Jessica Brody's Blog, page 7

BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS – Pre-Order Offer

Preorder BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS from any retailer and upload your receipt to receive a set of Limited Edition System Divine Collector Cards + signed bookplate and behind-the-book digital features pack (including a full Save the Cat! Beat Sheet of SKY WITHOUT STARS)! Offer ends 3/23/20.

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Published on March 12, 2020 09:43

Find the RIGHT word…every single time!

How many times have you stared endlessly at a single word on the page, thinking, It’s close, but it’s just not the RIGHT word. Then you mosey on over to Thesaurus.com, (or if you’re old school, break out an actual thesaurus), search for synonyms of the word only to find that NONE of them are the right word either?

Or maybe this scenario sounds familiar: You have the RIGHT word on the tip of your tongue but no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to capture it. So you write down a word that’s in the general proximity of the word, but not THE word. And then every time you stare at that sentence, all you can see is how glaringly WRONG that word is?

Yup. And Yup.

Well, fear not. Those days are over. I’m about to introduce to your new favorite writing tool.

It’s called OneLook.com and it will change your life (and your writing). It certainly changed mine!

You see, the problem with thesauruses is that they only show you synonyms, words that mean roughly the same thing. But that doesn’t always help. Because sometimes (like in the situations mentioned above), whether you realize it or not, you’re not actually looking for a similar word. You’re looking for a related word.

Take, for example, the word, “planet.” (One I’ve been using a lot as I write my new space opera). Stick that word in a normal thesaurus and you get roughly 13 synonyms like, “earth,” “globe,” “sphere,” “world,” and so on. But stick that same word into the handy-dandy change-your-life superpower tool, OneLook.com, and you get over a hundred related words like, “universe,” “satellites,” “terra,” “galaxy,” “exoplanet,” “cosmos,” “orbit,” outer space,” and loads more. AND you can filter by Noun, Verb, Adjective and Adverb for extra awesomeness!

You’ll get some synonyms in the mix too, but mostly it’s a word association tool that follows thought process, instead of just spitting out dictionary synonyms. And 9 times out of 10, it leads me straight to the word I’m looking for.

Here’s how it works:

1) Go to OneLook.com

2) Type the word you want to search in the search box

3) (Here’s the important part). Don’t simply press “enter,” make sure you click the “Related Words” button next to the search box.

And then presto, watch your screen fill up with word magic!

Have fun! And as always, happy writing!

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Published on February 22, 2020 11:42

SKY WITHOUT STARS – Read-Along!

Hello Fellow Laterrians!

As we prepare for the launch of BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS (System Divine #2), we thought it would be fun to host a read-along of Book 1, SKY WITHOUT STARS!

Join us as we take you inside the System Divine and introduce you to the world of Laterre and our leading players: Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette! You could win some awesome book-related prizes along the way, and by the end, you’ll be all ready to read book 2 when it releases on 3/24/20!

Throughout the read-along, we’ll be hosting live chats to discuss the book and answer your questions!

It’s completely FREE to participate and when you join in on the fun you’ll automatically be entered to win the prizes!

Welcome! Happy Reading! And of course….Vive Laterre!

Joanne Rendell

Jessica and Joanne

HOW TO JOIN THE READ-ALONG:

STEP 1: OBTAIN A COPY OF SKY WITHOUT STARS

There are lots of ways to read SKY WITHOUT STARS:

Purchase a hard copy of SKY WITHOUT STARS (available in paperback on 2/25/2020!)
Download the eBook
Download the audiobook from your favorite audiobook retailer
Borrow a hard copy or digital copy from your local library (or a very nice friend)

STEP 2: READ ALONG WITH US!

Here’s the Official Read-Along Schedule!

February 25 – March 3 – Part 1

March 4 – March 10 – Parts 2 & 3

March 11 – March 17 – Parts 4 & 5

March 18 – March 24 – Part 6

Feel free to read ahead!

STEP 3: FOLLOW AND POST!

The official Instagram hashtag of the read-along is #SWSReadalong2020 (be sure to follow it to stay updated!)
Everytime you post to Instagram using the official hashtag, you are entered to win fun System Divine-related prizes!
Posts can be anything: progress pics, reactions, discussion questions, pictures of your dog wearing the book as a hat, whatever you want!
We will also be releasing “post prompts” each week so follow the hashtag and stay tuned!
The more you post, the more chances you have to win!
Only one rule: NO SPOILERS IN YOUR POSTS PLEASE!

STEP 4: JOIN THE LIVE CHATS!

Throughout the read-along, Joanne and I will be going live on Instagram to discuss the book with all of you! Bring your questions!

Be sure to follow Jessica and Joanne on Instagram so you don’t miss out on any of the chats!

Here’s the Live Chat Schedule

March 4 – 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET – Discussing Part 1

March 11 – 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET – Discussing Parts 2 & 3

March 18 – 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET – Discussing Parts 4 & 5

March 24 – 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET – Discussing Part 6 Between Burning Worlds Online Launch Party!

STEP 5: WIN PRIZES!

At the end of each week, we will be choosing winners from the hashtag #SWSReadalong2020 to win some cool System Divine prizes!
Everyone who participates in the read-along is eligible (yes, international friends too!)
Winners will be announced during the live chats and notified by Instagram

HAVEN’T HEARD OF SKY WITHOUT STARS?

No Problem! Here’s some info to get you started:

In the tradition of The Lunar Chronicles, this sweeping reimagining of Les Misérables tells the story of three teens from very different backgrounds who are thrown together amidst the looming threat of revolution on the French planet-colony of Laterre.

A thief.

An officer.

A guardian.

Three strangers, one shared destiny…

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.

Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…

Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spy on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.

Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a renowned traitor. In training to take command of the military, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when his father dies and leaves behind a cryptic message that only one person can read: a girl named Alouette.

Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.

All three have a role to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.

Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misérables.

ORDER YOUR COPY AND START READING NOW! »

PRE-ORDER BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS & GET EPIC PRE-ORDER GIFTS!

Ready for book 2? Pre-order and keep your receipt! We’re launching an epic pre-order offer VERY SOON! Stay tuned!

READ-ALONG POSTS:

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Published on February 17, 2020 12:34

Win a Classroom Set of BETTER YOU THAN ME (Middle Grade)

Attention Teachers!

I’m giving away a classroom set (20 signed paperback copies) of my latest middle grade novel, BETTER YOU THAN ME!

The book is appropriate for readers 10 and up (scroll down to read more about the book.) If you’re interested in entering the giveaway, please fill out the form below.

(Open to U.S. schools only).

The giveaway is open until February 29, 2020. The winner will be selected and notified by email after the giveaway ends.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Name*

First

Last

Company / School Name*Address*This giveaway is open to U.S. schools only

Street Address

Address Line 2

City

State
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces Pacific

ZIP Code

Email*

Please tell us why winning this classroom set would be meaningful to your students and/or school*

BETTER YOU THAN ME

Author: Jessica Brody

Publisher: Delacorte Press (Penguin Random House)

Publication Date: November 13, 2018

Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary

Age Range: 10 and up

Available Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook

ISBN: 978-1524769710

Pages: 432

It’s Freaky Friday meets Hannah Montana when two twelve-year-old girls–one a famous TV star, the other an obsessive fan–switch bodies with hilarious and disastrous results.

Ruby Rivera is a twelve-year-old superstar with millions of followers. Skylar Welshman is a seventh grader who wants to be cool–and she’s Ruby’s biggest fan. When Skylar and Ruby meet on the set of Ruby’s hit show, Ruby of the Lamp, and wish they could switch places . . . it happens!

Now Ruby is living Skylar’s life–going to a normal school, eating fro-yo, sleeping in, texting boys . . . it’s amazing. And being Ruby is even better than Skylar imagined–her fancy closet is huge, everyone wants to be her friend, and she gets to spend every day with Ryder Vance, her dreamy costar. Life is a blast!

But when Ruby finds herself dealing with mean girls and Skylar discovers that being a celebrity isn’t all red-carpet glamour, the girls start to wonder if being yourself isn’t so bad after all. Can they swap bodies again? Or are they stuck being each other forever?

PRAISE FOR “BETTER YOU THAN ME”

“A fun, fast-paced read for tweens . . . they’ll have a blast!”

— Booklist

“Brody takes a common trope and freshens it up with realistic details. A feel-good story with a few life lessons. A solid purchase for most middle school collections.”

— School Library Journal

“A fun read for anyone who might wish they could be someone else for a little while.”

— Kirkus

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Published on February 13, 2020 15:02

System Divine Fan Art Challenge – Win an ARC of BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS!

Welcome to the System Divine Fan Art Challenge!

We have 3 “out of this world” prize packs up for grabs (each containing a signed advance copy of BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS plus other awesome goodies!) for the three fans who come up with the most creative pieces of art, inspired by the System Divine series.

NOTE: This does NOT have to be a drawing. We are defining “fan art” in the broadest sense. This can be ANYTHING that reflects your creativity and enthusiasm for the System Divine world!

For instance, you could write a song, take a photograph, edit a photograph, assemble a costume, create a pin board, film a video, create a playlist, write poetry, design a 3D rendering, draw, paint, craft, sculpt, build, anything! The “Sky” is the limit!

And yes, bonus points will be awarded for creativity!

We only ask that you follow some simple rules…

The Rules:

All entries must be created entirely by you (please don’t steal anyone else’s work or use copyrighted material in your work)
All entries must be posted somewhere online (a blog, a website, a YouTube channel, a social media account, etc.)
All entries must be in some way inspired by the world of the System Divine series (this includes Sky Without Stars, Between Burning Worlds, and/or “The Thief” short story).
Please keep it clean and kind: No profanity or offensive material.
You must be 13 years or older to enter

The Prizes:

So, do you want to know what epic prizes are up for grabs??? Of course you do!

3 creative fans will be chosen to receive a super-stellar prize pack including:

An autographed advance copy (ARC) of BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS (System Divine #2)!
A gorgeous Laterre keychain
Alouette’s “Little Lark” devotion beads
A signed SKY WITHOUT STARS poster (with colored map!)
A character named after YOU in the third book of the trilogy! (Although we can’t promise the character won’t die!)

The Details:

This competition is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY
You must be 13 years or older to enter
Giveaway is open until 2/14/2020!
Winners will be chosen by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell and announced the week of February 17th

How to Enter:

Step 1: Create your fabulous fan art!

Step 2: Post your fan art somewhere online (if it’s social media, make sure to tag Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell and #SkyWithoutStars, #BetweenBurningWorlds, and #SystemDivineFanArtChallenge). If it’s a blog, YouTube or website, make sure to link it back to this post.)

Step 3: Use the form below to submit your art and tell us about it!

Name*

First

Last

Email*

Date of Birth*(You must be 13 years or older to enter)

Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY

Where is Your Fan Art Posted?*Please give us the link where your fan art is posted (it must be posted online somewhere to enter, i.e. social media, blog, website, youtube, etc.) Is there anything you want to tell us about your fan art?OPTIONAL: Use this box to tell us anything you'd like us to know about your art. i.e. what inspired it? How you created it? etc. Do you give Jessica and Joanne permission to post your artwork on their social media channels and/or website?We'd love to share your wonderful artwork with the rest of our fans! But we'd never do so without your permission. Please tick the box if you are okay with us sharing your work.

Yes! You can share my work!

How did you hear about this competition?OPTIONAL: We'd love to know how you heard about this competition (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Banner Ad, Social Media Ad, Newsletter, etc.)

Good luck Fellow Laterrians! We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Click Here to Read More about Between Burning Worlds!

THE SYSTEM DIVINE SERIES ON #BOOKSTAGRAM

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Published on January 13, 2020 14:22

Make Every Single Scene RIVETING! (The Save the Cat! Chapter/Scene Beat Sheet!)

I’ve been using the Save the Cat! methodology to structure and plot my stories for more than ten years and 17 novels now. I even wrote a BOOK on this very topic. And yet every day, I feel like I’m still learning and expanding my knowledge about this very marvelous thing called story structure and the seemingly magic “secret code” that appears inside all stories. This code or skeleton or framework or “beat sheet” appears in all great stories. It’s basically the secret sauce that makes stories work. And it’s this very code that I breakdown and teach others how to use in my book, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel.

But did you know that the code doesn’t just appear in stories as a whole?

It can also be found in smaller chunks of narrative, like an individual scene or chapter? That’s right. I’ve recently discovered that many of the 15 beats that make up the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet can be found in scenes of books and movies. Not just in the plot of the book or movie itself. And since discovering this, I’ve started to use this to outline individual scenes and chapters in my novels before I sit down to write them, or when I’m trying to revise a particularly tricky scene that I can’t seem to get to work.

