Jennifer Anderson's Blog, page 10

Jingle Balls...I mean Bells

Sorry I've been away for a bit. Honestly, I'm trying to do more with my family and holiday stuff. In keeping with the mood, I'm sure you saws the Kmart Jingle "Bells" commercial. If not, take a gander.

When I saw this commercial for the first time, I went to FB to make sure others saw, as well. Days later, the media was all over it, with claims of people feeling offended. Really? And while I'm not offended, nor, do I feel like the male movement has received any blows, I can understand how one might feel "offended" or put off.

1. Jingle Bells? Sure, try those moves with like 12 Days of Christmas.
2. Women everywhere flocked to Kmart to buy Joe Boxers only to find their husbands were still uncoordinated.
3. Excited for musical pants, men across the country were disappointed to find that they still didn't have rhythm and their pants didn't "ding" when they walked.
4. Tuxedo manufactures were outraged because their sales of pants declined.
5. Tie manufactures boycotted the commercial because it promotes bow ties.
6. Victoria Secret models were a little miffed with the competition demanding bells on their boobs.
7. Hand bell choirs are feeling the pressure.
8. We won't be able to look at a yellow smiley face again.
9. Lovers of the Hershey Kisses playing We Wish You a Merry Christmas are upset causing them to stuff their faces with the chocolately goodness.
10. Santa isn't happy because the number one item on many female (and male) Christmas lists is a Joe Boxer Jingle Balls performer.

Happy Holidays!

Catching Fire Movie

Remember when you saw New Moon (Twilight Saga) and were blown away. Even though you loved Twilight, New Moon, in terms of quality of film making, was leaps and bounds above movie one? Catching Fire was like that for me! It was FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!


Don't get me wrong. Hunger Games was by far not the same indie produced budget Twilight was but Catching Fire, in my opinion, blew it away. I don't know if the sophomore release was easier for the cast because they knew what to expect from each other or the fact, that unlike Twilight, CF kept the same director. As much as I liked HG, triple that for my reaction after CF.
If you didn't read the books, then don't keep reading. But if you watched HG and don't plan on reading the books (shame on you!), keep reading.
Our game winners set out on their victory tour and you can still feel the tension Katniss feels for winning and her "fake" feelings for Peeta. She's threatened by Snow to be more convincing when it comes to her new romance. He feels their romance will keep the districts contained but let's be honest, their romance didn't set things into motion, or maybe it did. Maybe it was seeing someone fighting for their life, literally, give up their own for another that set the districts in motion. Read into it and conjure your own theories. Either way, chaos breaks out and in an attempt to keep the peace or show who's boss, they hold a Quarter Quell which is supposed to weed out the weak. Little does Kat know that there is a secret plan which will ultimately throw the 12 districts into war but not before Kat confesses that she needs Peeta.
And this my friends has me counting down until The Mockingjay releases! Man! My mind raced with scenes the entire night forcing me to evade sleep. The costumes were wonderful. The drama thick like pea soup and the smattering of kisses was enough to keep you until the next ones. There was only one part from the book that wasn't featured in the movie but I don't think it had any affect.
I'll be honest, I enjoyed the books and watched HG with interest, never feeling the same craze I got when I went to see Eclipse or Breaking Dawn but my fan-dom has been thrown into overdrive. I even considered not seeing CF last night because my interest wasn't as strong. I'm glad I didn't back-out and I'm thinking I might re-read the books.
Have you seen it yet? What did you think?

All on the Same Page book signing and you!

First off, I'd like to thank Holly Gilliatt for joining me and Robin Tidwell from All on the Same Page for her support. Holly and I had a great time and feel we've made a friend with this indie bookstore.

Do you have a book releasing soon and not sure how to schedule book signings? I'm not sure how it works with agents or even big publishing houses but for indie, small and self pubs, the process is pretty much the same.

Create a list of all the bookstores in your area. Then think outside the box. Gift shops, coffee shops or even cafes with possible wine nights. And then start making calls. Keep in mind, most of your guests will be family and friends so don't schedule one every week for a month. Most of the big name authors do one per city on their book tours. And while I'm sure your book is great, your family might get tired of attending. Make sure to book the event far enough in advance so you can gather some PR from local agencies.

Next, create a press release announcing your signing and send that baby out to local press. TV, radio, on-line and print (yes, there is still print out there). Wait a week and then follow-up. I suggest, if you have a connection with a smaller area, personalize your release. For example, I graduated from high school about 25 minutes from my house now, so when I contacted those papers, I made sure to include that fact. Smaller papers like to give props to a townie.

Holly and I were lucky enough to video a spot for a local cable station. If you get a chance to do a live interview, remember to bring a copy or two of your book. They make great thank you gifts and you can use them as props.




A week or two prior to your event, contact the venue. Make sure all your ducks are in a row. If they ordered your books, are they in? If you ordered then, are they in?!

Plan to bring candy or something beside promo material to your signing. Holly brought mint chocolates because her book had a St. Patrick's Day theme and I brought plastic jeweled rings for my Honey Creek Royalty series. Although, I did wear a precious spider sparkly ring for Spider.



