National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

I'm sure you've heard that it's Banned Book Week, and I'm completely behind Speaking Loudly on behalf of books that are tackling difficult subject matter. But it's also National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I think this is another great cause that I wouldn't want to see get pushed to the background.

To honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, author Swati Avasthi has combined a blog tour for her debut novel, Split, with a charity auction. Over 40 authors, agents and editors have donated manuscript critiques, personalized books, and more to an online auction that anyone –reader, writer, booklover -- can bid on and buy. All proceeds go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund. In addition to the auction, Avasthi is donating $1/comment on her 26-stop, month-long blog tour, coordinated by Kari Olson at Teen Book Scene. If we reach the goal and cap of $250, Swati will double the donation to the Family Violence Prevention Fund. The CDC estimates that one in four women will experience intimate partner abuse during her life and UC Davis estimates that a child who grew up witnessing abuse is four times as likely to perpetrate abuse, 25 times more likely to commit rape and 6 times more likely to commit suicide. Family Violence Prevention Fund has some great initiatives, including Coaching Boys Into Men and Start Strong, that are about breaking the intergenerational cycle and preventing abuse. So, follow the tour, get stuff you want, and make a difference.

Button for going to the blog tour schedule (“Follow”):


Button for going to the charity auction site for the event (“Auction”):

Other People Writing About Losing Faith

I have a couple of fun things to share with you today! As I mentioned in earlier posts, my good friend Jerrica Santos wrote a song about my book and played it at my launch party.

It was amazing, and she's working on recording it for me so I can share the whole thing with you. But in the meantime, she sent me the lyrics. Keep in mind, I gave her a short synopsis of my book, she watched the book trailer, but she never actually read the book before writing this. I'm just astounded at how well it goes with my book!

Losing Faith by Jerrica Santos 

(copyright Jerrica Santos, 2010)

Ever night I hear your voice again
Calling out to me
The nights they seem so lonesome when
I'm waiting here for you
I'll never be the same again
But the world continues to go on

The nights are growing cold
Silence seems to take a hold
Scared of looking back, how to act, heart has turned to stone
And then I start to fade away
Tell me how to feel
Still trying to grasp on what is real
Nothin left to lose have to choose
But I'm struggling
To put these memories away

And now
When all that has been said and done
A new day has begun
But I'm losing faith
Need someone to show me how
How can I keep moving on
When everything is gone
Cuz I'm losing faith
Tonight
Someone save me

I dwell on memories of you
But I continue on
You gave me love and laughter too
But pictures start to fade
And colours of our lives turn blue
Am I strong enough to choose

The nights are growing cold
Silence seems to take a hold
Scared of looking back, how to act, heart has turned to stone
And then I start to fade away
Tell me how to feel
Still trying to grasp on what is real
Nothin left to lose have to choose
But I'm struggling
To put these memories away

And now
When all that has been said and done
A new day has begun
But I'm losing faith
Need someone to show me how
How can I keep moving on
When everything is gone
Cuz I'm losing faith
Tonight
Someone save me

Isn't that so awesome!? I can't wait to have the recorded version to listen to while I write! And in case you missed it last time, here's a little clip of her singing it. (This one is from my brother's camera, and unfortunately, every time I try to turn it upright, I lose the sound. But it does show Jerrica's handiwork on the piano nicely.)

One other little piece of writing I wanted to share, this one a funnier little excerpt. My brother wrote me a little story for my birthday that had me feeling slightly panicked. LOL, not really, but it was fun. This is what I found in my birthday card this year:

She awoke to the sound of her own heart beating. The room was dark, save for the green LED clock blinking 12:00, and the house was silent. Unusually so. Was something wrong?

Alone in the big house the budding young author was unable to go back to sleep. She quietly slipped out from under the covers and picked up the manuscript to her latest novel, "A Gruesome Silence", and stepped out of the bedroom onto the plush carpet of the darkened hallway where she stopped dead in her tracks. Everything was perfectly silent, but she knew she was not alone, she felt a presence... she knew she was being watched. 

Quickly she stepped to the top of the stairs, and began to silently descend. One step, and then another, and then another - but the third step creaked. She tried to pretend she hadn't just done that. She hoped beyond hope that it hadn't happened. Then she abandoned that hope, and ran quickly the rest of the way down the stairs, where she made a quick left into the study and as gently as possible, slammed the door behind her. There was no lock on the door, but there WAS a small wooden wedge intended to keep the door open which she kicked tightly under door in the hopes that it would at least slow the intruder - give her a few seconds head start. That is, if he was still out THERE. 

Her eyes were used to the dark, and she scanned the room for anything out of place. This was her second home - or rather, it WAS her home, part of it at least. The part where she spent most of her waking hours. Where she painstakingly wrote and re-wrote her first novel, "Losing Faith", which would have been a best seller if that other darn author hadn't written a novel with the identical title, and released it two weeks ahead of her own - capitalizing on all of the work she had put into promoting her own book over the past half year. 

As her eyes continued to rake the room, suddenly she stopped. Her laptop - there, on her desk. What was wrong? It was off. She NEVER turned her laptop off. Oh, this was good. Too good.
She rushed to the desk and pounded the power button, looking behind her both to the left and to the right. If she could only get this down on paper...

So as you can see, writing obviously runs in our family. Thanks again, Brent! And Jerrica!

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Mara Purnhagen!

I'm excited to welcome one of my Class of 2k10 mates back again!. Mara Purnhagen, a 2010 debut author, already has her 2nd book coming out!

PAST MIDNIGHT came out September 1, 2010 from Harlequin Teen. It is Contemporary YA for ages 14 and up.

Welcome, Mara! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?
 paranormal, normal, discovery, secrets, mystery, friendship, energy

Sounds great! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours and why?
I like Avery, who is my main character’s friend. She’s a cheerleader hiding a tragic secret. She bonds with my main character, Charlotte, because Charlotte is new in town and doesn’t see her as others do: with pity. Avery can’t stand people feeling sorry for her. She’s tough and can handle intense situations.
 
Can you tell my readers a little about yourself?
I’m a night owl. I like to read during the day and write at night. It took me a while to find a good creative groove, but this is what works for me. Night time is also the only quiet time in my house. I have three sons, and each one is louder than the next. If they’re not sleeping, they’re talking. Or jumping. Or running around screaming. That kind of happy chaos is not always conducive to writing.

Yes, that makes sense! What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?
I think I was surprised most by the amount of time I spend on self-promotion. I’ve had to learn to hand out bookmarks to people and discuss my writing, which is something that has taken me a while to adjust to. I’m a writer—I prefer to sit behind my computer rather than stand in front of a crowd.

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
When inspiration strikes, go with it. Don’t worry if your first draft isn’t perfect. You will read and revise your story at least a dozen times before it goes to print, so write as much as you can and fix it later.

Are you swept up with promotion for your books right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?
I have a very busy year ahead of me! My first novella will be published online in January 2011. The second book in the series, One Hundred Candles, will be published in March 2011. A second novella comes out in the summer of 2011, and the third book in the series, Beyond the Grave, hits shelves in September 2011.

Wow! Yes, you must be busy, but congratulations on all of your success! What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I kept journals, but I read more than I wrote. As far as reading young adult books, there wasn’t as much available to me in high school as there is now. I read Paula Danziger, Judy Blume and Anne Rice. Today, the YA genre has exploded into something that would have thrilled my younger self. I love it.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?
I try to read two books a week, so that’s a tough question for me. Two books that stood out to me in August were Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards, which featured an incredible story steeped in history, and Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis, which had a contemporary plot. Totally different books, but I would highly recommend both.

Three Rivers Rising was awesome! I'll have to add Everything is Fine to my TBR list. If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where should they look?
My website: www.marapurnhagen.com,
My Facebook: www.facebook.com/mara.purnhagen
My LiveJournal: http://marapurn.livejournal.com/

Thanks so much for visiting today, Mara! And all the very best with your upcoming craziness!

Monday News & Reviews

I promised I wouldn't post EVERY review of Losing Faith here, and I won't. But over the weekend, I had some very cool reviews and I just wanted to pick a couple to share with you:

Emilie's Book World shared a review that made me grin from ear to ear, not so much because it was riddled with praise, but more because I felt like she really got the things I would want a reader to take away from the book.

And I couldn't resist posting this one from The Heart of Dreams because it IS riddled with praise. LOL.

Besides those, there are at least ten more recent reviews, most of which you should be able to find through GoodReads.

As for news, I have a couple of pieces...

I have some pending good news, which I should know a bit more about after Wednesday. I know, I'm such a tease, but it's impossible to stay completely quiet about it, but I really can't share yet either.

Also...I'm working on a loose outline for this year's NaNoWriMo! Are any of you doing NaNo this year? I'd love to hear of your plans if you are. My plan (drum roll, please) is to write a companion novel to Losing Faith in another character's point of view. Any guesses whose story I might tell?...

Fun Friday!

After a few weeks of craziness surrounding my book launch, I've finally been trying to catch up on a few other things. You know, real life? Unfortunately it doesn't have a pause button. Anyway, not much time for blogging, but I wanted to share this ultra-fun video from my friend, Jen Hayley. If you haven't seen it yet, take two minutes and watch - trust me!

Tenners Top Ten

Tenners Top Ten - My Top Ten Writing Conference Tips (For Attendees)

This is the season for writing conferences around my parts, and as I've been gearing up, I've been thinking over conferences past. As I've always gone to conferences as an attendee, rather than a presenter, this post is geared toward attendees. I was fortunate enough to sell my first novel to an editor I met at a writing conference, but I by no means think I've got it covered here. So if I miss something, please chime in under the comments!

10. Know why you're going. Is it to improve your craft? Then make sure to go over the agenda ahead of time and get to your favorite workshops early to get a good seat. If it's to snag an agent, make sure to research all those who will be at the conference. Know who represents you genre, what they love, and what they have sold so you can have a good conversation if you get the opportunity to talk to them.

9. Dress comfortably, in layers (some conference rooms can be very cold or hot), but most importantly, dress to be memorable. It's always nice to have other writers or industry professionals recognize you over the weekend and strike up a conversation because they recognize you.

8. Have a good logline (one or two sentences to describe your book) and a pitch paragraph prepared. It won't come out nicely if you make it up on the spot. Trust me.

7. Always keep your eyes open for opportunities. This doesn't mean chasing agents and editors into bathrooms! This probably won't encourage them to sign you. Be a person before a pitch-machine, but still, keep your eyes open. When one agent talked a little about religion during her workshop, I used that opportunity to segue into a pitch of my book at the end of her workshop.

6. Talk about your book as much as possible with other writers. Even if it's not ready to pitch. Even if it's not finished. The longer you put off talking about your writing, the harder it will be. Start now, with other people who care about the writing process. Ask those you're sitting beside in a workshop or waiting behind in a lunch line if they mind if you practice your pitch on them.

5. If you're overly nervous on the subject of your writing or about talking to agents and editors, remember that no one cares as much as you do. Agents hear pitch after pitch, and as long as your clothes don't accidentally fall off during your pitch, chances are you can't screw it up so badly that it will be memorable for them. And other writers are probably spending much more of their attention on their own pitch than on you. So calm down. Try to remember what you love about your book and talk about that.

4. Tell yourself again and again that industry professionals are people too. They have pets and mates and kids at home. They've probably been dumped by a date before and felt insecure about trying something new.

3. Everyone needs icebreakers. Don't just barrel up to an agent or editor and launch into your pitch. Talk about their clothes, the conference, the weather, something to break the ice first.

2. After the conference, don't rush to send your work, even if it was requested. Not only do agents and editors have a huge amount to catch up on after being out of town, most conference-goers will be super-eager and send their manuscripts mere seconds after they were asked for it. Do you really want to be in that slush pile? Wait a couple of weeks until the rush has died down. This also gives you time to process any feedback you may have received. Does your book need one more once-over?

1. Above all, enjoy yourself. You've paid a lot of money to be at a conference. Take in as much as you can, make lots of notes, meet lots of writers, and give yourself some time to digest things afterward. Decide ahead of time that you won't rely an agent or editor to make your time at a conference worthwhile. YOU will make it worthwhile.

