Rachel Firasek 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 fairy tales, 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 Eighties 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…
Check out Rachel’s Books:
Q; Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
Rachel: I’m a thirty-ish Texas native who corals two teens and husband that puts all of my heroes to shame. I have sprawling spread of Mesquite trees and sheep in a hidden country community of Central Texas. I’ve always been an avid horror fan and was always drawn to cartoons with super heroes. Why wouldn’t I writer in Paranormal Romance?
Q: What is it about the paranormal, in particular phoenixes, that fascinates you so much?
Rachel: I wasn’t fascinated by the phoenix until I realized that they also appeal to my love of vampires. They could be considered the original vampire/sans blood sucking. They are an eternal reincarnated creature. Perfect.
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
Rachel: My BFF and I were sitting the Orlando, FL Airport waiting for our flight home after the RWA Nationals Conference in 2010. A horrible wind/thunderstorm blew in and delayed the flights. While we watched the little men in suits clear the runway, I thought of what it would be like to go down in a crash. I know, I’m horribly morbid. But, those thoughts led to the opening scene in The Last Rising.
Please tell us about your latest release.
Rachel: The Last Rising is a story of redemption and forgiveness. I love my heroine, Ice (who is really Isis) and her story. As a mother, I sympathize with her and hoped to give her a story to overcome the tragic mythology behind the real Isis from Egyptian lore.
Q: Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Rachel: I had a little trouble with Ice. She’s a character that goes through so many catalysts. It was hard to get her vulnerable sometimes, but I hope I pulled it off.
Q: Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Rachel: Brodie was a blast. He’s the hero’s son and five. Who wouldn’t love to write a smart kid? He’s awesome.
Q: Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
Rachel: I’m very character driven, so sometimes it will take a good 5K words before I really know them. Then I have to go back and fix the first 5K. It’s a tedious process, but I haven’t figured out a way around it yet.
Q: What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
Rachel: Hmmm… My fave scene: Would have to be the freezer scene. It’s a scene we added during revisions. I can’t tell you much, but here’s the best way to describe it: Dark, Wet, Hot, Icecream, Steamy
Q: Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
Rachel: I ran into a whole world of Egyptian lore that I could very literally spend the next two years writing about. So many untold stories.
Q: What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?
Rachel: I hate research, so the better question would be what is the most interesting thing I’ve done to avoid it?
Q: Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
Rachel: There really isn’t any difference. It’s set in a contemporary world, unless the phoenixes are on the sun, and then that is a golden palace temperature controlled by Osiris.
Q: With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?
Rachel: I’m writing them as stand alone books in the series, so you could read them out of order. Each heroine and hero will have a distinct story and I hope you’ll love each of them as much as I do.
Q: Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
Rachel: I’m a lot like Ice in that I don’t forgive myself easily. I take in all the guilt and hold it close to my heart. This was a tough one to learn from.
Q: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Rachel: I don’t suffer from writer’s block because if I get stuck, I very seriously will write this:
Blah…blah….I hate this part…blah…. Blah… I know I ‘ll have to come back here and make something up…. Blah …blah….oh, wait, a story idea, there it is…it’s almost there….I got it.
Boom! Back into the story. I strongly believe that even if I’m just moving my hands over the keyboard, something will come to me.
Q: Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?
Rachel: I can’t write if I have email in my inbox. Yes, my name is Rachel, and I’m an email addict
Q: Do you write in different genres?
Rachel: I’ll write in any genre that a story wants to be told. Currently I’m published in both paranormal romance and erotic romance.
Q: Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?
Rachel: Nope, I tell stories. Some stories have monsters, some don’t. It’s super easy when you’re character driven. I can make the plot do anything I want.
Q: When did you consider yourself a writer?
Rachel: At about the age of 12. When I started writing papers for my friends for money. Shhh… I didn’t just say that. I’ve learned my lesson though and now I understand that ghostwriting for term papers isn’t quite the same.
Q: What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Rachel: I like an Italian Margarita on occasion and cheesecake. Those are my two faves. I’ll seriously hide to eat that second helping of NY Cheesecake.
Q: Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
Rachel: Hmmm… I like to fish, read, play ball with my kids out back. I also enjoy playing card and board games, but only if my hubby will let me torment them while we play. If I have to be good, it’s a no-go. :)
Q: What was the last amazing book you read?
Rachel: The Relunctant Dom. It had me cry like 9 times. So unbelievably sad. I want to write emotion that good.
Q: Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
Rachel: I read in my bathtub. It makes reading on my e-reader a little dangerous, but it’s the only place I can go without a hubs or kids bothering me.
Q: What can readers expect next from you?
Rachel: I’m brainstorming a very secretive YA for the first of next year. We’ll see.
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Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
“Why is it I can’t get you out of my mind? You say we haven’t met, but my dreams remember you.”
Oh yeah, he’d dreamt of a woman for months now. She resembled his dream woman in so many ways, but he’d never seen his fantasy lover’s face.
She struggled against his clutch. “Mr. Alcott, I assure you we haven’t met. And for your other question, I don’t know why, but you need to release me.”
Why did that quivering bottom lip make him suspect she was lying? Turner rested his forehead against the top of hers and sucked in her scent. “Please, tell me I’m not losing my mind. Tell me you don’t visit me every night and I’ll promise to leave you alone. I just need to know.”
He sounded like a crazy man but she had to tell him. She was the only one who could put a stop to his mind’s constant fantasizing, and this feeling of déjà vu every time he saw her.
Ice wriggled in his arms, her thighs chafing against his slacks. “Mr. Alcott, you need to let me go.” She glanced around his shoulder. “Brodie is probably staring out that glass window and I would hate for him to get the wrong impression.”
She was right. He needed to get a hold of himself, but he didn’t have the strength to walk away. His hands traveled up and over her shoulders, stalling on her neck. Brushing his thumbs against her jaw, he pressed her head back and stared into hard eyes—no emotion. Couldn’t she see the battle he fought?
He teased the corner of her mouth with his thumb and her breathy gasp pleased him. So, she wasn’t completely immune to him. He dropped his head until his mouth hovered over hers.
“Mr. Alcott—”
“Shhh. I just need a taste of the sunshine.”
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