Title: New World: Rising
Author: Jennifer Wilson
Series: New World (Book 1)
Genre: YA/Dystopian
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: Aug 14 2014
Edition/Format Available In: eBook
Blurb/Synopsis:
Since witnessing her parents’ murders at the age of eleven,
Phoenix’s only purpose in life has been to uphold her mother’s dying words- to
be strong and survive. But surviving outside of The Walls- outside of The
Sanctuary- is more like a drawn-out death sentence. A cruel and ruthless city,
Tartarus is run by the Tribes whose motto is simple, “Join or die.”
Refusing to join and determined to live, Phoenix fights to
survive in this savage world. Trusting no one, she lives as a rogue, fending
only for herself. Then in a moment of rash judgment, she breaks all of her
rules to save a child, and in that moment her life is turned upside down. When
the rescue mission goes awry, Phoenix is captured by an underground group who
claims no allegiance with neither the Tribes nor The Sanctuary. She finds
herself in the most dangerous game of survival she has ever played.
In her captivity, only one person- the handsome and oddly
sympathetic Triven- shows Phoenix something she has never before experienced: kindness.
While warring with unfamiliar emotions and still skeptical of her captors'
motives, Phoenix quickly realizes that these people may just hold the key to
her lost memories. But who can she trust, when no one can be trusted? Not even
herself.
Excerpt
The unfortunate part of caring about a person other than
yourself, is that you become tethered to that someone. Suddenly every action
you make has double the consequences, which not only affect yourself, but that
other person as well.
I hated that feeling.
I have never had to think about anyone else before. Since
the day my parents died, I have only had to think about my own survival. But
now there were two of us to think about. I couldn’t even say what made me feel
so protective of Mouse. Maybe it was that she reminded me of myself, a small
child alone in the world. Not the me now, but the little girl who died that day
in the alley with her parents. That little girl.
Maybe it was the way she exuded innocence, the way a child
should. Maybe it was the way she looked at people with trusting eyes. The way
she turned to me for protection, even though I was not the most trustworthy
person. Still she looked to me for security, clung to my side when she was
frightened. Mouse looked at me like I was a better person, and for her sake I
wanted to be.
I just wasn’t sure I could be.
Places to find: New World Rising
Do you listen to
music while writing? If so what?
I love
listening to music when I write or when I’m brainstorming about writing.
Certain songs really help get my creative juices flowing so I like to create
book soundtracks. They can all be found in entirety on my website. For New World: Rising my playlist is as
follows:
1.
Freight Train- by Sara Jackson-Holman
2.
Medicine- by Daughter
3.
Gold- by Wake Owl
4.
Lonely Soul- by UNKLE
5.
Love of the Loveless- by Eels
6.
What the Water Gave Me- Florence + The Machine
7.
Say You- by Imaginary Cities
8.
Hanging On- by Ellie Goulding
9.
Say Something- by A Great Big World &
Christina Aguilera
10. Haunt-
by Bastille
11.
Dark Paradise- by Lana Del Rey
12. Skin-
by Zola Jesus
What books have
most influenced your life?
I am sure
this is cliché, but Harry Potter. Not because of the fame or money, but this
was the first series I fell in love with and because of how many lives J.K.
Rowling touched with her books. To reach that many people and inspire them to
dream and read… that is a true gift. So obviously, J.K. Rowling’s books are at
the top of that list, but there are many other authors I look up to: J.R.R.
Tolkien, Rick Yancey, Dan Brown, Suzanne Collins, Cassandra Clare and Diana
Gabaldon, to name a few.
How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?
I generally
get flashes of scenes— a girl on a rooftop, an action-packed fight sequence or
an impassioned kiss. From there, my mind
melds around these moments and a basic plot begins to develop. As the plot
matures, so do my characters. I tend to have a really loose technique when it
comes to writing. I always have an idea of
where my story is going, but often the journey getting there is just as
unexpected for me as it is for my readers. I jot notes on everything and
anything within reach when inspiration strikes, old receipts, paper bags, or on
my hand. I find these moments of epiphany are where some of my best ideas
originate—not forced but inspired.
