Different thoughts on a new day.

I bought a book this weekend-a print one from a series...I was disappointed. There was barely any sex in the book. :-(

I had a good 30th birthday. We went out to dinner...I had fish the kids had shrimp and that makes for a happy family LOL. Couldn't fit desert because I ate too much but that's okay. I'm allowed to-it being a special day and all.

James has a huge dental appt tomorrow. :-( He's 6 and there giving him laughing gas. I googled laughing gas-and it has no lasting side effects. Sigh-my kids were born with bad teeth-especially Jade-and she also goes in tomorrow for two fill ins-she's only 3. But at least she's eating better now because of it and gaining weight. That is a plus.

And for those of you who want to know what I'm working on...My first werewolf book and a Christmas novella and yeah at the same time. I keep saying I'm going to finish others that I started and then something new pops into my head and I go with the flow.

Hope everyone has an awesome Thursday.

Jade

Happy Birthday to me!

I hit 30 today.

So far so good LOL.

I've got a bottle of coconut rum I'm going to open later on :-)

Hope everyone has a great Monday.

Jade

My little man graduated Kindergarten today.

I was a proud momma. I waved and blew kisses from my seat. James just blushed and stared, and whispered into his classmate's ear LOL.

I heard him say, "that's my mom, the one who's blowing the kisses." LOL. I couldn't help it.

He had sky blue dressy pants on with a white and light blue stripe shirt and little man shoes. I can't believe he's six already.

He went on stage and was singing," we're going to 1st grade, and it's right upstairs." lmao, I thought it was pretty catchy. He was a welcomer for the parents, and he sang a song called boogie woogie oogie lol, but the funniest part was when he shook his tushy to that tune.

Ah, yep I'm a proud momma. My kids are my life, and James is moving on right up.

Check out what's coming in July

Seth Bane reads his girlfriend's diary. To his utter shock and raging hard-on, Lila dreams about being captured, tied, and taught to submit. He has no problem with giving the woman he loves, a taste of bondage and a ménage. Seth has the perfect person in mind, his brother Stone.

Lila Barton is totally infatuated with her boyfriend Seth. The sex is great and hot and she has no complaints. Just fantasies of bondage and capture. Little does she know the tables will be turned, when Seth finds her diary.

Excerpt

I'm addicted to blog hopping...

I drink my coffee in the morning and visit blogs like Indida and Karen and Jaynie R.

I get a good chuckle. I love the way the world revolves around opinons :-)

I also posted that I've never read a MJD book LOL. Nope never.

But I am waiting for Zadist story-THE FABULOUS JR WARD and I'm waiting for the fifth book in Tara Janzen's Crazy Series. I'm hooked, utterly and completely hooked-thanks to Annmarie **smooches**

So yep, here I am addicted to blog hopping.

Hope everyone has a great Wed.

Jade

So I guess my OMP tirade is officially over.

To those of you who are interested and wanted to know the outcome. I got a certified letter to my job today. Conveniently, the from address was slightly ripped, so you can't make out who sent it to me. But you can see that it's from the owner.

It's a blank money order. COMPLETELY BLANK. Not even signed. But wait I haven't gotten to the best part of it yet!

The money order receipt was still attached! So yep, I could've been a bitch and said I never got it. But no shucks, I'm actually a nice gal so I won't say that.

I did get it, completely blank but yes I got it. Off to the bank I go, with a money order made out by me. Course I told the owner of OMP, "You do realize I have paypal. It's in all of my author information sheets. I also mentioned the blank money order."

Her response, "You can simply fill in the info, no biggie on my part, as long as you got your money that's all that matters to me."

Okie Dokie...But here's some advice, in case you happen to ever come across my blog.

WHEN DEALING WITH MONEY, TRIPLE CHECK WHAT YOU DO. MISTAKES DO HAPPEN, BUT YOU DID A COUPLE OF MISTAKES IN JUST ONE ENVELOPE. NEVER EVER LEAVE A RECEIPT ATTACHED TO THE MONEY ORDER, BECAUSE THEN THERE WOULD BE NO TRACE OF PURCHASE AND ALWAYS....ALWAYS SIGN.

Is my OMP tirade officially over?

I hope so :-)

Jade

Weekend From Hell

I'm sitting at the dentist getting two impressions of my front tooth because I'm having the real ones done, and they need to be sent to a lab.

So I look like the hag, from Lord of the Rings. I don't know pick anyone of them-they are all toothless.

So I have my fake one's removed and in comes this dark haired blue eyed dentist assistant, who has a color chart out and comparing my natural teeth color to the new ones that are going to be made.

Yep, I'm drooling, I have a bib on and I'm embarrassed as hell.

