The Interracial Duo of Interracial Romance - J. M. Jeffries

The Writers

J.M. Jeffries is the award-winning writing team of Miriam Pace and Jacqueline Hamilton. Authors of romantic suspense and romantic comedies, they can’t decide if they like killing people more than they like making them laugh. Miriam and Jackie have been writing together for eleven years, though it seems longer on occasion when they are on deadline. Miriam thinks Jackie is a master manipulator. Jackie knows Miriam is a bulldozer. Miriam has a deep and passionate love for shoes, amber jewelry and purebred cats. Jackie collects red lipsticks, Animaniacs memorabilia and steals pens.

Together they’ve written over twenty-two romance novels including the award-winning Cold Case Crime Unit series for Genesis Press and the critically acclaimed Cupid series for Amber Quill books. They have also appeared in three anthologies.

Books By J.M. Jeffries include Virgin Seductress, Creepin, Suite Seduction, Vegas Bites Back, Soldier Boys, Lotus Blossoms Chronicles: Book 2, Suite Nothings, Carnivale Diabolique, and Naughty Girls with Badges.

Miriam and Jackie live in Southern California. Their website is http://www.jmjeffries.com/.

The Books

When a girl wants hot and spicy, she finds herself a Latin lover.

In J.M. Jeffries’ "Partners in Crime," Vincent Mendoza is a CIA agent in charge of his first mission. He must liberate some top secret documents, and he turns to jailed cat burglar Cleo Harris to help him. To gain her freedom, she must help the sexy agent. Little does Vincent know that the beautiful thief will steal his heart in the process.




Brash, bold, lingerie designer Honey Harlow doesn’t believe in love, but she does worship at the altar of lust. In Paris for her new lingerie line, Sweet Nothings, she meets the sophisticated, suave French vintner, Etienne Marais. Etienne has come to Fashion Week for one goal--to woo the beautiful Honey and add her as the new crown jewel to his business empire.

Honey's her own woman who plays by her own rules. She's not interested in going upscale. She likes the Frenchman just fine and she's happy enough to play with him, but not be owned by him. But Etienne wants what he wants and he wants Honey.


Click the covers to order your copies of Caliente and Suite Nothings today!

Interracial Romance

What moved you to write interracial romances?
Jackie: We wanted to explore new directions. We're thinking about a new anthology called The Color of Love with each a Latina, black, white and Asian heroine. We're looking for writers now.

Miriam: I told Jackie when we first started writing together that I wanted to do a lot of different types of stories. Screwball comedies from the 30s are some of my favorite movies, and I thought we'd try something like that.


Is the difference of race between the main characters always a conflict within your books?
Jackie: No.

Miriam: Sometimes they may mention it, but for the most part it isn't in the plot line. People are people.


Have you ever received negative comments about your work, and if so, what?
Jackie: We received one letter from a reader who was upset because race wasn't an issue, and in my personal and professional opinion, good personal hygiene has always been more important than race will ever be.

Miriam: Jackie's black and I'm white. When she told me she was black, I was really surprised because for me it's never an issue.


What has been the overall positive reception to your work?
Jackie: I was surprised at how many women wanted to read interracials because they wanted to see their lives reflected in romance.

Miriam: I was surprised, too, because we originally set out to just tell a good story.


Here we are in 2009 - how open do you think people are to seeing...and reading about interracial love? Do you think there's still a stigma to these relationships?
Jackie: I think people are really open. I would love race to never be an issue, but I think it's always going to be an issue. But how we deal with the issue is what defines us humans. As a child of an interracial relationship, I grew up dealing with the stigma. My parents were married in Germany and once they came back they dealt with it on a daily basis which probably made me more non-judgmental because I know how hurtful it is. I think things have come a very long way which gives me hope, and we still have issues to be worked out, but I think things are way better now than they were when I was child and I think they will continue to improve.

