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I’ve begun querying my current work-in-progress (WIP)! It has been a wild ride. I began this project in 2020 and have been working on it in my free time since. Now, it’s finally ready to query. This WIP is an epic adult fantasy filled with action, tested loyalties, and sacrifice. Check out my book blurb below! Heir Commander Oreia Oksuna returns home from the battlefields victorious and ready to begin building her reign as the next Empress of Teralis. The war is over, the tyrant High Lord of Urlen is dead, and his people are finally free. Oreia returns to her city, Teres Novae, expecting a celebration, not bodies hanging from the city walls. Oreia soon learns that those bodies were once spies for an enemy nation to the north, Garcium. That realization reignites old animosities fueled by a betrayal ten years earlier. Now, the need for vengeance throws Teres Novae into a frenzied hunt for more traitors and spies. Oreia’s mother, Empress Moira, and aunt, Commander Urma, are leading the charge, imprisoning and executing anyone who might be a Garci sympathizer. When Garcium retaliates and abducts Oreia’s half-brother Orion, Teralis launches towards another war with Oreia leading the charge. But this war is not what it seems. As Oreia digs deeper, she begins to question who her real enemies are. She has sworn to do anything to protect her people. Defending Teralis has been her purpose for her entire life. Oreia is the unshakeable, unyielding Heir of Stone, but the events that are unfolding will force her to decide if her loyalty is worth the price of war. As the line between right and wrong blurs, Oreia will discover if she has the strength to face the trials and sacrifices ahead.
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Follow me on social media! If we’re not already social media friends, reach out and say hi. Twitter: @JenAldenbooks Facebook: Jennifer Alden Instagram: @jenaldenbooks  It's time to get back to book reviews. This week I'm reviewing an older book, first published in 2015. This book, Fantasy of Frost by Kelly St. Clare, is important to me because it sparked my very first What if? that eventually evolved into Oreia's story.
Fantasy of Frost is the first in the Tainted Accords series that follows Olina, an abused princess who has to find her way in the world while she maintains a tenuous peace with a neighboring nation. Olina's journey is one of self-discovery and tested loyalty. This book is packed full of action, suspense, and betrayal, and Olina is the kind of strong and compassionate protagonist that readers immediately fall in love with. There are some mature themes in this book including abuse and grief, so I recommend this book for a more mature audience. If you’re interested in more, check out these links:
Your writing, especially a first draft, does not have to be perfect. I know that feeling when you’re reading a polished, published book and you realize that you’re drafts are weak, ugly, bumbling things in comparison. You need to remember (and I do, too) that a first draft is worlds away from a published book that has been through many rounds of edits and review. As you’re writing, keep this mantra in your head. Write it on a sticky note and stick it on your computer or pin it over your writing desk.  The goal of a first draft is to bring your story to life. It’s meant to be rough and raw. The first draft is your chance to turn your tiny spark of inspiration into a real, tangible story. Your imagery doesn’t have to be crystal-clear and vivid. Your action doesn’t have to be heart-stopping. Your prose don’t have to be evocative or world-changing.
Just write. Set aside your internal critic and just get your story out. That is a true first draft. If you’re looking for motivation to get that first draft finished, there is still time to sign up for NaNoWriMo! Here’s the website to join: https://nanowrimo.org  Each of my works in progress have a nature-related theme. I don’t do it on purpose, but these themes are influenced by places that I've traveled.
Oreia’s story is closely tied to the mountains. Her father’s people are from the rugged Idatari Mountains to the north of the empire of Teralis. The Idatari clans thrive among of the brutal ice and granite walls of the Idatari Mountains. Oreia loves their raw, honest way of life. Oreia is also called the Heir of Stone. Like the mountains, she is sturdy, unrelenting, and dauntless. Mountains have always inspired me to write Oreia’s story. This photo is from Yosemite National Park in California, USA. I visited and hiked there in 2019, and it was absolutely beautiful. In my mind, the Idatari Mountains in Oreia’s story look exactly like these mountains and pine forests. Check Oreia’s story here to see the other inspirational photos that I've taken on my travels. http://www.jenaldenbooks.com/oreia.html Also, if you’re interested, here is the link to the National Park Service’s Yosemite page: https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm  Wellness AlertIt's time to step back from the computer and take a break.
This week, rather than posting about writing or reading, I’m switching gears to overall wellness. I just had to start going to the chiropractor because my neck, back, and shoulders were constantly tight and sore. And the cause of my pain? Bad posture. Apparently, I lean forward and hunch my shoulders in when I’m sitting at my desk. I spend a lot of my time at the computer writing, either for my day job or for my fantasy books. Sometimes, I sit properly, but more often than not, I find myself hunching over like a gremlin. The pain isn’t too bad. It doesn’t stop me from living my life, but it can distract me from my writing. Stop what you’re doing right now and pay attention to yourself. Are you sitting right? Are your shoulders back and down? Is your chin up? If you're looking for a nudge, here it is. Get up from your computer and move around. Go for a walk. Drink some water. Stop ignoring those tiny little pains and start taking care of your body. Yoga and stretching are my go-to exercises when I’ve been sitting at my desk too long. They’re also great ways to unwind and refocus my mind when I’m having some writer’s block. If you're interested in giving it a try, I recommend Sean Vigue Fitness on YouTube. He’s fun to listen to and he seems very knowledgeable. He also has a ton of videos for all different experience levels. Here are links to my favorites:
Picking comparable titles, or comp titles, for your query letters can be frustrating and overwhelming. It took me a long time to find mine. For Oreia's story, I chose Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow and Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep. Here are the rules I used to choose my comp titles:
To wrap things up, here is a video that I found very helpful when I was preparing my query letter:
Alyssa Matestic - How to Choose Strong Comparable Titles for Your Query Letter: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_NpQGC4azM  Betrayal, sass, and an epic comeback. Kill the Queen is a thrilling tale that has you rooting for the underdog the whole time. The book is great for readers looking for action, intrigue, and a little bit of romance.
Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep is another book that I used as a comparative title while querying for Oreia’s novel. My work-in-progress has similar themes of betrayal and sacrifice with a hefty dose of action that I think readers of Kill the Queen will enjoy. If you’re interested in more info, here are some resources:
 Song of the Forever Rains by E.J. Mellow is the first installment in the three-book series, The Mousai. It is fun, fresh, and a little bit dark. Mellow has created a vivid world with interesting characters and a thrilling plot. It has magic, secrets, and enough plot twists to keep you hooked through every page. I recommend this book for fantasy lovers who are looking for a dark mystery with a touch of romance. I decided to do a review of this book because it is one of my comparative titles for my own work-in-progress that I'm getting ready to query this fall. I picked this book as a comparative title because it is an action-packed mystery with a strong female protagonist. I really think my book will appeal to lovers of E.J. Mellow’s The Mousai series. If you’re interested in more info, here are some resources:
 Are you using a pen name, or have you thought about writing under a pen name?
I personally use a pen name. Jennifer is my real first name, but Alden is not my last name. There are a lot of reasons someone would want to use a pen name. For me, anonymity was not a real concern. I decided to use a pen name because in my opinion my real last name is a little too rigid and abrupt for a fantasy author. I thought Alden sounded more lyrical and whimsical. Alden is also a maiden name in my family that got lost through the generations, so I decided to bring it back to life. Here are my top tips for choosing a pen name:
Final thoughts: I picked my pen name early on in the process so my email, Twitter, website address, and Facebook accounts are all under the same name. As an author, your name is your brand. It's important to pick your pen name, if you're using one, and keep it consistent throughout your marketing and branding. If you're interested in more information about picking your best pen name, check out these links:
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