Thursday, January 8, 2015

Feature: Ranae Glass, author of Chasing Daybreak


BLURB

Isabel Stone wanted a normal life. But when the unexpected death of her father leaves her at the helm of the family business, things quickly go from weird to worse. Vampires are on the loose and out of the coffin, and only Isabel can walk the fine line between the world of the living and the world of the undead.

Torn between letting go of her past and embracing her future, Isabel will have to decide who she can trust, and be willing to use all the weapons at her disposal, to get to the bottom of a terrifying string of deaths that lead right to her doorstep—before she becomes the next victim. In a city where nothing is what it seems, ending up the target of a deranged killer might actually be the high point of her week. Because in this town, the things that go bump in the night… just might kill you.



Chasing Daybreak on Amazon:


 

 Chasing Daybreak on B&N:




INTERVIEW


What inspired you to write this book?

Chasing Daybreak began life as a writing exercise. I wanted to see if I could write something outside my traditional genre. Because I never imagined it would be a full novel, I leaned heavily on my actual family for inspiration. Luckily, they aren’t too upset about it. They have a good sense of humor.

 

Can you give us an interesting fact about your book that isn't in the blurb?

There is a scene in the book where Isabel locks Shane in a rolling suitcase to get him out of the house. I wasn’t sure this was possible, so I made my husband help me test the theory. I’m happy to report that you can, in fact, fit a six foot tall man in a large rolling duffle bag. It’s not pretty, but it’s possible.

 

How did you choose your title?

One of my beta readers chose it. I wanted something that had series potential, but was also catchy and dramatic. I think it fits well.

 

Tell us about the cover and how it came to be.

The cover was done by Mayra at Strong Image Editing. She’s absolutely amazing. We chose the model together and she did the rest. She’s a miracle worker, truly.

 

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?

I decided to traditionally publish with a company I’d worked with before. Crimson Tree Publishing is a division of Clean Teen Publishing, who has my other novels. They are so good to work with. All the personal attention of an indie publisher, but with the skill and power of a big publisher.

I’ve self published before, and the amount of work that goes into it is mind boggling. Self-publishing is also very solitary. I prefer having a team behind me, helping me along.

 

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?

The characters. A strong character can carry off even a subpar plot. But it doesn’t work the other way around.

 

What is your writing process?

It varies wildly from project to project. I like to surround myself with music, food, scents, knick knacks, anything that helps me get into the feel of the setting, so it changes depending on what I’m working on. I also do large vision boards that hang over my desk.

 

How long have you been writing?

About 10 years.

 

How did you get started writing?

I started writing fan fiction online. I’ve always loved writing and reading. The thing I learned and the feedback I got in that arena helped give me the courage to push forward with my own novels.

 

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A bit of both. Some stories need a lot of very careful outlining, and some are much more seat of the pants. I try to outline everything, but after the first couple chapters my characters have generally run amuck with the plot. I do create and keep detailed story bibles for each project. It helps keep me moving in the right directing and it’s a quick reference guide for things.

 

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

Editing. Editing makes me want to spork myself in the eyeball.

 

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

I genuinely wish I had some great advice here, but I really don’t. When I get blocked I just shut down for a few days and try to relax and get out of the office. The more I try not to think about it, the more things tend to shake loose in my head.

 

Read anything good lately?

I just read Bad Romeo. It was amazing, truly. Not a genre I generally love, but it was just great.

 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I like to read, travel, bake, garden, shoot stuff. I just got an AR-15 for Christmas and I love target shooting with it.

 

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Don’t be afraid, but don’t be a dick either. I see most new authors and they tend to fall into one of two categories. Either they are meek and scared and can’t handle rejection/criticism, or they tend to be very haughty, self-important, rude people who think their book is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I feel like you need to be somewhere in the middle, confident but not arrogant.

 

Have you had anything else published?

I have several YA novels under another name. I wrote Chasing Daybreak (and the rest of the series) under the pen name Ranae Glass to keep it separate from my other novels, just because it is more mature and for an older audience. Plus Ranae is the mouthier, more kick ass side of myself. So she gets these books. J

 

What's your next project?

The follow up to Chasing Daybreak, Chasing Midnight, is releasing in April 2015. Right now I’m working on book 3 in that series, Chasing Dawn. Hopefully you won’t have to wait too long for that one.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 A southern girl at heart, Ranae loves feeding people, gardening, and sweet tea. She hails from Oklahoma and lives with her family out west. She is the author of the Dark of Night novels from Crimson Tree Publishing.





Chasing Daybreak (March 2015)
Chasing Midnight (April 2015)
Chasing Dawn (2016)
Chasing Nightfall (2017)




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