#GIVEAWAY--Looking for reviewers!

It's been almost a year since I released SAILOR'S KNOT in my PIRATES AT HEART SERIES and since I'm working on the sequel RED SKY AT NIGHT, I'm looking for to give the entire series to four folks willing to read and post an *honest* review on Amazon and some shout outs on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc. If this is something you are willing to do, please leave a comment. If I have more than four responses, reviewers will be selected at random from commenters.

Books in the series:
LANDLOCKED
Book one in the Pirates at Heart series.
The year is 2017 and all is quiet on the eastern front. Good news for the war-weary Republic of Texas…bad news for weapons-smuggling pirate Captain Brett Logan.
Logan’s been a surly handful since war’s end—not to mention a rather perfunctory lover—and his wife Kate has had about enough. When an illicit business venture falls in his lap, Logan is eager to get back to outrunning and out-gunning the enemy navy.
Kate becomes an unwilling participant in Logan’s criminal enterprise, but surrounded by excitement and danger, he’s the roguish daredevil she fell in love with. Their passion for each other burns hotter than ever—spurred on by the thrill of the chase. As she learns more about Logan’s wild side, Kate finds herself craving him body and soul as love, sex and adventure finally rid Logan of those pesky smuggler’s blues.
For ten years, Kathryn has struggled to survive in a war-torn region that used to be part of the United States. Her country ripped apart and her husband presumed dead, she and her son need a miracle to find safe passage to the West. She’s not expecting that miracle to come in the form of Captain Brett Logan when he stumbles, injured, onto her front porch. A privateer for the Republic of Texas, Logan keeps one eye on the horizon and one hand on his sidearm, knowing the life of a modern-day pirate is often short. When an enemy bomb nearly ends him, Kathryn nurses him back to health. Against her better judgment, she’s drawn to the enigmatic man with his tattoos and battle scars. Kate finds shelter in Logan’s arms—and his bed. The captain navigates her body with the same skill that he sails the seven seas. The heat of their passion gives way to deeper currents. But with danger surrounding them, they must struggle to stay together and survive.

SMUGGLER'S BLUES
Book two in the Pirates at Heart series.
The year is 2017 and all is quiet on the eastern front. Good news for the war-weary Republic of Texas…bad news for weapons-smuggling pirate Captain Brett Logan.
Logan’s been a surly handful since war’s end—not to mention a rather perfunctory lover—and his wife Kate has had about enough. When an illicit business venture falls in his lap, Logan is eager to get back to outrunning and out-gunning the enemy navy.

Kate becomes an unwilling participant in Logan’s criminal enterprise, but surrounded by excitement and danger, he’s the roguish daredevil she fell in love with. Their passion for each other burns hotter than ever—spurred on by the thrill of the chase. As she learns more about Logan’s wild side, Kate finds herself craving him body and soul as love, sex and adventure finally rid Logan of those pesky smuggler’s blues.

SAILOR'S KNOT
Pirates at Heart, Book Three
The year is 2037 and the next generation of Logan family pirates have taken over the helm of The Yellow Rose. Running bootleg booze and smuggling runners from the Reformed States of America into the Republic of Texas, business couldn’t be better…that is, if brothers Marcus and Nathaniel don’t kill each other in the process.

Captain Marcus Logan is serious, brooding and haunted, carrying a torch for his first mate, Amelie. Nathaniel—the resident party boy—is none of those things, but somehow they’d made their differences work for them until recently. When tall, leggy blonde Captain Ruby Delaney is a guest aboard The Rose, she turns Nathaniel’s head and stirs up all sorts of trouble, not the least of which is winding up in Marcus’ bed one drunken night. This ill-advised one-night stand ignites a love quadrangle so intertwined that the phrase “it’s complicated” doesn’t begin to define this sailor’s knot.
A Romantica® futuristic erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

If sexy alpha males and kickass heroines set in an alternate reality piques your interest, please leave a comment below!

