Acronyms – Fan or Not?

Posted on January 20, 2012 by jess

Acronyms. What is acceptable?
You tell me…

FYI: I just drank my daughter’s red cordial!

If my 64-year-old mother sent me a text and it included LMAO I think I would possible throw up a little.

My mother should not attempt to use acronyms. Lucky for me, she agrees. That’s not to say someone else her age might not be able to pull them off with the sass required, but not her. The only acronyms I can accept from her are: ASAP and RSVP.

I don’t have anything against the high use of acronyms but it just seems like the development is endless and I have to admit – confusing at times. So that leads me to my question(s) – are there acronym guidelines? It is kind of the young thing to do, isn’t it? So do young people own the monopoly on them? Should older people refrain? Should we all refrain (never going to happen)? Should they be contained to the world of FB and Twitter? Should more acronyms become official words and be entered into the Oxford Dictionary – correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe OMG made the cut this year.

And, most importantly, is there a flippin list of these things and will they ever end? I get emails all the time that include acronyms and I sit, I stare, and sometimes I have a light bulb moment and work out what they mean, but often I just have NFI! The one that really stumped me was KIS – to be honest I baulked for a few seconds when I saw that one – so I looked it up. Keep it simple. Somewhat ironic really. I guess I should just be grateful they didn’t write KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) although that was exactly how I felt.

There has to be a sensible place to stop doesn’t there? OR, is this the new English? Are we somehow entering the new age of language whereby not only will we be writing with acronyms but also talking with them? Imagine that! LMAO!

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EMBRACE COVER REVEAL – US

Posted on December 9, 2011 by jess

What can I say?

Today, Sourcebooks have revealed the stunning finished cover for EMBRACE and it is … beyond beautiful!

The idea of a cover, for me anyway, is to show a little insight into the heart of a story and to give the reader a glimpse of what’s to come. For me, this cover does that so perfectly – with its wisps of smoke, falling feathers and barely there downcast eyes – whilst also leaving so much to the imagination.

I love, love, love!

The inside jacket reads:

It starts with a whisper.

“It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Strange dreams leave her with very real injuries and there’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms. The guy she thought she could fall in love with just told her he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her. And she keeps hearing a distant fluttering of wings.

Violet Eden is having a very bad 17th birthday.

But if angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

Not only have my publishers revealed the cover today – they have also released a ‘cover-video’ showing a unique behind the scenes look at how the cover was selected and produced. It was amazing for me to watch as I wasn’t able to be there for the photo shoot etc. Click HERE to watch!

It’s well worth stopping by the website as you can also subscribe to be sent updates along the way. :)

More than ever, I cannot wait for Embrace’s release on March 1, 2012. The idea of seeing this book on the shelf makes me seriously giddy! I hope you all love it as much as I do and I would love for you to leave your comments!

Also …

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE YA SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS:

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: SANDRA LIN

MY PERSONAL GIVEAWAY WINNER:     ASHLEY VICKERS

ASHLEY, PLEASE EMAIL: TEENFIRE@SOURCEBOOKS.COM TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!

To everyone else who took part in the YA Scavenger Hunt, I hope you all had as much fun as we did!

Jess xx

Posted in COVER NEWS, EMBRACE, Publishing | 6 Comments

WINTER SCAVENGER HUNT IS ON!!!!!

Posted on December 2, 2011 by jess

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE YA SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS:

GRAND PRIZE: SANDRA LIN

MY PERSONAL GIVEAWAY:     ASHLEY VICKERS

ASHLEY, PLEASE EMAIL: TEENFIRE@SOURCEBOOKS.COM TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!

To everyone else who took part in the YA Scavenger Hunt, I hope you all had as much fun as we did!

Jess xx

Anyone in the mood for a little hunting?

Well, here is your chance to have an exclusive look at bonus material including deleted scenes, cover reveals, book trailers and more, and to sign up for personal author giveaways as well as the ultimate GRAND PRIZE. Welcome to the YA Winter Scavenger Hunt!

