Corrine Jackson's Blog, page 9

PUSHED Cover Reveal, Web Refresh, New Services, and a Contest!

Hi Everyone,

I have so much news that it’s nearly impossible to contain it all in a single post. First off, I finished writing  my fourth novel, SPLINTERED, which is Book Three in the Sense Thieves trilogy (scheduled to pub in April 2014). Plus, I have a cover for PUSHED, a new website, new services to offer young adult writers, and to top it all off, I’m having a contest.

PUSHED Cover Reveal

I’m so, so excited to show everyone what the cover is going to look like for PUSHED. I LOVE this cover. I LOVE the model. I LOVE the colors. I can’t wait to get my copy of this. PUSHED is Book Two in the Sense Thieves trilogy, and it will publish in the US on November 26, 2013. Are you ready?

For more information about PUSHED, click here.

Web Refresh

As you can see, things look a bit different around here. Aside from the look, there are going to be some major changes, including new monthly and weekly features. Here’s what you have to look forward to!

Marketing Mondays

The first Monday of each month I will be discussing different marketing tactics for publishers and writers. Some weeks I will be preparing case studies of new releases and offering up launch solutions to help spark ideas for authors. If you are a debut young adult author and would like to be considered for a Marketing Monday case study, please use my contact form to let me know.

Tuesday Writing Tips

Every Tuesday I will be offering up a different editing or writing tip. You can subscribe to my blog to be notified about new posts.

Wednesday Writer’s Vocabulary

Have you ever found yourself struggling to offer critiques because you don’t know the lingo? Every Wednesday I will be defining a different writing or editing term and providing practical examples from novels and short stories.

Thursday Bookanistas Book Reviews

On the third Thursday of each month, I will be posting a Bookanista review. This isn’t a new thing, but I’m going to be posting more frequently than before to help spread the word about books that I love.

New Publishing Services

I’m now going to be offering the following services:

Manuscript consultation
Book launch consultation
Online workshops
Speaking engagements

Learn more

The Contest

To celebrate all of these happenings, I’m having a massive contest. I’m going to be giving away:

(2) Signed Copies of TOUCHED
(2) Signed Copies of IF I LIE
(2) Manuscript Consultations (first 10 pages only)
(1) Online Workshop pass (good for entry into one workshop)
(1) Book Launch Consultation (only for eligible debut authors)

Due to the high cost of shipping, the contest is eligible for US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookanista Review: WAIT FOR YOU

Here is the official blurb from Goodreads:

WAIT FOR YOU by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)  

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

****

I’m still a newbie when it comes to reading books that fall into the New Adult category, but if  I had to guess, I would say this book is a perfect example of the category.

Avery is a college freshman. She’s living in her first apartment, on her own for the first time, and experiencing those things you do as a freshman. She makes new friends, meets a boy, and tries for that thing that many of us do when we leave behind the people who know us – she reinvents herself. Avery has a great reason for wanting to leave her past behind and become somebody new. She’s left a horrible experience behind in her past. There are two things that I particularly loved about this book: the romance and the realization that you can’t run from your past.

Cameron is a brilliant hero. He’s sweet, charming, feels like a real guy, and is hot to boot. He gets frustrated by Avery’s issues, even though he tries to support her. I found that real. She hurts him sometimes, and he’s not afraid to show it, even tossing out some attitude. That too was real. I think it made him the perfect counterpart for Avery. He’s a good guy, and she changes when she meets him. She ends up wanting more for herself and has to deal with the past she left behind in order to move on. The chemistry between these two is sizzling, but it’s also emotional and on point. And I loved the supporting cast of friends that they had around them.

I do have a couple of minor critiques with the book. The first is that the book could have done with some editing. There were a LOT of typos, and you could tell that a copy editor hadn’t touched it. This is one of the reasons that I’ve had an aversion to reading self-pubbed lit (though I’m giving it more of a try). Every time I hit a typo, I was yanked out of the story. The story is so great that these errors do it a disservice. On a story-related note, I’m not sure I found the antagonist’s actions completely believable. The emotions driving the actions? Yes. The actual actions? Not so much. Without giving away spoilers, I’ll say that when the antagonist is revealed I was thrown because the actions didn’t line up with the person.

