RAYNETTE'S RAMBLINGS

Welcome to my little corner of the internet

Hello and Welcome,

Do you have a favourite author? Or possibly more than one? Write and tell me who you love reading, and why. What makes a book interesting and worthwhile to you?

Conversely, what don't you love? 

Do you prefer something character-driven, or a great story line? Is the setting important to you? And how about dialogue?

I'm one of those readers who doesn't really care about the look, or condition, of the book I'm reading - to me it's all about the story and the characters contained within the pages. It's not important to me if I paid a lot of money for it or if it was loaned to me by another reader, all that matters is that I'm drawn into it and I can't put it down.

One of my all-time favourites is Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. It's beautifully written and deeply researched. What a tragedy that the author died, at age 48, and that Gone With the Wind was the only book she wrote which was published in her lifetime.

But then, I also love Michael Connelly and one of his major characters, Bosch, not to mention The Lincoln Lawyer. Both series feature Los Angeles and jazz, an unbeatable combination, in my opinion. Both series are well written and researched stories. And what great characters! Who doesn't love Bosch, and Micky Haller!

 Another favourite of mine is a book by an American author, Colin Harrison, called The Havana Room. Unusual, slightly weird, like nothing else I've ever read, it tells the story of Bill Wyeth, a rising real estate attorney doing very well, thank you, in New York—until a tragic accident claims everything he has achieved—his family, his fortune, his Park Avenue apartment, his career. But this is Manhattan, and Bill still has much further to fall.

 Not to everyone's taste, but I loved it.

 I actually have two absolute favourites: A Turn of the Blade by Veronica Sweeney—it was published in 1996, which was when I first read it. I read this book in bed of a night and I would put out the light and lay there worrying about the heroine and what was going to happen to her; she seemed to think about things the same way I did, and it was scary. I have since read it again—twice!

My other favourite is Henry's Daughter by Joy Dettman. What a story! It originally caught my eye in the bookstore because my maiden name was Henry—so I was Henry's daughter—and I could not put this book down once I started it. Strange and unusual story, fascinating characters, great ending.

What are some of your favourites? And I don't mean the one you finished last night, I mean ones that live long in your memory. You may have read something many years ago and you still think of it. Or you read it at a time in your life when it moved you because of the timing of reading it. Or it reminded you of someone. Or it scared nearly to death. Or parts of it were so beautiful you wrote them down so you would never forget them.

I look forward to reading about your favourite books.

Love,

Raynette xx

RAYNETTE'S RAMBLINGS

Welcome to my little corner of the internet!

Hello and welcome! I’m Raynette Mitchell, and I’m absolutely delighted that you’ve found your way here. Whether you stumbled upon my website by accident or came looking for me (in which case—yay!), I hope you’ll stay awhile and get to know me.

I’m a writer, a storyteller, and—let’s be honest—a bit of a daydreamer. I’ve always loved losing myself in a good book, and now, I get to create worlds and characters for others to escape into. As an author, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing a story, and characters, come to life.

My novel, ‘The Life and Loves of Karen Romano’, is the first book in the ‘Secrets Have Consequences’ series, and I can’t wait to share it with you. It’s a story of love, secrets, and the unexpected twists life throws our way. This novel is the result of so many late nights and passionate writing sessions, and I’m proud to say it’s now available for you to dive into. You can purchase it right here on my website.

This blog will be a mix of all things books, and probably a few random musings about life, storytelling, and everything in between. Think of it as a cozy chat over coffee (or tea, if that’s more your thing!).

I’d love to hear from you—whether it’s about books, writing, or just to say hello! Drop a comment, connect with me on social media, or sign up for my Readers’ Group so we can keep in touch.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

Love,

Raynette xx