Of Ice and Men

Congratulations to the five winners of the Goodreads giveaway for the paperback version of Shots on Net : Sally Jessica H. Suzann L. Gina B. Wendy P. June P. Your autographed copies will be sent out by the end of the week! Thanks to all whom entered!

Check it out! Shots on Net has a new cover: It's beautiful! What do you think? And with the cover redesign comes the print cover: All thanks to my friend and fellow author Joss Conlon. Thanks, Joss! He worked on Game On for me as well. Any author needing a cover should definitely shoot him an e-mail: design@jossconlon.com The print version will be available soon . Maybe I'll do another giveaway.... As always, I'll keep you posted!

Melanie Ting and I go way back, to when we were anonymous authors posting serialized stories on-line. We talked about writing and bonded over hockey and cats—which, incidentally, are two of Mel's favorite writing topics. She's just released her second full-length novel entitled Hockey Is My Boyfriend, Part One . The synapsis: Wouldn’t it be great if you could tell exactly what a guy was like… before you went on a date with him? Kelly Tanaka can. After years of playing hockey with guys, she believes that how a guy acts on the ice is a good indicator of how he’ll be as a boyfriend. So far, she’s only used this superpower to help her girlfriends, because Kelly’s not really into dating. However, when blond and beautiful Nicklas Ericcson comes along, her theories are put to the test. But then tall, dark, and smoking Phil Davidson insists he’s a better hockey player and a better potential boyfriend. What’s Kelly to do? Hockey Is My Boyfriend is a smart and funny journ...

Congratulations to the five winners who entered the Game On Goodreads giveaway! Your autographed copies are all set to be mailed on Monday. Happy reading!

How is it possible that this year—this wonderful, unbelievable year of gifts and firsts—is halfway through?! I can't believe it. I'll save all the reminiscing for New Year's Eve; instead, I'm reflecting on the stuff that I didn't get gone. Ugh, that doesn't sound very positive, but it's not that bad, I swear. I'm behind schedule on writing The Back Up . I'm currently rewriting the beginning... for the third time. Sigh. I wish that I could be the kind of writer who plows through a first draft and goes through a couple rounds of editing and rewrites. But I just can't . It's definitely a flaw I tried to work on. Instead, I agonize over the words as I write them, deleting and rearranging and rewriting as I go. That's why I'm stuck back at the beginning. On top of that, June has been a very busy month, loaded with distractions and diversions. Oh yeah, have I mentioned Pinterest? Oh, the pictures! I'm late to the game, but feel fr...

I'm very excited to announce that my latest release, Game On , is now available in a paperback edition from Amazon! I'm so happy, so proud, so amazed to see my name in print for my very own book. As I've said before, this has always been a dream of mine, and it's coming true! My goal is also to release Play the Man and Shots on Net in paperback this summer. As always, I will bombard my blog, Twitter, and Facebook with updates on those statuses. Meanwhile I'm also working on my next novel, The Back Up . I'm having a lot of fun creating Lincoln Reynolds's world and plotting out what's going to happen to him. Once I get the first draft finished, I'll do a cover reveal to celebrate (that is, if you haven't already seen the sneak peek at the end of Game On ...).

I was reviewed—and now I'm interviewed! Ms. Ting interviewed me as during her stint as the Substitute Reviewer on the All the Things Inbetween blog here . She says I'm funny!

The lovely and hilarious Melanie Ting has been reviewing books for the blog All the Things Inbetween . Her review of On the Surface and interview with author Kate Willoughby went live last week. I don't know how she has time to read books, let alone review them! On top of writing her own novels. Phew. I'm exhausted just typing that. And this week, Mel's reviewing my book Play the Man ! Read her glowing review here . Haven't read Play the Man yet? Check out the links in the sidebar to the right for buy links. That's enough shameless promotion for now. Stayed tuned for my interview with Mel!

