Kelly Jensen's Blog, page 14
August 13, 2018
It’s Release Day for To See the Sun!
Normally, in the lead up to release day, I pretty much want to pack my bags and run away. I make plans to ignore the internet and tell myself I don’t care what people think of my book. To See the Sun is different. I’ve actually had trouble containing my excitement over this release! I love this book, and I’m thrilled to finally be able to share it with everyone.
The idea for To See the Sun came to me while I was reading a H...
August 1, 2018
Zipping It Closed
I love writing—which is lucky for me as I’ve written (and co-written) eleven novels, eight novellas, and too many short stories to count over the past five years. I’ve also had to revise and then edit all of those books, and that’s the part I don’t love.
Over time, I’ve incorporated revision into my process. Rather than try to get it right first time, I’m now much more likely to write a book to the end and fix it later. I revise and self-edit every manuscript several times before submitting i...
July 12, 2018
Buddy Reading with My Dad
My father recently stayed with me for two months. He’s retired now, so can visit for longer—which considering the time it takes to fly from Australia to the US is a very good thing. One week is a jet-lagged fever dream, two weeks just isn’t long enough, and three weeks allow one for recovery, one for the holiday, and one to get ready to fly again. Four weeks is good. Longer is even better.
One of the pleasures of having my dad visit is that, like me, he loves movies and books. We generally ha...
July 3, 2018
Six Weeks to Go
To See the Sun releases in just six weeks! I’m terrifically excited about this book and can’t wait to share it with the world. ARCs have been out there for a while now and the first handful of reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, including one from Kazza K at On Top Down Under, which kind of blew me away.
The blurb for To See the Sun gives any potential reader a good idea of what to expect but it can’t explain the emotional impact of the book, and that impact is one of this book’s great...
June 26, 2018
What I’ll be doing in October, November, December, and beyond…
There is so much gaming goodness coming our way! Among the titles I’m most looking forward to are the usual suspects: another Fallout, more Assassin’s Creed, anything related to The Witcher, and a follow up to The Last of Us. With E3 wrapped, I’ve been watching videos and reading up about the games I’m most excited about. Here, in no particular order, are my top four.
*game links refer back to reviews and rambles on this blog
The Last of Us Part IIOkay, I lie. This is the game I’m most look...
June 14, 2018
The List
We all have one—even those of us who don’t write. All of us have a list of words we carry around like talismans. Often, we’re not even aware we’re using them. “Um” is just a pause for thought. “Like” can be substituted for just about anything or just, like, dropped in here and there for emphasis. Or a pause. I use “actually” a lot and it really doesn’t make me sound any smarter. “Basically” is equally annoying, and I’m not as honest as my insistent use of “honestly” might imply. My favourite...
June 4, 2018
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Block and Strike was named a finalist in the 6th Annual Bisexual Book Awards. What does that have to do with pie? Not a lot, except for the fact there is a lot of pie in the book and a slice of my favourite in the excerpt below. The winners were announced this past Friday night (June 1st) in New York City, and I was there, invited to read an excerpt. Block and Strike didn’t win, but being able to celebrate my book and share it with others was a wonderful experience. I felt honored to be in th...
May 24, 2018
What I’ve Been Reading
May 2018 Edition.
I had planned a new blog series for this year to replace my regular reading updates. Every month, I wanted to feature the first sentence or paragraph of a single book, with commentary on how that line or those lines had measured up against the book as a whole. I might still get around to posting a few, but it’s been six months or more since my last reading recap and I’ve read some amazing books that I really want to share with you. So, here’s what I’ve been reading.
April 24, 2018
Plotting and Outlining
Even after writing over twenty books, I still face each new project with trepidation.
“What if this is the book where it all falls apart? What if this is the one I can’t write?”
I expressed these fears to my husband one evening and he answered with: “Trust your process.” The next day, I sat at my desk, opened a new document and started planning the book. Four days later, I had an outline for the first twelve chapters and was ready to start.
How you get from “this is going to be the book that...
April 18, 2018
Look What’s Up for Preorder!
To See the Sun is perhaps the most romantic story I’ve ever written, which is probably why I had to set in on a planet with little to no atmosphere between the surface and the burning sun, and deep crevasses full of poisonous mists. I put the people in the crevasses too, in a limited green zone. It’s paradise—not. But for Abraham Bauer, it’s a chance to live his dream. He’s one of a handful of colonists dedicated to the effort of terraforming the harsh environment of Alkirak, and though he is...
