The Story of the Karma Club Book Soundtrack

Have you ever been reading a book, stopped at a specific part and said, "I know the perfect song to go with this scene!"

Well, as authors, this happens to us very often. Except when we're actually writing the book. When writing The Karma Club, however, I wanted to take it a step further. I wanted to create an entire book soundtrack with songs that you could listen to while you read and that contributed perfectly to scene you were reading. I thought, if movies can have soundtracks, why not books?

So I teamed up with my very good friend and brilliant producer, Holly Karrol Clark, and we set off to produce one of the first Original Book Soundtracks, featuring songs that directly enhance your experience when reading the story. And we even produced FOUR original songs directly inspired by the book!

Here are some fun stories of how each song came to be included in the Karma Club Book Soundtrack and how/when it fits into the story of The Karma Club.


Dance Floor High – Madisen Hill (pg. 27)

Written by Matthew Clark
Produced by Ted Perlman

Author’s Note:

Dance Floor High is a great upbeat dance song about having fun and living life to the fullest. To me, this song perfectly represents a snapshot of my main character, Maddy’s life before everything falls apart. She has this great boyfriend, amazing friends, and she’s just received an invite to a very exclusive party (something she’s been wanting for years). So overall, her life is going rather well and she’s having a blast. This is one of the songs on the soundtrack that we produced specifically for the book. I approached Matthew Clark, the song writer, and told him that there’s a scene on page 32 where Maddy and her friends are at this really awesome party and everything is going her way and I wanted a song that would correspond with this scene. Something to show Maddy’s life before the story really gets into full swing. He came back with “Dance Floor High” and it was the perfect fit. We hired the talented Ted Perlman to produce it and this is the final outcome. When you get to page 32 in the novel and Maddy says, “My favorite song comes on over the speakers,” pump up this song because that’s what she’s dancing to!


Kick Her to the Curb – Savannah Outen (pg. 72)

Written by Matthew Clark
Produced by Ted Perlman

Author’s Note:

This is an awesome revenge song and it fits perfectly with the chapter, “Operation Splitsville” which starts on page 72 of The Karma Club. In this chapter, Maddy and her friends are launching their first attack against Maddy’s ex-boyfriend, Mason, and his new girlfriend, Heather Campbell. From the time Maddy wakes up on page 72, she’s feeling good, confident…and very vengeful. I picture this song playing on her car stereo as she drives to school in the morning. For this chapter I wanted a fun, kind of “battle cry” song that would represent the way Maddy and her friends were feeling as they set off on their Karmic quest. And songwriter, Matthew Clark, once again, hit it out of the park. So when you get to this chapter in the book, crank up this track to get yourself in the same mood as The Karma Club girls.

Let’s Take a Ride – Tommy Fields (pg 57)

Written & Produced by Tommy Fields


Author’s Note:

Tommy Fields is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. I absolutely love his voice and his lyrics are both inspiring and thought provoking. There were many times over the course of writing and brainstorming this book that I had one of Tommy’s tracks playing in the background. So when I had the idea to produce a book soundtrack for The Karma Club, he’s one of the first people I approached to participate. I was thrilled when he said yes! One of my favorite songs of Tommy’s is this one, “Let’s Take a Ride,” and I thought it fit perfectly into the chapter, “The Dalai Who?” which begins on page 49, in which Maddy’s mom drags her to a spiritual retreat in Napa Valley to try to help her get over her recent break-up. The lyrics in “Let’s Take a Ride” have a great message about how life is what you make of it and things are only as bad as you let them be. This is the same message that Maddy’s mom tries to instill in her by taking her to this retreat. Plus the title, “Let’s Take a Ride” is extremely fitting for two reasons. First, it’s exactly what Maddy’s mom does to her. She forces her into the car on page 50 and doesn’t tell her where they’re going. A literal “ride.” And secondly, on a metaphorical level, this chapter is the beginning of Maddy’s adventurous “ride” through the world of Karma. Both the good and the bad. When reading the book, play this song when you get to page 57 (the moment of Maddy’s Karmic “revelation”) to feel the full effects of her shift in perspective.

Can’t Take it Back – Savannah Outen (pg 202)

Written by Matthew Clark & Jason Clark
Produced by Ted Perlman

Author’s Note:

“The Butterfly Effect” chapter starts off a long sequence of regret as felt by Maddy and her two best friends. They’re realizing that they might have taken this Karma thing a bit too far and it’s starting to catch up to them and bite them in the butt. I wanted a song for the soundtrack that really captured this remorseful emotion that the characters were feeling. I approached Matthew Clark and explained what was happening in the book at this moment and the sentiment attached to these scenes and he wrote “Can’t Take it Back.” From the moment he first played it for me (in my co-producer’s living room, with his acoustic guitar), it’s been my favorite song on the whole album. I knew right away that it was the perfect song for this chapter and the scenes that follow. This song always plays in my head on page 206 when “The Butterfly Effect” chapter ends. If you play it while you read, I think you’ll see why.

