Deeds of Darkness;
Deeds of Light

Donna: My guest today is the lovely Jessie Anderson whose young adult novel AT WHAT COST about an important and sensitive topic was released this summer. Welcome, Jessie.

Jessie: Thanks for having me, Donna!

Donna: To get started, tell us something about yourself, Jessie.

Jessie: I live in a small town in Western New York with my husband and three kids. I'm a former English teacher, and I now spend my time writing while the kids are at school and the baby is sleeping. I volunteer at the local library and sing in the church band. You can find information about me and my books at jandersenbooks.com, and you can follow my blogs at www.Therabidwriter.blogspot.com (Personal blog) and www.Readbetweenthelinesbookclub.blogspot.com (Book blog). You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jvdlandersen and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jandersenbooks.

Donna: Every road to publication is a unique struggle. What was yours like?

Jessie: About six years ago, I began a journey that ended in AT WHAT COST being published this last June. Here's the long and short of it:

I was teaching English and reading what the kids were reading. The entire time, I felt like I could write books like the ones I was reading. So I started praying about what I should write about. God told me abortion; I said no. Well, you can see how that turned out. : I started writing and got stuck. So I wrote another book, one that the world will never see. (Yes, it was that bad.) After I got that out of my system, I went back to AWC and finished it. Soon after, I started querying agents. Like, a LOT of agents. I wasn't too good at narrowing down the options at first. Three years later, I ran into my agent, Steve Hutson. He accepted my work and sold it in six months! Now, AWC is available for the world to read. (That's a scary thought.)

Donna: Oh, yes! I think most authors have that skeleton-in-the-closet early manuscript tucked away in a dark corner. I certainly do. Can you give us a plot summary for AT WHAT COST?

Jessie: During her junior year, sixteen-year-old Maggie Reynolds expected to shop for prom dresses not maternity clothes. Now, instead of studying for the SATs, she's reading, What to Expect When You're Expecting. Maggie's 'Mother Dearest' lives in fear that Maggie will somehow taint the family name, so Maggie can't turn to her for help. Meanwhile, her father is oblivious to anything but his 9-9 job. And her boyfriend, Justin? She's pretty sure he'll stay by her side.

While Maggie wrestles with her options, Justin offers a solution: abortion. It would solve all her problems quickly, easily, and effectively. And her parents would never know, which means they won't throw her out and cut her off like they'd always threatened if she got herself knocked up. Now Maggie must decide which choice she can live with: abortion or teenage motherhood. Either way, it'll be a tough road to travel.

Donna: That sounds really gripping- and such an important topic. What's next for you?

Jessie: As any author should, I didn't wait around until AT WHAT COST was published before starting a new work. Nope. Actually I have 2 novels that are finished. One that Mr. Agent Man has (Unviables) and one that needs another run through (Wait). Wait is another contemporary YA, and Unviables is a dystopian. Currently, I'm working on a sequel to Unviables. Keep writing. That's the key.

Donna: Best wishes with all of it, Jessie. It sounds like you've really got your feet under you and you're on your way in this crazy world of writing! Congratulations!

Jessie: Thanks so much for having me today, Donna. Below are links for your fans to check out my book.

http://www.amazon.com/At-What-Cost-ebook/dp/B008BEDPPO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345589010&sr=1-1&keywords=at+what+cost

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/at-what-cost-j-andersen/1111557851?ean=2940014771320

http://astraeapress.com/#ecwid:mode=product&product=12328251