An Interview with Rachel Carrington

We are happy to welcome Rachel Carrington to The Reading Cafe. Here is a short bio of Rachel.

Rachel Carrington began her career writing fantasy romances of powerful wizards and wicked witches. Since then, she has branched out into contemporary romance and romantic suspense and has had books published with Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Red Sage Publishing, and more.  Currently, a freelance editor/writer residing in historical Charleston, South Carolina, Rachel has written non-fiction articles for Absolute Write, The Writer’s Journal, Writing for Dollars, Writer’s Magazine, and Writer’s Weekly.

Because she likes staying busy, Rachel has also taught classes for Suite 101 and for author groups regarding promoting, writing, starting your own business, and editing.  When not writing, Rachel loves to read romantic suspense (Lisa Gardner and Roxanne St. Claire are two of her favorites), rework old furniture, cross-stitch, cook, and drink lots of coffee.

Now that we know more about Rachel, let’s begin our interview.

TRC: Hi  Rachel.  Welcome to The Reading Café. We appreciate you coming by to answer our questions. We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.  Please tell us something about yourself that is not part of your bio?

Rachel: I live in a historic city near the Atlantic Ocean, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. When I’m not writing, I’m working on videos, working on crafts, shopping, reading, or cooking. Occasionally, I squeeze in some sleep time, but I like to stay busy.

I love coffee, Food Network TV, HGTV, and A&E, my Kindle, and talking on the phone.

I’m usually the one at the party telling all the jokes as I’m very outgoing, and I’m also extremely outspoken, a little bit sarcastic, and I love to laugh. My readers will tell you that also describes my heroines.

TRC: Have you always had an interest in writing?  When did you first start writing?

Rachel: I don’t remember really having that much of an interest in writing until I was in my late teens. The first thing I ever wrote was a poem at sixteen.

TRC: What is the name of the first novel you ever published?  Please tell us how you felt, when your first book was accepted by a publisher.

Rachel: My first novel published was Heart First, a sappy contemporary romance that has since gone out of print, but I was on top of the world when I received the acceptance. I

TRC: You have several different series in several genres.  Your website states that you have done fantasy romances of powerful wizards and wicked witches, contemporary romance and romantic suspense.  Which genre do you find most difficult to write and which genre are you the most comfortable writing?

Rachel: Contemporary romance is the most difficult for me to write because paranormal naturally lends itself to conflict. With contemporary romance, you have to really be on your toes to get the conflict working and to give the book some bite. I admire those contemporary romance writers who continually pull it off with each novel.

I’m most comfortable writing paranormal/fantasy romance because I’ve always had an overactive imagination. So it’s easier for my brain to conjure up an out of this world storyline.

TRC: What or who do you attribute the rise in popularity of today’s many
paranormal romance authors and books?

Rachel:  I think reader demand is what has brought about the rise in popularity. Paranormal romance gives the reader the opportunity to get lost in not only someone else’s life but someone else’s world. A reader can escape to the mountains of Romania with a brooding vampire or to a mystical world where only wizards live. And people need that break to recharge, regroup, and return to face another day in the real world.

TRC:  Vampire Betrayed is your third book in your Vampires Destined series.  Can you please tell us something about the premise of this book?  How many books do you plan for this series?

Rachel: I’ve always loved vampires, but the idea of three separate vampires and their distinctly individual destinies appealed to me. The only thing that connects them is they are all destined for something beyond the darkness of their lives.

I’ve only written three books for this series, and the final book, Vampire Betrayed, was released on June 29^th.

TRC: In July, you released The First Spell, a Fantasy Romance book.  Can you please tell us about this story?  Is this a standalone, or will you make a series out of this?

Rachel: Several years ago, I wrote the Hot Magic series which were based upon the lives of three wizards who are brothers. The First Spell tells the story of the parents of those brothers. This is a book I’ve wanted to write for years, but I finally made it a priority. I don’t intend for it to be a series; however, there is another wizard’s story I wrote which I may rework and release as well.

TRC: We read The First Spell the other night, and it was really a wonderful read.  A perfect magical short story to relax and read, especially if you want something just for the night.

TRC: You have almost a book a month being released recently and coming soon.  How do you keep up this pace, and get ideas on what to write?

Rachel:  Fortunately, I can write extremely fast. I’ve been blessed with an overactive imagination, a drive to succeed, and the ability to function with very little sleep.

TRC: Who is your favorite Male and Female character in your books?

Rachel: This is always a tough one to answer because my favorites are always the ones in the book I’ve just released. I’ve written so many heroes and heroines now, it would be difficult for me to choose a favorite from any of them.

TRC: As an author, which type of book/novel do you believe is harder to write—a full-length novel or a short novella, where all the information must be contained with a shorter
number of pages?

Rachel: A short novella is harder for me to write, personally. When I know I have a lot of room to expand the story, I’m more at ease when I’m writing. If it has to be a novella, I get a little tense as I know I only have a certain amount of room to tell the story and, if I’m not careful, something important will be left out.

TRC: What are you working on today?

Rachel: The prequel to my Spirit series which contains Share your Soul, Unite Our Souls, and Mine to Take. These are my Angels of Death, and once I wrote the final word in Mine to Take, I knew it was a world I wasn’t ready to let go of yet. So I’m back to the Afterlife now.

TRC: Many authors and artists have spouses/partners who offer advice, ideas or
criticism.  Who is your muse when you are looking for ideas?

Rachel: 99.9% of the time, I go to Lisa Renee Jones. She is a prolific author, a determined writer, and a really good friend. I always know she’ll tell me what I need to hear not necessarily what I want to hear because she doesn’t pull any punches. She’s been a friend and a confidante for years now, and we’ve both been able to watch each other grow in our careers. I can’t imagine not having her to turn to.

TRC: Is there anything you would like to add?

Rachel: Every Monday, I interview an author at my blog (www.dawnrachel.com/blog). It’s a great way for readers to find a new favorite author. Link to Rachel’s website 

I’m also at Facebook at rachelcarringtonwrites, on Twitter @rcarrington2004, and on Pinterest @rcarrington2004 as well as Goodreads.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Lasagna

Favorite Movie: Shining Through

Favorite TV Show: Bones

Favorite Dessert: Ice Cream

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Milk chocolate

Last Book that you read: Shadow Demons by Sarra Cannon

Favorite Author: Jane Austen

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice

Thank you Rachel for answering our questions.  We wish you good luck with your wonderful books now out and those soon to be released. We look forward to having you come back again.

 ****GIVEAWAY!****

Rachel has graciously offered to give a member of The Reading Café a chance to each win an e-copy of her just released “The First Spell” book. 

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Please post a comment and say hello to Rachel.

4.  Giveaway open Internationally

5.  Contests runs from August 1st – 4th.