So I go home, still in pain, stupid dentist didn't give me vicodin. Luckily, I had a spare bottle and took 3. Yes, you read right 3. Everything after that was a smooth ride. Didn't feel a thing. I did however thought for a moment that I had twin daughters instead of one. LMAO. Yeah, thought I saw a spare child running around.

So vicodin gets a 5 thumbs up for me. EXCELLENT for pain.

And for those of you who are still wondering (and it's only cause I promised to keep you up to date) No. OMP still has not paid.

Here's to hoping your Monday is a hell of alot better than my weekend.

Jade

A little contest to brighten up everyone's day.

JUNE & JULY CONTEST: In celebration of my latest release Rafe's War at http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/rafeswar.htm
I will be giving away a $ 20.00 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM Cobblestone Press.

HERE'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO WIN: E-Mail me at msjadejames@yahoo.com with Rafe's War Contest on the subject line. It's that easy. I'll be picking a winner on July 31st.

AND IF YOU AREN'T A MEMBER OF MY NEWSLETTER YET, YOU CAN JOIN THROUGH.
http://groups.yahoo.com/adultconf?dest=%2Fgroup%2Fjadejames%2F

WANT MORE CONTESTS:
I'VE GOT THREE BOOKS I'M GIVING AWAY AT ROMANCE TIRIVIA CONTEST http://theromancestudio.com/romancetrivia/
BUT YOU HAVE TO PLAY TO WIN.

Jade James

Exciting News to share. Just signed another contract with www.cobblestone-press.com

All Hallows Thief is scheduled for release in October.

Here is the blurb: Lacy Adams is hired by Sheik Benjamin Raja to find out who stole one million dollars from his firm. She thought the job would be a simple one. But someone wants her out of the picture and it sends her running straight into the arms of Detective Dante DeLuca, the man she wants to claim with all of her heart.

Dante’s taking it slow with Lacy, because he knows how special she truly is. But when someone threatens her life, Dante’s on a race against time to find out who’s threatening the woman he loves.

Special thanks to Croco for an awesome cover.

Ocean's Mist Press AKA Hell Press (Update #4)

Well I promised to keep you all updated and still nothing. No payment from the owner, no response to another authors query about payments for first week of June.

The owner did however post that a hurricane was headed her way.....hmmm, no comment.

Someone suggested I take my books (which legally they are mine) and upload them to lulu.com selling them for a lower price. It's an idea I'm still pondering.

On a good note, my son graduates Kindergarten next week. The time has flown by, so off I went to buy him dressy pants and shirt with shoes.

Anyway, I will continue to keep everyone up to date.

Hope your Tuesday is way better than mine.

Jade James

Ocean's Mist Press AKA Hell Press (Update #3)

The owner posted on an msn group http://groups.msn.com/InterracialMulticulturalRomanceReaders/general.msnw
It's under the "downloading ebooks" comment.

I also responded over there. She states again that I knew what the contract language was and that I accepted it.

If that's the case, then why promise payment Mid-May and first week of June? Out of her own keyboard, on the author group she told "_____________" yes the plan is to get paid the first week of June.

Have we seen any money? No. As of today, I haven't received a dime. She states that I've received a payment in April. I did...but why didn't that include payment for Valentine Vixens? When I asked her she said she'd pay me again Mid May.

We can go around and around with this, and still the owner will have her own warped views on what her payment schedule would be. If asked, she will tell you that Whiskey Creek pays her "calender quarter". So she knows what it means.

I do feel like I'm alone in the author group, well not all alone because some have remained anonymous and emailed me. So that was cool. But others throw remarks around, as if I don't have a point. Yet, I am dying to ask them if they've received any money.

Oh how I wait for the day, the owner of OMP will treat them as such. Because it is bound to happen. I know a secret! sssshhhh. And I can't say it until it's posted. But stay tuned, because there is proof (besides my emails from her own address), that I'm not the only one that has not been paid from OMP.

Thanks to everyone who has commented. Believe it or not, you've helped me move on with my crusade against OMP. Yep, it's become exactly that...

Jade James

Some people think, I was wrong to have made this public.

I'd be interested to know what others thought.

Jade

It's 3pm. Do you know what the owner of OMP is doing?

Cause it sure as hell isn't paying me...and I can bet the owner isn't busy sending payment to anyone else.

(Okay yep, i know it's 3:35pm, but I couldn't resist.)

I guess when she told the other author, "Yes that is the plan," when the author asked are we getting paid this week...I guess that means we authors should give her till midnight.