Hide and Seek – Nikki Boyer (pg 37)

Written by Nikki Boyer, Tommy Fields, & Jill Altemus
Produced by Tommy Fields


Author’s Note:

I’ve been a huge fan of Nikki Boyer for a long time. She and I met years ago through a mutual friend and then we both ended up working together a few years later at Yahoo! We both worked on one of their original online shows. She has this amazing voice that stays with you even after the song stops playing. And when I heard that she was working on some new songs with Tommy Fields (one of my other favorite musicians) I immediately wanted to hear them. I fell in love with “Hide and Seek” instantly. For one because, once again, Nikki managed to blow me away with her flawless voice and for two, it fit so effortlessly into the story of The Karma Club. “Hide and Seek” is the ultimate song for someone who has been broken up with and can’t figure out why. And this is where Maddy is on page 37. Abandoned and wondering how it all happened and where it all went wrong. So when Nikki croons, “Why you wanna take it away? Why you wanna play this game?” at the beginning of the chorus, I always think of poor Maddy at this moment of the book. Play this song at the end of the “Behind Door Number Three” chapter on page 37 and through the next chapter to really feel the extent of Maddy’s pain. Nikki’s voice captures it perfectly!


Take Pity – Savannah Outen (pg 228)

Written by Matthew Clark
Produced by Ted Perlman

Author’s Note:

I LOVE this song! It’s a funny story because originally it was my least favorite song on the soundtrack. We first recorded it with an adult singer because we felt the whole vibe of the song was older. But then the song felt way too mature and didn’t fit the tone of the book…which is essentially a coming of age story. We almost cut the song from the album until our producer, Ted Perlman, suggested we have Savannah Outen sing it. She had already recorded “Can’t Take it Back” and “Kick Her to the Curb” and we all loved her voice and versatility so much. So we brought her back into the studio and the instant we heard her start to sing, we knew the problem was fixed! Although Savannah has a very mature sounding voice for a teen, she was still able to give the song the innocence and youthfulness that it needed to fit the story.

The song first originated because I asked Matthew Clark to write something for the scene in the book when Maddy is pleading her case to Rajiv, the Indian spiritual guru who she thinks will give her all the answers she’s seeking. She’s swearing to him that this whole thing is not her fault and that she doesn’t know how to fix it. Matthew came back with “Take Pity on Me” which I think completely captures the essence of this scene as well as Maddy’s frustration about everything that’s going on in her life. Especially with the lyric, “Got a mess on my hands, but it ain’t my fault….take pity on me.” But in the end, it just needed the right singer to make it work. Play this song while reading “The Space-Time Continuum” chapter to enhance the scene and bring Maddy’s emotions to life.


Someday I Will – Tommy Fields (pg 154)

Written by Tommy Fields & Blair Pickar
Produced by Tommy Fields

Author’s Note:

Once again, Tommy Fields rocks. I listened to his stuff all the time while writing and outlining this novel. I’ve always loved songs about guys who are in love with quirky girls and I think “Someday I Will” by Tommy Fields is one of the best. I don’t want to give away too much about the story if you haven’t read it. But listen to this song while reading the chapter, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Cooper.” I think this song describes how the guy in this chapter is feeling about Maddy at this point in the story…who can be a bit quirky herself at times.


Letter to the Past (Acoustic) – Word to the Wise (pg 220)

Written by Sarah Meeks-Clark & Ari Cruz
Produced by Matthew Clark

Author’s Note:

Word to the Wise is a remarkably talented female teen duo group that was brought to my attention because one of members, Sarah Meeks-Clark, is the daughter of Matthew Clark, the amazing song writer whom we worked with for this album. Although the duo is relatively unknown now, I have a feeling they are going to go VERY far.

I started listening to their music on MySpace and the one song that always haunted me was “Letter to the Past.” I simply love this song and thought it fit so well into the scene on page 220 when Maddy is alone in her room contemplating the concept of Karma and how messed up everything is in her life right now. I can almost hear this song playing softly on her stereo in the background. So I contacted Sarah and Ari of Word to the Wise and asked if they would record an acoustic version especially for the book soundtrack and they said yes! I think the new acoustic version adds even more to the emotional turmoil of this scene. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

XOX – Madisen Hill (pg 242)

Written by Madisen Hill, Jonathan George, and David Wachs
Produced by Anthony Mazza and Jonathan George

Author’s Note:

Madisen Hill is actually the star of the Karma Club Book Trailer. She plays the role of the main character, Maddy! And when I heard she was also a singer, I knew that we had to feature her on the soundtrack too. Not only did we bring her in to sing “Dance Floor High” (which she rocked!) I also wanted to include one of her existing songs on the album as well. So I listened to all of them to find one that fit the story. XOX is the one that stuck out the most. It’s got an awesome upbeat pop tempo but it’s also has this really cool suspenseful vibe. Not only in the lyrics, but also in the melody and the beat. So I thought it worked really well in the chapter, “Kisses for Karma?” when Maddy is setting up her action plan to help get her Karma back on track—a very suspenseful part of the story that builds directly to the climax of the plot.

The song also fits really well with the love story aspect of the book which is also prominently featured in this chapter. I don’t want to give away too much, so I’ll just say, listen to “XOX” when you get to page 242 and hopefully it’ll all make sense when you do!


