Topic: Author Interview
Interview Questions (No word limit unless stated-let us get to know you!)
Rae Lindley the person:
1. What three words do you think describe you as a human being?
Cheery, Romantic, Enigmatic.
2. How do you think others would describe you?
Hmm. They would probably say giggly, thoughtful and quiet because I'm usually in my head listening a lot.
3. Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
Love and my family. I guess you could say I tend to be in love with love romance-wise because of the idea in supporting one another through thick and thin once the honeymoon phase passes. And of course I'm very passionate about my family because of the support we give each other through the good times and the hard times.
4. Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.
No, unfortunately I never really had any pets. Hmm, that is unless you count the classroom rabbit in, hmm 7th grade. His name was Puck (like the Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream fairy) and he was so adorable...until he got out of his cage. That little animal loved to run around my back yard and I always had to run and catch him for like half an hour when it was time to put him back in the cage. I had never seen a rabbit move so fast before then!
5. What is your most precious memory?
Ooh that's a good question. I was blessed to have many growing up, but the most precious one has to be a mixture of all the times my family came to support me in all the events I had from poetry readings to dance productions and most recently a screening of my short animated film. That was really an amazing feeling because it was the end of working so hard in collaboration with my group and being in a dark room with a full size movie screen (my dream since childhood!) it was completely surreal. Plus we ended up winning the audience award!
6. What is your most embarrassing memory?
Oh, you just had to ask this one! *laughs* May I plead the fifth? hehe
7. If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing with your life?
I would probably be sitting behind a camera somewhere making films or in an easy chair advising clients stretched out on a couch. Both filmmaking and psychology are still my greatest loves and probably would have happened if my writing didn't win out in the end.
8. In two paragraphs or less write your obituary.
Rachel "Rae" Lindley author of the Cimmerian Series as well as speculative romantic and paranormal fiction has died. She was 280 years of age.
Lindley died in her home in the Italian countryside of Tuscany of chocolate deficiency, according to her agent and leaves behind a legacy of films, 50 books in various fiction and nonfiction genres and two children.
(Hey, a girl can dream can't she? ;-)).
Rae Lindley the writer:
9. Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a "real" writer?
That would definitely be recently. One of the reviewers for Cimmerian City told me that she added me to her list of favorite authors. As a reader all my life I've always been the one collecting fave authors and waiting for their new releases so it was pretty mind blowing to have someone consider me one of their faves!
10. What is going on with your writing these days?
I have a few projects lined up in my head. Of course, I have the third book in the Cimmerian Series waiting in the wings entitled Cimmerian Girl which would tie up everything together in the overall arc presented in the first two books. Raven Blackheart, my heroine, finally comes to grips as the Dracin blood overtakes her Human blood. Dracins are like vampires in that they crave blood but they aren't deterred by garlic, holy water and all the traditional weaknesses. Sunlight is still a possibility as the sunlight on Earth has been blocked by a cloud of pollution and atmosphere since the early 21st century. One of the fun things about creating Dracins is that their whole mythology is a mystery since they're a new species. So as the series progresses, we really get to see how much they compare to traditional vampires as Raven fights her addiction and severs her family ties to the corporations.
Currently I'm writing the full length book to my romantic urban fantasy novella Ariya: A Kiss of Ashen Twilight which features an Aziza fairy settling in with an underground organization of vampires, werewolves and shifter elves. They've lived underground unseen by human eyes for centuries and a sloppy mistake from a Ren (renegade shifters) may blow their entire operation under the mortals. There's also some historical scenes in the story as I explore their backgrounds which led them to the current time.
I also have a few romantic suspense novels in mind, but they're currently in idea format.
11. What are your future goals for your writing?
One of my main goals is to get all of my ideas written down whether in novella, novel or short story format. I have WIP doc. Format that has a list of all my works in progress and I go in and check off each one. It's a great feeling to get them all started and finished one by one. J
12. Can you describe a typical writing day for you?
Sure! I usually wake up in the morning, get my breakfast and take it to the computer. Check email, group digests and publishing industry news on the various blogs that I'm addicted to reading. Once that's done, I usually take care of promotions and my boards. Sometimes I write if I have a story or scene in my head usually until the afternoon when I break. If I'm in the middle of a book, I usually come back in the evening to type up what I wrote the previous night and work on that for the rest of the evening.
That's usual typical unless I have a book cover or another art project.
13. Why do you write?
Short answer: because I have to. Long answer: because I have so many stories that need to be told and shared to the world with an underlining message.
14. What writer most inspires you? Why?
Hmm...growing up, I would have definitely said Anne Rice because I love her world building skills that simply suck you in. She really made vampires sympathetic and unique and I couldn't help wanting to know more about all of the characters.
Today, for their work ethic, I would probably say Nora Roberts and Stephen King. They really get their butts in the seats and get the writing done; particularly Nora Roberts because she can write different genres and series one after the other.
For the work, I would say Joss Whedon because he's so versatile from comics to film to TV and he writes his characters so unique and engaging.
Oops you said writer, but I couldn't choose just one!
15. How do you define your writing?
That's a good question because we're always asked about which genre and market our work best fits in. I would say my writing is romantic, suspenseful, sometimes paranormal and definitely speculative in a ‘what if' type of scenario. Sometimes all the elements are thrown together in one big pot of ideas.
16. In one sentence-what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
Man, those were some great stories I love to curl up and revisit again and again.
Rae Lindley the details:
17. Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog?
Definitely! My website link is: http://www.raelori.com/
My newly revamped blog is available at: http://raelori.blogspot.com/
18. Is there a place where readers can reach you?
I love hearing from readers! They can always reach me at Rachel@raelori.com
19. Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?
Cimmerian City, the first book that kicks off the Cimmerian Series is available now in print and ebook format.
My other works include:
The Eye of Alloria
One Evening in London
I also have stories in the anthologies:
Weirdly: A Collection of Strange Stories from Wild Child Publishing
A Twist of Fate from Eternal Press
20. For new readers-what can they expect when they read your book(s)?
They can expect a nice ride because I love putting my characters through some amazing adventures and interesting journeys internally and outwardly.
In conclusion:
21. Take as much space as necessary to speak to our readers-what would you like them to know about you and your writing?
Hi readers! Much like other authors I love to write the type of stories that I tend to read. Some of it is science fiction, some romance, some suspense and most of what I write tends to be all three. I like to showcase strong heroines in extraordinary situations that really test their wills. Much of my works in progress (and works in the process of finding nice homes) fit this description.
If you'd like to keep up with my current and upcoming projects, you're more than welcome to join my mailing list as I have a monthly newsletter. Feel free to sign up at: http://raelori.com/mailinglist
I also love hearing from readers so feel free to drop me a line anytime!
