Friday, February 28, 2014

Confessional Friday

Connecting with Leslie on A Blonde Ambition again.


1. I confess I ate two boxes of this deliciousness today.
2. And yesterday.
3. I confess I check the reviews for Worth the Wait every day.
4. More than once.
5. I confess that I'm stuck in the middle of a scene--not sure what to write next and feeling overwhelmed.
6. I confess that I've listened to the song "O the Blood" by Kari Jobe five times in a row and it's still on repeat.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Ellie Sweet Series: A Review

 
 
I read these back-to-back, so I'm going to review them together.
Ellie Sweet is a high school junior who feels like an outcast even with her friends. Instead of trying to fit in, she uses her feelings to fuel her writing.
When she begins pitching her book, reality takes over. As others begin to hear about her work, will her secrets, including her crush on Palmer and her true feelings about her "friends," come out?
 
I enjoyed this book. Ellie is a good character--a little too good, which makes it fun to watch her fall for the bad boy Chase.
What I liked best was the "lesson" on the writing world. As Ellie chases her dream, the author includes behind the scenes peeks to how books go from a writer's mind to the readers' hands.
This part of the book ties into the author's website, goteenwriters.blogspot.com.
 
I recommend this to fans of Christian YA, especially those who love writing.
 
 
 

Okay, I loved Chase from the first book. Palmer, the guy Ellie originally liked is nice but a tad boring in book 1. However, not everything works out like it does in a book. (Pun intended)
As Ellie and Chase figure out how to balance their two very different backgrounds and outlooks, Ellie is also dealing with her debut novel releasing and its effect on her relationships.

I loved seeing Ellie grow in this book. My heart hurt for her, but I found the ending satisfying as she's learning to balance fiction and reality.

I think the author did a great job with the relationship between Chase and Ellie--very authentic.




 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Christian Schools Wanted!

 


I put this call out on FB, but I forgot to do it here too.
As a new author, I'm trying to get Worth the Wait into the hands of teenagers. So, I'm donating copies to Christian schools.
If you know of a Christian school that has an upper/high school, please let me know the librarian's name and email (or an English teacher if the school doesn't have a librarian) so that I can contact him/her about donating a copy.
You can email me at laurajacksonwrites at gmail dot com.
Thanks!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Confessional Friday

I love to read blogs even (especially) if I don't know the person. People are interesting to me, and I can always write off the time spent (wasted) as research for a future character.
So, today, I'm jumping in the link-up from A Blonde Ambition's blog. http://www.blondeambitionblog.com/
 
 
 
1. I confess that I took a personal day at work today and feel like a kid skipping school. Even though my boss knows it's a personal day and I have a great sub, I still feel a little guilty for missing a day--and it's the only day I've taken this school year.
 
2. I confess I'm a little discouraged with this author marketing thing. I'm NOT a sales woman. My days at Bed, Bath & Beyond proved that. It's hard selling yourself.
 
3. I confess I'm craving crawfish today...like pregnant lady cravings.
 
4. I confess that I'm boring....so boring that I have nothing to confess.
 
I'll try this again next week, and I'll try to be interesting enough before then to have something great to confess!
 
 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

A New Day, A New Giveaway

(Picture by Victoria Jackson, my talented cousin)
 
Check out another way to win a copy of Worth the Wait.



http://trishperry.blogspot.com/2014/02/laura-jackson-and-free-books.html?m=1

Monday, February 17, 2014

Giveaway and Interview

 

Check out my romance interview and enter to win a copy of Worth the Wait!
 

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Don't Even Think About It: A Revew

 
After a routine round of flu vaccinations at school, an entire homeroom gets the same side effect---they can now read thoughts. Switching point of views, which are no joined together as one POV, Don't Even Think About It delves into what happens when you can't hide what you're thinking.
 
The cast of characters are interesting, ranging from the school genius to the class goofball. I liked the characters a lot even though it took a little while to get to know them since there are so many.
 
When an antidote and money are offered, the teens must decide if they want to keep their "gift" or continue hearing everyone's thoughts. Even though the plot is far-fetched, the feelings and characters were authentic.
 
I look forward to book two in this series.
 
I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own. 
 

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Win a Copy!

 
 
Here's another chance to win a copy of Worth the Wait:
 

thinking thoughts...: Laura Jackson {Writer Wednesday}

thinking thoughts...: Laura Jackson {Writer Wednesday}: A little bit about Laura... Laura Jackson loves books---reading and writing them. A life-long reader, Laura studied English in col...



Saturday, February 8, 2014

Smitten Book Club: A Review

 
When Heather finds an old book written by a long-ago Smitten resident, she has to share it with her book club. Hints of buried treasure in the book send the ladies on a chase to find the money that could save Molly's business, which is in trouble after her husband's death. What they find is more precious than gold--love.
 
The four novellas are held together by the common search for the treasure, but each novella is a stand-alone story of one woman's journey to love. As a fan of all four authors, I enjoy seeing their individual styles/voices, and the authors' friendship and familiarity with each other's styles makes the characters ring true throughout all four novellas.
 
Since I'm a librarian, I have to say my favorite was Kristin Billerbeck's story since it featured a librarian as the main character. I also enjoyed the final one as the mystery was finally solved.
 
Overall, this is a sweet collection of stories. It's sad to see the Smitten books end as I love the little community readers have gotten to know over the three books.
 
I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Win While You Wait!

 
On the Borrowed Book, I talk about waiting. I'm also giving away a copy of Worth the Wait.
Click the link for a chance to win:
 

Monday, February 3, 2014