Jennifer Jenkins's Blog, page 3

Olympic Moments

Today I had the opportunity to visit Olympic Park in Park City, UT. A major venue for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games. After touring the museum we rode up to the Luge, Skeleton, and Bobsled tracks.

We happened to arrive while the Paralympic Skeleton racers were training. Standing with my son at my side, I watched men missing one leg hop and jump onto sleds headfirst to then rocket down an icy track at literal break-neck speeds. Here’s a little footage of one of the athletes:

Paralympics Skeleton

After watching a few of these men do their starts, I leaned over to my son and said, “We can do hard things, can’t we?”

He nodded in wonder, never once taking his eyes off the athletes who were teaching him a lesson of which they most likely weren’t aware. A lesson of persistence and never letting anything keep him from obtaining his dreams. So. So. Cool.

Afterwards, a few of the athletes started a snowball fight with my son’s fifth grade class.

Snowball fight

I chatted with a few members of the Australian Skeleton team (LOVE THEIR ACCENTS) and got a good pic with my son (on the right) getting taken to task for the snowballs.

These athletes lifted us both a little today. The way they engaged my son and his friends was more than just charming. It was validating.

Similar men and women in the writing world donate their time to teens in Utah every year. They get down on their level and engage them, validate them, and inspire them to work toward their dreams.

Thank you to all of our past, present, and future Teen Author Boot Camp authors who mentor and inspire our teens. Your “Olympic Moments” are making a difference in the world.

God Bless.

COVER REVEAL DUO!

TWO AMAZING COVER REVEALS, ONE AWESOME SERIES— THE LOST IMPERIALS.
By Tyler H. Jolley and Sherry D. Ficklin
 



ABOUT THE LOST IMPERIALS SERIES:

In a battle for control of the time stream, the past and the future will collide, either saving mankind—or destroying it.

The Tesla Institute stands on one side of the battle. Controlled by the mind of one of the greatest inventors in history, the Institute recruits gifted, young time travelers called Rifters. Those who survive his training are sent into history with the mission to preserve the time stream, recruit more of their kind, and better humanity through subtle, controlled event manipulation.

Standing in the way are the Hollows, a rogue group of Rifters who have vowed to put an end to the Tesla Institute—at all costs. They steal, cheat, and bend history to their own ends. Using children stolen from time as their personal armies, they fight not only for control of time itself, but also for self-preservation.

BOOK #1—EXTRACTED — IS ALREADY AVAILABLE. FIND OUT WHY IT’S A BEST-SELLER!

“Steampunk and time travel combine to provide pizazz in this series opener about a long-lost royal brother and sister, the surviving Romanovs. Ficklin and Jolley handle the rather intricate plotline well, populating the time stream with interesting characters that pop up in various unexpected places. The steampunk scenario adds a great deal of zest to the proceedings, with top hats, leather corsets and a variety of steam-driven contrivances providing set dressing. Kids who pick it up won’t encounter much real history, but they’ll be reading it for fun anyway. (Steampunk. 12 & up)” ~Kirkus Reviews


ABOUT RIVEN:




Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

What should be a routine mission leaves Ethan with a serious problem. He’s fractured—a break between mind and body that leaves him at the mercy of his Rifter abilities, which are quickly tearing him apart. He will have to trust the only person who might know how to fix him, a mysterious Rifter named Stewart Stills, who seems to have a special connection with the time stream.

Forced to face his dark past and a decision he may never forgive himself for, he will be trained unlike any of the others, to become a true guardian for time. If he accepts, it will mean leaving everyone he loves behind. If he refuses, time itself could unravel. After a glimpse of the dark future awaiting them all, he will have to choose between destiny and desire. Will he rise up and take his place as a defender of the natural order, or will he watch as all of time burns at the hands of the girl he loves?

Welcome to the time war.


ABOUT PRODIGAL:




Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Stein has been with the Hollows for as long as she can remember. Taken as a child, she has no memories of her past—and that’s always been fine by her. Until the day she stumbles across a hidden journal containing the devastating truth about her paternity. Now everything she thought she knew—and everyone she thought she could trust—has changed. The truth about who she is and where she came from is a secret so deep, it will rock the Hollows and the Tesla Institute alike.

