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Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Happy New Year!!! - Jasmine Haynes

I know I’ve told you in the past that I don’t like New Year’s resolutions, because I’m a total failure at keeping them! So instead, this year I’ve got goals. And one of my first goals is to get the Max Starr series up in print. The first book, Dead to the Max, out there, and this month, Evil to the Max is available. I’ve reworked the text for some of the technology changes we’ve experienced since I first published the series and put the books out there under my Jasmine Haynes pseudonym. I absolutely love the new covers my friend Rosemary Gunn made for me.


The graveyard you see on the cover photos is located in Santa Cruz. It’s the historic Evergreen Cemetery and there are graves of people born in the late 1700s! It’s moody and dark, with many of the gravestones sunken and crumbling and their lettering almost extinguished by time. It's poignant and sad, yet peaceful and serene in the morning sunlight. I used this graveyard as the setting for Wendy Gregory’s funeral in Dead to the Max.


Here’s a little bit about Evil to the Max.



Thirty-something, down-on-her-luck accountant Max Starr has the unfortunate gift of being psychic, a newly-discovered wrinkle in her already messed-up life. Her husband, Cameron, is dead, killed in a botched 7-11 robbery two years ago. In her grief, Max has cut herself off from friends, moved out of her San Francisco home in favor of a studio apartment, and dumped her flourishing career as a CPA to do temp work.

Now Max has developed an annoying penchant for attracting the spirits of murdered women. Okay, they possess her. And to exorcize them, Max must unmask their killers.

In Evil to the Max, Book 2 in the Max Starr series, when Max tells Detective Witt Long she’s had a second vision of a murder, he knows he’s in for another crazy adventure. The police aren’t going to solve Tiffany Lloyd’s murder without Max divulging what she saw in the vision, but that will only move her straight to the top of the suspect list. For the second time in less than a month! So Max goes on the hunt for the murderer herself, dragging a reluctant Witt along with her. First things first, she gets a job in the salon where Tiffany used to work. And the deeper she ventures into the dead woman’s life, the more she sees that nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide. As she stirs up a hornet’s nest, Max soon begins to fear she might be the next victim.

Even scarier, Witt makes it clear he wants her. Badly. Just how long can she resist him? When it comes to Witt and her very sexy visions about him, she suspects that resistance is futile.


I’d love for you to check out the Evil to the Max . What’s the name of Max’s no-name cat? Answer the question and leave your contact e-mail address to enter my drawing for a copy of Dead to the Max, the first book in the Max Starr series. I’ll announce the winner sometime tomorrow, and I’ll also add you to my newsletter for updates if you aren’t already a member.

Don’t forget to stop by for more chances to win books on http://jasminehaynes.blogspot.com/.

10 comments:

Laney4 said...

Jasmine,
Are we supposed to leave the answer/email address on your blog for everyone to see, or are we to email it to you separately? (I obviously know the answer but don't want to wreck it for everyone else, just in case.)
Happy new year to you and your family! And thanks for offering such neat contests!

Jennifer Skully/Jasmine Haynes said...

Sorry, I should have been more specific! You can leave the answer on the blog or email me at skully at skullybuzz dot com. either way. and thanks, Laney, I'm glad you like my contests! Happy New Year to you and yours as well!

Rosemary Gunn said...

Such an incredible book, Jas! Grabbed my heart from the first page and never let it go. I know the cat's name, but since I already have a print version of Dead, I'll simply keep it to myself. [grin]

Thank you for the plug, too. You are a wonderful friend, creating the covers for you is a pleasure.

Jennifer Skully/Jasmine Haynes said...

I'm the one who can't thank you enough, Rosemary. I love what you've done with the graveyard photos. And I'm so glad you loved the book, too. Thank YOU for the plug!

Estella said...

Read the excerpts from both books. My Wish List just got longer.

Jennifer Skully/Jasmine Haynes said...

Thank you, Estella!

Lil said...

Max is possessed until she unmasks the murderer? Now that is certainly different from the mysteries I have been reading. Sounds like quite a series.

Jennifer Skully/Jasmine Haynes said...

Yup, Lil! That's the premise. Max is possessed until she finds the killer! There's an over-arcing villain throughout the series, too. I hope readers think it's a wild ride!

Linda Henderson said...

Well since it's the end of the day, I'll leave the answer here. It's Buzzard.

seriousreader at live dot com

Jennifer Skully/Jasmine Haynes said...

Whoohoo, my first winner of 2011 is Pat Cochran! Pat, I've got your address so I'll send the book out to you.

Thanks to all of you for stopping by the blog and reading about Max!