Great news! “Super Me” is now available at the Dexter District Library, in Dexter, Michigan!
I stopped by yesterday and snapped a few photos.
Don’t mind me, fellow library patrons…. just over here taking selfies with my book.
Pretty exciting to see it on the shelf and available for check out!
If you are in the area, and haven’t yet read “Super Me,” you can now literally check it out in the teen section.
I have disappeared off the face of the internet for quite some time, focused on my family and getting through the darkness of the pandemic, if I’m being honest. It’s been busy. And difficult.
But I haven’t ever stopped writing.
I’m currently chugging away–ever so slowly, but chugging nonetheless– on the rewrite of Super Us.
YES! I’m still working on it. And YES it will–at some point– be published. I owe it to the characters that have a story to tell and who have yet to make an appearance–HELLO Destiny, Faye’s spunky daughter. I’m still in love with the story and can’t wait to get it finished so that I can share it with you.
As a little side note, I’ve recently written something that I’d like to share today, called “Apples and Oranges Are Both Fruit,” a very serious piece about comparing the two. I’m planning on including this in the second volume of “Twenty Five Hundred” my collection of 500 word pieces.
I hope very much that you enjoy this today. And I hope that you — whoever you are, where ever you are, if you are here reading this– I hope are doing well.
<3 Jessica
You know that expression, “It’s like apples and oranges?” Meaning they’re great in their own ways, but you can’t compare the two because they are way too different.
You can’t compare apples to oranges because one is fruit and the other is… also fruit.
That’s my problem with the expression. Why wouldn’t you compare apples and oranges? They’re actually very similar. They’re types of food. Both from fruit trees. Each are round. And are sweet. A delicious fruit either way.
So why is the expression about comparing apples and oranges? Why not opposite things? Like apples and… sardines? “It’s like apples and sardines” That’s better. They are nothing alike but both are good, in their own right.
Although, that’s a matter of opinion, isn’t it? I happen to like sardines even though I know most do not. The majority would surely say apples are much better than sardines and that there is no comparison between the two. And I might agree, depending on my mood. But maybe I want a little protein. Then I would say sardines are better than apples because apples don’t have any protein. Neither do oranges for that matter. Oranges do have vitamin C though, and apples don’t. But apples do supply other vitamins. Let’s just say there are health benefits to all of these options.
I’ve lost track of my point. Where was I? Apples and oranges and sardines. All types of food and each healthy and also relative to one’s taste. But they’re not exactly opposites, are they?
You’d need to compare things that weren’t types of food. Like apples and… rocks? “It’s like apples and rocks.” Does that work? Well, isn’t the point that they are different but also good– or valuable– in their own way? What’s good about a rock? Not much. Depending on the rock, of course. What kind of rock are we talking about here? Gold? Diamond? “It’s like apples and diamonds.” Well, anyone would choose the diamond–even if you were hungry because the diamond could be sold for many, many apples or sardines or whatever you wanted to eat. No one could say that apples and diamonds are equal but different and that’s the key to fixing the expression.
So what has exactly the same value as an apple but is also the opposite of an apple? An apple represents sustenance. What else is vital to survival? Breathing. Okay. What about, “It’s like apples and air.” Ooh, I like that. Both are essential. Eating and breathing. Apples and air.
Good. Now that I’ve fixed the expression I need to go find something to eat. All this talking about food has worked me up an appetite. Now I need to decide what I should eat for lunch. I’ve got a tin of sardines and some fruit. Wouldn’t you know? Apples and oranges.
Hmmm. Apples or oranges. Apples or oranges? Do I want tangy or crunchy? How do I choose? Looks like I need to make myself a fruit salad.
A short story I wrote a couple of years ago called “Changes” was published this month in the Colorado magazine, “Prairie Times.”
I thought it would be fun to share it here as well.
Flying down the path, sneakers skimming over the pavement as my favorite running playlist blasted in my ears. I was high on adrenaline. Riding the rush of endorphins. It was always the best part of my day. I’d run that trail a thousand times. Wasn’t paying attention. Wasn’t watching where my feet landed as I took the free-feeling for granted. That’s when I tripped.
One second, I was speeding along the trail, wind rushing past me, and the next I was skidding to a halt. Slamming into the pavement, knee first. It burned immediately and I cried out, yanking my headphones from my ears and rolling to a stop on the grass on the side of the trail. The ground was wet from the recent rain. Cold seeped through the seat of my shorts. And my ankle—oh my ankle hurt bad. It must have twisted on my way down. Maybe it was sprained. Or broken.
