Denise Jaden's Blog, page 47
February 10, 2011
The Secret Past of Denise Jaden
Okay, it's really not all that secretive. But this post is about my past as a reader and a writer.
I've been working on a novel-writing workshop to teach to a class of homeschooled teens for a while now. When I first suggested the idea, back in October, I thought I had loads of time to get it ready. Funny how things NEVER actually work out that way.
So tomorrow I'll be meeting my class and teaching my first workshop. I'm very excited! And okay, a little nervous. Tomorrow will mostly be an intro day - finding out about everyone's experience, interests, favorite books and so forth. That part excites me a lot, actually.
I thought I might share some excerpts on my blog along the way, and even though there's not a lot of teaching material in this excerpt, as I was going through my notes, I realized I don't think I've ever really shared much of this on my blog.
So this is just a little bit of my background on reading and writing. It's something I'll be talking through, so I'm sure I will expand and condense as it feels right, but these are some of the notes that will catapult me...
Most writers I know have wanted to be writers since they could first hold a pencil. Many of them have spent a good portion of their lives devouring books. So if that's you, you're in good company. If that's not you, you're probably a lot like me.
I grew up as a reluctant reader and writer. Through school, I spent much of my brainpower trying to figure out how to get out of reading and writing assignments. The term "reading for fun" seemed like an oxymoron to me. It didn't make any sense.
All that changed when a friend passed along a novel to me and made me promise I would read it. "It's that good!" he told me. I was in my twenties at the time. My friend was right. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. And when it was finished, I rushed out to buy the sequel.(The book was KANE AND ABEL by Jeffrey Archer).
Since you're here to write a novel, I'm assuming most of you already love something about fiction, but I encourage you over the next few months to find out exactly what you love the most. Do you love action and adventure? Romance? Beautiful language and detailed description? And why do you love those things? It took me so long to discover that I loved reading, that it really took a ridiculous amount of time to figure out what it was I loved about it!
When I first began writing, it was actually kind of journaling. Before I even realized I wanted to be an author, I created characters to endure some of what was happening in my life. The thing that surprised me the most was when the characters took on lives of their own. Soon they were doing things I'd never thought of doing. They were coming up with their own set of problems and situations, and reacting in ways that I would never be able to bring myself to, and I was just along for the ride!
My first inclination to attempt an actual novel came when I read a book by Joel Saltzman called, If You Can Talk, You Can Write. The premise behind the book is that anyone can write a book. And many, many people start writing books. It just takes a whole lot of discipline to finish one.
That book inspired me, and I was determined to be one of those Finishers! To take my characters, put them into a real novel, and finish it.
This was about eight years ago, and it took me most of a year to finish writing the first draft of that first novel. Only after I typed "The End" did the thought of publication cross my mind.
But I wasn't completely clueless. I knew I had no training or experience. I barely had experience as a reader, for that matter. So I started to learn. I picked up every book on the craft of writing I could get my hands on. I found many at the library, and ordered several others off of eBay. I found one thing frustrating, though. Even though the books made sense to me, I had a difficult time taking the lessons and actually applying them to my writing.
Enter Critique Circle. In 2004 I found an online group at www.critiquecircle.com. I had floundered around by myself for long enough. The idea of this website is that you trade chapter-long critiques with others. I read several chapters posted by others, critiqued a few (even though I had no idea what I was talking about), and finally sucked in a big breath and pressed Post with my own first chapter.
The first critique I got back said a number of things, but this was the most memorable. "If I found this book at Barnes & Noble, I would put it down by the second paragraph."
Ouch! But honestly, even though that could have been worded a little nicer, my determination did not stop me from trying. I went on to get better and more helpful critiques, to the point that eventually I felt ready to submit my work to a literary agent.
Or more like 50 of them. I sent query letters to many, many agents. And I received many, many rejections.
