Kennedy Ryan's Blog, page 12
April 4, 2014
Cover Reveal – THE LOST SOULS Series
I’m so pleased to reveal three gorgeous covers for my fellow Grand Central/Forever Yours author Eliza Freed. I dare you not to be intrigued by this series, THE LOST SOULS. I can’t wait to buy it. Eliza was gracious enough to do a little Q&A at the end, giving us more insight into this fascinating story. More dets you don’t wanna miss! She’s provided Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, so have at it!
FORGIVE ME (July 1, 2014)
Some things can’t be forgiven…
Charlotte O’Brien should forgive God for her parents’ death. She should forgive her boyfriend for his one horrific mistake that separated them, and she should forgive herself for cutting them both off, but instead she hates everyone.
But when her childhood friend Noble Sinclair arrives, his passion reignites the spark that had vanished so completely in Charlotte’s gray existence. And in Noble’s arms, Charlotte finally begins to wonder if she might be ready to choose the future with Noble over her shattered past.
About Eliza Freed:
Debut author Eliza Freed writes new adult romance novels with a New Jersey wit and a hometown charm. The first book in her Lost Souls series will be released in 2014 by Forever Yours.
Social Media Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Q&A with Eliza Freed, Author of The Lost Souls series
1. Tell us a little bit about The Lost Souls series…
It’s the story of Charlotte O’Brien–a stubborn, sarcastic, intensely loyal, and compassionate girl who loses her parents at the age of twenty, her first love at twenty-two, and her faith in God and herself too many times to count. Without a clue of how to survive, Charlotte withdraws to her rural hometown and embraces humiliation and self-loathing with an unnerving honesty.
The books are both heart-wrenching and hilarious. They portray that dark place, deep down inside all of us that responds to the pain we inflict on each other, and yet grant us permission to laugh as Charlotte hauls herself out of the darkness…and finds love in the process.
2. In the series, you fearlessly take your heroine, Charlotte to some dark places— how do you think these covers represent the story and Charlotte’s journey?
While Lost Souls is a love story, it’s also rather tragic and daunting. Charlotte grapples with questions that leave some of us staring into the darkness in the middle of the night.
What do we owe the dead?
Is there a divine plan?
How much of ourselves can we give to another before there’s nothing left?
Can we truly forgive what we can’t forget?
These covers are not only visually stunning, but brilliantly hint at the fact there’s a great deal more going on here than just love. Charlotte’s ethereal depiction in the background with her pleas written over her are right on.
She’s also a girl who doesn’t take her surroundings for granted. Charlotte beholds the clouds, the moon, the sunset, the ocean, the strength of the waves, the distance to the horizon, and incorporates those sights into her understanding of the world. The images within each ME are a nod to her connection to the Earth and they could not be more beautiful or appropriate.
Grand Central’s immensely talented Elizabeth Turner blew me away with these covers!
3. A lot of the action in THE LOST SOULS series is set in New Jersey. What’s your connection to the Garden State and why did you choose to set Charlotte’s story there?
I grew up in a rural town in Southern New Jersey which is a stark contrast to the urban setting of Rutgers University where I attended college. I’m odd in that I love the city and the country. The beauty of New Jersey is you can have both. It’s a haven for big personalities and bigger hearts nestled amongst mountains, 130 miles of coastline, rural fields, New York and Philadelphia as our neighbors, and of course lots of highway exits.
I wanted the Lost Souls Series to give a voice to the rich diversity that exists here.
4. What 3 words would you use to describe your heroine, Charlotte?
Unsinkable. Jersey. Girl.
March 30, 2014
Carefully Place Money Where Mouth Is
When my first book, WHEN YOU ARE MINE, releases June 17, it will be the fulfillment of more than one dream. I’ve wanted to be a published writer since I was a little girl, and there are so many things about this process I am enjoying. You might be surprised by the thing that may be bringing me more joy than just about anything else. The chance to give back a sliver of the love and support a special community of folks demonstrated to me when I needed it most. I’ll explain.
My son was diagnosed with Autism when he was two years old. To say I was devastated would put it mildly. Maybe if you throw in confused, afraid, angry, frustrated – you might approach the tornado of feeling ripping through me that Thursday afternoon 11 years ago. All I knew was Rain Man. And the little bit of info my cousin had shared with me when she worked at a special needs camp during college. What she had shared terrified me. As the doctor’s words fell on my numb heart, and he literally told me I should grieve my notions of what motherhood would be (wow, thanks for that, by the way), I just kept thinking it was some kind of joke. Or a nightmare I would wake up from the next day. If anything, the next day took my little family further downhill. My husband came home from work and told me they were downsizing, and he would be in the group who would have to go.
I will never forget closing the bathroom door, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and crying til my stomach ached from gut wrenching sobs. One blow after another. Back to back. It was all so unfair. These were the early, naive days when I thought life owed me an easy ride with fewer bumps and potholes than other people had.
Okay. So my son has autism. My husband has lost his job. We are now a one-income family rocked with a diagnosis we have really no idea how to deal with. I considered myself a fighter, but I didn’t know where to swing. Who would I hit? The doctor? My husband’s boss? God? Felt like the only person getting their butt kicked was me. Things couldn’t get much worse, though, right? This felt like bottom my nails were scraping.