Anything I've missed? I'll be at the Surrey International Writers' Conference in a couple of weeks. What conferences are you planning on attending this fall?

Launch Party Fun!

I'm finally getting a few pictures and videos uploaded from my launch party (thanks to Mindi Scott and my awesome brother!). It's been a busy week! I don't have the really nice pictures back from my photographer yet, but in the meantime, here are a few to show you what a great time it was...

This is how the day started:



These are my good friends from the Paul Tavai Polynesian Dancers (the group I also dance with). A pretty exciting way to kick-off a book launch!

From there, I went on to talk about my book and do a short reading. Because it was held in a museum/gallery, there's a bit of an echo on the video. Instead, if you're interested in seeing a short reading, the following is the exact same excerpt, as I read it yesterday for The Vancouver Sun's Raise A Reader program:



And then, for a very special treat, my friend Jerrica Santos (recording artist with Get Right Music AND former Canadian Idol finalist) came out to perform her new single, written especially for my event, written especially to go along with my book, entitled Losing Faith. It totally made me cry. Here's a little taste of that (again, sorry for the echo-y room!)



Just go ahead and tell me that's not THE COOLEST THING EVER!

And if that's not enough, the place was swarming with people, AND I had a lineup of people who wanted me to sign their books! I really felt like I was famous for about five minutes, until my husband reminded me there's still plenty of laundry to do at home :(

Oh! And the food! I can't forget that. I'll have to show you the gorgeous, homemade cupcakes later (no pictures yet) but here is the cake:

So as you can see, it was a really, REALLY amazing day! I'm so thankful to all the people who helped make it that way. I am so incredibly blessed! I only wish all of you could have been there too!

More pictures to come as soon as I have them...

Wandering Wednesday

Today I've wandered over to The Contemps Blog and posted there about a book I love, THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson.

I hope you'll drop by, watch the UK trailer (which is the best one, in my opinion), and mention in the comments any of your favorite literary/contemporary YA novels.

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Holly Cupala!

I'm thrilled to welcome another author-friend of mine who writes for teens, Holly Cupala! I was fortunate enough to meet Holly during BEA earlier this year, and if her name sounds familiar, it's because her debut novel TELL ME A SECRET has been turning a lot of heads in the last few months. TELL ME A SECRET was released in June from HarperTeen, and it's for ages 14 and up.

What a great cover, right?! Welcome Holly! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Sisters, secrets, superhot sci-fi guy, family, forgiveness.

Okay, I can't wait for the superhot sci-fi guy! Other than your main character, Miranda, who's a favorite character of yours in TELL ME A SECRET and why?

I think Miranda’s sister, Xanda, who has died in a mysterious and tragic accident before TMAS begins, might be my favorite—maybe because, like Miranda, I find her fascinating! Maybe someday she’ll have her own story.

Oooh, that would be great! Can you tell my readers a little about yourself?

I’m half artsy and thoughtful and introverted, half goofy and brave and outrageous. One or the other of those halves is always getting me into trouble.

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?

The readers! It’s been incredibly amazing to me that such a personal story could captivate readers and become meaningful to them on all kinds of levels. They bring as much to the story as I did.

So true! What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

Write as honestly as you can the first time - you can always refine it, but it's hard to recapture that raw truthfulness in revisions.

Great advice, Holly! Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?

Uh…both?! My second YA, STREET CREED, is slated for Fall 2011 – it’s about a suburban girl who leaves a wake of secrets to live on the streets of Seattle with a band of homeless teens…and a boy called Creed. It’s…sigh. So dreamy, and gritty, and I can’t wait to share it!

Oh, that sounds awesome! What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry?
Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

I wrote two teen romances in eighth grade, before I ever experienced teen romance. After that, it was all deeply tragic poetry and stories. I got a perfect score on my senior project, the saga of teens on both sides of the Irish conflict, including kissing and corpses, called “When Roses Bleed.” It was…yes, I think “deeply tragic” is probably the best way to put it!

What's the last book you read that you really loved?

I loved Adios, Nirvana, by Conrad Wesselhoeft, which comes out from Houghton Mifflin in October. Intense and hopeful—with a cameo from Eddie Vedder! Exquisite.

I'll have to add that to my list! If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, Holly, where should they look?

My website/blog: www.hollycupala.com

TMAS official site (including the free serialized audiobook read by amazing actor Jenna Lamia!): www.tellmeasecretnovel.com

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqzUuoAmTJs

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hollycupala

Twitter: www.twitter.com/hollycupala

Great! Thanks so much for joining me today, Holly. And for the rest of you...I'll leave you with a little peek at the TELL ME A SECRET book trailer:

I Slept In...

Maybe you were wondering where I disappeared to after all the blog-partying lately. Well, I had an awesome, amazing launch party yesterday, and today I was all tuckered out. I will definitely put together a blog post with some pictures, but in the meantime, my friend Carol put up a lovely post about it:

http://careann.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/launched-author-denise-jaden/

Besides that, I've been trying to catch up on household life, and also working on coming up with a winner for the Logline Contest from the Class of 2k10 blog. I've almost got the ties all worked out, but probably won't be able to get the winner up until Friday now. My apologies!

But I will be back tomorrow with another great Teen Author Tuesday guest, and soon I should have a few pictures to show you from my launch party.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

When Things Aren't Going Quite Right...

I'm busy getting ready for my launch party (very excited), but I thought I'd leave you with a couple of fun videos just in case you're having one of those days and need a little cheering up...

First, have a look at tips from Popular Lauren. If you haven't yet read GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD by Eileen Cook, trust me, you want to. Here's a little taste of the book's villain...



This one comes out in paperback next week I think.

And if you're still feeling down in the dumps (though, how could you be?!) check out this video from The Contemps about the days they'd like to do over.



If you could pick just one, what would be your do-over day?

The Grand Prizes!!!

Thank you all again for joining me on my blog tour! I had so much fun, and I'm glad so many of you did too!

I've drawn our grand prize winners! Are you excited?! I know I am.

