The Truth of Fear

The Truth of Fear 

A Fabulist Paranormal Young Adult novel 

w/ elements of Feminist light Horror 

by: Jenn Lee Frances

Art by @kaelidem

Reluctant clairvoyant, grief-stricken, pansexual 17 y/o Simone Alouette 
is HAUNTED & HEXED 

Cursed to be the death of the bi boy she loves, 

if she kisses him again.

& 

Haunted by the trapped spirit of her cousin 

who is going malevolent.

But she'd rather see her cousin become a vengeful ghost 

than lose her again.

Simone and Amaya summoning their Cousin Nina

Jadriel & Simone

First loves revisited and the ghosts of our pasts 

Nina

                                                          

Character art by Polina

The spirits of those we've lost come back, not always as they were.

https://www.tiktok.com/@jennleewriting

It was always following her....

Cross My Heart with his Blood on my Hands

Jadriel Estrella 

But they always notice us....

Wicked Nina

[Previous title: The Prettiest Bird]

"Alouette, gentille alouette, Alouette, je te plumerai."

Cousin Nina 

Nina's spirit returns when Simone does. So have the dreams, that Gran swore were predictive. Sometimes, it's hard to determine if Nina is the dream.  
Simone is afraid that Nina is becoming a vengeful ghost of lore, which is fine, so long as she takes her rage out on the deserving and stops threatening Jadriel. 

Jadriel Estrella

Jadriel is the bi boy next door & every story was their story, from the time they were in diapers until the day the secret (not so secret) rooftop kisses came to an abrupt stop.

Simone didn't believe in Gran's curse, that she'd be the death of Jadriel, until she was holding him together to keep him from bleeding out. 

She swore to the stars to never see him again in this life or the next, in a bargain to save him. BUT two years later she finds a second chance with her first love and dares fate to be with him--and defies Nina's spirit who might end him before destiny gets a chance to. 

                            

J writes never-ending prose, ink and charcoal both his mediums.

Gran (Camilla Bustillo-Alouette) 

Gran knew Simone’s future. She read Tarot and spoke of spirits that never left her--oh, and she cursed Simone and Jadriel, so they can never touch.

A Rooftop Scene in leaving, three years ago. 

(previous version)

We had come up here to wish on the stars the once, at fourteen it seemed like the only ask we had.

The atmosphere was a blank canvas, made of every color washed into indigo and onyx, with no speck of light. 

I had known better than to leave my fate in the hands of the skies anyway. “I would sooner wish on you, Jadriel.” I had said, and so I did, pressing my mouth to his.

Surprise had outlined his mouth and around his eyes, but he leaned in and met me again. It wasn’t something we ever did before, but then we were, maybe because I was leaving.

And each time my mouth had touched his it was with a wish, a promise, a prayer. It was so many things I couldn’t comprehend and so many more that I did.

I took back years of wasted wishes—wanting to go away to art camp in the summer and swimming somewhere in the country side, I’d take back all of the inconsequential things I’d once asked for. If the stars that never showed could just grant me this one thing. Maybe two.

His asks were never as small. Jadriel wanted his dad back. 

We’d asked for the impossible a second time, but you can’t undo death—or Laine, when her mind is made up.

Our first kiss became our last and my wish didn’t work. Though I didn’t expect wishes ever did.

A four card spread

I did a reading for Simone (my main character) and used the exact cards she got in the ms.  I hadn't touched Tarot Cards in years. But its in the book, so here I go.

I was that kid writing stories with my best friend, because fictional worlds were better than the real one. 

I still prefer to live in a fictional world most days. 

Cut to NYC, post-college, walking by HarperCollins, I would stop and sigh and say, "Someday, HC." 

Then I ended up on the other side, working in adult books, while spending all of my time on the YA side. 
I started at Penguin (Editorial then Marketing) moved to Harper, told ya, HC! as an Ad Promo Manager. Events were thee thing. 

I'm currently a freelance copywriter—but that doesn't mean I can write a concise synopsis of my own ms. 

MY TYPEWRITER, UNICORNS & RAINBOWS--not much has changed. 
(Ahem, and wearing a Grandma gifted robe.)

Simone and Jadriel's spot.

Si and J climb to the roof from the fire escape, and so, I often take pics around the city of fire escapes that have a ladder to the roof....I even have friends who occasionally send me a pic when they come across a building, like a so. Uptown, Downtown, all around.

~I did the climb once. Do Not Recommend.~

 

 

A rooftop scene IRT: 

We go quiet. As quiet as it is up here, shielded above everything, where no one knew where to find us. It is a different kind of noise than people walking in rooms above, footsteps traced along ceilings, beds creaking, wondering what they’re doing, though I’m pretty sure I knew. Music coming in waves as the cars drive by, honking, one then five answering, sirens, a fire perhaps, it’s just police trying to get by, dogs barking, distant chatter, laughing down on the street and in next door apartments, it isn’t laughter at all, but arguments thin walls can’t hide. And here, there is no one else. Just us. 

