An Interview with Anne Rainey

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Anne Rainey is one of those authors I can say, “I knew her when” so I’m more than thrilled to be welcoming her to Kwips as she discusses her latest release, her career, and her future plans. Thanks, Anne, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us.

Thanks for having me! I’ve been reading the Kwips reviews for what seems like forever.

1. Congratulations on your new releases, TEMPTING GRACE and RECKLESS EXPOSURE! Could you tell us a little bit about both books?

Tempting Grace is the fourth book in my Vaughn Family series. Grace is the younger, smart mouth cousin. She meets her match with Jackson Hill. Here’s a blurb:

A hard man is good to find…and impossible to resist.

Since a car accident left her unable to have children, Grace Vaughn has hidden her heart behind a wall. So far it’s held strong, and no one complains much—except the few men she dates.

Now that fortress is crumbling thanks to Jackson Hill, an annoyingly attractive man who makes her imagination go wild just watching him in the office. He’s practically bullied her into attending a Vegas conference with him. Three days alone with the delicious Jackson—in Sin City, no less—is sure to push her right over the edge.

With a loving family, a decent bank account, a nice set of clubs, Jackson’s life is almost complete. Except for the missing piece. Grace. She sets a fire in his blood, and the conference is the perfect crowbar to get past her defense mechanisms. It’s time to see if the bump-and-grind potential in that booty of hers can be channeled into something a little more satisfying than looking.

He’s got just the tactic to get her to let down her guard—and hopefully her panties. A wicked bet. Because if there’s one thing he knows about Grace, she can’t resist a double-dog-dare…

***

Reckless Exposure is my installment into the Three Kinds of Wicked paranormal ménage series put together by Liane Gentry Skye and Red Sage Publishing. Trey is a time-strider destined to walk through time and repair preordained couples’ relationships as a punishment for his past indiscretions. Since he’s able to time-travel, you’ll find him reappearing in every story of the series, and through many time-genres including contemporary, futuristic, historical, and western-historical. RECKLESS EXPOSURE is a contemporary. Here’s a bit about it:

Where in time is Trey? This month, the time-strider finds himself in contemporary Manhattan. His targets are fashion photographer Rand Miller and model Lucy Flemming.

Innocent, lovely, and trusting, Lucy gives herself to Rand in every way possible. She is more than his model. She is his muse.

But will Rand be more than her lover? Or will the secrets he left buried in his past keep him from loving Lucy as she deserves to be loved?

When Rand realizes Lucy must move out of not only his apartment but also his life, he decides to give her the going away party of a lifetime. The list of party goodies includes massage oil, margaritas, and their mysterious neighbor Trey.

But Trey has a mission to fulfill. This cannot be Lucy and Rand's last night together. Trey must turn this ending into a new beginning. For all of them.

2. So far, everything I’ve read of yours has been short in length but yet the stories are still so incredibly powerful as you address some very sensitive issues. Where do the ideas for your characters and their situations come from?

I tend to come up with characters first, then I build a plot around them. I get inspiration from the people I know for the most part. Sometimes I’ll see someone at the grocery store or the movies and wonder about their life. Before I know it a story idea is brewing. It’s always by accident. Forcing ideas never works for me.

3. Merrick and Jackson are such passionate, Alpha males and yet they have their sensitive sides as well. How would you describe the ideal romantic hero?

Ah, the ultimate good guy. To me, he’s a little rough around the edges. Romantic words don’t come easy to him. He has a soft spot for the woman he loves. He’d happily donate time and money to charity, but he can also kick some ass when needed. He’s not quick to temper, but neither is he a pushover. He tends to want to wrap his woman in cotton, even while he’s teaching her dirty bedroom games. An intelligent, strong-willed woman is the only type who has any hope of taming him!

4. Congratulations on signing with Kensington Aphrodisia! I can’t wait to read a full-length novel from you. How does the writing process differ in writing in the shorter format versus a full length novel?

I’m realizing there isn’t a big difference. Both are fun to write. Nevertheless, with the shorter length stories the writer gets a sense of immediate satisfaction as the process is much faster, while the longer stories are a bit more fun as I can really get into the characters’ heads. Also, getting them from the living room to the bedroom is a tad slower with the longer stories. The passion simmers for awhile, which can be very appealing.

5. Some of your fans may not know that you write poetry. In fact, it was your poetry that first caught my eye with your writing! Are you still writing poetry and is there any chance of us seeing it collected into one volume for purchase?

Thanks, Anne! You know, I haven’t written poetry for a long time. There just doesn’t seem to be time. I did try to get my vampire poetry published once, but it didn’t work out. I haven’t tried again. Still, I’ll always have a love for poetry and I do hope to get time in the future to write more.

6. Your stories are very sexy. How do you explain to readers the difference between sexy erotica and porn?

I’ve read both so it’s easy for me to answer this question. Porn, to me, doesn’t have any layers. There isn’t a relationship building. The ultimate goal is the sex. My stories are filled with emotion. The reader gets to know the characters. They get to see inside their heads, and their hearts. The sex adds another layer, it’s not THE layer. Does that make sense?

