Did You Know? Exceptional Edition.

Did you know that...

The very first draft of Exceptional involved time travel. [I'll need to let you read that sometime]

Ally's name was first Molly, then Ollie, and then finally Ally.

In the first draft there were no adults.

Ally fell out of a skyscraper rather than off a ledge in the training center.


Just a few fun facts. :)

I'm a really bad blogger.

You have probably figured that out.  It isn't that I don't like to blog, it is just that in any given minute there are at least 15 other things I should be doing. Don't worry, writing is one of them.

The second book in Exceptional is coming along nicely, and the name should be decided here soon. I can't wait to share! :)

So what else am I?

I'm a mom.  Check out these stinkers.

I'm a teacher.... sort of.  I teach reading and math interventions so I'm not quite in charge of my own classroom just yet. Rather, I see a variety of students from each grade.

I'm a photographer.  Seriously...

Facebook Page
Website

I guess you could call me a creativity hoarder.

Recently I've been sort of down on myself about all of it.  I wrote a book between Exceptional and Exceptional #2 which I wanted to release in August.  But then I got to reading a bunch from other authors and then looking at my manuscript and decided it was 80K words of crap.  I can do better.  I will do better.

I feel this way about Exceptional sometimes.  I really appreciate the support and kind words from readers, and the emails I receive.  I try to answer each one!  I am staying focused on Exceptional right now, but I have a few ideas written down for books after that.

Write. Think. Write. Refresh.

I know I've been absent from here, Twitter, and Goodreads, but it is because I've been busy! I think I've mentioned this before, but I have FOUR jobs. Four jobs I've chosen, and I find blessings in all of them, but that doesn't make balancing them any easier.

1. I am a mom. I have two beautiful little girls that I stay home with during the day, and they require almost all of my attention during their waking hours.

2. I work at a restaurant as a hostess. Not only does this allow me to add some adult time to my evenings, but it is also a nice extra income that helps pay my school loans. :)

3. I own a photography business. You can check it out here: http://www.facebook.com/JessicaLynnPhotos

4. I'm an author.  I dove in head first when I chose to self publish the first book, because now I have to get this second book out.  I shouldn't say have to because I am having a blast writing it, but there is some pressure.

The biggest piece of "change" as of late is whether or not there will be a third book.  I don't like forced series, at all.  One of my biggest reading pet peeves is skimming the pages of a final book to find the conclusion because all the details have lost my interest.  I don't want my book to become that! If this is the decision I end up with, I will make sure the book has a pretty final end.  I wouldn't want to end it as though it will have a continuation, and then fail to write that finale.

There are some small extra ideas I have but not enough to warrant anything novel-like, so maybe a short story of .99?

Just giving you my thoughts and letting you know where I'm at.

Also, I've gotten a few emails about reviews and books and I haven't forgotten about you! My email server is a MESS! BUT I just order a whole slew of print copies of my book [you can find that here] and plan on sending some out soon.

Thanks a bunch!

Jess Petosa

It's May?

How is it already May? I've slowly been working on this mystery book in between being a mom and a photographer.  I am hoping to release it this summer but if it doesn't work out, maybe next year. I'm not saying much about it until I know for sure.

I am also hard at work on Exceptional Book #2, which is still unnamed.

Speaking of....

 

I have several "hard" copies of my book waiting on my lovely book shelf.  I am looking for some book reviewers/bloggers to send a copy too, so let me know if you are interested, or know anyone who is.

You can emails me at jesspetosabooks@gmail.com

Here it is...

The semi-announcement. :)

First, I've gotten several questions all surrounding the release of the second book in the Exceptional series. The plan is late Fall 2012. It will be either November or December, and it will be on the 15th. [I'll explain that part later]

I promise I won't keep you in the dark about details surrounding the release of Book #2. I'll add some teasers from some of the chapters, and be sure to include the synopsis and book cover as soon as I can!

For my other big news: I have another book coming out before Exceptional.

At first, I wasn't sure how I was going to work in the timing of each book, but with the way things have played out, this other book is going to be finished and ready this summer. I actually had half of it written before I wrote and finished Exceptional, and then I stepped away from it for a little while. I write best this way, going back and forth between stories so that my mind can take a mental break from characters and plots.

I can tell you that it is more along the lines of paranormal, with romance, and it will be yet another YA book, maybe even more so than Exceptional. I need to think of a better write up on it soon, and give it a name, so I can give you [the reader] more information.

Negatives

I don't expect everyone to like my book. At all. In fact, I expect bad reviews. I am not surprised when I see 1 and 2 star reviews, and I am always interested to read the written reviews to see what exactly a reader didn't like. Was it my writing style? My characters? Spelling and grammar? The story?

"What can I improve on?" I ask myself this when I read through reviews.

What I don't expect or appreciate are attacks. Attacks on the community of self-published authors [using my book as a forefront for this] and accusations with no proof to back them.

If you don't like self-published authors, don't read them! You are just going to get yourself riled up. I have a certain disdain for horror stories, therefore, I do not read them.

Don't make accusations that you cannot back up. To clear the air... NO I do not troll Goodreads promoting my book nor do I ask my friends to do the same. If someone posts in a Goodreads group or chat about my book, they have done it on their own. When I post on Goodreads, it is either in the author section of a group, or completely unrelated to my book.

I was a reader before I became an author.

I debated with whether or not to post this, but sometimes it is better to acknowledge the problem rather than ignore it.

