Thrills, Chills and Romance

Looking for Reviewers

2011-12-14T14:12:00.001-06:00

Do you love urban fantasy with hot heroes and flawed heroines? Contact me for a free review copy of Redemption, my latest title. See what Nancy Holzner has to say:

“In a bleak, post-apocalyptic world, what happens when a half-angel searching for her redemption meets a half-demon hellbent on revenge? If it’s J.R. Turner’s world, major sparks fly. Redemption is a heady mix of action, thrills, and sizzling romance. Half-angel Savannah Mantas is both a kick-ass heroine and a complex character. Immortal yet deeply wounded, she searches for the redemption that will allow her to ascend and leave behind the blasted, dying Earth. But she never expects to find that redemption in the arms of half-demon Nico Montenegro, a man who should be her mortal enemy. Turner’s urban fantasy is a fast-paced thrill ride that wrestles seriously with questions of good and evil, guilt and innocence, to deliver a satisfying, multilayered read.” Nancy Holzner, author of the Deadtown series.

First 15 reviewers will get a free copy! jturner4@charter.net

Ellis Vidler's Unpredictable Muse: Redemption: atonement for guilt, deliverance, salv...

2011-09-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

Check it out! I'm the guest today:

Ellis Vidler's Unpredictable Muse: Redemption: atonement for guilt, deliverance, salv...: J.R. Turner, author of Redemption, due out this month, and many other novels, is my guest. I'm looking forward to her new release.

Executive Director, can you believe it??

2011-08-18T12:33:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone ;)

I've got some interesting news to share ;) Wisconsin Regional Writers' Association has asked me to step into Boyd Sutton's shoes this October as Executive Director. I'm totally stoked and excited about this. Not only will Boyd mentor me, but I'll be trained on how to run a non-profit. So very cool!

Okay, back to my conference, editing, and writing work!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

A Day in the Life

2011-08-10T06:58:00.002-05:00

Ever wonder what I do all day? I do... Just kidding :) Seriously though, where does the time fly? It's not yet 9:30 (CT) and I'm already running around like a chicken on fire!
A.M.
6:30-I save the carpets--I take the dog out.
6:45-Make coffee and check emails-lots happening with upcoming conference, newsletter, 9/1 releases...etc.
7:00-Feed turtle, fish, check food/water for mice and guinea pig, let in the cat...
7:10-Shower and dress for the day
7:45-Make breakfast for the kids my daughter is babysitting
8:00-Start making phone calls: 4 Dentist appt.s for whole family, pay med bills, etc.
8:20-Make breakfast for my own children (we're out of milk...)
8:22-Make grocery list (milk is on the top of the list)
8:45-Start cleaning up sleep-over mess and run load of laundry
9:10-Check email again--very quiet today, thank goodness-only 2 need a quick reply
9:15-Start writing this blog...

So, that's how I start my days--mostly :) Today, I have to be at the dealership to get the car fixed (something's goofy with the driver-side front tire thingy) at 11:00, then I have to take Dustin in for a doc appt in another town--and visit a friend in that same town--by 3pm. After that, I'll be nose to the grindstone editing until I stop to get dinner on.

I hope everyone has a great Thursday...er....Wednesday :) (Really? It's only Wed.?? Oy...)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

What to Write and Redemption

2011-07-18T11:23:00.004-05:00

Here I am, with a pretty new blank blog to fill, all this wonderful "white space" to work with--and I'm lost. How funny! I've been editing WAY too long.

Right now, I'm thinking about Redemption coming out. Nancy Holzner has the ARC now and has agreed to get it back to me by September some time, which is absolutely wonderful of her considering she's got big deadlines to deal with. I really, really loved writing Redemption. The feel of it, the aura, the ability to get supernatural, the huge cast and epic scope--all of it was a real treat. Now I'm itching to do something along the same lines. I've been captivated by a word and all the wonderful nuances that word has. I'm thinking it might be the next title I work on when I get some "me" time to write. The word is: Ruiner. The possibilities with that are endless.

While things have been hectic and crazy, they've been good. I'm working at a steady pace and getting tons accomplished. Even if there are tons more to accomplish, these achievements feel pretty darn good.

I really can't wait for Redemption to come out. Here is the back cover blurb:

Half-angel Savannah Mantas smells the sulfuric stench of wrath when it enters her city, Iron Point. Resurrected by the archangel Michael, she's hunting for redemption and half-demon Nico Montenegro is her prey. He comes from the Fringes, the border between the city and the toxic wasteland beyond.

When they meet, Nico tells her a story, one of genocide and confiscated bodies. Not revenge, but justice is his purpose and his target is the most admired family in the world–Commander Hathaway and his daughter.

Hathaway's soldiers are slaughtering Fringers and secretly feeding them to Revenants, mutants who survived the bio-bombing of 2120. They have a twisted idea they can train these clever creatures like dogs and keep them out of the city long enough to mobilize an evacuation for the wealthy and well-connected.

Savannah knows better. Revenants are what killed her. When they attack, the last of humankind may be wiped out completely. Stopping Hathaway might just be enough to gain her redemption and escape a hellish fate.

Hope you think it sounds as fun as to read as it was to write! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Mi Vida Loca

2011-07-14T10:11:00.002-05:00

Where have I been? I've been working under a rock! :) Just kidding--but I have been super busy. These are the projects I am working on right now or have just finished:

1) WRWA Fall Conference
2) WRWA Summer Newsletter
3) Editing Servant to the Wolf by the fabulous Sue Wentz of Cassidy Creek Bridge fame
4) Editing Shaken by the super D.M. Anderson of Killer Cows fame
5) Editing Take Me Home (working title) by Martin Bartloff of Torn From Normal fame
6) Writing books #4, 5, and 6 in the Delbert Dallas series
7) Reading Submissions to the Quake imprint of Echelon Press
8) Transferring website to my wordpress account for easier updating
9) Updating all blogs :)
10) What I call "red-tape" work: writing up contracts for the conference and for new books coming through Quake--writing up agreements for workshop presenters and panelists, etc.

Okay, so that's where I'm at this morning. It's just after ten and I'm all ready tired! Lol! :) Think I'll get a big cup of coffee and settle in for a nice long day behind the keyboard.

One of these days I'll actually be able to write again!

ALL Publishers sell books--to their authors!

2011-06-24T11:26:00.003-05:00

I have a gripe. I’m sick and tired of reading how Print-On-Demand publishers only exist to sell books to their authors. That’s like saying all poor people have a welfare mentality or a rape victim was asking for it because of the way she dresses. We live in a day and age where that sort of bigotry is simply inexcusable.

I work with an independent publishing house and not once have I ever been “forced” to buy my books. It is not in the contract, it is not an expectation. They do offer me a discount if I wish to buy my books for events like book festivals and the like—but so does Random House and myriad other houses. This is standard operating procedure, people!

No publisher simply gives their authors unlimited access to a bottomless barrel filled with books. That’s not how the industry works. Contracts usually state how many author copies an author can expect. Once those are gone, the publisher doesn’t keep handing over titles for free. So, to use the argument that houses that use POD technology only survive by selling to their own authors is not only naïve but inaccurate.

My advice: be wary of blanket statements and research any publishing house you’re considering working with. I did, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about my publisher, Echelon Press.

The Lazy Song

2011-06-23T07:59:00.002-05:00

You really know you're not ready for a busy day when you wake up with The Lazy Song running through your head!

Maybe some Bobaflex, Nonpoint, and Wolf Mother will wake me up :) Funny how music can really influence the way we feel. Of course there's always this: http://youtu.be/HsyMtYoSkC0 that never fails to make me laugh!!

What songs do y'all find move you in some way?

Ugly People vs. Obese People

2011-06-22T09:57:00.007-05:00

I've fought my weight all my life. Up until I got pregnant with my first son, I did fairly well. I was a size 12/14 and at nearly 5' 10", that's pretty good. When I got pregnant though, all bets were off and like so many uninformed first-time pregnant women--I ate for two--literally. I still carry that weight today, 18 years later.

This morning I fired up my computer and on my iGoogle page, I found an article titled Surgery is no Quick Fix for Teens. The article itself is fairly interesting, since I have been considering bariatric surgery of some kind. After all, I've been eating non-fat, sugar-free, mostly fruits and vegetables for nearly two months--plus exercising regularly--and the results are not what I hoped. But--that's the case with dieting and exercising, it is far harder to lose the weight than to gain the weight. So many people give up because they get disheartened, and for other reasons.

What prompted me to write this blog post though, were the horrendous comments from the readers who obviously never had to fight weight gain. The condescending way they talk about "fat people" the holier-than-thou put-downs they sling without thought, are the very reason obese people often remain obese.

Why don't we see the truly obese working out in public gyms? Because of the very people who make those comments. Why don't we see exceptionally heavy people swimming or walking in our communities? Because of the type of people who would make fun of them. While they may not be the original cause of the weight gain--they are definitely a huge part of the problem when it comes to getting fit and healthy again.

For a real-life example, I chose to go on a "power walk" not that long ago. I was four blocks from home when a car full of guys drove past me. One of them hung out the window and barked at me. Yes, literally barked at me--just to let me know he thought I was a "dog." I haven't done that again since. Now I work out quietly in the back of my house on a second-hand stationary bike.

So if you know someone who is feeling self-righteous about looking good, or loves to condemn those who are out in public struggling to lose weight, please, please, remind them that anyone actually doing the work of getting healthy deserves their support, not their derision.

Just my thoughts today.

SEO and Marketing: Basic Tips and Definitions

2011-05-19T07:30:00.005-05:00

Please welcome Karen Cioffi, an awesome lady with a wonderful group of writers in her inspired and fabulous group, VBT Writer's on the Move.

SEO and Marketing: Basic Tips and Definitions

By Karen Cioffi

In its simplest form, promotion is a tool or strategy under the marketing umbrella. The marketing umbrella covers the creation or manufacturing of a product or service, R&D, distribution, and any other elements needed to get a product from creation to the consumer. Promotion creates visibility.

Utilizing online promotion means you will be using the internet, search engines, and SEO. SEO is the process of getting the search engines to find and rank your content. You obviously want a high ranking so when a searcher (potential customer) types in a search term (keyword) your site may be one of those on that first SERP.

Marketing and especially SEO can be confusing and seem like a daunting task to undertake, but once you understand the basics it becomes less intimidating.

SEO and Marketing Definitions

1. SEO – search engine optimization: “the process of creating and adjusting website content with the goal of improving search engine rankings.” (according to Compendium.com)

2. SERP – search engine results page – the page results from a search query.

3. Keyword – “any word or phrase a searcher might use to describe or identify a desired resource on the Internet.” When using keyword in your title, it’s important to use the keyword in the beginning of the title. Rather than use “How-to-Guide for SEO,” opt for “SEO: A How-to-Guide.” (according to Compendium.com)

4. Organic Traffic or Marketing – free strategies, such as Twitter, blogging, article marketing, etc.

5. Paid Traffic or Marketing – utilizing paid/sponsored ads, such as Google adwords, etc.

6. Ranking – your position (how high up) on the SERP: the higher the better. In other words, you want to be on the first SERP, or at least within the first few pages.

7. Anchor text – linking to other websites and/or pages directly from text within your content. This strategy should be used to bring the reader to your products, to other related articles you’ve written, to another site that has useful information pertinent to your post, and/or to link to a site you’re mentioning.

Providing readily accessible information and links through anchor text will give your readers more “bang-for-the-buck.” It will give the reader a broader reading experience, and she will definitely appreciate it – this builds a relationship . . . and trust.

Karen Cioffi is an author, ghostwriter (for authors, bloggers, and businesses), freelance writer, reviewer,
and on the team of DKV Writing 4 U (http://www.dkvwriting4u.com). She is also the founder and manager
of VBT Writers on the Move, and co-moderator of a children's writing critique group.

For writing and marketing information visit KarenCioffi.com and sign up for her FREE newsletter, 
A Writer’s World. You’ll get TWO free e-books on writing and marketing in the process. 

Other sites:
Karen Cioffi Writing for Children & More
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
http://nothingventurednothinggained.org

You can follow Karen at: http://twitter.com/KarenCV/

Liz Borino Speaks on the Sequel !!!PRIZE!!!

2011-05-11T01:23:00.002-05:00

Welcome Liz to my blog today, everyone! She's a great person and as some awesome thoughts on what goes into writing a sequel. Not only that, but she's going to give a prize package bundle of both books! Expectations and What Money Won't Buy will go to one lucky commenter--so warm up your keyboard and share your thoughts! :)

Writing a Sequel

Expectations was originally planned as a standalone novel. Actually, considering I’m a pantser, it wasn’t really planned at all, but I digress. Then, about a month after I signed the contract with my publisher, Lazy Day, some of my beta readers and I started kicking around the possibility of continuing the storyline. Nothing too serious, just ‘what if’ scenarios. Until, I shot up in bed one morning around 5 AM with an outline of the sequel in my head. I was on fire! I wrote for two and a half hours straight before remembering my caffeine. No, it didn’t make total sense, but I had a viable idea. And from those mess of notes, What Money Can’t Buy was born.

Writing a sequel provided both great and scary things. I knew and loved my characters, we were friends, so the period of ‘getting acquainted’ was skipped. Which is good because none of us are very good at small talk and that period is so awkward. I didn’t need to build a new world. In a word, writing What Money Can’t Buy was initially very comfortable. Maybe too comfortable. What followed were paralyzing fears: What if What Money Can’t Buy isn’t as good as Expectations? I don’t want to disappoint my fans. Then there were practical concerns: How much background do I include? Should people be required to read Expectations before What Money Can’t Buy? The answers? Just enough to remind the reader of relevant events and no, but it does help.

I’m happy to report, What Money Can’t Buy will not disappoint fans and will probably draw in some new readers. And, I’ve started work on the as yet untitled third book.

"Liz Borino is the author of Expectations and it's sequel, What Money Can't Buy. Throughout her education, including a Bachelor’s Degree from Hofstra University, she’s kept her stories to herself, but this only child is all grown up and wants to share them with the world. Her roots are in Bethlehem, Pa, but she loves to experience new cultures. As fun as that is Liz likes nothing better than curling up at home with a good book or her work in progress."

Just a Few Words...

2011-05-03T16:47:00.003-05:00

Mother's Day is fast approaching and I'm missing my mom something terrible. I try not to think about it too much, but with all the commercials on radio, television, and ads coming in the mail, it's hard not to be bombarded by the holiday. Yes, I'm a mom so there is much to celebrate and I do try to focus on the positive. Over the years, I imagine it will get easier.

This weekend I'll be at WRWA's Spring conference and I'm looking forward to seeing great friends and making some new ones. I'll miss those who can't make it there and wish them well for whatever circumstance made them unable to attend.

I'll let everyone know how the event went and hopefully share some fun pictures!!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

AuthorGuy, Marc Vun Kannon Rocks the Paranormal Fantasy!

2011-04-28T03:17:00.000-05:00

Please welcome Marc Vun Kannon to my blog. He's an awesome guy who helped me at my very first conference. He is a champion of the independent published author and all around exceptional person. Let everyone know about him and his wonderful books:

(Coming May 15th)

Piece o’ cake

Some stories are easier to write than others. I admit I was a little spoiled by the first two, which took years to write but were at least talking to me the whole time. My latest novel, St. Martin’s Moon, was not so forthcoming. The first bump in the road was that this was my first story that wasn’t a pretty straightforward fantasy novel. I’m always trying to stretch myself, do new things, and the inspiration for the book was another book that turned out to be a murder mystery set on a lunar colony. The werewolf was my idea.

(Buy Now)

The lunar colony I could do, with a few minutes of The Dreaded Research to back me up. A werewolf was a bit out of my scope, the sort of stretch I was looking for. The mystery was impossible. I’m a complete pantser. I discover the story as I go along. There was just no way I could plot it out, the way a mystery paradigm required.

The werewolf was much the same. Horror is a matter of setting and ambiance, also not strengths of mine. I prefer my descriptions to come from the perceptions of the characters, and werewolves are not characters, they’re monsters. The people who became the werewolves were another matter. The shift from horror to a paranormal was easy enough to make, in spite of the fact that I am not on board with the current trend in paranormals of turning classic monsters into leading men. The good thing about werewolves is that they are only part-time monsters. Poor old Larry Talbot and those like him spent most of their months looking forward to the last day. Unless…

And what about my werewolf hunter, last vestige of the mystery that wasn’t? He was the linchpin of the whole story, the catalyst of a reaction to which he (everyone, actually) was completely oblivious as he went about his ordinary duties. In chapter one I discovered that he had a whole lot of backstory as to why he didn’t want to go back to the Moon. What other secrets might he be hiding? As it turned out, it was a bit of a doozy. The ghost was not my idea. Or the romance.

Now if only I’d had a story.

(Buy Now)

My original idea was admittedly rather nebulous, but even so it was better than the nothing I had left after both genres up and walked out on me. As it was I wrote what was mostly a scifi story with the occasional elements of Dark Shadows mixed in. It was the characters’ fault really, I was just following them around. While they were all set off by the presence of my werewolf hunter on their lunar colony, each of them went and did their own thing. None were enough, but all were necessary. What had started out as a single linear story of uncertain genre broke up into five different plots, on two different planes of reality, which intersected in the person of my hero.

Nothing to it.

**************************

St. Martin’s Moon will be released on May 15^th, 2011.

Like many writers, I started when a story came along and decided that I should write it. Don't ask me why. Others followed, until now I'm afraid to go out of the house with a recorder or notebook in my hand. But I show them, I refuse to write the same story twice!

Visit Marc's blog: Author Guy

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T10:24:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! :) Hope you're enjoying a very Hoppy Easter!! :) :)

I got a new fridge--with a water and ice dispenser, like I've been wanting forever. This came in the warm-fuzzy form of FREE from hubby's trucker buddy, Todd. Thank you, Todd! :)

So Eddie is under the sink hooking up the water line and I can hardly wait to get in there and transfer everything from one fridge to another. The kids got chocolate, and I got a great big chocolate-keeper! :)

Okay, gonna go enjoy the day, and I hope you do too!!

((HUGS))

Idiots--Just Tired of Them

2011-04-21T18:14:00.002-05:00

Don't you just hate it when people take things you say out of context or twist them around to have entirely different meanings--then go on a rampage half-cocked without the facts? Setting them straight just turns you into their target, right? There seems to be so much of this going on lately. People are going ballistic over the smallest things.

I spend most of my time around writers, readers, and publishing industry pros. We are definitely not free of this sort of behavior. In some cases, I think it's worse among us. Take for instance John Cusack who was lambasted for spelling and typing errors on Twitter. (I know, I know, old news, but it's a perfect example.) As an editor, I know the importance of getting it right--but come on folks! That's like bitching at a ballerina because she doesn't know how to play poker. Hello? John Cusack is not a flippin' writer--he's an actor, okay?

When did we all seem to lose our compassion, our sense of humor, our collective good will toward our fellow writer? Are times so tough out there economically we have to stoop to cutting each others throats to get ahead instead of relying on merit?

So lets show a little tact out there. Make sure the battle you're fighting is worth fighting, and make sure the hill you're fighting on is the one you want to die on. Beyond that, just be flippin' kind to each other and to the non-writers out there who only want to communicate and share their experiences. Maybe we all need a little Bobby back in our lives: Don't Worry, Be Happy! :)

Okay, this concludes this public service announcement. :)

Magdalena Ball-The Unreal Memoir and More

2011-04-20T02:14:00.002-05:00

I'm thrilled to share my blog with Magdelena today! Please make her feel welcome. She's excited to respond to comments as soon as she gets back to civilization after her trip! :)

Without further ado, Magdelena's post:

What’s so Funny ‘Bout Fiction

Another day, another literary scandal. First (Well maybe not first. See this list) there was Helen Darville’s faked history behind her Miles Franklin winning novel The Hand that Signed the Paper, then there was James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces, novelist JT LeRoy, who finally admitted to being Laura Albert. Then Nasdijj, the Navajo memoirist who turned out to be porn author Timothy Patrick Barrus, followed by Misha Defonseca, who turned out to be Monique De Wael, author of pretend memoir Misha: A Mémoire of the Holocaust Years, and then there was Margaret "Peggy" Seltzer, who has admitted that Margaret Jones is a pseudonym and that her memoir Love and Consequences was also faked.

So what’s with all these faked memoirs and identities? Does the fault lie with the publishers for not fact checking? Some would have it so: http://www.newsweek.com/id/118814

Does it lie with the authors for duping their publishers, their agents, and of course the angry public who feel cheated of a real life story when all they got was fiction? What’s so funny ‘bout fiction anyway? A good story is a good story, whether it really happened or whether it was pulled together by someone who imagined it. Frey’s book for example may not be damn good history, but it surely it is still the same damn good fiction that Oprah cried over. Perhaps even the bigger truths of the work—those characters and situations that we find verisimilitude in--remain the same. Writing a novel is no easier than writing a memoir – it takes an awful lot of work, talent, research, and inner searching to produce a full length book that takes the reader somewhere that he or she can recognise as real regardless of genre. The books have to be truthful in one way or another or they won’t touch the reader.

Perhaps novelists are faking ‘memoirs’ rather than writing ‘novels’ because of the public’s insatiable hunger for ‘what really happened’ and the flow on effect this has with publishers, who are much more willing to take on memoirs than new fiction. My own novel Sleep Before Evening, is entirely fiction, but you can’t write a novel without putting an awful lot of yourself into it. There are plenty of moments that really happened, and the novel is full of the truth, because that is the whole point of fiction – to show something real and meaningful in a narrative construct. We don’t live in a linear, narrative type of universe. Our lives are bombarded with a range of sensory perceptions, memories, diffuse narrative threads and anticipations. Both memoirist and novelist take these things and use art to create something structurally accessible that others can understand, but there’s always construct, selection, re-invention. There’s always artfulness. Even relating a recent memory involves that kind of construction. I’m not condoning the literary hoax; nor am I suggesting that these hoaxes don’t matter – of course it’s wrong to go on the record as being someone you aren’t – particularly when you are dealing with sensitive issues or race, experience or influence where you might steer someone wrong because of your pretence or create inappropriate propaganda because of your bias.

But I am suggesting that the kind of reverence that the public places on “what really happened” -- the obsession we seem to have with “reality TV” and gritty revelation talk shows -- might be misplaced. James Frey was a successful author long before he faked his memoirs, but it was only the attention from Oprah and the ensuing scandal that made him a literary superstar, or super villain if you prefer – I’m not sure there’s that much difference from a sales point of view. But should I really care whether James Frey really went to jail for 1 day or 10? Should I begin investigating because there’s a small discrepancy in the dates in Ismeal Beah’s latest memoir, A Long Way Gone? The key issue here is whether these are good books or not. If we buy them because they’re shocking, or amazing stories (“hey madge, you won’t believe what this kid got up to”) that don’t ring true, and are full of ridiculous rubbish we are happy to believe (“he swore in his memoir that aliens took him to Mars and I believed him”) then we might deserve to be lied to. If the memoir is beautifully written, and full of rich, vivid detail which touches something very real in the reader, then maybe it remains good fiction even if it isn’t good fact. The truth is about something deeper and more powerful than simply the bald facts.

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2008/03/24/080324crat_atlarge_lepore

In Jill Lepore’s excellent piece in the New Yorker, “Just the Facts, Ma’am”, she makes this point wonderfully, exploring the relationship between historical writing and fiction: “For Fielding, there are two kinds of historical writing: history based in fact (whose truth is founded in documentary evidence), and history based in fiction (whose truth is founded in human nature).” There are many different kinds of truth, but the memoir, real or faked, certainly doesn’t have a greater claim to it than fiction does.

Magdalena Ball runs The Compulsive Reader. She is the author of the poetry books Repulsion Thrust and Quark Soup, the novel Sleep Before Evening, a nonfiction book The Art of Assessment, and, in collaboration with Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Blooming Red, Cherished Pulse, She Wore Emerald Then, and Imagining the Future. She also runs a radio show, The Compulsive Reader Talks. Find out more about Magdalena at http://www.magdalenaball.com

Hellforged by Nancy Holzner: Hella Good!

2011-04-18T07:24:00.001-05:00

I'm pleased to post the long awaited review of the second book in the Deadtown series by Nancy Holzner!

I approach sequels to books the same way I do movies--especially when the first one was so fabulous--with a sincere hope the follow up story will do the first one justice. I am more than thrilled to say that Hellforged surpassed all my expectations and reminded me just why I loved the first one so much.

Aunt Mab was such an intriguing figure in the first book, I was excited to travel to Wales with Vicki and get to know this side of her family much more intimately than in Deadtown. My favorite secondary characters were back as well--Tina, now a hopeful back-up singer for a zombie band, Juliet--yes that Juliet of Romeo fame--a vampire roommate who may not be on the page much, but plays an integral part in the plot.

I think what I loved best is the sexual tension created between Vicki and her bad-guy 'cousin' in the first part of the book and how that evolves into a renewed romance between her and the ever-sexy Alexander Kane, the werewolf attorney love interest from the first book. Don't think this book is all about romance though, Vicki has a fantastic struggle I found mesmerizing.

The internal battle she faces over trying to be 'pure' in order to vanquish the evil in this book, how she feels stained by her bond with The Destroyer, a powerful demon we first met in Deadtown, is something anyone could relate to. My heart went out to Vicki time and again as she struggled with her inner demons--so to speak!

I loved Deadtown and now Hellforged has found a spot on my keeper shelf! I hope they make it to your bookshelf, too!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Been a While

2011-04-17T14:22:00.003-05:00

(Aunt Christy, me, and Grandma Robin~
aren't they awesome?! :) )

For me, there is nothing worse than being stuck on a plot line you have no clue about. I've been buried under a plot that didn't want to go anywhere. I wrote 500 words for every 400 I deleted for a week. I still didn't know what was going on with the plot until today when I wrote the final pages. Isn't that crazy? Short story writing isn't as easy as this novelist thought it would be.

My biggest problem was trying to conform to the mini-synopsis I wrote months and months ago. I had a whole different plot outlined than I used, and I didn't use the one I had because the premise was weak. I needed something much stronger and something far less character driven. In a short story there's only room for one or the other--character driven plot, or action driven plot. Since my target reader is 10 years old--I needed the action driven plot, but I was only getting the characters inner thoughts. Not much fun to read about a bunch of characters standing around contemplating the nuances of life!

Granted, my life has been sort of wacky lately, but when is it not? Last week I was wearing shorts and started spring cleaning. This week, it's snowing out side and I've got my winter coat on. Go figure!

Anyway, that's all I got right now. I'm going to be bringing some writing related stuff back to my blog soon though. If you have any writing questions you would like answered, please just ask!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Tough Time...

2011-03-27T12:43:00.003-05:00

If you're wondering what happened to me, I can only say that life has intruded on my computer time in a major way. I'll be working for the next three to four days to get all caught up, so if you've been expecting an email from me, it'll be coming very soon!

My son, Dustin, was in a car accident last Wednesday. Thankfully, no one was injured, but unfortunately, the van was totaled, leaving us without a vehicle. We found out Friday that after everything is paid, we'll only get 300 or so from the insurance company. Not exactly enough to buy a new vehicle. We're hopeful though, that our perfect payment history on the previous car loan will help us get another one.

So, I've been hunting down vehicles and doing extra work to try and get enough together for a down payment. Here are the photos of the car accident:

We truly are grateful no one was injured, including the other driver. Things could have been so much worse. The front axle was broken, and I know it's hard to see from the photo, but the tire is bent inward. I'm just glad we had full coverage on the vehicle and we won't be walking away with a huge loan payment for a vehicle we don't own anymore.

So okay, I've got to get back to work. Thanks for checking up to see how I'm doing!

Hugs,
Jenny

What's Next for Elysabeth Eldering?

2011-03-23T09:08:00.007-05:00

Hi everyone! Please give Elysabeth a warm welcome to my blog. She'a fabulous lady! :)What's next?

by Elysabeth Eldering

Jenny has asked that I talk about where the series is headed next and what's coming out soon. As far as the Squad and me, we are heading to PA for a homeschool conference and then on to a few more book festivals, homeschool events and other type events squeezed in there. This is the season of promoting and making sure that we are making a presence in as many places as we possibly can.

There will be an unveiling of a new persona for me in May, so stay tuned to my blog for the ta-da moment.

As far as the series goes, at the time of this posting, book #6, State of Nature, is about to be released; we are just awaiting the proof copy to release it. I'm currently working on finishing the stories of #7, 8, 9 and 10 - all are in various stages of being finished. State of Acceleration, #7, is in the story stage, working on the mini plot and getting the characters through another state in a fun and interesting way. State of Imagination, #8, is in the arranging clues in an orderly fashion stage; State of Monuments, #9, is in the adding a couple more clues/rearranging them in the order they will be presented stage; and State of Production, #10, is in the adding more clues and tweaking a few that are already in place stage. I have a table set up so I know which states will be released in a given year, all the way through to the fiftieth state and 2019, when the final book will be released with probably a couple of surprises interspersed in there.

The process is multi-staged for me for one story. I guess putting my clues in first is like someone who outlines their stories. The clues are how I base my titles and how my characters tend to react or interact. Then after I decide which facts to use as clues, I send off to my editor who comes up with a title. Sometimes, she is not so successful. State of Nature, #6, was actually named by son who decided which clues should be on the cover; he also helped in naming #10. We were all at a loss for #9, even my teacher friend, but my illustrator, Heather C. Paye, came up with a very befitting title. After I have my clues in place and in the order I want them to appear along side my title, I start writing the story. Once the story is finished, off to my editor, refined or fixed up by me and then off to Heather for her to do her thing. She does a great job with the covers and layout. Once I receive the file back in final mode, I submit to createspace.com and await for them to tell me the file is print ready so I can then order my proof copy. Once the proof copy arrives and I've looked over it from cover to cover, then I release it.

So what's next for the Squad? We just keep on doing what we can to get where we need be and hopefully the big break will come along soon.

Elysabeth Eldering is a traveler from birth. She has traveled with her family due to her father being in the military. She has lived in several states and overseas during her childhood. Ms. Eldering calls South Carolina home these days with a mindset of "Southern by choice, not by birth." She entered her first writing contest in her early 40s and took second place for a children's mystery story (Train of Clues), which has inspired her to take that story and write a series for children, the premise being that each state would be the mystery. Her series has a Jeopardy!® like style to it but for guessing the state in the form of a question. Each book concentrates on one state and there are supplemental study guides available, which take the series cross curriculum. For more information on the series, please visit the JGDS website. Elysabeth may be reached at eeldering@gmail.com with any questions or to place an order.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog, Elysabeth!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Delbert's Here! :)

2011-03-22T13:30:00.002-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce the first book in the Delbert Dallas and the Dragon Diaries series from Quake and Electric Shorts is released into the wild today!

#1 Voyage to Viking Island

Delbert Dallas has all kinds of issues, brothers and stuff like that. But one day he discovers the new guitar his father gave him as a gift can turn into a dragon named Barbecue Bob. Together they can travel through time.

Delbert ends up back in time on Viking Island where Prince Rolloff and his new best friend, Walter Wheeler, are planning a wild escape by longboat.

Can Delbert convince Prince Rolloff that Walter can’t be trusted? Or will Walter’s magical time-traveling dragon Firebrand live up to his name?

Don't miss Voyage to Viking Island for only .99 on your Kindle, Nook, and many other electric formats at Omnilit: http://bit.ly/ggAd0y or Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/b/48756

Thanks to everyone for your support and please spread the word. These middle-grade readers share what life was like for the average Viking and offer a fun glossary filled with all sorts of great words like Fender Stratocaster and Clotheslined. Perfect for the adventure-minded reluctant reader!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

The Fascinating and Fiery Jen Wylie!

2011-03-21T08:54:00.004-05:00

Please Welcome Jen Wylie to my blog!

The Fascination of Fire

When I signed on to write a series of six short stories for young adults I wasn't given a lot of guidelines, other than my main character was to have a paranormal ability of some sort. The crazy setting of Ever came to me first, and actually rather easily. Deciding on what to do for my main character took more thought. She had to be able to survive Ever. I played around with various ideas and for 'normal' type abilities I settled on running. Running is good, good for escaping creatures trying to eat you. Misha's character turned out to be very active in track, and ran at least once every day.

Now for the paranormal part...what to pick? There are so many possibilities, or I could even invent something new. I couldn't decide, so thought on what my readers might be interested in. I still remember being a teenager (It wasn't that long ago!) The answer came quickly then, fire. As a teen, I remember my own fascination with fire. I wasn't alone either. Every friends house had candles somewhere, my own room was full of them. Kids played with matches and lighters outside of school. Bonfires were a must in the summer if we could find a place to have one.

I gave Misha the power of pyrokinesis, or more commonly, she is a firestarter. Since I can't make her life too easy, she doesn't gain her powers until she is a teen, not long before she is banished to Ever. Now she not only needs to learn to survive there, she has to learn how to use and control her powers as well.

I hope readers, both young and adults, will enjoy my tale and become fascinated not only by the fire, but by the world of Ever as well. Happy reading!

Welcome to Ever.

Ever, a deadly realm where feared, powerful and dangerous magical beings are banished. Though very large, it is not a world but a magically created prison. You can’t break through its circular boundary. Who, or what, made Ever? I’ve no idea. They were powerful, and cruel. That is all I can tell you.

Ever is like and unlike every other world. Nothing is safe. Safety is a dream. Ever is a nightmare. Few survive their first day. Nothing is what it seems. If something appears safe, it isn’t. If something appears dangerous, well it is, but probably more so than you think.

Ever has no sun, no moon, no stars at night. Time is told by the ever changing color of the sky where portals open, dropping new inhabitants, or new terrors. Time does pass. Don’t worry, you won’t get old. You won’t live that long.

The landscape changes without reason form dessert to jungles. The flora isn’t safe at any time. There is food, if you can find it without getting eaten yourself. Most plants and animals are poisonous. So is the water.

Are you afraid? You should be. This is the end. It gets worse of course. Remember the portals? Do think angels come through? Rarely the innocent do. Mostly, it is people of evil, people too powerful to kill. Their magic works here. The creature’s are worse.

Do you understand? Well you will eventually, or you’ll die. There is no escaping Ever. Ever.

Banished:

My life was normal. It sucked, but it was normal. At least until I got this new power. I can control fire. It would be cool if it wasn’t so dangerous and if I knew how to use it. Pretty much my sucky life took a nose dive once I got it. Yup, everything gone. I suppose I should be thankful some uncle I never heard of took me in. Turns out the whole family isn’t normal and my power is a lot more dangerous than I thought. I thought things couldn’t get any worse. I was wrong. They banished me to Ever.

If I’m lucky, I might survive my first day.

Available Now From:

Omnilit: http://www.omnilit.com/product-banished-519511-234.html

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44865

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Banished-Tales-of-Ever-ebook/dp/B004Q9TX4A

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Banished-Tales-of-Ever/dp/B004Q9TX4A

B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Banished/Jen-Wylie/e/2940012206961/?itm=1

Jennifer Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.

Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.

Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories. Sweet light is her debut novel to be published in 2011.

Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her husband, two boys, Australian shepherd a flock of birds and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.

My website: www.jenniferwylie.ca

My blog: http://jlwylie.wordpress.com/

Delbert Dallas is Here!

2011-03-18T10:55:00.005-05:00

Well, his cover is, anyway. Check it out!!

Ain't it awesome? He kicks major Walter Wheeler butt in the story, too! More coming very soon!

Book Sellers are Beelzebub!

2011-03-14T13:04:00.002-05:00

Of course authors have a whole ton of reasons to dislike booksellers. We groan at discounts, totally despise returns, and have at times been treated strangely (ahem) at book signings and such. However, that's not the reason I'm calling them Beelzebub!

I can't seem to leave a bookseller without spending more than I make! Ugh! After two events--a lovely time at Dan's Dog Eared Books in Medford and Egocon (hosting Book Isle) in Stevens Point--my TBR pile has grown by a dozen, at least. It's crazy! I'm swamped with great reads all ready, so it's especially difficult to sit and see all those really great books just waiting for me. I'm going to have to take a vacation just to get some of these read!

At the moment, I'm reading Hellforged by Nancy Holzner and though it seems to be taking me forever to get it read, I'm enjoying it immensely. I've had to put it down a few times because of looming deadlines for books I'm editing and books I've got coming out--so my for-fun reading has been seriously delayed. Watch out though, for my review of Hellforged, coming soon!

So yeah, booksellers tempt me more than just about anything else. If I were to sell all the books I have, I could probably take the kids to Disneyland. Insane! Well, I better get going now, or I'll never have time to read my for-fun books!

On a side note, there's a really great lady--my Aunt Christy--who has become an Avon Representative. Check out her store here: http://christyweber.avonrepresentative.com/

Thanks y'all!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Back to Business

2011-03-07T10:43:00.003-06:00

(My little guy, Matthew, in his super alien costume)

Hey everyone,

Just going through emails and such and find that I've fallen way behind. I've been working hard on some big projects that have looming deadlines, so if you've been waiting to hear from me, it shouldn't be long now.

I'm getting ready to launch the first book in the Delbert Dallas series later this month, so keep your eyes open for more announcements about that. The first three in the Electric Shorts pilot program are now up for everyone to see: Super awesome program, Electric Shorts, now live--see them here: http://bit.ly/fLwwGB Drop by and check them out ;)

Okay, be back with more news as it happens! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Newsy Stuff :)

2011-02-28T12:31:00.002-06:00

Dan’s Dog Eared Books was a blast this weekend. I gave a workshop that took the audience from finding their inner book, to submitting and what to expect from the industry. Everyone was most excellent to me, including Jeanie, my hostess, who sent me home with chocolate and a blinged out bookmark! I think I want to be adopted now ;)

The last of the editing for Delbert Dallas and the Dragon Diaries, #1 Voyage to Viking Island was finished this weekend. Look for the release on March 22^nd. These short stories are fabulous reading material for middle-grade readers. I loved highlighting the Viking age in this first story. What fun! I had no idea what a byrnie was!

My blog tour continues with a few more fabulous new stops and places to be entered into a contest. Check them out here:

First, a HUGE shout out to Tea Mouse. Not only is she being a fabulous blogger and hosting a stop on my tour, but she also made the lovely banners everyone is seeing on all my blog stops. Thank you bunches, Tea Mouse!! Visit her blog here: http://teamouse.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/blog-tour-giveaway-with-j-r-turner/

Next is the Tales Compendium. They’ve been exceptionally wonderful to me. Visit them here: http://www.thetalescompendium.com/2011/02/jr-turner-blog-tour-interview-and.html

And last but certainly not least, Reading, Writing and Waiting has a beautiful site to visit: http://youngadultbookworm.blogspot.com/

Over all though, Paranormal Indulgence (run by the wonderful Asher Knight) has some really amazing and unique things going on over there. Check it out here: http://paranormalindulgence.blogspot.com/2011/02/end-of-week-rally.html You really don’t want to miss this one! :)

Okay, back to work for me. Lots happening and some really great books coming out from Quake and Echelon Press soon!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

This and That :)

2011-02-25T09:32:00.003-06:00

Supernatural is on tonight and it looks like it will be a mind-bender, for sure! :) Sam and Dean go to a parallel universe where they're actually actors--Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Imagine that! :) Okay, on to "that" part of the post:

Yesterday I was sort of under the weather and couldn't sit at my computer for any real length of time. Today I'm much better and back at work :)

You can still leave a comment to be entered into the drawing here: http://www.wordforteens.com/

And Asher Knight still has some fabulous contests and give aways going on over at Paranormal Indulgence: http://bit.ly/feFIl0

Tomorrow I'll be in Medford for a great weekend shindig with Dog Eared Books. Please drop on by and say hello if you're in the area :)

Voyage to Viking Island was turned in this week, so I'm excited to see this first installment in my Electric Shorts series, Delbert Dallas and the Dragon Diaries, released on ebook for middle-grade readers.

There's a lot going on, but they say when you're doing what you love, then it ain't work ;)

How are all of you?

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Welcome Marvin Wilson!

2011-02-24T07:29:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone!

Today I’m dedicating my blog to Marvin Wilson, author of Beware the Devil’s Hug. This is an interesting book getting some very interesting reviews! Check it out:

What if a homeless, smelly, ugly, unkempt old man had a hug so powerful it could cure cancer? Cause a prostitute to stop hooking and seek true love? Shake the demons of addiction free from a junkie? Make a radical terrorist Muslim want to befriend and love a Christian and visa versa? But rare is the beneficiary of his divine embrace--nobody wants to come near him out of fear.

