Book Tour Q&A: Hello Darkness by Sev Romero
- Fiction Fans
- Jul 5, 2023
- 7 min read
Today we're taking part in the book tour organized by Escapist Book Company for Hello Darkness by Sev Romero! Continue reading for the book blurb and a Q&A with the author.
About the book
We all carry the insidious disorder—a ticking time bomb that can explode at any moment with murderous consequences.
There are no answers, no cure, and seemingly no hope.
Rye Thorburn is a member of a rapid response team that scouts the night skies and responds to each frightening outbreak, confronting its violent perpetrators in a deadly game of cat and mouse. For Rye, it’s more than a job—it’s his refuge from his conscience.
Faced with this unprecedented threat, society has become an enclave of autocratic leaders, invasive high-tech security, corporate propaganda, and a populace sick with fear and suspicion.
However, all is not what it seems. Rye and his colleague Kate Mbachi become entangled in a conspiracy that involves a ruthless scientist and powerful hidden forces that thrive from suffering.
Can Rye overcome his demons to expose the horrifying truth before all is lost?
Hello Darkness is a pulsating dystopian thriller, set in the near-future. Readers who love the grim, gripping worlds of Cormac McCarthy, Emily St. John Mandel and Margaret Atwood will be swept away by this heart-racing novel.
On to the interview...!
Thank you so much for joining us for this Q&A! We’ll start off with one of our standard podcast opening questions–tell us something great that’s happened recently.
I have recently finished a new book that I’m really excited about. It’s called ‘Let’s Dream While The World Burns’. It’s another dystopian thriller, and this one tackles generational differences and disadvantages, and also the impacts of climate change.
What are you currently reading or what’s up next on your TBR? What made you pick up this book?
I am reading Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi. I recently finished writing a vampire-esque short story and wanted to dive deeper into the genre, and Vampire Hunter D is scratching that itch.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always been a bit of a dreamer who loved to create stories and characters in my head, in particular in the realms of science fiction and horror. That interest was fueled by books, and also a tonne of b-grade sci-fi and horror films my father used to bring home from the video shop. I remember writing these extremely gory stories in primary school. I’m not sure what my teacher thought! Fast forward a few years later and I had a stack of ideas written down but that was all. So, I decided I needed to get serious and start turning them into books. And that’s how Hello Darkness came about.
How do you spend your free time when you’re not reading or writing? Do you have any hobbies or interests that you can talk to us about?
I am a sucker for a good video game. And there have been some great games in recent years with amazing narratives like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us. Right now I’m playing Diablo 4, and the world building in the game is fantastic.
Who are your favorite current writers and who are your greatest influences?
Right now my favourite writers are James S.A Corey, N.K Jemisin and Joe Abercrombie. As for inspiration, it is George Orwell. It is no accident my first couple of novels are dystopian.
If you could collaborate with any one author, who would it be and why?
It would be Joe Abercrombie. He’s such an amazing writer of characters, combining a dark world but with a great sense of humour. And his dialogue is godly. I’ll often read an interaction between characters and be awestruck by it.
What is one thing that you love about the current state of SFF and what is one thing that you wish you saw more of?
I love how SFF is getting plenty of love by netflix and amazon and co, and also in the gaming industry. It reflects the popularity and diversity of these genres. In the book world, I wish the more of the larger publishers would take notice of it and really invest in these great genres.
What is one book you want to shout about to the world? What about it makes you love it so much?
N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, I mean the whole Broken Earth series is fantastic, but that opening book blew me away. Her world-building, mood and characters are almost unmatched. And it all works so well in transporting the reader to a completely different place.
How much do you plan when you write? What’s your writing process like?
I’m definitely a planner. I like to kick the idea around in my head for a little while and then put it all down on paper. I’ll then outline the story. It’s not set in stone and try not to go into too much detail, but it gives me the parameters to follow and then the story will develop fluidly from there. Interestingly, I find I tend to underwrite on the first draft, and I will add layers in the subsequent editing process.
Also, I’m a 6am writer, so I rise early and write every morning. I wish I could say that was before the kids got up… but they’re early risers as well!
What do you think characterizes your writing style?
Dark, believable, well-paced, and with hints of social commentary and humour thrown in.
What comes first to you when you’re writing, the world, the characters, or the storyline?
Storyline comes first, but I then spend a lot of time getting the characters together. I really want the characters to be front and centre and for them to drive the story.
Can you give us an elevator pitch for your book?
Imagine finding out that we all carry a disease that lies dormant within us. A disease that when it awakens it turns each of us into a killer. How would we respond? How would society respond? And how would we feel if the truth behind the disease is darker than we could have imagined?
Can you tell us a little bit about your characters? What are your favorite kinds of characters to write?
Rye is the main character, he is a father beset by grief and anxiety. But like all of us there is a duality there and while he is anxious, he also knows he must try to put that aside. His calm place is in the darkness of night, where he works in a response unit to violent cases of K2. This is where he functions, where he escapes his anxieties.
His closest friend Avery is a conspiracy theorist, at times outrageous, but he’s an intelligent person, so there must be some truth in his theories.
There is Kate, bold and confident. She is not content with letting the world simply push her around. Like Rye, she carries has her own scars, but unlike him, she refuses to let them hold her back.
My favourite characters to write are the antagonists. I love to draw on people in real life, both personally and the infamous, and in Hello Darkness there are a few, but Dr Albrecht is my favourite. She is scary in an overconfident and unpredictable manner. A sociopath who uses her power to intimidate and to achieve her goals. Writing her interactions is a lot of fun, and at times even therapy. And as much as she is the antagonist, beneath her being a horrible person, there is something to admire there. She is clever, successful, and a survivor.
In your opinion, what kind of reader would like this book?
Someone who likes plenty of action with thoughtful themes and characters, with a touch of sci-fi, horror, and intrigue. And of course those who love dystopian.
What would you like readers to take away from this book?
It is okay to be suspicious, and okay to ask questions. And sometimes we need to take a stand. There are people who say they are working in our interests, but in reality, they are only working for themselves.
Do you have a favorite quote from your book that you can share with us? What about this quote in particular makes it your favorite?
There is a passage in the book where a mentor character called Jess is giving some advice to the main character Rye about dealing with his anxiety, and she uses an analogy about bike riding with her son…
“I told him, what you need to look out for, is what is in front of you. If you keep looking back, you’ll never be ready for what’s coming.”
I liked this interaction and advice, because in many ways this was me dealing with my own anxieties, being stuck replaying moments and what ifs from the past. But Jess’ point is that if you spend all that time worrying about the past, you’re going to trip up on what’s in front of you. That really resonates with me, and even more so as a parent.
Is there anything you can tell us about any current projects you’re working on?
I’ve commenced work on a post-apocalyptic fantasy series. It’s based on an idea I’ve had for years and will also mash up post-apocalypse with sci-fi and fantasy. This is where being inspired by N.K. Jemisin, Joe Abercrombie, and James S.A. Corey all come together along with my dark style of writing. I’m really trying something grand and epic, but also completely bonkers!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us! Do you have any parting thoughts or comments you’d like to leave for our readers?
Thank you so much for your time. I’m running a special promotion beginning now and through July on the ebook version of Hello Darkness. It’s available for only $1.99, so now is the best time to pick it up on Kindle, Apple, Kobo, or whichever store you prefer.
And finally, where can you be found on the internet if our readers want to hear more from you?
Please head to my website www.sevromero.com, or you can find me rambling on twitter.
Where to buy the book:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/hello-darkness