This fabulous sneak peek into what’s coming up in YA literature starts at noon today, December 1, and will finish at noon, December 4, pacific time.
You will find a keyword marked in RED at each site and with each keyword you collect – you’ll be one step closer to the GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks & posters, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one gift from EVERY AUTHOR!

Scavenger Hunt Puzzle:

Directions: Search for the 37 keywords—one on each Scavenger Hunt website—that are highlighted  in RED. When you are finished, go here to the google puzzle form, where you will find a list of scrambled keywords. Put your keywords in the same order as the scrambled ones—from #1 – #37—and paste that list into the entry form.

Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed puzzle form before noon on Dec 4th Pacific Time. All the keywords  must be included and you must include your full name and  address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be  considered! The contest is international.

FEATURED AUTHORS:

NANCY HOLDER & DEBBIE VIGUIE

I am utterly honored to be hosting the extremely talented: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie. Take a look at their biographies below and tell me you are not dying to read what these two extraordinary minds have most recently created in their new joint series: The Wolf Springs Chronicles.

A little bit about Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie:

Multiple Bram Stoker Award winner Nancy Holder is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Wicked and the Crusade series, written with Debbie Viguie.  She has written a lot of “”tie-in”" material for TV shows and moviessuch as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Hellboy, and others.  She recently received a Scribe Award for her novel, Saving Grace: Tough Love, based on the show, Saving Grace.  She’s sold approximately 200 short stories, essays, and articles, appearing in many Year’s Best’s.  She lives in San Diego with her daughter Belle, their two Corgis, and their three cats.

Click here to go to Nancy’s website.

Debbie Viguie is the New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked, Crusade, and Wolf Springs Chronicles series.  Much of Debbie’s writing has a dark edge to it, including her retold fairy tales, her latest being Violet Eyes, a retelling of The Princess and the Pea. In addition to her epic dark fantasy work Debbie also writes thrillers including The Psalm 23 Mysteries, the Witch Hunt series, and the Kiss trilogy.
When Debbie isn’t busy writing she enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, visiting theme parks. They live in Florida with their cat, Shrödinger.

Click here to go to Debbie’s website.

ABOUT UNLEASHED:

Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, the New York Times bestselling authors of the Wicked series, have created an entirely new trilogy with the passion of Twilight and the grandeur of Fallen. The Wolf Springs Chronicles introduces readers to a town of secrets and the new girl who’s about to start believing in werewolves.  The first book in the series is titled Unleashed.

Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died.  Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather.  And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains.

Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets.  But the secrets hidden here are more sinister thank Katelyn could ever imagine.  Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night–welcome to Wolf Springs.

For more on The Wolf Spring Chronicles check out: http://www.wolfspringschronicles.com/

To purchase a copy go to:

EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIAL

Check out the amazing new book trailer for UNLEASHED:

My Personal Giveaway!

For a chance to win an arc of EMBRACE, due for release in March, 2012, go to the Embrace The Series facebook page by simply clicking here!

and all you have to do is:

1.      “like it”

2.      Leave a comment on the Facebook page about the Winter Scavenger Hunt.

It’s that simple, and you’ll be in the running to receive an exclusive signed arc of Embrace (pictured here) and limited edition bookmarks from my personal collection!

Ready to go to the next website on the Scavenger Hunt?

Click HERE!

Posted in EMBRACE, News, YA SCAVENGER HUNT | 9 Comments

WINTER SCAVENGER HUNT

Posted on November 29, 2011 by jess

Thanks to the incredible Colleen Houck, the YA Scavenger Hunt, 2011, is drawing near!

For everyone that likes the idea of getting their hands on exclusive material from an amazing list of YA authors … THE WINTER SCAVENGER HUNT starts December 1, and will run until noon on December 4. Please note this is Pacific Time.

DO NOT MISS OUT!!!

