by Ashley Janes
Morinville – Promising local author, 19-year old Rebecca Bourque will be launching her second novel titled “Life on Karma’s Blacklist” at This and That in Morinville on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013. Despite attending post-secondary school at Grant MacEwan University in the Design Studies program, Bourque has managed to publish two novels in five years, the first when she was just 14 years of age.
Writing novels and going to school would prove enough for most young adults, but not for Bourque. She also works a part-time waitressing job and enjoys reading, drawing and spending time with her friends during time off. The following is an interview with Bourque regarding her two books and life as a young novelist:
Q: Remind us about your first book, “Once Upon a Catastrophe.”
A: “Once Upon a Catastrophe” is about four young Protectors, people with extraordinary abilities required to serve as guardians of the royal family as they fight to restore the kingdom when the Queen’s brother steals the crown.
Q: And how was “Once Upon a Catastrophe” received?
A: The book took off a lot faster than I’d expected. The employees at Chapters in St. Albert told me that “Once Upon a Catastrophe” has been among the bestselling books that they’ve got on consignment since they started carrying it. So that’s pretty awesome, I think.
Q: You’re now releasing the second installment in the Protectors series, “Life on Karma’s Blacklist.” Where does this book pick up after the last?
A: Life on Karma’s Blacklist picks up with the Protectors having escaped the castle after nearly being lured into a trap by the Queen’s brother. Now they’ve decided to split up in an attempt to keep the royal family out of the firefight, and they set out to gather allies.
Q: What can readers expect from “Life On Karma’s Blacklist”?
A: There are new characters and bigger enemies to deal with, more ambushes and fighting, traps, plans, new perspective, not to mention some interesting developments on the Tayen/Sirenna front. The Protectors begin to realize that, on top of protecting the Princess and winning back the crown, there are certain ideas that have been under attack and are now in danger of being destroyed. I feel like this book delves deeper into the story and themes, as well as the characters.
Q: Any other book projects on the go?
A: I do have another book project now! It’ll be another Young Adult fiction with a teen narrator, but it will be a little more political, a little more mature. An entirely new idea, and I’m really excited to work on it.
The launch for “Life On Karma’s Blacklist” will be from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Signed copies of both her works will be available, the latest for $18.00 and the first for $15.00.
