Genre: Science Fiction, romance
Publisher: Etopia Press
ISBN: 978-1-941692-34-9
Number of pages: 207
Word Count: 71,000
Book Description:
When
technology fulfills every dream, reality becomes a nightmare.
Below
the streets of New State, the undergrounders fight to remain free of
the technological control of the world above. Every night, Yara risks
her life fighting New State’s deadliest weapons, the drones. Half
human and half machine, their living half tortured until everything
human is gone, the drones have only one objective. Kill. And they do
it with exacting precision.
Excerpt
“Hi,”
he called out.
Yara’s
heart hammered, and adrenaline coursed through her limbs. She turned
to run.
“Wait,”
the stranger whispered. “I won’t turn you in. I’m out here
too.” He obviously didn’t realize that Yara was a rebel. He might
not know it yet, but he would soon. Still, he didn’t sound
dangerous. Maybe Yara could take care of him. She had never had to
kill anyone totally human, but she had trained to do so. At this
point, she didn’t think she would need to. The skinny boy didn’t
look like a real threat, either.
She
turned back toward him and attempted what she hoped was a look of
death and destruction.
Instead
of being scared, he smiled at her and brushed the hair out of his
eyes. Even in the shadowy street, Yara could see the color was a
beautiful emerald green. She had a hard time looking away, until his
voice jarred her back to reality.
“I’m
Joshua15111,” he said robotically. “What are you doing out here?”
“I
could ask you the same thing.”
“Enjoying
the night sky,” he replied, each word clipped and succinct. Unable
to make prolonged eye contact, he looked toward the stars.
“Aren’t
you supposed to be hooked up to an alternate universe, enjoying
battle, boobs, or whatever perverted fantasy you want to conquer
tonight?” Yara asked, and then instantly regretted her words.
“Hey,
it’s not like that. You know how it is.” For the first time, his
voice took on a more humanistic quality. He sounded peeved.
She
grunted in response. She didn’t know anything of the sort.
Joshua15111
looked at her briefly, quizzically. “Wait, do you know that? Are
you one of them? The rebels?”
Oh
no. “What rebels?”
“Are
you for real? Everyone knows about the rebels. You must be one. Are
you a rebel? That’s so cool.”
Me
and my big mouth. Fear finally overtook her. Vague ideas about
running away from or fighting the stranger flitted by, but Yara’s
feet felt like concrete blocks. She wasn’t even sure she’d be
able to form a coherent sentence if he asked her something about the
underground.
Lisa
Acerbo is a high school teacher and holds an EdD in Educational
Leadership. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, daughters,
three cats, and horse. She is the author of Apocalipstick and has
contributed to local newspapers, news and travel blogs including The
Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter.
Interview
Where are you from?
Trumbull,
Connecticut. It’s not exotic, and in the
winter it is extremely cold. It is the
definition of suburbia.
Tell us your latest news?
I’m
so excited to release, Remote, a 71,000 word
sci-fi novel geared for young adult and college-aged
audiences. Yara, the main character, lives as an
undergrounder and specializes in nighttime raids against the New State, where
people are often more machine than human. She then meets Joshua, a New State
citizen, who doesn’t quite fit her preconceived expectations. As they become
closer, Yara realizes how insidious the hold of New State is on the citizens,
and how few freedoms they have, all replaced by technological illusions. With
the help of her father, an underground leader, Yara and Josh join in the
rebellion and the plan to take down New State, but nothing goes as
expected. The challenges Yara faces
throughout the book test her loyalties and ultimately challenge her understanding
of humanity. Remote is published by Etopia Press and came
out on November 21, 2014. It can also be downloaded at Etopia Press, Amazon,
and Barnes and Noble for Kindle and Nook.
When and why did you begin writing?
