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Twenty-Five Hundred on Amazon, Super Me Sale, and More…

February 4, 2020 / / Comments Off on Twenty-Five Hundred on Amazon, Super Me Sale, and More…

Twenty-Five Hundred is available now!

I’m past due announcing that Twenty-Five Hundred is now available on Amazon! 

Paperback $4.99 and Kindle/Ebook  1.99

Also available on Kindle Unlimited.

20 short stories, 500 words each. A fun mix of humor, contemporary, fantasy, and magic.

These stories have been a work in progress for the last few years. I have loved the challenge of making them exactly 500 words and am so thrilled to have them available. If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, head on over and snag one!

Baby #3 coming in a few weeks

In other news,  I’ve reached the final month with baby #3 and am just so excited over here, it’s pretty much all I can think about.

Last week, I went to my 36 week appointment and confirmed that baby is head down. They had a little handheld ultrasound unit to check and we got to see his little profile (both my girls got to go with me!) I’m just so anxious to meet our little guy and can’t believe it’s going to be so very soon! Time to pack the hospital bag…

 

Marigold and Nox

In the meantime, I’ve been working on getting to the end of the first draft in my middle grade adventure book, Marigold and Nox. I’d hoped to get this draft finished before baby gets here and I’m still hanging onto that–fitting in time here and there and when I can to try to make that happen. The story is progressing nicely, and I’m simply loving getting to know the characters, Marigold and kitty Nox as they go on their adventure together. The friendship that they create is really special to me, as is the fun characters they meet along the way. It’s been such a blast to write and I can’t wait to see it through to the end.

“Faith is nice and all,” I said, “but I want to know HOW it’s all going to work out, you know?” -Marigold and Nox

Super Me Sale

One last bit of news . . .

Sale coming up for Super Me! The majority of the story happens leading up to, and on, Valentine’s Day. So what better time to hold a book sale?

If you haven’t yet read Super Me, now’s your chance! Just .99 for the kindle version, starting Feb 14th and running for one week only.

Twenty-Five Hundred Release Date!

January 5, 2020 / / Comments Off on Twenty-Five Hundred Release Date!

New Year, New Book

Starting off the new year with some BIG NEWS.

The wait is nearly over. My short story collection, Twenty-Five Hundred, now has a release date! This book of stories will be available on January 17th.  AND pre-orders for the kindle/e-book version are available now for 1.99!

I’ve been collecting these short stories for the last several years and I can’t even tell you how excited I am to finally be able to share them!

Description:

“A delightful mix of humorous, lighthearted, and more serious contemporary stories and those woven with fantasy and magic. Each piece is exactly 500 words.

Inside these pages . . . A woman resolves to begin a new year on the right foot, with the help of sticky notes … A poem in which a woman in red rushes through an airport to try to catch a plane . . . An excerpt from the novel “Super Me”: an unfortunate interaction with a crush at a coffee shop . . . Two workers of magic meet to perform a secret ritual . . . At a desert marketplace, a child is yanked aside by a mysterious man with an important message . . . While running solo on a trail in the mountains, a woman injures her ankle and thus reflects upon her life’s choices . . . While being held captive by frog-like creatures, a girl makes a high-staked impossible decision . . . A sneak peek at the novel “Run”: a teenage girl is trapped inside a neighbor’s house while zombies take over the world around her . . . and much more.”

Happy New Year! It’s going to be a great year.

 

Writing Update: Current Projects

November 20, 2019 / / Comments Off on Writing Update: Current Projects

I’m working on the first draft of a new novel.

Caroline’s Baby

This is an idea that has been kicking around in my head for years now. Caroline’s Baby is a contemporary drama about a couple suffering from infertility, something I have firsthand experience with. I decided to give myself the month of November to explore the idea and see if there’s something to this that’s worth pursuing further.

So far, it’s going really well! I wrote an unheard of (for me) five thousand words in one day last weekend and the story is progressing nicely. Every time I sit down to work on this draft, I feel like the story flows out and it becomes more real.

