Jan 15, 2014

Author Spotlight: Raine Thomas

Welcome to 2014, everyone! I hope you had a fantastic New Years and are as eager for this year as I am. I am so excited to start this year off with a bang and I'm so glad Raine Thomas has joined me! For those who don't know, Raine is the author of The Daughters of Saraqael Series [2011] and more recently For Everly [2013] and Meant for Her [2013]. If you haven't heard of her or her books, you're in luck! After you get done with the awesome guest post and this or that segment, we have a fantastic giveaway for you!


The official stuff:

Raine Thomas is the author of the exciting and original series of YA fantasy/romance novels about the Estilorian plane. She became truly passionate about writing when one of her stories took an Honorable Mention in a fourth-grade writing competition (who would have thought a story about a dancing spider would garner so much attention?). Carrying that passion with her, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English with a focus in Creative Writing from Georgia State University, then her master’s degree in Humanities from Central Michigan University.
Residing in Orlando, Florida, Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning…two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create young protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. When she isn’t writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida’s beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

The unofficial stuff:

Fave Authors:
Amanda Hocking, Amanda Quick, Cassandra Clare, Catherine Coulter, Charlaine Harris, Clive Cussler, Dave Berry, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allen Poe, J.D. Robb, J.K. Rowling, J.R. Ward, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jacquelyn Frank, James Patterson, James Thurber, Jayne Ann Krentz, John Grisham, John Locke, Julie Garwood, Kathy Reichs, Lee Child, Lewis Grizzard, Madeline L’Engle, Margaret Mallory, Mary Higgins Clark, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Nathaniel Hawthorn, Nora Roberts, Patricia Cornwell, Sidney Sheldon, Stephen King, Stephenie Meyer, Tess Gerritsen, Thomas Harris, Walt Whitman, William Shakespeare

Fave Movies:
Bad Boys, The Bone Collector, The Dark Knight, Die Hard, Enchanted, Ever After: A Cinderella Story, Field of Dreams, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Goonies, Happy Gilmore, the Harry Potter series, The Incredibles, Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda (1 & 2), The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Legally Blonde, Love Actually, Major League, The Matrix, The Mummy, Never Been Kissed, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pitch Black, The Princess Bride, The Replacements, Scream, Shrek, Speed, Tangled, Toy Story trilogy, Transformers, Tremors

Fave TV Shows:
Ace of Cakes, American Idol, Bones, Destination Truth, Dirty Jobs, Eureka, Firefly, Food Network Challenge, Fringe, Ghost Hunters, House, Modern Family, Mythbusters, The Soup, True Blood, Warehouse 13, Wipeout

Things to smile about:
Atlanta Braves, beach sunrises (and sunsets), a child’s laugh, cool autumn breezes, favorite songs on the radio, freshly ground coffee, games with the family, Hugh Laurie, inside jokes, Joel McHale, Johnny Depp, lemon drop martinis, NFL football, rainy days with a good book, Reese’s Pieces, the Stanley Cup playoffs, Tim Hudson, walk-off homeruns, the World Series.





Discuss your film option for The Daughters of Saraqael Series! How it happened, who you are hoping to play the characters, etc.



Last April, I arranged to visit my old stomping grounds of Newnan, Georgia (a suburb about 30 miles south of Atlanta). I lived in Newnan for a number of years, and loved the city so much that I featured it in some of my Estilorian books, the Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy and the Firstborn Trilogy. My goal for that April visit was to raise funds and awareness for a family friend who had been diagnosed with cancer. Little did I know what else would result from the trip.


On my itinerary were a couple of events, including a speaking engagement at the Coweta County Library and a book signing at the Newnan Barnes and Noble. I asked a local contact to reach out to the folks at Newnan High School to see if we could possibly promote the fact that I would be at these events, in case some of the students wanted to attend. The moment the high school knew I would be there and that their school is mentioned in Becoming, they asked me to come out to speak at their literacy night, which just happened to be while I was in town. I quite happily said yes.


It was a great experience. The students were polite and attentive. The teachers and faculty treated me like a rock star (seriously…I was blown away!), and I met a fellow author named Mike Ottensmeyer. Mike writes biographical fiction, so we had a lot of different things to chat about as we spoke to the students. I left the school that day feeling blessed to have met so many great people, but I didn’t think anything more about it.


Not even two weeks later, Mike contacted me to let me know that he had mentioned my books to a producer named Chase Chenowith with Back Fence Productions. Mr. Chenowith is a multiple award-winning producer with many years of experience working in Hollywood. He also has ties to Coweta County, and he was very interested when he heard about the Estilorian books.


After some in-depth discussions and a brief delay due to Mr. Chenowith filming over the summer, the Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy was optioned to Back Fence Productions in early November. To say I’m excited would be a HUGE understatement! There are many steps to the process of turning books into films, though, and it all takes time, so I need to hold onto my patience and just enjoy each moment of this process. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime!

As for who I’d like to play the characters in the films, I would honestly prefer that up-and-coming actors win the roles. It would really mean a lot to me if I helped launch the careers of people who, like me, have a dream and are doing what they can to reach it. I had help getting where I am today, and I’d love to pay that forward!






Physical Book or eBook? 
On the beach, I want my paperbacks. Otherwise, I LOVE my Kindle!


Paranormal or Contemporary? 
I read and write both.  


Fallen Angels or Vampires? 
Vampires.


Hardcover or paperback? 
Paperback.


Cake or Pie? 
Pie (especially cherry).


Spring or Fall? 
Fall.


Solo book signings or Group book signings? 
Group…so much fun!


Daughters of Saraqael or Firstborns? 
Oh, this is just mean! LOL They’re all my children…you simply can’t expect me to answer. *ignores Zachariah’s pointed stare*




I will give a copy of the entire Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy in e-format.


You have until January 31 at 11:59 PM EST to enter to win.

 


1 comment:

  1. Thanks for having me on the blog, Ashley!

    ReplyDelete

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