Author Spotlight - Charles Raines
Charles Raines is an author of M/M fiction. Expect a maze of mystery, a sprinkling of suspense, a rush of romance, and taste of erotica.
Website: http://charlesraines.weebly.com/home.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strangerintranslation
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRainesAuthor
YouTube: http://bit.ly/1REiQbw
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CharlesRaines
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Raines
Author Questions
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Why do you write?
It’s my way of being creative.
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When did you start writing?
About 7 years ago. My husband and I used to run a small hotel. Boredom at the Reception desk led to a written commentary of the comings and goings of the guests. Before I knew it, my notes had the makings of a story. Names and locations were changed, the plot was embellished, and soon a frivolous, idle pastime turned into a serious obsession.
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What genre(s) do you write?
I write M/M fiction with a maze of mystery, a sprinkling of suspense, a rush of romance, and taste of erotica. I detest being boxed into one specific MM genre or sub-genre: i.e., romance or mystery or erotica. I like to vary what I write. Each novel is different. I don’t stick to rules or recipes. And my stories are set in Europe to offer a different location to the norm.
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What does your writing routine consist of?
I need peace and quiet when I write. If I am distracted, I sometimes lose the flow. I’m not an author who writes every day. There’s no regular pattern or schedule. I’ve got to be in the right frame of mind and have the time. We live in an old Victorian house and the back lounge which looks out onto the garden doubles as my ‘office’. I work best in the mornings and tend to edit what I’ve written in the afternoons..
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What do you feel are your strengths as a writer? How have you developed these qualities?
Language is in my blood. I have a European background. My mother was German and my father came from Cornwall, a beautiful county in the south-west of England. I grew up in both countries and attended an English Grammar School from the age of 11 before going on to study Modern Languages at university. I’ve also lived in Paris and continue to spend as much time as I can in the south of France. Montpellier is my favourite place.
Being a linguist, I place huge importance on the use, value, and power of words. Reviewers have said I have a unique literary style. I like my prose to flow, to be almost lyrical, even poetic if I can manage it. -
Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?
I’d like to know the answer to that myself! Most of the time, I don’t know what is going to happen until I write it. I usually start with a vague idea for a plot, throw in some characters, add an exotic or erotic location, and take it from there. I have notes everywhere, even on the fridge. And I’m not very popular when I switch on the light in the middle of the night to use my Dictaphone (!) or jot down ideas which have just popped into my head.
I have a lurid imagination and love nothing more than to sit on the terraces of coffee shops, especially abroad, have an Espresso or two and people-watch. I suppose every writer uses his or her experience of life for inspiration, subconsciously or otherwise. I’m no different. And now I expect you are all wondering which scenes in my stories are born from reality…. But that would be telling! -
Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?
My ability to write depends on my mood. I am a visual writer. I have to be able to see the scene I’m writing. It’s rather like narrating a silent movie going on in my head and fleshing it out it with dialogue, emotion, and atmosphere. If I can’t see it, I can’t write it.
I do get writer’s block if my muse deserts me, the characters won’t play, or the words won’t come. And I also get times when the juices flow and I’m obsessed with writing. The first five thousand of words of ‘Stranger In Translation’ were reeled off in one session. And they needed very little editing. I suppose I was ‘in the zone’. But that doesn’t always happen. Every writer struggles at times. I’m no exception.
I’m a bit of a perfectionist as far as style is concerned. I have been known to spend over two hours on a five line paragraph until I was satisfied the right words had been used in the right way to bring what was going on in my imagination to life. -
Tell us about your latest book.
Stranger in Translation, 'Un étranger en transition', has just been published in French with Juno Publishing. As most of my stories are set in the south of France, I am extremely excited about this. I hope French readers will identify with a MM novel set in their own country, reflecting their own culture. Publication date is January 8th. This will be my first book in 2016. It’s available for Kindle and Kobo readers and a paperback edition will follow shortly.
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Indie publishing or traditional publishing - and why?
I am an Indie publisher. I tried the traditional route, but felt I wanted more control over the whole process. Indie publishing has been far more successful for me.
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Any other projects in the pipeline?
I have two works in progress. They are both MM fiction. One is a thriller in its very early stages, the other is already 15k long and ties in with a novel I wrote under another pseudonym. I’m just trying to decide whether to continue with either or both of them or start something completely fresh.
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What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?
Style is important to me. I strive to produce work that could hold its own as a piece of literature, not just a story. I love to make sentences sing if I can, and that’s not always easy if I’m not in the right frame of mind.
Mystery, suspense, mood and atmosphere are key features in my novels, whether they are erotic or romantic. I like to create an ambiance, build up anticipation, offer readers the opportunity to involve themselves and share emotions as they picture and interpret, embellish and unravel what is happening.
Nuance and undertone create personal pathways when reading. A guilty glance, a whispered insinuation, a hovering shadow or an ambiguous reference can often shift emphasis in a plot and express more than an entire section of dialogue or paragraph of description.
Taking part in the story is fun. It’s individual and intimate. We all see things from different perspectives, like, dislike, or identify with different characters. So, everybody’s experience will be different, rather like looking at a painting or watching a film.
The best compliment a writer can have is a reader who 'lives' the story. I’m proud to say reviewers have often said this about my work!
Newest Publication
Novel's in Raines’ Repertoire
An opinionated young linguist signs a six month contract to translate a ‘Bestseller’ from English into French, on the condition that he can do the job in France. He has nothing but contempt for the book’s author, hates the dull, routine work he has to do, and despises the banality of his own life. Something is missing. Hesitant and frustrated, his ambivalent sexual desires are untapped, but always bubbling below the surface. Feeling like an outsider, the only way to cope is to find a distraction, try to blend in, and strive to fully embrace the French way of life.
The local cemetery offers shelter and serenity, and the backstreets of Marseilles offer danger and excitement. Balancing the two, he meets a succession of men and has a series of erotic encounters which gradually mould him into exactly the man he secretly always wanted to be. View the Excerpt Alp's Review Buy from Amazon Also available at: Amazon UK and Amazon CA. |
Changing circumstances swiftly mould student, Marc Moreau, into a young man immersed in lies, intrigue, and deception.
Obliged to take on a restaurant job in Marseilles and share an apartment with a woman in an old convent, he suspects he can trust no-one. Love and commitment are luxuries he cannot afford. Flirtatious by nature, and drawn towards danger and diversion, he has a taste for temptation. Engaging in meaningless physical encounters to satisfy his lust soon becomes convenient and habitual. Yet his life is complicated and unfulfilled. And when two contrasting men cross his path offering far more than he can accept or return, Marc finds himself not only in personal turmoil, but also in an emotional dilemma only he can resolve. View the Excerpt Alp's Review Buy from Amazon Also available at Amazon UK and Amazon CA. |
Ballet is in the blood of the Riche family. It is their passion and their livelihood. After the death of his father, duty dictates that only son, Charles, who has no flair for business or ballet, has little option but to support his doting mother and overbearing spinster aunt in their quest to steer the failing dance troupe back to success.
But, mesmerized by a street musician, Charles yearns for another life filled with love and romance. And when he unwittingly becomes involved with a charismatic principal dancer and a devious Italian waiter, his world tumbles into turmoil, dredging up physical and emotional scars best left buried. With intrigue, blackmail, and events from the past threatening to plunge the family’s reputation into jeopardy and ruin his own chance of happiness, Charles finds solace and hope in the man with the mandolin. Sometimes dreams do come true. And maybe his will too. View the Excerpt Alp's Review Buy from Amazon Also available from Amazon UK, Amazon CA, and Amazon AU. |
As a tired train trundles through post-war Germany, a motley bunch of travellers huddle in a cramped third class compartment.
Realising life will never be the same again, resentment breeds when a British soldier joins them for the ride. Flanked by a male civilian who urges caution, a German sailor takes it upon himself to show open hostility. Taking stock of each other throughout the journey, the three young men aggravate and intimidate. Soon there is a score to settle. But intuition tells them they all have something in common. And the only way to resolve their differences is to follow their instincts. View the Excerpt Alp's Review Buy from Amazon Also available at Amazon UK and Amazon CA. |