Jess Macallan's Blog

It's been too long since my last post. Life has been wonderful and busy. Last year we became licensed foster parents, and have been enjoying our foster infant for the past 7+ months. The addition of an infant has blessed us with baby belly laughs and sweet coos, along with sleepless nights and a serious decrease in writing time. Thankfully I'm getting back into a writing schedule, but it's been a long time in coming.

Being a writing mom requires flexibility. Lots and lots of flexibility. And caffeine. Becoming a foster mom has been the single most challenging thing I've ever done (or asked my family to do). It's also been one of the most rewarding. It's taught me a lot about patience. Something I'm always in short supply of. It's also taught me the value and necessity of daily--sometimes hourly-- self care.

Writing and reading are an important part of my self care. I need to write every day, and for the better part of the last year, that's meant writing in a journal. Nothing intended for publication, but rather an outlet for the tangled words pulled out of my too-full brain. I've plotted books, and written a few pages in books I plan to finish this year. But for the most part, my creative productivity has been severely lacking. I've had to shelve a lot of guilt over that.

I've been quite the productive mom, however, and my family is thankful. I have a deep sense of satisfaction over that. Now my creative side is begging for more time, and I'm making it happen. I watch other writing moms and marvel at how they seem to effortlessly balance everything. I doubt it's truly effortless, but they're so good at what they do, it's inspiring to see.

There's an art to knowing when and how to devote your time to the important things. After a few more snuggles with my kids, I'm putting my pen to paper.

I've been quiet on the blog front for a while because I've been busy running after kids, teaching, volunteering, and trying to fit sleep in between. I'm firmly back in my writing cave and can't wait to reconnect with my writing family and lovely readers.

But first, a shameless plug--If you haven't heard, Stone Cold Revenge, the second book in my Set in Stone series, is available for Kindle and Nook now. *whistles, cheers*

Okay, now for the meat of my post. I love my writing friends. They're an amazingly talented group of brilliant, witty, awesome folks who are the icing on the cake of this writing career. They include other writers, bloggers/reviewers, and dedicated readers. I love them all!

Nobody quite understands the quirks, challenges, and dramatic highs and lows of writing like someone in the business. And nothing fires me up quite like a fast-paced brainstorming session or the exchange of book recommendations. Hey, someone has to share this book addiction with me! Thankfully, I'm in good company. *winks*

I'll soon be featuring some of my favorite writing friends on the blog, so you can get to know them. I have no doubt you'll love their stories as much as I do!

Cheers to an amazing week!

I hope you enjoyed a fabulous Labor Day weekend. For me, that means fall is (un)officially here, and I couldn't be happier. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my lazy and sometimes crazy summer days to the fullest. But fall has always been my favorite season.

I love when the air turns brisk (we get 4 distinct seasons here), and I have to dig out my favorite jacket. When the leaves turn colors, it's absolutely gorgeous. It also means celebrating my favorite holiday with Halloween costume planning and pumpkin carving parties. Let's not forget sending the kids back to school because by this point, we're ALL ready to get back into a routine.

Of course, that first means tackling the mountain of laundry that never seems to get caught up in the summer months. I also spend a lot more time baking, which is also helpful when I need to brainstorm.
Tinkering in the kitchen is one of my hobbies, born out of necessity and a genuine enjoyment for throwing ingredients together. The return of cooler weather means hot drinks (stove top cocoa anyone?), homemade soups that simmer all afternoon, and baked goods that make the house smell divine--pumpkin pie, muffins and chocolate peanut butter cups are all family favorites.

I'm not sure what it is, but the autumn months kick my productivity into high gear. I pull out recipes, craft projects, home projects, and ramp up my writing. Motivation isn't a problem, but extra hours in the day would be welcome. *grins*

Here's to a lovely and productive fall for all of us! I'd love to know, what's your favorite thing about fall?

I can't believe I haven't posted for so long. As they say, time flies when you're having fun. Or busy working, whichever the case may be. I wanted to jump in and update everyone on what I'm doing, and upcoming giveaways.

I've been working hard on a gargoyle YA I'm so excited about. I don't have a title yet, but I'm toying with the idea of doing a title contest and giveaway. I hope you love Dev as much as I do. I have a number of projects in the works, and shortly after my gargoyle YA releases, I'll be finishing a YA ghost story. I tried writing it as a straight paranormal romance, but it needed a YA twist before it really started to flow. What's better than a haunted mansion with a tragic love story, one begging to be rewritten? TIME WILL TELL will be out in October--perfect for some Halloween fun. And goodies! I'll be doing fun giveaways in honor of my favorite holiday, so stay tuned...

Ghosts and gargoyles, what could be better? I'll also be doing something fun with a great group of paranormal writers. We have all sorts of treats and mischief planned for you. *rubs hands with glee*

I've managed to sneak in some reading time, too. I'm currently in love with Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it!  What great books have you read this summer? Next on my list is Deborah Harkness' Shadow of Night. It's a fabulous series with witches, vampires, and delicious heaps of history. It satisfies the paranormal/history/romance lover all in one book.

I hope you're all enjoying a lovely summer! Stay tuned, stay cool and keep reading.

Ah, the Grammar Police. You know the type--they step into conversations to correct your use of me and I, or how you enunciate. I'll be the first to admit none of us are perfect. Innocent mistakes happen when typing all the time. However, there are those who walk among us who employ a flagrant disregard for the English language and they... *ahem* Yes, it's true. I tried to deny it, but when I started hiding people on Facebook because they can't spell "definitely," and I know they have a college degree...well, it was time to come clean about my grammar tendencies. I am one of the Grammar Police. I'm not proud to say it, but I can't seem to help it. And maybe, just maybe, you're one of us, too.

To help, I've put together a short Grammar Police test. If you can identify with any of the following, it might be time to confess.

Have you ever sent this to anyone who *repeatedly* uses the incorrect form of your/you're?



I'm guilty of this on a daily basis (bonus points if you catch the mistakes in the picture):
 Would this make you feel better?  

And finally, if this describes you, you're already too far gone.

  Being part of the Grammar Police isn't so bad. We're a not-so-secret society of readers, writers and OCD sufferers. We love the written word, and are equally obnoxious to anyone who dares to use the wrong form of there/their/they're. We can change the world, one corrected word at a time.

I'm still recovering from a great weekend in Scottsdale. And by recovering, I mean letting my brain recharge. What a gorgeous place! The sunshine and warm temps lifted my mood (especially since I left gray, gloomy weather and returned to gray, gloomy weather).

So, the highlights of the conference...

I presented a workshop with one of my favorite people in the whole world, Amber Scott. We co-authored MUSE FOOD, and our workshop was all about keeping your muse happy and well-fed. We handed out muse "snacks", and one of the participants created the cutest Play-doh bunny while we spoke.

Do you like our aprons?

I also made new writing friends, which is always a treat. No one understands crazy...er...I mean writing, like another writer. And these women all balance their writing careers, motherhood, and a million other things successfully. Chatting with them was inspiring, uplifting, hilarious and fun.

One of my favorite things about conferences is that you can literally bump into your favorite author or dream agent. I had the chance to have breakfast with a funny editor I'd love to work with down the road. *fingers crossed* She also recommended a few books, and hey, anyone who enables my reading habit is a friend for life.

I also got to chat a little with Brenda Novak. Talk about gracious! I met her before at the Emerald City Writer's Conference two years ago, and was struck by her awesome personality then. She takes the time to talk to her fans and is such a sweetheart (not to mention a talented writer). She's on my auto-buy list forever.

Last but not least, I've got a hundred ideas floating around in my brain. It'll take me a while to sort them out and put pen to paper, but it's like a creative rebirth. I'm heading in a new (not different, just new) direction, and I can't wait to see where it leads.

Thanks to the power of Twitter, I learned today is International Children's Book Day. I'm marking the calendar and plan to make this an annual event in our house. I love children's books. I spent most of my weekend reading a stack I borrowed from the elementary/middle school library I volunteer at, including:

INCARCERON by Catherine Fisher (an upper MG steam punk/fantasy)
LILY'S GHOSTS by Laura Ruby (a MG ghost story with a touch of humor)
DEEP, DARK AND DANGEROUS by Mary Downing Hahn (a well-written, delightfully unnerving ghost story)

The cold I'm fighting was added incentive, but I planned to plow through a stack of books for spring break anyway.

Lifelong readers can all tell you about their most memorable childhood books--mine range from solving mysteries with Nancy Drew to smiling with the lyrical Dr. Seuss to learning life lessons with the beautifully written and illustrated Serendipity Books by Stephen Cosgrove & Robin James. Many of us are still reading children's books today. Maybe it's because we never tire of the adventures. Or maybe we want to always stay in touch with our inner child and ability to play. It's mostly sure because we love a well-told story.

The magic of books is that it can be all of those things and more. I hope you all celebrate your love of reading and this special day. Read a children's book, new or old. Read to a child. Visit a library. Pick up a popular book (Hunger Games anyone?) or try one with a beautiful cover. Grab a picture book, middle grade or young adult. Better yet, ask a child for a recommendation. The kids I work with at the library always have great suggestions (and even better imaginations).

I'm starting MAGYK by Angie Sage today. What are you going to be reading?

I have a minute of awesomeness to share with you. The lovely, talented, super amazing Rachel Firasek has agreed to do a book trailer for the Set in Stone series. Everybody happy dance with me! While I anxiously await my new covers (hooray!), she surprised me with this teaser trailer:

http://youtu.be/DXz-XxfZrOs

Have I mentioned she's amazing? Oh, and she's also a writer. Her phoenix series is a must read. A word of caution--your e-reader will definitely start smoking because her books are steamy hot. *winks* Learn more about Rachel and her books here.