Cheers,
Cindy
Fiction for the Bad Girl in Every Woman
http://cindyjacks.com/

#Makeup Monday #Giveaway--Smokey Eyes

Please welcome Kelly, rockstar pediatric ER nurse and makeup artist extraordinaire. She's here to show us how to achieve those sexy, smokey eyes. BTW, I'm thinking of placing five orders myself just to see her hubby sporting this look :)

In addition to the fun contest Kelly is offering, I'm running a giveaway of my own: one lucky winner, drawn at random, will win a free copy of any of my ebooks.
To qualify to win my giveaway complete these simple steps:
1 - leave a comment below
2 - retweet or share this blog link: http://cindyjacks.blogspot.com/
3 - check out Kelly's FB page and like it (trust me, she's so very likeable!): https://www.facebook.com/YouniqueByKellyDuckworth

Easy peasy! Deadline to enter is: 11:59 pm EST on March 2^nd

Cheers,
Cindy
______________________________________________

The Smokey Eye

If the saying “your eyes are the windows to your soul” is true, then I’d like to think that the having perfect smokey eye makeup is like using your sexiest fishnet stockings as curtains. Creating a smoky eye can add a ton of sophisticated drama to your look, but most women avoid it because it seems too difficult.

Many women (ahem, ME) learn how to do a smokey eye look through trial and error- and usually a little disaster. I always thought that the timeless smokey eye sophistication could only be achieved using greys and blacks. This assumption led me to sporting the not-so-sexy-raccoon-eye on many occasions. Add to that any sort of heat, exercise (walking in high heels counts as exercise!), or hands of small children all over your face begging you not to go out and enjoy yourself for an evening and you have yourself a smeary black mess. I’ll also admit that sometimes I listen to music while getting ready to go out, and lemme just warn you… dancing while applying mascara once left me looking like I’d been run over by a tractor tire.

Luckily, I’ve learned a few lessons on how to successfully achieve the smokey eye look and today I’m going to share them with you!

Don’t be fooled into thinking you can’t use colors other than grey or black. In fact, some of the most gorgeous and sultry looks are achieved with greens, blues, or purples! Whatever color you choose, know that a smokey eye is typically done with only one color family at a time, so pick a color you love!

Let’s get started, shall we? Wait a sec, before we start, here is a “before” picture of me, just so you know I’m an average chick who doesn’t jump out of bed looking amazing. Ugh. I hate “before” pictures.

 

Okay, NOW we can start! First of all, I can’t stress how important it is to use a good eye makeup primer. Wait—don’t tune me out yet, I never actually owned primer until recently and I’m realizing that it makes all the difference in the world! Maybe it’s because I’m forty-something and my eye makeup now settles in my ‘smile lines’ after being applied, but whatever, primer is my new friend. I’m currently using Younique’s “Glorious” All Natural Face & Eye Mineral Makeup Primer. It makes my skin feel all velvety and my makeup now goes on seamlessly, not like spackle!

 

Start by applying the lightest color over the entire lid and up to the brow. Use a touch of shimmer if you’re feeling daring. Here I am using Younique’s Moodstruck Mineral Pigment Powder in “Playful”.

 

 

Using a light touch, apply your medium shade over the middle of your eyelid and extending towards the crease. I like to add a touch of color to my inner corners, just for fun. Here I am using Younique’s “Heavenly”.

 

Next, use your darkest color and apply along the crease and outer corners of your lid. Use the same color to line your lower lashes in the outer corners. This color is Younique’s “Awestruck”.

 





Now—and this is the most important part—blend like crazy!! Make sure to blend away any harsh lines. (Also, if you are messy like me and have a ton of eye shadow flecks all over your cheekbones, now is the time to wipe them away… I love you, baby wipes!)

 

Ready for mascara? Of course you are! If you tuned in last week, you should already know that Younique’s 3D Lashes is the most amazing mascara I’ve ever used!!! It goes on like regular mascara but it looks like falsies! What WHAT?? I promise. Try it. Apply one or two (or three, if you dare) coats and… WOW!