So let me just get a few of the rules out of the way here first...

Here are your choices of Fabulous Prize Packs, compliments of Simon Pulse:

Prize Pack A will include:

CRASH INTO ME by Albert Borris

CRUSADE by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton

VAMPIRE BEACH by Alex Duval

SWOON by Nina Malkin

UNLEASHED by Kristopher Reisz

WHAT WOULD EMMA DO by Eileen Cook

NEVER AFTER by Dan Elconin

DARK VISIONS by L.J. Smith

IF THERE BE THORNS/SEEDS OF YESTERDAY by V.C. Andrews

Prize Pack B will include:

STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton

PUCKER UP by Rhonda Stapleton

KISS IT  by Erin Downing

WATCH ME by Lauren Barnholdt

THE HOLLOW by Jessica Verday

NEVER AFTER by Dan Elconin

AT FIRST SIGHT by Catherine Hapka

THE FORBIDDEN GAME by L.J. Smith

SWOON by Nina Malkin

UNLEASHED by Kristopher Reisz

Prize Pack C will inlcude:

THE FORBIDDEN GAME by L.J. Smith

LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott

IF THERE BE THORNS/SEEDS OF YESTERDAY by V.C. Andrews

CAN'T HOLD ME DOWN by Liah B. LeFlore and DL Warfield

AT FIRST SIGHT by Catherine Hapka

THE HOLLOW by Jessica Verday

CRASH INTO ME by Albert Borris

CRUSADE by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton

VAMPIRE BEACH by Alex Duval

So if you are announced as one of the winners, here's what you need to do as soon as possible:

Email me at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com with your mailing address and your choice of gift packs, from favorite to least favorite, like this:

My mailing address is:

My First choice of book pack: C

My Second choice of book pack: A

My Third choice of book pack: B

I will do my best to get you your first choice, but it will be first come, first serve. So write to me the second you know you've won!

Also, a few more details before we get onto the winner: I can only mail one package internationally. I know at least one of our winners is international, so if we happen to have more than one, I'm afraid only the first international winner to email me will win and I'll have to pick another winner. This contest is for my loyal blog readers and those who followed along on my tour, so if any of the winners have not responded within one week, I will draw new winners where necessary.

Now, onto the winners....

The first person's name we drew was...

April! (who entered at YA Book Queen's blog)

The second winner is...

lostinbelieving!

And our third and final winner...

minamostaza!

I'm so excited for all of you! Now get busy and email me your choices and address.

And I did record the drawing, for anyone who's interested in watching how very legitimately this was done!

Thanks so much to all of you! I will still be announcing the winner of the Logline contest on the Class of 2k10 blog next week, and also some extra winners of swag from the blog tour. If you've been part of the blog tour, but didn't win anything, please email me your address and I'll get a few little goodies out your way.

Congratulations to our winners and happy weekend to you all! I'm so excited about my local launch party this Sunday! If you'll be in the area, please stop by. Details are on my website at www.denisejaden.com

I'll be back with pictures next week!

Administration of a Blog Tour

I've had several people asking me how I put together my blog tour. The easy answer is...I don't know. Really it just came together somehow. I guess one thing I did was started to plan very early. When people asked me for interviews, even six months ago, I asked them if they'd like to hold off on posting it and be part of my official blog tour. All the blog owners were happy and excited to do this, so I just fit in a date that worked for both of us. I also asked some of my author-friends and critique partners if they'd like to host.

Some blog owners had a set of questions they had already compiled, and with some, I helped to come up with a theme that they could ask questions around. That helped add to the variety of the tour I think.

And then I came up with the idea of the Party Games. As I came up with new ideas, I'd just add them to my list, and by the time my blog tour came around, I had plenty of games for the 14 days. (In fact, I had to skip some. But don't worry, I'll still have those games a little later, just for fun.)

I wanted to make up a vlog of picking the winners for the grand prizes tomorrow, but to be honest, I haven't made a vlog in so long and I was feeling out of practice. So I made up a little practice video about how much work this tabulation process has been, among other things, just for fun.

I think the volume is a little low on this one, so you may want to turn up your volume before viewing. I'll try to fix that for tomorrow. You might notice that my hair is sopping wet. That's because I made time to have a shower before making this video. Have you been over to The Contemps site to hear about how we love over-sharing? Um, yeah. So this is the real me...

Enjoy! And see you tomorrow!



Oh, and just for fun, here's a picture of our cat (not really OUR cat, actually just one of the neighborhood cats we've "adopted" part-time into our home. This cat obviously knows something good when he sees it (LOL)...

And the Poetry Journal Goes to...

Remember way back on Day 2 of my blog tour, I had a poetry contest to win a poetry journal?

Well my two BFF's...they couldn't agree. Hmmm. So it looks like I'm giving away TWO POETRY JOURNALS!

Here are the winning poems. Enjoy! And if the winners could email me with their mailing addresses, I'll get them their poetry journals ASAP! (d (at) denisejaden (dot) com).

And for your enjoyment...here are the winning poems!

This one is from Cass...

I'm sorry, do I know you?
Is this the path you chose to take?
To make,
only to break--
what a mistake.

Estranged though we are,
two hearts remain beating against
one another,
Don't let this falling out marr
the love we once shared;
I just need to know you once cared.

Stirring,
whirring,
slightly burning;
I'm sorry I left it so late,
never could I hate
the one I used
to
appreciate.

I just wish you knew.

And this one's from Bee...

You and me
We'll forever be
Birds of the same feather
Who never flock together.
Rush of the same blood
Digging in the same mud,
Born apart
To the beating of one heart,
Spilling out words of love and hate
Yet forever the best of mates.
Now and forever
Call me whenever
I'll be there
Breathing in the same air.

Aren't those awesome?! Thanks so much to Kim and Shelly for judging, and congratulations again to Cass and Bee!

GCC Presents Lucienne Diver!

I'm busy tabulating - Wow, what a lot of entries and support I had for the blog tour! Thank you all SO MUCH!

In the meantime, while you wait for the announcement of the prizes, I wanted to share a little of my own news...

