Welcome everyone including those accidental stumblers who were looking for something unrelated, and came across this post. Stay! I love company!
It has been a while since I posted. Given that, you’d think I’d be refreshed and raring to go. Nope. I’m telling you this so you keep your expectations reasonable.
Spring and summer were busy for me. Mr. Quinn and I sold our condo in Victoria, BC and moved to the Okanagan, which is also in BC, but not on an island, so no more ferries! I love our new home. The weather is beautiful, I’m closer to family, and the people here are very friendly and welcoming. And of course, there’s wine!
Having said that, I almost ran over a bear a week ago coming back from my toque-making workshop. Fortunately, he (or she) was faster than me, so there was no actual impact. Also fortunately for me, I was in my car and not on a bike, skateboard, unicycle or in a restored, cherry red ’66 mustang convertible. However, because of the incident, I learned I was a coward and now am too afraid to walk outside without an escort.
Where is Ryan Reynolds when you need him?
And speaking of the new world in which we live, my stalking is currently on hold. That’s been rough for me and I’ve found myself following random men on motorcycles (in my car with a mask) just to add a little spice to my life.
I also went ATVing, kayaking, and sailboarding, though I can only recommend the kayaking. The sailboard kept bucking me off and the ATVing was like being in a dirt pit with a windwalker.
What a wonderful segue, Jasmin! And also an Easter egg.
Forbidden had been released!
As you may or may not know, Forbidden is Leah and Lucien’s story in the Shifters of Darkness Falls Series.
A boy and girl meet in the forest and discover that they are fated mates. Trouble ensues. Evil lurks. Horses whinny. There’s even an Old Mother.
I’m not kidding!
Leah’s story was both a blast to write and a nerve-wracking experience for me. I love the character of Leah, but I’ve never been inside her head (POV-wise).
From a writer’s perspective, to know a character you have to truly understand her. And Leah is probably the most complex character I’ve ever written. She’s also an innocent, but I didn’t realize that until I started writing her story. She’s tough, resilient, and loyal, but her bold personality hides a woman who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.
And how to write the shifter male who mates with Leah? Carefully! When I begin this series, some of you speculated that Leah would be paired with Gideon, but for me, it was always going to be Lucien. Leah is fire and I worried about matching fire with fire. Lucien is a gentle snow storm, which is what Leah needs in her life.
That’s a wrap, folks!
The Shifters of Darkness Falls series is complete, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a whole lot more shifter stories to tell. Originally, I planned to have eight books in the Darkness Falls series, but sometimes characters don’t cooperate. I needed to wrap up the whole serial killer storyline and I couldn’t do it without Leah and Leah is a hard act to follow.
Sooooooooo – new series.
There are four packs in the Darkness Falls area. The next series will focus on the Mountain Pack.
The Mountain Shifter Pack is led by Ren and his mate, Cherime. They have a small, but hardy group of shifters who prefer the solitude of their own company but come together as a community when needed. While the pack is small, they are a force to be reckoned with. They are strong, hardy, and territorial. And they don’t like outsiders.
If you’re anything like me, you love a big strong mountain man (that bathes regularly of course) and who better to start with than Oz. If you’ve read Basic Instinct, Oz was introduced as Adrienne Powell’s boyfriend, and also an early suspect in her murder. He showed up briefly in Fierce Intentions and after that, was practically an unmentionable.
But all this time, he’s been on his mountain, keeping his head down because he’s a loner with a hate on for the real world. In fact, he could have been the serial killer, but if you’ve read Forbidden, you know he wasn’t. And if you haven’t read Forbidden, he still wasn’t. I don’t think that’s a spoiler.
The great thing about this new series is that we’ll get to stay in touch with everyone from The Shifters of Darkness Falls series (friends and foes), because they will regularly make cameos.
Dark Promises (Darkness Falls Mountain Shifters) will be out early in 2022. I’m working on it as we speak (or will be after I hang up).
What’s it about? I’m happy you asked!
Betrayed by her mate and left a widow with a newborn, Mara of the Darkness Falls Lodge Pack vows never to mate again.
Oz, a solitary mountain shifter, is still grieving the death five years ago of his fated mate. Though he’s moved on, he refuses to betray the memory of his woman by loving again.
Oz and Mara’s worlds collide on a hostile mountain on a horrific day that will have long-lasting repercussions. In a moment of mercy, they make a promise that will forever tie them together. As they struggle to honour that commitment, tensions flare and sparks fly, but can they let go of their pasts to find love again?
Housekeeping…
… is a foreign concept, but I did clean the top of my newly inherited stove today. Also, I discovered that my oven is not self-cleaning! I cannot abide an oven that doesn’t clean itself, so it and I are now in a war of wills. I fear it will win, because my only weapon is my credit card. Mr. Quinn is siding with the oven and while I’ve told him that he can clean the oven if he loves it so much, I’m afraid his will is much more steely than mine. I will break down first.
That was a tangent and if you are actually still reading, I apologize.
What I meant to talk about was…
Why I went wide and failed
I’m back to publishing solely on Amazon and thus, kindle unlimited. Administratively, it was difficult for me to manage five platforms. I know many authors who do it with grace and aplomb. However, grace and I have never been paired together in a sentence and I don’t actually know what aplomb means.
I also didn’t find that my sales increased by doing so (although I am well aware that I was supposed to do more than put the books up and say, “There.”). In fact, I was recently told of this concept called “marketing” and will explore it one day, probably after bear season and before snowshoe season. There are a few days between the two.
Before I go (I know you’re rolling your eyes by now and wailing, “Will this never end?”), if you haven’t already got a copy of my free book, Fearless, you can get it by signing up for my newsletter.
To all the people I’ve deceived, which is everyone who thinks I’m nice. On the outside, sure, but on the inside I’m a roiling, seething mess of fury and curses, thirsting for vengeance and sour gummy bears. I’m lying again, except about the curses. I’m generally laid back with a totally cool vibe. Fuck, more lies. We should move on – this greeting is getting far too long to qualify as a salutation.
