My 2nd Interview with Misty Rae, From Vocal Challenge Winner To Best Selling Author

Misty Rae is a writer with a special passion for Black History. That passion stems from her mixed racial background. Her father was Black and the family are the descendants of slaves from South Carolina 's rice coast.

She is married to an artist who paints, Carl Parker. Carl Parker adores and supports his wife's dreams.

Fun Facts: Rudy and Fawn keep Misty Rae and her husband Carl Parker busy and entertained at home.

Mariann: Good Morning, Misty Rae. How many books have you published?When did you published your 1st book?


Misty Rae: To answer your first question, I 've published 2 books. The first, I Ran So You Could Fly (The Paris O'Ree Story) was published at the end of August, 2024. Moments Make the Man was published late last year.

Mariann: : What is Ran So You Could Fly ( The Paris O'Ree Story)" about?

Misty Rae: First, I have to say that I Ran So You Could Fly (The Paris O'Ree Story) is historical fiction. It's based on the life of my 6th great grandfather, Paris O'Ree, He really did exist. The bare bones of the story are true, the dates, the locations, the world events, etc. He was a slave on a South Carolina rice plantation and ran away at 15 to join the British Forces in the American Revolution. The novel is about his journey from slave boy to soldier to free man in a new land.

Mariann: What are Moments Make The Man about?

Misty Rae: Moments Make the Man is also fiction. It's based, for the most part, on the stories my father used to tell me about his life growing up poor and Black in the 1930s, 40s and beyond, in Atlantic Canada. My father told the best stories and he always wanted me to write them down. It was a promise I made him before he died in 1994.

I have to add as well that the timing of Moments Make the Man is deliberate. There's a very strong undercurrent running through the book. Each story, or chapter, if you will, deals with a moment in a boy or man's life. I wanted to provide a different look, a positive look at what a man is, what masculinity is. I think that's very important now, especially with all the criticism of men and boys and the male mental health crisis. They need to see real,.positive role models, with real strength and real flaws.

Mariann: Have you received any recognition from your published books?

Misty Rae: They seem to be well received. I Ran So You Could Fly (The Paris O'Ree Story) spent several weeks on the bestseller list on Amazon and even was number 1 for a time. Imagine that little old me with a best seller.

Right now, I'm opening up dialogue with various schools and districts to potentially use I Ran So You Could Fly in high school English and social studies classes as source material for Black History and social justice studies. And I'm exploring the book's potential to be optioned for a TV movie or miniseries here in Canada. It's early days yet, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

Mariann: What other marketing strategies do you use in promoting your books?

Misty Rae: Mostly, I let other people do that for me. I'm not very good at marketing. I post on social media, of course, make reels, etc, but the best form of marketing for me has been word of mouth. When people pick up a book and fall in love with it, they tell other people.

Mariann: How many reads do you have on Vocal? What are you must proud of being a Vocal member?

Misty Rae: I never had many reads on Vocal. I'm not sure why. I've won and placed in, wow, I don't even know how many challenges and have had dozens of Top Stories, but the reads, in terms of volume...not there. Now I have 7635 reads on Vocal. I hardly ever write there anymore. Initially, I became disillusioned with how the site was being run and the very obvious cliquey nature of challenge wins/top stories, bullying of other members, etc. That seems to have resolved itself and now, I just don't have time.

As far as what I'm most proud of...Vocal is where I got my start as a writer and I'll always be grateful for that. It's where I dipped my toe in, sharing my words for the first time.with the world. It's where I gained my confidence to take my writing to the next level. If I hadn't joined, I wouldn't have 2 novels and I wouldn't be in 2 Chicken Soup for the Soul books now.

Fun Facts: Misty Rae have her stories published in a few Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Her First one is "Don't Pick Me, I'll Pick You". Its's about how they got Rudy. The Second one is "How I Stopped Being a People Pleaser and Found Myself".

Mariann: What AI do you use to create your reels and promotion videos?


Misty Rae: Most times, I don't use AI at all. For Moments Make the Man, the video is a series of real family photos, newspaper clippings, etc. I put them together in Canva.

For I Ran So You Could Fly, the background is a photo I took. The clips of Paris were created in Soro AI and then I put everything together in Canva.

Mariann: What do you want your readers to know about you as a writer?

Misty: Rae: Oh, wow, that's a good question. I guess, I would want people to know a few things. First, if I can do it, so can they. I never shared a word I wrote until I started writing on Vocal back in 2021 (I think). Everything started from there.

And I suppose I'd want people.to know that I write from the heart and craft characters who are intentionally imperfect, like we all are. When you walk away having read one of my books, I want you to feel like you've met a good friend, like you've just spent time sitting
on the porch listening to that old friend regale you with their tales.

Mariann: What's your next goal in life?

Misty Rae: Hmmm, I have so many. Like I mentioned earlier, I'd like to see my books, especially I Ran So You Could Fly (The Paris O'Ree Story) in schools. It offers a very different perspective of Black History that most don't know about. In Canada, we often don't tell our own stories, we rely on American Black history. This book explores the life of a Black.Loyalist from a Canadian perspective.

Likewise, Moments Make the Man explores Black History and masculinity through a distinctly Canadian lens.

So the goals are to see how far I can take these books in Schools, in movies, and you name it.

I'm also working on my 3rd and 4th novels.

And, I recently started my own publishing imprint, Paint and Pen Media Group. I'd really love to help other writers see their work in print and it turns out I have a knack for editing and coaching.

So, there is no single goal, just a series of smaller goals toward my eventual writing empire 😁