Meet Jenna Jaxon, author of 'Betrayal (Time Enough to Love Book 2)'

What was the inspiration behind this series?

The original germ of the idea for this book (it’s actually a serialized novel) came from a History Channel program on the Bubonic Plague. It cited the journey, in 1348, of King Edward III’s daughter, Joanna, as being one hard hit by the plague in Bordeaux, France, as she was en route to Spain to be married. I saw the program months before I started writing but filed it away. I love the medieval period and was inspired by Kathleen Woodiwiss’s historical romance Everlasting to write my own. I remembered the History Channel program and came up with the idea to follow the courtiers in Princess Joanna’s retinue as she sailed to Spain as the focus of the novel. They are all fictional characters, although I’ve included real people from King Edward’s court as well.

This is book 2. How many more do you anticipate? When can we expect the next installment?

The novel, Time Enough to Love, was written as a single title novel. However, it ended up being super long—about 187K words. Even after cutting almost 30K words, it was still coming it at almost 160K. With only a couple of exceptions, people don’t read novels that long. So I decided to publish it in three installments: Betrothal, Betrayal, and Beleaguered. So the third novella, Beleaguered, is due to come out in April. That will be the end of the original novel, however, I have ideas for several more books with the same characters and perhaps their children as well.

May we have a preview of what comes next?

I don’t have an actual blurb, but here’s a little tidbit I have about Beleaguered:

Sailing into the cataclysmic disaster of the Black Death, Alyse, Geoffrey and Thomas must act to save themselves from the burgeoning pestilence. Can love find a way to survive?

What kind of research did you have to do for this book?

I did extensive reading for this book, researching things as varied as food, bathing habits, fashion, dances, jousting and many other aspects of life in 1348. Since I love research, I just kept on going, getting as detailed as possible. For example, for the jousting scene in Betrothal, I actually researched impact and lance positioning so I could describe how the knights would have reacted to various hits and how the hits would have affected them.

You call writing an addiction. How does it fulfill you?

It’s a creative outlet that lets me combine my love of history, English literature, writing, and even theatre. It’s a collaboration of things I love to do: reading, writing, researching, creating. Writing gives me a sense of accomplishment, that I’ve been able to take literally nothing, and turn it into a story with living, breathing characters that people love. That kind of power is addictive.

When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

I’ve always been a writer. I wrote my first short story in 3rd grade and I’ve loved creative writing in whatever classes required it. I’ve written a 400 page dissertation, as well as various papers that I’ve presented at academic conferences. So I’ve been a writer all my life. But I knew I wanted to become a writer in 2009 when the bug hit me bad. I knew I couldn’t rest until I wrote my medieval novel. And I haven’t stopped yet.

Please tell us about your other published works.

I have several other published works in two different romance sub-genres. I have two historical romances, Betrothal, the pre-cursor to Betrayal, and Only Scandal Will Do, a Georgian romance about a woman kidnapped and sold in a brothel to a scandal-ridden rake.

I also have three contemporary erotic romance novellas, Hog Wild, a fractured fairy tale based on the Three Little Pigs who are now Harley owners (HOGs); 7 Days of Seduction, in which a very persuasive man takes a woman on 7 days of sexual exploration; and Almost Perfect, a 1Night Stand story in which a woman is scheduled for a “Pirates of the Caribbean” adventure that takes a very different turn.

On what other projects are you working?

I’m currently working on Beleaguered, the final installment of Time Enough to Love, which I’m hoping to release in April. I have the second book in the House of Pleasure series, Only Marriage Will Do, out to its editor. I have a full-length Victorian romance, As Long As You’re Mine, that I’m revising to submit, and I’m finishing revisions to the first book, To Woo A Wicked Widow, in my Regency series, The Widow’s Club.

What is something that "lights your fire"?

Plotting. I am a plotter and to me that’s the most exciting thing to do in writing. Figuring out what’s going to happen and how and why is like being in a candy store for me. I love making connections, putting in twists and turns and foreshadowing everything. And I don’t always know exactly how everything is going to play out, but as I write, things become more obvious and click into place. I just can’t get enough of it!

What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?