Imagine my shock when Monday morning my insurance company told me they didn’t cover Autism. Was there anything else wrong with my son they could help me with? Um, no. Autism is quite enough, thank you. My research revealed more than $50,000 a year in out-of-pocket medical and therapy expenses we needed to help my son. We wouldn’t have been able to swing that with TWO jobs, much less my one average salary. Folks, I was floundering. I was sinking. I was drowning with no idea where to turn.
We were determined to get our son as much help as we could, so we used credit cards, robbed Peter to pay Paul. Did whatever we could, even though we were ruining our credit and barely paying our bills. I can still taste that desperation. Still remember my husband waking me up in the middle of the night because I was crying in my sleep. Still remember the depressing darkness that seemed to hover over every aspect of my life back then. Parenthood. My marriage. Our finances. Our friendships with people who just didn’t “get” what we were going through, and really didn’t know how to help or understand.
A turning point came when I sat down with an Autism mommy who had been at this for awhile. In an afternoon, she gave me hope. Not that everything would be better overnight, because it wasn’t. She gave me a different kind of hope. The kind that comes from knowing no matter how bad it gets, that you will not be alone. She introduced me to an autism support group, and that changed my life. I found my greatest resource to be these brave, brilliant warrior mothers and fathers who were further down this path than I was. They helped me find the right therapies, set me on the path to getting as much funding as I could, and gave me an outlet for all the emotional tumult I hadn’t know what to do with. I will never forget how that group, and others from the Autism community, befriended and guided me. It saved my family in more ways than one. I promised myself that any time I was ever in a position to do that for someone else, I would.
Fast forward a few years, and I started a foundation to do just that. A non-profit organization to provide financial and emotional support for families living with Autism in Georgia. The rush I got from helping others in this way; the incredible perspective it gave me – well, there’s nothing I can compare to it.
Fast forward six more years, about a year and a half ago. I had written a novel. It wasn’t easy. I worked a demanding full-time job, ran my foundation, raised my son, who is on the more severe end of the Autism spectrum, managed his services and the “industry” that is this kid’s life, and managed to keep my man happy. (Can’t leave that out! Holla!) But there was one thing I had always wanted to do that was just for me, and that was to become a published author. How my little story went from something languishing on my laptop to a 3-book deal with Grand Central in a year or so is another post for another day, but suffice it to say, it happened. The first thing I thought about was giving back to the people who had been so generous and supportive to my family when we were flailing and stumbling in the dark. Ask my agent. One of the first things I asked her was can I have money automatically donated to Autism from royalties without me ever even seeing it. That was how urgent it was to me. That was how eager I was to do my part, whatever that was.
And so that bring us to April 2014. Autism Awareness month. I’m incredibly excited about the things I have planned this month, and can’t wait to share more. But what I can tell you today is that I will be donating 25% of any royalties from all three books in this trilogy with Grand Central/Forever Romance to resourcing families living with Autism. My foundation will receive 10% for GA families, and Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), my national charitable partner, will receive the remaining 15%. My hubby had to talk me out of giving more. I don’t know if I’ll sell a lot of books or just a few, but you can best believe I’ll share with the folks who’ve given so much to me.
Why? Because I know what it’s like to stand in front of an empty pantry wondering how your family will eat, only to have someone show up with a bag of groceries. I know what it’s like to choose between that therapy bill or your car payment, and to wake up to an empty driveway. Only to have someone GIVE you a car free and clear. And when that car breaks down and you take it to the mechanic and know you can’t afford the bill that’s coming, he tells you someone anonymously paid the bill. I know what it’s like to RECEIVE! And if you’ve ever been in that humbling position, one thing that motivates you to fight and survive is the promise of one day being able to give.
To whom much is given much is required. I am requiring this of myself. It is not a ploy to sell books. It is my privilege, my absolute pleasure to give back to the compassionate, generous community of warriors fighting not only for their kids, but for the families to the left and to the right in the trenches with them. And for the kids to come.
I don’t know who Autism thought it was messing with when it came to my house, but I didn’t get the woe is me memo. I didn’t buy into self-pity, or roll over and die. I learned to fight. I learned to thrive in the dark. I found joy and contentment when happiness was nowhere in sight. Experiences like that transform you. They deepen you. They have the power to make you better if you let them. And this person, this woman who sat on the edge of a bathtub and wondered if she would make it, survived. Thrived. Lived to tell it. Will always shout about the folks who helped me grow and survive. And for me, giving back is not an option. I’m simply putting the money where my mouth is, and I do it with a smile.
March 21, 2014
WHEN YOU ARE MINE Snippet Snapshot #1
Set to marry one man. Drawn to another. Will Kerris stay the course?
