Jessica Brody

0 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER Trailer Cast Reveal & Giveaway!

05/07/12

So I know you’ve all been on the edge of your seats to see who’s going to be in the book trailer for 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER (or maybe that’s just me). But regardless the wait is OVER!

The trailer is now cast and filming THIS week! And we’re releasing the cast photos on Facebook over the next few days.

AND just to make it more interesting, we’ve decided to make a little contest out of it. We’ll be giving away THREE signed ARC (advanced reader copies) of the book to three lucky winners! All you have to do to enter is comment on the cast photos (they’ll be three photos posted in the next three days, so you’ll have THREE chances to win!

That’s a lot of threes, I just realized. THREE signed ARCs, THREE cast photos to be revealed, THREE chances to win!

Well, anyway, without further ado, the first cast member is up on my Facebook page now (and it’s a deliciously hot boy!) Go to www.Facebook.com/JessicaBrodyFans and enter to win (or just drool…that’s what I’ve been doing!)

And be sure to check back on Tuesday and Wednesday for more cast photos and on Thursday when we release the winners! Oh and don’t forget to LIKE the page, so you can see if you won!

Happy Monday to you all!

Jessica

0 Guest Star: Jessi Kirby

05/06/12

It’s time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week is Jessi Kirby, author of the brand new release, In Honor!

About IN HONOR

Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn’s celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.

Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn’s last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn–but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

Find Jessi Online:

www.JessiKirby.com

FACEBOOK

TWITTER @JessiKirby

Early Reviews of IN HONOR:

“A beautiful, engaging journey with heart, humor, and just a pinch of Texas sass. Hands down my favorite contemporary of the year.”
–Sarah Ockler, bestselling author of Twenty Boy Summer, Fixing Delilah, and Bittersweet

“An amazing novel about first kisses, last goodbyes, and what it means to finally let go. I absolutely loved it.”
–Lauren Barnholdt, author of Two Way Street

Check out our Q&A with the Author:

What kind of research did you have to do to bring IN HONOR to life on the page?

In this book, I was writing about many places I hadn’t been before, so naturally I had to take a “research trip.” For me that meant taking my mom and my sister with me to Sedona, AZ. I was convinced I couldn’t write about something so gorgeous without actually seeing it, and I was so glad I did. It’s a gorgeous, magical place!

If you could have dinner with one of your characters who would it be?

Rusty, without a doubt, because I picture him a lot like Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights, who was one of the inspirations for his character. J

Be honest, how many drafts did you have to write for this book? Any horrific scenes that were cut from the original that you want to share?

It took 4 drafts for this one, and I don’t think I cut anything! My early drafts are always just the bare bones of the story, and very spare and quick, so my revisions tend to consist of going back in and adding and slowing things down.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite part?

My favorite part is revision, which surprised me at first. I absolutely HATED revising in school, but I’ve come to see it as the fun part. My least favorite? Drafting. No matter how hard I try, I haven’t yet figured out a way to do it without constantly editing, which makes for some very slooow writing.

What are you working on next?

I just finished the first draft of my 3^rd novel, GOLDEN, which is the story of a girl who finds the journal of a town legend who went missing 10 years earlier. Before I begin writing another story, I’ll be revising that one so it’s ready for 2013!

About the Author:

Jessi Kirby is the author of Moonglass, published in May 2011 by Simon and Schuster. She is also a wife, mom, English teacher and former librarian, beach bum, runner, and lover of Contemporary YA, strong coffee, and dark chocolate. For more information, please visit her Web site at: www.JessiKirby.com

0 UNREMEMBERED sells in the UK!

02/28/12

Very excited to announce that the UNREMEMBERED trilogy (which releases in the states in early 2013) will also be published in the UK by Macmillan Children’s UK!

Here’s the announcement that ran in Publisher’s Weekly today:

UK Children’s
Jessica Brody’s THE UNREMEMBERED TRILOGY, in which a 16-year old girl awakens amongst the wreckage of a devastating plane crash with no memories, the only clue to her identity is a mysterious boy who claims she was part of a top secret science experiment, to Ruth Alltimes at Macmillan Children’s UK, by Alex Webb at Rights People on behalf of Holly Hunnicutt at Macmillan Children’s. Translation: Marianne Merola at Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents

They’ll be releasing the books simultaneously with the U.S. releases so those of you across the pond won’t have to wait any longer than we do over here. Ah….how next year is so far away!

