Getting to Know Author Renee Andrews

Renee Andrews spends a lot of time in the gym. No, she isn't working out. Her husband, a former All-American gymnast, co-owns ACE Cheer Company, an all-star cheerleading company. She is thankful the talented kids at the gym don't have

a problem when she brings her laptop and writes while they sweat. When she isn't writing, she's typically traveling with her husband, bragging about their two sons or spoiling their bulldog.

Renee is a kidney donor and actively supports organ donation. She welcomes prayer requests and loves to hear from readers! Write to her at Renee@ReneeAndrews.com or visit her Web site at www.reneeandrews.com.

Writing is a journey. How did your journey to publication begin?

I’m from the South, and we’re natural born storytellers. I’ve been writing stories ever since I first held a pencil and told my teachers in school that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. After college, I was a technical writer for a while but always longed to write fiction. Ten years later, I began submitting my stories and sold my first book two years after my first submission. However, I’d completed 21 full manuscripts before that first sale. I didn’t send them all out, because I knew they weren’t ready. Moral of the story – practice, practice, practice – and when you have that book ready, send it on!

Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?

The support of my family. I have an amazing husband and two wonderful sons who have supported me every step of the way.

What’s your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?

Because my husband travels nonstop, I do a large portion of my writing on the road and in hotels. The biggest challenge is staying focused and getting those pages complete when the beach, mountains, etc. are outside the window. However, I know that when I meet the day’s goal, I can go out and enjoy the beautiful scenery with my wonderful Cajun.

How do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?

Many of my stories revolve around the theme “God has a plan.” My faith in His plan finds its way into every story. And since I’m writing romance, it’s easy to include the love of God, because if you have Him at the center of your relationship, everything else will fall into place and thrive.

What do you think makes your style of storytelling unique?

My stories are Southern-based and have Southern flavor, but I also have a quirky sense of humor that often finds its way on the pages as well.

Finish this sentence. The best piece of advice I can give to a new author is . . .

Write, write, write and pray, pray, pray!

Cubby Hole, corner of the couch, or office, where do you write?

I have a desk, but I honestly write all over the house and/or at a hotel. The sunroom is one of my favorite places to write in my home, and I’m including a picture. My bulldog Roman is usually

nearby snoring, but he woke up for the photo.

What writing tool(Flip Dictionary, workshop, index cards) have you found to enrich your writing?

Discovering Story Magic. I love that workshop and have taken it at least three times. It gives a method to the madness of plotting – what’s not to love about that? Website is www.discoveringstorymagic.com

What’s next for you?
I just turned in the revisions for my October release, Love Reunited, for Love Inspired. I have a single title romantic suspense that my agent is getting ready to send out and another Love Inspired book due May 31 (it is going to be a busy year, but I love being busy!)

Any parting words?
A big thank you to Novel Rocket for this opportunity! Have a blessed day!

Picture Perfect Family

"I Made A Promise."

Intending to keep her vow to raise her orphaned nephew, photographer Mandy Carter is concerned when the boy's uncle appears in town. Handsome youth minister Daniel Brantley is determined to take over little Kaden's upbringing. Once upon a time Mandy was in love with Daniel, but he left her behind to do mission work overseas. Now he's back—and seems to think she's the same girl she once was, with big dreams a small town and motherhood can't fill. Turns out marriage and motherhood are all Mandy wants. It'll take winning Daniel's heart, though, to make this family complete.

Contact Renee Andrews on: Facebook:www.facebook.com/AuthorReneeAndrews.KelleyBowersZeringue

Renee Andrews on Twitter: www.twitter.com/reneeandrews

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This One's for You, Romance Writers(Sorry, Barry Manilow)

Love! Romance! Commitment!

And that’s just Genesis, folks!

When I began writing Christian romance, it didn’t escape my notice that many people viewed my scratchings as ‘fluff.’ In fact, I had one very nice lady in my church tell me that I should either write something that would honor God or find another way to minister to people. I remember being heartbroken by those statements. Why couldn’t I write what the Lord had laid upon my heart?

But now, some ten years into my writing journey, after reading God’s Word and spending countless hours praying and studying the craft, I can make a daring statement.

