Jo Schaffer

The next author I'd like you to meet is Jo Schaffer. Jo has been writing forever. Natural, healthy, well read, therapist, character expert, validator, friend . . . Jo is always up for a late night of hardcore editing/socializing, and makes the meanest carmel popcorn you've ever tasted. YUM!

Jo brings so much energy to our meetings. She's real. I love that I know what I'm getting with this girl. Jo is a poet. She finds ways of taking the seemingly mundane and tweaking it so the reader can experience it for the first time all over again. More than once I've thought of high-jacking a line or two for my own devices. Jealousy can do crazy things to a person. :)

Jo writes YA urban fantasy laden with universal truths and literary bent. The woman can WRITE. She knows her characters as well as I know my own mother. She grew up in Northern California, studied British Literature at BYU London, and majored in English with a writing emphasis at BYU. Currently Jo lives in Spanish Fork, Utah with a talented artist for a husband, and three handsome boys. Jo is a spiritual soul. Her energy is always so positive and selfless. Sometimes I wonder if she has special powers, not unlike her main protagonist- Karma.

I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's talk about her manuscript.

More Than Karma is the story of a girl who believes she is a walking curse. Bad things happen to people around her . . . even those she loves. Burdened with this ability to hurt others, Karma is taken on a journey of self-discovery where she must learn to not only wield her powers, but find the courage to cement her identity.

That's all I'm giving you. Jo is just beginning the query process with this manuscript and she might kill me if I divulge more. Let me just say, IT'S SO GOOD! Definitely keep an eye out for this girl. She will do great things.

Here's an excerpt: (Sorry about the funky format)

That evening Daniel knocked on Karma’s door. Luckily, her mother wasn’t home.

“Hi,” he said in a low voice.

“Hi.” Karma ran a hand through her bangs.

“Can I come in?” Daniel asked with pleading brown eyes, and a persuasive smile.

“Sure.” Karma opened the door for him, her pulse quickening. They sat in the

front room on a couch that faced the window to the front yard.

Daniel looked like an Abercrombie model. Sometimes Karma’s insides jumped when she saw him and her breath caught when he smiled at her. This was no intellectual or intimate bonding of souls, but a physical, and electric response, like now. This was new. Karma noticed his cologne, the way he watched her, his confident walk, and the definition of his biceps when he wore his basketball jersey. He stood a foot taller than her. She wondered what it would be like when they kissed. She would have to stand on her tiptoes.

Often, Karma imagined kissing him, her arms around his neck on the steps of the high school. Their mouths matched up just right if she stood on the step above him. It hadn’t happened yet, but she felt it coming. If the songs were true, falling in love felt like this.

“Are you going to watch me play tonight?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Adorable.

The basketball season was over, but there were competitive “friendly” games with players from both nearby schools—to stay loose. It was amazing how many people came. Not a lot to do in Panners Glee.

“My team could be skins,” Daniel added with a glint in his eye.

Karma blushed. “Michelle has the Volvo tonight and said she could drive us.”

“Good.” He gazed at her. “Let’s do something after the game. I have a

cool idea, something we haven’t done before.”

“No more bowling?” Karma laughed and twisted her earring.

“Not tonight.” Daniel’s smile dazzled her.

Some part of Karma’s mind wondered at the phenomenon: same boy, same

smile as last month, but today it shot rays of feeling through her body. She blushed deeper, and turned shyly away. Her black hair fell against her cheek. The affect was something like a pink sunset darkening into a shimmering, night sky. Daniel reached over to hold her hand for the first time.

Again, that's all I'm giving you. Check out Jo's Blog. Become a follower. She's always doing cool contests and posts. Who knows? Maybe you will be able to say "I followed Jo Schaffer back before she sold her book and became a millionaire."

I know I'm banking on that. :)

Say tuned for BIG NEWS about changes in MMWG!