| Losing Faith A terrible secret. A terrible fate. When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but. As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger. |
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Young Adult Fiction...
| Never Enough Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special…even if that means betraying her sister. But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all- consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship—and her sister—before it’s too late? |
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| "A beautiful story...heartbreaking and raw." - Tara Kelly, author of the award-winning YA novel Harmonic Feedback |
| "A remarkable debut!" - CM Magazine |
"In her sophomore novel, Jaden (Losing Faith) offers an intimate and enlightened rendering of anorexia and
bulimia...Loann's fight against forces that might be beyond her control is both harrowing and inspiring. While
Jaden does not provide simple answers for the problems presented, she dramatically illustrates the
importance of speaking out and reaching out."
-Publishers Weekly
“Denise Jaden positively nails the love-hate relationship between two polar opposite sisters who share a single
quest: the desire to be perfect, regardless of the cost. A compelling, often gut-wrenching coming-of-age
novel, Never Enough will haunt you long after the last page.”
—Jeannie Garsee, author of Before, After and Somebody In Between
“Denise Jaden's Never Enough is honest, gut wrenching, and oh so beautiful.
It's a book you can't wait to share.”
—Eileen Cook, author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick
“A poignant, important book, Never Enough tackles self-esteem and body image issues while always
remaining true to its three-dimensional characters. Denise Jaden has created a cliché-free zone filled with
hurt, heart, and personal strength. Jaden's tender sympathy for her characters and dedication to honest
storytelling shine through every page.”
—C.K. Kelly Martin, author of I Know It’s Over
“Raw and unforgettable, Never Enough is an authentic portrait of a teen girl faced with an impossible
situation. Loann’s relationship with her sister is beautifully drawn and heartbreaking.”
—Tara Kelly, author of Amplified
"A poignant look at sisterly devotion and heartache, woven into a sweet tale
of first love and a girl coming into her own."
—Holly Cupala, author of Tell Me A Secret
"...this book is powerful. I am in awe of Denise Jaden's grasp of relationships - how she managed to create
such deep bonds between her characters, how she made me feel each of Loann's emotions, is beyond me.
This is an important book - I can't recommend it enough!"
-- Hannah, from Paperback Treasures
"I think you have a compelling and fascinating story here. I like how it wasn't JUST a mystery or JUST a
coming of age story. You kept me turning those pages, and I LOVED Alis and Tessa--they are so unique and
well drawn, not your typical YA fare by far."
- Tara Kelly, author of Harmonic Feedback (Henry Holt & Co., 2010)
“This thoughtful first novel explores early grief and shows how it can tear at the structure of a family that
cannot mourn together…. [R]eaders are taken on a ride through a secret world of religious zeal gone
haywire….With pitch-perfect portrayals of high school social life and a nuanced view into a variety of Christian
experiences of faith, this first novel gives readers much to think about.”
-School Library Journal
"I read Losing Faith in two sittings...It hit an out-of-the-park home run with me, not only for the sympathetic
and complex heroine (which I expected), but for its courage in dealing with a touchy subject that is central to a
lot of people's lives: religion. It's also a riveting mystery."
- Jeri Smith-Ready, author of the Shade series (Simon Pulse)
"In this debut novel, Brie’s sister, Faith, commits suicide. Faith is a devout Christian who isn’t the type to
take her own life. Brie’s grieving parents are unable to respond to her. Her friends have dropped her, and her
teachers have lost patience with her. The only person who befriends Brie is Tessa, a goth girl who is shunned
by other students. Brie learns that Tessa also lost a sister. Brie is determined to understand what really
happened to Faith, and Tessa is willing to help her. Together they confront the evil cult that was trying to lure
Faith. This is an excellent novel that sheds light on suicide, death, and cults, while delivering a powerful
mystery. Brie learns about real love and friendship as she struggles with this painful experience. Let’s hope
this is not Jaden’s last novel. Jaden is able to tell a story in a very real and meaningful way. She writes with an
authentic teen-age voice; her characters are believable and the family’s reaction to Faith’s sudden death is
very realistic. The ending is exactly what the reader wants to happen, without being saccharine or too perfect.
Highly Recommended."
Bonnie Morris (Library Media Connection, January/February 2011)
"Strong in its characterization...satisfying...a thoughtful read."
- VOYA
"This book is wonderful. I stayed up way too late because I couldn't put it down. Tessa is one of my all-time
favorite characters - fascinating, nuanced - she lived for me, jumped right off the page. Terrific read!"
