We’ll be talking about societal norms and narrow-mindedness. Come on over, there's an AWESOME announcement to do with Distraction! Yep, it's the book over there in the sidebar.
I’ve been reading
romances since, well...since I was too young to be reading them. Devouring books led me to writing love stories and I penned the first one at age
thirteen. Since then, I’ve written a few books, mainly romantic suspense.
Though I write across several genres, love in a common theme in the novels for adults
’cause I love a happy ending.
Readers often remark
on the fact that I create characters who come alive on the page, which is what
a writer wants to do with every story. My secret is being that character,
living their emotions, walking with them through their situation. You can’t get
much closer to anyone than being in their shoes. See a sampling of my
work below:
Hardware (Romantic Suspense) is set in Jamaica and is available on Amazon. Yes, Jayda is a pen name. Distraction is Women's Fiction and also set in Jamaica. I'm touring the book now, so it's a free download on Amazon. If you like stories with strong characters and risky situations, feel free to grab a copy. The Prequel is free on Smashwords.
So, what’s your favourite or least favourite thing about romance
novels? D'you read exclusively in this genre or are you like me, dabbling all the time, but coming back to romance no matter what?
My
giveaway on this hop is a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card. Fill in the Rafflecopter
below. To be eligible for one of Three Grand Prizes, make sure you leave a comment
on this post, along with your email address. You can visit all the blogs and
comment, leaving your email address and be entered to win. So that’s over 200 entries,
if you like. The prizes are:-
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire
or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon
or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: The following
Swag Pack!
Thanks for coming by and don’t forget to hop to the other blogs on the list below. Have a great weekend hopping!
How cool that you are at Michael's blog, he's terrific. I will be right over.
ReplyDeletehere's my email melbwrites@gmail.com
Enjoy the weekend!
And I forgot, LOL Romance for me is an essential part of the human experience so I love to read it and write it. Not that I don't go on to other genres. :)
ReplyDeleteFor sure, life wouldn't be the same without some romance.
DeleteDonna Hole is also giving you a shout out on her blog today, Joy.
ReplyDeleteSaw that, Michael. This is why I don't think I'll ever give up blogging. Bloggers are the best.
DeleteI, too, started devouring romances when I was too young to read them. I remember reading some sex scenes and I had no idea what I was reading about. Scary thought. I have a 13 year old daughter now and hide all my books from her. Everything is electronic on my kindle (which stays in my purse and goes everywhere with me) and this is not my real name (hopefully she can't find me or trace me).
ReplyDeletekesummer69 at gmail dot com
Kelsey, too funny. My mother wasn't as careful as you are. She just wanted to know I was reading. If only she knew.
DeleteI woke one morning on a family visit to find my then 9 year old daughter reading a Danielle Steele book to my great aunt (who was losing her sight).. everyone I knew was horrified - I was thrilled she was reading AND doing something nice for someone else.
ReplyDeleteNow I need to go read -
thank you for participating
glhince@gmail.com
Gaele,
DeleteFunny story and pretty cool too. :)
I love romance but I didn't read them early. I was addicted to Agatha Christie and Tolkien and Montgomery and Alcott and ... for a long time. Then I discovered sf and fantasy then finally romance. I still read all over the place too :)
ReplyDeleteJemi, sounds like you some deep reading with some heavy hitters. Sci-Fi and Fantasy I don't do a lot of. I should broaden my horizons a bit. Thanks for dropping in.
DeleteI love the setting of the book in Jamaica, what a perfect place for a steamy read.
ReplyDeletefencingromein at hotmail dot com
Jamaica does provide a great backdrop for novels.
DeleteGreat interview over at Michael's. I don't read that many romance novels, but I have liked the ones I've picked up. I think all novels should have some sort of romantic element in them. But maybe that's just a woman thing. :P
ReplyDeleteAnd that was a fun little excerpt Michael included today. :)
Thanks, L.G. A dollop of romance does add that extra spark to a novel.
DeleteI didn't read a lot of romance books until I was in my late teens. Now I read any type of genre, but always come back to romance, just like a cozy warm blanket of comfort.
ReplyDeleteskpetal at hotmail dot com
Oh, yeah, I love that comparison to a cozy blanket.
DeleteI just started recently. I love paranormal and realized there was a who genre I had missed. What a fun hop! delphinareadstoomuch at yahoo
ReplyDeleteI agree this is a wonderful hop.
DeleteI like the variety of characters in romance, but dislike the cliches I find. Thanks for participating!
ReplyDeletevitajex(at)aol(Dot)com
I am like you... I will read many types of books, but romance is my favorite!
ReplyDeletesqwalker2@hotmail.com
I can't say I read a lot of romance, but I loved Distraction. Probably because it dealt with difficult issues and wasn't a straightforward "boy meets girl". I probably wouldn't be into that.
ReplyDeleteOff to check out Michael's post. I'm sorry I haven't seen more of the tour. I've been out of the loop!
mcwilfo(at)gmail(dot)com
Joy you sound like romance is your favorite genre, since you return to it time and time again.
ReplyDeleteI read across the board, but almost everything I read has either a romance or a love story. Heading over to Michael's now :)
ReplyDeleteMy go to fiction is a romance novel & I've read them when since I was a teen. My favorite aspect of romance novels is the journey to HEA.
ReplyDeletebituin76 AT hotmail DOT com
I remember falling in love with Harlequin romances when I was young. Then I moved onto the historical romances--think Fabio on the cover. I don't read as much romance these days, but I still read it.
ReplyDeleteI nominated you for a blog award.
My favorite things about romance books are the interactions between that characters as they find their way to achieving the HEA. The adventure and dialogue are what keeps me reading them.
ReplyDeletekoonie2888 at yahood dot com
Spellbound by Nora Roberts got me reading when I was a kid. I love the surprises.
ReplyDeleteJesse
jesse.kimmelfreeman@gmail.com
There really isn't anything I dislike about romance novels- it's all good!
ReplyDeletemcv111 at hotmail dot com
PS. Love the pen name Jayda
I like lots of conflict and writing that makes me pause and read the sentence again because I wish I'd written it. I love many genres. Romance is wonderful because it has them all!
ReplyDeletesclare(at)sharonclare(dot)com
For me, romance is all about the trust and respect built between the characters. Since I write BDSM, these elements are very important.
ReplyDeleteThank you for participating in the blog hop!
qwilliarain(at)gmail(dot)com
Awesome you're at Micheals's blog!
ReplyDeleteFor me it's the little gestures they give each other.
Thanks for participating in the hop and giving us all a chance to win.
bidelia78@yahoo.com
For me it's the little gestures that show caring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome & amazing giveaway!
cassandrahicks1989@yahoo.com
Wow, what a nice long bloghop list. Got my download. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI started off with paranormal romance, but I read just about anything now. Great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteblinkysthebest at aol dot com
My favorite thing about romance novels is the feeling I get whenever I read a really good one! I feel like I'm the female character and that all that awesome stuff is happening to me, sometimes, haha. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the free books and the giveaway! :)
Crystal Craig
craigcrystal(at)ymail(dot)com
Great post!!! I love romance books but they must have HEA’s! My favorite are series because I love seeing the characters again in other books!!
ReplyDeletethanks for the contest!!
forettarose@yahoo.com
Romance is all about building lasting relationships :-) Great blog and a fun hop!
ReplyDeletekrystalshannan@yahoo(dot)com
I also started reading way to young, I was fourteen.
ReplyDeletemagic5905 at embarqmail dot com
Ha ha, my naughty young aunty used to bring cartons of Mills & Boon for me and my sister to read. We kept our stash under the bed. My mother was an avid reader but of more literary tomes. I'm sure she knew what we were up to but she never let on. Sweet Mumma!
ReplyDeleteI've also been reading romances since I was too young to be reading them ;) I love romance novels because I love the guaranteed HEA. I read a little bit of every thing, but I prefer the paranormal stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this giveaway!
~Krista
pinkbonanza{ AT }gmail{ DOT }com
My least favorite part is how some books make everything perfect. Perfect hero perfect heroine. It just isn't realistic. I prefer my romance to be a little more real. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletekaylyndavis1986@yahoo.com
I like Romance but haven't read in a while but plan on getting back at it. One day I'm going to try my hand at writing a romance novel. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteI love romance, although not the OTT smushy ones. :) Look at all those blogs involved in the blog hop! Wow!
ReplyDeleteI don't like the weak heroines; I like them strong and smart. Though I do read other genre like paranormal, fantasy, and urban fantasy, I always return to romances.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
I too started reading romances when I was too young for them:) I didn't turn out too bad:))
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance!
spamscape [at] gmail [dot] com
I started reading romance when I was probably 15 or 16. It was Danielle Steele's Palomino. I was hooked from then on. I read a lot of paranormal romance now. J.R. Ward, Lara Adrian, Alexandra Ivy... Though I like to read just about any kind of book, romance is my favorite, my go to. It is my escape. I love a good alpha hero, one I can fall in love with.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being part of of this fun hop, and for the giveaway!