You will be able to start the hunt from any participating author website, like mine: www.jessicashirvington.com
There you will find the puzzle that will need to be worked out by finding keywords on each author site and the instructions on how to enter for the GRAND PRIZE.

Along the way, you can expect to find exclusive deleted scenes, cover reveals, book trailers and individual giveaways plus more, more, more!

Just to wet your appetite, here is the list of participating YA authors (I believe a few more may be added before the hunt begins!) and the books they will be featuring. I’m sure you will agree it is a remarkable collection!

Rashelle Workman - EXILED
P.J. Hoover - SOLSTICE
Gregg Olsen - ENVY (Empty Coffin)
Laura A.H. Elliott - WINNEMUCCA
Stacey Wallace Benefiel - ZELLIE WELLS TRILOGY
Lani Woodland - INDELIBLE
Beth Revis - A MILLION SUNS
Karen Amanda Hooper - TANGLED TIDES
Lisa Bergren - RIVER OF TIME SERIES
Ali Cross - BECOME
Elana Johnson - POSSESSION
Abbi Glines - EXISTENCE
Myra McEntire - HOURGLASS, TIMEPIECE
Amy Plum - DIE FOR ME
Inara Scott - THE MARKED
Lisa Nowak - RUNNING WIDE OPEN
Gina Damico - CROAK
Amber Argyle - WITCH SONG
C.K. Bryant - BOUND
Cynthia Hand - HALLOWED
Brodi Ashton - EVERNEATH
Erica O’Rourke - TORN, and, TANGLED
Kimberly Derting - THE PLEDGE
Leah Bobet - ABOVE
Jocelyn Davies - A BEAUTIFUL DARK
Angela Corbett - ETERNAL STARLING
Jessica Shirvington - EMBRACE
Gretchen McNeil - POSSESS
Josephine Angelini - STARCROSSED and DREAMLESS
Tera Lynn Childs - SWEET VENOM
Bree Despain - THE SAVAGE GRACE
Leigh Fallon - THE CARRIER TRILOGY
Claudia Gray - FATEFUL
Marley Gibson - THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie - UNLEASHED
Alexandra Monir - TIMELESS
Jeri-Smith Ready - SHINE, and, SHADE
Tara Hudson - HEREAFTER SERIES
Colleen Houck - TIGER’S CURSE SERIES

For my part, I’ll be posting an exclusive deleted scene from EMBRACE and, along with my lovely publishers at Sourcebooks, will offer a chance to win a signed copy of the very beautiful US arc (pictured below) and bookmarks, as well as contributing a signed first edition of Embrace and poster to the amazing GRAND PRIZE.

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Germany reveal EMBLAZE cover

Posted on November 24, 2011 by jess

Wow! Wow! Wow!

The German covers have gone from strength to strength! The thought of trying to capture the look of Phoenix or Lincoln on one of the covers would normally be a frightening idea to me – I have very clear images of the men in Violet’s life! But the team at Random House, Germany, has absolutely nailed it!

I am so excited to share the very beautiful new cover of EMBLAZE, or rather, GEBANNT (translation: Spellbound).

For those in Germany – Gebannt will be released in 13th August, 2012.

Would love to hear your thoughts! xx

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I tapped when I should have turned!

Posted on November 21, 2011 by jess

I don’t know if I’m alone on this, if I’m the one and only person out there that is dork enough to have done this but – I’m in the mood for confession – I tried to tap my book to turn the page today.
No, not my ipad, my book.
Yep, there I was, not paying attention and I just oh-so-casually tapped my index finger on my page and then … waited. I can’t tell you exactly how long it was before my brain kicked into gear – I mean, we’re talking seconds not minutes here, people – but still, there was a definite pause before I blinked, let my eyes dart from side to side self consciously to make I had no witnesses, then quickly turned the page.
In my defense, I’ve been reading a lot on my ipad recently, but still I felt like a total idiot! And this got me thinking … can I be trusted in public?
Can you imagine if you walked past someone reading a paperback and there they were trying to tap the thing as if it were a touchscreen – the crazy alarms would definitely start ringing, right?
Okay, time to ask the hard question … Am I the only one who has ever tapped instead of turned? Please tell me I am not!

