Three Times A Charm with Jolene Perry

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

This week Jolene Perry visits us. She is in the middle of her virtual book tour! Jolene, tell us a little about you.

I’m a chaser of children, writer of books, lover of the outdoors, shoes and chocolate. I’m a used to be high school and middle school teacher turned author. I’ve built two houses, and taught myself to play the guitar. I haven’t yet figured out how to stay on top of laundry, but would rather be writing and hanging with my kids than making my house perfect. Also – every date my husband and I go on, includes a trip to the bookstore. Always.

A bookstore, that’s awesome! Jolene, can you tell us about your work?

I have a serious love of young adult novels, and once I started reading them, I ditched my women’s fiction in favor of writing for teens. The Next Door Boys was my first book, and I wasn’t sure if it would go to the YA market or the adult market because the MC was in college, but it went to YA, and I’m thrilled for that. I think there’s a serious lack of college age main characters.

Night Sky is my second published book, and my first shot at writing from a guy’s POV. It was a blast to write. I spent my whole youth in Alaska hanging with the guys – riding four-wheelers, target shooting, fishing, climbing, boating . . . my cousins are all guys, my brother and I are close, so hopefully Jameson comes across as authentically “guy” to people who read the book, as he does to me.

Knee Deep is my next project, and that’ll be released May 1^st – though I’m doing FINAL edits now, so it might squeak out a bit earlier. Knee Deep is probably as close of a telling as anyone will get about my high school – my junior and senior year were a slightly less dramatic version of my main character, Ronnie’s last year.

I’ve always heard that a college aged m.c. categorizes a book into adult. Good for you!  Can we hear a little more about Night Sky, the book you are touring?

After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honest become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her.

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums – she’s way more than distraction. Jameson’s falling for her fast.

But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.

Oooo! I love that there are Native American characters. How intriguing.

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

• Top 3 books you’ve read in the past year.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin because it is not often that I have NO idea what’s going to happen next.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins because I love quirky characters, and that Cricket just GOT me – also the first kiss scene in that book is my favorite ever.

If I Stay and Where She Went (I cheated) [that’s okay J] by Gayle Foreman. Her language is beautiful, the scenes flow perfectly. She makes writing seem easy, and sometimes I love to sit down to a novel that’s completely character driven rather than completely plot driven.

• Top 3 snacks to munch on while working.

This one’s easy. Pellegrino out of the bottle and cold almost to freezing (I keep them in the back of the fridge). Salty Dog Chocolate bar – sea salt, dark chocolate, and butter toffee. Also, Kettle Chips Baked Salt and Pepper potato chips. I can down a bag in less than ten minutes – and with that comes more calories than a grown person needs in a whole day, lol.

• Top 3 leisure activities.

My leisure activities aren’t really “leisure.” I live in Alaska, so the winters are long and we snowmachine all winter long. Those things are FAST. I love it. We do a lot of white-water rafting in the summer – my husband’s a great rower – with that comes camping with the kids and some hiking and fishing. Okay, this one is leisure – I sew. A lot. Bags, clothes, blankets, whatever. Like writing, sewing combines that creative side of my brain with the anal/orderly one.

My husband and I are going on an Alaskan cruise next month. We should grab a cup of coffee. And apparently something salty, you seem to like salt.

 Jolene, where can our readers go to keep up with you and your writing?

You can find me at my BLOG www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com

My group blog www.fortheloveofcontemporary.blogspot.com

On Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/JoleneBPerry

On goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4944599.Jolene_B_Perry

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Jolene-B.-Perry/e/B005CSPM76/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Jolene-Perry?store=ALLPRODUCTS&keyword=Jolene+Perry

And my publisher set up an awesome site for Night Sky HERE http://night-sky-book.blogspot.com/

After leaving a greeting or message here, please visit the other stops on Jolene’s tour.

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Thank you Jolene for visiting with us on Three Times A Charm. It has been wonderful getting to know you and hearing about your work.

Thanks so much!!

~ Jolene

I am always booking future guests for Three Times A Charm. If you are an author, illustrator or book reviewer, an agent or an editor, if you have something related to children’s publishing that you’d like people to know about, feel free to contact me about a future appearance.