Hello, and welcome back to another enthralling edition of YA Q&A. Today we’ve put the lovely Rachel A. Marks, debut author of DARKNESS BRUTAL, on the spot to answer some burning (or slightly ridiculous) questions. Let’s turn the time over to our host and get this show on the road.
Becky Wallace: You wake up one morning and, OMG, you’re a faeire. What’s the first thing you do with your new ability?
Rachel Marks: Oh, I’d be so excited!! So, first I’d of course have a faeire tea party. And then I’d grow a whole forest in my back yard and sleep in the trees.
BW: Is there a hammock? I would so be on board with naptime in the forest if I’m promised a cozy hammock. Your parents, however, aren’t too happy with your change. What fictional character do you ask to help you get out of the bind, and how do they “fix” you?
RM: I present my trouble to Hermione and she chats with my mom about how efficient this change in me will be, especially as it pertains to gardening. 😉
BW: Efficiencies and Hermione aside, your parent still prefer Normal Rachel (But I don’t want to be normal!) to fae Rachel. You arrive at school and literally crash into your crush. He/she asks you why you’re shaken up. What do you tell him/her?
RM: I tell him about my magicalness (but in a “help me, I’m so lost, what should I do, I’m such a freak” kind of way) and then he will fall madly in love with me, but I still play hard-to-get and so when I finally admit I may have had a crush on him, our love will have reached epic levels of awesomeness.
BW: He/she isn’t convinced you’re telling the truth — after all, it’s a pretty far fetched story. He/she suggests going somewhere to talk about it more. Where’s this dream date taking place?
RM: I would probably suggest we go to the forest so that I can give examples of my amazing talents that I now will always have forever. And since trees are my friends it will be very romantic and the birdies and squirrels will chat with us and be our hosts.
BW: If he’s not completely weirded out, there may be a Happily Ever After for Fae Rachel. But, there is definitely one for Normal Rachel! Your book is out! Dream come true. Give us a summary in 140 characters or less.
RM: DARKNESS BRUTAL is a Paranormal YA that is like Oliver Twist meets TV’s Supernatural in modern day LA.
BW: And if that wasn’t enough to satisfy your interest, here’s the full summary:
Aidan O’Linn’s childhood ended the night he saw a demon kill his mother and mark his sister, Ava, with Darkness. Since then, every three years the demons have returned to try to claim her. Living in the gritty, forgotten corners of Los Angeles, Aidan has managed to protect his sister, but he knows that even his powers to fight demons and speak dead languages won’t keep her safe for much longer.
In desperation, Aidan seeks out the help of Sid, the enigmatic leader of a group of teens who run LA Paranormal, an Internet reality show that fights demons and ghosts. In their company, Aidan believes he’s finally found a haven for Ava. But when he meets Kara, a broken girl who can spin a hypnotic web of passionate energy, he awakens powers he didn’t know he had―and unleashes a new era of war between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness.
With the fate of humanity in his hands, can Aidan keep the Darkness at bay and accept his brilliant, terrifying destiny
Here’s a little bit more about Normal Rachel: Rachel A. Marks is the author of The Dark Cycle series, beginning with DARKNESS BRUTAL. You can read more about her weird hobbies and see some of her artwork on her webpage: www.RachelAnneMarks.com. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
 Becky Wallace is the author of THE STORYSPINNER and its sequel, THE SKYLIGHTER (available March 22, 2016 from Simon & Schuster). She lives in a happy little village in Texas with her own real-life Prince Charming and their four munchkins. |
2015 YA & MG Debut Authors 