I've been invited to join the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit! If you haven't heard about this group, let me tell you a little bit about it. The group is made up of some pretty amazing authors, including the awesome Eileen Cook who recommended me to the group. It's all women (if you couldn't tell!) who are supporting each others books through their blogs. If you keep an eye on my blog and watch for the "GCC" tag, you'll see me feature all of the awesome members over the course of the next year!

Today I'd like to start with Lucienne Diver. Because I'm jumping in with both feet into GCC, I did not get a chance to do an interview with Lucienne, but I did want to tell you a bit about her and her book, because it sounds really great!

Lucienne Diver is a writer by night and literary agent by day.

About the book:

In Vamped, Gina and her minions defeated a vampire vixen, a psycho-psychic and the vampire council of Mozulla, Ohio.  Gina was all ready to expose vampires to the world in all their fanged fabulosity…until the Feds arrived to sweep everything under the rug and make them an offer they couldn’t refuse.

In ReVamped, Gina and her boyfriend Bobby are sent undercover to infiltrate a New York high school where some seriously weird stuff is going down.  Worse than that, Gina’s new super-secret identity is as goth-girl Geneva Belfry.  No color palette to speak of.  More chains than a bike rack.  And don't even get her started on the shoes.  At least she won’t be too worried about blood spatter when kicking the butt of her newest nemesis, who’s decided that the high school makes a perfect playground.

 Rave Reviews:
“This is a witty vampire romance/adventure with plenty of heart and action.  Diver has written a supernatural sequel to Vamped (Flux, 2009/VOYA August 2009) that will attract even reluctant readers.  It is filled with wry twists, such as the difficulties of trying to apply mascara when, as  vampire, you don’t have any reflection in the mirror, as well as the typical agonies of being young and trying to fit in.”   —VOYA

“Gina, the 17-year-old fashionista of the undead, is back and as sassy as ever (Vamped, 2009). Thoroughly enjoyable, this sequel is a light, fizzy read… listening in on Gina’s thoughts and quick-witted dialogue is what makes this such a treat.” —Kirkus Reviews

ReVamped is out this month from Flux! Congratulations, Lucienne!

Party Wrap-up on Day 14: The Tour. The Party.

Thanks so much for joining in on my celebration, everybody! Today is the last day of the official party, and I'll be fervently writing down all the entries and throwing them into a hat to find our winners. I'll start announcing the winners of the grand prizes by Friday between 8 - 9 AM (PST)! You'll want to stop by and see if you're one of the winners as soon as you can after that time, as the first winner to contact me with their choice of the gift packs will get their first choice!



Okay, one last party game...

And this one is a lot of fun. I have many secrets hidden around my website. To find them, all you need to do is mouse over any of my website pages at www.denisejaden.com until you see this icon:

Click on it and you *should* find something very interesting! Come back here and tell me what you found in the comments for a final entry into the grand prize contest (please don't share *where* you found the clue, as this has to be just as hard for everybody). Remember, you only have until midnight tonight (PST) for this one and if you find more than one sekrit, you'll get more than one entry! Have fun!


You also have two more (easy) chances to comment on a couple more blogs and enter to win the fabulous Grand Prizes...

BLOG TOUR – Interview with the awesomely fun and funny, Eileen Cook at http://www.eileencook.com/blog/  Stop by and find out how I would have described myself as a teen!

BLOG TOUR – A very special Editor Interview with Anica Mrose Rissi from Simon Pulse at http://classof2k10.livejournal.com This is my fabulous editor who edited Losing Faith! Drop by to find out what drew her to Losing Faith, as well as some of Anica's grammar and writing pet peeves!

Thanks again, everyone, for making this party so much fun! I had a blast! Did you?

I'm So Embarrassed! on Day 13: The Tour. The Party.

Today's Party Game: Did you see my recently released Book Trailer for LOSING FAITH? (thanks to Madison at M2 Productions!) Share the trailer somewhere online, come back and let me know where, and I'll give you another entry toward the grand prizes! And for those of you who haven't seen it...here ya go...



(after watching it, just grab the embed code from the top right hand corner, and paste it into your blog, paste the url link to your twitter, etc...)

And today's fabulous blog tour stops...

BLOG TOUR – Stop by www.wantmyya.blogspot.com – and find out what led me to writing YA.

BLOG TOUR - Stop by www.katiesbookblog-katie.blogspot.com – to find out about one of my most embarrassing moments – eeek!


I'll see you back here tomorrow, when I'll close out the party and the tabulating will begin!!!

Swag-Fest on Day 12: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...



Thank you so much for all of those who have been following The Tour! I'm sure you're getting tired by now, with all the running around I've asked of you, so today I'm going to make it really easy. Tell me in the comments your favorite type of swag (bookmarks, posters, magnets, stickers, postcards, t-shirts) and I'll randomly choose a winner and send them a little something special...


And don't forget about today's fabulous blog tour stop:

BLOG TOUR –  http://www.yascribe.blogspot.com – What’s really important? Stop by and find out!

Two more days...See you tomorrow!

Spot Losing Faith in the Wild on Day 11: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...



Today's party game - Spot Losing Faith out in the wild at a local bookstore or library (or even on your own bookshelf!) Take a picture of it so I can see what it's shelved beside, and post it somewhere online (Facebook, blog, Twitter). Make sure to come back and share the link, so I can count another entry for you toward the grand prizes! (Remember, you have until Sept. 14th to do this!)

And today's awesome stop on the blog tour... (it looks like the blog tour post has not gone up yet today, but I've also added a review below - feel free to leave your comments there or here for an entry today!)

BLOG TOUR - http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/ - Shooting Stars blog wants me to wish upon a shooting star! Okay, let me think...

And just for fun, here's another great review of Losing Faith over at Amy Reads! Thanks, Amy!

Only three days left! If you have any party snacks left, I guess now would be the time to finish 'em up!

What's My Weirdness Quotient? on Day 10: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...



My mom thanks you for all the birthday wishes!

Today's party game: tweet one of the blog tour stops today, including the hashtag #losingfaithbook, for an extra entry!

On today's fabulous tour stops you'll find...

