The Legend of Rachel Petersen
Supernatural
Date Published: 06-10-2023
Publisher: Sky Publishing
Outraged when The Post Gazette overlooks him for a promotion, 43-year-old Sportswriter Christian Kane quits the Paper and moves to the country to write fiction. Inspiration flows from a grave he stumbles upon in the woods.
He pens The Legend of Rachel Petersen, a fascinating story revolving around the dead twelve-year-old girl who was laid to rest beneath the weathered tombstone in 1863. His book climbs the Best Seller lists; then Hollywood adapts it into a blockbuster movie. Kane becomes rich and famous; but then!
Does an enraged Rachel become more than a figment of the writer’s imagination and rise from her grave, seeking revenge on him for slandering her name?
Author Interview:
1 At what point did you decide to be an author and what was your path to publication?
I’ve always liked literature and word puzzles since I was young. And I’ve always entertained the thought of being a writer. I guess I was the weird kid in English class because I liked essay questions.
I wrote this book in 2012, a California publisher took it on, however, I self-pubbed the revised edition.
2 Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I simply write when it’s raining, or the urge hits, or when I think of a good scene. Sometimes the rough draft gets shelved for a month or longer, then I pull it back out and look at it from a fresh perspective.
Only after ten or more chapters if I get lost, do I start an outline.
I edit as I write. After writing the first chapter, I’ll edit it; then, after writing the second chapter, I’ll start with Chapter one and edit both chapters and so forth… Now that I think about that, my editing process is similar to a Ponzi scheme, but this enables me to tie the plot together.
3 What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
Harold Robbins, Mark Twain, and Jack London. I’m telling my age with that answer, but I enjoyed their books because they wrote captivating stories that held my interest to the last page.
4 Do you identify with your main character, or did you create a character that is your opposite?
I loosely based the Kanes, a happily married couple, on mine and my wife’s relationship; mainly how they supported each other’s dreams and ambitions. My wife gave me the inspiration and determination to write, and finish this book. Also, since the Yoder boys were hunters, and grew up on a farm, they resemble me as a young boy who grew up in the country and hunted.
5 Describe the book in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
Dead for 87 years, Rachel awakens when Kane pens her story.
6 Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
If you, a friend, or family member excel with today’s technology, definitely consider self-publishing. I used Draft2Digital Publishing and am extremely pleased with their whole process, and their POD paperbacks. If you are going to take the traditional route, watch out for those so-called Vanity Publishers.
7 What is your favorite line (excerpt) from your book?
“You did not view these pictures on your computer before sending them, did you?”
“No, why? Is there a problem that’s going to delay publishing?”
“No! The exact opposite! In every one of the photos of you by the grave, about a foot away from you… There’s a freaking orb!”
About the Author
Living in Western Pennsylvania all my life, I’ve been an avid
Whitetail hunter since old enough to tote a rifle, which is also about as long as I’ve had a fondness for word games and literature.
While hunting one year, I actually did stumble upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods.
While waiting patiently for that big buck to cross my path, I had plenty of time to ponder the dead girl’s fate, which I was then driven to write.
Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first novel published in 2012, which I recently revised.
A newly retired transformer repairman, I refer to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, as home.
My wife Becky and I share our abode with two retrievers – Piper, and Remmy.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
Audiobook available at Apple Books
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