An interview with author Raquel Rich.
Hi! Welcome to Zigzag Timeline. Can you tell us about
your background as an author?
Hamartia was
the first story I wrote as an adult. I unknowingly suppressed my love of
writing when I was twelve over an uproar when Lisa, a fictional young rape
victim in one of my stories, killed herself.
As a first time
author, I was scared Hamartia sucked. Most authors don’t publish or do anything
with their first works, so why would I be any different? However, to my
surprise, Hamartia won the grand prize in a writing contest sponsored by Words
Matter Publishing and also received a glowing review from Kirkus, a highly respected industry journal.
What got you into writing?
I honestly
couldn’t say. Writing wasn’t something I
planned, it was something I stumbled over. I didn’t mean to write a book, at
least not consciously.
What was the first idea you had for your book,
and how did the story grow from there?
Hamartia was
born from a conversation between my son and me at the Science Museum in London,
England. There was an exhibit on fears and phobias which explored popular
beliefs, one of which was reincarnation. It got me thinking about the idea of a
soul dying after enduring too many life cycles. What would happen? What if you
could travel to a past life and clone a soul? A scene emerged in my head and I
wrote it down, and once I did, it was like a dam had burst, unleashing a long
forgotten love of writing.
Among your characters, who's your favorite? Could you
please describe him/her?
Grace’s best
friend, Kay, is by far my favourite
character. She and I would get along like strawberries and whipped cream
because I loosely based her on my real life best friend. Kay takes charge whenever
Grace can’t. She doesn’t
hesitate to speak her mind and has an infectious nature. What I love most about
her is her quirky spirit, unwavering loyalty, and her ability to forgive.
What's your
favorite scene from your novel? Could you please describe it?
I have many. I’m
afraid to detail any of them for fear of giving the story away, please forgive
my vagueness. I love the scene when Marc finally tells Grace exactly what he
should’ve said to her long before. I find the confrontation between Grace and
her best friend, Kay, to be endearing. I’m captivated every time I read the
part when Grace finally reveals the significance of her dream. And the chase
through the caves in the desert is an action-packed
sequence I thoroughly enjoyed stringing together.
What's your favorite part of writing? Plotting?
Describing scenes? Dialogue?
Plotting and problem-solving. I think I’m a bit of a mad
scientist. I get a kick out of putting my characters into impossible situations
and watching them squirm on the page. When I’ve had enough laughs at their
expense, I help them out of the situation.
How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have
a writing process, or do you wing it?
Hamartia took
four years to write. However, I had a full-time day job and therefore only
wrote on weekends. I also took lots of sabbaticals from the story, thinking it would never become
anything. Now that writing is now my full-time gig, it’s a much quicker process. I managed
to throw the first draft of the sequel together in a few months. On the other
hand, revising and editing is shaping up to be the most time-consuming step
regardless of having all day (every day) to work on it. Between each revision,
I tuck the story in a drawer for weeks to let it rest. Fresh eyes are crucial
to my process, so the resting period cannot be rushed.
What is it about the genre you chose that
appeals to you?
I don’t have to
suspend my disbelief in sci-fi because I honestly believe that anything is
achievable with evolution. Humans are capable of the unthinkable and this both
scares and awes me. Having said that, it annoys me that sci-fi and fantasy are
often lumped together. I see them as completely different genres. In my head, fantasy
is something that will never happen whereas sci-fi is possibly possible.
Are there any books or writers that have had particular influence on you?
Madeleine
L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time) is my hero. Sci-fi is a male-dominated genre, and she rocked it in the 1960s.
Did you ever surprise yourself when you were
writing your book? Characters who took on lives of their own? Plot elements
that took unexpected turns?
I hadn’t
planned for Kay to play such a big part in the story. There were many times
that I would tell her (aloud), “Kay, you gotta go now.” And she’d reply (in my
head), “If you get rid of me, you’ll regret it.” As for the plot, I was just as
surprised with the twists I wrote as many of you will be when you read the book.
Thanks for stopping by!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Grace’s nine-year-old son, Jordan, is dying. First, the Metagenesis disease will tear his soul from his body, and then it will kill him. Desperate for a cure, Grace agrees to take part in an illegal clinical trial cloning souls. Supported by her best friend Kay, the two embark on the ultimate “Vegas Vacation” to the past in search of the right soul to clone, racing against time to save Jordan’s life. But someone is trying to stop them and when they discover why, Grace must make a choice: let her son die or kill her husband. If she kills her husband she triggers widespread Metagenesis, sealing the fate of the human race with a new plague.
Humanity is counting on Grace choosing to let her son die.
Watch the book trailer HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LINKS
Website
& blog - https://www.raquelrich.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRaquelRich/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/RaquelRiosRich
Kirkus
review - https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/raquel-rich/hamartia/
Book Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=bN-byRKWNeY
