FireSeed One by Catherine Stine

Today I'm talking with Catherine Stine about her YA fantasy, FireSeed One, which released yesterday.

Synopsis:
What if the only person who could help you save the world was your very worst enemy?

Fireseed One, a YA thriller, is set in a near-future world with soaring heat, toxic waters, tricked-out amphibious vehicles, ice-themed dance clubs and fish that grow up on vines. Varik Teitur inherits a vast sea farm after the mysterious death of his marine biologist father. When Marisa Baron, a beautiful and shrewd terrorist, who knows way too much about Varik's father's work, tries to steal seed disks from the world's food bank, Varik is forced to put his dreams of becoming a doctor on hold and venture with her, into a hot zone teeming with treacherous nomads and a cult who worships his dead father, in order to search for a magical hybrid plant that may not even exist. *With nine illustrations by the author. 

Opening line:

I squint into the first faint rays of the sun as I snap on my diving suit. Sweet Ice! It’s March in Vostok and the three-month polar night is finally over. Just in time, because I can’t stand one more hour of darkness.

What's your favorite line or paragraph from the book?
She reaches out her hands to touch my face. The sun, through the filter of the trees, glints green off the cells of her suit, outlines her soft curves. I’m overcome with visions of my father poring over his books, and the wet, verdant forest floor, and newts pausing over toxic yellow candy, and leaves flying up from the impact of Bryan’s body hitting the ground. Another, confused part of me hears my father’s voice calling the refs scum, trash, slime. With flashes of fury at Marisa, mixed with a sad, all consuming longing that feels dangerously like love, I pluck her hands from my face and push her away.

If you could be any character from the book, who would you be and why?
That’s a hard one. I’d choose Marisa, who starts out as a hard-core terrorist, but who goes through major changes, inspired by a series of shocking revelations. Plus, she gets to go on the trip of all trips with a hot, smart guy from a floating island farm. The only problem is, he hates her guts. How’s that for a challenge?

Is there any comic relief? Who is the funniest character?
Lots of comic relief! It’s needed to balance the tension of a world gone kablooey. The funniest character is Varik’s friend, Audun, a jokester and shameless flirt in the clubs on SnowAngel Island. No, make that Shin Kaskade, the digital guru who fixes Varik’s hacked computer. Shin has a trendy hair-nest and a sparkling star embed on his wrist that takes credit card payments.

Where can we purchase a copy of FireSeed One?
Amazon (paperback and Kindle editions)
iBook for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch
Nook - Catherine is offering a special discount. Email her at kitsy84557@gmail.com

Where can your readers find you on the web?
Fireseed Facebook Page
Website
Blog
Facebook Profile
Goodreads Author Page

Just for fun: Since I love the question at the start of the synopsis, I want you to answer it. What if the only person who could help you save the world was your very worst enemy?