Anomaly by Kristee McGee Blog Tour

Title: Anomaly

Author: Krista McGee

Release Date: 9th July, 2013

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.  Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above believe that emotion was at the core of what went wrong—and they have genetically removed it from the citizens they have since created. Thalli has kept her malformation secret from those who have monitored her for most of her life, but when she receives an ancient piece of music to record as her community’s assigned musician, she can no longer keep her emotions secreted away.  Seen as a threat to the harmony of her Pod, Thalli is taken to the Scientists for immediate annihilation. But before that can happen, Berk—her former Pod mate who is being groomed as a Scientist—steps in and persuades the Scientists to keep Thalli alive as a test subject.  The more time she spends in the Scientist’s Pod, the clearer it becomes that things are not as simple as she was programmed to believe. She hears stories of a Designer—stories that fill her mind with more questions: Who can she trust? What is this emotion called love? And what if she isn’t just an anomaly, but part of a greater design? 

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An Interview with an Anomaly 

Because this book is dedicated to my son, Thomas (age 10), I have decided to let him interview Thalli, the Anomaly of Anomaly.  

Thomas McGee (TM): Let’s get this over with. I want to play soccer. 

Thalli (T): You do not want to interview me? 

TM: Dude, having a conversation with a fictional character was not my idea. 

T: Your mom made you do it? 

TM: Yep. She’s probably going to make me take a bath tonight, too. And I only got a little sweaty throwing the football with Tanner this afternoon. 

T: I understand. Your mom has made me do some awful stuff, too. 

TM: Really? Like what? 

T: She made me different. 

TM: Different how? 

T: Everyone in my world is calm and obedient, they never question anything and never feel anything. But I question everything and I feel way too much. 

TM: You’d rather be like everyone else? 

T: Not really, I guess… 

TM: ‘Cause Mom always says she doesn’t want me to be like everyone else. 

T: She doesn’t want me to be like everyone else, either. 

TM: So you feel stuff. What’s the big deal about that? 

T: In my world, I can be annihilated for it. 

TM: Annihilated? What’s that? 

T: Killed. 

TM: That’s stupid! They can’t kill you because you cry and stuff. If they could, then my sisters would never make it.  

T: Your world is different than mine. 

TM: Are you on another planet or something? 

T: No, actually, I am on earth. In the future. 

TM: Cool! You know the future? 

T: …Yes. 

TM: So what happens? 

T: You don’t want to know. 

TM: Yes I do. 

T: No, you don’t. 

TM: Who’s doing the interview here? This guy. So tell me what happens.  

T: You would never make it here. 

TM: Hey, I know all about changing the subject. It’s how I get out of my baths some nights. So I’m not letting you do it. Spill.  

T: The world is destroyed by a nuclear war. 

TM: A what?! 

T: A nuclear war.  

TM: That stinks. When does it happen? 

Krista McGee (KM): Thomas, stop talking about the war and ask Thalli about herself. This is an interview, remember? 

TM: Mom, the world is going to be destroyed and I’m supposed to ask Thalli dumb questions about herself? 

KM: It’s a story, Thomas. For readers. This interview is also for readers. They want to know more about Thalli. 

TM: Fine. But if I wake up with nightmares tonight, you’re staying up with me. 

KM: The interview, son. 

TM: Is she like this with you, Thalli? 

T: I don’t get to argue with her.  

TM: Who do you argue with? 

T: I really try not to argue with anyone. Arguing isn’t allowed.  

TM: What? 

T: If I argued with my Monitors, they’d know I was an anomaly. 

TM: And you’d be killed. 

T: Yes. 

TM: So you sit around and try not to let people know what you’re thinking. 

T: Generally, yes. 

TM: Great book, Mom. 

KM: Don’t make me come in there. 

TM: Help me out here, Thalli. Do you do anything interesting? 

T: I don’t know if it’s interesting, but I do get caught displaying emotions and I am taken to the Scientists’ Quarters to be annihilated. 

TM: Now you’re talking. So are you killed? 

T: I can’t tell you that. 

TM: What do the Scientists do to you? 

T: I can’t tell you that, either. 

TM: Give me a break! Are they nice, mean, do they torture you? Make you take a bath every night?  

T: They are…unkind. But they mean well. They really do think they are doing what’s best for the State. 

TM: Which State? 

T: The State is where I live. 

TM: Okay, but which State? Florida? Texas? New York? 

T: It’s just called the State. I believe we are located in what used to be the State of Colorado. 

TM: Cool. So…do you think I can be done now? I really want to play soccer. 

T: Sure. 

TM: All right. Well, thanks Thalli. Good luck with hiding your feelings and surviving the Scientists and all that. See ya. 

About the Author:

Krista McGee’s passion to see teens excited about serving God is a driving force behind her novels. Ever since college when she spent a summer working at a youth camp, McGee knew she wanted to invest in teenagers. Since then she’s been involved in a variety of youth ministries and currently teaches at a Christian school in Tampa, FL. 

  

McGee broke into the writing world during her time in Spain. A friend encouraged her to submit an article to a Christian girls’ magazine, and it got published. Once her family moved back to Tampa, she got the idea for her first novel, First Date, a modern take of the story of Esther. Her subsequent books, Starring Me and Right Where I Belong, are based on Rebekah and Ruth. 

When Krista McGee isn’t living in fictional worlds of her own creation, she spends her days as a wife, mom, teacher and coffee snob.

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