I am thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the DON'T LOOK, JUST RUN by R.A. Clarke Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: DON'T LOOK, JUST RUN
Author: R.A. Clarke
Pub. Date: October 30, 2024
Publisher: Page Turn Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 272
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon
Read for
FREE with a Kindle
Unlimited Membership!
Consider this book a cautionary
tale. The short stories, flash fiction,
micro fiction, and poems contained within this collection are the stuff of
nightmares—things you should’ve run from when you had the chance.
You’ll read a rhyming tale about a crafty northern witch with a deathly holiday
fetish, the journal of a troubled woman who's been offered revitalization in
the form of experimental skin therapy, and two flirty college students who
learn exactly why taking strange drugs is bad. Lock your doors and pull your
blanket up a little higher while you navigate a feud between neighbours that
spirals out of control, operate a camera with a thirst for blood, and even
chuckle while a family of vacationing demons let their hungry lil’ guy
trick-or-treat, human-style.
If you take away anything from this book, besides a cramp from turning pages
too fast or a case of spine tingles that won't quit—it should be this... Don't
look, just run!
Interview:
For the readers: can
you tell us a little bit about your book and the characters?
Don't Look, Just Run
is a collection of short stories, flash fiction, micros, and poetry that
channel darkness and thrills in the best way. They are all tales of horror, but
offer a variety of subgenres, including supernatural (ghost, witch, vampire),
fantasy, contemporary, and sci-fi. While the characters and nightmarish
situations differ from story to story, they all have a broad common theme,
which I think the book’s title embodies perfectly.
What are you working
on now?
As the type of person who perpetually overfills my plate, I
have a lot of projects on the go in various stages of completion. I don't mind
being busy, though, as I love bouncing between tasks as the mood strikes. Right
now I am working on putting together two more short story collections (sci-fi
and another horror one), as well as editing a sci-fi thriller novel, and
writing books two and three in my sci-fi western Race to Novus trilogy. I'm also working away at my next children’s
books, a sequel to The Big Ol’ Bike,
and a picture book.
Were any of the
characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
Not really. In some of the short stories, there could be a
couple that have tiny bits and pieces from folks I've known over time, as I
pull from life experience where I can, but nothing prominent enough to point
out.
Who was your favorite
character to write? What about your least favorite?
I think my favourite character to write in this collection
would be Winston, from my story The
Finisher. He is a man with particular skills for hire and is also a very
complicated and morally grey fellow with a twisted worldview. It was my first
time writing an unreliable narrator, and so I found it both a challenge and
tons of fun to work my way through it.
My least favourite was the trucker character in my story, The Siren. He's slimy and horrible, and
yet hides so well in plain sight—used to getting his way. I didn't like being
in his brain.
What is your favorite
passage/scene in your book?
That's hard! I can't possibly pick, as every story in the
collection has their own standout scenes. If I have to pick only one to
highlight, though, I'll choose the confrontation/reveal in How the Other Half Lives. This is a comedic horror tale about a
vacationing demon family who let their son trick or treat human-style, and
after their evening goes entirely not to plan, the humans end up seeing past
their masks (I won’t give away all the details so as not to spoil anything).
With that said, this climactic scene was horrifying enough to make me cringe a
bit, yet was also funny to write as I got to channel these quirky demons'
unique plights and perspectives.
What kind of research
did you have to do for the story?
I did research as needed for all the tales included in Don't Look, Just Run. It usually ends up
being Google searches as issues or questions arise. Since I often write
speculative fiction, I make a lot of things up, creating the world/rules for my
characters to live in, so not as much research is required. I'd say the story I
had to do the most research for was The
Passenger, as it’s about a student that takes a class trip back to Viking
times. I definitely did some reading about that time period and their mythical
creatures in order to do the story justice.
Lightning Round
Questions
What are you reading
right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
I’m currently reading Constance by Matthew Fitzsimmons and
listening to the audiobook, Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. As for
the TBR list, a few at the top of the queue are: Spot the Not by Lin Morris, and Flesh
Communion by Holly Rae Garcia.
Favorite social media
site?
I like the writing community on Twitter/X, and also still
enjoy having an author page on Facebook. Someday I want to try TikTok, but
honestly, I'm a bit intimidated by it, haha.
Favorite Superhero or
Villain?
Another hard question. I have always loved Storm from X-Men. I also like Captain Marvel,
Wolverine, Superman, Batman, and Spiderman. Does Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy count, because I
adore her, too. The best villains, even if they’re not comic book related, are
the Borg Queen, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, and the xenomorphs of the Alien
franchise.
Favorite TV show?
Oh boy, here’s my list (and it’s not exhaustive). The Boyz,
My Lady Jane, Bridgerton, Alone, Firefly, Star Trek Voyager and The Next
Generation, The Mandalorian, Friends, Farscape, Superstore, Upload, Fallout.
Sweet or salty?
Sweet.
Any Phobias?
I'm terrified of not being able to see what's under the
water in the ocean (sharks!). I’m very afraid of bears, too.
Song you can’t get
enough of right now?
Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift, Paint the Town Red by Doja
Cat, and Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter.
2024 Movie you’re
most looking forward to?
Twisters, Beetlejuice 2, Wicked, The Wild Robot, Moana 2,
Alien Romulus.
Do you play video
games? If so, what are some of your favorites?
Sniper Elite, Detroit: Become Human, Heavy Rain, Army of
Two, original Uncharted series, Infamous, Unravel, It Takes Two, Stray.
About R.A. Clarke:
When she's
not writing children's literature, Rachael Clarke enjoys writing short stories
in all kinds of genres, including dark fiction, and horror. So not to confuse
or frustrate her younger readership, Rachael publishes her short fiction under
the pen name R.A. Clarke.
R.A. Clarke
has a dedicated Facebook page for fans of her work.
You're
invited (and very welcome) to join the community!
https://www.facebook.com/raclarkeauthor
Thank you
for reading!
Sign up for R.A.’s
newsletter! (scroll to the bottom)
https://linktr.ee/raclarkewrites
Giveaway Details:
1 winner
will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.
Ends December
3rd, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
Week Three:
Week Four:
