Meet RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author of over 70 books. Yes, 70 books!
RaeAnne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including six RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and Career Achievement and Romance Pioneer awards from RT Book Reviews.
Her newest book, The December Market (Oct 8 2024 – Canary Street Press) is all about the magic of Christmas and a second chance at romance. How warm and cozy does that sound?
Read an excerpt of Chapter 3 below our interview.
So excited to have you here, RaeAnne! You are one impressive woman who consistently captures the hearts of all your readers.
Tell us a little bit about yourself (and how the heck you’ve been able to write over 70 books!).
I live in the beautiful mountains of northern Utah. I have three children and my husband and I just celebrated our 38th anniversary. I love to travel, bead, read (of course!) and spend time with my family. As to how I’ve been able to write so many books, I have been writing since we had our first child in 1990. I sold my first book in 1995 and have been writing full-time since 1997. I consider myself extraordinarily lucky that I get to make people happy for a living.
Tell us about your new, upcoming book, The December Market.
In the snow-kissed town of Shelter Springs, shop owner Amanda Taylor finds herself caught in a tangle of past grief and unexpected love. When Amanda’s world collides with that of widower and single dad Rafe Arredondo, a dedicated firefighter and paramedic, through the Shelter Springs holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love just might give them everything on their Christmas list.
It may be too difficult to choose, but do you have a favorite novel you have written? Or perhaps a novel that you are most proud of? And what are the reasons for your selection?
This is a tough one as the characters in each book come to feel like friends. I love The December Market, not only because it is my 75th book but also because it has some of my favorite themes, like learning to let go of the past and open your heart to love. When readers ask me my favorite, I usually say the book I’ve just finished (not the one I’m currently working on, as that one always feels too raw!).
Visit her website here.
Are any of your books based on your family members or friends?
No. I do sometimes use anecdotes or experiences I have heard from friends or family but no characters are based completely on people I know.
Do you feel commercial fiction authors are facing particular challenges these days whether it be tied to politics, world issues, technology, or the environment?
Publishing has never been an easy profession but it is certainly harder in some ways than it was in the 90s when I started out. While authors have many more options to publish than they did back then, they also have much more responsibility when it comes to getting their books into the hands of readers. We have become distributors, designers, and marketers. The author’s job also has become not only about the books we write but about creating relationships with our readers on social media and through our newsletters. That can also carry challenges. It’s hard to know how much to share about your personal life online.
What line or passage in The December Market stands out for you the most? Do you have any other passages in any of your books that really stand out for you?
As they embraced on that beautiful Christmas Eve, with snow falling softly out the window and the lights of his tree gleaming through the darkness, Amanda’s fear melted away like snowflakes on her tongue. In Rafe’s arms, she felt safe, cherished, utterly content. The fear that had plagued her dissolved into the magic of the moment, replaced by a beautiful sense of peace and belonging.
When did it dawn on you that you wanted to be a writer?
I took a journalism class in high school and realized how much I love telling stories. That led me to pursuing journalism in college and then taking a full time job as first a beat reporter and then a newspaper editor at a small daily newspaper. Throughout my career in journalism, I dreamed about writing a romance novel and it was really when I sat down to write fiction for the first time that I felt like I had found exactly what I wanted to do.
Tell us what a typical writing routine looks like for you and how long does it take you from idea to the time you finish your final edit on most of your books?
Most of the time, I write a book in about 4-6 months, depending on the length of the book. I always start with the characters and try first to figure out what their conflicts and motivation might be. I plot extensively and usually do a scene-by-scene breakdown of the book so I have a roadmap, though that often changes during the writing of the book. I typically write 3 drafts: a VERY rough first draft, the second draft that cleans up the mess, the first and a third “polish” draft where I try to fine-tune the prose.
Besides getting lost in your writing, what else do you love to do?
I love to ride my bike, hike in the local mountains, watch YouTube travel videos, read, bead and be with my family.
Who are some of your favorite authors and why?
Recently I’ve been on a William Kent Krueger kick and I also love Kate Quinn and Katherine Center.
Any advice you’d like to give to aspiring writers today?
If you dream of being a writer, don’t give up! I’ve been around publishing for thirty years and I have seen many writers with great talent who never reached their dreams because they hit a roadblock and stopped writing. Sometimes that was for unavoidable reasons but often they let the negative voices talk them into giving up. I firmly believe that any writer can reach his or her goals by sticking with it, honing the craft and taking advantage of any opportunity to improve.
For your loyal fans, is there anything in the pipeline you can tell us about?
I just finished a book coming next summer called The Lost Book of First Loves, about two women searching for a lost manuscript written by one of the world’s great writers, which might also help them find answers about themselves. Now I’m hard at work plotting next year’s Christmas book. Perfect timing as we head into the holidays!
Do you think there’ll ever be a day when you’ll want to stop writing stories and why?
I can’t imagine that day, to be honest. I’ve asked myself what my career end game might be and I believe I will continue to write as long as I still feel I have stories to tell and readers who want them from me.
