Mercury Rises by Scarlett Kol
Publication Date: February 13, 2018
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
A girl looking for a way out.
Being the daughter of New America’s leader, Mercury Masters has everything a girl could want. A glamorous life full of beautiful people, and the power to have anything she wants, except for one thing—to escape. Because Mercury’s perfect life comes with secrets to keep. Dangerous secrets that if made public would destroy her, her family, and her father’s reign. Then she meets Hawk.
A boy looking to be a hero.
Hawk, a handsome prep school dropout turned vigilante, has his own family secrets. Deadly secrets that have haunted him since he was fifteen. But instead of fighting the ghosts of his past, Hawk has assembled a group of misfit hackers and thieves to save the future from the corrupt government of New America and the mysterious virus that is killing off its citizens. But trying to do the right thing is tough when the person you really want to save is your enemy’s daughter.
A love that could kill them both.
Powerful forces keep them apart, but coming together could be the key to saving New America from destruction—even though it may cost both their lives.
A near-future YA biopunk retelling of Robin Hood.
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Excerpt: Running Away
I reached into my apron and pulled out the week’s rent. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me, Bill. I really appreciate you taking me in.”
“No sweat. You work hard, and the regulars seem to like a pretty, young face around here. Stay as long as you’d like.” He took the wad of bills and slid them in his pocket. “Now get out of here. I’ll finish up. You look exhausted.”
Walking past, I squeezed his hand and continued on. As I glanced back over my shoulder, he smiled, and for a minute I thought I saw him blush. Bill was the nicest person I had met since I left. I’d miss him.
I ran up the stairs to my room. Time to move on. If there was still a chance of running into my past, I was still too close to the city. Too bad. Part of my heart hurt thinking about how I was going to let Bill down. I stopped at the door and rested my forehead against the rough wood. Maybe if I stayed the night, I could stick around and say goodbye in the morning. Better not. Fewer questions if I left now. Safer for him the less he knew, anyway.
A tight feeling spread across my lungs and up my throat as I slid the gold key in the lock for the last time, but I’d get over it. I had to. I sighed and clicked the door closed. My hand hesitated on the doorknob, the unexpected weight of a stare bearing down on the back of my head. I wasn’t alone.
Standing motionless, I scanned the darkness over my shoulder. A voice cut through the black.
“Mercury, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Interview with Scarell Kol
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Mercury Rises?
Mercury Rises is a re-imagining of Robin Hood, so many of the characters are archetypes from the classic legend.
Mercury Masters – She’s my Maid Marian and basically the country’s first daughter. A private school princess with a rebellious streak who doesn’t buy into the government propaganda that her father’s administration is selling.
Hawk – My Robin. A trust fund kid who turns vigilante after the death of his parents. A compelling leader, he’s charming, smart, stealth, and definitely hot.
Christophe – The Sheriff. He’s Mercury’s ex-boyfriend and intern for her father.
Tucker, Red and Ratchett – These are Hawk’s merry men (and women). Tucker is a party boy with a big mouth. Red is bold, brash, and deadly with her hands. Ratchett is the brains and can hack into anything.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
Absolutely! I have another book coming out in March from Evernight Teen called WICKED DESCENT. It’s a YA paranormal with a fantastically nasty villain that was super fun to write.
The day Avery Belmont was born her father disappeared. Now after seventeen years, Avery returns to her hometown and awakens the dark family secrets he left behind. Secrets that connect her to the caustic and handsome Drew Montgomery. Secrets that probably should have stayed buried.
Other than that, I am finishing up the draft of a dual-POV YA paranormal romance based in Scottish mythology, tentatively called KEEPER OF SHADOWS. Hopefully I’ll find a home for it soon. I’m also putting some pieces together for another story in the MERCURY RISES universe.
How long would you say it takes you to write a book?
How long would you say it takes you to write a book?
That’s a tough question. I can usually knock out 80% of a draft in about a month to a month and a half…then I agonize over the last little bit, rewrite a bunch of stuff, get busy at the day job, have early readers look at some chapters, and then 6 months disappears. I’m getting faster though! Actual writing time – probably 3 months.
What is your favorite childhood book?
What is your favorite childhood book?
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. I read it in middle grade and again as part of my English class in high school, and I loved it in different ways each time. It was one of the first books I’d read that I really connected with in the fantasy realm of fiction and I think it molded my reading choices for a long time.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from Mercury Rises who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from Mercury Rises who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
Definitely Tucker! He’s funny, high-energy, and loves to have a good time. I would probably let him pick where we’d go as he knows all the greatest places and the most interesting people. We’d likely end up at some super cool underground club or a swank hidden hideout with New York’s most fabulous and notorious.
What was the hardest scene from Mercury Rises to write?
What was the hardest scene from Mercury Rises to write?
There is a scene in the second last chapter between Mercury and her father. It was excruciating because of the darkness that comes out of these characters in that scene (sorry no spoilers!). I had to re-write it several times because I couldn’t get it to say what I wanted it to. It’s tying up a character arc, it’s emotionally charged, and it just…well…hurt to write it.
What made you want to become a writer?
What made you want to become a writer?
I think I always was a writer, I’ve just recently started trying to be published. I inhaled books as a kid and a teenager and started writing short stories and poems at about 12/13. I wanted to be Christopher Pike.
I put it all away when I went off to university, but as soon as I was done studying and the regular “life” stuff, new characters started popping into my head again with stories to be told.
Just for fun
(a Favorite song: Good to You by Mariana’s Trench (love them!)
(b Favorite book: Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice, but I recently read Vicious by V.E. Schwab and it’s awesome
(c Favorite movie: The Neverending Story or The Usual Suspects
(d Favorite tv show: Right now it’s Riverdale, but favorite show of all time is definitely Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(e Favorite Food: Chocolate. Hands down.
(f Favorite drink: Starbucks Chai Tea Latte
(g Favorite website: Pinterest – I can get lost in there for days!
Thanks so much for visiting with us today!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scarlett Kol grew up in Northern Manitoba reading books and writing stories about creatures that make you want to sleep with the lights on. As an adult, she's still a little afraid of the dark. Scarlett now lives just outside Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with her husband and two boys, but if you need to find her she's likely freezing at the hockey rink.
Scarlett Kol grew up in Northern Manitoba reading books and writing stories about creatures that make you want to sleep with the lights on. As an adult, she's still a little afraid of the dark. Scarlett now lives just outside Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with her husband and two boys, but if you need to find her she's likely freezing at the hockey rink.
Giveaway:
· One (1) winner will receive a Stella and Dot "On the Mark" Arrow Necklace and a $20 Amazon gift card (INT)
1 comments:
I enjoyed the excerpt and just love the cover.
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