Name Rachel Rawlings
Age 38
Where are you from Baltimore Metro
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc I didn’t attend college, something I’d go back and tell my younger self to do. I’ve been married 18 years to the love of my life and the same guy who took me to prom and we have three wonderful kids together ranging in ages from 17-6.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
I’m currently revamping the covers to my Maurin Kincaide Series and having a huge reveal party on my FaceBook page where you can win all sorts of prizes!
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve always written. Whether or not I finished it was another story but I’ve always written. I used to love to write poetry when I was young. I am just in love with stories, long or short it doesn’t matter.
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I got my first rejection letter from one of the Big 5. I figured, hey they read the whole book. I’m a writer.
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
Honestly, another series. I got frustrated as a reader. Not the author’s fault. I think there was just a story brewing and it needed to come out. I kept telling myself, if I wrote my own story I would do it differently. And then I did.
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Casual. I think casual sums me up in one word. I write like I speak, lol.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Ill Fated, my latest release was because Maurin has had a run of bad luck. Titles are weird, sometimes they come easily and other times it’s the hardest thing to write.
Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Not really. Just read them for pleasure.
Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
I always pepper in something from history. There’s a lot of real places in my novels and I try to pull from ancient mythology whenever possible.
Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I wish lol. My life would be a hell of a lot more exciting than it is.
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?
I love the classics. To Kill A Mockingbird, Little Women are two of my favorites. Hiroshima had a huge impact on me when I read it in school. Shakespeare was another, while it can be hard to read I always loved the fact that he made up so many of his own words.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
I’m working on the Shiv Crew series by Laken Cane, third book in. Got hooked and am binge reading. Well as much as I can while still working on my current wip.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
See above lol!
Fiona: What are your current projects?
Payable On Death- Jax sold her soul to the Devil when she was just a teenager and has been trying to get it back ever since. I’m also working on a short for an anthology but that’s a super secret project.
Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
The Indie author community and the bloggers who follow it have been amazing!
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
I’m currently working full time as well as writing but I hope to change that in the very near future!
Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, I don’t think so. It fought me a little but over all I’m happy with how it turned out. I haven’t gone back and changed anything plot wise from any of my novels.
Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads? You can’t go forward, you can’t go back. There’s only bad and worse. Those were the options facing me the day I sold my soul to the devil. Sure it seems like a bad decision now but at seventeen I thought it was my only salvation.
My mother sat across from me, her hands in her lap hidden beneath the stainless steal table. The room was empty apart from the two of us. Neither of us spoke. She looked away every time I made eye contact. She’d lost weight since my last visit. Dark circles and sallow cheeks. She wasn’t taking care of herself. I worried everyday she’d waste away to nothing, vanish. Maybe that was the point. I hoped it would be different, her blonde hair would have its luster, the smile in her eyes reserved solely for me would be back. Nothing changed. Except for the distance between us. That seemed to be the only thing she nourished.
“Visiting hours are almost up. Five minutes.” The guard looked over at us, giving me a weak smile.
He felt sorry for me. I didn’t want or need his pity. He saw a devoted daughter visiting her mother every Sunday, whether the woman wanted to see her or not. What he failed to see was a daughter who’d dammed her soul to hell and her mother to ten years in one fell swoop.
“I’ll see you next week mom.” Without looking at her I pushed my chair back from the table and prepared to leave.
“I really wish you wouldn’t.” It was the first time she spoke during the entire visit, in several visits actually. Her last words to me, prior to this, had been that she knew what I’d done. She blamed herself. Apparently we’d moved past that and the blame laid squarely were it belonged.
With me.
Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Finding time. With full time work and a family, finding time to write can be challenging and when I do find the time, fighting off the guilt can be just as bad.
Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I have so many. Too many to name but I am a huge Anne Rice fan and have read just about everything she’s written. I love her style.
Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I do a lot of conventions. Half a dozen or so a year so there is some travel but I’m trying to focus on more local events to keep the time away from home down to a minimum. I also started a convention called HallowRead close to where I live and that has turned in to a real family affair. They help me out a town with the whole event.
Fiona: Who designed the covers?
I did my own cover work originally but I just had them redone by the talented Joseph Eastwood- he’s an author too!
Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?
I’d do it all again with you at my side. For my husband, my best friend and biggest supporter.
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any
hobbies ?
Reading!
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
Anything Sci Fi/ Fantasy, Action based.
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
Hmm, Italian or seafood, purple and Alternative Rock.
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it? www.rachelrawlings.com www.rachelrawlingsauthor.blogspot.com
Amazon Page http://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Rawlings/e/B005Z4W9FK/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1430377253&sr=1-2-ent
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