Hmmmm **pondering** nah! My faith has been lost, shredded, disolved, well you get the picture. :-)

Jade James

Ocean's Mist Press AKA Hell Press (Update #2)

I was called dense today. I've been called worse LOL. The owner of OMP accused me of being "purposely dense". I wasn't going to resort to name calling, I swear I wasn't but I let a little itty bitty one slip out. Oooops.

The owner stated I've been paid for my previous books. True, as messed up as her payment schedule was I received payment in december and one in April.

Again, I will emphasize that my argument with her is that I've never been paid for Valentine Vixens-the anthology with two other authors.

So I posted evidence of non payment (that's what I called it) on the author group. I think she got a little ticked off that I made it public. But you know what, i'm the first who's gone public about this, and I hope that others come forward.

Anyway, so I had the proof that she promised payment for Valentine Vixens. Her exact words were: "6/02/06 I am working at getting all numbers together and this will be
over the weekend. I'll be making payments next week." And the email before that one was: "04/19/06 I'll pay you again Mid-May for all 4 books."

The owner posted on the yahoo group that I stated "Payment schedule sounds fine."
True I did on 4/19/06. There is proof of that as well. And I agreed to the payment schedule after she stated "I'll pay you again Mid-May for all 4 books."

So you see the problem I'm in.

As of today, she still hasn't paid me. I was going to post Winter Captive and Bound Captive as a free read, because legally there my books. A friend advised me against this. I'm so tempted...really, really tempted. And I'm still thinking about it.

I won't name the author. But a big hug to you for posting on the author group, "Will we still be getting paid this week?" The owners exact response, "Yes, that is the plan."

My exact response: "I'm so confused-I need this cleared up."
So Valentine Vixens has been out since 2/14/06. Yet, I've been promised payment twice, and you tell me i have to wait now till 6/27/06 which is clearly bullshit, yet you tell "________" that "yes that is the plan" for the first week of June.
Oh wise OMP owner, I'm on the edge of my seat to see what will you tell us next? Will we actually get our money?

So stay tuned folks. I'm sure the drama has not ended. I'm sure there will be more to come.

I really should start signing my name "a woman scorned." LOL.

Ocean's Mist Press AKA Hell Press (Update #1)

I'll be posting updates, more because I hope that I do a small amount of good with this. And it's not because the readers want to be kept up to date :-)

I received an email from the owner this morning. She claims I sent her an email on 4/19/06 that says: “Payment schedule sounds good too me. I just had to write it down so I could remember."

The owner DARES to copy just a sentence and then inform me that I will not be getting my books back and that if I want my books back I would have to pay $500 for each book.

My response: Like I said the owner DARES to copy just one sentence. I will do more to give you a background of the hell I'm in.

The first email is dated: 4/18/06

Good day Gloria:

Yes, 3 months after release, before payment. I'm trying to pay up to date so I can start transferring to monthly. Hope to be there by June 1. I'll be splitting payroll half of the authors beginning of the month, like the 1 and then the rest on the 15th.

I'll pay you again Mid-May for all 4 books.

and then on an email dated 06/02/06 she responds:

I am working at getting all numbers together and this will be over the weekend. I'll be making payments next week.

As you can read, twice I was promised payment from the owner. Mid-May and again on Friday for this week. Have I received a dime for Valentine Vixens. NOPE. Yet if you go to the hellish website, www.oceansmistpress.com you will see that Valentine Vixens has been sitting at #1 since it's released.

I'll let you come to your conclusions. I've come to my own.

Until the next update,


Jade James

My hellish experience with Ocean’s Mist Press

I could begin by mentioning the amount of emails I had with the owner. In her own words, she refuses to acknowledge the contract that she drew. I will concentrate on the last email I sent to her.

The email sent to her states: If I do not receive payment by 3pm today, I will be removing my books from her website. Here’s a little history;

I have two contracts with them. Both are for my titles Winter Captive and Bound Captive (part of the Valentine Vixens anthology).

In both contract it states:
Royalties will be accumulated and paid no later than forty-five (45) days following the end of each calendar quarter. Royalties shall be paid by check, drawn on the company’s bank of business, OR through an online payment source. Individual arrangements, mutually agreed upon by the Publisher and the Author, shall be made for payment of royalties to Author if he/she resides outside the USA. Any withheld royalties shall be paid immediately upon contract termination. Publisher will provide a written report of sales with payment and provide any further reasonable information relevant to sales of the work upon author's request.

My latest argument with them: I HAVEN’T BEEN PAID. Now I wanted to know what I was talking about so I looked up the meeting of calendar quarter at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_year

I haven’t had a problem with payment with any of my other publishers. The only problem is with OMP. Since March 31st 2006, I have not been paid a dime for the two books I have left with them. I haven't even been paid for the two books she released from contract a couple of weeks ago.

