FFBC Tours: Welcome to the club, The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody

The 13th Continuum
by Jennifer Brody
Publisher: Turner Publishing
Release Date: April 19th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

One thousand years after a cataclysmic event leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, the survivors take refuge in continuums designed to sustain the human race until repopulation of Earth becomes possible. Against this backdrop, a group of young friends in the underwater Thirteenth Continuum dream about life outside their totalitarian existence, an idea that has been outlawed for centuries. When a shocking discovery turns the dream into a reality, they must decide if they will risk their own extinction to experience something no one has for generations, the Surface.

Hello Jennifer! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours.

Favorite Book?

So hard to choose! The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien, The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, It by Stephen King, The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (though I love them all). I could keep going…

Favorite TV show?

Currently, I’m obsessed with Daredevil on Netflix.

Favorite movie?

The Shining (the Kubrick version, of course), the original Star Wars movies, The Lord of the Rings films (I was luck enough to work on them!). 

Your Favorite Song?

Can’t choose one. My favorite band is Nine Inch Nails. My favorite album is The Downward Spiral. 

Favorite Food?

Blueberries

Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.

Rivendell. Hogwarts. The Starship Enterprise. 

Who is your perfect fictional boyfriend?

Lestat (or his newer iteration Edward from Twilight). Or Jaime from Outlander.

Favorite Quote?

From Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

What do you find yourself “Fangirling” over?

Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Charlie Cox from Daredevil, Harry Potter (I’m going to the opening day of Harry Potter World at Universal Studios!), Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Wars.

If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?

Stephen King

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about The 13th Continuum?

One thousand years after a cataclysmic event leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, the survivors take refuge in Continuums designed to sustain the human race until repopulation of Earth becomes possible. Against this backdrop, a group of young friends led by Myra Jackson in the underwater Thirteenth Continuum dream about life outside their totalitarian existence, an idea that has been outlawed for centuries. When a shocking discovery turns the dream into a reality, they must decide if they will risk their own extinction to experience something no one has for generations—the Surface. The book is the first in an epic trilogy.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the main character, Myra? What would you say is the best thing about her?

Myra is sixteen years-old who lives in the underwater Thirteenth Continuum. She got kicked out of school, so she had to pledge to a trade early and works in Engineering. She’s rebellious, smart, scrappy, and fiercely protective of her little brother, Tinker, since their mother died when he was a baby. 

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

I came up with the idea during the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As I was watching the TV news coverage of the sludge slowly spreading over the top of the ocean and suffocating birds and fish, I wondered what would happen if we couldn’t live on the surface of the Earth anymore. My influences include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (the underwater aspect), Foundation by Isaac Asimov (the concept), and The Lord of the Rings (the structure of a trilogy). 

Tell us your favorite quote from The 13th Continuum.

I have many, but this is from the end of Chapter Zero (the Prologue):

“And so, just as Divinus had predicted, with a great flash of light followed by a deafening rumble, the world of men was unmade at last.”

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

I loved writing the President’s journal entries that you’ll find after Chapter Zero. The cover the first few decades of the Thirteenth Continuum’s history. I also loved writing all of the sequences that concern the Beacons, ancient devices designed to preserve the history of the colonies and lead them back to the Surface. 

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for The 13th Continuum – Which one would you pick? 

Avaritia by Deadmau5

Imagine that we get to see your book on the big screen (how awesome would that be?). Who would you pick to play your characters?

We’re actually working on putting it together as a film! Some great producers optioned the series and we looking for the perfect director. As for the casting, our plan is to find the next big teen stars to play Myra and Aero. I picture Myra as a young Zoe Kravitz or Rosario Dawson, while I see Aero as more of a Tom Hardy or Sam Worthington type. For the adult characters, I’d love to cast top-notch actors like Idris Elba, Paul Giamatti, Patrick Stewart, and Halle Berry.

Is there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read The 13th Continuum (specific music, snacks…)? 

I’m working on putting together a playlist on Spotify! While I was writing the book, I liste`ned to a lot of music like Com Truise, Deadmau5, Pretty Lights, Boards of Canada, and Aphex Twin. I also love the Inch Nails instrumental record Ghosts. 

What’s next for you? 

Return of the Continuums comes out on November 1st! It’s the second book in the series and it turned out fantastic! Meanwhile, I’m busy writing The United Continuums right now. That’s the third and final book in the trilogy. 

Something to say to our Book Addicts?

I’m so thrilled to be here talking about my book. Thanks so much for hosting me!

Thank you so much for everything, Jennifer!

Thanks for having me! This was a blast. 

