Denise Jaden's Blog, page 49

Friday Four!

It's been such a long time since I've been able to do a Friday mishmash of stuff. I'm not sure if it will be four or five or more today, but I'm sure I have lots to share.

1. I finished my MASSIVE revision of APPETITE FOR BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This deserves a million exclamation points, believe me! If you've ever read an earlier version of this story, I doubt you'd recognize this one. But I do believe it's a much better story now, and I sent off the revision last night, so now I'm on pins and needles waiting to hear back from my editor on it.

2. UGH. My family's been sick, and it feels as though I'm having some not too pleasant feelings in my own stomach this morning. Because I haven't had much time to blog, you haven't had to endure all the gross details of the places I've had to clean puke out of in the last week or two, but let's just say I'm spending the day taking extra-good care of myself in hopes that I can avoid the whole nasty thing.

3. My dad and I have been brewing wine together. I got a wine kit for Christmas, and I've never brewed wine before, but it's really not that hard! And siphoning the wine each time we have to switch containers is no hardship either (hehe).  I'm just glad my revision is done before I have an endless supply of wine sitting around my house. That could have been bad!

4. Someone was recently asking me about March Madness. If you haven't been around my blog for the last year, let me explain. Last March we did a NaNoWriMo-esque challenge, where anyone who wanted to participate could set a challenging writing goal for themselves and try to meet it during the month of March. There was plenty of camaraderie, as we had check-in points where we could share our progress and cheer each other on each day. Plus, there were awesome prizes! These prizes were not based on how much you wrote, but just on how often you checked in and involved yourself in the cheerleading process.

I have a project I need to get back to soon, and so I'm seriously thinking of doing March Madness again this year. Any interest? I'm also looking for people who might want to use their blog as a check-in point (I'll have some specific rules of how this has to be done, so if you're interest, make sure to send me an email at d(at)denisejaden(dot)com so I can get you the details).

I think that's all for today, folks. Going to lie down with my cup of tea and a good book...

Thankful Thursday: Perspective From Lisa

I wasn't going to put time into writing up any kind of lengthy blog post before I finished my revisions. However. Yesterday, I read this post by L.K. Madigan.

Now, to be perfectly honest, I don't know L.K. Madigan. I've read and loved one of her books, I've seen her around the blogosphere, but I've never actually met or exchanged emails with her. In fact, I know her so little that I did not even know her first name is Lisa.

Still, her post hit me really hard. It makes me angry when any life is cut short, but especially one that has been attacked repeatedly. The kicker in all this, is that Lisa is the person who originally started the idea of Thankful Thursday on her blog. Her first one is here. I've been using the idea of Thankful Thursday for a long time, not even knowing where it had been started.

Today I have a brand-new perspective on the idea of thankfulness. Lisa, being thankful all along the way, even in the midst of her horrible circumstances...she inspires me. I've always believed that thankfulness breeds more things to be thankful for, and I still believe that. I still believe in miracles and I still believe in prayer. I'm thankful for all of these things and I'm especially thankful I've had this glimpse into Lisa's new found perspective.

Today I'm not thinking about books or sales or if my revision will be good enough. I'm not thinking about how messy my house is or how lame my homeschool lessons have been lately. The whole thing makes me realize how deceptive and distracting everyday life can be from the things that really matter.

I'm a person of faith, and I will be sending up prayers of healing and peace and comfort for Lisa. Even if that's not something you feel you can do, I hope you'll spend some time just being thankful for what you have in Lisa's honor today. I wonder...if thousands of people around the YA-lit blogosphere all switched their perspectives to being thankful at the same time...I wonder if it would make a difference in the universe.

And what a legacy that would be for Lisa!

Wandering Wednesday

I'm over at The Contemps site today spotlighting one of my favorite books of 2010!

Hope you'll drop by!!

GCC Presents Laurie Faria Stolarz and DEADLY LITTLE GAMES!

