Jade Varden Official Blog

"Really sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages as more and more twists arise." "Such a great follow up to the first book in the series!" Eastern Sunset Reads recently reviewed The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2). Read the whole thing to find out what the reviewer liked (and didn't like) about the book.

Pick out the criminal in this lineup: Which one do you think is the guilty party? Maybe this long-haired guy in the center? How about this Amish-looking fellow in the end? Maybe the guy with the short hair is trying to fool everyone, and he's the real perpetrator. From where I'm sitting, they all look like wrongdoers to me.  But I'm actually the one who's wrong.  This is a photo of the Beatles, not potential criminals. But when you look at the picture the right way, they look like they're up to no good. This is how a red herring works.  Gone Fishing It's not a fish when it's used in fiction. In fiction, a red herring is a person who looks absolutely guilty. You know they're the one who committed the murder, or stole the painting, or cheated on so-and-so, or whatever. But what you don't know is that you're seeing the character through a distorted lens, and a clever author is actually fooling you into thinking that perso...

Many advice-givers, like me, will tell writers that every single word you put on the page should drive the plot forward, or otherwise give the reader important information. But that's not entirely true. When it comes to the MacGuffin and writing...well, anything goes.  The MacGuffin remains a very controversial plot device, and some writers hate it. So today we settle the argument: is the MacGuffin good or bad? Good Enough for Me At this point, you may be wondering what the heck a MacGuffin is, anyway. This is a plot device that moves the story and gets characters where they need to be, but actually has nothing to do with the eventual outcome. MacGuffins usually appear, serve their purpose and promptly fade away. You see the MacGuffin more in movies than in books, but a plot device like this can always span mediums. One of the most famous storytellers of all time is notorious for using MacGuffins in his plots. Looking for a few good examples of this technique in ...

Be honest: how often do you look at the Amazon bestseller list? How many times have you wished you were the one who wrote The Hunger Games ? It's not a problem...unless you let it dictate what you're going to write next. Being Popular Everybody wants to be popular in whatever situation they happen to be in. You want to a lot of friends at school, at work, on Facebook...popularity contests pretty much never end. For authors, they're a way of living. If you're a self-published author, it's a full-time job. You have to work to gain readers, you need to hustle to sell books and you've got to constantly promote.  And while you're working your typing fingers to the bone, another Stephenie Meyer or Susanne Collins is cranking out an uber-successful series that absolutely everyone is talking about. It's only natural for thoughts to begin to creep into your head. It's only natural to start thinking that maybe you ought to alter your own writ...

Visit one of my favorite blogs, Reading...Dreaming , and find out how to get Justice (Deck of Lies, #1) free. The sooner you start exploring the lies, the sooner you'll discover all the dirty little secrets. 

"The perfect finale for one of the best YA series I ever read." "A story about friendship, family, love, life changing decisions, the consequences of our actions and mostly about Life and all its comings and goings." Friend of the blog and avid reader Ruty, the blogger behind Reading...Dreaming recently reviewed Judgment (Deck of Lies, #4). Visit her blog to read the review and find out how you can get started on the series for free!

Indie author Olivia Linden is stopping by the blog today with her book Jaded Hearts . Keep reading to find out how you can get it! Synopsis At 24 years old, Jade Spencer's life has hit a brick wall. Haunted by the mysterious abandonment of her mother, she found it was easier to live in the shadows of someone elses expectations.  From the strict authority of her  grandmother, the unwillingly guardian to Jade and her brother, to a controlling fiance who she can't seem to please, denying her feelings has been a necessary coping mechanism. Reality has suddenly come crashing in under the strain of denying her own dreams for so long, and for once, Jade is ready to live life by her own rules. It's time for a fresh start. Turning away from the disappointment of her past, Jade ditches her shady fiance and packs her bags for New York City. With help from her aunt, she looks forward to her new future, her fabulous apartment in the city, a new job, and new experiences. T...

Author Diantha Jones is stopping by the blog today on the official Oracle of Dephi tour to give books away and talk about her favorite genre!  Reality sucks. That’s pretty much why I fell in love with fantasy books. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a realist. But when it comes to my literary adventures, I want them as far out of this “real” world as possible. I’m a lover of make-believe, the imaginary, and the impossible. In fantasy books, I get all of that and so much more. It was not a complicated decision when I decided to write my first series. Fantasy, it was. And Greek mythology? Definitely. After months and months of research and study, I sat back and let my imagination do the rest. Boy, what a workout that was. However, the results have been beyond satisfying. Not only do I get a daily dose of fantasy every day I sit down to write, but for that same length of time, I get to be the characters I write about and live in their world. Even if just for a few hour...

 Amy Saunders is visiting the blog today to answer a very important question: what are cozy mysteries? I blame my mom for my mystery fetish. Every day around three, we flipped on the TV and watched reruns of '70's and '80's mysteries. My favorites included Murder, She Wrote , Matlock , Hart to Hart , and McMillan and Wife . All essentially cozy murder mysteries in TV form. So it's no surprise that's what I wound up writing. But what are cozy mysteries? To unravel what makes a mystery cozy, let's deconstruct my favorite TV mystery series ever - Murder, She Wrote . How does Murder, She Wrote incorporate these basic elements: a murder, a sleuth, a setting, and suspects (one of whom is guilty)? As you'll see, that's key to making a cozy mystery...cozy.   Somebody Has Got to Die. On Murder, She Wrote , you see some of the players at the beginning and what they're up to (usually not good), and then the chosen Red Shirt of the episod...

A. K. Taylor is visiting the blog today with her character Neiko to give books away and introduce you to her Neiko Adventure Series . A. K. has won many awards for her writing, so be sure to enter the giveaways and get her books free!  Escape from Ancient Egypt Autographed Kindle and Paperback Amazon Paperback        Kindle My Book Orders Nook Amazon UK Seeking his revenge on Neiko for exposing him, Francesco banishes Neiko into ancient Egypt just like he did her friends eleven years ago. During her stay there, she unravels the mystery of what happened to her four friends. Now she's faced with a bigger problem--how to get home. After a series of unfortunate events, Neiko is now entangled with Pharaoh Ramesses II. Francesco also comes to make sure their fates are sealed. Can Neiko and her friends beat impossible odds and return to Hawote and back to the present? a Rafflecopter giveaway Neiko's Five Lan d A...