Tonight at 8:30 PM EST, we will be here (via this post) discussing JUMP by Terra Little, one of our April BOM selections. Terra will be joining us to share more about herself, the book, and more. We hope you can join us! If not tonight, please be sure to drop in tomorrow or later to share your thoughts. I’m sure Terra would appreciate it.
**scroll down to the comment section to join the chat already in progress**
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lena Hunter is not under the influence of drugs, nor is she out of her mind when she aims a pistol at her grandmother’s heart and seals her fate by pulling the trigger. She might very well think about her actions later and wish that she had done things differently, but the fact that the old woman is dead is her one true victory. Through eight mind-numbing years of imprisonment, it is the only thing that makes any sense to her, the only thing that makes it all worthwhile.
Too many years of sharing a tragic past makes Lena and her sister Victoria closer than close, and together they are strong enough to stand up to their grandmother when the time comes. Together, they have the strength to refuse their grandmother’s one constant and sickening request, which is for them to be quiet “good girls.” They find the courage to move on and carve out lives for themselves. Vicky is a successful nurse practitioner and Lena is a computer geek and the mother of a perfect six-year-old little girl. Carrying family secrets around on her own shoulders is one thing, but the prospect of the load being shifted onto her daughter’s innocent shoulders is quite another. The mere thought of it is what ultimately sends Lena rushing over to her grandmother’s house with a loaded pistol—an act that changes her life for better, for worse, and forever.
Author Terra Little challenges those brave enough to step inside of Lena’s world to answer one burning question: What would you have done?
TERRA SPEAKS
I took a lot of risks, or so I’ve been told, in writing this story, but it’s always been
my intent as an author to write stories that touch people in some way and inspire thought. So if a story that I’ve written makes you laugh, cry, scream and cuss, or shake your head, I feel like, in some way, I’ve done what I set out to do. In writing JUMP, I wan
ted to put the spotlight on what it’s like being a woman, a prison inmate, and a member of a truly dysfunctional family, and, though this is a purely fictional story, I tried to stay as close to reality as possible. For you, that might mean
that as you read you’ll experience new, uncomfortable, and/or exhilarating emotions. And you might find yourself thinking in ways that you’ve never thought before, considering scenarios that never before crossed your mind.
I hope so.
But most of all, I hope that you get to know Lena and come to some kind of understanding with her. I hope that her story grips you and shakes you until it’s time to part ways. I hope that her story stays with you long after you’re done reading. And I hope that your book club has a lively, fascinating and controversial discussion about Lena, her life and her legacy.
AUTHOR BIO:
Terra’s rapidly expanding body of work refuses to be bound by a single genre, as she continues to pen novels that appeal to audiences across the reading continuum. With more storylines in the works and upcoming titles scheduled for release, Terra plans to continue carving out a place for herself among the literati and in the hearts of book lovers everywhere.
STAY CONNECTED:
http://www.terralittle.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terra-Little/182610865123881
http://www.twitter.com/Terra_Little
Greetings one and all! So glad to have you with us tonight as we welcome Terra Little! While we wait on folks to arrive, please feel free to share just ONE word about JUMP.
Terra, you can start by telling us a bit about yourself and please be sure to subscribe to the comments so you can see when someone replies.
I’ll be posting discussion questions too…
-Tee
***If you’re responding to someone directly, hit “Reply” under their comment as it’ll keep the discussion/thread a bit cleaner. Otherwise, post directly in the box below.***
Hello Terra and welcome..!!
Hi Linda! Thanks so much for joining me!
Welcome Terra!
Hi Yolanda! Thanks for joining us!
Hey Yolanda. So glad to see you can access the site now.
Little bit about me? Well, let’s see. I live in Missouri and work as a middle school teacher, and JUMP is my fourth published book. Since I’m a pretty low-key person, there’s not too much else to tell. I’m still waiting on something news-worthy to happen and shake up my mundane little existence – lol.
