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July 1, 2009 -- This past month has been so busy. Between the Mentor Lottery (which raised over $2000 in a week), the final Anniversary celebration month and working on my own book, I've been swamped. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Anniversary Celebration over the last six months.

There are a few fun things to report. First, if you are a member of Facebook, I've created a quiz there that is all about my heroes! You can take it here and while you're add it, friend me!

Additionally, Amazon.com is now listing my February 2, 2010 release, Nothing Denied for pre-order. This erotic romance written under my Jess Michaels name is the final book in the Albright Sisters series. It features spoilt sister Beatrice and her taming at the ends of dominant rogue Gareth, who just might have killed his first wife. It was a challenge to make such a bitchy character likeable, but I really enjoyed it and I hope you'll like the final product when it hits stores in February.

And lastly, as you can see the cover for my November release, What the Duke Desires is now up. I love it and I'm so excited for the launch of my "The Billingham Bastards" series. I've put the cover up at my Jenna Petersen site, as well as the first excerpt from the book! So head on over!

If you are attending the RWA National Convention this year in Washington, D.C., please come and see me! I've put up my full schedule of appearances in My Events, as well as my schedule for the rest of 2009!

June 1, 2009 -- After a couple of crazy months, I'm actually happy to say that I don't have anything scheduled for the month of June as far as online or offline promotional events. Phew! I think I overbooked myself this time around, so I'll have to be sure not to do so when What the Duke Desires hits shelves this November. Just an FYI, I've added a bunch of new info about that book to my Jenna Petersen site this month, so come on by and start getting ready for "The Billingham Bastards" with me!

The one thing I have been doing is writing. I'm hoping to get pretty close to halfway done with this book by the end of June. That is actually a much slower pace than normal, but it's actually done on purpose. I'm big on trying new things, so I'm writing a tad slower and doing a little more editorial as I go with this book. It's an odd process for me, but the last year, especially has been so busy and crazy that I'm appreciating the reduced self-pressure. Sometimes you can burn yourself out and I was close to doing that.

At any rate, the book is coming along and I've been enjoying writing again. I hope you all will like the books coming your way, as well!

Finally, this month is the last month of our 2009 10-Year Anniversary Celebration, so I hope everyone will come by the Anniversary page and check out our final fabulous interview, as well as enter the last contest for the Anniversary. Thanks to everyone who participated, especially the editors and agents who were so generous with their time!

**This month I will be updating Passionate Pen twice! In the next couple of weeks (not sure of the date yet), I'll be updating again to give you details on a lottery I'll be holding where you can win a year of mentorship from Jenna Petersen/The Passionate Pen. This mentorship will include a meeting with me in DC during RWA (or if you are not going to DC, a telephone meeting), critiques of your work and more.

My husband is training for a marathon and all proceeds from the lottery will go to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society as part of his fundraising efforts. Look for all the details on how to enter the lottery in the next couple of weeks (I'm waiting for Leukemia/Lymphoma Society to update his fundraising page and make sure it's working before I start the lottery since the entries will be paid straight to his fundraising site).**

May 1, 2009 -- It's been a very busy month, with two releases. Her Notorious Viscount has seemed to do quite well and actually hit the Bookscan Bestseller list two weeks in a row, at my highest rank and with my highest sales numbers of any book I've had out so far. So thank you to everyone who bought it. I appreciate the support.

At the time that I'm writing this Taboo just hit stores, but those who have reviewed it seemed to like it a great deal. Avon's Red titles are not always in big box stores like Wal-Mart, but it should be stocked on your local bookstore shelves and is available at online retailers everywhere. I hope you will enjoy the story.

In other news, I was thrilled to receive a call from the Wisconsin RWA chapter to tell me that Something Reckless finaled in their Write Touch Readers Conference in the erotic category. Winners will be announced in early June, though I won't be able to make the conference myself.

This month will be, happily, less busy than April, however I will be making a few appearances. Check out my Events for more info on where I'll be (especially if you live in Indianapolis). And I've also started a new book, An Unwanted Duchess (The Billingham Bastards Book 2), which will likely be out next summer. More details are coming when I have them.

Happy writing everyone! And be sure to check out this month's Anniversary Update and contest!

April 1, 2009 -- Due to time constraints, I will no longer be updating Passionate Pen every week. I'm moving to a monthly schedule (around the first of every month). It may increase to bi-monthly, but we'll see. I'll also be answering email only once a month and if I feel an answer to a question could have been found on the site, I might not reply at all. This is just an FYI.