The owner will tell you that since June 1st, there company switch over to monthly. Facts: Have I received a contract for me to sign? NO. All of there contracts are through email. I have a fully signed contract with the owner from her email address, with the payment terms above. The owner tried to email me with new payment terms, that I never agreed to or signed a contract for. Have I’ve been paid up to date for my books? NO. Will I ever do business with OMP again? NO. Both fully signed contracts from the owner and me, are from the owner’s email and can be traced through IP.

This isn’t the first time I have brought up non payment with the owner. The owner stated to me in a 6/2/06 email, that she would tally up all of the books sold and I should receive payment by next week. Next week is here and nothing. I have questions, that will probably go unanswered. Why is the owner holding money that isn’t hers? Why neglect your own contract? Does she think authors don’t need the money as much as she?

Many of you know that I removed two books from that company earlier this year. It was because of breech of contract, fraudulent ISBN numbers.

I asked the owner to pay me today by 3PM 6/5/06 or I will remove my books. I am forced now to seek an attorney because the owner has chosen to ignore me.

As you can tell, I’m more than frustrated with this company. Another fact, an author shouldn’t have to email anyone for their money. Many of authors depend on the money to pay the bills.

Do I deserve to be treated as such? No. NO ONE DOES.

Jade James

To Beat Up...Or Not To Beat Up. That is the ?

Went to the babysitter's b'day party this weekend. Her daughter, my children's cousin turned two. I only went so the kids could have a good time, because I DO NOT get along with her husband. I should have listened to my hubby, because he had the sense not to go.

Long story with "bastard" (her husband). He hates my kids, says it's because I don't have the sense to discipline them. Look who's talking. His two year old daughter had beat up my three year old a couple of times already, and because my three year old is small in height and weight, the two year old takes advantage and almost always makes her bleed.

But getting back to the b'day party. He kicked my son out of a family photo twice. The second time it happened, I blew up at him. He said and I quote, "get the fuck outta here," when I informed him it was my son's turn to take a picture. My son looked like he wanted to cry, which made me even blow up faster... I left the party, my husband picked me up. He wanted to go upstairs, but the "bastards" family was there and it wouldn't have been a fair fight.

Now I don't condone violence, that being said, what did I do? I hired someone to kick his ass, because the anger in me literally did blind me. I could only focus on my rage. All I saw was my son's face. It's a simple thing to do in New York, pay someone to kick someone's ass. Can my husband do it? Yes...Does my husband want to do it? Yes. But I don't want him ending up in jail.

Now that it's Monday- my brain is back. Will my kids be out of that babysitting situation soon? Yes because school is almost done in NY and since it's too late to change school's because there is only 4 more weeks till the end of it, I'm forced to enter the bastard's apt. But luckily I timed it so I don't have to see him when he leaves for work, and I don't have to see him when he comes from work.

I'm a pissed off Momma...Nobody fucks with my kids. If hubby sees him, he'll kick his ass... So I'm on the search for a new babysitter. Will I call off the hired guy to kick his ass? I'm still pissed off, but give me a week and I probably will. :-)

Rafe's War releases today at www.cobblestonepress.com

Blurb: The humans thought they had years before the foretold apocalypse would arrive. They were wrong... The angels and chosen humans are to unite, to save the world from endless destruction, resulting in a bonding that will last forever.

Archangel Rafe's assignment is twofold; convince Melina to join him eternally, and to protect her against the evil that stalks her. Love was the last thing he was expecting to find.

Even with everything she's seen, Melina's not prepared when Rafe saves her. He claims she was destined to be his wife, but Melina can’t accept that idea without his love.

Excerpt #1: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/rafeswar.htm

Excerpt #2: http://www.jadejames.com/rafeswar.html

I'm nervous. It's my first adventure into fantasy :-) I hope everyone enjoy's it.

My perception on blog reviews.

I will be the first to say that I have been blog hopping quite alot lately. It's interesting to see what opinons are running around. :-) Course different opinons, is what makes the world go around.

Some of these reviews on blogs are well said. You state your review, what you like, what you didn't like and that is fine. Because as an author myself, it is helpful to know what goes on in reader's minds when their reading your story. There is a way to say it decently.

Now the blogs-that shred the books to pieces...that's a whole other story. I have been to blogs, where the blogee, tears the book up and disses the author in the process. That is just plain disgusting. It angers me, how the blogee can write something without thinking it through. And yep, I'm calling it like I see it, cause it ain't right. (That's the NY gal in me-I'm being nice today.) Just because you have an opinon doesn't mean you resort to calling the author names. It's tacky, it's horrible and be on the lookout. The way the world revolves, it'll just come right back to you.