Rachel Mork – Copywriter by Day, Aspiring Novelist by Night

I enjoy writing about controversial social issues. My first novel, HONORABLE INTENTIONS, explores the inherent conflict between national security interests and civil liberties. It tells the story of an Afghan-American who is unjustly accused of supporting a terrorist while showcasing the concerns of a patriotic but radical preacher who values national security above all other causes. This piece placed in both the 2008 Novello Press Literary Competition and the 2007 Gival Press Novel Competition.

I’ve just finished writing a novel titled SKY OF BRONZE that explores the impact of societal pressure on closeted gay men and the devastating consequences experienced by the women who unwittingly marry them. It’s a story about what happens when a gay man tries to suppress his sexuality by marrying and starting a family. When his wife discovers he’s having an affair, all hell breaks lose because he can’t choose between his lover and breaking up his family, and the poor guy commits himself to a religious reparation center when he tries, against all odds, to change his sexual orientation. SKY OF BRONZE tackles the issue from both the wife and the husband’s perspectives as they wrestle with issues of love, loyalty, commitment and integrity.

I am currently working on a third novel, titled POLYG. This piece, while neither pro or anti polygamy, examines the challenges faced by women living in polygamous households. The story is told from the perspective of an eleven-year-old girl who desperately wants her family unit—unconventional as it is—to remain intact. As part of my research, I am interviewing women who live in Fundamentalist Mormon polygamous households, all of whom have fascinating stories to share.

I'm currently represented by Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Literary Agency (see my author bio on their site here). She's currently pitching SKY OF BRONZE while I revise HONORABLE INTENTIONS (for the zillionth time) and finish POLYG.

WHO I AM

I’m married, live in a suburb of Charlotte, and have three children and three cats. I write web content and ebooks and adapt screenplays into novels to make a living. You can find samples of my work at www.life123.com, as well as on a gazillion other websites. Just google my name and you’ll find all kinds of articles on mundane topics.

Boring, I know. That’s why I spend my time writing about other people’s issues instead of my own. You really don’t want to read page after page about my addiction to brownies or how much I miss my parrot, do you? Because I had to give away my gorgeous sun conure Zoe last year, and I was really sad about that. She kept attacking my daughter, and that really wasn’t fair to poor Sophie so…

Yeah. I’ll stick to writing fiction. It’s best for all of us.