'The Alien Mind' By: Virginia Lori Jennings... Get to Know the Characters

1. Main Character: Rivinaig Nejnigins: (Rivi for short) A 14 year old young girl who was kidnapped along with 149 other children and then raised by aliens at a young age. Her alien parents are Ankh and Enuet. While memories from that fateful day that she was taken from Earth still haunt her at times, she finds strength in leading the fight against the vary aliens who are trying to enslave the children once more. A gifted Comp Amalgamator, she can use her mind to meld into the very workings of any electronic device.
2. Main Character: Daniel Peterson: (Rivi refers to him as Dan) Also 14 years old, Dan was raised on earth by foster parents. He meets Rivi on her first day of school on Earth when she stops a group of bullies from attacking him. As they end up being paired together for a school project, Rivi suggests their subject be ‘Mind over Matter’ as they work on Daniel’s problems with the local bullies. Dan turns out to be her closest friend and ally as he joins her on her trip across space to defeat the Aruk who are after her and the 149 children.
3. Main Supporting Groups:
1. Aruk: A fascist group of aliens who kidnap the 150 children in order to find mankind’s weakness.
2. Aunantet: Aliens from the planet Aun who rescue the children from Aruk captivity. The Aunantet raise the children as their own and teach them both the ways of Earth and the ways of their own planet. The key philosophy that underlines the Aunanet way of life is that even though sentient beings normally use only 10% of their brains, with a little training anyone can learn to use all of their brains. With this comes advances in the normal ranges of abilities; manipulating the laws of physics and traveling through the fourth dimension now becomes possible.

                                                               i.      Ankh: Rivi’s alien father, and also a Futurity Histographer, he can travel through  the time dimension (aka the T Dimension) and be in all three time zones at one time; Past, Present, and Future.

                                                              ii.      Enuet: Rivi’s alien mother, and also a Herboviromenter, she can meld her mind with the growth process of plants. Effectively helping them grow and in return not only is she aware through the plants of certain environmental problems like drought but the plants provide a continual source of energy for any nearby Aunantet. The Aunantet can absorb the overabundance of energy that the plant creates during photosynthesis.

Question and Answer Sheet

Question & Answer Sheet

1. Q: How long did it take you to write your books?

    A: The Alien Mind took about six months, and then another month to edit it before I was ready to send it off to publishers. Visionary from the Stars was an ongoing process that lasted over 6 years (a few of those years it spent in the closet!)

2. Q: How old are you?

    A: Twenty this April,( 24th, 2007) though I started writing short stories when I was thirteen and then started writing novels seriously when I was fourteen.

3. Q: What was your favorite subject in school?

    A: Science and Language arts, I was home schooled from the seventh grade up until I graduated at 16 with my GED. This gave me the added time to dive further into the subjects that I enjoyed the most.

4. Q: Where do you get the inspiration to write?

    A: From the night sky, the marvels and complexities of the night sky reminds me of God and all that he is capable of doing. I also have a habit of collecting pictures and articles of anything related to space and displaying them all over my walls.

5. Q: What do you find the most exciting about writing?

    A: I have always found it exciting when I realize that I have learned more about myself through my writing and also about my characters when they evolve from what I had originally intended.

6. Q: What advice would you give to children and young adults who want to be authors?

    A: I would tell them to read, read, read. Read anything that interests them and anything they can get their hands on. Secondly, they must write; not just to write but to enjoy themselves through it, to go where they’ve never been and to never give up doing so. They must also learn to look objectively at their own work to edit it and also be able to shut off that internal editor when it is getting in the way.

7. Q: What were your favorite books before third grade?

    A: I enjoyed books like Tikitikitembo and Madeline when I was younger. My mom and I would read them over and over again!

8. Q: What are your favorite books now?

    A: I love the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. Her use of imagination and the way she describes the magical scenery around her characters makes for a truly mystical read. I also love the Star Wars and Star Trek series… they are what I would consider my foundation for science fiction. They provide the basic theories that provide the inspirational recharge for me if I start getting stumped in my writing.

9. Q: Is there any particular person that has influenced your writing?

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