Have a great week, everyone!

Jessica

1 Jersey Shore School Visits and Book Signing!

02/16/12

Hey all! Next week I’m heading out to the Jersey Shore. I would make a bunch of reality-show-related jokes here but I’m actually very proud to say I’ve never seen a single minute of the show, Jersey Shore, and I’m sure all the locals will be happy to hear that I have no expectations because of it! This will be my first time visiting the Jersey Shore and I am SO excited!

I’ll be doing a series of school visits and one public signing. If you live in the area, I hope I get to meet you!

I’ll be visiting: Neptune Middle School, Neptune High School, Manasquan High School, and Point Pleasant Beach High School. And I’ll be doing some really fun surprise giveaways at each school!

I’ll also be doing a book signing (open to the public!) here:

BookTowne
Manasquan, NJ
Thursday, Feb. 23
3:30 pm to 5:30 pm

I hope you’ll come by and say hi!

Have a great weekend everyone!

XO
Jessica

3 SAVE THE CAT Novel-Writing Workshop in AUSTIN!

01/25/12

We’ve received MANY requests from novel writers in Austin, asking us to bring the Save the Cat! Novel-Writing Workshop to Texas! So…we are!

Ask and you shall receive!

Ahem...Announcing the very first SAVE THE CAT! Novel-Writing Workshop in AUSTIN!

The workshop will take place on the weekend of April 14th and 15th, 2012.

All the details, including price and how to register, can be found by clicking here!

In case you’re new to all this, here’s my “spiel” about the SAVE THE CAT! method and the class:

Basically I owe my entire novel-writing career to Save the Cat! A book series by the genius Blake Snyder about how to outline any story in the world. He calls his trusty “formula,” the “Blake Snyder Beat Sheet”, and it consists of 15 “beats” (or story points) that fit into pretty much any movie ever made. And I’ve adapted them to novels to help me outline all my books. Since starting to use the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet, I’ve sold nine novels. Yep…NINE! I don’t think that’s a coincidence! Now, I never start writing another book until I’ve got my trusted 15 beats in place.

And during this two-day workshop, I’m going to teach you exactly how I do it!

Basically it works like this: you come to the workshop with an idea for your next novel (all genres welcome!), the group spends the next two days working through the 15 beats of each of your ideas, and by the end of the weekend, you have a sturdy (unbeatable!) outline to start writing your book with!

Space is extremely limited. There are only EIGHT spots open for this class. So ACT FAST!

Hope to see you there, Texans!

Happy writing!

1 Guest Star: Lucienne Diver

01/25/12

It’s time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week is Lucienne Diver, author of the latest release in the VAMPED series, FANGTASTIC!

About FANGTASTIC:

What do you wear to face down a cadre of killer kids?

Gina Covello would rather be working on her manicure than missions for the Feds’ paranormal unit to which she’s been recruited. That changes when a group of killer kids takes out a family in the sunshine state and disappearances begin to plague the lifestylers who only play at the kind of existence our fanged fashionista leads. She and her crew are sent undercover into the vampire clubs…which turn out to be run by real vampires. While Gina’s BFF Marcy hangs with the steampunk-styled Burgess Brigade that seems to have spawned the killer kids, Gina herself is supposed to get in good with the fanged fiends behind the scenes, even to the point of playing double-agent, offering to hand over her powerful boyfriend Bobby. Her playacting threatens to become a bit too real when she discovers things about her spy handlers that make her wonder whether she’s truly on the right side of the battle between Feds and fangs.

The VAMPED Music Video:

Praise for the VAMPED series:

“As ever, Gina’s feisty, funny narration carries the day. Gina never fails to please, as she strides down the runway of afterlife with just the right mix of humor, make-up advice, youthful lust that never crosses the line and a kung-fu style all her own. This one doesn’t miss a beat.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Perfect for teens and adults, this is a book to share, savor and revisit. ReVamped is full of smart, spot-on dialogue, engaging, authentic characters and a plot that’s so much fun it’s impossible not get swept up.” —Examiner.com

My Interview with Lucienne:

What kind of research did you have to do to bring Gina to life on the page?