And similarly, in some of my older novels that I wrote before I discovered this little trick, I’ve found that scenes I LOVE (that seem to work especially well) tend to have many of the key beats that make up the Save the Cat! beat sheet. Meanwhile scenes that I struggled to write or that I still think fall flat, don’t have enough of those key beats. WHOA. MIND BLOWN.

I’ll show you what I mean. I’ve taken the liberty of analyzing Chapter 1 of a very popular and successful novel called THE DAVINCI CODE by Dan Brown. As you can see, the scene has TEN of the 15 beats right there in this short 5-page chapter! And here they are:

The Davinci Code by Dan Brown – Chapter 1 – Scene Beat Sheet

SETUP – Robert Langdon wakes up to a phone call. We get a glimpse of his hotel room and discover he’s in Paris. It’s the middle of the night.
CATALYST: Langdon picks up the phone and the hotel concierge tells him he has a visitor with an urgent message.
DEBATE: What visitor? Who could this be? In trying to answer the Debate question, we learn that Langdon gave a talk at the University of Paris tonight and believes he might have ruffled some feathers. It’s probably a religious scholar who had followed him back to the hotel to pick a fight.
BREAK INTO 2: Robert makes a decision on how to handle the situation and tells the concierge to take a message and tell the visitor he will call him.
FUN AND GAMES: Thinking he’s dealt with the issue, Langdon remembers more of the recent evening, a flashback during which we learn that Langdon is a famous symbologist who recently had a somewhat embarrassing article written about him in the Boston Globe.
MIDPOINT: False Victory. Langdon’s seeming “success” of dealing with the strange call a few minutes earlier turns out to be false when the concierge calls again to tell him this mysterious “visitor” is now on his way to up to his room, because the concierge, “cannot presume the authority to stop him.” (Stakes are raised.)
BAD GUYS CLOSE IN: The knock comes at his hotel room door and the visitor is revealed to be none-other than a Police Lieutenant who tells him that the Police captain is requesting Langdon’s expertise in a “private matter.” This bizarre situation is starting to feel more and more perilous.
ALL IS LOST: When Langdon asks about this “private matter”, the Lieutenant slides a photograph under the door that was taken inside the Louvre tonight. The picture shows a a dead Jacques Sauniere (whom Langdon was supposed to meet earlier tonight but who never showed up). His body is positioned very strangely. (Whiff of Death)
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL: Why was he positioned like that? Langdon asks this very question to the Lieutenant who tells him…
BREAK INTO 3: Monsieur Sauniere did that to himself. [end of chapter]

Ending a chapter or scene on the Break into 3 beat, or even on the All is Lost beat is an effective and common strategy because those are the beats that would usually form a cliffhanger or a question to be answered, leading to the next scene/chapter where the answer to that cliffhanger or question becomes the new scene’s Setup. And on and on it goes!

Imagine if every scene or chapter in your novel had Catalysts and Midpoints and All is Losts. What an exciting, non-stop, page turner that book would be! Now it’s important to note, “scene beat sheets” are going to feel much LESS dramatic than full plot beat sheets. We can’t have EVERY scene have life-changing stakes and mind-blowing plot twists, but we can create scenes that are dynamic and interesting, simply by making sure our scenes have at the very least the following beats:

Scene Beat Sheet Template

SETUP: An introduction to the scene, giving us a small bit of information about who the character is and where they are (literally and metaphorically) at this moment of the story.
CATALYST: Something that happens to send the scene in a new direction (even if it’s just a slight shift). Sometimes this is just a question that’s asked, or a goal/situation/opportunity that’s presented to the character.
BREAK INTO 2: A decision or active step that a character makes in the scene usually in an effort to answer the Catalyst question or pursue the Catalyst goal/situation/opportunity. (Note: this can be as simple as wanting to get someone off the phone and go back to sleep, like in the example above.)
MIDPOINT: A moment in which the character feels like they’re succeeding or failing in the above mentioned goal/situation/opportunity (False Victory/False Defeat), AND some kind of twist that sends the scene in another direction or raises the stakes of the scene.
ALL IS LOST: A low point in the scene, usually coming with a sense of defeat or failure, or another turning point/twist.
BREAK INTO 3: Possibly another active step that will catapult the character and the reader into the next scene (Note: This beat can also come at the start of the next scene/chapter as the new Setup.)