Beware the Devil's Hug is available on amazon.com and also directly from the publisher, All Things That Matter Press, at:
https://www.createspace.com/3478953

To view the book trailer, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3KIe8QxZms

And to embed the trailer in a blog post, here's the html code:

“Beware the Devil’s Hug introduces readers to a mishmash of deftly-drawn, misguided characters who are prone to bad decisions and worse circumstances. But as one homeless man proves, things are not always what they seem. This book is part-magical realism, part-spirituality and part-social commentary; and remarkably, Wilson’s cornucopia works harmoniously to create an utterly engrossing and enlightening story.”~ Jen Knox, author of Musical Chairs (a memoir), and the forthcoming novel, Absurd Hunger

“Marvin D. Wilson has created an intriguing allegory centered around a Christ-like figure who, despite his abilities to heal and forgive, is much more human than divine. Beware the Devil’s Hug is sometimes irreverent, sometimes uplifting, but always a fascinating read.”~ Steve Lindahl, author of A Motherless Soul

“This is a journey of awe and inspiration! Marvin Wilson has penned an intriguing and imaginative tale. Beware the Devil's Hug is part parable, part allegory, and it brilliantly calls into question one's truth, faith, and essentially one's personal belief system in an often jaded world. Beware the Devil's Hug will surprise, mesmerize and challenge one's precepts in ways that many of us just might need to be challenged.”~ L.M. Ross Author of Manhood and Like Litter In the Wind

Marvin D. Wilson has a widely varied and rich life experience background-from Hippie Rock and Roll musician, to nightclub entertainer, to Zen Buddhist minister, to carpenter, to small business owner, to network marketer, to sales and sales training, to skilled trades instructor and adult education teacher, to public speaker and motivational coach, to now in his chosen “golden years” career, a writer and multi-published author with the self-proclaimed, “audacity to write novels.”

Wilson describes his spiritual path as one who is a non-religious, dogma-free, maverick spiritualist Christian, with a strong bent toward Zen, Taoism, and the Law of Attraction, and who believes in the Oneness of all creation and all paths leading to re-awakening to the On e. He is a family man with three grown children and six grandchildren, and works with his son and oldest daughter in their organic compost and vegetable farming business when not writing, traveling, and marketing his books.

Marvin writes primarily in the spiritual/inspirational genre, but likes to pen “cross-over” novels that appeal to a wide variety of readers. His books are uplifting, sometimes weighty, oftentimes humorous, abidingly thought-provoking, meant to instill and create passion and emotion, more than occasionally provocative to the point of controversial, and always “tell it like it is”, real world, no punches pulled writing. He likes to deliver spiritual messages in a non-preachy, often irreverent, sometimes sexy and ribald way, through the medium of an entertaining story.

Thanks so much to Marvin for visiting my blog this month! To find out about other publications and make friends with Marvin online, visit these links:

Blog: http://theoldsilly.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Paize_Fiddler
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Theoldsillymarvin?ref=profile
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Blog Tour Galore! :)

2011-02-23T08:46:00.003-06:00

Let's see where we are with the contests and stuff :)

2/7: Simply Megan Winners: Lisa Potts and Aleetha
http://www.simplymegan.blogspot.com

2/9: Karen Syed-Publisher blog Winner: Reggie Ridgway
http://klsyed.com/

2/11: Sean Hayden-Author Blog Winner: Pam Ripling
http://shaydenfl.wordpress.com/

2/14: Chris Redding-Author Blog: One week left to enter!
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com/

2/15: Paranormal Indulgence: Awesome ongoing contest and give away!
http://bit.ly/feFIl0

2/17: The Subtle Chronicler Winner: Leonor!
http://thesubtlechronicler.blogspot.com/

2/18: Sarah’s Random Musings: Contest ends Monday!
http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/

2/19: Jen Wylie-Author Blog: Contest ends Monday!
http://jlwylie.wordpress.com/

2/21: Teens Read and Write: Contest ends March 6th
http://www.teensreadandwrite.com/

2/22: The Tales Compendium: Contest ends Friday, 25th--leave a comment to win!
http://www.thetalescompendium.com/

2/23: Tea Mouse: Contest ends Sunday, 27th--leave a comment to win!
http://teamouse.wordpress.com

Lots of very cool things to win--including books, ebooks, and book thongs. To be entered into the contest is simple: click a link where a winner hasn't been chosen yet and leave a comment.

Looking forward to seeing y'all on my tour!

Warmly,

Jenny:)

Ask the Editor, Published Author, and Busy Mom Day!

2011-02-20T11:22:00.005-06:00

It would seem that over the last week, I've gained a bunch of readers! :) Thanks so much and WELCOME! I'm always interested in answering questions or responding to comments on my blog.

So today, followers new and old, readers new and old, feel free to ask me a question or leave a comment.

As an editor, I can share what I know about the industry, Quake, Echelon Press, Wisconsin Regional Writers' Association, and Rotowriter Critique Service.

As an author, I can share what I know about writing, publishing, marketing, and promoting.

As a mom who loves to cook, craft, and camp--I can share tips and tricks I've learned over the 18 years I've been a mom! (18 years, wow! Lol!)

So let's hear what you're thinking about today!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Next stop, Jen's House!

2011-02-19T08:42:00.003-06:00

Hey y'all :)

I'm over at Jen Wylie's today, celebrating the release of Detour 2 Death! She's a great person and an awesome writer. Her short story Jump is #1 on Omnilit and she's got a great novel "Sweet Light" coming out later this year.
So stop by and visit with us, the two Jens, and we'll have a fun Saturday together! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)
Don't be pushed by your problems...be led by your dreams!~favorite fortune cookie note :)

The Blog Tour So Far

2011-02-18T09:09:00.004-06:00

Fabulous Friday to everyone! Hope you can escape your daily grind for just a moment to visit one of the many fabulous stops on my blog tour. These bloggers have all been exceptionally wonderful. Below you'll find the list of winners and the contests still open for you to enter:

2/7: Simply Megan:
http://wwwsimplymegan.blogspot.com/
Lisa Potts won a copy of DFF: Dead Friends Forever
Aleetha won a book thong in her favorite color

2//9: Life as a Publisher:
http://klsyed.com/
Reggie Ridgeway won a free book thong

2/11: Sean Hayden-Author Blog:
http://shaydenfl.wordpress.com/
Pam Ripling won a free book thong in her favorite color

2/14: Chris Redding-Author Blog:
http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com/
Winner not yet picked…Still time to leave comments!

2/15: Paranormal Indulgence:
http://bit.ly/feFIl0
Fabulous ongoing contests with a chance to win books!

2/16: The Soul Sisters:
http://www.the-soul-sisters.blogspot.com/
Wonderful stop on my tour—still time to leave a comment to win!

2/17: The Subtle Chronicler:
http://thesubtlechronicler.blogspot.com/
Mike is a great guy, and you can still enter to win by leaving a comment!

2/18: Sarah’s Random Musings:
http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/
Will be up soon, and there IS a contest!!

Take five, relax in your ‘puter chair, give a little read, drop in a comment or two, and see if you win a prize as well! You deserve a read today! :)

See you there!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Blog Tour Continues!

2011-02-17T06:46:00.006-06:00

Hey everyone. We got a little sidetracked yesterday, but there's another great stop on my blog tour to announce:

Visit the Soul Sisters book blog here: http://the-soul-sisters.blogspot.com/

Louisse is really a great person and came on later to the blog tour, so please visit and leave a comment! :)

See you there!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

AW Bans Intelligence

2011-02-15T16:56:00.007-06:00

*Fifth Update* Here's the deal. I took my blog down yesterday because I didn't want to waste my energy on this. All the folks at AW were screaming something be done to end all this.

Guess what? As soon as my blog went down, they all worked really hard to post it back up at the forums. Uh, hello???

So beyond that, now they're talking trash about me on the Echelon Press thread--saying FAR, FAR worse things than anything I ever did to get banned.

You want proof of nepotism? There ya go...

Hey, AW, thanks for proving ALL my points! Have a nice day :)

*And now back to your regularly scheduled programming!*

*Fourth Update* Apparently Echelon Press should fire me now, LOL :) At least Lynn Price of Behler Publishing would fire her editor, er...guess that means herself...if she made libelous personal attacks...

Oh wait, she did! I wonder what sort of severance pay her husband is going to offer her... Any guesses? :)

*Third Update* Well, it appears the folks over at AW are losing their collective minds--and tempers! LOL :) Apparently they've decided that asking a question about whether or not a publisher promotes their authors is considered "an attack" on said publisher. *SNORT* Also, they've turned the Echelon Press thread into a "Bash Jenny" thread because they're too cowardly to come here. What's funny is that I got banned for saying "thank you"--yet they're saying FAR worse things and being applauded.

Another sad, sad, day for AW. I feel like having an online moment of silence for the writing forum that once was. Naaa, they can't shut me up that easy, and it's driving them crazy! :)

*Second Update* There's a person named "Giant Baby* (lol, I couldn't make this stuff up) who is claiming she or he didn't have the guts to post here because that would be too "validating." I guess if you want to slunk off and talk behind someone's back, there's no better name for you than "Giant Baby." Aside from that, I know they're all reading my blog because the hits keeping jumping by the minute! Aw, shucks, AW, I didn't know you cared so much! :)

*UPDATE* It would appear that the WATB as my mother would call them, have decided to talk big where I can't respond. That makes them cowards. So here's a challenge all you big talkers over at AW--Come here and say it to my face. Or are you too afraid your ignorance will be challenged? It's easy to think you're all big and bad when you're hiding behind a Soccer Mom! Lol ;)

Okay, like many writers, I relied on Absolute Write Water Cooler for my information about the writing industry. Unfortunately, their reliability is no longer a certainty.

At one time, members I highly respected, were eager to find the negative aspects of a contract or a business model. Today, I find that “author farms” as Veinglory, the “Flying AW Mod Monkey!” with more than 16,000 posts, most certainly a knowledgeable member of the forums, calls them, are being touted as trusted “brands.” An author farm, if your as unfamiliar with the term as I was, is like an author mill in that a publisher simply contracts books at will, often doing a shoddy job of editing, or otherwise simply correcting typos and misspellings, except they don’t expect authors to buy their own books the way the mill would. An author farm, therefore, has a vast database of badly, poorly edited books.

Instead of AW warning aspiring authors about this however, they are using “Friendship” to determine what is acceptable and unacceptable. When all the reports for a particularly well-known massive epublishing house were all glowing and wonderful, I was surprised because frankly—I thought AW had higher standards than that. Of course, pointing this out didn’t win me any brownie points with those who are perpetuating this fraud on unsuspecting authors.

But here comes the absurd part of all this. They banned me for three days (so far) because I dared respond in-kind to snarky and often silly, accusations about my own publishing house. They claimed that my publisher was refusing to make money out of spite.

Now, if you’ve got any common sense, you realize how absurd that idea is. Still, it appears that someone complained they didn’t get a print run the publisher never promised, never contracted them for, and therefore, because of this absent imaginary print run, they didn’t have books for an event.

That’s right. It’s the old, “My publisher refuses to make money because they don’t like me!” argument.

As head-scratching as that may be to intelligent thinkers like you and me, it appears my response is just nutty:

“POD technology is used to keep books in print all the time. This means when a book is ordered from Amazon for print publication, the single copy is printed and mailed to the customer. This is not unusual with many traditional publishers.

A print run is where the publishing house forks over money and space to print a ton of books based on their projected sales for the author and the title.

If an author is great and the publisher believes that they have a quality book, they may not do a print run for quite a while, if at all, until the author and/or the title proves one is merited.

If an author stomps their feet and demands a print run, regardless of their sales or experience in the industry, it is not up to the publisher to give in to those demands. They can, however, continue to make the book available according to the contract the author signed.

If the author wants their rights back, then there are channels that author can go through to get them back.”

Nothing earth shattering there, right? That’s all fairly standard stuff and easily understood by anyone who has been in the industry.

But OMG—you should have seen the heads spinning and the chest pounding going on in there. It doesn’t take much to turn some of these AW fanatics into stalkers. In fact, one of them made sure to follow me across threads just so I wouldn’t miss how they had put me on “ignore.” So of course I respectfully offered a “thank you”—pleased to know this person would stop stalking me. That, I believe, was why Soccer Mom--the referee apparently, for all this--decided out of everyone exchanging barbs, I was the one who needed a 'time out' as she put it! LOL :)

So be warned, folks. AW is not the most reliable place to get your information anymore, and in fact, should you ask or answer questions with a fair amount of insight, they might just start spitting pea soup at you!

Join Me!

2011-02-14T12:38:00.002-06:00

I'm thrilled to share that Paranormal Indulgence and the amazing Asher Knight have kicked off a great week with two fabulous reviews of the Extreme Hauntings series. Check them out here:

DFF: Dead Friends Forever
School's Out 4-Ever

Let me tell you, I was really nervous about having Asher review my books. She's not afraid to tell it like it is and I was sincerely worried my books wouldn't be her cup of tea. Instead, she's enjoyed them so much, she's agreed to read Detour 2 Death and give us a cover quote! Woo Hoo!

Chris Redding is no slouch either! She's also supported my blog tour and done a fabulous job of getting everything up and prettified! :) Between the two blogs, there are a great deal of wonderful things for readers to enjoy--including contests to win freebies!

If you want to see where I'm going to be for the rest of the blog tour, visit my website when you get a chance. Almost all of my stops have a contest--and all you need to do is leave a comment!

I look forward to seeing everyone out there!!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

So Wonderful!

2011-02-07T09:04:00.007-06:00

Love is Murder was a fabulous conference in Chicago this weekend. The food was great, the entertainment phenomenal, and the people were super cool! I don't think I've enjoyed myself more! I took my first pitches as acquiring editor for Quake and I heard about some outstanding stories I'm looking forward to reading. As always, Karen and I had a blast!

I got to meet Claudia Whitsitt, the author of The Wrong Guy and Gale Borger the author of Totally Buzzed. Both of these great ladies made the event a fabulous time for me. They are just as terrific in real life as they are on the page and the internet. I'm so looking forward to getting to spend more time with them in the future!

Of course I got to see a bunch of my favorite people as well. Luisa Buehler, always elegant and charming, did a great job hosting the conference. Allan Ansorge was there, too, and as always, very warm and funny! Nancy Sweetland, a super lady I know from WRWA joined me during the book signing and kept me company as we waited in line. It was great to see Carl Brookins, Amy Alessio, and so many more! :) I could go on and on. Not to mention the great speakers we had and the fun buzz about the industry I heard. (Mostly about how ebooks are becoming the standard.)

I'm so excited about everything that's going on in my writing life. There are many great things happening! February and March are going to be filled with awesome tour spots. Please stop by and let your friends know as well! You can find a clickable list of links on my website at Jennifer-Turner.com!

I've also going to be revamping my whole website as soon as I meet some writing and editing deadlines. Overall, life is great! Let me know how all of you are doing :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Kathy Stemke Rocks!

2011-02-02T09:21:00.003-06:00

Hey all!

Kathy is hosting me today as part of the February VBT! I'm excited. Check it out, leave a comment, and you'll be entered to win a beaded book thong in your favorite color!

A bit about Kathy:
Kathy Stemke has a passion for writing, the arts and all things creative. She has a B.S. from Southern Connecticut State University and Covenant Life Seminary, as well as graduate coursework from New York Institute of Technology and Columbia University. Hanging her hat in the North Georgia mountains she has been a dancer, choreographer, teacher, tutor, writer and an antiques dealer for many years.

As a freelance writer Kathy has published several articles. She is a contributing editor for The National Writing for Children's Center. Kathy's first children's books, "Moving through All Seven Days," came out in 2009! "Trouble on Earth Day," "Visual Dance Poetry," and "Sh,Sh,Sh Will the Baby Sleep?" will come out in 2010! Check out her Writer for Hire page to see her writing services!

Visit her here: http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/

See ya there!
Warmly,
Jenny:)

Are They Right or Delusional?

2011-01-17T11:58:00.003-06:00

Hi everyone,

There's a big myth in the industry, one that I'm frankly confused about so I thought I'd throw it out here and see what everyone else thinks.

What I thought was an old belief, the idea authors write books and the agents, editors, and publishers do everything else, is somehow making a comeback. The argument today is that if a publisher expects the author to promote their own work, they are no better than a vanity press. Therefore, it's up to the author if they "feel like" doing book signings, guest appearances, etc.

What do you think?

Slept like a baby...

2011-01-14T09:14:00.003-06:00

Thank you Unisom! And I'm imagining the purge I did yesterday on my blog helped a bunch. I feel great today. What a difference resting my eyes has made. I can see clearly again. Yay! :) Thanks to everyone who encouraged me yesterday. The support is always, always appreciated!

I've pulled my mom's things from the drawer I kept them in and set them out. Every day I'll work on doing something new. I'll package them up tonight. Tomorrow I'll put addresses on the labels, and next week, they'll be ready to go to the post office. A little at a time. Makes it less daunting and heart wrenching.

My other goal, in the next few weeks, is to put together a book of "Mom"--a bunch of her writings and things I've saved from her Diaryland and other places. I think this will be a wonderful tribute to her. I'm planning on getting done through LuLu.com, something simple and inexpensive, but something anyone can order to have on hand for Mom's grandchildren, neices, nephews, etc. I think the family would like that.

Anyway, I've got a boatload to get done again. Monday, D2D goes off to the printer, so I'm excited to get the copies in my hands ;) Honestly, I've been waiting a long time to write this book, but it's turned out even better than I expected. I hope everyone will love reading this one.

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!
Warmly,
Jenny:)

Insomnia Sucks

2011-01-13T14:42:00.003-06:00

Ever have a guilty conscience? I do, and it's keeping me up late at night. Maybe confessing this will help shake the little demon loose from my brain and I'll be able to get some sleep.

I promised a boatload of people I would send them copies of some of my mom's artwork, poems, musing, and other things. I printed everything off, made sure I had enough copies of each, sorted the pages by person, and then there they sit--unsent since August. Just sitting there like a great big fat elephant pointing it's trunk at me and going "tsk, tsk, tsk."

Essentially, this is the very last thing I have yet to do concerning my mom's death. When I'm finished with that, there's nothing left to do. And yet, as much as I want to move on (seriously, no one really evern chooses to grieve) I can't seem to bring myself to "finish" with her things. I miss her too much.

I know people, very generous, kind people who rallied and supported me when I needed them, are waiting patiently for their packages. I'm just so *stuck* in this place I'm not happy in, but moving forward is even worse.

Guess I'll suck it up and deal with it. Everyone has to, right?
(Excuse typos and such on this blogpost. I'm going on one hour of sleep and my eyes are crossing ;) )

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Nat Moore Rocks! :)

2011-01-12T15:31:00.003-06:00

New cover is in! Woo Hoo!

Oh Where, Oh Where has J.R. Gone?

2011-01-08T18:10:00.006-06:00

I'm right here and I've got some great news:

Stark Knight and DFF: Dead Friends Forever, the first in each series, are on sale the month of January. Download them for just $1.99.

I've got a boatload of dates coming up and I'd love to see y'all there! Here's where we are on release dates:

February 15th: Detour 2 Death (Extreme Hauntings #3)
There are worse things than death, but not at Marsden Memorial hospital.

Kaylee Hensler knows her best friend Davey is on the brink of death. She knows this because she’s a psychic. When she flees the girl’s reformatory to get to him, she has no idea the special sort of hell waiting for her.

Reapers are collectors and they come in many forms. In Feverland, the world created by Davey’s sickness, the red reaper goes by the name of Molok, an ancient evil with deep roots. In Shadowland, the dark side of the hospital, a black reaper promises torture and torment to lost souls. The white reaper is the most fearsome, giving Kaylee three days before he collects both her and Davey’s soul.

Kaylee has one secret weapon, one she doesn’t fully understand. Her abilities will be tested, her loyalty betrayed, and her love misplaced. No one escapes Death.

May 15th: Redemption (stand alone Urban Fantasy)
*Special note: I'm so thrilled to share the fabulous Nancy Holzner has agreed to give me a cover blurb! Super excited!!

Half-angel Savannah Mantas smells the sulfuric stench of wrath when it enters her city, Iron Point. Resurrected by the archangel Michael, she's hunting for redemption and half-demon Nico Montenegro is her prey. He comes from the Fringes, the border between the city and the toxic wasteland beyond.

When they meet, Nico tells her a story, one of genocide and confiscated bodies. Not revenge, but justice is his purpose and his target is the most admired family in the world–Commander Hathaway and his daughter.

Hathaway's soldiers are slaughtering Fringers and secretly feeding them to Revenants, mutants who survived the bio-bombing of 2120. They have a twisted idea they can train these clever creatures like dogs and keep them out of the city long enough to mobilize an evacuation for the wealthy and well-connected.

Savannah knows better. Revenants are what killed her. When they attack, the last of humankind may wiped out completely. Stopping Hathaway might just be enough to gain her redemption and escape a hellish fate.
October 1st: Racing the Moon (stand alone Horror)

A sickness has come to Alaska, targeting rural Inupiat villages. Dorian Kapadonis, head geneticist for the Epidemiology Intelligence Service is going to find out why, if he makes it out of the Brooks Range alive. His niece, Amanda McCourt, knew her first case at the EIS would be tough, but a missing uncle, entire families mutated by a mysterious illness, and becoming prey for savage creatures was more than she expected.

