INTERVIEW: Rachel Firasek (author of The Last Rising)

Good morning, all! It's time for another first stop along the Bewitching Book Tours literary route, featuring the very lovely, and very exciting Rachel Firasek.

Rachel grew up in the south and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam. Her curiosity about mythology, human nature, and the chemical imbalance we call love led her to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales, before she settled on a blending of the two. Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s dance moves. She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows… or at http://www.rachefirasek.com/.

Before we get into Rachel's interview, let's take a quick look at The Last Rising:

After paying two millennia’s penance to Osiris, world-weary Phoenix Ice has had enough. Saving souls without any hope for her own redemption isn’t how she imagined spending eternity. Fed up, she decides her next death will be her last. But when she sacrifices her own life for a sexy Texan in a catastrophic plane crash, she has no idea the consequences will be so great…or that she’ll end up back in his life for her next assignment. Now that Turner Alcott has survived the worst, finding a wife and mother for his son matters more than ever before. When the mysterious Ice comes into his life, Turner knows she’s the one—but love is the last thing Ice wants. If he wants to win her heart, Turner must teach Ice how to forgive herself, and prove that love is the ultimate sacrifice.

Without further ado, please welcome the lovely Rachel Firasek!

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♥ Is there a favourite quote or scene from your work that you feel particularly fond of? Something that reminds you of why writing is important to you?

In the opening scene of The Last Rising, Ice--my heroine--reminisces of home and the lands bordering the Nile River. It is one of my most poetic phrases ever written and with only a sentence, I'm instantly transported to ancient Egypt. These are the scenes that make me love writing.

♥ When you're not writing (or reading), what are some of the hobbies and passions that keep you happy?

Right now, I don't have many others, but there was a time... *fluffy bubble appears and transports me back in time* I liked to fish--and yes, I bait my own hook. I enjoy drawing, painting, and doodling funny faces of people that make me angry. I promise no one ever gets to see them. ;)

♥ Is there a particular author who has influenced or inspired your writing? Somebody who either made you want to write in the first place, or who refreshes your literary batteries?

Laurell K Hamilton's urban fantasies really inspired me to pick up a pen, err.... plop my butt in a chair and write. Her true life story is awesome too, even after ten years of "NO" she still kept putting her work in front of people, and now look at her. :)

♥ When writing, do you ever consider how a reader or reviewer will react, or do you write solely for your own satisfaction?

Much to my editor's frustration, lol, I do write for me. I don't stop for politically correct phrasing or worry that my gore-girl element is showing through. I really don't think fast enough to second guess each second of my writing. It's really rather raw when it explodes from my brain to the paper. This is why I'm so glad that Libby, my editor will tone me down when I get out of hand. :) 

♥ What is the strangest or most surprising reaction to your work that you've ever encountered?

It was when one of my hubby's aunts went into a bookstore to hunt down my book. Yikes, I write kinda hot. Hubs let her know that it may not be her material and she countered with I've had kids, I know what those are all about. Cracked me up! I guess that wasn't really an encounter, but it was super funny. The weirdest thing is my day job colleagues rushing up to me and putting the pressure on me to write the next novel. :)

♥ When you're looking to escape into a really good book (the kind that makes you miss appointments, forget about dinner, and stay up way too late), which authors do you generally reach for, and why?

For my paranormal: Jeaniene Frost, Laurell K Hamilton, Lora Leigh, Cynthia Eden for my contemporary: Julia London and Brooke Moss--she's a new author, but watch out. For my deep dark secret side: Cherise Sinclair and Delilah Devlin. I have many tastes. :)

♥ Just for fun, who would you single out as your number one celebrity crush, and what would you like most to do with/to them?

 Johnny Depp. I adore his versatility. I'd have him dress up as Sweeny Todd and sing and dance with me in a ratty bakery. *cackles maniacally*

♥ If your book were being made into a movie, and you had total control over the production, who would you cast for the leading roles?

 Oh, this is easy. Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz. Beautiful people and they just seem odd enough to work with me.

♥ If you could live a day in the world of someone else's story, whose would you choose, and why?

 Oh, I'd live a day in Alice's world. Doesn't Wonderland look like a fab place to play.

♥ Is there a particular theme or message you're expecting readers to take away from your work?

I want them to feel my characters growth. In The Last Rising, Ice has to overcome her self loathing and learn forgiveness before she loses out on her last chance at love. I want readers to feel her growth and to learn from her pain.

♥ What can we look forward to from you next? Is there a project on the horizon that you're really excited about?

I have a YA in the making. It's still in the brainstorming, but it's a cross mix of paranormal and sci-fi and I can't wait to attack it. :)

Thank you so much for having me on today!
 

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Thanks so much to Rachel for stopping by. If you'd like to follow her virtual journey in support of The Last Rising check out her schedule at Bewitching Book Tours. You can also check her out at www.rachefirasek.com.

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