In other news, I have accepted a new contract with Avon, so the remainder of the Billingham Bastards series will be officially coming to a bookstore near you in the next couple of years.

Also, I've updated the Anniversary for April. Be sure to read Jessica Faust's great interview and enter the contest to win writing books from my own personal collection. This is also a very busy month for appearances for me, so check out My Events to see if I'll be near you or where to visit me online.

Oh and of course the biggest news of all is that Her Notorious Viscount is officially in stores! I would truly appreciate your support by buying the book. I'm very proud of the story and I hope my readers will enjoy it. Plus, on April 21, Taboo (Jess Michaels) will be in stores. This erotic historical romance was given my very first solo Top Pick from Romantic Times, which I'm very excited about!

Have a great April everyone. See you in May.

March 9, 2009 -- What a week. Between weather-related flight delays, cancelations and uncooked hamburger (it's a long story), my New York trip wasn't exactly what I planned. However, I did get some good work done, so it's still successful in its own way. Plus, while stranded in various airports and hotels, I managed to finish a first draft for Nothing Denied. I'm very happy to be done just because I'm exhausted. I am really looking forward to a couple weeks of resting and catching up with everything before I start revising the manuscript.

So this week that's what I'm doing. Writing some blogs for appearances later this month and into April, cleaning my wreck of an office, maybe reading a... gasp... book for pleasure!! Basic break stuff that I am SO looking forward to. Oh, and look for me to catch up with updates at my various Facebook/MySpace/Passionate Pen updates.

Then we'll be getting closer and closer to the release of Her Notorious Viscount which is out March 31!! I've already had a couple of reviews for it and so far reviewer reaction seems very positive! Romantic Times gave it four stars and First Edition gave it a glowing review. Anyway, there are a few things I have to do to get ready, so I hope you're on the countdown with me!!

Otherwise, I need a nap. So happy writing everyone!

March 1, 2009 -- I'm happy to say that I just posted the March Anniversary Update for the site! Come check out Selina McLemore's really great interview (if reading her answers doesn't make you want to work with her, I don't know what will!), enter the new contest and check out why I think published authors should come to New York if they can. I have also sent the newsletter for March for Jenna Petersen, so if you are a member of the newsletter list and didn't get it, please let me know. If you're not... well, why not? It's a monthly thing and you'll be kept up with all the "doings".

I will be a busy girl this week. Tomorrow morning I leave for my own trip to New York City (which is why my top ten list is about doing just that this month). I'll be doing a reading at Madame X on Monday night, so check out My Events for all the info if you live in the area! I'd love to meet you. During my stay I'll also be taking some meetings and seeing some good friends, so I'm very excited to be heading out to one of my favorite places in the world.

I'm also hoping to get ever closer to "The End" of my February 2010 erotic historical romance release, Nothing Denied. I'm on the final 100 pages or so and I'll have time on the plane rides, as well as during some of my evenings in New York. I'm really hoping to be finished by mid-March at the latest so that the book has some time to settle before I revise and turn it in.

Okay, I'm off to do some final packing. Very happy writing this week, everyone!

February 24, 2009 -- Well, we're back from Tucson after a lovely and relaxing visit with family (including our nephew Jake who turns 1 tomorrow). The respite does not last long, though. Next Monday I'll be departing for New York City for a week-long visit that includes a reading at Madame X in the Tribeca neighborhood. See My Events for where I'll be this week and during my NYC appearance.

I'm also writing away still on Nothing Denied which is rapidly approaching "The End". I'm not sure if it will be coming with me to the city, but either way it will be done by mid-March. I admit, I'm getting excited to see the end of the story and have a bit of breathing room with both erotic and historical turned in and on their way to production.

Otherwise, I intend to keep my head down and just try to do some catch up before I leave for NYC. There will be an update next Sunday, which is the 1st of March, so look for a new interview, contest and Top Ten List. I hope you've been enjoying the Anniversary Celebration! I know I have!!

February 16, 2009 -- Last week I managed to make it through the revision of What the Duke Desires (November 2009), which is now with my great friend and talented author, Kathryn Smith. She is awesomely reading the entire thing for me. I actually need to turn it in this Friday, although the due date is February 23, because I will be in Arizona visiting family next week. So no PP Update on February 23, but I will be drawing a winner when I get back February 24 and updating then. So you get a free extra day to enter to win ARCs for Life from Jenna Petersen.

