Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Soul Searching by Jamie-Jo Brenner Guest Blog & Giveaway




What made me choose my genre?

I’ve always felt most comfortable writing for young adults or at least about young adults. Perhaps I’m still a child at heart. I have a lot of experience working with young people/teens so it’s always in the forefront of whatever I write. I love the idea of helping them through difficult times, so if I can’t do that physically through my volunteering then I hope that my writing can do it.

I feel that a coming of age story is something everyone can related to, because you’re either going through it or you’ve been there already. Either way, it’s something that you can understand and identify with. I know that this story sort of crosses between genres a little bit. It could be considered a drama and even slightly a supernatural piece, but at its heart I believe it to simply be a coming of age story about a group of friends who try to find themselves. Brent has to wrestle with his past which causes his sister to have uncertainty about her future. I think that their story is the most important within the book. Their relationship. Their experiences. Their thoughts and feelings with what they are forced to endure is the heart of the novel.


 I believe that these are things that anyone can relate to, but that it worked better having them young adults rather than in their 30’s like I am. I just feel that being a teenager is difficult without any added problems or pressures, so when you put them in certain situations it makes the whole thing a lot more fun to write about. I think as a whole, we’d feel more empathetic toward a young person dealing with an identity crisis than we would with someone more grown up. I guess that’s why I choose the genre, because the story I wanted to tell would be more easily understood and believed coming from someone so young.




I'm a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Tang Soo Do. I have been on mission trips, one to Haiti and the other to a Native American Reservation/Camp in Oklahoma. I loved both experiences.

I am in the Army Reserves. And I volunteer at Camp Sunshine each August. I also work in Security for Farmer's Insurance. And I was a victim's advocate for the YWCA.

My passion is writing and I love to read. I wrote a books, A Place for Me, and most recently, Soul Searching.

When I was 19, I made an independent film (wrote, directed and starred in it) called, Weight of the World. I wrote A Place for Me when I was 20. Published it at 21. When I was 22, my cousins and I made a indie movie out of it.

Now at 32, I wrote another book. Soul Searching.

Author Links - 





I also have a facebook page for me, Jamie-Jo Brenner as well as Soul Searching novel page.




Book Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Self-Published through CreateSpace on Amazon
Release Date: July 16, 2014
Buy Link(s):




Book Description:


Brent Harper is the perfect guy. He's Max's hero--the boy she's had a crush on since the school year began. But when Brent goes missing, Max must face the truth that she really doesn't know him at all. In order to find him, she will first need to learn everything she can about him.

After Brent wakes up without any memories, his only choice is to trust the first person he sees. Alison, the girl who finds him, promises to help him remember. But what if he doesn't want to remember? When his memories start to return, Brent is confronted with the hardest decision of his life.

How do you choose between who you thought you were and who you want to be?








Excerpt:


Prologue
Brent

There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.
-Seneca

Images of the fight flooded my mind. I’d considered Lucas and Mark my friends, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. I stopped them from picking on my best friend, Max, and the next thing I knew I was shoved against a locker. The cold metal rattled loudly when my body slammed into it. My head throbbed in pain at the contact.
“Stay out of it for once,” Lucas growled.
“Maybe it’s time you learned your place,” Mark spat at me as his fist knocked the wind out of my lungs.
Lucas’s knee connected with my ribs, and I winced in pain. They alternated between knees to stomach, and punches to my face. I fell to a clump on the ground. I knew I should‘ve defended myself, but I made a promise to someone--a promise that I swore I’d keep. I took the beating without complaint, because I knew I deserved it. I always deserved it.
Between kicks, I heard Mark say, “Dude, fight back.”
It sounded like a plea. But I lost consciousness before I figured out the significance of it. It’d been hours since that fight, but even now my ribs hurt and my face ached. Even with all the blood washed away, I bore evidence of the fight, and had feared going home.
I wandered the streets and watched the sky darken around me as I prayed for answers that never came. If they had come, I wouldn’t have done something that I already regretted. I made my choice. And even if I didn’t remember this in the morning, the truth of it weighed heavily on my mind tonight. My demons always found a way to haunt me. Somehow, I knew they’d follow me this time as well. I just wished I hadn’t chosen to start this journey alone.
I reached my destination, and had I taken one last look at the sky. I found my favorite constellations, and recalled all the times I’d admired this same sky. I always felt at home among the stars--they were the only good thing about the darkness. Their presence harkened the depths of imagination. They were ageless as they gazed back at us. We were mere fragments in the lifetime of a star. I longed for that kind of immortality. Even now, I yearned to exist.
I collapsed onto the grass, and fought off sleep for as long as I could. I was terrified of tomorrow. Exhausted, I dispelled one last breath of hot air, and I resigned myself to my fate. Things were finally going to change, I’d seen to that. I couldn’t run forever. And with that thought in mind, I had closed my eyes, and allowed the spell to take me.





Schedule

August 24 - October 13


August 24 - Introduction at VBT Café Blog

August 26 - Guest Blogging at Coffee, Books & Art

August 28 - Spotlight at Cherry Mischievous


September 2 - Reviewed at Give Me The Books


September 4 - 6 Besties at BK Walker Books


September 8 - Guest Blogging at Bikers With Books


September 10 - Spotlight at Mom With A Kindle


September 12 - 5 Things I Know For Sure & Favorite Recipe at CAT Magazine


September 15 - Reviewed at AG LANG Writes


September 17 - Interviewed at Ghost Rider Book Promotions


September 19 - Interviewed at BK Walker Books Etc.


September 22 - Guest Blogging at Black Coffee, Brown Cow


September 24 - Reviewed at Debbie Jeans


September 26 - Review & Interview at Deal Sharing Aunt

September 29 - Review & Guest Blog at


October 1 - Interviewed at The Avid Reader


October 3 - Guest Blogging at Lori's Reading Corner


October 6 - Author 2 Author Marketing at BookIt BK


October 8 - Interviewed at Yah Did Marketing Radio at 6:30pm EST


October 10 - Interviewed at Immortality & Beyond


October 13 - Reviewed at BK Walker Books






1 comment:

  1. Hi there - Thanks for posting this. I like that the author considers herself young at heart. I think you need to be in order to write for younger readers. :)
    D. Coto (fictionzeal.com) - Pit Crew

    ReplyDelete