Barbara
bbsbooknook
My favorite genre to read is romance. I do check out other genres but I always go back to romance.
ReplyDeletemythic021@gmail.com
Wow I like that your book is set in Jamaica! Such a beautiful place, I hope to visit it one day :)
ReplyDeleteI love love romance books!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
A book set in Jamaica! I LOVED Jamaica! It's so beautiful there and I still remember being able to parasail there. (: Wonderful vacation flashbacks ahaha
ReplyDeletereflectionsbylili@gmail.com
You penned your first story at age thirteen? Wow, go you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great hop! Grand prizes, old friends to visit and new ones to meet… and chances to win at each stop too. I’m in Blog heaven!
ReplyDelete<^_^>
I’m a sucker for the HEA. All my favorite authors give me a great story line, characters I can identify with, HOT love scenes and a perfect HEA!
Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win.
reneebennett35(at)yahoo(dot)com
I read many different genres and write in a few different ones using different pen names. I think my favorite thing about romance novels is knowing there will be a happy ending. With all the unhappiness, stress and strife in our world, I love the sigh-making, comfy escapism of a good happily-ever-after, which is why I enjoy penning them so much. :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about romance is HEA's and the journey it takes to get there. I have a tendency to read the first few chapters and and the the last chapter. Does the ruin the story for me? No. The most important thing is the journey and I always go back to see exactly how they got to there happy ending. I mean, it is a given in a romance novel(any I read anyway) that there will be a HEA, but most journeys to that point are different.
ReplyDeletesam1slim1@gmail.com
Love to read romance books because I like to know that at least someone is getting an HEA, even if the characters are only fiction! Thanks for joining the hop and the awesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteehaney578 at aol dot com
Thanks for participating! Really like the hop so far!! I love reading, especially romance. I love reading contemporary, historical and erotic romance. I love the happy ending that is garenteed at the end. My favorite book is Lover Mine by JR Ward! I love John Matthew and Xhex. My favorite romantic moment was when my fiancé asked me to marry him! We meant two years ago right around when summer was ending when my friend and I went out for our last big night out before classes started again. I think it is romantic when he brings me flowers because no one else has ever done it! Thanks so much! Hope everyone else is having a great long weekend!!
ReplyDeleteprettyunicorn78@yahoo.com
One of my least favorite things of some romance novels--some WAY old stories--is when the "Hero" enacts violence, like VIOLENCE against the woman and she falls for him anyway. Kidnapping is one thing...but the violence I'm talking about is another.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Jane
samantha12jane@gmail.com
I started reading Romances while in my teen and I've never looked back. Romance for me is what makes the world go around!
ReplyDeleteCongrats Joy!
I've been reading romance for a long time.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
distraction sounds very instersting! - regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com
ReplyDeleteI like the happily ever after.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks tons for the hop! I only read romance. My fav is Lora Leigh! Going to parade Monday with brothers and sisters! Should be FUN!
ReplyDeleteswkimbell@yahoo.com
I started reading romance when a friend gave me a copy of The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon in college. I fell in love with historical romance then and just kept going.
ReplyDeletemel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
I dabble a bit myself but come back to romance. I guess it is what does it for me to escape the monotony.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being part of the blog.
edor628@verizon.net
Thank you for the great giveaways and fun blog hop! I really love romance happy endings are my favorite!
ReplyDeletetishajean@ charter.net
Thanks for participating in the hop!
ReplyDeletesnhoveln(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for participating in the hop!
ReplyDeletered_tigergirl2(at)hotmail(dot)com
Thanks for the awesome hop and giveaways! This is so much fun! Thank you! My favorite thing about romance is the romance. lol I love the characters, the plots, the HEA's, the love. I love it all!
ReplyDeleteshadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
I realize you aren't accepting entries, but this is for the GP and the hop is supposed to be open
ReplyDeletetjandbcd at optonline dot net
Thanks for being a part of the hop. I hope that you had a great labor day weekend! I'm like you, dabbling in other reads but always coming back to romance. I love the lightness of the read (not having to think too much), the happy endings and the feelings that romance reads provide.
ReplyDeletejessangil at gmail dot com
Thanks so much to all of you for sharing your comments and stories with me. It definitely helps to know what readers/writers like to see in the romance genre.
ReplyDeleteThe results will be announced shortly.
I actually don't read romance novels that often, which I always find strange cos I love writing them!
ReplyDelete