Major Damon Wyatt, on his first undercover operation, finds his loyalty to the Defense Intelligence Agency tested when he uncovers the secret life of his superior. With the help of an Inupiat shaman and an expert biologist, he and the EIS will fight to find a cure for the Lycan virus and save those already mutated into the monster the world knows as werewolf.

Would you like to meet me in person? Here are the upcoming conferences and events I’m attending:

2/4-6/11: Love is Murder in Chicago, IL
2/26/11: Ladies Evening in Medford, WI
3/12/11: Egocon in Stevens Point, WI
5/7/11: WRWA Spring Conference in Fon Du Lac, WI
6/3-5/11: Readers and Author Get Together in Cincinnati, OH
6/10-12/11: Printers Row, Chicago, IL
6/17-18/11: Wisconsin Festival of Books, Waukesha, WI

Join me in February and onward for a fun-filled and exciting Blog Tour:
2/7: Simply Books
2/14: Paranormal Indulgence
2/14: Chris Redding-Author Blog
2/15: Paranormal Indulgence
2/17: The Subtle Chronicler
2/19: Jen Wylie-Author Blog
2/21: Teens Read and Write
2/24: Word for Teens
2/28: Reading, Writing, and Waiting
3/3: Yay! Reads
3/5: Tina's Book Reviews

I'll be adding more dates to the Blog Tour and posting regularly about all the great goodies I'll be giving away, the fun contests, and interesting posts as they come up. Hope to see you soon!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

I HATE this!

2011-01-05T09:21:00.005-06:00

I'm sharing with you a major pet peeve. As a reader, as an author, as an editor, nothing gets me gritting my teeth more than this. Please, please (PLEASE!) read the definitions of this word:

Smirk: smile affectedly or derisively, expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure, evoking insolence, or offensive smugness, to smile in a way that is contemptuous

Note that if you have your hero or heroine engaging in "smirk" at any time, you are showing them to be smug, derisive, scornful, and contemptuous. To me, even in the worst situations, there is no reason for ANY good guy/gal to smirk. A villain? Have him or her smirking all day long if you like, it will make me hate them forever

Okay, having said all that, I respect that others have different opinions about the word smirk. I will (almost) always suggest a different word if I come across a hero or heroine "smirking" at any time in my editing endeavors. As a writer, for the hero and heroine, I'm firmly anti-smirk.

To make a point, look at the two pictures below. These are the first two images of (non-cartoon characters) that pop up in a Google Images search, first for Smirk, then for Smile:

What do you think? Have a pet peeve of your own you'd like to share? Let me know!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Ms. Holzner, You Had Me at Circus!

2011-01-02T08:53:00.002-06:00

The opening scene of Deadtown by Nancy Holzner prepares the reader for a fantastic journey, and the rest of the book does not disappoint. I expected a great, action-packed adventure, something Urban Fantasy offers in spades. What I didn’t expect, was to have such a richly developed world, I wanted to get involved with a fight for civil rights. I had to keep telling myself Paranormal Americans don’t really exist. Holzner did such an unbelievably wonderful job of stealing me away, I stayed up way past my bedtime to read “just a little more.”

Between the mad crazy drama of a campaign ad gone horribly wrong, and the incredibly moving struggle Vicki, our heroine, endures for love, family, and her own flirtation with a burning evil inside her, there is no shortage of suspense. I wanted nothing more than to see Vicki triumph, no matter how difficult Tina, her zombie demon-slayer student, made it for her. Rarely does a book offer so much escapism for me. Thank goodness there’s a sequel!

Deadtown is Urban Fantasy at it’s finest!

Mayra Calvani and Frederico,The Mouse Violinist

2010-12-28T09:42:00.005-06:00

They say the publishing world is a small universe. I've found this to be true. Those who stick around become familiar to each other. Names chime memory bells and when we're all together for a conference, the number of familiar faces grows tenfold. Mayra Calvani is one of those people for me. She is a generous, wonderful person who often reviews books for upcoming authors, seemingly out of the blue. She did this for me, for my novel, My Biker Bodyguard. Her review was one of the first I got when I started out and I've never forgotten this.

When I recently joined Virtual Blog Tour (VBT) Writer's on the Move, I discovered Mayra was a member there, to my delight. Turns out, she's just had a fabulous kid's book published. Well, I was thrilled to return her favor and offered to reveiw the book. Today, I'm dedicating my blog to her and the book, Frederico The Mouse Vilonist. Please enjoy this very special post! ;)

Frederico is a little mouse with a big dream: he wants to become a violinist. Each day he watches as Stradivari makes his famous violins. Each night, he sneaks into the workshop to play. But the violins are too big! Then, unbeknown to Frederico, Stradivari sees him playing and begins carving a tiny device. Could it be a famous Strad especially for Frederico?
Frederico, the Mouse Violinist, teaches the parts of the violin to beginner players and entertains them with a fun, educational story about a little mouse that lives in Antonio Stradivari’s workshop. Activities at the end of the book included.

“A little mouse transports us into Antonio Stradivari’s magical workshop…Frederico conveys to us his love for the violin, while he introduces us to this marvelous instrument. Lovely tribute to a genius, whose exceptional instruments have delighted us for 300 years!”—Dorina Raileanu, violin teacher, author of the Dorina Violin Method

“Frederico’s story is adorable and touching. I’m sure it will entertain many children, teach them a few things about the violin—and who knows, perhaps even give them the desire to learn to play!”—Francine Engels, Suzuki violin teacher

My Review:
Frederico the Mouse Violinist by Mayra Calvani is a delightful story. I expected a fun read, but instead, found an enjoyable and educational story. Calvani hits that magical note where learning becomes exciting. The mouse is adorable as he discovers every part of the violin and when the famous Stradivari creates a gift just for our favorite furry friend, the reader feels the mouse’s joy. This is a book for the keeper shelf. Frederico the Mouse will become every young violinist’s favorite book and become the inspiration for others to play a violin of their own.

About the author:
Mayra Calvani is an award-winning author for children and adults. Her love for the violin has inspired her to pen multiple violin stories for children, among them The Magic Violin and the forthcoming, The Doll Violinist. Visit her website at www.mayrassecretbookcase.com. You may also contact her at mayra.calvani@gmail.com.

Frederico, the Mouse Violinist
By Mayra Calvani
Illustrated by K.C. Snider
Guardian Angel Publishing
Available on Amazon, B&N, Powells, and most online retailers.

Extreme Hauntings #3-Detour 2 Death

2010-12-21T08:54:00.002-06:00

Hello all my readers! :) I've got a special sneak preview of Detour 2 Death to share with you. Enjoy the read!

Book #1: DFF: Dead Friends Forever
Book #2: School's Out 4-Ever
Book #3: Detour 2 Death

Chapter One

In her dreams, Kaylee walked a vast landscape of twisted trees and red sand. The wind pulled at her hair and filled every crease of exposed skin with grit. She squinted toward the familiar squeak of tortured, metal wheels. Davey. Her best friend suffered in this place, his wheelchair melded to his lower half. From one dune to the next, the wind took every sound in a different direction. He could be anywhere.

Up ahead, beyond a swirling veil of dust, the sound came again. A dark shadow, close to the ground, crawled toward her. She sprinted to his side. Davey’s dirty, sweaty hair stuck to his forehead. With hands covered in tattered cloth, he pulled himself across the hot sand. A black twisted tree dipped its dead branches toward them.

Sun beat on her, drawing sweat from her scalp. He saw her and brightened with a short-lived smile. She dropped to her knees and cupped his face. As her hands touched him, he turned to ash. The wind made him a cremation snowfall, spreading him in every direction, far beyond her reach. Ash blackened her hands. Davey covered her trembling fingers and landed on her eyelashes. She blinked, scrambling to gather the burnt tissues together, to make him whole, to heal him.

Too late, Reason, the small voice in the back of her mind, said. He’s gone and it’s all your fault. You left him there and now he’s dead.

Her sobs built, one on top of the other. Not Davey. Never Davey. Hands fisted, she pounded the dirt, her tears turning the sand to mud. She turned her face to the sky and screamed.

The panic from her dream followed her awake. Her pulse thundered. Where was she?

"Jesus," Vincent said. "You nearly gave me a heart attack. You okay?"

“Sorry.” The screams left her throat raw. She rode in a truck, a semi, with Vincent, the driver who picked her up back in Duluth. Her mouth tasted of the false heat blowing from the semi's vents. The dash lights illuminated the night-dark cab. Snowflakes blew vertically into the windshield.

"Bad dreams, huh?" His attention remained on the road, hands tight on the wheel. “Weather’s pickin’ up out there. I’m a good listener, though, if you feel the need to talk it out of your system.”

Kaylee shook her head. The winter coat she wore belonged to a dying woman. Now she really was a thief, a criminal, a crook. All the stuff they said about her, thought about her, came true. Before all this angel and demon business, she had been a law-abiding citizen. Maybe not the best or most popular, but definitely a girl with a future. The ghosts robbed her of that. Only one blessing might make up for it all. If she could help Davey, save him somehow, then this would all be worth the sacrifices.

She unzipped the jacket. What happened back at the girl's reform school couldn't possibly have happened just a few hours ago. Time felt suspended, as if the real world existed beyond a sheer pane of glass. Even Vincent, smelling of wet winter wool and French fries, could be a ghost if she didn’t know how freaky those things were.

“You sure you don’t want to talk?” He glanced at her then, his baseball cap popped back on his head to show warm eyes.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“I don’t know about that. I was young once. Though I wasn’t a girl, but I can guess it’s something we all have to deal with now and again.”

Uh, she didn’t think so.

“C’mon, it’ll pass the time.”

She sighed. “I dreamed about a friend of mine. He’s…was in trouble and I couldn’t help him. I got there too late.”

“Now what wouldn’t I believe about that? Everyone has someone they wish they could have helped. I’m sure your friend knows you will do what you can to help him.”

“I hope so,” she whispered. A sign read Marsden five miles ahead. They were almost there. She straightened in her seat, watching out the window. “I don’t know what I would do without him.”

“Oh, so he’s more than just a friend?”

“No, no. Not at all. Just friends. We grew up next door to each other, is all. It’s not like that. He’s in a wheelchair.”

“So you don’t like guys in wheelchairs?” He softened the question with a sideways grin.

“That’s not what I mean.” She smiled. “We’re just friends.”

“Yep, that’s what they all say.”

She chuffed. “Really, we are. Just friends.”

“Whatever you say, kiddo. See, passed the time just fine, didn’t it?” Vince flipped on his blinker and eased toward the freeway exit. A blue sign with a white H flashed past. "Won't be long now. Just a few blocks up the road. I'm sure your ma will be happy to see you. But you gotta promise me, no more hitching. A pretty girl like you could end up dead or worse."

"I promise." Unsure if Vince would be as eager to give her a ride to see a boy, she had lied and told him her mother was in the hospital. Back in Duluth, she knew when he would exit the freeway to get gas, knew he would take her to Marsden Memorial, knew Fate or Destiny or God, or whatever had its fingers in her life, sent him for her. She knew this the same way she knew things about people she loved, people she didn’t know…people who were dead. Psychic or witch or descended from angels, she couldn’t tell for sure one way or another. She only knew Davey needed her.

As they passed through downtown Marsden, familiar stores appeared strange in the falling snow at this time of night. They passed Madame Maggie's with the large neon hand hanging dark in the window. They passed Schmidt’s jewelry and the library. The hospital loomed large and bright beyond the darkened buildings.

Davey, I’m almost there. Hang on.

“Your town sure rolls up the sidewalk early.”

“Not much to do around here. Mom says it’s better that way. Less chance a kid can get into trouble.” If she only knew, Kaylee thought.

The semi's engine grunted as Vincent switched gears. Kaylee imagined glass storefronts shattering from the vibration. Everything remained in tact, and Vince pulled to a stop at the back of the hospital’s parking lot. The engine settled down to a distinctive grumble.

"Zip up. It's toasty in here, but out there, you'll catch your death." Vince nodded to the blowing snow. "Your ma wouldn't want you getting sick just on account of her."

Kaylee zipped the coat. "Thank you for the ride."

"My pleasure," Vince said, sticking out his hand.

She took his hand. The world tilted and images flickered high speed across her inner eye. A porch with a rocking chair, overgrown willows on a dirt road, a fish swimming in river water, skinned knees and tanned legs, a red bike with a rusted fender, all of this came on the sensation of old fashioned goodness. As she let go, an indefinable shadow clouded the warmth of those images. She put her hand on the door. She didn’t understand fully why she did a lot of things lately and this was another of those times. Kaylee said, “You’re a good guy, Vincent. Don’t let anything change that."

He grinned a little sheepishly. "Will do. You take care, kid. I don't want to see your face on the side of a milk carton one day. Keep that promise, okay?"

“Okay.” She opened the door and hopped down. She waved and slammed the door, stepping backward and burying her hands inside the deep pockets. The difference in temperature was startling. The semi rumbled back into gear and wobbled toward the exit. She faced the hospital, the six floors of glass and concrete and brick. In the whirling snow and whistling wind, the building seemed shrouded with foreboding. Any second now she expected to hear a ghoulish voice tell her to turn back, turn back before it’s too late. A line from some movie, she thought, about a girl beginning a journey into an unknown, dangerous labyrinth.

Kaylee stepped across the snow banks and headed for the emergency entrance to the hospital. She grimaced against the wind-driven flakes and kept her eye on the red emergency sign. How would she get inside? The last time she was there, after a mishap on her skateboard, a security guard manned the entrance and nurses worked a reception desk. They weren’t going to let her just walk inside, would they? Maybe they would.

Whatever messed up her whole life had a plan of its own. If that thing wanted her to get to Davey, somehow, someway, she would get into the hospital before he…got too sick. Her throat swelled closed a little, thinking of him in her nightmare. He suffered so much, but worse, he suffered all alone. Everyone might think they knew what it meant to be in a wheelchair, even she could try to understand, yet no one could know unless they had to live that way.

The doors opened as she approached. The vents between the outer doors and the inner doors blasted her face with heated air and she smelled that hot, desert place once more. Her ears burned from the change in temperature. A video camera, mounted in the corner, blinked a red light at her. She furtively glanced into the lens, realizing too late she should have hid her face. How long did she have before they knew she left Duluth? They could already be looking for her. If they put out one of those Amber Alert things, Vincent would let the police know where she was. Funny, she didn’t mind him giving her up as much as she minded upsetting him once he found out she lied.

That was the problem with good guys. They made you feel guilty if you weren’t as good as they were. Thinking about being bad, what would they do once they found out she skipped out on her sentence? The court ordered her to attend Barclay Hall. That made her a real outlaw, didn’t it? On the lam and she just turned fifteen.

To her surprise, the emergency room was deserted. No patients waited to be seen and no one manned the front desk. She strolled right on in, like they put out the red carpet just for her. Looking left to right for any oncoming security guards, her hyper-awareness picked up absolutely nothing. No sounds, no voices, not even a ringing phone. Her sneakers squeaked on the tile floors as she scurried down the hall and into the rest of the hospital. She peered around corners, growing more frightened by the minute. Where did everyone go?

When Davey first got sick, they put him in the pediatric wing with all the little kids. Since he had the same doctor, he must be in the same place. Near the elevator, she heard voices, finally and dashed for the sign marking the stairs. Part terrified they would catch her before she got to Davey, and part relieved this wasn’t some sort of alternate dimension, she hurried up the stairs.
On the second floor, the lights were all so low, that unless someone looked directly for her, she blended into the shadows. The dying woman's boring grey coat helped. If she wore red or leopard print or something wild like that, they would spot her for sure.

On the right floor and in the right place, she only needed to find Davey's room. She paused, inhaled deeply, and reeled out that sense, that little thread she could send out into the world when she concentrated. She pushed it down the hall, searching for Davey’s essence. Nothing down there. She turned the opposite way. Nothing again.

This is stupid, she thought, who do I think I am? Super Psychic Woman to the rescue? Maybe she needed to be locked up in her dad’s loony bin. She opened her eyes as a familiar sense slid in and out of her notice, the way a fleeting scent gives the expectation of a seeing the person who wears the cologne. She closed her eyes again and aimed that thread in the same direction. There. She knew then, absolutely knew with complete certainty that he was in the third room from the end.

Just in view of the nurse’s station.

Kaylee took a silent breath and braced herself. She started down the hall, moving slow and keeping her eye on the end of the counter. If a nurse came into view, she would freeze. If the nurse looked like she might head toward Kaylee, she would duck into the nearest room, hope the patient inside would stay fast asleep, and she wouldn't have to worry about freaking out some sick kid.

Her back to the wall, she slid closer to Davey's room. Halfway there, at an open door, movement inside the room caught her eye. Something shifted in the darkness, something furtive and not particularly human. Her lungs froze and her heart skipped a beat. Eyes wide, she held absolutely still and waited for the movement to repeat itself. When nothing happened, she exhaled—and saw her breath form in the air.

Not good. Not good. Not good at all.

By sheer force, she managed to sidestep away, her stare intent on where the potential threat came from. In her experience, ghosts were the least of her worries. The things that trapped them here, on earth, were far more frightening. Demons and monsters loved to keep a spirit at unrest. She couldn't risk getting distracted by the thing in this room when Davey needed her so badly.

Kaylee came for Davey, not some stranger. Fate, or whoever, owed her this much. She did what they expected of her, to her own detriment. She freed the ghost girl Isabelle and defeated the demon Asmodeus. She freed the ghost children at Barclay Hall and defeated the monster feeding on their souls. Her turn to use whatever power she had inside her, to help someone she…

Loved. Love, just say it, Reason, said in that practical manner. Reason didn't play games and shot holes in every theory Kaylee tried to trick herself into believing. Her father, Sir Shrinks-a-lot, would have called it her conscience. To her, it was just Reason. The practical part of her mind that didn't pussy-foot around.

So okay, yeah, she loved Davey. Did she love him like a brother, though? At seven, she once promised to marry him when they grew up. He thought it was sort of gross and from then on, they were just friends. Only lately, it didn't feel like that. Not since his voice deepened and he got taller than her. When he stood for those few moments between transferring from his wheelchair to another seat, his height amazed her. They used to see eye-to-eye, now it was more like eye-to-chin.

Once she got into his hospital room, he didn't look very big at all. He seemed shrunken somehow, like they drained him out and left just a husk. His damp hair fell back from his forehead and his olive skin looked deathly. His dark brows and heavy lashes were black slashes on a pale face. His lips were papery, cracked. A small light above his bed burned low.

Kaylee eased the door closed behind her, holding the handle to keep the snick of full closure barely audible. Walking carefully, she went around his bed. Another bed, this one against the far wall, sat empty, to her relief. The last time he had been in the hospital, a burned boy who whimpered and cried all the time shared a room with him. The pitiful mewling always made her feel guilty about how good it felt to leave that sound behind.

Davey breathed so quietly, she barely detected the rise and fall of his chest. His hands lay limp at his sides. His upper arms and shoulders were broad, tapering to a slender waist that ended in slimmer legs. Even with physical therapy, the muscles of his legs had atrophied. From the waist up, however, he was built—mostly from all the effort it took to negotiate a world with a wheelchair. She wished the strength in his upper body meant he would be okay.

Just be okay, Davey. Just be okay.

She gently touched his hand and watched for any sign her cool fingers registered on him, any twitch, any awakening, but he lay unmoving. Though the fear of what she might discover made her shake all over, she sent out that probing thing. She snapped her hand away, stumbling backward. Tears pricked her eyes and she covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

He isn’t there.

Davey had checked out, gone away, left the shell of himself behind and fled the scene. Her heart thudded heavier and heavier against her ribs. This wasn’t like with the head mistress of Barclay Hall, where she couldn't get any sort of read at all. This time, she felt no remnants of a personality she knew as well as her own.

A black void filled Davey, so cold and horrible, the iciness left her breathless.

Chillin' with Martin Bartloff

2010-12-16T13:23:00.007-06:00

Please welcome Martin Bartloff to my blog :)

House of Fear

Although you’re not really in the mood, you decide to turn on the radio or television. Turn on a couple more lights in the house ‘cause your friends just left and you find yourself all alone at home. Nobody else is there and you just have to kill a few hours before your parents or brother comes home.

You’re trying to watch TV, but your skin begins to prickle and your heart beats a few extra beats than it should. You pretend everything is just fine, however it’s not. You listen past the sound of the radio, and you hear a strange noise coming from somewhere downstairs. Your chest throbs and a cold shiver creeps up your spine.

