Interview with paranormal novelist Jennifer Rainey

Today's guest has a unique bio to get us started. Jennifer Rainey is currently touring her paranormal novel The Beldam’s Eye.

In addition to the fun interview there are a lot of giveaways! Jennifer is going to give away two $20 Amazon GCs and five copies of Thoroughly Modern Monsters, her short story collection to randomly drawn commenters during the tour. The grand prize to one randomly drawn commenter will be a $25 Amazon Gift card, a copy of These Hellish Happenings (her first novel) and a copy of Thoroughly Modern Monsters.

If you'd like a chance to win any of the giveaways, leave an e-mail address with a comment below, or to increase your chances, leave a comment at any of her other tour stops, too.

Bio:

Jennifer Rainey was raised by wolves who later sold her to gypsies. She then joined the circus at the age of ten. There, she was the flower girl in the famed Bearded Bride of Beverly Hills show until the act was discontinued (it was discovered that the bearded lady was actually a man). From there, she wandered around the country selling novelty trucker hats with vaguely amusing sayings printed on front. Somehow, she made enough money to go to The Ohio State University for a major in English.

Welcome, Jennifer. Please tell us about your current release.

The Beldam’s Eye is a story that’s been following me around for almost five years now; trust me, it’s so nice to finally have it down on paper! It follows a duo of paranormal investigators as they take a case that’s a little more intense than they’re used to. I wanted this book to be just as much about the human element as the paranormal element. The people involved are flawed and (relatively) normal people who have been sucked into something very paranormal. It’s got a great mix of horror and humor, too. I never wanted to take it too seriously.

What inspired you to write this book?

I do some paranormal investigating myself, and I love watching all those TV shows about it. Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Haunted History… those are my favorites! I’ve always loved a good ghost story, too, so it was only a matter of time before I wrote one myself.

Excerpt:

Ras could hear shuffling in the kitchen. He ruffled his hands through his wet hair and walked into the living room.

A ghost covered in soot rummaged through his kitchen cabinets, humming lowly to himself, and he smiled when he found a mug that looked like a purple cat. Its tail curled into the handle, and this amused him. The occasional spark of fire flew from his dark fingers.

Ras opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by, “Well, you gonna stand there, or you gonna get me something to drink?” The ghost burst into laughter too quickly and turned to face him. His glowing orange eyes seemed somehow mirthful, but he didn’t let his guard down. Ghosts were known for their mood swings. Being reduced to nothing but a mass of paranormal energy complete with its own electromagnetic field will do that to a person. “I’m jokin’, I’m jokin’! I couldn’t drink anything anyway.”

Ras smiled. “I wonder why you’re looking through my cabinets, then.”

“Oh, just pokin’ around,” the ghost answered in a creaky voice. “Gettin’ to know ya. I’m gonna have to if we’re gonna work together, right?”

Ras laughed. “Really? What can you tell by looking at my coffee cups?”

“Well… you like cats? Purple ones, I reckon. You got a purple cat around here somewhere?”

Ras knew in situations like this, the worst thing one could do was antagonize the ghost. Sometimes a ghost was a little addled by the dying process. It was better to try to out-crazy a spirit, make them think you were the one with a screw loose.

“Not a purple one, I’m afraid,” Ras answered, “but I did have a blue one once. I’ve always been fond of blue cats!”

“Ah, you see! Close enough, right? And I could tell that just by pokin’ through your coffee cups. I’m a regular Sherlock Holmes.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I have SO many stories I’m working on right now! I have two projects that I’m getting ready to edit, but the next book I’m planning to write will be this year’s NaNo project. In my last book, Thoroughly Modern Monsters, I had a short story about a siren who worked for a carnival; my next book will be a sequel to that story. It follows the story of what happens to said siren (named Quinnish Stern) after he leaves the carnival.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I was 18, I won a state-wide writing competition and got this big ol’ trophy for it and everything. That was the turning point for me. That was the first time I wrote something and thought, y’know, I don’t think I just want to do this as a hobby; I want to put serious time and effort into it.

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’m, unfortunately, not a full time writer, and when I’m not writing, I work at a well-known department store that I’m sure most of you in America have shopped at before, haha! My schedule is a little strange and irregular there, so I do my best to work around it and get writing in whenever I have free time.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’ll write whole scenes in dialogue before I add any narration whatsoever! Also, I must have tea while I write.

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

A librarian! The funny thing is that throughout my later childhood and my teenage years, I wanted to be a thousand other things (an actress, a teacher, a vet) and next year I’m going for my Master’s in library science. Haha! So, I obviously should’ve just listened to my inner child in the first place.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Just that I hope you enjoy the book if you decide to pick it up! I’ve had more fun writing The Beldam’s Eye than I’ve ever had writing anything else!

Various ways to connect with me include:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Website

Thanks, Jennifer. 

Readers, remember Jennifer is going to give away two $20 Amazon GCs and five copies of Thoroughly Modern Monsters, her short story collection to randomly drawn commenters during the tour. The grand prize to one randomly drawn commenter will be a $25 Amazon Gift card, a copy of These Hellish Happenings (her first novel) and a copy of Thoroughly Modern Monsters.

If you'd like a chance to win any of the giveaways, leave an e-mail address with a comment below, or to increase your chances, leave a comment at any of her other tour stops, too.