Jade Varden Official Blog

Some writers use epilogues like final chapters in their books...but this is an abuse. Like prologues , epilogues are entities unto themselves. Treat them that way, and you'll end up writing them the right way. At the End... By the time you get to the epilogue, the book is essentially over. The story should already have its own beginning and ending that takes place within the chapters of your tale. An epilogue shouldn't be tacked on at the end to bring resolution to the story -- because you should have done that already in your final scene, within the pages of the book. Epilogues are there to do something more than finish the story. The longer ending . If the book ends on a particularly abrupt note -- a character dies, for example -- you may wish to include an epilogue to provide a lengthier wrap-up of the aftermath. This is especially important if the end of the story doesn't provide a conclusion or follow-up. For example, what happens to the characters left...

 Whether you're aware of it or not, you're sort of reviewing every single book you've ever read, whether in whole or in part. Don't you form an opinion about the writing, the pace, the characters and the plot as you're flipping pages? You may never tell anyone what you thought of the book, but you're still creating a review in your head for yourself -- notes and remembrances that will spring to mind every time you think of that book in the future. If you're an indie author, there's a good chance that the review you create will take a much more literal form. You can easily find yourself with a long TBR (to-be reviewed) list and a lot of responsibiliies and agreements to read other self-published books.  And believe me, I know that it's tempting to cut corners. But there are some really good reasons why you have to read the whole book if you're going to review it and share that review with others. I know there are good reasons, because I...

I was wasting time on Goodreads one day when, somehow or other, I ended up reading the blurb for The Gaze . It was amazing! I was so drawn to the story upon reading it, I sent the author a message right then and there and actually asked him if he would let me review the book. That was at the beginning of the summer. I started the book in June and finished it last night...just a few days before autumn will officially begin.  The Gaze is beautifully written. Javier Robayo definitely knows how to turn a phrase, so to speak. The dialogue is smooth and true; I can actually hear the characters talking when I'm reading it. The narrative is powerful and strong. Robayo knows which words to choose. But, he does choose too many. It took me a long time to read The Gaze because The Gaze is just too long. There are a lot of scenes that flash back to the past and a lot of scenes of the main character doing nothing much at all. For a rather hefty chunk of the story, I felt like I h...

How do I overcome writer's block? What do I love about being an author? Find out in my newest interview!  I answered some in-depth questions about writing and reading at Confessions of a Book Addict . Visit the blog to read the entire interview, and find out which direction I'm taking with my next project.

I'm participating in the vacation extravaganza at Blkosiner's book blog! Enter the giveaway to win a copy of the first book in the Deck of Lies series in any electronic format of your choice.  You'll also get a $5 (USD) gift card to Amazon so you can buy more books (the rest of the Deck of Lies, maybe?). Don't miss your chance to win!

"Jade Varden HAS to be one of the best indie writers and yes guys she blew me away again with her second book in the Deck of Lies series!" "Just brace yourself for a jaw dropping storyline." BookAThonFreak has posted a new review of The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2), and I want you to read it! It's spoiler-free, so feel free to go check it out. While you're there, watch the official trailer for The Tower at the bottom of the post.

Writers have always used the best technology possible to create their books. Do you think anyone welcomed the invention of the fountain pen more than the authors of the day, who had drawers filled with empty ink bottles and used-up quills? Do you question at all that writers were the first to try out typewriters, and felt deep longing the first time the electric typewriter became available? No! Technology is even more sophisticated today, and it's even more useful for today's writers. But app-hunting takes up some pretty serious time, and you need your time for writing. So I've hunted out the apps for you to make things a little easier. Apps for Writers Even web browsers have apps and add-ons, and there's no reason not to use them. Anything that can help you save time or get things done more efficiently is worth pursuing.  Blogging . You never know when you're going to get a great idea for your next blog post. The Blogger app is available on the Android m...

"Rain is down the rabbit hole again, seeking out the truth in the thicket of lies and secrecy." "More twists, turns, and secrets exposed. It was a fun ride." Death (Deck of Lies, #3) has been reviewed at Quirky Girls Read . Visit the blog to read the entire review.  Use the links above the post to get the first three books in the series, and get caught up on the story before I release book four!