Of Apologies and Sequels

Okay, guys. New plan.

Next time I go out of town for a month, I'm going to set up a few posts to be... well, to be posted while I'm gone.

'Cause... Yeah.

 

I'd like to apologize for the disappearing act. I can assure you that the rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated... I was simply out of town working. (Helping out my family. Not writing... Erm. Well, not writing much, anyway.) While I was there, access to the Internet was a little hard to come by. And when I did have Internet access, I was too busy rocking out at the Beale Street Music Festival (and trying valiantly not to drown in a sea of mud) to do up any proper posts.

But I'm back now!

And since it seemed to be the most popular question while I was out of town...

Yes!! I can promise you that I am still working on the sequel to Revival! I can even go so far as to promise that it will be released before the end of the year! Also, that there will be excerpts for you to read in the months leading up to the release! AND THERE WILL BE CONTESTS! Yay, contests.

I know, guys... I know.

So in the meantime, I'll be working like crazy to make Book Two the best that it can be.

(Me. For the next two months or so. It's gonna be awesome.)

A few people wanted to know what's taking so long...

Heh.

Funny thing, writing.

Sometimes it doesn't go exactly the way you planned.

You remember when I said that my muse likes to torture me?

Yeeeahhh. About that.

After months of writing and fighting with a non-cooperative plot, I came to a rather painful realization—I was writing the wrong #@^%-ing book.

... That entire time, I'd been writing the third book in the series and not the second. Too much needed to happen between the end of Revival and the onset of that plot-line to fit it all in the first fifty pages... It needed its own book.

The course of my breakdown in the wake of that realization went something like this...

(Stage one: Confusion.)

(Stage two: Denial.)

 

(Stage three: Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Oh, crap.)

(Stage four: Flee.)

(Stage five: Painful resignation.)

(And last but not least—Stage six: Scheming. Time to get down to work.)

The good news here, is that a great deal of Book Three has already been written. So, with any luck, the wait between the second and the third book shouldn't be quite as long.

*looks back over post* I went a little gif happy on this one, didn't I? Ah, well. It gets the point across. Also, I'm caffeinated. You're lucky this thing wasn't written in ALL CAPS.

...Just sayin'.

Take care, you guys!

Tune in Tuesday—Long Live the Catchy

Tune in Tuesday is a weekly music feature that was originally hosted by the fabulous Ginger at GReads. However, for the time being, Katelyn of Kate's Tales of Books and Bands will be hosting. It's probably obvious by now that I love music almost as much as I love books! When I found out about Tune in Tuesday, I couldn't resist getting in on the action! Be sure to check back every week for new music and if you'd like to join us, just drop by Katelyn's blog and link up your post!

 
Happy Tuesday!

So I've been a bit lacking in my Tune in Tuesday posts of late, what with all the crazy in my life. And today there really won't be much of a theme. Well... Unless you consider "earworms" a proper theme.  And I'm not talking actual worms, because gross. I mean those songs that you listen to once and then they're straight up stuck in your head until you find something else, equally as addictive, to replace it.

There've been more than a few of those lately, but here are the ones that I tend to start humming out of the blue, at all hours of the day and night. Good luck getting them out of your head! And enjoy! :)

The Band Perry—Better Dig Two

And... yeah. The lyrics to this one are pretty much dripping with melodrama. But the beat and the twangy vocals more than make up for that, in my mind. Seriously. Can't... Stop... Listening...

Miranda Lambert—Mama's Broken Heart

*dances*

Mark Knopfler—Boom Like That

"I'm goin' to San Bernardino, ring-a-ding-ding..." You know, for a song about McDonald's, this thing is pretty addictive.

And last, but not least....

The Spill Canvas—Good Graces, Bad Influence

I somehow went all these years without listening to the auditory awesomeness that is The Spill Canvas... Needless to say, I've been making up for lost time lately and listening to everything they've ever released, on repeat, for days at a time. It makes for surprisingly good writing music. :)

That's all for today... Hope you found something to enjoy!

The Next Big Thing Hop!

So the absolutely amazing L.W. Patricks over at http://www.lwpatricks.com has tagged me to participate in the Next Big Thing and I’m excited to be a part of it!

If you’re not familiar with L.W. and his fantastic Sins of the 7 series, I recommend getting acquainted ASAP! His debut novel The Shadow of Wrath is available now on Amazon and I can promise you that it's one heck of a ride. It's YA dystopian at its most brutal. The nonstop action will keep you turning the pages and the ending will leave you craving more! So be sure to check it out!