A promising start!

Twenty-Five Hundred

In other news, the short story collection I’ve been working on is getting close to publication. Twenty-Five Hundred needs a description and a couple of final touches and then it will be good to go. I’m so excited to share these stories!

In case you missed it, here’s a sneak peek at the cover.

Date Night

I completed another 500 word piece this week. “Date Night” is about a teen whose life is turned upside down with an unexpected pregnancy. I’m planning to include this story in Twenty-Five Hundred, volume two.

Prairie Times

A couple more of my short stores have been accepted for the local magazine, Prairie Times.  “Scrambled” is a fun little piece that will be printed in the January issue. This story will also make an appearance in Twenty-Five Hundred, Volume I.

“Leo and the Carrot” was accepted for the March issue. It’s actually a true story about our sweet Australian Sheppard Mix from about 11 years ago, when Leo and I had a battle of the wills over a baby carrot. I’ll be posting the story here as well.

The Prairie Times also has a page up for books written by authors who have contributed to the magazine and “Super Me” is now included.

 

Baby

Yes, there’s kind of a theme here today. Pregnancy and babies are on the brain as I’m due with my baby #3 in February. I’m getting close to the third trimester and my two girls are looking forward to meeting their baby brother in a few short months!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During this month of gratitude, I am thankful for my busy and fulfilling days, creating stories in-between and around caring for, nurturing, and enjoying my family. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my words with you and so happy that you are here to read them.

Thank you, always, for your support.

Oh, and if you’re on instagram, you can now find me there for the latest writing updates @jessica_dazzo_author

Wishing you a wonderful and joyous Thanksgiving filled with love and abundance <3

Updates: The Zombie Novel, What’s on Deck, and Other Exciting News

August 26, 2019 / / 1 Comment

So, what’s happening with the zombie book I’ve been talking about? Is it done yet?

It’s time for an UPDATE!

Run

I posted a few months back about “Run” my young adult zombie novel. I’m excited to announce that I finished the first draft near the end of June! The manuscript is currently simmering on the back burner, waiting to be molded into a second draft and reworked until it’s ready for publishing. The story is in three parts and, once it’s finished, the parts will be available for download in electronic (kindle) format and sold all together as a physical book as well. I’m pleased with how the story turned out! There’s action, suspense, a bit of romance… and of course zombies. And not the lumbering slow kind. Watch out, ’cause these zombies RUN.

A New Project

Once the first draft of “Run” was completed, I immediately jumped into work on a new project that has been floating around my head for quite some time. This is a middle grade novel, meaning it’s geared toward the 8-12 year old range–between chapter books and young adult.  The book will be part of a series called, “Marigold and Nox: The Magical Adventures of a Girl and Her Cat”. I am about a third of the way through the first draft of the first book, entitled “The Wishing Well”.  In it, ten-year-old Marigold moves from the city to the country, where she meets Nox, the mysterious black cat, and discovers a magical doorway in her new bedroom. Adventure awaits.

I’m not sure how much I’m ready to talk about this yet, as it’s pretty new still.  But I can say that this sweet and fun series was inspired by the strong bond between my nine-year-old daughter and her kitty, Mischief, a cat true to his name.

There will definitely be more on “Marigold and Nox” coming later.

 

Some Big News

In other not-related-to-writing news…

Yep, that’s a baby in there!

#3 ETA February 2020!

After six or more grueling weeks of all day morning sickness, I’ve finally made it to the second trimester and am beginning to feel better. THANK GOODNESS. Now I can get back to making paleo goodies!

And now that my oldest is back in school, that means my toddler’s nap time is all about writing time for me.

Have a great week!

“High Tea” accepted for Colorado Magazine, “Prairie Times”

August 19, 2019 / / Comments Off on “High Tea” accepted for Colorado Magazine, “Prairie Times”

For the last several years, I’ve been a member of a writing group that meets once a month, The Longmont Writers Club. I’m currently the secretary, which is a position I’ve been enjoying.  (I’ve also been the vice president, but I like the secretary position more. Reminiscent to my days as an admin, I guess.)

Anyway, the club has been in existence since the early 1930’s. The premise of the club is that the members are given a topic to write on ahead of time. On the day of the meeting, we bring our pieces to read to the club for feedback. The rule is that the writing pieces cannot exceed 500 words.

As you may know, I LOVE the exercise of writing from prompts. When I heard about the club, I knew it was going to be a good fit for me. I have taken the 500 word limit as a personal challenge, and always bring a piece that is exactly 500 words. I love this because it forces you to really hone in on which words are going to tell the story best.

When I set out to write a 500 word piece, I start with an overabundance of words. Then I trim  until I have a more reasonable amount. And then I pick and choose. Replace and rephrase. Until I have exactly 500 words in the end. To me, this feels like really digging into the writing piece. Like I’m sifting and molding as I sort through the words. And the process is highly satisfying.

“High Tea” a short story

The first piece I took to the club was titled, “High Tea”. Fun fact, I was told about the writing club over the phone and misheard the prompt topic. The prompt was actually “The Key” but I heard “The Tea” .

…eh, I guess that’s not a very interesting fact.

Anyway, “High Tea” is a sweet little piece about seeing yourself through the eyes of your child and, ultimately, self acceptance.

I recently sent the story to the Byers, Colorado based magazine, “Prairie Times,”  and it was immediately accepted for the August 2019 issue.  They loved it and encouraged me to submit other stories.  Exciting!

 Read the story online here: http://www.prairietimes.com/Aug2019.pdf

They also sent me a copy of the August issue.

“High Tea” is on page 9

 

New Publication in the Works

I’ve been working on a compilation of short stories from some of these  prompt pieces, from various writing exercises, and from my other works. The book will be entitled “2500” and will include 20 short pieces, all 500 words each.  Look for this soon! I’ve finished putting the manuscript together and will be sending it off to my editor to get all polished up and ready for publication. I’m pretty excited to share these stories. Some may be familiar, such as Faye’s unfortunate coffee shop scene from the beginning of “Super Me”, or short stories posted on this site. Others will be brand new.

Oh, and hey,

Just for fun, this post contains…

EXACTLY 500 words

Boom.

Writer’s Corner: Writing a First Draft

May 6, 2019 / / Comments Off on Writer’s Corner: Writing a First Draft

As I mentioned in my previous post, the first draft of Run is going well so far.

But,  you may be wondering… WHY is it taking me so long to get the first draft of the book done? I got the idea back in July of last year, right?

Well, aside from  working around a toddler, taking some time off for a family trip and to pack up and move into a new house–you know, life stuff–the other reason it’s taking so long comes down to the first draft process for this project.

Let’s talk about the different ways you can write a first draft.

The NaNoWriMo Approach to First Drafts-AKA Quick and Dirty

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The basic premise is that you write 50,000 words in 30 days. At the end of the month you have a short, super rough, first draft.  It’s a process that values word quantity over quality because you don’t stop to edit your words at all. You just keep writing words upon words upping your tally to reach your word-count goal.

I love this style of first draft writing because it takes over-thinking off the table. You don’t take the time to ponder and choose the best words possible or if there is a better way to phrase something. You just write. It’s also, generally, and as you would expect, pretty terrible writing. I mean, bits and pieces may be great. Maybe you come up with  some amazing lines or find yourself with some intriguing  characters or interesting scenes, but without stopping to edit your words at all, it’s going to be a very rough first draft.

Generally, you also don’t share your work with anyone–actually, that’s one of the reasons you’re able to freely write such a crappy draft. There’s nothing to lose! It’s liberating and, more often than not, you’re going to surprise yourself. Regardless, at the end of the first draft, you’re going to have something to work with. If you really enjoy editing, this process may be the way to go. Once you have your rough, rough first draft, it’s all editing from there on out. You’ll need to spend a lot of time going through the rubble to dig out what the story is really about. That’s when you start revising and sifting and sorting until you have a much more clear second draft–another stepping stone closer to what your story will look like when it’s finally complete.

The Perfectionist Approach to First Drafts–AKA The Never-Ending Process

The exact opposite way to write your first draft is to write your very best draft possible. This means being extra deliberate with your words, choosing the very best possible words and phrasing along the way. You make sure your first line, first paragraph, first chapter and so forth are exactly the way they need to be before moving forward.

In my experience, this way of writing a first draft is excruciating. It’s a very critical way to write. You’re constantly analyzing your work. Your inner editor/inner critic is wide out in the open, working alongside you and that’s not an easy way to write.  When you’re trying to choose the best words, trying to get any words down is going to be difficult. And, I hate to break it to you, but there is no perfect way to write a book.

No, wait, I take that back. This isn’t bad news, it’s fabulous news. And worth repeating.

There is no perfect way to write a book

No matter how long you spend trying to get your words to to come out in the exact right way, you’re always going to find a better version if you look at it again. If you get your first chapter juuuuuuust right, odds are that once you have more written, you’re going to want to go back and change that first chapter. Usually, you won’t know how it will all unfold until you get the whole manuscript written, anyway. That means that words will have to change. You will need to rewrite. To edit. To revise and rework. You will need more than one draft.

So, getting that first draft “perfect” as you go….sure, it’s do-able, but it’s going to be challenge. With your inner-critic/editor on your shoulder, you’re not going to feel free to make mistakes. So you’re going to have a harder time getting words on the page and moving forward will be a struggle.

The good thing about writing this way is that if/when the draft is complete. It’s going to be pretty polished and a lot farther along than just a rough first draft. You’re going to be several steps up from digging in the rubble, with a strong, solid piece to move forward with–but it probably took a long time to get there.

The Middle of the Road Approach to First Drafts–AKA My Current Method

Or, you can do a combination of the two approaches. Meaning that you edit as you go, but you don’t get too hung up on using the right words.

This is what I’m doing with my current project, Run. I’m writing it chapter by chapter. Taking a little time on each chapter until I’m happy with it. I’m editing as I go, but am keeping in mind that this is just the first draft. That things will change and that’s okay. I’m not too attached to my word choice or worrying about it being perfect. Once I’m fairly satisfied , I move forward. I’m spending about a week on each chapter, never going back to edit previous chapters.  When I  come across things that need changing, I make a note to look at it later. In the end, I want a first draft to work with, but something a little more solid than a very rough first draft that I would need serious digging through.

I also did a lot of planning before starting this project. I have a lot of notes to work with, and an outline. Some scenes are all worked out. But I’m also going with the flow if something comes up. I’m not attached to the “plan” too much. I’ve found this to be pretty freeing and am having fun piecing the story together this way and learning my characters and their story more and more as I write out the draft.

So, yes, it’s taking me a little while to work out this first draft, but (I hope!) it will be well worth the wait.

(There may or may-not be a zombie stuck in a farmhouse in this story. We’ll just have to wait and see!)

A Note about the Planner/Panster approach to NaNoWriMo:

I realize that not everyone “pants it” during NaNoWriMo (pantser: someone who writes “by the seat of their pants”). I’m sure many go into it as a “planner”,  with detailed outlines and notes upon notes to work from. Maybe even having scenes planned out, chapter by chapter. But, in the end, you’re still going to be writing new words because that’s what NaNo’s all about–you’re winging it, to some degree and don’t stop to edit along the way. So, it’s still probably going to be a pretty rough first draft.

Interested in more on NaNoWriMo? You can visit their page here.

 

Writers: What’s your first draft process–how much (if any) editing do you do along the way?

 

The Zombies Called

April 24, 2019 / / Comments Off on The Zombies Called

Sometimes a story comes right at you.

A week before publishing Super Me, I had a brand new story come at me. Full. Force. I was in the car–on my way to take my youngest to her one-year check-up and that’s when the story first hit me. I furiously typed notes into my phone at stop lights and every chance I had. By the time we got back home, I had a rough, but solid, idea a new story–including the title, main characters, setting, first lines, basic plot line, and even a possible ending.