Of course, you know I consider myself an honorary RAWSISTAZ!
Ummm, how are you an “honorary” member when you’re in the group? Shame on it all! You know we only have a handful of authors in the actual online book group and here you go not trying to claim it. Oh the shame! ROFL!
You know what I meant, Tee! Oh, lord, I just know my private IM box is going to be popping up in a sec… Can I just go on the record now as saying, “It was a slip, Tee. It only happened once and it didn’t mean anything, I swear.” ROFL
Has it been more than five years since we met already, Tee? My how time flies! I have loved every minute of my RAWSISTAZ affiliation and I’m looking forward to many more years!
My one word would be INTENSE. I was on edge a lot while reading and so many emotions were coming and going I couldn’t keep up. Oops, that’s more than one word. LOL! Y’all know I’m wordy.
My one word would be—Of darn, I can never do these one word things. I guess it would be “Whoa.” Not a good word, but that’s what I kept thinking as I was reading. This book made me send an email to Terra as soon as I finished. Really, really good.
that should be *oh* darn. Not of! Duh
Hi Melissa! Thanks for stopping by! So glad you enjoyed JUMP and I really appreciated your email. Your kind words and feedback were/are greatly appreciated.
Greetings everyone! Welcome Terra! I’m stopping through for a l’il bit.
~Brenda
Hi Brenda! Thanks for the welcome and for stopping through!
Hey sis, thanks! Glad to “see” you. It’s been much too long.
WHEW…GURL….I LOVED this book…you wrote some characters I could “see”..I love books like this..I was gasping..laughing out loud..feeling pain…in the therapy meeting..and was Lena’s back-up if Mary didnt sit her azz down…lol Excellent..
Linda that is HILARIOUS! I’m so glad you enjoyed JUMP. With a storyline like the one JUMP has, you never know how people will be affected. It sounds like you “got” Lena. I was hoping I’d be able to evoke some sort of feelings in readers and every time I discover another reader who tells me I was successful, I do a little happy dance. (Doing a little happy dance now…)
Well, do another happy dance! I got her too. What I really liked is I didn’t instantly judge her. As soon as the book opened, I had my “WTH” face on, but as each chapter (and flashback) unfolded, I actually liked her more and more and more. I also loved that I could feel her emotion. You wrote the book in a way that even though we weren’t Lena ourselves, we could get what she was going through. From the tensing up, to counting before she rounded corners, her interactions with Beige, her sister, and Aaron…I was taken in.
That means a lot to me, Tee, coming from you. Thank you! Your experience is exactly the reason why I decided to write JUMP in first-person, from Lena’s point of view, and in the present tense. I almost had a heart attack when, in the copy-editing stage, someone took it upon themselves to change the format of the entire book to past tense. I started reading over the copy before I realized what had happened and was thinking, “Where’s Lena? I can’t feel her. She’s not here?” Once I did realize what had happened, I was distraught… I felt the story had to be told the way it was told, as if Lena were living it and breathing it all right this very minute.
Well, truth-be-told, if the main character is a woman, I prefer it in first because I like to really FEEL like I’m living through the character…well, most times. LOL! It makes it easier to relate to. I don’t think I’ve read a male author who wrote in first person…that I can remember.
I’m so glad you got it changed back.
-Tee
Me, too!
LOL! I absolutely LOVE-ED (yep I said it), when she told Mary off. She sat down though didn’t she. I also loved the scene when she went to the psychic with the lady she worked with. I will admit. I wanted her to stay and hear what else the lady had to say. I also liked the “conversation” with her grandmother. That was some deep stuff.
Believe it or not, I actually once knew a lady who operated almost exactly like the psychic lady in the book. She’s who I drew from when creating the character’s way of getting around to “reading” people – asking who is this or that person, etc. It is spooky to have someone start asking you questions about people you knew who are now dead…
Greetings everyone!