I'm happy to welcome another new Girlfriend from the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit, Laurie Faria Stolarz. Laurie's latest release, DEADLY LITTLE GAMES, is releasing this week from Disney/Hyperion Books for Children

Synopsis: High school juniors Camelia and Ben have discovered a powerful bond: they both possess the power of psychometry, the ability to see the future through touch. For Ben, the gift is a frightening liability. When he senses a strong threat or betrayal, he risks losing control. Camelia's gift is more mysterious. When she works with clay, her hands sculpt messages her mind doesn't yet comprehend. Before either one has a chance to fully grasp their abilities, a new danger surfaces, but this time, Camelia is not the target. Adam, a familiar face from Ben's past, is drawn into a puzzle he can't solve. . . and his life is on the line. As the clues pile up, Camelia must decide whether to help him and risk losing Ben or do nothing and suffer the consequences. But in these games,who can be trusted?

 
From DEADLY LITTLE GAMES:
With only a few minutes of class remaining, I close my eyes again, still picturing Adam's mouth. I try to imagine what he would say if he knew what I was doing. Would he suspect that I was interested in him? Would he think it was weird that I remember so much detail about the moment that night inside his car? Would he tell Ben what I was up to? I take a deep breath and try my best to focus on the answers. But the only words that flash across my mind, the ones I can't seem to shake, don't even address the questions at all. "You deserve to die," I whisper, suddenly realizing that I've said the words aloud.


Praise for the TOUCH series:
DEADLY LITTLE SECRET
Texas Tayshas List, 2010
Reluctant Reader Quick Pick Nominee, 2010, American Library Association
Teens@Random, Favorite Book of 2009


DEADLY LITTLE LIES
Reluctant Reader Quick Pick Nominee, 2011, American Library Association
Gold Star Award, TeensReadToo.com, 2009
Children's Book Council's 2010 Teen Choice Book of the Year Nominee

Author Bio: Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, Project 17, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series, which has sold nearly 750,000 copies worldwide. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, please visit her Web site at www.lauriestolarz.com.



Interview with Laurie:
1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.
Deadly Little Games is a suspenseful young adult novel, packed with drama, romance, and intrigue.

2.  Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
My favorite character is Ben because he has so many dark secrets; because he's a good person at heart, though he has the potential to do evil.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Never pay readers fees of any kind.  Always do your homework regarding to whom you're sending your work.

4. 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 loved writing stories as young person.  They were usually psychological-thriller-ish.

5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.

If you'd like to pick up a copy of DEADLY LITTLE GAMES, you can find it on Amazon or at your local independent retailer.

Oh, The Irony of it All...

As many of you probably know, I'm working on revisions for one of my novels, APPETITE FOR BEAUTY at the moment. There's a lot of irony that has surrounded this process for me, and when I was telling my husband about it last night, he said, "You should blog about that!"

So here I am.

First of all, I refer to this book as "Book 2" because it seems like that's what all authors refer to their second published book as, whether it's part of a series or not, whether it's the second book they've actually written or not. But this actually IS my second book. I've written eight novels to date, and I'm always going back and revising various ones as I find inspiration. LOSING FAITH  was my fourth written novel. APPETITE FOR BEAUTY has been in the works for over six years,and so I'm *thrilled* to finally see it make its way toward publication.

But some of the process has been...interesting. First of all, I waited for a couple of months while my editor had the book to hear of whether or not they liked it. That's pretty normal. The part that's not normal? On the same day that my editor phoned to make an offer on the book, I ran into an old friend of mine who had inspired one of the main characters in the book. I hadn't seen this friend for about 20 years prior to this day! Seriously. Coincidence?

The next big irony for me was that during the revision process, which has been almost an entire rewrite of the book, I was sinking into a regular state of despair, not really believing I was capable of making the book into what my editor was looking for. And right at that time I was asked to speak to kidlit writers at a local event. The topic? Maintaining Joy on the Path Toward Publication and Beyond. Well...I did the talk. And you know what? It was very cathartic and full of perspective for me. I realized how much I really had maintained my joy, even when I didn't really see it. I realized how important my writer friends are to me. The talk actually brought me much more joy than anything else.

A couple other little interesting things concerning this book...It's another sister story. In this book the main character watches her older sister struggle with a severe eating disorder. I have not been dieting or anything, but as a byproduct of this huge revision, I suddenly started to notice how many meals I was missing unintentionally. And with that, I was dropping weight. This scared me a little, as the topic in my book is quite serious.

