing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-fine-art-of-synopsis-writing-2/)
- [You Learn Something New Every Day](https://www.jackieashenden.com/you-learn-something-new-every-day/) - Well, what a weekend it's been. My poor husband has been in despair. Mainly because I am being very mono-manic about my writing!Why? Because I've been inspired! After the wonderful Michelle Styles offered to look over the synopses of my next two subs, I have been having lightbulb moment after lightbulb moment. I think I
- [Moving On - The Next Sub](https://www.jackieashenden.com/moving-on-the-next-sub/) - I'm posting quick smart because I don't want my rejection post to be the first thing people see on my blog. It's been a hell of a process but it's done now and I'm moving on. And what better news to move on with than an email from Anna. After telling her that I had
- [No](https://www.jackieashenden.com/no/) - Final verdict is in and the jury decided: guilty.In other words they didn't want my manuscript. Clearly the second opinion the EA got found too many things wrong with it and the fault was largely with my heroine. To be fair, I did write this last year before I knew all that I know now
- [A Wobbly Moment](https://www.jackieashenden.com/a-wobbly-moment/) - To all those lovely people who have offered advice and support over the past week or so, thank you so much. You've made me feel hugely better about this waiting game that I'm playing. For someone who absolutely loathes waiting and who is naturally impatient, this has been a real lesson and I'm just so
- [We Apologise for the Delay - Normal Service Will Resume in a Fortnight](https://www.jackieashenden.com/we-apologise-for-the-delay-normal-service-will-resume-in-a-fortnight/) - Yes, I have heard back from M&B. It was a lovely email letting me know that there has been a delay and that I'll get my feedback within a fortnight. Sigh. It's very nice of them to let me know this - they certainly didn't have to send me anything at all - so I'm
- [No News is Good News](https://www.jackieashenden.com/no-news-is-good-news/) - No news this morning. Honestly, after all my nervousness and drinking of chocolate martinis the night before... Anyway, I kind of thought something like this might happen so I'm not too worried. I've waited over 3 months now so I can wait another couple of days. If it is a couple of days. Actually I
- [Happy Birthday To Me](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-birthday-to-me/) - Guess what day it is today? Yes, my birthday! And also - brace yourselves because I'm going to tell you how old I am - the last year of my thirties. Which is sad! I have loved the thirties - not the beginning bits because some crappy things happened then - but the last five
- [News - Revisions R Us!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/news-revisions-r-us/) - I had an email from Anna today! No, not a sale but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be asked to do a second round of revisions!! Why am I not sure? Well, the email was kind of an apology because she mistakenly sent me my ms when it should have gone to a colleague
- [Desperately Seeking a Title](https://www.jackieashenden.com/desperately-seeking-a-title/) - I need a title. My Feel the Heat entry has been completely and utterly rewritten and now needs to be called something. Kate'n'Alex sounds like the title of a sitcom and although I could stick with Chasing Kate - which was the title I used for FTH - I'm not sure if it fits with
- [WIPS and Agents](https://www.jackieashenden.com/wips-and-agents/) - I suppose everyone has seen my word counters on the side of the blog and has noticed that yes, they all stand at 100%. It's true, I have finished all three of my WIPs. Now I truly, truly don't mean to be smug. It's just that I am very lucky in that this is my
- [Cliches and How to Avoid Them](https://www.jackieashenden.com/cliches-and-how-to-avoid-them/) - Lorraine has been discussing conflict and cliche on her blog after an interesting editorial post on the Mills and Boon UK site. It's all about how conflicts can become cliches if they are used to create a character. Thought I might put in my two cents worth as it's something that the editors have pointed
- [Life Imitates Art](https://www.jackieashenden.com/life-imitates-art/) - I blame my heroine. In my current WIP my heroine decides that she needs a helicopter ride to overcome her fear of flying. So off I go like an obediant little author and write her the scene she wants. Next day, my brother-in-law who is training to be a helicopter pilot rings me up to
- [Some Perspectives](https://www.jackieashenden.com/some-perspectives/) - I'm feeling sick and grumpy today. Got a vile cold and aren't fit company for man or beast. Anyway, thought I needed a bit of perspective on - yup, you guessed it - waiting. Here's a quick list for you:1. Penelope waited 20 years for Odysseus to return.2. Pharaoh Kufu waited 20 years for the
- [The Heroine Wore A Housecoat](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-heroine-wore-a-housecoat/) - Okay, so last post I complained about the clothing dilemma in terms of the hero. And I also wondered just what on earth a housecoat was. Thanks to Lorraine and Joanne(who has posted a lovely You Tube clip of Hilda Ogden on her blog), I now know! Yes, it is - as I feared -
- [The Hero Wore Pink Trousers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-hero-wore-pink-trousers/) - I've been working on my WIP today and ran into the clothing dilemma. What, you say? Clothing dilemma? Yes, indeed. The clothing dilemma frequently happens to me when I'm describing what my characters are wearing and an incredibly cool, styley outfit ends up sounding like something an old man/woman would wear. For example, I saw
- [The Hero Wore Pink Trousers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-hero-wore-pink-trousers-2/) - false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 I've been working on my WIP today and ran into the clothing dilemma. What, you say? The clothing dilemma? Yes, indeed. The clothing dilemma frequently happens to me when I am describing what my characters are wearing and an incredibly cool, styley outfit ends up sounding like something
- [The Hero Wore Pink Trousers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-hero-wore-pink-trousers-3/) - I've been working on my WIP today and ran into the clothing dilemma. What, you say? The clothing dilemma? Yes, indeed. The clothing dilemma frequently happens to me when I am describing what my characters are wearing and an incredibly cool, styley outfit ends up sounding like something an old man/woman would wear. For example,
- [](https://www.jackieashenden.com/555/) - I was working on one of WIPs today and ran into the old clothing dilemma. What's that you say? Clothing dilemma? Yes, indeedy. I don't know about any of you but I find describing clothes very, very difficult. I have this image in my head of something incredibly cool and styley, but when it comes
- [Finished](https://www.jackieashenden.com/finished-2/) - Yep, finally finished the first draft of Kate and Alex. Well, when I say finished, I do mean that incredibly loosely. I got to the last chapter, wrote a couple of pages, then got entirely sick of all the explanations and arguments and put '...and then they get together, HEA'. Slack eh? Told you I
- [You Gotta Say Boots, Not Shoes.](https://www.jackieashenden.com/you-gotta-say-boots-not-shoes/) - Herewith the boots.Yes, the picture is crap. They are black suede so kind of boring but then so is NTAI. I'm hoping that when I get the big yes/no, I'll splash out to celebrate/cry with something totally ridiculous and pretty, that I will never have any opportunity to wear like....these.....On the other hand, I could
- [New Boots](https://www.jackieashenden.com/new-boots/) - One must never underestimate the value of retail therapy. To help me NTAI (see previous post), I went out today and got myself some new boots. With a heel. Now, I don't normally wear heels. They hurt my feet and they make me feel overdressed. But now, as I edge closer towards the big four
- [Not Thinking About It](https://www.jackieashenden.com/not-thinking-about-it/) - Okay, sorry about the whinging last post guys. Guess the pressure got to me and I was just letting off steam. Thanks to everyone who posted encouraging comments - felt much better after reading those! I think learning to wait is the hardest part of this journey for me. I've never been good with being
- [The Death of Chatterton Or Feeling Annoyed With Waiting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-death-of-chatterton-or-feeling-annoyed-with-waiting/) - I feel a bit like poor old Chatterton today. Or at least, lying picturesquely on a poorly lit bed with the remains of my torn up manuscript at my side, while I overdose on laudanum is looking increasingly attractive.It's the wait you see. I know, banging on about waiting again. It's now five weeks since
- [The Best Job in the World](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-best-job-in-the-world/) - Right, so I'm back from the wilds of Ohope. Had a thoroughly lovely time and did not think about the manuscript - no, not once. But now I'm back with the PoD (Phone of Doom) and the IoD (Inbox of Despair), both of which were silent as the grave. Wish I was back in Ohope
- [The Alpha and Ohope](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-alpha-and-ohope/) - Well, cometh Easter, cometh the holiday. We're going away to Ohope Beach (see right) for four days. Nice picture eh? It's a tourist board shot so I'm sure it's not actually like that in real life - though one can hope. Anyway, it's not terribly exotic and not something I could use in a Modern
- [Learning to Enjoy Olives](https://www.jackieashenden.com/learning-to-enjoy-olives/) - Okay, so maybe I was a little hasty in saying that synopses suck. In fact, writing synopses do not suck. I think it's like learning to enjoy olives. At first they're vile and you can't wait to spit them out, but after a little while you've managed a couple, then a couple more, and then
- [Synopses and Babies](https://www.jackieashenden.com/synopses-and-babies/) - I really hate synopses. They suck. I know most people hate them too but honestly, as a complete pantster who has only just starting doing the synopsis before writing the novel, I am useless at them. Am trying to do synopses for the Great Beginnings contest, for the two stories I'm going to be entering,
- [Huge Advances](https://www.jackieashenden.com/huge-advances/) - Yes, I'm posting again and no I don't suddenly have the offer of a million dollar contract for my debut category romance (sniff). What I do have is a cold (double sniff). And I'm bored. I've finished all my 'work' reading (the latest modern heat) and I'm not sure if downloading any more romance will
- [On Waiting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/on-waiting/) - Well, here I am still waiting. It's been two weeks since I sent off my revisions and I haven't heard anything. Not that I'm expecting to hear soon - apparently they're really busy over there at the moment. I was checking out the eHarlequin boards and some people have been waiting for responses on full
- [Whips](https://www.jackieashenden.com/whips/) - Yep, I've had to get out my whip and give my poor characters a sound thrashing to get them back into line. Thought Kate making her proposition was a good thing but no, as it turns out, it's not. Honestly, that woman is turning out to have more layers than an archaelogical dig. What I
- [Revenge? Blackmail? Enemies?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/revenge-blackmail-enemies/) - On the subject of conflict, I was reading on the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blog about what kind of conflicts readers prefer in their romance. It makes for interesting reading - especially the comments regarding what sort of conflict readers don't like! (reminds me of the discussion on one of the Amazon boards about what
