Interview with YA author Rayna Noire

Young adult (YA) author Rayna Noire is chatting with me today about her new historical fantasy / magical realism novel, Faerie Lights: Glimmer.

Bio:

Rayna Noire is an author and a historian. The desire to uncover the truth behind the original fear of witches led her to the surprising discovery that people believed in magick in some form up to 150 years ago. A world that believed the impossible could happen and often did must have been amazing. With this in mind, Ms. Noire taps into this dimension, shapes it into stories about Pagan families who really aren’t that different from most people. They do go on the occasional adventures and magick happens.

Welcome, Rayna. Please share a little bit about your current release.

Glimmer takes place in England during WW1. An explosion propels Meara out of the convent after seventeen years and into a hostile world where she tries to unravel her personal history while fighting her attraction to a very taken Braeden.

Meara vows to journey to Ireland to find her uncle, unaware of how perilous a journey it will be. Her Druidic father guides her through dreams, explaining her magical heritage. Her dead parent can’t help her with the intricacies of village life, especially when she catches the eye of the very engaged Braeden.

A whirlwind composed of equal parts menace, romance, and revelation sweep Meara across the continent while gathering allies and enemies with equal speed. Her intent to return to her family turns into a fight to survive her own destiny.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was curious what the world was like in 1915.

Excerpt from Faerie Lights: Glimmer:

“I was wondering,” he flicked a look in Meara’s direction, “if you could introduce me to your charming helper?”

Instead of answering, she snorted. Braeden stood stock-still, waiting. When it looked like Eleanor would say nothing, she rushed to introduce herself.

“I’m Meara. Her cousin from Cumbria. I came down to help.” The few words exhausted her backstory and earned her a dark look from her companion.

“Hello, Meara from Cumbria. I’m Braeden from here.” He chuckled as if he’d made a big joke.

She found herself laughing along with him.

“Tell me, Meara. Did you leave a sweetheart or a husband behind to fend for himself?”

Before she could answer truthfully, Eleanor pointed in the distance. “Isn’t that your fiancée, Adelaide, looking for you?”

The man’s eyebrows went together as he shot Eleanor a disbelieving look. A feminine voice carried over the market murmur.

“There’s my sweetheart, Braeden.” A blonde-haired woman dressed in a blue ruffled dress sashayed toward the dumbstruck man.

Until now, Meara thought her dress was the nicest thing she’d ever seen. Even an inexpert eye such as hers could easily tell Adelaide’s dress was newer and more expensive. The townspeople gave her room as if they were the Red Sea and she Moses.

Adelaide tucked her arm into Braeden’s and seared Meara with a venomous look before towing the man away. “I’ve been looking for you. There’s no need for you to waste time chatting up pathetic war widows.”

The two moved away slowly, allowing everyone to admire what a handsome couple they made. Braeden gave Meara a pleading glance that reminded her of the vixen she’d freed from a trap.

Eleanor clucked beside her. “Exactly what I was afraid would happen, did.”

“What do you mean?” Her gaze remained on the swath of blue she knew was Adelaide. What must it be like to be a couple?

“I suspected you might jumpstart a few male hearts, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be Braeden’s.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m working on an audiobook version of Initiation.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I started writing alternative endings to stories in first grade. The reader was rather bland.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I try to write full time five days a week. I started by writing about six hours, usually starting at seven in the morning. Later, I can edit or promote.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I act out scenes.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a forest ranger.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’m always open to names, characters, locations, etc.

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Interview with historical novelist Adrianne Sainte-Eve

Today's guest is first-time novelist Adrianne Sainte-Eve. She's going to talk about her World War I historical novel, Horizontal Collaborator.

Bio:
Adrianne Sainte-Eve was born in Budapest Hungary, and spent her childhood in, Quebec, Regina, Saskatchewan, and Vancouver, B.C. in Canada. She is a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago and Northern Illinois University, and currently lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Welcome, Adrianne. Please tell us about your current release.
Horizontal Collaborator is about a Montmartre barmaid, Violette Clary, during the time of the First World War. She is presented with the opportunity to work as a double agent for France, and succeeds in becoming the mistress of the German Chief of Naval Intelligence. Her adventures take her from France to Spain and then Hungary, interacting with many bizarre characters along the way.

What inspired you to write this book?
The idea of women spies during that period interested me. I wondered what they must have been like as personalities. What would lead them to follow such a career? I was intrigued by what was going on in the minds of the different characters on opposite sides of the war, each one thinking their side was the right one.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m currently working on another story, this time set in the twenties and thirties, another exciting time in history. It is not a sequel but I do resurrect some of the people from Horizontal Collaborator, because I want to know what happens to them.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Although I always wanted to write, I didn’t consider myself a writer until I had finished my first novel. I just sat down and wrote it. I surprised myself.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
It seems I write full-time when I am actually writing. Once I start, I don’t like to stop until I’m too tired to go on. About six hours a day is my limit. I took a long break after my first novel, but now I’m working on another one. I have two part-time jobs to support myself, but luckily they both allow me a lot of flexibility. I just write when I can, either early morning or late into the night.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I don’t know if it’s a quirk, but I like to make up my characters first before I develop a story. Then I sort of loosely put together a story and decide how my characters will react to the different events, and vaguely, what should happen to them. After that the story seems to develop itself easily.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A spy, of course.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I always read a lot, and very randomly. I’ve often read a great book and was consumed with jealousy because I didn’t write it. I wanted to write most of my life, but I didn’t know how to start. I told myself to just start but it was many years before I actually did that. Then when I did finally start, I didn’t stop until it was finished. Writing a novel was every bit as satisfying as I thought it would be. I would encourage anyone who has the urge to write to do the same. Your story will come out, once you “just start.”

Also, feel free to connect with me through Facebook.

Thank you so much for visiting today, Adrianne. Happy writing!