BLOG TOUR –Interview at  http://chickloveslit.com – Find out what 5 items are most essential to me.

BLOG TOUR – Interview at http://sharigreen.wordpress.com - Stop by here and find out about my W.Q. (Weirdness Quotient!)

BLOG TOUR – a special end-of-week treat over at http://www.fantasticbookreview.com

Four more fun-filled days left until the prize packs start flying! Look forward to seeing you all back here tomorrow!

The Story Behind The Story and Cover Art on Day 9: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...

Some More Prizes! I'll be heading over to The Tenners and Class of 2k10 sites in a few moments to post this, but just to make it easier on my loyal blog followers...here are the winners of the Faith Day Gift Packs!

The Tenners Gift Pack goes to...

Bookworming in the 21st Century!

And the Class of 2k10 Gift Pack goes to...

Brooked45!

Congratulations, and thanks to everybody who helped spread a little faith and hope in the world! Winners: please email your address to d (at) denisejaden.com and I'll get these out in the mail to you as soon as possible!

Today's Party Game: contact your local library by phone, Internet, or in person and suggest a purchase of LOSING FAITH. Tell me the name of the library, city, and state in the comments for another entry to win one of the grand prizes!


Here's the info you may need when suggesting a purchase:
Title: Losing Faith
Author: Denise Jaden
Publisher: Simon Pulse / Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA contemporary, ages 14 and up
ISBN: 978-1416996095


And much more blog tour fun for today...
BLOG TOUR - Interview at www.hollycupala.com – come and find out about The Story Behind The Story for LOSING FAITH.

BLOG TOUR – Interview at  http://amyholderbooks.blogspot.com – come and find out a little more about the cover art for LOSING FAITH.

BLOG TOUR – My guest post on What’s Great About YA These Days is up at http://www.fantasticbookreview.com

And one more link, just for fun: A bit more on the Story Behind the Story of Losing Faith over on my Simon & Schuster page!


Only five more days of party fun left! Oh, and incidentally, today is my mom's birthday and she is a faithful reader of this blog! Wish her happy birthday in the comments for another entry for the grand prizes!

See you all tomorrow!

Bookstores, Break-ups, and Book Trailers on Day 8: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...


I'm busy tabulating to figure out who won the fabulous Tenner and Class of 2k10 Gift Packs. But in the mean time, I've had time to pick a winner for this fun Losing Faith hat:

And the winner is...

Minamostaza!!!

Please email me your address at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com and I'll get this hat in the mail to you!

Now...onto Today's Party Game: Tell me the name, city, and state of your favorite bookstore for an entry. If you know the first name of someone who works there, give me their name and I’ll throw them in the hat for the grand prize drawing as well!

Don’t forget to stop by at today’s really fun tour stops and comment for extra entries!

BLOG TOUR – http://mybignose.blogspot.com – Stop by and read my breakup story with my Class of 2k9 mentor, Sydney Salter!

BLOG TOUR - www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog - where my fab agent, Michelle Humphrey, picks apart my original query letter!

BLOG TOUR – http://www.thecontemps.com - The unveiling of the official Losing Faith book trailer on the brand new Contemps site!


And as a bonus, email me with your mailing address (d (at) denisejaden (dot) com) and tell me which tour stop you have enjoyed the most so far on this tour and I'll throw some extra party favors your way!

Spread The Faith on Day 7: Launch Day!!!

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...



I’m officially dubbing it “FAITH DAY!”

Ready, on the count of three, let’s all sing Happy Birthday to LOSING FAITH, as today is the day this book-baby is officially being delivered into the world!  One, two, THREE!


...You didn’t sing, did you? Okay, I understand, and yeah, I feel a little stupid, singing all by myself. But I feel so many other things too. Proud, of course, but also incredibly humbled. People are actually reading my book--my little book--and talking about it. It's completely surreal. I’m sure there will be many ups and downs in my future, even just with this one book, but today is a day for celebration. If you stocked up on yummy treats, please indulge with me!

Today I have a very special assignment for you, and yes, all of it will earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes.

Blog or tweet your hopeful/faithful message with the hashtag #losingfaithbook (if it’s a blog post, make sure to drop by and tell me about it, so I can visit and add to your entries. If it’s on twitter, I’ll see it if you include the hashtag). I want to hear the message that YOU would want to hear if you were feeling down and lacking in hope for your future. It doesn't have to be anything grandiose, but just find some way to spread a little hope in the world today.

There are lots of great blogs to visit on the tour today! I know you all have lives, really I do, but take half an hour, celebrate with my friends around the Blogosphere. I promise, you won't regret it!

BLOG TOUR – Interview at http://saundramitchell.com/blog/?p=2655  - The Nine Spot – nine quick questions, nine quick answers. Do you think I prefer happy endings?

BLOG TOUR –My Launch Post is up at http://community.livejournal.com/classof2k10/24256.html . My journey into loss of faith and back again. (p.s. There are some extra-awesome prizes to be won here!)

BLOG TOUR – Interview http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com – I had a great time doing a back and forth discussion for this interview (even though I STILL don’t know Authoress’s real first name!) Come and be a fly on the wall for our discussion!

BLOG TOUR – Faith Day challenge on http://thetenners.com It’s FAITH DAY at The Tenners too! Drop by and find out how you can spread the faith AND win some Awesome Tenner Books.

BLOG TOUR – Don’t forget to stop by http://www.fantasticbookreview.com to read their Sensational Seven Q&A with yours truly. Find out who I think should play ME in a movie about my life – LOL!

And a couple more things that are not offiicially on the tour (but are still lots of fun!):

Over on The Contemps website, we're having a discussion on Hot Topic Tuesday on Religion in YA! Be sure and stop by to add your thoughts!

And over at Tina's Book Reviews, there's another great review of Losing Faith!

I'm also being featured with an interview on AuthorsNow! today. (Tip - if you haven't picked up your copy yet, this one includes a giveaway of Losing Faith as well!)

Lots of blog-traveling to do today! But above all, have fun. Remember, that's what a party is all about, and I don't want to see any wallflowers sulking in the corners out there! Join the conversation here, around the blogosphere, or on Twitter. Party favors will be flying...

Win a Losing Faith Hat on Day 6: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...


Happy Monday! A new week, a whole new level of partying! Tomorrow is the official release day for LOSING FAITH, so I’m kickin’ it up a notch with some extra prizes

Phone a friend or family member and tell them you want to read LOSING FAITH, the story of a girl whose quest to solve the mystery of her sister’s death leads her to a strange religious cult. Come back and tell me the first name of the person you told for another entry. Plus, I’ll randomly pick one of today’s commenters to win a cool LOSING FAITH cap!

And there’s some great blogs to visit today…Check these out and comment for an entry for the Grand Prizes!

BLOG TOUR – All week Fantastic Book Reviews will be featuring me and Losing Faith! Comment on any of these feature posts to be entered for my grand prize drawings! http://www.fantasticbookreview.com

BLOG TOUR  – http://foreveryalit.com – Find out who I would cast in the LOSING FAITH movie (we can all dream, right?)

And a couple of things that aren't on the official blog tour, but are still a lot of fun...

Visit the blog of author, Anna Staniszewski, where she has posted my letter to my younger self. She's even got a GRAD PHOTO of me on there (now, how the heck did she get that?!)

And Awesome Blogger Angel is having a Twitter Party today! Just tweet this phrase: "I want to read Losing Faith by Denise Jaden. #losingfaithbook" ...to enter to win a package of bookmarks!

Okay, one more mini-interview I found right here: http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/09/in-stores-this-week-with-interviews.html And if you haven't noticed, it's a good idea to check back during the day, as I'm adding things as I come across them.

Tomorrow's the big day! Get your tasty treats ready, and I'll see you back here in the morning!

What Are YOU Reading? on Day 5: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...

Thank you for the introductions to your favorite librarians yesterday! Aren't good librarians like gold?

Today's Party Game: I love to find out what others are reading and what they love reading. Tell me in the comments (or on Twitter with the hashtag #losingfaithbook) the last book that you read that you really loved for an entry for one of my grand prizes!

And stop by Caroline’s blog and comment to earn another entry for the grand prizes:

BLOG TOUR - At http://carolinebyline.blogspot.com , find out about my publication process, from initial idea to sale! (Don't miss this stop, folks - there are some extra special treats to be found!)


I look forward to seeing you all back tomorrow, as I amp things up a bit for publication week!

Let's Talk Favorite Librarians on Day 4: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...



Today's Party Game: Tell me the name and location (city & state) of your favorite librarian, and I’ll throw your name AND his/her name in the hat for the grand prizes! (If you don't know their name, still make sure to tell me the name of the library, the city, and state so I can at least throw YOUR name in!)

Don’t forget to drop by these two blogs today and comment to earn yourself extra entries for the grand prizes!

BLOG TOUR - On http://mindiscott.livejournal.com/161504.html - The Magic 8! Come and find out my Breakfast-Club-style label!

BLOG TOUR - And on Amy Brecount White's Blog, find out about my favorite flower and how it translates into the language of flowers!

Both of these blogs are run by great author-friends of mine. I hope you'll stop by and say hi! And I look forward to seeing you back here tomorrow!! (Yes, blog tours and online parties even continue on Sundays...)

Win an iTunes Gift Card on Day 3: The Tour. The Party.

The Online Party - I've been hearing some comments that the online party/blog tour is slightly confusing, so I thought I'd start each day from here on in with a mini-explanation. As you know, I'm celebrating the release of Losing Faith. Several blog owners are helping me celebrate by featuring me and/or my book on their blog between September 1-14. To encourage you to visit these blogs, I've tried first of all to make all the blog posts very fun and different, and secondly, I'm giving away three Grand Prizes (you can see the details of these on Day 1) All you have to do to enter to win these fabulous prizes is drop by the blogs (linked under "BLOG TOUR" below) and leave a quick comment on each of the blogs.  You get a separate entry for every blog you comment on, and you have until September 14th to comment on ANY of the blogs in the tour (so feel free to go back to Day 1 and comment right now!)

Besides the blog tour, I'm also having fun "Party Games" here each day, which can earn you extra entries for the Grand Prizes. Read on to find out about today's shenanigans...


The Party Game - Brie loves Facebook, and it even brought her closer to her sister. Share this contest with all your friends on Facebook, come back here and tell me about it, and you’ll earn another entry.

Stop by these two stops today and comment to earn entries for the grand prizes:

BLOG TOUR - At http://www.crystalstranaghan.com/ , find out about my favorite part of the writing process.

BLOG TOUR - At http://www.jennadolbooks.com/blog , find out about some of my favorite books.


Additional Contest – As an encouragement to not only buy a copy of LOSING FAITH, but also to read it quickly, I’ll be offering a $30 iTunes gift card up for grabs for the person who reads LOSING FAITH and creates the best playlist to go with it (8-15 songs preferable. Email me title and artist of songs at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com by September 14th, 2010 at midnight to be eligible.)

Oh, and did I mention how AWESOME some of the loglines I've been seeing on the Class of 2k10 blog are?! Bravo to all of you! And those poems! I've been having so much fun reading all of them! But it's not too late - you have until Sept. 14th to get yours in! My critique partners and BFF's are going to have their work cut out for them...

Look forward to seeing you all back here tomorrow!

Logline Contest and Win a Poetry Journal on Day 2: The Tour. The Party.

Was yesterday super-fun? It was for me...fun, and so incredibly humbling. Thank you all so much for all the well-wishes! I cried so many times yesterday!!

Did you find the giveaway for Losing Faith yesterday? If not...it's not too late! (If you missed yesterday, and want details of this blog tour and all the awesome prizes, they're right here.) Also (and here's a little hint) Shana Silver shared this awesome picture with me on Facebook yesterday:

Do you know what this is? It's multiple copies of Losing Faith in a Real Live Bookstore! It's at the Borders near Penn Station in NYC, to be specific. This is another thing that made me cry yesterday. My editor told me last week that all the major chains would be carrying my book, but I guess some part of me didn't really believe it. I mean, these huge bookstore chains would really want to carry MY book? I just couldn't believe it until I saw it, I guess. Thanks again, Shana (and anyone else who wants to share a picture of Losing Faith in the wild - I will give you an extra entry for the grand prizes AND I will love you forever. Just sayin.)

Now, onto today's party game...

The main character of Losing Faith, Brie, is a poet. Not a very good one, but a poet nonetheless. She likes to write rhyming poetry about those close to her, as the rhythm of it helps her work through her stress. Write a rhyming poem in the comments about someone who is close to you – best friend, boyfriend, whomever! You’ll earn one entry per poem (no matter how bad it is!) but if my judges (my BFF’s) deem yours the best, you may also win a LOSING FAITH Poetry Journal!

Don’t forget to stop by these stops on the blog tour and comment to earn additional entries for the grand prizes:

BLOG TOUR - Stop by Elle Strauss Books to see a day in the life of author Denise Jaden (I know, that sounds too exciting for words, doesn't it?? But it was a really fun interview with my longtime friend and fellow Canadian writer, Elle Strauss.)


BLOG TOUR - My fabulous agent, Michelle Humphrey, is on The Class of 2k10 Blog today with a short interview about the market and what she's looking for. ALSO... leave a logline for your novel in the comments. Some of my awesome critique partners will be judging and the winning logline will win a 10-page critique from Michelle!

Also, this is not a part of the official blog tour and I will not be counting entries here, but I did just hear that Claire Dawn is giving away a copy of Losing Faith on her blog today!

This party is Just Getting Started!!! Make sure to come back tomorrow as the party continues!

The Blog Tour Celebration Starts Here!

 WELCOME!

The Party: There will be lots of festivities here and around the blogosphere for the next two weeks in celebration of my launch of LOSING FAITH. I hope you’ll stay and join in on the party!

I’ll be offering three GRAND prizes for party-goers, as well as lots of little party favors along the way. There will be a fun Blog Tour going on, which will include some of my most valued critique partners, author friends, and made-of-awesome YA Book Bloggers. And the best part of all? Every time you visit and comment on a different stop on the official blog tour, it’ll earn you entries for the Grand Prize drawing! And don’t worry, I’ll make it really easy for you, leaving the links to the new stops here each day.

What are the fabulous, GRAND Prizes, you ask? Well, let me tell you…


Prize Pack A will include:

CRASH INTO ME by Albert Borris

CRUSADE by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton

VAMPIRE BEACH by Alex Duval

SWOON by Nina Malkin

UNLEASHED by Kristopher Reisz

WHAT WOULD EMMA DO by Eileen Cook

NEVER AFTER by Dan Elconin

DARK VISIONS by L.J. Smith

IF THERE BE THORNS/SEEDS OF YESTERDAY by V.C. Andrews

Prize Pack B will include:

STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton

PUCKER UP by Rhonda Stapleton

KISS IT  by Erin Downing

WATCH ME by Lauren Barnholdt

THE HOLLOW by Jessica Verday

NEVER AFTER by Dan Elconin

AT FIRST SIGHT by Catherine Hapka

THE FORBIDDEN GAME by L.J. Smith

SWOON by Nina Malkin

UNLEASHED by Kristopher Reisz

Prize Pack C will inlcude:

THE FORBIDDEN GAME by L.J. Smith

LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott

IF THERE BE THORNS/SEEDS OF YESTERDAY by V.C. Andrews

CAN'T HOLD ME DOWN by Liah B. LeFlore and DL Warfield

AT FIRST SIGHT by Catherine Hapka

THE HOLLOW by Jessica Verday

CRASH INTO ME by Albert Borris

CRUSADE by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

STUPID CUPID by Rhonda Stapleton

VAMPIRE BEACH by Alex Duval

These prize packs would be like a whole new book shelf for three of you! Plus I'll be sure to include some Losing Faith bookmarks, stickers, and other swag in each grand prize pack! Just sayin...

BUT WAIT! There’s more good news…

Each day on my blog, I’ll be giving you a new (and, for the most part, simple) way to earn yourself more entries for the grand prizes. So stop by daily. I promise it will be lots and lots of fun.

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! That’s not all…

Aside from these awesome Grand Prizes, there will be a Treasure Hunt (the “treasure” being in the form of LOSING FAITH books and other goodies) on several stops along the Official Blog Tour. I will not be giving any copies of LOSING FAITH away on my blog – I decided to hide them along the blog tour instead. And I’m not going to tell you which blogs will be hosting these additional, bonus contests. You’ll have to follow along on the blog tour to find out! Don't worry, there will still be plenty of chances to win prizes right here too - iTunes gift cards, Losing Faith journals and hats, and much more!

Nitty gritty contest details: this contest is for ages 13 and up. I will mail one grand prize internationally, but I can’t do all three. So if you are an international entry, feel free to comment and enter as often as you like, but if an international recipient receives the first grand prize, unfortunately, you would not be eligible for the subsequent ones. All “Treasure Hunt” contests are run by the individual blog owners, but assume that they are also for ages 13 and up and for Canadian and U.S. residents only, unless otherwise stated.

The grand prize contest will run until midnight (PST) on September 14th.

Day 1 – How can I earn my first entry for the Grand Prizes, you ask...

Easy!

Here are the stops on the Official Blog Tour. Drop by and comment for one entry each!

BLOG TOUR - On YA BOOK QUEEN's  blog you can find out which character I’d like to spend the day as!

BLOG TOUR - On SHANA SILVER'S BLOG you can find out about my revision process with LOSING FAITH. Shana is my longtime critique partner and she really gets into the nitty-gritty questions about the manuscript!

BLOG TOUR - And on the YA HIGHWAY BLOG find out which was my favorite scene to write in LOSING FAITH...and which scene was the hardest!

And for an additional entry…

Tweet (or Re-Tweet) and tell people about this party for another entry (include @denisejaden or #losingfaithbook so I don’t miss counting your entry!) If you are not on Twitter, go out and get one teenager excited about LOSING FAITH. Do whatever you have to! Come back and tell me their first name.

Remember, this is a party, so above all else, HAVE FUN, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow!