Thursday, March 3, 2016

Character Interview from FACSIMILE by Vicki L. Weavil



Today I’m going to be interviewing Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano.  She’s the main character in the young adult science fiction novel, FACSIMILE by Vicki L. Weavil.

FACSIMILE releases on March 8th.

For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Annie’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.

Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice—fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or saving the planet she’s never considered home.

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1. Ann, how about if you describe yourself for us?

I am a seventeen-year-old girl, born and raised on the planet Eco. Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. It’s basically a backwater planet that most spacers ignore, unless they need to stop to repair their ships, or barter some goods for our fresh, hydroponically-grown vegetables and fruits.

My grandparents were sent to terraform Eco into a facsimile of Earth’s most beautiful landscapes, but the corporation funding their project went bankrupt and stranded them on a planet with a breathable atmosphere and underground water reserves, but no arable soil. They and the other terraformers, along with their families, have been scratching out a subsistence living on Eco ever since.

As for my looks – I definitely take after my dad’s side of the family, who are originally from Peru.  I have their dark brown hair, dark eyes, and light brown skin – as well as a distinctive nose that harkens back to my Incan ancestors.  My mother, who is very blonde and petite (her parents hailed from the Appalachian Mountains) claims I resemble her about the mouth and chin, but I’m not so sure. I do take after her in terms of determination (and maybe a touch of ruthless ambition) though.

2. What’s your profession?

I am apprenticed to my grandmother, Paloma Solano, who is a botanist.  She’s training me to take over our hydroponic greenhouses when she gets too old to manage them. (Although, knowing my grandmother, that will be far in the future!)

I also plan to take some college courses through the ‘sphere, unless I can get off Eco and somehow find a way to attend a real university.

3. Do you have a special skill?

Not really. My sort of boyfriend, Raid, says I’m good at flirting, which I must get from my mom. I’m fairly intelligent, I guess, but nowhere near as smart as my best friend, Emmie.  I did discover that I have an innate ability to swim like a fish … but that’s probably something I shouldn’t talk about too much.


4. What is your biggest dream/wish/desire?

I really have one goal – to live on Earth, my grandparents’ birthplace and still the planet I consider my true home. I’m willing to do just about anything to accomplish that dream.

5. What’s your darkest secret?

I’ve lied to a lot of people – including Emie and Raid – about something important.  It was a necessary lie, though. It’s all part of my plan to get the hell off of Eco. If I succeed, it will be worth it. I think.

6. What’s your favorite pastime/hobby?

I love jumping on my solar bike and riding out into the wilderness. It’s great to get away from the close quarters of the colony and just be by myself. Sometimes I even find these purple rocks I use to barter with passing space traders.  (They aren’t actually amethysts, but don’t tell the traders that!)

7. Describe the craziest thing you have done.

Following Dace (Dacian Keeling, a visiting young naturalist) into that cavern! Although, as it turned out, it was also one of the smartest things I’ve ever done. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met the … Oops, better keep mum about that for now.

8. Shoes or barefoot, which do you prefer?

You can’t go barefoot on Eco. The ground is basically stone, covered with a fine dusting of sand.  Boots are pretty much required, unless you want to bruise your feet – or burn them when the sun heats up the rocky surface.

9. How about food? What is your all time favorite—and why?

Chocolate, for sure! We rarely get any, since it’s not something we can easily make on Eco. The only time I get any chocolate is when I or one of my friends can barter something for it from spacers. Most of the time on Eco we are stuck eating very basic food, like raw or roasted vegetables, or cheese, or things like that. Like everyone on Eco, I’m a vegetarian, because although we have goats and chickens, we only use their eggs and milk – raising animals to eat would be wasteful.

10. Who is your favorite fictional character?

My maternal grandmother, who died before I was born, brought digital copies of every film she could get her hands on to Eco, so we’ve always had movies to watch. Some are really old, but I still love them.  One of my favorite characters is in an old film – Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (and the other films in that series).  I love Rey because she is like me – stuck on some barren, frontier planet, with no future.  But she knows how to take care of herself, and eventually she fights her way into a new life. I’m willing to do the same!

Thank you Ann for stopping by.  I’m looking forward to reading FACSIMILE!



BIO:

Vicki L. Weavil is an author and librarian. Her debut novel, CROWN OF ICE--a YA retelling of H. C. Andersen's "The Snow Queen"-- was published by Month9Books in 2014. SCEPTER OF FIRE, a companion novel to CROWN OF ICE, will be published in fall 2016. Another companion novel, ORB OF LIGHT, will release in 2017.

Vicki's YA SciFi, FACSIMILE, releases from Month9Books in March 2016, and its sequel, DERIVATION in 2017.

Vicki is a member of SCBWI. She is represented by Fran Black at Literary Counsel, NY, NY.

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Author Page on Amazon:




2 comments:

  1. Thanks for hosting Ann's interview, Pat! She'd thank you herself, but she's a bit busy right now. :-)

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  2. I can imagine--and it's a bit of a distance as well. Thank you so much for doing this. It was a fun way to learn more about Ann and the novel's world (s).

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