Remember When (The Karma Club Theme Song) – Nikki Boyer (pg 258)

Written by Nikki Boyer, Tommy Fields and Jill Altemus
Produced by Tommy Fields

Author’s Note:

From the moment I first heard this song, I knew it had to be the theme song for the whole book. Everything about it just screamed Karma Club Theme Song! The song is all about looking back on your experiences and coming to terms with the lessons life has brought you. Especially when not all of them came in “happy packages.” And most of the time, it was all just terribly confusing. This is the very same message of The Karma Club. Life doesn’t always go your way and at the time, you might not fully understand why. But if you’re patient, a deeper meaning will usually reveal itself. So sometimes you just have to trust. If The Karma Club were a movie, I can imagine this song playing as the credits roll. So when you get to the end of the book (on page 258), crank it up and enjoy!


The Karma Club Book Soundtrack is available on digital download sites worldwide. 

Click here to download it on iTunes

Click here to download it on Amazon.com

Click here to order the book on Amazon.com

To learn more about The Karma Club novel, click here

To learn more about The Karma Club Book Soundtrack and to listen to samples, click here.

The Karma Club Book Soundtrack - Track List!

You've been asking for it, so here it is! The official track list for The Karma Club Book Soundtrack (coming December 14!) Here are all ten track titles including artist names, songwriters and producers!

Plus, be sure to note the page number after each song title to see which part of the novel the song corresponds to. For the full multimedia experience, we recommend listening to each track while reading the indicated page in The Karma Club by Jessica Brody!

1. Dance Floor High – Madisen Hill (pg. 27)
(Written by Matthew Clark, Produced by Ted Perlman)

2. Kick Her to the Curb – Savannah Outen (pg. 72)
(Written by Matthew Clark, Produced by Ted Perlman)

3. Let’s Take a Ride – Tommy Fields (pg. 57)
(Written & Produced by Tommy Fields)

4. Can’t Take It Back – Savannah Outen (pg. 202)
(Written by Matthew Clark & Jason Clark, Produced by Ted Perlman)

5. Hide and Seek – Nikki Boyer (pg. 37)
(Written by Nikki Boyer, Tommy Fields & Jill Altemus, Produced by Tommy Fields)

6. Take Pity – Savannah Outen (pg. 228)
(Written by Matthew Clark, Produced by Ted Perlman)

7. Someday I Will – Tommy Fields (pg. 154)
(Written by Tommy Fields & Blair Pickar, Produced by Tommy Fields)

8. Letter to the Past (Acoustic) – Word to the Wise (pg. 220)
(Written by Sarah Meeks-Clark and Ari Cruz, Produced by Matthew Clark)

9. XOX – Madisen Hill (pg. 242)
(Written by Madisen Hill, Jonathan George & David Wachs, Produced by Anthony Mazza & Jonathan George)

10. Remember When (The Karma Club Theme Song) – Nikki Boyer (pg. 258)
(Written by Nikki Boyer, Tommy Fields & Jill Altemus, Produced by Tommy Fields)


Executive Produced by Jessica Brody and Holly Karrol Clark

BIG NEWS: Four new books AND a film deal!!!!

Hey everyone! For months I've been keeping mum as we negotiated all the details of my exciting new book deal with my publisher, Macmillan Children's and I guess all the "mumness" paid off because in the midst of our negotiations, my brilliant and savvy agent, also managed to put together a film deal!

As reported in Publisher's Weekly today, I recently sold four new books to Macmillan. The first three are part of an exciting sci-fi/love story trilogy, starting with the first book titled, UNREMEMBERED. (A sixteen year old girl awakes amongst the wreckage of a devastating plane crash with no memories--the only clue to her identity is a mysterious boy who claims she was part of a science experiment 100 years in the future) And I've also sold another one of my contemporary stand-alone titles (along the vein of The Karma Club and my forthcoming, My Life Undecided). This fourth book is not yet titled.

The Unremembered trilogy was optioned to producer Doug Davison (The Departed, The Lake House, The Ring, How to Train Your Dragon) with screenwriter Whit Anderson attached to adapt it as a film. Doug and Whit are both also attached to the recently-announced reboot of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie.

This is by far, the biggest news of my career to date! And I'm beyond excited as it brings the count of my total books sold to...NINE! I can hardly believe it! I remember when I made that first sale. Way back in 2006. I never, in a million years, imagined myself a few years later with a total of NINE books!

If you want the full details (including more info about the Unremembered trilogy), you can read Publisher's Weekly's write up here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/deals/article/45329-deals-week-of-11-29-10.html

And now, I better go. I have a LOT of books to write! :)

But first, thank you all for your support of my writing career over the years. Being able to write books for a living is a dream come true. I'm so grateful for all of you!

XO
Jess

Love Under Cover in France!

So excited! At long last, my second novel, Love Under Cover, the sequel to The Fidelity Files, has released in France!

The book has been given the French title, En toute discretion, which roughly translates to "In total secrecy." The publisher is Fleuve Noir, which is an imprint of Univers Poche, one of the biggest publishing houses in France.

Check it out on Amazon.fr by clicking here!

And I've got some REALLY exciting news to announce very soon. Probably the biggest yet! So stay tuned!

The Karma Club Book Soundtrack!