So there you have it. A proven template for making every scene or chapter in your novel dynamic and engaging. Give it a try. Find a problematic scene in your own current work in progress and see if you can identify which beats are missing. What happens when you try to restructure and rewrite using the template above. Does it help???

Good luck!

Don’t Miss Out on Free Writing Tips!
If you’d like more free writing tips from Jessica delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to sign up for the Writing Mastery Newsletter below!

And as a free gift for signing up, we’ll automatically send you a copy of Jessica’s “Save the Cat! Writes a Novel Starter Kit”

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Published on October 18, 2019 14:13

How to Liven Up a Flat Scene or Chapter

If you have a chapter that’s feeling a bit…well, meh. Try out this Writing Mastery hack!

One of the best ways I’ve found to quickly power punch up a scene is to use a tactic I like to call…

Hiding the Ball

Basically it breaks down to this: Don’t give your reader EVERYTHING they need to know all at once. Keep a few key details in your pocket for later.

In the opening scene of MY LIFE UNDECIDED (my young adult novel which released about a girl who puts her life up to a vote on the internet) I struggled immensely with the opening chapter. I knew that I wanted to open the book right after the hero, Brooklyn Pierce, has burned down a model home in her mother’s housing development during an unauthorized party that she threw there. But every time I wrote the scene (and trust me, there were SEVERAL drafts), it always felt flat. It wasn’t engaging enough. Especially for the FIRST make-or-break chapter of the novel. I kept wasting countless precious lines info-dumping about the party, the model home development, how the fire started, blah, blah blah. In short, it was BORING…because (as I soon realized) I was giving away TOO much at once.

I eventually realized that I didn’t HAVE to give the reader all that information…at least not yet. (AHA!) I could essentially “hide the ball.” Now if you read the scene (which I’ll link to here if you’re interested), I don’t actually tell you what happened right before the book begins. I don’t tell you there was a fire, or a party, or even a model home. All you know is that something BIG is going down. And Brooklyn Pierce is in deep trouble. There is chaos and sirens and regret. And by the end of the chapter, Brooklyn is being taken away in a police car.

WHY???!!!

Well, the reader has to turn the page and read the next chapter to find that out. And that, my friends, is the magic of Hiding the Ball. It’s a tease. It’s an attention grabber. Sometimes letting your reader wonder and guess and speculate is sometimes all it takes to get them to chapter two. But beware! Like all great magic, there’s a dark side. Hiding the ball for too long can lead to “reader fatigue,” confusion, and someone yelling, “JUST TELL US WHAT’S HAPPENING ALREADY!” So use this magic wisely.

But I urge you to play around with it. Take a scene you’re currently working on or struggling with (any scene will do!) and try hiding that ball. What can you NOT give away to the reader? What secrets can you keep from them? Let your reader do a little work of their own. Make them WORK for the answer. An active reader is an engaged reader. And an engaged reader is a happy reader. Good luck!

Don’t Miss Out on Free Writing Tips!
If you’d like more free writing tips from Jessica delivered straight to your inbox, be sure to sign up for the Writing Mastery Newsletter below!

And as a free gift for signing up, we’ll automatically send you a copy of Jessica’s “Save the Cat! Writes a Novel Starter Kit”

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Published on August 12, 2019 10:05

YA Scavenger Hunt: Spring 2019 Edition

YA Scavenger Hunt banner

EDITED: This hunt has ended. Thanks for playing!

Welcome to the Spring 2019 YA Scavenger Hunt! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on the hunt in my team! (THE BLUE TEAM!!!) But play fast: this contest will only be online for 5 days!

BLUE TEAM

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are five contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM — but there is also RED, GOLD, GREEN, & PURPLE teams for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt Author List.

If you get stuck or need help, you can check out the How to Hunt page.

Scavenger Hunt Puzzle

Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the BLUE TEAM, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).

Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday, April 7th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

Welcome, D. L. Pitchford!

Today, I am hosting D. L. Pitchford on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Best known for her brutally honest stories and realistic characters, D. L. Pitchford is an author of young and new adult books. She lives in Springfield, Missouri with her husband and two sons.

About Stilettos & Stardust

Academic rivals Noah Barton and Eden Prince must learn to work together as lab partners while competing in an international science fair in this emotionally charged, gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella.

Exclusive Content: Cover Reveal for Roses & Revelry

ROSES & REVELRY: A Gender-Swapped Beauty and the Beast Story

True Love’s Wish, Book #2

A modern day Beauty and the Beast with a twist…

Jensen Foley wants to stay out of trouble until graduation, but trouble—in the form of doe-eyed cheerleader Kelsey Valentine—won’t leave him alone. She’s gorgeous, conceited, and completely obsessed with him.

When she pesters him at work, he loses his temper. And his job.

Despite her rigorous campaign to become the sophomore Maple Sugar Princess, Kelsey disappears from class. Jensen, desperate for a distraction from his absent mom’s sudden reappearance, volunteers to deliver her homework. But Kelsey’s recovering from the measles and can’t return to school—not with that hideous rash. She needs a tutor, and hell, Jensen needs the work after she got him fired.

Can Jensen swallow his pride to look past Kelsey’s selfish behavior? Can Kelsey learn true beauty is on the inside? Will Kelsey show Jensen he’s worthy of love?

Follow Jensen and Kelsey’s romantic journey in this playful, gender-swapped tale as old as time.

*****

Thanks for stopping by my blog, D.L.! Don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me (Jessica) and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 11. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the BLUE TEAM and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

Continue the Hunt

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author on Ginger Scott’s website.

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Published on April 01, 2019 23:59

Join the Sky Without Stars Part 1 Read-Along!

To Our Future Laterrians,

Joanne and I would like to invite you to participate in our official Part 1 Read-Along of SKY WITHOUT STARS! Join us as we take you inside the System Divine and introduce you to the world of Laterre and our leading players: Chatine, Marcellus, and Alouette!

It’s completely FREE to participate and when you when you join in on the fun you’ll automatically be entered to win a bunch of amazing book-themed prizes! (Oui! This is open to our International friends!!!) You won’t be able to get these goodies anywhere else, so you’re not going to want to miss out!

Welcome! Happy Reading! And of course….Vive Laterre!

Joanne Rendell

Jessica and Joanne

HOW TO JOIN THE READ-ALONG:

STEP 1: DOWNLOAD PART 1 EXCERPT OF SKY WITHOUT STARS

READ THE FIRST 75 PAGES OF JESSICA'S NEW BOOK FREE!

A SCI-FI REIMAGINING OF LES MISÉRABLES

For a limited time only, subscribe to Jessica's newsletter & you'll receive PART I (75 pages) of SKY WITHOUT STARS, the first installment in her new Sci-Fi Trilogy! Available to email subscribers ONLY. Ends 3/26.

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STEP 2: START READING!

It’s time to start reading Part 1! Read in the morning, read at night, read with your friends, read whenever and wherever you want The SKY WITHOUT STARS Pod members are also reading along and can be your reading buddies!

STEP 3: FOLLOW THE AUTHORS & POD MEMBERS

Make sure you have followed the authors on Instagram and all of the Sky Without Stars pod members to be eligible to win prizes! Here’s a quick list of accounts to follow:

NAME
INSTAGRAM URL

Jessica (Co-Author)
@jessicabrody

Joanne (Co-Author)
@joannerendellauthor

Caitlin (Co-Host)
@royalsocialmedia

Becca
@beccasbookishlife

Michelle L.
@berrybookpages

Brittany
@bookswrotemystory

Christy
@diamondxgirl

Dayle
@theliteraryllama

Mari
@thatismari

Stephanie
@the.bookish.photog

Michelle B.
@bookchelle

STEP 4: JOIN THE CONVERSATION & WIN PRIZES!

The conversation will take place in the comments section of the official SKY WITHOUT STARS Read-Along posts on my Instagram feed. (Look for the photos with the “Sky Excerpt Read-Along” Banner and the hashtag #SkyExcerptReadAlong.)

We’ll be reading and discussing the excerpt over the course of the next two weeks. The first week we will focus on Chapters 1-4 and during the second we’ll move on to Chapters 5-8!

