Rune Rivers interview

 AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

My name is Rune and I'm a 23-year-old author and artist from the Pacific Northwest. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I use my growing platform to lift the voices of others by sharing stories. 

When did your love of books begin?

Early on in life — say, elementary school — I found books to be a great way to escape reality. I was raised in a broken household, so being able to slip away by reading made life much more tolerable. My favorite book remains The Phantom of the Opera, which I originally read in 6th grade.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I started seriously writing in middle school when my home life became more disastrous. It was easy to put on my headphones and bury myself in a fantasy world I had control over. I made a few characters from there, doodling them on all my school assignments, then kept pushing. I didn't want my characters to go unheard, so I started looking into self-publishing in high school, where I wrote my first small series of novellas.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

Difficult but worth it. Revising and editing can be taxing, and formatting for print books is a nightmare, yet nothing beats holding that final, polished copy in hand and saying "I made this."

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

It's cliche, but don't give up. If you're self-publishing, don't get discouraged by those weirdos that discount indie works because you're putting just as much love into it. If you're looking to traditionally publish, don't let rejection get you down or keep you from trying — somebody, somewhere is going to love what you write, so you'd only be doing them a disservice by waving the white flag.

Tell us about your book/books:

The series I'm dedicated to right now is "Soul of Lucifer." I've finished the first two books of a planned septology that ends in a second battle royale between Michael and Lucifer. The story is set in the Pacific Northwest and follows our protagonist Oren — an angel scout unaware that she harbors the reincarnated soul of Lucifer. After a brush with death, she learns more about the power within her and her role in the war to come.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

The amount of support within the community, honestly. For the whole, we know we're all nerds about something and can gush about books with one another.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Thank you. Truly, thank you. It's mind-blowing that others are enjoying the words I put to paper.

Where can people connect with you?

I'm available through Twitter, Instagram, Wattpad, and my soon-to-be released website under the name Rune Rivers.