During a test to verify her bloodlines, Stein makes a terrible discovery. She is carrying a rare genetic mutation that is slowly killing her. Unsure who to turn to and running out of time, she has no choice but to turn to Tesla—her most hated enemy—for help. But can she trust the man who she’s been fighting against her whole life, or will she end up another piece in his deadly game of cat and mouse with the people who betrayed her so long ago?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
TYLER H. JOLLEY AND SHERRY D. FICKLIN 
 
 

In order to support his hobby of writing, Tyler decided to pursue dentistry. He graduated from Nova Southeastern University School of Dental Medicine in 2002. He then completed a four year residency at the University of Pennsylvania. In June 2006, he opened Jolley Smiles in Grand Junction, CO. Snowboarding, mountain biking, road biking, fly fishing, bird hunting, camping, hiking, and backpacking are the things he enjoys doing with his family. When life gets stressful he escapes to unseen worlds.

Sherry is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel, eat exotic food, and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is often only seen in blurry photographs.

 

NaNoWriMo and Why I’m on the Fence

I’ve always been fascinated by the whole NaNoWriMo ordeal. (National Novel Writing Month). For those of you who’ve never heard the term, it’s where writers commit to getting their “buns” in gear and write an entire novel in one month.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that anyone who has the determination to write an entire book in thirty short days automatically earns street cred in my book. I know several authors, including my good friend and fellow Writers Cubed member, Jo Schaffer, who have busted out a stellar book in only a few weeks. It really is a remarkable thing! But I also know many writers who use NaNoWriMo as an excuse to slack off the other eleven months of the year.

“I’ll buckle down in November,” they say, and then proceed to squander precious artistic time and talent.

The best advice I’ve ever heard from a writer came from a panelist at a writing conference years and years ago. I can’t even remember the name of the person who said it, but they declared, “Writers write!”

I became a “professional” writer a LONG time before I was published, and you can too. The day I became a professional was the day that I acknowledged to my friends and family and MAINLY TO MYSELF that this was my job and I would treat it like one. Not one month out of the year and a few sporadic weeks scattered between December and October, but five days a week for a set (be it reasonable) amount of time.

Writers Write.

If you want to be a professional writer, then be one.

Rant complete.

REMAKE- by Ilima Todd

Wow. Just. Wow.

REMAKE is the story of a girl who is born into the world as part of a “Batch” of children all raised by hired caretakers. Like everyone at the age of seventeen, Nine (our heroine) is given the chance to choose her own name and change everything about herself–even her gender. This Dystopian setting is unique in many ways, but the 180 degree reversal that happens in part two of the book will blow your mind, making it, by far, one of the most original books I’ve read this year. *tips hat to Ms. Todd*

What could have been just another Dystopian about big, controlling government turned out to be a true experiment about family and about the beauty and power of womanhood. It’s a book about bravery and God and the real definition of “Freedom.”

I give this one five stars, folks. Pick it up. You won’t be disappointed. Here’s a link to purchase.

 

 

My Comic Con Adventure

Panel with fellow “Cubie,” Jo Schaffer, on Writing Strong Female Characters

Hanging out at the Teen Author Boot Camp booth with one of the most talented writers I’ve ever read. No Joke. Margie Jordan.

Author buddies Bree Despain, Natalie Whipple, and Renee Collins hanging out in the green room

Sara B. Larsen signing at the Shadow Mountain booth. So excited for IGNITE to come out in January.

Last panel of the Con. Loved discussing the Hero’s Journey with Lisa Mangum, Tyler Whitesides, and the rest of the panelists.

Had a great time geeking out at Comic Con with so many good authors and new friends. We had a booth in the Artist Alley where many of the 135,000ish Con attendees stopped to chat about Teen Author Boot Camp.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing past Bootcampers come and say hi. I love learning about how the writing process is going for them, about new projects their working on, and how excited they are for another year at TABC. I’m feeling extremely overwhelmed to have the opportunity to see the light that brightens a young person’s eyes when they realize that they have someone in their corner, rooting them on in their writing journey. They really are the future of literature and I couldn’t be more proud of them.

Great panel discussions, creative costumes, and wall to wall people best describe my adventure at Comic Con. If you need me, I’ll be in recovery (asleep) for the next week.

SLC Comic Con!!!

I just  received my Comic Con panel schedule and thought I’d share.

