Meet Rae Lori

Rae Lori is a fan of David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock’s visual styles and stories. She has a love for film, vampires and visual storytelling which she couples with the art of the written word to tell her stories. As an avid reader and viewer of science fiction, romance and fantasy since she was young, Rae enjoys merging the genres to create an adventurous reading experience in her own work. Throughout her writing career, she has garnered credits writing movie reviews, fiction and articles on the comic book and film industry. Currently Rae works as a graphic designer, animator and video editor and teaches novel writing in virtual classes on a seasonal basis.

Julie: Welcome, Rae. Why don’t you start us off by telling us how you discovered/decided you wanted to become a writer?

Rae: I’m not quite sure if it was a defining moment, much less something I sort of felt drawn into. I always loved reading ever since I could walk. My mom used to read to me in the womb and I learned to read at three or so. So I always loved the written word.

There was just something powerful about the narrative that stayed with you and I wanted to share the love with other readers by telling my own stories. It first started out where I was writing to entertain my classmates and to see what they thought, but from then on I found it was something that gave me a chance to express myself and some ideas that I had.

Julie: What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both?

Rae: I’m a complete fly by the seat of my pants because I love the organic writing process. Although I do have an idea for how to start the stories as well what it’s about, who it’s about and how it’s lead (by character and plot). Usually if I’m writing a series, I start the next book right after the other so I record my thoughts where I’d like to start the next time I get ready to write. If it’s the start of something completely new I usually let it swim around in my head for awhile until it needs to be written down. Sometimes I usually think of the world around me and wonder “what if such and such happened” or “what if I throw this type of character with this one” and then stories come to me that I write down right away.

Julie: Give us a sneak peek into the writing life of Rae and tell us about one strange writing ritual you have.

Rae: It’s a tough because the writing business itself doesn’t take time off so you always have to be working on something. However, since writing is such a creative endeavor, the brain doesn’t always cooperate! So it’s mainly based on the writer and how they work best. For me, I’m a huge night owl so I work best when it’s late at night/early morning no matter the season. My desk is right next to a window so I get to admire the sunshine or the rainy day while working which can add to the writing atmosphere depending on the scene. Sometimes I get a little fatigued so I take some time off writing and the business to collect my thoughts and then get right back in the groove. Usually when I take my mind off, it’s something completely creative and immersive like role playing one of my fave sci-fi shows or multi-player games. Anything that has a wonderfully built world I can lose myself into!

Julie: If you were going to cast the hero of your book, what actor would get the part?

Rae: Definitely Kyle Schmid for Jace in my Ashen Twilight series. Much of the character based off his awesome portrayal of King Henry VIII’s heir turned vampire Henry Fitzroy from the show Blood Ties. So I’d love to see how he’d handle Jace. Although I hope he won’t feel that he’s being typecast!

Julie: I know you’re not supposed to show favoritism but who’s been your favorite character to write?

Rae: Hmm, good question because I’ve enjoyed a few of my characters! I’d have to say Raven Blackheart who is the lead character in my Cimmerian series. She really came to life in my head as a complex character who went through a lot of changes and grew immensely from a feisty somewhat immature young girl to a mature, compassionate woman and heroine.

Julie: Do you have a favorite TV show you can’t miss?

Rae: Oh! I have a few. I’m a huge fan of classic TV so my can’t misses include The Twilight Zone (original show), I Love Lucy, Golden Girls (for later classics) and some others that are too many to name! But those are definite faves at the top of my list.

Julie: If you could date any character from any book, who would it be and why?

Rae: I recently gave in to the myriads of readers who would probably agree with me on this…but I would have to say Jamie Fraser of the Outlander series. There’s so many reasons why, I’d have to say just read the book Outlander to find out! *laughs*

Julie: Could you tell us about any work-in-progress, current projects, what we can expect from you in the future?

Rae: Definitely! I’m currently finishing up final edits on the Cimmerian City 2nd edition and the sequel A Feast of Shadows. I also have a few shorter works coming soon. Most of them range in the genres but since I’m a speculative fiction fan, they are mostly fantasy and sci-fi works mixed with a little romance and suspense. I wrote a short urban fantasy with a splash of romance that takes place in the 1920s and may lead to more stories in that universe. I’m also finishing up edits and revisions on a romantic suspense noir book centered around an actress and wife of a powerful producer who finds out her husband has been unfaithful. At the same time, her old flame and the one that got away has returned in town and sparks are flying. It’s a love letter to L.A. noir with a romantic backdrop. Although it’s a little different than standard romance and suspense books, I hope my readers will enjoy it!

Julie: Well thank you Rae for stopping by and answering my questions.

Backlist:

Cimmerian City, Lavender Isis

The Eye of Alloria, Lavender Isis

Voice of Abandon, RavenFire Books

A Kiss of Ashen Twilight (Book 1 in the Ashen Twilight series), RavenFire Books
Within the Shadows of Mortals (Book 2 in the Ashen Twilight series), RavenFire Books

Before Dawn Breaks, Freya’s Bower

One Evening in London, Freya’s Bower

Uthiel’s Embrace, Freya’s Bower

A Day in the Life of Simplicity (in the Weirdly Anthology), Wild Child Publishing

The Real Miranda (in the Twist of Fate Anthology) as Rae Lori

Coming soon:

Inheritance of Ashes (Book 3 in the Ashen Twilight series), RavenFire Books

A Feast of Shadows (Sequel to Cimmerian City), RavenFire Books

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