Meet and Greet: Erin Rainwater

Erin Rainwater probably should have been born in the 19th century but somehow got flash-forwarded into the 20th. There was never any question that she would be a nurse when she grew up, regardless of which century she was in. And beginning in about the seventh grade, there was no question that she’d launch that nursing career in the military. As an Army nurse during the Vietnam War era, and she was privileged to care for the bodies and spirits of soldiers and veterans, including repatriated POWs and MIAs. Her military experience has helped in writing parts of her novels. Her support of the military is ongoing, and one of her favorite pastimes is volunteering at the USO in Denver. She writes historical novels, the latest of which is Refining Fires, which takes place in the late 1950s, and is the story of a disfigured Korean War veteran and a nurse with a tainted reputation. It was released in July, 2010 by Torn Veil Books. Erin is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Military Writers Society of America, who awarded her a 2009 Gold Medal in historical fiction. She lives in Colorado with her husband of 36 years. She has four children and, in her view, the four most adorable grandchildren on the planet.

Dear Readers,

What a great way Janalyn offers to get in touch with you, and I’m so appreciative for this opportunity to let you get to know me just a little bit. I call my web site my “virtual fireside,” and this feels like an extension of that. So go grab a frosty glass of iced tea, pull up a bear skin rug and let’s chat, although it looks like I’ll be doing all the chatting.

First of all, no, I’m not of Indian heritage. I inherited the name from my hubby, who is part Cherokee. As for me, I’m 100% Irish stock, born and raised in Pennsylvania. My heart and soul somehow always seemed to be drawn to the West. So now I’m a happy camper living in Colorado. But I absolutely love going back to PA to visit family and stay in the house where I grew up. The heroine of my Civil War novel grew up in PA, too. Come to think of it, so did the heroine of my Colorado western romance. Imagine that!

I’m not sure where the heroine of my current release, Refining Fires, hails from. But she, like the others before her, is what I like to call a strong-without-being-an-alpha-female kind of heroine. She has to be if she’s to survive the likes of Korean War veteran Peter Cochran, for whom she must work if she’s to get off the streets and get some food in her stomach. A week spent in his household has her mulling over whether food and a bed are overrated as basic necessities. Peter is disfigured, bitter and self-absorbed. But his anger is no match for his newly hired nurse’s pluck. Her determined efforts elicit renewed life from his body while evoking a raw yearning in his soul.

Theirs is quite a love story, but it’s only the beginning. Their story is the first of three parts in the book, and is called, similar to the title, “Refining Fire.” The second story begins ten months later, takes you to a remote mountain area, and introduces you to an exceptional little girl named Susannah. The love Peter and Clare share has an immense impact on this extraordinary child who is filled with “Blind Courage.” Then you’ll meet the “Kept Woman.” Kept by whom is the question of the day.

Refining Fires goes way beyond the boundaries of a simple romance novel. You’ll get to see how a couple’s love impacts the lives of others whom God brings across their path. My hope is always that the reader’s life will be impacted by my stories as well. Endurance and Perseverance are major themes in all of my writing. I always point to the Source of those characteristics in some fashion in my books.

Not many authors get to see their characters come alive on stage or screen, but I’m privileged with the opportunity to have a scene from my Civil War love story, True Colors, translated onto the stage in Pittsburgh this fall. It will take place on opening night of the Military Writers Society of America’s annual conference. So aside from working as a camp nurse this summer, I’ll be collaborating with the producer to translate that scene from page to stage. Exciting stuff for an author. I can’t wait to see my war-torn characters “come to life” before my very eyes.

I’m betting there are some of you who hold to the traditional way of reading a book, with paper pages and a binding in between. Then there are those of you more technical-minded folks who are all about the convenience of your electronic reader that takes up no space on your book shelf. That’s why I’m excited to be able to say that Refining Fires is out in both formats.
It’s been such a pleasure to chat with you today. If you’d like to learn more about me and my books, all of which are love stories, visit me at my virtual fireside at http://www.erinrainwater.com/. Be sure to shoot me an email from my website so you can have the chance to chat back at me for once.

Purchase links:
Print: http://www.amazon.com/Refining-Fires-Christian-Romance-Novel/dp/1926712455/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281310086&sr=1-4
Ebook: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b111911/?si=0