The Fabulous Jessica Park

My first author feature is none other than the fabulous Jessica Park!  I need to gush here for a minute.  Ms. Park is an amazing author and friend.  I first heard about her through a friends recommendation that I read her book, Flat Out Love.  I fell in love with the book and with Jessica.  I got to know her on Facebook, and she is honestly one of the most down to earth, genuine, and lovely people I have ever met.  When I asked her if she'd be willing to be featured on my blog, she didn't hesitate with a yes and a few ideas we could do.  Since I'm completely new to this, it was more than appreciated.  Thank you Jessica for everything!
All right, onto the fun feature of Jessica Park.  I have the honor of letting you all know about an exciting new adventure Jessica is going on.  We talked on the phone a week ago and she told me all about it so I could pass it onto all of you.  What is it, you ask?  I'll tell you.  Jessica and a company called Digiglyph are making an app for her book, Flat Out Love!  A few months ago, Jessica got a three line email from a man at Digiglyph named Matt Fields asking her her thoughts on this opportunity.  Jessica is very leery of emails like this so sent a curt response back saying that she was interested, but she gave him some conditions.  Never expecting to hear anything more, she was surprised when she did, and even more surprised at how fantastic this man is and how true he wants to stay to her book.  He has no hidden agenda and has been awesome for her to work with.  After talking with him and deciding to go for it, he had his amazing designer, Eugene, get in touch with Jessica to discuss everything FOL for this app.  Eugene is very talented and has listened to everything she wants and is doing a fantastic job building this enhanced edition!  He likes a challenge and has come through on each one Jessica has given him.  She couldn't say enough positive things about this guy.  They both sound very lucky to be working with one another. Please check out more info at http://digiglyph.org/flat-out-love/
So, the point of this project is to build an enhanced ebook for the iPad and iPhone.  This app will come with features that you can turn on and off to your liking.  What are some of the features?  It will have:-Author commentary-Visuals, picture/video, photo shoots - This will not include faces of the characters, she wants to leave that to the imagination of the reader-It will have scrolling instead of pushing the button to turn the page, the device will detect your reading speed, and picture images will fade into the screen and become the background.  You will be able to enlarge that image if you want to-Audio/ambience for background.  This will run in the background or sidebar and it will be very subtle-As the reader is reading the book, Facebook status' that apply to what is being read appear such as the emails the characters are writing each other.  It's a very insider experience, it helps the reader experience the story better-This will also have an Item of the Day feature.  It could be a quote from the book, an FOL item of the day, etc. Here is a look at the trailer for the enhanced edition of Flat-Out Love: 

Another exciting aspect to this project is the music!  Jessica wanted to find the perfect artist or band to collaborate on this project with, one who she felt their music would ring true with her book.  Since she is an indie author, she thought it would be a good fit to find an indie band.  She had a connection to an indie band in Boston called In Like Lions and listened to their music.  After hearing them, she knew she had found her band.  The lead singer Troy's voice is magical and she instantly felt that their music is everything FOL is.  She called Troy and proposed this opportunity to them and he said yes!  She is beyond excited to be working with them for this project!  For this new app, Jessica has written three additional chapters to FOL.  I know right?  Are we all dying at this?  More Matt and Julie?  Yes please.
Jessica stated that there is something about this new app that is bringing reading to a whole different level she never thought possible.  She cannot wait for it to be launched so you all can experience it.  It should be out in Spring, she is hoping in April.  She feels this will increase our understanding of what it means to read and is happy knowing that this will still stay true to the heart of the story.
And guess what?  If all of these features distract you from your reading, you can just turn them off!  It's a breeze.  No mater what, the reader will be happy.  They've thought of everything!
To help fund this exciting new project, they are having a fundraiser.  It will be with Kickstarter Fundraising.  It will have an app trailer explaining it all.  There will be different tier donations such as T-shirts, mini Flat Finns, and signed CD's.  All money raised will go directly to the FOL app.  And guess what?  Each donation gets you, yes YOU, a copy of the app!!!  For more info. go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/digiglyph/flat-out-love-the-enhanced-app-experience-jessica
Soon there will be a sign up page and landing page for this app.  There will also be promotional opportunities so keep an eye open for that so we can all help get the word out.
I am so excited Jessica has shared this with me so I can share it with all of you.  This is a very well deserved opportunity for Jessica and I am so happy for her!  Jessica is truly a wonderful lady and friend.  She is so willing to do what she can to help you and I am forever grateful.  I do want to slip in here that Ms. Park is currently working on her next novel. *squeee*  It's about a guy and a girl in their senior year in college, it's got some romance and some drama as both main characters have trauma from their pasts  which affects their ability to have a relationship as an adult.  It will have flashbacks in how they've criss-crossed over the course of their lives.  The baggage these characters carry is very damaging and the story shows us how relationships can save us in the end.  To say that I can't wait to read this is an understatement.  I think we all can agree that this will be a fantastic book!
Please go visit Jessica at her site www.flatoutlove.blogspot.com and follow her.  She is so fun and so real to read.  With Jessica, what you see is what you get and I don't know about you, but I find that so refreshing.  Tell her I sent you if you haven't been over there before. 
And to top off a great launch for my blog with a great author, Jessica is doing a giveaway!  The winner can choose between these two T-shirts which one they'd want.  If you haven't read FOL yet, GO READ IT so you can understand just how cool this giveaway is. Here are the shirts:

Here's what you can do to win:-Follow Jessica on Facebook-Follow Jessica on Twitter-Comment here what you are most excited about in her new app-Follow this blog on Facebook-Follow this blog on Twitter(Please leave a comment here telling me which ones you have followed so I can count you in the giveaway) 
Giveaway ends this coming Sunday night, Feb 5th, at 10:00 PM mountain time.  Winner will be determined by www.random.org and announced soon after.  Contest is open to continental US residents only.  Thank you and good luck!