Ixeos by Jennings Wright Blog Tour Stop

~About the book~

The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose:  to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren't the only problem on Ixeos -- the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There's no way home. 

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~About the author~

Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn't spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories.

Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit.

Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn't stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a business owner and writer, and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda.

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~Interview~

1.Hello, Jennings! Can you tell me something about you and your book “IXEOS”?

Hi! I am a Floridian who lives in NC with my husband and two kids, 16 and 20. I have non-profit in Uganda, and love to travel. IXEOS is a book aimed at my kids’ age, and has a lot of my travel bug in it. In the book, the outsiders can get all over the world through the tunnels under Paris, which gave me the opportunity to discover some really great locations.

2.When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I have probably always wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t realize I could be one until November 2011 when I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) for the first time. I was fully expecting to write something really bad, but I thought the event sounded fun, so I signed up. If it was terrible, no one ever had to see it! When I was done, though, I realized it was pretty good. I was shocked, to be honest. That was when I realized that I really could write novels successfully.

3.Where do you find your inspiration for your novels? Have you ever found it in real life?

My inspiration always comes first from locations, which is not the “normal” way most writers do it! Once I discovered this, after trying to come up characters or plots first and always failing, I’ve had no trouble devising stories. I haven’t written anything based on my own life as far as plots go (my books are a lot more exciting!), although I used my many visits to Uganda to describe African life in Solomon’s Throne.

4.Do any of your fictional characters resemble you?

Rei Quinn is who I want to be when I grow up. She’s smart, capable, brave, funny… and she has great hair.

5.What book is the first one that you remember reading?

My mom and aunt had an original set of the Bobbsey Twins books, which my grandmother had kept. I remember the green clothbound books on the shelf as clearly as if it were yesterday. I read all of those books when I was really young. I also read all the Beatrix Potter books starting in kindergarten.

6.Do you have a favorite book?

The Lord of the Rings is definitely my favorite book. I read it once a year, on average, and always cry at the same parts. I also always find something new that I didn’t notice before. I think Tolkein did an amazing job building Middle Earth!

7.If you were about to leave on a trip, which book would you take with you?

I just went to Uganda in February! I always make sure I have new books on my Kindle (I actually got my first Kindle for my travels to Uganda, since it’s hard to haul a bunch of books 8,000 miles!). I brought The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry,  The Devil’s Elixir by Raymond Khoury, and The Torah Codes by Ezra Barany. I really enjoy reading action adventure treasure hunts, but I can’t read them when I’m writing in that genre. Since I’m writing YA sci-fi fantasy at the moment, I’m working through my list.

8.Tell us one thing you’d like to change about people from nowadays.

I wish everyone weren’t always in such a hurry. We’re kind of the Twitter culture these days. Everyone wants short, quick answers to everything. No one puts their phone away for five minutes anymore. We can’t get away from our devices and just be quiet and enjoy living for a while. I think it’s too bad, and that we miss out on a lot.

9.Is there a moment in your life you’d like to live again?

Not really. I don’t dwell on the past. I’m kind of an “in the present” person. I try not to miss out on what’s happening now by looking back or trying to skip ahead to the future. I’ve always been that way, but I think we get more like this as we get older. We realize that value of the now.

10.Do you have a message for Romanian readers? Why would you recommend your book?

Wow, having Romanian readers is awesome! I guess my message is “welcome!” I write very international books, although the main characters are American. I think they are accessible to anyone in the world, so I’m honored to have Romanians give them a try. IXEOS follows this same theme – American teens are brought to Ixeos, but they live in Paris and travel all over the world. It’s a good vs evil, freedom vs slavery story, which I think resonates with all people, everywhere. 

~Giveaway~

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 4/12/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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