7. You’ve written both paranormal and contemporary erotica. Do you have a preference for one genre in particular? Any you haven’t written in that you want to write in?

My preference will always be contemporary. I enjoy every day people with every day lives. Construction workers, administrative assistants, massage therapists. The sort of people I can relate to. I like to throw them together and watch the sparks fly. LOL Even so, paranormal isn’t something I’ll ever get tired of. Actually, I have some ideas in that area. Still, contemporary is my first love, I think.

As for other genres. I haven’t written any romantic suspense and that’s where I’m headed. I’ve been plotting a rather large (full length) series of book that will be romantic suspense, with a touch of the paranormal. It’s pretty exciting, but that’s all I’ll say about that for now. ;-)

8. What sparked your desire to be a writer? Was being an author your first choice in career or was this career path a surprise for you?

It was SUCH a surprise! LOL Nevertheless, I was the kid who always daydreamed in class. I lived inside my head more often than not. I was very introverted and never made friends easily. I had no real direction for awhile. The first time I realized I wanted to be a writer was when I was reading a contemporary romance that was supposed to be erotic, and it left me cold. I had it in my head that maybe I could try my hand at writing a story that would be a little less tepid. I never intended to let others read my stuff. It was more for personal pleasure than anything else. Boy, things sure have changed, huh? LOL

9. Authors select pseudonyms for a variety of reasons. Why did you decide to use one?

My writing is very erotic. Some of the things I have coming out next year really pushes the envelope. Having daughters in school, I knew from the beginning that if was going to do this thing, then I’d need to protect them. My girls are proud of my writing accomplishments. Both of them want to read my work someday. Still, they ARE glad I use a pen name. Hell, it’s hard enough to be a teenager these days! LOL

10. Which authors have influenced you? If we were to peek at your own bookshelves, who would we find?

Almost all paranormal and romantic suspense. LOL That’s not on purpose. I don’t intentionally steer clear of contemporary books, but paranormal is my first choice of reading material. Nalini Singh, Tina Wainscott, Lora Leigh, Kay Hooper, Christine Feehan, J. D. Robb, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Sharon Sala, Sarah McCarty…you get the idea. LOL

11. Where is your favorite place to write and what does it look like?

I write at my desktop computer. It’s in the living room and I do find it difficult to write when everyone is home. My dream is to someday have my own office where I could close out the world and just write until my heart’s content. J You can see a picture of my desk here: http://annerainey.com/bio/

12. Do you have any particular rituals you go through when writing? Any particular ways you celebrate when a book is finished?

I never know how to answer this first question. I don’t really have any rituals. I do have to have my chocolate and my coffee. Lots of both. LOL

As for celebrating. I usually like to sip a glass of wine and watch a movie with my kids. That’s my downtime. J

13. If you had to pick a favorite character from any of your books, who would you choose and why? What about a favorite character from someone else’s books?

Blade Vaughn is my most favorite hero. He’s literally a combination of all the men in my life. I took all the good parts, and a few of the bad, and created Blade. His heroine was date raped and has a very difficult time being around men, as you can imagine. Blade is like the gentle giant. He sort of comes in and coaxes Candy’s passion to the surface. It’s an emotional story, but steamy too. As one of my readers is fond of saying, ‘I heart Blade!’ lol

As for someone else’s book. Clint McIntire from Lora Leigh’s Dangerous Games. He’s SOOOO hot! I’ve read that book a dozen times. LOL

14. What advice would you give to an aspiring writer? In particular, what advice would you give regarding eBook publishing companies versus the more traditional print companies?

Be very choosy where you put your work. And that goes for both traditional publishers and ePubs. Don’t be impatient and toss your manuscript out there to just anyone! You worked hard to create a good, solid story, now it’s time to do some research.

Questions you should be asking when seeking a publisher: Who are the people behind the scenes? Where did they work before starting up a publishing company? Check into the authors writing for them. Are they happy? Are they well-known? Is there any smoke surrounding this publisher? Buy a few of their titles and judge for yourself. Are they putting out quality work? Research the publisher as thoroughly as you would your book!

15. Any hints or teasers you’d like to give us about future books? And where can we find more about you on the web?

Right now I’m working on a book that will be coming to Kensington Aphrodisia in 2011. Full length. There’s a stalker and a sexy PI. I’m pretty excited about it. It’s hot and emotional, with a hint of danger!

Thank you so much Anne for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. Is there anything else you would like to say in closing?

Thanks for the lovely interview, Anne! J

I do want to mention one thing. Even though I have an agent and I’m contracted with Kensington, I will still be writing for Samhain. There will be lots more sexy, short eBooks in the future. So, stay tuned!

Visit Anne Rainey at her website and her blog.

Read reviews of Anne's books:

Interviewed by Anne

Interviewed October 2009