I'm scared. I'll admit it. (and this is kind of a ramble so maybe you should be scared too...)

The sequel to Moonlit - currently dubbed Windswept - is in my publisher's hands for the final stages in the pre-release process: type setting, layout, cover design, etc. This means I'm free to begin work on Book #3. I'm about 20K words in, and this is where I admit I'm a little scared. There's this big BIG moment in book #3 that I can see so clearly... "crystal" as Jayce would say. But first I have to get there. Me and Tanzy and Lucas and Hope and Vanessa and Asher and Jayce and a whole cast of fellow candidates who you haven't even met yet all have to get there. It's like herding cats.

I learned a ton during the drafting and revision processes for the sequel. Most importantly, I learned when to look at a section of my writing and realize: there's a big problem here. This is not right. And I realized, for the way I work at least, a real fix comes in stages. It's like archeology, an analogy Stephen King uses in describing how he unearths his plots. In my case, it's how I fix pacing/tone issues in a chapter. One gentle fix reveals more bone, more of the picture - and more of the holes in the picture. Then again, maybe it's better to say it's like surgery. There is an awful lot of bleeding and cursing, and I envision an archeologist to be the subtle, whispery type.

Anyways, what scares me is how much of this first draft of book #3 is not going to make it into book #3. Of course right now it feels like all of it will - the major plot points, anyway, but I know that's not true. In book #2, the early drafts had a ferry boat, a tidal wave, a funeral, a truck plummeting to the bottom of the ocean with two major characters inside, a trip back to Kentucky, this scene where new character Jayce lines up little figurines on all the window sills that I freaking LOVED, and lots of explosions. None of those plot points made it into the final draft. I lied - there are still some explosions, but they're in different places.

Some scenes/sections I cut early on, and some I clung to like a mother to her baby. Until I sent the I-think-I'm-Really-Finished draft to my beta readers and they didn't coo where I was sure I'd have them near tears, holding their breath. In fact, they reacted to a few of my favorite moments like one might react to, say, a poopy diaper. And they were right.

Have you ever had a whole "darling" of a chapter (referencing the "kill your darlings" rule here)? How about a couple chapters... how about a 40K word section of "darling"? Welcome to the 8th draft of Windswept.

So now I'm beginning the very first draft of Book #3, and it is by far the most complex of the three books. And I want it to deliver. I want it to tie up every thread I've woven into this web. And I'd really really like to get it right on the first couple shots. HA. Never going to happen.

I'm a subscriber to Anne Lamott's idea of a "stinky" first draft. (She uses a different word beginning with S, something that can be found in the aforementioned diaper, and never smells like roses...) A first draft helps me see how I think this is all going to play out. It makes me see if the I can get to the last page with the ideas from the first page still intact. I'm not big on big outlines. I have a few key moments I want to incorporate if the characters arrive in the situation where the moment would apply, but otherwise I like to turn them loose and see what happens. Downsides: this means I stare at my computer screen a lot, knuckles buried in my cheeks, and force my brain to stop editing the line above so I can see what's coming next in the plot. It also means I spend more time on my drafts (at least I think it does,) and it definitely means I cut. A lot.

So here we are. And I'm scared. I don't want to stare and sweat and bleed all over this new draft just to cut 99% of my work like it never happened. It can be paralyzing, sometimes. But it's part of the process. I will no doubt do this every time. Every book. The funny part is that I still love those times where I glare at my screen all morning with no progress. In fact, I find I'm most intolerable to the outside world following a particularly lackluster drafting session because I can't wait to do it again.

I'm terrified, and I'm excited (and I'm writing this blog post because I'm totally stalling because another character wants a POV in book three and I told her we'd talk about it in a little bit...)

So, now that I'm sure you're sure I'm crazy, tell me what - if anything - scares you about the writing process?

The story of the sequel

The sequel did not at all go like I planned.

For starters, I had to do a major rewrite - scrapping 60K words I'd written before we finished the plot edits on Moonlit, because part of those edits was cutting a character who didn't play a big part in Moonlit, but was spotlighted in the sequel. Oops.

So I began again, and somewhere in there, I got lost inside Tanzy's head and forgot her feet. In Moonlit, Tanzy comes face to face with some of the darkest places of her soul. She even shocked me, and I know she scared herself. So I think we had to acclimate to each other again, who we both were, emerging battle-scarred from the grenade dropped at the end of Moonlit. In the process, we wandered over the choices she made without moving forward. I wasn't really inspired. I was just sad, and more than a little despondent.

Around the time I sent a draft of the sequel to beta readers, Moonlit was making the rounds on a couple of blog tours. I read a couple of feverish posts, new members of the Moonlit tribe who understood Moonlit and Tanzy, and were eager to dive into the sequel, and I started to panic. The sequel isn't right. It's wrong. WRONG. But how? Why? What is missing?? My beta readers felt the same way. They loved the plot I'd crafted, but the fire that lit the "explosion in reverse" fuse of Moonlit hadn't carried over into the sequel. It was a hard truth, but it was the truth.

Then I read a couple more posts from other new fans, and several mentioned how they thought the coming war would play out. ...... war? what war? there's a war? ..... HOLY $#*%! There's a WAR!!! Inspiration struck like a freight train. That night, I gutted the sequel again, saving only about 20K of the original words, and started over.

This pushed my self-imposed May 31st deadline back A LOT. A war between a few people would be boring and over in a paragraph or two (maybe a couple of pages if there's a lot of witty dialogue exchanged between the blows.) So I had to explore all the sides of this war, this brand new, breathtaking, crystal clear moment in my head when all sides converge on the veil. It's a spectacular sight, and I can't wait to write it. But not yet... when you have a WAR on your hands, you have to thoroughly understand each side's motivation, the complexities of alliances and traitors, the gray that exists between good and evil.

I'm so excited to introduce you to this growing cast of new characters. I wrote the first book for myself - to get the story out of my head and to explore Tanzy's voice. But this second book is for my tribe, for those readers who took a leap of faith and dove head first into Tanzy's life and saw the shifting world through her eyes. I want it to be perfect for my tribe. I want to give them what they're hungry for.

Years of working mostly alone around horses inspired Moonlit. But my readers - my tribe - inspired the sequel. I think it's the coolest thing to happen to me since becoming published. I submitted it to my publisher a few days ago, and I'm eager to see what my fantastic editors think. They loved Moonlit as much as I did - even though they helped me work on Moonlit, I also consider them members of the Moonlit tribe. Their opinion means everything to me, both professionally, and as readers. I'll know I did right by my readers if my acquisitions editor gives me the green light. You better believe I'll let you know as soon as I hear back - either way.

Until then, I'll do my best not to stalk my inbox. To keep myself occupied, I'm drafting a scene to add where Tanzy and readers alike will be able to see exactly what Lucas is capable of when someone he loves is in jeopardy...

Enough about me. What are you up to? :)

A-Z Challenge: O is for Opportunity to give thanks

What a week! Moonlit officially launched into the world yesterday, and the celebration exceeded every expectation I had. I'll probably blab all about it on facebook and on other posts, but this one is specifically to say thank you:

To my family, for absolutely everything.
To my amazing group of friends who rallied behind me before and during the publishing process.
To my publisher and all of its talented staff, for making a dream come true in brilliant fashion.
To everyone who braved Atlanta traffic on a weeknight to come support Moonlit and me.
To the fantastic online network of writers that have offered me support and advice at every turn. Even though I have never had the honor of meeting you face to face, you all jump to help each time I ask. I am astounded by the support that I have found among this international family of writers.

