INGRID: Hi Laura, I’m very excited to have you on the blog today as part of the #VitualVoyager tour. It gave me the perfect excuse to move your book, THE ARK, to the top of my reading list, and boy, am I glad?! I had a fantastic time reading your work. I went through it in a couple of days, its ticking plot keeping me on my toes the whole time. What a treat.
LAURA: Thank you so much, Ingrid! I’m so happy to be here. Go Voyagers. I also loved Ignite the Shadows, so this is really fun for me.
INGRID: The Ark is a post-apocalyptic young adult sci-fi novel about 16-year-old Char, a girl with a criminal record and no pass to escape our doomed planet on one of the fleeing bioships. Talk about high stakes! How did you come up with this concept? What was your inspiration?
LAURA: I wanted the story to be reminiscent of an old-school space adventure, through the eyes of a young girl struggling for survival. I wanted her to be resourceful but not particularly wise yet, and to have a strong desire for redemption without fully understanding what that might involve. So an end-of-the-world scenario seemed like a good fit!
INGRID: After Char, my favorite character is Isaiah. He is intense and his motivations kept me guessing. He is also blind, which has me very curious. What went into your decision to give him a disability?
LAURA: Thank you! Isaiah wears his burdens on his sleeve, to some extent, because he doesn’t have a choice, and his blindness is a reflection of that. He’s indirectly responsible for it, and it symbolizes the damage he’s caused to his family. It’s also grossly unjust and, from another point of view, not his fault at all.
He’s one of the purest characters in the book, even though his motivations may seem unclear so far. He’s also extremely similar to Char, in that he’s made some bad choices and had to live with them. But unlike her, he has a strong sense of self and a clear vision of his life’s purpose. It will be tested in the sequel, because there are other things he wants as well.
INGRID: The sci part of sci-fi isn’t always easy, but you nailed it. How do you about researching things like creating gravity, special weapons, growing food in a spaceship, etc.?
LAURA: At first, I didn’t think much about all the research I’d need to do. The book is set fifty years in the future, just after World War III, so I thought I’d have more leeway in coming up with technology. After all, the sky is the limit- future tech hasn’t even been invented yet! But the more I wrote, the more I felt the need to ground Char’s universe in realistic, nearly-current technology. I also found myself double-checking little details about stuff I thought I knew. Handcuffs, Braille, motor boats, Kevlar, so-called “assault rifles,” you name it, I looked it up!
Although I did have lots of fun with the cars. Automobiles of the 2060’s won’t drive unauthorized users, and if they think you’re trying to commit a crime, they shut down entirely. Considering the GPS systems we use today, it wasn’t that much of a stretch. So that gave me some fun rules to work with, especially when you add an escaped convict trying to fight her way into space.
INGRID: After that ending, OMG, I need to know all you can tell me about the sequel. Is it written yet? When can I read it? Is this a trilogy?
LAURA: Thank you!! So, I haven’t finished book two yet, but I’ve planned out the entire story. Yep, it’s a trilogy! I can’t wait to get the rest of it out there! I’m guessing the next book will be out next spring or summer.
INGRID: I loved your book, so I also want to know what else you have planned after The Ark, any new ideas brewing? Because I want to check them out as soon as they come out!
LAURA: Thanks! Yes, I’m planning a new series about a boy who takes himself a little too seriously. It will be a fun, action/adventure-type story, and I can’t wait to dig in as soon as I get the chance!
And that’s it for the interview. It was fun chatting with Laura. Now check out her book. It a fun trip!