Jessica Therrien's Blog, page 26

The Buzz: The Hobbit Movie

Maybe everyone in the world has seen this preview but me...I don't know. I'm just so flippin' excited about it!! Too bad all of the movies I'm excited about aren't coming out for a REALLY long time *cough* Divergent *cough* Blood Red Road!! ERG.

If you haven't seen The Hobbit Trailer, here you go :) It will be out December 13, 2012!



What book to movie awesomeness are you waiting for?

Live.Laugh.Love...Poems

I am a huge poetry lover. In fact, I started writing poetry before I ever started thinking about writing books. I never pursued publishing. They're sort of something I like to keep secret, but I thought I'd share some that I didn't write, some of my favorites. You've probably heard of them, but if you haven't, you're lucky. I remember the first time I read these, and they left me with such an amazing feeling...enjoy.

i carry your heart with me
i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)
- E.E. Cummings

Sonnet XVII
I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

- Pablo Neruda  Ithaca
When you set out for Ithaka
ask that your way be long,
full of adventure, full of instruction.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon - do not fear them:
such as these you will never find
as long as your thought is lofty, as long as a rare
emotion touch your spirit and your body.
The Laistrygonians and the Cyclops,
angry Poseidon - you will not meet them
unless you carry them in your soul,
unless your soul raise them up before you.

Ask that your way be long.
At many a Summer dawn to enter
with what gratitude, what joy -
ports seen for the first time;
to stop at Phoenician trading centres,
and to buy good merchandise,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensuous perfumes of every kind,
sensuous perfumes as lavishly as you can;
to visit many Egyptian cities,
to gather stores of knowledge from the learned.

Have Ithaka always in your mind.
Your arrival there is what you are destined for.
But don't in the least hurry the journey.
Better it last for years,
so that when you reach the island you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to give you wealth.
Ithaka gave you a splendid journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She hasn't anything else to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka hasn't deceived you.
So wise you have become, of such experience,
that already you'll have understood what these Ithakas mean.

- Constantine P. Cavafy 
What are some of your favorite poems?

Writing World: Book 2 Update

Happy Wednesday friends :) So, I've been getting a lot of questions about the status of Book 2 in my Children of the Gods series. I thought I'd give you all an update...

Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who has emailed me about the sequel to Oppression, to all of you who wrote in your reviews that you couldn't wait for the next one, to those who scoured the internet for a release date posting the question with hopes of an answer. I'm so flattered that you are that excited about it!

I have good news. I'll be announcing the release date and the title shortly! My publisher and I are narrowing down a date, and the draft title seems to be sticking. Should I dare mention that I recently viewed the first draft of the Book 2 cover?! Ha! So exciting...

I guess I should give you an update on the manuscript as well...you know, the meat of the novel...the stuff you REALLY care about ;) It's so close to done it's not even funny. The first draft was completed a while ago. I think I announced that in April or May. I'm now in the editing phase, and though I imagine there will be two more drafts, there won't be any huge changes. I'm just working on deepening the character development, patching any holes, tightening up the scenes and dialogue. You know...fun stuff :)

So there you have it. Good things are coming and I can't wait to share all of it with you!!

Where are you in your writing world?

The Buzz (Bonus!): The Perks of Being a Wallflower Trailer

...and here's a little extra nugget of awesome...

Get More: Nina Dobrev, Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, 2012 Movie Awards, New Movies

The Buzz: The Host Movie Update

So you all know I'm super excited about The Host movie coming up. Have you read it? If you haven't, what are you waiting for? To be honest, it was one of those books that took me a couple of tries to finish, but don't be like me. Just read it all the way through!

The first time I picked it up, I was immediately confused (you're kind of supposed to be)...Being the kind of person who needs to know what is going on in every moment of books, movies, etc., I got irritated and put it down. BIG mistake. I got pressure from friends to give it another go...so I did.

This time I made it to almost the end. I ate it up. It was incredible. Then Stephenie Meyer got the characters in such a pickle I was sure it was going to be one of those endings that leave readers unsatisfied or disappointed. I thought...there's no way she can end this in a way that will make me happy. So I put it down, yet again...much like Romeo & Juliet, I stopped the story before the ending so I wouldn't be disappointed (In my mind, Romeo & Juliet never die, they just live happily ever after until the end of time).

After more pressure from my friends, I finished the book, and WOW. It's been years since I've read it, and I still remember how blown away I was. Great book. Great characters. Great idea. Great ending.

Anyway...the movie is coming out on March 29, 2013. Can't wait!!

Who is excited??? MEE!! Check out these interviews!

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Live.Laugh.Love...Stay At Home Author

After 4 years of working at a water district in San Diego, and numerous random careers prior, life is pointing me in a new direction...and I'm not complaining. After the end of the month I will officially be a stay at home author, watching over and caring for my "book babies" (as there are no real babies yet to care for...but soon maybe).

For those of you wondering if I up and quit my day job to be a full-time writer, no, I didn't. Budget cuts meant the low men (or women) on the totem pole got laid off this year. I was one of them.

Any other time I might be sad or worried about the future, but sometime things happen for a reason. Life or God or the universe says, "hey, you're not supposed to be doing what you're doing...let me help you." So I'm finding myself excited about being a stay at home author. It really is the perfect timing. My first "book baby" Oppression has already been born, and the next is on the way. With foreign rights deals in the works and a promising YA series ahead of me, I feel like it's exactly what is supposed to happen. In fact, I needed it to happen. I was so busy trying to fit in work, life, writing, cleaning, cooking, reading, blogging, etc., I was starting to think I'd lose it pretty soon.

So...I'm gearing up for the ride. It should be a fun adventure. Here we go!

What things have happened for a reason in your life lately? Any crazy adventures that turned out to have the perfect outcome?

Writing World: Editing...sigh

So who completely spaced their Monday blog posts due to 4-day-weekend awesomeness? ME. Sorry guys...

In writing news, I'm in full blown editing mode with Children of the Gods, Book 2. I forgot how hard this editing thing is...yeeesh. I think I've said in a few interviews that editing is my least favorite/the hardest part in my writing process. It is, however, the most rewarding. Once it's over it feels really really really good, but staring down the editing gauntlet ahead is scary. The second time around it seems harder. This time, I know exactly how much work is involved, and the idea monkey in my brain is kind of being a little punk. He's saying..."oh no no no...I know what's coming. Not falling for it this time, lady."

I don't know. I guess a sense of resistence is expected. It's almost like I'm greiving for the original MS, even though I know it's not perfect, not ready, not complete. It's still the original, my blood, sweat and tears on paper. It hurts a little to deem it not worthy, but of course it isn't. No first draft ever is.

I'll admit I am being slightly melodramatic. My Book 2 manuscript actually got really great feedback. The content edits are minor with hardly any plot changes. It won't be as hard as editing Oppression. But...this process is always emotional for me, no matter how minor the revisions.

Thanks for letting me vent, friends! AND special thanks to my wonderful friends Holly & Shelly for helping through this! What would I do without you?

Any advice on how to get motivated and tackle my edits? How do you handle the editing process?

Writing World: Interviewed by Scripts & Scribes

Happy Friday everyone! I usually post something a little more personal on Fridays, but I've been meaning to post this interview for a long time now. It's actually very exciting for me, so I'm not sure why it's taken me so long. I was a guest on Scripts & Scribes! It was my first "radio-like" interview where I had to think of answers on the spot and talk about my book instead of write about it. Much different, and far more exhilarating. Thanks so much to Kevin and Krista for having me on their show! Below is the link to my Scripts & Scribes author page and to the episode that aired sometime last week.
We talk to Oppression author, Jessica Therrien about writing a young adult series, getting published without an agent, working with a mid-sized publisher, and her typical writing style. 

Scripts & Scribes - Podcast - Episode 14

Writing World: Jessica Swap!

Hello blogger friends! I'm really excited to introduce to you, Jessica Sorensen. Today we'll be doing a "Jessica Swap." She'll be taking over my blog, and I'll be taking over hers. Fun idea, right? One Jessica for the other. Jessica has been really successful in self-publishing her books, so I thought you'd all be interested in what she had to say. Here is a little more about her and her books:
Jessica Sorensen lives with her husband and three kids in the snowy mountains of Wyoming, where she spends most of her time reading, writing, and hanging out with her family. She is the author of the Fallen Star Series and the Darkness Falls Series.
Author links:
Jessica Sorensen's Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter Book links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads

For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she’s around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life.

