Author Interview: Christine Rains

Today I’m trying something different. Usually I ask an author to sit down for a chat after I read their book. This time, Christine was kind enough to talk before I read or reviewed her book. We’ve been blogging buddies for a while now, and I thought it would be fun to talk about her book before I fired it up on my Kindle. Thanks Christine for helping me mix it up here.

Your 13^th Floor Collection was recently released. Can you tell us a little about it?

The 13^th Floor Collection is a series of six novellas told within the same time frame, but each tale features a different couple. There are six supernatural tenants living in a haunted building on a floor that doesn’t exist. Not for anyone else other than those who live there anyway! These stories are fast-paced and intense paranormal romances. All with a different twist on the typical paranormal romance tropes.

How did you come up with the 13^th floor and all the different inhabitants?

The idea for the series began with my wondering about various superstitions. Why do many buildings not have a 13^th floor? Why is it considered bad luck? I put my own twist on it. Perhaps it isn’t bad luck at all. Maybe the heroes live there instead of something bad. I picked a different supernatural being for each of the six apartments and just went from there. I’m a pantser, so there’s not much planning at all involved in my storytelling.

Was it difficult writing from so many different points of view?

Some of the characters’ voices came much easier than others. My first story (THE MARQUIS) is from Marc’s point of view, and he refused to say anything. It was difficult to find his voice, but through the other characters, I finally found it. Stefanie’s (THE ALPHA) and Harriet’s (THE ORACLE & THE VAMPIRE) voices were very clear to me even before I started writing.

Did any of the stories practically write themselves? Did any of them feel like you were pulling teeth to get it to come together?

THE ALPHA came fast and hard. I could barely keep up with how quick it was coming. THE MARQUIS was the most difficult to write because the protagonist wouldn’t talk to me. I also had trouble with THE ORACLE & THE VAMPIRE. I meant to write it only from Harriet’s point of view, but the story felt hollow. Though she’s my favorite character in the series, it wasn’t enough. One of my critique partners suggested I include Kiral’s point of view too. It made the story whole. I’m forever grateful for my awesome critique partners.

You have four degrees. What are they in?

I have two college degrees. One in Law Enforcement (I wanted to be a police officer), and a second in Creative Writing. I have a BS in Sociology (I wanted to be a social worker after I realized being a cop wasn’t for me) and an Honors BA in Philosophy. I don’t know what I really wanted to do with my Philosophy degree other than I really loved the subject. If I could afford it, I’d be a professional student. I can never learn enough.

What prompted you to self-publish?

Several factors influenced my decision to self-publish, but the main one was that my family needs to come first right now. I don’t have a regular writing schedule because I’m always busy doing something. I write when I can. I couldn’t sign a contract with a publisher and guarantee that I’ll finish a manuscript by a certain date. I also really love the control I have as a self-published author.

Can you tell us a little about your Writers4Writers Group? Can anyone join?

The Writers4Writers Group is the brilliant idea of Stephen Tremp. I co-host it with Stephen, Mary Pax, and Carolyn Brown. The idea is simple: help other writers promote themselves and increase awareness of their book(s). This is done by sharing tweets and posts on Facebook. Each month, the spotlighted authors provide tweets and Facebook posts on their blogs. All you have to do is copy and paste. Fast and easy. Anyone can join. Just click on this link ( http://christinerains-writer.blogspot.com/p/writers4writers-group.html ) and sign up on the linky list. You must participate by promoting other writers to be considered for a spotlight yourself.

You have a toddler at home, you write, and you blog. Do you ever have time to relax or are you always on the go?

It doesn’t feel like I have much time at all to even sleep! It’s been a busy past few months for me, but after NaNoWriMo and all our family visits in November, I’m hoping to take it easy in December.

What authors have influenced you?

One of my biggest influences since I was young has been Stephen King. While I once loved him for his ability to scare me when no one else could, I now love his amazing world building skills and characterizations. He’s absolutely brilliant.

Is there a book that’s already published that you wished you had written?

The very first book I wished that I had written was KUSHIEL’S DART by Jacqueline Carey. The richness and complexity of her fantasy world is unlike anything else, and wow, the characters.

Thank you for having me here on your blog, TB!

Thanks for stopping by Christine. I hope we get to chat again soon and I’m super excited to read the 13th Floor Collection, which I won a copy of the ebook recently. How awesome is that.

The 13th Floor:

Blurb:

Six supernatural tenants

Living in a haunted apartment building

On a floor that doesn’t exist.

Six novellas telling their tales:

A retired demon acquires a price on his head.

A werewolf is hunted by her pack.

A modern day dragonslayer misses his target.

A harpy challenges Zeus for the soul of the man she loves.

A vampire is obsessed with a young woman he can’t find.

A banshee falls in love with someone who’s death she has seen in a vision.

And a sweet ghost must battle a primal monster to save them all.

All the stories take place at the same time intertwining their lives together on the 13th Floor.

About the Author:

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she’s not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She’s a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has eight novellas and twenty-one short stories published.

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