Jennifer A. Nielsen's Blog, page 20
May 7, 2018
Winner of WITWIJN – And the RESISTANCE begins!
I never intended to write a World War 2 / Holocaust-era novel. My respect for the stories of that period is so high that I wondered how I could possibly add anything new enough, valuable enough, to matter.
But the story found me.
A few years ago, I was in Poland for a school visit and with my husband touring the former Jewish ghetto in Krakow. The more I saw, and learned, the more sacred these streets became.
Various plaques had been set up around the ghetto to explain the significance of that specific place. But one in particular caught my eye. It referenced the underground theater of the ghetto. As a theater major, I was curious to learn more, so I took a picture of those words to remind myself to research them later.
When I did, I was disappointed at how little I found, requiring me to continually dig deeper, which led me to the Jewish underground in Krakow, the resistance movement there. Which led me to a story I absolutely could not get out of my head.
Over the summer months, I will share with you the true history of the Jewish resistance movement in Poland and how my research led to the creation of this book.
RESISTANCE is the story of the Jewish teenagers who decided they would not die on their knees to the Nazis. Instead, they would fight them. It is a fiction story but based heavily on real events. It will be released on August 28, 2018, but you can pre-order your copy now.
And now…the winner of “Where in the World is Jennifer Nielsen?” who will receive a signed arc of RESISTANCE.
***** TIRZAH *****
Fifteen of you received full points. Another six were within one answer of full points. Great job!
The locations were:
San Francisco, California
Gilbert, Arizona
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (and yes, Recombobulation means to recollect or reorganize)
Washington DC and Westminster, Maryland
Tucson, Arizona
Portland, Maine
Mystic, Connecticut
Salt Lake City, Utah
Altoona, Pennsylvania
Dallas, Texas
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Chicago, Illinois
Thank you to all who played! There will be more giveaways of RESISTANCE over the summer!
April 30, 2018
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JENNIFER NIELSEN – Final Stop!
As of this writing, there are still 11 of you with full points and several more who are within 1-2 points of winning. This is the final post of the game and I’ll draw among those with full points to choose a winner.
The game will officially end at midnight EST on May 6. The winner will be posted Monday morning. If you haven’t entered for every round, it’s still not too late!
So…where was I? A few partial words may help you guess…
April 25, 2018
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JENNIFER NIELSEN? Stop #11
Only one more stop left, and it will happen this weekend! Until then, this might be a toughie – it’s the Bed and Breakfast where I got to stay – so good luck! Remember, the winner wins a signed arc of RESISTANCE! Any guesses?
Starting next week, I’ll begin talking more about RESISTANCE, but until then, if you haven’t had the chance yet to get a copy of THE TRAITOR’S GAME, I hope you will look it up! I’m entirely finished with the second book except for one more proofreading edit, and the second book is so exciting and dangerous! I hope to release the title soon.
April 4, 2018
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JENNIFER NIELSEN? Stop #10
Yup, I guess this is a thing here…
Only two more rounds to go! The next post will be in a couple of weeks, but I’m going to do some exciting things between now and then, namely to begin talking about RESISTANCE (which you’re playing to win), the paperback release of A NIGHT DIVIDED, and all the cool things happening for TRAITOR’S GAME!
March 28, 2018
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JENNIFER NIELSEN? Stop #9
All right, so many of you are doing well – let’s see how you do here! Remember to get the city and state for full points! The next post will be in about a week. (Three more left after this one.)
Finally, here’s a quick list of answers to questions I’ve been getting a lot lately:
1. When will TRAITOR’S GAME 2 come out?
I’m just finishing up copyedits for that book, so it’ll be out in early 2019. I know it’s a long time to wait but I think it’ll be worth it for you!
2. What are you work ing on right now?
My next historical, though it hasn’t been announced yet. But I’m about 22,000 worlds into the first draft.
3. When are you going to talk about RESISTANCE?
Soon…soon. But until I do, feel free to read more HERE.
March 25, 2018
THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS Winner!
Congratulations to GEM, the winner of THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS by Ammi-Joan Paquette. This is a really amazing book that will go straight to your heart, and I hope that those of you who entered to win a copy will still find this book and read it. I know you’ll love it! You can read more about the book HERE.
And if you’re looking for something else to enter, the WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JENNIFER NIELSEN contest is still continuing. You can still start at picture #1 and begin guessing. There are four more locations still to be posted, with the first one coming in the next few days. The winner of that contest will win a galley copy of my next historical, RESISTANCE, which will be coming out at the end of summer. I’ll be talking a lot about it over the next few months, but you can read more about this book HERE.
March 22, 2018
Hitting the List!!!
THE TRAITOR’S GAME hit the New York Times List!!!
That is such a big deal and YOU made it happen!
If you bought a book, left a review, told a friend about it, or requested a copy in your library, then you made a difference. My infinite thanks to each of you.
Endless gratitude as well to the amazing people of Scholastic who worked tirelessly to help promote this book. My editor, Lisa Sandell, is the best of the best. But there are also the wunderkind people in Marketing, Publicity, Art Design, and so on.
Finally, if you haven’t yet seen the trailer for THE TRAITOR’S GAME, it was created entirely by my family. Please go check it out, it’s phenomenal.
For those who might ask…
What did I do to celebrate? It was leftover night for the family and then we watched Jumanji together. Also, I broke out some dark chocolate!
But you’re celebrating today, right? Yes, if catching up on laundry and working on my next book counts as celebrating.
When does Book 2 come out? Um…early 2019. Sorry, but it’ll be worth the wait!
If you haven’t yet got your copy of THE TRAITOR’S GAME, will you consider doing so?
