Jacqueline E. Smith's Blog, page 19
May 19, 2015
Calling All Writers: Fun Facts
Last night, my friend Jonas Lee (http://jonasleeblog.com), author of The Legend Of Carter Gabel series, invited me to be a part of his online hangout. I think it’s up on YouTube, but I really hate watching myself, so I haven’t looked!
Anyway, during our discussion, we started talking about how we got into writing and eventually got onto the topic of fun facts that others might not know about our books. I asked if he would write down the story he told me so that I might share it on my blog and also so that I might invite all you other writers out there to do the same thing! I love trivia, I love fun unknown facts!
If you would like to participate, you can either write your story in the comments section OR write your own blog post and share it in the comments section! I would love to read them!
So without further ado, please welcome Mr. Jonas Lee, Author of the Carter Gabel Saga.
As we all find the stories we love to read and befriend the authors who have written them, it is quite surreal to find yourself in their same company. For me, getting to interview the likes of Jacqueline E. Smith, Shannon A. Thompson, Nina Soden and others that I’ve had the chance to read has been wonderful. Little moments we get to share while conversing have made it feel more like a community than an endless space of internet.
What’s better than those little moments of conversation? Finding out the hidden gems behind the meaning of characters, origins of books and so many wonderful things tidbits that comprise our own little Extras portion if we were a DVD menu. For me, I shared one with Jackie last night and I will share it again for anyone who missed out on our YouTube shenanigans.
Back when I first started blogging, I decided to try and lure hopeful followers in with a weekly story. So, I dug back into my archives and found a one-chapter fan-fiction I dabbled in. I had read The Time Traveler’s Wife and had watched the movie when that spark of “what-if” hit me and I put fingers to keys in order to get the idea out. Many years later it started out as that one-chapter piece I would offer out to fans.
Weeks went by and soon, there were eight chapters fully developed. I decided to bag the idea and continue the story offline. At that moment, the piece had originally been called The Time Traveler’s Grandchild and would evolve into A Time to Reap within a few short months. That first book spawned another and the final chapter in the Legend of Carter Gabel is now underway. It’s amazing where ideas will take us and just how many people we touch with them along the way. I’ve met some great people and I can’t wait to see how many more will be on my journey. I hope you’ll follow me and be one of them.
I just loved that story and I’m so glad to have Jonas as a friend and colleague! Thank you so much, Jonas, for inviting me to be a part of your hangout last night and for being a guest on my blog this afternoon!
You can find the first book in The Legend of Carter Gabel series here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M8AZBKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M8AZBKE&linkCode=as2&tag=jonleesima-20&linkId=KK7K2EHW24G5KWG5
Thanks y’all! Remember, leave me a story or a link in the comments section below! I’d love to hear from you!
May 18, 2015
Thank You!
Hi, friends! Happy Monday!
Okay, so the next two weeks are going to be crazy busy, but in a very very good way. I have a lot that I need to get done and a lot to prepare before Comic Con weekend. Thankfully, even though my dad (who usually goes with me to big events) will be out of town, two of my very best friends, Kat and Rachel, will be there with me to help! They’re both super nerdy and super awesome, so they’ll be a very welcome addition to the team. Kat also happens to be one of my editors.
My real purpose behind this particular post, however, is to thank you, thank you, thank you all for all the love that Boy Band has been receiving. This is the book that started out as a NaNoWriMo project. I wasn’t even planning on writing it, and once I started writing it, I had no idea if I would even finish it, so to see it doing so well is just overwhelming!
As a token of my gratitude, I’ve lowered the price of the Cemetery Tours and Between Worlds Kindle Books. For the next week, both books will only be $0.99 on Kindle (though I don’t think it’s been changed just yet… Might take a few hours). Y’all are so, so awesome and wonderful and Agh! I just can’t even begin to express how I’m feeling right now!
I hope you all have a great Monday!
May 15, 2015
All Good Things!
So a few months back, my good friend and fellow author, James Peercy asked me if I might be interested in participating in this little event called Comic Con. I said, “Yes, of course!” thinking, Wow, if this could actually happen, that would be a dream come true!
Well, yesterday that dream came true!
James messaged me to inform me that we will, in fact, have a booth and be selling our books at Dallas Comic Con!
