When Absolution creator Rachelle Storm writes the supernatural series, is she exclusively writing for longtime fans of the genre or also hoping to attract new fans? The novelist, who released the second book Revelations earlier this month, reveals it has been tricky to even categorize it due to the books’ various elements. At times, the four-part story leans into fantasy and romance and at times it does not.
“It’s this mix,” Storm responds to So Booking Cool. “So, for me, I didn’t go in with a specific genre in mind. I did go in more with a certain audience, meaning I wanted it to be for people who did read things like that when we were young adults, when we were teenagers, and now are looking for something to kind of feel nostalgic with that, but, also, no more high school stuff.
I’m not really into the high school genre stuff anymore. And I wanted it to feel like ‘okay, how can we make sure that we get to grow up, but not like we’re sacrificing something in the meantime?’ That was really important to me…if you’re a new adult or you’re someone who is in your twenties or thirties, what would that look like, to still give you nostalgia for things that we read when we were teenagers, but felt a little more adult, and felt like we weren’t trying to cling to the past too much?”
The series undeniably captures the excitement of the Twilight (an example of the nostalgia Storm is referring to) era but with an adult-twist that Storm mentions. Set in North Dakota, the story follows three brothers, Chris, John, and Randy, as well as three sisters Jonie, Victoria, and Stacie, who are perfect yet “wrong” for each other due to the brothers being immortals and the sisters being humans. It is a clash yet union of two opposite worlds. It may sound grand to fall for someone who was made to save the world from evil, but one can also imagine the challenges it would bring, especially when you consider that your loved one can live forever while you cannot. And on the flip side, what if you have to choose between duty and love, with life and the world at stake?
Check out the exclusive interview to learn more about Revelations and the characters in Absolution overall, the techniques Storm utilized when writing book two, working with her book’s designer and best friend Asia Renee, whether she believes fiction writers “play God,” how she crafted characters whose love journey is believable, what inspired her to write about Indigenous characters, some tidbits about the next installment, and much more! For more information, visit Storm’s official website.