Upcoming Book

It's not titled yet, but I am writing a book I consider a YA and NA because the protagonist is 16 when the book begins, but closer to 20 when it ends. Right away, readers will find out, Josette Hansen, is battling leukemia. The book follows Jo's life, her ups and downs, and her mistakes.

This book is also a LGBT read because Jo figures out she's bisexual when a young woman comes into her life. It's a drama. Just a drama. Some might say contemporary. It's not set in the future (maybe a year or two). It's not fantasy where faeries come and heal her. Not paranormal where a bite from a vampire will heal her.

It's just drama. I hope that someone out there will read it. I hope someone will enjoy it. It started as a dream and developed into a long novel. I'm not done yet and it's at 108k words. Will that matter at the end? Will people shun the book because it's "too long?" I, personally, don't care how long a book is as long as it's good and holds my attention.

Anyway, I just wanted to update y'all about this book. I hope you will get to know Jo, Maverick, Ellie, Selena, Breeze, and all the supporting characters.

Unrealistic Future?

I recently read a review on one of my books in the Beyond Earth series. I take all reviews serious. Any tips I get I try to address in the next book or use the critique to become a better author. The compliments always make me smile. Some with stories of how it helped their lives.
This particular reviewer said it was unrealistic to have a planet have so few people on it. I challenge that with: why? 

Let's go over some points in the series:

1. In book two, I wrote how the government on Earth worried about overcrowding and released a sterility spray in some public areas. 
2. In book one, I wrote that Earth was almost completely destroyed by the year 2507.  Earth wasn’t safe to live on anymore. Billions of people on Earth died. 
3. By the year 2800 only about 100,000 people lived on Earth. Half those people stayed on Earth to try and fix things. Half went to space.
4. Let's say there were 50 ships that launched into space. Those fifty ships might have carried 1,000 people each on them. Again, that’s 50,000 people. 
5. Now, fast forward a few hundred years. Let’s say for fun sake that the number of people doubled, so now there are 100,000 humans. There are thousands, maybe millions of planets and moons in the universe that could be hospitable. 
6. The ship, Valinor, landed on a planet which took on its name. The 1,000 people on that ship became the people of Valinor. 
7. Valinor is a small Earth-like planet that Valinor has 3 continents, 2 of which are uninhabited (so far). Years later, there’s about 3,000 people on Valinor. It’s a peaceful planet, not as big as Earth, but big enough. They have a small army because originally they are not in a war and the way they protect their planet is by technology…mostly done from computers and a command center.
8. In book two Akacia sends 20 people in her military to Terronda to help. That wasn't all of her military/army. 
9. They have more people who come and help them. The Splicer families, a few of Terronda's army, people in the universe who hate Caspar. Plus they have Tegar and his ship/crew helping to protect Valinor.
10. In Googling, I seem to find that 0.4% of the American population are active in the military and 7.3% of all living Americans have served in the military at some point.
11. Let's compare that to Valinor's military. Let's go with the first statistic and let's even round it up to 1%. What is 1% of 3,000? 30. If there are approximately 100 people of Valinor in their military, that's more than 3% active military. More than the United States of America.
12. Earth's population (as of January 2018) was 7.6 billion people. In the past 75 years, it has grown 1-2% per year. Applied to the people who left Earth (50,000) this would be 500-1,000 per year. It's been just over 200 years since Akacia was born, that means the population of the universe (not including aliens) would be approximately 150,000-350,000. Seems like a lot of people, but spread over the planets, moons, and space stations, the population of Valinor seems pretty average. 
13. Let's take #12 and apply it to Valinor. The ship, Valinor, had about 1,000 people to begin with. With a 1% increase in population every year for 200 years, that brings the total to 3,000. That's just births. There would have been deaths and some people who weren't on the ship were granted permission to live on the planet, so it would roughly still be about 3,000. 

As you can see, it is very plausible and believable to have these numbers. If all 3,000 people were to spread around Valinor, well, there wouldn't be a community would there? Eventually I could see expanding. Maybe allowing some other alien races to settle down? You never know. For now, it's a possible and believable future.

Character Traits

People, especially reviewers, like to tear authors apart for overused traits. For example when we write about our characters biting on their lips or twirling their hair, readers say it’s overdone or boring or whatever. BUT… when I look at myself and other people in real life, what do I see? I bite on my lip when I’m nervous all the time. I see others twirling their hair or biting their nails. So maybe characters are written with those traits because authors themselves have them or know people who have them. If I wrote a character who always hopped up and down on one foot when nervous—just so she would have a more unique trait—would anyone believe that? Or would the character be more believable if they bit on their lip or twirled their hair? 