Our God is a romantic!

Let’s look at the facts. In the first two chapters of Genesis, the Creator had worked a masterpiece. Light and darkness. Earth and sky. The seasons. Fully matured plants and fruits that sustained all the animals. And of course, man.

You’d think that would be enough, wouldn’t you?

But even in all that splendor, God knew that there was a serious problem. Man was alone. Some folks may asked why God didn’t just go ahead and make man and woman at the same time. After all, He knew His creation wouldn’t like being alone.

Maybe God wanted man to be exposed to solitude for a reason.

Think about that first meeting between man and woman. After having all the creatures of earth brought before him, Adam must have felt an emptiness. Where would he find the one creation that could ease his loneliness, someone he could share the paradise the Lord God had created?

In that moment, the Creator stared into the soul of man and knew his heart was ready. With just a thought, Adam fell into a deep sleep and when he awakes, he’s not alone.

“Adam, I have brought one more creature for you to name.”

Do you think Adam’s heart fluttered in his throat the first time he saw the slope of Eve’s face? Was he breathless when he compared her soft curves to the hard angles of his own body? Or did he simply stare into her eyes and recognize her for what she truly was?

The missing part of himself!

Ah, romance!

It’s hard to have a Christian marriage in today’s society. The world has taken God out of the relationship equation and made the sacred union between a man and woman something cheap and sordid. The media weave the world’s view of love throughout our days. Cheap sex. Empty relationships. Changing partners.

How sad!

Give me a good story with a hero and heroine who put Christ at the center of their lives. Let me cheer them on as they fall in love. Let the tears fall when they have troubles that help them grow stronger. And let me smile as they learn to lean on God in their relationship.

I write Christian romance because I’m a romantic. Just like my Father.

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Writing Romance When Your Marriage fails ~ Kit Wilkinson

Kit Wilkinson is a former Ph.D. student who once wrote discussions on the medieval feminine voice. She now prefers weaving stories of romance and redemption. Her first inspirational manuscript won the prestigious RWA Golden Heart and sold to Harlequin’s Love Inspired. She is currently working on her fourth novel.

Besides writing, she loves hanging out with friends and family, cooking for lots of people, and spending time in the sun. She, her two children and one extremely energetic Border Collie live in central Virginia.


Writing Romance When the Real Romance Fails

How do you write a happily-ever-after when your own story has turned into a tragedy?

When I landed my last novel contract, frankly, it was the first bit of good news I’d had in a long while. I’d prayed to be able to write this book for a few months, thinking it would be just what I needed to take my mind off of what was going on in my real life—a divorce.

I was so thankful when it came through. I read through my editor’s notes immediately and sat down at the computer. I couldn’t wait to bury myself in this new story. But instead of pouring my energy into the new book, I found, for the first time ever, that I couldn’t write at all. Not only could I not write, I loathed sitting in front of the computer. I found myself doing anything else—bathing the dog, painting rooms, cleaning the garage, all sorts of things I REALLY hated to do. And, if I did happen to get in front of the computer, I was emailing my lawyer, trying to negotiate the sale of my home or figuring out whose weekend it was with the kids. Even emails I feared would be full of bad news. And I especially avoided staring at the blinking cursor on the white page of my very incomplete manuscript. The document sat minimized on the dock of my desktop.

My deadline came and went and I’d barely squeaked out half of the story. I started wondering if I could finish. I started wondering, if I could even write romance anymore. I mean let’s face it I was a failure. I’d failed as a wife. And now I was failing as a writer... What next? I was afraid to think about tomorrow.

Desperate for inspiration, I pulled out writing books and plotting outlines. I went to my favorite writing spots. I tried using Scrivener, thinking something new to look at would inspire me. I set little daily word count goals and failed at those. I even tried to use some of my confused feelings to “get into” my story, but while sorrow and depression might inspire some artists to abandon themselves into their work, I was stuck with the worst case of writer’s block ever. My ability to focus on anything had vanished and I didn’t know how to fix it. Depression hung like a cloud in my mind and my fingers were paralyzed at the keyboard. Even with great family and friends and a whole lot of prayer, there were days when I wanted to crawl in a hole and come out in a year or two when all the difficult stuff was over.

