Erin Rainwater is a Pennsylvania native who says she probably should have been born in the 19th century but somehow got flash-forwarded into the 20th. There was never any question that she would be a nurse when she grew up, regardless of which century she was in. Serving as an Army nurse during the Vietnam War era, some of her military experiences have made their way onto the pages of her novels. Erin now lives in Colorado with her husband of 35 years, has four children and the four most adorable grandchildren on the planet.
Her two historical novels are set in her favorite time period in American history, the mid-nineteenth century. True Colors takes place in Virginia during the Civil War. The Arrow That Flieth By Day (the title is taken from Psalm 91) is set in post-Civil War Colorado. Her novella, Refining Fires, takes place in the late 1950s, and is the story of a disfigured Korean War veteran and the nurse who must care for him. It is scheduled for a June, 2010 release from Torn Veil Books.
And now, it's time to Take 5 with Erin Rainwater
Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
A: No. I always wanted to be a nurse. My desire to be a writer came later, when I was in my thirties. But when it came, it gripped me. My passion has always been for American history, so naturally I write historical fiction. My nursing experiences, especially in the military, have contributed greatly to creating dynamic characters and dramatic stories.
Q: How does your faith impact your writing?
A: I hold to a Biblical worldview, and I write from the same. Not every character is Christian, of course, and the ones who are don't always act like good Christians. But buried within an entertaining story, amid the action, the drama, the suspense and the love stories, are Christian values and take-away messages. They are shown, not told. And both of my novels are dedicated To Him. I think every future one will be as well. If I'm going to dedicate the books to God, I want them to glorify Him and please Him.
Q: Scenario: You're about to be dropped off on a deserted island. You can take along one survival item, one book, and one person (living or dead… but they'll be alive on the island). What and who do you take?
A: I think of how the fellas on the road to Emmaus learned so much just by walking with Jesus for a couple of hours. And how Mary of Bethany learned so much from His visits to her home that she chose sitting at his feet over her household responsibilities. Imagine being on a deserted island with Him, and the deep understanding of the Bible one could learn from the Author Himself. So I'd choose Jesus and the Bible. And with Him there, I suppose I wouldn't need a Swiss Army knife for survival!
Q: What's the one far out sci-fi technology you'd most like to see become a household item?
A: The Replicator on the later Star Trek TV shows. No more cooking ever again!
Q: Have you been happy with your decision to self-publish?
A: I really am. Despite the fact I've missed out on the credibility that comes with traditional publishing, and the stigma still attached to POD (Print on Demand) works, I can honestly say I am happy with the way things have turned out. I receive my validation from the Lord, from readers' and reviewers' comments, and from the awards I've won. The hardest part is the amount of promoting and marketing I've had to do, but it's a fact that publishing houses' promotional efforts have grown less and less, too, and authors are asked to do more shameless self-promoting than ever before. It has been quite out-of-the-box for me, but I can also see how it's been to my benefit. I also like the way I had control over the content, could help design my own covers, and still retain ALL the rights. The books never go out of print, and with the publisher I chose, royalties are paid monthly rather than two or four times a year. This isn't to say I'm against traditional publishing, of course. My novella, Refining Fires, is being published by Torn Veil Books, a new Canadian publisher, next June. They are small and starting out, so all of my previous marketing experience will come in handy, I'm sure.
Read more Take 5 Interviews with other Christian authors
Read more Story Behind the Story articles
Comments