Revival by Jena Leigh
ebook
Published November 14th 2012
Premise:
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.
I am happy to welcome Jena to Colorimetry!! She sent me an email that caught my attention... and not just 'cause she said nice things about my writing! Lol. This eerie cover got me, too... I'm fascinated with electricity and freakiness - and the combination of 'em. Mostly... I'm happy to meet a fun person and get to know her better along with her book. Please welcome Jena Leigh with me!
Where did you get the idea to write Revival?Like a lot creative types, I'm hopelessly addicted to coffee. When I was still living in North Carolina, I lived within walking distance of this fantastic coffee shop called Bohemia. They used to serve up their cafe latte's in a giant blue mug, with different designs and patterns drawn into the foam on top.
One day the barista drew an amazing image of a bird in flight... and it looked a little to me like a phoenix in flames. While I sat there staring appreciatively at the image (and having an internal debate that went something like, "I can't drink this! It's too beautiful!" and "It's not artwork, it's a beverage. Stop staring and drink it, you weirdo...") I conjured up the mental image of a young girl running through a burning bookstore.
The image was so vivid and full of possibility that I wound up ignoring my coffee completely in favor of writing out a scene that would later become the opening of Chapter 4 in Revival. Inspiration in a cup of Joe! I did get around to drinking the coffee eventually, although it was pretty cold by that point.
Ah... deliciousness!! All stories should be inspired by coffee!!!
Do you have a favorite scene?
More than a few! But if I had to pick one scene that I love just a little more than the others, it would probably be Alex's first training session with Declan. At that point in the story, they're still in the process of getting to know each other. It's pretty obvious, though, that Declan is very quickly learning what buttons to push in order to get under Alex's skin. And Alex—fed up with Declan's antics—has finally hit her breaking point. When Declan's attempt to teach Alex to teleport results in her splashing down in the icy cold waters of a lake for the second time in a single afternoon, she decides it's time for a little revenge... Only, her attempt at retribution doesn't exactly go as planned.
One of my favorite things about this scene—and about the relationship between Alex and Declan in general—is the way he challenges her and the way she, in turn, rises to the occasion. Alex has spent most of her life watching events unfold from the sidelines; always the quiet observer. The revelations about who she is and what's she's capable of thrusts her into the middle of the action—but it's Declan who is responsible for really bringing Alex out of her shell. And this scene is a perfect example of that.
Share something personal!! :-D
Favorite coffee?
Favorite coffee? Oh, man. That's almost as hard as picking a favorite scene! I love my coffee. I didn't learn about the true joys of coffee consumption until my third year of college. (An old boyfriend tricked me into drinking his caramel latte one snowy afternoon in the library... It was love at first sip. With the coffee, I mean. Not the boyfriend. He wasn't nearly as pleasant.) I've spent the years since then making up for lost time and drinking as much of the dark liquid as possible. The best cup of coffee I've had so far is probably the hazelnut, caramel and Irish cream latte I order any time I visit Bohemia. (I have a colossal sweet tooth, in case you were wondering.) It's heaven in a mug.
I seriously don't know whether to roll in laughter or run down to the local coffee shop and order one up. It sounds heavenly!!
Meaning of "cracktastic"? (with examples, if you have them)
As for the "cracktastic" e-mails I write to my friends... Well, anyone who's known me for any length of time is well aware that I have a weird sense of humor. When I'm caffeinated, however, my observations become exceedingly random. After I moved to Florida—and found myself a 12-hour drive away from friends and family back in North Carolina—I started writing my friend Carrie a rambling e-mail every morning while I sat at my desk drinking copious amounts of coffee. The e-mails are usually filled with funny images I've snagged off of Pinterest, new music for her to check out, and a whole lot of color commentary about nothing in particular. Carrie has taken to (affectionately) referring to me as a crackhead. If she doesn't receive at least one "crack-filled" e-mail a day, she assumes that something tragic has happened and I end up with a concerned phone call.
Now, see? It is your fault your email caught my attention. I'm innocent!!
Road trips?!
And road trips! I love my road trips. Mostly I just love to travel. Seeing new places, having adventures... It's what I enjoy the most! You know that cliche about how it's not the destination, it's the journey that matters most? I wholeheartedly believe that. And it's probably the reason why the road trips I've taken with good friends and family make for some of my absolute favorite memories. My favorite trip from recent years involved driving from the mountains of North Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee, in order to see Ben Nichols (the lead singer of my favorite band, Lucero) perform an acoustic show. The show was wonderful and well worth the long drive... And then—in a funny turn of events—we wound up having a drink with Ben at a pub down the street from the venue! It was surreal. And a ton of fun. As I'm getting older, I'm realizing more and more just how important it is to travel around and try new things. Not only does it result in fun new experiences, it also helps to fuel my writing!
Favorite coffee? Oh, man. That's almost as hard as picking a favorite scene! I love my coffee. I didn't learn about the true joys of coffee consumption until my third year of college. (An old boyfriend tricked me into drinking his caramel latte one snowy afternoon in the library... It was love at first sip. With the coffee, I mean. Not the boyfriend. He wasn't nearly as pleasant.) I've spent the years since then making up for lost time and drinking as much of the dark liquid as possible. The best cup of coffee I've had so far is probably the hazelnut, caramel and Irish cream latte I order any time I visit Bohemia. (I have a colossal sweet tooth, in case you were wondering.) It's heaven in a mug.
I seriously don't know whether to roll in laughter or run down to the local coffee shop and order one up. It sounds heavenly!!
Meaning of "cracktastic"? (with examples, if you have them)
As for the "cracktastic" e-mails I write to my friends... Well, anyone who's known me for any length of time is well aware that I have a weird sense of humor. When I'm caffeinated, however, my observations become exceedingly random. After I moved to Florida—and found myself a 12-hour drive away from friends and family back in North Carolina—I started writing my friend Carrie a rambling e-mail every morning while I sat at my desk drinking copious amounts of coffee. The e-mails are usually filled with funny images I've snagged off of Pinterest, new music for her to check out, and a whole lot of color commentary about nothing in particular. Carrie has taken to (affectionately) referring to me as a crackhead. If she doesn't receive at least one "crack-filled" e-mail a day, she assumes that something tragic has happened and I end up with a concerned phone call.
Now, see? It is your fault your email caught my attention. I'm innocent!!
Road trips?!And road trips! I love my road trips. Mostly I just love to travel. Seeing new places, having adventures... It's what I enjoy the most! You know that cliche about how it's not the destination, it's the journey that matters most? I wholeheartedly believe that. And it's probably the reason why the road trips I've taken with good friends and family make for some of my absolute favorite memories. My favorite trip from recent years involved driving from the mountains of North Carolina to Knoxville, Tennessee, in order to see Ben Nichols (the lead singer of my favorite band, Lucero) perform an acoustic show. The show was wonderful and well worth the long drive... And then—in a funny turn of events—we wound up having a drink with Ben at a pub down the street from the venue! It was surreal. And a ton of fun. As I'm getting older, I'm realizing more and more just how important it is to travel around and try new things. Not only does it result in fun new experiences, it also helps to fuel my writing!
Wonderful!!! Hey... I love Pinterest!! Traveling is inspiration, I think, too. Thank you for sharing!!!!
About the Author:
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.
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Giveaway:
Jena is offering an Kindle eBook to one Colorimetry reader. This is an international giveaway, must be able to receive winning book, etc. See all my rules under the About tab.
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