One Last Post Before…

COMIC CON THIS WEEKEND!

Yaaaaaay!

I’m so excited, y’all.  It’s going to be so amazing.  There was even an article written about it on our local news site: http://www.wfaa.com/story/life/2015/05/28/11-reasons-to-go-to-fan-expo-dallas-this-weekend/28056701/

I even got myself a shiny new Square credit-card reader for the event.  Fancy, fancy.  I feel so official now.

I also wanted to remind you all that Cemetery Tours and Between Worlds are still on sale for $0.99 on Kindle!  That deal is only going to last until MONDAY so take advantage while you still can!

Also, if you have a spare moment, stop by and check out my friend’s Kickstarter fund!  She is in the last two days of making her dream a reality and I hope and pray she reaches her goal: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hannahkalvarez/snapdragons-mix-and-matchable-stuffed-animals

I must confess, I wish I was a better marketer.  I have so many friends who are so creative and brilliant and amazing and I try my best to share their work and help them in any way that I can, but I don’t think I’m very good at marketing and spreading the word.  It’s probably because I’m a libertarian.  I don’t discuss politics here (mostly because anything I say is guaranteed to offend at least one person and I don’t like fighting or confrontation) but I do know I have very centrist, libertarian views.  I’m really bad at telling other people what they should be doing or reading.  I’m like, “Yeah, hey, go buy my book.  Or don’t.  You know.  Whatever works best for you.”

Maybe one day I’ll get the hang of it.

That being said, enjoy your weekend and if you or someone you know is in the Dallas area, tell them to stop by Comic Con and say hi!

Antiquing

Dallas Comic Con is this weekend.  This will be my first time there, both as a fan and as a guest author.  I’m super, super excited about it, but I also have NO idea what to expect.  I think I’m set as far as wardrobe goes (I’m not dressing up like a character, but as always, I am going to try to dress nice and like I’m totally qualified to write ghost stories), but I’m still a little uncertain as to what my table should look like.  In the spirit of aesthetics and consumerism, I decided to visit an antique store.

I didn’t really find anything that I thought would go well with my table, but my sister and I did venture into the very back of the store, and the moment we set foot there, we both decided it was totally haunted.  Here are some of the pictures that I took in an attempt to capture the spooky atmosphere.

Okay, so I took way more pictures than I thought I did.  But it was a really cool store!

In other news, yesterday the weather was awful, so my sister, a friend, and I decided to watch that terrible movie adaptation of an even more terrible book.  You know, the one that’s supposed to be really kinky.

Yes, I’m talking about Fifty Shades of Grey.  And yes, I drank a lot of wine.

I went into this movie thinking that I would be laughing and rolling my eyes at how awful it was.  I expected it to have a mediocre script with mediocre acting.  But overall, I thought I would at least be a little shocked and scandalized.  Sadly, I was none of the above.

Y’all.  This movie is boring.  I was so surprised at how bored I was the entire time.  It wasn’t even so bad that it was funny.  It was just dull.  I didn’t care what happened to anyone (except the cute guy who worked in the hardware store, but we never saw him again after his glorious first appearance – sad).  What made it worse was that I found myself hoping something weird and crazy would happen just to make the six bucks I spent worth it.  But no.  Nothing.  Just a crazy rich control freak (with an apparently super pointless business because I have no idea what he actually does) obsessed with a girl with the personality of a dust mite (I swear, this girl could win the lottery and she’d still be like, “Meh”) and sometimes he spanks her.

Hello!  This movie was rated “R?”  Why?  Because they said the F word a few times?  Maybe years of watching crime dramas and cult documentaries has desensitized me or something, because this movie was just two hours of lame.  Also, I am sick to death of the female protagonists with the personality of a wet paper towel falling head over heals for the angsty tortured guy who’s “so bad for them” while completely ignoring the sweet, cute, happy, funny, down-to-earth guys that would make much better boyfriends.  Christian Grey doesn’t like going to movies or out to dinner?  Forget you, pal.  You sound like the worst date ever.

Oh, and you’re a stalker too.

Anyway, there’s my Fifty Shades rant.  If you’re still reading this, I applaud you.

Enjoy the rest of your evenings, everyone!

Another List

Alright.  It’s Friday.  For most people, the week is winding down, they’re wrapping up projects, getting ready to relax.  But as I’m sure all the independent artists and entrepreneurs out there know, there is no such thing as a weekend when you’re in business for yourself.  There is always work to be done.  There’s no schedule.  There is work that can be done every day.  Sometimes, Saturdays and Sundays are even busier than week days.

I’ve kind of reached a point where I have so much going on that my brain has just started deleting information.  This isn’t necessarily a bad problem, because I’d much rather be busy than sitting around and doing nothing.  But at the same time, I really need to remember and stay on top of things and I can’t have my brain just selecting stuff at random and getting rid of it.  That’s just not gonna fly.

So the time has come to make another list of things I need to do and things I need to remember. Because if I don’t remember it, no one else will.

Except for my mom who, thankfully, reminded me that I have a wedding to go to tomorrow.  Thanks, Mom!

Anyway, here we go.  Yet another List of Things Jackie Needs to Remember.

* You’re going to your friends’ wedding tomorrow!

* You still need to buy a gift for aforementioned wedding.

* Write.

* Make sure you have everything you need for Comic Con.

* Don’t forget you have to set up for Comic Con on Wednesday.

* Keep Writing.

* Finish reading Paula Baker’s new book (It’s excellent. I’m really loving it!)

* Write, write, write!

* Lurking in the Woods submission due May 31!

* Cemetery Tours 3!

* Stop binge-watching Ghost Adventures.  Zak Bagans is not going to fall in love with you through the television screen.  Just let it go.

* Friend’s graduation on Sunday!

* You have to look nice two days in a row.

* Stop complaining about the weather.  I know the cold and the rain are giving you a bit of an attitude.  Get over it.

* Just stay focused.  So many good things are happening for you.  Keep working.  Enjoy it.  You have so much to look forward to.  Be gracious and keep going.

* Stop forgetting your allergy meds.

* Stop forgetting your anxiety meds.

* Again, write, write, write.

Love you all.  Have a great weekend!  I’ll let you know if I make it through in one piece.

PS: All my writer friends, remember to check out my last post if you’d like to be a part of the Lurking series presented by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing!

https://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/the-lurking-series/

The Lurking Series

Hi, friends!  Happy Wednesday!

I’m so happy.  The sun is actually out.  It’s been so cloudy and rainy recently, which, as y’all may know, is very unusual for Texas.  I mean, yeah, we get thunderstorms and maybe even a few tornadoes every year, but it has never been THIS constantly rainy.  It’s like living in Florida or something.  It’s been great for lakes and plants (we’re not in a drought for the first time in YEARS) but you know me.  I like the sun!  I like being outside!  I need Vitamin D!!!

Anyway…

Today, I wanted to talk to y’all a little bit more about The Lurking Series, presented by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing.  The first in this series, Lurking in the Deep, is already out.

I love being a part of this amazing group of hard-working, talented, and dedicated authors.  Jaidis Shaw, who headed up the project and edited the entire 200+ page book especially went above and beyond in pouring her heart and soul into making this book, and now this series, a reality.

Because I know so many of you are exceptionally talented writers and authors, I wanted to share this opportunity to be a part of the rest of the series!  There will be at least three more books, Lurking in the Woods, Lurking in the Mind, and Lurking in the Shadows.

These are all open submission and a fantastic opportunity for published and aspiring authors!  I’ve loved being a part of this series and I’m so proud of Lurking in the Deep.  It’s a wonderful collection of exceptional stories.

Lurking in the Deep: http://www.amazon.com/Lurking-Deep-Jaidis-Shaw-ebook/dp/B00X6MGZNU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432145399&sr=8-1&keywords=lurking+in+the+deep

Jaidis Shaw: http://www.junipergrove.net

Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing: http://www.crushingheartsandblackbutterfly.com

Calling All Writers: Fun Facts

Last night, my friend Jonas Lee (http://jonasleeblog.com), author of The Legend Of Carter Gabel series, invited me to be a part of his online hangout.  I think it’s up on YouTube, but I really hate watching myself, so I haven’t looked!

Anyway, during our discussion, we started talking about how we got into writing and eventually got onto the topic of fun facts that others might not know about our books.  I asked if he would write down the story he told me so that I might share it on my blog and also so that I might invite all you other writers out there to do the same thing!  I love trivia, I love fun unknown facts!

If you would like to participate, you can either write your story in the comments section OR write your own blog post and share it in the comments section!  I would love to read them!

