Inside the Heart of Dark Romantasy: An Interview with Rebecca A. Raine
Inside the Heart of Dark Romantasy: An Interview with Rebecca A. Raine
There are stories that entertain, and there are stories that haunt—ones that echo long after the last page, settling into your bones like truth. To Burn in Rapture, the upcoming dark romantasy novella by Rebecca A. Raine, is already one of those stories.
When I first came across the novella, something inside me stirred. There was a rawness, an ache, a whisper of love and sorrow so human it felt holy. As a reader drawn to stories that explore the ache of love, the weight of choice, and the beauty in sorrow, I knew I had to reach out.
Rebecca’s work is already resonating deeply with readers—even before its official release on June 1st. As part of a new interview series on my blog, where I dive into the minds of authors who write love that devours and characters who bleed with meaning, I had the honor of asking her a few questions. What followed was a conversation rooted in passion, truth, and the creative courage it takes to tell stories that cut deep.
Here is our full exchange.
Lunara: 1. Rebecca, would you like to share what inspires you to write all-or-nothing, soul-consuming love stories? Is it a creative fascination, or are your words rooted in personal experience?
Rebecca: We are taught, from a very young age, to hide from our emotions instead of feeling them, and a way I've always chosen to express mine is through writing, either poetry or stories. As I've become older, it's a side of myself I've grown to love and express more freely. There's so much joy in expressing from the heart, and my hope is always that others will feel that through my writing. So, my inspiration comes from my heart/experiences, curiosity to explore and ART. I love art rooted in love; paintings, music, novels, poetry etc. When you find a story that perfectly encapsulates how you've experienced an emotion, it's so affirming.
Lunara: 2. In one of your recent posts, you spoke about quitting your job to pursue writing full-time. What is the source of that strength—the thing that makes you willing to give everything up for your stories? What inspires you to that extent?
Rebecca: Regret inspires me, haha. I'm a bit of a philosophical thinker, and one of the thoughts that often runs around in my head is "I'd hate to not do XYZ based on fear." The worst thing I could imagine is coming to the end of my life and realising I achieved nothing of what I wanted to do! Luckily, I have a very supportive family and friend base, and they were all on board for this adventure, aka they had no choice. One thing my friends and family know about me is that if they tell me not to do something, it only makes me want to do it more. I also found a fantastic person who I talk to regularly about this writing endeavour and life in general, she keeps me sane.
Also, stories have always inspired me. They are what I'm passionate about. I personally believe creativity is one of our greatest assets as humans, along with the ability to love fiercely.
Lunara: 3. To Burn in Rapture is a story built on powerful contrasts. As one of the lines from the novella says, it's about “a human who’s immortal, and a god with humanity.” What draws you to such paradoxes?
Rebecca: The larger the contrast, the stronger the pull. Having constraints based on the story builds it up for greater emotions and higher stakes, and I love having the tug of war between characters. Angst and yearning are what I live for.
Lunara: 4. In your novella releasing June 1st, Sabine's voice carries a haunting loneliness—destined to watch lovers unite while never knowing love for herself. When you write such lines, do you feel like Sabine, or does her ache echo something of the Rebecca who created her?
Rebecca: It's reminiscent of a collective loneliness, an emotion we all experience at one time or another. What I love about Sabine is that even though she watches others experience these things she may never have, she never gives up on having them with Janus. She knows she is never truly alone. She will always have him. That's why he chose the nickname he did.
Lunara: 5. “Death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a human. I’m living proof of that.” —a quote from your novella. Could you expand on this for your readers? Do you truly believe that death can be easier than living?
Rebecca: This only applies in Sabine's situation as an "immortal human". In context to the story, there's life again after death, so Sabine sees that as an escape, a new start. She's stuck forever, which she believes is the worst thing possible. She's also very jaded to life and death because she has lived for nearly 3000 years. This quote is proof of that.
From a "mortal perspective", I will always advocate for life. Death is not an easy option. As someone who has a deep understanding of mental health issues and struggles, I always advocate that people get the help they need by talking and reaching out to professionals who offer support in that space.
Lunara: 6. Can you tell us about the first time you knew, deep in your heart, that being an author was your true calling? Not your first book or story—but the moment you realized this was it?
Rebecca: To be completely honest, this is not something I can remember. I've always been passionate about stories, and in high school, when I started finding romance novels, I grew obsessed and knew I was going to do that when I was older, and that idea has never wavered.
Lunara: 7. For readers of To Burn in Rapture who haven’t read Sing Me Awake, could you share a little about your earlier work and how it connects—or contrasts—with your upcoming novella?
Rebecca: Sing Me Awake is a why choose romantasy. It still has elements of emotional trauma and morally grey characters, but it isn't a dark romantasy. I love the why choose genre, and I wanted to write a romantasy that spoke to me because I was having a hard time finding one, so this book was my answer to that. If you are new to why choose my readers have told me this is a perfect starting ground as it's a very soft landing into that genre.
Dove, the FMC, starts off beaten down but still hopeful, and Sing follows the journey of Dove finding that inner strength and love again after spending years barricading her heart. Her love interests include a fae prince, wolf shifter and fallen god!
Sing Me Awake is book one in the trilogy, with book two, Sing Me Free, coming out around August.
In my stories, the FMCs are fierce, and the love interests are always out to protect them.
Lunara: 8. Are there any quotes from To Burn in Rapture that speak to you the most? Lines that linger with you, even beyond the page?
Rebecca: One of my favourites from To Burn in Rapture is "God or bust!" It's such a me thing to say, like all or nothing. But, there are truly so many I could go on forever.
Also, when Janus calls Sabine his salvation, he's my Roman Empire!
Lunara: 9. For aspiring indie authors: could you talk about the more difficult sides of the publishing world? The exhaustion of endless edits, the emotional toll—what do you wish more people understood?
Rebecca: It's an endless juggle of writing, editing, marketing, emails, design, edits, random admin, and more edits. There's so much to do and not enough hours in the day, especially if this is not your only job. I "work" every day now. There's no switch off, but in saying all that, I LOVE IT!!!
The best part about being an author is that you can take it at your own speed, so if you want to start off slowly, do that. If you want to come in all guns blazing, do that. The best advice I can give is to listen to your heart. Do what is right for you. Take what advice you need and leave the rest at the door because the stories that come through you. The ones you write are amazing and need to be heard by someone.
Writing and storytelling are so magical, and I can't believe I'm actively involved in them every day. I'm an author, and that title will always be front and centre for me from now on.
Lunara: 10. Lastly, is there anything you'd like to say to your readers and reviewers? We’d love to hear from you—heart to heart.
Rebecca: I love feeling seen when I read another author's work, and that's what I hope for my readers. I write relatable FMCS (Yes, Sabine might be unhinged, but so am I, depending on my mood, haha). And I write MMCS that make you believe in love, passion, and being treated like a Goddess, because you deserve it! My stories may be wrapped up in fun tropes and fantastical worlds, but at the core there's always a deeper meaning.
ALSO, I say this ALL the time, but I'm very grateful to every single reader who takes the time to read my work and recommend it to others. Word of mouth is the biggest avenue for stories being seen. Readers trust readers, so when you show love to my work, it excites me for the future of where my stories could go. It just takes one recommendation and one post for a story to go wide, and that's incredible. So I'm endlessly thankful to everyone who shares my work xx
Final Thoughts
What struck me most about Rebecca A. Raine’s responses is the sincerity threading through each line—the blend of artistic hunger and personal truth. In a world where dark romantasy often deals in shadows, Rebecca writes with a lantern held high: not to banish the dark, but to illuminate what still burns within it.
Her voice is unflinchingly honest, just like her characters. And that’s what makes To Burn in Rapture feel not just like a story—but a mirror.
You can follow Rebecca A. Raine on Instagram and preorder To Burn in Rapture now. (Links mentioned below)
More interviews with emotionally raw, powerfully romantic storytellers to come.
Until then—read with your whole heart.
With light,
Lunara
IMPORTANT LINKS
Book Review Link: https://arsslongavitabrevis.blogspot.com/2025/05/to-burn-in-rapturea-book-review.html
Preorder Link(Amazon.com): https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Rapture-Dark-Romantasy-Novella-ebook/dp/B0DWSH8NHG
Author’s social account: https://www.instagram.com/r.a.raineauthor?igsh=cDhoaXF5MXNndXZk
Spicy Book art🌶️: https://www.instagram.com/p/DI1xyq3Rxcd/?img_index=1&igsh=Zm1tMnRkb3FoOXp6
Add the book on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228005948
Add the book on Fable: https://fable.co/book/to-burn-in-rapture-dark-romantasy-novella-by-ra-raine-9781763802445
Quotes spoiler: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJoswIJsAqk/?igsh=MWZ3b3cycGhwaTF0Ng==
Follow the blog for more such posts. Happy Reading💕
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