Make sure you bring plenty of pens. You don't want to assume the venue will provide any.

When the day arrives, make sure you have your smiley face on. Author friends of mine always suggest bringing support staff who can walk the store and talk up customers. I've never done this but its not a bad idea. If you have a mailing list, bring a sign up sheet.

If you have any tips to share, please leave a comment and happy signing!

The Naked Truth

Today, I was featured on STL Live, a local government funded cable station featuring St. Louis happenings. A fellow author and STLer, Holly Gilliatt, and I are doing a joint signing this Saturday at All on The Same Page.

For a few weeks, Holly and I discussed outfits and make-up, hoping we didn't look washed out or too big to be on TV! Plus, we didn't want our clothes to clash.

In order to make sure I had the right make-up and enough time to get my face on today, I prepped last night, looking more like a call girl than the stay-at-home mom face I normally wear. The entire experience has been rather revealing and not in the good, sexy way.

I'm 36 years old, a fact I normally forget. So I'm not old but I'm no spring chicken, either. I learned that the creases in my forehead are profound. I have crows feet and bags with bags beneath my eyes! Traits I never thought I was inflicted with. When asked what I'd fix about myself, I'd say my weight or the fact I don't have a butt. Now, I'm adding several more items to the list.

Would I take back the interview? No. Would I try to put on my make-up with my eyes closed? Maybe!

Have you ever done something and thought, "Holy crap. I look like that?"

If you'd like to watch my video, check-it out on YouTube. *closes eyes*

It's Official.

I am officially registered with NaNoWrimo. *breaks out in a nervous sweat*

Here's my synopsis (keep in mind, it is rough and brief):
Lucas Shaw returns home after being wounded in battle. All his hopes of proving himself and making his family, and his only love, proud drip down the drain. 

Sarah Holmes never felt complete since that long day standing on at the departure gate. Never would she imagine their kiss good-bye would be her last. Years pass along with bad choices and men she'll never give herself completely to. 

When Sarah and Lucas meet again after four, long years, are the fires still burning? Lucas wants to love her like she deserves but he's afraid too much time and not enough words build a wall between them that he's not sure should be taken down. She'll be better without him and his problems. 

The past fills Sarah with hope but she knows Lucas is hiding a part of himself from her. Until her boyfriend from college shows up and forces her hand, Sarah realizes that heart left on that same plane some many years ago and she doesn't intend on getting it back .

Healing and discovering can bring these two together if only Lucas knows how to use the keys Sarah gave him to her heart.

I have been planning this novel in my head for about 6 months but could never start due to edits and finishing a New Adult novel. Everyday, this story lingers. New scenes. Shared moments. Harsh words. It's all in my head and in two days, I can begin the journey of bringing it to paper. 

Nervous? You bet but starting on something new is such a rush. Excitement boils over and I make time to write and plan. 

I've written a lengthy outline this year, something I don't normally do, and I'm hoping this keeps me on track. I've recently picked up a new project so I'm concerned about the amount of time I'll be able to give this new story. I predict many long nights and early mornings. 

Bring on the coffee!

Are you participating this year? Have you registered? Share with us your thoughts? Are you a newbie? Seasoned veteran?

Murder by the Seaside by Julie Anne Lindsey

Julie is not only my writer bestie but she is a dear friend and I'm a fan of her writing. This author has introduced me to mystery, something I wouldn't normally pick up. Her characters are clever, dear, warm and snarky! Love, love, love them! 
I would place Murder by the Seaside right up there with the Stephanie Plum series. I think we will see more great things from this author and list of characters!


Book Description: 
Armed with a new counseling degree, Patience Price is eager to move back home to Chincoteague Island to help folks with their problems. But she finds the streets awash in more than East Coast charm. There's been a murder, and Adrian Davis, the town golden boy who once stomped her heart into a zillion pieces, is the main suspect. Now he's on the run, claiming he's innocent. Patience finds this…poetic. Not that she holds a grudge.Adrian's mom is sure that with her FBI background Patience can find the truth. Yes, she was at the FBI—in human resources. Still, she looks into it, but not everyone is happy with her snooping. Either that, or the welcome wagon has some bold new policies involving drive-by shootings.Things really heat up when a hunky former coworker, an actual FBI agent, arrives to help. But he may be too late; the quaint island harbors deadly secrets—and Patience is running out of time.
"I loved every minute of this delicious whodunit! Murder by the Seaside is one of those mysteries that grabs hold of you and won’t let go. From the sparkling landscape to the brilliantly drawn characters, Julie Anne Lindsey has created something very special! Plan ahead. You will want to devour this book in one sitting!"  -Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author of the Charley Davidson Series 
Linky-loo

Paying for fan fiction rant...sort of.

Apparently there's an erotic book series out there that is based on Twilight. Well, I haven't read the book (not that I'm a prude) but I've heard that if it is, it's a stretch.

I've recently purchased an e-book for a series that sounded a lot like a certain motorcycle TV show that I'm obsessed about watching. Now, while I can't seem to stop purchasing the books in the series (I've only bought 2 out of like 10) I can't help but wonder, should I really be paying for fan fiction.

I have nothing with people that write FF. I mean, there is some really creative stuff out there. I did, years ago, stumble across a racy story pulling characters from Twilight and placing them in a rather juicy story. Now, while the character names where the same the story line was WAY different and not YA at all. And I didn't pay for it. It was a free read. The writer told a very good story that sucked me in and it was free. There is an entire website (or 2) that offer FF for free.

And maybe I loved the story because of my Twi love, who knows but now, I can't help but wonder if I should pay for FF. They aren't made to be completely original ideas, especially the story I've currently read. Should I continue to pay when there are hundreds of thousands of original works out there? Is it fare to those of us who struggle with writing new stories that grab a readers attention.

And don't get me started on the price of the very short story. Let's save that for another day.

What are your thoughts? Are you a FF fan? Should writers charge for non-original words?

I'm all ears.

So You Think You Can Write

Have you ever heard of WattPad? Its this place where you can read free books, but unpublished free works. Authors can use it as a marketing tool or newbies can use it to hash out ideas. The concept is interesting.

Harlequin is running a contest on WattPad where they are looking for the next New Adult book to sign. I'm participating and I could use some votes. 

Here's the linky-poo to my submission, Need To Know. 

 Jessica Crispin, survived her first year of college, only to return home to discover a long lost grandfather has died, leaving her with a large inheritance. The only catch? She needs to find her mother and go through her criminal father to get the answers.
 A box of letters sends her out on a string of road trips to find her mother. In steps Jackson King to change a flat tire and her entire love life. With him at her side and in her bed, she discovers more secrets and the strength she needs to face her mother.
So if you find your self with something to do, head on over, give a read and a like. I'd appreciate your support! 

November is approaching fast.

I know what you're thinking. You think just because I mentioned November that I'm actually going to chat about the holidays. Well, you'd be wrong. Who wants to think about spending more money on things we don't really need when we can't afford the stuff anyway?

No, I'm thinking about NaNo. You know, write a novel in a month. I'm already receiving emails about kick-off parties and group sessions. I've never attended and don't plan on it because, honestly, I'm not sure what good it does to sit around talking about how I plan to pull a 50K word novel out of my butt in 30 days. But hey, some do and more power to ya.

This will be my third year, if I participate. Year 1 book is now sitting with a friend who's giving it a read-through. A rough read because I haven't touched it. My thought? Does the idea suck? Is it editing worthy?

Book 2 is my August release, My Brother's Wedding. I cranked that baby out and then edited my butt off for the 9-month turnaround. It was also my first attempt at anything other than YA.

As I write this, I'm still not sure I want to play again. The baby is a year older but it seems my other family commitments have grown. The boy is playing on two soccer teams, both kids are doing volleyball and then there's the homework which is never stops coming ( I thought the kids were in school; not me).

But the pull of challenging myself and seeing if I can still do it is strong. I have a story idea brewing; something I've wanted to start for awhile but do I have the time. Do I have desire to stay up late and stress out when the numbers fall short one day?

While I hash out my pros and cons list, I have to know. Are you participating this year? Do you have an outline ready to go? How many years have you played? Any after success?

Deceived by Julie Anne Lindsey

If you're a regular you might recognize Julie's name. She's been on here before and I'm a fan. I even have the jacket.

Well, she's at it again with her YA Suspense, Deceived.
Doesn't this cover just scream creepy!

Well, you won't be deceived...the inside is creepy.

Ever since she could remember, Elle has had to hop from town to town to keep up with her dad's demanding career as a corporate insurance agent. Each time, a reoccurring nightmare followed her wherever she went--until the day that the frightening figures haunting her at night became all too real. When news of a serial killer spreads throughout her new school, Elle worries that the Reaper has been leaving her his calling card in the form of cigarette butts on her doormat and an unusual ribbon in her locker. With the help of Brian, a boy she meets at a flea market, she discovers that this isn't her first encounter with the murderer and that her father has been concealing her true identity for the past twelve years. But despite her father's desperate attempts to protect her, Elle still comes face to face with the darkness she has been running from her whole life. Trapped in the woods and with help hundreds of miles away, will Elle be able to confront the Reaper and reclaim the life she lost?

Available September 18thon Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository and more.

Guys, I've read this book and I'm not a big chicken. I don't think I'll ever look at discarded cigarette butts the same or little pumpkins.

If the book cover and blurb don't get you, how about a book trailer. A group of crazy kids from Kent State put together a trailer for their alumni member. Click the link above and make sure you don't watch it with the lights out!





About the author:Julie Anne Lindsey is a multi-genre author who writes the stories that keep her up at night. In 2013, Julie welcomedFind her online:Tweeting her crazy @JulieALindseySoothing her book obsession on GoodReadsPinning the pretty on PinterestTumbling lamely on TumblrBlogging about books and writing at Musings from the Slush PileFacebook