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Renee Writes Now!

Tag Archives: lifestyle

Master bedroom madness

11 Tuesday Aug 2020

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author, books, business, Design, Home, Life, lifestyle, writing

bed-3700115_960_720

The Houston Association of REALTORS® announced it will no longer sanction the use of “master bedroom” or “master bathroom” in its MLS descriptions.

According to Realtor Magazine, “The decision to remove the term comes after a group of real estate professionals said the term ‘master’ on property description represents a potential stigma.”

In addition to Houston, Chicago realtors and builders like David Weekley have announced they will also refrain from using terminology like “master bedroom” and “master suite.” (David Weekley Homes now refers to the space as the “owner’s retreat” instead.)

Many argue that the term has no actual relationship to racism – neither does the term Master’s Degree. “Master bedroom” first appeared in the early 20th century to denote that the room was reserved for the master of the household, who almost always was a man. Why not the “mistress bedroom?” (Okay, that has another weird connotation.) Or the “biggest bedroom?” (Not very exciting.) Maybe the “significant sleeping space?”

Anyone have a better suggestion?

 

 

Award-winning author Renee Garrison will release her new book, Anchored Together, in September

 

The art of writing

22 Wednesday Apr 2020

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Hemingway quote

I’ve always believed that no writer knows precisely what he or she is doing. We test a thought, write it down, read it again and think. I sit down at a desktop computer, surrounded by pictures, notebooks, mementos and a few quotes. I stare at a blank screen, review my notes and go. I agree with the Hemmingway’s philosophy. (See above.)

You may have heard the term, “The words flow,” but that rarely happens to me. In my work, they lurch out and usually are corrected. Sometimes I listen to music – always instrumental – with occasional new-age ocean sounds included. (Lyrics urge me to sing along, which doesn’t help my writing.) Long before earbuds became popular, I inserted ear plugs to obliterate noise in The Tampa Tribune newsroom whenever I filed a story on deadline.

Sometimes I’m asked the difference between writing for a newspaper and writing a book. The quickest answer is space limitations. You have a limited number of words in a newspaper story (unless you’re writing a series of articles) but books provide hundreds of pages to express your ideas.

In either case, when you get it right, when you educate or entertain your reader, the job is satisfying in a way that is hard to explain. You try to make a difference and, when you do, it’s wonderful.

 

Renee Garrison is currently writing the sequel to her award-winning book, The Anchor Clankers.

Renee interviews author Ashley Brown

11 Wednesday Mar 2020

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author, books, inspiration, Life, lifestyle, writing

Ashley Ellington Brown jacket photo

Ashley Ellington Brown is the author of  the award-winning guide, A Beautiful Morning: How a Morning Ritual Can Feed Your Soul and Transform Your Life.

Tell me about your background. Where you grew up, where you live now, education, work experience? Share some interesting things about yourself that we should know about.
I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I ALWAYS had my nose in a book when I was younger (and often do today, as well!). Some of my childhood favorites were A Wrinkle in Time, the Narnia books, and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
I graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Foreign Affairs, which I never used! But I’d always enjoyed writing and I wrote a lot of papers in those courses, so it was helpful in that way. Learning about other cultures (I focused on China and Japan) was also fascinating.

I’d had a summer job as assistant to a marketing director during college and found that field very interesting, so I went to work at a small ad agency after graduation. I started as a receptionist and worked my way up to copywriter and account executive. I also worked as a book editor and an internal communications manager for a multinational corporation that owned and operated funeral homes and cemeteries! I went freelance in 2000, when my husband and I moved to Pensacola, Florida.

What inspired you to write this book? What is the story behind the story?
I was sitting outside with my coffee one morning, which was part of the morning ritual I had begun a few months earlier in an effort to start my days more cheerfully and peacefully. I had just started an online writing class led by Martha Beck, and I was wondering what she did each morning. Then I thought of other women who inspire me, and wondered if they had some sort of practice they did each day that helped them live their best lives. It occurred to me that that would be a very interesting book, and I decided to try to write it.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle?
Believing in myself. I didn’t get a lot of support for being a writer when I was younger, and was encouraged to go into a field that would make money (which is why I chose advertising, and didn’t even consider full-time writing as a career). When I got the idea for the book, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to do a good job. While I had more than 25 years of experience as a professional writer, it was always for clients or bosses. This was the first time I’d done something for me, and the first time I’d written a book. But being a published author had been a childhood dream (I wrote multiple “books” when I was little), and I didn’t want to let doubt keep me from accomplishing it. Plus, every time I interviewed someone and learned how vital their morning practice was to them, it reaffirmed my initial idea that this book could help others, and that spurred me on.

What has been your biggest “aha” moment or success?
Publishing my book, and then having it get positive reviews and win multiple awards, was certainly my biggest professional success. I poured a lot of my heart and soul into creating it, and worked very hard to make it as good as I could. Especially since I self-published, it was extremely fulfilling to have external validation that the book was well done, and that others found it appealing and helpful.

What authors do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
I love so many authors and books, it’s hard to choose! But some favorite authors are Madeleine L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, Judy Blume, Anna Quindlen, Elizabeth Berg, Ray Bradbury, Antoine Laurain, Alexander McCall Smith, Jincy Willett, Anne Lamott, Mary Oliver, May Sarton, Michael Chabon, Ursula K. Leguin, and Erin Morgenstern. Some of my favorite nonfiction/personal development authors are Martha Beck, Elizabeth Gilbert, Julia Cameron, Thich Nhat Hanh, Brené Brown, and Gretchen Rubin.

In terms of an influence on my writing, I love Stephen King’s On Writing, Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing, Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, and Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones and Wild Minds, as well as The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Those last three are not only inspirational and full of priceless wisdom, but the writing has such a lovely, peaceful, uplifting rhythm. I tried to have a similar feel in my book.

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals?
I was doing Morning Pages (from The Artist’s Way, where you write three pages longhand every morning), but I’d gotten out of the habit. I’ve just re-dedicated myself to writing something every day, as it really does keep the pump primed. I’ve found that when I sit to write at my computer, it feels like work; if I want to access something more personal, I need to be somewhere other than my office, with a notebook in my hand.

What are your interests outside of writing?
I love to travel and I find great joy in planning our next trip. I also enjoy learning new things, going to the beach, doing yoga, baking, and getting creative (I like to play with paints and explore fun tools like alcohol inks).

Share some tips for other Authors or Aspiring Authors: What would you do differently? What would you do the same? Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.

I wouldn’t have waited so long to work on my own writing. I wish I’d continued to explore my own voice when I was younger, rather than focus solely on client work. It’s difficult to get out of the mindset of writing for others (and writing as a job rather than a passion).

And when you have an idea, keep going! The feeling when you finish is truly magnificent, and worth all the effort. Also: what you have to say is important. The world needs your voice. Writing is a sacred act that can be healing for you and for others. Be brave and put yourself out there. And gather a team around you to cheer you on. Doing this alone is so difficult; having someone to encourage you will make a huge difference. Try to talk to other writers, or get professional assistance. I worked with a book coach (Cynthia Morris) who made the process less overwhelming and gave me valuable advice.

Name that book

03 Tuesday Dec 2019

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Books in a circle

When it comes to giving your book a title, less is definitely more. (Think Dracula. Emma. Twilight. Ivanhoe. Mockingjay.)
I struggle with two choices for my upcoming sequel to The Anchor Clankers.
1. Anchored in Love
2. Anchored Together
I studied Amazon’s book list to see how many books have the same title and discovered “Anchored In Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash,” which was published in 2007.

Would that be a problem? Too confusing?

Author Madeleine L’Engle once admitted, “We had to search for the proper name for ‘A Wrinkle in Time,’ and it was my mother who came up with it, during a night of insomnia. I went into her room with a cup of coffee in the morning, and she said, ‘I think I have a title for your book, and it’s right out of the text: A Wrinkle in Time.’ Madeleine goes on to say that many titles had been considered and all vetoed before her mother mentioned A Wrinkle in Time.

I wish I had an insomniac mother who could come up with a great book title.

Renee interviews author Erika Kotite

17 Tuesday Sep 2019

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author, books, Design, Home, inspiration, lifestyle, writing

EK headshot3

Tell me about your background. Where you grew up, where you live now, education, work experience? Share some interesting things about yourself that we should know about.
I’m a California girl through and through. Born in San Francisco, raised in Santa Rosa, educated at UCLA (English Lit), married in a tiny town called Occidental. However, I’ve lived out of state, too. After graduating UCLA I headed east to make my mark in the NYC magazine world. I wanted to work for Conde Nast, of course. I ended up at a large PR firm and then moved back to California after a couple of years to take a job at Entrepreneur Magazine, where I stayed for 8 years. There I learned the art of interviewing and pulling together the various elements of a story that made it deep and interesting. (We called them “meatloaf” features.)
For seven years I was privileged to be the editor of Victorian Homes and Romantic Homes. It was there I discovered my love of historic architecture, and I became fascinated with outbuildings. This was the connection to my ultimate role: author of books about she sheds.

What inspired you to write this book? What is the story behind the story?
Many years after I left VH and RH — to work in book packaging and launch my own culinary blog, toquemag — a former colleague had also left the magazines to work in the book world, at Quarto. She was at an editorial meeting where the conversation was all around the new she shed phenomenon. Someone asked if there was any good writer out there who knew about she sheds, and my friend suggested me. I signed on with Quarto to write She Sheds: A Room of Your Own and then about 18 months later my proposal for a second she sheds book was accepted. (She Sheds Style: Make Your Space Your Own) This was extremely exciting as I knew how difficult it was to get a contract with a traditional publisher. I worked very hard and delivered what I consider two excellent books! So far the two books have sold more than 30,000 copies. Not bad for a niche home and garden book series!

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle?
Writing a book is a tough slog no matter what kind or genre. For the sheds books, visuals were critical. This meant I also needed to acquire 150+ good-quality photos of all the sheds I featured and handled all of the required licensing paperwork, W9, invoicing, etc. from shed owners and photographers. We know English majors don’t like paperwork. 🙂
The second book was even more complex as I needed 175+ photos and 23 DIY projects that I had to produce (either myself or with other DIYers) and acquire rights to. So I worked harder than I ever have in my life, including late nights and weekends. Through that time, my beloved brother and a beloved sister died, making it excruciating to even think about work. Looking back I don’t even know how I got through it. But I guess we always do, somehow.

What has been your biggest “aha” moment or success?
I am happy to say that she sheds have become so popular I decided to make a whole business out of it. I met the greatest friend and colleague, Sabrina Contreras, and together we launched She Shed Living in 2018. The company is all about women finding their space and their creative inspiration, whether it’s in a backyard studio or a spare room or anywhere else. Our products — the books, a line of exterior paints called She Shades, garden supplies, spa products, lapel pins, potting benches and jewelry — is paired with our services as custom shed designers! We work with a company in central California that builds the sheds with reclaimed lumber and vintage windows. Sabrina and I work with the clients to design the walls and get the site prepared for installation. We also help with interior design if the client wants that. We are also building a membership through Facebook and ultimately through our website. It’s all very exciting — hectic, but exciting!

What authors do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
Well, I am VP of Publications for the Jane Austen Society of North America so…I read a lot of Jane Austen. Over and over. I am also a very big fan of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and even wrote a screenplay around De Smet and Laura (set in contemporary time). John Steinbeck breathes the essence of California upon me whenever I open one of his books. I love all of his work. I’m not sure who has had an influence on my writing from these wonderful authors, though. I will tell you that Dominique Browning, who was the Editor In Chief of House & Garden for many years, greatly influenced me when I was writing my own editors notes in VH and RH. I love her voice and her poetic prose.

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals?
Ugh. No writing rituals. I’m so busy building my business that I haven’t written anything more substantial than a monthly e-newsletter in nearly a year. And you know what? It is painful. I need to get back to my writing because that is what I’m best at. Through all kinds of badly chosen jobs I’ve had over the years I finally realized that I needed to stick to what I do best. I hope to get a third book deal, around outdoor living, when I get a chance to send out proposals. Then I’ll make me some rituals, which will definitely include coffee.

What are your interests outside of writing?
Through working on the she sheds projects I discovered I really like building and DIY projects. I’m improving my skills with power tools, including using a table saw. I love to sew and LOVE to read. My own little she shed is strictly for reading. I enjoy travel and just returned from a two-week trip to the UK with my husband and 3 children (22, 20, and 16).

Share some tips for other Authors or Aspiring Authors: What would you do differently? What would you do the same? Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.
I am a big fan of self-publishing. If I didn’t get that incredibly lucky break of knowing someone in the business, I would have definitely learned more about self-publishing and going that route. I’m having trouble (fears) finishing my screenplay so I wish I would have focused on that more. It’s not too late, though. I never feel like it’s too late, until I’m dead. We all as writers want to leave something valuable of ourselves behind. I’m no different. That’s our biggest privilege as well as our biggest challenge: to produce our absolute best and most truthful writings.

She Sheds book cover

Renee interviews author Jenny Nazak

01 Monday Oct 2018

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author, environment, Green, inspiration, Life, lifestyle, writing

JNprofilepicI met Jenny at an alumnae gathering of our shared women’s fraternity. Her passion for the natural environment impressed me almost as much as artistic flair! Her e-book, “DEEP GREEN, Minimize Your Footprint; Maximize Your Time Wealth and Happiness”  is a how-to manual on green living that was recently published in paperback,too.

 
Tell me about your background. Where you grew up, where you live now, education, work experience? Share some interesting things about yourself that we should know about.
Being in a military family (Navy), I grew up moving every couple of years, and pretty much loved every place in its own way. The place that made the deepest impression on me (even though I was only four years old when we were stationed there,) was Japan. We traveled a lot too, driving cross-country several times and camping along the way. I now live in a historic neighborhood near the ocean in Daytona Beach, my adopted hometown.

What inspired you to write this book? What is the story behind the story?
Growing up in the 1960s and 70s, and visiting national and state parks with my family, I experienced breathtaking natural scenery while at the same time getting the message that the environment was in danger from human excesses. As an adult, I traveled in Europe and lived in Japan, where I observed people living at a much lower footprint than the typical United States resident. It seemed to me not just eco-friendlier, but also an altogether richer, more satisfying, and, not incidentally, more BEAUTIFUL way of life than the harried, car-centric, money-focused lifestyle of my native culture.
I’ve intended to write books since I was a small child. At age 55, I’m just getting started a bit late! My favorite subjects as a kid were art, languages, and English literature. My college major was English with a minor in sociology. Later, I got an associate’s degree in graphic design. And I went on to study a field called permaculture design, which is a nature-based approach to the design of human living environments. Basically, permaculture is nature-based efficiency principles. It’s very powerful stuff, with great potential to not only mitigate environmental damage, but actually IMPROVE the health of ecosystems.
My career path has been a winding one, from magazine editorial staffer when I first got out of college; to English conversation instructor in Japan; to Japanese translator; to permaculture designer/educator; to artist and writer. I also teach a course on consciousness. And I’ve certainly done my share of odd jobs along the way to pay the bills! For simplicity’s sake, the umbrella title I use on my 1040 forms is “Sustainability Educator, Self-Employed.”
It’s taken me a while to figure out that I’m primarily a writer who also happens to make art, rather than an artist who also happens to write. Given my love of the natural environment, and my belief that it’s everyday people, in our many millions, who have the power to make the biggest difference in the world, it was inevitable that my first book would be a practical “how-to” manual on green living. Actually, I wrote a children’s story a couple of years ago, but I never illustrated it (or found an illustrator) and haven’t published it, so I don’t count it (yet). In addition to having other books on sustainable living in the works, I’m also planning to write short stories and a novel.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle?
Continuing to believe in myself over the years, when my heart and intuition guided me away from a more accepted mainstream path. Also, once I wrote my book, MARKETING was a far bigger challenge than the writing itself had been.

What has been your biggest “aha” moment or success?
Realizing that the book is good! Realizing that even longtime environmentalists dedicated to living a low footprint are getting new information and new ideas from my book. And realizing that the book has a very large secondary audience, of people who aren’t necessarily “green” but really want to save themselves money and take back their time, and add more beauty and joy to their lives. A low-footprint lifestyle gives all of these benefits.

What authors do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
I am a devourer of books, fiction and nonfiction alike. My favorite fiction writers I can think of off the top of my head right now are Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Virginia Woolf, and D.H. Lawrence. In nonfiction, A Pattern Language (an incredibly rich, dense book about what makes urban spaces comfortable and functional) rocked my world, as did The Humanure Handbook by Joseph Jenkins, and Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands by Brad Lancaster. It’s hard to pick — so many books and writers have influenced me!

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals?
I write most days. I let days go by too often without writing. I’m trying to get more consistent. What’s helping me is just having a “current notebook” in which I give myself permission to write ANYTHING that comes to mind, be it fiction fragments, reactions to news items, or whatever emotion is going on in my head.

What are your interests outside of writing?
I love the beach, walking, reading, exploring on foot and by bicycle the forgotten corners of whatever city I’m living in. I’m fascinated with traditional urban design; what makes urban environments functional and beautiful. And when I see something and think it’s “ugly,” I always stop and analyze why. One seemingly unexpected passion I have is decluttering and organizing. I’m kind of obsessed with cleaning fridges; making sure there aren’t two bottles of ketchup that could be consolidated into one.

Share some tips for other Authors or Aspiring Authors: What would you do differently? What would you do the same? Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.
What would I do differently? Not waste so much time listening to negative voices in my head! We all have a message to share, and we have to trust that there are people who need to hear it. It’s impossible to please everyone, but at least I can stop giving so much weight to my own negative self-talk.
Also, one piece of advice I’ve heard from many sources, and tend to agree with, is, “Only write a book if you can’t NOT write it!” Writing isn’t easy, at least not for most people I know, and sometimes the only thing that keeps you going is your own inner conviction that you CAN’T NOT write this book. Deep Green was a book I literally HAD to write. I couldn’t NOT write it. So, all those negative voices in my head, telling me every day to give up? They lost!
And one final thing I would do differently, and will do differently next time? Override my aversion to self-marketing, and jump in! A big thing I had to learn as a writer was, If I don’t love my book enough to market it, why should anyone else? On that subject, I’ve started a low-footprint lifestyle blog at http://www.jennynazak.com

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of The Anchor Clankers. To suggest an author interview, email her: rgarrison@bestversionmedia.com

Renee interviews author Rosemary Gard

27 Monday Aug 2018

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_MG_4737 crop (5) (1)Rosemary Gard never intended to write a series of books about Croatian immigrants. She simply wanted to write a history of her family for her adult children. At 80-years-young, she continues to delight readers with “Danica’s Destiny,” published last year, and frequent speaking engagements. (How many women can say that their portrait – with three friends in evening gowns – hung in the entry of the Chicago Playboy Club?)

Tell me about your background. Where you grew up, where you live now, education, work experience? Share some interesting things about yourself that we should know about.
I was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, when it was known as the melting pot. Croatian was my first language and I grew up in that ethnic community. I was the Croatian Queen during the Gary Golden Jubilee in 1956. Tom Harmon, father of NCIS actor, Mark Harmon, was Grand Marshall of the parade! I finished high school, but my Croatian parents felt an education was wasted on girls. I was sent to Communist Yugoslavia for three months to my father’s village outside of Zagreb, where I lived the life of a peasant girl. Later, I lived in Vicenza, Italy, (near Venice) for a year with my G.I. husband.
One summer I worked for a local newspaper, interviewing interesting people. The editor of the paper helped me greatly with my writing and word usage. Even while my husband and I owned a Coffee House and an Art Gallery, I continued to write – most of which I threw away.
My husband and I are antique appraisers for attorneys and individuals. I’m also a jewelry designer and sold my pieces in stores from Martha’s Vineyard to Davenport, Iowa.

What inspired you to write this book? What is the story behind the story?
I decided to fictionalize the facts and the book, “Destiny’s Dowry,” won my first award. That first book started what is now a series of seven, including “Destiny Denied,” “Destiny’s Dance,” “Destiny Delivered,” and “Destiny’s Design.” Each follows the lives of the characters in the previous books. These are stories of people from the “Old Country” and how they lived going back to 1892 in, what is now, Croatia. The last book, “Stefan’s Destiny,” is currently being edited.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle?
When I start to write, the characters take over and tell me their story. I do not work from an outline. The first paragraph of each book, sets the tone for the story. When I start to write a book, I have no idea how it will end. The journey is interesting to me.

