Writing Tip Wednesday--Writing Advice from Jillian Jacobs

Welcome to Writing Tip Wednesday! Another of my IRWA friends is here with more great advice, and not just for new writers, either. Please welcome the green moose lady, Jillian Jacobs!

Take it away, Jillian!

My 2015 “Moose” Mantra--Author Collaboration

As a relatively new writer, I’ve relied on more seasoned authors to direct me down the right and WRITE road. To aid with this, I co-developed a local author sub-group called the Juicebox Dialogues. This group was created in order to share and promote author news. I would encourage every author to surround themselves with a crew of like-minded people. You’ll be amazed at free flow of information. Sometimes you just have questions, and knowing there are others who are willing to answer relieves a lot of strain in an already overwhelming writer world.

With that in mind, here are some of the focal points of our group that I feel can be of benefit.
•Share news on all social media outlets. By SHARE, I mean, click that button. It’s very easy to do.
•Like each others' posts. Sometimes it’s the little things.
•Read each others' books. Sometimes it’s the big things. I get a thrill out of just knowing someone is reading my book. Like the content or not, at least they put forth the effort.
•Post reviews. This should actually be Number #1.
•Include excerpts by other authors at the back of your books. I recently did this with an author friend, since we both write romantic suspense.
•Attend local author events even if you’re not signing. For example, book signings, writer conferences, and library events. BE PRESENT!
•Critique.
•Beta read.
•At book signings, with each book purchase, give the buyer additional swag from your author friends.
•Combine advertising dollars, nationally and/or locally for traditional advertising, like Romantic Times or a local publication.
•For more expensive swag items, split the cost with various authors, like mugs or cloth bags.
•Host authors on your blog.
•Host brainstorming sessions.
•Volunteer within your RWA chapter.
•Like author pages on Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, etc…
•Write novellas together and/or package books together.
•Visit and comment on blog posts.
•Share your experiences when you try something new, like a Bookbub ad or a new blogger.
•Develop and submit RWA Conference workshops together.
•Post photos from author events. Show readers your camaraderie.
•Video blog.
•Share editor and agent information. Do mock “pitches” with each other.

What kinds of author collaborations have you done? Were they successful? What ways can we help each other as we move forward in this ever-changing world of romance writing? Do you already have a group of author friends? If so, what fun things do you do to support each other?

If you’d like, please visit YouTube for some fun videos with my Juicebox Dialogues pals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSqq5xxIMlo

In 2015, my wish is that you’ll find a group of writers who share the same positive spirit. Collaborate today!

Bio:

In the spring of 2013, Jillian Jacobs changed her career path and became a romance writer. After reading for years, she figured writing a romance would be quick and easy. Nope! With the guidance of the Indiana Romance Writers of America chapter, she’s learned there are many "rules" to writing a proper romance. Being re-schooled has been an interesting journey, and she hopes the best trails are yet to be traveled.

Water’s Threshold, the first in Jillian’s Elementals series, was a finalist in Chicago-North’s 2014 Fire and Ice contest in the Women’s Fiction category, and is now available for purchase.

Jillian is a: Tea Guzzler, Polish Pottery Hoarder, and lover of all things Moose.
The genres she writes under are: Paranormal and Contemporary.

Links:
Website: www.jillianjacobs.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenMooseProd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jillian-Jacobs/737689872920933
Amazon Author Page:http://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Jacobs/e/B00PA1YHXK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1430663785&sr=8-1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JillianJacobs
tsu: http://www.tsu.co/JillianJacobsAuthor

Thanks so much for sharing these great ideas for collaboration, Jillian! Having a supportive group of authors around you is so important!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Author Spotlight + Giveaway--Jillian Jacobs

Welcome to the final Author Spotlight on Mondays for 2014! Jillian Jacobs is back with a new release! Check out Ember’s Center from The O-line series and be sure to comment for a chance to win a signed print copy of Ember’s Center and a Green Moose Productions fridge magnet!

Blurb: She spent her life fighting for middle ground, and now that she’s found it, she’ll fight for her life.

Ember Brooks yearns for an end to the dark chapters of her life—abusive mother, negligent father, teenage trauma, and sibling suicide. Determined to escape her traumatic past, Ember is finally headed for solid ground, gathering strength and balance with the help of her trusted counselor and friend, Xander Kane.
Still reeling from the death of her brother, Ember finds solace when Manchester Marauders center, Owen Killion goes on the offensive and barrels into her life. Both on the football field and off, Owen is sure-footed and confident. With his domineering presence and reliable nature, he alters her game-plan. But for a girl continually left on the sidelines, can she leave her heart on the line?
When Ember is the victim of increasingly dangerous incidents, and Xander changes the course of their relationship, once more her life spirals out of control.
Ember trusts Owen to guard their love, but when someone else is calling the shots, can they reach the end zone or will they fumble?

