Author: Vicki L. Weavil
Pub. Date: March 8, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books
Pages: 300
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Ann-Maria Solano is ready to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her.
Her mission is easy: Escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco.
Ann's determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.
FACSIMILE is the story of a girl who must choose between fulfilling the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.
Now on to the interview!
Hi Vicki! First I want to say welcome to back to Two Chicks on
Books! FACSIMILE was absolutely fantastic and am so happy that you could stop
by for a visit!
For the
readers: can you tell us a little bit about FACSIMILE and the characters?
The main character in FACSIMILE is seventeen-year-old
Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano, who was born and raised on the barren, isolated, planet
Eco. Her Peruvian grandparents, who still live with her and her parents, were
terraformers sent to transform Eco into a facsimile of Earth’s most beautiful
locales. Unfortunately, the corporation
sponsoring the terraforming went bankrupt and stranded the colony. Now, with no
spaceships – and little money to buy passage on transport ships – the settlers
are stuck on Eco, scraping out a subsistence living using their science and
engineering skills.
Ann’s greatest desire is to escape Eco and travel to Earth,
where she believes she can fulfill her ambition for a more exciting life. She is willing to abandon her boyfriend, the
hot and charming Raid, and her best friend, the brilliant and sweet Emie, to
achieve her goal. But when she is chosen to escort young naturalist Dace
Keeling around Eco in exchange for a berth on his uncle’s spaceship, she finds
that she doesn’t actually know as much as she thought about her birth planet,
or herself. The discovery of an unknown
species makes her question her plans and compels her to fight for something
bigger than herself.
What about
book 2? Is there a title yet?
Yes, the title is DERIVATION.
I am in the process of writing it now, and it should release in
2017. (By the way, a one word teaser for
that book is: Atlantis).
If you had
to evacuate earth on a spaceship right now what is the one thing that you MUST
take with you?
My family and my cats!
Were any
of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
No, not really, although the reason I chose Peru as the
birthplace of Ann’s grandparents is because my sister-in-law is from Peru. So, like Ann, my niece and nephew are
half-Peruvian (and half Virginia mountain folk).
I will say that Ann’s grandmother, Paloma, has more than a
touch of my maternal grandmother about her. Like Paloma, my grandmother was a
strong, no nonsense woman with principles – tough but loving.
Who was
your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
I enjoyed writing all of the characters, but felt the most
invested in Ann, since the book is told in first person from her
point-of-view. I also loved writing
Ann’s interactions with her mother, her grandmother, and the two young men in
her life, Raid and Dace.
I suppose Kameron Frye, another one of the young people on Eco,
was my least favorite. Mainly because he is a jerk, LOL.
What is
your favorite passage/scene in FACSIMILE?
It might be spoilery… Let’s just say it involves two
characters, water creatures, and a strange sculpture.
What kind
of research did you have to do for the story?
I researched several things, including solar powered bikes
(they do exist!), hydroponic gardening, caverns, and spaceflight. I also did background research on the legend
of Atlantis and the volcanic eruption on Santorini. This research will
primarily show up in DERIVATION, but I needed to know where I was taking the
story after FACSIMILE.
What are
you working on right now?
I am finishing up revisions on SCEPTER OF FIRE, a companion
book to my debut novel, CROWN OF ICE. It
is the second book in the Snow Queen Saga, which will ultimately be a trilogy.
Like CROWN OF ICE, which is a retelling of “The Snow Queen,” SCEPTER OF FIRE is
inspired by H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales. In this case it is a mash-up of the
“Steadfast Tin Soldier” and “The Ugly Duckling.” SCEPTER will be published by
Month9Books in the fall.
I am also writing DERIVATION, the sequel to FACSIMILE.
Who is
your ultimate book boyfriend?
To be honest, I think he is one of my creations – Mark Hallam
from my (as yet unpublished) adult science fiction trilogy. Hopefully you will
get to meet him someday!
What
inspired you to write YA?
I liked the idea of writing about characters discovering the
world (or the universe!) and their place in it. YA characters can grow and
change so much and I love writing character arcs like that.
Lightening
Round Questions
What are
you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to
read?
Leigh Bardugo’s SIX OF CROWS
What
Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?
Ravenclaw
Twitter or
Facebook?
No preference – I use both.
Favorite
Superhero?
Tie between Wonder Woman and Supergirl
Favorite
TV show?
My favorite show of all time is Fringe.
Current favorite: a tie
between Orphan Black and Twelve Monkeys
Sweet or
Salty?
Both -- I like to alternate! (and eat, obviously)
Any
Phobias?
I am a bit claustrophobic.
Song you
can’t get enough of right now?
Queen of Peace (Florence + The Machine)
Spring
Movie you’re most looking forward to?
The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Thanks so much Vicki for answering my questions! I can’t wait
for everyone to read FACSIMILE and I can’t wait for book 2!
Vicki
L. Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was
shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an
obsession with reading. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from the University of
Virginia, a Masters in Library Science from Indiana University, and a Masters
in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After
working as a librarian at the NY Public Library at Lincoln Center, and the
Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) in NYC, she
is currently the Director for Library Services at the University of North
Carolina School of the Arts.
Vicki
loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as
many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North
Carolina with her husband and some very spoiled cats. A member of SCBWI, Vicki
is represented by Fran Black at Literary Counsel, NY, NY.
Giveaway
Details:
· Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Facsimile
by Vicki L. Weavil (INT)
I love the choices that this character is facing and can't wait to find out what she chooses to do!
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