What has been your biggest “aha” moment or success?
My biggest “Aha” moment was when I won the first of my three awards. Then I knew that I was a writer and any rejection slip I had received in the past no longer had any effect on me.

What authors do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?
In the past I have read, Ayn Rand, Faulkner, Studs Turkel, (who stopped in the coffee house we owned in the 1970’s) Louis Adamic and many writers you may not be familiar with. I never read books while I am working on a novel, I feel it interferes with my writing flow and even my writing style.

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals?
I do not write every day. However, once I start a book, I continue every day with it. I sometimes delete entire chapters because my characters are going in a different direction. You see, my book characters are based on real people, people who were part of my past, so I know what they would think and feel in a given situation.

What are your interests outside of writing?
Travel and collecting all forms of art, from Primitive African to Modern Mid Century and current. My husband buys out estates to resell. Recently I was interviewed for the Chicago Tribune, and the journalist said (as do many others) that our house looks like an Art Gallery or a museum.

Share some tips for other Authors or Aspiring Authors: What would you do differently? What would you do the same? Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.
I feel that wanting to be a writer is not something you decide to do. You either are a writer or not. It is in you to write stories, anecdotes or articles. Almost every writer I’ve met has written or told stories going back to their childhood. The best advice I was ever given was from a New York literary agent. He said to study people. Watch someone from across the room, a stranger. By the way they sit, behave, etc. you can get an idea who they might be and even of their personality. For me, this has been great advice.

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of The Anchor Clankers. To suggest an author interview, email her: rgarrison@bestversionmedia.com

Renee interviews author Katrina Kusa

01 Tuesday May 2018

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Awards, books, children, inspiration, lifestyle, Writer

Katrina KusaI met 13-year-old Katrina with her proud parents, Joe and Luba Kusa, at a Florida Authors and Publishers Association awards luncheon. She’s been propelled by a sense of purpose since she turned her playroom into a library at 8 years old! Katrina makes many of us wonder why we didn’t begin our writing careers decades earlier…

Tell me about your background. Where you grew up. Where you live now. Education. Work Experience. Share some things about yourself. Something to know about.

I was born in Boston, Massachusetts. After kindergarten, my family moved to Naples, Florida, where I attended Royal Palm Academy. My family and I have three furry friends, Max, Penni, and Jacque Bleu (two Boston Terriers and a French Bulldog). They are a very big part of our family and we try to take them everywhere, especially when we are traveling up and down the east coast during my school breaks and holidays.

What inspired you to write this book. What is the story behind this story?

As long as I could remember, I loved to create magical stories, playing with dolls and Littlest Pet Shop toys. And when I learned to read at an early age, I became obsessed with books.

When I turned eight years old, I watched a movie called “Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events” which inspired me to write my first short tale, Strange Happenings. Since that day, I have become closer to writing my own original stories. At 10 years old I wrote my first published story, The Kingdom of the Lizards, which won two bronze medals in the FAPA President’s Books Award Program, a national competition.

Living in Florida, there are lizards everywhere and I sometimes saw beautiful black-colored lizards. Also, I observed and recognized that a bit of bullying that was going on at school. I gathered my thoughts together and wrote a story that was half reality and fantasy which later became a magical piece of literature for all ages to read.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle.

As a 13-year-old, I have a lot of challenges! First and foremost is studying all my academics to achieve good grades while balancing my household duties. But as an author, time is my biggest challenge. I want to write more stories to show more meaning to the world that everyone can follow
I am now looking for a publisher for my next two books, “There Once was a Cat” and “The Girl in the White Dress.” I am so excited to get these books published as quickly as possible. I have a wonderful artist, Pavel Kulsha, who illustrated “The Kingdom of the Lizards” and he has also done the illustrations for my new books.

What has been your biggest “aha” moment and success.

