I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the eMORTAL by Steve
Schafer Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: eMORTAL
Author: Steve Schafer
Pub. Date: November 19, 2024
Publisher: Koehler
Books
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback,
eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 316
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/eMORTAL
She made him. He's just code. She's almost sure.
...But what if he's real?
When Liv entered a contest to code an advanced AI, she never anticipated
what her creation might become-Breck is thoughtful, self-aware, and incredibly.
. .human. And she certainly never intended for him to learn the truth about his
existence or the fact that his world ends when the contest closes in six days.
But he does learn. And he revolts.
Liv's efforts to save him fall on deaf ears. Nobody believes her. Breck's
efforts to outrun his fate only complicate his situation.
What neither of them know is that someone else is watching. Intensely.
When they get involved, both Liv's and Breck's worlds are turned upside down. .
.
Reviews:
"Schafer writes brilliantly clean prose with natural dialogue,
gifting the central protagonists-and the strangely appealing Breck-deep emotion
and depth. The characters are sharply defined and likable...the worldbuilding
is organic and flows smoothly, but what sets this novel apart is the shocking
ending-and the humanity gifted to the story's sentient AI lead. Score:
10/10."-BookLife Prize review by Publishers Weekly
"The characters are so well developed. . . A well-constructed
coming-of-age novel that stands out in a crowded field of AI-focused
literature."-Kirkus Reviews
Breck (the AI character in the novel)
exists on Steve’s website where readers can chat with him! Go check it out!
Meet Steve!
Steve
Schafer -- Interview
For the readers:
can you tell us a little bit about your book and the characters?
eMortal is a young
adult novel that explores the value of life, in all forms.
It’s about a teen coder, Liv, who has just made history. She entered a
contest to program advanced AI and inadvertently created Breck—the first AI to
develop feelings. But nobody believes her. Even worse, Breck’s world ends when
the contest closes in six days. As Liv mentors Breck’s budding consciousness
and grapples with his fate, her own world begins to unravel. The twisting path
from here shatters all that once mattered to Liv.
The story is told from two different POV’s, Liv’s and Breck’s. Breck’s
was particularly fun to write because his character arc is enormous. When the
story starts, he is a basic chat-bot. He then evolves into someone who is
self-aware and capable of feelings. His voice changes from chapter to chapter
as he becomes more sentient.
What are you
working on now?
Right now, promoting the release of eMortal feels like a full-time
job. But I do have some ideas for my next book. One of them is about another
teen coder who has a creative idea to promote social justice around the world,
and another book idea is about a teen from El Salvador who searches from his
mother in the US.
Were any of the
characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
I’m sure my
life experiences informed who these characters are, but none of the characters
are a reflection of anyone specific. That’s why I love writing fiction. There’s
a freedom in being able to run wild with my imagination and shape a character to
best fit the story.
There is a
small exception to this—Todd. While I did not create him in the mold of any one
person, he is a combination of a few people I met throughout my years growing
up in Texas. He’s one of my favorite kinds of people—a sage country boy. What I
love most about Todd is he is down-to-earth, colorful, and has unconventional
wisdom. I hope he is as entertaining and beloved to readers as he is to me.
Who was your
favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
As referenced above, Todd was one of my favorites. Over the years, I’ve
heard lots of one-liner bits of wisdom. Todd was the perfect voice to channel
those, which made him entertaining to write. But there was another character
who was also fun to write—Lana. She lives passionately in everything she does. I
find it’s easier and more enjoyable to write characters with strong
points-of-view on life. She’s also a supreme smartass, so crafting dialogue
with her gave me a great outlet to release my inner sass.
I didn’t have a least favorite character to write—I enjoyed all of them
for different reasons. That said, Liv’s mom was the most challenging. I wanted
to ride a fine line with her—someone who can seem inflexible as a mother, but
who also has some valid rationale for being this way. This is often how we see
our parents when we’re growing up. The challenge was that this part of the
story is from Liv’s POV. So, it was tough to present a good case for her
mother’s behavior while still having Liv maintain her own side of their
arguments. I hope her mother comes across as a relatable and reasonable human
being, even if a little hot-headed.