I
have always loved both reading and writing. I still remember getting a good
grade on a fiction short story assignment in high school and being so overjoyed
that the teacher liked it. When I took creative writing in college, my
professor wasn’t nearly as nurturing. It
has always been an enjoyable pastime and part of my life. Most days, writing is relaxing and
therapeutic. On rare occasions, it’s a
challenge to add any words to paper, but I still enjoy it more than most other
activities. I majored in English during
college, thinking that I wanted to become a journalist, but instead became an
English teacher. Even though I teach full time, I continue to write, mostly in
the summer.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Before
turning to fiction, my articles appeared in the Connecticut Post, Trumbull
Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter,
but I don’t think I truly felt like a writer until I published my first novel Apocalipstick in 2013. I still question
that idea daily, especially when procrastination hits and weeks go by without
any writing.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My fist book was
Apocalipstick and it came out in
August 2013. I am a huge fan of the horror and paranormal romance
genres. Reading some authors in those genres like Stephen King and Kelley
Armstrong as well as watching movies like Shaun
of the Dead and Zombieland
sparked the desire to try writing my own zombie novel. I kept wondering what would happen if
vampires had to fight zombies? The answer is in Apocalipstick. Unfortunately,
if a zombie apocalypse comes soon, I am a goner. I am a slow runner and have no
ability to wield a weapon. I’d be the
first to die, so let’s hope zombies don’t rise up for a few more years.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Is
“chaotic mess” a style? I write scenes out of order. It is during the revision and editing process
that I piece everything together. It is a
tough way to go about it but quite effective for me.
How did you come up with the title?
My
daughter, Dominique, reads and re-reads the drafts, and she is instrumental in
telling me what was really and truly awful at the start. She is also the one
who helps me think of the titles after I am done. The title is the last important decision I
make. I never start with one in
mind. The title of my first book Apocalipstick came from my daughter and
so did Remote. For Apocalipstick,
I was telling her about a scene in the book where the main character, Jenna,
puts on her mother’s lipstick for the first time after the zombie
apocalypse. She is finally out of harm's
way and has the luxury of remembering the past and looking forward to a
possible future. My daughter joked, you
should call the book Apocalipstick and
the title stuck. She came up with the
idea of calling the second book Remote. It
is a play on the word because remote
can mean isolated from others, which some characters are, while being remote
controlled relates to the people who are in New State. After coming up with the title, I had to go
back and rewrite a scene to incorporate the new name fully.
Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?
After reading “The Pedestrian” by
Ray Bradbury with my Science Fiction class, I began to think about the
consequences of technology in our lives. I love science fiction and hoped Remote would open a discussion on
the topic of how teens use technology. Many of my students are glued to their cell phones
and other devices. While they know that,
at times, this isn’t good, some no longer know how to function without a phone
in hand.
How much of the book is realistic?
Being
science fiction, the book is set in the future, but I hope the characters remain realistic. The
two main characters,
Yara and Josh, are struggling with issues of identity, responsibility, and
love. These are universal themes.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events
in your own life?
The
minor characters often develop from people I knew, and, at times, I use names
coworkers and students, but all else is fiction. A few of the characters in my first book, Apocalipstick, were based on friends,
but most of the names were changed before the book was published. If I remember a student said something or did
something similar to a character, I might give the character the same name.
What books have most influenced your life most?
I
adore Stephen King and have read On Writing
by King many times. During the summer, I
completed Joyland and Doctor Sleep. King is such an amazing storyteller and his
characters are written flawlessly. I
hope if I continue to practice, one day I will possess a modicum of his talent.
If you had to choose, which writer would you
consider a mentor?
One of
my other favorite writers is Ray Bradbury.
He was my introduction to science fiction. Other authors who have influenced my life
include William Golding, author of Lord
of the Flies, George Orwell, and J.D. Salinger. It is impossible to pick only one.
What book are you reading now?
The
books in my “to read” pile include Visions
by Kelley Armstrong and The Book of Life by
Deborah Harkness. Not only do I enjoy
writing paranormal fiction, but I also enjoy reading it.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your
interest?
Deborah
Harkness. When I read A Discovery of Witches I was drawn into
the story and depth of research the author did to complete the story.
What are your current projects?
The
follow-up to Apocalipstick is with
the publisher and I am trying my hand at a mystery novel based on an old
historic figure in Connecticut know as The Old Leatherman.
What would you like my readers to know?
If you
want to be an author, don’t give up. Writing takes time, patience, dedication,
and passion. Maybe a little bit of crazy too. Most people who attempt to write
books do not create a masterpiece the first time or gain immediate success. As
I have learned from my years teaching and attempting to write something decent,
a writer must set small goals and eventually he or she will reach the larger
goal. For me, it was getting my book
published. Once you reach one goal, you create others and keep moving forward
and don’t stop. As a writer, your goals are endless.
Twitter
@Apocalipstick_
Tour Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for the post and all the book reviews.
ReplyDeleteSherry Compton
savewish@yahoo.com
This has been such a fun tour. I hope you enjoy the book. If you like Remote, try Apocalipstick too. It was my first book, a paranormal romance filled with vampires, zombies and a little apocalyptic romance.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds great and I enjoyed the excerpt! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
ReplyDelete