The good thing about writing a heroine who’s an eighteen year old girl is that I was once an eighteen year old girl. (We won’t go into how long ago that was!) That’s pretty much where our similarities end. Gina is a fanged fashionista, who only “survived” her senior prom because of a make-out session with the surprise hottie of the evening…the class chess champed who’d recently been vamped himself. I can’t claim any firsthand knowledge of such things, but I have been to a few proms in my time.

My research mostly involves locations. Fangtastic is set in Florida, where I now live, but I made a fieldtrip to a club very similar to The Tower where the vampire lifestylers meet. I also interviewed a friend of mine who is an integral part of the New England vampire community to find out a lot of what I needed to know about the philosophy, beliefs and terminology. It was really fascinating! (My husband and I met working at a haunted house, so we have many friends in unusual fields to draw on. Some have appeared on shows like Face Off and Oddities.)

If you could have dinner with one of your characters who would it be?

Bobby Delvecchio, the chess champ turned vampire hottie, the one responsible for Gina’s unlife style. In my mind he looks like Zac Efron, so he’d be very easy on the eyes. Plus, he’s a geek-boy and I’m a geek-girl. I think we’d have a lot to talk about.

What’s the first thing you do when starting a new book? What’s the first thing you do when finishing a new book?

First thing: panic. Last thing: celebrate.

Okay, maybe not so much panic. At first, I’m all fired up, excited, writing a mile a minute. Then I remember the story actually has to go somewhere, and I’m not exactly sure where. That’s when the panic sets in.

Which fictional character do you have a secret crush on?

I think we’ve covered that one <g>. Oh, you mean any fictional character? Sorry, I was lost in Bobby’s eyes. Rohan from Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Prince series. I love a hero who’s not so caught up in his pride that he won’t play the fool if necessary to outmaneuver the enemy. I guess by that account, I’m also a big fan of The Scarlet Pimpernel and Sherlock Holmes, who, while pretty full of himself, has played many parts, some ever so humble. I also fell completely head over heels with Peeta from the Hunger Games trilogy.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just turned in the fourth book in the Vamped series, Fangtabulous, to my publisher. That’ll be out in January of next year. Now I’m hard at work on the second book in my Latter-Day Olympians series (adult urban fantasy). Crazy in the Blood is the sequel to Bad Blood, which is out in digital already and will be released in print on May 1^st!

I’m also currently running a spread the love contest, if anyone wants to swing by. It’s easy to enter, and the prize for one lucky winner will be a Kindle and carrying case. Details are here: http://luciennediver.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/contests-kindle-fangtastic/.

About the author:

Lucienne Diver is the author of the popular Vamped series of young adult novels (think Clueless meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer). School Library Journal calls the first book, “a lighthearted, action-packed, vampire romance story following in the vein of Julie Kenner’s “Good Ghouls” (Berkley), Marlene Perez’s “Dead” (Harcourt), and Rachel Caine’s “The Morganville Vampires” (Signet) series.” VOYA has suggested that the books “will attract even reluctant readers.”

Her short stories have been included in the Strip-Mauled and Fangs for the Mammaries anthologies edited by Esther Friesner (Baen Books), and one of her essays appears in the anthology Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen).

Visit her online at: LucienneDiver.com

0 The FIRST released summary of UNREMEMBERED!

01/12/12

So…what does everyone think of my snazzy new website?! Pretty cool, huh? Sparkly gratitude goes to the awesome people at Hanee Designs. They do goooood work!

And now to the reason you clicked on this post!

This just in! The first ever released summary of UNREMEMBERED has been posted.

Click here to read it!

I hope you enjoy! And I hope you enjoy the new site!

Jessica

1 Return of the Save the Cat Novel Workshop!

01/06/12

Attention, writers!!! Back by popular demand (I’ve always wanted to say that!), I’m doing another SAVE THE CAT Novel-Writing Beat Sheet Workshop!

I was thrilled when the kind people over at Blake Snyder Enterprises (publishers of the SAVE THE CAT books and software) asked me to teach another class. And of course, I said yes!

The workshop is two-days in Los Angeles, CA and takes place over the weekend of March 3rd and 4th.

Update! The workshop on March 3rd and 4th is now SOLD OUT! But we have opened up another workshop on March 31/April 1.

All the details, including price and what you will learn can be found here: http://www.blakesnyder.com/services/novel-writing-beat-sheet-workshop/

And if you have absolutely NO idea what I’m talking about and are thinking to yourself, “Save the WHAT?”, then let me fill you in:

I owe my entire novel-writing career to Save the Cat! A book series by the genius Blake Snyder about how to outline any story in the world. He calls his trusty “formula,” the “Blake Snyder Beat Sheet”, and it consists of 15 “beats” (or story points) that fit into pretty much any movie ever made. And I’ve adapted them to novels to help me outline all my books. Since starting to use the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet, I’ve sold nine novels. Yep…NINE! I don’t think that’s a coincidence! Now, I never start writing another book until I’ve got my trusted 15 beats in place.

And during this two-day workshop, I’m going to teach you exactly how I do it!

Basically it works like this: you come to the workshop with an idea for your next novel (all genres welcome!), the group spends the next two days working through the 15 beats of each of your ideas, and by the end of the weekend, you have a sturdy (unbeatable!) outline to start writing your book with!

Space is extremely limited. There are only SIX spots open for this class. So ACT FAST!

Oh, and if you want to read the beat sheet for THE KARMA CLUB that I published on Blake Snyder’s blog, click here!

Hope to see you there! Happy writing, writers!

Jessica

1 Guest Star: Laurie Stolarz

12/24/11

It’s time for another Guest Star! Our guest this week isLaurie Stolarz, author of the brand new release, Deadly Little Voices!

About DEADLY LITTLE VOICES

Camelia Hammond thought her powers of psychometry gave her only the ability to sense the future through touch. But now she’s started to hear voices. Cruel voices. Berating her, telling her how ugly she is, that she has no talent, and that she’d be better off dead. Camelia is terrified for her mental stability, especially since her deranged aunt with a suicidal history, has just moved into the house. As if all of that weren’t torturing enough, Camelia’s ex-boyfriend, Ben, for whom she still harbors feelings and who has similar psychometric abilities, has started seeing someone else. Even her closest friends, Kimmie and Wes, are unsure how to handle her erratic behavior.

With the line between reality and dream consistently blurred, Camelia turns to pottery to get a grip on her emotions. She begins sculpting a figure skater, only to receive frightening premonitions that someone’s in danger. But who is the intended victim? And how can Camelia help that person when she’s on the brink of losing her own sanity?

From DEADLY LITTLE VOICES

“You’re just one big fat joke,” the voice hisses.

I cover my ears, but the insults keep coming.

“Just do it,” a voice whispers. It’s followed by more voices, of different people. They talk over each other and mingle together, producing one clear cut message – that I’m a waste of a life.

I rock back and forth, trying to remain in control. I smother my ears with the sheet. Press my forehead against my knees. Pound my heels into the floor, bracing myself for what comes next.

Meanwhile, there’s a drilling sensation inside my head; it pushes through the bones of my skull, and makes me think that I’m going crazy.

“Please,” I whisper. More tears sting my eyes. I shake my head, wondering if maybe I’m already dead, if maybe the voices are part of hell.

Check out the book trailers

DEADLY LITTLE SECRET: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzMpVMy2fQ
DEADLY LITTLE LIES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Qk0VG2Nz0
DEADLY LITTLE GAMES: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc8N4Q0YDuM

TOUCH SERIES CONTEST

From the author: “In keeping with Touch series tradition, in celebration of the release of DEADLY LITTLE VOICES, I’m launching my annual “winner-gets-to-have-a-minor-character-named-after-him/her” contest! The grand prize winner will get to have a minor character in DEADLY LITTLE LESSONS, the fifth and final book in the TOUCH series named after him or her. Other prizes include autographed book copies and the opportunity to have original work appear on my web site, Facebook, and Twitter pages. OFFICIAL RULES and GUIDELINES for this contest are on my website, under NEWS. ALL ENTRANTS MUST SIGN A RELEASE FORM, DOWNLOADABLE FROM WWW.LAURIESTOLARZ.COM/NEWS.html. Sign up for my e-Newsletter for updates on contest, book, and appearance info:http://www.lauriestolarz.com/newsletter.html

Praise for the TOUCH series

Texas Tayshas List, 2010 (DLS)

Children’s Book Council’s 2010 & 2011 Teen Choice Book of the Year Nominee

Reluctant Reader Quick Pick Nominees, 2010 & 2011, American Library Association

Teens@Random, Favorite Book of 2009 (DLS)

Gold Star Award, TeensReadToo.com, 2009 (DLL)

“…lively first-person narrative…. CW-worthy dialogue, quirky secondary characters, romance and suspense: a winning combination” – Kirkus Reviews

“An engaging, eerie tale about the darker side of relationships – when it becomes a matter of life and death to know who your friends are.” – KLIATT

“The book was full of shocking surprises and revelations, earning the book five stars. This is a must-read for fans of romance, suspense, and mystery because it won’t disappoint.” – Teens Read Too (DLL)

“Laurie Faria Stolarz is a master creator of suspense and romance. Her words cause the heart to pound, the palms to sweat, the spine to shiver, and the stomach to flutter. The trepidation born from the anonymous threats will make the pages fly, and the palpable tension between Camelia and Ben as they attempt to ignore their hearts causes the fire to burn hotter.” – TeenReads.com

Laurie’s Guilty Pleasures

Favorite snack: Popcorn with soy butter and lemon/pepper seasoning.
Touristy Trip: Paris.
Fashion addiction (at the moment): artfully torn jeans, tall boots, pretty scarves, and Michael Stars tees.
Dessert: Dark chocolate in almost any form – the darker the better.
Fast food: French fries at least once every few months (with lots of ketchup).
Beauty Binge: Aveda haircare products, which includes indulging in high-and/or-low-lights every eight weeks. Also, Caudalie skincare, Ineke perfume (Field Notes from Paris), Revitalash mascara, and Buxom Lips from Bare Escentuals.
Late-Night TV: Real Housewives of (wherever), Mad Fashion, Fashion Hunters.
Chick Flick: Never Been Kissed, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Juno, Green Card, Once, The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones Diary, Thelma & Louise, Mean Girls, Moonstruck, Clueless, Under the Tuscan Sun, and anything with John Cusack.
Nightlife: Pilates in front of the TV (a regular occurrence), answering e-mail (also regular), and dinner and/or a movie out with friends (happens far too rarely).
Cheap Thrill: Window-shopping, tabloid magazines, buying a new lip gloss, a tall cup of coffee from Peet’s or Starbucks.
Ultimate Splurge: G2O Day Spa for a massage.

Other Random Info

Favorite Quote: Perseverance is key.
Favorite cuisine: Indian food – onion chutney, curried vegetables, and kashmir bread. I also love cheeseless pizza from Bertucci’s.
Interests: Vegetarian cooking, holistic nutrition, aromatherapy.
Favorite Music: Adele, Fergie, James Blunt, Gavin Rossdale, Tori Amos, Sting, Sarah MacLachlin, Gwen Stefani, Black-eyed Peas.
Hobbies: Walking, napping, cooking, shopping, interior decorating.

How to bring your psychometric senses to fruition

By Camelia Hammond, main character, TOUCH series by Laurie Faria Stolarz

1. Make yourself comfortable in a place that feels “sacred” to you. For some it’s outside, surrounded by nature; for others it’s a favorite chair or surrounded by candles; for me, it’s wherever I’m doing pottery.
2. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breath, letting go of any stray or nervous thoughts.
3. Now, take an object in your hand. A good idea is to have someone give you something they’ve owned for a long time, i.e. a favorite bracelet or a set of keys.
4. Close your eyes again and concentrate on this object. Be aware of any thoughts or feelings that come about as a result of holding this object. Talk those ideas through, even if they seem silly or insignificant, but never make information up.

Remember, this takes practice and a bit of experimenting. The goal is to begin tuning in to your own inner awareness and your ability of perception. What often works for me is asking a question aloud, and then sculpting out the answer, using my power of touch in a creative and organic way.

Good Luck!

About the author:

Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, Project 17, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue is for Nightmares series. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, please visit her Web site at: www.LaurieStolarz.com

1 Revisions and Cruises and Holidays!

12/20/11

Hey all! Sorry for the LONG gap between blog posts. Things have been quite busy over here. I FINALLY finished the second draft of UNREMEMBERED, the first book in my upcoming sci-fi trilogy! I’m really excited about how the revision came out and now my fingers are TIGHTLY crossed that my editor is just as excited!

The hubby and I celebrated the completion of the manuscript by taking a quick last-minute cruise to the Caribbean. It was so amazing and JUST what I needed.

Here are few of my favorite pics from the cruise!