Blog Archives
Her Undesirable Pastel Colouring
Ruby Red follows a girl caught between worlds, she no longer fits into any of the races on her planet, she has no home and must fight for her own survival. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Unfortunately, racism, discrimination, and prejudice behaviour are still quite prevalent in certain parts of our world. I think it’s important to teach the youth of today to accept one another for who they are, not what they are. There are good and bad in every race, and you shouldn’t judge someone solely based on their race and/or colour.
Acceptance is the key to a brighter future.
Ruby undergoes a lot of changes that are impacting who she becomes. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Ruby, who now lives as “Harlow the Zeek” on planet Zadok, is very naïve at the beginning of Pastel Pink. She believes what she’s told to believe about the other races, and it isn’t until she meets Alex, who now lives as “Slater the Vallon” on planet Zadok, that her eyes are opened to a much bigger picture.
Even so, there is still a lot Ruby/Harlow doesn’t know about the Vallons, and won’t discover until Powerful Purples.
Ruby/Harlow isn’t a stranger to prejudice behaviour. She been discriminated against by her own race members, because of her undesirable pastel colouring.
The changes Ruby/Harlow undergoes during the course of Ruby Red only make matters worse!
To keep Ruby/Harlow safe, Jax takes her to Spring, which is another eye-opening experience. The Drakes don’t have a colour system. All three colours live in peace and harmony with one another.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
There is often more to someone’s story than we first realise, and we should ask questions and explore subjects before drawing to conclusions.
At the end of the day, we are all one species, and the world would be a much nicer place if we worked together as one.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on a Supernatural Thriller set in Louisiana, USA. I’m hoping to have it finished and released by the end of 2022, if all goes to plan.
Author Links: Twitter | Instagram | Website | GoodReads | Amazon | Audible
Luckily Jax finds her and brings her back to the caves. However, little does she know she’s returning with multiple souvenirs. Standing out for all the wrong reasons has become Harlow’s specialty, and as the effects of her vertic switz tattoo set in and new issues are brought to light, she and her friends will find themselves in the line of fire with Rae and Electra.
Despite Jax’s attempts to neutralise the colour system, the Winter caves have become a death trap for Harlow, and Summer’s castle is no place for a Zeek. Harlow’s only sanctuary might be Spring’s Drake village, but her former ties to a Vallon are sure to cause friction with some of the residents.
Tough decisions will need to be made, but will she make the right ones?
Ruby Red
There has been a dramatic change in Ruby’s physique and irises – they no longer belong to the weak pink Pastel race. Is it simply the results of the vertic switz ink that Alex tattooed on her, or is there more to it than she is ready to admit? Ruby’s path to change the color system in Zadok appears to be taking a completely different route from Jax’s plan for her. Torn between her feelings for Alex, the enemy of her race, and Jax, she is again faced with a threatening situation. Only this time, the danger extends beyond Zeeks’ territory.
A prequel to Pastel Pink, the first book in the Zadok Series, author Nikki Minty further explores in Ruby Red the other lands and inhabitants of Zadok. The reader is allowed to examine some of the complicated characters, the characters left for the reader to contemplate in the first book. The ruthless and unpredictable sister to Ruby, Floss’s void in life is explicitly examined. Ruby’s character is contradictory to her feelings and reckless at times. Still, given her circumstance of being stuck between two of Zadok’s most eligible bachelors, it becomes hard to blame her.
The introduction to the other regions of Zadok and the people living there – the fascinating village of Spring and the winged Ruke Acacia – will capture the readers’ attention as much as they did Ruby’s. Additionally, readers will enjoy the unexpected romance angle that appears in the story between the two characters with contradictory-personality. It’s vital to say Ruby Red gets a step ahead in terms of action, diverse setting, and romance, completing the missing part of the previous book.
Aside from offering additional interesting characters from other races, this imaginative novel doubles up on its fascinating plot with its magical aspect. While this is a story full of moral dilemmas, readers will find that none of the main characters can claim triumph over the other in being morally right.
Ruby Red will not disappoint fans of the Zadok series. Teen and young adult readers that love fantasy and magical realism will thoroughly enjoy this riveting novel. However, since the novel’s plot precedes the plot of Zadok’s first novel and the plots are highly interconnected, new readers should begin with the first book in the series.
Pages: 332 | ASIN : B091KM25WR
LITERARY TITAN 