News

For starters, Exceptional is finally available in print form! I am having trouble getting Amazon to list it as one book and give both the print and Kindle options, but until then you can find the hard copy for purchase here. As I've said before, Exceptional will not be available for Nook until June, but I promise to have it up on PubIt! the first second that I am able to.

March was a very busy month for me. I am a photographer and a mother, so sometimes reading and writing takes a back burner to the rest of my life. I have also found myself feeling a lot of self-doubt and wariness over the past several weeks, but I'm slowly pulling out of my slump.

I have an interesting announcement to make soon, one that will be unexpected and was a surprise to even me, so be on the look out.

I appreciate all of the encouragement, and questions, and kind words from everyone. I read each and every review and email and take to heart what you have to share and recommend. Several of you have started recommending some other self-published authors and I'm so thankful for all of the new books I have found!

I find that I write best when I am reading the most.



Look for my announcement soon!

FAQ

I'm sure this will be one of many, but I thought I better start addressing questions early.

Do you know about the errors?

Yes! Some are my errors, some are products of the .doc file converting to Kindle. I am working on fixing it ALL right now and I am hoping to have it uploaded by the end of the week. If you have the Kindle file downloaded, you'll be able to update it. It will also be completely corrected when it goes to print, and goes to Nook.

Do you know your book is NOT Science-Fiction?

Well, actually, it is. If you strip away the romance and the young adult label, it would fall under science fiction. Amazon doesn't have a "dystopian" category or even a "young adult" category for eBooks. I had to fall to the next best option, which was Science Fiction. I would hope that by reading the synopsis you would understand that there will be romance and young adult themes through out my book. Sorry if that disappointed you!

I would like to add another note to this. Some YA authors are putting their books into the Children's Literature category. I couldn't bring myself to do this. My book doesn't have anything explicit but to me Children =/= Young Adult. I had to think on it for a day and ended up making the decision I felt was best. I'll need to do some research on other YA books before I publish the second book, but for now, there is no way to change the categories on the first book.

Do you know your book is just like Twilight?

Have you even read Twilight? On second thought, did you even read my book?

When is the second book coming out?

I'm aiming for Fall 2012.

What is the name of the second book?

It hasn't been decided, but as soon as I do, I'll post it on my blog. I'll even be sure to include some teaser chapters--or parts of chapters--since I couldn't include anything at the end of Exceptional.

I've really been enjoying reading all your emails and comments! Keep them coming!

What I am working on...

I have received some feedback about letters missing from words on the Kindle edition of my book. Those letters ARE in my .htm version on my computer which means it is most likely an error in the Kindle download. I haven't had a chance to read the whole book and see how often it is happening, or heard on which specific devices, but hopefully it isn't making the book difficult to read.

As I have said, Exceptional is currently only available through Kindles and Kindle Apps. However, there is a chance that I will be self-publishing the book in paper form in the next month or two, which would open it up to a new buyer market. BONUS: If you are an Amazon Prime member you can borrow the book for FREE. I believe they give you a month to read it once you have borrowed it.

I am always open to questions or comments through email as well as here. You can contact me at jesspetosabooks@gmail.com.

I am working on revamping the cover of my book to something more eye catching and interesting. I am thinking about using a model for the image, but with out revealing their entire look. We'll see how this goes.

Book #2 is already in the process of being outlined. That is all the information I have about it at this point, but I plan on keeping you updated. I'll also post some blurbs from Exceptional on the blog in the next several weeks.

It's here!

Book #1 in the Exceptional series is now available to buy through the Kindle store! It will not be available through Nook or iBooks for another 90 days. If you do not have a Kindle, the app is free to download onto Apple or Driod products.

You can buy it here.

Exceptional

"In the future, things are anything but ordinary..."

In 2022, the United States commissioned a group of scientists to experiment with genetic mutations. Their goal was to create a serum that would alter the human genetic code, making the subject stronger and faster. They succeeded but their victory was short lived. Not only had they created a super serum, but also an airborne virus. By 2025, seventy-five percent of the world's population had perished. The survivors, well their lives would never be the same.

175 A.V.

Ally is an Ordinary; a human immune to the virus. She lives in a settlement outside the City with her mother and twin brother, but lately it doesn't seem to be enough. She is wrestling between being with her family and volunteering to move to the City, where she can work for the Exceptionals.

Luke is an Exceptional; a superior human being. His ancestors were infectied with the virus and lived through it, leaving their super human strength and special abilities to him. He has never given much thought to Ordinarys, despite pressure from his father to choose one from the ORC. But all of that changes when he meets Ally...

When trying to come up with a cover, I experimented with some different approaches. In the end I chose a solid background with the title and a dab of color. If the book is ever printed in hard copies, I'll mostly likely come up with a different option. The color will become more appropriate once you have read the book. I thought about photographing someone with similar characteristics as one of the main characters, but decided it against it. I want each reader to form their own image in their mind of what Ally or Luke might look like.

Welcome

I'm glad you are here! My name is Jess [pen name Jess Petosa] and I am currently publishing the first book in my Exceptional Series. Once things are finalized, I'll be sure to post all of the details here. I can tell you that it will be available exclusively for Kindle for the first 90 Days, but after that it will be available for Nooks and through iBook.

Here I'll post updates about my books and answer any questions you --the reader-- might have! Feel free to leave me any comments with questions.

This is only the beginning...