Meet my final author interviewee for 2010, Renee Vincent. If you love a great Irish or Norse romance, you’ll definitely want to check out her work. Here she is to tell us about her current and upcoming books.
Susan Palmquist (SP)-You obviously love Irish history, I’m guessing that’s your heritage. Was this a deciding factor when you began writing…penning a novel about Ireland?
Renee Vincent (RV)-I wish I could say I have some Irish heritage, but I’d be lying. My ancestral roots are deep in Germany, on both sides of my family. My love for Irish and Norse history started in high school with an amazing English Literature teacher. He loved the written word and the classics like The Iliad, The Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and of course, the Viking saga poem, Beowulf and Grendel. In reading these tales, he taught me both the importance of not judging a book by its cover and that even hard to understand Shakespeare can be understood if read with the proper emotion. And this guy was loaded with emotion given he was a hard-core marine who called every student by their last name. Because of his enthusiasm, he sparked my keen interest in medieval history, particularly the Norse. I soon found myself writing a Viking romance with a passion for the tortured hero.
SP-Do you conduct lots of research before you start writing?
RV-Immensely. Especially for a historical, it’s unequivocally necessary. There is nothing worse than reading a historical where the author conveys things that didn’t or couldn’t happen. I pride myself on the research I’ve conducted as I wanted to educate readers about the extraordinary feats of the Norse while entertaining them with a sensual love story.
SP-You live in Kentucky on a horse farm. Any plans to write a novel set there and about horses?
RV-Actually, yes. They always say, write what you know. But it’s so far in the future as I already have four contracts out with Turquoise Morning Press. But yes. I do have plans to write a Kentucky horse-themed romance.
SP-You suffered the tragic loss of your sister while you were writing your first novel? Any tips for writing through the bad times life sometimes throws our way?
RV-Embrace it. Though tragedies may stop your world from spinning, your heart is going through so many emotions that only a person who is grieving can grasp. And once those dark, debilitating emotions lesson, they are lost. For me, writing during my family’s tragedy was therapy. I was able to harbor those heart-wrenching feelings and put them into words—words that touched many people as they read my first historical, Ræliksen.
SP-Any genre you’d like to try?
RV-I would like to try my hand at a children’s book one day. My daughters are always asking if I could write them a story they can read, and in all actuality, I’d like to try—something they could pass on to their children.
SP-I’m eager to hear about your upcoming novel Silent Partner…tell us how the story came about and when we can expect to see it.
RV-Silent Partner came about the day after I signed my 3-book contract with Turquoise Morning Press for my Emerald Isle Trilogy at a Career Writer’s Workshop in Indiana. On the long drive home, I was so elated with selling my first books that my mind went wild. I thought of writing a contemporary novella for a change and somehow conjured up the entire storyline as I drove. As you’ll find in my Emerald Isle Trilogy, there are twists in each book. Silent Partner is no different. There is a play on words with the title and without giving too much away, it’s a fun modern day romance where you’ll find things out about the heroine you didn’t see coming. The hero is an excellent dancer who owns his own dance club, with aspirations of opening a dance school in the upper level of the building. He meets a woman, who steals his heart with her own dancing capabilities, and after a steamy one-night stand, he wants her to be his dance partner…but there’s a hitch. Unfortunately, I can’t divulge what the hitch is else I’ll ruin the twist. I’m cruel, aren’t I?
SP-If you could go back to the beginning of your writer career and do three things differently what would they be and why?
RV-Actually, I don’t think I’d change a thing. When I started out, Ræliksen was a 2008 self-published title and I never pursued a publisher because I wasn’t trying to make a career as an author. It was just a story I wanted to let everyone read in memory of my sister, Lindsey. But after it started getting great reviews, I decided to try my hand at being an author, pursuing my career full-force. And it happened. I sold my Trilogy to Turquoise Morning Press in 2010 and haven’t looked back. But I have to say, it was my determination to make my career happen because I was in the driver’s seat that got me to where I am today. Without that, I would still be an aspiring writer with only a dream.
Places to find Renee:
Website: http://www.reneevincent.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/reneevincentauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ReneeVincent
Yahoo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reneevincent/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3005290.Renee_Vincent
And my romance site, Deep In The Heart Romance: http://www.deepintheheartromance.com/
Hey there, sweetie. German!! I didn’t know we had so much in common!! This interview revealed a lot about you I didn’t know. I’m sorry for the loss of your sister. I know that couldn’t have been easy. Hugs. Great interview.
Hey Monica!!! And yep, all German! And yes, I loved this interview…Susan really hit home with some great questions that I knew not many people were aware of. Thanks for being here with me.
Great interview, Renee – love your books!! 🙂
Renee, I loved this interview. You spoke of an English teacher who was a Marine that inspired your inner writer and I could so relate to that. I was sorry to hear about the death of your sister. I did not know that about you.
All the best to you and yours
Sarah
I knew this interview would really surprise some people. It’s a personal aspect of my life that I don’t let on about much, except for those that are close to me. But I don’t mind talking of my sister. If fact, I prefer to talk about her all the time….it doesn’t hurt to talk of her. It helps me.
And I will never stop thanking her for her words of encouragement. This has all be possible because of her little “shove”.
Thanks for visiting with me, Sarah.
Nice interview, Renee. I thought you had been writing much longer. I agree, once you get started on the author path, it’s hard to get off. I doubt any of us will ever get rich, but the real reward is in the publishing and in getting the stories out there. I’ve been afraid to try anything historical because keeping dates and facts straight can be daunting, but you do. Congratulations.
Wonderful interview, Renee! You are a person of great feeling, and that adds so much to the beauty of your romance works. I look forward to your upcoming releases and learning more about your writing process and inspirations through your interviews : )
Oh you are so right….I have LOTS of feelings. And sometimes, they get me in the way as I’m a person who wears their heart on their sleeve.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this interview…Susan did a fabulous job of delving on being unique in her questions.
Have a great week, Virginia, and thanks for being here with me. Your company is so wonderful.
Hello Renee and Susan, I see that Susan saved her best interview for last… Yea Renee.
Renee, does this high school English Literature teacher know that he had such a positive influence on you and your writing career and did you share with him your books in the Emerald Isle Trilogy? If so what was his response?
I loved Raeliksen and Mac Liam and can’t wait for book three in this trilogy The Fall of Rain. Thanks for giving us the book trailer for Mac Liam…it’s so beautiful http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vqiNDRmg34.