If I understand your question, you want to have a specific font as the default with every new document and with every use of the text tool, right? If so, here's what I did:
Using the blank document at start-up of VWA 9 (or 8.5.2 for that matter), I go to Text> Format Text and select my font and its formatting. From that point on, your selected font and size, so forth should be the default. If that doesn't work, then try selecting each attribute one by one from the text menu. In either approach, make sure the pointer tool is active for these actions to take.
Hope this helps