Introducing Ms. Rachael Tulipano

Rachael Tulipano is a native New Englander living in southern Maine. She is a fiction and content writer with a passion for authoring novels. Rachael graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a B.A. in Communication and minor in Sociology. Her love for creative writing and storytelling sharpened during her college studies, inspiring her to write novels.

Rachael’s finished works consist of the paranormal romance novels Torn

and Mated. Paired with her creative writing, Rachael also contributes editorial pieces to Elite Daily, GenTwenty, and The Niche Movement. Her articles capture the millennial experience and offer guidance to young professionals.

Ms. Tulipano is currently at work on her newest manuscript, Unwanted. .

Which authors have most inspired your love of writing?



Jodi Picoult has been my favorite author since I first started high school. I remember a friend introduced me to Picoult’s novels when I was a freshman. Ever since, I’ve been hooked! Picoult is an absolute wordsmith. In my opinion, every single story she writes is gold.

Picoult’s rotating first person perspectives inspired me to imitate her style in my own writing. It is because of Picoult’s structure that in my novels I use two or three rotating main characters, writing from their perspectives in each chapter, rather than using chapter headings. This style is so powerful because it allows the reader to transition between distinctly different character voices and to get into each character’s mind!



Another author who arguably inspired my writing is J.R. Ward. Ward is best known for her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, which is a very popular vampire collection.

I admire Ward’s strong character arcs and her spin on vampires bonding. In my novels Torn and Mated, I tried my own vampire bonding technique, which differs from Ward’s but was inspired by her all the same.

To this day, Picoult and Ward remain my favorite authors!

You have written for youth oriented blogs and magazines. As a recent college graduate, what impressions do you have about the millennial literary market?

This is an interesting question, because the reading habits of millennials appear to be all over the map! My first impression about the millennial literary market is that millennials read less than generations before. Many of my friends either don’t read at all or only read upon instruction, such as for school or work. It’s fascinating because the majority of my readers so far have been much older than me or ones I connected with through social media. Meaning, the majority of my readers right now are not people I went to school with or friends I grew up with. While these people do support my passion for writing, most of them don’t read books regularly.

I believe most of this is attributed to social media.

Millennials tend to spend most of their time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Any reading they do is typically in the form of online news articles or links their “friends” or “followers” share. Similarly, millennials are scanners. They usually absorb information very quickly by scanning a document, article, book, etc. while not reading with full, devoted attention.

Of course, these reading habits are not consistent across the grid. There are always exceptions, and I actually have met many people through social media who share my love of books. Many of my networks from Twitter who also love writing, love reading. It’s been fun to connect with new people on that platform to exchange favorite titles and support each other’s writing!

As for content in the millennial literary market, it’s difficult to say what millennials are reading. I know when I first graduated my big post-grad purchase was a bulk of “how to” guides. I read titles about how to get a job, how to transition into adulthood, how to know if graduate school is for you, etc. My reading interests didn’t drastically shift, but I would argue the content of literature I read now has widened a bit. I don’t only read Picoult or Ward. I’ve actually been spending some money on new authors to try out their titles and support debut writers.

Additionally, I’ve been making a point to support indie authors and help boost their exposure! I hope fellow millennials do the same, but unless someone enjoys reading it’s difficult to predict.

Can you address New Adult literature? Do you see growth in the future?

My understanding of New Adult (NA) literature is that it captures works that are considered older Young Adult (YA) but not completely Adult. NA is this somewhat new, blossoming market of writing that typically features protagonists in the 18—30 age bracket. I believe most (but certainly not all) of the content in NA lit is typically dark in subject matter.

When I initially began drafting my synopsis of my work-in-progress trilogy Unwanted, I was convinced I was writing YA lit for the first time. Yet, after a fellow author and writing coach read my work, she quickly pointed out my current project falls more into the NA genre. The protagonists are older than your typical YA main characters (mine are 18—20 whereas YA usually features adolescents) and the subject matter of my trilogy is rather dark.

I do see growth in this market. NA lit is bridging the gap between readers of YA and Adult lit. With hallmarks of the NA genre being first-person narratives, drama, and dark issues I believe there is ample room for growth in this market. Readers of newer generations tend to prefer first-person narratives, and I would also argue our tolerance for dark subject matter has grown over the years. With these ingredients, NA literature seems like the perfect recipe for readers!

What are your favorite literary genres and why?

In terms of preferred genres, I’ve always been a fan of romance and the sub-genre paranormal. I’m a romantic at heart. Growing up, I’ve always fallen for the cheesy romantic comedies in film and television. Similarly, once I became a teenager I was reading the likes of Catherine Clark,

Rachel Hawthorne, and related authors.

Their short romances were appropriate for junior high and high school readers and I swooned over them!