Specifically, to my mother. A force of nature who can pull an event together like nobody's business.
To my aunt Betsy, who sewed a hole in my dress, made delicious caramel, chocolatey treats for the event, and designed the Moonlit swag bucket.
To my dad, who can solve any case of jitters with a hug and a nod.
To Elizabeth, who moved heaven and earth to come, and the reason I kept my promise to never give up on Moonlit.
To my grandparents, a source of both inspiration and grounding, and who stayed out past their bedtimes to see this moment happen with their own eyes.
To Carrie, who made me believe I could, and coached me through reading excerpts over the phone.
To Stephanie, who gave the event a little extra spark, and flew to L.A. and back in one day just so she could be there.
To Heather, my Barnes and Noble rep, who was just as excited as me about the launch of Moonlit, and to the entire staff at the Buford, GA B+N that helped make one of the biggest moments of my life a joy and a success.
To my riders Anna, Ashley, Lou Lou, Marrissa, Elise, Sam, Erin, Tori, and Rachel B's and Rachel C's moms, by-proxy, and fellow coaches Alexa and Amanda, who absolutely made my night by coming to see this other part of my life.
To Katherine, who hand-crafted an amazing pen box that will travel with me everywhere I go.
And to my soul family: Ashley, Lori, Hettie, Tommy, Zack, Vanessa, Aiden, Greg, Beau, Zoey, Linda, Rachael, Katherine, Stephanie, and Abigial, who do whatever it takes to support their own, and who gave me a beautiful Cross pen, which will come with me to every signing I do.
And to those of you who I've never met who helped promote this launch online, Angela, Summer, Liz, Aviva, Ellie, Kerri, and more... thank you, thank you, thank you.

A-Z Challenge: K is for Kentucky

Tanzy journey begins at Wildwood Horse Farm, which is nestled in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. A turn of events and a new friend take her to the blue-grass hills of Kentucky. Tanzy expects to have the time of her life... but something goes terribly wrong. Here is an excerpt from Tanzy's first sunrise in Kentucky:

15. Blueblood.

Waking up is a mixed bag. Because if today is real, if I get to shop the world’s most pedigreed horses without a budget, then last night was real. And I almost killed a man. The first thought makes me want to leap out of bed. The second makes me want to jump out the window.

I glance at the clock on my bedside table. Seven-thirty. Time to get moving. But the simple action of swinging my legs over the side takes everything I’ve got. I blink and John’s face is in front of mine again, smoke and beer on his breath. Another blink and all I see is red. Salty, warm, red that smells like rust and is every bit as corrosive, eating straight through my flesh and deep into my soul.

Even now I can feel the drops of blood that splattered my cheek the moment my fist made contact. I catch myself wiping at it, sure I’ll see stains on the back of my hand. But there’s nothing there. A man could be dead because of these hands but they don’t look any different. Shouldn’t they look different? They start to tremble all over again. I shake them at my sides, shake them until they hurt.

A-Z Challenge: D is for Dancing 'til the world ends

Music does something to me - I can't explain it. The right song comes on, and the energy that kick starts inside of me insists that I move with the beat. So, naturally, the "playlist" in my head for Moonlit is something I take pretty seriously. Of course I'm about to say the name: Britney Spears, so maybe that hurts my credibility...

Anyways, there's a scene in Moonlit when Tanzy and Vanessa go dancing at a swanky nightclub - with some unforeseeable consequences. I can see it in my head, the bright, iridescent energy swirling around the room full of throbbing, wanting people. And I hear Britney Spear's song: Dancing 'til the World Ends every time I read the scene.

Tanzy isn't one to let loose, so she takes some coaxing from Vanessa on the way there. Check out an excerpt from Moonlit, where Tanzy gets her first taste of letting go:

           “That’s a good song. Turn it up,” Vanessa says, and starts to dance in the driver’s seat. “Come on, Tanzy.”

I turn up the volume and nod along to the beat.

“Aw, you’ve got more than that.”

“I don’t know how to dance,” I finally admit.

“You don’t have to know how to dance, you just have to know how to let go,” she says, and promptly releases the steering wheel. She twirls her hands above her head as we fly down a straight road.

“Vanessa!”

“I’m not stopping until you start,” she teases.

I do my best to copy her.

“Do you feel that? How can you not want to move? Close your eyes and feel it, Tanzy.”

Well, at least this way if we crash I won’t have to see it coming. I hold in a breath and close my eyes. The deep bass thumps like a heartbeat. My hands drum against my knees as the sounds flood my veins.

