Synopsis:
Braedyn is a normal girl just trying to survive high school with her two devoted friends, Royal and Cassie. Together they’re doing a pretty good job of shrugging off the slings and arrows cast their way by the popular crowd when a new boy, Lucas, moves into the house next door. Suddenly Braedyn finds herself falling in love for the first time.
But as her sixteenth birthday approaches, Braedyn discovers humankind is at war with the Lilitu, an ancient race of enticing demons that prey on human souls. Her father is a member of the Guard fighting against the Lilitu – and so are the new neighbors, including her crush, Lucas.
As her world starts to unravel at the seams, Braedyn learns the right answers aren’t always clear or easy. And as for “good” and “evil” – it all depends on how we choose to act.
Inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian myths of Lilith and her offspring, Thrall explores first love, strong friendships, and taking on adult responsibilities against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces and life-and-death stakes.
But as her sixteenth birthday approaches, Braedyn discovers humankind is at war with the Lilitu, an ancient race of enticing demons that prey on human souls. Her father is a member of the Guard fighting against the Lilitu – and so are the new neighbors, including her crush, Lucas.
As her world starts to unravel at the seams, Braedyn learns the right answers aren’t always clear or easy. And as for “good” and “evil” – it all depends on how we choose to act.
Inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian myths of Lilith and her offspring, Thrall explores first love, strong friendships, and taking on adult responsibilities against the backdrop of powerful supernatural forces and life-and-death stakes.
Lisa’s Review: I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars. Once I started the book I didn’t want to put it down, however, had to because a girls has to work. I was always eager to return to the book at the end of the day.
The story flowed well and it kept my attention. Jennifer did a wonderful job with balancing Braedyn’s life struggles with all of the emotions she was experiencing.
I really loved the characters. Braedyn is brave and loyal. Lucas is the guy next door. who is supposed to be off limits to Braedyn. One of my favorite characters is Braedyn’s best friend, Royal. He is funny, loyal, genuine, and tells things they way they are. A great friend to have in a nut shell.
Synopsis:
Braedyn Murphy used to think nothing important ever happened in her sleepy town of Puerto Escondido. But that was before she learned she was a descendent of Lilith, the mother of all demons. Now Braedyn fights to protect humanity from the Lilitu – the beautiful, souls-stealing daughters of Lilith.
As she fights the Lilitu, Braedyn must also fight her growing love for her boyfriend Lucas – because even a simple kiss could end his life. Their only ray of hope is an angel’s offer to make Braedyn human, but it’s an offer she can’t accept until the world is safe from the Lilitu.
Braedyn knows she’s a key player in this ancient war… but she’s not ready to believe she just might be humanity’s best hope of surviving the final battle for Earth.
Lisa’s Review: This book is amazing. I give it 4 1/2 stars. Make sure you read book one to this series first because there are not a lot of reminders from it. With that being said, I’m glad I read this one close to the time I read first one. Braedyn really goes through a lot during this one and she does a lot of growing during it. I love the fact that we see more of Royal and Cassie in this book. As with the first book, Jennifer’s writing is superb and the pace was good.
Synopsis:
Just when Braedyn Murphy thought she understood the danger descending on her little town of Puerto Escondido, a new threat arrives. A cult devoted to Lilith has taken up residence in town, led by a charismatic old woman with more than one secret. When Cassie gets tangled up in the mystery, Braedyn realizes her two worlds are colliding. But if she’s going to stop Lilith and her Daughters from reclaiming this earth, Braedyn might not be able to protect her friends.
As her duties to the Guard become more difficult, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. They begin to wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have.
Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. No one ever told Braedyn this battle would be easy—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world?
As her duties to the Guard become more difficult, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. They begin to wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have.
Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. No one ever told Braedyn this battle would be easy—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world?
Interview With Jennifer Quintenz
What’s the best thing about being an author?
When you connect with an audience. There’s always this moment of questioning after you’ve written down the stories in your head – will they mean anything to anyone else? For me it’s all about connecting with people, evoking emotions, taking your readers on a rollercoaster ride. Of course, I have to be my first audience – if I’m not writing a book I want to read then I have no business writing it at all! But after I tell the story that resonates with me, I am always so gratified and touched when I hear that it’s touched someone else, too. Yes, I write paranormal stories – but I try to root them in some real, human emotion that we can all identify with.
What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?