My point (just when you were beginning to think I didn’t have one) is that Duplicity (Running with the Devil Book 11) is on the digital bookshelf (yahoooooo!), with the paperback to follow. Once the proof of Duplicity arrives in the mail and I give it the thumps up, it too will be available on Amazon.
This ain’t no pussycat!
Speaking of papyrus, did you know, the ‘thumbs up’ expression originated in Roman amphitheaters and the gestures were opposite of today’s? So, back then if I gave the thumb’s up, the lion ate you. If I gave the thumbs down, you ate the lion. These days neither happens unless you’ve pissed off a lion and its pride gives the thumbs up. Moral of this lengthy aside is don’t piss off lions.
If I wasn’t so lazy doing other things like writing and drinking lattes (yes, you heard me, lattes from my new latte-making machine, which I had to order because my Starbucks is closed), I would have all my books in paperback. There are just a few remaining, and once done, I’m going to have them reproofed and reposted.
The proofing won’t be done by me, because my proof reader extraordinaire tells me I can’t proof my own books, which is a lie because I have proof of my proofing, but it’s bad proof because my proofing sucks – and not in that good way.
That was a long-winded start to my amazing blog, which, at the moment, lacks a bit of focus.
I just finished up the last of my four fabulous interviews with my favourite authors (lot of Fs, my favourite letter), DeeDee Prince, Annabel Joseph, Nikita Slater, and Bijou Hunter), all of whom I am now on a first name basis, except maybe Nik. She’s a bit deceptive about her true feelings towards me – she loves me, I know she does, though she avoids the topic (and me) when I want to cuddle with her.
There may be more interviews in the future, because I have more favourite authors, but as you know, I’m shy in that ‘I love you, I stalk you, I might even kidnap you’ way, and my fear of rejection prevents me from approaching head on. Another lie, the only thing I fear rejection from is ice cream and so far, it has never let me down. In fact, I trust it without reservation.
You can count on me, hot stuff!
As you may have heard, the only two things in life you can count on are ice cream and red wine. But I’ve learned how wrong I am about wine. It lies, offers promises of increased intelligence, happiness, and beauty, but really is just a mean, bitter sack of grapes, who after two bottles, impairs my vision, makes me trip over my feet, sway from side to side, and gives me headaches, sometimes of epic proportions.
So while I’ll never break up with Red Wine, the only thing in life I can count on is ice cream.
Enough about whatever I’m talking about (even I’m not sure anymore). Let’s discuss the man of the hour, Mr. Jackman (aka Dimitri L’vovich Mikalev, Rusya Savisin’s nemesis, and also, cousin, and Brook Lafferty’s love interest in Duplicity)!
I love this man, I want this man, I was thinking about buying a 3-D printer (but the good ones are beyond my paltry budget) and making this man. It took much patience to hold off writing his story until Book 11, but at the same time, as long as I held off, he was still attainable.
Don’t get me wrong, I also love Rusya Savisin, and my loyalties are torn, but if I had to choose, Jackman would be my guy. Why you ask? Well, maybe the Jackman camp didn’t, but I know for sure the Rusya Savisin camp asked.
For starters, I’m terrible at small talk, and so is Rusya Savisin, so we’d never talk. I know what you’re thinking. So the fuck what – there are other things that we could be doing, and that’s true, but he’s dangerous in a way that would make me fear him like Esma never did. He needed a woman that would swing at his fast balls (I just made that up – it’s a baseball analogy, but it kind of sounds dirty, doesn’t it?).
Things that are fast balls!
Jackman, on the other hand, is my opposite in some ways, because although I can get bossy and bitchy and even demanding, I often get shy around men (except for Mr. Quinn because we’ve been married long enough that he thinks it’s okay to burp loudly while I’m on the phone).
I’m okay with some men like BiL (generic name for all 11 of my brothers-in-law), former colleagues, etc, but men like Rusya and Jackman would keep me tongue-tied for months.
The difference between the two handsome devils, is that Rusya doesn’t have the ability to bridge my discomfort because he is the tall, dark, silent type. Jackman is tall and dark, but he rarely hesitates to speak his mind.
Too bad they don’t get along. Did someone say threesome?
Originally, I titled Duplicity, Mr. Master – it was always Mr. Master in my head, but then fucking Brook Lafferty walked into his life and I knew that Mr. Master wouldn’t work, because this story was as much about Brook as it was about Jackman.
I had also planned to pair Jackman with Emmaline Hawthorne (of Fallen Angel fame), but Robert Creed had his sights set on that girl and there was nothing I could do about it. Fortunately (or unfortunately), Brook came along, all reckless and difficult and I realized this was the right woman to take Jackman on.
Having said all that, I love all my men and while I’m sad that Duplicity is Book 11 of the RWD series, which means that Book 12 (working title is House of Shadows, but I think it will change before publication) is the last of the series. BUT… I have been waiting to write book 12 since I wrote The Darkest Hour (Book 1). I had a haphazard plan when I started the series and it didn’t always play out as expected, but it was always headed towards Book 12, which, dear readers, is going to be explosive (or a dud and everyone will go ‘meh’)!
Big News Announcement now!
Not to brag (okay, maybe a little bragging), I caught Mr. Jackman while he was on a covert trip to Moscow and he agreed drop by my room at the Lotte Hotel for an interview. I was so fucking excited I nearly peed myself. Fortunately, I was in the shower when he called (my phone is shower proof) and well, you know….
Shows Moscow river at night
The Lotte Hotel has appeared in my books a couple of times – it is a real hotel in the heart of Moscow and has some awesome suites. When I’m writing, unless the hotel/motel room is a standard room, I always find a real hotel and try to stick close to the description of both the hotel and the suite. Anyway, I’ve digressed yet again. Where was I?
Outfit #1 – not approved
Oh yeah, peeing in the shower.
I used a false name like Brook did as it seemed to work for her. Unfortunately, Mr. Jackman saw right through me, mostly because I was wearing a sheer raincoat when I answered the door.
