Readers know Rena Barron as the author of the Kingdom of Souls series. Her latest book Maya and the Rising Dark comes out on September 22nd, which is the beginning of a brand new middle-grade series rooted in West African mythology. We recently had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Rena and she talks about her inspiration behind the series, her favourite things about writing Maya’s story, her upcoming projects, and a lot more!
Hello Rena! Thank you so much for joining us! Your very first MG novel, Maya and the Rising Dark, is coming out on September 22! What can readers expect?
Hello! Happy to be back on The Nerd Daily. I’m so excited to share Maya and the Rising Dark with readers. The story centers on twelve-year-old Maya Abeola from the south side of Chicago who discovers that her father is the guardian between our world and the mysterious Dark world. When the sinister Lord of Shadows kidnaps her father, Maya will have to fight a horde of spooky creatures to get him back. Readers can expect a heroine who isn’t afraid to face her fears as she discovers her own celestial powers.
What inspired you to tell Maya’s story?
When I got the idea for the story, I knew that I wanted Maya to live on the south side of Chicago. I modeled her neighborhood after a neighborhood I lived in for several years. It’s a neighborhood that usually makes the news for the wrong reasons. I remember thinking, I wish people could see the other side of the story.
With Maya’s characterization, I wanted to show a Black girl living her best life. She could love comic books, save the world, and still have to do math tutoring the next day.
At the beginning of the book, you talk about how, as someone not raised within the traditions of your ancestors, it wasn’t easy for you to write a story based on their myths and legends. What kind of research did you do before writing this book?
I’ve read books, watched YouTube conversations, listened to music, talked to people. Yet, none of my research could ever scratch the surface of truly understanding traditions that I am only beginning to learn about as an adult. Instead of attempting to write a story that speaks to my ancestors’ traditions, I chose to make up a new mythology that could account for how someone like Maya (and me!) fit into the larger narrative. In other words, I made space for myself to engage in a way that feels authentic to me
My favourite thing about the book is the focus on Maya’s relationship with her father, and I loved the way you showed her coming to terms with the consequences of some of the things he had to do to protect the human world. What made you decide to take on such a difficult topic in a middle-grade book?
I’ve always thought of storytelling as a safe space to help children deal with tough topics. It’s an opportunity to have them explore, learn, and ask questions. It would be disingenuous to write a world in which the “good guys” never make a mistake or face the consequences. Plus, kids are smart. They’ll be able to tell if a book is talking down to them.
You also mention at the beginning of the book how you put a little of your own twelve-year old self in Maya and each of her two friends. During the writing process, which character did you find yourself relating to the most?
I definitely relate to Maya, Frankie, and Eli equally. In some ways, they’re a doorway into understanding twelve-year-old me. Like Maya, I loved superheroes. I grew up watching everything in the Marvel and DC universes. Frankie represents my love of science and Eli represents my lifelong obsession with the paranormal.
Without spoiling anything, can you tell us about a scene in the book that you really enjoyed writing?
By far, one of my favorite scenes is at Comic-Con. It’s so wacky. Maya and her friends are running around with darkbringers (“the bad guys”) dressed up as stormtroopers on their tail. At some point, someone turns popcorn into worms, and plastic birds come to life.
It’s probably too early to ask this question, but could you give us some hints as to where the story takes us in book two?
Now a guardian-in-training, Maya spends her days helping Papa patch up tears in the veil and stopping rogue darkbringers from wreaking havoc in the human world. But when Maya and her friends discover that something went terribly wrong during their mission to save her father, they are forced to return to The Dark to search for the powerful weapon they left behind—the one thing keeping the veil from falling.
What are your favourite and least favourite things about writing?
I really enjoy when a story starts to feel close to my vision. I struggle the most with first drafts because they’re so rough to start, and the story is still unclear. I tend to like revising a lot more for that reason.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently finishing up revisions on Maya and the Return of the Godlings, the sequel to Maya and the Rising Dark. I’m also finishing up Reaper of Souls, the sequel to my YA series, Kingdom of Souls.
And finally, do you have any book recommendations for us?
There are so many great books in the middle-grade space. So happy that we’re getting to see more diverse authors and casts. I recommend Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, Just South of Home by Karen Strong, From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks, My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail D. Villanueva, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia, and Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi.