It was in the midst of all this that I found myself at a writer’s conference sitting on a panel of “pro” writers (something I’d agreed to do a long time before all the other life turmoil began). I looked out into the audience at other authors and even at my editor who should have been pointing at her watch and glaring at me for the late manuscript I owed her, except that she’s way too nice for that. I was feeling like a total fraud when someone in the audience asks, “What are inspirational romance readers looking for?” Great question. I repeated it for recording purposes then promptly passed the microphone to the author next to me because...well, I had no idea... I couldn’t write anymore.

It was author Margaret Daley who sat next to me. She leaned up to the microphone and without a second of hesitation said, “HOPE. Our readers are looking for hope.”

Hope. Now there was a nice little four-letter word that I’d forgotten about. A romance story needed hope. Or wait...maybe I needed hope. Because how can I give my readers hope when I have none of my own? If I wanted to finish my story—and I did—I had to find a way to remember my hope. I was determined.

But it didn’t happen overnight. It was slow—one minute, one hour, one day at a time, I stole back that hope that sorrow taken. I’d find hope in my children’s eyes. I’d find it in a friend’s voice. I’d find it in God’s promises. I’d find it in doing something for someone else. And the hope began to trickle over into my work...

I quit trying to write the story as fast as I could. I’d find a few quiet minutes here and there and I’d write a page. Many times that was it—one page. But then two or three and slowly, so slowly those characters worked their way to a happy ending. In some ways, I felt like I was healing along with them.

Of course, real life doesn’t stop at page 385 like a storybook romance, so I won’t end here by saying I got my own happy-ending. But I do have all I need to expect many more happy chapters. I have God’s promises and perfect love. I have friends and family and two beautiful children full of life.

And soon I’ll have more stories to tell of romance and love and hope.

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Guest Blogger ~ Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck is a multi-published author living in sunny central Florida with her husband, Tony, a pastor. They have two ornery pets. She is a graduate of Ohio State University and a huge Buckeyes football fan. Rachel serves the writing community as a member of the Advisory Board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

The Romantic Obstacle of Newness

The summer between ninth and tenth grade, I fell into twitterpation. Working as a cashier at a south Florida Publix, I fell for a dark-eyed stockman who winked at me when he walked past, flashing his Eric Estrada smiled.

I lost twenty-five pounds in a month. I went to work early, hung around after I clocked out. I wrote pages and pages in my diary of what each little wink or nod meant to me. Between those pink pages are cash register receipts of my thoughts and feelings, oh, angst galore.

This was in the ‘70s, so I couldn’t text or Facebook him. The only time I saw him was at work. Oh, what a dreadful day when the manager posted the new schedule on Thursday and I saw my-man and I worked opposite shifts.

He was a flirt and liked to tease me. Our at-work teenage conversation swam in the shallow end of the baby pool.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“What are you doing?”

“Watching you.”

Giggle, blush, fiery flutter behind my ribs.

As a romance writer, I work to find all kinds of internal and external obstacles to keep my hero and heroine apart.

For example: She’s already in a relationship. He’s recently widowed. She’s wounded. He’s too career minded. She is raising her nieces. He’s trying to reestablish is professional credibility. Or, a favorite of mine, he’s attracted to her but can’t stand her. She thinks he’s an arrogant buffoon.

As writers, we need to find real obstacles to keep our H/H from declaring their love too soon⎯thus wrapping up the story⎯while convincing the reader, “these two need to be together!”

Over on Billy Mernit’s Living The Romantic Comedy blog, he advices that the real purpose of a romantic story is to show the reader or viewer WHY these two people need to be together.

Often, writers spend too much time showing why the hero and heroine need to be apart. But what readers want it to be convinced there is no one for Harry but Sally.

While writing my newest romance, Dining With Joy, I realized something simple but profound: the newness of my hero and heroine’s relationship provided plenty of internal and external obstacles.

I didn’t need to scale mountains or leap over city walls to build a believable conflict.

Think about the first time you met your spouse. Or think back to your first major romance. Even if sparks flew at first meeting, it took time to let down your guard and discover each other.

In the beginning, it was hard to determine how much the relationship meant to you. Was h or she worth your time and effort?

The idea of changing your schedule to met his wasn’t a priority. If he called, that was cool, but you didn’t wait by the phone. She might have stopped by your work to say hi, but you merely smiled, said it was good to see her, then met your friends at a restaurant.

All of these “newness” factors provide wonderful, believable conflict.

By nature, men are emotionally modest. They only open up when they feel the woman has become their friend. Women are physically modest. Even in this modern sexual world, we are shy about first kisses and touches.

How does this translate to your romantic story? It is very plausible to show your hero and heroine testing each other, wondering about their motivation and character, standing back to wait and see.

Is she sincere? Can I trust him? If I share my deepest thoughts, will she still love me? If I allow him to kiss me, will he want me tomorrow?

New relationships are fraught with complications and misunderstandings by the mere fact two very different people are trying to merge their lives.

There’s the fire of the first kiss. Emotional and physical temptations. Combining social activities and sharing friends. Meeting the parents. Realizing you’re in love but afraid the feelings may not be reciprocated. Breaking up. Getting back together. Finding the common ground on which you might build a life together. What goes, what gives, what takes?

In the movie “500 Days of Summer,” Tom and Summer meet while working at the same greeting card company. He’s too shy to ask her out. She’s bohemian and enticing. As the viewer, I was hooked with the idea of “newness.” How will he ask her out? Will she accept? I know they will get together, but how?

After a few dates, Tom gushes, “It's official. I'm in love with Summer. I love her smile. I love her hair. I love her knees. I love how she licks her lips before she talks. I love her heart-shaped birthmark on her neck. I love it when she sleeps.”

Newness! The discovery of Summer drew Tom to a place of love. At this euphoric point, she is perfect to him!

What a excellent set up for a great romantic disaster. Boy meets Girl. Boy thinks Girl hung the moon. Girl can’t believe she met the last good Boy on earth. He takes her to his favorite hang out. She drives him to her favorite picnic spot.

Readers go along, too, believing these two people are destined for eternal happiness. THEN, it happens. Disaster. The power of newness has worn off and becomes⎯for our storytelling purpose⎯the obstacle.

Tom loves Summer, but she doesn’t believe in love and ever after. Their ideas and life experiences begin to pull them apart.

Tom quickly changes to say, “I hate her crooked teeth. I hate her 1960s haircut. I hate her knobby knees. I hate her cockroach-shaped splotch on her neck. I hate the way she smacks her lips before she talks. I hate the way she sounds when she laughs.”

The loss of “newness,” and the eye opening truth of who Tom and Summer are become the very obstacle that drives them apart.

As you plot your next romance, brainstorm all the emotional and physical obstacles the hero and heroine face from the moment they meet. Then build in a story world that adds to their conflict⎯he’s blue collar, she’s blue blood⎯then weave in all the trouble of being “new” to one another.

Brainstorm ways the newness wears off. What is the fall out of the relationship when that “fresh” feeling fades? How vulnerable are your characters when the relationship ends after confessing their love and pouring out their hearts to each other?

Brainstorm the obstacles and possible conflict that arises after worn-off newness. He stops sending her flowers. She stops shaving her legs. He forgets to call when he’s late for dinner. She admits she can’t stand his best friend.

But remember⎯these two belong together. As you work the newness factor through your story, remember to keep in the shadows of the disaster why these two need to are ultimately a match made in heaven.

In Notting Hill, William Thacker is perfect for Anna Scott because he sees her for who she really is, not the superstar actress. In While You Were Sleeping, Jack is the same kind of dreamer as Lucy. In The Proposal, Drew and Margaret share a love for the written word. And deep down, Drew gets Margret’s vulnerability. She admires his determination and strength.

So, let’s recap. Newness is a huge factor for our romantic leads. Have fun dreaming of the discoveries and conflicts a couple just starting out faces. Yet, keep to the real heart of any great romance⎯convincing the readers there is no man for the heroine like the hero. No woman for the hero like your heroine.

Write well.

Visit Rachel's website to learn more about her books. 

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