This book was a fantastic read and reminded me of my freshman year in my first apartment. I was sucked in and read it in a single sitting, and I can’t wait for the second book in this series. If you like Colleen Hoover or want to dip your toes in New Adult, this is a great book to start with.

Find it on Goodreads.

***

Check out the links below to see what the other Bookanistas are talking about!

Tracy Banghart  is tantalized by TOUCHED by Corrine Jackson

Katy Upperman  adores IMPOSSIBLE by Nancy Werlin

 

Stasia Ward Kehoe delves into THE RITHMATIST by Brandon Sanderson

Reader’s Choice – What Content Interests You?

A few weeks from now, I’m going to be redesigning this site. Before I get started, I would love to hear what type of things you would be interested in. One person will even win a $25 Amazon gift card. See below for the rules. Thanks in advance for your feedback!

 

Bookanista Review: HOPELESS

Here is the official blurb from Goodreads:

HOPELESS by Colleen Hoover

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

****

I bought this book because of the sheer number of high ratings it had on Amazon. And I was seriously blown away.

The chemistry between Sky and Dean explodes off the page. Hoover captured the experience of falling in love in a way that broke my heart a little, patched it up, smashed it, and then put it together again. I loved these characters, and I loved how they interacted together. Dean’s a bit bad boy, and there’s a lot of mystery around him. At times, he veers into scary boyfriend land. But Sky had a back bone and stood her ground, and eventually we discovered the reasons for the way Dean acts.

I was also intrigued by Sky. From the outset of the book, she describes feeling disconnected from intimacy. Two people manage to smash through that – her best friend and Dean. Sky is focused. She’s a runner, but you wonder what she is running to or from in the book. When Sky begins public school for the first time, her reactions were real and honest.

My main complaint with the book would have to do with the fallout after the big mystery reveal. Without spoilers, I will say that once is solved, I felt like the teens stopped talking like teens. The dialogue became a little too perfect like a psychologist’s words had been put into the kids’ mouths. After a strikingly emotional novel, it took a turn into an after school special, and I found myself disappointed – like the author wanted to say the right things in a very sensitive situation, rather than letting the characters make mistakes and say the real things.

Overall, I loved HOPELESS, and I’ve already picked up Hoover’s other book, SLAMMED. I think contemp readers who like books about real teen problems mixed with romance will love HOPELESS.

Find it on Goodreads.

***

Check out the links below to see what the other Bookanistas are talking about!

Tracy Banghart revels in ROMEO REDEEMED by Stacy Jay

Jessica Love gets lost in TAKEN by Erin Bowman

Stasia Ward Kehoe connects writers with WriteOnCon

Shannon Messenger celebrates upcoming spring reads

TOUCHED Trilogy News

Hi Everyone,

I have news. So. Much. News. Monday was the official release day for the German edition of TOUCHED 2: Die Schatten Der Vergangenheit.

And to make things more exciting, Thienemann Verlag is offering up 10 copies for bloggers to win (German only – details here).

I can’t wait for the book to be available in the US. The bad news… It will be a bit of a wait. The good news… I can now tell you the titles and release dates for books two and three in the trilogy.

PUSHED (Book 2 in the Sense Thieves Trilogy) – releases December 2013
SPLINTERED (Book 3 in the Sense Thieves Trilogy) – releases April 2014

I know, I know. That seems like a long time to wait. A year between books is pretty typical, though. The good news is that you don’t have to wait a whole year for SPLINTERED to come out.

Stay tuned for more news to come!!

Corrine

101 in 1001: Part Deux

The Background:

Three years ago, on January 1, 2010, I wrote a 101 in 1001 post on my blog. A recent transplant to San Francisco, I was depressed, lonely, and worried that my writing was an empty dream. I’ve always failed at New Year’s Resolutions, but the Day Zero Project appealed to me. The idea is to complete 101 tasks in 1001 days – kind of like a short-term bucket list. The challenge ended for me in September of this year and, to be completely honest, I hadn’t peeked at my list in some months. In fact, many of my goals had changed so much that some tasks on my list were no longer appealing or applicable to my life. Others (like the one where I challenged myself to talk to my dad before it was too late) were somewhat bittersweet seeing as how my dad passed away in 2011 before I’d made good on that task.

But, at the end of the day, I finished 37 of my tasks and half-started another 15. If you’re a math person, that means I didn’t even make it through half my list. Still, as I read through those goals, I felt this great sense of accomplishment for what I’ve achieved. Do you know what a few of my biggest tasks were?

Get an agent.
Write a second book.
Write a third book.
Get a book published.

When I wrote those goals down, those items seemed so lofty and unattainable, but I decided to put them down in writing anyway, declaring my intention to the world and – more importantly – to myself. And now, every single one of those tasks is checked off my list. How awesome is that? As for those things I didn’t accomplish, I’m okay with that, too. A person changes in 1001 days, and that’s exactly what happened. My desires changed, and in some ways, I outgrew my bucket list.

Still, putting my goals in writing worked out for me so well, I’ve decided to do another 101 in 1001 challenge.

The Mission:

Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:

Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days? 

Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date: Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Deadline: September 29, 2015

My List over at Day Zero Project.

My 101 in 1001 List

Writing/Reading

1. Write a fourth book

2. Write a fifth book

3. Write a sixth book

4. Organize a writer’s retreat

5. Teach a writer’s workshop or class

6. Get on a bestseller’s list

7. Do a Spalding Alumni trip

8. Plan an East Coast book tour

9. Make it into Amazon’s Top 100 books

10. Memorize a favorite poem

11. Finish NaNoWriMo

12. Read 150 books

13. Beta read for ten people

14. Write something that scares me

15. Apply for a grant

16. Read 10 nonfiction books

17. Ask friends to suggest 10 books to read and read them all

18. Submit to crit group regularly

19. Plan a local author event

20. Go to the RT Conference

Cooking/Food

21. Learn to make macarons

22. Bake whoopie pies for Kari

23. Cook an Indian meal from scratch

24. Try ten restaurants I’ve never been to before

25. Have drinks at the Top of the Mark

26. Do an Off the Grid dinner night

27. Do a Gift Card Relay Dinner with Friends – Appetizers/Dinner/Dessert at 3 different restaurants

28. Try the Lemon cookie ice cream at Three Twins Ice Cream

29. Eat an exotic donut at Dynamo Donuts

30. Have a girl’s night at The Dessert Bar

31. Have dinner at the Toast Eatery

32. Learn how to cook a new dish each month

T ravel/Playing Tourist

33. Travel to Ireland for a writer’s retreat

34. Ride in a cable car

35. Go to Alcatraz

36. Visit Oregon, Maine, or North Carolina

37. Ride in a hot air balloon

38.  See the Northern lights

39. See a Shakespeare in the Presidio show

40. Go to a professional football game

41. Go to a Giants game

42. Take a road trip

43. See the Grand Canyon

44. Visit Yosemite National Park

45. Go to Comic Con

46. See the parrots on Telegraph Hill

47. Slide down the Seward Street Slide

48. Drive down one of the steepest streets in town – either 22nd between Vicksburg and Church (Noe Valley) or Filbert between Leavenworth and Hyde (Russian Hill). Both have a 31.5% grade

49. Visit Grace Cathedral’s labyrinth

50. Go to a sing-a-long at the Castro Theatre with friends

51. Do a crit group movie night

52. See the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown

53. Go bowling at the Presidio Bowl

54. Do a weekend trip to Sonoma

55. Travel to Washington DC to see the sites in IF I LIE

Home

56. Pay off my car

57. Clean out my closet and dresser

58. Clean house at least once a week

59. Draft a living will

60. Organize filing cabinet

61. Spray paint my fan to make it look vintage

62. Get curtains for the living room

63. Get a new bed skirt

64. Make a peek-a-boo lamp shade

65. Purge belongings and do a Goodwill trip

Health

66. Start Weight Watchers

67. Take vitamins every day

68. Get to my goal weight

69. Work out 3x a week

70. Get laser eye surgery

71. Drink 8 glasses of fluids every day for at least one month (to get into habit)

72. Be asthma-free for six months

Personal Growth/For the Fun of It

73. Do a 30 day photo challenge (Pinterest)

74. Go to a concert

75. Decorate dishes with Sharpies

76. Decorate a Christmas tree

77. Carve a pumpkin

78. Get a tattoo

79. Fall in love

80. Let an injustice go

81. Learn to play the “Cups” song

82. Grow my hair out

83. Sing karaoke at a bar

84. Learn to knit

85. Invite friends for a slumber party

86. Learn French

87. Interview someone for the Veterans History Project

88. Read the entire Bible

89. Learn to play a song on my guitar

90. Take a free online class

91. Send flowers anonymously to a friend in need

92. Take a photography class

93. Go to a midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show

94. Make 5 crafty things

Pay it Forward

95. Buy coffee or a meal for a stranger 5x

96. Do 3 random acts of kindness

97. Release 5 books into the wild with inspirational messages inside

98. Pay it forward on the Bay Bridge

99. Send books to soldiers or veterans

100. Start a new 101 in 1001 list when this one is completed

101. Plus one secret goal. Nope, I’m not telling.

2012: The Year of WTH Just Happened

2012 passed in one, big, ginormous blur. Here are some things that happened this year.

