Dina Rae has written seven novels. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside of Dallas. She is a Christian, avid tennis player, movie buff, teacher, and self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories. She has been interviewed numerous times on blogs, newspapers, and syndicated radio programs. She enjoys reading about history, religion, UFOs, New World Order, government conspiracies, political intrigue, and other cultures. The Sequel, Volume 2 of The Best Seller series, will soon be released by Solstice Publishing.
Talking with Dina Rae
Sci-Fi & Scary: What got you interested in becoming a writer?
Dina Rae: I teach English and reading to special ed. high students. Fiction is one of my passions. Writing a book was something I envisioned for myself once retired, and then I got laid-off. One book turned into two, three, and now seven. I found another teaching position, but keep on writing. I love it.
Sci-Fi & Scary: What’s your support system like?
Dina Rae: My husband and children are wonderful. They are my cheerleaders, sounding boards, and idea people.
Sci-Fi & Scary: How many of your book ideas come from dreams/nightmares?
Dina Rae: Great question. Once entrenched in a novel, I dream of the characters and the story line towards the end. It’s like a movie that I must finish.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Who are your biggest literary influences?
Dina Rae: I love so many writers, hmmmm….. Dan Brown, Stephen King, Jim Marrs, Brad Thor, George Orwell, Joel Rosenberg, and Suzanne Collins are just a few. I love to read and force myself to read new authors as well as best-selling ones.
Sci-Fi & Scary: What’s your favorite science fiction book and movie?
Dina Rae: I love conspiracy, so I would have to say Angels and Demons, and more recently, The Circle for the books. Both are not exactly sci-fi, but love them because of the conspiracy angel. I also love the classics such as Brave New World and Frankenstein. My favorite sci-fi movies are Gattaca, Minority Report, The Matrix, and Total Recall. They all have something much deeper going on and make you think of where the world is headed.
Sci-Fi & Scary: How long does it generally take you from the time you put the first words on paper to finishing the final draft of a project?
Dina Rae: My writing goes very slow at the beginning, but then it picks up at lightning speed. I work full-time so a full novel takes me nine or ten months. If I didn’t work, I could probably write one in four or five months.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Tell us about that gorgeous dog in your Goodreads profile pic!
Dina Rae: I have two dogs who both have been in my author pics. My newest pooch, Cassiopeia, is three-quarters Anatolian Shepherd and one quarter Great Pyrenees. She is in my most recent author pic. My other dog, Calpurnia, is a designer breed called a Native American Indian dog (NAID). I love dogs. If it wasn’t for my husband, I’d have at least five of them! Love the big ones especially.
Sci-Fi & Scary: How much of you is in The Best Seller’s main character, Maya Smock?
Dina Rae: Not too much. I had a rough childhood, but nothing like her. She is very naive in the beginning of the story. I was also naive in my younger days. Time and pain smarten you up.
Sci-Fi & Scary: What was the hardest part of writing The Best Seller?
Dina Rae: I didn’t want it to end. I wrote The Sequel, the book’s sequel, which concludes the series.
Sci-Fi & Scary: What research did you do in preparation for writing The Best Seller?
Dina Rae: I did a ton of research, starting with genes, genetic therapy, cloning, test-tube birth, CRISPR, Nazis, Roswell, the U.S. Air Force, constellations, automatic writing, and much more. My favorite part of the writing process is the research. I love learning about new things.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Did the story-line for The Best Seller change at all when you started writing it? (I’ve often heard authors say stories have a life of their own.)
Dina Rae: Yes, a zillion times! The characters had other plans for the plot and I liked their ideas better. I am not much of a planner.
Sci-Fi & Scary: Does religion play any role in The Best Seller?
Dina Rae: Another great question! I do not beat my readers down with religion. I am a believer in Christ. God is of course brought up in the book, but only in brief moments of dialogue amongst the characters. So many people believe that you have to pick sides-God or aliens. The Catholic Church invested millions/maybe billions in an observatory-why? They got to know we are not the only ones out there. The book’s main theme is not religion or even politics. It’s conspiracy-the world’s inner circle is hiding alien life from all of us. It is a fun story that entertains and teaches the reader something new.
The Best Seller Synopsis:
When Maya Smock writes her first novel, everything seems to go her way. Her book practically writes itself. She marries her gorgeous agent. Her name is on all of the best seller lists. Billionaire author Jay McCallister takes an interest in her meteoric rise to fame and invites her into his world of alien-believing celebrities. Her life changes forever when he tells her that they were both created inside of a laboratory. These authors are embedding an alien genetic code within the pages of their novels that originated from Nazi Germany because…
The time has come. They are here.
Purchase on Amazon.
The Sequel (Volume 2 of 2 of The Best Seller Series) Coming out this summer.
Maya Smock gets inside of a time capsule and travels back to 1944 Germany. A Nazi doctor forces her to meet his superiors, proving to them all that his invention works. Hitler studies Maya like a laboratory rat at his Eagle’s Nest and then introduces her to the Reptilians. She plummets deep into the hollow earth. Will she ever get home? Only Maya’s next novel can show her friends how to get her back.
As Operation Chrome expands, General Andreas steals more babies. He believes that he is saving them from an extraterrestrial agenda connected with World War II. The hybrid babies have grown.
They are here. They will take what is theirs.
Author Contact Info:
@haloofthedamned
Blog: www.dinaraeswritestuff.blogspot.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/DinaRaeBooks?ref_type=bookmark
Trailers:
The Best Seller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQER8wJmaf8
The Last Degree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkbg6Yy8UKU
Halo of the Damned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p89LXZNxOs
I really like the idea of ‘extra’ information being encoded in a book. It sounds like a very interesting concept.
Doesn’t that plot sound fascinating and original! I’ve enjoyed several books by Dina and this was no exception. Dine, if you are reading this, I do have a review coming soon!
Thanks so much, Laura!