Rock This! Thursday Author Interview with Jennifer Rush

I'm pumped to have Jennifer Rush, a 2012 debut YA author on the blog today to discuss some music and her novel! Altered isn't coming out until next fall, and while I know that's a ways away, this book needs to be on your radar! But what is Altered about you ask? Well, I'll tell you:

Dollhouse meets Prison Break for teens, about a 17-year-old who finds herself on the run from her father's enigmatic Agency along with the four teen boys the Agency had been experimenting on, in a mystery of erased memories, secret identities, and genetic alteration.



Sounds good, right? Of course it does. So go add it to your Goodreads page :)

You're walking down the street - what song is following you?
Probably The Drumming Song by Florence and the Machine, simply because I’m usually wishing I was somewhere else, and that song always has the ability to transport me. It’s got such a cool, other-worldly sound to it.

What was the first story you've ever wrote?
I wrote my first novel when I was sixteen. It was a vampire book. I think the bad-boy vamp’s name was Thorne and of course he was dark, gorgeous and broody. I’m sure it was quite lame.

I know in writing there are moments where you just want to reach into the computer and choke the crap out of someone. That ever happen with one of your characters?
Yes! At one time or another, all of them make me feel that way. Sometimes I can’t get inside their head. Or they just aren’t coming alive on the page. Or they do stupid things that annoy me but that make total sense to the book forcing me to go with it.

What was the hardest thing about getting published for you?
Being patient and persevering. I wanted to quit a lot. I had the sickening feeling that I would never sign with an agent. And when you’re writing and revising year after year, you brainwash yourself into believing it will never happen. I often felt like I wasn’t good enough.

What was your favorite part of writing Altered? Your least favorite?
Um, would it be lame to say I enjoyed all parts? (JYTBB: Not lame at all!) I liked just about any scene with Anna and Sam. Especially if Sam was shirtless. And I liked the parts with guns. There’s something undeniably sexy about a guy field-stripping a gun. See a theme here? :) Least favorite…I loathe rereading a manuscript for the eight gazillionth time looking for spelling and punctuation errors. And sometimes, the bigger revisions can seem daunting.

Umm...I haven't met Sam yet, but I think I want to meet him shirtless :) Tell us that one song that can pull you out of any funk.
The Drumming Song! And Danse Russe by Hurt. And Black Betty by Ram Jam.

You've been given two golden concert tickets to go see any band/singer from any era. The only catch is that you have to take a character from your book. Who are you taking and who are you two going to go see?
Oh, this is a hard one…any classic rock concert and I’d take Cas from Altered. He’s a party boy with a big heart and a great sense of humor. I think he’d be the most fun.

Tell us five random facts about you:
1. When I was eight, I got caught in the tire of a four-wheeler and it ran over my face. I milked that injury for days.
2. I hated the babysitters so much that at the age of six, I leapt from the backseat of a moving vehicle trying to escape.
3. I’ve never broken a bone.
4. I cannot stand the feeling of a wet popsicle stick.
5. I love cars, especially classic muscle cars.

Did you make a playlist for Altered? If so, can you share a few tracks with us?
I have a general writing playlist, but when I’m working on one particular project, I tend to reorganize so the songs that are relevant to the story play in order. So here are a few I listened to while writing ALTERED:

The Outsider by A Perfect Circle
Danse Russe, Wars, Losing and Rapture by Hurt
Bloodstream by Stateless
Drumming Song by Florence and the Machine
Looking Glass by Hypnogaja
Everyday is Exactly the Same by NIN
Last Resort by Papa Roach
New Moon (The Meadow) by Alexandre Desplat

Have you experienced any 'rock star' writing moments?
Since Altered isn’t out yet, I really only have one tiny rock star moment. When the announcement for the book’s sale went out on the net, I got an email from one of the editors from io9.com asking for a short interview. That was huge for me.

Even though Altered doesn't hit shelves until the fall of 2012, are you working on any new projects you can share?
I’m working on a fantasy-ish YA I’m calling The Fog. It’s about a small village that, when the Fog rolls in, the people barricade themselves in safe rooms with no windows and wards written all over the walls. The narrator, Rissa, grows up following the rule without fail, despite not knowing the why behind it, until one day she breaks it. It’s SUPER fun, and it’s keeping me entertained! That’s all that matters, right?

Oooo sounds like my kind of read! If you'd like to know more about Jennifer make sure to check out the links below:

Website
Twitter


♥amber