Local Author Publishes First Book

A Bainville resident has recently announced the release of her first novel. A farmer and wife to Alan for 39 years, Rayne Romo has always enjoyed fiction and her novel, Murder by the Book, is now available for purchase from Amazon or other retailers.

Writing a book about homicide may seem unique for a mother of two and grandmother to seven, but for Romo, it was a labor of love for both reading and writing. Born in Williston and graduating from Alexander, North Dakota, Romo is excited about her first publication. It was published officially on May 17. According to Romo, it took her three and a half months to write it.

The novel is about a homicide detective named Jake Long, who after years of trying to catch a serial killer, discovers that his daughter may be the key to solving the crimes. The character's daughter, Jenny, can hear from the dead, who then assist her and her father in discovering the identity of the killer. A story about crime and the paranormal, Romo and her friends believe that this book will tantalize and capture the reader's attention.

Romo explained her motivations to the Roundup, saying, "I'm just always interested in watching murder mysteries like Forensic Files and other shows. I figured it was a pretty good genre to be in. I also added in a little bit of the paranormal to make it more interesting. It's a bit of a hot topic out there, right now."

When asked if there were any authors or books who have particularly inspired her, Romo responded, "I read a lot of that genre. Not any one author inspired me, per se, but I read a lot of that type of stuff, along with romance. I grew up reading Nancy Drew. I guess it just stuck with me."

Self-publishing the book with Green Ivy Publishing, Romo plans a series to come from the novel.

"A series will be started of sorts," Romo claimed, "and there is going to be a sequel and I'm already recording my thoughts. I'm writing ideas now for the plot and various things to happen in the future."

Romo's family has been supportive of her endeavors.

"Alan is excited for me. He's helped me out, being a sounding board with some of my ideas and things like that. Also, my sisters have helped me out a lot. I sure appreciate them. My sister, Robyn, has helped me out with the marketing and I've found that to be especially helpful in this whole process."

At 200 pages, there is plenty of material in the work of fiction to captivate the reader.

One five-star review on Amazon said, "I was captivated from the beginning, and if I didn't have animals to tend to, I would have read it in one sitting. Very impressed with Rayne Romo's talent!! It truly is a must read!!!!"

Another review read, "Really enjoyed this book! Kept my interest right from the start. Fast read with interesting plot. Kept me on the edge of my seat!

Romo will be doing a book signing at the Sunrise Festival of the Arts on July 8 in Sidney.