Jennifer A. Nielsen's Blog, page 13

July 31, 2020

SEMI-FINALISTS 3

Finalist winners will be announced on Sunday, though I have to admit, I am sad that not everyone can be a winner – all of them deserved it.





However, I do have several more amazing entries today, this one themed around Conner’s plan and what Sage does to foil it.





Warning: There may be book one spoilers ahead. If you haven’t read THE FALSE PRINCE, stop here, go read the book, then come back and lavish praise on these awesome semi-finalists.









Lucy





The beautiful colors, the choice of quotes, the way the words become art, and the crown – I loved everything about this piece!









Vien





If you want to know what Sage must have thought when he began to understand Conner’s plan, this drawing is it! This is easily one of the finest symbolic pieces to represent the first book that I have ever seen.









Sage





The idea for rolling a coin came from a student I once taught many years ago, who could do it perfectly. I’d bet that Sage (the artist) knows a thing or two about coin rolling as well, based on the high quality of this drawing.









Jasmine





The creativity, talent, and skill in creating a song – and doing all its parts is so beyond this beautiful young woman’s years. I was deeply impressed!











Derek





The art on this is excellent, but if there’s anything you need to know about the first book, here it is, in a single meme! I love the humor of this one. 









E





The colors of this piece are beautiful, and the beautifully drawn image is perfectly paired with the song lyric that inspired THE FALSE PRINCE, from Eddie Vedder’s Guaranteed.





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Published on July 31, 2020 15:57

July 29, 2020

SEMI-FINALISTS 2!

The finalist winners will be announced on Sunday. Until then, I’m thrilled to show you a few more of the semi-finalists. This time, the theme is: EARLY FALSE PRINCE.





Warning for those who have not read the first book: some of these entries could contain spoilers.





KALINDA





This one made my jaw drop. It’s so beautiful and emotional and tragic and wonderful, and brilliantly done in every way. Make sure you keep scrolling to the end. View the work HERE!





MEGAN





I already loved that Megan was filling in a missing scene, but the change in perspective on this story really caught my attention. I hope to be seeing more of Megan’s work in the future. This was a great read!





SOFIA





What I love most about Sofia’s work is the perfect way she captured Sage’s smirk. I imagine that Conner saw that exact look many times – no wonder Conner hated Sage. This is wonderful art work.









DARIYA





I always love mood boards, and especially loved Dariya’s choice in theme for this one. She chose images that I could sink myself into and that broadened my understanding of exactly how profound Sage’s choice was.









SANYA





This story is told from Darius’s point of view, and gets inside that character’s head in a profound and highly emotional way. I felt so much sympathy for him as I read THIS PIECE, and Sanya proved to have great talent in writing it.





SOPHIE





How beautiful is this? I want to make a print of it and hang it on my wall forever, and it only becomes more interesting the longer I study it – such as the way the bridge is crumbling in the foreground – brilliant!









LEM





Lem has been a fan of the series almost from its earliest days, but I also adore not only the quality of this art, but the accuracy of it. I created the castle and Farthenwood both from existing photos of places and then slightly moderated both. Lem nailed both pieces to perfection. These are accurate enough I could have used them as originals to describe these places in the books.













EMMA





There is something of play and fun in Emma’s work, but she also captured the two halves of this one highly conflicted main character in a way that I think draws the reader to him even more. It’s excellent artwork, and something I appreciate even more when I compare the expressions in the eyes. So well done!









LARISSA





This song will go straight to your heart, as it did mine, but it’s best described in Larissa’s own words:  I named the piece Saudade, which means “a feeling of melancholy, or nostalgia.”  





I imagine Sage looking back and reminiscing about his past.  How he set fire to the tapestries in the throne room.  How he challenged the King of Mendenwal to a duel.  How his father tried to send him away to a school in Bymar.  How he escaped the ship and pirate attack.  And how his father told him to leave and never come back.





Sage also thinks about what could have been.  What if his father had let him return to the castle?  What if he had never met Conner?  What if his family was still alive?  What if . . . 





LISTEN HERE.



MOLLY





Aside from being so well-written, Molly handles the emotions of THIS MISSING SCENE very skillfully, and the ending will hit you hard.









Thank you all for your dedication, enthusiasm, and talents. The next round of semi-finalists will be posted on Friday – so stay tuned!

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Published on July 29, 2020 08:36

July 26, 2020

WHILE I TALLY VOTES…

WOW!!!



Finalists, I hope you saw the love from readers of this blog, and friends and family. ALL of you gained new fans of your own, and received well-deserved love for your work.





There were a total of 948 comments. Most of them were votes alone, but many had additional compliments to you, and I loved seeing the thanks so many of you returned for those compliments.





A total of 1,429 votes were given. The voting was highly competitive. In only one case did the winner receive more than 50% of the vote, and though a clear winner emerged in each category, in most cases, the difference between 2nd and 3rd (or 4th) places was less than ten votes.





I am reviewing all votes now, but in the meantime, I wanted you to see some of the entries that were also fabulous and could have just as easily made it into the finals. These semi-finalists are a variety of ages, but each showed their enthusiasm for the Ascendance series in a meaningful way.





Today’s theme is: THE FULL CAST





JACKIE: What I love about Jackie’s work is that it’s almost impossible to look at without smiling. Anyone who can offer so much joy from their art deserves to be here. I have more of Jackie’s work to show you later too!









JUNE: I love when a Fan Fiction writer manages to blend the author’s creative world with their own imagination in such a seamless way that a reader can not always tell where one begins and the other ends. June does a fantastic job with this in THE KING’S RACE.





ISABELLA: The beauty of this montage piece is emphasized by the image of the girl reading as she nestles against a tree, and the images that Isabella creates for each one couldn’t be better chosen.





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VALERIE, EMILY, STEPHANIE, JENNA, NATALIE: You’re going to love this video. If you’re a Hamilton fan, you’re going to adore the creativity and performances put in to this really fun piece! Make sure to catch the bloopers at the end!











LILY: Lily did something completely original and unique by creating a personality quiz for the series. Do you want to find out Which Ascendance Character You Are? – go ahead and take the quiz!





PAIGE: This video left me almost without words – it’s just that good! I know you’ll love it too!











LAUREN: Lauren managed to capture the personality of every single major character so perfectly that even without the labels, it’s obvious who everyone is, and she does it with exceptional talent.









CHRISTINA: One of the areas where Christina shows her talent is by creating separate emotional beats for each of the four scenes, and uniting them together with the symbolism of the backs toward the viewer each time. I know exactly what is happening in each scene, and loved this piece.





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Published on July 26, 2020 11:25

July 19, 2020

Contest Finalists!

THERE ARE SIX CATEGORIES. PLEASE VOTE IN ALL SIX!



Your entries were SO AMAZING! Honestly, it was impossible to narrow them to five, especially when something blew us away in one category and then something was equally amazing in another category. How could one be compared against the other? 





So we changed plans, and narrowed the entries to the top three in each of five categories.





The hardest part is that there were other EXCEPTIONAL entries that deserved to be here. We saw the effort, quality, and enthusiasm of your submissions. Even if your name is not below, we still loved what you showed us.





And fans, now it is YOUR TURN TO VOTE! Here’s how:





Watch/read/listen to each entry and choose your favorite from each category.In the comments, vote for the number from each category that was your favorite. These will be privately recorded, so your votes may not show up.If you choose to add compliments to your comment, those will show up below. Please keep it positive!Only one vote per category per person. Voting ends on July 26 at noon EST.



NOW…here are the finalists (in random order):





ORIGINAL SONG



ENTRY 1: Ava and Abigail





“Our fan entry is [an attempt] to mimic Jaron’s sarcastic narration in a quick summary, telling his story in both regular words and song lyrics. We called it “Ascending”, obviously based off of the trilogy name, but we also named it that out of excitement because Jaron’s story is being continued.”











ENTRY 2: Jocelyn





“I named this song “King Jaron,” from the scene when Sage is riding on Mystic, in his last moments of freedom. He gets to the stream and is thinking, and Mott comes to him and as they’re talking it gets a little more intense as you realize what is happening. If this was a movie scene, I wanted the music to be like what you would hear.”











ENTRY 3: ELISE AND SOPHIE





“We wrote several different themes and attempted to put them together as if it was a medley of movie music.  The opening theme is supposed to set the stage and introduce the world of the Ascendance series.  This is followed by exciting, haunting, and victorious themes to represent the different parts of the books.  We tried to intersperse the music with scenes of Imogen and Amarinda from the books.”











ART



ENTRY 1: NIDA





“The False Prince was one of the first books I read that truly got me into reading. The plot, character development, world-building, dialogue, and themes came together so well that the story and characters are still very close to me, even 5 years later! You may be able to tell that it depicts the first scene in The Runaway King. This was one of my favourite introductory scenes and the first line of this book was so very Jaron.”









ENTRY 2: MAYHLEE





Title: Lament





“Inspired by The Shadow Throne. This illustration – titled Lament – represents the fallen soldiers and post-battles bloodshed. Darker tones of the characters depict the anguish and misery, while the contrasting lighter background depicts a future hope from an ending war.”









ENTRY 3: KATIE





“Growing up, The False Prince was more than just a good book. It offered me an escape when life got rough. It gave me the courage to pursue my dreams as a writer, and today, it’s still supporting me through life…”





VIEW KATIE’S IMAGES HERE.











FAN FICTION



ENTRY 1: BROOKLYN





Brooklyn’s goal was to write the longest existing fan fiction from the series, and she achieved it, completing a 111,237 word book (nearly 30,000 words longer than anything I have written for the series) – and the best part is, her writing is really great! If she can do this, you’ll see her name on her own novels one day. She also created and manages the Wiki Fandom Page for the series. Read Chapter one of her story HERE (and keep reading if you’d like!)





ENTRY 2: VALERIE





Valerie also submitted a mind-blowing original composition on harp, proving she is as musically gifted as she is gifted as a writer. This piece, entitled “The Book and the Vial,” gets inside Jaron’s head perfectly, and is beautifully written as well. Read it HERE!





ENTRY 3: MINEA





Not only is Minea’s writing wonderful and far beyond her years in talent, but I also loved that she has been writing Ascendance fan fiction for years, proving herself to be a long-time, enthusiastic fan. This piece is titled, “The Ascendance Trilogy Story” but her other works deserve to be read as well.





VIDEO



ENTRY 1: KAYLEIGH











ENTRY 2: KATIE











ENTRY 3: JENNA











OTHER



ENTRY 1: AMEERAH





Ameerah spoke here with such openness and warmth, I felt her speaking from her heart about her love for this series.











ENTRY 2: RUBI AND LETICIA





Not only did these two young women create a game, but it looks amazing and is definitely one I would sit down to play. So inventive and fun!











ENTRY 3: SARAH AND JOSHUA





Anyone who has played Minecraft knows that most things can be built, but these two actually designed Farthenwood, and did a fantastic job. I cannot imagine the hours of work that went into creating this.















THE YOUNGER CROWD (13 and under)



ENTRY 1: BONNIE





In full disclosure, Bonnie is older, but most of the actors are younger, so I thought it would fit here. This was a super fun video to watch!











ENTRY 2: PENDING





The permission form has not yet been returned for this finalist. If and when it is, the entry will be posted here. Stay tuned!





3. OLIVIA





We dare you to watch this and not be charmed by her enthusiasm and ability to express herself in such a sincere and intelligent way.











4. BEN, BELLA, ANNE, SAMANTHA





They wrote several scripts for a television series of the books, and also composed original music for a soundtrack. Here is one song, titled, “Sage/Jaron’s Theme.”











5. KARA





Kara created fantastic artwork, memes, and a fan video based on THE SHADOW THRONE, complete with original music. Here is the video!











We hope you made it this far, and that you enjoyed all of these as much as we did. Now, it’s time for YOU to vote!





Leave a comment below for which number was your favorite in each category. When the comments are moderated, the votes will be removed, but any additional feedback will be left in so that the entrants can see what you wrote.





Voting ends on July 26 at noon EST. You may only vote once.

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Published on July 19, 2020 14:03

July 2, 2020

Roden’s Revenge

It’s time for another short story, this one taking place AFTER the ending of THE FALSE PRINCE. For that reason – absolutely DO NOT READ this story until you have finished THE FALSE PRINCE.



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Until then, as a reminder for Superfans of the series, I’m going to dedicate the fifth book to one of YOU! For details on how to enter the contest, click The entry deadline is July 15th, so get started now!





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For now, this is the wedge story between the end of THE FALSE PRINCE and the start of THE RUNAWAY KING. If you’ve read book one (and if you haven’t, close this post and go read it) but never got to book two, then please find a copy now to read. At the end of the story, I will include the first few sentences of Book 2 – probably my favorite opening line I’ve ever written.









RODEN’S REVENGE



By Jennifer A. Nielsen





If you have not read THE FALSE PRINCE, you should not read this story. 





Thank you, Rinmaru Games Avatar Creator!



Roden slipped into the night like a thief. No, not a thief. Sage was the thief. Sage had stolen the throne from him, stolen away the life that Roden should have had. Conner had chosen him to become prince first. Conner’s servant, Cregan, had given him extra training. Nothing had stood in Roden’s way…





Until Sage tricked them all.