Miriam: I was just on a cruise and I was surprised at the number of interracial couples on board both white women and black men and white men with black women. I'd like to think our society is more open to interracial relationships. It gives me hope. I remember my first exposure to an interracial marriage. I was at Disneyland in the early 70s and a black man and his white wife were on the train with my husband and I. And at that time they were talking about their daughter's wedding which told me that in the early 70s they'd already been married a long time. Turned out he was a psychiatrist and she was a professor at UCLA. I had to ask them about their relationship and they were very honest with me. By the way they'd been married thirty-six years, had three children with six grandchildren and were in the process of marrying off their youngest daughter. I've never forgotten them.


Any closing comments you'd like to make regarding writing interracial romances?
Jackie: Thank you for giving us this opportunity to talk about our books and the topic closest to our heart, writing romance. I want to write stories about interesting people who just happen to be whatever ...

Miriam: Thank you. We intend to continue writing interracial romances. Our next story is going to be either Suite Dreams or Suite Persuasion. We're still arm-wrestling over the title and I'll let you know when I win. It will be Sunny's story. But we have a few projects to finish before we can get started.

"Really Real" Love with Author J. J. Murray

The Writer

J. J. Murray is a product of the American melting pot. Born on October 16, 1963, in Abington, PA, J. J. has lived in New York (Huntington), New Jersey (Plainfield), Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh), Missouri (St. Louis), Indiana (West Lafayette and College Corners), and Ohio (Marietta).He graduated magna cum laude from Marietta College (OH) with a BA in English before settling in the Roanoke Valley of Virginia, just up the road from Virginia Tech. The son, grandson, and great-grandson of preachers and teachers, J. J. taught public high school English for twenty years to students who sometimes actually spoke it. J. J. is currently lead teacher in a wilderness residential school for at-risk young men. J. J. met his wife, Amy Renee, at a high school football game at Victory Stadium in Roanoke in the fall of 1989, and their four-year courtship forms the basis of J.J.'s first novel, Renee and Jay. The first ten years of their marriage forms the basis of its sequel, Renee and Jay 2.

You can learn more about J. J. and his works at his website.

The Book

Too Much of a Good Thing is a tender, witty, and sexy tale of two very different souls whose prayers are answered in surprising ways.

When recently widowed Joe Murphy "meets" Shawna Mitchell in an online forum, all he's seeking is advice on keeping his home and his family together. Shawna's compassionate e-mails become his lifeline, and as months pass their correspondence grows deep and warm. Discovering that Shawna lives only blocks away ... well, it feels like more than luck. It feels a lot like hope.

With three children to raise, Shawna has no interest in getting close to another man, let alone one who s got three kids of his own. And the fact that Joe's white can only complicate matters more. But now, as they navigate family dates and vacations and their own doubts and fears, Joe and Shawna find themselves moving toward a future that's bright, new, and totally unexpected. Because the only thing more difficult than uniting two stubborn families would be walking away from something that feels so right.


View an [EXCERPT] at Amazon.com!


Click the cover to order your copy of Too Much of a Good Thing today!

Interracial Romance

What moved you to write interracial romances?
My wife motivated me to do what I teach and write her a novel to make her laugh. In 1999, I wrote Renee and Jay, a thinly veiled story of our romance. She laughed, shared it with friends, and ordered me to get it published. I spent the next two years finding an agent, and now my agent and editor at Kensington do most of the "moving."


Is the difference of race between the main characters always a conflict within your books?
I've been steadily moving away from that sort of conflict since Something Real. Folks are folks (especially in the dark), and although race is sometimes an issue, it's never the only conflict in any relationship in real life, right? Folks fuss about hygiene, wardrobe, manners, bad habits, money, what to eat, how to raise the children ... It's a long list to explore.


Have you ever received negative comments about your work, and if so, what?
Readers have fussed over so many things ... (smile) My men are too laid back, my heroines are too ruthless, my settings are too country--these are the three main ones. I write mostly about whom I've married (a strong black woman), myself (I'm so laid back I'm almost horizontal), and the place I live (a countrified city called Roanoke, Virginia). My next book (The Real Thing) contains my first "alpha male" (a boxer) who will go toe-to-toe with a seriously strong magazine writer. I hope I don't disappoint readers expecting another "nice guy."


