New “Super Hero”
Teen Girl
Rebuilds Relationships,
Saves the Planet
A coming of age story of a new female
super hero who uses her wits and her
gifts for a
greener planet
Sedona, Arizona -- “I’m just a girl,”
would best describe Amber, the spunky new character created by screenwriter
Darielle Mac for her new graphic novel Skooter Girl. Dell Barras
of Marvel comic book fame has illustrated the book. Mac created this first in a
series of graphic novels to introduce her young adult audience to a refreshing
new take on strong female protagonists.
“Usually when we see women in film or books,
they are portrayed as hard and usually shooting guns. I wanted Amber to be
something different. It’s not that we women aren’t powerful, but we don’t have
to turn into men and pick up a gun to fight,” says Mac.
“SKOOTER
GIRL is an exhilarating new graphic novel ... The title character is Amber,
(think Wonder Woman on a robotic motorcycle) who joins a cascade of colorful
characters and fantasy situations on her spectacular journey. Sparkling and
exciting and insightful on every level! A winner here – entertaining,
sensitive, fanciful, and solidly developed thoughts on family and the meaning
of relationships.”
-- Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Hall of Fame
Reviewer
Mac brings a lot of her own personal
experiences to her story. Having grown up with a scientist father who worked
for the World Health Organization, Mac lived around the world and speaks many
languages. From her Harvard-educated mother who “teaches teachers to teach,”
Mac knows how to present her material in a matter that enlightens as well as
entertains, leaving the audience wanting more. Drawing on her years as an
environmental activist, her story touches on saving the planet and our
resources without being preachy.
This fantasy/adventure story starts off as
Amber turns sixteen, which makes her an adult in her culture in the magical
island of Tir na Nor. Her father has taught her well since her
mother disappeared, and Amber plays the violin, has a healing touch, and is
gifted in many ways. “Seashells, enchanted to life, danced behind her as she
ran…” But when she is told who she must marry, she leaves home. Riding her
magical scooter, and surrounded first by selkies and then a robot, Amber leads
readers on a magical adventure with many surprising turns. The story is strong
on rebuilding family relationships and refreshingly absent of the sexual
undertones that fill most teen stories today.
“I am trying to tell stories of the earth for a
global audience and also empowering women and girls to be the leader and heroes
in these stories that heal the planet and heal one another,” says Mac, who has
worked hard on portraying strong family relationships in the storyline. “In
this world right now, we need a little touchy-feely. There’s a lot of anger out
there.”
“Fraught
with incredible suspense and danger, this debut by Darielle Mac is both highly
accessible and wonderfully conjured. “Skooter Girl” is guaranteed to blow your
mind and speed you away.”
-- John
J. Kelly, Detroit Free Press
Hoping to give women more roles in the Skooter
Girl film which is in development, Mac is looking for a female director and
also hired a female artist to conceptualize the characters before she published
the graphic novel. Mac is an international playwright and screenwriter who has
worked with the likes of Rachel Rosenthal, Peter
Brook, Tandeusz Kantor and Ping Chong. She cut her teeth in the experimental
theatre of New York and then went on to create original works in the Bay area,
Europe and southwestern United States. She brings her experiences and
vision to the soon-to-be-released film of Skooter Girl.
Skooter Girl ISBN 978-1457552373, April 2018, Dog
Ear Publishing, softcover, $10.99, 80 pages, ebook, $3.99 illustrated,
available on Amazon
The
idea for Skooter Girl came from an inventor gifting the author a
prototype, electric scooter to ride when she arrived back in the US after
traveling around the globe. Her personal adventures scooting roadways, and the
country inspired the story.
When she is not writing, Mac spends her time as
a falconer, a gardener, and loves running, biking, sailing and spending time
with her dogs. She divides her time between the Southwest United States, France
and Los Angeles.