Jessica is a Texas gal who grew up writing stories about vampires, ghosts, werewolves and the occasional crime-solving cat. Her constant departure from reality worried her family to no end. Of course, now that she’s actually making a living writing magazine stories, they no longer contemplate calling the men with the white coats. When not sequestered behind her computer, she can be found in front of the TV watching Murder She Wrote or taking her cat Gizmo for a walk.
Ten Random Facts about Me
- My very first chapter book was Beverly Cleary’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I was totally infatuated with that little daredevil mouse!
This little mouse got me hooked on reading back in second grade.
- Despite the fact that I grew up in San Diego, I’m a Texas girl through and through.
- I’m an audiobook junkie.
- My favorite book is Ray Bradbury’s Halloween Tree.
- Aside from chick lit, I love reading hard-boiled mysteries and horror.
- When I’m not reading or working, you can find me at Austin Pets Alive playing with pups.
- My ultimate dream is to become a bestselling novelist and live somewhere in the sticks on a horse ranch!
- I have a HUGE crush on Ryan Gosling. Shhhh! Don’t tell Jarred.
- My favorite TV show is Heartland. The horses, the music, the acting – everything about it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! It’s a total departure from the vapid, meaningless garbage that dominates prime-time TV these days.
- I LOVE to fish! Next to curling up with a good book, there’s nothing I’d rather do than fish for white bass and crappie in East Texas.
sounds great! You’ve got some great reviews here.
Well thank you so much Hal! I really enjoy getting positive feedback about my blogs. I just posted a new review for “Christmas Letters” by Debbie Macomber. If you’re in the mood for a light holiday read, check it out!
You have won a blogger award from Chick Lit Central!
http://chicklitcentraltheblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/stylish-blog-award.html
Congrats!!!
M&M
Hi Jessica – I am not writing on your review policy page because I understand you are not taking on new books at this time
, but I wanted to say hello. I am a middle school teacher (God help me) and a new indie author on a blogger quest for my new novel, I KILL ME: Tales of a Jilted Hypochondriac. I found you refreshingly savvy, and I appreciated your wit, intelligence, passion for books and philosophy on “chick lit.” I felt an instant connection to you when I read of your love for The Mouse and the Motorcycle and horses (my lifelong passion)! I’m fortunate to have two horses and a pony on 21 acres in Maine…also 2 dogs and 4 cats (and like you, I take one of them on walks 
. Love the farm lifestyle.
I’ll be sure to check back in the future to see if you’re reviewing, and I will enjoy following you on Twitter and your blog!
Thank you so much, Tracy! I’m very flattered! My friends are constantly amused and frustrated by my anxiety disorder, so your main character and I have a little something in common.
If you send me a Nook-compatible e-copy, I can put it in my to-read queue. My moratorium on review copies will soon be lifted after I knock out just a couple more books!
You are so lucky to live on a nice hunk of land with horsies, doggies and kitties! How I would love to have that lifestyle. Sigh….one day.
Well please do keep on following my reviews and random posts! I’m so happy to have you as a fan!
Hi again, Jessica –
I do love my equines, canines and felines and feel very lucky to have my little farm. Thank you for liking my “Tucker Everlasting” post – we miss him terribly. I took his name for my author name.
I would love to send you a Nook compatible copy, but I just signed on with KDP Select, so I can only do Kindle copies for now…grrr. I would be more than happy to mail you a paperback, though! Please email me with your mailing address, and I’ll send it out to you for when you are reviewing again. And if your anxiety disorder includes freaking yourself out by looking up symptoms on the internet, you and Christine would get along just fine! Her friends are both amused and frustrated with her, too
.
Thanks so much!
Tucker sounds like such a sweet pup. I love dogs so much! Their only fault is that they go too quickly. Why can’t our four-legged critters live as long as parrots? I love that his legacy lives on in your books! I
Yes, please send me your book via snail mail. Since I have total empathy for your character, I think I’m going to really like it.
Lets just say that WebMd is not my friend! I’ll send you my addy via email.
~J
Jessica,
Your site is intuitive, smart, and fun! Really excellent job!
So, I read your ten random facts. I too love Ray Bradbury, but have never read Halloween Tree, I will do that this week. I got to meet him before he died. He was really something and I kissed his hand and told him that I loved him very much. I will miss him dearly, he changed my life with Fahrenheit 451.
I met him because I won The Santa Barbara Writers Conference Endowed Scholarship Award for my book, The Cat Food Chronicles. Mr. Bradbury launched the scholarship in conjunction with the SBWC and Charles Champlin, a writer for Time and Life Magazine. Mr. Bradbury had been a guest speaker at the conference every year since it’s inception, forty-two years total.
Anywho,
I would love for you and Gizmo to review, The Cat Food Chronicles. I did see that your reading pile is overloaded. So, when you catch up, please let me know if you are interested and I will get it to you as soon as you’re ready. I will post my amazon link below so you can look inside. .
Thank you for all your hard work, your site rocks!
P.S. I live in Austin too.
Maya Pruett
amazon.com/author/mayapruett
My name is Brittany and I am a Social Media Publicist contacting you on behalf of an author whose work I think may be of tremendous interest to you.
Dirty Laundry is a non-traditional love story, entirely based on the author’s personal background and whirlwind life. A tale that is not for the weak, it takes readers into the life of young Marly, who has just lost her father and upon her mother’s remarriage, finds herself head over heels in love for her eldest stepbrother. It is a down-to-earth story that brings to the forefront the emotional turmoil that women endure, but rarely share, and will serve as an emotional glimpse into the world of a young girl who is conflicted in her emotions and her definition of right versus wrong.
Author Marilyn Slagel is a straight-shooting, sharp-tongued lady, with a story to tell. If you’d like to speak with her, or are interested in having her guest blog, please do let me know and I will happily coordinate schedules.
For more information, visit Marilyn’s website at: http://marilynslagel.wordpress.com/
Many thanks and happy reading,
Brittany H.