'Home is where my stuff is'. That's Reneé's motto... one of many.
An Air Force brat born and raised, Reneé has traveled all of her life. She was born in the Netherlands and raised in Japan, Texas, Florida, and finally Virginia.
Her travels didn't stop once high school ended. She attended college in North Carolina at Elon University, graduating with a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Asian Studies, Japanese concentration. And after graduation, she returned to Texas to start her life with her husband and rejoin the ranks of Air Force living as a military spouse. From Texas, it was off to California for four years where she finished her first manuscript.
It wasn't until she, her husband, and their two cats moved to Maryland—where they currently reside—that she submitted said manuscript to Samhain Publishing, Ltd. and received a contract.
Given her upbringing and the military tendency of traveling, Reneé knows a lot about adapting to new locales and being 'the new kid'. It's no wonder the majority of her stories tend to be 'fish out of water' stories.
Unlike many authors who said they had a love of reading and writing since a very young age, Reneé used to hate reading and writing wasn't even a thought. If it wasn't on TV then it didn't interest her.
All that changed when her elementary school held a reading contest. A gold medal was waiting for all the students who read a certain number of books and Renee was determined to be one of them. She received her gold medal and a love of reading. From YA Romance to Mainstream Romance, Reneé discovered an addiction to the happily-ever-after endings the romantic genres offered.
She didn't start writing until high school. Back then, her stories were a way to pass the time in class so the teachers thought she was taking notes. It wasn't until another contest, a literary contest, surfaced that she considered writing a story with a definite beginning, middle, and end.
While she didn't finish the story in time for the competition and thus didn't get a chance to submit it for consideration, her English teacher at the time—her very first beta reader—gave her the encouragement needed to keep at it.
It took a few years and many, many rough drafts but Adrienne was eventually born. And, as cliché as it sounds, that was the beginning of the end.
Reneé loves reading (romances and manga) when she has the time but finds she loves writing even more. Her imagination entertains her far more than anything she could find on television, though it is a lovely distraction at times. And, the writing community has introduced her to good friends who are just as crazy and out-there as she is.
Site – http://dreneebagby.com/ and http://zenobiarenquist.com/
*CONTEST*
Renee will be giving away an E-copy of HARLEY ON THE ROCKS to one lucky commenter! Winner will be picked at random once the SPOTLIGHT is over. So please leave your E-mail address so we may contact you should you win!!