For those of you wondering what the Next Big Thing blog hop is... Basically, it's a pay-it-forward hop that allows you to discuss your work while linking back to the author who tagged you, and also tagging other authors to participate and keep the ball rolling. This way, readers can work their way forward (and back!) through the tags and learn about other amazing authors and novels of all sorts!

Now, on to the questions...


1) What is the working title of your book?


The first book in the Variant series is titled Revival. (The second book is currently a work-in-progress and its working title is Redemption.)

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea for the Variant series came from watching way too much sci-fi and reading a lot of X-Men comics as a kid. I've always loved the idea of teens with mutant abilities... And the possibility of having so much power at such a defining (and oftentimes awkward) point in your life intrigued me. Exploring the lives of my characters and the fantastic world they live in is a fun escape from reality for me.

3) What genre does your book come under?


Essentially it's YA Paranormal. It has action, sci-fi, and fantasy elements as well, but it's most definitely part of the young adult genre.

4) Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Oh, how I've been waiting for someone to ask me that question. Hopefully, sometime soon I'll get around to writing up a separate post detailing actors for every character in the series... But until then, here's a quick rundown for a few of the main characters.

The Variant Series has quite a list of characters and I've mentally cast most of them in my head already... All of them, except for Alex.

Which, okay, probably sounds a bit weird, seeing as how she's my main character. Why haven't I cast her, you ask?

Well, the short answer is that I don't want to narrow her down to any one physical description. I realize that—should the impossible happen and Revival be turned into a movie or TV show—she'll be played by someone. But until then, I want to leave her appearance to the minds of my readers. She is whoever you want her to be. :)

As for the other main characters, here's a quick list of the actors and models I tend to think of when I'm writing their characters.

Declan O'Connell—the voice of Garrett Hedlund and the physical appearance of Adam Gallagher, the model and blogger behind www.iamgalla.com. (A little Garrett in the appearance too, if I'm honest. So long as he's lookin' scruffy.)

Nathaniel Palladino—Steven Straight. It will always be him in my head.

Kenzie O'Connell—Allison Scagliotti in her early days as Claudia on the show Warehouse 13.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Secrets, superpowers, and a handsome savior—this could be a spring break Alex will never forget... provided she survives.

6) Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?


Self-published.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?


The first draft took nearly two years to complete.


8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

A blogger recently compared Revival to Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout and I can definitely see that (also, talk about a flattering comparison!). I would also compare it to The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi on account of the teens-with-abilities subject matter.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The original spark of inspiration for the Variant Series as a whole came from many different places, but the original spark came in the form of my morning coffee. One day at the coffee shop, the barista had drawn the shape of a phoenix into the foam on my latte. The image set my mind to wandering and I spent the next half hour writing out a scene where a young girl was being chased by a wall of flames through a burning bookstore. That piece would eventually become the opening scene of Chapter Four in Revival.

10) What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest.


 
What fans of Revival seem to enjoy the most about the book is its cast of characters. I had a blast writing each of them and was so happy to see that their unique voices resonated with readers! Alex isn't your typical shrinking YA violet, and between Declan's snark and Kenzie's sass, every character in Revival brings something different to the story.

******

Now it's time to tag some of my fellow authors to participate in the Next Big Thing! If you haven't checked them out before, you're missing out!

Jen Naumann is the author of multiple YA novels including What I've Done, Shymers, and The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life. Her upcoming novel is titled Cheating Death.

Emma Chase is the author of Tangled, a romance novel set for release in May of 2013.

Go! Read! Enjoy! You can thank me later... :)

Of Stubborn Muses and Forcing the Words

I've said it before and I'll say it again: my muse likes to torture me.

For months now, I've been working on Revival's sequel... And for months now, the words have made their way onto the page in a painfully slow trickle.

What's worse is that I want to write. I want the rush that comes with losing minutes, hours, and even entire days to bringing a new story to life on the page. There are very few things in this world I enjoy more than that feeling.

Only this time that wonderful "rush" was coming in fits and starts.

Before this week began, I was getting desperate... I'd started writing things that made absolutely no sense, narrative-wise. Entire pages that I knew would need to be scrapped later, just so I could trick my muse into offering up something worth keeping.

It, uh... Well, it was a bit sketchy there for a while.

I was all like...

 (Basically.)

...just so that I could put something down.

And my muse was all like...

(Because, apparently, my muse is Misha Collins.)

And I nearly lost it.

(Not me. Although I'm certain I made that face at some point.)

I was doing what I'd been taught. Write everyday, whether the words are there or not—eventually it will get easier and the words will be there.

Only, it wasn't getting easier and I hadn't found the words.