This totally depends on which stage of the process I’m in:
OUTLINING – Usually I sit down to write a bit, then go for a walk or mull things over working in the garden. I usually spend about a month outlining the book, trying to solve all the story problems, character arcs, etc. before I sit down to write a word of the actual book. This is the hardest stage for me, wrestling with the blank page. When I’m outlining, it’s much harder to set daily writing goals because you can’t schedule epiphanies, but I still try! 🙂
FIRST DRAFT – This is much more straightforward. I get my kiddo off to school, then I sit down in my zero-gravity chair with my lap desk and laptop and I try to write one chapter a day – which could be anywhere from 7 to 15 pages (averaging around 5,000 words a day). I always start by rewriting the previous day’s chapter to catch errors, improve the writing, and get my head back into the world before I start with the brand new stuff. This is where having a super-tight outline helps, because if I’ve done my job in the outline, I can typically write a first draft in one month.
FINAL DRAFT – Another stage where things change, depending on the needs of the project. I usually send the first draft out for notes, then gather all thoughts in one super-notes document and figure out which to tackle first. I try to do it by major storylines, starting with the A story (main plot), then the B story (romance, usually), then C, D, E, etc (stories surrounding friends, family, other factors…). In this stage I also sit in my writing chair with the laptop.
What are your must have writing accessories?
1) Zero Gravity Chair (when I was writing for TV I’d spend 14 hours writing a day without a good chair and I gave myself a stress fracture in my tailbone just from sitting! Who knew that was even a thing?!) While this thing was expensive, it was totally worth the money and I love it love it love it.
2) My laptop. Okay, this should probably be #1. I don’t write long-hand, because I’m so much faster when typing.
3) Software: Scrivener (software for outlining, organizing, and first draft), Word for final draft.
What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Write and finish projects. You learn a lot by finishing something, be it a short story, a screenplay, or a novel. Not just the first draft, but the whole rewriting process. When you rewrite, you come face to face with your strenghts and weaknesses – and what you learn during that process will stay with you as you start the next project. Don’t just start a bazillion stories and let them languish. Finish them.
If you could work with any author who would it be?
Yikes… wow. Joss Whedon. His mind is a fascinating, squirrelly maze of emotion, drama, high-stakes, kickass characters, and the struggle for justice in an unjust world.
If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?
Awesome question! Hm… here are some contenders:
“Power Through Your Doubts”
“Trust The Muse”
“Why Not Take The Risk?”
Do you have a playlist for the Thrall series? If so, what’s on it?
That is a great question. I can’t listen to music while I’m writing (it totally throws my concentration) but I do love to get inspiration from music. Some of the songs that inspire me include:
“Erase/Rewind” by the Cardigans
“Siren” by Red Delicious
“Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
Which character from the Thrall series are you most like? Why?
Definitely Cassie – though I wish I’d had her fashion flare. I’m quiet, kind of shy, and I love to sew. Loyal to a few good friends. Probably too naive for my own good in many situations.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I have been working on coordinating (with my good friend and fellow writer Pang-Ni Landrum) an anthology of stories to benefit the Lupus Foundation of America (May is Lupus Awareness Month!) called “Empower: Fight Like A Girl.” The stories were donated by some incredible TV writers and range from crime stories to paranormal thrillers to zombie comedies. I contributed a story called “Stolen Child” which is a short story that bridges Book 3 and Book 4 in the Daughters series. I don’t want to say too much, but if you’re looking for a preview of things to come, check it out!
I’m also undertaking a new story, this one more sci-fi in it’s focus than paranormal, and I’m very excited about it – hopefully it will be released this year.
Also – still working on the last 2 books of the Daughters series. Book 4 is called “Guardian” and it’s going to be a game changer for Braedyn and her friends…
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Just: THANK YOU. I have been blown away by the notes and reviews and comments from readers all over the world and it means so much to know that these stories I have worked so hard to bring to life are resonating with people. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading!
And thank you, Lisa & Sarah, for the interview!
Author Bio: Originally from New Mexico (and still suffering from Hatch green chile withdrawal), Jenn includes Twentieth Television’s WICKED, WICKED GAMES and AMERICAN HEIRESS among her produced credits. Outside of TV, she created THE BOND OF SAINT MARCEL (a vampire comic book mini-series published by Archaia Studios Press), and co-wrote THE RED STAR graphic novels (with creator Christian Gossett from 2007 to 2009). She’s also the author of the award-winning DAUGHTERS OF LILITH paranormal thriller YA novels, and is currently realizing a life-long dream of growing actual real live avocados in her backyard. No guacamole yet–but she lives in hope.
Giveaway Time!!
Ebook of Thrall, Incubus, and Sacrifice
Open Internationally.
Ebook of Thrall, Incubus, and Sacrifice
Open Internationally.
Thanks Jennifer, awesome interview!
Thanks for all the giveaways….awesome blog
Thanks, Jennifer 🙂
I am now interested in this author. Thank you.
Thank you Jennifer for the great giveaway!