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