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The beginnings of EMBRACE and Violet’s exiled angels…

Posted on October 28, 2011 by jess

On the official launch day of the new EMBRACE THE SERIES website in the US www.embracetheseries.com I thought I’d post a blog on the ‘Beginnings of EMBRACE’. Drop by the site when you get a chance and sign up to receive exclusive updates from the US!

If someone had told me six months before I started writing EMBRACE that I’d soon write a manuscript that would be published internationally and would lead to an ongoing series … I would have, most likely, laughed.

It isn’t that I wouldn’t have loved the idea – but I was raising two very young girls and had recently moved back to Sydney after living a very busy, corporate life, in London.

Moving back to Australia presented me with the first time, since finishing school, where I wasn’t expected to work extremely long weeks and be responsible for not just myself, but a team of staff.

I thought I would revel in it. I’d been so desperate to get home with my family. I dreaded the idea of ever having to return to work. But then, I guess there is work and there is work.

Matt (my husband) and I bought an old home and started to slowly do it up. We also had our second daughter, Winter (Winnie), and I braced myself for the inevitable trials that come with a newborn – but really, she was a dream-baby.

And so, not used to having free time … in my downtime I found myself reading, reading, reading. I also found myself breaking down the plots, the characters, and looking for the pros and cons in each story.

Until one day, I walked into the kitchen, sat up at the breakfast bar and opened my laptop. I’d always loved writing, but I’d never considered it as a potential career. I think in many ways that was the best way to begin because I didn’t put unrealistic expectations on myself. Every word I wrote was because I absolutely wanted to shape and tell this story. That was the day I discovered Violet. And little did I know, that day was the beginning of an amazing journey, which has shaped my dreams, ambition, and my future. Now, I simply cannot imagine doing anything else. I’d go as far as saying that I discovered a big part of myself that day, too.

I wrote the introduction to Violet’s character and developed a feel for her world. Once I thought I had a good grasp on her character I started to explore those around her – and then, the research began. I quickly discovered the world of angels and the scope of knowledge is both rich and very broad. I realized quickly the importance of being selective and committed to what I chose to draw on.

One of the threads of my research (because there are way too many to discuss in one blog) that really stuck with me was the concept of corporeal vs. non-corporeal.

It’s widely agreed that if angels do, in fact, exist – they would certainly be non-corporeal (have no physical form). This enables angels to be in more than one place at one time. To not be confined by physical limitations, to have a broader and greater knowledge and to move with the speed of a thought.

So … if angels chose to ‘fall’ or ‘exile’ to earth and within that choice also came the assumption of a human form – then what exactly would happen to them?

CAN YOU IMAGINE IT? Having existed for millennia, unconfined, uninhabited, completely free to go where you want, when you want, completely spirit-like – to suddenly be thrust inside a human body, which effectively acts as a prison of flesh.

It’s a mind-boggling concept and one that really excited me for Violet’s story as it gave me so much to work with.

In EMBRACE, Violet comes up against exiled angels, but they are not at all what one would expect because, as I chose to maintain the concept of angels being non-corporeal – then exiles are forced to deal with a lot of adjusting and not just in adapting to physical forms but also to a bodies natural responses to emotions. They would never before have felt a physical manifestation of anger or desire, of delight, or sorrow. You can imagine what an overload these intense emotions could cause, not to mention the frustration and fear that would come from being restricted in a human cage that relied on food to power up and oxygen every few seconds.

Needless to say, it opened up the option of making exiles angels, whilst incredibly powerful, also – incredibly insane.

And that … made for some very interesting characters.

So, this is where it all began. Me with a laptop and an idea about a girl named Violet who finds herself caught up in an ancient battle between somewhat insane exiled angels on earth and the angel-human warriors that defend humanity.