Wrote and edited TOUCHED 2
Went to a lot of conferences (BEA, ALA, NCTE, ALAN Workshop) for the first time
School visits and bookstore visits galore
Graduated with my MFA in Paris (July)
Visited Germany to meet the readers (July)
Launched TOUCHED in Germany (Feb) and then in the US (Nov)
Launched my debut novel, IF I LIE (Aug)
Began working from a home office in Sept (day job)
Began writing TOUCHED 3 and another WIP
Vlogged for the YA Rebels, reviewed for the Bookanistas, and wrote a gazillion interviews and guest posts
Participated in the Class of 2k12 and the Apocalypsies
Read 85 books
Back-to-back Change Write Now health challenges

I’m still reeling from everything that happened this year. I didn’t spend a lot of time letting things sink in or reflecting on them. I wish I had because sometimes really amazing experiences passed me by with nary a celebration. I hope to do a better job of slowing down to enjoy things in 2013. Here’s to a fresh beginning for the new year!

Tomorrow, be sure to return to check out my new 101 in 1001 post!

Winter YA Scavenger Hunt

 

Welcome to the Winter YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize–one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am on the BLUE TEAM–but there is also a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of twenty-five signed books!

If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE


Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the red team, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!).
Entry Form: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.
Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by December 2, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.



SCAVENGER HUNT POST

 

Today, I am hosting JULIE CROSS on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt! She is the author of the TEMPEST series, including the latest book VORTEX. Here is her bio:


Julie Cross’s Bio
Julie Cross lives in central Illinois with her husband and three children where she works as a YMCA Gymnastics Program Director She never considered writing professionally until May 2009. Since then, she hasn’t gone a day without writing.



Find out more information by visiting Julie’s website here or go buy her books immediately here!



EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FROM JULIE CROSS 

TEMPEST: the first book in a young adult trilogy that follows nineteen year old, Jackson Meyer as he races through time…literally to save the life of his girlfriend, Holly and learn the truth about his past.

A note from Julie…

Since I’m hoping the Scavenger Hunt will help me to gain brand new Tempest fans, I wanted my exclusive content to not be a spoiler for those who haven’t read Tempest but also somewhat interesting material for those have read the book.

So, today, I’ve included an entry from the diary of Holly Flynn, my main character Jackson Meyer’s main love interest in the trilogy. Holly’s diary entries are not part of the actual series. It was more of a writing exercise gone mad for me and now the page count is well on it’s way to 400 pages. This entry falls the day after Jackson and Holly had their first kiss (which is a scene included in Tempest). If you check out my youtube channel, I’ve actually recorded myself reading the first three entries in Holly’s diary.

Also: Tempest paperback edition releases in the US on December, 11, 2012 and Vortex (Tempest

#2) releases on January 15, 2013 in the US.

Just a little set up: These entries written by Holly take place during her final months of high

school and the summer when she takes a camp counselor position, computing from New Jersey

to NYC everyday where she meets fellow counselor and Upper East Sider and secret time

traveler, Jackson Meyer.

The Super Secret Diary Of Holly Marie Flynn

June 23rd, 2009

When I get to camp this morning, I have no idea what to expect from Jackson. I almost feel more

nervous than last night. We kissed. One incredibly hot, amazing kiss last night. We established

nothing. Decided nothing. So yeah, today’s weird.

It’s not until about an hour before lunch, that I actually catch Jackson’s eye, up close. He smiles

a little and then Brook comes over to ask him where he went last night.

He shrugs and says, “Home . . . early.”

She doesn’t push for more info, but she does catch me watching them. I look away as fast as I

can and then during lunch, I purposely sit by myself and burry my nose in a book so I don’t get

bombarded with questions from other girls or look desperate to kiss a certain boy all over again.

