Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Prepare to be...Seduced By Shadows


Interview by Kirsten Scott

Hey Banditas and Bandita Buddies -- I am thrilled to welcome a fantastic debut author who is certain to be on the NY Times list before you can blink an eye. Her name is Jessa Slade, and she's a local chapter mate of mine from the Rose City Romance Writers! So...onto the interview!

KIRSTEN: Hey Jessa, welcome to the Romance Bandits! I am thrilled to introduce you to all the BBs (Bandita Buddies) and my fellow Banditas -- and keep your eyes out for Sven the masseuse -- he can really ease that writer's cramp. Oh, and one of the cabana boys will be along shortly with your drink. What would you like?

JESSA: I’m not ashamed to say I prefer girlie drinks: Sweet and frothy. (The secret of girlie drinks is, of course, most of them deliver a stiletto-heel kick that’ll leave your head buzzing, which is why men can’t drink them.) Since my story is set in the chill of Chicago in November, I’ll take a girlie coffee drink, a BFK. That’s Bailey’s, Frangelico and Kahlua. In a fine establishment like this (i.e. surrounded by romance writers and readers) I’m sure you don’t mind if I switch out the coffee for hot cocoa. And get a swirl of whipped cream on top. Plus a few chocolate sprinkles. Ah yes, now we can get started.

KIRSTEN: Lovely! I’ll have one of those myself! Cabana boy – fetch us two BFKs! Now, tell us all about your fabulous debut, Seduced by Shadows.

JESSA: SEDUCED BY SHADOWS is the first in a new urban fantasy romance series, The Marked Souls, from Signet Eclipse, out October 6 (finally!). Repentant demons, seeking to earn their redemption, possess vulnerable souls to wage an unending battle against the forces of evil in our world. These teshuva demons and their talyan men think they’ve seen everything in their immortal lives… until the first female warrior arrives.

From the back cover:

The war between good and evil has raged for millennia, but now evil is winning and the Marked Souls are caught in the middle.

After an accident left her near death, Sera Littlejohn is struggling to piece together her life. But when a violet-eyed stranger reveals a supernatural battle veiled in the shadows, Sera is tempted to the edge of madness by a dangerous desire.

Ferris Archer takes Sera under his wing now that she is talyan, possessed by a repentant demon with hellish powers. Archer and his league of warriors have long risked their demon-shattered souls to stop darker spirits from wreaking havoc, but they've never fought beside a female talya before -- and never in all his centuries has Archer found a woman who captivates him like Sera.

With the balance shifting between good and evil, passion and possession, Sera and Archer must defy the darkness and dare to embrace a love that will mark them forever.



KIRSTEN: Wow (hushed silence). That sounds intense.

JESSA: The monsters are on the intense side, and the hero and heroine have a few shadows in their pasts, but who doesn’t have darkness, monsters, and shadows on their heels, right? And I’ve always loved that saying: Only when it’s dark do we finally see the on-rushing headlights of our doom. No, wait, that’s not the saying. The saying is: Only when it’s dark do we see the stars. We only learn our true character under pressure, which the dark side provides in spades.

KIRSTEN: You've built an incredibly detailed world for your books. How do you go about the writing process? What comes first -- world-building, plot, or characters? Or a mix of all three? And where did you come up with all those cool words you've coined? Did you dream up a whole new language, like Tolkien?

JESSA: Ooh, you referenced me and Tolkien in the same paragraph! Fangirl shriek moment! I can only dream of some day writing with Tolkien’s vibrant complexity (and scoring Peter Jackson as director for the movie!) and—since I’m dreaming—Frank Herbert’s vivid depth. I re-read THE HOBBIT and DUNE regularly, and every time, I’m blown away by the worlds they’ve created and the characters that move through their stories. (Although both stories need more heroines, agreed?)

