Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Love Songs and Other Lies
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 1983?
WEBSITE: http://itsjess.com/
CITY:
STATE: MI
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born c. 1983; married; children: Rory (son).
EDUCATION:Graduated from college.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, wedding planner, and floral designer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jessica Pennington is a writer, wedding planner, and floral designer based in Michigan. She writes works for young adult readers.
In 2018, Pennington released her first book, Love Songs and Other Lies. In an interview with a contributor to the Jean Book Nerd website, Pennington described the book’s main character. She stated: “Virginia, known to most as Vee, is strong and passionate, and really driven. But she has a very specific plan for her future, and veering off of that is terrifying for her.” Pennington told a writer on the Librarian Laura’s Great Reads website: “Virginia is named (by her parents) after the song ‘Meet Virginia’ by Train. But in real life, Train is one of my favorite bands.” In the book, Vee decides to tour with the band of her old friend Logan. She becomes reacquainted with her old flame, Cam, another member of the band. The two rekindle their romance. Meanwhile, their band’s popularity rises.
In the same interview with the contributor to the Jean Book Nerd website, Pennington discussed her intentions for readers of the book, stating: “I hope it reminds them of what it feels like to fall in love, and to put your heart in someone else’s hands.” In the same interview, she commented on what she learned through writing the book. She remarked: “I think I realized just how much I connect with music, and also that I have the ability to create characters that people I don’t even know can connect with and relate to, and that’s really cool. I feel really lucky whenever I hear that someone has connected with Cam or Vee, or any of their friends.” Pennington explained how she developed the plot of the book in the same interview with the writer on the Librarian Laura’s Great Reads website, stating: “With Love Songs, it started with the breakup scene. And as much as I love to plot, and sort of obsess over having things worked out before I start writing, I almost always abandon my plotting or seriously change things along the way, as I get to know my characters. It’s all a bit haphazard, I suppose, but I like the organic way my stories tend to come together. Things build off of little details, and the story usually ends up better than I could have planned!” Regarding the character of Vee, Pennington told a contributor to the Mind of a (Book) Dragon website: “I love how strong she is—even though she’s flawed and has fears like any teen girl—and also that she’s really open with people. I think there’s a real vulnerability about Vee and how she connects with people—you see it even in the way she connects with some of the crew on the tour bus.”
Love Songs and Other Lies received favorable assessments. “Easy to read and engaging, the music and reality show aspects of the story are fun and add to the romance,” asserted Jennifer McIntosh in Voice of Youth Advocates. A Publishers Weekly critic remarked: “Pennington capably develops the protagonists through their alternating perspectives.” Laura Jones, writer in School Library Journal, commented: “This modern-day realistic fictional romance has both steamy love scenes and tender moments between best friends which gives it appeal.” A reviewer on the Vicky Who Reads website suggested: “It’s a quick read, paced nicely, and is relatively short yet still packed with things happening, and … this is a great contemporary to read without feeling stressed or strained.” The same reviewer added: “There’s some really valuable lessons in here about life, about jobs, friendship, family, love, and it all combines into something that ultimately gives you another slice of life to add onto the pile of knowledge you already have.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, March 5, 2018, review of Love Songs and Other Lies, p. 73.
School Library Journal, March, 2018, Laura Jones, review of Love Songs and Other Lies, p. 121.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2018, Jennifer Mcintosh, review of Love Songs and Other Lies, p. 62.
ONLINE
Candid Cover, https://candidcover.net/ (April 30, 2018), author interview.
Jean Book Nerd, http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/ (April, 2018), author interview.
Jessica Pennington website, http://itsjess.com/ (August 7, 2018).
Just Another Teen Reading Books, http://justanotherteenreading.blogspot.com/ (January 21, 2018), author interview.
Librarian Laura’s Great Reads, https://librarianlaura.com/ (May 4, 2018), author interview.
Mind of a (Book) Dragon, https://mindofabookdragon.wordpress.com/ (May 3, 2018), author interview.
Vicky Who Reads, https://vickywhoreads.wordpress.com/ (May 2, 2018), review of Love Songs and Other Lies.
ABOUT
THE SHORT STORY VERSION (as told by Jess):
I’m the author of the young adult contemporary romance LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES, out now from Tor Teen, and WHEN SUMMER ENDS, out April 9, 2019. I write contemporary YA fiction, mainly romance. There has to be at least some inkling of love! I live in Michigan with my tech-geek husband and my totally adorable 2-year-old son, Rory. I’ve been a wedding planner and floral designer for the last ten years, and yes, I do have some good wedding stories! (I just can’t share most of them.) So basically, I’m just a professional romantic. READ THE NOVEL VERSION
heartdividerBesides an author I’m also a…
Book addict.
Serial Entrepreneur.
Penguin enthusiast.
Dreamer.
Eclectic music lover.
Mitten-State Dweller.
Obnoxiously loud laugher.
