Author Interview - Jena Leigh

Today I'd like to welcome author, Jena Leigh, to the blog!!

 

Author bio:

Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Jena Leigh spent ten years in the mountains of North Carolina before returning home to the lightning capital of North America.

A shameless geek, she loves bad sci-fi movies, Skittles, writing cracktastic e-mails to friends and taking shenanigan-filled road trips to faraway concerts. She has a degree in English from Appalachian State University.

Revival is her first novel.

 

Yesterday, I posted my review for Revival, so I'm very excited to welcome the author herself to answer a few quick, fun questions... here goes!

1. How long did it take you, from first spark of idea to final proofs, to write Revival?

From start to finish, the book took a little over two years to complete. Many afternoons in between my graduate school classes and late nights after work were spent writing the first half of Revival. Not long after that, my health took a nosedive and I found myself with plenty of free time to write. I guess it’s true what they say… For me at least, everything really did happen for a reason. Eventually, my health improved and I had a finished novel to show for my unexpected downtime.

 

 

2. How did you originally decide to self-publish? What was the process like for you?

My journey in self-publishing started out like most do—I had a book nobody wanted to publish. After the pile of rejection letters rolled in from the sea of agents politely declining my book, I was pretty heartbroken. Okay, more than that… Devastated might be a better word.

 

So I went back to the manuscript. Put it through yet another round of edits. Polished it to the point that I was certain that—although it still wasn’t perfect—it was as good as I could possibly make it... And during that time, I did my homework. I researched the process. I tried to absorb every pointer and every helpful recommendation that I could. I designed a cover. I planned. I created every social media account I could think of, to help promote the series and myself as an author.

 

And then I published.

 

And then the work began. Honestly, that’s one thing nobody tells you…Self-publishing is more than just a hard road. If you want to succeed, it’s a full-time job! But I’ll tell you a secret… This gig might just be the best job around. I’m living my dreams and loving every minute of it!

 

3. If you could write a book under a pseudonym that no one would ever connect to you, are there any genres you would love to secretly explore?

I’ve always wanted to try my hand at writing something in the humor genre. It would definitely need a fake name attached to it, though. I’m ninety-nine percent certain that I’m not nearly as funny as I think I am…
 

4. If you could cross one thing off your bucket list tomorrow, what would it be?

Go on a cruise! I’ve been lucky enough to fly (and drive) to all sorts of fantastic and interesting places, but I’ve yet to take a cruise. And I’m sure the Bahamas are nice this time of year…
 

5. Quick Picks List:

Favorite vacation destination?

London, England
 

Favorite childhood book?

One of the first books that I read and absolutely fell in love with was And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street by Dr. Seuss. A few years later, it was replaced by Francine Pascal’s young adult novel, Sweet Valley Twins and Friends, Super Chiller: The Ghost in the Bell Tower. Although it’s safe to say I read both of them many times over in my younger years!
 

Favorite writing snack food?

Skittles! Any time I’m stuck on a scene, I break open one of those mini-candy bags and chow down… They help me think! *Oooh! I love skittles, too. They're actually my favorite candy. :)
 

Favorite clothing item?

My black, worn-out Chuck Taylor’s, probably. Do those count as an article of “clothing”? If not, I’d have to say my lucky pair of jeans that are made up more of holes than they are of cloth at this point. I loved them—quite literally—to pieces, and now I just can’t bring myself to toss them.

 

 

Jena, thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! It was great having you and I really can't wait to read the next book in the Variants series...

 

To check out more info on Jena and Revival, you can go to her blog/website HERE!

Revival

Revival

by Jena Leigh

The Variant series, book one

 



Possessing the uncanny ability to fry a television set from twenty paces can really wreck a girl's social life.

If you're looking for proof, just ask sixteen-year-old Alexandra Parker. After catching her boyfriend in the arms of the prettiest girl in school, she made the journey from social elite to social pariah in a haze of electricity and exploding electronics. But finding herself at the bottom of Bay View High's social hierarchy was nothing compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.

After being zapped out of a burning bookstore by the mysterious Declan--a hero nearly as handsome as he is infuriating--Alex finds herself under the protection of the powerful Grayson family. It's through them that she learns the truth: that the world she's always known is nothing like it appears to be... and that she has far more in common with them than she might want to believe.

Now, on the run from a fire-wielding hit man and a secretive government organization, Alex must navigate a strange and treacherous new world filled with superhuman mutants known as Variants. As she begins to unravel the many secrets of her family's past, she uncovers the real reason for her parents' death twelve years earlier--and finds out that the threat to her family, and to everyone she cares about, is still dangerously real. (description from Amazon.com)

 

Ever thought that your break-up was electric? Well, Alex's pretty much is! LOL. Alex has developed the uncanny knack of frying any electronics within about 20 feet any time her emotions spike. Fun, huh? Well, after a very hot, and strangely intriguing guy follows Alex around for a day, saves her from being burned alive and TELEPORTS her to a remote cabin in the woods...somewhere...Alex finds out that she's not the only one out there with special abilities. 

 

I loved meeting the members of the adoptive Grayson family.  Kenzie is that girl you'd love to have as a best friend, and Alex does love her, though she still loves her normal best friend, Cassie, too...and can read people's minds.  Nate is a telekenetic and little Brian sees the future. Not your average household...but they are interesting!

 

I really liked the dynamics of their family. It was not only interesting to see how they interacted like siblings in general, but also how they dealt with each others' abilities...and to then see them band together when threatened by outsiders... In fact, I loved seeing all of the "Variants" deal with regular people and the Agency that governs them. 

 

Hmmm...have I accidentally given away too much already? Maybe....oh well. I vow not to tell you the biggest secret, but I WILL tell you that even when Alex thinks she knows who she really is, nothing is ever really certain... I cannot wait to find out what happens in book two...

 

Don't forget to check back here tomorrow. I have an interview with the author, Jena Leigh!!

 

Full disclosure: Ebook sent to me by author to review