But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma’s life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn’t be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.                        

                         

When the disease spread through the world, people had no choice but to go into hiding. The Colony is hidden deep underground, far away from the vampires—humans that were transformed by the disease. The vampires are hideous, starving, and they will kill any human they come across. Seventeen-year-old Kayla is a Bellator, a warrior that protects The Colony. In order to survive, there are three rules she must follow: Rule #1—Never go out after dark. Rule #2—Always carry a weapon. Rule #3—No matter what, never EVER get bit. But what happens when the rules Kayla has always lived by can no longer apply?                      
The Highers run The Colony and accept nothing less than perfection. One slip up can mean death. Kayla has always worked hard to follow the rules and strive for perfection. But during a moment of weakness, she lets her imperfections show. Her punishment is worse than death. She is chosen for The Gathering and is thrown out into a world full of starving vampires.
No one has ever survived The Gathering, at least that’s what Kayla’s been told. But when she runs into a group who insist they were once part of The Gathering, Kayla discovers the Highers have been keeping secrets. Secrets that could lead to a cure.

Hi everyone! I’m Jessica Sorensen, author of the Fallen Star Series and Darkness Falls. I want to give a quick thanks to Jessica Therrien for having me as a guest!
I was asked to talk about self-publishing, so I’ll start with why I chose the Indie route.
After I finished writing The Fallen Star, I sent out query letters to agents, but it never went anywhere. One day when I was browsing through kindle books on Amazon, I stumbled across a few YA authors who had published books themselves. That’s when I began researching self-publishing. I discovered there were some amazing Indie Authors out there, who are really successful. But I didn’t jump right into it. In fact, my “researching” went on for months, but this was more because I couldn’t make up my mind. Eventually, I had to make a decision. I could either keep sending query letters or publish my novel on my own. In the end, I really wanted to get my story out there. So I went the Indie route. I’ve never regretted my decision. I love being an Indie Author!
I was also asked to talk about how I managed to be so successful.  When I chose to self-publish, I didn’t expect much. I knew it was going to be difficult to get my name out there, since I was doing it on my own. So I went in hoping, but not assuming. But I promised myself I would try my hardest.It didn’t come right away. The first few weeks
2. I added my books to Goodreads and listed giveaways.  This helped a tiny bit.

3. I try to release a book every 3-4 months. Yes, it nearly kills me to do it, but I love to write, so the sleepless nights are completely worth it.

4. I’m also involved with my fans. I hold giveaways, post teasers, and keep them updated on release dates and upcoming projects. Fans are truly amazing and they helped spread the word.

So there’s my story (well, the short version of it). I hope it helps. I also want to mention that Jessica is featured on my blog today. She talks about some fun writing tips, so you guys should check it out.


Here's a little extra juicy detail: Regina Wamba from Mae I Design http://www.maeidesign.com/ does all Jessica Sorensen's covers. Jessica says she's really talented and great to work with.
So how did you like our Jessica Swap? Was that fun, or what?

The Buzz: Insurgent

After almost a month of waiting, I FINALLY got my hands on Insurgent (the sequel to Divergent) by Veronica Roth. My local Barnes & Noble was continuously sold out, and every time I'd leave empty handed I'd tell myself...they'll have it in a few days. Eventually I just had to order the dang thing, that's how fast it was flying off the shelves. Veronica announced on her blog a few weeks ago that it was the #1 New York Times Bestseller, and today...it STILL is.

So what did I do after I got my hands on this new YA craze-favorite book? I couldn't read it. Okay, I read the first chapter, then I just got really worried about what I would do when it was over, haha! I'm a very very picky reader, and when I find good books that inspire me like Veronica Roth's books do, I savor them, because once it's over, it's over. Then what?!

I've since read chapter one about 3 times, but haven't moved on. I will...I want to, trust me. I just...really want it to last.

So...who has read it? Was it awesome? Better than book 1? Don't you dare say a word of what happens, but I'd love to hear your reactions.