Fiona Jayde

New Blog

2009-03-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

I have started a new blog on my website at www.fionajayde.com
If you aren't redirected in 30 seconds, please click here.

News and Reviews

2008-10-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

Amethyst Moon has be released from Cobblestone Press as a standalone novella! I'm excited about it - I really enjoyed writing that story.
http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/amethystmoon.htm

I'm hard at work on my full length mystery project. The weird part? Somehow I'm getting spam from people with the same names as my characters! How trippy is that?

I've recently got some amazing reviews:

Nicole Harvey at Paranormal Romance reviewed Dark Lotus:

"This story blew me away. The way the author built the plot, the way the characters came to life as you read their story, I couldn't get enough. And the way most of us fall for the wounded souls like Kyoto, you can identify with Tia. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future; she is one of my auto-buys from this day forward."
http://www.paranormalromance.org/reviews/review.php?id=29255

Thank you Nicole!

Cholla at Whipped Cream Reviews gave Dark Lotus 5 cherries!!
"Dark Lotus is an amazing combination of passionate sex, intense action, and subtle dark overtones that leaves you wanting more, more, more. Drawn together by magik, held together by something even stronger, Tia and Jim face their fears and their destinies to prove that the magik doesn’t have to lead you to the dark side. A thoroughly enjoyable read."

Thank you Cholla!
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/1008/MagikInkDarkLotus-FJ.htm

He's HERE!

2008-10-23T14:50:00.001-07:00

The new Mike4 figure is here! And lets just say wow! I took the opportunity to get aquanted...
(Click on the image to see it full size)

New Review for SpacePort: Drop Zone!

2008-08-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

From Just Erotic Romance Reviews:

After having his senses enhanced, Roen Decks began to mine uralium ore-an ore that is dangerously easy to explode. Meeting Kamura Shard, his enhanced sense of smell attracts him to her arousal, until he finds out that she is the distributor who has been aborting his supplies. Kamura knows that she
has to provide to Roen that she is not sabotaging his supplies. Can she mine ore and convince Roen that she's not guilty?

Drop Zone is another of the stories from the multi author series Spaceport. The plot of this story is well-written with excellent characters. I loved Kamura especially for her thoughtful and determined attitude. Roen was a wonderful male character, with his concern for his crew. After they begin to
work together, Kamura and Roen have very hot sex. I was enthralled by their sexual encounters, particularly because Roen was sure that Kamura was intentionally destroying his work. Both Roen and Kamura were falling in love with each other, even though neither trusted the other. There was an
interesting twist near the end of the book that was easily figured out, but even so, I enjoyed the story immensely.

-Marcy Arbitman
Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Thank you Marcy!!

Empress

2008-08-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

Another collaboration with Stephanie Arwen Lynch!
This is the Empress card:)

Lovers

2008-07-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

I've decided to kick start my creativity. I know less then zero about Tarot cards, but I do enjoy the images and symbolism... And with that in mind, I've set out to create a "virtual" deck of my own..

Thanks to Stephanie Arwen Lynch for her input and ideas!!

Of plots and pantsers

2008-07-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

I've been marveling at how my writing process seems to have turned a complete 180. And funny enough my friend - the wonderfully talented Lacey Savage - has been marveling about the same thing. (She has a blog about it here)

Usually I loosely figure out what my characters want and go from there. I HATE plotting. I hate it with a passion. I can never get it to a point where I like it, I paralyze myself with too many "buts" and usually by about 6K in, I decide to change everything anyway. My life as a pantser. (quick 411 -- a plotter is a writer who plots. A pantser is a writer to flies through the story by the seat of their pants)

Something changed recently. I started plotting... And the coolest thing with this new processes of plotting is that I actually ...do not.

Now I've only done 2 stories like that --but so far it seems to fly.

The first thing I do is build the world. Don't matter if its now or aeons from now. I build the rules of my setting.

Next I do a GMC chart. This is the best tool eva -- basically its a chart detailing the main characters' goals, motivations and conflicts. (Check out GMC by Debra Dixon -- its one of those must haves on the writer's shelf IMO) The GMC chart will be in constant flux, but it gives me a good jump start on the next step...

The Snowflake. Basically its a series of steps designed by a software engineer. (Google Snowflake Writing method and hit the first link.) Each step is designed to move you further into the story, and it alternates between "main story" and "characters" story. And as long as you remember that as you move forward you are allowed and encouraged to change you mind, its a wonderful tool to delve from top level of your story into the fine detail.

There's no plotting really -- it just sort of organically grows as you get to know your characters and what major events happen in the story. As you build on that, the story shapes up... So far I haven't actively plotted anything -- at least not for the sake of plotting. Instead, I figured out what happens to my characters and how they overcome their obstacles. Plot? Done.

The best part for me is the second to last step. This is where you take a descriptions of each scene and write "about" it. I can just see the dreaded "show don't tell" rule shuddering.

I "tell" each scene - writing rapid paragraphs about each scene, including anything that comes to mind about it. Bits of dialog, cool setting, a right-on-the-spot word. As I write Dark Lotus, I have the pre-draft ready in 2 nights. And some of it is really solid work.

When I open the predraft to actually write, the words just seem to pour...

2008-05-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

One thing I DIDN'T do on the weekend was write.

I painted. I made some cover art. I played with the cats. I messed around with PHP coding doing my super secret excerpt tool. I thought about writing.. A lot. I wrotea measely 1k for Devil's Isle. It had a request from an editor for some expansions, so back to the pirate lore I go.

The painting turned out to be not too bad - although it was hot as all hell standing outside:)

I've been tagged! or 6 random things about moi

2008-05-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

My good friend and fantastic writer Lacey Savage tagged me to post six random things about myself... As I'm a fairly random person, that shouldn't be too difficult...

The rules:

a. Link to the person who tagged you.
b. Post the rules on your blog.
c. Write six random things about yourself.
d. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
e. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog.
f. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

1. I can't draw. At all. I do all sorts of computer art and graphics, and I paint landscapes when I manage to get my butt out of my office.. And I can't draw a stick figure. (I can't spell either, but thats a whole other story)

2. I think I'm one of those people who are addicted to email. There's a name for that condition, but I can't remember what it is.

3. I learned English by reading Nora Roberts and watching Growing Pains and Who's the Boss. Although technically the order of that was reversed...

4. I'm a total dog person and yet somehow ended up with 2 cats.

5. I lived in Nashville TN for a year.

6. My three favorite movies are The Cutting Edge, Strictly Ballroom, and Thief of Hearts. Oh and Three Musketeers in Russian.. I was gonna marry D'Artagnan...

I tag -

Hot Man Alert

2008-04-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

I really like him.. Although the sword is a bit... symbolic, ain't it?

Purple Night

2008-04-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

Not quite sure what he's doing hanging around sans shirt in the middle of the night, but he looks good doing it :)

More fun with splashes

2008-04-06T18:43:00.000-07:00

I had fun making making this for my friend Selena Illyria, so I though I'd share.
Love the splash brushes!!

Fun With Splashes

2008-03-30T17:58:00.001-07:00

I do love my new splash brushes...

Angel's Fall

2008-03-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm procrastinatinating again:) Kinda channeling Luis Royo who is my Nora Roberts in terms of art.

What's in a name?

2008-03-03T12:21:00.001-08:00

Character names can make or break a story. I personally have had instances where a story wouldn't flow because a character name just didn't sound right, and yet I couldn't find a better alternative. Like a story title, a character name sets up a mood -- a jaded man, a sweet but vulnerable woman, a bitchy coworker who blames everyone else for a mistake while sounding sugar sweet to those who hold some power.

One approach in finding character names is trolling name generator sites until something just "hits". My personal favorites are Sevent Sanctum (http://seventhsanctum.com/) and Serendipity (http://nine.frenchboys.net/) . Warning -- could be a big time waster!! You can generate first names, last names or combination of both, male and female, until something hits right. Baby naming sites, sites depicting popular names by culture or country can work well here as well -- this is how I found names for my characters in Sexsomiaic.

Another approach I've recently stumbled upon involves SPAM. No - not the kind you eat, the kind that clogs up your inbox with offers of blue magic pills, miracle diets and business offers that you simply can't refuse -- just send them your name and Social Security.

The names that appear as the sender could be great starting points to character names and personality sketches if we're willing to sift through our bulk folder. A few examples from my own : Shelly Marino - maybe a female NY cop with attitude a mile long and a soft spot for chocolate ice cream .Perry Poole - doesn't he just sound like a bespeckled older gentleman who may just have a dark side? Jan Oneill, John Deleon, Ellen Wells, Jim Crowe...

Next time a character name eludes you, you may just find the answer no further then your own spam box.

Of course, it'll mean looking at clever subject lines such as - You Grow, She'll Blow.

New Release: Sexsomniac

2008-02-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

After seven false starts, its ALIVE!

Lacey Savage was very kind to post an interview with me about Sexsomniac at her blog.

New Release! Snowbound: Troika

2008-02-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from SnowBound: Troika

Blurb:

Selina comes to a remote village in Alaska to organize a wolf sanctuary in the snow-covered wild. She doesn't pay attention to the full bright moon or this sudden urge to howl at it. She doesn't believe the two gorgeous men claiming to be wolf shifters or that she's of their blood. But when she is snowed in with Mikhail and Christian who are intent on loving her until she howls in her true form, how much more convincing can a woman take?

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=806

Urban Fantasy is Released!

2007-12-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited about this one. It really was a kick in the pants and I am really thrilled with how it turned out.

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=741

Oh, and I got a GREAT review from JERR on Urban Myth.

...Give me a book that mixes the paranormal with an ass kicking female and I will be in heaven. Reading Urban Myth provided more than enough of the two and threw in some fantastic erotica. Taina is an independent, self sufficient loner that needed nobody. Having been betrayed, she had decided that the only person she could count on was herself. Rayan took her heart and froze it when he left with no reason and seeing him at the compound was like having it thawed out. The lust was instant, tangible, and there for all to see. Only Rayan was just as affected by her presence. The reasons he left were admirable, however, instead of telling her what was going on, he just left. And men wonder why we women bash them...Anyway, he is just plain and simple HOT. He is a physically fit, sexy specimen of a man, one that I could just jump on and go crazy with. The sexual tension between these two is obvious and I could not wait for them to jump one another. I was NOT disappointed. The sex was blatant, filled with hunger and repression, and it just exploded. They had me squirming and wiggling with my own desire to play, but the desire to read overrode that. Fiona Jayde did a fabulous job with the writing and storytelling aspects of the story, and the editing was just as wonderful. Plenty of action, sex, and emotion made Urban Myth a must read.

Stacey Landers
Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Of Swords and Vampyres

2007-11-06T11:12:00.000-08:00

Urban Fantasy is coming along. Not nicely - plenty of twists and bumps in the road, but if I don't have conflict with my characters they would be dull to write.

I never reveal deets before I finish -- but here's a little sneaky visual preview. Its not the official cover but I had fun making it when I was stuck in the middle of the plot. Of course I ripped up half of the said plot (and may again before this thing is done!) but I'm beginning to realize thats part of my creative process.

Hotshot Moi

2007-10-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

Two releases in a month. I feel like such a hotshot.

Urban Legend is out!! This book kicked my rear end from here to there and I'm happy it did, because it turned out awesome! Cain - my main character -- wouldn't budge until things worked out his way. Damn stubborn sexy male.

Behind The Masque

2007-10-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

E-publishing was created for those of us without patience. I truly am a child of digital age -- I want things immediately and have no patience.

In that context, I'm thrilled to announce that an anthology my friends and I worked on only a few months ago is released by Cobblestone Press!

Beneath the Masque is a grouping of novellas of various genres, all tied with a common thread. The setting is a Charity Masquarade Ball for Breast Cancer Education and Research. The theme is control - as in loosing of, due to a gypsy cursed amethyst that amplifies desires and quiets inhibitions.

The authors and the publisher will donate 100% of net profits to breastcancer.org, merging the cause in the anthology with the cause in real life.

For More Information on the Anthology, Please Click Here

News and Paintings

2007-09-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

I've been a busy creative bee.

Urban Legend is a couple of days from going to my editor -- as soon as my fabulous critique partner is done with it. Its scheduled for Oct 12 release at Changeling and I'm a bit anxious about it. This one really kicked my butt -- its quite intense with all sorts of action and car chases and vampyre human love.

Amethyst Moon will be part of a FABULOUS anthology titled Behind The Mask. Cursed jewels, masked ball and a couple of thieves... This one was a lot of fun to write and whats more, I'm sharing this antho with a group of dear friends and very talented writers -- Cyan Bell, Sheri Livingston and Taylor Voltaire.

And since I can't focus on just one thing I tried my hand at cover design. Its not at all the official cover but it was lots of fun to play with. We're hoping for a November Release so stay tuned!

I also painted again. And I think I learned a few things -- of of them being that apparently I paint better if I'm slightly miffed. I think this one is my best one so far! My hubby already called dibs...

I Painted!

2007-08-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

Did I ever mention I paint? I don't do it terribly well and I haven't touched a brush in over a year. But my loving husband finally rolled me and my ergonomic chair away from my Ikea desk and told me in no uncertain terms that I'm starting to glow from my 2.5 monitors. (The .5 is my little Mac on which I write)

So I dug out my brushes and paints and channeled Bob Ross.

Not bad after a year! (Being a photoshop junkie I brightened it up a bit.. but still not bad)

A GrimJustin Encounter -- Complimentary Short Story at Cheeky Changeling

2007-08-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

GrimJustin 2.37 – DeServed

If you like your Sci-Fi scorching, catch up with Jack Brenner as he teaches his lover a lesson she won’t soon forget.

Encounters – sizzling short stories at Changeling Press Monthly Ezine! And did we mention they're free? Click Here!

Discover the series Literary Nymphs calls “..naughty, engaging, and thrilling just like a sci-fi romance should be”.

Visit Fiona Jayde's website at www.fionajayde.com

Urban Myth

2007-07-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Its finally here! Urban Myth will be released this week from Changeling Press!
The cover is great -- aren't those Sai just perfect?

Here's a little blurb:

As peace between humans and vampyre crumbles, Taina Bates trains to become one of the Hunters. Her strength increases with each day, the scrapes and bruises like badges of courage. The drive to fight rages inside her.

Rayan Slade -- half sympath, full vampyre and certified assassin for the Alliance of Human Protection Services, is called to train the new blood -- SEALs, Green Berets and one lone female. Except the female is the only woman he has ever loved, the one he’d left years ago when the cravings became unbearable, when he feared draining her in his need for the energy that fed him.

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=661

I've been bad...

2007-07-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA and with good reason. I was running towards the deadline for Urban Myth and I was no where near done. Discipline aside, sheer fear had me writing. (Why fear? Cause I' never miss a deadline. Ever!)

Aside from that, I'm moving. Packing and repacking, boxes upon boxes. I have books on writing, books on art, books on programming, books on music, my collection of JD Robb and plenty of romance novels. I also have 3 large bags worth of boots and all the peripherals to Chris (my pc)

Between that and work, I somehow managed to do art. Probably because I needed something from the side of the brain that isn't verbal. I'm still finding my way with Daz3d, but this isn't bad for a beginner. I'm no Renee George or Angela Knight, but its a start:)

Real Life Takes Over

2007-06-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Myths aside, I am having drama.
My cat had surgery last week and upon shaving his belly, the Dr discovered a long healed scar from sternum to.. well, whatever the medical term is for pee-pee. Now the cat adopted us last year, and we have no idea of his medical history or why someone would cut him open like that. But he ended up having not one but TWO hernias from it, so he had to be opened again to tuck things back into place.

All was good until last Sunday night when he decided to lick at the suture site. Since I'm a responsible cat mommy, I took him to the emergency vet who nicely fitted him into a torture device called a plastic cone.

So now he mucks around with that damn thing on his head, bumping into furniture and hating life and me with it. Since he likes to sleep next to or on me, half the time I end up with my face in the damned cone.

Since he won't eat with that stupid thing on, I have to take off it at nights. So my writing time is punctuated with "No Sylvester", or "stop it" or "Bad Kot" (Kot is cat in russian) etc etc. Instead of eating or drinking, he tries to groom. And he won't eat or drink with the stupid cone on his head...

Needless to say, Urban Myth isn't quite where it needs to be...

Cleaning and Plotting

2007-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

I did two successful things today.
I cleaned half of my closet and unpacked a suitcase that has been on the floor for the past two weeks. One never really knows how much crap can live in the belly of a closet (or a suitcase) until one takes EVERYTHING out. And that was just half. Tomorow I will tackle the other half if i still have strength left.

I also have a good outline for Urban Myth so we a back in business. I managed to save about half of what I scrapped. The scenes will have to be tweaked to adhere to the outline, but hey, easy stuff. right? (I HOPE!)

Braggin

2007-06-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

DisArmed had the BEST review from Kerin at TwoLips Reviews!

"Kira Dillon is a pilot. Being captured and used as a lab rat forced her to become innovative. The fact that the scientists turned her blood into an undetectable explosive, well, hell, that’s practically a bonus. When she’s rescued, it’s by the last person she expected to see, Holloway Duke.

When Duke was sent to retrieve Kira, he was hell-bent on retribution. After giving her a blood transfusion, he discovers that she needs his DNA, in any form, to survive. Making her beg for it, every time, will be his biggest pleasure.

Oh. So. Hot. Fiona Jayde is definitely an author to keep your eye on. When I read GrimJustin 1: DeBriefed, I was absolutely convinced that Ms. Jayde was a veteran author but since then, others have worked to convince me otherwise. With sensual characters, an exciting storyline, and decadent love scenes, GrimJustin 2: DisArmed belongs on everyone’s must-read list as well. I can’t remember the last time I read more intense lustful scenes as the power struggle between Duke and Kira raged. With finesse for world-building and intense storylines, this series belongs at the top your To-Be-Read pile. Thank you, Fiona Jayde for making being a reader so enjoyable! "

Urban Mything

2007-06-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

I got about half way there. Then I decided it was complete crap. So I deteled. Well, i didn't deleted, i don't have enough guts for that and I usually reuse the scenes. But I remapped it and I'm going to go in a whole other direction. It just felt stale and when i forced it it felt forced. Big surprise there, right ?

In other news, I spent most of the evening trying to figure out how to send emails through my web server. I'm not the best of hackers and tech support is notorious in their continued effort to answer without answering. I'm hoping on the fifth go-around I'll actually get the answer I need.

I'm wondering if my continued efforts to procrastinate are actually my subconcious telling me I wasn't liking the story... Maybe next time I'll listen BEFORE half way?

Shattered Silence and Urban Myth

2007-06-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

The entry is finally up on the Opal Carew page!
http://www.opalcarew.com/writing_contest_entry_Shattered_Silence.html

Yes, there are spelling mistakes. I even saw one. Chrissie saw a couple... Oh well.

I'm 6K into Urban Myth and pantsing it. I tried to do an outline, I really did. But first I dead-ended and then I got an idea.

Usually if I dead end -- meaning the scene is going nowhere -- I delete and choose another angle. This time I really tried to make it work. For 2K i tried to make it work. Then I said F-it, erased it, and did something different. The scene flowed like water.

I wanted to be at 10K by today, but 6K ain't bad. Now I need to stop procrastinating and get back into it.

Oh, did I mention what this thing was about ? Vampyres.

MySpacing at MySpace

2007-06-08T11:17:00.001-07:00

I finally created my MySpace page. I'm pretty pleased with it :)
http://myspace.com/fionajayde

I still have a few tweaks to do but its all mostly there.

Latest News

2007-06-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

So as mentioned in the previous blog, DeTained is out and GrimJustin will "sail" in peaceful space for a long while. It needs a break from all the lazer blasts anyway.

Last night, I gathered all my balls and upon advice of a writer friend submitted a first chapter to Opal Caraw contest. I polished it as best as I could, I had my wonderful crit partners looking at it, but didn't run it through my last and best line of defence -- Chrissy, my editor at Changeling. So I'm feeling naughty and scared at the same time. I can't spell and I tend to get cute with my turn of phrase. I also used "eyes" instead of "gazes" -- which is on the list of no-nos, but like I said, I was feeling naughty.
(As in "her eyes lifted from his chest to his face" -- vs. her gaze lifted.... Chrissie is right, eyes can't lift! )

The story is a contemporary suspence (romance of course), titled Shattered Silence. (Thanks to Xjiard for the idea on the name!!!) its set in the modern "real" world, but it has a slight paranormal twist. My heroine - Kate Malloy -- is a cop who turned psychic after a concussion. She can sense "intent" towards her before its made, be it verbal or physical. True to form, I'll have martial arts fighting and lots of "action".

My second article on writing is up on the Cheeky Changeling Newsletter. Check it out -- For Every Situation, There Must Be Motivation

Today I need to get 2k into Urban Myth, so of course I'm procrastinating.

Just Released: GrimJustin3: DeTained

2007-05-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

The third and final installment of the GrimJustin series is now available at Changeling Press!

Here is the blurb:

GenAlt -- superhuman, super strong. High risk status.

Aboard the GrimJustin, Trent O'Blak hides his identity as a retired GenAlt soldier, until he is called upon to safely retrieve the head scientist responsible for the alteration and subsequent pain of thousands of others like him.

MedTech Lilian Oser leads a quiet and sensible life aboard GrimJustin until Trent is called to Arius Prime and the old need for revenge burns through every cell of her now strong body.

She will get to Arius Prime. She will take her revenge. And she will prove to Trent that she can handle anything the big GenAlt can dish out.

GrimJustin3: DeTained

2007-05-29T22:55:00.001-07:00

I finally have a cover for the third installment of the series and not a moment too soon, cause its released this Thursday!!!

I'm very happy with this one-- as my editor said: lots of emotion and lots of hot action. What else does a romance need?

Now i need to do some edit magic to Amethyst moon and start on Urban Myth, my vampire martial arts thriller which I'm really excited about.

Dream Fighting

2007-05-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

I had a very strange dream the other day.

I was on a street, carrying my laptop under my arm. As I walked past a mean looking individual, he flicked glowing sigarette ash at me and it burned my skin.

I promptly called the guy an asshole, and he promptly started to advance towards me with full intendion to do more damage then the stil burning ash.

And that's when it hit me -- I can't fight him with my laptop at my side! I can't put the thing down, cause his budies will steal it. And I can't fight one handed -- I'm good, but I ain't Neo! (I'm really NOT that good, since I haven't technically practiced martial arts in over five years.. Cardio Kickboxing doesn't count)

Anyway, I woke up with a major revelation: fighting one handed is exteremely difficult and I need to remember to allow my characters to run around empty handed otherwise they would get the crap kicked out of them.

New Website is up!

2007-05-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the previous blog, I'm procrastinating on Amethyst Moon. In the process of it, I redesigned my website. Web Dev is actually what I do when I'm not writing and I'm my worst client.

Nevertheless its up and I'm quite happy with it. Check it out at www.fionajayde.com

Joy Of Procrastination

2007-05-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of editing a new story I'm writing called Amethyst Moon. I'm quite happy with the idea -- two thiefs fighting for control in the most sensual of ways. And yet I find myself avoiding my keyboard.

I redesigned my website. I did this blog. I cleaned my bathroom.

I'm done with the story, and have to do my usual three passes of editing, and that's what scares me. I write fast. I vomit words onto the page and then have to face them once I'm done. Sometimes its good. Most of the time, its complete crap and only there to move the story along and like the jewel in my story, needs to be polished so the facets can shine.