Author Interview + Giveaway: Your One & Only by Adrianne Finlay
Jack is a walking fossil. The only human among a sea of clones. It’s been hundreds of years since humanity died off in the slow plague, leaving the clones behind to carry on human existence. Over time they’ve perfected their genes, moving further away from the imperfections of humanity. But if they really are perfect, why did they create Jack?While Jack longs for acceptance, Althea-310 struggles with the feeling that she’s different from her sisters. Her fascination with Jack doesn’t help. As Althea and Jack’s connection grows stronger, so does the threat to their lives. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?
1) Hello Adrianne, and welcome to HDB! I thought we’d start with a quick lightning round, to get to know you!
Hello!
* I can’t live without _black tea_____ to eat/drink while I write.
* One book I’d absolutely recommend right now is _The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin_____.
* One fun fact about me is _I make cold process soap that I sell at craft fairs_____.
2) What caught my eye about Your One & Only was that it delves into the idea of what makes up a human being. Would you agree, and where did the idea spring from?
Your One & Only is very much about what it means to be human. I came up with idea after reading an article about the ethical implications of cloning a Neanderthal. It talked about how, even if we had the capability, it would be morally irresponsible, because the resulting being would have no connection to our modern world—no community, no family, no culture. I was drawn to the idea of a story about a character so out of place, the only one of his kind. Instead of writing a Neanderthal clone, I imagined a future world where humanity had evolved in some fundamental way, and then that world is introduced to a 21st century human. He is seen as primitive and distinctly different from everyone else, and it becomes a way to explore our notions of what it means to be human. The clones have “evolved” away from their humanity, and we then must consider what they’ve lost, and what it is that makes Jack so different from them; I other words, what it is that makes him human.
3) Was there any part of this book that was harder to write than another? Any breakthrough moments that really thrilled you?
The writing process becomes something of a blur once it’s done, and in hindsight it feels like it went smoothly—which is of course entirely nonsense. Every step is work, focus, and patience. There were a few places in the book that I found really fun to write, but I can’t really talk about them without spoiling part of the story. I don’t generally write with an outline, so I like those moments when your own characters surprise you, and make decisions that you didn’t necessarily see coming.
4) If Your One & Only was being made into a movie, what would the tagline say?
“In 2407, humans are a thing of the past”
5) Finally, and thank you again for all the wonderful answers, what would you say to readers out there looking to pick up your books?
Thank you so much for having me! I would say to readers that I hope they enjoy reading about Jack and Althea and the clones as much as I enjoyed writing about them. I started the book because it was an idea I really wanted to read, so part of me is actually a little jealous and wishes I could have just been a reader, instead of slogging through all that drafting and revision. Is that weird? ☺
Originally from Ithaca, New York, Adrianne Finlay now lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa with her husband, the poet J. D. Schraffenberger, and their two young daughters. She received her PhD in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University, and is an associate professor of English at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa.
She is also an avid soap maker, and sells handmade soap locally to raise money for type 1 diabetes research.
