Grand-babies, Book Babies, Oh Baby!

First of all, THIS:

This is Carly Lynne, and she loves me. As much as I didn't think I'd be a grandma this soon in life, being a grandma is THE BEST. Her mom and dad are doing GREAT and she is in good hands. I wish I lived down the street. She is precious and sweet. Those are my jammie pants.

And now, some more happy happy news! I just turned in the final proofs for two projects!

Last week I turned in the novella, HANGING BY A MOMENT, for a romance anthology called WITH ALL MY HEART. The next place I see it will be in a box at my front door! I hope to post a cover for that soon. Need a tropical escape? Hanging By a Moment whisks you away to the British Virgin Islands and throws in some undeniable competition and chemistry in the sun.

The second project, my next novel, FALLING FOR YOU, was just turned in this afternoon! I'm so pleased with how it turned out! This story is funny, touching, and romantic. I love Elizabeth and Ryan. I love Jackson, Wyoming, in the Fall. Elizabeth was a snobby, flirty woman of the world who came to her sister's rescue in THE ORCHARD. But she was also alone. I just couldn't leave her like that . . . but I couldn't make it easy on her, either.

But I can give YOU something! I give you the shiny, brand new cover for my next novel, FALLING FOR YOU.

Isn't it beautiful? And perfect? It is, trust me. And because it's so great, I'm holding a contest.

 The Falling For You Cover-Love Contest!

Simply share this cover and the release date (FEBRUARY 2014) on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, your book review site, your sweetie's car window, anywhere it can be shared with others! Throw those hints around for Valentine's Day! Let me know how you shared and you will be entered into a drawing to win a signed copy of FALLING FOR YOU of your very own, or to give to your Valentine! The more you share, the more entries you will have. Even if you share again the next day! Or the next!

You have until Wednesday, December 18th, midnight, to spread the cheer. How easy is that?

Need a blurb?

Elizabeth Embry has traveled the world, been there, done that, lived a life of glamour... and fear. When an old colleague offers her a new career opportunity in the sleepy ski town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she feels an excitement she barely understands.

The two-week trial period is anything but the private getaway she hopes for. Elizabeth finds herself booked in the honeymoon suite of a woodland bed and breakfast, where her hosts greet her like family and her protected private life is as read as the complimentary morning newspaper.

But her friend is scheming and the handsome owner is aloof, drawing Elizabeth into a place she never thought she wanted to be. A place she knows she doesn't deserve.

Ryan Brennan is alone, raising his children, running the inn, keeping up walls to protect himself from betraying the promise he made his wife, even five years after her death. He does not welcome Nancy Colette's matchmaking, nor can he get the guarded Elizabeth Embry out of his head. But as events keep throwing Elizabeth in his path, he catches glimpses of who she really is and finds himself wanting to know more.

As two individuals struggle to find if there is more to living than their past, the people around them conspire to bring them together... to bring them home.

Now, go! Share, my lovelies!

Utah Book Signings 2013

*THE WINNER OF THE BOOK SIGNING PROMO CONTEST IS CORY WEBB! THANKS FOR THE RETWEET, CORY! You get to choose THE ORCHARD or OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE to have for your very own, or to give away! Let me know your shipping address and preference. CONGRATULATIONS.*

I'm heading over to Utah for the next several days. My daughter, Chelsea, and her husband, Matt, are about to bring my first grandchild into the world, and I'm going to be there! Hopefully. It looks like it, anyway. The doctor said so.

My publisher has arranged two book signings for me while I'm there, so pay attention and mark your calendar.

Tuesday, November 12
2:00-4:00 pm
Centervillle Seagull Bookstore
This is a joint signing with the lovely Margot Hovley (that rhymes), author of Sudden Darkness, and she's The Damsel on the Old School Blog. Plus, she's a great friend.



I really think that if you're in the Salt Lake area or north of the city, you should find an excellent excuse to head to Salt Lake, and stop by Centerville Seagull and say HI on your way. Or, you know, use US as your excellent excuse. We'll have chocolate. And lots of smiles.

Saturday, November 16
1:00-2:30 pm
Orem Seagull Books on University Avenue
I should definitely be a grandma by this time so stop in and we'll knit baby booties. Just kidding. But stop in! This will be my last trip to Utah in 2013. I'll sign your book, we can take pictures, or I'll show you pictures of the grandbaby! Oh! And chocolate.

