Jackie Kessler
March 13, 2010
Face the Fiction Presents: Jackie Kessler
Saturday March 13, 2010
6:30p - 9:00p
Raider Books
99 Lafayette Ave.
Suffern, NY 1090

This group meets on the second Saturday of each month and
spotlights guest speakers from SF and genre related fields of
interest. This month we welcome our favorite inner demon Jackie
Kessler (www.jackiekessler.com). "Some kids want to grow up to
be doctors, or movie stars, or political assassins. Me, I wanted to
draw comic books. Not Archie comics, either—superhero comic
books. Maybe it was all the heavily muscled guys in spandex…So
maybe it’s ironic that the book I wound up writing had nothing
to do with overly muscled men and everything to do with
scantily clad women. (Well, temporarily scantily clad.) Oh, right,
and demons." We've been fans since Hells Belles and have
devotedly followed her work ever since.
For directions to store: http://www.RaiderBookshop.com

you know, there was a major storm that hit around here on Saturday, which
caused a lot of damage, and no few problems. Half of my town is without
power, and though I am in the half with power, my brother and his family
are not, and thus I am spending some time with my nephews, and donating
my bed to my brother & sister-in-law. That being said...

Saturday was a great, fun night for those who braved the elements to chat
with our dear friend Jackie. I arrived at 6:30 to find a nice assortment of friends
already talking to Jackie, and I quickly seated myself in the front row. Why?
Well, to suck up, of course! Seriously, though, it was because I was recording
the event. That's right, stay tuned because we will now be broadcasting parts
of our Face the Fiction events, much like we did when Charlaine Harris came
to call! Yes, the SFSNNJ, always free, always fun, and always innovating!

OK, so what did we get to see? Well, Jackie started off with a bit of
background and explained her Great American Novel, with a wry grin, and
then her several attempts to break into the writing field. After scoring
triple-digit rejections on her fantasy work, she tried her hand at chick-lit with a
story about working in an adult boutique. Next, she tried her hand at
paranormal romance with Suspense Central favorite Hell's Belles, and hit the
ball out of the park! We discussed the Hell series for a while, lingering on the
most recent additions before Jackie surprised us all with two readings from
the next book in the series! That's right, you saw it here first (or you will have
seen it here first when I get the video downloaded and posted that is). Look
for a release announcement and more information on this awesome book in
June!

Conversation moved on to Black and White, another Suspense Central pick
from earlier this year, and we chatted about the creative process for Jackie
and co-author Caitlin Kittridge. Apparently, the two authors collaborated
almost entirely by email, working two chapters at a time (a Then and a Now
chapter), and playing off each other in a fairly free-form manner. This process
was duplicated in Shades of Gray, which is due out on June 22, and will make
a perfect gift for Todd, for those trying to get their birthday planning done
early. We discussed the Icarus Project, Frostbite & Meteorite, Corp Co, and the
is: wait till 6/22!

Next we discussed a project which Jackie was incredibly passionate about,
Hunger. This novel, due out in October of this year, is Jackie's first foray into the
YA genre. Having learned from the inestimable example of Judy Bloom's
Wifey, Jackie wanted to use a nom-de-plume for her YA books, lest teenagers
start wandering into the racier Hell novels, so these books are published
under the name Jackie Morse Kessler. The book itself revolves around several
important issues among teenagers: body image and eating disorders. Jackie,
who struggled with these issues herself, wanted to write a book that tackled
these issues in a manner that would not preach or condescend, but rather
enlighten. How did she manage this herculean task? By making sure that she
wrote an absolutely amazing story! Jackie read two chapters from the book,
and all I can say about them is "WOW!" I was floored, and am eagerly waiting
to read this one. Hunger deals with an anorexic teenager named Lisa, who,
after a failed attempt at suicide, finds that she has become the avatar of
Famine. Yes, capital F, as in Horseman of the Apocalypse Famine! Jackie also
discussed the sequel, Rage, about a young girl who self-injures and becomes
the avatar of War. Plans are already in the works for Pestilence and Death
avatar books. Tackling issues like these is what makes authors great, and I think
that we would all agree that Jackie is a great author, a class act, and a fantastic
guest!

Afterward, we all sloshed our way to the Kingsbridge Diner, where I watched
everyone else enjoy their meals... not that I am jealous, or planning on
becoming the avatar of Famine or anything...

(writeup by Todd Ehrenfels)