March 20, 2018
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JENNIFER NIELSEN? Stop #8
The official TRAITOR’S GAME book tour is over (if you haven’t got a copy yet, I hope you’ll still consider getting or borrowing one), though I still have some exciting places yet to visit. To celebrate my precious few days of being home, our family went to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. You only have to guess the city and state, but I’ll give a bonus point to anyone who can also name the restaurant of where we ate!
Remember, the person with the highest points at the end will win a galley copy of my next historical, RESISTANCE, so be sure to comment on each entry. Right now, there are eight players with full points and another half dozen who are only one or two points off the lead so the competition is close!
Also, if you haven’t entered the giveaway for THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS by my friend and agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, click here now! You might win a signed book, and all you have to do is leave a comment!
The next post will be early next week.
March 17, 2018
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JENNIFER NIELSEN? Stop #7.
If you haven’t seen the blog post and giveaway for THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS, be sure to check it out, because it’s going to be an amazing book!
In the meantime, here is stop #7 on our game. It may be a difficult couple of pictures, but you are all so amazing and smart, I expect to see a lot of right answers. The next post will be in another week or so.
What an incredibly beautiful town this was, with a library built from an old mansion in 1893, rows of 19th century homes, a bascule bridge from 1922, a pizza shop made famous by a movie, and homemade ice cream! (yes, even in late winter)
So…any guesses?
March 16, 2018
Interview and Giveaway for THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS!
Hello Friends! You know that I rarely host interviews here, but this one is special. Ammi-Joan Paquette is not only my literary agent and a brilliant author, but also my friend. And I’m so excited for her next book, THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS.
Joan will be giving away a signed copy of THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS to a winner on this blog. To win, please leave a comment below on something you once lost that was hard on you. Entries can come from anywhere but the book can only be sent to a U.S. address.
This wonderful book will be released on March 20, 2018 so if you don’t win a copy, you can still get your book now or ask your library to bring it in!
1. How would you summarize THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS?
It’s a magical adventure about a boy named Marty who is devastated when he loses his most precious possession: a memory-filled jacket given to him by his father, who is terribly ill. But Marty has heard the story of the Train of Lost Things, which flies through the sky in the dead of night, collecting the lost heart’s possession of children. And so Marty sets off in hopes of finding the Train, his jacket, and maybe a cure for his father as well.
2. You’ve indicated that THE TRAIN OF LOST THINGS is an important book for you. Can you explain why?
This book is the most deeply personal of any one I have written thus far. The idea came to me a bit as a bolt from the blue: We had just returned from quite an eventful family vacation, wherein a string of calamities hit us one after the other. The final straw was the discovery, upon returning home, that my daughter’s beloved jean jacket, for which she had collected pins and buttons across our travels, had been lost on our return flight. This loss struck me in such a personal way, and echoed so many irreplaceable treasures I had lost over the years. Standing in my office in a tussle with despair, I thought to myself, “Some good has to come out of this.” And how does an author turn things to good but in writing?
So I started thinking about lost things, and I wondered, “What if you could get those lost things back? Where would they be and how would you find them?” Just like that, the Train of Lost Things popped into my mind, and Marty along with it. I followed the story from there—and have loved every step of the journey since.
3. Why do you think it’s important for young readers to learn how to deal with loss, or even change?
The fact is that change and loss—whether in the smallest of ways or in larger—is something that no life can be without in some form. I believe that fiction is a safe means of plumbing those depths. It’s a way that those who are going through these times can see that they are not alone. And it’s a way that those who have not suffered those hardships can learn empathy, and can grow in their understanding of their own privilege and stretch their hearts toward others’ needs. (Plus, you never know what lies around the corner in any life…)
4. What are your common inspirations for story ideas?
I’ve had story ideas come to me in just about every possible way. Some spring directly from my own life and experiences—like this one. Others start with a character (as with the irascible Dahlia in Rules for Ghosting), or an intriguing idea concept (“what if a group of kids were given their very own country” became Princess Juniper), or even just a title, as in my newest work-in-progress (nope, not spilling yet!). That’s one of the things I love about being a writer—inspiration is, quite literally, everywhere you turn J
5. As compared to Marty (the main character of this book), what were you like as a child?
I think Marty and I share some traits, but he’s a lot more adventurous than I was. I don’t think I would have had the guts to venture out alone in the middle of the night, magical train whistle’s summon or no! I was serious and bookish, though, with a deep secret belief in the magic underlying everyday life. No wonder I ended up becoming an author J
6. I have many aspiring writers who follow this blog. Since you are also a literary agent, can you comment on what attracts you to a manuscript? Is there anything in particular you’d like to see more of?
Our agency is closed to unsolicited submissions at this time, but I do welcome queries from authors I have met or who have attended a conference at which I’m speaking. In general, I love voice-driven stories with strong pacing, stories that ask deep questions which make you think, and most of all, stories that surprise me in some way—whether an unexpected plot turn, unusual story structure, unreliable narrator, or more. Keep the reader on their toes, and they will follow you anywhere!
7. Now a set of quick answers. No explanations, just the facts:
Something quirky about you: I have an internal alarm clock and can wake up (nearly) anytime I decide to!
A movie that always makes you laugh: Joe Vs. the Volcano
The place your imagination wanders when you want to relax: Into a book…!
An item near the top of your bucket list: Make a bucket list.
One thing you’ll admit that you can do quite well: Fresh pineapple upside down cake J
Okay, now that you’re intrigued, leave a comment below: What did you once lose that was heartbreaking for you? I’ll reveal mine when I reveal the winner. That person’s name will be announced on 10 pm EST on March 23rd. Good luck!
