Jessica Therrien's Blog, page 34

The Buzz: Hunger Games Posters

Hey all! Life has been a bit crazy lately (in a good way) so for today's YA Buzz post I'm sticking with something simple. I haven't had time to dig around for the juiciest gossip on The Hunger Games Movie, but there were a few fun posters I came across. Enjoy!

The New Movie Poster


District Logos






Have you heard anything new about the Hunger Games Movie? Do you have any juicy YA book gossip to share?

Live.Laugh.Love...Did I mention Oppression has a cover?!

You know those weeks where everything just keeps getting better and better? This was one of those weeks. The main reason being that I got a first look at the preliminary cover of Oppression! If you follow me anywhere else, you probably already know that. I've been blabbing the news everywhere I can because I'm so dang excited I can't stand it. No matter how many people say, "don't judge a book by its cover," everyone does. The cover is what makes you pick up a book and buy it. It has to be good, and every author's fear is that it won't be, that it won't do their book justice.

Thankfully ZOVA Books isn't like most publishers. They listened to me. They took my suggestions and ideas and worked their magic making it their own. Most authors don't get final say on the cover, some don't get any say. You hold your breath and take what your publisher gives you. Of course you can whine and kick and cry and scream if you hate it, but for me there will be none of that. I absolutely LOVE the cover. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling I had when I saw that email in my inbox and clicked on the attached photo. For me it was the moment that would make or break all the hard work and love I put into the book, the first impression, the face of the novel that everyone would see and judge. I had no idea what to expect. When the picture came into view, my jaw hit the floor. It was perfect. Brilliant. Better than I could have ever imagined.

I still can't stop staring at it. They NAILED it. I am SO HAPPY!

Stay tuned for the cover reveal! Hopefully that will be soon. I'll keep you posted.

What good things are happening in your life? Whether Christmas related, family related, or writing related, what has brought you happiness this week or month?

The Buzz: Goodreads Choice Awards

Congrats to all of the 2011 GoodReads Choice Award Winners! I'm so happy Divergent won Best Book. It was definitely my favorite read this year. I've posted some of the other books that won, but you can view the full list of winners here. Some of the books I hadn't even heard of, which means I'll be adding them to my to-be-read pile. If anyone has read any of the books that won, please let me know how you liked them in the comments or leave a link to a review. Thanks GoodReads and thanks to everyone who voted!

Also, check out the interview with Divergent author Veronica Roth...
Favorite Book of 2011 & Best YA Fantasy and Science Fiction
Best Fantasy
Best Paranormal Fantasy   
Best Young Adult Fiction
Best Fiction

Road Trip Wednesday: How far would you go to get published?

Road Trip Wednesday is a 'Blog Carnival,' where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.
We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link -- or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic: 
We writers can form quite an attachment to our characters and stories. But we also know publishing is a business, and sometimes to make it in said business--to really build a career from it--we have to bend a bit. How far would you go to break into the publishing world?

When ZOVA Books signed me, they loved the concept of Oppression and my writing style, but no manuscript is ever perfect. Working directly with my publisher (with no agent) meant that I was coming to them with a manuscript that had not been reviewed or critiqued by an industry professional. The only feedback I'd gotten was from friends and relatives, which meant I knew there would be requested changes.Now, ZOVA signed me before sitting me down to work through the weak spots in my story, so I wasn't making crazy changes to please someone who didn't believe in me. ZOVA has believed in me from the beginning. When they provided their critique, a list of weaknesses and suggested changes, I accepted them, but I'll admit….I cried. After I cried, I worked really hard and re-crafted the lackluster parts of my story. Looking back, I am so thankful for their advice. Sometimes we fall in love with parts of our stories just because we wrote them, not because they help the plot along. In writing, we're only supposed to take what we need to survive, right? Don't be a Princess Vespa. What is it she says in Spaceballs… 

Source
  "It's my industrial strength hairdryer! AND I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT!"
Sometimes we need editors, agents, or publishers to come at us with tough love and give us that reality check.



What I've learned is that people in the industry (or at least the people with ZOVA) are smart. They know what they're doing and their feedback is honest. Now, that isn't to say you should completely re-write your story because someone in the industry is telling you to (especially if they aren't invested in you) but my point is, there is a lot to be learned from that kind of feedback.ZOVA has not only believed in me along the way, they have been a great teacher, advisor, friend, mirror, critique partner, and genius publisher. They've helped me grow as a writer, and for that I am so grateful.

So how far would I go? I'd say I'm willing to be open to new ideas, suggestions, and advice about the details of my novels, as long as in the end, it's still my writing, my work, my creativity, and my story.

What would you do if a publisher, agent, or editor asked you to change your novel? Would you be open to it or say no thank you?

The Buzz: Blood Red Road Sequel & Movie

You all must know by now that my latest book obsession is with Blood Red Road by Moira Young. I'm reading it slowly (like always) taking in every perfect word. I'm sure my husband is a little tired of hearing me announce after every sentence, "I'm telling you! This book is sooo good."
"Yeah. I know. You've mentioned that…" (about 15 million times).
SourceAfter deciding to get Blood Red Road for everyone I know (with Christmas being a great excuse) I went into B&N expecting it to be all over the shelves. I guess either nobody knows about this book or EVERYONE does, because it wasn't there! I was shocked…so naturally I ordered a few dozen to the store. Get it together B&N, people need this book.
Much like Divergent, I am hesitant to finish it. Books that make me excited like this are rare. I'm always afraid I won't find anything as satisfying once it's over. In the meantime, I've started digging for Blood Red Road news. 
The sequel, I've learned, is titled REBEL HEART and should be out sometime in 2012! According to Ms. Young, who is still fine-tuning, the final draft is to be delivered by the end of the month...Wahoo!
AND...let's talk movie rights. Ridley Scott's production company was smart enough to snatch them up while they could. There isn't much other than that, but IMDB is listing the date as 2014 (sigh). That's too far away in my opinion.
What's the buzz in your book world? Any news, good books, movies you're excited about?

Live.Laugh.Love...Writer Friends

SourceOkay, I'm going to be honest. I'm super blog-lazy right now. Forgive me if this isn't the world's best post. Lazy or not, I have to thank the universe for giving me writer friends. What would we do without them? They're the ones who actual listen when you feel like venting about plot frustrations, talking about character development, or when you have to tell someone about the amazing scene you just wrote. Most people will put up with your writer-ranting for a while, but the writer friends REALLY listen and connect, because they know. They know what it's like to pour your heart and soul out onto the page, how much work it is, how hard yet satisfying it can be when you make progress. And when you say, "Hey Holly, can you read these 30 pages real quick?" She doesn't groan or make a face like, 30 PAGES, do I have to? No. She says, "OF COURSE! Yay, I can't wait!" I mean, lets be honest here. Not many people are willing to do that for you (aside from mommies, sisters, and besties) but writer friends will, because they are a special kind of wonderful. Not only will they read that 30 pages, they'll read it again. AND AGAIN....with honest feedback, and corrections each time.

So, thank you writer friends:

SourceHolly Kammier - author of Could Have Been Holly Wood
Christian LaMonte - author of Talis Springs
Candace Walsh - Ms. Poetic Brilliance
Allison Rogge - The World's Strongest Woman (and brainstorming extraordinaire)
Janet Jackson (no not the singer...but just as bad ass) - My Biggest Fan
...and of course Molly the Magnificent and the rest of the ZOVA magic makers.


Thanks for everything you do! I LOVE YOU WRITER FRIENDS!

What have your writer friends done for you? What makes them so awesome?