Featured Interview With E.M. Rinaldi
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was raised in Pembroke Pines, FL where I loved to write stories, even as a child. I was a champion in marital arts and I have a second degree black belt in Taekwondo which means I can’t write a single story without a main character that kicks ass. I had over 32 pets as a child and was/is obsessed with animals. I now currently live in Charlotte, NC with my husband and our dog and tortoise (My husband won’t let me have has many pets). I also have a full time job as a radiologic technologist, which means I take x-rays. I get a lot of injury/gruesome ideas from my job.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve always loved to write, since as far back as I can remember. I used to write on a computer program, Storybook Weaver, that let you create covers and pictures to go with the paragraphs you put under it. My parents kept a folder of all the stories I put together and its truly horrific. They should burn them. I’d like to think I’ve grown as an author. I always knew I wanted to be an author and as a child I told people I that when I died, I wanted to be buried in a solid gold casket with all my books. As for reading, I have a library. A legit, wall to wall, library. So there’s that.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Everything I write is YA with some element of magic. I LOVE reading books in this genre and as such, love to write in it. When I was in my 8th grade summer, my family moved from South Florida to Asheville, North Carolina. I was pissed to say the least and the next two years of my life were really hard for me. In FL I’d grown up and gone to school with the same people since kindergarten. When my family forced me to move, I knew no one and it was hard for me to find where I fit in. What kept me sane was reading. As an author, I want to be that haven for someone else who’s going through a rough time. It was in those years that I discovered my favorite authors: Jennifer Armentrout, Tamora Pierce, Maria V. Snyder, and Sara J. Maas. I will literally read anything they write, ever; even if it’s on a piece of toilet paper. Their books continue to inspire me to this day.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
I’m currently working on book 3 of my series, The Cross Chronicles. The story is based around a teen Witch named Casey. She lives in a world where the witches are trained to be the guardians, or police if you will. They have control over the four elements; water, fire, earth, and air. But Casey has no power, and because of this she is bullied and ridiculed. Her life has not been an easy one, still isn’t, but I love that she’s come out stronger because of it. She has a few trusted friends that go along with her as she’s thrust into a prophecy that foretells of another war between the races. Casey doesn’t know who to trust or what to do. People are after her, she’s been hurt, friends and loved ones have died, but still she fights. Her goal is to save her world and her people, but fate isn’t going to make it easy for her. It took me three years to write book one (partially because I was a full time student while writing it) and with each book I finish I only fall more in love with this world. The characters are real and they don’t shy away from their feelings. Real shit (pardon my french) happens to them, and they learn and grow from these experiences much like you or I would in similar situations. I don’t like stories where the main character is special because she just is. I like when they are special or badass because they work there asses off, because they transform before our very eyes through dedication and hard work. There friends shape them, their life experiences help to make them who they are. They are real, fleshed-out people that you can relate to. And I think that makes the story even more real for those that read it.
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