RJ Blain

A long time ago, I grew up in a predominately white, Christian community. Meeting someone of a different skin color or religion was rare. It was also discussed, often, with fear and loathing.

Prejudice was alive and well there, and in so many ways, it still is.

It wasn’t until I left home and ventured to a new country that I learned the depth of my homeland’s hatred—and got to witness a gradual, slow, and painful shift. Day by day, under the cover of exaggerated media claiming progress isn’t being made, America is thawing, welcoming people from all around the world.

My name is RJ Blain, and I’m a white woman who writes about characters of all walks of life, and I do this not to appropriate someone else’s culture, but to send a very important message: I see you.

I see the black families living in the projects because they struggle to afford food. I see those of you who’ve made ketchup-packet soup because it’s nearly impossible to make money when you don’t have money. I see the new immigrant families, who barely speak English, struggling to blend their lifestyles with the reality of living in America.

I see the indigenous people and their sacred ground, fighting to preserve their history, their culture, and their land.

I’m not perfect, nor will I ever be. Reading about a culture and interacting with people will never equate to living their lives, walking in their shoes, and otherwise being them. No matter how many books I read, how many friends I make, and how hard I try, I will never fully understand what it means to be anything other than another straight white chick who writes books.

But, I write because I want to understand, I want to impress upon my readers that there’s a huge world out there, ripe for being explored and embraced. Every society has its problems. I showcase the good and the bad with every culture I pursue.

When I had the opportunity to join the Sigils & Spells crew to bring over twenty diverse fantasy novels to the market, I was excited. This was up my alley. I already wrote about cultural issues, especially the prejudices surrounding being different.

Books like these can change the world, open eyes, and bring awareness. They’re written to make you think.

I’ve done a lot of thinking while writing Whatever for Hire: a Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count.) The main character, Kanika, is a mix of Egyptian and Ruska Roma, who was brought to America as an infant. She’s neither black nor white, neither Egyptian nor Ruska Roma, and remains trapped between the facets of her identity as a person.

She’s American, but she’s so much more—and less—than that.

Writing her was a challenge, because I was forced to step outside my comfort zone and try to imagine a world far removed from my own.

I have learned a lot, and I hope that beneath the veneer of humor, action, adventure, romance, and bodies, you’ll be able to see the darker depths of our world—and the magic that happens when people overcome their differences and learn to embrace other societies, not to override or assimilate, but to admire, cherish, and love people for who they are rather than hate them for what they are not.

ABOUT RJ

RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.

When she isn’t playing pretend, she likes to think she’s a cartographer and a sumi-e painter.

In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.

Find her online: Facebook | Twitter | Website

A dangerously beautiful vision of unique worlds that’s sure to leave its mark.

Cross through the looking glass into Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Dystopian realms where you’ll meet valiant heroes, kick-ass heroines, and dangerous creatures waiting to unveil the hidden corners of the universe.

SIGILS & SPELLS includes more than twenty exclusive novels that roam the sands of Egypt, slip into the shadows of 1940s Los Angeles, voyage to the mystical land of Mabi, and dare to traverse the stars.

From the deserts of Africa to the streets of San Antonio, mythological adventurers strike out to discover brand new worlds and unravel the mysteries of Earth in a limited edition boxed set offering the diversity and originality you haven’t been able to find before now.

Including stories from…
Lori Titus
Kris Austen Radcliffe
USA Today bestselling authors Heather Marie Adkins and Alex Owens
Paul C Middleton and Lee Hayton
Rita Stradling
Eva Pohler
Lily Luchesi & Faith Marlow
M.R. Graham
Award-Winning author Carmen Fox
Tina Glasneck
Sedona Venez
J.N. Colon
Cheri Winters
USA Today bestselling author Katalina Leon
RJ Blain
USA Today bestselling author Cate Farren
Amy Evans
Catherine Banks
Award-Winning author V.A. Dold
Dylan Keefer
Award-Winning author Ali Cross
Michel Prince
Danny Bell
Tiana Laveen