Sage didn’t even want the throne – how many times had he said that? Which meant he didn’t do this for honorable reasons. He did it simply to deny Roden the prize, and for that, Sage would have to pay.





By now, Sage would be inside the castle. Maybe even at this moment, Conner was presenting him to the regents. They’d be fools to believe Sage was the missing prince. Aside from a vague resemblance to the painting they’d seen of Jaron, Sage had none of the mannerisms or education the prince should have had. It was only a matter of time before they found him out and rightly accused him of treason.





By morning, they’d announce the execution of a false prince.





Roden’s comfort in that thought might’ve warmed him through the night, but by morning, when he awoke in the damp shelter of a farmer’s stables, instead of the tidings of justice, criers were wandering the city proclaiming, “He’s returned! Prince Jaron has returned!”





Roden scoffed and shrank deeper into the corner, miserable and defeated, his only will to face the day fueled by the knowledge of how reckless Sage was. Very soon, he’d make a mistake, betray his true identity.





And if he didn’t?





“Did you hear the news?” another crier called out in passing the alleyway. “The royal family is dead, and a missing prince returns to claim the crown!”





Roden’s mood darkened, then he shrank into the corner as he heard voices approaching.





“Something’s not right about this, Rudd.” A tall and thin man with stringy dark hair down to his shoulders ducked into the alley. He was speaking to a companion who was only slightly smaller, but who was thick in his build and carried more weapons than Roden believed was possible for a single person to bear.





Rudd glanced out the alley to be sure they were alone, then said, “We killed the prince three years ago, didn’t we?”





“We did – I was on that ship myself before we sunk it. So who is this boy claiming to be Jaron?”





“He’s an orphan from Avenia,” Roden said, standing and trying to make himself look as wide as possible, hoping to get enough respect from these men that they would listen to him. “His name is Sage and he’s no more a prince than…than I am.”





“Are you certain of this?” the tall and thin man asked.





“Absolutely certain.”





He stepped forward and offered a hand to Roden. “My name is Agor. We’re sailors from Avenia.”





“You’re pirates from Avenia.” They started to react but Roden quickly added, “I think we can help each other.”





Agor looked amused. “Oh? How could you help us?”





Roden stepped closer. “If people start to believe that Sage is the real prince, then whoever hired you to kill him will wonder why you failed to complete the job –”





“We didn’t fail, Prince Jaron is sleeping at the bottom of a sea.”





Another crier passed, announcing the same news as before. That gave Roden his opportunity to make his argument.





“Will the truth matter if people believe the prince has returned?”





Agor folded his arms. “So what do you propose?”





“Help me get inside the castle walls. I’ll do the assassination myself.”





Agor and Rudd exchanged a look. “For what price?” Agor asked.





“Just let me join up with you. I’m good with a sword, I learn fast, and I have nothing to lose.”





“And what are your reasons for wanting this orphan Sage dead?” Agor asked.





Roden faced them directly. “He stole the life I should have had, all the while pretending to be my friend. I have nothing now, and nowhere else to go.”





After another look between Agor and Rudd, an offer was made for Roden to come meet their king, a man named Devlin. “This is the one and only time you will receive such an offer,” Agor said. “Refuse us now and—”





“I accept.” Roden didn’t even blink as he spoke, and within the hour, he was in the back room of a dark inn on the outskirts of Drylliad. The inn’s public room was loud and busy and Roden was sure that except for the serving staff, he was the only person there who was not a pirate.





Not a pirate…yet.





Devlin was a mound of a man with long brown hair streaked in gold tones. His face was scarred from previous fights and in the darkness, his eyes appeared to be solid black. Maybe they actually were. He began by asking many of the same questions that Roden had already answered. How he knew Sage’s true identity. How Sage had managed to be named as the prince solely because he could roll a coin over his knuckles. How Sage had lied his way through the contest. 





When Roden finished, Devlin leaned forward with a cunning smile. “Do you know how the pirates operate? I am king only because I defeated the previous king in a challenge. If I let you join us, would you challenge me one day?”





Roden hesitated. If he said yes, would the king finish him off now, rather than risk a confrontation later? Much as Roden hated to admit it, Sage would have been useful right now. He had seemed to be very good at figuring out who people were. Though of course, once he did, the usual response was for those people to want to kill Sage. Hardly the sort of help Roden wanted at this moment.





