Jessica Therrien's Blog, page 4

ARCs of CARRY ME HOME are here!!

Some of my best memories from childhood are of summer vacations. Now that my nieces are in school, I'm reliving some of those moments. My sister and her kids flew in for a week visit and my mom came to join us. We had a day of family BBQ and pool time before the husbands took off for Vegas to let us fully enjoy some girl time with the kiddos. It. Was. A. Blast!

Not only did we go to Legoland, Rockin' Jump trampoline park, and on many other fun adventures, but we all got to take a break from being wife...scattered toys were left on the floor, we stayed in pajamas all day, and dinner was done on the fly (wherever and whatever we could come up with last minute...).

Another awesome thing about being together was that print ARCs for CARRY ME HOME arrived while they were here. Getting to see one of my books early is always a thrill, but CARRY ME HOME is OUR book. My mom and sister both helped me write it. Using pieces of our lives, we all wove together memories of a difficult time in our past to create a fictional novel. So we didn't just get to hold one of my books in our hands. We got to hold OUR book (in paperback AND hardcover!! YAY!).

Seeing it for the first time while we were together was really special.

Oh...and for those wondering about the answer to the cover reveal question. It was #3 - The girl on the cover is my niece! Isn't she sweet?!




What a wonderful summertime visit! How is your summer going?

Cover Reveal - CARRY ME HOME by Jessica Therrien

Today is the day the world gets to see the beautiful cover of my new book, CARRY ME HOME! I've been DYING to post it. YAY! I feel like I get to blab a big secret I've been keeping.

I hope you like it as much as I do :)

Just for fun, one of the following things is true about the cover. Which one is it??? Can you guess?

1.         The pic was taken on my family’s ranch                                2.          It took us 3 hours to get the butterfly to land on her finger                                          3.         The girl in the picture is my niece



“A riveting page-turner…Jessica Therrien broke my heart into a million pieces—and then put it back together again. This book will haunt and uplift readers long after they turn the last page.”

-KAT ROSS, best-selling author of The Midnight Sea
CARRY ME HOME is a fictional novel inspired by the true story of a teenage girl’s involvement in several Mexican gangs in San Jose and Los Angeles. The members of her crew call her, Guera, Spanish for “white girl” and it doesn’t take long for her to get lost in their world of guns and drugs.
* * *
Lucy and Ruth are country girls from a broken home. When they move to the city with their mother, leaving behind their family ranch and dead-beat father, Lucy unravels.

They run to their grandparents’ place, a trailer park mobile home in the barrio of San Jose. Lucy’s barrio friends have changed since her last visit. They’ve joined a gang called VC. They teach her to fight, to shank, to beat a person unconscious and play with guns. When things get too heavy, and lives are at stake, the three girls head for LA seeking a better life.

But trouble always follows Lucy. She befriends the wrong people, members of another gang, and every bad choice she makes drags the family into her dangerous world. 

Told from three points of view, the story follows Lucy down the rabbit hole, along with her mother and sister as they sacrifice dreams and happiness, friendships and futures. Love is waiting for all of them in LA, but pursuing a life without Lucy could mean losing her forever.

Ultimately it’s their bond with each other that holds them together, in a true test of love, loss and survival.

IWSG - CARRY ME HOME

Hello! If you haven't heard of the IWSG, I encourage you to join. It's a wonderful network of authors and bloggers. Today the question posed is this:

Have you ever said "I quit"?  If so,  what happened to make you come back to writing?
It couldn't be more fitting. The book I'm preparing to release, officially titled CARRY ME HOME, started as my sister's novel over ten years ago. In her youth, she experienced some crazy things and the book started as a therapeutic release of that dark time in her life. She stopped at about 40 pages, but somehow it ended up in my hands (with her permission of course).

That was the first "I quit" moment. It was so unbelievably brutal and shocking that I couldn't finish reading it. Most of what she'd written were memories of things I had no idea actually happened to her when we were teenagers. She lived in her world and I lived in mine.

But the truth is a hard thing to ignore. Eventually I did finish it, and as a writer, I couldn't help but recognize the depth of the experience and the amount of growth that had occurred in her as a person (and as a character) in this unfinished book.

I felt inspired and amazed at what she'd gone through and the person she'd become in spite of it all. The three of us (my mother, sister, and I) set out to finish her story. They gave me memories, and I weaved them into a fictional novel. Re-living one of the hardest times in all of our lives was difficult, and I'd say all three of us quit more than once. It has taken years for us to get through the whole process.

The one thing that kept us going was that true darkness and pain yield powerful stories. This is ours.