 





Want to see the finished look? Here it is…

 

 

Ok all you gorgeous women out there… there it is… the easy, EASY smokey eye! Told ya 

Check out these pigments, and many other Younique products at my website: www.youniqueproducts.com/youniquebykellyduckworth . If you make a purchase and post a picture on this blog in the next month, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win another free pigment of your choice! In case you are wondering, all of the pigments are 100% natural, chemical-free, mineral-based pigment powders, free of talc, oils, preservatives, perfumes, synthetic dyes, and parabens. Nice, huh?

Oh, by the way, I saw a hysterical video on youtube of some dudes trying to create a “smokey eye” from a tutorial—OMG they were a mess! So I had an idea… If I can get 5 orders from this blog in the next week (by 11:59 pm on March 2^nd) , I’m going to make a video of my husband doing it!!! He’s TOTALLY against this idea, but agreed to do it, so please HELP A SISTER OUT!!

Let me know what you’d like to see for next week!

Xoxo,

Kelly

#CoverReveal--SHARING THE COURTESAN

Chivalry, treason, sex and sorcery-- A man of honor and a man of magic compete for

the love of a beautiful traitor.

 

Coming soon to Ellora's Cave!

http://ellorascave.com/author/cindy-jacks/

Fitness Friday--Fruity Spinach Smoothie

Over the past two years, I've come across lots of healthy recipes, but few that I like as much as this spinach smoothie. Yes, I said spinach. Believe it or not, you can add raw fruit and spinach to your diet without too much hardship!

Here's how I make mine and my son loves it too.




1/2 c baby spinach
1 banana
1/2 C lemonade
1 C - 1 1/2 C frozen organic fruit (pineapple, peaches, honeydew and cantaloupe, etc.)

In a blender, puree spinach and banana. Add lemonade. Add frozen fruit 1/2 C at a time until smoothie is desired thickness.

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Cindy
http://cindyjacks.com/

Groove is in the heart

I really wish I could pull off this outfit. Then again,
where would I wear velveteen shorts?

If you read my entry last week you know I'm trying to get my writing groove back after months of being away from it. After opening and reading through several pieces of manuscripts, I felt lost. Adrift on a sea of words that no longer recognized as my own. I couldn't connect with the character nor could I hear them whispering in my head, nudging the plot forward. So much for picking up where I left off, but what to do now?

Start something new.

As soon as the idea occurred to me, I was sure I'd lost my mind. After all, I'm trying to get a COMPLETED manuscript in my editor's inbox as quickly as possible. Two of the partials I read were at least half finished, if not more so. Surely it would be wise to finish one of those novels first. Starting from scratch sounded insane. Then, a recent conversation with my mother played in my head:

"Have you started the next book in your pirate series yet?" she asked. Yes, my mom reads my work and particularly enjoys the Pirates at Heart series.

"No," I admitted guiltily. Even my editor had inquired about the ETA of Nate's story.

Still, could I really start and finish a whole new book in a month? Granted, I'd done it before, but that was when I had been adhering to a disciplined writing schedule. That being said, both SMUGGLER'S BLUES and SAILOR'S KNOT practically wrote themselves. Could be because Pirates at Heart is a series I thoroughly enjoy writing. I know the characters inside and out and the world is already built. When I thought about RED SKY AT NIGHT in those terms, the hardest work on the project was already done so I dove in.

I wrote 3000 words the very first day. I'm only one week in and the manuscript has already hit 10,000 words. Apparently--to quote Deee-Lite--groove is in the heart. I love the Logan family, they feel like part of my family. It seems no matter how long I'm away from them, Brett, Kate, Marcus, Amelie, Nate and Ruby are all more than willing to chat with this struggling writer. Writing about my futuristic pirates was like coming home.

I'm off to rack up more word count. I'll leave you with a little Deee-Lite to brighten your day.
Sing it, baby!

Cheers,
Cindy
http://cindyjacks.com/

Makeup Monday--Moodstruck Lashes

Please welcome my guest today for Makeup Monday, Kelly!

Cheers,
Cindy
__________________________________________

It’s Makeup Monday! I love makeup that is simple to apply yet makes a big difference in my look. I’m so excited to introduce you to one of my favorite Younique products: Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes.

