Struck Blog Tour: Interview with Jennifer Bosworth

Today Jennifer Bosworth, author of Struck, is stopping by the blog for an interview. She's talking about what compelled her to write her debut novel, which scene came to her first, what she has in the works and more. You can also enter to win a hardcover of Struck.

Jennifer Bosworth was born in Price, Utah, a small, coal-mining town in the desert. As a kid, her favorite thing to do was roam alone through the barren hills and tell herself stories. As an adult, she continues to do the same thing, only now she's roaming the streets of Los Angeles, her favorite city in the world. 

Jennifer attended college at the University of Utah, where she later taught continuing education classes on writing horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Struck (FSG/Macmillan) is Jennifer's first published novel. 

*Bio taken from author website. 

Release Date: May 8, 2012

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Purchase: Amazon / IndieBound /Barnes & Noble

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She's survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn't who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.
*Description from Goodreads. 

Tell us the "elevator pitch" for Struck. 

The Stand meets "2012", set in Los Angeles. With warring doomsday cults. And a teenage lightning addict. And a sexy boy she can't trust. 

What compelled you to write this particular book? 

The idea grabbed me and refused to let go. Ever since I read The Stand as a kid, I always wanted to write an epic, end of the world novel, but i didn't want it to be depressing. So I added creepy cults, and super powers, and lots and lots of heat between my lightning addict and the boy who is either stalking her or trying to protect her.

What themes emerge in Struck? Were any of them unexpected?
I didn't start out writing with any themes in mind, but they definitely emerged strongly. There's room for interpretation in the novel, but the themes I see are about making choices. More specifically about making impossible choices. Between family and obligation. Between rights that seem wrong and wrongs that seem right. Another strong theme, one that readers seem to be responding to, some positively, some negatively, is the theme of religious fanaticism, and how dangerous it can be to follow anyone blindly, whether it be a religious leader, a politician, or even a teacher or parent. I want to remind people that they should never allow anyone else to do their thinking for them.


Which scene came to you first? What significance does it hold? 
The scene when Katrina takes Mia to the Rove, which is a traveling party that moves to a different empty building in destroyed downtown every night after the quake. That scene is actually now closer to the middle of the book, but it used to be the first chapter. I think I started there, because it was exciting, the idea of two teenage girls, one eager, one reluctant, making their way through a dangerous wasteland of fallen buildings. As far as imagery goes, that really worked for me. But later on I decided I needed a LOT more setup before we went to the Waste.

What is your favorite memory about your publishing journey and Struck? 
That's a hard one! So many great memories to choose from. But, for me, the most exciting part was filming my book trailer. I was actually getting really sick of Struck because I'd worked on it for so long, but then we filmed the book trailer, and I got to see it come to life. That revived my love for the book. I'll try not to forget it again.

What's up next for you?
I'm working on several projects, but the one that's closest to finished is a ghost story set in a claustrophobic, small town, ultra-religious community. I describe it as "Big Love" meets "The Ring" meets "The Stepford Wives". It's a crazy one, for sure.

Be sure to check out the Fierce Reads Fan Page, find out  more about the Fierce Reads Tour, and follow the Struck Blog Tour with the schedule below. 

Monday 5/7 - Wastepaper Prose

Tuesday 5/8 - Book Hounds YA

Wednesday 5/9 - Into the Hall of Books
Thursday 5/10 - From A to Z 
Friday 5/11 - Moonlight Book Reviews
Saturday 5/12 - Short and Sweet Reviews
Sunday 5/13 - Christina Reads YA

Monday 5/14 - Good Books and Good Wine
Tuesday 5/15 - Books with Bite
Wednesday 5/16 - Bewitched Bookworms
Thursday 5/17 - Anna Reads
Friday 5/18 - Diary of a Book Addict
Saturday 5/19 - From the TBR Pile

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