What has been the overall positive reception to your work?
Readers seem to like that I don't populate my novels with "the beautiful people," that my characters could live next door to them or bump into them at the grocery store, that my couples don't blindly rush into relationships without foundations. One reader said I wrote "really real" stories. That was the nicest compliment.


Here we are in 2009 - how open do you think people are to seeing...and reading about interracial love? Do you think there's still a stigma to these relationships?
A biracial man is president. My sons will one day rule the world--if they can only clean up their rooms regularly. Folks around here are so used to seeing us together, hardly anyone blinks anymore. I don't feel a stigma. My wife doesn't seem to feel a stigma. My kids just think I'm strange in general, not just for being the "freckled one." We attend a multicultural church, my kids attend multicultural schools ... Ah, life in the rainbow is good.


You are the lone man in my May IR group, and in actuality, there aren't many male IR writers out there, and definitely few that aren't African American. How have readers taken to your work and to you as a white male author of IR?
I may be the only one! People generally squint at me a lot at readings for some reason, as if I'm not quite in focus. I sometimes open readings with, "You were expecting someone else?" I have been told that I couldn't possibly be J. J. Murray at writer's conferences--I even had to show ID. I once stood up from a signing in North Carolina to stretch my legs, and my wife signed books for me as J. J. Murray without anyone being the wiser. (I'm such a ghost sometimes). So many readers write to me after reading my books to tell me they didn't know I was a white man, some (not all) of them adding that it didn't matter a bit. I just hope and pray that I can touch a few hearts, pull a few heartstrings, release a few tears, and unleash some laughter in reader's lives. I hope readers smile when they've read the last word.

Love Is Color Blind: Author Marie Rochelle

The Writer

Marie Rochelle “The Queen of Tease” is a bestselling, award winning author of interracial romances featuring black women and white men. Her first best selling IR romance was entitled Taken by Storm. Storm Hyde from Taken by Storm won the 2006 Choice hero from REC.

If you want to read interracial romance stories that leave you panting for more and turning the pages faster than you can read them, Marie is for you.

After reading her first “dirty” book as a teenager, Marie knew she had to become a writer. She started writing a few years ago because she wanted to reach for her dream. She writes her characters so her fans will believe in the Happily Ever After. She loves collecting bear figurines and reading a HOT book when she gets the chance.

In 2008 Marie Rochelle won some additional awards from REC for her book Dangerous Bet: Troy’s Revenge:
Erotic Romance - Interracial/Multicultural BEST SEDUCTION, Troy and Headley Rose - Dangerous Best: Troy's Revenge

Erotic Romance - Interracial/Multicultural BEST MALE CHARACTER, Troy Christian


Find out more about Marie at her official site, official blog, Yahoogroup, Yahoo discussion group, and Word Press blog.

The Book

The Perfect Temptation:


The moment he spotted her he knew that he had to have her. Dave Turner couldn’t get the stunning image of the creamy mocha beauty Charisma Miles out of his mind. He wasn’t going to stop pursing her until she was completely his.

Tall, Handsome and Oh so Yummy!

Muscles and tattoos are her ultimate weakness that’s why Charisma Miles stays as far away from Dave Turner as she can. His rock hard body is constantly the featured attraction in her dreams. He’s her ultimate fantasy, but is she ready for her dreams to become a reality?

Book #3 in The Men of CCD Series

Buy Now in ebook and print @ Phaze!

Interracial Romance

What moved you to write interracial romances?
First, I want to thank you so much for the invitation. I appreciate it so much. Well, I have been a fan of interracial romances for such a long time. I have always wanted to be a writer and one day I just decided to give it a chance and I love it. It gives me a lot of pleasure.


Is the difference of race between the main characters always a conflict within your books?
No… I very rarely make race a main factor between the characters. In my book Loving True, the main problem is about two people who have been hurt by love and are scared to get involved again.

With my book Lucky Charms, the hero has to overcome his own insecurities to show the woman he is in love with how much she means to him.

In another book I have written called Boss Man, the hero Troy Christian is very determined to win the love of Headley Rose a woman he has been in love with since he was young.

