Writing Tips & the 84th Kid Lit Blog Hop

Carpinello's Writing Pages is back once again with writing tips from the authors interviewed. These interviews are from March and April 2016. As always, read and please leave a writing tip of your own in the comments.

Keep writing. Don't let setbacks discourage you. Go to conferences, take courses, join a critique group, and read, read, read—Darlene Foster, author of Amanda in Alberta-The Writing on the Stone

Don’t write to make a living. Write because you love it—Jessica Therrien, author of Children of the Gods series
 
Write what you’re passionate about. Dig down inside to find the emotion to put on the page. Don’t publish the story before it’s ready. Just because you can easily self-publish doesn’t mean the story should be quickly put out there before its polished. Get away from your writing regularly to refill the well with activities and experiences that inform and energize your stories. But most of all, don’t write/publish in a vacuum – join a supportive professional organization related to your genre/category of books to learn and grow as an author—Betty Bolte, author of Hometown Heroes

Keep writing! I find that if I take a break, it’s much harder to get back in the swing of things. Also, do your research about the publishing process to determine if you want to go the independent or traditional route. Whichever route you choose, be informed—Elizabeth Woodrum, author of The Maisy Files series.

And now,

Welcome back to another month of terrific children's literature on the May 2017 Kid Lit Blog Hop. 

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews
MG Author
Gary Val Tenuta

This hop takes place every 3rd Wednesday of the month. It is designed to engage a  group of people who love everything that has to do with children's literature. Everyone is welcome to join us: bloggers, authors, publicist, and publishers!

Have you seen the  Kid Lit Blog Hopper Facebook fan page? This page has all the news and information related to the hop plus ongoing posts, giveaways, news articles, etc. related to Kid's Lit. Check it out and of course, please like the page.

So for our hop, please make sure that your posts are related to Children’s literature only and add it to the linky. (Please make sure to add your direct post only) If you are an author, feel free just to link to your blog. Once you are done, then hop around to visit others. Please follow the co-host and visit at least the one or two people above your link. Please leave a comment when you do visit, we all like those.

Also, it would be appreciated if you grab the Kid Lit Blog Hop Badge and display it on your blog and/or your post. Note: Make sure you have the newest badge as the old one goes to the wrong page.

We would also be grateful if you tweet and/or posted on Facebook about the blog hop. Let’s grow this wonderful community.

Thanks for sharing your great children's books with all of us! The hostess will be around to see you.

Happy Hopping!

Reading Authors, Hostess

The Bookshelf Gargoyle, co-host

BeachBoundBooks, co-hostess

                                                    Pragmatic Mom, co-hostess

Jump Into A Book, co-hostess

Spark and Pook, co-hostess

                                              Carpinello's Writing Page, co-hostess

An InLinkz Link-up

Meet YA Paranormal Author Jessica Therrien

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes Jessica Therrien, a YA author from California.

First, a bit about Jessica:

Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction series Children of the Gods. Book 1 in the series Oppression became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release. Aside from her wildly popular trilogy, Jessica’s work can also be found in a published collection of flash fiction stories called Campaigner Challenges 2011. Out of over 350 submissions, her story The Soulless won first place for people’s choice and fourth place in the judging round. After growing up in the tiny town of Chilcoot, CA, population 108, Jessica currently lives in Irvine, CA, with her husband and two young sons.

Why did you pick to write books for Young Adults?

YA books are fast-paced, engaging, and let us relive a time in our lives when we were young and in love.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love to read YA when I’m writing YA, but, in general, I like books that aren’t too depressing. I love to be transported to a different world.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

I’m a mom, so mostly I play with my kids. If I had more free time, I would love to play my guitar, scrapbook, garden, sew, and make jewelry.

Tell us about the Children of the Gods series and how the story came to be.

After the YA genre exploded onto the scene, I read through pretty much everything I could get my hands on. I searched for that next “it” book but couldn’t find anything that grabbed me so I decided I’d write it myself.

Here's a peek at Redemption, Book 3 of Children of the Gods:

Lead Council member, Christoph, is dead by Elyse’s hand, and Descendants have begun to emerge, exposing their secret to the world. Some see this as the prophecy come to fruition, but the prophecy carries a heavy consequence. It was never meant to be as peaceful as most had hoped.



Humans and Descendants struggle to live together in a world that isn’t ready for such a change. America is divided. Those who glorify the supernatural race believe Descendants truly are the gods they claim relation to. Others see them as a threat.



When Elyse gives birth to the next generation oracle, she sees one final vision—war. The destruction of the country’s major cities, and the end of America as we know it.



After her daughter is born, Elyse finds herself without the ability she needs to predict the future. Desperate to save the world from such conflict, she puts her faith in the hope that Descendants are the key to survival. After all, they have the power to supply a broken society with the means to survive.



Only from the ashes can a new world be born.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Of course, Books 1 & 2, Oppression and Uprising, in the Children of the Gods. I’m working on a children’s book and an adult novel as well.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Don’t write to make a living. Write because you love it.

Anything else you want readers to know?

Oppression was the #3 Teen best-selling novel on Barnes & Noble when it came out, right behind The Hunger Games. I hope you give it a shot!

Thanks for the interview!!

Where can readers find you and your books?

Jessica Therrien

My books:

GOODREADS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE