Authors Interviewing Characters: Claire Barner

MOONRISING

A debut near future romance, where Sea of Tranquility meets Winter’s Orbit, told against the backdrop of the Moon’s first lunar colony, with a multicultural and LGBTQ+ cast, about a cynical agronomist and charming Emirati businessman who fall in love, and battle eco-terrorists.

In 2073, controversial agronomist Dr. Alex Cole has dedicated her life to mutagenetic food, the only solution to feeding a world torn apart by climate change. When fierce opposition from radical environmentalists wipes out her lab funding, a surprising lifeline appears in the form of Mansoor Al Kaabi, a charismatic Emirati businessman who needs a sustainable food supply for his guests on the Moon’s first hotel.

Alex moves to the Moon colony with Mansoor, and they immediately dive into the challenging work. As she smuggles in illegal chickens, fights a vexing tomato fungus, and dreams of olive groves on the Moon, Alex is surprised to find herself falling in love not just with the lunar colony, but with Mansoor, whose vision for the future of the Moon extends far beyond luxury hotels.

Back on Earth, eccentric genius Victor Beard and Mansoor’s younger brother Rashid fight to push the Homestead Act through Congress. Without the support of the US government, they’ll never be able to achieve their goal to relocate humanity to the Moon and secure a second chance for life on Earth.

When eco-terrorists threaten the lunar colony, Alex, Mansoor, Victor, and Rashid must choose what they’re willing to die for–and what they’re really living for. Is it their grandiose visions of saving the planet–or is it each other?

Claire Barner interviews Dr. Alex Cole

Alex: Sorry I’m late. The Eco Liberation Society staged a protest outside. One of them spat in my face. (Wipes cheek.) Gross.

Claire: Are you alright?

Alex: Yeah, I’m used to being called a grandma killer. Comes with the territory.

Claire: A grandma killer! That’s quite an accusation. Why would they call you that?

Alex: (Crosses arms) Wait, you’re not with the press, are you? I hate talking to the press.

Claire: I’m not.

Alex: Okay then. I’m the foremost expert in the field of mutagenetic food. The ELS thinks I’m going to start another Potato Plague, like the epidemic that killed 100,000 people in 2061. The plague mostly harmed kids and the elderly, so people like to accuse me of being a grandma killer. It’s ridiculous.

Claire: Is it possible that you could start another plague?

Alex: Of course not! If the ELS bothered to read any of my research papers, they’d know the mutagenetic produce I grow in my lab at the University of Chicago is completely safe. It’s our best tool to prevent massive famine as climate change gets worse. The ELS are a bunch of idiots.

Claire: I heard you’re sleeping with a member of the Eco Liberation Society.

Alex: Navin isn’t involved with the ELS anymore…I think.

Claire: You don’t sound too sure.

Alex: He still calls mutagenetic food “mutant food.” Even though he knows I hate that stupid term. And he’s still friends with the really dangerous people on the fringes of the movement—the ones that like to blow up research stations. Did you know the ELS is considered a domestic terrorist organization by the FBI?

Claire: I’d heard that. Why would you spend time with someone so fundamentally opposed to your career?

Alex: What do you care what I do with my personal life?

Claire: I also heard you’re suspicious of everyone. Do you even like people?

Alex: I’ve dedicated my life to feeding the world. What further proof do you want?

Claire: But is there anyone you actually trust?

Alex: My plants.

Claire: Then you must be looking forward to building a greenhouse on the Moon colony.

Alex: I’m looking forward to funding my lab at the university for the next ten years. A one year commitment to NASA buys me a decade of funding.

Claire: So you’re only in it for the funding?

Alex: I—can I be honest with you?

Claire: Please.

Alex: My dad is the commander of the Moon colony. I think he pulled the strings to get me the job. And…it would be nice to spend time with him. We aren’t exactly close.

Claire: When’s the last time you saw him?

Alex: He’s been on the Moon for three years. And I’m not sure he’s coming back.

Claire: But you’re only staying for a year.

Alex: That’s right. Keep my head down, do my job, and earn ten years of lab funding to keep developing mutagenetic food for Earth.

Claire: Would anything make you stay longer?

Alex: Absolutely not. My work on Earth is too important.

Claire: What if you met someone on the Moon colony? What if you fell in love?

Alex: (laughs) I don’t fall in love.

BUY HERE

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Claire Barner studied public policy and education at the University of Chicago and has spent her career in operations. She is an avid gardener, on a mission to maximize the number of tomatoes her small bungalow lot can produce. She loves to cook freshly harvested vegetables, mix strong cocktails, and host lively dinner parties. She and her husband are raising three children and love exploring Chicago’s garden walks, lakefront, museums, and forest preserves. Barner leads the parent engagement group at her children’s school and is committed to enhancing equity at Chicago Public Schools. For more info, visit clairebarner.com.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing