Special Episode- Interview with R.S.K. Archer about her book, The Rip's Mark

·23 min·2 clips

RSK Archer reveals her sci-fi fantasy romance about a girl training to guard Earth's rip to parallel worlds.

The episode features an interview with author RSK Archer about her debut novel 'The Rip's Mark'. Archer describes the book as a sci-fi fantasy romance centered on 17-year-old Indigo, who aims to become a guardian for Earth's rip—a portal to parallel worlds—at Lorraine Academy in Cambridge. She highlights Indigo's physical and mental strength, as well as her supportive relationship with her father, which Archer intentionally wrote to counter common 'bad dad' tropes. Archer reveals her personal background growing up in Cambridge and living in Edinburgh, which inspired the book's UK settings. She discusses her love for food, reflected in Indigo's constant need to eat to fuel her adventures. Archer shares her journey into writing, noting she was influenced by L.J. Smith's 'Night World' series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which she watched as a teenager. Her physics degree and experience as a teacher tutoring teenagers also shaped the book's scientific elements and target audience. The conversation covers character development, with Archer explaining how some friendships in the book are based on real-life relationships while avoiding direct parallels. She talks about the challenges of blending fantasy with scientific plausibility, especially regarding travel through the rip. Archer offers advice for aspiring authors, recommending micro-fiction competitions to hone writing skills and setting daily word limits. The hosts and Archer bond over shared interests, like Buffy, and discuss details like the differences between American and British terminology in the editing process. The episode concludes with Archer sharing where to find her book and social media.

As heard by us

A parallel-world academy romance turns into a thoughtful discussion of trust, friendship, names, and uneasy spaces.

RSK Archer's conversation with Susie Koda and Frank Koda frames a sci-fi fantasy romance around trust, belonging, and the risk of choosing allies.

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Why you'd press play

You get parallel worlds, guardian training, and a cheese-toastie detour while the conversation keeps circling trust.

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