Small Town Stories with Big Hearts: Interview with Charis Rae

Hey, friends! Today I'm here with an amazing middle-grade writer, blogger, and friend—Charis Rae! After months of following her blog and gorgeous Instagram, I met Charis at the Author Conservatory, where we're both students. This interview was such a great opportunity to get to know Charis a bit better and learn some fun things about her and her current project. And when you're done with this, head over to Charis's blog to see yours truly get interviewed about my current historical fantasy project!

Without further ado, let's get started! 🙂

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Hi, Charis! So lovely to have you here today. Would you mind introducing yourself?

Of course! I’m Charis Rae, a daughter of God, Middle-Grade author, fiction editor, professional bookworm, and breakfast enthusiast. I write small-town stories with big hearts, and I believe there’s magic to be found in everyday life.

And to start off, what was the first story you’ve written, and what was it about?

The first story I recall writing was called “The King Who Went Threw Much.” (That exact spelling.) I still kinda love that title, haha! It consisted of stick figure illustrations written on cardstock, and all the words were in my head. I ended up writing an entire 7-book series that ended with the king being killed and the kingdom destroyed.

What got you into writing in the first place?

I attribute my love of writing to my love of reading… and for that, I have to thank my parents. I started “reading” from the time I could sit up, which back then just involved babbling at picture books. My early years of homeschooling involved a lot of read-alouds, audiobooks, and personal reading.

As a kid, I played a lot outside with my siblings, neighbors, and friends. We made up our own stories and even acted out real books like A Series of Unfortunate Events. I honestly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t reading or writing something!

What writing projects are you currently working on, and what are they about?

Right now I’m writing a historical fiction called Footprints In Your Heart. It follows Nina, a ten-year-old girl who hops the rails with a band of hobos, searching for her sister in the midst of The Great Depression. Unfortunately for Nina, her sister’s new life is not what she expected, and she finds herself wondering if reuniting is what’s best after all.

I’m also working on a novella I’m self-publishing sometime next year! It’s in the very early planning stages, but I’m already in love with it. Unfortunately it’s top secret for now!

Let’s talk a bit about Footprints In Your Heart. What was one difficulty you faced during the process, and what helped you overcome it?

Footprints In Your Heart is the hardest story I’ve written to date for many reasons. In particular, I struggled to connect with the story and the characters. As someone who usually loves the stories I write, I thought that my lack of passion meant I was doing something wrong.

I learned from talking to Nadine Brandes that this is a completely normal feeling. She felt the same way while writing Fawkes. This was a hard truth for me to accept at first. But after months of working on the project, I can genuinely say that I’m falling in love with my story despite its imperfections and my own initial lack of enthusiasm.

If you could describe your project in three scents, what would they be?

Ooh, I love this! Footprints In Your Heart would be pine trees, earth, and wind. The book involves a lot of outdoor travel and hard work.

What are some fun, little-known facts about your current project?

I’ve dubbed myself an “aesthetics writer,” and all of my story ideas start as an image or sound. For example, Footprints In Your Heart began with hearing the local train whistling through the valley. My novella started as the mental pictures of a boy and a dog walking down an alley.

Who is your favorite bookish character and why?

I think my favorite book character is Bilbo Baggins. I relate to his wanting to stay in his comfort zone, and I love seeing how he blossoms into a hero by the end of The Hobbit. It’s one of my favorite stories that I read every year!

Who is your least favorite bookish character and why?

Early this summer, I read Shadow and Bone in preparation for the Netflix show. I found the protagonist, Alina Starkov, extremely annoying and the typical “strong female character who can’t actually do anything.” After already reading Six of Crows which has amazing female characters, Alina was quite the disappointment.

Tell us a bit about the Author Conservatory! How did you first find out about it, and what’s your favorite part about it?

I’ve been involved with The Young Writer’s Workshop, an online program for Christian writers (fiction and nonfiction!) led by Brett Harris, Jaquelle Crowe, and Kara Swanson. The program has since branched out, offering an Academic track for highschool credit and the college alternative Author Conservatory.

I don’t honestly remember how I specifically found out about Author at first! I joined last summer, and it has been absolutely life-changing. My favorite part about the conservatory is building relationships with other writers—whether popular published authors like Nadine Brandes and Mary Weber or my fellow Author students! If not for Author, I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know Em as well as I do, and I certainly wouldn’t be here on her blog!

What is your heart message as an author, and how does it connect to your current writing project?

This world can be a dark place, especially for young people. I seek to capture and highlight the magic and wonder that’s in this world around us, to take a child by the hand and tell her she is loved, she is going to be okay, and that there is always a reason to hope.

If you had to choose fictional characters to go to the bookstore with, who would they be and why?

I would love to hang out with Anne Shirley and Hermione Granger. That would be one epic fangirl-y bookstore trip!

And lastly, do you have any encouragement for Christian teens?

In whatever you do, in all that you’re facing, God will make a way for you. I have seen this time and time again in my life, and even in just the past few months. When I’m feeling overwhelmed or anxious, God always shows up in ways I don’t expect. He’s done this from the beginning of time, and He’s doing it now for me and for you.

On a more practical note: take care of yourself! Drink lots of water, stay active, and trade your screen for the world outside your window.

Thank you SO much for this lovely time, Em! It’s been such a joy to get to work with you.

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Thank YOU so much for your time, Charis! It was lovely interviewing you.

I hope you all enjoyed this interview! Charis has been one of my biggest blogging role models, so I was really excited to be able to do an interview with her. Definitely check out the interview she did with me, and her amazing Instagram.

'Til next time!

~Em ✨ | E. C. Colton