The next day, we took off for Breckenridge, CO for a few days on a little family vacation. I spent the whole time writing down flashes of scenes as they came to me and making notes and plans for this new story. It seemed like the craziest time to start a new project. Super Me would be released in just days! I had the sequel, Super Us close-ish to completion and the third in the series in progress (also some novella ideas I’ve been playing around with).

But, for whatever reason, my mind was spinning with zombies. So, I put aside A Super Series, temporarily, and focused on the project at hand.

 

A New Young Adult Novel…  with Zombies

It has been such a fun adventure! Writing zombie-fighting action scenes wasn’t something I thought I would be tackling and is so different than what I’ve written before. But I am loving getting to know these know these characters and figuring out how the story will unfold and piece together.

I’m also trying something new and writing this draft from two different character’s points of view–from the perspective of a girl… and a guy too. Will it work out?  Who knows! But I’m willing to give it a try because writing the story this way and switching between the two viewpoints, seems to be what fits best right now.

I’ve been swapping first draft chapters with my friend, former critique partner, and talented writer, Kathy Drazsnzak (check out her blog, it’s fantastic).  And of course, I’m also sending the chapters to my husband, Mike–he’s always up for reading whatever I come up with (even the random stories that pop up out of my prompt writing. I looooove writing from prompts!)

And now I’m getting close-ish to the end of the first draft of my newest novel…

Run

The description (so far) goes:

The virus has been released and few remain. The undead have taken over and those who are left must find a way to survive. Kaylie was weeks away from graduating high school when the virus ripped her future away. She is suddenly alone, afraid, and surrounded by monsters.  Hunter’s whole world crashed in a tragic accident long before the dead swarmed the Earth. Now, with nothing left to lose, he heads out into the unknown seeking revenge. Neither are prepared for what’s coming… in a world that wants them dead.

Sometimes a story comes at you and you just have to write it.

Sometimes a story comes at you and you just have to RUN with it.

“Waiting”: A Poem

March 17, 2019 / / 2 Comments

 

Waiting

 

In the hospital,

I wait.

In the room

I wait.

Alone.

In the middle

of the night,

I wait.

The nurses,

They go by.

They don’t stop.

Won’t tell me

About you.

If you’re okay.

Won’t tell me

If I’m okay.

Because,

How can I be okay

Without you?

I wait.

I tap and I wait.

I bounce my knee,

And I wait.

They called me.

An accident.

I came.

The world in a blur as I came.

Ran to you. Sped to you.

As fast as I could.

But, too late.

They said ‘wait”.

So, I sit. Tap. Bounce. Pray.

And I wait.

Without you.

Here.

I am here.

Waiting.

To find out if I am

Without you.

If I am forever

Alone.

Longmont TV interview

February 12, 2019 / / Comments Off on Longmont TV interview

 

My interview with my good friend, Amy Giaquinto, Giaquinto Productions,  will be airing soon! The interview discusses writing and publishing Super Me. At the end of the interview, I do a reading of the first chapter as well.

 

Friday, Feb 15th 12pm and 10pm

Saturday, Feb 16th 12pm

Sunday Feb 17th 12pm and 7pm

Monday Feb 18th 7pm

Wednesday Feb 19th 10am

 

You can also click this link to stream it live online! http://live.longmontchannel.com/

Authors We Love at the Longmont Library

February 7, 2019 / / Comments Off on Authors We Love at the Longmont Library

 

The Longmont Public Library has an annual event called the “Authors We Love Series” where dozens of authors are set up all around the library with copies of their books to sign and for sale.

From the Longmont Public Library website: “Readers can browse from table to table, meeting authors, asking questions, and even buying books. There will be published authors of fiction, nonfiction, adult, children’s, and young adult books, plus genres and subjects galore.”

I have been given the opportunity to participate this year with my novel, Super Me! So come find me this Saturday, February 9th, from 1-3:30pm. Meet some fabulous local authors and discover some great new books.

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