Raine Delight is the author of the delightful Devon Falls stories, a series of contemporary paranormal romances including Sticky Magic, part of the 2008 CAPA-nominated Babes in Toyland anthology. A longtime book-lover who is celebrating the release of Devon Falls IV: Haunting Magic from Aspen Mountain Press this fall, Raine has been a stalwart supporter of the erotic romance epublishing community, sharing her energy and enthusiasm with many. It’s my pleasure and “delight” to have her with us this month!
Sierra Dafoe: Raine, thanks for joining us! I’m very glad to see the Devon Falls stories continuing with Haunting Magic. After a bit of a rocky beginning for the series, with a publisher that went under, how are you liking being at Aspen Mountain press?
Raine Delight: Hi Sierra and are so pleased to be here. I love Aspen Mountain Press. After that rocky start with a publisher not to be named, I found a home for my Devon Falls series as well as a few others. AMP has some really top notch cover artists, editors and frankly each time I go thru the editing process I find myself seeing things in “editor” eyes. I am with a great stable of authors and frankly, I absolutely love it there.
Sierra: I have to ask, how did it feel to get that first acceptance for book 1 in the series, Sticky Magic?
Raine: Oh god, it was absolutely wild. *grins* I wrote that story in one week and frankly, wasn’t expecting much at all from it. It was wonderful to see the contract and know that someone actually wanted it. Then to get the following contracts for the rest of them is amazing.
Sierra: When you first wrote it, did you envision it as part of a series, or did the series develop as you went along?
Raine: Oh man….that came later on. It seems when I introduced characters in Sticky Magic, they wanted their own stories and I searched around other places and saw no one had stories at the time centered on specific holidays besides the usual Christmas and such. I never imagined it to be five books though. That blows me away. *laughs*
Sierra: And, having gone through the difficulty of working with a publisher who closed, what words of wisdom would you give to prospective authors when they’re looking at publishers?
Raine: *shakes head* I was such a novice in the beginning. I learned the hard way that you need to research very carefully on the publisher you are looking at and talk to authors whoa re there about their experience there. I learned so much in the time since then and I really researched several publishers before deciding on Aspen Mountain Press.
Sierra: Are there any recurring themes you see in your stories? Ideas or motifs you find yourself returning to repeatedly?
Raine: *laughs* Seems paranormal is my thing. I always have a HEA (Happily Ever After) in there and some really hot scenes. I love the idea of a character finding strength to show themselves to someone and seeing acceptance and love in their eyes. I am also starting to push the boundary a little. I added a kink in Red Hot Magic and adult toys in others. Each time I open a WIP, I try to see if there if there is something I need to add to give it that ZING! Appeal and almost always I find it.
Sierra: In your view, what makes an erotic romance “come alive”? Both as a reader and a writer -- what makes a story really sing for you?
Raine: Oh man……..I love when I see and read well-rounded characters that grow as the story commences. For myself as a reader, I love seeing how two (or more if the case may be) connects on an emotional, spiritual and mental level. Sex is all wonderful and all but those sparks between a couple (s) that make you care for them and show you the soul under it all is all that and more. If I can see why these characters connect and how their hearts entwined together then the sex is secondary to me.
As a writer I try to show flawed characters that are like you and me. Jenna in Sticky Magic is pure me when I was writing it. She was shy, petite and didn’t think there was anyone out there for her to be with until that magical Christmas week where miracles can occur. In Haunting Magic, we find Rodrick finding his mate but it isn’t the one he imagines. *smiles* The one woman who refuses to bow down and fall at his feet, the one who drives him nuts with her zinged barbs and comments is the one woman who makes his blood boil and the wolf inside him howl to claim. I loved writing it. *grins wickedly* It makes the story much more than girl and guy get together, fall in love and blah, blah blah. I can only say for myself as a writer that I want characters that capture your heart and make you care for them as a whole, make you feel emotions and make you smile. To a writer, when I see a response in reviews or from readers’ that they were touched/laughed/cheering, etc, I know I did my job right.
Sierra: And what else are you working on currently?
Raine: Oh goddess…I have a few WIP in the pipeline that I am working on this summer. One is my first M/M story. I am carefully researching this as I want to write it the “right” way and bought Josh Lanyon’s How to book to make sure I don’t screw it up.
Another is a cross between Pirates and science fiction. *grins* I read an article on gamma ray explosion in space and a germ of a story niggled the muse. I am almost finished researching certain things for book 1 Space Pirates 1: Bounty but creating this new world is fun and the sky is the limit.
Another series is called Club Fantasy. Each story is centered on a different BDSM club and this I am also researching since I want to make sure I have the right aspects and everything in there. I really don’t want a book that is written with the wrong information and have reader/authors call me on it, especially as it is new territory for me as well. This is a paranormal as well. *grins* can’t seem to stay away from it.
Then I have my baby……I am finishing up a paranormal Romantic Comedy that has no sex whatsoever and the early beta reads on it, have readers clamoring for more. *grins*
Finally, I am starting the final Devon Falls book. This will tie up many loose ends and you do get an idea in what it may be about in Fiery Magic (book 3 now available at Aspen Mountain Press).
*wipes brow* Wow..that’s a lot. LOL The muse has been one busy bee lately.
Sierra: Finally, where can readers find out more about you and your books?
Raine: I have a new website made by the awesome Celia Kyle where my blog is at. You can find me there plus a host of other places.
I am running a HUGE Summer Contest as appreciation for my readers. More information can be found on my Contest page on my website and on my readers’ loop.
Thank you Sierra for letting me come chatter away with you. I love coming and sharing things and hope those who may not have read Devon Falls yet will explore this really special town that many want to check out. I have a special Devon Falls page on my website with the listed books and such. I hope you can check it out there as well as Aspen Mountain Press, Fictionwise, Amazon Kindle and ArE.
