Author Interview: Jessica Brody and UNREMEMBERED!

Jessica Brody has a new book out! This one looks awesome, and it's the start of a series, so I'm really excited about that. Read on, because Jessica stopped by to talk a little about UNREMEMBERED, and left a link so you can read the first five chapters!

SUMMARY: The only thing worse than forgetting her past...is remembering it.
 When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find a single survivor; which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating amid the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe. She has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories…period. As she struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is, every clue raises more questions. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?
 Set in a world where science knows no boundaries and memories are manipulated UNREMEMBERED by Jessica Brody is the first novel in a compelling, romantic, and suspenseful new sci-fi trilogy for teens.

 INTERVIEW WITH JESSICA:

Welcome, Jessica! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?

Some memories are better left...unremembered.

Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?

I have to say Cody, Seraphina’s 13-year-old foster brother.

 This genre was brand new for me. My first time venturing into the world of sci-fi. And as all my contemporaries were comedies, it was oftentimes a challenge for me to write something darker and more serious (see evidence above.) Cody, however, is the comic relief of the novel. So writing him was like a little link back to my comfort zone. I always felt like I was “home” when I wrote him. And it gave me the opportunity to make fun of myself a little. While Sera’s storyline is rather dark and mysterious and all these harrowing things are happening around her, Cody can always be counted on to lighten the mood with a comedic crack on her situation. 

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

Regardless if you’re a bestselling author with twenty books under your belt or you’re just starting out, writing is a craft that needs to be constantly honed.  Try to write every day. Even if the stuff that’s coming out reads like a third grade book report. Sometimes you have to get the crap out in order to get to the good stuff. And sometimes, writing just to write is the only way to get a book done. Even if it means having to go back later and delete it all!

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 really bad poetry. No one will ever see it again. Even me.

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

I’m currently reading GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn and it is beyond brilliant. I have gasped aloud more than once. Now that’s how you know when you have a good book in your hands. 

REVIEWS:

“Unremembered is a story brimming with mystery and suspense, star-crossed love and mad scientists. I felt like a detective putting together the pieces of Seraphina’s forgotten past right along with her, and the masterful way the puzzle was finally revealed left me speechless.”—Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of Cinder

“Unremembered is an awesome book! I was pulling for Seraphina from the opening chapters, and couldn’t wait to read what happened next—and I LOVED the twist at the end.” —P.C. Cast, New York Times Bestselling author of the House of Night series.

“Gripping story…harrowing action…The first in Brody’s new science-fiction series should snare enough attention to have folks tapping their feet for the sequel.”
- Booklist

"Unremembered" is the first in a young adult sci-fi trilogy that is a page-turning adventure of self-discovery.” – Deseret News

“Fast-paced and sure to satisfy romance-oriented readers”
- Kirkus

AUTHOR BIO:

JESSICA BRODY knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self “publishing” her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape. She is the author of 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, My Life Undecided, The Karma Club, and now, Unremembered. Her books have been translated and published in over 15 countries. She currently splits her time between California and Colorado. www.jessicabrody.com

Readers can download thefirst five chapters FREE!

Like the Unremembered Trilogy on Facebook:

Meet Jessica on tour this month!

Good News! (It comes in THREE'S!)

I have had some really wonderful news lately. So much that I truly feel humbled by it. Some of it is a little older news than others, but I've had to sit on it for various reasons. I think this is finally all okay to share (and even if it's not, I'm going to anyway, lest I explode.)

I was thinking I should start with the least exciting thing and work my way up, but the thing is, all three of these things are REALLY exciting, at least for me. I have to start somewhere, so let's start in the order I've heard about these awesome nuggets of news.

1. I MADE MY FIRST FOREIGN RIGHTS DEAL!!!! I know, I know, it deserves more exclamation points. But I have to save some for my other good news. I heard, quite a while ago now, that Hungarian publisher Konymolykepzo Publishing House will publish NEVER ENOUGH! They publish 200 titles per year (and mine is one of them!) such as the Twilight series, Cassandra Clare, Lauren Kate, and Becca Fitzpatrick. I'm keeping wonderful company these days!

I wasn't sure exactly when I could share this, but I just received the contracts, already signed by the publisher, so I think it's okay now.

2. I'M GOING TO HAVE AN AMAZING NEW AUDIOBOOK! I mentioned on my blog a couple of weeks ago that my first audiobook is in production with AN ULTRA-COOL NARRATOR. There were things like contracts and approvals to deal with before I could officially tell you who it is, but I think it's fine now. Especially since the audiobook should be available in only a couple of months! This is for the audiobook of LOSING FAITH, and the narrator is Becca Battoe! If you're not jumping up and down with recognition yet, I'll explain further: Becca Battoe is the narrator of the FIFTY SHADES OF GREY series!

So, um, just so we're clear...LOSING FAITH is nothing like FIFTY SHADES OF GREY in its themes and whatnot. And Becca has also narrated for authors like Judy Blume. But lets face it, I got your attention with the Fifty Shades thing. 

Becca is a very experienced, talented, and sought-after narrator and I'm absolutely THRILLED that she has taken LOSING FAITH into her production schedule. I've already had the opportunity to listen to the first fifteen minutes of LOSING FAITH. I promise you, even if you've already read the book, the audiobook is going to be so worth getting. You're going to love it from the very first line!   

3. And here is my most recent good news...I admit, this one is probably the most exciting to me, because it is the most recent. I was on the way from the airport to the cruise ship I would be boarding with my mom, just last week, when I got a very good email from my agent. 

I SOLD ANOTHER BOOK!!!!! All my March Madness/#WIPMadness buddies will appreciate this one. It's a non-fiction book for writers. Some of you may remember that I self-published WRITING WITH A HEAVY HEART. While my agent loved that one, she felt it was too short to be traditionally salable. I admit, since it's been a while since I've worked on that book, my confidence wanes from time to time. I wonder if I really had anything useful to say, or if it was all just my silly drivel that no one else would truly be interested in. So, for me, when I made a deal to publish FAST FICTION with New World Library, this was a huge confidence boost for me. I really feel like a viable non-fiction AND a fiction author now. With my previous traditional publishing contracts, it took many months (I think even over a year once) to receive and finalize contracts, but with New World Library, look! It's already official!

I don't have an official synopsis of FAST FICTION yet, but I'll tell you a little bit about it. It's geared at writers who are interested in a NaNoWriMo-like challenge, but don't want to waste their time on something that will not be publishable in the end. It is made up of three parts: the first is a section on brainstorming, creating a loose story plan, and making that plan as strong as possible. The second section is a day-by-day set of tips and motivations to get writers through a month of fast drafting. The third is a very short section on revision.

I'm absolutely THRILLED that this book is going to find its place in this world and I'm so incredibly grateful for this and all of my recent good news. I've kind of been celebrating all week, with the cruise and all, but I hope you'll all still celebrate with me here. Because, really, the only people that understand the magnitude of these things are other writers, right? 

*Hands each of you a glass of virtual champagne* 

March Madness Check-In Day 8! #WIPMadness

I am so excited about this first week of March Madness! Not only have we had huge participation, but also we have bloggers and readers and illustrators involved this year! Plus we've already seen people reaching some of their goals!

Besides that, I have some more great news!  One of my favorite March Madness cohorts (ok, you're all my favorites) Deb Marshall, has just told me she'll be donating $25 for a craft book of choice to one of our lucky participants!  I'll be starting to award prizes next week,  so make sure you don't miss your name being announced at any of our check ins.

We have seen some great goals accomplished in the last week already. But...that's not true for everyone. Because sometimes life gets in the way, doesn't it?

I admit, life is getting in the way for me in a pretty good way this week. I'm writing this post from sunny Mexico! For me, this time around, it's the lure of cocktails and swimming pools and sandy beaches that has been threatening to keep my from my March Madness project. It's also been nearly impossible for me to find wifi in order to check in. But if you're struggling with health or money or relational issues, or over-commitments in your life...I have also been there.

Here's the first rule to helping yourself get back to the writing: Don't beat yourself up about it.

It's true, stuff in life will get in our way, and some of it is completely unavoidable. But I honestly think what gets MORE in our way is our own attitudes. When we feel angry or guilty or frustrated with ourselves because of our lack of production, that only multiplies the problem. So give yourself a break. Have you already had to take a day or a few days off of writing this month? It's not the end of the world. What would be worse is sitting around and moping about it for the rest of the month. See if you can make time today to squeeze in a hundred words on your latest project. It's something, and it may break the negative words that are playing on repeat in your mind.

If life is getting in your way, here's a second thing you can focus on: Use your creativity to find more time.

We are all creative people. That's why we're here. Do you have someone in your life you could ask for a little help from that would free you up for a couple of hours per week? Can you keep a pad of paper with you on your lunch hour to brainstorm plot points or snippets of dialogue? Since having a young child in my life, I have learned that I can't always have one-hour writing blocks, no matter how much I want them. It took me some time, but I've learned how to be productive in five minute slots, if that's all I have. How can you be creative in order to get more done this month?

And one more suggestion: Encourage others.

Even if you are struggling on your project, reach out at our check-ins and encourage others. Put a smile on your face as you do it, even if you don't feel like it. Don't get caught up in jealousy over those who are writing more than you (or those who are writing from Mexico). Be positive for others, even if you don't feel you can do it for yourself right now. I promise, your kind words and encouragement will come back to you just when you most need it.

So even if you haven't made the progress you'd hoped for so far this month, make a commitment with me right now to get back on that horse. We still have THREE weeks left! In the comments, tell me you're with me, or I'd love to hear how you have overcome life getting in the way of your writing, either this week or in the past. What has worked for you?

Don't forget to stop by Kim Baccellia's blog tomorrow to check in!

MARCH MADNESS IS HERE! #WIPMADNESS

If you’ve been looking for a challenge to get your writing in gear, you’ve come to the right place! Through the month of March we will be cheering each other on to meet challenging goals with our writing.

Also, this year we've decided to open up the challenge to Readers, Bloggers, and Illustrators. Basically, anyone who wants to challenge themselves regarding books and win prizes for it!

Today is goal-setting day! 

(But if you don't make it here on the first day, not to worry. Feel free to add your writing goals here any time during the month of March).

March Madness officially begins tomorrow, and this is how it will work.

1. Set a goal here (anything writing, reading, blogging, or otherwise book related). It can be as small and simple of a goal as turning off your Internet while you write during the month of March. Or it can be as large as writing or revising an entire book.

2. Check in daily through the month of March at our designated check-in points. Let us know how you're doing with your goal. Share your victories and struggles. Encourage others. The key is support and camaraderie.

3. We give you prizes just for stopping by and letting us know how you're doing, and for encouraging others!

Sounds easy and fun, right?! The following will be the check-in points for the month of March. We plan to have check-in posts up and running by 9AM PST (noon EST) each day.

Mondays – LS Taylor will host at  http://lstaylor.blogspot.com
Tuesdays – Shari Green will host at http://www.sharigreen.com
Wednesdays – Angelina Hansen will host at  http://yascribe.blogspot.com
Thursdays – Mary Ann Scott will host at http://thebrokentree.blogspot.com

Fridays – Denise Jaden will host at  http://denisejaden.blogspot.com 
Saturdays – Kim Baccelia will host at  http://kimbacceliasweblogfantasy.blogspot.com

Sundays – Kelsey Macke will host at http://www.kelseyiswriting.blogspot.com

The prizes! We have some truly awesome prizes up for grabs this year! We will start by giving away a prize to one person who comments below with their goals within the next 24 hours!

Here are the prizes that are up for grabs (these are in no particular order and have been donated by my generous co-hosts for this event!):

$25 toward craft book of choice (Courtesy of Deb Marshall - International) 

First Five Pages Critique (Courtesy of Angelina Hansen - International)

First Five Pages OR Query Critique (Courtesy of Denise Jaden International)

10-Page critique (Courtesy of Jaye Robin Brown - International)

Query Critique (Courtesy of Kelsey Macke - International)

First Chapter Critique (Courtesy of Kelsey Macke - International)

First Chapter Critique (Courtesy of L.S. Taylor - International)

Bookish Jewelry (Courtesy of Mary Ann Scott - US mailing only)

Writer's Emergency Kit (A surprise pack of writerly goodness! - Courtesy of Shari Green - International)


 IF I TELL by Janet Gurtler (Courtesy of Angelina Hansen - US mailing only)

DARKBEAST by Morgan Keyes (Courtesy of L.S. Taylor - US/Canada mailing only)

Books courtesy of Kim Baccelia (US mailing only):

TEAM HUMAN by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan
NECROMANCING THE STONE by Lish McBride
TIME BETWEEN US by Tamara Ireland Stone
FATHOMLESS by Jackson Pearce
 SHADOWS ON THE MOON by Zoe Marriott
CITY OF LOST SOULS by Cassandra Clare
THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas
 SPARK/STORM by Brigid Kammerer
INSIGNIA by S.J. Kincaid
OUTPOST by Ann Agguire

Books courtesy of Denise Jaden (US mailing only):

HOW I LOST YOU (SIGNED ARC!) by Janet Gurtler
SEVER (ARC) by Lauren DeStefano
RUSH (ARC) by Eve Silver
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO (ARC) by Bonnie Shimko
IN TOO DEEP (ARC) by Coert Voorhees
BROTHER, BROTHER (ARC) by Clay Carmichael
RIPTIDE (ARC) by Lindsey Scheibe
ALSO KNOWN AS... (ARC) by Robin Benway
LOVE IN THE TIME OF GLOBAL WARMING (ARC) by Francesca Lia Block
FOREVERMORE (ARC) by Cindy Miles

Isn’t that quite the ARSENAL of prizes?! Wow, thank you all!!

AND…thank also to Kelsey Macke, we have a fabulous badge for this year’s event. It’s on the sidebar and also below, so go ahead and post it somewhere proudly and link it back to this post.

I'm going to be perfectly honest about what happened with me during last March Madness. I re-wrote (from scratch) my WIP novel, FINDING HOPE. Yes, the entire thing. It was planned to be a companion novel to LOSING FAITH, but by about the third week in, I hated it--couldn't stand the plot or the characters or anything about it. I took a few deep breaths, talked to a few really wonderfully motivating writer-friends (thanks, #wipmadness!) and decided to push through. I forced myself to write the book until it at least had an ending. Then I told myself I could put it away and never look at the stupid thing again.


I'm telling you this so that if you get stuck, or if you find yourself waking up one day and despising this goal project you started...you're not alone. Definitely not.

There is a happy ending to this story, however! It took me eleven months, but I decided to go back and read FINDING HOPE last month, just to see how horrible it was. It turned out...I loved it! It needed lots of work still, of course, but I could see with such clear eyes how to fix it and move forward and actually make this book into something someone may one day want to read!

As for this year's goal, just out of pure craziness, I'm starting another companion novel, which will tell a secondary character's story from FINDING HOPE. I don't have much of an outline for it, but I plan to push through and finish a first draft by the end of March.

How about you? What are your goals for this March? Have you done this challenge with us before, and if so, how has it worked out for you? I'd love to hear!

Don't forget to leave your goal(s) in the comments below, and head on over to Kim Baccelia's Blog  tomorrow for your first check-in! Remember, the more you check-in and encourage others, the better chance you have of winning some great prizes! And if you set your goal within the next twenty-four hours below, you have a good chance at winning one right away!

ONWARD, Fearless Writers!