As I waited, sometimes many months, for rejections to pour back in, I started on a second book. After going through approximately the same process as the first novel, I began to query that one. Again, without success. It was my third novel, after lots of polishing and revision, that gave me my first offer of representation.
I signed with my agent on my third book in November, 2007. We sent my novel out to a slew of editors (17, I think?) in January, 2008, and I had an offer on LOSING FAITH from Simon & Schuster by March, 2008.
And so was it in bookstores by April then, right?
Um, no. It hit bookstores in September of 2010, after three more sets of revisions with my Simon & Schuster editor.
The rest, as they say, is history!
I've been working on a novel-writing workshop to teach to a class of homeschooled teens for a while now. When I first suggested the idea, back in October, I thought I had loads of time to get it ready. Funny how things NEVER actually work out that way.
So tomorrow I'll be meeting my class and teaching my first workshop. I'm very excited! And okay, a little nervous. Tomorrow will mostly be an intro day - finding out about everyone's experience, interests, favorite books and so forth. That part excites me a lot, actually.
I thought I might share some excerpts on my blog along the way, and even though there's not a lot of teaching material in this excerpt, as I was going through my notes, I realized I don't think I've ever really shared much of this on my blog.
So this is just a little bit of my background on reading and writing. It's something I'll be talking through, so I'm sure I will expand and condense as it feels right, but these are some of the notes that will catapult me...
Most writers I know have wanted to be writers since they could first hold a pencil. Many of them have spent a good portion of their lives devouring books. So if that's you, you're in good company. If that's not you, you're probably a lot like me.
I grew up as a reluctant reader and writer. Through school, I spent much of my brainpower trying to figure out how to get out of reading and writing assignments. The term "reading for fun" seemed like an oxymoron to me. It didn't make any sense.
All that changed when a friend passed along a novel to me and made me promise I would read it. "It's that good!" he told me. I was in my twenties at the time. My friend was right. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. And when it was finished, I rushed out to buy the sequel.(The book was KANE AND ABEL by Jeffrey Archer).
Since you're here to write a novel, I'm assuming most of you already love something about fiction, but I encourage you over the next few months to find out exactly what you love the most. Do you love action and adventure? Romance? Beautiful language and detailed description? And why do you love those things? It took me so long to discover that I loved reading, that it really took a ridiculous amount of time to figure out what it was I loved about it!
When I first began writing, it was actually kind of journaling. Before I even realized I wanted to be an author, I created characters to endure some of what was happening in my life. The thing that surprised me the most was when the characters took on lives of their own. Soon they were doing things I'd never thought of doing. They were coming up with their own set of problems and situations, and reacting in ways that I would never be able to bring myself to, and I was just along for the ride!
My first inclination to attempt an actual novel came when I read a book by Joel Saltzman called, If You Can Talk, You Can Write. The premise behind the book is that anyone can write a book. And many, many people start writing books. It just takes a whole lot of discipline to finish one.
That book inspired me, and I was determined to be one of those Finishers! To take my characters, put them into a real novel, and finish it.
This was about eight years ago, and it took me most of a year to finish writing the first draft of that first novel. Only after I typed "The End" did the thought of publication cross my mind.
But I wasn't completely clueless. I knew I had no training or experience. I barely had experience as a reader, for that matter. So I started to learn. I picked up every book on the craft of writing I could get my hands on. I found many at the library, and ordered several others off of eBay. I found one thing frustrating, though. Even though the books made sense to me, I had a difficult time taking the lessons and actually applying them to my writing.
Enter Critique Circle. In 2004 I found an online group at www.critiquecircle.com. I had floundered around by myself for long enough. The idea of this website is that you trade chapter-long critiques with others. I read several chapters posted by others, critiqued a few (even though I had no idea what I was talking about), and finally sucked in a big breath and pressed Post with my own first chapter.
The first critique I got back said a number of things, but this was the most memorable. "If I found this book at Barnes & Noble, I would put it down by the second paragraph."
Ouch! But honestly, even though that could have been worded a little nicer, my determination did not stop me from trying. I went on to get better and more helpful critiques, to the point that eventually I felt ready to submit my work to a literary agent.
Or more like 50 of them. I sent query letters to many, many agents. And I received many, many rejections.
As I waited, sometimes many months, for rejections to pour back in, I started on a second book. After going through approximately the same process as the first novel, I began to query that one. Again, without success. It was my third novel, after lots of polishing and revision, that gave me my first offer of representation.
I signed with my agent on my third book in November, 2007. We sent my novel out to a slew of editors (17, I think?) in January, 2008, and I had an offer on LOSING FAITH from Simon & Schuster by March, 2008.
And so was it in bookstores by April then, right?
Um, no. It hit bookstores in September of 2010, after three more sets of revisions with my Simon & Schuster editor.
The rest, as they say, is history!
February 9, 2011
Would You Rather Wednesday (The Business of Writing Edition)
Welcome back to another installment of Would You Rather Wednesday! The only rule is, you can't choose either or neither - you must choose one.
Some of these may seem easy for you, but they're not for me and I'd like to see if there's anyone else in the world who aligns with my thinking...
1. Would you rather...be a big fish in a small pond (i.e. small publisher that puts it's resources behind marketing you) or a small fish in a big pond (i.e. published with one of the big publishers, but getting lost in their swarm of new books)?
2. Would you rather...make a meager living by publishing articles for magazines, or publish a novel with a major publisher but not receive any payment for it?
3. Would you rather...sell a book on proposal (3 chapters and a synopsis) and have a one-month deadline to turn in a good draft of the whole thing, or sell a completed novel and have six months to work on revisions?
I'll be back with my answers later...
Some of these may seem easy for you, but they're not for me and I'd like to see if there's anyone else in the world who aligns with my thinking...
1. Would you rather...be a big fish in a small pond (i.e. small publisher that puts it's resources behind marketing you) or a small fish in a big pond (i.e. published with one of the big publishers, but getting lost in their swarm of new books)?
2. Would you rather...make a meager living by publishing articles for magazines, or publish a novel with a major publisher but not receive any payment for it?
3. Would you rather...sell a book on proposal (3 chapters and a synopsis) and have a one-month deadline to turn in a good draft of the whole thing, or sell a completed novel and have six months to work on revisions?
I'll be back with my answers later...
February 8, 2011
Teen Author Tuesday - My Picks!
Since I don't have a guest to feature this Tuesday, I thought I'd instead mention a couple of books I'm looking forward to picking up in the next season. I have lots and lots of wants right now, but I'm going to try to keep this to two for this week...
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis. A lot of people are talking about this book, but that's not why I want to read it. First of all, here's the summary from GoodReads:
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
Now to be perfectly honest, I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, and when I first heard that this book takes place on a spaceship, that was definitely not the point that lured me in. Here are my main reasons for wanting this book:
I first heard about Beth on Miss Snarks First Victim, which I believe had a big hand in helping her find her agent and get her start in publishing. I feel a bit of kinship with her in that way, and I've been looking forward to picking up her book since I first saw an interview with her there.
Secondly, my awesome critique partner, Shana Silver, recommended it. Now, I don't take all book recommendations from everyone. But years ago, I swore I would never like a vampire book and Shana handed me Twilight and said, "trust me." And okay, she was right. I did enjoy it. And with this book, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, she started her sentence with, "I know it's on a spaceship, but..." So I know she gets where I'm coming from. She knows what I like and believes I will like this. So I trust her. And I'll be looking to pick up a copy of this one soon.
INVINCIBLE SUMMER by Hannah Moskowitz. This one's not out until April, but I'm already pining for it. Why? First of all because I love Hannah Moskowitz. Not in a weird way. Just in kind of a fangirl, I-know-I-will-love-anything-she-writes, sort of way. If I had more time to read blogs, I would definitely read hers.
