One of the biggest perks of being a writer and a blogger is that I sometimes get to have fabulous conversations with other authors. I got the chance to chat with R. F. Hurteau who, this week, released ‘Three Days Till Dawn‘: the first in the Antiquity’s Gate series. So if you’re looking for a new book to add to your collection, look no further!
1. This week is your release for ‘Three Days Till Dawn’, the first in the Antiquity’s Gate series. What do readers need to know?
I guess the first thing that they should know is that I am SO EXCITED to share Antiquity’s Gate with the world at last! It’s been a long time in the making!
This is a light, character-driven sci-fi. It’s got a little bit of everything, which I’m hoping equates to something for everyone. A slow burning mystery, a dystopian post-apocalyptic society, an incredible friendship, parallel realities, systemic societal failings, fantastical elements, alternative history, and so much more. But I think you get the idea! Because I worked so hard on my blurb, I think that it will give a better feel for the book than something I come up with right now off-the-cuff.
Antiquity’s Gate forced two realities to collide—what followed tore one of them apart.
Now those who remain coexist beneath the shelter of a domed Antarctic city, held together by a tenuous peace and an increasingly dystopian hierarchy. Any hope of one day leaving the confines of Sanctuary is little more than a fading ember.
A mid-level systems operator, Ripley does his best to stay out of trouble. His best friend Felix, an irreverent half-breed shunned by society, can’t seem to do the same. When Felix’s family is targeted by an unjust law, there’s nowhere to run. The city of Sanctuary had once been a safe haven— now it has become a cage.
Ripley’s desperate attempt to help his friends escape tragedy uncovers a conspiracy that envelops the last refuge of mankind in an ever-tightening net.
The people of Sanctuary have never seen a sunrise.
If Ripley and Felix aren’t prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, none of them ever will.
It’s available in hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook versions.
2. I took a peek on amazon and noticed book two in the series is ready for pre-order. Is this a sign that this will be a much bigger series?
Nothing could make me happier than a little sleuthing—yes, indeed it is much bigger! Antiquity’s Gate is laid out as an eight book series, and the majority of it is already complete. I’ve been working in the long term to have them on a rapid release schedule, because I know that I personally get really bummed when I read a great book and the next one in the series isn’t out yet, or even soon! So I wanted to do my part in alleviating that worry for potential fans. Books 1-4 will be released one per month through November, then books 5-8 will be released mid 2020.
3. How did Antiquity’s Gate come into being?
There are so many amazing friendships in literature that I’ve absorbed over the years, and my own ideals existed as this sort of ethereal, formless pair in my mind for the longest time. When I made the commitment to write full time, the first line of what I intended to be a short story just sort of popped into my head— History would not remember Ripley Prior. And I did write it as a short story…but it didn’t last long. The characters had a lot more to say than I’d intended, and the world was a great deal bigger than I’d been prepared for. Expanding not only the story that I’d written, but an overarching story of this world, seemed like the natural thing to do. Moreover, it seemed like I had no choice—the further I went, the clearer it became. All the elements fit together so beautifully, how could I not tell it through to completion? It would be doing a disservice to myself, and to anyone else who happened upon and enjoyed Ripley and Felix’s story!
4. We’re both Mums alongside being writers. I wonder how you manage to fit in time for your writing around family life?
For the longest time, I didn’t. I wrote all the time before having kids, but afterwards it was just something I “wished I had time for.” That lasted nearly nine years. It was a long hiatus. But just because you stop vacuuming doesn’t mean the dirt stops accumulating, you know? I still had stories to tell, I just didn’t make the time to tell them. Then in 2017 my husband and I sat down and decided, this is worth sacrificing for. We need to make the time.
And we have. At first I’d spend hours at the library or a coffee shop, but I’m a homebody at heart. After a while we built a little office in the corner of the basement and that’s where I do most of my work now. I write around my husband’s schedule, and when I write he’s in charge of the household, kids, and meals. We home-school, so during school time we often spend some of the daylight hours enjoying the outdoors and save lessons for the evening while I write, which works well for us. I tried writing at night, but my brain turns to mush as soon as the kids go to bed. I actually enjoy the quiet of the very early morning, but I don’t always manage to get up as early as I’d like! To be honest some of my best work can be traced back to a four AM session!
5. Do you have other projects on the back burner?
I’m not going to lie, most of the stuff I have planned falls within the universe I’ve created in Antiquity’s Gate. I have notes for books that branch out from different elements of the series, whether prequel, sequel, or concurrent. More notes than I should have, probably! But I’m very goal-oriented, and have no problem focusing on the one series until I’ve seen it through. That being said, I admit that I do have this one unrelated idea that I’m hoping to someday get around to writing…
6. What kind of reader is going to enjoy Three Days Till Dawn? Is there anything it could be compared to?
I wrote this book with the hope that it could be enjoyed by all sorts of people, regardless of their preferred genre. It is most definitely science fiction, and I most definitely did my best to present plausible, well-researched ideas. But ultimately it’s based on the characters and the setting becomes almost inconsequential to their struggles. I love science fiction, and I wanted to be able to share it with those who might not have found their gateway into the genre yet. I drew inspiration from so many sources that I feel like any given reader would compare it to something different. It’s a more adult City of Ember meets Stargate meets Logan’s Run with a strong core friendship a la Frodo & Sam from Lord of the Rings or Royce & Hadrian from The Riyria Revelations or Sherlock & Watson…you get the idea. Powerful friendships are one of my very favourite things to read, watch or write about. As far as a target age range, it’s being marketed as a new adult novel because of the characters’ ages, but it’s been well received by both older and younger readers so far. I think it has the type of light-hearted spirit that appeals to all ages, but I also might be a little biased.
7. The Antiquity’s Gate series is Science fiction, but what is your favourite genre to read?
My very favourite genre for reading is fantasy, but I do enjoy reading a cross-section of all sorts of books. Making friends in Twitter’s Writing Community has expanded my borders in that regard even more. And getting to interact with other writers for the first time in my life while reading all their different styles and voices has certainly been amazing. Writers are my celebrities!
8. Finally, I think writers get asked this a lot about their works: who is your favourite character in Three Days Till Dawn and why?!
Oh dear, this is most definitely the hardest question you’ve asked. I think I’ve got a favourite character overall spanning the series, but in each individual book I have a favourite, too. In this book my favourite character is Ripley, though overwhelmingly my readers favour Felix. That doesn’t really come as a surprise—Felix is outgoing, self-deprecating, laid back, spirited, and just a fun guy. But Ripley is more of a quiet spirit, reserved but passionate, cautious but courageous, loyal and trustworthy and willing to stand up for what’s right. Ripley has his own flaws and problems, but for the most part he represents those qualities that I most admire in others and desire for myself.
Three Days Till Dawn: Antiquity’s Gate Book One is now available to buy here!
About The Author:
In the amount of time it takes you to read this, R.F. Hurteau will have finished yet another cup of coffee. More caffeine than human, she harnesses the powers of this magical bean juice to create stories that explore worlds unknown through the lens of that age old curiosity that drives all creatives: the human condition. She lives in New England with her husband, five kids, and an impressive array of animal friends. Her ultimate mission is to craft light, character-driven science fiction that is accessible to all, and by doing so slowly turn everyone into nerds.
Stay in touch through:
http://www.rfhurteau.com
or @rfhurteau on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Mulling It Over 