Jennifer A. Nielsen's Blog, page 32

A NIGHT DIVIDED Cover Reveal (and a giveaway)!

The MARK OF THE THIEF release is only four weeks away (Feb 24th)! I am so excited to share this book with you. I know lots of you found copies through Scholastic Book Fair, or you begged, borrowed, or otherwise got an ARC (Advanced Review Copy), but I still have 3 ARCs left to give away. Right here. I’ll tell you how to enter below.

This book is getting great reviews so far. It’s on Junior Library Guild’s Spring 2015 list.

Kirkus gave it a starred review, saying, “The fast-paced, ingenious plot, charismatic hero, and highly diverse cast of characters – including the ancient, eternal city itself – make this series opener a captivating joy ride.”

VOYA says, “The action moves the story well, often in surprising ways, and the background of Ancient Rome provides a peek into history that may surprise readers…”

VOYA’s teen review says, “This is a captivating novel that will grab readers’ attention through its fast-paced plot and historical insight. Nic is a believable character with his constant determination, plus he guides readers through the marvels and horrors of a Roman empire laced with magic.”

Booklist says, “Fans of Jaron, Percy, Harry, and Eugenides may be excited by this offering.”

So how to enter for a final chance to win an ARC? Leave a comment below telling me what you think about the cover for my next book, A NIGHT DIVIDED (8/25/15). This is the story of a girl whose family is split when the Berlin Wall goes up, and what it might cost her to reunite them again. It is a stand alone historical, completely separate from anything else I’ve written.

I cannot wait to share this story with you, to talk about how it came to be, and to hear what you think. Until then, I hope you are as excited as I am for MARK OF THE THIEF. Whether you buy a copy or ask your library to get a copy you can borrow, I hope you will get a chance to read it!

If you link to this post on Twitter, FB, Pinterest, or Instagram, let me know and I’ll give you a bonus entry for each post! The contest ends on Friday, Jan 30 at 10 pm EST.

 

Merry Christmas!

To those who celebrate, I wish you all the best this Christmas season! And to all, a wonderful 2015 ahead! I’m expecting an interesting year, and can’t wait to share all the events and news with you. Happy reading!

MARK OF THE THIEF arc winners!

Congratulations to those who’ve won an arc of MARK OF THE THIEF! There were several hundred entries, and I wish I had more arcs to give away in this round…but, I was so impressed with what you all wrote and some of the cool facts you uncovered, I decided to add two more for an even TEN. There will be more opportunities to win over the next several weeks, and if all else fails, the book will be released in only two more months (Feb 24).

If your name is below, then please send me an email with your mailing address and the name you would like the book inscribed to (or signature only, if you prefer). My email is jen at jennielsen dot com.

Dana Simonson

Jaina (Twitter: @dpeter4389)

Joziah

Christianna Stavridi

Stacey Trombley

Sissy Gifford

Adam

Traci Ann Borja

Nate Tria

Jen Larkin

Finally, how about another excerpt from the book? Here, Nic has been forced to fight in the venation, the animal hunt, in the amphitheater (Colosseum).

“Bestiarius, bestiarius,” the audience chanted. He was the hunter, and I assumed he must’ve just entered the arena. A knot formed in my throat. My life had been in danger many times before, from the risks I was forced to take at the mines, and from Sal’s punishments, but nothing like this. For the first time ever, I was prey.

 

MARK OF THE THIEF arc giveaway

Here it is, the promised giveaway! I’m offering the chance to win one of 8 arcs (short for Advanced Review Copy) for MARK OF THE THIEF, and some secondary prizes (book giveaways from The Ascendance Trilogy).

MARK OF THE THIEF tells the story of Nicolas Calva, a mining slave in Ancient Rome. One day he is forced by a Roman general named Radulf to enter a sealed cave believed to contain the lost treasure of Emperor Julius Caesar, seeking Caesar’s childhood bulla. All Roman boys have bullas, amulets worn around the neck to bring them good luck. But Caesar’s bulla contains the magic of the gods. Nic finds the bulla, and the griffin who guards it, and when he steals the bulla for himself, suddenly he is thrust at the center of a war to control the fall of the Roman Empire. Nic holds a magic he does not understand and cannot control. As long as he has it, he is a target. But as the weight of Rome comes upon him, he begins to realize that he cannot survive without it.

If that sounds like something you want to read (or sell on eBay), here’s how to enter:

Talk about the book on whatever social media you use (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook). If you can tag me into the post (“Jennifer A. Nielsen, author” on Facebook, @Nielsenwriter on the others), then that’s great. Otherwise, let me know where you posted it here in comments. Every posting is a separate entry.
In your post, let your friends know there’s a free download of the first chapter from Amazon  or Barnes and Noble.
You can also leave a comment below telling me why you want this book for yourself, your classroom, school, book club, or for a gift for someone.
You can enter by following my author page on Facebook or following me on Twitter. Both count as separate entries and I’ll see it online so you don’t need to tell me. If you already follow me, let me know below in comments and that will count as your entry.
BONUS 5 ENTRIES! I’ve been super studying ancient Rome now for months. If you can post in the comments a fact that I don’t already know about Ancient Rome, you get 5 extra entries. I will only respond if you did it. Otherwise, keep looking!

 

Obligatory rules section.

This is an international giveaway. Except to the Antarctic. Penguins, don’t bother entering. It won’t work, not again.
The contest begins when it posts live and ends at midnight EST on Dec 14, 2014. After that, you can still do all the stuff above. I’ll like it, but it won’t help you win a book.
I’m not responsible for lost entries. Sheesh, I’m barely responsible at all.
If you are a winner, I will do everything possible to get the book safely in your hands, but things sometimes happen. Terrible post office disasters nobody likes to think about. I’m not responsible for those things either.
I will post the winners here on the blog, on Twitter, and my author FB page at the end of the contest with instructions on how to get me your mailing address. That’s as far as I will go to hunt you down (because seriously, you don’t want me cyberstalking you).
I have no idea whatsoever what your odds are of winning. Seriously, how could I possibly know that? Consider your odds one in six gazillion, so that if you win, you’re going to feel extra lucky.

 

(Art Credit: Cameron Gardner)

Enticing Book Excerpt

“I was beginning to think I wasn’t actually alone. Somewhere in the blackness, something was awake. Its breath came in even and deliberate strokes. Whatever it was, it knew that I was here too.

The bones I had stumbled over weren’t from people who had died in here. They had all been killed.”

 

Wanna enter now? Go for it, and good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

Signed Books for the Holidays

The holiday season is here! If you want to give one of my books as a gift (which, frankly, I think is a marvelous idea!), and if you want to give a signed copy, here is how to do that.

1. If you’re a Utah type, come in to The King’s English in Salt Lake City (1511 South 1500 East) on Sat, Nov 29 from 12-2 pm where I’ll be a guest bookseller for Small Business Saturday. I can sign your books in person then.

2. Order your book from The King’s English in Salt Lake City.

a. Choose the book you want and add it to your cart.

b. Click the button to check out.

c. This will take you to a new page. Scroll to the bottom and there will be a section for Order   Comments. Enter in the name for whom you want the book personalized.

d. King’s English will do the rest. They’ll have me come in to sign it and ship it off to you. This is the easiest plan if you don’t already own the book.

3. If you DO already own the book, you can send it along with a pre-paid return envelope. I will sign it and put it back in the mail. Address it to me and send it to PO Box 735, Morgan, UT 84050.

4. Cross your fingers to win an ARC of MARK OF THE THIEF. There will be a lot of entries, but I’m going to give several copies away in December. Look for details here on my blog beginning this weekend!

Big Long Trip

Stats:

Days Away from Home: 15

Total # of Airports Passing Through: 9

States: 5 (Nebraska, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois)

Schools: 9 + 1 Library

Conferences: 2

Diet Mt. Dews Consumed: Don’t ask

Highlights:

* That 6th grader in Omaha who told me you didn’t like to read until you found THE FALSE PRINCE, and now you’re reading everything you can get your hands on. Never stop reading. Never stop growing.

* That standing room only crowd that came out to the Omaha Public Library even though it was freezing outside. I didn’t expect to see so many of you. Truth is, I wasn’t sure if anyone would come, but you did, and you were all so fantastic.

* Meeting Lauren Oliver and Julie Kagawa for the Teens Top 10 Panel at YALSA in Austin. Something about us clicked, which made it one of my favorite panels ever. I would present with you two anytime, on any subject, just for the laughs I know we’d have. By the way Lauren, I want your boots. (photo credit: @thepageturn)

* The librarians of PSJA school district in South Texas who had such passion for books and for inspiring their students. It’s hard to find any librarians I don’t absolutely adore and admire, but you ladies were an amazing group, with an amazing leader. The only thing more impressive was your wonderful students. Credit: Minnie Lazo.

* The STARRED Kirkus review for MARK OF THE THIEF. Read it here, please! They call it “a fast-paced, ingenious plot, charismatic hero, and highly diverse cast of characters – including the ancient, eternal city itself – make this series opener a captivating joy ride.” Getting a star from Kirkus is sorta like getting a standing ovation from Simon Cowell, so this was an honor.

* Owen. Dude, you know who you are. I expect major things from you.

* That mom who came through my signing line to tell me her son never willingly read a book until THE FALSE PRINCE. He underlined different scenes and made notes in the columns and now he wants to be a writer.

* Brian, on Twitter, who said you liked my presentation enough to make MARK OF THE THIEF your airplane read. Happy reading, Brian.

* The boy who came through my signing line twice. Once to get a copy of THE FALSE PRINCE. And a second time to say you were six chapters in already and loving it. I hope you loved it to the end.

* The beautiful girl in Virginia who couldn’t wait to tell me about the story you’re writing. Finish your book. Don’t give up, even when it’s hard. When you’re published, I will be second in line to buy it. (Your mom will be first!)

* Every. Single. Person. Who works for Scholastic. Every one of you.

* This moment at the M.R. Robinson dinner where the unnamed sponsor showed a video, which is a love poem to books. I was already touched while watching it, thinking of how cool it would be to one day write a book so inspirational to young people that it would belong in a video like that. Then 2:10 happened, with this image below. If you want to watch the entire video (which is beautiful), then click here.

The ULTIMATE highlight of the trip? Coming home. I am always honored and appreciative of the opportunities to travel and meet other young people, teachers, authors, and librarians. But there is no place like home.

MARK OF THE THIEF ARC’s

For those who ask, an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) is a paperback printed early to use for reviewers, booksellers, and for GIVEAWAYS!

Giveaways of MARK OF THE THIEF will begin near the end of the year. Watch this blog for details.

If you like Jaron, I can’t wait for you to meet Nic. He’s a slave in the mines of Ancient Rome. When he stumbles upon some long lost magic, he steals it and runs away. That’s when everything begins to go wrong, as Nic is pulled into a secret war to control the fall of an empire.

 

A Week in the Life

I’m often asked about what I’m working on, or how I manage my time, or about my writing process. So, starting tomorrow, I’m going to share a little of my schedule and let you see some of what I do. As of Sunday evening, here’s where things are:

Writing: I’m on my fourth draft of MARK OF THE THIEF 2. My editor (Lisa) probably won’t need to see it until the end of the year, so I have time on that. Yesterday, I received an editorial letter for A NIGHT DIVIDED, with edits that need to be in by the end of October, so that’s a priority. I also have a short story to write for the audio book of MARK OF THE THIEF 1, due within another couple of weeks, and I’m drafting an outline for another standalone book, which my editor will need before I can get started on research. That’s the picture on the right for the work I’ve done so far. Each color of card represents a different thread of the plot.

School Visits and Public Events: I have a Skype visit with a 6th grade class on Tuesday and I’m on a middle grade panel at The King’s English Bookstore on Friday. Gotta be honest – I probably won’t have time to prepare for either one, though I do need to publicize the Friday event. I also need to book travel for some upcoming trips, book some school visits in the DC area, and write a keynote speech for an upcoming conference.soon.

Social Media and Fan Stuff: Current totals for things needing my response: 1 Twitter DM, 2 Requested Interviews, 1 Facebook DM, 1 Snail Mail to a Fan, and 5 fan emails.

I’ll post again Monday evening and let you know all about Day 1 of my week!

A Little Bit o’ Everything

Scroll down until you find some news that interests you…

1. Movie News

Well, there is none. There probably won’t be any until the end of February 2015, and the news could be yes, that Paramount wants to make the movie, or no, that Paramount doesn’t want to make the movie, or the news could be that no decision has been made (crazy business, right?). And like you, I hope if they do make the movie that they will do a great job with it. When I hear anything, I will announce it here first, so put a note on your calendar to check this blog then!

 

2. Public Event News

My travel schedule for the upcoming school year is quickly filling up, but in most destinations, I won’t have any public events, only school visits. However, you can always check my events page here to find out if I’m coming near you. And if you want me to come near you, and you’re a kid-type, talk to your school or city librarian, or your indie bookstore. If you’re an adult-type, click the link here to find out how to bring me in for a visit.

I do have some public events coming up this fall in Salt Lake City, Pleasant Grove, Brigham City, Omaha Nebraska, and Las Vegas. Click here for details!

 

3. Writing Update

Things are a little crazy right now, but all for wonderful reasons! I’m getting some promotional stuffready for the release of MARK OF THE THIEF on February 24, 2015. I am so excited for this book and am about 30,000 words into book 2 of that series (Nic’s in a bit of trouble at the moment, so I really need to get to that next chapter).

I am also about to start edits for A NIGHT DIVIDED, which will come out in fall 2015. This one, about a family split by the Berlin Wall in Cold War Germany, is going to be different from what you’ve seen from me before, but I have a lot of passion for this project.

And then, maybe some other super secret stuff. Shhh…  ;-)

 

4. Fan Stuff

This is some fan art or student work that was sent to me. Really impressive stuff.

This fan art of Sage and Imogen was created by Lemuel – thank you so much! It’s very well done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I honestly don’t know who created this – I found it on Pinterest – but it made me smile! If you’re reading this blog and want to take credit, then I loved it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a bulletin board put up by an elementary classroom in Oregon. They found pictures or objects for the various scenes and mapped them out. Thanks, Mrs. Simonson!

Bountiful Library Visit

Hey – quick FYI for northern Utah types! I’ll be at the Bountiful Library on Saturday, July 12, from 2-4 pm. I’ll talk and sign books. Bring your own or the library will have some for sale! This is probably the only public event I’ll have in Utah until MARK OF THE THIEF releases, so if you can make it, that would be fantastic!

For those outside of northern Utah, I’ll begin posting my public schedule as I know it. I hope I’m coming somewhere near you!