Everyone who participates in the read-along will automatically be entered for a chance to win some amazing prizes! But the more you participate, the more chances you’ll have to win prizes!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
Here are some suggestions for how you can participate…

Leave a comment on one of our read-along Instagram posts, answering the daily discussion question
Tag a friend in the comments
Post a photo of your reading progress to Instagram, tag @jessicabrody & @joannerendellauthor, and use the hashtag #SkyExcerptReadAlong & #SkyWithoutStars
More “secret” ways to win will be revealed in the weekly LIVE wrap-ups on my Story (so be sure to watch to find out!)

OFFICIAL READ-ALONG SCHEDULE:

Friday, March 8th: The discussion begins! We’ll kick off the read-along on my Instagram feed by discussing Chapters 1-4. Look for photos with the gold “#SkyExcerptReadAlong” banner. A new discussion question will be posted daily!

Thursday, March 14th: Drop by for an official LIVE wrap-up of Chapters 1-4 in my Instagram story. Plus, I’ll announce a few random giveaway winners & reveal the cool prizes you can win—so be sure to watch!!!

Friday, March 15th: The discussion continues! We’ll read the second half of the Part 1 Excerpt and discuss Chapters 5-8 on my Instagram feed. Look for photos with the gold “#SkyExcerptReadAlong” banner. A new discussion question will be posted daily!

Thursday, March 22nd: Tune in for a LIVE Wrap-Up of Chapters 5-8 in my Instagram story.

Friday, March 23: Check back, as we’ll be revealing a full list of giveaway winners on this blog post and Instagram!

HAVEN’T HEARD OF SKY WITHOUT STARS?

No Problem! Here’s some info to get you started:

In the tradition of The Lunar Chronicles, this sweeping reimagining of Les Misérables tells the story of three teens from very different backgrounds who are thrown together amidst the looming threat of revolution on the French planet-colony of Laterre.

A thief.

An officer.

A guardian.

Three strangers, one shared destiny…

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.

Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…

Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spy on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.

Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a renowned traitor. In training to take command of the military, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when his father dies and leaves behind a cryptic message that only one person can read: a girl named Alouette.

Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.

All three have a role to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.

Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misérables.

DOWNLOAD THE EXCERPT & START READING NOW »

PRE-ORDER SKY WITHOUT STARS & GET FREE SWAG!

Can’t wait to get more goodies? Check out our exclusive pre-order offer!

PRE-ORDER SKY WITHOUT STARS: GET A FREE GIFT PACK!

︎ LIMITED TIME OFFER : ENDS 3/26 ︎

PRE-ORDER a copy of SKY WITHOUT STARS from one of our select Indie partners and you’ll receive an Exclusive Gift Pack, including a limited edition two-sided color poster, an autographed bookplate, bookmark, and postcard. The poster features the ONLY available full-color version of the book’s map

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PRE-ORDER & CLAIM YOUR FREE GIFT »

Limited Time Offer: Ends 3/26/19.

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READ-ALONG DISCUSSION POSTS:

View this post on Instagram

PART 1 READ-ALONG – DISCUSSION #1: “Honest work for an honest chance?” . This week during the #SkyExcerptReadAlong we’re reading & discussing Chapters 1-4! Be sure to check out the link in my profile to get the FREE excerpt and find out how to participate! . TODAY’S QUESTION: Chatine and her family live a tough life in the Frets, the slums of Laterre. Chatine steals to get by while her sister, Azelle, works long hours in a government-run factory. Who would you be in this world? A Chatine? An Azelle? Or another? . Post your thoughts in the comments! . . . #SkyExcerptReadAlong #SkyWithoutStars #LesMisInSpace #JessicaBrody #JoanneRendell #SystemDivine #SimonTeen #Bookstagram #YA #YASciFi #SciFi #YALit #YAReads #IReadYA #TeenReads #Readalong #AmReading

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Published on March 06, 2019 18:29

SKY WITHOUT STARS – Pre-Order Offer

MON DIEU! Check out all the amazing goodies you get when you pre-order SKY WITHOUT STARS, our sci-fi re-imagining of Les Mis…in space! This galactic swag pack comes with an exclusive full-color map of Laterre, plus a signed bookplate, bookmark, and postcard! Offer ends 3/26.

The post SKY WITHOUT STARS – Pre-Order Offer appeared first on Jessica Brody.