Happy Halloween! Although I don't own a costume for this spooky occasion (I outgrew my Princess Leia costume long ago, sadly), I DO have a lot of books to read. Today we're visiting with Courtney Farrell, author of the YA science fiction/fantasy novel, Enhanced.
Hello and welcome, Courtney! Give us the synopsis of
yourself as a writer.
Hi! I started writing when I moved to a small town in the
Rocky Mountains, and I couldn’t find a job. My hobby farm turned out to be the
perfect full-time writer’s retreat. First I wrote nonfiction books for young
people, and then, after a great deal of effort, I began to sell my fiction. It
was a thrill to place my first novel with Crescent Moon Press.
Tell us about Enhanced. What's the story?
At the Institute, doctors breed people like livestock. Every
year, the lowest-scoring kids disappear from the class, and nobody knows what
happens to them. Sixteen-year-old Michelle has survived every purge, and she’s
about to win the ultimate prize: a luxurious life as a breeder. Then her brother
and her boyfriend both disappear, and she throws it all away. Michelle goes
over the Institute wall, into the crime-ridden slum, searching for the boys she
loves. She’s in trouble until the handsome half-breed Dillon stakes a claim to
her. Michelle is mortified by her attraction to this guy, because the Enhanced
see Norms as little more than animals. But the doctor is using the missing boys
in a twisted plan, and she needs Dillon’s help to stop him. Michelle and her
friends must find the boys, but a plague is spreading, the doctor is after her
and Dillon isn’t thrilled to help her find her lost boyfriend.
Where did you come up with the idea for this plot? It
seems to be part science fiction, part fantasy.
I once worked in a lab as a molecular biologist, where we
genetically engineered bacteria. That’s when I started to wonder what would
happen if scientists did that to people too.
How long did it take you to write Enhanced, from cover to
cover?
Since Enhanced was my first book, I was really slow. It took
over a year, and then I ended up rewriting the second half!
What kind of stuff do you read (or watch) that gets you
inspired to create?
I love science fiction, and I enjoy classics like Heinlein
and Asimov, but the most inspirational stuff I read is from writers in Fiction
Foundry, my Colorado-based critique group. It’s fascinating to see a novel take
shape from a sketchy outline to the finished product.
When you really think about it, the premise of ruthless
doctors breeding "perfect" people like livestock is a rather
terrifying concept, because of the realism of it. You're the author of a lot of
other books, but this is your first YA novel. What prompted you to begin with a
novel that was so gritty?
All my nonfiction books are on dark topics like terrorism,
environmental destruction, and child trafficking. Over time, that took a toll
on me emotionally. (I swear I went through a whole box of Kleenex writing about
child labor!) Maybe Enhanced is dark because I began it when I was thinking a
lot about the world’s problems.
Tell us about the character creation of Michelle, your
main character.
I think supermen – or women – are boring, so I’d rather
create a flawed character. Michelle embodies the idea that courage doesn’t mean
you have no fear. Sometimes, real courage means going forward on trembling
knees, doing what must be done even though it terrifies you. Michelle has a
secret flaw, one that would get her culled if the doctors found out about it.
She gets panic attacks. As the story unfolds, she learns to overcome her fears
in order to help the people she loves.
Favorite writing snack? And by extension, advice to
aspiring authors? *wink*
I love fresh fruit! Mangoes, blueberries, strawberries, you
name it. Mixed with vanilla yogurt, that’s my favorite.
About the Author
I’m Courtney Farrell, and I sell my thoughts. I shine ‘em up first, like you would with anything you want to sell. And then off to market they go. My thoughts are powerful enough to take over my brain and make me stare into space while they play movies in front of my eyes. I hear you, wondering if you’re on the highway when I am. Watch out for the red F350 with a German shepherd in the back — that’s me.
Glorious daydreams, nightmares, worries and triumphs all spin together into the stories that feed my soul. Luckily, stories also feed my kids (with a whole lot of help from my husband Shawn) and they buy some chow for the dogs, cats, and horses too.
My funny and sentimental thoughts found homes in parenting and ranching magazines. The worrisome ones became nonfiction books like Human Trafficking, Children’s Rights, and The Mexican Drug War. Outright nightmares morphed into dark titles with innocuous names like World Population. My nonfiction books are written for young people, mostly middle and high school age, but we tackle some serious topics. After all, kids are a lot smarter than most people give them credit for, and they want to know the truth.
Now I’m making the leap from being an established nonfiction author to being a newbie in the fiction world. My latest creation is a YA novel about genetically engineered teenagers and the doctors who breed them like livestock. It’s called Enhanced, and it’s coming soon from Crescent Moon Press. This story’s got some of my coolest thoughts yet. All shined up, and ready to play movies in front of your eyes. Only not when you’re driving, okay? One daydreamer on the road is bad enough.
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Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!