Interview with Renée Gendron

 

Biography

Renée started writing fantasy romances because she loves world-building, interpersonal dynamics and ensuring they have their happily-ever-afters. She read her first romance novel in 2013, which changed her world. Since then, she’s been writing romances.

In May 2020, during the depths of the COVID lockdown, Renée decided to branch out into other genres to explore the rich subgenres romances have to offer. She thought it was time for her to try her hand at contemporary, and she wrote my first contemporary romance in July 2020.

Renée wrote her first crime novellas and short stories in September 2020. She wrote her first historical western romance in November 2020. Her first collection is called Heartened by Crime.

She is a contributor to A Muse Bouche Review, where she posts stories and advice on writing

She’s a structural editor for Fedowar Press.

Her latest release is The Officer’s Gamble, book 2 of The Outdoorsmen Series.

Credit: Renée Gendron (Author of Beneath the Twin Suns) (goodreads.com)

Questions

Why did you decide to write romance?

I enjoy the different layers of conflict and interpersonal dynamics. Everyone has suffered some tragic event in their lives, and it’s interesting to figure out how a character can address or overcome a deep hurt.

What do you like the most about writing?

It’s hard for me to pick just one thing. I love creating characters and dialogue that are realistic and relatable. I love creating worlds. Even though my contemporaries are based in real places, I strive to bring out a few unique aspects to make the world more interesting. I love infusing humour into my stories.

Why did you decide to self-publish your books?

I write long series to explore conflict, social dynamics, and different roles and professions. For example, Ruthanna in Jaded Hearts is a jade miner. That’s an unusual profession for a western historical romance. Another example is Sylvie in The Officer’s Gamble. She’s an intellectual property lawyer who runs a part-time food business from foraged items.

Back to the question, I decided to self-publish because I wanted the freedom to explore the nooks and crannies of the worlds I create. I wanted the flexibility to write a series as long or as short as I wanted. Some of my worlds have series-long conflicts, and other worlds have book-long conflicts that spill over into books.

What advice will you give to a new author?

Learn your craft by taking writing courses, reading books about craft, and attending workshops. It takes time, patience, and persistence to hone your skills. Writing, like any skill, takes years to develop and hone. Excellent writers are always improving, developing, and sharpening their skills.

Which one of your books will you recommend to a new reader?

I think Seven Points of Contact is a funny and fast read. It’s a contemporary sports romance (without sex on the page but contains swearing).

What are your next projects?

I’m finishing the first draft of Golden Hearts. It’s book 2 of the Frontier Hearts, a historical western series. Golden Hearts is a December-May romance set in the District of Alberta in 1888. It will be released in spring 2023.

I’m doing the final edits of Novella 2 of Heartened by Sport. It’s a second-chance romance. I don’t have the title yet because titles are the last things I write, but it will be released in January 2023.

By the end of November 2022, I’ll turn my attention to rewriting Book 1 of my fantasy series, The Nearer Realm Tales. I’ve worked on this series for ten years, and it’s my baby. This series was the reason I started writing again. I finally have the skill level to give the story justice. It’s an arranged marriage romance and will be released in the summer of 2023.

I have two other series I want to bring on board, one’s a cyberpunk, and another is a paranormal romance. It will depend on how clean I write the other first drafts. The cleaner I write, the fewer the edits, the faster I can release new content.

The first ten people who contact me will receive an ebook I wrote of their choice. Please write to Any at une.lectrice.compulsive85@gmail.com  in the title and indicate which ebook you would like to receive.

You can reach me at the following:

https://reneegendron.com/

 https://www.facebook.com/ReneeGendronauthor

https://www.instagram.com/authorreneegendron/

https://twitter.com/ReneeGendron

https://reneegendron.com/newsletter-contact

https://ko-fi.com/reneegendron