- Janet Fox, author of Faithful (Penguin/Speak, 2010)
and Get Organized Without Losing It (Free Spirit Publishing, 2006)
"Losing Faith is a tour-de-force of emotion and surprisingly snarky humor. At times it’s a story engulfed in
grief, but it’s always full of mystery and heart. Jaden has weaved a remarkably realistic story that is a stellar
debut."
- Wicked Awesome Books
"This book was extremely well written and has an intriguing mystery that left me wondering what really
happened until the final reveal... I recommend this one to YA and adult fans alike. Mysterious, action-packed
with romantic, and religious aspects, but all rounded out nicely to form a great read."
- from Angel at http://www.readingangel.com/
"Suspense, religion, romance, teenage angst, this book has it all and it is all well-done. Losing Faith was an
amazing read that hooked me in the beginning and when it was done I was well-satisfied with the conclusion.
Great from start-to-finish!"
- from Crystal at http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com/
"Denise Jaden's Losing Faith is a riveting story about sisters, what binds them and what sets them apart.
When Brie's family is torn apart by the death of her sister, Brie put her own fears aside to delve into Faith's
apparent suicide. I found myself squirreling away time just to sit and read the book. Jaden's fascinating
religious perspective and the attraction of dark cults, this contemporary, realistic novel explored the dark side
of zealotry, and how people can get pulled into fringe groups. Denise's beautiful language and plot pacing
made this novel a page turner."
- from Michele Corriel, author of Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery (Blooming Tree Press / Tire
Swing Press, September, 2010)
"This is a wonderful book with one of my
favorite covers of the year."
- from Melanie at Reclusive Bibliophile Reviews
"I've never read a book like Losing Faith or a plot even
nearly similar. Very suspenseful and full of mystery, I found I
couldn't put this book down."
- from Miss Remmers of MissRemmersReview
bulimia...Loann's fight against forces that might be beyond her control is both harrowing and inspiring. While
Jaden does not provide simple answers for the problems presented, she dramatically illustrates the
importance of speaking out and reaching out."
-Publishers Weekly
“Denise Jaden positively nails the love-hate relationship between two polar opposite sisters who share a single
quest: the desire to be perfect, regardless of the cost. A compelling, often gut-wrenching coming-of-age
novel, Never Enough will haunt you long after the last page.”
—Jeannie Garsee, author of Before, After and Somebody In Between
“Denise Jaden's Never Enough is honest, gut wrenching, and oh so beautiful.
It's a book you can't wait to share.”
—Eileen Cook, author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick
“A poignant, important book, Never Enough tackles self-esteem and body image issues while always
remaining true to its three-dimensional characters. Denise Jaden has created a cliché-free zone filled with
hurt, heart, and personal strength. Jaden's tender sympathy for her characters and dedication to honest
storytelling shine through every page.”
—C.K. Kelly Martin, author of I Know It’s Over
“Raw and unforgettable, Never Enough is an authentic portrait of a teen girl faced with an impossible
situation. Loann’s relationship with her sister is beautifully drawn and heartbreaking.”
—Tara Kelly, author of Amplified
"A poignant look at sisterly devotion and heartache, woven into a sweet tale
of first love and a girl coming into her own."
—Holly Cupala, author of Tell Me A Secret
"...this book is powerful. I am in awe of Denise Jaden's grasp of relationships - how she managed to create
such deep bonds between her characters, how she made me feel each of Loann's emotions, is beyond me.
This is an important book - I can't recommend it enough!"
-- Hannah, from Paperback Treasures
"I think you have a compelling and fascinating story here. I like how it wasn't JUST a mystery or JUST a
coming of age story. You kept me turning those pages, and I LOVED Alis and Tessa--they are so unique and
well drawn, not your typical YA fare by far."
- Tara Kelly, author of Harmonic Feedback (Henry Holt & Co., 2010)
“This thoughtful first novel explores early grief and shows how it can tear at the structure of a family that
cannot mourn together…. [R]eaders are taken on a ride through a secret world of religious zeal gone
haywire….With pitch-perfect portrayals of high school social life and a nuanced view into a variety of Christian
experiences of faith, this first novel gives readers much to think about.”
-School Library Journal
"I read Losing Faith in two sittings...It hit an out-of-the-park home run with me, not only for the sympathetic
and complex heroine (which I expected), but for its courage in dealing with a touchy subject that is central to a
lot of people's lives: religion. It's also a riveting mystery."
- Jeri Smith-Ready, author of the Shade series (Simon Pulse)
"In this debut novel, Brie’s sister, Faith, commits suicide. Faith is a devout Christian who isn’t the type to
take her own life. Brie’s grieving parents are unable to respond to her. Her friends have dropped her, and her
teachers have lost patience with her. The only person who befriends Brie is Tessa, a goth girl who is shunned
by other students. Brie learns that Tessa also lost a sister. Brie is determined to understand what really
happened to Faith, and Tessa is willing to help her. Together they confront the evil cult that was trying to lure
Faith. This is an excellent novel that sheds light on suicide, death, and cults, while delivering a powerful
mystery. Brie learns about real love and friendship as she struggles with this painful experience. Let’s hope
this is not Jaden’s last novel. Jaden is able to tell a story in a very real and meaningful way. She writes with an
authentic teen-age voice; her characters are believable and the family’s reaction to Faith’s sudden death is
very realistic. The ending is exactly what the reader wants to happen, without being saccharine or too perfect.
Highly Recommended."
Bonnie Morris (Library Media Connection, January/February 2011)
"Strong in its characterization...satisfying...a thoughtful read."
- VOYA
"This book is wonderful. I stayed up way too late because I couldn't put it down. Tessa is one of my all-time
favorite characters - fascinating, nuanced - she lived for me, jumped right off the page. Terrific read!"
- Janet Fox, author of Faithful (Penguin/Speak, 2010)
and Get Organized Without Losing It (Free Spirit Publishing, 2006)
"Losing Faith is a tour-de-force of emotion and surprisingly snarky humor. At times it’s a story engulfed in
grief, but it’s always full of mystery and heart. Jaden has weaved a remarkably realistic story that is a stellar
debut."
- Wicked Awesome Books
"This book was extremely well written and has an intriguing mystery that left me wondering what really
happened until the final reveal... I recommend this one to YA and adult fans alike. Mysterious, action-packed
with romantic, and religious aspects, but all rounded out nicely to form a great read."
- from Angel at http://www.readingangel.com/
"Suspense, religion, romance, teenage angst, this book has it all and it is all well-done. Losing Faith was an
amazing read that hooked me in the beginning and when it was done I was well-satisfied with the conclusion.
Great from start-to-finish!"
- from Crystal at http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com/
"Denise Jaden's Losing Faith is a riveting story about sisters, what binds them and what sets them apart.
When Brie's family is torn apart by the death of her sister, Brie put her own fears aside to delve into Faith's
apparent suicide. I found myself squirreling away time just to sit and read the book. Jaden's fascinating
religious perspective and the attraction of dark cults, this contemporary, realistic novel explored the dark side
of zealotry, and how people can get pulled into fringe groups. Denise's beautiful language and plot pacing
made this novel a page turner."
- from Michele Corriel, author of Fairview Felines: A Newspaper Mystery (Blooming Tree Press / Tire
Swing Press, September, 2010)
"This is a wonderful book with one of my
favorite covers of the year."
- from Melanie at Reclusive Bibliophile Reviews
"I've never read a book like Losing Faith or a plot even
nearly similar. Very suspenseful and full of mystery, I found I
couldn't put this book down."
- from Miss Remmers of MissRemmersReview
Advance Praise for NEVER ENOUGH...
What People Are Saying About LOSING FAITH...
| Never Enough Stories A Never Enough Companion Anthology, including companion stories and deleted scenes from Never Enough. |
| .. |
Non-Fiction For Writers...
| Writing With A Heavy Heart: Using Grief and Loss to Stretch Your Fiction In her first non-fiction mini-book, Denise Jaden explores the stages and outlets of grief and how to implement them into your fiction to create more interesting characters and a more engaging plot. Some topics of this book include: grieving before the loss, spiritual matters, and how grief affects different ages, personality types and gender. "Jaden's Writing With A Heavy Heart is a must-have for any writer's craft shelf. The combination of clear guidance and practical exercises allow writers to take their manuscripts to a deeper level." - Eileen Cook Author of Unraveling Isobel and The Almost Truth |
| Fast Fiction - Coming from New World Library, March, 2014 Fast Fiction is a step-by-step guide to writing a structurally sound and engaging draft of a novel in the shortest time possible. It is not a get-rich-quick plan for taking over the world of publishing, but rather a strong starting point for ditching time-wasters and detouring frustration. It will give you a map to let you decide where you want to go with your story and how to get there by the most direct route. |