Rae Davies

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Let’s Get to Know Rae Davies

There are lots of great authors out there writing in many genres. In today’s publishing world, authors often (usually) have to take the lead in marketing and publicizing their work.  And so, in the spirit of collaboration, I’m inviting authors to share a bit of their writing lives here.

Whether these authors are old friends or new to you, I hope you’ll check out their work, click on their links, and share your thoughts about their books.  This week, we’ll hear from mystery author Rae Davies. Let’s get to know her!

You’ve written in quite a few genres in your career.  Tell us a bit about that experience, and how it shaped your writing today.

Rae Davies, Author

Rae Davies, Author with Despereaux and Nigel

I started in mystery and light, as in funny. That book was Loose Screw. While I was still shopping it, I started Love is All Around, my first romantic comedy. I sold that book very quickly which put me on a romance path and took me away from mysteries for quite some time.

Unfortunately, after two books it appeared light wasn’t selling. So I had rethink my career. Returning to  mysteries would have required a huge shift—finding  a new agent, leaving behind many contacts I’d made in the romance world, etc. So I went in another direction. I tried light paranormal, but that seemed a dead end for me. Then I went dark and sold to Harlequin’s Nocturne line. I wrote a number of books for them. I also wrote two urban fantasy novels which were published by Pocket Books. Those were also dark, but had shades of humor I think.

When authors discovered we could self-publish, do it well, find readers and pay our bills, I was there. I started with a vampire short story, but soon decided to go back to my very first book, Loose Screw and I’m glad I did. Writing the books make me happy and I love knowing the readers who “get” my books are happy too.

You and I share a common writing ground—the Ozarks.  Which books use that setting?

I’m from the Ozarks and I am very proud of my heritage. My romantic comedies are set in the Missouri Ozarks. The people in Love is All Around and Love is All You Need are based on people I knew, many of whom I’m related to.

Your Dusty Deals mystery series features an amateur sleuth with a gorgeous Malamute.  Tell us about them.

My main character, Lucy, lives in an old Montana mining community/ghost town that only has 20 year-round residents. She lives in an old log house bordered by National Forest with her Alaskan Malamute, Kiska.

I believe characters should love something so intensely they would do anything for that thing, person or place. Kiska is that for Lucy. Lucy’s a bit goofy, dives in to things headfirst, and is a little insecure, especially about her weight. Still, she is a good soul and I enjoy spending time with her and the quirky characters that surround her.

RaeDavies_LetLoose800

Where can readers find excerpts of your books?

I have an excerpt of my newest book, Let Loose, on my website.  And you can download a free sample of my books from any of the ebook retailers.

 What’s next in the Dusty Deals series?

I’m working on a novella right now set around Valentine’s Day. I’ve had readers ask for more time with Lucy and her cowboy detective boyfriend. In this novella the two of them, with Kiska, head out for a Valentine’s mystery weekend.

 

Thanks for reading. Now that you’ve had a chance to get to know this author, connect with her! Find her on Facebook and follow her on Pinterest  and Twitter. Plus: check out her Amazon Author Page and her Twitter Paper for Cozy Mysteries.

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Get to Know …

My recent adventure in blog-hopping introduced me to an eclectic group of writers, each with their own view of the creative process.  If you’d like to backtrack through the hop, you can meet C.A. Newsome,  Anna J. McIntyre, Susan Haught, Eden Baylee, Corrie Fischer, and Christy English.

Continuing in the spirit of the hop, I’m inviting authors to share a bit about their writing lives here. You may already know some of these authors, while others might be new to you. And, like the blog hop, you’ll see a mix of writing styles and themes in the “Get to Know…” conversations. My first guest is the author Mike Faricy, who writes crime fiction. Let’s get to know him!

How did you come to the writing life?

Mike Faricy AuthorFrom the time I was a little boy I’ve written stories. I was on the school paper and yearbook staff as a kid. When my children were young I’d write the first chapter of some future work of genius then put it aside for a while, write another first chapter, put it aside. After doing this for twenty-plus years I finally decided to either get serious or stop wasting paper.

A friend set up a lunch for me with William Kent Krueger, a local highly successful author. I knew without a doubt this was my ticket to the big leagues and showed him my manuscript. He laughed and told me that every writer has at least one project they keep hidden in a box under their bed. An inauspicious beginning if ever there was one! But he did encourage me to continue writing and make the next work better than the one I’d just completed. Probably some of the best advice I’ve gotten.

Some reviewers suggest your work is reminiscent of pulp fiction detectives. Another described your main character as “a ne’er-do-well detective.” What sort of character is he?

Last Shot by Mike FaricyDev Haskell is the sort of guy (or gal) we all knew in high school, he’s a little different. You wonder whatever became of him, but you also have enough sense to keep him at a distance. He’s not fighting terrorists or solving some major banking conspiracy. He’s not stopping some government coup. Instead, Dev deals with the social pool that lingers somewhere below polite society. The trouble these people find themselves in is due to their own bad decisions. But then, bad decisions make for interesting tales.

In addition to the Dev Haskell series, you have several stand-alone novels published. Of all your books, which is your favorite, and why?

My favorite is whichever book I’m working on. I just become totally absorbed. The relationships, clues, plot lines, character details. Does the person walk with a limp, or have a dog? All those intricacies take over completely. Once that book is finished, published, I’m onto the next project. If my manuscript is finished on Friday, Monday morning I’m writing page one of whatever the next work is.

What’s next for your readers?

Dev Haskell is back in Ting-A-Ling, due out later this month. You can keep up with Dev online at , and find news about all my work at Mike Faricy Books.

 

My thanks to Mike for giving us a chance to get to know him. Next week, I’ll interview Rae Davies, a fellow dog lover who writes mystery fiction. Please drop by and get to know this author!