Not my nose, but close.
He narrowed his eyes and refused to look beyond my nose, which I’ve often been told is absolute perfection, so I understood the attraction. But then, he pointed his finger towards the bedroom and told me to put on appropriate interview attire.
I’m an obedient girl and so I changed into my French maid outfit, then joined him on the sofa in the living room. He was drinking the scotch I bought for him. It wasn’t his usual brand, because I am a poor writer who had to pawn Mr. Quinn to get the money to go to Moscow and rent the hotel room.
Surprisingly, Mr. Quinn is worth more than I thought – it’s possible I underestimate the value of a long, loud burp.
Outfit #2 – approved
I opened a bottle of cheap red wine and emptied it into a giant wine glass (I have an emergency travel kit with a corkscrew, the giant wineglass, a thimble, and some moldy cheese) and sat next to Mr. Jackman, alluding that I might have a hearing problem and needed to be within snuggling range.
He didn’t seem to mind, although he questioned my French maid outfit, which I assured him was what journalists these days were wearing (which is a lie, because I’m not a journalist although we have a lot in common, because I write fiction and oftentimes, so do they).
We tapped our glasses and took a drink. I tried to snake my arm through his, like they do at weddings, but Mr. Jackman got all grumbly about me being too close to his scotch. Rejected, I drowned my sorrows (and also, a small black fly that had been buzzing around the room) in alcohol.
I put on a brave face after swallowing the fly and wondered if I now needed to swallow a spider. But Mr. Jackman was getting impatient, and so I started the interview.
Interview with Mr. Jackman
Me (which stands for Jasmin Quinn for those of you who are still uncertain why you’re reading this blog): Mr. Jackman, thank for joining me in this hotel room where we could do absolutely anything we wanted and no one would ever know. May I call you Jackman or do you prefer Dimi?
Mr. J: You may call me Mr. Jackman or Master Jackman or Mr. Master.
Me (swallowing and getting wiggly): How about Mr. J?
Mr. J (narrowing his eyes): Did you think this was a negotiation, girl?
Me (not sure what the right answer is, I hedge): Possibly.
He sighs heavily as he drains his scotch. We’re off to a rocky start, but I’m not some two-bit hack who doesn’t know how to deal with aggressive men (all of it lies—I am a two-bit hack).
Cheech & Chong
Me: Mr. Jackman, I understand that while you run a business that on the surface seems legitimate and even, dare I say, philanthropic, you’re really a criminal with a body count higher than Cheech and Chong, and your sole purpose in life is to piss off your cousin, Rusya Savisin.
Mr. J (fiercely scowling): Was there a question in there.
Me: Yes. Is it all true?
Mr. J (leaning towards me with a stern expression): Yes, it’s all true. But you won’t tell anyone, will you, Jasmin?
Me (licking the fly-infused wine off my lips): Umm. I might have mentioned it in the unauthorized biography I wrote of you.
Mr. J (surprised and unhappy): You wrote a biography of me?
Me (nodding seriously): I’m afraid I did.
Mr. J: Who the fuck authorized you to do that?
Me (wondering if Mr. J really is as smart as I portrayed him in the book): It’s unauthorized, which means no one authorized it.
Mr. J: Are you telling me you wrote a book about me without authorization?
Me (starting to really doubt my ability as a writer): That’s what I’m telling you.
I sense that things are about to get ugly.
Mr. J: Who the fuck do you think you are, Jasmin Quinn?
Me (shoring myself up. Sure I’m broke, weak, and shy and Mr. Jackman is a rich, murderous, sexy motherfucker, but this is my interview and he’s fucking it up): I’m Jasmin Quinn (yep, I’m all about the repetitive emphasis). And just so we’re clear, I made you. (I do the whole stabbing the index finger first at me, then at him, to emphasize who made who – or is that whom?) You would be nothing without me. Do you hear me, Mr. Master (that was a slip of the tongue, but once it was out there, I couldn’t take it back)?
Mr J (not yet willing to back down): You have a smart mouth for a maid. What the fuck did you tell the world about me?
Me (deciding to try to mollify him): I told your side of the story. Your cousin, Rusya, didn’t describe you in a favourable light in his unauthorized biography, so I thought it only fair that you get a chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of my readers.
Mr. J (appearing mollified ashe pours a couple of fingers of scotch): Then, I guess I should thank you.
In case you didn’t get the innuendo.
Me: Yes Sir, you should. I also had some influence on Brook meeting you.
Mr. J (softening – just his face, the rest of him stayed rock hard, including his… uhm… you know… his joystick): I guess you’re not as bad as the rumours I’ve heard.
Me (outraged): What rumours have you heard about me?
Mr J (shrugging dismissively): Unlike the Blue Jays Baseball Team, I’m a closed book.
Me (feeling validated): Aw, that’s so nice that they’re still talking about me.
Mr. J: My sense is that they miss you.
Who loves the Blue Jays? Me! I do!
Me: I miss them too.
I think briefly about dropping by for a quickie visit on my way back to BC, but then remember Mr. Quinn is waiting for me to retrieve him from the pawn shop.
Me (changing the subject): How’s Brook?
Mr. J (smirking like he has a secret): Pregnant
Me: How can she pregnant already? The book was just released and last thing I heard was—.
Mr. J: Stop. No spoilers! And how the fuck do you know anything about anything?
Me (getting frustrated with this hunk of man): Sources, Mr. J, and I won’t reveal them, even under the threat of… uhm… spanking.
Mr. J: Trust me Jasmin, you don’t want me to spank you.
Me (licking my lips and trying to catch his eyes with my gaze): But I do, Mr. J. I really do.
Mr. J (staring at my nose): I promised Brook I would stop spanking women.
Me (disappointed and pissed off at Brook, who always ruins the fun): You didn’t answer my question.
Supersonic sperm at your service, Mrs. Ovary.
Mr. J: What was the question?