Devlin tilted his head, eager for Roden’s answer. He said, “Yes sir. I will become the best swordsman in your crew.” He paused while his heart stopped in his chest. “But if I have reason to doubt your command, I would challenge you.”





Silence fell over the group. Apparently, Roden should have given a different answer. Agor grabbed Roden’s hand and then pulled out a knife. Roden felt for the sword at his side, then remembered that Sage had stolen that from him too. Once again, Roden’s anger surged.





Agor raised the knife and Roden closed his eyes to brace for whatever was about to happen, whether it was death or pain. But Agor simply sliced Roden’s sleeve up to his elbow, and when he did, Devlin said, “If you ever challenge me, boy, you will lose and I promise to finish you off as slowly as possible. But it took great courage for you to say what you did. Welcome to the pirates.”





With a nod of his head, a branding iron was removed from a fire at the far end of the room. Roden hadn’t noticed it before but when its end became visible, red hot at the tip, his head swarmed with dizziness.





The end was pressed against Roden’s forearm, and he screamed with the pain, though a man behind him wrapped a hand over Roden’s mouth to muffle his cries. Short on air, the dizziness worsened and Roden felt the darkness taking over.





When he awoke sometime later, he was on the ground right where the pirates must have let him fall. Angling his arm against a fading firelight, he saw an X burned into the skin, made of a snake at one angle and a sea serpent in the other. The mark of a pirate.





Slowly, Roden sat up, trying to gather his wits for whatever was coming next. When he did, somewhere behind him a man said, “Agor, he’s awake.”





A moment later, Agor entered the room. He crouched down in front of Roden and said, “You told us that you know a secret way inside the castle walls.”





“I do.” Roden’s mind shifted to the promise he had made to assassinate Sage, and his chest tightened. He had been angry before. Maybe he had gone too far.





Or maybe Sage had taken this contest farther than he should have. Roden couldn’t give up yet.





“Devlin doesn’t want the new prince killed, not yet. He wants to determine for himself whether this is a false prince, as you claim.”





“Trust me—”





“But we don’t trust you,” Agor said. “We don’t know you, not yet. So you will get inside the castle walls and find this boy, and you will make him an offer directly from the pirate king. Give him ten days to surrender to us in Isel, and we will determine for ourselves who he is. If he accepts, the pirates will leave Carthya unscathed. If he refuses, the pirates will see Carthya burn.”





Roden’s heart pounded. Carthya was his home too. Could he really make such a threat?





He had to. He knew what would happen if he tried to refuse orders now.





“Is that all?” Roden asked.





“No. Immediately after taking the crown, this false prince sent your former master, Bevin Conner, to prison. We want him released.”





Roden arched a brow. Sage had done that? How could he possibly have gotten away with something so bold? Conner would surely have his revenge and reveal the truth about Sage’s identity.





A second question nagged at him. What did the pirates want with Conner?





No doubt the answer to that question mattered, but Roden didn’t dare to ask it. Instead, he was already plotting what he would say when he had the opportunity to stand face to face against Sage once again. Only this time, he wouldn’t give Sage a chance to defeat him.





Agor took Roden’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “If you’re in, we’ll start making plans. Surely a state funeral will be held for the royal family. Many guests will be invited. I doubt one or two extra faces of the pirates will get much notice.”





Roden’s hand shifted again to where his sword should have been. He’d need another one soon. Because if he could not be the false prince of Carthya, then at least he would be the person to destroy the fraud and kill its pretender. In a most unexpected way, what he was about to do would make him a hero and mark his first great success among the pirates.





He smiled at Agor, eager to get started. “Of course I’m in. When do we leave?”









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And, the opening line to THE RUNAWAY KING IS:





“I had arrived early for my own assassination.”





If you have not yet read this book, please try to get a copy and read it. a lot happens in this book that will be very significant for books 4 and 5!

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Published on July 02, 2020 09:29

June 25, 2020

Book 5 – Dedicated to YOU?

Attention all Ascendance Superfans!



Book 5…coming in Fall 2021!




I am almost finished with the fifth (and likely) final book of the series, and it’s going to be dedicated to one of YOU!






Why?



Because I owe the fans of this series so many thanks for your support.






Who can Enter?  



Anyone of any age. You may enter as an individual or as a group.






What can I Enter?




Fan Book or Movie Trailer





Art





Photograph





Meme





Original Music Composition





Video Explaining Why You’re a Superfan





Or anything else with a “visual” component.






How Does the Contest Work?