I, tragically, am a hack. I stole my words from mythologies and religions around the world. At least I’m an unbiased thief. The reason why I borrowed so widely is I’m fascinated with the way every culture attempts to explain good and evil. From the Brothers Grimm to Mao’s little book, from the earliest Babylonian creation tales to the latest Joss Whedon, we’re constantly parsing good from evil. From a scientific angle, you could say it must be hard-wired into our brain to seek to understand why bad things happen to good people and why good people do bad things. But from a more liberal arts perspective, you have to wonder WHY we need to understand. Could it be BECAUSE evil truly exists, and not in some metaphoric sense either, but in a very literal sense? But what if good and evil can’t be separated out so neatly? What if we’re all good AND evil?

From that question—If we all have a bit of evil in us, does that make us evil?—was born the Marked Souls.

KIRSTEN: Jessa, I want to read this book more with every word you speak! Now, putting aside these questions of good and evil, let’s get down to details: I know a lot of our readers love a bad-boy. Can you tell us about your hero, Archer? He's enough to make a girl's spine tingle...

JESSA: Oh, yes, spine. That’s what’s tingling ;) Ferris Archer is a bad boy by necessity, not by choice. He was raised a farmer’s son, and he had a simple plan laid out for him: Sunlight, growing things, a walk down the lane with some quiet girl. But life—and death, and good and evil, and fate, and love—targeted him for something more.

Archer cultivates his bad boy qualities—the sharp edges in his personality and his blade, more than a touch of danger, not to mention the black trench coat—to hide his regret at forgetting something so dear to him as the scent of honeysuckle. Sera, the heroine, brings that back but also forces him to remember things he’d rather stayed forgotten, like, oh, his humanity. Oops.

My favorite, decidedly non-PC parts of a bad boy work well in a Marked Soul. All that arrogance and violence are harnessed for the power of good. Well, and for the heroine, of course :) She better be ready for the responsibility of handling his, er, weapon.

KIRSTEN: So now that we’re all panting to read this book can you tell about your path to publication? Was this the first story you’ve written?

JESSA: Oh, thanks for making me choke on my BFK! Sold my first story. Snork. Almost a hundred rejections over more than ten years on nearly a million final draft words. The math isn’t exact (Damn it, Jim, I’m a writer, not a mathematician) but if you round to the nearest heartache, that’s how long it took me to get here. Never let it be said I took the easy way to anything. At least the slow and steady pace gave me an ulcer… I mean, gave me a chance not only to learn the craft of writing but to discover more about the business and the mindset of being an author. Still, I think I’d advocate the overnight success route if you have the opportunity.

KIRSTEN: Any advice for your fellow writers, now that you've hit the big time?

JESSA: Well, I’m still small-time, but I think I could give you the advice that the big boys and girls would: Keep writing. With every failure and every success, keep writing. You are a writer when you are writing. Let everything else fall by the wayside when you set that blinking cursor to blank page and write.

Will it be easy? Never has been for me. But whatever. Keep writing. I consider writing a painful chore, slogging away at the keyboard, day after day. But in the striving, I do see something I guess I’d call sublime. There’s a sacred calling in the telling of story.

KIRSTEN: What beautiful words – a real inspiration. Thanks so much for being here today.

JESSA: Thank YOU for inviting me! I’ll be stopping back throughout the day, so if anybody has any questions or wants to debate fantasy casting for Bilbo Baggins in the remaking of The Hobbit, ask away!

Please, feel free to pepper Jessa with questions, offer your suggestions for recasting The Hobbit, or even add your philosophical musings -- is there good and bad in everything? Is that why we love those bad boy heros so much -- because we can't help but want to redeem them?

Jessa will be giving away a copy of her debut, SEDUCED BY SHADOWS to one lucky commentor, so get cracking!!

65 comments:

limecello said...

Hi Jessa!

mariska said...

I love to have those girlie drinks! Sounds so good for my hot wednesday morning :)
- what's your favorite food Jessa?
The book sounds good!
Mariska

Lynz Pickles said...

Congrats on the GR, lime. You got plans for him?