And I totally want to.

Eventually, Jackson plops down in front of me and eyes my container of grapes. I slide it in his

direction and he picks up one and tosses it into his mouth. “Holly?”

I lower my book to look at him. “Yeah?”

“How do you feel about French Poetry?”

“What?”

He smiles. “I’m going to this kinda lame, coffee house poetry reading tonight, more by force

than actual choice, but I thought it might be your scene.”

I laugh and toss my book into the grass. “I love listening to literature I can’t understand.”

“You mean people actually understand poetry?” he jokes.

“So far you haven’t really convinced me. I need more info . . . like why are you even going?”

“It’s for my online summer course. I opted to write the paper rather than perform aloud, but I

still have to show up for participation credit.”

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll go.”

He steals another grape and grins at me before getting up. “Cool.”

Cool? Not, damn I hope we share another totally mind-blowing kiss?

We both have a late day and don’t even clock out until six. Jackson is nothing but friendly when

he asks me if I want to grab something to eat on the way. We eat veggie burgers while walking

to this coffee shop and when we get there, it’s already full of college students. Jackson sits down

on a couch near the front and the second I plop down next to him, he whispers, “Be prepared for

the most lame experience of your life.”

That gets me to relax a bit and I lean back and watch this nerdy guy walk up to the microphone

and start speaking in French. I glance at Jackson and say, “Are they going to translate or

something?”

He shakes his head. “Trust me . . . this one’s better left alone.”

“What if I want to know?”

I nudge his shoulder and his arm goes around me. Then his mouth is right next to my ear, giving

me goose bumps everywhere, “I managed to make every trace of human hope vanish from my

mind. I pounced on every joy like a ferocious animal eager to strangle it.”

“That’s pleasant,” I mumble.

“I did warn you.”

He doesn’t move his mouth from my ear, but instead of translating poetry, he nods toward the

girl in front of us, who’s texting someone and starts guessing what her message says. At least

half the students have their phones out, messing around. So he continues making up humiliating

messages, some quite vulgar, and whispering them into my ear while I sit there trying not to

laugh out loud.

When the last student performs, it doesn’t seem like an hour has passed. I also feel more keyed

up and excited than I should after listening to all those depressing, monotone poems.

Jackson strokes the back of my neck with his fingertips and I turn my face toward him. For

a minute, it’s like we’re alone on the couch, in this crowded place. Then I hear someone

say, “Jackson Meyer? Is he here tonight?”

Both of us turn our heads and see an older woman standing in front of the microphone holding a

stack of papers. Jackson’s face turns slightly weary and he lifts a hand half way in the air.

The woman nods and smiles. “It’s nice to put a face to all these papers I’m grading. That’s the

trouble with online courses. Very little personal contact.”

Jackson slides away from me and I continue to watch his face carefully.

“Anyway, Mr. Meyer wrote a beautiful and very original short story and I’ve made copies for

everyone if you’d like to see. I couldn’t convince him to read for us today, but perhaps he’ll

allow me permission?”

My stomach twists in knots on Jackson’s behalf. This is one of those situations where he’s been

completely backed into a corner and saying no would only make it worse. The weary expression

fades, replaced by a more impassive one and he nods.

The Professor lady pushes her glasses to the end of her nose and looks down at the paper. “What

I love about Mr. Meyer’s piece is the beautiful, yet subtle emotion. Not to mention his use of

authentic, conversational French slang proves his ability to move beyond the text, something we

all should work to achieve.”

Everyone seems to be listening more intently than they have all evening, like they’re already

predicting the serious tone. Except this one girl, leaning against the wall. She’s sort of exotic

looking with light brown skin and silky dark hair. She snorts loudly and then turns it into a

cough. The girl is closer to me, so Jackson doesn’t seem to notice her. When I look over that

way, she’s watching him.

The professor begins reading Jackson’s paper and he sinks back into the couch cushion, holding

on to his impassive expression. I don’t understand a word of what she’s reading, but I’m totally

engrossed just listening to the sound. I’ve never wanted to understand French more than I do

right now. The lady reading aloud even sheds a few tears, but it might be more for dramatic

purposes. She totally seems the type to do that.

The second she’s done and copies start drifting amongst the students, Jackson pulls me up from

the couch. “Ready to go?”

