Author Jennifer Rainey stops by to
chat about her latest book, The
Beldam’s Eye, a story filled with powerful ghosts, a whacky paranormal
investigation team, and a cursed pocket watch. She also opens up about what
makes her such a big nerd, what are some of her favorite things to collect,
what superhero would she switch places with and where she would go to conduct
her own paranormal investigation if she could go on a mission with her two
leads, Ras and Yeats.
Annabell: As well know, here at
TeamNerd Reviews, we are very open about our nerd-like tendencies. What are
some qualities you possess that would qualify you as a nerd?
Jennifer Rainey: Wow, where do I even begin? I am not only an
avid reader of fantasy and supernatural lit, I am obsessed with the television
show, Supernatural. Like, I’m one of those creepy fans you want to avoid who
has seen all the episodes and quotes them and makes strange jokes about the
show. I’m also a serious lit nerd. I get unreasonably excited about classic
literature and also about classic cinema.
Annabell: What five words would you
use to describe yourself?
Jennifer Rainey: Eccentric, creative, dorky, optimistic,
friendly.
Annabell: Do you have an obsession
or collect anything nerd-like? (i.e. pens, erasers, stamps, action figures,
anime figures, colorful socks)
Jennifer Rainey: I used to have an immense button collection! I
had Beatles buttons, Rolling Stones buttons, Tim Burton buttons, Doctor Who
buttons, Tarantino buttons, funny buttons, political buttons… I don’t add to it
so much anymore because I can’t wear them to work, but I’ll occasionally still
pick one or two up. My favorite is an old Grouch Marx button.
Annabell: If you would build your
own library what would it look like? What would be your favorite genre that you
just couldn’t live without?
Jennifer Rainey: Have you ever seen Beauty and the Beast? That
library that the Beast opens up for Belle? That’s what I want! It’s freaking
enormous! And I couldn’t live without my fantasy or my classic lit.
Annabell: If you could switch places
with any superhero and become them, who would you choose and why? Would you
change the type of powers you have in any way? What would your superhero outfit
look like?
Jennifer Rainey: Probably Thor. He’s awesome, and he’s got that
god thing going on. Not only that, he has those long, flowing locks. I’d want
my outfit to look the same as his, too. I don’t need it to be all sexified. I
want protection, not a short skirt and high boots!
Annabell: What is your favorite part
about writing a book? What is your least favorite part?
Jennifer Rainey: I love dialogue. It’s absolutely my favorite
thing in the world to write, and I hate, hate, HATE action scenes.
Annabell: Moving on to your book, Beldam’s Eye, what attracted
you to writing a story centered around not just ghosts but a curse? Where did
the idea for plot come off to begin with?
Jennifer Rainey: The curse idea actually came before the ghost
idea. Initially, the book was about a cursed object, but it was never actually
said whether the object was really cursed or if it was in everyone’s head. (Fun
fact: The Beldam’s Eye, which is a pocket watch, of course, was originally a
ring. But I think that was a little too Lord of the Rings.) I chose to focus on
a curse because I liked the idea that the curse would not only bring the
characters crashing into each other, but also completely tear them apart.
Annabell: Where Yeats is the more
laid back and sarcastic one, Ras carries himself with logic and reason even
though they happen to own a paranormal investigation team. Where did the idea
for these two best friends come off? Which one did you find yourself relating
to more while you were writing?
Jennifer Rainey: Ras was one of the earliest characters to
develop, and I wanted him to be a sort of updated version of your Dr.
Frankenstein or Dr. Jekyll, someone who is so obsessed with his field of study
that it (nearly) destroys him. So, from there, I needed someone to be the foil
to Ras. Yeats is very, very central Ohio. He’s a man who keeps his emotions
hidden, he’s gritty, he’s set in his ways. He’s the perfect opposite of Ras. I
tend to relate to Ras more, though.
Annabell: Aletheia is sweet and
sassy and also happens to be a ghost, a water spirit at that. Angus Heyer is
cooky, rude and speaks his mind. He also happens to be a fire spirit. Why did
you decide to attach some of the ghosts to elemental gifts?