1.  Complete your project, whatever it is, by July 15th at noon EST.





2.  Email me the project, or the link to it (jen@jennielsen.com). When you hit “send,” that is permission for me to view your work privately, but it will not be shared publicly at this time.





3.  I, and a special panel of judges, will narrow down the choices to our top five favorites.





4. If you are one of the finalists, I will contact you and ask you (or your parents) to sign a permission form allowing me to post your work publicly on my blog.





5. We will then allow the public to vote for their favorite.





6. The winner(s) will get their name(s) posted on the book’s dedication page.





7. All five finalists will win something. Prizes may include: Getting a character named after you, getting a free school or book club visit, receiving a signed early copy of the fourth or fifth book, a gift card to your local indie bookstore, etc.






The Fine Print




a. The contest is open to all individuals, groups, and ages anywhere in the world. Groups larger than five people may need to be listed in the dedication under a group name, rather than individually.





b. Multiple entries are allowed, in the same or different categories.





c. You will retain rights to your creation, although I may request permission to post some of it on my blog or other social media accounts, credited back to you.





d. First-round judging will be based on: Creativity, Quality of Work, and Enthusiasm. However, the judges will take into account that people of all ages and experience levels will be entering.





e. Once opened to public voting, anyone may vote for their favorite for their own reasons.





f. Late entries will not be accepted.

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Published on June 25, 2020 13:51

June 14, 2020

The Roast

A Short Story in the world of The False Prince. For all readers.





By Jennifer A. Nielsen





Morning started early at Mrs. Turbeldy’s Orphanage for Disadvantaged Boys. Sleep late, and you’d stay hungry. Nineteen of us lived there, and on a good day, there’d be food enough for five or six. 





First meal was whatever was donated the evening before by the local priest, who skimmed off his share before passing it on. I knew that because on church days, I often took time to visit his office and skim off my share of his skimmings and return them to the orphanage.





The other six days of the week, food was scarce, and this morning was no exception.





“Bean bread,” Mrs. Turbeldy announced, as if she was some sort of hero for offering up  a single loaf of what the wealthy literally offered their pigs. “Try to get a piece with weevils, that’s extra nutrition.”





We’d had nothing else to eat for a week. I groaned and turned to leave. 





“Where’re you going, Sage?” Mrs. Turbeldy asked.





“Anywhere.”





In her hurry to follow me, she dropped the bread, only to leave a dozen or more boys to scramble for a larger piece for themselves.





“Oh no, you are not leaving!” She grabbed the sleeve of my shirt, widening the hole near my elbow. “You still owe me for the damage you caused to the floor upstairs.”





“For stepping on the floor, you mean?” Last week, I’d accidentally discovered a rotted piece of wood near my bed and had nearly fallen through to the kitchen.





“It’ll cost twenty garlins to repair that. If you leave without paying that debt, I’ll have you arrested and bring you before the king himself on charges.”





I rolled my eyes. “The king himself will not want to waste his time on me. I’ll get you the money, but I will not endure another bite of bean bread.”





She checked the floor behind her. “That’s just as well. It’s all gone.”





I stepped outside into the streets of Carchar, barely dodging a trader’s wagon and an overeager horse. His wheels splashed up mud on me and the trader glanced back, “Filthy thief, get out of the way!”





I considered taking offense to his words until I looked down at myself. Both were true enough. I was particularly filthy today, and it would take some clever thieving to get twenty garlins in a single day.





I wandered into the market, swiping an apple to eat along the way. The streets were full of opportunities but I had rules. I never took from anyone in need, even if my need seemed greater. I never took from anyone younger than me, unless they were in the process of taking from someone younger than them, in which case I figured the rules didn’t matter. And I never took more than was necessary.





But twenty garlins was necessary, or Mrs. Turbeldy might follow through on her threats. I collected half of the coins with almost no effort simply by wandering the market. An accidental bump against a gentleman, and my hand could be in and out of his coat pocket before he’d finished demanding an apology from me.





After a couple of hours, I had nine coins in my right fist and a single coin in my left. Getting the other half might be more challenging. On the far corner of the market square, I noticed a man with a table set out with various wool cloths for sale. A woman paid him for a piece, and my eye followed those coins to a small tin box on his lap.





I wanted that tin box.





Casually, I walked up to his table. “How much?”





He frowned at me. “Get away from here, rat. You’ll drive off my business.”





I turned to leave, then looked down and smiled. “What luck!” Then I pretended to pick up the coin already in my left hand.





He leaned over his table to look at me. “What are you doing?”





“Picking up this coin.”





