Title: Under Ground
Author: Alice Rachel
Series: Under Ground #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Dystopia
Release Date: October 30, 2015
Love is a taboo, a mere fantasy— foreign, unreachable, and dangerous.
Raised in a society where women have no rights, seventeen-year-old Thia Clay holds little hope for a bright future. When her parents sell her into marriage to elite member William Fox, Thia slowly gives in to despair. William is nothing but a cruel, selfish young man with no other interest than to serve his own.
Born illegally and forced to hide from the authorities his entire life, nineteen-year-old Chi Richards is an active member of the Underground—a rebellious group seeking to overthrow the government.
Chi only has one goal—to rescue his parents from the work camp they were forced into.
Meeting Thia was never part of the plan, and neither was falling in love with her.
If caught in their forbidden relationship, Thia and Chi could face a death sentence, and when devastating secrets surface from Chi’s past, Thia has to rely on her instincts to make a choice that could save her or destroy her forever.
I really enjoy dystopian novels in general, and I have grown an interest for romance novels as well. Those two genres influence me the most, as well as anything revolving around the Victorian era and the French revolution.
Originally, I didn't really pick a genre. I needed to create Chi and the novel came out of that need. The series exists because Chi had to be "born."
2. When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process(outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
I do not outline my stories. The plot writes itself as I go, and then I piece it all back together. The names of the characters usually come to me naturally. I sometimes research certain names, but it's usually to check their origins. Editing is my least favorite part of writing. It is an exhausting job that I do thoroughly, but wish I could do without.
So, what I enjoy the most is free-writing. When I write my first draft, I write what comes to my mind without worrying about it. I also enjoy working on my playlists and listening to them as I write the first draft, or later in my car. The playlists give me the biggest feels because they bring back all the emotions I felt while writing and they bring me really close to my characters.
I also enjoy drawing my characters. It's relaxing, even if it can be frustrating at times because I am really difficult with myself and will not accept my own drawings unless they look exactly like the characters I had portrayed in my mind.
3. When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
I like to say that I have "themed" years. I will read a certain genre for an entire year and when I get a bit tired of it, I will move on to something else.
This year is the year of NA romance and graphic novels. :-)
But in general, I like mystery novels, horror novels, thrillers, dystopia, anything YA or NA romance. I also enjoy children's books. When I was little, I hated reading and I'm afraid that's still affecting me today. I can only read fast-paced novels that grip my attention instantly.
4. If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
Beatrix Potter.
She is such an inspiration!
I love how different she was for a woman of the Victorian era. I love her drawings, her stories, her independence. She was so original. She loved animals. And she self-published at first and insisted upon creating small, affordable books that all children could hold in their hands. She was fascinating, really—a true artist.
5. Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you "later in life"?
Definitely later in life. I wrote my first short stories about ten years ago and stopped for a long time. Three years ago, I picked up writing again and started working on my book series.
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today. Come talk to me on Social Media. I love talking about books and fangirling about characters. :-)
Alice Rachel is the author of the YA Dystopian ROMANCE SERIES “Under Ground.” Originally from France, Alice Rachel moved to the United States ten years ago to live with her husband, and she now also shares her home with two really old foster guinea pigs.
Alice enjoys books of all kinds and more specifically those introducing well-written antagonists and complex protagonists. Alice also loves to draw her own book characters.
The first book of her series “Under Ground” came out in October 2015, and the sequel will be out later this year.
Alice loves to interact with all readers, so feel free to send her a Tweet.
