top of page
Speculative Fiction Author
CHRISTINE RAINS
Search
Sisters of the Pale Claw is Now in Paperback
Too bad we don't have any snow to take a picture in! Three sisters. Seven totems. One chance to save the world. It's taken a lot of work, but SISTERS OF THE PALE CLAW is finally available in paperback. I got my author's proof the other day, and I was so excited. It's a thick tome at 717 pages. Not one I could hold up with one hand and read. It's a two-hand job! It includes all nine novellas of the Totem series and bonus author's notes at the end of each novella. This is the
christinerainswrit
Mar 232 min read
Celebrating the Characters in TOTEM
While the setting, the myths, and the plot are vital to a good story, it's the characters that are most important to me. If there isn't good characterization, then the tale will hang limply even on other stronger elements. Well-written, relatable characters help draw the reader into the story and create emotional bonds. The point of view (POV) characters must fully engage the reader or they won't fully lose themselves the world you've created. The TOTEM series features the Do
christinerainswrit
Feb 233 min read
Celebrating the Settings in TOTEM
Image Credit: Alina Matveycheva on Pexels.com One of my favorite thing about writing and reading is going to places I've never been. TOTEM takes place all across Alaska. It's a gigantic state and most of it is wilderness. It has the highest number of missing persons, but most aren't investigated due to the extreme environment and lack of resources. (California has the highest number of open missing persons cases.) There's a lot of mystery about the US's last wild frontier. An
christinerainswrit
Feb 162 min read
Release Day for Sisters of the Pale Claw
Three sisters. Seven totems. One chance to save the world. Saskia, Kinley, and Ametta Dorn are polar bear shifters descended from an ancient bloodline where spirits, humans, and gods once shared the same breath. Together, the sisters run a home renovation business which specializes in the unique needs of supernatural folks. Their work keeps their community safe, hidden, and rooted in a land that remembers them. When Ametta becomes the target for a ruthless shifter hunter, h
christinerainswrit
Feb 132 min read
Celebrating TOTEM's Covers
Image credit: tran duy anh from Pexels.com I've changed the covers for the TOTEM books far more than any other books I've written. It's one of those things that I have so many ideas in my head, because so much is happening in the series. While it has driven me bonkers at times, I have learned a lot about Photoshop and what goes into making a cover that will hook a reader's attention. I've always liked urban fantasy and paranormal romance covers with people on them. The dynami
christinerainswrit
Feb 93 min read
Celebrating 10 Years of TOTEM
Image credit: Dan Parlante on Pexels.com Ten years ago, I published the first novella in my urban fantasy series, TOTEM. It's still the longest series I've written. I love the unique Inuit myths and lore that I wrapped my characters in, and I often long to return to that world. Yet too many new ideas occupy my muse. To celebrate my ten year book anniversary, I have compiled all nine novellas together into one massive collection. I'm releasing it not only in ebook format, but
christinerainswrit
Feb 22 min read
Celebrating TOTEM's New Covers
Three sisters. Seven totems. One chance to save the world. TOTEM series link here! I'm so excited to share with you all the new covers...
christinerainswrit
Mar 11, 20241 min read
Week of Love Freebies!
It's the week of love, and I want to share my appreciation with my fabulous readers. You're awesome! Thank you so much for supporting me...
christinerainswrit
Feb 13, 20231 min read
Celebrating start of spooky season!
Photo credit: Photorama at Pixabay.com It's my favorite time of the year: the start of spooky season! I am not a summer person at all. The heat does not agree with me, and the sun burns me within minutes after I go outside. Give me cool autumn breezes, cozy sweaters, and celebrating the weird. To welcome the new season, I'm offering a trio of books for free. It's the magic of three! FREE TODAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7th "A very enjoyable read for fans of fantasy and LitRPG. Highl
christinerainswrit
7 days ago1 min read
Review of Haunting Skies
Blurb: Earth has fallen to alien invaders, who abduct the last survivors for grotesque experiments. Their fatal mistake will be taking Elisa—a young girl possessed by Satan. Father Kang, the last surviving exorcist, has one insane plan: get Elisa aboard the mothership, strike a deal with the Devil, and turn Hell against the aliens. Claire and Derek are on the run with their daughter, Elisa—who carries a terrifying secret: she is possessed by Satan himself. Their only hope is
christinerainswrit
Aug 312 min read
Review of Corpse in the Crop Circle
Blurb: The truth is out there . . . along with a killer. When Thea Olson stumbles upon a murder in the middle of a crop circle, all eyes turn skyward. Rumors of UFOs, unexplained lights, and little green men spread through Why, North Dakota, faster than prairie wildfire. As suspicion falls on someone Thea knows, she's determined to uncover the truth. With help from her grandmother, library director Hudson Carter, and Edgar—the magical chameleon with a sarcastic streak—Thea di
christinerainswrit
Aug 242 min read
Review of The Lost Daughter of Sparta
Blurb: Helen of Troy. Clytemnestra. Timandra. Three sisters, infamously cursed by the goddess Aphrodite to betray their husbands, are known the world over. But few know about the fourth sister: Philonoe. Lost to historical record, ancient texts say she had a different fate than her sisters. But why and how did this happen? A magnificent hero's journey with a feminist twist, The Lost Daughter of Sparta fills in history's missing pieces with sparkling wit and pathos, thrilling
christinerainswrit
Aug 172 min read
Review of You Let Me In
Blurb: Cassandra Tipp is dead...or is she? After all, the notorious recluse and eccentric bestselling novelist has always been prone to flights of fancy--everyone in town remembers the shocking events leading up to Cassie's infamous trial (she may have been acquitted, but the insanity defense only stretches so far). Cassandra Tipp has left behind no body--just her massive fortune, and one final manuscript. Then again, there are enough bodies in her past--her husband Tommy Tip
christinerainswrit
Aug 102 min read
End of Summer Break Update
Image from chenspec on Pixabay.com It's been a while since I've said hello and checked in. I've been in that summer break haze. There was no vacation for us this year as we got a new roof, but my adventures consisted of teaching my son to drive and exploring the county with him. I have new inspiration for stories and several more gray hairs. Most of my writing energy goes to my pen name, Alora James. I've been writing a cozy contemporary romance and enjoying a northern Ontari
christinerainswrit
Aug 32 min read
Review of The Temptation of Charlotte North
Blurb: Be careful what you wish for. It might come true.... In 1910, on a small, remote island that boasts more sheep than people, life does not hold a lot of promise for spirited Charlotte North. Her only escape from both this insular community and a family who does not understand her seems to be through marriage—an institution she is not at all eager to join, given the unhappiness of her parents' own union. Plus, eligible suitors are few and far between, which is why Charlo
christinerainswrit
Jul 272 min read
Review of The Mapmaker
Blurb: Kidnapped as an infant, Aleeya has spent her life as a slave to the Temple of Nesha with her wings bound and spirit unbroken. Her mapmaking skills and the will of the gods have kept her relatively safe in this foreign city, but her luck runs out when her escape plans are revealed, prompting her master to sell her. Just before the sale is completed, slave smugglers kidnap Aleeya from the temple for reasons they refuse to share. They free her wings but deliver her into t
christinerainswrit
Jul 203 min read
Review of Heat Mountain
Blurb: Everyone knows that omegas can’t be doctors, not with the alpha-dominated medical establishment still stuck a hundred years in the past. So when she arrives in Heat Mountain for her month-long wilderness medicine fellowship, Holly plans to do the same thing she has always done…pretend to be a beta. Until her designation suppressing medication fails spectacularly and she ends up accidentally bonded to the hottest pack of alphas in town, one of whom also happens to be he
christinerainswrit
Jul 132 min read
Review of A Game of Cat and Witch
Blurb: Avery Alarch has always been the worst witch at Caerwyn University. Now she’s got twenty-four hours to conjure a familiar or get kicked out for good—a fate that means losing her magic forever and being stuck on a dreary island with nothing but regrets. Desperate times call for desperate spells. So when Avery stumbles on a forbidden grimoire, she decides to risk it all. One little summoning later, she’s expecting a cute magical cat. Instead? She gets Felix, a six-foot-s
christinerainswrit
Jul 63 min read
bottom of page