Wild Darling
by Alexandra Moody
(HarperCollins Australia)
‘Something about her expression hit me square in the chest. She never smiled or laughed when I was around. The way her eyes were sparkling now felt like discovering a rare hidden treasure. The thought stopped me short. Did I actually like making her laugh?
She shook her head at me but was still smiling. “You’re the worst.”
“I know. But you wouldn’t have me any other way, right?”
“I’d prefer you literally any other way.’
(Wild Darling by Alexandra Moody)
Wild Darling is the third in Alexandra Moody’s Darling Devils series. I found it to be a fun and captivating YA romance. It is full of quick-witted banter and exciting descriptions of ice-hockey. It also has layered depths of meaning to uncover.
Interview with Alexandra Moody with Joy in Books at PaperbarkWords blog
Thank you for speaking with us, Alexandra.
Where are you based?
I’m based in Adelaide, Australia.
Why ice-hockey?
Ice-hockey romance has been exploding in popularity over the last few years, but I noticed most of the popular books in the genre were written for an adult audience. There weren’t enough ice-hockey romances for teen and adult readers who prefer low-spice books. As a YA author who loves writing stories about young love, I wanted to write a hockey romance that was accessible to everyone. And then when I had the idea for the three Darling brothers, I knew I had to start writing!
What genre is Wild Darling?
It’s a young adult, sports romance.
How does it follow on from the other books in the ‘Darling Devils’ series? How is Parker the same or how has he changed?
Wild Darling is the third book in the Darling Devils series. The first and second books follow Parker’s older twin brothers, Reed and Grayson. Reed is the captain of the team, the cool, calm, responsible one. Grayson is like the quiet, grumpy middle child, and Parker is the loud, mischievous youngest brother who is always messing around and teasing his family.
However, in Wild Darling, it’s his senior year. Both his brothers have gone off to college, and he sees it as a chance to step out of their shadow and become the captain and star of the hockey team. It doesn’t come as easily as he’s used to though. The new head coach of the team holds a grudge for something Parker did years prior, and he realizes he’s going to have to be on his best behaviour for once and prove he’s got what it takes to be a good team leader.
What do you appreciate or find unexpected about your protagonists Mackenzie and Parker?
Mackenzie has been through a lot in life already. Her dad was a professional hockey player and was away a lot before she lost her mom. Those experiences have hardened her and made her inspiringly determined and independent, if a little closed off and defensive. But there are also some really sweet scenes with her baby sisters and her step-mom, which show Mackenzie’s softer side. Hockey is obviously a huge part of Mackenzie’s life in the book, but she also has passions off the ice as well, and it was really interesting to explore her love of art as well as hockey.
The thing about Parker I appreciate most is his attitude toward Mackenzie playing on the boys’ hockey team. He never once second guesses the idea or considers the possibility that she might not be able to do it because she’s a girl. He treats her like a teammate right from the beginning. I thought a lot about how to uplift women in sport in this book, but Parker made that much easier!
What is an example of their banter that made you laugh while writing it, or while rereading it.
There are so many I couldn’t name them all! I enjoy Parker and Mackenzie’s enemies-to-lovers romance so much because they never really stop teasing each other like enemies, even at the end. I always love reading their first meeting because of how it sets up both their attraction to each other and their big falling out. I also really like their second meeting, which is a particularly painful reunion for Parker. But the one that makes me laugh the most just thinking about it is the pink scarf scene.
Why is art both characters’ favourite subject? Could you tell us something about their specialties?
I think art can be a great outlet for people who don’t feel comfortable expressing themselves in other ways. Parker and Mackenzie have that in common, and they both use art to distract themselves from, or cope with, other things going on in their lives.
Their art styles are very different. Mackenzie’s is more thoughtful. She paints scenes that bring her joy or remind her of places and people she loves. Parker is an illustrator who likes to draw comic strips, which reflect his tendency to escape the pressure and responsibility of being an infamous hockey star with less serious pursuits. However, throughout the book he learns to be more thoughtful about his art like Mackenzie is.
How would you describe Mackenzie and Parker’s relationships with their siblings?
The family dynamics and the sibling relationships in this series are some of the parts I love most, and it’s no different in Wild Darling.
Mackenzie and her older brother Max have a very strong and supportive relationship, having helped each other through their family trauma. Kenzie’s softer side comes out around her baby sisters and her step-mom, but her relationship with her dad is strained to say the least! That’s one of the main obstacles she needs to overcome when she joins the hockey team and a key part of her journey in the book is resolving long-standing issues with her dad.
Parker’s family life is a lot less complicated than Mackenzie’s. He’s surrounded by supportive and caring parents and siblings—although he prefers to show love through teasing and pranking his family. However, he does feel like he’s in the shadow of his older brothers and in this book he’s ready to step up and make a name for himself without them.
I love how you’ve portrayed Kenzie’s stepmother, Tessa. What is her best attribute?
I love Tessa! With Kenzie losing her mom and her dad being so distant, I wanted to make sure there she had a positive relationship with her step-mom. Tessa is such a calm, reassuring presence at home for Mackenzie and is always there to listen when her dad isn’t. She’s supportive and loving without ever feeling like she has, or is trying to, replace Kenzie’s mom.
There’s a movement towards ‘wholesome’ romance for YA and younger readers. Your series is on trend. What does wholesome romance entail? Why are you writing in this way?
I want to provide teenagers, or readers who prefer more ‘wholesome’ romance, with the same impact and emotion they’d get from adult books, but with stories they feel confident and comfortable reading. I want to make them laugh, cry, blush and kick their feet, but in a way that is relatable to them.
I think it’s important for wholesome romances to portray healthy relationships and positive romantic role models, particularly for teenagers. Of course, there should still be conflicts and problematic issues can be addressed but in a way that leads the reader to consider a positive outcome.
Without giving away spoilers, could you tell us about one of more of the issues that you explore in this novel?
The main issue I explore in this book is society’s attitudes towards women and girls in sport. I wanted Mackenize to prove that simply being a girl should never stop you from achieving something you dream off. But I also know in male-dominated fields like ice hockey and other sports, women and girls often need vocal support from the men and boys involved. So, I tried to make Parker and most of his teammates positive examples of that!
What are you writing now or next?
I’ve just finished writing the fourth book in the Darling Devils series, Rebel Darling. It follows immediately after the events of Wild Darling but it’s about Parker’s younger sister, Cammie. She’s a talented figure skater whose black cat vibes and high expectations make everyone think she is impossible to work with. When she loses yet another partner, Parker’s best friend steps up.
Seth has just been kicked off the hockey team for something he didn’t do, so he’s desperate to get back on the ice. And he’s ready to dust off his figure skates and try out with Cammie.
I love writing feisty, strong female characters and Cammie is one of my favourites! The book is out on November 5 in Australia and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
What have you read recently that you would like to recommend?
What Have They Done to Liza McLean by Amy Doak. It’s a young adult, dark academia mystery thriller. I love all her books and this one really kept me guessing!
How would you like readers to find out more about the book, or contact you?
The best way to find out more about me or my books or get in touch with me is on my website alexandramoody.com. You can also sign up to my newsletter there or check out my social media accounts @amoodyauthor.
Thanks so much for answering these questions, Alexandra.
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