WHEN YOU ARE MINE – June 17 – Grand Central http://t.co/dn9PXinULk
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March 16, 2014
Top 10 Beats Between the Sheets
Like many writers, I can’t help but think of specific songs as I’m telling stories. A few days ago I was writing a particularly sensual scene. You know the type. Candles lit. Hands and lips everywhere. Hot stuff that called for a hot song. That got me to thinking about the perfect songs for those perfect moments. Some call ‘em “baby makers.” LOL. I asked my friend Debi, a writer AND a DJ, to share her top 10 songs to steam up the sheets. Debi, who I call Blows No Smoke because she never pulls punches, is guesting for me today, but you can find her on Twitter, or on her two blogs, Hunter’s Lyonesse and Chocolate Wasteland. Without further ado, take it away, Debi!
Kennedy asked for my Top Ten Baby Maker songs because of my eclectic collection of music. I have an iPod that stays on shuffle and I never know what’s coming next. It will play Barry Manilow, Metallica, Aretha Franklin, The Secret Garden, Foo Fighters, Olomana, Tchaikovsky, No Doubt, Miles Davis, Kelly Clarkson, Jimmy Wayne, Hall & Oates, Kapena, Frank Sinatra, The Black Keys, Jimmy Cliff, and so on. I could’ve gone for the obvious, but as I scrolled through my seventy-two gigs of music I decided the underappreciated music needed some love. I nixed all the R&B and standards even though I started with some on my list. Who wouldn’t have Marvin Gaye or Al Green on their baby making playlist? I asked myself, what happens when you dig deep into the music catalog for those songs that really make you want to give your significant other that come hither look?
The list was three pages long and included “Bed of Roses” by Bon Jovi, “Sunflower” by Cecilio & Kapono, “Hysteria” by Def Leppard, “One” by U2, “Awake My Soul” by Mumford & Sons, “Red Light” by Jonny Lang, “She’s Got A Way” by Billy Joel, “Girl I Wanna Lay You Down” by Jack Johnson and Zach Gill, “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri, “93 Million Miles” by Jason Mraz, “Into the Fire” by Alisan Porter, “Come On Get Higher” by Matt Nathanson, “Si Volvieras A Mi” by Josh Groban, “Could You Be Loved” by Bob Marley, and “Glitter in the Air” by P!nk. That’s just a handful of the songs I tossed out just to give you an idea of the range.
I cut the songs that were more about breakups and those that were merely romantic. Then, I deleted the popular love songs. Once I distilled the list down, I told Kennedy we need a new title because the list is decidedly hot and steamy for baby making. Sometimes you need a little fire in the bedroom to perk up the relationship.
I have a hard time playing favorites, so these are in alphabetical order by artist.
1. Jamie Campbell Bower – Waiting
And I believe in us ‘cause you believe in me/Believe in me/And I’ll wait for you in the dark/Arms outstretched comforting lover
I think of the tentativeness of new intimacy melding into comfortable-ness with this song. It doesn’t hurt that it’s Jamie Campbell Bower singing about waiting for his lover in the dark. It makes me feel like anyone can have that again no matter where they are with their relationship.
And I don’t want anything from you/I just want every bit of you to want me/I don’t need anything to do/Just drive me into you and wreck me
Many of Butch Walker’s songs center on breaking up, heartbreak after moving on, sex, unrequited love, or telling a story within one song, all of which belong to the collective theme of the album. His lyrics complement his music which plays out through his voice and it gives me ALL THE FEELS. This one is pure sex and desire for the person he realizes he wants. I could write post after post on Butch and his skills. Oh, wait. I did one.
Whenever I’m alone with you/You make me feel like I am home again/Whenever I’m alone with you/You make me feel like I am whole again
This song IS love. Robert Smith’s vocals make it haunting, enthralling, and powerful. The music makes it doubly so. It moves me in real life and in my writing because there is that small element of brokenness I use in my stories. I like creating characters with the ability to make another feel whole again.
4. Crash Into Me – Dave Matthews Band
Into your heart I’ll beat again/Sweet like candy to my soul/Sweet you rock/and sweet you roll/Lost for you I’m so lost for you
Sweetness. Sex. This song just does things. “Hike up your skirt…”
I can taste more than feel/This burning inside is so real/I can almost lay my hands upon/The warm glow that lingers on
David Gahan uses his voice masterfully to convey the emotion and tone of the song, much like Robert Smith. Don’t we all want to be moved by a higher love? A love transcending the mundane and consuming you with fire.
“6. Slide Your Breath – Fredalba
I could feel the tremble of her body move/A goddess in a temple like a serpent smooth/She leads the way and slides across the bed/A waterfall of lust in between her legs
This song oozes sex. There is an orgasm a bit more…well…just more, than Sally’s in When Harry Met Sally, between the second verse and the bridge. Eric Balfour keeps the verses of this song in his lower register making it sultry, seductive, and simply breathtaking. You kinda wish he was the one in bed with you.
7. The Writer – Ellie Goulding
Andy why don’t you be the artist?/And make me out of clay?/Why don’t you be the writer?/And decide the words I say?
It’s a song about being at the end of a relationship and not knowing how to salvage it. The lyrics of the chorus opens up so many possibilities, even though she’s giving everything over to the one she loves in order to stay with him.
I know you’ve suffered/But I don’t want you to hide/It’s cold and loveless/I won’t let you be denied
The title might say it all here, but it doesn’t. It’s about the person who wants to help fix the broken parts of you so they can have the best part of you. They want you to let go of the demons, break down the walls, and let them in so they can fulfill those undisclosed desires. They love you that much.
