Denise Jaden's Blog, page 28

Never Enough Secrets: Why Eating Disorders?

I'm having fun answering lots of interview questions these days (believe me, if there's ever been ANYTHING you've wanted to know about me, you'll find out in the next month!) The question I get asked the most often by far is, "What inspired the writing of this book?"

I've shrunken down my reasons to a short answer I can use for interviews, but I asked my editor for permission to share the author's note that's at the end of Never Enough that goes into a little more detail, and I just heard back with the OK. One thing that never made it into the author's note was that at the time I met my friend who was struggling (explained below) I was just coming out of a season in my life that I was very involved in the fitness industry. I'd spent months on end dieting on only chicken and salad, and had stood up on stage to get judged on my body. For me, it was a very unhealthy lifestyle, both physically and emotionally.

Here's a sneak peak at more of the inspiration for the story... my Author's Note from Never Enough...


Author’s Note:
Many of us have suffered from a food issue of some kind, whether it’s cutting calories on a regular basis or trying to “make up” for last weekend’s junk food binge. These are simple solutions, ones that don’t seem dangerous or hard to control. I’ve personally struggled with my perception of healthy eating on and off for years. For me, conquering this has only come by way of self-acceptance, but even still, it seems more than possible that I might fall back into destructive patterns at any time. 
When it comes to severe eating disorders, often times we can’t understand why some won’t just make better choices when it comes to food. I have known women who have suffered severely from eating disorders, and, yes, it can be easy to judge. But our lack of understanding and compassion is one reason that so many people suffer alone, only letting their disorder become worse. An eating disorder gives a false sense of control, while in reality it's an all-consuming monster that wants to take over every bit of a person’s life.
My first inspiration for writing this book was a close friend of mine who has suffered for many years with a combination of severe eating disorders. I didn’t write this book to show her or teach her anything. I wrote it because I wanted to understand her and connect with her in a way that would be helpful rather than hurtful.
My friend can’t avoid food like she’d avoid cigarettes if she were quitting smoking. She has to face her addiction every day. Sure, it gets easier. But then sometimes it gets harder again. Above all, I’m glad I made a deeper connection with her and with others. Honesty among true friends can be a hard thing to come by, but it’s worth the effort to not have to endure a life-long battle alone. You may be surprised how accepting others can be. And then maybe you’ll start accepting yourself.
It’s estimated that over eight million Americans suffer from an eating disorder, and eating disorders have the highest death rate among mental illnesses. The statistics are scary—don’t try to battle it by yourself. And if you’re not the one suffering and someone comes to you, admitting they have a problem, be a supportive friend. Encourage him or her to seek help, and then walk through it with them.  Making the first move to be honest is hard, but I guarantee there’s somebody in your life that really needs you.
And who knows? Maybe you need them too.
For more information on eating disorders, where to get help, or how to be a support to someone with an eating disorder, visit the National Eating Disorders Association at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

I Miss You, Dad

This is my favorite picture of me and my dad...


Many of you know, I lost my dad just over a year ago. Father's Day is a bit of a bittersweet holiday for me this year. I still get to enjoy watching my son grow up with his dad, but I no longer have my own dad to celebrate with. I'm not complaining, because I had many wonderful years with him, and some people don't even get that.

And so I wish a Happy Father's Day to all those who are celebrating, and a big cyber-hug to all of those who are not. You may be without an earthly father, but you're not alone!

Friday Four!

1. A couple of exciting new things arrived at our house this week! First, here's our little bundle of cuteness, who has been keeping me awake at night because apparently playing is much more important than sleeping! We're still looking for a name that the whole family is happy with, and we're open to suggestions.





2. And if that wasn't exciting enough....my first finished copy of Never Enough arrived in the mail this week! It looks very similar to the galley copy, except this version is matte instead of glossy, has a slightly nicer spine, and includes my fabulous blurbs in the front of the book.



3. On the writing front, lots is happening these days. I've gotten some fabulous blurbs for my non-fiction grief book, as well as a mock-up version of the cover. I hope to be able to share those with you very soon, and the plan is for the book to be available this fall!

4. Also, I've sent my latest manuscript to my agent, and I'm thrilled to report that she loves it and thinks it's ready! I'm sure I've mentioned it here before, but in case I haven't, this one has been through many titles in its short lifetime. It started as MILANO. But when the story moved out of the city of Milan, I had to change that. Then it was called DANGEROUS TRANSLATION. My agent felt that sounded a bit too adult, so then it changed to COVER ME. Finally I have settled on FOREIGN EXCHANGE, at least until my editor tells me to change it :-). It's about a girl who sneaks off from her class trip in Europe, along with her crush, when her best friend goes missing. I really LOVED researching this book, and LOVE Europe. It's set mostly in the cities of Barcelona and Venice. I hope I have the opportunity to go back soon.

5. Okay, one more thing...I'm back to revising another very new work in progress. This one is still untitled, but it's another YA contemporary novel centered around Christmas. I'm wondering if there are other YA novels taking place mostly in the Christmas season. If you can think of any, I'd love to hear!

Happy weekend, everybody!

Why I LOVE Simon Pulse (and why you should too!)

A little while ago, I spoke with my publicist from Simon Pulse about details of my launch for Never Enough. She was super-supportive, and when I asked if they might be willing to send me some books that I could use as an online launch party giveaway, she immediately said, "No problem!"

I asked for about ten - I thought that would make a nice prize pack for someone - but let me just say that she sent me WAY more than ten books, and they're awesome books at that!

Here's a shot of just the ones I could fit on my kitchen table...


So I'm deciding whether I should do multiple prize packs or one enormous prize pack. What do you guys think? (Remember there are lots more, this is just a sampling!) Also, and more importantly, which ones should I race through and try to read before I give them away???

Thank you Simon Pulse! You totally rock...every single one of you!

A New Review and Fan Art!

I'm so excited about this new review of NEVER ENOUGH by Evie at Bookish! You can click on the link to read the whole thing, but I wanted to share a few of my favorite highlights:

She started the review by offering a few of her favorite quotes from the book. I LOVE this idea, because it helps me see what connects with individual readers. I'll just share one of her favorite quotes (truth be told, it's one of mine too!)

Our perfect posture could be the one reminder that Claire's not the secret love child of Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashton Kutcher. And I'm not the true offspring of Danny DeVito and an ungroomed poodle.

And here are a few other highlights from Evie's review...

 "Neither the blurb, nor the beautiful bright cover have prepared me for the intensely emotional ride I was taken on... Jaden's evocative and fluid prose is full of vivid emotions and gut-churning authenticity."
"Never Enough was captivating from start to finish and I found it very difficult to put down. The narrative voice is genuine and lively, and it makes Loann a relatable character."
 "The slowly developing romantic feelings between Loann and Marcus took the back seat to other, more profound and meaningful plot threats. And it was perfect this way. I loved the chemistry between Loann and Marcus."
"This book tells a harrowing tale of never-enoughs: people not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not interesting enough, not strong enough, or simply not good enough. And while it's mostly a sad and melancholic book, it's also one that ends with hope and promise rather than despair, and for that I absolutely and utterly loved it."

 And...if that was not enough to make me giddy with joy this week, I've also had an opportunity to see some more fan art for Losing Faith! I can't tell you how much I love this! Seeing someone else's artistic expression from one of my books? So awesome! 


Jada, a girl from my church, put together the following presentation as a school project. She got to choose the book (she chose Losing Faith) and did character drawings of all of the characters in the book. I LOVE that Jada let me take pictures of this and share it on my blog!









Tell me that isn't the COOLEST THING EVER! Thank you, Jada, for letting me share!

GCC Presents Amanda Ashby and SOPHIE'S MIXED UP MAGIC!

Sophie’s Mixed-Up MagicA middle grade series by Amanda Ashby
Book One: Wishful Thinking (May 31st Puffin)Be careful what you wish for…After eleven year old Sophie accidentally gets herself turned into a djinn, she starts to think that it might not be so bad after all. (Of course, that’s after she gets the whole orange skin problem sorted out.) Who wouldn’t enjoy having the power to grant wishes! But when Sophie develops RWD (Random Wish Disorder) and can’t STOP granting wishes, things get more than a little mixed-up!
 Book Two: Under a Spell (May 31st Puffin)And that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E…As Sophie gets used to her magic, her relationship with the adorable Jonathan Tait is blossoming. There’s only one problem: Jonathan’s twin sister, Melissa. She’s a total mean girl who seems intent on making Sophie’s life miserable. On top of that, Melissa somehow seems to sense that Sophie has powers–and manages to bind Sophie to her in a totally self-serving way. Can Sophie figure out a way out of this–without ruining her chances with Jonathan?

Book one and two are a simultaneous release and watch out for book three in October…
Amanda also stopped by for a short interview about the books!
Welcome, Amanda! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?Cute, funny and covered in Cheetos crumbs! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?I love Malik. He is Sophie’s dead djinn guide, who looks like Zac Efron and is addicted to Cheetos and American Idol. He also has crazy taste in clothing and gets Sophie into so much trouble it’s not funny! What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?Be yourself and find your voice. It’s so easy to think that everything we write is terrible and that everything someone else writes is brilliant, but it’s important to have faith in ourselves and what it is we want to say!
 What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?The last one! I loved creative writing at school but it wasn’t something that I ever did in my spare time and it wasn’t until my late twenties that I even realized that ‘regular’ people could write books. I should add that I’m a very slow learner!!!
 What's the last book you read that you really loved?The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Everyone had been talking about it on Twitter but I didn’t read any reviews so it wasn’t until I started reading it that I really understood what it was about. It was so bright and smart and sad all at once that I cried like a baby for most of it!!!
Thanks so much, Amanda, and congratulations on your releases!


Amanda Ashby was born in Australia and after spending the last sixteen years dividing her time between England and New Zealand, she’s finally moved back and now lives on the Sunshine Coast. When she’s not moving country, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to eat chocolate, watch television and sit around doing not much, but let’s just keep that amongst ourselves, shall we?) She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book, You Had Me at Halo was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award, and her first young adult book Zombie Queen of Newbury High was listed by the New York Public Library’s Stuff for the Teen Age 2010. Her latest release, Fairy Bad Day, has been selected by Voya as one of their Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers 2012 and is a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist for the Australia/NZ region. To find out more, please go to www.amandaashby.com

Friday Four and #summerreading

1. Yesterday I skimmed through Media Bistro, as I do once a year or so when I have time. They mentioned a new hashtag on Twitter called #summerreading, started by @NYTimesLearning, and they were interested in getting people on board to promote it. On a whim, I tweeted this:


Get a few of your friends together to read NEVER ENOUGH this summer and I'll do a free Skype visit with you when you're done! #summerreading

My little tweet has gotten lots of notice, and so I thought I should share it here too, in case any of my blog readers are interested in taking part in this. If you are interested, here's a little tip: I think this is the cheapest you'll find a new copy of Never Enough.  Simon & Schuster has it listed with a special Pre-Order price of only $7.99!


But if that's still too much for your budget, ask your local library and I'm sure they will get it in for you.


2. Speaking of #summerreading, I wanted to let you know a few books that are on my list. Some have been sitting on my shelf for a LONG time, and some aren't quite released yet, but here's a sample of what I'm planning to enjoy in the sunshine this summer:


The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys


I'd love to hear what's on your Summer Reading list!


3. Okay, you know I can't get through a Friday Four post without mentioning the big countdown, right? NEVER ENOUGH is out in ONE MONTH AND TWO DAYS!!! #justsayin


If you haven't yet grabbed the widget to display somewhere prominent (pretty please! I'd love you forever!) Here it is for the taking...
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4. Life has been busy, so I haven't been able to blog much. Last weekend I got roped into judging a dance competition, which was lots of fun, but still left me behind on revisions, interviews and so forth. Just starting to feel like I'm catching up again, and so soon I will be back with some more Never Enough Secrets, including why I wrote the book, who helped me, and lots lots more!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

GCC Presents SURRENDER by Elana Johnson!

Elana Johnson is one of those Awesome-sauce people that most of you probably already know of because of her impact on the writing community. Aside from running an awesome online writer's conference and producing plenty of tools for the aspiring author, she is a rockin' author, and SURRENDER (follow-up to POSSESSION) is being dubbed as the dystopian series of the summer!

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About SURRENDER: Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn.
Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque….
Purchase your copy here.
GIVEAWAY: Elana is hosting a Spectacular Seconds giveaway this week! You can enter to win one of five signed sophomore books by Beth Revis, Ally Condie, Veronica Roth, Kristi Cook, and Kim Harrington. CLICK HERE for all the details and to enter.
Aaaand, because Elana is so awesome, she stopped by for a short interview...
Welcome, Elana! Quick, tell me about your book in seven words or less.Rebellion romance tech gadgets = SURRENDER
 Other than your main character, who's a favorite character in your novel and why?I love Zenn Bower. He’s the founder of the Insiders, which is the rebellion movement the MC joins. Zenn is mysterious and cool, and you never really know whose side he’s on. I love writing him, and I love trying to get the MCs to figure him out.
 What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?Write more. Write another book. And another one. It’s through practice that we get better.
 What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?I was in the marching band in high school. I didn’t read, really, and especially not the assigned books. I didn’t journal, write poetry, or write anything. I didn’t like English at all. I took the AP test as a junior so I could opt out of English as a senior.
 What's the last book you read that you really loved?BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS by Terra Elan McVoy. One of the best YA contemporaries ever!
[image error]   About Elana: Elana's work including POSSESSION, REGRET, and SURRENDER is available from Simon & Schuster wherever books are sold. She is the author of From the Query to the Call, an ebook that every writer needs to read before they query, which can be downloaded for free on her website. She runs a personal blog on publishing and is a founding author of the QueryTracker blog. She blogs regularly at The League of Extraordinary Writers, co-organizes WriteOnCon, and can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
She wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to shove it, and have cool superpowers like reading minds and controlling fire. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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GCC Presents Melissa Walker and UNBREAK MY HEART!

