A parody of Netflix, Bookflix is where you can find our books and more like them.
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
Jen
Jen Desmarais is the creator of the sex education game Blush and co-author of “Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers” and “Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests.” “Crushing It” was her first solo novel.
Find her on Instagram @JenDesmaraisAuthor
You can also find a short story by Jen in “Nothing Without Us Too”, and a novella in “The Mystery of the Dancing Lights”.
Co-founder of JenEric Designs, she creates unique geeky crocheted items. Her blogs The Travelling TARDIS and How I Taught My Dragon have been nominated for the Prix Aurora Awards over 2018-2024.
She lives in Ottawa with her author husband, daughter, son, and their library of over 3000 books.
Discussion Questions for Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests
Download the printable Discussion Guide
- It is said that Kennedy has been practising and taking martial arts lessons. How does that show in both her confidence and abilities when fighting the monsters?
- Kennedy has obviously been trying to integrate herself more into the Aetherborn Community. How well has she succeeded?
- Jason has changed his leadership style from ‘brooding and aloof’ to ‘happier and hands-on’. How do you think this will be received by the Community as a whole? Are there any indications of that in the text?
- In this book, Kennedy and Jason have a lot going on. Do you think that the monster attacks are adding stress or acting as stress relief?
- Lilah’s behaviour appears manipulative and controlling. Do you think this comes from her caring about the couple or about appearances?
- A major theme in the book is family relationships, especially healing. Which pair or character do you relate to the most and why?
- Repatriation of cultural artifacts is a heated topic. Do you believe that the living descendents have a claim to ancient artifacts?
- The person creating the monsters had their reasons. What do you think of those reasons, and were their methods justified?
- There are multiple examples of creation (eg. the lace, the dress, new fertilizer, museum replicas, etc). How does this help to create a more well-rounded setting? Why?
- Do you have a favourite secondary character? Who do you wish got more attention in the story?
- Suppose Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers became a movie or a TV show. Who would you pick to play the roles? (You can check out our dream casting for ideas) What aspects of the book would you want to see more of? What would be the most difficult part of filming?
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
Bookflix series: Crushing It
A parody of Netflix, Bookflix is where you can find our books and more like them.
Crushing It by Jen Desmarais is available now!
Physical from Canadian indie bookstores, physical from Indigo, electronic version
Book Promo by Jen
Hello,
Jen has been doing to amazing things with book promo. She’s decided to share this gift with the rest of the world.
You can see the glorious examples on this post.
Here’s the ad:
I highly recommend her services. She’s awesome and resourceful.
Éric
Jen and Éric have stories in The Siren’s Song Vol. 1
Hello Readers!
Do you want a free ebook of short stories? What if they include exclusive stories from Jen and I?
The two stories are:
Funky Looking Chickens by Éric
A paranormal military mission goes sideways when they meet up with some strange birds. Things get extra complicated when the team lead discovers his ex-girlfriend on the scene.
Find out how Mr. Therien from The Baker City Mysteries became a Gatekeeper.
A Concert Tail by Jen
When a mermaid wants to go to a concert things seem impossible, but that word doesn’t exist in Westmeath.
Meet some new, and a few familiar, characters from Westmeath, the city featured in the series The Gates of Westmeath and Lucky in Love.
More
There are also plenty more awesome stories in the book.
Enjoy!
Stay safe and be kind,
Éric
Bookflix series: Assassins! Accidental Matchmakers
A parody of Netflix, Bookflix is where you can find our books and more like them.
How Jen Plots her Novels
Step 1: Panic!
Step 2: Write 3 sentences that cover the main 3 beats of the story; beginning, middle, end.
Step 2a: (Because I forgot about this one and don’t want to renumber) Write out the character info for the main characters and secondary characters. The main characters should include descriptions of themselves as well as their motivations, weaknesses, strengths, nicknames, etc. Anything I can think of to make them who they are. Secondary characters only need descriptions at this point.
Step 3: Write out everything I can think of in jot note form for each beat.
Step 4: Ignore all of that and start a new document.
Step 5: Break the novel into the 3 parts. Decide how many chapters I want in each, and how many words will be in each chapter. (I usually say 3k as an approximate, 8 chapters in each part.)
Step 6: Copy all the jot notes into their appropriate chapter.
Step 7: Make sure everything flows properly. Fill in any missing information. Add red herrings and foreshadowing at appropriate points.
Optional
Step 8: Count the high action scenes (fight, sex, whatever) and make sure they’re spread out decently.
Not listed: Ask Éric for help at every step above so he can reassure me that I do, in fact, know what I’m doing.
Monsters! Reviews 10-11
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests was sent out for reviews. Here’s the fourth (and last) batch!
Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests by Jen and Éric Desmarais is available now!
Readers Take Cornwall
Hello Readers,
Jen and I will be working the Renaissance table at Readers Take Cornwall, this Sunday September 29th.
Join us for a book lovers market for readers by readers! Drop by our table for some excellent books!
Hope to see you there!
Éric
Joint Signing at Coles Carlingwood Saturday
Hello Friends, Family, and Fans;
Come hang out Saturday at Coles Carlingwood 1-3pm and get some books signed by Jen and Éric. We’ll have a few goodies for those that show up.
Two signings for the (gas) price of one! Join authors Éric and Jen Desmarais at the Coles in the Carlingwood mall to talk about two excellent YA titles.
About the books:
Crushing It by Jen Desmarais. This is a low-stakes queer YA romance novel taking place in the same universe as the Gates of Westmeath series. This story is a heartwarming tale of sharing first love, music, and a passion for STEM. It also has a sequel releasing in 2025.
The Mystery of the Dancing Lights by Éric Desmarais is a time loop mystery novella and the fourth installment of the Elizabeth Investigates series and focuses on exploring the mysteries of a summer camp built on an old government experimental facility.
Event Information
Hope to see you there!
Éric