Interview with J.R. Rain, author of Fantasy Thriller 'Moon River'

J.R. Rain is an ex-private investigator now writing full-time in the Pacific Northwest where he lives in a small house on a small island with his small dog, Sadie, who has more energy than Robin Williams.  He will be publishing a slew of new novels over the next five years, so stop by often and check out what’s new.

His latest book is the contemporary fantasy/mystery, Moon River.

Visit his website at www.jrrain.com.

Connect & Socialize with J.R.!

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About the Book:

Seven years ago federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire.

Now in MOON RIVER, private investigator, Samantha Moon, is asked to look into a string of bizarre murders, murders that are looking more and more like the handiwork of a bloodthirsty vampire. But when her sister, Mary Lou, goes missing, Samantha, Allison and Kingsley take the fight underground...into the dark heart of a vampire's lair.

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.

TWL: Welcome to The Writer’s Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process.  Can we begin by having you take us to the beginning?

J.R. RAIN: I’ll take you wherever you want to go!

TWL: Where did you come up with the idea to write your book?

JR: Moon River is the 8^th novel in my “Vampire for Hire” series. Many of the side plots are on-going. For me, the challenge is always to come up with an original mystery that I think is a challenge for me (and my characters) to solve, but also forwards the entire drama. In this case, my editor, Eve Paludan, suggested the title (Moon River). Well, this series is typically set in southern California, which isn’t exactly known for its rivers. And so I pulled out a map and found a river that ran along one side of Griffith Park, a river that now looks more like a wide ditch. Well, not too long ago, it had been a river...and my slightly twisted mind took over from there...and I found the mystery I was looking for.

TWL: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

JR: My books are short. In this case, Moon River is just over 45,000 words, which is about 210 published pages. I keep the books short for a number of reason. The most prevalent is that I like short books. I like a fast, funny, action-packed read, filled with characters I can relate to. I try to do that with my own books. Whether I succeed or not, I don’t know. I have now published over 60 books, and so I sort of have the process down; at least, what works for me. Consider creating a series character that you care about, a character whose occupation lends itself to many adventures.

TWL: Who is your publisher and how did you find them or did you self-publish?

JR: I have two traditional publishers: BenBella Books and Thomas & Mercer. Both have been wonderful to work with. But you wanna know a secret? I prefer to self publish. I love having total control over my books, from the original ideas, to the editing, to the cover design, to the formatting, to the release dates, and finally to the marketing. Plus, when I do it myself, I don’t have to deal with so many emails and conference calls! Both publishers found me through the modest success of my ebooks.

TWL: Can you describe the feeling when you saw your published book for the first time? Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?

JR: My first book was published (under a different name and title) back in 2006. This was through a mid-sized publisher that had limited distribution. Still, the greatest surprise was the total and complete joy I had holding my book in my hands. I swear I think I slept with it under my pillow, too. I just couldn’t take my eyes off it.

TWL: What other books (if any) are you working on and when will they be published?

JR: I have a new book, called Silent Echo, due out in December from Thomas & Mercer. This new book just might be my new favorite novel. It features a private eye dying of a rare disease, who takes on his last case, a case that only he can solve. This was a tough book to write, but I wanted the challenge of dealing with imminent death...from the eyes of my main character.

TWL: Fun question: How does your book contribute to making this world a better place?

JR: I love that question! In all my books these days, I try to ask big questions, and I don’t shy away from the answers. Wrong or right, I have my characters seek the answers.

TWL: Finally, what message (if any) are you trying to get across with your book?

JR: In the “Vampire for Hire” series, which features a mother, private investigator, and, yes, vampire, my goal is always to show that there is a purpose to this life, that there is a reason for why things happen, even if we can’t make sense of them now. There is a reason, for instance, why Samantha Moon’s life got turned upside down, and why she lost so much. Much of the book is her search for those answers.

TWL: Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

JR: Thank you so much for having me! It was a pleasure. Such great questions! Much love!