I'm so excited about all of the books I get to highlight this week, because I love them all SO MUCH!!! I was fortunate enough to have gotten my hands on an early copy of UNBREAK MY HEART by Melissa Walker, and I'm so thrilled to be able to spotlight this as part of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit. It had me taken away from the first page to the last. And wait until you hear about the unusual setting: a sailboat!

Here's a little bit more about the book...

Summer will be the season for Melissa Walker fans to fall in love all over again. UNBREAK MY HEART is told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clementine Williams’s heart and the summer that healed it. Inspired by Melissa’s own experience sailing with her family as a teen, this is the perfect beach read for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti.
Usually Clem would dread the idea of spending an entire summer sailing with her family—two parents, one annoying little sister, and no internet, all on one tiny boat; however, right now escaping her life on land sounds pretty good. Clem did something bad during her sophomore year, even though she didn’t mean to. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and thought that he was falling for her too. Now the school year is over, the truth is out and he’s been excused while she’s been exiled, leaving her with no friends and zero social life.
When she and her family set sail the last thing Clem is looking for is another romance, but perhaps it found her anyway. His name is James. He’s cute, funny, and best of all, doesn’t know anything about her past. He and his dad are sailing the same route as Clem and her family for the summer and he's just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem's walls and unbreak her broken heart?

About the author MELISSA WALKER is the author of Small Town Sinners, the Violet on the Runway series and Lovestruck Summer. She has worked as ELLEgirlFeatures Editor and Seventeen Prom Editor. Melissa manages I Heart Daily, an e-newsletter and blogs for ReaderGirlz, an online community for teens. A Chapel Hill, NC native, Melissa now lives in Brooklyn, NY.  www.melissacwalker.com

Melissa stopped by for a short interview...


Welcome! Tell me about your book in seven words or less.M.W. - A year of heartbreak; a summer love. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?M.W. - I love Clem's little sister, Olive. She entered the scene and totally took over when I wrote. I love it when that happens.
 What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?M.W. - Read as much as you can and look for things that work and things that don't work within the books you're inhaling (I say inhaling because you should read a lot, and often). Each book has a bit of advice in it, if you look.  What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?M.W. - I kept a journal which is HUMILIATING to re-read. I also worked on my yearbook and school paper, so I did a lot of non-fiction, which I think was a great base when I switched to fiction in my 20s. What's the last book you read that you really loved?M.W. - I just read a middle grade by Natalie Standiford called The Secret Tree that was totally charming and lovely!

Praise for UNBREAK MY HEART:“A super cute love story! Melissa Walker will inspire readers to never stop believing in true love.”—SUSANE COLASANTI, author of When It Happens and Keep Holding On
“A raw, real, and ultimately heartwarming discovery of what it means to be a true friend. Walker gets it exactly right.”—JENNIFER ECHOLS, author of Love Story and The One That I Want
Praise for Small Town Sinners:“…An unforgettable novel.” – Shelf Awareness
“Walker has written a credible and tender evocation of the moment when a young person's beliefs begin to emerge and potentially diverge from the teachings of a family's religion.” - New York Times
“Both tender and provocative.” – Publishers Weekly


Melissa is also promoting a big giveaway to coincide with Unbreak My Heart's release:
 Make a breakup playlist on Spotify for a chance to win an iPod loaded with the soundtrack to Unbreak My Heart (and the book!):
https://www.facebook.com/notes/bloomsbury-teens/announcing-the-unbreak-your-heart-playlist-contest-on-spotify/391423114232968[image error]

Tuesday Stuff!

Around my house we call it "Toyless Tuesday." It's our one day a week that my son is supposed to focus on reading rather than playing with his toys. Which means what I really call it is "I'm not going to get any work done Tuesday." We'll see how long this lasts...

I wanted to let you know about a couple of quick things. First of all, I'm over at The Contemps site today and tomorrow, spotlighting some really wonderful books - Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy and When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle. I hope you'll drop by and find out more about these two books!

Also...in case you didn't see me jumping up and down anywhere else online...I got my first trade review for Never Enough! I'm *thrilled* to tell you that Publishers Weekly loved it! I'm not sure if I can share the whole thing but here's a little of it and you can click the link above for the rest. In case you'd couldn't tell, I'm VERY excited!!

 "In her sophomore novel, Jaden (Losing Faith) offers an intimate and enlightened rendering of anorexia and bulimia...Loann's fight against forces that might be beyond her control is both harrowing and inspiring. While Jaden does not provide simple answers for the problems presented, she dramatically illustrates the importance of speaking out and reaching out."
-Publishers Weekly