9. Smooth – Santana ft. Rob Thomas
Out from the barrio/You hear my rhythm on your radio/You feel the turning of the world so soft and slow/Turning you ‘round and ‘round
Santana’s wailing guitar riffs coupled with Rob’s voice sends you into overload. You want to be wearing a sundress over your dewy skin doing a sensual bump and grind, then have your lover dip you for a kiss that makes you melt in his arms.
10. Because the Night – Patti Smith
Take me now, baby, here I am/Pull me close, try and understand/Desire is hunger, is the fire I breathe/Love is a banquet on which we feed
It’s Patti Smith and the night belongs to lovers. ‘Nuff said.
WANT THE WHOLE LIST? CHECK IT OUT HERE.
What’s your list look like? Which songs beat between your sheets?
February 28, 2014
Covers! WHEN YOU ARE MINE & LOVING YOU ALWAYS!
Friends! Take a look at the covers for my first two books with Grand Central/Forever Yours! These stories were so much fun to wirte…though I really kind of put these characters through it! I had a lot more fun than they did! LOL. Anyway, without further ado…COVERS!
RELEASES JUNE 17, 2014
WHEN YOU ARE MINE introduces the story of Kerris Moreton, a foster child who has thrived despite her circumstances and is ready to open her own business and accept a marriage proposal. Unfortunately, the only thing missing in her would-be-fiancé Cam is the passionate connection he believes is overrated but Kerris craves. Lucky for her, she meets a man who lights her up like the Fourth of July.
Walsh Bennett is one of the East Coast’s most eligible bachelors, and Cam’s best friend. He’s used to plenty of female attention, but lately he’s been distracted by the one woman he can’t have. Kerris is the soulmate Walsh never thought he would fine, but too bad his best friend found her first.
RELEASES OCTOBER 7, 2014
LOVING YOU ALWAYS is book two in The Bennett’s Series. I don’t want to spoil anything, so you’ll just have to wait to see what happens with Kerris, Walsh and Cam in WHEN YOU ARE MINE first!
Oh! Cannot forget! Many of you know about my family’s journey with Autism. My son was diagnosed when he was two years old, and we’ve been living with Autism for 11 years. Well, I’m donating 25% of my royalties to resourcing families living with Autism. My foundation, Myles-A-Part, which serves GA families, will receive 10%. Talk About Curing Autism (TACA), a national organization, will receive the other 15%.
If you aren’t on my mailing list to get updates, please add your name to the list here. I promise not to bug you all the time, but just give you the “Need to Knows” on books and other adventures! 
January 20, 2014
ADDICTED Interview With the Ritchie Sisters
I like my heroes and heroines a little damaged. I love happily ever after, but I want the characters to have to fight for it.
HARD. And probably suffer. Lots of suffering.
I stumbled across a story last year that fit my slightly twisted bill perfectly. Addicted to You follows the convoluted path Lily Calloway and Loren Hale take to their HEA. She’s a sex addict and he’s an alcoholic…and they’re completely wrong and completely perfect for each other. Trust me on this! The story dragged me to rock bottom with these two hurting people, believing all along they’d find a way to heal. I had to trust the author…or rather authors…twins Krista and Becca Ritchie, to make this right. In addition to Lily and Lo, four other characters snare your attention and your heart in this book. And yay!!! They get their own stories.
The next installment in the series, Kiss the Sky, releases FRIDAY, January 24. While I wait…impatiently, I might add…, I thought I’d crawl inside the heads of my favorite TwinPens Krista & Becca to see what they were thinking when they created this beautifully dark world.
Kennedy: I’m fascinated by co-authors. It’s hard enough to find your voice as a writer. Then to make sure each character has his/her distinct voice. To accomplish that writing with another person seems like it’d be fun, but challenging, especially with a cast of six characters. What does that process look like? And does your twin superpower help?
BECCA: We’ve both been writing for a long time (even though we’re only 22), and we’ve each developed a unique style. As we continue to write together, we sort of melded our writing into one cohesive voice that sounds much better than our individual voices. So I’d say—we’re better as a team than separate. But being a twin definitely helps! (And if that’s my only superpower, I’ll take it!) It’s easy to talk to Krista about what works and what doesn’t work. We’ll discuss our characters in detail, their motivations in certain scenes, how they would react to some conflicts, and then we’re really able to trust each other with a character throughout the story. I think what it boils down to with the cast of six is that we have to know everything about them, or else Krista and I may diverge and they’ll seem like they have dual personalities…and that would be scary.
KRISTA: Becca really explained it well! When we wrote Addicted to You, it helped that we had a two-hour commute from college back to our parents’ house for (some) weekends. During that time, we had long conversations about our characters, and we were able to flesh out their motivations/psyches, and make sure we both had complete understanding of each one.
Kennedy: I love how unflinchingly honest you were revealing Lily and Lo’s weaknesses; their addictions. The other characters’ vices seem a little more socially-acceptable, but greatly affect their decisions and relationships. Rose & Connor (Kiss the Sky) could on the surface, seem hard characters to love. What do they see in one another that others would overlook? What makes them love each other in spite of the flaws?
