Oppression Blog Tour: Interview and Book Review!

I am honored to have Jessica Therrien on my blog today! For those of you who don't know who she is (shame on you ;P ), Jessica is the author of Oppression, book one in the Children of the Gods series. A little bit about Jessica:

I am a newly married and soon-to-be published 26-year-old. OPPRESSION, book one of my YA paranormal romance/adventure series, CHILDREN OF THE GODS, will be out February 28, 2012. I am a graduate of San Diego State University. I lived in Taiwan for a year where I learned Chinese, but I live in Chula Vista where everyone speaks Spanish instead. Although I spend most days in a cubicle at my day job, my alter ego is a writer, who loves the arts with a passion.

Okay, and now for the interview!

 1. Tell us 5 random things about yourself.

• I have a passion for theater. I used to act and sing and dream of being on Broadway.
• I’m still kind of afraid of the dark.
• I have baby fever REAL bad.
• I’m addicted to The Vampire Diaries.
• I attended National Taiwan University for a year before getting my degree in Asian Studies.

2. Describe your novel in 7 words or less.

A story of love, conflict, and hope.

3. Authors get asked this question a lot, and more often than not, they probably hate it. But I just have to ask it! Where did the idea for this book come from? I know there’s a Greek mythology twist, so was there a certain myth that inspired you?

I do get asked this quite a bit, and sadly there’s not a very interesting story behind it. Oppression came about simply because I wasn’t finding a YA book that satisfied me in the way Twilight or Hunger Games did, so I set out to write a book that would.

I took some liberties with the Greek Myths. I used them only as a basis for my story. Elyse was based off of the following idea:

“The blood of the Gorgon, which Athena gave Asclepius, came from two very different veins. The blood from the right side could heal mankind -- even from death, while the blood from the left vein could kill.”

4. What kind of research did you have to do for “Oppression?”

A ton. I had to research the different gods of course, and other elements of Greek Mythology. I bought books and searched online. I dug up quotes from Homeric Hymns. It was all very fun and inspirational though.

5. Who is your favorite Greek god or goddess? Why?

Aphrodite, because she’s the goddess of love. I’m a sucker for love.

6. What was the hardest part when writing this book? What was your favorite part?

Editing and re-writing was the hardest part, but also my favorite part. Putting the finishing touches on something I’d put my heart and soul into was an emotional process.

7. What does your protagonist think of you? Would she want to hang out with you, the author, her creator?

Elyse is very much like me in a lot of ways. We’re both introverts who like to be at home. I imagine we’d get along pretty well…maybe hang out in our PJs all day.

8. If you weren’t a writer, what would your ideal career be?

I’ve always wanted to be a mommy. It’s one of the best jobs I can think of. Hopefully, I will be…one of these days.

9. Do you have an interesting writing quirk you’d like to share with us?

I tend to write better when there is a lot of chaos around me. Put me in a quiet room with all the time in the world to write, and I go blank.

10. What can you tell us about book two in “Children of the Gods?”

Hmmm….very tempting. I really want to spill the beans, but you know I can’t! Let’s just say there are lots of twists and turns, new characters, some good action, and of course, a great love story. Book two will be out sometime next year.

11. Is there anything else that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you so much for all of your support and enthusiasm. I’m so grateful for you! It’s been so much fun, and I really hope you enjoy the book!

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Jessica, thank you sooo much for taking the time and answering these questions!

And actually yes, I did enjoy the book very much :) Check out my review:

Title: Oppression

Series: Children of the Gods #1

Author: Jessica Therrien

Publication date: February 28, 2012

Published by: ZOVA Books

Blurb from Goodreads:

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

My rating:

Elyse is not a normal 18-year-old girl. In fact, she isn't even 18! She is 89 years old but looks 18. Why? Well, its simple, really: she ages slower than a normal human. Plus, she has the very cool ability of healing! At first, Elyse doesn't know why she is the way she is, her parents never explained it to her before they died. And then she meets William...the lovely, charming William *sigh*

Thanks to him, she learns that she is not the only one with these rare gifts...there are a lot of others out there just like her! They are known as Descendants...descendants of the gods and goddesses from ancient Greece. Pretty darn cool, right?

However, this isn't the only thing she learns about herself. Elyse also learns that she is part of a very important prophecy that will change the world and the way the Descendants live. Elyse doesn't know what to do...she was just thrust into this world she didn't know about and now they expected her to save them?? That's a bit too much to ask of her.

On top of that, Elyse has a very sick human friend. Yes, Elyse can heal, but to heal her friend means to give up her own life. Will Elyse risk her life, future and her newly found love for someone she really cherishes? Elyse has a tough decision to make, but which one will it be?

Oh this book...well, what can I say, I'm a total sucker for anything Greek mythology and this book was just amazing!

I liked how we learned about Elyse and her world along with her, about all the different (and cool) powers each individual possessed. I've always said that if I were to have some superpower it would be healing, which makes sense since I want to go into nursing...plus my favorite Greek god is Apollo, the god of medicine and healing (plus several other things!) I loved seeing all the familiar (to me) Greek god names. However, there was one I had never heard of! She was the Greek goddess of safety and I already forgot her name, lol. I know it starts with an S though!

Anyway, William's power is pretty cool too. I totally knew who his ancestor was, hehe.

Oh William...anyone know where I can get a William just for myself?? He such a great guy, sweet, charming, gorgeous... *sigh* Elyse is very lucky to have him.

One character that really surprised me was Kara. At first I thought she was going to kill Elyse because, well, that's what she does. But through out the whole book she was a conflicting character. Both Elyse and I were debating whether she was a friend or not. And then at the end...what she did...wow.

Romantic, suspenseful, funny, and action-y...a story definitely worth checking out! I sooo cannot wait for book 2!

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I want to thank Jessica for having me as part of her Blog tour, it was very fun! And the book...amazing! To see more of the blog tour or find out where you can buy her book, visit her website!