Author Rae Knightly is not who she says she is. The best-selling children’s book author writes under a pen name. And she chose the name because Rae refers to Rey from Star Wars and Knightly refers to a fantasy/science-fiction combination of the words knight and night. The Canadian resident is a master at weaving together high-stakes plots that take readers on a gripping adventure. Her award-winning work, The Alien Skill Series, has sold more than 50,000 copies. But she didn’t stop there. Last fall, she released the young-adult, dystopian novel, The Knowledge Seeker, to an audience of excited fans. Will she finally disclose her real name? Read on to find out.

 

I chatted with Rae to ask eleven questions that will give you an inside look at the author behind the books.

 

1. Do you think there is life on other planets?

 

Go for a walk on a beach. Pick up a grain of sand. That’s Earth. Now look at the rest of the beach. That’s the Universe. It would be egotistical to think that the Universe exists just for us. So, is there life on other planets? Of course there is! We have already found 5017 exoplanets in our neighborhood. With time, maybe we’ll find a way to determine if there is on life on some of them. By the way, ‘life’ doesn’t have to mean ‘little green Martians’ or ‘humanoids’. It can also mean some sort of bacteria, algae, insect, or moss. Now, whether intelligent alien life has already visited Earth is an entirely different question, to which I don’t (yet) have an answer. You can ask Ben Archer, though…

 

2. What is one piece of advice you have for other writers?

 

Trust your imagination! It’s what readers are searching for.

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3. If we had a space program that offered trips to the moon, would you go?

 

Nope. Sorry. When I was little, I wanted to become an astronomer. That’s the person who studies the Universe sitting safely behind a computer on Earth. I didn’t want to become an astronaut, which is the heroic person who gets flung into space. I’m a bit of a wimp, so I’d rather send someone like Ben to explore in my stead. He’s a lot braver than I am!

 

4. What are you currently reading?

 

I just finished reading Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend and it’s absolutely brilliant! The author’s wonderful, imaginative writing takes the reader into a boundless world of fantasy. I highly recommend it for readers of Harry Potter and Keeper of the Lost Cities. Now I just started Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi.

 

5. What do you like to do on your days off?

 

A day off? What’s that? Just kidding! But, honestly, you don’t get a day off when you do something that you love. You want to do it every day - all the time! I’m very fortunate that I am able to work every day on my books. That said, I do love to take a break and explore the region where I live, as there is so much to see. There isn’t a lake or river or beach or mountain that looks the same, and I want to discover them all. I will always wonder: what’s behind that hill, and the next one, and the next…?

 

6. When did you first realize you wanted to write a book?

 

I first wanted to write a book around the age of 12. I ran out of books to read in the local library and wasn’t quite ready for young adult books (the library didn’t have many, anyway), so I had to resort to creating my own stories. However, it took me another thirty years before I was able to fulfill my wish of writing a book, most of all because I had finally reached a wise (?) and noble (?) age where I felt more knowledgeable, mature, driven, focused, and I was able to overcome the fear of getting my work judged by others.

 

7. Do you ever get writer’s block, and if so, what do you do to help?

 

I do get writer’s block and - although it’s very annoying - I’ve also come to accept it as part of the writing process. It’s OK to let the mind rest for a while. It’s OK to focus on other things. When I get stuck and the words don’t flow, I don’t force it. I go for walks, read, watch movies, and socialize. But when inspiration strikes, it strikes hard, and then I need to set loose a flood of words. Some other tricks I use is to write a random first sentence to get over the fear of the blank page, or I’ll listen to inspirational music that sets me in the mood of the story.

 

8. What’s the best part about being a writer?

 

The best part about being a writer is gifting people with an emotional adventure. When readers tell me that they continued to think about the book after they finished it, then I know I did a good job.

 

9. Aside from your own covers, do you have a favorite book cover?

 

Many of Rick Riordan’s covers are stunning, such as The Hidden Oracle or The Tower of Nero. I also love the new Dune cover by Frank Herbert: it’s simple, yet captivating. The Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee and Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman are also two fantastic covers.

 

10. Will you reveal your real name?

 

Artists don’t reveal their secrets! LOL! But, seriously, Rae Knightly is my store name, my brand name, my Hollywood alias, my superhero alter-ego. Cool things happen under that name! As for me, I enjoy the more down-to-Earth things that don’t need the limelight, such as watching a movie with my husband, playing in the park with my kids, or snuggling in a sofa with a good book, reading socks and Sleepytime tea. And, besides, Rae Knightly is a fun name, don’t you think?

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11. What are you working on now?

 

I’m working on a new science-fiction series called The Lost Space Treasure, which I will publish in late 2022 /early 2023. It takes place in the same universe as Ben Archer, but has a completely separate storyline. Whereas Ben Archer is mostly based on Earth, The Lost Space Treasure takes place in a galaxy far, far away… I can’t wait to tell you more about it!

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To find out more about Rae's books visit  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G3LRJJ5

Connect with her on Instagram @raeknightly

On Facebook at www.facebook.com/alienskillseries

On Twitter @RaeKnightly

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