So without further ado, please welcome Mr. Jonas Lee, Author of the Carter Gabel Saga.

As we all find the stories we love to read and befriend the authors who have written them, it is quite surreal to find yourself in their same company. For me, getting to interview the likes of Jacqueline E. Smith, Shannon A. Thompson, Nina Soden and others that I’ve had the chance to read has been wonderful. Little moments we get to share while conversing have made it feel more like a community than an endless space of internet.

What’s better than those little moments of conversation? Finding out the hidden gems behind the meaning of characters, origins of books and so many wonderful things tidbits that comprise our own little Extras portion if we were a DVD menu. For me, I shared one with Jackie last night and I will share it again for anyone who missed out on our YouTube shenanigans. 

Back when I first started blogging, I decided to try and lure hopeful followers in with a weekly story. So, I dug back into my archives and found a one-chapter fan-fiction I dabbled in. I had read The Time Traveler’s Wife and had watched the movie when that spark of “what-if” hit me and I put fingers to keys in order to get the idea out. Many years later it started out as that one-chapter piece I would offer out to fans.

Weeks went by and soon, there were eight chapters fully developed. I decided to bag the idea and continue the story offline. At that moment, the piece had originally been called The Time Traveler’s Grandchild and would evolve into A Time to Reap within a few short months. That first book spawned another and the final chapter in the Legend of Carter Gabel is now underway. It’s amazing where ideas will take us and just how many people we touch with them along the way. I’ve met some great people and I can’t wait to see how many more will be on my journey. I hope you’ll follow me and be one of them.

I just loved that story and I’m so glad to have Jonas as a friend and colleague!  Thank you so much, Jonas, for inviting me to be a part of your hangout last night and for being a guest on my blog this afternoon!

You can find the first book in The Legend of Carter Gabel series here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M8AZBKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M8AZBKE&linkCode=as2&tag=jonleesima-20&linkId=KK7K2EHW24G5KWG5

Thanks y’all!  Remember, leave me a story or a link in the comments section below!  I’d love to hear from you!

Thank You!

Hi, friends!  Happy Monday!

Okay, so the next two weeks are going to be crazy busy, but in a very very good way.  I have a lot that I need to get done and a lot to prepare before Comic Con weekend.  Thankfully, even though my dad (who usually goes with me to big events) will be out of town, two of my very best friends, Kat and Rachel, will be there with me to help!  They’re both super nerdy and super awesome, so they’ll be a very welcome addition to the team.  Kat also happens to be one of my editors.

My real purpose behind this particular post, however, is to thank you, thank you, thank you all for all the love that Boy Band has been receiving.  This is the book that started out as a NaNoWriMo project.  I wasn’t even planning on writing it, and once I started writing it, I had no idea if I would even finish it, so to see it doing so well is just overwhelming!

As a token of my gratitude, I’ve lowered the price of the Cemetery Tours and Between Worlds Kindle Books.  For the next week, both books will only be $0.99 on Kindle (though I don’t think it’s been changed just yet… Might take a few hours).  Y’all are so, so awesome and wonderful and Agh!  I just can’t even begin to express how I’m feeling right now!

http://www.amazon.com/Cemetery-Tours-Jacqueline-Smith-ebook/dp/B00F7CHQ08/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1431967138&sr=8-1&keywords=cemetery+tours

I hope you all have a great Monday!

All Good Things!

So a few months back, my good friend and fellow author, James Peercy asked me if I might be interested in participating in this little event called Comic Con.  I said, “Yes, of course!” thinking, Wow, if this could actually happen, that would be a dream come true! 

Well, yesterday that dream came true!

James messaged me to inform me that we will, in fact, have a booth and be selling our books at Dallas Comic Con!

http://fanexpodallas.com

I’ve never actually been to Comic Con, but thanks to my love for The Big Bang Theory, I like to think I’m still worthy of being a part of it.  I am so, so, so excited, y’all.  This really is a huge dream come true to take part in an event like this!

In other news, I think I’ve finally recovered from that 24-hour-turnaround to and from Lubbock to pick my sister up from college.  Here’s the thing.  I love road trips.  I love driving.  I love Texas.

I do not love Lubbock.

I don’t know why, but Lubbock has it out for me.  You know Murphy’s Law?  Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong?  That happens to me EVERY time I visit Lubbock.  I’m not going to make a list of everything that Lubbock has done to me, because frankly I don’t have the time.  Just know that Lubbock hates me.

The drive out there is kind of fun, however.  That is when it’s not pouring down rain like a freaking hurricane in Florida.  Seriously, I’ve never seen rain like this.  There was one point where a giant truck passed the car I was driving (my sister was with me, our mom was up ahead in a rent car), and splashed this wave of water all over the windshield and I was totally blind for about three seconds.  I know it doesn’t sound like much, but three seconds with no vision, going 75 MPH on an overpass?  Not safe.  Not fun.  Very scary.  I really thought that was the end.  Sadly, I wasn’t thinking, “Oh no!  I have precious cargo (AKA my sister).”  I was thinking, “Oh no!  My kitty is going to be an orphan!”

Thankfully, we all made it home safely, if not completely dry.

Those are just a few pictures from the drive (the dry one, not the one with all the rain).  They’re all very Texasy.

Have a great weekend, y’all!

Oh!  And one more thing… Boy Band has remained in the top 20,000-10,000 Bestselling Kindle books for the past almost three weeks.  I am totally and completely overwhelmed.  Thank you all so much.  I’m trying to think of a neat way to thank you all!

Much love!

And Back Again

Okay so… long story short… it’s raining.  A lot.  And I’m exhausted because I woke up at 6:30 to drive seven hours home from Lubbock in what turned out to be something very much like a desert hurricane.

That being said, here are some pretty pictures to look at.

Rainbow Over Dallas

It’s always a gamble meeting the people you really admire.  They can turn out to be just as amazing as you ever dreamed.  On the flip side, they might end up disappointing you.  Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor and Park and one of my favorite books of all time, Fangirl, was not exactly what I was expecting.

She was even more amazing.

I went in to the reading and signing thinking she would be a neat person.  I love her books.  I follow her on Twitter.  She seemed like an all around awesome person and fellow fangirl.  But actually seeing her in person and meeting her?  Oh my goodness, she is marvelous.

She was all smiles from the moment she appeared, to the reading from My True Love Gave To Me, to the Q&A session, all the way to personally meeting and greeting each and every one of her fans.  She’s genuine and hilarious and sweet and enthusiastic.  She’s everything I want to be, not just as an author, but as a human being.  She’s so real, so personable.  She treated each and every one of her fans like they were the only person in the whole room.  I knew I admired her writing going in, but now I admire her even more as a person.

Yes, me being me, I gave her a copy of Boy Band.  She was so sweet and she congratulated me and offered to take a picture with it.  I’m telling, y’all, she is so awesome.

One of the artists who contributed to the special edition was there also!  Her name is Simini Blocker and she is just as delightful!

Such a wonderful experience meeting these talented and wonderful women!  Thank you both so much!

Hitting the Road

Hi, friends!

I won’t be blogging as much this week as I normally do becaaaaaause I’m road-tripping up to Lubbock tomorrow to pick my sister up from college!  Since my dad still can’t drive, my mother has enlisted me to help be a mover and a driver.  I’m secretly stoked, even though I’m totally allergic to Lubbock.  I just can’t wait for a good road trip and to see my sister!  We’re going to have a blast.

I will probably be updating my adventures on Instagram and Twitter, however, so if you’d like to keep you, you can follow me here:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacquelineesmith/

or here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackieSmith114

In other news, I had a fun weekend.  It was two of my friends’ birthday, so I got to bake them a layered cake!  I have never baked a layered cake before, so this was a brand new adventure.  I like to think, however, that it was a success.

Then this morning, I visited the Transamerica Book Club as a guest author!  I had so much fun and so enjoyed meeting everyone and talking about ghosts and books!

Now tonight is going to be a HUGE treat.  You me obsessing last fall over a little book called FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell (and if you don’t, here’s the link: https://jackiesmith114.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/ode-to-fangirl/).  Well, Rainbow herself is at BARNES AND NOBLE tonight and guess who is going to meet her?!  THIS GIRL!

I’m so excited.  I’m so excited.  Fangirl was a huge contributing factor into my decision to write Boy Band.  For one thing, it was also a NaNoWriMo book.  For another, it just reminded me of how much I love cute, fluffy, fun books.  I cannot wait to meet Rainbow tonight.  I know, just from reading her books and following her on Twitter, that she is super awesome.

I’ll definitely be posting pictures!  Talk to y’all later!