Why do you write the genre that you write?
I’m hooked on puzzles and storytelling. Mysteries are puzzles in story form.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
Johanna’s assistant, Trinidad Owens, is from Trinidad and Tobago. She is challenged by the English language, oftentimes torturing its grammar and use, leading to much “missed-communication”. 

How did you come up with your pseudonym? 
My agent told me that men did not buy mystery books written by women. Hence, J.D. Robb, P.D. James, J.K Rowling. . .and R. Franklin James. But, I don’t think that’s true as much anymore.

Tell us how you got into writing?
I was 8 years old, writing stories of damsels in distress. My mother read 1001 Arabian Nights and like Scheherazade, she would enthrall us with cliffhangers. I wanted to tell stories like that.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you’ve became a writer?
I have been a public servant for most of my working career, except for a two year stint as a probate paralegal for a Bay Area law firm. I wrote on breaks, lunch hours and at home. After I retired, it took a little time to realize I could stop writing on breaks and lunch hours, and instead anytime I wanted.

Where do you write?
I have an office (converted bedroom) at home.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Gourmet Jelly Beans

What is next for you?
Vacation travel with my family–and of course, the next book in my new series.

What are you reading now?
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman and Runner by Tracy Clark

Where can we find you?
At Bouchercon 2022 in Minneapolis.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
Chocolate

Ice cream or cake
Cake

Broccoli or squash
Broccoli (and squash)

Pizza or burgers
Pizza

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
Dinner

Mountain or beach
Beach

City or country
Country . . . and City

Introvert or extrovert
Introvert

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Books, wine and a permanently charged cell phone

Are you excited about the upcoming movie based on your book?
Yes, I’m still in the clouds of disbelief, and I feel so blessed. It’s awesome.

Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For airs April 2, 2022

My bio:
Rae James grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. After a career in public policy, she was appointed Deputy Mayor for the City of Los Angeles. James has published seven books, winning a best fiction award from Northern California Publishers and Authors. Her Hollis Morgan Mysteries was sold to A&E/Lifetime for a TV movie series to be released in 2022. The Inheritance, the first book in her new Johanna Hudson Mystery series, was published in 2021. The second book in the series, Look Twice, will be released in 2022. James currently serves as Chair on the Bouchercon Board, a world-wide mystery convention. She is a member of Sisters-In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and Northern California Publishers and Authors. James lives in Northern California.