Jennifer A. Nielsen's Blog, page 6
June 8, 2021
First 150 Subscribers
You all are extraordinary! In only 48 hours, over 150 of you have subscribed to the newsletter!
Which means there are already three winners! As noted in the rules, the first winner was drawn from the first 50 subscribers, the second winner from the first 100 subscribers, and so on…
The winners have all been notified by email, but their addresses are partially listed here.
1. Dayfamily…
2. Kawaii…
3. trex1st…
If you have not had the chance yet to subscribe to the newsletter, you can click HERE.
And while I watch for a few more emails to come in, enjoy this image from my weekend craft project – a magnetized Scrabble board so I can hang it on the wall! It’s not perfect, but I had a lot of fun making it!
June 6, 2021
GIVEAWAY SUMMER 2021!
But I gotta be honest – this will be a busy summer for me so I might not be posting weekly. However, I WILL keep close tabs on the giveaways for all of you.
I’d like to start a newsletter – mostly as a way to reach my readers without having to hope that they visit the website. It will be free, fun (well, that’s the plan anyway), and have something in it for everyone (unless you hate reading and books – but you can still sign up!)
Every time I get 50 new subscribers, I will give a book away based on a drawing for whoever is already signed up. So the earlier you subscribe, the better your odds of winning.
Also, get your friends and family to subscribe, because then the giveaways happen more often.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?Not much. Go to the link HERE. It’s a Google form where you can put in your email and answer a few questions about what you’d love to see in the newsletter.
You should know, I will NEVER share or sell your email address or any information on that form. I don’t ask your name, only for your email. Minors, you may use a parent email if you prefer.
That’s it!
Now, what am I giving away? If you win, you get your choice of the following books:
ARC (Advanced Reader’s Copy) of THE SHATTERED CASTLE
ARC of THE CAPTIVE KINGDOM (Still have a few leftover)
Paperback of THE SCOURGE
Paperback of RESISTANCE
Hardback or Paperback of THE DECEIVER’S HEART or THE WARRIOR’S CURSE
Hardback or Paperback of RISE OF THE WOLF or WRATH OF THE STORM
Hardback of RESCUE
The contest will run until Labor Day weekend. It is open internationally, so go sign up HERE! Let’s see how fast we can get to our first giveaway!
May 7, 2021
Giveaway Summer Coming Soon!
…and it will start with an advanced reader’s copy (ARC) of THE SHATTERED CASTLE! So watch this blog. It should be an exciting summer!
May 4, 2021
Children’s Book Week – Tuesday!
When a plague isn’t all that kills…
As a lethal plague sweeps through the land, Ani Mells is shocked when she is unexpectedly captured by the governor’s wardens and forced to submit to a test for the deadly Scourge. She is even more surprised when the test results come back positive, and she is sent to Attic Island, a former prison turned refuge—and quarantine colony—for the ill. The Scourge’s victims, Ani now among them, can only expect to live out short, painful lives there.
However, Ani quickly discovers that she doesn’t know the whole truth about the Scourge or the Colony. She’s been caught in a devious plot, and, with the help of her best friend, Weevil, Ani means to uncover just what is actually going on. But will she and Weevil survive the Scourge—and the governor’s wardens—long enough to make their escape and expose the cruel plan?
May 3, 2021
Children’s Book Week – Monday!
I know Monday is pretty much over, but….now is when I finally got caught up from the weekend!
RESCUE is my newest historical release. I hope you’ll check it out. It’s fast-paced, high adventure, and a fun way to learn more about the spies and secret codes of World War II.
If you want to learn even more about the spies and secret codes of World War II, try “Spies, Code Breakers, and Secret Agents: A World War II Book for Kids” by Carole P. Roman. I know you’ll love it!
Available wherever you love to buy books!If you’re interested in ordering a copy of RESCUE for yourself (or any of my books), here are a few links you can use:
If you want a signed book from me, please order from The King’s English. In the notes or comments section at checkout, please tell them you want this book to be signed AND if you want your name in it, tell them that name too. I’ll sign it and they’ll ship it!
April 27, 2021
LOTSA ANNOUNCEMENTS
Well (takes a deep breath), there is a lot to report on today. And if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you might wonder if anything here is the exciting thing I can’t mention yet. The answer is:
BUT, there is some cool stuff. So…
#1 CLUBHOUSE CHAT TONIGHT (Tues Apr 27)If you’re on Clubhouse, feel free to join me for an interview about RESCUE, or whatever we end up talking about. It’s at 6 pm Mtn Time or 8 pm Eastern Time. The link to join is HERE.
#2 NEW RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENTWell, to be fair, this isn’t a new release. In fact, it’s a book that’s been around for some time, but it has a new cover, and a really awesome new cover at that, and is for the first time available in paperback.
THE SCOURGE tells the story of Ani Mells who lives in a land where a disease known as the Scourge has impacted society. Anyone with the disease is sent away from their family and friends to a scourge colony where they will live out the rest of their life. However, Ani is never one to stay out of trouble for long, and even in these desperate circumstances, that natural curiosity leads her to discover something far more dangerous than the disease itself.
I know, you’re thinking of COVID. There are natural comparisons, but isn’t a COVID story, AND it was written several years ago, long before this current pandemic.
However, it is a story I hope you will want to check out and read, and if you do, I very much hope you will enjoy it!
#3 RESISTANCE AWARDEDThank you to young Minnesota readers! RESISTANCE has won the Maud Hart Lovelace award in Division II (Grades 6-8). This is a tremendous gift and honor, and I am so thrilled. Every book in that category was of superior quality and any of them deserved the win, but this is especially exciting because of what that book represents to me.
The teenagers of Akiva, who fought against the Nazis, didn’t fight to win – they knew they never would. They didn’t fight to survive – they knew their odds weren’t good. So their only purpose was to earn their three lines of history. Three lines in a history book to remember who they were and what they tried to do.
Young Minnesota readers, you gave them a piece of that noble goal with this award. Thank you.
#4 WORDS ON FIRE AWARDEDAlso of great excitement to me is that WORDS ON FIRE received an Honorable Mention for the Lectio Book Awards. This award seeks to honor high quality books for young readers, and is voted on by students at participating schools all over the country.
My warmest thanks to the committee for nominating WORDS ON FIRE, and to all those who voted for it.
And….that’s it, for now. Phew – that was a lot!
April 5, 2021
Join me on Zoom, April 15th!
As an FYI, on April 15 at 7 pm EST, I’ll be doing a Zoom Webinar with author Joanne Levy. I’ll be talking about RESCUE, or whatever. She’ll be talking about her latest novel, THE SUN WILL COME OUT, or whatever. She’s an awesome lady and so if you want to tune in, I think you’ll enjoy it. We are also doing prize giveaways too. If you want to join us, here’s what to do:
Pre-register HERE.On the same page, you can submit questions in advance for a chance to win a bonus prize.Get your link, and then we’ll see you on the 15th!In other news…well, there may be other news soon and it might be cool. Deep in your gut, you know what you think it is, and you’re probably right.
Stay tuned…
March 7, 2021
RESCUE Book Chat 6: Misc. Questions
This is the final video posted in celebration of the release of RESCUE. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
I promised to do a giveaway for those of you whose questions I answered. The winner of that is Mrs. Fitz’s Library! Thank you all for your questions though – they were really hard to choose from.
If you’re interested in ordering a copy of RESCUE for yourself (or any of my books), here are a few links you can use:
If you want a signed book from me, please order from The King’s English. In the notes or comments section at checkout, please tell them you want this book to be signed AND if you want your name in it, tell them that name too. I’ll sign it and they’ll ship it!
March 4, 2021
RESCUE Book Chat 5: The Author Career
And in celebration, today’s video discusses the career of an author. Thanks to those of you who asked such great questions. One more video is still to come on Sunday.
If you’re interested in ordering a copy of RESCUE for yourself (or any of my books), here are a few links you can use:
If you want a signed book from me, please order from The King’s English. In the notes or comments section at checkout, please tell them you want this book to be signed AND if you want your name in it, tell them that name too. I’ll sign it and they’ll ship it!
March 2, 2021
RESCUE is Released! (And Book Chat 4!)
Here is the Goodreads summary:
Six hundred and fifty-seven days ago, Meg Kenyon’s father left their home in France to fight for the Allies in World War II, and that was the last time Meg saw him. Recently, she heard he was being held prisoner by the Nazis, a terrible sentence from which Meg fears he’ll never return. All she has left of him are the codes he placed in a jar for her to decipher, an affectionate game the two of them shared. But the codes are running low, and soon there’ll be nothing left of Papa for Meg to hold on to at all.
Suddenly, an impossible chance to save her father falls into Meg’s lap. After following a trail of blood in the snow, Meggie finds an injured British spy hiding in her grandmother’s barn. Captain Stewart tells her that a family of German refugees must be guided across Nazi-occupied France to neutral Spain, whereupon one of them has promised to free Meg’s father. Captain Stewart was meant to take that family on their journey, but too injured to complete the task himself, he offers it to Meg, along with a final code from Papa to help complete the mission — perhaps the most important, and most difficult, riddle she’s received yet.
As the Nazis flood Meg’s village in fierce pursuit, she accepts the duty and begins the trek across France. Leading strangers through treacherous territory, Meg faces danger and uncertainty at every turn, all the while struggling to crack her father’s code. The message, as she unravels it, reveals secrets costly enough to risk the mission and even her own life. Can Meg solve the puzzle, rescue the family, and save her father?
If you’re interested in ordering a copy of RESCUE for yourself (or any of my books), here are a few links you can use:If you want a signed book from me, please order from The King’s English. In the notes or comments section at checkout, please tell them you want this book to be signed AND if you want your name in it, tell them that name too. I’ll sign it and they’ll ship it!
Today’s book chat video discusses outlining and the dreaded first draft. Enjoy!
