Writing When You’re Homesick
by
Renee Blare
Grief’s a powerful thing. It amazes me how it can bring a family closer or rip it apart. I discovered a bit about that when I lost both of my grandparents in a relative short period of time. My series, the Snowy Range Chronicles, of which To Soar on Eagle’s Wings is the first book, covers this subject with the Fitzgerald family.
When life unexpectedly sweeps in and takes the matriarch, Becca, the world turns upside down for the Fitzgerald’s. Instead of helping one another with their grief or even turning to the Lord, they struggle in isolation to cope with the loss of their loved one. Each book will focus on an individual Fitzgerald’s challenges…with romance, intrigue, and suspense thrown in, of course.
I couldn’t help but set the series in Wyoming even though I lived in Texas when I wrote To Soar. I guess I was more homesick than I thought! Since then I’ve moved back home and now live in the northeastern corner of the Wyoming, near Devils Tower. It’s beautiful and rugged! I love it.
This book was therapeutic in many ways. I didn’t realize how much I missed it up here until I started writing. When I wrote the passages about the Snowies, To Soar became more than a story. I saw the sun glistening off the snow in the meadows, heard the pines creaking in the wind, felt the cold flakes on my cheeks.
The characters became more than names as I poured my own characteristics into them. Yes, deep within their unique personalities, you’ll find a bit of me…even in the bad guys. It makes them real to me.
I’m so happy to see this book in print. I hope you like reading it as much as I loved writing it!
Hey, I’m giving away an e-copy of To Soar on Eagle’s Wings. If you’d like to enter the giveaway, answer the question!
If you wrote a book, where would your setting be? (NOT the one you’re writing now if you’re a writer!)
About the Book
Spring’s in the air. While the sun shines in Timber Springs, snow falls on the Snowy Range, and trouble’s brewing in the meadows. The area’s new game warden, Steve Mitchell launches his first wildlife investigation of the season but the trouble follows him—straight to town. Rachel Fitzgerald’s on Spring Break. Or at least she’s trying. Between paperwork, and harassing phone calls, she may as well have stayed in her classroom. So much for relaxation. A ‘chance’ meeting with her brother’s old roommate offers her weary soul a shred of hope, but she discovers love, like life, isn’t easy. He talks with the wisdom of the Lord but rejects the future. She wants to soar with the eagles but walks alone. And trusting God proves to be more of a challenge than ever before…
Meet Renee
Raised in Louisiana and Wyoming, Renee started writing poetry in junior high school and that, as they say, was that. After having her son, a desire to attend pharmacy school sent her small family to the University of Wyoming in Laramie, and she’s been counting pills ever since. While writing’s her first love, well, after the Lord and husband, she also likes to fish and hunt as well as pick away on her classical guitar. Nestled against the Black Hills with her husband, crazy old dog and ornery cat, she serves the community of northeastern Wyoming as a pharmacist and pens her Christian stories, keeping them interesting with action and intrigue, of course. She loves to interact with readers and invites you check out her website, blog, and social media.
Connect with Renee
Website Group Blog: The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction
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Email: faithwalker007@gmail.com
Book Giveaway
To enter the drawing for a copy of Renee’s book, please leave a comment before Sunday, July 19, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. (Central time). After a random drawing, the winner’s name will be announced on Monday, July 20th.
Thank you for reading the Story Spark behind Renee’s novel and participating in the giveaway.
