Interviews with Writers Big and Small on Wattpad

Interview with Rachel Horwitz

I would like to introduce you to the talented Rachael Horwitz otherwise known as hrb264 who lives in a lovely part of the UK, which some people call Morse country; Oxford and is currently working at the university before doing a post grad degree in politics and international relations. I am currently reading her completed novel Damaged a gritty political intrigue or could you describe it a better way Rachel?

Reply: I would say intrigue could be a good way to describe it but I'd say it's more a sci-fi/dystopian horror story.

With the world currently undergoing many changes, large numbers of refugees, financial problems and unrest, this thought provoking book is very much a book of our times.

Thank you for kindly agreeing to undertake this interview. Let's get ourselves comfortable as we settle down in our virtual café in our comfy chairs. Now I'll order and it's on me this time.

So what are we drinking? Coffee? Tea? Or a glass of wine?? Oh and are we having cake? If so, which cake is your favourite? Is there a memory attached to it that you would like to share?

Reply: To be honest I hate wine and prefer Beer and Cider so I would like a pint of Recorderlig Passion Fruit Cider. I absolutely love cake and chocolate. I would like a salted caramel brownie with chocolate sauce as I had that a while back and it was very nice. You are making me hungry now ha ha!

OOer they both sound nice, I'll have to have the same. Cheers. Chink chink.

Reply: Yeah they are very nice.

When you look back, what do you think gave you the inspiration to create such a group of different and diverse characters in your book, the concept of which is quite unusual? Also, can you recall if there was a particular dramatic incident in the world that influenced some of the political flavour of your novel?

Reply: Honestly ha ha I have had the idea for this book through reading world war 2 stuff when I was at school, and I tried to write a book with a plot and characters similar to this when I was at school but it was really awful.

Over the years the characters particularly Lou and Talisha didn't let me go and I have always been rather in to politics, sci- fi and dystopian scenarios.

Regarding the series, I am hugely fond of these two as well as other characters such as Svetlana and Lou's brother Mark and I have a need to get to the end and know what happens to them as they are very close to my heart and have been such a part of my life over the years.

I can't think of a particular event that inspired this book I'd say that having different life experiences living in different parts of the UK etc definitely inspired it.

Without giving anything away one of the plot themes of book 1 is about the Balkan wars in the 1990s as when I studied this topic at university for my original degree I learned that the way that the discourse in the media about this was often somewhat different to what actually happened. That's one example in the book of an event that influenced me to write but there are many others.

If I could grant you three wishes, what would they be and why?

Reply: I have no idea to be honest mate. Probably another 3 wishes.

That's very unusual for someone to say that but it would be good to keep those wishes like a get out of jail cards, for when you really need them.