Jennifer Rainey: The way I see it is your personality helps
determine which element features in your existence as a spirit. The elemental
thing is going to have a huge role to play in later books, so I don’t want to
give away too much!
Annabell: The pocket watch which
acts as the cover to Beldam’s
Eye, plays a very intricate role in what happens in the case Ras decides to
take on for a particularly pain in the butt ghost, much against Yeats wishes.
How did you come about deciding the type of curse that was attached to the
pocket watch?
Jennifer Rainey: The Beldam’s Eye supposedly gives the owner whatever they desire,
but in return, it pretty much steals their soul. That’s what the lore is. I
chose that curse because it could get inside anyone’s head. Everyone has
something they desire, everyone has a weakness. So even someone as mentally and
morally sound as Ras thinks he is could fall victim to The Beldam’s Eye.
Annabell: The setting of the book
takes place in Ohio. I would presume it’s because you live in Ohio and attended
the University of Ohio that you chose the state as the backdrop. What are some
of your favorite places to hang on in? Are any places mentioned in the book
real places located in Ohio or inspired from real places there?
Jennifer Rainey: My favorite places to go at Ohio State were
always the book store and the library. Surprise, surprise, haha! Everywhere
that’s mentioned at Ohio State in The
Beldam’s Eye is real,
including the haunted Orton Hall. It is supposedly haunted by Mr. Orton, too.
Also, the Hocking Hills is a real place in Ohio, and everything I describe in
The Hills scenes is real; Big Pine Road, the old white church, all the crows
hanging around! I made sure that everything was accurate. Bedbury is not
technically a real town, but it was based heavily on the town next to mine.
Annabell: Ras has a STRONG obsession
for coffee and his coffee maker. What’s something you just HAVE to have or
could never part with?
Jennifer Rainey: Bread. Carbs. I am a fairly healthy person. I
weigh a hundred pounds at five foot three. However, I will never, ever give up
bread. Never. I’d go psycho if I did, haha!
Annabell: Beldam’s Eye has the type of ending where the story
does wrap up but leaves room for an opening to a sequel. Will there be a
sequel? If yes, will there be a way for Ras and Yeats to destroy the curse?
Will readers get to see more of Aletheia’s gifts?
Jennifer Rainey: There are actually going to be four books in the
series! The second one is written, but unedited for now and the third one is
half-written. I won’t give away what happens concerning the curse of The Eye,
but I will say that Aletheia has a HUGE part to play in the rest of the story.
Annabell: If you could go out on a
paranormal investigation mission with Yeats and Ras, where would you want
to go and why, what would you guys eat for dinner and who would do the cooking,
and what would you do if Yeats attempting setting you up on a date with Ras?
Jennifer Rainey: I would want to investigate the Jennie Wade
House in Gettysburg because I had the most incredible paranormal experiences
there this summer, so incredible that I actually dedicated The Beldam’s Eye To Jennie. Then we could eat
dinner at Dobbin House, which is a fabulous restaurant just down the street
from the Jennie Wade House. And as far as dating Ras… I am currently in a
relationship with a wonderful guy, but if I was not, I might take Yeats up on
it; I’ve always had a soft spot for Ras.
Annabell: Big thank you to the
beautiful Jennifer Rainey for taking the time out of her busy schedule to do
the fun interview!
Read my review on The Beldam’s Eye (The Beldam
Series #1): One of my favorite aspects of the plot was the element of the curse
attached to the pocket watch and how it connected to the spirit world. The
pocket watch has the ability to grant the owner who puts the pieces together
any and every desire he or she may think of but there some nasty consequences
once the owner dies. The Beldam’s Eye explores how
the pocket watch came to be, how Angus Heyer ended up attached to it after
death, and why it’s cursed.
Discover the
Cast of the Beldam's Eye
Author Bio: Jennifer
Rainey was raised by wolves who later sold her to gypsies. She then joined the
circus at the age of ten. There, she was the flower girl in the famed Bearded
Bride of Beverly Hills show until the act was discontinued (it was discovered
that the bearded lady was actually a man). From there, she wandered around the
country selling novelty trucker hats with vaguely amusing sayings printed on
front. Somehow, she made enough money to go to The Ohio State University for a
major in English.
Where to
Find the Author:
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