Get ready to learn more about the book The Power of Rain in this discussion with sapphic author Rosalie Rayburn.
Join us for an exclusive peek behind the scenes as we quiz Rosalie Rayburn about The Power of Rain, writing, reading, and more.
This book is part of the New Mexico category in the 2026 IHS Reading Challenge.
Why did you write The Power of Rain?
I spent years reporting on political fights over development in New Mexico, and I wanted to show how respect for the environment is vital in a landscape increasingly threatened by drought. The US is now seeing environmental protections being rolled back. I believe it is important to remind readers why it is vital to protect the unique desert environment. I love New Mexico and its culture passionately.
Who is your favorite character in the book?
My main character is Elizabeth “Digger” Doyle. I am very fond of Digger but I realize my favorite character is Abuela, the grandmother of Digger’s girlfriend, Maria Ortiz. Abuela is a former civil rights protester who marched with Dolores Huerta. She is the wise old crone who inspires Maria’s protesting spirit, who took Maria in when her parents rejected her for being a lesbian. Abuela offers Digger the home she lost when her parents were killed in a car crash. Like me, Abuela loves to cook New Mexican dishes like green chile stew. Unlike me, Abuela is from an old Hispanic family in New Mexico. My family hailed from Ireland.
What inspired the idea for The Power of Rain?
I spent years as a reporter for the Albuquerque Journal covering city and county government. Public meetings are like a form of live theater. You see the character of individual local politicians, and you see the prejudices of people who want to complain. When a summer storm caused widespread damage in the community, I observed the rift that ensued between the old Hispanic families and the newcomers. I thought I could use that fight as the backdrop for a personal drama and love story between Elizabeth “Digger” Doyle, an Anglo reporter and the fiery Hispanic artist activist, Maria Ortiz.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
The area of New Mexico where I lived is called “the high desert”. Rain is rare and precious. Everyone depends on the short July and August “monsoon” season. I remember colleagues at work would be giddy with excitement when we heard rain on the skylight of the newsroom. However, summer storms can often be so powerful and violent that they cause devastating damage. The working title for this book was “Rain is a Two-Faced God.” My editor didn’t like that. She suggested The Power of Rain. I think it was a good suggestion.
How much research did you need to do for The Power of Rain?
I used my background and experience as a reporter for many of the details on the way public meetings are conducted. I had to do a lot of research on the architecture and building methods for adobe houses, and legal requirements for road building. Maria if fighting a controversial road extension that would threaten a historic Spanish chapel.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
I have written two more books in the Digger Doyle series. In The Sunshine Solution, Digger and Maria get married. Digger investigates a solar energy scam, and Maria runs for election as a state representative. In Windswept, Digger investigates the suspicious death at a wind farm of Maria’s political mentor, State Rep. Carmen Lawlor. Her stance on renewable energy earned her powerful enemies in the oil and gas industry. Lawlor is also linked to an unsolved cold case, the mysterious disappearance of a teenager in a notorious volcanic wilderness.
What is your writing process like?
I start with an overall outline, chapter by chapter. I plan the arc of the story, but I often make adjustments as I work. I usually write notes at the end of a writing session so that I know where to pick up in the next session. I often think up plot details when I wake in the middle of the night. With each book, I have shifted more into the mystery genre. The last book was a murder mystery. I would probably waste less time if I plotted each step in more detail, but I like the flexibility of discovering where my characters will go. They often surprise me.
Do you have a pet who helps/hinders your typing?
I have a dog named Divina. She was abandoned in the village where I moved in Portugal in 2019. She is a tan-colored Podengo, a type of Portuguese hunting dog. I estimate she is now about eight years old. She is very energetic and demands several walks a day. During our post-breakfast walk, we often encounter the local bakery delivery van. The driver started giving Divina a piece of roll each morning and now she and the “bread lady” have a truly loving relationship. While I love being out with Divina, and she was wonderful company during the isolation of the Covid years, her need for frequent walks does get in the way of my writing time.
What animal or object best represents you as an author or your writing style?
I have never thought about myself as an animal. However, faced with this question, I think of an Irish setter. They are energetic, whimsical, and they love exploring the land. I am an energetic person, and I love walking in nature. That is when I get many of my best writing ideas. Many of my readers say that the New Mexico landscape is like another character in my Digger Doyle books.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing, and by whom?
Show don’t tell. This is the advice I received when I was part of a writing group. We would meet twice monthly and share and critique our work. The editor who ran the group would often say, “I want to smell something, I want to know what background sounds there are, what does this taste like?: Those were helpful questions. When I write, I try to see the scene in my mind, I try to imagine what the characters are wearing, what they are eating, and all the other details that show the “senses” in a scene.
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
I take a walk in nature and try to immerse myself in my surroundings. That way I can decouple from stresses and begin to drift. That helps me “be” in my characters, feel what they are feeling, how they react to what they have just been told or what they hear or see.
What author in your genre do you most admire, and why?
I love Kathy Reichs. She writes crisp, fast paced mysteries with snappy dialog. I love her character Temperance Brennan and the forensic details. I also love Sue Grafton and her character Kinsey Milhone because she is down to earth and relates to a quirky cast of minor characters. She also takes time to eat and sleep, unlike some detectives who never seem to have time to do any normal activities. One editor compared my main character, Digger Doyle, to Kinsey Milhone.
Have you ever cried when writing an emotional scene?
Yes. In The Power of Rain, Digger Doyle confronts the driver who caused the fatal crash that killed her parents. I have suffered a personal loss through the death of a close family member, and writing this scene touched me deeply. Digger is angry because the driver got off with a slap on the wrist because his father was a sheriff. But she is finally able to have sympathy for him because she sees that he, too, has suffered with the guilt all these years.
Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters?
Yes. I am madly attracted to Digger’s girlfriend, Maria Ortiz. She is beautiful, romantic, sensuous, and fiery. She is a fabulous Latin dancer. When I started creating her, I thought of the first woman I ever had a lesbian relationship with; she was all those things. I even think of the terms of endearment she used to use.
What type of books do you enjoy reading the most?
Nowadays, I mostly listen to audiobooks because I can enjoy them when I am driving or cooking. I love mysteries that have emotional depth and portray a unique setting. My favorite books in recent years were: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. I also love the Tony Hillerman Jim Chee mysteries because they show Navajo culture and traditions.
What books did you grow up reading?
When I was first learning to read, I devoured the Nancy Drew mysteries. I loved them because she was a smart, independent, sassy young woman who didn’t take no for an answer. I think that helped me when I started to create the main character of Elizabeth “Digger” Doyle.
Do you only read books in one genre or do you genre hop?
Yes, I read or listen to mysteries or legal procedurals such as those by Michael Connelly or Lee Childs. I also enjoy nonfiction such as “What Happened to You” by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry. I found it helped explain much about the effects of trauma. I like books about social and political trends, such as “Dark Money” by Jane Mayer.