Paranormal has also been a layer of my media interests since early adolescence. I grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer with my mom, which was a gateway into other vampire franchises.

True Blood

Twilight, The Black Dagger Brotherhood and


Vampire Diaries are only a few of the paranormal romance books I have read over the years.

It’s difficult to pinpoint why these genres spoke and continue to speak to me so much. Frankly, I’m a sucker for romance, so anything with a love story is perfect for me. My interest in vampires and other paranormal creatures also stems from a place of appreciating fiction and myths. Putting these two genres together resulted in my first novels, Torn and Mated.

You write paranormal novels. What paranormal works have most impressed you? Why do you write in that category?

As aforementioned, I’m a huge fan of J.R. Ward’s The Black Dagger Brotherhood. This particular vampire series most impressd me because Ward is not only a polished writer, but also a mastermind. With over a dozen books in this series, Ward has an exceptional way of connecting the characters throughout each book. Even though most of the books focus on a few characters, each vampire in the brotherhood is mentioned throughout the entire series, allowing their character arcs to continue from novel to novel.

I find the planning in this absolutely epic!

Since I’ve appreciated vampires for most of my life, it seemed almost expected to write in the paranormal romance genre. I wanted to put my own twist on vampires and craft a unique love triangle that challenged trends in the media. Around the time I began writing Torn, it seemed to me that most love triangles featured one woman conflicted between two men (e.g. Vampire Diaries, This Means War, Twilight, etc.). I wanted to take the concept of a love triangle and shuffle the parts around a bit. This inspiration resulted in my novel Torn where the main character Landon Pratt is torn between two women: Bria Lawrence and Natalie Taylor.

Writing for this genre felt natural and exciting. I’m so glad I did!

Can you discuss your writing process?

When it comes to my writing process, I keep things a bit basic. I usually start with a concept and begin drafting the foundation of it. I brainstorm who my main characters are, what their motives are, the setting, the climax/main plot, and a tentative resolution. Sometimes the story changes once I actually begin writing, but it helps if I at least give myself a general structure to follow.

I really enjoy crafting character sketches. I begin with a name and then jot down their features: eye color, hair color, height, weight, strengths, weaknesses, etc. For my own enjoyment, I search celebrities or public figures online and take parts of their physical appearances so I can imagine my characters in my head. It's nice to have a visual!

From there, I draw my plot line. Physically mapping out the contents of my story helps me visualize the journey my characters will embark on. It's nice to use different colored pens to make the whole process fun!

After that, I turn to a blank page and begin writing! After all, what’s more inspiring to an author than a blank page?

As a self-published author, what advice do you have for a new writer breaking into the market?

When it comes to the various methods of publishing, I’m still a bit naïve. I’m learning the differences between traditional, independent, and self-publishing the more I research, explore the market, and network with other writers. I would say the best advice I can give a new writer breaking into the market would be know what your goals are early on.
If bestseller status is your objective, traditional publishing may be the best fit. Not all traditionally published authors become bestsellers, but having your books in bookstores, online, and marketed by agents will improve your chances. If you’re far more concerned with simply having your book out there, regardless of how well it sells, maybe self-publishing is the right way to go. For a fee, your book can be featured on Amazon in paperback or digitally for free.

All methods of publishing have their pros and cons, but you should have an idea of what you want. A great deal of your writing path depends on what you’re looking for. Even though I’d love to sell millions of copies of my books, I haven’t found an agent to represent me. I decided to self-publish Torn and Mated to launch my writing career and build a foundation. I may very well decide to query agents and attempt traditional publishing someday, but for now this is my path.

In short, new writers should really consider their goals. Find out what’s most important to you. If you absolutely love writing and can’t imagine doing anything else with your time, put words on paper and kickoff your writing career. Build a website, invest in business cards, become a social media guru, and network, network, network! Many things in life have everything to do with luck and timing, rather than talent. Even if today your writing doesn’t seem to be gaining traction, it doesn’t mean you’ll plateau forever. Believe in yourself and write everyday!

What can your fans expect to see from you in the future?

I’m so glad you asked, Francesca! In the future my fans can expect to see the Unwanted . trilogy debut. I recently completed a first draft of book one, Unwanted. While that’s in the hands of beta readers and editors, I plan to begin writing the sequel Untouchable and the final book, Underlying thereafter.

I’m super excited about this trilogy! It has elements of everything I love most in books: a love story, drama, betrayal, violence, family values, and more. I am hopeful this particular subject matter will entice new readers and generate more buzz about my writing and authorship!

Rachael loves connecting with fans and readers. Here are her links:

Website: www.rachaeltulipano.com

Newsletter: www.rachaeltulipano.com/newsletter

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachaeltulipano

Twitter: www.twitter.com/rachaeltulipano

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/rachaeltulipano

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/rachaeltulipano

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rachaeltulipano

Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_unwanted_trilogy[