I’ve never actually been to Comic Con, but thanks to my love for The Big Bang Theory, I like to think I’m still worthy of being a part of it. I am so, so, so excited, y’all. This really is a huge dream come true to take part in an event like this!
In other news, I think I’ve finally recovered from that 24-hour-turnaround to and from Lubbock to pick my sister up from college. Here’s the thing. I love road trips. I love driving. I love Texas.
I do not love Lubbock.
I don’t know why, but Lubbock has it out for me. You know Murphy’s Law? Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong? That happens to me EVERY time I visit Lubbock. I’m not going to make a list of everything that Lubbock has done to me, because frankly I don’t have the time. Just know that Lubbock hates me.
The drive out there is kind of fun, however. That is when it’s not pouring down rain like a freaking hurricane in Florida. Seriously, I’ve never seen rain like this. There was one point where a giant truck passed the car I was driving (my sister was with me, our mom was up ahead in a rent car), and splashed this wave of water all over the windshield and I was totally blind for about three seconds. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but three seconds with no vision, going 75 MPH on an overpass? Not safe. Not fun. Very scary. I really thought that was the end. Sadly, I wasn’t thinking, “Oh no! I have precious cargo (AKA my sister).” I was thinking, “Oh no! My kitty is going to be an orphan!”
Thankfully, we all made it home safely, if not completely dry.
Those are just a few pictures from the drive (the dry one, not the one with all the rain). They’re all very Texasy.
Have a great weekend, y’all!
Oh! And one more thing… Boy Band has remained in the top 20,000-10,000 Bestselling Kindle books for the past almost three weeks. I am totally and completely overwhelmed. Thank you all so much. I’m trying to think of a neat way to thank you all!
Much love!
May 13, 2015
And Back Again
Okay so… long story short… it’s raining. A lot. And I’m exhausted because I woke up at 6:30 to drive seven hours home from Lubbock in what turned out to be something very much like a desert hurricane.
That being said, here are some pretty pictures to look at.
May 11, 2015
Rainbow Over Dallas
It’s always a gamble meeting the people you really admire. They can turn out to be just as amazing as you ever dreamed. On the flip side, they might end up disappointing you. Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor and Park and one of my favorite books of all time, Fangirl, was not exactly what I was expecting.
She was even more amazing.
I went in to the reading and signing thinking she would be a neat person. I love her books. I follow her on Twitter. She seemed like an all around awesome person and fellow fangirl. But actually seeing her in person and meeting her? Oh my goodness, she is marvelous.
She was all smiles from the moment she appeared, to the reading from My True Love Gave To Me, to the Q&A session, all the way to personally meeting and greeting each and every one of her fans. She’s genuine and hilarious and sweet and enthusiastic. She’s everything I want to be, not just as an author, but as a human being. She’s so real, so personable. She treated each and every one of her fans like they were the only person in the whole room. I knew I admired her writing going in, but now I admire her even more as a person.
Yes, me being me, I gave her a copy of Boy Band. She was so sweet and she congratulated me and offered to take a picture with it. I’m telling, y’all, she is so awesome.
One of the artists who contributed to the special edition was there also! Her name is Simini Blocker and she is just as delightful!
Such a wonderful experience meeting these talented and wonderful women! Thank you both so much!
Hitting the Road
Hi, friends!
I won’t be blogging as much this week as I normally do becaaaaaause I’m road-tripping up to Lubbock tomorrow to pick my sister up from college! Since my dad still can’t drive, my mother has enlisted me to help be a mover and a driver. I’m secretly stoked, even though I’m totally allergic to Lubbock. I just can’t wait for a good road trip and to see my sister! We’re going to have a blast.
I will probably be updating my adventures on Instagram and Twitter, however, so if you’d like to keep you, you can follow me here:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacquelineesmith/
or here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackieSmith114
In other news, I had a fun weekend. It was two of my friends’ birthday, so I got to bake them a layered cake! I have never baked a layered cake before, so this was a brand new adventure. I like to think, however, that it was a success.
Then this morning, I visited the Transamerica Book Club as a guest author! I had so much fun and so enjoyed meeting everyone and talking about ghosts and books!
Now tonight is going to be a HUGE treat. You me obsessing last fall over a little book called FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell (and if you don’t, here’s the link: https://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/ode-to-fangirl/). Well, Rainbow herself is at BARNES AND NOBLE tonight and guess who is going to meet her?! THIS GIRL!
I’m so excited. I’m so excited. Fangirl was a huge contributing factor into my decision to write Boy Band. For one thing, it was also a NaNoWriMo book. For another, it just reminded me of how much I love cute, fluffy, fun books. I cannot wait to meet Rainbow tonight. I know, just from reading her books and following her on Twitter, that she is super awesome.
I’ll definitely be posting pictures! Talk to y’all later!
May 8, 2015
Character Interview: Eugene Brinkley AKA Brink
Okay, this is the interview that everyone has been waiting for. ��The interview conducted by everyone’s favorite character.
Brink.
I had a lot of fun with Luke Rainer’s interview a few weeks ago (https://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2015/04/09/character-interview-luke-rainer/) but I think everyone (myself included) has really been looking forward to this one.
So, without further ado, here we go.
Jackie Smith (JS): ��Hi, Brink!
Eugene Brinkley (EB): ��Hi, person who controls my entire life. ��Or should I say death.
JS: ��Yeah, sorry about that.
EB: ��It’s okay. I’m kind of used to it by now. Though I do wish I could change clothes. I’ve been stuck in the same outfit since 1992.
JS: ��Again, sorry about that. ��But if it makes you feel better, I think you look pretty snazzy.
EB: ��Oh, there’s no question. ��I’m just not really a one-outfit kind of guy. ��I like to change things up. ��I’m a fan of self-expression.
JS: ��That’s something I love about you.
EB: ��Me too.
JS: ��So what questions do you have for me?
EB: ��I guess for starters, why am I so 1990s? ��I mean, I’m not complaining. ��But I feel like you made me out to be the ghostly embodiment of 90s pop culture.
JS: ��That’s because the 90s were the best time to be alive!
EB: ��… And I was dead for most of them.
JS: ��Oh right. ��Oops.
EB: ��That’s okay. ��Being everyone’s favorite makes up for it. ��Plus I can walk through walls.
JS: ��That’s another reason I like you. ��You have such a positive outlook on everything.
EB: ��What can I say? ��I’m an optimist. ��But I do want to know, are we every going to find out more about me? ��You know, other than the fact that I was a dumb kid who went skateboarding without a helmet?
JS: ��You’ll have to read the third book!
EB: ��Great. ��When’s that coming out?
JS: ��Uhh…
EB: ��Okay, fine, you don’t have to answer. ��But you’ve at least finished writing it, right?
JS: ��Uhh…
EB: ��Are you kidding? ��How long are you going to make the world wait before you bless them with more Brink?
JS: ��Hey! ��I’ve been busy!
EB: ��Too busy for ME?
JS: ��Never! ��I’m just spreading my wings a little, you know? ��I still love you the best.
EB: ��Promise?
JS: ��I promise.
EB: ��One last question. I know that I’m everyone’s favorite… I mean why wouldn’t I be?
JS: ��So humble.
EB: ��What’s that?
JS: ��Nothing.
EB: ��Anyway, fans��are usually super devastated when their favorite character dies, but I’m already dead, right?
JS: ��Yeah.
EB: ��You’re not going to have me like, move on or anything, are you?
JS: ��Why? ��Do you want to move on?
EB: ��Not really. ��It kind of freaks me out.
JS: ��I know. ��And that’s why you’re sticking around. ��For a while, anyway.
EB: ��What does THAT mean?!
JS: ��Don’t worry. ��You’re going to be fine. ��No matter what.
EB: ��Oh man, you’re going to send me away, aren’t you?
JS: ��Brink. ��You’re everyone’s favorite. ��Do you really think I’d get rid of you?
EB: ��I hope not! ��But JK Rowling got rid of all your favorite characters! ��You complain about it ALL THE TIME.
JS: ��And because I know how emotionally scarring that can be, I won’t do it to my readers. ��Probably.
EB: ��Okay, now you’re just being mean. ��You’re teasing me, right? ��I know you’re teasing.
JS: ��Brink, I promise you, you have nothing to worry about. ��I have at least three more books planned.
