Guest Post: Altered author, Jennifer Rush + A GIVEAWAY!!!

Title: Altered (Altered #1)
Author: Jennifer Rush
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co., 336 Pages (January 2nd, 2013)
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Guest Post -

Photo by: Jennifer Rush

For me, a story usually starts with a character. Sometimes it’s the main character, or maybe the love interest, or maybe even the main character’s mother. Plot always comes much later (sometimes much, much later).

With Altered, when I talk about its beginning, I always say it’s a story that started with a boy and a girl. But Anna, the main character, changed a lot from the first draft to the final version. She started out as a dancer, specifically a ballerina. Then, through revision, dance was replaced with combat lessons, which gave her the ability to keep up with the four genetically altered boys later in the story. But she still needed a passion, a hobby. I gave her a camera and a box full of pictures. I was close, but not close enough.

Photo by: Jennifer Rush

It was my editor who suggested sketching as a hobby. And when I later added scenes with Anna drawing, I knew immediately that it was the right choice. The character really came alive, and it was with that passion that one of my favorite lines was written. Anna describes drawing an Italian café, and the street outside and soon she’s drawing her and Sam (her crush!) into the drawing. And she says, “With my pencil I could set us both free.” That line said so much. It made me realize how trapped Anna felt, even though she was the one who was technically free to go as she pleased. It was Sam who was trapped in the Branch’s lab in the basement below her farmhouse. But to her, being anywhere outside of the lab wouldn’t be the same without Sam.

Photo by: Jennifer Rush

Characters are hard for me to write, but they are by far my favorite aspect of crafting a novel.

And when I tried to think of ways to bring Anna to life outside of Altered, in a way that I could share with readers now, I realized I could do something fun with my other passion: photography.

I put together an Altered themed photo shoot with a super adorable, and super sweet girl named Cassidy. She was wonderful to work with, and reminded me a lot of Anna. I hope you dig the pictures! And who knows, maybe my next shoot will be with a shirtless Sam?

Photo by: Jennifer Rush

Jenn, thank you SO much for sharing this post and these amazing pictures of "Anna". I loved hearing about how she changed from first draft into the Anna we get a chance to meet in Altered. I loved her and the boys so much. I can't wait to read book two!

Bio: 

Jennifer Rush began telling lies at the age of five and was immediately hooked. Fiction was far better than reality, and she spent most of her teens writing (about vampires, naturally). She currently lives in Michigan with her husband and two kids and enjoys eating ice cream in her spare time. ALTERED is her debut novel. 

Find Jennifer Online: 

Website/Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Pre-Order Altered Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

GIVEAWAY!!!

Jenn has been pretty amazing to this blogger. She mailed an ARC of Altered for me to read and then GIVEAWAY! So... ONE lucky winner will receive an ARC of ALTERED! It's been lovingly cared for and read, but is in perfect condition. I loved the book and hate to see it leave my house, but I LOVE to spread the book love on to others.

Rules and how to enter:

Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter this giveaway.
Name & Email Address must be provided. (Easy Entry, just click the form & it does it for you!)
You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
This giveaway is open: INTERNATIONAL!!
Giveaway ends: January 10th, 2013 (12:01AM EST)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jenn, I can't say thank you enough for everything!

Book two, I'm there. Anything, anytime just let me know.