“If you found it there, then I must have dropped it. It’s mine.”





I stood and carefully looked it over. “Your name isn’t on it.”





He stood and set his tin box on top of the cloth, then snatched the coin from my hand. “At least I have a name.”





“But probably not a very good name, right?” I looked down again. “You go ahead and keep that coin. I’ll take the others.” I bent down and deposited the other nine coins on the ground.





The man stood and walked around the table, then kicked at my side. “Oh no you don’t, rat. Those coins are mine.”





I scrambled away from him. While he bent to the ground to pick up the other nine coins, I merely walked around the back of his table and swiped his tin box, then ran.





One I was far enough away, I cut into an alley and opened the box, then quickly counted out the coins. Nineteen garlins. I still needed one more.





I left the box in the alley and wandered back into the street. Straight ahead of me, two gentleman I didn’t recognize had just gotten out of a wagon with a slouched-over driver who remained. More curious still, in the back of the wagon were two other boys near my own age. One looked strong and alert, the other pale and sickly.





I quickly dismissed them. They were obviously servants purchased for some kind of labor. Certainly not the kind of life I would ever accept.





But I was interested in the two men who had left the wagon. I saw them only from behind. The taller man was bald with dark skin and made entirely of muscle. The other was closer to my height and wore very fine clothes, those I would only see on a nobleman.





His pockets would be full of garlins.





I joined the crowd of people behind them, watching which side of the nobleman’s coat hung heavier than the other, which side seemed to jangle with coins when he moved.





If I was correct, then his coins were in his right pocket, but so was his hand. This would be a difficult theft, but hardly the most complicated one I’d done. 





I put a smile on my face and gave myself room to run up to him, shouting, “Father, it’s me!” Then I embraced him from behind.





The nobleman grunted and lifted his arms in surprise, which was all I needed to get my hand into his pocket. His taller companion immediately yanked me away and for a brief moment I locked eyes with the nobleman. He began looking me over, far more intently than I wanted. Suddenly I wished to be anywhere else.





“Pardon, sir.” 





I tried to run but the man holding me tightened his grip. He said, “This boy stole from you!” He shoved his hand into my pocket and emptied out every coin I had. 





The nobleman’s eyes narrowed. “What’s your name?”





Without answering, I kicked backward and my shirt tore further to escape the grip of the man who was holding me. I set off in a run deeper into the markets, furious at having been caught. Furious with myself for being too impatient. If I had not gotten away, I might have paid dearly for that mistake.





“Roast!” A butcher directly ahead of me held up a large cut of meat and my mouth began to water. “My last one for today. Who wants it?”





I wanted it, desperately.





But in looking around the square, I saw that I was not the only one. Not far from the butcher, a man had just pulled out a bag and was counting his coins to purchase the roast.





I knew what I had just promised myself, that there was danger in acting too quickly. But if I did not act now, that roast would be gone.





The man stepped forward to the butcher. “Will you wrap the roast for me, sir?”





“Yes, of course.” The butcher bent down beneath his table to find the paper to wrap the roast. That was my chance.





I set off on a run, pausing at the table just long enough to pull the roast into my arms.





“Thief!” yelled the man who had hoped to purchase it.





I glanced back and breathed out a curse word. Rather than any paper, the butcher had just grabbed a cleaver. I couldn’t help but smile…and run faster.





This was definitely not my best plan ever. But it was hardly my worst either. Mrs. Turbeldy would accept the roast as payment for my debt, and a lot of boys would finally get a decent meal.





If I had to do this all over again, I would never have chosen this life. Little did I know then, how very much my life was about to change.

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Published on June 14, 2020 11:08

June 11, 2020

Giveaway and Book Suggestions!

If it’s true that a great story is for all ages (and it is), then here are two favorites of mine I’d love for you to consider!





The first is one I have mentioned before: THE LOST WONDERLAND DIARIES by J. Scott Savage. This one should become as much a classic as the original Alice in Wonderland stories, it’s just that good! It tells the story of Celia and Tyrus, who discover the lost diaries of Wonderland, which pulls them into the same portal into which Alice once fell. Together, they must solve the riddles and puzzles of this strange new world if they ever hope to escape.









THE LOST WONDERLAND DIARIES will be released on September 8th, but I was lucky enough to get an ARC, which I am giving away today! To enter, simply comment below with your favorite classic novel or story.





I also believe a great picture book is something even more. With the addition of illustrations, it becomes art for all ages. Sometimes it’s art that makes us laugh, or think, or learn. Sometimes it opens our imaginations, which is exactly what this next book does.