KRISTA: At their core, Connor and Rose are ambitious intellectuals, and they’re really just insanely, undeniably attracted to intelligence. I think others overlook Connor and Rose’s ability to be emotional, to be soft and vulnerable, to be a little more human since they’re the ones holding everything together. The other characters think Connor’s asexual and always-composed, and that Rose is a high-strung bitch. But the secret to Connor and Rose is that they like being guarded. They like having that one person know the real them. And the challenge is to get close enough to be that person.
BECCA: Like Krista said, they’re both really private and keep their vulnerabilities to themselves in order to appear stronger for everyone else. And I think they’re just insanely attracted to each other, despite their flaws. Actually, their flaws may be part of the reason why they like each other. Connor is attracted to Rose’s fiery nature, her bitchiness. Which could be considered a character flaw to most.
Kennedy: In the first part of the series, there was so much secrecy shrouding the characters protecting Lily’s secret sex addiction. When it came out, it almost destroyed her. Cool choice to go in a completely different direction with a reality show for Kiss the Sky. What took you down the path of exposing in this book everything they tried to hide before?
BECCA: We were ready for something different. And we didn’t want to just add a new male character from Rose’s past to cause drama for them. We needed something new, and we both sat down and thought, realistically, what a celebrity family would do to repair their reputations. And the reality show seemed like a good choice. If you think about it—most famous people who do reality shows are trying to promote some product that they just made (skin care, makeup, Skinny Girl margaritas) or they’re trying to say, “this is the real me.” And both fit perfectly for what the Calloways are trying to achieve.
KRISTA: We love challenging ourselves as writers, and I think we can safely say we will never write a reality show again. It’s the biggest challenge we’ve ever undertaken, but it really was the direction that the story needed to take. Like Becca mentioned, if you look at how other celebrities actually progress in the media, a reality show was realistically the next step for the Calloway sisters.
BECCA: Yes, we will never be doing this again… except in Thrive (Addicted #2.5), when parts of Kiss the Sky will be in Lil and Lo’s POV. But after that… never.
Kennedy: Another contrast is going from Lily, a heroine who is a sex addict, to her sister Rose in Kiss the Sky, who’s still clutching her V card. Can you give us a little insight into Rose’s sexuality and how…and IF…she’ll explore it in this next installment of series?
BECCA: Rose’s sexuality is a HUGE part of the book. I mean…we put “Virgin” on her forehead on the cover. She’s never been in a serious relationship before Connor. And now she’s been with him for a whole year and they’ve never had sex. I love her journey because she takes on a lot of stigmas for being a virgin for that amount of time (while being in a committed relationship).
KRISTA: And you really get to understand why she’s been a virgin for so long and what’s been holding her back.
Kennedy: The three Calloway sisters are different from one another and complex. If you had to boil each of them down to ONE word, what would it be? And why?
BECCA: Daisy (from the soon-to-released Hothouse Flower) would be…curious. I think she’s propelled by curiosity, and she’s fearless enough to explore each one, whether that be skydiving, swimming with sharks or…crushing on a guy much older than her.
KRISTA: Rose would be loyal. The girl is smart, sassy, and brazen but I think above all else, she’s incredibly loyal to her family. She loves hard. And Lily would be lost. She doesn’t know who she is or what she wants to be. Sex is all that’s ever made her feel good and all she really knows. Throughout the series, the word will probably change to something with a stronger sense of identity, but for now she’s just trying to find herself.
Kennedy: In Lo, Connor & Ryke, you have created these beautifully flawed heroes who steal our hearts in different ways. I love how uniquely strong they all are. What would their bathroom stall tag line be? You know For a good time call…What would we call each of them for?
KRISTA: This is a hard one! Umm…maybe “love us or hate us…you’ll still want to f*ck us.” Just kidding…I think 
BECCA: I can’t beat that! LOL.
KRISTA: You’d call Connor to help you with a crisis or with your test the next day. He makes the best tutor. You wouldn’t call Loren unless you’re Lily. He’s just unreliable.
BECCA: You’d want to call Ryke if you were in a dangerous situation. He’d come save you, even if it was at the risk of his life. He’s crazy (but I love him).
Kennedy: This was a little bit of a crash course on the Addicted series. Get all the details at kbritchie.com/books.
Don’t forget! Kiss the Sky comes out FRIDAY, January 24! And to whet your appetite…here’s a glimpse into what Rose really thinks about Connor.
Let’s stay in touch! Click HERE to stay in the loop on Kennedy’s updates, teasers and writing.
December 28, 2013
A Few of Their Favorite Things
So many amazing things happened in 2013. As a writer and a voracious reader, it’s not surprising that some of my favorite things occurred on the pages of novels, instead of in real life! With that said, I wanted to hear from a few of my favorite 2013 authors about this year’s best moments and what has them most excited about the year to come.
I loved hearing from them, and I hope you do, too!
KENNEDY: I fell hard for this first writer’s book Falling Into You. After stalking…ahem, befriending her at the RWA Conference this summer, I loved her for the generous, helpful and gracious person that she is. She’s made all the lists – USA Today, Wall Street Journal, NYT, Amazon #1 Bestseller – and MY list of 2013 faves. And I have no doubt her new Ever trilogy will land on my 2014 list. Without further ado, Mme. Jasinda Wilder.
1. What was your favorite moment from 2013?
JW: I think it probably has to be the moment that Falling Into You hit #1 on Amazon. That’s probably one of my favorite moments both personally and professionally.
2. What are you most excited about for 2014?
JW: All the incredible stories I have planned for this upcoming year have me pretty geeked out. I’ve got some surprises up my sleeve, as well as some just all-around great stories that I think will blow you all away.
3. FREE FAVE – Share any favorite thing. It can be a movie, song, new artist, condiment, LOL. Just something that tells us a little about you.
JW: Okay, so you’ll probably laugh, but one of my all-time favorite movies is Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves. The one with Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater. I LOVE that movie, despite how cheesy and ridiculous it is. That’s part of what I like about it, honestly.
facebook.com/AuthorJasindaWilder
KENNEDY: Jen Frederick is author of The Woodlands series (Undeclared & Unspoken), and co-author of the Hitman series (The Last Hit). I’m excited about the next installments of both series, since I was blown away by what she’s written so far. And out now – Snow Kissed! But let me hush. You tell ‘em, Jen!
JF: My favorite moment of 2013 was pressing the publish button on my first book. I couldn’t believe that I’d completed an entire story, and even better, there were people who liked it.
JF: I’m most excited about the wealth of choices we have as readers next year. Indie publishing is allowing people like me to bring our stories direct to the readers. I guess we all have a little Beyonce in us!
JF: FREE FAVE – My favorite song is Pretty Hurts by Beyonce. I like to play it followed by Roar by Katy Perry.
facebook.com/AuthorJenFrederick
KENNEDY: I discovered Jessica Claire (AKA Jill Myles) joined at the writing hip of Jen Frederick as co-author of Hitman series (The Last Hit). You’d definitely rather meet their hero Nikolai in a dark bedroom instead of a dark alley! He is badass…and tight ass! LOL! Love him dark and dangerous. And loved the great voice blend of Jessica and Jen. You’ve heard about Jen’s year behind and ahead. Now meet Jessica.
JC: My favorite moment [in 2013] was quitting my day job to write.
JC: What am I most excited about for next year? A new house!
JC: FREE FAVE – Right now I’m loving Laurann Dohner’s New Species series. I don’t think there’s a bad one in the bunch! Definitely one of my favorite authors of 2013.
KENNEDY: Claire Contreras’ Darkness series (There Is No Light In Darkness & Darkness Before Dawn) stayed with me long after “The End”. Then I read her latest book, Catch Me, and pretty much want to sop up everything she writes with a biscuit. I keep telling her to write faster! Good thing for us she’ll have more coming in 2014. Claire, take it away!
CC: My favorite moment from 2013 (non-book related): My 2-year-old saying “I love you” for no “reason”.
My favorite moment from 2013 (book related): Publishing Darkness Before Dawn.
CC: What am I most excited about for the coming year? Life! It sounds cheesy, but just life in general. I’m excited to see what 2014 has in store for me.
CC: FREE FAVE – Favorite Song: Hopeless Wanderer – Mumford & Sons
KENNEDY: I’m from Atlanta, so I had to have at least one Georgia peach in the mix. I kept hearing so much buzz about this Golden Heart winner, Harper Collins debut author and her towering talent. Romily Bernard’s a tiny little thing who only stands about this high, but her heart and smile are GARGANTUAN, and won me over from jump. Her debut novel, Find Me, is this tightly-woven, grip-the-edge-of-your-seat YA thriller that shows clearly what all the buzz is about!
RB: Fave moment from 2013 was definitely my critique partner Sally Kilpatrick’s sale to Kensington. It was so, so, so well deserved. She’s a brilliant author and I’m freaking giddy for her.
RB: I think I’m probably most excited about REMEMBER ME (follow up to FIND ME). It was a tough book. I hope I did it justice.
RB: FREE FAVE – Jalapeño peach cream cheese!!!
Last word from Kennedy…
It’s only fair that I share mine, too, huh? I’ll do my FREE FAVE first. Favorite new music artist is hands down the new Kiwi on the block Lorde. Onto the next one…Nothing says how blessed you are like having to narrow down your best moments of the year. As someone who has experienced a stretch of dark times, I’ll never again take that for granted. I’m going to roll a few best moments into one. Being signed by my agent Nikki Terpilowski & securing a 3-book deal with Grand Central’s Forever imprint. What am I looking forward to in 2014? Finding wonderful new ways to combine two of my greatest passions – writing and advocating for families living with Autism. I want to find ways to leverage every opportunity to help not just myself, but others.
What about YOU? What’s in store? GO GET IT!
Happy New Year!
December 2, 2013
Don’t Mess With A Girl & Her Mop
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, my husband, son and I visited family in North Carolina. I’m from the country. The land of raising pigs for slaughter, picking and shelling peas from the garden, and canning everything you can get your hands on. Growing up, it was nothing to wake up to deer in the front yard and chickens on the front porch. We ran through the woods, waded through the creek and generally considered the outdoors our very own wild domain. Video games and even television weren’t high on our list of activities. We joked that in the country, you learned to entertain yourself for hours with just a stick. Needless to say, I always looked for ways to keep myself occupied.
This past week, we visited my grandmother. I couldn’t help but walk out to her old car porch and reminisce about all the good times I’d had out there with nothing more than a mop. What, you might ask, would a young girl do with a mop for hours alone?
I told stories.
The mop was my long-haired heroine, and lemme tell you, that girl had some adventures. It wasn’t like an imaginary friend. I understood this was a mop. When I’m gone, Banny (what we call my grandmother!) will clean the floor with it, but while I’m here, this mop is answering a divine call to the arts.
I should probably mention that I was not five or six or even seven years old. I was, um, well *shuffles feet and flushes* …maybe eleven-ish. Kind of old for that kind of thing, I agree, but I had all these stories and characters in my head, and I literally acted them out. Yes, with a mop.
Once we had a family gathering, and everyone else was inside. Playing cards. Eating collard greens, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken and every edible part of the pig. And believe me, that is EVERY part. They were doing all the things my kinfolk did to keep things jumpin’.
And then there’s me. On the car porch. Playing out my latest scene with my mop. Now I’m not sure if you, dear reader, were ever considered an odd child. In the country, there isn’t much tolerance for eccentricities. It gets labeled real fast. One of my aunts, God bless her, was particularly dismayed by my penchant for talking to mops out on the back porch. The screen door was closed, but her voice definitely carried.
“What is wrong with that girl?” she asked. “Always reading a book or talking to herself and playing with that mop. Ain’t she too old for that yet? Seems to me she got a lot of book sense and no common sense at all.”
At that age before I understood the benefits of pragmatism, I could only wonder what was so good about common sense? I mean, the shame was in the name. I wanted nothing to do with common anyway. (My Marie Antoinette phase was difficult for everyone.)
I’ll never forget my mother’s simple, but powerful words to her.
“Leave that child alone. She’s alright.”
Now that may not seem like much to you, but to me, it was exactly what I needed to hear. Leave that child alone. She’s not crazy. She’s not “touched” as we like to say in the country. Let her be!
That wasn’t the first or the last time my mother had to defend my habit of talking to myself; for telling stories out loud on my own. Over the years, in more ways than one, she encouraged me to be myself. To not only listen to those voices, but to write down everything in my head because one day I would be a writer. More than anything, she encouraged me to figure out who I was and just BE that! There is a strong cord of nearly unshakeable confidence that runs right down my middle because she fostered that in me.
When I went back to Banny’s this week, the mop was long gone, but I remembered. And I couldn’t help but think about my “process” even now. Washing dishes last week, home alone, I started acting out a scene that had been giving me fits. I do that a lot. Act out the scene before I write it. Before I sit down and try to tell the characters what they should say, I kind of put myself in their shoes out loud and let them tell me what they will say. Acting out the scene last week, before I knew it, tears ran down my face and I was gasping for breath. I felt the dialogue that deeply. I was that embroiled in the characters’ confrontation. When I sat down to write, those moments in the kitchen alone super charged my word count.
Oh, and it’s not just in the kitchen. On my way to pick up my son from school, or out running errands, I talk to myself and act out these scenes at the steering wheel. I do put in headphones so my fellow drivers won’t be too disconcerted. It’s good to know, though, that even if they knew, even if they heard, my mom would tell them the same thing now that she did then.
Leave that child alone. She’s alright.
November 25, 2013
Gratitude: A Habit?
We’re entering a season which always prompts me to consider gratitude. Naturally, Thanksgiving – the name says it all. We ponder what we have to be thankful for. And then it seems Christmas swoops in, and for many, gobbles up all the gratitude, and pushes what we WANT to the forefront of our hearts.
For me, gratitude isn’t seasonal. It’s not something I save for when it’s time to go around the table and say what we’re thankful for. I think of gratitude as a habit of my heart. The same way we form habits for our bodies, I believe we can form habits for our hearts.
Webster defines habit as an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. How does it become nearly involuntary? Practice. Repetition. Routine. You just keep doing it. The same way we form habits to work out, eat right, manage our time – we can manage our hearts. Our physical habits are cultivated. One of my favorite definitions for cultivate is:
to grow or raise (something) under conditions that you can control
Sometimes we leave our gratitude subject to our circumstances. We’re grateful when things go right. When things go well. When things are good. But we can’t always control circumstances. So how can you be grateful when you’re hurt? When you’re lonely? When the list of cons in your life seems to far outweigh the pros?
I believe the answer is, for me at least, found in perspective. You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control your perspective. You can train it. You can shape it. You can form it through the decisions you make. I believe that when we position ourselves to gain perspective, gratitude can become our knee-jerk reaction, even when things are rough.