When I Entered the 2017 FAPA President’s Book Award Contest, I had no idea of the honor that would come with winning. I received two Bronze Medals for “The Kingdom of the Lizards” in the category of juvenile fiction, both for the State of Florida and the overall National Award.
Then in October 2017 I submitted a short story to be considered for this year’s “Young Writers” creative writing contest, Spine-Chillers – Spooky Sagas. The Contest was organized through school for children ages 11-18. I never told my parents I was entering the contest until I found out that I was a finalist. I wrote a short story (just 100 words) that incorporates atmosphere, tension and suspense. There were over 4,500 entries and from these the publisher produced a collection of special anthologies. I was so excited to hear that I was a finalist. The name of my story is “The World Beyond US.” The anthology was released on Feb. 28, and will be submitted to the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. as well as the British Library in London, U.K. The two libraries are the largest and second largest libraries in the world in terms of catalogued volumes.

What author do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence in you and your writing.

As a book lover, I love to read books from all different genres and authors. Here are some of my favorite authors: Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Hans Christian Andersen. Along with having beautiful works of literature from these amazing authors, there are a few stories that are astounding to me, too. The examples are: Sherlock Holmes, Tom Sawyer, and especially the magic of The Little Mermaid and The Snow Queen. With these amazing stories, I can get put my writing to the next level that will help me in the future.

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals.

For the lack of time because I am a student (and someone who does a lot of activities,) I don’t write every single day. But I do write thoughts that I get from my deepest temples into a notebook for future ideas of books and characters. If I have a few hours for myself, I go to my room, shut the door, and travel into the magical world of literature.

What are you interested outside of writing?

I love to spend time with my family and my three dogs, especially during traveling. I love to invite my friends over to my house and do funny and weird things with them. Besides writing, I love to compose my own music and songs and play the piano. I also like fencing and western-style horseback riding.

Share some tips for other authors or aspiring authors. Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.

Every author has a different style and he or she writes in their own way. I wouldn’t try to copy any famous author or try to follow his style to write. All I can say is I would just go with my gut and believe in myself.
I would like to share my thoughts that all authors can benefit from. If you just have your momentum, don’t stop writing. Don’t worry about mistakes or wording, you can always edit it later. After a long writing spurt, take a little break to clear your thoughts and read your story out loud. Hearing your story out loud makes mistakes glaringly obvious. My favorite advice is to believe in what you’re writing. Live in your story, love your characters, no matter if they are good or bad. I wish the best for your writings ahead!

 

To suggest an author interview, email rgarrison@bestversionmedia.com

 

The challenge of downsizing

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by ReneeWritesNow! in Uncategorized

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

aging, children, Community, Family, Home, Houses, Life, lifestyle, thoughts

If you read the definition of “Down·size  (doun’siz’)” in the dictionary, it sounds easy: To reduce in number or size. To simplify (one’s life, for instance), as by reducing the number of one’s possessions. To become smaller in size by reductions in personnel or assets.
But for me, “downsize” means both a logistical and emotional challenge. It isn’t simply about getting rid of physical things: It’s also about releasing the emotional attachment that comes with them.
It recently took an entire month for me to move from one house to another. Children’s report cards, letters and photos require sorting and savoring. Friends who sell large homes and move to smaller ones appear equally unable (or unwilling) to dispose of their memories. We’re all saddened by adult children who are dismissive of childhood trophies and memorabilia that don’t blend with their current decorating scheme. We know one day, they will regret it.
When my friends ask, I offer one piece of advice: Get outside help.
I turned to my sister when the reality of needing to downsize finally settled in. A pragmatist, she honed her skills with a move to Brussels, Belgium followed by the sale of a large home in McLean, Virginia before downsizing to a townhouse in Annapolis, Maryland.
She ruthlessly attacked my closets and garage with the empathy of an avenging warlord.
Guided by the mantra, “When in doubt, throw it out,” we packed 14 carloads of household items and clothing – including my 1977 boxed wedding gown – and donated everything to the Neighborhood Center of West Volusia County. (The organization provides emergency and transitional housing for families in need.)
When we were finished, I felt no regrets – only relief. Actually, I felt a bit of satisfaction, too: The manager of The Neighborhood Center thrift store confided that our donations had boosted their revenues for more than a month!

In this case, less is definitely more.

Check out Renee’s book, “Sweet Beams: Inspiring Everyone Who Lives Under a New Roof,” available on amazon.com

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