Last week, I got an update on the anthology sales for Seduced by the Game . Of course, 100% of profits are being donated to charity. This means that, since the anthology went live just two months ago, we've raised a total (between print books, eBooks, and swag) of almost $10,000 for the charity against cancer! This is all thanks to you, the readers. That is an amazing donation to make to such a worthy cause. Toni Aleo, one of the fabulous authors included in the anthology, will be presenting the check to the Predators Foundation, the recipient of our first donation. This is such a big deal, and I know Toni is thrilled to be the representative from the anthology to meet with the Predators' organization. The size of the donation ( almost $10,000, that's amazing! ) and the participation of an NHL team are all outstanding news. Great things are happening! And this is all thanks to everyone who has bought a copy of the book or any of the associated items. Seriously, I owe ...

I've been thinking about beginnings a lot lately. I've been writing and rewriting the first few chapters of my new story more times than I care to admit. It's tough because I want to show you just enough about my main character, Lincoln Reynolds, without giving away too much. I want to pique my readers' curiosities and interests, draw them in, and leave them wanting to read more! That's not an easy balance to strike. A beginning is so important. It's the introduction to the characters and the starting point of the book's structure. It sets up the plot. Did you know that you can read the first chapter of each of my three novels? Check them out by following the links: Game On Shots on Net Play the Man So, I'm interested to know: what do you look for in the beginning of a new book? What gets you hooked? Or is there anything you hate about a beginning? Leave a comment below and tell me!

So 2014 has been pretty crazy so far. Game On was released in February, and "A Valuable Trade," my novella in Seduced by the Game , was released earlier this month. Now I get to relax, right? No! I'm working on Book #4 right now. It's titled The Back Up --which, as you can probably tell, will focus on back-up goaltender of a pro team. I included a sneak peek of the cover at the end of Game On. The entire story of The Back Up will be told from goalie Lincoln Reynolds's point of view. I'm excited to narrate the story from a guy's perspective. But that means this story is going to be different from the ones I've written before. Obviously, I'm an expert when it comes to women since I am, you know, a woman. But what about men? Are they really different from women? Well, here's what I've figured out so far: we all have the same feelings and thoughts, but our processes are different. I've been talking to a goalie in a rec league to r...

Just one last reminder to everyone that today is the last day to enter the giveaway for Seduced by the Game . The giveaway ends at 12:00 midnight PDT. What are you waiting for?!

Today's the big media blitz day for the charity cancer anthology Seduced by the Game . To help with the promotion, there's a ginormous giveaway going on. Check it out and enter ! The prizes are so good, I'm half tempted to enter! Additionally, the eBook is now available through iTunes and Kobo . Of course, there's all that swag ! We nine authors are so happy to be doing our part to support the fight against cancer. We have each been affected by a cancer diagnosis. I've mentioned before that my paternal grandfather died from lung cancer. My maternal grandfather is battling bladder cancer—a fight that I am so happy to say that he is winning. This is why I'm so grateful to be a part of this anthology, to know that I am helping to raise funds for charity that supports a cause so important to me. I must stress that 100% of all royalties are being donated. Please, help us support Hockey Fights Cancer™!

The cancer charity anthology, Seduced by the Game , is now live via several eBook retailers: Amazon All Romance eBooks Barnes & Noble Smashwords Or get the print version of the book. I will, of course, give updates when the anthology is available through additional retailers. Also, check out the Seduced by the Game website for tons of other swag, such as t-shirts, buttons, mugs, bags, and more . Help us raise money and support the fight against cancer! I'm so proud to have been included in this anthology. I'm in such good company with eight other authors, and we're working together for one hell of a cause. All authors are proud supporters of Hockey Fights Cancer™ .

Earlier this month, I gave my readers a sneak peek into my story, "A Valuable Trade" for the cancer charity anthology, Seduced by the Game . Since the anthology will be released on April 10th, I'm going to give you another, second excerpt of my story. Enjoy! I may not be a hockey player, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t know how hard trades are. When I said goodbye to winger Tim Fletcher, it was like I was losing a brother. I may not be a player on the Comets, but the players have always made me feel like I was a part of the team. Like I was one of them. I care about them, and I try to make sure they’re all taken care of. Sure, it’s a part of my job, but Lord knows I don’t just do it because I’m paid to do it; I do it because I want to. I’m like a mother hen keeping her chicks in check. I’m polite and kind, but I can get feisty and sassy if I need to in order to get things done. So when I meet our newest star at the airport, Bryan Comstock, I can...