- [Free Will](https://www.jackieashenden.com/free-will/) - As you'll probably have guessed from the word meter at the side, I am working on Kate 'n' Alex. Or at least, a new story for them. It's completely and utterly different from my Feel the Heat entry - it kind of had to be really - but that's not really the problem. The problem
- [Still More Angst](https://www.jackieashenden.com/still-more-angst/) - Just heard that my ms finally got there! Yay! Anna at HM&B has told me that she's swamped this week but she'll get onto it ASAP. Don't know quite what ASAP means in M&B land, could be in the next couple of weeks, the next month, the next six months, who knows? But now the
- [More Angst](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-angst/) - They didn't get it. Can you believe it? After all that angst and dancing around, Anna at M&B never received it because their email was playing up on Wednesday! And to think I was concerned about sending another email because I didn't want to bug her... Argh!!! In her words, 'thank goodness you checked'!Right, this
- [Elvis Has Left the Building Or JSTFT](https://www.jackieashenden.com/elvis-has-left-the-building-or-jstft/) - I've done it. Had a final read-through today, made some more changes, pestered the husband to read them through again, re-did a paragraph he thought didn't work, then danced round the house going "I can't, I can't!" As my other half told me in no uncertain terms - JSTFT. Just Send The F%&!ing Thing. So
- [Last Minute Revisions on the Revisions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/last-minute-revisions-on-the-revisions/) - Have managed to hold out a week and have taken out the ms for a final read-through and to do some last minute tweaks. And I have to say that I'm completely BORED with it. I suppose that's normal. Anyway, went to an Auckland Chapter group meeting of the RWNZ over the weekend and got
- [Reading Modern Heat](https://www.jackieashenden.com/reading-modern-heat/) - I should of course be writing, not doing lots of blog posts, but my two oddly titled WIPs are proving difficult. Can't get them to flow right. Probably because I'm too busy trying not to think about my revisions and whether I've done them right!Anyway, the best thing I've found to do for inspiration is
- [What's Wrong With Huntly?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/whats-wrong-with-huntly/) - Indeed, you may ask. What is wrong with Huntly? Or more importantly, just who/what is Huntly?Huntly is a small, rural town in New Zealand, just outside of Hamilton. Its claim to fame is a large power station and a spoof song that was famous on student radio back in the 90's. The song was: What's
- [Now What?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/now-what/) - Well, have layered in all the new conflict for my heroine, managed to cut down the word count so that it's 53k instead of 56k, and added another love scene. Gave it to the husband last night for a first readover and he gave it the thumbs up. Phew! Poor guy, he's read the thing
- [Why Being a Geek Isn't Enough](https://www.jackieashenden.com/why-being-a-geek-isnt-enough/) - Where am I up to with the whole heroine's internal conflict thing? Well, since getting the big thumbs down on the mother angle of her conflict, I've had more feedback. Now, initially my heroine was ashamed and insecure about being a geek. But this is not 'good conflict' because being a geek should not be
- [Conflict - The Parent Trap](https://www.jackieashenden.com/conflict-the-parent-trap/) - I have had more feedback from Anna at M&B re my conflict for my heroine. One word: argh!!!Want to know why? Alrighty, no, having parents dictate a characters actions is not acceptable. A bad relationship with a parent should add to the conflict, not define it. And add is the key word here. In other
- [Rethinking my Conflict - The Parent Trap](https://www.jackieashenden.com/rethinking-my-conflict-the-parent-trap/) - ;akjl
- [Conflict Again or Keeping Your Poker Hand Secret](https://www.jackieashenden.com/conflict-again-or-keeping-your-poker-hand-secret/) - Wow, this is great guys! I'm loving your questions and comments. Doing these posts focuses me too 'cause I'm still learning along with the rest of you.Right, so, I read my ms last night and thought about my poor old heroine. Interestingly, and luckily for me, I found I had the bones of a great
- [More on Conflict](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-on-conflict/) - Okay, we were talking about internal conflict. Thought I'd discuss this a bit more because I got my revisions today! Yes!!! These are revisions for another story that is currently under consideration at Mills and Boon. I am hugely relieved to say that they like the story but there is one major problem with it
- [Editorial Comments on Chasing Kate](https://www.jackieashenden.com/editorial-comments-on-chasing-kate/) - Hello lovely blog readers. Thanks again for your great comments re my synopsis! Maybe I'm not as lousy at writing them as I thought... :-) Right, prepare for a long post...You've probably seen the editorial comment go up on I Heart Presents. I want to say Anna wrote an extremely flattering and lovely piece -
- [My Synopsis](https://www.jackieashenden.com/my-synopsis/) - Firstly, another big thank you to all who posted here yesterday and said such lovely things! I've been feeling a bit down over the past few weeks, waiting for the wretched revisions, and having such nice comments made me feel much better. Thanks guys.Anyway, I see my synopsis is up. Argh. Now, I hate these
- [My Chapter is Up](https://www.jackieashenden.com/my-chapter-is-up/) - On www.iheartpresents.com. Argh!! To all of you who posted about it, thanks so much for your great comments. It's great to know you all liked it - and even if you didn't, thanks for posting that you did. :-)Unfortunately Kate and Alex did not get their happy ever after because M&B decided in the end
- [Top Ten Things to do While Waiting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/top-ten-things-to-do-while-waiting/) - 1. Twiddle thumbs and whistle tunelessly while surfing around aimlessly on the interweb.2. Check email for the 50 millionth time.3. Post pointless comments on other people's blogs.4. Finally get to your WIP then waste time trying to think of titles for it. So far - being crap at titles - I have gone for the
- [Gemini, Feb 14th](https://www.jackieashenden.com/gemini-feb-14th/) - My stars for Valentine's Day:"Change is but a hair's breadth away. It is so close you can't even invest in frustration now. True patience is to be waiting as if your lover is about to call from overseas. Encourage the party in your heart."Okay, I'm not one for horoscopes but it did seem to tie
- [Writer's Block](https://www.jackieashenden.com/writers-block/) - It's official, I seem to have lost my mojo. Have spent the past two weeks staring at my screen, writing a paragraph then deleting it, writing another paragraph then deleting it, rinse, repeat. I guess it's better to actually write something than nothing at all but when you actually have nothing to show for it?
- [More Wittering While Waiting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/more-wittering-while-waiting/) - Still waiting for revisions. You'd think after six months of being on the 'getting published' train I would be used to waiting. But no. I'm either going to have to get myself a set of worry beads to fiddle with, drink way more martinis, or have a personality transplant. I'm thinking the martini option sounds
- [Missing Something Vital](https://www.jackieashenden.com/missing-something-vital/) - I was thinking about my current wip last night (instead of sleeping. Bad Jackie!) and realised, abruptly, that I had forgotten a vital part of the conflict: the why.What do I mean? Well, my heroine is a very driven lawyer and my hero is a very driven mountain climber. So far so good. But I
- [Concerning Impatience](https://www.jackieashenden.com/concerning-impatience/) - Yes, I am impatient. I always have and always will be. Not to mention sensitive to criticism and very up and down emotion-wise (I'm a Gemini so that figures). So really, all things considered, I am very ill suited to writing as a career choice. At the moment I am surfing aimlessly around the net,
- [Modern Heat Circa 1979](https://www.jackieashenden.com/modern-heat-circa-1979/) - I found an old M&B in my bookshelves a couple of days ago. Old being 1979. It's even signed by the author, with an inscription that says "to Danny's friend Charles". I don't know if Danny's friend Charles would ever read this (do guys read M&B? Especially in 1979?) but hey, signed by the author
- [Chocolate Fish](https://www.jackieashenden.com/chocolate-fish/) - I have been eating far too many chocolate fish lately (AnNZ thing. See Wikipedia). Obsessively some might say. I think it's because I'm not writing. I've had a non-writing week which always makes me very grumpy and always inclined to eat chocolate.I've got two WIPs that I'm currently working on at the moment and I
- [Wherefore Art Thou Chapter?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/wherefore-art-thou-chapter/) - My chapter is missing. I have emailed Anna to ask her what has happened to it but as she won't be back in the office till the 30th, I haven't had an answer yet. This is my contest entry chapter I'm talking about. Don't they understand that millions of people are waiting with bated breath
- [Caving in to My Mother](https://www.jackieashenden.com/caving-in-to-my-mother/) - Yes, I finally did it, I gave my mother my ms to read. Seeing as how she is the orgininal Ashenden, I thought she'd better have a look just in case it actually sees the light of day and on the off chance she didn't want her name being attached to anything she didn't like.
- [Being a Militant Romance Writer](https://www.jackieashenden.com/being-a-militant-romance-writer/) - We've been having houseguests, very old and very dear friends who are extremely supportive of my writing. However, they do not have a romantic or sentimental bone in their bodies and think romance as a genre is... Well as one of them put it: "who reads that sh*t?". Whereupon I climbed up on my soapbox
- [One Step Closer](https://www.jackieashenden.com/one-step-closer/) - Okay, I cannot believe the speed with which this has happened but I got an email from Anna this morning telling me she really liked my full ms! Woohoo!!! Excuse the exclamation marks but, y'know, I'm quite pleased about it. She was very impressed that I'd taken on board their suggestions, that hero and heroine
- [Heroes I have Known...](https://www.jackieashenden.com/heroes-i-have-known/) - I've been having crap sleep at the moment, mainly due to my OCWD (obsessive compulsive writing disorder) and stressing about what I should have put in the ms that's with M&B now. Usually I try to distract myself by thinking about my current wip instead but last night, I got to thinking about all my
- [Being Obssessive Compulsive](https://www.jackieashenden.com/being-obssessive-compulsive/) - It's true, I am absolutely obssessive compulsive about my writing. I was told off yesterday by the husband for spending the weekend in front of my computer. I'm trying to make this a full time job you see so the plan was to limit writing to during the week, just like any other job. However,
- [Congrats Lucy!!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/congrats-lucy/) - Just want to add my congratulations to Lucy Roberts who has just sold to M&B Modern Heat. As the winner of the Feel the Heat competition, her sale was kind of in the bag just a bit. :-)Way to go, Lucy! The rest of us are simply green - in the nicest possible way of
- [Gwendoline Quadd](https://www.jackieashenden.com/gwendoline-quadd/) - I was tidying up my disaster area of study yesterday and discovered an old note with some names on it. Took me a while to figure out what it was but then I remembered. About ten years ago, when I was but a youngster, I had an idea I'd try writing a Mills and Boon.
