About Mahogany SilverRain:
Pen Name: Mahogany SilverRain
Real Name: Kimiko
Nickname: Miko
Western Zodiac: Virgo Sept 12th
Chinese Zodiac: Dog
Married: Yes
Kids: Six (4 girls and 2 boys) and three granddaughters and one grandson due August 31, 2019
Hobbies: Comics Marvel and DC, movies, anime, reading, Zumba, yoga, Tai Chi, drama, writing paranormal and interracial romance books and short stories, playing the Sims 4 video game, costumes, personal training, all things Japanese, wearing African and Asian clothing, renaissance fairs, and plays.
As a storyteller, I’m adept at using my imaginative thinking and creative flair to bring my stories to life in engaging and entertaining ways. As a woman of mixed heritage, which includes Haitian, Creole and Choctaw Native American, I blend multicultural characters into my stories. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and raised by a single mom who taught me to be a strong woman.
I was inspired to write interracial romance due to my own interracial marriage, my husband, Brian, is Dutch and Italian. His Christian fiction novel series is set to be published this year, so now there are two authors in the family! I began writing in the romance genre in 2008.
I am a former member of the USAF and I currently live with my husband and our two youngest children, including the family's pets of three sassy cats, one of which is our grand fur baby, and one silly, but lovable German Shepard in Central Georgia.
What inspires you to write?
Even as a young child, I was always making up stories and poems, filling them with colorful characters, sometimes sharing them with any friends or family who would listen. Writing has always been therapeutic for me. I was quiet and shy growing up and I was bullied sometimes. So when I was down, I would invent a world in my head where I was loved, needed and cherished. I was always the heroine, helping others! My creative writing teacher in high school gave me my first romance book, 'Shanna' by Kathleen Woodwiss. It was in our library! I was hooked after that!
I can get inspired by just about anything. I watched the live action version of the Lion King last weekend with my husband and I was so inspired! I cried and I laughed, it is an awesome story no matter what age you are!
Tell us about your writing process.
I am always jotting down ideas, I keep a folder and notes on my phone. Most of the time, I follow an outline I have written, but sometimes the story just goes in another direction while I am writing and I just go with it. When I go back and edit a few days later, sometimes it's "oh wow, this is good!" but sometimes it's "oh man, what were you thinking?"
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes, I do! I can actually see the scene in my head like a movie! I have actually 'interviewed' my characters from my novel. I wrote it down, just to get a feel for each person and some were based on people I knew. I think I will include my interview notes in a blog if I can find those notes again! It was in 2009, and my novel, The Blood Rose is being republished and renamed this year by a traditional publisher. They are almost done with the editing and I cannot wait to see the finished product!
What advice would you give other writers?
Don't give up, the only way to get better at writing is to keep writing. It doesn't matter what your family thinks of it or if an agent or editor doesn't understand or get it. I guarantee there are readers for every author! I have more than one favorite author! Be true to yourself, this is YOUR work!
How did you decide how to publish your books?
My late younger sister, who was always on the receiving end of my stories growing up, told me I should publish, both my children's stories and my adult stories. I didn't have the courage until after she died in a car accident. I published my first book to honor her memory. I just wish I had done it while she was alive to see it.
I ultimately chose self-publishing after being rejected many times and being told I do not fit the 'romance' mold. My stories had heroines, they saved the men, fought alongside the men and even romanced more than one. So, I made my own mold!
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Publishing has changed quite a bit, just in the last ten years and with the growing influence of social media, it really opens the door to future writers and readers. The digital age offers more access, but I will always love libraries and the smell of books. Holding a book in my hand is still something amazing to me. Don't get me wrong, I love reading on my tablet, but there is nothing like reading a leather bound book, turning the pages in anticipation of what may or may not happen next.
What genres do you write?: Romance, interracial, paranormal, diverse, contemporary, historical, erotica
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Mahogany SilverRain Home Page Link
Link To Mahogany SilverRain Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on AllAuthor
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All information in this post is presented “as is” supplied by the author. We don’t edit to allow you the reader to hear the author in their own voice.