Junk ‘n’ her Trunk is a sexy read about a woman finding love with her high school crush.


Have you ever received negative comments about your work, and if so, what?
My first interracial romance Taken by Storm gets a variety of comments. Some readers hate Storm Hyde the hero and other readers fall in love with him.

I think it all depends on the reader. He’s the one hero that I do get a lot of emails about.


What has been the overall positive reception to your work?
I get a lot of emails from fans telling me how much they enjoy getting lost in my books. How I can make the characters really come to life for them and that pleases me a lot.


Here we are in 2009 - how open do you think people are to seeing...and reading about interracial love? Do you think there's still a stigma to these relationships?
Sometimes I think it depends on your town because some places are more open to interracial couples and other places may still frown upon it. I honestly think that people have gotten a lot better at seeing interracial couples and the love that they share with each other.

I hope that with it being 2009 there isn’t still a stigma to interracial relationships because love should be colorblind. Love should be between a man and a woman without race being the main thing.


Any closing comments you'd like to make regarding writing interracial romances?
I do believe that writers of interracial romances have come a very long way in the last couple of years. I’m noticing a lot more interracial romance books in bookstores like Kmart, Books a Million, Barnes and Nobles, and Wal-Mart in my hometown.

I think it’s wonderful. When I was a teenager and used to buy books, I seldom saw a black woman on the cover with a white man and now I do. It’s truly a wonderful sight.

The Excerpt

From Tempting Turner

Charisma tried not to squirm but if Dave kept staring at her like that she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions. All she could think about on the way back from the beach was how good Dave’s body had felt on top of hers.

She had to stop this before it went past a few hot kissed and stolen touches with him. She couldn’t get involved with that hunk and the way he constantly mentally stripped each article of clothing from her body. Whatever happened between her and Dave couldn’t amount to more than a hot and steamy affair. It wouldn’t do either one of them any good to think about a happy every after.

She stole a peek at the numbers on the panel and saw there was still four more floors before it stopped on hers. In her mind this had to be the slowest moving elevator in history.

Acting indifference had become such a deep part of her life that Dave’s endless appraisal was wearing her down, but she wasn’t about to let him know that.

After what seemed like ten minutes the elevator finally came to a stop and Charisma let out a sigh of relief. Anymore time in these closed quarters with Dave and she might start licking those tattoos that covered his massive arms.

“Here I am,” she said stepping out of the elevator with Dave’s towering presence right behind her. She felt the warmth of his body as he walked behind her.

“You don’t have to escort me to the door.” Charisma knew that she couldn’t stay a minute longer around Dave or she was going to invite him in to spend the night.

That thought barely left her mind before another followed. All the tingling sensations that Dave evoked in her body was brought back in full force. She had to get away from him immediately before she ended up doing something that she would regret in the morning.

“Thank you for the date and making sure I got back to my room,” she said spinning around to face Dave.

Bedroom brown eyes held hers for a split second before Dave moved closer to her and let his hot gaze run up and down the length of her body. Don’t do this to me, she thought as the desire in her body for him leaped to life. Fight it. Don’t give in.

“I really need to get into my room. Keira has probably already worn a hole in the carpet worrying about me,” Charisma tossed out trying to get rid of Dave, but her excuse even sounded weak to her ears.

“I’m pretty sure your outgoing friend isn’t back yet herself,” Dave whispered inching closer. He reached out and cup her face in his hands, and then ran one of his fingers down the side of her face. “Do you share a room with Keira?”

Kiss me….Kiss me. Her mind screamed as Dave’s wandering touch control her weakening body. She never wanted a man as much as she did him. The wetness of her panties only proved that she was losing her battle with keeping him at arm's length.

“No, I’ve my own room and we share a connecting door,” she moaned as two long fingers disappeared inside the top of her strapless dress. “Please stop we can’t go any further out here in the hallway.”

Dave gave her a smile that sent pulse racing. “So, you finally admit that you want me,” he smirked tugging her top down under her breasts sprung free.