I just woke up from a refreshing little mini-nap and I’m ready to get my RAW on! Hope everyone is having a wonderful evening!
Well, I’m glad you made it and enjoyed your nap. I’ve been running around all day, so I could use a good nap.
Be sure to ask us questions too and share as much as you’d like about why you created Lena, how hard (if it was) to write her character, etc.
-Tee
Surprisingly enough, I didn’t find it hard to write Lena’s character or the story as a whole, at all. Really, I don’t clearly recall writing JUMP. I mean, I recall sitting down at the computer, being consumed with the need to write compulsively as the project was unfolding, etc. But large chunks of the text really seemed to have written themselves. I will admit to some difficulty reading through the manuscript after I was done writing, because I, too, could really feel Lena’s angst and I felt powerless to help her or to stop what was happening to her. But I always tell people when they ask about the writing process, it was really more like Lena invaded my personal space (the space inside my head) and “strongly suggested to me that I write her story.” Throughout the process, I merely followed her directions. She told me what to write and I wrote it… Even now it’s strange not to have her around, she was such a big part of my life at the time.
Wow! That is awesome. Terra, was that how writing all your books were, or just this one?
~Brenda
So far, just for this one, Linda. I have been engrossed in my other projects and have experienced thoughts like, “When did I write that?” or “Dang. I wrote that? That’s kinda good.” But it was different with JUMP. Lena was like a real person. Seemed like she was sitting next to me the whole time. I was writing and wondering what I’d title the manuscript and it was really like the word “JUMP” was whispered to me out of nowhere one night. I figure that was probably Lena, lol.
Okay, lemme stop. Staring to freak myself out a little bit…lol.
LOL, this would freak me out totally.
~Brenda
I think that your description of the writing process for you with JUMP explains a lot. I was totally consumed while reading the book and just completely attached to Lena. Sad when it ended as a reader, so I know you must’ve felt lost when the writing was done!
I think I’m still a little lost, Melissa. It’s sort of like I lost a great friend and I’m still grieving, if that makes sense.
This description of you writing the book makes complete sense cause I was caught up in Lena’s life. I wanted to save her but I just couldn’t. And that man…simple perfection.
The first question I have…is really Terra’s. LOL!
If you were Lena, would would YOU have done??
-Tee
I would have done the same thing
Linda, I think I would have too. It’s so hard to even think about though. I can’t imagine a grandmother even going their with her own grandkids (or any others for that matter).
-Tee
I think I would’ve done the same thing too, but again, I gotta agree with Tee that it is/was so hard for me to imagine a grandmother doing what Lena’s did (so much hate!)
I would have done the same. With a side note…I’m still reading only on page 107 but should finish tonight. :::going to the corner:::
It’s okay Monique, you will be able to stop in when you finish tonight or tomorrow and I’m pretty sure Terra will pop back by to answer your questions or see your feedback. I know I want to know what you think.
Thanks for coming…
Hi Monique! Thanks for joining us!
I’ll put in my own two cents… I believe I would’ve done the same thing. The thought of going to prison isn’t a pleasant one, but I think I would’ve gone…
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. When JUMP opens, Lena describes how she is standing over the body, with the gun still smoking in the palm of her hand. What is your first impression of what is happening and why?
2. Lena hasn’t seen her daughter in all the time she’s been in prison. When they are finally reunited, do you think Beige’s reaction to Lena is justified? Is Lena’s reaction to Beige justified?
3. Vicky, Lena’s sister, cared for Beige while Lena was in prison. Lena discovers that Vicky allowed Beige to tell people that her mother was dead, when she was really in prison. Do you think this was an appropriate thing to do? Why or why not?
1. When JUMP opens, Lena describes how she is standing over the body, with the gun still smoking in the palm of her hand. What is your first impression of what is happening and why?
It immediately pulled me in but I really wanted to know what her grandmother had done.
I was kinda annoyed about the public defenders decision to say she was on ecstasy, but I got it and why he did it. (I really didn’t think, “dang she’s a bad person for killing someone, especially her grandmother.” I wanted to know what g-mama did. LOL!)
2. Lena hasn’t seen her daughter in all the time she’s been in prison. When they are finally reunited, do you think Beige’s reaction to Lena is justified? Is Lena’s reaction to Beige justified?
I think both were justified because they didn’t have the answers yet to what they both wanted to know. I love the short conversations, the looks, the flinching, and finally when they took that first walk had me tied to both characters.
3. Vicky, Lena’s sister, cared for Beige while Lena was in prison. Lena discovers that Vicky allowed Beige to tell people that her mother was dead, when she was really in prison. Do you think this was an appropriate thing to do? Why or why not?
No, I don’t think it was appropriate at all, but it is kinda understandable. I didn’t get the impression though that Vicky allowed her to tell folks, so that puts another spin in it. I think it was the easy answer for both of them…not right, but easier.
1. When I read her standing over the body..my first thought was..”here we go..but Im a keep reading”..WHEW…so happy I did..lol
2. Not sure Beige was justified but I certainly understood her.
3. I thought Vicky was just trying to cope and couldnt figure out WHAT to do with Beige…and maybe she thought..it will all work out once Lena gets home..so I wont “mess” with it.
You didnt ask..but I did NOT like the Mama…
@ Linda – (“I didn’t like the mama”) That b**ch… (smh)
Me either! I didn’t like her from JUMP. Ahahha… I wanted that first meeting when she came to visit to last longer though.
roflll..yep whew..talking about wantin to bi**ch-slap somebody LOL
Y’all some potty-mouths. Umph…
I think Vicky should have made a bigger point of having Beige communicate with her mother. But when someone is in prison you still have to have a life on the outside.
That is a part I will probably differ with most folks on. I got why Lena didn’t want Beige to see her like that. Now Vicky? She should’ve come more, but I don’t know that I’d want my child visiting me in prison. How do you help them understand it? I really loved their slumber party scene. It got me to thinking… My mom never showed me all that stuff with cleansing your skin & makeup and I don’t recall ever having a slumber party, so now I’m feeling I’ma need to have a slumber party or something.
-Tee
I don’t think I would’ve wanted my child to see me in that place, either, especially if my personality had evolved to the point that Lena’s did. I can just see her on day one – hair curled, eyebrows arched, nails still polished from court… wondering what the hell is going on and how she could possibly survive a place like that. By mid-sentence, can you “see” what she probably looked like and imagine the chip on her shoulder? A child might be traumatized from witnessing that alone.
Exactly! I loved in the book though when they were doing the makeup and Beige said “I remember you” to Lena once she had her face all made up.
She went in looking like Dr. Jekkyl and came out looking like Mr. Hyde. Beige was probably initially like, WTH? Who is you? LOL
No one ever taught me the skin/makeup stuff either (and that’s probably why I don’t wear makeup to this day). The retreat will be our slumber party!
Ooooh, fun, fun! Should definitely incorporate some pampering in there!
Vicky irritated me at times. To me, she could’ve had a more active role in everything and I wonder how the story might’ve been different if she had.
I think she had her place and that place was where she needed to be. Just sayin’.
I think Vicky was dealing with demons and thats how folks handle them sometimes by dismissing them
Oh yeah. She definitely had demons. Her way of dealing with them wouldn’t have been mine, but I understand how and why she was the way she was. I still wanted to shake her sometimes. She should’ve been the youngest and Lena the oldest…
I agree with the demons. And Terra, I really like that she WAS the oldest. It gave the book a different twist because you don’t often see it this way.
This is true. My older sister always really worked my nerves, wanting to run the show all the time. So Vicky is definitely an older sister that I can’t really relate to. But she did play her part and do what she was strong enough to do when it counted, I guess.
Okay, I have a lot more questions, but dunno where our RAWSISTAZ are. Terra, let’s wrap up, but please feel free to post additional questions (as will I) and stop back in this weekend when you have time to respond.
Before you go though, tell us where we can expect to see you next (event) and what you’re working on now (and anything else you want to share). It’s always a pleasure chatting with you.
Linda & Monique, thanks so much for stopping through. I hope you’ll peek back in too to answer some of the additional questions or ask your own. I’ll be checking in over the next few days too.
-Tee
I certainly will..cause I need to know what Terra is working on..lol
Oh and thanks Terra..!
I’ve been asked to speak at a conference in Florida next month, so I’m looking forward to that. I’ll post more info in the next week or so. And coming up in September 2011, I’ll be at the Fall Into Books event, here in St. Louis, MO. Then, around Halloween, Brenda Hampton and I are teaming up to do a something here in St. Louis. That should be a blast! More details to come on that, too.
After JUMP, I’ve been in a strange writing space, sort of getting my mojo back (JUMP really put me to work). I’m working on a few different projects… Also, been playing around with a “Smoke 3.” I’ve gotten so many requests for it.
Thanks again, Linda, Monique, Brenda, for stopping by!
Well be sure to keep us posted on everything! Sounds like you have some fun events to look forward to.
And you didn’t ask, but I think you should write a comedy. You crack me up.
-Tee
Comedy-Yes! No matter what Terra writes, her characters’ dialogue always has me laughing out loud for real! I love that.
Thanks, Melissa & Tee! Definitely something to think about!
MORE QUESTIONS
4. Of the characters below, share your thoughts about them and their roles in the book:
Isolde
Lena’s Mom
Stella
Aaron
Yo-Yo
Kimmick
Mary
5. Did you have a favorite & least favorite character?
6. Were you shocked to find out that Lena not only had a high school diploma, but had gone to college and also got her masters degree? And for Terra, why did you decide to go this route?
7. Lena and Aaron form an unlikely friendship based on common interests. Later, Lena
realizes that they have in fact been “going together” right under her nose. Should she have
been surprised or do you think she was aware of what was happening all along?
8. What is your overall lesson from the book? Or better yet, what did you feel when you closed the pages?
More later…if we have others join in tomorrow.
See you all then!
-Tee
I loved Aaron. So refreshing to read about a positive black male who is open, caring & willing to love to whole person. I didn’t care for Vicky because I wanted her to step up & recognize what happened.
I wasn’t shocked at Lena’s education but I was by the amount of time she spent in prison.
Monique,
After everything that Lena had been through, I had to gift her with Aaron. I felt she deserved at least that. But, then again, I always find myself inserting a male character somewhere in my stories that I would be attracted to myself. Can’t help it. In JUMP, Aaron is that male character. I’m almost envious of Lena for finding him before I did, lol.
I didn’t care for Vicky, overall, myself. I’m thoroughly outspoken and I struggle with abiding by people who don’t stand up or speak up for themselves. I wanted to slap her sometimes…
Hugs to you, too, Tee!
Hey all, hey Terra!
I just wanted to stop in and tell you how impressed I was with Jump. I was seriously engrossed, but I wasn’t surprised at how good it was. I knew from the time I read Running From Mercy all those years ago that you had something special.
Girl, writing is, as Daniel Black says, your spiritual gift, and I can’t wait for you to bless us with it again.
Lena was a real woman to me, and her struggles and victories were as real as if I was living them alongside her. Without a doubt, this was one of the best books I’ve read all year!
Thank you, Candace! You humble me! So glad you enjoyed JUMP and so very appreciative of your kind words!
1. When JUMP opens, Lena describes how she is standing over the body, with the gun still smoking in the palm of her hand. What is your first impression of what is happening and why?
Well I just knew that Lena was not a bad person. Just from Terra’s other books, and how her female characters may be flawed, or do things that you wouldn’t traditionally condone, I knew there was much more to the Lena story. And of course, Terra didn’t disappoint. I was ready to find out what this grandmother had done!
2. Lena hasn’t seen her daughter in all the time she’s been in prison. When they are finally reunited, do you think Beige’s reaction to Lena is justified? I do think it was justified. I don’t think Beige should have visited Lena in prison, but at the same time, obviously Beige is going to feel some kind of way not having her mom as a mom for all those years.
3. Vicky, Lena’s sister, cared for Beige while Lena was in prison. Lena discovers that Vicky allowed Beige to tell people that her mother was dead, when she was really in prison. Do you think this was an appropriate thing to do?
No. I do understand why Beige did not visit Lena, but telling people that her mom was dead, especially when Vicky knew why Lena was where she was seems extremely ungrateful and insensitive on Vicky’s part.
Although now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t remember Vicky actually encouraging Beige to say her mom was dead. I think if she knew this was what Beige was doing, Vicky should have tried to address this with Beige, but it is understandable that Beige would do that as a coping mechanism. Not easy for a kid to say her mom is in prison.
Hi Terra! As you know, I LOVED this book, and I am a fan for life. You create characters that make me never want the book to end, because they become real to me. Wanted to share the email I sent to Terra immediately after finishing the book:
Wow. I literally just finished reading Jump and had to send you a note. Wow. Can you tell the story is still whirling through my head? Your writing just gets better and better with each book. The characters as always hit me in the heart and gut. Love Aaron, love Beige, and Lena is amazing. So complex. You tackle some tough issues in this one, and you do a wonderful job doing it. I laughed, I cried, and I cursed. I cringed sometimes too. My heart is still beating hard. Just amazing writing. Thank you!
Thank YOU, Melissa – for your kind words and for sharing the email. It was one of the first that I received after JUMP was released and it was extremely inspiring. The fates must’ve known that I needed to hear your words on that particular day because they truly warmed my heart!
So I finished the book…OMG. I wanted to kill the crazy grandmother, stupid mama, absent minded auntie & the in denial sister. Defintely one of my top 5 reads this year. I’m completely amazed.
Thank you, Monique! I can’t tell you how glad I am that readers “get” JUMP. Thanks for your support and kind words!
Terra – how did you come up with the prison back story? Stella’s story? Loved the fact that Lena stepped out & talked with someone about her issues. Why all the questions about God?
Monique,
I was a probation/parole officer for nearly a decade and, during that time, I worked with a lot of men who’d either just gotten out of prison or were quickly headed in that direction. So that was sort of old hat to me…the “norm.” Every now and again I’d get a woman parolee and I was always intrigued by them, because I just cannot imagine spending even a day in prison, let alone years. I remember having a young woman who wasn’t even thirty years old, who had just gotten out of prison and had been there for almost a decade. I kept looking at her and wondering what it must’ve been like for her. So finally I asked her and her response was relatively generic, not necessarily a walk in the park, but definitely not the eternity in hell that I imagined. I got the feeling that she really didn’t know how to describe it or else didn’t want to get into the subject with me.
Right then and there I started asking myself what my worst nightmare would be, if I ever had to go to prison. That’s when Lena started coming to life in my mind. I had no first-hand references from which to draw Lena’s prison experiences, so I fashioned it mostly after what I knew would be the worst possible experience for me as a person and a woman. It’s purely fiction, all of it – my imagination let loose. I know that prison isn’t at all fun (and I don’t think it should be), but I can’t say with 100% certainty that Lena’s experience is the norm. I know it could be and probably is/was for some…enough that I thought it was an important aspect to explore.
There’s no shortage of stories about men in prison, but I don’t really see too many stories involving women, at least not ones who aren’t gangsters, thug-ettes, drug dealers, etc. I wanted to portray what prison might be like for ordinary, everyday citizens…ordinary, everyday women. The back story evolved from me playing around with potential crimes. I didn’t want the ordinary, I wanted something of a shocker. And plus I wanted to be able to push readers a little – What would you have done? – and mix in a little gray area.
