About R J Samuel
R J Samuel was born in Nigeria to Indian parents. She spent many years qualifying to be a medical doctor first in Nigeria, then Ireland, but ran away from home to do a Masters in IT. She settled on IT as a career rather than Medicine as she thought computers might be more logical than people, but that hasn't always proven to be the case.
She remained in Ireland for many years, apart from a few years in the southwest of France where she ran a restaurant-bar despite having absolutely no interest in restaurants, except for eating in them.
Her published novels—Heart Stopper, The Vision Painter series (Falling Colours, Casting Shadows), A Place Somewhere, and An Outsider Inside—are set in Ireland, India, and America. An Outsider Inside won the 2018 Ann Bannon Popular Choice Award and the Tee Corinne Cover Design Award. The Vision Painter series received an Honorable Mention in the 2013 Rainbow Awards, and A Place Somewhere was a finalist for the Ann Bannon Popular Choice and the Tee Corinne Cover Design Awards.
She also publishes poetry and personally-sung songs under the name "rejini," and AI-collaborated musical works under "Lyrics by Rejini." Her debut poetry collection, Write You Away: Love in Three Acts, reached #2 on Amazon's poetry charts. She performs improv with her team "Invisible."
She considers herself almost Irish, almost Indian, and almost American. She now lives in Atlanta where she is the founder and minister at Wild Grace Sanctuary near Lithonia, Georgia, caring for rescued animals on eighteen acres of land dedicated to creativity, animals, and spiritual practice. On the same land, she founded Chara Community, offering improv retreats, writing workshops, and creative intensives for artists and seekers.