Rain Oxford specializes in fantasy genre. Her last release Guardian’s Grimoire marked the first part of The Guardian series. Few days ago the second book The Dragon’s Eyes premiered. We will look deep into the novels and other writings of our next guest. She is working as a teacher and has direct impressions of the current young generation’s interest of books.


– Rain, share some insight about The Guardian’s Grimoire?
– The Guardian’s Grimoire is the first in a fantasy series. When the main character, Dylan, finds a mysterious book, he is thrust into an unfamiliar world, where he must practice magic and battle supernatural forces that threaten Earth. Most of the book takes place on another planet.
Besides Dylan, you will meet Divina, beautiful and secretive; Kiro, an ancient Guardian who is as powerful in magic as he is devoted to his duties; Mordon, a mysterious young man with a superior mastery of fire; and many others.

– How did you decide to write the story?
– I never actually make a decision to write. Since I can remember, I would think up amazing people, worlds, and monsters… mostly when I was sitting in a classroom and trying to pay attention. When I began writing, fantasy was my first genre. After a few years, I tried to branch out with some horror and science fiction.
Then this story just came into my head one day and began writing itself. I remember telling everyone I could about it, because it was so easy to write. I never once struggled with the first draft. Actually, I couldn’t write it down fast enough to keep up. The series was actually supposed to be a trilogy… but I’m now working on the fifth book.
– What was the biggest challenge during the write up process?
– The finalization of it. I revised the story so many times that first draft is hardly recognizable.
– Tell us something more about your main character Dylan? Is he close to someone from your real life?
– Dylan is not made up of one person specifically, but several people. His traits were carefully selected by me when I first wrote the book, and then were all thrown out by him as he took over and became the real writer.
Dylan is a man in his early twenties with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor. Through his entire life, strange and/or dangerous things have happened around him, but he has learned to live his life as normally as possible. The book starts with him in college, where he is coasting through unchallenged, but not looking forward to the career waiting for him at the end. When he finds mysterious book of peculiar markings and names, he learns there is much more out there.
– How much time did you need to finish the story and to publish it?
– I began this book in 2009 and finished the rough draft in about three months. Over the years, while working on the rest of the series and standalone novels, I have revised the book, utilizing my experiences and improved writing skills. So I have been working nonexclusively on it for nearly six years.
– What the readers will find in your other book The Awakening?
– The Awakening is quite different from my other novels. The Awakening is a darker supernatural/horror novel that takes place in the 70’s and is based off of stories that my father would tell me as a kid. At a little more than 42,000 words, it is a fraction of the size of my others, but for those who like a shorter, dark read, it should be great. This is definitely geared towards an older audience than my other books, especially because of the characters.
– Who are you?
– I am a 24-year-old middle school teacher, author, and near perfectionist. I have been writing for half my life, I have ADHD, and I have never been called subtle. While most of the time I like to goof around, I am extremely goal-orientated and when I decide it’s time to get to work, nothing deters me. Besides writing, I love photographing exotic wildlife and will never pass up the opportunity to visit a zoo or aquarium.
In all honesty, I probably look out on my lawn three times a day for a Guardian book, just like I looked for a letter from Hogwarts until I was eleven, just like I wait for Gandolf to knock on my door, just like I pray to Santa every night to bring me the Doctor.
– What are your writing habits?
– I write whenever the need strikes me, with whatever I have. I keep a notebook by my bed, a recorder in the car, and my laptop or iPad on me whenever possible. If I don’t have a writing pad, I have a pen and my arm, which I have had to use before. Most of my best writing occurs at night… usually on a school night.
– Are you satisfied by the sales of the book?
– I am happy for each book that someone enjoys. Seeing as how I would have no sales had I not published my book, I’m ecstatic with the results.
– What are you doing to promote your book by the best possible way?
– I’m still researching and experimenting. So far, it’s mostly been by doing author interviews and advertising on Facebook groups.
– What we will see in The Dragon’s Eyes?
– The Dragon’s Eyes was out on January 25, 2015. It takes place three years after the first book. In this book, Dylan will see many of the other worlds, face new challenges, and find out exactly why magic comes so easily to him. The sequel has more action, more magic, and a ton of new characters and creatures. As to be expected from the epilogue in the first book, Mordon will have a bigger part in this one, as he helps Dylan save the world… again.
– You are writing in a cabin. Why you selected such an environment?
– I grew up here with a forest as my backyard. There is an old shack deep in the woods that I would make up stories about and explore it, reenacting the horrors and wonders I imagined. It’s a quest place where I can curb my addiction to Diet DrPepper, because going to the store just isn’t worth it. I’ve been here for twenty years… The escape tunnel should be ready in a couple of weeks.
– As a middle school teacher your opinion on the desire of current generation to read books compared to the digital interest in computers and cell phones?
– I don’t believe the two are mutually exclusive. Yes, I definitely wish more students could fall into the worlds created by books as opposed to those of cartoons and “angry birds,” but I think Kindles and Nooks can make books more available. In fact, I asked my English students if they had a Kindle or Nook, or if they used reading apps. Most of them said they didn’t have money for books, even though ebooks are typically much cheaper and easily accessed than paperbacks. They then proceeded to argue over whether the Nook or Kindle was better.
– What is the story of your pseudonym Rain Oxford?
– While Rain Oxford is not my legal name, I have grown up with it. I almost went with a different name, because if you Google my name, you mostly just come up with weather reports for Oxford, England. I decided to go with my name, though, because I don’t plan on writing anything I have to hide from.
– If you may ask yourself one question in the interview what it will be? (Don’t forget to answer)
– What advice would you give to other aspiring authors?
– Write. Don’t let anyone stop you from writing, not even yourself. Research, edit, review, scrutinize, throw it away a few times, but never stop writing.

Learn more about Rain Oxford at her Web page
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Take a look at Rain’s books

The Guardian’s Grimoire
Dragon’s Eyes
The Awakening