Have you ever read a book with a character you connected with so well, that it gave you some BIG feelings? Have you ever cried when a character died? Have you thrown a book across the room when it happened?

*raises hand* 

I sure have!

These emotional attachments are an incredible sort of experience, one in which I think a lot of authors strive for, because it means our characters have become as real to our readers as they have to us. Most of us don’t let characters die, or kill them off for the fun of it (looking at YOU, George R.R. Martin!). Most of us, in fact, cry right along with you as we come to a point in the story where it is time to say goodbye to our characters as they move on. 

Here are the ones that I can think of, off the top of my head, that have tear-stains on the pages because I felt their loss almost as deeply as a real person. 

Johnny Cade (The Outsiders)
Dobby the House Elf (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
Algernon (Flowers for Algernon)
John Coffey (The Green Mile)
Beth March (Little Women)
Charlotte (Charlotte’s Web)
Old Dan and Little Ann (Where the Red Fern Grows)
McMurphy (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest)

These are just a few of my favorite, and most sob-inducing character deaths that I have experienced. Looking over my list, I realize one of the common themes that connect these characters is a willingness to love and do what is right, even if that means the ultimate sacrifice, which resonates with me deep in my heart. 

What are some of the character deaths that have affected you the most? Is there a common theme among them that you can identify? Let me know, and I will share it in next week’s newsletter!

Oh my goodness, guys, Saturday 47/21/19 will be my very first real live author fair! I’ll have a table and everything! I have to admit, I am feeling a little anxiety (as most introverts do at the thought of public interaction) but this is such a big step in my career as a writer, I am doing everything I can to fully embrace it.

I was asked to tally up the books that I had published, as well as the books that I would be bringing to sell, and I could not believe that here I was, thirteen books later, finally getting around to my first live author event. Being an indie author is a strange gig, sometimes. So much of our energy goes into perfecting our online presence, that there isn’t always time to devote to public … well, publicity.

I have attended this fair in the past, and it was such a pleasure to visit with and buy books from writers that are passionate, driven, and dedicated to the worlds they create. This year there are almost 50 authors with tables this year, and I really hope that  if you happen to be in the Louisville, KY area, you’ll consider stopping by!

Two weeks ago, despite the wonderful interaction that I have regularly with my amazing readers, I was really questioning whether I should continue writing at all.

I bet you’ve seen authors begging for reviews before, right? I am sure some of us even make a nuisance of ourselves begging for them. It’s a tough gig, writing. In some ways, it’s tougher now for new and emerging authors (even established authors!) in many ways than it ever has been in the past.

But Jess, you might be thinking, how can it be harder? Anyone can write a book now. Everyone can get their book out there. How is that harder?

Well, like many indie authors, I have found that word of mouth has been the way that a good percentage of people discover my books. Before the invention of the Amazon Kindle, which made e-reading an easy way to get your paws on virtually millions of e-Books, authors were at the mercy of literary agent and publishing houses. With so many gatekeepers in place, it was often impossible to even get noticed, let alone published. 

Now, it’s true that anyone *can* write a book. Does that mean that everyone *should*? Well, that is not for me to say, of course, but with the market flooded with hundreds of millions of titles (if not more!!) indie authors like myself might as well be a single drop of water in the ocean trying to grab someone’s attention.

Which is why we beg for reviews. 

Amazon is certainly not the only e-retailer available, but the absolute truth is that it is the BIGGEST. It’s the elephant in the room, so to speak. And love it or hate it, because of it’s enormous clout in making or breaking the careers of new and established authors, the reviews left by YOU are vitally important. 

First, they let other readers know what your honest opinion of an author’s work is. I can’t tell you how many times I have purchased an item online based on reviews alone. Second, the number of reviews left on a book’s Amazon link is one of the major deciding factors in whether it gets into the also boughts section — that place around the middle of the page that tells you “Customers like you also bought” — which gets our stories in front of people that might never have been looking for them.

So, back to two weeks ago. I was feeling pretty down about the quantity of (or lack of) reviews on my titles, and, like an angel sent from literary heaven, a wonderful reader of mine reviewed book one of my Getting Back to Oz trilogy, Winnie’s Courage, and y’all, it SAVED MY DAY. 

It’s so easy to leave a review on products that let us down, but when it comes to books, leaving a review could quite possibly be the one thing that keeps your favorite author going another day, pushing to finish the next book, and refusing to toss in the towel. Do you usually leave reviews? If yes, what motivates you the most to leave one? If not, is there a specific obstacle to you writing a review (good or bad)? 

I’d love to know!

You would think that a whole group of people that invent entire WORLDS in their “free” time would love to talk to any and all readers.

But …

No …

That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works. We want to tell stories, but like, from over here. We write because we are not always very good at the face-to-face talkie thing. 

Don’t get me wrong, some authors are AMAZING at talking to the public at large, and their fans in particular. I feel like that must be some superpower granted to them from a radioactive papercut or something, because in my experience that is definitely the exception and not the rule. 

So please remember, when you are at a bookstore and see an author sitting by their lonesome at a signing table, staring intently at their phone or tablet, they are NOT ignoring you. They are simultaneously praying that you will buy all their books, but with a minimum of small talk. 

We WANT to tell you about our worlds, our characters, our stories that we have crafted through blood, sweat, and tears, and sometimes we just need a little nudge to actually be able to, you know, TELL you about them.

What are your favorite books to read?

Who are your favorite authors?

What is it about those books that reach deep into your soul, pluck at your heart strings, and make you pick them up to read over and over again?