Follow the The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Brody’s debut novel The 13th Continuum sold to Turner Publishing in a 3-book deal and is being packaged into a feature film. The book is the first in a trilogy and will come out in Spring 2016. She is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. She lives and writes in LA.

After studying film and graduating from Harvard University, she began her career in feature film development. Highlights include working for Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema, most notably on The Lord of the Rings films and The Golden Compass. In 2008, she produced the feature film Make It Happen for The Weinstein Company. Her recipes and articles have appeared in xoJane, Fox News, Parade Magazine, Whole Life Times, and Meatless Monday, and many other publications.

She is an alumni of the Sirenland Writers Conference, where she studied with Meg Wolitzer, and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop, where she studied with Victor LaValle. She recently completed a 3-week residency at The Lemon Tree House and has been accepted for a residency in Spring 2016 at the Helen R. Whiteley Center, run by the University of Washington.

She founded and runs BookPod, a social media platform for authors with 400 members. She’s also a mentor for the Young Storytellers Foundation. In Spring 2015, her mentee’s script was picked out of over 900 scripts for the Glee Big Show, where it was performed by the cast of the hit Fox TV show, and in Fall of 2015, her mentee’s script was chosen for the Biggest Show, where it was performed by Jack Black and Leslie Mann.

US/CAN Only | Rules and Conditions in the rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz: The 13th Descent (Rosefire Trilogy) by Ky Lehman

The 13th Descent (Rosefire Trilogy)
by Ky Lehman
Publication date: August 30th 2014
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

ONE CHOICE CAN MAKE AN IMMORTAL HUMAN. BUT WHAT CHOICES NEED TO BE MADE TO GO BACK AGAIN? 

The revolutionary year following Serenay “Ren” Avalon’s eighteenth birthday could rival Clark Kent’s entire adolescence. After her mother and her grandmother were killed in a car bomb explosion at the heart of their sleepy hillside town where nothing extraordinary usually happens, she discovers that her mother is actually alive and in hiding, her long lost father is a Father, and her best friend, who turns out was once an Archangel, has taken a gargantuan step back in his evolution to live on Earth with her for the past thirteen lifetimes. And besides being the only one in her immediate circle with a serious case of past life dementia, she learns that during her first lifetime, she was married to one of the greatest teachers history has ever known who is now the gorgeous lead singer of a hot new rock band taking the world by storm, and who is keen to meet up with her again in the twenty first century. 

As Ren realizes that the powerful family name she bears also brings with it the promise of an unnatural death, she is reminded that it has always brought hope to people on both sides of the veil, human and Tor. As the world draws closer to being completely shrouded by the dark cloaks of her age-old enemies, the Bloodstones, she now, more than ever before, has to draw strength from her origins to protect her family and their ancient truth from this global force responsible for torturing and killing centuries of her ancestors. As she struggles to unearth who she was, who she is, and who she chooses to be, as well as the expectations of her first mortal love and the heavenly love she has always guiltily denied, she has until midnight on the Solstice find a way to bring light to a compromised heart and to a world on the brink of perpetual darkness. 

This first book in The Rosefire Trilogy is a reminder of how the choices we make in the throes of love, loss, hope, and adversity are what makes the divine human, and the human divine.

The 13th Descent

by Ky Lehman

“Come on, Renay! You’re as slow as a wet week,” she snaps.

“Right behind you,” I grumble, trying to coax my jelly legs to step out of the car.

She bustles us inside and disarms her house alarm. She grabs my hand, leads me straight to the navy blue comfy couch and gestures for me to sit. “Drink?” she asks.

“No, thanks.”

She goes to the kitchen and gets me a tall glass of water anyway.

Then everything goes from strange to downright bizarre when she sits down, squishes in next to me, puts her arm around my shoulders and rests her cheek on my hair. I am wedged in-between her and the armrest: I couldn’t move if I tried, and I honestly don’t want to. Hugs from my one and only aunt are like sunny days in the winter. They are rare. They are warm. They smell of cream and cinnamon. They go by too quickly. And you know you’ll have to wait a while for the next one.

“Look at me, Renay,” she gently commands. Bleary eyed, she carefully scans my face and sighs.

It seems she is already regretting what she is yet to say. A chill of forewarning forces a shiver: it sets my heart pounding and my legs that have finally regained feeling start to twitch and shake, preparing to run. She senses my panic and holds me tighter, and starts to softly hum a familiar tune that Nanna must have used to calm her down too. Slowly, the dread resides and the warmth returns. My stiff posture thaws allowing me to slump into her side. Realising she has been given the green light, she takes a deep breath and starts talking.

Aunt Romey has never been one to beat around the bush. Simple English. No fluff. The bare facts followed by her opinion of them. But this time, the candour I usually appreciate brings with it a realisation that hits me so hard, that, for the first time since the bomb went off, I am relieved the undercooked takeout chicken kept me home that night.