- [It's Gone](https://www.jackieashenden.com/its-gone/) - Have sent off the manuscript and it has been received by M&B. They said they'd get right on it ASAP. I am preparing for a six month wait at least.Now what am I going to do?Perhaps I shall entertain myself with Confessions of a Slush Pile Reader.
- [Back to Work](https://www.jackieashenden.com/back-to-work/) - Am now back from a week and a half of lazing around doing nothing at the beach. Fantastic to have some time off but am now distinctly unmotivated. Have no resolutions to speak of and am heartily sick of the manuscript I have to post to Anna at M&B. Read the hard copy while I
- [Happy 2009!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/happy-2009/) - New Year here in NZ and it's a gloriously hot and sunny day. Hard not to feel that this is going to be a good one...We're up north from tomorrow for another week and a bit of holiday. Manuscript is all printed out and ready for proofing, and the little PC is packed and ready
- [Titles that Suck](https://www.jackieashenden.com/titles-that-suck/) - Yes, it's true, the title of my ms sucks. No, I shall not reveal it on grounds that it might incriminate me when the time comes for it to be taken to the Bad Titles Tribunal and judged as to its overall suckiness. Sadly I am useless when it comes to thinking of titles for
- [Not Looking](https://www.jackieashenden.com/not-looking/) - Nope, not looking my manuscript until next week. I am officially sick of it. I wonder if published authors feel this way just before they send off something?Anyway, Christmas will be the perfect break - especially as we are going to up north to the family holiday home, which is on the beach (see picture
- [Second Draft Complete!](https://www.jackieashenden.com/second-draft-complete/) - I wasted precious hours today reading a manga romance online (damn you Smart Bitches!) . Apparently Mills and Boon publish some their romances in Japan as Manga but this was definitely not one of them. Though it was very Presents with an arrogant boss and a shy secretary. Boss turned out to be a vampire
- [Pulling on My Waders](https://www.jackieashenden.com/pulling-on-my-waders/) - So I can wade through the rest of this damn book! My word count is sky high and will no doubt get longer. The doubts are also setting in. In particular, I'm worried my hero's conflict is too complicated - I'm a terrible complicater when it comes to emotional conflict, adding bits to it, more
- [Bogged Down](https://www.jackieashenden.com/bogged-down/) - Knew it would come to this. Doubts already and I'm only up to Chapter 4! And I'm finding myself unnecessarily sensitive when it comes to criticism of my baby. Normally I don't have a problem with people telling me what works and what doesn't but it feels different now that this one has been requested.
- [Finally! Consultation Achieved](https://www.jackieashenden.com/finally-consultation-achieved/) - Okay, so I got my call from Anna last night. Woohoo! She was very, very nice and we had a great chat - after the initial weirdness of long-distance calls between complete strangers! Basically she just asked me if I had any questions about the comments she had emailed me earlier and I did, but
- [The weight of the wait...](https://www.jackieashenden.com/the-weight-of-the-wait/) - Sorry, sad play on words there. Two days to go and am editing my Nano. Aren't I a good girl? However things have been made more difficult by the crash of our home backup server. Along with many WIPs, my working copy of Kate is now inaccessible. I am stupid. I should have backedup the
- [Wating, waiting...](https://www.jackieashenden.com/wating-waiting/) - Waiting until Thursday (the call, though not, sadly, The Call). Apparently I will be emailed some 'points to consider' before then but until that happy day, I am waiting. I could polish my Nano WIP which is in desperate need of attention or I could...play with my blog instead!To that end, and getting inspiration from
- [Can you think of a title?](https://www.jackieashenden.com/can-you-think-of-a-title/) - For the cover of this Mills and Boon book? The Guardian is running a title competition and the prize is The Art of Romance, a book full of Mills and Boon cover art. The Millionaire Pilot's Innocent Virgin Stewardess anyone??
- [Consultation Date Delayed](https://www.jackieashenden.com/consultation-date-delayed/) - Welcome to the wonderful world of publishing! My phone consultation is not going to be today (tonight NZ time), it's now going to be next Thursday to give Jenny Hutton a chance to go over my other partial (the non-competition one)... Sigh. But I'm okay with it. Definitely want to have Jenny's comments about both
- [Consultation Date Set](https://www.jackieashenden.com/consultation-date-set/) - Yep, Anna from M&B emailed me to say that she's going to ring me on Thursday (pending consultation with Jenny Hutton)! Yay! Either that or next week. Sigh. Still, want to get the best advice possible so I'll wait till kingdom come if I have to (but I hope not that long).Still wish they'd given
- [And you think you had problems with writing a love scene...](https://www.jackieashenden.com/and-you-think-you-had-problems-with-writing-a-love-scene/) - Check out the winner of the Literary Review's Bad Sex in Fiction award as reported by the Guardian. I've read worse personally. For a taste of the rest of the nominees, look here.Apparently, according to this blog, the history of the award was to remind authors that sex has no place in literary fiction. I
- [](https://www.jackieashenden.com/616/) - Have had more contact with Anna at Mills and Boon. Am now due for feedback on my revisions for Kate (plus on another partial they're also considering) next week! Argh. They will also let me know then which one to continue with. Double argh. So now I don't know what to do. I guess there's
- [Kidnapped by the Maverick, Moderately Well Off Psychiatrist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/kidnapped-by-the-maverick-moderately-well-off-psychiatrist/) - No, it's not the title of the new wip. Just come back from Sydney after being taken there for a surprise 10th wedding anniversary holiday by my husband. A fabulous time was had and am now wishing I was back there!Sadly I am now back home and have to figure out what to do now.
- [Website](https://www.jackieashenden.com/website/) - I am trying to compose a website. No idea why, just seemed like a good idea at the time. It's even lamer than this blog sadly.So, it you're after something interesting, try this link to an article in the Independent. It has a slideshow of classic Mills and Boon covers through the decades. I particularly
- [Contest Entry Revisions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/contest-entry-revisions/) - Well, sent my revisions off to Anna at Mills and Boon. Worked all weekend on re-writing the first three chapters completely, not to mention the synopsis. And of course after I'd sent them, I saw more holes in my synopsis etc etc. Argh. Reminds me of submitting essays at university except this is much worse!
- [Hello](https://www.jackieashenden.com/hello/) - What to do now?

## Pages

- [News](https://www.jackieashenden.com/) - Jackie Ashenden writes romance books that are both dark and sensual.
- [About Jackie](https://www.jackieashenden.com/about/) - Jackie is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling and critically acclaimed author of over eighty books (and counting). She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her beloved Maine Coon Antares. When she’s not torturing alpha males and their kick-ass heroines, she can be found drinking gin and tonics, reading anything she can lay her hands on, knitting
- [Jackie's Booklist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/jackies-complete-booklist/) - Jackie Ashenden Complete Booklist
- [Pregnant By The Wrong Prince](https://www.jackieashenden.com/coming-soon/pregnant-by-the-wrong-prince/)
- [Theme](https://www.jackieashenden.com/books/books-by-theme/) - Jackie's books broken down by theme. If you're into it, Jackie's probably written it. This will help you find it! Friends to Lovers Enemies to Lovers Virgin Heroine Billionaires Office Romances Virgin Hero Forbidden Love Kidnap BDSM Revenge Blue Collar Dudes Reunion Romance Bikers Military Men
- [All Books](https://www.jackieashenden.com/all-books/)
- [Series](https://www.jackieashenden.com/series/)
- [Contact](https://www.jackieashenden.com/contact/)
- [For Writers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/for-writers/) - Writing a Damn Fine Proposal #1 Writing a Damn Fine Proposal #2 Writing a Damn Fine Proposal #3 Writing the Alpha Hero
- [Books](https://www.jackieashenden.com/books/) - [tb_genre_gallery slug="all"]
- [Books](https://www.jackieashenden.com/books-3-2/) - Dark and Sensual Falling For Finn Black Knight, White Queen Taking Him 11/12/13 Having Her 02/2014 Light and Flirty Talking Dirty With the CEO Talking Dirty With the Player 8/12 Talking Dirty With the Boss, title TBC 11/13
- [Having Her](https://www.jackieashenden.com/having-her/) - Amazon | Samhain | Kobo | Barnes and Noble Behind every heroine is the pain that binds her. Lies We Tell: Book 2 Manga café owner Kara Sinclair has one burden she’s been carrying around so long it’s bordering on pathetic. Her virginity. Getting rid of it, though, means doing the one thing that scares
- [Talking Dirty with the Player](https://www.jackieashenden.com/talking-dirty-with-the-player/) - Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble It's all in how you play the game... Up-and-coming photographer Judith Ashton is pretty sure she has everything in her life under control. That is, until a blast from the past comes back to taunt her, in the shape of Caleb Steele, her older brother's best friend...and the
- [Taking Him](https://www.jackieashenden.com/taking-him/) - Amazon | Samhain | Kobo | Barnes and Noble Behind every hero is the damage that made him. Lies We Tell, Book 1 Computer game designer Ellie Fox can’t wait to start her new job in Japan. But first there’s one loose end in Auckland she needs to tie up: her obsession with her older
- [Black Knight, White Queen](https://www.jackieashenden.com/black-knight-white-queen/) - Amazon | Samhain | Kobo | Barnes and Noble One night in Bangkok changes all the rules. Professional chess player Aleksandr Shastin never lets emotions rule his life, or his game. Not even the unexpected death of his mentor shakes his icy control—at least that’s what he thinks. Until he meets a woman in a
- [Coming Soon](https://www.jackieashenden.com/coming-soon/) - Taking Him - November 12th 2013 from Samhain Behind every hero is the damage that made him. Lies We Tell, Book 1 Computer game designer Ellie Fox can’t wait to start her new job in Japan. But first there’s one loose end in Auckland she needs to tie up: her obsession with her older brother’s
- [Works in Progress](https://www.jackieashenden.com/works-in-progress/) - At the moment, I'm working on books for St. Martin's Press. I don't have titles for these ones so I'm using my WIP twitter hashtags. #theplayboyinthelimo This one is novella number two and is due for publication in early 2014. It concerns a very naughty playboy, a rather uptight manager heroine, a limo, a New
- [Talking Dirty with the CEO](https://www.jackieashenden.com/talking-dirty-with-the-ceo/) - Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo Gadget journalist Christie St. John is more geek than chic. But when research for an article she has to write on online dating leads to the bed of the hottest guy she’s ever met, she knows that if the geek is to keep the hottie CEO, she’s going to have
- [Falling For Finn](https://www.jackieashenden.com/books-2/) - Falling for Finn Amazon | Barnes and Noble | | Kobo Samhain When you’ve been burned, the heat of the moment is the scariest place to be. Six months after a sexual assault, Anna Jameson has decided enough is enough. She’s sick of being a victim, of letting the experience have power over her. She
- [Sexy and Sassy - Entangled](https://www.jackieashenden.com/sexy-and-sassy/) - Coming Summer 2013....
- [Dark and Sensual - Samhain](https://www.jackieashenden.com/dark-and-sensual/) - Fallling for Finn out February 19th 2013...

## Books

- [Heir With My Enemy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/heir-with-my-enemy/) - An enemies to lovers, secret pregnancy, marriage of convenience romance by Jackie Ashenden. Carrying the secret… of their hate-fueled desire! Santiago. I only saw Beatrix once before she became my stepmother—still, I knew I wanted her. She wanted me too, although she would never admit it. Except, at my despicable father’s funeral, there’s no longer anything
- [His Forced Sicilian Bride](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/his-forced-sicilian-bride/) - A marriage of convenience, kidnapped to be his bride, mafia romance by Jackie Ashenden. Taken… to love, honor—and obey! Vincenzo. Every cosa nostra family will bow to me. The Salvatores are no exception. I’ll force their loyalty by kidnapping their heir, Caterina, from her arranged nuptials. The woman I once saved during a hit on her
- [The Assassin Most Likely](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-assassin-most-likely/)
- [Irrevocably](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/irrevocably/) - The hottest dark mafia romance- inspired by your favourite vampire romance! He's been watching me. He knows everything about me. And now he wants something I never thought I'd give… When I run into Lucien Frost on campus, I feel the danger radiating from him immediately. Dark, beautiful, and terrifying—he's everything I should run from.
- [Greek's Bride by Blackmail](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-greeks-bride-by-blackmail/) - A blackmail bride, marriage of convenience, Greek billionaire romance by Jackie Ashenden. With this ring… he must marry! Tech billionaire Archimedes Athineos faces an ultimatum from his conniving foster father: jail or marriage. He won’t let his checkered past destroy his billion-dollar empire. Furiously, he chooses to wed. Yet wrath wars with desire when in walks
- [King of Sin's Baby](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-king-of-sins-baby/) - An accidental pregnancy, marriage of convenience, royal romance by Jackie Ashenden. Desire so dangerous… it could wreck a kingdom! That night in His Majesty’s office, it wasn’t just royal business between PR manager Wren and King Isandro. It was unstoppable raw need. Yielding to it was reckless. Sinful. So now that she’s pregnant, fleeing is the
- [His Heir of Revenge](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/his-heir-of-revenge/) - An accidental pregnancy, revenge, marriage of convenience romance from Harlequin Presents author Jackie Ashenden. Retribution will be his… So will she! Rafael: My revenge won’t be sweet. No. I’ll seduce Olympia Zakynthos as mercilessly as her brother took over my family’s company. Until I’m confronted with Olympia’s arresting beauty and addictive caress. It’s clear one night
- [Christmas Eve Ultimatum](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/christmas-eve-ultimatum/) - A spicy and intense Christmas-set, opposites attract, Greek billionaire romance from Jackie Ashenden. ’Tis the season… to spend in the Greek’s bed! Ulysses. CFO Katla Sigurdsdottir fascinates me. She’s all fire behind a cool, calm shield. I have to have her. At her company’s Christmas Eve party, I’ve delivered her an ultimatum: spend six months
- [King, Enemy, Husband](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/king-enemy-husband/) - King, Enemy, Husband is a marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, royal romance fromJackie Ashenden. Vows will bind them… Passion could ruin them! After decades under Accorsi rule, King Tiberius has fought to reclaim his crown. Yet the violent coup has left his kingdom divided. To unite his people and quell any discontent, Tiberius is left
- [Owned: An Arcadia Novel](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/owned/) - Rowan I’m getting desperate. I need money to look after my sick mom, so when I get an out of the blue cash offer from the grandmother I’ve never met to be her surrogate, I can’t afford to say no. And then I find out who the man supplying the DNA is: Atlas Blackwood,
- [Hard Discipline: A Spicy Billionaire Age Gap Romance](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/hard-discipline-a-spicy-billionaire-age-gap-romance/) - My boyfriend can’t give me what I want…but his dad can give me the dominance I crave. Odette My relationship with my boyfriend is fizzling out. I can’t give him what he wants, if I don’t even know what I want. That’s why I sign up for The Club app. It’s guaranteed to help you
- [Hard Ride](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/hard-ride/) - Out now in Kindle Unlimited! I came looking for closure. He offered me one night. And he brought backup. Katherine I didn’t expect to see my ex-husband on The Club App—bearded, commanding, and very much a Dom. Curiosity got the best of me, and now I’m standing inside his private club...with no idea what I’m
- [Newlywed Enemies](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/newlywed-enemies/) - Newlywed Enemies is a revenge, marriage of convenience, Greek billionaire boss romance by Jackie Ashenden. Revenge is best served… at the altar! Flora McIntyre became Apollo Constantinides’s PA to avenge the family he tore apart. And she’s succeeded. Her carefully staged compromising photos of them just cost him his convenient reputation-restoring bride. Except Flora never anticipated his next move…Apollo demanding she marry
- [Bought: An Arcadia Novel](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/bought/) - Zara It was supposed to be simple: auction off my virginity to Tennyson Fox, get into his house, and find evidence of a murder he committed years ago. He bids on virgins but doesn’t use them - at least that’s what the Hamiltons told me when I agreed to the job. But what I didn’t
- [Tamed: An Arcadia Novel](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/tamed-an-arcadia-novel/) - Welcome to Arcadia…where every dark fantasy can be yours. For a price. Caleb I’m a man without limits, except for one: my best friend’s daughter, Isabel. She's a tempting little brat, but she’s definitely off limits. She’s too young, and far too innocent, and I’m not the right kind of man for that. My tastes
- [Boss's Heir Demand](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/bosss-heir-demand/) - A one-night, accidental pregnancy, billionaire boss romance by Jackie Ashenden. One illicit night… One heir to claim! Maude Braithewaite is pregnant. But for the free-spirited groundskeeper, her independence is more alluring than any man. Even billionaire Dominic Lancaster, the boss whose addictive touch led to a lust-fueled, life-altering night. So, when he demands she move into
- [Book People](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/book-people/) - 📚💘You have to break some rules to write your own story . . .💘📚 When Kate, a fledgling bookseller, decides to open a bookshop that celebrates the kinds of genre fiction she loves to read (popular and fun!), she's surprised to find that not everyone in the town is as excited as she is. Least
- [The Twins That Bind](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-twins-that-bind/) - A surprise twins, proposal of convenience, rags to riches, billionaire romance from Jackie Ashenden. Claiming his two heirs… with one diamond! Preschool teacher Nell Underwood’s pulse is racing as she makes an agonizing confession to Aristophanes Katsaros: their intoxicating encounter left her pregnant—with twins! But the Greek’s marriage demand shocks her to her core. She knows
- [Italian Baby Shock](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/italian-baby-shock/) - An electric night she can’t remember… An alluring billionaire claiming her child. Discover this all-new secret baby romance from Jackie Ashenden! He wanted to end the Donati legacy! Until his heir… An accident erased Lark Edwards’s memory of the night in Rome that left her pregnant. Returning to Italy for work, Lark meets captivating tycoon Cesare Donati for
- [Spanish Marriage Solution](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/spanish-marriage-solution/) - Control hangs by a thread for the Spanish duke in this sizzling forbidden romance by Jackie Ashenden! Marry her enemy or lose everything… When Alice first met Spanish duke Sebastián Castellano, the fiery attraction between them was instant, forbidden and unequivocally ignored—he was her brother-in-law. Then Alice’s husband and sister were killed in a car accident,
- [A Vow to Redeem the Greek](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/a-vow-to-redeem-the-greek/) - They must wed! But as man and wife, will their heated attraction be allowed to reign free? Find out in this convenient wedding romance from Jackie Ashenden. “I do” will bind them… But can it free him? Elena’s adoptive father’s dying wish is to be reunited with his estranged son, Atticus. Whatever it takes, she must
- [Enemies At the Greek Altar](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/enemies-at-the-greek-altar/) - Her burning hatred for her convenient husband soon transforms into desire in this dangerously sexy marriage of convenience by Jackie Ashenden! Marry the woman who hates him… or lose his inheritance! Andromeda Lane will never forgive Poseidon Teras for destroying her family—except he’s just asked for her hand! Knowing all the devastatingly handsome tycoon wants is
- [Pregnant With Her Royal Boss's Baby](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/pregnant-with-her-royal-bosss-baby/) - One royally shocking secret… from one night between his sheets! King Augustine may rule a kingdom, but loyal assistant Freddie Scott runs his calendar…with ruthless efficiency. There’s no task she can’t handle. Except perhaps having to tell her boss she’s going to need some time off…because in six months she’ll be having his baby! Augustine
- [Right Where We Belong](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/right-where-we-belong/) - A sexy new small-town romance from Jackie Ashenden, set in the rugged, beautiful landscape of New Zealand. Levi King has never met a woman he couldn't charm—until he meets Indigo Jameson. One of Brightwater Valley's newest citizens, the prickly woman gets under his skin like no one else ever has. Indigo Jameson doesn't trust people
- [His Innocent Unwrapped In Iceland](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/his-innocent-unwrapped-in-iceland/) - Once her enemy… Now her temptation! Jilted at the altar, Isla Kendrick faces an impossible decision: lose her family business or marry the ruthless tycoon trying to take it over. Already in her wedding dress, she reluctantly says “I do.” Orion North wants Isla’s company…and her! So when the opportunity to save her from a
- [Comeback Cowboy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/comeback-cowboy/) - They may not have been friends when they were younger but now, they’ll work together to save the camp that saved them and, maybe, even find love in the process… The alumni of Camp Phoenix, a summer program for at-risk youth, went their separate ways, but now they’ve been called back to help the camp
- [Her Vow To Be His Desert Queen](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/her-vow-to-be-his-desert-queen/) - Her vow made in a London bar will take the virgin to places she never imagined in this marriage-of-convenience romance by Jackie Ashenden! Her forgotten promise… His royal claim! After disappearing from Sidonie Sullivan’s life, Khalil ibn Amir al-Nazari is back, as breathtakingly gorgeous as ever. Now he’s a king, and to her utter shock
- [Wed For Their Royal Heir (Three Ruthless Kings #1)](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/wed-for-their-royal-heir-three-ruthless-kings-1/) - The king’s heir will bind her to him for good in this marriage of convenience romance by Jackie Ashenden. Pregnant by mistake Queen by His Majesty’s command In a moment of dark despair, a destitute Solace Ashworth gave up her newborn to palace officials. She was sure his wealthy father, King Galen Kouros, could provide the
- [Having Her](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/having-her/) - Winner of Best Erotic Romance 2014 – All About Romance Reader Poll She’s just waiting for the right man…to make her his sub. After growing up in foster care Kara is careful to keep the world at arm’s length. With one unintended consequence: she’s a twenty-five year old virgin. After a series of failed one
- [Taking Him](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/taking-him/) - He’s a dirty, messed up…virgin. Hunter Chase is messed up, and he’s fine with it. He has his life ordered just how he likes it. A good job, a good friend, and his private kinks hidden from the world. The one thing he can’t allow? For his best friend’s little sister to tempt him. Ellie
- [The Maid The Greek Married](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-maid-the-greek-married/) - In this captivating marriage of convenience from Jackie Ashenden, will saying “I do” save Cinderella and the billionaire? She owes him her life… …and vows to wear his ring! Imprisoned on a compound since childhood, housemaid Rose has no recollection of anything before. So when she learns superrich Ares Aristiades needs a wife, she proposes a
- [All Roads Lead To You](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/all-roads-lead-to-you/) - A grumpy wilderness guide who just wants to be left alone A cheerful jewelry designer determined to get him to open up A breathtaking New Zealand town that inspires second chances An unlikely love that won't be denied Brightwater Valley, New Zealand is beautiful, rugged, and home to those who seek adventure. Finn Kelly loves
- [Falling For Finn](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/falling-for-finn/) - She’s tired of being a victim… For six months Anna Jameson has been adrift. A sexual assault stole her feelings of safety and security. And her ability to enjoy physical touch. But after six months of hiding, she’s ready to come back into the light. There’s only one man she trusts to help her reclaim
- [The Hitman Next Door](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-hitman-next-door/) - Best friend. The guy next door. Secret hitman. Rhys has wanted his best friend Vivi for years. But if she knew all the wicked, dirty things he wanted to do with her, she’d never speak to him again. She’d also never speak to him again if she knew he was a contract killer. But when
- [Big Bad Marine](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/big-bad-marine/) - She’s been a very bad girl…and it’s going to take a big, bad Marine to take her in hand. Rose Hammond has had a crush on older, harder West O’Connor ever since she was a bratty teen and he was in charge of protecting her. Now she’s an adult, she’s still bratty and tormenting him
- [Stolen For My Spanish Scandal](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/stolen-for-my-spanish-scandal/) - In this passionate pregnancy romance by Jackie Ashenden, the Spanaird wastes no time in claiming his one-night scandal! The consequences of one night… …that never should have happened! My stepbrother Constantine Silvera was always my rock, until the day he ruthlessly cut me off. Then we collided again, resulting in an explosion of forbidden, utterly
- [Sweet Home Cowboy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/sweet-home-cowboy/) - Four half sisters create the family they’ve always dreamed of in this enchanting quartet from bestselling authors Maisey Yates, Nicole Helm, Jackie Ashenden and Caitlin Crews. The Hathaway sisters might have grown up apart, but when they agree to move to Jasper Creek, Oregon, to revitalize their grandfather’s farm, it seems a straightforward decision. Until they meet their neighborhood
- [A Diamond For My Forbidden Bride](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/a-diamond-for-my-forbidden-bride/) - In this sexy reunion romance by Jackie Ashenden, the billionaire will stop at nothing to claim the woman who was once his! I’m back for my inheritance… And to steal my bride! For the last fifteen years, everyone thought I, Valentin Silvera, was dead. But I’d faked my death to escape my abusive father. Now I’ve
- [Find Your Way Home](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/find-your-way-home/) - Small town romance heads to the mountains of New Zealand in the first installment of a brand-new contemporary series by Jackie Ashenden. He's hell-bent on telling her what to do. She's determined to make it on her own. They're both going to learn a thing or two about first impressions. Brightwater Valley, New Zealand, is
- [The Innocent's One Night Proposal](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-innocents-one-night-proposal/) - In this intense marriage-of-convenience romance from Jackie Ashenden, the Greek is about to rewrite the rules of the virgin’s bargain! The virgin’s request… …is even more outrageous than the billionaire! Stepping into Castor Xenakis’s mansion, Glory Albright is completely out of her depth. Yet if she’s to fund her sister’s urgent medical treatment, she can’t
- [Pregnant By The Wrong Prince](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/pregnant-by-the-wrong-prince/) - This prince will stop at nothing to claim his princess in this royal secret-baby story by Jackie Ashenden! Sworn to marry another Bound to her forbidden prince! Stopping Princess Amalia’s arranged wedding is the kind of scandal Prince Regent Rafael usually avoids. But Rafael has just discovered Lia is carrying his baby! His own illegitimacy
- [The Wedding Night They Never Had](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-wedding-night-they-never-had/) - It’s now or never for this royal couple in Jackie Ashenden’s latest dramatic, sexy romance for Harlequin Presents. He must take a bride… But he already has a wife! Charming Prince Cassius wed young Inara Donati to save her from a dreadful forced betrothal. But their arrangement was only on paper. Five years later, after
- [Sexy Beast](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/sexy-beast/) - Commanding billionaire Everett Calhoun reveals his sexy dark side to his girl-next-door best friend in this smoking hot second installment of the Billion $ Bastards trilogy! I was born bad. Maintaining tight control—in business and in the bedroom—is the only way to keep my darkness in check. So when my girl-next-door best friend, Freya, comes
- [That Deep River Feeling](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/that-deep-river-feeling/) - Escape to Deep River, Alaska...to a new life, and a chance to breathe again Zeke Calhoun doesn't care much about Deep River, but he'll do just about anything to keep the last promise he made: to look out for his best friend's sister. As the sole police officer in Deep River, Morgan West won't be
- [The Innocent Carrying His Legacy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-innocent-carrying-his-legacy/) - The family she never thought she’d have, with the desert king she should never have met! Jackie Ashenden brings us a royal romance brimming with drama and desire. From desert warlord To surprise father! Children? Not for illegitimate Sheikh Nazir Al Rasul, whose desert fortress is less intimidating than his barricaded heart. Until Ivy Dean
- [With The Lights On](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/with-the-lights-on/) - Billionaire Trajan Howard-Smith hides his fading vision well, but he can’t hide his desire for Maggie Burgess in book two of Jackie Ashenden’s Playing for Pleasure duet! Trajan is the most beautiful man I have ever seen—tall and broad shouldered, with blue eyes that seem to look into my soul. He’s also my client. So
- [Deep River Promise](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/deep-river-promise/) - Welcome to Deep River, Alaska Damon Fitzgerald’s only desire is to get back to LA and out of the tiny Alaskan town he’s somehow inherited. But first he has to keep a promise he made to his old army buddy and look out for his friend’s son. That would be a whole lot easier if
- [Come Home to Deep River](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/come-home-to-deep-river/) - First in a bold, sexy new small-town Alaska contemporary romance series from Jackie Ashenden Deep River, Alaska boasts a fiercely independent though small population. The people who live here love it, and they don’t much care what anyone else thinks. Until the day Silas Quinn comes back and tells them an oil reserve has been
- [The World’s Most Notorious Greek](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-worlds-most-notorious-greek/) - A thrilling kiss with a stranger paves the way for an explosive wedding night in this wonderfully angsty marriage of convenience romance by Jackie Ashenden. The price of his ring: Passion… But at what cost? To defy the father who refused to acknowledge him and gain his rightful inheritance, Achilles Templeton must wed and have
- [In the Dark](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/in-the-dark/) - Scarred billionaire Elias Hart wants one night with a blindfolded stranger…but ends up with his best friend’s all-grown-up little sister in book one of Jackie Ashenden’s Playing for Pleasure duet! My billions can buy me anything…but they can’t stop the women who beg for my touch from cringing at my scars. That’s why the blindfolds
- [A Good Old Fashioned Cowboy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/a-good-old-fashioned-cowboy/) - Four best friends return home to find more than they ever dared dream of in this delightful quartet from bestselling authors Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Jackie Ashenden and Nicole Helm. When they were girls, best friends Hope, Charity, Pru and Kit made a pact. If, at thirty, they weren’t happy with their lives, they would
- [One Night With The Master](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/one-night-with-the-master/) - One night changes everything… Ruthless. Controlled. Masterful. Aleksandr Shastin is a man who has his every move planned. Both as a chess master, and in his life. Nothing shakes his control. Nothing shocks him. Until, mired in grief over the death of his mentor, he sees a woman who shatters everything he thought he
- [Talking Dirty with the Player](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/talking-dirty-with-the-player/) - It’s all in how you play the game… Up-and-coming photographer Judith Ashton is pretty sure she has everything in her life under control. That is, until a blast from the past comes back to taunt her, in the shape of Caleb Steele, her older brother’s best friend…and the man who broke her heart eight years
- [Talking Dirty with the Boss](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/talking-dirty-with-the-boss/) - One night with the boss led to an unforgettable future… Marisa Clair wants to get her artist dreams back on track after a life detour. That means no partying, no shopping…and definitely no men to distract her. Should be easy, but there’s something about her hot and exceedingly uptight boss and she can’t seem to
- [Talking Dirty With the CEO](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/talking-dirty-with-the-ceo/) - Tonight the geek is going to get the guy… Gadget journalist Christie St. John is more geek than chic. But when research for an article she has to write on online dating leads to the bed of the hottest guy she’s ever met, she knows that if the geek is to keep the hottie CEO,
- [Hollywood Blackmail](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/hollywood-blackmail/) - To win her back this action star will need a little blackmail… Lizzie Kent needs to forget the past. She lives in total anonymity, immersing herself in nursing to help her forget. But when a man from her previous life turns up in her clinic, the life she’s tried to create for herself may come
- [The Billionaire Biker](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-billionaire-biker/) - Wild and reckless, and more at ease with his biker gang than his business partners, Sean Morrow has always longed for Abigail Prescott, whose life he ruined when an innocent friendship turned into a night of red-hot passion back when they were in high school. Now that his brother, Jax, has decided to hire Abby
- [The Billion Dollar Bad Boy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-billion-dollar-bad-boy/) - Donovan Morrow, the charming, loveable, sexy face of the Morrow company, can’t seem to get a break. Despite all the wining and dining he does for his partners—both in business and in bed—he feels underappreciated. Always coming in second to big brother Jax, he’s considered the playboy of the family, and not someone to be
- [The Billion Dollar Bachelor](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-billion-dollar-bachelor/) - The Billionaire’s Club: a fabulously sexy contemporary series about some of the world’s wealthiest, most powerful men and the women they claim…and keep. Jax Morrow, the dangerously handsome, spectacularly wealthy entrepreneur’s world is turned upside down when Pandora Garret walks into the dark, smoky bar one night, a stunning combination of sex and innocence. He
- [Living In Shadow](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/living-in-shadow/) - Sometimes you have to journey into the darkness to find the light… Professor Eleanor May is hiding secrets beneath her prim exterior. After agreeing to take over teaching a class for a friend on sabbatical, Eleanor finds herself captivated by the gorgeous, intense student who always sits front and center. There’s something about him tempts
- [Living In Sin](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/living-in-sin/) - She’s desperate for a taste of sin… When Lily Andrews shows up at Kahu Winter’s exclusive Auckland club, the last thing he expects is for his business partner’s daughter to demand lessons in seduction. Kahu is ready to send her straight home, but he knows Lily won’t be put off so easily. So he makes
- [Living In Secret](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/living-in-secret/) - It’s always secret passion that burns hottest… Connor and Victoria Blake were the power couple that had it all. Money. Prestige. Secrets. Lies. With their seemingly perfect union crumbling around them, and the divorce papers drawn up, Victoria has a proposition for her soon-to-be-ex-husband: One weeks to explore the passion between them they never let
- [Mine To Take](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/mine-to-take/) - First in a brand new series featuring the members of the Nine Circles Club—friends bound together by power, secrets, need…and the love they will find and stop at nothing to keep. Passion always comes at a price. Gabriel Woolf is unstoppable. A ruthless businessman, he has perfected the art of revenge. Ever since his mother’s
- [Make You Mine](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/make-you-mine/) - Alex St. James was left with a choice. Pick up the dice and find out where they lead, or walk away. Choosing to follow where the snake-eyes will take him, Alex must play in poker game run by none other than the devil that haunts his past. He will risk everything he has to find
- [You Are Mine](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/you-are-mine/) - In the Nine Circles Club, there’s a fine line between pleasure and pain, sin and salvation, heaven and hell. And it takes one bold pair of lovers to cross it… HE’S MASTER OF THE GAME Zac Rutherford is one of the most powerful and sought-after men in New York’s private club scene. Masterful and demanding,
- [Hold Me Down](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/hold-me-down/) - Loveswept Leonidas “Blue” Delacroix might be the prodigal son of New Orleans aristocrats, but the Deacons of Bourbon Street are his real family. And with their patriarch murdered, Blue wants nothing more than to unleash hell on the motorcycle club’s enemies—even if it means taking up arms against the girl who used to be his
- [Kidnapped by the Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/kidnapped-by-the-billionaire/) - He kissed her the way he’d run her down, conquering her, taking her… A priceless plan. An illicit attraction. Seven years ago, billionaire-turned-bodyguard Elijah Hunt lost everything he had-his family, his future-and now he wants revenge. But when he decides to kidnap the daughter of the man who ruined his life, Elijah gets a lot
- [Down and Dusty: Frankie](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/down-and-dusty-frankie/) - They say that no one has secrets in a small town – these women prove them wrong. Eight brand-new stories from some of Australia’s hottest writers in Australia’s hottest genre. From the bar stools of the local pub to the wide open plains of the biggest stations in the world, these tales travel the dusty
- [Dirty For Me](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/dirty-for-me/) - Kensington Ezekiel “Zee” Chase has a complicated past. Born into a family whose wealth grew from the seedy world of big-time crime, he ran away as a teenager and made a home for himself on the streets of Detroit. By day, the mechanic works at a local garage. But by night, he throws down with
- [In Bed With The Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/in-bed-with-the-billionaire/) - A man with everything on the line… Known to the underworld only as Jericho, billionaire Theo Fitzgerald is one of the most powerful men in the world. But his plan is to tear down the criminal empire his father created from the inside out – unless someone else does it for him. He suspects a
- [Cold Hearted Sniper](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/cold-hearted-sniper/) - (Previously published as Take Me Deeper) A bounty hunter walks into a bar…and finds the sexiest bail-skipper in all of Texas. Former green beret and military sniper Zane Redmond is getting out of the family business. One last bounty to collect, and he’s done. Luckily, Zane Redmond always gets his man. But in this case
- [Make It Hurt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/make-it-hurt/) - The Texas Bounty series heats up as a female bounty hunter goes toe-to-toe with the tantalizing biker who never stopped loving her. Nora Sutcliffe enjoys having tough guys at her mercy—preferably in handcuffs. The best fugitive recovery agent in the business, Nora always gets her man. But when her latest pursuit leads her to a
- [Wrong For Me](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/wrong-for-me/) - Kensington After eight years in prison, Levi Rush is finally out and back on the gritty streets of Detroit to claim the future he was owed. A future that includes the one woman he’s wanted for years—his former best friend Rachel. She’s the reason he went inside and if getting her to do what he
- [Take Me Harder](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/take-me-harder/) - An ex-con with a bad-boy reputation falls for his childhood sweetheart—a good-girl cop chasing a ruthless killer—as the Texas Bounty series gets steamier than the Lone Star State. Rush Redmond never expected freedom to taste so bittersweet. He spent eight years in jail doing someone else’s time, and for what? As an ex-con, Rush can’t
- [Sin For Me](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/sin-for-me/) - Kensington A love this wrong just has to be right… It was anything but easy, but Gideon Black has finally managed to create a safe haven for himself on the gritty streets of Detroit. He worked hard to get on the straight and narrow, pulling himself up from an underground crime syndicate before it consumed
- [The Billionaire’s Virgin](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-billionaires-virgin/) - Dark, tortured, and intimidating, these dominant billionaires will steal their innocent heroines’ breath away. Overwhelmed by their desire to control their world, they push their heroines to explore their deepest desires. But even the most unworldly of heroines can unlock these billionaires’ secrets. Xavier De Santis: Disgraced. Ruinous. Playboy. The headlines are always shouting about
- [The Billionaire Beast](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-billionaire-beast/) - Dark, tortured, and intimidating, these dominant billionaires will steal their innocent heroines’ breath away. Overwhelmed by their desire to control their world, they push their heroines to explore their deepest desires. But even the most unworldly of heroines can unlock these billionaires’ secrets. Nero de Santis: Damaged. Bastard. Beast. Nero hasn’t left his house in
- [The Dangerous Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-dangerous-billionaire/) - Navy SEAL Sullivan “Van” Tate has been called home to reluctantly inherit an empire and finds himself facing the most difficult mission of all: love. Nothing about Sullivan “Van” Tate is what it seems. A Navy SEAL raised among the New York City elite, Van prefers heart-pounding action over a Wall Street corner office. But
- [Hard Night](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/hard-night/) - It’s their pleasure to serve . . . Made up of former soldiers, the men of the 11th Hour play by their own rules to protect the innocent, capture the guilty, and stay in fighting shape for whatever—and whoever—comes their way . . . Jacob Night, ex-Black Ops, owner of a billion-dollar security
- [The Billionaire’s Intern](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-billionaires-intern/) - Lorenzo De Santis: Ruthless. Driven. Ambitious. Lorenzo De Santis is the boss. He’s an uncompromising hardass, he doesn’t suffer fools, and he doesn’t have time to deal with witless young interns. But when an old friend asks for a favor, Lorenzo can’t refuse. Even if it means taking on the man’s daughter as a project.
- [The Wicked Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-wicked-billionaire/) - The Tate Brothers were once orphans and they have been raised to do one thing only: protect what is theirs. As a trained sniper and Navy SEAL, Lucas Tate found the courage to distance himself from the wealthy, wicked patriarch who adopted him. Instead, he’s devoted his life to the elite band of brothers from
- [Raw Power](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/raw-power/) - To find the people lost in the shadows, you need the men who live in them. The former soldiers of 11th Hour are unaffiliated, unacknowledged, and definitely illegal. They protect the innocent, destroy the guilty–and capture hearts along the way . . . Rugged, skilled, and hard-bodied, Jack King’s whole life was the Marines until
- [The Big Bad Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-big-bad-billionaire/) - An intensely sexy Billionaire Fairy Tales standalone novel by Jackie Ashenden that is billionaire romance meets Little Red Riding Hood with a happily ever after. Wicked. Ruthless. Obsessed. Sent away from his family as a boy because he couldn’t be controlled, Rafe DeSantis’s new guardian turned him into a monster. One who wants only two
- [The Undercover Billionaire](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-undercover-billionaire/) - The Tate Brothers were raised to protect what is theirs… Navy SEAL Wolf Tate is on a mission of vengeance. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to infiltrate the lair of his arms-dealing enemy―and rescue the mother he never knew. To do this, he’ll need more than his father’s fortunes or his brothers-in-arms.He must
- [Ruined](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/ruined/) - We have to act like a real couple…’ The solution? Mind–blowing pleasure! Dane ‘Smoke’ Kingsolver and Cat Livingston need to fake a relationship to get her abusive ex off her back. Convincing people their friendship has heated up to scorching levels is unexpectedly easy! But when their red–hot chemistry threatens to ruin everything they’ve ever
- [Destroyed](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/destroyed/) - “You’ll let me do whatever I want?” How can he resist…? Why would a hot-as-hell biker put everything on the line to help the police chief’s nerdy, innocent and very off-limits daughter? Simple—Summer Grant is offering Jake “Tiger” Clarke something he can’t refuse: her! It means playing with deliciously wicked fire, but Tiger is prepared
- [King's Price](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/kings-price/) - His marriage deal… Her sexual awakening! Unscrupulous businessman Leon King is going legit. A calculated marriage to the daughter of a wealthy Sydney philanthropist could help redeem his family’s reputation. But Vita Hamilton has her own scandal to shake: a decade-old sex tape that still haunts her. Getting emotionally involved with Vita will cost Leon
- [King's Rule](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/kings-rule/) - The second book in the red-hot Kings of Sydney series finds Xander King working with his sexy stepsister, Poppy. But can he keep his dark past hidden when their sizzling chemistry takes them from the boardroom to the bedroom? I don’t know what’s worse: hating my stepsister or lusting after her. I knew that hiring
- [King’s Ransom](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/kings-ransom/) - The third book in the red-hot Kings of Sydney trilogy sees Ajax King kidnapping a rising crime lord’s daughter, Imogen White. His bargaining chip is her innocence, but when all Imogen wants is to feel the raw masculinity of the eldest King, Ajax is tempted to free her from her gilded cage for good… Decades
- [Black Sheep Bounty Hunter](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/black-sheep-bounty-hunter/) - He’s the last man she wants to ask for help. And he’s her only hope… Lily Hammond, AKA Duchess, owner of Duchess Bail Bonds, is the toughest woman around. Yet when a blackmailer proves even tougher than she is, she’ll have to swallow her pride and get help from her biggest rival. The one man who gets
- [The Italian’s Final Redemption](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-italians-final-redemption/) - His pursuit for justice was clear… Until he met her! Vincenzo de Santi has dedicated his whole life to redeeming his family’s crimes. So when Lucy Armstrong offers evidence about her nefarious father in exchange for her freedom, he will show no mercy. No matter how innocent she seems… Lucy must escape her father’s prison,
- [The Billionaire’s Club NYC Boxed Set – 100 Shades Hotter Edition](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-billionaires-club-nyc-boxed-set-100-shades-hotter-edition/) - Re-edited boxed set of the three Billionaire’s Club New York novellas. Contains new scenes and extra added hotness! For info on each book, just click the link. The Billion Dollar Bachelor The Billion Dollar Bad Boy The Billionaire Biker
- [Never Seduce A Sheikh](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/never-seduce-a-sheikh/) - International Bad Boys Tule Publishing How deep into the darkness will she have to go to help bring him into the light? Oil baronness Lily Harkness isn’t so much steel magnolia as titanium cactus. She’s used to living in a man’s world and when she plays, she plays to win. She wants exclusive oil rights
- [Never Refuse A Sheikh](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/never-refuse-a-sheikh/) - Tule Publishing International Bad Boys When the sheikh claims a wife, she cannot refuse … Altair is a man perfectly in control both of himself and the power he wields as regent of Al Harah. Yet in order to retain his stronghold on the country he loves, he must wed a princess wilder than the
- [Never Resist A Sheikh](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/never-resist-a-sheikh/) - International Bad Boys Tule Publishing When the sheikh choses a wife, she cannot resist.. Felicity Cartwright is ambitious, fierce, and has everything to prove. But when she arrives in Al-Harah on business for her new tech start-up, she’s mistaken for the future queen and taken against her will. Zakir ibn Rashiq Al-Nazari, ruling sheikh of
- [Demanding His Hidden Heir](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/demanding-his-hidden-heir/) - Harlequin Presents A sizzling weekend… Changes the Italian’s life—forever Enzo Cardinali had never known a passion like the one he shared with Matilda St George during their red-hot Caribbean fling. Beautiful, irresistible Matilda made brooding Enzo crave something more for the first time. But when she left abruptly, he vowed to forget her, rebuilding the
- [Claiming His One Night Child](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/claiming-his-one-night-child/) - Harlequin Presents He’s the billionaire she loves to hate… And now she’s having his baby! Notorious Italian playboy Dante Cardinali lives life on the edge. So when Stella Montefiore dramatically confronts him, vowing to settle a family vendetta, he’s intrigued by her bravery…and enticed by their passionate attraction! It explodes into an intense and sizzling
- [The Debt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-debt/) - The Billionaires Club Ruthless billionaire Ash Evans finds the sexiest way to collect on a debt in the first installment in The Billionaire’s Club quartet! Notoriously ruthless property developer Ash Evans never forgives a debt. And I have two days to convince the former street fighter not to pull his investment in my father’s company.
- [Dirty Devil](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/dirty-devil/) - Billion $ Bastards Self-made billionaire Damian Blackwood catches—and seduces!—Hong Kong’s sexiest thief in this first installment of Jackie Ashenden’s Billion $ Bastards trilogy! My parties are legendary—as is my security. So when Thea Smith almost successfully steals a priceless necklace from my penthouse, I can’t help being impressed by her skill. But I didn’t make
- [A Cowboy For All Seasons](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/a-cowboy-for-all-seasons/) - Discover the power of family in this uplifting quartet by New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates, USA TODAY bestselling author Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm and Jackie Ashenden. June Gable left each of her four granddaughters a handwritten bequest—to spend a season at her beloved farmhouse in Jasper Creek, Oregon, before they sell it. These
- [The Spaniard’s Wedding Revenge](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-spaniards-wedding-revenge/) - From destitute… …to wearing the Spaniard’s diamond! There’s something familiar about the penniless yet fiery woman Cristiano Velazquez saves from the Paris streets. Yes, the redheaded wildcat makes his blood run red-hot. But it’s not until he gives her a job cleaning his mansion that it hits him. She’s his nemesis’s long-lost daughter! Securing Leonie’s
- [Bad Boss](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/bad-boss/) - Billion $ Bastards In this scorching final installment of the Billion $ Bastards trilogy, infuriating billionaire Ulysses White fulfills Morgan Blackwood’s darkest fantasies in bed! I need Morgan. She’s the heart of my business—so when she asks for a vacation, I refuse. But Morgan won’t let it go. She wants a life, a date, to
- [Promoted to His Princess](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/promoted-to-his-princess/) - The Royal House of Axios In bed with the playboy prince For now, or forever? Calista is an elite soldier trained to win any battle. But what happens when the fight is within? Resisting the charismatic prince she’s protecting is getting harder by the minute. When his shirt comes off, so do her inhibitions… When
- [The Most Powerful of Kings](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mybooks/the-most-powerful-of-kings/) - The Royal House of Axios He rules a kingdom… Will she rule his heart? King Adonis learned early on that emotion is a weakness a monarch can’t afford. But then innocent Anna is sent to him to help tame his wayward motherless daughter. Instantly he realises he wants Anna. And that wanting her is extremely

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- [The Call](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/the-call/)
- [Revisions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/revisions/)
- [GMC](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/gmc/)
- [downers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/downers/)
- [waiting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/waiting/)
- [NTAI](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/ntai/)
- [story checklist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/story-checklist/)
- [heroines](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/heroines/)
- [Mr Rough](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/mr-rough/)
- [Lucky 7](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/lucky-7/)
- [venting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/venting/)
- [blues](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/blues/)
- [Beginnings](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/beginnings/)
- [marriage of convenience](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/marriage-of-convenience/)
- [Presents pitch](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/presents-pitch/)
- [pitches](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/pitches/)
- [chess ms](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/chess-ms/)
- [sheikhs](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/sheikhs/)
- [Fred and Mable](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/fred-and-mable/)
- [novella](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/novella/)
- [success](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/success/)
- [competitions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/competitions/)
- [secrets.](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/secrets/)
- [character driven](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/character-driven/)
- [general moaning](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/general-moaning/)
- [luck](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/luck/)
- [reading romance rocks](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/reading-romance-rocks/)
- [Happy Release day](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/happy-release-day/)
- [One Perfect Night](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/one-perfect-night/)
- [submssion doubt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/submssion-doubt/)
- [crows](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/crows/)
- [finishing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/finishing/)
- [giving up](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/giving-up/)
- [feelings](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/feelings/)
- [rewriting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/rewriting/)
- [drama queen](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/drama-queen/)
- [love scenes](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/love-scenes/)
- [pantsing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/pantsing/)
- [mancandy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/mancandy/)
- [Blah](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/blah/)
- [rugby](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/rugby/)
- [OTT Optimist](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/ott-optimist/)
- [Maisey singing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/maisey-singing/)
- [backstory](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/backstory/)
- [essence and identity](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/essence-and-identity/)
- [one night stands](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/one-night-stands/)
- [first drafts](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/first-drafts/)
- [synopses](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/synopses/)
- [distraction](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/distraction/)
- [submitting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/submitting/)
- [RWNZ Conference](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/rwnz-conference/)
- [Sandra Hyatt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/sandra-hyatt/)
- [Romance Writers of Australia Conference 2011](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/romance-writers-of-australia-conference-2011/)
- [conference](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/conference/)
- [requests](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/requests/)
- [contests](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/contests/)
- [mountain climbing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/mountain-climbing/)
- [re-writing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/re-writing/)
- [Ask Dr Jax](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/ask-dr-jax/)
- [news](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/news/)
- [WIP problems](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/wip-problems/)
- [hobbies](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/hobbies/)
- [angst](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/angst/)
- [tension](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/tension/)
- [Presents/Modern](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/presentsmodern/)
- [blog award](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/blog-award/)
- [Dr Jax](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/dr-jax/)
- [Great Beginnings Contest](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/great-beginnings-contest/)
- [character traits](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/character-traits/)
- [staying positive](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/staying-positive/)
- [low point](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/low-point/)
- [sale party for Rach](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/sale-party-for-rach/)
- [starting again](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/starting-again/)
- [aftermath](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/aftermath/)
- [questions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/questions/)
- [Natalie Anderson](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/natalie-anderson/)
- [torture](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/torture/)
- [heroine](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/heroine/)
- [white speedos](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/white-speedos/)
- [valentine's day](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/valentines-day/)
- [Clothing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/clothing/)
- [Jackie Ashenden](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/jackie-ashenden/)
- [pace](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/pace/)
- [eye candy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/eye-candy/)
- [Hoo](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/hoo/)
- [wrong](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/wrong/)
- [Riva](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/riva/)
- [wip](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/wip/)
- [internal conflict](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/internal-conflict/)
- [resolutions](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/resolutions/)
- [iPad](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/ipad/)
- [Voice of Doom](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/voice-of-doom/)
- [Brad](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/brad/)
- [editor feedback](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/editor-feedback/)
- [everything](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/everything/)
- [Hammer Pants](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/hammer-pants/)
- [Lymond](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/lymond/)
- [subtlety](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/subtlety/)
- [Dorothy Dunnett](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/dorothy-dunnett/)
- [Nano](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/nano/)
- [pants](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/pants/)
- [deleting words](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/deleting-words/)
- [sneaky peek](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/sneaky-peek/)
- [reunion stories](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/reunion-stories/)
- [meh](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/meh/)
- [craft](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/craft/)
- [honesty](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/honesty/)
- [congratulations](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/congratulations/)
- [New Voices comp](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/new-voices-comp/)
- [sexual tension](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/sexual-tension/)
- [Never Ending Story](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/never-ending-story/)
- [goals](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/goals/)
- [VoD](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/vod/)
- [craft paralysis](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/craft-paralysis/)
- [NZ Conference](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/nz-conference/)
- [Sydney Conference](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/sydney-conference/)
- [Peek Of the Week](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/peek-of-the-week/)
- [traits](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/traits/)
- [overcomplicating](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/overcomplicating/)
- [pet-names](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/pet-names/)
- [new story](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/new-story/)
- [good things](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/good-things/)
- [synopsophobia](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/synopsophobia/)
- [romance](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/romance/)
- [editing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/editing/)
- [burnt toast](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/burnt-toast/)
- [self aware](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/self-aware/)
- [digging deep](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/digging-deep/)
- [old](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/old/)
- [Birthdays](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/birthdays/)
- [publishers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/publishers/)
- [instinct](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/instinct/)
- [sulking](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/sulking/)
- [strike](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/strike/)
- [mental toughness](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/mental-toughness/)
- [everest](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/everest/)
- [Inbox of Doom](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/inbox-of-doom/)
- [tags](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/tags/)
- [plot devices](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/plot-devices/)
- [active vs passive](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/active-vs-passive/)
- [endings](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/endings/)
- [rudeness](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/rudeness/)
- [first chapters](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/first-chapters/)
- [fighting the crows](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/fighting-the-crows/)
- [bad boys](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/bad-boys/)
- [Kreativ Blog Award](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/kreativ-blog-award/)
- [holiday; recommendations;](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/holiday-recommendations/)
- [partial](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/partial/)
- [iPhone](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/iphone/)
- [characterisation](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/characterisation/)
- [back stories](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/back-stories/)
- [stereotypes](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/stereotypes/)
- [quirks](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/quirks/)
- [problems](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/problems/)
- [Waiheke](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/waiheke/)
- [coffee drinking](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/coffee-drinking/)
- [scene-setting](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/scene-setting/)
- [Carina Press](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/carina-press/)
- [caveat](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/caveat/)
- [shoes](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/shoes/)
- [chemistry](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/chemistry/)
- [cheese](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/cheese/)
- [10 ways](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/10-ways/)
- [ebooks](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/ebooks/)
- [worries](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/worries/)
- [holiday](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/holiday/)
- [plots](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/plots/)
- [husbands](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/husbands/)
- [Rotorua](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/rotorua/)
- [the black moment](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/the-black-moment/)
- [Feel the Heat](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/feel-the-heat/)
- [hooks](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/hooks/)
- [reactive](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/reactive/)
- [active](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/active/)
- [retail therapy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/retail-therapy/)
- [delays](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/delays/)
- [Titles](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/titles/)
- [cliche](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/cliche/)
- [helicopters](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/helicopters/)
- [Housecoats](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/housecoats/)
- [New blog](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/new-blog/)
- [Maisey's drawing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/maiseys-drawing/)
- [Release DAy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/release-day/)
- [Promo](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/promo/)
- [Reviews](https://www.jackieashenden.com/category/reviews/)

## Tags

- [release day](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/release-day-2/)
- [excerpt](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/excerpt/)
- [Falling For Finn](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/falling-for-finn-2/)
- [releases](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/releases/)
- [Talking Dirty with the CEO](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/talking-dirty-with-the-ceo/)
- [RT Review](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/rt-review/)
- [being published](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/being-published/)
- [what happens once you get published](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/what-happens-once-you-get-published/)
- [synopsis](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/synopsis/)
- [Dirty Virgin Hero](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/dirty-virgin-hero/)
- [swag](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/swag/)
- [Black Knight White Queen](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/black-knight-white-queen/)
- [Samhain](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/samhain/)
- [writing](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/writing/)
- [giveaway](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/giveaway/)
- [Taking Him](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/taking-him/)
- [Chessman](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/chessman/)
- [cover](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/cover/)
- [angst](https://www.jackieashenden.com/tag/angst/)

## mySeries

- [Billionaire Novellas](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/billionaire-novellas/)
- [Lies We Tell](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/lies-we-tell/)
- [Talking Dirty](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/talking-dirty/)
- [Seacliffe Medical](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/seacliffe-medical/)
- [Nine Circles](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/nine-circles/)
- [Motor City Royals](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/motor-city-royals/)
- [Texas Bounty](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/texas-bounty/)
- [Tate Brothers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/tate-brothers/)
- [Billionaire Fairytales](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/billionaire-fairytales/)
- [11th Hour](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/11th-hour/)
- [Knights of Ruin](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/knights-of-ruin/)
- [Kings of Sydney](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/kings-of-sydney/)
- [A Forbidden Desires Novel](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/a-forbidden-desires-novel/)
- [Harlequin Presents](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/harlequin-presents/)
- [Alaska Homecoming](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/alaska-homecoming/)
- [Small Town Dreams](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/small-town-dreams/)
- [Jasper Creek Anthology](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/jasper-creek-anthology/)
- [Arcadia](https://www.jackieashenden.com/myseries/arcadia/)

## myThemes

- [Dark and Sensual](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/dark-and-sensual/)
- [Light and Flirty](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/light-and-flirty/)
- [Coming Soon](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/coming-soon/)
- [Friends to Lovers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/friends-to-lovers/)
- [Enemies to Lovers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/enemies-to-lovers/)
- [Virgin Heroine](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/virgin-heroine/)
- [Virgin Hero](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/virgin-hero/)
- [BDSM](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/bdsm/)
- [Billionaires](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/billionaires/)
- [Sheikhs](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/sheikhs/)
- [Kidnap](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/kidnap/)
- [Blue Collar Dudes](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/blue-collar-dudes/)
- [Forbidden Love](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/forbidden-love/)
- [Office Romance](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/office-romance/)
- [Revenge](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/revenge/)
- [Bikers](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/bikers/)
- [Reunion Romance](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/reunion-romance/)
- [Military Men](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/military-men/)
- [Beauty and the Beast](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/beauty-and-the-beast/)
- [Amnesia](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/amnesia/)
- [Older Man](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/older-man/)
- [Playboy Hero](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/playboy-hero/)
- [Fake Relationship](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/fake-relationship/)
- [Secret Baby](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/secret-baby/)
- [Pregnancy](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/pregnancy/)
- [Harlequin Presents](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/harlequin-presents/)
- [Harlequin Dare](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/harlequin-dare/)
- [Cinderella](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/cinderella/)
- [Cowboys](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/cowboys/)
- [Marriage of Convenience](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/marriage-of-convenience/)
- [Best Friend’s Little Sister](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/best-friends-little-sister/)
- [Royalty](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/royalty/)
- [Small Town](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/small-town/)
- [Bad Boy/Good Girl](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/bad-boy-good-girl/)
- [Age Gap](https://www.jackieashenden.com/mytheme/age-gap/)