As an author, I am always chasing that golden ring, so to speak, to find the best way to tell my stories, to provide compelling and meaningful plots with characters you can’t get enough of. And I get better and better at that by hearing from YOU, our readers, and learning what you like (as well as what you don’t like). 

I can’t wait to hear what your favorite books mean to you!

Have you liked and followed my Facebook Author Page yet? It’s the best place to get day-to-day updates, participate in contests and giveaways, and let me know what you’re up to! This month I will be celebrating all new authors, novels, giveaways, and special deals just for you, and you don’t want to miss it!

Click HERE to stay up to date for March Madness goodies!

Urban & Paranormal Fantasy Giveaway

This giveaway is a collection of 46 FREE short stories, novels, and novel excerpts, collated just for you. Each of these giveaways are chock full of all the best of urban fantasy, paranormal, and ghost stories. Are you ready to discover your next favorite author?

Check them out HERE!

Fickle Fae & Their Familiars: A Collection of Fairy Folk to Color

Sneak peek at a page from my next coloring book, Fickle Fae & Their Familiars: A Collection of Fairy Folk to Color. Look for it in early Spring!

Did you know that in addition to novels and novellas, I am also an artist that produces coloring books? Check out my latest release, A Gothic Garden: Dark Fae, Mysterious Monsters, and Creatures of the Night to Color! A Gothic Garden is an exciting adult coloring book for those with a taste for the darker side. Not looking for fluffy, cutesy animals? Look no further, you can find your wicked coloring zen here! 

This adult coloring book is perfect for fans of American Horror Story, Penny Dreadful, Hemlock Grove, and True Blood!

De-Stress with me through the relaxing act of coloring with markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Available in paperback via Amazon, you can pick up my first coloring book, Magical Mermaids: A Fantastic Romp Through River, Lake, and Sea. Curl up and color these soothing siren scenes. Jess Reece’s magical mermaid designs are waiting for you to customize them with color. Unleash your imagination while you embrace relaxation.

During 2019, I will be releasing four more coloring books as well. There will sure to be something for everyone, no matter what your favorite style of coloring is!

Fickle Fae & Their Familiars: A Collection of Fairy Folk to Color

Horns & Wings: Unique Unicorns and Dangerous Dragons to Color

Manes & Tails: Running Wild and Free With Horses and Ponies

Life Lessons: Words of Wisdom to Color and Keep

In preparation for the final installment of my Getting Back to Oz trilogy, which will be released on April 30th, I have decided to drop the price of book one, Winnie’s Courage, permanently to just 99 cents! If you haven’t picked up a copy of this exciting fantasy adventure yet, now is your chance to get it for less than a dollar!  What if the Wicked Witch were real? Winifred Jones wakes up barefoot and bruised in a strange dungeon instead of her cozy San Diego apartment, and things just get weirder from there when she stops Dorothy Gale from murdering the Wicked Witch, accidentally releasing a magical tornado trapped inside a golden compass. In the blink of an eye, the three women are torn from the Witch’s castle in Oz and thrust into one fairytale world of Winnie’s childhood after another. Fighting for their lives against man-eating apes, bloodthirsty pirates, and sadistic queens, they share just one common goal: to get back home. Pick up Getting Back to Oz: Book One Winnie’s Courage today, and join Winnie on her quest as she discovers if she has the courage to return home, or stay lost forever in literary lands both familiar and dangerous.

Admit it, you like to color!

Did you know that in addition to novels and novellas, I am also an artist that produces coloring books? De-Stress with me through the relaxing act of coloring with markers, crayons, and colored pencils. Available in paperback via Amazon, you can pick up my first coloring book, Magical Mermaids: A Fantastic Romp Through River, Lake, and Sea, and my next release tomorrow, A Gothic Garden: Dark Fae, Mysterious Monsters, and Creatures of the Night to Color.

During 2019, I will be releasing four more coloring books as well. There will sure to be something for everyone, no matter what your favorite style of coloring is!

Fickle Fae & Their Familiars: A Collection of Fairy Folk to Color

Horns & Wings: Unique Unicorns and Dangerous Dragons to Color

Manes & Tails: Running Wild and Free With Horses and Ponies

Life Lessons: Words of Wisdom to Color and Keep

I’m Your Huckleberry

If you’re a reader who loves a variety of books from contemporary fictions like Harry Potter, to the Da Vinci Code, to Divergent, to classics like Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, and Call of the Wild, then *I’m your Huckleberry.*

These books are and have remained popular because they have characters that speak to the heart and soul of readers months, years, even centuries after they were written. They draw you into their worlds in a way that you believe that you are actually there, that the characters are real, are your friends, and sometimes are even the worst of your enemies.

These books, and many, many, more were the unshakable foundation that I cut my literary teeth on. From reading The Hobbit at eight years old, to finishing The Hunger Games a couple years ago, I have been moved by worlds I wish I could visit, shocked by villains that defied belief, and revered heroes that sacrificed everything for those they loved.

If you find yourself feeling the same way about the books you grew up with, the books that continue to sustain your imagination today, then *I’m your Huckleberry.* I am possessed by the deep, soulful desire to create worlds of my own, and to invite you – yes YOU – into the worlds of the people and places I design, the stories inside me that demand to be told, to fulfill your passion for the temporary escape that books have always given you.

“Real life” is all too often filled with hurt, anger, disappointment, and uncertainty. Won’t you join me by stepping into some fantastical places where the characters may be unpredictable and exciting, but can still feel like your best friend? To places where you wish you could spend an entire week exploring and getting to know? I am excited for you to accompany me on my writing journey, to become partners with me in the adventures to come, and to love my characters as surely as you love your “real-life” friends and family!