PLUS...Hannah and I share the same fantabulous editor at Simon Pulse, and I pretty much love everything my editor loves, and I've been hearing great things about this book for a while. So it's definitely on my list.
Here's the bit from GoodReads:
Noah's happier than I've seen him in months. So I'd be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It's not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah's happiness because of a kiss?
Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family's beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....
Can't do it. Can't constrain myself to two. Here's one more I'm super-eager to read...
POSSESSION by Elana Johnson. Ditto everything I said above about loving everything my fantabulous editor loves...and this is another book she's helped to shape. So yeah. I want.
Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.
Go ahead, just try to tell me that doesn't sound like pure awesomeness. It's not out until June, which is closer to summer I guess, but I'm already pining away...
Those are just three, but I could go on and on. Okay, your turn. Which spring 2011 books are you looking forward to?
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis. A lot of people are talking about this book, but that's not why I want to read it. First of all, here's the summary from GoodReads:
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
Now to be perfectly honest, I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, and when I first heard that this book takes place on a spaceship, that was definitely not the point that lured me in. Here are my main reasons for wanting this book:
I first heard about Beth on Miss Snarks First Victim, which I believe had a big hand in helping her find her agent and get her start in publishing. I feel a bit of kinship with her in that way, and I've been looking forward to picking up her book since I first saw an interview with her there.
Secondly, my awesome critique partner, Shana Silver, recommended it. Now, I don't take all book recommendations from everyone. But years ago, I swore I would never like a vampire book and Shana handed me Twilight and said, "trust me." And okay, she was right. I did enjoy it. And with this book, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, she started her sentence with, "I know it's on a spaceship, but..." So I know she gets where I'm coming from. She knows what I like and believes I will like this. So I trust her. And I'll be looking to pick up a copy of this one soon.
INVINCIBLE SUMMER by Hannah Moskowitz. This one's not out until April, but I'm already pining for it. Why? First of all because I love Hannah Moskowitz. Not in a weird way. Just in kind of a fangirl, I-know-I-will-love-anything-she-writes, sort of way. If I had more time to read blogs, I would definitely read hers.
PLUS...Hannah and I share the same fantabulous editor at Simon Pulse, and I pretty much love everything my editor loves, and I've been hearing great things about this book for a while. So it's definitely on my list.
Here's the bit from GoodReads:
Noah's happier than I've seen him in months. So I'd be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It's not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah's happiness because of a kiss?
Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family's beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....
Can't do it. Can't constrain myself to two. Here's one more I'm super-eager to read...
POSSESSION by Elana Johnson. Ditto everything I said above about loving everything my fantabulous editor loves...and this is another book she's helped to shape. So yeah. I want.Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:
Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.
Go ahead, just try to tell me that doesn't sound like pure awesomeness. It's not out until June, which is closer to summer I guess, but I'm already pining away...
Those are just three, but I could go on and on. Okay, your turn. Which spring 2011 books are you looking forward to?
February 7, 2011
My Bookshelf Giveaway!
Congratulations to last week's winners!
SAPPHIQUE went to Lady Reader!
and
DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS went to The Book Pixie!
I've been posting an image of my latest books available for giving away each week. All you have to do is comment on which one you'd most like to win and I'll pick at least one winner and add at least one new book to the shelf each week. Feel free to spread the word via Twitter, etc, for extra entries. (Fine Print: Some books may be advance copies. Some may be signed by the author. Most are in great condition, but the odd one may be a bit worn. I can only mail to U.S. addresses for this contests, otherwise it costs me too much to clear my shelves!)
Here is today's bookshelf to choose from:
Click on the picture to see it bigger, or here are a couple of closer up shots:
Happy choosing!!
SAPPHIQUE went to Lady Reader!
and
DANGEROUS NEIGHBORS went to The Book Pixie!
