How long have you been writing for?
I have been writing for many years, but only recently published my first full length novel, Devil She Became in September 2015. Devil She Became is an edge of your seat erotic thriller and the first book in the Devil’s Angels series. The sequel, Ava will be released in late November/early December. Ava has a lot more psychological horror, but plenty of graphic violence and erotic scenes.
My second book, Josie is a horror short story and the first in the Deadly Wives Club series. Josie was released on September 30, 2015. The second book in the Deadly Wives Club series, Heather will be released on October 20th.
How many rejections did you receive before you first became published and
how did you stay motivated?
I can’t really count how many rejections I have had! All good writers get rejected at some point, and it does hurt. Eventually, if you are persistent someone does find you and all your hard work comes to light! I stay motivated by realizing that if this doesn’t work it’s back to accounting for me (no fun), so I try and work as hard as I can to continue to write (which I love).
Favorite Author and book when you were a child?
I had many favorite books growing up. VC Andrews, John Saul, Stephen King, and Anne Rice all wrote great books I adored. In particular, Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind by VC Andrews were terrific books. I also loved Suffer the Children by John Saul, Misery by Stephen King and The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. There are so many wonderful books I have read in my life I simply couldn’t list them all!
What music do you listen to when you write?
Easy question! I love Marilyn Manson! I listen to a lot of Marilyn when I write. I also like Cradle of Filth, Rob Zombie, pretty much most metal bands such as Rammstein, 80s hair metal like Ratt and Poison. I like some older stuff like Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd. I also like newer stuff like Eminem, Miley Cyrus, and some hip hop and rap like Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. I like a lot of music when I write!
Favorite book released in the last year?
I probably don’t have a favorite book released in the last year although I have read a lot. Some of my favorite books are The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver was amazing! I also like Clive Barker as well.
Favorite quote from a book that is not your own?
My favorite quote from a book is more difficult to pinpoint. “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti” is a favorite from Silence of the Lambs.
Favorite quote from one of your own works?
My favorite quote from own book is easier! “Tell me, why do you look for a spider in light? Don’t you know we prefer dark little corners, tight spaces?” That’s from Ava Cavatica, the villain in Devil She Became
Advice for new writers who are struggling with character creation?
My advice to other writers is simple. Just WRITE. Think of characters you love from TV shows or movies or books. Think about what makes them stand out. I used a lot of inspiration from Hannibal Lecter to create Ava Cavatica. Be controversial. If it stirs people up, it will sell. Don’t be afraid to create really obscene dark characters. That’s what sells. People remember what terrifies them. Pinhead, Hannibal Lecter, Freddy Krueger, Jason, Michael Myers-these characters are quite memorable for being larger than life and horrifying.
E-Reader or Physical copy?
Currently my books are only offered as Ebooks but I do plan to start making print copies in a month or so.
What first inspired you to become a writer?
As cliché as it sounds, my mother first inspired me to write as she was a writer of children’ books. I just started writing when I was 9 and have kept at it ever since.
Autumn has two books out right now;
Devil She Became which you can buy here
Josie which you can buy here
You can find more info about Autumn Raynne at her personal website and interact with her on twitter
You can find some of her work on Mr.Blackthorne