Please give a warm welcome to Christine Rains, author of the paranormal series The 13th Floor (among others). I've read the first two in the series: The Marquis and The Alpha and they're super reads. Christine writes about very compelling, charismatic characters. The Dragonslayer is out now, and The Harbinger coming March 13th.
Graeme: How and why did you become an author?
CR: I've always been a writer. Ever since I could print, I wrote stories. I write because I love it. It took a long time to gain the confidence to publish, though. Perhaps age has toughened up my skin.
Graeme: Which of your books is your favourite, and why?
CR: Oh, this is tough. I love my concept for the 13th Floor series. I'm currently writing it, so I'm in the “in love” stage with it. Yet for my favorite, I have to say my Magena Silver trilogy. Magena is a unique protagonist. She challenges me as a writer. I love the cast of characters in the trilogy.
Graeme: Which of the 13th Floor occupants is your favourite, and why?
CR: Harriet the banshee. Did I answer that too quickly? I hope the others aren't jealous. Harriet is a compassionate soul that was cursed and has to live a double life. She's in love with a vampire, and the only time they see each other is when she's in her hideous old hag form. I love her internal conflict and how that along with her curse makes her interact with the world.
Graeme: Which authors/books inspire you the most?
CR: Stephen King has been a great inspiration for me since I was a teenager. His worldbuilding and characters are phenomenal. I also love George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling, and Karen Marie Moning.
Graeme: Tell us some random thing about you that your readers might not know.
CR: I have lots of freckles and I hate them.
Graeme: Describe your writing environment.
CR: I have a little room stuffed full of books and games. The walls are a calming moss green and there's paintings by my son on the walls. The desk is old and simple, but it's still holding up. I always have a thesaurus beside me, and if I'm lucky, a sweet snack.
Graeme: Are you a plotter or a “pantser”?
CR: Pantser. I've tried to outline and become more of a plotter. Organization would save me time and I need that, but I've never been able to stick to an outline. My stories take a life of their own and go where they want. Luckily for me, it has worked out most of the time!
Graeme: Who would you most like to meet and what would you say to/ask them?
CR: I always have trouble with this question. I'd like to meet a lot of people, but I'm very shy. One day, I'd like to take a car trip (for a book tour, if I'm lucky!) across the country from one coast to the other and meet all my online friends.
Graeme: What's next once you've finished with the 13th Floor? Tease us…
CR: I'm not sure which project I'll pick up next. I have a couple of paranormal romance manuscripts I want to polish and query later this year. Possibly one involving a sexy witch who's an expert at brewing love potions or a reclusive psychic that has fallen in love with a ghost.
Graeme: If you could live anywhere in the world, where and why?
CR: A log cabin in the woods by the Rocky Mountains. A cozy little home with not much upkeep. That way I'll have time to write and travel.
Graeme: Awesome! Thanks sor answering those, and I can't wait to see what you come up with next. Folks, check out Christine's 13th Floor books below. Well worth a read.
Christine Rains
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 reading or writing, she's going on adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. Christine is a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. She has twenty short stories and five novellas published.
Contact Christine via her Website, Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter as @CRainsWriter
On the rooftop of neighboring building, dragonslayer Xanthus Ehrensvard fires at his target, Governor Whittaker. How he missed the shot, he doesn't know, but fleeing the scene, he picks up an unwanted passenger. Gorgeous reporter Lois King saw Xan's face, and she believes it's the story to make her career. Except he can't let her walk away knowing what he looks like. Xan has to show her the Governor is a bigger threat to the world than he is.
Xan knows dragons never went extinct. They evolved with human society, taking on mortal forms, and slithered their way into positions of great influence and power, just like the Governor. But it's no easy chore proving to someone that dragons still exist, and even more so, they're disguised as famous people. Xan must convince Lois or find another way to silence her. An option, as he gets to know her, he likes less and less.
After all, dragonslayers are no longer celebrated heroes but outlaws. Just as the dragons wish it. But this outlaw must make a plan to slay the dragon or risk its retribution.
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