The girl in front of us hands me a copy and Jackson plunks it from my fingers and gives it back. I

open my mouth to protest but the Professor woman is right behind Jackson, tapping his shoulder.

She practically pounces on him, speaking in English first and then switching to French. He’s

blushing. Actually blushing. And now I’m dying to find out what he wrote. I whisper to him that

I’m going to the restroom and creep my way around, looking for a stray copy. I can feel someone

behind me, watching and decide to actually go in the restroom in case Jackson’s also watching

me. I stand in front of the sink, putting on more lip gloss. The door opens and in walks the exotic

girl who laughed earlier. She’s in front of the mirror, too, adding another layer of pink lipstick to

her mouth.

“That was totally lame, wasn’t it?” she says.

I shrug and say, “It was tolerable.”

She doesn’t speak to me anymore and I leave the bathroom and snatch the first copy of Jackson’s

poem or whatever it is, lying on an abandoned chair. I watch the back of his head as I fold it

carefully and tuck it into a zippered pouch in my purse. From the corner of my eye, I can see the

girl from the bathroom staring at me. She saw my super sneaky behavior. It’s too late to take it

back. But what would she think? That I’m some kind of girl who keeps a creepy scrap book of all

things Jackson? And why the hell was she watching me like a stalker?

What if she has a past with him? Or something along the lines of stuff I didn’t want to think

about.

Jackson catches my eye and looks relieved to see me. He grabs my hand and pulls me out of the

coffee house, saying a quick goodbye to his teacher.

“Um . . . well . . . that was . . .” he stammers and his cheeks turn a little pink again.

“Interesting?” I finish for him.

He shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “I was going to say, not at all what I had

planned.”

His humiliation is so real it hits me right in the gut. I decide to rescue him from discussing this

further, for now anyway, and I plop down on a bench behind us and tug on his arm so he sits

beside me. I don’t really have anything cool that I planned on saying to lighten the mood, so I

turn myself so we’re facing each other and ignore the fact that he can’t seem to make eye contact

right now.

I brush my fingertips over his cheeks and feel the warmth from his blushing. Several emotions

flicker across his face, like he’s not sure if we’re about to have a heart-to-heart or something

and I know he doesn’t want that. He’s suffered enough for one night. I lean forward and kiss him

on the mouth. I only meant for it to be quick and distracting, but a whole day of thinking about

last night, all the build-up of a second kiss, takes over.

His hands are on my face, his tongue dancing in my mouth and we’re so close, but it’s not close

enough. Suddenly, I have this strong desire to remove every single barrier between us: secrets,

fears . . . clothing.

Kissing Jackson versus kissing Toby, David, Brian . . . well there’s truly no comparison.

After I don’t know how long, the tension in his arms and his hands seems to melt away, likes he’s

completely relaxed. His lips rest against mine. His breathing slows down and one of his hands

drops from my cheek to my waist.

Just as I’m digging for something to say that doesn’t completely reflect what I’m really thinking,

he kisses the side of my face and then my neck. My eyes close again and this intense heat

envelopes me. He’s slowly, tenderly seducing me, but I’m not sure he even realizes it. And I love

that Jackson, the guy who almost always knows exactly what he’s doing, has stepped out of his

costume for a while and is walking through this moment just as blindly as I am.

The reasonable part of my brain takes over again and I mumble, “Jackson, maybe we should–”

“Take a tour of my apartment?” he says then immediately lifts his head and gives me a sheepish

grin. “I totally didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

I can’t help smiling. “I was going to say . . . maybe we should go home . . . separately.”

His expression turns into this fake-serious look. “Oh . . . I completely agree.”

“Of course you do.” I force myself to stand and put some distance between us. “I have to be up

again in eight hours so I really need to go.”

He stands in front of me and puts his arms around my waist. “Don’t you ever worry about taking

the subway alone, late at night?”

“I’ll be fine . . . I could text you in a few minutes. Just so you know I’m still alive.”

“Deal.” His hands drift to my face and he kisses me again. “I need to ask you something but you

have to promise you won’t laugh.”

I rest my hands on top of his and close my eyes. “I promise.”

“Can you loan me some money for cab fare? I left my wallet at camp earlier and all I had was a

twenty in my pocket, which I spent on dinner.”

Of course I start laughing, but then I open my wallet and hand him a twenty dollar bill. “Don’t

you have a car service you can call or something?”

He shrugs. “I don’t like my dad to know where I am every second of the day.”

I can totally understand that, but is he trying to hide the fact that he’s going out with me, an

average girl? He did introduce me to his dad last night. Of course we ran into him on accident…

He takes the money from my hand and holds it between his fingers. “I’ll tell you what . . .

let’s make a trade . . . you loan me money today and you can come to the Mets game with me

tomorrow . . . sit in the sky box… all you can eat and drink. I might be able to snag a close up

seat for batting practice.”

“Seriously?” Okay, that sounds too good to be true.

“Yep, but you’ll have to meet me at the Stadium because I have a doctor’s appointment

tomorrow and I won’t be at work.”

“Deal . . . and I’m leaving now.”

The train ride home seems short in comparison to others because I texted Jackson the whole

time. Here’s the real version copied from my phone.

Holly: Im still alive

Jackson: good to know but why does this money smell like u?

Holly: b/c my peach body splash spilled on my wallet

Jackson: speaking of wallets… would u mind bringing mine to the game tomorrow?

Holly: only if u give me one hint

Jackson: hint?

Holly: whats your poem about?

Jackson: its tragic and sob worthy but also fictional

Holly: isnt it supposed to be?

Jackson: maybe but I made it sound like it was real

Holly: hmm…yeah not really convincing me. Forget I asked. But why did u want me to come

with u tonight if it was lame and there was a chance of public humiliation?

Jackson: b/c I wanted to hang out with u and I needed to make an appearance 4 my class

Holly: I seem to be lacking in sarcastic remarks

Jackson: well, until tomorrow…

Holly: yep, see ya tomorrow

That’s all I’m getting from Jackson for now: tomorrow. As for all the other days… I have no

idea.

Love,

Holly

And don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, hosted author’s name, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is:

 53

Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you’ll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT



To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next site via author JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT!




AND ANOTHER CONTEST…
You have the chance to win a signed copy of TOUCHED or one of three swag packs.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUCHED Launch Week

Hi Friends,

TOUCHED is out this week! To celebrate, I’ll be all over the place in the next couple of weeks. I hope that you can join me for any of these activities.

TOUCHED
(Available Nov. 27, 2012)

Mundie Moms Blog Tour

Mundie Moms is hosting a blog tour for TOUCHED this week. Be sure to look out for the posts to get a behind-the-scenes peek at TOUCHED, plus there will be lots of prizes.

Goodreads Contest

There’s still time to enter the Goodreads contest for a chance to win a signed copy of TOUCHED.

Monday, November 26:

School Visit (students only) – Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana, CA
Barnes & Noble Signing at 6PM. Address: 11090 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Tuesday, November 27:

School Visit (students only) – A.B. Miller High, Fontana, CA
TOUCHED Launch Party at 7:30 PM, Mysterious Galaxy, Redondo Beach, CA.

 

Saturday, December 1:

Debut Book Party from 2-4 PM, SCBWI Regional Beyond the Bay Program, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1924 Trinity Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Tuesday, December 4:

TOUCHED SF Launch Party at 7 PM, Green Apple Books, 506 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA 94118.

 

Thursday, December 6:

School Visit (students only) – Social Media presentation at San Jose State.

German fans:

TOUCHED has made it into the finals for “Best Cover” in the Lovelybooks awards. To vote, please click here.

For more information on TOUCHED, click here.

Paranormal vs. Contemporary

My YA contemporary novel, IF I LIE, debuted on August 28. Now, in just fourteen days, TOUCHED, the first novel in a YA paranormal romance trilogy, will be releasing on November 27. The question that I get asked most frequently during interviews and on panels has to do with which genre I prefer writing in most – paranormal or contemporary. Here is my very long, drawn out answer.

Paranormal romance novels have a certain kind of structure to them.  Readers have an expectation going into them. There’s a hero, a heroine, (sometimes a love triangle), and lots of romance with an expectation of a happy-ever-after at some point in the novel or series. Readers also expect some otherworldly element to the story, whether it includes magical, fantastical, or other phenomena that is beyond our every day understanding or scientific explanation. Did I understand all of these rules when I set out to write TOUCHED? Not in an “I studied them” kind of way, but more in an “I’ve been reading paranormal romance since I was thirteen” kind of way.