My son is severely Autistic. I’m passionate about advocating for families living with Autism, and navigating this unexpected journey is a huge part of my family’s life. Our son was diagnosed 10 years ago, and it has at times, been incredibly difficult for my husband and me. About six years ago, I started a foundation to provide financial and emotional support for families living with Autism. One of my favorite programs we sponsor is for single parents. Community sponsors “adopt” single parent families raising children with Autism to ensure they have what they need for Christmas. As part of this program, my foundation usually throws a Christmas party for all the families. It’s so much fun.
The first year, all the single parents and their families showed up. We had pizza and all kinds of foods and drinks they probably usually steered clear of. It was an absolute zoo. I started this foundation when things were still pretty dark for us, and I was having a hard day. I put on the happy face, though, and pressed through. My husband was there, running around acting like he always does – full of life. I noticed the mom standing beside me watching him playing with our son. She had tears in her eyes, and she turned to me and said, “You are so lucky.”
I looked back at my husband playing with my son and said, “Yeah.” Mind you, I got it, but she must have seen there was another level of “got it” I could go to.
She said, “When my husband found out our twin boys had Autism, and realized how hard it would be, he walked out. He literally moved to another state, and only sends the occasional check. Look at that man out there. He is here. He is present. Do you know how lucky you are?”
And in that moment, I did. I had a new appreciation for how my husband stood by me. For how he spent time with our son. For how patient he was with him and with me when hard times made me sulky and broody and tempted me to give up.
I had perspective.
I don’t believe that having perspective makes things hurt less. I don’t like it when people hear about the hard times we’ve had, and sometimes still have, and feel like their troubles somehow pale and they don’t even want to mention them to me.
Pain is personal.
If you stump your toe, that thing hurts so freakin’ bad. And it doesn’t hurt less because someone, somewhere is battling cancer. But knowing that, can give you perspective.
So what am I saying? Gratitude has become a habit for me because I try to consistently position myself to gain perspective from people in more need than I am. That’s not the only thing I do to stay grateful, but it’s one. Regularly rubbing up against circumstances and situations that help us gain perspective ensures that gratitude isn’t this seasonal, fleeting state, but it becomes the state of our hearts. It becomes a habit.
If you don’t do that, haven’t tried that, the holidays is the perfect time to start.
And if you want it to become a habit of your heart, just keep doing it.
October 11, 2013
Return to the Scene of the Climb
For someone who’s been writing all her life, I haven’t been writing for very long. Meaning, my degree is in Journalism. I’ve been doing lots of technical writing for non-profits, and some ghost writing for authors and communicators, but writing fiction? Commercial fiction? That was a whole new animal. I knew I had a lot to learn. About craft. About the industry.
I took a step that has proven to be so crucial. I joined the Romance Writers of America (RWA). And then went local, and joined the Georgia Romance Writers (GRW). I found a roomful of folks in the same boat as me, though at different stages of their journey. Sorry for mixing metaphors, but you get it! We could relate!
I had only been a member for a few months when our annual Georgia conference rolled around, Moonlight & Magnolias – M&M. It was October 2012. I had entered our contest, The Maggies, and had OK scores. Some judges said something I would hear a few times. “It’s not really a romance.” They say that because of some of the…ahem…difficult relationship decisions my heroine makes. More on that later…I understood. It broke a few traditional romance “rules”. I knew it was a love story, though. There was a movement, maybe subversive (Ooh, I hope so! I’ve always wanted to be subversive!), to toss some of those rules. And all the rules-tossing stuff I was reading, I loved!
Anyhoo…someone asked if I was going to pitch at M&M. I had NEVER pitched before. It hadn’t even occurred to me. That’s a thing? At the same time, I love public speaking; love communicating. And I loved my characters like family, so just do it, right? And then I heard so many around me talking about how nervous they were. How they hated pitching. How they might throw up.
I was definitely not taking this seriously enough.
Then I asked myself. “Self, what do you have to lose?” There was lint in people’s pockets that had been around longer than I had. And it’s just one step. It may not take me much of anywhere, but it was an experience I wanted to fully embrace. Fully experience and learn from. So this ladder was in front of me. It’s my career. It’s my dream of becoming a published writer. There was this low-risk rung right in front of me. All I had to do was take that step.
So I did.
I sat down with an editor from a major publisher and told my characters’ stories. I don’t know what she thought of me, or of my little spiel, but she asked for a full.
And God bless the GRW member Pam who was managing the pitching schedule, because she squeezed me in with someone else. An agent. Again, pitched my lil heart out, and SHE requested a full.
Scrub forward to THIS year’s M&M Conference. 2013. I’m sitting in my first break out session, giving half of my attention to the presenter (sorry!) and the other half to my phone because I’m responding to an email. Only a year later, in the exact same conference, in the exact same month, in the exact same hotel – I was emailing titles back and forth with my agent Nikki Terpilowski and my editor Latoya Smith, of Grand Central. Titles for my first THREE books. The same two ladies I pitched to just one year earlier at this conference.
Huh?
I nearly got emotional in the middle of that very helpful break out session. Taking that one step can change your life. Joining RWA and GRW seemed like small steps, but they laid the foundations for me to complete and polish my book. Pitching seemed like a small step, but I could not have known how it would propel me forward. How it would change my life.
What’s your ladder? What’s your low-risk rung? What’s your STEP?
TAKE IT!