EB: ��And I’m around for all of them, right?
JS: ��It wouldn’t be��Cemetery Tours��without you.
May 7, 2015
Lurking in the Deep RELEASE
Lurking in the Deep, the newest anthology from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing, is officially available on Kindle! ��I wrote a short story, “The Water’s Edge,” for this anthology and I could not be more proud to be a part of such an amazing project (yes, I have read the whole thing. It’s AWESOME). ��Go check it out!
Title: Lurking in the Deep
Edited By: Jaidis Shaw
Published: May 7th, 2015
Publisher: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
Now there���s a reason to fear the water.
Does the water beckon you? Your love, or fears, may become greater in this chilling anthology. From ordinary sea life to creatures of myth, our stories will make you think twice about the shadowy waters that beckon below. Follow our authors into the depths ��� if you dare.
Stories featured in this anthology include the following:
���Bloodslick��� by Timothy Black
���Crescent���s Creature��� by K.C. Finn
���Wrath��� by Liz Butcher
���A Senseless Eating Machine��� by Jef Rouner
���The Water���s Edge��� by Jacqueline E. Smith
���The Reluctant Seamstress��� by Jaidis Shaw
���Ribbons & Bones��� by Kelly Matsuura
���Widow���s Cut��� by Andrea L. Staum
���Rhine Maiden��� by Isabelle Poldervaart
���The Broken Seashell��� by E.M. MacCallum
���Lauren��� by Terry Alexander
���Tide Flats��� by Shelly Schulz
���Song of the Ocean��� by Scott A. Butler
���Enticing Waters��� by Gina A. Watson
���Tubular Hells��� by Beth W. Patterson
���Dark Waters��� by Michael Cross & Emma Michaels
Be sure to join the authors during the official Facebook launch party on May 7th starting at 6PM EST! Join the party for fun games and the chance to win several prizes including ebooks, gift cards, and more!
Link to Facebook party: https://www.facebook.com/events/1389989944654711/
Link to book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25396970-lurking-in-the-deep
Purchase the book on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/LurkingintheDeep
May 6, 2015
Snapdragons
Hello, friends.
Today, I am taking a break from blogging about all of MY stuff (let’s face it, it can get old) and instead will be talking about Snapdragons!
Yes, Snapdragons!
For those who have never heard of these adorable little critters, allow me to enlighten you. ��One of my best friends in the entire world, Hannah K. Alvarez also happens to be one of the most brilliant and creative peopl I know. ��She came up with an idea that inspires creativity and imagination in kids (and kids at heart) of all ages. ��Snapdragons are mix-and-matchable stuffed animals. ��Kids can create any kind of fantasy creature that they like.
For example:
In a world that is becoming increasingly logic-centric, kids��desperately need a bit of fantasy, a little imagination, and Snapdragons are wonderful toys��to achieve just that. ��Creativity needs to be encouraged. ��It’s how we develop new ideas, how we dare to imagine the unfathomable. ��Encourage your kids (or even just the kids in your life) to think outside the box (and yes, I know that expression is so IN the box, it’s a total cliche, but that’s not the point).
This wonderful and delightful project has just made its Kickstarter debut, so if you feel so inclined, hop on over and check it out! ��Even if you can’t donate, simply sharing and spreading the word is immensely helpful!
Facebook:��https://www.facebook.com/snapdragontoys?fref=ts
Thank you all so much!
May 5, 2015
My First Authorfest
My dear friend Paula’s first experience at Authorfest!
Originally posted on paulawalkerbaker:
Ms. Jacqueline E. Smith
SoSI have been waiting, despite my excitement , to write about my first Authorfest, which was held in Denison, Texas and put together by James Peercy and his wife, Claudette.
This was a Friday through Saturday afternoon event in which authors have a chance to show off their books, read to a group of folks and generally get out and about among other people.�� I just reread that sentence. It makes it sound like authors hole up somewhere with their computers in the dark, writing away! Well, I digress a bit.
The part that was most fun was seeing everyone dressed up as a character in their book. Because my wonderful illustrator imagined me with pink hair, it was for this event! I���ve had a lot of compliments, comments and stares with it. I must admit I like it!
I���ve been trying to sort out what���
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