Author Tressie Lockwood Talks Interracial Romance

The Writer

Tressie Lockwood has always loved books, and she enjoys writing about heroines who are overcoming the trials of life. She writes straight from her heart, reaching out to those who find it hard to be completely themselves no matter what anyone else thinks. She hopes her readers will enjoy her short stories. You can learn more about Tressie at her website.

The Book

Nita is jealous of her friend Zandrea when she finds a man that is everything she could ever hope for, and nothing would make Nita happier than if she were to find someone of her own. When not one but two men begin to pursue her, she doesn't know what to do. The less intimidating of the two, the younger, mysterious man, Deandre, might be the better choice. But Lucas will not take no for an answer when he spots the woman he wants in his bed. And despite being warned by her friends that Lucas is not what he seems and is too much for a gentle woman like Nita, she can't seem to stay away from him. Still, Deandre has plans for the sweet Nita, and he will do whatever is necessary to make her give him what he wants.

Click the cover above to order your copy of CITY WOLF 2 today!

Interracial Romance

What moved you to write interracial romances?
I have had a few relationships with Caucasian men. I love the diversity of the races, the different backgrounds and even the skin color difference. I also am a romantic at heart, so I thought why not combine the two in my writing, especially when there was a time in my life when I was not so confident about dating outside my race. And for real, what woman hasn’t fantasized about a hot British man. My character, Asia, in “A Friend and a Lover” gets to enjoy Colin, a British Caucasian man, and readers absolutely loved the story. That story was all about experiencing something I might never get to have, like I believe many people read interracial romance for.


Is the difference of race between the main characters always a conflict within your books?
No, it’s never the main focus at all, but it does come up because in my real life even when we are so used to seeing interracial couples, race differences come up, and there might be that one family member or friend who doesn’t like it. That’s still true, so while it’s not the main conflict, it does exist in my writing to a small degree. Also, some people might not have stepped out of their comfort zone and gone after what they really want. My character Diamond in her story titled “Diamond” made many poor choices, and one of them was sticking to men who just weren’t right for her. When a good man came along, she wasn’t sure if she should go for it because he was of a different race. We shouldn’t be so narrow-minded or we could miss a good thing. But the main conflict in

Diamond was not about whether to date a white man. It was more about Diamond growing as a woman, learning that she was worth more than just as a man’s play thing.


Have you ever received negative comments about your work, and if so, what?
Yes, I have, but it had nothing to do with a work being an interracial romance. I think people sometimes assume that if they haven’t had an experience or anyone they know haven’t, then it could never happen. We live in a great big world, with a vast array of people. The things I write about are more often than not draw from real life, whether it is mine or the guy that goes to my church. *wink*


What has been the overall positive reception to your work?
The overall positive reception is that my characters are like real people experiencing some of the same issues, the drama that we all deal with or know someone who is dealing with it. I think we’d all like to be rich, a self-made millionaire, but in reality most of us are struggling to make ends meet or living paycheck to paycheck. I love developing my heroines as being just that, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.


Here we are in 2009 - how open do you think people are to seeing...and reading about interracial love? Do you think there's still a stigma to these relationships?
I think a whole lot more people are open to it now. But I also think that there is still the stigma. I think we’d be surprised at home many people fantasize about the experience and might never come to a place where they date someone outside their race, so they get to enjoy it in books. So I believe that interracial love in books will only grow more popular.


Any closing comments you'd like to make regarding writing interracial romances?
The interracial romance market might be small, but it’s growing and it is in demand. Readers can’t get enough, and as long as I can come up with new ideas, I’m going to create stories. My heroines will always be real people just like me, sometimes struggling, but always open to that special someone who happens to be a different race than mine. And I encourage readers and authors alike to expand your horizons. Enjoy interracial romance in other genres such as science fiction and paranormal and fantasy.

The Excerpt

From CITY WOLF 2


Lucas leaned back in his chair and took on an expression of boredom. He let his gaze sweep the room, categorizing every woman as he went, who would be good to fuck, who he already had—and of course, who to avoid at all costs.

Deliberately ignoring Gloria meant nothing to her. She slunk to his side and rested long manicured nails on his thigh with a pout planted on her red lips.