Stella and the other characters evolved as I was writing the story. Going in, I wasn’t exactly sure who they would turn out to be. I knew that they would be people that needed to be in Lena’s life at the time, but to serve what purpose – angel or devil’s advocate? I let them sort of fill themselves in…
The references about God are all Lena. She grew up not feeling His presence and eventually came to the conclusion that He wasn’t paying attention to what was going on. So she feels like she was forced into playing His position and making things happen. Personally, I think, for much of the book, she was very angry with Him.
Great questions!
Hi Everyone! Hi Terra! *rolling my eys at you cuz you know you’re wrong for not letting me know about this*
Anyway, I’ve been a fan of Terra’s since we first met on her blog for “Lesser Known” writers. I read her preview of what would later become JUMP on her blog back then. I told her then that I wanted to write like her when I grew up! This was before either of us landed our publishing contracts. I am so happy to see her tearing up the writing world in her own style, her own way! Gone witcha bad self Terra!
I was fortunate enough to be given an ARC (advanced reading copy) of JUMP and of course Terra’s writing and the characters had me mesmerized from the beginning. I had to call or text Terra several times while I was reading to let her know how much I was enjoying the story and how emotionally invested in Lena’s story, and what was going to become of her, Beige, Vickie, and Mama and yes what made g-ma so damned crazy! Even the supporting characters had you feeling them and wanting to know what made them the way they were. YoYo was off the chain and that she and Lena could ever learn to stand each other amazed me.
I know I stand alone when I say the ending really affected me in a different sort of way and left me feeling some kinda way that I can’t even verbalize here. I told Terra how I felt about the ending and she made SURE she told me about how nobody else agreed with me! (The great JD Mason for one, and I’m confident TC is another, lol) But we can’t help the way we feel, what angst inside of us is touched by a brilliant writer’s words. Something in that ending touched me in a way that I probably wasn’t prepared for. But that is also the mark of a gifted writer. The ability to get inside of you and inside of your head and really move you in some way. Even if it isn’t in the way you expect.
Okay I’ll shut up now! HA!
And YES TERRA LITTLE IS A BRILLIANT AND VERY TALENTED WRITER!!!
Shut up, Mari! (and thanks for stopping by!)
Okay, since Mari done made me look like I can’t take constructive feedback, I’ll offer my side of the story! (ROFL) She pointed out to me how the ending left her feeling sort of unresolved as a reader and I supported that. I was unwilling to change it, though. It is Lena’s story and, as I’ve told anyone who’ll listen, I really just took dictation. The ending isn’t a pat happy one and, even as the author of the story, I had no control over that. I just wanted to tell the woman’s story, whatever it was.
I was, however, greatly inspired by Mari’s almost physical response to the story and the ending. She helped me realize that I had done what I set out to do – move people and make them feel some kind of way. Exactly what kind of way? I didn’t know.
Okay, so now Mari will call me and curse me out, ya’ll. Pray for me!
Hi Terra,
I’m totally disappointed that I missed the chat. I check out your website for updates and info so maybe I’ll catch the next one. Loved “Jump” and gave it a positive review on amazon. I appreciate the way the book ended beause Lena’s story was complete for me. I’m hoping that Vicky gets to tell her side! Great, great job and what an excellent writer you are. Everytime I turn around, my son and sisters have one of your books gone from my shelf!!!
Hey Terra,
Wanted to stop by and show some love. Haven’t read Jump yet, but it’s on my list to read. I’ll definitely let you know my thoughts once I do. Have a great day!!!
Jaime
Hi Jaime! Thanks for stopping by and please do share your thoughts with me after you’re done reading JUMP!
Just wanted to say THANKS to everyone for joining me for the chat and for making such great comments and asking such thought-provoking questions!
You know you are always welcome to hang out with us! So, definitely keep us posted on what’s next so we can have you join us again.