Me: How can Brook already be pregnant?
Mr. J (grinning smugly): I guess I have supersonic sperm.
Me (also grinning smugly, but with eyes narrowed as I go for the jugular): Kind of like your cousin’s fast balls? Runs in the family, does it?
Mr. J (apoplectic): I have nothing in common with my fucking cousin, including fast balls. That implies premature ejaculation, which I believe he practices.
Me (calming him by stroking his… uh… shoulder): I don’t think one practices premature ejaculation. I’m sure it just happens. And let me assure you, Rusya is not a premature ejaculator.
Mr. J (calmer now, thanks to my stroking): How do you know this, girl?
Me: Girl talk, Mr. J. Esma told Astrid, who told Kelsie, who spilt the beans to Olivia, who mentioned it in passing when I ran into her in the line-up at Costco (though I can’t say where, because she and Hugo are hiding from Jack Creed, who wants to call in the favour Hugo owes him).
The Gossip Girls – Esma, Astrid, Kelsie, Olivie and that’s me on the end (no it’s not, it’s Katya. I just wanted to belong for once).
Mr. J (losing interest in the girl talk): Do you have any other questions?
Me: A couple more. You know that snowmen-without-the-head bun that Brook ate?
Delicious and doesn’t need butter, though that doesn’t stop me.
Mr. J: Russian Mennonite zwieback. It’s quite delicious.
Me: I know. I’ve made it before.
Mr. J: Have you? (looks at my nose again) Are you Russian?
Me: Mr. Quinn is Russian.
Mr. J (sounding a little jealous, not of Mr. Quinn being Russian, just generally of Mr. Quinn, though it’s possible I’m wishful thinking): And where is this Mr. Quinn?
Me: I pawned him.
He narrows his eyes at me like he can’t understand what I’m about.
Me: It’s a cultural thing; it’s perfectly okay in Canada to pawn your husband if you need travel money.
Mr. J: Will you get him back?
Me: I hope so. I’ve invested a lot of time in him and I’d like not to have start over with a new man. Unless of course… well, I guess you’re not available anymore, are you?
Mr. J: No. Besides Brook will kick your ass if you try to sexually harass me.
Me: Is it sexual harassment if I throw myself at you like a power ranger on Rita Repulsa?
Rita Repulsa I once had a bra like hers but I lost it in a poker match.
Mr. J: Don’t use that fucking mumbo-jumbo girl-power shit on me.
He raises from the sofa and heads for the door as I tag after him. I beg for a kiss, but he refuses, citing his devotion to Brook, who I now wish never existed.
As he strides down the hall, a hotel attendant mistakes my French maid outfit as one of the hotel’s uniforms and puts me to work. I don’t complain and, in the end, earn enough money to buy Mr. Quinn back from the pawnshop.
He’s traumatized by his experience, but his burps are quieter now.
***END OF INTERVIEW***
What’s Next?
Barring any unfortunate and unanticipated events in my life (like getting stuck in an elevator for several days), Unleashed will be unleashed (see what I did there?) on June 26. I’m so excited by this book, because it’s my first full-length standalone book, and also, because I loved writing it. I’m thinking that I may turn it into a three-book series but of course, each series will introduce a different couple, with happy ever after’s and all that good stuff.
But I’m still deciding, mostly because I have so many books in progress and I want to write them all, but I also want to read all the good books other authors write and I’m not sure how many years I have left in the rest of my life, but I’m pretty sure I can’t do everything (I also want to learn to speak Spanish, which is coming along really well). Como lo estoy hacienda (Otro engaño. Estoy usando el traductor de Google). But I’m not lying about wanting to learn.
Somewhere in that last paragraph is my segue into telling you about Nikita’s and Bijou’s new books, both released in May. If you haven’t read them yet, I recommend both (I read them and loved them, which is why I can recommend them).
Enough about other writers. Let’s get back to me.
At the end of August, I’ll be releasing another Shifter’s of Darkness Falls book! Book 4 already, which is hard to believe! I love my life right now, doing my favourite thing (writing if you haven’t already guessed). It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, but never thought it was going to happen. Yet here I am, doing it.
Back to Savage Hearts, Book 4 of Shifters of Darkness Falls. This is Cherime’s and Ren’s story and I’m so freaking excited about the pairing.
Did you know Ren is 6’6” tall? He’s completely uncivilized, unlike my shifter men in the first three books, who are led by their instincts, but are at least house-trained. Ren is a mountain man, Alpha shifter, and has little tolerance for mouthy babes. Enter Cherime, who doesn’t know how to shut up or play nice. Doesn’t matter though, she’s one hot shifter princess who thinks she can take on Ren and win.
Will Ren fall for Cherime? Will he tie her up and gag her? Will he drag her to his mountain home and make her pregnant? Hang in there until August, when the shift hits the fan (even I’m groaning, but also giggling – I swear I haven’t been drinking).
Finally, to round out my year, Book 12 of Running with the Devil will be released in November. I’m sad and thrilled at the same time. More to come on this book in future blogs.
It’s time to call it a blog and move on to the more important stuff, like opening my release day bottle of wine and celebrating.
Cheers to you all,
Love Jasmin
PS. In case you were wondering, I’m not avoiding the topic of COVID-19 in our lives. I’m doing the best I can to embrace the changes necessary to cope with the new now. It’s better than reading the constant barrage of contradictory information in the media and getting worked into knots over things I can’t control.
In my little piece of the world, Mr. Quinn and I do what we can to be part of the solution, such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing when we’re out, isolating unless we need to go out, staying in touch with family and friends over social media, and eating too much.
I thank the health care professionals, the service industry, the Canadian federal and provincial governments, and everyone else who recognizes that we live in a shared world and our actions are the deciding factor in how our future will look. Thank you to us for doing our part to make our world the best place to be.
Except the baseball players. I don’t thank them because they’ve left me high and dry.
