I'm Talking Talent!!!

10:37 AM Elizabeth Seckman 30 Comments

I'm delighted to get to be part of Jaycee's blog tour...and how awesome is it that she is visiting on Thanksgiving (in America, that's the time we gorge on turkey and call it a holiday!)

I'd invite Jaycee to have a seat at the table, but lordy, the gal is so busy she was here answered some questions and was gone in a flash. I think she might have been wearing a cape...

Soooo, here they are!

1. You're multi-talented. What all do you do? (write, cover art, tap dance...where does the magic end?!)

Yes, I keep quite busy. I have a husband and two kids (1yo and 3yo), which keep me busy enough, but I guess I like to keep really busy. So, I write, design covers and websites for clients, I format books and design book trailers (for myself at this moment, but for others soon), I blog for my author’s blog and my group blog, I edit/critique for writing partners, and that’s all on top of a full-time teaching job.

2. Any formal training, like art school, computer technologies, creative writing?

No, I’m self-taught.I took one basic graphic design class four years ago, but I didn’t learn anything new from it. When it comes to stuff online, I have a knack for picking things up quickly.

3. You're a busy lady, responsible for many of the memes that circle the blogosphere. I'm a huge fan of self-starters and entrepreneurs and I always want to know- where do you get your ideas, your spark?

I’m constantly on the lookout for new source material, be it for covers, stories, memes, etc. I started the Lucky 7 meme when I first started blogging again (after a 3 year hiatus). It popped into my head one day as a way to maybe bring in traffic to my blog, but I made the mistake of not requiring my blog address to be posted by people (you live, you learn). However, I was amazed to see how far it spread. It was everywhere, and I had people even passing it onto me, not knowing I had started it. It was awesome. I’ve since tried to replicate it, but the second one didn’t really go anywhere. Either way, I like coming up with ways to get writers to interact with each other and creating writing memes are a fun way to do that.

4. New Adult. For me, it seems like an exciting new genre and you're out front with it. What's the difference in YA and NA and why did you choose NA?

In a lot of ways, what makes the differences are the ages. YA deals with the teen years, typically a high-school setting. NA deals with what comes next, roughly from 18-25. I personally love to write about the college experience, because there’s a lot happening during that time period in a person’s life and it’s been missing from fiction for so very long – and the ones that were there didn’t really feel accurate to the experience many had. Self-publishing has really made that possible, and now more people are waking up to New Adult. It is very exciting!

5. Any advice to young people who might one day want to break into publishing?

• Read and write as much as possible.
• Practice your craft.
• Join writer’s groups or get critique partners – and learn to take criticism.
• Research the form of publishing you’d like to do, be it traditional agent/editor publishing, or self-publishing, and find out as much as you can about the writing industry.
• I also encourage entering contests, join forums and communities for writers, take some workshops and keep yourself open to learning more.
• My most important piece of advice, though, is to keep going and don’t give up, even when you’re frustrated or feeling down on yourself.

Buy It NOW: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

The Truths about Dating and Mating Author: Jaycee DeLorenzo Release Date: November 21, 2012 Spunky Italian coed Ivy Rossini likes to talk and push the boundaries. She gets to do both as she co-hosts Riordan College’s radio program, The Truths about Dating and Mating, alongside her lifelong best friend, Ian Hollister. Being the only girl who cares to see beyond Ian’s bad boy reputation has its advantages, especially when he’s scaring off the jerks who just want to nail the campus sex-guru. It’s when he’s “protecting” her from the advances she welcomes that she wants to lob him over the head and tell him to butt out. But Ivy’s feels like she’s the one who’s taken a hit when Ian almost kisses her at a party. She knows she should feel relieved when he pulls away, so why is she disappointed instead? What’s worse, Ivy’s now getting aroused by Ian’s slightest touch and can’t stop entertaining thoughts of a romantic future. But Ian doesn’t do relationships, and she’s not interested in anything casual. In the end, Ivy decides it’s best to keep her growing feelings a secret and hope they’ll pass. However, when Ian begins hinting at wanting to take things to the next level, she’s forced to decide if a chance at something more is worth risking everything they’ve built. With their friendship and her heart hanging in the balance, can Ivy follow the advice she and Ian give their listeners - to communicate, be honest, and trust in themselves - or will insecurity, stubbornness, and pride ruin any chance of their relationship getting off the ground?

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Thanks Jaycee! Best of luck. :)