One of my favorite picture book authors is Kristyn Crow. Not only are her stories fun and imaginative, but they are also told in rhyme, which is incredibly difficult. And not only that, but she is able to communicate to pre-readers and early readers in a way I have never seen equalled.





(Early grade teachers and librarians, I’m serious about this. The last time I saw Kristyn present, she captivated a huge room of K-3rd graders. They had fun, they learned, they read.)





Kristyn just released ALL ABOARD THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN, (Illustrations by Annie Won) a bedtime story for everyone, with vibrant pictures, imaginative animals, and a most incredible adventure. 

















Please check out both of these books! Links are below. 





LOST WONDERLAND DIARIES



Barnes & Noble





Bookshop.org





The King’s English Bookshop





ALL ABOARD THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN



Barnes & Noble





Bookshop.org





The King’s English Bookshop









The contest ends on Sunday. Check in then, because I will post the first short Ascendance story, this one set right before the beginning of THE FALSE PRINCE!
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Published on June 11, 2020 14:42

May 21, 2020

INDIE PAY-IT-FORWARD

The winner of the Indie Bookstore Pay it Forward contest is: KATIE (From May 14th comment), who asked for a signed copy of THE FALSE PRINCE.









The copy I buy to give her will come from my local indie, The King’s English Bookshop.





Even if you didn’t win, please consider buying a book from your local indie. You can find the closest one by entering your Zip Code HERE. Keep your dollars in your community and people employed where you live. Or you can buy from any indie HERE, which is still really great.





Beginning in June, I’m going to release some short stories in the world of Carthya. So, in the comments below, please answer this question:





WHAT MISSING SCENE FROM “THE FALSE PRINCE” WOULD YOU MOST LOVE TO READ ABOUT?



A day in the life of Sage.When Sage first comes to Mrs. Turbeldy’s Orphanage.Conner preparing to set his plan into motion.What Roden does at the end of book 1 and before the start of THE RUNAWAY KING.Something else (be careful on spoilers in the comments)?







If you have not yet read these books, you can always purchase them from your local bookstore, or find them at your library. Scholastic is also offering digital copies of all of the first three books + a sneak peak of THE CAPTIVE KINGDOM for only $3.99, which is an amazing price. Click HERE for more info.





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Published on May 21, 2020 09:08

May 14, 2020

Some Great Opportunities!

Book Bingo



There is still time for all young writers to participate in Book Bingo. Complete five challenges in a row for the chance to win a free author Skype visit next year for your class, book club, or writing group. There are sixteen amazing authors participating:






Dusti Bowling
 *** Shelly Brown *** Frank Cole *** Janet Fox *** Christian McKay Heidicker *** Jennifer Jenkins *** Marion Jensen *** Peter Lerangis *** Chad Morris *** Jennifer Nielsen *** Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich *** Laura Resau *** Caroline Starr Rose *** J Scott Savage *** Liesl Shurtliff *** Wendy Swore





To play, you can download one of three BINGO cards HERE: When you have completed your card, email it to me at jen@jennielsen.com to enter. Cards must be completed by the end of May.









Ascendance Trilogy E-Books



For a limited time only, Scholastic is offering the first three Ascendance series e-books for only $3.99. It includes an excerpt of book four, THE CAPTIVE KINGDOM. Learn more HERE. 













The False Prince Audiobook



Through the rest of May, the False Prince audiobook can be purchased from Chirp Books for only $3.99. Charlie McWade is the narrator and he does an amazing job. This is definitely worth checking out, especially if you have any family road trips planned. Click HERE for more info.





#ReadIndieForward



Read Indie Forward is a great program to help support our local bookstores. Here’s how it works: Buy a book as a gift for your family or a friend, and ask the person who receives it to then pay it forward by purchasing another book from their local indie and give it as a gift.





Readers can purchase books directly from their favorite indie bookstore, from Indiebound.org, or from Bookshop.org. Bookshop has a special page for #ReadIndieForward.





So I’m going to pay it forward to YOU! If you win, I will purchase any of my books (one of your choice) from The King’s English, my local indie, and it will come to you signed. But part of winning is you agree to then purchase any book from an indie bookstore near you and gift it to someone you know.





How To Enter



Simply tell me below which of my books you would want to win AND if you’re willing to buy a book from an indie as a gift for someone else. I’ll randomly choose one of the comments as a winner. The contest will close on May 21st.

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Published on May 14, 2020 14:42