Earth-Sim by Jade Kerrion - Interview & Giveaway

Welcome to Author Jade Kerrion

Jade Kerrion unites cutting-edge science and bioethics with fast-paced action in her award-winning Double Helix series. Perfection Unleashed and its sequels, Perfect Betrayal and Perfect Weapon, have been described as “a breakout piece of science fiction” and drawn rave reviews for their originality and vision. Her latest novel, When the Silence Ends, is a Young Adult spinoff the Double Helix series. She is also the author of Earth-Sim, a whimsical and compelling view of Earth’s history through the eyes of the two students assigned to manage our planet.

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Interview

1. When did you start writing, and was there a significant event that prompted you to do so?

I started at the age of thirteen when my school essays were returned to me with a bunch of “A”s scrawled over the top. Teenagers are impressionable. Being much more impressionable than most, and believing that my teachers knew what they were doing, I figured I was destined to be a writer. It’s only taken me tens of thousands of hours of work since then to be halfway decent at writing (and I’m still learning each day), but one has to start somewhere.

2. What's your book about?

Earth-Sim is a Young Adult / New Adult science fiction novel about Jem Moran, a college student with a reputation to prove and a secret to protect. The prestigious world simulation program seems the answer to both her problems, but only if she can succeed in spite of her partner, Kir Davos, and the uncooperative human beings who populate her planet. Earth-Sim unravels the mystery of Jem’s true identity, but the novel is also about our planet, and most especially about the history of civilization. It’s about humanity with all our foibles, our courage and our weaknesses, and most of all, our ingenuity and resilience. Earth-Sim showcases Earth’s history in a seamless blend of popular culture, science, and religion, through the eyes of the two students and the android assigned to manage the planet.

3. What inspired you to write Earth-Sim?

Earth-Sim has a distinctly whimsical, and sometimes irreverent slant, which makes it quite different from other books I’ve written thus far. I wanted to try my hand at something tongue-in-cheek, and of course, the best inspirational material already exists. Our planet’s history is loaded with natural disasters, our planet is pockmarked with fascinating geological formations, and our mythology is rife with fantastic tales. What if all of those could be explained by the decisions and choices of two students with differing management styles, and not to mention the accidents along the way (Did I mention, water and technology don’t mix…and you should never sneeze on a planet…)

4. What do you enjoy the most about writing?

The creative process. I write the movie that I see in my mind. It’s amazing to see the words take shape on paper and realize that it’s bringing to life something that had previously only existed for me. My readers have likened my novels to action movies, anime, and graphic novels—that’s a huge compliment. That tells me I actually succeeded in sharing with them the movie in my mind. 

5. What was the hardest part about writing your book?

The hardest part was stopping. After multiple rounds of self-editing, several weeks of working with my editor, and several rounds of proofreading, I had to put the book away and say “done.” I think it is entirely possible to edit forever, but at some point, you have to stop and send the book out into the world.

6. Where do you get the inspiration to write?

I think I’m past the stage of needing inspiration; writing is more of a compulsion now. In general, I have a compulsive personality; people like me should never get exposed to alcohol, cigarettes, or recreational drugs—we’re easy prey. Years ago, computer gaming and writing used to go hand-in-hand for me. My characters from my computer games inspired my writing. Since then, however, my characters have taken on a life of their own and thus, I have been freed to happily obsess about them without needing the occasional computer gaming boost to sustain them.

7. Who is your favorite author and why?

Neil Gaiman is pure genius in his storytelling ability.

8. What do you like to do when you are not writing? What is your ultimate luxury?

I love reading, and read widely across genres. The ultimate luxury would be to do nothing! However, I’ve realized that I don’t have the right personality type to do nothing. For example, sunbathing on a lounge chair in front of a swimming pool is agony for me (and for the people watching me.) I twitch, I sit up, switch positions, twitch some more. That said, I would love to spend several hours at a spa, getting pampered from head to toe. Maybe, sometime during those few hours, I’d learn to relax for a few minutes.

9. When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

A fireman! My parents even bought me a fireman helmet to wear.

10. If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

The ability to transform matter. For example, if you were falling from a building, I could save your life by transforming asphalt into an air mattress. More practically, however, I could transform leftover pizza into sushi, or spin air into fabric to increase the size of my denim jeans. In theory, I’d never have to buy anything ever again, which I suppose makes irrelevant my ability to turn dirt into gold…

11. If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?

My computer, an unlimited source of electricity, and a wireless connection. What else does anyone else need?

12. If you could take over the world, would you?

You know, prior to writing Earth-Sim, I might have said yes, completely under the delusion that I could have a good job managing the world. Now, a great deal wiser, my answer is an unequivocal “NO!” You couldn’t pay me enough to take over the world.

13. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your support, your enthusiastic reviews, and your outraged e-mails over what I did to some of my characters. Thank you for loving them. Thank you for rereading my novels. Thank you for trusting me with your time. I do promise to honor that trust and keep delivering fantastic novels that keep you reading past your bedtime.

Earth-Sim

Jem Moran has a reputation to prove and a secret to protect. The prestigious world simulation program seems the answer to both her problems, but only if she can succeed in spite of her partner, Kir Davos, and the uncooperative human beings who populate her planet. From the Great Extinction to the Renaissance, from world wars to intergalactic treaties, Jem’s conflict with Kir will shape Earth’s history, and their opposing management styles will either save or doom our planet. Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the shape our world is in.





Giveaway Details
1 copy of Earth-Sim
Open Internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you
Ends 4/2/13



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