February 18, 2013 – YA Chit Chat

Today, I bring you Jennifer M. Eaton’s, Jack & Jill, Volume 1, a collection of two endearing, romantic short stories.

From the back cover:

Connect the Dots

Jill writes her most intimate Christmas wish to God—and throws it away for its ridiculousness, but Christmas wishes have a way of coming true, even when you don’t know what you’ve wished for.

A Test of Faith

One day after her Christmas wish comes true, Jill faces a wrenching choice that tests her deepest beliefs. Will love prevail over conviction, or is happiness nothing more than a fairytale?

***

When I first read these stories as a beta reader, I fell in love with them. I love them still. The characters are vibrant, well-crafted and endearing, especially Jill’s young daughter, Nikki. They work well together, and the reader can’t help but fall in love with them and cheer them on.

The settings are well imagined and beautifully written, down to the snow on the ground and the corporate reports sitting empty on the computer screens. The reader can’t help but feel Jill’s pain at the corporate Christmas Party in Connect the Dots, or experience and sympathize with her inner turmoil in A Test of Faith.

While the plot of both stories is all about Jack and Jill finding the ultimate romantic someone in their lives, the stories are character driven, not plot driven. Jennifer Eaton takes us deep inside her character’s psyches, and she is unafraid to expose their weaknesses and self-doubt. While these stories are not religious in nature, there is an underlying theme based on faith and the importance of listening to and following what is in one’s heart, not what is in one’s head.

These stories are sweet, romantic and will touch the soft side of everyone who reads them. If you’re a softie and a sucker for sweet love stories like me, then this collection is perfect for you. And….seeing that this is Volume 1, I can only assume there will be a Volume 2 in the near future? I can’t wait to see what Ms. Eaton has in store for our romantic couple. Maybe a wedding??? That would be delightful.

I urge you all to get a copy of Jack & Jill Volume 1. You won’t regret it. The stories are sure to warm you anytime of the year.

Jack & Jill is available from Amazon in the following formats:

paperback

Kindle

About the Author:

Corporate Team Leader by day, and Ranting Writer by night. Jennifer M. Eaton calls the East Coast of the USA home, where she lives with her husband, three energetic boys, and a pepped up poodle.

Jennifer hosts an informational blog “A Reference of Writing Rants for Writers (or Learn from My Mistakes)” aimed at helping all writers be the best they can be.

Beyond writing and motivating others, she also enjoys teaching her dog to jump through hoops—literally.

Jennifer’s perfect day includes long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but her greatest joy is using her over-active imagination constructively… creating new worlds for everyone to enjoy.

Ways you can connect with Jennifer:

Blog Facebook Twitter Goodreads

Fun Fact Friday – Jennifer Eaton’s FIRST Solo Release (Jack and Jill) (michellezieglerauthor.com)
New Release News: Jack and Jill, Vol. 1 by Jennifer M. Eaton (rebeccahartwriting.wordpress.com)

It’s that time again, bloggers! The annual Blogging from A-Z extravaganza!!

I participated in this last year and loved every minute of it. This year I’m going to try to be a bit more regimented in getting my posts together ahead of time and scheduling them.

So, what is the A-Z challenge? Each day in the month of April (except Sundays), participants put up posts on their blogs that match the letter of the alphabet for that day. The challenge this year starts off on April 1 with the letter A. Whether you go with a theme or freestyle, your post must match the letter of the alphabet for that day. April 2 will feature the letter B, April 3, the letter C and so on.

This year, I think I’m going to do something a bit different. I am going to try to focus on themes or ideas from the first book in my Chronicles of Fallhollow series, In the Shadow of the Dragon King.

I urge everyone to participate. You can find all the instructions here. Over 700 bloggers have already signed up. All the folks at A – Z ask you to do is visit at least 5 other blogs a day, starting with the five that are listed below yours on the list. If you can do more, great!

Ok everyone! Go sign up!! Hope to see you on the A-Z Blog Challenge for 2013!