SUNSCORCHED: by Jen Crane: Death in daylight. Danger at dark. ***Interview with Jen Crane -- Giveaway***
Sunscorched
by Jen Crane
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic
Release Date: October 23rd 2018
Death in daylight. Danger at dark.
Life can’t possibly get more treacherous than a violent sun allergy in a solar-blighted world. At least that’s what seventeen-year-old Nori Chisholm thought before news of an impending sunscorch delivered her death sentence.
Desperate to survive the scorch, she’s forced to shelter underground and discovers a secret subterranean world where life is hard, and so are the people. Betrayed and left for dead by the man who pledged to help her, Nori is sold to a gritty pit fighting ring. There she makes a friend—and plenty of enemies.
Sam Cooper’s motives are at times impenetrable, but speeding through the underground world on the back of his motorcycle is a dark freedom Nori can’t live without. On the run from a group of cutthroat rogues, their escape takes an unexpected twist. A shocking discovery shatters everything they thought they knew. Can they use the knowledge to save what’s left of the world?
Winner of the Rosemary Award for excellence in young adult fiction, Sunscorched is a tale of survival and self-discovery at breakneck speed. Fans of Bella Forrest and Marie Lu, who crave dangerous heroes and dark secrets, will love the Sunscorched world.
An Interview with
Jen Crane
Tell us a little bit about why you write in your chosen genre, and if you have books in other genres as well.
Sunscorched is a young adult post-apocalyptic. I didn’t choose the genre so much as the story came to life in my head. I have three other books out right now. They’re fantasy romance novels—you know, magic and dragons and shifters. It’s another world I loved building.
What was the title of your first book, and what was/is it about?
Rare Form is the first book in the Descended of Dragons series. It’s about a girl who not only discovers an alternate realm, but the truth about her own ancestry. There are three books in the series, which tell Stella’s story as she navigates an enchanted grad school with some pretty severe disadvantages.
The first book seems to be the most difficult to get off the ground. What inspired you to write it?
Writing has always been something I enjoy. But I’d worked in government or non-profits, taking complicated subjects and distilling them into quickly-consumable policy papers or press releases. Writing novels is the opposite of that. What readers want are rich details and well-developed characters. It took time for me to learn how to do it. I’m still learning. You know, I read once that Stephen King had real regrets about Carrie. Can you imagine? But maybe every author feels that way since writing is also a learning process.
A friend of mine and I were talking books one day and she said, “You should write a book. You could totally do it.” I thought, well, okay, and I gave it a shot. It took a long time because I had to learn how to write a book. Rare Form was the first story to come to paper out of a hundred swimming around in my head.
What is your most current book?
Sunscorched, my newest book, is about a girl who’s been secluded in her parents’ home her entire life. She has a violent sun allergy in a world where there are few dark hours. No school, no friends, no life. It’s no wonder she thrives when introduced to an exciting subterranean world.
Is it a series?
Yes! In fact, Book 2, Terminal Combustion, is finished and set to release in early December.
New books are so exciting. Do you have more stories planned or that you’ve been working on for the future?
I plan to write three books in the Subterranean series. I’ve outlined Book 3, and am excited to get to work on it!
After that, I have another idea I’m working on, something a little different. Darker.
That sounds like a lot of fun.
Can you share a little bit about your main character’s, and what drives them?
Sure. Nori Chisholm has been sheltered, and not just because of her violent sun allergy in a solar blighted world. She and her parents have lost a lot. They’re emotionally damaged from the loss of Nori’s siblings in the first sunscorch. Nori has always felt like she’s living for three people. She’s intensely driven and motivated.
Some stories have strong themes. How important are themes in your writing? Is your theme based on the story, or are your stories birthed from a theme/or themes?
Sunscorched does have a few themes. The first is the real and present threat of climate change. Sure, Sunscorched is a fictionalized plot, but much of the earth’s damage is based on my research of what the world will look like in 50, 100, 200 years. Another theme in the book is culturism and prejudice, but more on that later in the series.
So many Authors are artists by nature. Do you have any other artwork or hobbies you do on a consistent basis?
Not me-- I can hardly draw stick people! I do love to cook. I love to run and to be outside, whether it’s gardening or floating a river by canoe.
What were your passions growing up?
I grew up on a working cattle ranch in a tiny rural town. I raised show animals for the fair and played basketball. And I spent a lot of time on horseback, which I wish I could do more of today. Most of my days were spent free-range playing with my younger sister because we didn’t have neighbors.
What are your passions now?
I love time spent with my children, and volunteering at their school. I enjoy time at the gym, and in the kitchen. Honestly, though, writing is my passion now. I cherish any time I can spend on it, and consider it a real privilege—just like this interview. Thank you so much for having me.
You're welcome. Thank you for joining us today. We’re looking forward to seeing the books you’ll be showcasing in the future.
What were your passions growing up?
I grew up on a working cattle ranch in a tiny rural town. I raised show animals for the fair and played basketball. And I spent a lot of time on horseback, which I wish I could do more of today. Most of my days were spent free-range playing with my younger sister because we didn’t have neighbors.
What are your passions now?
I love time spent with my children, and volunteering at their school. I enjoy time at the gym, and in the kitchen. Honestly, though, writing is my passion now. I cherish any time I can spend on it, and consider it a real privilege—just like this interview. Thank you so much for having me.
You're welcome. Thank you for joining us today. We’re looking forward to seeing the books you’ll be showcasing in the future.
About the Author
Though she grew up on a working cattle ranch, it's fantasy and sci-fi that shine Jen Crane's saddle. Her newest novel, Sunscorched, received the 2017 Rosemary Award for excellence in young adult fiction.Book 2 in Jen's fantasy romance series, Descended of Dragons, was selected by iTunes/iBooks as "Our Pick" in fantasy/sci-fi.
Jen has a master’s degree and solid work histories in government and non-profit administration. But just in the nick of time she pronounced life *too real* for nonfiction. She now creates endearing characters and alternate realms filled with adventure, magic, and love. She lives in The South with her family and too many pets.
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