What book are you reading now?
In the After by Demitria Lunetta and
loving it. I think Phoenix and Amy would get along quite well.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
In all
honesty relaxing for me is writing. I
find some kind of peace in letting my mind wander and my fingers type freely. If
for some reason I hit a roadblock or can’t seem to get inspired, I love walking
and playing with my golden retriever, Duke, or rock climbing with my husband.
Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers? If so, what are they?
Push
forward. Writing can be tedious, and it is easy to get caught up in what you
have already written. My best advice is to keep moving forward. The first book
I wrote, I continually read and re-read chapters I had already written instead
of moving the storyline forward. I constantly got stuck. For my second book, I
just kept writing. If there was something I wanted to add or re-write I took a side
note to go back once I was done. The whole process seemed to flow much better
that way.
Also, don’t
give up. Getting your book out there is a long and drawn-out process. It can be
discouraging at times and downright crushing at others. For every one person
who is willing to say yes to your book, there are fifty that will say no.
Remember— that’s okay! Some of the world’s most renowned authors were rejected
by dozens of agents before getting a yes and some of them even self-published
their first books. If writing is really what you want to do, don’t give up.
Some of the best books came from authors who were too strong-minded to take no
for an answer.
Lastly, write because you love it.
Not to make money or to be famous, write because you’re passionate. Because if
you’re passionate, it won’t matter what anyone else says, you are doing
something you love and that’s more important than a stranger’s opinion.
At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I have
wanted to a write since my early twenties, but alas inspiration doesn’t always
strike on command. It wasn’t until the age of 24 that I really found my voice.
How do you react to a bad review of your book?
I take each
one with a grain of salt. The beautiful part of being human is that we are all
entitled to our own opinions. So I must respect that not everyone will like my
work. If you get a bad review, see if anything can be learned from it and move
on. You can’t please everyone.
Are the names of the characters in your novels important? How and why?
Names are
very important to me. Your readers have to read them over and over again so I
want to pick ones that stick. Oddly enough, in my book, my main characters’
names aren’t revealed until after you get to know their personalities, so it
was even more important that they fit. I generally spend a lot of time on
meanings, but sometimes it is also just about what feels right.
Tell us about the
absolute BEST fan letter you have received.
No official
fan letters as of yet, but I can’t wait to receive my first one and share it
with readers!
Describe what it’s
like to be an author in three words.
Exhilarating.
Humbling. Nerve-racking.
Do you have any
special routines or rituals?
Not really,
my music really helps get the ideas flowing if I’m stuck. But I guess if I had
to pick something strange, I write in the shower… a lot. My friend even got me
a waterproof notepad for when inspiration strikes mid shampoo.
As a child Jennifer
loved getting lost in the stories of others, but struggled greatly with
reading. A notoriously slow reader who stumbled with words and spelling,
Jennifer shied away from books, leaning heavily on musical theater and movies
to get her inspirational fix.
It was not until in her mid-teens, when a persistent friend
convinced her to read the Harry Potter series, that Jennifer found her love for
the written word. J.K. Rowling’s books opened doors not only to the fascinating
world of a young wizard, but to a life filled with a multitude of literary
friends and fantastical worlds. Once a timid reader, Jennifer now devours books
and loves getting lost in a new series.
Jennifer had wanted to write her own novel since her early
twenties, but unfortunately inspiration doesn’t always strike on command. Her
first book, The Chosen, was completed in 2013. But as most first attempts go,
it was a flop. While looking through a multitude of rejection letters,
inspiration struck again, putting Grace’s story got on hold as Phoenix’s began.
New World: Rising began to fill Jennifer’s brain, flowing
like a fully opened valve from her fingertips. What was once such a struggle in
her early years suddenly became a passion.
When Jennifer is not writing, she is enjoying life in
Colorado, rock climbing, camping, exploring new foods, playing with her golden
retriever, Duke, and sharing her life with her handsome and wonderful husband.
Places to find: Jennifer Wilson
Other Books: by Jennifer Wilson
New World Series
New World: Ashes Coming Soon
The Chosen Series
The Chosen Coming
Soon
The Lost Coming Soon
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