Blood was beading up fast from the gash on my knee. I covered it with my hand, pressing, as I looked wildly around me. I was in the middle of nowhere. Hadn’t seen anyone on the way up. Was miles from my car. The sun was low in the sky and sinking fast. I’d skipped lunch and my post-run power bar was in my car along with my water bottle, which I’d left at the last minute.
No food. No water. And no one knew I was even here. I didn’t even tell my cat—though a lot of good that would have done anyway. Silly. Cats can’t call 911. Even clever ones like my Chloe. It could be hours before anyone found me. Days even.
All I could do was sit there. Think about my life. All the crappy parts of it. The way I always joked about that awkward girl at the office, what’s-her-name. The way I was rude to the girls that did my nails the other day.
But I could be a better person. Volunteer or something. Go to church.
Eat fewer doughnuts.
I could do that. I would, if I were only to be rescued. All I needed right then was a tall, dark, and handsome someone to come running up the trail. Someone to swoop me into his arms and carry me down the hill to safety. If only my hero would show up. Well, I would change my life. I would.
And then—footsteps! The thud of shoes hitting pavement. Coming my way! I fixed my pony tail and scooted, turning, to see a group of girls running up the path.
“You okay?” the tall one asked, judge-y eyes looking me up and down.
I stood. “Fine,” I answered to her back. The herd of them had already bounced past.
I looked down at my unbroken ankle that didn’t even hurt anymore. At my knee that was no longer bleeding. I plodded down the hill to my car.
Oh well, looked like a doughnuts-for-dinner kind of night.
“Changes” is one of 20 short stories in my book Twenty-Five Hundred (available here!)
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!
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…
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.
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.
I’m working on the first draft of a new novel.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
So, what’s happening with the zombie book I’ve been talking about? Is it done yet?
It’s time for an UPDATE!
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.
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.
In other not-related-to-writing news…
Yep, that’s a baby in there!
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!
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.
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…
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.
My good friend, Amy Giaquinto, is an award winning filmmaker and screen writer. When she approached me about doing an interview on local TV channel 8 about writing and publishing Super Me, I thought it sounded like an amazing opportunity! I also was wary–was this something I could actually do? It was definitely outside my comfort zone…. I’m so much more comfortable writing than I am speaking!
Well, we did it. I took a big ‘ol step outside of my zone and went for it.
This morning, we filmed the interview at Channel 8.
Amy produced and directed. She asked me questions and I did my best to answer cohesively! I also read the end of chapter one of Super Me–the awkward-funny and devastating scene in the coffee shop where Faye’s journey begins.
Here I am… on set! I *think* it went pretty well. Of course, I haven’t watched it yet…
During the interview I had a BIG announcement and I’m just bursting to share the news!
I’m working with another talented friend of mine–local artist, Laura Somers, to put together a picture book. I wrote the manuscript several years ago and she is currently working on illustrations. Berries for Bruno is about a bear who’s stuck in his ways and is forced to step out of his comfort zone and try new things. (I guess that’s the current theme, isn’t it?)
We will be publishing Berries for Bruno this year. I can’t wait!
Check out Amy’s facebook page, Guiaquinto Productions, and catch her new trailer for her hilarious short film, “Date Night In”. And stay tuned for book release news!
I had my first reading on Saturday at the FoCo Book Fest in Fort Collins, CO!
There were lots of things going on with the Book Fest at various venues downtown on Oct 19th and the 20th, including writing workshops, a poetry reading, book signings and best selling authors speaking–including the keynote speaker Andy Weir (who wrote the Martian and Artemis).
There was also a local author reading at the Art Lab on Saturday. It was an all day event where local authors had a chance to share their work.
My slot was from 12:05-12:15. I read the first chapter of Super Me.
This was the first time I’d read from my novel to a group. I was nervous! But a few friends showed up to the reading, the room was kind, and it ended up being a really great experience.
The chapter even got a few laughs, which was pretty awesome.
After the reading, I slipped across the street to a little bookstore called Indigo Rose Books. It’s upstairs above the clothing consignment shop.
And now, Super Me now has a new home!
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© 2024 Jessica Dazzo
