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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Breaking In- Debut Author Sandra Orchard

Sandra Orchard was the 2009 Daphne DuMaurier Award of Excellence winner in the unpublished category and sold to Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense the following year. She lives in rural Ontario, Canada where inspiration abounds for her novels set in the fictional Niagara town she's created as their backdrop. Married with three grown children, when not writing, she enjoys hanging out with family, brainstorming new stories with fellow writers, and hiking or kayaking in God's beautiful creation. Visit her at her website.

How did you come up with this story? Was there a specific 'what if' moment?

The idea for the series came from wondering how believers who are undercover cops reconcile the bad things they’re obligated to do in the execution of their assignments with their faith. For the first book, I explore the question what if an undercover cop finds the perfect woman, but can’t tell her who he really is or what he does for a living? Worse than that, what if his mission threatens her safety and he can’t tell her?

Did anything strange or funny happen while researching or writing your book?

Yes, actually. Even though I had an agent who was prepared to submit the story to LIS for me, on a whim I entered the first fifty pages in the 2010 Golden Heart. I’d never entered that contest before and wasn’t sure what to expect. What I didn’t expect was to have the entry

disqualified by one of the judges for being in the wrong category! Needless to say, it was very satisfying to see the judge proven wrong.

Every novelist has a journey. How long was your road to publication? How did you find out and what went through your mind?

I’d been writing fiction for almost six years, when I got “the call”. It was actually an email. My emails are preprogrammed to go to different folders. So when I saw that I had a new email in my Agent folder the day after Labor Day—the day my agent sa

id the editor would give us her response to my manuscript—my heart sank. I figured that if I’d gotten the contract my agent would call. So…I read all my other email before I even opened the folder!

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

Oh yes. I check email, surf the net, eat, match socks, complain, lament, complain. Oh wait…you mean how do I break out of it? Well, that’s a topic for a whole other blog. (Sept 19^th at Seekerville to be exact.) But I’ll tell you that one of my most consistently reliable methods is to jump ahead to a scene that I can visualize and start writing from there. Oftentimes, things will present themselves that allow me to work backward.

Do you consider yourself a visual writer? If so, what visuals do you use?

No, I’m the kind of reader who skips over all those details about what kind of clothes characters are wearing etc. I wouldn’t know a Prada from a you name it. That said, I do search out photos that depict my hero and heroine and then keep running notes as to hair and eye color etc. so that my green-eyed blond heroine isn’t brown-haired and brown eyed by the end of the book…unless of course she’s going undercover!

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you?

Pacing. Once I know the suspense plot, I want to rush through and make it happen, but in the process I tend to neglect the romantic thread.

How do you overcome it?

I write in layers. I get the suspense plot down. Then I go back and look at how it can be stretched out in order to layer in more romantic tension and character development.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a

cozy attic nook?

I have a small office with a u-shaped desk and along one wall there’s a nine-foot long counter with cupboards beneath and a bulletin board above for storyboarding.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I take my dog for a walk with my neighbor, have breakfast, and do devotions, then my days are pretty much dedicated to the various aspects of writing, whether that be writing a new chapter, revising a finished one, writing a blog or writing marketing copy. I break for lunch, and sometimes my afternoons are spent doing chores or enjoying my grandbaby or visiting shut-ins or getting together with writing buddies to brainstorm ideas. If not, I keep going the same as the morning. After supper and spending time with family, I often read—fiction, or nonfiction on writing craft or marketing. My most productive writing time for “new material” is usually between 10 pm and midnight after my internal editor has gone to bed.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins or do you have to tweeze each word out?

Except for those magical midnight hours I mentioned in the last question, I have to tweeze out each and every word. Although… if I move out of the office and write with pen and paper, the words often flow better, probably because my brain doesn’t slip into edit mode. But… it takes me so long afterward to type up what I’ve written, because I edit as I go so that the net result for the time is about the same.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve heard?

Write what you love to read, where your heart is, not to the ever-shifting market.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Remember what Winston Churchill said, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." And enjoy the journey!

Deep Cover is the first book in my Love Inspired Suspense series, Undercover Cops: Fighting for justice puts their lives—and hearts—on the line.

IDENTITY: GUARDED

Maintaining his cover cost undercover cop Rick Gray the woman he loved. Sweet Ginny Bryson never really knew Rick. He never gave her the chance. Not then, and not now, when he's back with a new alias to gather evidence against Ginny's uncle. The man's crimes led to Rick's partner's death, and Rick wants justice to be served. But his investigation is stirring up trouble, and Ginny is smack-dab in the middle. Someone wants Ginny to pay the price for what her uncle has done. But how can Rick protect her without blowing his cover, jeopardizing his assignment...and risking both their lives?

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