THE NOVEL VERSION:
I’ve always loved to write. It started in 4th grade when a very fabulous teacher introduced me to writing poetry and got me excited about it. I probably learned some math and science that year as well, but I don’t remember that. I just remember writing. A lot. And like any 9-year-old 4th grader (who thought she was 30) I wanted to be published. But not in those silly kid journals. No, no, I wanted to be in a real, grown-up publication. I wanted fame and prestige unlike what you could garner from silly old Highlights. So I bought myself a copy of Writer’s Market (the 500 page hardcover version, of course) and started mailing my poetry out to journals and magazines. God bless my teacher and parents for teaching me at a young age not to be afraid to fail, because talk about a hot mess!
I addressed my envelopes by hand (because it was 1993 and I was 9) so I can only imagine what editors thought when my envelope came across their desk. Probably something along the lines of ‘good lord, this woman has the handwriting of a 9-year-old!’ I like to think it was enough to make them open the envelope. Just to see what sort of horror lurked inside! Side note: you can check out the horror known as my query letter here). I know what you’re thinking: “Were you the first 9-year-old to be published in a very prestigious poetry journal?” Um, no. Of course not. But I did get a few ACTUAL rejection letters from editors who were nice enough to take out their red pens and leave me constructive criticism and encouragement that I should keep writing. So that when I was an adult I could submit something they would actually consider.
So fast forward a few (or 18) years: I rediscover my love of writing, this time in the form of YA fiction, which I’m obsessed with reading. And I put those poetry skills to use in my novel, writing some song lyrics. Unlike my 9-year-old self, I was somewhat horrified at first to put my work ‘out there,’ despite the amazing encouragement of friends, family, my writing cohort, and…my 4th grade writing teacher. Yes, I know, what 20-something is still in touch with their 4th grade teacher? *Raises hand* This one! But as you can see (by this very public display) I’m working on the sharing. I want nothing more than for my novel to go out and make friends with people.
A confession: Writing is really hard sometimes. Writing something you’re proud of, that truly reflects you as a person (read: something that makes you feel vulnerable and worthwhile of the time and effort) is even harder. If you love to write, be ready for a lot of self-doubt, but also for one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Check out the “WRITING STUFF” posts for writing and revision tips, and some insider info on the query & submission process!
Side note: It’s also worth mentioning that between 4th grade and present-day I attended college, obtained a degree in public relations, worked in corporate America for 2 years post-graduation (not my scene!) then started my own business.
QUOTED: "I hope it reminds them of what it feels like to fall in love, and to put your heart in someone else’s hands."
"I think I realized just how much I connect with music, and also that I have the ability to create characters that people I don’t even know can connect with and relate to, and that’s really cool. I feel really lucky whenever I hear that someone has connected with Cam or Vee, or any of their friends."
"Virginia, known to most as Vee, is strong and passionate, and really driven. But she has a very specific plan for her future, and veering off of that is terrifying for her."
Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her novel, with her husband Josh and their son, Rory. Love Songs & Other Lies is her debut novel.
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Tor Teen (April 24, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765392275
ISBN-13: 978-0765392275
Praise for LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES
“Reading Cam & Vee's past and present romance reminds me of This is Us! This is going on my keeper shelf.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author
“Fun and full of heart, with a hero who stole my heart!” ―Katie McGarry, author of Long Way Home and Pushing the Limits
“Boys in bands, second chance romance, and pitch-perfect chemistry. Love Songs & Other Lies hits all the right notes!” ―Gina Ciocca, author of Last Year's Mistake
“A music-infused romance about a pair of perfectly imperfect teenagers who will have readers rooting for their happily ever after. Equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, contemporary young adult fans won’t be able to put this debut down!” ―Katy Upperman, author of Kissing Max Holden
Tell us your latest news.
I have so much news, you’ll be sorry you asked! Love Songs & Other Lies is out today, which is the most exciting news ever, and this week I also found out I’ll be at Denver Comic Con in June, and the Twin Cities Book Festival in October, so I’m thrilled I’ll get to meet more readers! Plus I just turned in copyedits on book 2 (When Summer Ends) which will be out less than a year from now.
Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
Music influences my writing a lot. I’m always listening to music while I write, so it’s very common for lyrics or the sorry within a song to leak into my writing, even if it’s in a very obscure way that maybe only I would see.
What do you hope for readers to be thinking when they read your novel?
I hope it reminds them of what it feels like to fall in love, and to put your heart in someone else’s hands.
Did you learn anything from writing LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES and what was it?
I think I realized just how much I connect with music, and also that I have the ability to create characters that people I don’t even know can connect with and relate to, and that’s really cool. I feel really lucky whenever I hear that someone has connected with Cam or Vee, or any of their friends.
For those who are unfamiliar with Virginia, how would you introduce her?
Virginia, known to most as Vee, is strong and passionate, and really driven. But she has a very specific plan for her future, and veering off of that is terrifying for her.
What part of Cam did you enjoy writing the most?
I loved writing the scenes where Cam is trying to win Vee back. Because while Cam is swoony and sweet and amazing, he also screwed up and has to deal with that. If he hadn’t, they wouldn’t be EXES trapped together on a tour bus!