Share this post and your name will go into a drawing to win a copy of THE ORCHARD or OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE. Your choice! Just leave a comment telling me how you shared the book signing. Contest ends Monday, November 11, at 10pm.

Thanks! See you soon!

When it Rains, it Pours

We are somewhat, kinda-sorta moved in to our new house in Washington! Time for a post, don't you think?

So much news and so little time. I have a window of 20 minutes between now and taking my son to school (I've already taken my daughter to her bus stop and picked Jacob up from early morning seminary--it's a late-start day for him YAY) and then I work out and then I leave for my chiropractor appointment (an hour both ways to my brother's office but better than 12 hours and totally worth it), and then I will be tackling a large stack of adoption paperwork, and then going to get 4 pumpkins to please get carved before Halloween so we look somewhat normal (as opposed to carving them after Halloween and looking lame).

THE INN has a new title! Dear Readers, I give you .. .... . . . . ......  . . .. (that's a drum roll)

Falling for You

by Krista Lynne Jensen

Three reasons I love this change: 1) The story is set in Autumn. Everything is falling: leaves, rain, snow, our characters...2) Waterfalls. 3) It sounds like a romance. Which it definitely is.

I'm very pleased. I'm also excited to announce that the final edits have been sent in and FALLING FOR YOU is with the copy editor RIGHT NOW. Time to gear up for some contests, don't you think? Honestly, this story is my favorite so far. I was eager for THE ORCHARD to be released so we could get this sequel out. You are going to love Elizabeth's story.

NEXT:

THE ORCHARD has received a really great review in the Deseret News HERE. But here's a snippet:
"Teenage fiction authors have found a niche in spinning Jane Austen’s timeless romances, and Krista Lynne Jensen’s delicate adaptation of “Persuasion” enlightens the genre." And, "...her interesting take on “Persuasion” is a welcomed, beautifully crafted and fresh addition to the Jane Austen adaptation genre."

I like it. I didn't even know I was writing teenage fiction! I'm diverse that way...

Along with this, I'm happy to see that THE ORCHARD is at #11 on the Deseret Books Romance list, and OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE still hovers around #6! Hooray!

MORE:

Yesterday I sent in the edits for my contribution to Covenant(my publisher)'s new romance anthology (yet to be titled). My story does have a title, though. It's called HANGING BY A MOMENT. The story is mainly set on a rented pontoon yacht in the British Virgin Islands.  I LOVE THIS SHORT STORY. I just do. I really hope you do, too. My story will be alongside the fabulous ANITA STANSFIELD's romantic offering, and one more author whose name I have not been given yet. If you know who you are, raise your hand. Hi!

AND... (okay here I have to leave because it's time to run boy-child to school. BRB.)

I'm back...to announce that I've been invited to be part of another anthology! Heather B. Moore, Annette Lyon, and Sarah M. Eden have asked me to write a short romance for their amazing Timeless Romance Anthology series. This is an e-book series and it's been doing very well and I'm just honored to be asked to take part in the next installment. To find out a little more about this collection, see and like their Facebook page HERE. I'm excited to get working on my story idea. I have butterflies.

SO, WHEN DOES ALL THIS HAPPEN? WHEN DO YOU SEE THE FRUITS OF MY LABORS?

Thanks for asking. It's a little crazy, and a little kaPOW:

ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WILL BE RELEASED IN FEBRUARY 2014.

KAPOW. February is going to be off the hook.

Did I say that right?

Uh, hello? Perfect month for romantic overload. So prepare to splurge. That's all I'm saying.

Now, I must go. I must get on my treadmill as my dear brother chiropractor has instructed me to, and strengthen my healing back injury. My first grandbaby is coming and I need to be able to hold her for a really really long time. My Gramma skills are going to be off the hook.

Make the day count, lovelies!

A Novella

Wikipedia told me a novella is a work of fiction anywhere between 17,500-40,000 words.
Short stories: under 7500 words.
Novelette: 7500-17,500.
Novel: 40,000 words or more.

My latest project clocks in at just under 21,000.

Behold, I've written a novella.

Several months ago my editor at Covenant requested that I submit a short story for an anthology (around 17,000 words, so novelette-ish). I was happy to give it a shot. HANGING BY A MOMENT is set on a yacht rental in the British Caribbean. This was an easy choice. Last October my husband and I took a rare opportunity to escape to the British Virgin Islands with my sister, her husband, and some of their friends. I kept a journal, all the while considering that the experience might work into a story someday.

