Gena, what was your inspiration for writing LIFEBLOOD?
I love scripture, and there are numerous scriptures about kingdoms not of this earth, kingdom vs. kingdom, a war between spiritual forces-and the power of choice, life and death, blessing and cursing, light and dark, good and evil. Those themes combined and the idea to write a series where life as we know it is just a dress rehearsal and real life actually begins after death—where two opposite realms are in power—was born. Of course, I had to add a forbidden romance to the mix!
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?
My favorite scene in the entire book is a two-page message from Killian to Ten. No one knows if he’s playing her in an effort to win the war or if he’s truly head over heels for her, and it has to stay that way. He has to play both realms in order to appease the powers that be—because he knows whatever he says to Ten will be monitored and dissected by Myriad and Troika. But I digress. In his message, he uses a numbered format—talk about knowing the way to Ten’s heart—but his 10th bullet point is what slays me. Talk about knowing the way to MY heart!
How long did you work on LIFEBLOOD?
Unlike Ten, numbers aren’t my jam. I tend to lose track of days/weeks/months, but I’m going to give this my best guess LOL I think it took me around two and a half months to write the rough draft, another month to do the revisions and then another month or two to do the different rounds of edits. So, I’m going to say it took me 6 months to write, revise and edit LIFEBLOOD
What’s your writing ritual like? Do you listen to music? Work at home or at a coffee shop or the library, etc?
In a nutshell: I work at home, in my office, on my new tread-desk, with music playing in the background. I always have a bottle of water nearby, and dogs snoozing on the floor around me. They love to fart while I work.
What are you working on now?
Happy to say I’m working on Everlife, the third book in the Everlife series. In this installment, things go from bad to worse for Ten. I can’t really say much more without giving away spoilers for LIFEBLOOD, but do not despair for our girl. It’s always darkest before the dawn.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lifeblood
by Gena Showalter
Hardcover
Harlequin Teen
Released 2/28/2017
My Firstlife is over, but my Everlife is only now beginning.
With her last living breath, Tenley “Ten” Lockwood made her choice and picked her realm in the Everlife. Now, as the war between Troika and Myriad rages, she must face the consequences.
Because Ten possesses a rare supernatural ability to absorb and share light, the Powers That Be have the highest expectations for her future and the enemy wants her neutralized. Fighting to save her Secondlife, she must learn about her realm from the ground up while launching her first mission: convincing a select group of humans to join her side before they die. No pressure, right?
But Ten’s competition is Killian, the boy she can’t forget the one who gave up everything for her happiness. He has only one shot at redemption: beating Ten at a game she’s never even played. As their throw-downs heat up, so do their undeniable feelings, and soon, Ten will have to make another choice. Love or victory.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Have you had a chance to read LIFEBLOOD yet? Did you like the idea of the secret note? Have you played with a similar idea in your writing? What do you hope will happen in the next installment of the Everlife series? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Emily, Jocelyn, Anisaa, Sam, Martina, Erin,
Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, and Lori Ann