And finally, the other day I knocked my hand on something, I don't even remember what, and I got this little scar on my forefinger:



I don't know how well you can see it here. It's not really a big deal. It's the exact location of it that's a big deal. Much of what I've learned about eating disorders for research for my book comes from a close friend of mine who suffered for years. Something she showed me in one of her more honest moments was the scar on her hand, which she referred to as her "bulimic scar". (If you think of sticking your finger down your throat 20 times a day, you'll understand). It was in the exact same location that I now have a scar.

I believe in getting into character when I write, but this is getting ridiculous!

Anyway, I don't know what's next for the string of ironies that have been following this book, but I wanted to share those so far. Have you ever had something very interesting or too coincidental line up with the writing of one of your books?

GCC Presents Eileen Cook!

 I'm thrilled to welcome my good writer-friend from Vancouver to the blog today, Eileen Cook! My total-rock-star editor saw me tweeting a couple of weeks ago about how much I wanted to read Eileen's latest book, THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK, and she sent me a copy! So I'm in the midst of it right now, and I can tell you that it is full of all of the awesomeness I've come to expect from Eileen and it certainly deserves all the praise it's been getting!



About the Book:
Hailey Kendrick always does exactly what's expected of her. She has the right friends, dates the perfect boy, gets good grades, and follows all the rules. But one night, Hailey risks everything by breaking a very big rule in a very public way...and with a very unexpected partner in crime. Hailey gets caught, but her accomplice does not, and Hailey takes the fall for both of them.

Suddenly, Hailey's perfect life--and her reputation--are blowing up in her face. Her friends are all avoiding her. Her teachers don't trust her. Her boyfriend won't even speak to her for long enough to tell her that she's been dumped.

They say honesty is the best policy--but some secrets are worth keeping, no matter the cost. Or are they?

Reviews:

"Hailey may be an A student headed to the Ivy League, but when it comes to taking a chance on life, she's clueless. She's also enormously appealing and great company throughout this breezy read. Yes, it's chick lit, but of the highest quality—like a gourmet truffle. Cook has whipped up a real treat." --Kirkus starred review

"Cook effectively builds both Hailey's (justified) feelings of rebellion and the social dynamics of her ostracism, especially in her growing friendship with a challenging townie, Drew, who supervises her punishment working with the janitorial staff....Cook coaxes considerable empathy for the otherwise privileged Hailey as she abandons the achievement treadmill to explore her independence." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author:
Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

The Interview:
1. Welcome, Eileen! Tell me about your book in seven words or less.
Like I don't have enough problems trying to get things to fit into a Twitter length. I'm going to go with: Risk, Identity, True Love, and Funny.

2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
There is a character named Drew who I have a bit of a crush on. He's a bit of philosopher and I love his approach to life which is very carpe diem (seize the day). I love people who jump into life with both feet. As someone who can be a bit risk adverse, I  admire those who go after what they want full speed ahead.

3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
 READ!  Books are the best writing teachers. The more you read the more concepts such as how to structure a story become easier and natural. My second piece of advice is to go for it. When I was starting out and reluctant to send any of my work in because it might be rejected a writing mentor told me "I hate to tell you this, but you are already not published. The worst thing that is going to happen is that you still won't be published." That was exactly the kick in the rear I needed.

4. 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've always written. I had zillions of stories that I started but never finished (I was great at the beginning part, but then didn't know how to see it through to the end.)  I also kept a diary on and off for years. When I re-read it now I realize I was pretty boring. There were a few really bad poems, but even then I knew poetry wasn't going to be my skill.
5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
 I loved a book called Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Bradley. It's a murder mystery set in 1950's England where the sleuth is a young girl.  I've just started Revolution by Donnelly and it seems great so far.

If you haven't yet had a chance to pick up one of Eileen's books, what are you waiting for??? THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK releases today, in bookstores everywhere!

The Contemps Challenge, Part Deux!

Just Your Typical Book Blog is hosting a second Contemps Challenge - encouraging reader/reviewers to read 18 of 20 of our Contemp books and link your reviews to enter to win some awesome prizes.

Find out more information at JUST YOUR TYPICAL BOOK BLOG, and happy reading!!!

Favorite Reads of 2010!

I love reading other people's "best of" lists at the end of each year, especially for books (and okay, ESPECIALLY when Losing Faith is listed - LOL).

My list is a big one, but I make no apologies. First of all, because there was just so much awesomeness out there to read this year. But secondly because I read A LOT. More than ever before. Keep in mind, I am a slow reader, and I did not grow up as a reader or writer. In my teen and early adult years, I'd have been lucky to get through about three books in a year. During 2010, I read 82 books! And there are a few I'm still working on, but they will make it onto next year's tally.

Here is a list of some of my favorite reads from this year, in no particular order...

YOU WISH by Mandy Hubbard
TELL ME A SECRET by Holly Cupala
THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson
THE DEATHDAY LETTER by Shaun David Hutchinson
GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD by Eileen Cook
FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan
BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott
NOTHING LIKE YOU by Lauren Strasnick
BAD APPLE by Laura Ruby
FREEFALL by Mindi Scott
IF I STAY by Gayle Forman
BEFORE I FALL by Lauren Oliver
WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED by Judy Blundell
STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton
TEEN IDOL by Meg Cabot
TORTILLA SUN by Jennifer Cervantes
THE RED UMBRELLA by Christina Gonzales
THE TREASURE MAP OF BOYS by E. Lockhart

If you haven't read any of these ones, I encourage you...go out and buy a copy. Support these authors so they can continue producing awesome books! And if you have read and loved any of these, which ones make YOUR favorite list?

Merry Christmas!

I haven't been around much, and to tell you the truth, it's not because of the hustle and bustle of the season. I've been deep in my revision cave, only popping out for the odd silly thing like tweeting the odd tweet, giving away some copies of LOSING FAITH, and you know, feeding my family and such.

Our house is a disaster, I'm in way over my head on my revisions (the hardest set I've done), but it's all okay because I have a good excuse to put it all aside and just bask in the company of family for the next couple of days. Well, that, and eat some really yummy food. My mom makes great mince tarts, so you better believe I will be raiding her fridge and cupboards this weekend. Plus, my dad makes a mean cappuccino.

It's been a great week of reading, too. I've really been enjoying reading people's "best of the year" lists, (Losing Faith has even been on a couple, which totally made my year!) and so I hope to be back next week mentioning some of my favorite books I've read this year.

Until then, I wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe holiday! From our house to yours...Merry Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas (YA Author Version)

In between Christmas parties and shaking my bootie (aka professional gigs with my Polynesian dance troupe), I've been spending most of my waking hours deep inside my revision cave. But the brain needs a break once in a while, just a bit of a detour to get the creative juices flowing again.

That is my only excuse for this piece of silliness. (By the way, I got this idea from the fabulous agent/author/ Girlfriend, Lucienne Diver, who recently posted her Twelve Days for Publishing Professionals)

The Twelve Days of Christmas (The YA Author Version)

On the first day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to mea bright idea and an M.C.On the second day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meTwo hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the third day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meThree school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the fourth day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meFour motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the fifth day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meFive lines with zing! 
Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the sixth day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meSix hours of writer's block 
Five lines with zing! 
Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the seventh day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meSeven procrastination techniques 
Six hours of writer's block
 Five lines with zing!
 Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the eighth day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meEight descriptive passages
 Seven procrastination techniques, Six hours of writer's block 
Five lines with zing! 
Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the ninth day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meNine new sub-plots, Eight descriptive passages, Seven procrastination techniques, Six hours of writer's block 
Five lines with zing! 
Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the tenth day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meTen detailed settingsNine new sub-plots, Eight descriptive passages, Seven procrastination techniques
Six hours of writer's block
 Five lines with zing!
 Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the eleventh day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meEleven obstaclesTen detailed settingsNine new sub-plots, Eight descriptive passages, Seven procrastination techniques, Six hours of writer's block 
Five lines with zing! 
Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.On the twelfth day of Christmas, my Good Muse gave to meTwelve steps of climatic tensionEleven obstaclesTen detailed settingsNine new sub-plots, Eight descriptive passages, Seven procrastination techniques, Six hours of writer's block
 Five lines with zing! 
Four motivations, three school friends, two hot boys, and a bright idea and an M.C.
I offer up signed swag (and a big Merry Christmas wish!) to anyone who's brave enough to post a YouTube video of themselves singing this!