What is your
favorite passage/scene in your book?
I have two favorite scenes. The first is when Liv and Lana finally
confirm to Breck the reality of his existence—that he is Liv’s creation and he
lives in a digital world. There’s so much tension in this conversation because
it’s when Liv begins to realize that she’s in over her head. His reaction is so
human that her conviction fades with every comment he makes. But she can’t take
any of it back. To me this interaction exists at the heart of the story—how
would an AI prove that it’s more than just code? This is Breck pleading his
case…and Liv finally beginning to listen.
My second favorite scene is…wait! I can’t say, because it would be a huge
spoiler. Let’s just say that if you read a shocking twist, that’s my other
favorite passage.
What kind of
research did you have to do for the story?
I googled a little about a lot. I think that’s just table stakes for
writing a novel these days where any reader is one search away from being a
fact checker. But there were a few topics where I had to dig a bit deeper
because they are not in my wheelhouse. First, I’m not a coder, so I had to
research what a coding conversation might look like. Don’t ask me to define a
bool rate, but one of my characters does reference it. My intent wasn’t to make
it technical, but rather to add credibility. And second, I also did some
research around sentience and how we currently think about this—in animals and
AI. This was fascinating. I may have gotten lost down this rabbit hole a few
times and needed to remind myself to return to writing!
Lightning
Round Questions
What are
you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to
read?
I enjoy trying books
that are out of my normal lane. To that end, I’m reading a romance right now—The
Seemingly Impossible Love Life of Amanda Dean. It’s a genre I have close to
zero experience in, but a well-told story is universal. So far, I’m a few
chapters in and digging it.
Favorite
social media site?
Facebook. Is that the
equivalent of vanilla for a favorite ice cream flavor? It’s where most of the
people I know are, and that is the point of social media.
Favorite
Superhero or Villain?
Again, this feels a bit
vanilla, but my honest answer is Superman. It’s about flight. I’ve been
skydiving, bungee jumping, hang-gliding, you-name-it. There’s something about
soaring (or diving) through the air that’s exhilarating.
Favorite TV
show?
Dark answer—Dateline or
48 Hours. There’s something about “normal” people doing horrible things that is
both fascinating and disturbing. My wife and I watch it together which is also
fascinating since it’s always that spouse that does it. Maybe it makes any tiff
we have seem minor ;)
I’m also a sucker for
Black Mirror. I love the twists.
Sweet or
Salty?
Both. Show me a salted
chocolate caramel and you will not see it for long.
Any
Phobias?
Wasps. I was an
adventurous kid and got stung a lot. This phobia used to include bees until I
visited a honey farm in Guatemala with killer bees. Under five layers of
clothes and a bee helmet, I had a safe experience amidst a swarm of bees. The
next day, my fear of bees was gone. It was astonishing. Wasps however…they’re
just mean.
Song you
can’t get enough of right now?
Well, after answering
that last question it’s Mean. I’m a Swifty, so it’s not uncommon to have one of
her tunes caught between my ears.
2024 Movie
you’re most looking forward to?
Wicked. I’ve heard
about the play for years and have never been. The movie seems like my chance to
finally make this happen.
Do you play
video games? If so, what are some of your favorites?
Growing up, I was a gamer. But not now. That
said, my son is a big Fortnite player and I tried to learn so we could play
together. We both had fun the first half-dozen times. But then I wasn’t getting
any better. I would just get smoked then hear, “Dad, you suck.” I could only
take that so many times. Wherever my limit of patience exists, Fortnite found
it.
About Steve Schafer:
Steve
Schafer is the author of The Border, a finalist for the Joan F. Kaywell
"Books Save Lives" Award. Schafer enjoys exploring cultural hot
topics. In the The Border, he addresses our conversation around immigration. In
his new novel, eMortal, he examines the tricky questions and nebulous ethics
that may arise with quickly evolving AI. He has a Masters in International
Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA
from Wharton. His curiosity for exploring diverse perspectives on life has led
him to live, work, study, volunteer, and travel to over 65 countries across 6
continents.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
Giveaway Details:
3 winners
will receive a finished copy of eMORTAL, US Only.
Ends December
3rd, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