Welcome, Jessa! Sadly, I can't think of anything interesting to say or ask you about because I'm too busy trying to recover my sight after being blinded by the overwhelming amount of awesome in that interview. And now I really want a girly drink. (Sadly, I don't think it'd be appropriate to order one at lunch tomorrow, so I guess I'll have to wait a while. *sigh*)

Anonymous said...

Hey Lime -- congrats on the GR! Has it been a few days for you? Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Anonymous said...

Mariska, I think I might have to have a little hot toddy before I head out to work today myself. No one needs to know what's REAALLYY in the Starbucks' mug, right?

Anonymous said...

Lynz, I am so with you on the general level of amazingness from our guest. She's kinda like Susan with the snappy dialogue, but with a nice streak of bad-girl. Gotta love that.

(Don't take this the wrong way, Smoov, but you're all good girl. We don't take your attempts at Dodgeball and hating the enemy seriously.)

Donna MacMeans said...

Wait a minute - I take Smoov seriously. She's a wiry one and I bet deadly with a soft kickball. Don't cross Smoov when she has that wild-eyed look in her eye. (grin)

Lime the GR is headed back to Ohio. Hope he has a warm coat!

Welcome Jessa - the book sounds fabulous. I can't make any recomendations on Bilbo Baggins but I'll be first in line to see the remake. I read all the Tolkien books to my kids as bedtime stories. I wasnted to be sure they were grounded in the classics.

limecello said...

Those girly drinks sound fabulous! I'm totally a girly drink girl - I don't drink beer, and I'm quite happy with that.
As it's 1:17 AM I'm going to take everything quite literally. I... do not like Elijah Wood. At all. (Although I know he's not *The* Hobbit. He's just unfortunately the person my mind defaults to when hobbits are mentioned. Who would I cast as the Hobbit? Some unknown actor, I think. (It'd be too weird to see some Hollywood a-lister because hobbits are... not sexy. At least, not to anyone but another hobbit.) I really loved the book, but :X slightly ruined the subsequent trilogy by reading *all* the appendices. (That's when I literally read books cover to cover. Never again.)

Donna -I *know* ... *shivers* that's why the GR left me yesterday, he knew the cold was coming! Oh - and :X was it you? Did you end up going to Jeni's?

Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews said...

Hi Jessa!

Congrats on your new release!

Great interview and I love the cover!

Jessa Slade said...

Wow, Kirsten wasn't kidding about the GR challenge. Congrats, Lime, on your early a.m. score.

Mariska, I just got back from my XY's show in downtown portland (he's a singer/guitarist) and we stopped at Voodoo Donut, an all-night donut shop. So I'm going to have to say chocolate donut. And, since I had a BFK with hot cocoa at the show, it was an excellent culinary night!

Lynz, I think you were actually blinded by my hero's shiny nekkid chest.

Donna, thanks for reading the Tolk to your kids. My mom read them to me and look what happened? :)

Thanks, Raz. No one is more excited about this book than me. No wait, that's not true; my grandmother is more excited than me :)

Michelle Santiago said...

congratulations on your new release jessa! great interview and the book sounds really good and i love the cover as well :)

Helen said...

Congrats Limcello have fun

Hi Jessa thanks Kirsten for inviting Jessa today and WOW this books sounds awsome.

I have only just started reading othere genres in the romance line about a year ago and am always on the lookout for new authors to try and this is one I want to read. I love the world building that comes with this genre it really fasinates me. And the heros are always to die for.

Congrats Jessa this is one book that I will be adding to the must have list.

Oh and I would love one of those drinks I have just got home from a yuk day at work and that would be just the thing to relax me.

Have Fun
Helen

Blodeuedd said...

Hi Jessa,
The book sounds good, and oh The Hobbit, I do wanna see that movie. But to watch a bunch of bearded dwarves and a hobbit in a cave hm...I wanna see some elves, and yes Bloom ;)

Caren Crane said...

Lime, congrats on the GR!

Jessa, welcome to the Lair! Your book sounds fantastic. I love the violet-eyed stranger. Ever since I heard Elizabeth Taylor described as having violet eyes, I have been intrigued by the notion. Oh, the paranormal stuff is intriguing, too. *g*

As a formerly rabid Tolkein fan, I can't imagine whom they could cast as Bilbo that would seem right. The older Bilbo in the trilogy movies was great and now he is stuck in my head!

Linda Henderson said...

Congratulations on your new book. The Hobbit was a hard read for me so I really have no ideas on it.

Trish Milburn said...

Jessa, this book totally sounds like one I'd love. I was already headed to the bookstore today to get J.R. Ward's latest. Your book is coming back home with me too.

Loved the Star Trek shout-out. :) I love Karl Urban in the new version.

And speaking of casting for The Hobbit, while I was out walking yesterday, I was listening to PotterCast (a Harry Potter podcast), and one of the hosts mentioned some speculation that's making the rounds (at least among fans) -- that James McAvoy might be good in the role. I love James McAvoy. Just saw him in The Last King of Scotland.

And that's so cool that your grandma is so excited about your book.

Trish Milburn said...

Blodeuedd, I'm right there with you with Orlando Bloom. :)

Jessa Slade said...

Hi, Helen. On behalf of myself and other new authors, thanks for taking the risk on us!

Sometimes a free sample can help people decide to try a new voice, so I wrote a free short story prequel to the world of the Marked Souls. It's up on the Borders site at http://tinyurl.com/MarkedSoulsPrequel. A trial size, if you will :)

Minna said...

Congrats on your new book!

Jessa Slade said...

Lol, Blodeuedd, maybe we can start the rumor that they're rewriting the Hobbit script with all elves and merpeople -- and girls -- just watch the rabid Tolk-fans freak!

Trish, I heard about the McAvoy possibility too. Doesn't he seem young? And kind of skinny? Bilbo is a well-settled hobbit by the time we meet him. Caren's point about sticking with TLotR casting could work, but do you think people will root for an older, fatter hero? And do NOT say Jack Black. He is far too smug to be Bilbo. He could be one of the dwarves.

Jessa Slade said...

Michelle, Linda and Minna, thanks for the congrats. Somebody asked me recently how it felt to have a dream coming true, and I wondered, does it still count as a dream if it takes so much work? I really don't work that hard in my dreams :)

Anna Sugden said...

Welcome to the Lair, Jessa. Great to have you with us. I've been looking forward to it since Kirsten sent me your details.

And wow what a hot cover!

So inspiring to hear you're not another newbie wonder in that you've sold the first thing you ever wrote. I'm with you on that maths! And thanks for thadvice and inpsiration.

Can you tell us about your call story?

Barbara Monajem said...

Hi, Jessa!

I read part of your short story on the Borders blog but got dragged away (and now I can't find it, which is just me being techno-challenged). I really enjoyed it -- very intense and dark and enthralling. Looking forward to the book!

KDSGS said...

Wow, what a wonderful, inspiring interview. Being in the 'unpubbed' category, I LOVE to read about the path to publication you ladies have taken. And love the advice. 'Keep writing'...how true. And I love how you put it 'a sacred calling in telling a story'. Succinctly said.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!

And I stand in awe of anyone who can craft an entire world of their own, even if you 'borrowed' from other mythologies and such, as you said. That is astounding!
And Archer! That book cover is hot.
He sounds complex, brooding, and irresistible!

Will be looking for this at the bookstore, cheers~

jo robertson said...

Welcome to the Lair, Jessa. Your Marked Souls series sounds intriguing. I'll definitely check out Seduced by Shadows.

I particularly like your strong voice. It comes through so nicely even in this blog!

Okay, tell us more about your world building. I think for many writers that's the most difficult part of creating the story -- so many "I don't know" answers to questions.

Do you plan out those details or do they come to you as you write? And if the latter, doesn't that make a heckuva revision process?

Jessa Slade said...

Anna, it's not that I hate people who sell their first-ever story... Hate is such a strong word ;) 'Bitterly, writhingly envious' might be better description.