Go Teen Writers! :Thursday, Sept. 4th at 5:00 pm in room 255 C

Making Your Female Character Strong Without Turning Her into a Fighting Machine : Saturday, Sept. 6th  at 11:00 am in room 255 F

The Hero’s Journey in Cinema and Storytelling : Saturday, Sept. 6th at 8:00 pm in room 255 B

Last year’s Comic Con

 

Like last year, Teen Author Boot Camp will have an author table, so come and find us in the crazy zoo that is Comic Con. If you’re a past attendee, make sure to wear your TABC shirt to earn a little swag.

We’ll be announcing next year’s keynote at the conference, so come and be the first to know!

Introducing… Literary Agent, Jo Schaffer

I’ve been excited for this blog post, because I’ve had a lot of my writing and non-writing friends ask about Jo’s new status as “Literary Agent.” First of all, this is a HUGE deal, and a big credit to Jo’s eye for good writing and ability to connect with people. GH Literary has a catch with this woman. Not only will she rock the boat, she’s going to sell books. Lots of them.

I thought it might be fun to do a little interview with my good friend and fellow “Cubie” to bring light to Jo’s career move and writing future.

So without further adieu… 

Me: What. The. Muffins? You’re an agent/author now? What inspired the metamorphosis from author to agent/author?

Jo: I love writing and I truly like writers. I enjoy the collaborative process between creative people. It really appeals to me to help fellow authors on the frustrating and crazy journey to publication. I have had two major influences in this decision.

Being involved in Teen Author Boot Camp–teaching teens and watching them hone their talent and the craft of writing has really made me realize how much I like to facilitate the growth and success of others. Some of these kids need to be heard!

And the other major influence has been my own agent, Italia Gandolfo. She is my Yoda. She has a heart of gold but Wolverine’s adamantium claws and is fiercely dedicated to her clients and making things happen for them. The woman never sleeps! I admire her strength and loyalty. Working with her just makes so much sense.

Me: What does this mean for your careers as an author? Are things going to be different? Will it be difficult to manage both? Do you feel like you need to put one hat on before the other?

Jo: I intend to keep writing. I have five completed novels, and I have several more in the “idea stage”. I will continue to work with Italia to get my other books published. But I’ll have less time to do my own projects for now. It will be tricky to do both, but I am determined.

Things are already different. I put in long days of reading and research for other writer’s manuscripts. I try to compile helpful, brutally honest notes for my clients so I can help them get the best publishing deal possible. And at GH Literary we don’t just agent books–we manage the careers of our talent. Helping our authors brand themselves, find their niche and promote them and their books.

As far as putting on hats… I really am wearing two. I still use my writer hat on a daily basis–even if not on my own books.But my primary focus at the moment are my clients and getting them ready for submission.

Me: What’s on the horizon for your career as an author? *wiggles  eyebrows* Any news for us?

I co-authored a book, Against Her Will, with Serita Stevens. It’s about teens in a psych ward called Oak Dale in Southern California. The story touches on heavy topics like: mental illness, suicide, drugs, rape, anorexia, bullying and abuse. Compelling, gritty stuff. Serita has been a nurse in a psych ward for teens for many years and has seen it all. That book got picked up by True North Publishing and will release May 2015. =) Also my book Badlands is currently in submissions.

Me: Now for the question everyone is waiting for… What are you looking for in a potential client and how can people submit to you?

As far as genres–I want mostly YA right now. And no high fantasy. If elves or dragons are in your book or a bunch of names nobody can pronounce–it’s probably not for me.

I really look for a fresh, honest voice, highly developed characters who have a good arc where growth is obvious, and tight plots with beautiful,visual writing.I like good supporting characters that entertain me and sustain the story-line and they have to matter to the lead character–for good or bad. It is super important to me that there are universal themes and a purpose to the story.I love a hopeful if not happy ending.

The most important thing to me is that the author is easy to collaborate with and understands how this all works and what my actual role is. Weird or unrealistic expectations, or attitudes make my hard job harder. =) Tons of work goes into helping an author get ready for submission etc. as it is.
They need to do their homework and be open to criticism,have a manuscript that is already 99% ready to go and then be willing to make the necessary changes. Patience and flexibility are appreciated too. =)

They can submit to me through the agency site. Here: Submissions : Gandolfo Helin Literary Management
 

FantasyCon!

