Fractured Memories by Jo Schneider Series: Jagged Scars #1
Publisher: Just Add Peril on May 20, 2015
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi, Young Adult
Pages: 205
Purchase: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads
Sixteen year old Wendy never knew the world before the Starvation. She’s learned to put her trust in her knives, and her confidence in her fighting ability. When the Skinnies attack her compound, she’s the lone survivor.
Injured and near death, Wendy is rescued and nursed back to health by mysterious strangers. Her saviors offer her a place among them, but trust has never been one of Wendy’s strengths, and suspicion soon leads to evidence that these people might be the group who killed her family.
The decision to get her revenge, and take the settlement down from the inside out is easy. Keeping her distance from those she must befriend in order to make it happen proves to be much more difficult.
Q&A
Q1: What does your writing process look like?
A1: Imagine a desk, and at one end is a neat, little pile of papers. Next to that is another pile, this one not quite so tidy. Maybe one paper is slipping off the stack, which leads the eye to an array of notes that may have been, at one time, in a pleasing fan shape, but now looks like someone gave it a noogie. This is usually where you will discover the discarded wrappers of whatever snacks I could find. A glass with the glazed on remains of a Diet Coke will be sitting on a Dr. Who coaster, and the little cup for pens will be empty, because the pens are now hiding under the papers. When your eyes reach the keyboard, you’ll see that everything has been pushed aside to make room for me playing of Facebook.
Q2: How important are names in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any other name choosing resources you recommend?
A2: Names are very important, and I’m sometimes horrible at finding just the right one. Ages ago, I bought a baby name book–a book that my fiance packed up when we got married and moved in together and was a little concerned about–and I often use that to find names. Sometimes I look at meanings. Often I will end up with names that all sound the same (one syllable for instance) or all start with the same letter. When that starts to happen, I find a letter I haven’t used and I flip open the book. Sometimes I use the web too. Especially if I need, say, legitimate last name from Africa .
In my first novel, New Sight, I couldn’t think of a name for the bad guys, so I named them the New until I came up with something better. By the time I got finished writing the book, the New had stuck. It’s a dumb name, but now it’s theirs.
Q3: What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors.
A3: Years ago, I was at a little, tiny writing/Sci-fi/Fantasy convention and I went to a class by a guy I’d never heard of. A guy named Brandon Sanderson. His first Librarians book was about to come out, and he was talking about magic systems. I don’t really remember what he said about that. What I do remember is one simple statement he made, “Don’t be afraid to suck.”
I’ve lived by this creed ever since. Don’t expect to be the best author in the room, don’t expect to get everything right the first time, and don’t expect to wow every reader you encounter. What all authors need to do is keep writing. Find some people who will help you get better and listen to them. It’s okay to suck, as long as you’re willing to try again.
Q4: What is your biggest failure?
A4: I still haven’t received any death threats for killing off a character. This will happen.
Q5: What is your biggest fear?
A5: The dark. No, wolves. No, the lack of toilet paper in the apocalypse.
Q6: What do you want your tombstone to say?
A6: Okay, two things here. The mom of one of my best friends growing up wants this on hers, and I think it’s brilliant, “See, I told you I was sick.” I can probably talk my husband into this.
If not that, then something silly. None of the sweet, tear jerking messages that people leave. Those are lovely, but not really me. I’m more like, “Did you turn the lights off before you left?” or, “Be good. There is no try.”
Q7: Top five favorite titles (Not just books)
A7: In no particular order:
Star Wars, the original trilogy. It’s nostalgic, I can’t help it.
Ender’s Game. I still love that story so much. It has to be the book, not the sorry excuse of a film they made.
Ever After. I don’t know why, but this show never gets old.
The Walking Dead-the TV show. I’ve never read the comics. Whole. E. Cow. I shouldn’t watch it, but I can’t stop!
The Elenium series by David Eddings. Not the most spectacular writing, but they drew me into fantasy as a teenager, and his characters are brilliant. It’s like going on a road trip with all of your favorite people.
Q8: What made you want to write a book about a girl with PTSD?
A8: Okay, so I’d written the story twice before I figured out that Wendy had PTSD.
Let me go back a bit. A few years ago, I was on my way to a writing retreat with two other writers. We’re driving on the freeway, and my sister calls. This is what came out of her mouth.
“I just finished Mocking Jay, and if you ever write a character like that, I will kill you.”
“Uh, hi, how’s it going?”
“Disown you.”
“I haven’t read it yet.”
“Don’t. I hate her. I hate the author. ‘l’ll disown you then kill you.”
“Uh, okay.”
After I read the story, I had to agree with her. Suzanne Collins is brilliant, and she totally got her point across, but I didn’t like the characters in the last book. This is not the reaction I want from my readers.
Fast-forward a few years, and I’m at a writing retreat. At the same place, coincidently. My friend runs it, and she was short a few people, so I’m pretty much there for moral support and to be a warm body. Plus, she’s a chef. Hello, delicious food? Yes, please.
There was an agent from New York there who was going to review whatever we sent her. I sent the first chapter of Fractured Memories, which I wasn’t really working on at the time. Not because I cared about what she said or thought about it, but because my friend told me to.
Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t care, because she ripped it to shreds. Most of her analysis was spot-on, the other part of it was complete B.S. Mostly because she’d skimmed it and missed stuff. I think she took my dispassionate reaction to her rant as offense, so she backpedaled and asked me a few questions about the story.
I told her about Wendy’s compound getting completely destroyed and Wendy waking up with strangers, alone and with a memory full of holes. She seemed interested in that, so I went on and told her that Wendy didn’t remember the attack and therefore didn’t know who betrayed them. She has flashes of memories, but nothing substantial.
This editor, bless her heart, look at me and said, “Have you read the Hunger Games?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“I hate the third book.”
“Me too.”
“Good, then you won’t be offended by this. Your character has PTSD. Katniss had PTSD, but the author didn’t do a good job of explaining it to the reader. Please don’t do that. Do your research and make sure your readers get it, or they’ll all think your character is as bad as Katniss.”
Noted.
New Sight, my fist series, has undertones of addiction. I don’t have a history of mental illness, but lots of people around me do, and I think it’s an area that a lot of people deal with. It kind of fascinates me, and that comes out in my books.
About Jo Schneider
Author of Babes in Spyland, New Sight-YA fantasy out April 2014, wearer of a black belt in Kempo and always in search of the next cool place to visit!
Giveaway
Win the ebook Fractured Memories. Open Internationally. Ends July 24th.
Melliane
I didn’t know about the book so thank you for the nice little interview there!
Jennifer Bielman
🙂 Happy you enjoyed it. I am excited to try it.
kindlemom1
Wonderful interview Jennifer, I loved all the questions and answers! I love how the baby name book concerned her fiancee at the time LOL!
Well done ladies!
Jennifer Bielman
🙂 I really loved this Q&A session.
Tanya
I can’t wait to read this book.
Jennifer Bielman
Me too!
Shane Morgan (@itchingforbooks)
Great Q&A! Loved her answer to question #3. As a writer I totally agree and can relate to the fear of sucking.
This book is new to me but I like the blurb and love the cover art.
Jennifer Bielman
Oh yeah, suckage is always a fear.
Braine Talk Supe
Lol, that’s why fandom scares me! Some people get so passionate about made up characters, like the BDB, they get disillusioned! God forbid one of them dies, or hook up with someone they didn’t like, et al! The horror!
Jennifer Bielman
The Horror!!!! lol I know how it is. I can be on both sides sometimes.
sherry fundin
I love the cover. Hmm, wonder which character will kick the bucket. LOL Have a great weekend.
Jennifer Bielman
LOL, I know! hope your weekend is going good.
Jaclyn Canada
This one looks interesting. I love the Q&A! I imagined the environment of the desk and writing area so clearly! I’m assuming if that is how a simple question is answered, then the book ought to be full of imagery as well. I loved the ‘no toilet paper in the apocolypse’ answer to fears. Never thought about it before, but now it’s one of mine! LOL
Jennifer Bielman
Right? She really is awesome at answering questions in a creative way.
Yuki
This is so weird, how come I have never heard of this book. It sounds interesting, I would love to read it.
Jennifer Bielman
I never heard of this before the tour either.
Olivia Roach
I really like the sound of this book! I love the cover and I think I would enjoy reading it. I also love that one of the top books that the author has read is Ender’s Game – I LOVE that book. Definitely one of my all time top books as well.
Jennifer Bielman
I only watched the movie but I did love it too.