“There you go!” she says. I open my eyes and Vanessa grins in approval as she rocks her hips in her seat. I mimic her movement, feeling the little twists in my waist. My shoulders join in, rolling side to side with the music. Before I can stop them, my fingers press against the ceiling of her car and my body sways to the pounding rhythm.

Louisville’s lights fly past like a whirling disco ball as we speed through the city. Vanessa throws her head back with laughter, and I can’t help but want to feel just how she does in this exact moment. At last, I let go of the final thread of hesitation. I brace myself, sure it will feel like falling. But it doesn’t. Not at all. I’m soaring. I’m free.

 

You know what else starts with D? Discount! A friend of mine saw that Barnes and Noble online (BN.com) is currently offering print versions of Moonlit for $10.95. The price for print copies on Amazon (amazon.com) is also reduced, and they're selling kindle copies for $1.99.

A-Z challenge: C is for Cover

Moonlit has a gorgeous cover. But when I first saw it, I didn't know how I felt about it. The story is dark, Tanzy's journey army-crawls through some serious spiritual underbellies. In my mind, I imagined something bleak, perhaps a black background with three rings ablaze in the center. Simple and straightforward. That speaks to the story... right? Nope. Here's the thing about Moonlit - it's neither simple nor straightforward. Not by a long shot. There are many layers at work. Heck, there are even two worlds and past lives invovled. And nothing is as it seems.

Cover artist Steven Novack did an amazing job bringing many of those layers to life: the horses, an integral part of the story (one of which is named "Moonlit," just for title trivia,) the serpent bracelets in the corner, which is probably my favorite plot detail used on the cover, the red desert floor, the elements themselves (earth, air, fire, and water,) and, of course, scraggily, creepy, shadowy trees.

I won't lie, it wasn't what I expected. It wasn't what I would've come up with if left to my own devices. Thank GOODNESS they didn't leave it up to me.

 

Moonlit is now available for kindle for only $1.99 on amazon! Print copies are also currently discounted on amazon.com and BN.com.

A-Z Challenge: B is for Blood

Blood. Does it have a hand in making us who we are? What we want or believe? Does our blood guide our mind, our heart, or is the opposite chain of command more true?

What would happen if your blood was completely replaced with someone else's - something else's? Would it change anything else inside you as it moved through your muscles, pumped through your heart? Whose desires would win?

Fear not - Moonlit is not another vampire tale. But it does have to do with blood. The way it rushes, rising to the surface when our instincts tell us something is amiss. The way a warm surge rolls down our core when we catch someone we might just be falling for watching us from across the room...

My favorite line from Moonlit with the word "blood": Still, the memory of her stepping in a pool of his blood in silver high-heeled shoes blooms within me and lingers like I might enjoy the way it smells.

I forgot to mention this in my "A" post: now is a super time to buy Moonlit on Amazon. The print copies are discounted (right now about 30%, but it's been rolling from 20%-30% off) and the kindle version is only $1.99! Here is the direct link: http://www.amazon.com/Moonlit-Jadie-Jones/dp/1937178331

 

A-Z begins with Asher...

First, a little ditty about this A-Z blogging challenge. For those of you who don't know what this entails, the challenge calls for bloggers to pick a topic and write something about that topic each day (except Sundays) during the month of April, and that our daily post topics have to follow the alphabet. Fun? Absolutely. Masochistic? ....maybe.

I'm using this A-Z madness to peek inside the many layers and players in my debut YA fantasy novel, Moonlit, which officially releases April 16th. Just so you have some backstory, here's the back-of-the-book summary:

Eighteen-year-old Tanzy Hightower knows horses, has grown up with them on Wildwood Farm. She also knows not to venture beyond the trees that line the pasture. Things happen out there that can’t be explained. Or undone. Worse, no one but she and the horses can see what lurks in the shadows of the woods.

When a moonlit ride turns into a terrifying chase, Tanzy is left to question everything, from the freak accident that killed her father to the very blood in her veins. Broken and confused, she turns to Lucas, a scarred, beautiful stranger, and to Vanessa, a charming new friend who has everything Tanzy doesn’t.

