Guest Post by Rori Shay

“Even Jennifer Garner Gets Punched on the Job”

I’m not even kidding with the title of this post!  I saw Jennifer Garner give a talk last year. During her speech she told a funny story about how sometimes writers create such dynamic characters, people start treating actors like they’re the characters in real life. The story Jennifer told had to do with her time on Alias. Quentin Tarantino asked JJ Abrams if he could guest star on the show, but only if he could do a fight scene with Jennifer’s character, Sydney Bristow.

Jennifer sometimes had stunt doubles do the fight scenes on the show, but in this case, Quentin wanted it to be real and have them both fight each other without doubles. Jennifer said she prided herself that after a few years on the show, she had gotten very good at “fake fighting”. She had even got up the nerve to tap her opponent lightly with her hand or weapon to make the fight look more authentic on screen. She was expecting the same kind of fake fighting with Quentin.

So she was floored when he hit her with a full-on punch in the stomach. Now, you all know Jennifer Garner from the movies. She’s a sweet, genuine character, and in real life she literally seems the same way. I believe her when she said that Quentin’s punch was the first time in her entire life she’d ever been punched. (I remember my own first punch given to me by Jessica Spicer’s brother in the living room of their house.  The wind was completely knocked out of me, and I was astounded.) So of course Jennifer was surprised, had to catch her breath, etc. But she got back into it, not wanting to seem weak.

And Quentin punched her in the stomach again!

The interesting thing is that he had started thinking of Jennifer as being the same hardcore person as her character on Alias, Sydney. He didn’t see her as a shy, innocent actress from West VA anymore. He sincerely saw Jennifer Garner as a butt-kicking spy.

THAT is the power of what we can do with the written word. (And of course a bit of good acting!) 🙂 But it’s our words as writers that make characters come alive so fully that it enduces this kind of reaction in people. So write on, you writers! Keep creating characters that capture the imagination and even make famous directors forget what’s real and what we’ve made up in our stories!

Today is my stop on the blog tour for ELECTED by Rori Shay! This is one book you don’t want to miss and is out TODAY! The Kickstarter to this book will be available today here. You will be able to get a copy of ELECTED in hardcover and/or paperback with a free ebook, a lot of special limited-edition items and other free books. Don’t wait, get your copy today!

ELECTED
by Rori Shay
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Publisher:Silence in the Library Publishing

Blurb:
It’s the year 2185, and in two weeks, Aloy will turn eighteen and take her father’s place as president of the country. But to do so, she must masquerade as a boy to avoid violating the Eco-Accords, four treaties designed to bring the world back from the brink of environmental extinction. Aloy hopes to govern like her father, but she is inheriting a different country. The long concealed Technology Faction is stepping out of the shadows, and as turmoil grows within her country, cryptic threats also arrive from beyond the borders.

As she struggles to lead, Aloy maintains her cover by marrying a woman, mean-while battling feelings for the boy who knows her secret – the boy who is somehow connected to her country’s recent upheaval. When assassination attempts add to the turmoil, Aloy doesn’t know whom to trust. She understood leadership required sacrifice. She just didn’t realize the sacrifice might be her life.

About the Author:
Rori Shay is an author living in the Washington, DC area with her husband, daughters, black lab, and cat – just not quite in the same exciting circumstances as ELECTED’s main character, Aloy. She enjoys running, gardening, reading, doing yoga, and volunteering with the Dwelling Place non-profit. Rori is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

Author social media links:
– Website
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Goodreads

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~Kindle
~Items seen in ELECTED such as a marriage binding (temporary tattoo)
~Hemlock soap
~Necklace as seen in ELECTED
~Signed paperback copy of ELECTED
~Optional FaceTime or Skype session with the author for 1/2 an hour (can be used one-on-one or at the winner’s book club, etc.)

Elected Giveaway