Eli Rainwater: Creative Overload

Born in Atlanta, Eli Rainwater was taught how to read as soon as she started talking. And she loved to read! She read everything she could get her hands on, and it wasn’t long before she wrote short stories in school that won awards in the local papers. She was the most obsessed with fantasy and vividly remembers how much trouble she was in after she tried to take out the back of her mother’s antique wardrobe while looking for Narnia. 

Tell us a bit about your most recent work.

I released book 3 of The Witch's Bar Chronicles last September, and book 4 will be out in fall of 2025. The books follow Jessie, a retired witch who owns a bar in north Georgia, as she sets out with her fae, cryptid, human, and witch friends to solve a murder and save the world from a power-hungry cabal. 

Jessie is based on my best friend, which makes her especially fun to write, and I enjoy all of the research I put into fae and cryptid lore from around the world that I include in my characters. 

What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?

Standing up for the little guy and fighting against powerful, power-hungry entities set on domination is a big theme. I also focus on found family, bonds of friendship, and acceptance. 

As far as subjects, every aspect of every creature in my books comes from some lore in the world. For instance, in some cultures, ogres are not bad. They just want to be left alone (a common theme I discovered, as I delved deeper into my research). I enjoy introducing lesser-known fae and cryptid creatures in this universe and plan to keep developing these characters as the series progresses.

What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer? 

Having a vivid imagination and a penchant for daydreaming. Eventually, it just all has to come out somehow!

What inspires you to write? 

My need to get my fantasy world out of my head and onto paper, and to read books I enjoy. Another author -- any author -- will always be an inspiration. 

What of your works has meant the most to you?

The Blood's Children. I like how it starts to get deeper into Jessie's and Greta's pasts, shows our heroes' vulnerabilities, and tightens the bonds between Jessie's companions. And I got to add Appalachian lore, which is always fun! 

If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do?

I started a standalone novel that I'm releasing chapter by chapter on Patreon, and I should have finished it before I started releasing the chapters. I don't like the direction it wound up going, and now I'll have to rewrite a lot of content my subscribers already downloaded. 

What writers have influenced your style and technique?

Seanan McGuire, David Eddings, Ben Aaronovitch, Tanya Huff, Charlaine Harris, Jeffrey Deaver, Kathy Reichs, Dianne Wynne Jones, Kat Richardson, Kristin Cashore, Terry Brooks, Mercedes Lackey, Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman, Jane Austin, Alexander Dumas

Where would you rank writing on the "Is it an art or is it a science continuum?" Why?

Heavily toward art because it can create something that captures the imagination and entertains while conveying an emotional message.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process? 

Creative overload is part of my ADHD. If I try to get too structured, then I go down a rabbit hole and bog myself down. If I try to be too free-form, then my brain can't figure out where to land, and I freeze. Finding the balance between structure, planning, and creating is a delicate and very important process that I miss more often than I hit. 

How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not? 

I don't know that they do because we rarely talk about our books or processes. We are supportive of each other, and it's nice to be able to rant about pitfalls, setbacks, and blocks to someone who understands, but we also understand that everyone's process is different, so what works for me may not work for the next person. 

What does literary success look like to you? 

Being able to travel and sell my books while paying my bills without necessarily being famous or having to keep up a second job. I also want to be in libraries and keep hosting successful book-driven events, and help other authors get their footing when it comes to getting themselves out there to the public.

Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug?  

My second series will be out in the spring about a research assistant and part-time barista who stumbles on the supernatural world by mistake and finds herself embroiled in a dangerous mystery.

For more information, visit: 

elirainwater.com