With Moodstruck                          Without

Long, lush eyelashes are associated with femininity, beauty, sex appeal and good health.  What woman doesn't want gorgeous lashes to frame the windows to their soul?  Younique's 3D Fiber Lashes go on like mascara yet increases your lashes 300%.  Never worry about skimpy lashes or dangerous eyelash extensions again!  A friend of mine introduced me to this mascara and I was instantly hooked- I'll never, ever go back to regular mascara!  I love that it is made from natural ingredients and is gluten-free. This mascara is safe for contact lens wearers and washes off easily with cleanser and warm water.

A lot of people apply 3D Fiber Lashes over a light coat of their regular mascara, but I have found that I just use an extra coat of the transplanting gel as a base… The ingredients are so amazing that I’m convinced that my own lashes have gotten longer and healthier over the past several months!

Each kit comes with two tubes: the transplanting gel in one tube and the fibers in the other. For daily wear, like work or running errands, I usually just wear one coat of the 3D Fiber Lashes. I apply two coats for an evening out and I find that is plenty. I have a few friends who wear three coats when they want a very dramatic look, but I find that I look a bit like a “lady of the night” that way ;-) My hubby doesn’t seem to have a problem with that look, but it’s a bit much for me when my eyelashes get caught in my bangs when I blink. New world problems, right?!

How to apply… It’s sooo easy!

Younique says each tube will last 3 months, but I’m pretty sure that means if you use multiple coats a day because my tubes last me a lot longer! (Yes, I know you are supposed to replace your mascara every 3 months but I don’t, blah blah blah, so shoot me!

Still not convinced? Here are some before and after pics of real, live Younique users:

Are you ready to have GORGEOUS lashes? You can order your 3D Fiber Lashes at www.youniqueproducts.com/youniquebykellyduckworth . While you’re there, check out some of the other great products they offer!

I’ll see you beautiful ladies again next Monday!

Xoxo,

Kelly

How to get my groove back?

Hemingway compared confronting the blank page to "staring down the bull." Today is my official first day back at the keyboard and I have to say, I don't feel as though I'm staring at anything as lively as a bull. It's more like staring into this void--cold, unfeeling and mocking in its emptiness. I can feel the rust clogging up gears of creativity that once whizzed along at lightning speed. Though I know I've gone through periods of inactivity before, I can't help but wonder: Will I ever get my writing groove back? Yes, I'm more than willing to try a tryst with a twenty-one year old Caribbean love god (hey, that's how Stella did it!), I think I'm going to have to try some good, old-fashioned writing exercises to thaw the icicles on my freezer-burned storytelling skills. I have a few tried and true methods, but any and all suggestions are welcome. Okay, all you writers out there: How do you get your groove back after a hiatus?

Cheers,
Cindy
Fiction for the bad girl in every woman
http://cindyjacks.com/

Makeup Monday -- Meet Kelly!

I'm always happy to support my fellow female entrepreneurs and I'm really excited to feature the work of my sister from another mister, Kelly! She's always been a big supporter of my writing and I'm glad I can return the favor.

She'll be here every Monday for the next few months showing us some makeup tips and tricks from a very Younique cosmetic line.
www.youniqueproducts.com/youniquebykellyduckworth

Kelly will show us how to create cool looks such as:

Smoky eyes

Peacock flourish

Cat's eyes

wild color

and how to get those lashes to die for:

Join the party today!
https://www.youniqueproducts.com/YouniqueByKellyDuckworth/party/57329/view

Back from outer space

What a long strange fall and winter it's been. Had to take a little hiatus from writing due to personal reasons, but fortunately, my life seems to be back it's usual controlled chaos (instead to the months of just plain chaos I've recently endured).

Thanks for everyone's patience and support while I've been out of touch. I'm back and ready to get naughty again.

And just in case you missed it, I do have a recent release titled TROUBLE IN PARADISE. Check it out at Ellora's Cave today :)

http://www.ellorascave.com/trouble-in-paradise.html