So excited everyone! After six long months of work in the studio, I can finally announce the release of The Karma Club Book Soundtrack!

It will be coming to all digital download sites on December 14, 2010!

So what is a book soundtrack you might ask? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like! A soundtrack for a book! The album will include 10 songs inspired by my novel, The Karma Club. Each song is inspired by and meant to be listened to while reading a different section of the book. A reading/listening guide will be available on my website soon but in the meantime, please enjoy these fun promos that we've produced to help spread the word and give you a sneak peek (er...listen) to a few of the songs.

As you'll notice from the promos, the soundtrack features brand new exclusive songs by Madisen Hill and Radio Disney star Savannah Outen. Both talented rising teen stars in the world of music.

So that's my good news for the week! I hope you enjoy the promos!

Guest Star: Denise Jaden

My Guest Star author this week is Denise Jaden, author of the brand new novel, Losing Faith.

About LOSING FAITH:

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

And here's an awesome interview with Denise!

1) What's the first thing you do when starting a new book? What's the first thing you do when finishing a new book?

This is a great question for me, because it's the stage I'm at right now. The first thing I did after finishing my last book was take a few days off. I actually don't like taking time off writing, as my mind starts to come up with all sorts of critical thoughts when I'm not in the throes of working. But usually I need a few days to let my mind refresh. My first thing upon starting a new book: brainstorming! I love to chat with my friends, husband and critique partners about my new ideas and how I plan to implement them. It can be a really fun time in the process!

2) Who was the most fun to write?

Tessa Lockbaum was absolutely the most fun to write. She was not in my extensive outline, but just showed up in a scene while I was writing the first draft. After that, she just seemed to take over every scene she was in. She was constantly surprising me. I'm toying with the idea of writing a companion novel in Tessa's point of view.

3) What's your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite part?

I love first drafts! There's so much freedom, and often the characters do some pretty unexpected things. It's a very exciting time for me, and there is much celebration when I reach "The End." As for my least favorite part, that's a little more difficult to answer. I usually don't mind revising, but I guess the worst part is when I know something is not working and can't seem to find a fix for it. Often it feels like I'll never find the solution.

4) I love the name Brie! How do you come up with your character names?

Brie is an interesting situation. A few years ago, my husband met his birth mother and birth sister for the first time. His birth sister's name is Brie, and I loved it the moment I heard it! This is not always the way I select names, of course. I often jot down names I come across while I'm out around town and the odd one makes it into a book.

5) What are you working on next?

I'm working on another contemporary YA novel called PERFECT AIM. It's about a teenage archer whose plans to reunite her family go way off target and she finds solace in the arms of a young and understanding teacher.

Click here to order Losing Faith on Amazon!


About the Author
Denise Jaden lives just outside Vancouver, Canada. When she’s not writing, she can often be found homeschooling her son or dancing with her Polynesian dance troupe. Losing Faith is her first novel. Find out more at www.DeniseJaden.com

The O.C. Kids Book Fair - Pictures and More!

So I had a blast and a half last weekend at the OC Kids Book Fair in Costa Mesa! The event was so amazing and thank you to all the readers who showed up and bought books and listened to all the readings at the teen stage! I met some really cool peeps like Robin Benway, author of AUDREY, WAIT! and THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY AND JUNE and Joanna Philbin, author of THE DAUGHTERS.

I have to give mad snaps to the fine people who organized and ran the event (it couldn't have gone smoohter!) and the people at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego who sold all the books at the event! And if you want an autographed copy of The Karma Club, I hear they have a few left so hurry over there if you live in the area!

Okay, so without further ado, here are some photos from the event. Enjoy!

Reading from The Karma Club on the Teen Stage

Interview with PeopleJar.com

Signing copies of The Karma Club at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore Booth!

Phoenix School Visits!

Hey everyone! During the week of September 27, I'll be touring the Phoenix area, visiting schools to talk about writing and books. Here's a list of the schools I'll be visiting while I'm there:

• Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School
• Aprende Middle School
• Verrado Middle School
• Altadena Middle School
• Greenfield Junior High
• Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School
• Payne Junior High
• Hamilton High School
• Chandler Public Library - **OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! (Friday, October 1 at 2:15 pm)

If you go to one of these schools, I hope to see you there! If not, but you're in the Phoenix area, head on down to Chandler Public Library Teen Lounge on Friday October 1 at 2:15 pm. This will be a public event and all are welcome!

Happy weekend, everyone!

Save our Schools - Reading/Signing

Hey all!

On Friday, August 6, I'll be spreading some good Karma out in Santa Monica by supporting a very important cause and hope you'll come down to support it too!

The Santa Monica public school system is waging a huge battle against recent education budget slashes and trying to raise enough money to restore all the school programs that have been effected by the cuts.

One of the events they're hosting is a Book Fair at Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica where several popular young adult authors will be doing readings, Q&As and book signings to support the cause. 20% of all book sales will be donated back to the Save our Schools initiative.

I'll be reading from The Karma Club and doing a Q&A at 6:30 pm on Friday, August 6 and signing books afterward. So please stop by and say hi and help Save our Schools!

