JESSICA THERRIEN

From Imagination To Publication

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Back To School Giveaway

Welcome to the Back to School Giveaway hosted by the authors at Darkly Delicious YA.



Add great YA titles to your to be read list on Goodreads and enter to win an Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card so that you can purchase novels from your favorite authors.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

The Giver Movie




DUDE!! Has anyone seen it yet??? 

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Conquering Writer's Block


I honestly don’t know a single author who hasn’t had writer’s block at least once in their career. Most of the time it’s a regular occurrence. For me it happens every novel, generally around the same point each time. I wish I had the recipe for some magical writing potion you could brew….wait….coffee anyone? For each author, breaking the block is different. So even if I did tell you to spin around twice and chug a Pepsi while holding your breath, chances are you’d just end up really dizzy and bloated.

What works for me is simple. I sit my butt down in front of the computer and force my fingers to type regardless of whether or not I like what I’m writing. Getting the content out is the hardest part. Like Anne Lamott says:

 
The first draft is the child's draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later. You just let this childlike part of you channel whatever voices and visions come through and onto the page. If one of the characters wants to say, "Well, so what, Mr. Poopy Pants?," you let her. No one is going to see it. 
Now, practically even better news…All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts.



If you haven’t read her novel, Bird by Bird, you’re in for a treat (especially if you’re a writer). It’s titled based on a memory she has of her brother who waited until the last second to write an essay about birds when he was a child. Her father, an author, told him to take it bird by bird. This philosophy has helped me in writing every single sentence in my books. Some days I take it sentence by sentence. Others, page by page. Writing 300 pages seems so daunting, but if you take it “bird by bird” ….well, you end up with a book.

What helps you get through the process of writing?

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

First Lines or Last Lines


A lot of readers look for that first line. I’ve never been one of them. What I look for is the hook at the end of the chapter. So I guess you could say I’m kind of a sucker for last lines.

I think the TV addict in me has gotten sort of used to those cliffhanger endings. Remember LOST? After every episode my jaw would hang open for a solid minute. Are they really going to make me wait a week to find out what happens? Now shows like The Vampire Diaries do the same, which is something (in my opinion) that sets it apart from the book series it’s based on.

These days everyone wants everything to run at a faster pace…their phones, computers, and yes…their books. You have to admit, Wuthering Heights is a bit slow compared to The Hunger Games ;)

My point is (and again, in my opinion…) last lines are far more important than first lines. They make a book page-turning, and that’s what readers want.

Here are some last lines from my books and from two other popular YA books:

“'You’ve been hidden long enough,’ Dr. Nickel interrupted. ‘You have to face your future eventually, and it’s time to let the prophecy unfold. We need you.’”
 -Oppression, Jessica Therrien

“He looked at me, snapped his fingers, and flames shot up the trees. Everything was burning.
            I woke to the feeling of fire all around me.”
 -Uprising, Jessica Therrien

“At some point we folded into each other like flower petals pulling close together to endure a cold night.”
 -Uprising, Jessica Therrien

“Then, with a gasp I can’t contain, I shift my hand forward, and my blood sizzles on the coals.
            I am selfish. I am brave.”
 -Divergent, Veronica Roth

“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him—and I didn’t know how potent that part might be—that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”
 -Twilight, Stephenie Meyer

What do you prefer? Suck-you-in first lines or page-turning last lines? 

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Book 3 Is Done-ish

Yeah. Yeah....I know. I've been MIA for a while, BUT I have a great excuse. The first draft of Children of the Gods (Book 3) is done! It really has taken me a lot longer to write this book, but it might end up being worth the wait. I'm really excited about how my series ends. As of now it has a working title, but I'm not sure enough about it to share.

Right now I'm reading through what I have, tying things together and nit picking every little detail. After that I'll send it to my critique partners.

I wish I could give you a general idea about the time frame, but honestly, even I don't know when it will be published. With my little munchkin running around, I've been taking things one day at a time.


Monday, March 17, 2014

St. Patty's Day Giveaway Event




Join your favorite YA and NA authors as we celebrate being Irish for a day and play on Pinterest. There will be over 45 e-book giveaways! 

You can join the Facebook party HERE!

You won't want to miss it!

Participating Authors:


Lila Felix   A. W. Exley  Melissa Pearl   
Jessica Gibson  Cindy M. Hogan  Sarah Ashley Jones  
Marie Landry  Rachel Morgan  Jennifer Snyder 
Stacey Marie Brown  Jessica Therrien  D.L. Raver 
Stacey Wallace Benefiel  Marilyn Almodóvar  Angee Taylor 
A.O. Peart  Devyn Dawson  Rick Chiantaretto 
Raine Thomas  L.P. Dover  Tamara Hart Heiner  
Leigh T Moore  Meradeth Houston  Amber Argyle 
Tawdra Kandle  Carlyle Labuschagne  Lisa Collicutt
Christy Dorrity  Stephanie Fowers  Kristina Renee
Faith McKay  Charlotte Abel  Jamie Ayres
A.M. Hargrove  Charli Webb  Amy Harmon  
Alyssa Rose Ivy  Kristie Cook  Lani Woodland
T.M. Franklin  Laura Howard  Sharron Riddle
Eliza Tilton  S. M. Boyce  Bethany Lopez 
Dawn Leigh  L.A. Casey  Emma Adams  
Amber Garr  Liz Long

Thursday, March 13, 2014

List of Descendant Bloodlines & Abilities


Hey all! I've noticed a lot of people searching for the list of Descendant bloodlines and/or Descendant abilities from my books. This list can be found in the back of Uprising (Children of the Gods #2), but if you were just searching for reference, here you go. I believe it is alphabetized in the actual book. I took this from my manuscript so it's a little jumbled.

Also, don't forget...only 4 days left to enter the giveaway for a loaded Kindle Fire! See the post prior to this one to enter. Good luck!!


Descendant Bloodlines
Name
 Bloodline
Ability
Council
Christoph
Zeus
Ability control for male Descendants
Adrianna
Hera
Ability control for female Descendants
Dimitri
Demeter
The ability to age or grow living things
Antec
Hades
The ability to confine Descendants to the “Underworld”
*The Underworld is a void of nothingness where Descendants are trapped in a semi-conscious limbo.
Lilia
Hestia
Ability control for Council Members
*Must be in the presence of two Council members for Council abilities to work
Dr. Nickel
Ares
The ability to mimic Descendant powers
Descendants
Elyse
Asclepius
The ability to heal or poison with her blood
Richard Adler (Elyse’s Father)

Hephaestus
The ability to manipulate metals, woods, and stone
Sarah Adler (Elyse’s Mother)
Asclepius
The ability to heal or poison with her blood
William
Aphrodite
The ability to persuade by infatuation
Edith
Ares
Council Heir – Can mimic Descendant powers once her ability is manifested
Sofia
(Mrs. Nickel)

Aphrodite
The ability to persuade by infatuation
Mac
Soteria
The ability to create safe havens
Kara
Prometheus
The ability to access to the mind
Alex
Aether
Messenger— The ability to move from place to place using teleportation
Call name: Alaximandrios
Florence
Delphic Oracle – Pythia
The ability to see the future
Iosif
Metis
The ability of intuition
Nics
Nix
The ability to manipulate light and create darkness or invisibility
Sam
Dionysus
The ability to change liquid to wine
Paul
Hermes
Messenger—Flight
Rachel
Iris
Messenger—Flight (changes form)
Officer Gomez
Pasithea
The ability to make others feel relaxed
Cearno
Comus
The ability to make food and drink with extraordinary flavor
Christine
Hegemone
The ability to conjure plants and trees from the earth
Mr. Williamson
Helios
The ability to mimic daylight/sunlight
Unnamed
Tethys
The ability to draw water from the ground
Unnamed
Astraeus
The ability to create the illusion of stars
Mr. Gransky
Hecate
The ability to move objects using telekinesis
Helen
(Ms. Stanzic)
Chronos
The ability to stop time
Aaron
Clotho
The ability to revive the dead before the spirit transcends
Ian
Homados
The ability to amplify or impair hearing
Hannah
Mnemosyne
The ability to erase memories with her blood
Unnamed
Penthus
The ability to induce extreme sadness
Amber
Aletheia
The ability to decipher the truth of someone’s words
Riley
Kratos
The ability of great bodily strength
Victor
Lelantos
The ability to control the air
Unnamed
Anchiale
The ability to conjure fire
Unnamed
Limos
The ability to cause extreme hunger or starvation
Claudia
Selene
The ability to control the moonlight and hypnotize those who stare into it
Unnamed
Loxo
The ability to manipulate an objects trajectory
Unnamed
Hecaterus
The ability to control objects using the hands
Luther
Hercules
Lead Hunter
Stephan
Sophrosyne
The ability to restrain the body and Descendant abilities
Philip
Aether
Messenger – The ability to move from place to place using teleportation
Call name: Philotheos