I've been posting an image of my latest books available for giving away each week. All you have to do is comment on which one you'd most like to win and I'll pick at least one winner and add at least one new book to the shelf each week. Feel free to spread the word via Twitter, etc, for extra entries. (Fine Print: Some books may be advance copies. Some may be signed by the author. Most are in great condition, but the odd one may be a bit worn. I can only mail to U.S. addresses for this contests, otherwise it costs me too much to clear my shelves!)
Here is today's bookshelf to choose from:
Click on the picture to see it bigger, or here are a couple of closer up shots:
Happy choosing!!
February 4, 2011
Friday Four!
1. I love Fridays! Not only because the weekend is upon me, but also it's my favorite day to blog. There's so much freedom in a random four!
2. If you're looking for an agent, my awesome, fantabulous agent, Michelle Humphrey has made another online appearance! My agent-mate Sherrie has interviewed Michelle on her blog, and has given some pretty specific thoughts on what she'd love to see in her query pile.
3. I'm not one of those amazingly restrained authors who can turn off Google Alerts. I admit it. I've tried, but I just think I'd rather know what people are saying about me and my books, even if it's bad. That said, here's something I've found interesting since my book release in September: Every once in a while a copy of LOSING FAITH shows up on Ebay and my Google Alert alerts me. Often a new or like new copy, but almost always for a higher price than you can find it on other online retailers. How can that be? Could anyone possibly sell a copy of my book for fifteen bucks plus shipping on Ebay when Barnes and Noble has it listed for $8.99? And if so, I guess I need to rethink what to do with the box of books in my living room!
4. Thanks to everyone who emailed me with thoughts and suggestions for my voice and contemporary fiction vlogs. I'm such a beginner at all of this, but I think I'm getting somewhere on it. I think I need to do vlogs more regularly, because otherwise I just get too nervous about them.
It's off to birthday parties and writing Valentines with my seven-year-old this weekend for me. What are you up to?
2. If you're looking for an agent, my awesome, fantabulous agent, Michelle Humphrey has made another online appearance! My agent-mate Sherrie has interviewed Michelle on her blog, and has given some pretty specific thoughts on what she'd love to see in her query pile.
3. I'm not one of those amazingly restrained authors who can turn off Google Alerts. I admit it. I've tried, but I just think I'd rather know what people are saying about me and my books, even if it's bad. That said, here's something I've found interesting since my book release in September: Every once in a while a copy of LOSING FAITH shows up on Ebay and my Google Alert alerts me. Often a new or like new copy, but almost always for a higher price than you can find it on other online retailers. How can that be? Could anyone possibly sell a copy of my book for fifteen bucks plus shipping on Ebay when Barnes and Noble has it listed for $8.99? And if so, I guess I need to rethink what to do with the box of books in my living room!
4. Thanks to everyone who emailed me with thoughts and suggestions for my voice and contemporary fiction vlogs. I'm such a beginner at all of this, but I think I'm getting somewhere on it. I think I need to do vlogs more regularly, because otherwise I just get too nervous about them.
It's off to birthday parties and writing Valentines with my seven-year-old this weekend for me. What are you up to?
February 3, 2011
Help! Voice and Contemporary Fiction
While I have the house to myself for a short time this morning, I'm trying to work on two vlogs I have promised to two different people.
The first one is on Voice, as in the writing voice, or voice of character. My fab critique partner, |Shana Silver, just did a great post on revising voice the other day, and I've been looking at that. The author-friend who's asked me for the vlog has also come up with a great acronym about voice. For me, voice is one of those things that's really hard to explain, but I usually know it when I find it. Which makes it really difficult to record a vlog of any value! If you have any thoughts on voice that you'd like to share, I'm all ears!
My other vlog is about contemporary fiction - why I write it, why I love to read it, why it's important. I have a few humdrum thoughts on this subject too, but if you have any ideas to add, I'd love to hear them!
Thanks!
The first one is on Voice, as in the writing voice, or voice of character. My fab critique partner, |Shana Silver, just did a great post on revising voice the other day, and I've been looking at that. The author-friend who's asked me for the vlog has also come up with a great acronym about voice. For me, voice is one of those things that's really hard to explain, but I usually know it when I find it. Which makes it really difficult to record a vlog of any value! If you have any thoughts on voice that you'd like to share, I'm all ears!
My other vlog is about contemporary fiction - why I write it, why I love to read it, why it's important. I have a few humdrum thoughts on this subject too, but if you have any ideas to add, I'd love to hear them!
Thanks!
February 2, 2011
Would You Rather Wednesday (Reader's Edition)
It's been a while since we've played this game! The only rule is, you can't answer either or neither. You must pick one! Leave your answers in the comments and I'll be back later with mine.
Would you rather... Read a book set in an extremely historic time period, or one set in an extremely futuristic time period (1000 years or more)?
Would you rather... Read a novel where the main character is a bit too sweet, or a bit too mean?
Would you rather... Read a book that's very entertaining but poorly written, or one that's beautifully written but a bit on the boring side?
Would you rather... Read a book set in an extremely historic time period, or one set in an extremely futuristic time period (1000 years or more)?
Would you rather... Read a novel where the main character is a bit too sweet, or a bit too mean?
Would you rather... Read a book that's very entertaining but poorly written, or one that's beautifully written but a bit on the boring side?
February 1, 2011
Teen Author Tuesday Presents Terry Lynn Johnson and DOGSLED DREAMS!
I'm really excited to get back to Teen Author Tuesdays on my blog! And I'm extra excited that 2011 has started, and with it, a whole new group of debut authors! With so many new books out there each year, and as a new author myself, I'm all about supporting and getting the word out about books that could otherwise get lost among the shuffle. I encourage you to give new books by debut authors a chance. And if you can't afford to buy them, that's okay. Just recommend them to your local bookstore or library. Every little bit helps!
Now, onto my guest for today! Terry Lynn Johnson is a member of The Elevensies. Her debut,
DOGSLED DREAMS, released January 6, 2011 from 4RV Publishing. It is an Outdoor Adventure, for middle grade readers, ages 8 and up.
[image error]
Welcome, Terry Lynn! Can you tell us about your book in seven words or less?
sled dogs, adventure, family, self-doubt, trust, flying poo missiles
Flying poo missiles? Now what kid is not going to be hooked by that! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?
One of the dogs, Tarzan, smiles like a person showing all his teeth
Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself, Terry Lynn?
I live in northern Ontario, Canada. Some of my favourite things are canoe racing, snowshoeing, brownies, the first and only season of Firefly, and dog breath.
A fellow Canadian! Great! What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so
far?
The love and support bursting forth from readers and writers online.
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Write your passion, don't try to follow the trends.
Great advice. I wholeheartedly agree. Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?
I'm working on another YA sled dog adventure about a competitive musher who gets lost with her team on a training run in the Alaskan wilderness and finds a boy with a secret.
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 wrote cheesy science fiction stories and I've kept a journal for years.
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
VESPER by Jeff Sampson
If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where should they look?
My website: www.terrylynnjohnson.com
My facebook: www.facebook.com/DogsledDreams
My Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TerryLynnJ
My Blog: http://terrylynnjohnson.blogspot.com
Thanks for visiting, Terry Lynn!
Terry Lynn also has a great book trailer for DOGSLED DREAMS. Enjoy!!
Now, onto my guest for today! Terry Lynn Johnson is a member of The Elevensies. Her debut,
DOGSLED DREAMS, released January 6, 2011 from 4RV Publishing. It is an Outdoor Adventure, for middle grade readers, ages 8 and up.
[image error]
Welcome, Terry Lynn! Can you tell us about your book in seven words or less?
sled dogs, adventure, family, self-doubt, trust, flying poo missiles
Flying poo missiles? Now what kid is not going to be hooked by that! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?
One of the dogs, Tarzan, smiles like a person showing all his teeth
Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself, Terry Lynn?
