Interview with CLAN author Realm Lovejoy

I’m so excited to have my fellow agent-sister Realm Lovejoy on the blog today to discuss her new sci-fi book, CLAN. Realm was kind enough to answer some questions about her book and is giving away copies of CLAN to some lucky readers, so make sure to enter the contest below.

About CLAN:

Clans are Unity.

No variation. No deviation.

On Clades, to be a Clan is to be an exact copy.

A perfect society cloning themselves to survive,

even as the zombielike Frags threaten to overrun them

on an unforgiving planet.

Clan 1672 (privately known as Twain)

was never supposed to survive the Incubation Tank.

But he did. Illegally.

He is different from the other Clans.

A secret that could destroy him.

CLAN ebook and paperback can be purchased on Amazon. Until 12/26, the ebook (not illustrated) is 99 cents and the paperback (illustrated) is under $8.99. Also, don’t miss the giveaway at the end!

Realm: “Today I am revealing another illustration of one of the Fives Values of Clan: Organization. The Clans are organized by their numbers (in order of “birth”) and are on a strict schedule to do everything at the same time: eat, sleep, shower, learn, etc. The antagonist Brisbane is particularly strict about having everything organized–he cannot allow the idea of someone breaking the rules.”

The premise for CLAN is very intriguing. Where did you get the inspiration for the story?

Back when I first started working in the video game industry, I was also interested in making a low budget CG film. I brainstormed that it’d be pretty low budget if I just used one character and duplicated him over and over–like clones. I started thinking about how life would be like if my world was only filled with copies of myself. Would I get along with my clones? Would I hate them? Like them? Would there still be war? Would there be upper and lower class? Discrimination? One thought lead to another and pretty soon, I started writing a book to figure it all out.

The book takes place on Clades, a different planet. How did you go about creating an entirely different world than the one we know here on Earth?

One of the reasons why I chose to create a new planet was because I wanted the clones to be isolated from Earth so that they can have their own unique world. My main goal was to have a setting where the leader can create a society where he can raise his own clones to believe they are not individuals, but mere copies that shouldn’t have personalities, dreams, or desires. The leader is from Earth, however, so there are traces of Earth culture that are hidden that keeps the world grounded for the readers.

The book involves everyone being an exact copy, except for one clone known as Twain. Was characterization more of a challenge since everyone was supposed to be similar?

I developed the characters the way I normally would by fleshing out their experiences and personalities. Visually though, it was a bit of a challenge. The important characters have to look a little different from one another. For example, we see a lot of cartoons with characters that look the same except they wear different colors and everyone still has their favorite character because the personality is different. The clones in Clan can’t wear different colors except for the leader because of their cultural rules. I made Twain have different eyes and hair so that the audience can immediately pick him out of the crowd. The other two main characters, Buster and Chad, wear their facial expression a distinct way–Buster is always smirking or smiling and always looks lively and open, while Chad is always frowning or very serious and closed.

What type of research is involved in a sci-fi book like this one?

I researched a lot about cloning which was very fascinating. I didn’t get to use a lot of the scientific details in the book because it slows down the pacing. I also learned a lot about the misconceptions people have about cloning. I didn’t know that so many people believe that clones are exact duplicates–but exact duplicates are scientifically impossible. CLAN isn’t about sameness, but about difference.

Is there a follow-up to this book? (Or what are you working on next if that doesn’t apply)

CLAN is a standalone novel. My next book is a part of a series and I will be announcing it very soon. Hint: it’s a YA urban fantasy!

Thank you so much for having me on your Tumblr today, Kristi! I’m excited for your book BURN OUT!

Next up on the Clan Intro Tour–Gretchen McNeil on 12/03!

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About the Author:

Realm Lovejoy is an American writer and an artist. She grew up in both Washington State and the Japanese Alps of Nagano, Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle and works as an artist in the video game industry. CLAN is her first book.

You can find out more about her and her book at www.realmlovejoy.com

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–Realm Lovejoy

Debut Novel: CLAN — Available Now!
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