Release date: July 22nd 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Purchase: Amazon
"Welcome to Extraction testing."
Clementine has spent her whole life preparing for her sixteenth birthday, when she’ll be tested for Extraction in the hopes of being sent from the planet Kiel’s toxic Surface to the much safer Core, where people live without fear or starvation. When she proves promising enough to be “Extracted,” she must leave without Logan, the boy she loves. Torn apart from her only sense of family, Clem promises to come back and save him from brutal Surface life.
What she finds initially in the Core is a utopia compared to the Surface—it’s free of hard labor, gun-wielding officials, and the moon's lethal acid. But life is anything but safe, and Clementine learns that the planet's leaders are planning to exterminate Surface dwellers—and that means Logan, too.
Trapped by the steel walls of the underground and the lies that keep her safe, Clementine must find a way to escape and rescue Logan and the rest of the planet. But the planet leaders don't want her running—they want her subdued.
With intense action scenes and a cast of unforgettable characters,Extraction is a page-turning, gripping read, sure to entertain lovers of Hunger Games and Ender's Game and leave them breathless for more.
Twenty-one-year-old Stephanie Diaz wrote her debut novel, Extraction, when she should've been making short films and listening to college lectures at San Diego State University. When she isn't lost in books, she can be found singing, marveling at the night sky, or fan-girling over TV shows.
1.What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
The story of EXTRACTION came about in answer to a question that popped into my head one day, pretty much out of nowhere: how would the world be different if the moon were a threat to human life? From there I created the poisonous moon that looms over the planet Kiel, and put my protagonist, Clementine, on the planet to deal with all kinds of trouble.
2. Who is your favorite character in the book?
Clementine is my favorite character, maybe because I've been inside her head more than any of the others. Also because I admire her strength and bravery, and how much more of a badass she is than me.
3. Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel came before the title. For the longest time, I was calling the book "Moonshine," which is a term in the story, but people quickly pointed out it was also a term for alcohol...so I scrapped that title and came up with a better one. "Extraction" fit the bill.
4. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I'm especially proud of a progression of scenes near the end of the book that took me forever to write. Unfortunately I can't say anything about them without giving away spoilers. :-)
5. Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
The most important thing I've learned over the years and years I've spent writing and trying to get published is to fall crazy in love with whatever book I'm writing, since I'll have to read it over and over. Also, I've learned it's okay to let go of certain stories, even if they were once incredibly special to me. The next stories will always be better.
6. What do you like most about the cover of the book?
I'm SO pleased with the cover design for the book (and just wait until you see the cover for the sequel). I love the details in the girl's face, her freckles especially, since Clementine is a redhead. I love the cool swirls of color that give the whole cover a sci-fi feel and make Clementine seem trapped. I'm also a huge fan of the stars in the background. :-)
7.What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2014?
I'm looking forward to so many 2014 books! But if I have to pick one, I'll go with ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER by Stephanie Perkins, since I've been waiting forever to devour it.
8.What was your favorite book in 2013?
My favorite book I read in 2013 was WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard. My favorite book that came out last year was SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo.
9. What’s up next for you?
I'm currently drafting book 3 of the Extraction trilogy, which will be out late next year after book 2, REBELLION, releases in February. I also have some other fun projects I'm tinkering with, here and there.
10. Is there anything that you would like to add?
I hope everyone who picks up my book will find something to take away from it. And hopefully stick around for the sequels, since I can promise things will get even more intense and awesome. (Did someone say aliens?)
~Stephanie
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this looks and sounds very intriguing ;) Congrats to Stephanie on the new release! thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNice interview.
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