If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I love writing about girls who have some sort of need for control, so I’d love to introduce Vee to Olivia, the main character from my next book, When Summer Ends. Olivia could learn a lot from her!
What book would you recommend for others to read?
My two favorite reads so far this year are Nothing Left To Burn by Heather Ezell, and The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman, which comes out this summer.
Choose a unique item from your wallet and explain why you carry it around.
I have a charm in my change purse that says “She believed she could so she did,” which is one of my favorite quotes. It used to be a necklace, then the chain broke, and I’ve just carried it around ever since!
What is your favorite restaurant in town and why?
There’s a little Italian restaurant called Vivi’s that I take my 2.5 year old to every Tuesday. It’s our date day, and we stop at the bookstore to pick up whichever books came out that day that I have on order (and usually grab a picture book for my him), and then we go to lunch! We go early so we’re almost always the only ones there and the waitress knows us, and we have our own table. It’s lots of fun!
What is your favorite day of the year?
I love January 1st, just because I love making lists of goals and looking back at the year and what I accomplished (or didn’t). I love the fresh start it brings.
If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be?
I probably would have learned to play piano when I was younger. I really wish I could play the piano, and now I’m so busy it doesn’t feel like something that is feasible to tackle!
What's the worst summer job you've ever had?
I worked at a garden center where I had to water plants out in the sun all day, and load people’s cars up with bags of dirt and mulch. It would have been even more miserable if I hadn’t worked with a bunch of my friends.
Where can readers find you?
Tonight (April 24th) I’ll be hosting a virtual launch party on Twitter with a bunch of author-friends (and giveaways!) at 8:00pm (EST). Join us by following #LoveSongsLaunchParty
And here are all the places you can hang out with me every other day:
IG: Instagram.com/jessicapennington
Twitter: twitter.com/jessnpennington
Website: jesspennington.com
Pinterest: pinterest.com/jessicapennington
TEN QUOTES FROM LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES
1. “You were the missing lyrics to a song I didn't even know I was writing.”
2. Sometimes you don't know what you want until you just do. It hits you like a wave, knocks you underwater, and when you surface, all you want is this one thing. It's like gasping for air.
3. “Congrats on the tattoo. . . and the fish.”
4. Cam feels like a perfectly styled photo shoot, every prop in its place, every angle checked and rechecked. He doesn’t belong in Riverton any more than I belong in a band.
5. Who just ups and leaves everything to join a band tour for three months?
6. “Oh, yeah, laugh it up. One person wears flannel, okay. Fine. But all of you show up in flannel, and you look like those freaking animatronic bears from Disney World who play banjos and wear suspenders and scare the kids.”
7. Every note of this song feels like it’s slicing into me, opening old wounds, taking me back to a different version of me.
8. Everything around us seems unbearably loud in its quietness. The click of seat belts, the ding of the blinker, the gentle swish of breath past lips—it all feels like it’s being projected through a megaphone, filling my car with deafening sound.
9. “You really are like a personal taxi service, huh? Rides in the morning, rides at night. You’re going to spoil me and give me inflated expectations of your awesomeness, Cam Fuller.”
10. Something strange happens after midnight. It’s like this invisible flip is switched, and everything that happens automatically feels heavier and more emotional. Like the walls that we spend so much time holding up during the day are just too heavy to bother with at night.
It's summer romance and second chances, the songs that stay in your head, and the boy you'll never forget.
Two years after rock-song-worthy heartbreak, Virginia Miller is looking forward to a fun, carefree summer. Her friends just landed a spot on a battling bands reality show, and Vee is joining them for her dream internship on tour. Three months with future rockstars seems like an epic summer plan. Until she learns she’ll also be sharing the bus with Cam. Her first love, and her first heartbreak. Now Vee has more than just cameras to dodge, and Cam’s determination to win her forgiveness is causing TMZ-worthy problems for both of them. With cameras rolling, she’ll have to decide if her favorite breakup anthem deserves a new ending. And if she’s brave enough to expose her own secrets to keep Cam’s under wraps.
Breaking Vee’s heart was never Cam’s plan. All he wanted senior year was a new life, in a new town, uninterrupted by the tragedy he left behind. Then Vee swept him into a whirlwind of friendship, musical adventure, and a love he didn’t expect or want. Now, he has a second chance to make it right. But things get complicated when ratings-crazy producers, cameramen, and fans are involved. Can he rewrite their love song with the whole world watching?
Sometimes the last note is just the beginning. Love Songs & Other Lies is the debut romance from Jessica Pennington that Katie McGarry calls "fun and full of heart with a hero who stole my heart!”
You can purchase Love Songs & Other Lies at the following Retailers:
QUOTED: "With Love Songs, it started with the breakup scene. And as much as I love to plot, and sort of obsess over having things worked out before I start writing, I almost always abandon my plotting or seriously change things along the way, as I get to know my characters. It’s all a bit haphazard, I suppose, but I like the organic way my stories tend to come together. Things build off of little details, and the story usually ends up better than I could have planned!"