Had a blast at FantasyCon last weekend!

The day started out with an easy-going panel on “Raising Kids on a Fantastical Diet,” or in other words, how reading Fantasy can foster imagination, literacy, optimism, etc. The best part? I was joined by my Writers Cubed sister, Jo Schaffer, as well as the talented voice actress, Ali Durham.

My second panel of the day was a tad bit intimidating. There’s nothing quite like sitting on a Tolkien panel at FantasyCon where you know at least half of the attendees have as much to say on the subject as you do. Now, couple that with the fact that I sat between psychologist/Tolkien artist Dr. Kip Rasmussen, and fantasy veteran/author Paul Genesse, with the Tolkien aficionado/SciFi film maker Tom Durham moderating. We had a great discussion, and I learned quite a bit from my counterparts. They were nice to let this humble Historian tag along.

And of course Jo and I had to play once all of the paneling was through. I only wish I’d remembered my gold chains and bikini. I vow not to leave the house without them again!

IF I FORGET YOU

My friend and fellow author, Michelle D. Argyle, is releasing a new title that you should definitely check out! (I’ve linked her cover picture to Amazon, to save you time. Thoughtful, right?)

Avery Hollister is a little more than absentminded. She has trouble remembering faces, names, and dates without her piles of lists and Post-it notes. When she heads off to college it takes her a week to realize the guy she’s crushing on is, in fact, three different guys.

With a faulty memory and three men who have no idea she’s mixed them up, Avery doesn’t know how to fix the mess she’s made. But she knows she has to try, even if it means losing a love not even she could forget.

IF I FORGET YOU is a Contemporary New Adult novel appropriate for upper young adult and adult readers.

“Beautiful prose, interesting characters, and sizzling romance make this book simply unforgettable. I adored it.”
~ Kasie West, author of The Distance Between Us

“Avery may have a bad memory, but I will never forget this book.”

~ Natalie Whipple, author of The House of Ivy & Sorrow“Achingly sweet and beautiful, If I Forget You stole my romantic reader heart.”

~ Cassie Mae, bestselling author of Switched

 

HAPPY READING!!!!!!

Here’s the link again, just in case you missed it.

Publishing: Not a Goal

Describing the last five years of my life is not easy. Five years ago I completed my first novel. Five years ago I assumed after a few diligent months of toiling, I’d land a literary agent and then go on to publish said first book. Five years ago, I wasn’t that good of a writer.

In the last five years I’ve written four and a half additional books (not to mention, edited and rewritten a few of those a ridiculous amount of times). I’ve been rejected countless times. I’ve attended writing conferences, read various books on writing, helped launch a non-profit focused on promoting teen literacy, supported brilliant authors, read hundreds of books, co-founded one of the largest writing conferences for teens in the nation, obtained a literary agent, went through two rounds of submissions without a bite . . . and until a few weeks ago, had never been offered a contract for publication.

I hope that list does not discourage those of you with publishing aspirations. No doubt, you have much better skill and luck on your side than I did entering this crazy business. My intention is to provide a bit of context to the real reason for this post:

I’ve finally accepted a contract with a national publisher!

It would be extremely difficult to make enough money to justify the hours dedicated to this dream of mine. But that was never the goal for me . . . and to be honest, neither was publishing.

I know, I know. You’re shaking your fists and calling “bull” at my statement. Let me assure you, I did have dreams of being published. I’ve operated with that one hope in mind for the past five years. But it was never the goal.

In my opinion,  you can’t set a realistic goal based on the whims and preferences of others.

That isn’t to say I didn’t have goals! My goals were very specific and ALWAYS within my control. (I.E. “I will write 20,000 words this month,” or, “I will send out fifty queries this month,” etc)

In publishing and in life there are too many variables that we simply can’t control. When we pine and only focus on such aspirations, we will always find disappointment. Always. But I knew, through this whole crazy whirlwind of trying to get published, that I would never fail unless I chose to stop pushing myself. To stop taking one step ahead.

I’m so SO excited to begin this new chapter of my writing journey as a published author. DREAM. COME. TRUE.

But my goals as a writer are ever changing.

Thanks to all of the wonderful friends, mentors, and cheerleaders in my life. I am truly blessed!