Life has been crazy for me lately, and I apologize for my infrequent posts. My lovely mother-in-law lost a long, valiant battle with cancer, and I've been spending much needed time with family. It's amazing how life's transitions cause you to re-evaluate your life and get your priorities straight. At the time, the speed bumps in life are unwelcome. Horrible even. They can also be bittersweet blessings in disguise. My mother-in-law had a creative outlet in quilting. Her talent with color was unique and surprising. She wasn't shy about using color, and the results worked beautifully time and again. I hope to find and harness that kind of talent with my writing this year, with her quilts hanging around me for inspiration.

Rachel's creative talent was one of the first things I found waiting in my in-box when I rejoined the real world. What a gift! I hope you enjoyed it, and I can hardly wait to share the series trailer soon.

I highly recommend you go and enjoy something creative today (including the trailer!) :-)

Jess

I love bad boys. Not the leather-wearing, chain-smoking kind of bad guys, but rather true villains. I think they deserve a little reader love. They bring much-needed tension to a story, and they're fascinating characters. But it's more than that. They bring stories to life in a way a hunky hero or sassy heroine never could. Their nefarious deeds and unpredictable actions make for great reading, but I want to know why they do what they do.

As a writer, I want to crawl into their heads. It's not always a comfortable place to be, but everyone--and I mean everyone--has a story. It gives us an idea of what motivates them, or what made them nasty in the first place. And every character's story shapes the story you find in the pages of your favorite book, for better or worse. I feel sympathy for some of the villains in my favorite stories. I don't excuse their terrible behavior, but without it, the story wouldn't necessarily have resonated with me.

Take Stryker from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. The guy has done some heinous things. But when you read his story, you can't help but soften toward him (at least I did). Ms. Kenyon always does a masterful job balancing the good and evil in a character. Stryker chooses to go the evil route more often than not, but his intentions are validated through his story.

Or what about V'Lane from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series? I can't totally hate him, and not because he's gorgeous (in case you haven't read the series, I won't give away any spoilers).

Then you have a character like Voldemort. It's hard to drum up any sympathy for someone who orchestrated so many terrible acts of evil. Yet without him, Harry Potter would have gone nowhere. His potential may have been unrealized. Dumbledore would have died an inglorious death, and we would have never known Snape--who was almost easier to hate--was a good guy all along.

I don't believe any character, real or imagined, is 100% good or evil. Granted, we don't all have homicidal tendencies. But I call BS on the people who claim to have the best of intentions all day, every day. We're flawed. Villains are more flawed, sometimes terribly so. Those flaws are what give our heroes and heroines an opportunity to grow. Not unlike the nasty characters we encounter in our everyday lives.

Villains play an important role in fiction. They're an essential half of the all-important good vs. evil equation. They give us a reason to root for the good guy. When they're defeated, they give us hope that maybe, just maybe, we can defeat the negativity in our own lives. For that reason alone, I have to give them credit. I'll always root for the good guy, but a small part of me will do the same for the bad guy. Because hey, that's what makes for a great book. ;-)

Who's your favorite villain?

It's official. I'm hooked on YA books. This is a big deal because a) my book budget is already stretched to the max, and b) I made the mistake of thinking about my brutal teenage years and believed reading about more teen angst would irritate me. May I say I've been happily proven wrong on that erroroneous assumption. As for the other, well, like any good book addict, I make it work. *grins*

I finally (yes, FINALLY) started The Hunger Games. I can't remember the last time I was sucked into a story so fast. I devoured the first book in a few hours and rushed out to get the second. I love the message Suzanne Collins is conveying, and the authenticity of her characters and world-building. Pure awesomeness.
I also recently read Fateful by Claudia Gray and Supernaturally by Kiersten White--both awesome paranormal reads with very different tones, but equally engaging. I enjoyed them for the same reason I've avoided them for so long--the teen perspective. It's so different from what I'm used to reading. The problems aren't less dramatic or painful, but teen characters approach these issues differently. Apparently I'm old enough to now appreciate the youthful ideals and melodrama in a way I couldn't when I was experiencing it as a teen. (feel free to insert an old joke here)

The best part is knowing I can share these books with my oldest daughter in a couple of years. We already read middle grade books and discuss them. Being able to talk to her about the issues YA writers present in their books is a golden opportunity to introduce difficult topics in a way I might have struggled to otherwise (thank you YA writers!) Ah, the power of books...

So here's my dilemma. I need recommendations so I can delve deeper into the world of YA. I have no idea what to try next, but I know that die hard YA fans can point me in the right direction. I'd love to know--what is the best YA book or series you've read and why?