Author Raina C. Smith does it all – supernatural, mystery, even sci-fi. The best part? She lives right here in Rhode Island, and she uses that to her advantage.

Growing up in North Scituate and now residing in Cranston, Smith has always been fascinated with everything Rhode Island has to offer, and so it was a no-brainer to make the state the primary setting in many of her stories. “I love Rhode Island’s deep history and picturesque landscape, and I enjoy finding ways to weave it all throughout my stories,” Smith said. “There’s so much to introduce readers to.”

Though Smith has a passion for writing, it was not always her life goal. She received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Rhode Island College and was a news reporter with various broadcast outlets for seven years. It was covering so many “heavy stories” that made her tap into her creativity in order to unearth questions she had about humanity.

 “As a reporter, I saw such a negative segment of society that it made me wonder about the true nature of humankind, and I wanted to tell a story about the choices that everyone has when making decisions that impact their lives as well as that of others,” Smith said.

Smith also credits a lot of her creativity to her father, Edwin J. Smith Jr., to whom she dedicated her 2023 novel ”The Earth Consented.” Growing up, her father, a lover of science fiction, was always watching TV shows and movies like ”Star Trek,” “Star Wars,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Battlestar Galactica.” He would talk openly with her about the possibility that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe. “He knew there was more to our world than what we see to be our reality, and he gave me permission to think outside the constructs of society’s view of our place in the universe,” she said.

Writing has become something Smith does whenever she has a moment to herself, and she got her first book, “The 13th Apostle,” published in 2011. She set out to tell a story of a higher power looking down on Earth and seeing the destruction that humankind has wrought. This book tells that story through an angel named Glenn who comes down to Earth to determine if humanity is beyond saving. Smith has published five novels since – with her most recent in February – and all have sought to answer similar questions about humanity. In doing research for her novels, Smith says she has managed to discover much more about the human condition than she previously knew. She has become increasingly passionate about reincarnation and the idea of other realities, themes that are pursued throughout her novels.

Since she is so passionate about her writing, Smith has taken to self-publishing her novels to maintain full control. Though the process can be tricky, she says there are more positives than negatives to the approach. She credits her success so far to a combination of stories resonating with readers, word of mouth and her current career in marketing. She says that the number of readers she has reached has surpassed her expectations, including readers from other countries, which always gives her a thrill.

Smith’s most recent book, “The Vampire – A Covenant for Peace,” is a sequel to her 2018 story “The Vampire.” She notes that this is not your typical vampire story, as the main vampire, Rex, is not a bloodthirsty supernatural being. Smith describes him as being conflicted about his nature and dealing with an internal struggle to grasp his humanity. Though he claims human lives in order to feed like an average vampire, he seeks out only those he deems unworthy of life in order to satiate his appetite, seeing it as a public service.

As with all her novels, Smith’s sequel explores questions about humanity, specifically within the character of Rex, perpetually torn between the human and supernatural worlds.

When Smith got reader feedback on this long-awaited sequel, she was pleasantly surprised to learn that readers loved it even more than the first one. At the moment, she is taking a break from writing but explained that she has written a full chapter of a third book in the series, in which a particularly exciting scene takes place.

 “WBZ Book Club” with Jordan Rich recently ran a feature on Smith and goes into more detail about “The Vampire – A Covenant for Peace” as well as her other books.

“Jordan’s insight and storytelling appreciation make this recognition especially meaningful, and I am deeply grateful for his endorsement,” Smith said. Her segment is now streaming nationwide on iHeartRadio.

For more about author Raina C. Smith and her work, visit her website at rainasmith.com.