BooksChatter: ℚ Forbidden Darkness: The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Alec John Belle to talk about Forbidden Darkness (3 June 2015, Booktrope Editions, 172 pages), book one of The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles - a paranormal young adult series that follows sixteen year old Heather Hawkins after she realizes she is a Monster Hunter…and that there may be more out there to fear than just Monsters.

In A World Where Monsters Exist, Anything Is Possible.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | About the Author | Tour Stops

A big welcome to Alec John Belle, thank you for joining us on BooksChatter as part of your blog tour for Forbidden Darkness.

What was the inspiration for your latest book, Forbidden Darkness?

"The inspiration for Forbidden Darkness was actually given to me by a hayride. The scene was originally supposed to be in the first book, but I pushed it off to a later book. I also wanted to write a series that blends the paranormal with real teenage issues (like self harm, suicide, homosexuality, etc.) to give it some extra depth."

How much of yourself is reflected in The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles series, and how?

"Heather Hawkins is a lot like me in the sense that she's very sarcastic and her humor is really dry. Another character named Hayden is also a lot like me. He struggles with the idea of being gay and has some internal issues going on that you'll find out more about as the book, and the series, go on."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your gorgeous new cover for Forbidden Darkness - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"Thank you! I love the cover, too. I wanted to keep a similar style to the indie version, and thankfully Booktrope allowed me to do that. Jessica Anhalt, who is actually my book manager for a different series I'm doing, is the one who did the cover. We wanted to use the lightning to capture the reader's attention. Everyone so far has loved it."

Why should we read your book and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes Forbidden Darkness unique?

"My series is unique in itself because there's so much depth. It's not just about a girl who's a Monster Hunter. It's about a girl who is dealing with this new world she's been brought into, whose best friend attempted suicide, and whose new friend is dealing with his sexuality.

The Darkness in the series is something really unique too, but I can't talk about it yet. I can say that it's something I personally don't think has been done before, and what the Darkness feeds off of is pretty interesting."

That's wonderfully intriguing... I think we are going to have to read this... :-)

Can you tell us something quirky about Forbidden Darkness, its story and characters?

"Heather's crush, Philip, is named after someone I once knew. I'll leave it at that. Kadin (pronounced KAH-DEEN), who is the main antagonist of the book, has a very relevant name. I chose it for a reason."

Uhm... again very mysterious... I thought Kadin meant "companion" but you might be referring to something else completely...

Who would you recommend your book to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I recommend the book to lovers of paranormal YA. But I also should give warning that if you're not a fan of realistic topics, or are too sensitive to them, I recommend not picking up this book. If you like a unique twist on the paranormal world, this is definitely the book for you."

If you could / wished to turn your book/series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Honestly, I have no idea as far as a team goes. That's something I haven't really thought about. As long as Keegan Allen (my favorite TV actor ever) gets a cameo, then I'd be fine. I would also like it to be shot in South Carolina as opposed to L.A."

Ah, Pretty Little Liars... I've heard about your obsession with that show! And thank you for telling me about this actor who is now my new favourite human being with his black cat ... (we have nine... three are totally black!)

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"l like reading paranormal YA and contemporary YA. I also sometimes like adult paranormal books. I mostly stick to paranormal and contemporary YA as far as writing goes. I do want to explore horror sometime in the future. Possibly a mystery as well."

What is your writing process?

"My writing process for The Forbidden Darkness Chronicles is simple. I wrote a plot outline for each of the books. Nothing too fancy, just key points I want to cover. And then I just write using those key points to see where the story takes me."

What is in store next?

"I can say the second FDC book [Shadow's Wings] will be out before the year's over. The second book answers a lot of your questions that you had in the first book, but those answers will also lead the more questions. This series is very complex, as is the world. Nothing in the series is as it seems. You as the reader are going to have to decide which side you're on very soon, because things aren't black and white. The world is very grey, so it can be very difficult to see what's right and what's wrong, as well as what's real and what's not. That's all I can say for now."

We are certainly looking forward to reading Forbidden Darkness!
Thank you again for chatting to us, Alec, and best wishes with the rest of the tour and the sequel!