Short Excerpt:
Ember braced a hand against Xander’s chest. The blows kept coming, and too many questions whirled through her aching head. Where was Owen? Did he believe these lies?

Will I go to prison?

Xander wrapped her in his arms. “It’s going to be all right. I’ll take care of you.”

“I’m so confused.” Where had this stomach bug come from? Why was she standing in the women’s restroom speaking to two men? Perhaps, she was still dreaming. “I’m not feeling so well.”

“I know.” Xander dropped a kiss against her temple. “We’ll work things out.”

She sighed. Of course things would work out. Owen wouldn’t believe her capable of such a thing, would he? And what had Xander said about meds? What meds? She’d stopped taking drugs over two years ago. Trust her father to come back and create this whirl of chaos. And yet, deep down, hadn’t she always known something like this would happen? Fairy tales weren’t real. In real life, the heroine’s glass slipper splintered under pressure, and all she had left was a bloody foot.

Buy links:
http://bit.ly/EmbersCenteriBooks
http://bit.ly/EmbersCenterARE
http://bit.ly/EmbersCenterAMZ
http://bit.ly/EmbersCenterBNNook
http://bit.ly/EmbersCenterKobo

Interview:
Mellanie: Give us some insight into your main character, Ember Brooks. What makes her special?
Jillian: At the beginning of the story, Ember is suffering from the loss of her younger brother.
After moving beyond her troubled childhood, she focuses on becoming a model employee and healthy individual, both mentally and physically. Fighting past insecurities, she develops a relationship with a pro-football player, but various roadblocks interfere with her budding romance. Ember is a survivor, strong on her own. She doesn’t need anyone to complete her or provide her happiness. Every time she’s knocked down by life, she gets back up stronger than before. She represents a resilient, educated woman.

Mellanie: Is there a message in your novel you hope to convey to your readers?
Jillian: That not every home life is perfect, and trying to find your normal can be difficult. As a woman, believe yourself worthy of everything. Most importantly, even if you don’t like someone or something, try to love them anyway.

Mellanie: What draws your main characters to each other and keeps them apart?
Jillian: Owen is drawn by his need to shelter Ember. She, on the other hand, wants to finally take the reins in her own life. She also has to take credit for all her positive changes, and not get bogged down in the past. Owen helps her take each step forward, but a foe steps in, holding him back.

Mellanie: How did you come up with the title?
Jillian: It’s a bit of a play on words since Owen plays the center position for a pro-football team. But Ember also needs to find that one calm in the storm of her chaotic life. Her center.

Mellanie: What new stories are you working on?
Jillian: I’m in the final chapters of the second book in my paranormal Elementals series. This will feature Flint and Violet. Fire’s Field is the title.
In my head, I’ve also outlined the storyline for the second book in the O-line series.
I can only work on one story at a time, which makes my product a little slower, but keeps me from mixing up character names and storylines.

Bio:

In the spring of 2013, Jillian Jacobs changed her career path and became a romance writer. After reading for years, she figured writing a romance would be quick and easy. Nope! With the guidance of the Indiana Romance Writers of America chapter, she’s learned there are many "rules" to writing a proper romance. Being re-schooled has been an interesting journey, and she hopes the best trails are yet to be traveled.
Water’s Threshold, the first in Jillian’s Elementals series, was a finalist in Chicago-North’s 2014 Fire and Ice contest in the Women’s Fiction category.
Jillian is a: Tea Guzzler, Polish Pottery Hoarder, and lover of all things Moose.
The genres she writes under are: Paranormal and Contemporary with suspenseful elements.

Links:
Website: www.jillianjacobs.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenMooseProd
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJillianJacobs
Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/JillianJacobsAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9833245.Jillian_Jacobs

Thanks for visiting, Jillian and readers! Remember to comment by midnight (EST) on Wednesday, December 31, for a chance to win a signed print copy of Ember's Center! See you next year!!!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!

Author Spotlight + Giveaway--Jillian Jacobs

Welcome to Author Spotlights on Mondays! Jillian Jacobs, another of my IRWA friends, is visiting this week with her first book, Water's Threshold, which releases November 11. She's giving away a print copy of Water's Threshold with a Green Moose Productions refrigerator magnet to one lucky commenter, so be sure to say hi!

