Get to Know the Author: Rachel Rager

Today’s Get to Know the Author guest is romance author, Rachel Rager.

JDP: Welcome, Rachel! Did your mother read to you as a child?

Rachel: I'm sure that she did, though I don't remember. I remember reading to my sister (who until ten years ago, enjoyed reading lots more than me.) And I remember reading to my mom during the summers, because I was behind the class. So, I don't know if my memory is just really bad and I can't remember, or if she didn't do it much. I do remember my dad reading me the comics from the paper every Sunday when I was older!

JDP: That’s a fun memory to have of your dad! Do you remember a favorite book from your childhood?

Rachel: I don’t remember having a favorite book but I loved The Berenstain Bears! I still do!! In the sixth grade my teacher read us My Teacher Is An Alien by Bruce Coville and Mike Wimmer and I really liked that.

JDP: Name a favorite author as an adult.

Rachel: One of my favorite authors is Maria V. Snyder. She wrote the Study and Glass series beginning with Poison Study. Her story plots are intricate and fun! And I LOVE her hero! J I also love Marcia Lynn McClure. And as reading her books got me interested in writing, I am eternally indebted to her! Her book always have yummy kisses and are lots of fun!

JDP: Share a book you’ve read multiple times.

Rachel: Just about every book I own I have read more than once. I have a short memory, so I can reread things over and over, even if I know what happens. I always forget the details, so it’s like a new story every time!

JDP: Kindle, Nook, or good old hard copy?

Rachel: I prefer the good old hard copy. I just love holding the book!

JDP: Me, too. I bought a Kindle earlier this year, but still find myself choosing to read hard copies when I can. What’s your favorite place to read?

Rachel: I LOVE reading curled up on my couch. It’s leather and so comfortable. I don’t buy a couch unless it envelops me when I sit in it! But since I moved last year, my couch sits in front of the window, and it’s a little drafty so I prefer to read in my bed where its warm. But you can bet that come warmer weather, I’ll be back on my couch!

JDP: What are your three favorite reading genres.

Rachel: My first favorite is Romance! And I prefer all books with at least a little romance! I also like historical and recently have enjoyed a little fantasy too.

JDP: What’s the last book you read?

Rachel: The last book I read was The Rogue Knight by Marcia Lynn McClure.

JDP: What are you reading now?

Rachel: I’m reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas again! This is one of my favorites! And I’ve read it over and over! (It was the only book I read all the way through from sixth grade to graduation!)

JDP: Oh, I love Alexandre Dumas! Only my favorites are The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. I’ve read those so many times, I’ve lost count. LOL! What’s next on your reading list?

Rachel: Next, I’m hoping to get to The Pirate Ruse by Marcia Lynn McClure and the Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. They have been sitting on my shelf for a while now, waiting patiently for me to get to them.

JDP: What you would like to read more of? (author, genre, etc)

Rachel: I would really like to read Romantic Fantasy. I haven’t explored this genre much, but I’m intrigued by the idea!

JDP: Share a favorite book that you’ve read in the last 12 months

Rachel: Are you really going to make me pick just one?! I went to my Goodreads page (don't laugh) only to discover that I read close to sixty books last year! How can I pick just one?! So, since this is my interview, I’ll give you a couple of my favorites! (eye brows wiggling)

Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

The Countess Below Stair by Eva Ibbotson

These are some of my top picks. So if you want to see what else I read and loved, visit me on Goodreads!

JDP: That’s a great list, Rachel! I read The Scarlet Pimpernel last year and loved it, too. I really need to check out The Black Tulip, by Alexandre Dumas. Thanks for mentioning it! And thanks so much for visiting with us today.

More about Rachel! : Plunged into a musical family at birth, Rachel Rager was exposed to the excitement and magic of musical theater throughout her childhood. Starry-eyed, she attended college musical rehearsals with her pianist mother – imagining herself as the heroine in the spotlight – becoming a hopeless romantic from the start. Though Rachel’s own natural musical gifts motivated her through college and she now holds a vocal performance degree in operatic singing, she has loved writing sweet romance novels for over seven years. Creative writing has served as a beautiful escape from the emotional rigors of raising her family.

Rachel published her first novel, By Love or By Sea in April of 2009 and continues to write sweet romance novels. She currently lives in Provo, Utah with her handsome husband – the love of her life – where she enjoys curling up by a blazing fire with a good book, getting her own creative thoughts on paper, and singing until the coyotes start howling. She loves picnics in the park and being the mom to three future starlets. Learn more about Rachel on her website and blog.

Books by Rachel Rager:

By Love or By Sea (paperback and ebook)

The Tiger, Unleashed (ebook)

A Season For Love (ebook)

The Feather Kiss (ebook)

Wednesday Romances (ebook)

Summary of The Tiger, Unleashed: The year is 1878 and Violet Barnes has lived a normal life in her little sun-scorched California town. The daughter of the mayor, she struggles with the image people expect of her and how to deal with her betrothal to a man of her father’s choosing. When she meets a dark stranger, Blake Stanley, Violet’s need for adventure is fueled by his mysterious existence. Even when his past criminal record is revealed, she longs for the safety she feels when he is near. Discovering that he was accused of killing her brother, her faith in his innocence wavers. Still, her heart speaks to her of a love that can only be born in the heavens and she decides that she will always love him, regardless of his past. To save her love, Violet must prove Blake’s innocence before the real criminal discovers the truth about Blake and kills them both.

The Tiger, Unleashed is a story of heartache, betrayal, and love; a love that can endure the feuds of family and the laws of the state. Through faith and trust, this novel illustrates the trials the heart must endure when faced with incredible odds.