The only hiccup was, 10 days on a rented pontoon yacht does not a full novel make. Although I had a basis for a story-line in mind, I couldn't shake the feeling that I would have to add or force additional settings to make it longer. But really all I wanted to do was create a focused story centered on the trip.

And then I got the request from my editor, and lo, a light shone around my story idea and I said, "SO LET IT BE WRITTEN. SO LET IT BE DONE." A focused story the way I envisioned it. A novella.

I'd never written a novella before, but I had written a short story, and I'd also seen the benefits of outlining when writing any story. The main thing I learned in writing short stories is to start in the middle, or even near the end. Lose subplots. Keep the MC up front. These guidelines worked well for the novella, too.

I figured I'd write about 1500 words per "chapter" (I kind of used scenes instead of chapters when drafting this shorter story). I divided my end goal word count by 1500 and wrote a skeletal outline. Super skeletal. I chose a word or phrase per "chapter", numbered them, and went to work getting my characters from one scene to the next. Sometimes I flipped scenes around, or crossed some out, or added a new one, but for the most part I stuck to the outline, hit the chapter word count almost without trying (that seemed to be how my pacing just played out and my characters quickly began to lead me), and let the fun happen without pulling all my hair out. Only some of my hair got pulled out.

Mission accomplished.

*sigh* It's a bit of vacation all over again:

The driver answered their questions in his thick island accent and as she listened, Kendal watched a different world pass by the windows. So much color. Poverty, wealth, commerce, tourism, all packed together in a humid tropical paradise. Bicycles, motorbikes, limousines, rusty old trucks, taxis, and flowers everywhere flowers could grow.  They passed a school yard filled with cocoa-skinned children dressed in white shirts and black shorts running crazily after a soccer ball.

She found herself leaning forward, nose almost touching the window, taking it all in.

“First time here, Magic?”

Kendal pulled away from the window and faced Bret, who had turned in his seat, his arm draped over the back. She hadn’t been called that in a really long time, and she wasn’t sure she liked how it made her feel. She shook her head. “Have you?”

Life at Full Speed Ahead

BOOK NEWS:
I am happy to announce the THE ORCHARD is still holding its place at #2 in LDS Romance over at deseretbook.com! I am so thrilled and surprised. Thanks to everyone reading LDS romance. And OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE is holding her own at #17 on the same chart. I'm so pleased with this. You never know how long a book is going to "live", and still being fairly new to all this I'm just enjoying this crazy ride.

I'll be posting about LDStorymakers 2013 soon. Again, it was fabulous. My favorite. Lots of stuff.

Many of you know OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE was a finalist for the 2012 Whitney Awards. The gala was held on May 11 and it was so much fun to sit at the VIP tables and be part of the shaky-hands, loss-of-appetite group of would-be winners. I sat with Annette Lyon and Janette Rallison, and my daughter, Chelsea, and her husband Matt. LDStorymakers founder Rachel Ann Nunes was also at our table. I'd never met Rachel or Janette before and loved getting to know them better. As the presenting for the Romance category began, Chelsea reached over and held my hands, which was good because I didn't quite know what to do with them. Of Grace and Chocolate didn't win, but EDENBROOKE by Juliane Donaldson did and it truly is a lovely romance. And Juliane is adorable. So I got to be in the Loser's Dessert Picture! Which has always been another dream of mine. So, sad . . . but YAY, CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE.

A few of my favorite losers: Julie Wright, Janette Rallison, Melanie Jacobson, and Me. 

Here is a list of the Whitney winners!

And here is where you can nominate your favorite LDS books of 2013. A title needs five nominations by readers to qualify for the initial judging. So it couldn't happen without you!

I would like to say I'm currently and steadily working on another project, and I have several in the hopper, but I explain below why any writing right now is very sporadic. But the sequel to THE ORCHARD is in the line-up for next year, and I'll be revising the third book soon. I'm revising SILK whenever I get a chance, and I'm working on a short romance for an anthology. It's very difficult having these stories inside, and struggling to get them out.

So here's why.

LIVING NEWS:
We are moving. We are leaving our dear little Cody, Wyoming and heading back home to Washington state. We are very excited about this new adventure but I'm very sad to be leaving my friends here in Cody. When you live in a tiny secluded town, people tend to make one another family very quickly, and we've appreciated that. But now it's time to be closer to my family. So, selling the house, purging seven years of "stuff", repairs, new paint, finding a new house, and the back and forth of my husband's new job leaves little time, seclusion, or focus for writing. I eke it out here and there and I MISS IT. But school is also out, kids are home, and for all their work in helping with the house and the showings, they also remind me that they are in need of "fun". So we try to fit that in, too. The cool thing is that we will soon be surrounded by orchards. Apple, cherry, pear, peach, blueberry . . . quite serendipitous, don't you think?

I am still recovering from the ruptured disc in my lower back. The first epidural steroid shot lasted 11 months, which is very good, but when it wore off, it wore off fast and hard. I received the 2nd shot in May, and the effect is not quite as good as the first time, but I think part of that is because I keep over-doing it with the moving thing. Trying to be better.

Our oldest son, Braeden, graduated from high school and is currently working on his application to serve as a missionary for the LDS Church. As some of you know, the Church recently changed the qualifying age to serve a mission from 19 to 18. So, Braeden has decided to take advantage of this and go serve as soon as he turns 18 in July. We are very proud and weepy. Can't imagine him gone for a few months let alone 2 years, but I know he will grow and serve and have an experience of a lifetime. Thank goodness for email.

And on top of this, we have also learned that we are going to be GRANDPARENTS. O_O Should have seen that one coming. We just found out it's going to be a little girl and I may have cried very happy tears. So although we are moving a couple hours farther away from the Utah writing scene I am so thankful to be a part of (and my daughter and her husband who is attending BYU), my visits will be no less frequent, because MY GRANDDAUGHTER will need me. And she will be there. I imagine Chelsea will appreciate that, too. I hope. :/ Due date: November 7.

And although all that is very exciting and busy news, we have this: the secret thing that I've been working on for months, before we knew we were moving, the decision that was hard-fought for many many years and now has been made and moved forward with my husband on board and the kids pushing from behind, all of us with anticipation, joy, impatience and a little bit of humble fright and bewilderment but with all the conviction in my bones . . .

We are adopting a little girl from China. 

I'll be blogging about this new experience over at Kickyloo&Co. if you're interested.

I just feel like I'm being pushed from behind, taking each step in a forward direction, doing what I can with it, counting my blessings along the way and staring down the roadblocks as I push past. And after what has to be two of the most difficult years of my life, good things are coming. Big, huge, challenging wonderful things.

Full speed ahead.



Note: I now have the first post up at http://kickylooandco.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-letter-at-start.html if you're interested in following along. It's our old family blog so it needs some updating, ha. More to come!

THE ORCHARD Book Trailer Contest

It's here! The book trailer for THE ORCHARD is here, and just in time. I'm already getting reports of THE ORCHARD being spotted on bookstore shelves! And you know what that means . . .

CONTEST TIME. 

All you have to do is share this book trailer in as many ways as you desire, as often as you desire. For each share, you get an entry into a drawing for a signed copy of THE ORCHARD and a beautiful cherry red scarf crocheted by me! And that's not all! Second place wins a signed copy of OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE, which is up for a Whitney Award! Double winning!

Just let me know here in the comments what you did to enter. The contest will be open until Saturday, April 6th at 10pm. So get the word out!

Special thanks to my son, Braeden, for creating another beautiful book trailer for me. XO.

THE ORCHARD COVER and a SWEET CONTEST

THE WINNER OF THE SHARE THE SWEETNESS COVER CONTEST IS:

RU!
Congratulations to the winner and thank you everyone for helping to spread the word about THE ORCHARD. I'm already cooking up the next contest to keep an eye out for another chance to win!

Ru, please send me your mailing address at kristalynnej at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

HERE IT IS!

I'm so pleased. It's perfect! The cherries! The heart! The swirly-stemmy lettering! And because I love this cover so much, I'm going to give a copy of THE ORCHARD away (juicy sweet cover included) in a celebratory contest! It's called the . . . the . . . Share the Sweetness Cover Contest! I just made that up just now.

I'm going to keep this simple. To enter you must:

1) Become a follower of this blog.

2) "Like" my Facebook Author page where you will get all the news about my books and events, here: Krista Lynne Jensen Author

3) Share the contest on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, email to your family, post it on the bulletin board at work, send it in a note to your kids' teachers, skywriting, that kind of thing. It you rent a billboard I will make you a pie. Let me know what you did in a comment here. You will be entered for each mode of sharing the sweetness.