I live in northern Ontario, Canada. Some of my favourite things are canoe racing, snowshoeing, brownies, the first and only season of Firefly, and dog breath.
A fellow Canadian! Great! What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so
far?
The love and support bursting forth from readers and writers online.
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Write your passion, don't try to follow the trends.
Great advice. I wholeheartedly agree. Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?
I'm working on another YA sled dog adventure about a competitive musher who gets lost with her team on a training run in the Alaskan wilderness and finds a boy with a secret.
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 wrote cheesy science fiction stories and I've kept a journal for years.
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
VESPER by Jeff Sampson
If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where should they look?
My website: www.terrylynnjohnson.com
My facebook: www.facebook.com/DogsledDreams
My Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TerryLynnJ
My Blog: http://terrylynnjohnson.blogspot.com
Thanks for visiting, Terry Lynn!
Terry Lynn also has a great book trailer for DOGSLED DREAMS. Enjoy!!
January 31, 2011
My Bookshelf Giveaway and Other Stuff!
Is it really and truly the end of January already??? Wasn't it JUST Christmas? I guess it's true what they say about time moving faster as you get older!
I had some free time on Saturday, and thought I'd get ahead of things and start on another My Bookshelf Giveaway post. I ended up getting time to draw names and take new pictures, so my latest contest went up on Saturday. I didn't want those who aren't around on weekends to miss it, so here's a little peek at this week's bookshelf:
Oh, but you must go to THIS POST to enter to win.
And oh yes, here are the winners from last week, once again...
BABY PROOF goes to Kimberly S.! THE BEST OF THE FIRST LINE EDITORS' PICKS goes to jhitomi! THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA goes to Irish!
And if that's not enough book-winning fun, stop by Deb Marshall's blog. There's an interview with yours truly, and she's giving away a copy of LOSING FAITH to one random commenter!
Happy Monday, everybody!!
I had some free time on Saturday, and thought I'd get ahead of things and start on another My Bookshelf Giveaway post. I ended up getting time to draw names and take new pictures, so my latest contest went up on Saturday. I didn't want those who aren't around on weekends to miss it, so here's a little peek at this week's bookshelf:
Oh, but you must go to THIS POST to enter to win.
And oh yes, here are the winners from last week, once again...
BABY PROOF goes to Kimberly S.! THE BEST OF THE FIRST LINE EDITORS' PICKS goes to jhitomi! THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA goes to Irish!
And if that's not enough book-winning fun, stop by Deb Marshall's blog. There's an interview with yours truly, and she's giving away a copy of LOSING FAITH to one random commenter!
Happy Monday, everybody!!
January 29, 2011
My Bookshelf Giveaway!
Wow, I've had lots of entries for My Bookshelf Giveaway! So I've decided to give away THREE books off the shelf this week. The winners have a week to contact me with their mailing address, and if I don't hear from them, the books go back on the shelf next week.
This week's winners are:BABY PROOF goes to Kimberly S.!THE BEST OF THE FIRST LINE EDITORS' PICKS goes to jhitomi!THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA goes to Irish!
Send your mailing info to me at d(at)denisejaden(dot) com
And now onto this week's bookshelf!!!
Click on the photo to see it closer, or here are a couple of closer-up shots:
Again, because the main aim of this contest is clearing my shelves (and blessing you!) and because I'm not made of money, I have to keep this to U.S. addresses only. Help spread the word for extra entries!
Good luck and happy choosing!!
This week's winners are:BABY PROOF goes to Kimberly S.!THE BEST OF THE FIRST LINE EDITORS' PICKS goes to jhitomi!THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA goes to Irish!
Send your mailing info to me at d(at)denisejaden(dot) com
And now onto this week's bookshelf!!!
Click on the photo to see it closer, or here are a couple of closer-up shots:
Again, because the main aim of this contest is clearing my shelves (and blessing you!) and because I'm not made of money, I have to keep this to U.S. addresses only. Help spread the word for extra entries!
Good luck and happy choosing!!
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