Author Shakir Rashaan has fulfilled his childhood dream with his latest release. I recently spoke to him about Neverwraith.
Tell me about your latest book.
My latest book is Neverwraith, and it’s about a teenage descendant of an ancient metahuman bloodline who searches for the truth about the death of his parents and their connection to a centuries-old blood feud over sacred texts contained inside of his native Kindara, an island nation located near the West African coast…all while navigating high school. It’s been pitched as Bel-Air meets Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger, which is pretty spot on, I think.
Why did you decide to write it?
Contrary to popular opinion and my catalog thus far, YA is at the core of my writer’s heart. It was the genre I began reading, along with fantasy and sci-fi, when I was a teenager, and it was the first book I wrote when I decided to actually put pen to paper and create my own worlds to escape to. While there are a lot of middle-grade books that showcase Black boys now, there aren’t a lot that are in the YA space, and I wanted my teens to be seen.
Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
Hands down it’s Yasir. He’s me, and I am him LOL. As a teenager, I had my ambivert moments where I’d lean into one side or the other, and I’ve leaned more into my extrovert side as an adult. There’s a mystery to him, a strength that gets overlooked like the public doesn’t expect him to be that dude. I think the public will love his continued development and what he will eventually become.
What was the hardest part about writing the story?
Honestly, it was the parental pieces between Yasir and his paternal grandmother, and the spare pieces between his parents, who are no longer a part of the living world. I lost my mom late last year, and her energy and aura are prominent, as is my father’s energy when it comes to the adult men in the book. The influences of my parents and my grandparents made it hard to write different scenes because it reminds me of how much I miss them.
If you were to write a book about your life, what would be the title and why?
The title of that book? Live Your Truth. The reason for that title is rooted in the unconventional way I’ve lived my life, from my faith to my personal and romantic relationships to the way I’ve fashioned my literary career, including this full-circle moment that I’m living right now with Neverwraith. Yep, that would be the appropriate title.
What would you tell your 16-year-old self?
The Neverwraith series, and another series that I’m currently developing for acquisition, is a promise fulfilled to my 16-year-old self. What I would tell him is that everything that we’ve dreamed about is coming to fruition, and on a more personal note, to appreciate his parents and grandparents and listen to the lessons they’re teaching him. They have brought us to where we are now, and it’s only gonna get better from here.
What is something readers would be surprised to know about you?
I don’t think there’s much that my core reader base would be surprised about, as I’m pretty candid about a lot of my life behind the scenes. If I were to say there’s something that they would be surprised to know about me is that I’m arachnophobic, both in person and on the screen. I managed to watch Arachnophobia one time, and for any other movie that has spiders, regardless of size, I’ll either close my eyes until the scene is over if I’m in the movie theater, or I’ll fast forward the scene if we’re watching at home.
Tell me about a book that changed your life and why.
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison sticks with me to this day. It’s a book that still speaks to the erasure of Black men in society decades later, to the masks we have to wear, and to the pretzels we have to twist ourselves into just to keep from being viewed as a threat, no matter what our social or economic standing may be, especially as a son of the South.
What’s next for you?
That’s a loaded question. I’m currently working on a YA Paranormal Sports Romance series featuring a basketball phenom, and I have a few more things in the YA and New Adult space that have caught my attention. I can’t speak to the specifics yet, but one is a suspense/thriller, another is an adventure, and the third is a modern reimagining of a timeless tale that is one of my favorite books of all time.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
I just want to say thank you for the opportunity to sit down and talk with you and for showcasing my work on your platforms. They mean more to me than I can say. I’m excited about the future, and I’m really excited about Neverwraith, I think the readers will love it.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of Neverwraith.
To learn more about Shakir Rashaan, visit his website or connect with him on social media.
Website: www.ShakirRashaan.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/shakirrashaan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorShakirRashaan
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shakirrashaan
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@shakirrashaan
Author Newsletter link: https://bit.ly/FreeOfferFromShakir