My real Gran 

The Truth of Fear is an homage to my Grandma, Frances Nunez Rucker, who taught me Tarot and spoke of her ghosts, and once wanted to be a nun. (She also had me do Ouija, but we don't talk about that.) She never got to travel and we were always talking of going to Columbia to visit her sister, and to Spain to see where her father was born & raised; and Paris, just because. She'd lost most of her teeth and didn't smile much, but she was warm. She died young of breast cancer, like her own mother before her. (I borrowed details from Gran, but she is nothing like Gran Camilla in the book. My Gran would NEVER curse me.) 

~ THE BOOK AND ART INSPO ~

Simone is creating a mural on a faded lone yellow bedroom wall.
"We are painting our story."

Don't quit your day dream 

Images from The New Museum, MOMA, the Met, and more...

I took so many art stops before leaving the city and almost all of them made it into my book.
My girl, Simone, is an artist. 
Thanks friends, for indulging me!

I left the city recently, as my MC, Simone, was just going back. It is bittersweet for both of us! 

 A desolate Coney Island day--Oh cut from book 1. Sad face. 

an exact scene.

Looking into the mirror with Frida, in the ms, yes.

In the book, of course. Waterlilies backdrop.

The MET with my childhood bestie, when she visits NY we see art & shows.
(She left for a 6 month internship post college and I'm still waiting for her to come back home, years later... Ahem.)

Botanical Gardens, maybe it will make it into a sequel!

art art everywhere is art ~ From NYC to Connecticut ~
My oldest niece is in college near New Haven & hey, Yale has a free museum

 

 

~The scene of my last day in the neighborhood~

(inspiration for J and Simone by the East river as she is maybe leaving, and music is shared on a bench. And a conversation she does--but doesn't want to have.
This is NO longer in the book! Oh editing woes.) 

Like Simone, I have an issue with heights and fire escapes. 
(But I survived. Heights in The Heights. It wasn't as bad as climbing up to a Brooklyn rooftop that one time, ah youth. But I used it in the book, so I guess #worthit)

My pals all gave me an ongoing going away tour. 

(Simone has a welcome back to NYC Tour... inspired by my best ofs) 
The Cloisters

(also saved for a follow up ms? Too many places to mention.)

I mentioned the unicorns

(There is a convo in the ms: OMG we are so beautiful, was one I actually had with my guy pal--pictured above, after he was gone from the states for some time. Sometimes, I steal from real life.)

Still debating if that is his shadow or my ghost BF (With Dali)

Feigning to be artists, research!

Interactive art with the kiddos (this is how I aunt)
In thee book: an interactive pop up.  

MOMA back in the day 

 I saw my future.... Though, neither me or my dog roller-skate.

So, you might remember me from the HarperCollins booth @ BEA, BookCon, and the Cons of Comics, SD & NY. You could find me across the aisle—constantly—much to my boss's dismay, recommending MUST READ YA Books! Even Signed, with a free Tote Bag, that I created just for the event. 

I was a Promo God.

Oh that Four. And Tris! (And my actual pal, A)

Yeah, there's the adult side. I'm not pictured in, obvi. But those are my totes & Raffles! (I love the YA, but of course, I adored the adult imprints & authors I worked with.) 

I really pushed for this Literary Hero foam sword! 

...I mean, Look at my sweet promos.

I may not work the conventions anymore, but I still take the kiddos.

My niece and some of our fav authors (BookCon 2019)

Nic Stone!

 Mellisa Albert!

Elizabeth Acevedo!

 (Liz asking me how my book is coming...me shruggy.)

 Jenny Han!

I fangirl with the best of em~Arvin Ahmadi!

~ Writing is a process ~

I initially made this blog for AMM 2019. I got full requests! I got feedback. And I'm still editing...the plot has since changed and continues to.

The first time I won a query & first pages critique:

My query is a mess, but I keep changing my book so that could be one reason... Anyway! 

When you can't write, read! When you can't look at words, make crafts with the kids...

We made so many rings & bookmarks, I've been cut off from buying beads. Sad face.

A little "Gran" Inspo 

If you don't know, now you know...

~ Out & About NYC: stop for photo ops ~

NOLA Feminist Art! Yeah, I purchased this bad-gal

This is maa rescue baby, SADIE. 

She doesn't like that I live in a fictional world. Stop-staring-at-that-computer-thanks-you-verys-much.

@JennLeeWriting

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