Jessica Therrien recently released her second novel in the Children of the Gods series, Uprising, and we got a chance to talk to her about her book and more.

Children of the Gods follows the story of Elyse, a Descendent of a Greek god. We first meet her in the novel Oppression, which begins her journey into a world she scarcely knew existed. We recently reviewed its sequel, Uprising, and had a great time reading it. We chatted with Therrien to find out more about her and her series.

Tell us 5 random facts about yourself.

1. I had a baby 4 months ago.
2. I lived in Taiwan for a year studying Chinese.
3. Before writing, husband, and baby I wanted to be on Broadway.
4. I’m deathly afraid of tornadoes, anything alien, and I’m still sort of afraid of the dark.
5. I have a strange attraction to straight teeth.

Why do you feel you had to tell this story?

It just kept nagging me. I’d find myself running through scenes of dialogue in my head…it was weird.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

The very first notes given to me by my editor hit me hard. They were great notes, but I was so new to criticism that I cried in the car for what seemed like an hour. After that, I did some re-writes (as in basically re-wrote the book) and it turned out SO much better. I couldn’t have been happier.

What has been the best compliment?

I remember an ARC reader of Oppression finished the book in four hours. She wrote me to tell me how much she loved it and let me know she was about to read it again. Compliments like that never get old.

Do you most relate to your main characters, or to secondary characters?

I basically am my main character. She’s the best and worst parts of me.

Do you have things you need in order to write (i.e. coffee, cupcakes, music)?

Nope. Just my laptop. :)

Where’s your favorite place to write?

In the car while my husband is driving. His music is usually on, which gets me going.

What is easier to write: The first line or the last line?

The first. The first 50 pages usually pour out of me. After that it gets harder.

What one YA novel do you wish you had when you were a teen?

Blood Red Road.

Which authors have been the biggest influences on you as a writer?

Anne Lamott, JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Veronica Roth, Moira Young, Tahereh Mafi.

What are you working on now?

Book 3 in my Children of the Gods series. I’m about 30% done.

If you were to write another book or series, would you feature gods (Greek or otherwise), or would you like to do something completely different?

I’m definitely ready to write something new, and I plan to. :)

About Jessica Therrien

Jessica Therrien is the author of the young adult paranormal fiction series Children of the Gods. Book one in the series, Oppression, was published by ZOVA Books in February of 2012 and became a Barnes & Noble best-seller shortly after its release.

Jessica spent most of her life in the small town of Chilcoot, California, high up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this town of nearly 100 residents, with no street lights or grocery stores, there was little to do but find ways to be creative. Her mother, the local English teacher, inspired her to do all things artistic, and ultimately instilled in her a love for language.

Jessica currently lives in Chula Vista with her husband and is working on book 3 in her Children of the Gods series.