The Kure by Jaye Frances (Guest Post & Giveaway)

Good morning lovelies, I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! Today I'd like to welcome author Jaye Frances of The Kure over for a guest post & giveaway that I hope you'll enjoy! 

Thank you, Crystal, for hosting me on Reading Between The Wines today. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about The Kure, and to let your readers know about my Resolve To Read promotion on Amazon through the month of January.

One of the most important responsibilities I have as a romance writer is to make sure my characters interact with each other in a way that is true to their personality, principles and values. Sometimes they have to behave themselves, while other times, they freely explore the possibilities.

When I’m writing a scene with sexual content, I always ask myself how authentic the situation would be without it. Do I really need it? Would a kiss be more appropriate than a hug? Do the characters need to be naked? Is a sudden or unexpected display of sex congruent with the characters mindset?

 I’ve always felt I get a more interesting and honest story if I keep the physical contact between characters in a delicate balance, especially when delaying the sex can often make for delicious anticipation.

In writing The Kure, I knew I had to be very conscious about the sexual interaction between the main characters, John Tyler and Sarah Sheridan. While the attraction between them was obvious, their desire to physically enjoy each other had to remain an implausible promise due to John’s physical predicament—their unrequited passion fueling the fire between them, and honing the conflict to a much sharper edge.

In the following two excerpts, the reader experiences a glimpse into the minds of both John (Excerpt One) and Sarah (Excerpt Two):

Excerpt One:

Yesterday, she had been a willowy dream, floating in a light cotton dress, her presence so desirably feminine, she appeared born to fine lace and silk. This morning, sleek denim covered her like a second skin, revealing every exquisite detail of her figure. Her cheeks were flushed from the ride, and her hair was swept back into a single perfect braid, leaving tiny wisps of gold to frame her face. Her eyes sang bright with sparkling blue hope, and her chest heaved full as she took in the air.

For the first time, John allowed his thoughts to entertain what his body could not possibly accomplish. Gazing ravenously at her rounded bottom, he could easily—finally—admit it: He wanted to pull her close. He wanted her naked. He wanted to trace every curve, every soft crevice with his fingertips.

He wondered if old man Sheridan recognized the sheer potency of his daughter’s captivating beauty, if he had any idea how many men had been tempted, wanting to touch every inch of her.

Excerpt Two:

Growing more comfortable with the intimate contact of John’s skin against hers, Sarah let her fingers roam the side of John’s bottom. She tried to imagine what it would be like to bring her tongue to him with passion and desire, providing pleasure for both of them. She had often fantasized about being this close to a man—how she would touch him, and how it would make her feel. And while this was far from the experience she had hoped it would be, she reminded herself that she was here for a reason, one that could make a difference to both of them, for the rest of their lives.

Here is a brief synopsis:

John Tyler, a young man in his early twenties, discovers he has contracted a ghastly affliction affecting a most sensitive part of his body. When the village doctor offers the conventional, and potentially disfiguring, treatment as the only cure, John tenaciously convinces the doctor to reveal an alternative remedy—a forbidden ritual contained within an ancient manuscript called the Kure.

Although initially rejecting the vile and unholy rite, John realizes, too late, that the ritual is more than a faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper. And as cure quickly becomes curse, the unholy text unleashes a dark power that drives him to consider the unthinkable—a depraved and wicked act requiring the corruption of an innocent soul.

Ultimately, John must choose between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body, and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him his life.

          For a limited time, read “The Kure” for only $.99 (kindle version)

I always spend the last few days of December reviewing my writing plan for the coming year—to determine what’s going to receive priority and how I will budget my time to make sure I get it done. During one of those planning sessions, I noticed my husband was also putting a few goals together for the new year. When I asked him to tell me about his “resolutions,” he said that one of them was to read more, especially books that fall outside his favorite genres, “just to see what else is out there.” We began to talk about how many more people are now reading books of all kinds, primarily due to increased availability and choice of low-cost eBooks for the kindle and nook. I’m constantly reading comments from readers who decided to try a particular author’s work because it was ninety-nine cents, or in some cases, free. Then my husband asked an interesting question: “Why don’t you offer some kind of promotion to encourage more people to read The Kure, with the idea that they’ll be more inclined to read the book if you temporarily lower the price?” I really had to think about this one, but after realizing it might motivate a few more folks who are not familiar with The Kure to take a look, I

decided to do it. I’m calling it “Resolve To Read”, and it’s going on right now. Effective for the month of January, the kindle version of The Kure can be purchased for ninety-nine cents on Amazon. So if you were planning on buying a kindle version anyway, why not take advantage of the “Resolve To Read” promotion and save two bucks?

Hopefully, I’ve piqued your interest sufficiently to visit my website (www.jayefrances.com) to learn more about The Kure series. You can purchase The Kure at Amazon and B&N!

I’d like to conclude by sharing a few details about myself. I was born in the Midwest and grew up surrounded by traditional values and conservative attitudes (which I quickly discarded). I’ll readily admit that my life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent, and I invite visitors to my website with a friendly caveat: “Be forewarned, my life has not followed the traditional path of homemaker, wife, and mother.” When I’m not consumed by my writing, I enjoy cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which wind up on my website. I live on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing my home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes. 

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~*GIVEAWAY*~

Jaye is giving away one Kindle version of The Kure to one lucky reader. To enter, just leave a comment on this post and then fill out the RaffleCopter below with your name and email address. Additional entries are available but not required. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway