Dearest Inkers – we just signed our new author and as promised, you’re the first we wanted to share the good news with! Join us in welcoming Joelle Rayne with her dark, mysterious erotica series, Illicit Desires, and her first book The Criminal that is set to launch later this summer.
Get ready, because this one’s going to be quite the sizzling summer read.
Turning 19 in August, Joelle, the exceptionally talented and lovely Fijian-Indian pizza enthusiast graced us with a fun and candid interview so that you can get to know her a little. If you want to find out the inspiration behind her book, her future plans or her BIGGEST pet peeve, keep reading.
Inkitt: Will you tell us a little bit about your background and upbringing?
Joelle: I’m currently eighteen, nineteen in August. Was born in Fiji and moved to Australia when I was still in diapers, been here since. My upbringing has been cultured but very westernized at the same time. I’m Fijian-Indian, so I get the perks of Diwali sweets while also having the ability to be as crude and strong-minded as I please.
Inkitt: How’d you find the time to write the books while you were in high school?
Joelle: I guess I became a proper insomniac. No one really knew I wrote (hell, they still don’t)… I found time to write at the ass-crack of dawn, from 11pm-4am was prime time. Now however, I have moved out of home and no longer am in high school… Which means I’ve got to manage writing in whenever I can, between work, university and basic necessities, a lot harder than when I was back in senior year.
Inkitt: What inspired you to write The Criminal?
Joelle: Haha, funny story there. Before The Criminal, I was predominantly a romance and fantasy writer… At the time, I had this really cliché book, (the bad boy good girl kind – yes I still cringe to this day) long story short, the main character’s name was Carter Silvetti. The book was scrapped but the last name had my mind spinning… I was sixteen when I began the series, so I blame my hormones and puberty, from there I got into writing erotica and haven’t looked back since.
Here’s the synopsis of The Criminal:
Running from the captivity, of an unrelenting sinister past, Lacy Summers falls prey to the fierce and mysterious forces of an ex-con, Johann Silvetti. Unable to control her obsessive lust, she’s thrust into a world of pure carnal sin. As the addiction becomes dangerously intoxicating, she finds herself battling between; fighting for freedom and surrendering to her desires.
Inkitt: What type of reader do you think will enjoy this book and the series the most?
Joelle: That’s a hard question to answer! I guess anyone who likes a little mystery with some hot smut and a dark, illicit romance… Yeah, that about sums up my reader base.
Inkitt: Any fun fact(s) about you, hidden talent or funny pet peeve you’d like to share?
Joelle: A hidden talent… I can stick the tip of my tongue backwards against itself, more of a grotesque ability rather than a talent!
My biggest pet peeve has got to be authors using CAPITALS when characters are yelling, I feel it takes down the class of the novel and could easily be substituted by an exclamation mark!
Lastly, a fun fact— if I start writing a chapter, I have to finish it in the one sitting, otherwise I’ll have to delete it and start over.
Inkitt: First three things that came to your mind after getting the publishing deal from us:
Joelle: 1) Johann in paperback, yes!
2) Um, is this some sort of practical joke…
3) Praise the lord, finally something worthwhile!
Inkitt: What will the sequels be like compared to the first book?
Joelle: Hm… Definitely just as naughty if not more! You can hundred percent expect to see more of the Silvetti family expansion. The second and third book are set in a lighter theme, just as much smut but not as heavy. Whereas the last book really gets into a dark, volatile romance, simmer to that of the first book…
Inkitt: When you’re not writing the next bestseller, what do you enjoy doing?
Joelle: Good question… When I’m not writing, I’m working, studying or getting up to track with my life. On the occasion I enjoy a good movie and a pizza run. Always pizza.
Inkitt: What book(s) are you reading right now?
Joelle: I know it may sound weird, but after I really got into writing I stopped reading. It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and really enjoyed a novel.
Inkitt: Tell us about your future plans, becoming a nurse and anything else you see yourself doing in the near (or far) future?
Joelle: Hopefully after I get my Bachelors Degree in Nursing, I’d like to further in Medicine. Other than that my goals are pretty mundane, to be honest. I just want a roof over my head, food in my fridge and wifi connection… And pizza!
Thanks so much for hanging out with us for a little bit guys – we hope you enjoyed our new and improved interview format and getting to know Joelle a little bit. Don’t forget to add The Criminal to your summer reading list and check out Joelle’s Inkitt profile here.
We assure you the books are just as captivating and dynamic as Joelle’s personality. We’re going to announce the launch date of The Criminal in the next coming weeks so keep an eye out for that on our Facebook and Twitter.
Leonhard Wagner
Head of Publishing
