Guest blogger--Raine Delight

I warned you: I have a guest blogger today. Here, check out what she has to say and the answers are to mu oh-so-tough questions:

Raine Delight is a woman who loves books with a passion. The storylines, the characters and the way an author weaves the words makes her believe in HEA (happily ever after). With a boy-toy of her own to cheer her on and two kids under the age of 10, Raine tries to relax by letting her muse take charge and explore the boundaries of her own writing, reading, watching movies and has a serious Johnny Depp Crush! Published with Aspen Mountain Press, her Devon Falls series is garnering great reviews and a reader following and she just released her first fairy novella through AMP called Fairy Kisses and Magical Dreams. She looks forward to hearing from readers and is at work on her newest WIPs that her muse is determined to make her write.

Visit my website at http://authorrainedelight.com/ to see what is going on with me and other goodies.

1. What first made you realize that you had stories within you that you just HAD to tell?

Raine says: I guess it was when I read one awful book that started out great but the characters-OMG!-they were just TSTL that made me want to chuck the book across the room and as I growled "I can do better," my friend said to do it. As they say, after that door was opened, it is all history. :)

2. What genres interest you and why?

Raine says: I love paranormal/Fantasy Romance, Urban Fantasy is awesome and I am trying my hand at that as well as a paranormal Romantic comedy. I love the way you can make your own spin on things, from vampires, shapeshifters to anything else you can think of. It is fun and the characters I come up with are unique as well. :)

3. Who were your early influences as a writer--your favorite authors from childhood on that inspire you to this day?

Raine says: Oh my, I think Bertrice Small was one early romance author I absolutely adore. Her writing is awesome and then I branched out to others like Debbie Macomber, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Keri Arthur, JR Ward, and many others that make me strive all the harder to be up there with them. :)

4. What is the hardest thing about writing for you?

The easiest? Raine says: Easiest has to be starting the story and just letting it go. Letting the characters give free rein to their voices and just writing.
Hardest? That would be trying to make sense of it all. *laughs* Making sure that things flow smoothly yet make sense as well. Some days I get it, other days not so well. :)

5.Tell me about a character that's bouncing around in your head waiting for his/her story to be told.

Raine says: Well I got quite a few actually. Darius from Love you to bits is chomping for me to finish it up because frankly, he hates being a spell zapped zombie. Another is a WIP with a half demon of lust wanting to play and Jack Frost wants to visit Devon Falls so that may be a free read for people soon. :)

6. What are your ultimate goals for your writing?

Raine says: To actually get my writing better so I am not head hopping or making the same mistakes over and over again. I try to learn from my editor's comments but some days, I can honestly say, it is hard to see where she is talking, especially if I am too close to the MS to see it. I also want to be at a NY House one day. I may not be good enough right now but I am striving for it each time I get a book contract.

7. What current writers make you jealous?

Raine says: Oh man none really make me pea-green but some I strive to be just as popular...like JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon and others like them.

8. Tell us what makes Devon Falls come to life to you? Have you designed the town? Are there more stories to tell there?

Raine says: Devon Falls is a little bit of my hometown and a little bit of the places I worked for..plus a whole host of imagination. *grins*
The town grew from one story, Sticky Magic, which BTW I wrote in one week. :) It was well received and readers were clamoring for more. It has 5 stories planned (three are currently available at Aspen Mountain Press and 2 more are on tap for 2009). Currently a short is running through my head with Jack Frost and he is itching to visit Devon Falls. :)

I have been writing Devon Falls for close to three years and I need a break so I think 2009 will see the last of it for a spell before I let myself take a peek into it again.

9. How much does your RL occupation as a chef influence your writing?

Raine says: It makes it hard to find time in between EDJ, family, kids and writing. I try to write while kids are at school or after their in bed but some days, I admit, I just want to stay away from the computer long enough to give my eyes a chance to relax and not be so buggy.

10. Is it hard balancing real life and writing life?

Raine says: Yes on some days. I do many different things and it is hard to balance enough time to write, though once I put my writing hat on, I can write at least 1K an hour so it helps I try to do that each day.

11. If you could change one thing about the stories you've written, what would it be?

Raine says: Maybe make them longer. I heard that a lot on some of the Devon Falls books and I am pushing myself to write longer and explore different avenues for the characters to explore. Haunting Magic is the longest one to date yet the fifth Devon falls book....my goal is to be over 30K for that.

12. What's next for Raine Delight?

Raine says: Taking the month of December off to concentrate on holidays, kids activities and relax. I also hope to start planning my next few books which are itching to be told. :)
Next in books is a romantic comedy/Paranormal called Love you to bits. It was my NaNo project and I got to 25K on it so now is time to check to make sure it is coherent. LOL Another is the 4th Devon Falls book-already into my publisher, the 5th Devon Falls book, plus several new projects itching to be told. A very busy time yet I love it. :)

Excerpt:

Fairy Kisses and Magical Dreams

Author: Raine Delight

Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press

Buy at: Aspen Mountain Press OR All Romance E Books

Prince Aryan has searched his world for the one woman that is his destined mate but has just about given up when he is led to the human world. Even though it is forbidden to fall in love with a human, he finds Skye Andrews completely delectable and wonders if she is his chosen love.Skye Andrews has had it with men. After another disastrous date, her aunt gives her a love potion to try. With a magic spell and a mysterious face haunting her waking days, will Skye find the love she is looking for?******************

Edited Excerpt (All work is copyrighted):

Skye sat with her hands fisted in her shirttails so she wouldn’t throttle her well-meaning yet clueless Aunt Mary. The smoking cauldron on the stove erupted into another hiss, and the smell made her stomach curdle.

Aunt Mary muttered to herself as she gathered the necessary ingredients for the love spell from various places in the ancient farmhouse.

Skye tried not to cringe when her aunt walked too close to a knife sitting on the edge of the table. Clearing her throat, Skye mustered enough courage to ask, “Is this thing supposed to turn black and smell like rotten eggs?”

Oh my, yes dearie.” Aunt Mary said as she bustled around the kitchen.

Skye blew out a deep breath and tried to keep calm as she watched her aunt stir something that looked suspiciously like toad legs in the cauldron. Yuck. I swear, some days it’s almost too much to bear, with Mary’s new found interest in new age-isms and spells that do everything but what they’re supposed to. Skye looked at the clock and sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get on the road back to Dayton any sooner than when her aunt deemed worthy.

Skye tried not to sound dejected but after her disastrous Valentine date where her date just talked and talked about his life and career; she felt like she was going nowhere fast. Her friends found their own true loves, got married and had their own happily ever after. Where was hers? Her aunt was determined to get the sparkle back in her eyes, or so she said the first night she visited Topeka. It was enough to make Skye cringe in horror but she couldn’t say anything mean to the one person who loved her more than anything. Flipping her hair off her face, she breathed a sigh of relief as she watched her aunt finish whatever she was doing to the brew until Mary turned around with a cup of the foul smelling stuff.

“Here you go dear. All finished and ready to be drunk by you! All you need to do is say three times: `I wish for my true love to find me´ and then within seven days, according to the spell book I got from a used book store, your true love will find you and steal your heart away.” Aunt Mary gazed fondly at Skye, who tried to look happy but couldn’t conceal the sadness in her eyes.

She took the cup and peered at it grimacing with distaste. It was blackish-blue in color, with something that looked like lightening bugs flashing in it. For a moment, Skye watched the kaleidoscope of colors; it was enough to make her cross eyed. Uncorking the bottle, Skye tried to shield her expression from Mary though if she was honest with herself, she was willing to try anything to get her happily ever after, even drink a foul looking potion to get what she desired.