Rhiannon Frater Author Interview ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Rhiannon Frater

Rhiannon Fraterwas born and raised a Texan. Though she has lived in various towns all over the state, she finally settled in Austin, Texas where she met her husband and worked as a governmental consultant.

During her travels for her job, she was inspired to write the story of two women fleeing into the Texas Hill Country in an attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse. Originally published as a serial online under the title As The World Dies, she later self-published the series in three novels to satisfy the many fans of the story. The first novel in the series, The First Days, won the 2008 Dead Letter Award for Best Book (Fiction). The second book, Fighting To Survive won the 2009 Dead Letter Award in the same category.

The As The World Dies books were purchased by Tor in 2010.The first book, The First Days, was released in July 2011 and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The second, Fighting To Survive, was released on November 8, 2011. The third book, Siege, was released in April 2012.

She is also the author of over a dozen independent works such as The Last Bastion Of The Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog). Her next novel for Tor, Dead Spots, will be published in 2014.

Rhiannon continues to live in Austin, Texas with her husband and is now a full-time writer.

She is represented by Hannah Brown Gordon of the Foundry Literary + Media and Brandy Rivers of Gersh Agency.

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (February 24, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765337150
ISBN-13: 978-0765337153

Praise for DEAD SPOTS

“Intensely compelling…outstanding.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review on The First Days

“An addictive read, full of well-crafted characters and some truly heart-stopping imagery. Keep the tissues handy--Frater knows how to pluck the heartstrings.” ―Library Journal on Siege

Was there a defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer?
From the very moment I had awareness of what a book was, I wanted to be a writer. I never wanted to be anything else.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Well, stories are a way of escape from the difficulties of life, but they’re also a way to deal with difficult themes. The written word is definitely a much safer way to deal with our fears of death, abandonment, loss, and failure. By gazing through the eyes of the character, we can journey with them as they deal with terrible situations, but we’re still safely on the other side of the written word.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
Jane Eyre is perfection. It is my all-time favorite book. It’s probably the book that influenced me the most while growing up. The character of Jane is beautifully complicated and strong. I adore her. Since I rarely read in my own genre, I would definitely say Jane Eyre across the board.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
It wasn’t anything that was actually said, but how a certain author carries himself. Jonathan Maberry is such a kind, considerate, and encouraging person in real life that I came away from my interaction with him determined to follow in his footsteps. This business is rough. It can rip at you and leave you shredded. Yet, I know I’m blessed to be able to do what I love. So I try to concentrate on the positive and give that back to the readers and other writers.

In your new book; Dead Spots, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it and why they should read your novel?
It’s so hard to condense a book into a few words!

Dead Spots is a supernatural horror novel in the tradition of Silent Hill and is about one woman’s journey through a world shaped by her nightmares. If you enjoy stories of the supernatural and people overcoming adversity, this one is for you!

For those who are unfamiliar with Mackenzie, how would you introduce her?
Mackenzie’s in her mid-twenties and thought she had found her path in life. When she loses both her child and marriage, she finds herself back at square one. We’ve all faced those moments where we have to start over, but for Mackenzie it’s very difficult because of her past. Strangely, when she finally is forced to confront her worst fears in the nightmare world, that’s when she discovers who she really is at her core and how strong she truly is.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I honestly don’t know. They all exist in different universes. I guess the only possible crossover would be in Dead Spots, since it’s the nightmare realm. I suppose Katie from The First Days would be a solid crossover. She’d be very encouraging to Mackenzie. Katie likes to save people.

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?
I honestly can’t think of one. I always try to be truthful.

What's the most memorable summer job you've ever had?
I was a camp counselor to seven-year-old girls. It was very hard work, but also a lot of fun. Also, seven-year-old girls are absolutely insane. They’re like mini-teenagers.

When was the last time you cried?
I cry all the time. Over everything. Even commercials. I cry when happy, sad, angry, or just because my dog looks cute.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before?
I would never give up the time I’m spending with my husband. One day one of us will continue on our life journey alone (unless the Grim Reaper decides to take us out together), so heart break is inevitable. If I’m the first to go, my heart will break to leave him behind. So, I’d definitely prefer true love.

And…I’m crying!

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?
Probably the 1990’s. But somewhere where the goth scene was huge. I’d love to go back to my early days in that scene.

In the dead spots, dreams become reality, terror knows your name, and nightmares can kill you.

The stillbirth of Mackenzie's son destroyed her marriage. Grieving, Mac reluctantly heads for her childhood home to seek refuge with her mother, who constantly reminds her of life's dangers.

Driving across Texas, Mac swerves to avoid hitting a deer...and winds up in a dead spot, a frightening place that lies between the worlds of the living and the dead. If they can control their imaginations, people can literally bring their dreams to life—but most are beseiged by fears and nightmares which pursue them relentlessly.

Mackenzie's mother and husband haunt her, driving her to the brink of madness. Then she hears a child call for help and her maternal instincts kick into overdrive. Grant, Mac's ally in the dead spots, insists Johnny is a phantom, but the boy seems so real, so alive....

As the true horrors of the dead spots are slowly revealed, Mackenzie realizes that time is running out. But exits from the dead spots are nearly impossible to find, and defended by things almost beyond imagination.

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