BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Genesis Girl: Blank Slate [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Jennifer Bardsley to talk about Genesis Girl (14 June 2016, Month9Books, 280 pages), a Young Adult Fantasy, book one of the Blank Slate series.

“At its core, Genesis Girl is an exploration of power. Not simply the power that technology wields over us, but the power we must wield over ourselves.” —Jeanne Ryan, author, Nerve

“A totally original sci-fi thriller, Genesis Girl plunges readers into a future world scarily like our own, where private lives are warped into commercial spectacles. The story of feisty heroine Blanca’s battle to reclaim her identity kept me up late—with the computer and the TV off!” —Joshua David Bellin, author, Survival Colony 9

“Fast-paced, thrilling, and action-packed, Genesis Girl is a debut that will make you think about how the ways we use technology today could come back to haunt us in the future. The perfect start to a powerful, entirely original new series.” —Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author, Firsts

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Trailer | Teaser | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to Jennifer Bardsley; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

To begin, as wee love music, Jennifer has shared with us her music playlist for Genesis Girl - enjoy!

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Blanca, the main character from Genesis Girl, is part of a quasi-religious order called Vestals. She takes a holy vow to never go on the Internet. Unlike Blanca, my smart phones is practically glued to my hand. I’m on Instagram @the_ya_gal and “The YA Gal Facebook” all the time."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Genesis Girl - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"Since I’m a traditionally published author, the cover of Genesis Girl was chosen by the publisher, Month9Books. I loved it instantly, although I’m sure they would have made adjustments if I hated it."

Why should we read Genesis Girl and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Genesis Girl is a YA Sci-Fi book unlike any other. Some people have called it dystopian, but that’s not quite right. The futurist world of Genesis Girl isn’t bad, Blanca just thinks it’s bad. It’s really a book about mind control, and that’s one of my favorite topics."

Can you tell us something quirky about Genesis Girl, its story and characters?

"Blanca’s name of course means “white,” and that’s a play on the fact that she is a Vestal and Vestals only wear white as a symbol of their purity. The founder of the Vestal order is a man named Barbelo Nemo. Nemo means “nobody” and that’s because all of the Vestals are blank slates. They can become anything their purchasers want. Blanca’s main adversary is Seth, and Seth means “chaos,” because he really screws up all of the plans Blanca envisions for herself."

Who would you recommend Genesis Girl to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"Genesis Girl would not qualify as “clean teen” but it’s not rated R either. There are no sex scenes and hardly any bad words. But there is some violence and illusion to dark things, so it’s not something I have let my eleven-year-old son read."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I love writing YA Speculative Fiction, and by that I mean anything that is out of the ordinary: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Paranormal, or just plain weird. In my day job I write a newspaper column called “I Brake for Moms” for The Everett Herald which falls into the category of memoir. You’d be surprised how much fun it is to write about my daughter getting an apple stuck up her nose!"

What is in store next?

"The sequel to Genesis Girl is called Damaged Goods and it’s in the middle of the editorial process with the publisher. I can’t tell you too much about book two because that would reveal Genesis Girl spoilers, but be prepared for more twists, turns, and major reveals."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have an absolutely adorable poodle named Merlin. He’s an older, rescue dog, and that makes him hard to train. We have a saying in our house that “Poodles make everything better except for white carpet.”"