Although, honestly, I imagine such a quick path has it's own difficulties. I think selling a book without having the confidence of being able to write another and another and another would be unnerving for someone in genre fiction.

My "The Call" story is rather boring. It follows the singleminded march I've been on all along. I entered my local Romance Writers of America chapter writing contest, as I did every year, but this time, I won! The final-round judging editor asked to see the complete, which I quickly wrote. She read it again and asked me to revise it, which I did, per her suggestions. At the same time, I was frantically seeking an agent. The two pieces -- editor and agent -- came together basically at the same time. They smoked a peace pipe together or something, and my agent emailed to let me know we had a deal. I quickly went back to work on six (six!) more rounds of revisions before the final The End.

One foot in front of the other. It's not so much perseverance, as it is a death march.

Jessa Slade said...

Barbara, glad you liked the bit you read. I managed to pick up a computer virus yesterday, so I sympathize with the techno-challenged part :(

Drew, I've always been a sucker for moody, broody bad boys. You think I'd grow up eventually, but then I think, Why?

Jessa Slade said...

Jo, worldbuilding IS tricky. I claim no mastery. My editor at NAL really opened my eyes to what a paranormal world needs to come alive to a reader. I had the big-picture pieces in place -- like walls and a floor :) -- but I had to go back several times (did I mention already, six?!) to layer in the crown molding, bead board wainscoting, furniture, rugs, decorative knickknacks, etc.

Yes, the revision process is uh-gly. But fascinating too, to see each layer go deeper, which then pops out the front layer -- the most important one to the reader.

I think the difficulty of the process is why so many paranormals and urban fantasies are series. You don't want to let the world die once it's finally come alive.

Trish Milburn said...

Wow, six sets of revisions. That makes me want to whimper, or perhaps break out in hives.

Back from Books-a-Million and have your book. :)

Susan Sey said...

Hi, Jessa! Thanks so much for coming by the lair today. I'm totally captivated by this world you've created & can't wait to get reading!

As for whether there's good & bad in everything, I think absolutely yes. I think there are very few things that are inherently good or bad. I think mostly it's a daily choice in how to use what you've been given that adds up in the end to good or bad. But it's mostly a mixed bag. Choice is everything. And right now? I'm choosing to get reading! Can't wait to get started on your books!

Karin said...

Great interview and congratulations on your upcoming release! That BFK sounds fabulous. I think I may have to try it some time.

I'm glad you persevered through all those rejections because your book sounds fantastic. I'm really looking forward to it.

Which rejection do you think was the hardest for you - the first or the most recent?

Anna Campbell said...

Jessa and Kirsten, what a fantastic interview! Jessa, welcome to the lair and huge congratulations on your debut. Sounds brilliant! Yay, you!

Now, let's get to the important stuff - I love the sound of the BFK. Any other suggestions? I love girlie drinks too but haven't had one for years - used to snort brandy alexanders and fluffy ducks and grasshoppers. And there was a lovely one called a golden dream that had cream and orange juice and I think Grand Marnier. Yum! Hmm, head is spinning as retire to a mid-80s haze! Where are my leg warmers?

Jessa Slade said...

Oh oh! Trish, are you saying the actual book was on actual shelves?! (Sorry, all, must freak.) I didn't know. I heard it here first!

Amanda from Novel Addiction said...

Oooh! Another new to me author.. I love finding new authors to check out!

Thanks!
Morning Glow
ohmorningglow AT aol DOT com

Jessa Slade said...

Susan, choice and free will are definitely one of my favorite ponderables. Especially the more we learn about brain science and genetics, the more I wonder, do we truly have choice? Are we more than the sum of our bio-electrical and -chemical impulses? I say yes, but perhaps that's just my version of faith.

Anna, you must CHOOSE to have a girlie drink ;) Ooh, and I also like drinks that have to be set on fire. Alcohol + flames = camping trip about to go bad.

catslady said...

I think our minds tell us we can't change anyone but our hearts keep trying. There's just something about those bad boys. I married mine lol. They're a lot harder to live with but they sure keep things interesting.

