Today I'm excited to host our first October author Zenobia Renquist. She's stopped by to discuss her current and upcoming projects.
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Renee is a military brat turned military wife who is currently stationed in HI with her husband and two cats.
Whether writing as D. Renee Bagby or Zenobia Renquist, she is a world-builder. She loves inventing new cultures and shaping their histories and laws because it beats researching the existing ones.
Her stories span the fantasy gamut but she dabbles in sci-fi and contemporary from time to time. While her main characters tend to be of different races, she doesn't let skin color rule or limit her stories. For her, it's all about how much she can torture her characters so they earn their happily-ever-after ending.
The rules are all new and pre-conceived notions will only slow you down, so when reading Renee's stories, she asks only one thing -- Leave Your Reality Behind.
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What motivates Zenobia Renquist the author? Why do you write?
I write because I have stories to tell. I write as a way to keep track of the stories I create to entertain myself. Shaping a story, seeing it published, and then reading the finished product and knowing that it started with me is a great feeling.
When did you know you were a writer? Was it always your destiny or did you stumble upon your craft by accident?
I knew I wanted to be a writer back in high school. I genuinely started trying to write a manuscript with the intention of submitting in college. I didn’t truly feel like an author until I received my first reader email. I still have that email and cherish every email readers send me. It’s fun to know that people enjoy my imagination.
How did you get into EBook publishing?
I can actually thank my former co-worker and friend for that. We became friends after learning we liked the same authors. When I let her know of my quest to become an author and the steps I had taken without success, she suggested an ebook publisher, specifically Samhain Publishing. After some research, I submitted my manuscript to them. The rest is history.
How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?
I have no set routine. I usually write as much as I can, whenever I can. The best time for me to write is when I first wake up and my mind is fresh. That doesn’t always work out though. I try to devote some time each day to writing, or at least self-editing and plotting.
What did you do when you found out your first book had been contracted?
I slapped my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming as I re-read the email over and over just to make sure it said what I thought it said. After it sank in, I contacted everyone and anyone who would listen to let them know that I would soon be published.
Do you have any words of inspiration to aspiring authors? What advice would you offer a writer trying to publish?
For aspiring authors, I usually say the same things over and over.
#1 – Read as much as you can now because leisure reading becomes a thing of the past once you are published. There isn’t as much time between real life, writing, editing, and promoting to read books the way you used to. As well, after going through the process you don’t see books the same way and will find yourself critiquing a work rather than enjoying it.
Ella interjects - such a valuable piece of advice and so true!
#2 – Write however you want so long as you finish the book. Don’t get so hung up on trying to do things the “right” way that you don’t finish. Everyone has their own style. If you want to write the end of the book first, then go for it.
#3 – Play devil’s advocate with your story. Always ask yourself Why. Question your own plot and character motivations in order to make them more believable. If the answer to any question is “it looked good when I wrote it,” then delete it and try again.
For writers trying to publish, always ALWAYS follow the submissions guidelines to the letter. Every publisher does things a little different. They have those guidelines as first elimination round. If you cannot follow simple submission instructions, then that means you may be an author who won’t follow other instructions either so the publisher won’t want to deal with you. Don’t give them an excuse to reject you because of technicality.
Tell us about your current release.
My current release is book 4 in the Caveat Emptor series out with Changeling Press. I started this series back in February 2011 and it’ll end in 2012.
In this world, the humans are caught in an on-going conflict between the vampires and the mages. There are those who want to live together in peace and those who think fighting is much more profitable. The Caveat Emptor series follows three couples as they struggle with love during this unstable time.
Blurb: Caveat Emptor 4: Anguished Lover
Genre: Erotic Paranormal, Interracial, BBW, Vampire, Magic, Action/Adventure
Publisher: Changeling Press
To save their love, Sicily may have to sacrifice her life.
Sicily has volunteered to put herself on the front lines in the vampires' fight against the mages. Lamon has no choice but to go with her to keep her safe. When the worst happens, Sicily has to find out just what she's willing to sacrifice to save the lives of her lover and her friends.
Buy Link:
Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?
In December, Changeling Press will unveil their White Hot Christmas multi-author series. My contribution to the series is STRIPPING CHRISTMAS – it’s all about Santa and his new wife, who just happens to be a stripper. Though he didn’t find that out until it was too late.
Where can readers connect with you?
Website: http://zenobiarenquist.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dreneebagby
Monthly Newsletter: http://ymlp.com/signup.php?id=geusujygmgj
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Thanks so much for joining us! I'm loving the idea of Santa's new wife;)
Ella
Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDelete~ Zenobia
Thanks for stopping by:)
ReplyDelete