Jenny O'Connell
Published chick-lit under the name Jennifer O'Connell.
I haven't been called Jenny in years (thankfully), but I thought it was fitting to publish my teen book under the name that still makes me think of high school.
My high school days may be long behind me, but I have a lot in common with Vanessa, the main character in PLAN B. Like Vanessa, I also went to a small private school. I was also mildly obsessed with college from fifth grade on, thanks to a book I read in which one of the characters went to Dartmouth. But unlike Vanessa, my brother wasn't a TV star. And he didn't drive me crazy. I actually still like him. As for creating a How To guide for guys, like Emily does in THE BOOK OF LUKE, I can't say that I know enough to write an entire guide, but I did have a blast writing the tips at the beginning of each chapter. And I wish a guide like this did exist when I was in high school (and college and even after that!).
Last summer I was on Martha's Vineyard doing research for my upcoming Martha's Vineyard Novel series (tough job, but somebody’s got to do it). I hope this books capture what I love so much about the island
Although she's written about a reality dating show, a prescient pastry chef, and a woman who inspired an 80's rock hit, Jennifer has not spent hours dissecting The Bachelor, she can barely follow the directions on the back of a Betty Crocker box, and she can only dream of a long-haired, guitar-thrashing rocker even giving her a second glance.
“People can have nicknames. Body parts should not.”
“Do not blame my tone of voice, my lack of patience, or my bad mood on PMS. It's not my period that's my problem.”
“GUY TIP #18:Just because you can urinate anywhere you want doesn't mean you should-even if your aim is so good you can spell out "Red Sox Rule" in capital letters with once taking a break.”
“I guess relationships are just funny like that. It's impossible to figure out why some work out and others don't. Why someone can be so imperfect and still be the perfect person for you. Maybe, in the end, it's not about changing the person you care about. Maybe it's about learning what you can live with. Or maybe it's really about learning what you can't live without.”
“He was Pinocchio to my Gepetto.”
“Reed: "What's up?"Vanessa: "There must be an accident or something."Reed: "I'm the accident."Vanessa: "I couldn't agree more."Reed: "What I meant was, those people out there are waiting for me.”
“Sometimes change was good. Sometimes it was even exactly what you needed.”
“maybe it's not about having a plan, or even a plan B. Maybe it's about seeing where life takes you and learning to enjoy the ride.”
“[H]iding how you really feel and trying to make everyone happy doesn't make you nice, it just makes you a liar.”
“ I wasn't the same person I was eight months ago, and that was okay with me. Sometimes change was good. Sometimes it was even exactly what you needed.”
“As ugly as the truth is, it's even uglier when someone says out loud what you've been thinking to yourself.”
“I knew he was a prick, but a part of me wanted to hear what he'd say, to hear him say how sorry he really was that he'd screwed up. I wanted groveling for forgiveness and pledges of undying love. As dumb as I knew it was, I wanted him to fight for me, to prove that I hadn't made a mistake by believing in him. Or us.”
“How was it possible to hate him so much and still need him so much at the same time?”
“It wasn't like I was expecting Senior year to be some amazing experience. If anything, I was prepared for it to be pretty much a letdown. Everyone would be looking ahead to college and getting sick of seeing the same faces we've been looking at for the last three years.”
“Your penis will not shrivel up and die if you admit you want an umbrella instead of standing in the rain acting like a little water never hurt anyone. It's an unbrella, not a purse.”
“My parents were consistently inconsistent.”