By The Book Reviews

Author: Rae Lindley

Pages: 184

The world is a very different place after a science/drug experiment gone bad creates vampire-type creatures known as Dracins. The last thing Raven remembers is getting attacked by one of these creatures, now, years later she comes to find the world had once been at war with Dracins against Humans. Now tho, the world is at “peace” and a company known as Tech Corporation is working on a mission to send humans and dracins to a new, cleaner world. However, what they claim to be doing and what they are actually doing are very different things and Raven finds herself working for the very people she should be fighting against.

Russell and Enos are also trying to survive and to stop Tech Corporation from destroying the Dracins. When the three of them team up together they may have a chance to do some good. But will they be able to survive?

This book doesn’t really focus on being a vampire or the life of a vampire. It is a fresh take which focuses more on how the humans see the Dracins and the attempts of some humans to destroy them. It was a really quick read and one that I would recommend!

By the Book was given the opportunity to interview author Rae Lindley (who happens to share my love of the book Brave New World) and this is what she had to say!!

1. Where does your motivation to write come from?
Oh! A lot of different places. Sometimes I see a movie, tv show or hear a news story and my mind starts running through a lists of ‘what if’ scenarios. Or I speculate how a certain person would react to different situations thrown their way. The scenario usually leads to an idea for the story. When I start it, I’m not entirely sure where it’ll lead me but once I do start it’s like a great ride as I learn more about my characters and the worlds they inhabit.
2. What do you enjoy most about writing?

I love the creative process when the scenes come together in my mind and I can see the characters interacting and talking in front of me. It’s like I’m a movie director/cinematographer recording the actors in a scene. Sometimes it comes out shifty because I’m just focused on getting the story down but after it’s all laid out, the story is much easier to mold when I refine it during rewrites.

3. If you could describe your writing style in one word, what would it be?
Escalating.
4. Who is your favorite author?
Hmm, that’s a hard one. I don’t really have one author as a fave. I usually categorize them in different genres because they offer a satisfactory read depending on my mood. They would include Aldous Huxley, Vivi Anna, Zinnia Hope, Teresa D’Amario, Sandra Kitt, Giselle Carmichael.
5. When did you realize you wanted to become a writer?
I’m not sure if there was a defining moment (or my memory fails me *laughs*) but I always remember writing. Whether I was in elementary school to high school, I was always penning stories based on ideas I’d get from seeing movies or reading plays. I always felt good doing it and I especially got a kick when I passed my stories on to my peers to see how they reacted to it.
6. How many books are planned for the Cimmerian Series?
Originally there were a few books, I can’t remember if it was five or six, but it’s shrunk a little because of how the story has panned out with the second book in the series. After writing it, I knew that it would take another book or two to finish the full arc so in the end it would probably pan out to four books total at most.
7. Are any of the characters in Cimmerian City modeled after you?
I would say the three leads have a little bit of me in them. I always joke that Raven is sorta of my alter ego as she’s much bolder than I am but I had so much fun writing her story due to her progression from hot headed college girl to flawed heroine..
8. How long did it take you to write Cimmerian City?

Five years, no lie! *laughs* It wasn’t the first book I wrote, but it was the first I released which makes it pretty special to me. I remember in English class of my senior year when the story hit me. We were studying my now favorite book Brave New World. I didn’t quite have the whole story then but I did have an idea: what if vampires could roam the Earth anytime, day or night, because the sun was continuously blocked out by a thick cloudy atmosphere of pollution (like Blade Runner)? And from there, as I became a better storyteller, learned the mechanics and how to effectively tell a story, the book unfolded into the world of Cimmerian City.

*Interview questions by Meagan Anderson and Lanee Quintero