Raine Thomas's Blog: Write as Raine, page 33

New Short Story and Four Months of Thanks

Four months ago almost to the day, I sat in front of the computer with my husband. We had just spent two months preparing the Daughters of Saraqael trilogy for publication. After trudging down the long road of traditional publishing, attempting and failing to catch the attention of literary agents, I had decided to take [...]

First Time in Paperback! The Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy

I'm pretty sure that every author longs for the day when they get to hold their own books in their hands. Most of us grew up as avid readers, scouring bookstores and libraries to enjoy books written by others. That love of the written word is what drives most of us to pen our own [...]

Introducing: Raine Gives Back

Giving back. It's something that was impressed upon me from an early age. I was a Girl Scout (shocking, I know) and remember working at a food pantry with my troop, serving food to kids my age. One of my college professors ran a homeless shelter and told us heartbreaking stories about the people he [...]

Getting into the Mood

I love Halloween. There's something about a holiday that's meant to scare the bejeezus out of you that appeals to me. Kind of makes me wonder why I don't write horror rather than YA fantasy/romance…but I digress. I remember when I was a child, walking around the Chicago suburb where I grew up with my [...]

Inspired: Where Art and the Written Word Unite

When I first envisioned my author website, I knew I wanted it to be visually interesting. I'm not the most artistic person in the world, but I appreciate clean lines and cool features on websites. I wanted a site that people would navigate and find different things to engage them on every page. Which brings [...]

Teaser Tuesday: Introducing the Firstborn Trilogy

I'm very happy to share the news that I'm just a few pages away from finishing the first draft of book one of the much-awaited Firstborn Trilogy! Although I had hoped to finish it a few weeks ago, life intervened. It's awfully hard to write when in the midst of a move (trust me on [...]

Celebrating the Unsung Heroes in our Lives

Here we are, the day after the tenth anniversary of terrible events that shook the world. I found myself wondering all weekend whether I should join others in writing something to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. Instead, I've decided to write about a topic that ultimately helped me and many others get through that dark [...]

September Will Never be the Same for Me Again

My brother Kevin loved baseball. All three of my brothers played the sport throughout their childhoods, but Kevin was the one who pursued it all the way through college, pitching for the Auburn Tigers from 1997 to 2000, until his elbow was so injured that he couldn't play anymore. He went with me to many [...]

Foretold (Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy Book Three)

Any writer who says that all character types are easy to write is either remarkably gifted or sadly clueless. We all have our strengths. I think it's only logical that the closer a character is to a writer's true personality, the easier and more realistically the character develops. Which brings me to Skye. She's effervescent, [...]

Central (Daughters of Saraqael Trilogy Book Two)

Writers and readers alike grow attached to characters in books. Rarely do I read the last word of a great story without feeling like I'm saying goodbye to a dear friend. Indeed, many FAQ's on authors' websites relate to favorite characters and when they might make another appearance. So when I finished Becoming and started [...]