This contest will run until Saturday, 10:00 pm. I will announce the winners here. THE ORCHARD will not be in my hands until April, at which time I will send the winner their very own signed copy.

And this will not be the last contest, oh no! You will have more chances to win, very soon!

Also coming soon, news about my book launch and signings. Stay tuned!


THE ORCHARD

After her mother's sudden death and her father's unexpected estrangement, Alisen Embry finds comfort and purpose working the cherry orchard adjoining her family's Montana home on Flathead Lake. When she meets Derick, a boy with dreams and spirit, she realizes his answers fill the empty spaces in her life. No two souls fit better, and no place could be closer to heaven than the orchard in Summer.

Their connection, however, is threatened by the intolerance and secrets of her father, and just when Alisen thinks she has found everything that could make her happy, she is given choices testing her love, and loyalty.

Derick Whitney is a compulsive returned missionary with his future mapped out, and beautiful Alisen quickly seals her place in those plans, and his heart, with her endless questions and obvious desire for the truth. But when his plans are both realized and ripped apart, he buries the whispers of wisdom and direction in bitterness and blame, leaving heaven, vowing never to return.

One letter brings these two lost spirits to face the choices they have made, and learn that losing themselves may be the only way they find home.

If you love Jane Austen's Persuasion, read The Orchard.

I'm A Whitney Award Finalist!

It's true. I got the news last night at midnight as I lay in bed, unable to sleep, playing Angry Birds. My phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. Then buzzed some more.

And I found this.

I found it here, under the heading, FINALISTS.

And there were lots of !!!! and virtual shouts of HOORAY and WOOHOO and HUZZAH! Virtual because  it was midnight and I didn't want to wake the house up.

And then I happily fell asleep and dreamed that I was offered a contract from an agency for SILK, and I didn't care at all that the contract was written in the margins of an old Cosmo magazine/scrapbook. :)

I'm so honored. And I have a bunch of friends on this list, too! Very very pleasant, vibrant, talented, excited company. 

Congratulations, everyone! I will see you at the awards gala!

*happy Whitney dance*

Roller Coaster Ride

I've been busy with good things and hard things and right now, RIGHT NOW, I have a breather so I'm breathing. This is me breathing.

( )  )(  ( )  )(  ( )  )(  ( )  )(  ( )

Okay that's enough of that.

I've just finished the first major round of edits for THE ORCHARD with my editor, Sam, and as exciting as it was, frankly, I'm fried. Frizzled. Because of some time/life/deadline issues it was an editing marathon between the both of us and I didn't get much sleep. It was entertaining and eye-opening to look at something I wrote four years ago (THE ORCHARD is the first book I ever wrote ever even including my submission in second grade for Young Authors because I procrastinated and my mom dictated a story to me about a girl who procrastinated--who I named after my sister, actually--and I still turned it in) and see how much I've learned and applied. I chuckled a lot. I grimaced a lot. I removed some cheese and kept some in. I had fun. I pulled out my hair. And I got excited honing this sweet romance into the voice I've grown into. I hope I did that. The copy editor has it now, then I get it for another go-over, and then, barring any major gaffes, it goes to print.

And then the real fun begins. Book covers. Back copy. Promotion. Woohoo!

I've also begun querying SILK. Trying to find an agent. This is a first for me. Oh, and writing a synopsis. Taking a 476 page book and condensing it down to...well, I did my best. It wasn't three pages. But it wasn't seven. Crossing my fingers, throwing salt over my shoulder, avoiding ladders, and wishing on stars. All that.

I'll be attending the LTUE writers conference for the first time next week. Megan Whalen Turner is the Special Guest and Keynote. I love her. Love. Looking forward to all the things I'll be learning and the people I'll be seeing and the rejuvenation that always comes with a writers conference.

In the meantime, I've been collecting images (creative commons) for a book trailer for THE ORCHARD and my son and I will be putting that baby together soon! I'll be presenting a class on the basics of writing romance at the Storymakers Writers Conference in May, so I'm researching for that. Lots of exciting stuff! I can't believe, sometimes, when I look back at when I first got an idea for a story and decided to write an outline, where that simple and compelling notion is taking me.

I love this ride.

CC Flickr by sfllaw.