Meet the author Isabella Riegan. Her debut fantasy novel Code: Jenna is on sale now!
Riegan is a novelist and an aspiring playwright who has been at Sajina's Publishing Company for almost half a year. Born and raised in Louisiana, Riegan decided to attend University in Chicago and decided to stay. At 23 years old, she has published three books and is currently working on getting one of her plays on the stage. We had the opportunity to speak with her about her life and her new book.
Q: What inspired you to write Code: Jenna?
A: Yeah, I got my inspiration for this book one day while I was at a café. I was just having a cup of coffee at one of those outdoor tables while people watching. I was like 'Wow, I wonder where this person is headed. Or, I bet that person is a secret koreaboo.' Everyone in the city is living there own lives, but what about the other side of the city. The dark life we tend not to think about. The kind of life some of us have been sheltered from. What if someone had to grow up with that life from the beginning? That is how my main character Iris ended up being born. And you know me; I love some good fantasy. So throw some magic and mystical in there and voila.
Q. What do you like to do in your free time?
A. Believe it or not, I'm actually a big fan of cooking. I love trying out new recipes and cuisines from all around the world. If I'm not doing that, I'm probably either writing or playing with my dog Asmo.
Q. What character from your book would you say you relate to the most?
A. Well, I don't want to give anything away, but there is a character named Joel who is a huge foodie. He's the type of guy who can get any job done and celebrate by going out to eat after; even if it's just dropping off the mail at the post office. I gotta say him.
Q. What is the most recent project you have been working on?
A. I am actually working on a play right now. It is set in Victorian England and is focused on a boy who loses his entire family in a fire and has to rebuild his life from the ground up. I'm very excited about it actually. I've submitted it to a few theaters and heard back from one. We'll see where it goes, but I hope to see it on stage one day.
A good deed never goes unpunished. The book is about a young adult named Iris who grew up in the back alleys of Chicago. She has maneuvered her way out of quite a few predicaments and life-or-death situations throughout her life, but nothing like this. What seemed to be a regular night will change Iris's life forever after she runs into the wrong group of people. Whisked away from home overnight, Iris must use her wits and inner strength to escape her newfound prison. Below is a sneak preview of the book Code: Jenna available in stores and online June 1st.
Jenna? I don't know a Jenna, but the girl next to me is pulling my arm insisting we go find her. I glanced over my shoulder. She leans in and gives me a hug.
"Someone's following me, help." She whispered into my ear for a brief second. She is in trouble. Think, Iris, think.
"Jenna is running late. She said she would meet us at the movie. Did you want to have pizza at my place after?" I stammered.
The street was dark, lit up only by the flickering street lights above us. I could barely make out her faint nod as I grabbed her hand and led her away from whoever was bothering her. Lucky for her I knew this part of town well. I ducked through a few alleys with the hesitant girl in hand and managed to get back to the main street. I got a good look at her for the first time. She couldn't have been that much younger than me. She was small but stocky. Her dark red hair looked almost brown in the light of the night, but her pale white skin glowed. The girl was trembling and I could tell she was fighting back tears. I let out a sigh. Still holding her hand I looked her in the eyes.
"Look, I know I'm a complete stranger, but my place is nearby. Whoever was following you is gone now. Do you want to go there and call someone to come get you?"
She avoided my gaze but nodded her head. She gripped my hand tighter as if she needed reassurance that I was still there. I knew something was off I could feel it. I just couldn't pinpoint what. As soon as we made it back to the apartment, the girl crumpled to the floor sobbing.
"Hey. What's wrong?" I try to ask. "What is your name?"
She continues to sob frantically apologizing to me between breaths.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't want to drag you into this."
"What are you talking about? Are you okay?"
Her eyes started to glow a crimson red. She pounced from her spot by the door and tackled me to the ground. My head hit the end table on the way down. I tried to push her off me but she was strong, inhumanely strong. She pushed her hand on my throat, cutting off my airway. I tried to flip her over using my hips to get her off balance, but she didn't budge. I could feel myself about to run out of air, and with one last attempt at escape, I grabbed my pocket knife out of my jacket and stabbed her hand as deep as I could.