It's might be overused or overdone, but I'm going to keep writing characters who twirl their hair, bit on their lip, shuffle their weight, or tap their fingers because that's what people do. You don't have to like it, but please think about how odd it would be to read about a character who did absurd things just so readers wouldn't gripe about the same old character traits.

My writing tip? Don't worry about character traits or faults being overdone. Readers should focus on the character overall and the storyline. If it's a good storyline, then who cares if a character twirls her hair or pulls it? Bites on her lip or jumps on her feet? Let the author be and just enjoy the story.

My Promise (Spoiler)

When I started writing the Beyond Earth series, it was after the death of Lexa on The 100. The "bury your gays" trope was at an all time high. I promised my fans then and I want to renew my promise to my fans as I continue the series that I will NOT permanently kill off either main character, Everleigh and Akacia.

Now, because I'm a drama writer, I need to have drama, so things will happen to them. They may come close to death. They may get sick. They may die and be revived. They may switch bodies. But, in the end, all will be as it should be. That is my promise to you.

The first two books in the series are out (Without Hesitation and Painted Skies). I'm working on the third book and am already at 65k words...so I'm thinking there may be four books in this series. So, yes, be prepared for dramatic things to happen throughout this series, and I know this is a spoiler, but I promise to keep Akacia and Everleigh alive.

Painted Skies (Beyond Earth: Book Two)

RELEASE WEEKEND! 

PAINTED SKIES (BEYOND EARTH: BOOK TWO)

This is book two of the Beyond Earth series. Without Hesitation is book one and is free everywhere (except Amazon) right now. So if you haven't gotten hooked on this series, start now!!!!

Akacia and Everleigh have been apart for almost an earthmonth. Both still reeling from recent events, they try to get their lives back on track. They soon find out an evil from their past has resurfaced and their lives and home planet Valinor are in danger. Side-by-side once again, they find themselves fighting for love, peace, and their homes.

**This book is an LGBTQ sci-fi story with a female/female relationship.**

Blogging Fail

I'm not good at keeping up with blogging. I don't usually know what to write about and how much of my own books would people really want to know about. I don't like being pushy and scream: BUY, BUY, BUY!

Time is a precious thing. Between taking care of my family, house, and myself, it doesn't leave much time to write. I feel like my books are the priority when I do have that time, so my blog suffers. As does my social media.

It's so weird how I can write a book, but blank out when it comes to blogging or social media posts.

For those of you desperately waiting for updates on the 2nd book of the Beyond Earth series, I finished professional editing part 1 and sent it back to the editor. When she sends it back to me, I'll do my final edits while the cover gets made. In the meantime, I'm working on book 3 of the series and already up to 40k.

And yes, I will still be writing more in the Between Worlds series, the Gifted Teens series, Falling for Fire, and Touch of Death.

It amazes me how my favorite writers growing up could pump up books as quickly as they did. The Sweet Valley books, Christopher Pike's books, VC Andrews... how did they all write so quickly?

Here come's the begging: PLEASE share my Facebook page with your friends, your social media, and so on. I also have Twitter @TaliaJager and Instagram @Talia Jager

Spread the word. Follow me. Believe it or not just one or two authentic follows makes a lot of difference in the crazy world of algorithms. If you've read one (or more) of my books, PLEASE leave a review. THIS makes a HUGE difference in Amazon algorithms. It also allows me to promote my books on more places because they require a certain number of reviews.

I hope I don't disappoint any of you. Hang in there, the books are coming.

New Giveaway

Enter this YA/NA Sci-Fi & Dystopian Giveaway for a chance to win books or an Amazon gift card.

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Update

I know many of you watch for updates. Lots of times I don't have one. I'm just writing. I never really know when a book will be ready. I don't know how those that have release dates know. At least indie writers. I write, rewrite, wait a month, read it, edit, read it again, edit some more, then send it to a couple of people. If they're happy with it, it goes to my editor. Then I have to make those edits and if I'm not sure about how I did, I send it back to her. Whenever she's done, I send it to my formatter. So the end of publishing a book isn't even something I control.

But I know you. I know you want to know what's happening in my little world. So, here are my updates:

Beyond Earth Series: Book Two - Working on 2nd draft. Up to 77k words. I really hope to have it ready to go to an editor this spring.

Between Worlds: Book SIX - Started a scene or two, haven't gotten far. I really want to, but I need to wrap up the Beyond Earth series first. This goes for the Spinoff of Lena's story as well. Not sure which will come out first. The spinoff or #5. We'll see.

Falling for Fire - I plan on this being a series. I love Aurora and Sorin. So this will be a series someday.

Same for Touch of Death. Definitely a series. Just not enough time to do them all.