Blurb:

What happens when a lonely water-girl finally finds her shore?
In a tourist town at the base of the Tetons, Maya Conway, a mythical being known as an Elemental, stands at a crossroads. On her current path, she is content using her life force—water—to protect humans and the environment. Her direction is altered when Mother Nature taps her to guide Terran Forrester, an analytical scientist, on his journey to become the next Elemental—Earth. If Maya crosses into his world, will her lonely heart find a partner or will his rational mind reject her otherworldly existence? When an ancient evil evolved from dark matter shadows their steps, which path will they choose—logic or love?


Excerpt:
A low beat of classic rock came from the backyard as Maya stood on Terran's front porch. Always one to forge her own trail, she fought the notion that this pull toward him was predestined. Hadn't she, so many years ago, left behind her birthplace to begin a new life? At eighteen, she had traveled across America by train to California. Forever frozen at age twenty-one, she fought the notion this relationship was chosen for her. Fate did not have her at Terran's doorstep-hope did.

At the door's threshold, indecision raced through her mind. Should she cross into his life and get release for this pent-up need, or should she walk away? If she left, could she keep him safe and ignore the pull attempting to anchor her in place? Could she stand still, neither in, nor out?

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Waters-Threshold-Elemental-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00P9UOOQW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415232760&sr=1-1&keywords=Water%27s+Threshold
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waters-threshold-jillian-jacobs/1120684811?ean=2940150470590
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-water039sthreshold-1664151-140.html
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/water-s-threshold

Interview:
Me: Give us some insight into your main character. What makes him special?
Jillian: I’d like to focus on my villain, Quint, if I may. He’s an entity composed of dark matter who has evolved enough to use humans as hosts. The human body cannot sustain his evil essence for any sustained length of time, because, as dark matter, his form does not mesh well with matter. Due to this issue, he covets the Elementals perpetuating life. He’s very determined to contain, the hero, Terran, because earth is the core of the elements. Air, water, and fire would not exist without earth’s grounding force. Therefore, in Quint’s mind, Earth is the strongest Elemental.
Throughout the story, Quint whips up a strong brew of chaos for entertainment value alone. In his mind, humans are worthless beings, and yet he must foul his dark form in their skin to live and breath. He feels he deserves more and doesn’t have any problem taking it. Quint’s foul deeds keep the pace suspenseful throughout, Water’s Threshold. I hope you enjoy reading him as much as I enjoyed writing him.

Me: Is there a message in your novel you hope to convey to your readers?
Jillian: Be willing to step outside your comfort zone. And, please take care of the earth. It’s the only one we’ve got.

Me: What draws your main characters to each other and keeps them apart?
Jillian: Destiny draws them together. Terran is destined to become Earth. Maya is Water. Those two elements always join at the shore. Maya is meant to guide him in his new life, but doesn’t quite get the job done before circumstances, pushed along by Quint, force Terran into the Elemental world. As a scientist, Terran finds Maya’s lifestyle incongruent with his rational mind. Terran struggles to accept his new form while Quint creeps closer to his goal.

Me: How did you come up with the title?
Jillian: Maya is faced with many choices throughout her long existence. Yet, at the same time, many choices have been made for her. When she stands at each threshold, she has to choose the right path. Once she steps over each line, how can she know if she’s made the right choice?

Me: What new stories are you working on?
Jillian: I’m in final edits for Ember’s Center, the first in my Contemporary series, The O-line. The hero is a professional football player, and NO, he’s not the quarterback. I wrote this series because I feel like all the other players on the team deserve a story. We hear enough about quarterbacks, don’t we?
I’m also in the final chapters of the second book in this Elementals series, which will be Flint and Violet’s story. Fire’s Field is the working title.

Bio:

In the spring of 2013, Jillian Jacobs changed her career path and became a romance writer. After reading for years, she figured writing a romance would be quick and easy. Nope! With the guidance of the Indiana Romance Writers of America chapter, she’s learned there are many "rules" to writing a proper romance. Being re-schooled has been an interesting journey, and she hopes the best trails are yet to be traveled.
Water’s Threshold, the first in Jillian’s Elementals series, was a finalist in Chicago-North’s 2014 Fire and Ice contest in the Women’s Fiction category.
Jillian is a: Tea Guzzler, Polish Pottery Hoarder, and lover of all things Moose.
The genres she writes under are: Paranormal and Contemporary with suspenseful elements.
Thanks, Mellanie for this opportunity to reveal a little more about my story and myself. Side note, Mellanie is a fantastic reference and has been a true writer friend.

Social Media Links:
Website: www.jillianjacobs.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenMooseProd
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJillianJacobs

Thanks so much for visiting today, Jillian! Readers, remember to comment by midnight (EST) on Wednesday, November 12, for a chance to win a copy of Water's Threshold and a Green Moose Productions fridge magnet!

Mellanie Szereto
Romance...With A Kick!