WPS Author Interview Day 27: Rayne Hawthorne
Welcome to day 27 of the Wonderland Pride Spotlight author interviews! Today I am interviewing Rayne Hawthorne. To see all of the spotlight posts created by my lovely community, head over to the hashtag #wonderlandpridespotlight over on Instagram!
Rayne's Books
The Interview
1. Are you LGBTQ+? If so, how?
"I am! I am a nonbinary, demi/ace human."
2. What books of yours have LGBTQ+ representation, and what rep do they have?
"All of my books have LGBTQI+ rep! The Embrace of Evergreen also has demi rep, and the last book in the same trilogy (releasing fall 2025) has pansexual rep."
3. Why do you think LGBTQ+ rep in books is important?
"I grew up in the 80s, in a small conservative place. I don't think I ever even heard the word gay until I was in my late teens, and I certainly never learned about any other identities until much later in life. Even though I've read voraciously throughout my life, I never even encountered these things in books. It wasn't until I was in my early 30s that I realized just what just how amazing and wide the spectrum of gender and sexuality can be, and only then did I finally manage to realize that the way I feel about them myself doesn't make me strange or broken. The ability to access books with characters we can personally identify with can help us learn to understand ourselves, feel less alone, and develop a stronger sense of empathy for folks that hold different intersectionalities than we do."
4. What got you into writing?
"I've enjoyed reading and writing my entire life. Essays were always my favorite school projects as far back as I can remember. The older I've gotten, though, the harder it's been to find books (especially romance novels) with characters I can relate to. I don't find characters in their 30s and 40s nearly as often as I do coming-of-age stories, or university-aged romances. So, I decided to write one myself. It turned into something that was quite well received and that I absolutely loved writing...so I kept going!"
5. Who is a queer figure you look up to?
"In truth, I look up to all queer individuals, no matter what that looks like for them, especially those that choose to live loud and visibly. Even though I'm in my 40s now, visibility is still something I struggle with. While it's not always safe or possible for many, every single person who is brave enough to live their lives authentically is a hero to me."
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