Saturday Stories Update, Jolene Perry

Way back in November of last year I had this grand idea (at least I thought it was grand) to feature writers on my Saturday posts to help our community grow by allowing everyone to meet everyone else. There's a lot of us out there and we need a platform for introduction: thusly Saturday Stories was born.

At the time I needed my first victim I turned to my friend Jolene Perry. If you don't know who she is you will. Her first book, The Next Door Boys , is out and I thought it would be so fun to let you guys hear from her again.

Just so you know, I don't think I paid her near enough for the nice things she's said about me.

A Looong time ago I was totally flattered when Lisa asked me to be one of her first "Saturday Stories."

An even LONGER time ago, I'd written a few sentences on Mormon Mommy Writers blog and won a crit of my first chapter. It was my first REALLY good critique, which resulted in poor Lisa Turner helping me completely overhaul my manuscript. I sent it to one more reader after that (author Kaylee Baldwin), in to CFI, and now release day is here!!

Since that time, I've started writing in present tense, which took care of LOADS of my earlier problems like "info dumps." I laugh as I write this because Lisa finally just started making comments like - "You KNOW what I'm going to say here, RIGHT??"

And I'd shake my head at her comments, disbelieving that I could see it in other people's writing, but not in my own.

I will never be able to express how many wonderful people I've met while blogging, and while waiting for the publication of my first book.

Since I started on the blogosphere, and since Lisa helped me with The Next Door Boys, I've gotten my offer of publication for that book, an offer of publication for one other mainstream YA, landed an agent, and now have two books on sub (which is a whole new kind of crazy-scary process).

And without learning what I've learned by meeting people on blogs like this one, I'd still be . . . well, I don't know. But I wouldn't be at a point of publication yet, that's for SURE.

I hope people like The Next Door Boys. After writing a lot more stories, I still go back to this one and let out ridiculously happy sighs (why yes, that IS an adverb I just used) at some of my favorite scenes.

So, I guess my point in this whole long rambling post is that our online friendships carry us through a lot, and that the road to publication takes a long time and a lot of different paths.

Thanks so much for having me!!! Again!!! I LOVE what you girls do here :D

Jolene Perry

You can find loads of Jolene's

AWESOMENESS

at the links below:

www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com

www.fortheloveofcontemporary.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/#!/JoleneBPerry

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4944599.Jolene_B_Perry

If you'd like to get your hands on a copy of The Next Door Boys you can buy it by clicking here.

Official Blurb for The Next Door Boys:

Leigh Tressman has been known as a lot of things – the girl who sings, the girl who sews, Jaron’s little sister, and last year, the girl with cancer. With her body still recovering from the cancer treatments, she’s determined to be independent and convinces her parents to let her follow her overprotective brother, Jaron, to BYU.

With an ever expanding line of young men ready to be in love with her – not to mention physical frustrations, and spiritual dilemmas – Leigh almost misses the opportunity to be with the man who has been quietly falling in love with her since they met. The Next Door Boys proves that even with (or maybe in spite of) independence, love can be found in comfortable, but delightful places.

If you'd like to read Jolene's first Saturday Stories feature click here.