Interview with sci-fi thriller author Raquel Rich

Novelist Raquel Rich joins me today to chat a bit about her time travel thriller, Hamartia.

Bio:

Raquel Rich is a sci-fi author and occasional blogger. She loves to travel, suntan, walk her dog, and is obsessed with all things Beauty & the Beast. She despises cold weather, balloons, and writing about herself in the third person but noticed all the real authors do that. Born and raised in Canada to Brazilian parents, she lives in the Toronto area with her family. She’s married to the guy she’s been with since she was fifteen (her baby daddy), and her superpowers include being a mom to their two awesome grown-ass boys and one fur baby.

Raquel Rich is a proud member of Broad Universe: an international, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, encouraging, honoring, and celebrating women writers and editors in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other speculative genres.

Welcome, Rachel. Please tell us about your current release.

If you’re a hardcore sci-fi fan who loves spaceships and aliens, Hamartia is not for you. On the other hand, if you loved The Terminator and The Maze Runner, you’ll love Hamartia. There is a woman desperate to save her son, there is a disease plaguing the human race, and it’s a time travel thriller suitable for both adults and young adults. What price would you pay to save your child’s life? You’d die for your child, but would you kill? How many?

What inspired you to write this book?

My son and I were at the Science Museum in London, England. We got sucked into an exhibit that explored the science and popular beliefs behind fears and phobias. One belief was that phobias were the result of past life experiences. I used this to defend myself against my son’s jokes about my deep hatred for (fear of) turtlenecks and balloons. I argued that I’d been strangled to death at a party in a past life—obviously. This banter with my son led to a list of “what ifs” forming my head; what if you could travel to your past life? If a soul is reincarnated too many times, would it die? How far would you go to save your child’s life if his soul was dying? I decided to answer these questions through Grace, Hamartia’s main character.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working on Hamartia’s sequel, Deus Ex Machina, but I can’t say more about it without ruining Hamartia.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It took a good year to admit I was writing a book, never mind call myself a writer. When people used to ask me, “What do you do?” I’d answer in a shaky voice, “Um… I’m a writer?” I don’t think the doubt in my voice dissipated until after I published Hamartia.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I write full-time! I’m lucky to have a supportive hubby who thinks Hamartia will become a blockbuster movie so he can retire and play golf all day. Every morning until lunchtime-ish, I sit in my pyjamas and write. Afterwards, depending on the season, I clear my head by taking my dog for a walk or by going for a swim. However, when I’m in editing mode, wild horses couldn’t drag me away from the task. I edit and rewrite from sunup to sundown, ignoring the weather, my family, and my growling dog and stomach.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I write every morning from about 9 AM until 2 PM but only if I’m alone. I am immediately distracted when people are around or near me, even if they’re in another room of the house. It’s the knowledge of their presence that annoys me. I could be on a super writing rampage, words flowing and unstoppable like a raging rapid, but the second someone shows up, my ideas and words go cold and evaporate quicker than a cube of ice in an August heatwave.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a kid, I dreamed of being a pilot and a writer. Then I threw-up on a flight to Brazil. I was heartbroken when I realized flying a plane doped up on anti-nausea meds wouldn’t pan out. As for my dream of being a writer, it went dormant for a couple of decades until that fateful trip to the Science Museum in London, England, where the idea of Hamartia was born.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Fun fact: I’m a writer of colour who is a little put off that protagonists never looks like me. For that reason, I never describe Grace’s race or skin colour. I want the reader to assume they look like her. I’m often asked who I would cast as Grace if Hamartia is ever made into a movie. This question stumps me every time. All I can say is that having to decide on Grace’s race or skin colour for a movie would be a great problem to have!

Links:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

Thanks for stopping by today!