It seemed like a good place to start.

The guys came next …

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Listening to …

Posted on September 30, 2011 by jess

I am definitely one of those people who love to have a playlist for all occasions, especially when writing. It’s not that I actually have it playing when I am writing – more that I like to have it on hand when I am not writing so that I can keep thinking. Driving is the perfect example. I love to drive, so whenever I am in the car I’m listening to music and thinking about my characters. I am adamant that some of the best ideas in life happen at traffic lights! It has become a rule of mine to always have a notebook in the car for such moments of traffic-light-magic!
Anyway, I have been absolutely loving Snow Patrol of late. I can not stop listening to CALLED OUT IN THE DARK. Love, love, love it. So I decided to post it here!

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ARC copies of Embrace in the US!

Posted on September 16, 2011 by jess

I have just laid eyes on the images of the absolutely incredibly stunning US ARC of EMBRACE and have learned that I am not above loud bursts of whooping and cheering and have had trouble removing the ear-to-ear smile plastered on my face. My husband just looks at me, registers the smile, and rolls his eyes.
The truth is, I have actually been rendered speechless! Well … not entirely. But close.

I know this might sound like overkill but it is just SOOOOO beautiful!

I think the thing I love the most is it just leaves me wanting to know more. More about the girl I can’t see, more about her story – and I wrote it! Is it bad to have cover lust for my own book! Guilty. So, so guilty.

Now that I have seen the pictures (sent from my lovely publishers) I am completely going insane. So jealous of everyone in the States who have been sent a copy and already received it – Come on Australia Post!!!! I’ve been seeing it pop up on blogger sites and it looks so great and so I find myself dashing to the post box again, and again. The neighbors are starting to stare. I’m not ruling out that this could be, in part, due to my wardrobe selections. I’m not going into it.

The ARC has been wrapped in a stunning covering that has more detailed artwork on both sides. On the outside there is an emblem of “E” (yes, for Embrace!) and on the back, the image of a Grigori dagger that is just cool. On the inside of the covering it folds out into one sweeping image of falling feathers amid wisps of pure white smoke that are coming off the barely-caught image of a perfectly lit girl with a messy up-do. I feel like I want to reach out and spin her around, but I can’t because – well, yes, I am aware it is a print image and I can’t actually dive into it.

Okay, my description doesn’t do it justice! But, never fear, I’ve included the pictures (or, in the case of Goodreads etc – just click on the link and it will take you to the photos) so you can see for yourself that I have not lost the plot! Loving the team at Soucebooks right about now! More excited by the day in the lead up to Embrace’s release in the US in March 2012.

Posted in COVER NEWS, EMBRACE, Publishing | 6 Comments

EMBRACE UK & EMBLAZE AUSTRALIA RELEASES!!

Posted on September 8, 2011 by jess

Well, the countdown is on, and in more than one country!!
Very excited to have the UK release of EMBRACE fast approaching on the 6th of October. To all of the UK readers that have been in contact with me, the wait is almost over! I can’t wait to share EMBRACE with you and can assure you that ENTICED will follow close behind in March 2012.
Speaking of ENTICED … I have just received the cover art for Enticed in the UK. Here it is:

It looks amazing! And up against the UK cover for EMBRACE :

They look incredible!!
It is so great to see how the books are coming together visually in different countries and I love seeing the different interpretations.
So to all the UK readers: I hope you love EMBRACE!

On to for news on EMBLAZE in Australia and NZ:

… As of tomorrow the countdown is officially down to 32 days with EMLBAZE hitting shelves on October 11th, and I cannot wait.
This book has been an incredible thrill to write and I am so looking forward to sharing it with everyone.

Finally, thanks to everyone for all your amazing and supportive messages through Goodreads, my website and Facebook etc in the lead up. It is always exciting to be reminded there is a world beyond my computer!!

Posted in EMBLAZE, EMBRACE, Publishing | 9 Comments