This method had always worked in the past. So why wasn't it working this time?

Clearly I needed a new approach...

So I just stopped.

I went a full four days without even opening Scrivener.

I read half of my TBR pile. I worked on other projects that I'd been putting off. I went to the movies. I went to the park. I had an adventure.

...And I didn't think about Book Two again until Sunday morning.

And you know what?

It helped.

I opened up the file on Sunday, spent half an hour easing my way back into the current chapter... And then I wrote 1,500 useable words before the day was out. Not exactly an earth-shattering amount, but enough so that I was happy.

As was my muse, apparently.

Since then, I've been on a writing high—for the first time in months, this project is back on track, and I couldn't be happier.

And in the process I learned that—sometimes—it's okay (and even helpful) to take a break.

Not to quit... Just to press pause.

Writing can be difficult at times, but it should always be enjoyable. If you aren't enjoying yourself, how can your readers? When it reaches that point, forcing the words may not help. 

So the next time you find yourself unable to force the words, just try pausing for a moment. Take a breath. Live your life.

...And then, when you're ready, try again.

Goodreads Giveaway for Revival!

Want to win a paperback copy of Revival? Just drop by Goodreads and enter the giveaway! There are four copies up for grabs!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Revival

by Jena Leigh

Giveaway ends March 23, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Of Coffee Thieves and Kenzie O'Connell

So I'm a little distracted these days working on Revival's sequel, but I thought I'd go ahead and share a post that was originally published over at Jenny's amazing book review blog, Supernatural Snark! 

For those of you who haven't had the chance yet to check out Revival (the first book in The Variant Series) Declan's sister, Kenzie, is here today to introduce you to the story and to give you an insight or two into their world...

Enjoy!

******

Hi! I’m Kenzie O’Connell. I’m a Leo. I like coffee, computers, long walks on the beach and, well, more coffee.

…Aaaannd Jena’s giving me the stink eye.

Right. Sorry, Jena.

Can you blame a girl for trying? I spend most of my days under the obnoxious and ever-vigilant eyes of three brothers and our guardian, John Grayson. That much testosterone (and potential for public embarrassment) doesn’t exactly help a gal’s social life.

I’m supposed to be talking about Jena’s new novel, Revival, in which I have the starring role.

…Wow. Careful, Jena. Your face might stick that way.

Okay, so I’m not exactly the star of the show. That honor goes to my dear friend Alex.

She’s flippin’ adorable, you guys. No, really. You’ll like her. Personally, I love her. But that’s probably because she’s the first chick in ages who not only tolerates my brothers—she also knows our secret… And we know hers.

Y’see, my family’s a little… different.

Oh, who am I kidding? We’re not even human. Not technically. My family and I—we’re Variants. Every one of us has a special ability that we hide from the world. Agency rules. If we draw too much attention to ourselves, we’ll have them to answer to. Let’s just say that shadowy government organizations don’t take too kindly to show offs.

And Alex? Well, she’s got even more to worry about.

Her powers are unlike anything I’ve ever seen—and I’m not just talking about the effect she has on my idiot brothers. Her abilities put her on a whole new level of freaktastic. And if she can’t get them under control, we could all be in trouble.

…Is that good, Jena? Can I have my coffee back now?

What the crap do you mean you “sort of drank it”?

Oh. Oh, it’s so on.

Come back here, author-lady, before I go all Variant on your novel-writing self! I mean it, Jena! You owe me a coffee!

*sigh*

Coffee thief.

Don’t hold it against her, y’all. It was some awesome coffee… And she needs the caffeine more than I do right now. After all, she’s got all those wonderful, Kenzie-filled scenes in Revival’s sequel to finish writing.

I’ll consider it an act of charity.

Where to Find Revival!

Hey guys!

Apologies for the vanishing author act I've pulled lately... I wish I could say I spent all that time hard at work on the second book, but that wouldn't be entirely honest. The second book will be my focus for the next few months, but for the last few weeks I've been incommunicado simply because months of traveling and having adventures resulted in one very tired and rather sickly writer.

I won't get into details. Just know that I'm back now and that I've missed ya!

So, if you'll remember, my grand plan was to have Revival's wide release take place on February 14th. Except... It only sort of happened.

I don't want to bore you with specifics, so to sum up—the book WILL be available everywhere... Eventually. It's just taking a little longer than projected for the book to be approved and added to the various catalogs.

I'll update this list periodically, as the book is made available on different sites... But for now, here are the places where you can find an e-book copy of Revival, the first book in The Variant Series! All e-book copies are priced at just $1.99!

Amazon

iBookstore

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

 

 

Indigo