"Virginia is named (by her parents) after the song ‘Meet Virginia’ by Train. But in real life, Train is one of my favorite bands."
05/04/2018
Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington – Author Interview
AUTHOR INTERVIEW, YA BOOK REVIEW, YOUNG ADULT
3 COMMENTS
Love Songs & Other Lies Blog Tour Banner
About the Book
Title: Love Songs & Other Lies
Author: Jessica Pennington
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: April 24th, 2018
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Synopsis: It’s summer romance and second chances, the songs that stay in your head, and the boy you’ll never forget.
Two years after rock-song-worthy heartbreak, Virginia Miller is looking forward to a fun, carefree summer. Her friends just landed a spot on a battling bands reality show, and Vee is joining them for her dream internship on tour. Three months with future rockstars seems like an epic summer plan. Until she learns she’ll also be sharing the bus with Cam. Her first love, and her first heartbreak. Now Vee has more than just cameras to dodge, and Cam’s determination to win her forgiveness is causing TMZ-worthy problems for both of them. With cameras rolling, she’ll have to decide if her favorite breakup anthem deserves a new ending. And if she’s brave enough to expose her own secrets to keep Cam’s under wraps.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Powell’s
| Book Depository | Macmillan
About the Author
thumbnail
Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her books, where she’s currently finishing her second novel, WHEN SUMMER ENDS, out April 2019.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Interview with Jessica Pennington
1. How did you get started as a writer?
I wrote poetry in elementary school and always dabbled with it, even through high school, but I really didn’t attempt fiction until about five years ago. I’ve always loved to write, I just never felt like I had a story to tell. Until I did!
2. What is your favorite under-appreciated novel?
I feel like romance in general can be sort of underappreciated, and that’s mainly what I like to read. I think books that are fun and let you escape have a lot of value, especially for teens, and I’d really love to see it stop being a genre targeted just to girls, when the stories are really relevant to anyone discovering love for the first time. Boys fall in love too. I maybe didn’t answer this question, but I’m sticking with it!
3. What is your favorite childhood book?
I don’t tend to have favorites of anything—or if I do, it’s just my most recent favorite—but for childhood books a few of my favorites were anything by Roald Dahl and Shel Siverstein, Island of the Blue Dolphin, Graeme Base books, and I was obsessed with non-fiction books about animals as a kid!
4. Do you have a special room or place that you prefer to write?
I can write just about anywhere if I have headphones, but I do have a writing space in my house. It’s new—I recently claimed my dining room as my office/study—so it’s lacking the ambiance I would normally like, but it has a giant picture window and the best natural light in my whole house. My dad just built me a huge barn door so I can close it off from the kitchen, and I’m excited to fill it with plants this summer. It has so much potential! But I also really love writing at one of my local libraries—there’s something awesome about being surrounded by books while writing one.
5. Tell us about your typical process for starting a new book.
I only attempted one book before Love Songs & Other Lies, so in a lot of ways I feel very unqualified to talk about processes, but for the most part I just start with a kernel of an idea. With Love Songs, it started with the breakup scene. And as much as I love to plot, and sort of obsess over having things worked out before I start writing, I almost always abandon my plotting or seriously change things along the way, as I get to know my characters. It’s all a bit haphazard, I suppose, but I like the organic way my stories tend to come together. Things build off of little details, and the story usually ends up better than I could have planned! I also have to kick things off with a writing playlist that sets the mood, because I can’t write without music on.
6. How do you select the names of your characters?
Sometimes I base them on something meaningful—like in Love Songs & Other Lies, Virginia is named (by her parents) after the song ‘Meet Virginia’ by Train. But in real life, Train is one of my favorite bands, and one of the first concerts I saw on my own while in high school. But very often I just look up what names were popular when the character would have been born, and go from there!
7. What is the most difficult part of being a writer?
Since I’ve become an author, I think the most difficult part is writing on deadline. It’s much different from writing something at your own pace, and there’s a lot of pressure attached to producing something creative on a fixed timeline. It’s definitely been an adjustment to get into that headspace!
8. Are you working on any new novels at this time? If so, can you share a little about them?
Speaking of deadlines! I wrote my second novel, When Summer Ends, this winter, and I just finished up copy-edits. It’s about Olivia, a cautious girl who decides to live summer by chance – dice rolls, coin flips and all – after her longtime boyfriend dumps her right before break; and Aiden, the former star pitcher who gets swept up in her plan while trying to find a new passion, after learning he’s losing his vision. It’s dual POV, which I love to write (and to read) and for anyone who thought Cam was swoony in Love Songs, just wait until you meet Aiden.
9. What is your favorite/most valued work that you have written?
I plead the fifth! Love Songs & Other Lies and When Summer Ends feel like my babies, and it’s too hard to pick. But it would definitely be one of those two, because the novel I wrote before Love Songs was pretty horrid. It was a paranormal romance, and the first story I ever attempted, and just very out of my wheelhouse. Love Songs and When Summer Ends both have big pieces of me in them, so each is my favorite in its own way, but I think my debut will always feel really special to me.
10. Can you give us a sneak peek about your upcoming novel?
It’s set in the same town as Love Songs & Other Lies, but while Love Songs only took place partly in Riverton, When Summer Ends spends all of its time in the Michigan beach town. And it’s a bit of a love letter to how amazing Michigan is in the summer—canoe trips, dune hikes, nights under the stars—it was really fun to get to delve further into my love of beach towns! I seriously can’t wait to share more about this one—it will be out April 2019 (but you can add it to Goodreads now!)
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Interview With Jessica Pennington!
I'm happy to present an interview with Jessica Pennington! Ms. Pennington is the author of the YA book Love Song & Other Lies, which releases April 24th!
Here's the interview!
The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.
1. Would you please describe your debut book, Love Songs & Other Lies, in seven words?
First love, second chances, music, secrets & swoon
2. Because of the title of your book, I have to ask: What's your favorite song?
That's sort of like asking me to pick my favorite child, but I'll try! Currently, my favorite song is Perfect by Ed Sheeran, because it's painfully sweet and romantic. I even added it to the spotify playlist for Love Songs & Other Lies, because it fits so perfectly with one of the scenes! End Game by Taylor Swift is a very close second. But honestly, I'm a huge music lover, so I have a new favorite song every few months. I don't think I could pick a lifetime favorite song, I love so many!
I love both of these songs a lot! :)
3. Random question! What's your favorite flower?
You would not think this was random at all if you knew that in addition to being a wedding planner, I'm also a floral designer! I love garden roses...my favorite is probably Free Spirit which is a gorgeous pinky-peach color with frilly edges. Google at your own risk...all other roses will seem plain and boring after you check it out!
I just looked it up, and it is beautiful! :)
4. What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?
I'm currently drafting book 2 (Untitled, 2019) so it would probably be something about stock-piling lots of books before you publish your first, so you don't have to write on a deadline! But also, to keep going, and to not put your worth as a writer into the hands of agents or editors or readers. If you love to write, just write, and everything else will be the frosting on top!
Fantastic advice! :)
5. What are some books you're looking forward to reading in 2018? And if you've already read some '18 books, which books have you loved?
For debuts, I've read quite a few ARCs and I absolutely adored Heather Ezell's Nothing Left to Burn, which comes out in March and is a really beautiful, atmospheric book that perfectly encapsulates toxic love, and dynamic friendships, and family relationships. I also read an ARC of Katy Upperman's The Impossibility of Us, which is out in the summer. It's a contemporary romance set in a beach town (which is always a winner for me) and it's deep and beautiful, and both heartbreaking and hopeful. I read it a few weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it!
Thank you so much to Ms. Pennington for participating in this event! :)
Author bio: Jessica Pennington is a young adult author and professional romantic. When she's not writing kissing books, you can find her planning swoon-worthy events as a professional wedding planner and floral designer. Her debut novel, LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES, will be published April 24, 2018 by Tor Teen/Macmillan. Jessica lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her novel, where she spends more time on her laptop than on the beach! Follow her on twitter @jessnpennington and IG @jessicapennington
Stay up to date on her upcoming events, giveaways, and book news by signing up for her newsletter here: http://itsjess.com/say-hello/
Here are a few links:
April 30, 2018
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington. It has been so much fun being part of this upbeat street team. I am so excited to share my interview with Jessica. This is a super sweet book that will surely be your next favourite beach read. Keep reading to find out Jessica’s responses to my interview questions, and enter the giveaway to win a signed hardcover of the book, along with a swag bag filled with a t-shirt, bookmark, stickers, and buttons.
Author Interview and Giveaway: Jessica PenningtonTitle: Love Songs & Other Lies
Author: Jessica Pennington
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
Goodreads
Summary (from Goodreads):
It’s summer romance and second chances, the songs that stay in your head, and the boy you’ll never forget.
Two years after rock-song-worthy heartbreak, Virginia Miller is looking forward to a fun, carefree summer. Her friends just landed a spot on a battling bands reality show, and Vee is joining them for her dream internship on tour. Three months with future rockstars seems like an epic summer plan. Until she learns she’ll also be sharing the bus with Cam. Her first love, and her first heartbreak. Now Vee has more than just cameras to dodge, and Cam’s determination to win her forgiveness is causing TMZ-worthy problems for both of them. With cameras rolling, she’ll have to decide if her favorite breakup anthem deserves a new ending. And if she’s brave enough to expose her own secrets to keep Cam’s under wraps.
Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
INTERVIEW WITH JESSICA PENNINGTON
Do you or have you ever played an instrument?
I played the clarinet for 8 years, and I (very poorly) played the guitar for a few years. But seriously, I was horrible. I did a million things in high school and I really didn’t have enough time to learn guitar. I bought it on a whim, and hoped I would magically learn how to play it. It was not the case! I would love to learn to play piano some day, since I know how to read music!
How does your experience planning weddings help you with your writing process?
I think it helps me the most in the fact that I’m really organized. But that’s more of a personal thing…I’m a good fit for wedding planning because I’m so organized, and a little bit of that transfers over to writing. But more than anything, I think with writing romance, being in the atmosphere of celebrating love, and hearing stories from couples, is probably one of the biggest benfits of my job.
I LOVE the #JustAskJess feature on your website! Was there someone in your life who you looked up to growing up that offered you helpful advice?
I had really great friends growing up, and my mom was also wonderful. I don’t know that I had any one particular person that I reached out to, but I would have loved to have had an unattached third party to run things by, so I was excited to set up the #JustAskJess feature on my website, where teens can submit questions.
What is your favorite break-up song?
Say Something by A Great Big World is the song that inspired the very first scene (the breakup) that I wrote in Love Songs & Other Lies, so I’d have to pick that one. Also, We Are Never Getting Back Together, because I love Taylor Swift!
ABOUT JESSICA PENNINGTON
Image of Jessica Pennington
Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her novel, with her husband Josh and their son, Rory. Love Songs & Other lies is her debut novel. Find Jessica on twitter at @jessnpennington
Sign up for Jessica's newsletter, The EpistolarYAn, for exclusive book news, giveaways, playlists, book recs and more!
QUOTED: "I love how strong she is—even though she’s flawed and has fears like any teen girl—and also that she’s really open with people. I think there’s a real vulnerability about Vee and how she connects with people—you see it even in the way she connects with some of the crew on the tour bus."
Book Tour: Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington
Aside• Posted on May 3, 2018 by Sophie | Mind of a Book Dragon
Welcome to out tour stop for Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington! We’re so happy to host Jess here with an interview.
About the BookLove Songs & Other Lies Cover
Title: Love Songs & Other Lies
Author: Jessica Pennington
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: April 24th, 2018
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Synopsis: It’s summer romance and second chances, the songs that stay in your head, and the boy you’ll never forget.
Two years after rock-song-worthy heartbreak, Virginia Miller is looking forward to a fun, carefree summer. Her friends just landed a spot on a battling bands reality show, and Vee is joining them for her dream internship on tour. Three months with future rockstars seems like an epic summer plan. Until she learns she’ll also be sharing the bus with Cam. Her first love, and her first heartbreak. Now Vee has more than just cameras to dodge, and Cam’s determination to win her forgiveness is causing TMZ-worthy problems for both of them. With cameras rolling, she’ll have to decide if her favorite breakup anthem deserves a new ending. And if she’s brave enough to expose her own secrets to keep Cam’s under wraps.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Powell’s
| Book Depository | Macmillan
Jessica Pennington.jpg
About the Author
Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her books, where she’s currently finishing her second novel, WHEN SUMMER ENDS, out April 2019.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Giveaway Rules:
1 winner will receive a signed hardcover of LOVE SONGS & OTHER LIES along with a swag bag filled with a t-shirt, bookmark, stickers, buttons, etc.
Rules are included inside the Rafflecopter giveaway
US only, 18+ or with parental permission
Ends on midnight May 12th, CDT
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f13123ce22/
Interview
HI, JESS! SO GLAD YOU COULD BE HERE WITH US TODAY. WHY DON’T YOU KICK THINGS OFF BY TELLING US SOMETHING WE CAN’T FIND IN YOUR BIO.
Hi, Sophie! I’m so excited to chat with you! I’m mildly obsessed with penguins. Is that in my bio? I don’t think so. But I am. I have a collection of penguin Christmas ornaments, and I don’t consider a zoo “legit” unless they have penguins on exhibit. The selfie I’m most proud of is one I took with a penguin (which was not easy!).
DESCRIBE YOUR BOOK IN FIVE WORDS OR LESS.
Oh, this is torture! Here goes nothing… first-love gets a second chance
A BIG PART OF THIS BOOK IS MUSIC (OBVIOUSLY LOL). DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE YOU WRITE? WHAT MUSIC GOT YOU THROUGH THIS NOVEL IN PARTICULAR?
I listen to basically basically any time I’m awake. This book in particular, I listened to a lot of songs about love and breaking up. Which are my favorite kinds of songs anyway!
I LOVE VEE! SHE’S AN AWESOME MC. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WRITING HER?
Oh man, this is hard because I love a lot about Vee! I love how strong she is—even though she’s flawed and has fears like any teen girl—and also that she’s really open with people. I think there’s a real vulnerability about Vee and how she connects with people—you see it even in the way she connects with some of the crew on the tour bus.
IF VEE WERE A SONG, WHICH ONE WOULD SHE BE?
Well, most literally, she would be Meet Virginia by Train, because her parents named her after that song. But Yellow Shirt by The Icarus Account (which is Vee’s favorite song in the book) is one that I think describes her…she doesn’t see herself quite as clearly as those around her, but when she does, she’s this really magnetic kind of force.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DETAILS ABOUT TOURING AND THE MUSIC COMPETITION. DID YOU HAVE TO DO A LOT OF OUTSIDE RESEARCH FOR THIS NOVEL?
You know, there’s never been a reality TV show like the one in LS&OL (maybe there should be??) so I did have to rely on piecing together what I could find out about music tours and TV production and reality shows in general. I looked up layouts for tour buses, and for some of the venues they visit on the tour, and I had to map out the whole tour and how long it would take them to get from place to place. I have a whole road-trip map somewhere! That was actually one of the biggest pieces of research…figuring out the schedule for the whole show, and when they’d land where!
THIS IS SET AFTER VEE’S FIRST YEAR AT COLLEGE WHICH IS AWESOME! I LOVE BOOKS SET IN THIS TIME PERIOD. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO WRITE ABOUT THAT SUMMER?
I didn’t set out to write anything set in college, or even to write a dual-timeline novel, it just happened! I had written most of the THEN chapters before realizing that their story wouldn’t end in high school. But I chose that timing for them to meet again, because I wanted them to have enough time to grow and change a bit, but not enough that they’d totally healed from what happened between them.
OKAY LET’S WRAP THINGS UP HERE, IF YOU COULD COLLAB WITH ANY AUTHOR WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
Oh man, this is a hard question! I think I’d say Katy Upperman, because I loved her debut novel Kissing Max Holden, and just finished an ARC of her second, The Impossibility of Us, which left me reeling. I think we have similarities in the kinds of stories we like to tell and the way we tell them. And she loved Love Songs & Other Lies, so I think we have that mutual appreciation for each other’s work, which would be important when doing a collab!
*****
Thank you, Jess for this amazing interview!! Be sure to pick this awesome book up!! Follow the rest of the tour here:
QUOTED: "Easy to read and engaging, the music and reality show aspects of the story are fun and add to the romance."
7/15/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1531679762155 1/3
Print Marked Items
Pennington, Jessica. Love Songs & Other
Lies
Jennifer Mcintosh
Voice of Youth Advocates.
41.2 (June 2018): p62.
COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
Pennington, Jessica. Love Songs & Other Lies. Tor Teen/Macmillan, April 2018. 288p. $17.99. 978-0-7653-
9227-5.
4Q * 4P * S
Virginia Miller joins her friends and their band for a cross-country road trip to participate in a battling bands
reality show. Although Virginia can play guitar and sing, she plans to stay out of the spotlight and focus on
her internship with the reality show's public relations company. Vee is excited for a summer filled with fun
and music--until she boards the tour bus and sees ex-boyfriend Cam. Two years ago, new student Cam was
Vee's first love and first heartbreak. His inability to share his painful secrets with her drew a wedge in their
blossoming relationship. Seeing Vee on the bus, Cam realizes he has a second chance to make things right,
but his determination to win her forgiveness causes problems for the both of them. The reality show TV
cameras constantly rolling complicates things for everybody.
Told from both Virginia and Cam's points of view, the story alternates between the past and the present. Vee
and Cam both make mistakes, but are ultimately good characters worth rooting for. Easy to read and
engaging, the music and reality show aspects of the story are fun and add to the romance. Pennington's
debut novel is sure to please readers looking for a fun romance story. --Jennifer Mcintosh.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Mcintosh, Jennifer. "Pennington, Jessica. Love Songs & Other Lies." Voice of Youth Advocates, June 2018,
p. 62. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545022914/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=81f689d5. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A545022914
QUOTED: "Pennington capably develops the protagonists through their alternating perspectives."
7/15/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1531679762155 2/3
Love Songs and Other Lies
Publishers Weekly.
265.10 (Mar. 5, 2018): p73+.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Love Songs and Other Lies
Jessica Pennington. Tor Teen, $17.99 (288p)
ISBN 978-0-7653-9227-5
After Virginia's first year at college, her childhood friend Logan, an up-and-coming musician, invites her to
join his new band on a nationally televised battle-of-the-bands tour. What could be more fun than spending
the summer as a part of the action? Almost anything, Virginia realizes, after she discovers that one of the
band members is Cam, the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart during senior year. In this tale of love lost and
found again, Pennington depicts the thrill of being part of a band's rise to stardom, while also focusing on
the equally dramatic history of Virginia and Cam's relationship. Pennington capably develops the
protagonists through their alternating perspectives: readers learn, for example, that Virginia's parents are
separated and that she's anxious about her future, and that Cam has been harboring a tragic secret. Set on
beaches, stages, and tour buses, Pennington's debut is a light road-tripping romance about redemption and
the love of music. Ages 13-18. (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Love Songs and Other Lies." Publishers Weekly, 5 Mar. 2018, p. 73+. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530430355/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5cf3ecc4.
Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530430355
QUOTED: "This modern-day realistic fictional romance has both steamy love scenes and tender moments between best friends which gives it appeal."
7/15/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1531679762155 3/3
PENNINGTON, Jessica. Love Songs &
Other Lies
Laura Jones
School Library Journal.
64.3 (Mar. 2018): p121.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
PENNINGTON, Jessica. Love Songs & Other Lies. 288p. Tor Teen. Apr. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN
9780765392275.
Gr 9 Up--On summer break, Virginia (Vee), a talented songwriter and musician, leaves Michigan for a
three-month reality band competition tour with best friend, Logan. Much to her surprise and initial dismay,
the newest member of Your Future X is Cameron, Vee's not-quite forgiven or forgotten ex. Guilt-ridden and
alone, Cam moved to Riverton from California after a horrible accident that killed his parents. Vee becomes
the center of attention on a tour bus full of single musicians where every moment, private or not, is viewed
by the fans. Told in alternating points of view, this story's pacing is quick, switching between two years
prior to the present. Much like notes plucked on their guitars, Vee can't deny the hum of sexual tension
between herself and Cam. Will Vee forgive him and open herself up to love again? This modern-day
realistic fictional romance has both steamy love scenes and tender moments between best friends which
gives it appeal for even reluctant readers. Its Battle of the Bands meets The Bachelorette premise will grab
teens' attention and the execution will sustain it. VERDICT Filled with lyrics, love, and late nights,
Pennington's debut novel will appeal to romance fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti.--Laura Jones,
Argos Community Schools, IN
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Jones, Laura. "PENNINGTON, Jessica. Love Songs & Other Lies." School Library Journal, Mar. 2018, p.
121. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A529863629/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=309fbccd. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A529863629
QUOTED: "It’s a quick read, paced nicely, and is relatively short yet still packed with things happening, and ... this is a great contemporary to read without feeling stressed or strained."
"There’s some really valuable lessons in here about life, about jobs, friendship, family, love, and it all combines into something that ultimately gives you another slice of life to add onto the pile of knowledge you already have."
Want to read a book about second chances, summer love, and band music? Then you should definitely take a look at Jessica Pennington’s Love Songs & Other Lies! This is such a fun and flirty contemporary romance and is great for lovers of the genre, as well as lovers of other genres too.
Read on to learn more about why you should read Love Songs & Other Lies, and to enter in the awesome giveaway for Love Songs & Other Lies, plus some swag!
Why You Should Read Love Songs & Other Lies
1. Second chances are important.
Obviously, not everyone deserves a second chance. But sometimes, second chances should be given to people to hope for a better future, and this is ultimately what this novel talks about.
Vee and Cam, with a second chance, may be able to rekindle what they used to have before everything fell apart. Talking is such an important step and I think the lessons that LS&OL teaches about second chances is something everyone should take with them as they grow up.
2. You get to learn about band culture.
Band culture is something that I definitely don’t know a lot about, but LS&OL really gave interesting insight into tour buses and smaller, indie bands, and all sorts of cool things. I have no idea if this info is true or not, but I really enjoyed seeing this aspect of the novel.
There’s competing bands in this competition and also getting to read about music and how it can bring people together was another highlight for me.
3. The novel weaves Then and Now together really well.
This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the novel, but I really enjoyed how Pennington managed to intertwine the storylines for Then and Now to teach the readers about what happened as they read, and also to just develop the story as it went on.
I think that the backstories of the characters is so crucial to their present and their possible second chance, and this element of the novel really helps make it excel.
4. It’s a great way to relax.
Who doesn’t love sitting down with a good book and getting lost in it? Of course, you sometimes want something super meaningful and deep, but LS&OL is a great way to just chill out and absorb yourself in someone else’s story.
It’s a quick read, paced nicely, and is relatively short yet still packed with things happening, and I think this is a great contemporary to read without feeling stressed or strained. There’s minimal angst, although there is of course some angst, and it lets you really get into the story.
5. It’s a good look into college YA.
This is something we all know is super important, but college YA and college-age YA is a genre that needs to expand and I love seeing the college aged characters doing stuff that helps demonstrate what this transition period in a teen’s life might be like.
I think there’s some really valuable lessons in here about life, about jobs, friendship, family, love, and it all combines into something that ultimately gives you another slice of life to add onto the pile of knowledge you already have.
divider
More About the Book
35034369Love Songs & Other Lies by Jessica Pennington
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: April 24th, 2018
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
It’s summer romance and second chances, the songs that stay in your head, and the boy you’ll never forget. Two years after rock-song-worthy heartbreak, Virginia Miller is looking forward to a fun, carefree summer. Her friends just landed a spot on a battling bands reality show, and Vee is joining them for her dream internship on tour. Three months with future rockstars seems like an epic summer plan. Until she learns she’ll also be sharing the bus with Cam. Her first love, and her first heartbreak. Now Vee has more than just cameras to dodge, and Cam’s determination to win her forgiveness is causing TMZ-worthy problems for both of them. With cameras rolling, she’ll have to decide if her favorite breakup anthem deserves a new ending. And if she’s brave enough to expose her own secrets to keep Cam’s under wraps.
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Powell’s | Book Depository | Macmillan
More About the Author
Jessica Pennington is no stranger to the combination of love and drama. She’s a wedding planner, after all. A writer since the age of ten—when she sought publication for her poem about a tree—Jessica likes the challenge of finding the humor in a sad situation or highlighting the awkwardness in a romantic one. She lives in a Michigan beach town suspiciously similar to the one in her books, where she’s currently finishing her second novel, WHEN SUMMER ENDS, out April 2019.