Which leaves me with The Gifted Teens. There is a book four. I have written some on it. It takes place a couple years after the third book. I'm definitely not done with Daxton and Kassia, Mira and Zane, or Auralee and Noe.

As far as my other books, they're all basically standalones. I could make Secret Bloodline into a series, but not sure I will. The others have had their story told. Although when I do pay someone to edit Lost and Found, it will be getting a little bit of a makeover.

I do have many other ideas. Some medical ones like a teen diabetic, another about a teen who cuts, and an aliens on Earth (series??).

That's about it. I wish my fingers would type faster. I wish I had more time in the day to write. I wish I had more money to get things done faster. And sometimes life just gets in the way. I thought I would have the 2nd Beyond Earth series book out last year, but I took 2 college classes and was NOT prepared for the amount of work they took. Then I had health issues which are not over yet. Plus teaching the kids, being a wife and mother, and all that comes with it.

I can only promise that I will write until I can't anymore (and the way I love writing means I'll be dead for that to happen). It might take time for the sequels and new books to come out, but they will.

Thank you, fans, for your love and loyalty. I love hearing from you!!!!

Without Hesitation

I am pleased to announce that my new book, Without Hesitation (Beyond Earth: Book One) has been released. You should be able to find it in all the normal places. Links will be included on the page for the book.

The main characters in this book are 19-20 years old. I think teens would benefit a lot from reading it, but it is something that should be up to their parents.

I am planning on a trilogy and I'm already working on book two, so I'm hoping to have it out before long. I know you all like dates, and I can't give you that, but as soon as it's done, I will have it out.

Without Hesitation is set a thousand years in the future. Earth has become a wasteland. Humans traveled into space to colonize other suitable planets. Labels and stereotypes are a thing of the past and gender and sexual identity are as fluid as love as humans strive to survive. Here we meet Everleigh, the commander of her ship named Nirvana. She is under the control of an evil madman, Caspar, who keeps her family captive. He sends her to Valinor to abduct the Empress Akacia. When she arrives, she is taken back by Akacia's beauty and when the Empress fights back, Everleigh realizes she has met hr match.

Note: This is a LGBTQ story with a female/female relationship.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Popular saying. What does it mean?

"Beauty cannot be judged objectively, for what one person finds beautiful or admirable may not appeal to another."

"The perception of beauty is subjective."

In short, what I find beautiful, you may not.

Why am I blogging about this today? Every once in a while I'll read some of the reviews people have left for my books. A couple say something along the lines of why is this character beautiful or why don't authors write about ugly characters?

I write in first person (only one of my books is NOT in first person). When that character describes someone, they might say, "She was beautiful." "He was gorgeous." And so on. It only means that my character found this other person attractive. It doesn't necessarily mean he/she is the hottest person who has ever lived. I might not think the person is attractive. You might not. But the character whose POV it's in, does.

I urge readers to remember this when reading books. What the author or character perceives as being beautiful, others may not.

Upcoming Book

I'm writing a story with LGBT characters set in a world where sexuality is fluid, labels aren't used, and everybody is accepted. In my world, nobody blinks an eye when your lover is the same gender as you are.

Without Hesitation is about two women who fall in love. It's a f/f love story. It is NOT a coming out story because 1,000 years in the future, there's no need to come out. It's still full of all the things you love me to write - drama, angst and obstacles they must overcome. I hope you will read it.

I wonder if the way of thinking will change in my lifetime? Yours?

Our world is cruel. Everyday I read stories of LGBT people being horribly treated. When will this stop? I support all people, all rights. Why should sexuality matter? Why can't society accept anyone who is different and why is it even considered different?

Love is love.

Cover Reveal - Without Hesitation

It's been a while, I know. Writing books is not easy or fast. The stories might come to me easily, but getting those thoughts onto paper that readers will enjoy is much harder. I hope that many of you will like my new series, Beyond Earth. It's a new adult, sci-fi story, set in the future after humans leave Earth to find other planets to inhabit.

It will be available on all major platforms SOON!

Fall Into Books Giveaway

Fall Into Books $250 Giveaway

September 23rd to October 15th

An awesome group of bloggers and authors has joined with me to bring you one fabulous prize!! A $250 Amazon Gift Code or you can choose to receive $250 in Paypal Cash. 

Sponsor List I Am A Reader Simple Wyrdings MK McClintock Heather Gray Niki Danforth, Author Aubrey Wynne: Vintage Romance for Today Lori's Reading Corner Paperback Parlor Here We Go Again...Ready? BookHounds Glistering: B's Blog Krysten Lindsay Hager author Fat Free Faith Talia Jager Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More FLYLēF Helen Smith Author Erin Richards CoolCatMysteries Dorine White Confessions of a Frugal Mind B. Kristin McMichael Barefoot by the Sea Inger Iversen Jo Noelle The Page Unbound Charissa Stastny Katie's Clean Book Collection LOVE. WITHOUT YOU Every Free Chance Books Author Crystal Marcos Raquel @ The Babbling Reader 

Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 10/15/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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Farewell to Summer Giveaway

Farewell to Summer

$250 Cash Giveaway

September 1st to 22nd

An Awesome Group of Authors & Bloggers have joined with me to bring you 1 fabulous prize!! We’re giving away $250 in Paypal Cash! Or alternately you can choose a $250 Amazon.com eGift Code! 

Thanks to these great authors & bloggers for making this giveaway possible! 

Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 9/22/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Back to the Books Giveaway

Back to the Books $250 Cash Giveaway August 17th to September 7th An Awesome Group of Authors & Bloggers have joined with me to bring you 1 fabulous prize!! We’re giving away $250 in Paypal Cash! Or alternately you can choose a $250 Amazon.com Gift Code!

Sponsor List I Am A Reader Here We Go Again...Ready? Hall Ways Blog Kindle and Me Kimber Leigh Wheaton Bound 4 Escape Every Free Chance Books Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More Krysten Lindsay Hager author Heather Boyd, Historical Romance Author The Page Unbound Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke Rockin' Book Reviews Lori's Reading Corner Rice & Rocks, by Sandra L. Richards Simple Wyrdings D.S. Venetta Author Dorothy Dreyer Diana's Book Reviews MK McClintock Books & Benches Kasey Cocoa Heather @ Townsend House Glistering Bs Blog Paisley Piranha YA Book Blog Cool Cat Mysteries Bella Street Time Travel Romance Bonnie Blythe Faith Based Romance The Candid Cover Talia Jager Lise McClendon - Author Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More FLYLēF

Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash (alternately the winner can choose a $250 Amazon.com Gift Code) Ends 9/7/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rylie's Voice

For those of you curious as to what I think Rylie’s voice sounds like, here are a bunch of videos of Clare Bowen (Scarlet on Nashville). Kind of looks like Rylie too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6SG_Xo3e38

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wU9KsU0aNQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mk6l65L_E8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qApHXBDqJcA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JebF2RWqtIk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-iMVt7lJ0o

Faerie Tale Giveaway

Need to feed that Faerie Tale addiction?

Get 9 Faerie Tale Books FREE

June 24th – July 1st only!

Click on the following links to claim your free books:

War of the Fae Book 1 By Elle Casey

Faelorehn: The Otherworld Series Book 1 by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

Tales of Arilland by Alethea Kontis

Falling For Fire by Talia Jager

Dark Promise by Talia Jager

A Dark Faerie Tale Series Books 1 & 2 by Alexia Purdy

Lotus: Daughter of Darkness by C.J. Pinard

Feyland: The Dark Realm by Anthea Sharp

Mask: The Unfinished Song Book 7 by Tara Maya

Unexpected Promise

It's here!!!! The long awaited book five of the Between Worlds series. 

Darkness has descended on the faery realm Rylie and Sierra have dealt with numerous challenges over the past two years: love, death, friendship, magic, but can they save the realm they have come to love?

Available now for $3.99
Amazon
Apple
Barnes and Noble
Google
Kobo
Smashwords

Paperback coming soon!

I think I'll wait another week before I post the playlist, so look for that!

UPDATE: Unexpected Promise

I know. I said book five would be out around December/January, and I tried REALLY hard to keep that deadline, but Rylie and Sierra deserved more. So, I wrote and wrote, until I was satisfied, until the characters were happy with what I wrote. I know all too well when characters aren't happy with me, they run around in my head demanding attention and I have other things to do.

The book is longer than the others and I do hope that you all will like it. I don't know if this is "the end" for these characters. I have a few ideas for spin-offs, but I have some other characters that are nagging for me to write about them.

Unexpected Promise (Between Worlds: Book Five) has been uploaded. As soon as it goes live, I will post links, send out an email to those of you on my mailing list, and spread the word on social media. It would help me a lot for you all to do the same and if anyone could leave me an honest review, please do it!

Thank you for sticking with me through this series. For loving Rylie, Kallan, Sierra, and Drake. For pushing me to write more.

Cover and Title Reveal

Between Worlds - Book Five Cover and Title Reveal

Unexpected Promise will be book five in the Between Worlds series. This book is written in both Rylie and Sierra's POV. It's about 90% finished. I'm hoping to finish by the end of January and then it needs to go to the editor and formatter. I know many of you are anxious for this book. Hold on a little longer, it IS coming!!