C A R R Y    M E    H O M E

Release Date: 9-26-17

“A riveting page-turner…Jessica Therrien broke my heart into a million pieces—and then put it back together again. This book will haunt and uplift readers long after they turn the last page.” -KAT ROSS, best-selling author of The Midnight Sea

CARRY ME HOME is a fictional novel inspired by the true story of a teenage girl’s involvement in several Mexican gangs in San Jose and Los Angeles. The members of her crew call her, Guera, Spanish for “white girl” and it doesn’t take long for her to get lost in their world of guns and drugs.
* * *
Lucy and Ruth are country girls from a broken home. When they move to the city with their mother, leaving behind their family ranch and dead-beat father, Lucy unravels.
They run to their grandparents’ place, a trailer park mobile home in the barrio of San Jose. Lucy’s barrio friends have changed since her last visit. They’ve joined a gang called VC. They teach her to fight, to shank, to beat a person unconscious and play with guns. When things get too heavy, and lives are at stake, the three girls head for LA seeking a better life.
But trouble always follows Lucy. She befriends the wrong people, members of another gang, and every bad choice she makes drags the family into her dangerous world.
Told from three points of view, the story follows Lucy down the rabbit hole, along with her mother and sister as they sacrifice dreams and happiness, friendships and futures. Love is waiting for all of them in LA, but pursuing a life without Lucy could mean losing her forever.
Ultimately it’s their bond with each other that holds them together, in a true test of love, loss and survival.

*  *  *  *  *
If you'd like to participate in the cover reveal, blog tour, or virtual release party, please fill out the form below! Thank you so much in advance!!


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The Loneliest Whale Board Book Release!

YAY!! My first children's book, The Loneliest Whale, is finally available as a board book. I couldn't be happier about how it turned out!

Now my littlest can enjoy the book without ripping out the pages, lol.

For those of you who haven't heard the true story of The Loneliest Whale, click HERE to learn more. He's a real whale who calls out at a frequency no other whale can hear, and they're coming out with a documentary on him this year!

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AS
Ebook - Paperback - Boardbook - Coloring Book www.LoneliestWhale.com
                                                             

My New Book

Hello everyone! I'm so glad this is IWSG day because I'm feeling totally and completely insecure right now, lol.

IWSG - Link to WebsiteSo...I wrote a new book. I've gone through edits, beta readers, polishing. I even formatted the dang thing for pint. I mean, it's READY. As you may know, I'm one of the founders of Acorn Publishing. I have all the means necessary to market and release the book whenever I want, but at Acorn we have one rule. Give yourself and your book a shot at the big time before you publish through us. Try and get the agent and the major publisher. That way you have no regrets. You'll never wonder...what if I had tried?

That's where I am. I've queried agents. I've had a bunch of full manuscript requests, and now I'm playing the waiting game. It's TORTURE!

The worst part is there is nothing I can do to move forward. I'm just stuck in this limbo and the entire situation is out of my hands. There are two options and I'm not the one making the decision...If an agent makes me an offer, obviously I'll take it and ride the wave as far as it will take me. If not, I'll move forward on my own with Acorn.

But how long do I wait? I'm not a patient person...

I guess this is a good problem to have. I should be grateful. Either way I'll be releasing a book soon. Unless, of course, an agent signs me and takes forever trying to sell it, and then doesn't sell it...see what I mean about being insecure? If an agent does take on the book, I'm going to have a really hard time giving up control. Any advice on how to deal with the waiting and anxiety over waiting?

See you on your blog :) I'm going to try running through the #IWSG tag on Twitter this time. So if you're on Twitter say hi! I'm @jessicatherrien

ILLUSION $0.99 Ebook Sale

MAY 1st - May 7th$0.99 ebook sale and a $10 SIGNED paperback sale for ILLUSION.
Ebook sale is for Amazon US and Amazon UK
Links:Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014GA68AAAmazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014GA68AA
Paperback is on sale at $10 (US only) marked down from $14.95 and will be SIGNED by the author.
Link to Buzz & Roar Store: https://squareup.com/store/buzzandroarPromo Code: 10DOLLARS

Summary of ILLUSION:
Daith's father is dead. His death caused a rip in the galaxy's peace. The remains of his army are fighting to restore it.
But Daith knows nothing of this. Her memories have been stolen. She has been kidnapped. All she knows is she has unparalleled abilities that could help end the devastation. Except without her past, how can she know if she's on the right side?
Time is running out and Daith must choose: to search for who she was or use her gifts to restore order.

2017 LA Times Festival of Books!

What a blast. Every year I love this festival more and more. What's better than a gathering of readers, writers, book lovers, and all things books?!



It was a busy one...and HOT! I actually got heat sickness that first day and didn't think I'd be able to make the second, but I'm SO glad I did. Not only did the temp drop a blissful 10 degrees, but we walked away with 2 potential interns, dozens of submissions, and almost completely sold out of our books!

Usually our main focus at these events is to sell our books. My author friend and I are there to sign and meet readers, but that has sort of changed with the growth of our business, Acorn Publishing. It really was a different experience this time. We spent nearly the entire day (both days) talking to fellow writers who were excited by our company!

Over the years I've met a lot of aspiring authors who've come to me asking advice on how to get published. At Acorn we truly believe every author should shoot for the top. Try and get an agent and a major publishing deal that will land you on the NY Times best-seller list. If you don't try, you'll regret it. But many HAVE tried. Let's face it, it's HARD to get an agent these days. Near impossible if you don't know someone or have an insane amount of luck (not to mention a flawless, page-turning, polished manuscript). Anyway, my point is, it was so nice to be able to offer an option to GOOD writers who are completely discouraged by the process. If felt so good to say, "Sure! Submit your book, maybe we're the exact right place for you."

All in all, I enjoy talking to other writers about their manuscripts, so we really had fun.

If you're interested in how Acorn Publishing is different from the traditional publishing experience, you can find out more HERE.

We'll also be posting an FAQ on our website soon, or you can always email us at AcornPublishingLLC@gmail.com to ask any questions at all.

WWW.ACORNPUBLISHINGLLC.COMWrite on my friends!!!

WonderCon Recap & New Release

WonderCon was last weekend. I'm still decompressing...it was an AMAZING event. It was my 3rd or 4th year attending as an exhibitor, and this was the best one yet. I don't know if it was our location or our growing catalogue of awesome books, but we almost sold out completely by the end.



All together we sold around 250 books for Acorn, which was a record for us. Granted, most of those books were Children of the Gods and Kingston Court because Holly and I were there to sign them. People really enjoy getting the author to sign their books. The other important thing to mention is that Holly and I both have custom bookmarks that we were passing out to EVERYONE, so even if they were just walking by, they usually came back to get the book. We were on our feet actively bringing people to our booth for the entire event. If you just sit behind the table giving off bored, lazy energy, people are less likely to stop and browse.

Anyway, THANK YOU to all of those who stopped and supported us, to all the aspiring and established authors who inquired about our company, and to the many amazing people who dressed up! So fun! Here are a few of my favorite pics of people who stopped to talk to us.












 Oh, and in unrelated book news...

I'll be releasing a companion coloring book to go with The Loneliest Whale in about a week. Inside you'll find 26 coloring pages of the characters in the story along with many new ones. Each picture corresponds with a letter in the alphabet and has a page for writing practice. Keep an eye out!!

Here are a few sneak peek pics:

My First Children's Book - THE LONELIEST WHALE

Happy Book Release Day to ME!!!
THE LONELIEST WHALE, my first children's book, is available TODAY!! It's a story I've had in my heart for a long time, and it was inspired by a real whale. If you haven't heard of The Loneliest Whale, feel free to look him up, I'm sure you'll quickly fall in love with him. I did, and with that I felt compelled to write him a happy ending.



I first heard of the whale in a BBC article my husband showed me:

In 1989 US Naval ships were using hydrophones called SOSUS to pick up enemy submarine signals. Instead of finding enemy ships, they picked up strange whale songs. One specific whale song in fact.

This specific whale was calling out at a frequency not used by any other whale. It's song was different, identifying him as one of a kind.

"It is perhaps difficult to accept that if this was a whale, that there could have been only one of this kind in this large oceanic expanse," Watkins and his colleagues wrote. "Yet in spite of comprehensive careful monitoring year-round, only one call with these characteristics has been found anywhere, and there has been only one source each season."

The Loneliest Whale has made quite a name for himself. In fact, a foundation called 52 The Search went on an oceanic voyage to find the whale. They'll be releasing their documentary in the fall.


So, after four years of reading children's books to these cute little munchkins, I'm finally releasing my own. It's a relief to know my biggest critics are huge fans of my story. My oldest has been carrying it around for days, and I couldn't be happier.

This is for you, my boys!




For more information on 
The Loneliest Whale visit:
www.LoneliestWhale.com


Thanks for stopping by, all my IWSG peeps! I did a terrible job visiting blogs last month, so my goal is to make up for it today. Hope I see you around :)  Oh, and while you're here, feel free to enter the giveaway posted below!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

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Valentine's Day Giveaway!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! All of us Acorn Authors are celebrating by sharing the love. We're hosting a GIVEAWAY! Here's what you can win...

WINNER #1


Signed Copies Of These Books!
The Midnight Sea by Kat RossUncaged by Joe Gazzam (not signed)Oppression by Jessica TherrienKingston Court by Holly Kammier
AND
The Following Ebooks:
Seasons Within by Lele IturriozSomehow I am Different by Alyssa PeterselShadows of Shame by Bruce AshkenasEl Awake by Jordan Sala Tenna


WINNER #2
A $10 Amazon Gift Card

AND
A Copy Of Our Newest Children's Book
THE LONELIEST WHALEby Jessica Therrien
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HERE'S HOW TO ENTER...(It's Valentine's Day...go LIKE some people!)


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