Three Times a Charm with Author Denise Jaden

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry.

This week we are joined by Denise Jaden, author of Losing Faith.

Denise Jaden is, or has been, everything from a professional Polynesian dancer and fitness competitor to a mushroom farmer and church secretary. Most of her time now is spent homeschooling or playing with her seven year old son or in front of her computer writing.

Denise Jaden's writing has appeared in Mississippi Crow Magazine (Spring, 2008)
The Greensilk Journal (Fall 2007, including an editor’s choice award), and The Tidepool Fiction Ezine (Spring, 2009)Her first novel for teens, LOSING FAITH, was released from Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster in September 2010, with her next untitled novel expected in summer 2012.

Wait…a mushroom farmer? I’m in the job market, how’s the pay for that? Sorry, back to business. 

In September of 2010, Denise became the proud parent of Losing Faith. Tell us about your book.


A terrible secret. A terrible fate.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.


Now, for the Threes. Share with us your top 3’s to help us know you a little better.

  • Top 3 blogs you follow.

I don’t follow many blogs, just due to time constraints, but I always look in on The Tenners (www.thetenners.com) which is a group of 2010 debut authors I’m a member of. It’s always fun to see what different authors in the group are up to and I’ve always felt like most of them are a step or two ahead of me in the publishing process, to it’s always a learning experience.

Another blog I love to follow is Lindsey Leavitt’s blog (http://Lindsey-leavitt.livejournal.com/ ) for all the reasons above, plus she’s just so darn funny. And I need funny sometimes.

The third is a toss-up between ex-literary-agent Nathan Bransford’s blog (http://blog.nathanbransford.com/) and literary agent Kirstin Nelson’s blog(http://pubrants.blogspot.com/). They both just give an incredible amount of insight into the industry.


  • Top 3 comfort foods for working.

Green tea, sugar snap peas, and dark chocolate.

  • Top 3 most admired authors.

Laurie Halse Anderson – besides being an amazing talent as an author, she’s such an advocate about so many important things, literacy and otherwise related.

Tara Kelly – she’s a fairly new author and at this point I’ve only read one and a half books by her (the half because it’s still a work in progress that’s being written), but I love and admire her ability to tell it like it is – both in her books and in real life.

Suzanne Collins – for creating a series (The Hunger Games) that appeals to such an incredibly wide readership, and also for creating one of my all-time favorite heroines.


I love sugar snap peas too and grow them every year. Never thought of them as a comfort food though. Denise, where can we find out more about you and your writing?

www.denisejaden.com
www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
denisejaden on Twitter and Facebook

Thanks for stopping into Three Times A Charm. You’ve been a charming guest, indeed. Best of luck with your writing, Denise!

Involved in children’s publishing? Have something to promote? If you’d like to be featured in Three Times A Charm, send an email to me and let me know; kaistrand (at) yahoo (dot) com. It’s easy and fun!

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