Jessa Slade said...

Karin, all rejection sucks. Especially rejection that comes before a three-day weekend so I have to sulk without distraction.

Rejection is ongoing in the writing life, and I haven't heard that it ever gets easier. But then again, that's what dark chocolate is for :)

Jessa Slade said...

Morning Glow, what cute black button eyes you have!

Catslady, I haven't married mine (much to my mother's chagrin) but yeah, bad boys in the house are a constant source of material for my aggrieved heroines :)

http://kriskennedy.net said...

Hi Jessa~
From one debut author to another--mega congrats! And LOL on 'the onrushing headlights of our doom.' :-)

I'm a major Tolkien fan too, so with that, your talk of mythologies and un-PC heroes, and your reference to the original Star Trek, I'm putting your book in my shopping cart as we speak (almost, anyhow).

Congratulations again! btw, I'll be at the signing in Seattle in a few weeks, so see ya there!

Karin said...

Yes, I have to agree that all rejection sucks. Would you say there was one rejection you learned more from or is it more that you learn something different from each one?

Oh, and for me, it would have to be Dairy Queen more than dark chocolate. I love a good blizzard! lol

Gannon Carr said...

Hi, Jessa! It's so nice to "see" you here in the Lair. I really enjoyed meeting you at Nationals, and I'm looking forward to reading your debut. Whew! That is one smokin' hot cover. Yummy!

I love Baileys and coffee. Might just have to make one later, since you put the idea in my head. *g*

Anna, I haven't had a brandy alexander in years. My uncle used to make the best!

Christine Wells said...

Kirsten, thanks for bringing Jessa to us today. What a great interview and I'll have me one of those BFKs even if it is 6.45am!

Jessa, a quick and hearty welcome to the lair. We met at Michelle Buonfiglio's breakfast in DC and I've been anticipating this book ever since! I want to congratulate you on your persistence and I love your take on good and evil. Really looking forward to SEDUCED BY SHADOWS.

What's next for you and can you share the challenges of writing a series? I'm not asking because I'm about to write one myself and wanting tips. No, not at all!*G*

Anna Campbell said...

Jessa, I have fond (well, kinda! Scary too) memories of sharing an old wooden house with a friend of mine who was a Galliano on fire fiend. Honestly, surprised I lived to tell the tale!

Gannon, hey, let's have brandy alexanders next time we get together. I haven't had one for years - loved the nutmeg cross on top. What a style statement!

Christine Wells said...

Ohh count me in on the Brandy Alexanders! Also the Golden Dream was what my mother used to drink in the 80s. Always wanted to try one of those!

Cocktails in Nashville, anyone?

Asylumgirl said...

There is absolutely good and bad in everything. About those bad boys, I'm not always want to reform them cuz then they wouldn't be bad boys and that's what attracts us to them in the first place, right? lol

Deidre

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Madame, I think you, me and Gannon drinking brandy alexanders all night would be a lethal combo. LET'S DO IT!!!!!

Trish Milburn said...

Yep, I bought it at Books-a-Million here in the Nashville 'burbs. :)

Jessa Slade said...

I have to say, the bar at RWA Nat'ls is ALWAYS the place to be. Christine, Gannon and Anna, will you guys save us a spot in Nashville? Between the Banditas, I'd say a bottle will go down quick.

Kris, all Seattle-bound geeks should make arrangements to hit that bar :) And woot on your debut too. I've seen your cover everywhere! Strong work :)

Jessa Slade said...

Deidre, you're right; we can't make our bad boys Boy Scouts. Although funnily enough, they have many of the same attributes. The bad boys are just missing the merit badges.

I wonder if that's why bad boys come looking for a good woman? Someone to acknowledge their good sides?

Unknown said...

Hi Jessa, great interview, just an awesome post! I would have to say I love those girlie drinks myself! My younger sister is real good at making those girlie drinks.

I also will have to say I love the sound of your book. I believe it will be an awesome read and I can't wait to read it. Thanks for sharing it with us today!

http://kriskennedy.net said...

Jessa~
Oh yes, let's catch up in the bar! This will be my first signing--yours too?--so I'm really excited. It'll be great to see you there!

Gannon Carr said...

Brandy Alexanders in Nashville...I am there, ladies!!!

Barbara E. said...

Wow, Seduced by Shadows sounds like a really good book! I'm happy for the introduction to a great new author. Here's hoping Jessa, that you give us many more great stories like this one.

Jessa Slade said...

Thanks, Barbara, and Virginia, you're so lucky to be related to a good bartender! She's sure not to stiff you on the chocolate sprinkles :)

Jessa Slade said...

Kris, yup, Emerald City will be my first official signing. I anticipate the consumption of MANY girlie drinks. AFTER the signing, of course.

Hellie Sinclair said...

I am totally loving paranormal's new foray into demons, angels, and everything in between. Your series sounds completely kick ass...and definitely will have to be checking them out.

I do think everything has good and bad in it. I think even the devil has some good in him (he was an angel once, after all); and God's gotta have a hint of wickedness...or at least a wicked sense of humor. I'm betting on the latter.

And I'm sure it's no comfort to you, but I have to say I'm really glad it took you the long and million word/several manuscripts route before you published. I love all the guests here, but it IS slightly annoying when someone perky and fetus-like comes here and say, "Oh, I just decided to start writing 6 months ago, I wrote my book in 6 weeks, and the publishers bought it right away." You guys who go, "I clawed my way in"--you guys are VERY INSPIRING and I want to thank you.

I have no Hobbit suggestions. Though I do like Johnny Depp in pretty much anything. Also, Will Ferrell as a Hobbit would be amusing to me since he's so darned tall. The irony.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I'm so sorry I missed the fun all day! Would it arouse sympathy if I told you I spent the day pondering tax law and deferred tax true-ups? Awk. Probably not.

Anyway, thanks for all the fun, Jessa! I'm sure we've got lots of lovely new readers just waiting to pick up your book. Now all of you, go forth and READ!!!

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Jessa, as queen of the girlie drinks, we will most definitely save you a seat. Even more, we'll ask for recommendation. If of course, we can speak a complete, coherent sentence after drinking all those brandy alexanders!!!!

Jessa Slade said...

Hellion, I LOVE the idea of Will Ferrell as Bilbo! With CG, they could fudge the height and he was soooo good in Elf.

Kirsten, I'm sure the covers of tax law books are very sexy too.

donnas said...

Great interview. Thanks!! Sounds like a great book.

Fedora said...

Hi, Jessa,

Congrats on your debut, and really, who doesn't love a bad boy? ;) And I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't read Tolkien yet (I started, but didn't finish The Hobbit)... Congrats on writing on!

Jessa Slade said...

Thanks, Donna! Flchen, don't be embarrassed. My XY hasn't read The Hobbit either, despite my pleas, threats, and randomly bursting into songs from the musical cartoon version.

Down, down to goblin town!

Unknown said...

Wow! It sounds like your journey was tough and with all the work that you've put into this book, it should be very close to your heart. If I hadn't already decided to buy it because it looks KICK ASS, that would be another deciding factor.

I suppose I'm kind of sick that way, but if I know you've bled for your story, I want to read it. Nietzsche has a quote about writing that I've always found compelling. "Of all that is written, I love only what man has written with his own blood." I try not to quote him too often or it makes me sound pompous. *g*

*whispers* I finished my demon novel last week. It's honestly, the best thing I've ever written. There's something about those bad boy demons who cram themselves into almost shining armor, isn't there? Le Sigh.

Anyway, I can't wait to read your book.

~Saranna

Jessa Slade said...

Saranna, wahoo on the finish! Typing The End is such a joy. And don't worry about quoting Nietzsche; my heroine has a Nietzsche moment in SBS :)

Jessa Slade said...

Thanks to everyone who commented yesterday. And big thanks to Kirsten for the invite. What a great bunch of banditas you have!