Meanwhile, this week I'm back to working on my next erotic romance, Nothing Denied, which now has a tentative release date of February 2010. So add that one to your lists, although the name will likely change. I'm hoping to get some solid work done on it before I leave for Tucson. It's going to be a bit complicated since I will be going to Detroit tomorrow (February 17) to speak to the Greater Detroit Romance Writers on "Anatomy of a Love Scene". If you live in the Detroit area, feel free to come by for the meeting (you can come to one free before you join the chapter) and get a signed book from me!

Happy Writing Everyone! :) See you when I get back next Tuesday afternoon.

February 9, 2009 -- Hello all! As you can see from the beautiful image on the left, the French translation of From London With Love has a smashing cover. The book is out this week in France, as well, so if you live there you can now purchase it in your native tongue. They will also be translating Desire Never Dies and Seduction Is Forever and I believe the plan is to put them out rather close together, though I'm out of the loop almost completely so I could be wrong. Check your local bookstore for more info, I suppose!

So the title for this book is Bons Baisers de Londres, which Babelfish tells me translates literally to "Good Kisses of London". Someone who is better in French will hopefully give me a better translation, either way I think it's smashing. I love getting to see the foreign covers!

Otherwise, this past week I locked myself away and have been working on the revisions for What the Duke Desires (November 2009). I'm making some good progress and I'll probably work just on that again this week, putting off the writing of Nothing Denied a little longer. Luckily I have extra time built into my deadline, so I have no worries.

Also, this coming Saturday is Valentine's Day. Don't forget that A Red Hot Valentine's Day is still available at stores everywhere. It's a tasty collection of treats that could make your day a bit hotter. Also, I'll be on the radio today (February 9) at 2pmET for Romance Radio! Go to My Events for the link. You can call in with questions, so I'd love to hear from you!

Have a great week, everyone! Happy Writing!

February 2, 2009 -- Well, its another new month and the Anniversary has been updated with all new interview with the fabulous Mary-Theresa Hussey from Harlequin, a huge contest and top ten list! I hope you'll peruse it all in the next few days. January was so crazy busy, I'm hoping February feels a little less hectic. I have two writing projects though (the first draft of my erotic that is due April 15 and the revisions for What the Duke Desires (November 2009), so I'm guessing I might still feel a bit pressed for a while. This week I'm putting aside the writing (which I've been struggling with anyway) and focusing solely on the revision part. It's due sooner and I really want this book to be spectacular since it starts the Billingham Bastards series.

One thing that is off my shoulders now is that I launched my beautiful new newsletter over the weekend. It went out to over 900 subscribers. I really love the sophisticated new look and feel to the HTML newsletter. If you want to join, come over to my Jenna Petersen site and do so! I just updated it with a contest (yes, there are TWO contests going on right now), a bunch of big news and the sneak peek at my May 2009 erotic cover.

I'll be in several places this week in person and online, so please visit My Events for all the details.

Otherwise, have a very happy week with much good writing!

January 26, 2009 -- Life is really starting to pick up now that my next two releases are inching closer and closer. And I seem to keep catching this same rotten cold over and over, but I did buckle down last week and write, though I didn't actually reach my page goal. Still, I'm approaching the halfway mark now, which is good, I'm hoping to cross over that this next week and stay on track to finish the first draft by February 13. I'd love to be done before I go to Detroit for my presentation on February 17.

In other news, the Jenna Petersen site will be updated this week (probably Friday). We're also switching over to a new newsletter format, which I'm really excited about. Using YahooGroups was great for a start, but this is going to be much more professional. Anyone who is a member of the list when I do the mail merge over to the new group will be automatically entered to win a gift certificate from Amazon.com, so if you join in the next few days, you'll have a great chance to win, plus you'll get the newsletter which has all the tidbits on what's upcoming for me as a writer. Join by sending a blank email here.

This week I'll also be recording a couple of internet radio spots, though I have no idea when I'll actually hear them air. I'll keep you all informed when I have that info. I don't think we're live when recording, but doing to digital recording to be aired at a later date. Still, it's a bit nerve wracking. I will be doing a live internet broadcast in February, however, for Romance Radio. I'll have a link for that hopefully this week.

Finally, last week I registered for the Romance Writers of America national conference, which is being held in Washington, D.C. this year. If you're coming, I hope you'll come say hi at the literacy signing or if I'm speaking (we don't know yet). Also, keep your eyes peeled at Passionate Pen, because some of the anniversary prizes this year have to do with RWA as an organization and the national conference! Next contest begins February 1.

Happy Writing everyone!

January 19, 2009 -- A sudden illness and an even more surprising burst of creative energy on another project sidelined my plans for writing fifty pages on Nothing Denied last week. So I'll have to do a little extra this week to stay on target, which is fine. I'm really hoping to do at least 60 pages, which will put me over 100 and about a third of the way through the story. If do do 60 instead of 50, I'll still make my original self-imposed deadline.

Tomorrow (Jan 20), I'll also be spending some time with the Romance Vagabonds talking about the Passionate Pen 10-Year Anniversary, so come by and show some love there if you have time. There's only one week left to enter to win the three chapter critique from my agent Miriam Kriss, so if you've been waiting, this is the time to jump in! The winner will be chosen before I post next week and the contest will no longer be open after the update. So truly... last call!

Otherwise, I have very little to report. I'm writing.... um... ish. And trying to stay warm and that's just about it.

Happy Writing!

January 12, 2009 -- First off, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who jumped in on the release day of A Red Hot Valentine's Day and said congrats or bought the book. I really appreciate it, especially since I know the economy is so tough for people right now. I hope you enjoy the stories and that it whets your appetite for all the books to come in 2009!

Secondly, the Preditors and Editors poll ends on January 14. The Passionate Pen is up for Favorite Writer Resource and I'd love to have your vote. It only takes a second and it would mean a lot to me.

So my "normal" week was very nice. I actually caught up on a ton of stuff for promo and set up some blogs/interviews, as well as wrote on the new book (due April 15) called Nothing Denied. More than 50 pages are in the hopper and I'm planning on writing 50 more this week (although my week is randomly busy for some reason).

One other big thing I did last week was turn in my November 2009 historical, What the Duke Desires. This story starts my Billingham Bastards series that I'm almost giddy about. I just hope my editor likes the story. It's always nerve wracking to let a book go to the editor. There's always this tiny little fear that she's going to email me and say, "What were you thinking, you big hack!" Of course, she is much nicer than that and I can't imagine her phrasing it in such a way even if she did have issues with the book, but I've put a lot of heart and energy and love into this particular book, so that fear just... niggles. Still, it's exciting to set it free and let it start on its real journey to becoming a book (my 14th published book and 12th with Avon, to be precise).

Happy Writing Everyone! And don't forget to enter the contest. A first three chapter read from my agent Miriam Kriss is a great prize!!

January 5, 2009 -- Before I start this week I have to say... Yay!!! I have a book out (well, tomorrow). That's right, my ninth book with Avon (and 11th book total) is hitting shelves on January 6. The novella collection A Red Hot Valentine's Day features my historical story "By Valentine's Day", which is a "trapped in a storm"/"friends turn to lovers" story. I am very proud of it and I hope you'll love it. Check out My Events for info on where I'll be this week to celebrate!

Okay, so a blank diary always makes me sort of sad and happy at the same time. Sad because it means another year is over and happy because a whole new one has begun, filled with possibility and wonder (I hope). The first few days of the new year have already been great. First, a HUGE thanks to everybody who have come by for the Anniversary. I'm really appreciating the wonderful emails and comments that you're leaving attached to your contest answers. And please don't forget that this is just the beginning! I'll be adding more things to the celebration and there will be a new contest and interview each month. All I can say is that more fabulous prizes are coming. Secondly, The Passionate Pen is up for Favorite Writer Resource in the Preditors and Editors poll. You can vote here. Voting ends January 14, though, so don't delay!

But this week everything is going back to "normal", which is nice because 2008 was hectic! Between China, RWA, my brother's Seattle wedding, our trip to Hawaii and then to Idaho to see family... well, let's just say sometimes my house didn't feel like home because I was hardly here. I love the traveling, but I'm honestly looking forward to a stretch of time where I will be here catching up.

And what does catching up entail? Well, this week I have several mini-goals. One is to finish the final read of What the Duke Desires (November 2009) before it goes off to my editor next week for her comments and revisions. Also, I really want to catch up on all my email, MySpace comments and Facebook messages. I know I'm behind and I sincerely apologize. The holidays do a real number on my productivity. I'm also hoping to start real writing work on my next erotic historical, which is about Beatrice, the spoilt sister of the Albright family. Her book is tentatively called Nothing Denied, but that will likely change because... well, it sucks.

These goals may be a bit lofty considering I've been slacking and running around for the last month and considering I have a book out on Tuesday... but I'll take what I can get on working on them. Oh, and I'm still looking for more "What Passionate Pen Means to Me" quotes for the anniversary! Email them to me and they might get included one month here at the site!

Good luck getting back on a regular schedule everyone and HAPPY WRITING!!

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