Bedtime stories that once lulled me into sweet dreams now leave me feeling cold, heavy and sick.

Horrifying truth gives a voice to the intoxicated mutterings of a grieving husband and father.

Nanna’s fairy tales.

Georgie Pa’s drunken rants.

All of the frayed strands and loose ends I’ve obliviously left hanging tangle and weave into the blood stained tapestry that is Aunt Romey’s history lesson.

Three versions of the same unfathomable story, each with its own conclusion. The fairy tale ends in hope.

The drunken rant ends in fear.

And the history lesson will only end with the death of the Three Roses, who my newfound enemies believe are Nanna, Mum and me.

Surrounded by the ghosts of our ancestors and their vindicating screams, I cling to the only olive branch within reach.

Mum may be on the run, but she is alive and well.

But the sinewy little branch is not strong enough to bear the weight of centuries of lost life. It snaps, and I limply fall into large, familiar, bloodstained hands that carry me off into the black quiet.

Since this Blog is called Inspired Writers, tell me, what inspires you?

Courage - witnessing a trail blazer hacking their way through harsh, unwelcoming terrain and making their way through to the other side.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Ren is a well-practised trailblazer! Even though she doesn't remember or acknowledge that about herself right away. She is loved by people from all walks of life, and adored by those special few who have seen behind the armour, and she has so much love to give, but instead of allowing herself to embrace, revel and grow in all that love, she insists on restraining and harnessing it, riding high up on its back in the one position where she doesn’t have to look it directly in the face like it is a war horse with the strength to carry her – and the baggage of the twelve ‘her’s’ before this one – as she charges headfirst into the bloody battle she has fought for millennia against her history, her family name, and the men who love her.

Which actor/actress could you see playing the lead character from your book?

Ren played by Isabel Lucas

Mike played by Henry Cavill

Josh played by Sam Heughan

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? 

I know how I, myself, feels to love someone, and I know how it makes me feel to be loved in the different ways one can be, but describing how another person feels love? Even on my most emotionally imaginative days, describing what another person’s notion of physical, emotional, and spiritual love is always proves to be the most challenging. 

Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others? 

Honestly, erotically-charged scenes! It's not really the writing of them, it's the editing of them! Some things have to be left to the reader’s imagination, but how much? I always struggle with how much description is, or is not, enough! 

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read. Read. Read. Write. Write. Write. Then read some more. 

Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?

I always win handstand competitions in the pool. I’ve been told that I make a richly-mean spaghetti bolognaise. I paint landscapes - not well - but I love it! I am good with animals - especially fluffy ones – I get cuddles from the apparently shy ones, and I’ve been told that I have a knack of chilling out the uppity ones, but I don’t know how - I’m not exactly the most chilled-out person!

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Giving up smoking. After the countless times I tried, I was dangerously close to giving up on giving up, but after all that practice, I finally got there in the end!

What books have most influenced your life most? 

Kathleen McGowan’s, The Expected One, The Book of Love, The Poet Prince. Her books dared me to look deeper, and when I did, all I thought I knew about divinity was blown into smithereens. Thank you, Ms. McGowan! 

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? 

Paullina Simmons - namely The Bronze Horseman Trilogy. She wrote a tale set in a tragic, mind baffling, soul wrenching time in Russian and world history, but through all of the death and disaster, and the difficult and overwhelming overtones, simplistic messages of love, hope, honesty, and strength in the face of adversity and injustice rose to the surface and hit me square in the chest. 

Are there any books that you ashamed to admit you have read and loved?

The Twilight Saga. I ate them up! Who is your favorite Villain/Monster in Literature?

Jekyll and Hyde - because apparently humans are capable of being either, but thankfully most of us choose not to be! 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Embrace what you see as your imperfections because sometimes they can turn out to be the most loveable and unique things about you. 

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

Florence Nightingale. Not only was she a renowned nurse and matron, she was also a rebellious daughter, a social reformer, and an accomplished writer who lived to the grand old age of ninety. I would love to meet her as an old lady, make her multiple cups of tea, and listen to her stories about all that she has seen, felt, failed at, and succeeded in. She was a trailblazer, a great one, who, in her younger years, broke the mould, and in her adult life, started to break down walls we are still hammering away at today.

KY LEHMAN is a novelist, a children's author, a teacher of swimming and water safety, wife to her high school sweetheart and the proud mother of their three very tall sons. She lives in the Yarra Ranges, Victoria, Australia with her husband and their children where she is currently writing the second book in The Rosefire Trilogy, The 13th Rising.

Win (1) ebook copy of The 13th Descent (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway