The Retreat by Kelly St. Clare
(The After Trilogy, #1)
Publication date: August 30th 2016
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Earth is ruined. Humankind destroyed. And it’s old news.Romy’s life is simple—for a genetically enhanced space soldier; pick up space junk with her four friends, and stave off the invaders fixated on stealing Planet Earth.
It isn’t much. But it’s temporary—only another 850 years to go, give or take.
When her crew tangles with a gulp-worthy alien mothership, Romy’s return to Earth is brought forwards at hurtling pace.
Strength comes from the unlikeliest of quarters.
As does leadership.
…As does betrayal.
Romy’s side of the battler must have torn away during landing. Only a few shredding battler walls remained. It was as though her side of the ship had been ripped off like a chunk of bread from a loaf.
The floor underneath her was gone, leaving her legs dangling. Romy herself was suspended by the harness, which dug into her torso. It was the only thing keeping her from falling three metres to the dry grass.
The bottom part of her battler segment had embedded itself into the ground on an angle. Romy’s end of the segment was immobilised in the air, forty-five degrees to the surface. She looked to have landed at the edge of a grassy clearing. Or maybe a forest, she amended, judging by the multitudes of trees before her.
Behind her, the ripped walls were flayed wide open, smoking, sparking, and hissing.
She took in the vast splash of colours before her with unseeing eyes. She was on Earth. Hanging above real ground.
Quite alone. And if her knot hadn’t . . . survived . . . she was quite possibly the only person, or being, on the planet. A numbness set in so deep that Romy could no longer feel the harness. Her head drooped as she struggled to regain her calm. She had to findher friends. That was an absolute. They were alive. She had to believe it was true.
She waited, willing her shaking hands to still until eventually they obeyed.
Inhaling sharply, Romy looked around once more.
The question was: How far did her section of the craft land from the others?
If it were a matter of hours, that would be okay, but anything more and she would require food and water. A post-global-warming Earth meant the food and water here wasn’t safe. The yellowed plant life confirmed that. The battler held supplies, but did she have any in her part? And how much oxygen was in her suit? Romy’s heart began to quicken once more, and she forced the unfamiliar fear away.
First priority was getting to the ground. Under normal conditions she would take the chance and jump the three metres, but the injury to her ankle and the extent of the damage to her head caused Romy to hesitate. If only she could take her suit helmet off .. . but the air conditions had to be terrible. She wouldn’t last five seconds.
No, she decided. She’d pull herself up onto the back of her seat and see if there was an easier way out from the back of the smoking wreckage.
She sighed in weary exhaustion, not sure she had the strength to move a single finger. But that wouldn’t help her friends.
Romy released one half of her harness. Holding tightly to the strap, she released the second half of the harness—
Something gave. Not the harness, but whatever it was attached to, or attached with.For a moment Romy thought she might be able to salvage the tatters of her plan and still climb up. Until, with a loud ripping, the harness tore free from the rest of the chair.
What’s
the weirdest thing you’ve googled?
How
do you work with an editor without the pride thing getting in the
way?
Oh…so
many things. Once I googled, ‘do lips turn blue before or after
people die’. At the moment the top in my history is, ‘chicken
with a ponytail’ and just under it is ‘Alexander Skaarsgard’.
What
book are you reading now?
What
is the whole world reading right now? Harry Potter and the Cursed
Child. I just finished The Mortal Song by Megan Crewe.
Firstly,
for those who don’t fall under the category of artist, you have to
realise that when you show people your craft – be it music, art, or
a story – you are sharing a bit of your soul. To show it to an
Editor, who will pick it apart is the ultimate friction against your
natural instincts. For me it comes down to two things; Do you want
your work to be the best it can be? (If you do, then pride gets
knocked down the ladder). And how good is your relationship with your
editor? I think a good editor knows how to deliver criticism
concisely and constructively … M&Ms also help.
How do you balance the craft of writing with the business of writing?
I
love marketing! My craft:business balance depends on where I am in
the writing process. I am like a rabid dog during the first draft.
During this time, I tend to only spend an hour marketing each day. On
follow up drafts it is more like 5 hours writing to 3 hours
marketing. When I’m gearing up for release it is more 2 hours
writing and endless marketing. I try to operate via the mantra that
releasing more books is the best marketing.
Do
you write every single day?
Ballpoint,
uniball, or fountain tip pen?
Yes!
Not necessarily fiction, however. If I’m not working on my latest
manuscript, then it is normally on blogs. Sometimes it is on things
like my blurb, a synopsis, a fun unrelated thing, and I also write
reviews for YA Books Central.
Is
fountain tip like a quill? That one.
Can
you tell us about your upcoming book?
Do
you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the
two? Summarize your writing process.
Sure!
The Retreat is the first novel in my new series, The After Trilogy.
The story follows an early twenties genetically enhanced space
soldier named Romy – don’t call her Rosemary, you’ll make her
mad. The story is set in a future where Earth has been desolated by
Global Warming. Now the last slice of humankind exists in space,
protecting Earth—turns out some unfriendly visitors rather like the
look of this new Earth—and waiting until they can return to solid
ground.
During
a battle Romy’s ship is shot down and she crash-lands on this
supposedly unliveable Earth ... let’s just say she doesn’t find
what she expects.
I
do a massive brainstorm where all my initial ideas explode. This
usually spans several pages and builds and develops as I go. From
there I do a chapter by chapter outline. I know, when I do this, that
there is no way I’ll stick to it, in terms of storyline. But it
helps me to see the overall story, and make sure the structure is
sound. For The Retreat I did heaps of research, contacted
astrophysicists and environmentalists and other clued up people. I
don’t have a logical bone in my body, but I would say my novels are
25% planner, and 75% intuition.
What do you like to read in your free time?
I
review 3-4 books a month for YA Books Central—and find some great
new Authors via that. Like every reader, I search for that magical
story that sweeps me off my feet. #bestfeelingever I read in any
genre (but mostly fantasy and science fiction).
Ooo,
okay! Uhm…a steaming and rather large cup of tea, a vanilla candle,
printed cards with reviews from my readers to motivate me,
inspiration pictures for whatever story I’m writing hung up behind
my computer, and of course Alfie the Writer’s Rabbit (probably
chewing on an essential cord, or three).
If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I
would ask JK Rowling who made her angry enough to kill Dobby.
What
brought you to write this book?
What’s
next for you?
Excitement
to pull the piece of string and see what it’s attached to.
Soooo
many stories. The fourth novel in The Tainted Accords releases
October 10th.
Then I’m writing a couple of Tainted Accords novellas…and then
the sequel to The Retreat. I aim to have some semblance of a life in
there, too.
Do
you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or
writing in the shower)?
Haha,
maaaaybe. When I first plan out a story I need, like, the most
majestic notebook I can find, and a life-changing pen. And during
first draft I lose roughly 98% of my marbles. This month I have put
mixed berries in my tea instead of a smoothie, and I got into the
shower with my underwear and socks still on. It’s hard to be in two
or three worlds at once. . .
Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Writing
isn’t something where you reach a certain level and know you’re a
good Author. You know you’re an author when you keep going no
matter what.
When Kelly St Clare is not reading or writing, she is lost in her latest reverie. She can, quite literally, drift past a car accident while in the midst of her day dreams, despite the various police sirens and chaos.Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to start unravelling this mystery and began writing. Her aim: To write stories she would want to read. As it turns out, this failed miserably. Do you know what it is like to read something you've written? Impossible, that's what. Not to mention, the ending is ruined before you've begun. Never-the-less, Kelly loves it and wishes she had more time to squeeze it in between her day job as a physiotherapist.
Fantasy of Frost, the first title in The Tainted Accords, is her debut novel. It's sequel,Fantasy of Flight, was released on May 24th, 2015. Fantasy of Fire is due for release January 2016!
A New Zealander in origin and in heart, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her soon-to-be husband, a great group of friends, and some huntsman spiders who love to come inside when it rains. Their love is not returned.
Fav quote: Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint on broken glass.Fav Song: I believe in a thing called love - The Darkness
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