Think about it. We all have a little piece of the world that includes those around us. My world includes you (wonderful readers), my family, my friends, my condo and I think I can expand beyond that to everywhere I go. My city, my ocean, my beautiful province.
Darkness Falls is set in northern British Columbia and not by accident. It’s the perfect world for shifters. I’ve been there, I’ve breathed the air, I’ve taken pictures, which I’d show you, but they are on my old PC and I don’t have the patience to transfer them over.
But here’s some pictures of my recent sunshiny vacation. Yes, Gideon joined me. What’s a vaca without a hot shifter man?
No shifters were hurt in the taking of these pictures
Jasmin Quinn original.
This picture is a Jasmin Quinn original. Yep, I have mad photography skills as long as I have an i-Phone and a sunrise. My sister (not the stripper but the porn star) is the real photographer in the family. Alas, she was on her own vacation (which was a vacation from hell – teehee).
Guess what? The wolves are back in town! And what better way to celebrate it than with a little Thin Lizzy.
I’ve been circulating Alpha’s Prey and it has (almost fucked this up and wrote it’s. Sorry, Sheri) raised some serious interest among suspicious circles. I’m not going to lie, I am highly suspicious of suspicious circles.
Several Suspicious Cicles
I don’t really know where I’m going with this, but I loved the rooster sheriff below, so I had to weave it in somehow.
Sometime I just like suspicious animals.
Wolf shifter and Alien shifter. What’s your kryptonite?
Why am I blogging today, you ask? Or maybe you didn’t ask. Maybe you already know.
Alpha’s Prey is on the virtual bookshelf! This was an easy book to write for me, because I loved the Honi character. I could totally identify with her. She has red hair, I don’t. She can shift into a wolf, I can’t. She’s from northern Alberta and I’m from southern BC. She loves a hot alpha shifter (Gideon, in case you hadn’t already figured that out) and I love hot alpha shifters. All of them, as many as I can get.
But I also struggled with the marketing of this one.
Why? Because Gideon isn’t exactly Mr. Romance so when it came time to find some really good quotes from the book to use as teasers, the best I could come up with, was: She was fucking with his head, making him think like a poet. He hoped none of it fell out of his mouth.
Desperate as I was, I decided to write a poem about Gideon and Honi so I could connect with them emotionally. It didn’t work because Gideon is an arrogant asshole, but he’s a shifter, which means he was born savage. Add alpha to that, it’s a recipe for full-on prickishness.
I love Gideon though. Really, truly, madly. Looovvveeee him.
Leah & Trist as babies before Leah forgot how to shift. (Thanks to Valerie, who shared this with me).
There’s a lot of girl power in this book too – Leah and Trist make appearances as do Eva and Cherime. Lots of good times and banter.
Check out the book on Amazon. It’s available to buy but also FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited!
As Alpha of one of the biggest wolf shifter packs in North America, Gideon has power, respect, wealth, and any woman he wants. Until he lays eyes on Honi, a beautiful redheaded shifter from a rival pack who won’t give him the time of day.
Is he not the hottest?
Honi is on the run, hiding from an abusive pack that wants her back when she catches the eye of Gideon, the only man who makes her heart beat faster. But Gideon is aggressive, dangerous, and alpha, a reminder of the brutal life she left behind.
When her former pack hunts her down, she turns to Gideon for help. The fire that ignites between them unleashes Gideon’s possessive protective side – he will burn down the world to keep Honi safe.
Speaking of pricks, Mr. Jackman finally gets his book. Mr. Master (Running with the Devil Book 11) (holy hell, 11 books – one more to go and two novellas and it’s a wrap) is going to be a roller-coaster of a ride as Mr. Jackman’s brutal side kicks into full gear when he meets his match in Brook Lafferty, an undercover agent for the Global Security Intelligence Agency. His plan is to break her, but she isn’t going down without a fight.
I’m working on getting an interview with Mr. Jackman. He’s slowly coming around (I had to drug him and hit him over the head to get his attention). Mr. Master is on the bookshelf on May 29th and up for presales soonish.
Also, stay tuned for Unleashed, a standalone dark romance out June 26th. Check the back of Alpha’s Prey for an excerpt.
Finally, Nikita Slater will be my next guest interviewee on March 20th. What’s new with this wacky woman? Hit the follow button on the right and find out!
That’s a wrap, folks!
I’ve noticed I’ve cut back on my swearing and sexual innuendo in this blog post. I’m not turning over a new leaf if that’s what you were hoping.
Nope, I’ve been distracted by this whole release thing because I made a last minute change to the cover and found a wee mistake in all my social media draft posts. The cover change was on Tuesday, one hour before the Amazon cut-off time for uploads and I caught the error on February 27th (yup, yesterday if you need help with the math). I had Alpha’s Prey down as book 2 of the series, which of course it fucking isn’t!
That made me swear and then I got very quiet as I waded through all the stuff I had ready to go so I could change one fucking number. I eventually got to the point where I threw up my hands and reached for the wine bottle. Alas (although not a surprise), the fucking wine bottle was empty.
If you want to keep up with me, join my Facebook group, Jasmin’s Dark sSide. I’d tell you to follow me on instagram, but I’m still trying to figure it out.
Love you always,
Jasmin
PS. I so wanted to use this image but I couldn’t find a clever way to include this in the blog. Mind you, that rarely stops me.
Why am writing this blog? No really. People keep asking (That’s not true. Only me. I keep asking). I could write about serious issues like the environment or world peace, but I prefer sex. After all, if we were all fucking and minding our own business, there’d be a whole lot fewer issues. Me, I don’t skirt the issues, I just like to approach them commando.
left: former cover; right: sanitized cover
So, let’s start this blog by talking about the elephant in the room. Chained: A Forced Mafia Marriage got banned by Amazon. Why? Because some of our content didn’t meet their guidelines. What the fuck does that mean? Nikita and I don’t know because Amazon likes to keep their explanations vague and unhelpful. This means we don’t know what to fix.
I’m finding the banning of this book unfunny, so I won’t expend a lot of energy talking about it. Nikita and I are working to restore it but I’ve never been one for silly processes and what we’re doing seems, well silly. At present, it still isn’t available.
Amazon, I used to like you. I used to defend you. You’ve hurt me and I’m having trouble finding forgiveness in my heart. I may send my wolves out after you!
Basic Instinct: Shifters of Darkness Falls Book 1 is live and for those of you who have pre-ordered, it should be in your hot little kindles. I love this book. I loved writing this book. I can’t wait to write many more of these books. And just so you know, I plan to write many more of these books.
To celebrate the release of Basic Instinct, I want to send everyone home with a treat bag. Just a little one – First Blood Moon is free for a couple of days, so if you haven’t already got a copy, this is your opportunity to grab it for free. First Blood Moon was first published in The Horror of Our Love Anthology (see my October 23, 2018 blog post Hard Lessons, My Interview with Mr. Mafia himself and on becoming an international Best-Selling Author!), but now is a standalone novella on Amazon.
And another treat! The chance to win a $25 gift card for liking and sharing the Basic Instinct release post. How do you do that? See the post on my facebook page for details.
What else?
Available June 26
Past Sins (Running with the Devil Book 8) is in the works and there is a sizzling hot excerpt at the back of Basic Instinct.
Everyone
has skeletons in their closets. Katya’s
might get her killed.
Six years ago, Katya made a mistake and she’s been running ever since. She thought she found safety working for the Russian bratva, but her past is about to catch up with her.
Alexei has been hunting Katya. She took
something that didn’t belong to her and his job is to retrieve it and kill her.
But once he has her, his heart tells him to
keep her. Now they’re on the run together because hitmen don’t get severance
pay.
Past Sins will be released June 26th and available for pre-sales by end of May.
Available May 17
Good Girl (After Dark Series) will be up for pre-sales in early May. Grab a copy while you can, just in case you-know-who decides to ban this one too. Good Girl will be released May 17th.
Were you expecting a dark cover with a girl in chains. We were too, but Nik and I made the executive decision to sanitize the cover for those faint-hearted readers out there. I know I sound bitter, but truly I’m more disappointed than bitter.
Quinn & Slater have more novellas planned over the next few months, so keep an eye out for them. They are meant to be dirty little naughty pleasures and we hope you’re enjoying them in the spirit they are being written. While we would love to turn some into full-length novels, if we tried, they’d never get written because individually, Nikita and I have heavy writing schedules. What I like about writing these short novellas is that I can produce one of them at the same time I’m writing my full-length book. I’ll alternate, which keeps the creativity flowing.
Finally, a sincere thank you to those of you who have been so supportive. You know who you are! It’s been a humbling experience being able to share my writing journey with you. And don’t worry, my sense of humour is on a temporary sabbatical. It’ll be back soon.
Safeword (After Dark Series collaboration with Nikita Slater) is available and sitting on the virtual bookshelf! All of you who have pre-ordered should now have the book in your hot little virtual hands!
I love the concept of Safewords. Everyone should have them. In fact, I think that when you reach the age of consent, you should be required to have two safewords – one for red and one for yellow. They would be officially documented on your driver’s licence. You could use them on everything. Government tax forms, meals in restaurants, BDSM sex clubs. And you could have them on vanity plates.
Jasmin’s Safeword
Mine would be ‘Yes Please’ for yellow and ‘Please, Please’ for red (I’m a very polite girl).
Except FB probably wouldn’t approve my choices. And as we all know, Facebook runs the world.
I’m unable to talk about my secret stalkee today because I have bigger fish to fry (and no, that’s not a clue to his identity… I don’t think). RR is on the back burner too, because I’m tussling with Facebook again and they’re hard to reach.
My Phone Call with Mr. Facebook
I did manage to get through to Mr. Facebook himself after several hours of waiting. I told him (yeah, a man, maybe a priest), that I would be recording the conversation so I’d have a transcript for my blog.
Mr. FB sent me a list of requirements I needed to comply
with before I would be allowed to post his side of the phone call. I wasn’t
able to comply (not a virgin, drinks alcohol, owns black panties, married and
faithful but sexually active, waxes down there, owns sex toys). It went on and
on. I did meet some of the requirements (drank milk, ate pasta, etc.).
Mr. FB
I also had to sign 16 different documents and swear on a
bible that I would not misrepresent Mr. FB in any way. In the end I decided it
was best to use only my side of the conversation rather than record it word for
word and accidentally repeat something provocative.
The Phone Call
Me (nervous as the big guy takes the call): Hello Mr. Facebook, it’s me, Jasmin Quinn.
FB: …
JQ: Quinn… Jasmin Quinn, Canadian romance author.
FB: …
JQ: Uhm… self-published.
FB: …
JQ: You haven’t? We talked once, don’t you remember?
FB…
JQ: Right, of course. You’re busy in your quest for world
domination.
FB: …
JQ (a little defensive): Yes, some people have heard of me.
FB: …
JQ: No… not Nora Roberts, but Nikita Slater, D.D. Prince, N. Heinz…
FB: …
JQ: Nikita… oh never mind. I’m calling because one of my ads
got rejected again.
FB: …
JQ: Well, the email said the photo was sexually explicit.
FB: …
JQ: Maybe you could pull up my file and see.
FB: …
JQ: Oh, technical issues? Yes, I’ll hold.
8 hours later and 20
different renditions of Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl by people auditioning for
The Voice.
JQ: What? Those bulges on his arms? Muscles. I think the technical
terms are bi-ceps and tri-ceps.
FB: …
JQ: I see. I can’t post a man with muscles.
FB: …
JQ: I see. I can’t post a man with bare arms.
FB: …
JQ: Okay. Yeah. Well, I changed the ad and resubmitted it.
FB: …
JQ: A pretty, blonde girl with a cowboy hat wearing a fringed
jacket. Fully dressed.
Second attempt at FB ad
FB: …
JQ: Yeah, got rejected. The email said the ad can’t promote
sexual or adult content, projects or services.
