Artist of the Day: Eli Rainwater

Today’s Artist of the Day features an interview with Eli Rainwater. Please find our conversation below.

Thanks for joining us and we’re so excited to have our readers learn more about you and your creative works. Kick things off for us, what should they know?
I write urban fantasy books about a witch who owns a bar in North Georgia.

Some things I wanted to do in this series is portray strong female leads who are in their forties or older (while they’re technically hundreds of years old, they continue to age until their 40s) and break some mainstream cryptid and fae stereotypes. For instance, vampires are not beautiful when they turn, and one of the vampire brothers portrayed in the books is asexual. Ogres are good guys, and the fae are not all beautiful pixies.

I also really enjoyed researching all of the different fae and cryptids I use in the books. I took very little artistic license; all of the traits and descriptions came from lore somewhere in the world.

I was also lucky enough to collaborate with some pretty amazing people like Casey Oster, who made renditions of the three most popular characters, Switchback Candles, and Late Start Workshop, who is laser-cutting wooden bookmarks for me.

How has your art evolved over time?
I definitely see an improvement in my writing. I recently did some minor revisions to the first and second books in advance of the third book being released in June, and I’m much happier with them. I feel a stronger connection with the characters too, like they have a life of their own.

Alright, before we go, let’s do a quick lightning round.

Favorite artist?
Seanan McGuire

Favorite book?
Good Omens

Favorite movie?
Nightmare Before Christmas

Favorite genre of music?
Metal

Favorite cuisine?
Italian

Surprising Fact
I used to be a busker in New Orleans in the 90’s.

Ketchup or Mustard?
Mustard

Savory or Sweet?
Savory

Sparkling or Still?
Sparkling

How can someone support you?
Follow me on social media and share my content, buy directly from my printer or through Bookshop.org, and buy my ebooks and spread the word. I am available for interviews, podcasts, and newsletter swaps too.

But most importantly, leave a review! I don’t care how many stars it is, and it doesn’t even have to be more than one line. Amazon rewards content that has reviews by placing it in the “suggested for you” lists and in the newsletters, and that’s a huge boost for an indie author like me. And come say hi if you see me at an event! You have no idea how much it makes my day when someone recognizes my books.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elirainwaterbooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elirainwaterbooks/