But why do they seem to know more about her than she knows herself?


Now that you're all caught up, let's get started.

Day one begins with A, and I think it's so fitting for this challenge to begin with my villain, Asher. He's pretty - and I mean pretty - except for the startling feature of colorless eyes. And he does have a bit of a temper. But there's so MUCH to him. Unfortunately, I can't give many details about him away without spoiling some twists and turns that potential readers will experience along the way.

Here's what I can tell you: Asher is OLD (but remember, pretty.) He is an Unseen, and Unseens were never born, and can never die. They simply are. Birth and death are forbidden in their world, which coexists with ours like two plays on one stage. And I will tell you that Asher's goal is to break one of those rules... and that's all I can say about that!

 

 

Learn more about this crazy A-Z blogging challenge on the official website:

http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

Summer's 600 follower celebration + giveaway!

My fantabulous editor, Summer, has reached 600 followers on her spicy, savvy blog, and she's giving away a copy of my book to celebrate! Here are the deets:

Summer Ross at My Inner Fairy is having a 600 follower giveaway from March 11-15^th.

Prizes include an e-arc of Moonlit and signed book swag -OR- or a signed print copy when the novel releases (winner’s choice). The winner will also receive a 15 dollar gift card from Amazon.

There will only be one winner- chosen by Random.org on Saturday March 16^th at 9am posted on Summer’s blog.

All you have to do to enter is post a comment on Summer’s blog and be a follower of my blog (yes we can – and will – check.)

Feel free to spread the word!!

Seeing is believing.

I went to the Outer Banks last weekend, the primary setting for the sequel to Moonlit. I'd written about two thirds of the first draft, but I was having a hard time crafting a really big moment in Tanzy's journey. I couldn't picture it the way I needed to. I needed to see it for myself.

The wind. Oh my gosh, the wind. It howled off the Atlantic every minute of the first two days we were there. It sang in the morning. Screamed in the afternoon, and would not go quietly into that good night once the sun went down. Then, on Sunday, we walked out to the car, and the air was quiet. Still. The silence had its own note, the sensation of relief something I can't even describe. But I will definitely learn how to, and I know right where it belongs in the second leg of Tanzy's odyssey.

We visited the wild horse sanctuary, an ATV community that speckles the northernmost region of the outer banks. Houses peek out from rolls of sand and twisted groves of scrub oak trees. Wild ponies roam at will, seeking shelter from that banshee wind under carports and grazing on the brittle shoots of winter grass that grow in patches. The three hour trip was incredible, and our guide a living encyclopedia on the area. If you ever come here and are interested in seeing the wild ponies, I highly recommend the Wild Horse Adventures company. Make sure to ask for Dave.

The next day, we meditated on the banks of the Lost Colony, listening to the whispers in the shallow water that broke around what was left of an old dock. The weathered wood was not from the historic Lost Colony, but something newer man had made, and nature disputed. That's what struck me most about this narrow stretch of sand: nature is still queen here. And everybody knows it.

Something else stuck with me too: the history is alive and well on this island. Not through facts and research as much as tales and myths, handed down and acted out to preserve the soul of what once was. Details are lost, fates uncertain. But that's not important here.

I finished the first draft in the passenger side seat of my car as a friend drove us home. This trip not only shaped the ending, but helped me see what was important about this sequel: what the soul of this adventure needed to be. Pieces are shifting, an arc that wasn't formerly present coming readily to the surface. A timeline of events is now becoming more than the sum of its parts. I can't wait to show it to you.

For now, though, there's something I want to share with you first. Moonlit, the debut installment of this series, will be released on April 16th. We've bumped up the release date so that Tanzy can hit the ground running at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association's National Championships in New York that weekend. But I want some of you to see it even earlier... I am looking for readers who might be interested in getting their hands on an ARC of Moonlit for review purposes. If you're interested, feel free to comment here, or email me at: jadiejoneswrites (at) gmail (dot) com.