FB: …
JQ: Showing flesh? Her wrist and part of her arm, and her face.
FB: …
JQ: Yes. I pressed on the Advertising Policies.
FB: …
JQ: Yeah – Policy # 9: Ads must not contain adult content. This
includes nudity, depictions of people or suggestive positions, or activities
that are overly suggestive or sexually provocative.
FB: …
JQ: Yeah, I saw the pictures
FB: …
JQ: Yeah, the lady eating the banana
Not actual FB picture
FB: …
JQ (chuckling): Dole tried to get that one past you, did
they?
FB: …
JQ: Yeah. The naked statue is compliant.
FB: …
JQ: I see that. Naked. Everything hanging out. Hard to see Mr.
Penis without the erection.
Not actual FB photo but actual statue
FB: …
JQ: Oh, it is erect? Haha… I get it… cause it’s a statue, standing up…
FB: …
JQ: Yes. You have a great sense of humour.
FB: …
JQ: Ignore them. Those people are wrong.
FB: …
JQ: No. I didn’t appeal it.
FB: …
JQ: Because I couldn’t find the appeal link.
FB: …
JQ: Uh… an hour.
FB: …
JQ: Oh… okay. 3 hours max before I call? Got it. I’ll make
sure I do that next time.
FB: …
JQ: Uh… well… I was thinking of posting another picture and
I wanted to know if it was compliant.
FB: …
JQ: A nun. Full habit.
FB: …
JQ: Not compliant?
FB: …
JQ: Oh… naked underneath… yeah. No, I understand. It’s just I have men in my approved ads.
FB: …
JQ: No, they’re all suited up.
FB: …
JQ: No, but… I think they’re also probably naked under their
clothes.
FB: …
JQ: Ohhhhh, I see. They’re not women.
FB: …
JQ: Yeah. Now it makes sense. All the photo examples under rule #9 of prohibited content are of women.
FB: …
JQ: Yeah, all white women. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get
slammed for underrepresentation?
FB: …
JQ: Yeah, I know. I once put a black woman in a tub for a teaser.
FB: …
JQ: Yes. Naked, but under a lot of bubbles.
FB: …
JQ: No, no. She wasn’t black in the book.
FB: …
JQ: That’s misrepresentation? I didn’t know. Well, she could have been black, I guess…
FB: …
JQ: Oh, you read it? No, you’re right. I mentioned in the book that she was pale. Probably said something like, “She paled.”
FB: …
JQ: Yeah, I have a First Nations friend who thinks that’s
funny.
FB: …
JQ: When I say a white girl is pale.
FB: …
JQ: No, no. Don’t hang up! I really have a First Nations friend.
FB: …
JQ: Okay, I’ll send you her name and phone number. You can
check. I’m sorry.
FB: …
JQ: But my man…
FB: …
JQ: Oh, bare arms, muscles.
Okay.
FB: …
JQ: Well, I was hoping you could give me some advice on what
will work?
FB: …
Wonder if this will work?
JQ: A cat? Okay. I’ll see if I can find a picture.
FB: …
JQ: Yeah. Well, I should go. Thanks Mr. FB, you’ve been a
lot of help today.
FB: …
End of phone call.
Mr. Facebook was such a nice guy to take the time to speak with me.
I’m having so much fun today! And that’s without the wine. Happiness to you all.
Let’s start the new year on a grand fucking note! Just had to say it. On the stroke of midnight 2019, I will no longer hide behind my sensibilities (not that I did all that much before 2019).
When the urge to say ‘fuck’ arises, I’m going to give into it. It’s going to be grand year with all the fucking I’m going to do. Seriously, I’m not drunk! I’m so sober a judge would be in awe of me! (You know the saying – sober as a judge, which by the way, is bullshit. No way Judge Judy doesn’t drink – is that a double-negative? Is this a run-on parenthesis?).
Courting Trouble Released!
Where was I. Oh yes! Courting Trouble is out and it is fan-fucking-tastic if I do say so myself. Olivia, well she’s one of a kind and so’s Hugo! I love them both so much!
I highly recommend you read it because it will bring a smile to your face and happy start to your new year. It will also bring a smile to my face and a happy start to my new year! You can read it for FREE on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $2.99.
What else do I got?
The excerpt for Shattered (Running with the Devil Book 7) is tucked into the end of Courting Trouble. It pits Esma Akkaya, who was introduced in Without Mercy, against the dark, Russian mafia boss, Rusya Savison. Things are going to be hot and steamy, then dangerous and deadly. It will also be a time of reckoning for Anto Kharzin.
Who knows how it will end?
Okay, it will end on an HEA note. Or maybe HFN. Because every single one of my books ends with a whole lot of more story to tell.
Publishing Anniversary & New Year Promises
Happy Anniversary to me! I released my first book, The Darkest Hour (Running with the Devil Book 1) on December 28, 2017. What an excellent year it’s been!
I have a plan to publish six new books in 2019. Ambitious? You betcha! But it’s my plan and I’m sticking to it. One of those books is going to be the start of a new shifter series. I’ve tentatively titled the series, Shifters of Darkness Falls (although I reserve the right to change it before the first book is published).
I’ve started the first book, but am working out the background details so the books have a firm foundation. But like Running with the Devil, expect a whole lot of hot sexy men, fucking, swearing, violence and maybe even a threesome.
Okay, joking about the threesome. Sort of….
But there might be a threesome in the next bit of news (see BIG BIG BIG News below)!
BIG BIG BIG News!
My good friend Nikita Slater and I are collaborating on a number of novellas, the first of which will be released in January. Expect some really big edgy writing in little 25k books. I’m talking about straight up erotica, with a little romance and at Slater’s insistence, HEAs (she’s the romantic of the pair)! In 2019, Quinn Slater plans to produce 8 – 12 of these drool-worthy novelettes that will keep you up at night for all the right reasons!
Yup! I bagged her (not that way, you dirty-minded people). I got her to agree to an interview.
If you don’t already know, Nikita Slater is the author of 15+ awesome dark romance novels that can be purchased on Amazon or you can read for free on Kindle Unlimited.
We met over coffee in a bar. I looked like shit (it’s not like I was interviewing Jack Creed or Hugo Marsden. Slater likes boys, I don’t have a chance with her). We were on opposite sides of the table (she insisted – she’s not as touchy-feeley as one would think).
She looked divine, long dark hair, lush lips and a seriously nice ass (yeah, I checked it out). She was wearing jeans, a Black Sabbath T-shirt and a sparkly 2019 tiara on her head. Her nails were manicured and looked professionally done and she seemed a little nervous… perhaps too much caffeine?
I asked her the tough questions and she refused to answer. So I softened them up a little.
Me: Thanks for sitting down with me today, Nikita Slater. May I call you Nik?
Slater widens her eyes as she takes a sip of her latte and gives me a short nod. I think I’ve irritated her with my fucking good mood, but truly, I’m interviewing Nikita Slater. Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood?
Me: Let’s talk about 2019 – what can your readers expect from Nikita Slater next year?
Slater: A lot actually. I am starting a new dark romance series with the fabulous and extremely beautiful author (her words, not mine, I swear), Jasmin Quinn. We have a couple of books almost ready to go and plan to release our first one at the end of January under the PEN, Quinn Slater.
I’m also working on my next Queen’s book, Queen’s Move, which will be awesome. I’m loving writing it. I’ll also be working on the next Angels and Assassins book, and I’ll complete the Fire and Vice series with Burning Beauty.
Me: Sounds like you will be busy. How will you make sex a priority? And also, since you are in between boyfriends, how will you be able to make your sex scenes authentic without someone to practice them with?
Slater (slightly irritated): I can pick up boyfriends at the snap of a finger, but even if that doesn’t come to pass, I have always had a prolific dirty imagination and I don’t anticipate that failing anytime soon.
Me: And the sex?
Slater: Yes, there will be some.
Me: Okay. Let’s talk about this collaboration you are embarking on with this other author to produce a series of edgy, dark, sexy novellas. Tell us about this author, Jasmin Quinn. What makes her so amazing?
Slater: Jasmin Quinn and I will partner on the Quinn Slater series of novellas. Like me, she drinks wine. It’s possible I was drinking wine when I agreed to work with her. It’s possible I had already drank a lot of wine!
We do have a lot in common. We both like dogs, writing dark romance and we worked very well together on The Horror of Our Love anthology (which is on sale right now for $0.99 for a limited time).
Me: Yes, but what makes her so amazing?
Slater: Can I get back to you on that?
Me: Yes. Take as much time as you need.
I shift gears at this point. It’s time to ask the tough questions
Stephen
Me: What would you do if you found a penguin in your freezer?
Slater: Oddly, that’s happened. His name is Stephen and he loves sushi. He now lives in my tub. It’s expensive keeping him in ice.
Me: Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses? Explain?
Slater: 100 duck-sized horses. I would stand on something really tall, laugh at them and pepper them with ping-pong balls.
Me: What will you title your autobiography, when you write it?
Slater: Miss Understood.
Me: What would be your perfect murder weapon?
Slater: Poison.
Me: With your cooking?
Slater: Yes.
Me: Speaking of food, if you could redesign the food pyramid without any dire health consequences how would it look?
Slater: Chocolate at the bottom, then chocolate ice cream, wine, then chips and dip, sushi.
Me: Of the male characters that you’ve written, which is your favourite and why?
Slater: Sotza, who is the H in my upcoming book, Queen’s Move, because he’s ruthless, but thoughtful. Two qualities I’m always looking for in a man. Not thoughtful in that show up for dinner with roses and red wine, but because he’s brutal, smart, clever, intelligent and calm.
Me: So a psychopath?
Slater thinks this over and nods.
Me: Let’s play Murder, Fuck, Marry. Of the male characters you’ve written, which would you Marry, which would you Fuck, and which would you Murder and why?
Slater: Murder – I would kill Mercer in Fear in Her Eyes, because I wouldn’t be able to kill him. He’s too tough. So it would be just a murder attempt.
Me: Then he would cage you up, or tie you to the bed, or put a leash on you or….
Slater (side-stepping my comment): Marry – Ash from Fight or Flight because even though he’s dominant, he’s also probably the nicest; Fuck – Reyes in Scarred Queen. He’s very passionate, possessive. I wouldn’t marry him though because he’s a Bolivian mob moss. Mob bosses never end well.
Me: Dean or Sam?
Slater: Dean
Me: Who was more to blame? Adam or Eve?
Slater: Well, Adam, obviously.
Me: What would your pet say about you if I asked for a reference?
Friday, Slater’s long-suffering pet
Slater: I love my mom. Sometimes she forgets to feed me And she doesn’t yell at me when I throw up on the carpet.
Me: Are you lying?
Slater: No my dog adores me.
Me: Sex on a first date?
(longgggg pause)
Slater: Not if it was someone I was interested in seeing long term. Yes, if it was just a fling.
Me: Oral sex on a first date?
Slater: See above
Me: What’s one thing you wouldn’t want your mother to know about you?
Slater: I had a one night stand this year. It was actually a two-night stand. Is my mother going to see this?
Me: No.
Slater looked at her watch at this point, drained her latte and told me that I had to go. So I did. She’s a bit bossy!
***
Wishing everyone a fan-fucking-tastic New Years! Thanks for making 2018 so great!
Love Jasmin!
PS: Don’t forget to join Jasmin’s Dark Side, my closed FB group for updates and good times!
My good friend 
Yup! I bagged her (not that way, you dirty-minded people). I got her to agree to an interview.
Slater widens her eyes as she takes a sip of her latte and gives me a short nod. I think I’ve irritated her with my fucking good mood, but truly, I’m interviewing Nikita Slater. Why wouldn’t I be in a good mood?
Jasmin Quinn Writes Romance 