Plus here's a list of other young adult authors reading that day:

4:00 pm -- Janet Tashjian
4:30 pm -- Lin Oliver
5:00 pm -- Sally Nemeth
5:30 pm -- Sonya Sones
6:00 pm -- Tracy Trivas
6:30 pm -- Jessica Brody
7:00 pm -- Michael Reisman

More information about the Santa Monica Save Our Schools program can be found by clicking here.

Hope to see you there!

Guest Star: Jenny O'Connell

My Guest Star author this week is Jenny O'Connell, author of the hot summer teen reads, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS, the first two books in the exciting Island Summer series!

About the Island Summer Series:

Bestselling author Jenny O’Connell presents a sizzling series for summer. Her first two Island Summer novels, LOCAL GIRLS and RICH BOYS highlight the lives of the summering visitors, the year-round locals living in the beach towns of Martha’s Vineyard, and the fireworks that explode when they combine for three steamy months.

In LOCAL GIRLS, friendships are in danger of ending with the summer. Kendra and Mona are best friends, local girls who spend their summers catering to rich tourists and the rest of the year chafing against small-town life. Then Mona's mom marries one of the island's rich summer visitors, and Mona joins the world of the Boston elite, leaving Kendra and Martha's Vineyard behind. When Mona returns the following summer, everything is different.
Unlike his sister, Mona's twin brother Henry hasn't changed. He's spending his summer the way he always has: with long, quiet hours fishing. Early mornings before work become special for Kendra as she starts sharing them with Henry, hoping he can help her figure Mona out. Then Kendra hatches a plan to prove she's Mona's one true friend: uncover the identity of the twins' birth father, a question that has always obsessed Mona. And so she begins to unravel the seventeen-year-old mystery of the summer boy who charmed Mona's mother. But it may prove to be a puzzle better left unsolved--as what she is about to discover will change their lives forever...

In RICH BOYS, Winnie jumps at the chance to babysit for a wealthy summer family and earn some extra money—but soon learns that life in the Barclay’s beautiful vacation home isn’t as perfect as it appears. And what was supposed to be a carefree summer quickly becomes more complicated than she ever thought possible.

Click here to order Rich Boys on Amazon!

Click here to order Local Girls on Amazon!

Praise for Jenny O'Connell:


“Sweet romances with relatable characters trying to find themselves.”
—Cosmo Girl

"O’Connell is a smart, talented author; I’m really looking forward to
seeing what she writes next!”
—Teens Read Too.com


About the Author
Jenny O'Connell received her BA from Smith College and her MBA from the University of
Chicago. The author of PLAN B and THE BOOK OF LUKE, she lives outside of Boston with her family. Visit her online at: www.jennyoconnell.com

The Karma Club is now available in the UK!

Hi everyone! Big news! The Karma Club is now available in the UK! Hoorah! Or should I say, Jolly Good!

The wonderful people at Tick Tock Books have published this gorgeous UK edition and I couldn't be happier with it.

So if you're across the pond, head on over to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy.

More information and links to order online can be found from the publisher's website here: http://www.ticktock.co.uk/fiction/karma_club.html

Desperately Seeking Frances...Any Frances!

Is your name Frances? Then I might have a free copy of The Karma Club for you!

Okay, allow me to explain. Someone named Frances won a free copy of The Karma Club on my site a few weeks back and I accidentally signed two copies to her. So now I have this extra book made out to "Frances" that I don't know what to do with!

So my brilliant author friend, Joanne Rendell (yes, I'm giving proper credit where credit is due!) came up with the idea to do a contest in search of Frances.

And here it is! So if you're name is Frances, leave a comment on this blog and I'll choose a random Frances winner to send the book to!

If your name is not Frances...many apologies. Maybe some day I'll sign a duplicate book with your name in it. But until then, if you know anyone named Frances, please pass this along!

The contest will be open for two weeks. I'll draw a winner on Friday, June 18.

What's the Worst Job You've Ever Had?

Hey all! I need your help with my next book! 52 Reasons to Hate My Father (scheduled for release in 2012) is about a spoiled teen heiress who has to take on 52 low-wage jobs in order to receive her inheritance. I'm in the process of writing it now and I need some inspiration!

I'm currently collecting a list of horrible jobs. So leave a comment on the post and let me know what's the worst job you've ever had.

All comments will go into a drawing for a free copy of The Karma Club, AND your worst job ever could end up in my next book!

Looking forward to reading about everyone's occupational miseries. LOL!

XO
Jessica

Guest Star: Jeri Smith-Ready

My Guest Star author this week is Jeri Smith-Ready, author of the brand new novel, Shade

About SHADE:

Love ties them together.
Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Order SHADE from Amazon now!


And here's my interview with Jeri Smith-Ready!


1) Your main character Aura has the power to talk to ghosts. If you could have any special power, what would it be and why?

I’d love to have some sort of physical enhancement, because I’m such a weakling. I’d like to be able to defend myself. So make me the female Incredible Hulk. It would fit, because I have quite the temper!

2) As writers, we all love to procrastinate. What’s your favorite procrastination activity?

