Title: Saving Rain
Genre: Romance
Page Count: 364
Published: January 31st 2013 by Authorhouse
Book Description: Raina has tried to forget her past, forget the pain, but when she finds herself staring straight into the fury blazing in her ex-boyfriend's eyes, her dark past comes rushing back. Furious with herself for actually having chosen someone like her father, she uses that anger to her advantage and fights for her life...and for her future that she prays will involve the man she can't seem to get out of her head. Kas is a natural leader, a fierce fighter, the type of man you send in when you need to get the job done. He is a courageous hero who is used to risking his own life to save others, but can he save the one who has captured his heart from her horrific past and the men who are hell-bent on destroying her? As Kas and Raina try to navigate through the twists and turns of a deviously intelligent human trafficking group, they find solace in each other's arms. Can they infiltrate the trafficker's tight ring, saving the innocent lives from imminent danger before it's too late?
Saving Rain is intended for readers 18 and older.
Saving Rain is intended for readers 18 and older.
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Genre: Romance
Page Count: 236
Published: August 29th 2013 by Authorhouse
Book Description: Shattered when Raina runs after his marriage proposal, Kas is hell-bent to find her and bring her home, where she belongs. He will bend every law necessary to do so, willing to do anything to protect Raina from her demons and the men who haunt her, going as far as placing his career and life on the line to save hers. Raina will give up everything she has worked so hard to achieve, even flee the country to keep Kas from the wrath and powerful reach of her abusive father.
In the midst of the FBI team closing in on the Ghost, another ghost from Raina's past taunts her, promising that she will be his. Meanwhile, a different trafficking ring is gaining strength in New Jersey. Michael solicits Raina's help, needing her smooth, sultry voice to win the audition for the new singer in the ring leader's swanky night club. Raina knows her life is in jeopardy with the dangers of being undercover, but she is blindsided when she discovers that it's her heart that is threatened with a mortal blow.
Raina tries to heal from the nightmares of her dark past as the grisly bodies of innocent victims surface when the team gets closer to discovering the identity of the man responsible for the infuriatingly clever and powerful slavery ring. When Raina finally comes face to face with the Ghost, he quickly engulfs her in a twisted game of cat and mouse, delivering a veiled threat as he slips through her fingers. As the ghosts of her past and present ensnare her in their deadly web, Raina realizes the danger has just begun.
In the midst of the FBI team closing in on the Ghost, another ghost from Raina's past taunts her, promising that she will be his. Meanwhile, a different trafficking ring is gaining strength in New Jersey. Michael solicits Raina's help, needing her smooth, sultry voice to win the audition for the new singer in the ring leader's swanky night club. Raina knows her life is in jeopardy with the dangers of being undercover, but she is blindsided when she discovers that it's her heart that is threatened with a mortal blow.
Raina tries to heal from the nightmares of her dark past as the grisly bodies of innocent victims surface when the team gets closer to discovering the identity of the man responsible for the infuriatingly clever and powerful slavery ring. When Raina finally comes face to face with the Ghost, he quickly engulfs her in a twisted game of cat and mouse, delivering a veiled threat as he slips through her fingers. As the ghosts of her past and present ensnare her in their deadly web, Raina realizes the danger has just begun.
Get your copy! Amazon Barnes & Noble
Q & A with Karen-Anne Stewart
Q: Tell us a little bit about your main characters, Raina and Kas.
A: Raina is not your typical female character in novels, she is somewhat of a paradox, very strong and courageous but yet so innocent and gentle. Raina had a horrific childhood filled with abuse and bitter loneliness. She was also abused by the hands of two other men, which left her leery of trusting another man. Instead of drowning her pain in detrimental ways, Raina threw herself into her school work, learning different languages and becoming an expert with technology. Despite what she has suffered, she has the kindest heart.
Kas is not your typical alpha male hero, although he is one hot savior! Being the lead agent with the FBI Human Trafficking Task Force, he is used to putting his life on the line to save others. Kas rescues Raina from her ex-boyfriend during a vicious attack and moves her in with him to care for her. Kas is a true gentleman, fiercely protective and a bit overwhelming at times. Used to being in complete control, Kas struggles with Raina's fiery independence, which creates a very interesting chemistry!
Q: Did you know you were going to be writing a trilogy when you first started Saving Rain, or how did the story unfold for you? How did you know when the story was finished?
A: I actually originally intended for Saving Rain to be a stand alone novel. That idea quickly was tossed out the window when I began writing. I couldn't compress the powerful love between Kas and Raina into a single novel. Once I realized that Saving Rain was going to be the first novel of The Rain Trilogy, I was kinda all over the place with writing. I had parts of After the Rain, the final novel in The Rain Trilogy, completed while I was still writing Saving Rain. I actually had the epilogue of After the Rain finished while I was working on Healing Rain, the second novel.
Q: What do you see as influences on your writing?
A: I was read to from a very young age. I truly feel this played an important factor in my loving to read and, eventually, loving to write. Music is a HUGE inspiration to me as well. You will very rarely find me writing without listening to music. My favorite bands to listen to while writing The Rain Trilogy were Matchbox Twenty, Hinder, Daughtry, and Nickelback. Ordinary, everyday experiences have also helped to spark an idea. You never know when something will happen that starts those creative juices flowing.
Q: Your books deal with the very sensitive subject of abuse and human trafficking. What kind of research did you need to do in order to make your story come to life?
A: I have some experience working with survivors of domestic violence. Their courage is astounding. The research on human trafficking is vastly daunting and heartbreaking. There are many, many forms of trafficking, and sex slavery is one of them. I tried to be sensitive in how I wrote about the abuse and the trafficking. Without knowing specific cases of trafficking, I created the story more around general information gathered. The statistics of children being sold/subjected to human trafficking is staggering. I strongly encourage the readers to do their own research as well. The Polaris Project and the United Nations Global Initiative are great websites to check out on this subject.
Q: As a new author, what do you see as the biggest challenge for indie authors and what have you been doing to overcome that?
A: Wow, that's a large question. Not only am I a new writer, I'm new at Twitter, Google Plus, author pages, and my website. I have to say that I am really enjoying Twitter. The creation of the website reduced me to tears, chocolate, and wine, so I passed that project on to a friend who helped me tremendously! The hardest task for a new indie author, at least for me, is trying to get your book out there to readers. I had zero marketing with Saving Rain and will have limited marketing with Healing Rain, so I was very much flying solo with promoting the novel. With that said, I want to add that the camaraderie between other authors and the wonderful bloggers has been amazing. I have been humbled by the support I have received from authors, reviewers, and bloggers who have posted Saving Rain on their sites and given advice. I am extremely grateful for their support and for the readers support as well.
Q: What do you do to unwind and relax?
A: Writing relaxes me. I can have the absolute worst day, but when I go home to write, I can create whatever day I want in my story. Experiencing different emotions can be beneficial, too. If I'm cranky, I'll write an argument scene or a fight scene, and that makes me feel better, it's very therapeutic! I am blessed to have a wonderful family and great friends who are very supportive. Music also relaxes me and helps get my head where it needs to be.
Q: Hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A: I am in love with my Kindle! Having the ability to take that amazing piece of equipment with me and have so many different books to read at my fingertips excites me to no end. My mother swears she will never own a Nook or Kindle, she much prefers the feel of a physical book in her hand. I do love bookstores though, I pray they are around forever. The feeling of being in a bookstore, picking up books to look at their covers and read the back, is a favorite pastime of mine.
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Control by M.C. Lavocat. I'm only about a chapter in, but I can already tell that I'm going to love the banter between the characters.
Q: What do you do to unwind and relax?
A: Writing relaxes me. I can have the absolute worst day, but when I go home to write, I can create whatever day I want in my story. Experiencing different emotions can be beneficial, too. If I'm cranky, I'll write an argument scene or a fight scene, and that makes me feel better, it's very therapeutic! I am blessed to have a wonderful family and great friends who are very supportive. Music also relaxes me and helps get my head where it needs to be.
Q: Hard/paperbacks or ebooks?
A: I am in love with my Kindle! Having the ability to take that amazing piece of equipment with me and have so many different books to read at my fingertips excites me to no end. My mother swears she will never own a Nook or Kindle, she much prefers the feel of a physical book in her hand. I do love bookstores though, I pray they are around forever. The feeling of being in a bookstore, picking up books to look at their covers and read the back, is a favorite pastime of mine.
Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Control by M.C. Lavocat. I'm only about a chapter in, but I can already tell that I'm going to love the banter between the characters.
About the author: Karen-Anne Stewart lives in the mountains with her family, including her two dogs and cat. When she is not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and traveling. Karen-Anne is the author of Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy and Healing Rain: The Second Novel in The Rain Trilogy. Writing has become her addiction, and she looks forward to creating stories for years to come. Contact info:
website: http://www.karen-annestewart.com/
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Anne-Stewart-Author/113779785477987
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SKarenAnne
This sounds like a really good series. I haven't heard of it before. Added to the ever-growing TBR list. :)
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