Having those rules as a jumping point both frees me up and binds me. First, it’s exciting to try to come up with an original take on an otherworldly element. In a way, it can be terrifying to have to plot out a whole novel. The “rules” (reader expectations?) for a paranormal romance offer you a narrative spine to your story. I can come up with a crazy world with magical powers, but the story is still going to have some aspect of boy meets girl and they fall in love despite hella obstacles. There is comfort in that as a writer and a reader. I can have a crappy day, sit on my couch with a paranormal romance, and know that I’m going to see two people fall in love.

Which brings me back to my comment that those rules can also be binding. As a writer, I want to come up with a wholly original story, but if I stray too far from the structure (say I have an unhappy ending), readers may be ticked off. On the other hand, you also have readers who read a lot of paranormal romance and tire of the familiarity that they note between stories. How often have you heard paranormal romances compared to Twilight? If you asked a gathering of YA authors (of all genres mind you) if they’ve seen their work compared to Twilight, almost all of us would raise our hand – mainly because that novel was the entrée into paranormal romance for a lot of readers. (Please watch this video.) For me, my entrée into paranormal romance came with novels by Maggie Shayne, Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, and (oh, man, I still love A Knight in Shining Armor) Jude Deveraux.  Whatever your entry point into the genre, there are similarities between these types of books, mainly having to do with the romantic aspects of the story. What can I say? I understand the complaints, but I don’t have an issue with them. When I open up a paranormal romance, I want the romantic leads to get together. I want them to flirt, have setbacks, and eventually lavish love on each other. I’ll even go so far as to say I EXPECT it and am disappointed if an author veers from this. (As a side note, to some degree, I believe paranormal novels follow Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey,” which is a post unto itself.)

The other aspect of paranormal romance that I’ve discovered is that it is often plot-driven. Yes, you want vivid characters and settings. But at the end of the day, the “paranormal” aspects of the story and that romantic structure create a forward movement to the story that doesn’t happen in the same way with contemporary novels. The pacing is faster in paranormal novels. There is more action and movement. More getting from point A to point B. To be honest, I love this kind of writing. I get a kick out of writing action scenes. I like imagining bodies in a space and trying to relay what’s in my head onto the page. The pacing means that the writing flows faster. My paranormal romance novels are in the 96,000-101,000 word count range, but they take about 3 – 3 ½ months to write. My contemporary novel falls into the 65,000 word count zone, but it took all of six months of serious sweating to write. Why the difference?

Contemporary novels have no structure to follow. There is no backbone, except for basic storytelling principles and even those can be fudged. And, in my case, my contemporary has more literary language. I spent more time crafting the sentences, sometimes applying poetic techniques like repetition or anaphora, and listened to the way the language sounded so that I could create a rhythm to the piece.  The focus of my contemporary work has been on characters, rather than plot. There is less action, and more time spent in the character’s head. I think this type of storytelling has a way of putting the spotlight on the language. A paranormal romance sweeps you into the action and romance. A contemporary, or more specifically, a literary contemporary, is often quieter, tripping along at a slower pace. You sink into the characters. The change becomes more internal change – something other characters may not even see – as opposed to external change (ie. new powers, abilities, becoming a vampire, etc.) That’s not to say that a paranormal novel can’t have some aspects of a literary contemp or vice versa, and no way are these universal rules. But they are things that live in the back of my head when I write.

For me, writing a contemp can feel like ripping my guts out and hanging them out in the wind. The writing can be like pulling teeth, and it can frustrate me with how slowly it unwinds out of me. But then I write a line that feels so perfect I want to celebrate, and the angst fades away. More of me slips into those quiet moments in the book, and it can be both painful and beautiful. Plotting the story takes longer, too. Without that narrative spine that paranormal romance offers, I feel unsteady, trying to weave together moments to make sense. Perhaps I even craft with more care.

Then I turn to a paranormal romance work, and I type away with satisfying speed. The action plays like a movie in my head, and I’m transcribing it to the page. Right up until I hit a disastrous world building speed bump that I didn’t know I’d placed in the road. I spend hours charting how the rules of my world work and confuse the hell out of myself. But then I get to write that kickass action scene followed by that delicious love scene that I’ve been waiting for as much as my readers might. Those days feel really great.

So which do I prefer? Ask me any day and my answer will change. I’m just lucky that I get to write in both spaces.