One word: TWITTER. When I joined it back in November 2009, not very many people were on it, so there wasn’t much to see. It was a quick little break now and then. Now I follow more than 600 people (and have more than 2,000 followers who engage me in conversation), so I can literally spend an hour at a time on there if I’m not careful.
It’s become such a big part of my life and such my portal to the universe, I sometimes dream about it. Pathetic, huh?

But it satisfies my need to interact with people in more or less real time. I write full-time and don’t get out much (which I like, as I’m kind of a hermit who hates to get out of her pajamas), so it helps me feel less isolated.

3) Who’s your favorite character in the book and why? Who was the most fun to write?

I can’t really pick a favorite among the three main characters (Aura, her ghost boyfriend Logan, and the “Other Guy,” Zachary), but the most fun character to write was Logan’s geeky younger brother Dylan. For some reason, he was incredibly real to me right from the first scene, so writing his dialogue and mannerisms was a breeze. He has a bigger role in the sequel, SHIFT, some of which was rather unexpected.

4) Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel came first, and the title actually helped me take the book to a whole new level. Believe it or not, I didn’t know there would be such a thing as a “shade”—the dark, malevolent spirit a ghost becomes when it goes bad and bitter—until after I’d written the first draft, which was around the time we picked a new title for the book (originally the series was called GENERATION GHOST). Between drafts I was thinking the ghosts were too harmless and not exciting enough.

Then I remembered that “shade” was a term used in Greek mythology to describe the restless, miserable spirits in the underworld.

So then over the course of three weeks before the book was due to my editor, I completely revised the novel to incorporate the threat of these scary shades, including the possibility that Aura’s beloved dead boyfriend, Logan, would become one.

5) I love the name Aura! How do you come up with your character names?

I'm sort of embarrassed to admit this, but I named Aura after the new Saturn sports sedan. Okay, I didn't really name her AFTER the car, but when I saw a commercial for it, I said, "That's my main character's name!" I'd been pondering the story idea in the back of my mind for a couples years but hadn't started writing it. Having the name really jump-started the brainstorming process.

I feel like I should buy an Aura in gratitude. ;-p

One way I pick names that fit a character’s age—especially for minor characters—is to use the Social Security Administration’s Baby Name database. You can plug in a year and find out the top 1,000 names in order of popularity. It helps in keeping a name “generationally correct.” For instance, there are a lot of thirty-something guys named Scott, but when was the last time you knew a teenager or child with that name?

Other names just come to me and feel right instantly, like Logan.

6) What are you working on next?

I’m writing the sequel to SHADE, called SHIFT, which will be out in May 2011. I also just finished page proofs on the third book in my adult vampire series, BRING ON THE NIGHT, which comes out in August.

I can’t wait to see what fans of the series think of this installment!
After I turn in SHIFT, I’ll get back to work on the fourth vampire book, which is still deciding what it wants to be named.

Thanks for interviewing me, Jessica!


About the Author
Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready lives in Maryland with her husband, two cats, and the world’s goofiest greyhound.

Jeri's plans to save the earth were ruined when she realized she was more of a “problem maker” than a problem solver. To stay out of trouble, she keeps her Drama Drive strictly fictional. Her friends and family appreciate that.

When not writing, Jeri she can usually be found—well, thinking about writing, or on Twitter. Like her characters, she loves music, movies, and staying up very, very late.

Spread Good School Karma...Online!

Hey everyone! So remember that big red carpet event I threw last weekend that supported the local Santa Clarita schools? If you don't check out the video below about the event.

Well, good news! You don't have to be local to support the schools. And if you couldn't make it out to our event on Saturday, here's your chance to spread some good Karma right from your computer! All you have to do is make a purchase at BarnesandNoble.com (any purchase will do although I hear that book, THE KARMA CLUB is pretty good!) and enter in one of the book fair numbers below at check out (At checkout, it will ask if this is a book fair purchase...that's when you say, "YES!"). A portion of your purchase will go back to the school!

How easy is that? I know ALL of you have SOMETHING you've been meaning to order from BarnesandNoble.com. Well, here's your chance to make that purchase AND spread some good Karma in the process. What a deal!

Here's the list of schools and their unique book fair IDs.

Arroyo Seco Jr. High 10203933

Canyon High School 10201044

Carousel Ranch 10201069

Golden Valley HS 10201226

Hart High School 10201200

La Mesa Jr. High 10201242

Placerita Jr. High 10203941

Rancho Pico Jr. High 10203925

Rio Norte Jr. High 10201051

Saugus High School 10201028

SCV Int'l Charter School 10200608

Sierra Vista Jr. High 10201218

Valencia High School 10201234

West Ranch High School 10203966

The Event Video:

The Karma Club Launch Party and Fundraiser!

Hey everyone! The launch party this weekend was a HUGE success. We had a fabulous turn out and I want to thank everyone who came out to celebrate. I especially want to thank our amazing performers: Josh Golden, Savannah Outen, Madisen Hill, Nikki Boyer, Tommy Fields, Ari Cruz, and Sarah Meeks-Clark. You guys ROCK...literally!

Check out the video below to see all the teen celebs who showed up to celebrate with us and some footage from our live concert!





XO
Jessica

Good Karma Book Launch & Fundraiser Promo!