Even before her hand slid higher to stroke his shaft, he had begun to harden. No matter how she had betrayed him, he still loved her. She was the only woman he ever would love, maybe even the only person he’d ever care about outside of his half brother Brant.

“What the fuck do you want, Gloria? Run out of lovers for the night?” he spat. He’d displayed too much vehemence when he should have been indifferent.

Her smirk told him she had noticed. “Aw, still pining for me, baby?” She stroked him harder, and damn if he wasn’t ready to come. He shoved her hand away and stood. Gloria wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her forehead on the back of his shoulder. At one time he thought it sexy as hell her being that small.

“Get lost, Gloria,” he muttered with more control this time. “I’m meeting someone here. My newest bed partner, so don’t get in my way.”

“What?” She lifted her head and searched much like he did. “Which one is it? No, matter. You can tell her you’re taken for the night. Remember how we used to fuck all night long?”

“Not really.” He freed himself and walked out onto the dance floor, looking for a likely target, anyone he could use to put some distance between himself and Gloria. If she hung on him much longer, he’d give into her and wake up with a shattered heart the next morning. He may have liked to walk around like he was made of ice as the others had described him, but the truth was a whole other story.

A young woman with her back to him, swaying to the rhythm of the music, caught his attention. From his vantage point, she had an ass he’d like to ride and smooth brown skin that looked sweet like sugar. He scanned the area near her and found no man lingering close enough to claim her—not that it would have mattered—and he sidled up behind her.

Matching her movements, he swayed with her and leaned down to kiss her neck. She gasped and would have moved away, but he caught her around the waist. “No, don’t move. Just turn your head and let me get a taste of that mouth.”

“What?” She elbowed him and spun around with her hands on her hips and eyebrows lowered in a scowl. “How dare you presume I want to kiss you?”

Lucas blinked and took a step back. The studious one. What was her name? This was one of Zandrea’s friends. The name slipped into his mind. Nita. He stood there staring at her while she railed at him, probably going through the expansive vocabulary she had picked up in all the years she’d been in university. He wondered what fears kept her from actually living rather than hiding out as a student for so long.

Whatever the reason, he needed her right now, whether she knew it or not. He had seduced many women in his time, and this sexy little thing wouldn’t be any different.

While she continued to complain, Lucas reached across the space between them and scooped her up close to his chest. He was aware that he was exuding the pheromones that would make her melt in his arms, and that was just fine with him. Without hesitation, he lowered his head and covered her protesting mouth with his own. The second he slid his tongue between her luscious lips, she melted.

Deepening the kiss, he tightened his hold and ran a hand up her back to cup her head. His shaft, which had begun to calm walking away from Gloria, hardened all over again with his body pressed to Nita’s. She was not his type, if he truly had one. He liked petite blondes, aggressive little wolf shifter females that could give as much as they got. But the sweet thing in his arms was leggy and tall. Her handful sized breasts, pressed into his chest was nothing like what he usually went after, yet still, he was about ready to burst kissing her.

“Come to one of the back rooms with me,” he demanded when he pulled back.

Her large brown eyes were unfocused, and her lips were swollen from his kiss. She nodded unsteadily. “Yes.”

“Hell no!” someone snapped.

Lucas looked up over Nita’s head to the angry woman behind her. This was the other friend, the toughest of the three who would probably attempt to kick his ass should he try to take Nita for his own pleasure.

“This has nothing to do with you,” he told her. “Nita is a grown woman who can decide who she takes as a lover.”

“Whatever.” Stacy snatched his prize from his arms. “She’s not going anywhere with you. I saw you before.” She nodded to a point somewhere behind him. “Over there letting that woman rub all up on you. So when you got bored with her, you came over here to get Nita. I’m not having it.”

Lucas felt his eyes darken in anger and was glad of the low lights to hide the change. He breathed in and out a few times to calm himself, but it wasn’t working. Instead, dislike of this woman ran through him. He glanced down at Nita. With his anger up, his seduction had eased. Nita blinked as if her mind was clearing from a fog. Damn. He still wanted her, and this woman wasn’t going to keep her from him.

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