I used to fence (with a foil) and participated in the National Fencing Championships one summer (a long time ago). I wasn’t very good, but I love swordplay and I use it in my historical novels whenever I get the chance.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’ve so enjoyed this interview! Thank you so much for having me on your site today!

Thank you so much for your time!

Betrayal
Time Enough to Love
Book Two
Jenna Jaxon

Genre: Historical Romance

Tagline: The worst betrayals come from within.

Book Description:

After a night of passion with her betrothed, Sir Geoffrey Longford, Lady Alyse de Courcy is eagerly looking forward to her wedding. But when Geoffrey is forced to marry another, a heartbroken and possibly pregnant Alyse finds herself in her own private hell. She must either gamble with her reputation or marry someone she does not love.

A reputed connoisseur of women, Thomas, Lord Braeton, has dallied with many ladies of King Edward’s court, although he has favored none. However, as Geoffrey’s best friend, Thomas has sworn to serve and protect Alyse, an oath now sorely tested when he agrees to marry her—in name only—to guard her reputation. Yet, as they grow closer, and Thomas discovers Alyse’s sweet but spirited nature, he comes to desire a marriage in truth. Can he overcome her memory of Geoffrey or is Thomas doomed to burn with passion for a woman he can never possess?

If you would like to purchase the first part of the trilogy, Betrothal, it is available at Amazon \ Smashwords

Read an excerpt:

From the corner of her eye, she caught movement in the doorway, and several men and ladies moved to make way for the final actor in this terrible play. Thomas strode grandly into the chamber, smiling as though he walked in a decorous procession. Attired in a splendid robe of green wool, adorned with velvet down the center edges and fur at collar and cuffs, he swept her a low bow. He laughed as he arose, but the sound died on his lips when at last he registered her figure in the blue chemise. The stunned look in his eyes was swiftly replaced by a hot hunger that made her gasp. Any hope she had of him honoring his promise died with that look.

“Lady Braeton.” He held out his hand, and Alyse had no choice but to take it. He raised it to his lips, searing her flesh with their warm touch. “You are a vision I scarce would credit this side of heaven.” She peered into his darkened eyes, seeking mercy. At his almost imperceptible nod, she could breathe again.

He released her and stepped back. “The wedding is done.” Thomas nodded to his attendants, who stepped forward. “Let the bedding be done as well.” Stretching forth his arms, he waited as the men stripped the robe from him, revealing his perfectly nude body beneath.

A brisk hum echoed around the room as the whispered comments of the ladies merged with the bawdy japes of the gentlemen. Thomas stood unflinching, a slight smile still on his lips.

Alyse’s mouth dropped open, and her gaze raced over his form as she tried to look everywhere and nowhere at once. His shoulders, smooth and broad, showed strength from wielding his sword these many years. The arms that had held her were now bare and sculpted like a statue’s. Her gaze slipped lower, to his chest matted thickly with pale hair over well-defined muscles. She tried to stop there, to force her eyes back to his face.

Available on Amazon

About the Author:

Jenna Jaxon is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary romance. Her historical romance, Only Scandal Will Do, the first in a series of five interconnecting novels, was released in July 2012. Her contemporary works include Hog Wild, Almost Perfect, and 7 Days of Seduction. She is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America as well as a member of Chesapeake Romance Writers. Her medieval romance, Time Enough to Love, is being published as a series of three novellas. The first book, Betrothal, released on April 19th. The second novella, Betrayal, will release at the end of January.

Jenna has been reading and writing historical romance since she was a teenager. A romantic herself, she has always loved a dark side to the genre, a twist, suspense, a surprise. She tries to incorporate all of these elements into her own stories. She lives in Virginia with her family and a small menagerie of pets. When not reading or writing, she indulges her passion for the theatre, working with local theatres as a director. She often feels she is directing her characters on their own private stage.

She has equated her writing to an addiction to chocolate because once she starts she just can’t stop.

Find Jenna online at:

http://jennajaxon.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenna-Jaxon/146857578723570
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4960704.Jenna_Jaxon

Other Books by Jenna Jaxon:

Betrothal--Historical Romance
Only Scandal Will Do--Historical Romance
7 Days of Seduction--Contemporary Erotic Romance
Almost Perfect--Contemporary Erotic Romance
Hog Wild--Contemporary Erotic Romance