Hey all! Check out this awesome new promo for The Good Karma Book Launch and Red Carpet Fundraiser on May 1st! Thanks to Madisen Hill and Nico Nevolo for participating in the making of the video.

Guest Star: Kay Cassidy!

My Guest Star author this week is Kay Cassidy, author of the brand new novel, The Cinderella Society

About THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY:

What's a girl to do when the glass slipper fits, but she doesn't want to wear it anymore?

Sixteen year old Jess Parker has always been an outsider. So when she receives an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret society of the most popular girls in school, it's like something out of a fairy tale. Swept up by the Cindys' magical world of makeovers, and catching the eye of her Prince Charming, Jess feels like she's finally found her chance to fit in.

Then the Wickeds--led by Jess's arch-enemy--begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers there's more to being a Cindy than reinventing yourself on the outside. She has unknowingly become part of a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and now the Cindys in charge need Jess for a mission that could change everything.

Overwhelmed, Jess wonders if The Cinderella Society made a mistake in choosing her. Is it a coincidence her new boyfriend doesn't want to be seen with her in public? And is this glamorous, secret life even what she wants, or will she risk her own happy ending to live up to the expectations of her new sisters?

Order The Cinderella Society from Amazon now!

And here's my interview with Kay!


1. The Cinderella Society sounds like such a great concept. How did you come up with the idea?

The Cinderella Society actually came from a magazine article about high school sororities. I'd never heard of that before and, once I started thinking about the kind of society I would create if I could, I realized I would want it to be an organization devoted to fighting the everyday battle of good vs. evil. The idea snowballed from there and The Cinderella Society was born.


2. This series would make an awesome movie. Any interest from studios or producers?

The Cinderella Society is out on submission as a TV series right now. There were some early nibbles of interest, so we'll have to see how it shakes out in the end.

3. What’s the first thing you do when starting a new book? What’s the first thing you do when finishing a new book?

The first thing I do when starting a new book is fill out a couple of worksheets to lay the groundwork. I'm a big plotter (I usually use Hauge's method), so I use those worksheets to create a scene-by-scene outline of the entire book before I sit down to write the first draft. The plotting process can take several months, but once I'm done I can usually hammer out the first draft in less than a month because I know the story and characters so well.

The first thing I do when I finish a book is SLEEP. :-) And then celebrate by taking some time off to read with no nagging feelings of "If I have time to read, I have time to write."

4. As writers, we all love to procrastinate. What’s your favorite procrastination activity?

Ooo… that's a tough one. Probably a tie between Twitter and email. If I had no internet access, I would be a gazillion times more productive than I am. If I'm on deadline or if I have writer's block, I've been known to unplug the modem entirely just so I can focus with no tempting distractions.


5. What are you working on next?

Right now I'm working on the sequel to The Cinderella Society, titled Cindy on a Mission. It follows the further adventures of Jess and the Sisters as the Wickeds launch an offensive that threatens everything the Cindys hold dear. Cindy on a Mission will be on shelves in Spring 2011.


About the Author
Kay Cassidy is the author of teen fiction she wishes was based on her real life. She is the founder of the national Great Scavenger Hunt Contest reading program for kids and teens and the host of the inspirational Living Your Five web project. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, movies, music, and reading. Lots and lots of reading. She hopes her debut YA novel, THE CINDERELLA SOCIETY (April 13, 2010 - Egmont), will help girls embrace their inner Cindy.

Chance to win a free Amazon Gift Card!

Hey all! My fellow writer, Ellen Meister has a great contest going on right now for a free Amazon gift card!

All you have to do to enter is join her mailing list. Easy peasy, right?

So click here, fill out the form, and remember to click through when you get the confirmation email. That's it.

Ellen only sends out a few updates a year, so you won't be bombarded. Besides, I think you'll want to hear about her breakthrough novel, THE OTHER LIFE (Putnam/2011), which is already getting great early buzz.

The Karma Club Theme Song on iTunes

Hey everyone! I'm so excited to announce that The Karma Club Theme Song, performed by Nikki Boyer is now available on iTunes!

Click here to check it out!

And if you like THAT song, then you'll The Karma Club Original Book Soundtrack that releases VERY soon.

Stay tuned!

Fidelity Files Russian Edition!

Check it out everyone! I just received the Russian cover for THE FIDELITY FILES!

I love seeing every publisher's take on the concept. This is a fun one!

The Good Karma Book Launch and Red Carpet Fundraiser!

After much planning and coordinating, I'm so excited to announce a VERY SPECIAL event coming up!

It's a Red Carpet fundraising event to celebrate the launch of The Karma Club!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

1-5 pm

Barnes and Noble - Santa Clarita

26360 Valencia Blvd. Santa Clarita, CA 91355

All sorts of fun stuff will be going on throughout the day. Including:

• Musical Performances
• Celebrity Appearances
• Autographing Sessions
• Book Signings
• And more!

Proceeds from the event will go to support the local schools of Santa Clarita Valley.

So if you live in the Southern California area, be sure to come on down and help us spread some Good Karma!

Mark your calendars! Hope to see you all there! Watch the promo for the event below!

The Karma Club Theme Song!

They have theme songs for movies. Theme songs for TV shows. Why not a theme song for a book!?

I'm excited to announce the official release of The Karma Club Theme Song!

It's called "Remember When" and it's performed by the lovely Nikki Boyer, who you might recognize as the host of Yahoo's hit show, Daytime in No Time.)

The song is featured prominently in the Karma Club book trailer.  (If you haven't had a chance to take a look, be sure to do that by clicking here.)

And now it's available for download on Amazon.com! 

I really think the energy, feel and lyrics of this song capture the spirit of the book perfectly!

You can listen to a sample and download from the widget below:

Guest Star: Elizabeth Scott

My Guest Star author this week is Elizabeth Scot, author of the brand new novel, The Unwritten Rule

About THE UNWRITTEN RULE:

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like you best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself
from wanting more...

And here's an awesome interview with Elizabeth!

1. What’s the first thing you do when starting a new book? What’s the first thing you do when finishing a new book?

Start: Write down everything I know. Finish: Send the draft off trusted readers!

2. As writers, we all love to procrastinate. What’s your favorite procrastination activity?

Reading celebrity gossip.

3. When you set out to write a new book, are you usually sparked by a story idea or a character?

It depends--sometimes it's an idea or even just a scene that I know is going to grow into something, and sometimes it's a character.

4. What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Your least favorite part?

I love writing. I hate, hate, hate revising. But you have to do it.
(And I have to do it a lot!)

5. What are you working on next?

My next book, Grace, will be out from Dutton in September. It's about a girl who's been raised to be a suicide bomber--and what happens when she decides she wants to live.

Click here to order The Unwritten Rule on Amazon!


About the Author
Elizabeth Scott grew up in a town so small it didn't even have a post office, though it did boast an impressive cattle population. She's sold hardware and panty hose and had a memorable three-day stint in the dot-com industry, where she learned that she really didn't want a career burning CDs. She lives just outside Washington, DC, with her husband; firmly believes you can never own too many books; and would love it if you visited her website: www.ElizabethWrites.com

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Karma in Action: How Deepak Chopra Appeared in My Book Trailer

The book trailer for The Karma Club launched only yesterday and already the question I've been asked several times over is: "How did you get Deepak Chopra to cameo in your book trailer?"

I had a feeling this question might come up. So I thought I'd do a quick blog about it.

I'll start by saying, I don't believe in accidents. Nor do I believe in coincidences. I believe the universe lines up exactly the way it's supposed to and this story is more proof of that than I'll ever need.

When I wrote The Karma Club a few years back, I created a character in the novel named Rajiv--a wise, kindhearted Indian man with a rich, melodic accent and a playful sense of humor. Rajiv's purpose was to offer guidance to my broken-hearted teen character and inherently influence her journey throughout the book. Of course, he was inspired by one of my favorite spiritual teachers, Deepak Chopra.

Two years later, I was on a flight from New York to LA, somewhere high above the middle of the country, on my laptop, checking Twitter (thanks to Virgin America's Wi-Fi enabled flights!) Deepak's latest tweet happened to be on my screen at the time and the man sitting next to me noticed, tapped me on the shoulder and said, "That's my dad."

It turned out I was sitting right next to Deepak Chopra's son! And if it hadn't been for GoGo's Inflight Internet service, I never would have known. Gotham Chopra (also a writer) and I started chatting, exchanged contact information and a few weeks later I asked him if he thought his dad would be interested in making a cameo appearance in my newest book trailer, playing the character that he inspired. He said, "Possibly," and the next thing I knew, I got a call from Deepak himself saying that he'd love to participate! It was, for lack of a better word, unbelievable.

So I, along with my lead actress and a small crew of five people, traveled down to the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, CA to shoot our big scene. Deepak was a pro. So generous with his time and just an overall joy to be around. We were in and out in a matter of a few hours and I think it's safe to say, we all left feeling just a little bit...well, inspired.

Now if that isn't a story of universal alignment, I don't know what is! Maybe I should just chalk it up to Karma. :)

To view the book trailer with Deepak's cameo, click here.

THE KARMA CLUB BOOK TRAILER IS HERE!!!!

After three months of pre-production, production, post-production, blood, sweat and a lot of tears, The Karma Club book trailer is FINALLY finished and ready to show to the world!

So without any further ado, here is the official book trailer for The Karma Club, with a special cameo appearance by Deepak Chopra!

The Karma Club - UK Cover!

Hello friends!

Sorry for being so quiet lately. The past few weeks since the holidays have been a total blur. I've been working night and day to get the Karma Club trailer ready for its big debut next month! It's coming along SO well and can't wait to share it with everyone!

AND I've been trying to wrap up my new book. I'm SO nearly there!

Well, enough excuses, on to the fun stuff...

The Karma Club - UK Release!

I've just heard from my fabulous YA publishers across the pond, Tick Tock Books, and they've designed the cutest cover for The Karma Club, which will be out there in June of 2010! You ready? Are you sure? Okay, here it is...

Tada!

Isn't it gorgeous!? I'm supposed to get a galley this week. I can't wait!

Okay, back to work. It was fun to come up for some air though and chat for a while. But now it's back to my writer's cave. 

See you soon!

Jessica