Make-Believe Mondays With Rae Lori

Today on Make-Believe Mondays my guest is Rae Lori.

Rae, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.

Rae: Hi Debra, thanks for having me as a guest! I’m currently working on a few. Two are sequels to the first books in my two series, Within the Shadows of Mortals and Mind’s Awakening. Both are paranormals, one focuses on an underground group of vampires, werewolves and shifters that are being hunted once humans find out about them. Two people, a fairy and a vampire couple are at the center of all the controversy. The latter book focuses on a tribe of Skinwalkers and one girl apart of the tribe comes upon a amnesiac member who may be the heir to the throne of a local tribe. I love writing paranormals but I also have some other genres I’ll be working on probably after I finish these in the series.

Debra: It's a pleasure having you here! There's just something about a paranormal, isn't there? I'm being drawn there myself lately. They are such fun to write.

Ray Bradbury said, “We are cups, constantly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.” How do you keep your creative cup filled?

Rae: Ooh good quote. Bradbury is one of my favorite authors. I usually take a break from writing and do something completely unrelated. Diving into my artwork really helps me to switch focus and get on that right side of my brain. So does working on something other than my WIPs, maybe a short story prompt for a market I may be eyeing. Or just the usual watching a movie, climbing on the elliptical, kickboxing or playing Tomb Raider and/or Silent Hill. ;-)

Debra: Bradbury is wonderful and that's one of my favorite quotes. I think you are the first author in all this time to mention kickboxing. That's awesome. ;-)

Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?

Rae: Yes definitely! I love it when that happens because I have a feeling I’m doing something right and I’ve given them enough background to jump off the page. I find it takes a bit to get to that point, especially when I’m starting a new story. Usually when events pop up that sync into some thing that happened near the beginning really makes it feel like they have a history.

Debra: There's nothing like that feeling when you can finally hear them and see them and everything starts to fall into place.

For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?

Rae: That actually happened with my first book Cimmerian City. I think I had just seen Blade II and I had a dream about being in a deserted train or bus station at night. I walked across some tracks that were supposed to be empty but then I heard the blare a train’s horn alerting its arrival despite it being deserted. There was an overall ominous feeling about the whole thing and it stayed with me once I woke up. I knew I had to add it to my book.

Debra: Oh, I love these stories of dreams guiding us to write. Some very good stories come out of that and it's just fascinating.

If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?

Rae: That actually sounds like fun. I’d probably write a historical fantasy romance about a woman coming of age and eventually coming to terms with finding love. It’s sort of like an idea I have in mind for a side character in a classic favorite book I read in high school, only without the fantasy ingredient.

Debra: Hmmm then at some point you must write that one. ;-)

Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?

Rae: Writing to me is like another form of dreaming, especially when you just let it all flow out like Bradbury said. The subconscious is at work while watching the characters interact and grow in your mind’s eye. It’s the same experience for the reader when they lose themselves in the world you’ve created. It takes them away from their world and life for a little bit and I guess that’s why reading is so addicting. There’s a certain magical quality to it that really touches something personal inside. For your readers, I’d say never stop reading and if you feel compelled and inspired by something you’ve read to create your own work, do so. You may never know what worlds may come from your own imagination.

Debra: This is so true. To be in the zone of writing is like nothing else. The same is true of reading and being swept into that world. We should always trust in our imaginations wherever they choose to lead us.

Rae, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.

Rae: Thanks for having me, Debra! Feel free to drop by my sites and add me on any networks you may be apart of. I love to hear from readers anytime: Rachel@Raelori.com

Website – www.raelori.com
Blog - raelori.blogspot.com
Myspace – www.myspace.com/Rachelbeachgirl
www.myspace.com/Cimmerian_City
Twitter - www.twitter.com/RaeLori

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Debra's News/Debra is watching:

I've been nominated for a CAPA award and I'm just thrilled about it! Here's a little bit about it:

Nominees for the Sixth Annual Cupid and Psyche Awards (CAPA)

For more details on the CAPA's, see theromancestudio.com/capa.php

Here are the nominees in each category nominated only by the reviewers of
TRS. Congratulations everyone!

Historical romance category:
A Desperate Journey by Debra Parmley (Samhain Publishing)
Moon Of The falling Leaves by Diane davis White (Highland Press)
Annabel's Courtship by Lucy Monroe (Samhain Publishing)
Brief Gaudy Hour by Margaret Campbell Barnes (Sourcebooks)
Where the Heart Is by Sheridon Smythe (The Wild Rose Press)
The Captive Heart by Bertrice Small (Berkley)
The Pearl at the Gate by Anya Delvay (samhain Publishing)
Dido's Prize by Eugenia O'Neal (Parker Publishing)

Planning my calendar this week and will have events posted on my website
www.debraparmley.com by next Monday. The book launch party, book signings, writers events, all those new and exciting things!