Author Interview with Renee Blare

I'd like to introduce you all to a friend and critique partner, Renee Blare. 

Raised in Louisiana and Wyoming, Renee started writing poetry in junior high school and that, as they say, was that. After having her son, a desire to attend pharmacy school sent her small family to Laramie and she’s been counting pills ever since. While writing’s her first love, well, after the Lord and her husband, she also likes to fish and hunt as well as pick away on her classical guitar.
Nestled against the Black Hills with her husband, crazy old dog and ornery cat, she serves the community of northeastern Wyoming as a pharmacist and pens her Christian stories, keeping them interesting with action and intrigue, of course. She loves to interact with readers and invites you check out her website, blog, and social media.


Welcome, Renee! Please tell us about BEAST OF STRATTON.  
Beast of Stratton’s my debut novel and inspired by Beauty and the Beast. This book’s a romantic suspense with a taste of mystery. Relatively short at a little less than 150 pages in length, it moves quickly and will keep you flippin’ until the last word.


 When did you first start writing?
I began writing many years ago in junior high school. I wrote short stories and poetry. I prefer sonnets. I know, I’m old-fashioned. But it wasn’t until recently…say three or four years ago that I began to write novels.

I’d purchased a “Christian” book on Amazon. The reason I put it in quotes is that I don’t recall one thing about the book that was Christian. Nothing. In fact, it was filled with sex, profanity, and everything I’d attempted to avoid. Not reality…evil.

My poor husband took the brunt of my frustration. I ranted and vented at him for at least an hour about the trash on the market disguised as Christian novels. He listened and nodded…and then challenged me to write my own. It was like a slap to the face. That was the day I became a writer.


Wow. Talk about a call, huh? How long did you write before you were published?
From that day to the day I was published? I would have to say it’s been four years. Not easy years, but each day has been a soul-searching, sponge-like, busy day.

I took the thrashing from the nay-sayers and well-meaning scholars. You know, the ones who sit on their lofty thrones somewhere unseen and state only those with fancy degrees and people who’ve written for a thousand years are worthy to grace the halls of publication.

I was served the infamous rejection letters and cried tears of wounded pride. After all, who likes to hear their baby isn’t ready walk much less fly out of the house.

But I didn’t give up or assume I knew it all. I simply acknowledged the fact I didn’t know anything. And learned. I’m still learning. God’s showing me more each day. What? How to write better, edit better, market better…you name it! The day I stop learning is the day I stop breathing.

Renee's Writing Space

What does your writing space look like?
I actually write in my arm chair. I have a laptop and a TV tray serves as a desk. I also use my end table for a place to store all kinds of stuff from earphones to my cup of pens and Kindle. Hey, it works!

This started a couple of years ago when my shoulder froze. Yes, froze. I suffered with the most severe case of encapsulitis in my right shoulder the orthopedic specialist in Fort Worth had ever seen. And he was one of the premiere shoulder surgeons for the southern region. After two years of excruciating physical therapy and two surgeries to loosen the joint, I can now move it. Not with the 100% mobility, but close. God is good. 


What is next for you?
More books! The first book of my series, The Snowy Range Chronicles will be released in July by Prism Book Group. It’s called To Soar on Eagles Wings. I’m editing the second right now and will be writing the third shortly. Right now, I’m finishing up a novella I’m calling Racing Hearts. It’s under contract with Prism Book Group as well.

The Lord is so good. I’ll keep writing and putting His message out there. God is good.

Sounds like you have some exciting stuff coming up! In the mean time, can you give us an excerpt of Beast of Stratton?
Of course, here's a teaser.
BEAST OF STRATTON

EXCERPT

Copyright 2015 © Renee Blare



He’d vanished.

She’d called his friends, the family. She’d even tried her stepmother who’d hung up on her. Well, okay, maybe that wasn’t the brightest idea.

A red rose rolled across her father’s tattered note, caught in the breeze from the open window. Sliding the pane down, she picked up the flower. The words on the page blurred as she buried her nose in the soft petals.

Instead of saying goodbye to his wife in his last letter, he’d simply left explicit instructions not to follow him. Aimee snorted. Like the woman would care. He’d sent it with the rose and an antique necklace. She held the thick chain aloft and peered at the golden key spinning in the light. The jewelry had probably cost a fortune.

And her stepmother was nowhere to be found. Scratch that. According to her, she wanted to be left alone. It didn’t make a difference to Aimee what the letter said and to whom, she’d follow. A small smile worked its way to her lips as she fastened the necklace around her neck.

The zipper stuck on the edge of the suitcase and she gave it a hard jerk. Dragging the bulging bag off the bed, it hit the floor with a thunk. She slid her arms into her jacket and looped her purse over the handle. She dropped the rose, and it landed beside her plane ticket next to her wallet. Before latching her fingers around her bag, she tucked the key under her shirt out of sight. “Stratton Industrial, here I come.”

Awesome! That sounds like an interesting book. I always loved Beauty and the Beast, but mostly for the library. ;) How can readers find you and your book on the internet?

They can check the book out on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo. 

I love to interact with readers on my social media and website. 

• Renee Blare|Christian Author Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Amazon Author Page 
• Blog: Renee’s Inspirational Moments 
• Group Blog: The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction

  Thank you so much for joining us today, Renee! Readers, leave a comment to be entered in a drawing to win an ebook copy of Beast of Stratton!