Interview with Nikki Rae, author of the ‘Sunshine’ series

Almost two weeks ago I read ‘Sunshine’ by Nikki Rae. I really loved that book and
fortunately for

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I always
really liked telling stories, but it took me a while to realize that I could
write them down (and tell them better if I actually wrote them down lol). I was
in high school when I started writing and college when I became more serious
about writing and getting others to read my work. Once people started reading
what I wrote and giving me their feedback, I was hooked.

Who inspired you to become a writer?

There are a lot of teachers and professors that inspire(d) me to be a writer,
but I think when it comes down to it, my Nana probably had a lot to do with why
I started telling stories in the first place. Anytime I went to her house I was
excited because she would always tell me stories and take me to the library and
read with me. I also think anyone who wants to read what I write is a huge
inspiration, obviously.  

What are your favorite books?

I have so many! I love The Tale of The Body Thief by Anne Rice, Coraline
by Neil Gaiman, and pretty much anything Augusten Burroughs writes. But I have
so many favorite books that it would be impossible to list them all.

What book are you reading right now?

Right now I’m reading In The Company of Animals by James Serpell, White Space
by Ilsa J Bick, and We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. All very different
from each other and all very, very good.

What did you like the most about writing your own book?

How much time do we have? 

Off the top of my head: creating my own world and my own characters,
creating books that people want to read and that people fall in love with as
much as I do, being in control of my creative career and actively doing
something to further my art, making connections with readers and those readers
sometimes becoming really good friends…it goes on and on. : )

How did you get the idea of writing ‘Sunshine’?

I wrote Sunshine after getting really bad sun poisoning one summer and
wondering what it would be like for a person if every time they went into the
sun something like that happened. A lot more went into it than that, but that
was the initial idea that spawned the entire series. 

Which character in ‘Sunshine’ do you like the most? And why?

Oh man. That’s like trying to pick your favorite pet or child. I like
them all (even the evil ones) for different reasons. But if I have to pick, I
guess I like Sophie’s brother, Jade the most. He’s just the best sibling anyone
can ask for and I’ve enjoyed watching him grow in all of the books alongside
the main characters.

Each chapter in ‘Sunshine’ begins with another quote. How did you come to
these quotes? And which quote is your favorite?

The quotes at the beginning are song lyrics. Music is
really important to the stories and the main character, so I thought including
quotes from songs that fit the chapters or the mood would add a little extra to
the books. 

My favorite one from Sunshine is probably the quote in
chapter 18: “How long to we have left before it’s midnight and you see that I
was never the right size”–The Dresden Dolls.

In ‘Sunshine’ Sophie said she always wanted to fly
like Peter Pan. What was your childhood ‘dream/wish’?

I had a lot. I wanted to be a Spice Girl, I wanted to be an archaeologist,
a cryptozoologist, a ballerina, a veterinarian…and I think there was a time I
wanted to be a vampire…like, most of fourth grade. lol.

In ‘Sunshine’ Myles tells Sophie he has been turned in 1609. If you could
time travel, to which year would you like to go and what would you be doing?

Oh wow. I really like time
periods like the Victorian era and the 20s, but I don’t think I’d want to time
travel there unless I was magically transformed into a man as well (whole
women’s rights thing and all that) But I think I’m going to be boring and want
to go back to to the 80s or late 70s. I’d just be listening to a lot of music and
wearing a lot of makeup and I’d have a mohawk for sure.

What are your future dreams in writing?

To continue writing books, to continue making connections, and just
learning and growing with everything I do.

What would your advice be for beginning writers?

I always say the same thing: If you feel like you need to write, you need to
write. Do it and make time for it because it’s important. Find other people who
are the same way and share ideas with them. Don’t forget that all writers (and
artists in general) are insecure, at least on some level. All of them. You can
do it if they can. : )

 

Nikki Rae
is a student and writer who lives in New Jersey. She is an independent author
and has

appeared numerously on Amazon Best Seller lists. She is the
author of The Sunshine Series and concentrates on making her imaginary
characters as real as possible. She writes mainly dark, scary, romantic tales,
but she’ll try anything once. When she is not writing, reading, or thinking,
you can find her spending time with animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying
people. Closely.

For more
information about Nikki Rae and the ‘Sunshine’ series you can visit
Goodreads, Twitter,
Facebook or Amazon. Or visit Nikki on her blog.