You know you’re not completely by yourself at home because something is watching you and you’re not just imagining this. You wish you could tell somebody, but what would be the use, they’ll just think you’re a scared little kid and probably, by the time somebody gets home, you’re way too relieved to give it any more thought. You just don’t want to think about it anymore. Not ever again.

You guessed it!! I’m a firm believer of ghosts, spirits and whatever else creeps in the dark or hovers between the heavens and earth. What sets me apart from the average scaredy pants is that I could take a walk in a cemetery in the middle of the night or walk down a dark alley and neither would bother me. But, I remember coming home in the dark from a friend’s house while my mom and my brother went off to visit Grandma for a couple of hours and I would NOT go in the house. You may understand now why there are a few scenes in Torn From Normal where Andy is running out of the house.

Many of my fears and feelings as a teenager end up in my writings and my very next YA novel will entail many more clues to my childhood. I grew up living in two old houses. We moved to the second when I was nine. The house was haunted and even today, when I travel to Germany and drive by the old place, it spooks me out and I wonder what the owner might go through. Much like Andy I ran out of that house, one time even in the brought daylight.

I’d love to hear your scary-house stories and I hope I encouraged you enough to share some with me. I will stop back in through the night and share some of mine. Be aware though, when you hear the things that happen to me, you will know for certain that ghosts exist.

Martin H. Bartloff, born and raised in Werl, Germany adapted quickly when he immigrated to the United States in August of 1991. Being the youngest of five brothers, he ventured out to explore the United States after he finished trade school back home.

Martin worked hard for a few years, trying to establish dreams and goals he had since childhood. After a few years of hard work in the United States Martin opened his first own automotive business.

A decade later Martin decided he wasn’t challenged enough and turned to writing fiction novels. His debut novel, “Torn From Normal” was released in December of 2009. Martin’s next YA novel is already in the making.

Thank you so very much for sharing, Martin! :)

The No Holds Barred Nancy Holzner

2010-12-14T08:13:00.006-06:00

So excited to have Nancy Holzner with us today. I'm nearly finished with Deadtown and it's awesome!

Nancy Holzner is the author of the Deadtown urban fantasy series. Hellforged, the second book in the series, releases Decmber 28.

When a mysterious plague hit Boston, turning two thousand of its residents into sentient zombies, the quarantine zone became Deadtown, home (by law) to Boston's paranormals. It's also home to Victory Vaughn, a shapeshifter who kills other people's personal demons for a living. In Deadtown, Vicky does battle with the Hellion who killed her father. In Hellforged, Vicky struggles to protect her friends and prevent a long-lost relative from unleashing an ancient power more terrifying—and deadly—than anything she's encountered before.

You can read the first chapter of Deadtown here and the first chapter of Hellforged here.

What Is Urban Fantasy, Anyway?

Back in 2006, when I began the novel that would become Deadtown, I thought I had a clear idea of what urban fantasy was. If anyone had asked me, I would've said that an urban fantasy is a gritty action/adventure story set in a recognizable contemporary (or near-future) city, incorporating paranormal elements such as vampires, werewolves, and magic. Simple enough.

Except “simple enough” often leads to oversimplification. The first urban fantasy novels I encountered—Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake novels, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, and Kim Harrison's Hollows series—all fit that definition well enough. But as I expanded my reading in the genre, I found great books that didn't quite fit my simple definition. Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels are set in a small town, not a big city. MaryJanice Davidson's Queen Betsy series has a strong chick-lit feel. Jeaniene Frost, Anya Bast, Yasmine Galenorn, and other authors bring in a strong romance element.

The more I read, the more I came to see urban fantasy as a dynamic genre that's always pushing its own envelope. Because it's so diverse, it appeals to readers of many other genres: fans of mystery, thrillers, romance, chick lit, and horror can all find something they'll like in urban fantasy. And because the genre keeps evolving, it doesn't get stale.

Recently, the genres of horror and romance have had a strong effect on urban fantasy. The influence of horror has led to some edgier, darker-tinged urban fantasy novels, including such series as Signs of the Zodiac (Vicki Pettersson), Downside Ghosts (Stacia Kane), and Twenty Palaces (Harry Connelly). Some readers say that urban fantasy and paranormal romance have become the same thing, but I still draw a line between these two genres. The way I see it, urban fantasy's primary focus is on fighting the bad guys or averting disaster, while paranormal romance gives equal or greater weight to the protagonist's love life. But even when romance isn't the primary focus, urban fantasy often has a touch of romance—as it should, since relationships are part of a well-rounded character's life.

Having a sense of the different genres and subgenres is helpful when you walk into a bookstore looking for something new to try. If you know you like romance or mystery, for example, you know which section you want to browse. But genre is a guide, not a straitjacket. These days, when I open an urban fantasy novel I want paranormal elements and a fast-moving plot with high stakes. The other genre elements that an author brings to the mix is what keeps urban fantasy fresh.

How do you define urban fantasy? Has your definition of the genre changed over time?

The Wiley Jen Wylie

2010-12-09T01:03:00.000-06:00

Today I'm turning the blog over to a really awesome lady! :)

Thanks to Jenny for hosting me on her most wonderful blog! She has asked me to share my inspiration for my upcoming titles, so here goes...

Jump -Official Release date Dec 15 2010 (Available now for pre-order at All Romance)

If you were told to jump off of a bridge would you? Perhaps it would depend on who was doing the asking. Our heroine has spunk, a sense of humor, however suffers from an extreme case of inappropriate clothing. When things take a turn from dangerous to worse what will she do when fantasy becomes reality? Warning: May include hot leather clad men, singing and demons.

My short story Jump I wrote in just a couple of days. The idea came after I'd been talking to my parents on the phone, and gotten a few lectures. :) Though “If someone asked you to jump off a bridge would you?” wasn't one of them, for some reason that phrase popped into my head and the story was born. I was in a rather silly, sarcastic mood at the time, which lent to the humorous aspects of the story.

The Forgotten Echo-Release date March 1 2011

Sometimes death is only the beginning…After a bad day Cassy is surprised to find her self shot, an innocent bystander in a drive by shooting. Bleeding to death in an empty parking lot she knows she is going die. What she doesn’t expect is the arrival of a strange, yet gorgeous, man who tells her he can keep her from passing on in return for being his forever. In desperation she agrees but afterwards she is beyond dismayed to discover she has died. To make matters worse the stranger has disappeared. Her spirit wanders, afraid and alone until she meets another like her and she discovers she’s not a ghost at all but something much more.

This short story was also written in just two days. Day one I wrote over 7500 words. The idea for this story came from the line of a song and grew from there. While writing this story I did some of my back and forth writing, starting with once scene and then building around it. Luckily this works for me! :) The title for this one has changed quite a bit over time, but I am quite happy with it now!
My debut novel Sweet Light due out in 2011 was actually written quite a few years ago. It is the first book I finished (and didn't lose to a computer crash!) Sweet Light and its sequel, Dark Madness, were originally one book. When I decided to give getting it published a go I realized the word count was way too high, so I cut it in half. The story has changed quite a bit over years of edits and more edits. I honestly don't remember how I originally got the idea. I am quite a romantic, so the love stories certainly stemmed from there. I'm also a pessimist, and that is why things rarely go right for my poor characters! An interesting side note, my favourite character Dric didn't even exist in the first version. He came to me in a dream and demanded to be added.

For the most part no matter where my initial idea comes from, something said, a song or whatever, before I write the scene appears in my head first, like a movie. Sometimes I'll let it stew for a while until it seems just right, and then will let my fingers fly.

Visit Jen at her website or at her blog.

The Amazing Vivian Zabel

2010-12-07T01:59:00.002-06:00

Hello everyone,

Please welcome my guest today, the award-winning author Vivian Zabel. She is the author of Stolen, an emotionally charged, fictionalized account about the kidnapping of her two grandchildren.

"Based on a true story, Zabel conveys much of the agony and utter despair that is evoked from having a father steal his children from their mother." Karen Cioffi

When troubles and tragedies steal the joy and happiness from life,
a person has two choices: to rebuild and find a way to continue living or to give up.
Torri faces adversity after adversity and finds a way to reconstruct her life.
However, when the most drastic tragedy hits,
she doesn't know if she can continue or not.

The inspiration for Stolen came from the fear, frustration, and pain caused by two of my grandchildren being taken by their father. For over 12 years, we didn’t know where they were, if they were all right, even if they lived or not. Very scary.
I couldn’t make the book nonfiction because some details would open me up for lawsuits, breaches between people dear to me, or hurt someone else. The events and details I did use were ones that allowed the despair and heartache to show as well as the helplessness, without causing more problems. Some details were true: such as the scribbles on the wall, dreaming one or both the children were hurt, running to check beds which were still empty, etc. I kept journals where I wrote messages to the kids for about the first six or seven years. I can’t find them now, and I do wish I could. Also we had stacks of Christmas presents put back for them for the first five years. We finally began to give those presents to Faris’ and Yameen’s nephew and nieces. However, I still have the huge stuffed lion the two loved to use for a pillow.

In February 2007, I opened an email and read, “I think you’re my grandmother.” Finally, we knew the two lived.

Thank you so much for sharing your story with my blog, Vivian. Thank you too, for the opportunity to be entered into your contest:

3 Contests For Bloggers:

1. The host with the most comments from different visitors will receive a hard copy ARC.

2. Send Vivian an email with a possible ending to the novel and two winners will receive an ARC.

3. Anyone not hosting a blog stop but who promotes the novel will have a chance to win an ARC. (ARC means Advance Reader Copy). Just email Vivian with the url to the promotion.Email Vivian at vivian@viviangilbertzabel.com Note: Winners of hard copy ARCs must have a U.S. address. Anyone outside the U.S. who wins will receive a PDF ARC.

I wish you all the very best, Vivian!

Warmly,

Jenny:)

The Ever Inspirational Sean Hayden

2010-12-01T01:58:00.002-06:00

Everyone, please give Sean Hayden a great big warm welcome!

INSPIRATIONAL INSPIRATIONS ON INSPIRATION.
by Sean Hayden

Everyone who’s a writer, a reader, or one of the multitudes of gluttons for punishment who work in publishing will tell you that writing books is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. What they never take into consideration is that without that 1% to spark the fire, all the perspiration in the world won’t get that novel planned, written, and published. I consider inspiration to be the pilot light on the stove of writing. Try bakin’ brownies without one. All you’ll end up with is goop.

Inspiration can come in many forms. What most people forget is that in writing you need two inspirations. Before you even need to consider finding an inspiration for a story, you need to find that one thing most important to you that will inspire you to write. Most people will tell you it’s because they have a story to tell. This is true to an extent, but every person in the world has a story to tell. So set that one aside and think about why exactly do you want to be a writer? Do you want fame? Do you want fortune? Do the words starving artist mean anything to you? Next time you meat an author, ask them what their day job is. If they answer author, congratulations! You’ve just met one of the .01%!

Now I know what you’re thinking. Okay, Mr. Smartypants, what inspired you to write? C’mon, I’m right, that’s what you were thinking. The truth is, I DON’T FRIGGIN KNOW! HA! I do know one thing, it wasn’t any ONE thing. I write for several reasons, and to list them all would take more megabits than I’m allotted for this post. So tell you what, I’ll give you my TOP INSPIRATIONS for being an author. Deal?

1. I’ve read sooo many books and after closing the cover thought, “Damn, I could do better than that. So I wanted to prove it to myself.

2. My kids telling people I am an author. Probably the best feeling in the world.

3. Hope. Anybody who tells you they don’t want to be famous is a friggin liar! I wanna be famous, but I just have realistic expectations.

4. My parents. Mom, Dad, I’m a fiberoptic engineer. Mom, Dad, I wrote a book and it’s being published. Which conversation do you think made them more proud?

5. Wanting to hold it in my hands. (My book you perv)
Okay, that about covers the inspirations for writing, let’s move on shall we?

Where do inspirations for stories come from? Are you DAFT? LOOK AROUND YOU! No, seriously. Look around you. Stories, and I mean every stinking genre of books out on the market, can be inspired by the strangest of things at the strangest of times. Think about it. You’re walking down the street licking a strawberry and vanilla ice cream cone when lo and behold! You almost step on a grasshopper. What if that grasshopper wasn’t a grasshopper? What if that grasshopper was really an automaton specifically created by your arch-nemesis Doctor Von Ricktenstein sent to steal your formula for Nutty Nougat Bars? HMMMMM? “What If’s” are the greatest inspirations you will EVER find.

I know, I’m crazy, but now you get it don’t you? Uh huh. I thought so.

I’ve written several books, have several more around the midpoint range, and several short stories, and I can tell you, the inspirations for them came from the simplest of daily routines.
The other thing that REALLY works for me is lying in bed. Yep. Bed. Loves me some sleep, but lying in bed just before you fall asleep, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling, and letting your mind wander is a DANGEROUS THING. Dangerous, and frigging awesome for getting not only inspirations for stories, but also running in tangents. If I have my character do this, then this will happen, but WHAT IF they do this instead? See?

My point (yes, I have one) is let your mind wander. Question EVERYTHING. Look for the WHAT IF’s in everything. Pick your child up from school and ask yourself, WHAT IF this school is really a top secret government institution for testing psychic ability enhancing curriculum and pharmaceuticals? Next time you’re in the pet store buying a briny shrimp and a chocolate tipped starfish ask yourself, WHAT IF these are really aquatic sea creatures, but rather fiberoptic camera enhanced bionic sea creatures planted by aliens to study day to day human behavioral patterns? If you start doing this everywhere, you will find the fodder for endless stories, countless novels, or end up wearing a white jacket with extra longs sleeves that cuff in the back.

Born in the suburbs of Chicago, he moved to the frigid arctic climes of south east Florida as a small child. The son of a fireman and a proofreader (that’s what they had before spellcheck) he fell in love with reading at a young age. When he hit the age of 35 he wrote his first novel, an urban fantasy about vampires and demons entitled Origins. Unsatisfied with one novel, he penned the sequel Deceptions and both titles of the Demonkin Series will be available from Echelon Press soon.

Get More Sean Here:

http://shaydenfl.wordpress.com/

www.facebook.com/shaydenfl

www.twitter.com/shaydenfl

Author in ICU-Please Tell a Friend

2010-11-23T06:30:00.002-06:00

Today I have important news. For the holidays, author, teacher, husband, and father of two wonderful girls, D.M. Anderson is in the ICU. I was honored to be the editor of his book, Killer Cows. This isn't just your run of the mill author, he's a man who cares very deeply about others. Even while he's been ill, he's promoted the ebook version of Killer Cows. Not because he wants a new car or large screen television. No, he wants the ebook version to sell widely because he's donating 100% of the royalties to the Boland family. Their son, Jeremiah, has a tumor attached to his carotid artery and needs risky surgery.

If ever there was a person who needed our support, it's this author. When you purchase either an ebook copy, or a print copy of Killer Cows, you'll not just be getting a great read, but you'll be helping one of two very deserving people and the people who love them. They say it is the season of giving, and I believe we can really make a difference.

To purchase either ebook or print copy of Killer Cows, visit this link: http://astore.amazon.com/echelonpressp-20/detail/B003CT33LY

Thank you for reading!

Warmly,
Jenny

And now for some Chummy Fun :)

2010-11-21T14:48:00.002-06:00

This is a short story I wrote a few years back. I thought it might be sort of cool to share my writing here as I haven't in a very long time. So, here's my short story:)

CHUMS

College chums, college pals, maybe cold blooded killers. They come for him, intruding without warning to wrestle him from his dorm room. Trash bag ties bind his wrists, and visions of putrid green dumpsters fill his head. They pull a sham over his head, pull a scam on him, he thinks. His glasses fall and break, leaving a distorted view of the plaid inside the sham. Laughing and cussing they take him from his dorm room into the chill of an autumn night.

The rumble of the car, the squeal of tires and delight. Bouncing and jerking inside the back seat as they go round and round. Teeth snapping down on his tongue as his heart explodes.

thud-thump thud-thump.

Glistening copper fills his mouth. Jimbo, he thinks it’s Jimbo, shoves a whisky bottle beneath the sham, scam, sham. It’s a prank? he asks himself as he drinks the whiskey, burning the tender hole in his tongue.

Hands grabbing him, shoving him onto pavement. Asphalt peels the flesh from his knee and he shouts at the pain. He tries to speak, but they push, giggling and snarling all at once. He falls to his back, and the sham comes off. Blurry ghosts and Mike’s red Trans Am glowing like a grinning demon, doors open like the beast’s wings.

The black sky hangs low as he crawls away, bound hands thudding on the pavement, unable to suck in air to form a sound. They follow, taunting him.

He yearns to flee his pals, to run. He makes it to his knees, glaring at his indistinct hands folded together, straining at the ties. He imagines clubbing them to escape. They kick him. He sprawls, skinning his chin on the concrete, bloodying his nose. He hawks and spits blood to hide a whimper.

It has to be a sham, to be a scam, to be a prank, he thinks as their laughter turns vicious, tearing the air with monster teeth and gargoyle claws. They shout names, swimming toward him like ravenous sharks, after their chum. Pals, peers, when did he become their prey?

In the foggy distance he sees the end of the concrete. Cold blackness shimmers, but beyond it, the lights of salvation. Smelling blood, the sharks advance, throwing the whiskey bottle. It explodes with a pop and glass shreds the skin on his arm. He hobbles to his feet and runs, favoring his bruised knee. His heart beats in rhythm with his flapping feet.

thud-thump thud-thump

They shout behind him, telling him to stop, to come back. His mind cannot focus any more than his eyes can see.

The concrete disappears, and the whooshing air surprises him. He is falling, falling, falling. The lights of salvation aren’t there, only a new pavement, rushing up to great him. It slams into him with the force of an angry steel anvil. His teeth disintegrate and, blood fills his eyes, washing the light crimson…the light.

Atop the parking garage, the sharks finally move like the reanimated dead, head’s hanging. They go back to the Trans Am, folding inside like rubber dolls, and close the doors.

Inferior and Superior People Prt. 5

2010-11-20T01:18:00.001-06:00

We've reached the end of the week's look at my debate on Gauging Inferior and Superior People. The first four parts precede this post.

Paraphrased: Associating with undesirable people can harm our reputation in society and in the workplace.

My response: There ARE certain lines one wouldn't cross, but on the other hand, I don't limit my friendships to only those society deem as "worthy" enough to be respected. As far as I'm aware, in the U.S., one cannot be terminated because the boss doesn't like who you hang out with in your private life. Sure, it likely does happen, but it would be an illegal termination (discrimination) and would therefore, be on the shoulders of the one terminated to bring about a lawsuit. (Too few people actually sue on these issues however, which brings about blatant power monopoloies by the discrimantors in our society--but that's another issue.)

What I think we're forgetting, however, is the biblical mandate that we are to go amongst the 'sinners' and love them like our neighbors, expose them to the word of God, and live an exemplary life.

If we continue to discriminate against others because we think (rightly or wrongly) simple interaction with them will bring about negative consequences, then we are furthering the very societal norms that Jesus would have us fight against. Aren't we?

Paraphrased: Worry serves no purpose and anxiety can be harmful.

My response: I believe worry is a natural human emotion that, when used in a healthy manner, can helpfully indicate what needs our attention the most.

I worry that my child will get hit by a car (a reality) and I therefore, pay extra attention when they are near the street. This is healthy.

Worry about those things which we have no power over (such as what another person is nourishing themselves with) is unhealthy because it allows us to take on responsibilities that are not our own.

Helping others to find more positive nourishment is not the same as *owning* another person's health--and therefore *worrying* about their health. We can simply love, understand, and communicate to the best of our abilities our desire to see that other healthy. Our 'healthy' worry then, would be to ensure we are encouraging the 'positive' to the best of our abilities.

Yes--unnecessary anxiety after-the-fact is not healthy and can lead to physical illness beyond the emotional and mental burden. The anxiety itself, however, is a natural human emotion, one that alerts us to the work that needs doing, perhaps using all or some of the methods you used above.

Either way, worry (or concern) and anxiety can never be eradicated from our lives. I disagree that they are "negative" and used in a healthy way, can promote even more positivity in our lives.

Without the worry or anxiety, however, we wouldn't be alerted to the need to take those necessary steps to prevent a misfortune. I think what Jesus was talking about are those instances where we have no power over the situation.

Such as: Worry that I might lose everything in a natural disaster will not keep a natural disaster from happening (an illogical worry/anxiety that Jesus said we shouldn't engage in) but worrying that I will be prepared for such an event will lead me to take necessary steps to prevent as much misfortune as possible. (Food and water supplies, insurance coverage, etc.)

This ended my part of the discussion. I found it very interesting to put into words what I believed. I hope you've found it interesting as well!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Inferior and Superior People Prt. 4

2010-11-19T01:09:00.000-06:00

Part 4 of our ongoing review of my debate about Gauging Inferior and Superior People:

Paraphrased: We don't need to be invited to assess one's negative or positive qualities.

My Response: I would say that we do need to be invited to *assess* those qualities, however. What our focus should be, what we should be assessing, is how we wish to respond to any observable quality displayed by another.

Our focus, however, should not be on the other--it is to be on ourselves. If our focus is "gauging" others, such as the title of this thread states, then our focus is not on ourselves, where it needs to be. Connecting with others, on a personal level, is based on how vulnerable we allow ourselves to be with them. How vulnerable we are comfortable with, depends on our own self-assessment and self-acceptance. And thusly, the extent of our own vulnerability will either be abused, or appreciated, depending on the other's ability to be vulnerable with us.

In either case, learning where another person is coming from can't be learned if we don't know where we are coming from. If we are coming from a position of "evaluation" or "gauging" another, then we are not coming from vulnerability and therefore, cannot expect another to make themselves vulnerable to us.

Paraphrased: Jesus taught appreciation of positives and awareness of negatives, as well as detachment. As in a car accident, it's important to know who's to blame and who isn't.

My Response: *Appreciation* and *awareness* are not the same as "interpreting" positives and negatives, however. Discerning between the positive and the negative also has its pitfalls. We see man steal bread (a negative) and interpret it as a sin. We see the same man take his child necessary food to continue living (a positive,) and we see the greater sin of a society that would allow a child to starve when bread is available. Without the second knowledge, however, our discernment is incomplete and our interpretation flawed.

Detachment, however, is a loaded word. I'm having difficulty finding meaningful ways in which detachment could be implemented, let alone how Jesus may have wanted us to use this tool of separation.

I agree that we can intuit much, once we begin to become attune to the 'vibes' or the 'body language' of others and have dedicated ourselves to the observation of others in an intelligent way for the sake of 'reading' those around us. However, I would caution that any such intuitiveness, to be free of false beliefs in our own superiority, must be tempered with the knowledge that we can rarely ever know another beyond the external manifestations of their interior.

Once we recognize that when it comes to interpreting another person, we will almost always be wrong if we attempt a deep evaluation on minimal information, no matter how adept we become at that interpretation, then we have cultivated the necessary humbleness within ourselves to avoid the pitfalls of 'judgement' and inflated superiority.

"God never gives you a burden you cannot bear." I believe that, and therefore, my questioning wasn't so much along the lines of "why me?" as it was: "What am I supposed to DO with this?"

I don't believe it's so much about blame--recognizing the "at-fault" entity in any given situation is VITAL to correctly interpreting cause and effect--but more about what we are to DO with said information.

For me, my personal experiences, engendered in me an obsessive desire to understand the people and the world around me. I believed that if I could understand why people did what they did, then I would be able to move 'past' all that happened. I learned very quickly that while I can trace the development of behaviors in a human being back through each life-altering instance in their life--I could never fully comprehend why one person turns out "normal" and another person becomes "deviant."

Therefore, I relinquished any thought I had of *control* over the world and instead, focused on what, in the end, is most important:

My impact on the world around me.

Gauging Inferior and Superior People Prt. 3

2010-11-18T01:04:00.001-06:00

We continue the week with the third part of my conversation on Gauging Inferior and Superior People.

Paraphrased: If a person has a mind of their own and the ability to use it, then it's acceptable to allow his assessment of himself to influence our assessment of him. Jesus did his best to cultivate righteousness (superior qualities) where He could.

My Response: And WHO would you say *doesn't* have a mind of their own? Which person would you "assess" to be mindless? Which persons would you say don't have the ability of discernment?

This is what is unavoidable once we give ourselves the power to begin assessing "inferior" and "superior" traits in others uninvited. This is negative and is, indeed, a subtle way of feeding ego. There is nothing "humble" about declaring other people are mindless and incapable of discernment.

Was that really what [Jesus] was doing? Was he really trying to empower others into believing they were superior? Or was he attempting to show them, through His love, that prostitutes and 'undesirables' were worthy people, that they had self-worth, that His father loved them and believed them valuable, and that they should love themselves just as much and refrain from doing anything harmful to themselves?

Wasn't this precisely the reason why He went amongst the most egregious "sinners"? So that they might know self-love?

Wasn't His business here on earth to show people how to live with love for one another? Didn't He come to share God's will that they give up the "stoning" of women and the like and learn to love their neighbor? Sharing the value of love WAS his business. He didn't come to teach us to "assess" one another and "evaluate" who is superior or inferior so that we might disengage from one another.

He came to show us that we need not fear mingling with sinners (through His actions) but that we are to love one another as God loves us.

Paraphrased: The accuracy of an interpretation depends on the skills of the interpreter. Intuition also plays a large part in the assessment of others.

My Response: I would add that the quality of the interpretation is also dependent on their motivation, their own self-awareness, and their knowledge of humanity in general. Intuitiveness can be faulty if the lens applied is dirty--or complicated by the log in our own eye.

Yet I would also suggest that there are many who would assess the behavior of another based on a hypothetical "what would I do" that can often lead to a false assessment as well. Which brings in objectivity and the impossibility of accuracy other than when it comes to ones own self.

Simply because I was able to find a way to lay to rest the traumas I have experienced and move through those life-altering episodes, does not mean that another will have found *a* solution, let alone the same one(s) I have. While our experiences may be parallel, the uniqueness of each individual doesn't allow a one-size-fits-all solution, as I'm sure you're aware.

It is not so much the aspects that deal with each individual's internal spiritual journey that I have taken issue with. It is the belief that one has the *ability* to assess another person accurately, either to the negative or the positive.

Nourishment: In cultures that rely on insects for protein, they find ways to make what would be repulsive to others, a positive in their lives. I don't believe that we have sole control over the 'nutrition' in our lives. Yes, we can make positive choices, but negatives will always have their effect on us. We are 'porous' that way, absorbing the world around us.

As to adaptation: While I agree that adaptation is part of survival, we are much more than merely survivalists. I believe that within each one of us is the power to exert our own selves into any environment, both for greater or lesser 'good' or 'evil.'

Inferior and Superior People Prt. 2

2010-11-17T00:56:00.001-06:00

This week I'm sharing an exchange I had a few years back about Gauging Inferior and Superior People. This is part 2.

Paraphrased: While it's often impossible to avoid undesirable (inferior) people, such as in the workplace, it's best to limit any association with such people as possible.

My response: This is where you lose me. What "undesirable" people do you mean? Undesirable to *us*? Or to society? And what benefit can we give someone we would 'assess' as 'undesirable' if we were not to engage them to change habits that may be harmful to themselves? And if we should fail in that endeavor, does that mean they are any less deserving or worthy of our kindness? In a way, wouldn't it mean they are even MORE deserving of our kindness because they are the ones who need it the most?

I simply don't understand how it is our right or duty to assess others--since that is something we cannot fully do in a meaningful way with confident results. It is an exercise in futility and I believe largely an inappropriate way to spend our time. How another person is treating themselves is only my business if I'm invited, by that person, to help them. If no invitation is offered, then I am intruding where I have no business going.

Yet you charge us with the duty of assessing other human beings--when what we are presented may be one of those moments where an unusual behavior is being displayed, or perhaps they are going through a personal tragedy or trauma--one we know nothing of.

If you were to be assessed by others based on a time when you were displaying a 'totally out of character' behavior, how accurate would that assessment of you be?

On another note--I don't believe that we behave 'out of character' in the true sense of the word, at any time. Whatever we do, it is within us to do. That is not to say that with self-assessment and study of our goals that we can't work to change an aspect of our character.

There's a world of difference between working WITH a person to better understand them to the best of our abilities, and assessing them uninvited. This leads to the trap of believing we can somehow "know better" than they do about what is best for them. We can never be certain, either, in an independent assessment, if we have assessed another person correctly. Unless the sort of intimate communication necessary to understand another is invited, we really have no business assessing anyone but ourselves.

Inferior and Superior People

2010-11-16T09:22:00.002-06:00

I used to belong to a lot of "debate" groups a few years back. In one of those groups, a topic was posted about how to gauge "inferior" or "superior" people. Without the other person's permission, I don't feel comfortable sharing their side of the conversation. Because I found the exchange so interesting, I saved the posts to my computer. This week I'll share a few of the parts I authored each day. I will paraphrase the segments I responded to for clarity.

Gauging Inferior and Superior People

Paraphrased: Once we learn how to assess inferior and superior qualities in people, we can choose to disengage from those who are inferior and make room for blessings in our lives.

My response: In essence--what you're saying here is that when one displays qualities others see as 'superior'--we earn respect. When that same person displays qualities other see as "inferior"--we earn their disrespect?

Yet couldn't the very same quality be judged two different ways by different people?

For instance, if one were to stick up for a woman [being discriminated against, the person discriminating against her] would see that as an "inferior" quality--while the woman being discriminated against--would see that as a "superior" quality--right?

So in the end, if others are going to judge one according to their personal views on life--don't we simply owe it to ourselves to be true to who we are, our values, and what we deem important?

I believe in MLK's words that we all have intrinsic worth. None of us are inferior to the next person. Each human being is innately human.

Paraphrased: We must be thoughtful about the food we put into our bodies, just as we must be thoughtful about what we feed our minds to protect our fundamental well-being. An inferior person feeds his ego and should be avoided.

My response: I believe that ignorance on any subject is not something we should seek, no matter how appalling that subject is. For instance, I find child abuse of any sort hard to stomach--but to ignore it in order to try to protect my "fundamental well-being" would be rather selfish, and I'm sure you can agree that being 'selfish' is not a quality anyone should try to attain.

I would consider it a great misfortune to live a life where I believe anyone is inferior. I would consider it a great misfortune to segregate myself away from ANY human being and what I can learn from each and every person.

One would miss the blessing of learning how superior those deemed 'inferior' actually are, one would miss the blessing of learning that our judgments on others is often proven wrong by intimate knowledge of that other. One would miss the blessing of learning about our own strengths and weaknesses. In fact, I can think of no true blessing one gains from ostracizing others from our lives.

I think that we have little control over how some may view us. Sure, there are ways to make ourselves clear and to behave in a way one would assume would be considered 'respectable' by the society we interact in--however, that doesn't mean people within that society don't bring their own mindset to the table.

Globally, we can see how certain expected traits within any given culture are taboo in others. For instance, I know in some cultures it's expected that you will be asked to divulge how much money you have--while in others (mine) it is considered the height of rudeness.

Should I judge that other, from another culture, by my own cultural standards? Or do I do that based on what is normal for them? Of course I would choose the latter, but there are many who would choose the former in my culture. In my culture, some believe if you don't speak our language or swear allegiance to our way of life, you don't belong here. (I disagree.) Yet in many other places in the world, that's not the case at all and views such as those would be seen as odd--to say it nicely ;)

So, perspective and culture plays a large factor in how one's behavior/views are judged. To me, there is no way that we can be human and *never* be in the position where someone won't judge our quality as being inferior or superior. The judges are just as fallible (human) as those they judge.

Striving to be superior by defining inferiority, in my opinion, is a monumental waste of our energy. What we should be striving for, I believe, is understanding and knowledge because it affords us the stronger possibility that we can adhere to our values in any given situation.

The one truism that I have encountered in my life is that people always surprise me. Just when I think I know a person, can predict how they may respond in a given situation, they do something completely out of the blue that shocks me.

I think the most one can do is assess themselves and how they do respond, how they wish they responded, or how they would not want to respond.

(More Tomorrow)

It's Snowing here...

2010-11-14T08:40:00.004-06:00

This is a picture of Molly Eddie took in '08, but I think she's a doll, so I used this one :) I'm writing today, listening to some great music, and having some wonderful coffee. I'm expecting to have a great day that ends with Dexter and The Walking Dead. Very cool! :)

5 Fun but True things about me:

1) I heard over the phone that a friend's grandchildren had head lice. Over the phone, mind you, and I've been lucky enough to have never had head lice, but now my head itches.

2) I love a slice of white bread folded over peanutbutter and a tall glass of ice cold milk with my spaghetti far more than I like garlic bread.

3) I don't like buffets because I feel strange carrying my plate through a room full of strangers.

4) I love the smell of Elmers glue and crayons--they remind me of my childhood.

5) When I was young, we were so poor I used to wear bread bags over my socks to keep them dry inside my boots because they weren't "snow proof."

So that's 5 fun facts about me ;) What about you? Any quirks or situations you want to confess to?

Warmly,
Jenny:)

To Nano or Not to Nano, That is NOT the Question

2010-11-12T14:37:00.002-06:00

Seriously, I don't have a choice. I want Detour 2 Death to debut at Love is Murder and that means I have to have a complete draft by the end of November. So, not only am I going to be getting those 50k words one way or another, I'm gonna go over by around 30K or so. This just has to happen.

At least that's what I keep telling myself. I can do this. I've got two 10K days scheduled with Milli Thornton, so that's 20K (or more) right there. In the meantime, I'm gonna keep plugging away.

On another note, I'm excited to see tonight's episode of Supernatural. I want to watch the brothers get Sam's soul back and give Crowley what he's got coming to him. I'll be honest, I was scared season 6 would be like "jumping the shark" but I'm truly thrilled with the direction the Eric Kripke took with this. Since the series was only planned for 5 seasons, they've done an impressive job of keeping the legend going. For that, you have my heartfelt thanks! Besides, Jensen Ackles is hot! :)

Fear of Writing-The Year I Quit Writing

2010-11-10T08:39:00.002-06:00

Today I'm over at Milli Thornton's blog, Fear of Writing. I talk about why, after winning awards and having multiple books published, I decided to quit writing. Leave a comment and I'll send you a copy of Extreme Writing: Crafting the Action Scene.

I look forward to hearing from you all! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Freeing Myself: TV, Movies, and More

2010-11-09T09:22:00.003-06:00

What the heck is wrong with me? I have this weird notion that because I'm a writer and an avid reader, that somehow blogging about movies is a big no-no. What's up with that? This is my darn blog, I should blog about what excites me. I love movies and television (my all time favorite is Supernatural) and music and there ain't nuthin' wrong with that!

So today, I'm gonna start writing about the stuff I'm interested in beyond just what's going on in my writing world—because seriously, who wants to "talk shop" all the time?

First off, I better tell you I have very low-brow tastes when it comes to movies and television. I'm a HUGE horror fan and I don't care what anyone says, I think AMC's new series "The Walking Dead" is awesome. Seriously, who would rather be watching the news (much more horrifying than fiction) or reruns of Bones (and I really like Bones!) I'm enjoying the heck out of this series. SPOILER ALERT: When they walked down the middle of the street covered in guts? I sure as heck wasn't thinking about channel surfing.

Tonight—my program choices are the finale of the Bad Girl's Club (can't wait to see which two roomies show up—and I hope that sneaky Ashley gets the brunt of it all) and the premiere of The Fashion Show with Iman—who sounds like she's going to be as tough and opinionated on the show as she's been in the past.

As far as movies go—I watched Predators last night and thought it was really cool. At first I was like, "The Pianist is gonna play Arnie's role? Huh? Who cast this thing?" But he quickly won me over, as all great actors do! There's a spoiler coming up here, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, don't read the next paragraph:

The part where Adrien Brody's character Royce turns the chameleon trick back on the alien predator by using fire to mask his body heat was truly exciting for both it's action and the intelligence behind that action. Way to go script writers—whoever you may be!

Okay, I'll be blogging about a lot of different stuff from now on. Funny how we don't realize the constraints we put on ourselves sometimes, isn't it?
Warmly,
Jenny:)

My 10K (or more) Day

2010-11-07T07:49:00.002-06:00

I'm doing Nanowrimo this year. So far, I haven't had much time to write as I've been busy with my editing work. Today, I'm taking the time to write and have declared for myself a 10K day. Over the course of the day, I'll be updating my blog to let y'all know what my word count is so far--just for fun! :)

So, I'll see y'all in a bit!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

An Explanation...

2010-11-05T11:20:00.005-05:00

In 2005, Echelon Press published my first book, Stark Knight. Before I was published, I'd written Loving Lillie, Bulletproof Bride, and My Biker Bodyguard as well. Today, I had to put together some information for record-keeping on all the titles I've had published since then. Aside from two of the three I mentioned were written before my first book came out, there are nine other titles Echelon has acquired from me. That's 12 in total. Holy Writing Frenzy Batman! :)

So here they are, in the order they were written, followed by the order they were or will be published:

1) Loving Lillie--never
2) Bulletproof Bride--2nd
3) Stark Knight--1st
4) My Biker Bodyguard--3rd
5) Racing the Moon--10th or 11th
6) Silent Knight--4th
7) The Knight Before (short epilogue to the series)--5th
8) Good Knight--6th
9) DFF: Dead Friends Forever--7th
10) School's Out 4-Ever--8th
11) Redemption--10th or 11th
12) Still Life in Death--12th
13) Detour 2 Death--9th

Now all I have to do is finish my half-completed books: Face the Dark, Born to Run, and Driven to Love. Oh, and there's the series I outlined for the Lockwood Legacy, about 5 sisters who, when they hit puberty, discover they're witches. Their father is a traveling antique's collector and evil beings are always trying to murder, maim, or otherwise harm the girls through cursed objects. Sort of Little Women meets The Craft. Then there's the one I've fully researched, temporarily titled "Lucy Book" about psychic twins, remote viewing, and nanotechnology. So that's what--3 half-completed, 5 outlined, and 1 researched. And we need to add the last 3 in the Extreme Hauntings series--which brings me to a grand total:

12 more books.

Wow. By the time I'm done (five years from now? LOL?) I'll have 25 books published. (Well, 24, because The Knight Before is really a short story.)

So now you know why writers get a funny look on their face when someone says, "Hey, you're a writer. I've got this really cool idea for you...."

Warmly,
Jenny:)

10K Day and Freebie:)

2010-10-31T12:17:00.002-05:00

Hey y'all, I'm scheduling a 10K day for next Sunday, Nov. 7th. We'll be participating right here on this blog. I'll make a post in the morning, and you can do your check-ins in the comment section. Don't know what a 10K day is? Here's an article about it from my website: 10K Day. You can use this as part of your NaNoWriMo if you're doing that this November as well.

On to the Freebie! :)

I've been lucky enough to have a great friend, Milli Thornton, put together an ebook for me a few years ago. Extreme Writing: Crafting the Action Scene is a free .pdf book I'm happy to give to anyone who sends me an email at jturner4ATcharterDOTnet with "My Copy" in the subject line.

Have a super Happy Halloween everyone!! :)

Wholelotta Links

2010-10-30T12:23:00.002-05:00

Here's a list of great links y'all might find interesting:

Where to find me on the internet:

My website
Linked In
Good Reads
Twitter
Facebook
Manic Readers

Quake:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Some publishing opportunities with Echelon and Quake:

ECHELON:
Echelon is seeking submissions for ALL eBook divisions. Please visit our site for guidelines. http://echelonpress.com

EXPLORATIONS:
Echelon Explorations is seeking submissions for eBook publication. Guidelines at http://echelonexplorations.com

SHORTS:
Echelon Shorts is seeking submissions for eBook publication for all genres.
Deadline for Holiday submissions 11/10/10. Guidelines at http://echelonshorts.com

QUAKE:
Quake is seeking submissions for eBook publication for all genres.
Deadline for Quake Holiday Shorts submissions 11/10/10. Guidelines at http://quakeme.com

I'm also a member of WRWA.

Enjoy surfing the web! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Writing

2010-10-28T13:08:00.003-05:00

Today I've spent the morning on busy-type work. This afternoon, I'm going to put everything aside and really dig into Detour 2 Death. This is turning out to be emotionally wrenching for me. Many of y'all know my father died in February and I find myself drawing from that experience a lot.

Book 3 in the Extreme Hauntings series is set in a hospital. David, the boy-next-door in a wheelchair, has taken a turn for the worse. Kaylee, our heroine, escapes the monsters at her reformatory and hits the road, rushing back home because she's had a premonition that David needs her. When she sneaks into the hospital, she finds her best friend, and blossoming love interest, in a coma and about to die.

The scenes where she's entered his coma-dream, where she's understanding that he's about to die if she can't intervene in some way, are really difficult for me to face. I think this is why I've had such a hard time really getting into the flow of this story. I want to stop, go back and edit, just to avoid what I know will be hard to write. So, today, that all stops. I'm going to punch through my own grief and get this part down, come heck or high water.

If you want to see what led up to this moment, find out why Kaylee was sentenced to a reformatory for girls, you can read the first two books in paperback or on your Kindle.

Wish me luck!
Jenny:)

Huge Wind Storm

2010-10-27T15:14:00.004-05:00

Last night we had a big wind storm come through and knock out all of our power. Because it's been so dark and overcast here lately, I didn't get up until almost 7:30! Yikes! I got the kids up and between breakfast, a mad hunt for socks, banging in and out of the bathroom to wash faces, brush hair and teeth, I managed to get everyone ready in about 30 minutes--a world record, I'm sure. I drove them all to school--Molly on the west side was about 20 minutes late, Matthew on the north side was on time (phew!) and Dustin in a whole 'nother town (Kellner) got there about 15 minutes late. Alls well that ends well, I suppose.

I've just got to take some time to get rid of all the goofy blinky red lights. (Even the dishwasher is flashing red lights at me.)

Today, I'm working on editing a novel for Quake and later this evening, I'm putting together more notes for tomorrow's writing marathon. Detour 2 Death is getting really exciting. I love having free reign with reality. Supernatural stuff is always great!

Here's to a nice, quiet, wind-free evening!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Random Word

2010-10-26T06:46:00.004-05:00

As I sit here, blinking myself awake over my morning coffee, I remember there were a thousand things I thought to blog about, but now can't recall one. Lol. So, I'm going to open a random website from a google search on ghost, close my eyes, and point. Then I'm going to blog about whatever word my finger lands on. So, here goes:

I landed on The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) and my finger hit the word "evidence."

Interesting. What evidence would you need to believe in ghosts? I say I don't disbelieve in ghosts, but I don't believe in them fully either. The jury is out on that one. I'd probably have to experience one for myself. A full-on apparition appearing directly before my eyes. Do I believe that we live on, beyond our physical bodies? I do, though I have doubts. On this issue, though, I have more faith that we do exist beyond our mortal life.

What about you? What do you think?

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Life as an Editor

2010-10-25T16:06:00.002-05:00

Today I get to make "the call" for the first time. I'm excited about doing this, but I'm nervous as well--how funny is that? :) I find sitting on this side of the desk very strange. After years and years fearing what an editor or agent might think about my writing, I'm getting some great insight. Most editors or agents, if they're anything like me at all (and I imagine most are) wish they could say yes to every decently written good story that crosses their desk. This experience totally makes me respect them even more than I did, and has the added benefit of making them more accessible to me. In other words:

Editors and agents are people, too ;)

We're still open to submissions, if you write YA. You can find the details here: http://quakeme.com/submissions/

Warmly,

Jenny:)

Sick, Sicker, Sickest...

2010-10-24T13:13:00.003-05:00

If you've never had Pyelonephritis, there's no way to describe the sort of pain and exhaustion that both forces you into bed and keeps you awake. My cycle went like this: Body aches followed by a high fever with massive, teeth clenching chills, and then a sweat that left me limp and soaked. This cycle has progressively gotten worse since the end of September. For one blissful week, I thought I had it kicked. Week before last Thursday I took my last antibiotic, and by the following Saturday night, all the symptoms came rushing back, and twice as bad. I barely escaped a hospital stay.

So if you've been wondering, that's what's been happening with me. I'm in a slower recovery now, just getting my feet under me, but I can tell, this isn't going to be easy for me to bounce back from. I still can't make it all the way through the night without waking up from one symptom or another. The lower back pain feels very much like labor pains! Ugh. This stuff is horrible.

Anyway, now that I can sit up and actually focus my eyes again (the meds they gave me for the muscle pain makes my eyes blur) I'm getting back to business. Yes, this seems to be the yo-yo of my life this year, but I'll keep coming back and I'll keep trying. I'm working on Detour 2 Death for a spring release and I've got some great new talent I'm looking at as the editor for Quake. There's exciting stuff going on--I only pray I'll continue to be healthy enough to enjoy every minute!

Warmly,

Jenny:)

Writing and Music

2010-10-16T10:30:00.003-05:00

On my Facebook page, I asked my friends to suggest songs for the playlist I'm compiling while I write Detour 2 Death, the 3rd book in the Extreme Hauntings series. I got MANY great suggestions (Thanks y'all!) and here's where you can see what I've put together so far:

Detour 2 Death Playlist

I'd love to add more music so if you have any other suggestions, feel free to add some. In this book, Kaylee, my heroine, has just run away from the girl's reform school to see her best friend who's near death in the hospital. This is a ghost story, so I'm enjoying some of the more eerie picks.

Okay, I'll check back later to see if there are any suggestions :) Thanks!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Writing Tips

2010-10-14T07:32:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd take a minute and jot down a few of my writing tips:

1) When you're just beginning, choose writing contests where professionals are judges and give feedback. Nothing will help you learn to self-edit faster than a qualified stranger's red pen.

2) Little phrases can add voice--or padding. Make sure you know which one you're doing--and how often. Does the phrase fit the protagonist? (i.e. "fiddle-dee-dee" or "to be honest..." or "as a matter of fact...")

3) Names do matter. When looking for a new name for another character, look for those that begin with a fresh letter and reflect the traits of said character. If you have two characters named Luke and Laura, you'll want to find a letter other than "L" to begin the next character's name. A "Dexter" might be a lab geek moonlighting as a serial killer, or a "Wilma" might be a stay-at-home wife and mother. Remember, people treat others differently according to their names. Imagine the difference between Donald Trump and Gomer Trump.

Hope that's helpful to some of y'all :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

The Writing (and editing) Life Songlist

2010-10-13T12:56:00.004-05:00

What is it they say? When you love what you do, you can't call it work--or something to that effect. Not only do I get to spend my early morning hours writing my own work, but I get to spend the remaining bits of my day editing and marketing. Pretty cool way to earn my living, I think ;)

I'm putting together a special playlist for Detour 2 Death, the 3rd book in the Extreme Hauntings series. I'd love any suggestions for a tune you think might work well with my story. I tend to like big, thumping music--like Disturbed "Down with the Sickness" and Marilyn Mansons' remake of "Sweet Dreams." This particular ghost story takes place in a hospital that isn't necessarily haunted--as much as it is a gateway. Sort of like the movie Silent Hill, but with a totally different mythology. So what do you think? Got any recommendations?

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Busy Bee Buzzzzzzzzz

2010-10-12T15:35:00.002-05:00

I've been editing like a mad woman to catch up on the two weeks I was so sick. It's amazing how when you're finally feeling great again, you realize how very ill you actually were. I kept thinking that being bed ridden would be a great time to get some work done--after all, I was too sick to run errands (beyond basic needs) and obviously wouldn't be up for mowing the lawn or any other mundane task I'm usually expected to complete. Yet, my eyes would literally cross every time I stared at the screen--if I wasn't battling a migraine. So--in other words, it feels AWESOME to be able to work again.

I'm excited by some of the projects I'm seeing cross my desk. I'm working on clearing up some of the longer waiting queries this week--so if you've been waiting a while, you may be hearing from Quake very soon :)

See y'all in the funny pages! :)

Warmly,
Jenny

So Sick of Being Sick

2010-10-11T12:38:00.002-05:00

A great big evil Fever named Painful laid me low for over a week. Even an in-hospital visit and IV fluids didn't make me any better. Now that they've tracked the sucker down to an infection in my kidneys and given me some good ol' antibiotic pepper spray for this crooked time-stealing theif, I'm back at work again. Thank goodness!! I never knew sitting upright could feel so great! :)

So I'm back to work and looking through the batch of submissions that came in for Quake while I was laid low. Some good stuff in there. Keep them coming folks! Quake is interested in e-publishing great YA books in all age-appropriate genres. Send in your book, or tell a friend! Submissions

Warmly,
Jenny:)

WRWA Con and Opportunities

2010-09-28T07:42:00.002-05:00

This weekend I was in Madison for WRWA's fall conference. I had a great time hanging out with friends I hadn't seen in a while and making new friends as well. I woke up sick on Saturday and have been fighting neck spasms from an old whiplash accident, but after a good night's sleep, Sunday was far better for me physically. I truly enjoyed listening to all the speakers. What a great time this was!!

Now that I'm the acquiring editor for Quake (http://quakeme.com/submissions/), I'm going to offer to do pitch sessions at the Spring conference in Fon du Lac, WI May 6-7. If you're interested in joining WRWA, or just checking them out, you can see their website here: http://www.wrwa.net/index.htm

There's a great new ezine, Ink Plots at this site: http://www.wrwa.net/inkplots/index.htm and a new literary magazine called Creative Wisconsin will have its first issue released this winter. These are great venues for up and coming authors to see their work in print.

Okay, thanks for reading, I'll be back soon!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Exciting News

2010-09-21T12:03:00.002-05:00

I am now the acquisitions editor for Quake, the young adult imprint of Echelon Press. Please see submission guidelines for more details. I'm thrilled to be officially joining the team of editors who work so hard to bring quality literature to readers everywhere.

If you'd like to meet me, I'll be at the WRWA fall conference in Madison this weekend. Write y'all again soon :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Back in the Saddle

2010-08-17T06:57:00.003-05:00

Working on getting back to normal is like practicing a diet—it's really a matter of just doing the work. I'm committing myself to at least a few hours every morning dedicated to computer-related work. The best part—the most fun part—is keeping my blog updated.

Today, I find myself excited about my Facebook ad campaign. I'm not a genius when it comes to this sort of thing. I've been marketing since before I sold my first novel, but have always found it difficult to promote myself. I love this Facebook option because I don't have to seek permission to spread the word about my Extreme Hauntings series—it just happens.

How well is it working? Well, as I said, I'm no genius when it comes to this stuff, but on day 2 of my campaign—targeted to Kindle and fiction readers in English-speaking countries:

After 2 days, my ad has had 80K impressions.

Original website hit counter: 12,452
2 days later: 12, 523

Original Kindle Rank for DFF: Dead Friends Forever: 331, 696
2 days later: 27,090

But even better, School's Out 4-Ever has enjoyed some effect:
Original Kindle Rank: 340, 565
2 days later: 27, 074

This may all mean nothing as I can't directly link the impressions to the sell-through at Amazon, yet even though I'm not a wiz at this sort of thing, I'm smiling this morning :) and that's pretty cool.

I hope y'all have a bunch of smiles today, too!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Art, Poetry, and Mom

2010-08-15T09:07:00.006-05:00

I've not been blogging for quite a while, I see. Sorry about that. Many of my readers know my mother died on June 24th. Because she passed so soon after my father (on Valentines Day) I've been an emotional wreck. My brother died in '95 and he was my only sibling, so pretty much my whole (childhood) family is gone now. This is a very strange feeling. The silver lining in my grief-cloud though, is I've re-established connections with my mom's siblings (2 aunts and an uncle) and my grandmother. I've always loved them, but now I get to tell them more often.

Today's blog is dedicated to my Mom. Below are two beautiful poems she wrote and above is a photograph of one of her many fabulous pieces of art. (If you click on the title of this blog post, you will go to her online diary.)

In the Instant of Dying
I was born in the instant of dying.
The wind came along and cut me loose.

In free-fall to the ground all the events of life
are a ripple in the wind.
I flutter here and there along my meandering course
in the process of dying.

I flutter here and there with all the fluttering beings
free-falling around me to the ground.
Free-falling to the ground I turn this way and that
and greet the brilliant multitude cluttering the sky.

The sky is God to me.
The ground is God to me.

All else is falling and dying.
In the instant of dying, I was born.
Within that instant my life is lived between the Gods of
Heaven and Earth.
Beyond that instant, I am no more.

I Lay My Hand Upon The Soil
I lay my hand upon the soil to dig
And each day I lay my hand
upon the soil anew
And each night I seek to lay
my head to rest

But my Lord calls me forth to dig in darkness
And I come forth in my
weariness and sorrow
And lay my hand upon the soil
to dig in darkness

And my Lord goes before me calling
Tears of sorrow wet the earth
Where I dig
And shore the furrow
In its depth

And my Lord calls me more to dig
In weariness I crawl forth at
His command
And all down the row behind
flowers bloom

~Audrey J. Yoeckel

Tired...

2010-05-07T21:50:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

I'm a bit bleary-eyed at the moment and yawning my way through this post. I figured I should check in as it's been a busy week. Where does the time go? There aren't enough hours in the day, that's for sure.

Well, here's my status:

1) Editing: One book nearly finished, another halfway heavily edited and returned to the author for an edit, another book about to have it's first full major edit now that the authors have returned the book to me.

2) Writing: Detour 2 Death now has a fully functional and fleshed out synopsis to work with and is looking truly exciting.

3) Journal: Got to see the first one arrive in my mailbox--very cool! I'm now I'm collecting content for the summer edition and will have to begin drumming up advertisements. Anyone interested in running an ad for their books?? :) :) :)

4) Querying Redemption: Sent out another batch and got one rejection so far from that bunch. Still have three partials out and a full being read. I would very much love for Tor to take this book on and the agent reading the full has a really good history with them. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Okay, I'm off to beddy-bye land now. Gotta rest my peepers. Did I say it snowed today? I had to tarp the garden so the veggies won't freeze. Crazy Wisconsin weather!

Night all :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Totally NOT the "it" Girl!

2010-04-23T10:48:00.002-05:00

As y'all know, I edit on the side between royalty checks. One of my pet peeves is the word "it"—IT drives me crazy! I'll show you what I mean:

Unlike the well-plotted veggie patch, however, this flower garden had no real pathways leading through it, and she was forced to step on many new blooms.

Get rid of the "it" and watch what happens:

Unlike the well-plotted veggie patch, however, no real pathways led through the flower garden and she was forced to step on many new blooms.

Now, get rid of the "padding" words and see what you get:

Unlike the well-plotted veggie patch, no real pathways led through the flower garden and she stepped on many new blooms.

If you love your editor, or want to make an editor very happy, cut the "it" as often as possible. Just restructuring to get the unnecessary "it" weeded out can really tighten your writing in a flash.

Okay, editing rant over—back to work!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Wuz up Doc?

2010-04-21T09:38:00.003-05:00

I'm working on writing more in my blog, even if it just musings about every day life. Today, I'm writing a little about doctor visits and how strange they are.

I needed prescription filled, but the doc wanted me to make an appt. for a follow-up exam before she agreed to refill. So okay, no biggie. I go in, though I feel fine, and discover my blood pressure is high (157 over 84) not real bad, but yeah, I'll keep an eye on it. The doctor, however, never says one word about this, so I figure it's really nothing.

The next day, my ankles start to swell, for no reason. This happened when I was pregnant so I know what to do: put my feet up and cover in ice. It works some, but I'm a busy gal so I'm on my feet more than I would have liked and just chalk it up to not being able to sit long enough.

The next morning, I finally have an appt. with a psychiatrist my doc referred me to (for dealing with some grief issues since my dad died Feb. 14th.) I'm eager to get some help so I can get my normal life back. Only when I wake up early and get out of bed, I almost fall flat on my face because I'm so dizzy.

I make it out of my room by holding on to furniture and walls, a bit freaked out because I've never felt like that before. But, the more I move around, the less dizzy I am--except my feet are still swollen. Over the course of the day, I'm on and off dizzy and my ankles get really big.

So I go see the shrink, hoping to get some anti-depressants or something--only to find out I'm not meeting with a psychiatrist who can prescribe medicine, just a counselor. I've got plenty of people to talk to all ready, so I'm a bit peeved to A)be referred to a psychiatrist and not get an appt. with one and B) having to travel to a whole 'nother town a half hour away just to find this out.

By the time I get back in town, I'm a bit woozy and my neighbor suggests I call and make an appt. about my ankles and the dizziness. She's right, but I'm really not interested in seeing another doctor. I do the responsible thing though and call in. They can't get me in for two weeks, but they say I can't wait that long and need urgent care. *Sigh*

I show up in urgent care and they tell me the receptionists are notorious for doing this. I'm totally over the whole thing and want to turn around and go home, but I figure I'll at least check my blood pressure. It's 150/100. Okay, not so good.

After 4 hours, it turns out I may or may not have high blood pressure (they want a 3rd check) my dizziness is due to dehygdration, which also caused my swollen ankles. (I'm retaining fluid because I'm not drinking enough to move it out of my body--they say.) In other words--drink a lot of water and come back in a week.

After that, I rush home to nuke dinner (no time for cooking) and get Matthew to Boy Scouts--which turns out was canceled and I didn't get the message because I was in too much of a hurry to listen to my voice mail. The kids need to hit the library and return books and I hit the video store to return tapes. When I pick them up, we head home, do homework, and I spend a lot of time on the phone telling everyone I'm fine.

Finally, I get a minute to chug a bottle of water. It's bed time. Now I've got a doc's appt. for next week, and another "therapy" appt. in two--with a writing conference in between. In the meantime, I'm editing four books, writing one, querying another, dealing with my mortgage company over the four months my hubby was out of work, and putting in the garden so we'll have fresh (free!) veggies all summer long.

Then there's spring cleaning, the field trip I'm chaperoning, and prepping for our annual rummage sale...

Okay, gotta get busy! See y'all soon.

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Update

2010-04-18T09:24:00.002-05:00

Hey y'all ;) Sorry I've been gone for so long. It's been a sad winter for my family. My father died on Valentines Day this year. Between visiting with him once a month (he lived far from me) and returning to help with the clearing of his belongings, I've been out of town quite a bit. I'll miss him very much.

I think there's something to be learned from every experience, and when we understand more about the way the world works, it influences everything we do from there on out. I find myself in a strange situation because the setting in my next novel, Detour 2 Death, the third book in the Extreme Hauntings series, is in a haunted hospital. While my father died at home, working with the themes of illness, death, and grief are all the more poignant.

Stephen King writes about being hit by a van and what it's like to be severely injured. His use of this real-world event in Kingdom Hospital is especially interesting to me as I work on Kaylee's next journey—this time directly into the "spirit" realm. I'm not sure I'd feel as free and as motivated as I do if it weren't for the creativity (a talking anteater?) King shared in his illustration of a haunted hospital or as connected if I hadn't recently witnessed the passing of a loved one.

So, as I'm working on this book and editing others (some fun ones coming out soon!) I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I'll be posting more to my blog now that things are returning to normal.

Wishing everyone the best.

Warmly,
Jenny

Visit Me at These Events:

WRWA Spring Conference in Manitowoc, WI April 30-May 1
Printers Row in Chicago, IL June 12-13
WRWA Fall Conference in Madison, WI September 24-26

Steve Karmazenuk and Me! :)

2010-01-13T08:33:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone ;)

Today I'm guest blogging over at Steve's place. He's a talented writer in his own right and has a host of interesting information, especially about music and writing over there. I found much of it fascinating and I think you will too! :)

Steve is the author of three novels: STEVE KARMAZENUK’S OMNIVERSE The Unearthing; Through Darkness and Stars; And Oh Well, Whatever, Nevermind (Coming 2010) He is also a journalist with CONFRONT Magazine Online, and works in the Canadian film industry.

Leave a comment if you get a chance. We'd both love to hear from you :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Wanna Chat?

2010-01-11T11:41:00.003-06:00

Hey everyone :)

I'm over at Library Thing doing as a featured author. Drop on by and say hello, ask a question, or get the scoop on Detour 2 Death--the 3rd book in the Extreme Hauntings Series. I'll be sharing little bits about Kaylee's "adventures" in this ghost-filled series so far. Not for the faint of heart!

"See" you there! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

I'm Baaaackkkk! :)

2010-01-02T10:12:00.002-06:00

I'm back from the holidays and ready to Rock and Roll! :)

I've been out of town visiting with my father. Lots of things happening in my private life have kept me away from work and the computer, but I'm happy to be coming back well rested and ready to dig in.

I miss all my old friends and have been thinking of everyone lately. It'll be nice to get back in touch with y'all, and maybe make more friends in the coming year. I'm in the process of writing the the 3rd book in the Extreme Hauntings sereis, Detour 2 Death. I'm excited about this story and have been taking notes on what will happen in this novel over the course of the previous two. I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as they have the first two.

Drop me a note and let me know if you had a great holiday too! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Romance Ahead?

2009-12-22T11:07:00.002-06:00

I finally answer the BIG question in the Extreme Hauntings series--will Kaylee and Davey hook up?

Find out here, at Talechasing, where I'm guest blogging today:

http://www.talechasing.com/2009/12/22/guest-post-jr-turner/

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Guest Blogging Today

2009-12-21T11:51:00.002-06:00

Head on over to here to see what book made me bawl like a baby :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

What do I Violently Love?

2009-12-19T10:25:00.002-06:00

...nope, it's not chocolate! :) :) :) Though that's a good guess!

Find out here, where I'm guest blogging today:

http://cesartorres.net/blog/

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Urban Fantasy: Where's Horror Going?

2009-12-18T14:03:00.002-06:00

(This book looks great, check it out at Jeri-Smith Ready's website!)

Fantasy, to me, has always been the Dragon Riders series, Conan the Barbarian, of course Lord of the Rings, or maybe A Wrinkle in Time, or The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, etc.

But Urban Fantasy is normally set in a city-style world (post apocolyptic, future, alternate earth time, etc.) and often features shape shifters, werewolves, vampires, angels, demons, etc--the tried and true elements of the horror genre.

I started thinking about this when I went hunting for urban fantasy at my local book store and saw the horror genre had one small little shelf, and all the vampire/monster books, etc. were placed in the fantasy section. If the horror author was well known (Koontz, King, etc.) they were simply shelved under 'fiction.' Douglas Clegg and Brian Keene were on the horror shelf, and I think Clive Barker, if I'm remembering correctly, but gosh, the whole genre is practically gone from my bookstore.

So is Fantasy absorbing everything? Is horror becoming more of an 'element' than its own specific genre? What's going on?

What do you think?

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Trailer Blazes with ROTOR!

2009-12-16T14:39:00.002-06:00

Hey everyone!

If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, you don't want to miss this. Seriously, I love this song. "Beat the Clock" by Kelly Marlow from ROTOR is as awesome as he is! I was truly stoked when he agreed to let me use this song for the new Extreme Hauntings trailer.

School's Out 4-Ever is now available, for all of you who have been anxiously waiting to see what happened to Kaylee after her sentencing for arson and grave robbing. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think!

Beat the Clock and ROTOR Rock!!

2009-12-15T09:47:00.003-06:00

Hi Everyone! I'm totally stoked!!!! Kelly Marlow of ROTOR, has granted me permission to use his song Beat the Clock for my new book trailer! YAY!!!!

School's Out 4-Ever is the second in my Extreme Hauntings horror series. My heroine is sent to an all-girls reformatory to serve her sentence for arson and grave robbing. Except of course, the girls start dying and it's gonna be a race to serve out her "time" before she dies next So "Beat the Clock" is an AWESOME song for this trailer. You can listen to it here:

www.myspace.com/rotor2008

(It's the third song on the playlist.)

I'm excited to get this puppy put together!

Warmly,
Jenny

School's Out 4-Ever

2009-10-14T08:56:00.002-05:00

This just in!! A new cover! Woo Hoo!! School's Out 4-Ever looks awesome ;)

Here's a little excerpt that comes early in the book. (I don't want to give too much away! ;) )

Kaylee's first breakfast at Barclay Hall:

Kaylee stared at the white tablecloth, wishing everyone would go back to ignoring her. The chatter began again as three cooks pushed carts of food between the long trestle tables, passing out stackable covered plates. The durable plastic appeared totally out of place beside the glass goblets and fine silver.

A freckled-faced girl, straight brown hair pinned to one side with a sparkly butterfly barrette, sat across from her. She fussed with her napkin, opening it, spreading it, then adjusting her food and moving her cup to the North Pole of her plate.

Beside her, a dark haired girl with piercing blue eyes chuckled. "Good idea, Nancy. Don’t spill on the tablecloth again. I would hate to see you earn another demerit."
Nothing friendly in that teasing tone, nothing at all. Blue-eyes leaned back to give the white-garbed cook room to serve her, then lifted the lid straight up and handed it back. Kaylee hurried to imitate her and nearly upset her glass of orange juice.

Several girls gasped. Whatever happened if they spilled something or dropped food on the tablecloth was something Kaylee decided she didn’t want to discover.

"Be more careful," the dark-haired girl said low, her smile bright. "And don’t stop smiling. Keep smiling, and you can say whatever you like, if you’re not in earshot of the dementia sisters. I’m Destiny, by the way. I’m in for joy riding, which is totally lame because the guy said I could take his car. He totally backed out when he found out I was underage. What about you? What are you in for?"

The way she grinned the whole time she talked was so weird. More weird was doing it herself. "I guess… just vandalism and stuff."

"Really?" Destiny shrugged. "You must have had a tough judge."

Not a judge, Kaylee thought, father. Dad had chosen this place for her and she was beginning to think juvie and jumpsuits might have been a better idea. The more she looked around at the girls, the more fear and misery she saw behind all their smiles. Desperation, like a grinning skull, lurked beneath their smiles and perfectly styled hair.

Snippets of thoughts came to her. A girl counted down the weeks until graduation and hoped she won’t be stuck in summer school. Another girl wanted her mother to help get her out. Another wanted to live with a cousin. One younger girl prayed for deliverance from the dark in a high-pitched panicky way. Nearly all thought of running away.

What have I gotten myself into?

When her gaze fell on the girl who’d applauded so sarcastically, she almost dropped her forkful of pancake. From beneath a mop of pitch-black hair, she stared as if she knew Kaylee listened to the thoughts around her.

Concentration broken, the voices rushed in on her, growing into a roar of clamoring minds all wanting her help. She wanted to run screaming from the room. Her hand shook as she reached for the small glass of water beside her plate. Careful not to slosh, she focused on swallowing, on the sensation of liquid going down her gullet and into her twisted stomach. She set the empty glass down and, eyes closed, mentally shut imaginary access panels to every voice, like a video game puzzle one had to solve to beat the level. With every silenced voice, her fear receded. Everything would be okay…

"Ladies do not sleep at the breakfast table." Miss Deanna jabbed the handle of a flashlight between Kaylee's shoulder blades. "Sit up straight and open your eyes."

She did as she was told and lifted her fork, but the flashlight came back with such force, she knew a bruise would form there. What the heck did she want?

"What do you say when someone helps you?" Miss Deanna asked.

"Thank you," Kaylee said.

"Thank you to whom?"

"Thank you, Miss Deanna."

The woman tugged on her blazer sleeves and smiled. "You’re very welcome."
She moved on and Kaylee exhaled.

"Told you to just keep smiling. What are you, sick or something?" Destiny asked. "You know your dormie, Allison, she got sick before you got here. She said something in her room made her sick. What’s going on in your room?"

Smiling while trying to talk was so annoying, but she didn't want Miss Demon-anna poking her with the flashlight again. "I’m fine. Just… nervous I guess."

"It was Tracy, wasn’t it? I swear the looks that girl gives would make anyone want to throw up. They say she’s a lesbian and into witchcraft. I think she’s just pathetic." Her smile broadened as she glanced at the sarcastic girl. "Don’t let her get to you, even if she stares all weird at you. She’s harmless. Just a loser with no friends."

Tracy watched her intently, smiling in a way that made her skin crawl.
She ate a pancake to hide a scowl. All around her others maintained forced smiles. This was so sick, so twisted. What the heck kind of school was this?

WooHoo Review! :)

2009-09-11T09:19:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone :)

DFF has a new reveiw!! YAY!! :)

Thanks so much to April for responding to a contest announcement and purchasing DFF! But then--MUCHO THANK YOU for reading and reveiwing--and then THANK YOU BUNCHES for the ROCKIN' REVIEW! :)

Here's part of what she wrote, but please--give April a visit to read the rest:

Cafe of Dreams Blogcritic

"Do you love a great ghost story? Do you love a book that will not let you out of its clutches once you have opened its cover? How about a story that is so engrossing that time passes like the blink of an eye? If you answered "yes" to any or all of these questions, I suggest you run — quickly — to pick up a copy of DFF: Dead Friends Forever by J.R. Turner. In all honesty, this is one of the best ghost/paranormal stories I have read in a very long time. Yes, it is geared toward young adults, but at the age of 35 I loved it. DFF contains suspense, horror, realistic and believable ghost and paranormal occurrences (yes, I am a believer in such things), as well as friendship, determination and loyalty."

"Any one who loves a great ghost story, I highly recommend DFF: Dead Friends Forever - whether you are a young adult, adult, male or female, this book will appeal and burn itself within your memory. A new favorite book for 2009 for me!"

Thank you sooo much April!! :)

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Dude-Where's My Blog? :)

2009-09-08T14:14:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone ;)

I've been super busy, but plan on getting back on track now that the kids are in school.

I'm working on a bunch of projects:

1)Editing Requiem for Heather Ingemar for Echelon Press (GREAT short story--can't wait for it to be released!)

2)Writing a new novel and working through Authonomy--see it here: Redemption

3)Praying for my editors son, who was injured (depressed skull) in a sporting event in Canada. This means School's Out 4Ever may be delayed--but no worries--his health is far more important than any release date and those who are waiting, it won't be long now!

4)Finalizing the synopsis for Detour 2 Death and gathering all the notes taken while writing the first two in the Extreme Haunting's series.

5)Creating a guide for book clubs for DFF: Dead Friend's Forever and one for School's Out 4Ever.

So that's where I'm at, amongt a host of other projects, but I wanted to drop by and let everyone know I'm still alive!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Show Me Your Blurbs

2009-08-30T09:04:00.002-05:00

Hey all, I thought it would be fun today to do one of two things:

A)Post the back cover blurb for the book you're reading
B)Post the back cover blurb for the book you're writing

Now, not everyone is a writer here, so this would be a great place to share the sort of books you DO love to read, and why. Those of us who are writers and haven't written a back cover blurb, reading those posted by others will help you craft your own—and when you share, we'll all get a gander at what you've got going on.

For Writers:

If you're just now writing your own back cover blurb (or summary paragraph for a query letter) there's a quick easy trick to help you get the ball rolling:

The 3 C's

Character, Conflict and Conclusion

A grieving Cinderella does her best to embrace her step-mother and sisters, but when she catches the eye of the prince and falls in love, she comes to understand the only family she'll ever have is with him.

Okay, not so hot—but it's great at boiling a story down to it's basic elements and themes, which really helps when working on that blurb.

So okay, let's see your Blurbs! ;)

I'll post one from the book I'm reading:

Others by James Herbert:

"Nicholas Dismas is a Private Investigator, but like no other that has gone before him. He carries a secret about himself to which not even he has the answer... He is hired to find a missing baby. One that was taken away at birth... Or was it? His investigation takes him to a mysteriously located place called Perfect Rest. It is supposed to be a nursing home for the elderly... But is it? Here Dismas will discover the dark secret of the Others. And in an astonishing and spectacular finale he will resolve the enigma of his own existence."

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Writing Workshop: Perfecting Your Pace part 3

2009-08-29T08:41:00.002-05:00

I hope you enjoyed the exercise. We'll move on to discuss how to apply these concepts to your work in progress and delve a bit into the peaks of a story.

Perfecting Your Pace 3:

The purpose of using the emotional theme of anticipation in the exercise was deliberate. It is a perfect example of a typical valley. Had I suggested the theme of anger or love, this moment could take place at anytime. Through anticipation, we can study the basic aspects of infusing activity and pertinent thoughts into what might be a scene that slowed the pace instead of sweeping toward the next peak.

The key factor in any valley is creating a sense of danger, threat, or obstacle to the protagonist's ultimate goal. Should the valley simply be 'down time', it will encourage the reader to 'put down' the book. Pace is all about keeping the reader turning the page. Asking an imaginary reader what she would like to see next can be enormously helpful in deciding what should come between the peaks.

I've not spoken much about peaks, as I feel we instinctively write those much easier than the valleys. Also, without the strong depth of the valley, the peaks don't seem quite as high. Once these are in place, you'll begin to feel the impact of the peaks more.

I mentioned before that a peak is more about the external conflict or plot, and less about the inner journey. This doesn't mean that there is no impact on the inner journey. When analyzing peaks of famous works, however, the inner journey is less important as compared to the external plot in almost every case (aside from the final, climatic moment.)

For instance:

Scarlet O'Hara delivers a baby while Atlanta burns. Her inner journey is shown very well without hardly any mention throughout. It isn't until they escape from Atlanta that the inner journey takes center stage. It is during the valley of the escape, where she meets Rhett Butler, that we see her emotional and internal response to the peak. Does this mean delivering the baby was not emotionally intense? Not at all. It merely means that in the heat of the peak, there is no room for Scarlet to stop and evaluate her thoughts and feelings.

Romeo and Juliet is an interesting example because the external and internal plot are both romance, however, if you look at the external subplot of the feuding families, you'll notice that each of the scenes related to this battle-while intensely emotional in the moment-have a much stronger impact on the emotional journeys of both characters during the valleys. The eventual demise of Tibalt is a crucial moment-yet it does not impact the romance until the deed is completed. In other words, Romeo does not stop to contemplate Juliet's feelings during sword play, he is in fact, wreaking vengeance for Mercutio's death.

When reaching the final, climatic moment, we see the internal and external journeys converging in an explosive, emotionally charged way. The moment when Cinderella places both slippers on her feet and the Prince becomes hers is a deeply emotional triumph over the wicked stepmother and stepsisters. The moment when Buttercup and Westley defeat Prince Humperdinck by challenging him "to the pain." And a cinematic reference, from "A Knight's Tale", when Will defeats Count Adhemar as his father (brought by Jocelyn) hears the crowd call his boy, "Sir William."

All the above are highly emotional peaks where there is little need to explain the full impact of the events on the inner journey, but which resonate deeply within the audience just the same. Because, as has been discussed, the valleys have all conveyed the nuances of humanity the characters have struggled to overcome or embrace.

Now, using the sensations and the knowledge you gained from doing this exercise, return to your work in progress and check the valleys for emotion and action. Strengthen anything you feel needs to be layered with the reaction or lesson of the preceding peak on the internal journey and when you're all done, evaluate the impact it has on the next peak. The task as a novelist is not easy-your job is to make the reader fear the characters will never reach that moment through the suspense created by the pacing tricks we've discussed.

I hope you've enjoyed the workshop and our time together. I open this up for further discussion and will answer any questions you may have!

Have a wonderful day!!
Warmly,
Jenny:)

Writing Workshop: Perfecting Your Pace Part2/Exercise

2009-08-28T07:11:00.002-05:00

Perfecting Your Pace 2: Exercise

Most of our discussion so far has been about the peak and the descent. Today we'll discuss how to create a page-turning valley. As a mentor for aspiring authors, I've found the single hardest aspect of the craft is making those down times not just relevant, but also exciting. A simple trick any author can use is to assign the valley an emotional theme. Whichever character the scene is written in, hero, heroine, or villain, the emotion you choose should be strong and relevant to that character's journey.

Possible combinations:

For early in the work:
Hero: His inner journey may be to learn patience: show him impatient. Emotion:
Irritation
Heroine: Her inner journey may be to better handle stress: show her stressed.
Emotion: Anxiety
Villain: His inner journey may be to embrace his darker side: show him resisting. Emotion: Regret

For later in the work:
Same Hero: Show his patience sorely tested. Emotion: Fortitude
Same Heroine: Show her stress levels rising to the breaking point. Emotion:
Appropriate anger
Same Villain: Show him relenting to his darker side: Malice

Once you've decided (and this may be instinctual) which strong emotion needs to be most prevalent in the scene, begin crafting or rewriting to bring that emotion to the fore. Readers are most interested how the processing of information affects the character at any given moment. As in yesterday's
example, a reader will be eager to discover how the heroine responds to winning the divorce, as much as they wanted to know if she won in court or not.

EXERCISE:

Using the assigned emotional theme and as many of the following items as you can, create an active Valley scene where your character is constantly moving, thinking or speaking if you choose to use more than one character. You can write anything you want, as long as the protagonist is involved (physically) with all the items in the list and it follows the given theme.

Emotional Theme: Anticipation

Camera
Shoes
Plant
Pen

Should you make a discovery during the process or have any questions, please feel free to share! Tomorrow we'll discuss the ascent and how to apply these concepts to your work in progress.

Enjoy your day!

Warmly,
Jenny:)

Workshop: Perfecting Your Pace: Part 1

2009-08-27T15:09:00.002-05:00

I've decided to pull up an old workshop I wrote about four years ago. I hope you find this helpful!

Perfecting Your Pace Part 1

by J.R Turner

Pacing isn't just about slowing down in certain spots and speeding up in others. It's not just about the length of sentences and paragraphs. Pacing isn't just about giving the reader a chance to breathe or getting them to turn the pages faster. The idea behind great pacing is to keep the reader turning ALL the pages ALL the way through the book.

We've all heard talk about peaks and valleys. Peaks: the climatic moments, turning points, black/darkest moment, and grand finale. Valleys: the descent from a climax, a breather, and the ascent toward the next peak. This is a legitimate way to explain pacing, but it's a visual model that doesn't show the importance of each aspect.

A deeply moving scene is not always a valley, but every valley should be deeply moving for the reader. A valley isn't the characters sitting down to eat because you suddenly realized they must be starving. A valley isn't the characters brushing their teeth because you realized they have to kiss someone. And a
valley isn't a scene where the protagonist is shopping for food, clothing, or an essential item because you realized they needed this item. These are segues, or transitions.

A valley is a dinner where the characters explore their own depths to learn the truth about themselves and about what the plot has made them see. A valley is a character brushing their teeth AND thinking about the person they want to kiss and how that person has changed them. A valley is a scene where the shopping is used as a tool for the character to avoid, confront, or debate the current obstacles in their path.

In other words, it has real meaning and moves the plot forward.

Peaks, of course, are all the scenes, both physical and emotional, where your character is forced to confront an obstacle. Whether the physical is overt or not, these moments generally show much more activity. Emotionally, the characters feel extremes-it is not always a deep feeling-but an 'in the moment'
feeling. Many times, after a peak, there is need for a valley scene where the feelings can be analyzed and used to decide the next course of action

There is only one time that the peak of a story must carry emotional depth, and that is at the climax. Until then, the peaks have intense, emotional impact at the moment, but the depth isn't realized until the valley. At the climatic peak, both occur in the same moment.

How to implement these peaks and valleys is another matter all together. This is where the peaks and valley's visual is really elegant. The rise of suspense toward the confrontation, the fall out after the confrontation, are easily seen in this visual. The only difference between fiction and true life is the characters should never, ever be allowed to rest.

As you build suspense (both physical and emotional) you must keep the pressure on. If you find you're writing something and you're bored with it, then the reader will be too. If you find that you're writing in a description or dialogue that doesn't confront the obstacle, then it might be better paraphrased or
deleted entirely.

This is where transitions come in handy. Transitions are those moments when the character finally reaches the top of the peak (having overcome the obstacle) and stands there for a moment, breathing in the fresh air and preparing to descend. Or conversely, where they've come to the point of taking action and begin to climb.

The descent is trickier to handle than the climb, simply because it's not so important how the character comes down, as how they'll handle going back up again for the next obstacle. A descent can trick an author into slower prose, into getting to that valley too quickly, or skipping the descent entirely. While
this may not be a bad thing at times, it is most often when the hook for the next peak gets overlooked-and when we inadvertently offer the reader a chance to close the book and return to their regular lives.

The trick with descents is to decide how fast or slow they need to be.

Example:

1) Pam won in court and will get the house, the car, and alimony from her ex-husband. (This is her peak)

2) She watches the courtroom empty and considers how she feels (This is the transition)

3) On the way home, she pulls the car over, hyperventilating. She can't believe she's free.

4) When she gets home, she discovers he's already called to threaten her.

5) She accepts the next phone call and reminds him of the restraining order.(This is the end of the transition and takes us into the valley.)

6) She decides to take measures to protect herself (This is the valley-preparing for the next obstacle.)

Through those six passages, you can see how logic and plot play a major role in deciding how fast or slow the descent should be. Sentences #3, #4 and #5 are how fast the descent works for this plot. Notice there are tangible, plot related events on the way down. Sentence #6, shows what happens in the valley as a direct result of the peak. Each plot will have it's own pace.

The single most important aspect of pacing, however, is writing for the reader. Instincts alone can't dictate to us what our readers will want to see next, though it is very important. It's equally important that we read the books our target audience reads now. This greatly improves are ability to understand what our instincts are actually saying to us.

Eating, sleeping, dressing, traveling (for the most part) are not elements that keep the reader wanting to see what happens next. They don't flip eagerly through to see what the character will wear to clean her house or go jogging. They're not real interested if she decides to have pancakes or cereal for breakfast. These are story adjectives, and like in sentence structure, if you use too many adjectives and not enough verbs or nouns, the sentence becomes shallow, flowery, and only a good example of purple prose.

Review your work for any descents that don't directly relate to the plot of the novel. Ask your characters what events, directly reflective of their personalities, they take next. If you find there is need for a change, it may not be necessary to scrap what actually occurs, but to add to it-to make it relevant and layer in hooks for the following valley and peak.

In the next part, we'll discuss how to hook the descent, valley, and ascent for the peaks of your story, as well as an exercise to offer some hands on experience in perfecting your pace. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. Enjoy your day!

Warmly,
Jenny:)