Rachel Francis is from the Midwest and has written Life on Fire. She writes in the Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Romance genres.
From Life on Fire:
"I wish I felt strong," said Anna.
"Strength is not winning, it's choosing to fight." Cyrus bowed and left her. Anna shut her eyes and listened to the waves, a natural metronome to match her breathing.
A summary of Life on Fire from the author is as follows: Anna grew up in the peace of Caroline, a small East coast town barely warranting its own school district. When that serenity is shattered by murder, no one feels safe. One, two, three attacks and no end in sight, Anna falls into a deep depression, spurred onward by the sudden departure of her best friend.
It’s then she notices the strangers around town. Anna enters a world of magic when she comes face to face with two of the newcomers, leaving her changed forever. Saving her hometown may be second only to keeping a centuries-old war from boiling over.
Francis decides to write from a variety of sources. "There are many subjects and values that appeal to me, but over time a few have stuck with me, ending up in my stories. I generate material from my dreams, real life (gasp!), and the media I enjoy."
She was inspires as a child to write her novels. "When I was growing up, my mind was shaped by the stories I read. I want to pass on my journey to others."
Her book cover designs are a creation from "Myself and my partner. He can draw, I can't."
She identifies her challenges in writing quite readily. "I find it challenging to catch the slow moments of a story. When I start a first draft, I try to get all the action down, but sometimes I miss that the action might change due to a reflective moment."
Francis is not compelled to select a favorite author. When asked who, she replies, "At the moment, no one. Weird for an author huh? My opinions on good writing have changed since last I could drown in narrative. My children are just old enough now that reading doesn't frustrate me anymore because of constant interruption. Right now I am devouring books to find a better footing. But Jane Austen takes the cake for story." She feels the same for new authors.
Like me, I think new authors need more exposure. Short answer-not yet."
Some authors have influenced Francis' work. "Holly Lisle has influenced my work through her fabulous writing courses. Jane Austen and Robert Zelazny shaped how I think about character development."
Music is inspiring, particularly in creating a mood in writing. "It's not a particular musician so much as a song lyric that encompasses the perfect feeling I'm trying to get across. For example, when writing Life on Fire, I listened to the Kings of Leon's "Sex on Fire" when I wrote romantic scenes.
Francis' fans will be interested to know that "I am a huge dork. All of my writing comes straight from the heart of nerdom. I own more versions of Pokemon than anyone should admit to, I Dungeon Master (systems that I developed), I love Naruto, and dragons are my favorite mythical creature, thank you, Anne McCaffrey."
You can find Rachel Francis promoting on Twitter (@RachelFrancis22) "and my blog (www.rnfrancis.blogspot.com) gets the most quantifiable traffic."
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