Play the Man, Shots on Net, and Game On are now available through iTunes for reading on iBooks! New links are added to the sidebar. I'm very excited to be able to offer all these reading options!

I just wanted to take the time to say a big, huge, GINORMOUS thanks to you, my readers. I first published Play the Man in March 2013, so it's been a year since I started this crazy journey. In the span of a year, I published three titles. A lot of it was pre-written material that was edited many times over with a couple of changes here and there, a new ending for an old story, and covers slapped on front. Writing had been a hobby and a habit for years. I always had a hard time seeing a project through to the end, so I started posting a story online in a public forum, figuring that if I thought someone was reading it, then I would be motivated to see it to completion. And man oh man, did you guys ever come through for me. I got a ton of readers, many of whom left me great comments, and pushed me to write and post—from start to finish—a bunch of stories. Some of you encouraged me to take it to the next level. Eventually, I said, "Why the hell not?" an...

Want to know what's going on in my world without having to check my blog, Twitter, or Facebook? Let me bring the news straight to you! Sign up to receive my newsletter. Of course, for all the latest info, follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page .

My novels are now available as Nook books from Barnes & Noble!   I've updated the links on the side bar to show all the retail options for all my eBooks. I'll share more news about the availability of my books as it continues to roll in. Stay tuned! Big things are happening!

Sign up for our Seduced by the Game cancer charity anthology Release Day Blitz on April 10 or the Review Tour starting on April 11! Help spread the word about the anthology and support the fight against cancer!

All three of my novels are now available on Kobo. Neat!   So if you don't have a Kindle or any of the Kindle apps, Kobo might be an eReading service for you. Check it out!

Seduced by the Game 2014 will be released next month! Eight novellas compiled into one collection, featuring some of the best hockey romance writers in the biz, for one price. And 100% of the list price gets donated to Hockey Fights Cancer*. Check out Seduced by the Game on Goodreads and add it to your to-read shelf! I'm giving you an exclusive sneak peek at my story for the anthology, "A Valuable Trade." Here it is: “Dallas.” Fuck . “We’ll pack up your things and send them along for you. Thank you for your years of dedication, Bryan. Good luck with your new team.” The general manager of the Tornadoes stretches out his hand, which I reluctantly shake. Then I shake my coach’s hand—well, my ex -coach’s hand. I can’t look either of them in the eye. As I leave the GM’s office and head for the exit, the threshold from my old life to my new one, I run into a couple of my teammates. My former teammates now. They express their regrets rega...

I am so very happy to share news about the upcoming hockey romance anthology, which I'm so excited to be a part of. The anthology will be released in April, with proceeds going to Hockey Fights Cancer. Firstly, it's named Seduced by the Game . Hooked yet? And the cover is gorgeous. Take a peek: So, what do you think? Feel free to tell me in the comments!

Game On is now live on Amazon's website! This is the end stage of work on an eBook. The story is finished and is uploaded to Amazon—just waiting for you to purchase and review (/shamelessplug). But now I have to switch modes from writing to marketing. It's time to get the word out! Announcements on Twitter and Facebook . Updating GoodReads . Blogging. Is there anything I'm missing? Probably. I'd like to relax a little bit after wrapping up a big project, but there's no time for that now. I still have to work on my story for the Hockey Fights Cancer anthology, which will be released in just a few months. Besides that, I have some other ideas to open my writings up to a bigger audience. And of course, I already have plenty of ideas about my fourth novel. There's a teaser at the end of Game On for this fourth book, which I'm already excited about. Check it out and let me know what you think! In other news, today's the last day to get a copy of Pl...

That's right, Play the Man is free right now on Amazon! And it will be until Friday, February 28, which is the release date of Game On. Want a free advance copy of Game On before Friday? Contact me, and I'll send you an ARC. Happy reading! Jay

I'm very happy to announce that I will be published in anthology of hockey romance compiled to raise money for Hockey Fights Cancer ! I'm really very happy to be included with the likes of Toni Aleo, Cassandra Carr, and V. L. Locey, (who you may have checked out during the Hottie Hockey Hunks Blog Hop), among others like Bianca Sommerland, Nicki Worrell and more ! The as yet unnamed anthology will be released in April, and proceeds will be donated to Hockey Fights Cancer, which I'm sure we can all agree is a great charity. My paternal grandfather succumbed to lung cancer, and my maternal grandfather is currently undergoing treatment for bladder cancer. Needless to say, this is a cause that is very important to me. My submission is the short story A Valuable Trade , a former Quickie, which will be adapted for publication in the anthology. Of course, I'll keep everyone in the loop once publication nears!

Last night, I finished the draft of Game On . Thirty chapters are written. For me, writing is the hardest part. Getting my ideas out of my head and into a tangible form takes a lot of time and effort. And tons of thinking, scheming, and daydreaming. I said in a previous Chronicle that I don't know how a story will end until after I write the ending. That's so true; I knew that my main character Audrey would return home for Christmas, and that's when the story would end in the timeline of events. But it wasn't until I got to the final scene that I felt the closure I needed to feel to know that the story was over. So, the writing's finished. But what does that mean for a story? It means there's more work to be done! A draft must be turned into a final copy suitable for publication (and for a publication date to be calculated), which requires the following steps: Editing Proofreading Formatting for eBook Publication Cover Designing For those of you...

As a story nears completion, and I finally have a clear idea of everything the story is supposed to tell, then it's time to start thinking about the "blurb." In publishing terms, this is called back cover copy , because it's the teaser that gets printed on the—you guessed it!—back cover. Writing this is so  hard! It's supposed to be a teaser. So this is what I typed up: Audrey Hunt hopes to make her mark on the world. Armed with her masters in broadcast journalism, she applies for a job that would allow her to do just that but instead finds herself in Columbus, Ohio, covering the NHL’s Blue Jackets. At first, she thinks that the job is a joke; however, she quickly discovers that there’s more to hockey than scoring goals and more to sports reporting than talking stats. With the support of the players on the team—including lots of help from the superstar captain Nathan Fox—Audrey searches for her niche as a sports journalist for Ohio Spots Net...

It's been about two months since I've updated on my progress of my latest novel, Game On . It's hard to talk about it when I don't exactly how the story is going to end, or when I'll actually wrap it up. Endings make the story. Endings are  the story; everything that happens is designed that way, solely to lead up to the end. The reader's satisfaction depends on how the story wraps up. Has this ever happened to you: you're reading a story or watching a movie, and everything's rolling on just fine, until you get to the ending and bam! The whole plot is ruined by a crappy ending, and instead of a feeling of resolve, you only feel disappointment. That's why endings are so hard for a writer. Beginnings are the fun part; you get to create a whole new world! Middles are the interesting part, because you get to know your characters and investigate their lives and personalities. But endings... Sometimes, I feel like I don't write the endings. They ha...

I recently got a great five-star review on Amazon, written by Anne-Marie Cherry: I guess that Shots on Net is a sports romance about hockey, but it's so much more than that. This is a realistic story that deals with the struggles that a lot of millennials face: figuring out your goals, priorities, and most of all your career. Layered on top of that is all the awkwardness of dating and having to define the relationship for everyone in your life, and exploring attraction, desire, and love. If you're on the dating scene now, there is a lot to identify with in the story of Shannon and Kevin. And I really liked the fact that Shannon loves romance books.  Sure, I write about hockey, and hockey is a major part of the storyline. But I like to think that I write about people and life. It's nice to see that someone else thinks so, too.