Blog Tour: If I Speak True by Jessica L. Brooks

This virtual book tour is presented by Kate Tilton.

 Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Jessica L. Brooks and If I Speak True.



Jessica has stopped by for an interview:



? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
As an adult, it was after I’d read the Twilight series--my first “official” introduction into the world of YA literature. I was thirty. I had a dream about a guy showing up out of the blue and reacting to this girl, and her reaction was so crazy and so real, even in the dream, that I began to write about it. That’s pretty much how my writing career started! 

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
Not many. In high school I “chopped cotton” a couple of summers (chopping cotton doesn’t really mean you chop cotton at all; you actually walk fields of cotton, covering miles upon miles per day, hoe in hand, removing any weeds you come across that might inhibit the growth of the cotton).

Then, I worked as a secretary/receptionist at a couple of places, including my husband’s family construction business (the latter of which I still do part-time). At times, when we’ve been short-handed, I’ve also had to run equipment (like a compactor, for instance--which makes me nervous), and once in a while, I have to help with traffic control. (Which is mostly fun, aside from triple-digit heat in the summer and the occasional oblivious driver not paying attention.)

Oh! Also, for a few years, when my girls were younger, I sold Avon.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Hmm. Probably the writing out of order thing. I’ll have pages and pages of just a few sentences--key words, gestures, reactions to things, phrases. Then I have to go back and write around them so that they’ll work in the storyline.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
Personality-wise, they usually come at me, but sometimes I’m inspired by other books or movies. A lot of times, if I don’t specifically already know what a character looks like, I search Tumblr, or Pinterest, or IMDB or other websites until I find the perfect inspiration. (And then I make a Pinterest board for it, of course! Here’s If I Speak True’s: http://www.pinterest.com/coffeelvnmom/if-i-speak-true-flora-1-available-12714/)

? How do you decide what you want to write about?
Well, I usually start writing when a scene pops into my head. I end up with quite a few scenes, usually, before I begin to try to narrow down specifics of characters’ appearances and things like that. So basically, I guess I don’t decide--the stories decide for me.

? What are you reading right now?

Austenland by Shannon Hale J

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Read. And connect with people online. And hang out with my family. And of course, drink coffee.

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Chocolate. Any form, really--cake, frosting, ice cream, candy--I’m not picky.

? What do you think makes a good story?

Well-written characters, tension, mystery, and humor. Whether it’s slow or fast-paced, with a male MC, female MC, or both, I think all of those make a good story.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Cats. Though I have two dogs as well (German shepherd and longhaired Dachshund), cats are my favorite. We actually only have one outdoor cat at the moment, but mainly because she is wild. Years ago, at a job site, my husband almost ran her over with the backhoe! She was timid, and emaciated, and too young to know what to do or how to defend herself. He brought her home and we fattened her up. Though she’ll still wild, she stays in the yard, always, and comes every night to the porch to receive her dinner. J

·        Coffee or tea? Coffee. Yes sir’ee.

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Milk. Unless it’s dark chocolate with sea salt. Yum.

·        Rocks or flowers? Flowers--my favorite are tulips!

·        Night or day? I used to say night, but now that my girls are older and are night owls too, I say day, because that’s when they’re at school. I can get more writing done that way! ;)

·        Favorite color? I never have an answer to this question. L I’d say black, but only because it’s a slimming color to wear. It just depends on what the item is!

·        Crayons or markers? Markers.

·        Pens or pencils? Pens.

 More About Jessica Brooks:

Jessica L. Brooks resides with her husband of over sixteen years, three awesome daughters, and a plethora of pets in Central California, where fog, frost, triple-digit heat and various items of produce arrive bountifully, depending on the season. She has an affinity for both coffee and owls, and loves to connect with fellow readers and writers on most social networks like Goodreads,Twitter and Pinterest. You can also connect with her on her blog, Let Me Tell You A Story.

IF I SPEAK TRUE, the first in the Flora series. PITY ISN’T AN OPTION (Cozenage, #1) is her debut novel.

About If I Speak True:

Dahlia Kennedy's sixteenth birthday marks a decade of mysterious dahlias arriving and strange, lonely dreams of being in a forest. The only difference this birthday, however, is that for the first time, someone is there with her. And he's practically from a whole other era.

The more often Dahlia visits Rowan in his land of Ambrosia, the stronger their connection grows. But... is Ambrosia real? Is he real? What is going on between the two of them, exactly, and why does he insist that she keep it to herself?

As secrets usually go, however, it's only a matter of time before everything comes out. And when Dahlia finds out the truth of who Rowan is, who she is, and how he really feels -- it’s beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Pages: 456 (paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1494308926
Publisher: Jessica L. Brooks
Release Date: 1/27/14
Age: Young Adult
Genre: magical realism, romance, fantasy
Formats Available: Paperback, ebook (.mobi [Kindle], .epub [Nook], PDF)

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