You can find out more about RaeAnne here:
Excerpted from The December Market by RaeAnne Thayne. Copyright © 2024 by RaeAnne Thayne. Published by Canary Street Press, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Chapter 3
Amanda quickly rang up the woman and had just finished gift wrapping the basket in cellophane tied with a wide buffalo print ribbon when another customer opened the door to enter the store, letting in the strident sound of sirens.
Amanda wasn’t the only one who turned to look out the wide front windows in time to see a fire truck stop in the middle of the road, right in front of her store.
“What’s going on?” Scarlet asked, looking panicked. “Is there a fire?”
Amanda gave the young woman’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. Scarlet still suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after her family’s home in the countryside outside town was consumed by a fast-moving wildfire a few years earlier. She and her parents and siblings had barely escaped alive and were still in the process of rebuilding.
“I’m not sure. Cat, can you take over this cash register? I’ll go check it out.”
She quickly grabbed her coat from the hook inside the supply room and hurried outside. The street was buzzing with people and firefighters, all focused on something happening on the roof of the yarn shop across the street, Cozy Creations.
She watched as a second fire truck approached, this one fitted with a bucket.
“What’s going on?” she asked a bystander.
“Somebody is stuck on the roof, apparently. They went up to hang a few Christmas lights and panicked. That’s what I heard, anyway.”
On the roof? Who on earth was it?
Amanda had a sudden suspicion. The twin sisters who ran the shop, Opal and Pearl Barnes, were both as stubborn as they were frugal. The woman tried to do everything themselves, whether that was shoveling snow, repainting their storefront or building new display cases inside.
They hadn’t put up Christmas lights in years past, as far as she could remember. They usually only decorated their front windows with lights around a huge stuffed knit penguin they had made together.
Why hadn’t they asked Amanda for help or hired one of several professional companies that would hang lights for residences or businesses alike?
How had they even gotten up there? She saw a large extension ladder going up the side of the building, which gave her the answer.
The women were in their early seventies. They had no business up on the roof!
She watched the flurry of action as a firefighter she couldn’t recognize from here climbed into the bucket of the truck and it extended up two stories to reach the roof. Amanda caught her breath as the rescuer climbed out, then sidestepped toward the figure she could now see huddled near the edge of the roof.
The crowd on the ground cheered as the firefighter wrapped a blanket around the figure, helped them to their feet and carefully guided them along the roofline.
The sky began to spit snow as a cold wind blew off the lake. Amanda shivered. Her store was packed and she knew she should return to help her customers but she couldn’t drag herself away from the drama happening out here in downtown Shelter Springs.
She had to make sure Opal or Pearl, whichever twin was up there, made it to safety.
“Paolo tells me this is where you went,” a voice suddenly said beside her. “What’s going on? Is there a fire or is someone hurt?” Birdie asked.
Because of her advanced macular degeneration, her grandmother could only see things that were close to her face. Of course she wouldn’t be able to have any idea what was happening all the way across the street. If not for Paolo, hovering closely at her side, Birdie wouldn’t have been able to find Amanda on the crowded street. He must have pointed her out and led Birdie here.
“I don’t know for sure. There seems to be someone stuck on the roof. I don’t know if it’s Opal or Pearl.”
“Oh no! Those poor dears!”
Her grandmother bought yarn and other knitting supplies from Cozy Creations and was friendly with both women.
“What happened?” Paolo asked. “How did they get up there?”
Amanda watched as the firefighter helped the woman back into the bucket. He seemed to be attaching a safety harness to her.
“I’m not sure. I heard from someone they were trying to hang Christmas lights and panicked. I’m not sure if that’s what happened, though.”
“Neither of those nice ladies should be up on a slippery roof,” Paolo said, frowning with concern.
“Agreed. But they are, apparently.”
She moved slightly to the right, where she had a different perspective. Now she could see a woman in a blue coat, knit scarf and hat, standing in front of the store with both hands pressed to her mouth.
“There’s Opal, across the street.” Though her grandmother certainly couldn’t see that far, Amanda pointed to the woman. “So that means the person on the roof must be Pearl.”
“And her with those bad knees! She has no business climbing onto a roof.” Paolo’s face twisted with concern, and Amanda had to wonder if he knew all the women of a certain age in the entire town.
“The rescuer is trying to help her into the bucket, it looks like,” she explained to her grandmother. “They’re going to lower her down that way.”
The town had only recently purchased the bucket truck, she had read in the weekly community newspaper, after their previous ancient one that had been in service for more than thirty years had broken down beyond repair.
“Hey! That’s my grandson up there!” Paolo said. She looked at the firefighter on the roof.
She should have realized. How could she have missed that powerful frame, those broad shoulders inside the firefighter uniform?
Her heart gave a little kick in her chest that severely annoyed her.
She had no business even noticing the man, let alone finding him attractive. In the slightest.
Amanda was fully aware that Rafe Arredondo was likely the last man in town who would ever be interested in her.
