The Interview: Anne Rainey
June 24, 2008 by Melissa
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions.
Thanks for having me, Melissa!
1. What drew you to writing romance?
Well, it’s not the typical story. I wasn’t an avid reader as a kid and I haven’t been writing since I was big enough to walk. Truthfully, I was the kid who hated to read. I wanted to play football with my brothers instead, reading bored me to tears. LOL That all changed when I was in my early twenties and stumbled upon my mom’s pile of books. Agatha Christie, Martha Grimes, that sort of thing. I read all the mysteries I could find, then moved over to thrillers like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. It wasn’t until I had my first child that I started reading romance, then later decided to try my hand at writing one myself. I don’t mind saying those first few stories were awful! LOL
2. In your latest book, Tasting Candy, you have a character who has been a victim of date rape. How did you research that and what made you think of doing it?
I watch a lot of true crime shows and read a lot of those types of books as well. One night, as I binged on a chocolate bar and channel surfed, I stumbled across a documentary about a woman who was date raped. Her ordeal struck a chord in me. She described how hard it had been to get anyone to take her seriously. Authorities blamed her because she’d agreed to go out with this loser in the first place. Friends and family members looked at her differently. The after effects were just as bad. She talked about never feeling safe, unexpected panic attacks, living in shame. It opened my eyes in a big way. I admired her courage to talk about something so incredibly personal. Rape is a horrible crime that often goes unpunished. Date rape is even harder to prove and women don’t feel comfortable talking about it because they feel partly responsible. I’m of the mind that you can’t fix something by pretending it doesn’t exist. Bringing it out into the open is the only way to change the views of the closed-minded. I hope Tasting Candy opens a few eyes and shows other victims of date rape that they aren’t alone.
3. You write in different subgenres in romance and for many publishers. Is there any time you find it overwhelming? How do you cope with all the different time schedules and due dates?
Right now I’m very overwhelmed! I have three WIPs going at the same time. Ack! Nevertheless, I do keep a schedule and it helps tremendously! I have specific times of day that I write, specific times I edit, and so on. No way could I ever get anything done if I didn’t have a schedule. Then again, it’s summertime and my kids are home, which means I’ve had to alter things a bit. It’s been crazy around here, let me tell you! You see, before I was published the girls were used to having mom all to themselves, now they have to share me with the computer and it drives them crazy. hehe!
4. Name three books on your keeper shelf.
Secrets Volume 9—Red Sage Publishing (smokin’!), Dark Desire–Christine Feehan (tortured hero, yum!), The Real Deal—Lucy Monroe (a delicious, rich hero!).
5. What do you have coming up in the next few months?
Well, as you know Tasting Candy releases through Samhain June 24th . August 6th I’ll have my first vampire romance, A Diamond at Midnight, with The Wild Rose Press. In December I’ll have a novella in the Secrets Volume 25 (print) with Red Sage Publishing. Very exciting!
6. Name your favorite genre to write and your favorite genre to read.
I prefer contemporary romance with lots of steam. That’s what I most enjoy reading and writing. However, I’ve recently discovered that paranormal can be great fun too. Writing A Diamond at Midnight was a thrilling break from the norm. I’ll definitely be doing more!
Now for the fun questions:
7. You have your choice among the following kind of guys: The Joker, The Serious Astute Businessman and The Broody Loner. Which one do you go for and why?
I’ll have to say The Joker. LOL When I first met my husband (19 years ago) it was his silly teasing that hooked me.
8. They are making one of you books into a movie and they are going to allow you to play the heroine. Which book and who would be your hero?
I’d want A Diamond at Midnight (my vampire romance) to be made into a movie. There’s a lot of action and a really great bad guy. The heroine is one tough lady and she’d be fun to play. My hero would be Gerard Butler. He’s hot and I think he’d make a great vamp! LOL
9. What is your favorite non-writing activity?
I love to watch movies, especially suspense or action-adventure. My daughters and I rent and buy a LOT of movies! Spending time with them is always fun, but when we watch a movie we always critique it afterwards and the discussions we have are entertaining.
Make sure to answer the question to get your name in the hat for the $10 GC from AMAZON.com.
Comments
9 Responses to “The Interview: Anne Rainey”
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Hi Anne, enjoyed checking out your website, and congrats on all your upcoming releases.
Great interview, Anne… I’m looking forward to your upcoming releases… especially A Diamond At Midnight… I will now be picturing Gerard Butler
lol
Thanks for a great interview, Anne!
Cathy–Thanks for stopping by my site. Rae Monet is a fabulous web designer!
Ali–LOL! Gerard is so HOT! I have to say, I’m nervous about “A Diamond at Midnight” partly because I LOVED writing it. I really enjoyed writing the fight scenes. It was a lot of fun and I hope people enjoy it as much as I did.
Fedora–Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Anne,
The Joker is my kind of guy, too. A sense of humor is very important and funny is sexy.
Fedora–I agree. In my writing I tend to write my heroes with a sense of humor too. What can I say, I like a guy who’s a bit ornery and likes to tease…
That should say: cyclops8…man it’s been a long day. :p
Great interview!
Congratulations on your release! I enjoyed reading all your answers. It’s interesting to hear how your got the story idea for Tasting Candy.